MANCHESTER, England – As part of WWE's tour of the United Kingdom, Monday Night Raw appeared in Manchester, England, before a sold-out crowd. In the absence of a General Manager, following Mike Adamle's resignation, Stephanie McMahon appeared early in the show to set the tone for the night. Though she denied Batista's request for a rematch against World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho, she did make matches intended to put an end to two of Raw's most heated rivalries: World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels in a Last Man Standing Match and Rey Mysterio vs. Kane in a No Disqualification Match. WATCH all of the action now in the Raw Quick Cut and check out WWE.com's exclusive ringside PHOTOS.World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho def. Shawn Michaels in a Last Man Standing Match
Though Chris Jericho's World Heavyweight Title wasn't being defended, there was still a lot on the line as these two Superstars faced off in one of WWE's most grueling matches. Designed to put an end to the long-running, extremely personal rivalry between Jericho and HBK, the ring warriors gave their all in front of the WWE Universe in Manchester. As has been his modus operandi, however, Jericho refused to fight fairly, and was assisted during the match by JBL, who was eager to do damage against his opposing Survivor Series team captain, Shawn Michaels. Though HBK hit Jericho with Sweet Chin Music, The Showstopper was subsequently the victim of a steel chair shot from JBL, allowing the World Heavyweight Champion to pull himself to his feet for the win.
Women's Champion Beth Phoenix def. Mickie James
Both members of Glamarella were forced to defend their titles on Monday night, with Santino Marella losing the Intercontinental Title to William Regal, and Beth Phoenix defending her Women's Championship against Mickie James. The Glamazon was able to retain some of Glamarella's glory, by defeating James and retaining her gold.
Batista def. Cody Rhodes who took Randy Orton's place in the match
Randy Orton came to the ring ready to face Batista, but after his entrance, Cody Rhodes & Manu joined them in the ring. Rhodes then told the Legend Killer that he would take on Batista and show Orton how it's done. Unfortunately for Rhodes, however, he was unable to tame The Animal, who not only defeated the second-generation Superstar, but also speared Manu, as Orton looked on from the ramp.
Rey Mysterio def. Kane in a No Disqualification Match
In a contest designed to put an end to the months-long rivalry between Rey Mysterio and Kane, the Master of the 619 faced the Big Red Monster in a No Disqualification Match. Though the two ring warriors had faced one another in traditional singles competition and tag team matches, never before had they been given such complete freedom to do damage to one another. Though there were no fetters holding back the outrageous power of the 7-footer, it was the speed and ingenuity of Mysterio that won the day, with the Ultimate Underdog pinning Kane for the win.
Following the match, Randy Orton was confronted by Cody Rhodes and Manu in the locker room area. The two second-generation Superstars told Orton that they weren't going to let him get away with punting their associate, Ted DiBiase, in the head the week before. The Legend Killer claimed that DiBiase was the weak link in their group and that he did them a favor by taking him out of commission. Rhodes responded by slapping Orton in the face. The youngest World Heavyweight Champion in history moved toward the younger Superstar with rage in his eyes, but reluctantly decided to back off after an angry Manu placed himself in Orton's way.
Mike Knox def. D-Lo Brown
In Mike Knox's first match as a member of the Raw brand, he faced D-Lo Brown. The Desert Destroyer steamrolled over Brown, making clear his intention to become a force to be reckoned with on Monday nights.
After the match, Women's Champion Beth Phoenix attempted to console her beau, Santino Marella over his lost Intercontinental Title. The Italian Superstar had just gotten off the phone with Shane McMahon, and alerted The Glamazon that she would be defending her title later in the night against Mickie James.
William Regal def. Santino Marella to become the new Intercontinental Champion
Santino Marella came to the ring as he normally does, accompanied by Women's Champion Beth Phoenix, and flaunting the length of his Intercontinental Title reign. The Italian Superstar even discarded the Honk-A-Meter for the new Honk-A-Perfect-Mountie-Meter, combining the title reigns of Honky Tonk Man, Mr. Perfect and The Mountie for a total of 123 weeks, which Santino was only two years and four months from beating. Marella's hopes were dashed, however, by William Regal, who competing in his homeland of England and accompanied by fellow Brit, Layla, quickly defeated the braggadocios Italian to become the new Intercontinental Champion.
Stephanie McMahon denied Batista his rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship and made two huge matches for the night's show; Batista challenged Randy Orton to a match and then speared the Legend Killer
After losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Chris Jericho in a Steel Cage Match the week before, Batista was eager invoke his rematch clause on Raw. However, Stephanie McMahon appeared on the TitanTron to address The Animal, alerting him that due to her brother Shane's promise that whoever won the Steel Cage Match would go on to face John Cena at Survivor Series, she was unable to grant Batista's request until after the pay-per-view event. Though the WWE Universe wouldn't see the World Heavyweight Championship defended, Stephanie did make two matches designed to bring closure to some of Raw's most heated rivalries: Rey Mysterio vs. Kane in a No Disqualification Match and World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels in a Last Man Standing Match.
After those announcements, Randy Orton made his way to the ring, dredging up bad history from he and Batista's days in Evolution. The Legend Killer then told The Animal that after Cena, it was his turn for a title opportunity, not Batista's. Since Stephanie McMahon had already made the night about settling old scores, The Animal challenged Orton to a match live on Raw. The third-generation Superstar accepted the challenge with an insult to Batista, who then attempted to hit Orton with a Batista Bomb, before the Legend Killer escaped and fled the ring.
Taken from: wwe.com
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