Armageddon 2003 Review

This show took place on Dec 14th 2003 and was a Raw brand show meaning only the Raw roster guys would be competing tonight. JR and King are doing commentary.


Match #1

Singles Match

Booker T Vs Mark Henry w Theodore Long


Booker attacks first and pounds on Henry who overpowers and slams him. They brawl outside and Booker gets sent to the steps. Back inside Booker gets a missile dropkick for 2. Teddy draws attention and Henry drops Booker. Backbreaker gets 2. Mark with a sort of bow and arrow and then Henry hangs him on the middle rope and does the run and jump on the guys back. This one looked real nasty and legitimately hurtful. Henry with a chinlock and Booker fights out but walks into a bearhug. He fights out of that and runs into a clothesline. Legdrop misses, and Booker comes back with a bicycle kick and a back kick. Booker hits the scissor kick and only gets 2. ALOT of guys were kicking out of finishers on a weekly basis around this time and it was bugging me because it usually meant a lameass dq or runin was around the corner. Henry spinebuster gets 2 then he hits an avalanche and clothesline followed by a legdrop for 2. Booker rallies and gets another scissor kick and gets the pin at 9:21/ This didn't do much for me. 1 1/2 star.


Co Raw GM Mick Foley comes out and introduces cheerleader Stacey Keibler. Orton and Flair walk out and jaw so Mick makes the IC match next. Whatever.


Match #2

Intercontinental Championship Match

Rob Van Dam Vs Randy Orton w Ric Flair


Every wrestling fan has atleast one wrestler they loathe. Mine is Randy Orton. Sure, I thought he was alright from his beginnings up until the RNN. But once he went into Evolution and they started pushing him as the "Legend Killer" I never bought into him as a legit future world champion. I had read too many stories on the guy and his habit of blowing spots then repeating them which made the matches look stupid didn't help my opinion either. Also, some say he peaked too soon at winning the world title off Benoit (HHH sabotaging him helped alot less) but I thought he peaked too soon even here. Then again, the IC belt went to **** in 99 pretty much so whatever I guess. Orton sneak attacks but RVD goes into his routine and controls for awhile. Orton takes over on a mistake and spends alot of time stomping RVD on the mat. RVD fights back and goes up top for a crossbody for 2. Rob spinkicks him out to the floor. RVD follows with a somersault plancha. Slingshot legdrop gets 2 back inside. Orton misses a charge, but shoves Rob off the top and to the floor. Orton hits him with a dropkick on the floor and they head back in. Foley gets on Flairs case. RVD fights out of the corner but Orton quickly clotheslines him down again. Orton with the chinlock, but Rob fights out, and then gets clotheslined down again. RVD answers back with a seated dropkick. Back to the chinlock. Rob fights out and gets a rollup for 2, and the splitlegged moonsault gets 2. Orton gets a body vice into a neckbreaker. Orton goes to the headlock that became somewhat of a running gag on him to this day, he's like the new Sid sorta. RVD out and he dropkicks Orton down. RVD with a BIG monkey flip and springboard dropkick. Northern lights suplex gets 2. Orton bails, but Rob suplexes him onto the railing hits the spinnign legdrop off the apron. Back in, Orton catches him with a nasty ddt off the middle ropes for 2 which could of been the finish. Seated dropkick sets up Rolling Thunder, and Rob decks Flair for being too close and gets rolled up for 2 in what could very well of been the finish, but just a tease. Spinkick and Rob goes up, but Flair makes a nuisance of himself and Orton gets the suprise RKO for the belt at 17:59. Orton celebrates which kinda helps the title mean something. Match was pretty good. 2 1/2 stars.


Match #3

Battle Of The Sexes Match

Chris Jericho And Christian Vs Trish Stratus And Lita


The most compelling story of Raw at the time was the love connection going on here, until about a week ago when the girls got pissed at Jericho and Christian and Jericho has been teasing a face turn since Survivor Series. Jericho doesn't want to fight Trish so he spanks her and tells her to calm down. Trish just gets even madder and she takes him down with a headscissors. Christian tags himself in and shoves Trish back into her corner and wants her to tag in Lita who he was teasing a relationship with. Christian misses a charge and Lita takes him down with a headscissors for 2. Cheapshot from Jericho turns the tide. He's okay with fighting Lita, just not his potential GF. Christian slams Lita, and Jericho comes in with his own, and does step on their hair and pull their arms spot. Lita tries fighting back, but Jericho tries to powerbombs her and she counters with a rollup for 2 in an awkard spot. Christian comes back in and tears her top off but the top she was wearing underneath actually covers more than the outer layer. He teases so she kicks him in the nuts. Bought time that spot got worked in. Hot tag Trish, who chick kicks Christian and dodges him on a charge. Jericho gets crotched on the top by Lita, but Trish can’t get the handstand rana, as Jericho shrugs her off and Christian drops her for 2. Christian charges and Trish dodges him with the Matrix move and he runs into Jericho and she rolls him up for 2, but Christian clotheslines her harshly. Lita gets her rana, but Jericho pulls her out of the ring, then goes in to check on Trish. While helping her up, Christian rolls her up for the pin at 6:41. Meh. I was never a fan of these types of matches, but it was pretty good for the story. 2 stars.


Match #4

Singles Match

Shawn Michaels Vs Batista w Ric Flair


Batista pulling double duty tonight as he will be teaming with Flair in the tag turmoil match later. Shawn fires off in the corner to start and Batista goes low and slugs him down, but Shawn kicks the leg and goes outside to mess with Flair. Back in, Batista pounds him in the corner and chokes away, then gets a clothesline. Delayed suplex gets 2. Batista puts Shawn on top and hammers the back, but Shawn fights him off, Shawn with a moonsault for 2. Shawn with the flying forearm and theyre both down......KIP UP!!! Batista clotheslines him and tosses him outside and then sends him to the steps. Backbreaker gets 2. They punch it out and Shawn gets an atomic drop. Batista catches him with a two handed choke, but Shawn turns it into a DDT. He goes up with the flying elbow, and he’s tuning up the band! Superkick is countered with a spinebuster in a good move by Batista. Batista gives him another and taunts Shawn. He goes for the Batista bomb but Shawn wiggles out of it and superkicks Batista into oblivion and pins him but his own shoulders are down at the same time, ref doesn't notice it and Shawn wins at 12:19. Got better at the end. Im going 2 1/2 stars.


Match #5

Singles Match

Matt Hardy Vs Maven


Batista is still at ringside and powerbombs Maven into jelly. Matt wins by forfeit or some crap. Match wasn't even part of the show until the last minute. DUD!!!


Match #6

Tag Team Turmoil Championship Match

The Dudley Boys Vs La Resistance Vs Ric Flair And Batista Vs Mark Jindrak And Garrisson Cade Vs Huricane And Rosey Vs Scott Steiner And Test Vs Val Venis And Lance Storm


The super heroes face the evil french first. Rosey clotheslines Conway and Hurricane comes in with a legdrop and then goofs springboard onto Dupree outside. Back in, Conway gets a full nelson, and an awkward neckbreaker. They work him over in the French corner, and Dupree powerslams him for 2. Dupree gets taken down with an x factor and Rosey gets the hot tag and cleans house with a samoan drop on Dupree. Spinning rockbottom on Conway gets 2. He dumps Dupree and gets a spinebuster on Conway, and Hurricane stands on his shoulders in the corner and splashes Conway bigtime for the pin. Jindrak and Cade sneak through the crowd and get a sneaky pin on Huricane to eliminate the heros. Venis and Storm are next. Jindrak gets hiptossed by Val, and they trade armdrags. Val elbows him down and Storm comes in and stays on the arm. Cade comes in and gets more of the same from Lance. They work off a headlock and Storm goes back to the armbar. Storm goes for a springboard but get decked hard by Jindrak and Cade gets a 2. Hottag to Val and he gives Jindrak a spinebuster and one for Cade, and a half nelson slam on Jindrak gets 2. It breaks down as Storm and Cade fight to the floor. Cade trips up Val on a suplex attempt and Jindrak gets the pin. Dudleyz are up next and they clean house. Cade gets beat up in the corner. D-Von gets an elbow on Jindrak for 2, but Jindrak comes back with a lariat for 2. Cheapshot from Cade outside turns the tide and Jindrak stomps away. They work D-Von over in the corner, and Cade goes to a headlock. He goes up but misses an elbow, and Bubba gets the hot tag. Hiptoss for Jindrak, backdrop for Cade, and he splashes them both in the corner. D-Von gets a corner clothesline, but Jindrak rolls him up for 2. Jindrak misses a dropkick and gets 3D'd and it's down to Dudleyz against Test/Steine. Test goes after Bubba’s shoulder, but Bubba fights them both off. Steiner suplexes him and sends him to the floor. Test works on the shoulder outside, and back in Steiner gets an elbow for 2. The heels take turns working on Bubba's shoulder then Test goes up but gets brought down hard then Bubba senton splashes him. Hot tag D-Von, and he clotheslines Test and gets a neckbreaker for 2. Steiner catches him with a suplex and Test sideslams for 2. Steiner calls for the big boot from Test, but of course it misses and D-Von gets 2. Test grabs a belt and a chair and nails D-Von, but Bubba saves. Bubbabomb finishes Test and Dudleyz retain the belts at 19:26. But Bishoff shows up and says there is one more team. Flair and Batista. They pick the bones and win the belts inside of a minute. Im knocking off 1/2 star for the WCWish finish. So call it 2 stars.


Molly Holly defended the womens belt against Ivory in a nothing match but it was cut from the home video release.


Match #7

Raw Championship Triple Threat Match

Goldberg Vs HHH Vs Kane


Back in the day, I remember the internet community dumping on this thing as being boring as hell. Let's see. HHH attacks Goldberg first. Kane helps and they beat up the champ. Goldberg drops Kane with a shoulderblock and a powerslam, and dumps HHH. Kane sits up and he squares off with Goldberg, and Kane gets a corner clothesline and another clothesline for 2. Goldberg comes back with a neckbreaker on Kane and suplexes HHH, but Kane sideslams Goldberg. Kane goes up, but gets slammed off by Goldberg, and he powerslams HHH. Kane blocks a spear with a boot, and chokes away. HHH and Kane hit Goldberg with a double suplex, and Kane powerslams Goldberg, and HHH sneaks in for 2. Kane seems to have forgotten the whole Katie Vick thing. HHH gets dumped by Goldberg but Kane hotshots GB weakly. JR points out the bordem of the match secretly. HHH brings in a chair and hits Kane by accident, and Goldberg slams him. GB and Kane fight outside and Kane chokeslams Goldberg on the Spanish table, but it doesn’t break. HHH sends Kane into the stairs. Pedigree is reversed by Kane, and they head inside. Kane goes up with the flying clothesline and chokeslam, but HHH goes to the eyes. DDT, which Kane nosells, and HHH keeps punching. Kane dumps him and they brawl up the ramp and Kane chokeslams HHH on the ramp. Back in, Goldberg pears Kane, getting 2. They all slug it out, won by Goldberg, and he spears Kane again. Another spear for HHH, and Evolution do their expected run in and it's a total shmoz as Kane chokeslams Goldberg after HHH goes low, and HHH steals the pin and the title at 19:29. HHH has the title again, nobody cares. Ill go 2 stars. Just felt kinda meh, and the ending was painfully obvious.


Overall Opinion: Nothing great about this show. Not horrible either, just feh.


Final Score: Stamping a mediocre 3.2 stars on this show.