WWE Monday Night Raw Results 3/31/08
Submitted by Calvin Martin on Monday, March 31, 2008 at 10:59 PM EST



WWE Monday Night Raw Results
March 31, 2008
Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross & Jerry "The King" Lawler
Report by: Adam Martin & Hunter Golden of http://www.WrestleView.com



- The WWE Iron Sheik hits.

- A video packages runs highlighting WrestleMania 24 last night when Shawn Michaels defeated Ric Flair.

- The Monday Night Raw Iron Sheik hits. We then go live to Orlando, FL where a series of pyro goes off in the Amway Arena. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler welcome us to the show.

- Ric Flair's Farewell Address will take place tonight.

- John Cena's music hits in the arena. No John Cena. Triple H's music hits. No Triple H. Randy Orton's music hits and this time Orton appears with the WWE Title over his shoulder. Orton stops at the end of the ramp, holds up the WWE Title and gives it a kiss. Orton hits the ring and shows off the WWE Title some more. Orton gets on the mic and asks if they were expecting some one else. He said the big question was who was gonna beat him last night. Instead, that didn't happen. Orton runs down the list of everyone he has beaten and said you are now living in the age of Orton. He said Triple H and John Cena don't deserve a rematch.

JBL comes out and calls Orton's match at WrestleMania last night pathetic. He said Orton got lucky last night. Orton turns his head to JBL and JBL yells at him to look at him when he is talking. JBL brags about destroying Finlay and Hornswoggle last night as well. He then demands a title shot. JBL then walks off and Orton tells him to come back. Matt Hardy then jumps over the railing and attacks Orton. They brawl to the outside and WWE officials and referees break it up.

===COMMERCIAL BREAK===

- Backstage, Matt Hardy tells William Regal that he hasn't forgotten what Orton did to him a few months ago and demands to have a match with Orton tonight.

- Back live, Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch are in the ring and are waiting for their opponents. Out come Cryme Tyme. They are back in WWE. Boy, I'm glad we passed on posting a rumor about them on WrestleView that some other wrestling media reported today.

Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch vs. Cryme Tyme

Big double-team move with JTG being flipped on Cade. Cade comes back with a scoop slam. Murdoch gets the tag and hits JTG with a big right hand to the gut. Few rights by Murdoch followed by a takedown on JTG. Cade and Murdoch launch JTG into the corner as Cade gets the tag. Cade tags in Murdoch again and he drops a leg over JTG. Murdoch kicks JTG in the corner and then whips him into the other corner. JTG counters that into a quick roll-up and gets the pinfall!

Winners: Cryme Tyme

After the match, Cryme Tyme celebrates their win and return to WWE.

- Later tonight: Ric Flair's Farewell Address.

- Highlights from Ric Flair vs. Harley Race at Starrcade in 1983 are shown.

===COMMERCIAL BREAK===

- Shawn Michaels' music hits and he comes out. HBK gets on the mic and says he was asked to be the showstopper last night. He talks about being responsible for ending the career of Ric Flair. HBK said that is a burden he has to carry with him for the rest of his life. He ends his Iron Sheik dropping the mic and heading to the back.

- Later tonight: Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk and Randy Orton vs. Matt Hardy.

===COMMERCIAL BREAK===

- Backstage, William Regal tells Shawn Michaels he did what he had to do. Batista is then standing in the background behind him staring him down. Jim Ross mentions the burden that HBK will carry from now on.

- Back live, Paul London and Brian Kendrick await their opponents, the World Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes.

Non-Title Match
Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. World Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes

Match kicks off with Rhodes and Kendrick. Kendrick flips over the back of Rhodes countering an arm lock. Rhodes fires back with a shoulder takedown off the ropes. Kendrick with a big scoop slam, but Kendrick backs up and gets to the ropes as Rhodes tags in Hardcore Holly. Paul London then gets the tag and he locks up with Holly. Another lock up and London dodges a chop attempt with an elbow to the head of Holly. Holly finally gets in a big chop on London in the corner. Some more stiff chest chops to London by Holly - with a third launching London over the top rope to the outside. Holly with a clothesline and cover on London, but only gets a two count.

Rhodes gets the tag and Rhodes and Holly execute a double-suplex on London. Rhodes with a huge cross-body from the top rope, but London rolls through and only gets a two count. London counters a suplex attempt and tags in Kendrick. Kendrick dropkicks Rhodes and then takes out Holly. Rhodes with a big bulldog on Kendrick. London tosses Holly out and Rhodes clotheslines London out. Kendrick then rolls up Rhodes and gets the pinfall!

Winners: Paul London & Brian Kendrick

After the match, London and Kendrick celebrate their win as JR and King call it a big upset.

- Highlights from Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleWar in 1989 are shown.

===COMMERCIAL BREAK===

- Back live, Rev Theory (who sang "Light It Up" - the official theme song for WrestleMania 24) are shown in the crowd.

- Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler introduce a video package highlighting last night's WrestleMania.

- Later tonight: WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Matt Hardy and up next, WWE Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho vs. the new "Money in the Bank" CM Punk.

===COMMERCIAL BREAK===

CM Punk v. Chris Jericho

The two exchanged some strikes before settling into a little headlock action. A little while after that they played around with some roll ups and back slides.

Finally Punk rapped Jericho in the mug with a right hand and went for a quick cover attempt. Punk hit some not so nice elbows into the grill of Chris Jericho who responded with a not so nice kick to the chest and a cover attempt of his own. Jericho laid in a back breaker before Punk slowly rose to his feet and the two traded punches before Jericho flipped him head over feet with a knee to the gut.

Jericho dug an elbow in on the face during the cover attempt before gathering the straight edge sissy boy and flopping down on his mid section with a senton. Jericho hung Punk up on the middle of the top rope, but got greedy and was hung up himself trying to play around.

Punk quickly gathered him and hit a forearm to the face, but ended up getting back body dropped to the floor. Jericho went for a baseball slide dropkick but completely whiffed. Punk capitalized and nailed a big round house kick.

Back in the ring, the two traded big moves before settling into a striking exchange. Punk missed a drop kick before Jericho missed on the lion sault. Jericho came up lame on the landing and Punk pounced, hitting a knee breaker. Jericho tried to get something going but found himself stuck in Go 2 Sleep. Jericho fought out and went for the walls and once Punk broke free, Jericho tossed him into the ropes. Punk looked for a lariat, but Jericho ducked under it and caught him with the code breaker. Three seconds later, it’s all over.

Winner: Chris Jericho via pin fall

Another Flair segment aired.

****Commercial****

Big Show’s music hit and he came out to the ring with a smile on his face, in spite of it all.

Show came out and congratulated Floyd Mayweather. But he kind of veered off of the beaten path and talked about how much Ric Flair meant to him. He said Flair looked him in the eye this weekend and told him he was the greatest big man he was ever in the ring with. Show almost started to cry. He talked a bit about being a monster before the Great Khali’s music hit and he came waltzing on down to the ring.

Show demanded he get out of his face. Show backed up and he and Khali squared off. The crowd’s chanting ‘Show’s gonna kill you’. Glorious. Khali backed down, apparently willing to fight, but only on his terms.

****Commercial****

Santino is in the back doing copius ammounts of squats. Maria came by and said she didn’t want to have this match with him. He said his skills were wasted with the WWE Divas and that they should be home cooking pasta and making babies. They were the lowest form of entertainment on the show. He said the match was still on. Maria slapped him and walked away.

Randy Orton v. Matt Hardy

The two started pummeling each other right from the get go and it didn’t take long for the action to spill to the outside. Hardy chucked Orton into the barracade and began laying in some brutally stiff elbows into Orton’s forehead before tossing him into the ring. He tossed him in the ring and hung him up on the top rope and dropped an elbow for a near fall.

Hardy laid in some shots and connected with a stiff lariat for a two count before Orton bailed in an attempt to regroup. Hardy went right after him and slammed Orton’s head off the ring steps before chucking him back into the ring and covering him for a two count.

Hardy hit a swinging neck breaker for a two count before pursuing Orton to the corner and laying in some shoulder shots. Orton countered an irish whip and ate a back elbow on the follow through, but managed to slam Hardy to the mat on the second attempt. Both men are laid out on the mat.

****Commercial****

We came back to Orton locking in a nasty looking head lock on Hardy. Hardy fought out but was quickly flat backed by the champion. Orton went into a speedier version of the Garvin stomp before slamming a knee down on Hardy’s jaw for a two count.

Hardy fought back with some rights, but got perched up on the top rope as Orton loaded up a super plex. Hardy fought him off and hit a moon sault for a two count. Hardy kept up the pressure and hit the clothesline/bulldog combo for another near fall. Matt connected with a side effect for another two count, but Orton still managed to kick out.

Hardy loaded up the twist of fate, but Orton countered out and hit a European upper cut. He went for a second, but Hardy countered with a backslide. Hardy went to the second rope but Orton again bailed to the outside, but Hardy came bounding off the apron, clattering into the champion. Hardy hit a twist of fate on the floor but Hardy’s too tempted to inflict pain and elects to drag him into the ring rather than let the count out happen.

He went to drag Orton in and Orton popped up out of nowhere and nailed and RKO for the win.

Winner: Randy Orton via pin fall

Dusty Rhodes was in the back giving his thoughts on the Nature Boy. He said every time they got into the ring, it was magic. He said there were legends and icons, but from this day forward, Ric Flair was, in his eyes, a national treasure.

****Commercial****

JBL approached Randy Orton in the back. He took the belt out of Orton’s hands and looked at it before flopping it back in Orton’s lap.

Anything Goes Match
Maria v. Santino Marella

The two circled it up before Santino decked her. All the Divas are on their way down to the ring and here they come into the ring and now Cena’s getting hammered by like a million women. They held his legs apart and Maria dropped a huge head butt on his balls for the three count as the girls helped her hold him down.

Winner: Maria via pin fall

Ric Flair’s farewell address is next!

****Commercial****

Flair’s music hits and here he comes.

Flair said he wrestled his very last match. He said he would never, ever again. He said he wasn’t sad. He said we shouldn’t be sad, either. He said we should be happy he had the greatest career in the history of pro wrestling. He said he lost last night, but he lost to a great, great, great wrestler and for one night, a better man. He said he raised more hell, had more fun and loved all of us every day of his life.

He said he’d been teared up all day long, but he’s off and he’s in a good place. He thanked the fans for their love and support and making him who he was today. His music hit and he strutted around some, and then Triple H’s music hit.

Triple H came down to the ring, and said if he thought the people were the only ones who wanted to say thank you, if he thought the millions watching on TV wanted to say thank you, well, then, he’s got another thing coming.

He said he had to come out to the ring and tell him something from the bottom of his heart, that he loved him. He got on his knees and bowed to Flair. Now, he said, that took care of him, but there were a few other guys who had something to say, too.

He said there was this one group of guys he talked to who were making his hand cramp up in a four. Tully Blanchard, JJ Dillon, Barry Windham and Arn Anderson came out to the ring with the four horseman music blaring. Batista’s music hit and he came out to the ring himself.

Good lord, it’s Ricky Steamboat. Harley Race. Jesus christ, this is pretty cool. Greg Valentine is next and he’s rugged. Dean Malenko’s coming down and there’s more good matches in the ring at the age of 70 than you’ll ever see ever again. Cena, Jericho and a few others followed and Flair’s family came out last.

Michaels’ music hit and here he comes awkward moments. They have a very emotional embrace and Triple H makes a joke to lighten it up a bit about HBK and Flair’s matching watches. The entire WWE locker room comes out to the ringside area to say ‘thank you’.

We got a massive ‘thank you Ric’ Chant and in the way best befitting him, we all say goodbye to Ric Flair.


Report by: Adam Martin & Hunter Golden of http://www.WrestleView.com










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