W W E RAW 4-26-04
Video recap of the draft picks from last week.

Opening Montage

YOUR hosts: JR and 'The King.'
Eric Bischoff on screen from his office to announce that he has a new assistant who will be carrying out his wishes on RAW tonight while he is at home in his personal office working some deals to make RAW the superior show of WWE. Bischoff also notes that as Rob Van Dam is no longer going to be a part of RAW, he has been stripped of his number one contender status. But that will all be addressed further by his new assistant Johnny Nitro later.
Tyson Tomko def Val Venis via Pinfall (Banebomb)*
Tomko completely dominates the match. Val is barely able to get any offense in on the massive Tomko, who systematically works on Val's upper body with a series of chops and front suplexes. The match ends when Tomko hits the Banebomb* on Val causing JR to ask what that move was and how Tomko came up with it.

Johnny Nitro is in the GM's office hearing from several superstars who feel that they deserve a shot to become the #1 contender for the IC title. He listens to the arguing by several of the superstars, but is unable to come to a decision with all of the bickering going on in the office. He sends everyone out and finds himself face to face with Eugene. Johnny Nitro is at a loss for words, but Eugene motions for him to come closer. Eugene whispers something to Johnny, and Johnny smiles in response.

Commercials
Rob Conway & Sylvain Grenier def Matt Morgan & Garrison Cade via Pinfall (Batista-ference)
Morgan dominates both Conway and Grenier, but when he goes to set up for his finisher, he knocks the ref down. When the ref is down, Grenier and Conway double team Morgan. Garrison Cade, frustrated with Morgan's lack of offering to tag him in, walks away from Morgan as Batista comes down to ringside. As the ref gains control of the match, Batista comes in and destroys Conway and Grenier both, causing Morgan to get disqualified. Morgan is furious and goes after Batista. As he chases Batista to the backstage area, he is greeted by the rest of Evolution. Morgan is no match and eventually goes down by way of Triple H, and Sledge (The Sledgehammer).
Maven def Orlando Jordan via Pinfall (Tough Luck)**
Match was not very pretty. Both men kept trying to find a way to get at each other, but neither one could seem to manage more than a few shots at a time. Maven took the upper hand when OJ went for a catwalk across the top rope and lost track of where Maven was. After dumping OJ to the outside, Maven took OJ into the stairs a couple of times and rolled him back in the ring. From there it was a quick shot to the Tough Luck and the victory.

JR and The King talk about the problems Evolution has had with Edge and Benoit as of late. They note that it all could end tonight as Edge and Benoit will take on Flair and Batista. If they lose, then Edge and Benoit have to give Triple H a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, and Randy Orton a shot at the Intercontinental Title. Cut to the back where Triple H is anxiously waiting for Flair and Batista to come out of the locker room. He tells them that they had better win the match or he will personally introduce them both to his best friend in the world. Then holds up the sledgehammer and says to Batista, "You already know how close him and I are. And how we help our friends. Keep that in mind out there." Randy Orton comes out and asks what is going on. Triple H tells him it's just business.

Johnny Nitro calls all of the superstars who want a shot at the Intercontinental Title to the ring to announce who will compete for the Number One Contender slot. He selects Christian and Randy Orton. This elicits a large collective groan from the rest of the group, but he promises to make it up to them. Each of them will have an opportunity to win themselves a shot soon. He has all of their names in his PDA and will keep them handy for something big in a few weeks.
Randy Orton def Christian via Pinfall (RKO) to become the #1 Contender to the Intercontinental Champion
Randy Orton and Christian beat on each other in and out of the ring. Christian gets the Unprettier on Orton, who kicks out. Christian is furious and can't figure out what to do. He goes to get a chair and the referee takes it from him. The distraction proves enough for Orton to land the RKO and score the pinfall. JR and King congratulate Orton on becoming the #1 Contender for the IC title, and announce that Johnny Nitro, on behalf of Eric Bischoff, has booked Matt Morgan to face Batista next week!

Johnny Nitro comes out after the commercial break to informs us that the Tag Team Titles WILL be on the line by request of Triple H.
Smack Down! Rebound: Recap of the people selected from Smack Down! to become part of NITRO.
Edge and Benoit gush over their good fortune to have a chance to hold all the gold on RAW soon. Triple H comes in and reminds them that there has never been another duo who have held all the gold. Only himself and Stone Cold Steve Austin. He goes on to talk about how he asked that the tag titles be put on the line to motivate Batista and Flair. Benoit wonders why Triple H would even think of costing his pals their titles, and Triple H responds with one line: "The World heavyweight Championship means that much to ME."
Edge & Chris Benoit def Evolution (Ric Flair & Batista var) via Pinfall (Edge Spears Flair) to become the Tag Team Champions
Johnny Nitro comes out just before the match to join JR and the King at ringside to call the match. He notes to JR and the King that next week, Eric Bischoff has already booked Goldberg to face Benoit for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. The match is hot from the word go as Benoit and Batista start for their respective teams. Both men continue to pound away, Batista with forearms and Benoit with knife-edge chops, until Batista finally relents and tags in Flair. Flair wants Edge, so Benoit tags him in. Edge takes Flair down in every way possible. Batista sneak attacks Edge during an Irish Whip by Flair, and that brings Benoit in and it's BONZO GONZO!

We return from commercials to find Edge and Flair in the ring with Benoit and Batista fighting on the outside. The ref misses a figure four by Flair on Edge. Edge tapped, but with no ref, Flair doesn't get the win. Batista and Benoit are finally seperated. Flair tags in Batista, who goes to work on Edge's back. Flair yells at Batista to work on the knees. Batista starts to work on the quadriceps area. Flair begs to get back in, so finally Batista tags him back in. Flair comes in and walks right into a deperation Edge-cution! Edge makes it to the corner and tags in Benoit who comes off the turnbuckle with a flying headbutt on Flair. Batista comes in and disposes of Benoit. Edge misses a spear on Batista. Batista puts Edge up for the DAVEbomb, but Benoit breaks that up. Batista tags Flair back in and he goes to work on Benoit, who manages to tag in Edge. Flair shoots Edge off into the ropes, and gets speared! Edge covers. Batista comes in to break up the pin, but is headed off at the pass by Benoit. Three count, and we have new Tag Team Champions! A new Two-Man Power Trip! JR screams about what this could mean for next weeks title match as we go off the air.
*A Banebomb is similar to a corkscrew powerbomb, only turned into a facebuster at the end of it.
**The Tough Luck is a jumping bulldog from the second rope.