The Fire Still Burns

The Undertaker's promo has been showing on RAW promoting his resurrection from the dead. On this particular episode it "rained" on Kane as he reached the top of the ramp. Beforehand Kane decided to address the audience regarding the videos that had been shown, that is after he beat the hell out of Jericho.

Kane: "Now let that be a lesson to you Jericho, or whoever has been playing these so-called supernatural mind games with me. You people are gullible enough to think that the Undertaker’s behind this. Well the Undertaker is not! I buried the Undertaker alive! My brother no longer exists to me! Do you here me?! The Undertaker is dead, dead, dead, dead, DEAD!"

JR: "Good god o’mighty. That is a sick human being. This is a sick man."

A recap of the Shawn Michaels forcibly interjecting himself into the main event of WrestleMania begins the show. Tonight, HBK takes on Chris Benoit over that very issue. The usual intro and fireworks open the show officially. Hunter’s music plays and to resounding "Boo’s" the champion enters. Triple H doesn’t know who he’s facing at ‘Mania, because neither Eric Bischoff nor the lawyers know who has the legal right. Wow, what terrible lawyers. Hunter reminds everyone about Yokozuna having to defend his title twice in one night – and that isn’t going to happen. So he calls Bischoff down to the ring. Eric agrees that Hunter shouldn’t have to defend his title twice in one night, so Bischoff ponders canceling tonight’s main event and making a title match tonight and instead where the champion defends his title against his chosen opponent (Crowd chants for HBK) and defends it against the other man at Wrestlemania. Hunter sees that the fans really want that, but obviously HHH has been mistaken for a man who gives a crap what the fans want. The forgotten Rumble winner enters, and steals the microphone from Hunter’s hand and tells him to shut his mouth. He has one thing to say – in the form of a beat down on the champion. He grabs the cross face, but evolution comes in for the save.

WWE Home Video presents the Monday Night War. Backstage Evolution argues with each other, and Orton begs to be allowed to get him. Hunter refuses, saying he wants Randy to make sure the Tag match goes alright. Orton promises he has everything under control. After Evolution’s post-match attack on Booker T and RVD the two would pair up against the tag champions. After a somewhat slow paced match, in which Orton got involved early, RVD missed a pescado and the match went…

…to commercial! Back at the show Batista has RVD under control. Van Dam got the hot tag to Booker, who got a near count of Flair until Batista broke it up. Things got chaotic, and Orton got involved and wrenched Booker’s leg on the apron – but it only got a two-count. Mick Foley ran in to attack Orton on the outside, while Flair had Booker T in the figure four. Rob went to the top and hit the 5* on Flair, allowing Booker to escape and score the pin, and the titles. Booker T and Rob Van Dam defeated Batista and Ric Flair via pin fall to win the Tag Titles.

Raw returned with President Roosevelt’s famous "Fear itself speech" in memorial of Presidents day. A video package of Goldberg’s involvement in the Smackdown! PPV last night plays. In Bischoff’s office Austin and Eric watch the video and comment on the actions of last night, and the question of who will face Hunter at WrestleMania will be. Steve wants a decision by tonight, or else he’ll be in violation of Stone Cold’s law. Orton runs up to Bischoff and says he is going to face Foley. Eric says that is fine, but it is not sanctioned. In Jericho’s locker room, Christian ponders the match between Kane and Chris. Jericho says it is Bischoff toying with him because of his hurt knee. He then says he wants to be more than friends with Trish, and he is going to give her a rose tonight and tell her. Christian thinks it is a bad idea, but he is left holding Jericho’s rose while Chris goes out for his match.

Jericho fought Kane, where Kane pulled the knee pad off Chris and slammed his knee into the ring and ring post. Jericho still tried to fight, playing the baby face the whole match. After Jericho’s knee collapsed the referee rang the bell. Chris Jericho and Kane fought to a no-contest. Kane continued to punish him after the match. He took the microphone and declared it a lesson for Y2J, or whoever has been playing the "supernatural mind games." He said it couldn’t have been the Undertaker though, because he buried him – and his brother is "Dead, dead, dead, dead, DEAD!" Of course, the Taker video played. This time smoke, thunder and lightning filled the arena and it started to rain in doors on Kane.

Orton comes down, and feels that it isn’t fair what Mick is doing. Randy isn’t even in his prime yet, but Foley is old and fat. If he wants a fight, he’ll get it. He may have been the Hardcore Legend in the year 2000, but tonight he is just Randy Orton’s bitch. That brings Foley down, and the two brawl. Evolution comes down, and the three over power Foley and beat him viciously in the ring. After a long, long beating Batista and Orton give Foley a double power bomb and Randy screams for Foley to stay down.

Backstage, Benoit confronted HBK. In Bischoff’s office, Miss Jackie and Stacey complained about Torrie and Sable, and they went to call Heffner. Eric broods, until Austin came in to talk about the Monday Night War DVD. Bischoff says he could kick Vince McMahon’s ass, and standing behind him was the Chairman himself. Vince is here over Goldberg interfering with the Pay Per View. He said it would be his ass, but not until next week. Next week Vince is going to have an announcement concerning Wrestlemania, and afterward he is going to see if Eric can kick his ass.

JFK reminds us, "Ask not your country can do for you…" Hey, it is Present’s Day. Trish and Victoria took on Jazz and Molly Holly in a Women’s Tag match. Victoria had on an outfit that had to be seen to be believed, and Molly was on fire. Victoria got the pin, so Trish and Victoria defeated Molly Holly and Jazz via pin fall. After the match, Test ran in and attacked Trish. Christian made the save, and he gave Trish a "Right back at ya" look.

The Gimmick Battle Royal is the WrestleMania Recall. They show all of it! Backstage, Trish catches up to Christian and she thanks him. Christian offers a ride to the hospital to see Jericho and then gives her Jericho’s rose! They walk off, Christian's arm around her waist. The Shawn Michaels video, where he signs the contract, plays again. Shawn entered the ring.

As promised, HBK faced Chris Benoit in an intense match up. The two traded offense, such as stiff chops, throughout the first portion of the match. Benoit was down, and HBK attempted the elbow drop from the top but missed. Benoit tried to German Shawn out of the ring, but was unable to so he settled for a back body drop out of the ring when we hit break.

When we come back Benoit has Shawn in a rear chin lock, and he controls the action with back breakers and chops. The Wolverine attacked Shawn’s back the whole match, such as a long and intense abdominal stretch. Shawn managed a comeback with a sleeper, but Benoit escaped to a suplex. Chris tried a sleeper of his own, but Shawn nailed him with a jaw breaker. The two men got to their feet and collided after running the ropes, knocking both down. Benoit set up a top rope Super-plex, and was pushed down to eat a flying elbow drop. Michaels tuned up the band, and Benoit ducked under the Sweet Chin Music and tried the cross face. Michaels fought before he could get it locked on, and rolled out of it. Benoit locked on the Sharpshooter! Shawn strained, crawled and just barely made the ropes. Benoit stood and hit the hat trick, and called for the top rope head butt over the unconscious HBK. Triple H came down, distracting Benoit long enough for HBK to hit the Super-kick and get the finish to an excellent match. Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Benoit via pin fall. Hunter walked in the ring, lifted Shawn to his feet and gave him a pedigree. Austin road down on his quad and announced that Bischoff decided the match at WrestleMania was a Triple Threat!