The Raw brand had assembled one of the most talented rosters in all of wrestling by the time June 2005 arrived, with Batista and Triple H at the top of the card and the recently drafted John Cena on their heels. With an undercard featuring the likes of Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Christian, and Shelton Benjamin, it is no real surprise that the show would wind up as one of the finest ever produced by the company. Show-closers Batista and Triple H beat each other to a pulp inside Hell in a Cell for the third consecutive pay-per-view. Chairs, barbed wire and steel steps made for a chaotic and bloody scene but in the end, The Animal was able to vanquish The Game, retaining the World Heavyweight Championship and cementing his status as one of the big dogs of the Ruthless Aggression era. Another big dog, John Cena, also successfully defend his title, knocking off Y2J and Captain Charisma in a quality triple threat match. In an epic rematch of their instant classic at WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle tore the roof off with a contest that rivaled the near-perfect original. This time, Michaels hoped to be able to upset the Olympic gold medalist, something he had failed to do on the grandest stage. The three main events more than delivered, guaranteeing an extraordinary show, but the undercard held up its end of the bargain, too. Benjamin and Carlito wrestled a fun and entertaining opening bout, Victoria carried Christy Hemme to her best match to date and Kane earned a measure of revenge on Edge and Lita by defeating the Rated-R Superstar with a gigantic chokeslam.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
