Clash of the Titans
Joseph Vaquez / The Collegian
John Cena held Kurt Angle in a headlock Monday when WWE Raw came to the Save Mart Center for the first time. Angle won the match. The event was televised on USA network the same night. |
By Anthony Galaviz
The Collegian
Andrew Sanchez had a little surprise in store from his father, Richard. Keeping the surprise to himself, Richard took Andrew for a ride to the Save Mart Center on Monday. Much to Andrew’s amazement, he saw several World Wrestling Entertainment tractor trailer trucks.
Happy birthday, Andrew.
Richard Sanchez bought tickets and sat in Section 109, Row C. He was amazed at the great seating they had.
“This is a little better than last time,” said Sanchez, who attended the first WWE Live event when the Save Mart Center opened in 2003. Asked if he was happy that his dad got him the seats, Andrew nodded, “Yes.”
It was the Save Mart Center’s first WWE Raw television event, which aired on the USA Network.
A raucous crowd cheered for its favorite Raw superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Big Show, Kane, WWE Intercontinental champion Ric Flair and WWE champion John Cena.
The WWE threw in a little surprise with the appearance of Smackdown wrestler Rey Mysterio. Fans booed WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, wrestlers Edge, Chris Masters and Triple H, though many fans jumped to their seats at the start of Triple H’s entrance music.
It was WWE’s second event of 2005 since January’s Royal Rumble Pay-Per-View show. No attendance figure was given, but some of the balcony seating was off limits.
Raw television fans were entertained between commercial breaks with an online show called WWE Unlimited, which gives fans a behind the scenes look at what’s going on during commercial breaks.
Fans carried and waved many rather unique signs.
“They made it a big event,” Sanchez said.
WWE fan Robert Hand’s admitted he has followed the WWE since he was 5 years old.
“It’s straight ahead,” said the long-time WWE fan of his seating. “I never dreamed that I would see a thing like this.”
With pyrotechnic flames and blaring music, the show got underway at 5:15 p.m. with a series of Heat matches that will be shown on WWE.com this weekend.
During Raw there were four matches in the two-hour show. The show consisted of matches building up to Raw’s Pay- Per-View Taboo Tuesday, which will air Nov. 1.
No announcements were made about Raw’s return to Fresno.
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