6.6 /10 1 Votes
Tagline(s) Log on. Take over. Venue iPayOne Center Taboo Tuesday (2005) Cyber Sunday (2006) Promotion WWE City San Diego | 6.5/10 IMDb Attendance 6,000 Taboo Tuesday (2005) Survivor Series (2005) Initial release 2005 Brand WWE Raw Air date November 1, 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Theme
song(s) "Twisted Transistor" by Korn Cast Triple H, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Kurt Angle Similar New Year's Revolution (2006), Vengeance (2005), December to Dismemb, WWE The Bash, SummerSlam (2005) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Taboo Tuesday (2005) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which took place on November 1, 2005, at the iPayOne Center in San Diego, California. It was the second annual Taboo Tuesday event in which the fans were given the chance to vote on stipulations for the matches. The voting for the event started on October 24, 2005, and ended during the event. Eight professional wrestling matches were featured on the event's card. The buildup to the matches and the scenarios that took place before, during, and after the event were planned by WWE's script writers. The event starred wrestlers from the Raw brand: a storyline expansion of the promotion where employees are assigned to a wrestling brand under the WWE banner.
Contents
The main event was a Triple Threat match, a standard match involving three wrestlers, for the WWE Championship. In this match, John Cena defeated Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels to retain his title. Two bouts were featured on the undercard. In a retrospective singles matches for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, Ric Flair defeated Triple H in a Steel cage match, which is fought in a cage with four sheets of mesh metal around, in, or against the edges of the wrestling ring, in which Flair won by escaping the cage and having both feet touch the arena floor. The other featured an Interpromotional tag team match where Rey Mysterio and Matt Hardy (SmackDown!) defeated Chris Masters and Snitsky (Raw).
Taboo Tuesday received 174,000 pay-per-view buys, which was the same amount as the previous year's event. The professional wrestling section of the Canadian Online Explorer website rated the entire event 7 out of 10 stars, higher than the 2004 event rating of 5 out of 10 stars.
Background
Unlike other WWE pay-per-views, where stipulations were determined by WWE's creative staff, this was the second event where stipulations for matches were determined by votes from WWE fans conducted on WWE's official website. The event was scheduled to feature eight professional wrestling matches. Although the stipulations resulted from votes by WWE fans, different wrestlers were involved in pre-existing scripted feuds, plots and storylines, which led to scheduled matches in which WWE fans could vote upon stipulations.
At Unforgiven, Raw's previous pay-per-view event, John Cena defended the WWE Championship against Kurt Angle, intentionally disqualifying himself. In WWE, a title can't change hands by count-out nor disqualification, in result, Cena retained the title. On the October 17 episode of Raw, one of WWE's primary TV programs, General Manager Eric Bischoff, a portrayed match maker and rules enforcer, announced that a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship, would take place between Cena, Angle and the fans' choice at Taboo Tuesday. Bischoff was scripted to promote three series of qualifying matches, in which the winner would receive a spot on the ballot as a potential challenger to Cena and Angle. The winners were Kane, Big Show, and Shawn Michaels. A week later, a Triple Threat match was scheduled between the three superstars. Michaels won after delivering Sweet Chin Music to Big Show and Kane and pinned the Big Show to win. The next week, Bischoff announced a singles match between Cena and Michaels. Late in the match, Angle attacked both men. However, Cena retaliated, lifing Angle up on his shoulders, but Michaels delivered Sweet Chin Music to Cena.
On the October 3 episode of Raw, WWE Homecoming, Triple H returned after a four-month hiatus. He took part in a match, teaming up with Flair, who was a fan favorite during Triple H's absence, to take on Chris Masters and Carlito. The duo defeated Masters and Carlito; after the match, Triple H turned on Flair, hitting him with a sledgehammer. The following week, Triple H explained his actions, saying he saw that Flair had become mediocre when he was spat at and when he won the Intercontinental title. Triple H continued to say that he needed to end Flair's career so his memories of Flair wouldn't be tarnished. On the October 24 episode of Raw, a singles match was scheduled between Flair and Triple H for the Intercontinental Championship at Taboo Tuesday, where the fans were given the opportunity to choose what match they'd compete in. The choices were a submission match, and a Steel Cage Match.
On the October 3 episode of Raw, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon wanted a match between SmackDown! wrestlers on the program. A match was scheduled, but before it could get underway, Eric Bischoff announced that McMahon had left the arena, thus leaving himself in charge. Seeing SmackDown! as inferior, Bischoff stopped the match by turning off the lights and going to a commercial break. At the end of the broadcast, SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long, led SmackDown! superstars to the ring, and they fought with Raw superstars. On the October 17 episode of Raw, John "Bradshaw" Layfield's (SmackDown!) entrance music played during Edge's (Raw) match, causing Edge lose the match. As part of the storyline, Edge and Chris Masters appeared on SmackDown! on October 21, interfering in a match between JBL and Rey Mysterio, and assaulting Mysterio. On the October 24 episode of Raw, a match was made between Edge and Masters, and the fans' choice of two of five SmackDown! superstars, and Mysterio attacked Edge from behind. A week later, Bischoff invited Mysterio to Raw to take the Master Lock Challenge, where the wrestler must escape from Masters' Master Lock submission hold. However, Mysterio attacked Masters instead, causing Bischoff to call for other Raw wrestlers. Long called for SmackDown! wrestlers, and they fought until the Raw roster retreated.
Event
Before Taboo Tuesday aired live on pay-per-view, Kerwin White and Matt Striker defeated Shelton Benjamin and Val Venis in a tag team match taped for WWE Heat, one of WWE's secondary television programs.
Preliminary matches
In the first televised match, Edge and Chris Masters (representing Raw) faced Rey Mysterio and Matt Hardy (representing SmackDown!). Before the match, Edge refused to wrestle, saying he didn't care about representing Raw and chose Snitsky as his replacement. Masters and Snitsky quickly gained the early advantage in the match, as they took the upper hand over Mysterio. Mysterio fought back with a tilt-a-whirl, a counterattack hold. Afterwards, Hardy and Snitsky were tagged in, leading to Hardy getting the advantage as he delivered a Side Effect and DDT on Snitsky. Back and forth action took place between both teams. The match ended when Mysterio performed the 619 on Masters, before Hardy performed the Twist of Fate on Snitsky. Mysterio pinned Masters to give SmackDown! the win over Raw.
In the next match, Rob Conway and Tyson Tomko faced Eugene and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, who won the fans' vote with 42%. Conway and Tomko dominated Eugene in the early start of the match. Eugene, however, fought back, avoiding Tomko's attacks. Eugene tagged Snuka in and performed a series of chops to Conway's chest and headbutted him in the process. In retaliation, Tomko attacked Snuka from behind, but Eugene fought him off, as he clotheslined Snuka, and knocked him out of the ring and out of the match. Eugene performed a jawbreaker on Conway, which proceeded with Eugene delivering a Rock Bottom to Conway for the win. After the match, Tomko attacked Snuka and Eugene until Jim Duggan and Kamala came down and fought off Tomko.
In the third match, Carlito faced Mankind, who was chosen by the fans' vote with 52%. The match began when Carlito performed a dropkick on Mankind. However, Mankind got the advantage over Carlito. Mid-way through the match, Mankind tried to use a steel chair on Carlito, but Carlito avoided, executeing drop toe-hold, sending Mankind into the steel steps. Mankind rose to his feet, which led Carlito to perform a standing dropkick, resulting in Mankind to hit the back of his head into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Mankind received the upper hand after delivering a DDT and forced Carlito to submit with the Mandible claw and win the match.
The voting results for John Cena and Kurt Angle's opponent for the WWE Championship were then revealed, with Shawn Michaels winning. Big Show and Kane, who were also contenders for the WWE title match, faced the World Tag Team Champions Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch for the World Tag Team Championship. The match began with Big Show and Kane dominating Cade and Murdoch early on. Cade and Murdoch fought back after Murdoch shoved Kane off the top turnbuckle. They performed a running chop block combination on Kane and taking the upper hand. The Big Show, who was tagged in, stood at 7 feet 0 inches (2.13 m) and weighed 500 pounds (230 kg), used his body size to his advantage as he squashed, or easily and quickly performed moves on, Cade and Murdoch. The match concluded after Big Show and Kane delivered a Double Chokeslam and Big Show pinned Cade to win the title with Kane. After the match, Big Show and Kane double teamed Murdoch, as they performed a chokeslam.
In the next match Jonathan Coachman, (with Goldust and Vader), faced World Heavyweight Champion Batista in a Street Fight. In the start of the match, Batista fought both Goldust and Vader, where they proceeded to beat him down in the corner. However, Batista fought back with a series of Spears. Coachman, who stood on the outside, entered the ring, but didn't last long, as Batista clotheslined him. Batista attempted to suplex Vader but Goldust managed to hit Batista with a kendo stick, allowing Coachman to receive the advantage over Batista. The match concluded after Batista performed a Batista Bomb on Coachman to gain the win.
The sixth match was a Battle Royal, a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared the winner, for the WWE Women's Championship between Ashley, Candice Michelle, Mickie James, Victoria, Maria and Trish Stratus, all of whom wore lingerie, which was voted by the fans' with 43%. In the match, James, as part of a storyline angle involving her being a devoted fan of Stratus, saved Stratus from being eliminated from the match, after Victoria tried eliminating her. Maria was tossed over the top rope by Stratus and James, thus being the first to be eliminated. Afterward, Michelle applied a submission move on Ashley on the top rope. Michelle turned around and was knocked off the ring apron by Ashley, making the second elimination of the match. Following the elimination of Michelle, Ashley was then eliminated by Victoria. The match concluded after Victoria hesitantly tried to eliminate Stratus, but James stopped her from doing so. James eliminated herself along with Victoria to allow Stratus to win and retain her Women's title.
Main event matches
In the sixth match, Ric Flair defended the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Triple H inside a Steel Cage, which gained 83% of the vote. During the match, Triple H sent Flair head-first into the steel cage, bloodying Flair's from the head. In one point, Triple H retrieved a steel chain, wrapped it around his fist and attempted a diving fist drop from the top turnbuckle. However, Flair countered, raising his foot to Triple H's face and performed a series of knife edged chops. Triple H controlled most of the match, until he attempted to apply the figure four leglock, a signature move of Flair's, resulting in Flair sending him towards the steel cage. After that, Flair bit Triple H's head, bloodying him from his forehead, this often results when a wrestler is trapped, either in a corner of the ring or in a submission hold, as a desperation move. The match ened when Flair reversed a Pedigree with a back body drop and hit Triple H with a steel chair thrice, allowing Flair to escape through the steel cage door to win the match and retain his Intercontinental title.
In the main event, John Cena defended the WWE Championship against Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels, who received the fans' vote to be part of the Triple Threat match. Early in the match, Cena performed a back body drop on Angle, sending him outside. Michaels, who was thrown out of the ring, received the upper hand over Cena until Angle returned to the mat, performing a variety of suplexes on both Michaels and Cena. Mid-way in the match, Angle and Michaels double teamed Cena, lifting him in the air, crashing face-first on the Spanish announce table. Back in the ring, Angle Angle Slammed Michaels from the top turnbuckles. Angle then tried to apply the ankle lock on Michaels, but Cena entered the ring, clotheslining Angle out of the ring. Cena proceeded and back body dropped Michaels, attempting to perform a Five Knuckle Shuffle but Kurt Angle pulled Cena out of the ring, tossing him over the security barricade. Toward the end, Angle caught Cena in the ankle lock. Michaels, who was on the outside, delivered a Diving Elbow Drop, on Angle and performed Sweet Chin Music on him. After that, Cena executed the FU on Michaels and pinned him to retain the title.
Aftermath
Following Taboo Tuesday, the storyline between John Cena and Kurt Angle continued. A match was scheduled in which Cena would defend WWE Championship against Angle at November's pay-per-view event Survivor Series. In the scripted feud, Angle refused to compete in the November 7 episode of Raw due to the "you suck" chants from the audience. Angle finally agreed to compete that night when Eric Bischoff censored the crowd and let him have a special guest referee for his title rematch against Cena; Angle chose Daivari to be the guest referee. Before their scheduled rematch, Daivari's officiating was unfair and biased towards Angle's opponents. At Survivor Series, Cena went on to defeat Angle to retain his title.
The storyline angle between Triple H and Ric Flair also continued at Survivor Series, where they were scheduled in a match the wrestler who was unable to respond to a ten count by the referee would lose. Triple H defeated Flair at Survivor Series after Flair was unable to respond to a ten count. The feud between the Raw and SmackDown! brands continued with Eric Bischoff and Theodore Long deciding on a 5-on-5 elimination match and a singles match between the two at Survivor Series. The teams feuded on both programs. At Survivor Series, Team SmackDown! (Batista, Rey Mysterio, JBL, Bobby Lashley, and Randy Orton) defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, The Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters) and Long defeated Bischoff.
Reception
The iPayOne Center usually can accommodate 14,000, but the capacity was reduced for the event. It also received 174,000 pay-per-view buys, which was the same amount as the previous year's Taboo Tuesday. The promotion's revenue was $18.8 million, which was greater than the previous year's revenue of $18.5 million. Canadian Online Explorer's professional wrestling section rated the event 7 out of 10 stars. The rating was higher than last year's event in 2004, which was rated 5 out of 10 stars. The WWE title match was rated an 8 out of 10. Additionally, the Divas match was rated a 3 out of 10.
The event was released on DVD on November 29, 2005. The DVD was distributed by the label Sony Music Entertainment.