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Backstage: They zoomed in tight on Orton’s face to start the show. Orton said a fan “unbeknownst to me” interfered in the match. Camera pulled back to show Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes standing next to him. Orton then said they actually do know who the “fan” was. DiBiase said it was his brother, Brett, who became too over-zealous after buying a ticket to Summerslam last night to watch him wrestle against DX. Brett dejectedly apologized. Cody interjected that Orton would have won anyways. Orton said bottom line is he’s still the WWE champion.
Before McMahon could get slopped by the green goo, DiBiase and Rhodes jumped into the ring and attacked DX. Praise the Lord for someone putting a stop to this. DX took a brief beating, then Michaels grabbed a chair and ran into the ring. WWE champion Randy Orton then showed up on stage. Hunter took the mic and said apparently the Legacy girls didn’t get enough. He said Mayweather isn’t here yet, so he’s booking a match. Legacy vs. DX. And their partner is Vince McMahon. McMahon sold confusion. He then thought it over and said it’s No DQ. McMahon: And if you’re not down with that, we’ve got two words for you. Cole said Mayweather is on his way. McMahon then put on a DX cap to close the 22-minute segment.
Backstage: DiBiases and Cody were in the locker room talking strategy. Randy Orton then walked in and told Brett to get lost for a second. Orton talked strategy about shutting down Vince McMahon for good on his birthday. He vowed to Punt McMahon in the skull to get rid of him for good. Typical “henchmen create a plot” segment before the climax of the episode. DiBiase and Rhodes pumped themselves up after Orton walked off.
DX (SHAWN MICHAELS & TRIPLE H) & VINCE MCMAHON vs. LEGACY (WWE champion RANDY ORTON & CODY RHODES & TED DIBIASE, JR.) — No DQ match
McMahon got in a spot, then he tagged out to Hunter, who dumped Cody onto Orton and DiBiase on the floor. Baby oil spill needs to be cleaned up. Legacy then retreated to the entrance ramp to get their game right. Cody hugged Orton around the waist to talk strategy as they cut to break.
Back from break, DiBiase had Hunter in the Million Dollar Dream, but Hunter countered with a DDT in center ring. Hunter and DiBiase recovered on the mat, then HBK took a hot tag. Michaels cleaned house on DiBiase, then knocked Legacy off the heel corner of the ring apron. Michaels then wanted a top rope elbow on DiBiase and he connected. Cody suddenly ran into the ring with a burst of speed and absolutely dropped Michaels with a bulldog. Crowd was red hot, then taken down. Nice sequence. Orton then tagged in to screams of horror from the audience. He began stomping away on Michaels before putting a boot into HBK’s gut. It’s No DQ, why not take that boot a little lower? Cody then tagged in and went to work on Michaels.
Hunter finally took a hot tag at 11:15 and delivered a “vintage” high knee on Cody. He landed an atomic drop, then hit the spinebuster. This is more familiar with the DX formula. McMahon wanted a piece of the action, but Hunter dropped Cody with the Pedigree in center ring. McMahon then begged for a hot tag. He hit the ring and covered Cody, but Orton broke up the pin. Orton then measured McMahon for The Punt, but Michaels came flying in to block. Orton bailed from the ring. Michaels and Hunter stood their ground in the ring, then John Cena’s music suddenly hit to a huge pop with the crowd already red hot. “Uh-oh” was the look on Orton’s face. There’s Cena for the first time tonight. Cena chased Orton into the ring where Orton took the sweet chin music from HBK. Orton then spun into Cena for the FU. McMahon then picked up the pin on Orton for his big birthday celebration pin. Crowd nuts.
Post-match: Cena was trying to keep his composure in front of the hot crowd. Orton slowly rolled to the outside and played dead while Cena leaned down in the ring and did the You Can’t See Me toward him. Cena, McMahon, Hunter, and Michaels then took a curtain call center-ring as Cole talked about Cena having the upper-hand on Orton going into Breaking Point.
WINNERS: DX at 13:38. Crowd was red-hot for the entire second-half of the match. Really nice crowd tonight in Las Vegas. I wouldn’t go so far to say DiBiase & Rhodes lost the momentum created last night at Summerslam with them being booked to look like DX’s equals, but this didn’t help them other than being in a standard TV main event match to bump around for DX. We have come to expect Orton to be booked in a position to look weak ever since the Raw before the Royal Rumble, but that’s his job to get fans to think he’s vulnerable for Cena to finally get the title back. It worked, as the crowd helped build momentum for Breaking Point with the ending to this match. Looks like an eight-man tag also involving Brett DiBiase could be in the works for Raw next week or the week before BP.
Hope next Monday night RAW is better then last night . . . . . or else! Love Mrs. Cody Rhodes! 
Opened: July 16th, 2004
