The Raven Activity Archives


TNA Wrestling on PPV: Hangman's Horror: Raven vs. Sonjay Dutt: (08.18.04) - The show opens with a montage of footage highlighting various feuds within the company. It closes out with the Raven-Sabu feud which was supposed to culminate tonight in a “Hangman’s Horror” match.

Raven narrates: “The promise is no good. And I will do whatever it takes to get Sabu into that ring” as footage of Sabu pondering the photo is shown. They replay the initial discourse between Raven and Sonjay Dutt at the remote location -- when the “promise” was first mentioned. “Promises are made to be broken, and so are bones. Quote the Raven, nevermore. The promise is over, the vow is through.”

Various bits of footage involving Raven beating on Sonjay are shown. As is footage from the Raven-Sabu official match from TNA’s “Night of Revenge”.

”The specter of your uncle, the Sheik, haunts each and every thing that you and I do. If I thought more of the man, I would probably be ashamed of myself. If you want the last remnants of him, come lick the blood off the bottom of my boots. The sins of the father are bestowed upon the son. I knew that someday that I would have to inflict the pain on him that my father inflicted on me. And to every relative he had. He will never stop paying for the torment that I suffered... there’s a lady who sure all that glitters is gold... and she’s climbing the stairway to heaven. Quote the Raven, nevermore.”

Clips are shown of Sabu and the effigy as this audio was played, also of Raven, sitting in some poorly lit location. At the end of the montage he gets up and walks away.

The opening video for the show then airs. Mike Tenay welcomes us to the show, reiterating the card. When Tenay is through Raven’s music hits.

Raven makes his way to the ring, clad in red kilt and beige coat. He takes off his jacket and takes the microphone from Jeremy Borash, who was standing in the ring. Raven signals with the mic for the sound guy to cut his music.

Raven: “This is a complete and utter travesty. Sabu is a complete coward, just like I said. I am appalled that the man has tried to fake an injury in order to get out of wrestling me. It’s-it’s exasperating. This is just the way his uncle, the Sheik, taught him: always be afraid, always run away, and always be a Coward. N ow I saw the fear in his eyes. I see the fear in each and every one of your eyes. I am a deity and you people need to worship me!”

“Seeing as how Sabu was too scared to show up, how about his little buddy--his little flunkie-sidekick, Sonjay Dutt. Maybe he’d like to pick up the gauntlet and come down and face Raven. Cause I know I need to beat somebody up. What about it, Sonjay? Are you cowardly too? Are you going to follow in the footsteps of the Sheik?-- Sabu, and now Sonjay Dutt. The three cowards. There’s the Three Wisemen, the Three Stooges, and now we have the Three Cowards. C’mon Sonjay. Any time, Sonjay. C’mon. How about somebody else then, if he won’t come?”

Sonjay’s music plays and he runs down the ramp and hits the ring.

Sonjay starts off on the offensive with a number of right-hand blows to the head of Raven. Sonjay then backs Raven into a corner and starts raining down on him with blows to the head, but Raven pushes him off. Raven charges at Sonjay, but Sonjay gets him back in the corner, again mounting the ropes and raining down the blows to the head. Sonjay gets in at least seven shots before Raven powerslams him to the matt.

Sonjay is prostrate on the matt. Raven grabs Sonjay by the ears and rubs his face in the matt. Raven then grabs one of the dog collars (attached by chains to the corners) and begins raking Sonjay about the head with the chain. Raven then attaches the collar to Sonjay’s neck. Raven tries to toss Sonjay over the top rope, but Sonjay springs off the ropes and jumps atop Raven. While on Raven’s shoulders Sonjay alternates between punching Raven and unfastening the collar. Just as Sonjay is free of the collar Raven slams him, chest first, into the ropes.

Raven then throws Sonjay toward the ropes on the opposite side of the ring. Sonjay attempts to swing back through the ropes, but Raven kicks him in the gut as he does so. While Sonjay is on the ring apron Raven forces him to stand and proceeds to alternate between punching Sonjay and abusing him against the ropes. Raven then runs across the ring to spring off the ropes and nail Sonjay from behind, but Sonjay ducks out of the way and Raven goes hurdling through the top and middle ropes and out to the floor. Sonjay then hits Raven with a drop-kick from off the ring apron. Sonjay gets back up on the ring and dives at Raven, who is still out on the floor, from the top rope. The two men connect. Both go down.

Sonjay continues his offense out on the floor, with clubbing blows. As Raven is leaning on the ring apron, Sonjay jumps up on the apron, grabs the ropes, and kicks Raven back out to the guardrail. Eventually, the two men make it back into the ring. Sonjay is on the offensive, bulldogging Raven across the ring. Sonjay follows up by shooting Raven off into the ropes and attempting to clothesline him. Raven ducks the clothesline and kicks Sonjay in the head.

Raven pulls Sonjay off the matt by the hair, throwing him out of the ring through the bottom and middle ropes. While Raven follows Sonjay out to the floor, the camera cuts to a shot of two hooded figures in the crowd. They appear to be watching the match. Back at the ring, Raven is setting up a table on the floor. Raven does his signature Russian leg-sweep into the guardrail on Sonjay, then throws him back into the ring. Raven attempts to powerbomb Sonjay, but before he can bring Sonjay crashing down to the canvas, Sonjay begins to rain in on him with more blows to the head. Sonjay then turns the move into a huricanrana, taking Raven down to the matt. Raven and Sonjay get to their feet at relatively the same time, Raven charges at Sonjay and levels him with a clothesline.

Raven then proceeds to adjust one of the chains attached to the ring (in an attempt to make the chain shorter). Raven then fastens the dog collar around Sonjay’s neck. He then throws Sonjay over the top rope. Sonjay is left hanging from the top rope on a chain that is too short to facilitate his feet touching the floor, meanwhile, Raven is looking for something under the ring. Finally, Raven grabs a chair. He positions himself to nail Sonjay with the chair, but Sonjay wraps his legs around Raven’s neck, blocking the attempted chairshot. In spite of this headscissors maneuver, Raven hits Sonjay in the head with the chair.

In spite of having just been knocked silly by a chairshot, Sonjay managed to undo the dog collar, and rolls into the ring. Raven follows after him. Raven slaps Sonjay across the face as Sonjay is on his knees on the matt. Sonjay grabs onto Raven’s legs to pull himself up off the matt. As he does so, Raven again delivers an openhanded slap to his face. Arrogantly, Raven dares Sonjay to punch him, and Sonjay obliges. Sonjay gets in a number of right-hand shots on Raven, before finishing off the arsenal with a clothesline. Sonjay then gets in four more running clotheslines on Raven before nailing Raven in the back of the head with an enziguri.

Sonjay then climbs to the top turnbuckle and dives at Raven, from across the ring, nailing him with a clothesline. Sonjay then rolls out of the ring to retrieve a trash can. Sonjay brings the trash can into the ring. He walks over to Raven, hits Raven about the head, and then begins to fasten one of the dog collars around Raven’s neck. Raven attempts, without success, to fight it off. Again we cut to a shot of the hooded figures. Sonjay attaches another collar around Raven’s neck. We again are treated to a shot of the hooded figures, who are somewhere near the entrance ramp. Amazingly, the first dog collar falls off of Raven as he gets to his feet. Sonjay nails him in the head with the trash can anyway, once, twice, three times before Raven finally goes down. Sonjay throws Raven over the top rope, but Raven lands on the apron and holds onto the ropes. Sonjay springs off the ring post on nails Raven with a double-legged kick, but still to no avail, as Raven has a firm grip on the ropes. Sonjay makes another attempt at climbing the turnbuckles at the ring post, but Raven walks over, picks him up off the ropes and slams him down into the table on the floor below.

Raven goes over the top rope and back into the ring as Sonjay convalesces on the floor. As Raven lies in the ring, Sonjay crawls toward the ring apron, reaching for something underneath it. Again, we cut to a shot of the hooded figures. Raven crawls over to the edge of the ring and attempts to grab Sonjay by the hair and pull him into the ring, Sonjay, however, has other plans. Sonjay throws a fireball at Raven’s face. Stung, Raven rolls back into the ring, writhing on the matt. Sonjay crawls back into the ring, throws Raven over the ropes and scores the win.

WINNER: Sonjay Dutt


TNA iMPACT: Raven vs. Todd Sexton: (08.13.04) - Raven does his 3rd full match on TNA iMPACT this week from Orlando, FL as he takes on Todd Sexton. Raven easily disposed of Sexton in a short match-up that saw Raven put away Sexton with the dreaded Raven Effect DDT. At the close of the match, the lights went out, only to resurface as Sabu and Raven were in the ring brawling with Sabu using the lights as an excuse to ambush Raven!

WINNER: Raven via Pinfall

Raven then did a promo at the close of the show leading up to the PPV next week where he will challenge Sabu in the 2nd Dream Blood Gallows of Retribution/Hangman's Horror match-up in TNA. Last time, Raven took Vampiro out of TNA: Will Sabu suffer the same fate?

Raven: "Hangmen's Horror II, Sabu! Hangmen's Horror II, Sabu! First time we wrestled, I beat you. Now, I put you out of the sport for good!"


TNA Wrestling on PPV: Raven Appearance: Ekmo vs. Alex Shelley: (08.11.04) - Just after the ring has cleared from Alex Shelley’s victory over Ekmo, Raven and Sabu brawl into it from the crowd. Sabu drags Raven to the ring via a chain attached to the dog collar around Raven’s neck. Sabu rolls Raven into the ring. Outside the ring, Sabu throws several steel chairs into the ring; he manages to hit Raven with most of them as Raven tries to regain his footing. Once in the ring, Sabu throws a chair at Raven’s head. Sabu continues to throw the chairs at Raven, who is down on the matt. Sabu then covers Raven with three of the four chairs in the ring. He then climbs to the top turnbuckle and dives at Raven, nailing him in the head with a leg drop.

For whatever reason, the time keeper rings the bell repeatedly as both men convalesce on the matt. Raven rolls out of the ring and out to the floor. From inside the ring, Sabu grabs the chain and chokes Raven with it over the top rope. Sabu, still holding onto one end of the chain, climbs to the top turnbuckle, but Raven, grabbing the chain, yanks him down. Sabu falls, neck first, into the guardrail.

Raven grabs Sabu by the hair and throws him back into the ring. Raven then enters the ring and leaves by the other side. On the outside of the ring, Raven retrieves a table from underneath the ring. Raven puts the table in the ring. Raven then mounts the ring apron, but as he is about to return to the ring Sonjay Dutt runs out of the crowd and attacks him from behind. On the ring apron, Sonjay nails Raven with some right-hand blows to the head before Raven mounts a defense. Raven follows Sonjay into the ring.

Raven hits Sonjay with a forearm blow to the head. Raven fires Sonjay off the ropes, attempting to connect with a clothesline, but Sonjay ducks, and Sabu drop-kicks Raven in the knees. The time keeper again rings the bell. Sabu kicks at Raven, who is down on the matt, while Sonjay sets up a table in the corner. Security descends upon the ring. As Security detains Sabu and Sonjay, Raven rolls out to the floor.

Sabu punches out the Security guy. Now free, Sabu locks up with Raven between the ropes, as Sabu is standing in the ring while Raven is on the floor. Security and a number of referees again break the two men apart. Sabu then dives over the top rope, connecting with Raven and taking him down.

Both men struggle to their feet amidst a gaggle of referees and Security personnel. It is not enough, however, and Sabu and Raven again lock up on the floor. Security again breaks them up. Raven staggers to his feet and puts some distance between himself and Sabu out on the floor. Raven rolls into and out of the ring with Security personnel in toe. Sabu stands, angrily, in the center of the ring as Raven retreats back up the entrance ramp. Sabu makes the crucifix pose before dropping down to his knees to point at the sky. The confrontation is over, for the moment.

After AMW defeat Triple X we go to the back where Shane Douglas is standing by with Raven.

Douglas: “You know, after the melee we saw earlier tonight between you and Sabu, Raven, I’ve gotta ask yah -- I’ve heard that Sonjay Dutt has put out a challenge. And I tell yah, I’m at a unique perspective, I’ve known you and Sabu for a lot of years. I know what makes each of you tick. I know what makes each of you dangerous. I know how competitive each of you can be. Sonjay Dutt has put a challenge out for a Hangman’s Horror match. Let’s call it Hangman’s Horror II. Now I recall what happened in Hangman’s Horror I.”

Raven: “Hangman’s Horror I: Raven-Vampiro. It was a bloody affair and it was the last that we’ve ever seen of him. Hangman’s Horror II, Sabu, what do you think your chances are? You know, I remember when your uncle was training me. And I used to think to myself, ‘what a sad, pathetic, old man he was.’ I mean I used to slap him around and watch him cry like a little girl. You know, I’m embarrassed to say I was trained by him ‘cause the man’s pathetic just like you. But there’s two reasons that I broke that oath I made to him, because there’s two things that I wanted to prove to the world that I’ve always known. One: that I’m better than you. And Two: that the suicidal, homicidal, (Raven rolls his eyes) genocidal, death-defying Sabu is no more than clever P.R.”

Douglas: “Now wait a second, wait a second. You’re telling me that Sabu is nothing more than a P.R. stunt?”

Raven: “It was a Public Relations coup created by Paul Heyman (Raven again rolls his eyes) to convince the world that what they were seeing was something unprecedented. You wanna see something unprecedented, stick around next week, ‘cause next week I’ll end Sabu’s career prematurely. The first time I beat him. The second time I retire him. Hangman’s Horror II. Welcome to the terrordome. (Raven looks up and points at the sky) Quote the Raven, nevermore.”


TNA iMPACT: Raven Appearance: Monty Brown vs. Bruce Steele: (08.06.04) - At the close of this match-up, we're drawn to ringside where a full contact Pier 6 brawl is taking place between Raven and Sabu that takes place in the stands and leads up the ramp to be broken up by TNA officials and ring crew. Sabu goes down after being decked by Raven, clad in a Ghost Rider t-shirt and a black kilt, his head heavily bandaged after the intense historic first match-up between himself and Sabu on PPV on Wednesday. Don West states that the feud is far from over as Sabu won't rest until he gets revenge for his loss at the hands of Raven.

iMPACT comes back from commercial and officials are still trying to contain the battle between Raven and Sabu from escalating. As Raven was on the outside, Sabu jumped from the ring off a chair onto Raven who was being held back from attacking Sabu by TNA referee Rudy Charles. The two then continued to trade blows to the back.

Raven Interference: X-Division 8-Man Singles Match-up - As Sonjay Dutt, Sabu's protege, was about capture an upset victory on X Division co-champion Michael Shane after hitting him with Hindu Press, Raven runs into the ring and breaks up the pin as the official is distracted. Raven then hits Dutt with the Raven Effect DDT and lays him out and exits the ring to send a message to Sabu by taking out Dutt. Petey Williams then comes in and hits Dutt with the Canadian Destroyer for the pinfall victory.


TNA Wrestling on PPV: Raven vs. Sabu: (08.04.04) - After the brief opening interview by Scott Hudson of Dusty Rhodes in the parking lot, we start directly into the “A Night of Revenge” proceedings with a video montage. It’s an extensive recap of the Raven-Sabu feud, overdubbed with Raven’s in-ring promo from last week. Much of the footage from last week is also shown, as well as Raven hanging Sabu from the balcony, the now classic shots of a contemplative Sabu in his locker room looking at a photo of the Sheik, selected bits from Raven in the “remote location” at the beginning of the feud, shots of their confrontations on TNA Impact!, and so on and so forth...

They then play the TNA ppv opening.

It’s been “ten years in the making” Raven vs. Sabu...

Raven comes down to the ring first to his “Scream” theme. He is wearing a black kilt and otherwise his usual ring attire. He also has on “the Sheik’s” headdress, a black sequined wrap serving as a robe. He has “SABU” written across his abdomen in black. Raven makes his way to the ring, once in the ring he stands in the crucifix pose on the second turnbuckle.

Sabu’s music hits. Sabu runs to the ring. Sabu is also decked out in headdress, and his usual attire. This week his pants are oddly plaid looking (perhaps reminiscent of the red kilt that Raven is prone to wearing?). Sabu is also wearing Raven’s red kilt over his pants. Sabu has “RAVEN” written across his chest. Upon his arrival in the ring, Sabu gets down on bended knee and points to the sky.

Sabu takes off the kilt and throws it at Raven as the bell rings and the match begins. Sabu takes down Raven at the knees and immediately opens up on him with a number of right hand blows. Raven rolls out of the ring and regroups on the outside. As Raven comes nearer to the ring apron, Sabu hits him with the baseball slide. As Raven again regroups on the outside Sabu dives at him from off the ropes. He connects with Raven on the outside and both men go down.

On the outside Sabu hits Raven with a Russian leg sweep into the guardrail. Sabu then sets up a table (leaning it on the ring apron and guardrail). Sabu slams Raven’s head into the ring post and then sets him up on the table. Sabu then grabs a chair from under the ring. Chair in hand, he whacks Raven in the head with it. Raven then falls off the table as Sabu, chair in hand, enters the ring. Sabu sets up the chair in the middle of the ring. He then runs the ropes, stepping off the chair and flying over the ropes to the outside, connecting with Raven, who at this time, has gotten to his feet. The two men again go down.

Sabu and Raven, returning to their feet, battle a bit on the outside of the ring. Sabu shoves Raven back into the ring, following in after. Sabu repositions the chair already in the ring, bouncing off the ropes, spring-boarding off the chair, and again crashing into Raven. As Raven regains his footing, Sabu hits him with a punch. Sabu then brandishes a screwdriver, nailing Raven in the head with it repeatedly. Sabu backs off the offense for a second as Raven recoils. Sabu then charges at Raven, but Raven ducks, sending Sabu over the top rope, crashing through the table that he had set up earlier, and down to the floor.

Sabu lies on the outside, clutching his left shin, while Raven, now bleeding from the forehead, regains his footing in the ring.

Raven, now on the offensive heads outside the ring to retrieve Sabu, shoving him back into the ring. Raven then grabs Sabu by the head, driving Sabu’s forehead into the edge of a steel chair. Raven then grabs Sabu by the head again, this time driving his neck into the edge of a steel chair which he slams vertically into the matt. While Sabu is lying on the matt, Raven places the steel chair over his head and performs a leg drop onto the steel chair. Sabu recoils, rolling around the matt as Raven sets up the chair -- wedging it between the ropes by the corner of the ring. Sabu, on his knees, comes back at Raven with assorted slaps and punches. Raven fights back, dragging Sabu across the ring and then vaulting Sabu forward, head first, into the steel chair.

Raven then goes for the pin, getting a two count.

Raven, still on the offensive picks up the chair, slamming Sabu in the head with it. Raven then sets up the chair, near the apron, and slams Sabu’s head into the seat of the chair. Raven then goes for the pin. Sabu kicks out at two.

Raven throws the chair out of the way and puts Sabu in a modified version of the camel clutch, clawing into Sabu’s cheeks with his hands, and biting on Sabu’s forehead. Raven relinquishes the hold, and returns to setting up the chair, again, in the ring. Raven hits Sabu with a blow to the back, then sending him to the ropes for his signature drop-toehold on the chair spot. Sabu’s head bounces off the chair as he falls to the matt. Raven sets up the chair again, and executes a second drop-toehold on the chair on Sabu. Raven goes for a third drop-toehold on the chair, but he’s waited too long. Sabu has regained his momentum, avoiding the move, springing off the chair and onto the top rope, thus diving at Raven and connecting with a kick to the head.

Both men are momentarily down, but get up by the four count.

Once both men are on their feet Raven attempts to land a punch on Sabu. Sabu blocks this attempt and lands some blows of his own. Sabu then picks up the chair, and as Raven charges at him, he throws the chair at Raven, nailing Raven in the head with the chair. Sabu again picks up the chair and nails Raven with it. As Raven gets up, Sabu hits him with the chair again. Sabu then locks the camel clutch on Raven. Relinquishing the hold, Sabu kicks Raven, who is down on the matt, in the chest, recoiling at his own injured left ankle. Sabu then grabs the chair, placing it behind his legs as he lands a double leg-drop, atop the chair, on Raven’s upper body. Sabu repeats this move twice more. Sabu then goes for the pin, Raven kicks out at the last possible second before the three count.

Sabu drags Raven to the center of the ring and again sets up the chair. Sabu runs across the ring, springing off the chair and landing a knee-drop on Raven. Raven tries to roll out of the ring, but Sabu stops him. Sabu goes for the pin on Raven, near the ropes. He only gets a two count.

Sabu grabs the chair and climbs the ropes in the corner. From the top rope he attempts another double leg drop with the chair on Raven but misses as Raven rolls out of the way at the last possible second. Raven then makes a desperate pin attempt on Sabu, who kicks out just before the three count.

Raven goes outside the ring and grabs a table from under the apron. Raven throws the table into the ring. Raven circles the ring further, looking for something else under the apron, which he apparently does not find. In the mean time, Sabu has returned to his feet, and as Raven gets back in the ring, Sabu slams him in the head with the chair. Sabu then throws the chair into Raven’s head. Sabu then goes outside the ring and gets another chair. He sets that chair up on the matt, slamming Raven’s head into the seat. He then grabs the first chair, climbs the ropes, and slams it down on Raven’s head, which is on the seat of the other chair. Sabu then leans Raven against the table which is set up in the ring. Sabu positions the chair in order to spring off ot it, onto the ropes, and comes crashing down on the back of Raven, slamming Raven’s head into the table which splinters in half. Sabu crawls over to Raven for the pin, hooking Raven’s left leg, but Raven kicks out just before the three count.

We then cut to a shot of the crowd, specifically a figure cloaked entirely in black. The match continues as the announcers ponder the presence of this mysterious individual.

Raven and Sabu both get to their feet. Raven hits the low blow on Sabu. As Sabu recoils in pain Raven grabs the chair. Raven attempts to smash Sabu in the head with the chair, but Sabu ducks, Raven hits the ropes with the chair, which, of course, bounces off the ropes and hits Raven in the head. Sabu hits Raven in the midsection with his knee, grabs Raven by the neck, setting him up for a DDT. Raven grabs Sabu around the midsection and tackles him into the corner. Sabu, still holding Raven in position for a DDT lands blows on Raven’s back. Raven counters by holding onto the ropes, effectively freeing himself from Sabu’s grip. Raven then goes for the pin on Sabu, putting his feet on the ropes. The referee, Andrew Thomas, stops the pin at the two count when he realizes that Raven’s feet are on the ropes.

Raven pulls Sabu up by the hair. The men engage in a series of arm twists, before Raven lands the Raven Effect DDT on Sabu. Raven rolls Sabu over for the pin. Sabu kicks out at the last possible second. Raven sits on the matt, wide-eyed in disbelief.

Raven goes outside the ring to retrieve another table. Raven shoves the table into the ring. As Raven returns to the ring Sabu catches him with a chair. Sabu then sets up the table. Sabu then sets up Raven on the table, landing a blow to Raven’s head. Sabu then climbs up to the top rope, but Raven kicks him (low blow) and Sabu falls down to the corner turnbuckle. Raven gets in a couple blows on the head of Sabu. Raven then stands on the table, putting Sabu in position for the DDT, but the table collapses and both men slide down to the matt. Raven continues to hold Sabu in position for the DDT. Raven hits the Raven Effect DDT on what’s left of the table, which Sabu is driven into head first. Raven rolls Sabu over on the matt, hooks the left leg, and scores the pin.

Raven slowly gets up off the matt, bleeding from the forehead, wide-eyed and smiling wickedly as he struggles to his feet. Raven uses the ropes to get to his feet. Briefly points at the sky before falling back down to his knees and rolling out of the ring. Victorious, Raven staggers to the back.

WINNER: Raven via Pinfall

40 minutes into the show, during the Lynn-Sabin vs. Kazarian-Shane match Tenay announces that both Raven and Sabu have been taken to the hospital: Raven for blood loss, Sabu for an undetermined leg injury and possible concussion.


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