| Taboo Tuesday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Promotional poster featuring theWorld Heavyweight Championship | |||
| Promotion | World Wrestling Entertainment | ||
| Brand | Raw | ||
| Date | October 19, 2004 | ||
| City | Milwaukee,Wisconsin | ||
| Venue | Bradley Center | ||
| Attendance | 3,500 | ||
| Buy rate | 174,000 | ||
| Tagline | "You Control – The fate of Raw superstars, the World Heavyweight Championship, and the Course of History!" | ||
| Pay-per-view chronology | |||
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| Taboo Tuesday/Cyber Sunday chronology | |||
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The 2004Taboo Tuesday was the inauguralTaboo Tuesday/Cyber Sundayprofessional wrestlingpay-per-view (PPV)event produced byWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion'sRawbrand division. The event took place on October 19, 2004, at theBradley Center inMilwaukee,Wisconsin. It marked the first time in which the fans were given the chance to vote on stipulations for the matches. The voting for the event started on October 18, 2004, and ended during the event. In2006, the event was moved to the traditional Sunday nights for PPVs and was renamed Cyber Sunday.
Eight professional wrestling matches were featured on the event'scard. Themain event was asteel cage match in whichRandy Orton defeatedRic Flair by pinfall; this marked the only time Flair ever headlined aWWE pay-per-view event. Two bouts were featured on theundercard. In respectivesingles matches,World Heavyweight ChampionTriple H defeatedShawn Michaels to retain his title andGene Snitsky defeatedKane in aWeapon of Choice match.
Taboo Tuesday grossed over$215,000 in ticket sales from an attendance of 3,500 and received 174,000 pay-per-view buys. This event helped WWE increase its pay-per-view revenue by$6.2m compared to the previous year. When the event was released onDVD, it reached a peak position of seventh onBillboard's DVD Sales Chart.
In 2004,World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) scheduled apay-per-view (PPV) event entitled Taboo Tuesday to be held on Tuesday, October 19, 2004, at theBradley Center inMilwaukee, Wisconsin.[1] This would be the first regularly-scheduled pay-per-view by WWE on a Tuesday since 1991'sThis Tuesday in Texas, the first regularly-scheduled non-Sunday pay-per-view since the1994 Survivor Series, and the first non-Sunday pay-per-view of any kind sinceIn Your House 8: Beware of Dog 2 in 1996. Taboo Tuesday was also established as a PPV produced exclusively for wrestlers of theRawbrand. The title of the event not only referred to the day of its scheduling, but also because of its unique theme. Fans had the ability to vote on certain aspects of every match. Because of this, the event was billed as an "interactive pay-per-view."[2]
Unlike most WWE events, where rules and participants for matches were determined by WWE'screative staff, this was the first event where at least some part of each match was determined by votes from WWE fans conducted on WWE's official website. The event was scheduled to feature eightprofessional wrestling matches. Various wrestlers were involved in pre-existingscripted feuds,plots andstorylines leading to the matches taking place at this event. Wrestlers were portrayed as eithervillains orfan favorites as they followed a series of tension-building events. The event featuredwrestlers and other talent from the Raw brand – astoryline division in which WWE assigned its on-air talent to separate television brands.[3]
Themain event at Taboo Tuesday was a match betweenRandy Orton andRic Flair where the online fan vote would determine whether the match was asteel cage match, aFalls Count Anywhere match, or asubmission match. On the September 27 episode ofRaw, Orton was given an opportunity to faceTriple H at Taboo Tuesday for theWorld Heavyweight Championship if he was able to win a match againstBatista, but he lost due to interference from Flair.[4][5] This led to Orton blaming his loss on Flair.[4][5] On the October 4 episode ofRaw, Ortoncommented on everything Flair had accomplished in WWE and criticized him for calling Triple H "the greatest wrestler of all".[5] Flair responded to Orton's comments, asserting that despite Orton's claim of being a "Legend Killer", wrestlers whom he had defeated such asShawn Michaels andMick Foley were not truly legends and therefore did not make Orton a true "Legend Killer".[6] Flair also announced that he and Orton would meet in a match at Taboo Tuesday and the fans would have the opportunity to choose what type of match they would compete in.[6]
One of the featured matches on the under-card was contested for the World Heavyweight Championship, in which Triple H would have to defend the title against the fans' choice of three possible opponents:Chris Benoit,Edge, or Shawn Michaels. AtUnforgiven, Triple H defeated Randy Orton to capture the World Heavyweight Championship.[7] On the September 13 episode ofRaw, Triple H had a celebration thrown in his honor, complete with women, confetti, streamers and a giant cake. Orton, however, sought revenge by coming out of the cake and assaulting the three members ofEvolution, Triple H'sstable with Ric Flair and Batista, which Orton had previously been a part of.[8] On the October 4 episode ofRaw, it was announced that because Orton had lost the opportunity to challenge Triple H, fans would be able to choose between three potential contenders for the World Heavyweight Championship at Taboo Tuesday. Chris Benoit and Edge were revealed as two of the candidates.[9] Shawn Michaels, however, competed in a qualifying match, which saw him defeatChristian, to become the third candidate.[6][9] On the October 18 episode ofRaw, aTriple Threat match was scheduled between Benoit, Edge, and Michaels. Edge won the match after hepinned Benoit by using the ring ropes for leverage.[10] During the match, Michaelslegitimately injured his left knee, tearing hismeniscus.[11][12][13]
The other featured preliminary match was betweenKane andGene Snitsky. At Unforgiven, Shawn Michaels defeated Kane in ano disqualification match.[14] On the September 13 episode ofRaw, Kane demanded thatRaw General ManagerEric Bischoff give him a rematch against Michaels, but Bischoff refused to do so as Michaels was preoccupied with appearing inChris Jericho's interview segment,The Highlight Reel. Bischoff, however, scheduled Kane in a no disqualification match against an opponent of Bischoff's choice.[8] Kane's opponent was revealed to be Gene Snistky. During the match, Kane's wife,Lita, who was pregnant in the storyline, entered the ring. This led to Kane accidentally falling on top of her after Snitsky hit Kane with a steel chair, ending the match in a draw.[8] Trainers andemergency medical technicians rushed to the scene and took Lita away in an ambulance for medical attention.[8][15] On the September 20 episode ofRaw, Kane was informed by doctors that Lita suffered a scriptedmiscarriage following the events of the previous week.[16][17] On the September 27 episode ofRaw, in an interview withTodd Grisham, Kane informed Grisham that he sought revenge against Snitsky for his actions.[4][5] On the October 4 episode ofRaw, Lita gave her first interview since the miscarriage and revealed that she and Kane would get payback against Snitsky.[6][9] During the same episode, Snitsky was interviewed by RawcommentatorJim Ross and told Ross that the death of the couple's unborn child was not his fault.[6][9] Kane interrupted the interview segment, but Snitsky attacked Kane with alead pipe in self-defense.[6][9] This led Bischoff to announce aWeapon of Choice match for Taboo Tuesday, where fans would be able to vote on whether a lead pipe, a steelchain, or asteel chair would be legal for use in the match.[6][9]
The main Divas feud entering the event was betweenChristy Hemme andCarmella DeCesare, the two finalists in theRaw Diva Search. On the September 20 episode ofRaw, Christy was announced as the winner of the Diva Search and received a one-year contract with WWE and $250,000.[18] After the Diva Search, Carmella turned heel and began a feud with Christy, due to jealousy of Christy winning the Diva Search. On the October 18 episode ofRaw, it was announced that Christy and Carmella would face each other at Taboo Tuesday with the fans choosing what type of match they would compete in. The choices were a Lingerie Pillow Fight, an Evening Gown Match, or an Aerobics Challenge. After the announcement was made, Carmella attacked Christy.[19]
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Englishcommentators | Jim Ross |
| Jerry Lawler | |
| Spanish commentators | Carlos Cabrera |
| Hugo Savinovich | |
| BackstageInterviewers | Jonathan Coachman |
| Todd Grisham | |
| Ring announcer | Lilian Garcia |
| Referees | Mike Chioda |
| Jack Doan | |
| Chris Kay | |
| Earl Hebner | |
| Chad Patton |
Before the event went live on pay-per-view,Sgt. Slaughter defeatedMuhammad Hassan, who was accompanied byDaivari, by disqualification in adark match.[20]
The first televised match was for theWWE Intercontinental Championship in whichChris Jericho defended the title againstShelton Benjamin, who won the fans' vote with 37%.[21] The match started off with Jericho performing anenzuigiri. Later in the match, Jericho attempted abulldog andLionsault but Benjamin countered. The match ended when Benjamin performed aT-Bone Suplex on Jericho to win the title.[20][3]
The voting results for Triple H's opponent for the World Heavyweight Championship were then revealed, with Shawn Michaels winning.[3] The next match was aFulfill Your Fantasy Battle Royal match for theWWE Women's Championship betweenMolly Holly,Stacy Keibler,Victoria,Gail Kim,Jazz,Nidia, andTrish Stratus. The first to be eliminated was Nidia, which was followed with the elimination of Jazz. Kim attempted ahurricanrana on Victoria but Victoria countered the move as she eliminated Kim. Victoria was eliminated afterwards by Stratus and Molly. Stratus and Molly continued working together, as they got the upper hand over Keibler. Molly eliminated Keibler and Stratus eliminated Molly to retain the title.[20][3]
The third match was betweenGene Snitsky andKane (withLita). The match was a Weapons of Choice match, for which a steel chain gained 41% of the vote.[20] The match began with Kane using achain on Snitsky. Snitsky grabbed the chain and choked Kane with it. The match ended when Snitsky came off the second rope and jumped onto asteel chair that was wrapped around Kane's neck and pinned him to win the match.[20][3]
The next match was between General ManagerEric Bischoff andEugene in a "Choose the Loser's Fate". Eugene performed aleg drop on Bischoff for the win. After the match ended, the audience voted that Bischoff get hishead shaved.[20]Jonathan Coachman, however, announced that the audience instead voted "Loser is Winners Servant", in which he and Bischoff would be Eugene's servants for five minutes. WWE ChairmanVince McMahon came out and reversed the stipulation and announced that Bischoff would get his head shaved. McMahon warned that if Bischoff did not go through it, he would be fired.[20] Eugene shaved Bischoff's hair and Coachman was forced to wear a dress for attempting to interfere in the outcome of the match.[20][3]
The fifth match was for theWorld Tag Team Championships betweenLa Résistance (Sylvain Grenier andRobért Conway) againstEdge andChris Benoit, the two individuals who were not chosen to face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship.[22] There was back and forth action between the two teams, as all the superstars were able to participate in the match. Edge abandoned Benoit during the match, which forced Benoit to wrestle La Résistance by himself.[20] Benoit fought them off and he was able to get the upper hand over Grenier. The match concluded with Benoit forcing Conway to submit to theCrippler Crossface to win the titles for his team.[20][3]
The next match was betweenChristy Hemme andCarmella DeCesare. The match was aLingerie Pillow Fight, which gained 57% of the fans' vote. During this match, Hemme and DeCesare began hitting each other with pillows while wearing lingerie. The match ended when Hemme pinned DeCesare to win the match.[20][3]
The seventh match was theWorld Heavyweight Championship match, where the fans' choseShawn Michaels by 39%, to faceTriple H for the title. Triple H targeted Michael's injured knee, applying aFigure four leglock on Michaels. Michaels would gain the advantage when he countered a maneuver by Triple H. As Michaels was about to performSweet Chin Music on Triple H, Edge interfered in the match and executed aspear on Michaels. Triple H pinned Michaels to retain the title.[20][3]
In the main event,Randy Orton facedRic Flair in a steel cage match, which gained 68% of the vote. During the match, both Orton and Flair managed to get the upper hand. A spot in the match saw Flair hit alow blow on Orton and sent him into the cage, causing Orton to bleed. Orton regained the momentum by sending Flair into the cage, resulting in Flair bleeding. The match concluded with Orton performing anRKO for the win. After the match, the two shook hands.[20][3]
TheBradley Center had a maximum capacity of 18,000, which was reduced significantly for the event.[23][24] This event grossed over$215,000 from an approximate attendance of 3,500.[25] It also received 174,000 pay-per-view buys.[25] Taboo Tuesday helped World Wrestling Entertainment earn $24.7 million in revenue from pay-per-view events versus $18.5 million the previous year, which was later confirmed byLinda McMahon on November 23, 2004 in a quarterly result.[25]Canadian Online Explorer's professional wrestling section rated the event five out of ten stars.[3] The rating was lower than theTaboo Tuesday event in 2005, which was rated seven out of ten stars.[26] The Steel cage match was rated a ten out of ten stars.[3] The Lingerie Pillow Fight match was rated zero out of ten stars.[3]
The event was released onDVD on November 23, 2004.[27] The DVD was distributed by the label,Sony Music Entertainment.
Following Taboo Tuesday, Evolution (Triple H, Ric Flair and Batista) were put in charge ofRaw, after Eric Bischoff took the night off, following his match the night before. Triple H granted Flair the match of his choice; Flair wanted a rematch against Randy Orton,[28][29] as he lost a steel cage match to Orton the previous night.[21] Orton accepted Flair's challenge, with a stipulation that if he defeated Flair he would get an opportunity to face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship at the November pay-per-viewSurvivor Series.[28][29] Orton did not receive the opportunity, as he lost to Flair.[28][29] On the November 1 episode ofRaw, Bischoff scheduled a traditional 8-man elimination tag team match involving Team Orton (Randy Orton, Chris Jericho,Maven and Chris Benoit) facing off against Team Triple H (Triple H, Batista, Edge and Gene Snitsky) at Survivor Series. The winning team would be granted absolute control of running the show for a month,[30][31] and the winning members would all get a week to be in charge of the program.[32][33] At the November event, Team Orton defeated Team Triple H and the team were given the opportunity to be in charge of Raw for a week.[34]
On the October 25 episode ofRaw, a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship was scheduled between Shelton Benjamin and Chris Jericho. The match saw Benjamin defeat Jericho and retain the title.[29] After the match, Benjamin was attacked by Christian, which led Christian to hit him withthe Unprettier.[29] The following week, Bischoff scheduled an Intercontinental championship match between Benjamin and Christian at Survivor Series.[30][31] At Survivor Series, Benjamin retained the Intercontinental championship.[35]
In November 2004, Lita returned to the women's division. She began a feud with Trish Stratus after Stratus called Lita "chubby" because of her pregnancy weight gain.[29] Lita challenged Stratus to aWWE Women's Championship match at Survivor Series,[32][33] however, due to the months of humiliation and being verbally berated by Stratus, Lita was more concerned with doing as much damage as possible, leading to her disqualification.[36][37]
Asecond Taboo Tuesday was held the following year, thus establishingthe interactive PPV as an annual event for the promotion.[38] In 2006, the event was moved to the traditional Sunday nights for PPVs and was in turn renamed asCyber Sunday.[39] The final event was produced in2008, as the interactive PPV was replaced byBragging Rights in 2009.[40][41]
In 2018, Edge revealed during an interview that he was booked to win the World Heavyweight Championship at the event if he won the poll.[42]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1D | Sgt. Slaughter defeatedMuhammad Hassan (withDaivari) bydisqualification | Singles match | 2:20 | ||||
| 2 | Shelton Benjamin defeatedChris Jericho (c) | Singles match for theWWE Intercontinental Championship | 10:55 | ||||
| 3 | Trish Stratus (c) won by last eliminatingMolly Holly | Fulfill Your Fantasy Battle Royal for theWWE Women's Championship | 5:35 | ||||
| 4 | Gene Snitsky defeatedKane (withLita) | Weapon of Choice match | 14:17 | ||||
| 5 | Eugene defeatedEric Bischoff | "Choose the Loser's Fate" match | 2:01 | ||||
| 6 | Edge andChris Benoit defeatedLa Résistance (Sylvain Grenier andRobért Conway) (c) by submission | Tag team match for theWorld Tag Team Championship | 16:15 | ||||
| 7 | Christy Hemme defeatedCarmella | Lingerie Pillow Fight | 1:48 | ||||
| 8 | Triple H (c) defeatedShawn Michaels | Singles match for theWorld Heavyweight Championship | 14:05 | ||||
| 9 | Randy Orton defeatedRic Flair | Steel Cage match | 10:35 | ||||
| |||||||
| Elimination | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nidia | Jazz | 00:37 | ||
| 2 | Jazz | Victoria | 00:59 | ||
| 3 | Gail Kim | Victoria | 01:23 | ||
| 4 | Victoria | Trish Stratus and Molly Holly | 03:36 | ||
| 5 | Stacy Keibler | Molly Holly | 05:27 | ||
| 6 | Molly Holly | Trish Stratus | 05:35 | ||
| Winner: | Trish Stratus | ||||
| Poll | Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent for Chris Jericho[43] |
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| Outfit for the Fulfill Your Fantasy Diva Battle Royal[43] |
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| Weapon for the Weapon of Choice match[43] |
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| Stipulations for Eugene versus Eric Bischoff[43] |
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| Stipulations for Christy Hemme versus Carmella[43] |
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| Opponent for Triple H[43] |
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| Stipulations for Randy Orton versus Ric Flair[43] |
|