00:00Here next week for the Raw, special night, special time, and here is a special Intercontinental Champion.
00:07Pucker up, Donald.
00:15This contest is scheduled for one fall.
00:18Making his way in the ring from Cameron, North Carolina.
00:21Weaning at 225 pounds, he is the Intercontinental Champion.
00:28Jeff Hardy.
00:30You know, keep going up in North Carolina, you know, Jeff Hardy idolized Ric Flair.
00:38And now Jeff Hardy will be facing Ric Flair.
00:41And folks, Monday Night Raw is brought to you by fruity, delicious, delicious.
00:47Oh my God, they're fruity, fruity skittles.
00:49Hurry up.
00:50And by Just For Men, stay in the game with Just For Men hair color.
00:54And by Hannibal Rising in theaters everywhere, Friday, February 9th.
00:59You love those skittles, don't you?
01:02Jeff Hardy, as I said, growing up in North Carolina where the Nature Boy is king.
01:07And tonight Jeff Hardy will meet.
01:09Woo!
01:10The former 16-time champion and player, he hopes, is holding pocket aces.
01:17And from China and Carolina, the Nature Boy, Ric Flair.
01:22And the stakes are high, in other words, for the Nature Boy.
01:26Woo!
01:26Yes, you're right there.
01:28An Intercontinental title match at WrestleMania if the Nature can, well, defeat Jeff Hardy here tonight.
01:35And you know, Jeff Hardy is on a little bit of a losing streak.
01:38Lost last week to the Great Khali.
01:41Jeff Hardy counted out last week against that huge 7'3 freak of nature, the Great Khali.
01:48And the Nature Boy, so universally respected in this business.
01:53Jeff Hardy, one of those included.
01:56As is J.R. and the King, I can tell you that.
02:01Well, what would the Nature Boy be, or what would WrestleMania be without the Nature Boy in it?
02:06Well, that's a great question.
02:08WrestleMania 23, that's where the greats converge.
02:11It's where legends are made.
02:13It's where legacies are built.
02:14And Ric Flair has a chance to perpetuate his legacy, to build on his great legacy.
02:20If he can win this match tonight, Flair will be in an Intercontinental title match at WrestleMania 23.
02:26The youth of Jeff Hardy, however, his fitness and speed may be more challenging than the Nature's has reckoned for.
02:35Yeah, don't forget one thing.
02:37The Nature is the dirtiest player in the game, J.R.
02:39And I'll tell you another thing that's got to be in Nature's favor.
02:43I don't know if it's the intimidation factor, but it's the fact that, uh-oh, maybe that's a little intimidating.
02:48Whoa, that's not!
02:50Jeff Hardy retaliating.
02:52Jeff Hardy knows if Flair's the dirtiest player in the game.
02:57Hard knife and chops by the Nature Boy.
03:00And Jeff Hardy turning the tables on Flair, and Hardy waving away at Ric Flair with his right hand.
03:06Well, just as you said earlier, Jeff Hardy probably grew up.
03:10Uh-oh, wait a minute.
03:12Hardy has an ankle or knee.
03:13He's as near as an ankle.
03:16Jeff had to grow up in North Carolina.
03:18Oh!
03:18Well, uh, idolizing Ric Flair.
03:20And Flair, they're taking advantage of that, that, uh, injured ankle or knee.
03:25I think it's the knee of, uh, of Jeff Hardy.
03:29And let's see if we can see one more time.
03:31Let's see if we can see how Jeff hurt that knee of his.
03:35Trying to go over the top.
03:36He did go over the top, but he tweaked that knee coming down.
03:39Maybe hyperextended it.
03:41And he certainly buckled on Jeff Hardy.
03:42And now Flair, uh, no stranger to exploiting the situation.
03:46Oh, here we go, JR.
03:47And that's what Flair's doing here.
03:48And that's sound, smart, intelligent strategy by Ric Flair.
03:52The exposed body part is, is prevalent.
03:56Flair knows where it is and knows what to do with it.
03:58Well, that's why Ric Flair is 16-time world champion.
04:02He's, he knows when, uh, well, he, oh, he can spot his opponent's weaknesses and take advantage of them.
04:07There he goes, right back to that leg again.
04:10Flair's certainly no wasted motion here.
04:12Flair, no headlocks, no arm bar.
04:14Flair focusing on that leg.
04:15But Jeff Hardy, again, the stakes that he just won us are live for Flair.
04:19You know, it's the referee's prerogative, and he wants to, to stop this match.
04:23If he thinks that, uh, Jeff Hardy's leg is injured.
04:25Or if Jeff Hardy, it's his prerogative, and he wants to just tap out here.
04:30Sometimes it's better than what you're saying.
04:32I don't live the fight another day.
04:34That might be a good discretionary move for the risk-taking high-flyer Jeff Hardy,
04:39who, as you said, was, was really manned in the last week by the 7'3", 420-pound great Khali.
04:49And Jeff Hardy just, it's still got, it's, it's got to be butterflies in his stomach the size of eagles
04:55just being in the ring for the first time here against his, you know, boyhood idol, Ric Flair.
05:00And ladies and gentlemen, you heard me correctly when I said the, uh, size of the great Khali.
05:04Seven feet, three inches tall, 420 pounds of muscle.
05:09And he pretty much manhandled him.
05:11Who the hell is a great Khali not manhandling?
05:14That's true, you know, quite frankly.
05:16And Flair using the ropes, and Jeff trying to use the ropes to create some distance,
05:21but that did not happen.
05:22And now Flair, again, putting the pressure on the leg of Jeff Hardy.
05:26So, Jeff Hardy's high-blind offensive skills have been greatly reduced by his leg injury.
05:32And Flair trying to bend Hardy's legs in the way your legs are not supposed to bend.
05:37And, oh my!
05:39And Hardy with an enziguri, and the Nature Boy caught him in the temple.
05:44And a little delayed reaction there by Flair and the referee checking on the Nature Boy.
05:50And again, if Ric Flair can win this match, he will punch his ticket to meet Jeff Hardy,
05:56or whomever the Intercontinental Champion is, and WrestleMania, and a beautiful strategic move by Hardy,
06:03using his own head as a, you know, kind of a jaw-breaker type maneuver, Hardy uplifting.
06:08I mean, well, this is sort of uncharacteristic for, characteristic for Ric Flair.
06:13I think he's a little bit underestimating Jeff Hardy,
06:16maybe thinking that Jeff's a little more out of this match than he is.
06:19And Jeff Hardy trying to fight through the pain here,
06:22and muster up enough adrenaline to fight back offensively,
06:26and he's doing a pretty darn good job of it here.
06:28But Flair reverses the Irish whip.
06:30Hardy up, whistling a win.
06:32And got enough of Flair to take Flair down.
06:36And now can Jeff Hardy follow up against the, no doubt, someday, Hall of Famer Ric Flair?
06:43Uh-oh.
06:45Oh!
06:46Twist of fate!
06:47That could do it right there, King!
06:49That's probably it!
06:51Oh, this is not a good strategy, if you ask me.
06:54Jeff Hardy going for the ultimate risk here.
06:56He should have gone for the pin when he had the opportunity.
06:59How about a night!
06:59See?
07:00And Flair has to avoid the same.
07:04And Jeff Hardy may have further damaged that ankle and knee.
07:08That left leg is, from the knee down, is hurting.
07:12Now it's time for Nate to take advantage of this golden opportunity.
07:16Woo!
07:18And Nature Boy, the driver, seated with seeing the flatlet boot, all legal.
07:24Flair just punishing Jeff Hardy, and again.
07:27Flair, do you think we're about to see a figure four?
07:29I think, uh, I would suggest you're right.
07:32Well, first, look, Nate's good a little bit.
07:35He's got this well in hand.
07:37The charismatic nature boy, Ric Flair.
07:39He's dialing and profiling!
07:41And Flair now looking for a figure four in the future of Jeff Hardy.
07:46Hey!
07:46It's a runoff!
07:48It's a big hit!
07:48It's a big hit!
07:49Oh, my God!
07:50What?
07:51Jeff Hardy!
07:52Here is your winner, Jeff Hardy!
07:55Oh, wait a minute!
07:56Did that just happen?
07:57Ric Flair can't believe it.
07:59Flair was totally in the driver's seat.
08:02Flair was totally in command.
08:04And Jeff Hardy, out of nowhere, countered the figure four with the inside cradle.
08:12I can't believe that Nate is going to have to, well, he can just kiss his intercontinental title shot at
08:19WrestleMania goodbye.
08:24Yeah, you deserve it.
08:25I mean, that's...
08:27Uh-oh, uh-oh, wait a minute.
08:28Uh-oh, uh-oh.
08:38That's a lot of class right there.
08:41A lot of class from the Nature Boy and the Jeff Hardy.
08:45Well, tons of mutual respect there, but, boy, I'll tell you something.
08:50Nature's got to be...
