The mood in the backstage area before the second last RAW before Backlash was a little tense, as tonight the draft lottery would take place. Six superstars from RAW would be making the journey to the Smackdown label, everyone was up for grabs, even the General Managers, as Paul Heyman had found out last year.
Benoit was pacing outside Bischoff's office, waiting for him to get back from wherever he had wondered off to. Once he came into sight Benoit raced toward him, "Bischoff! I want Benjamin in that ring tonight! I don't care who you have to bump off the card, what you have to do, I want him tonight!"
Bischoff looked at Benoit with his trademark smirk that made Chris want to smack the remaining hair off his head. "I'm sorry Chris, but I have bigger things to worry about rather than your problems and beside, Shelton is already booked for action tonight, in a tag match with Triple H against Jericho and Batista."
Benoit grabbed Bischoff by the shirt and threw him up against the wall, "I said I want Benjamin in that ring!"
"Hang on," yelled Bischoff, desperately trying to avoid much of a confrontation, "I can't change the match tonight, but I can see that I'm not going to get rid of you until I give you Shelton at some stage. How about at Backlash, if you both stay on RAW by the end of the lottery, I'll make a match for the Intercontinental Championship, Shelton Benjamin versus Chris Benoit?"
Benoit released Bischoff and smiled, "I guess that'll have to do for now, but what about tonight?"
"Tell you what, I'll sign you to a match with the first male choice in the lottery, that's the best I can do tonight."
Benoit looked long and hard into Bischoff's eyes, then straightened Bischoff's jacket and patted him on the shoulder, "That wasn't so hard was it?" Benoit smiled as he walked away, Bischoff's only response was a deep sigh.
Benoit was ready to go, warming up back stage when Theodore Long and Bischoff made there way into the backstage area, ready for choice number one. As they moved through the curtain, Benoit followed Bischoff who stopped to ask the wolverine, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
"I'm making the first choice, that way I know that it is not rigged."
"Fine," huffed Bischoff as he turned back and made his way on to the stage, closely followed by Benoit.
Theodore Long made the first choice, Benoit was fully aware the everything would go to hell if he was chosen, but he got lucky first time round, "The newest member of the Smackdown roster," started up Teddy Long, "is Garrison Cade!" There was very little crowd reaction and Teddy was a little miffed, what did he expect? The guy had been on the injured list for ages, the crowd probably couldn't even remember who he was.
Now was the moment of truth, for tonight anyway. Benoit stepped in front of Bischoff and stuck his hand into the barrel, pulling out the piece of paper that contained the name of tonight's opponent. Benoit opened the paper, looked at it, then with an annoyed look on his face, threw the piece of paper at Bischoff and stepped back. Bischoff was confused, but understood when he saw the piece of paper. "We would like to welcome to the RAW brand, one of the finest Diva's in the company, Dawn Marie!"
The original plan was only one choice at a time, but Benoit demanded that they keep going until his opponent was decided. Teddy Long made his second choice, who turned out to be the Hurricane. Benoit stepped forward once again and thrust his hand into the barrel, but when he looked at the piece of paper he was a little surprised, but happy. This was someone's idea of a sense of humour. "Charlie Haas!"
Benoit headed down to the ring and as soon as he entered, Haas' music started up. Charlie had a neutral look on his face, Benoit couldn't decide what he was thinking, whether he would side with his old buddy or play it fair. The first ten minutes of the match didn't help make Benoit's mind up either, the action had been pretty back and forth, but Benoit eventually hit his trademark three German suplexes on end. He was preparing to set up for the diving head-butt, but then heard the crowd start booing and he instantly knew who had emerged from the dressing room. Shelton ran down and slid into the ring, but Benoit knocked him down with the shoulder block, picked him up and slung him over the top rope. Benoit looked at Benjamin on the ground and started yelling at him, "I'll see you at Backlash Benjamin!"
Benoit was then grabbed from behind and Charlie Haas rolled him up, 1…2…3! Haas had pulled out the win, he immediately slid out of the ring and raised both his hands up in the air in celebration. Benoit jumped to his feet and looked around for a couple of moments before realising what had just happened. Benjamin and Haas looked at each other at the bottom of the ramp, shook hands and then hugged. Benoit was fuming, he had been beaten because of Benjamin's interference and he was ready to beat the kid to a bloody pulp. Benjamin and Haas just laughed as they headed up the ring, there is no way they could have planned that, but Benjamin had seen an opportunity and taken advantage.
Benoit's mood hadn't improved by the time he had reached the backstage room where all the RAW superstars had been told to sit during the draft picks. Benoit had just about ripped the door of its hinges and he moved over the back of the room and sat next to Jericho and Batista. If Benoit was drafted to Smackdown he'd probably kill someone there and then.
Teddy Long was spinning some crap about Smackdown being the better show, to which Bischoff simply told him to hurry up. Long threw his hand into the barrel and pulled put his third choice. He looked at it and smiled in the direction of Bischoff, he had picked someone at the top end of the roster and everyone in the room held their breath. "On behalf of Smackdown I would like to welcome, the former World Heavyweight Champion," Benoit's heart almost stopped, "Randy Orton!"
Benoit's heart sank back into its resting position and he sat back into his seat. Randy had been sitting not too far in front of them, and everyone watched as he got up and slowly moved toward the door. There weren't many people who were sad to see him go, he had burnt more bridges in the last two years than the German army retreating back to Berlin at the end of World War II.
The next couple of choices were relatively stress free for the main players, Hardcore Holly and Billy Kidman were on their way to RAW, while a serious problem had been created for Christian when Tyson Tomko had been drafted to Smackdown. More importantly from Benoit's perspective That meant there was two choices left and they were to be made after the main event, Jericho and Batista versus Triple H and Shelton Benjamin.
Benoit followed Jericho and Batista to the gorilla position but he was stopped by Bischoff when he got there, "What?" asked Benoit, in no mood to get in another argument with the GM.
"I know that no good is going to come of you heading out there…" began Bischoff before Benoit cut him off.
"That depends on your perspective."
"Benoit, if you head out there during the match you will be suspended indefinitely," and with that Bischoff turned his back and headed back to his office, leaving behind one very angry wolverine.
Benoit watched the match from a monitor backstage and it was obvious that Triple H and Flair had a plan, because they really got stuck into Batista's left knee. He was left lying on the mat, while Triple H, Flair and even Shelton got stuck into him, while Jericho lay on the outside. Benoit wanted to get out there, but he couldn't risk getting suspended. He watched as Jericho crept back into the ring and took a viscous chair shot from Benjamin, while the referee was distracted with Flair.
Then the extent of Triple H's plan reared its ugly head, right in front of the referee Triple H smacked Batista's left knee with a SledgeHammer. The referee called for the bell, but Triple H didn't care, the three of them continued to pummel Batista. Jericho managed to regain some of his composure and tried to help but they turned on him as well. Then Benoit raced out there, Bischoff's stipulation had only been for the actual match. The threat of a nigh on fair fight had driven the three from the ring and they headed backstage.
Benoit looked at Batista who was in a very bad way, his knee had started to swell up and the medics had already made their way out to the ring and where trying to get him backstage and off to hospital for scans straight away. Benoit and Jericho followed them out and trailed them to the first aid room, where they would have a quick first look.
While medics were assessing Batista, Jericho and Benoit kept an eye on the television to catch the final choices of the lottery. The fifth choice was a little interesting and devastating for King as Stacy Keibler was on her way to Smackdown, RAW has drafted Heidenreich. When Teddy Long smiled at his final choice, Benoit's heart again leapt into his throat, "The final choice for Smackdown, and by far our biggest choice, Shawn Michaels!" Benoit and Jericho exchanged stunned glances, that wasn't good, HBK had been an ally around here, and with Benjamin turning it made things difficult. However, some stability was returned when Bischoff chose Booker T as RAW's final choice, while he was no Shawn Michaels, he at least saw things from a sane perspective, most of the time anyway.
After RAW went off the air, Batista was helped to a waiting ambulance and taken to the hospital. Benoit and Jericho saw him off and then Benoit looked at Jericho before heading off to the locker room, "Hunter and Benjamin are going to seriously pay for this."
"I hear ya," was Jericho's only response.