Raw opens with Justin Roberts introducing CM Punk. They show a video of what Jericho said to Punk last week. Punk tells the crowd that Chris Jericho is not here tonight. Crowd breaks out into CM Punk chant. Punk said it wasn’t Jericho’s story to tell, even though it wasn’t a big secret. He says Jericho’s plan to get under Punk’s skin has backfired. He says it’s now Jericho’s problem because of how he will respond at WrestleMania. Punk says his father has beaten his demons and overcome alcoholism. He says he is proud of his father and proud to be straight edge. He says Jericho is an obstacle to him and that he will go straight through him to prove that he is the best in the world. Jericho interrupts on the tron via satellite. Jericho says he was out of line for what he said last week, and that he’s sorry. He said this is Chris talking, not the guy with the lights and jacket. He apologizes again. He promises he will never say anything about his father again. He gives him his word on that. Jericho says your sister, however, is a whole different story. He says she has a substance problem. Jericho says there’s a pattern here and it’s inevitable for him to end up like his family. He says Punk will never overcome Jericho beating him at WrestleMania and becoming the new WWE Champion. Punk responds back with lots of cursing that gets blanked out before he leaves the ring.
^Intense promo from CM Punk to respond to Jericho. Great heel work from Jericho, as usual. You had to know that the apology about his father was just a work. Punk’s character is now angry, and it should make for a great match at WrestleMania. Angry Punk makes for really good mic work and getting the crowd into it. I want to see him pissed off more. So for PG Raw, we have tons of swearing blocked out to the point that we don’t know what he said(you get a general idea, but it was a lot blocked out). I say make it tv 14 again and let them talk. Blanking it out doesn’t change them saying whatever they’re saying in front of the live Raw audience. I’m glad WWE decided to open the show with their Champion for the first time in awhile. Given his status, Punk should be the center of attention(tough concept for booking to understand, I know).
An advertisement is shown for a Cena/Rock Once In A Lifetime special that will be airing the hour prior to Monday Night Raw next week. I’m holding back my enthusiasm.
Big Show goes one on one with Kane. Cody Rhodes comes out before the match. Michael Cole plays a video mocking the Big Show at WrestleMania. Rhodes stands around ringside with boxing gloves on. Show sits up on the turnbuckle and Cody Rhodes jumps on the apron. Big Show shoves him down and Kane chokeslams Big Show off the top rope for the three count. Rhodes jumps in the ring and hits the disaster kick on Show after the match. He grabs a set of handcuffs and secures Big Show by cuffing behind his back and over a rope. Rhodes puts the gloves on and beats on Show as the refs try to stop him. Big Show looks pissed as Rhodes goes up the ramp and officials cut the cuffs.
^Well, it wasn’t much of a match for two giants. I hope that isn’t the last we see of Kane tonight. I have to say this match between Rhodes and Show has had some fantastic buildup over the last few weeks, and it seems like they just took it to a whole new level. I still don’t expect Big Show to win the IC Title, but at this point I’m not sure what angle booking is going to play with that match. I’m also wondering if they plan on ending such an intense rivalry after just one pay per view, or if they plan on extending it into April.
David Otunga comes to the ring with John Laurinaitis(JL). Santino Marella comes to the ring with Teddy Long. Major chants for Santino before the match starts. Santino pulls his top down to show off his drawn on six pack. They do a pose-down. Otunga kicks Santino and goes on the offense. Santino nails the hip toss, diving splash and pulls out the cobra. He stomps on JL’s phone and then Otunga hits the spinebuster on Santino for the three count. JL does the mock trombone dance after the match. JL gets in Teddy’s face after the match and Teddy slaps him. JL runs at Teddy and he jumps out of the ring. Teddy dances at the top of the stage after the match.
^Well, Otunga got the win. Santino is a better overall performer than Otunga. The feud continues with JL and Teddy, but I’m wondering why they don’t just book Long vs Laurinaitis in a match(thought I wouldn’t be surprised if each competed on their own team). This whole segment was very short and felt like the same thing we’ve seen over and over for weeks now. I’m intrigued to see who the two new members on Team JL are, even though I have a feeling they’re managed by the annoying screamer.
Promo for a character named Tensai. I’m guessing that will be A-Train when he returns.
A pre-taped Rock video is shown on the tron with him standing next to the Rocky Balboa statue. Rock says Philly is the city of ass kickers. Rock references Hogan at WrestleMania 1, Ultimate Warrior at Mania 6 and talks about headlining his very first WrestleMania in Philadelphia against Stone Cold Steve Austin. He talks about losing to Austin and then about how he went on to beat Hogan and Austin. He says to be come the greatest of all time, there’s one guy left to beat, John Cena. Rock references Flair and Savage being proud of Rock beating Cena. Rock says the dreams of being the greatest of all time come true when he beats Cena at WrestleMania.
^Sounds like the Rock has a cold coming on in his voice. Maybe it’s just his age showing. As usual, Rock’s pre-taped stuff comes across much better than in his in ring work. I wonder what Cena’s rebuttle will be later on tonight.
Daniel Bryan comes to the ring with AJ Lee to take on Zack Ryder. They show a rally that Ryder held earlier in the day where he was campaigning to be on team Teddy. Bryan kisses AJ before the match. Cole talks about what a horrible year Ryder has had during the match. Ryder hits the boot to the face on Bryan while he sits in the corner. He goes for the rough rider but Bryan catches him and brings him down into the labell lock. Ryder taps out.
^I’m happy Ryder recovered from a broken back so quickly. I’m disappointed with his in ring return, but I’m happy that Bryan was made to look like the impressive Champion that he is. The show so far has had ridiculously short matches, and this one was no exception. I guess we’ll just call it the regular Raw theme from here on out and take good length matches as the exception to the rule. It’s almost like only tag team matches and main event matches are given any decent length of time. I hope WWE has better plans for Ryder after he competes on Team Long at Mania.
John Cena is up against Mark Henry tonight. Cena was in a car accident earlier today. Doctors say he is fine. He’ll feel sore tomorrow when he wakes. They always do. First he has to face Mark Henry. Cena struggles to bring Henry down in this match. Henry beats Cena around the ring and tosses him to the floor. Henry beats on Cena on the floor and Cena tries to roll back in the ring. Henry grabs him and tosses him into the barricade. Commercial break. Cena tries to mount an offense but gets squashed by Henry. Henry hits a big splash on Cena and gets a two count only. He continues to dominate. Cena is able to hit a back suplex on Henry. He hits the five knuckle shuffle and then an AA for the win. The Rock comes to the stage after the match and then runs to the ring. He hits a Rock Bottom on Mark Henry and then leaves the ring.
^Henry’s strength was booked to be superhuman again this week, until SuperCena bounced back. I’m confused as to what legitimate direction Mark Henry’s character will take next. Hopefully no reunion with Mae Young is in the works. Cena did what he does and got good momentum for Mania. That will be the last of the car accident talk. Rock built more hype by slamming Henry. I enjoyed it. I’m surprised they had both guys lift Henry though and risking injury.
The segment from Extra is shown where Maria Menounos is set up to team with Kelly Kelly against Eve and Beth Phoenix. I can hardly wait.
The Miz is in the ring with the microphone. He talks about King Kong Bundy losing the main event of WrestleMania 2 and then wrestling Hillbilly Jim and two midgets at Mania 3. He says that was the biggest main event drop off in Mania history, until now. Miz says he will not go from main eventing WrestleMania to doing nothing. He said he issued an open challenge tonight so JL can see that he deserves to be on his team for WrestleMania. He goes to say his catchline and Sheamus comes to the ring to face him. Sheamus wins this one in a few short minutes with a brogue kick.
^I know we’ve seen this match recently. Things just tend to repeat themselves with WWE booking these days. Funny enough, Sheamus won again. His momentum increases as he heads towards the World Title match at Mania. Miz, on the other hand is going to be booked to interfere in the biggest main event in the history of WrestleMania. Ridiculous.
Randy Orton is interviewed by Josh Matthews at the top of the stage. Matthews asks how he plans on beating the monster. Orton asks how the monster plans on beating him. Orton says there are no signs of humanity in Kane’s eyes. He says he could care less about Kane’s recent identity crisis. He says he isn’t the big red monster. He says his name is Randy Orton to end the promo. Thanks for stating the obvious.
^Referring to Kane’s new gimmick as an identity crisis makes me laugh. Short promo, but I’m surprised Kane didn’t interrupt with an attack. The overall promo was dull. A brawl with Kane with one of them throwing the other off the stage would have been more exciting.
Vickie Guerrero comes out and introduces Ziggler and Swagger as the two newest members of Team Laurinaitis. They come out in celebratory/showoff mode.
^Ziggler adds star power to Team Johnny. Throw in a lisp and a screamer and you’ve got this horrible tag team combination.
Ziggler and Swagger are facing Kofi Kingston and R Truth next. Aksana and Vickie Guerrero are at ringside. Cole says Vickie looks pretty. Lawler says he’s seen better looking heads on a pitbull. Truth and Ziggler are both tagged in near the end of the match. Truth dominates and Kofi takes out Swagger at ringside. Truth misses the axe kick and Ziggler hits the fameasser. Vickie throws Truth’s foot off the rope during the count and Ziggler picks up the win for his team. Aksana shoves Vickie down after the match and they end up in a catfight in the middle of the ring. Team members pull them apart.
^Does this mean Aksana and Vickie will make it onto the teams or will they just go one on one at some point? Either way, the match was short and added more heat for Mania.
Shawn Michaels comes to the ring for our promo finale of the night. Shawn talks about the HIAC match at Mania between Taker and HHH being the end of an era, and that everybody is talking about him as the special guest referee. Shawn says he made a career out of stealing the show, and this year will be no different. Shawn says it’s pretty cool knowing that he holds the end of an era in the palm of his hand. He says everybody wants to know his prediction on the match. He says he will give his opinion on what he thinks is going to happen. He says people want to know if he can be impartial. He says the end of an area is code for the end of the streak. Undertaker’s music hits and he comes to the ring. Shawn goes to talk and Taker interrupts him. Taker tells Shawn it would be in his best interest to shut up and listen. He says he already told him that this match has to remain pure. He says before him and Triple H start making plans…HHH’s music interrupts and here comes the game(no suit, jeans and t-shirt). Hunter says as much as Shawn’s ego wants this to be about him, it’s not. He says it’s about Taker and himself. He says it’s their destiny to do this. Hunter says there have been twenty four HIAC matches, and that combined they’ve been in nineteen of them. He says the match that started as the devil’s playground became his proving ground. Hunter says it’s where he thrives and excels. Hunter gets the date right when he says April 1st for WrestleMania is the moment that everything has been for. He says the whole world is going to see the end of an era, Taker’s. Hunter says he knows exactly what it is going to take to finish the job. Taker asks if he’s sure. He says his mind, body, soul, career, wife, kids, even his life. He asks if Hunter is willing to put it all on the line? Hunter says if it means giving Taker the end he deserves, then he is willing to put it on the line and he will. Taker goes to leave the ring but stops. Taker asks if he remembers when he said Shawn was better than him. Taker says he is and walks away. Shawn is smiling. Hunter looks pissed. Shawn and Hunter stare at each other. Hunter looks back and forth between Taker leaving and Michael’s face to close the show.
^I love a good promo from legends, and these guys continue to deliver every week. That match should go on last, despite the Rock/Cena and WWE Title match. You have to wonder what sort of angle they will take for this match. Will Shawn cost Hunter the match? Will he team up with Triple H to beat down the dead man and Taker still wins, or will Shawn call it down the middle? One of the three has to happen, because you know the streak isn’t going to end this year.
The show lacked wrestling tonight, but I enjoyed the rivalry building. The Mania hype is strong and ever and continues to grow each week. I’ll have FCW and NXT up in the next couple days. Until next time, you’ve been ThunderStruck!
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