2012 WWE Over the Limit Results & Match Recaps

The 2012 WWE Over the Limit Pay-Per-View arrives as the May installment in the pro wrestling company's monthly events.  Full Over the Limit results and match-by-match recaps will be presented here at WWE Characters the Blog starting Sunday night.

The latest Over the Limit takes place at Raleigh, NC Sunday night with John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis as the main event.  If Laurinaitis loses this match, he will be terminated from his job.  However, if any other WWE superstars or divas interfere in the match, they will be fired.

As of our report, there are a total of 6 matches on the card, with four titles up for grabs.  These include the Fatal Fourway match for Sheamus' World Heavyweight Championship, and CM Punk defending the WWE title against Daniel Bryan.

Click here to refresh this page for the latest WWE Over the Limits results, below!

Zack Ryder vs. Kane

This match was a special free "pre-show" match presented live on YouTube prior to the main Pay-Per-View.  Ryder arrived out first to the ring, but his introduction was cut short by Kane's pyro and the arena going dark.  Early on, Ryder managed to gain the advantage by dropkicking Kane on the outside, then hitting a drop toe hold on him into the steel steps.  Ryder shouted at the ref to countout Kane, and even did a dive over the top rope to keep him out.  Kane finally returned to the ring with Ryder beating away on him.  Kane finally responded with a huge boot kick to take Zack down.

Kane held control for a while, until Ryder made a comeback, and responded from the corner for a near fall move.  He went for a move on Kane in the corner and got dumped to the apron, but then yanked Kane against the top rope to keep control.  Kane was able to grab Ryder by the throat in the corner, but Ryder fought him off.  Kane soon regained control with a sidewalk slam.

The close saw Ryder hit the Broski Boot in the corner and then set up for Rough Ryder.  He charged at Kane but the Big Red Monster was ready and caught him around the throat then hit the chokeslam for the pinfall.

Winner: Kane wins by pinfall over Zack Ryder.

Eve was backstage watching a flatscreen monitor when Cody Rhodes and Santino Marella came into the room arguing over the championships. Santino said he'd rather be the US champion instead of the champion of incontinence. Eve said she and David Otunga came up to a way to settle their disputes. Eve said there will be a "People Power" battle royal coming up next. Eve said whoever wins the battle royal gets to choose which title they go for later on, the US or Intercontinental title. Eve said that match is up next.

Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and Booker T came out as the commentary team for the Pay-Per-View. Cole told Striker this job is above his pay grade so to get lost. Matthews also left and then Cody Rhodes and Santino were introduced.

People Power Battle Royal

The winner of this match would get to choose which title they fight for later in the night, either the United States or Intercontinental Championship.  Competing in this match were The Great Khali, The Miz, JTG, Ezekiel Jackson, Tyler Reks, Curt Hawkins, Michael McGillicutty, Yoshi Tatsu, The Usos, Tyson Kidd, Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre, Heath Slater, Darren Young, Titus O'Neil, Alex Riley, David Otunga, William Regal, and Christian.  Christian was making a surprise return to the ring.  The match started with a minute to go until the official PPV.

Early eliminations included Heath Slater, Michael McGillicutty, Yoshi Tatsu, Curt Hawkins, and Tyler Reks.  Khali started eliminating multiple guys by himself, including Jinder Mahal.  Three guys worked together to get rid of Khali.

The final four came down to Tyson Kidd, The Miz, David Otunga, and Christian.  Kidd was almost tossed out of the ring, then held onto the ropes.  Miz rushed over to try to push Kidd out, but Kidd did a leg scissors around Miz's head.  However, Otunga rushed over and kicked Kidd off to eliminated him.  Miz and Otunga teamed up against Christian.

It came down to Miz vs. Christian, with Miz throwing Christian over the top.  However, Christian held on for dear life.  Miz tried to kick him out but couldn't succeed.  The two fought it out, with Christian throwing Miz against the corner and over the top rope.  Miz held onto the ropes on the apron, but Christian was able to ram him in the gut through the ropes to knock him off the apron.  Christian now gets a title shot later tonight.  Cole said it seems like he's made his choice to face Santino tonight.

Winner:  Christian wins the People Power Battle Royal and will compete for the US or Intercontinental title later on tonight.

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Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth & Kofi Kingston
WWE Tag Team Championship Match

Late in the match, Truth was on fire and hit the spinning corkscrew on Swagger.  He hit a frontfaced suplex on Swagger, but Vickie got on the apron to distract.  Truth rushed over and knocked Dolph off the apron, but then Swagger threw Truth into the corner so the heels took control.  At one point, Ziggler tagged in and helped hit a massive doubleteam move to smash Truth face first to the mat.  However, Truth kicked out of a pin.  Dolph kept him down in a hold, which involved a show off handstand on him at one point.

Truth ultimately escaped from Swagger, just as Ziggler tagged in.  Kofi made a hot tag and jumped over the ropes to take down Ziggler.  He revved up for Trouble in Paradise but Ziggler avoided it.  Kofi went for the SOS but Ziggler blocked, and then Kofi hit a reverse crossbody off the corner.

In the close, Truth rushed into the ring to break up a pin after Ziggler hit Zig Zag.  Moments later, Truth dove over the top rope to take out Swagger on the outside.  Ziggler tried to rush Kofi with a Zig Zag, but Kofi responded by hitting Trouble in Paradise to knock him down for the pin.


Winners: R-Truth & Kofi Kingston win by pinfall over Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler to retain the WWE Tag Team Championships.

Backstage, Hawkins and Reks were talking to Eve. Eve said they will go into the audience and confiscate any signs they deem as inappropriate. Hawkins and Reks left to go do the job.

Beth Phoenix vs. Layla
WWE Divas Championship Match

Layla got control of things early on, but Beth turned the tables when Layla was up on the corner. Beth pulled Layla's leg out causing her to fall and hurt her right leg. Beth continued to target it even more.

Later in the match, Beth was on the apron trying to pull Layla's hurt leg against the ropes. Layla managed to break free and dropkicked Beth off the apron, then started beating on her when she got into the ring. Beth ducked a kick attempt from Layla and then pressed her overhead. Layla countered it into a DDT move for a near fall.

Layla went for a move off the corner, but Beth turned it into a near Glam Slam. Layla countered that into a pinfall, with Beth rolling through to pull Layla's tights for a pin. However, Layla kicked out. Just moments later, Layla hit a surprise neckbreaker to win it.

Winner: Layla wins by pinfall over Beth Phoenix to retain the Divas Championship.


Striker interviewed Randy Orton about what happened on Smackdown this past Friday after his match with Sheamus. Striker had them cut to video of Orton losing to Sheamus in a non-title match, then offering him a handshake. Orton shook hands then surprised him with the RKO.  Orton talked about how there's no question that Sheamus wouldn't do the same thing if he was in his shoes.  Jericho showed up to interrupt Orton's interview saying he's going to win the title once again.  Orton told him if he gets in his way tonight, he'll be the best in the world at getting RKO'd.  Jericho smirked as Orton left the scene.

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Fatal Fourway Match for World Heavyweight Championship

Current champion Sheamus will defend his title against Alberto Del Rio, Chris Jericho, and Randy Orton.  Early on, Orton and Sheamus faced off in a repeat from Smackdown.  The match also featured multiple spots with Jericho and Del Rio teaming up on Sheamus outside the ring, then turning against each other.  At one point, Sheamus and Del Rio faced off in the ring.  Sheamus was in control with Ricardo Rodriguez trying to distract from the apron.  As Sheamus went to clear him off, Del Rio hit his enziguiri kick for a near fall on the champ.  Moments later, Sheamus avoided Del Rio near the ropes.  Del Rio almost fell out but hung on.  Sheamus beat away on his chest, but Jericho leapt off the corner to kick him off down.

Later still, Orton came in to take down Jericho and then Sheamus.  He hit his through the ropes DDT and then dropped down to pound the mat preparing for the RKO.  Del Rio rushed in and slapped on the Cross Armbar breaker.  Orton couldn't break the hold, but Jericho soon rushed over to stop Del Rio.  Jericho took control against Del Rio, but then Del Rio got his knees up on Jericho's Lionsault.

Orton went for the RKO, but Sheamus avoided then went for a Brogue Kick which the champ avoided.  Sheamus tried for a schoolboy pin line on Smackdown, but Orton escaped.  Moments later, Orton cleared Sheamus out of the ring, then hit a double DDT with Del Rio and Rodriguez from the middle rope.  Orton was bleeding on the bridge of his nose.

Del Rio got the cross armbar on Jericho after Jericho hit a Codebreaker on Orton.  Jericho countered Del Rio's move and put the Walls of Jericho on Del Rio.  However, Sheamus rushed in and nearly took his head off with a Brogue Kick, which Jericho avoided.

The crowd got fired up in the late moments with multiple teased finishes. Alberto hit the mat after an RKO by Orton on him.  Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick on Orton, but then with only Jericho remaining, Sheamus got him up for White Noise and finished him off by pinfall.

Winner: Sheamus wins by pinfall over Chris Jericho in the Fatal Fourway match to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.


Backstage, Cody Rhodes was asking about John Laurinaitis and said Eve is handling things well. He then began to talk about how Christian would be scared if he had to face him in the ring tonight. Just then, Christian showed up and told Rhodes he's full of crap. He said he changed his mind and will be facing Cody for the Intercontinental Championship tonight.

The Miz arrived out to the ring to talk trash on Brodus Clay and saying he lacks true dance skills. Miz put on a hat and started his own dance routine to his theme song. Brodus' theme song hit to interrupt, bringing out the Funkettes and Clay to the ring.

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Brodus Clay vs. The Miz

Late in the match, Miz was on the corner.  However, Clay managed to crotch him by hitting the ropes, then tossed him onto the mat.  Moments later, Clay finished things with his big splash on Miz.  He invited some kids in the ring to dance with him and the Funkettes.

Winner: Brodus Clay wins by pinfall against The Miz.

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Hawkins and Reks were shown in the crowd snatching signs away from fans that were degrading towards John Laurinaitis.  They tore several apart.  Hawkins tried to motion for one fan to bring his sign over as the camera cut away.

Cody Rhodes was introduced for the Intercontinental Championship match and arrived out with a mic in hand. He explained that his dad kept him away from NC as a kid because the people there are shortsighted and biased. That drew heat and then Rhodes said he'll defeat Christian to remain champ now.

Christian vs. Cody Rhodes
Intercontinental Championship

Late in the match, Cody and Christian fought on the corner with a superplex the end result.  Rhodes was shaken up too, but managed to get up after the move and went over towards Christian.  Captain Charisma grabbed him to roll him up for a near fall.

Cody had control and went for a flying move from the corner, but Christian punched him in the gut.  Moments later Christian hit a missile drop kick after a pendulum kick in the corner.  He started clapping to rally the Peeps.  However, Cody avoided his Killswitch.  Christian responded by tripping Rhodes against the rope and then jumping over to the outside to slap Rhodes in the face.

The close saw Christian manage to surprise Rhodes with the Killswitch after Rhodes talked trash to the crowd.  Christian grabbed Rhodes' leg and captured the pinfall to collect the Intercontinental Championship.  This is his fourth IC title reign.


Winner: Christian wins via pinfall over Cody Rhodes to become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion.



The next WWE PPV is four weeks away on June 17th at the Izod Center.

Josh Matthews interviewed WWE Champion CM Punk backstage.  They showed a replay from Friday's Smackdown where Daniel Bryan went after Punk with a steel chair, but hit Kane instead.  Bryan tossed the chair down and ran off as Punk grabbed the chair.  Kane attacked Punk from there with Bryan smiling from the ramp.  Punk said he's feeling like crap right now, then mocked Laurinaitis.  Punk said seeing JL get terminated later will make his night.  Punk said tonight won't just be the five star classic everyone's expecting, it's going to be..AJ interrupted the interview and said "it's going to be a lot of fun to watch, good luck Punk."  AJ smiled in a flirty way, batting her eyes at Punk as he smirked looking sort of puzzled and left.

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Daniel Bryan vs. CM Punk
WWE Championship Match

Early on, dueling chants of "Daniel Bryan" and "CM Punk" broke out in the arena.  Punk had control with a headlock down on the mat.  Punk yelled "Yes" at Bryan as he kept kneeing him in the leg.  An early spot saw Bryan rush to the corner, then flip over Punk.  Punk put him up for the GTS, but Bryan escaped only to get kicked in his already hurting leg.  Punk stayed in control and managed to trip Bryan down for a submission move which he then turned into a kick move, kicking Bryan face first into the mat for a near fall.

Bryan managed to regain control outside the ring as he ducked a move by Punk and then rammed him against the crowd barrier.  He followed by suplexing Punk onto another barrier into the timekeeper's area.  Back in the ring, Bryan locked a hold on Punk, with the champ kneeing out.  Bryan dropped a knee on Punk's throat to stay in control.  Moments later, he put Punk into a surfboard submission, then turned it into another move similar to a guillotine.  Punk refused to tap out though.

With Punk already down on the mat near the corner, Bryan rushed from across the ring several times to drop a big knee on his back.  Punk moved away on the third try and then hit a suplex into a pinfall attempt with Bryan kicking out.  Bryan hit a huge diving headbutt later on from way across the ring off the corner.  Somehow, Punk kicked out of the pin attempt though.

Punk made a comeback with a barrage of punches and kicks, followed by a huge scoop slam for a near fall.  Both guys reset after Bryan kicked out.  There was another spot on the outside where both guys crashed to the floor.  Back in the ring, Bryan had control and kept yelling "Yes" as he kicked Punk.  However, Punk managed to put him into a figure four moments later.  Bryan managed to grab the bottom rope.  Several near falls ensued.

Bryan went for the Yes Lock but Punk avoided that.  However, Bryan kicked him in the head to KO him.  He took a moment to gather Punk up for the pinfall, but Punk barely kicked out.  The fans started up a "This is Awesome" chant for the match.  There was another great spot moments later with Bryan crotched on the side top rope, and Punk landing a huge clothesline from the corner to take him down for another near fall.

Punk fought over the Yes Lock, then catapulted Bryan over the top rope.  Bryan hung on for dear life and skinned the cat to pull himself back in.  Punk collected a pinfall but Bryan got a leg on the ropes to break it.

Punk avoided Bryan's double knees in the corner, then came back with his own running knee on him.  Bryan somehow managed to get Punk down into the Yes Lock from there.  Punk managed to shift his weight back though and pinned Bryan's shoulders to the mat.  Cole said it appeared Punk was tapping out at the same time though.  They showed the replay, and it confirmed Punk tapped a second after the pinfall count was done.  Punk is still champion.


Winner: CM Punk wins by pinfall over Daniel Bryan to retain the WWE Championship.

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Backstage, Eve and David Otunga were walking when they came up to Teddy Long. Long joked about how they could both be fired by the end of the night. He said he had to go make sure Mr. Laurinaitis has enough protein for tonight's match.

Hunico arrived out on a bike driven by Camacho. Hunico cut a promo in Spanish about something.

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Ryback vs. Camacho

Ryback dominated this matchup throughout, like his previous contests.  He finished Camacho in the end with a slam from the torture rack position.  Post-match, Ryback left the ring and knocked over Hunicos bicycle on the outside of the ring.  He yelled at a fan "do you want more?!?"

Winner: Ryback defeated Camacho via pinfall.

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John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis

If any WWE superstar or diva gets involved in this match, they will be fired. If John Laurinaitis loses, he is fired.  The only way to win is by pinfall or submission.  Laurinaitis arrived out first in a special People Power warmup suit with "GM" written on front.


Laurinaitis tried to hightail it and leave the ring as the bell ring.  He went to jump into the crowd, but Cena ran him down and grabbed him.  Cena brought JL back in the ring and clotheslined him hard after shaking his head.  Cena put JL's top over his head and then slapped his chest hard.

Cena set up for the AA but instead did an airplane spin, then dropped JL to the mat in a heap.  Laurinaitis stood up and fell out through the ropes.  Cena went over and grabbed the bell, then walked over and clanked it in his ears on both sides of his head.  Cena slammed JL's head into the commentators table multiple times with Cole asking "are you OK?"

Cena brought Laurinaitis over to the Spanish commentators table and put JL in one seat with a headset on.  Cena sat next to  him and put a headset on, then pretended he was Michael Cole.  He said "Vintage Laurinaitis" several times,, then asked Booker what he thought.  JL responded "five time, five time" then fell out of the chair.  Back in the ring, Cena hit a huge slam on JL.  He rushed out of the ring and grabbed a mic.

Cena announced on the mic he was about to put JL in the STF.  He said if JL taps out he's fired.  Cena said he'll let go of the hold if JL can last for 10 seconds.  Cena asked the people to count along, and JL survived 10 seconds.  Cena got on the mic saying good news is JL made it, and bad news is he's going to do it again.  Crowd counted along this time and once again JL survived it.

Cena went out of the ring again and grabbed a bottled water to pour it on JL's face and then on his crotch area.  Cena left the ring and grabbed a fire extinguisher from under the ring.  He teased using it several times, then started to spray Laurinaitis in the corner til he left the ring covered in the stuff.

On the outside, Cena grabbed a trash can and dumped it all over Laurinaitis.  JL tried to run into the crowd but Cena chased him down again. This time, JL hit Cena's hurt arm and Cena flinched looking hurt.  From there, JL smashed Cena's arm against the commentary table then against the steel steps.

In the ring, JL used a chair for multiple shots on Cena.  He collected a pinfall but cena kicked out at two.  JL went for another chair shot, but Cena blocked it and grabbed the chair to smash JL in the leg.  He set up for Five Knuckle Shuffle and used a steel chair for it.  Cena was about to go for AA, but JL hit a low blow.  From there, JL started to leave through the crowd with Cena still down in the ring.  Fans booed him as he walked past.  Cena remained in the ring as Laurinaitis started to head out of the arena, according to Cole.

Cena looked confused in the ring about what's going on.  Suddenly, the crowd started to cheer as Big Show showed up in street clothes forcefully escorting Laurinaitis.  He brought him out and tossed him over the crowd barrier, then brought JL into the ring with Cena smirking.  Cena waited for Laurinaitis to get up, seeing Big Show on the other side of him.  JL tried to crawl away, but Big Show stepped on his hand.

Cena went after JL who ran the other way, only to have Big Show grab him by the throat.  He looked menancingly at JL who shoved him to Cena.  Cena picked up JL for the AA, but Big Show hit the WMD punch on Cena.  Show backed into the corner looking at both guys.  Cole said Cena looks unconscious.  Laurinaitis crawled over and did his best to push Cena over for a pinfall.  He covered and the ref counted 1-2-3 to give him the match.  Show watched from the corner with a strange look in his eyes.  Fans looked shocked from the ringside area.

Show walked over looking down at Laurinaitis, then offered him a hand to get up.  Show held up Laurinaitis' hand up, then left the ring.  JL stumbled up the ramp as the PPV closed with Cole saying he can't wait until Raw tomorrow.


Winner: John Laurinaitis wins via pinfall over John Cena.

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All of the fallout and followup from this latest Pay-Per-View should be covered on Monday Night Raw, on USA starting at 9PM EST! Thank you for choosing WWE Characters the Blog for your 2012 Over the Limit results coverage!

Undertaker not dead, out of Fatal 4-Way

In WWE News and a Smackdown/Fatal 4-Way update, The Undertaker was out of action Friday night. In fact the theme of Friday's Smackdown was that the Undertaker had been found in a "vegetative state" by brother Kane, and that an investigation was ongoing into "who or what" perpetrated the attack. Kane made it his mission on the show to confront the prime suspects, the other guys in Fatal 4-Way's World Title match, and of course Rey Mysterio who lost to Taker last week.

According to Wrestling Observer, this is due to the injuries Undertaker suffered while fighting Rey Mysterio in last week's qualifying match on the 5/30 airing of Smackdown. Reportedly, Taker suffered a broken nose, broken orbital bone and a concussion all in that one match. It may have been the result of the seated senton move Mysterio did on him. If you saw the conclusion of the match, you noticed Taker's bloody nose.

When first reported, they were unsure if Taker would still be in the Fatal 4-Way match. We now know as of Smackdown he is unable to go. Kane claimed we won't see Undertaker walk amongst the living any longer, and they made it almost like a funeral. We've seen Undertaker dead, buried and rise again many times though. Kane is planning to put whoever did this into their own living nightmarish hell. Meanwhile, GM Teddy Long had everyone on the roster excluding the divas and guys in the Fatal 4-Way match, compete in a Battle Royal. It came down to Kane vs Rey Mysterio, with Mysterio able to elude the Chokeslam and headscissor toss Kane to the outside. Mysterio now takes Undertaker's place at Fatal 4-Way in the title match with Big Show, CM Punk and defending champ, Jack Swagger.

It's an interesting storyline they're using and I'm wondering how much time they'll give Undertaker off. Who do you believe is behind this? Kane showed some serious acting range, but it's always possible one destructive Brother doublecrossed the other!

Fatal 4-Way PPV matches 2010

Fatal 4-Way will be yet another new Pay-Per-View title for the WWE, coming in June. This event is the followup to May's "Over the Limit" which saw five titles on the line and only one (Intercontinental) changing hands. At Fatal 4-Way we know that the two major titles will be up for grabs in traditional Fatal Fourway matches. Those are four-man, everyone for himself style matches where the champion doesn't have to be pinned to lose the title. It'll be John Cena defending the WWE Title and Jack Swagger defending the World Heavyweight Title. Here's the breakdown of the Fatal 4- Way PPV matches for 2010, so far.

Sheamus vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. John Cena
WWE Title Fatal Fourway

John Cena retained the WWE Championship at Over the Limit by defeating Batista in an "I Quit" match. The following night on Raw, an extremely banged up Batista not only forfeited his chance to be in the WWE title match at Fatal 4-Way, but he also ended up quitting WWE. With that in mind, three new competitors would be lined up for the match against Cena. First up, was Randy Orton who automatically qualified due to Batista forfeiting the match. Next, Sheamus defeated the Worlds Strongest Man, Mark Henry for the third spot. In the main event on that same Raw, Edge, Chris Jericho and Cena competed in a Triple Threat match. Since Edge won it with a spear on Jericho, he was given the final spot in the match. John Cena may have made one of his biggest rivals quit, but now he'll have to contend with three of his toughest opponents from history. Will Randy Orton, Edge or Sheamus walk out of Fatal 4-Way with the WWE Title, or will John Cena hold on to the championship?

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CM Punk vs. The Undertaker vs. Big Show vs. Jack Swagger
World Heavyweight Title Fatal Fourway

Over the Limit saw Jack Swagger retain his World Title, but he didn't win the match. Instead, Swagger got himself disqualified by clocking Big Show in the head with the belt. Due to this fact, Smackdown GM Teddy Long automatically put Big Show in the Fatal Fourway match against Swagger. Still, two more opponents would be needed. In one qualifying match on Smackdown, CM Punk defeated Kane after some help from Straight Edge members Luke Gallows and Serena. The second match saw the return of the Undertaker to Smackdown. Rey Mysterio gave him a tough, tough fight, but in the end it was The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver sealing Rey's fate. The Undertaker will now be a part of the Fatal Fourway for the World Title he held before Wrestlemania 26. Will the Deadman reclaim the belt, or maybe CM Punk or Big Show brings the title to Smackdown next? Can Jack Swagger find a way to win against these three tough opponents?

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WWE's Fatal 4-Way is scheduled for Sunday June 20, 2010 starting at 8PM EST on Pay-Per-View. Results will be continuously updated here at WWE Characters the Blog from 8PM until 11PM EST. See more information about this year's event over at WWE.com, official website of the WWE!

Raw Recap 05.24.10

Raw Recap from Toledo, OH:

Raw opened with highlights of last night's "I Quit match" for the WWE Title between John Cena and Batista. Both men refused to quit several times, despite plenty of carnage and damage done to each other. At one point, Batista and Cena fought in the auidence, with Cena knocking Batista off the 200 section. They ended up fighting up on the ramp where a car was parked and Batista tried to back it into Cena. Cena somehow avoided it, then came back to give Batista the Attitude Adjustment onto the hood of the car.

He asked if The Animal wanted to quit and Batista said no, so Cena picked him up for an Attitude Adjustment on top of the car. Batista quit so Cena wouldn't drop him onto the stage. The ref called for the Bell and Cena tossed Batista down, crashing through the top of the ramp. As Cena was celebrating to end the PPV, Sheamus emerged from backstage to give him a boot kick to the face.

Justin Roberts introduced Batista to the crowd. Batista was helped out from backstage with two referees helping him. He was wearing a sling and cast on his left arm, plus tape around the ribs. The Animal also had a visible shiner near his right eye. Michael Cole said it took 15 to 20 minutes for EMT's to get Batista out of the stage after the PPV.

Batista sat in a wheelchair in the ring, then waved the refs to leave the ring. Batista demanded a spotlight. He admitted he quit last night because his life was threatened by Cena. He said he may file a lawsuit against Cena for what he did, as well as the WWE and its fans. Batista said he's out for weeks, months and maybe years now. He vowed to come back better than ever and get a rematch with Cena. Justin Roberts got on the mic and interrupted saying he was told to announce the new GM of Raw, Bret "The Hitman" Hart.

Bret came down to the ring to confront Batista. Bret said there will be a new PPV, Fatal 4-Way on June 20th, where Cena will defend the title against 3 opponents. Bret said Batista can qualify by winning a match tonight. Batista yelled at Bret that he's hurt. Bret said so is his opponent, Randy Orton. Batista told Bret he can't make him fight. Bret told him to take the opportunity or forfeit. Batista said if Bret does that he'll quit WWE. Bret said on the mic that Orton is the winner by forfeit. Batista was livid in his wheelchair as Hitman left the ring. Batista kept threatening to quit, then finally yelled out "I QUIT!" to the fan's applause. Fans sang him the Na Na Na Na Goodbye song on the way out. Two refs came back down to get him and wheel him up the ramp backstage. Justin Roberts said "Ladies and Gentlemen, let's hear it for Batista!"

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Raw returned with a replay of Batista in the ring saying "I Quit!" Cole and Lawler talked over how surprised they were that The Animal is leaving WWE. Michael Cole said this all came about because of the new GM of Raw, Bret "The Hitman" Hart.

Mark Henry vs. Sheamus
Fatal 4-Way Qualifying Match #2

Sheamus exploited Henry's hurt shoulder that Batista had injured weeks ago. Mark Henry missed on a charge on Sheamus at the corner, hitting the turnbuckle hard. Sheamus climbed onto the corner for a move, with Henry walking over to press him overhead. However, Henry's shoulder was bothering him too much and gave out, dropping Sheamus to the mat. As Henry turned around, Sheamus delivered a pump kick to knock him down for the pin.

Winner: Sheamus wins via pinfall over Mark Henry to qualify for the WWE Title Fatal 4-Way match.

So far John Cena, Randy Orton, Sheamus are in the Fatal 4-Way match, with one spot left to be decided.

Michael Cole announced that because Bret Hart is now the General Manager of Raw, he vacated the United States title. Bret has set up a US Title match for tonight between R-Truth and The Miz.

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Guest host Jon Lovitz was shown backstage on a cell phone. He said Mr. McMahon to just pay him in company stock, then said "Mr. McMahon don't make me flip you!" He hung up as Maryse walked in. Maryse shook hands with him, then said she has some hot photos that would win the talent contest he's holding tonight. Lovitz asked for a sneak peek. He offered to teach her his secret submission pinch hold, but Maryse said she wasn't interested. He started talking in French to her and said he has millions of dollars. Maryse said she might be interested now. Lovitz said then he's not, and told her goodbye. Maryse got in his face and Lovitz ran away.

Bret Hart was backstage with Edge, asking why he thinks he deserves a title match at Fatal 4-Way. Edge said Orton qualified by a forfeit from an already beaten up Batista. Edge said he should get to face a beaten up Cena for his shot to qualify. Just then, Chris Jericho walked in and talked up his accomplishments saying he deserves a title shot since he beat Edge at Wrestlemania. Hart stopped the two from arguing and said he made his decision. Jericho vs. Edge vs Cena, if either Edge or Jericho win it, they qualify for Fatal 4-Way. If they don't win, they get nothing. Edge told Jericho and Hart he's a better champ and a better Canadian than either of them ever were. Edge left, but Jericho gave Hitman some advice to not make an enemy out of him, or taking the GM job will be the worst decision he ever made. Hitman said he looks forward to it.

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They showed still shot images from the WWE Divas Championship match between Eve and Maryse. Eve was able to win after blocking the French Kiss, then scored a unique pinfall for the win.

Gail Kim & Eve Torres vs. Alicia Fox & Maryse

Early on, Gail reversed a pin from Alicia near the ropes, where Maryse made a blind tag. Maryse came in to kick Gail in the bakc of the head and start working her over in front of Eve.

Eve ducked a punch attempt on the apron as Maryse ran at her. That allowed Gail to tag out. It ended up with all four divas in the ring. With the ref trying to get Gail out to the apron, Alicia ran and kicked Eve in the head. Maryse scored a French Kiss DDT to pin Eve for the win.

Winners: Alicia Fox & Maryse win via pinfall over Gail Kim & Eve Torres.

They showed a replay of the US Title No DQ match between The Miz and Bret Hart. Chris Jericho, Natalya, DH Smith and Tyson Kidd all got involved. Hart Dynasty hit Hart Attack on The Miz, allowing Bret to put Miz in a Sharpshooter for the victory.
Sharpshooter for the win. Cole said now that Bret is the new GM of Raw he has given up the US title, but it will be decided in a match between R-Truth and The Miz.

---

R-Truth vs. The Miz
United States Championship

The following match was held to determine the new United States Champion now that Bret Hart is the GM of Raw. R-Truth did his "What's Up?" rap entrance theme. After he had finished, The Miz came out with mic in hand. He told Truth that what's up is he going to take back the US Title which should have never been taken from him to begin with.

Late in the match, R-Truth jumped off the ropes for a flying crossbody onto Miz for the pin, but Miz rolled through for his own pinfall. Miz and Truth continued to have near falls. Truth rolled up Miz with a schoolboy and Miz kicked out. Truth went for the scissor kick but Miz ducked it. Miz tried to clothesline Truth but he ducked and ran against the ropes. Truth came back with the Lie Detector spinning forearm to capture the pinfall win. This makes R-Truth's first singles championship in WWE history.

Winner: R-Truth wins via pinfall over The Miz to become new United States Champion.

Cole and Lawler reviewed how an injured Batista quit earlier in the show. They showed the replay once again of Batista whining in the ring, and then the announcement of the new Raw GM, Bret Hart.

Josh Matthews interviewed WWE Champion John Cena backstage about his "I Quit match" last night. Cena said he was exhausted by it, and as we saw earlier it ended a man's career. Cena said he felt good for the first time in months to get closure with Batista. Cena said he was on cloud nine after his win last night, but then got kicked in the face by someone whiter than cloud nine. Cena discussed the honor of carrying the WWE title, and how he will never run, always fight. Cena said whoever ultimately takes the title from him is going to be hurting. Cena said he's putting everyone on notice to bring their A-Game because he'll rain down on anyone who looks close to a threat. Cena said he's done playing nice and the C-Nation is here.

---

Justin Roberts introduced tonight's guest host, Jon Lovitz. Lovitz was escorted by The Bella Twins, like every other guest host. Lovitz needed a push from the Bella Twins to roll under the bottom rope into the ring. Lovitz and The Bella Twins sat down at a table in the ring to judge a WWE Superstars Secret talent show.

First up was The Great Khali and Ranjin Singh to do "Puttin' on the Ritz". They were both dressed in tuxedoes and top hats, dancing to the song. Lovitz hit the buzzer on them.

Jillian Hall came out to the ramp next. Lovitz immediately hit the buzzer and told her to get out of there. Lovitz got up and said he thinks this was a bad idea and a waste of time. He said the real talent is probably hidden in the crowd somewhere. Lovitz pointed out to sections of the crowd and finally selected one guy from the side front row. A guy in glasses and Santino T-shirt rolled into the ring. He told Lovitz his name is Joe. He told Lovitz his talent is he can pull his eye out of his face. The guy took off his glasses and they gave a drumroll. He put some eye drops in his eye, then banged the back of his head and finally pulled his eye out.

Suddenly, Ted Dibiase's music came on and Dibiase came out in street clothes with Virgil accompanying him. Dibiase said he wanted the eyeball and asked how much for it. The guy said he can't sell his eyeball. Dibiase said he's not asking, and if he has to, he's gonna beat him up and take it. As Dibiase was in the guy's face, Santino's music came on and he came to the ring. Santino warned Dibiase that he would do the secret pinch submission on his man-servant Virgil if he wasn't careful. Lovitz warned him about using it on others. Santino pinched Virgil on the neck and he collapsed to the mat. Lovitz yelled "it worked!" and told Santino to sick Dibiase. Santino tried it but it had no effect. Dibiase hit Dream Street to lay out Santino. Lovitz told Dibiase he wins the talent contest.

---

Cole and Lawler reviewed the Fatal 4-Way WWE Title qualifying so far, with Randy Orton winning the first match due to Batista forfeiting and Sheamus winning the other over Mark Henry by pinfall. The final spot may be determined in the Triple Threat match between Edge, Chris Jericho and John Cena.

The Hart Dynasty vs. Vladimir Kozlov & William Regal

Cole said this match came about due to last week's altercation during the US Title match involving Bret Hart and The Miz.

Regal got an early knee in on Kidd, then after some beatdown tagged in Kozlov. Kozlov had a powerslam on Kidd. Kozlov went to press him overhead, but Kidd grabbed the ropes and flipped onto the apron. Kozlov charged at him, so Kidd kicked Kozlov in the head.

Things finished up when Regal missed on a knee trembler. Smith picked up Regal in a Bear Hug and tagged Kidd. Kidd ran back and forth against the ropes then finally took Regal down for the Hart Attack and pinfall.

The victory celebration was shortlived as three individuals stormed the ring. The two tag partners and their female manager layed out Natalya and the Hart Dynasty in the middle of the ring. Next, all three got up on opposite ring corners and did a splash on the three Hart Dynasty members at the same time. Lawler and Cole questioned who those people were but had no idea.

Winners: The Hart Dynasty wins via pinfall over William Regal & Vladimir Kozlov.

---

Josh Matthews was backstage with the final 4 WWE NXT competitors, Heath Slater, Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel and David Otunga. Matthews asked them each to choose who will be eliminated next. Gabriel said Heath Slater is a one-man bobblehead Heath Slater, who he can't picture in a big title match. Barrett said he agreed. Slater called Gabriel a "one-trick pony" and Barrett "a guy with a flower and a jacket". Slater said he thinks the one who should go is David "C-List" Otunga. Otunga spoke next saying Gabriel is a glorified gymnast, while Barrett is all about the money and he can buy his favor. Otunga said the guy who should go is "the one man hick band" Heath Slater. Slater and Otunga got into a verbal altercation saying they need to book a match right now. Matthews tried to get a word in, then finally sent it back to ringside.

Michael Cole said the pressure continues to build on NXT. Lawler brought up Cole's confrontation with Daniel Bryan. Cole said he's trying not to mention it, so Lawler said he'll mention it. They rolled the footage once again of Bryan's in-ring promo about WWE and how Cole has been dissing him. Bryan erupted and ended up attacking Cole at ringside. Back to Raw, and Cole said he's had a rough week after all that physical trauma, mental and emotional anguish. Cole said tomorrow night on NXT he will call Daniel Bryan out for a public apology. Cole said if Bryan doesn't he'll sue Bryan for everything he's worth.

Edge was preparing in the locker room backstage when Jericho came in. Jericho suggested that Cena's the weak link in the match tonight since he's hurt. Edge said so it's going to be a pin to see who pins Cena first. Edge told Jericho he better be quick, because he'll get to Cena first. Edge then said maybe he won't beat Cena, maybe he'll beat Jericho instead.

They cut to a shot of Cena carrying the belt on his shoulder walking backstage.

---

Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. John Cena
Triple Threat match

If Edge or Jericho get the win, they will qualify for the WWE Title Fatal 4-Way match at the PPV June 20th. Early on, Cena was able to clear the ring, first Edge and then using his leg strength to toss Jericho off the Walls of Jericho attempt. Cena clotheslined Jericho out and Raw went to commercial break.

Raw returned with the heels trying to work together to wear down Cena in the ring. Cena ducked a move from Jericho then clotheslined Edge down. Edge tried for a pinfall on Jericho but Jericho kicked out. Jericho was able to toss Edge up over the top rope then began to work on Cena one-on-one in the ring. Edge was out of the action for some time, and Cena gained momentum after tossing Jericho into the ringpost. Cena appeared to have some blood on his face. He still hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Jericho. He set up Attitude Adjustment on Jericho, but saw Edge get back in the ring. Cena dropped Jericho who looked like he landed bad on his leg. He fell to the mat clutching his knee. Edge was able to Spear Jericho in the corner, but Jericho rolled out of the ring.

From there, Cena slapped the STF on Edge. Edge was going crazy trying not to tap out, but Cena held it on. Jericho got back into the mix, came over and grabbed Cena. He started turning it into Walls of Jericho, with Edge still there. Edge crawled out, then went after Jericho. Jericho released Cena and put the Walls on Edge. Edge struggled again, and finally Cena hit a Bulldog on Jericho from behind. Edge fell out of the ring.

In the closing moments, Cena gained control against Jericho. Jericho and Cena had a roll through pin which ended up with Cena standing up with Jericho in his arms, then putting him into Attitude Adjustment. Edge rushed back in and speared Cena to bring everyone down. Edge climbed on Cena for the pin, but Jericho threw him off. Edge tried a small package on Jericho, but Jericho escaped. Cena got back into the fight and picked up Edge for Attitude Adjustment. Edge slid off and shoved him away into Jericho who hit the Codebreaker. From there, Edge had crouched down in the corner then charged forward to Spear down Jericho for the pin.

Winner: Edge wins via pinfall over Chris Jericho to qualify for the Fatal 4-Way WWE Title match.

Sheamus came out from backstage as Edge got out of the ring celebrating at the bottom of the ramp. Cena stood up and stared out at both Edge and Sheamus. Just then, Randy Orton's music came on and The Viper emerged from backstage. He came onto the ramp staring down at the others. Raw ended with everyone eyeing each other.

---

Raw Revelations: Raw is Trump's

Last night saw another one of those 3-hour Raw episodes, the Raw 3-for-All but was it necessary? It seems WWE loves putting on 3 hour shows to see what sorts of new "Did You Know?" facts they can air, such as "Raw had more viewers from 8-11PM then any other channel in the world". Maybe it was scheduled just to bring fans up to speed on who owns which titles since they all moved around so rapidly. In fact, the WWE Title and World Heavyweight title each changed about 3 times within the past several weeks. Much of last night's 3 hour show was spent showing replays of earlier events and last week's events, as well as a lengthy in-ring segment featuring Goldust, The Miz and Hornswoggle. That routine of course helped put Miz over again as another annoying heel on Raw, who rarely wrestles but has taken Chris Jericho's spot on the show.

Still we had some pretty exciting matches with all 3 major titles on the line last night, as well as the Intercontinental Title. Three titles were successfully defended while the WWE Title was on the line as it had been vacated last week due to the Legacy attack on Batista. Randy Orton, Triple H, John Cena and Big Show did battle in a Fatal Fourway. Show fell victim to the Pedigree, Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment on HHH, but Orton ended up winning it by hitting the RKO on Show. Again, Batista's title reign seems so inconsequential right about now, but perhaps its to set up a future program between a returning Batista and HHH. After all, Batista was asking them to get him his WWE Title belt as he was loaded into the ambulance.

The big surprise of the night was not Randy Orton winning the Fatal Fourway to become WWE Champion again, but instead the announcement of Raw being sold to a new owner. Mr. McMahon reluctantly got into the ring and introduced the new owner, Donald Trump! Trump appeared "via satellite" which of course was a previously taped bit, as you could see Vince tried several times to make it appear he and Trump were bantering. That move is interesting, probably set up to bring more attention to WWE yet again, but Trump is by no means a great actor or guy to be running wrestling. However if you start seeing real money raining down from the rafters on Raw, expect ticket sales and attendance to be instant sellouts.

Best match of the night was easily the World Heavyweight Triple Threat, with CM Punk stealing the win by yanking Jeff Hardy off a pinfall and throwing him into the steel steps before pinning Edge. Punk is definitely taking pages out of Edge's own opportunist book. The match though saw all sorts of original spots and maneuvers between the three men, including Punk leapfrogging Edge as Edge speared Jeff. Another spot saw Punk bulldog one guy as he clotheslined the other. Some great action and the Hardy-Punk fight at the Bash promises to be a good one too.

In case you were wondering, here's the order of elimination and who eliminated who in last night's 10 Man Battle Royal to determine #1 contender for Orton's WWE Title.

1st elimination - Matt Hardy by Big Show
2nd elimination - MVP by Big Show
3rd elimination - Big Show by Cena, HHH, Rhodes, Dibiase, Kofi & Regal
4th elimination - Kofi Kingston by Legacy
5th elimination - William Regal by Legacy
6th elimination - Ted Dibiase by Cena
7th elimination - Cody Rhodes by HHH
8th elimination - The Miz by Cena & HHH
9th elimination - John Cena by HHH
Winner: Triple H becomes #1 Contender for WWE Title

I was expecting Miz to somehow eliminate Cena and then HHH to easily dispatch of Miz to win it, but nonetheless Triple H took this one. It'll now be Orton defending against HHH next week on Raw in a Last Man Standing match, prior to the Bash, per GM Trump's orders. I'm not quite sure if we may get HHH and Cena again in a match, but they definitely teased it in the Fatal Fourway and 10 Man Battle Royal. With Batista on the shelf for months, there's not many other guys available besides those four for the WWE Title picture. But we now have at least three matches set up for "The Bash 2009", with Triple H going against Orton for the WWE Title, Jeff Hardy going against Punk for the World Heavyweight and Rhodes/Dibiase facing The Colons for the Unified Tag titles.

So now we await next week and the arrival of Donald Trump to the arena to run the show!

Raw Preview 06.15.09

Tonight's episode of Raw will be the special 3 hour "3-for-All" and is set to include WWE Superstars from each of the three brands. Smackdown, ECW and of course Raw wrestlers will all be involved in various matches throughout the night. In addition, each of the major titles, the WWE, ECW and World Heavyweight Titles will all be on the line in different matchups. Tommy Dreamer will attempt to make his first successful ECW title defense, as Christian has his rematch on Raw. In the past when these two have fought over the title, Jack Swagger has always shown up to spoil the match. Will Swagger become involved once again, or will these two competitors finally get a full match in the books?

As for the World Heavyweight Title, it will be CM Punk defending against Edge. Edge recently defeated Jeff Hardy on Smackdown, but only due to DQ after Punk got involved. Punk's intentions have been questionable since he won the title at Extreme Rules, by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase right after Jeff Hardy had just won the title in a tough ladder match. On the latest episode of Smackdown, Punk ended the show by laying out both Edge and Jeff Hardy. Will Punk be able to successfully defend his title against Edge on Raw? Or will the Ultimate Opportunist find another way to win?

As for Raw, last week saw several shocking incidents. In the opening segment, Batista came to the ring to celebrate his WWE title reign with the fans. Unfortunately, Randy Orton arrived and together with Legacy they ambushed the Animal. The 3 men overpowered him and began to repeatedly go after his left arm, until they finally snapped it. Batista was forced to leave the arena via ambulance, and later in the show was given a rematch against Batista. If the Animal failed to answer the ref's 10 count to get to the ring for the match, Orton would win the WWE title by forfeit. With Batista out of commission, it looked like Orton's plan of attack would indeed win his WWE title back. Unfortunately for Orton, Raw saw the surprise return of HHH who arrived to take out each member of Legacy 1-by-1. Since the WWE title was never contested, it is still vacated and now Raw will see a Fatal Fourway to decide it. HHH, Orton, John Cena & Big Show will do battle, with the winner becoming the new champ. Who will leave Raw as the brand new WWE Champion?

And last but not least, Raw saw the resignation of yet another Raw General Manager, as Vickie Guerrero gave her notice to the WWE Universe last week. How will Raw operate with nobody in charge? Will a new GM be introduced?

Catch Monday Night Raw at its special start time of 8PM EST on USA!

Fatal Fourway will decide WWE Title

As we saw on Raw just a few days ago, Batista suffered a heinous attack at the hands of Randy Orton and his Legacy gang. Rhodes, Dibiase and Orton were able to ambush Batista in the ring during the opening of Raw, where the Animal was discussing how great it felt to win the WWE Title and to shut up Orton. The attack involved all of Legacy ganging up on Batista and repeatedly stomping away on his arm followed by a painful-looking (yet still fake) snapping of Batista's arm. Truth be told, Batista had a torn biceps injury prior to Raw and it was even known news during Extreme Rules that Batista was scheduled to have surgery on this past Tuesday for the injury. It makes you wonder why the title was even moved for just a day to Batista.

On ECW it was announced that Batista had been stripped off the WWE Title and that it will be decided on the upcoming special 3-hour episode of Raw next Monday. The WWE Title match will be a Fatal Fourway between Big Show, John Cena, Randy Orton and Triple H. Definitely makes for a compelling matchup, but at the same time is the whole Orton-Triple H feud getting a bit stale? Was the Big Show-Cena feud extended due to the Batista situation?

Kevin Eck makes a good point in his recent Ring Posts blog entry, Looking at the WWE title situation when he says that beyond http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifCena, Show, Orton and HHH there's no guys who seem worthy of a heavyweight title push. Mr. Kennedy was primed for a big return and to be propelled into the title picture, but he's history. MVP seems like he needs something extra to get the fans behind his push. He definitely has the making of a top champion, but a good storyline may be necessary to really push him to the top. Having him interrupt Randy Orton when MVP debuted on Raw weeks ago, was a good start.

Again, the questions pops up, why even have Batista lose the title at Extreme Rules? A 1 day title reign from a cage match victory just doesn't seem like a smart move and it certainly doesn't make the WWE title any more prestigious. Many people feel the title will move back to Orton, but there also seems to be a Triple H-Batista and John Cena vs. Batista match coming soon...

Who do you think will own the WWE Title after this coming Monday's Raw? Leave your thoughts and comments below...

Smackdown Preview 05.01.09

Appearing on tonight's episode of Smackdown will be the brand new World Heavyweight Champion Edge. Edge just recently won the title in a Last Man Standing match against John Cena at Backlash. The Rated-R Superstar had help though, as the world's largest athlete, the Big Show, arrived out to the ramp, grabbed John Cena and smashed him into a huge spotlight nearby. Now that Edge once again has the title, what will the Rated-R Superstar have to say to the Smackdown roster and WWE Universe? Who will be the first superstar to step up and challenge Edge for his newly won gold?

Friday's Smackdown will also feature a Fatal Fourway between four wrestlers looking to score big. This match will determine the #1 Contender for Edge's World Heavyweight title at Judgment Day. The competitors will include 3 of Smackdown's recent drafted members: Kane, Rey Mysterio & Chris Jericho as well as former champion Jeff Hardy. Will one of the new draftees get the opportunity thanks to their recent move to Smackdown? Each man will be hungry to go out and gain the #1 Contender spot in this match at Madison Square Garden, but who will end up taking it?

There will also be championship gold on the line at MSG, as United States Champion, MVP, travels from Raw to put his title on the line against Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler's a newcomer to Smackdown, and just 2 weeks ago he managed to pick up a non-title win against Montell Vontavius Porter. His win came due to grabbing a handful of tights without the referee catching it. MVP was caught off guard, and Ziggler decided to come out and challenge MVP the following week for the gold. MVP just recently faced the new WWE Champ Randy Orton on Raw in a tough match, which saw the US champ booted out of the ring. Will MVP be ready to compete on Smackdown? Will Ziggler's move to Smackdown result in him winning his first championship?

Catch Smackdown tonight at 8PM EST on MyNetworkTV for all the action!

Raw Preview 12.29.08

Tonight's WWE Raw marks the final episode of 2008 before the WWE divas, superstars and fans ring in the New Year, 2009. The episode also marks the continuation of the "Race to the Rumble" in which four competitors will square off in a Fatal Fourway match. JBL, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho and Randy Orton will be amongst those competing for a chance to become #1 Contender for John Cena's World Heavyweight title. Last week saw JBL win thanks to Shawn Michael's interference in the match. Michaels yanked JBL out from the ring before Rey Mysterio could deliver a 619 on him. Outside the ring, HBK looked JBL in the eyes, then slapped him in the face. The referee quickly awarded JBL the win due to the interference. Now JBL and his (former?) employee will be a part of this four man match. How will these two operate during the Fatal Fourway? Will Rey Mysterio return to get revenge on Michaels?

The four competitors in tonight's Fourway are no strangers to title reigns or matches against John Cena. Both Randy Orton and Chris Jericho have held either the World Heavyweight or WWE titles during 2008. Both men have also faced John Cena during the past year, but only Orton has emerged victorious. On a final note, Jericho made his return to the WWE and immediately went after Orton, claiming he would "save US" from Randy Orton. The two engaged in a feud from there with Randy Orton able to successfully defend his WWE title. Jericho of course held the World Heavyweight title prior to Cena's return, twice. At Survivor Series John Cena was able to defeat Jericho in his return to the WWE. JBL and Jericho have also had their feud, as have Michaels and Jericho. Which of these four men will have what it takes to win the Fatal Fourway and go on to challenge Cena at the Rumble in 09?

Two other title holders on Raw look to continue their winning ways into 2009. Beth Phoenix, "The Glamazon", continues to dominate her fellow WWE divas on Raw. Beth's successfully defeated the likes of Mickie James, Candice Michelle and now looks to her latest challenger, Melina Perez. The two continue to move ahead on an eventual collision course. Will a match be scheduled for the Women's Championship at the Rumble? Raw's current reigning King, William Regal, holds the Intercontinental title as we head towards 2009. However, CM Punk won the Intercontinental Championship Chase to become the #1 Contender. Will Punk and Regal be set to square off soon? What sort of tricks will the reigning King of the Ring and his gal pal Layla have in store to gain an advantage on Punk?

Catch all the action of WWE's Monday Night Raw tonight at 9PM EST on USA!

Rumble Race & 100% Stratusfaction

This past Monday's Raw produced a set of 4 wrestlers who will know square off in a Fatal Fourway on next week's show. Two of the matches were won cleanly, with the other two having questionable results. Shawn Michaels pulled off a win against Kane using Sweet Chin Music, despite fans booing him throughout the match. Next up, JBL faced Rey Mysterio, with Shawn Michaels getting involved. Michaels looked like he was saving JBL, but then slapped him outside the ring. The ref called for a DQ due to Shawn's interference. An interesting call which gave JBL the win. With all the outside interference that is allowed in WWE matches, you've gotta question the consistency factor here. Nonetheless, next up Randy Orton won a match in which he didn't even fight. His Punt kick last week left Batista unable to compete, therefore causing a forfeit. That makes 2 out of 3 weeks now a Batista match has been changed after being advertised to fans ahead of the show. (previously it was the Batista vs. Triple H contest during the Slammys)

Canada's Finest definitely made the show in Toronto though. In the fourth and final Race to the Rumble match, CM Punk took on Chris Jericho. Jericho put on quite a show, probably the best performance of the night. His escape from Punk's GTS right before his head was about to hit Punk's knee was brilliant, followed by a reversal into the Walls of Jericho. Then came the icing on the cake as Punk tried to springboard at Jericho off the ropes. Jericho jumped up and delivered the Code Breaker on Punk in the air to win the match. Amazing move and performance by 2008 Superstar of the Year. The fans definitely were back him as well. With next week's Fatal Fourway we get Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton vs. JBL vs. Chris Jericho. Most likely, Randy Orton is going to take this Fourway match and go on to face Cena at the Rumble. I have a strong feeling we will get a Batista vs. Cena match for the title at Wrestlemania 24 now, if not a Triple Threat of some type. It's looking very likely that JBL and Michaels will somehow cancel each other out or cost someone the match. Jericho's faced Cena twice and now it appears to be Orton's turn in 2009.

There were just a few other matches included along with Raw's 4 main event matches for Race to the Rumble. Kofi Kingston pulled off a great surprise win against Manu, causing a rift within Team Priceless and Orton. Sima Snuka made his case with Orton to be included in the Team. In a divas tag match, it was Melina and Mickie James picking up the win over Jillian & Layla. However, it appears during the match Mickie James sustained a real injury to her knee/leg. No diva cries tears like that while acting, and Melina truly appeared to be telling Mickie things would be ok. Ironically, Melina suffered a similar injury after being pushed to the outside by Beth Phoenix and landing funny on her leg. Note to WWE: Maybe that move isn't the best idea for divas wearing high boots as the landing seems to produce bad results. Let's hope Mickie can return to action as soon as possible.

The biggest surprise moment of the night came during the main event. John Cena was left without a diva partner for his main event mixed tag match against Glamarella. His first choice, WWE Diva Kelly Kelly rushed out of the arena after discovering her hotel room had been ransacked and trashed. Cena came to the ring and informed Santino and Beth he found himself a new partner, thanks to Santa granting his wish. Surprisingly, Toronto's own, former WWE Diva Trish Stratus headed down to the ring ready for battle. Trish looked just as spectacular as always and still looked to be in good wrestling shape. The fans gave Trish quite the ovation, all while easily switching back to boos for the champ John Cena. In the end it was Stratus and Cena taking the victory after a FU was delivered on Santino. Afterwards, the fans continued to praise their hometown diva hero.

Raw made for a great show in Toronto, and unfortunately for the WWE Universe, Trish's appearance does not immediately signify the gorgeous diva's return to Raw. Nonetheless, Trish provided 100% Stratusfaction for the fans of the WWE Universe once again and we can only hope tonight's match got her itching for a return to action.

Full recap of 12.22.08 WWE Raw episode.