Raw Results 11/12/12

Raw Results from Columbus, OH:

The show opened with a video tribute narrated by John Cena for Vetern's Day.  A preview video is shown for the return of Jerry Lawler, Vickie's latest evidence, and Brad Maddox going against Ryback.  Randy Orton arrived out to the arena to start off the show.

Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler via pinfall.  Late in this one, Del Rio and Ricardo came down trying to interfere, distracting Orton momentarily.  Ziggler tried to attack from behind, only to get rolled up for the pinfall by Orton.  Post-match, Del Rio, Ziggler and Ricardo begin to beat up Orton.  Kofi Kingston rushes to the ring to intervene.  Teddy Long comes out saying Vickie is too obsessed with AJ Lee so he's booking Orton and Kofi vs. Ziggler and Del Rio, now.

Alberto Del Rio & Dolph Ziggler defeated Randy Orton & Kofi Kingston via pinfall.  Late in this match, Kofi hit the SOS on Del Rio for a near pinfall.  Ziggler broke things up but Orton came in to take him to the outside.  Ricardo distracted Kofi from the outside, allowing Del Rio to score a kick to the head for the pinfall win.

After a break, Vickie and Dolph were in the ring to talk about the AJ-Cena scandal and new evidence.  They call AJ to the ring who says she and Cena are just friends.  AJ says Vickie's mad she was given the Raw GM position on the 1000th Raw episode.  She mocks Vickie's weight and says she could beat her up again if she wanted.

Vickie introduced a set of voice mails with AJ saying whatever happened last night was a mistake.  Another says that she and Cena need to stop but whenever she sees him she loses control.  A final one has AJ saying Cena drives her crazy.  AJ is confused after hearing them and says Vickie hacked into Cena's phone and put those messages together herself.  Ziggler tells AJ to stop denying things they all know something happened.  Finally Cena arrives out and goes towards Ziggler in the ring.  AJ stands between them, then slaps Ziggler.  Cena punches Ziggler down.

Backstage, Cena is trying to comfort AJ saying they're making AJ's life difficult over something that never happened and never would.  AJ questions the "never would" comment, causing Cena to backtrack a bit.  Cena walks off nervous to leave AJ wondering what he means.

They showed a replay of what happened with Big Show attacking Sheamus and William Regal at a pub in England recently.


Big Show defeated William Regal via pinfall.  Show dominated most of the match, with Regal managing to avoid a big elbow drop at one point.  He fought back a bit until Show grabbed him for a winning chokeslam.  Post-match, Show was preparing for a KO punch on Regal.  Sheamus rushed to the ring to intervene, tackling Show down and eventually kicking him out of the ring.  Sheamus then helped Regal to his feet while Show headed backstage.

Kaitlyn defeated Layla by pinfall in a #1 Contenders Match.  In the match, Layla went for a crossbody off the top rope but Kaitlyn caught her.  Layla countered it, but then Kaitlyn hit an inverted-DDT for the win.  She'll now get a divas title shot at Survivor Series against Eve.

Jerry Lawler made his return to the ring where he got hugs from Cole and JR.  Lawler talked about all the support he had in making this comeback after his heart attack incident.  He thanks everyone from the bottom of his heart, saying it's great to back.  As he goes to join Cole and JR for commentary, CM Punk's music hit and out comes the champ.

Punk talks about how it's good Lawler left the ring or he would have beaten him to death.  He talks about Lawler becoming dead and then going back to life.  He calls him a zombie, and says nobody cares how long Lawler was.  Punk gives a number everyone cares about, 358 - the number of days he's been WWE champion.  He says in one week he'll surpass Diesel as 9th longest reign in WWE history.  Punk continues to mock Lawler, and Lawler says the only thing on life support is Punk's run as WWE champion.  Punk taunts Lawler and tries to get him into the ring, but Mick Foley's music hits.

Mick Foley says the fans will get to choose the final member of Team Foley for Survivor Series.  Foley yells at Punk for mocking what happened to Lawler.  Punk tells Foley this doesn't involve him and he doesn't belong out there.  Foley says some of it does since he'll be special enforcer for the Punk vs. Cena match later on.

Tyson Kidd, Justin Gabriel, Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio defeated Darren Young, Titus O'Neil, Primo and Epico via pinfall.  Rosa Mendes was at ringside for her team.  The finale saw Kidd and Young fighting in the ring.  Kidd tripped Young into the ropes so Rey could hit a 619, then Gabriel hit his 450 Splash on Young for the win.

Backstage, Brad Maddox was with his photographer.  Paul Heyman walks up and asks for the camera to be shut off, then walks away with Brad Maddox to talk.

They showed a new vignette for the mysterious new wrestler Fandango.

Backstage, Miz got into an argument with Ziggler about Survivor Series.  Mick Foley came up saying here will be a tag team match tonight.  Kane will team up with whoever wins the fan voting against Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes.  Miz asks to be put on the ballot, so Foley lets him.  He says the poll includes Santino, Zack Ryder, and now The Miz with Twitter hashtag voting to choose the winner.

R-Truth defeated Tensai via pinfall.  It was announced that Truth gets a US Title shot against Antonio Cesaro at Survivor Series.  Cesaro came out to do commentary for the match.  Truth had a near fall late in the match, then hit a scissors kick followed by his finisher to win it.  Post-match, Cesaro gets up to talk on the mic, but Truth takes it away and says he'll knock Cesaro's teeth out Sunday, "and that's the Truth."  Cesaro holds up his US title belt and exchanges words with Truth.


Ryback defeated Greg Maddox via pinfall. Maddox came to the ring without any theme song, wearing special ring gear.  Sirens are then heard as an ambulance backs up next to the ramp area.  Maddox is shocked to see it as he continues to the ring.  Ryback eventually came out and despite Maddox trying to get away several times, Ryback got his hands on him.  After slamming Maddox around, Ryback hit his huge clothesline and then Shell Shocked for the win.  Post-match, Maddox was loaded onto the stretcher but Ryback knocked it over and broke it apart.  He hit another clothesline on Maddox before carrying him near the ambulance and throwing him into the close doors on the back.  Ryback opened the doors and then tossed Maddox inside.

Sheamus defeated David Otunga via pinfall.  Late in the match, Sheamus hit White Noise and then the Brogue Kick for the win.  He gets on the mic to say he hopes Show's watching because this will happen to him at Survivor Series.  A backstage shot is shown of Big Show beating up Regal, so Sheamus rushes off to go find them.

Kane & The Miz defeated Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes via pinfall.  The Miz was announced as the final member of Team Foley.  Daniel Bryan was ringside to cheer on Kane and his partner.  Late in the match, Miz got doubleteamed by Rhodes and Sandow.  Sandow hit a leg sweep and big elbow drop to get a near fall on Miz.  The final moments saw Kane grab Cody Rhodes for the chokeslam.  Post-match, Bryan celebrated with the winning team but seemed jealous of Kane teaming with Miz instead of him.

John Cena defeated CM Punk in a non-title match.  Late in the match, Punk went for GTS but Cena countered and put him into STF.  Punk managed to get to the ropes to break it.  From there, he started trying to crawl up the ramp with Cena looking at him from the ring.  Ryback arrived out and Cena managed to bring Punk back into the ring. Punk tried for GTS but can't get it, so Cena hits AA for the win.

Post-match, Cena turns to find Ryback in the ring with him.  They stare one another down with Heyman checking on Punk outside.  Cena and Ryback both pick up the WWE title belt at the same time.  Punk gets up onto the apron to try to grab his title but Cena and Ryback glare at him, so Punk goes back to the floor.  Ryback and Cena are seen clutching the title at the same time as Punk looked on in dismay before Raw ended.

Raw Preview 11/12/12

Tonight's episode of Raw will bring plenty of big matches and new devolpments to the WWE Universe. For one, Brad Maddox, the referee who wanted to make a name for himself by screwing over Ryback at the WWE title match for Hell in a Cell, will be competing.  He'll be trying to win a $1 million WWE contract personally signed by Mr. McMahon.  However, he'll be up against tough odds as he'll be competing against none other than the guy he screwed over - Ryback!  Will Maddox be able to find a way to win the match and get a WWE contract, or will Ryback get revenge once again?

Also on tonight's show, there are several big developments to keep an eye on.  Vickie Guerrero has promised to reveal even more evidence to implicate AJ Lee and John Cena in the affair scandal.  Last week she revealed camera footage from the hotel that Cena and AJ were apparently staying at.  Cena said in their defense that it was footage from separate cameras and the two didn't go into one another's hotel rooms.  However, now Vickie has even more evidence to try to prove her case.  What's next from the supervising manager of Raw, and will Cena or AJ have proof against it?

With Survivor Series on the way, Team Ziggler has been formed as CM Punk has to defend his title at the PPV in a Triple Threat against John Cena and Ryback.  The opposing team, captained by Mick Foley, is still in need of a final member, now that Ryback has been assigned to the WWE title match.  Who will get this major spot?  Also, with Ryback and Cena teaming up last week, the two ended up face-to-face in the ring to end the show.  Will there be a showdown between these two on tonight's episode?

And finally, tonight marks a huge return for one WWE legend.  Jerry "The King" Lawler will make his return to WWE Raw for tonight's episode.  It all starts at 8PM EST on USA for the latest live episode of Monday Night Raw!

WWE Raw Results 09/24/12

Raw opened with CM Punk and Paul Heyman in the ring talking about the injustice of the decision last week by the ref missing Punk's foot on the ropes.  Punk and Heyman called the referee out and asked him to resign.  The ref said he made a mistake, but won't resign.  Heyman and Punk asked where he came from and he said when Raw went to 3 hours, AJ Lee called to ask him to be a ref.  Heyman called him a replacement ref.  Punk and Heyman kept berating the guy until AJ came out skipping down to and around the ring.

In the ring, AJ chastised them for berating a referee on her show.  She said he made a mistake but she won't be reversing the decision.  Punk insinuated that AJ set this up because Punk wouldn't marry her a while back and broke off their relationship.  He said he was the one who put the skip in her step and told her to tell everyone "I'm the best in the world."  Heyman pulled Punk aside and said he'd handle things.  He got down on one knee to propose to AJ, saying they'd be the ultimate power couple trumping Angelina and Brad, Bill and Hillary, and Stephanie and Triple H.  Heyman kept up his plea, and then AJ slapped him, before leaving the ring and storming up the ramp.

Backstage, another ref was talking to the guy from earlier who got yelled at by Heyman and Punk.  AJ showed up and the ref thanked AJ for standing up for him tonight.  AJ told the referee if that happens again, he will never work again.  She said she doesn't like cleaning up his messes.  She said she put him in the main event and he made her look like an idiot.  AJ started staring off into space as the guy apologized.  He walked off and AJ started to smile before tearing up a bit. 

Cole was on commentary with Jim Ross filling in for Lawler on commentary.  An "Excuse Me" came belting out from the mic as Vickie arrived to introduce Dolph Ziggler.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston by pinfall.  Cole and Ross said this one started over a Twitter war of words.  Truth accompanied Kofi to the ring, and then went over to the commentary area.  He put an extra chair over next to him for Lil Jimmy then poured a little water out on the chair.  Vickie came over and made faces at "Lil Jimmy" causing Truth to get up all upset.  Kofi and Ziggler got involved, with Truth throwing his water all over Vickie.  She went into a hissy fit, and then the ref told both her and Truth to go backstage.

Late in this one, Kofi went for Trouble in Paradise, but Ziggler countered.  Kofi tried for SOS, but Ziggler shoved him off.  Kofi went to the apron and hit a pendulum kick on Ziggler followed by a springboard move for a near fall.  Moments later, he had a crosbody off the second rope for another near fall.  Once both guys got up, Ziggler hit Kofi in the gut, then hit Zig Zag, but was slow for the cover, allowing Kofi to kick out.  Kofi followed from there with SOS and Ziggler managed to kick out of that.  The finish saw Ziggler throw Kofi into the corner causing him to hit the mat hard.  ZIggler followed up with Zig Zag to finally secure the pinfall.

Jim Ross talked about how Cena had elbow surgery in Alabama with Dr. James Andrews last week and how it was a bit worse than initially expected.  Ross said Cena will speak on his future plans tonight on Raw.

They showed highlights from Friday's Smackdown with the incidents involving Daniel Bryan and Kane interfering in each other's singles matches, causing each other to lose.  However, they won a tag team bout at the end of the night against Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes, then did some chair bashing on them and all the lumberjacks around the ring.

Cole and Ross talked about Dr. Shelby's radical new form of therapy.  They showed a clip from a diner earlier today in Albany.  Shelby said he set up a role playing exercise to try to help them get along better.  Kane came up walking up to their table in a waitress apron.  Bryan placed an order including a tag team partner who isn't a big red freak.  Kane talked about how earlier he got rid of the cook by dumping his head in the deep fat frier and then sprinkling his goat face beard all over the dish.  An older lady seated nearby started to get scared.  Dr. Shelby asked Kane if he was kidding.  Kane said "I don't know what you're talking about, my name is Gerald."

Cole said in Raw Active tonight, fans can pick the official tag team name for Daniel Bryan and Kane.

Cole announced that @CrissANgel is the official Social Media Ambassador for Raw tonight.

The Prime Time Players defeated Santino Marella & Zack Ryder via pinfall.  Santino got control of things late hitting his move set on Darren Young, including the diving headbutt.  However, at one point he missed a blind tag made by Titus to Young.  Santino prepared his Cobra punch, but Titus came up from behind him and grabbed his arm.  Titus shoved Santino to the ropes then hit Clash of the Titus for the win.

Mick Foley arrived out and started to talk about CM Punk and his recent alignment with Paul Heyman.  That brought out Punk to get in his face in the ring.  Foley talked about relevancy and being a legendary champion.  He told Punk he thinks he needs to prove he's that legend by going at it with Cena in Hell in a Cell next month.  Foley told Punk that AJ gave him permission to come out and extend the offer to Punk to have the match.  Foley told Punk Cena just had surgery but he'll be ready by Hell in a Cell, so Punk will need to decide later on tonight.

Ryback defeated The Miz via pinfall in a non-title match.  Ryback totally dominated The Miz in this one, with Miz unable to get any sustained offense.  At one point, Ryback was getting revved up and a random fan got into the ring.  Several refs tackled him down so security could get him.  Ryback finished things up on Miz with the Shellshock for the win.

Backstage, AJ was holding a meeting with four referees saying they're the backbone of the WWE.  She says occasionally mistakes are gonna happen, and put her arm around the ref who made the call in Punk's match last week.  She told them to go out there and give it their best.  Alberto Del Rio, David Otunga and Ricardo Rodriguez showed up.  AJ said she saw all three of them have been a victim of the Brogue Kick, so tonight they get a shot at redemption.  AJ said she booked a six man tag match with Sin Cara, Rey Mysterio and Sheamus vs all three of them.

Wade Barrett defeated Tyson Kidd by pinfall.  Barrett hit his huge clothesline finisher to get the big win.

After commercials, Michael Cole was in the ring to update everyone on Lawler's condition.  Cole said he spoke to the doctor earlier saying it's an absolute miracle that Lawler is progressing so rapidly after the trauma he went through.  Cole asked the fans to welcome Lawler live from his home in Memphis, TN.  Jerry was shown seated in a King's throne in his home live on satellite.  Barrett apologized for his raspy voice but thanked the WWE Universe for all their support through this tough time.  Lawler said the last thing he can remember is the first segment of Raw, when Bret Hart came out and got confronted by CM Punk.  Lawler said he knows he had a match with Orton against Punk and Ziggler but didn't remember any of that or anything after that.  

Lawler also said when he woke up in the hospital in Montreal he thought he and his girlfriend were still on a trip they had recently taken to Aruba.  Lawler said it seems like everyone he's ever encountered in his life has sent well wishes and prayers.  He said from the bottom of his heart it's meant a lot to him.  Cole asked when the King will march back down the stage to take his commentary position on Raw.  Lawler said he defies anyone to sit next to Cole for 3 hours and not have a heart attack.  He said as soon as his doctors give clearance he'll be back to the show.

Sheamus, Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara defeated Ricardo Rodriguez, Alberto Del Rio and David Otunga via pinfall.  Ricardo Rodriguez got involved at one point, coming in to take on Sin Cara.  Cara had the early advantage, but Del Rio delivered a cheap shot kick to Cara's back, allowing Ricardo to attack.  Ricardo kicked Cara in the gut then tagged in Del Rio for more damage to Sin Cara.  Ricardo got back in again with Del Rio instructing him to try to remove Cara's mask.  Cara kicked Ricardo in the head then did a head scissors to toss him across the ring.  Del Rio and Mysterio both tagged in with Rey taking control.  Del Rio gained the advantage though and used some rest holds to keep down Mysterio.

Mysterio eventually broke away to make a hot tag to Sheamus, as Del Rio tagged in Otunga.  Sheamus got control of things and went for a Brogue Kick, but Otunga tagged Ricardo and fled the ring.  Sheamus tossed Ricardo into the ring then eventually got him on the apron for the chest bashing move.  Del Rio got on the apron but Sheamus knocked him away.  Ricardo fell onto the middle rope so Rey got in to do the 619.  Cara got the finisher with his diving move from the corner for the win.  Cara's music played as the three winners celebrated.  Prime Time Players were shown backstage during this one watching it go down.  Post-match, Otunga was trying to recover in the corner with Cara and Rey pointing it out to Sheamus.  Otunga turned around and Sheamus ran to connect on a huge Brogue Kick.

They had another segment at the diner with Dr. Shelby counseling Kane and Daniel Bryan.  He had them each eat a bite of the other's meal.  Kane had to try some salad and Bryan had to have a meatball from Kane's pasta dish.  After they each took a bite, Shelby asked them to say how they feel.  Kane burped in Shelby's face.  Bryan said "it wasn't as bad as I thought."  Bryan started to look sick then, and Shelby started telling him to hold it, then said "No, No, No!" but it was too late as Bryan puked on Shelby's lap.  Kane watched and chuckled them raised his hand up and said "Check please."

Fans got to choose the official tag team name for Daniel Bryan and Kane: Team Teamwork, Team HellNo, Team Friendship.

Daniel Bryan and Kane came to the ring with their tag team championships.  Cole had the results of the tag team name Twitter poll revealed, and Team Hell No will be their official name.  Just then, Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes rushed into the ring and attacked Kane and Bryan from behind, each hitting their finishers on them.  As Sandow and Rhodes backed up the ramp, Rhodes got on the mic saying "Let's talk real tag team names," then revealed he and Sandow are the Rhodes Scholars.  Sandow said "Now you really have something to be angry about, You're Welcome!"  Cole and Ross talked about how the tag champs are sitting ducks right now.

They replayed the earlier incident involving AJ Lee getting proposed to by Paul Heyman.

Eve Torres and Beth Phoenix defeated Layla and Alicia Fox by pinfall.  Beth seemed to do most of the work but Eve came in to score the winning pinfall.  As they were celebrating in the ring, all of a sudden Kaitlyn's music hit.  She came walking out onto the stage with a crutch.  She said she saw the security footage from her attack at Night of Champions.  She told them that she couldn't see her attacker's face, but she saw her hair, and it was a blonde.  Eve looked shocked and started pointing to Beth, accusing her. Beth looked puzzled and started arguing with her.  Beth went over to the ropes to try to yell out to Kaitlyn she didn't do it.  As Beth turned back around, Eve kicked her in the gut, then hit a swinging neck breaker to leave her layer out on the mat.

John Cena was shown backstage talking to a member of the WWE staff.

Lord Tensai defeated Brodus Clay due to disqualification.  Tensai arrived without Sakamoto for the match.  Tensai got the early advantage after smashing Brodus in the corner.  Brodus came back to headbutt Tensai down and then splashed him in the corner.  He hit a modified suplex and then went for his big splash move, but Tensai rolled away.  Tensai went for his Senton splash but Brodus moved.  All of a sudden, Big Show's music hit and he came down to the ring.  Show got on the apron and then clocked Tensai with the KO punch, causing the ref to call for the bell.  Brodus started to get revved up as Show climbed into the ring.  Clay charged Show but got knocked out by the right hand punch as well.

They announced that Big Show and Randy Orton will square off in the ring on Friday's Smackdown.

John Cena came out in a right arm sling to a typical mix of cheers and boos.  Cena got in the ring and held the mic out to survey the crowd response before speaking.  Cena said as always there's mixed emotions about him being there tonight.  He said he wasn't supposed to be there, but with his future in question he wanted to come say "thank you" personally.  He removed his pink "Rise Above Cancer" hat and thanked everyone for the overwhelming support the WWE Universe has sent forth.  Cena said don't ever doubt the WWE Universe, a "very powerful group of people."  Cena also thanked everyone for their well wishes and support, even the guys over in the crowd booing him.

Cena cut a promo on his feelings about CM Punk, saying he did everything he could to keep it PG.  Cena said he also apologizes for the arm situation, he says they have fun every Monday night because of the fans.  Cena said he wanted to make a guarantee tonight that he will walk into Hell in a Cell as a fighter.  He continued to make his guarantee, but then was interrupted by CM Punk's theme music.  Punk came out with Heyman trailing him holding up the WWE championship belt on the stage.

Punk and Heyman got in the ring, with Punk applauding before he got on the mic.  He told Cena it was a beautiful speech.  Punk told Cena to be a politician instead of a wrestler, because he has character assassination down pat.  Punk said he doesn't buy into the crap Cena shovels, like the masses in Albany might.  Punk said he's not going to lose his reign to a one-armed man, so Cena got on the mic and told him to face him at Hell in a Cell and shut up.  Punk said there's a lot of reasons he won't face him at the PPV, but mostly because it's not fair to the others backstage that Cena always gets these title shots.

Punk told Cena to run while he can.  Punk said he's going to turn his back and give Cena the chance to run, but if he turns back around and sees him standing there, he's going to hurt him, real bad.  Punk said he will not have his integrity called into question and as the WWE champion he commands respect.  Heyman held up the championship belt for effect.  Punk told Cena "You Have tip 5," then glared at him before turning around.  While Punk started counting, Cena pulled a lead pipe out.  Pun hit 5 and then turned around to go at Cena.  As he rushed at him he saw the pipe and started to back away.  Cena hit him in the gut, causing Punk to hit the mat and eventually roll out of the ring to the ramp.  Cena got on the mic saying "Real men wear pink, I hope to see you at Hell in a Cell."

Cena went over and shook hands with Cole and Lawler, then greeted fans in the audience, giving one boy his pink hat.  

Backstage, Punk was holding his midsection and started walking past WWE staff.  He passed by Mick Foley who looked at him.  Punk paused after passing Foley, then went back over and interrupted Foley's conversation with a WWE staffer.  He kicked Foley in the leg, causing Foley to keel over and hit the ground.  Punk composed himself then started walking again.  He stopped then said, "From now on…" but as Punk turned he looked to be in shock.  The camera stayed on him for several moments, then revealed Ryback huffing and puffing staring down the WWE champion.  Raw ended after this backstage encounter.

Raw Preview 09/24/12

Several big stories will be brewing as Raw goes on the air Monday night.  The latest episode will certainly feature John Cena, as the #1 contender for the WWE title recently had elbow surgery.  He'll now be undergoing rehabilitation which will keep him out of action for as many as six weeks.  Cena is scheduled to be a part of the Monday Night Raw show.  What will he have to say regarding his recovery, CM Punk, and the WWE title match at Hell in a Cell PPV?

Speaking of CM Punk, last week's main event saw Punk fuming at the referee's decision.  The final spot saw Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment on Punk, who got a leg on the ropes before the 3 count was finished.  However, the referee didn't see Punk's leg and counted the pinfall, awarding the win to Cena and Sheamus.  CM Punk was livid at the referee's incompetence and demanded an instant replay be used.  The referee refused to overturn his decision and Punk followed him up the ramp and backstage, still complaining, as Paul Heyman tried to cool Punk down.  Will Punk have more to say about the referee's non call last week, or will he have other matters to worry about?

And finally, one other major guest is scheduled for Monday Night Raw.  After suffering a heart attack and collapsing on Raw several weeks ago, Jerry "The King" Lawler will be interviewed by his colleague Michael Cole.  Cole has been reporting how excited he is to get to talk to his friend and co-worker.  What will the latest news be regarding Jerry's condition, and will he give any estimates for returning back to the commentary position?

Catch Monday Night Raw starting at 8PM EST on USA!

Raw Preview 09/17/12

Now that the Night of Champions PPV results have been decided, the WWE Champion is likely to continue gloating about his impressive reign.  CM Punk managed to outlast John Cena in a match involving multiple near falls, as well as what looked like Cena getting the big win in his hometown.  However, it was decided that the match ended in a double pinfall, or draw, meaning CM Punk retained his championship in the main event.  Most likely, fans will see Punk, along with his new rep, Paul Heyman, bragging about the win, even though he didn't officially get the pinfall to win it.  What will John Cena have to say regarding the decision on Monday night?

Also at the PPV, Kane and Daniel Bryan were able to put their differences aside (sort of) and become the new tag team champions.  The duo had been going through anger management therapy for weeks and found themselves #1 contenders on Sunday night for the tag titles.  In the match, they got into a bit of a shoving match between themselves, but eventually hugged it out.  Not only that, but a shove by Bryan of Kane from the top corner, resulted in a pinfall on Kofi Kingston for the big win.  However, as NOC proceded it was questionable if they really were on the same page and getting along.  What's in store next for Kane, Daniel Bryan, and Dr. Shelby?

Finally, the incident last week that really shook up the WWE Universe was when Jerry "The King" Lawler collapsed during the live episode of Raw.  It was later learned that he had suffered a heart attack and required 15 minutes of CPR to save his life.  Now that Jerry appears to be on the road to recovery, his commentary will be missed.  However, it appears that JBL may become his temporary replacement.  Will JBL resume commentary after joining Michael Cole at Night of Champions, or will someone else fill in for "The King?"

Watch Raw Monday night starting at 8PM EST on USA!

Jerry Lawler Update Given in Michael Cole Interview Video

On Wednesday, Michael Cole appeared on the "Fox & Friends" TV show to discuss the Jerry Lawler collapse and heart attack incident on Monday Night Raw.  Cole revealed how quickly the various staff reacted to the incident, including his own quick reactions to mute his headset and call for help once Lawler had passed out.

Cole also made some other interesting notes during his interview, including the fact that at one point he heard Lawler snoring and thought it was an "angle" for the show.  He also was asked about the fact that Lawler had wrestled earlier in the show and if "The King" is too old to be doing that.  Cole noted that Lawler wrestlers 100 to 150 times a year for various promotions, and has passed all the various physical tests required to do so.  He said he loves what he does and has done it 42 years now.

The other good news is that Lawler is currently in stable condition and had a breathing tube removed.  Cole said millions and millions of fans worldwide have been showing an outpouring of concern and support towards Lawler as he looks towards his road to recovery from this scare.

Watch the full video here at YouTube.

Update: Jerry Lawler Collapses During Raw

During the Monday, September 10th, 2012 episode of Raw in Montreal, Jerry "The King" Lawler collapsed at his ringside commentary position.  It was revealed later on in the show when Michael Cole was shown on camera by himself and told WWE fans it was not part of the evening's entertainment.

Cole seemed to be choked up as he made the announcements.  At one point, Cole noted that Lawler was receiving CPR backstage and was being revived.  Later on, Cole said there would be no further commentary on the show, out of respect for his colleague.

TMZ reported on the incident, in addition to WWE's website and multiple other wrestling sites.  Lawler, age 62, was breathing on his own after the incident, and at last indication, was being prepared for a CT-scan at the hospital.  As Raw ended, the news sounded encouraging, with Michael Cole asking his broadcast partner to keep on fighting.

More information available here at WWE.com.

Raw Results 09/03/12

Raw Results from Chicago, IL:


When Raw opened Cole showed footage of how Jerry Lawler never made it out for his entrance on commentary before the show.  They showed backstage footage of CM Punk attacking Lawler, with numerous referees restraining him.  Lawler got up and tried to go at Punk who delivered a big boot kick to the face and then another while he was down, before refs backed him away.

The World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus arrived out to the ring to start the show and said the party never ends in Chicago, but it will end for one Alberto Del Rio.  CM Punk's music hit and he came out to interrupt Sheamus.  Punk told Sheamus not to try to talk to his hometown because they can't relate to him, they can relate to a guy like Punk who's from there.  Punk said the cameras didn't show backstage that Lawler tried to attack him from behind.  Punk said Lawler got what he deserved Chicago style.  Punk talked about teaching Lawler a lesson in respect in the cage last week until a white knight named "John Cena" intervened.  The Chicago crowd was clearly behind Punk tonight as he asked them if he turned his back on them and they chanted "No, No, No!"

Sheamus talked about Punk interrupting him which was just what Punk complained about Rock doing to him.  Sheamus said the difference was Rock had the guts to get in the ring.  Punk said he already layed out one goon tonight so Sheamus shouldn't push it.  AJ came out to interrupt and then announced she came up with some great matches.  One would have the challengers for the NOC title matches against each other: Cena vs. Del Rio.  The other would put Punk vs Sheamus in a champion vs. champion match.  AJ skipped down to the ring and around it, then back up the ramp and backstage.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Randy Orton by pinfall.  In the match, Orton had control and hit his DDT from the middle ropes.  He prepared for the RKO, but Ziggler managed to block it.  Orton rolled him up for a pinfall, with Ziggler reversing it into his own pinfall.  Ziggler secured Orton's tights to make sure he got the pin.  Post-match, As Ziggler and Vickie were heading backstage, WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz comes down to ringside to join Michael Cole on commentary.

They had a new anger management skit with Daniel Bryan and Kane having to show their anger collages off.  Bryan's was a sheet of paper with YES! and NO! written all over it.  He told the group he can't take the chants anymore.  Kane showed his paper and it was blank.  The doctor asked if that's how Kane feels inside.  Kane asked if they want to see how he feels.  He crushed up his paper and threw it in a trash can, then made the can explode with fire.  The teacher said they'd move on to talking about their families next.

Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara defeated Cody Rhodes & Tensai via pinfall.  Late in this one, Rey hit 619 on Tensai with Cara following up with a missile dropkick.  Later, Cody lays out Mysterio from behind for a near fall.  Rey eventually hits a 619 on Cody which he hits, before tagging in Sin Cara to hit his leaping move off the top for the pin on Cody.

They showed another anger management segment where Daniel Bryan had to fall backwards and trust Kane to catch him.  Bryan was hesitant but then went for it.  Kane actually caught him.  The instructor asks them next to work together and catch Harold.  Bryan and Kane both let Harold fall and hit the ground.  Bryan tells Kane he trusts him and thinks he finally understands him.

CM Punk vs. Sheamus ends with a no decision as Punk decided to leave before the match.  Punk came to the ring and said since it's Labor Day a lot of people in Chicago probably took the day off, so they'll respect his decision to do the same.  He turns and walks out of the ring, then holds the title belt up at the bottom of the ramp.  Punk walks up the ramp and backstage.  Sheamus gets on the mic upset saying Punk just disrespected all the fans who wanted to see this matchup.

Backstage, Punk is walking with a smug look on his face as he gets to his ride.  AJ Lee comes rushing up saying he can't leave he has a match right now.  Punk says he's taking one of the personal days in his contract, then goes and gets in the car which takes off.  Matt Striker rushes up to interview AJ about what's going on with Raw and she asks who he is several times.  She tells him to go tell Sheams to stay in the ring and she'll find him an opponent.

Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger by pinfall.  Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez came to the ring for commentary.  During the match, Swagger had a late comeback after hitting his Swagger Bomb, but only get a 2 count.  As they continued fighting, Sheamus eventually gets the upper hand and puts on the Texas Cloverleaf to make Swagger tap out.

Post-match, Ricardo distracts Sheamus from the apron.  Del Rio attacks Sheamus from behind, but Sheamus manages to fight back.  Ricardo gets in the ring as Sheamus hits White Noise on Del Rio.  Sheamus sets up for a Brogue Kick, but Ricardo rushes over to push Del Rio out of the way, taking the hard kick himself.  Trainers came in the ring to check out Ricardo as Sheamus goes backstage.

Eve defeated Kaitlyn by pinfall.  Layla came to do commentary and ended up bickering with Miz during it.  He called her a 2 compared to Eve being a 10.  In the match, at one point Kaitlyn got kicked or hit in her midsection causing the ref to have to pause things to check on her.  Eve faked being concerned then as soon as Kaitlyn stood up she kicked her again, and hit a finisher for the win.  Post match, she pretended to check on Kaitlyn, and then got out of the ring.  Eve went over and smiled at Layla, extended a handshake. Layla shook her hand but gave Eve a stare.

Backstage, Jack Swagger is disgruntled as AJ catches up to him saying he can't leave.  He tells her he's better than this several times.  He says Brock Lesnar left, Chris Jericho left and CM Punk left.  He says he's sorry, then walks off.

Another anger management session was shown.  This time Bryan said he thinks he is past his anger issues.  He tells Kane he will give him a rematch from SummerSlam any time he wants.  Kane thanks him saying one day he'll be happy to accept and do his best not to "eviscerate" Bryan.  Bryan gets irked by the comment saying how does he know he wouldn't tap out.  The two get in each others' face, and Harold intervenes.  They both turn and say "Shut up Harold!" causing him to leave the room.  Kane grabs Bryan by the throat.  The doctor/teacher finally loses it screaming at them both before leaving the room.  Bryan and Kane seem stunned by it.

Back on Raw, Cole says AJ Lee is letting fans vote on Kane and Bryan's match on Twitter.  It can be a singles match by using #WWEmatch hashtag, a tag match by using #WWEtag, or a hug it out, by using #WWEhug.

Backstage, Matt Striker knocks on the trainer's room door.  Out comes Alberto Del Rio and Striker asks for an update about Ricardo's condition.  Del Rio looks distraught.  David Otunga pops out from the room and says on behalf of his client, there's no comment at the time.  They go back into the trainer's room leaving Striker outside.

Ryback defeated Jinder Mahal by pinfall.  Late in the match, Ryback started a comeback hitting a huge slam and then a Powerbomb.  The fans started up a "Feed Me More" chant for him and he smashes Mahal down with a clothesline.  Ryback followed with his finisher the Shellshocked for the big win, then did another "Feed Me More" chant with the crowd for a bit.

Matt Striker knocked on the trainer's room backstage to try to find out about  Ricardo's condition.  AJ Lee came out, and Striker asked her about all the turmoil going on tonight with Raw.  She told him whoever he was to go tell Cena and Del Rio they will fight in a Falls Count Anywhere match.

Daniel Bryan and Kane arrived to the ring for their match.  Cole got on the mic to announce the results of the Twitter poll: 55% voted in favor of #wwehug compared to 27% and 18%.  The fans started chanting "hug it out" with Daniel Bryan hesitant.  They backed away from each other several times.  Bryan kept yelling "NO" with the fans yelling "YES" back at him.  They did a chest bump which got the fans booing.  The referee instructed them on how to "hug it out."  Bryan finally went up and hugged Kane, but Kane didn't hug back causing Bryan to yell at him "you didn't hug me."  Kane hugged this time, but Bryan didn't hug back.  Finally they hugged each other at the same time and the crowd cheered the moment.  Cole said "Dr. Shelby is a genius, he should be nominated for the peace prize."  

They shook hands after the hug then Bryan slapped Kane on the arm.  Kane slapped his arm, then started hitting each other back and forth.  It ended up in a fight as the two started shoving back and forth, then the two fought on the outside.  Kane grabbed a steel chair and smashed Bryan in the gut, then threw the chair in the ring.  From there, Kane chokeslammed Bryan in the ring, then put the chair around his neck.  He got up on the corner preparing for a move, but 3 refs charged the ring and got in his way.  Bryan got up and smashed the chair against Kane, then took off up the ramp.

Santino Marella was shown walking backstage on his way out for a match.

Antonio Cesaro defeated Santino Marella via pinfall to retain the United States Championship.  Santino kept trying to go for the Cobra but found he was drawn towards Aksana.  Cesaro managed to kick him at one point, causing the Cobra sock to fall down on the mat.  Cesaro eventually finished him off with his finisher an undertook slam style move.

Alberto Del Rio defeated John Cena by pinfall in a Falls Count Anywhere Match.  The match got brutal as it eventually headed onto the ramp and up towards the stage.  At one point, Cena picked up a huge speaker but Del Rio clipped his hamstring so Cena dropped it near Del Rio's Ferrari.  They kept fighting backstage, including the two crashing through the staging area where Punk attacked Lawler earlier.  Things eventually went into the interview area where they brok the set.  Del Rio tried to put Cena in the Cross Armbreaker, but Cena countered and got Del Rio up on his shoulders.  He hit the AA on some nearby crates.  However, out of nowhere, Punk appeared and delivered a roundhouse kick to the back of Cena's head, knocking him down to the floor.  Punk surveyed the damage, then went over and pulled Del Rio off the crates and put him on Cena for the winning pin.    After the win, Punk picked up Cena on his shoulders and then dropped him face first on the hood of a nearby car.  He crouched down and said "Respect" right in Cena's face.  Punk then went over and got into the passenger's side of the car and held up his title belt from the door area.  The car started to drive slowly with Cena on the ground below, and Paul Heyman popped his head out of the driver's side, looking down at Cena as Raw ended.

Raw Preview 09/03/12

Last week's episode of Raw took a turn for the worst when CM Punk and Jerry Lawler faced off in a steel cage match.  The main event saw Punk become bloodied up, and eventually defeat Jerry Lawler.  From there, Punk locked himself inside the cage with Lawler to further torment him, demanding the King call him "best in the world."  Lawler refused and Punk kept up his attack, with John Cena having to rush to ringside to get the cage raised up so he could chase off Punk.  Nonetheless, Punk sent his message loud and clear that he will beat opponents senseless if they don't show him respect.  What will John Cena have to say to CM Punk on tonight's episode of Raw, as they are weeks away from a Night of Champions title match?

Last week also saw an emotional speech from Triple H regarding his in-ring wrestling career.  The Game said Brock Lesnar actually made him question if this was the end of the line for his career.  A teary-eyed HHH thanked the WWE Universe and said he had hoped he gave them some memorable moments.  With that, some believe Hunter may have seen his final days inside a wrestling ring.  However, The Game has yet to make any sort of official announcement.  Will that come during tonight's 3-hour show?

And finally, there are several other stories developing as Raw takes place on Monday, which center around Raw General Manager AJ Lee.  In one situation, she has been under fire from critics for how she handled Vickie Guerrero in the ring.  Vickie has asked the WWE Board to do something about AJ attacking her, or she will.  Also, AJ recently sent Daniel Bryan to anger management group therapy, which Kane also showed up for.  However, it appears Kane has not been able to benefit from it, as he attacked David Otunga and then Josh Matthews for a second time on Friday's Smackdown.  Will any of these situations be resolved on Monday night?

Check out Monday Night Raw at 8PM EST on USA!

Raw Results 08/27/12

Raw Results from Milwaukee, WI:

The show opened with a video package recapping what went down at the end of Raw last week.  Punk demanded an apology from Jerry Lawler, was interrupted by Cena who told him why to choose him as #1 contender for the WWE Title.  After Cena left the ring, Punk got an apology from Lawler, but when the King wouldn't call him "best in the world," Punk kicked him in the head.

Cole welcomed fans to the show and then started to read Lawler's tweet after Raw went off the air last week, saying Punk shouldn't have to kick someone in the back of the head if he's "best in the world."  Lawler put down his headset and got into the ring to talk about it.  Lawler said last week he apologized to CM Punk, so this week he wants one for Punk kicking him in the head.

Punk came out and told Lawler he turned his back on the WWE Universe by slandering the WWE champion.  Punk said it was due to King pushing past him to leave the ring that he kicked him.  Punk apologized, but said he was sorry for how easy it is to get in the WWE Hall of Fame by beating nobodies from Memphis, and that when King had his big Wrestlemania moment he couldn't beat Michael Cole.  Punk called Lawler the WWE's "circus seal" ready to bark back any opinion fed into his ear.  Punk said he was sorry about the man Lawler's become.  He backed up then got back on the mic asking "do you want to fight me Jerry Lawler?"

Lawler said he came out for an apology, not a fight.  Punk said he could see it in Lawler's face though and asked what would happen in the ring.  Punk asked Lawler if he wants to find out who the best is.  He challenged Lawler to a fight saying he'll leave the arena embarrassed one way or another tonight, either because he lost bad to Punk, or because he wouldn't accept his challenge.  Punk dropped the mic and left the ring walking up the ramp yelling "Respect!"  Lawler stopped him and yelled "Hey Punk, I'll think about it."

Ryback defeated Jack Swagger by pinfall.  Late in this one, Swagger went for his Vader Bomb from the corner but Ryback put both boots up.  Swagger tried for his Ankle lock, but Ryback kicked him away, then regained control of the match.  A "Feed Me More" chant started up as he prepared for a huge clothesline and took down Swagger.  He followed with his move loading Swagger onto his shoulders and then dropping back for the big slam to get the win.  Post-match, Swagger recovered near the crowd barrier as Ryback marched up the ramp.

Cole announced that tonight the WWE Universe will find out if it's "Game Over."  He also hyped up Cena vs. The Miz for later on, and asked Lawler if he's going to face Punk tonight.  Lawler said he'd think about it.

Layla defeated Natalya by pinball in a non-title match.  Vickie Guerrero came out to the ring saying to hurry up the match because she has a special announcement to make.  She stood up on the steel steps with her hands on her hips waiting for the match to finish.  Natalya tried for a Sharpshooter, but Layla kicked her away.  However, Nat came right back and kicked the champ in her gut.  She went for a Suplex, but Layla dropped out of it on her feet, then hit a roundhouse kick for the pinball win.

Post-match, as Layla was celebrating, Vickie got in the ring and told her she was done now, so she should leave the ring.  Layla circled her and stared at Vickie, then left the ring.  Vickie talked about AJ's match last week she made with Jericho vs. Ziggler and the stipulations of either Jericho getting his contract terminated, or Dolph losing his MITB contract.  Vickie said that was an abuse of power by the GM, and nobody on the WWE roster has the guts to speak up against AJ.  Vickie pleaded with the WWE Board to put an adult back in charge instead of a mentally-deranged child.

AJ came skipping out to the ring to respond.  The crowd started up a "Yes" chant.  AJ took the mic from Vickie, but instead of speaking, she slapped Vickie in the face then pounced on her to start fighting.  They rolled around a bit on the mat, before Vickie crawled out and left, running up the ramp.  AJ had a crazed look on her face, but smiled about it, then stood up to compose herself.

They introduced a video package of the various antics involving Triple H and D-Generation X over the years, as a tribute to The Game possibly hanging up his wrestling boots tonight.

When Raw returned, Cole said Daniel Bryan has been ordered by AJ Lee to attend anger management classes.  They showed a video from last week, with a doctor starting the session.  Bryan raised his hand saying he isn't one of these losers like the rest of the group who needs help, he said he's perfectly in control.  The guy leading the session said they were waiting for one more participant, then moments later a kid walked in with a goat mask on.  Bryan started yelling "No No No" at him and then asked if the doctor arranged this stunt.  The doctor came over and said it was his son, who is playing a goat in the school play for Noah's Ark.  He told his son it was ok because this man needs help.  Bryan went over and sat back down.  The guy next to him, patted him on the head with Bryan telling him "don't touch me Harold."

Dominic Monaghan was announced by Cole as the social media ambassador tonight. Cole brought a tweet to Lawler's attention that CM Punk made during the show about "respect."  Cole asked Lawler if he's going to fight once again, with Lawler standing up and getting up on the commentators tablet with a mic.  He talked about the guys he beat in Memphis before including Superstar Billy Graham and Jesse "The Body" Ventura.  He said he is in the WWE Hall of Fame, and that means he stands up when the time is right to do so.  He told Punk he accepts his challenge for a fight, then got off the table and walked up the ramp to get ready.

John Cena defeated The Miz by pinfall in a non-title match.  At the start, Cole was alone on commentary for the match due to Lawler leaving to get ready for the match.  After a commercial break which had Cena in control, Josh Matthews joined Cole on commentary.  Late in the match, Miz was in control and had multiple moves where he ran against the ropes and booted Cena down on the mat.  He had several failed pins.  On the third kick attempt, Cena tripped Miz down and put the STF on.  Miz managed to get to the ropes to break it.  He went for Skullcrushing Finale moments later, with Cena slipping out and trying for his own move.  Miz escaped it and DDT'd Cena for another near fall.  Moments later, Miz missed on a corner move, allowing Cena to go through his move set including the Five Knuckle Shuffle.  He followed up with the Attitude Adjustment for the big win.

Cole said Raw GM AJ Lee is allowing the WWE Universe to vote on what sort of match Lawler vs. Punk will be, Tables Match, Steel Cage Match, or No Disqualification match.  Fans could go on Twitter using various hashtags to register their votes for which match they want to see.

They had another segment from Daniel Bryan in anger management group.  He complained to the guy next to him who was saying his boss makes him mad.  Bryan brought up how his boss is his former girlfriend/fiance and he defeated a demonic red monster in the ring but still had to come to this group.  The doctor interrupted saying their last guest has just arrived.  The door opened and in walked Kane wearing his welding mask.  He took a seat next to Bryan who yelled "NO" as the other group members moved their chairs away in fear.  Bryan said "you see what I have to deal with?"

Santino Marella defeated Heath Slater via pinfall. Slater gained control of the match, but the fans started up "Bor-ing" chants midway through.  Slater got lured in by Santino playing possum on the mat, and as he went over to attack, Santino tried for a quick pin attempt.  He came back to life and eventually hit his diving headbutt move.  Santino pulled out his Cobra sock for the finisher, but Aksana's music hit and she came out onto the stage.  Santino got pulled towards the ropes as the Cobra was drawn towards Aksana.  Slater tried for the win, but as Santino turned around he hit the Cobra punch on him for the win.  Post-match, the Cobra kept pulling Santino towards Aksana, and he ran up the ramp like he had no choice.


Sin Cara & Brodus Clay defeted Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes via pinfall.

R-Truth defeated Daniel Bryan due to countout.  A "Goat Face" chant broke out before the match got started, but then R-Truth led the fans in a "Yes! YES!" chant which distracted Bryan.  Bryan went to the outside to yell "No, No, No!" at fans and eventually got counted out.

Triple H arrived out to the ring saying his loss to Lesnar has made him question, "Am I Done?"  Hunter said he's not sure if he'll compete again and said "time is one thing you can't fight, time will win."  HHH said he's never wanted to be the guy who hung around past his prime and said he hopes the fans will never forget him.

Randy Orton & Sheamus defeated Sheamus & Dolph Ziggler by pinfall.  Late in the match, Sheamus hit the Irish Curse backbreaker and had the pinfall, but Del Rio rushed in to break it up.  The action broke down with everyone in the ring and the ref distracted as Ziggler prepared to take out Sheamus with the MITB case.  Orton intervened and hit a backbreaker on Ziggler, setting him up for Sheamus to score a Brogue Kick and the pin.

Backstage, Jerry Lawler was telling someone off camera he understands he's always had his respect and he has his.  Lawler told Cena he doesn't need his help tonight with CM Punk.  He said he's not fighting Punk for Cena, but for himself.  Cena wished hm good luck and walked off.

Kane came down to the ringside area and walked over to the commentary table.  Josh Matthews got up and dropped his headset, then walked through the crowd to get away.  Kane sat down and took his place, with Cole standing up and backing away from the table, but still commentating and trying to talk to Kane.  Kane stayed silent though.

Zack Ryder defeated David Otunga by pinfall.  Ryder ducked a clothesline late and came back to hit the Rough Ryder for the win.  After getting the victory, Ryder was slow to get up and celebrate.  Kane got up and into the ring then went after Ryder.  Instead of chokeslamming him, he went and grabbed Otunga to hit the chokeslam.  Ryder backed up the ramp holding his throat.  Cole said maybe Kane is making some progress with anger management.

Josh Matthews was in the ring and revealed that the Lawler vs Punk match was overwhelmingly voted on Twitter to be a steel cage match.  AJ came out to the ramp and said CM Punk will defend his WWE title at Night of Champions against her choice - John Cena.  They showed the camera shot of the steel cage before a backstage shot of Lawler on his way out to the ring.

CM Punk defeated Jerry Lawler by submission in a steel cage match.  Late in the match, Lawler gained momentum and started hitted big punches and other moves, eventually drawing blood from Punk.  Punk continued to bleed profusely.  In the late stages he locked the Anaconda Vice on Lawler, forcing him to tap out.

Post-match, Punk locked up the cage door with himself inside with Lawler.  He kept beating up Lawler and demanding he say on the mic that he's best in the world.  Lawler refused so Punk kept attacking.  Cena rushed down to the ring and yelled at Punk that he crossed the line.  They finally raised the cage up and Cena slid into the ring to chase Punk off.  Raw ended with Cena and medical personnel looking at Lawler on the mat.

Raw Preview 08/27/12

Tonight's episode of Raw comes just a week after CM Punk committed yet another heinous act which shocked the WWE Universe.  During the final segment of Raw on August 20th, Punk had called Jerry Lawler into the ring for an apology over saying he turned his back on the WWE Universe.  Lawler gave the apology and went to leave the ring, but Punk stopped him for one more thing.  Punk demanded that Lawler announce to everyone that Punk is the "best in the world."  Lawler refused and as he tried to leave the ring, got kicked in the back of the head by the WWE champion.  This has led to speculation that the two might meet in the ring on tonight's episode of Raw.  Will a match be set up between Jerry Lawler and CM Punk on tonight's show?

Speaking of Punk, the current champion was set to decide who he will choose as his #1 contender at Night of Champions 2012.  On Raw, John Cena came to the ring, suggesting that Punk needs to consider the PPV's location - Boston, MA, since it's Cena's hometown.  Cena let Punk know that it could be a career-defining moment if Punk defends the title successfully against him in Boston.  Punk had tried to make Cena call him "Best in the World," but the former WWE champion refused, saying he has to believe that about himself, or else "there's the door."  With that in mind, a #1 contender still needs to be decided.  Will Punk make his decision or announcement on tonight's show?

And finally, several other interesting situations developed on last week's Raw.  In one scenario, Daniel Bryan once again enraged the Big Red Monster Kane, by slapping him.  Kane attempted to track Bryan down backstage, but had no luck.  Instead, he tossed interviewer and commentator Josh Matthews across the hallway, leading to Matthews' being taken off the air.  In another situation, Dolph Ziggler won a huge match over Chris Jericho, causing Y2J to have to leave the WWE.  Not to mention, Brodus Clay and Damien Sandow may still have unfinished business, and the Big Show seems to be becoming an angrier giant by the moment.  What's in store next for these superstars and the rest of the WWE roster on tonight's episode of Raw?

Catch all the action when Raw goes live at 8PM EST on USA!

Raw Results 08/20/12

Raw Results from Fresno, CA:

The show opened with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman arriving to the ring to talk about last night's big win over Triple H.  Heyman talks about how Triple H is strong, but Lesnar stopped him.  He said Lesnar forced HHH to quit on his family, fans and everyone else.  He said Brock stripped him of his dignitiy and manhood.  Heyman said nobody should feel sorry for Triple H, then calls out last night's referee, Scott Armstrong.

Lesnar backs Armstrong into a corner while Heyman talks about how Triple H got Scott to bend rules for the match last night.  Heyman says Lesnar has two words for him.  Brock pats Armstrong on the head and shoulder and says "good job."  Heyman says Lesnar is the "King of Kings," "Master of the Brock-tagon," and "Conqueror of the WWE Universe."  He says they are all know loyal subjects to Brock, Master of the WWE Universe.  The duo leaves the ring.

Sin Cara, R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes & Prime Time Players by pinfall.  Late in the match, Cody and Cara both tagged in.  Cara hits several of his moves including a big kick from the apron and a crossboy for a near fall.  Everyone gets in the ring to brawl, with Kofi and Truth clearing out Titus and Young.  Kofi gets thrown to the outside.  Cody tries to pull of Sin Cara's mask, but gets rolled up by him for the pin.

They had GM AJ Lee backstage with Matt Striker, when David Otunga showed up.  He said he's back on RAW now and suggested she might need his legal counsel as the GM.  AJ tells him he can use his services in the ring tonight, against an opponent of her choice.  Otunga leaves, and Striker asks AJ about Punk picking his own #1 contender for the WWE title.  AJ says it's fine with her, as long as she approves of it.  She skips off.

Ryback won due to disqualification over Mike Spinner and Andy.  During the match, Jinder Mahal ran into the ring to attack, causing the DQ.  Post-match, Mahal kept the attack up, but Ryback fought out of his Camel Clutch.  Mahal ran up the ramp, and Ryback took out his frustration by slamming both of the amateur wrestlers in the ring.

Chris Jericho was backstage, and Dolph Ziggler congratulated him on his SummerSlam win, then said he wants a rematch, tonight.  Jericho says he knows how to win the big one and asks if Ziggler does.  AJ comes into the scene and schedules the rematch.  She adds stipulations: If Jericho loses, his contract is terminated.  If Ziggler loses, Y2J gets his Money in the Bank contract.  AJ leaves with Ziggler trying to chase after her.

Alberto Del Rio came out to the ring demanding a World Championship rematch.  AJ comes out and puts him in a match, against Randy Orton.

Randy Orton defeated Alberto Del Rio by pinfall.  Sheamus was on commentary during this one.  Late in the match, Ricardo got up on the apron to distract.  Orton lunged at him, with Sheamus also getting up to make Ricardo run off.  Orton and Sheamus lock eyes, and Del Rio hits a Backstabber on Orton from behind.  However, Sheamus put Orton's foot on the bottom rope to break up Del Rio's pin.  Del Rio starts arguing and yelling at Sheamus, then turns around to get hit by an RKO, followed by Orton's pin.

Damien Sandow defeated Brodus Clay by pinfall.  Sandow comes to the ring with a video playing in the picture-in-picture of Sandow saying he'll send Funkasaurus back to extinction tonight.  Clay had control late in the match, hitting a huge splash in the corner, and then a headbutt to the chest later.  Clay missed on a huge splash attempt and Sandow rolls him up for a quick pin.  Post-mtch, Clay grabs Sandow and hits a big suplex on him, then splashed on him.  Clay, his dancers and kids from the crowd all dance in the ring to celebrate.

They had Shawn Michaels live via satellite to discuss what happened with Triple H last night.  Michaels says it's tough to contemplate your career ending and he knows what's going through HHH's mind.  He says he wonders if the outcome might have been different if he were in Hunter's corner.  He said he should have admitted the truth to HHH, that he didn't think he could beat Brock.  He says Triple H has nothing to be ashamed of and is one of the greatest superstars to ever live.  Shawn says he's always respected him and will always be proud of and love him.  He thinks HHH for all he's done for the WWE Universe, before the interview fades to commercial.

Big Show defeated David Otunga by pinfall/KO punch.  Show was angry after last night's loss and came to the ring ready to fight.  He pretty much beat Otunga around the ring, with shots to the guy, stepping on him, and headbutting him.  The final moments saw Show knee Otunga in the head, slam him, and then hit the KO punch for the win.

Zack Ryder & Kane vs. The Miz and Daniel Bryan ended by double countout (or no finish).  During the match, Bryan kept making sure he wasn't in the ring when Kane was legal.  Late in the conest, Bryan missed a clothesline in the corner on Ryder and accidentally sent Miz off the apron.  Moments later, Ryder tagged in Kane, but when Bryan went to tag Miz, he dropped off the apron to leave Bryan to face Kane.  Bryan ducks Kane and smacks him, then takes off and runs into the crowd.  Kane goes to chase him, then stops and grabs Ryder instead of a big chokeslam.  Kane starts tearing up everything at ringside, then grabs a WWE crew member and throws him over the barrier.  Kane gets back in the ring to hit Ryder with a Tombstone Piledriver.  Kane then runs off to the back, while officials come out to check on the WWE crew member.

Backstage, Sriker interviewed CM Punk about choosing his next #1 contender.  Punk said he's already beaten everyone there is.  He says he'll name Cena #1 contender, but only on one condition.  He says he'll call out Cena later to see if he accepts.  He says he is going to demand respect tonight.

Kaitlyn won a #1 contenders divas battle royal by eliminating Eve last.  The final moments saw Natalya, Alicia Fox and Tamina eliminated.  Eve tried to rush Kaitlyn behind and toss her out, but Kaitlyn hangs onto the ropes and then comes back with an uppercut and clothesline on Eve.  After another clothesline, Kaitlyn eliminates Eve.  Lalya is shocked by the winner and claps for Kaitlyn as she celebrates in the ring.  Eve appears to have sustained a cut on her face during the fight.

They showed still shots from Brock Lesnar defeating Triple H at SummerSlam.  Then they showed a replay of some of the opening segment with Paul Heyman and Lesnar in the ring.  It ended with a new Tout video from Lesnar saying "he is leaving WWE for good."

Dolph Ziggler defeated Chris Jericho by pinfall to terminate Jericho's contract.  Late in the match, Ziggler hit a DDT for 2.  Jericho blocked the Zig Zag and went for Walls of Jericho, but Dolph counters.  Jericho had a near fall then hits a clothesline on Ziggler.  The two go back and forth with Y2J hitting a Bulldog.  Dolph blocks a Lionsault attempt and then hits Zig Zag for the win.

Post-match, Ziggler grabs the MITB case and starts celebrating in the ring with Vickie.  Jericho looks to be recovering, as Vickie takes the briefcase in hand.  Y2J snatches the case from Vickie and then hits Dolph in the gut and over the back, before hitting a Codebreaker on Dolph.  Vickie screams at ringside as Jericho walks up the ramp greeting a few fans, before looking back at the crowd from the top of the ramp.

CM Punk came out and tried to demand an apology from Jerry Lawler at the commentators' table.  He said a few weeks ago Lawler claimed that Punk turned his back on the WWE Universe, and he wants him to admit it's a lie.  He tells Lawler to apologize now.

Suddenly, John Cena's music hits and out comes Cena.  He comes down to the ring to talk about the #1 contender situation, with CM Punk talking about how he doesn't get respect, even though he's been champion for 9 months now.  He told Cena he can be #1 contender at Night of Champions if he tells him he's "the best in the world" right now.  Cena refused, saying he has to believe that about himself.  He told Punk to choose whoever he wants, but to think about the fact it's in Cena's hometown of Boston, and will be a huge stage where Punk can get vindicated.  He told Punk if he doesn't choose him, he's not respecting the title or himself.  Cena dropped the mic and walked backstage.

Punk demanded Lawler get in the ring to finish their business.  Lawler said what he previously said about Punk was a misunderstanding and if he needs an apology, he apologizes. Punk stopped him and told Jerry since he's the master of propaganda for the WWE Universe, to tell them all that he's the best in the world.  Lawler refused, and said he was going to go do his job now.  He turned to leave the ring, and Punk delivered a huge kick to his head, laying out Lawler near the ropes.  Raw closed with Punk kneeling down with the WWE championship belt, staring at Lawler.

Raw 1001 Generates Major Heat?

WWE fans probably didn't have high expectations heading into episode #1001 of WWE Raw on Monday.  The show, set for the new 3-hour format, had to follow-up a major extravaganza complete with reunions of DX as well as major returns by Lita, The Rock, and The Undertaker.  However, Raw 1001 still managed to generate some "heat," and probably not in the way fans anticipated.

The first moment was the fire that started up pre-Raw.  It was actually made into a big deal on the air, and TMZ covered the news.  That's just what WWE wants, even if it was a minor problem, as there's no bad publicity really.

However, another moment during the show has to make fans wonder.  That was when Abraham Washington made his remark about Titus O'Neil or his team being "unstoppable like Kobe Bryant in Colorado."  The remark was in reference to Kobe's previous rape trial, where Bryant had been accused of sexual assault with a Colorado hotel employee.  The charges were dropped after the accuser refused to testify.  It ended up being settled out of court in a civil suit.

Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler appeared to be doing damage control as they offered apologies for Abraham Washington's remarks during the show.  However, it makes you wonder: was this a planned line to generate more attention, or was AW simply allowed to do his improv schtick?

It's a curious situation, and it wouldn't be beneath writers to have stuck a line like that in there to see which major gossip sites picked up on it (or hoping Kobe, or the Lakers would).  Remember, SummerSlam is in Los Angeles in August.  They've already got Charlie Sheen lined up for it in some capacity, so why not go for another big star or two?

Other big moments from Raw included the return of Randy Orton to defeat Heath Slater in the ring.  Damien Sandow started up a new feud against Brodus Clay, while Dolph Ziggler and Chris Jericho continued theirs.  Also, later in the night it was revealed that there will be a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam with John Cena vs. Big Show vs. CM Punk for the WWE Title.

In all, it wasn't a bad show, but the 3-hour format makes for a tough sales pitch for WWE right now.  It appears what they want to do is start dominating social media and the world wide web, and the longer they're on air, the better the chances for trending, or getting their apps to hit #1.  So it may seem like a smart move, but will the 3 hours end up hurting WWE in the long run?

It's quite possible, especially if moments like the fire and Abraham Washington's line sneak their way into these 3-hour live events on TV.

What did you think of the latest 3-hour episode of Raw?  Should Raw stick with 2 hour shows?

Raw Results 05/16/11

Raw Results from San Antonio, TX:

Josh Matthews started off the show on commentary saying in less than a week they'll see just how far the superstars will go at Over the Limit. John Cena arrived out to start off the show. Cole questioned if Cena will be champion after Sunday's I Quit match for the WWE Championship.

Alex Riley arrived out on the stage in a suit to interrupt Cena's in-ring speech. Riley mocked Cena saying all his speeches are the same and he's just gonna talk about how he'll beat Miz this Sunday. Riley asked Cena to watch a Miz highlight video on the big screen which showed Miz destroying Cena in various situations and matches. After the video, Riley introduced the most "must-see" champ in WWE history, and Miz came out from backstage. Riley and Miz went to the ring with Cena. Cole stood up applauding.

Riley kept talking about how the fans predictions are never right, because they all said the Spurs were going to make it out of the first round. Cena retorted about all the things Miz would never say like "I no longer want to play with My Little Pony" or "I have a pair of testicles." Cena said he'll need them for their match Sunday because he sees fear in Miz's eyes. He said after OTL, he'll be saying "Because I'm the Miz, and I Quit."

An email came from the Raw GM to Cole's iPad. The GM said as long as Miz and Riley aren't involved, Miz can pick the kind of match and opponent for John Cena tonight. Miz said he doesn't know Cena's opponent or stipulation yet, but he does know it will be "Awesome."

---

Kofi Kingston vs. CM Punk

The New Nexus members arrived out and waited up on stage to watch Punk's match. They showed highlights from last week when Punk was ringside as Mason Ryan was facing Kane. Punk helped cheat but wound up getting KO'd by Big Show outside the ring.

In this match, Punk and CM Punk traded finishers late in the match. Kofi went for a move towards the corner on Punk. Punk avoided it and Kofi got tripped up in the corner. Punk grabbed him, hit the GTS and won the match.

Punk went up on stage and sat down in front of Nexus. He said that was leadership by example. He said they aren't going to stop until each member of Nexus is the most dominant wrestler the WWE Universe has ever seen.

Winner: CM Punk wins via pinfall over Kofi Kingston.

Backstage, The Miz was having a conversation with Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero, possibly about tonight's match against Cena.

---

Kelly Kelly vs. Brie Bella

They showed Eve and Kelly in the ring when Karma came out last week. She decimated Eve as Kelly got away. Nikki arrived to the ring with her sister.

Late in the match, Kelly hit her handspring move on Brie in the corner. She also hit her spinning headscissors move. The finish saw her take an interesting pinfall seated on Brie for the win.

Post-match, Nikki got in the ring to help doubleteam Kelly, leaving her planted on the mat. Suddenly, Karma arrived out to the ring. The Bellas stayed in the ring this time awaiting her arrival. They watched Kharma go towards Kelly in the corner, then one of the Bellas tried to attack her from behind. Karma turned around and hammered her down.

The other Bella jumped off the corner at her, but Karma caught her in the air then slammed her to the mat. Karma then hit the Implant Buster on her. She turned her attention to Kelly in the corner, walked over and looked her up and down. She pulled on Kelly's hair, then flicked her in the forehead before leaving.

Winner: Kelly Kelly wins via pinfall over Brie Bella.

Backstage, The Miz was talking to Big Show, possibly about a match tonight against John Cena.

---

They showed an exclusive look at WWE Studios film "That's What I Am." One of his co-stars called Orton "very natural." They also discussed the big kiss scene.

A video was shown from last week's main event, post-match, when R-Truth attacked Rey in the ring after he lost the Triple Threat #1 contender's match to Miz.

Rey Mysterio hit the ring to talk about what happened last week. He said he doesn't blame other people for his own problems and he doesn't whine about it if he doesn't get his way. He said he'll call out the guy who jumped him and handle his business like a man. He told R-Truth to come on out and face him in the ring like a man. Rey waited in the ring as Cole and Lawler traded jabs on commentary about it. Raw went to a commercial awaiting Truth's arrival.

---

Instead of R-Truth, Ricardo Rodriguez came out to introduce Alberto Del Rio, who drove out in a vintage Rolls Royce worth over $100,000. The song "Realeza" which is Del Rio's theme, is now available on iTunes.

Del Rio blamed Mysterio for last week's match going sour for him and losing a shot at Cena's WWE Championship. He disrespected Mysterio and the other Mexicans in the arena. Del Rio said Mysterio's people came to America like a bunch of rats. Rey said he won't stand there and let Del Rio disrespect his people. He said he's proud to be a Chicano and an American. He said if R-Truth isn't going to come down, he's got no problem shutting Del Rio's mouth instead.

Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio

Late in the match, Del Rio went fora running move at Rey near the ropes. Rey ducked it and Del Rio slipped out through the middle ropes hitting the outside floor. Rey started to set up for another move.

All of a sudden, R-Truth's voice came on over the speakers. Truth was shown up in the stands in an empty section yelling to call the police because Mysterio's a thief. He kept yelling to call the cops, then walked out of the stands.

Del Rio got back in the ring and the match continued with Rey getting a near fall. He managed to get Del Rio set up for a 619, but Ricardo Rodriguez rushed over and caught Rey's legs. The ref called for the bell for a DQ. Del Rio managed to kick Rey on the apron, then tossed him into the ring. He got up on the corner and hit a huge elbow drop on him from there. The ref finally stepped in and got Del Rio to leave.

However, as Rey was getting to his feet, R-Truth had snuck into the ring and bashed him down from behind. He kept beating on Rey on the mat, then yelled at him to get up. Rey staggered to his feet, then Truth hit his finisher on him.

Truth got on the mic and said he and Rey will fight Sunday at OTL. He said this Sunday Rey "you gonna get got!" Then Truth beat on Rey some more before leaving the ring.

Winner: Rey Mysterio wins due to disqualification of Alberto Del Rio.

Backstage, The Miz was talking to CM Punk with Mason Ryan standing by. It appeared they might be discussing the match tonight with John Cena.

---

Raw returned with the official contract signing for Cole vs Lawler at OTL. Cole was in the ring seated in a chair with his feet up on the table with Swagger standing behind him. Lawler was standing up with a mic in hand. Cole said Lawler needs to reiterate to the world the promise he made to him last week if Cole beats him again on Sunday.

Lawler said Cole's never beat him legitimately, but if he does win Sunday, he's a man of his word. Lawler said he'll give him his Hall of Fame ring and should it come to it, he'll personally induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame. Cole smiled and then signed off quickly, then told Lawler to sign too, so he did.

Cole said he believes in full disclosure and Lawler neglected to read the fine print. Cole said it will be a "Kiss My Foot" match and Lawler will have to do the same thing JR did last month on Raw. They rolled the clip of Swagger forcing JR to kiss Cole's Athlete's foot while in the Ankle lock.

Cole also had footage shown of when Lawler lost to Bret Hart and got his foot in his mouth back at 1995 King of the Ring. Hart also bent Lawler's own leg back to make him kiss his own foot. Cole then revealed his ugly foot again to remind Lawler of what he'll be kissing on Sunday. Lawler said Cole's made Swagger into nothing more than a lowly sidekick.

Cole said nobody remembers Swagger being a World Champion. He kept talking down about Swagger, so Jack finally walked up behind Cole and bumped him a bit. Cole turned around, so Swagger asked "nobody remembers me?" He stared Cole down then said "he's all yours King" before leaving the ring. Cole pleaded with Swagger to come back, then turned around and told Lawler this was all a joke. He tried to turn things around and said he respects everything Lawler's done. Lawler interrupted him saying "stuff if Cole." He yanked Cole by the tie against the table, then said on Sunday he's gonna stick his foot in Cole's mouth and close it. Lawler shoved the table over onto Cole on the mat.

Backstage, The Miz was shown talking to Kane about taking on John Cena tonight. Big Show walked up and handed Kane his half of the WWE Tac team championship belts. Kane and Show walked off from The Miz.

---

Lawler joked to Cole about what just happened. Cole was in his box and said it's not funny, then dropped his mic looking dejected.

Kane & Big Show vs. David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty

On Sunday, Kane and Big Show face CM Punk and Mason Ryan with the tag titles on the line. Punk and Ryan were ringside to watch the match, scouting their opponents for Sunday.

Late in this one, Kane was in control against McGill. Otunga tried to rush into the ring, but Kane booted him down. Mason Ryan slipped into the ring then out the other side to distract Kane and the ref. Big Show rushed over on the outside and took him down with a shoulder block. The ref kept his attention outside the ring. Kane grabbed McGillicutty but stumbled back towards the ropes. Punk was on the apron and got in a kick to the back of Kane's head, allowing McGill to hit his neckbreaker on Kane for the win.

Winners: David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty win via pinfall over Big Show & Kane.

Backstage, The Miz was trying to talk to R-Truth about taking the match against Cena tonight.

---

When Raw returned, Lawler and Matthews talked about the WWE All-Stars video game. They showed a simulation of John Cena vs The Rock, saying fans won't have to wait until Wrestlemania 28 to see this match happen.

Josh Matthews joked with Lawler about how he's going to have a great Sunday. They ran down the lineup of matches for Sunday including Christian vs Orton for the World Championship, and Cena vs Miz with the WWE Championship on the line. R-Truth will go against Rey Mysterio, and Cole will face Lawler in the Kiss My Foot Match.

Scott Stanford was backstage to interview Kane and Big Show asking how the loss affects them for Sunday's match at OTL. Show said it doesn't affect them a bit, they won't give up these tag titles to anyone anytime soon. Kane said Punk was in all his glory tonight, but Sunday will be the annihilation of New Nexus.

John Cena was seen walking backstage wearing his championship belt. He came up to a bunch of WWE staff backstage with Zack Ryder. Ryder showed him a new T-shirt of him and gave it to Cena. They did a few secret handshakes and Cena walked off laughing.

---

The Miz arrived out with Alex Riley, both in suits. He said on the mic that tonight's match will be a "No Holds Barred" match. He told Cena to get out there, so the champ soon arrived with his theme music playing. Cena walked out and kept eyeing Miz and Riley. Suddenly, Jack Swagger ambushed him from behind, knocking Cena down. Miz introduced Swagger as Cena's opponent as Swagger kept beating up Cena all the way to the ring.

John Cena vs. Jack Swagger
No Holds Barred Match

Swagger stayed in control for most of the start of the match, with Cena getting a brief comeback. "Let's Go Cena - Cena Sucks" alternating chants started up. Raw went to break with the match still going.

After break, Cena kept getting pummeled by Swagger. At one point, Swagger layed a chair on Cena then did his Swagger bomb splash off the corner. He set up the chair in the corner, then went to get Cena but instead got punched down. Cena went on his burst for a bit, but Swagger slammed Cena down. Swagger kept at it, then was able to put the Ankle Lock on. Cena managed to shift his weight and flip out though. Swagger rushed at Cena near the corner, but Cena managed to avoid him and Swagger slammed head first into the chair.

Cena gained moment with shoulder take downs from the ropes and then a side slam followed by Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena went for the Attitude Adjustment looking up the ramp at Miz and hit it, then put the STF on Swagger. Swagger tapped out giving Cena the win.

Winner: John Cena wins due to submission of Jack Swagger.

Post-match, The Miz applauded from up on the ramp in a mocking fashion. Miz got on the mic saying "very, very very impressive." Miz told Cena there's so many ways to make someone say "I Quit." He said he could toss Cena off the first, face first into the concrete. Miz walked over to one of the camera cranes near the stage, saying he could put Cena against the stage and do something like this, as he smashed the camera against the stage twice.

Miz came to the ring area, and told Alex to find something useful under the ring. Riley retrieved a big piece of pipe and Miz said he could use this too. Miz said that's all the obvious stuff. He said there's a million ways to beat Cena that he probably hasn't even imagined yet. Miz said he's more conniving and ruthless than any other opponent Cena's faced. Miz said he's found a way Cena's never even seen before, to make him quit. Miz guaranteed on Sunday after the OTL match, he'll be declared the new WWE Champion.

Miz said while he won't use the pipe Sunday, he's got no problem using it on Cena tonight. Riley tried to attack Cena, but Cena fought him off. Miz got in the ring and smashed the pipe into Cena's gut then across his back. He backed up and waited for Cena, but this time Cena caught him off guard. Cena grabbed the pipe and rammed Miz in the gut, then bashed it on Riley several times. Miz managed to slip out of the ring. Cena demanded a mic and said "Miz better bring a million more ways to beat him on Sunday, because he's got a hurtin comin' at their match. Cena yelled on Sunday he will force Miz to say "I Quit."

---

Over the Limit 2011 PPV Matches

The WWE Over the Limit 2011 matches are coming in slowly but surely. As of this report, there are 3 matches on the card scheduled for the second Pay-Per-View of May 2011.

The first match learned about was via Raw this past week. Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio and The Miz competed in a Triple Threat match to determine #1 contender for John Cena's WWE Championship. The Miz managed to steal a win, surprising Rey Mysterio with the pinfall after Alex Riley yanked Alberto Del Rio out of the ring. Cena was able to choose a stipulation for their OTL match and went with an "I Quit Match."

The WWE Universe also learned that Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole will go at it one-on-one again. This time the stipulations were set by Jerry Lawler, who said if Cole wins, Lawler will personally induct him into the Hall of Fame, and give Cole his WWE Hall of Fame ring.

The next two matches came via Friday's Smackdown. First, it was announced that former World Heavyweight Champion, Christian, will take on the current champ, Randy Orton. This will be a regular one-on-one contest for the championship. Christian has vowed he wants to compete at 100% and show he can win the title back. Orton said he wants him at 100% to prove he's the better fighter.

And finally, The Corre's recent internal disagreements have created chaos among one member and the others. Ezekiel Jackson appears to be more of a face wrestler these days and is suffering the wrath of Wade Barrett's crew. Barrett issued a challenge to Jackson for OTL with the Intercontinental Championship on the line. Jackson is a former ECW champion, and in fact the last one to hold that title. Will he capture the IC title from Barrett?

WWE's Over the Limit Pay-Per-View takes place on Sunday, May 22nd, starting at 8PM EST.

Raw Preview 04/25/11

Tonight's episode of Raw arrives less than a week ahead of the big Extreme Rules Pay-Per-View. Several of the superstars on the Raw roster will be preparing for big matches, including John Cena, John Morrison and The Miz! These three will be getting into a steel cage match at Extreme Rules for the WWE Championship. However, after last week's beating that Morrison suffered from R-Truth, his condition may be questionable. What will be next for Morrison and Truth on tonight's show?

Not only is the show ahead of Extreme Rules, but tonight will be the 2011 WWE Draft. On tonight's episode, superstars will be drafted from Raw to Smackdown and vice versa. In last year's draft, The Miz was brought to the Raw roster and became the WWE Champion. Which superstars and divas will go where in tonight's WWE draft?

Last week's show saw Michael Cole continue to humiliate Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler. After Cole was officially knighted in the ring in the UK, he began to insult and taunt Lawler and Ross. The two commentators got into the ring at Cole's request, but Jack Swagger was waiting. Swagger took out Lawler and then helped to force Jim Ross to kiss Cole's disgusting bare foot. Will Ross and Lawler get some sort of revenge tonight, or will it have to wait until Sunday's tag match?

Catch tonight's WWE Raw featuring the 2011 draft starting at 9PM EST!

Extreme Rules 2011 Matches

WWE's Extreme Rules 2011 is just about a week away! The latest Pay-Per-View event will have at least two championships on the line, and a series of matches all contested under "extreme rules."

One of the championships on the line will be Edge's recently surrendered World Heavyweight Championship. As fans know, Edge made his shocking retirement not long ago on WWE Raw, and then was required to surrender his belt on Smackdown. Now, that championship will be decided in a ladder match at the Pay-Per-View. Alberto Del Rio was already a #1 contender, and in a 20-man battle royal on Smackdown, Christian won the opposing spot. Who will prevail in this vicious match and become World Champion for their first ever reign?

Find available Extreme Rules tickets now!

Also on the line will be The Miz's WWE Championship belt. That title will be battled for in a Triple Threat steel cage match. Competing in the match will be John Cena, and if he's able to go, John Morrison. Morrison defeated R-Truth to take his #1 contender's spot in the match. This will be a tough battle inside the confines of a steel cage. Can The Miz continue his already lengthy WWE championship reign?

Also at Extreme Rules, Randy Orton and CM Punk will extend their current feud. Orton was victorious over Punk at Wrestlemania 27, but now they will fight in a Last Man Standing match. Will Orton be able to continue his winning ways against Punk, or will the New Nexus leader finally prevail?

Rey Mysterio may have lost to Cody Rhodes at Wrestlemania, but now he's looking for revenge. Rhodes has been looking to extract malicious revenge on Mysterio ever since Rey injured his face. Rhodes has been wearing a protective mask and claims Mysterio has shattered his hopes and dreams. Now Rhodes will attempt to defeat Mysterio once again as they compete in a Falls Count Anywhere Match. Will Cody finally get the revenge he wants?

Finally, there will be an interesting tag team match on the Extreme Rules 2011 PPV card. Jerry Lawler was able to defeat Jack Swagger in a match on Raw which allowed him the chance to face Michael Cole in the ring again. As many know, Lawler lost to Cole at WM27. The win over Swagger also allowed Lawler to pick a stipulation, so he chose to make it a tag team affair. Lawler has chosen Jim Ross as his partner and has partnered Cole up with Swagger. However, in the past several weeks Cole abused and humiliated his trainer, leaving many to wonder if Swagger is really on board!

Extreme Rules 2011 promises to be yet another exciting WWE Pay-Per-View! The event starts at 7:45PM EST from St Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, May 1st. WWE Characters will provide updated results here at the blog starting at 8PM EST on the night of the PPV through its 11PM EST conclusion.

Raw Results 04/18/11

Raw Results from London, UK:

With Extreme Rules just two weeks away, Raw kicked off in England at the famous O2 arena. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler were also on commentary. R-Truth arrived out to deliver an opening promo. Cole yelled at JR and Lawler to wake up because they're on live television and this isn't the 90's.

Truth talked about being happy to be a #1 contender for the championship at Extreme Rules. He vowed to leave the PPV as WWE Champion and to be the most-fighting champion in the history of champions. John Morrison arrived out to interject.

Morrison talked about how luck aided Truth in making it through 3 guys during the gauntlet match. JMo had them show footage of Truth sitting in the corner of the ring last week and getting water as John Cena was arriving for the match. JMo kept joking about Truth not being in his best shape. He said he looks great for a guy that smokes though.

Morrison announced that the WWE Draft is next week. Morrison suggested they wrestle for Truth's spot in the Triple Threat at Extreme Rules. JMo baited Truth enough into giving him a match for the contender's spot. Truth joked around asking for a bottled water, then a cigarette. Morrison said he forgot to ask for "luck."

---

John Morrison vs. R-Truth

On the line was Truth's #1 contender spot for the WWE Title at Extreme Rules. Cole kept taunting JR and Lawler throughout the match, getting on their commentating. Lawler and Cole traded jabs.

Late in the match, R-Truth went for a finisher. Morrison grabbed the ropes and Truth fell to the mat. JMo followed up with the Starship Pain to finish things off with a pinfall. That gives Morrison the #1 contender spot at Extreme Rules.

Post-match, Truth sat in the corner. Morrison offered a handshake but Truth wasn't having it. JMo celebrated up in the corner, so Truth went over and yanked him off hard. He followed with a running knee to Morrison's head, then left the ring. Truth turned and delivered another running knee into Morrison at the barrier.

He went over and said he was sorry to Morrison, then helped him up. Truth shoved Morrison to the floor, then walked over to the commentators table to get a bottled water. He smashed it across Morrison's face before the crowd let out an "R Truth sucks" chant. Truth helped Morrison up again and looked at him saying "You did this John" before hitting his finisher. Someone in the crowd gave Truth a pack of cigarettes, so he lit one up in front of the crowd. The crowd chanted "That's illegal" meaning inside the arena. Someone in the crowd yelled "think of the children."

Winner: John Morrison wins via pinfall over R-Truth to become a #1 contender for the WWE Championship.

---

Ross and Lawler talked about Truth snapping moments earlier. Evan Bourne was in the ring when Vickie Guerrero arrived out to interrupt with her "Excuse Me's." She intro'd her business associate, new and improved Dolph Ziggler for the match. Ziggler came out with a slick new haircut with short darker hair.

Evan Bourne vs. Dolph Ziggler

Vickie got in the ring in Bourne's face insulting and yelling at him. Ziggler had an impressive counter dropkick on Bourne as he came off the corner early on.

For the finish, Bourne had Ziggler down on the mat and went for Air Bourne. Ziggler rolled out of the way with Bourne landing on his feet. Ziggler rushed from behind and hit Zig Zag for the win.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler wins via pinfall over Evan Bourne.

They did a plug for WWE All-Stars video game while showing the simulated match of The Rock vs John Cena. Michael Cole said tonight he will be knighted by the queen for his civic duties.

---

WWE Rewind showed footage of Sin Cara's debuts when he arrived to the ring on Raw to beat up Sheamus and Smackdown to beat up Jack Swagger. His debut match was last week when he defeated Primo in the ring.

Jim Ross talked about the emotional week created once Edge announced his retirement. They showed highlights from his speech on Raw including highlights from his legendary career. They played the Nickleback song "When You're Young" as part of the video.

They announced that Alberto Del Rio will be throwing a retirement party for Edge on this Friday's Smackdown.

The Miz accompanied Alex Riley to the ring for his match. Miz got a good bit of applause and respect from the UK crowd. Miz talked in the ring about preparing for the past week for a Triple Threat match against John Cena and R-Truth. He said Truth made an illogical, disrespectful decision tonight though. He said now he has to face John Cena and John Morrison, inside a steel cage.

Miz said he won't leave the ring until the Raw GM makes this right. He told Riley to bring him a chair in the ring to sit in. Raw went to commercial with Miz sitting in the ring waiting for the Raw GM to email.

---

After commercial break, Miz was still seated in the chair in the ring talking. He stared his "I'm the Miz" catch phrase, but Sin Cara arrived out to interrupt it. Miz got up from his chair and went outside the ring. Sin Cara did his running jump and flip over the top rope into the ring.

Sin Cara vs. Alex Riley

Sin Cara got in the ring with Miz and Riley both walking towards him. All of a sudden, Cena's music hit and he rushed to the ring to make sure they didn't attack Sin Cara. The Raw GM sent an email making it a tag match.

Winner: Match was changed to tag match.

Sin Cara & John Cena vs. Alex Riley & The Miz

Cena went for the quick attack taking it to Riley early after the bell, hitting a bulldog. Riley left the ring, where Miz regrouped with him as Raw went to break.

After break, Miz avoided the AA to hit a huge side slam on Cena to take control. Cole talked about the draft next week. Lawler asked Cole what he'd do if he was drafted to Smackdown, even though Cole later mentioned he's on both shows anyways.

Cena continued to take punishment from Miz and Riley, but pulled off a huge suplex and finally made a hot tag to Sin Cara. Sin Cara came in against The Miz. Sin Cara was on a tear with a variety of moves including using Miz's hand for ballance on the ropes to fling himself onto Riley for the headscissors flip. Moments later, Sin Cara hit a mule kick on Miz from the apron. He tried to jump to the top rope but Riley yanked his feet and Sin Cara fell outside. Miz took control in the ring. Riley and Miz kept attacking Sin Cara.

Sin Cara avoided Miz's running clothesline in the corner, bringing Cena and Riley in. The finish saw Cena gain major momentum against Riley, eventually hitting Five Knuckle Shuffle and Attitude Adjustment. Sin Cara tagged in for a springboard moonsault to pin Riley.

Winners: John Cena & Sin Cara win via pinfall over Alex Riley & The Miz.

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They had an official ceremony to knight Michael Cole. He wore a regal robe in the ring which was decorated in all red. Jack Swagger was there with him as they had a fake queen arrive to the ring. Cole knelt on a padded stool before her.

The queen asked if he would uphold the nobility of the knighthood of the United Kingdom, to which Cole said "I do." She used a sword to tap both shoulders. Cole planted a big kiss on the "queen" after his knighting.

Cole grabbed a mic and asked for a big round of applause - for himself. He tried to get a "Sir Michael Cole" chant going but the crowd wasn't having it and said "Sucks!" after it each time. Cole called everyone in the crowd his peasants. He told the peasants, JR and Lawler, to get in the ring and kiss his feet. Cole removed his shoe and put his foot up on the stool.

Lawler and Ross went to the ring. When they got there, Swagger attacked Lawler, tossing him into the corner, then out of the ring. JR was left alone. Swagger got in and grabbed him then put the Ankle Lock, forcing him down to kiss Cole's exposed foot as Cole yelled "Kiss it, you peasant!" They did the Swagger laps around the ring.

Raw had no commentators but revealed a graphic on screen that Randy Orton will face CM Punk in a rematch tonight.

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Josh Matthews was now on commentary since Lawler and Ross were both attacked in the last segment. He chastised Cole for what he just did, and Cole showed off his bare foot saying he has athlete's foot, hence the fungus on his foot.

Santino Marella vs. Sheamus

Sheamus said last time they were in England, Santino embarassed him with a tea party skit. He said tonight the champion of the US is going to embarass him.

Sheamus got the early advantage, knocking Santino down flat on the mat. Santino tried to fight back from a submission hold on the mat.

Santino dodged a corner move later on, and got ready for The Cobra, but was too worn out. Sheamus capitalized with the Brogh kick to finish him off.

Winner: Sheamus wins via pinfall over Santino Marella.

Matthews and Cole reviewed R-Truth snapping earlier in the night, attacking John Morrison post-match, then smoking a cigarette over him.

They showed a split screen for CM Punk and Randy Orton headed to the ring for their rematch.

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Randy Orton vs. CM Punk

Punk arrived out to the ring first. They showed footage of Nexus costing Orton the gauntlet match on last week's Raw. They had a 3-on-1 attack on Orton with Mason Ryan hitting a huge powerbomb to leave Orton on the mat.

Orton arrived to the ring as Matthews plugged the new WWE film "That's What I Am." They locked up in the corner as the crowd traded CM Punk and Randy Orton chants. Orton gained the advantage to start hitting forearm uppercuts in the corner. Punk eventually took over though and kicked Orton down in the corner, before whipping him to the opposite. Orton exploded back with a clothesline and eventually the scoop slam.

Orton went for the RKO, but Punk shoved him away to barely avoid it. Orton clutched the back of his head as Raw went to commercial. Raw returned with Punk in control in the ring. He put a side headlock on to try to wear Orton down more. Punk stayed on the offensive outside the ring. The crowd exchanged "GTS" and "RKO" chants with Punk about to hit a suplex in the ring. Orton countered into a small package near fall. Punk settled into a headscissors on Orton on the mat.

Orton made his comeback with a backbreaker. Punk rolled onto the apron. Orton went after him but got yanked throat first against the top rope. Punk got on the corner, but Orton got up and fought him to hit a huge superplex for the near fall.

Punk went for the GTS late in this one, with Orton able to grab the top rope to prevent it. As they hit the mat, Orton ducked a move by Punk, then did a surprise schoolboy pinfall for the win.

Post-match, new Nexus members, Ryan, Otunga and McGillicutty all attacked Orton in the ring as Punk recovered in the corner. Once again, Mason Ryan hit a huge move to smash Orton to the mat. McGill and Otunga both went to go after Orton, but Ryan shoved them both away saying "he's mine." Ryan backed up for the punt kick, but CM Punk got up and stopped him. Punk said "he's mine," but Ryan wasn't hearing it. Punk stopped him again and showed him the Nexus patch on his arm.

Punk went for the running punt kick, but Orton sprang to life and hit the RKO on him, then escaped the ring to stagger up the ramp as his music played. Raw ended with Nexus fuming in the ring as Orton staggered backstage.

Winner: Randy Orton wins via pinfall over CM Punk.

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