Here’s the latest on the upcoming WWE Network, launching in just over 4 months:
* WWE wants the network to be more than just wrestling-themed programming.
* With WWE’s recent obsession with Twitter, they’ve built an army of fans they can use to push cable carriers to carry their network.
* Most pay-per-view events, NXT and Superstars will be moving to the network.
* The Network has the potential to be WWE’s most valuable asset and it will give them a 24/7 outlet to constantly promote their brand.
* WWE hopes to find outside of the box original programming that won’t be wrestling-related once they get established. This would be similar to a show like the History Channel eventually finding hit shows like Pawn Stars that isn’t “history” related.
* The plan for the network is to eventually brand WWE as more of a lifestyle brand instead of just a “sports-entertainment/pro wrestling” company.
— Ring announcer Eden Stiles announced late Tuesday night on Twitter that she has parted ways with WWE after requesting to be released from her contract three weeks ago. She also stated that she is dating Cody Rhodes and indicated she left the promotion due to their relationship.
Stiles tweeted this morning, “Most people in relationships prefer not to work together. There’s work and then your personal life. Healthy balance.”
She added, “I left WWE because- as the most important person in my life put it -“the world is my oyster”. It certainly is! Keep following me!!”
— CM Punk confirmed Tuesday on Twitter that he does not have a Facebook account.
— Sheamus is advertised to appear at the World of Wheels at the Shreveport Convention Center 400 Caddo St. Shreveport, Louisiana on January 13, 2012 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
— WWE will be bringing the steel cage to Chicago next Monday night for RAW. The advertised dark match main event is CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio for the WWE Championship. Since WWE is going through the effort of transporting the cage on the road, but there’s a chance we’ll see a cage match on RAW next week.
— As reported earlier this week, Brock Lesnar has plead guilty to “improper tagging of an animal” on a November 2010 hunting trip. The other two charges, leaving meat to rot and illegal possession of wildlife, were then dropped. Lesnar has issued the following statement explaining the situation:
“In November 2010 I went on a filmed hunt in Alberta, Canada. It was sponsored by Fusion Ammunition and guided by Trophy Hunters Alberta. In Alberta, Americans can’t hunt without a licensed outfitter. The outfitter is there to make sure you follow the rules. I had two deer tags for the trip which meant I could legally shoot two deer. On the first day of the trip, I shot a mule deer. On the second day, I shot a white tail. Videos from the hunt have been on the Internet for over and year. After I shot the mule deer, I failed to immediately tag it. As far as I was involved, that’s all there is to it. Now it’s resolved. I paid my fine today. It’s the kind of thing that happens to hunters all the time. I want to thank the Canadian authorities for their cooperation in resolving this misunderstanding. I love Canada and I can’t wait to go back to Alberta for a hunt.
As we’ve been reporting in recent months, there are plans for WWE to build a physical Hall of Fame building some time in 2012, similar to baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
WWE is currently looking at sites in both the North East as well as Florida and hopes to jumpstart the project in 2012. Aside from highlighting the careers of past superstars, divas and company officials who have been inducted in previous years, the building would also showcase historic company memorabilia.
WWE has warehouses full of of company memorabilia (various props, ring aprons, event banners, etc.) and the company is currently on the hunt to purchase other historic items which they do not currently own.
The WWE website ran an article this week speculating which items from past WrestleMania events should be on display at the Hall of Fame building, including Rowdy Roddy Piper’s boxing gloves from WrestleMania 2, [what’s left of] the battle royal trophy Bret Hart destroyed at WrestleMania 4, the zipline Shawn Michaels used at WrestleMania 12 and more.
We want to know – would you visit a WWE Hall of Fame? If you did not live near it – would you be willing to travel to the Hall of Fame? Hit up the Comments below and let us know.
— WWE has confirmed that January’s Royal Rumble event will be returning to the traditional 30-man format, down from 40 men last year.
The 25th annual Royal Rumble takes place on Sunday, January 29, 2012 from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
— As he alluded to on his Twitter account last week, developmental wrestler Seth Rollins (formerly Tyler Black in ROH) will be touring with the RAW brand all next week. There’s been some talk that he’ll be wrestling against the returning R-Truth, but that’s not confirmed at this time.
Black is seen as one of the top stars at Florida Championship Wrestling along with Dean Ambrose (formerly John Moxley), who started touring with WWE last week
— WWE has filed a new trademark for the phrase “Fear My Name.”
— Despite Mark Henry’s injury (and the fact that WWE took the World Heavyweight title off him because he can’t wrestle), he’s still being advertised for Friday’s SmackDown and next Friday’s SmackDown live event at the Izod Center in New Jersey.
The main event for that show is scheduled to be Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry in a Triple Threat Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Championship. For the full card, visit Meadowlands.com.
— R-Truth, who is currently serving a 30-day suspension due to his first violation of WWE’s Wellnness policy, is back on the active roster as of tomorrow, 12/22.
Ring announcer Eden Stiles announced late Tuesday night on Twitter that she has parted ways with WWE after asking to be released from her contract three weeks ago.
She wrote, “This was it! 3 weeks ago I asked to be released from my WWE contract. Today was my last day. Sure enjoyed it!! More on the horizon for me.”
Stiles also revealed she is dating Cody Rhodes.
“And…now that I no longer work here I’m glad to finally not “hint” and say that I am 100% Cody’s girl :-).”
After being a successful model for a few years, Stiles wanted to get back to athletics and found herself at WWE’s development facility, Florida Championship Wrestling in March, where she began training to become a WWE Diva. Stiles, however, was made the ring announcer for WWE Superstars.
Booker T had the biggest pop so far at the TV taping and Michaeal Cole got the most boos yet.
Big Show came out to cut a promo about working hard to get the World Title back. When he mentioned Daniel Bryan, it was met with a mixed reaction. They cut to a clip from Raw of Josh Mathews asking him if he was mad about losing the title, to which Show said he was proud. Mark Henry came out to boos and cut a promo on how Show should be mad and quit wrestling. Henry demanded his re-match right before Daniel Bryan came out. He said he wasn’t big or strong, but he is the champion. Show and Henry argued over who got a re-match and Teddy Long came out to announce they would fight tonight to determine the number one contender.
(1) U.S. champion Zack Ryder beat IC champion Cody Rhodes via the Rough Ryder after Booker T distracted Cody by singing Cody the Red Nosed Reindeer. The crowd was behind Zack, and also firmly behind Booker. The match started somewhat cold and ended really hot.
After the match, Santino was in Teddy Long’s office applying to be Assistant to the GM. Aksana interrupted, then Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler came in. Dolph asked for a match with Daniel Bryan, and, of course, Teddy obliged.
Big Show vs Henry was next, but David Otunga came out and said the match couldn’t happen because Henry wasn’t cleared to wrestle. Big Show then hit Otunga with the WMD to end the segment. Coffee spilled all over the canvas from Otunga’s coffee mug.
Teddy Long was shown walking when The Miz showed up to ask what he was doing tonight. He also bragged about how many PPV main events he’d been in. He told Teddy he would interrupt the show and wait in the ring until Teddy found someone for him to wrestle.
The Miz then came to the ring and stood there. He threw to clips of him beating up R-Truth and John Morrison. After taunting the locker room, Sheamus came out to wrestle him to a big pop. The best sign I saw was “I’m dreaming of a (Great) White Shea-mas.”
(2) Sheamus beat The Miz. Sheamus won with a Brogue Kick after Miz broke out of a High Cross.
Wade Barrett then came out to to heavy boos and cut a promo about the Barrett Barrage and his victories over Randy Orton, not mentioning the loss at TLC. After he wished the crowd a “happy Christmas,” he left the ring and Orton came out to attack him. They didn’t fight in the ring, but opted for a backstage brawl. Orton eventually beat Barrett down enough to end the segment.
Primo and Epico then came to the ring and, after an extended dance from Rosa, so did Air Boom.
(3) WWE tag champion Kofi Kingston (w/Evan Bourne) beat Primo (w/Epico and Rosa Mendes). The crowd was really into this match and even started a “Primo Sucks” chant. It was a fun match between the two high-flyers. Kofi won with Trouble in Paradise and celebrated in the ring with Bourne.
(4) World Hvt. champion Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero) went to a No Contest. D-Bry and the Zig-Zag Man put on a great show with some great spots. They really are the future of the business. Jack Swagger came out during the match and leveled Bryan while Vickie distracted the ref. After that, Big Show came out to cheer on Bryan and make sure Swagger was under control. Bryan and Ziggler were stellar in the match, and the crowd went along for the ride. After a few minutes, Show and Swagger ended up in the ring, with Show almost chokeslamming Swagger. Teddy Long then came out and turned it into a tag match.
(5) World Hvt. champion Daniel Bryan & Big Show beat Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger (w/Vickie Guerrero). Swagger and Show started off the tag match and the crowd was pretty excited to see Show wrestle. All four guys put on a pretty exciting match, with some great spots and a good rhythm. At one point, Ziggler flew out of the ring and started selling his knee. Swagger put Bryan in the anklelock, which he reversed into the LeBell Lock for the win.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
The Cryptic 1/2 Promo Videos: “I have no firm idea on who these well produced/written vignettes are for but I have my suspicions. Again, if I truly knew, why would I spoil the surprise? Doing these types of vignettes always builds anticipation in a big way with many fans which is why I think that they should be used more frequently. ”
Daniel Bryan’s Title Win: “Proud to see Daniel Bryan make it to the top of the card as the new, World Heavyweight Champion. Those that knock Bryan for his lack of size generally don’t understand athletics especially MMA. I like that Daniel Bryan breaks the old mold, by and large, and he provides something/someone new for which the fans to emotionally invest. Bryan will be an effective fan favorite and someday, down the road, will be an outstanding wrestling villain.”
CM Punk As The Face Of WWE: “Based on WWE TLC PPV and Monday’s Raw from Philly, it certainly seems as if CM Punk has become the newest ‘face’ of WWE. No, John Cena hasn’t disappeared and Cena will still face The Rock at WM28 in the longest promoted and, arguably, the biggest Wrestlemania main event ever but Punk has been positioned to be the leader of a transitioning roster of young, WWE Superstars, many of who are ‘this close’ to taking the much needed step to the next level.”
— Alicia Fox has commented on the damage she did to Beth Phoenix’s face during their match on RAW last night. Phoenix tweeted pictures of a nasty looking bump on her left temple. Fox tweeted on Tuesday afternoon:
“@TheBethPhoenix wow!!!! I think your face looks better than ever!!!! Next one I’ll put more STANk on it!!!! Kiss kiss”
— CM Punk and The Rock were both listed on Guyism.com‘s list of the “Top 75 Guys We Wish We Were in 2011.” The Rock ranked #17 and CM Punk ranked at #5. Actor Ryan Gossling got the #1 spot. The description for CM Punk reads:
“C.M. Punk, the straight-edge champion of the WWE, kept things interesting in 2011 with his outspoken critique of the company, his feuds with John Cena and Alberto Del Rio, and his short-lived retirement from the company. With the year that he’s had, it’s clear the WWE needs him. We just hope debuting a new theme song, ‘Cult of Personality,’ is a sign the sober wrestler is back for good.”
— WinnipegFreePress.com is reporting that UFC heavyweight fighter Brock Lesnar has plead guilty to “improper tagging of an animal” on a November 2010 hunting trip. The other two charges were dropped. Lesnar will pay a $1,725 fine and his hunting license will be suspended for six months.
Several readers have pointed out that the latest installment of WWE’s cryptic promos leading up to January 2nd appears to have the name “Chris” crossed out on the cover of the notebook written in by the little boy in the videos.
This will only add to the speculation (yeah, we’re not helping) that Chris Jericho will be revealed to be the man behind the vignettes
While WWE has been known to drop red herrings before to throw people off in previous cryptic promos, this does not help Jericho’s case that he’s got nothing to do with the videos.
— WWE has rescinded their contract offer to Ring of Honor star Chris Hero after results from his drug test showed elevated testosterone levels, according to a report at Wrestling News World. We’ll be be looking into this story today and will follow up when we’ve got an update.
— WWE will hold a Raw live event in Moscow, Russia on April 11, 2012 at Luzhniki Small Sports Arena.
— WWE.com has posted footage of Nickelback performing “Animal” at Tribute to the Troops.
— WWE: Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century, which was released last July on DVD, will air on iN DEMAND pay-per-view during January.
TNA star Samoa Joe was interviewed this week on AllWrestling.com’s Week In Review podcast. You can listen to the full interview here. Here are some highlights of what Joe said about:
Not being in the world title picture:“It’s always rough not to be in the world title picture but at the same time right now we are finding new talent and establishing new characters. TNA gives me opportunity to work with tremendous young talent. Playing a part in developing young talent is rewarding.”
Bruce Prichard As The Head of TNA Creative“TNA put me in the main event picture pretty early and these guys have been around just as long if not longer in Storm’s case. I’m very thankful to see those guys where they are right now from a personal standpoint.”
Whether He Would Jump Ship To WWE: “I’m still with TNA; we have a fantastic financial agreement. The relationship between me and TNA has always been great. I’m the type of person that really lives in the moment. I don’t put too much into trying to build scenarios that are bad. As long as I get an opportunity to wrestle and wrestle great people then I have the greatest job in the world.”
Stone Cold Saying WWE Should Sign Him: “That was one of the greatest compliments ever given to me in my career by far by one of the greatest athletes in the industry. Just hope that TNA sees that and we can take it from there. I’m big on loyalty. Some people are of the thought process that if you don’t like something, you quit. You go somewhere else. That’s just not me. I think it’s silly. I think it’s shallow and tawdry. I don’t think I’m done with what I want to do in TNA.”
Matt and Jeff Hardy: “I’m ecstatic for Jeff. I’ve never seen him more healthy and look so much more alive. God bless Matt. Matt is battling those same demons now. I hope and pray that he makes it through. At the end of the day, wrestlers are human beings. These are real people. No matter how much you hate their antics, no matter how much they disgust you, as a person, as a responsible human being I would never wish death on these people.”
On TV wrestling: “TV wrestling is very flash, bang, get it going. I’ve been told by many people in creative that those wrestling fans love the wrestling but it’s the other fans that don’t understand what a wrist lock is etc. I have had my disagreements on this. I think that the art of professional wrestling speaks for itself. I think if you are good enough professional wrestler you can tell your own story regardless of what extraneous feuds you have going. Fundamentally we may differ on that.”
His shoot on Scott Hall At Turning Point 2007: “There was an incident where Scott Hall no-showed. They handed me the mic and said “get him”. That’s what I was told. I went out there and got him. I ruffled a lot of fathers that day, in particular Kevin Nash. Kevin knew about the demons Scott was facing. None of us knew the extent of Hall’s issues.”
Skip Sheffield has deleted the cryptic tweets he made over the weekend that he’s returning on January 2nd as his former gimmick, “Ryback,” a terminator cyborg.
– TNA President Dixie Carter tweeted a picture of the PPV poster for Against All Odds, which takes place on Sunday, February 12th. The poster features a casino theme of TNA wrestlers and knockouts on playing cards.
– The TNA website has added new holiday pictures of the Knockouts, which can be viewed at ImpactWrestling.com.
– The TNA tournament that is taking place on the Xplosion show is down to the final four. The semi-final matches are Daniels vs. Devon and Samoa Joe vs. Kazarian. The winner of the tournament will receive a title match on TNA’s upcoming tour of the UK next month.
Alberto Del Rio and Beth Phoenix were both injured at Monday’s WWE RAW Supershow from Philadelphia.
Del Rio was carried out of the building by trainers after Raw went off the air. There was some fear that he may have suffered a groin injury, but after being checked out by WWE trainers, he’s said to be doing alright. He’s not expected to miss any ring time, despite some soreness.
Beth Phoenix has a nasty lump on the side of her face following her match with Alicia Fox. At this time, it’s unclear at what point in the match the injury takes place, but it looks like she has a golf ball sticking out of her right temple. She tweeted:
@AliciaFoxy tried her hardest to destroy my face. There will be hell to pay for trying to tarnish my beauty.”
“After hours in the trainers room, I broke a lot of mirrors with my fists.
Phoenix’s partner Natalya tweeted a message of support:
“@TheBethPhoenix i am sorry to see what happened on Raw…But we are still UNBREAKABLE.”
Check out these pictures of the lump on Beth Phoenix’s face following RAW:
– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown and NXT tapings will take place from Richmond, Virginia at the Richmond Coliseum.
Aside from the TLC fallout and an appearance from new World Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan, no matches have been announced for the show as of Tuesday morning.
Advertised locally is Randy Orton vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry with Booker T as referee, but this one won’t go on as scheduled due to Mark Henry’s injury.
Tonight’s Smackdown taping will be the final WWE show of the week, as the crew has the weekend off to celebrate the holidays. The next scheduled WWE show is Monday’s RAW from Chicago.
– The Miz recently granted his first Make-A-Wish. He tweeted on Monday:
“Just had my first Make A Wish where the kid only wanted to meet me. Truly an honor. Dylan keep fighting your AWESOME!!!”
– WWE’s website has a new article up looking at what potential items could be showcased at the physical Hall of Fame that the company has been planning for some time.
Items mentioned that could be featured in a WrestleMania wing of the building include Roddy Piper’s boxing gloves from WrestleMania 2, what’s left of the battle royal trophy Bad News Brown won (and Bret Hart destroyed) from WrestleMania 4, Shawn Michaels’ zipline from WrestleMania 12 and more.
— WWEShop.com is accepting pre-orders for the new “Cena Sucks” t-shirt that went on sale this past weekend at WWE live events. The shirt is officially listed as “Anti John Cena Shirt” with no preview image provided.
— A WWE camera crew visited the home of Shawn Michaels on Monday to shoot footage that will be used for programming on the upcoming WWE Network. Michaels tweeted:
“WWE Network crew is here setting up. Multiple interviews apparently for various programming. Do I have to pay to get the channel? :-)”
He followed up four hours later:
“Holy cow that was a long interview!!”
– Speaking of Shawn Michaels, Carl Dantes sent in the following information regarding four scheduled appearances for the Heartbreak Kid in early 2012;
* January 11, 2012 – from 10-11am at the Dead Down Wind booth at the ATA show in Columbus OH
* January 12, 2012 – from 1-3pm at the Carbon Express Booth at the ATA show in Columbus OH
* January 18, 2012 – from noon to 1pm at the Outdoor Channel booth at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas
* February 2, 2012 – from 1-2pm at the Outdoor Channel booth at the SCI Convention in Las Vegas
After Monday’s RAW Supershow from Philadelphia, PA went off the air, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Zack Ryder celebrated around the ring with their title belts. They made their way up the ramp and posted with their belts on the stage before heading to the back.
Then, the dark match main event took place between John Cena and Kane. The match ended in a disqualification when Kane hit John Cena with a chair.
After the match was over, Kane left the ringside area, but returned shortly after. He attempted a piledriver, but Cena countered it and nailed him with the Attitude Adjustment, which got a big pop from the live crowd.
Cena closed the show by wishing the fans happy holidays.
– Tonight’s WWE RAW Supershow opens up with the normal video package. We’re live from the Wells Fargo Center as a drumroll starts up. WWE Champion CM Punk welcomes us to Philadelphia. Punk says on behalf of John Laurinaitis, he is proud to announce the result of TLC. We still can’t see Punk yet, just hear him. Punk announces himself as the winner at TLC and out he comes to a big pop from the crowd. Punk makes his way to the ring.
Punk comes out and talks about retaining the WWE Title at TLC. Punk says he is beat up and sore but a lot of people thought he would never hold the WWE Title. Punk then introduces the new United States Champion, Zack Ryder, after another drumroll. Out comes Ryder to a nice pop from the crowd.
The crowd chants Ryder’s name and he soaks it up. Punk says he has saved the biggest for last, then talks about the World Heavyweight Title Chairs Match at TLC. Punk does a drumroll for Big Show or Mark Henry as the winner but says the unthinkable happened. Punk brings out the new World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan. Ryder, Punk and Bryan stand with their belts in the middle of the ring. Punk says if any city would appreciate this scene right here, it would be Philadelphia. The crowd chants ECW. Punk talks about he and Bryan meeting 10 years ago at the Murphy rec center down the street and it gets a big pop and now here they are as WWE and World Champion. Punk puts over Ryder next and gets the crowd to fist pump. Punk calls this crazy. Punk puts over Bryan and Ryder some more and wants to hear from them now.
Ryder says he still can’t believe it and had to call his dad this morning to make sure he was the United States Champion. Bryan says nobody even expected him to get to WWE. Bryan brings up Michael Cole and the crowd boos while Cole rants at ringside. Bryan says he got here and he’s champion… not just any champion but the World Heavyweight Champion. Bryan goes on but stops when The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio come out to the ring and surround it. Punk, Bryan and Ryder get ready to fight and stop the heels from entering the ring by knocking them back. Ryder leaps over the ropes and takes out Ziggler. Miz and Del Rio attack Ryder until Punk and Bryan run them off and up the stage. John Laurinaitis runs out and stops the four from fighting. Laurinaitis makes Miz, Ziggler and Del Rio vs. Bryan, Punk and Ryder for tonight. Laurinaitis says this is his Christmas present to the Superstars and the WWE Universe. Laurinaitis wishes everyone a Happy Holidays as we go to the announcers.
– Cole hypes Kane’s return on last week’s show and says tonight, John Cena will speak out. Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton is up next after commercial.
Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton
Back from the break and out comes Randy Orton to a big pop. His opponent Wade Barrett is out next.
The bell rings and Barrett strikes first, taking the fight to the corner. Barrett beats Orton down and stomps on him. Orton turns it around with right hands and slams Barrett for 2. They go to the floor and Barrett lays Orton out with a running boot to the head. Barrett gets back in the ring as we go to commercial.
Back from the break and Barrett is still in control. Barrett knocks Orton back out of the ring with a big boot to the face. Orton makes it back in and fights out of a headlock. Orton catches a kick and comes back with clotheslines and the powerslam. Barrett blocks the DDT and goes for Wasteland. Orton blocks that with the backbreaker. Orton hits the second rope draping DDT and readies for the RKO. Barrett hits Orton with a thumb to the eyes and gets disqualified.
Winner by DQ: Randy Orton
– After the bell, Barrett continues the attack on Orton as the referee tries to get him to stop. Barrett stomps away on Orton and hits the Winds of Change sideslam. Barrett brings a table from under the ring and slides it in. Barrett hits another big boot to the head as Orton is getting up. Barrett sets the table up and puts Orton through it with Wasteland.
– Cole and Lawler talk about TLC and Kevin Nash getting hurt. Alicia Fox is shown backstage as is Divas Champion Beth Phoenix as we go back to commercial.
Beth Phoenix vs. Alicia Fox
Back from the break and out comes the WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix to the ring. Out next comes Alicia Fox. They go at it and Beth drops Alicia with a sidewalk slam. Alicia makes a comeback and drops a leg for the quick pinWinner: Alicia Fox
– After the match, Alicia takes the mic and says she hopes everyone has a Foxy Holiday.
– We get more hype for tonight’s six-man main event before going back to break.
Sheamus vs. Jinder Mahal
Back from the break and out comes Sheamus followed by his opponent Jinder Mahal. Mahal rips Sheamus on the mic as he makes his way to the ring. Mahal says it’s time someone put Sheamus in his place. The bell rings and Mahal goes behind. Sheamus fights him off. Mahal comes back with kicks and knees to the gut. Sheamus drops him with a right hand and goes to work. Mahal kicks Sheamus and kicks his knee out. Mahal with a dropkick to the head.
Mahal with another high knee for a 2 count. Sheamus makes a comeback but misses the battering ram from the top. Sheamus connects with the Irish Curse backbreaker and the Celtic Cross for the win.
Winner: Sheamus
– Up next, John Cena speaks out about Kane.
– Back from the break and we get a replay of Kane attacking John Cena last week. Cena comes out and gets a mixed reaction from the Philadelphia crowd. Cena heads to the ring.
Cena is met with mostly boos as he enters the ring. Cena says what he’s about to say is shocking and jokingly warns the fans. Cena says apparently there are people out there that don’t like him and apparently he can get under some people’s skin. Cena brings up The Rock and says he is ready for April 1st. Cena says there is a monster on the loose and talks about Kane chokeslamming him to hell last week. The crowd cheers somewhat.
Cena says if last week was a mistake, he will let bygones be bygones and they will go their separate ways. If last week wasn’t a mistake, then they have business and they should handle that business. Mark Henry’s music hits and out he comes in street clothes, limping with a boot on.
Henry says Cena would be the next member in the Hall of Pain, if it wasn’t for Kane. The crowd chants “Sexual Chocolate” as Henry enters the ring. Henry tells Cena to kick rocks and get out of his face. He’s all the business Cena needs to worry about. Cena posts up to fight when the stage explodes and the lights go out. Kane’s music hits and out he comes.
Kane enters the ring and Cena unloads on him. Cena sends Kane to the floor but he lands on his feet. Kane pulls Cena out and throws him over the announce table. Kane beats Cena up with big right hands. Kane looks to choke Cena out with a mandible and Cena is bleeding. Kane rips off Cena’s shirt and leaves with it as his music plays. We go to commercial.
Epico and Primo vs. The Usos
Back from the break and Primo, Epico and Rosa Mendes are in the ring. Out next come The Usos with their grand entrance.
Primo starts off for his team and Jimmy does for his. The Usos take control early on. Epico distracts Uso and Primo dropkicks him off the ropes. Primo stomps away and tags in Epico. Epico continues stomping as Rosa cheers them on. Primo tags back in and continues the assault. We see Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne watching backstage. Epico with a pair of pin attempts on Uso.
More back and forth action. Jimmy clears the ring and hits the big splash in the corner like Rikishi. Primo gets laid out but Epico comes from behind with the Backstabber for the winWinners: Epico and Primo
– Back from the break and Cody Rhodes is backstage with Josh Matthews. Cody talks about Booker T but is interrupted by Santino Marella. Santino has a Christmas present for Cody but he doesn’t want it. It’s the Christmas Cobra and Santino taunts Cody with it. We go to commercial.
Santino Marella vs. Cody Rhodes
Out first comes Santino Marella followed by the WWE Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes. Santino goofs off to start the match and Cody drops him. Cody takes him to the corner. Santino tries to come back but Cody gets the win with Cross Rhodes.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
– We get a video looking back at this year’s Tribute to the Troops.
– Back from the break and The Bella Twins are arguing with John Laurinaitis between them. David Otunga is there and they aren’t happy with the way Teddy Long talked to them at TLC. Laurinaitis says the Board has concerns about Teddy too and they’re watching him. The Bellas kiss Laurinaitis and walk off. Vickie Guerrero comes in pissed off wanting a rematch for Dolph Ziggler. She gets kissed under mistletoe by Hornswoggle the elf.
– We get more hype from TLC and a video from TLC of Zack Ryder’s dad commenting on his win.
– Josh Matthews is backstage with Big Show. Show talks about losing the World Heavyweight Title at TLC and gets emotional. Show says it’s his fault – he encouraged Daniel Bryan on SmackDown to not wait until WrestleMania 28. Matthews points out Show has the shortest World Title reign in history. Show goes from about to cry to pissed off.
The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk, Zack Ryder and Daniel Bryan
We go to the ring and out first comes The Miz followed by Dolph Ziggler. Alberto Del Rio comes driving in but his entrance is interrupted by a new cryptic video before we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes WWE United States Champion Zack Ryder through the crowd. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan is out next, also through the crowd. WWE Champion CM Punk is out next, coming through the crowd.
Punk and Miz start things off. Punk with a headlock and a shoulder for a quick pin attempt. Punk works on the arm and tags in Bryan for some double teaming. Bryan with a dropkick for a 2 count. Ziggler comes in but gets double teamed by Bryan and Ryder. Ziggler ends up on the floor. Del Rio runs in and misses a dropkick ending up on the floor. They dump Miz to the floor. Bryan, Ryder and Punk all come down taking out their opponents. The faces hit the ring to pose for the fans as we go to commercial.
Back from the break and Bryan is kicking Miz. Miz turns it around and drops Bryan for a 2 count. Del Rio comes in and they keep Bryan in the corner. Del Rio with a dropkick to the back of Bryan for a 2 count. Ziggler comes in and keeps Bryan down with a headlock. Bryan fights out but Ziggler clotheslines him for a 2 count. Miz comes in and keeps up the attack on Bryan. Miz with a kick to the head and another 2 count. Another tag to Del Rio. Bryan finally makes a comeback with uppercuts but gets whipped hard into the corner. Del Rio with a big kick to the head and Bryan goes down in the corner.
Del Rio connects with a backbreaker on Bryan for a 2 count. Ziggler comes in and beats Bryan down in the corner again. Ziggler charges and Bryan kicks him in the mouth. Ryder gets the tag and unloads on Ziggler. Ryder drops Ziggler in the corner and hits the Broski Boot. Ryder knocks Miz and Del Rio off the apron before a pin attempt on Ziggler. Ziggler turns it around and tags in Miz who keeps Ryder grounded. Miz holds Ryder from tagging and slams him back in the corner. Miz with shoulder thrusts on Ryder now. Del Rio tags back in but Ryder dumps him out to the floor. Ryder tags in Punk as Miz tags in. Punk with forearms and a swinging neckbreaker. Punk hits the high knee in the corner and the bulldog. Punk with a scoop slam before going up high and hitting the big elbow drop.
Punk covers for a 2 count and then applies the Anaconda Vice but Ziggler breaks it up. Ziggler stomps on Punk until Ryder pulls him out of the ring. Bryan dropkicks Del Rio from the top. Miz stomps on Bryan but Punk makes the save. Punk hits GTS on Miz and he rolls out of the ring. Del Rio comes from behind and knocks Punk out of the ring. Del Rio throws Bryan into the turnbuckles. Bryan counters Del Rio and applies the LaBell Lock. Del Rio taps out to end the match.
Winners: CM Punk, Zack Ryder and Daniel Bryan
– After the match, the champions go to ringside to pose for the fans as RAW goes off the air.
— WWE developmental wrestler Dean Ambrose wrestled a dark match prior to Monday’s RAW from Philadelphia, losing to Ted DiBiase via Dreamstreet. Prior to the match, Ambrose cut a promo making fun of the people of Philadelphia and warning everybody to stay out of his way when he’s in WWE.
— Matches taped on Monday night for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars include:
* Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston vs. Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks
* Alex Riley vs. Michael McGillicutty
— WWE will hold a Raw SuperShow on Monday, March 19, 2012 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tickets go on sale Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. via ComcastTix.com.
– Social media blog Mashable.com has announced their 2011 Mashable Awards winners, with WWE winning for six categories:
Digital Company of the Year: WWE
Must Follow Brand on Social Media: WWE
Must Follow Actor on Social Media: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Must Follow Athlete on Social Media: John Cena
Game of the Year: THQ’s WWE ’12
Best Social Good Cause Campaign: be a STAR
– WWE.com has a new interview WrestleMania-themed interview up with Shawn Michaels. The WWE Hall of Famer said he has some regrets regarding his career, especially his WrestleMania 14 match with Steve Austin. Michaels said:
“I just wasn’t in a great place physically or emotionally. That one could have been so much more. Steve didn’t get me at my best. And that’s unfortunate, because it was the last time I got to work with him. Steve went on to such great things afterward, and I had an opportunity to make that match so much more.”
Michaels also said he shudders to think what he and Bret Hart could have accomplished if they had gotten along.
