We are back to a normal Raw tonight, as it emanates from Providence, Rhode Island. The Shield have continued to pick up wins, despite people (ahem, C.M. Punk) trying to form cracks in the trio. Can “The Hounds Of Justice” get another W in a match tonight and keep sticking together?
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton and his challenger, John Cena, were both amiss from Old School Raw last week. If they are in the building tonight, how will their rivalry pick up as they move along to their bout at the Royal Rumble?
On Smackdown, The Usos promised to exact revenge on The Wyatt Family. They will face Bray Wyatt and Daniel Bryan on Raw, so will the Twin Brothers be able to uphold their want; or does the ever-creepy Family run amok again?
Plus, with the Royal Rumble looming, we know that Batista is both returning next week and will be in the Royal Rumble match, along with Alberto Del Rio. Is anyone else going to make their presence in the annual Battle Royal known this evening?
All this and much more, so read on!
Monday Night Raw TV Report for January 13th, 2014 – “Limit Reached”
Introduction Segment: Video Promo
The Wyatt Family opens Raw with their usual eerie footage, with Bray saying “he needed me. // He only hears my truth. Now he has a home, he has a home.”
Match #1: Tag-Team – The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) VS. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt and Daniel Bryan) (with Wyatt Family members Erik Rowan and Luke Harper)
Jey and Bryan begin, with Jey hammering away on Bryan. He slaps him hard in the corner, but Daniel reverses an Irish whip into an elbow. He harshly kicks away in the corner, then tags in his leader. Wyatt comes in and also hammers away at Jey, isolating him from Jimmy. Bryan back in and yanks Jey against the ropes. He kicks him in the back, then elbows him on the apron, followed by a leaping knee-to-the-head. He sling-shots Jey against the ropes, then switches again with Bray. “The Prophesizer” runs and splashes Jey in the corner, then slaps hands with the new follower.
Daniel continues to kick and toy with Jey, then rips at his face. Uso fights out of a rounding facelock with a spin-kick to the head. Jey jumps and gets the hot-tag to his brother. Jimmy in and all over Bryan with flying forearms and a Samoan Drop. He charges at Bryan in the corner with a butt-splash, then tosses both Bray and Daniel to the floor. Both Usos follow up with a double plancha over the ropes!
Just as they go to soar off the top rope, Harper and Rowan interfere, causing the automatic dq.
Winners via Disqualification: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey)
Post-match, Erik and Luke work over Jey, but he ducks a splash and clothesline, then nails a crescent-kick to Bryan. He hops out of the ring and escapes with Jimmy.
Bray, Luke, and Rowan survey a downed Bryan. Bray moves in and whispers something to Daniel, who holds out his arms and falls to his knees in appearance of obedience. Bray then plants him with Sister Abigail, yelling over him “I do this for all of us!” They roll Bryan out of the ring and carry him off.
Up next, John Cena will be in the ring!
Match #2: Single – “The Intellectual Saviour Of The Unwashed Masses” Damien Sandow VS. John Cena
(Gee, I wonder who’s going to win this?!) Lockup between the two to start out, with Sandow controlling a side headlock. Cena pushes him off the ropes, leapfrogs, and takes him down into a grounding armbar! He turns it into a standing headlock, then reverses a Sandow hip-toss try into one of his own. They face-off again, then Sandow becomes aggressive with punches and kicks. He chokes Cena in the corner with his boot He headbutts Cena a few times as we go to break.
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Sandow is kneeing Cena in the side, but misses a high knee drop. Cena runs at Damien with a couple of jumping shoulder blocks! He spins him around with the spin-out backdrop, and drops the 5-Knuckle Shuffle fist drop. Cena picks him up for the Attitude Adjustment, but Sandow wiggles out and pulls John down by the head. 1 – 2 – Cena kicks out! Sandow tries a neckbreaker, but John flips him over and tries the S.T.F. submission. Damien kicks Cena off, then locks him in The Royal Arch – modified Edgecution/Sharpshooter submission. Cena rolls over and pushes off, then slams him down with a full-nelson into a neckbreaker for a near fall!
Cena climbs the turnbuckle, but Sandow meets him up there. John shoves him to the mat and kicks him off, then turns around with a Tornado DDT! 1 – 2 – Sandow kicks out! Cena has an expression of wonder after not being able to finish this. He tries another A.A., but Damien slides out and almost gets this with a sunset flip! He plants Cena face-first with a front neckbreaker and nearly takes it again. Sandow attempts the Full-Nelson Slam, but Cena flips him over and clutches on the S.T.F. Sandow manages to crawl to the bottom rope to break it off!
Sandow locks him in another submission, the Crossface, but Cena powers out into an Attitude Adjustment and the hard-earned victory! (Okay, better and longer than I thought!)
Winner via Pinfall: John Cena
Post-match, Cena celebrates and hugs his father at ringside.
Later tonight, it will be 6-Man action as C.M. Punk and The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg Jesse James and B.A. Billy Gunn) will take on The Shield! (In other words, the same match from Smackdown!)
Commercials.
Segment #2: Video Promo
Footage of the new WWE Network airs.
Segment #3: Office Promo
Director Of Authority Kane is looking over papers when Raw General Manager Brad Maddox walks in. He calls Raw “already in chaos with The Wyatt Family,” but Kane says it is him that should really be enforcing. Maddox takes the challenge, and books The Usos to re-take on Bray and Bryan, in a Steel Cage! Kane adds to it, saying “the door will be chained and locked. And I will be the only one with the key.”
The Big Show makes his entrance.
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Match #3: Single – The Big Show VS. Jack Swagger (with Real Americans partners Antonio Cesaro and Zeb Colter)
(Note: Zeb has another inventive sign that reads “Sneakers are for feet, not crossing the border!”) Show completely dominates this bout and finishes Swagger quickly with The Chokeslam!
Winner via Pinfall: The Big Show
Post-match, Cesaro snuck in for an attack, but then backed off and high-tailed it to the crowd. Show smiles as he realizes that Zeb is checking on Jack. Big climes in the ring and stands behind Colter, who turns around and starts to plead. Show clutches him by the throat, but is thrown off by Cesaro. Show just pushes Antonio back out of the ring, then winds up and stalls, then knocks out Colter with the K.O. Punch.
Commercials.
Match #4: 6-Man Tag-Team – The New Age Outlaws (“Bad Ass” Billy Gunn and “Road Dogg” Jesse James) and C.M. Punk VS. The Shield (United States Champion Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns)
Prior to the match, The N.A.O. introduce themselves as they normally would (and still have it!), then bring out “The Best In The World!” Ambrose begins with Billy, being taken down with a side headlock. Gunn pushes him down with a standing shoulder block, but is punches away at in the corner. Billy elbows out of the opposite corner, but is double-teamed by Rollins and Ambrose. Seth now in and toys with Gunn. He runs off the ropes but is caught with a big tilt-a-whirl slam for two by Gunn! Gunn switches with Road Dog, who is ripped on the ropes by Dean. James comes back with punches and the Shake-Rattle-And-Roll knee drop, then wears him down with a chinlock. He works him over with a wrist lock, then tags in Punk.
C.M. all over Ambrose until Dena gives him a boot out of the corner. He switches with Rollins, who gets caught in a G.T.S., but wiggles out of it and tags in Reigns. Punk and Roman face-off, then slug it out evenly. Reigns hits Punk down after he ran off the ropes, but is dumped to the outside after Punk pulls the ropes down. The “Second City Saint” follows with a suicide dive before a break!
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Rollins and Punk are now going at it, with Punk taking Seth down with a neckbreaker. Rollins counters and trips up Punk into the ropes, then tags in Reigns. He impressively runs on the floor, and nails Punk in the head with a front dropkick, upwards! Ambrose back in and wears C.M. down with a grounding headlock. Rollins and Ambrose trade in and out, breaking Punk down. C.M. tries to crawl through Ambrose for the tag, but Dean cuts him off and chucks him to the floor. He whips him around, but Punk counters and sends Ambrose into the steel steps!
Punk back in the ring, and so is Ambrose thanks to Reigns. He tags in Rollins, who leaps over Punk and is calf-kicked down. Rollins makes another tag to Reigns, who drags Punk away then gives James and Gunn their own “suck it” sign! (Nice touch!) However, Reigns turns right around into a high-kick by Punk. He gets himself to the corner, but suddenly the N.A.O. jump off the apron and walk off! (Interesting twist!) They leave C.M. alone, who slowly turns around to a seething Shield.
He knocks Rollins off and gives Reigns a swinging neckbreaker, then boots Ambrose to the floor and hurls Rollins back over the ropes. However, Punk then turns around into a big spear by Roman for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winners via Pinfall: The Shield (United States Champion Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns)
Post-match, Reigns directs orders as Ambrose and Rollins lift Punk. All three drop him with the Triple-Powerbomb as Reigns squats over and taunts the “Best In The World.”
Segment #4: Backstage Promo
In the dark, The Wyatt Family discuss tonight’s Steel Cage match. “They’re afraid, I can sense it, I can feel it. The last thing in the world they should want is to be locked in that cage with us. People like us Bryan, people like you and I, people like him, we’ve been locked in this cage our entire life. Society is a cage. That’s why Bryan, tonight, inside that cage, we find redemption. Inside that cage, we find absolution,” proclaims Wyatt. “Inside that cage, we find monsters” yells Daniel. “Run!” finishes Wyatt. (Verrrry creepy!)
Commercials.
Match #5: Tag-Team – The Funkadactyls (Cameron and Naomi) VS. Tamina Snuka and Divas Champion A.J. Lee (Non-Title)
(Note: during A.J.’s and Snuka’s entrance, NXT Diva Emma is holding a sign that reads “#Emmataining” and dances in the crowd.) Cameron and Snuka begin, with Tamina shoving her down. Cameron fires back with a dropkick and tilt-a-whirl headscissors. She is caught by Tamina and roped, then knee dropped. Snuka grabs her in a waistlock, then picks her up and scoop-slams her down. A.J. wants in, so Tamina obliges. A.J. takes Cameron down with a neckbreaker then skips around prior to the cover for one. Lee clamps on a grounding rear choke with scissors, then axe-handles Cameron down as she went for the tag. A.J. pushes Naomi off the apron, then finishes this with the Shining Wizard!
Winners via Pinfall: Tamina Snuka and Divas Champion A.J. Lee
Post-match, Snuka and Lee try to bully Cameron more, but Naomi comes back and gets revenge. They back off up the aisle as Naomi wants them to bring more.
Backstage, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton is looking for The Authority.
Up next, the first inductee for the WWE Hall-Of-Fame Class Of 2014 will be revealed! (Cool, wasn’t expecting this until after the Royal Rumble!)
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Segment #5: Office Promo
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton barges into Director Of Operations Kane’s office, and proclaims that everything is going wrong from him. Kane already knows this and books him to face Kofi Kingston, that way he can “vent his frustration.”
Segment #6: Video Promo
The first inductee to the WWE Hall-Of-Fame Class Of 2014 is … The Ultimate Warrior!
Segment #7: Backstage Promo
Rene Young is with Paul Heyman, and reminds him of Big Show’s hurling of his client Brock Lesnar. Heyman responds, calling Show’s challenge to Lesnar stupid, and puts over Brock.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton makes his entrance for the next bout after the break.
Commercials.
Match #6: Single – WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton VS. Kofi Kingston (Non-Title)
Orton really does take out his anger on Kingston, decimating him on the outside. Kofi comes back with quick kicks in the ring, but is quickly clotheslined down again. He regains control, working over Kofi methodically. He goes to ram Kofi’s head on the commentator’s table, but Kofi counters and does the same three times! Back in the ring, Orton pulls Kofi into the middle turnbuckle, then gets in the zone. He superplexes Kofi off the top rope, but only gets a two count! He continues to dominate Kofi, but Kingston fires back again, clotheslining Orton over the ropes. He tries a dive, but stops himself then slides through. He slams Randy’s head on the steel steps, then dives off the apron with another clothesline!
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Randy is back on top, backdropping Kofi on the barricade, then ramming his head on the announce table. Kingston counters a grounding rear chinlock with punches and a backdrop. He starts to punch back too, but Orton hangs on to the ropes as Kofi went for the Trouble In Paradise tornado-kick. Orton tosses Kofi over the ropes and chucks him into both steel steps. “The Viper” dominates again for a while, until Kofi moved out of a knee drop attempt and comes back with his usual moves. Orton rolls out of a Boom Drop try, then sets up for the sling-shot DDT. Kofi counters out of nowhere and gets surprise win with the S.O.S.!
Winner via Pinfall: Kofi Kingston
Post-match, Orton becomes enrages and assaults John Cena’s father at ringside. Security pulls him off and Cena Jr. runs down and chases him off. He and personnel check on Cena Sr.
Commercials.
Segment #7: Backstage Promo
John Cena is riding with his father in an ambulance.
Match #7: Tag-Team – Tag-Team Champions The Brotherhood (Goldust and Cody Rhodes) VS. Rybaxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) (Non-Title)
Goldust and Axel start out with an armdrag by Goldust, but Curtis slugs back. He jumps over Goldust, but it taken aback with an uppercut. Ryback now in and is outsmarted by Goldust with another uppercut. Cody now in and moonsaults onto Ryback, then The Brotherhood double-team Ryback. Axel tags himself in and nails Goldust from behind with a clothesline.
He punches and kicks away in a flurry in the corner, then hits the high-dropkick. Goldust fights back against Ryback, but is military-pressed slammed for a two-count. Goldust counters out of the corner with a running bulldog, then tags in his brother. Cody is all over Curtis, with a sunset flip, uppercut, kick-to-the-gut, and a springboard front-dropkick! Cody ascends the top rope and goes for the moonsault, but Ryback runs at him. Rhodes kicks him off then finishes this off with the Crosshodes!
Winners via Pinfall: Tag-Team Champions The Brotherhood (Goldust and Cody Rhodes)
Up next, Rey Mysterio will take on Alberto Del Rio.
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Match #8: Single – Rey Mysterio VS. Alberto Del Rio
Del Rio harsh right away with kicks and punches in the corner. Mysterio counters with a headscissors and goes for the 619, but Alberto escapes to the outside. Rey-Rey follows up with a seated-senton dive on the outside, then soars off the top rope with another one! He rolls through a sunset flip and kicks A.D.R. in the head! Del Rio counters another move and gives Rey an armbreaker and begins to work over the left appendage. He runs at Mysterio in the corner, but eats the ring post as Rey moved. He reverses a slam and hits the 619; but is crotched on the top rope and viciously kicked in the head! He clamps on the Cross Armbreaker and Mysterio taps out!
Winner via Submission: Alberto Del Rio
Post-match, Alberto threatens Batista again and says he will throw him out of the Royal Rumble.
Commercials.
Segment #8: Office Promo
C.M. Punk is with Director Of Operations Kane and wants to know where The Authority. He throws out the conspiracy theory that Triple H ordered The New Age Outlaws to turn on him. Kane entices Punk instead, by telling him The Authority put him in the Royal Rumble match.
Segment #9: Video Promo
The Usos cut a speech, in half Samoan and half English, telling Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt they will be coming for them!
The steel cage lowers and The Wyatt Family make their entrance for the last match of this episode!
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It is announced that The New Age Outlaws will take on Tag-Team Champions The Brotherhood, in a Non-Title bout, this week on Smackdown!
The Usos now make their traditional entrance.
Match #9: Steel Cage Tag-Team – The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt and Daniel Bryan) (with Wyatt Family Members Erik Rowan and Luke Harper) VS. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey)
(Note: Director Of Operations Kane also homes out and officially locks both teams inside [and Harper & Rowan outside]). Usos and Wyatts slug it out right off the bat! Wyatts take control early by tossing an Uso into the cage, and Bryan giving a running knee into the other Uso. Bray sling-shots Jimmy into the wall, but Jey jumps over Bryan and tries to climb out. He and Bryan are both atop the cage, but Bray pulls Jimmy over and down into the ring.
Jey runs and hammers Bray from behind, then Russian legsweeps Bryan from the ropes to the canvas!
Commercials.
Bray is choking Jey on the ropes, while Daniel kicks away at Jimmy in the corner. Jey rams Bray’s head off the steel mesh a couple times, then twists off the ropes with a block for a two count! Bryan tries to get out of the ring, but both Usos cut him off and bring him back with a double-Russian legsweep! An Uso crawls over for the cover but Bray breaks it up to save his team. He regains control and sets up Jimmy for the Sister Abigail, but Jey stops him with a kick-to-the-head!
Both Usos start to climb the cage, but Rowan and Harper intimidate from the ground. Wyatt and Bryan follow, but The Usos push Bryan into Bray, then drop down to get the victory!
Winners via Climb-Out: The Usos
Post-match, Wyatt is actually smiling at Bryan, then whispers in his ear like at the beginning of the show. Once again, Bryan holds out his arms and drops down, submitting. However, as Bray goes for Sister Abigail, Bryan shoves him off. Wyatt is still smiling as Bryan glares at him, then the raucous crowd who is cheering him on. Wyatt has unhearable words with Bryan, then drops to his knees and dares him to “bring it to me.” Daniel doesn’t make a move, then Bray runs at him. Bryan moves from a splash and starts to unload on the leader. Bryan runs at him with a front-dropkick, then proceeds with series of kicks.
Erik and Luke are trying to get in the cage, as Bryan disrobes to reveal his usual wrestling attire. He chucks Bray into the cage, then gets the ENTIRE arena to do his “yes” chant/taunt. He polishes Bray off with the running knee, then climbs the cage and sits on top, riling up the fans more to close the show!
End Of Raw.
Reporter’s Rumblings – By Moe Tapp
This was another great Raw as we get closer to the Royal Rumble. It followed up storylines greatly from last week, and continued to build the pay-per-view nicely. Plus, the announcement of the first Hall-Of-Famer for 2014 was a surprise, even though it was someone that was highly rumoured anyway, and not a complete “swerve.” Onto the critiques:
Excellence: matches – Wyatts/Usos (both opener and main-event), 6-Man with The Shield/Punk/N.A.O., & Cena/Sandow. All well-put together and the two main ones had a couple nice switch-a-roos for their conclusions. (N.A.O. turning and Bryan going full-face again – very intriguing to see were both will go!)
Kane was great in his role tonight, and I really didn’t miss The Authority because of him. Cena/Sandow extra props to, because I thought it would be just a “roll-over” for Cena; but they put on pretty darn great contest and had me in a little suspense at points. I still knew Cena would win, but glad they went longer than expected.
Thank you, thank you, thank you whoever decided to leave Wade Barrett off Raw tonight!!!! Please, repackage him and bring back the “Bare Knuckle Brawler” gimmick, NOW!
Loving the development of Roman Reigns – he’s starting to have a bit of arrogance to him, almost like Kevin Nash in a way; but still can actually wrestle and you believe him when he takes command. Looking forward to him breaking out and becoming a big star eventually.
Nice to see an insertion of NXT Talent – I was really caught off guard that it was Diva Emma, one of the last I’d expect to make an NXT-first appearance on Raw; however, she is a great talent, both in the ring and on the microphone/with the fans.
Loved the psychology that Bray played with Bryan, and it was totally mind-boggling at the end with the entire arena going for Daniel! The man is super-popular and do absolutely no wrong in the fans’ eyes, even though they just tried the short-lived heel-turn. Really excited by the continuation of this feud, and hopefully The Usos will also remain in it. Great main event and glad all the young guys got the last spot on this card.
Bogus: Thought that Raw just … started! I felt like I missed something with how they went straight into the match after Bray’s video promo. A little off. Matches of Del Rio/Mysterio, Funkadactyls/A.J./Tamina, Brotherhood/Rybaxel, & Show/Swagger were either a waste (Show/Swagger & Del Rio/Mysterio) or more of the same that we’ve seen recently. I love The Brotherhood, A.J./Snuka (especially since I’m currently reading “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka’s autobiography – ok, cheap plug!), but just felt their matches were going through the motions until the finish.
While I like Show’s mean streak again, didn’t like the fact that they fed the Real Americans to him for a quick job. They were doing great building the Tag-Team division again, and I think these guys are/were solid contenders. As the old cliche goes, their stock has now fallen a bit after this match.
Not liking Del Rio’s newest gimmick. Everyone knows that Batista will just plough threw him, so this just feels a waste of time whenever he’s on the mike until the Royal Rumble. Also, I was really bored by Orton/Kingston. Again, it just felt more of the same with both of their styles, and it really makes no sense for Kingston to get the win. Orton should’ve bowled him over in a bout a minute to show how ticked off he was.
Overall, a wonderful Raw and great, cliff-hanger finish! Until next week, when “The Animal” returns, as always, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Readers and Wrestling Fans!
