Chris Jericho’s dancing partner for tonight’s dance off against Fandango will be Edyta Sliwinska, a Polish ballroom dancer who was a regular on the first 10 seasons of the popular reality TV show Dancing With The Stars.
“Hey A dancing tip for @Edyta_Sliwinska,” wrote Fandango on Twitter. “Avoid breathing through your nose when dancing with @IAmJericho #RawIsFandango #danceoff.”
The last time Jericho decided to dance in front of Fandango, he took his dancing partner Summer Rae before throwing him off the stage.
WWE commentator Michael Cole has decided to tag team with his broadcast partner JBL to climb Mount Whitney in August as part of JBL’s Seven Summits program.
Cole wrote in his blog on Layfield’s website that he wants to drop down 40 pounds by mid August to be in better shape for his first climb. It will be interesting to see how it works out with his WWE schedule.
Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14,505 feet and lis located in the Sierra Nevada range in California.
JBL is trying to climb the world’s highest peaks on every continent in an effort to raise money for kids in Bermuda through the Family Centre. WWE is sponsoring his climbs.
The character of Abyss made a surprise return on IMPACT Wrestling this week, joining number one contender Sting and Kurt Angle to take on Bully Ray, Devon, and Mr. Anderson in the main event of the TNA show.
Abyss – played by Chris Parks – last appeared on TNA television at the Genesis pay-per-view in January of last year where he was assaulted backstage.
Parks returned to television in March of that year as Mr. Joseph Park, Esq., in a storyline where he was Abyss’ brother and looking for him.
We have decided to stop covering mixed martial arts here on Wrestling-Online.com due to lack of resources from our end among other factors.
Covering wrestling is already a difficult task, adding MMA to the mix was a big undertaking, but with the help of our MMA TV reporter David Comer it was a bit easier. He wrote tons of PPV and TV reports over the past year and we appreciate all the work he’s done for the site.
Unfortunately though without additional help, covering MMA was going to be impossible. It is because of that that we are sadly closing our MMA chapter on Wrestling-Online.com. We’re still fans of the sport, and will continue to follow it as always, but we’re just not going to write about it here.
The MMA section on our mobile apps will still be appearing until the next update. Stories will not be updated and the section will be eventually removed with the next release.
A new match has been added to the Extreme Rules pay-per-view featuring Big Show taking on Randy Orton in an extreme rules match.
Meanwhile, the Sheamus vs Mark Henry match also at the same pay-per-view is now a strap match, making all matches announced so far with stipulations.
Show vs Orton is the fifth match on the card with one week to go for the pay-per-view. It is headlined by Cena vs Ryback for the WWE title in a last man standing match.
Dolph Ziggler’s concussion from the Smackdown tapings on Tuesday has been described as “serious” according to Jim Ross, who said that there’s no timeline as to when Ziggler will be returning to the ring.
Speaking to WWE.COM, Ziggler said that he doesn’t even remember what happened the day before, his involvement at RAW, driving to Smackdown, and being at the tapings.
The World Heavyweight champion told WWE.COM that his headaches have gotten better and on Friday he only had a slight headache, a big improvement over what he had yesterday.
“I’ve had a couple of concussions before and just had a headache. I’ve never not remembered entire days, like someone in a movie,” Ziggler said, saying that this concussion has been the worst one so far in his career.
The champ has been diagnosed with retrograde amnesia and he needs to go back to the doctor in a few days where he might need a scan.
There has been no announcement over what will happen to Ziggler’s involvement at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view yet. The idea of him wrestling in a ladder match certainly won’t help his clearance!
Hulk Hogan is going all out at trying to remove all traces of his sex tape from the Internet according to TMZ.COM.
The article states that Hogan’s attorneys are firing off letters to websites who have posted screenshots or published any part of the footage from the sex tape threatening to take legal action against them.
One website which was targeted is TheDirty.com and it seems like that the editors have complied as the entry for their two posts regarding the sex tape have been emptied.
It will be interesting to see how Hogan’s team plan to eliminate the tape from the Internet since as you might have guessed, it’s quite a bit difficult to wipe something completely off the web!
WWE.COM announced that the May 27 edition of Monday Night RAW from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, will be a Bret Hart Appreciation Night as the WWE Hall of Famer and former WWE champion will be in attendance.
While previous appreciation nights celebrations happened after the show went off the air, this time around it will all be televised as WWE pays tribute to one of Canada’s most famous Superstars.
It is rumored that fellow Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels will be in Calgary as well for this show, something which is expected considering the long history between the two.
The last time WWE planned an appreciation night for someone – Patt Patterson – it ended up being canceled as it was on the night that Jerry Lawler suffered his heart attack in Montreal.
Impact begins with Sting and Kurt Angle making their way to the ring. Sting grabs the mic first and puts over Angle; Angle calls out AJ Styles. AJ comes out and gets a little bit of “good cop bad cop” from Angle and Sting.
Angle is sick of AJ refusing to take a side, and Sting is trying to get Kurt to calm down and coax AJ into helping. AJ eventually just walks away and Kurt confronts him on the entrance ramp. Angle and AJ start fighting while Sting watches from the ring. Aces and Eights sneak up behind Sting and take him out with a 3D, courtesy of Devon and Bully Ray.
Commercial
Match #1: Tara with Jesse and Gail Kim versus Mickie James and Knockouts champ Velvet Sky.
Mickie and Gail start the match off. Mickie hits Tara with a Punch, a clothesline, and then dropkicks Tara. Jesse trips up Mickie and Gail stomps on her. Gail tags Tara and they double team Mickie. Gail ties Mickie upside down in the corner and then hits her with a baseball slide dropkick to the face.
Gail hits Mickie with a couple forearm shots and a clothesline in the corner. Mickie fights back with a couple forearm shots and a kick to the head. Both wrestlers tag out at the same time. Velvet hits Tara with a pair of clotheslines and a kick.
Velvet follows up with a neckbreaker and Gail runs in to make the save. Velvet whips Gail into Jesse, and then hits Tara with In Yo Face (double underhook sit out facebuster) for the win. After the match Gail attacks her partner Tara, apparently because she got pinned. Gail puts Tara in a rope hung figure four leg lock.
In the back, Bully Ray and the rest of Aces and Eights celebrate the first ever 3D on Sting. D Lo shows up, apparently uninvited. D Lo is in serious trouble for saying “I quit” in his match against Kurt Angle last week.
Commercial
When we return, Kaz and Daniels (Bad Influence) are trying to bribe James Storm with beer. Storm will be the special referee in the #1contenders match later tonight between Bad Influence and Aries/Roode. Kaz even proposes reuniting Fortune with just the three of them; they could call it “threetune”.
Storm drinks the beer but I don’t think he was impressed. Aces and Eights go the ring en masse. Bully Ray asks D Lo what he is going to do to earn his way back into the club. D Lo says he wants to be the man to face Magnus in his scheduled match tonight. Bully says Doc is going to face Magnus instead, and D Lo can sit at the timekeepers table and hope Doc wins.
Commercial
Match #2: Doc versus Magnus.
Doc starts the match off with a headlock. Doc lands several punches and a Stinger splash on Magnus. Doc puts Magnus in a chin lock and Magnus elbows his way out of it. The two men exchange several strikes and clotheslines. Magnus goes to the top and Doc cuts him off.
Doc tries for a superplex but Magnus pushes him off. Magnus hits Doc with a flying elbow from the top rope and gets a two count. D Lo pulls Magnus out of the ring and Magnus slams D Lo into the steps. Magnus re enters the ring and Doc hits him with a flapjack. D Lo looks disoriented and grabs Doc’s leg by mistake. Magnus rolls Doc up for the win, thanks in part to D Lo’s blown interference.
Commercial
D Lo is getting chewed out in the Aces and Eights clubhouse. Bully tells the others to hold him down and takes his colors from him. Bully says D Lo is a bitch, and from now on is only a prospect, not a full-fledged member. Now D Lo’s job is to make sure the beer is cold and to wash the bikes.
In the back, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode approach James Storm and try to bribe him with beer and wine. Aries had already convinced Roode to tell Storm that Storm was the real star of Beer Money, and that the only reason he beat him for the world title is because he hit him with a beer bottle. Roode reluctantly does it, but I’m not sure Storm was buying it. Storm tells Roode it was no fluke when Aries beat Roode for the world title, stirring things up between them.
Commercial
Match #3: Austin Aries and Bobby Roode versus Daniels and Kazarian for the #1 contender for the tag titles.
During the introductions, Austin Aries backs Christy Hemme into the corner and then climbs the ropes, posing with his groin in her face. Aries and Kazarian start things off. The two men trade arm locks and reversals until Aries gets a takedown and spins on Kazarian’s back. Aries poses in the corner.
Aries and Kaz go at it again and they each rake the others eyes. Both men stagger around the ring blind and walk over to the wrong corner. They eventually make their way to their respective corner and tag in Daniels and Roode. The two men exchange kicks and shoulder blocks. Roode hits Daniels with a clothesline and a pair of knees to the gut. Roode takes Daniels down with a leg sweep and follows up with a neckbreaker.
Roode tags in Aries and Aries lands a flying elbow to Daniels and goes for a cover. Storm is very slow to start the count and Aries only gets a two. Aries hits Daniels with a punch, a palm strike, and an elbow. Aries throws Daniels to the floor and then climbs to the top. Aries hits Daniels with a double axe handle and then rolls him in. Daniels throws Roode to the floor and Kaz hits him with a double axe handle. Kaz rolls Roode back in and then Kaz and Daniels double team him. Roode tags in Aries and Aries hits Kaz with a dropkick.
Aries hits Daniels with a punch and a roaring elbow and then backdrops him to the floor. Aries hits Daniels with a suicide dive and then rolls him into the ring. Aries climbs to the top and hits a frog splash, but Kaz runs in to make the save. Kaz and Daniels double team Aries until Roode comes in to help. Aries hits Kaz with a shoulder block and Daniels hits Roode with an STO.
Aries and Daniels trade strikes. Daniels goes for Angels Wings but Aries blocks it; Aries goes for the Brain Buster but Daniels blocks it. Daniels rolls Aries up but he grabs the tights and Storm refuses to count. Aries offers Storm a beer and Storm drinks it. Storm hits Daniels with a superkick as Aries cheers. Aries covers Daniels but Storm only counts to 2.
Storm then hits Aries with a superkick and walks away. I smell a triple threat match for the tag titles. After the match, Magnus gets beaten down by Aces and Eights in the back. He fights back for a while, landing a nut shot and taking a couple people out with a stick, but eventually he gets overwhelmed and crushed under some metal equipment.
Commercial
When we return, X division champ Kenny King makes his way to the ring. King praises the returning Chris Sabin (Hail Sabin!) and expresses his admiration for the way Sabin has fought back from his injuries. Sabin says after losing the last two years to injuries, he’s going to wrestle each match like it could be his last, and promises to win the X Division title.
King offers to let Sabin hold the X Division title one more time out of respect. King then shows his true colors and calls him “Frail Sabin” and says this is the closest he’s ever going to get to being X division champ while King is still alive. King also promise to rain golden showers on his parade and demands his belt back. Sabin tosses King the belt and then knocks him out of the ring.
Commercial
Match #4: Mr. Anderson, Bully Ray, and Devon versus Sting, Kurt Angle, and possibly someone else if Hogan is able to convince him to show up.
Angle and Devon start the match off and exchange strikes. Devon rakes Angles eyes to get the advantage. Angle hits Devon with a back elbow and a belly to belly suplex. Devon tags in Bully Ray and Ray lands an elbow. Angle takes Bully Ray down with a couple arm drags and then tags in Sting.
Ray tags in Anderson and Anderson hits Sting with a kick and a punch. Sting hits Anderson with an atomic drop and a dropkick. Anderson gets caught up in the ropes and Sting pulls the ropes up into his crotch. Sting tags in Kurt and Kurt lands several strikes to Anderson. Anderson tags in Devon and Devon whips Angle into the corner.
Aces and Eights isolate Angle in their corner and triple team him for a few minutes. As Bully and Devon continue beating on Angle, the screen switches to the back area where everyone from Aces and Eights has been knocked out. No explanation given, but it looks like whoever Hogan was trying to get has shown up.
Commercial
When we return, Bully Ray hits Angle with a dropkick! It looks like Bully Ray finally found a use for his massive calves. Bully tags in Anderson and Anderson lands a couple punches. Anderson tags in Devon and Devon hits Angle with a neckbreaker. Devon keeps working on Angle’s neck until Kurt is able to punch his way out. Devon hits Angle with a bodyslam and follows it up with a leg drop.
After the leg drop, Devon poses and flexes like Hogan. Devon tags in Bully Ray and Ray hits Angle with a double axe handle and a neckbreaker. Ray lands a chop but then Angle pulls an Angle slam out of nowhere! Angle crawls over to Sting and makes the tag; Ray tags in Devon. Sting hits Devon with a splash and a Scorpion Death Drop. Anderson runs in to help but Sting throws him out of the ring.
Sting hits Devon with a Stinger splash and a one armed bulldog. Bully Ray runs in to make the save and Bully Ray and Sting face off. Sting will be facing Ray for the TNA title at Slammiversary. Sting and Ray exchange punches with Sting getting the upper hand. Sting locks in the Scorpion Death Lock but Anderson breaks it up. Anderson hits Sting with a Mic Check and then rolls out of the ring to slam Kurt Angle into the steel steps.
Devon and Bully Ray set up a table in the ring but get interrupted by the return of the monster Abyss!! Abyss takes down Devon and Bully Ray at the same time with a double clothesline. Abyss hits Devon and Bully Ray with big running splashes in the corner and then hits them both with boots to faces (could be a chant.)
Anderson slides back into the ring and gets choke-slammed by Abyss through the table. Abyss hits Devon with a black hole slam and covers him for the win! Abyss stands triumphantly in the ring as Impact goes off the air.
WWE didn’t take YouTube’s subscription-based channel offer, but TNA Wrestling was ready to jump in and fill the wrestling void.
Joining UFC, Cars.TV, National Geographic, 50 other companies, the TNA channel will be available for $4.99 a month and features the majority of the TNA pay-per-view library and DVD releases. Additional titles from 2012 and more premium content will be added on a weekly basis!
The new TNA channel is available at http://www.youtube.com/TNAwrestlingPLUS. The old channel will still be available with free content.
WWE announced yesterday a new multi-year deal with The Bridge Direct, a toy manufacturer to develop and market WWE construction toys.
The new toys will be marketed for kids of the ages between 4 and 14 and will include figures, accessories, and construction bricks to “build your own” playsets.
“We are excited to partner with The Bridge Direct and bring WWE’s new construction line to market for the first time,” said Casey Collins, Executive Vice President of Consumer Products, WWE. “The new product line will provide the youngest members of the WWE Universe with an entirely new way to engage with our brand, further cementing their connection to WWE.”
Jay Foreman, President and CEO of The Bridge Direct described WWE as one of the greatest sports entertainment franchises in the world today.
“We are thrilled to partner with WWE on an exciting product line that offers a compelling and interactive way for young fans to engage with one of their favorite entertainment franchises.”
The WWE construction toys are expected to begin rolling out at major mass retailers in Spring 2014.
WWE.COM is reporting that World Heavyweight champion Dolph Ziggler suffered a concussion during last night’s Smackdown tapings when he interfered in a match involving Big E. Langston and Jack Swagger.
“He [was] having some memory difficulties and a bit of a headache … he definitely has a concussion,” said WWE doctor Michael Sampson. “We’re checking him out, and going to be doing neuropsychological testing and just keep it monitored,” Sampson added.
All WWE Superstars and Divas who are on the receiving end of a concussion are immediately pulled out of action to avoid further medical problems. Those who suffer a concussion have to undergo a series of tests to determine when they can get back in the ring.
Ziggler is supposed to be involved in a triple threat ladder match for the World title at Extreme Rules against Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger however this injury will certainly shake things up a bit.
Variety is reporting that WWE opted not to be a part of YouTube’s subscription-based model, keeping the popular WWEFanNation channel on the Google-owned website free of charge.
The story says that YouTube tried to lure WWE into signing as a pay-channel however WWE is happy doing money with advertising running throughout their thousands of videos. Representatives from both YouTube and WWE declined to comment for the Variety story.
The last time YouTube threw in a big party, WWE was one of the first to sign up, being named as original content partner for the popular video-sharing website. A couple of weeks ago WWE signed a new content deal with Yahoo! that will bring several shows – including a 30 minute RAW preshow every week – to their additional digital home.
TNA’s flagship television show IMPACT will be moving back to its original time slot of 9PM EST starting on May 30. The big news was announced by TNA President Dixie Carter on Twitter earlier today.
It was on May 31, 2012, that Spike and TNA agreed to move IMPACT an hour earlier to kick off at 8PM EST, a move which didn’t bring much pluses when it came to viewership on Thursdays. The 8PM time slot was announced on the same day that it was revealed IMPACT would be going live every week.
IMPACT is now airing live once every two weeks and is no longer taped at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. TNA took the old WWE model where they go around the country with their show, doing one live television show and then taping the next week’s show immediately after.
Sin Cara will be returning to the ring next week according to a tweet by the man behind the mask.
“Finally I was given the all-clear to go back to wrestling. Next week my comeback to the WWE ring,” Sin Cara wrote.
He has been out since mid March after he suffered a concussion and was kept off television because of his injury.
The former Mistico had a rough journey in the WWE ever since he was signed and announced at a press conference in Mexico City in February 2011. His WWE career has been hit with several injuries as well as Wellness Program violations.
Monday Night RAW this week pulled in less than 4 million viewers in total, getting an average of 3,917,000 viewers over three hours for a 2.9 rating. That is down 368,000 viewers from last week.
Hour one drew 3,970,000, followed by 3,870,000 in hour two and then down to 3,910,000 in hour three.
This has been the lowest number since the December 31, 2012 edition of the show. (Ratings compiled by Nielsen Media Research and put online by PWInsider.com)
WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler will be wrestling for the first time since his heart attack when he teams up with fellow Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr., on Saturday, May 25 as part of the !Bang! TV show in Florida.
“The King” suffered a heart attack on the September 10, 2012, live edition of Monday Night RAW while doing commentary. The 63 year old Lawler was saved by the ringside WWE doctor who performed CPR and other life-saving measures on him. He had to be shocked several times backstage before he was brought back to life.
Jim Ross, Lawler’s long time broadcast partner said that he is getting back in the ring because he loves professional wrestling and not because he needs the cash. Ross admitted he didn’t speak to Lawler about this decision and said that his cardiologist must have signed off on getting back in the ring.
Can Raw tonight follow up last week’s amazing WRESTLING show? I hope so, as we are live from Roanoke, Virginia.
How will the south-eastern fans of the U.S. take to Fandango? What is the update on WWE Champion John Cena and his (literate) achilles heel?
The Shield continue to dominate, on their way to a potential WWE Tag-Team Championship match with champions Team Hell No, so who will they take out next? Or can Kane and/or Daniel Bryan manage to stop them, even just for one night?
And the path continues to form for World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler for his Triple-Threat Ladder bout at Extreme Rules.
All this and more, so read on!
Monday Night Raw TV Report for May 6th, 2013 – “Let’s Get Extreme!”
Introduction Segment: Recap and Welcoming
Still photos of Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman vandalizing Triple H’s office at WWE Headquarters is aired, as is the main-event match and subsequent events between The Shield, Team Hell No, WWE Champion John Cena, and Ryback.
Michael Cole embraces us and the WWE Champion is out to kick off the show!
Segment #1: Arena Promo
The Champ says there are a lot of unrest and questions in WWE right now. He uses Tag-Team Champion Daniel Bryan’s method of “yes” or “no” to answer some of the inquires. He says “yes,” it was a bad idea for him to wrestle on his injured ankle, but “no” it will not keep him from defending the WWE Title at Extreme Rules.
“Yes,” he was confused about Ryback’s intentions after leaving the arena last week, then coming back at the end to smirk and stand at the top of the stage. Cena makes a few jokes, then tells Ryback that he will realize “the champ is here!”
Supervising Manager Vickie Guerrero “excuses” herself and is excited that Cena will be at Extreme Rules to go through with the contest. Since the pay-per-view will be “extreme,” she invites Ryback to the ring for the stipulation to their match. She does let Cena choose first. He makes fun of Ryback and mocks his voice, then cites that he doesn’t care what type of match they have. He just wants a chance to fight and a chance “to shut up the world’s largest complainer.”
Vickie turns to the challenger, and even though she didn’t appreciate him walking out seven days ago, she says he is very luck and will let him pick the stipulation. Ryback threatens that he will expose Cena’s personal and professional weaknesses, as he will not be able to answer the 10-count. The match will be a Last Man Standing Match!
Later tonight, Triple H will react to Heyman and Lesnar’s raid on his headquarters office, and up next, Randy Orton is in action!
Commercials.
Match #1: Single – “The Viper” Randy Orton VS. “The Intellectual Savior Of The Masses” Damien Sandow
Prior to the bout, Sandow irritates Randy by altering his theme song lyrics to put him down. (Note: he does have a great singing voice!)
Orton is hot at first with punches and knees. He chucks him to the outside and clotheslines Sandow to the floor. Randy backdrops Damien against the barricade. Orton tries to drop a DDT on him from the outside of the apron, but Sandow shoves Randy off. Orton gains control quickly again with a backbreaker and 10-punch in the corner. He brings him overhead with a standard suplex and continues dominance with stomps all over the mat.
Ads.
Back live, Sandow has Orton in a grounding rear chinlock which Orton manages to battle out of a bit until Damien brings him down again and drops the “Elbow Of Distain” to his chest. Damien whips him into the corner, but Orton fires back with clotheslines and a powerslam. He hits a dropkick as Sandow flew off the middle rope, then plants him with the slingshot DDT. Randy “zones up” and nails the R.K.O. for the victory!
Winner via Pinfall: Randy Orton
Post-match, The Big Show blind sides Orton on the stage with a Knockout Punch, as Randy was walking to the back. Show squats over him and doesn’t say anything. Referees are now checking on Orton.
Later tonight, Alberto Del Rio will take on World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler! Up next, Fandango!
Commercials.
Segment #2: Arena Promo
The pyro explodes and “Y2J” Chris Jericho is back! Replays are shown from two weeks ago when he threw Fandango off the ramp and danced with Summer Rae. Jericho brings out Tons Of Funk, who are here to help “Y2J” judge Fandango’s (or the many other nicknames Jericho calls him) moves.
The reaction for Fandango is good from the fans, and he dances his way out with the brunette partner again. Sweet T., Brodus Clay, and Jericho give him a score 2, 2, and 1. Fandango disputes Jericho’s credibility, since he lost on Dancing With The Stars, then his opponent, R-Truth comes out.
Match #2: Single – Fandango (with Dancer) VS. R-Truth
Truth is all over Fandango, dropping him with a suplex-facebuster. Truth gets a perfect score and more for his moves, which irritates Fandango who walks away and is counted-out.
Winner via Count-Out: R-Truth
Ads.
Segment #3: Backstage Promo
Josh Matthews is with Tag-Team Champion Daniel Bryan. Daniel says that he is fine, and says that it takes more than The Shield to put him down. He challenges Ryback to a rematch from Smackdown, but Ryback interrupts and rejects, insinuating that Bryan is too weak after The Shield’s assault. Bryan’s tag-team partner and Tag-Team Champion Kane gets in Ryback’s face and asks him if he is half the man that Ryback is. Ryback responds by telling Kane that he is not the monster he used to be.
Commercials.
It is announced that Guerrero made the match official, Kane will face Ryback tonight!
Match #3: Single – Alberto Del Rio VS. World Heavyweight Champion “The Show Off” Dolph Ziggler (with A.J. Lee and Big E. Langston) (Non-Title)
They circle the ring then engage in an elbow/collar tie-up. Ziggler and Del Rio break, then Alberto grabs Dolph out of a kick into a side headlock takedown. Ziggler is whipped into the ropes and a hip toss, but comes back with a smacking dropkick. Dolph hammers away in the corner, then runs at Del Rio with a splash. 1 – 2 – kickout by Alberto!
Del Rio comes back in the corner, running at Dolph with a jumping kick-to-the-arm for a near-fall. Del Rio tries a suplex, but is reversed by Ziggler. The World Heavyweight Champion punches away in the corner, but misses again and lands in a sitting position between the top and middle ropes. Alberto drops him with the backstabber, and then the drums of Jack Swagger’s music blasts. Alberto is distracted as Swagger and Zeb Colter walk to the ring, then stare down Big E.
Ads.
Back live, Ziggler has Del Rio face down in a grounding facelock, but Alberto battles back a little. Dolph hits another resounding dropkick for two! He hits a series of elbow drops, also for near-falls. Ziggler runs off the ropes but gets caught in a flapjack by Alberto! He tries to hit the running enziguri, but Dolph crawls out of the way first. He reverses a headlock into a swinging neckbreaker, 1 – 2 – Del Rio kicks out! He cuts Ziggler off the top, the brings him back with a reverse suplex from the third turnbuckle!
Ziggler misses another splash in the corner and bounces off the post! Del Rio spins him around with the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker then kicks him square in the face! Alberto locks on the cross armbreaker, but A.J. hops the apron to distract the referee. Langston pulls Del Rio out and throws him into Swagger, causing the dq!
Winner via Disqualification: Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez)
Post-match, Jack goes ape and takes out everyone but A.J. with a ladder he pulled from under the ring!
Segment #4: Backstage Promo
Natalya, Cameron, Naomi, The Great Khali and Divas Champion Kaitlyn discuss Kaitlyn’s secret admirer. When they walk off, The Bella Twins appear from behind a curtain, overhearing all.
Commercials.
Match #4: 6-Man Tag-Team – The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins) VS. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) and United States Champion Kofi Kingston (Non-Title)
The Shield dominates this contest, with the power game and strategy. They frequently tag in and out, keeping each man fresh and corner their opponents to their side. Kofi changes the pace when he is finally tagged in, flying all over the place with crossbodies and dropkicks. He goes for move from the top, but Rollins shoves him off, allowing Ambrose to plant him with the bulldog/DDT combo for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Ads.
Match #5: Single – “Long Island Iced-Z” Zack Ryder VS. Antonio Cesaro
Cesaro is stiff right away, with a couple of uppercuts and a scoop slam. He turns him over with a gutwrench suplex, then gives him fast fists in the corner. Snap suplex and quick cover from Antonio, but he gets planted with a facebuster by Ryder. “Long Island Iced-Z” hits a middle-rope dropkick, but is cut off again by another harsh uppercut and The Neutralizer to finish this one.
Winner via Pinfall: Antonio Cesaro
Post-match, Cesaro wonders if there is any more competition for him. He says that he puts the “E” in “WWE,” and goes through all of the WWE shows to say that they can’t “hold a candle to what I can do in this ring.”
Up next, we will find out the destruction that Heyman and Lesnar left behind at Triple H’s office, which has been hyped up all night.
Commercials.
Segment #5: Satellite Promo
Paul Heyman is here as the advocate for the “Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar. He airs the footage of Lesnar and him at WWE World Headquarters. In short, they barge through and demolish Triple H’s place. Heyman explains that he is the “voice of reason” whenever Brock goes on a rampage. However, after “The Game” dropped Paul E. with a Pedigree, Heyman will now be the “encourager” to Lesnar, particularly at Extreme Rules inside the Steel Cage! Before he can keep going, the victim interrupts and makes his way to the ring.
Triple H insults Heyman’s hairstyle to begin with, then compares his version of “extreme” to HHH’s. He reminds Paul of D-Generation X, the infamous group he founded, and his stronghold on the Attitude Era, which he ruled with an “iron fist.” HHH says that he has two offices, the one in Stamford, and the one right here, pointing down to the squared circle. Triple H puts over that office as where he grew up to “be a man,” where it has a helluva view (the fans), and where “we fight back.”
Ads.
Match #6: 6-Women Tag-Team – The Bella Twins (Nikki and Brie) and A.J. VS. “The Funkadactyls” (Cameron and Naomi) and Divas Champion Kaitlyn (Non-Title)
A.J. and Cameron start, with A.J. hitting her from behind. She turns her around with two consecutive neckbreakers, and clotheslines her down. Cameron comes back with a second-rope diving crossbody, then tags in the Divas Champ. Kaitlyn slowly walks over to a downed A.J. and stares her down. A.J. slaps her then runs off, but the Bellas will not tag in. Kaitlyn measures and spears A.J. for the victory!
Winners via Pinfall: “The Funkadactyls” (Cameron and Naomi) and Divas Champion Kaitlyn
Commercials.
Segment #6: Arena Promo
“The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry is out and is going to face-off with Sheamus. He lists the Irishman’s usual poses, but tells us that while Sheamus will be acting, Henry will not be, as he is already tough. He replays footage of him running over Sheamus backstage from Smackdown last month, and from Raw three weeks ago. “The World’s Strongest Man” challenges Sheamus to a bout at Extreme Rules.
Sheamus responds with a montage of his own, taking out Henry from last week’s Tug-Of-War on Raw, and the Arm-Wrestling on Smackdown (again, read that fine report on this fine website). The two don’t want to put this off until Extreme Rules after all, but are interrupted by the Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett.
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Match #7: Single – Sheamus VS. Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett (Non-Title)
(Note: Mark Henry is on commentary). Sheamus is locked in a grounding rear chinlock by Barrett, but comes back with a shoulder-tackle in the corner and pounds away against the ropes ten times. He runs and pushes Wade off the apron to the announce table. He chucks Barrett into Henry, then gives him the Brogue Kick as “The World’s Strongest Man” charged at him. Sheamus dives off the top rope with the Battering Ram, and goes for the Texas Cloverleaf submission, but Barrett reverses into a small package for two!
Barrett attempts Wasteland, but Sheamus counters into the Irish Curse backbreaker for a near fall. He tries the Brogue Kick, but Barrett ducks and delivers a kick and forearm of his own. Wade is gearing up for the Bullhammer Elbow, but Sheamus picks him up into White Noise and fires up for the Brogue again. He nails it for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall: Sheamus
Post-match, Henry whips Sheamus from behind with a belt, then puts him to the floor with the World’s Strongest Slam.
Up next, Ryback takes on Tag-Team Champion Kane!
Commercials.
It is announced that Chris Jericho will face Fandango on next week’s Raw in a “dance-off!” (This actually could be entertaining for a change, considering who’s involved!)
Match #8: Single – Tag-Team Champion and “Team Hell No” Member Kane VS. Ryback (Non-Title)
(Note: It is also made known that Ryback will be a guest on Chris Jericho’s “Highlight Reel” on this Friday’s Smackdown). They lockup and Ryback shoves Kane off. Kane sweeps Ryback down and sends him off with a side headlock. He catches Ryback with a tilt-a-whirl powerslam and covers for one. Kane signals for the Chokeslam but Ryback ducks and pushes him outside. Kane drags Ryback with him, but the new beast chucks him into the corner of the barricade.
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Ryback is in firm domination, clasping Kane in a front facelock. He jumps on Kane with a Lou Thesz press and rams his head into the canvas. Ryback gears up for the Meathook Clothesline, but instead eats a big boot from Kane!
“The Big Red Machine” grabs him by the throat, but Ryback fends him off. Kane hits another boot for two and runs him back-to-back corners with clotheslines, but gets caught with a spinebuster. Ryback demands to “finish it,” and attempts the Marching Samoan Drop, but Kane reverses into a suplex.
Kane ascends the to the top rope, but Ryback meets him in the corner. Kane punches him off, but Ryback crotches him. Off the turnbuckle, Kane is position into the ShellShock for the victory by Ryback!
Winner via Pinfall: Ryback
Post-match, the megaphone theme of The Shield signals the trio’s entrance through the crowd. Kane’s partner, Daniel Bryan, enters and stands up, as does WWE Champion John Cena, who runs down too. Ryback has retreated to the announce booth, but he comes back in with a steel chair! He swings at The Shield, and Bryan follows with a suicide dive onto Rollins and Ambrose. Cena had taken out Reigns, when Ryback ambushes Cena with the weapon. He puts him face down and stands over a prone WWE Champion, declaring “Ryback rules – done!” to close the show.
End Of Raw.
Reporter’s Rumblings – By Moe Tapp
This was another fantastic Raw with many more likes than last week, and even less dislikes! Way to go and keep it up. On to the regular analysis.
Excellence: Some more great wrestling – particularly Rhodes/Orton (these two have great chemistry), Del Rio/Ziggler (beautiful in terms of abilities), Antonio/Zack (showed what Cesaro is all about), Barrett/Sheamus (good old British stiffness), and Kane/Ryback (good power game struggle). Cena’s ethic for working through an injury shows again and kudos to him for pushing on with the serious debilitation. The Last Man Standing bout will be intriguing, because it is a way to protect both stars – if they go with Ryback to win the WWE Title, well Cena’s injured so there’s an automatic excuse. If Ryback loses, then they can say he was never pinned, just put down with an “extreme” amount of foreign objects. I’m not sure who will win and I’m not sure who I want to win.
Still liking the feud between Jericho and Fandango – unique way of continuing it with the “judging,” and the psychology of throwing him off with the low scores and forcing him to walk out on the match. As said above, next week’s “dance-off” with it being “Y2J” and Fandango, this usually “lame” segment should be fun to watch! There is no clear-cut winner going into the Triple-Threat Ladder match. This is good, because it does make me/others speculate on who they will have the World Championship be wrapped around come the end of Extreme Rules. (Personally, my choice is of course Dolph for a long run!)
Ceasro’s promo – he really is good on the mike and should be re-elevated more again. I was hoping for someone new (NXT when he mentioned them) to come on out and be a new challenger/rival, but nonetheless, hopefully his speech will be a new restart.
Triple H’s passionate tirade on how he grew up in the “office” of the WWE ring and will get even more “extreme” than he has been in the past. The man does have a desire, and when he cuts talks like tonight’s, it certainly shines through.
Bogus: Big Show/Orton feud – while Randy is having great matches weekly, just not interested in these two going at it. There is no real “thing” up for grabs other than pride, and even that is not exemplifying like it should be. DO NOT CARE who Kaitlyn’s secret admirer is and the backstage segment was some really bad acting! Bad storyline – finish it soon! The Heyman/Lesnar “workplace invasion” (as Michael Cole referred to it as) was way over-hyped and just seemed too fake. No one would get into Triple H’s office that easy without proof of permission and/or security getting in the way. While Heyman commentated during it well as he always does, I feel the segment didn’t push the storyline any further.
Overall, this was another awesome show – only three “boguses,” so not bad! Continued to build Extreme Rules nicely and the flow of Raw was smooth again too. As I have been saying lately, keep it going WWE Creative! Until next week, as always, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Readers and Wrestling Fans!
Former WWE champion The Miz was advertised to be appearing on Monday Night RAW yesterday however he wasn’t at the show as he was stuck in Vancouver doing some final scenes for his upcoming movie.
Filming for the Christmas Bounty movie – made for TV between WWE Studios and ABC Family – ran a bit longer than expected which prevented The Miz from showing up on RAW.
The Miz noted on his Twitter that he finished his last scene now for the movie which frees him up for next week’s Monday Night RAW in Tulsa.
Christmas Bounty will premiere during ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas” programming and the story revolves around a female bounty hunter turned elementary schoolteacher who struggles to hide her wild family business and a bounty hunter ex-boyfriend she thought she’d left behind.
The Miz has been off WWE television since that pretty famous Monday Night RAW in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on the day after WrestleMania where he lost the Intercontinental title to Wade Barrett.
John Cena, Kane, and Daniel Bryan had some fun with the Wheeling, West Virginia, crowd this past weekend during a non-televised live event.
After Kane took both tag titles, and Bryan complained about it, John Cena said they are in WV and it’s a tradition that when WWE comes here, they do a little something different.
Cena told Bryan that he will give him the WWE title instead if he sings the first verse and the chorus of the song “Country Roads.”
Cena said they are a team and he kicked off the song as the crowd sang along and then Bryan sang a bit and started goofing around in the ring. Cena then threw him the WWE title as he celebrated but Kane took the WWE title away from him and gave it back to Cena.
Kane said that if he wants the tag team title, he has to do one thing – hug! Bryan didn’t want to at first and fans chanted yes, yes, yes, and Bryan had some fun with the crowd hugging Kane in slow mo and then jumping up and down.
The hilarious segment went on for 10 minutes and ended with a fan being invited to the ring to hug Cena and get into a yes/no shouting contest with Bryan. Great stuff. Watch it in full below.
