Welcome to Inside Pulse Wrestling’s Live Coverage of WWE Monday Night RAW!
Now… IT’S TIME TO GO…OLD SCHOOL!
Intriguing Old School video to open up RAW and we’re all Old School tonight with all the old school graphics. Justin Roberts looks all 80s as he intros “Mean” Gene Okerlund. He brings out “Cowboy” Bob Orton. Gene tries to bring Randy out, but he forgot that RAW was on an hour early. Gene asks the question about if Randy will retain the title next week. Bob says that he does not care about John Cena and if his career ends, that’s fantastic! He continues on and Wade Barrett interrupts. He tells Bob to listen carefully and he vows on being the WWE Champion. He doesn’t owe the Old School anything, as they didn’t pave his way to superstardom. Cue the Miz and we’re probably heading to a A+ grade for this show in the first five minutes! The Miz and his Miz-itch stand on the podium and the Miz talks down to Bob Orton and Gene Okerlund. He reminds us that he has Money in the Bank and he just might cash it in tonight saying that he could keep Cena in the Nexus forever. John Cena pops up on the TitanTron stating that he will keep the Miz from cashing in tonight. He tells Wade Barrett that he knows that he is supposed to follow orders, but he will protect Barrett tonight. He challenges the Miz and the Miz accepts!
Commercials.
Interpromotional Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. “Sexual Chocolate” Mark Henry
Screw this, tonight’s RAW is getting an A+ just because of this! Bell rings and Ziggler tries to put the sleeper on Henry…but to no avail. Ziggler goes out of the ring and he appears to tweak his knee. Ziggler comes back in and tries the sleeper again, but Henry is too damned big. Ziggler takes a slap off the top of the ring post. Henry tosses Ziggler back in the ring and here is his opening. Ziggler drops the elbow on the back of the head and gets a two count. Henry shakes off the comeback and he regains control. Ziggler tries to come back, but Henry busts out a powerslam, but Ziggler gets a foot on the bottom rope. Henry goes for the big splash, but no one is home. Zig Zag connects and Mark Henry POWERS OUT AT TWO! Another Zig Zag connects and Henry kicks out again! Ziggler locks on the sleeper and Henry passes out!
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Grade: B
The Hart Dynasty walk backstage and they discuss family problems running in the family. Tony Atlas stops them and he talks very fast. He then sprays WD-40 on his arm as the Hart Dynasty walks off.
Commercials.
Backstage, Tony Atlas continues to talk and Yoshi Tatsu looks on.
Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel v. The Hart Dynasty
Bell rings and Gabriel & Smith start things off. Smith gets a snapmare, but Gabriel comes back with the kicks. Smith counters a kick and stomps on the gut. Triple belly-to-belly suplexes and Slater prevents the pinfall. Slater comes in and Smith tries to keep the pace, but the Nexus proves to be too much for him. Gabriel comes in and goes out to keep the double team effective. Slater decks him and Smith kicks out at two. Slater charges to the corner, but Smith moves out of the way. Tyson Kidd tags Smith by kicking him in the face. Gabriel hits the 450 for the pinfall.
Winners: The Nexus
Grade: FTS
Sorry, this match sucked and the only thing coming from it is Tyson Kidd’s heel turn?
Randy Orton is here and Gene Okerlund asks him if he’s going to walk out of Survivor Series as the champion. R-Truth interrupts to stir sh*t once again. Randy vows to punt John Cena in the head tonight to prevent the anticipated screwjob.
Commercials.
Gene Okerlund brings us an update brought to us by WWEShop.com. Where’s DX when you need them?
Justin Roberts introduces us to Howard Finkel! Here’s our next match.
Brooklyn Brawler (w/Harvey Whippleman) v. Ezekiel Jackson
Brooklyn Brawler pushes Ezekiel and tries to pick him up. Needless to say, Jackson clobbers him.
Winner: Ezekiel Jackson
Grade: N/R
Can’t go FTS since it’s the Brooklyn Brawler after all.
Commercials.
The Nexus stand backstage and David Otunga says that R-Truth is starting to becoming a problem. Wade Barrett comes in and he agrees with David Otunga and that he can take on R-Truth. The RAW GMail chimes in and Michael Cole quotes that David Otunga is unavailable tonight, but Wade Barrett is available and he will face R-Truth. Barrett is fine with that and John Cena wants some thanks, but Barrett isn’t having any of it. He orders Husky and Michael to follow him to the ring, but Cena says that he and Orton have a mutual understanding.
Commercials.
John Cena v. The Miz (w/Alex Riley)
The Miz has a microphone in hand saying that Cena is always one step ahead of him. There is a loophole, though. The GMail hasn’t officially sanctioned the match. So, the Miz won’t compete against John Cena, but his Miz-itch will.
John Cena v. Alex Riley (w/The Miz)
The bell rings and they lock up. Cena with a snapmare and Riley argues with the ref a bit. They jockey for position and John Cena takes Alex Riley old school. Another lockup and Cena takes Riley pillar to post and Riley takes Cena down. Miz distracts Cena and Riley takes advantage. Riley drops Cena on the mat for a two count. Cena is quick to the punch and we go pillar to post again, but no one is home. Riley takes advantage once again. Opposite corner we go and Cena is still down. Riley covers and Cena kicks out. Cena counters into a backdrop and Cena comes at Riley with the shouldertackles. Protobomb connects and so does the Five Knuckle Shuffle. A.A. attempt and Riley goes down. STF applied and Riley taps in front of the Miz.
Winner: John Cena
Grade: C
Here comes Orton and he dispatches the Miz, Husky Harris, and Michael McGillicutty. Orton and Cena stare each other down and they come to blows! The referees and agents separate Orton and Cena as the fans chant “LET THEM FIGHT!” The RAW GMail chimes in and that it’s evident that they have issues they need to air out, so they will both be on Piper’s Pit later tonight!
Commercials.
We are back and Howard Finkel has Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik. Volkoff sings the Soviet National Anthem and is interrupted by Santino Marella and Vladimir Koslov. Santino can’t follow Russian that well so he brings out Slick! The Iron Sheik tries to talk Hulk Hogan, but has his mic cut out. The Iron Sheik’s mic comes back and he continues to bash Hogan again, but loses his mic again.
The Usos (w/Tamina & Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka) v. Santino Marella & Vladimir Koslov
The match is NEXT!
Commercials.
We are JIP as Santino is in dire straits as the Usos double team him. The Usos tag out and after a scuffle Koslov tags in as well. Fallaway Slam sends one of the Usos to the corner. Tag to Santino and he gets an arm wringer for two. Tag to Koslov and he continues the domination. The other Uso tags in and Koslov is in trouble. Side suplex connects and the Usos keep control. Off the ropes, Koslov shoves away and the Usos get the fresh man in. Santino is pissed and he lets the referee know about it. The Usos keep fresh and Koslov gets pancaked in the corner. Cover gets two as the announcers can’t tell me who is who in the ring. Koslov tries to get closer to Santino, and Koslov gets the tag in. Santino channels Melina and he keeps the Usos at bay. Splash gets a close two count. Here comes the Cobra and the Usos go down!
Winners: Santino Marella & Vladimir Koslov
Grade: C+
Sheamus comes out and he kicks Koslov into next week and the Usos to tomorrow. Sheamus has Santino where he wants him and John Morrison comes out to take care of Sheamus. John Morrison calls Sheamus a bully and if he wants a fight he is right here. Sheamus looks to accept, but he walks away instead.
Commercials.
David Otunga v. Kofi Kingston
Control frenzy, anyone? Bell rings and they jockey for position. Kofi scores some kicks and Otunga gets wild with a right hand, but Kofi takes advantage. Kofi gets a crossbody attempt, but Otunga catches him and he slams him down. A couple more slams connect and Otunga gets a two count. Otunga sends Kofi to the ropes and he comes back with a hard elbow for a two count. Chinlock applied and Kofi battles back to his feet. Kofi takes control in the corner and he beats a hole into Otunga. Dropkick connects and both men look for a clothesline for the double KO spot. George “The Animal” Steele comes out to the ring and the referee pleads with him from eating the turnbuckle. So, he eats another turnbuckle anyway. Otunga is confused and Kofi sends Otunga into the exposed turnbuckle. Trouble in Paradise connects and that is all.
Winner: Kofi Kingston
Grade: D
Backstage, John Morrison gets his thanks from the legends for standing up to Sheamus. Sheamus comes out of nowhere with the Brogue Kick. Challenge accepted for Survivor Series. Too bad that Morrison got sent to next week with that kick.
Commercials.
Aksana walks by “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, who calls her a ho. This brings her to Dusty Rhodes. Goldust steals back the Million Dollar Title, who gives it to Ted DiBiase, Sr. He tries to give it to Jr., but he doesn’t want it. Cody Rhodes comes in and Goldust wants some grooming tips. Cody walks off, which prompts the line from Dusty saying he raised some weird kids. The Common Man dances and Ron Simmons comes in with the DAMN comment. So, the Million Dollar Title angle ends in this? LAME.
Commercials.
R-Truth (w/Eve Torres) v. Wade Barrett
Bell rings and Barrett takes the first shot. Truth is offended by that, but there isn’t much he can do about it as we go pillar to post! Splits by Truth and he takes Barrett out of the ring. Barrel dive by Truth connects and we quickly take the action back in the ring. Barrett cuts Truth off with a Black Hole Slam for two. Suplex follows and Barrett gets two. Off the ropes, Barrett drops the elbow for two. Sidewalk slam connects as Barrett continues with the dominance. Truth tries to steal the match, but Barrett counters and he works a headlock. Truth comes back, but is derailed. Truth comes back with a clothesline…and another. Reversal by Barrett, but Truth counters with a rollup for two. Truth hits the front-face suplex. Barrett comes back with a Wasteland attempt, but Truth counters out of it. Big Boot connects this time and Wasteland connects as well for the win.
Winner: Wade Barrett
Grade: C-
Commercials.
We’re back and Alberto Del Rio is going to be introduced, but Tito Santana interrupts and he intros Alberto Del Rio instead. He comes out with Chavo Classic! He reminds us who he is and he wants to teach us about obesity. Actually, he wants to tell the Old School to fall in line and respect the new school. Out comes Sgt. Slaughter to take Del Rio to his place. Sgt. Slaughter challenges Del Rio to a match and he accepts.
Sgt. Slaughter v. Alberto Del Rio
Alberto attacks from the start and he disrespects him from the get go. Hip toss attempts by both, but Slaughter applies the Cobra Clutch. Alberto gets to the ropes and here comes the Mexican Sensation (or whatever he’s called). Headlock locked in and Slaghter tries to hulk up. Alberto takes it to Slaughter and the Cobra Clutch is locked in again. Alberto counters with a snapmare. Slaughter goes to the corner. Corner Enzugiri connects and that is all.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Grade: D
Alberto Del Rio locks on the cross-arm breaker and MVP comes out to defend Slaughter.
Commercials.
“Please Buy WrestleMania Tickets” video shows.
Gene Okerlund is back on the interviewer stage to introduce Mae Young. We take a look back at her career. Here comes LayCool to mock Mae Young. After the verbal beatdown, Mae Young wants a match with these SLUTS! She then disrobes and calls them BITCHES! Seems she wants a No DQ, Falls Count Anywhere match.
Mae Young v. LayCool
The RAW Divas help Mae Young bitchslap Layla and she puts her foot on her for the pinfall
Winner: Mae Young
Grade: FTS
Nothing like jobbing one half of the Diva’s Champion to an 87 year old woman. Now why couldn’t Michelle be the one to take the fall? That’s a mystery.
Commercials.
Howard Finkel announces the return of JIM ROSS! Michael Cole is pissed off. Jim Ross blows Michael Cole off as he takes his seat.
Daniel Bryan v. Jack Swagger
I love how Michael Cole is being ignored by Jim Ross. Swagger takes it to Bryan in the beginning as Michael Cole sleeps. Lock up again and Swagger looks for the anklelock, but Bryan gets out of it. Belly to back suplex by Swagger gets two. Bryan sends Swagger to the ropes and we get a dropkick by Bryan. Bryan gets a kick to the face that sends Bryan to the outside for the commercial break.
Commercials.
We’re back as Swagger has Bryan in a chinlock. Swagger continues the dominance as JR gives Daniel Bryan his due. Swagger takes a break from the outside and that allows Bryan to send Swagger back outside the ring. Bryan sends Swagger into the steel railing. Jumping knee connects and Bryan takes control again, Bryan on top, connects with the missile dropkick. Cover gets two and Bryan looks for the kick and he gets it. Anklelock attempt by Swagger, but Swagger gets sent to the corner. Bryan goes for the corner charge, but misses. Swagger splash connects…TWO COUNT ONLY! Another splash connects and Swagger waits for Bryan to get up. Gutwrench Powerbomb attempt is countered to the LaBelle Lock, but it’s countered to the backbreaker! Gutwrench attempt is blocked again and Daniel Bryan kicks Jack Swagger into next week for the win!
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Grade: B+
Ted DiBiase, Jr. comes out to inform Daniel Bryan that he wants the United States Championship.
Survivor Series card is announced.
Jim Ross takes his leave and he beats Michael Cole with his hat. HAHA!
Commercials.
The legends come out to the stage as prepare for our main event interview.
Piper’s Pit
Roddy Piper comes out among the legends for Piper’s Pit. He talks about what Old School is all about. He brings out John Cena. Cena gets in the ring and Roddy Piper pays his respects to Cena. He talks about competiting in the ring for 30 years and never won the WWE Championship. He then tells Cena that if he gives Wade Barrett the WWE Championship without him deserving it then he would be spitting in the face of the legends and Roddy Piper. Cena asks what is the right thing. It’s not easy for him. He looked up to the same legends and he is thinking about his predicament. He vows that whoever wins at Survivor Series will have earn it.
Cue Wade Barrett who says that he doesn’t need John Cena’s help. He likes the words, but they are just words. Roddy Piper tells Wade Barrett to shup up and he tells him how it is. If he allows John Cena to hand him the championship, he may have the title, but he won’t be a champion but a joke. Wade Barrett reminds himself that if this is Cena’s last night on RAW…he should had done this a long time ago. He orders Cena to put on the Nexus shirt. Cena says that win or less, Barrett’s ass is grass. Barrett is tired of the threats and he vows that the second the match is over, the Nexus will neutralize any threat Cena possesses.
Randy Orton comes out to the ring and he wants to kick him in the skull. He thought about taking Cena out and he goes after Barrett instead. He looks for the RKO and Cena stands in the way. Orton RKO’s Cena instead and he looks for the punt. Barrett derails the punt attempt and Cena hits Orton with the A.A. Barrett orders Cena to raise his hand and he gets the A.A. instead.
Show Over.
