We are back to Monday night after that first dreaded day back at work. I’ll be filling in for your regular host, Paul Marshall, again this week. Last week, Manu slipped up and lost his match against ECW Champion Matt Hardy. Will Manu be banned from Randy Orton’s second-generation superstar club forever? Kick back, relax, and follow along with us to find out…
THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!
The first Raw of 2009 is aired tonight from New Orleans, LA on the USA Network with ringside announcers Michael Cole and Jerry “The King†Lawler and tonight there is a Championship match on the card! We see a video of “The Heartbreak Kid†Shawn Michaels telling the fans at Armageddon that he is now working for JBL and Michael handing over the title shot to JBL at the end of the Fatal Four Way Fatal Number One Contender match. Randy Orton and Chris Jericho are in the ring, neither dressed in wrestling attire, to complain about the Fatal Four Way match last week. Jericho says he and Orton have filed a formal protest against the match last week and that JBL and HBK should not be able to get a title shot. Orton says that he and Jericho agree to face each other tonight to decide who should face Cena for the title. Enter Shawn and John arriving in Layfield’s limo and JBL says he won the match and he will face Cena for the title at Royal Rumble. Jericho, Randy and HBK have words and Stephanie McMahon comes out to keep the peace. She says that the complaint has no validity and Layfield will face John but Jericho and Orton are both in the Royal Rumble match. Jericho says Shawn should not be in the Royal Rumble match and JBL says that Michaels will be in his corner during his championship match and will not be in the Royal Rumble. Jericho and Orton will face Michaels and John Cena, WWE World Heavyweight Champion tonight and we go to commercial break.
WWE Slam of the Week: The Women’s Battle Royal last week to decide the number one contender for the women’s championship title. Melina won and Beth Phoenix attacked her, with Beth’s number one fan getting involved.
Mixed Tag Team Match: Goldust and Melina vs. Santina Marella and WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix
The referee calls for the bell and the girls face off in the center of the ring. Marella tags himself into the match, grabs Melina, gets slapped and Goldust gets the tag. Goldust gives Santino a little old fashioned wrestling lesson but Marella comes back, goes for a cover and gets two. Goldust comes back, covers and Phoenix is in to break it up. Goldust sends Marella out to the floor and the girls are back in the ring. Melina delivers a face plant off the top, a bridge cover, and gets three.
Winners: Melina and Goldust
The match was obviously very short but a nice opener. After the match, Beth’s fan again bails over the guardrail and attacks Melina and this time Melina goes after her before security can break it up and haul the fan away. Todd Grisham is backstage with CM Punk who will face Regal for the Intercontinental title tonight. Punk isn’t worried about facing Regal and says he will win the title and we go to commercial break.
Intercontinental Championship Match: CM Punk vs. William Regal © with Layla
CM PUNK! CM PUNK! CM PUNK! Sorry, fans, I had to get that out of my system before the match begins. The bell rings and Regal starts off with cheap shots in the corner but Punk goes for two quick covers and Regal kicks out. Punk goes for a slide out to the floor and William uses Layla as a shield to get the drop on Punk. Regal goes for a cover and Punk kicks out. Punk comes back and delivers a kick to the skull, Punk covers and gets two. Punk goes after the high knee in the corner, Regal counters the bull dog and then he tries for the GTS but Regal grabs the ref and the ref rings the bell, disqualifying Regal.
Winner: CM Punk
Naturally, the belt can’t change hands via a DQ so Punk has to leave with out the belt. Stephanie shows up on the monitor and she says Punk will have a match against Regal again for the belt and if Regal gets a DQ again, he will lose the belt and we go to commercial break. I was extremely disappointed in this match.
JBL and Michaels are backstage with Layfield talking about how great it will be for them at Royal Rumble and how Michaels can work his match with Cena tonight so that John can get hurt by Orton. Randy is backstage with Cody Rhodes and Sim Snuka and he says they have to win tonight or he doesn’t want anything to do with them. Manu arrives and says he deserves another chance and Orton goes off on Manu and says Manu will never be a part of his group. Dolph Ziggler is backstage with Mickie James as Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston walk by and we go to commercial break.
Tag Team Match: WWE World Tag Team Champions John Morrison and The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston
Morrison and Miz have mics to complain about the audience boos directed to them. Cole reminds the audience that Mysterio will be in the Royal Rumble. As the ref calls for the opening bell, Miz and Kofi lock up with Miz backing Kingston into a corner. Kofi comes back and Miz bails out. Miz has to argue with the audience and we go to commercial break.
Back to the action, Miz has Mysterio down on the mat working on the neck. Rey is back on his feet, sends Miz into the corner and tags in Kingston. Kofi takes care of Morrison, goes up, but John trips him and he injures his leg during the fall. Miz tags in John who continues to work on the injured leg, Miz gets the tag, Kofi fights back and tries to get to his corner but Miz nails Rey and Kingston misses the tag. Miz tags in Morrison who goes for a cover getting two. Kofi kicks his way out, but still can’t make it to the tag. John tags in Miz who takes Kingston up to the top, Kofi fights back and delivers a drop kick, but grabs his injured leg. Miz gets to Morrison but Kingston gets to Mysterio. Rey covers and gets two. Miz enters the ring, Kofi takes him over the top, Rey delivers the 619 to John, kicks Miz off the apron as he tries to interfere but Mysterio gets caught with a boot my Morrison, who covers and gets three.
Winners: John Morrison and The Miz
This was a decent action filled match from start to finish. After the match, Mike Knox appears to beat up Mysterio and Kingston. HBK is backstage lacing up his boots when Cena shows up to talk about their match tonight and we go to commercial break..
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Kelly Kelly vs. Jillian Hall
Winner: Kelly Kelly
I’m sorry there was no description of the match. I just couldn’t make myself write anything worth writing. After the match, Jillian takes out Kelly and Kane, seeming to remember that he was obsessed with Kelly appears in the ring. He seems to know that Orton was the one she was protecting but Randy didn’t want anything to do with her. Kane says that next week, he will go back to doing what makes him feel good and he has a match with Orton and we go to commercial break.
Tag Team Match: Cody Rhodes and Sim Snuka vs. Shad and JTG of Cryme Tyme
Snuka and JTG lock up as the bell rings, Sim goes for an early roll up but JTG kicks out. JTG goes for a cover and gets one before tagging in Shad. Shad works on Snuka and tags in JTG. They do a little double team and Rhodes enters the ring only to get knocked down by JTG. JTG catches a knee to the head and Cody gets the tag from Sim. JTG ends up on the apron and Snuka catches him from behind. Rhodes pulls him into the ring and goes for the cover getting two. Cody tags in Sim who goes for a cover, getting one. Shad gets the audience behind JTG who makes it back to his feet and delivers a neck breaker. Sim tags in Rhodes as JTG tags in Shad who delivers a back body drop before sending Sim to the floor. Shad goes for a cover but Snuka interferes, Shad tags in JTG who goes for a roll up for two. Cody hits the DDT, covers and gets three.
Winners: Cody Rhodes and Sim Snuka
I liked this match which seemed to give everyone an equal amount of time in the ring. We go to commercial break.
Rhodes and Snuka meet up with Orton and Orton says that Snuka is out because Cody won the match. Sim said that it was a tag match and only one person could get the pin. Randy says that Sim is the weak link and Cody agrees that he won the match. Marella is backstage with Beth and McMahon and Beth’s number one fan is out. Santino thinks he is the one the fan likes and Beth drags him off by his hair. Jericho shows up to tell Steph that he sent his complaint to his father as well as to her and Vince called him back and in two weeks, he will return to Raw and we go to commercial break.
Main Event Tag Team Match: Randy Orton and Chris Jericho vs. “Heartbreak Kid†Shawn Michaels and WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena
New Orleans loves Michaels and Cena with Cena getting what appears to be a standing ovation. Cena and Jericho lock up with Chris applying a side headlock. John turns the tables, has Jericho is a side headlock, Michaels tags himself in, the pair send Chris over the top rope and JBL appears at the top of the entrance ramp. Cena looks a little concerned and we go to commercial break.
Back to the ring, Orton and Michaels are both down on the mat. HBK tags in Cena and with the fans behind him, he delivers the five knuckle shuffle, goes for the FU, Chris enters the ring, Michaels breaks it up, Cena grabs Michaels by mistake, they have a minor altercation, the ref breaks it up but that gives Orton and Jericho time to work on John. Chris is the legal man in the ring and he backs Cena up into Orton territory so he can deliver a blow behind the ref’s back. Jericho delivers a baseball slide that sends John to the floor, but Jericho comes out after him to slam his head into the announcer’s table. Chris rolls him back in, springboards over the top, covers and gets two. Cena gets Chris up for the FU, but Jericho counters, covers and gets another two. Jericho tags in Randy who continues to pound on John. Orton drops a knee, covers and gets two. HBK seems to be a little out of it on the apron but Cena comes back until Jericho applies a sleeper hold. John is reaching for Michaels but Michaels isn’t extending his arm. John can’t reach him and Chris has him down on the mat. JBL is backstage watching the match on a monitor. Cena fights his way out of the sleeper hold, Jericho sets him up on the top, but John fights back and Chris ends up on the mat. Cena comes off and takes down Jericho. HBK is reaching for Cena but Orton gets the tag first and he goes for a cover. Cena kicks out. Randy delivers fists to the forehead but misses a dropkick when John grabs the ropes and again Michaels is reaching for John. Cena leaps across the ring, gets the tag, takes down Jericho, delivers an inverted atomic drop, Jericho goes for a lionsault but catches Michaels knees, Shawn comes off the top and catches his elbow on Chris’s knees. Jericho goes for the walls of Jericho, Orton interferes, Cena enters the ring and delivers a neck breaker, Michaels catches Orton and Jericho with a super kick, pins Jericho and gets three.
Winners: “Heartbreak Kid†Shawn Michaels and John Cena
A great main event match with an impressive Michaels turn around at the end. Grisham is backstage with JBL and wants to know how he feels. JBL says that next week Michaels will face John Cena one on one and JBL will be in Shawn’s corner.
Thank you for joining us tonight! Everyone have a great week! Check Pulse Wrestling every day for the best in professional wrestling news, updates, columns and reviews. Mr. Marshall will be back next Monday night and you can join me every Friday night for the live Smackdown Report!
Hello to my friend, Rey Guepardo, with Lucha Xtrema Nacional (LXN) in Panama. He works with an amazing lucha libre style and carries himself through his matches with speed and agility. You can check him out for yourself on Rey’s Facebook Page and Channel LXN507, Rey Guepardo vs Cradle vs. Sniper. Translation: Saludos a mi gran amigo Rey Guepardo de la Lucha X-trema Nacional (LXN) en Panamá. El se desempeña con un increÃble estilo de lucha libre, velocidad y mucha agilidad a través de sus combates. Pueden verlo en su pagina de Rey’s Facebook Page o en el canal de youtube.com de la LXN 507Rey Guepardo vs Cradle vs. Sniper
While looking for Indy promotions worldwide, I came across “The Internet Icon†Petey Staniforth and Power Trip Wrestling. Based in Luton, England, PTW has a comprehensive website that contains all you need to know about upcoming events, current roster members and it even has a Gossip and Rumours Section! Check out the “The Sexiest Face in Cyberspace†Mr. Staniforth himself, read up on the promotion and then follow the links to PTW on YouTube!
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