Despite the rumors, Michael Cole is still on RAW. We open the show with John Cena in the ring, still wearing his purple and yellow attire, complete with the Nexus armband. He kisses up to the fans for their continued support. Cena brings up something the fans chanted that he never heard before. That was “Never Give Up.” He says that he’s never given up nor will he ever give up. He did say that he took a risk and that he lost, so he is in the Nexus. Cena has been here a long time and he enjoys being here on RAW. He loves the business and he wouldn’t know what he would do if he wasn’t here.
AWESOME!
Here comes the Miz with his Miz-itch Alex Riley. The Miz is wearing a swank suit to announce that he is the captain of Team RAW. He offers Cena a spot on Team RAW. John Cena actually thinks that this is a great idea, but the Miz as captain is just as bad as Betty White in Playboy. Cena wants to be captain and Wade Barrett is out here to speak for Cena. Wade Barrett does not care about RAW or SmackDown. He won’t let Cena be involved in anything other than his match at Bragging Rights. Alex Riley opens his mouth spoiling Bragging Rights and the Miz agrees with this.
The RAW GMail chimes in and Michael Cole reads that Wade Barrett still answers to him. There will be a series of matches that will make up Team RAW and the main event will feature the Miz and John Cena with the winner being the team captain. The Miz talks some smack and he eats a headbutt by Barrett. Double team on Barrett and Cena looks on before saving his ass. A.A. to Riley and Barrett bitches at Cena off mic.
Commercials.
Ted DiBiase and Maryse are in the ring as we recap Goldust taking the Million Dollar Championship.
Team RAW Qualifier: Ted DiBiase (w/Maryse) v. R-Truth (w/Eve Torres)
Bell rings and here we go. DiBiase off on the right foot, but Truth quickly turns the tables. Splits by Truth followed by a spinning heel kick. DiBiase rebounds with a clothesline and he mounts Truth for a few punches. Back and forth action and DiBiase covers for two. Pillar to post we go and Truth has a boot for DiBiase. Truth gets a high angle bodyslam for two. Modified front face suplex connects for two. Lie Detector countered into a spinebuster by DiBiase for two. DiBiase looks for Dream Street and Goldust with his rookie diva from NXT distracts DiBiase. Rollup for two, but the Lie Detector finishes this.
Winner: R-Truth
Grade: C+
Commercials.
Team RAW Qualifier: John Morrison v. Tyson Kidd
This was supposed to be a triple threat, but D.H. Smith was nowhere to be found. Bell rings and Morrison takes it to Kidd. Suicide Dive was blocked off with a stiff kick and Kidd gets a two count. Chinlock applied, but Morrison gets out of it. Flash kick by Morrison sents Kidd loopy to the turnbuckle. Morrison beats a hole into Kidd and he follows with a heel kick for two. Kidd fights back and gets a russian leg sweep for a two count. Sharpshooter attempt is locked in, but Morrison counters out of it. Rollup by Kidd, countered by Morrison for two each. Morrison grabs Kidd…new finishing move connects (Looks like a connecting standing moonsault and that is all.
Winner: John Morrison
Grade: B
Backstage, David Otunga is trying to get some dirt on McGillicutty and Harris, but Barrett senses jealousy and he dismisses the two non-Nexus members. Barrett asks one of them to step up to face Orton tonight. Otunga says he would, but Gabriel had the more deadly finisher. Seems Otunga forgot what Orton did to Evan Bourne mid-move a while back. Gabriel is dead tonight.
Commercials.
Team RAW Qualifier: Santino Marella v. Zack Ryder
Ryder starts off offensively against Marella and we go to the turnbuckle. Michael Cole says he doesn’t know what a tool is…but he is one. A series of covers get two, two, two, and two again. RoughRyder is countered by Santino and the Cobra strikes…
Winner: Santino Marella
Grade: FTS
Random RAW Thought: I thought the GM wanted the best of RAW to represent?
Post match, Tamina gets in the ring and she jumps into his arms, effectively doing a Thez Press. Hilarity ensues.
Commercials.
Non-Title Match: Justin Gabriel (w/Heath Slater & David Otunga) v. Randy Orton
Orton takes it to Gabriel from the get go. Outside the ring we go and Orton tangles with Otunga and the referee ejects both of them from ringside. Orton smiles and Gabriel is going to die…after these commercials.
Commercials.
We’re back and Orton has Gabriel in his clutches. Guillotine choke connects on the bottom rope and Orton covers for two. Pillar to post we go and Gabriel hits hard. Cover again gets two for Orton. Around we go again and Orton evades some high-flying acts. Kick to the jaw and Gabriel goes up top. Springboard senton connects for two as Gabriel continues the attack. Gabriel chokes Orton in the corner, but HERE COMES ORTON! Uppercut connects and Orton gets low dropkicked in the jaw. Cover by Gabriel gets another two count. Sleeper by Gabriel, but Orton gets out of it. Orton runs into a knee and he goes 360 on the canvas. Gabriel gets two. Chinlock applied, but Orton battles out with a side slam. Orton evades the spinning heel kick and he goes 3.0 on Gabriel! Two count only. Powerslam countered by Gabriel, but Orton was ready with a series of clotheslines. POWERSLAM CONNECTS THIS TIME AND HERE IS THE APEX PREDATOR! Cover by Orton for two and Gabriel tries to hang in there. To the top…450 SPLASH! Orton moves out of the way, but Gabriel lands on the shoulder of Orton! Both men are hurt, but Orton connects with the RKO for the win!
Winner: Randy Orton
Grade: B
Commercials.
Team RAW Qualifier: Daniel Bryan v. Sheamus
Can the WWE get it right this week? Off the bell, Daniel Bryan beats the holy hell out of Sheamus. LaBelle Lock attempt, but Sheamus gets out of it. Bryan tries a plancha, but Sheamus catches him. Bryan slips off and he dropkicks Sheamus into the ring post. Two count for Bryan! Sheamus counters a clothesline attempt to a modified Irish Curse backbreaker and here comes Sheamus on the attack. Clothesline connects and Bryan kicks out at two. Sheamus tosses Bryan and he works on the ribs. Bryan tries to get out, but Sheamus keeps the heat on him. Elbow by Bryan knocks Sheamus down. Kicks ensue and a big one upside the head sends Sheamus down for two. Sheamus dumps Bryan on the apron, but Bryan gets a Missile Dropkick for two. Submission attempt and Sheamus regains control. Repeated knee strikes connect on Bryan and Sheamus looks for the Brogue Kick, but Bryan is playing possum. Sheamus looks for the High Cross, but Bryan counters to a rollup for two! Brogue Kick connects and Sheamus gets the hard-earned victory.
Winner: Sheamus
Grade: B
Now THAT’s how you correctly book Bryan losing to Sheamus.
Cena is in the locker room and R-Truth comes to visit. They share a heart to heart. Remind me to book R-Truth for my future wedding because he is such a great motivational speaker. He tells Cena that there is one way out…and that is to QUIT.
Commercials.
We get a clip on WWE’s military outreach.
Team RAW Qualifier: Evan Bourne v. CM Punk
Here’s one for the IWC! They jockey for position and Bourne knocks Punk out of the ring. Hurrancurana almost botched, but countered with Punk swinging Bourne into the barricade. Back in the ring, Punk scores a two count. Punk continues the offense. Bourne comes back and we go back and forth. Bourne misses wildly, but connects with a kick the second time. AirBourne attempt, but Punk crotches him and he hits the GTS! Cover and done.
Winner: CM Punk
Grade: N/R (Can’t rate this match properly since everyone knows they can go twenty minutes).
Post match, Punk continues decimating Bourne outside the ring. Punk sends Bourne shoulder first into the steel ringpost. Anaconda Vice is locked in and Punk says “Nothing Personal.”
Commercials.
We return and recap what happened before the break.
Natalya is in the ring talking trash about LayCool. Bret taught her to stand up for herself and that at Bragging Rights, she’ll walk out as the new Unified Diva’s Champion. Out come LayCool and they talk blah and some more blah. Between LayCool talking and Jillian Hall singing, I’ll take the singing anyday. They poke fun at Natalya, but Natalya pokes fun at their non-existant waist size and how they sucked last week. They talk about how everyone respects them, so the Bella Twins, Eve Torres, Melina, and Gail Kim prevent them from leaving. They take them down and Michelle McCool pulls Layla out of the Sharpshooter.
Commercials.
Team RAW Team Captain Qualifier (No DQ): The Miz (w/Alex Riley) v. John Cena
Bell rings and we get a standstill in the opening moments. Cena sends Miz to the ropes and on the rebound, the Miz collides with him. Cena responds with a hip toss and we go around the ring and Riley gets his shots in, purely legal, by the way. The Miz smiles as we go to break.
Commercials.
We’re back and the Miz is in control…and as I type that, John Cena comes back with a bulldog for two. The Miz takes back control and he beats Cena up a bit. Cena gets dumped and Alex Riley looks to attack again. The Miz puts Cena on the announce table looking for the Skull Crushing Finale, but Cena is too strong! A.A. time, but Miz shoves Cena off the table, Cena landing on the barricade. Cena blocks a head shot and he sends Miz on the steel steps. Cena decks Riley and Miz pulls apart the barricade. Cena lands hard on the exposed steel, but steel won’t keep Cena down! Miz rushes for the corner charge, but Cena moves out of the way. HERE COMES CENA! Protobomb connects! Five…Knuckle…Shuffle! A.A. attempt, but the Miz gets off of it and he kicks Cena in the head for two. STF attempt, but the Miz gets out. Reality Check connects and Cena kicks out. Riley gives Miz the briefcase and he misses! STF locked in! Miz grabs the ropes and Riley comes in, so Cena locks in the STF. Riley taps out wildly, so he looks for the A.A., but Wade Barrett’s “secret men” run in and take out Cena for the Miz to win.
Winner: The Miz
Grade: B
Post match, Cena gets him some of Harris and McGillicutty, but Barrett comes in to put a stop in this. Cena and Barrett exchange words and the RAW GMail chimes in and says that if Harris and McGillicutty want to get involved, they can get involved facing John Cena & Randy Orton. Wade Barrett says that this is interesting, so he makes a twist. If Cena loses, McGillcutty and Harris will be inducted in the Nexus. He trusts that Cena will do the right thing. Barrett plays mind games with Cena, goading him to hit Barrett. Cena hesitates and Barrett is enjoying this. Cena leaves the ring and Barrett wants to continue degrading him.
Show over.
