Welcome to Inside Pulse Wrestling’s LIVE WWE Monday Night Raw Coverage! Segment by segment coverage begins at 9pm EST so join us! In the meantime, you should check out No Chance – What Are the Rules Again?
First a video package about KANE airs.
Then we are LIVE and wouldn’t you know it, Kane is here! He enters to his music and lighting effectz. Kane has a mic and cuts a promo about hate and etc. Finally about 9:08 John Cena comes out and breaks up the fun. He and Kane brawl ALL OVER THIS ARENA. They brawl to the outside and it appears – for now – that John Cena has the advantage.
Commercial Break
Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler look back at the anarchy we just witnessed between Kane and John Cena.
Wade Barrett & Jinder Mahal vs. Sheamus & Santino Marella
This is a highlight of four of the top contenders to win this year’s ROYAL RUMBLE match. Early going it’s Mahal and Santino going back and forth with the faces mostly on offense. Sheamus tags back to Santino who whips out the cobra for the pin on Jinder.
Winner: Sheamus & Santino
The Miz pleads with John Laurinaitis backstage for protection. He refuses, saying he’s not Little Jimmy but Big Johnny. Big grin.
Later tonight: we find out the first inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame 2012!
Commercial Break
The first person to be announced for the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame is… EDGE!
Backstage Zack Ryder asks Eve Torres out on a date. He says he has no match so the date can be tonight! She hesitates and responds that she has a match but they can go out after that. They exit. A nearby door MYSTERTIOUSLY OPENS and out pours a bit of smoke then red light then Kane peering down the hall at Zack Ryder. I wonder what nefarious plans he has for young Master Ryder!?!
Commercial Break
Non-title Match
WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston vs. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan
Some back and forth flippin’ to start with Kofi on offense. Bryan fights back, locks in the Lebell Lock and Kofi taps in about a minute.
Winner: Bryan
After the match The Big Show music plays and yes – it’s The Big Show himself! He gets into the ring with a mic, and discusses the World Title situation with Bryan. He informs Bryan that they will be having a match for the title on Smackdown!
Coming up next: Brodus Clay actually (re)debuts!
Commercial Break
Royal Rumble history package of 1994 Lex Luger/Bret Hart tie. Randy Savage shown in the footage!
Brodus Clay vs. Curt Hawkins
After months of anticipation, finally appearing on Raw – the Funk-A-Saurus Brodus Clay! He has Funkette-style dancers and comes out in a red track suit and red derby hat. He has a song “Somebody Call My Mama”. This seems kinda racist on first glance but it’s lively and has energy. He throws Hawkins around and hits a BIG FAT SPLASH for the pin to a non-pop. Lawler “He was SQUASHED”.
Winner: Clay
Zack Ryder is shown in the bathroom brushing his teeth, psyching himself up for his date.
The Miz is shown talking to Epico, Primo and Rosa Mendes who laugh him off. CM Punk then comes over and he laughs at the Miz and keeps on walkin. It’s Punk vs. Swagger and it’s NEXT
Commercial Break
CM Punk vs. Jack Swagger w/Vickie Guerrero & Dolph Ziggler
The stipulation here is if Punk wins, Vickie and Swagger are banned from ringside at the Royal Rumble title match. Before the match begins but after the entrances, John Laurinaitis comes out to guarantee fairness at the PPV. He stays at ringside texting. This is a non-title match. Some lockups and feeling out to begin. Swagger takes control and wears down Punk for a few minutes. Punk clears Swagger to the floor, then flies after him near the announce tables, which leads us into a
Commercial Break
We are back and the action has returned into the ring, with Swagger in slow control. Punk gets some offense with the KNEES but Swagger rebounds and gets some 2 count pinfalls. More back and forth leading into Punk going up to the top rope and hitting the flying elbow for the pin. There was some confusion with the referee calling for the bell and it seems like that might not have been the planned finish.
Winner: Punk
Now Vickie and Swagger are banned from ringside. Various replays show that Swagger did kick out in time.
Recap of earlier tonight when John Cena and Kane had a garbage brawl.
John Cena and Zack Ryder talk about Kane backstage. Cena mentions how Ryder surpassed The Miz in total Twitter followers and now is in the WWE Top 5 Twitter Followers. Cena reassures Ryder.
Commercial Break
The Bella Twins chat backstage and Ricardo Rodriguez approaches and asks why they called him here from Mexico. Before they can answer, The Miz approaches and wants Ricardo to go to the ring and call out R-Truth.
Cole and Lawler through to another Hall of Fame announcement. The next to be inducted – THE FOUR HORSEMEN. Very interesting.
Ricardo Rodqiguez comes out and tepidly calls out R-Truth with broken versions of insults. R-Truth comes out actin’ a fool, and they talk back and forth. Ricardo sings “La Cucaracha” but then knocks the mic out of R-Truth’s hand by accident. Truth then hits his finisher on Ricardo then his music plays! But The Miz runs out from the side in street clothes and attacks, but Truth fends him off. Play Truth’s music!
Commercial Break
Justin Roberts introduces the only man to defeat The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin in the same night and the first ever Undisputed Champion, Chris Jericho! The arena goes black, and the GLITTERY JACKET appears followed by pyro and his music. He does a similar thing to last week to milk the cheers for a while. Jericho’s music stops and the crowd is chanting “Y2J” and he has not spoken yet. And he never does. His music plays and he exits.
Commercial Break
Flashback of Royal Rumble 1998 with Stone Cold winning and Mike Tyson at ringside.
Eve Torres vs. Kane music?
Kane’s music plays and the red lighting appears but no Kane. Zack Ryder runs out and grabs Eve’s hand and they run to the back and outside. They go for an SUV but it has a flat tire. We go to commercial with Zack changing the flat tire.
Up next: Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena
Commercial Break
Zack and Eve are still having car troubles here at 10:58. No matter, cut away!
Dolph Ziggler w/Vickie Guerrero vs. John Cena
Match begins and Ziggler has the heat early for about a minute, then Cena makes a comeback. Suddenly Zack Ryder is shown on the Titantron jacking up a tire. Then Kane attacks him, ultimately chokeslamming him off a ledge. Cena is alarmed, then goes to the floor where Ziggler briefly attacks, but Cena fends him off and runs to the back. He goes outside and Kane ambushes and attacks him and lays him out.
Fade to Black
