WWE is less than 2 weeks away from Wrestlemania 28! Here we go with LIVE WWE Raw coverage.
CM Punk comes out to start the show, to his music. Chris Jericho is not here this week, according to Punk. Recap shown of last week’s storyline turn where Jericho brought up Punk’s alcoholic father. Punk says it’s HIS story to tell and begins to tell his side of the story. He says his father has battled demons and he is proud that his father has beaten them for now. After a bit, Jericho appears in a suit on the Titantron – billed as live – and cuts a promo. Jericho says as Chris, he is sorry that he crossed the line and won’t bring up the father again. But then brings up Punk’s sister who is a drug addict and intimates that she is also a prostitute. Punk gets mad, curses which is muted out and says he will beat Jericho at Wrestlemania.
Commercial Break
The Big Show vs. Kane
After The Big Show makes his entrance, Cody Rhodes comes out to HIS music. Rhodes shows a Wrestlemania montage of Big Show bloopers to wacky music. Kane and Big Show have a brief match, where Cody distracts Show and allows Kane to hit a top rope slam “choke slam” for the pin.
Winner: Kane
After the match, Cody grabs handcuffs and ties Show to the ropes. Then puts on boxing gloves and pounds on Show for a while, then kicks him. Cody gets big heat.
Later tonight: John Cena vs. Mark Henry!
Commercial Break
David Otunga vs. Santino Marella
They have a pose down before the match and the crowd pops for Santino and boos Otunga. Both John Laurinaitis and Teddy Long are at ringside. The match begins and Santino takes early control. He goes for the cobra and puts on the cobra sock, but Laurinaitis slides his phone into the ring. Santino sees it, then goes stomps on it several times. He turns around and Otunga hits a spinebuster for the pin.
Winner: Otunga
After the match, Laurinaitis and Long go into the ring, and Long slaps Johnny, then exits to his music. Teddy Dance on the ramp!
Video package for the “end of an era” match – HHH vs. The Undertaker.
The Rock is here – and he’s up NEXT.
Commercial Break
The Rock is on the big screen here in Philadelphia. FINALLY the Rock has come BACK to Philadelphia. He puts over Philly for a bit. He talks about his memories of Philadelphia, which include putting over the Ultimate Warrior including showing footage! The Rock headlined his first Wrestlemania against Stone Cold in Philadelphia. Rock peppers in Philadelphia references including Pat’s cheesesteaks wit or wit-out. Then he uses some other icons’ catchphrases including “Bang Bang”, “Woooooo!” and “oooooh yeah, dig it”. In the spirit of Rocky Balboa, he is going to layeth the smacketh down on John Cena.
Back to the arena and Daniel Bryan makes his entrance as we take a
Commercial Break
Daniel Bryan w/AJ vs. Zack Ryder
Footage is shown of a Zack Ryder Rally earlier today tailgating. Short match mostly dominated by Bryan, who hooks Ryder in the Lebell Lock for the clean submission.
Winner: Bryan
Breaking News from TMZ shown: John Cena in a car accident – more details is your 10pm main event next!
Commercial Break
John Cena vs. Mark Henry
Both make their full entrances. The announcers wonder whether Cena is at full strength with the car accident, and Lawler feels like he might be “on defense” tonight against Henry. Brawling and Henry takes control early. Brawling to the floor and Henry dominates as we go to a
Commercial Break
Cena tries to fight back and Henry powers him down. This continues for a while with Henry maintaining control. Cena finally gets a bit of offense, tries the AA but his back gives out. He tries again, hits it and pins Henry.
Winner: Cena
After the match, The Rock’s music plays and he comes down to the ring. Rock gives Henry Rock Bottom, then stares at Cena and points to his “boots 2 asses” shirt and then exits. Huge pop for Rock.
HBK/HHH video package.
Later tonight, HHH, HBK and Undertaker have a main event interview.
Commercial Break
The Miz is in the ring to cut a promo about Wrestlemania 28. King Kong Bundy was in the main event of Wrestlemania 2 then in a midget match with Hillbilly Jim at Wrestlemania 3. Before today that was the biggest dropoff in Wrestlemania main event history. He will NOT go from main eventing Wrestlemania 27 to doing nothing at Wrestlemania 28. He has issued an open challenge for tonight to prove to John Laurinaitis that he is worthy of being on Team Johnny.
The Miz vs. Sheamus
Sheamus’ music plays and he has answered The Miz’s challenge. Sheamus gets some offense early and some pins but Miz takes control and slows things down. Side headlock actually gets a “Let’s Go Sheamus” chant going with this lively Philly crowd. Miz has control but Sheamus powers up and out, hits the Brogue kick for the clean pin.
Sheamus
Backstage John Laurinaitis and David Otunga watch on the monitor and shake their heads.
Video recap of earlier tonight when Chris Jericho shifted from calling CM Punk’s father an alcoholic to calling his sister a drug addict.
Commercial Break
Video package of HBK/Undertaker portion of the “end of an era” triumvirate
Josh Matthews is on the Raw stage for an interview with Randy Orton, who comes out to his music. Randy gives a straight-forward promo about Kane and even mentions their feud from last summer. Crowd was into Randy Orton in this promo.
Video package of the WWE Be A Star program, with Stephanie McMahon, Big Show, David Otunga and others talking to kids at a school presentation.
Vickie Guerrero comes out and introduces the two newest members of Team Johnny – Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler!
“Once in a Lifetime” – a special 1 hour Cena/Rock documentary – airs before Raw next week.
Commercial Break
Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler w/Vickie Guerrero vs. R-Truth & Kofi Kingston
Match is beginning as we come back from the break. Back and forth to start, and settles into a long heat sequence on Kofi Kingston. Dolph hits a really great dropkick that gets a 2. Swagger in and he dominates for a bit including doing pushups with his hands on Kofi’s back and butt with Kofi face down on the mat. Kofi fights back and gets the hot tag to R-Truth who is a house afire on Ziggler. Flying something, then a suplex gets 2 but Swagger breaks it up. Truth makes his own comeback and clears Swagger, who is then taken out on the floor by Kofi. Truth goes for an axe kick but Ziggler dodges and hits the fame-asser and pins Truth with his foot on the rope but Vickie pushes it off.
Winners: Swagger & Ziggler
After the match, Oxana pushes over Vickie and then goes to tell the ref that it was Vickie who moved Truth’s foot off the rope. Vickie and Oxana have a cat fight and the feuding men put that aside to break up the ladies.
Footage of an MSG house show last night where HHH pinned Dolph Ziggler by using the tombstone and putting Dolph’s hands across his chest for the pin.
Commercial Break
Recap of Cena/Henry match from earlier, with The Rock coming down for a Rock Bottom on Henry.
Shawn Michaels comes out to his music first for the main event. He talks about being the show stealer and once again he’s stealing the show. He holds the “end of an era” in his hands. HBK says end of an era is really code for “end of the streak” and much like himself, Undertaker knows when the end has come. This triggers The Undertaker’s music and out comes the Undertaker. He tells HBK to shut up and listen. Before he can say much more, Triple H’s music plays to complete the trifecta. Hunter comes out in a suit and he looks grumpy. He starts talking about legacy and how their careers have been parallels and this match is their destiny. There have been 24 Hell in a Cell matches – “just 24” – and HHH/Taker have been in 19 of them. What started out as the Devil’s Playground became his proving ground. Undertaker responds by suggesting the match be for Hunter’s career. HHH agrees because he wants to end the Undertaker. Finally the Undertaker says that remember when I said Shawn Michaels was better than you? He is. Then the Undertaker’s music plays and he exits. HHH and HBK have an awkward moment in the ring as we fade to black.
