Raw Discussion - 12/9/2011

Alberto Del Rio is in the ring to start the show with a scowl on his face. He says he can't take being disrespected, and John Cena disrespected him last week. He said that he's WWE Champion and no one makes fun of him. He talks about how he took out Mysterio and he retired Edge and he'll teach Cena a lesson at Night of Champions. He starts talking about how he's the greatest of the great and Bret Hart's music hits!

Hart enters the ring to loud "Bret" chants. He says he came out to give Del Rio a little good advice. He says when he sees Del Rio, he sees a man who doesn't know what it means to be champion. Del Rio is about to threaten Hart, and Hart cuts him off. Hart says that Del Rio is all style and no substance. Hart tells Del Rio to become a real champion that wrestles day in, day out, night after night and leaves it all in the ring, and Del Rio is a long way from being the best there is...

Del Rio tells Hart that he looks like a homeless person with his shorts, greasy hair and 1994 jacket, and he looks like one of the illegal Canadians he hires to clean his house. Del Rio says he's the best there is and he's going to make an example out of Hart tonight. He takes his towel off preparing to get physical when Cena's music hits.

Cena gets in the ring and takes the mic. He says that when he sees Hart, he sees a Hall of Famer and that he must have grown a pair of jalapenos because he always runs off from him. Cena tells Del Rio to go back to Mexico because he's the champion for 6 more days. Del Rio says that let's give the people the match they want, and proposes a match between Cena and Rodriguez, and Rodriguez wants to make Cena pay for hitting him in the face a couple of weeks ago. Cena said that's fine if he wants to wait until Sunday, that's fine, and then proposes a between Del Rio and and Hart for the WWE title tonight. Hart is amping the crowd up for it, while Del Rio smirks.


John Lauranitis interrupts and that, on behalf of Triple H, he's booking a tag team match between Del Rio and Roberto Rodriguez vs. Cena and Hart. Cena says that it's the first good decision that he's made.

A final face-off between HHH and CM Punk is hyped for tonight, as well as a Champion vs. Champion match between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes as we head to commercial.

Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison and Alex Riley

Swagger went for the ankle lock on Riley but Riley pushed him off into Ziggler, who was on the apron. Riley then hit his finisher on Swagger and got the clean pin. After the match Vickie Guererro yelled at Ziggler to the back while Ziggler screamed that Swagger was a loser.

Backstage Josh Matthews interviewed R-Truth and the Miz. Matthews announced that Miz and Truth would face Air Boom for the tag titles this Sunday, and asks if their feelings towards HHH has changed. Miz takes the mic and starts cutting a promo as he and Truth walk to the ring. Miz says it's laughable, while Truth says that HHH made a good decision. Truth then says "ninja please," and says it wasn't a good decision and he wants HHH to lose this Sunday so he's out of here. They then head to the ring.

Miz and Truth arrive on the ramp. Truth tells the crowd to "Shut Up" and says that Triple H is COO, and that spelt twice is "Coo-Coo," and that's what HHH is if he thinks they're letting him off the hook. He says they should be in every main event, and they are going to prove that this Sunday and right now. Miz says Air Boom is going to get got this Sunday, while Truth finishes with Miz's tagline as we head to commercial.

Back from commercial, and Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston head to the ring.

The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston

Good match, Miz won it clean after beating Kingston with the SCF. I guess that means that Air Boom are going over at the PPV.

Backstage Teddy Long tells Vickie that Dolph Ziggler will defend his title this Sunday against Swagger, Riley and Morrison. Kelly Kelly is laughing, and Vickie and Kelly verbally spar for a minute before Teddy Long makes Vickie vs. Kelly for tonight.

Cena and Hart are shown chatting backstage. Jerry Lawler and a mystery partner will face David Otunga and Michael McGuillicutty later tonight.

Back from break, and Jerry Lawler picking Zack Ryder as his partner from last week is shown.

David Otunga and Michael McGuillicutty are in the ring. McGuillicutty asks Lawler if he knows who his father was, while Otunga talked about how he graduated from Harvard. Lawler says that he did know McGuillicutty's father, and McGuillicutty is not his father. He then introduces his partner, Sheamus!

Jerry Lawler and Sheamus vs. David Otunga and Michael McGuillicutty

Lawler got some offense early, who tagged in Sheamus, who destroyed Otunga and McGuillicutty. He nailed McGuillicutty with the Celtic cross and got the win.

Ricardo Rodriguez is doing half-assed pushups backstage and Del Rio asks what he's doing. Rodriguez said something along the lines of aphrodisiac or something, and Del Rio walked off. That match is next.

Back from commercial and Cena's music hits. He and Hart walk down the aisle for a minute. Cena then runs to the ring, while Hart it struggling to keep up. Would have looked a lot better if they just walked down to the ring together.


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By Raj Giri | September 12, 2011 | Comments (576)

Rodriguez comes on stage and introduces Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio walks to the stage and he and Rodriguez head to the ring.

Bret Hart and John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez

Cena starts the match doing his bull run gimmick using his shirt with Rodriguez, which he's been doing at house shows lately. Cena spent the early part of the match dominating Rodriguez and Del Rio, mostly Rodriguez. Cena hit the AA on Rodriguez and tagged in Hart, who applied the sharpshooter, forcing Rodriguez to tap immediately. Cena takes the mic and tells Del Rio that he can keep running, but his destiny changes on Sunday and he'll be champ. Cena and Hart then celebrate to Hart's music.

A video aired highlighting SmackDown! after 9/11 with Vince's promo, with Cena doing the voiceover. It then goes on to talk about how the American has endured since that attack. Impressive piece.

Kelly Kelly's music hits, and her match with Vickie is next. Vickie heads to the ring with Ziggler.

Kelly Kelly vs. Vickie Guerrero

In progress. Some badly botches spots early. Kelly hit the stinkface and Swagger headed down the ring and clocked Ziggler. Vickie is distracted, and Kelly rolled her up to get the pin. Beth Phoenix tried to ambush her after the match, but Kelly kicked her before she could get in the ring and ran off.

A promo of Hugh Jackman guest hosting next week's RAW aired.

A promo aired hyping Triple H.

Josh Matthews interviews Mark Henry backstage. Henry says he's been plowing over through everyone because he hasn't been respected for 15 years, and that he is going to become World Heavyweight Champion. He finishes by saying that Randy Orton will be entering his Hall of Pain this Sunday.

Mark Henry's attack on Orton from last week is shown.

Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes

Orton takes the early advantage but Henry starts heading to the ring. Ortpn lashes at Henry, and Henry ends up heading to the back. Orton goes back to work, but Henry comes back out with a chair and sits on the top of the ramp. Orton starts to go after him and Rhodes takes advantage of the distraction and knees Orton in the face.

Back from commercial, and Henry gets closer to the ring and sites again. Orton is having trouble concentrating on Rhodes. Orton tries going for the RKO at one point, but Henry stood up, distracting Orton. The ref tended to Henry and Rhodes nailed Orton with the mask and then hit Cross Rhodes. Rhodes then pinned Orton clean.

After the match, Henry entered the ring and hit Orton with a chair and then held the World title over his head and taunted Orton with it.

The Punk - Triple H final face-off is up next.

A promo for SmackDown! airs, and Edge will host "The Cutting Edge" with Randy Orton and Mark Henry.

A recap of Triple H firing Nash last week aired. Triple H entered the ring first, followed by Punk. Punk got his standard bizarro-Cena response, with men cheering him but women and children booing him.

Punk started the promo by saying he respected Triple H, and respected him for firing the "charisma vacuum and ratings killer" Kevin Nash. Punk said that he doesn't like HHH, and he knows that HHH didn't like him since the beginning when he called him a "undersized internet darling." Triple H says it's changed a little bit. Punk says that's the problem, that his perception still hasn't changed, and that he's still like Vince McMahon and that they share the same philosophy that someone that looks like him doesn't belong with someone that looks like HHH. He says that he and HHH and McMahon have a bodybuilder fetish, and that anyone that's not a bodybuilder has to work harder.

Punk says that he can't be that naive. HHH says if Punk wants to use that for his failures, that's up to him. The crowd chanted "CM Punk." HHH said that he needs to stop worrying about his opinion, and it's the people's opinions that matters. HHH says that his opinion has changed about him because the people's has changed.

Punk goes back to Survivor Series several years ago when he was on DX's team, and the fans chanted for Punk and not DX. Punk said that he doesn't play games and he'd rather be hated for what he is then loved for what he's not. Triple H says that Punk has had lots of opportunities with the titles, Money In the Banks, and maybe it's time for him to look in the mirror and realize he's not as great as he thinks he is. HHH then says that Punk needs to worry about people's opinion, and we're kinda full circle. HHH says that sometimes he's right or wrong about talent, like he was wrong about Cena, but it's about winning people over.

Punk cuts him off and asks him if he's listening to the audience. HHH says they're chanting his name today, but not a year ago or for the past six years ago. Punk says that he's earned everything he's gotten over the last six years, and HHH said that he admits that. HHH says that this is personal, but Punk made it personal and he's going to kick Punk's ass. Punk says that we can add that to all the other things he's wrong about, and Punk said he's going to pin HHH and make him go to sleep. Punk says his quest for change in WWE doesn't stop until HHH is no longer COO and uses their real names and says that the reason it's going to be so satisfying... mic cuts out. Punk starts blaming HHH about it and HHH hands him his mic, and that mic stops working. HHH gets another mic from ringside, Punk takes it and clobbers HHH over the head with it. I think that means HHH is winning this Sunday. Punk then walks off to the back smiling as the show went off the air.

---

It was an ok show for a go home show, personally, didn't enjoy the promo at the end. Punk came off as quite repetitive, whereas i thought when Hunter got in his face he was excellent.

It's worrying when your World Champs personal ring announcer is more over than the actual Champ.

I don't get the significance of the mics cutting out? Was it somehow done by Punk so that he would have an oppotunity to deck HHH?

Confused

I think it's gonna be Nash or Laurinitis trying to 'silence' Punk, or maybe even Vince.

Yeah it will be like the first "shoot" promo he did sitting at the top of the ramp. The mic cut out so he could say no more. They will be playing that card again.

my first thought was nash

I'm not really a fan of how the end promo went down. The insider references didn't really work and it was odd that HHH mentioned that the fans had to cheer you to get opportunities yet said that now all the fans like John Cena!

It all feels as though it has come about two months too quickly and there is no on-screen reason for them to be feuding. The whole "you've failed as COO" thing hasn't been played up and even if it had it is too soon for that one. Also, there have only been a few cheap lines about HHH and Stephanie - surely not enough to warrant this level of anger... plus wrestlers feuding on screen about things that happen off screen never works, the audience needs to feel included in the performance and script.

It would be akin to an episode of CSI not showing the murder or body.

I am not sure how it is going to be played out though whatever I can't think it will be clean. The ending with Punk smacking HHH with the mic is maybe teasing a tweener character for Punk?... We could have Vince / Johnny Ace / Steph / Nash screw either guy with or without their knowledge leading to a heel turn or a higher power being announced.

Whatever happens I hope that the WWE know what they are doing with this.

We're going to see the re-emergence of the Anonymous GM - They will reveal themself and get involved in screwing over Punk.

Not really.

Looking forward to watching the Punk / Trips promo - pretty sure that Punk will lose on Sunday but will be screwed over somewhere. Should be interesting though.

So fed up of seeing Mark Henry. I didn't like him anyway and he is not endearing himself to me at all at the moment!!! Still think the best thing he has ever done in WWE was roll up that frying pan.....

Disagree, Henry is awesome at the moment, i just hope Orton doesn't bury him.

Gotta agree, Henry has been brilliant, I can't see them feeding him to Orton, he's put Show, Kane and Kozlov out, I don't see them burying him with potential comeback feuds with Kane or Show likely later in the year, thats not to say Orton won't beat him though, just don't think it'll be a burial

Given that Orton doesn't have a likely next challenger I think there will be some kind of screwy non-finish to set up a match at the next PPV and maybe even a decider at Survivor Series

During Orton's promo on Smackdown he acknowledged the potential danger Henry poses, so it doesn't seem to me like the match will be a burial.

Henry deserves a 2/3 PPV main event run with Orton, he's been built up well and looks, acts and sounds like he belongs it would be detrimental to just have a one off match, I don't think they will

I can see Orton winning - just - on Sunday. Then they have a rematch at Hell in a Cell which Henry wins before the rubber match at Vengeance where Orton reclaims the title and moves onto a feud with someone else.

I actually hope this is the case, Henry's been excellent lately and he deserves a run with the belt. Not just for his recent form but for putting up with all the crap WWE have thrown at him throughout his career.

I'm not so sure they'll have Orton lose a Hell in a Cell match, I'd like to see Henry get are reign out this though, but I would rather see Orton taken out the Title picture for a few months until it's Mania season

JoshSansom wrote:I'm not really a fan of how the end promo went down. The insider references didn't really work and it was odd that HHH mentioned that the fans had to cheer you to get opportunities yet said that now all the fans like John Cena!

He said that some people love him, some hate him, not that everyone likes him.

Barring the Miz & Truth double act this was car-crash tv.... The 'Phil vs Paul' promo at the end was ok but it felt like we were just finding different ways of covering the same ground. The casual fan would of felt confussed yet again by all this.
I'm a huge Bret mark but his segment with Cena was cringeworthy, he's left confident speaking in front of an audience than Gareth Gates these days. He described himself as a cripple yet 2 minutes later wanted a world title match???? Stop booking him in any matches!!! Who on earth is Tattoo? That Cena was calling Ricardo Rodriguez? Anyone get that?

So the purpose of the 'Supershow' is me get Randy Orton on Raw every week yet midcard talent is just flung together in needless tag matches?? Morrison was a world title contender before his injury now he's the token 4th man in a US title fatal four way.

Tattoo was from Fantasy Island:

Spoiler:

Adam D (Hobo) wrote:Tattoo was from Fantasy Island:

Spoiler:

He was Scaramanga's little butler in The Man with the Golden Gun!! Wonder if Ricardo Rodriguez can do a French accent?

JoshSansom wrote:

Adam D (Hobo) wrote:Tattoo was from Fantasy Island:

Spoiler:

He was Scaramanga's little butler in The Man with the Golden Gun!! Wonder if Ricardo Rodriguez can do a French accent?

Nik Nak!

Can just imagine John Cena landing on ADR's little island and having to make his way through a maze of rooms and trap doors controlled by mini-Ricardo... they might need a larger lobster pot for the end though

JoshSansom wrote:Can just imagine John Cena landing on ADR's little island and having to make his way through a maze of rooms and trap doors controlled by mini-Ricardo... they might need a larger lobster pot for the end though

There's no way they could have John Cena doing a 'Man with the Golden Gun' angle, his waxwork would completely out act him. And probably sell more.

True. He would probably prefer to do The Man with the Golden Guns, which would involve two hours of him posing after roiding up and just having Vince in the corner whacking one off

JoshSansom wrote:True. He would probably prefer to do The Man with the Golden Guns, which would involve two hours of him posing after roiding up and just having Vince in the corner whacking one off

The next John Cena DVD will probably be something similar, minus Vince whacking off in the corner.

Instead, it'll be Cena posing with Vince providing commentary:

"UNBE-LIEVABLE!"

"WHATTA MANOEUVRE!"

"1 BICEP! 2 BICEPS! THR~NOOOOOOOOO! HE'S ONLY GOT TWO!"

"YES! YES! YES! NO! YES! NO! YES! YES! NO! YES! NO! YES! YES! YES! NOOOOOO!"

I thought Raw was excellent. Ambled along at a nice pace. Some good matches. Miz and Truth on form again. And the promo at the end was intense as far as I'm concerned.

Though I agree with Beer that Punk actually came off as a bit repetetive, and Triple H probably stole the show when he got right up in Punk's face. That bit was really intense. But Punk replied by going on about Cena - which was a poor retort.

I think it's a great storyline - and is going to make for a fantastic match at Night of Champions. Punk looks like he is enjoying himself so much - and I think Triple H probably is too. I couldn't care less who wins - I just want to see a mtach as intense as the promos have been.

I think the merger of Raw and Smackdown is having hte desired effect - and has already bolstered the depth of quality on show on Raw.

I blamed HHH for the Cena stuff, he brought it up, Punk said it about 5 weeks ago, why bring it up now? after Cena was brought into it they both just lost any momentum they had for that promo, it took them util the last 2 minutes to recover

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Gaffer,

I agree Triple H brought up John Cena – which was irrelevant. But they moved past that in the promo, when Triple H went up to his face and snarled that it was personal, and he wasn’t facing him as a multi-time champion, the game, as Triple H – but just a man. A man you have insulted. (or whatever he said). CM Punk’s immediate retort was “This isn’t about John Cena” – which was not only repetitive but didn’t even make chronological sense within the promo.

I lost all interest in it until the first mic cut

The “Suck It” was so funny. Really petulant.