Raw 4th July Spoilers

Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. R-Truth is announced for tonight in a #1 contender's match for the WWE Title at Money in the Bank. Alex Riley vs. The Miz is also announced.

* John Cena comes out and says Punk has been stripped of the match at MITB. Cena says they are going to act as if Punk never existed in WWE. Cena isn't happy with what happened but says Punk has a right to say what he wants. Cena wants answers from Vince McMahon and wants them tonight and he wants Punk at the pay-per-view.

* Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres beat The Bella Twins.

* R-Truth is backstage upset about having to compete in a #1 contender's match tonight. Alberto Del Rio appears and tells Truth that it's his destiny.

* David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty beat Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov. Zack Ryder appeared on the stage after the match, did the "woo woo you know it" and left.

* Backstage interview with The Miz upset about not being in the #1 contender's match tonight.

* Jack Swagger beat Sgt. Slaughter. Swagger put the ankle lock on after the match until Evan Bourne made the save. Slaughter led us in the Pledge of Allegiance for the 4th of July.

* Alberto Del Rio beat R-Truth and Rey Mysterio by making Rey submit to become the new #1 contender to the WWE Title.

* Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero come out. Vickie is throwing a party for the United States Champion Ziggler since it's the birthday of the United States. Kofi Kingston comes out and fights with Ziggler. Vickie gets pushed into a cake.

* Alex Riley beat The Miz with a roll up. After the match, Miz got mad and attacked Riley, beat him down and hit him with the ring steps. Miz then threw Riley into the announcer's table, kicked him in the face and left.

* Vince McMahon comes out and talks about CM Punk, saying he deserved to be suspended. John Cena comes out and asks Vince if Punk got under his skin. Cena wants answers. Vince couldn't risk Punk taking the WWE Title to another company. Vince told Cena to not be like Hulk Hogan and be a man. Vince says it doesn't matter what anyone wants, CM Punk is gone.

Cena says if he can't wrestle Punk, then he's gone and hands Vince the belt. Vince stops him and says here Cena is walking out on him like everyone else has. Vince reinstates Punk but if Cena loses at Money in the Bank, he's fired.



Well there it is, Cena will be fired if he loses at MITB. So therefore, he's not going to lose.

This is absolutely amazing!

Mr H wrote:This is absolutely amazing!

What is? The show in general? I've just watched Punk's promo from last night on YouTube. It was awesome. I'm looking forward to seeing the Cena-McMahon segment at the end.

Vince reinstates Punk but if Cena loses at Money in the Bank, he's fired.

Is there even point in watching MITB now?

AberdeenSteve wrote:

Vince reinstates Punk but if Cena loses at Money in the Bank, he's fired.

Is there even point in watching MITB now?

That's exactly what I thought. It's pretty damn obvious that Cena won't get fired. UNLESS! This is a long shot. Maybe Cena is finally getting some time off for his injuries?

How are these spoiers? Have they filmed Raw in advance?

Yeah, they are filming two weeks of RAW and a few weeks of Smackdown in advance mate.

Yeah. They filmed it last night because they are touring in Australia next week. Smackdown is being recorded tonight as usual and next weeks is being filmed tomorrow.

I find it laughable that people have been whingeing about CM Punk's PPV run for ages - when all along they've clearly had one of the biggest storylines ever planned for him.

A lesson in having a little patience. what is it Russo said in the Q+A that nando posted last week? - Everything makes sense if you let it play out.

Electric Demon wrote:I find it laughable that people have been whingeing about CM Punk's PPV run for ages - when all along they've clearly had one of the biggest storylines ever planned for him.

A lesson in having a little patience. what is it Russo said in the Q+A that nando posted last week? - Everything makes sense if you let it play out.

But surely 13 (I think) PPV's in a row is testing peoples patience a bit too much lol

If he hadn't gone on a big losing streak - his promo wouldn't make sense would it? Because he wouldn't have justification for believeing he was being overlooked.

I don't get it, his promo on last nights RAW was absolutely brilliant but he slagged off everybody that is a somebody in that company.

BEST PROMO EVER

AberdeenSteve wrote:I don't get it, his promo on last nights RAW was absolutely brilliant but he slagged off everybody that is a somebody in that company.

BEST PROMO EVER

What don't you get Steve?

Electric Demon wrote:If he hadn't gone on a big losing streak - his promo wouldn't make sense would it? Because he wouldn't have justification for believeing he was being overlooked.

I see your point

He slagged off every somebody in the company including Triple H and mentioned Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring Of Honor.

Bit dodgy no?

UpsideDownFace wrote:

Mr H wrote:This is absolutely amazing!

What is? The show in general? I've just watched Punk's promo from last night on YouTube. It was awesome. I'm looking forward to seeing the Cena-McMahon segment at the end.

The whole angle, its absolutely amazing, completely out of leftfield and potentially the best storyline the WWE have offered in years. Punk saying all that stuff, Vince getting involved, i was nearly marking out just reading it!

He didn't mention TNA though. Can you imagine, if after he said about taking the belt back to ROH, he said

"Maybe, just maybe. I'll turn up in Orlando and hand the belt over to Bischoff and Hogan face to face"

I would've exploded

AberdeenSteve wrote:He slagged off every somebody in the company including Triple H and mentioned Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring Of Honor.

Bit dodgy no?

Well I think, thanks to these week-later spoilers, we can clearly see that it was all given the green light.

For me, this is Vince McMahon taking it to TNA - and showing them how you really blur the lines of kayfabe to great effect. When people are not expecting it - not every single week. This is WWE showing TNA that it can still be progressive, and still be edgy, but be progressive and edgy whilst maintaining a high level of quality.

AberdeenSteve wrote:He slagged off every somebody in the company including Triple H and mentioned Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring Of Honor.

Bit dodgy no?

That's why I think it was a shoot. Punk may have been given license to make it believable but in true Punk fashion I think he shooted.

Either way, it was one of the best promos I have ever listened to. The man is incredible at what he does.

What I want to know is, why was he wearing a Stone Cold shirt!?

Mentioning TNA would just be a step too far for Vince clearly!

This is one big angle and I can't think of anyone better than Punk to carry it.

What was the crowd reaction like?

Just thinking, could this be the John Cena heel turn? With a new corporation style faction forming at MITB.

Can you imagine - if it looks like CM Punk is about to win the match, he hits the GTS, and Vince McMahon appears on stage, strutting and growling, and sends some guys down to take out Punk. Punk fights a few off - then it's "Time to play the game" - and Triple H comes out and screws Punk out of the title. The heat would be incredible - in Chicago.

Could there be a more hated faction than Cena, Triple H and Vince McMahon?

The crowd booed the majority of it but when a few cheered he shot them down and said they should all get jobs.

Too massive turns in one night would be awesome, and the IWC would literally go into meltdown. I'd much rather have Cena get screwed and keep Punk heel. Just to see all the little kiddies crying. MUHAHAHA

The whole angle is incredible.

When i saw Raw i thought 'Bye bye Punk' and after reading he's been taking off the website and suspended it seemed like a genuine unscripted shoot. But after reading these spoilers i cant believe my eyes - its a work!! Its amazing how he's been given license to say all that stuff, the powers that be must actually think alot of Punk to allow him to do that.

I also believe there is no chance whatsoever that he will be leaving the WWE. Why would they allow a guy who is 'leaving' in a month to shoot like that? They just wouldnt. Its the beginning of a huge storyline.

I've got a feeling that this could perhaps be the 'bigger picture' that Wade Barrett was referring to, and perhaps Vince and Punk are the brains behind Nexus and they will screw Cena at MITB.

Who knows, but i am genuinely excited about Raw again, the WWE have pulled one hell of a rabbit out of the hat here.

Intruiging stuff.

Next week's Raw sounds like the best in a long, long time. Any coincidence that it revolves around CM Punk?! (Even when he's not there).

Let's get things straight: The promo last night was a work. Did Punk say a few things that were real, and that he wanted to get off his chest? Yes, probably. But Vince McMahon approved every word.

But, if it leads to intricate, well-written storylines, intriguing characters and matches that people care about, I don't care whether it's scripted or not. And WWE is building up Cena vs Punk brilliantly.

My only worry is follow up. Cena was fired last November and never left our screens!

It was absolutely a work, anyone who thinks otherwise is very naive.

I dont think for a minute that Punk will be leaving. They allow him to cut a promo like that then he leaves in 3 weeks? I dont think so.

I wouldnt be suprised in the slightest if he has already signed a new contract.

Its a masterstroke by the WWE, an absolute masterstroke.

I agree anything that happened last night vince orchestrated.

When bret hart left, vince let him talk to wcw.

Terrific build up to this match though.

What happens to del rio though? Since he won a no.1 match.

He's been thrown in the Raw MITB match.

Is Del Rio back in the MITB? I don't usually read spoilers but this was to good to ignore, i still don't know how anyone can suggest that this was the plan for Punk all along

Yeah, they have posted on the WWE website the line up for the Raw MITB match at the PPV but obviously they have next weeks show to go through where Del Rio would be in the #1 contenders match which doesn't seem to make much sense.

I would say he is a shoe in to win it now.

how can you suggest it wasn't?

I've heard the suggestion that WWE don't plan storylines a year in advance. Though didn't they do just that very recently, very openly, and very publicly, when they planned a storyline for Wrestlemania next year??

I've saw you mention that already, to be fair, you're right, the WWE have done this recently, the fact that its the only one mentioned though would suggest its the exception rather than the rule, would you agree or disagree with that? Also, if you're convinced this is the pay off to a long storyline then talk me through it because at this moment in time I can't logically see it

the-gaffer wrote: the fact that its the only one mentioned though would suggest its the exception rather than the rule,

Well we wouldn't know what other storylines are planned a year in advance would we? Because none of us are in WWE's creative team. But I refuse to believe that WWE, a very polished product, especially when held up against TNA, gets by with some kind of seat-of-the-pants booking process where they all turn up in the morning and throw some ideas at the wall and see what sticks - that people seem to suggest frequently on this forum.

I've already said it, but this whole CM Punk promo thing doesn't work unless he's been on a poor run of "form" for a considerable amount of time. I'm flabbergasted that people think it's inconceivable that WWE, or Punk himself, don't have the patience or intelligence to do that, and that the powers-that-be are instead reacting to some oversight of how much Punk has lost recently (as if they don't watch the same thing we watch, and keep track of results) or even reacting to the perception that they don't appreciate what they have -even though when he was injured they made him a commentator - so they could keep his talent on screen.

They've always appreciated what they have. That's why he's been a world champion. That's why he was made leader of the Nexus. That's why he was made a commentator when he was injured. That's why he was given carte blanche last night.

But even if they didn't appreciate him - Vince McMahon would not give CM Punk a storyline like this, just to convince him to sign a new contract. WWE is bigger than CM Punk, and if he left tomorrow the arenas would still be full, the John Cena merchandise would still sell, and you, and I would still watch every week. ALSO, even if CM Punk went to ROH, or even TNA - They still wouldn't be a threat. They don''t have the clout. So the thought that Vince McMahon would offer this as some sort of last-gasp grovelling apology is absurd.

I think it's been planned all along, and I think it's brilliant. Bravo Vince McMahon and WWE

Surely we would know stories that have been planned a long time in the past when the eventual pay offs have been revealed, otherwise whats the point? we would surely 'understand it all' but there doesn't seem to be one lately, the only one I could think of recently is the Shawn/Taker II

I see your point Demon but Punk's losing streak stretches back to 2009?

The only way I see your plan working is that they have picked up on Punk's ridiculous losing streak and over the last few months have built up to last night.

You misunderstand me though. Planned a year in advance doesn't mean actively happening for a year. So every loss that has happened to Punk doesn't hold any significance, the only significant factor is that he has been on a losing streak.

What I'm saying is - is it so inconceivable that Creative sat down with Punk a year ago and said, you're going to lose for about a year, but then you're going to rebel and become the new Steve Austin, and we want you to use your twitter to create a bit of tension beforehand?

I've also said multipule times on here that CM Punk despite popular opinion has had more high profile angles than most in the past 3 years, however his promo last night wasn't about his PPV losing streak, he wasn't breaking kayfabe, he was promoing about being unappreciated and under valued by the hiarachy and how he has had to claw his way into a position he can be no longer under valued and unappreciated, if the WWE really have been holding such a monumental move off for so long then why now? Why not pull the trigger at SummerSlam, the PPV the WWE are trying to sell as big as Mania, surely a storyline fit for such an event

Punk was quite careful not to mention losing at all, his whole schtick was centered around how the WWE never promote him despite his success, surely if the WWE planned this they would have continued his success so when Punk claims he is unappreciated he appears to have a point, kayfabers will look back at his record and think "why should the WWE promote him?"

No you're right. Maybe it's not about his losing streak.

I should heed JR's advice and don't read too much into it.

I just get annoyed when people give WWE credit with one hand, and take it away again with the other by saying things like "great storyline, but they'll mess it up as MITB". Things like that get my goat, because I think credit should be given where credit is due, and in my opinion, Vince McMahon gets a bad rap and never any credit.

I understand what you're saying, unfortunately I think Vince has burnt his bridges with a lot of Wrestling fans, WWF/E fans inparticular and it will take a prolonged period of compelling TV before he will get them back, however, its a helluva starting point and one I hope leads to brilliant compelling TV

Am I the only one who can see Punk bringing in a 'ROH'-invasion post MITB? Possibly leading to the debuts of Seth Rollins (Tyler Black) and the Kings of Wrestling?

With the mention of ROH on Raw last night could we see a talent exchange similar to the one that TNA has with AAA?

I think the following is good reading from Twitter in reaction to the promo:

steveaustinBSR Steve Austin
@CMPunk just melted my 52 inch TV with a scorching hot promo...delivery, content, and attitude...one of the best promos I've ever seen.

And then when someone criticised it...

@EricCalcara_35 what the hell do you know about a worked shoot? And fake as hell?..it was a damn good promo and thats the bottom line.

Show off - 52 inch

Gregers wrote:Am I the only one who can see Punk bringing in a 'ROH'-invasion post MITB? Possibly leading to the debuts of Seth Rollins (Tyler Black) and the Kings of Wrestling?

With the mention of ROH on Raw last night could we see a talent exchange similar to the one that TNA has with AAA?

That would make me VERY happy.

well KOW have been offered contracts and tyler is already there so very big possibility of happening.

CM Punk leading an invasion of KOW, Tyler Black, Daniel Bryan, Matt Sydal (and yes for them to revert back to their ROH names as Punk did with Cabana)
Yeah that’d make a very happy bunny indeed.

Thats what made me think of it Nando. Also I thought it would be great if a talent exchange took place

ROH 'Invaders'

CM Punk
Tyler Black
Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson)
The Kings
Evan Bourne (Matt Sydal)
Colt Cabana

Possibly bring back Shelton/Haas?

Hero wrote:CM Punk leading an invasion of KOW, Tyler Black, Daniel Bryan, Matt Sydal (and yes for them to revert back to their ROH names as Punk did with Cabana)
Yeah that’d make a very happy bunny indeed.

only for them to get squashed by the ninja team of Primo and Sin Cara! No an ROH invasion would ultimately end up in the ROH guys getting buried just like the Nexus.

I was thinking along the same lines with Punk ditching Nexus for a ROH style group, maybe with Danial Bryan involved, I'm not sure though, I think I want Punk on his own for a while tho it would be a great way to introduce them