The Raw Review – 28th December 2009
28/12/2009
Hello and welcome the Raw Review.
Use the quick links below to jump to a specific match or segment.
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On with the show!
Quick Links
Opening Segment: Jericho Protests & Cena Talks Tables
Segment 2: Timbaland Interviewed
Match 1: Evan Bourne Vs. Ted DiBiase
Match 2: Cody Rhodes Vs. Mark Henry
Match 3: Kelly Kelly Vs. Maryse
Segment 6: Mr. McMahon’s address from the ‘Hart’
Segment 7: John Cena Interviewed
Match 4: The Miz Vs. Kofi Kingston
Match 5: The Miz (c) Vs. Kofi Kingston
Segment 9: Randy Orton Interviewed
Match 6: DX Vs. The Big Show & ???
Main Event: John Cena Vs. Sheamus (c)
The Raw Review
Before we start I’d just like to say sorry guys, the Raw Review was actually complete days ago, but due to a bug in the system (which I only just noticed; too much ‘Christmas Cheer’ responsible) it has only just gone live.
Opening Segment
Jericho Protests & Cena Talks Tables
The show starts in a rather bizarre manner tonight, as Jericho walks around outside the arena with a megaphone and clipboard, requesting people sign his petition to stop his unfair treatment at the hands of various General Managers and allow him back on the Raw brand.
Needless to say no one is particularly interested in signing it and instead anger the 2008 Superstar of the year by taking pictures.
After the opening video and mention of Mr. McMahon addressing the fans over Bret Hart’s possible return, John Cena makes his way to the ring and sets up a table.
He sits atop the turnbuckle and explains that it was right here where he lost his WWE Championship to Sheamus a few weeks ago.
He explains that he will get his re-match tonight, then says they may as well do it right now, and make it a Tables match yet again.
Sheamus makes his way to the ring ready to wrestle, but then tells Cena that as the current WWE Champion he doesn’t have to prove anything and that Raw belongs to the Celtic Warriors.
Cena plays the cheap pop card and says that Raw belongs to the WWE Universe, then asks if they are going to have a Tables match.
Sheamus says the match will be on his terms, and therefore won’t be a Tables match, but rather a straight up 1 on 1 contest in tonight’s Main Event!
The Champ goes to leave the ring, but Cena charges towards him. Sheamus goes to battle back but Cena hoists him up and hits an Attitude Adjustment through the table.
Segment 2
Timbaland Interviewed
Backstage tonight’s Guest Host Timbaland is hanging out with the usual suspects (The Bellas and a whole stack of CD’s he’ll be promoting) when Josh Mathews enters.
He asks if tonight’s WWE Championship match is going to be postponed after what just took place in the ring.
Timbaland asks why he would ever postpone ‘the biggest match of the century’, then asks the fans in attendance if they still want to see the match.
The general response is positive, so the match is on.
Segment 3
Legacy at an End?
Elsewhere backstage Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase are talking about The Marine 2 when they meet up with Orton.
He says he thinks it’s time for Legacy to disband, as he has just come to the conclusion that he’s wasted the last year of his life with a pair of failures.
Orton talks about their loss last week, then says that DiBiase and Rhodes have a chance to prove they aren’t failures in singles matches tonight against Evan Bourne and Mark Henry.
If they lose not only are they out of Legacy, but Orton will personally beat the hell out of them.
After some commercials Jericho is shown once again protesting outside the arena, with less than successful results.
Match 1
Singles Match
Ted DiBiase
Vs.
Evan Bourne
This is interesting, as I’d have expected Cody’s match to be up first.
The reason being if The Informant is correct in his predictions, DiBiase will be the one to turn face, and what better way to do it than to be kicked out of Legacy by Orton and Rhodes.
I know Bourne will have his hardcore fan-base out there, and I accept that he is an amazingly skilled wrestler, but the writers really aren’t giving me any sort of reason to care about him, and this match was no different.
Bourne had the odd chance, but in the end it was all about DiBiase, who picked up the win with Dream Street.
Orton, who sat at ringside for the bout, looked less than impressed with the result.
Ted DiBiase wins by Pinfall.
Match 2
Singles Match
Cody Rhodes
Vs.
Mark Henry
Cody has arguably the bigger challenge here, but there doesn’t seem to be the same tension between Rhodes and Orton that there was between DiBiase and Orton before the start of the previous match.
Despite his best efforts Rhodes struggled to do any damage to Henry in the early going, and it wasn’t until the Worlds Strongest Man injured himself while sliding through the ropes that the Legacy member was able to take advantage.
Rhodes focused on the damaged knee and picked up the win with a big DDT, cementing his place under Orton’s wing.
After the match Orton seemed much happier with this outcome, even shaking Cody’s hand and walking with him to the back.
Cody Rhodes wins by Pinfall.
Segment 4
Midget Bowling
Backstage Jillian Hall and Gail Kim are talking about Timbaland’s Shock Value 2 tour.
Nearby Triple H is strapping Hornswoggle to a skateboard.
HBK asks him what he’s doing and he explains that as anyone with a new midget would, he’s taping him to a skateboard to see how far he’ll go, not just taking him to church like Shawn did.
Shawn says he’s feeling down because of the whole Bret Hart thing. Triple H says it’d be a bad idea for Shawn to stick his nose in Vince’s business again, because last time he did that he ended up facing the boss at WrestleMania.
HBK leaves and Triple H ‘bowls’ Hornswoggle into Jillian Hall, who seemed to be upsetting Timbaland with her rendition of ‘Give it to Me’.
Match 3
Divas Match
Kelly Kelly
Vs.
Maryse
The gap in talent between these two Diva’s is pretty clear to see.
Maryse has fluidity, brilliant delivery and can sell moves to a tee, whereas Kelly just looks a little awkward.
Despite dominating most of the match Kelly eventually fell victim to Maryse’s devastating DDT.
After the bell Maryse grabbed a microphone and asked Divas Champion Melina if she was watching, then claimed that she will be the next Champion.
Maryse wins by Pinfall.
Segment 5
Jeri-Show Reunite
Outside Jericho is still campaigning when The Big Show turns up and asks him what he’s doing.
Jericho says he is doing it for them, but Show says he should give it up.
The whole thing turns into an innuendo-filled skit about a failing long distance relationship, in which Show says he’s ‘moved on’ before handing Jericho an envelope.
Jericho looks inside and begins smiling as we cut back inside.
Segment 6
Mr. McMahon’s address from the ‘Hart’
Vince makes his way to the ring to address the situation surrounding Bret Hart’s possible return to the WWE.
He says he is going to first talk about the ‘rumours and suggestions’ by luminaries both in and out of the WWE (*Ahem*, The WWEBlog Informant) that Bret Hart will be hosting Raw next week.
Vince then runs an ‘unbiased’ video of The Hitman’s time in the WWE, which started fairly well but quickly descended into a propaganda video regarding the 97 Montreal Screwjob and the opinion that ‘Bret Hart Screwed Bret Hart’.
The Boss explains that Bret didn’t leave the WWE on the best of terms. He talked about how despite his attitude, Vince let Bret back into the WWE by allowing him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and that Bret snubbed him at the award show.
Despite that Vince says he is once again prepared to be the bigger man.
Therefore, next week’s guest host will be…
Vince tries twice, but then says he just can’t do it and announces that Bret Hart will NEVER be a guest host here on Monday Night Raw.
Mr. McMahon goes to leave the ring but gets cut off by Shawn Michaels’ music.
HBK makes his way to the ring and tells Vince that sometimes there are rivalries that are even bigger than this industry, and he can’t deny the people or himself just because it doesn’t work for him.
Vince begins to talk about the rivalry between HBK and Bret, but Michaels cuts him off and says this is about The Undertaker, requesting he make the WrestleMania rematch happen.
Vince says he won’t book the match and if he wants it so badly Shawn is the one that will have to make it happen.
HBK says that he can understand Vince being scared of Taker, but not of Bret Hart.
He says that Vince doesn’t have many open chapters in his life and maybe it’s time he closed this one, telling him to bring back The Hitman because if he does ‘only good things will happen.’
McMahon says he isn’t afraid of anything and after mulling over the term ‘only good things will happen’ announces that next week, right here on Raw, the special guest host will be…
BRET ‘THE HITMAN’ HART!
Segment 7
John Cena Interviewed
Backstage Josh Mathews begins to ask John Cena if he thinks he has the upper hand going into tonight’s title match after putting Sheamus through a table.
Before Cena can answer the WWE Champion jumps him from behind, beating him down and leaving him out as the officials dive in to break it up.
Segment 8
Unlucky Miz
Backstage M.V.P is hanging out with Timbaland playing on his new PSP beatmaker game or something, I didn’t really pay attention.
Kofi Kingston enters and thanks Timbaland for the chance to earn a U.S Championship match tonight, because he has unfinished business with The Miz who he dropped the belt to in the first place.
M.V.P says that if that’s the case he and Kofi have unfinished business as The Ghanaian Sensation originally took the title from him.
M.V.P requests that if Kofi takes the title back he should get the first shot at it, to which Kingston agrees.
The Miz enters and says that isn’t going to happen, because Kofi isn’t going to beat him tonight, never mind beat him in the subsequent title match that would take place next week on Raw.
Timbaland interjects and tells The Miz that should Kingston win the first match tonight, the title shot scheduled for next week will in fact take place immediately afterwards.
Match 4
United States Championship #1 Contendership Match
The Miz
Vs.
Kofi Kingston
This one ended in seconds, with Kofi reversing a top rope attack into a Trouble in Paradise to earn a U.S Title shot, which is up next!
Kofi Kingston wins by pinfall and becomes the #1 contender for the United States Championship.
Match 5
United States Championship Match
The Miz (c)
Vs.
Kofi Kingston
This one started during the commercials and despite coming into this match with a clear advantage, Kofi still hadn’t been able to pick up the win.
Kofi landed an SOS, Boom Drop and another Trouble In Paradise, but just as he covered for the win Randy Orton hit the ringside area and cost him the title.
Orton dragged Kofi to the outside and hit him with an RKO on the mats, leaving the would-be U.S Champion down and out, much to the crowds dismay.
Kofi Kingston wins by Disqualification. Therefore The Miz retains the United States Championship.
Segment 9
Randy Orton Interviewed
Backstage Josh Mathews caught up with Orton after his involvement in the last match.
Josh asked him why he attacked Kingston and Orton said it was because they have unfinished business.
He said that he will be the only one that decides when things between them are over, then said they would fight next week on Raw to end it once and for all.
Match 6
Tag Team Match
DX
Vs.
The Big Show & ???
Throughout the night it’s been mentioned that The Big Show would take on DX with a NEW partner, and I guess now it’s time to find out who it is.
DX did their usual introduction, throwing in a bit about Jericho and The Big Show splitting up and the giant finding a new man, which apparently there’s nothing wrong with.
Just as HBK is about to put the finishing touches to it Jericho makes his way down the isle clutching a ringside ticket, apparently supplied in the envelope given to him by The Big Show earlier on.
The Big Show emerges with… Chavo Guerrero?! Oh, I get it. The Hornswoggle thing.
Unsurprisingly the surrounding crowd seemed more interested in Jericho than they were in the match, especially when Chavo was in the ring.
In fact, the guy sitting directly behind Jericho looked like he was having a seizure every time the camera focused on them, and quickly heckled ‘down in front’ whenever the 2008 Superstar of the Year rose up out of his seat.
After taking a beating HBK finally got the hot tag to Triple H, who entered and briefly controlled both men before Show landed an enormous Spear.
Chavo went for an assisted Frog Splash but Triple H moved and HBK entered to clear out Show.
Hornswoggle emerged and tried to go for a Pedigree on Chavo during the confusion, but got a Backdrop for his troubles.
Triple H took advantage of the distraction and landed a Pedigree of his own to pick up the win.
After the bell Jericho jumped the guard rail and started going crazy until HBK sent him flying from the apron with a Sweet Chin Music.
Triple H wrapped things up by saying he was sick of Jericho constantly interrupting the show, so next week DX would give Jeri-Show another shot at the tag titles, but if they don’t win then Jericho is gone from Raw for good.
DX win by Pinfall.
Main Event Match
WWE Championship Match
John Cena
Vs.
Sheamus (c)
This is it, the ‘biggest match of the century’ according to Timbaland. I think countless other WWE Superstars, Hall of Famers and even perhaps Divas would have something to say about that.
Timbaland is on ring announcing duty for this match, showing absolutely no favouritism with his John Cena T-Shirt on.
The match begins in a good old fashioned slug-fest, which Sheamus gets a clear advantage in. After beating Cena down to the canvas Sheamus battered him with lefts and rights before drilling him into the corner and covering for a 2 count.
Cena eventually managed to fire back with some Flying Shoulders, a Spin Out Backdrop and a Five Knuckle Shuffle.
However, as Cena went for the Attitude Adjustment Sheamus grabbed the referee and dragged him over, causing the disqualification.
Cena picked up the win but Sheamus retains his gold.
After the match Cena sprinted up the ramp and dragged Sheamus back to the ring, but this turned out to be his downfall as The Celtic Warrior delivered a pair of Pump Kicks to leave Cena laying on the canvas.
John Cena wins by Disqualification. Therefore Sheamus retains the WWE Championship.
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