Just two weeks before the Royal Rumble, which features a new supersized 40-Man Royal Rumble Match, the 921st edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the Verizon Arena in Little Rock, AR. Since being assaulted and, ultimately injured, by CM Punk and the new Nexus three weeks ago, the 2010 Superstar of the Year, John Cena, would return to RAW to go one-on-one with the new leader of The Nexus, “The Straightedge Savior” CM Punk as Cena has vowed to take out the new leader!
Match Results
- WWE Tag Team Championship: Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov (c) def. Jimmy & Jey Uso by Santino Marella (c) pinning Jimmy Uso following the Cobra Strike to retain.
- Non-Title: John Morrison def. Daniel Bryan by pin following the knee to the face.
- #1 Contender Vs. #1 Contender: Randy Orton def. Dolph Ziggler by pin following the RKO.
- Non-Title: Natalya def. Maryse by submission to the Sharpshooter.
- Over-The-Top Rope Challenge: Mark Henry def. Ted DiBiase
- CM Punk def. John Cena by DQ after a mystery man interferes.
Detailed Results
Before going one-on-one with new Nexus leader CM Punk later on in the night, RAW kicks off with the 2010 Superstar of the Year John Cena as Cena proclaims that it is his first time in a WWE ring in 2011 and he is “ready” before stating that he has his list of “New Year’s Resolutions” to, first, take out the “world’s most deranged psychopath” CM Punk, win the 40-Man Royal Rumble Match, and head to the main event of WrestleMania XXVII to win the WWE Title! Cena then calls CM Punk to the ring, but instead, Cena is greeted by the arrival of WWE Champion The Miz and his “apprentice”, Alex Riley, as the sharp-dressed champion says that no one wants to see Cena compete for the WWE Title at WrestleMania because Cena is “played out” before stating that he is the “most must-see WWE Champion” in history!
Miz continues that, since he became champion, the WWE has been “more entertaining” and “more exciting” than it has been in “years”! Miz then tells Cena that the “odds” state that Cena is not going to win the Royal Rumble Match before reminding Cena that this year’s Royal Rumble Match will feature 40 Superstars before reminding the 2008 Royal Rumble winner that the winner of the Rumble will get the opportunity to main event WrestleMania with a shot at either the WWE or World Heavyweight Title! Miz then warns the winner of the Royal Rumble Match to not come after him and his WWE Title or they will “suffer the same fate” as Randy Orton will in two weeks’ time at the Royal Rumble by proclaiming that “you will lose”! Cena then mocks the WWE Champion before stating that Miz should have already lost the title twice as, had it not been for Michael Cole, Miz would have lost the WWE Title to Jerry “The King” Lawler last month and, had it not been for Alex Riley, Miz would have lost the WWE Title to Randy Orton at WWE TLC! Cena then sizes up the group and calls them a “more feminine version of the Kardashian sisters” before calling Alex Riley a “chicken McNugget who carries a choo-choo train in a briefcase” and saying that Michael Cole has the “street cred of the Jonas Brothers” and the “only challenging bout” that The Miz has had recently is with “irritable bowel syndrome”! Miz then calls Cena “corny” before saying that Cena is “generic” before proclaiming that there is “no doubt” that he can fight with the “best brawlers in WWE history” and that everyone knows it before proclaiming that he can “outwrestle the so-called greatest technicians in WWE history” and saying that everyone knows that as well before vowing to “destroy” Randy Orton! Cena then states that, when he thinks of WrestleMania, he thinks of Randy Orton Vs. John Cena for the WWE Title before stating that Miz will “not make it past” the Royal Rumble as the WWE Champion before saying that, if Miz disagrees, he “must see” Miz do something about it!
The face-off is then interrupted by the arrival of the new Nexus leader CM Punk and the new Nexus, David Otunga, Husky Harris, & Michael McGillicutty as Punk states that The Miz is the WWE Champion and John Cena is not before saying that Cena will not be the WWE Champion because Cena will not make it through the new 40-Man Royal Rumble Match before revealing that he and every member of the new Nexus will be a part of the Rumble Match before also stating that the objective for the new Nexus will be to ensure that CM Punk wins the Royal Rumble Match! Punk then states that, with that, Cena’s odds of winning go from “slim” to a “big, fat zero” before saying that he can not “wait” to see those “odds” before sending the three members of the new Nexus! David Otunga, Husky Harris, & Michael McGillicutty then brawl with Cena until the WWE Tag Team Champions Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov rush out and even the odds before sending the members of the new Nexus packing! The new Nexus would then regroup on the stage before Punk and the new Nexus march towards the ring, but the anonymous General Manager of RAW chimes in with an email that announces that, when Cena goes one-on-one with CM Punk later on in the night, the members of The Nexus will be banned from ringside and, if The Nexus goes against the ban, they will be taken out of the Royal Rumble Match! Will the match between John Cena and CM Punk truly go off without a hitch or will The Nexus sacrifice their spots in the 40-Man Royal Rumble Match in order to protect their leader?
After having their title defense postponed via an attack by The Nexus last week, WWE Tag Team Champions Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov, with Tamina in their corner, would defend the WWE Tag Team Titles against the team that defeated the champions two weeks ago, Jimmy & Jey Uso! In the end, it was Santino Marella hitting the Cobra Strike on Jimmy Uso en route to pinning Uso to successfully retain the WWE Tag Team Titles! Which tag team will be the next to step up and challenge the WWE Tag Team Champions?
Backstage, CM Punk confronts a bickering Nexus as Punk gets a big smile on his face and simply says “faith”! What does CM Punk mean by “faith”? Does CM Punk have some sort of plan to defeat John Cena without the help of The Nexus?
After picking up an impressive win over King Sheamus on last week’s RAW, “The Prince of Parkour” John Morrison would go one-on-one with United States Champion Daniel Bryan, with The Bella Twins in his corner, in a non-title match! At the end of a competitive match, it was John Morrison landing a knee to the face on Daniel Bryan en route to pinning the United States Champion for the win! After the match, John Morrison would help Daniel Bryan to his feet as the two would then shake hands before the 2010 King of the Ring, King Sheamus, comes out and states that he took Morrison from “mediocrity” and made him what he is today before vowing to win the 40-Man Royal Rumble Match and eliminate both John Morrison and Daniel Bryan on the way to achieving that feat before proclaiming “long live the king”! King Sheamus has announced that he will be one of the 40 Superstars taking part in the biggest Royal Rumble Match in history, but can the 2010 King of the Ring win the 2011 Royal Rumble Match?
Backstage, The Bella Twins are discussing the handsomeness of John Morrison before Brie Bella brings up Daniel Bryan and Nikki Bella states that she is trying her hardest to become Bryan’s “first” and Brie states that the only way that will happen will be if Bryan thinks that Nikki is Brie before the two Bellas agree to a “wager” and states let the “best Bella win”! Which Bella will win the affection of Daniel Bryan?
Two weeks before they challenge for the WWE and World Heavyweight Titles, respectively, at the Royal Rumble, #1 Contenders would face off as the #1 Contender for the WWE Title, Randy Orton, would go one-on-one with the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, Dolph Ziggler, with Dolph’s girlfriend Vickie Guerrero in his corner! At the end of a hard-fought match, Dolph Ziggler would go for the Zig Zag, but Randy Orton would come out of nowhere and counter with the RKO en route to picking up the win! After the match, WWE Champion The Miz and his “apprentice” Alex Riley would rush the ring and attack Randy Orton, sending Orton to the outside before throwing Orton into the steel steps! Miz would then strip the announce table, but Jerry “The King” Lawler would get up from his post and deliver a right hand to Alex Riley before Miz would come from behind and send the Hall of Famer over the ringside barricade! The two-on-one assault would then continue as Miz would send Orton spine-first into the steel ring post before Miz & Riley would send Orton crashing through the ringside barricade! Just two weeks before he is scheduled to challenge The Miz for the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble, what is the status of Randy Orton following this heinous attack by The Miz & Alex Riley?
With the #1 Contender for the Divas Title, Melina, as well as Eve Torres, as guests on commentary, the Divas Champion Natalya would go one-on-one with former Divas Champion Maryse in a non-title match! In the end, it was Natalya locking in the Sharpshooter on Maryse, forcing Maryse to tap out to win the match! After the match, Maryse would shout at Michael Cole about her loss before Eve Torres would get up and shove Maryse before walking off! Maryse’s boyfriend, Ted DiBiase, would then try and talk to Maryse, but Maryse would shout that it is DiBiase’s fault she did not win and DiBiase has no chance of winning the Royal Rumble Match! Ted DiBiase would then respond to the lack of faith shown by Maryse and the WWE fans by laying out an open Over-The-Top Rope Challenge with the challenge being answered by “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry! Mark Henry would be able to throw Ted DiBiase over the top rope with ease to win the challenge, but Yoshi Tatsu, Tyson Kidd, and William Regal would come out and attack Henry with Henry throwing Tatsu over the top as a brawl also involving Primo, Zack Ryder, Darren Young, David Hart Smith, & R-Truth! In a small preview of the Royal Rumble Match, William Regal would be sent over the top rope by R-Truth, Primo and Tyson Kidd would eliminate each other, and as Henry was readying himself to eliminate Ryder, but King Sheamus would come out and send all of the competitors over the top rope except for Mark Henry as Henry would deliver a belly-to-belly slam to Sheamus over the top rope to the outside! “The Mexican Elitist” Alberto Del Rio then rolls into the arena and once again proclaims that it is his “destiny” to win the Royal Rumble Match, headline WrestleMania, become champion, and become “the greatest of the great”! Can Alberto Del Rio survive 39 other Superstars in his first Royal Rumble Match to win the entire match and headline WrestleMania?
It was announced on RAW that next week’s RAW will feature a blockbuster main event as, just six nights before they defend their titles at the Royal Rumble, it will be Champion Vs. Champion as the World Heavyweight Champion Edge goes one-on-one with the WWE Champion The Miz! Which champion will prove to be better on next week’s RAW?
Then it was time for the main event as, with The New Nexus banned from ringside, the 2010 Superstar of the Year John Cena would go one-on-one with the leader of The New Nexus, CM Punk! During the match, both Superstars would be down in the ring, when a monster of a man would emerge from the crowd and knock down a security guard before getting on the ring apron, which would distract John Cena long enough for CM Punk to knock Cena down! Punk would then outstretch his arms and close his eyes as Punk would willingly take a vicious big boot from the mystery monster before the big man would pick Cena up and would deliver a vicious one-armed side slam to Cena! The New Nexus would then rush out and would look ready to fight the big man, but Punk would stop his followers from attacking as the big man would kneel down to one knee and stick out his arm, allowing Punk to place the armband of The New Nexus on the large arm of the big man, making the monster a part of the group as CM Punk and all four of his followes would stand tall together in the center of the ring! Who is this monstrous new addition to The New Nexus? What does this mean for John Cena, as well as Cena’s chances in the 40-Man Royal Rumble Match?
