Punk is “steel” the champion.
The 966th edition of WWE Monday Night RAW was a RAW SuperShow and it came to you, live, from the Colonial Life Arena at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. On what promises to be a memorable edition of RAW, the legendary and controversial Piper’s Pit returns to RAW as Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s guest was none other than John Cena. After forcing Alberto Del Rio to tap out to the Anaconda Vise to win the WWE Title at Survivor Series, new WWE Champion CM Punk defends the title against the former champion, Alberto Del Rio, in a Survivor Series rematch.
Match Results
- Falls Count Anywhere: The Miz def. John Morrison after the referee determines that John Morrison is unable to continue.
- Kelly Kelly & Alicia Fox def. The Bella Twins by Alicia Fox pinning Nikki Bella following a somersault leg drop.
- Non-Title: Dolph Ziggler (with Wade Barrett) def. Randy Orton by pin following the Zig Zag.
- Zack Ryder def. Jack Swagger by pin following the Rough Ryder Leg Lariat.
- WWE Championship: Title Changes Hands on an Intentional DQ: CM Punk (c) def. Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez) by pin following a modified GTS on an exposed turnbuckle to retain.
Detailed Results
As promised, the show kicks off with one of the WWE’s most controversial and outspoken legends, Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper as Piper’s Pit returns to RAW with guest John Cena. Piper asks the question how someone who has never won the WWE Championship has become a legend and a Hall of Famer, answering the question, saying that it was the “energy” of the fans that makes him go to work. “The Rowdy One” wastes no time in getting things started as Piper introduces his guest, John Cena, who makes his way to the ring and into Piper’s Pit. The Hall of Famer then tells the fans that they are going to play some “word association” as he will say a name and the fans will react however they want. While the fans loudly support legends like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret Hart, and The Rock, John Cena receives the usual mixed reaction from the crowd. Piper continues that, when The Rock hit the Rock Bottom on Cena at Survivor Series, the fans came “unglued”. Cena tells Piper that he has received that reaction throughout his career, adding that he cannot please everybody, but that is what makes the “energy” that Piper was talking about. Piper then tells Cena that Cena is the “face of the WWE”, but the fans boo him and, if Cena does not tell the fans what he is thinking about them, then Cena will be the “loser at the biggest WrestleMania in history”. Cena tells Piper that he is going “overboard”, before bringing up such tumultuous nights as WrestleMania 22, WWE Money-in-the-Bank earlier in the year and ECW One Night Stand in 2006, where the fans tried to boo him out of the building. Cena continues that, at Survivor Series, it was New York fans being themselves in Madison Square Garden, adding that he does it for the kids and he had three Make-A-Wish families that are in the arena. Cena then tells Piper to read his “Rise Above Hate” shirt because that is why he will never get “rattled”, adding that he knows who he is and what he stands for and he knows that he can beat The Rock at WrestleMania.
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper then tells John Cena that it was his generation that passed the torch to Cena’s generation before handing his Hall of Fame ring to Cena and saying, from a Hall of Famer to a “future Hall of Famer”, if he does not tell the fans what he really thinks, Cena will be in “denial” and will kill what Cena wants to do with his career. Cena says he is in a “good place” and Piper does not know what he is talking about. The ever surprising Hall of Famer then slaps Cena across the face before shouting at Cena to “feel the energy”! Cena responds by putting the Hall of Fame ring back into Piper’s hand, shaking his head “no”, and leaving the ring! How will John Cena respond to the words and criticism of Roddy Piper?
One week after abruptly ending his partnership with R-Truth with the Skull Crushing Finale on the steel stage, The Miz was set to go one-on-one with another former tag partner and friend of his in “The Prince of Parkour” John Morrison in a Falls Count Anywhere Match. However, as Morrison is making his entrance, The Miz blindsides Morrison before wailing away at the leg of Morrison with a steel pipe! Referees and trainers then rush out, taking the steel pipe away from The Miz before tending to an injured Morrison.
With a remorseless demeanor, The Miz enters the ring and grabs a microphone, but the gutsy John Morrison is determined to compete as Morrison limps his way to the ring, insisting that the match begin, which the referee reluctantly agrees to! After getting a kendo stick away from The Miz, John Morrison miraculously mounted a comeback, utilizing the kendo stick. However, The Miz would lure Morrison to the staging area, where Miz sends Morrison face first into the WWE logo on the stage before delivering the Skull Crushing Finale to Morrison on the steel stage! Miz then goes for the pin on Morrison, but the referee realizes that Morrison is unconscious and calls for the match to be stopped. The remorseless Miz then demands that the referee raise his hand as the winner as Miz stands over Morrison.
As John Morrison is loaded onto a stretcher by EMT’s, Interim RAW General Manager John Laurinaitis comes out and takes a quick, unconcerned look at Morrison before leaving. Meanwhile, The Miz makes his way to the ring with microphone, stating that, last week, it was R-Truth and, this week, it was John Morrison. Miz continues that there is only one Superstar that make that kind of an “impact” and that is The Miz and he can do it because he is “awesome”. Who will The Miz target next? What is the status of John Morrison after this heinous assault?
The Divas were in action on RAW as former Divas Champion Kelly Kelly teams with Alicia Fox to face The Bella Twins. Early on in the match, Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya jog down and around the ring before exiting. In the end, it was Alicia Fox hitting a somersault leg drop on Nikki Bella en route to picking up the win for her and Kelly Kelly.
Backstage, Interim RAW General Manager John Laurinaitis is on the phone, telling Brodus Clay that the mastodon Superstar will debut next week. Laurinaitis then tells David Otunga that, the more he postpones Brodus’ debut, then the angrier and more aggressive Brodus will get. After a confrontation between WWE Champion CM Punk and Alberto Del Rio where Punk tells Del Rio that he will still be the champion at the end of the night, David Otunga calls Punk’s words an “illicit threat”, saying that Punk will try to get himself intentionally disqualified. This prompts the GM to announce that, if Punk gets himself intentionally disqualified, then Punk will lose the WWE Title to Alberto Del Rio!
With Wade Barrett a guest on commentary, Randy Orton was in action on the RAW SuperShow as “The Viper” went one-on-one with United States Champion Dolph Ziggler, with Vickie Guerrero in his corner, in a non-title match. During the match, Randy Orton was set to deliver the RKO to Dolph Ziggler, but Dolph narrowly escapes to the outside of the ring before trying to retreat with Vickie Guerrero in tow. Meanwhile, Wade Barrett gets on the apron of the ring, but Orton spots him, knocking Barrett off of the apron with a dropkick. However, this distraction allows Dolph to come from behind and hit the Zig Zag on Orton en route to picking up a huge win.
One night before he challenges Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Title in a Steel Cage Match on a special live Holiday edition of SmackDown, “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Daniel Bryan appeared on RAW to be interviewed by Bryan’s biggest critic, commentator and self-proclaimed “Voice of the WWE” Michael Cole. Cole introduces Daniel Bryan, calling him the “biggest hypocrite in the history of the WWE” before saying that Bryan was “given” the opportunity to challenge Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Title in a Steel Cage Match tomorrow night. Bryan jumps in, saying that he earned the opportunity by winning a Fatal 4-Way Match on SmackDown, adding that he does not expect Cole to be accurate all the time, just like he does not expect Cole to be a “good announcer”. Bryan continues, calling Cole “the worst announcer in the history of the WWE” before saying that he does expect that he has earned at least a little “respect” from Cole. Cole argues that Bryan wants him to respect a “liar” because Bryan tried to cash in his Money-in-the-Bank contract on a “defenseless champion” in Mark Henry on SmackDown, despite Bryan’s vow to wait until WrestleMania to cash it in. Cole continues that Bryan is a hypocrite before saying that it was so “funny” what happened to Daniel Bryan on SmackDown when Bryan seemingly cashed in his Money-in-the-Bank opportunity moments before winning the World Heavyweight Title, only for SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long to say the match never happened, so Mark Henry is still the champion. Cole continues that Bryan’s “dreams were shattered” on SmackDown before saying that, if he was the SmackDown General Manager, he would have stripped Daniel Bryan of the Money-in-the-Bank contract and suspended Bryan indefinitely for “conduct unbecoming of a WWE Superstar” before saying that he is disgusted by Bryan, adding that he hopes that Mark Henry tears him apart inside the Steel Cage.
Daniel Bryan admits that he is a hypocrite, saying that he had plans to cash in at WrestleMania, but plans change and his plans changed when Mark Henry tried to end his career. Bryan continues that the Money-in-the-Bank briefcase guarantees him nothing, so when he saw an opportunity to cash in, he took it, adding that he had another opportunity and, when he steps inside the Steel Cage against Mark Henry, he may try to destroy him, end his career, and put him in the Hall of Pain. Bryan then proclaims that while his dream was to main event WrestleMania, but what is way more important to him is becoming the World Heavyweight Champion!
This brings out World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry, who is still wearing a protective boot on his foot, who finds it ridiculous that Daniel Bryan thinks he can win, adding that Bryan should be ashamed of himself. Henry then says that another man who should be ashamed of himself is SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long for booking him a title match when Long knows that he is “halfway injured”. Henry continues that he is one of the toughest Superstars who ever lived and he will defend the title tomorrow night in a Steel Cage, adding that regardless of his condition, Bryan cannot beat him. As Henry is talking, Bryan walks to the stage with a purpose and, upon reaching Mark Henry, Bryan kicks Henry in his injured leg before telling the champion that he will see him tomorrow night! With Mark Henry at less than 100%, can Daniel Bryan survive the Steel Cage Match to become the new World Heavyweight Champion?
“The Long Island Iced Z” was in action on the RAW SuperShow as Zack Ryder went one-on-one with “The All-American American” Jack Swagger, with Vickie Guerrero in his corner. In the end, it was Zack Ryder hitting the Rough Ryder Leg Lariat on Jack Swagger en route to picking up the win.
Then it was time for the big main event as, for the first time since August 15, the WWE Championship would be defended on RAW as the new WWE Champion CM Punk defends the WWE Title against the man he made tap out eight nights ago at Survivor Series to win the gold, Alberto Del Rio, and, per the orders of Interim RAW General Manager John Laurinaitis, if Punk gets himself intentionally disqualified, he will lose the WWE Title. During the match, Alberto Del Rio would become frustrated over his inability to defeat CM Punk, so Del Rio tried to take the protective padding off of the turnbuckle and, while the referee was putting the padding back on, Ricardo Rodriguez slides a steel chair into Del Rio, who hits it on the match before he is set to use it on Punk. However, Del Rio throws the chair to Punk, hoping that the referee will see it and think Punk used it, thus counting as an intentional disqualification, but Punk outthinks Del Rio, throwing the chair back to Del Rio and laying on the mat as if Del Rio had used the chair against him! The referee sees Del Rio quickly dispose of the chair and is ready to disqualify Del Rio, but the disqualification is halted as Punk goes for a roll-up with Del Rio barely being able to kick out.
Ricardo Rodriguez then gets on the ring apron, arguing with the referee over what just took place and, with the referee distracted, Alberto Del Rio tries to ram CM Punk’s head into the exposed steel turnbuckle. However, Punk counters and delivers a modified version of the GTS to Del Rio with Del Rio’s head hitting the exposed turnbuckle en route to Punk successfully retaining the WWE Title! After the match, Rodriguez enters the ring, continuing to argue with the referee, but Punk takes matters into his own hands by shutting Rodriguez up with the GTS. After a successful retention of the WWE Title against Alberto Del Rio, who will be the next Superstar to challenge CM Punk for the WWE Title? Will Alberto Del Rio seek another shot at the gold?
What did you think of this week’s RAW SuperShow? Post your comments in the box below.
