Literal Achilles Heel.
The 1040th edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. Despite suffering an Achilles tendon injury during WWE’s European tour last week, WWE Champion John Cena would still be in action on RAW as Cena actually teams with the man coming after his WWE Title at Extreme Rules, “The Sin City Cyborg” Ryback, as the two bitter rivals will be forced to co-exist when they take on Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns, The Shield, in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match! Will champion and challenger be able to get along long enough to hand The Shield their first loss as a group or will Cena & Ryback fall to the frantic and dominant style implemented by the “hounds of justice” much like The Undertaker, Kane, & Daniel Bryan did last week?
Match Results
- Triple Threat Match: Ricardo Rodriguez (with Alberto Del Rio) def. Zeb Colter (with Jack Swagger) & Big E. Langston (with Dolph Ziggler & AJ Lee) by rolling up Zeb Colter. As a result, Alberto Del Rio gets to pick the stipulation for the Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Title at Extreme Rules.
- Randy Orton def. Cody Rhodes by pin following a mid-air RKO.
- Naomi def. Brie Bella (with Nikki Bella) by DQ after the referee reversed the original decision.
- Champion vs. Champion: Non-Title: Dolph Ziggler (with AJ Lee & Big E. Langston) def. Kofi Kingston by pin following the Zig Zag.
- Jack Swagger def. Zack Ryder by submission to the Patriot Lock.
- Tug-of-War Contest: Mark Henry def. Tensai
- Tug-of-War Contest: Mark Henry def. Brodus Clay
- Tug-of-War Contest: Mark Henry def. Sheamus by DQ after Sheamus lets go of the rope.
- Alberto Del Rio def. Antonio Cesaro by submission to the cross armbreaker.
- Dance-Off: The Great Khali (with Natalya) def. Fandango (with Summer Rae).
- 6-Man Tag: The Shield def. John Cena & Team Hell No by Roman Reigns pinning John Cena following the Spear.
Detailed Results
The show kicks off with a very unique concept as, per the orders of SmackDown Senior Advisor Theodore Long, Dolph Ziggler’s bodyguard Big E. Langston, Jack Swagger’s manager and confidante Zeb Colter, and Alberto Del Rio’s personal ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez would actually compete in a Triple Threat Match with their respective representatives at ringside with the winner of the unique Triple Threat getting to select the stipulation for the Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Title at Extreme Rules! Naturally, Big E. Langston would dominate the match, but Ricardo Rodriguez was able to capitalize on Langston’s momentum and Rodriguez with actually work together with Zeb Colter for a short time, but Big E. would quickly re-assert himself in the match. When it came time for Zeb Colter to get his at the hands of Langston, Colter would actually feign a knee injury, which would distract the referee. Rodriguez takes advantage of the distraction, nailing Langston in the back with a metal bucket, but Langston was not fazed by the attack and was only angered when Rodriguez tried a second time, this time tossing the bucket at Langston’s head! With a Triple Threat Match having no disqualifications and no count-outs by default, outside interference became a factor as Alberto Del Rio enters the ring, taking Langston down with an enziguiri, followed by Dolph Ziggler sending Del Rio out of the ring with a dropkick. Jack Swagger then jumps into the fray, tossing the World Heavyweight Champion over the top rope before Langston sacrifices himself to take Swagger out as Langston takes himself and Swagger to the outside with a clothesline. Back in the ring, Zeb Colter would crawl to a prone Ricardo Rodriguez, but before the referee can make the three-count, AJ Lee gets in the ring, grabbing the referee’s arm to stop the count! AJ then exits the ring as Zeb Colter argues with the referee, but the argument costs Colter the match as Rodriguez catches Zeb with a roll-up to pick up the win in the Triple Threat Match, meaning that Alberto Del Rio gets to handpick the stipulation for the Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Title at Extreme Rules!
“The Viper” was in action on RAW as Randy Orton would go one-on-one with his former Legacy protégé, Cody Rhodes. In an incredible match, Randy Orton would go for the RKO on Cody Rhodes, but Rhodes would counter, hitting the Cross Rhodes on Orton, but the veteran was able to kick out. This sent Rhodes into a rage as the second-generation star all but threw a tantrum in the ring. This would give Orton valuable time to recover and, when Rhodes goes for the Disaster Kick, Orton catches Rhodes in mid-air with the RKO en route to pinning his former protégé to pick up the hard-fought win! After the match, Matt Striker enters the ring to interview Randy Orton, asking Orton about WrestleMania, where he was knocked out by Big Show. Orton says that what happened at WrestleMania “fuels” him, saying that he has never felt so “extreme”. Cody Rhodes then tries to get the jump on Randy Orton, but “The Viper” senses Rhodes’ presence and quickly dispatches Rhodes with a second RKO!
Two of the Divas that will star in the upcoming E! Network series, Total Divas, were in action on RAW as Brie Bella, with Nikki Bella in her corner, would go one-on-one with Naomi, with Cameron in her corner. During the match, Nikki Bella would pull Brie Bella out of the ring behind the referee’s back and would take her sister’s place in the ring, catching Naomi with a roll-up to pick up the win on Brie’s behalf. After the match, however, The Funkadactyls would inform the referee what just took place and the referee would reverse the decision, disqualifying Brie Bella, giving Naomi the victory! The Bella Twins would not take kindly to the judgment call as Brie & Nikki attack The Funkadactyls, tossing Naomi out of the ring before stomping away at Cameron and driving her skull-first into the bottom turnbuckle.
After their shocking decimation of The Undertaker on SmackDown, The Shield makes an appearance on RAW as Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns appear in the center of the ring. Dean Ambrose says that they have brought “justice” to an “unjust world” before Seth Rollins says that they have “torn down the wall of injustice” that has been building in the WWE for years. Rollins continues, saying that no one has been able to stop them since they arrived at Survivor Series in November. As The Shield shows photos of their path of destruction, Seth Rollins says they stopped Ryback from becoming WWE Champion. Roman Reigns then adds that no one can stop the “hounds of justice”, not even The Rock. The Shield continues, saying that Big Show, Sheamus, and even the WWE Champion John Cena could not stop them. Ambrose then says that, on SmackDown, they “force-fed justice” to The Undertaker, saying that Undertaker was a “victim”. Ambrose continues, saying that countless people have “bowed” to the legacy of The Undertaker, but The Shield “bows to no one”. Ambrose then says that “justice does not care” who you are or what you have accomplished because they strike “without mercy”. Rollins then says that they have not forgotten about either Ryback or John Cena, but The Shield is then interrupted by the other trio in the WWE as Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal, & Drew McIntyre, 3MB, come out. Heath Slater says that they have “unfinished business” before Drew McIntyre says that, a few weeks ago, they had Triple H right where they wanted him before The Shield got involved. Jinder Mahal then adds that they are going to “rock” The Shield’s faces before 3MB rush the ring, but the united front of The Shield overwhelms the trio as Ambrose, Rollins, & Reigns take to dismantling 3MB. However, the WWE Tag Team Champions break things up as Kane & Daniel Bryan make their way to the ring, but The Shield quickly exits the ring. With The Shield on the run, Team Hell No takes their frustrations out on 3MB, tossing Jinder Mahal & Drew McIntyre out of the ring before Kane drills Heath Slater with a chokeslam!
With his defense of the World Heavyweight Title in a Triple Threat Match at Extreme Rules coming up in just a few weeks, Dolph Ziggler was in action on RAW as the World Heavyweight Champion, with AJ Lee & Big E. Langston in his corner, went one-on-one with United States Champion Kofi Kingston in a non-title, Champion vs. Champion Match. During the match, Kofi Kingston hits Trouble in Paradise on Dolph Ziggler, but when he goes for the pin, AJ Lee puts Dolph’s foot on the bottom rope, breaking up the count. Behind the referee’s back, Big E. Langston then pulls Ziggler out of the ring, trying to bring Dolph back into consciousness, but Kofi dives to the outside, taking both men out on the outside. Shortly after this, the action returned to the ring and, after Kofi knocks Langston off of the ring apron, Ziggler would try to catch Kofi off-guard with a roll-up, but Kofi would counter into a roll-up of his own with Dolph kicking out. Kofi then heads to the top rope, but Dolph moves out of the way of Kofi’s intended move and Kingston crashes and burns in the center of the ring. Ziggler then takes advantage, hitting the Zig Zag on Kofi en route to picking up the hard-fought win over the United States Champion. After the match, Dolph Ziggler would instruct Langston to put the finishing touches on Kofi and Langston would do just that, dropping Kingston with the Big Ending. However, the World Heavyweight Champion wanted the destruction of Kingston, so he instructs Big E. to drop Kofi with a second Big Ending!
Backstage, World Heavyweight Champion, AJ Lee, & Big E. Langston are on their way back to the locker room when they cross paths with Natalya and Divas Champion Kaitlyn. AJ asks Kaitlyn if she needs more room to get through with her “man arms” and Kaitlyn fires back by telling Ziggler to get his “crazy little tramp” out her face and back into her “straightjacket”! Kaitlyn then says that AJ beat her a couple of times last year, but she was “holding back” then and she won’t do that the next time they face off. Kaitlyn then says that, if AJ wants the Divas Title, she should try and take it from her. A stagehand then interrupts the face-off with a gift and AJ assumes that Ziggler got her something, but the stagehand says that it’s for Kaitlyn. The Divas Champion snatches the gift bag away from AJ and, as AJ and company take their leave, Kaitlyn pulls a hat covered in spikes out of the bag. While Natalya is disgusted by the gaudy gift, Kaitlyn argues that it matches her bracelets. The Divas Champion then reads the enclosed note, which reads, “You’ve come so far this past year. Every step of the way, I fall in love with you more. I wish I could tell you in person, no matter what anyone says, always know there’s someone out there who thinks you’re beautiful.”
Backstage, Ryback barges into office of RAW Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero and her assistant, Brad Maddox. Ryback demands that, since John Cena is injured, he will not be put into a situation where he will go it alone against The Shield again. Vickie agrees with Ryback, offering to make the scheduled match a 6-Man Tag where Ryback would have Team Hell No on his side to combat The Shield. However, Ryback refuses, saying that he does not trust either Kane or Daniel Bryan, saying that “Ryback rules” and giving Vickie a stern “no” before exiting the office.
With the Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Title coming up at Extreme Rules, one of the two challengers in the match, Jack Swagger, was in action on RAW as “The Real American”, with Zeb Colter in his corner, went one-on-one with Zack Ryder. Zack Ryder would endure most of Jack Swagger’s offense throughout the match before Ryder was able to temporarily get the advantage in the match, but Swagger would stop Ryder’s momentum on a dime with the gutwrench powerbomb. Swagger then locks in the Patriot Lock, forcing Ryder to tap out to pick up the win. After the match, Swagger would drag Ryder over to the ropes, allowing Zeb Colter to slap Ryder across the face.
In a WWE Active exclusive, Matt Striker is shown backstage trying to get an interview with Ryback, but “The Sin City Cyborg” had changed back into his street clothes with bags in hand, obviously leaving the arena, leaving the main event in certain jeopardy!
“The World’s Strongest Man” then makes an appearance on RAW as Mark Henry brings a thick rope with him to the ring, revealing that he went to Vickie Guerrero and asked for two opponents. The first opponent, Tensai, then comes to the ring as it is revealed that Mark Henry and Tensai would compete in a Tug-of-War Contest! Tensai would manage to hold his own for a brief time, but Mark Henry shows his superior strength, defeating Tensai in the contest. Tensai’s tag team partner, Brodus Clay, then tries his best to out-power Mark Henry, but “The World’s Strongest Man” forces Brodus Clay over the line, defeating Brodus as well. Sheamus then comes out, saying that he knows that Mark Henry only asked for two competitors, but asks if Mark Henry would take on one more. After Mark Henry initially refuses, Sheamus uses psychology to change Henry’s mind, accusing Henry of being “afraid”, coaxing Henry into accepting the challenge! However, when it looked like Sheamus might lose the contest, Sheamus embarrasses Mark Henry by letting go of his end of the rope as Henry falls backwards, which “The Celtic Warrior” follows up with the Brogue Kick to “The World’s Strongest Man”!
Backstage, Team Hell No confronts Vickie Guerrero & Brad Maddox as Kane takes charge, telling Vickie to put himself and Daniel Bryan in the main event against The Shield in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match. Vickie agrees and makes the match official and, after the WWE Tag Team Champions exit, Vickie tells Maddox that she has a special assignment for him.
Backstage, Brad Maddox confronts WWE Champion John Cena, but before Maddox can tell Cena about the main event change, “The Champ” tells Maddox to go tell Vickie that he is not going to let Team Hell No face The Shield alone, threatening to hurt Maddox if he does not go tell Vickie right now.
After Ricardo Rodriguez picked up a surprise victory in a Triple Threat Match over Zeb Colter and Big E. Langston to give Alberto Del Rio the opportunity to pick a special stipulation for the Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Title at Extreme Rules, “The Mexican Aristocrat” Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez appear again on RAW as Del Rio would go one-on-one with Antonio Cesaro. At the end of a back-and-forth match, it was Alberto Del Rio locking in the cross armbreaker on Antonio Cesaro, forcing Cesaro to tap out to pick up the win. After the match, Alberto Del Rio says that, thanks to Ricardo Rodriguez, he gets to pick the stipulation for the Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Title at Extreme Rules as “The Mexican Aristocrat” reveals that, on May 19, the World Heavyweight Title will be on the line in a rarely-seen Triple Threat Ladder Match, where the first man to climb a ladder and successfully retrieve the title belt will be the World Heavyweight Champion!
For the first time since his debut, Fandango would put his dancing skills to the test as “The Dancing Enigma” would face “The Punjabi Giant” The Great Khali in a special Dance-Off. With Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler hosting the contest, Lawler says that the fans will decide the winner before asking how Khali thought Chris Jericho did when Jericho was on Dancing with the Stars and Khali says that he is “better” than Jericho. The Great Khali, with Natalya as his dance partner, go first as Natalya does her best to lead Khali in their turn to dance. After Khali’s turn is over, Lawler asks Fandango how he thought Chris Jericho did on Dancing with the Stars and Fandango responds with one word, “clumsy”. Fandango and his dance partner, revealed to be NXT hopeful Summer Rae, then take their turn in the Dance-Off. After Fandango & Summer’s routine, Lawler asks for the fans to pick a winner with the fans favoring Khali’s dancing over Fandango’s! Fandango responds to the loss by taking Khali out at the knees from behind before dropping the leg off of the top rope onto “The Punjabi Giant”!
Then it was time for the frequently-changed main event as, what was originally scheduled to be John Cena & Ryback vs. The Shield in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match would instead be a 6-Man Tag Match as, despite his injured Achilles tendon, WWE Champion John Cena would team with WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No to face Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns, The Shield! During the match, Kane was ready to deliver the chokeslam to Dean Ambrose in the ring, but “The Big Red Monster” was out for revenge for what The Shield did to his brother, The Undertaker, on SmackDown, so Kane tosses Ambrose to the outside of the ring. Kane then dismantles the announce table, but the brief distraction would cost Kane as Ambrose plants Kane with a DDT on the arena floor! Despite this, Kane was able to make it back into the ring and, when Ambrose takes the time to taunt Kane, Kane grabs hold of Ambrose, drilling Ambrose with the chokeslam, but Kane is unable to take advantage, having to tag in Cena to try and finish the job. Cena takes it to The Shield, hitting the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Roman Reigns before catching Seth Rollins out of the air. However, when Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment on Rollins, the injured Achilles tendon gives out on the WWE Champion and Cena is forced to drop Rollins and, as Cena tries to stay on his feet, Roman Reigns spots the opening and blasts Cena with the Spear, pinning the WWE Champion to pick up another huge win for The Shield! After the match, John Cena grasps his ankle in pain, but still spots Ryback coming out to the staging area as Ryback was apparently in the arena the entire time! As Ryback stares at Cena without an ounce of remorse, a WWE physician slides into the ring to check on the WWE Champion.
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