Smackdown begins. Daniel Bryan will face Kane tonight. Sheamus will face Ziggler.
Teddy Long comes out to a really good reaction. He informs us that John L. has been fired. HUGE pop! The GM for tonight is Mick Foley.
Big Show comes out. Someone in the front has a sign that says Big Show is the K-Mart of wrestlers. Ha. Show grabs the mic. He’s getting lots of boos, you suck chants.
Show: I don’t care that John L got fired. I don’t care about him or you (BOOS). I only care about me. (You can’t wrestle chant, and WHAT). Show says if we listened we wouldn’t have to ask what.
He congratulates Cena for escaping the steel cage with the help of 6 other people.
“I’d crush him one on one. You know I’m telling the truth. I don’t care about him anymore (Cena chant). I’m moving on. I’m throwing my hat into the Money in the Bank match. No man in that match or after can stop me. I’ll be champ as long as I want to be. I’m not doing it for the locker room, WWE, or you. I’m doing it for me. It will be all mine.”
Brodus Clay comes out. He gets a BIG pop coming out. Amazing. Show attacks him as he enters, but actually knocks him over. Otunga runs in and clips him from behind. Show measures Clay, who sells the knee, and kicks him in it. Somebody call his momma. Show boots him in the gut. Another, “You can’t wrestle” chant breaks out. You will hear this on TV. It’s loud. Who are they yelling at? All 3??? Show hits the WMD to a chorus of boos. He’s really getting a ton of heel heat. Otunga stares at Show going up the ramp.
Otunga: “Well, Brodus, somebody better call your mama. Get up so I can show you how this done. Hit the music.” He mocks Clay’s dance horribly, then just poses.
Ryback’s up next.
Joe and Broni hit the ring. Jared Walker and Frank Valencia? The say they are hot, on the rise and this will be the summer to remember. Ryback gets a nice reaction. He wins with a two person Samoan drop in 2 minutes after all the usual stuff. The crowd chants feed me more with him.
Mick Foley is chatting with Yoshi Tatsu backstage when Vicki Guerrero buts in. She says that next week she will be GM of both shows. Mick suggests Khali should be her assistant. They do a Dude Love dance together.
Del Rio’s MITB commercial airs.
Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian is next.
Daniel Bryan says in 1000th Raw moments video that the HBK vs. Jannetty match was one of his favorite matches. Good choice Bryan.
WWE Intercontinental Champion Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo) – An early enziguri gives Alberto control, but Christian suplexes him over the top and splashes him all the way to the floor. Del Rio dodges a charges and Christian goes flying into the ring steps. Christian makes it back in at 9. Alberto starts working over Christian’s left arm with moves Daniel Bryan would do better. Alberto goes to the top rope, but Christian counters into a top rope hurricanrana. He jumps to floor, hits the punch, misses a top rope splash, dodges running enziguri. A few moves later Christian has the clap going, but Alberto does an over the shoulder arm breaker. He misses a second rope SENTON. Christian sets up he spear, gets superkicked, gets hit with Del Rios top rope enziguri and then taps to the cross arm breaker in 8:40. Cody hits he ring and clotheslined Christian from behind. He locks on a cross arm breaker of his own. He fights back but is launched shoulder first into the ring post. Cody walks out to his own music.
National Guard commercial airs. Lilian extends a thank you to the National Guard. USA chant.
WWE airs stock footage of the Harbor. You know it’s stock because the Star Spangled Sailibration is going on right now, and the harbor is filled with tall ships.
Kane vs. Daniel Bryan – AJ is the special guest time keeper. Great reaction for Bryan. On the floor Bryan drop kicks Kane into ring post. Running drop kick gets 1 count. Kane hits a few power moves for a two. Kane to top rope. Bryan hits mid air drop kicks. Lots of YES chants during Bryan’s kicks. Bryan to top, but slips, comes up short. Hits top rope missile drop kick (expect an edit in post production. Big boot takes Bryan down. Bryan with big kick to side of Kane’s head. Bryan back to top. Goes for flying headbutt, but Kane counters into choke. Bryan goes for yes lock, Kane counters into choke slam but Bryan counters into guillotine. Kane escapes, Bryan rolls through, applies Yes Lock. Kane fights for rope, but doesn’t make it. AJ rings the bell and Bryan celebrates. The ref says he match isn’t over and Kane hits chokeslam for pin in 7 minutes. AJ skips out. Good match! Man, Bryan is good.
Mick Foley is next.
Mick Foley comes to the ring. He’s limping around but is in good spirits. He thanks John L for being so lame that he’s been fired. Foley pauses to speak to a tech at ringside. He has to do the intro again.
Heath Slater comes out. He came out to make a formal proposal. Cindy, Roddy and Wendy embarrassed me.
Mick says Cindy is formidable and there is no reason to be embarrassed. Mick announces Heath’s opponent is Zack Ryder. Zack gets a really strong reaction. This was a total squash. Zack wins with the Rough Ryder in about a minute.
Raw Rebound airs, reviewing Johnny’s firing.
Be a Star commercial airs.
Mick walks through the halls with Zack Ryder celebrating. They run into Sandow. He calls Zack “the worlds biggest miscreant.”
A review of the tag match at No Way Out is shown. A sign in the audience says “Bring back Moppy.”
The Usos vs. Prime Time Players (AW introduces the “future WWE champions”, hashtag “millions of dollars”) – AW distracts the ref allowing Young to crotch one of the Usos on the top rope, allowing Titus to hit an elevated spinebuster for the win.
A No Holds Barred DVD commercial airs. Zeus lives!
Primetime Playas and AW are rappin about millions of dollars when Primo and Epico attack them in the back to a good reaction.
Santino comes out to do a “kiss cam” like deal where he tried to find the best sign. A woman (plant) with a I heart Santino sign comes into the ring. They are both wearing cobras and their hands kiss. Then she grabs him and kisses him with such intensity that he passes out.
A commercial for Raw’s 3 hour expansion is aired.
Dark segment: Jack Swagger comes to the ring, grabs mic. “that’s right, say my name. I’m the Captain of the Combover, the All American American American Jack Swagger. I should be on this show in the main event, not Ziggler. There’s greatness in me that wants to have spending money and get out and buy a new pair of shoes. I’m more man than anyone backstage. I do not suck. Look at my hair. It’s like an ocean of blonde riding on lightning.”
HHH’s music hits to a MONSTROUS reaction. He asks for the mic from Swagger, kicks him in the gut and then Pedigrees him. The music only stopped for 10 seconds. The crowd loved this!
Mick Foley is out for a dark segment. There will be a handicap match. Show and Otunga will face Cena. Johnny was locally advertised for this match, but Foley said he wouldn’t be appearing since he was fired. Foley is wearing tie dye, and if I’m not mistaken, slippers.
Highlights of Punk on Fallon are shown, but only his entrance.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus – Sheamus gets a really nice reaction, second best of the night behind HHH. There’s a sign that says Gingers for Sheamus. Dolph stars with a go behind, roll-up, and some kind of an exercise taunt in the corner. There are ongoing let’s go Sheamus/Ziggler chants. Sheamus brushes off a drop kick and hits a rolling senton. Dolph counters with punches and kicks. He kicks Sheamus in the throat and dodges a charge. Sheamus falls to outside. Dolph launches. Sheamus was supposed to catch him, but he botched it, so they redid the spot. This time Sheamus caught him and threw him through the barricade for a big pop. They fight on the outside. Back in the ring, Dolph tries to secure a chicken wing, but Sheamus launches him WAY UP over the top and to the floor. Sheamus argues with Vickie while Dolph nails a wicked fame asser from the apron to the floor. Great spot! Dolph can still only get a one count after a big elbow. Let’s go Sheamus/Ziggler chants are loud and split 2 to 1 in favor of the Irishman. With Sheamus draped over the second rope, Dolph hits a falling drop kick from the apron to the floor. Nice! Sheamus fights back with his power moves, but Ziggler counters a move into a jumping DDT. Sheamus is up top. Ziggler launches with a flying forearm that Sheamus smacks away. Dolph hits hard. Top rope shoulder block from Sheamus to Ziggler for a two count. He then hits the ten shots to the chest in the ropes. If you need to do a rope break by five, how does Sheamus always get to ten? Dolph hits some elbows to the head. Sheamus powers off limping, turns around and hits a sudden Brogue Kick for the pin in 11:05. Crowd pops big for this.
This was another really good match.
Overall, I think this was a strong show that, live, had a number of nice surprises. There are at least two matches you must see with the Christian Del Rio match being good as well.
Bonus live match
John Cena vs. Big Show and David Otunga – Otunga to start. A “You Can’t Wrestle” chant starts. Let’s go Cena chants are way outnumbering Cena sucks chants tonight.
David backs off and tags in Show. Show knocks Cena down and steps on his stomach. Show tries to shushes crowd and hit the slap in the corner. He tries again but Cena counters into a drop kick. He goes to slam Show, but he buckles and Show gets a 2 count. Otunga tags in and works a side headlock. Cena fights up, but Otunga takes him back down. It’s clear that Otunga is very limited as a worker. Cena escapes and clotheslined Otunga over the top. On the floor Show throws Cena into the stairs. David gets a two count on Cena. Show tags in and goes for a second rope splash, but Cena rolls away. Otunga in now. Cena hit clothesline, shoulder block, 5 knuckle shuffle combo. Show comes in and hits the WMD on Otunga by accident. Cena hits a big AA on Show, who rolls to the outside. Cena covers Otunga for the pin in 6:45. Big Johnny’s music hits. He comes out with a steel chair and attacks the prone Cena to a chorus of boos. He raises the chair again, but Cena ducks and hits the AA. Big cheers, show over.
