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Following the angle where Brock Lesnar "broke" Triple H's arm and John Laurinaitis attacked John Cena, we'll see how WWE handles the next chapter in the road to Over the Limit 2012. Here we go!
We see a video feature on the attack on John Cena last week.
WWE Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis comes to the ring. Laurinaitis said that he was the authority on Raw and he won't let anyone undermine that. He said that last week, John Cena publicly insulted him and called him an idiot and a corporate jackass. Ace said that last week, he lost his temper and when he does, he goes into a fit of destruction that no one can handle. He said that Brock Lesnar injured John Cena's arm and he hurt Cena's pride. At Over the Limit, he's going to finish what Lesnar started and will show the entire world how dangerous he can be. Laurinaitis said he's not going to apologize for what he did and bragged that he wasn't reprimanded by the WWE Board of Directors, because they realize that he is tough but fair. He announced that Cena was not there tonight so he can do therapy on his elbow to be ready for the PPV, but will be doing an interview via satellite.
Ace said that Cena will apologize for making fun of his voice and anyone who makes fun of his voice will get what Cena got. He said that his voice was injured against Dr. Death Steve Williams in Japan. They showed photos of Ace in All Japan with Williams, Patriot, Terry Gordy and Giant Baba. Man, do I miss that company. That made me sad. He claimed to be the biggest star in Japan (HAHAHAHAHAHA) and was the Hulk Hogan of Japan (HAHAHAHAHAHA). He claimed he turned down a WWE deal but when his career was over, he came to WWE. He said that for one night only, John Cena vs. Big Johnny. He tried to finish up but out came WWE champion CM Punk.
Punk said that while Ace talks about being behind People Power but still doesn't have a clue what the people really want. Punk said he was going to help by telling him what the fans don't want to see - Ace. He said they don't want to see him and his bucket list and his revisionist history in Japan. Punk said this is all really about the fact that Ace put all his chips on Brock Lesnar and Lesnar lost. So, he attacked an already injured John Cena. He said the reason Johnny Ace had to go to Japan to wrestle because there wasn't a territory or single fan that would pay him to wrestle. He said Ace was a joke then and came back and is still a joke. Laurinaitis told him to be careful. Punk said, "I'll be careful Mr. Rooney." (SAVE FERRIS!)
Ace asked him if he was finished and Punk said he wasn't. Punk said he was stupid, ugly and has no friends. He called Ace a giant toolbox and said that now he was finished. Ace said that if he wasn't training, he would pummel Punk. Punk laughed. Laurinaitis said that since he needs to be taught a lesson, he'll face Lord Tensai. Punk said that he had a good idea Ace would do that since he hides behind bigger man his entire career. He said that he looks forward to the Tensai, just like he looks forward to seeing Cena tie up Ace like a pretzel and making him tap out at Over the Limit.
Good opening segment. Punk was super over and did a good job getting over himself and the Cena vs. Laurinaitis feud at the same time. Laurinaitis claiming he was a huge star is ridiculous but that's what his character should be doing. I popped for the photos of Doc and Gordy. What awesome workers they were. I really miss the glory days of All Japan.
After commercial, John Laurinaitis was walking and texting. He walked into Big Show and yelled at him to get out of the way when he sees his boss walking towards him. He stormed off. Show mocked him. Eve Torres saw him doing it and caught his eye. She's added the sexy secretary glasses. Show sneered at her and walked off.
WWE Intercontinental champion Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show.
They reviewed how Show lost the IC title to Cody at Extreme Rules. Show takes the fight to Rhodes and chops the hell out of him, then gives him a monster Beel across the ring. The massive chops and throws continued. Show worked him over in the mid-section. Rhodes came back with a Beautiful Disaster kick, which sent Show to his knees. Show came back and Rhodes grabbed his belt and tried to walk off. Show tossed him back in the ring but Rhodes scrambled back out and walked away, The referee counted him out.
Your winner by countout, Big Show!
Show took the mic and told him to come back and not to take the coward's way out. Show warned him that it was going to be worse if he had to come find him.
Eve's music began and she walked towards the ring. She demanded Show apologize for what he said about John Lauirinaitis and for mocking his voice earlier. Show said he was just playing around. She demanded he apologize to everyone. Show shrugged and said, "OK, I'm sorry." She told him that he was told to apologize, not say he was sorry. He said that there was no call for a big, 400 lb. freak outside of the WWE and instructed him to apologize again. Show looked at her and apologized, but wasn't happy about it. He walked out as Eve looked back at him, smirking in a condenscending way.
Just an angle. The match itself was complete nothing, although if this is the start of building to a stip where Rhodes is "trapped" in the ring with Show at the June No Mercy PPV, it makes sense to establish that now.
WWE Tag Team champions Kofi Kingston (with R Truth) vs. Dolph Ziggler (with Vickie Guerrero & Jack Swagger)
They started out with Kingston working over Ziggler's arm. Ziggler reversed. They showed Abraham Washington and his new charges, Rosa, Epico and Primo backstage watching on a monitor. Ziggler nailed Kingston with a dropkick for a two count. Mason Ryan came up to Washington backstage. Kingston made a comeback with a series of right hands and a leaping clothesline. He nailed the Boom Drop. Swagger got on the apron and was nailed. Ziggler went for the Zig Zag but Kofi tossed him off and nailed the SOS for a two count.
Swagger nailed Kingston as Vickie distracted the referee. Ziggler nailed the Zig Zag and scored the pin.
Your winner, Dolph Ziggler!
Nothing of note to the match, although they were working at a nice pace.
Michael Cole interviewed John Cena via satellite. Cena was asked about the condition of the arm. Cena said he was medically cleared but he has to get his elbow drained several times a day. He said that he's been advised not to wrestle for the next few months but nothing is going to stop him from getting in the ring to face John Laurinaitis. Cena said that the Board of Directors didn't contact John Laurinaitis because they contacted him and Cena told them don't do a thing to Ace until after Cena gets the chance to get his hands on him at Over the Limit. Cole said he's been watching footage of Laurinaitis and wonders if Cena is scared of getting in the ring with him. Cena admitted that he is scared - scared that Laurinaitis is so bad he'll hurt himself before Cena gets his hands on him. Cena said that in 13 days, Ace can't ban him from the building or stop him from wrestling or anything else, because he's going to be Cena's opponent and Cena is going to kick his ass.
Good promo with Cena playing the old school babyface role of a wronged man who wants to take care of his business. They've done a good job of positioning him as someone fans can be sympathetic to in recent weeks.
WWE Divas champion Layla El & Kelly Kelly vs. Maxine & Natalya
Beth Phoenix was at ringside and deflected a question about her ankle.
Layla ducked a clothesline and nailed one on Maxine. Natalya tried to interfere. Layla saw her coming and yelled at her to get out but was grabbed and attacked from behind by Maxine. Kelly pulled Natalya off the apron. Layla came back and nailed Maxine with a hangman's neckbreaker, taking time to stare at Phoenix before she nailed it.
Your winners, Layla & Kelly Kelly!
Again, a nothing match as there was no time for them to really do anything.
Phoenix stood up at stared at the challengers to end the segment.
Chris Jericho & Alberto Del Rio vs. Randy Orton & World champion Sheamus
Oh, please give this time. This could be a kickass bout.
Del Rio and Orton locked up. Orton shoulderblocked him down for a one count. Orton whipped Del Rio into the corner but Alberto went up and over. Orton still nailed him for another near fall. Del Rio kicked up and contolled Orton, then tagged out to Jericho. Jericho worked him over but Orton made a comeback.
Orton worked over Jericho's arm and tagged in Sheamus. Sheamus hammered away with shots to different parts of the body. He shoulderblocked Jericho down. Jericho chopped him and whipped him into the corner. Jericho tried to kick him off but was sent up and over to the apron. Sheamus peppered his chest with hard shots. He went to nail Jericho, who ducked, but got Del Rio instead. Jericho attacked him from behind and sent Sheamus into the ringpost.
Sheamus went to the floor, where Del Rio sent him into the post as well. Sheamus was struggling to recover as they went to commercial.
When we returned to the ring, Jericho held Sheamus down, working over his shoulder to force a submission. Sheamus fought back and nailed a series of back elbows in the corner. He escaped Jericho but was hurt and unable to make the immediate tag. He finally made a hot tag. Orton cleaned house on Del Rio with a powerslam. He set up for the hanging DDT and nailed it.
Ricardo got up on the apron and distracted Orton, allowing Del Rio to nail a kick to the head for a two count. Jericho tagged in and continued working over Orton, scoring several two counts. Jericho cinched in a side chinlock on Orton, who struggled to find a way out. Orton fought his way out but was cut off. Jericho mocked him and Sheamus.
Alberto tagged in and continued working on Orton's arm with a keylock. He drove Orton's shoulder down into the mat to weaken it for the rolling cross armbreaker. He went for it but Orton slipped out and nailed the backbreaker. Sheamus tagged in and nailed Del Rio, then hit a running high knee on Jericho. He went for the the High Cross but Jericho slipped out. He nailed the Irish Curse but Del Rio nailed a dropkick to break it up. Orton nailed Del Rio with an RKO.
Sheamus went for the Brogue Kick on Jericho, who moved and Orton was nailed. A shocked Sheamus was hit with the Codebreaker and pin.
Your winners, Chris Jericho & Alberto Del Rio!
Jericho made a big deal out of pinning the World champion. Sheamus helped up a woozy Orton, who told him he was OK, then nailed the champion with the RKO. The announcers noted that while Sheamus hit him by accident, Orton didn't feel that way. Lawler said that its easy to forget that just because they team up, that doesn't make them friends.
Good tag match. From an athletic and entertainment standpoint, this was far and away the best thing on the broadcast at this point, plus it opened the doors to a number of new rivalries.
Backstage, John Laurinaitis told Eve Torres that he felt Big Show's apology was insincere. She agreed and went to go speak to him. Jericho showed up and demanded the next World title shot since he defeated Sheamus. Alberto didn't like that and got in Jericho's face. Orton showed up and Jericho told him to get lost. He slugged Jericho. They double teamed him. Sheamus returned and all four brawled. In the end, Orton and Sheamus were left standing. Orton demanded to know what the hell happened. Sheamus told him he told Orton it was an accident. Orton said there were no accidents in the ring and challenged him for the belt. They were pulled apart. Sheamus was left with Ace who told Sheamus he was going to defend in a Four Way at the PPV.
Brodus Clay vs. The Miz
They had a clip of Clay reminding everyone it's Mother's Day this weekend and to call their Momma. They announced the dancers as a the Funkadactyles. Miz cut a promo as he walked to the ring, saying it was a joke he was fighting Clay and not the WWE champion. He said if he wanted to fight King Hippo, he'd play Mike Tyson's Punchout. Dated but funny.
Clay worked over Miz early, then chased him around the ring. Miz cut him off returning to the ring and stomped the hell out of him. Miz covered Clay after a kick to the head for a two count. Miz hit a running clothesline in the corner and went to the top. Clay was nailed with an axehandle for a one count.
Miz locked Clay in a side chinlock. Clay was sent into the corner and was caught with a DDT as he staggered out of the corner. Miz began working over Clay's back. Clay fired back with a series of punches to the mid-section. Miz cut him off with a dropkick to the legs. Easily the longest and most competitive bout Clay has had on TV to date.
Miz locked in the rear chinlock again. He got up on Clay's back, but Clay turned it into a sideslam of sorts and drilled Miz down. Clay hit the Rhino battering ram. He went for the running Avalanche but Miz cut him off with a boot. He went off the ropes but was caught and tossed with a suplex. Clay splashed him and covered Miz for the win.
Your winner, Brodus Clay!
Easily the biggest win for Clay to date. Match was OK.
They aired a video piece on Brock Lesnar injuring Triple H. The announcers discussed that it was a complicated injury with a break as well as a lot of tendon tears. HHH will be back next week. They offered to let Lesnar come on this week but were told that his legal representatives would be here instead.
Brock Lesnar's music played and out came Paul Heyman. There were some ECW chants. The crowd woke up when he came out. I wouldn't say he got a pop but there was definetly reaction and surprise. Heyman said that he was there as a representative for Lesnar. He said Lesnar has been booed and unappreciated by WWE fans and management since day one. He said today's WWE is different from what it was when he repped Lesnar ten years ago. He said that it's too image conscious.
Heyman said that John Laurinaitis signed Lesnar to a legitimate contract. Laurinaitis then agreed to some reasonable demands, creating an addendum to the contract, in public, which makes the fans party to the situation. He said that Lesnar feels betrayed by WWE and the fans and shouldn't feel that way. He ran down Lesnar's accolades and said that above and beyond that, Lesnar is an honest man.
Lesnar said he said he was an asskicking machine and he was. He said that he was going to hurt people and he did. Lesnar asked Heyman to come to Raw and read his official statement to the fans.
"I came back to bring legitimacy to WWE. That's exactly what I did. How was I rewarded? The same corporate BS and politics that led me to leave ten years ago."
Lesnar's statement said that he didn't regret anything he did to Cena or HHH. HHH lasted an hour with Undertaker but couldn't last a minute with Lesnar in a fight. WWE broke their word to Lesnar, so Lesnar broke his arm. Lesnar said that he doesn't care about WWE, the fans or anything else, because he is never coming back.
"I, Brock Lesnar, quit."
Big Show was talking to the stars of the new USA Network. They said what Cody Rhodes did was sleazy. They said what happened with Eve and John Laurinaitis was terrible. They said they were sexy detectives and should start an investigation into how he can keep his job. They started mocking his voice. Eve was watching. Show was laughing and when he saw her, he just looked down dejected. OK, now they are making him look like a total puss. Lame!!
WWE champion CM Punk vs. Lord Tensai & Daniel Bryan
As Punk came to the ring, John Laurinaitis announced it was now a handicap match with Tensai and Daniel Bryan.
Tensai used his power to work over Punk early, flatterning him with several shoulderblocks and elbows. Bryan tagged in and kicked Punk with a series of kicks, yelling "Yes!" with each one. Bryan scored several near falls. Punk and Bryan exchanged chops. They crisscrossed the ring and nailed each other with bodypresses at the same time.
Tensai tagged in and held a hesitation butterfly suplex. He tossed Punk to the outside, then ran him into the ringpost. Tensai locked in the trapezious nerve hold. Punk fired back but was nailed and sent to the mat. Tensai slammed him and nailed a back senton splash.
Bryan tagged in and went to the top for a flying headbutt. Punk rolled out of the way. Bryan catapulted Bryan into the corner and nailed a big clothesline and a heel kick to the jaw. Punk nailed a rolling neckbreaker. He nailed the running knee on Bryan, followed by the bulldog. Punk called for the GTS but Bryan slipped out and Tensai made a blind tag.
Tensai drilled Punk. Punk tried to go for the GTS but he was too big. Punk avoided the Avalanche and kicked him in the jaw. Punk went for the flying elbow but Bryan nailed him. Tensai slammed Punk and locked in a claw after spewing mist at his hand. He covered Punk and scored the win.
Your winners, Daniel Bryan and Lord Tensai!
We go off the air with Bryan stomping the hell out of Punk, then locking on the Yes Lock. Bryan screamed at Punk that he isn't better than Bryan. He let Punk go and celebrated, then went back to the Yes Lock.
Main event was fine for setting up challengers for Punk and specifically for building the Bryan vs. Punk PPV bout.
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