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We are in Dayton, Ohio and your announcers are John ‘I have a dream’ Layfield, Michael ‘There’s Gonna Be A Rumble . . . Sunday Night’ Cole, and Jerry ‘You Were My Friend’ Lawler.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are in the ring. Stephanie welcomes everyone to Raw. Hunter reminds us that Sunday begins the Road to Wrestlemania. Sunday is the Royal Rumble with 30 men stepping into the ring with the opportunity of a lifetime. One man will walk out with a guaranteed shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and a main event at Wrestlemania.
Hunter is proud to welcome back one of those 30 men. He has been a foe and a friend. They evolved together.
Randy Orton makes his way to the ring instead of the guy Hunter was expecting.
Randy says that he is going to get right to it. Who in the hell do they think they are.
Stephanie wants to know who in the hell Randy thinks he is because Sunday is the start of the Road to Wrestlemania and then ten days ago, the WWE Network was announced. Never before have so many eyes been watching the WWE.
On Monday night, after Randy Orton lost to Kofi Kingston, what did Randy do? In case Randy forgot, we see the footage.
Stephanie says that Randy attacked an old man who had his back turned to him. The actions were deplorable and are not becoming of the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. That may have been okay in the past, but there is a new regime. If Randy does not want to follow the new Authority, Randy will not have to worry about defending the title or being part of the WWE roster.
Randy says that if he was not put in an unnecessary rematch against John Cena of if Brock Lesnar was not brought back. Now Hunter has brought back Batista. Who knows what his intentions are.
Randy says that there would not be a network without Randy Orton. Randy wants Stephanie to tell him how he is supposed to react to the blatant disrespect. If he could go back, he would not have changed a thing.
Hunter tells Randy that he will take the bass out of his voice real fast. Hunter says the reason why Randy Orton is the WWE World Champion and the reason why Randy is the face of the WWE. They believe in him. Despite his faults, he is the complete package. He has the goods to walk through any problems in a way becoming of a WWE Champion. They believe that he is that good.
It appears that Randy has lost faith in himself. This has allowed Randy to make some irrational decisions . . . like lose to Kofi Kingston. There is no shame in losing to Randy Orton. Hunter says that he would expect the Viper to make it right. Instead, he punches a defenseless man. John Cena is standing in Randy’s way. Brock Lesnar is waiting behind Cena. Batista is waiting behind Lesnar. He would expect Batista to look in his direction. Randy needs to rise up and be a man. He needs to fix what is broken and he needs to do it in short order.
Hunter will give Randy the opportunity because Randy will face Kofi Kingston again with the chance to make it right. When that is done, Randy will get a chance to make it right with John Cena. Randy will do this alone.
Batista’s music plays and he makes his way to the ring.
After posing on the turnbuckles, Batista kisses the ring and then he hugs Stephanie and Hunter. They leave the ring and hand Batista the mic.
Orton offers his hand to Batista and Batista says hello to Randy. He says that he understands that Randy has a few questions about his return. He wants to make this as simple as possible as to why he is back. He is back for ‘that’ as he points at the title belts. Whether it is Randy, John Cena, or someone else, he does not care.
He is back to win the Royal Rumble on Sunday. He is back to be WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He is back to headline Wrestlemania so Orton has to deal with it.
We go to commercial.
Match Number One: Big E Langston, Cody Rhodes, and Goldust versus Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins
Ambrose and Langston start off and Dean with punches and a head butt. Langston with a shoulder tackle but Ambrose with a chop and Rollins tags in. Langston presses Rollins over his head and drops him behind him. Goldust tags in and he works on the arm but Rollins backs Goldust into the corner and connects with shoulders. Goldust with an Irish whip and back body drop.
Goldust with a drop down uppercut followed by a reverse atomic drop and a boot to the head for a near fall. Cody tags in and he connects with an elbow from the turnbuckles. Cody with a delayed gourdbuster for a near fall. Rhodes with an arm bar. Rhodes with a knee drop to the arm and Goldust tags back in. They punch Rollins in the chest followed by a snap mare and knee drop from Goldust for a near fall.
Rhodes tags in and he punches Rollins. Rollins with a kick. Rollins with kicks to Cody but Cody with a float over into a sunset flip for a near fall. Cody with a drop down uppercut followed by a clothesline. Cody hangs Rollins from the ropes and he kicks Rollins in the abdomen. Rollins avoids the Beautiful Disaster and goes to the floor. Cody with a cross body from the turnbuckles. We have a stand off with the Shield on the floor as we go to commercial.
We are back and Reigns with a clothesline to Cody. Ambrose tags in and he drops kicks Cody against the ropes and Rollins with a flying kick to Rhodes for a near fall. Rollins with kicks but he misses a Stinger Splash in the corner when Cody moves. Reigns tags in and he knocks Goldust off the apron. Rhodes lands on his feet on a belly-to-back suplex attempt and Cody with Beautiful Disaster to Reigns and both men are down.
Langston and Ambrose tags in and he hits two clotheslines and then he ducks one from Ambrose and hits a belly-to-belly suplex. Langston takes care of Reigns on the apron and then he hits a body block on Ambrose. Rollins tries to interfere and Langston takes care of him. Goldust with a splash off the apron. Ambrose with a boot to Langston but Langston catches Ambrose and hits an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Langston with an Ultimate Warrior Splash.
Reigns with a Superman punch to Rhodes followed by a spear to Goldust. Langston with a clothesline to Reigns and then Ambrose with a knee to the midsection. Rollins tags in and hits Black Out for the three count.
Winners: Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose
We take a look back at what happened at the end of Raw. Daniel Bryan will explain his adventure with the Wyatt Family.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Daniel Bryan is in the ring.
Daniel says that some people say that he shouldn’t be the face of this company. After Raw last week, a lot of people came up to him and asked him if he had a plan when he joined the Wyatt Family.
Daniel says that everyone figured it out. To take down a guy with a messiah complex, it is not enough to take him down physically, you have to take him down mentally. He had to do some things that people did not expect. He had to keep some people in the dark. He had to stand side by side with three men who he absolutely despised to wait for that one moment.
That moment came last week inside a steel cage when he got Bray Wyatt one on one. He knows that they are a big fan of ‘Follow the Buzzards’ but Daniel says that he does not like following things. He became the buzzard and he chewed on the carcass that is Bray Wyatt.
Daniel says that he exposed Bray Wyatt. On Sunday, he will do the same. Harper and Rowan will be in the Royal Rumble match. That leaves Bray Wyatt to go one on one with him.
Bray Wyatt interrupts Daniel’s Yesing.
He says that when you are not willing to die for something, you are not fit to live. Where he comes from, being a traitor is a sin of the highest order. He did not expose him like he thought. Daniel only exposed himself. Only a coward would use his free wings to fly back into the cage.
These people rewarded you and cheered you as you took care of him last week. The sheep only look up to Daniel because they chose to kneel. Bray calls Daniel a traitor. He wants Daniel to go home and hug his mother and tell her that he loves her and he is sorry. Everything that happens to him is now Daniel’s fault.
We go to commercial.
Match Number Two: Fandango (with Summer Rae) versus Xavier Woods
Fandango with punches but Woods with a head scissors. Woods with jabs and a head butt. Woods with a punch and clothesline. Woods with a running drop kick and then he goes for a splash but Fandango moves and hits the ropes. Fandango with a Falcon Arrow and then he goes up top for the FandangoBama Jam and he connects and gets the three count.
Winner: Fandango
After the match, R Truth goes into the ring to check on Xavier Woods and we see Emma in the crowd doing her dance.
Kane is in the office with Brad Maddox and Brad says that he is glad that he thought of that. He says that he is responsible for Batista’s return. Stephanie enters and asks Brad to leave. Stephanie wants to know what Kane was thinking last week when he choke slammed CM Punk. It is bad enough that Randy Orton put his hands on John Cena Senior, but to choke slam CM Punk.
Stephanie says that she knew it was a risk to give him this position, but it is leadership by example. Stephanie tells Kane that he cannot put his hands on a WWE Superstar, even if they think that there is a hidden agenda against him by Triple H and Stephanie.
Stephanie tells Kane that he needs to apologize to CM Punk.
Kane says that Punk owes him an apology, but Kane tucks his tail between his legs and leaves.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Kane makes his way to the ring
Kane says that he knows that CM Punk can hear him in the back so he would like Punk to make his way to the ring.
CM Punk’s music plays and he makes his way to the ring.
Kane says that as Director of Operations, he overstepped his bounds and he let his emotions get the best of him. It was wrong of him to take his anger out on Punk, even though he saved Punk from five other superstars. Kane apologizes for choke slamming him on Smackdown.
Punk says that he doesn’t know if Kane’s microphone is working because he did not hear what Kane had to say.
Kane says that he said that he apologizes.
Punk says that he apologizes and he punches Kane and then kicks Kane to the floor.
Brad Maddox tells Kane to stop. Since Kane cannot control this situation or himself. He will give Punk a fight tonight. It will not be against Kane. It will be against one of the members of the New Age Outlaws.
Match Number Three: CM Punk versus Billy Gunn
Punk with a kick and forearms followed by a shoulder in the corner. Punk with a head butt and kicks in the corner. Punk with a hard Irish whip and Gunn goes to the floor. Punk goes to the floor and he sends Gunn into the apron and then he has something to say to BG who is at the announce table.
Gunn with kicks from behind and he sends Punk into the apron as we go to commercial.
We are back and Punk with a chop and sleeper. Gunn with a belly-to-back suplex to escape the hold. Gunn with a near fall and then he puts Punk in a reverse chin lock. Punk with elbows and a punch. He tries to get Gunn on his shoulders for the Go To Sleep but Gunn escapes and he hits a drop kick. Gunn gets a near fall and then he throws his shirt at Punk and tells him to suck it.
Punk with a round kick to the head. Punk slides to the floor and he goes after BG James on the other side of the ring. Punk kicks James and then he hits a leg lariat to Gunn. Punk with clotheslines followed by a swinging neck breaker for a near fall. Punk with a running knee into the corner after a crotch chop. Punk knocks James off the apron and Gunn with a tilt-a-whirl slam for a near fall.
Gunn misses the Stinger Splash into the corner and Gunn goes down. Punk goes up top but Gunn is pulled to the floor. Punk with a suicide dive onto James. Gunn with a clothesline to Punk on the floor. Gunn with a kick and he misses the Fameasser. Punk gets Gunn up and hits the Go To Sleep for the three count.
Winner: CM Punk
After the match, Brad comes out to congratulate CM Punk on his victory. Kane comes out and he says that he knows why Punk considers himself to be the Best in the World. He will get to prove it on Sunday. Every number is drawn at random . . . except for CM Punk’s.
CM Punk will be the #1 entrant in the Royal Rumble.
We go to commercial with a look at the back entrance because John Cena is coming. Instead, Paul Heyman and BROCK LESNAR walk into the arena, but no one is there to greet them.
Coverage Continues on Next Page
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