Despite the “USA” chants on this past Friday’s SmackDown, the World Heavyweight Title match between Edge and Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania 27 will be the first World or WWE Title match at a WrestleMania that will not feature an American.
While Yokozuna and Bret Hart wrestled at WrestleMania 10, Yokozuna was born in the United States. Chris Jericho and Edge wrestled for the World Heavyweight Title last year but Jericho was also born in the United States.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
POSSIBLE STORYLINE FOR MIZ
In what could be a possible storyline for tonight’s RAW, WWE Champion The Miz says he’s boycotting tonight’s show. The Miz wrote on Twitter today: “Out of protest for not getting the recognition I deserve, I am boycotting Raw tonight.”
JERICHO ON WWE HEELS STEALING HIS GIMMICK
Back in 2005, Chris Jericho joined us for the very first time. That interview was a landmark interview for us as it was the first interview that saw James solo from his former co-host and that interview was used as a demo to land a spot on "The Blaze" 1260 AM where The Interactive Interview, now Interactive Wrestling Radio, got perhaps its most exposure ever.
Fast forward 6 years, we're still here! And, Chris Jericho is back with us for another round. This time, we are splitting from our former show station which we were on for over 2 years. So, it seems like when Chris Jericho comes knocking, the Epicenter starts shaking things up, puns fully intended.
To listen, visit www.WrestlingEpicenter.com and click either the Interviews tab on the left or the link below the cover of Chris Jericho's new book on the right. A WMA file and a YouTube video can be downloaded to hear this great interview. If you like this interview, please check out our Store/Merchandise section and help keep us going 100% free!
CHRIS JERICHO
- Jericho joins TII once again to plug his new book “Undisputed” which chronicles his time in the WWE, picking up right where the first book left off.
- Chris has fun with the hosts as he jokingly refers to Patrick sounding like a midget & James being a nerd!
- He is pleased with the early success of the book. Presales alone led to it making the New York’s Best Seller list. This leads into a lighthearted discussion about Mick Foley & whether or not Chris will make the list more times than him.
- It is also brought up that Jericho’s book was published by the same company that also published Mick Foley’s “Countdown to Lockdown” & Bret Hart’s “Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling”. Jericho was the first to work with that company, as he worked with them on his first book “A Lion’s Tale” and joked that he was “Breaking down the walls at Grand Central Publishing”
- The reason both of his books were written outside of the WWE is that they never asked him to write one. When he left originally in 2005 and was approached about doing a biography, he thought that it would be all one large biography. After realizing that he had a lot of good stories to tell, he decided to split it into two. He originally only signed the one book deal, but after the success of “A Lion’s Tale”, he got signed up to do another. He also left the door open for a third book.
- The discussion shifts towards his band Fozzy. “Undisputed” also goes into detail about the creation of the band. He has always dreamed of being both a wrestler & a musician. He has enjoyed success at both. He also comments that he’s never thought of himself as just a wrestler but as a showman and a fully rounded performer.
- He goes into his big announcement which he could not make at the time of the interview. It was later revealed that he would be the host of the Golden God Awards Show where he will also perform with Fozzy. He swore here that his announcement would NOT be wrestling related and that he will have no role to play at Wrestlemania XXVII. This also leads into Chris telling a funny story about a wrestling fan that ran into him at an airport and insisted he was going to be at the Elimination Chamber PPV.
- Working with Steamboat was a heavily talked about feud from 2009, and Jericho was very happy with how it turned out. He puts Steamboat over as a natural talent, and was amazed at how well Steamboat performed after being away for so long. Originally, the match at Wrestlemania XXV was supposed to be him against Snuka, Piper, & Valentine. He thought that match would be tough to carry, but the idea was that Jericho would face participants from the first Wrestlemania and also a Hall of Famer. Jericho then suggested Steamboat take one of the spots, and after some planning, Ricky was inducted to the Hall of Fame that year. He also says that he had matches with Ricky in Japan & South Carolina that were untelevised but “really, really good”.
- When asked about possibly suffering some of the same backlash as The Rock for “leaving” wrestling to pursue other interests, Jericho says that everything he does is something that he wants to do and he wants to grow to become the best all around performer he can be.
- When comparing the two books he’s written, he says that the positive feedback he got on “Lion’s Tale” is that it was mostly information that most people were unfamiliar with, so it was fascinating. However, with “Undisputed”, the information is very current & familiar, so fans are excited to get more details behind the stuff they’ve already seen.
- He admits to being his own worst critic and what he has written in both of his books are very honest & true to how he feels, both good & bad.
- When talking about the change of character he did in 2008, he says that it was perfectly natural for him to play. He created the character and wanted to be something completely different from what he had done before. He also notes that most heels in the WWE now are trying emulate that character. When he returns, he’ll want to reinvent his character again. “I never look back to the past”.
Fast forward 6 years, we're still here! And, Chris Jericho is back with us for another round. This time, we are splitting from our former show station which we were on for over 2 years. So, it seems like when Chris Jericho comes knocking, the Epicenter starts shaking things up, puns fully intended.
To listen, visit www.WrestlingEpicenter.com and click either the Interviews tab on the left or the link below the cover of Chris Jericho's new book on the right. A WMA file and a YouTube video can be downloaded to hear this great interview. If you like this interview, please check out our Store/Merchandise section and help keep us going 100% free!
CHRIS JERICHO
- Jericho joins TII once again to plug his new book “Undisputed” which chronicles his time in the WWE, picking up right where the first book left off.
- Chris has fun with the hosts as he jokingly refers to Patrick sounding like a midget & James being a nerd!
- He is pleased with the early success of the book. Presales alone led to it making the New York’s Best Seller list. This leads into a lighthearted discussion about Mick Foley & whether or not Chris will make the list more times than him.
- It is also brought up that Jericho’s book was published by the same company that also published Mick Foley’s “Countdown to Lockdown” & Bret Hart’s “Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling”. Jericho was the first to work with that company, as he worked with them on his first book “A Lion’s Tale” and joked that he was “Breaking down the walls at Grand Central Publishing”
- The reason both of his books were written outside of the WWE is that they never asked him to write one. When he left originally in 2005 and was approached about doing a biography, he thought that it would be all one large biography. After realizing that he had a lot of good stories to tell, he decided to split it into two. He originally only signed the one book deal, but after the success of “A Lion’s Tale”, he got signed up to do another. He also left the door open for a third book.
- The discussion shifts towards his band Fozzy. “Undisputed” also goes into detail about the creation of the band. He has always dreamed of being both a wrestler & a musician. He has enjoyed success at both. He also comments that he’s never thought of himself as just a wrestler but as a showman and a fully rounded performer.
- He goes into his big announcement which he could not make at the time of the interview. It was later revealed that he would be the host of the Golden God Awards Show where he will also perform with Fozzy. He swore here that his announcement would NOT be wrestling related and that he will have no role to play at Wrestlemania XXVII. This also leads into Chris telling a funny story about a wrestling fan that ran into him at an airport and insisted he was going to be at the Elimination Chamber PPV.
- Working with Steamboat was a heavily talked about feud from 2009, and Jericho was very happy with how it turned out. He puts Steamboat over as a natural talent, and was amazed at how well Steamboat performed after being away for so long. Originally, the match at Wrestlemania XXV was supposed to be him against Snuka, Piper, & Valentine. He thought that match would be tough to carry, but the idea was that Jericho would face participants from the first Wrestlemania and also a Hall of Famer. Jericho then suggested Steamboat take one of the spots, and after some planning, Ricky was inducted to the Hall of Fame that year. He also says that he had matches with Ricky in Japan & South Carolina that were untelevised but “really, really good”.
- When asked about possibly suffering some of the same backlash as The Rock for “leaving” wrestling to pursue other interests, Jericho says that everything he does is something that he wants to do and he wants to grow to become the best all around performer he can be.
- When comparing the two books he’s written, he says that the positive feedback he got on “Lion’s Tale” is that it was mostly information that most people were unfamiliar with, so it was fascinating. However, with “Undisputed”, the information is very current & familiar, so fans are excited to get more details behind the stuff they’ve already seen.
- He admits to being his own worst critic and what he has written in both of his books are very honest & true to how he feels, both good & bad.
- When talking about the change of character he did in 2008, he says that it was perfectly natural for him to play. He created the character and wanted to be something completely different from what he had done before. He also notes that most heels in the WWE now are trying emulate that character. When he returns, he’ll want to reinvent his character again. “I never look back to the past”.
RAW RESULT 3/8
Tonight’s WWE RAW opens up with a video for Triple H and The Undertaker, with Triple H’s comments from last week.
- We go live to the arena in Dallas, Texas as The Undertaker’s bells toll and the flames begin to rise. Johnny Cash’s “Ain’t No Grave” starts playing as The Last Outlaw makes his way down to the ring.
Michael Cole welcomes us to RAW as Taker makes his way into the ring. Taker says two legends will collide at WrestleMania, two icons will do battle but there can only be one last outlaw in the end. Taker says many feel that this is the year the streak will be broken. Taker says people think that father time and all the injuries will catch up to him. But then some feel that it’s Triple H who is the one guy that has what it takes to bring Taker down and end the streak. Taker reminds us what has happened at the past two WrestleMania’s. Taker shows us a video of his two WrestleMania matches against Shawn Michaels.
- We cut backstage where Randy Orton is fighting off members of Nexus. Mason Ryan rams Orton back into a wall and they beat him down. CM Punk says Orton put Michael McGillicutty on the shelf but where they’re going to take him is much worse. Nexus drags Orton to the ring as we go to commercial.
- Back from commercial and Nexus has Randy Orton down in the ring. David Otunga tells the referee to ring the bell and we have a match.
David Otunga vs. Randy Orton
The bell rings and Otunga rushes Orton in the corner, beating him back down. The referee backs Otunga off but he comes right back with more stomps. Otunga continues the offense and gets a 2 count.
Otunga scoop slams Orton for another 2 count and goes back to work. Otunga hits his finisher but still only gets a 2 count. Otunga picks Orton up but Orton nails an RKO out of nowhere for the win.
Winner: Randy Orton
– Per the stipulations set last week, David Otunga will not be with CM Punk at WrestleMania. Mason Ryan runs down to the ring and lays out Orton. Ryan yells a bunch of stuff at Orton and picks him back up. Before he can strike, Orton lays out Mason with an RKO. CM Punk runs down but doesn’t make it in the ring as Orton turns around to see him. Punk teases getting in the ring but Orton is right there. Punk runs around the ring to try and rescue David Otunga but Orton punt kicks him in the head. Punk is furious outside of the ring as Otunga is knocked out cold. Orton poses and taunts Punk as he heads to the back.
- Michael Cole talks about revealing his special referee for his match against Jerry Lawler as we go to commercial.
- Back from commercial and we see highlights from the Alex Riley vs. John Cena cage match on last week’s show. Cole and Matthews say The Miz isn’t here tonight and show his tweet from today where he said he is boycotting RAW tonight.
Christian vs. Brodus Clay
We go to the ring and out comes Christian to a big pop. Ricardo Rodriguez begins to introduce Alberto Del Rio next. Del Rio comes out walking down the ramp and has Brodus Clay with him. Del Rio introduces himself and says before Christian gets him, he must beat Clay first. Clay hops in the ring for his RAW debut and drops Christian. Clay walks over Christian’s back and goes for a slam. Christian slides out of it and goes for Killswitch but Clay overpowers him.
– Back from commercial and we see highlights from the Alex Riley vs. John Cena cage match on last week’s show. Cole and Matthews say The Miz isn’t here tonight and show his tweet from today where he said he is boycotting RAW tonight.
Christian vs. Brodus Clay
We go to the ring and out comes Christian to a big pop. Ricardo Rodriguez begins to introduce Alberto Del Rio next. Del Rio comes out walking down the ramp and has Brodus Clay with him. Del Rio introduces himself and says before Christian gets him, he must beat Clay first. Clay hops in the ring for his RAW debut and drops Christian. Clay walks over Christian’s back and goes for a slam. Christian slides out of it and goes for Killswitch but Clay overpowers him.
Clay levels Christian. Christian starts to come back but Clay drops him with a but charging headbutt. Clay with elbow drops now. Brodus works on Christian’s arm now. Clay goes for a big splash but Christian moves. Christian with a dropkick from the top but Clay won’t go down. A second dropkick from Christian drops Clay for a 2 count. Clay takes back over but Christian comes back with a tornado DDT out of the corner for the pin and the win.
Winner: Christian
- After the match, Alberto Del Rio runs in and attacks Christian from behind. Christian fights back but Del Rio takes him down with the armbar finisher. Del Rio finally lets go and leaves Christian laying. Del Rio leaves with Clay and Rodriguez as Christian tries to recover in the ring.
- We see The Rock’s response to John Cena from last week’s RAW. Matthews plugs Cena’s “final knockout” for later on. Cole hypes Stone Cold’s return as we go to commercial.
- We get a nice video package for Sin Cara with him doing moves on another wrestler inside an empty arena.
- The next member of the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame is announced and it’s the original Diva – Tammy “Sunny” Sytch. We get a video package of highlights from her career.
WWE Divas Title Match: Brie Bella vs. Eve Torres
We go to the ring and out comes the WWE Divas Champion Eve Torres to defend the title against Brie Bella. We go to commercial as Eve enters the ring.
Back from commercial and we see clips from the Divas Battle Royal last week. We go to the ring and Gail Kim is out with Eve in her corner. Out next come The Bella Twins. They announce Nikki Bella even though it was Brie who won last week. The bell rings and they lock up. Eve takes Bella down first and goes to work in the corner. Eve slams her head into the corner a bunch and throws her by her hair across the ring. Eve clotheslines Nikki for a 2 count.
Bella and Eve go back and forth until Michael Cole stands up on the announcer’s table and asks can we hurry and get this over with. Cole tells everyone he’s seen enough and he’s ready for his big announcement. Eve and Bella continue to go at it while Cole runs his mouth. Cole keeps calling himself the main event. Eve kicks Bella in the head and she goes down. Brie tries to do the switch but the referee catches her and orders her out of the ring. Eve brings Nikki back in and hits the neckbreaker for the win.
Winner: Eve Torres
- Michael Cole thanks God that the match is over. He says his big announcement is up next as we go to commercial.
- Back from the break and there’s a red cover over the ring apron. We see video of Cole revealing Jack Swagger as his trainer last week and Swagger putting the ankle lock on Jerry Lawler. By the way, Lawler isn’t here tonight. We go to the ring where Cole is. Cole says his match at WrestleMania is the main event. He has a contract in his hand for the special referee job. Cole says he respects Lawler and has chosen a referee who is impartial. Cole has been talking to this person for a week and the person has vowed to call the match down the middle. Cole says it’s a former WWE Champion, a true legend, one of the most iconic figures in WWE history. Cole says he’s a legendary Texan also. Cole says we all know he’s here, teasing Steve Austin. Cole gets the crowd to chant Austin’s name and then calls them fools. Cole says he suckered everyone in. Cole introduces his special referee, John Bradshaw Layfield. JBL’s music hits and the white limousine pulls into the arena. JBL hops out of the limousine and makes his way to the ring.
JBL enters the ring and embraces Cole. JBL takes the mic and puts down Texas sport teams and the state of Texas after talking about being in New York City. JBL says he knew the people would welcome him back with open arms and he thanks them. JBL says this is much more important than everyone. JBL says he’s proud of Cole. JBL says there’s other matches and a guest host at WrestleMania but this is the main event. JBL talks about mentoring Cole and says Lawler has been nothing but a bully to Cole. JBL says he can buy anyone in the building but nothing can buy JBL, he will call it down the middle at WrestleMania. JBL says he is a man of integrity. JBL says today, he begins his journey back to the main event at WrestleMania. Steve Austin’s music hits and out he comes to a huge pop!
Austin enters the ring and poses for the fans. JBL and Cole start yelling at him. Cole is hiding behind JBL. Austin doesn’t say much back before hitting JBL with a Stunner. Austin puts JBL’s hat on and hits the turnbuckles. Austin is thrown some beers as Cole gets back on the announcers headset and starts yelling that Austin ruined his night. Austin downs some beers and pours one on JBL. Austin picks up the contract. JBL still hadn’t signed it so the job is open. Austin asks if we want him to sign it, give him a hell yeah. Austin signs the contract and is the special referee for WrestleMania. Cole is crying at ringside. Austin announces he is the special referee for Cole vs. Lawler and that’s the bottom line. Austin goes to ringside and shakes Cole’s hand and wishes him good luck. Austin then pours two beers over Cole’s head, wishes him good luck up close and shoves him back into the chair. Austin has a few more beers as his music plays and he gets back in the ring. Austin pours another beer over Cole’s head. Cole just stands there humiliated before walking off crying. A beer is thrown to Austin but it hits JBL in the head as he gets up. Austin offers JBL a beer and they drink. As JBL is drinking, Austin stuns him. We see Cole on the stage throwing a tantrum with Jack Swagger. Austin is thrown a few more beers as he heads up the ramp.
- We go to The Rock’s comments from last week’s show where he addressed John Cena. Cena’s “final knockout” is hyped some more as we go to commercial.
– After the break, Cole is backstage crying to Jack Swagger about how much he hates Steve Austin. Swagger tells Cole to focus on his match with Lawler and he will take care of Steve Austin. Swagger says he will break Austin’s ankle like a twig.
- We go to the ring and out comes Jerry Lawler to a big pop. We see clips of Austin as Lawler joins the announce table with Matthews.
Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus
We go to the ring and out comes the WWE United States Champion Daniel Bryan. Out next is Sheamus and we see clips of Triple H destroying him last week. The bell rings and they lock up. Sheamus takes Bryan to the corner and down. Sheamus tosses Bryan across the ring, clotheslines him and gets a 2 count.
Bryan starts to come back and knocks Sheamus to the apron. Bryan then knocks him to the floor in front of the announcer’s table. Sheamus lands on his ankle and appears hurt. The referee counts and Sheamus can’t make it back in the ring. Sheamus is counted out and continues to hold his leg.
Winner by Count Out: Daniel Bryan
- After the match, Sheamus takes the mic and says he admits he’s been on a losing streak but that changes next week. Sheamus wants a US Title shot on next week’s show. Sheamus says if he loses, he will quit. Bryan accepts the challenge and we have a match for next week.
- Up next is part two of an interview with Shawn Michaels speaking out about Triple H vs. The Undertaker. We go to commercial.
CM Punk vs. R-Truth
Back from commercial and CM Punk is in the ring. Out comes his opponent R-Truth. The bell rings and Punk charges but Truth rolls him up for a pin. Mason Ryan is at ringside. Punk throws Truth into two of the ring posts, then a third. Punk works Truth over and covers him for a 2. They go back and forth. Truth slides out of a GTS and kicks Punk for a 2 count.
Punk comes back and slams Truth on his shoulder. Punk applies the Anaconda Vice and Truth taps out for the end.
Winner: CM Punk
- After the match, Punk orders Mason Ryan to attack Truth. Ryan hits a big shoulder breaker on Truth and leaves him laying in pain.
- Josh Matthews leads us into part 2 of Shawn Michaels speaking out about Triple H vs. The Undertaker. Shawn talks about how Triple H likes hurting people and says Triple H is the man who can beat Undertaker. Shawn says Triple H has no remorse and that’s what it will take to defeat Taker.
- Vickie Guerrero makes her way out to the ring as we go to commercial.
Back from the break and Vickie Guerrero is asking us to excuse her once again. Vickie announces that due to her negotiating efforts, Dolph Ziggler is now on the RAW brand. Vickie brings out Dolph Ziggler, the former World Heavyweight Champion.
Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison
Dolph gets ready as John Morrison makes his way out and Vickie Guerrero joins commentary. Vickie says she and Dolph are strictly business partners now. They go at it and Dolph kicks Morrison’s leg out. Morrison rolls out to the floor as we go to commercial.
Back from the commercial and there’s a lot of back and forth between Dolph and Morrison. Dolph gets the win after hitting the Zig Zag on Morrison.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
- After the match, Vickie comes in the ring to celebrate with Dolph. The RAW GM interrupts and it’s announced that Vickie isn’t hired but she can have a job on RAW if she defeats Trish Stratus on next week’s RAW. Security comes down to remove her from the ring.
- We get more hype from the announcers on The Rock & John Cena.
- Another preview for The Chaperone, with comments from Triple H and behind-the-scenes footage.
- Back from commercial and once again we see part of The Rock’s response to John Cena on last week’s RAW. Back in the arena, John Cena’s music hits and out he comes to a big pop from the crowd.
Cena talks about The Rock being mad at him and the crowd chants for Rocky. Cena goes on about The Rock and starts rapping. Cena says the only thing The Rock has beaten after last week is himself. Cena questions where The Rock is and calls him a disgrace. Cena goes on picking on The Rock. Cena tells Rock to never call him out again because that’s bringing a knife to a gun fight. Cena’s music hits but he turns around to a shot from The Miz. Miz drops Cena with the WWE Title. Cena stands up but Miz drops him again. Miz takes the mic and kneels in front of Cena. Miz says everytime Cena and Rock get their panties in a wad, this is what happens. If Rock was here, the same thing would happen. Miz tries a little rap that says Randy Savage, The Rock, Cena, Liz and others are nothing compared to him. Miz then formally introduces himself to The Rock, as the WWE Champion and star of WrestleMania. Miz tells Rock to know his role and be the best Ryan Seacrest he can be at WrestleMania. Miz says if Rock has the guts to show up at RAW or WrestleMania, he will take everything Rock has and stick it up his candy ass. The Miz says he’s awesome but not before hitting Cena with a Mic Check. The Miz then mimicks The Rock and hits a People’s Elbow on Cena. RAW goes off the air with The Miz holding his WWE Title.
- We go live to the arena in Dallas, Texas as The Undertaker’s bells toll and the flames begin to rise. Johnny Cash’s “Ain’t No Grave” starts playing as The Last Outlaw makes his way down to the ring.
Michael Cole welcomes us to RAW as Taker makes his way into the ring. Taker says two legends will collide at WrestleMania, two icons will do battle but there can only be one last outlaw in the end. Taker says many feel that this is the year the streak will be broken. Taker says people think that father time and all the injuries will catch up to him. But then some feel that it’s Triple H who is the one guy that has what it takes to bring Taker down and end the streak. Taker reminds us what has happened at the past two WrestleMania’s. Taker shows us a video of his two WrestleMania matches against Shawn Michaels.
- We cut backstage where Randy Orton is fighting off members of Nexus. Mason Ryan rams Orton back into a wall and they beat him down. CM Punk says Orton put Michael McGillicutty on the shelf but where they’re going to take him is much worse. Nexus drags Orton to the ring as we go to commercial.
- Back from commercial and Nexus has Randy Orton down in the ring. David Otunga tells the referee to ring the bell and we have a match.
David Otunga vs. Randy Orton
The bell rings and Otunga rushes Orton in the corner, beating him back down. The referee backs Otunga off but he comes right back with more stomps. Otunga continues the offense and gets a 2 count.
Otunga scoop slams Orton for another 2 count and goes back to work. Otunga hits his finisher but still only gets a 2 count. Otunga picks Orton up but Orton nails an RKO out of nowhere for the win.
Winner: Randy Orton
– Per the stipulations set last week, David Otunga will not be with CM Punk at WrestleMania. Mason Ryan runs down to the ring and lays out Orton. Ryan yells a bunch of stuff at Orton and picks him back up. Before he can strike, Orton lays out Mason with an RKO. CM Punk runs down but doesn’t make it in the ring as Orton turns around to see him. Punk teases getting in the ring but Orton is right there. Punk runs around the ring to try and rescue David Otunga but Orton punt kicks him in the head. Punk is furious outside of the ring as Otunga is knocked out cold. Orton poses and taunts Punk as he heads to the back.
- Michael Cole talks about revealing his special referee for his match against Jerry Lawler as we go to commercial.
- Back from commercial and we see highlights from the Alex Riley vs. John Cena cage match on last week’s show. Cole and Matthews say The Miz isn’t here tonight and show his tweet from today where he said he is boycotting RAW tonight.
Christian vs. Brodus Clay
We go to the ring and out comes Christian to a big pop. Ricardo Rodriguez begins to introduce Alberto Del Rio next. Del Rio comes out walking down the ramp and has Brodus Clay with him. Del Rio introduces himself and says before Christian gets him, he must beat Clay first. Clay hops in the ring for his RAW debut and drops Christian. Clay walks over Christian’s back and goes for a slam. Christian slides out of it and goes for Killswitch but Clay overpowers him.
– Back from commercial and we see highlights from the Alex Riley vs. John Cena cage match on last week’s show. Cole and Matthews say The Miz isn’t here tonight and show his tweet from today where he said he is boycotting RAW tonight.
Christian vs. Brodus Clay
We go to the ring and out comes Christian to a big pop. Ricardo Rodriguez begins to introduce Alberto Del Rio next. Del Rio comes out walking down the ramp and has Brodus Clay with him. Del Rio introduces himself and says before Christian gets him, he must beat Clay first. Clay hops in the ring for his RAW debut and drops Christian. Clay walks over Christian’s back and goes for a slam. Christian slides out of it and goes for Killswitch but Clay overpowers him.
Clay levels Christian. Christian starts to come back but Clay drops him with a but charging headbutt. Clay with elbow drops now. Brodus works on Christian’s arm now. Clay goes for a big splash but Christian moves. Christian with a dropkick from the top but Clay won’t go down. A second dropkick from Christian drops Clay for a 2 count. Clay takes back over but Christian comes back with a tornado DDT out of the corner for the pin and the win.
Winner: Christian
- After the match, Alberto Del Rio runs in and attacks Christian from behind. Christian fights back but Del Rio takes him down with the armbar finisher. Del Rio finally lets go and leaves Christian laying. Del Rio leaves with Clay and Rodriguez as Christian tries to recover in the ring.
- We see The Rock’s response to John Cena from last week’s RAW. Matthews plugs Cena’s “final knockout” for later on. Cole hypes Stone Cold’s return as we go to commercial.
- We get a nice video package for Sin Cara with him doing moves on another wrestler inside an empty arena.
- The next member of the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame is announced and it’s the original Diva – Tammy “Sunny” Sytch. We get a video package of highlights from her career.
WWE Divas Title Match: Brie Bella vs. Eve Torres
We go to the ring and out comes the WWE Divas Champion Eve Torres to defend the title against Brie Bella. We go to commercial as Eve enters the ring.
Back from commercial and we see clips from the Divas Battle Royal last week. We go to the ring and Gail Kim is out with Eve in her corner. Out next come The Bella Twins. They announce Nikki Bella even though it was Brie who won last week. The bell rings and they lock up. Eve takes Bella down first and goes to work in the corner. Eve slams her head into the corner a bunch and throws her by her hair across the ring. Eve clotheslines Nikki for a 2 count.
Bella and Eve go back and forth until Michael Cole stands up on the announcer’s table and asks can we hurry and get this over with. Cole tells everyone he’s seen enough and he’s ready for his big announcement. Eve and Bella continue to go at it while Cole runs his mouth. Cole keeps calling himself the main event. Eve kicks Bella in the head and she goes down. Brie tries to do the switch but the referee catches her and orders her out of the ring. Eve brings Nikki back in and hits the neckbreaker for the win.
Winner: Eve Torres
- Michael Cole thanks God that the match is over. He says his big announcement is up next as we go to commercial.
- Back from the break and there’s a red cover over the ring apron. We see video of Cole revealing Jack Swagger as his trainer last week and Swagger putting the ankle lock on Jerry Lawler. By the way, Lawler isn’t here tonight. We go to the ring where Cole is. Cole says his match at WrestleMania is the main event. He has a contract in his hand for the special referee job. Cole says he respects Lawler and has chosen a referee who is impartial. Cole has been talking to this person for a week and the person has vowed to call the match down the middle. Cole says it’s a former WWE Champion, a true legend, one of the most iconic figures in WWE history. Cole says he’s a legendary Texan also. Cole says we all know he’s here, teasing Steve Austin. Cole gets the crowd to chant Austin’s name and then calls them fools. Cole says he suckered everyone in. Cole introduces his special referee, John Bradshaw Layfield. JBL’s music hits and the white limousine pulls into the arena. JBL hops out of the limousine and makes his way to the ring.
JBL enters the ring and embraces Cole. JBL takes the mic and puts down Texas sport teams and the state of Texas after talking about being in New York City. JBL says he knew the people would welcome him back with open arms and he thanks them. JBL says this is much more important than everyone. JBL says he’s proud of Cole. JBL says there’s other matches and a guest host at WrestleMania but this is the main event. JBL talks about mentoring Cole and says Lawler has been nothing but a bully to Cole. JBL says he can buy anyone in the building but nothing can buy JBL, he will call it down the middle at WrestleMania. JBL says he is a man of integrity. JBL says today, he begins his journey back to the main event at WrestleMania. Steve Austin’s music hits and out he comes to a huge pop!
Austin enters the ring and poses for the fans. JBL and Cole start yelling at him. Cole is hiding behind JBL. Austin doesn’t say much back before hitting JBL with a Stunner. Austin puts JBL’s hat on and hits the turnbuckles. Austin is thrown some beers as Cole gets back on the announcers headset and starts yelling that Austin ruined his night. Austin downs some beers and pours one on JBL. Austin picks up the contract. JBL still hadn’t signed it so the job is open. Austin asks if we want him to sign it, give him a hell yeah. Austin signs the contract and is the special referee for WrestleMania. Cole is crying at ringside. Austin announces he is the special referee for Cole vs. Lawler and that’s the bottom line. Austin goes to ringside and shakes Cole’s hand and wishes him good luck. Austin then pours two beers over Cole’s head, wishes him good luck up close and shoves him back into the chair. Austin has a few more beers as his music plays and he gets back in the ring. Austin pours another beer over Cole’s head. Cole just stands there humiliated before walking off crying. A beer is thrown to Austin but it hits JBL in the head as he gets up. Austin offers JBL a beer and they drink. As JBL is drinking, Austin stuns him. We see Cole on the stage throwing a tantrum with Jack Swagger. Austin is thrown a few more beers as he heads up the ramp.
- We go to The Rock’s comments from last week’s show where he addressed John Cena. Cena’s “final knockout” is hyped some more as we go to commercial.
– After the break, Cole is backstage crying to Jack Swagger about how much he hates Steve Austin. Swagger tells Cole to focus on his match with Lawler and he will take care of Steve Austin. Swagger says he will break Austin’s ankle like a twig.
- We go to the ring and out comes Jerry Lawler to a big pop. We see clips of Austin as Lawler joins the announce table with Matthews.
Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus
We go to the ring and out comes the WWE United States Champion Daniel Bryan. Out next is Sheamus and we see clips of Triple H destroying him last week. The bell rings and they lock up. Sheamus takes Bryan to the corner and down. Sheamus tosses Bryan across the ring, clotheslines him and gets a 2 count.
Bryan starts to come back and knocks Sheamus to the apron. Bryan then knocks him to the floor in front of the announcer’s table. Sheamus lands on his ankle and appears hurt. The referee counts and Sheamus can’t make it back in the ring. Sheamus is counted out and continues to hold his leg.
Winner by Count Out: Daniel Bryan
- After the match, Sheamus takes the mic and says he admits he’s been on a losing streak but that changes next week. Sheamus wants a US Title shot on next week’s show. Sheamus says if he loses, he will quit. Bryan accepts the challenge and we have a match for next week.
- Up next is part two of an interview with Shawn Michaels speaking out about Triple H vs. The Undertaker. We go to commercial.
CM Punk vs. R-Truth
Back from commercial and CM Punk is in the ring. Out comes his opponent R-Truth. The bell rings and Punk charges but Truth rolls him up for a pin. Mason Ryan is at ringside. Punk throws Truth into two of the ring posts, then a third. Punk works Truth over and covers him for a 2. They go back and forth. Truth slides out of a GTS and kicks Punk for a 2 count.
Punk comes back and slams Truth on his shoulder. Punk applies the Anaconda Vice and Truth taps out for the end.
Winner: CM Punk
- After the match, Punk orders Mason Ryan to attack Truth. Ryan hits a big shoulder breaker on Truth and leaves him laying in pain.
- Josh Matthews leads us into part 2 of Shawn Michaels speaking out about Triple H vs. The Undertaker. Shawn talks about how Triple H likes hurting people and says Triple H is the man who can beat Undertaker. Shawn says Triple H has no remorse and that’s what it will take to defeat Taker.
- Vickie Guerrero makes her way out to the ring as we go to commercial.
Back from the break and Vickie Guerrero is asking us to excuse her once again. Vickie announces that due to her negotiating efforts, Dolph Ziggler is now on the RAW brand. Vickie brings out Dolph Ziggler, the former World Heavyweight Champion.
Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison
Dolph gets ready as John Morrison makes his way out and Vickie Guerrero joins commentary. Vickie says she and Dolph are strictly business partners now. They go at it and Dolph kicks Morrison’s leg out. Morrison rolls out to the floor as we go to commercial.
Back from the commercial and there’s a lot of back and forth between Dolph and Morrison. Dolph gets the win after hitting the Zig Zag on Morrison.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
- After the match, Vickie comes in the ring to celebrate with Dolph. The RAW GM interrupts and it’s announced that Vickie isn’t hired but she can have a job on RAW if she defeats Trish Stratus on next week’s RAW. Security comes down to remove her from the ring.
- We get more hype from the announcers on The Rock & John Cena.
- Another preview for The Chaperone, with comments from Triple H and behind-the-scenes footage.
- Back from commercial and once again we see part of The Rock’s response to John Cena on last week’s RAW. Back in the arena, John Cena’s music hits and out he comes to a big pop from the crowd.
Cena talks about The Rock being mad at him and the crowd chants for Rocky. Cena goes on about The Rock and starts rapping. Cena says the only thing The Rock has beaten after last week is himself. Cena questions where The Rock is and calls him a disgrace. Cena goes on picking on The Rock. Cena tells Rock to never call him out again because that’s bringing a knife to a gun fight. Cena’s music hits but he turns around to a shot from The Miz. Miz drops Cena with the WWE Title. Cena stands up but Miz drops him again. Miz takes the mic and kneels in front of Cena. Miz says everytime Cena and Rock get their panties in a wad, this is what happens. If Rock was here, the same thing would happen. Miz tries a little rap that says Randy Savage, The Rock, Cena, Liz and others are nothing compared to him. Miz then formally introduces himself to The Rock, as the WWE Champion and star of WrestleMania. Miz tells Rock to know his role and be the best Ryan Seacrest he can be at WrestleMania. Miz says if Rock has the guts to show up at RAW or WrestleMania, he will take everything Rock has and stick it up his candy ass. The Miz says he’s awesome but not before hitting Cena with a Mic Check. The Miz then mimicks The Rock and hits a People’s Elbow on Cena. RAW goes off the air with The Miz holding his WWE Title.
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