WWE Monday Night Raw
Dallas, Texas
March 7, 2011
Commentators: Michael Cole & Josh Mathews
Reported by: David Stephens of Wrestleview.com
Are you kneeling with the Bible open to Austin 3:16? Then stop questioning your heart and join me because it is time for Monday Night Raw!!!
27 Days away from Wrestlemania
The Undertaker’s Johnny Cash ballad begins to play, and the Deadman begins his long saunter down to the ring.
Taker cuts a promo about how two legends and icons will collide at Wrestlemania. By the end of it, only one last outlaw will remain. He talks about how people are saying that HHH just may be the guy to bring him down and end the streak.
Video package of the last two Wrestlemanias when Taker defeated Shawn Michaels
Taker says that at Wrestlemania there will be no excuses, no regrets, no count outs, no rules. Their match at Wrestlemania will be No Holds Barred. HHH will die trying to end the streak, and Rest in Peace.
In the back, Orton appears to be on the receiving end of a New Nexus attack. Punk says that Orton may have put McGillicutty on the shelf, but they are going to put him some place much worse. Orton lashes out with a fist, but Punk recovers and hits a GTS! He tells Ryan and Otunga to pick up the piece of trash and drag him to the ring.
****Commercial****
Back from the break, Orton has been dragged into the ring. There are a slew of referees in the ring trying to break up the attack. They manage to get Punk and Ryan out of the ring, but Otunga takes off his shirt. He is asking for a match with Orton. Orton gives the OK, so the ref calls for the bell.
Randy Orton v. David Otunga
The match begins and things are clearly not going the way for Randy Orton. He is hit with a series of punches and kicks, then a scoop slam. Cover attempt, but Orton kicks out. Randy gets to his feet and hits a RKO out of nowhere. This match is over.
Winner via RKO: Randy Orton
After the match, Mason Ryan runs down to the ring and demolishes Orton with a boot. He picks up Randy off the mat, but Orton connects with an RKO! CM Punk runs to the ring, but doesn’t enter. Orton is trying to goad him into the ring, but Punk stays on the outside. Orton turns his attention to David Otunga, and then punts the hell out of his head. Punk looks on in disbelief.
****Commercial****
Christian(!)’s music hits and he makes his way down to the ring. Ricardo Rodriguez is then introduced to bring Alberto Del Rio down to the ring with Brodus Clay. Del Rio has the mic and tells everyone that his name is Alberto Del Rio, but of course the audience already knew that. In case they didn’t know, he reiterates that it is his destiny to go to Wrestlemania. Del Rio says that if Christian wants to fight him, he must first go through Brodus Clay.
Christian v. Brodus Clay w/ Alberto Del Rio & Ricardo Rodriguez
Clay lifts Christian into the air, but he slips behind him. Christian is then backed against the ropes and met with a chop. Christian tries to charge at him, but Brodus head butts him instead. Cover attempt, but Christian kicks free. Very nice overhead throw from Brodus leads into a splash attempt. Christian moves out of the way and then connects with a missile dropkick from first the second, and then the top rope. Clay kicks out of the cover. Christian is looking for the Unprettier, but Clay clotheslines him across the chest. Christian is lifted high into the air, abut again manages to wriggle free. Christian connects with a desperation whirlwind DDT, and it is enough for the win!
Winner via DDT: Christian
After the match, Del Rio runs into the ring and applies the rolling arm bar.
****Commercial****
Sunny is revealed as the newest WWE Hall of Fame Inductee
****Commercial****
Women’s Championship
Eve Torres w/ Gail Kim v. Nikki Bella w/ Brie
The match starts with the two Divas really taking it to each other with a series of punches and kicks. Eve is caught with a cover, but kicks free. Another cover from Bella, but again Eve kicks free. Nikki gets to her feet, and steps on the hair of Eve.
Michael Cole stands on top of the commentary booth and interrupts the match. He says that no one cares about this match. They care about the announcement that he is going to make later in the night. Cole goes on and on about he is the main event.
The Divas have not stopped wrestling the entire time. Eve bounces off the second turnbuckle with a flash kick. Some twin magic is devised, but the referee sees it coming. Eve hits her finisher, and this match is over.
Winner & Still Divas Champion: Eve Torres
Cole says that up next he will announce the special guest referee for his match at Wrestlemania.
****Commercial****
Michael Cole gets into the ring. He has a contract which he says is about to be signed by the Special Guest Referee for their match at Wrestlemania. Cole says that he respects Lawler, so this man has vowed to call the match right down the middle. Cole says that the man is one of the most iconic figures in WWE history, and much like Cole is a legendary Texan. Cole is pepping the audience up, saying that they know “he” is here. He begins to lead the crowd in an Austin chant. But, Cole then yells that the audience is fools. He suckered them in. He reveals that the REAL special guest referee is J.B.L!
JBL is in the ring and talks about moving to New York City from Texas. He begins to cut a heel promo on the state. JBL is proud of Cole’s ability. JBL says that he saw how the world treated Cole. He saw how cruel a bully Lawler was to him for so many years. JBL pulls a Ted Dibiase and says that he could buy anybody in the auditorium. JBL is right about to sign the contract, but Austin’s music hits.
Austin makes his way into the ring, and has a huge smile across his face. After posing to the audience, he walks up to JBL and Michael Cole. They argue for a bit, but JBL stands in between Cole and Austin. Cole tries to hide, so Austin stuns JBL!! He puts on the Cowboy hat and poses to the crowd. Austin then calls for some beers, and begins to chug. Austin pours one out on JBL, and then pauses and look at the contract on the ground. Austin picks it up and signs it, becoming the Special Guest Referee for Cole v. Lawler at Wrestlemania!
Austin walks over to the commentators booth and looks to shake Michael Cole’s hand. Instead, he pours two beers over the head of Cole! Michael walks to the top of the entrance ramp, looking very depressed. JBL gets to his feet, but gets hit with another stunner.
****Commercial****
In the back, Michael Cole is talking to Jack Swagger. He is complaining about tonight’s happenings. Swagger tells him to focus on the King, he’ll worry about Stone Cold.
Jerry Lawler’s music hits and he takes Cole’s seat at the commentator booth.
Daniel Bryan v. King Sheamus
The match starts with a strong lariat and cover attempt from Sheamus. Bryan kicks free and connects with a dropkick. Bryan then dropkicks Sheamus to the outside of the ring. Bryan is eyeing his competitor as Sheamus struggles on the outside of the ring. Sheamus is holding his ankle and looking hurt. He is unable to get back into the ring before the end of the ten count. This match is over.
Winner via Count Out: Daniel Bryan
Sheamus has a mic and says that he admits that for the past couple of months he has been on a losing streak, fella. Next week, that will end as he becomes the NEW US Champion. He challenges Daniel Bryan to a match. Title v. Job. If Sheamus loses, he will quit!
****Commercial****
CM Punk w/ Mason Ryan v. R-Truth
Punk is rolled up at the start, but kicks out. He breaks free and begins to attack the shoulder of Truth by throwing him into the steel post multiple times. Punk backs him into the corner and unloads with kicks. Cover, but Truth breaks free. Punk goes back to the shoulder with an arm bar.
Truth counters out of GTS with a spinning heel kick! Cover attempt, but Punk breaks free. Punk leaps to the outside of the ring while pulling down on the arm of Truth. Punk connects with a Book End, and then goes to the Anaconda Vice. R-Truth has no choice but to tap, so this match is over.
Winner via Anaconda Vice: CM Punk
After the match, Mason Ryan lifts Truth up on his shoulder. He connects with a vicious shoulder breaker.
Video Package – Shawn Michaels on HHH v. Undertaker
Vickie Guerrero is making her way down to the ring…
****Commercial****
Snooki from “Jersey Shore” will be next week’s Guest Star!
Speaking of trolls, Vickie Guerrero is in the ring. She says excuse me. She introduces the newest member to the Raw Roster… Dolph Ziggler! (Wrestleview’s Smackdown Recapper, Mitch Tobasco, can suck on that loss for a long time!)
John Morrison v. Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero
Ziggler bounces off the ropes and connects with a clothesline. He dodges a Morrison splash, and catches him in the gut with his knee.
****Commercial****
Vickie Guerrero is on commentary. Ziggler screams across the ring and leaps for a huge splash. Morrison moves out of the way, and then connects with a spinning leg lariat. Cover attempt, but Ziggler kicks free. Ziggler manages to hit his finisher, and this match is over!
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
*GeneralMail Alert
Jerry Lawler reads the message
Vickie Guerrero may have been fired from Smackdown, but that doesn’t mean she has a job on Raw. She can have a job, if she can defeat Trish Stratus next Monday on Raw!
Security comes down to the ring to escort Vickie out. She tries to cling to Dolph’s leg, but to no avail.
Chaperone Trailer airs
****Commercial****
Cena’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. He says that some of the crowd likes him, and some deso not. He notes that The Rock is actually someone who isn’t a fan of his. Cena says he thought that a lot of what The Rock said was hilarious. That being said, Rock actually got offended by some of his comments. Rock then said that Cena should never address him in rap. Cena replies by saying that instead he’ll address him in hip hop.
Cena spends most of the rap calling out the Rock for not actually showing up on Raw. Cena says that Rock should never call him out again, because it is like bring a knife to a gun fight. Cena’s music hits, but The Miz appears out of nowhere. He follows up with his first briefcase attack, by slamming his Title into the back of Cena’s head. Miz has a mic and says that The Rock and John Cena have disrespected him for the last time. Miz says that every time Rock and Cena argue with each other, Miz is able to capitalize. The Miz then calls out to The Rock, and introduces himself. He says that he’ll attack him if he has the guts to show up on Raw or at Wrestlemania!
Because he’s The Miz, (goes and hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Cena, followed by the People’s Elbow!) and he’s awesome!
Raw Thoughts
Pretty slow open to Raw tonight. I love Johnny Cash, but Taker’s new song doesn’t exactly get the audience stoked for wrestling.
I genuinely felt bad for the Divas tonight. I don’t give them too much respect in my recap, and I’ll admit to that, but I mean come on. This is the type of crap they used to do to the cruiserweights and I hated it at the time. The match itself was pretty solid, but no one will care because of what happened.
Poor David Otunga. I honestly hope this isn’t the last we see of him because I would cry. Legit.
Snooki is… whatever. I don’t really care either way about her being on Raw. For all the TNA fans that are going to cry about this move, remember that at least Raw doesn’t run in the same timeslot as Jersey Shore. That’s why it didn’t work for TNA.
The highlight of my Wrestlemania is going to be seeing Stone Cole hit a stunner on Michael Cole.
Michael Cole was on the top of his game tonight during the segment where he walked to the top of the entrance ramp looking like he was throwing a tantrum.
Sheamus is officially my favorite superstar at the moment. There isn’t anything about him which isn’t awesome.
I still don’t understand the Michael Cole/Jack Swagger connection.
Brodus Clay reminds me of One Man Gang in appearance. Time will tell if that holds up in the ring.
I love Christian, but that still doesn’t excuse that that was yet another Smackdown match on Raw.
There needs to be more wrestling on Raw than there was tonight. Wow.
You’re an idiot if you think Sheamus is being buried, or Daniel Bryan for that matter. Storylines last longer than just one week, patience.
The HBK video packages aren’t doing anything to excite me for the Undertaker/HHH match.
Does anybody have any idea where they are going with R-Truth’s character? John Morrison? No? Me neither.
That may have been the worst rap Cena has ever cut.
It was nice to see Miz show up tonight. It was actually a really, really great promo from The Miz. Really helped bring the last segment of the show together tonight.
I don’t really understand this Miz/Cena/Rock stuff unless we are getting a match at ‘mania which seems out of the question by now. If not, then why should I care?
Pretty average Raw tonight, which was surprising giving the high caliber of stars present on the show.
I do read every single e-mail you guys send, and really appreciate hearing your thoughts. Send me some e-mails, and have a safe week everyone!
– David Stephens
Follow me on Twitter!@daveWrestleview
Visit Wrestleview daily for unique columns, recaps, audio and more including my column That’s a Wrap! Also, check out my radio show for the Wrestleview Radio Network called The Teacher’s Lounge with co-host Anthony “Mr. V” Valvo. If you’re a VIP member, you don’t want to miss it!
