On Monday, December 15, 2008 at 11:56 PM EST WWE RAW
December 15, 2008
Pittsburgh, PA
Commentators: Michael Cole & Jerry “The King” Lawler
Report by: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
The opening pyro hit and we got a quick run down of the big weekend happenings.
Melina & Kelly Kelly v. Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall (w/ Santino Marella)
Beth has a super fan and Santino's gotta take a picture.
Jillian and Kelly started things off. Kelly rolled through an arm bar and hit a hurricanranna. Jillian caught a kick, but Kelly flipped out only to get yanked to the mat by Beth on the outside of the mat. Jillian went to town on Kelly along the ropes, yanking her hair and choking Kelly out on the ropes.
Jillian hit some knees to the gut and went for a gut buster, but Kelly rolled out. Melina tried to grab Jillian to which the singing superstar responded by knocking her off the apron. Kelly took advantage of the distraction and rolled Jillian up for a surprisingly fast three count.
Winners: Kelly Kelly & Melina via pin fall
After the match, Beth and Jillian, none too pleased with the result, jumped in and put the boots to Kelly. Kane's pyro went off and he cleared the ring. He cornered the helpless Kelly in the corner and after some tense moments, extended his hand to her. Kelly looked at it before rolling under the ring rope. Kane followed her as she scampered up the entrance ramp.
****Commercial****
Over the commercial, Kelly was running away from Kane when she ran into Jamie Noble. Kane blew by Noble and cornered Kelly. Kane said 'we need to talk'.
Rey Mysterio v. Deuce
No more “Deuce” says Deuce. From now on, it's Sim Snuka.
Rey bounced off the ropes and got hit a couple of times with some shoulder blocks. He attempted a hurricanranna only to get plowed with a tilt a whirl slam. Snuka whipped Mysterio hard to the buckles before laying a knee in on the back and stretching Rey out with a modified chin lock.
Snuka dragged Mysterio out to the middle of the ring and went to drop an elbow but missed. Mysterio popped back with a double leg drop kick to the face before ducking under a clothesline and hitting a series of strikes. Mysterio flung Snuka across the ring with a hurricanranna before getting flap jacked hard to the mat.
Snuka hit a huge high knee for a two count. He got caught charging in the corner but was able to catch Mysterio as he bounded off the ropes. Mysterio fought out and went for a 619, but Snuka ran out to the outside of the ring. Mysterio took out Snuka only for Cody Rhodes to pseudo interject himself, causing a DQ.
Winner: Rey Mysterio via DQ
Rey fought back at Cody, who was aided by Manu. Seeing the odds weren't in his favor, Rey scooted to the other side of the ring only for Mike Knox to run in from behind and flatten Mysterio. He hit some sort of STO on Rey and stared down towards him.
****Commercial****
Kelly is sitting down with Kane. He asked her why she looked in his eye and said love was a wonderful thing. Kelly said that must've been a mistake because they were just presenting an award. Kelly wants to know if she's just leading him on. He flipped out and got creepy and said he knew she felt something. She looks pretty terrified.
Todd Grisham is with Randy Orton. Orton said earlier tonight he challenged Batista to a rematch, but he hasn't heard back. He said Batista was a coward, so it didn't surprise him. Batista showed up right then and there and asked if he wanted an answer. Orton didn't wait and smacked him. He ran off through the back out to the stage as Batista chased him. Rhodes and Manu jumped Batista once he got out to the ramp. The Legacy put a beat down on Batista until World Champion John Cena showed up to aid his friend. Orton and Cena shared a long stare down.
****Commercial****
Batista was thanking Cena in the back. Cena said the next piece of business was getting back at the Legacy. Batista said any way he could help. He said since he was done with Jericho, he wanted to know ... then was cut off by Todd Grisham who told them they'd be facing the Legacy later tonight.
Chris Jericho v. Jim Duggan
Chris Jericho came out in his suit and doesn't look ready to wrestle. He said he's refusing to wrestle. He said Lebron James doesn't sit down the night after missing a game winning shot and said he refused to have to sit there and wrestle against someone at the bottom of the barrel like Duggan. He said it was an insult.
Jericho walked off.
Kane is in the back getting to know Kelly better. He wants to know if there's someone /* after she's slow to answer him. He said she'd tell him whether she wants to or not.
****Commercial****
Kane says Kelly did the right thing by telling him. He has to go now. Kelly asked him not to hurt him.
Intercontinental Champion William Regal is sitting at his throne with Leyla to watch the next match.
World Tag Team Championship
CM Punk & Kofi Kingston v. The Miz & John Morrison
Miz and Kofi started it off and Kofi grabbed a headlock. Miz broke the hold in the corner before slapping on a head lock of his own. Miz slammed Kofi to the mat before Kofi dodged him with some leap frogs and hit a big back elbow for a two count.
Punk tagged into the match and hit a sling shot senton for a two count. Punk hit a spinning wheel kick for a two count before Kofi tagged in. Punk whipped Miz into Kofi's knees for a two count. Kofi slapped on a key lock before tagging Punker right back into the match. He planted some kicks into the side of Miz before whipping him to the corner. After blocking some strikes, Miz started to trash talk a bit and took off to the outside. Punk chased Miz and even fought off John Morrison on the outside.
He finally caught Miz in the middle of the ring and hit a swinging neck breaker. Kofi tagged in and feigned a plancha on the outside and did enough to back the cowering heels up a bit. Punk then came bounding across the ring and Kofi back dropped him directly into the champions.
****Commercial****
Kofi fought out of a chin lock when we returned and tagged in his partner. Punk hit some big strikes and a roll up for a two count. There was some quick back and forth between the two with Morrison again failing to inject himself into the match. Miz eventually hit an elbow that flat backed Punk. He tagged Morrison who entered with the sling shot elbow combo for another near fall.
Morrison stomped away at Punk on the mat before cinching in a body scissors. Punk eventually fought out and fought off both heels, capping it off with a HUGE super plex off the top rope. Punk struggled to the corner and managed to tag Kofi. Kofi entered the ring with a huge body splash and a gorgeous drop kick.
Kofi hit the boom boom leg drop for a two count but Morrison kicked out. He hit an awesome front Russian Leg Sweep for a two count and fought off the oncoming Miz. Punk hit a plancha onto Miz to take care of him for good while Kofi and Morrison took us home.
After countering an Irish whip, Morrison hit his springboard wheel kick, he went for a cover only for Punk to break it up. Miz came back in and took Punk out over the top rope. Kofi was briefly distracted and walked right into the moonlight drive, which enabled Morrison to get the pin fall victory.
Winners and STILL World Tag Team Champions: The Miz & John Morrison via pin fall
Kane's pyro hit after the match and he walked towards the ring. He stared down Regal on the ramp before moving down to the ring. He stared down all four before choke slamming the Miz to the mat. He hit a tombstone pile driver. Miz must've been that 'other guy'.
****Commercial****
JBL wanted us to watch the titan tron. The replayed the angle from the pay per view last night when HBK admitted he was broke.
Candice Michelle and Mickie James are trying to comfort Kelly Kelly in the back. She said she was fine. They asked about the Miz... to which she replied; “The Miz, c'mon”. Poor Miz
****Commercial****
Dolph Ziggler's here to introduce himself.
Dolph Ziggler v. Santa ClHass
Dolph punched Santa in the face and after a Santa splash, Dolph dropped some elbows to the jolly one. Ziggler grabbed a chin lock as the crowd tried to rally Santa. Santa fought out of the head lock only to get yanked back to the mat.
Ziggler stomped on Santa some more before choking him out on the ropes. Ziggler grabbed a rear chin lock and the crowd eventually tried to rally him. Santa fought out and hit some punches before hitting a spear in the corner. Santa missed a second charge and Ziggler hit his neck breaker for the win.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler via pin fall
After the match, Ziggler roughed Santa up a bit.
An ad for “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia” aired.
****Commercial****
Jim Duggan's in the back looking upset. Cryme Tyme approached him and gave him a pat on the back. They said 'it's time'. Duggan looked confused, but walks off with them anyways.
Stephanie is with Chris Jericho. She said if she tells him to 'dance', he'd better 'dance'. Jericho said she's not too good of a boss. Stephanie said she knew everything there was to know. She said the winner of a champions match up next week and a subsequent four way to follow it, would determine the new #1 contender. She said if he wanted a match up that'd help him get anything close to superstar of the year again, he'd better do what she told him to.
Orton interrupted Cody and Manu and told them if they weren't going to be 100% successful, this thing wouldn't work.
****Commercial****
Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Manu v. Batista & John Cena
Batista slammed Manu around to open things up. He bullied the youngster into the corner and tagged in Cena who got the usual mixed reaction. Cena dropped an elbow on Manu for a one count, but Manu scattered and tagged in Cody.
Cody wrenched in a headlock only for Cena to quickly fight him off. Batista tagged in and pounded Rhodes' head into the corner before tagging Cena right back in. Cena spiked Rhodes' head off the corner before whipping him and bulldogging him with ease. Orton tagged into the match out of frustration as Batista entered as well.
Batista whipped Orton to the buckles hard before flat backing him with a boot to the face. He missed a charge in the corner and Orton quickly pounded Bats with stomps on the mat.
****Commercial****
Orton continued to go to town on Batista in the corner before tagging in Cody Rhodes. Rhodes hit his big stomps and got a neck breaker in before tagging in Manu who bore down with a rear chin lock for a little while. Cody came back in and we get yet another quick tag to Randy Orton.
Orton grabbed a side headlock only for Batista to uncork a big back suplex. Cena got the hot tag and he begins to clean out Manu. After a pair of shoulder blocks, Cena loads up the five knuckle shuffle and connects as he taunts the heels. Orton distracted the ref while Cody drop kicked Manu, Who was on the verge of being FU'd, on top of Cena. Rhodes tagged in and got in some clubbing blows on the mat before tagging in Randy. Randy hit some European uppercuts and other various strikes before getting a one count.
Orton hammered away on Cena on the ring apron before loading Cena up for the implant DDT. Manu hit a succession of Irish whips and splashes before Cody tagged in. Cena fought back but missed a splash in the corner. Cody hit a moon sault for a two count, but Cena kicked out.
Cody took it to Cena on the mat but whiffed on a big knee drop. Batista came in and hit some clotheslines before power slamming Rhodes to the mat. He fought off Orton and Manu before delivering a spine buster to Rhodes. Batista looked to load up the Batista bomb before Orton used Manu as a battering ram.
Orton hit an RKO on Batista before directing Manu and Rhodes to the outside to dispatch Cena. Orton lined up the head punt and nailed it. The ref had already called for the DQ.
Winners: John Cena & Batista via DQ
Orton and the Legacy stared Cena down from the outside, smiling, as doctors attended to Batista. RAW THOUGHTSShow Thoughts-- Tonight was an interesting show. Little bit good, some not as good, and some that kind of leaves you scratching your head.
The center piece of the show for about an hour and a half seemed to be this angle between Kane and Kelly Kelly. While I think the intention was sort of this 'lets leave 'em hanging' thing, I felt more or less like they should've explained what sort of triggered this whole thing tonight. Kane's got it in for Kelly, Kelly doesn't feel the same way, and worse yet, she sacrificed some dude she doesn't like to get away from him. Not that its bad storytelling, but for it being SUCH a centerpiece of this week's episode, I figured they'd go somewhere with it THIS week, not in following weeks.
This show definitely had that 'laying the foundation' feel to it though. And well it should. We've got five weeks until the Royal Rumble with lots of TV time to build up good feuds for the show. I'm especially interested in the direction they'll go with Cena. I would ASSUME that Batista and or Randy Orton will be the likely challengers, but I really wouldn't count a third Jericho match out of the cards considering that 1.) the first two offerings have been really good and 2.) that Jericho still has the most heat of anyone on the Raw roster right now.
CM Punk seems to really be picking up steam heading into his IC title match with Regal where I'm about 110% positive he'll take the title off the Englishman. He looked insanely solid with Rey Mysterio last night on the pay per view and was booked super strong in tonight's tag.
In general, it seems like creative's really been shuffling a lot of pieces around and getting them in place for what's looking like a very deliberately planned (at least on the Raw side)Wrestlemania lead up. The top three dogs are obviously Cena, Orton and Batista. CM Punk seems to be getting groomed as the next guy to join that company, with Cody Rhodes and Manu getting strong pushes being part of Orton's faction. Jericho, HBK and JBL are filling out the remainder of the top of the card while Rey and Kane seem to be established as the gate keepers for the top of the card. We're really starting to see some solid pecking order of sorts established.
Overall, the show was a lot of fun. I don't know if I enjoyed it as much as last week's edition, but for the most part, it was a really good 'lay the groundwork' sort of show to get us heading in the right direction.
Overall Grade: B+
Quick Results
Kelly Kelly & Melina def. Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall
Rey Mysterio def. Deuce
The Miz & John Morrison def. CM Punk & Kofi Kingston
Dolph Ziggler def. Santa Claus
John Cena & Batista def. Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Manu
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?
Biggest Pops
1. Batista
2. John Cena
3. CM Punk
4. Rey Mysterio
Most Heat
1. Chris Jericho
2. Randy Orton
3. The Miz & Morrison
4. Kane
Match of the Night: Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Manu v. John Cena & Batista ***
Power RankingsPoints
4 Points= World Title defense/win
3 Points= Singles PPV Win
2 Points= Tag PPV Win
2 Points= TV Singles Win
1 Point= TV Tag Win
0 Points= Loss
World Heavyweight Champion: John Cena 23-13-1, 46 points. (Last Week: World Heavyweight Champion) -- The mic work was a lot better. Short, to the point, with a dash of justification. It'll be interesting to see where things go with Batista, Randy Orton and possibly still Chris Jericho all in the mix for a title shot.
Intercontinental Champion:William Regal, 7-7-1, 19 points (Last Week: Intercontinental Champion)-- Not in action.
1. Chris Jericho 23-21-1, 56 pts. (Last Week: 1)-- I can't help but feel like the WWE might have pulled the plug on the Jericho title run a bit early. The guy still has so much heat. It'll be intersting to see where they take this in the coming weeks.
2. Batista 17-10-3, 39 Points (Last Week: 4) -- They've been really cautious in this Orton-Batista feud of making one guy look much better than the other and perhaps with good reason. Tonight though, they can step this thing up another notch. It should be very interesting to see the direction this takes over the next few weeks.
3. CM Punk 16-10-2, 41 Points (Last Week: 3) -- Punk's starting to build some momentum again. He was clearly booked as not just the strongest guy in his match tonight, but the strongest guy by far. He's looking really good heading into the Regal feud.
4. Shawn Michaels 23-8-2, 41pts. (Last Week: 2) -- I love the concept for the HBK-JBL feud, I'm just concerned as to whether people will buy the fact that this guy really lost everything. That being said, the blow off should be really great. These two are fantastic at getting programs over.
5. Randy Orton 13-13-2, 25 pts. (Last Week: 5)-- Orton really seemed to be getting out of the way for the young guns tonight. Most of his offense seemed fairly pedestrain.
6. JBL 19-27, 33 points (Last Week: 7)- - I think they're going to have to actually use JBL a bit more than they're considering in this feud. They seem to be trying to rely on HBK to draw the sympathy which I think is a good idea, but more or less a stretch. I think they'll need JBL to garner more HEAT to get the audience to really bite on this.
7. Rey Mysterio 12-8, 23 Points (Last Week: 6) -- Rey seems to be working with anyone whom the company really wants to look good. He's become the new baby face gate keeper on Raw. Nothing wrong with that.
8. Kane 9-13, 13 Points (Last Week: 8) -- I'm kind of lost as to where they're really looking to take this whole thing with Kelly Kelly, but with Kane, you can almost always guarantee it'll at least be strange. v
9. Cody Rhodes 15-14, 23 points (Last Week: 9) -- I thought Cody looked good tonight. Very good. He seems content to play the 'Buddy Roberts' role of this group, being the stooge who bumps all about and whatnot, but really doesn't look half bad on offense these days. I'm glad they're giving him a little more spotlight to work with.
10. Kofi Kingston 11-12, 25 points (Last Week: 10) -- Should be thanking his stars Manu and a few others can't string that much together to take him out of the top ten.
OTHERS:
Santino Marella 12-15-1, 19 points (Last Week:NR)
Ted Dibiase, Jr. 9-5, 19 Points (Last Week: NR)
Mike Knox 1-0-0. 2 points (Last Week: NR)
Paul Burchill 5-5, 7 points (Last Week: NR)
JTG 8-8, 9 points (Last Week: NR)
Big Shaad 7-7, 8 points (Last Week: NR)
Paul London 3-6, 3 points(Last Week: RELEASED)
Lance Cade 3-7, 5 points (Last Week: NR)
Jamie Noble 2-5, 4 Points (Last Week: NR)
Primo Colon 1-0, 2 Points (Last Week: NR)
D-Lo Brown 2-3, 4 points (Last Week: NR)
Snitsky 2-7, 3 points (Last Week: NR)
Manu 3-3, 3 Points (Last Week: NR)
Charlie Haas 3-6-1, 6 points (Last Week: NR)
Deuce 0-3, 0 Points (Last Week: NR)
Dolph Ziggler 2-1, 4 Points (Last Week: NR)
Chuck Palumbo 0-0, 0 Points (Last Week: NR)
Matt Striker 0-1, 0 Points (Last Week: NR)
Jerry Lawler 0-2, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Jim Duggan 0-2, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Rory 0-2, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Robbie 0-3, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Mick Foley 1-0, 1 point (Last Week: NR)
Sgt. Slaughter 0-0. 0 pts. (Last Week: NR)
Val Venis 0-1 0pts. (Last Week: NR