WWE released the following earlier:
JOHN CENA® VS. CM PUNK® TO HEADLINE RAW®’S HISTORIC 1000TH EPISODE
STAMFORD, Conn., July, 18, 2012 – WWE® (NYSE:WWE) today announced the details of Monday Night Raw’s historic 1,000th episode this Monday when the longest-running weekly television show in U.S. history moves to a three-hour format with a new start time of 8/7C on USA Network. Raw has aired more original episodes than some of the most popular television series of all time, including The Simpsons, Gunsmoke, Lassie and Monday Night Football.
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP – MAIN EVENT
A little more than one week after he won his first Money in the Bank® Ladder Match for a WWE Championship contract, WWE Superstar John Cena® will cash in live on Raw’s 1,000th episode against WWE Champion CM Punk® in the main event.
WWE LEGENDS
Raw’s 1,000th episode will showcase the most memorable moments from the past two decades and celebrate the unmatched staying power of Monday Night Raw starting at 8/7C with a reunion of WWE Superstars Triple H® and Shawn Michaels® of D-Generation X®, the anti-establishment group which revolutionized sports-entertainment. In addition, some of the most iconic WWE Superstars that made Raw an extraordinary success, including Dwayne “The Rock®” Johnson, Bret Hart® and Mick Foley™, will make special appearances.
BROCK LESNAR® RESPONDS TO TRIPLE H®
The episode also marks the return of Brock Lesnar®, who will make his first live appearance in nearly three months and will respond directly to Triple H®’s challenge for a match at SummerSlam®.
DANIEL BRYAN® AND AJ®’S WEDDING
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan® may have lost to WWE Champion CM Punk at Money in the Bank with AJ™ as the special guest referee, but that didn’t deter him from expressing his love for the unpredictable WWE Diva. The two will celebrate their tumultuous love affair on Raw’s 1,000th episode with a wedding.
MOST INTERACTIVE SHOW ON TELEVISION
The 1,000th episode of Monday Night Raw will also look toward the future as the count towards another 1,000 episodes begins. The show ushers in a new era of interactive programming, where viewers will become part of the action by using social media platforms like Tout, Twitter, Shazam®, Instagram and Facebook to have a voice in the show and control outcomes live. The best fan touts, tweets, photos and comments will be featured during the telecasts, on WWE.com, at live events, and on social media reaching WWE’s more than 100 million social media followers.
MONDAY NIGHT RAW PRE-SHOW
On July 23 at 7:30/6:30C, WWE will host a special Monday Night Raw Pre-Show that will stream live on WWE.com and on WWE’s official YouTube channel, FanNation (YouTube.com/WWEFanNation). Fans can also relive the very first episode of Monday Night Raw at http://youtu.be/oozq-oOgdjI.
Since its debut, Monday Night Raw has been among cable’s most watched regularly scheduled programs. To see how WWE Superstars are preparing for its new permanent start time, 8/7C, watch USA’s new promo: http://youtu.be/DlyZYOZFQuA.