CENA AND BRYAN SIGN SUMMERSLAM CONTRACT - Tonight’s Raw kicked off with WWE John Cena explaining why he chose to face Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam, and Raw GM Brad Maddox announcing Bryan will compete in several matches tonight.
World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio def. Sheamus -
The irony, it is thick: Alberto Del Rio tried in vain for much of 2012 to defeat Sheamus in his pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship, but now armed with “Big Gold” around his waist, The Essence of Excellence finally got his long-awaited licks in against The Celtic Warrior in a match on Raw. Sporting a gruesome bruise on his thigh from Money in the Bank, Sheamus was both sporting more color than usual and seemingly, savagely rejuvenated after a two week siesta from in-ring competition. But Del Rio, still fighting mad at the WWE Universe's rejection of his World Title win, matched the Irishman shot-for-shot with pure ruthlessness.
Christian def. Titus O’Neil - Christian may have missed out on Money in the Bank, but he’s apparently still worthy of Prime Time. Captain Charisma continued his recent surge of victories since his return, following his defeat of Damien Sandow with a win over Titus O’Neil, the bulky bruiser of The Prime Time Players. “The Big Deal” toyed with Captain Charisma out of the gate, mocking Christian’s crowd-pumping hand claps before pulverizing the former World Champion with a series of backbreakers and tossing him across the ring.
Mark Henry addressed The Shield - The Shield made an example of The World’s Strongest Man last week, but can they do it again now that he's expecting it? That seems to be the prevalent question when Mark Henry got an uncanny assist moments after his address to the “Hounds of Justice” this week in his home state. Henry, for his part, showed no fear after his Triple Powerbomb at The Shield’s hands, and dared the NXT veterans to try their hand against him for the second week in a row.
Dolph Ziggler def. Darren Young - It was a rough night for The Prime Time Players when, just a few minutes after Titus O’Neil fell victim to Christian, Darren Young met a similar fate against Dolph Ziggler. All the brash aggression of “Mr. No Days Off” wasn’t enough to knock off The Showoff, who blasted D. Young with a dropkick to the face that left him reeling. Young countered with a brutal-looking inverted facebuster, but he spent more time taunting the prone Dolph than pinning him, giving Ziggler an opening to administer a match-ending Zig Zag
The “Total Divas” cast appeared on “Miz TV” - The claws came out on “Miz TV” when the “Total Divas” cast dropped by The Miz’s couch to chat up the premiere of their brand-new reality show, premiering this Sunday at 10/9 CT on E! But The Awesome One, clearly sensing an impending outburst of aggression among the freshly-minted reality stars, invited Jerry “The King” Lawler to emcee the proceedings.
CM Punk called out Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar - One would think that CM Punk wasn’t feeling particularly talkative after his thrashing at the hands of Brock Lesnar last week, one would be right. Punk didn’t want to talk, he wanted to fight. Speaking of Lesnar’s true secret weapon – not his power, but the fear he inspires – Punk addressed The Anomaly's mystique head on with his boldest proclamation yet: “WWE.com, here’s your headline … I am not afraid of Brock Lesnar.”
Vowing to leave Lesnar as beaten as he was, Punk demanded a SummerSlam match of “The Best vs. The Beast,” and his fiery rhetoric summoned Paul Heyman, via satellite and apparently next to Lesnar himself (The Anomaly remained offscreen), to offer a rebuttal. In short, Heyman’s response was thus: “If it’s a fight you want, CM Punk, your challenge at SummerSlam is accepted.”
Cody Rhodes def. Fandango - Turns out Cody Rhodes isn’t one to let betrayal keep him down for long. The mustachioed son of a son of a plumber may have hit his lowest point when Damien Sandow betrayed him and seized the World Title Money in the Bank contract for himself (to say nothing of the "Protector of the Case" debacle), yet Rhodes found his footing on Raw at the expense of both his former friend and current foe.
Rob Van Dam def. Wade Barrett - The victorious comeback tour continues for Rob Van Dam, who followed up a pair of victories onRaw and SmackDown with a third win, this time over former Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett on Raw. The Brit swarmed the Battle Creek, Mich. Native early out of the gate, blasting RVD with fists to the back of the head while Mr. Monday Night struck his signature pose for the WWE Universe.
Barrett’s hard-brawling style kept RVD on the defensive even after a kick to the chin left the Englishman’s mouth bloody. A pair of lightning-quick kicks from Van Dam restored Mr. Monday Night’s momentum enough for a Rolling Thunder. Even though Barrett fought to stay in the game, the high-flying veteran chopped the big Englishman down with another flurry of kicks, sealing the victory with a soaring Five Star Frog Splash.
Daniel Bryan def. Jack Swagger - First up in Daniel Bryan’s three-stop tour through the WWE locker room? A couple of Real Americans. With the submission master facing three unknown Superstars at the command of Brad Maddox, Zeb Colter’s pair of patriots were the first to emerge in opposition of the No. 1 contender. Specifically, Jack Swagger stepped up to battle the “Yes!” man and ran Bryan ragged immediately, punishing the submission technician early and often after the opening bell.A lengthy “OU sucks!” slowed Swagger down enough for Bryan to get a few licks in, but Swagger regrouped fast and struck with the Swagger Bomb. It was then that Bryan let loose with a last burst of energy and tripped Swagger up, applying the “Yes!” Lock and forcing a tapout while Antonio Cesaro and Zeb Colter were at ringside. Happily for Colter’s acolytes, they’d soon have a chance to rectify the defeat, because Antonio Cesaro was announced as Bryan’s next foe.
Daniel Bryan def. Antonio Cesaro - It was out of the frying pan and into the fire when Daniel Bryan clashed with Antonio Cesaro as the second opponent in his Brad Maddox-mandated gauntlet. It seemed, once again, that Bryan was destined for defeat early on when the Über-American let loose with the Very European Uppercut and even mauled Bryan’s beard in a bid to physically and mentally dismantle the No. 1 contender.
What ensued was a thrilling war of attrition; each time Bryan began to roll, Cesaro would cut the submission technician down with a headlock, yet Bryan somehow regained his strength and blast Cesaro back into a defensive position again. The two eventually reached fever pitch and Cesaro very nearly captured the win with the Swiss Blade, a barrage of uppercuts and a clothesline that sent Bryan into a somersault, yet Bryan persevered and reversed a second Very European Uppercut into a roll-up pin, sending the mighty challenger home after a very hard-fought battle.
Daniel Bryan def. Ryback via Disqualification - A win is a win, but Daniel Bryan was certainly the worse for wear after defeating Ryback via Disqualification in the final of three bouts orchestrated by Raw GM Brad Maddox. The “Human Wrecking Ball” already declared he preys on the weak, and even though Bryan fought back valiantly by countering a Thesz press into a half-Boston Crab on Ryback’s injured leg, the big man continued his onslaught by simply out-muscling the submission master with power moves that landed with atomic force. Ultimately, much like their last confrontation, Ryback went for the statement over the pinfall when Bryan proved too stubborn to lose, powerbombing Bryan through a table he had erected at ringside.
With Bryan’s bouts ended, John Cena was free and clear to come to his challenger’s aid; The Champ chased Ryback from the ring and challenged him to a Tables Match the next week on Raw. Ryback happily accepted, but it’s unsure if Bryan will be so eager for his opponent next week, as mandated by Maddox and Mr. McMahon: Kane.
World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio def. Sheamus -
The irony, it is thick: Alberto Del Rio tried in vain for much of 2012 to defeat Sheamus in his pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship, but now armed with “Big Gold” around his waist, The Essence of Excellence finally got his long-awaited licks in against The Celtic Warrior in a match on Raw. Sporting a gruesome bruise on his thigh from Money in the Bank, Sheamus was both sporting more color than usual and seemingly, savagely rejuvenated after a two week siesta from in-ring competition. But Del Rio, still fighting mad at the WWE Universe's rejection of his World Title win, matched the Irishman shot-for-shot with pure ruthlessness.
Christian def. Titus O’Neil - Christian may have missed out on Money in the Bank, but he’s apparently still worthy of Prime Time. Captain Charisma continued his recent surge of victories since his return, following his defeat of Damien Sandow with a win over Titus O’Neil, the bulky bruiser of The Prime Time Players. “The Big Deal” toyed with Captain Charisma out of the gate, mocking Christian’s crowd-pumping hand claps before pulverizing the former World Champion with a series of backbreakers and tossing him across the ring.
Mark Henry addressed The Shield - The Shield made an example of The World’s Strongest Man last week, but can they do it again now that he's expecting it? That seems to be the prevalent question when Mark Henry got an uncanny assist moments after his address to the “Hounds of Justice” this week in his home state. Henry, for his part, showed no fear after his Triple Powerbomb at The Shield’s hands, and dared the NXT veterans to try their hand against him for the second week in a row.
Dolph Ziggler def. Darren Young - It was a rough night for The Prime Time Players when, just a few minutes after Titus O’Neil fell victim to Christian, Darren Young met a similar fate against Dolph Ziggler. All the brash aggression of “Mr. No Days Off” wasn’t enough to knock off The Showoff, who blasted D. Young with a dropkick to the face that left him reeling. Young countered with a brutal-looking inverted facebuster, but he spent more time taunting the prone Dolph than pinning him, giving Ziggler an opening to administer a match-ending Zig Zag
The “Total Divas” cast appeared on “Miz TV” - The claws came out on “Miz TV” when the “Total Divas” cast dropped by The Miz’s couch to chat up the premiere of their brand-new reality show, premiering this Sunday at 10/9 CT on E! But The Awesome One, clearly sensing an impending outburst of aggression among the freshly-minted reality stars, invited Jerry “The King” Lawler to emcee the proceedings.
CM Punk called out Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar - One would think that CM Punk wasn’t feeling particularly talkative after his thrashing at the hands of Brock Lesnar last week, one would be right. Punk didn’t want to talk, he wanted to fight. Speaking of Lesnar’s true secret weapon – not his power, but the fear he inspires – Punk addressed The Anomaly's mystique head on with his boldest proclamation yet: “WWE.com, here’s your headline … I am not afraid of Brock Lesnar.”
Vowing to leave Lesnar as beaten as he was, Punk demanded a SummerSlam match of “The Best vs. The Beast,” and his fiery rhetoric summoned Paul Heyman, via satellite and apparently next to Lesnar himself (The Anomaly remained offscreen), to offer a rebuttal. In short, Heyman’s response was thus: “If it’s a fight you want, CM Punk, your challenge at SummerSlam is accepted.”
Cody Rhodes def. Fandango - Turns out Cody Rhodes isn’t one to let betrayal keep him down for long. The mustachioed son of a son of a plumber may have hit his lowest point when Damien Sandow betrayed him and seized the World Title Money in the Bank contract for himself (to say nothing of the "Protector of the Case" debacle), yet Rhodes found his footing on Raw at the expense of both his former friend and current foe.
Rob Van Dam def. Wade Barrett - The victorious comeback tour continues for Rob Van Dam, who followed up a pair of victories onRaw and SmackDown with a third win, this time over former Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett on Raw. The Brit swarmed the Battle Creek, Mich. Native early out of the gate, blasting RVD with fists to the back of the head while Mr. Monday Night struck his signature pose for the WWE Universe.
Barrett’s hard-brawling style kept RVD on the defensive even after a kick to the chin left the Englishman’s mouth bloody. A pair of lightning-quick kicks from Van Dam restored Mr. Monday Night’s momentum enough for a Rolling Thunder. Even though Barrett fought to stay in the game, the high-flying veteran chopped the big Englishman down with another flurry of kicks, sealing the victory with a soaring Five Star Frog Splash.
Daniel Bryan def. Jack Swagger - First up in Daniel Bryan’s three-stop tour through the WWE locker room? A couple of Real Americans. With the submission master facing three unknown Superstars at the command of Brad Maddox, Zeb Colter’s pair of patriots were the first to emerge in opposition of the No. 1 contender. Specifically, Jack Swagger stepped up to battle the “Yes!” man and ran Bryan ragged immediately, punishing the submission technician early and often after the opening bell.A lengthy “OU sucks!” slowed Swagger down enough for Bryan to get a few licks in, but Swagger regrouped fast and struck with the Swagger Bomb. It was then that Bryan let loose with a last burst of energy and tripped Swagger up, applying the “Yes!” Lock and forcing a tapout while Antonio Cesaro and Zeb Colter were at ringside. Happily for Colter’s acolytes, they’d soon have a chance to rectify the defeat, because Antonio Cesaro was announced as Bryan’s next foe.
Daniel Bryan def. Antonio Cesaro - It was out of the frying pan and into the fire when Daniel Bryan clashed with Antonio Cesaro as the second opponent in his Brad Maddox-mandated gauntlet. It seemed, once again, that Bryan was destined for defeat early on when the Über-American let loose with the Very European Uppercut and even mauled Bryan’s beard in a bid to physically and mentally dismantle the No. 1 contender.
What ensued was a thrilling war of attrition; each time Bryan began to roll, Cesaro would cut the submission technician down with a headlock, yet Bryan somehow regained his strength and blast Cesaro back into a defensive position again. The two eventually reached fever pitch and Cesaro very nearly captured the win with the Swiss Blade, a barrage of uppercuts and a clothesline that sent Bryan into a somersault, yet Bryan persevered and reversed a second Very European Uppercut into a roll-up pin, sending the mighty challenger home after a very hard-fought battle.
Daniel Bryan def. Ryback via Disqualification - A win is a win, but Daniel Bryan was certainly the worse for wear after defeating Ryback via Disqualification in the final of three bouts orchestrated by Raw GM Brad Maddox. The “Human Wrecking Ball” already declared he preys on the weak, and even though Bryan fought back valiantly by countering a Thesz press into a half-Boston Crab on Ryback’s injured leg, the big man continued his onslaught by simply out-muscling the submission master with power moves that landed with atomic force. Ultimately, much like their last confrontation, Ryback went for the statement over the pinfall when Bryan proved too stubborn to lose, powerbombing Bryan through a table he had erected at ringside.
With Bryan’s bouts ended, John Cena was free and clear to come to his challenger’s aid; The Champ chased Ryback from the ring and challenged him to a Tables Match the next week on Raw. Ryback happily accepted, but it’s unsure if Bryan will be so eager for his opponent next week, as mandated by Maddox and Mr. McMahon: Kane.
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