And now for something
completely different. A man with a tape recorder up his
nose. Also Raw. In case you didn’t read WWE.com over the
last week, you would be unaware that after the show last
week, John Cena did finally come out to eat a Batista
Bomb as we build toward what is purportedly going to be
a tag match between the four individuals at either the
next PPV or Wrestlemania.
Raw 02.08.10
Show opens with Bret
Hart recap footage. Since we need to completely repeat
what we did the last time we had NASCAR drivers,
Carl Edwards show us he can cut donuts in an expensive
car as well. Color me not impressed. I believe you’ll
find it in the Extra Super Large 2000 Crayola pack right
next to “Toilet Shit Brown”. The car is driven in by
Hornswoggle through some weird logic they don’t bother
to explain. Like how we were able to see his head in the
window while driving. Edwards arrives and does his
backflip off the top rope that King and Cole assure me
is something he does after winning a race. He pimps the
Daytona 500. Nobody cared. He name drops Cena and is
interrupted by Sheamus.
Cole tells me that the
Elimination Chamber is now “malignant” like cancer. As
part of some kind of “Crisis Crossover” we have going on
into Wrestlemania, Christian in trun interrupts Sheamus.
I wonder if anyone has considered that a silver belt all
but flaunts the belt as “second tier” behind the others
in large pink letters. Sheamus is not amused at being
interrupted. Christian says he’s here because Edge
didn’t even mention him or his title as a possibility
because he’s offended and now he realizes ECW will be
going off the air to be replaced by NXT (The Next
Evolution of WWE Programming). Sheamus says this makes
him a lame duck champion. Edwards stands awkwardly
through this, patiently awaiting his next line.
Christian notes that every star on ECW is going to be
allowed to buff out the rosters of any show they want to
and he says the Raw Peeps are missing him. He’s
challenging Sheamus tonight, he also notes they are both
born without last names. Good point. Edwards
makes the match for right now.
ECW Champion Christian vs. WWE
Champion Sheamus (Non-title Match)
Sheamus
just powers out of a tie up and taunts. He takes control
with some big shot but runs into an elbow. Sheamus
catches the follow up cross body to deliver a fall away
slam. Christian is sent over the ropes to the floor as
we go to commercial.
Random Commercial Thought:
The Superbowl Commercials were merely a continuation of
our culture’s heel turn in sexist media. Yeah I said it.
Pop a Midol and shut the hell up.
Back to the
show. Christian comes back by sending Sheamus to the
floor before diving from the top rope to the floor onto
Sheamus. They are both up but Sheamus pulls Christian’s
shoulder into the ring post and slams him to the wall
after a count reset. Back in the ring, he continues to
assault the shoulder with stomps and knees, picking up a
two count. Sheamus puts on a hammerlock, mostly because
he probably doesn’t know any other holds. Cole has the
AUDACITY to tell us Sheamus is better than many of the
Hall of Famers who have held the belt. I’m
speechless.
Christian fights loose, kicking
Sheamus down and coming back with some strikes. He
baseball slides between the legs and delivers a big
right. Sheamus tries to dump him to the floor but
Christian gets the apron and hangs him up on the ropes.
Christian delivers a flying elbow to the face off the
tope and goes to some mounted punches. Christian is
caught in a cross body but he escapes. Sheamus finally
shuts him down with a clothesline, but the corner charge
is dodged. Sheamus eats a tornado DDT off the top and
Christian picks up the two before firing the crowd.
Killswitch is blocked, but Chrstian hangs onto the
apron. Christian goes for another dropkick off the top,
but Sheamus dodges. Chrstian lands and is sent
shoulder-first into the corner. The crowd dies flat as
Sheamus delivers the “pump kick” and the “Move that
refuses to be named” for the victory. Winner:
Sheamus
Unfortunately it was clear from the
get-go that Christian was just here to provide more
“legitimizing” for Sheamus to make him look good. You
can feel the palpable X-pac heat in the air. Trips is
watching things in the back, back in DX gear, when Shawn
approaches, also in DX gear. He apologizes for his
distraction with Taker lately. Shawn wants DX to be a
part of Wrestlemania for the first time, but Trips says
he’s going to win the title before Mania. Shawn is angry
because it’s all about Trips now (Surprise?!) as we go
to commercial.
Random Commercial Thought:
Bioshock, abuse little girls to 20’s music.
Back
to the show. Realizing that the footage they didn’t show
us last week is kind-sorta necessary, they decide to run
it for us with Cena getting his ass beat all over the
arena and eventually power bombed onto some stairs. Have
you ever wondered who sits around with thirty seconds of
footage and Adobe After Effects and makes these little
video packages? Elsewhere, Cody brings up to Ted that
he’s already beaten Mark Henry and he has to fight Cena.
Ted brings up he must be better than Cody since he’s in
the chamber. All while never bothering to counter the
argument at hand. Perfect logic. Orton arrives and
reveals Ted has been paired with Cena by Edwards
tonight. Orton and Cody have a heart to heart about his
fail as of late before revealing they have a match with
each other tonight. Punk and…whoever that other guy is
are walking through the back as we go back to
commercial.
Random Commercial Thought: Look out
for snakes.
Back to the show where CM Punk and
the “other guy” I have yet to care about is here. I
should really watch Smackdown more. He preaches about
drugs and alcohol. Remember kids, Drugs and Alcohol are
awesome! Don’t be a an unlikable douche like Punk.
Speaking of Straight Edge, has he ever heard of a
straight edge razor? That homeless beard is awful. He
points out Jared from Subway is here. He’s putting the
weight back on I see. Punk wants Jared to be his
Straight Edge spokesperson. Uh. Why? Punk has Luke and
Serena go after him (See how quickly I learned those
names with the power of the interwebs?). DX interrupts
via entrance and as all wrestlers are contractually
obligated to do, they completely pause in doing anything
to watch. Miz and Big Show arrive immediately afterward.
Before the match even starts, DX clears the ring of the
heel teams and we head commercials.
Random
Commercial Thought: Fox News is eating away at the
brains of America like a burrowing insect.
Unified Tag Team Champions
Degeneration X vs. Big Show & US Champion The Miz
vs. Straight Edge Society (Elimination Tag Team Triple
Threat Match)
Back to the show where
Michaels is getting annihilated, but he escapes and
makes a tag to Trips. Gallows, Show and Trips all come
in to square off. Trips taunts them both and goes into
Show with Gallows. Show head butts them both around and
nails Gallows in the gut while Trips takes a breather.
Gallows eats a chop in the corner and Trips gets one as
well. Big clothesline on Gallows as Trips rallies into
punches on Show. Show bends over for fifty years to set
up a face buster. Show back body drops out of the
following pedigree, sending Trips to the floor. Gallows
dives to a tag on Punk…and we go back to the commercial.
You gotta be fucking kidding me. Time these breaks
better, you assholes.
Random Commercial Thought:
Why did turning into a wolf-man break his fingers to the
side? The wolf man has normal hands.
Back to the
show. Miz is working over Trips and Punk. Punk is thrown
into the corner where he eats a boot from Trips and
Trips then delivers a clothesline to Miz. The replay
blocked off too much of the screen for me to see clearly
what happened but Trips is taking a rest outside again.
Miz gives a clothesline to Punk and goes to the apron.
Serena pulls him off, nailing his face on the edge. Miz
chases but eats a spine buster from Triple H. Show
chases Serena off shortly after. Trips makes a tag to
Michaels. Michaels comes in with his usual offense on
Punk. Michaels decides not to leap up this time since it
cost him. He bombs his elbow drop badly, landing pretty
much on his feet then sort of sliding down to the elbow.
Gallows stops the super kick. He’s sent to the floor by
Trips. Punk tries a GTS, but Michaels escapes and nails
the kick for the three.
Show clotheslines both of
DX and taunts Shawn. Shawn gets pissed and delivers some
big chops to Show who just shoves him back down with a
head butt. Michaels gets choked out on the ropes and Miz
takes some cheap shots behind the ref’s back. Michaels
rallies back and blocks a big corner charge with a foot.
The second charge has Show catching a big boot to the
jaw again. Show comes back with a side suplex. Miz makes
the tag now and puts him down with his running kick to a
seated Michaels for two. For some reaons they feel a
need to show us a replay of every fucking thing that
happens in this match. It’s getting annoying. Miz blocks
a crawl to the tag and Miz puts him down with a neck
breaker. Michaels blocks the Skullcrushing finale and
elbows out. Big Show makes the tag and just tosses
Michaels back with one hand, but behind him Michaels
lands on his feet and catches him with the super kick.
Michaels makes the tag. Trips is in on Miz and delivers
a big knee followed by the face buster and
spine buster after he knocks Show from the apron.
Michaels tags back in and argues with Trips that he can
do it so obviously Miz pushes him into Trips in the
corner for the roll up and the win. Winners: Miz
& Big Show
This was so blatantly obvious you
could have predicted this finish last week. Michaels
leaves to have a emo fit and write poetry.
Random
Commercial Thought: Please don’t rap about tacos.
Ever.
Back to the show. Show talks about how more
awesome Miz is than Jericho. Miz calls their team the
Miz Show and Show says he likes Showmiz better and they
decide to go with that. Uh. Sure. Why not. It’s not any
-lamer-. We get a rundown of the Elimination Chamber
card. HBK runs into Teddy Long in the back who was here
earlier watching the tag match. Shawn demands to be
traded to Smackdown so he can be put in the chamber, win
the title and get his rematch with Taker at
Wrestlemania. Teddy tells him he’s being ridiculous. I
love how Carlito is in the background throughout this
posing. He grabs Long by the lapels and Trips intervenes
to say the obsession has gone too far because he’s
throwing DX and his career away. Shawn says his career
is over then super kicks Long and leaves. Nice sell,
Teddy, you took it like a champ. Since that was
obviously WAY TOO MUCH ACTION TO HANDLE, it’s time for
more commercials.
Random Commercial Thought: Who
the hell do they think the Wrestling demographic is
anymore with these things?
We come back to a
replay of Gail Kim getting her chance for the title and
a recap of Michaels’ kicking Long. I notice this time
Carlito was standing right behind Long for some reason
and fell behind him.
Jillian Hall vs. Gail Kim
No
introduction, just a bell. Couldn’t get any more
lackluster than that. Maryse is at the desk during this.
In fact uh, this match wasn’t worth recapping. They
tumbles around a bit with Gail falling out of a power
slam into her finisher on Jillian. Winner:
Kim
Maryse continues the “Nice girl” thing she
did last week saying how much she is looking forward to
having a good match. She speaks some French for some
reason. Gail should speak Japanese or whatever crazy
moon-speak the “Koreans” use. She doesn’t bother to
explain what she just said and offers good luck and a
hand shake. From that we go straight into the next
inductee to the Hall of Fame, and we’re starting it off
strong with the original Ted Dibiase. I like how much it
tries to underscore the existence of his manservant.
Random Commercial Thought: Court settlements
should all end in pizza.
Back to the show.
Edwards is hanging with Jared to push the subway
sandwiches as hard as fucking possible and sing the song
with Santino. Jared gives Santino a “Footlong Nation
Appreciation Footlong Cash Card”. That was word for word
what he said. Santino says Swagger must pay. Edwards
makes a match between them on…Superstars. I don’t even
know what CHANNEL that show is on. Kofi is in now to
reveal he has no match. Yep. Thanks for that. Kingston
says he doesn’t mind the week off to prepare for the
Chamber. Edwards agrees with his idea to have random
singles matches for everyone in the chamber next week.
He can’t decide to make them now or let the next host do
it. Santino says to leave it because whoever it is
probably is associated with class and civility. Did we
mention Jerry Springer is hosting? He appears via video
to reveal it. The truck guy forgets to turn the sound
back on for them when we cut back and they speak in
silence. King remarks they were “speechless”.
That guy was subsequently fired.
Now to Rhodes
for his match with Orton. Vacuous Personality meets
Vacuous wrestling. I’m afraid this may form some kind of
Suck Vortex like in Twister.
Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
Orton
shoves Rhodes and stalks him around as they talk all
angry faced at each other. He keeps shoving him around
before giving a slap. Rhodes delivers a dropkick and
goes for a quick two. Orton is forced to the corner and
punches his way out. Rhodes puts him back down with a
Russian leg sweep for two. Rhodes is dumped back into
the ropes awkwardly and Orton kicks him to the corner.
Rhodes fights back and sets up for a cross body off the
top but he bombs it. Orton signals the RKO is what is
still a ridiculous way. Sheamus then runs into the ring
and then slides back out as Rhodes comes from behind
with Crossroads for three. Winner: Rhodes
Huh.
Sheamus puts Orton back down post-match with the pump
kick and looks to drag him back up for the Move That
Shall Not Be Named but Rhodes runs him off with a chair.
Cody seems to be completely unclear which character
alignment he’s running this week and just stands there
with the chair. Sheamus takes this slowly walking
posture as “He really fucking means it!” and runs
scared. We get another video recap of Cena before seeing
him on the way to the ring for his match.
Random
Commercial Thought: I want to bring up again that I have
no desire to buy women’s deodorant.
Edwards
repeats the bit about singles matches. He puts Sheamus
against Orton, Dibaise against Kingston and Cena against
Triple H, because we haven’t seen that one enough.
Dibiase is in the ring already. He’s doomed. Cena comes
to the ring and just annihilates him. We never get a
bell as he beats Ted’s ass to the curb and starts
throwing him around outside the ring. He puts Dibiase in
the STF on the floor while Ted taps out like a girly
man. Cena eventually lets go and leaves Ted broken after
the total of like five moves he was hit with. This
apparently killed him. Cena grabs a microphone and
returns to the ring saying he didn’t come here for a
match and he isn’t wasting time. He doesn’t care why
Batista attacked him, he just wants to fight him. He
demands a showdown as we go to commercial.
Random
Commercial Thought: Why do black men on TV invariably
have white girlfriends?
Back to the show where
Cena is still going on about Batista, before bringing up
Vince is probably behind what Batista did. No shit. He
brings up how Vince probably didn’t take kindly to what
he said to him recently. Vince arrives to the call with
security and his swagger is in full force to eleven
tonight. Cena points out ten security guards aren’t
enough to stop him. Tanks may be recommend. Cena says he
either mows down his guards or they talk like men. While
drinking Brawndo, the THIRST MUTILATOR. Vince tells them
he’s got this and comes in saying he’s not afraid. He
goes on about his greatness for a while and Cena says
the reason they hate him is because he’s all about
money. Meanwhile Cena is only about the money in the
respect that he practically shits it. Everyone is
avoiding punching out there’s no main event tonight. Bad
idea guys. Cena gives his own typical speech here in
response. Cena says Vince has a chance to have a
Wrestlemania moment (that doesn’t involve him
fighting his daughter, or was that a different PPV?) in
taking on Bret. Vince eventually takes the bait and
agrees to a match. We’re in overtime and Vince feels
like reminding Bret why he doesn’t want any of this
because he’ll be embarrassed like he was last week and
we get yet another video replay of that, like the fourth
one tonight.
Bret Hart storms the ring post
footage to take Vince down and punches out some security
guards that save him. Vince says he changes his mind and
the answer is no and he runs from Bret who charges up
the ramp with a chair. Bret proceeds to wreck some
equipment that seems to either be filled with
firecrackers or being the most unsafe equipment ever
made. This reminds me of that wrestling show where they
would fall through “exploding” tables that shot
fireworks. He tears up the announce desk while he’s at
it, but who hasn’t done that, including Vince’s own
son?
Highlight of the
Night: Nothing of see here, move
along.
Lowlight of the
Night: Non-Main Event. The advertised Main event
wasn’t even good, top it off without it even happening
and color me pissed off.
WWE “Creative” Award: Whoever booked the
pacing for tonight’s show needs to be dragged behind a
barn and
shot.
Cameron Burge
is TWF's resident "Mr. Monday Night", penning the "Best
Damn Raw Rant, Period" appearing every..umm, Monday
night. That's right. Also known as "The REAL Inferno"
(not to be confused with all those impostors out there)
Cameron was hand picked by Michael Melchor himself to
assume any and all RAW responsibilities. A selfless man,
Cameron has also dedicated most of his organs to
science. (which makes his current day to day life quite
uncomfortable.) Read his Raw Reports or die.
(C) Copyright 2003-2010 - The Wrestling
Fan/Sean Carless. All Rights
Reserved.