WWE Raw – 2009 Results

1/5/09; New Orleans, LA; Arena
1/5/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Chris Jericho and Randy Orton in which they said they had filed a formal protest over the previous week’s match in which Shawn Michaels allowed John Bradshaw Layfield to beat him, with them then saying they had agreed amongst themselves to face off later in the show to determine who should face World Heavyweight Champion John Cena at the Royal Rumble in JBL’s place; moments later, JBL and Michaels arrived in JBL’s limo, with JBL claiming Jericho and Orton would have done the exact same thing if they had the resources; Michaels then said he could take satisfaction in keeping both Orton and Jericho out of the title shot, with Orton then saying Ric Flair’s career was ended by a sell out; Stephanie McMahon then appeared, said JBL’s victory was final, but that both Jericho and Orton would be part of the Royal Rumble match; Jericho and Orton then argued Michaels shouldn’t be part of the Rumble match, with JBL saying Michaels’ sole purpose at the Rumble would be to be in his corner; Stephanie then said Jericho & Orton would face Michaels & Cena later in the show; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with CM Punk regarding his match later in the show against WWE IC Champion William Regal, in which Punk made mention of his loss against Regal in the 2008 King of the Ring; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw was the #1 entertainment show on cable the previous week, beating out shows on NBC, The CW Network, VH1, TNT, Nickelodeon, A&E, the Disney Channel, TBS, and ABC; included a backstage segment with JBL and Michaels in which JBL told Michaels to superkick Cena during the night’s main event and told Michaels he would hit the lottery if he helped put Cena on the shelf; featured a backstage segment with Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Sim Snuka in which Orton told Rhodes and Snuka if they won their match later in the show then they would be part of his group; Manu then appeared and asked for another opportunity, but Orton said no, that he would never be part of the group, and that he never wanted to see his face again; included a backstage segment in which Dolph Ziggler introduced himself to Mickie James, with Rey Mysterio Jr. & Kofi Kingston then walking past on their way for their match; featured a backstage segment with Cena and Michaels regarding their match later in the show; included an ad for “Edge: A Decade of Decadence;” featured the announcement ECW World Champion Matt Hardy would face Mark Henry and Jack Swagger would face Finlay the following night on ECW; included a look at the action scenes in “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” featured a backstage segment with Stephanie, Santino Marella, and WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix in which Stephanie said Rosa Mendez was banned; after Santino and Beth left, Jericho came in and said he also sent his protest to Vince McMahon and that Vince would be back on Raw in two weeks; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE programs can be seen in 465 million homes worldwide, more than the NBA, MLB, and NFL combined:
Melina & Goldust defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Santino Marella at 3:18 when Melina pinned Phoenix with a facebuster off the top and roll over; after the bout, Melina fought with Rosa Mendez, who sat front row for the match, until security pulled the two apart and Mendez was escorted away
CM Punk defeated WWE IC Champion William Regal (w/ Layla) via disqualification at 2:57 when Regal grabbed referee Mike Chioda by the shirt as Punk attempted the Go To Sleep; after the bout, Stephanie McMahon appeared on the big screen and announced Regal would defend against Punk again the following week, with the added stipulation that Regal would lose the title if he was disqualified
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. & Kofi Kingston at 11:53 when Morrison pinned Mysterio with a kick to the ribs as Mysterio attempted a springboard into the ring, moments after knocking Mizanin off the apron; prior to the bout, Morrison & Mizanin cut an in-ring promo on New Orleans; it was announced before the match that Mysterio and Kingston would be in the Royal Rumble match; after the contest, Mike Knox attacked Mysterio, knocked an injured Kingston back to the floor, and then booted Mysterio to the floor
Kelly Kelly pinned Jillian Hall with a legdrop to the back of the head at 4:17; on her way to the ring, Jillian sang “When the Saints Go Marching In;” after the bout, Jillian attacked Kelly until Kane appeared, scared Jillian off, and then cornered Kelly, mentioning that she was rejected the previous week by Randy Orton; Kane then said he had a match the following week against Orton and Kelly would be welcome to watch
Cody Rhodes & Sim Snuka defeated Cryme Tyme at 5:23 when Rhodes pinned JTG with a reverse neckbreaker; following the commercial break, Randy Orton congratulated Rhodes backstage and said he would be part of his group but Snuka was out
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena & Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho & Randy Orton at 15:55 when Michaels pinned Jericho after hitting the superkick to both opponents; during the bout, John Bradshaw Layfield was shown watching the match both from the entrance stage and backstage; after the contest, Todd Grisham conducted a backstage interview with JBL in which JBL announced Michaels would face Cena the following week and that he would be in Michaels’ corner 1/12/09; Sioux City, IA; Tyson Events Center
1/12/09 – featured an opening backstage segment in which John Bradshaw Layfield spoke to Shawn Michaels in JBL’s limo, with JBL telling Michaels that he was fighting for a paycheck when he faced World Heavyweight Champion John Cena later in the night; included an in-ring promo by Stephanie McMahon in which he talked about Vince McMahon returning to television the following week; moments later, Chris Jericho interrupted and said Stephanie was scared of Vince’s return because it would mean the end of her reign on Raw and that Vince would right her wrongs; Stephanie said the contract signing between JBL and Cena would be the following week and Jericho should focus on trying to win the Royal Rumble; Stephanie then said Jericho had a match later in the night, with Jericho then saying he wouldn’t wrestle again until he had a title shot; Stephanie then said Jericho wouldn’t have a chance to speak to Vince, was now out of the Rumble match, and would never again get a title shot; when Jericho said what she said didn’t matter, Stephanie fired Jericho; featured an ad for “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” included footage from during the commercial break of Jericho being escorted out of the building; featured a backstage segment in which Candice Michelle wished CM Punk good luck in his IC title match later in the night; included a look at Vince McMahon’s days as an announcer and letting it be known on TV that he was the owner of WWE; featured a backstage segment with Cody Rhodes, Mickie James, Sim Snuka, and Manu in which Mickie soon left, with Snuka & Manu confronting Rhodes and giving him a heads up that they were going after Randy Orton later in the show and brought back up; included an ad for “Starrcade: The Essential Collection;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw was the #1 show on cable the previous week and the longest running weekly episodic show in television history; included a vignette promoting Steve Austin being inducted into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame; featured a backstage segment with JBL and Michaels in which JBL told Michaels he couldn’t lose with JBL in his corner; Michaels then said that if tonight was his WrestleMania, then he didn’t need JBL in his corner to beat Cena; included a look at Vince McMahon’s various firings over the years; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Cena regarding the challenge of JBL at the Rumble and Michaels later in the night; included footage of Vince getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008; featured a backstage segment in which Orton, Rhodes, and Dibiase spoke about all three being in the Rumble match; included a backstage segment in which Jamie Noble, Dolph Ziggler, Cryme Tyme, and Goldust waited in line outside Stephanie’s office; moments later, Santino Marella walked out and said Stephanie had put him in the Rumble match; featured an ad for WWE pay-per-view:
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin at 3:31 with the 619 and springboard splash; prior to the bout, it was announced Mizanin would be in the Royal Rumble match; after the contest, Mike Knox attacked Mysterio until Mysterio sent him to the floor with a hurricanrana
WWE IC Champion William Regal (w/ Layla) defeated CM Punk via disqualification at 2:01 when Punk accidentally hit a low blow on Regal; stipulations stated Punk would win the title if Regal was disqualified; after the commercial break, Todd Grisham conducted a backstage interview with Regal in which he said he was done with facing Punk; Stephanie McMahon then appeared and said he would face Punk the following week in a final No DQ match
Randy Orton (w/ Cody Rhodes) pinned Kane at 8:43 with a kick to the midsection as Kane came off the top, though Kane’s shoulder came up at 2; prior to the bout, it was announced Kane would be in the Royal Rumble match; after the bout, Kane protested the call to referee Scott Armstrong and followed the referee backstage; moments later, Manu and Sim Snuka appeared at the entranceway and introduced Ted Dibiase Jr. as the new partner; moments later, Dibiase, Snuka, and Manu cornered Orton in the ring, before Dibiase then helped Orton and Rhodes beat down Snuka and Manu
Melina & Kelly Kelly fought WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall to a no contest when Eva Mendez, dressed as one of Melina’s paparazzi, jumped Melina from behind, with Phoenix & Hall then attacking Melina & Kelly in the aisle and laying them out; moments later, Beth grabbed one of Melina’s paparazzi cameras and held it as she proped Melina up to insult her
Shawn Michaels (w/ John Bradshaw Layfield) pinned World Heavyweight Champion John Cena in a non-title match at 24:45 with the superkick after avoiding the FU and JBL distracting the champion; after the bout, Michaels immediately went backstage, with JBL then climbing into the ring and standing over Cena’s body (The Best of Raw: 2009) 1/19/09; Chicago, IL; Allstate Arena
1/19/09 – featured an opening montage in tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., with a closing image of President-elect Barack Obama; included a backstage segment with Randy Orton and Ted Dibiase Jr. in which Cody Rhodes appeared and said Manu and Sim Snuka were in Stephanie McMahon’s office earlier in the day and that rumors were going around that Orton would be fired; featured a still photo of President George W. Bush receiving a replica WWE World Title belt the week before; included a backstage segment with Santino Marella and WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix in which Marella congratulated Beth on her win and then brought in Rosa Mendez to meet Phoenix, Mendez’ favorite diva; Marella then asked if they could keep Mendez; featured a backstage segment with Stephanie and Orton in which Stephanie said she wasn’t going to fire him and then kicked him out of her office, with Orton then telling Stephanie she would be nothing without the McMahon name; Stephanie then slapped Orton, with the two then coming face-to-face before Orton left the office; included the announcement that the world television premiere of John Cena’s “12 Rounds” would air the following week on Raw; featured Jerry Lawler officiating the in-ring contract signing between World Heavyweight Champion John Cena and John Bradshaw Layfield, with Shawn Michaels, for the Royal Rumble; after the two signed the document, Cena attempted to speak to Michaels before he was cut off by JBL; moments later, Cena told Michaels he still had it to be the Showstopper, with JBL then saying he hired Michaels so he could be world champion again and that he would pay him accordingly; Michaels then took the mic and said he despised what he had become but would continue to do it because of the pressures in his life and the fact he squandered his and his wife’s life savings; he then said he would continue to do what he had to do in order to support his family, regardless of if it costs Cena his title; Cena then told Michaels that he would have a choice at the Rumble as to if he wanted to be the man to help JBL to the title and knew that he wouldn’t; JBL then knocked Cena to the mat and then kicked the champion in the face; he followed with the Clothesline from Hell before leaving ringside with Michaels; Kevin Grevioux, of “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans,” was shown in attendance; included a backstage segment with Chris Jericho and Stephanie in which Jericho said he called Vince McMahon’s office after Stephanie fired Jericho the week before and Vince told him Jericho would have a chance to speak his mind later in the show; featured a video package recapping the history of the Royal Rumble; included a backstage segment with Cody and Mickie James, with Goldust then appearing and giving Cody a copy of the new Starrcade DVD as an example of what it means to be a champion and that it would teach him more than Orton could; Cody then said he would surpass both Goldust and Dusty Rhodes; featured the announcement that Finlay, Mark Henry, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin would face off the following night on ECW; included a backstage segment with Dolph Ziggler and Candice Michelle, with Vince then appearing and introducing himself to Ziggler; featured an ad for “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” included a “Did you know?” graphic which read there were 14 WWE titles listed in the most popular sports DVDs of 2008, beating the NFL with 2 titles and MLB, UFC, NCAA, and the NBA, all with one apiece; featured a closing segment in which Vince introduced Jericho to voice his problems; Jericho then emplored Vince to rehire him and put him back in the Rumble match to make things right; Vince then had Stephanie come out but then said he wouldn’t reinstate Jericho or fire Stephanie; Vince then announced he and Stephanie would run Raw together; Stephanie then gave Jericho the chance of apologizing in order to get his job back, with Jericho initially saying no but then saying he was sorry; Stephanie then said that was a good start and then told Jericho to apologize to the fans, who he had insulted for months, with the fans then chanting “on your knees;” momments later, Jericho got down on his knees and apologized to the fans; Stephanie then said Jericho would be at the Rumble and that he could leave the ring; after Jericho left, Orton appeared and demanded Stephanie apologize for slapping him earlier in the show; Orton then said he was more valuable than Stephanie and that she was essentially worthless since having children; Vince then had Stephanie go backstage before he confronted Orton, claimed his father was mediocre before Vince hired him, and that Orton might be a gym teacher in St. Louis if it wasn’t for him; Vince then told Orton to apologize to him or face termination; moments later, Orton slapped Vince in the face as Vince went to fire him, then followed with a kick to the head, knocking Vince out; moments later, officials tended to Vince as Stephanie, crying, came out to check on her father; Vince was then helped onto a backboard while Cody and Dibiase appeared to take Orton backstage:
Randy Orton won a 6-man battle royal at 1:51; other participants included Cody Rhodes, Ted Dibiase Jr., Kane, Kofi Kingston, and Santino Marella; prior to the bout, it was announced Kingston would be in the Royal Rumble match; order of elimination: Marella by Dibiase (0:56); Kingston by Rhodes & Dibiase (1:16); Rhodes by Kane via a clothesline (1:24); Dibiase and Kane as Kane attempted to eliminate Orton; after the bout, Orton, Rhodes, and Dibiase celebrated the win (Rhodes & Dibiase’s first appearance with new music)
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Kelly Kelly in a non-title match with the Glam Slam at 1:10
CM Punk pinned WWE IC Champion William Regal (w/ Layla) in a No DQ match to win the title at 9:57 by avoiding the knee to the head and hitting the Go To Sleep; prior to the bout, it was announced Punk would be part of the Royal Rumble match; after the contest, Punk celebrated in the crowd (The Best of Raw: 2009, CM Punk: Best in the World)
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Mike Knox via disqualification at 2:29 when Knox began assaulting Mysterio against the ropes after clotheslining Mysterio on the bottom rope; prior to the bout, Tod Grisham conducted a backstage interview with Knox in which Knox said he didn’t have a reason for the series of recent attacks to Mysterio; after the bout, Knox hit the reverse neckbreaker
Cryme Tyme defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in a non-title impromptu match match at 1:22 when Shad pinned Morrison with a Flatliner after JTG knocked Morrison off the ring ropes behind the referee’s back; prior to the bout, Morrison & Mizanin challenged Jim Duggan, the 1988 Royal Rumble, to a singles match until Cryme Tyme appeared, said Duggan was on special assignment, and then said they wanted a title shot; moments later, JTG said if they could win a non-title match then they would get a title shot and if they lost they wouldn’t bother the champions again; the champions then agreed to the stipulations
Melina pinned Jillian Hall at 1:23 with a sunset flip out of the corner; early in the bout, WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, Santino Marella, and Rosa Mendez appeared ringside; after the bout, Rosa attacked Melina until she was pulled off by Phoenix, with Phoenix then hitting the Glam Slam on Melina 1/26/09; Cleveland, OH; Wolstein Center
1/26/09 – featured an opening introduction of Randy Orton as the 2009 Royal Rumble winner, with Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., and Cody Rhodes then appearing with three men in suits behind them; during their walk to the ring, Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler announced that Vince McMahon sustained a concussion as a result of Orton’s kick the previous week; Orton then introduced the men as his lawyers and therapist; Orton then admitted he had IED (Intermitent Explosive Disorder); Orton then said he had been provoked by Stephanie and Vince the previous week, said he was not responsible for his actions, and that the WWE knew of his condition but did nothing about it; Orton then threatened to sue Stephanie and WWE should she decide to fire him; Orton then said he would also sue should he not remain in the main event of WrestleMania; he then said both Dibiase & Rhodes vowed they would walk if Orton were fired; Orton then read a written statement in which he apologized to Vince, the McMahon family, and the fans for the trauma he caused; moments later, Stephanie was shown watching backstage; included a look at the history of the Elimination Chamber, followed by the announcement that both the WWE World Title and World Heavyweight Titles would be defended in the matches at No Way Out; featured a promo at the entrance way by John Bradshaw Layfield in which JBL said Shawn Michaels would be wrestling on behalf of Michaels later in the show in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match against World Heavyweight Champion John Cena; included a promo by Chris Jericho in which he introduced a look at “The Wrestler,” then noted Ric Flair gave the movie a glowing review; Jericho then showed footage of Mickey Rourke at the previous night outside the Screen Actors Guild Awards in which he said he would kick Jericho’s ass; Jericho then said he was offended by the comments and walked off; featured a backstage segment with JBL and Michaels in which Michaels claimed he superkicked JBL the previous night as a way to get Cena to lower his guard; JBL then said Michaels would be fired if he didn’t beat Cena; included a look at the first WrestleMania and how the event has changed over the years; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Stephanie McMahon regarding Orton’s comments earlier in the show, with Stephanie saying she would reply to Orton’s face; included a look at WrestleMania 21 and Edge winning the first Money in the Bank ladder match; featured an ad for “WWE The Music Vol. 9: Voices;” included a backstage segment with Eva Mendez and Santino Marella in which Beth Phoenix overheard Eva interfered in her match earlier in the night, but then said she and Santino could keep Eva; featured the world TV premiere for the trailer of Cena’s “12 Rounds;” included an ad for Rev Theory’s new CD; featured a closing in-ring segment in which Stephanie called for Orton to come out to the ring; moments later, Orton, Rhodes, Dibiase, and the lawyers and therapist came out, with one of the lawyers reminding Stephanie of Orton’s condition and the fact WWE knew about it; he then said Orton would not get down on his knees as Jericho did the week before; Orton then said he would not only sue Stephanie, he would file an injunction that there would not be a WrestleMania if he were to be fired; moments later, Jericho, Rey Mysterio Jr., Jamie Noble, Kofi Kingston, WWE IC Champion CM Punk, Goldust, Santino, Cryme Tyme, Charlie Haas, WWE Raw Tag team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin, Kane, Jim Duggan, Mike Knox, Dolph Ziggler, and the remainder of the Raw roster came out, with Orton telling them he would take them all down with him; Orton then demanded to be fired just so he could shut the company down; Stephanie then said firing Orton would be too easy; moments later, Shane McMahon came out and tackled Orton until he was pulled away by Rhodes & Dibiase; Shane eventually fought off Rhodes & Dibiase, with Dibiase pulling Orton out of the ring after he was dazed by a series of punches; moments later, Shane knocked Orton out on the ramp until the other wrestlers broke up the fight, with Orton escaping in the melee; Shane then punched Kingston and went after Orton as the show came to a close:
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Cryme Tyme at 2:57 when Morrison pinned Shad with a kick to the back and the Moonlight Drive
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Kofi Kingston pinned Kane by reversing a chokeslam attempt into a sunset flip at 2:04
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: World Heavyweight Champion John Cena pinned Shawn Michaels (w/ John Bradshaw Layfield) in a non-title match at 13:09 with the FU after Cena shoved JBL, on the apron, into Michaels, knocking Michaels off the top; stipulations stated if Michaels won then JBL would earn a spot in the Elimination Chamber; after the contest, JBL climbed into the ring and looked down as Michaels writhed in pain (The John Cena Experience)
Beth Phoenix (w/ Santino Marella) & Jillian Hall defeated WWE Women’s Champion Melina & Kelly Kelly at 2:38 when Phoenix pinned Kelly with the Glam Slam after Rosa Mendez ran ringside and yanked Melina off the ring apron; Marella provided guest commentary for the match
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned William Regal (w/ Layla) with the 619 and springboard splash at 3:42
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Chris Jericho pinned WWE IC Champion CM Punk in a non-title match at 3:28 with the Code Breaker after reversing a backslide attempt 2/2/09; St. Louis, MO; Scottrade Center
2/2/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Shane McMahon in which he said Randy Orton had talked of wanting to face Shane at No Way Out, with Shane then accepting the challenge to a no holds barred match; moments later, Orton appeared at the entrance stage and said he told Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes not to fight back when Shane came out at the end of the previous week’s show and that he didn’t fight back because the rest of the Raw roster would have stepped in; Orton then said Shane could join Vince McMahon in the hospital after No Way Out; Orton then slowly approached the ring and slid inside as Dibiase & Rhodes came through the crowd; Shane quickly cleared the ring with a kendo stick; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more people watched the previous week’s ECW than any program on VH1, A&E, MTV, Comedy Central, or The CW; featured a video package on WrestleMania 2, the boxing fight between Mr. T and Roddy Piper, and WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy in a steel cage match; included footage from “Showbiz Tonight,” “Access Hollywood,” and “Larry King Live!” hyping Mickey Rourke potentially appearing at WrestleMania and of Rourke and Chris Jericho appearing on King together; featured a backstage segment with Orton, Rhodes, and Dibiase in which nothing could be heard because the three were too far down the hallway; included an in-ring promo by Jericho in which he insulted “The Wrestler” and said Ric Flair was the inspiration for Rourke’s character because he too ended up washed up and is now signing autographs in high school gyms and giving interviews to low rent websites; Jericho, who also noted Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka, said they were all leeches on the industry; moments later, World Heavyweight Champion John Cena interrupted on the big screen, said Jericho was doing everything that he insulted others for, and said he would shut him up in their match later in the night; included a backstage segment in which Shane and Stephanie McMahon walked down the hallway until Shane was jumped and triple teamed by Orton, Rhodes, and Dibiase; two men tried to intervene but were beaten down as well; moments later, Orton sized Shane up for the boot to the head but then went after Stephanie, with Shane then stepping in the way and getting kicked in the back; Dean Malenko, Mike Rotundo, and others then broke up the fight; featured an ad for WWE pay-per-view; included a video package recapping WrestleMania X and Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart and WWF IC Champion Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels in a ladder match; featured the announcement that Triple H & the Undertaker would face WWE World Champion Edge & the Big Show the coming Friday on Smackdown!; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more men watched the previous week’s Smackdown! than “20/20” or “Dateline;” featured the announcement Flair would be on Raw the following week; included an in-ring segment in which John Bradshaw Layfield introduced Michaels for an employee appraisal; after JBL ran down Michaels’ recent failures, Michaels claimed the fault wasn’t his but JBL’s; moments later, JBL proposed he face Michaels in a winner take all match at No Way Out, with Michaels winning his severance package if he won and JBL owning Michaels’ name for life if he won; after some goading by JBL, Michaels accepted the challenge, with JBL then stating Michaels couldn’t touch him before the pay-per-view or the deal was off; JBl then physically goaded Michaels until Michaels left ringside; featured the announcement Finlay would face ECW World Champion Jack Swagger the following night on ECW; included a backstage segment with Stephanie and Kane in which she said Kane would be in the Elimination Chamber and that Orton would face the Undertaker the following week on Raw, thanks to Kane’s help:
William Regal & Layla defeated WWE IC Champion CM Punk & Mickie James at 3:18 when Regal pinned Punk with the running knee to the head as Punk went to climb back into the ring, moments after Regal pulled Punk off the apron to the floor; prior to the bout, it was announced Regal would challenge Punk for the title the following week
Cryme Tyme defeated Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes via disqualification at 2:47 when Shad was illegally double teamed; after the bout, Dibiase & Rhodes hit an elevated DDT double team on Shad before then leaving the ring; moments later, JTG and several referees tended to Shad
Kane & Mike Knox defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. & Kofi Kingston at 11:43 when Kane pinned Mysterio with the chokeslam after catching him in mid-air as Mysterio attempted a springboard into the ring; prior to the bout, still photos were shown of Knox winning a battle royal the previous night in Cape Girardeau, MO, thus earning a spot in the Raw Elimination Chamber at No Way Out
Beth Phoenix (w/ Santino Marella & Rosa Mendez) pinned Candice Michelle with the Glam Slam at 2:37; after the bout, Rosa threw Candice to the floor
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena defeated Chris Jericho in a non-title match via submission with the STF at 12:32 after reversing the Walls of Jericho 2/9/09; Oakland, CA; ORACLE Arena
2/9/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Ric Flair in which he said he was happy to see the fans again; before Flair spoke, a photo was shown from the December premiere in Los Angeles of “The Wrestler” of Flair posing with Mickey Rourke; moments later, Chris Jericho interrupted and showed footage of him hugging Flair the day after Flair retired at WrestleMania, then noting he wouldn’t have hugged Flair had he known Flair was going to prostitute himself for any two-bit promoter; Flair then said he had too much respect for the WWE and Shawn Michaels to ever wrestle again; Jericho then said Flair had to be the center of attention, with Flair agreeing and saying he would never retire from the business; Jericho then called himself a locker room leader and said the boys in the back respected him moreso than Flair; Jericho then said the fans could care less for Flair or any other legend and that all the fans would do is go home, put their photos on Facebook, and forget about Flair and the others; Jericho then told Flair to stop catering to the fans for his own sake; when Flair said no, Jericho told the fans to take their photos of Flair while they still had their chance and then told Flair to strut and go Wooo! and all his other tricks; Flair then punched Jericho out of the ring before then strutting; included highlights from WrestleMania III and the feud between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read “Voices” was the #1 soundtrack in America, beating out “Twilight,” “Cadillac Records,” and “Slumdog Millionaire;” included a backstage segment with Shawn Michaels and John Bradshaw Layfield in which JBL told Michaels he would be facing Mark Henry later in the show; featured Randy Orton, alongside Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, cutting a promo at the entrance stage in which he said he would be world champion at WrestleMania and none of the McMahons could stop him; Orton then said he was never going to kick Stephanie McMahon in the head – he was just sending Shane McMahon a message; Orton then said the Undertaker can’t beat him and then asked Shane what kind of a chance he thought he would have at No Way Out; Dibiase & Orton then went to the ring for their scheduled match; included footage of World Heavyweight Champion John Cena the previous Tuesday in Orlando helping kick off Gillette’s Fusion Gamer Razer, alongside the likes of Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods; several members of the Oakland Raiders were in attendance; featured a backstage segment with Stephanie in which he was speaking on the phone about Orton and his potentially coming into her office; included highlights from WrestleMania 13 and the performances of Rocky Maivia, Steve Austin, and the Undertaker; featured footage from the previous night of Rourke winning a BAFTA award in England; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read 15 million people watch WWE each week in the US and noted that’s more than those who watch “CSI: Miami,” “Survivor,” “House,” “The Office,” and “The Simpsons”:
Beth Phoenix (w/ Santino Marella & Rosa Mendez) & Jillian Hall defeated WWE Women’s Champion Melina & Kelly Kelly at 2:38 when Phoenix pinned Melina with the Glam Slam after Mendez tripped Melina from the floor; prior to the bout, it was announced Phoenix would challenge Melina the following week
Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes defeated Cryme Tyme at 3:25 when Rhodes pinned JTG with the Crossroads
Chris Jericho, Mike Knox, & Kane defeated World Heavyweight Champion John Cena, Rey Mysterio Jr., & Kofi Kingston at around the 11-minute mark when Jericho pinned Kingston by hitting the Code Breaker as Kingston came off the top; after the match, Jericho, Kane, and Knox looked at each other before Jericho left the ring (the bout began during the commercial break)
Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) defeated Shawn Michaels via disqualification at 1:01 when Michaels handed Henry a steel chair and then superkicked it into Henry’s face; prior to the bout, John Bradshaw Layfield took a seat at ringside; after the contest, JBL grabbed the mic and told Michaels if he tried anything similar at No Way Out then JBL would win and everything Shawn Michaels would belong to JBL; JBL then told Michaels to bring his wife to the pay-per-view to see first-hand how broken down Michaels has become; as JBL went to leave the ring, he told Michaels that Michaels’ wife would always have a job available in JBL’s office
WWE IC Champion CM Punk pinned William Regal (w/ Layla) with the Go To Sleep at 2:49; prior to the bout, CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees was shown in attendance
The Undertaker defeated Randy Orton via disqualification at 8:50 when Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes attacked Taker as he had Orton set up for the tombstone; prior to the bout, Stephanie McMahon was shown watching on from her office; after the contest, the Legacy triple teamed Taker until Shane McMahon ran out and helped clear the ring; moments later, Taker hit the chokeslam on Dibiase and Shane followed with the Van Terminator using a trash can 2/16/09; Spokane, WA; Arena
2/16/09 – featured an opening introduction by Vickie Guerrero of Edge as the new World Heavyweight Champion; moments later, Edge, alongside Vickie, cut an in-ring promo on his losing the WWE World Title the previous night at No Way Out and then entering the Raw Elimination Chamber to win the World Heavyweight Title; Vickie then said she was in charge of the show once Stephanie McMahon followed Shane McMahon to the hospital and said Edge was the most deserving person to take Kofi Kingston’s spot; after the two kissed, John Cena appeared, congratulated Edge on his title win, and challenged Edge to a rematch; after Edge said he wasn’t competing later in the night and was going back to Smackdown!, Cena told him to say hi to Festus and Sho Funaki for him and that while Edge could go back to Smackdown!, he still gets a rematch; Edge recapped his history with Cena dating back to 2006 with Cena then saying he would find Edge if Edge tried to hide; included a backstage promo by Shane in which he challenged Randy Orton to an unsanctioned fight later in the show; featured an ad for WrestleMania 25; included a backstage segment in which Stephanie tried to talk Shane out of his fight later in the show with Orton; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE had the #1 DVD on the sports charts for 33 weeks in 2008; featured an in-ring promo by Chris Jericho in which he asked the Oscar voters not to give the award to Mickey Rourke because it would give the bad impression to all the legends that continue to wrestle past their prime; moments later, Roddy Piper appeared and called Jericho out for judging he and the other legends and praised “The Wrestler” for its portrayal of the physical and emotional pain; Piper then talked about competing in the 2008 Royal Rumble and how it was like competing in the first WrestleMania because it brought back so many memories that Jericho was trying to bury; Piper then extended his hand to Jericho but Jericho punched him to the mat and repeatedly kicked him while yelling at him to crawl for Jericho’s respect; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Orton regarding Shane’s challenge, with Orton taking offense to Shane’s claim that he needed Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes’ help to win; featured highlights from WrestleMania IX and the WWF World Title matches involving Bret Hart, Yokozuna, and Hulk Hogan; included an in-ring promo by John Bradshaw Layfield in whic he said his people had written a check to Shawn Michaels, making Michaels once again financially secure; JBL then said his initial goal was to become world champion at WrestleMania but he now has higher goals to end the WrestleMania streak of the Undertaker; moments later, Michaels interrupted, bragged over his win against JBL the previous night, and said he should be the one to face Taker at WrestleMania; the two then agreed to a match the following week to determine who would face Taker; featured an ad for the “Best of Saturday Night’s Main Event” DVD; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 100 million diva photos had been viewed on WWE.com over the past month; featured the announcement that Terry Funk & Dory Funk Jr. would be inducted into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame class by Dusty Rhodes; included the announcement that Christian & Finlay would face ECW World Champion Jack Swagger & Mark Henry the following night on ECW; featured a backstage segment in which Stephanie was shown speaking on the phone with someone, telling them to get to the arena before Shane got hurt:
William Regal (w/ Layla), Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated WWE IC Champion CM Punk & Cryme Tyme at 8:10 when Dibiase pinned JTG with Dream Street
Kane pinned Jamie Noble at the 15-second mark with the chokeslam; prior to the bout, Noble cut an in-ring promo saying he couldn’t wait for his memorable WrestleMania moment
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Mike Knox at 9:44 with a roll up after Knox struck the ringpost shoulder-first
WWE Women’s Champion Melina pinned Beth Phoenix (w/ Santino Marella & Rosa Mendez) with a rolling cradle at 2:52 after Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, and Candice Michelle countered the interference of Marella and Mendez on the floor
Randy Orton fought Shane McMahon to a no contest in an unsanctioned fight at the 7:30 mark when Ted Dibiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes attacked Shane, with Rhodes dropping him with the Crossroads before Orton kicked Shane in the head; moments later, Stephanie McMahon and trainers came out to tend to Shane; as Shane was fitted with a neckbrace, Stephanie pleaded with Orton to leave him alone; Orton responded by dropping her with the RKO; WWE World Champion Triple H then ran into the ring, tending to Stephanie as Orton, Rhodes, & Dibiase fled ringside; Triple H, shaking in anger, then stared at Orton as the show came to a close 2/23/09; Nashville, TN; Sommet Center
2/23/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Vickie Guerrero in which, due to the previous week’s incident involving the McMahon family, she had been named the interim general manager on Raw; moments later, John Cena appeared and question the board of directors’ decision, noting they could have brought back Mike Adamle or even put Michael Cole in the spot; Cena then said he was cashing in his rematch against World Heavyweight Champion Edge; Edge, with the Big Show, appeared and said Cena was trying to be this generation’s Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, or Steve Austin but it wasn’t going to happen because he wouldn’t let it happen; he then said, with times as hard as they are, Cena was someone the fans could look up to but he should hold off on the rematch as long as possible because Edge would beat him and take away all the fans’ home; after Cena and Show had words, Vickie then said she would put Cena against either Edge or Show later in the show; included footage of Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Ted Dibiase Jr. arriving to the arena and keeping watch while they grabbed their bags and headed inside; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which asked what show had been on cable TV 15 years and was #1 the previous week – Monday Night Raw; included footage from the previous week’s Smackdown! of Jim Ross conducting a sit-down interview with WWE World Champion Triple H regarding Orton dropping Stephanie McMahon, Triple H’s wife, with the RKO, shown in full; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Dibiase & Rhodes in which they said Orton was not at fault for what happened the previous week but would address the crowd later in the show; included a backstage segment with Santino Marella, Beth Phoenix, and Rosa Mendez in which they met with Dolph Ziggler; featured a WrestleMania 26 ad set to AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill;” included a trailer for Cena’s “12 Rounds;” featured highlights from WrestleMania 24 and the Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels match; included the announcement Ricky Steamboat would be inducted into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame and that he would be inducted by Flair; following the commercial break, Cole conducted an interview with Steamboat at the entrance stage regarding his being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, during which Steamboat called it the highlight of his life; moments later, Chris Jericho interrupted, noted Mickey Rourke lost the previous night at the Oscars, and then said Rourke was just like Flair, Roddy Piper, and Steamboat; Jericho then ran down Steamboat’s career, noting he was nothing until he came to the WWE and sold out and said he was the biggest hypocrite of them all; Steamboat then brought up the fact Jericho met him at an autograph session 20 years ago and said he was his hero – which Jericho wrote in his autobiography; Steamboat went on to bring up how Jericho had turned on the fans and embraced them multiple times throughout his WWE runs; Jericho then attacked Steamboat, threw him into the entrance wall, and verbally berated him; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more males ages 18-49 watched Raw the previous week than any other show on cable or broadcast TV; included Grisham stationed in the parking lot awaiting Triple H’s arrival; featured a closing segment with Orton, armed with a sledgehammer, alongside Rhodes & Dibiase, in which Orton claimed he was the real victim, not the McMahons, and ranted on the fans until Triple H was shown arriving backstage; moments later, Triple H arrived ringside, also armed with a sledgehammer, but eventually gave up the weapon after Orton threw his own to the floor; after entering the ring, Triple H pulled a second sledgehammer out the back of his shirt and chased the three backstage, where Triple H eventually cornered Orton and Dibiase in one of the locker rooms until he busted the door down with the sledgehammer and struck Dibiase with the weapon; Triple H then accidentally smashed a window before chasing them down the hallway, past the other talent, and eventually out the door; Rhodes then drove them out of the building in a waiting car but not before Triple H busted one of the windows:
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: WWE IC Champion CM Punk defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champion John Morrison and WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin at 10:25 by pinning Morrison with the Go To Sleep after swinging Morrison’s legs into Mizanin, knocking him to the floor, after Morrison was set up for the move
WWE Women’s Champion Melina & Cryme Tyme defeated Beth Phoenix, Santino Marella (w/ Rosa Mendez), & Dolph Ziggler at 3:58 when Shad pinned Santino following a modified Russian legsweep
Shawn Michaels pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the superkick at 13:02 as JBL attempted the Clothesline from Hell; immediately before the contest, it was announced – per Vickie Guerrero – the winner would face Vladimir Kozlov the following week, with the winner of that match meeting the Undertaker at WrestleMania; the original stipulation stated the winner of this match would face Taker; after the contest, Kozlov appeared with Michaels landing several shots until he was planted with a spinebuster
Mike Knox pinned Jamie Noble with the Hard Knox at 1:30; prior to the bout, Noble said he knew he only last 15 seconds against Kane the previous week but knew he could last longer against his new opponent and would be heading to WrestleMania; an on-screen graphic had a clock to denote how long the match had gone
John Cena defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. via submission with the STFU at the 46-second mark following the FU; prior to the bout, Vickie Guerrero appeared and said Cena would not get a championship rematch, with Cena replying that he would follow Vickie each week until she would agree to a rematch; Vickie then brought out Chavo as Cena’s opponent 3/2/09; Boston, MA; TD Banknorth Garden
3/2/09 – featured an opening in-ring announcement by Jerry Lawler in which he said John Cena would challenge World Heavyweight Champion Edge later in the night; included Chris Jericho as the host of Piper’s Pit, at the entrance stage, in which Jericho first showed footage of Roddy Piper smashing a coconut over Jimmy Snuka’s head before introducing Snuka; after Snuka came out, Jericho showed footage from several of Snuka and Piper’s matches before insulting him for being in his mid 60s and still working indy shows in New Jersey; moments later, Jericho pulled out a bag full of fruit, including a coconut; Snuka stole the coconut away and scared Jericho off until Jericho returned, smashed the set with Snuka underneath, and then whipped him with his belt; Jericho then rubbed one of the bananas into Snuka’s face; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw’s second hour the previous week was the highest rated for male viewers, beating out CSI: Miami and both NCAA games on ESPN combined; included highlights of the Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels match at WrestleMania XII; featured Tod Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Michaels regarding his match with Vladimir Kozlov later in the night and the fact he main evented WrestleManai XIV in the same venue; included an in-ring segment in which Orton, with Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, security, and his lawyers issued a challenge to the winner of the Edge vs. Cena match later in the night; Orton then said WWE World Champion Triple H wouldn’t be going to WrestleMania, he would be going to jail for his assault the previous week; moments later, Triple H appeared, with Orton’s security then blocking him from Orton; Orton eventually waved off the security after Triple H dropped his sledgehammer and Triple H was allowed into the ring; Triple H then brought up his turning on Orton in 2004 after Orton won the World Heavyweight Title and eventually took the belt from Orton; he then said Orton was the same scared little boy he was in Evolution – all the talent in the world but gutless; Triple H was then grabbed by the security until Orton told them to let him go, and then said he changed his mind and now wanted to face Triple H at WrestleMania; Orton then said Triple H couldn’t touch him before WrestleMania or he would be in jail at the time of the pay-per-view; after Triple H left the ring, Orton talked about how much he enjoyed kicking Vince and Shane McMahon in the head and dropping Stephanie McMahon with the RKO; Triple H then climbed back in the ring and went nose to nose with Orton, with Triple H saying he broke Orton’s collar bone the last time they fought and now he planned to break his neck; featured a WrestleMania 25 ad set to AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill;” included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s show was the highest rated on cable; featured a look at Cena’s character in “12 Rounds;” included the announcement that Bill Watts would be inducted into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame and would be inducted by Jim Ross; featured Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Edge regarding his title defense later in the night against Cena:
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Kane defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. and Mike Knox at 8:46 by pinning Knox with the chokeslam after Knox dropped Mysterio with the Hard Knox; prior to the bout, it was announced Kane’s “See No Evil” would air Saturday on the Sci-Fi Network and he would appear the following night on ECW; after the contest, Kane dropped Mysterio with the chokeslam
Mickie James & Kelly Kelly defeated Beth Phoenix (w/ Santino Marella & Rosa Mendez) & Jillian Hall at 2:38 when Kelly pinned Jillian with a sunset flip off the top; WWE Women’s Champion Melina and WWE Divas Champion Maryse provided guest commentary for the match; after the contest, all the women began fighting, with Maryse pulling Melina off the apron and dropping her with a DDT on the floor
Shawn Michaels pinned Vladimir Kozlov with the superkick at 10:40; stipulations stated the winner would face the Undertaker at WrestleMania; after the contest, Taker appeared at the entrance stage and stared at Michaels (Kozlov’s first TV singles loss)
John Cena defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge via disqualification at 12:21 when Edge grabbed the title belt from referee Mike Chioda’s hands as he was hoisted up for the FU and hit Cena with it, moments after bringing the title into the ring to hit Cena with it; after the contest, Vickie Guerrero and the Big Show appeared at the entrance stage, with Vickie naming Show as the #1 contender and challenger for the title at WrestleMania 3/9/09; Jacksonville, FL; Veterans Memorial Auditorium
3/9/09 – featured opening footage from outside Randy Orton’s home in St. Louis; included an in-ring promo by Shawn Michaels in which he said streaks are made to be broken; a highlight package then aired detailing all of Taker’s WrestleMania matches; Taker then appeared in the ring behind Michaels and said Michaels’ arrogance was going to get him in trouble and he had beaten plenty of other men he respected; Michaels responded by mentioning the ladder match, Ironman match, and retiring Ric Flair which all took place at WrestleMania; Taker then said he didn’t have to outperform Michaels or steal the show but he would beat Michaels just the same; as Taker went to say Michaels would rest in peace, Michaels cut him off by saying he would rest comfortably after doing the impossible and that Taker never would beat him; featured an ad for the WWE 2009 Hall of Fame; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was the most watched show on cable the past week, beating the competition by 1,000,000 viewers; featured a backstage segment with Vickie Guerrero and John Bradshaw Layfield in which Vickie said she needed something from him after she put him in the IC title match; moments later, World Heavyweight Champion Edge interrupted and demanded to know what John Cena whispered in her ear the previous week on Smackdown!; included Orton and his wife Samantha speaking from their home in which Orton said what he did to WWE World Champion Triple H on Smackdown! was restraint from what he wanted to do; Orton then said he was sure Triple H would show at WrestleMania so Orton could take his rightful place as champion; featured a video package highlighting WrestleMania VI – Andre the Giant splitting from Bobby Heenan and the Ultimate Warrior winning the WWF World Title from Hulk Hogan; included an in-ring segment in which Vickie announced a 25-diva battle royal at WrestleMania that would feature divas from the past and present with the winner being named the first ever Ms. WrestleMania; moments later, Edge and Big Show came out for their contract signing, with Edge noting he was in attendance for WrestleMania VI and knew he was better than Hogan and that Show was better than Warrior and they had the potential to put on a historic match; after Show agreed to put their past behind them, John Cena interrupted and asked whether Vickie had told Edge or not; Vickie then stopped Edge and Show from jumping Cena and said she had agreed to let Cena compete for the title at WrestleMania; after Cena signed the contract, he said he needed the truth to be known and said what he whispered to Vickie on Smackdown! was that he loved her; Cena repeatedly confessed he loved Vickie and then left the ring; Edge then grabbed the mic and said he knew Cena was lying, then told Vickie to tear up Cena’s contract but she refused; Cena admitted he didn’t love Vickie and then said what he whispered to Vickie was he knew the guy who worked the security camera the previous week in Boston; Cena then showed footage from the previous week of Show and Vickie speaking about their affair while Edge was in the shower; the two kissed and Vickie then spanked Show’s ass; Cena then said “Vickie, you got some splaining to do” and went backstage as Edge stared down at Vickie; featured Orton speaking from his home in which he said he wasn’t at Raw because he was showing restraint; included a “Did you know?” grahic which read the WWE Universe has more Facebook friends than Entourage, the Pittsburgh Stelers, and Boston Celtics; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Jericho in which he said Ric Flair cost him a shot at winning the Money in the Bank ladder match and then challenged Flair to a match the following week on Raw so he could finally end him; included the announcement Koko B. Ware would be inducted into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame by the Honkytonk Man; featured the announcement that wrestlers from Raw, Smackdown!, and ECW would compete in a battle royal the following night on ECW with the winner earning a spot in the Money in the Bank match; included the announcement Michaels & Taker would face JBL & Vladimir Kozlov the following week; featured a look at Cena’s “12 Rounds”:
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned WWE IC Champion CM Punk to win the title at 9:33 with the Clothesline from Hell after raking the champion’s eyes to avoid the Go To Sleep
WWE Divas Champion Maryse pinned WWE Women’s Champion Melina in a non-title match at 2:13 by throwing Melina onto the back of her head after avoiding a charge in the corner; Maria, Eve, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Jillian Hall, Brie & Nikki Bella, Layla, Beth Phoenix, Eva Mendez, and Michelle McCool surrounded the ring for the match; after the contest, the Raw and Smackdown! talent squared off, with the babyfaces eventually clearing the heels from the ring
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Kofi Kingston pinned Chris Jericho with the spin kick to the face at 7:48 after Jericho released the Walls of Jericho when Ric Flair appeared on the entrance stage; after the bout, Flair congratulated Kingston on the win and mocked Jericho
Rey Mysterio Jr., Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle), & Christian defeated Kane, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at 3:53 when Mysterio pinned Morrison with the 619 and West Coast Pop
Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes defeated WWE World Champion Triple H via forfeit in a non-title match when the champion failed to appear after he was announced twice; after the bout, Randy Orton appeared on the big screen from St. Louis and said Triple H had let everyone down and probably wouldn’t show up at WrestleMania; moments later, Triple H busted down Orton’s front door with his sledgehammer and chased him down the hall; Triple H then slowly went through the house, confronting everyone he saw as to where Orton was; Orton eventually jumped Triple H from behind, with the two breaking furniture as they brawled in the living room until Triple H threw Orton through the window and onto his front yard; moments later, police arrived, handcuffed Triple H, and put him in a patrol car as they pulled Orton away 3/16/09; San Antonio, TX; AT&T Center
3/16/09 – featured an ad for the “WWE Encyclopedia;” included a backstage segment with World Heavyweight Champion Edge and Vickie Guerrero in which Vickie said she was sorry for having an affair with the Big Show, with Edge then saying he forgave her; Vickie then blamed Show for forcing himself on her, with Edge saying Show didn’t love her and was only using her to get ahead in his career; Edge then said the real problem was John Cena because he tried to ruin Vickie; Vickie then said if Cena touched her in the night’s main event, with her as referee, then he would be out of the title match at WrestleMania; featured the announcement WWE World Champion Triple H was released after his arrest the previous week and that Randy Orton opted not to press charges; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Orton, alongside Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, in which he said he didn’t want to press charges because he wanted Triple H to be at WrestleMania so Orton would take his title; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read that by Smackdown! airing its 500th episode Friday, it would become the fastest weekly episodic show to reach the milestone in US primetime history; included a look at Cena’s “12 Rounds;” featured a WrestleMania 25 ad set to AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill;” included footage from earlier in the night of Ric Flair arriving to the arena in a limo; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE had more live events in Europe than the NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL combined; included an in-ring segment in which Chris Jericho challenged Flair to face him then and there and that it would be Jericho’s WrestleMania moment; moments later, Flair came out and said he was retired from active competition and that he wouldn’t tarnish his retirement the previous year by getting back in the ring; Flair then said he found some men that would face Jericho, with Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper, and Ricky Steamboat then coming out and surrounding the ring; Jericho escaped the ring but was punched in the face by Flair; featured video highlights of WrestleMania XV and the Bart Gunn vs. Butterbean and Steve Austin vs. the Rock matches; included Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Jericho in which he challenged Snuka, Piper, & Steamboat to a handicap match at WrestleMania and demanded Flair to be there as well; Jericho then said he would buy Mickey Rourke a front row seat to the show; featured a backstage segment with Vickie and Show in which Vickie blamed Show for using her, with Show saying she pursued him; Show then said Edge didn’t love her but Show did, with Show then kissing her; included a backstage segment in which Grisham attempted to interview Triple H and ask him how he got Vickie to lower the steel cage, with Triple H then leaving the arena with Stephanie McMahon:
Shawn Michaels & the Undertaker defeated WWE IC Champion John Bradshaw Layfield & Vladimir Kozlov at 9:20 when Michaels pinned JBL with the superkick after tagging himself into the match; after the bout, Taker stalked Michaels up the ramp; moments later, Michaels came up behind Taker and dropped him with the superkick
WWE Women’s Champion Melina, Mickie James, & Kelly Kelly defeated Beth Phoenix (w/ Santino Marella & Rosa Mendez), Layla, & Jillian Hall when Melina pinned Phoenix with a roll up at 2:54 as Phoenix tried to pull Mickie into the ring, moments after Mickie kicked Marella on the floor; Marella provided guest commentary for the match until the final moments
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Cody Rhodes (w/ Randy Orton & Ted Dibiase Jr.) in a non-title steel cage match at 2:17 after hitting Rhodes with the sledgehammer; the match was scheduled for a regular singles match but Triple H called for a cage to be lowered after scaring Orton & Dibiase up the ramp with the sledgehammer; after the contest, Triple H sat at the top of the cage and stared down at Orton & Dibiase
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Dolph Ziggler at 2:16 with a splash off the top; prior to the bout, it was announced Mysterio would be part of Friday’s 500th episode of Smackdown!; during the contest, it was mentioned Mysterio challenged WWE IC Champion John Bradshaw Layfield for a match at WrestleMania
CM Punk, MVP, & Kofi Kingston defeated WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin, Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas), & Kane at 8:35 when Punk pinned Benjamin with the Go To Sleep; Christian, Finlay, and Hornswoggle provided guest commentary for the match
John Cena fought World Heavyweight Champion Edge to a no contest in a non-title match when the Big Show interfered at around the 5-minute mark and helped in double teaming Cena; Vickie Guerrero was the guest referee for the match; stipulations stated that if Cena touched Vickie then he would be out of the World Heavyweight Title match at WrestleMania; after the bout, Cena’s arms were tied in the ring ropes and he was double teamed until Edge dropped Show with the spear to end the broadcast 3/23/09; Kansas City, MO; Sprint Center
3/23/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Ric Flair in which he accepted Chris Jericho’s challenge from the previous week to face Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Snuka, & Roddy Piper in a handicap match at WrestleMania; moments later, Jericho appeared backstage and showed clips of Steamboat, Snuka, & Piper in their prime 25 years ago; Jericho then went on a rant as he made his way out to the ring and claimed no one cares anymore about Flair; Jericho said he would beat down his three opponents while Flair and Mickey Rourke would watch on helplessly and that Steamboat, Snuka, & Piper would be euthanized at WrestleMania; Flair replied by saying he would be proud to stand by his friends as they beat Jericho; as Flair continued to run down Jericho, Jericho responded by repeatedly punching Flair in the face, kicking him to the floor, busting him open, and throwing him over the announce table; Jericho then pulled off Flair’s shoes, throwing them into the crowd, ripped his shirt off, and then hit him in the head with a video camera stolen from a ringside cameraman; moments later, Jericho took off Flair’s watch and stomped it to pieces; included a backstage promo by John Cena in which he wished Vickie Guerrero a fast recovery and read her a rhyming card; during the segment, faces of Vickie and Edge and Vickie and Show were spliced to show their ugly offspring; moments later, it was announced Cena would appear later in the night on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno; featured a video package highlighting WrestleMania 21 and the Money in the Bank ladder match; included a look at Cena’s “12 Rounds,” in theatres the coming Friday; featured a WrestleMania 25 ad set to AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill;” included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Randy Orton regarding WWE World Champion Triple H locking himself in a cage the previous week against Cody Rhodes, with Orton saying he had plans for later in the night; featured the announcement Kid Rock would perform as part of WrestleMania 25; included an in-ring promo by the Undertaker, with blue lights over the ring, in which he admitted he had never beaten Shawn Michaels one-on-one and then brought up the fact Michaels went into retirement after the last match they had; moments later, Taker was interrupted by a video package showing Michaels in a graveyard, with Michaels saying he wasn’t intimidated; Michaels then walked past the supposed graves of Taker’s past WrestleMania opponents before coming to an open grave he said would be for Taker’s WrestleMania winning streak and then said the streak would rest in peace; featured an ad for the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame; included the announcement that the Money in the Bank ladder match participants would be guests the following night on ECW as part of the VIP Lounge; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s ECW was the Sci-Fi Network’s most watched show for the 25th week in a row; included a look at Cena’s “12 Rounds;” featured Jerry Lawler calling out Jericho to face him the following week:
Jeff Hardy pinned Dolph Ziggler in an extreme rules match at 3:02 after twice dropping Ziggler with the Twist of Fate onto a steel chair, repeatedly hitting Ziggler with the chair, and finishing with the Swanton; after the bout, Jeff cut an in-ring promo on Matt Hardy in which he said the match wasn’t extreme but what Matt would feel at WrestleMania would be (Jeff Hardy: My Life My Rules)
CM Punk, WWE US Champion MVP, Christian, & Kofi Kingston defeated Kane, Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas), Shelton Benjamin, & Finlay at 7:10 when Christian pinned Benjamin with the Killswitch after Benjamin hit the Paydirt on MVP; after the bout, Finlay assaulted Punk, Christian, Atlas, and Henry with a ladder and celebrated in the ring with Hornswoggle
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge via disqualification in a non-title match at 5:38 when Vickie Guerrero instructed Chavo Guerrero Jr. to interfere as Show had Edge tied in the ropes and prepared to knock him out with a punch; prior to the bout, Chavo wheeled Vickie ringside in a wheelchair; Vickie ignored both Edge and Show when they attempted to talk to her before the contest; after the ring entrances, John Cena appeared on the big screen from California and said both Edge and Show need to start acting like men because the fans were laughing at them fighting over Vickie instead of the world title; after the bout, Edge accidentally hit the spear on Chavo and was then knocked out by a right hand punch from Show
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned William Regal (w/ Layla & John Bradshaw Layfield) with the 619 and springboard splash at 2:56; prior to the bout, Regal & Layla came out with JBL in his limo; during the bout, JBL refused to elaborate on what history he planned to make at WrestleMania; after the contest, Mysterio knocked JBL off the ring apron
Mickie James (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Melina & Kelly Kelly) pinned Santino Marella (w/ Beth Phoenix & Rosa Mendes) at 2:21 with a kick to the back of the head; Marella worked the match with one arm tied behind his back; prior to the bout, Santino cut an in-ring promo saying he demanded to be included in the 25-diva battle royal at WrestleMania after Mickie hit him the previous week and that he would be granted a spot if he could beat Mickie with one arm tied behind his back; mid-way through the bout, Mickie tied Marella’s free arm up as well (The Best of Raw: 2009)
WWE World Champion Triple H fought Randy Orton & Ted Dibiase Jr. to a no contest in a handicap match within the 1-minute mark after Cody Rhodes came out from underneath the ring, his shoulder taped after the assault sustained the previous week, and helped in triple teaming the champion; moments later, Triple H was handcuffed to the top rope and beaten down; Orton then grabbed the mic and said there was only one person that could help Triple H and that she better hurry; Orton then pulled a sledgehammer out from under the ring and attempted to hit Triple H in the head with the weapon until Stephanie McMahon appeared; Triple H yelled for her to go backstage but she climbed up on the apron and begged Orton to stop; Orton then pulled her in the ring and dropped her with an elevated DDT as Triple H watched, unable to save her; Orton then teased that he was going to hit Stephanie with the weapon but instead kissed her on the lips as Triple H struggled to break free of the handcuffs; moments later, Orton hit the champion with the sledgehammer and left the ring 3/30/09; Dallas, TX; American Airlines Center
3/30/09 – featured an opening backstage shot of a hearse while the Undertaker’s original theme music sounded; included a look at John Cena’s “12 Rounds;” featured an ad for the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame telecast; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Cena, with World Heavyweight Champion Edge then interrupting and proposing they work together to take out the Big Show after Show knocked each of them out in recent weeks; Cena said no, citing he would rather lose on his own than accept his help and he didn’t plan to lose; featured a backstage promo by Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. in which they spoke about the address Randy Orton planned to give later in the show; included a backstage shot of the hearse, with Shawn Michaels then appearing out of the casket; featured a vignette by Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls in which she announced she would be part of WrestleMania 25; included a video package recapping WrestleMania XI and the Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow match; several players from the Dallas Cowboys were shown in attendance; featured an ad for WrestleMania Axxess; included an in-ring segment in which Shawn Michaels, surrounded by a funeral set and casket, cut an in-ring promo on his upcoming match with the Undertaker at WrestleMania while Taker’s first theme song played in the background; Michaels then said Taker had never beaten him and nothing would change at WrestleMania; he lifted the casket, showing it empty, and said he took it as a personal insult that Taker didn’t think he could end his undefeated WrestleMania streak and that Michaels’ WrestleMania performance and victory would outshine everything else on the card; moments later, Taker’s gong sounded and the lights went out; when they came back on, Taker was in the ring but Michaels wasn’t; Taker, upset he couldn’t surprise Michaels, destroyed the set; he eventually opened the casket, thinking Michaels was inside, but Michaels came up from underneath the casket and dropped Taker with the superkick; featured a video package promoting Steve Austin’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE Encyclopedia was already a New York Times Bestseller and reached the Neilsen Sports Bookscan list at #1; featured a look at Variety’s cover story on WrestleMania; included a video package recapping the feud between Matt and Jeff Hardy; featured a backstage segment in which Rhodes & Dibiase, flanked by security, got Orton for his in-ring address; included a vignette promoting Kid Rock’s performance at WrestleMania; featured the announcement that the WrestleMania press conference would be held the following afternoon at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City; included a closing in-ring promo by Orton in which he said he was the youngest world champion in WWE history when he was only 24; footage then aired of Evolution ganging up on Orton the night he was kicked out of the group and of Orton eliminating Triple H to win the 2009 Royal Rumble; Orton then said he targetted Triple H by taking out the McMahon family, with footage then recapping the injuries sustained to Vince and Shane McMahon, admitted there was no IED, and that he knew exactly what he was doing the entire time; Orton then said he allowed Triple H to come to his home, to give Triple H false confidence, and then showed footage from the previous week in which he had Triple H handcuffed while he kissed a knocked out Stephanie McMahon; Orton then said he spoke with Vickie Guerrero and that if Triple H gets disqualified or counted-out then Orton wins the title at WrestleMania; moments later, footage showed a limo arriving to the arena, with Orton then calling for Rhodes, Dibiase, and security to come out and surround the ring; the limo was then shown empty, with Vince McMahon then appearing and taking off his jacket and tie; Shane then joined him at the entrance stage, followed by Triple H; the three fought their way past security and Triple H brawled with Orton while the McMahons paired up against Rhodes & Dibiase; the show ended while Triple H and Orton fought inside the ring:
WWE Women’s Champion Melina, Maria, Gail Kim, Eve, Alicia Fox, Brie Bella, Tiffany, Kelly Kelly, & Mickie James defeated WWE Divas Champion Maryse, Jillian Hall, Layla, Nikki Bella, Katie Lea, Natalya Neidhart, Beth Phoenix, & Rosa Mendez at 1:41 when Tiffany pinned Katie Lea with an inside cradle; after the bout, Santino Marella said he wanted to speak to WWE President Jack Tunney about getting into the divas battle royal only to find out Tunney had died; Santino then said he would prove he had what it takes to become Miss WrestleMania and then disrobed, revealing a mankini underneath; Marella then danced to Kid Rock’s “So Hot” until nearly all the divas ganged up on him and threw him to the floor; Beth, Rosa, and Santino then left ringside, with Beth covering up Santino
Chris Jericho defeated Jerry Lawler via submission with the Walls of Jericho at 3:26 after punching Lawler in the midsection; during the bout, it was announced Jericho would have to individually defeat Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Snuka, & Roddy Piper to be declared the winner at WrestleMania while they would only have to beat him once; after the contest, Jericho pulled Lawler to his feet, with Lawler then punching Jericho to the mat and clearing him from the ring; Jericho then grabbed the mic and said he wasn’t getting back in the ring because he already won and there was no question that he would win again at WrestleMania; Jericho then said Mickey Rourke was to blame for what Jericho would do at WrestleMania
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned WWE IC Champion John Bradshaw Layfield in a non-title match at 6:46 with the 619 and springboard splash; prior to the bout, Jerry Lawler rejoined Michael Cole on commentary
The Big Show pinned John Cena with the chokeslam at 10:38; prior to the bout, Vickie Guerrero was shown watching on backstage; after the bout, World Heavyweight Champion Edge appeared and attacked Cena, while Show watched, until referees pulled him away
Kane won an 8-man battle royal by last eliminating Christian and CM Punk at 3:38; other participants included: CM Punk, Christian, WWE US Champion MVP, Shelton Benjamin, Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas), Kofi Kingston, and Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle); order of elimination: Finlay by Henry (0:39); Henry by Kane, Kingston, MVP, Benjamin, Christian, and Punk after Henry became distracted by Hornswoggle on the floor (0:51); Benjamin and MVP by Kane after knocking both men off the apron (2:01); Kingston by Punk (2:34); Christian and Punk by Kane after press slamming Christian onto Punk as Punk was on the apron; after the contest, Kane dragged a ladder – positioned ringside – into the ring, climbed it, and grabbed the briefcase hanging above the ring 4/6/09; Houston, TX; Toyota Center
4/6/09 – featured opening still frames from WrestleMania 25 set to set to the tune of “Touched” by Vast and “Shoot to Thrill” and “War Machine” by AC/DC; included an in-ring promo by Randy Orton in which he said his loss to WWE World Champion Triple H at WrestleMania proved nothing, he would get a rematch, and he would take the title; a chant of “RKO” began during the segment; Orton then said he hadn’t seen Linda McMahon in a while and was sure she would be happy to see him and that he would like to meet the McMahon grandchildren; Vince McMahon then appeared, with Orton sliding out to the floor; McMahon then challenged Orton to a fight then and there and then said Orton didn’t deserve another title match; he then said Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., & Cody Rhodes would face Vince, Shane McMahon, & Triple H at Backlash; after Vince called Orton a failure, Orton challenged him to a singles match later in the show, with Vince accepting; featured an ad for the following week’s WWE Draft; included a backstage segment with Vince and Shane in which Shane tried to stop Vince from taking part in the match later in the show; featured footage of World Heavyweight Champion John Cena promoting “12 Rounds” with appearances on “The Tonight Show,” ESPN, “Regis & Kelly,” “Saturday Night Live,” “The Donny Bonaduce Show,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” and other media outlets; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania 25 was provided to US troops over 176 countries, 200 Navy ships at sea, and 76 military bases through the Armed Forces Network; featured a backstage segment in which Shane talked Triple H into trying to get Vince to back out of his match later in the show; included a backstage segment with Vince and Triple H in which Triple H told Vince he was proud of him and to finish it with Orton; featured Vickie Guerrero, wheeled out onto the stage by Chavo Guerrero Jr., in which she announced she was now the permanent general manager on Raw and that Edge would challenge Cena at Backlash in Edge’s last title shot; she then said the WWE World title would be at stake in the six man tag team match at Backlash; moments later, Vickie interrupted the commentary of Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler to announce the Cena vs. Edge match would be a last man standing bout; included an ad for WWE Superstars, which would begin April 16 on WGN; featured footage from the previous Saturday’s 2009 WWE Hall of Fame; included an ad for the WWE Encyclopedia; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania 25 aired in 68 counties and in 15 languages:
WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in a lumberjack match at 9:29 when Carlito pinned Mizanin with a reversal into the Back Stabber; lumberjacks for the match included: Cryme Tyme, Hurricane Helms, Ricky Ortiz, the Great Khali, Tommy Dreamer, William Regal, Goldust, Tyson Kidd, Vladimir Kozlov, Jamie Noble, ECW World Champion Jack Swagger, Jesse, Mike Knox, R Truth, The Brian Kendrick, Ezikiel Jackson, Paul Burchill, DJ Gabriel, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder, and Jimmy Wang Yang WWE Women’s Champion Melina, Jillian Hall, Mickie James, Layla, & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Divas Champion Maryse, Natalya Neidhart, Gail Kim, Maria, & Eve at 3:57 when Mickie pinned Natalya with a tornado DDT from the middle turnbuckle; during the bout, Michael Cole accidentally referred to Natalya as the “son” of Jim Neidhart
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena, CM Punk, Jeff Hardy, Ricky Steamboat, & WWE IC Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Edge, Chris Jericho, Matt Hardy, Kane, & the Big Show at around the 17-minute mark when Mysterio pinned Jericho with the splash off the top after Steamboat hit the crossbody off the top onto Edge; during the bout, the crowd chanted “You’ve still got it” at Steamboat; after the bout, his teammates gave Steamboat the spotlight and he celebrated in the ring (Steamboat’s Raw in-ring debut) (the bout began during the commercial break) (The Best of Raw: 2009)
Santina Marella pinned Beth Phoenix (w/ Eva Mendez) at 1:17 in an imptomptu match when he landed on Phoenix after holding onto the top rope to avoid a slam; prior to the bout, Marella bragged over “her” win the previous night at WrestleMania until she was interrupted by Phoenix and Rosa Mendez in which Beth challenged Marella to a match, upset that he eliminated her from the WrestleMania battle royal; Marella then said Beth was jealous because “she” was more of a woman that Beth would ever be; prior to the match beginning, footage was shown from the commercial break of Santina dancing to Kid Rock’s “So Hott”
Randy Orton fought Vince McMahon to a no contest at around the 5-minute mark when Shane McMahon interfered to prevent Orton from kicking Vince in the head, with Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. then helping gang up on the McMahons; moments later, WWE World Champion Triple H then came out to make the save but was triple teamed; moments later, Batista appeared and cleared the ring of Legacy, eventually dropping Rhodes with the sit-down powerbomb; Vince then grabbed the mic and said he wouldn’t be part of the Backlash main event but Batista would take his place (Batista’s surprise return after a 4-month absence) 4/13/09; Atlanta, GA; Philips Arena
4/13/09 – 2009 WWE Draft 3-hour special – featured Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, Todd Grisham & Jim Ross on commentary for Smackdown!, and Josh Matthews & Matt Striker on commentary for ECW; included an opening in-ring promo by Batista in which he discussed Randy Orton kicking him in the head in December, which put him out of action, and then demanded Orton appear; when Orton didn’t, Shane McMahon came out and said he was just as deserving of getting payback on Orton; WWE World Champion Triple H then appeared and said he still deserved payback on Orton for what Orton did to Stephanie McMahon; moments later, Chavo Guerrero Jr. wheeled Vickie Guerrero out to the entrance stage and said she had given Orton the night off but the threesome would face Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. later in the show; she then said if Triple H’s team won then the person who scores the win would face Orton the following week but if Legacy won then no one would face Orton; Chief Jay Strongbow was shown in attendance; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE is available in more households in China than the NFL and MLB combined; included a backstage segment with Vickie and Chavo in which Orton interrupted and said, if he faces Triple H the following week, he wants the title on the line; Vickie then said that if Legacy wins later in the night then whomever they beat would have to face them in a 3-on-1 handicap match the following week; featured a backstage segment with World Heavyweight Champion John Cena and ECW World Champion Jack Swagger in which they discussed their match later in the show, during which Cena made fun of Swagger for calling himself “the All-American American” and said Swagger would get a lesson in respect; included an ad promoting Thursday’s premiere of WWE Superstars on WGN; featured a backstage segment with Orton, Rhodes, & Dibiase in which they discussed their match later in the show and how they would work to ensure Orton wouldn’t have to wrestle a singles match the following week; included an ad for the WWE Encyclopedia; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania 25 had more people in attendance than the 2008 MLB All Star Game at Yankee Stadium, Madonna’s concert at Dolphin Stadium, the 2009 Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium, and the 2009 NCAA Final Four at Ford Field; included an ad for “The Greatest Stars of the 90s;” Chilli from TLC was shown in attendance; featured a backstage segment in which Shane, Triple H, and Batista argued over who would get Orton in the tag team main event, with Triple H telling the other two that Orton was his; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com broke its all time record for page views April 6 with 105,179,641; featured the announcement that the Undertaker would face Matt Hardy on the debut episode of WWE Superstars:
WWE IC Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Evan Bourne in a non-title match at 3:29 with the 619 and splash off the top; Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, Joey Matthews, & Matt Striker provided commentary for the match; as a result of the win, WWE US Champion MVP was drafted from Smackdown! to Raw; moments later, MVP appeared at the entrance stage
Kane pinned The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezekiel Jackson) with the chokeslam at the 46-second mark; Todd Grisham, Jim Ross, Cole, & Lawler provided commentary for the match; prior to the bout, it was announced Vince McMahon would be profiled on ESPN2’s “E60” the following night; mid-way through the bout, Kane kicked Jackson in the face while on the floor; as a result of the win, the Big Show was drafted from Smackdown! to Raw; moments later, Show appeared on the entrance stage
WWE Divas Champion Maryse, Michelle McCool, & Natalya Neidhart defeated WWE Women’s Champion Melina, Mickie James, & Kelly Kelly at 1:16 when Michelle pinned Mickie by kicking her in the face as Mickie came off the top; Grisham, Ross, Cole, & Lawler provided commentary for the match; as a result of the win, Melina was drafted from Raw to Smackdown!
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena defeated ECW World Champion Jack Swagger in a non-title match at 11:30 via submission with the STFU following the FU; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would earn two draft picks for their brand; Cole, Lawler, Matthews, and Striker provided commentary for the match; as a result of the win, Matt Hardy and WWE World Champion Triple H were drafted from Smackdown! to Raw, with both men then appearing separately on the entrance stage and looking toward Cena still in the ring; moments later, Edge came out of the crowd and jumped Cena from behind, with Cena fighting him off and attempting the FU but Edge escaped and left the ring (The John Cena Experience)
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) pinned Santino Marella with one foot on his chest after hitting a chop to the head at the 56-second mark; prior to the bout, Beth Phoenix & Rosa Mendez appeared on the entrance stage, with Phoenix grabbing the mic and saying she spoke with Vickie Guerrero who agreed to make Santina Marella a guest on the Khali Kiss Cam the following week should Khali win; Ross, Grisham, Cole, & Lawler provided commentary for the match; as a result of the win, CM Punk was drafted from Raw to Smackdown!
Kofi Kingston defeated Mike Mizanin (w/ John Morrison) via disqualification at 8:53 when referee Charles Robinson caught Morrison pushing Kingston off the top; as a result of the win, Mizanin was drafted from ECW to Raw; Cole, Lawler, Matthews, & Striker provided commentary for the match; after the bout, Morrison and Mizanin hugged to end their partnership, with Mizanin then attacking Morrison and leaving him in the ring
Edge won a 15-man battle royal by last eliminating the Big Show at 5:38; other participants included: WWE US Champion MVP, Cryme Tyme, Mike Knox, Finlay, Ricky Ortiz, Paul Burchill, Mark Henry, Tyson Kidd, WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and R Truth; order of elimination: Ortiz by Show (1:41); Burchill by Show (1:49); Knox by Henry (1:55); Chavo (2:07); Shad Gasphard by Henry (2:10); Primo by Show (2:20); R Truth by Henry (2:25); Kidd by Show (2:34); JTG by Henry (2:38); Carlito by Show (2:57); MVP by Henry (3:11); Finlay by Edge (3:23); Henry by Show via a punch as Henry was on the ring apron (4:58); Show by Edge when Edge avoided a charge; all three teams provided commentary for the match; stipulations stated the winning brand would earn two draft picks; after the bout, Show threw a fit at ringside before going backstage; moments later, Kane and Chris Jeircho were drafted from Raw to Smackdown!, with each man then appearing at the entrance stage
Christian pinned Shelton Benjamin at 3:53 with the Killswitch after avoiding a charge in the corner and Benjamin hit his head on the top turnbuckle; Grisham, Ross, Matthews, & Striker provided commentary for the match; as a result of the win, Vladimir Kozlov was drafted from Smackdown! to ECW; moments later, Kozlov appeared at the entrance stage
Matt Hardy defeated CM Punk via disqualification at 4:23 when Jeff Hardy interfered and attacked Matt; Grisham, Ross, Cole, & Lawler provided commentary for the match; after the bout, Jeff attempted the Swanton but Matt rolled out of the ring, with Jeff then chasing him backstage; as a result of the win, WWE Divas Champion Maryse was drafted from Smackdown! to Raw; moments later, Maryse appeared at the entrance stage
Chris Jericho pinned Tommy Dreamer at 4:41 with the Code Breaker as Dreamer came off the middle turnbuckle; Grisham, Ross, Matthews, & Striker provided commentary for the bout; as a result of the win, WWE IC Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. was drafted from Raw to Smackdown!; moments later, Mysterio appeared on the entrance stage
WWE World Champion Triple H, Batista, & Shane McMahon defeated Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. in a handicap match at 7:45 when Triple H pinned Dibiase with the Pedigree, moments after Dibiase sustained Batista’s sit-down powerbomb; stipulations stated the winner of the fall on Triple H’s team would face Randy Orton the following week; had Rhodes & Dibiase won, the loser of the fall would face Legacy in a 3-on-1 handicap match the following week; late in the match, Triple H, Batista, and McMahon argued over who would get the pinfall; after the contest, Orton appeared at the entrance stage and stared at the three men in the ring as the show came to a close (Batista’s in-ring return after a 5-month absence) 4/20/09; London, England; O2 Arena
4/20/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Chris Jericho in which he commented on being drafted to Smackdown! and noted this was his final appearance on Raw and that Raw would suffer for it; moments later, Ricky Steamboat came out and thanked Jericho for being the reason Steamboat came back and was welcomed with open arms from the fans; Jericho then said Steamboat was out only to hear the crowd reaction and that Ric Flair, Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper, and Mickey Rourke hadn’t been heard from since Jericho won his match at WrestleMania; Jericho then challenged Steamboat to a one-on-one match at Backlash; before Steamboat could answer, World Heavyweight Champion John Cena interrupted, with Jericho then cutting him off and saying he was done with Cena, Steamboat, and Raw and didn’t care what Cena had to say; Jericho then left the ring, with Steamboat then accepting the match for Backlash; as Jericho continued to walk up the ramp, Cena said Vickie Guerrero had sent word that Edge wouldn’t be wrestling tonight but Cena would be and he would be facing Jericho; after Jericho left ringside, Cena and Steamboat shook hands; included the announcement that the previous week’s Draft was the highest rated show on cable; featured a backstage segment with Batista and Shane McMahon in which Shane congratulated Batista on his win and made sure they were still on the same page after last week’s incident, with the two then noting they didn’t appreciate what the other did during the previous week’s main event; included an ad for “The Greatest Stars of the 90s;” featured an in-ring promo by Santino Marella in which he said he wasn’t happy his twin sister Santina would have to be part of the Kiss Cam and then asked that she come out to prove they aren’t the same person; Santina then appeared on the big screen and said she couldn’t kiss Khali because she had a blister on her lip; Santina, with a fake backdrop behind her, said she was in Italy, “the greatest country in the world;” the video then sped up, with Santino arguing that his sister was a big fan of Red Bull; as Santino read a poem he wrote for he and his sister, Beth Phoenix & Rosa Mendez came out, with Beth saying Vickie had agreed to devote time on Backlash to Santina kissing Khali; Santina then continued to speak, as though Santino had just finished the poem, with Santino covering by telling Santina to shut up and the production team to cut off the video; after Santino and Beth had words, WWE Women’s Champion Melina came out for her match with Beth; included a backstage segment with WWE World Champion Triple H and Shane in which Shane said he, Triple H, and Batista need to make sure to keep a level head at Backlash or Randy Orton would walk out of Backlash with the world title; featured an ad for “WWE Superstars” on WGN America; included a backstage segment with Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. in which they said while they were on the same page, Batista, Triple H, and Shane weren’t; Orton then walked in and said they would win at Backlash and he guaranteed he would beat Triple H in the night’s main event; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com was ranked #1 for entertainment websites for males under 34 in February, beating out AOL TV, CBS.com, Fox.com, Oprah.com, TMZ.com, and MTV.com; included the announcement that Christian and ECW World Champion Jack Swagger would hold their Backlash contract signing the following night on ECW:
Batista pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the sit-down powerbomb at the 20-second mark; prior to the bout, Guerrero cut an in-ring promo on being drafted to Raw and Vickie Guerrero being the new GM; after the bout, Chavo grabbed the mic and said he wasn’t ready and apologized to Vickie for losing; Batista then returned to the ring and hit another sit-down powerbomb
CM Punk pinned Kane at 2:11 by reversing a chokeslam attempt into an inside cradle (both men’s final appearance before moving to Smackdown!)
WWE Women’s Champion Melina pinned Beth Phoenix (w/ Rosa Mendez) at 3:19 with the modified sunset flip / powerbomb after Beth collided with Rosa on the apron (Melina’s last appearance before moving to Smackdown!)
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena defeated Chris Jericho via disqualification in a non-title match at 16:29 when Edge ran out and shoved Cena off the top as the champion attempted a superplex; both Jericho and Cena received mixed reactions in the match; after the contest, Edge attacked Cena in the ring and dropped him with the spear; moments later, Edge hit a Con-Chair-Two on Cena, cut an in-ring promo on his upcoming last man standing match with Cena at Backlash, and then counted Cena down for 10; after the commercial break, footage was shown of Cena being helped backstage by referees (Jericho’s last appearance before moving to Smackdown!) (The Best of Raw: 2009)
The Big Show pinned WWE IC Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. in a non-title match at 1:45 with the punch after catching Mysterio as he attempted the 619; after the bout, the trainer and referee Charles Robinson attended to Mysterio while Show left the ring (Mysterio’s last appearance before moving to Smackdown!) (The Big Show: A Giant’s World)
Randy Orton pinned WWE World Champion Triple H in a non-title No DQ match at 17:32 with the RKO after Triple H knocked an interfering Cody Rhodes to the floor, moments after Ted Dibiase Jr. threw Batista into the ringpost on the floor; Shane McMahon and Batista interfered late in the match after Rhodes & Dibiase came out and triple teamed Triple H; after the bout, Triple H, Batista, and McMahon, in the ring, stared at Legacy on the floor 4/27/09; Bridgeport, CT; Harbor Yard Arena
4/27/09 – featured an opening in-ring introduction by Vickie Guerrero regarding Edge being the new World Heavyweight Champion before bringing out the new WWE World Champion Randy Orton, alongside Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes; Orton then cut an in-ring promo saying what happened to Triple H at Backlash was payback for what he did to Orton 5 years ago; he then aired a video recapping his attacks on the McMahon family, culminating with his win over Triple H the night before and Triple H being taken backstage on a stretcher; Vickie then stated Orton would have his first title defense at Judgment Day against the winner of a match later in the show pitting Batista against the Big Show; after Vickie congratulated Orton on his win, Orton began to berate the fans until WWE US Champion MVP appeared and said, as US champion, he doesn’t answer to anyone; Dibiase took the mic and suggested MVP leave now under his own power while he still could, with MVP calling Dibiase a lackey and noted Orton didn’t give Dibiase to speak; MVP then said if Batista and Show couldn’t take the title from Orton, then he would do it for them; Rhodes then took the mic and said he wanted to make an example of MVP for everyone backstage, with Orton then whispering in Vickie’s ear and Vickie announcing MVP would face Orton later in the show; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s episode was watched by more people than any NBA play off game; featured a backstage segment with Vickie and Show in which Show thanked Vickie for putting him in the #1 contenders match and then tried to kiss Vickie until she said they should be strictly profession from here on out, for the sake of the show; included the announcement Ted Dibiase Jr. would face WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Carlito Thursday on WWE Superstars; featured the announcement Jeff Hardy, John Morrison, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio Jr., and the Great Khali would compete in a scramble match Friday on Smackdown! to earn a shot at the World Heavyweight Title; included a “Did you know” graphic which read the recent European tour saw sell outs in Germany, France, Austria, Ireland, Switzerland, and the UK; featured a video package recapping the European tour; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Batista in which he asked whether Batista felt responsible for costing Triple H the WWE World Title, with Batista saying he would hurt Orton like Orton hurt Triple H and the McMahons:
Kofi Kingston pinned The Brian Kendrick at 2:38 with the spin kick to the head; prior to the bout, Lilian Garcia announced Kendrick as “Brian Kendrick” until he took the mic from her and said he was “The Brian Kendrick”
Santina Marella, Mickie James, Brie Bella, & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Divas Champion Maryse, Beth Phoenix, Rosa Mendez, & Jillian Hall at 1:44 when Santina pinned Jillian with a roll up after Hall’s team became distracted by Hornswoggle and Nikki Bella under the ring; after the bout, Hornswoggle passed out on the floor after realizing Santina was a man
Matt Hardy pinned Goldust at 1:07 after hitting Goldust in the back of the head with his arm cast; prior to the bout, Matt, his right hand in a cast, cut an in-ring promo saying Jeff Hardy proved at Backlash that he was a barbarian and that he was being forced to wrestle depsite the injury
WWE World Champion Randy Orton fought WWE US Champion MVP to a no contest in a non-title match at around the 11:30 mark when Shane McMahon came out of the crowd – after Orton knocked MVP to the floor – assaulted Orton with a kendo stick, and hit an elbow drop off the top; moments later, Shane ran back up through the crowd and taunting Orton after Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes came out with steel chairs (The Best of Raw: 2009)
Mike Mizanin defeated John Cena via forfeit in an impromptu match; prior to the bout, Mizanin cut an in-ring promo on being part of Raw and said he wanted to face the biggest and baddest before challenging Cena to a match; after referee Charles Robinson came out, Cena’s music played but he didn’t appear; Mizanin then made note of Cena’s catchphrase “You can’t see me” and said Cena was right because his movies don’t stay in theatres long enough to see them; Mizanin then announced himself as winning the match via forfeit and, when Lilian Garcia wouldn’t make the ring announcement, he made it for her
WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Jamie Noble in a non-title match at 4:27 when Carlito pinned Noble with the Back Stabber after avoiding a neckbreaker (Noble’s first appearance with a shaved head)
Batista defeated the Big Show via count-out at 10:31 after Show became distracted by John Cena at the entrance stage, allowing Batista to get back in the ring; prior to the ring entrances, Vickie Guerrero appeared at the entrance stage and announced WWE World Champion Randy Orton would face Shane McMahon the following week; stipulations stated the winner would face Orton at Judgment Day; after the match, Batista dropped Show with a spear 5/4/09; Buffalo, NY; HSBC Arena
5/4/09 – featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s episode was seen by more men than any other show on NBC and was seen by almost 2 million women; included a backstage segment in which Santina Marella and Kelly Kelly spoke about Kelly & Santina Marella’s upcoming match on WWE Superstars Thursday; moments later, Santino made fun of Vickie Guerrero, with Chavo Guerrero Jr. then appearing and Santino making fun of both he and Vickie; featured a backstage segment with the Big Show and Vickie in which Show demanded a match with John Cena, with Vickie saying Cena couldn’t wrestle for another two weeks but Show could face him at Judgment Day; included a backstage segment in which Brie & Nikki Bella asked WWE US Champion MVP about his appearance on ‘The View’ and asked whether he wanted to go out with them later in the night; featured the announcement Chris Jericho would face Jeff Hardy on Smackdown!; included Jerry Lawler hosting an in-ring sing-off between Jillian Hall, who sang Britney Spears’ “If You Seek Amy,” and Festus, who sang “Tomorrow” from Annie after Lawler had the ring bell rung; Lawler then had the bell rung again and, after the crowd declared Festus the winner, Jillian begged for another try; Mike Mizanin then appeared as Festus was still in the ring, had Festus give himself the loser hand sign, and then threw him to the floor; Mizanin, wearing arm bands that read Miz 1 Cena 0, then cut an in-ring promo on Cena, claiming he was afraid of him, and challenged him once again; moments later, Cena appeared on the big screen and was shown walking to the ring; after the commercial break, Mizanin said he sent Cena’s movie script to the Rock because he ran out of toilet paper; when Cena again failed to appear, Mizanin declared himself a winner over Cena for the second consecutive week; when he went to take the mic from Lilian Garcia and officially name himself the winner, Cena gingerly walked out to the ring; after he finally got in the ring, the Big Show appeared, hit several punches to Cena’s mid-section, and choked Cena out with a modified Camel Clutch; featured the announcement Jeff Hardy would be a guest of The Cutting Edge Thursday on WWE Superstars; included an ad for WWE pay-per-views; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com outperformed MLB.com, UFC.com, ABC.com, NBC.com, MTV.com, Nike.com, NASCAR.com, and NBA.com in 2008; included a backstage segment with Chavo and Vickie in which Chavo asked that he be able to take care of Santino and suggested that Vickie threaten to strip MVP of the US title and take Batista’s Judgment Day title shot from them if they interfered in the main event, which Vickie agreed to; featured the announcement MVP would be a guest on The View the following day; included a backstage segment in which Batista apologized to Shane McMahon for not being able to be ringside for the main event and said he would make WWE World Champion Randy Orton pay at Judgment Day; featured the announcement ECW World Champion Christian would face Mark Henry the following night on ECW:
WWE World Champion Randy Orton fought Shane McMahon to a no contest in a non-title match when McMahon came out of the crowd and attacked Orton before the bout, with the two then fighting into the crowd and back to the ring; moments later, Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes attacked McMahon, with WWE US Champion MVP attempting to make the save but being thrown to the floor; Batista then appeared, hit the spear on Rhodes, and cleared the ring; Vickie Guerrero then appeared at the entrance stage and said McMahon would face Orton, as scheduled, later in the night while Batsita would face Dibiase and MVP would face Rhodes; shen then said whomever won their individual matches could legally be in the match when Orton faced McMahon
Kofi Kingston pinned Matt Hardy with the spin kick to the face at 4:14 after Hardy tried to hit Kingston with the cast on his hand; prior to the bout, Hardy cut an in-ring promo claiming he was wrestling under protest and shouldn’t have to compete with a broken hand; after the contest, Hardy hit Kingston with the cast, knocking him out
Cody Rhodes defeated WWE US Champion MVP via count-out in a non-title match at 4:06 when William Regal, who provided guest commentary for the match, knocked MVP off the apron to the floor behind the referee’s back; Shane McMahon was shown watching the match backstage; stipulations stated the winner would be ringside for the night’s main event
Mickie James pinned WWE Divas Champion Maryse in a non-title match at 2:45 with the DDT; Subway spokesperson Jared was the guest ring announcer for the bout
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Batista via disqualification at 3:59 when Batista refused to back out of the corner at the referee’s 5-count as he was assaulting Dibiase in the corner; stipulations stated the winner would be part of the night’s main event
WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Carlito pinned The Brian Kendrick at 1:20 with the Back Stabber after causing Kendrick to crotch himself on the middle turnbuckle; prior to the bout, Carlito was escorted to the entrance stage by WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Primo Colon
WWE World Champion Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., & Cody Rhodes fought Shane McMahon to a no contest at around the 8-minute mark when, after McMahon missed an elbow off the top to Orton, laid across the commentary table, which Shane crashing through the table, Legacy triple teamed McMahon’s leg; moments later, Rhodes & Dibiase held Shane’s leg across the ring steps while Orton hit it with a steel chair and then followed by hitting it with the steps; stipulations stated neither Batista or WWE US Champion MVP could interfere in the match or they would lose their Judgment Day world title shot and title, respectively; after the contest, Batista ran out to check on Shane while Legacy ran around the other side of the ring and up the ramp; moments later, McMahon was helped onto a stretcher and taken backstage while Orton cut a promo from the stage, stating Batista’s judgment day was coming 5/11/09; Columbus, OH; Nationwide Arena
5/11/09 – featured an opening promo by WWE World Champion Randy Orton, alongside Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, at the entrance stage in which he said the fans were cowards and live vicariously through him; after recapping his attack the previous week on Shane McMahon, Orton cut an in-ring promo saying Vickie Guerrero ordered there be no physical contact between Orton and Batista until Judgment Day; Orton then asked for Batista to come out and, after saying everyone knew Batista had no chance of becoming world champion, Orton offered Batista a spot in Legacy, with Dibiase then saying being kicked in the head by Orton was the best thing to happen to his career and it helped make him part of the best group in WWE; Orton then brought up Arn Anderson and said Batista could be the “Enforcer” for Legacy and Orton; Batista replied by saying he loathed Orton and his intent was to hurt Orton; he then said there was no chance Vickie would call off the Judgment Day main event and said there was nothing stopping him from hurting Orton; Vickie then appeared on stage with Chavo Guerrero Jr. and waived the no physical contact rule and said Batista would face Dibiase & Rhodes later in the night; if Batista wins, he gets Orton in a singles match later in the show and if Dibiase & Rhodes won, Legacy would face Batista in a 3-on-1 handicap match later in the show; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Orton regarding Legacy facing Batista later in the show in a 3-on-1 handicap match; moments later, Dibiase interrupted to tell Orton that Rhodes was missing; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s ECW was the most watched show on the Sci Fi Channel for the 32nd week in a row; included a backstage segment with Vickie and Chavo in which Chavo suggested Vickie put John Cena in an unofficial exhibition match later in the show to prove Cena wasn’t milking his injuries, with Vickie agreeing and saying Cena would face Mike Mizanin; featured the announcement WWE IC Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. would face Chris Jericho at Judgment Day while Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole ran down the entire Judgment Day card during an in-ring segment; included footage of Orton & Dibiase searching for Rhodes backstage; after Orton found Rhodes safe, they came back to find Dibiase laid out on the floor; featured a vignette promoting the Raw return of Ken Kennedy; included a backstage segment with Rhodes & Orton in which Orton sent Rhodes to find Batista and take him out; featured an ad for the WrestleMania 25 DVD; included a backstage segment in which Santina Marella spoke with Vickie and Chavo, with Vickie then bringing in Beth Phoenix and Rosa Mendez; Vickie then told Rosa to give Santina a good luck kiss before his match later against Beth, with Santina then kissing Rosa on the lips; moments later, Santina admitted she was a lesbian and then called Vickie fat; featured Rhodes, armed with a steel pipe, searching backstage for Batista and instead finding Hornswoggle; Batista then jumped Rhodes from behind and threw him in a nearby room; included a “Do not try this at home” public safety announcement; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read nearly four times as many people watched the previous week’s Raw than the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs; included Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Cena regarding his match at Judgment Day against the Big Show, with Cena saying he was going through hard times just like everyone else in the country but he would adapt and overcome just like everybody else and that he wasn’t going to compete – he was going to win; featured William Regal as a guest of the VIP Lounge in which he said WWE US Champion MVP was arrogant and misguided just like the rest of the US and said MVP and the other draft picks were ignoring his tenure on Raw and not waiting their turn like he had been; Matt Hardy then interrupted and said his loss to Kofi Kingston the past week should be erased due to his broken hand and that once it heals he should get the first shot because he had beaten MVP more times than anyone else; Kingston then appeared and fought with Hardy until Chavo appeared on the stage and said MVP & Kingston would face Hardy & Regal immediately:
Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes defeated Batista via disqualification in an impromptu match at around the 6-minute mark when referee Mike Chioda caught Batista swinging a steel chair at Rhodes, moments after Batista stole the weapon from Rhodes behind the referee’s back (the bout began during the commercial break)
Mickie James & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Divas Champion Maryse & Jillian Hall at 3:41 when Mickie pinned Jillian with the DDT after holding onto the ropes to block Maryse’s DDT
The Brian Kendrick pinned WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Carlito at 1:45 with a roll up after avoiding the Back Stabber and throwing Carlito shoulder-first into the ringpost; prior to the bout, Carlito was escorted out to the stage by WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Primo Colon; after the bout, Kendrick grabbed the mic and said he would find a partner to take the tag team titles
John Cena fought Mike Mizanin to a no contest at around the 3-minute mark when Vickie Guerrero appeared on the big screen and had the match stopped after deciding Cena had no chance against the Big Show at Judgment Day; Show stood ringside for the duration of the bout; there was no referee for the contest; after the exhibition, Mizanin dropped Cena with a DDT and declared himself the winner before leaving ringside
Santina Marella pinned Beth Phoenix (w/ Rosa Mendez) with a cradle at 2:41
WWE US Champion MVP & Kofi Kingston defeated Matt Hardy & William Regal in an impromptu match at around the 7-minute mark when MVP pinned Regal with the Playmaker after Hardy left ringside after hurting his broken hand (the bout began during the commercial break)
WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated Batista via disqualification in a non-title match at around the 1-minute mark when Batista attacked Orton with a steel chair and repeatedly hit Orton in the leg and back with the weapon; the match was meant as a 3-on-1 handicap match with Legacy against Batista but Batista attacked both Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes backstage earlier in the night; after the bout, Batista attempted to hit Orton with the ring steps but Rhodes & Dibiase came out, with Batista dropping Rhodes with the sit-down powerbomb; Batista then fought off Orton and Dibiase, eventually hitting the spear on Dibiase before throwing the steps at Orton in the aisle 5/18/09; Louisville, KY; Freedom Hall
5/18/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE World Champion Randy Orton in which he insulted Ric Flair for Flair’s interference the previous night at Judgment Day; moments later, Flair appeared and said Orton didn’t beat Batista and did everything he could to get himself disqualified to keep the belt; Flair then said Orton was meant to be the next big deal when he was part of Evolution but Batista surpassed him; after Orton said he could beat Batista any time he wanted, with Flair saying he spoke with Vickie Guerrero and Orton would face Batista at Extreme Rules in a steel cage match; Orton then assaulted Flair, with Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes appearing ringside until Batista attacked them from behind; Batista was then triple teamed by Legacy until John Cena cleared the ring; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Cena in which he said his win over the Big Show at Judgment Day proved his resolve and that he wanted to be in the title picture once again; Vickie then appeared and said Legacy would face Cena & Batista later in the show in a handicap match; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com received more hits the past month than Disney.com; included a vignette promoting the Raw return of Ken Kennedy; featured a backstage segment with Mike Mizanin and WWE Divas Champion Maryse in which Mizanin said he had no idea what she was saying but she was really hot and that Mizanin was on a winning streak against Cena; included Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Matt Hardy regarding his US title match later in the show against MVP, during which Hardy said the only reason Vickie was giving him the title shot was because he had earned it; featured a backstage segment with Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Vickie in which Chavo said he had a plan for Vickie facing Santina Marella later in the show; Orton then walked in to protest the steel cage match at Extreme Rules, with Vickie saying she didn’t need to consult him for anything; included the announcement CM Punk would face Chris Jericho Thursday on WWE Superstars; featured an in-ring segment with Mike Mizanin, dressed as Cena and using Cena’s “Word Life” theme music, in which he claimed to be 4-0 against Cena and then did a series of raps insulting Cena and his fans; when Cena didn’t appear, Mizanin declared himself the winner; Jerry Lawler then left the commentary table and called out Batista, Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, and Steve Austin as an example of how them not appearing doesn’t mean Lawler beat them; after Lawler told Mizanin to go backstage and talk to Vickie if he wanted a match with Cena, the Big Show appeared and said Vickie made a match between himself and Cena at Extreme Rules in a submission match; Mizanin then said he would beat Cena after Cena beat Show, with Mizanin then running backstage as Show choked Lawler out with a modified Camel Clutch; moments later, Lawler was attended to by referees; following the commercial break, Jim Ross took over Lawler’s commentary role; included a backstage segment with Flair and Batista in which Flair said he was going to call Orton out the next week, with Batista telling Flair that Orton was beneath him; Flair then said he could still beat up 90% of the locker room if he had to and would face Orton the next week; featured a backstage segment in which Chavo tried to teach Vickie how to hit a frog splash, with Vickie calling off the match until Santina stepped in and said insulted Vickie until Vickie agreed to the contest; included an ad for the WrestleMania 25 DVD:
Kelly Kelly won a 7-diva battle royal at 2:32 by last eliminating Mickie James; stipulations stated the winner would receive a WWE Divas Title shot; other participants included: Rosa Mendez, Brie & Nikki Bella, Beth Phoenix, and Jillian Hall; order of elimination: Rosa Mendez by Mickie (0:27); a Bella twin by Beth Phoenix (0:34); the other twin by Phoenix (1:04); Jillian by Mickie following a headscissors (1:18); Beth by Kelly following a dropkick (2:03); after the elimination, WWE Divas Champion Maryse – who provided guest commentary for the bout – sprayed Mickie in the eyes with a substance, which blinded her
Santino Marella pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. at 3:36 with a roll over after Guerrero struck his head on the top turnbuckle; after the bout, Guerrero grabbed the mic and said Santina Marella would defend her Miss WrestleMania crown later in the show against Vickie Guerrero
WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated The Brian Kendrick & Goldust at 2:26 when Primo pinned Kendrick with a springboard crossbody into the ring after avoiding the Sliced Bread #2; after the bout, Kendrick blamed Goldust for the loss and slapped him; moments later, Hornswoggle appeared and helped Goldust clear Kendrick from the ring
WWE US Champion MVP pinned Matt Hardy with the Playmaker at 5:17; prior to the bout, Jim Ross made an insulting remark about the owner of the Denver Nuggets; the Nuggets and WWE were fighting over use of the Pepsi Center for the following week’s Raw
Vickie Guerrero pinned Santina Marella in a No DQ match to become Miss WrestleMania at 1:33 when, after Marella fought off Chavo Guerrero Jr., William Regal attacked Marella and hit the running knee to the head; after the bout, Chavo crowned Vickie Miss WrestleMania to the tune of Kid Rock’s “So Hott;” the No DQ stipulation wasn’t added until just before the match began
John Cena & Batista defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., & Cody Rhodes in a handicap match at 14:46 when Batista pinned Orton with the spear after Ric Flair came ringisde and knocked Rhodes off the top behind the referee’s back; late in the bout, the Big Show appeared ringside, with he and Cena then brawling backstage; after the bout, Batista and Flair celebrated in the ring 5/25/09; Los Angeles, CA; Staples Center
5/25/09 – featured an opening video package in honor of Memorial Day; included Jim Ross, subbing for Jerry Lawler, on commentary beside Michael Cole; featured a video package recapping the feud between the Denver Nuggets and WWE over use of the Pepsi Center; included an in-ring segment in which a fake Stan Kroenke cut a promo stating he hated WWE and its fans; moments later, Vince McMahon came out and said he was going to create his own basketball league – the XBA – but it was going to fail because Kroenke and his staff were going to run it; McMahon then made fun of Kroenke’s first name being “Enos” and eventually shoved him out of the ring; during the segment, a fake Jack Nicholson, David Stern, and Jerry Buss were shown sitting ringside; moments later, after McMahon left the ring, Mike Mizanin came out and noted he became a famous reality TV show in LA but he was really from the home of the future NBA Champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and that he would make John Cena look like the loser he is during the night’s main event; Cena then appeared but was jumped from behind by Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, with Batista then making the save and dropping the three men with spinebusters; the Big Show then attacked Cena, with Jerry Lawler attempting to make the save but being knocked to the floor; moments later, Cena and Batista knocked Show to the floor with a double clothesline; featured a backstage segment with Brie & Nikki Bella, the fake Nicholson, Goldust, and Hornswoggle in which Goldust and Hornswoggle acted out the court scene from “A Few Good Men;” included a backstage segment with Ric Flair and Batista in which Flair said he would handle himself against WWE World Champion Randy Orton; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was the #1 show on cable, beating out its closest competition by more than 1 million viewers; included an ad for the WrestleMania 25 DVD; featured an in-ring promo by Flair in which he called out Orton after Orton punched him out the previous week; Orton eventually appeared, with the two having words until Ken Kennedy interrupted, with Kennedy saying he was eying Orton’s WWE World Title and would be the mystery partner in the night’s main event; featured a look at Vince McMahon’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; Michael Clarke Duncan was shown in attendance; included a backstage segment with Show and Mizanin in which Show said Mizanin could have his way with Cena in the main event but Show would get to pin him; included the announcement ECW World Champion Christian, Tommy Dreamer, & Finlay would face David Hart Smith, Tyson Kidd, & Jack Swagger the following night on ECW:
Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Divas Champion Maryse via disqualification at 2:45 when Maryse pushed Kelly over the commentary table while fighting her on the floor; after the bout, Kelly returned to the ring and knocked the champion to the floor
Kofi Kingston defeated William Regal and Matt Hardy at 9:48 by pinning Hardy with the spin kick to the face after Hardy tried to hit Kingston with his hand cast; stipulations stated the winner would get a shot against WWE US Champion MVP the following week; mid-way through the bout, MVP came out to join the commentary team; after the bout, Kingston confronted MVP on the floor, with MVP saying he wanted Kingston to have a shot at the belt
Santino Marella & Mickie James defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Beth Phoenix (w/ Rosa Mendez) at 1:27 when Mickie pinned Beth with a crucifix; stipulations stated the winning team would chose the stipulation for the Santina Marella vs. Vickie Guerrero bout at Extreme Rules; after the bout, Vickie appeared at the entrance stage and said Chavo would be in her corner for the match; Santino then said he picked a hog pen match for Santina’s bout with Vickie at Extreme Rules
Goldust & Hornswoggle pinned The Brian Kendrick & Festus at 2:11 when Goldust pinned Kendrick with the Final Cut after Hornswoggle hit the frog splash; Festus wore a Clippers jersey for the match; after the bout, Kendrick argued with Festus over the loss and grabbed a steel chair with intent of hitting Festus; before he could, WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon – who did guest commentary for the match – rang the timekeeper’s bell, with Festus then clearing Kendrick from the ring
John Cena, Batista, WWE US Champion MVP, Jerry Lawler, & Ken Kennedy defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., Cody Rhodes, the Big Show, & Mike Mizanin at 17:55 when MVP pinned Dibiase with the Playmaker; Lawrence Tanter, the LA Lakers’ PA announcer provided guest ring announcing for the match; the babyfaces wore LA Lakers jerseys for the match while the heels wore Denver Nuggets jerseys; prior to the bout, it was announced Cena would face Dibiase Thursday on WWE Superstars; late in the contest, Kennedy appeared to have suffered a hand injury; after the bout, the faces won a brawl over the heels to close the show (Kennedy’s in-ring return after a 9-month absence) (Kennedy’s last appearance) 6/1/09; Birmingham, AL; BJCC
6/1/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE World Champion Randy Orton, alongside Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, inside a steel cage in which he said he would beat Batista in their cage match at Extreme Rules; Orton then said he spoke with Vickie Guerrero earlier in the day and arranged for Batista to face either Rhodes or Dibiase later in the show in a steel cage match to get ready for Orton; Orton then flipped a coin, with Rhodes winning the toss; Rhodes then took the mic from Orton and said his father, Dusty Rhodes, was in some of the greatest cage matches of all time and cage matches are in Cody’s blood; Orton then gave the fans a preview of what’s to come by walking out of the cage door as WWE World Champion; Ric Flair then appeared at the entrance stage and said he would continue to call Orton out until he grew a set and agreed to face him; when Orton reminded Flair he was retired, Flair said he was calling Orton out for a fight in the parking lot, not a match; after Flair repeatedly called Orton a punk, Orton agreed to the challenge; included a backstage segment with the Big Show, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and Vickie Guerrero in which Show argued against having to team with Mike Mizanin later in the show against John Cena and an unnamed opponent; Show then chose Cena’s opponent from a list of all the Raw superstars and drew Chavo’s name; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read last week’s Raw was seen by 1.5 million women and by more men than any show on NBC, The CW, Fox, or ABC; included a backstage segment with Flair and Batista in which Flair argued Batista shouldn’t stand in the way of Flair fighting Orton, with Batista eventually giving Flair his support and the two hugging; featured a backstage segment with William Regal, Matt Hardy, and Vickie in which Hardy asked for another chance after their loss, with the two then telling Vickie they would help her out in her match against Santino Marella later in the show; after Hardy whispered in her ear how it would happen, Vickie began laughing so hard that she snorted; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Kofi Kingston and WWE US Champion MVP regarding their title match later in the show; featured a backstage segment in which Dibiase tried to talk Orton out of his parking lot fight with Flair later in the show; included an ad for “Macho Madness: The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection;” featured a video package recapping the feud between Jeff Hardy and World Heavyweight Champion Edge; included an in-ring segment in which Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler ran down the card for Extreme Rules; featured the announcement ECW World Champion Christian would face Tyson Kidd the following night on ECW; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more men watched ECW the previous week than MLB on ESPN; featured a closing segment in which Orton went looking for Flair in the parking lot, with Flair jumping him from behind; the two continued to fight into the arena and onto the entrance stage; Flair eventually brought the fight ringside, where the steel cage had been once again lowered, and put the figure-4 on Orton ontop of the broadcast table; Rhodes & Dibiase then attacked Flair and threw him into the cage and ringside barrier; moments later, Legacy ganged up on Flair inside the cage before Rhodes locked the door shut with only Orton and Flair inside; Batista then ran out, scaring Rhodes & Dibiase into the crowd, but could only watch as Orton dropped Flair with the RKO; Orton then hit kicked Flair in the head and stared at Batista from inside the cage:
Batista pinned Cody Rhodes in a steel cage match at 3:10 with the sit-down powerbomb after Rhodes attempted to escape over the top; late in the bout, WWE World Champion Randy Orton appeared ringside
WWE Divas Champion Maryse & Beth Phoenix (w/ Rosa Mendez) defeated Mickie James & Kelly Kelly at 2:57 when Maryse pinned Kelly with the DDT
WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Matt Hardy & William Regal in a non-title match at 4:21 when Carlito pinned Regal with the Back Stabber after Hardy accidentally hit Regal with his hand cast; after the bout, Regal & Hardy argued over the loss
John Cena & Chavo Guerrer Jr. defeated the Big Show & Mike Mizanin at 4:58 when Guerrero pinned Mizanin after Show dropped Cena with the chokeslam and then knocked out Mizanin with a punch when Mizanin refused to tag Show in; prior to the bout, Mizanin cut an in-ring promo in which he said Cena’s fans also liked the Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, and Spongebob Squarepants and bragged about his 6-0 streak against Cena; after the bout, Cena dropped Guerrero with the FU and faced off with Show, with Show then knocking him out with a punch and then applied the modified Camel Clutch
Kofi Kingston pinned WWE US Champion MVP to win the title at 11:22 after reversing the champion’s attempt to block a victory roll; prior to the bout, a photo was shown of MVP and Sherry Sepherd recently attending the prom at Shepherd’s high school; after the bout, MVP congratulated Kingston and handed him the belt (The Best of Raw: 2009)
Santino Marella fought Vickie Guerrero to a no contest when Matt Hardy & William Regal ran in the ring, with Santino then slopping both men and Vickie; moments later, Hardy & Regal double teamed Marella, with Hardy eventually knocking Marella out after hitting him with his hand cast; Hardy & Regal then left the ring, with Vickie then slowly slopping Marella from head to toe 6/8/09; Lafayette, LA; Cajundome
6/8/09 – featured Lilian Garcia introducing Batista as the new WWE World Champion, with Batista then cutting an in-ring promo on his title win the previous night against Randy Orton, saying he did it for Ric Flair, himself, and the fans; Batista then noted Orton had hurt many people and taking Orton’s title was just the beginning; Orton then appeared at the entrance stage and slowly made his way to the ring, with Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes then coming out of the crowd and surrounding the ring before all three men swarmed Batista; the champion fought off all three and had Orton set up for the sit-down powerbomb before he was hit from behind with a steel chair; Batista was then triple teamed, his arm and shoulder targetted; Orton then locked Batista’s arm in a steel chair and repeatedly stomped it as the champion was held in place by Dibiase & Rhodes, while Batista yelled “I’m going to get you! This is never going to be over!”; with the arm still in the chair, Orton pulled back until Batista screamed and rolled around the ring in pain; Orton then held up the title belt and then left ringside with it as Batista was tended to in the ring by trainers; following the commercial break, Batista was helped into an ambulance backstage, said he couldn’t feel his arm and asked for his title belt; the ambulance then drove off with its lights and sirens on (Batista’s last appearance for 3 months); included a backstage segment with Orton, Dibiase, & Rhodes in which Josh Matthews walked in and asked Orton about the assault on Batista, with Orton saying only that he put Batista out and said he would ask for his rematch clause later in the show, whether Batista was ready or not; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers all US military personnel free tickets to all live events in the US; included an ad promoting the following Monday’s “3 For All,” which would include WWE World, World Heavyweight, and ECW World Title matches; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Vickie Guerrero in which she confirmed Orton would challenge Batista later in the show for the title and Orton would win the title if Batista can’t appear; she then said she would have a huge announcement for later in the show; included a backstage segment with WWE Divas Champion Maryse and Mike Mizanin, wearing a shirt featuring John Cena’s name with a slash through it; Maryse then said Mizanin was a good talker but she wasn’t going to pay any attention to him until he beats Cena; featured an in-ring promo by Guerrero in which she said she had never been as insulted and humiliated as she was the night before in her hog pen match during Extreme Rules; Vickie then said she was ashamed of the fans, tired of them laughing at her, and then said she was resigning at Raw GM; moments later, Edge came out to the ring and said, because she quit, he didn’t need to apologize or continue on with their marriage because he only married her for her power; he then said people thought she was his mother when they went out in public, called her a “she-beast,” and told her he wanted a divorce, which left Vickie on her knees screaming in the ring as Edge walked off; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read nearly 3 times as many people watched Raw the past week as the Yankees vs. Indians game on ESPN; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Cena regarding the attack he sustained at the hands of Mizanin and the Big Show; included an ad promoting “Macho Madness: The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection”:
WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston pinned William Regal in a non-title match at 2:06 with the spin kick to the head; prior to the match, Lilian Garcia accidentally referred to Kingston as the WWE IC champion
WWE Divas Champion Maryse pinned Kelly Kelly with the DDT at 2:53; Mickie James provided guest commentary for the bout; after the contest, Maryse held the belt in front of Kelly’s face and slapped her before Mickie entered the ring, with Maryse then sliding out to the floor
Santino Marella, Goldust (w/ Hornswoggle), & Festus defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr., The Brian Kendrick, & Jamie Noble at 3:51 when Marella pinned Noble with a roll up after Hornswoggle kicked Noble in the shin and then dove onto Kendrick outside the ring
John Cena fought Mike Mizanin to a no contest; prior to the match, Mizanin wore a T-shirt which had “Cena” with a slash through it and armbands that read “Miz: 6, Cena: 0;” following his entrance, Mizanin cut an in-ring promo on the fact Cena hasn’t answered his challenges in recent weeks, noting that Cena wasn’t Tim Allen but it was about to become “Tool Time;” following Cena’s entrance, the Big Show appeared with Cena then knocking Mizanin to the floor before Cena sustained Show’s chokeslam and Camel Clutch; moments later, Miz assaulted Show with a steel chair and then hit Cena with the chair as well; Miz eventually left the ring after Show regained his senses
MVP pinned Matt Hardy with the Playmaker at 3:52 after assaulting Hardy’s injured hand; prior to the match, MVP cut an in-ring promo saying that if there was to be a WWE World Title match the following week, he should be involved
Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon in a non-title match at around the 9-minute mark when Dibiase pinned Primo with Dream Street after Rhodes dropped Primo throat-first across the top rope behind the referee’s back (the bout began during the commercial break)
Randy Orton (w/ Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes) fought WWE World Champion Batista to a no contest when, as referee Mike Chioda began counting Batista, the ambulance which carried Batista to the hospital arrived, Triple H came out the back, and assaulted Legacy in the ring; prior to the match, Orton cut an in-ring promo saying he would win the title via forfeit (Triple H’s surprise return after a 2-month absence) 6/15/09; Charlotte, NC; Time Warner Cable Arena
6/15/09 – Three for All – featured Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, Todd Grisham & Jim Ross on commentary for Smackdown!, and Josh Matthews & Matt Striker on commentary for ECW; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read almost 2 million women watched Raw the previous week; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Randy Orton regarding Triple H’s return the previous week and challenging for the vacant WWE World Title later in the show; moments later, John Cena interrupted and reminded Orton that he and Big Show were also in the match; included backstage comments from Vince McMahon in which he said he would not be choosing a new GM of Raw and would allow someone else to make that decision; moments later, McMahon said he was given an offer that he couldn’t refuse and would be selling Raw; during the segment, the crowd chanted “We want Flair” before McMahon said he would announce the new owner after the WWE World Title match; featured a “Do not try this at home” PSA; included a backstage segment with Kelly Kelly, Brie & Nikki Bella in which they discussed who the new Raw owner would be; featured photos from Batista’s surgery the previous Tuesday at St. Vincent’s Hospital; included the announcement Mark Henry would face Evan Bourne the following night on ECW; featured an in-ring segment in which McMahon said he had made the right decision to sell Raw and noted he had a history with the man he sold it to; McMahon the introduced Donald Trump, with Tump then appearing on the big screen and saying McMahon never showed his appreciation for the Raw audience; Trump then said the next week’s show would air commercial free as his way of giving back to the audience and he would be on hand; McMahon then had the feed cut when Trump began making fun of having McMahon’s head shaved and said he would make his farewell address next week; McMahon then said a 10-man battle royal would be held later in the show to determine who would challenge WWE World Champion Randy Orton at The Bash; included an ad for “Macho Madness: The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection;” featured an in-ring segment in which Goldust and Hornswoggle shot t-shirts into the audience; moments later, Mike Mizanin interrupted, wearing an anti Cena shirt, and sent a message to Trump noting he was the face of Raw; Goldust then took the mic and said Mizanin was all talk and he should change his name to “the Wiz” since that’s what everyone goes to do when he starts talking, with Mizanin noting it was Goldust’s 4th or 5th try in the WWE and that Goldust in 2009 was irrelevant and a waste of his time; Miz then hit Goldust with the mic and dropped him with a DDT before shooting Hornswoggle with the t-shirt gun; included the announcement Christian, WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon would face Jack Swagger, David Hart Smith, & Tyson Kidd Thursday on WWE Superstars; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk in which Punk noted when he cashed in his title shot last year against Edge, everyone loved it but things are different because he did so against Jeff Hardy; moments later, Matt Hardy appeared and congratulated Punk, with Punk saying they weren’t friends and everything Punk had achieved he did so by earning it; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more men watched the previous week’s Raw than every show on cable, ABC, The CW, Fox, and NBC; featured footage from the recent European tour, with comments from MVP and Lilian Garcia; included a backstage segment with Santino Marella and McMahon in which Marella was concerned about his job security with Trump as the new boss, with McMahon saying Trump might be attracted to Santina; moments later, Trump called McMahon and said he wanted to make an announcement after the battle royal; moments later, Marella left McMahon’s office after accidentally calling him old and egotistical, with McMahon calling him a pervert; featured the announcement Jeff Hardy would face Chris Jericho – not Edge as the accompaning graphic said – and Punk would face Rey Mysterio Jr.:
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. at 9:39 with the Code Breaker after turning the challenger’s mask around as he attempted a springboard senton; prior to the bout, Jericho cut an in-ring promo stating Raw has taken a turn for the worse since he left; during the contest, a clock was shown on screen counting down until the WWE World Title match later in the show
ECW World Champion Tommy Dreamer pinned Christian with an inside cradle at 3:23; during the bout, a clock was shown on screen counting down until the WWE World Title match later in the show
Randy Orton defeated Triple H, the Big Show, and John Cena at 11:15 by pinning Show with the RKO after Show already sustained the Pedigree and FU; stipulations stated the winner would earn the vacant WWE World Title (The Best of Raw: 2009)
Mickie James pinned Rosa Mendez with the DDT at 2:50; prior to the bout, Mendez was escorted to the entrance stage by Beth Phoenix; WWE Divas Champion Maryse sat ringside for the duration of the contest; after the match, Mickie challenged Maryse to get in the ring but Maryse only got on the apron before leaving ringside
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated Jeff Hardy and Edge by pinning Edge at 15:41 after pulling Hardy out of the ring and throwing him into the ringpost after Hardy hit the Swanton on Edge and made the cover; after the bout, Teddy Long appeared and said Punk would defend against Hardy at The Bash
WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Tyson Kidd & David Hart Smith (w/ Natalya Neidhart) via disqualification in a non-title match at 2:22 when Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, who provided guest commentary for the bout, attacked the champions after Carlito hit the Back Stabber on Smith; prior to the bout, it was announced the Colons would defend against Dibiase & Rhodes at The Bash; after the contest, Dibiase & Rhodes threw the champions to the floor
Triple H won a 10-man battle royal by last eliminating John Cena at 17:39; stipulations stated the winner would earn a WWE World Title shot at The Bash; other participants included: Mike Mizanin, WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston, MVP, the Big Show, William Regal, Cody Rhodes, Ted Dibiase Jr., and Matt Hardy; order of elimination: Hardy by Show (3:37); MVP by Show via an elbow as MVP was on the apron (3:50); Mizanin crawled to the floor after sustaining a chokeslam from Show; Show by Kingston, Regal, Rhodes, Dibiase, Cena, & Triple H (4:21); Kingston by Rhodes & Dibiase via a double clothesline (13:25); Regal by Rhodes & Dibiase (13:45); Dibiase by Cena via a clothesline (15:47); Rhodes by Triple H via a clothesline when Cena moved out of the way (16:05); after the elimination, Rhodes & Dibiase attacked both Cena and Triple H until they were ejected from ringside; Mizanin by Cena & Triple H when both men pulled down the top rope as Miz charged them after sneaking back in the ring (17:33); Cena by Triple H; mid-way through the match, WWE World Champion Randy Orton appeared at the entrance stage to watch the bout; after the bout, Donald Trump appeared on the big screen and said Triple H would face Orton the following week in a last man standing title match 6/22/09; Green Bay, WI; Resch Center
6/22/09 – commercial break free episode – featured Donald Trump as part of the show opening montage; included a segment in which Trump, at the entrance stage, said all the fans would get to see a commercial free show full of title matches and would get a full refund at the end of the show; featured an in-ring promo by John Cena in which he said he would be facing the Big Show later in the night and praised Trump for making a statement; he then showed a video package of Mike Mizanin making fun of Cena and called out Mizanin; Mizanin, wearing an anti-Cena t-shirt, then appeared and called Cena a coward; moments later, Cena announced he would face Mizanin Sunday at The Bash; Cena then mentioned being booed out of the Hammerstein Ballroom and the Hall of Fame and having 80,000 fans chant that he couldn’t wrestle and yet he was still around; he then said Mizanin would find out Sunday that the real world has been cancelled and he wasn’t a reality show has-been but a WWE never-was; Mizanin then hit a cheap shot at Cena and ran out of the ring; included footage from earlier in the day of Vince McMahon’s limo broken down on the side of the road, with McMahon yelling at the limo driver and refusing to walk a few blocks to the arena; featured a shot of a bucket of Kentucky Grilled Chicken at the commentary tables; included a backstage segment in which McMahon tried to find Trump only to find Santina Marella; Marella then suggested McMahon and Trump share Trump’s office and call it McDonald’s; Trump then came out of his office and told McMahon to find his own down the hall; Trump then looked at Santina and fired her; as Santina walked out of view, Santino Marella walked into view and said he needed to do something but then shrugged and said “She had a good run;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more male viewers watched Raw the previous Monday than every show on ABC, Fox, The CW, NBC, and all of cable; included an online ad for a sneak peak of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” at the end of the show; featured a backstage segment with McMahon, Hornswoggle, and Goldust in which Goldust said he wanted to give Trump a wig because the one he gave Goldberg worked great; Goldust then put the wig on McMahon before he yelled at them to go away; McMahon then found that his new office was a bathroom stall, with Festus then flushing the toilet and leaving the stall; included a video package recapping the feud between WWE World Champion Randy Orton and Triple H dating back to Backlash; featured a backstage segment with Mizanin and WWE Women’s Champion Maryse in which Maryse said Mizanin couldn’t talk to her until he did something impressive to Cena; included the announcement Jeff Hardy & Rey Mysterio Jr. would face WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho & Edge Friday on Smackdown! in a steel cage match; featured footage from a press conference earlier in the day of Trump arriving to a press conference at Green Bay International Airport accompanied by Nikki & Brie Bella, Eve, Maria, Maryse, and Kelly Kelly and appearing with McMahon during the press conference; included Maria and Eve escorting Trump to the ring so he could announce that a celebrity would host Raw each week and that he didn’t believe in GMs; once Trump mentioned WrestleMania 26, McMahon came out and said he heard rumors Trump wanted Raw to be commercial free every week and that would send him into bankruptcy; McMahon then admitted Trump was smarter and then offered to buy Raw back for the price he sold it for and eventually offered to pay double; Trump then agreed, with McMahon threatening to knock Trump down the next time he saw him and then firing him; the crowd then chanted “Donald Trump,” with Trump slapping McMahon in the face until they were held apart by officials; featured a backstage segment in which McMahon kicked Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes out of the building and then told WWE World Champion Randy Orton that he had it in for him and would pay him back at The Bash; McMahon then said Orton’s match with Triple H at The Bash would now be a Best 2 out of 3 falls match – fall #1 being a wrestling match, fall #2 being a falls count anywhere match, and fall #3 being a stretcher match; included the announcement WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston would defend against both Matt Hardy and MVP Thursday on WWE Superstars; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE will create more original TV hours this year than Showtime and HBO combined; included footage of Cena doing guest commentary during a recent Chicago Cubs game and meeting with Alfonso Soriano; featured an in-ring segment in which Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler ran down the card for The Bash; included a closing backstage segment in which Triple H jumped Orton and slammed a car trunk onto his back, with Triple H then sitting down beside Orton and telling him he was going to hell Sunday:
Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio Jr., & the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) defeated Edge, WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho, & Dolph Ziggler at 5:11 when Hardy pinned Ziggler with the Twist of Fate and Swanton; World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk provided guest commentary for the match; after the contest, Punk slid in the ring and, unbeknownst to Hardy, raised Hardy’s hand in victory until Hardy shoved him away and left the ring, with Punk then holding up the title belt in Hardy’s direction; Todd Grisham & Jim Ross provided guest commentary for the bout
Cody Rhodes (w/ Ted Dibiase Jr.) pinned WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Primo Colon (w/ WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Carlito) at 3:54 by grabbing the tights for leverage when the momentum of a reverse crossbody off the middle turnbuckle put Rhodes on top; prior to the bout, the Colons made fun of Dibiase & Rhodes for being the errand boys of WWE World Champion Randy Orton; during the bout, an on screen clock counted down to the WWE World Title match later in the show
Triple H fought WWE World Champion Randy Orton to a draw in a last man standing match at 20:03 when neither man could reach referee Mike Chioda’s standing 10 count after the challenger dropped Orton with a Pedigree on the entrance stage, injuring his knee in the process; late in the bout, Triple H hit a stage crew member in the face with a ladder when Orton moved out of the way; after the contest, referees came out to help Triple H backstage, with him briefly breaking free to attack Orton until he was pulled away (The Best of Raw: 2009)
Mickie James, Brie & Nikki Bella defeated WWE Women’s Champion Maryse, Beth Phoenix, & Rosa Mendez at 5:07 when Mickie pinned Rosa with a superkick; prior to the bout, an on screen graphic advertised a sneak peak for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” immediately after the show
The Big Show pinned John Cena at 10:25 after Mike Mizanin jumped on the ring apron and shoved Show on top of Cena as Show was hoisted up for the FU; prior to the bout, an on screen graphic advertised a sneak peak for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” immediately after the show; after the contest, Mizanin slid in the ring and did the “You can’t see me” gesture as Cena lay in the ring 6/29/09; San Jose, CA; HP Pavilion
6/29/09 – featured an opening announcement by Vince McMahon at the entrance stage in which he said Donald Trump had devised behind his back to trade 15 stars between Raw, Smackdown!, and ECW; McMahon then noted Trump’s move to get rid of the GM role on Raw and instead have a guest host each week; Batista, wearing a suit with a brace on his arm, was then introduced as the guest host for the show; Batista then said a four-man tournament would take place later in the show to determine who would face WWE World Champion Randy Orton at Night of Champions, with John Cena vs. Mike Mizanin and Triple H vs. MVP; Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., and Cody Rhodes then appeared at the entrance stage, with Orton questioning what was stopping him from ripping the rest of Batista to pieces; Batista then said, in his role, he has unlimited potential and could fire all three of them any time he wanted; Batista then said Orton would be facing three of the five new Raw stars later in the show in a gauntlet match; included a backstage segment with Orton, Dibiase, Rhodes, and Batista in which Batista said he would fire Dibiase and Rhodes if they interfered in the gauntlet match; featured a video package recapping the feud between Cena and Mizanin; included the announcement World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk would face WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Edge Thursday on WWE Superstars; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was watched by more than 2 million females, beating all programming on The CW, Lifetime, E!, and Oxygen; included an ad promoting “Macho Madness: The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection;” featured a backstage segment with Orton, Rhodes, and Dibiase in which Dibiase said his father would be the guest host the next week on Raw, with Orton walking off after asking how could that help him tonight; included an ad promoting the DVD release of “12 Rounds” the following day; featured a video package promoting the Summer Slam Reading Jam, with appearances by MVP, CM Punk, Matt Hardy, and Mark Henry; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was seen by more people than any show on ABC, NBC, The CW, or Fox:
Night of Champions #1 Contender Tournament Semi Finals: Triple H pinned MVP by reversing the Playmaker into the Pedigree at 4:37; prior to the bout, footage was shown of MVP appearing with Sherri Shepherd the previous night at the BET Awards in Los Angeles
WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Edge defeated Carlito & Primo Colon at 9:36 when Edge pinned Carlito with the spear after Jericho shoved Primo into the bottom rope outside the ring, causing Carlito to miss a springboard elbow and hit the mat; prior to the bout, Jericho and Edge said they joined forces to dominate the WWE at a time in which they couldn’t get the job done alone due to inept management; after the bout, Carlito appeared to be upset with Primo for the loss
Night of Champions #1 Contender Tournament Semi Finals: John Cena defeated Mike Mizanin via submission with the STFU at 13:50 (The John Cena Experience)
Mickie James defeated Kelly Kelly, Beth Phoenix, and Rosa Mendes at 6:07 by pinning Mendes with the DDT; stipulations stated the winner would challenge WWE Divas Champion Maryse at Night of Champions; Maryse provided guest commentary for the match; after the contest, Mickie confronted Maryse at the commentary table
WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston fought the Big Show to a double count-out in a non-title match at 3:40 after Kingston sent Show head-first into the ringpost as both men were on the outside
Gauntlet Match: WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned Evan Bourne (mystery opponent) at 3:19 in a non-title match with an RKO off the top after crotching Bourne on the top as he attempted the Shooting Star Press (The Best of Raw: 2009)
Gauntlet Match: WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated Jack Swagger (mystery opponent) via count-out in a non-title match at 1:14 when Swagger stood on the ring apron and allowed himself to be counted-out; after the bout, Swagger took the mic, said he always liked and respected Orton, and then shook his hand before leaving the ring (The Best of Raw: 2009)
Gauntlet Match: Mark Henry (mystery opponent) pinned WWE World Champion Randy Orton in a non-title match at 3:33 with the powerslam; prior to the bout, Henry took the mic and said he also liked and respected Orton and would also leave a good impression on his return to Raw; after the contest, Batista appeared at the entrance stage to celebrate the win (The Best of Raw: 2009) 6/29/09; San Jose, CA; HP Pavilion
7/6/09 – featured an opening segment in which Lilian Garcia introduced Ted Dibiase Sr. as the show’s guest host for the week; moments later, Dibiase – in possession of the Million $ Title – came to the ring with Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes; Dibiase then said he cut a check to be guest host for the week, praised his son and Rhodes, said there would be no title defenses on Raw before Night of Champions, and then said Dibiase & Rhodes would challenge WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Edge & Chris Jericho at the pay-per-view; Dibiase then asked Rhodes what he thought of Mark Henry beating WWE World Champion Randy Orton the previous week and then made a match for later in the night pitting Rhodes against Henry; Dibiase then turned to his son and said Orton was holding him down and said Orton knows Dibiase is more talented; Dibiase then pitted his son against Orton for later in the show and said the younger Dibiase would win; moments later, Dibiase left ringside and Edge & Jericho came out for the opening match; included a backstage segment with Orton, Dibiase, and Rhodes in which Dibiase and Orton argued over who would win their match later in the show and which of their fathers was better; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 6 times as many viewers watched the last week’s episode than Major League Baseball on ESPN; included the announcement Gail Kim and Alicia Fox had also been traded to Raw, alongside Evan Bourne, Mark Henry, and Jack Swagger; featured a backstage segment with Dibiase Sr. and Rhodes in which Rhodes attempted to buy his way out of the match with Henry, with Dibiase then making fun of his dad and threatening to put Rhodes in pokadots; included an ad promoting Christian vs. Vladimir Kozlov Thursday on ECW, with the winner facing ECW World Champion Tommy Dreamer at Night of Champions; featured a “Do not try this at home” PSA; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Triple H regarding his match later in the show against John Cena; featured an ad promoting the “12 Rounds” DVD; featured footage of MVP and Sherri Shepherd appearing at the 2009 BET Awards; included a segment of the VIP Lounge with guest Swagger in which Swagger said MVP spent time at Florida State but it wasn’t the university and that he spent nearly 10 years behind bars; MVP then said he accepted his responsibility and wants to keep others from following the same path; he then got in Swagger’s face and said he never backed down from a fight, with Swagger eventually leaving the ring as MVP said Swagger didn’t want to fight anyone since coming to Raw; featured a backstage segment with Dibiase and his father in which Dibiase blamed his dad for booking him in a match he was doomed to fail, with Dibiase then slapping his father across the face; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE programs can be seen in 465 million homes worldwide, more than the NBA, MLB, and NFL combined; featured footage of Cena siging autographs immediately after the previous week’s Raw at FYE in San Jose; included Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Cena regarding his upcoming match with Triple H:
WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Edge & Chris Jericho defeated Carlito & Primo Colon in a non-title match at 5:18 when Edge pinned Primo after Primo sustained the Code Breaker and spear; after the bout, Carlito threw Primo into the ringpost and assaulted him on the floor before eventually leaving ringside
Mickie James & Gail Kim defeated WWE Divas Champion Maryse & Alicia Fox at 3:24 when Gail pinned Maryse with a modified jawbreaker
Mark Henry defeated Cody Rhodes via count-out at 1:37 when Rhodes left ringside after sustaining the powerslam
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned Ted Dibiase Jr. in a non-title match at 10:47 with the RKO after avoiding Dream Street (The Best of Raw: 2009)
Evan Bourne pinned WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston in a non-title match at 3:06 with the Shooting Star Press after lifting his knee as the champion ran into the corner; after the bout, the two men shook hands before the Big Show appeared, speared Bourne, and choked Kingston out with the Camel Clutch
Night of Champions #1 Contender Tournament Finals: Triple H fought John Cena to a double disqualification at 18:33 when Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes attacked both men; moments later, WWE World Champion Randy Orton appeared at the entrance stage and said neither man won so neither man gets a shot at his title at Night of Champions; Ted Dibiase Sr. then appeared and said Orton would face both Triple H and Cena at the pay-per-view 7/20/09; Raleigh, NC
7/20/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Cena in which he referenced the WrestleMania 24 match he had with Triple H and Randy Orton and noted they would face off again at Night of Champions; moments later, WWE World Champion Orton interrupted and reminded Cena that he won that match and he would win again at Night of Champions; after Cena challenged Orton to a fight then and there, Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes jumped out of the crowd and surrounded Cena; Triple H then cleared Legacy from the ring, took the mic and said he didn’t care if he won the title at the pay-per-view or if Cena did but that he would make sure Orton didn’t win; Triple H and Cena then debated how tall Seth Green was, noting that Green got the best of Orton the week before; Orton then challenged Cena & Triple H to face himself, Dibiase, & Rhodes – instead of just Dibiase & Rhodes as originally announced – in the night’s main event; Cena & Triple H accepted; included a backstage segment with ZZ Top in which they spoke about the main event; Santino Marella then walked in and said he was a huge fan of “Zzzzz top,” with the duo then dressing Marella up to look like them; Marella then joined the band by singing “Cheap Sunglasses;” featured a backstage segment with Marella, ZZ Top, and Chris Jericho in which Jericho said he was a huge fan of ZZ Top and asked if they wanted to jam with he and Fozzy later in the night; instead, ZZ Top booked him in a match against Mark Henry; to end the segment, ZZ Top and Marella acted like they were playing “La Grange;” included an ad promoting the “Allied Powers: The World’s Greatest Tag Teams” DVD; featured a graphic promoting ZZ Top’s summer tour with Aerosmith; included Josh Matthews conducting a podium interview with Mickie James regarding her match with WWE Divas Champion Maryse at Night of Champions; moments later, Mike Mizanin interrupted, said Maryse was much better than Mickie, and that Mickie would be working as a waitress at Waffle House in 10 years; Maryse then appeared and sprayed something in Mickie’s face, blinding her; featured the announcement WWE IC Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. would face World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk Friday on Smackdown!; included a backstage segment with ZZ Top, Marella, and Chavo Guerrero Jr. in which Guerrero complained he hadn’t been used right; ZZ Top then said Guerrero would face Hornswoggle in a “Sharp Dressed Man” tuxedo match later in the show; included a backstage segment with Triple H and Cena in which they discussed their main event match and facing each other at the pay-per-view; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw was the longest running weekly entertainment show, having more episodes than Cheers, ER, and Seinfeld combined; included a backstage segment with ZZ Top and Marella in which Kelly Kelly came in and put her leg on a chair while “Legs” played in the background; Alicia Fox then kicked Kelly out of the scene, with Gail Kim doing the same to Fox and Rosa Mendes doing the same to Kim; Marella then took off his own pants to pose, with ZZ Top then walking off; featured an in-ring segment in which Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler ran down several matches set for Night of Champions; included a backstage segment in which Jericho walked into Dibiase & Rhodes, with the two saying no one wanted to be Jericho’s partner at Night of Champions; Jericho then said he’s held more titles than both their fathers combined and said he had people knocking down his door wanting to be his partner; featured the announcement Shaquille O’Neal would be the host of Raw the following week:
WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston, Primo Colon, & MVP defeated the Big Show, Carlito, & Jack Swagger at 9:13 when Primo pinned Carlito with a springboard headbutt after Show accidentally dropped Carlito with a spear; prior to the bout, it was announced Kingston would defend against Mike Mizanin, Show, Carlito, Swagger, and MVP at Night of Champions; during the ring entrances, each man’s name appeared alongside the Dave and Busters logo; after the bout, Show laid out Primo, MVP, Swagger, and Kingston
Jerry Lawler pinned The Brian Kendrick in an impromptu match at 2:20 with the flying fistdrop after avoiding The Kendrick; prior to the bout, Kendrick insulted Lawler at the commentary table; moments later, Lawler interrupted Lilian Garcia and said he would introduce Kendrick’s opponent; he then announced if would be him; Lawler wrestled the match in street clothes
Mark Henry defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho via disqualification at 5:07 when Jericho hit Henry with a chair outside the ring; after the bout, Henry grabbed the chair away and threw Jericho onto the commentary table; moments later, Jericho attempted the Code Breaker in the ring but Henry blocked it and dropped Jericho with the powerslam
Hornswoggle defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a tuxedo match at 2:35 after taking his pants off
Alicia Fox & Rosa Mendes defeated Gail Kim & Kelly Kelly at 3:42 when Alicia pinned Kelly with an inside cradle, though both women were against the ropes during the cover
Triple H & John Cena defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., & Cody Rhodes in a handicap match at 13:33 when Cena pinned Orton with a roll up after avoiding the kick to the head; after the match, Triple H and Cena shook hands 7/27/09; Washington DC; Verizon Center
7/27/09 – featured an opening segment in which Jerry Lawler introduced Shaquille O’Neal as the guest host of the night, with O’Neal saying the challenger for the WWE World Title at Summer Slam would be determined later in the show in a Beat the Clock Challenge featuring Triple H, MVP, Jack Swagger, Mark Henry, and John Cena; moments later, WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho interrupted, confronted Shaq, and said he thought the most dominant player in the NBA was Kobe Bryant; Shaq replied by calling Jericho “Christina,” kissing his forehead, and playing with his hair; as the two continued to have words, Jericho brought out WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show; after Shaq and Show faced off, Shaq mentioned his show “Shaq vs.” and challenged Show to a match; Show then said wrestling Shaq would lead to too many legal fees and attorneys; Shaq then said he found two guys that would fight them and introduced Cryme Tyme, with Jericho & Show then leaving as Shaq said he would be the special ringside enforcer when Cryme Tyme faced Jericho & Show later in the show and then led the crowd in a chant of “Christina;” included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE programs are broadcast in 30 languages to more than 145 countries and are available in 500 million homes worldwide; members of the Washington Redskins were shown in attendance; featured Michael Cole speaking backstage with Shaq, during which Hornswoggle appeared and Shaq said they went to high school together; included a backstage segment in which Ted Dibiase Jr. attacked Triple H’s leg with a club; featured a backstage segment with Shaq and Santino Marella, playing Scrabble, with Cryme Tyme then walking in and talking with Shaq about the main event; moments later, Santino interrupted them to do a rap; included an ad promoting “12 Rounds” on DVD; featured a backstage segment with Jack Swagger and WWE World Champion Randy Orton in which Swagger said he would win the Beat the Clock Challenge and go on to challenge Orton for the title; moments later, Mark Henry appeared and stared Orton down; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers all US military personnel free tickets to live events in the US; members of the National Guard were shown in attendance; featured the announcement Jeremy Piven would host the following week’s show; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Triple H regarding Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. costing him opportunities at the WWE World Title, with Triple H then challenging Legacy to a handicap match the following week; featured the announcement John Morrison would challenge World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy Friday on Smackdown!:
Beat the Clock Challenge: Mark Henry pinned Carlito at 6:49 after catching Carlito attempting a crossbody and hitting the powerslam
WWE Divas Champion Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, & Gail Kim defeated Beth Phoenix, Rosa Mendes, & Alicia Fox at 3:34 when Gail pinned Alicia with a missile dropkick; Jerry Lawler provided sole commentary for the match after Michael Cole went backstage to interview Shaquille O’Neal
Beat the Clock Challenge: MVP fought Chris Masters to a double count-out at 3:39 when Masters applied the full nelson outside the ring (Masters’ surprise return after a 2-year absence)
WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston pinned The Brian Kendrick in a non-title match at the 11-second mark with the spin kick to the head; prior to the match, Kendrick took the mic and cut a promo on Jerry Lawler, saying he hadn’t forgot how Lawler humiliated him the week before and would get his payback after he beat up Kingston
Beat the Clock Challenge: Triple H fought Cody Rhodes to a draw at 6:50; late in the bout, Ted Dibiase Jr. came ringside to distract Triple H; Triple H had Rhodes covered following the Pedigree when time expired
Hornswoggle pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. at 3:33 with the frog splash after avoiding Guerrero’s frog splash; stipulations stated Guerrero had to wrestle the match blindfolded
Beat the Clock Challenge: Even Bourne pinned Jack Swagger at 3:42 by reversing an attempt at the gutwrench powerbomb into a cradle
Beat the Clock Challenge: John Cena defeated Mike Mizanin via submission with the STFU at 4:28; prior to the bout, Mizanin cut an in-ring promo in which he said he would dominate Cena and let the clock keep Cena out of the title match; Miz then quoted President Obama by saying “Yes I can” in reference to preventing Cena from the title shot; WWE World Champion Randy Orton sat ringside for the bout; Mark Henry was shown watching on backstage during the match; during the contest, there were brief dueling chants of “Let’s go Cena” and “Cena sucks;” as a result of beating the clock, Cena earned a WWE World Title match at Summer Slam; after the bout, Orton confronted Cena in the ring and held up his title belt
Cryme Tyme defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show in a non-title match via disqualification at 6:40 when Show began attacking both opponents without being tagged in; Shaquille O’Neal served as the guest ringside enforcer for the match; after the contest, Show and Shaq faced off in the ring and both put a choke on the other until Cryme Tyme came to Shaq’s aid with Shaq then knocking Show to the floor with a tackle; Shaq and Cryme Tyme then celebrated in the ring as the show ended 8/3/09; Uncasville, CT; Mohegan Sun Arena
8/3/09 – featured an opening segment in which Lilian Garcia introduced Jeremy Piven as the guest host of the show, with Piven then driving into the arena; Piven then came out to the ring with Dr. Ken Jeong, who was in his trunk; moments later, Piven said he’s always wanted to do this and then wen out to the floor so he could get his own pyrotechnic entrance; Piven then said Triple H would face Legacy later in the show, with Mike Mizanin then interrupting and saying everyone in the crowd had “The Goods” (Piven’s latest movie) but Miz didn’t; Miz then said he wanted John Cena and threatened Piven until Cena appeared, said he beat Miz in 2 minutes the previous week, wasn’t very good, and had a face for radio; Cena then called Miz a rusted out Pinto and said Piven would have to somehow make the match interesting; Piven then made Cena vs. Miz a lumberjack match for later in the show and that Miz would be banned from “Summerfest” if he lost, with Cena then correcting him by saying “Summer Slam;” Piven then said the loss would also get Miz banned from the Staples Center, then upped it to Miz being banned from Raw permanently; included highlights from the previous week’s show hosted by Shaq and coverage by ESPN; featured a graphic advertising a WWE.com vote on who would win in a fight between the Big Show and Shaq; included a backstage segment with Piven, Dr. Ken, Kelly Kelly, Alicia Fox, and Rosa Mendes in which Dr. Ken began making fun of Show until Show walked in and said he wanted Shaq in the ring again; Show then suggested he take on Piven later in the show, with Piven then offering him WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston instead and Show agreeing; featured previews from “The Goods;” included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw was seen by more adults 18-34 the previous week than any program on CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW, and all of cable; featured a backstage segment with Chavo Guerrero Jr., Piven, and Dr. Ken in which Chavo kept confusing Piven for other celebrities and thought Dr. Ken was Hiro from “Heroes,” with Piven then saying he would give Chavo a match later in the show against Hornswoggle; included a backstage segment with WWE World Champion Randy Orton, Piven, and Dr. Ken in which Piven said he wanted Orton to be the guest ring announcer for the main event, with Orton then yelling at them both and storming off; featured a backstage segment in which Triple H was shown calling someone about what happened to him earlier in the show, saying he needed help, and asking “Are you ready?” with the line then going dead; included the announcement Sgt. Slaughter would host the following week’s show:
Jack Swagger pinned Evan Bourne at 3:17 with the gutwrench powerbomb; after the match, Swagger twice hit a bomb off the ropes onto Bourne and set him up for another gutwrench powerbomb until MVP slid in the ring, clearing Swagger to the floor
Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall defeated WWE Divas Champion Mickie James & Gail Kim at 3:22 when Phoenix pinned Kim after making the blind tag and dropping her with the Glam Slam
Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Triple H in a handicap match at 11:16 when Rhodes scored the pin with Crossroads moments after Triple H sustained Dream Street; after the bout, after Legacy left the ring, Triple H took the mic, said the match didn’t go as he planned, and said maybe they were too much for him; Triple H then said he might bring back Evolution – then thought better of it after saying WWE World Champion Randy Orton is a jerk, Batista is hurt all the time, and Ric Flair is signing autographs at the VFW; he then suggested he make one phone call and then led the crowd in telling Legacy to suck it
Carlito pinned Primo Colon with the Back Stabber at 3:11 after kicking Primo’s injured arm
Mark Henry (sub. for Hornswoggle) pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the powerslam at 1:12; prior to the bout, Jeremy Piven & Dr. Ken appeared on the big screen and told Guerrero that Hornswoggle had come down with chicken pox but they found his cousin to fill in, Markswoggle; Henry then came out wearing a leprachaun hat; after the contest, Henry lifted the apron with Hornswoggle then rolling out and hitting the frog splash onto Guerrero; Henry and Hornswoggle then did a jig in the ring
WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston defeated WWE United Tag Team Champion the Big Show (w/ WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho) via disqualification at 5:13 when Show repeatedly punched Kingston in the ribs while he was trapped in the corner; prior to the bout, the results of the WWE.com poll read that 83% of voting fans said Shaq could take Show in a fight; Jericho provided guest commentary for the match; after the bout, Show knocked Kingston out with a punch before Jericho berated him
John Cena pinned Mike Mizanin in a lumberjack match at 5:18 with the FU after Miz attempted to hit Cena with Dr. Ken’s cane; prior to the match, Jeremy Piven and Dr. Ken appeared at the entrance stage with Piven saying he was a fan of Cena’s but a bigger fan of WWE World Champion Randy Orton, with Ken then revealing he was wearing an Orton T-shirt; Piven then said he had handpicked the lumberjacks for the match, with Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., Cody Rhodes, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Jack Swagger, Chris Masters, and Carlito then appearing; stipulations stated that if Miz lost the match then he would be banned from Raw, Summer Slam, and the Staples Center; after the match, Piven came off the top with a crossbody but Cena caught him in mid-air; Ken then slid in the ring and hit Cena with his cane but couldn’t drop Cena; moments later, Cena threw Ken to the floor onto Swagger, Carlito, and Masters before staring at Legacy who was at the entrance stage 8/10/09; Calgary, Alberta; Pengrowth Saddledome
8/10/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE World Champion Randy Orton in which he guaranteed he would beat John Cena at Summer Slam; moments later, Cena interrupted and said he was tired of Orton blurring the lines between fact and rumor and bullying everybody he can; Cena eventually dared Orton to make the first move, with WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show then coming out to the ring; Show then cut a promo on Cena and Orton until he was interrupted by “Y2J” chants; Jericho then took the mic, aknowledged his crowd applause, noted he was from Canada, and then said he met with guest host Sgt. Slaughter earlier in the day and arranged to have a match with Cena later in the show; Orton then said he might kick Cena in the head after Jericho’s match with Cena, with Show then saying he was facing Orton later in the show; included a WWE.com trivia question asking who Slaughter beat to win the WWE Championship, with the options of Randy Savage, the Ultimate Warrior, and Hulk Hogan; featured a promo by Slaughter at the entrance stage in which he said it was an honor to stand before all the proud Canadian fans and then led them in a salute to the Canadian flag; after the crowd began chanting “Canada” and the flag appeared on the big screen, a slash appeared through it and Slaughter then said the fans would be speaking Russian and French if it wasn’t thanks to the US; Slaughter then demanded the fans to stand and show respect to the American flag, then reciting the Pledge of Alliegence; included footage from earlier in the day of Triple H at an office building trying to get Shawn Michaels on his cell phone; moments later, Triple H came up behind a guy with a pony tail, thinking it was Michaels, with the man then hitting on Triple H; moments later, a little girl was shown demanding her hamburger at the cafeteria, with Michaels then telling her he had to cook the burger on both sides and to go sit back down; featured the announcement Triple H would appear on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” the following night; included Slaughter at the entrance stage saying he found Celine Dion to sing the Canadian National Anthem, with Jillian Hall then coming out dressed as Uncle Sam and singing “God Bless America;” featured a segment with Triple H and Michaels in which Michaels said he was part of something big and was liked and respected at his new job, with the little girl coming by, saying his food sucked, and then threw it in his face; Michaels then said he was really good and his new chef job, just as his grill shot up in flames behind him; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com had more unique visitors, visits, and page views than Nascar.com, SI.com, NHL.com, NFL.com, and UFC.com; featured a look at Jeremy Piven hosting Raw the previous week and his appearances since on ‘Regis & Kelly’ and ‘The Jimmy Fallon Show;’ included footage from earlier in the day of Triple H and Michaels in which Triple H said he wanted Michaels with him at Summer Slam, with Michaels saying he thought it was called Summer Fest; moments later, Michaels’ manager walked in and yelled at Michaels for screwing up all day before Michaels superkicked him; the two then led the crowd in saying “Suck it,” with an old woman in the cafeteria line saying the line instead; the little girl then appeared, with Michaels then superkicking her off screen; Michaels then caused a fire in the kitchen and yelled that he quit, then walked off with Triple H; featured the results of the WWE.com poll in which 51% of the fans agreed Slaughter won his WWE World Title by beating the Warrior, with 16% saying Savage, and 23% saying Hogan; included a promo by Slaughter in which he thanked the fans for letting him have some fun at their expense and said he had a special guest, then introducing him as “the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be;” Bret Hart’s music then began to play, with Jim Duggan coming out instead waving the American flag and Slaughter chanting “USA;” featured the announcement ECW World Champion Christian would appear the following night on ECW as part of ‘The Abraham Washington Show;’ included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Jericho regarding his upcoming match against John Cena, during which he noted he lived in Calgary for 7 years and would dedicate his win to Calgary; moments later, Show appeared and complained about Orton walking out of his match, with Jericho then insulting Calgary, saying it stinked, and making fun of the Canadians’ intelligence until Matthews chimed in and told Jericho the cameras were still rolling; featured the announcement John Morrison would face CM Punk Friday on Smackdown!; included the announcement Freddie Prinze Jr. would host the following week’s show:
Gail Kim defeated Beth Phoenix, Alicia Fox, and Kelly Kelly at 4:10 by pinning Fox with a modified jawbreaker; stipulations stated the winner would earn a WWE Divas Title match; during the introductions, Lilian Garcia accidentally introduced Alicia Fox as “Alicia Keys” (debut of Fox’s move)
Jack Swagger pinned Evan Bourne with the gutwrench powerbomb at 2:47; after the match, Swagger took the mic and bragged about the win until MVP came out, said he wasn’t blessed with a trust fund like Swagger, but he was blessed with the ability to beat him in the ring; MVP then challenged Swagger to a match for later in the show, with Swagger then saying it might happen the following week; MVP then shoved Swagger to the mat, with Swagger then rolling out to the floor and leaving ringside
The Calgary Kid defeated Eugene in a contract on a pole match at 1:20; stipulations stated the winner would earn a contract on Raw; after the bout, the masked Kid helped Eugene to his feet only to drop him with the Skull Crushing Finale, then unmasked himself as Mike Mizanin; moments later, Mizanin announced himself as the winner and said he was awesome (Eugene’s surprise return after a 2-year absence; his last appearance)
WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton via count-out in a non-title match at 6:05 when Orton refused to return to the ring after avoiding Show’s punch
MVP pinned Chris Masters at 2:30 by reversing the full nelson into the Playmaker; after the bout, Jack Swagger appeared in the aisle, distracting MVP so Masters could apply the full nelson on him; moments later, as the hold was applied, Swagger climbed in the ring, yelled in MVP’s face, and then dropped him with the gutwrench powerbomb
Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Mark Henry & Hornswoggle at 2:40 when Dibiase pinned Hornswoggle with Dream Street; prior to the bout, Chavo Guerrero Jr. came out on the entrance stage, said he was supposed to find a tag team partner to face Henry & Hornswoggle, but that his injury from the previous week hadn’t healed; Guerrero then said he found a team to face Henry & Hornswoggle in his absence, with Rhodes & Dibiase then appearing; after the bout, Dibiase & Rhodes cut a promo from the entrance stage regarding the reformation of DX and said they would be happy to face them at Summer Slam
John Cena defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho via disqualification at 6:49 when WWE World Champion Randy Orton slid in the ring as Jericho was caught in the STFU; moments later, Cena stared at Orton, allowing Jericho to drop Cena with the Code Breaker; Jericho then went after Orton, with Orton tossing Jericho to the floor; WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show then appeared and laid out Orton, with Sgt. Slaughter then appearing and saying Cena & Orton would face Jericho & Show the following week; Cena & Orton then knocked Show to the floor with a double clothesline, with Cena then hoisting Jericho up for the FU and Orton adding to the move by dropping Jericho with the RKO at the same time; Cena and Orton then stared at each other as the show ended 8/17/09; St. Louis, MO; Scotttrade Center
8/17/09 – featured an opening segment in which Lilian Garcia introduced Freddie Prinze Jr. as the guest host of the show, with Prinze talking about the WWE action figures, Coliseum Videos, and ice cream bars he grew up with; Prinze then said both the WWE Divas and US titles would be at stake later in the show; moments later, a character dressed as the killer in “I Know What You Did Last Summer” then walked out, with the man then revealing himself as Santino Marella and saying he wanted Prinze to put him in a movie; Marella said he could do more than just horror movies, then proceeded to put on a wig, glasses, and baggy clothes to show how he could go from a nerd to a hot guy, ala “She’s All That;” Marella then went to the floor and began to interrogate Garcia as though he was doing a scene in “24;” Marella then told Prinze to call Keifer Sutherland and his wife “the werewolf killer” to help him get a job, with Prinze then telling him to go backstage and practice for the next 2 hours, with Santino then running off; Prinze began to talk about the night’s scheduled main event, with WWE World Champion Randy Orton interrupting and saying he refused to be in a tag team with John Cena later in the show and didn’t feel like competing at all; Prinze then said he wasn’t going to let the fans down in Orton’s own hometown, with Orton saying he could care less what the fans in St. Louis thought of him; Prinze responded by saying he wasn’t going to be bullied and that the match would take place as scheduled, with Orton dropping Prinze with a modified neckbreaker; moments later, as some in the crowd chanted “RKO,” referees and trainers tended to Prinze in the ring; following the commercial break, it was noted Prinze had been taken for medical treatment; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more teens (12-17) watched the previous week’s show than the Teen Choice Awards on Fox; featured a video package recapping DX’s antics dating back to 1997; included a WWE.com poll question which asked whether Cena & Orton could defeat WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show later in the night; featured footage recapping Triple H going to Texas to bring Michaels back to the WWE; included footage of DX’s limo arriving to the arena, with Triple H having to drag Michaels out of the car until he finally agreed to come with; moments later, Jillian Hall, alongside Alicia Fox, began singing the DX theme until Triple H put a trash can over her head; Marella then appeared asking them where the bomb was, with Michaels dropping him with the superkick; DX eventually went out to the ring and began to cut an in-ring promo until they were attacked from behind by Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes; Triple H made a brief comeback but both he and Michaels were assaulted, with Rhodes hitting Triple H and Michaels in the head with Michaels’ own boot; Dibiase then took the mic and told Triple H that, yes, they were ready; featured an ad promoting the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania Aug. 29 on NBC; included the announcement Prinze had returned to the arena; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Cena regarding teaming with Orton in the main event, with Jericho & Show interrupting and implying Cena might not make it to Summer Slam; included the announcement Floyd Mayweather would host the following week’s show; featured the results of the poll in which 76% of fans polled said Cena & Orton could beat Jericho & Show:
WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Carlito (w/ Rosa Mendes) at 9:21 with the spin kick to the face after blocking an attempt at the Back Stabber
Mike Mizanin pinned Evan Bourne with a reversal into the Skull Crushing Finale at 4:10; prior to the bout, Miz cut an in-ring promo saying he was banned from Raw 2 weeks earlier and was in the midst of making a huge turnaround, then said he was after WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston (the debut of the finisher)
WWE Divas Champion Mickie James pinned Gail Kim at 3:25 after Kim botched a DDT bump and the Mick Kick
MVP defeated Jack Swagger via disqualification at 1:04 when Swagger refused to let MVP out of the corner as he repeatedly punched him; after the bout, MVP attacked Swagger and cleared him from the ring
Hornswoggle pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a falls count anywhere match at 2:23 when, after chasing Hornswoggle backstage, Guerrero opened a door and was knocked out by a pail that swung down and hit him in the head; earlier in the bout, Guerrero questioned Primo Colon about which way Hornswoggle went backstage; after the match, Guerrero confronted Mark Henry but Henry said the pail wasn’t his doing, with Macaulay Culkin then appearing
John Cena & Randy Orton defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show in a non-title lumberjack match at around the 10-minute mark when Cena pinned Jericho with the FU after knocking Show off the apron; the lumberjack stipulation was not added until, after the entrances, Freddie Prinze Jr. came out and said he had handpicked lumberjacks that didn’t like Orton, stemming from Orton attacking Prinze earlier in the show; lumberjacks for the bout included Mark Henry, MVP, Jamie Noble, Primo Colon, WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston, and Evan Bourne; immediately after the match, Orton dropped Cena with the RKO; moments later, Jericho & Show fought off the lumberjacks until Cena eventually cleared both men from the ring (the bout began during the commercial break) 8/24/09; Las Vegas, NV; Thomas & Mack Center
8/24/09 – featured an opening backstage promo by WWE World Champion Randy Orton, alongside Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, regarding his win the previous night at Summer Slam over John Cena; Ted then said the fan that ran in during Orton’s match was his own brother Brett Dibiase; Orton then said Brett’s interference was inexcusable, with Brett then saying he was sorry; Rhodes then said Orton would have won regardless of the interference; included an in-ring promo by Vince McMahon in which he said Cena would face Orton in an I Quit match at Breaking Point and that Orton would be stripped of the title should anyone interfere on his behalf; moments later, Triple H & Shawn Michaels came out and noted it was Vince’s birthday, with Triple H saying Vince was 84 before correcting himself that it was 74; Vince then admitted he was 64 before Shawn introduced a video package for Vince to the tune of Kenny Rogers’ “Through the Years;” halfway through, it cut to Vince singing at the 1987 Slammy Awards followed by Donald Trump shaving his head, altercations with Steve Austin, and other embarassing moments caused by DX; DX then had a cake brought ringside, showgirls, and Cirque du Soleil performers – to which Vince said “Those masks are really gay; an Elvis impersonator then came out, put a pair of sunglasses on Vince, and led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday;” Big Dick Johnson then came out of the cake and danced in the ring until Vince threw him out to the floor; DX then asked everyone else to get out of the ring so they could give Vince a private gift and acted as though they were going to have something dumped on Vince’s head; moments later, Dibiase & Rhodes came through the crowd and brawled with DX before leaving the ring; Orton then appeared at the entrance stage, with Triple H then making a match for later in the night pitting DX & McMahon against Orton, Dibiase, & Rhodes; Vince then said the match would be No DQ and then prompted the crowd to say “Suck it;” featured a video package on Floyd Mayweather, the host of the night; included ads promoting the NBC WrestleMania 25 special the coming Saturday; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than one mollion more viewers watched Raw the previous week than than Monday Night Football on ESPN; included a backstage segment with DX in which, standing beside a cafe, they had to almost yell to put over the “Rise and Fall of WCW” DVD and their new merchandise; moments later, Jillian Hall – as Marilyn Monroe – was shown singing “Happy Birthday” to Vince until he yelled at her to get out; featured a backstage segment with the Dibiases and Rhodes regarding the upcoming main event; moments later, Orton arrived, asked Brett to leave, and then said the match Vince made for the main event would be his last; included a backstage segment with Vince and Mayweather in which Carlito interrupted and said Mayweather was doing a crappy job as guest hosting because he wasn’t on the show; Triple H & Michaels then showed up as Vince continued to work out for the main event, with Triple H saying he was going to get busy with Vince’s daughter; an angry Vince then punched out Carlito, with Michaels saying “Now that’s cool;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWEClassics.com features more than 15,000 matches from WWE, World Class, AWA, WCW, ECW, and the AWA:
Mike Mizanin pinned Santino Marella with the Skull Crushing Finale at 2:05; after the bout, Mizanin took the mic and said he was one step closer to beating Kofi Kingston for the WWE US Title
Beth Phoenix, Rosa Mendes, & Alicia Fox defeated WWE Divas Champion Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, & Gail Kim at 2:36 when Fox pinned James with a scissors kick; all the participants wore boxing gear for the bout
MVP & Mark Henry defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champions the Big Show & Chris Jericho in a non-title impromptu match at around the 16-minute mark when MVP pinned Jericho after beind handed a piece of jewelry by Floyd Mayweather and hitting Jericho with it; prior to the bout, footage was shown of the Show vs. Mayweather match at WrestleMania 24; moments later, Show & Jericho said they weren’t leaving the ring until Mayweather came out; Mayweather and his entourage, all wearing “Mayweather vs. Marquez Sept. 19, 2009 HBO PPV” shirts, then appeared; Mayweather then said he would take Show out but he had a more important pay-per-view fight to worry about; Jericho then said Mayweather was a great self-promoter but not a great fighter and Juan Marquez would knock him out; after Show again threatened Mayweather, MVP appeared and insulted both Show & Jericho before challenging the champions in a non-title match, with the stipulation that if MVP and his partner won then they would get a title shot at Breaking Point; MVP then introduced Henry as his partner; Mayweather and his enrourage remained ringside for the duration of the bout; after the match, Show carried Jericho backstage as Mayweather celebrated in the ring with the winners
Hornswoggle defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. via disqualification in a boxing match at 1:06 when Chavo slammed Hornswoggle; Chavo was forced to wear oversized novelty boxing gloves for the fight; after the contest, Guerrero went to hit the frog splash on Chavo until Evan Bourne made the save and hit the Shooting Star Press
Triple H, Shawn Michaels, & Vince McMahon defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., & Cody Rhodes in a No DQ match at 13:40 when McMahon pinned Orton after John Cena interfered, Michaels hit Orton with the superkick, and Cena followed with the FU 8/31/09; Detroit, MI; Joe Louis Arena
8/31/09 – featured an opening in-ring segment in which Lillian Garcia introduced Dusty Rhodes as the guest host for the night; moments later, Rhodes noted that he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame two years earlier in Detroit and then said John Cena would challenge Cody Rhodes at Breaking Point for the WWE World Title because Cody would challenge WWE World Champion Randy Orton later in the broadcast; Rhodes then said Cena would be the guest referee for the bout and he would be in his son’s corner; Orton then appeared and said Dusty was jealous because Cody could look up to Orton more than he could his own father; Orton then questioned what was stopping him from kicking Dusty in the head like he did in 2007, with Cody then coming out and saying he intended on leaving the arena with the world title and that it wasn’t personal; included a backstage segment in which a referee was shown speaking with the participants in the upcoming diva battle royal; featured the announcement the Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker match from WrestleMania would air the following night on ECW; included a backstage segment with Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Dusty, with Dusty saying he would make sure Cody gave one of them a title shot once he wins the WWE World Title; Michaels and Triple H then argued over who should get the match first before shilling “The Rise and Fall of WCW,” “American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story,” and “The New and Improved DX” DVDs; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read John Cena has granted 140 wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, more than any superstar in WWE, NBA, or NFL history; included a backstage segment with Cody and Ted Dibiase Jr. regarding Cody facing Orton later in the show; Orton then walked in and reminded Cody that it wasn’t personal, it was just business; included a backstage segment with Dusty, Michaels, and Triple H in which they were shown watching Kevin Nash facing Hulk Hogan at the Georgia Dome – as part of the “Rise and Fall of WCW” DVD – and then discussed the WCW vs. WWF wars of the 90s and how WCW beat the WWF when Michaels was world champion, which Michaels took offense to; moments later, Triple H asked Dusty who’s idea it was to take a no talent like Marc Mero and dress him up like Little Richard, with Dusty admitting it was him; featured a “Do not try this at home” PSA; included a backstage segment with Dusty, Michaels, & Triple H in which Triple H asked why the Shockmaster wasn’t on the WCW DVD; after Triple H described what it was, someone was heard saying Triple H and Michaels’ names in a Shockmaster tone; someone playing the Shockmaster then fell through a wall, with Arn Anderson being revealed as providing the voice; after Arn ran off, Dusty said “It should have worked!” in relation to the angle; the Shockmaster then revealed himself as Santino Marella, who agreed that he loved the Shockmaster; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s show was seen by more than 2 million females, beating every show on The CW, Oxygen, and Lifetime; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Cena regarding his participation in the main event as the guest referee, during which Cena guaranteed victory at Breaking Point; featured the announcement the Michaels vs. Undertaker WrestleMania 25 match would air the following night on ECW; included the announcement Bob Barker would host the following week’s Raw:
Beth Phoenix won a 6-diva battle royal by last eliminating Gail Kim at 3:02; other participants included Kelly Kelly, Rosa Mendes, Jillian Hall, and Alicia Fox; stipulations stated the winner would earn a shot at the WWE Divas Title later in the show; order of elimination: Mendes by Beth (0:36); Fox by Gail (1:08); Kelly by Jillian (1:14); Jillian by Gail via a headscissors over the top (2:54); Gail by Beth via a kick as Gail was on the apron
WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho pinned MVP with the Code Breaker at 8:47 after kicking out of an inside cradle (The Best of Raw: 2009)
Hornswoggle defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a bullrope match at 1:58 after Evan Bourne distracted Guerrero from ringside; Hornswoggle came out for the match dressed as a cowboy while Guerrero came out dressed as a cow; rules stated the winner would be the one to hogtie his opponent; prior to the bout, the referee made Chavo wear a cow head per Dusty Rhodes orders; after the contest, Guerrero attacked Bourne until Hornswoggle made the save; moments later, Bourne put the cow head on Hornswoggle before he hit the frog splash on Guerrero
Mark Henry defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show via disqualification at 5:15 when Show took off one of the turnbuckle pads and then shoved Henry face-first into it; after the bout, Show landed a right hand punch, knocking Henry to the mat
WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Jack Swagger, Mike Mizanin, and Carlito by pinning Carlito with the spin kick to the face at 8:28 after Mizanin hit the Skull Crushing Finale on Swagger and Carlito hit the Back Stabber on Mizanin (The Best of Raw: 2009)
WWE Divas Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix with a reversal into a DDT at 4:46
Cody Rhodes (w/ Dusty Rhodes) fought WWE World Champion Randy Orton to a no contest when, prior to the bout, Dusty took the mic and told guest referee John Cena that he was sorry, with Orton and Cody then double teaming Cena; following Orton’s entrance, the challenger was shown backstage getting a pep talk from his father; moments later, Ted Dibiase Jr. ran in the ring and dropped Cena with Dream Street, with all three men then assaulting Cena; Triple H & Shawn Michaels then ran in to make the save, with Dusty taking off his cowboy boot and hitting Triple H in the head and Cody dropping Michaels with Crossroads; moments later, Orton, Cody, Dusty, and Dibiase raised their arms in victory before Orton dropped Dusty with a RKO; the show then ended with Cody and Orton staring at each other 9/7/09; Chicago, IL; AllState Arena
9/7/09 – featured Howard Finkel introducing Bob Barker as Raw’s guest host of the night, with Barker then coming out to “The Price is Right” theme song; after Barker said he needed some contestants, Finkel introduced Santino Marella, Jillian Hall, IRS, and WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho; Finkel then said they would be pricing “The Best of Smackdown: 10th Anniversary” DVD, which was brought out by Rosa Mendes; when asked the price, Marella asked if he could buy a vowel and then said $1,465; Jillian then said she was such a big fan that she wanted to sing a song for Barker, with Jillian singing “I Will Always Love You” until Barker cut her off, with Jillian then pricing $75; IRS then asked whether the price included taxes, then picking $50 to include taxes; when it was Jericho’s turn, he refused to speak and instead walked up to Barker, with Barker noting Jericho was pouting and saying Jericho’s mother wouldn’t be proud of the way he’s acting; after Jericho said Barker needed to show him more respect, Barker told the crowd not to boo Jericho because it encourages his bad behavior; after Jericho said the word “one,” Barker said that was his bid and told him to go back to his spot in line; Barker then said the retail price was $18.90 and said Jericho was the winner and told him to get in the ring for a chance to win a Hawaii vacation; Nikki & Brie Bella then served as models as Finkel detailed the 5-day trip; Barker then brought out MVP as Jericho’s opponent for the match; included a backstage segment in which Kelly Kelly spoke with Barker about the charity the proceeds of his book go to; moments later, Shawn Michaels & Triple H appeared, with Kelly prompting them to spin a wheel to determine their opponents later in the show; Michaels landed on Chris Masters and Triple H landed on WWE World Champion Randy Orton; members of the Chicago White Sox were shown in attendance wearing “Price is Right” name tags; featured an ad promoting Smackdown!’s 10th anniversary Oct. 2; included the announcement Batista would appear the following week to make a major announcement; featured Finkel bringing out the White Sox’s AJ Pierzinsky as another contestant and noting the contestants would be pricing the WrestleMania 26 travel package; AJ went with $1,000, IRS went with $2,000, Jillian with $5,000, and Santino with $1,200; Barker then said the retail price was $1,247, with Santino winning; Barker said Santino could win a new hot tub, with the Bellas again acting as models; Santino then ran in the ring and asked if the Bellas came with the hot tub; Barker said no but Santino could only win it in a bodyslam challenge, with WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show then appearing as Santino’s opponent; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Barker about his book “Priceless Memories,” in which Barker said the most unusual segment was when a woman was called down, ran down wearing a tubetop, and her breasts came out on TV and then talked about the abuse he would get from contestants; featured the announcement Trish Stratus would be the guest host for the next week’s show; included an in-ring segment in which Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler ran down some of the matches scheduled for Breaking Point; featured a backstage segment with Barker and Chavo Guerrero Jr. in which Chavo argued he was cheated out of his match earlier in the show and said he wasn’t leaving until he was given his car; Chavo then brought up Barker knew karate, with Barker then laying Chavo out with a few chops:
MVP pinned WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho at 11:00 with a roll up after holding onto the ropes to avoid the Code Breaker; stipulations stated Jericho would win a 5-day vacation in Hawaii if he won
Evan Bourne pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. at 4:19 with a roll up after Guerrero became distracted by Hornswoggle, who came out from under the ring and sprayed Guerrero with a water gun; prior to the bout, Barker appeared on the big screen and said Guerrero would win a new Chevrolet Corvette if he won, with Nikki & Brie Bella appearing as models during the segment
John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes via disqualification at 10:35 when WWE World Champion Randy Orton ran in the ring as Cena had the STFU applied on Rhodes; prior to the bout, Rhodes cut an in-ring promo saying he was still very much a part of Legacy but he didn’t agree with what Orton did to his father, Dusty Rhodes, the previous week; Cody then said he chose career over family and when he and Ted Dibiase Jr. beat Triple H & Shawn Michaels at Breaking Point then that would prove he made the right decision; Rhodes then said, as a favor to Orton, he would make Cena tap to win the match; after the bout, Cena cleared Orton from the ring and dropped Rhodes with the FU
WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show defeated Santino Marella in a bodyslam challenge at the 17-second mark; stipulations stated Santino would win a hot tub if he won; after the match, Bob Barker introduced Mark Henry as another opponent for Show to try to slam
Mark Henry defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show in a bodyslam challenge at 3:19; after the bout, MVP came out to congratulate Henry on the win (The Best of Raw: 2009)
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton & Chris Masters at 14:03 when Masters submitted to Michaels’ figure-4 as Triple H had Orton in a Sharpshooter; after the bout, Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. helped Orton out of the ring, with DX and Legacy then brawling near the entrance stage and then backstage; moments later, a camera showed the four men brawling down the hallway, into the concourse, and eventually outside where Dibiase & Rhodes hijacked a car and left the parking lot; Orton was then shown in the ring where he cut an in-ring promo, saying Legacy would beat DX at Breaking Point and he would beat John Cena; moments later, Cena rushed the ring, with Orton eventually hitting a DDT and following with an RKO onto a steel chair 9/14/09; Toronto, Ontario; Air Canada Centre
9/14/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Batista, his arm in a brace, in which he thanked all the fans in attendance and watching at home for their support; he then said he came back to say goodbye due to his recent injuries; Randy Orton then interrupted and said he wasn’t happy about losing the WWE World Title but Batista retiring helped make up for it and he was responsible for it; Batista then started laughing and said Orton was predictable and he knew something Orton didn’t know; Batista then removed the brace and knocked Orton to the floor before saying he was going to Smackdown! but he would get one more match on Raw and it would be no holds barred against Orton later in the show (Batista’s return after a 3-month absence); included Lilian Garcia introducing Trish Stratus as the guest host of the night, with Trish announcing Orton would challenge WWE World Champion John Cena at the next pay-per-view in Hell in a Cell; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw was seen by more people the previous week than every show on ABC, The CW, and Fox; included a video package recaping Orton kicking Batista in the head in December; featured a backstage segment with Trish and Beth Phoenix, with Beth upset about not being involved in the #1 contender match for the WWE Divas Title; moments later, WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho interrupted and said Trish was once in love with him but he sent her packing, with Trish saying he found a new soulmate in the Big Show; Beth then said Jericho didn’t run off to retire and set up a yoga shop in a second rate country; Trish then said she would find a partner to face Jericho & Beth later in the show; before leaving, Jericho said he would take on Bob Barker anywhere; included an ad promoting “The Best of Smackdown: 10th Anniversary” DVD; featured a video package recapping Batista and Orton’s steel cage match at Extreme Rules; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion John Cena regarding his title win the previous night and defending against Orton in Hell in a Cell; featured the announcement Triple H & Shawn Michaels would face Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. at the next pay-per-view in Hell in a Cell; included a recap of Orton injuring Batista in June; featured the announcement ECW World Champion Christian & Tommy Dreamer would face Vladimir Kozlov & Ezikiel Jackson the following night on ECW; included the announcement Cedric the Entertainer would host Raw the following week:
Jack Swagger & Mike Mizanin defeated WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston & Primo Colon at 2:55 when Swagger pinned Kingston after dropping him across the top turnbuckle face-first and following with the gutwrench powerbomb after Kingston became distracted by Mizanin taking the US title belt and leaving ringside with it
Alicia Fox pinned Gail Kim with an axe kick at 3:43 after avoiding a missile dropkick; prior to the bout, Lilian Garcia accidentally said the match would be a triple threat match; stipulations stated the winner would become the #1 contender to the WWE Divas Title; WWE Divas Champion Mickie James provided guest commentary for the match
Shawn Michaels (w/ Triple H) defeated Ted Dibiase Jr. (w/ Cody Rhodes) via disqualification at 8:59 when Rhodes tripped Michaels from the floor as Michaels set Dibiase up for the superkick; prior to the bout, Dibiase & Rhodes bragged about making DX tap out when others like the Rock, Steve Austin, the Undertaker, the McMahons, and Rated RKO couldn’t; Michaels & Triple H were shown looking on backstage following the promo; after the bout, the four men brawled around ringside and into the crowd
Evan Bourne & Hornswoggle defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Carlito (w/ Rosa Mendes) at 3:54 when Hornswoggle pinned Guerrero with the frog splash after spitting Carlito’s apple in Guerrero’s face, knocking him off the top; after the match, Guerrero took the mic and admitted defeat in his feud with Hornswoggle
Trish Stratus, MVP, & Mark Henry defeated Beth Phoenix, WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show at 10:47 when Trish pinned Phoenix with the Stratusfaction; the bout was originally Stratus & MVP – as her mystery partner – against Jericho & Phoenix but Stratus turned it into a six person tag match after Show interfered at 1:34 (Stratus’ first match in 9 months)
Batista pinned Randy Orton in a no holds barred match at 5:00 with the sit-down powerbomb after WWE World Champion John Cena came out to prevent Orton from leaving ringside (Batista’s last match on Raw) (The Best of Raw: 2009) 9/21/09; Little Rock, AR; Verizon Arena
9/21/09 – featured opening footage of a limo arriving to the arena, with guest host Cedric the Entertainer, Nikki & Brie Bella then exiting the car along with Cedric’s entourage, comprising of a rabbi, football players, an elderly woman, a farmer and a goat; included a segment in which Lilian Garcia introduced Cedric – with Cedric coming out to the entrance stage escorted out by the Bellas; Cedric then discussed the second and third generation stars backstage – Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., and Cody Rhodes – and then said WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show was the illegitimate son of Andre the Giant and King Kong Bundy, Mark Henry was the son of the Kool-Aid Man, and Mike Mizanin was the son of a jackass; moments later, Santino Marella came out, said he was a huge fan, and Cedric inspired him to become a stand-up comedian; Marella then told a bad joke, with Cedric then saying “But Beyonce had the best video of all time!”; before Cedric could end the segment, Chavo Guerrero Jr. came out, with Cedric saying any man that lets a Leprachaun beat him every week is hilarious; Guerrero then said the problem was guest hosts putting him in no-win situations, with Cedric making fun of the fact Bob Barker karate chopped Guerrero the previous week; moments later, Guerrero challenged Cedric to a match, with Cedric saying he’s not a wrestler until Marella accepted on his behalf; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Miz regarding his stealing the WWE US Title the previous week from Kofi Kingston, with Miz making fun of Kingston’s upbringing until Kingston jumped him from behind and took back the title belt; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s show was seen by more people than every show on ABC, The CW, Fox, and CBS; featured a backstage segment with Orton, Rhodes, & Dibiase in which Orton said he wanted Rhodes & Dibiase to have the rest of the night off and that he didn’t need them for his contact singing with WWE World Champion John Cena; included an ad promoting Smackdown!’s 10th anniversary show in 2 weeks; featured Jerry Lawler hosting an in-ring contract signing between Cena and Orton for Hell in a Cell; following their entrances, Lawler reminded both men that there can be no physicality between the two men during the segment and that Orton could either go ahead with the match or give up his rematch clause; Orton then signed the contract, told Lawler to leave the ring, and then said Cena thinks he has him at his weakest but Cena’s never participated in Hell in a Cell; Cena then showed looped footage on the big screen of Orton submitting at Breaking Point and made fun of Orton’s threats before also signing the contract, noting that if Orton doesn’t win then he doesn’t get any rematches; Orton said he couldn’t legally assault Cena but he found a few people who could, with WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show then appearing and facing off with Cena in the ring; Cena was quickly double teamed until MVP & Mark Henry ran out to make the save; Cedric then appeared on the big screen and ordered that Cena, MVP, & Henry face Orton, Jericho, & Show later in the show; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE TV can be seen in 465 million homes around the world, more than the NBA, MLB, and NFL combined; featured an ad promoting the Summer Slam DVD; included the announcement Rev. Al Sharpton would host the following week’s show; featured the announcement Kingston, Miz, and Jack Swagger would compete for the US title at Hell in a Cell; included a backstage segment in which Cedric spoke to Kelly Kelly about his win earlier in the show until they were interrupted by Jericho & Show, who said the needed to talk to Cedric; featured a segment in which Lawler took the mic and noted it was Garcia’s last night in WWE, with a crying Garcia then addressing the fans in the ring, thanking them for their support, and saying it was an honor and priviledge to have worked with amazing people in the company and announcing some of the biggest matches in WWE history; included the announcement Batista would face Big Show Friday on Smackdown! (Garcia’s last appearance):
Triple H (w/ Shawn Michaels) defeated Cody Rhodes (w/ Ted Dibiase Jr.) via disqualification at 9:12 when Dibiase hit Triple H with a steel chair as Triple H had Rhodes set up for the Pedigree; prior to the match, DX cut an in-ring promo noting Michaels won the first ever Hell in a Cell match, Triple H holds the record for most wins in Hell in a Cell, at 5, and Dibiase & Rhodes had never competed in one; they then said the last person they faced in Hell in a Cell was Vince McMahon and he left beaten, bloody, and destroyed – and they actually like him; during the bout, Jerry Lawler said DX had never been in Hell in a Cell together – despite their pre-match promo in which they talked about doing so; during the final moments of the bout, Dibiase & Rhodes laid out Michaels with a High-Low on the floor; after the contest, Triple H sustained both Crossroads and Dream Street in the ring; moments later, Michaels made the save after pulling a sledgehammer out from under the ring
Mike Mizanin pinned Evan Bourne at 5:22 with the Skull Crushing Finale after avoiding the Shooting Star Press
Beth Phoenix pinned WWE Divas Champion Mickie James in a non-title match with the Glam Slam at 1:12 after the champion became distracted by Alicia Fox, who sat ringside for the match, on the floor and was rammed into the ringpost; after the bout, Fox grabbed the title belt, climbed in the ring, and dropped Mickie with the scissors kick before holding up the title belt and placing it on Mickie’s body
WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston fought Jack Swagger to a no contest at around the 1:30 mark when, after Mike Mizanin came ringside and stole the title belt, Swagger jumped him from behind in the aisle, took the title for himself, and left ringside
Cedric the Entertainer pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. at 4:16 after a larger black man and Hornswoggle, both dressed like Cedric and wearing a lucha mask and cape, took turns coming out from under the ring after Cedric went underneath the ring, with Hornswoggle hitting the frog splash before going back under the ring, Cedric coming out, and making the cover; ; prior to the match, Cedric was escorted out by Brie & Nikki Bella; after the bout, Cedric and the two others celebrated in the ring, with Hornswoggle unmasking but the third man was never revealed nor was it mentioned by the commentary team; Santino Marella was the guest referee for the match
Randy Orton, WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show defeated WWE World Champion John Cena, MVP, & Mark Henry; prior to the match, Jericho took the mic and said he and Show spoke to Cedric, with Cedric agreeing that if Orton’s team loses the match then Orton would have to face the opposing team by himself in a gauntlet match the next week and if Cena’s team loses then Cena would have to face Orton, Jericho, & Show the next week in a gauntlet match 9/28/09; Albany, NY; Times Union Center
9/28/09 – featured an opening in-ring segment of the VIP Lounge with MVP & Mark Henry; as MVP attempted to introduce Rev. Al Sharpton as the guest host of the show – to the boos of the crowd – WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show interrupted, with Jericho saying MVP should have introduced Sharpton as the most prominant civil rights leader of his time; the two then continued to speak of Sharpton’s accomplishments until Sharpton came out to the tune of James Brown’s “Living in America;” Sharpton then spoke of going to Philadelphia with Newt Gingrich to challenge young people to read and bring down the dropout rate; MVP then proposed Sharpton to give them a tag team title shot later in the show, with Jericho then saying he and Show already had matches scheduled against John Cena and that the fans didn’t deserve to be educated or have the right to vote; Sharpton then asked the fans if they wanted to see the match, with the crowd cheering and Sharpton making the match official; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read visitors spend more time per visit on WWEUniverse.com than Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter; featured a backstage segment with Sharpton and Primo Colon in which Primo said Sharpton was an inspiration to him; moments later, Hornswoggle ran in the office, chased by Chavo Guerrero Jr.; Guerrero then introduced Chris Masters as his partner for the night; moments later, Santino Marella appeared as Hornswoggle’s partner and confused Sharpton with Don King and Shaft; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Randy Orton regarding his match at Hell in a Cell against WWE World Champion John Cena and Cena facing Orton, Jericho, & Show later in the show; featured ads promoting Sharpton’s Education Reform Tour; included an ad promoting Smackdown!’s 10th anniversary Friday, during which it was announced World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., & Cody Rhodes would face the Undertaker, Cena, Triple H, & Shawn Michaels; included an in-ring promo by Rhodes & Dibiase in which they said no one expected them to beat Michaels & Triple H in Hell in a Cell but they should be considered odds on favorites after their recent attacks on DX and beating them at Breaking Point; eventually, Michaels could be heard chanting “boring” as he and Triple H were shown in one of the box seats; after Michaels reminded Triple H that it was a PG show, Triple H said Rhodes & Dibiase were butts but not the cheeks but the center; Triple H then made the metaphor between Bruce Banner – accidentally calling him Bob Barker until Michaels corrected him – and the Incredible Hulk to compare DX to how they are now to what they will be in Hell in a Cell; DX then made their way through the crowd and into the ring, while Rhodes & Dibiase escaped into the crowd; Michaels then mocked the fact Rhodes & Dibiase ran into the crowd after all their tough talk; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was seen by more people ages 18-49 than The Jay Leno Show on NBC; included an ad promoting “The Best of Smackdown: 10th Anniversary” DVD; featured footage from the recent tours of Mexico and Europe, with comments from Cena, Eve, MVP, and Marella; included the announcement that Ben Roethlisberger would host the following week’s show; featured an in-ring segment with Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler in which they ran down some of the matches scheduled for Hell in a Cell; included a backstage segment with Sharpton and Jillian Hall in which Jillian noted Sharpton used to be the tour manager for Brown and said she wanted him to be her tour manager too and started singing until he cut her off; moments later, Brie & Nikki Bella appeared and prompted Sharpton to sing himself:
WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show defeated MVP & Mark Henry at around the 19:30 mark when Jericho pinned MVP with the Code Breaker after Show hit MVP in the back from the floor (the bout began during the commercial break)
WWE Divas Champion Mickie James pinned Rosa Mendes (w/ Alicia Fox) in a non-title match at 2:36 with a kick to the head; prior to the bout, it was announced Mickie would defend against Alicia at Hell in a Cell
Jack Swagger pinned Evan Bourne at 3:01 by picking Bourne off the mat and hitting a powerbomb; prior to the bout, it was noted Swagger would face Mike Mizanin and WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston at Hell in a Cell; Swagger came ringside in possession of the US title he stole the previous week; after the contest, Swagger cut an in-ring promo and said he would officially become the US champion Sunday; Mizanin then interrupted and said he had entertained more fans and grabbed more interest than Swagger and everyone knew he was taking the US title; moments later, the two began brawling in the ring as Kingston came ringside and reclaimed possession of the title belt
Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Chris Masters defeated Hornswoggle & Santino Marella at 2:19 when Marella submitted to Masters’ full nelson; after the contest, Masters put Hornswoggle in the full nelson as well until Guerrero punched his partner and left ringside
Gauntlet Match #1: WWE World Champion John Cena defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho via disqualification in a non-title match when Jericho refused to break the Walls of Jericho at 3:21 after Cena reached the ropes; Jericho kept the hold applied until the Big Show arrived for the second match
Gauntlet Match #2: WWE World Champion John Cena defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show (w/ WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho) via disqualification in a non-title match at 5:51 when Jericho attacked Cena as Cena hoisted Show up for the FU; after the bout, Show put Cena in the Camel Clutch as Randy Orton came out for the third bout
Gauntlet Match #3: WWE World Champion John Cena fought Randy Orton to a no contest in a non-title match at around the 4-minute mark when – after the Hell in a Cell cage was lowered over the ring – the two battled out of the cage, with Cena then chasing after Orton to the top of the cage; moments later, the two fought on the top of the cage with Cena dropping Orton with an FU to end the broadcast 10/5/09; Wilkes-Barre, PA; Wachovia Arena
10/5/09 – featured an opening segment on the stage in which Ben Roethlisberger was introduced as the guest host of the show; Roethlisberger, wearing a “Cash” t-shirt, then said he would open the show with a Diva Bowl, with all the participants coming out for the opening match; included an in-ring promo by WWE World Champion Randy Orton in which he addressed his title win the previous night over John Cena in Hell in a Cell; moments later, Cena interrupted, with Orton immediately saying there would be no rematch; Cena went on to say his matches with Orton have become the top rivalry in the WWE and proposed a rematch under Ironman match rules to end their feud once and for all; Orton then said they did need to end things once and for all but it would be under Orton’s terms – if Cena lost then he would leave Raw for good; Cena agreed, with Orton saying the match would also be No DQ and no count-out; featured an ad for the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation; included an ad for “The Unauthorized History of DX;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read video highlights from the previous week’s Smackdown! have been viewed more than one million times on WWE.com; included a backstage segment in which Santino Marella, wearing a football referee outfit, broke up a backstage fight between all the divas and told WWE Divas Champion Mickie James to kiss and make up with Alicia Fox; the women began fighting again, with Marella then running down the hallway; featured an announcement from Michael Cole that the winners of the Raw matches the night of Bragging Rights would face the winners of the Smackdown! matches in the main event of Bragging Rights; included a backstage segment with Mike Mizanin and Roethlisberger in which Mizanin asked for a WWE US title match against Kofi Kingston later in the show, with Roethlisberger agreeing but said if Mizanin won then he would have to grab the mic and tell the crowd he was awful; featured Roethlisberger cutting an in-ring promo until he was interrupted by WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show, with Show making fun of Roethlisberger’s offensive line, saying they weren’t as big as him; moments later, Roethlisberger brought out the offensive line, who faced off against Jericho & Show in the ring before the tag team champions walked out; Triple H & Shawn Michaels then came out to the ring, with Jericho cutting a promo on DX from the entrance stage, saying all they did was shill their merchandise and new book; Michaels then said, despite their victories, Jericho & Show had never faced DX and challenged them to a match later in the show; Show then said Michaels should go home and take care of his wounds because they didn’t want any part of JeriShow, with Roethlisberger making the match official for later in the show and leading the crowd to say “Suck it;” the Steelers then posed with DX; the band Skillet, who performed “Monster” – the Hell in a Cell theme song, was shown in attendance; included a video package recapping the WWE’s partnership with the Make a Wish Foundation, with comments from David Williams, Make a Wish Foundation CEO, and the fact Cena recently received the highest recognition from the foundation for the number of wishes he’s help grant; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE will create more hours of original programming than Showtime and HBO combined; included a backstage segment with Hornswoggle, Marella, and Roethlisberger in which Marella tried several times to say Roethlisberger’s name right until he was slapped by Hornswoggle; featured the announcement that “Access Hollywood’s” Nancy O’Dell and Maria Menounos would host the following week’s show:
WWE Divas Champion Mickie James, Maria, Eve, Melina, Kelly Kelly, & Brie & Nikki Bella defeated WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Alicia Fox, Natalya Neidhart, Jillian Hall, Layla, Beth Phoenix, & Rosa Mendes at 3:03 when Mickie pinned Fox with a victory roll; Gail Kim was the guest referee for the match; all the participants wore football pants and jerseys for the match
Jack Swagger pinned Primo Colon with the gutwrench powerbomb at 3:26; prior to the bout, Swagger cut an in-ring promo in which he called himself a winner and reminded the crowd that he didn’t get pinned at Hell in a Cell and promised he would go undefeated for the remainder of the year; prior to the bout, it was announced the John Cena vs. WWE World Champion Randy Orton Ironman rematch would be at Bragging Rights
MVP & Mark Henry defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Chris Masters at 2:59 when MVP pinned Guerrero after Masters accidentally hit an elbow drop on his partner and was knocked to the floor by Henry; Henry appeared to injure his knee during the finish; after the bout, Masters argued with Guerrero over the loss before kicking Guerrero and locking him in the full nelson until he was distracted by Hornswoggle; moments later, Guerrero knocked Masters to the floor before Hornswoggle gave him a crotch chop
Mike Mizanin pinned WWE US Champion Kofi Kingston to win the title at 10:44 with the Skull Crushing Finale after the champion lost his balance on the ropes; stipulations stated Mizanin would have to tell the crowd he was awful if he lost; after the bout, Mizanin took the mic and said he was awesome
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show in a non-title match at 18:27 when Triple H pinned Jericho following Michaels’ superkick after Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line, prevented Jericho from walking out of the match; after the bout, the Steelers celebrated with DX in the ring as the show came to a close (The Best of Raw: 2009) 10/12/09; Indianapolis, IN; Conseco Fieldhouse
10/12/09 – featured an opening backstage promo by WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho regarding the Raw vs. Smackdown! battle at Bragging Rights and declared himself a proud member of the Smackdown! roster and captain of the Smackdown! team; moments later, Nancy O’Dell interrupted and said they didn’t want to start the show with Jericho but with DX; she then introduced herself and told him to have a good night; included an in-ring promo by Triple H in which he said Shawn Michaels couldn’t make it to the show and then called him on speaker phone; Michaels’ outgoing message was him singing to the tune of his theme song; when Shawn answered, he said his daughter was sick and he had to stay home with her; Triple H then asked whether Shawn had read her a story from the new “Unauthorized History of DX” book; after Michaels hung up, Jericho & WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show came out with Jericho saying Smackdown! was the dominant show; Triple H then agreed that Smackdown! was good but had a spineless general manager and the Great Khali; Jericho then said Big Show was technically a Raw guy but he wanted him on the Smackdown! team at Bragging Rights, with Triple then stirring up dissention between Jericho and Show over who carried the team; after Show and Jericho had words, Show said he wanted to be on the Raw team at Bragging Rights, with Triple H saying he could earn a spot by beating Jericho later in the show and it would be the opening match; included Maria Menounos conducting a backstage interview with Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes regarding the injuries they sustained at Hell in a Cell, with Maria saying they would compete in a triple threat match later in the show involving John Cena to determine which man advances to Bragging Rights; Jerry Lawler wore a “Lawler for Mayor” shirt for the show; players of the Indiana Pacers were shown in the crowd; featured an ad promoting O’Dell’s Betty’s Battle organization; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWEClassics.com is the only place to see the first 100 episodes of Monday Night Raw; featured the announcement that Snoop Dogg would host the following week’s show; included Triple H speaking backstage on speaker phone with Michaels regarding how their Raw team was shaping up; Triple H had a cardboard standup of Shawn beside him; moments later, Hornswoggle walked in dressed up as Michaels, with Triple H saying Hornswoggle was comitting gimmick infringement; Michaels then saw what was going on on TV and said to get Hornswoggle off camera, with Hornswoggle then taking out the cardboard standup with a superkick, giving Triple H a crotch chop, and running away; featured a backstage segment with O’Dell, Menounos, Santino Marella, and Beth Phoenix in which Phoenix confronted O’Dell over whether she had been traded to Smackdown!, with O’Dell confirming it and Phoenix demanding to be kept on Raw; Phoenix then pinned Menounos against the wall, with Santino suggesting Menounos get in the ring later in the show; after Phoenix left, Santino told her he faked every “organism” he had with her; included a video package recapping the Cena vs. WWE World Champion Randy Orton feud dating back to Hell in a Cell; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 26 tickets going on sale in 26 days, to the tune of “Welcome to the World” by Kevin Rudolf; included the announcement Batista would face Rey Mysterio Jr. on Smackdown!; members of the Indianapolis Colts were shown in attendance; featured a backstage segment with Orton, Rhodes, & Dibiase Jr. in which Orton told Rhodes & Dibiase to calm down and that he wouldn’t be tagged into their tag team match later in the night, with both Rhodes and Dibiase claiming the other planned to pin Orton in the match; included a backstage segment with Triple H, Menounos, and O’Dell regarding Menounos’ upcoming match; moments later, Chavo Guerrero Jr. appeared and argued he should be part of Team Raw at Bragging Rights, with Menounos kicking Chavo below the belt; featured the announcement ECW World Champion Christian & Yoshi Tatsu would face William Regal & Zach Ryder the following night on ECW; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more people watched the previous week’s ECW than any program on A&E, ABC Family, TLC, and ESPN; featured a promo at the entrance stage by WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin in which he announced he would face WWE IC Champion John Morrison at Bragging Rights, during which Mizanin said Morrison was nothing more than a hairdo with abs:
Bragging Rights Qualifying Match: WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho via count-out at 4:37 when Show pulled Jericho out of the ring and slid back in himself; stipulations stated Show would earn a spot on the Raw Bragging Rights team if he won
Jillian Hall pinned WWE Divas Champion Mickie James to win the title at 1:15 with a powerbomb from the middle turnbuckle and putting her feet on the ropes for leverage; after the bout, Jillian posed for a photo opp and then began to sing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi;” Nancy O’Dell then came out, to the tune of Lenny Kravitz’ “American Woman,” and announced she had made a major trade over the weekend with the other general managers; O’Dell then brought out Melina who would immediately face Jillian for the title
Melina pinned WWE Divas Champion Jillian Hall in an impromptu match to win the title with the sunset flip / powerbomb combo at the 26-second mark (Melina’s surprise return to Raw after a 6-month absence)
Bragging Rights Qualifying Match: Cody Rhodes defeated Ted Dibiase Jr. and John Cena at 13:19 by pinning Dibiase with a roll up as Dibiase and Cena were both distracted by WWE World Champion Randy Orton at ringside; after the bout, Nancy O’Dell appeared on the big screen and said Cena & Orton would face Rhodes & Dibiase later in the show
Bragging Rights Qualifying Match: Jack Swagger pinned MVP with the gutwrench powerbomb at 2:35
Bragging Rights Qualifying Match: Kofi Kingston pinned Evan Bourne at around the 5-minute mark with the spin kick to the face as Bourne came off the top; during the bout, it was noted the final qualifying match would take place Thursday on WWE Superstars between Mark Henry and Chris Masters (the bout began during the commercial break)
Maria Menounos (w/ Nancy O’Dell), Gail Kim, & Kelly Kelly defeated Beth Phoenix, Alicia Fox, & Rosa Mendes at 2:28 when Kelly pinned Mendes with a legrop; prior to the bout, a clip from Menounos’ upcoming film “Serial Buddies” was shown
Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated John Cena & WWE World Champion Randy Orton at 6:10 when Dibiase pinned Orton with a roll up as Orton was attacking his own partner; prior to the bout, Orton cut an in-ring promo in which he said he spoke with Snoop Dogg earlier in the day and – to celebrate what would be Cena’s last match on Raw – he would have a major match the following week; after the bout, Cena dropped Orton with the FU; moments later, it was announced Cena would face Triple H the following week on Raw 10/19/09; Jacksonville, FL; Veterans Memorial Arena
10/19/09 – featured an opening introduction by Justin Roberts of Snoop Dogg as the guest host of the show, with Snoop then driving out to the tune of his song “Gangsta Love” and being escorted to the ring by Eve, Brie & Nikki Bella; Snoop then said, in addition to John Cena vs. Triple H, he would have WWE World Champion Randy Orton vs. Ted Dibiase Jr. and Shawn Michaels vs. WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho; moments later, Triple H & Michaels came out with Michaels briefly talking like Snoop before the two targetted the Smackdown! team at Bragging Rights; they made fun of Jericho for the two having beaten him at seperate WrestleManias, Kane’s dead ex-girlfriend, Cryme Tyme scalping Smackdown tickets that weren’t sold, forgetting Dolph Ziggler’s name, and no one knowing who Drew McIntyre and Eric Escobar were and the fact Escobar was sleeping with Vickie Guerrero, with Triple H implying he slept his way to the top too; DX then brought out Team Raw and individually praised WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, and Mark Henry but stopped at Cody Rhodes; Rhodes then argued that if it was based on talent then he would be the team captain and might not tag any of his teammates into the match, with Show saying he would take Rhodes out himself if he thought at any moment they might let the team down; Henry then got in Show’s face and questioned if that was a threat, with Swagger then taking the mic and saying he was athletically ahead of both of them; moments later, Kingston said the team had to come together and get on the same page or all of them would lose, with Triple H then calling Kingston out over his Jamaican accent being gone; DX then said the five teammates would face five other men and if someone on Team Raw was pinned then they would be replaced by the man that beat them; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Dibiase regarding him pinning Orton the previous week and facing him later in the show, with Orton eventually appearing and claiming Dibiase betrayed him before saying Dibiase would not lift a finger to him in their match or he would regret it for the rest of his life; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 26 tickets going on sale in 19 days, to the tune of “Welcome to the World” by Kevin Rudolf; included a video package recapping the life of Capt. Lou Albano; several members of the Jacksonville Jaguars were shown in attendance; featured a the world premiere sneak peak at Snoop Dogg’s “Gangsta Love” music video; included a backstage segment with Snoop, Eve, the Bellas, and Hornswoggle; moments later, Chavo Guerrero Jr. interrupted and said he wanted to be part of Team Raw and shouldn’t be ignored; Jillian Hall then came in and demanded a WWE Divas Title rematch, with Santino Marella then appearing dressed as Charlie Brown; Santino then said he got off on the wrong foot with Snoop in 2008 and wanted to go slap around Lucy and chase the Red Baron with him after the show; Snoop then told everyone to get out of his office and implied he was going to smoke marijuana, with a “Technical Difficulties” graphic then appearing on the screen; moments later, Snoop revealed that he had been lighting scented candles; featured an ad promoting “Batista: I Walk Alone;” included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 100 million photos of WWE divas were viewed on WWE.com the previous month; featured the announcement William Regal would face Zach Ryder the following night on ECW; included a look at some of the wrestlers fans can create on “Smackdown! vs. Raw 2010” available the following night; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw is the longest weekly entertainment program in TV history and has had more episodes than “Cheers” and “The Simpsons” combined; included a video package hyping the Cena vs. Orton match at Bragging Rights, recapping their feud dating back to 2007, to the tune of Civil Twilight’s “Letters from the Sky;” featured an in-ring segment in which Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler ran down the three main events scheduled for Bragging Rights; included the announcement Kyle Busch and Joey Logano would co-host the following week’s show:
WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show, Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, & Cody Rhodes defeated MVP, Evan Bourne, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Primo Colon, & Chris Masters at around the 5-minute mark when Swagger pinned Primo after tagging himself in after Rhodes dropped Primo with Crossroads; stipulations stated if Show’s team lost then the loser of the fall would be replaced at Bragging Rights by the man that beat him; Shawn Michaels & Triple H were shown watching the match backstage during the bout; during the match, it was announced Jerry Lawler would be a guest on Smackdown! later that week; after the contest, Rhodes and Swagger argued which eventually led to all five men fighting, ending with Show taking Henry down with a spear (the match began during the commercial break)
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned Ted Dibiase Jr. in a non-title match at 4:23 with the RKO; Dibiase put up no offense in the match aside from a single push
Triple H pinned John Cena with the Pedigree at 20:17; after the bout, the two men shook hands; moments later, Cena stood alone in the ring and saluted the crowd while WWE World Champion Randy Orton was shown watching on backstage (The Best of Raw: 2009)
WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin pinned Marty Jannetty in a non-title impromptu match with the Skull Crushing Finale at 2:40; prior to Mizanin’s match against an unknown, Snoop Dogg appeared on the big screen, alongside Eve, Nikki & Brie Bella, and noted Mizanin’s insults to Jannetty the previous week on Smackdown! and said Jannetty would be Mizanin’s new opponent (Jannetty’s surprise in-ring return after a 3-year absence)
WWE Divas Champion Melina pinned Jillian Hall (w/ Chavo Guerrero Jr.) at 1:01 with a modified legdrop the after Hornswoggle, dressed as Snoop Dogg, distracted Guerrero; during the match, it was announced Melina, Kelly Kelly, & Gail Kim would face WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, & Natalya Neidhart at Bragging Rights; after the match, Snoop Dogg came out and confronted Guerrero, eventually winning a fight over him; moments later, Eve, the Bellas, Gail Kim, and Kelly Kelly came out and danced with Snoop and Hornswoggle in the ring
Shawn Michaels fought WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho to a no contest; prior to the bout, Jericho took the mic and said he could take Michaels out of the picture before Bragging Rights but he wouldn’t have to because he’s the leader of Team Smackdown! and that was all the advantage they needed; moments later, Cryme Tyme came out of the crowd, forcing Michaels to the floor; Kane then came out through the crowd followed by Dolph Ziggler, Eric Escobar, and Drew McIntyre; Jericho went to speak again but was cut off by DX’s music, with Triple H then coming out followed by WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show, Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, & Cody Rhodes; all 14 men then faced off in the ring, with Triple H saying Team Raw not liking Jericho brought them together as a cohesive unit; Vickie Guerrero then came out and demanded that Team Smackdown! leave the ring, with Triple H saying his guys don’t work for Vickie; all 14 men began brawling in the ring as the show came to a close 10/26/09; Buffalo, NY; HSBC Arena
10/26/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show, in possession of the Bragging Rights trophy, in which Show said he was still a member of the Raw roster; moments later, Jericho contratulated Show for helping embarass DX and then cut Show off to say Smackdown! would have won anyway because he was the team captain; Show eventually interrupted Jericho to say what he did was for him, not the team or Smackdown!, and said he struck a deal with Teddy Long and would now be the next opponent for World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker; moments later, the two were interrupted on the big screen by Kyle Busch and Joey Logano who were shown driving around the parking lot before then driving into the arena and being escorted to the ring by Brie & Nikki Bella; Busch congratulated Show on his actions, with Logano saying he didn’t approve; Busch then said Buffalo hadn’t won a big game since Hulkamania, with Logano then saying Show would face Triple H later in the show; Busch then said Jericho would face Kofi Kingston, but accidentally called him Johnson before correcting himself; included a backstage segment with Eve, Busch, and Logano in which Jack Swagger interrupted and said he wanted a title match with WWE World Champion John Cena, with Busch and Logano saying they couldn’t give it to him because Cena went an hour the night before but they would announce later in the night who Cena’s next challenger would be; WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin then interrupted and said he was the most deserving man to challenge Cena since he was the only member of Raw that won at Bragging Rights; during the segment, both Swagger and Mizanin hit on Eve; featured a vignette of Sheamus promoting his Raw debut later in the night; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 26 tickets going on sale in 12 days, to the tune of “Welcome to the World” by Kevin Rudolf; members of the Buffalo Bills were shown in attendance; included the announcement Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne would host the following week’s show:
Kofi Kingston pinned WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho at 13:37 with the spin kick to the face after Jericho argued with the referee, believing he had won the match with the Code Breaker but Kingston’s foot was on the bottom rope during the cover; after the contest, as Kingston made his way up the ramp, Randy Orton came out and shoved Kingston off the ramp to the floor; following the commercial break, Josh Matthews conducted a backstage interview with Orton in which he blamed Kingston for him not being WWE World Champion; moments later, Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes appeared and agreed that Orton was robbed the previous night and then presented him with a racecar with Orton’s image on it as a token of their appreciation (The Best of Raw: 2009)
WWE Divas Champion Melina & Santino Marella defeated Jillian Hall & Chavo Guerrero Jr. at 2:34 when Melina pinned Hall with the modified Rocker Dropper; late in the bout, Hornswoggle, dressed in DX apparal, climbed on the ring apron; after the match, Hornswoggle celebrated with Santino & Melina until someone came in the ring and handed him a document; moments later, Hornswoggle brought it to Lawler who said it was a cease and desist letter from DX regarding gimmick infringement; after Lawler explained to Hornswoggle what it meant, he left ringside upset
MVP & Mark Henry defeated Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes in an impromptu match at around the 6-minute mark when MVP pinned Rhodes with a sunset flip following a clothesline from Henry behind the referee’s back; prior to the bout, Justin Roberts introduced John Cena as the new WWE World Champion, with Rhodes & Dibiase coming out instead and saying they would face Cena at Survivor Series for the title and wouldn’t seek permission from the guest hosts because they didn’t need their permission; moments later, Cena appeared, hyped up the match he had with Orton, and turned down their offer for a match, noting his win over Orton gave him the right because he won the feud; Cena said neither of them had earned the right to a title shot, referring to them as “the baby oil boys club,” and said he spoke with Kyle Busch & Joey Logano and Rhodes & Dibiase would be wrestling immediately; MVP & Henry then appeared; Busch & Logano were shown watching the match backstage; after the contest, Orton came out, complained about not getting a rematch with Cena, and said he rightfully deserved one; moments later, Kingston appeared on the big screen and said no one cares what Orton has to say; it was then revealed that Kingston was standing on Orton’s racecar backstage; as Orton pleaded with Kingston not to touch the car, Kingston rammed a storage cabinet into the vehicle, keyed it up and down, and then beat the hood with a crowbar; to fix the paint job, Kingston poured red paint all across the hood (the match began during the commercial break)
Evan Bourne defeated WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin via count-out in a non-title match at 4:16 after Bourne hit a crossbody to the floor onto both Mizanin and Jack Swagger; Eve was the guest ring announcer for the bout; late in the bout, Swagger came ringside, grabbed a mic, and said no one was watching Mizanin but instead watching Eve watching Swagger; moments later, Mizanin confronted Swagger on the floor
Sheamus pinned Jamie Noble with a boot to the face at 2:17; prior to the bout, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Brie & Nikki Bella appeared on the big screen, with Busch & Logano saying Noble would face Raw’s newest star and then introduced Sheamus; after his introduction, Sheamus grabbed the mic and said he planned to make a good first impression (Sheamus’ Raw debut)
Triple H (w/ Shawn Michaels) pinned WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show in a No DQ lumberjack match at 14:05 with the Pedigree after putting a Smackdown! shirt on Show and letting Michaels hit the superkick; within the opening moments of the match, Triple H took the mic and said he spoke with Busch & Logano and that the match would now be a lumberjack match with the lumberjacks being the members of the Raw roster that Show screwed over by turning on his team the night before; Chavo Guerrero Jr., WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin, MVP, Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, Chris Masters, Santino Marella, and Primo Colon then came ringside, with WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho – who escorted Show to the ring before the match – opting to leave ringside through the crowd; Michaels then took the mic and reminded Triple H that there would be a guest referee for the match too, with WWE World Champion John Cena then appearing; late in the match, almost all the lumberjacks took turns attacking Show; after the contest, Busch & Logano came out and announced that they had made a decision about who Cena should defend against at Survivor Series after talking with Hornswoggle; they then said it would be Cena vs. Michaels vs. Triple H 11/2/09; Worcester, MA; DCU Center
11/2/09 – featured an opening in-ring segment with Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne, introduced by Ozzy’s “Crazy Train” and with a throne set up in the ring; moments later, Sharon introduced footage of Ozzy at WrestleMania 2 and performing during the Feb. 17, 2007 episode of Smackdown! and asked Ozzy if he remembered either, with Ozzy saying no; WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin then interrupted, said he was a bigger star than either of them, and asked them to erase his loss the previous week; Ozzy then asked who Miz was; Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhose then appeared, noted Kofi Kingston vandalizing Randy Orton’s car the previous week, and asked for a handicap match against Kingston later in the show; WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show then came out and demanded an apology for the way the Raw roster treated him the previous week, with Ozzy then apologizing for them; moments later, Triple H & Shawn Michaels appeared, with Triple H then plugging Ozzy’s new book and DX’s own book; Triple H then suggested Miz face Evan Bourne for the US title later in the show; moments later, Michaels told Rhodes & Dibiase to stand in line for WrestleMania tickets Saturday because that might be the only way they would be going, and then suggested Kingston face Orton later in the show; Big Show was about to suggested WWE World Champion John Cena face Michaels and Triple H later in the show in a Survivor Series preview but Triple H changed it to Cena vs. Jericho vs. Show; moments later, Sharon ruled that the matches were final before she and Ozzy posed with DX in the ring; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 26 tickets going on sale Saturday; featured a “Do not try this at home” PSA; included an ad promoting “Batista: I Walk Alone;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s show was seen by more male viewers than every program on NBC, The CW, and Fox; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Kingston regarding his match later in the show against Orton; featured the announcement Ozzy’s autobiography would be released Jan. 25, 2010; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 26 tickets going on sale Saturday, to the tune of “Welcome to the World” by Kevin Rudolf; featured an in-ring segment of “Raw’s Got Talent,” MC’d by Jerry Lawler and with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and the Great Khali, with Runjin Singh, as the judges; after Khali’s entrance, he told the Osbournes he had a big crush on Kelly Osbourne; the first participant was Santino Marella, who came out dressed as Ozzy, opted not to sing “Bark at the Moon,” and then said he would bite the head off a bat; Santino then bit the head off a Batman action figure, with the judges giving him a thumbs down; Chris Masters then came out and flexed his pecs to the tune of “Crazy Train,” with Khali and Sharon liking it; Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Jillian Hall then came out and sang “Close My Eyes Forever,” with Ozzy saying he would rename the song “Close My Ears Forever;” Chavo & Jillian then came to the ring to confront the judges with Jillian then singing Britney Spears’ “Oops, I Did it Again” before Sharon punched her in the face; Chavo then confronted Sharon before Khali stood and chopped Chavo over the head; Hornswoggle then ran out to the ring dressed as Jack Osbourne and hit the frog splash on Chavo before hugging the Osbournes; included the announcement Ricky Hatton would host the following week’s show; featured the announcement Jamie Noble suffered serious back and neck injuries as a result of his match earlier in the show; included the announcement ECW World Champion Christian & Yoshi Tatsu would face Vladimir Kozlov & Ezekiel Jackson the following night on ECW; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE won a 2009 Beacon Award for the “Smackdown Your Vote” campaign; included a video package recapping the tension between Batista and Rey Mysterio Jr. on Smackdown!; featured a backstage segment with the Osbournes and WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho in which Jericho said Ozzy was his hero growing up but then he realized he didn’t need to pander to the fans like Ozzy because he was better than the fans and better than Ozzy; included a backstage segment with Triple H, Michaels, and Hornswoggle in which DX told Hornswoggle he would be in big trouble if he used their gimmick again; moments later, Cena appeared, with Hornswoggle giving the crotch chop and running off; Triple H then said he wasn’t worried about Survivor Series because he beat Cena a few weeks earlier, with Michaels reminding Cena that he beat Cena in England; Cena then said they have all beaten each other, with the camera then picking up on Brie & Nikki Bella who took the statement wrong and walking away WWE US Champion Mike Mizanini pinned Evan Bourne at 4:14 with the Skull Crushing Finale after a hiptoss into the corner
Sheamus defeated Jamie Noble via referee’s decision at 2:25 when the referee stopped the bout after ruling Noble couldn’t defend himself; prior to the bout, Josh Matthews conducted a backstage interview with Sheamus regarding his match, with Sheamus saying Ozzy Osbourne’s career should have been over a long time ago and Noble’s career would end tonight; after the contest, Sheamus assaulted Noble on the floor and dropped him with a powerbomb; moments later, referees and officials tended to Noble and took him backstage on a stretcher
Kofi Kingston, MVP, & Mark Henry defeated Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., & Cody Rhodes at 12:39 when Henry pinned Rhodes after catching him coming off the top and hitting the powerslam; the match was scheduled as Kingston vs. Orton but was turned into a six man tag by Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne after Rhodes & Dibiase came ringside at the 2-minute mark
Alicia Fox won a 6-women battle royal by last eliminating Kelly Kelly at 2:43; stipulations stated the winner would become the #1 contender for the WWE Women’s Title; order of elimination: Gail Kim by Kelly Kelly as Kelly attempted to eliminate a Bella (1:12); moments later, Jack Swagger came ringside to watch Eve; a Bella was eliminated by Eve (1:47); the other Bella was eliminated by Eve (1:50); Eve by Fox (2:07); Kelly by Fox after missing a handspring elbow in the corner; WWE Women’s Champion Melina was shown watching the match backstage
WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho defeated WWE World Champion John Cena and WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show in a non-title match at around the 9-minute mark by pinning Cena when Show punched Cena in the face as Jericho was hoisted up for the FU; after the bout, Jericho applied the Walls of Jericho on Cena while Show locked on the Camel Clutch until Triple H & Shawn Michaels, who did guest commentary for the match, came in the ring to make the save; eventually, Show knocked Michaels out with a punch and Jericho dropped Triple H with the Code Breaker (the bout began during the commercial break) 11/9/09; Sheffield, England; Arena
11/9/09 – featured an opening segment in which Ricky Hatton was introduced as the guest host of the night, with Hatton then appearing with Brie & Nikki Bella; moments later, Hatton said he was very happy to be hosting the show and then showed footage of beating Carlos Moussa in Sheffield years earlier; WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show soon interrupted, with Show badmouthing Hatton until Hatton brought up Show’s bad history with boxers; eventually, Show got down on his knee to give Hatton a free shot until Jericho stepped in, took credit for winning at Bragging Rights and beating WWE World Champion John Cena the previous week, and said he would beat World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker Friday on Smackdown! and at Survivor Series; Hatton then said Jericho & Show would face Triple H & Shawn Michaels later in the show; Jericho proceded to insult Hatton until Hatton said Jericho was just a guy with a bad haircut; Triple H & Michaels then came out with Triple H bringing up the history Jericho & Show had with past hosts Shaquille Oneal and Bob Barker; Michaels then challenged Jericho & Show to have the match at that moment but the champions eventually left ringside; included footage of WrestleMania tickets going on sale days earlier at the University of Phoenix Stadium to the tune of “Welcome to the World” by Kevin Rudolf; featured a backstage segment with Hatton and his young son meeting Cena backstage; included the announcement that both the WrestleMania and Summer Slam microsites on WWE.com had won online awards; featured photos of Hatton’s Hatton Health and Fitness in Hyde, UK; included a backstage segment with Hatton, Brie & Nikki in which Hatton spoke about promoting boxing before they challenged him to a game of darts; moments later, Santino Marella walked in dressed as “Ricky Fatton;” Chavo Guerrero Jr. then appeared and was beaten by Hatton in darts, with Hatton implying Chavo would face Santino later in the night in a wrestler vs. boxer match but then said he would be facing Chavo himself; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin regarding his leading a team into Survivor Series to face the team of WWE IC Champion John Morrison at Survivor Series; moments later, Jack Swagger walked in with he and Mizanin having words, during which Swagger said he would be named the team captain after beating Evan Bourne later in the show; included footage of Kyle Busch winning a NASCAR race over the weekend in the Raw vs. Smackdown! 2010 car, along with comments at the race from Jerry Lawler; featured the announcement that Nickelback’s “Burn it to the Ground” would become the show’s new theme song the following week; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com received more page views than MLB.com in the month of October, despite the World Series; featured a backstage segment with Cena and Hornswoggle in which Cena warned Hornswoggle about DX’s cease and desist order; moments later, Hornswoggle left before Triple H & Michaels walked in and the three discussed their triple threat match at Survivor Series; Cena then called for Hornswoggle to come back, with Hornswoggle appearing dressed as Cena instead of DX and giving them the “You can’t see me” hand sign; after DX left, Hornswoggle took off his Cena clothes to show off his DX merchandise; included the announcement Roddy Piper would host the following week’s show:
Alicia Fox pinned Kelly Kelly (w/ Gail Kim) with the scissors kick at 2:36; prior to the bout, it was announced Mickie James, Kelly, Gail, WWE Divas Champion Melina, & Eve would face WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Fox, Beth Phoenix, Jillian Hall, & Layla in an elimination match at Survivor Series; it was also announced Fox would challenge Melina the following week; Melina was shown watching the match backstage
Sheamus pinned an unknown with a crucifix powerbomb at 2:01; prior to the bout, it was noted that Jamie Noble was contemplating retirement after the injuries he sustained from Sheamus the previous week; it was also announced Sheamus, Jack Swagger, WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre would face WWE IC Champion John Morrison, Matt Hardy, Finlay, Evan Bourne, & Shelton Benjamin in an elimination match at Survivor Series; prior to the match, Sheamus cut an in-ring promo claiming he retired Noble
Evan Bourne pinned Jack Swagger at 3:39 with a kick to the jaw and the Shooting Star Press after Swagger became distracted by WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin, who came ringside late in the match; after the bout, Mizanin took the mic and said he was the team captain because he was the Miz and he was awesome
Randy Orton (w/ Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr.) pinned Mark Henry (w/ Kofi Kingston & MVP) at the 6-minute mark with the RKO; prior to the match, it was announced Kingston, MVP, Henry, ECW World Champion Christian, & R-Truth would face Orton, Dibiase, Rhodes, CM Punk, & William Regal in an elimination match at Survivor Series; prior to the match, Kingston appeared as a guest of the VIP Lounge in which MVP, Kingston, & Henry discussed Kingston defacing Orton’s car the previous week and being the team captain to face Orton’s team at Survivor Series; moments later, Orton, Dibiase, & Rhodes interrupted, with Orton calling the other three criminals and Legacy then noting they were brought up in the business while the others were raised in the hood; during the match, it was announced MVP would face Dibiase Thursday on WWE Superstars; after the contest, Orton and Kingston faced off in the ring with Kingston clearing Orton to the floor (the bout began during the commercial break)
Ricky Hatton defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a boxer vs. wrestler match at 2:18 via KO with a right hand punch
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show in a non-title match at 13:06 when Michaels pinned Jericho after Show accidentally knocked his partner out with a punch and was knocked to the floor by Triple H; WWE World Champion John Cena provided guest commentary for the match; after the contest, it was announced the following week’s main event would be DX vs. Jericho & Show vs. Cena & World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker, with Taker then appearing at the entranceway 11/16/09; New York City, NY; Madison Square Garden
11/16/09 – featured an opening backstage segment of Piper’s Pit in which Roddy Piper, the host of the episode, introduced Luis Guzman and spoke about his upcoming film “Old Dogs,” with Seth Green, John Travolta, and Robin Williams; Piper stated Mr. T was in the film too, which Guzman corrected; moments later, Piper said he arranged for “Iron Chef” Bobby Flay to be part of the show but the Iron Sheik, with Brie & Nikki Bella, came out instead; Guzman told Sheik he remembered when he fought Hulk Hogan, with Sheik then going into a tirade about Hogan and eventually using an Iron Sheik LJN action figure to beat up a Hogan LJN action figure and put him in the Camel Clutch; Piper, Guzman, and Sheik then said “Live, from New York, it’s Monday Night Raw;” included a new show opening to the tune of Nickelback’s “Burn it to the Ground;” featured a new entrance way; included an in-ring promo by Triple H & Shawn Michaels in which they shilled “The Unauthorized History of DX” and noted Sherri Shepherd, of “The View,” was in the crowd with her own copy; Triple H then said he and Michaels agreed that they weren’t going to implode and it didn’t matter which of them beats WWE World Champion John Cena at Survivor Series; they then brought up the fact Hornswoggle was continuing to use their gimmick and asked for him to come out to the ring to see if he was a good fit to join DX; moments later, Triple H dropped Hornswoggle with the Pedigree and Michaels led the crowd in saying “Suck it;” Triple H & Michaels then pulled a backboard out from under the ring, which already had DX written on it, and took Hornswoggle backstage on it; featured a video package highlighting the history of WWE at Madison Square Garden, to the tune of “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys; included a backstage segment with Piper and WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho, with Jericho insulting Piper until Piper brought over Chris Masters and had him flex his pecs to the tune of the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow;” moments later, Brie & Nikki Bella walked in, were impressed by Masters, and walked off with him; moments later, TABOO and apl.de.ap of the band were shown in attendance; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE just completed a 22 show, 2-week tour of Europe which drew more than 170,000 fans; included the announcement that Raw would remain on the USA Network through 2014; featured an in-ring promo by Piper in which he talked about his history at MSG with Cyndi Lauper, Hogan, Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino, and Capt. Lou Albano and said if you faced Piper at MSG, you either ended up dead or bald; Piper then said he’s the reason Hogan has no hair; Piper then said he wanted a match with Vince McMahon and noted McMahon fired him in that arena after Piper appeared on “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbal;” moments later, McMahon came out, complimented Piper on his hair dye job and said Mother Nature hadn’t been kind to him; Piper responded by saying there were many things Vince should be ashamed of and said his pinstripe suit was bought by Mr. Gotti; McMahon then noted his wins over Triple H, the Undertaker, the Rock, and Steve Austin and said he was officially retired; moments later, Piper said he had beaten cancer, he could beat McMahon, and he wanted it later in the show; included the announcement Jamie Noble had told WWE.com he was retired following the injuries sustained weeks earlier at the hands of Sheamus; featured an in-ring promo by Sheamus in which he made an open challenge to anyone backstage; when no one answered the challenge, Sheamus went to the floor and beat up a crew member before laying out Jerry Lawler with the kick to the face; moments later, referees tended to Lawler at ringside and he was helped backstage; following the commercial break, Matt Striker replaced Lawler on commentar; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read fans from 50 states and 22 countries purchased WrestleMania 26 tickets the previous week; featured an in-ring segment in which Piper called for McMahon to come out and accept his challenge to a streetfight; moments later, Randy Orton appeared instead of McMahon, to chants of “Randy Orton,” and said he wanted to lay Piper out to relive some stress; Orton then punched Piper, with Piper punching him back; Orton then assaulted Piper and prepared to kick him in the head until Kofi Kingston made the save and cleared the ring; after Orton went to go backstage, Kingston jumped him from behind and threw him into the front row; the two continued to brawl in the crowd, at ringside, and in the ring for several minutes until they were eventually pulled apart by referees; the fight continued until Kingston hit Orton across the face with a storage case near the technical table and attempted to jump from the stands through the table until he was forced down by referees; Kingston eventually broke free and hit the Boom Drop through the table Orton was laid out on; included a backstage promo by Cena regarding his teaming with World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker in the night’s main event; moments later, Cena was handed a piece of paper that clarified his match against DX at Survivor Series was a triple threat match and not a handicap match, with Cena then ranting that he would still win, during which he noted the Ghostbusters once saved NYC from a giant marshmellow man:
WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin pinned MVP with the Skull Crushing Finale at 3:46 after blocking a move in the corner and kicking the challenger; prior to the bout, Mizanin cut an in-ring promo about being the US champion while the New York Yankees had to buy their World Series championship; Sherri Shepherd, of “The View,” was shown in attendance prior to the match; the challenger wore a Yankees hat to the ring
Santino Marella pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with a roll up at 2:50 after Guerrero became distracted by Hornswoggle, dressed in DX gear, on the apron; Marella wore a New York Rangers jersey to the ring but then took it off to reveal a New York Giants jersey underneath, then taking that off to reveal a New York Knicks jersey under that; Marella continued to take off his shirts, revealing jerseys of the New York Jets, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and finishing with the New York Yankees (The Best of Raw: 2009)
WWE Divas Champion Melina pinned Alicia Fox in a lumberjill match at 1:39 with the sunset flip / powerbomb; Judah Friedlander, of “30 Rock,” was the guest ring announcer for the match; his intro claimed he was master of the martial arts, a bodybuilder, and a former player of the Brazilian National Soccer Team where he scored 15 goals in one game as the goal keeper, and is the greatest athlete in the world; the match was scheduled as a regular singles match; the added stipulation wasn’t announced until after both participants made their entrance; lumberjills around ringside included Jillian Hall, Mickie James, WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Layla, Beth Phoenix, Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim, and Eve; after the contest, all the divas brawled with the babyfaces eventually clearing the ring and dancing with Judah in the ring
Jack Swagger pinned Evan Bourne at around the 4-minute mark with the gutwrench powerbomb after ramming Bourne into two consecutive corners (the bout began during the commercial break)
WWE World Champion John Cena & World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker defeated Triple H & Shawn Michaels and WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show in a non-title match at 7:07 when Cena pinned Triple H with the FU after Triple H knocked Taker to the floor; Taker’s entrance featured druids appearing with torches, during which the crowd chanted “Undertaker;” immediately after the match, Taker slid back into the ring and dropped Cena with the tombstone before posing with his own belt as Cena lay nearby (The Best of Raw: 2009) 11/23/09; Hershey, PA; Giant Center
11/23/09 – 3-hour episode; featured an opening segment in which Justin Roberts introduced Jesse Ventura as the night’s guest host, with Randy Orton appearing instead and cutting an in-ring promo saying he knows Ventura has plans for the WWE World Title and that, even though he’s not supposed to face WWE World Champion John Cena for the title, Ventura could lift that ban; Orton then said Ventura should do what’s right and give Orton the chance to be world champion again; Ventura then appeared, said Orton reminded him of himself, but then said Orton wasn’t going to get a title shot because the same people over and over were getting title shots; Ventura said Orton, Shawn Michaels, WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show, and Triple H will not be getting a shot at the title; Ventura then said a series of matches would take place later in the show between wrestlers that have never held a world title, with the winners doing battle in a battle royal later in the night; Ventura then announced that WWE World Champion John Cena would face CM Punk later in the show and Triple H & Michaels would face Tyson Kidd & David Hart Smith; included ads promoting Ventura’s “Conspiracy Theory” on truTV; featured a backstage promo by WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin, beside a table of Thanksgiving food, in which he was thankful for the fact his team won at Survivor Series, he was the only Raw person to win at Bragging Rights, and he was the most dominant US champion of all time; Mizanin then said the fans should be thankful for being able to watch him; included an ad promoting “Hulk Hogan’s Unreleased Collector’s Series;” featured a backstage promo by Teddy Long in which he was about to say what he’s thankful for, with Vickie Guerrero, alongside Eric Escobar, interrupted to say he should be thankful to have her as a consultant, during which Long acted like he was going to douse Vickie with mashed potatoes; included a backstage segment with Ventura and Orton in which Orton claimed he was the victim of a conspiracy for not getting another world title shot, with Ventura agreeing but saying he couldn’t allow Orton in the battle royal; featured a backstage segment with Ventura and Vince McMahon in which Ventura said he knew there were plenty of conspiracies within the WWE and said Vince’s father had so little confidence in him that he made him an announcer; Ventura then said he and Vince were doing commentary later in the show like they did in the old days; Ventura then gave McMahon a new tuxedo to wear and a red bow tie; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers all US military free tickets to live events in the US; featured a backstage segment with Triple H & Michaels in which they discussed their match the previous night against Cena and the fact Michaels superkicked Triple H to start the match; moments later, a little person handed Michaels paperwork that said DX was being sued by Hornswoggle the following week; included a video package recapping the history of McMahon & Ventura as a commentary team; featured the world premiere of “The Marine 2” trailer for the DVD release Dec. 28; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE TV can be seen in 465 million homes around the world, more than the NBA, MLB, and NFL combined; featured a segment in which Rey Mysterio Jr.’s music played until Batista came out and cut an in-ring promo saying Mysterio will spend Thanksgiving in the hospital after the events of Survivor Series; he then said he hoped someone from Raw was to win the battle royal later in the show because if someone from Smackdown! won, he would jump the ring and make them pay; moments later, after Batista said the Undertaker and the World Heavyweight Title were his, Kane interrupted and told Batista to try to make an example out of him; Batista only smirked in response and then slowly left the ring; included an ad for “Jeff Hardy: My Life, My Rules;” featured the announcement Batista would face Kane later in the week on Smackdown!; included a backstage segment in which Gail Kim went to say what she’s thankful for until Alicia Fox interrupted and made fun of the fact Gail was the first person eliminated in their match at Survivor Series; the two then shared words and went to put pies in each other’s face until Santino Marella stepped in to calm them down and made food innuendo about white meat and breasts; eventually both Gail and Fox put pies in Marella’s face, with Brie & Nikki Bella then coming to Marella’s aid until they too put pies in his face; moments later, Eve appeared and wiped Marella’s face until she too put a pie in his face; Vickie then appeared with another pie but a blinded Marella accidentally caused her to put the pie in her own face; featured the announcement Verne Troyer would host the following week’s show:
Breakthrough Battle Royal Qualifying Match: Kofi Kingston pinned Dolph Ziggler at 3:53 with the spin kick to the face after holding onto the ropes to avoid the Zig Zag; prior to the match, Kingston passed Orton in the aisle, who was going backstage following the opening segment; following Kingston’s entrance, footage was shown of his battle with Orton the previous week at Madison Square Garden
Breakthrough Battle Royal Qualifying Match: Sheamus pinned Finlay with the crucifix powerbomb at 1:57; after the match, Sheamus pulled Finlay to the floor, rammed him into the steel steps and ringside barrier, and kicked him into the crowd
WWE World Champion John Cena pinned CM Punk in a non-title match at 12:00 with a FU from the middle turnbuckle after Punk missed a running knee in the corner; prior to the match, Punk cut an in-ring promo saying he was thankful he was straight edge because he wouldn’t want to be like the fans in attendance; Punk then said they would all be turning to medication after eating too much at Thanksgiving, and then they would eat more; following Cena’s entrance, Punk threw his own shirt at the champion (The Best of Raw: 2009)
Breakthrough Battle Royal Qualifying Match: MVP, Mark Henry, & R-Truth defeated Jack Swagger, Chris Masters, & Chavo Guerrero Jr. at 3:09 when Truth pinned Masters with the Lie Detector
Breakthrough Battle Royal Qualifying Match: Randy Orton (sub. for Primo Colon) pinned Evan Bourne with the RKO at 1:30; during Primo’s entrance, Orton jumped him from behind and threw him to the floor before coming to the ring and saying he was taking Primo’s spot; moments later, Jesse Ventura appeared on the big screen and said Orton was being persistant and he was going to break his own rule to allow Orton a chance in the battle royal
WWE Divas Champion Melina, Mickie James, & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Jillian Hall, & Layla at 1:55 when Melina pinned Jillian with a take down and roll over after McCool & Layla walked out of the match; prior to the bout, McCool’s team – dressed as pilgrims – came out came out to “Simple Gifts” while Melina’s team – dressed as Indians – came out to Tatanka’s theme song; following their entrance, McCool cut an in-ring promo on having to dress as a pilgrim until Justin Roberts cut her off an introduced the Gobbledy Gooker as the guest timekeeper; following the commercial break, footage was shown of the Gooker’s debut at the 1990 Survivor Series with Gene Okerlund; following the match, Jerry Lawler conducted an in-ring interview with Melina regarding the win, with the Gooker then coming in the ring and jumped Melina from behind; moments later, the Gooker revelead herself to be Maryse, who then took the outfit off and threw it at Melina (Maryse’s surprise return after a 4-month absence)
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated David Hart Smith & Tyson Kidd (w/ Natalya Neidhart) at 4:55 when Triple H pinned Kidd with the Pedigree after Michaels hit Smith with the superkick; after the match, WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho appeared at the entrance stage and said DX would face he and WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show in 3 weeks for the titles at TLC; Jericho said Show was taking a day off but Triple H joked he was at the chocolate factory; moments later, Michaels said the title match would be a TLC match
Breakthrough Battle Royal Qualifying Match: Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes defeated Cryme Tyme at 3:02 when Dibiase pinned Shad with Dream Street after attacking him from behind
Sheamus won an 8-man battle royal by last eliminating Kofi Kingston at 6:25; other participants included: Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., Cody Rhodes, MVP, Mark Henry, and R-Truth; stipulations stated the winner would earn, depending on their brand, a WWE or World Title shot at TLC; order of elimination: Truth by Sheamus (2:56); MVP by Sheamus following a kick to the head (3:43); Rhodes & Dibiase by Henry via a double clothesline (4:16); Henry by Sheamus (4:21); Orton by Kingston via a headscissors over the top (6:11); Kingston by Sheamus via a running double axe handle; Vince McMahon & Jesse Ventura provided commentary for the match, with McMahon coming out to Animotion’s “Obsession;” following the commercial break, Ventura oversaw a contract signing between Sheamus and WWE World Champion John Cena for TLC; after Cena came out, he took a seat until Sheamus grabbed the mic and demanded that Cena stand and face him; Cena replied by noting his own history in WWE, comparing it to Sheamus retiring Jamie Noble and beating up Jerry Lawler, and then said when Sheamus signs the contract, he’ll be going to war with Cena; Sheamus then said he retires people and attacks Hall of Famers because he can but it wouldn’t compare to what he does to Cena; after the two signed the contract, Ventura said there was a conspiracy to keep Cena champion; after Ventura noted he never got a shot at the title, Cena put the belt down and appeared to confront Ventura until Sheamus kicked him in the head and slammed him through the table set up in the ring; Ventura then said Cena vs. Sheamus would be a tables match, with Sheamus then holding up the title belt as the show ended (McMahon & Ventura’s first match on commentary in 19 years) 11/30/09; Baltimore, MD; First Mariner Arena
11/30/09 – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & the Big Show in which they said Triple H & Shawn Michaels weren’t the greatest tag team in the WWE, as fans thought; moments later, still images appeared on the big screen of their matches against Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, Cryme Tyme, MVP & Mark Henry, and World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker & Kane, with Jericho noting DX had never worn tag team gold despite having been around since 1997; Show then noted there were 42 championships between he and Jericho and images then appeared on the big screen showing Show as a former WCW, WWE, and ECW World Champion; highlights of their dominance continued to air as the show spoke about their accomplishments and Jericho noted DX had never been in a TLC match while he had won TLC; eventually, Triple H & Michaels interrupted, with DX saying they would make history in Michaels’ hometown of San Antonio, TX by winning the tag team titles in their first TLC match; Triple H then noted that if DX won then Jericho would be stuck on Smackdown!, as the only reason he appeared on Raw was because he was a tag team champion; Jericho then said Raw would be nothing without him and said he and Show were better than DX; Triple H then challenged Jericho to a match later in the show, as – according to Triple H – Jericho only had two weeks left on Raw; Jericho accepted but Show said the stipulation would be the loser would face the opposing team the following week in a handicap match; Jericho then said he had four words for DX – “I’m never leaving Raw;” included a “Did you know?” graphic which read fans from 50 states and 22 countries had already purchased tickets to WrestleMania 26; featured a backstage segment with Jericho, Show, and guest host Verne Troyer; included Troyer at the entrance stage welcoming the fans and saying he enjoyed being at Summer Slam and meeting all the WWE talent except for WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin; moments later, Mizanin interrupted and made several Dr. Evil jokes until Troyer said he was surprised Miz wasn’t in the Jackass movies; eventually, Mark Henry came out, with Miz calling him Fat Bastard; Troyer then said he wanted to slap Miz but instead would Henry do it for him; featured a backstage segment in which Troyer and MVP were shown watching “Smackdown vs. Raw 2010;” moments later, Henry and Jillian Hall walked in; MVP eventually suggested to let Jillian sing so Henry could show off his own personality; when Jillian began to sing, Henry danced around her until he accidentally fell and squashed her; moments later, Troyer said “I think she’s dead;” included backstage footage of Cena arriving to the arena; featured the announcement that the Batista vs. World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker match at TLC would be a chairs match; featured an in-ring promo by Cena in which he said he wanted his match with Sheamus to be later in the night for the world title; moments later, a clean shaven Carlito appeared and said he didn’t like Sheamus but he liked what he represented because all the wrestlers on Raw, ECW, and Smackdown! were tired of Cena and wanted their own share of the spotlight; Carlito then said Cena might represent the fans but Sheamus represented the wrestlers; Cena responded by calling Carlito out, with Carlito then going to bite his apple but Cena punched it in his face, followed with the FU, and knocked Carlito to the floor; Sheamus then appeared at the entrance stage, with Cena challenging him as well; eventually, Sheamus opted to go backstage instead; included a segment on the entrance stage with Troyer, MVP, and Henry in which Henry rapped on his match later in the show against Miz; featured an ad promoting “Jeff Hardy: My Life, My Rules;” included the announcement Mark Cuban would host the following week’s show; featured a backstage segment with Triple H & Michaels in which they thought their summons the previous week was a dream; moments later, Hornswoggle appeared and – with the use of subtitles on the screen – said he would be seeking further legal action; DX then said he had nothing on them and left; moments later, Troyer appeared and said Hornswoggle should sue them for everything they have:
Maryse & Jillian Hall defeated WWE Divas Champion Melina & Gail Kim at 2:55 when Maryse pinned Melina with the DDT after grabbing onto the ropes to avoid the sunset flip / powerbomb; prior to the match, Josh Matthews conducted a backstage interview with Maryse & Jillian regarding Maryse attacking Melina from behind the previous week
Sheamus fought Santino Marella to a no contest; prior to the match, Sheamus cut an in-ring promo on challenging WWE World Champion John Cena in a tables match at TLC; following his entrance, Marella took the mic and said Sheamus was overlooking him and was jealous of him for being tan; eventually, Marella called Sheamus a “lame ass,” with Sheamus then assaulting him and laying him out with the boot to the face; moments later, Sheamus dropped Marella with the crucifix powerbomb; Sheamus then pulled a table out from under the ring, set it up in the corner, and rammed Marella through it
Randy Orton pinned Kofi Kingston with the RKO at 3:09; during Kingston’s entrance, he was jumped from behind by Cody Rhodes, thrown into the steel ring steps, and assaulted until Rhodes was sent backstage; moments later, the referee asked Kingston whether he wanted to continue with the match and he said yes; Orton’s music then hit but Ted Dibiase Jr. came out of the crowd, clipped Kingston from behind, and assaulted his legs before he too was sent backstage; after Kingston again told the referee he wanted to continue, Orton finally came out; after the contest, Orton set Kingston on the top rope and dropped him with a DDT
Mark Henry pinned WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at 2:03 after catching Mizanin coming off the top and hitting the powerslam; after the match, Henry met with Verne Troyer at the entrance stage and the two danced with Kelly Kelly, Eve, Brie & Nikki Bella to celebrate the win
Triple H pinned WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho with a roll up at 11:13 after Jericho hit his head on the top turnbuckle; both Shawn Michaels and WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show provided guest commentary until late in the match when, after Show knocked Triple H out with a punch behind the referee’s back and Michaels knocked Jericho out with a superkick behind the referee’s back, referee Mike Chioda ejected them from ringside for being too close to the action; stipulations stated the loser would face the other team in a handicap match the following week; after the contest, Triple H & Michaels stood at the entrance stage as Michaels told Jericho the following week would be Jericho’s last on Raw (Triple H: Thy Kingdom Come) 12/7/09; Dallas, TX; American Airlines Center
12/7/09 – featured an opening in-ring segment in which Mark Cuban, guest host of the show, was introduced; Cuban then came out of the crowd and cut an in-ring promo in which he announced Sheamus and WWE World Champion John Cena would be face-to-face later in the night; Cuban then returned to his ringside seat beside Brie & Nikki Bella and members of the Dallas Mavericks; included an ad promoting the following week’s 2009 Slammy Awards, hosted by Dennis Miller; featured an in-ring promo by Randy Orton, alongside Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, in which he congratulated Cuban on his decision making during the show and then told him he should lift the ban on Orton’s WWE Title shots against Cena because he is the next man in line for the title; Cuban shook his head no from ringside, with Dibiase then taking the mic and introducing footage of Orton laying Cuban out with a RKO at the 2003 Survivor Series to remind him what happens when the two are alone together; Cuban then said there was no way Orton would challenge the winner of the Cena vs. Sheamus tables match and said the only reason Orton beat Kofi Kingston the previous week was because WWE referees are worse than NBA referees; Cuban then said Orton would face Kingston in a rematch later in the show, with Cuban as the referee; Rhodes then took the mic and said Cuban and his team were all talk and noted he challenged Cuban through The Dallas Morning News to get in the ring; Rhodes then went ringside and Cuban said the Mavericks would be happy to face Legacy in June after they win the NBA Championship; Cuban then said Legacy already had a match scheduled, with Evan Bourne & Primo Colon then appearing; included a video package recapping Sheamus’ attack on Jamie Noble; featured a backstage segment with Triple H & Shawn Michaels in which they subtly shilled their merchandise – including DX Santa hats and shoes – before Michaels gave Triple H a copy of Smackdown! vs. Raw 2010, with Triple H saying they gave him a free copy too; Triple H then gave Michaels a gift wrapped box and Hornswoggle popping out instead; Hornswoggle then showed off his new DX shirt, featuring him as well; Michaels then translated that the shirt will be available on WWEShop.com and at sourvineer stands; Michaels and Triple H then had a rant about Han Solo and Chewbacca before Triple H questioned who wrote their script and told them to leave; moments later, Hornswoggle was seen trying to get Michaels’ cowboy hat from on top of the Christmas tree, with the tree then falling and knocking over DX before Hornswoggle left; included the announcement that WWE’s partnership with SKY Broadcasting would continue another 5 years, reaching a total of 25 years; featured a video package recapping Sheamus’ recent attack on Jerry Lawler; included a video package recapping Sheamus’ win in the Breakthrough Battle Royal and subsequent attack on Cena; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE placed in the top 3 Yahoo! searches, outranking Britney Spears, American Idol, and NASCAR; included an ad promoting “Jeff Hardy: My Life, My Rules;” featured a video package showing Sheamus’ attack on Santino Marella the previous week; included an in-ring segment in which Michael Cole & Lawler ran down the main matches scheduled for TLC; featured an ad promoting the Dec. 19 airing of “Tribute to the Troops” on NBC; Michael Irvin was shown in attendance; included a closing in-ring segment in which Cuban oversaw the confrontation between Cena and Sheamus; after Sheamus ranted on what he would do to Cena, Cena repeatedly replied “No comment;” eventually, Cena responded saying he’s faced everyone from Shawn Michaels to Kevin Federline, noted some fans like him and some don’t, but he’s never given up, and he’s earned the right to say “The champ is here;” he continued by saying, in 7 years in the WWE, it takes more than being put through one table to slow him down; the two then knocked over all the furniture set up in the ring, with Sheamus shoving Cuban to the mat and then laying out Cena with a kick to the head; Sheamus then landed a second kick to the head before Cuban confronted shoved Sheamus to the mat; Sheamus followed with a knee to the gut and then rammed Cuban through a table set up in the corner; members of the Mavericks then jumped the barricade as Sheamus left the ring:
WWE World Champion John Cena pinned Carlito in a non-title match with the FU at 2:58; mid-way through the bout, Sheamus appeared at the entrance stage, with Mark Cuban then leaving his ringside seat, blocking Sheamus’ way to the ring, and calling for security; moments later, Sheamus returned backstage; after the contest, Cena celebrated with Brie & Nikki Bella and members of the Dallas Mavericks sitting ringside
Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes defeated Evan Bourne & Primo Colon at around the 5-minute mark when Dibiase pinned Bourne with Dream Street after avoiding a jump kick to the face; after the match, Cuban ordered that Dibiase & Rhodes be ejected from the arena prior to Randy Orton’s match later in the night against Kofi Kingston; moments later, security came ringside to ensure they left the building (the match began during the commercial break)
Maryse pinned Gail Kim at 3:32 with both feet on the ropes for leverage after kicking Kim off the middle turnbuckle, with Kim landing on the back of her head; Kelly Kelly was the guest ring announcer for the match; after the bout, Maryse confronted Kelly on the floor and corrected her announcing, noting she should have named her the next WWE Divas Champion; the two then scuffled with Maryse winning before WWE Divas Champion Melina made the save and cleared Maryse from ringside
Kofi Kingston pinned Randy Orton at 5:15 by reversing a RKO into a backslide followed by a fast count from guest referee Mark Cuban; after the contest, Cuban took the mic and said he waited 6 years to get payback for what happened at the 2003 Survivor Series and, now that Orton and Kingston were tied at one win apiece, they would have the rubber match Sunday at TLC
WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin pinned Mark Henry at 2:39 by reversing an attempt at the powerslam into a DDT
Hornswoggle & Eve defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Jillian Hall at 2:14 when Eve pinned Jillian following a somersault splash; after the match, Guerrero shoved Guerrero to the mat, with Eve then getting in Chavo’s way; moments later, Chris Masters left his ringside seat, where he was shown speaking with Mark Cuban, confronted Guerrero, and eventually dropped him with a full nelson slam and left with Eve and Hornswoggle
Triple H & Shawn Michaels fought WWE Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho to a no contest in a handicap match at around the 2-minute mark after the referee was knocked down and WWE Unified Tag Team Champion the Big Show interfered; prior to the match, Jericho cut an in-ring promo about being Superstar of the Year for 2008 and planned to repeat the following week, along with wins for Tag Team of the Year, OMG Moment of the Year, and Match of the Year; he then said he was bigger than either Raw or Smackdown! and would stay on Raw as long as he wanted and he and Show would beat DX at TLC; after the contest, Show put Triple H & Michaels in a ladder while Jericho twice hit the ladder with a chair; moments later, Jericho took his tag belts, climbed on top of a ladder set up in the ring, and held the belts up as he and Show posed above the bodies of DX 12/14/09; Corpus Christi, TX; American Bank Center
12/14/09 – 2009 Slammy Awards 3-hour episode – included Michael Cole, Matt Striker, & Jerry Lawler on commentary; featured an opening segment in which Justin Roberts introduced Dennis Miller as the guest host of the show; Miller then made a comparison between Nancy Pelosi and Vickie Guerrero, with an image then appearing on the big screen of DX with George Bush and Dick Cheney’s faces; moments later, Miller showed an image of President Obama and John Cena, then saying one man was just put through a table while the other has yet to bring anything to the table; Miller then brought up Saturday’s Tribute to the Troops and mentioned his own usacares.org; Miller then brought out R-Truth and Jillian Hall for the first Slammy for Tag Team of the Year; Jillian began to sing Tag Team’s “Whoomp there it is” until Truth cut her off and told her to shut up; the nominees: WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Triple H & Shawn Michaels, Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, David Hart Smith & Tyson Kidd, and Chris Jericho & the Big Show, with Jericho & Show winning; Jericho & Show then came out, with Jericho saying they were the best team of this or any other year and then thanked Edge for getting hurt and himself for choosing Show as Edge’s replacement; Show then said they would soon regain the titles they lost the night before, with Jericho saying they would get their rematch later in the night; included Miller introducing Teddy Long & Tiffany to present Breakout Star of the Year; nominees: WWE IC Champion Drew McIntyre, WWE World Champion Sheamus, Yoshi Tatsu, and Abraham Washington, with Sheamus winning; moments later, Sheamus appeared, bragged about his victory over John Cena the previous night, and noted WWE Hall of Famers Curt Hennig, Ricky Steamboat, Paul Orndorff, and Roddy Piper couldn’t do what he did and then said Cena would never get the title back; featured the announcement that CM Punk, World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker, John Cena, and Randy Orton were nominees for Superstar of the Year; included an ad promoting Saturday’s Tribute to the Troops on NBC; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE superstars have visited more than 200 military installations, forward operating bases, military hospitals, aircraft carriers, submarines, and the Pentagon in the past 5 years; included Miller introducing Vickie Guerrero and Santino Marella to announce the nominees for Shocker of the Year; nominees: Randy Orton dropping Stephanie McMahon with a DDT and then kissing her, Batista assaulting Rey Mysterio Jr. at Bragging Rights, CM Punk retiring Jeff Hardy, and Sheamus putting Mark Cuban through a table, with Punk winning to accept; featured the announcement Kane would appear the following night on ECW as a guest of Tiffany; included Miller introducing Triple H to present the Slammy for Match of the Year; Miller accidentally referred to him as ‘The Show,’ with Triple H then messing up Miller’s name after coming out; nominees: Michaels vs. Undertaker (WrestleMania 25), Cena vs. Orton (Breaking Point), Jeff vs. Edge (Extreme Rules), and Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown! (Bragging Rights), with Michaels vs. Taker winning; Michaels then came out to accept, noting he won the year before for his match against Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24; moments later, Michaels issued a challenge for Taker to face him at WrestleMania 26; featured an ad promoting “The History of the World Heavyweight Championship;” included a “Did you know?” graphic which readJohn Cena has granted more than 140 wishes from the Make-a-Wish foundation, making him the most requested person from the WWE, NBA, or NFL; featured Miller introducing Vince McMahon to present the Slammy for Guest Host of the Year; nominees: Bob Barker, Seth Green, Shaquille O’Neal, and the Osbournes, with Barker winning; Barker then appeared in a pre-taped video to accept the award; McMahon then asked Miller who he would want as a host, with Miller suggesting Bret Hart; the crowd approved but McMahon did not and walked off; included a backstage segment with Jericho and Miller in which Jericho thanked Miller for showing him the respect that other guest hosts haven’t shown him, with Miller saying Jericho sucks energy out of the show and needs to be somewhere other than Raw; featured Carlito, Chris Masters, & Eve introducing nominees for “Extreme Moment of the Year;” nominees: Kofi Kingston taking out Randy Orton at MSG, Big Show attacking Cena at Backlash, Hardy jumping off a ladder onto Punk at Summer Slam, and Triple H invading Orton’s home, with Hardy winning; Matt Hardy appeared moments later to accept the award on Jeff’s behalf; Carlito eventually punched out Matt, then thanked God, the Academy, and Team Jacob for winning; eventually, Masters put Carlito in the full nelson before Hardy punched out Carlito, with Masters and Matt then shaking hands; included a trailer for “The Marine 2,” available Dec. 29 on DVD and Blu-ray; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw is the longest running episodic series with more episodes than “Cheers” and “The Simpsons” combined; included Miller introducing Abraham Washington, Tony Atlas, & Big Dick Johnson to give the nominees for “Oh My Moment of the Year;” Masters and his dancing pecs, Michaels superkicking a girl, Cole throwing up on Jericho, and Marella getting pies in his face from several divas before then putting a pie in Vickie’s face, with Cole winning; moments later, Cole jumped up from his seat and ran up to the stage to accept the award, during which he said “Forget about Boomer Sooner, hook’em Horns!”; featured Miller thanking the WWE for what they do for the troops and plugging usacares.org; included a backstage segment with Triple H & Michaels in which Michaels showed off the Money in the Bank ladder match ring he set up early for Christmas, with Triple H accidentally destroying it; moments later, Triple H gave Michaels one of the new DX snuggles and sat down with him to watch “The History of the World Heavyweight Championship;” after Michaels realized they were watching a match of Triple H beating him up, Hornswoggle appeared and gave them a WWEShop.com gift card; eventually, DX tried to go after Hornswoggle but Triple H accidentally attacked Michaels instead, then ran away while Shawn was still down, with Hornswoggle then putting a Santa hat on Shawn and giving him the DX chop; featured the announcement Johnny Damon of the New York Yankees would host the following week’s show:
ECW World Champion Christian, Kane, & the Great Khali defeated William Regal, Vladimir Kozlov, & Ezekiel Jackson at 2:31 when Khali pinned Kozlov with a chop to the head; prior to the match, Regal cut an in-ring promo saying he challenged Christian to find two partners to face his men to prove Regal and his men were all on the same page; moments later, Christian appeared and said he found two men that had agreed to put their differences aside to get rid of Regal and his men
Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes via disqualification at 1:01 when Ted Dibiase Jr. interfered; moments later, Evan Bourne came out to make the save; Dennis Miller then interrupted to say he just won the Slammy for making what was a singles match into a tag team match and then ordered the four men to continue their brawl; Miller then said “Suck it” as a message to Al Sharpton and Jeremy Piven
Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne in an impromptu match at 7:17 when Rhodes pinned Bourne with Crossroads; Kingston’s left shoulder was heavily taped for the two matches
2009 Superstar of the Year Tournament Semi-Finals: John Cena defeated CM Punk via submission with the STFU at 1:41; prior to the bout, Punk cut an in-ring acceptance speech on winning Shocker of the Year, ran down his accomplishments in 2009, and said he was the only one with the courage to tell the fans what they needed to hear; following the match, Cena cut an in-ring promo in which he apologized to any fans that he let down the previous night but he would not stop until he regained the title; Cena then said his road to WrestleMania was already underway and he would not lose a match until he wins the title back
2009 Superstar of the Year Tournament Semi-Finals: Randy Orton defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker via count-out in a non-title match at 3:40 after dropping Taker with the RKO after Taker became distracted by Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes at ringside; after the contest, Taker knocked Dibiase & Rhodes to the floor and dropped Orton with a chokeslam
Chris Jericho & the Big Show defeated WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Triple H & Shawn Michaels via disqualification at the 28-second mark when Triple H shoved the referee; prior to the match, it was noted Triple H & Michaels would have to appear in court the following week to deal with Hornswoggle’s lawsuit; Jericho’s left elbow and leg were heavily taped as was Triple H’s right hand; after the contest, Michaels grabbed the mic and confronted Triple H over costing them a win, with Triple H apologizing to Michaels and then noting it was Jericho’s only title rematch; moments later, Triple H & Michaels noted Jericho was now off Raw and was technically trespassing; moments later, Cryme Tyme, Finlay, the Hurricane, R-Truth, ECW World Champion Christian, and Shelton Benjamin came out in DX gear, with Michaels hitting the superkick on Jericho before Jericho was forcibly taken backstage by those at ringside; moments later, Jericho was thrown out of the arena
John Morrison, Mark Henry, & Yoshi Tatsu defeated WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin, WWE IC Champion Drew McIntyre, & Zack Ryder at 2:09 when Tatsu pinned Ryder with the kick to the head
WWE Divas Champion Melina, Mickie James, Maria, Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim, Brie & Nikki Bella defeated WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Rosa Mendes, Maryse, Beth Phoenix, Natalya Neidhart, Alicia Fox, & Layla at 1:16 when Mickie pinned Rosa with the DDT; after the match, MVP & Goldust came out to present “Diva of the Year,” as voted by visitors of WWE.com; Goldust eventually walked out after making jokes about the divas; moments later, Maria was announced as the winner; as Maria gave her acceptance speech, Batista interrupted to talk about his “Screwjob of the Year” award and said he should be World Heavyweight Champion until two uniformed police officers came out to take him backstage
2009 Superstar of the Year Tournament Finals: John Cena pinned Randy Orton at 9:01 with the FU after avoiding the kick to the head; after the match, WWE World Champion Sheamus appeared at the entrance stage and held up the title belt as Cena looked on, daring Sheamus to enter the ring as the show came to a close (The Best of Raw: 2009, WWE Superstar Collection: John Cena) 12/21/09; Tampa, FL; St. Pete Times Forum
12/21/09 – featured an opening segment in which Justin Roberts introduced Johnny Damon as the guest host of the show, who came out to “Put Me in, Coach;” after Damon brought up the fact he was a World Series winner with both the Yankees and Red Sox, a blonde woman weilding a golf club chased a man dressed as a tiger around the ring and all the way backstage; included a pre-taped segment in which WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Triple H & Shawn Michaels were shown walking out to the ring to face ‘Little People’s Court;’ moments later, they went under the ring and used their DX glow sticks to show their way until they eventually found a lightswitch, revealing they were in a hallway; they soon found themselves in ‘Little People’s Court’ where everyone was of Hornswoggle’s size, even the judge; Hornswoggle soon appeared and showed footage of DX intimidating him over the course of several months; featured a backstage segment with Eve, Nikki & Brie Bella, Santa Claus, & Damon in which the Bellas congratulated Damon on his World Series win earlier that year; moments later, Carlito tried to kiss Eve under the mistletoe until Chris Masters stepped in Eve’s spot; Santa then came between them, with Carlito then revealing him as Sgt. Slaughter; Damon then set up a match between Masters and Carlito for later in the night; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more men watched the previous week’s show than any program on NBC, ABC, The CW, and Fox and drew more than 1.5 million females; featured a segment of ‘Little People’s Court’ in which Hornswoggle showed footage of DX attacking him at Madison Square Garden, with DX then being found guilty; Michaels then ranted that they wouldn’t let Hornswoggle join DX and said he would have to do something really big to deserve a spot; moments later, DX was chased out of the courtroom and out from underneath the ring; eventually, Michaels was yanked down and almost pulled under the ring before they ran backstage; included a backstage segment with Damon and Santa – Dusty Rhodes – with MVP then appearing and saying he wanted to earn a title shot for the WWE World Title and suggested he face Sheamus later in the show in a non-title match, with Damon then making it official; featured a montage from ‘Tribute to the Troops’ set to Bon Jovi’s “Superman Tonight;” included a backstage segment in which the Bellas tended to the tiger seen earlier in the show while WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin confronted Santa – IRS – and ranted off everything he wanted for Christmas and the pants he didn’t get as a kid; IRS then said Mizanin owed back taxes on a car he won, with the blonde woman then appearing and again chasing Tiger off; moments later, Damon said he paid his taxes, with IRS saying baseball players are the biggest tax cheats of them all; Mae Young then appeared and forced kisses on Damon under the mistletoe; featured the announcement that Timbaland would host the following week’s show; included an ad promoting “The History of the World Heavyweight Championship;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more men between the ages of 18 and 34 watched the previous week’s ECW than the NBA on ESPN; included a backstage segment with Damon and Vince McMahon in which Damon said Cena vs. Sheamus would take place on the following week’s show; Damon then asked if there was any truth to Bret Hart hosting Raw soon, with McMahon walking off; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with the Big Show in which Show said he was going to the ring to call out the real Santa Claus because he was going to grant Show a wish; included the trailer for “The Marine 2;” featured an in-ring segment in which Show told the real Santa to come out and give him his wish; moments later, Santa and the Bellas came out to the ring with Show telling Santa that he wanted Chris Jericho to come to Raw as his Christmas present; Santa then granted Show his wish and said Jericho would be back on Raw the following week; Hornswoggle then appeared dressed in DX gear and revealed Santa to be Jericho in disguise; moments later, several midgets came out from under the ring in DX gear and ganged up on Jericho before he and Show fought them off; eventually, Show & Jericho cornered Hornswoggle until Triple H & Michaels came out to make the save; moments later, Michaels suggested they keep Hornswoggle, with Triple H then saying he could be their official mascot; the three then posed together as the show came to an end:
WWE Divas Champion Melina, Kelly Kelly, & Gail Kim defeated Maryse, Jillian Hall, & Alicia Fox at 2:08 when Kelly pinned Maryse after Melina dropkicked Maryse behind the referee’s back, with Kelly falling on top for the win
Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne, & Mark Henry defeated Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., & Cody Rhodes at 10:24 when Kingston pinned Dibiase with the spin kick to the head after avoiding a clothesline
John Cena defeated Jack Swagger via submission with the STFU at 12:30 after avoiding a bomb off the ropes
Chris Masters (w/ Eve) defeated Carlito via submission with the full nelson at 1:46 after avoiding a springboard back elbow; prior to the bout, a graphic appeared on the screen promoting johnnydamonfoundation.com; after the contest, Eve held the mistletoe over Masters’ head and kissed him
WWE World Champion Sheamus pinned MVP in a non-title match at 2:24 with a boot to the face and the crucifix powerbomb; after the match, John Cena came out to the ring and said he wanted his rematch then and there; moments later, Sheamus left the ring without a confrontation
WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin pinned Santino Marella with the Skull Crushing Finale in a non-title match at 2:14 after avoiding a splash off the middle turnbuckle; Santino came out dressed as Santa Claus and threw presents to fans in the crowd before the match; Marella wore the costume for the duration of the bout; after the contest, Miz took Marella’s toy bag and repeatedly stomped it before kicking it to the floor 12/28/09; Hartford, CT; XL Center
12/28/09 – featured an opening segment in which Chris Jericho, using a megaphone, was trying to get fans outside the arena to sign his petition to allow him back on Raw; included an in-ring promo by John Cena in which he pulled a table out from under the ring, put it in the ring, set it up, and then sat on the top turnbuckle before suggesting his title match later in the night against WWE World Champion Sheamus be a tables match; moments later, Sheamus came out and said, because he was champion, the match would be under his terms and it would be a regular singles match; Sheamus eventually turned his back, with Cena then jumping over the table, hoisting Sheamus up, and putting him through the table in the ring with the FU; featured a backstage segment with Timbaland, guest host of the night, alongside Gail Kim, Nikki & Brie Bella; moments later, Josh Matthews conducted an interview with Timbaland regarding the earlier altercation between Cena and Sheamus and said the match was still on, despite Sheamus having been put through the table; included a backstage segment with Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase Jr., & Cody Rhodes – with Rhodes in possession of a copy of “The Marine 2” – in which Orton said he was done with Legacy after a year and a half and their loss the previous week; Dibiase & Rhodes then said Orton should be thanking them for the help they gave him in the past year making sure he kept the WWE World Title; Orton then said Dibiase would face Evan Bourne and Rhodes would face Mark Henry later in the show, and he would kick them out of the team and beat them up if they lost; featured a shot of Jericho, alone, with a protest sign outside the arena which read “Stop the Jericho Embargo;” included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw was seen by more women the previous week than every program on Lifetime, A&E, The CW, HGTV, Oxygen, and Hallmark; featured a shot of Jericho outside the arena asking fans to sign his petition to allow him back on Raw, with few people walking by and no one signing; included a backstage segment with Gail and Jillian Hall in which Jillian was trying to get back in Timbaland’s office so she could audition for his upcoming tour; moments later, Hornswoggle, WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Triple H & Shawn Michaels were shown nearby with a skateboard taped to Hornswoggle; Michaels then brought up the fact Vince McMahon would be discussing Bret Hart later in the broadcast and he felt he should be involved, with Triple H telling him to stay out of it; moments later, Jillian was shown singing Timbaland’s “Give it to Me” for Timbaland until Triple H pushed Hornswoggle, on the skateboard, into her which knocked her down; included a segment outside the arena with Jericho and the Big Show in which Show told Jericho their team was over and he needed to move on because long distance relationships don’t work; Show then handed Jericho an envelope and walked off, with Jericho then opening it and smiling; featured an in-ring segment in which McMahon came out to chants of “We want Bret;” moments later, McMahon addressed the rumors that Hart would host the following week’s show and showed a video package recapping Hart’s career, followed by another recapping the events of the 1997 Survivor Series; McMahon then said he allowed Hart to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame but Hart refused to shake his hand after the ceremony; moments later, McMahon tried several times to officially name Hart as the following week’s guest but he couldn’t get the words out of his mouth, then said Hart would never be a guest host on Raw; Michaels then came out before McMahon could leave the ring and said there are some rivalries bigger than the industry and said he was referring to he and the Undertaker and told McMahon he wanted the rematch at WrestleMania; McMahon then said he wouldn’t make the match and Michaels would have to make it himself if he wanted it; Michaels then said McMahon didn’t have anything to lose by bringing Hart back to Raw and promised him that only good things were going to happen if he did, implying it would work out in McMahon’s favor; after thinking about it, McMahon agreed to have Hart host the following week’s show; included Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Cena regarding the upcoming match with Sheamus, with Sheamus then jumping Cena and assaulting him before he was pulled away by referees; featured an ad promoting “The History of the World Heavyweight Championship;” included a backstage segment in Timbaland’s office with the Bellas, Eve, Gail, and MVP speaking with Timbaland about his video game; moments later, Kofi Kingston walked in and thanked Timbaland for his non-title match against WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin; MVP then said he wanted first shot if Kingston wins back the title; Mizanin walked in and said Kingston will never have the US title again and he would still be champion a year from then; Mizanin then told Gail that she can’t keep up with Maryse, responding to comments Gail made about her moments earlier; Timbaland then said if Kofi won their non-title match later in the show then he wouldn’t get the title match next week, he would get it later in tonight’s show; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read last week’s show was seen by more men than every program on NBC, Fox, The CW, and ABC; included Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Orton regarding his attack earlier in the show on Kingston, during which Orton said he and Kingston would end their feud the following week and said he would kick Kingston in the skull:
Ted Dibiase Jr. pinned Evan Bourne at 2:34 with Dream Street after causing Bourne to hit the top turnbuckle face-first; prior to the match, a video package was shown to hype the following day’s release of “The Marine 2;” Randy Orton sat ringside for the match; stipulations stated Dibiase would be kicked out of Legacy if he lost
Cody Rhodes pinned Mark Henry at 2:06 with a DDT after kicking Henry in the leg he injured earlier in the contest; Randy Orton sat ringside for the match; stipulations stated Rhodes would be kicked out of Legacy if he lost; moments later, Orton and Rhodes shook hands at ringside and left ringside together
Maryse pinned Kelly Kelly with the DDT at 1:39; after the match, Maryse took the mic, cut a promo on WWE Divas Champion Melina, and said she was the next Divas champion; moments later, Maryse kicked Kelly and left the ring
Kofi Kingston pinned WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at the 50-second mark with the spin kick to the face as the champion came off the top; stipulations stated Kingston would earn an immediate title match if he won
Kofi Kingston defeated WWE US Champion Mike Mizanin via disqualification at around the 4-minute mark when, after the challenger hit the spin kick to the head and made the cover, Randy Orton ran out, pulled Kingston out of the ring, and dropped him with the RKO on the floor (the match began during the commercial break)
WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated the Big Show & Chavo Guerrero Jr. (mystery partner) at 4:57 when Triple H pinned Guerrero with the Pedigree after Guerrero fought off an interfering Hornswoggle behind the referee’s back; prior to the match, Chris Jericho was shown taking a ringside seat, revealing that the envelope Show gave him earlier in the show included a ticket; following Guerrero’s entrance, Jericho was visibly upset that he was Jericho’s replacement; after the contest, Jericho jumped the barricade and yelled at Show until Michaels superkicked him off the apron; moments later, Triple H took the mic and said Jericho & Show could get their rematch the following week if that’s what it would take to get Jericho off Raw for good, but when he lost he would be gone for good
John Cena defeated WWE World Champion Sheamus via disqualification at 1:16 when Sheamus grabbed referee Mike Chioda and pushed him as Cena had the champion hoisted for the FU; prior to the match, Timbaland, wearing a Cena T-shirt, was escorted to the ring by Nikki & Brie Bella to make the introductions for the match; after the bout, Cena jumped Sheamus in the aisle and threw him in the ring, only for Sheamus to lay Cena out with two boots to the face; Sheamus then celebrated with the title as the show went off the air