WWE – 2012 Results
WWE @ Memphis, TN – Fed-Ex Forum – January 2, 2012
Skip Sheffield pinned Michael McGillicutty
Raw Supershow – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Cena in which he said he had some resolutions for himself – to wear less underwear, to ban his father from WWE TV, and to prove to the Rock at WrestleMania that he has lost his lady parts; Cena went on to say he would remain true to himself and his convictions; moments later, he said his reaction the previous week was to Kane, not the fans who pay to voice their opinions; Cena went on to thank the fans until Kane interrupted and said Cena may change his mind later in the show; included a vignette of a young boy and girl in a classroom, with the phrase “The End Begins Tonight” then appearing; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was the #1 show on SyFy for the 65th straight week; included a backstage segment with John Laurinaitis and Mike Mizanin speaking about R-Truth’s attack on Miz the previous week, with Laurinaitis saying Miz was scared and he would make sure Truth wouldn’t attack Miz during Miz’s scheduled match against Sheamus; Miz then stormed out of the office, not noticing Truth was watching him; Truth then quacked like a duck after Miz was out of the shot; featured a video package recapping the 1988 Royal Rumble; included a backstage segment with Miz, Nikki & Brie Bella in which Miz asked if they had seen Truth, then carefully snuck away before Truth was shown looking on; featured an ad promoting ‘The Best WWE Pay-Per-View Matches of 2011;’ included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Dolph Ziggler, alongside Vickie Guerrero, regarding his title shot against WWE World Champion CM Punk; featured a backstage segment with WWE US Champion Zack Ryder and Eve, which was interrupted by Jack Swagger who said Ryder was an imposter of a champion and he himself was born to win the title; Laurinaitis then walked in and said Swagger, Mark Henry, & Kane would face Ryder, Big Show, & Cena in an elimination match later in the show; featured a second vignette with the boy and girl before the words “He is Here” appeared; included a video package recapping the 1995 Royal Rumble; featured a backstage segment with Punk, Laurinaitis, and David Otunga in which Punk blamed Laurinaitis for his loss earlier in the show, with Laurinaitis saying Punk would face Ziggler for the title at Royal Rumble and he himself would be the guest referee; Punk then said Otunga would be handy if Laurinaitis screws him out of the title and he would be charged with animal cruelty for beating Laurinaitis like a bitch; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more people watched the previous week’s Raw than every show on Fox, CW, and ABC; a final vignette with the boy and girl, leading to the boy saying it was time; moments later, Chris Jericho walked into the arena and took several turns greeting the fans around ringside; several minutes later, he continued playing to the crowd without ever speaking over the mic; Jericho then did another lap around ringside, then walked up the ramp to the entrance stage where he continued playing to the crowd and then, as some in the crowd started to boo, he returned backstage (Jericho’s surprise return after more than a year’s absence):
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan pinned WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes in a non-title match at 3:20 with an inside cradle reversal out of a suplex attempt; after the bout, Bryan stood on the barricade to play to the crowd
Wade Barrett pinned Santino Marella with the Winds of Change sidewalk slam at 1:20; prior to the bout, Barrett cut an in-ring promo about how great his 2012 was since it didn’t have Randy Orton in it, then stating he would go on to win the 2012 Royal Rumble and main event WrestleMania; after Marella noted he was in the 2011 match longer than Barrett, he said he would run Barrett over in the 2012 match
Sheamus fought Mike Mizanin to a no contest when Miz jumped Sheamus before the bout, with Sheamus eventually gaining the upperhand and clearing Miz into the crowd; moments later, R-Truth’s voice could be heard before he revealed himself as being just 20 feet up in the stands; Truth went on to say he found Little Jimmy in the crowd and Little Jimmy didn’t like Miz and that Miz needed to “get got;” Miz then escaped back into the ringside area where he immediately was kicked in the head by Sheamus; moments later, Truth smacked a bottle of water against Miz’s head; Truth then walked up the stands as he said his beatdown was brought to you by Little Jimmy, then giving a little kid next to him the mic to say “Happy New Year, Miz!”
Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via count-out at 13:04, after Punk fell out to the floor and injured his arm; late in the bout, John Laurinaitis came out and spoke with the referee about an exposed turnbuckle as Punk had Ziggler tapping out to the Anaconda Vice; Laurinaitis was seen pulling down the top rope during the finish, which caused Punk to fall to the floor; after the match, Ziggler took the title belt and celebrated in the crowd
Nikki & Brie Bella defeated Kelly Kelly & Eve at 2:06 when Eve was pinned with an inside cradle after the Bellas switched places in the ring, moments after Eve hit the moonsault on the legal Bella
John Cena, the Big Show, & WWE US Champion Zack Ryder defeated Mark Henry & Jack Swagger in a handicap elimination match at 8:23; Kane was to be part of the Henry & Swagger team but, following Kane’s entrance music, David Otunga came out and told the referee that Kane was not participating and it was now a handicap match; Henry and Show were both counted out at 6:17 after Show scared Henry to the floor and hit him with a steel chair; Cena pinned Swagger with the FU; after the match, Kane’s music started playing, prompting Cena to go out to the floor, not noticing Kane came from under the ring, assaulted Ryder, and then choked Cena out on the floor; moments later, Kane returned to the ring and tried to pull Ryder down into the hole with him, with Cena then making the save and pulling him out; a giant flame then shot out of the hole in the ring while Kane’s red lighting and music played as the show ended
WWE Superstars – 1/5/11 – featured a video package recapping the 1988 Royal Rumble, won by Jim Duggan; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE Twitter network has nearly 15 million followers, led by the Rock with 1,791,627; included anti-bullying comments from Mike Mizanin, WWE World Champion CM Punk, John Cena, Areil Winter, David Arquette, Chelsie Hightower, Alicia Fox, Jordin Sparks, Sheamus, Eve, WWE Tag Team Champion Evan Bourne, and Angus T. Jones; featured the Yoshi Tatsu vs. Tyson Kidd and Jinder Mahal vs. Ezekiel Jackson matches taped 1/3/12 in Little Rock, AR:
WWE Tag Team Champion Evan Bourne (w/ WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston) pinned Epico (w/ Primo Colon & Rosa Mendes) at around the 9-minute mark with a kick to the head and Air Bourne after Kingston attacked an interfering Primo on the floor; Josh Matthews & Scott Stanford provided commentary for the bout
Mason Ryan pinned JTG with the full nelson slam at 3:33; Josh Matthews & Scott Stanford provided commentary for the bout
Dark match after the show: Jerry Lawler defeated Michael Cole in a streetfight
WWE @ Little Rock, AR – Verizon Arena – January 3, 2012
Ryback (Skip Sheffield) defeated Jimmy Uso
Alex Riley defeated Michael McGillicutty
Maxine defeated Kaitlyn
Trent Barreta defeated Curt Hawkins
Darren Young defeated Derrick Bateman
WWE Superstars – 1/5/12: Yoshi Tatsu pinned Tyson Kidd at 4:16 with a kick to the head after avoiding a jumping springboard moonsault into the ring; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout
WWE Superstars – 1/5/12: Jinder Mahal defeated Ezekiel Jackson via submission with the Camel Clutch at 6:06 after avoiding the Torture Rack and ramming Jackson shoulder-first into the ringpost; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout
Smackdown! – 1/6/12 – featured Michael Cole & Josh Matthews on commentary, without Booker T; included a bacstage segment in which Dustin Rhodes congratulated WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes on his win over Booker T, with Cody saying he had nothing to say to Dustin and he was a bigger star than either Dustin or Dusty Rhodes; Cody then said he could make him a laughing stock if he ever wanted to put the gold paint on again; featured a backstage segment with Teddy Long and WWE US Champion Zack Ryder in which Ryder said he could no longer be Long’s assistant, then bringing in Santino Marella as his replacement; Drew McIntyre appeared, with Santino reminding him that he lost the previous week; Long then said Drew needs to win his match against Santino later in the show, with Marella earning the assistant job if he wins and Drew perhaps keeping his job if he wins; Aksana then walked in, with Long suggesting they have dinner after the show; included a video package recapping the 2008 Royal Rumble, won by John Cena; featured a backstage segment with AJ and Alicia Fox in which AJ talked about her New Year celebration with World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, with Fox saying he would lose the belt later in the show; Bryan then walked in, reminded Fox that he pinned Show to win the title, and told AJ not to worry about him; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE provides Raw, Smackdown, and all pay-per-views to the American Forces Network, which is broadcast to all US military in 175 countries and Naval ships at sea; included an in-ring promo by Wade Barrett in which he recapped Randy Orton’s injury the previous week, falling down the staircase, noting Orton sustained a herniated disc and would never be mentally prepared to return to the ring; Barrett then noted the Royal Rumble would be held in Orton’s hometown of St. Louis, and he would be the winner; Barrett noted no one else could stand in his way, with Sheamus interrupting and comparing Barrett to his uncle, who was a sheepherder; Jinder Mahal then appeared and helped double team Sheamus; Sheamus eventually made the comeback only to eventually sustain Barrett’s Winds of Change; after Barrett left the ring, Mahal applied the Camel Clutch on Sheamus; featured a video package recapping Bryan’s world title win at TLC; included an ad promoting ‘WWE’s Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2011;’ featured footage from WWE ’12 of Bryan vs. Michael Cole, with Cole winning with an ankle lock to win the world title; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with the Big Show about his upcoming title shot against Bryan, with Bryan appearing and taking exception to Show describing him as a “good wrestler;” Bryan then said if he had Show’s size and his own skill, he wouldn’t have had the shortest title reign ever, then telling Show to take his hand off his shoulder; featured anti-bullying comments from Mike Mizanin, WWE World Champion CM Punk, John Cena, Areil Winter, David Arquette, Chelsie Hightower, Alicia Fox, Jordin Sparks, Sheamus, Eve, WWE Tag Team Champion Evan Bourne, and Angus T. Jones; included the announcement Sheamus would face Mahal the following week; featured a video package recapping the 1988 Royal Rumble won by Jim Duggan:
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Booker T with the Beautiful Disaster at 11:32; after Rhodes went backstage, Booker acknowledged the crowd for their support
Hornswoggle defeated Heath Slater in an over the top rope challenge at 1:34 by pulling Slater over the top rope by his hair; after the bout, Slater attacked Hornswoggle, with Justin Gabriel running out, and hitting the 450 splash on Slater before tending to Hornswoggle
Hunico (w/ Camacho) pinned Ted Dibiase Jr. at 3:04 with an armbar into a backslide; during his entrance, Hunico cut a promo on Dibiase’s posse parties, noting they’ve not been invited
Santino Marella pinned Drew McIntyre with the Cobra at 2:31; stipulations stated Marella would become Teddy Long’s assistant if he won and McIntyre might keep his job if he won; following the commercial break, there was a backstage segment with Long and McIntyre in which McIntyre blamed his loss on the referee, with Long telling him if he lost the following week then he could be fired; Marella then appeared and celebrated his win
Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne in a non-title match at 3:50 when Primo pinned Bourne after Epico pulled Primo out of the way of Air Bourne; prior to the bout, a pretaped insert promo aired in which Rosa spoke Spanish about Kingston & Bourne
Tamina pinned Natalya Neidhart with a Samoan Drop and the splash off the top at 1:44; prior to the bout, footage was shown from Jim Neidhart and Jimmy Snuka’s WWE careers
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated the Big Show via disqualification at 9:44 when Bryan, after Show powered out of the LeBell Lock, went to the floor, picked a fight with Mark Henry – who provided guest commentary for the bout – and provoked Henry to shove him; after the bout, Bryan celebrated around ringside as Show looked on
wWE (Raw) @ Jackson, MS – Mississippi Coliseum – January 6, 2012 (7,000)
R-Truth pinned David Otunga with the axe kick; prior to the bout, Truth interrupted an in-ring promo by Mike Mizanin, attacking him and chasing him off before Otunga came out
Alex Riley & Mason Ryan defeated Antonio Cesaro & Michael McGillicutty
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Eve; Santino Marella was the guest referee for the bout; after the bout, Jack Swagger attacked Marella
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne defeated Primo Colon & Epico; the challengers initially won the match and titles but the referee restarted the bout after noticing one of the champions’ foot on the rope during the cover
WWE US Champion Zack Ryder defeated Ted Dibiase Jr. and Jack Swagger by pinning Swagger with the Rough Ryder as Swagger had Dibiase in the ankle lock; after the bout, Ryder and Dibiase shook hands before Dibiase cut a promo on wrestling in front of his hometown fans
John Cena defeated Kane via disqualification when Kane hit Cena with a steel chair; after the bout, Cena fought off Kane and dropped him with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Mike Mizanin with the Go To Sleep
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Montgomery, AL – Garrett Coliseum – January 7, 2012 (3,500)
Featured an opening in-ring interview by Hornswoggle of WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, with Rhodes bullying him and bragging about beaging Booker T on Smackdown; Rhodes then attacked Hornswoggle before Ted Dibiase Jr. made the save:
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Jinder Mahal
Ezekiel Jackson & Trent Barreta defeated Drew McIntyre & Husky Harris when McIntyre submitted to Jackson’s Torture Rack
Hunico (w/ Camacho) pinned Tyson Kidd
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Justin Gabriel; after the match, Rhodes continued to attack Gabriel before Ted Dibiase Jr. made the save; moments later, Hornswoggle appeared and hit the frog splash on Rhodes before Gabriel hit the 450 splash on Rhodes as well
Natalya Neidhart pinned AJ and holding the ropes for leverage; Aksana was the guest referee for the bout; after the contest, Tamina and Alicia Fox made the save
Sheamus pinned Wade Barrett in a No DQ match
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match by escaping out the door after Wade Barrett and Jinder Mahal entered the cage and attacked Show; after the bout, Sheamus helped make the save before Show dropped both Barrett and Mahal with the chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ Tyler, TX – Oil Palace – January 7, 2012 (4,500)
Moved from 10/10/11
Included an opening segment with Mike Mizanin discussing his WWE title Match against CM Punk later, with R-Truth coming through the crowd and attacking Miz until David Ortunga ordered Truth to leave the ring; featured an in-ring segment with Chris Jericho playing to the crowd and about to speak until interrupted by Otunga, who threatened to sue Jericho for his “seizure-inducing” light-up jacket, with Jericho hitting Otunga in the head with the microphone and applying the Walls of Jericho:
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Eve with the Glam Slam; Brie & Nikki Bella were the guest ring announcers; Santio Marella was the guest referee
Mason Ryan & Alex Riley defeated Michael McGillicutty & Antonio Cesaro when Ryan scored the pin with the full nelson slam
WWE US Champion Zack Ryder pinned Jack Swagger with the Rough Ryder
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne defeated Primo & Epico when Bourne scored the pinfall with Air Bourne; Primo & Epico originally won the match and titles until the bout was restarted after a second referee saw Kingston’s foot on the rope during the cover
John Cena defeated Kane via disqualification when Kane hit Cena with a steel chair; after the match, Kane returned to the ring where Cena hit him with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Mike Mizanin with the Go To Sleep; after the match, R-Truth attacked Miz and then shook hands with Punk
WWE (Raw) @ San Angelo, TX – Foster Communications Coliseum – January 8, 2012 (matinee) (4,500)
Featured an in-ring segment with Chris Jericho playing to the crowd and about to speak until interrupted by Otunga, who threatened to sue Jericho for his “seizure-inducing” light-up jacket, with Jericho hitting Otunga in the head with the microphone and applying the Walls of Jericho:
R-Truth pinned David Otunga with the axe kick; prior to the bout, Truth interrupted an in-ring promo by Mike Mizanin, attacking him and chasing him off before Otunga came out
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Eve with the Glam Slam; Brie & Nikki Bella were the guest ring announcers; Santio Marella was the guest referee
Mason Ryan & Alex Riley defeated Michael McGillicutty & Antonio Cesaro when Ryan scored the pin with the full nelson slam
WWE US Champion Zack Ryder pinned Jack Swagger with the Rough Ryder
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne defeated Primo & Epico when Bourne scored the pinfall with Air Bourne; Primo & Epico originally won the match and titles until the bout was restarted after a second referee saw Kingston’s foot on the rope during the cover
John Cena defeated Kane via disqualification when Kane hit Cena with a steel chair; after the match, Kane returned to the ring where Cena hit him with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Mike Mizanin with the Go To Sleep; after the match, R-Truth attacked Miz and then shook hands with Punk
WWE @ Baton Rouge, LA – River Center – January 8, 2012 (matinee) (3,500)
Featured an opening in-ring interview by Hornswoggle of WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, with Rhodes bullying him and bragging about beaging Booker T on Smackdown; Rhodes then attacked Hornswoggle before Ted Dibiase Jr. made the save:
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Jinder Mahal
Ezekiel Jackson & Trent Barreta defeated Drew McIntyre & Husky Harris when McIntyre submitted to Jackson’s Torture Rack
Hunico (w/ Camacho) pinned Tyson Kidd
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Justin Gabriel; after the match, Rhodes continued to attack Gabriel before Ted Dibiase Jr. made the save; moments later, Hornswoggle appeared and hit the frog splash on Rhodes before Gabriel hit the 450 splash on Rhodes as well
Natalya Neidhart pinned AJ and holding the ropes for leverage; Aksana was the guest referee for the bout; after the contest, Tamina and Alicia Fox made the save
Sheamus pinned Wade Barrett in a No DQ match
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match by escaping out the door after Wade Barrett and Jinder Mahal entered the cage and attacked Show; after the bout, Sheamus helped make the save before Show dropped both Barrett and Mahal with the chokeslam
WWE @ Corpus Christi, TX – January 9, 2012
Alex Riley pinned Antonio Cesaro with the TKO
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring promo by Kane in which he said the fans lived their lives by doing things they really hated, then said John Cena represented hope, success, and everything the fans aspire to be but cannot; moments later, he noted his attack the previous week on WWE US Champion Zack Ryder, someone the fans built up and believe in, and that he was looking for consequences for those who do not embrace hate; Cena then appeared, with the two brawling in the ring, in the aisle, backstage, and outside of the arena; after several minutes, Kane knocked Cena down and then disappeared; included an in-ring segment with Mike Mizanin and John Laurinaitis, alongside David Otunga, in which Miz said Laurinaitis wasn’t protecting him properly from R-Truth, with Laurinaitis saying that wasn’t his problem and he already had big plans with Brodus Clay’s return later in the show; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Andre the Giant was the first WWE Hall of Fame inductee, on March 22, 1993; included a video package announcing Edge would be inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame, set to “Tonight” by Seether, with comments from Cena, Christian, WWE World Champion CM Punk, and Randy Orton; featured a backstage segment showing Miz pleading with Mason Ryan to protect him, with Ryan walking off; included a backstage segment with Ryder, on the phone with his dad, finding Eve and asking her out on a date later that night; Eve hesitated but then said yes, after her match with WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix later in the show; after the two walked off, Kane was shown looking on; featured a video package showing the 1994 Royal Rumble, co-won by Bret Hart and Lex Luger; included a segment showing Ryder brushing his teeth in the bathroom, then leaving after hearing weird sounds; featured a backstage segment with Miz pleading with Primo Colon, Epico, and Rosa Mendes to protect him; after they left, Punk walked past, with Miz storming off frustrated; included a backstage segment with Ryder thanking Cena for his help the previous week, during which Cena noted Ryder passed Miz as one of the most followed WWE superstars; Cena then told Ryder to keep it together and left, with Ryder then acting freaked out; featured an ad promoting the WWE Network; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE Be a Star won Best Social Good Cause Campaign of 2011; included a backstage segment in which Nikki & Brie Bella tried to give Ricardo Rodriguez a message for Alberto Del Rio, with Miz then walking in and telling Ricardo to go out to the ring, draw out R-Truth, and Miz would do the rest; after Ricardo turned him down, Miz threatened to injure him just like he did Truth; featured the announcement that the Four Horsemen – Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, and JJ Dillon – would be inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame, with comments from Shawn Michaels, Jim Ross, Dusty Rhodes, and Steve Austin; included an in-ring segment in which Ricardo reluctantly made fun of Truth and his mother before Truth walked out, said he was a good R-Truth, and Little Jimmy told him to let Ricardo go; after Truth asked the crowd whether he should let Ricardo go, and they said no, he had Ricardo sing “La Cucaracha;” Ricardo then sang it, reluctantly at first before then getting into it and doing his own remix version; moments later, Ricardo accidentally knocked Truth’s mic out of his hand, with Truth hitting the What’s Up before he was then attacked by Miz; Truth eventually fought Miz off and chased him into the crowd; featured a segment in which Justin Roberts introduced Chris Jericho, noting he was the only man to beat the Rock and Austin in the same night, with Jericho then appearing as he did the week before, playing to the crowd, going around the ring slapping hands, and then entering the ring with a mic; following a “Y2J” chant, Jericho continued to playing to the crowd until he suddenly became emotional and cried as the fans slowly began to boo; moments later, Jericho left the ring and returned backstage, not before pounding his chest as a symbol to the fans; included a video package recapping Steve Austin winning the 1998 Royal Rumble; featured the announcement Ryder would defend against Jack Swagger the following week; included a segment showing Ryder trying to fix the tire as Eve looked on:
Sheamus & Santino Marella defeated Wade Barrett & Jinder Mahal at 2:54 when Marella pinned Mahal with the Cobra after Sheamus kicked Mahal in the face
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston in a non-title match via submission with the LeBell Lock at 1:19; after the match, Bryan stood on the barricade and announce table to celebrate his win; moments later, the Big Show joined Bryan in the ring and took the mic, only to be interrupted by Bryan who said the title was too important for their match to have ended the way it did on Smackdown and said he would give Show a title match whenever he wanted; Show responded by saying Teddy Long already set up a No DQ, no count-out match for the title on Smackdown; Show then extended his hand to Bryan to shake, with Bryan reluctantly shaking it
Brodus Clay pinned Curt Hawkins with a running crossbody at 1:08; Naomi and Ariane from Tough Enough served as his escorts (Clay’s debut as ‘the Funkasaurus’)
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Jack Swagger (w/ Dolph Ziggler & Vickie Guerrero) at 13:49 with the flying elbowsmash; prior to the bout, John Laurinaitis said if Punk was able to beat Swagger then both Swagger and Vickie would be banned from ringside at the Royal Rumble, then telling Ziggler he would face John Cena later in the show; the finish came off confusing, making it look as though that wasn’t the planned finish; after the bout, Laurinaitis congratulated Punk on his win before Ziggler was shown watching on from the floor; in replays, video showed Swagger had his shoulder up during the cover and it was noted by the commentary team
Eve fought WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix to a no contest in a non-title match when, following Eve’s entrance, Kane’s music began to play; moments later, WWE US Champion Zack Ryder ran to the ring and rushed Eve backstage before Kane appeared; Ryder then ran Eve into her car, only to notice the tire was flat; Ryder then worked on the tire as Eve sat in the car
Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated John Cena via count-out around the 6-minute mark after Cena left the match to find Kane backstage; earlier in the bout, Kane assaulted WWE US Champion Zack Ryder outside the arena, eventually dropping Ryder with a chokeslam onto a wood pallette several feet below; after Cena walked out of the building, Kane assaulted him and eventually choked him out as the show ended
WWE Superstars – 1/12/12 – featured the Wade Barrett vs. Yoshi Tatsu match taped 1/10/12 in Laredo, TX; included an extended look at the Big Show vs. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan match from the 1/6/12 Smackdown; featured a video package on the 1998 Royal Rumble, won by Steve Austin; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read 55% of Royal Rumble winners since 1993 have gone on to win the world title at WrestleMania; featured an ad promoting 2012 WWE Hall of Fame tickets going on sale Saturday; included an ad promoting ‘WWE Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2011;’ featured an extended look at the confrontations between Kane, WWE US Champion Zack Ryder, and John Cena from the previous week’s Raw:
WWE Tag Team Champion Evan Bourne pinned Michael McGillicutty with a kick to the head and Air Bourne at around the 10-minute mark; Josh Matthews & Scott Stanford provided commentary for the match
Brie Bella (w/ Nikki Bella) defeated Kelly Kelly at 4:40 when Nikki switched with Brie, rammed Kelly face-first into the turnbuckle, and made the pin with her feet on the ropes for leverage; Josh Matthews & Scott Stanford provided commentary for the match
Following the Raw main event and the show ending, Dolph Ziggler, along with Vickie Guerrero, gloated about defeating John Cena, with Kane’s music then hitting and Ziggler fleeing from the ring as Kane entered and discussed taking out Cena; moments later, WWE Champion CM Punk ran to the ring and attacked Kane but was overwhelmed by Kane, Ziggler, and Jack Swagger, until the Big Show and Cena hit the ring for the save, with Kane exiting before Show and Cena arrived; Ziggler then sustained the FU and Swagger sustained Punk?s Go To Sleep, Show’s punch, and Cena’s FU in succession
WWE @ Laredo, TX – Energy Arena – January 10, 2012
WWE Superstars – 1/12/12: Wade Barrett pinned Yoshi Tatsu with the Winds of Change at 3:38; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout
Smackdown! – 1/13/12 – featured an opening in-ring promo by World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan in which he said Big Show deserved the previous week’s rematch and he himself wasn’t one to pass on to another challenger after a disqualification victory; Bryan then said fans on the Internet were saying he intentionally disqualified himself to keep the title – then calling out “HeymanRules512” – and said that was why he told Show he could get a rematch any time, any place; he then added he thought the No DQ, no count-out stipulation was excessive since all the problems had to deal with Mark Henry, then adding Henry should be suspended for interrupting in the bout; Henry then appeared and said Teddy Long spoke with him and, as a result of his actions the previous week, Henry would be banned from ringside for the title match; after Bryan said it had nothing to do with him anyway, Henry said he would get his own title match the following week; included a John Cena vs. Rock WrestleMania 28 ad; featured a backstage segment with Bryan and AJ in which AJ said she was proud of Bryan and, win, lose, or draw, she loved him; included a video package recapping the 1998 Royal Rumble won by Steve Austin; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE Be a Star won Best Social Good Cause Campaign of 2011; included a video package announcing Edge would be inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame, set to “Tonight” by Seether, with comments from Cena, Christian, WWE World Champion CM Punk, and Randy Orton; featured a backstage segment with Long and Santino Marella in which Marella had a long list of ideas he wanted to do as Long’s assistant, with David Otunga then appearing to discuss the Royal Rumble match; Santino the challenged Otunga to a match, which Long agreed to; Long then prepared to see Aksana but Drew McIntyre then walked in, with Long threatening him with being fired if he didn’t win his match; included an ad promoting the following week’s Smackdown from Las Vegas; featured a backstage segment with Show and referee Jack Doane in which they discussed the upcoming title match, with AJ then walking in and talking privately with Show in which she said she didn’t want to see Bryan get hurt; after Show said he didn’t want to hurt Bryan either, Bryan walked in and accused Show of trying to take his girl and his title; Show responded by saying the title had changed Bryan and not for the better; included an ad promoting ‘WWE’s Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2011;’ featured a video package recapping the 2002 Royal Rumble won by Triple H; included the announcement that the Four Horsemen – Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, and JJ Dillon – would be inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame, with comments from Shawn Michaels, Jim Ross, Dusty Rhodes, and Steve Austin; featured a “Did you know?” graphic noting Kane eliminated 11 men from the 2001 Royal Rumble, a record that still stands; included an ad promoting WWE Hall of Fame tickets going on sale the following day; featured a promo by Wade Barrett at the entrance stage in which he said he wasn’t impressed by Sheamus’s match earlier in the show and that he was a man of class and would win the Royal Rumble; Barrett then challenged Sheamus to a match the following week, thanked the fans, and said “May God save the Queen”:
Justin Gabriel pinned Heath Slater with the 450 splash at 2:49 after Hornswoggle distracted Slater late in the bout, allowing Gabriel to knock Slater off the top rope; after the match, Hornswoggle and Gabriel celebrated together in the ring
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Ezekiel Jackson in a non-title match at 2:16 with the Beautiful Disaster and Crossroads; prior to the bout, Rhdoes cut an in-ring promo in which he noted his five months as champion, noting he had outshined Pedro Morales, Tito Santana, Booker T, and Goldust, and would win the Royal Rumble; Rhodes then said he was “going to pull an Ultimate Warrior” by holding both the WWE IC Championship and World Heavyweight Championship
Ted Dibiase Jr. pinned Drew McIntyre with Dream Street at 3:46; following the ring entrances, Hunico, alongside Camacho, came out with Hunico providing guest commentary for the bout
Sheamus pinned Jinder Mahal with the boot to the face at 3:57; during his entrance, Mahal cut a promo in which he said he was glad no one expected him to win the Royal Rumble, thus making him more dangerous
David Otunga pinned Santino Marella at 2:02 with a fireman’s carry into a side slam after avoiding the Cobra
Brodus Clay pinned Tyson Kidd with the running crossbody at the 13-second mark; Naomi and Ariane from Tough Enough served as his escorts; after the match, Teddy Long was shown dancing backstage to Clay’s song before Aksana walked in and discussed Smackdown being in Las Vegas the following week
Tamina pinned Natalya Neidhart with the splash off the top at the 57-second mark (Tamina’s debut with new music and a Jimmy Snuka-inspired entrance)
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan (w/ AJ) fought the Big Show to a no contest in a No DQ, no count-out match at the 10-minute mark when the match was stopped after Show accidentally collided with AJ on the floor, knocking her out; Show then stood by and cried as Bryan and medics tended to AJ; she was then fitted with a neckbrace and placed on a stretcher before being taken backstage; Bryan and Show walked alongside the stretcher, before Bryan yelled at Show, calling him reckless and blaming him for AJ’s injuries; Bryan then poked Show in the chest and called him a bastard, causing Show to break down as the show ended; during the segment, there was a brief “She’s OK” chant from the crowd
WWE (Raw) @ Yakima, WA – Sun Dome – January 13, 2012 (4,800)
R-Truth defeated Jack Swagger
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated Jamie Noble via submission in an impromptu match with the LeBell Lock; prior to the bout, Bryan cut an in-ring promo on Yakima making Jan. 13 ‘Daniel Bryan Day;’ moments later, David Otunta interrupted and brought out Noble as Bryan’s opponent
Brodus Clay defeated Tyler Reks
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne defeated Epico & Primo Colon
Ryback pinned Alex Riley with the spear
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Eve; Nikki & Brie Bella served as the guest referee and timekeeper
John Cena defeated Kane via disqualification when Kane hit Cena with a steel chair
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Vancouver, British Columbia – PNE Agrodome – January 14, 2012 (4,000)
Included an opening in-ring segment with Hornswoggle, who was interrupted by WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes; Rhodes shoved Hornswoggle and said he would be like the Ultimate Warrior when he holds both the WWE IC and World Titles, after he wins the Royal Rumble match
Ted Dibiase Jr. pinned Jinder Mahal with Dream Street; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked Rhodes and dropped him with Crossroads
Trent Barreta & Yoshi Tatsu defeated Drew McIntyre & Heath Slater when Tatsu pinned McIntyre
Hunico (w/ Camacho) pinned Ezekiel Jackson with the frog splash; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked Jackson and dropped him with Crossroads
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Justin Gabriel with Crossroads; after the bout, Ted Dibiase Jr. and Hornswoggle made the save
Alicia Fox pinned Natalya Neidhart; after the bout, Natalya attacked guest referee Aksana and put her in the Sharpshooter
Sheamus pinned Wade Barrett with the boot to the face
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification when Wade Barrett and Jinder Mahal attacked the challenger; after the match, Sheamus made the save against Barrett and Mahal
WWE (Raw) @ Sacramento, CA – Power Balance Pavilion – January 14, 2012 (6,500)
Included an in-ring segment before intermission with Chris Jericho about to speak but interrupted by Jack Swagger, who reminded him of taking his World Heavyweight Title in 2010 and told him to remove his light-up jacket, with Jericho then applying the Walls of Jericho to Swagger
R-Truth pinned Mike Mizanin with the What’s Up after Miz attempted to hit Truth with a water bottle; prior to the bout, Miz insulted the crowd, with Truth entering through the crowd and attacking him, then informing Miz that a match had been signed between them
Ryback pinned Alex Riley with a spear; after the bout, David Otunga came to the ring and berated Riley?s performance, then attacked him from behind and threw Riley out of the ring
Brodus Clay pinned Tyler Reks with a leg drop
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne defeated Epico & Primo Colon when Kingston scored the pin with Trouble in Paradise; Epico & Primo originally won the match and the titles by when Primo pinned Kingston with a backstabber, but a second referee restarted the match due to Kingston?s foot being on the rope during the cover
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Eve with the Glam Slam; Brie & Nikki Bella serves as special guest referees for the bout
John Cena defeated Kane via disqualification when Kane hit Cena with a steel chair; after the match, Kane returned the ring where Cena fought him off and hit the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Dolph Ziggler with the Go To Sleep after sending the challenger into an exposed turnbuckle, moments after the champion hit David Otunga with a Go To Sleep as he was attempting to revive the referee; prior to the match, Ziggler claimed he would win the title, with Punk stating Ziggler and Raw Interim GM John Laurinaitis could both kiss his ass
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Prince George, British Columbia – CN Centre – January 15, 2012 (matinee) (4,000)
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Jinder Mahal
Yoshi Tatsu & Trent Barreta defeated Heath Slater & Drew McIntyre
Hunico defeated Ezekiel Jackson
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Justin Gabriel
Alicia Fox defeated Natalya Neidhart; Aksana was the guest referee for the bout
Sheamus defeated Wade Barrett
The Big Show defeated world Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification
WWE (Raw) @ Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena – January 15, 2012 (matinee) (5,500)
Included an in-ring segment before intermission with Chris Jericho about to speak but interrupted by Jack Swagger, who reminded him of taking his World Heavyweight Title in 2010 and told him to remove his light-up jacket, with Jericho then applying the Walls of Jericho to Swagger
R-Truth pinned Mike Mizanin with the What’s Up; prior to the bout, Miz insulted the crowd and the San Francisco 49ers, with Truth entering through the crowd and attacking him; Raw Interim GM John Laurinaitis, along with David Otunga, then appeared and Laurinaitis sanctioned an official match between the two
Ryback pinned Alex Riley with a spear
Brodus Clay pinned Tyler Reks
Epico & Primo Colon defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne to win the titles when Primo pinned Bourne with the Back Stabber
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Eve Torres with the Glam Slam; Brie & Nikki Bella serves as special guest referees
John Cena defeated Kane via disqualification when Kane hit Cena with a steel chair; after the match, Kane returned the ring and was hit with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Dolph Ziggler with the Go To Sleep after hitting a Go To Sleep on David Otunga, who had come to the ring to help revive the referee and attempted to cost Punk the title; prior to the bout, John Laurinaitis wished Punk luck in his title defense, with Punk responding that both Ziggler & Laurinaitis could kiss his ass
WWE @ Anaheim, CA – Honda Center – January 16, 2012 (10,000)
Maria was backstage at the show; Dennis Haskins (Mr. Belding from ‘Saved by the Bell’) was in attendance for the show
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening video paying tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.; included an in-ring promo by Mick Foely in which he said he was happy to be back at the site of Disney Land, noted he headlined WrestleMania at the same venue, and said he had one more dream; Foley then said he had two new kids who never got to see their dad in the ring; Foley then said he would be one of the 30 man in the 2012 Royal Rumble; moments later, Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler interrupted, with Ziggler calling Foley out for taking one of the 30 spots, taking that spot away from a hard-working WWE superstar who had worked all year long to get in the match; Ziggler then made fun that Foley could be eliminated within seconds, letting down his family in the process; Foley responded by saying the match was unpredictable and he could just as well pull a high number and planned to win and go back to WrestleMania; Ziggler then said it would be a letdown if he were to win the WWE World Title only to have to put it up against Foley at WrestleMania; WWE World Champion CM Punk then interrupted, said he and Foley had a lot in common – that they don’t hide behind a woman and they like to do their own talking; Punk went on to insult Ziggler for having his own hand-picked referee for the Royal Rumble match and said it would be “damn cool” to face Foley at WrestleMania; as Vickie and Punk argued, John Laurinaitis walked out, said he would be unbaised at the Rumble, and said he would consider Foley’s request to be in the Rumble match only to then reject the offer; Vickie then laughed in Foley’s face to end the segment; featured a backstage segment with Laurinaitis and David Otunga, with Laurinaitis telling someone off camera that it would be Ziggler, Mark Henry, & Otunga against Punk, World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, and him; the camera then panned over to show a smiling Chris Jericho; the match was originally scheduled as Punk & Bryan vs. Henry & Ziggler; included an ad promoting the Las Vegas Smackdown later in the week; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with WWE US Champion Zack Ryder, his ribs taped, alongside Eve in which Eve said Zack should be at home recovering; Ryder then said he was going out to the ring and wasn’t going for forfeit the belt, with Eve then telling Ryder she was coming with; included an ad promoting John Cena vs. the Rock at WrestleMania 28; featured a video package on the 1992 Royal Rumble won by Ric Flair; included a backstage segment with Laurinaitis and John Cena in which Cena blamed Laurinaitis for Ryder’s title loss, with Laurinaitis saying Cena would face Kane at the Royal Rumble and would face Jack Swagger up next; during the segment, the crowd chanted “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” featured an ad promoting ‘WWE’s Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2011;’ included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE was proud to partner with the National Literacy Trust in the UK; featured footage of the Bryan vs. Show match the previous week on Smackdown, during which Show accidentally knocked down AJ:
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) defeated Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne at 2:19 when Epico pinned Bourne with the Back Stabber after crotching Bourne on the top, moments after Primo rammed Kofi into the ringpost on the floor; prior to the bout, footage was shown of how Primo & Epico won the titles the previous night in Oakland
Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) pinned WWE US Champion Zack Ryder (w/ Eve) to win the title at 3:23 with a gutwrench powerbomb after twice hitting the move earlier in the bout; prior to Swagger’s entrance, footage was shown of Kane attacking Ryder the previous week; Ryder’s ribs were heavily taped for the match; following the commercial break, John Laurinaitis found Ryder and Eve backstage and apologized for having Ryder wrestle when he didn’t realize Ryder wasn’t even medically cleared to compete; when Eve spoke up, Laurinaitis told her to shut her mouth
Kelly Kelly & Alicia Fox defeated Nikki & Brie Bella at the 57-second mark when Kelly scored the pin with a roll up after guest ring announcere Perez Hilton prevented the Bellas from switching places behind the referee’s back; during the match, Jerry Lawler accidentally referred to “Perez” as “Paris Hilton;” after the bout, the Bellas knocked Perez down before they were cleared from the ring by Kelly & Alicia
R-Truth defeated Sheamus, Mike Mizanin, and Wade Barrett in an impromptu battle royal at 4:09; Barrett by Sheamus, Miz, and Truth (1:21); Sheamus & Miz by Truth as Sheamus tried to eliminate Miz; prior to the bout, Truth attempted an in-ring promo but, before he could speak, Barrett walked out, said he would win the 2012 Royal Rumble, made fun that Mick Foley wouldn’t be in the bout, but noted both he and Truth would be in the Rumble; Truth responded by saying he went to Disney Land earlier in the day, then showing photos of meeting Mickey and Minnie and Donald Duck; Truth then showed a photo of him meeting Pinnochio, with Pinnochio’s nose growing after saying Barrett would win the Rumble match; Truth then made fun of Pinnochio’s nose growing, saying he wasn’t sure if it was PG; Miz then jumped Truth from behind, with the three men fighting each other until Sheamus ran out to make the save; Teddy Long then appeared and ordered the men to compete in a battle royal; after the bout, Sheamus knocked Miz out with a boot to the face on the floor
John Cena fought WWE US Champion Jack Swagger to a no contest in a non-title match when Cena jumped Swagger before the opening bell and assaulted him and out of the ring; the crowd then chanted “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks” as Cena continued to attack Swagger on the floor; Cena eventually went to stomp Swagger’s head, as it lay across the steel ring steps, and instead went to crush Swagger with another pair of steps; Kane’s music and entrance then played, with Kane appearing on the big screen and saying he was impressed with Cena’s rage and hoped he will have embraced the hate by the time of the Royal Rumble
Brodus Clay (w/ Naomi and Cameron) pinned JTG at 1:09 with the running crossbody
WWE World Champion CM Punk, World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, & Chris Jericho defeated Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero), Mark Henry, & David Otunga at 14:10 when an interfering Mick Foley applied the Mandible Claw on Otunga; during his entrance, Bryan took a mic and blamed Big Show for intentionally knocking down AJ in his quest to take Bryan’s title; Bryan went on to say Show shouldn’t show his face on Smackdown and he would make him pay if he does; Bryan went on to dedicate his title match against Henry on Smackdown to AJ; Jericho walked out of the bout at the 7-minute mark after being tagged into the bout; Bryan was assaulted by Henry and was chased from ringside at the 11-minute mark, with Foley coming out moments later to be Punk’s tag team partner; after the contest, John Laurinaitis walked out and gave the win to Ziggler, Henry, & Otunga before Punk talked back to him, saying he wasn’t going to do that and there was nothing he could do to change it; Punk then noted Laurinaitis’s brother was one half of the Road Warriors, was boring, vanilla, and it killed him that he never made it to WWE as a wrestler; Punk went on to say Laurinaitis didn’t have an original thought in his body and he was simply jealous of him; Punk went on to say he would still be better than him after the Royal Rumble and he would kick his ass; Punk finished by calling Laurinaitis pathetic and left the ring; moments later, Laurinaitis addressed the crowd, with Foley telling him to admit he was going to screw Punk at the Rumble and that he was a kiss ass; Laurinaitis then said he would screw Punk, was tired of being disrespected and bullied, and then struck Foley with the microphone
WWE Superstars – 1/19/12 – featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the first WWE Hall of Fame ceremony was held June 18, 1994, with Arnold Skaaland, Bobo Brazil, Buddy Rogers, Chief Jay Strongbow, Freddie Blassie, Gorilla Monsoon, and James Dudley inducted; included an extended look at the No DQ Big Show vs. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan match from the 1/13/12 Smackdown as well as the injury to AJ; featured a video package on the 2008 Royal Rumble, won by John Cena; included an ad promoting ‘WWE Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2011;’ featured an ad promoting the following night’s Smackdown from Las Vegas; included the Tamina vs. Natalya Neidhart match taped 1/17/12 in Las Vegas, NV:
Santino Marella & Mason Ryan defeated Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks at around the 7-minute mark when Marella pinned Hawkins with the Cobra; Josh Matthews & Scott Stanford provided commentary for the bout
Jinder Mahal defeated Alex Riley via submission with the Camel Clutch at 3:22; Josh Matthews & Scott Stanford provided commentary for the bout
Dark match after the taping: John Cena defeated Kane via disqualification
– 1/17/12: Evan Bourne (Matt Korklan) was suspended for 60 days after his second wellness violation.
WWE @ Las Vegas, NV – Thomas & Mack Center – January 17, 2012 (5,287)
Ryback pinned Tyson Kidd with a spear
Titus O’Neil defeated Darren Young in a No DQ match
Percy Watson defeated Heath Slater
Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks defeated Yoshi Tatsu & Trent Barreta
WWE Superstars – 1/19/12: Tamina pinned Natalya Neidhart at 5:23 with the splash off the top after knocking Natalya off the top; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout
Smackdown! – 1/20/12 – featured an opening in-ring promo by World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan in which he said it was a sin – noting they were in Las Vegas – what Big Show did to AJ the previous week and that Show was bitter over his title loss at TLC; Bryan went on to say AJ sustained head trauma, a cervical sprain, and that her career could be over because she loved him; Bryan responded by saying he had a great admiration for her as well and said Show wasn’t in the building and that was in Show’s best interest; Bryan then said Show should do the decent thing and quit; included a backstage segment with Teddy Long and Aksana in which Long showed off the wheel that would determine the stipulations for the matches later in the show; WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes then walked in, insulted Goldust, and spun a ‘Spinner’s Choice’ so he could pick his own opponent; Rhodes then picked Hornswoggle, who was playing cards nearby with Santino Marella, Ezekiel Jackson, and Alicia Fox; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE was proud to partner with the National Literacy Trust in the UK; included a backstage segment with Mark Henry and Long in which Long had Henry spin the wheel, with Henry landing on lumberjack match; featured a video package on the 2011 Royal Rumble won by Alberto Del Rio; included a backstage segment with Long and Aksana, with Sheamus interrupting and Aksana spinning the wheel for his match against Wade Barrett, with the wheel landing on a tables match; featured comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, CM Punk, Evan Bourne, John Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, Eve, Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; included a backstage segment in which Long fired Drew McIntyre, with Santino Marella walking in and asking Long to reconsider because he wanted another match against him to prove his previous win was not a fluke; the wheel was then spun to determine their match, with it landing on a blindfold match; featured a preview of the Royal Rumble as played on WWE ’12; included an ad promoting the return of Randy Orton the following week:
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Justin Gabriel (sub. for Hornswoggle) (w/ Hornswoggle) in a non-title match at 3:33 with Crossroads after dropping Gabriel across the top rope; prior to the bout, Rhodes attacked Hornswoggle in the aisle before Gabriel ran out to make the save and challenged Rhodes in Hornswoggle’s place; after accepting, Rhodes clarified it would be non-title
WWE Tag Team Champions Epico & Primo Colon (w/ Rosa Mendes) defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso in a Texas Tornado match at 2:40 when Primo scored the pin with the Back Stabber as the Uso had Epico covered following the splash off the top; following the ring entrances, Booker T was shown playing with the new WWE Tornado Takedown playset at the commentary table
Brodus Clay defeated Vickie Guerrero in a dance off; following Clay’s entrance, Vickie interrupted and did her own dance, like that of Elaine from ‘Seinfeld,’ with Cameron and Naomi then dancing in response; after the contest, William Regal came out, blamed for the crowd for laughing at Vickie, and helped her from the ring; Brodus then egged Regal into competing in the dance contest as well; after Regal danced, Brodus hit him with the running crossbody and continued to dance
Wade Barrett defeated Sheamus in a tables match at 6:42 after throwing Sheamus into a table set up in the corner after Sheamus knocked an interfering Jinder Mahal off the apron; after Barrett left ringside, Mahal attempted to put Sheamus through another table but Sheamus fought him off, kicked him in the face, and rammed him into a table set up in the corner
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Hunico (w/ Camacho) in a flag match at around the 2-minute mark by retrieving the American flag positioned on a pole above the ringpost; following the ring entrances, Teddy Long was shown backstage spinning the wheel to determine the stipulation; prior to the bout, a pre-taped insert promo aired from Dibiase about Hunico & Camacho
Santino Marella pinned Drew McIntyre in a blindfold match with the Cobra at 2:09
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan fought Mark Henry to a no contest in a lumberjack match at around the 10-minute mark when the lumberjacks began attacking both men, and then each other inside the ring; lumberjacks for the bout included Wade Barrett, Ezekiel Jackson, WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico, Curt Hawkins, Tyson Kidd, Jimmy & Jey Uso, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, Trent Barreta, Hunico, Camacho, Sheamus, Yoshi Tatsu, Ted Dibiase Jr., Tyler Reks, Heath Slater, and Drew McIntyre; after the contest, the lumberjacks fought each other as Bryan and Henry left the ring; moments later, Teddy Long confronted Bryan backstage, with Bryan and Long blaming each other for the finish; Long then set up a match between Bryan, Henry, and Big Show for the Royal Rumble in a steel cage
Dark match after the taping: World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match after Wade Barrett and Drew McIntyre attacked Show, allowing Bryan to escape through the cage; after the bout, Show hit simultaneous chokeslams on Barrett and McIntyre
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Winnipeg, Manitoba – MTS Centre – January 20, 2012 (6,000)
David Otunga was the guest Raw GM for the night; included an in-ring segment with Chris Jericho coming out to play to the fans only to be interrupted by Otunga, who told Jericho to remove his jacket because it was a security hazard; Jericho responded by hitting Otunga with the mic
Ryback pinned Alex Riley with the spear; after the bout, David Otunga came out and insulted Riley, then telling him he would have him fired if Riley touched him; as Riley went to leave, Otunga hit him with his coffee cup
Eve & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart
R-Truth (sub. for Zack Ryder) defeated WWE US Champion Jack Swagger in a non-title match; prior to the bout, Swagger issued an open challenge since he knew Ryder wasn’t there to compete, with Truth appearing; after the match, Truth was announced as the new champion and celebrated with the belt before David Otunga came out and said it was a non-title match
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Ted Dibiase Jr. with Crossroads; Dibiase injured his wrist in the match and had to be helped backstage after the match
Sheamus pinned Wade Barrett with the boot to the face
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated Kofi Kingston & Mason Ryan when Primo pinned Ryan with the Back Stabber
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification when Wade Barrett and WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked Show after Show knocked Bryan out with the punch; Mark Henry was to have been in the match as well but was injured; after the bout, Show cleared Barrett and Rhodes from the ring
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Mike Mizanin in a steel cage match with the Go To Sleep
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Fargo, ND – Fargo Dome – January 21, 2012 (6,000)
David Otunga was the guest Raw GM for the night
Alex Riley pinned Ryback
Eve & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart
R-Truth (sub. for Zack Ryder) defeated WWE US Champion Jack Swagger in a non-title match; prior to the bout, Swagger issued an open challenge since he knew Ryder wasn’t there to compete, with Truth appearing; after the match, Truth was announced as the new champion and celebrated with the belt before David Otunga came out and said it was a non-title match
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Alex Riley (sub. for an injured Ted Dibiase Jr.) with Crossroads
Sheamus pinned Wade Barrett with the boot to the face
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated Kofi Kingston & Mason Ryan when Primo pinned Ryan with the Back Stabber
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification when Wade Barrett and David Otunga interfered after Show knocked Bryan out with the punch; Mark Henry was to have been in the match as well but was injured; after the bout, Show cleared the ring of Barrett and Otunga
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Mike Mizanin in a steel cage match with the Go To Sleep
WWE @ College Station, TX – Reed Arena – January 22, 2012 (matinee)
Canceled
WWE @ Las Cruces, NM – Pan American Center – January 22, 2012 (matinee) (7,200)
David Otunga was the guest Raw GM for the show
Sheamus won a battle royal by last eliminating David Otunga; stipulations stated the winner would challenge WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes later in the show; other participants included Kofi Kingston, Mason Ryan, WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Sheamus via disqualification when Sheamus refused to stop punching Rhodes as Rhodes was on the apron being pulled over the top rope; after the bout, Sheamus hit the boot to the face on Rhodes
R-Truth (sub. for Zack Ryder) defeated WWE US Champion Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) in a non-title match; prior to the bout, Swagger issued an open challenge since he knew Ryder wasn’t there to compete, with Truth appearing; after the match, Truth was announced as the new champion and celebrated with the belt before David Otunga came out and said it was a non-title match
Wade Barrett fought Ted Dibiase Jr. (sub. for Randy Orton) to a no contest when, before Dibiase’s entrance, Orton ran out and attacked Barrett; prior to the bout, it was announced Orton vs. Barrett wouldn’t take place, with Barrett then cutting an in-ring promo on the beating he gave Orton; Orton was held back, allowing Barrett to escape as Orton dropped several of the interfering wrestlers with the RKO
Kelly Kelly & Eve defeated WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart; Brie Bella was the guest referee for the bout
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification when Drew McIntyre and David Otunga interfered after Show knocked Bryan out with the punch; Mark Henry was to have been in the match as well but was injured; after the match, Show cleared McIntyre and Otunga from the ring
John Cena defeated Kane via disqualification when Kane hit Cena with a steel chair; after the bout, Cena fought off Kane and dropped him with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Mike Mizanin with the Go To Sleep
WWE @ Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center – January 23, 2012 (9,700)
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Brie Bella
Kofi Kingston defeated Michael McGillicutty
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE World Champion CM Punk in which he noted all three of Dolph Ziggler’s recent wins over him were hand delivered by John Laurinaitis, who he then said was a failure and that he sucks at life; Punk then showed footage of Laurinaitis punching Mick Foley the previous week and threatened to break Laurinaitis’s arms to prevent him from being screwed over by a biased referee at the Royal Rumble; Laurinaitis was then dared to come out and tell Punk to his face what he told Foley the previous week; moments later, John Cena appeared instead, to a mixed reaction, and called out Laurinaitis for cosing Zack Ryder the WWE US Title, then demanding he give him a match with Kane later in the show, and then resign; as Punk continued to insult Laurinaitis, Laurinaitis then interrupted and said he stood by his comment the previous week and wouldn’t be intimidated by Punk or Cena; Laurinaitis then said Kane would face Ryder in a falls count anywhere match and, should Cena interfere, Ryder would never get a US title rematch; Laurinaitis then said Cena and Punk would compete in the opening tag team match, then returned backstage; moments later, Vickie Guerrero brought out Dolph Ziggler & WWE US Champion Jack Swagger; included an in-ring segment of the Highlight Reel with Chris Jericho in which he didn’t speak, then returned backstage, came out with a T-shirt gun, and shot a T-shirt into the crowd; Jericho then hushed the crowd and showed a recap of his WWE career dating back to 1999 and going up to 2009; Jericho then continued to hush the crowd before saying it would be the end of the world as you know it at the Royal Rumble; featured a video package recapping the history of the Royal Rumble; included a backstage segment with Mick Foley, Zack Ryder – his ribs taped, and Eve in which Foley encouraged Ryder before his match with Kane; after Foley left, Eve tried to talk Ryder out of the match; moments later, Cena appeared and offered his help, with Ryder telling him to stay out of it because he wanted his WWE US title rematch; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Mike Mizanin regarding his upcoming match with R-Truth, with Miz noting Big Show, Alex Riley, and John Morrison already know what it’s like to team with Miz and then turn on Miz; Truth then walked in pretending to be with market research and said the fans keep asking what else was on whenever Miz was on TV, then called Miz WWE’s #1 jackass; the two then yelled at each other until Laurinaitis, with David Otunga, interrupted and said the loser of Miz vs. Truth would be the #1 entrant in the Royal Rumble; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was seen by more people than both of the NBA basketball games on ESPN; featured a video package recapping the 2007 Royal Rumble, won by the Undertaker; included the announcement that Ryder sustained a broken back in his match against Kane; featured a backstage segment showing Laurinaitis working out with Otunga giving him an important fax which Laurinaitis read but didn’t like; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE has been granting wishes with the Make-a-Wish Foundation for 30 years and continues to grant 200 wishes a year:
Dolph Ziggler & WWE US Champion Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk & John Cena at 11:09 when Ziggler pinned Punk with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage after Punk knocked John Laurinaitis off the ring apron, as Cena had Swagger in the STFU on the floor; during their entrance, Ziggler took the mic and told Punk to worry more about him and less about Laurinaitis, with Swagger then telling Cena he was dead meat for what he did to him the previous week; Laurinaitis remained ringside for the bout; after the contest, Punk took the mic and told Laurinaitis planned on screwing him at the Rumble just like he planned to beat the hell out of Laurinaitis; Punk then challenged Laurinaitis to, for one night only, be a WWE superstar and face him later in the show
Kane fought Zack Ryder to a no contest in a falls count anywhere match at around the 12-minute mark when, after Kane dropped Ryder with a chokeslam through the stage and then stalked Eve, John Cena appeared at the entrance and scared Kane off; Ryder’s ribs were heavily taped for the bout; stipulations stated Cena couldn’t interfere in the match or Ryder would never get a WWE US Title rematch; after the bout, Ryder was placed on a backboard and in a neckbrace; following the commercial break, Ryder was taken backstage on a stretcher and placed into the back of an ambulance; Cena then said he would take care of it, with Eve blaming Cena, telling him it was all his fault, and she was riding in the ambulance with Ryder; Josh Matthews then interviewed Cena about what just happened, with Cena glaring at him and slapping the mic out of his hand; Cena then glared at the cameraman as the show went to commercial; Dean Malenko appeared on camera while Ryder was helped backstage; the segment of the stage was roped off for the remainder of the show (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Sheamus pinned Jinder Mahal with the boot to the face at 3:12; early in the bout, Wade Barrett came out to provide guest commentary for the match; after the contest, Barrett went to leave ringside before he was challenged to get in the ring by Sheamus; Barrett acted like he would enter but then backed off; Sheamus then took the mic and told Barrett he would be the last man standing in the ring to win the Royal Rumble
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Heath Slater with the running crossbody at the 52-second mark; William Regal provided guest commentary for the match
R-Truth pinned Mike Mizanin with the What’s Up at 8:12; stipulations stated the loser would be the #1 entrant in the Royal Rumble match
WWE World Champion CM Punk fought John Laurinaitis (w/ David Otunga) to a no contest in a non-title match; during Laurinaitis’s entrance, it was noted he was a champion in All Japan Pro Wrestling and wrestled the likes of Steve Williams and Stan Hansen; after coming to the ring, Laurinaitis had Otunga read the fax they received earlier in the show from the board of directors which called into question his actions as Raw interim GM and his status was under review; the fax also read he would have a formal job evaluation the next week to see whether he keeps the job or is terminated, and the evaluation would be from Triple H; Punk then said now nothing was stopping him from kicking the teeth out of his face before Triple H fires him, with Laurinaitis said it was a wakeup call and wanted to apologize to Punk and the fans; Laurinaitis then said he would allow Mick Foley to be in the Royal Rumble match, with Punk then saying he hoped Triple H inherited Vince McMahon’s “You’re fired;” Laurinaitis then said his match with Punk wasn’t going to happen but Punk would face Otunga, with Otunga immediately attacking Punk; Punk fought off Otunga and locked him in the Anaconda Vice, with Otunga quickly tapping out; moments later, Punk cornered Laurinaitis, cleared Otunga from the ring, and dropped Laurinaitis with the Go To Sleep; Dolph Ziggler then ran out and dropped Punk with the Zig Zag to close the show
Dark match after the show: WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler
WWE @ Tucson, AZ – Convention Center – January 24, 2012
Ryback defeated three unknowns in a handicap match
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks
Heath Slater defeated Trent Barreta
Titus O’Neil defeated Percy Watson
Jinder Mahal defeated Tyson Kidd
Smackdown!
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Evansville, IN – Ford Center – January 28, 2012 (7,000)
Featured an in-ring appearance by Chris Jericho until he was later interrupted by David Otunga, with Jericho then attacking Otunga
Sheamus pinned Jinder Mahal with the boot to the face
R-Truth (sub. for Zack Ryder) pinned WWE US Champion Jack Swagger in a non-title match; prior to the bout, Swagger issued an open challenge for anyone to face him
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Eve
Ryback pinned Santino Marella
Randy Orton pinned Wade Barrett with the RKO
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Justin Gabriel with Crossroads
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification when Jinder Mahal and Wade Barrett interfered; after the match, Show dropped both men with the chokeslam
John Cena defeated Kane via disqualification when Kane hit Cena with a steel chair; after the bout, Cena fought off Kane and dropped him with the FU
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Michael Cole, Booker T, & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included a video package on John Cena to promote his match against the Rock at WrestleMania 28; featured a backstage segment showin Zack Ryder wheeled down the hallway in a wheelchair, with John Laurinaitis welcoming him and showing him to his dressing room; Eve then appeared, blamed Laurinaitis for Ryder’s injuries, and said she hopes he gets fired the next night on Raw; included comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, CM Punk, John Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, Eve, Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; featured a video package on the Rock to promote his match with Cena at WrestleMania; included an ad on how to donate Slim Jims to soldiers overseas; featured an ad promoting Triple H’s return the next night on Raw; included an ad promoting new WWE content coming exclusively to YouTube on Wednesday; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 28:
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated the Big Show and Mark Henry in a steel cage match by escaping over the top of the cage
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix, Natalya Neidhart, Nikki & Brie Bella defeated Eve, Kelly Kelly, Alicia Fox, & Tamina when Phoenix pinned Kelly with the Glam Slam
John Cena fought Kane to a double count-out when both men began brawling in the aisle; during the bout, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” after the contest, the two continued fighting backstage before Kane assaulted Cena with a steel chair; Kane then spotted Zack Ryder’s dressing room, kicked down the door, and choked him out before wheeling him out, past Cena’s body, and to ringside; after Kane threw Ryder into the ring, Eve ran out and pleaded with Kane not to hurt Ryder; Kane then dropped Ryder with the tombstone, with Cena then running out trying to make the save but sustained the chokeslam; referees Charles Robinson, Mike Chioda, and Scott Armstrong as well as a trainer then tended to both men down in the ring as Eve was shown crying; moments later, Ryder was put on a stretcher and taken backstage
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Drew McIntyre with the running crossbody
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Dolph Ziggler with the Go To Sleep after a slingshot in the corner, with the challenger striking his head on the ringpost; prior to the bout, Ziggler was escorted ringside by Vickie Guerrero, who guest referee John Laurinaitis sent backstage before the match began; following his entrance, Laurinaitis took the mic and said, in an effort to be impartial, he would make himself the outside referee while a second official would be the inside referee; Laurinaitis slid in the ring and, with the inside official, helped make the pinfall; after the bout, Laurinaitis stood at the entrance stage and applauded Punk’s victory
Sheamus won the 30-man Royal Rumble match by last eliminating Chris Jericho; order of entry: #1: Mike Mizanin, #2: Alex Riley, #3: R-Truth, #4: WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, #5: Justin Gabriel, #6: WWE Tag Team Champion Primo Colon, #7: Mick Foley, #8: Ricardo Rodriguez, who drove up in a beaten up car to Alberto Del Rio’s theme entrance, #9: Santino Marella, #10: WWE Tag Team Champion Epico, #11: Kofi Kingston, #12: Jerry Lawler, #13: Ezekiel Jackson, #14: Jinder Mahal, #15: Great Khali, #16: Hunico (w/ Camacho), #17: Booker T, #17: Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero), #19: Jim Duggan, #20: Michael Cole, #21: Kharma, #22: Sheamus, #23: Road Dogg, #24: Jey Uso, escorted out by Jimmy Uso, #25: WWE US Champion Jack Swagger, #26: Wade Barrett (first appearance with new theme music), #27: David Otunga, #28: Randy Orton, #29: Chris Jericho, #30: Big Show; prior to the bout, Miz cut an in-ring promo about everyone backstage making fun of his being #1, just as they said he would never be WWE Champion nor main event WrestleMania; he then said he would prove them wrong just as he had done every other time; order of elimination: Riley by Miz; Truth by Miz; after the elimination, Truth pulled Miz out from under the bottom rope and dropped Miz with the What’s Up on the floor; Primo by Foley via a backdrop; Gabriel by Foley & Rodriguez; Rodriguez by Santino after giving Rodriguez a wedgie; after the elimination, Foley and Santino had a standoff between the Cobra and Socko; Epico by Foley after applying Socko; Santino by Rhodes; Foley by Rhodes as Foley had Miz in the Socko; Lawler by Rhodes after Lawler hit a fistdrop off the middle turnbuckle to Miz; Mahal by Khali; Jackson by Khali; Kingston avoided elimination by Miz by doing a handstand and walking his way to the ringsteps; Duggan by Rhodes; Booker & Khali by Rhodes, Ziggler, & ?; Cole by Booker, via yanking him off the apron after Cole backed away from Kharma; Hunico by Kharma; Kharma by Ziggler; Kingston by Sheamus; Road Dogg by Barrett; Uso by Orton; Barrett by Orton; Otunga by Jericho; Swagger by Show & Sheamus as Show walked to the ring; after the elimination, Show knocked Swagger out with a punch; Miz & Rhodes by Show; Ziggler by Show; Show by Orton; Orton by Jericho; Jericho by Sheamus via the boot to the face as Jericho was on the apron
WWE @ Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center – January 30, 2012
Hunico defeated Alex Riley
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Laurinaitis in which he admitted to having made mistakes but that he had done a good job as interim Raw GM and was looking forward to his performance review later in the show by Triple H; Laurinaitis then said he did a great job as guest referee at the Royal Rumble; Laurinaitis then said WWE World Champion CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Mike Mizanin, R-Truth, and Chris Jericho would battle in the Elimination Chamber; he then went on to discuss some of the matches set for the night, including Punk vs. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan; Punk then interrupted and led the crowd in singing “Na na na na, Goodbye” to Laurinaitis, implying Laurinaitis would be fired; Punk went on to say he didn’t owe Laurinaitis an apology, called him a dork, and said he’s given him great entertainment in the past several weeks, noting Laurinaitis can’t speak on the mic, can’t grasp the English language, and is able to suck and blow at the same time; Laurinaitis then said he wasn’t going to take what Punk said personally and offered his hand to Punk to shake; Bryan then interrupted, made fun of the Punk vs. Laurinaitis soap opera, and said Punk wasn’t much challenge considering he went through Mark Henry and Big Show in a steel cage match the previous night; Bryan went on to say he was a role model and vegan, with Bryan and Punk then exchanging words before Punk saying Laurinaitis was just trying to stir things up and he proposed he and Bryan put on the best wrestling match in the world; Sheamus then walked out, noted he won the Royal Rumble, and would be main eventing for one of the titles at WrestleMania; he went on to note Laurinaitis could be fired later in the show; Punk and Bryan then shook hands to close the segment; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 28; featured a backstage segment with Laurinaitis speaking with William Regal, Curt Hawkins, and others; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the Royal Rumble was the most socially active show on broadcast or network TV the previous month; featured a backstage segment with Punk and Bryan in which they talked about their vegan and straight edge backgrounds; included an ad promoting new WWE video content coming exclusively to YouTube on Wednesday; featured the announcement Mike Tyson would be inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame, as well as a look at the mainstream media coverage the announcement has already garnered; included comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, Punk, John Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, Eve, Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; featured a backstage segment with Laurinaitis and David Otunga in which they discussed Laurinaitis’ chances later in the show; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Cena has more than 10 million Facebook followers, more than Jennifer Lopez, LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, Madonna, Oprah Winfrey, Johnny Depp, Dalai Lama, and the Rock; included a video package promoting the Rock for his WrestleMania match with Cena, set to Flo Rida’s “Wild Ones;” featured a preview of the YouTube-exclusive WWE content that would go live Wednesday; included a closing in-ring segment in which Laurinaitis said Raw ratings are up against those from the previous year and praised himself; moments later, Triple H walked out and said Laurinaitis had been over involving himself to make himself a star and that he let personal issues cloud his judgment; Laurinaitis then apologized to the crowd, with the crowd booing him and rejecting his apology; Triple H then suggested he set up his own gauntlet match for Laurinaitis to wrestle, as he did to Punk weeks earlier; he then suggested Laurinaitis join a certain club that Vince McMahon used to have, with Laurinaitis getting down on his knees and putting on chapstick before Triple H made fun of him; Triple H then said the board gave him go ahead to return to run Raw whenever he wanted, with Triple H putting his arm around Laurinaitis as he was about to fire him; then the Undertaker’s gong sounded, with pyro going off at the entrance stage before Taker walked out and joined Triple H in the ring; moments later, Taker looked up at the WrestleMania sign high above the ring, then ran his thumb across his throat at Triple H; Triple H then patted Taker on his shoulder and left the ring as the crowd began to boo; Taker then glanced back up at the sign as Triple H went backstage (Taker’s surprise return after nearly a year absence):
Randy Orton pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) with the RKO at 11:16; prior to the bout, Josh Matthews conducted an interview in one of the luxury boxes with Wade Barrett about his match against Orton later in the week on Smackdown; Matthews continued to interview Barrett during the contest about his interaction with Orton at the Royal Rumble
Brodus Clay (w/ Naomi & Camron) pinned Tyler Reks with the running crossbody at 1:05; prior to the bout, Brodus and his ladies danced in the ring with a disco ball above the ring
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via disqualification at 15:05 after Chris Jericho pulled Bryan out of the ring and threw him into the barricade, then slid into the ring and dropped Punk with the Code Breaker; neither title was at stake in the match (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Kofi Kingston pinned Mike Mizanin with the spin kick to the face at 4:15; during his entrance, Miz made fun of Kingston’s handstand at the Royal Rumble and noted his own 45-minute-plus performance, then saying he would earn his WrestleMania main event spot
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Eve with the Glam Slam at the 31-second mark; after the contest, Kane appeared on the big screen and told Eve that it was all John Cena’s fault for what happened to Zack Ryder; Kane then said Cena couldn’t beat him or the Rock until he fully embraces the hate, and that he would continue to inflict pain on Ryder; Kane then said he would use Eve as a message; his pyro then went off, with Kane appearing behind Eve in the ring; moments later, John Cena ran out to make the save, with the two brwaling in the ring and at ringside before Cena twice rammed the ringsteps into Kane’s face; Cena then attempted to drop Kane with the FU through the commentary table but Kane escaped and left through the crowd
WWE Superstars – 2/2/12 – included a video package promoting the Rock for his WrestleMania match with John Cena, set to Flo Rida’s “Wild Ones;” featured a video package promoting Cena for his WrestleMania match with Rock, set to Machine Gun Kelly’s “Invincible;” included comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, WWE World Champion CM Punk, Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, Eve, Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; featured the Jinder Mahal vs. Yoshi Tatsu match taped 1/31/12 in Omaha, NE:
Kelly Kelly & Alicia Fox defeated Nikki & Brie Bella at 4:08 when Kelly scored the pin with the K2; Josh Matthews & Scott Stanford provided commentary for the match
R-Truth pinned WWE US Champion Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) in a non-title match at around the 11-minute mark with the Little Jimmy; Josh Matthews & Scott Stanford provided commentary for the match
Dark match after the taping: John Cena defeated Kane via disqualification
WWE @ Omaha, NE – CenturyLink Center – January 31, 2012 (5,000)
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks
Tyson Kidd defeated Trent Barreta
Alicia Fox defeated Maxine
Titus O’Neal & Darren Young defeated Percy Watson & Alex Riley
WWE Superstars – 2/2/12: Jinder Mahal defeated Yoshi Tatsu at 4:44 via submission with the Camel Clutch after avoiding the spin kick off the top and landing a running knee to the back of the head; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout
Smackdown! – 2/3/12 – featured an opening in-ring segment in which Teddy Long announced that World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Randy Orton, the Big Show, and Mark Henry would compete in the Elimination Chamber match later in the month; moments later, Henry interrupted, arguing he shouldn’t have to be in the Chamber and that he should get his title match later in the show against Bryan; Long then noted Henry lost his steel cage match at the Royal Rumble and he should be thankful he’s getting a title rematch at all; after Henry argued, Long took him out of the Chamber and denied him a title shot later in the show; after Henry put his hands on Long, Long suspended Henry; moments later, Henry said he may as well earn his suspension, acting like he would injure Long; Sheamus then appeared and kicked Henry in the face, with Long then telling security to escort Henry from the building; Long then asked Sheamus who he would choose to challenge at WrestleMania, with Sheamus saying he would wait until after the Elimination Chamber to decide; Rhodes then appeared and said no one would remember Sheamus’s Rumble win over his own impressive Rumble performance in which he eliminated six men and lasted more than 40 minutes, then saying he would hold both the IC and world titles; Long then said Rhodes would face Sheamus in the opening bout; included a backstage segment with Long and Drew McIntyre in which Long told Drew to find another way to impress him and be glad he still has a job; Santino Marella then appeared and brought in Jim Duggan as his new tag team partner, with Long putting them against WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico; after they left, Aksana appeared and found Duggan’s 2×4 on the floor, with Duggan coming back to claim it; featured a video package announcing Mike Tyson for the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was the #1 show on SyFy for the 70th straight week; featured an ad promoting new WWE exclusive content on YouTube; included Michael Cole conducting an in-ring interview with Bryan regarding his title victory at the Rumble, with Cole admitting he was wrong about Bryan and extending his hand to Bryan to shake; Bryan instead took Cole’s mic, told Cole the interview wasn’t about Cole but about him; Bryan then told Cole to get out of the ring before then praising his own steel cage match win and talked about how good a role model he is and told the crowd to be vegans like himself; Bryan went on to say the fans in attendance were some of the worst offenders, with the crowd chanting “You suck” in response; Bryan went on to argue he shouldn’t have to put the title up in the Elimination Chamber, especially against Show; he then blamed Show for injuring AJ and said he would complain to the board of directors if he had to; Show then appeared and called Bryan an arrogant ass and that he would lose the belt at the Elimination Chamber; Bryan then ranted about how he would never lose to Show, with Show attacking him and dropping him with the chokeslam; AJ, wearing a neckbrace, then appeared and distracted Show, as he was about to knock Bryan out with a punch, with Bryan escaping to the floor; AJ and Bryan then hugged on the floor before leaving ringside; included a backstage segment showing WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix and Natalya Neidhart preparing for their upcoming tag team match, with Natalya farting and then running off; Santino then walked down the hall, smelled it, and ran away; featured the announcement the Great Khali would replace Henry in the Elimination Chamber; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read 12 nationalisties were represented in the Royal Rumble match; featured a John Cena video package to hype his match with Rock at WrestleMania, to the tune of Machine Gun Kelly’s “Invincible;” included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Randy Orton regarding his upcoming bout with Wade Barrett:
Sheamus pinned WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes in a non-title match at around the the 7-minute mark with the Celtic Cross (the bout began during the commercial break)
Hunico (w/ Camacho) fought Justin Gabriel to a no contest; during his entrance, Hunico cut a promo on Gabriel, with WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes – who was still ringside after the opening match – jumping Gabriel from behind; the three attacked Gabriel until the Great Khali cleared the ring and dropped Hunico with the tree slam
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) defeated Santino Marella & Jim Duggan in a non-title match at 2:24 when Primo pinned Santino with a reversal into the Back Stabber after Rosa distracted Santino from the apron
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart defeated Tamina & Aksana at the 45-second mark when Beth pinned Aksana with the Glam Slam; after the bout, Natalya attempted to put Aksana in the Sharpshooter, only for Tamina to kick her in the face and hit the splash off the top
Randy Orton pinned Wade Barrett in a No DQ match at 16:55 with a RKO onto a steel chair, moments after a regular RKO; following Barrett’s entrance, Teddy Long was shown watching backstage, with World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan and AJ coming in to discuss something with him; after the contest, Long told Bryan he would face Orton the following week; Bryan responded by saying he wasn’t afraid of Orton and told AJ to stay backstage; moments later, Bryan ran out, played to the crowd, and left as Orton watched (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Dark match after the taping: The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification when Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre interfered, with Show later dropping both men with the chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ Topeka, KS – February 3, 2012 (6,000)
Brodus Clay pinned Michael McGillicutty
Ryback pinned Alex Riley with an F5; after the bout, David Otunga confronted Riley and threatened to have him fired if he touched him
Santino Marella pinned Kenneth Cameron with the Cobra; after the bout, David Otunga confronted Marella and threatened to have him fired if he touched him
WWE US Champion Jack Swagger pinned Kofi Kingston with his feet on the ropes for leverage; after the bout, Kingston hit the spin kick to the face on Swagger
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Eve with the Glam Slam
John Cena & R-Truth defeated Kane & Mike Mizanin when Cena pinned Miz with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Dolph Ziggler after dropping both the challenger and guest ringside enforcer David Otunga with the Go To Sleep
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Spokane, WA – February 4, 2012 (3,000)
Randy Orton was advertised but did not appear
The Great Khali pinned Jinder Mahal
Yoshi Tatsu pinned Drew McIntyre; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked Tatsu, threw guest ring announcer Hornswoggle out of the ring, and cut an in-ring promo
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Tyson Kidd & Heath Slater
Hunico pinned Ezekiel Jackson with the Swanton; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked Jackson and dropped him with Crossroads
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Booker T with the Beautiful Disaster
Alicia Fox pinned Natalya Neidhart; Aksana was the guest referee for the bout; after the match, Natalya attacked Aksana and put her in the Sharpshooter; moments later, Tamina ran out, attacked Natalya, and hit the splash off the top
Sheamus defeated Wade Barrett in a streetfight with the boot to the face; fans chose the stipulation over a Best 2 out of 3 falls match
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification when Jinder Mahal and Wade Barrett attacked Show; after the match, Show dropped both with the chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ Wichita, KS – Intrust Bank Arena – February 4, 2012
Brodus Clay pinned Michael McGillicutty
Ryback pinned Alex Riley with an F5; after the bout, David Otunga confronted Riley and threatened to have him fired if he touched him
Santino Marella pinned Kenneth Cameron with the Cobra; after the bout, David Otunga confronted Marella and threatened to have him fired if he touched him
WWE US Champion Jack Swagger pinned Kofi Kingston with his feet on the ropes for leverage; after the bout, Kingston hit the spin kick to the face on Swagger
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Eve with the Glam Slam
John Cena & R-Truth defeated Kane & Mike Mizanin when Cena pinned Miz with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Dolph Ziggler after dropping both the challenger and guest ringside enforcer David Otunga with the Go To Sleep
WWE (Raw) @ Wichita Falls, TX – Kay Yeager Coliseum – February 5, 2012
Moved from 9/25/11
Brodus Clay pinned Michael McGillicutty
Ryback pinned Alex Riley with an F5; after the bout, David Otunga confronted Riley and threatened to have him fired if he touched him
David Otunga pinned Kenneth Cameron
WWE US Champion Jack Swagger pinned Kofi Kingston with a cradle; Swagger attempted to grab the ropes for the planned finish but he was too far away; after the bout, Kingston hit the spin kick to the face on Swagger
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Eve with the Glam Slam; Santino Marella was the guest referee for the bout
John Cena & R-Truth defeated Kane & Mike Mizanin when Cena pinned Miz with the FU; early in the bout, the four competed in a dance contest
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Dolph Ziggler with the Go To Sleep after fighting off an interfering Chris Jericho
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center – February 5, 2012 (matinee)
Randy Orton was advertised but did not appear
The Great Khali pinned Jinder Mahal
Yoshi Tatsu pinned Drew McIntyre; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked Tatsu, threw guest ring announcer Hornswoggle out of the ring, and cut an in-ring promo
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Tyson Kidd & Heath Slater
Hunico pinned Ezekiel Jackson with the Swanton; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked Jackson and dropped him with Crossroads
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Booker T with the Beautiful Disaster
Alicia Fox pinned Natalya Neidhart; Aksana was the guest referee for the bout; after the match, Natalya attacked Aksana and put her in the Sharpshooter; moments later, Tamina ran out, attacked Natalya, and hit the splash off the top
Sheamus defeated Wade Barrett in a streetfight with the boot to the face; fans chose the stipulation over a Best 2 out of 3 falls match
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification when Jinder Mahal and Wade Barrett attacked Show; after the match, Show dropped both with the chokeslam
WWE @ Oklahoma City, OK – Chesapeake Energy Arena – February 6, 2012 (7,400)
Jim Ross and Danny Hodge were at the show
Brodus Clay pinned Damien Sandow
Raw SuperShow – included an opening in-ring promo by Triple H in which he said he came out the previous week to fire John Laurinaitis, with Triple H saying Laurinaitis met with the board and the board asked him to delay any decision regarding his employment; he then discussed the return the following week of the Undertaker, noting it was Taker’s return following WrestleMania when he was carted away from the ring; Triple H then said, for the first time, he wasn’t humbled to be in Taker’s presense the previous week and he felt sorry for him; he then introduced a video package recapping Taker’s career, adding that was how he chose to remember him and not by the man he was when he came out the week before, and showed a package showing Taker being beaten down the previous year at WrestleMania; Triple H followed by respectfully declining the challenge for WrestleMania, adding he knows he would have to finish Taker should they meet again and maybe that’s what Taker wants; as Triple H went to leave the ring, his music cut off and the lights went out in the arena; a video package then aired showing Taker reviewing the previous year’s match and saying he would not let the image of him being carted off go down in history, adding the victory over Triple H meant nothing and he wanted vengeance; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was seen by more people than Fear Factor or Rock Center; included an ad promoting WWE’s new YouTube content; featured a WrestleMania ad noting the show was 55 days away; included a backstage segment showing Carl Edwards driving into the building and meeting with John Cena in footage taped the previous week, with Edwards asking Cena to wave the flag as the honorary starter in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 26; featured a video package on the Elimination Chamber; included an ad promoting ‘The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2011;’ featured an in-ring promo by Chris Jericho in which he said everyone in the company was a Jericho wannabe and his return spelled the end of the world as they knew it, adding Mike Mizanin, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler, and WWE World Champion CM Punk had all stolen various attributes from him; Jericho then said Punk was the worst offender, that he himself was the best and didn’t need it written on a T-shirt to be true, and proved it by eliminating 28 other men from the Royal Rumble, including Randy Orton in his hometown; Jericho then said he was back to reclaim what was his; Punk then interrupted, walked to the ring, and didn’t say a word before he held the title belt above his head; the champion then turned his back to Jericho, allowing him to jump him from behind should he choose, and then left the ring as Jericho yelled at him on the mic; included a John Cena video package to hype his match with Rock at WrestleMania, to the tune of Machine Gun Kelly’s “Invincible;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic showing the Rock’s Twitter following edge over Cena; included footage of the Rock appearing later in the night on ‘The Tonight Show’ and talking about returning to the ring at WrestleMania; featured a backstage segment with Triple H and Laurinaitis in which Laurinaitis said Shawn Michaels would be on the following week’s show, then suggesting Cena face Kane in an ambulance match at Elimination Chamber; included the announcement that Laurinaitis’ future in WWE would be announced at 10 a.m. the next morning on WWE.com; featured a backstage segment with Josh Matthews conducting an interview with Laurinaitis about his potential future in WWE:
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan (w/ AJ, wearing a neckbrace) via count-out at 7:33 when, after Show almost collided with AJ on the floor, Bryan led her up the aisle to safety; moments later, Bryan took the mic and asked Show what kind of man he was, then saying he proved that when he ran into AJ the first time it was on purpose; Bryan then said everything would be the same after Elimination Chamber, including him still being champion
Sheamus pinned David Otunga in an impromptu match at 2:07 with the boot to the face; prior to the bout, Otunga took the mic, praised John Laurinaitis, and then did a Tim Tebow prayer pose before Justin Roberts announced, per Triple H, Otunga would compete in a match; Otunga wrestled the match in his street clothes, which were eventually ripped up by Sheamus
Randy Orton & the Great Khali defeated Wade Barrett & WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes at 3:43 when Khali blocked the Beautiful Disaster with a chop to the head; during the match, Orton and Khali argued; after the bout, the two faced off, with Orton eventually dropping Khali with the RKO
Eve, Alicia Fox, Kelly Kelly, & Tamina defeated WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix, Natalya Neidhart, Brie & Nikki Bella at 1:37 when Tamina pinned one of the Bellas with the splash off the top; during her team’s entrance, a pretaped interview aired in which Beth said she had no competition and would remain champion forever
Chris Jericho defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, Mike Mizanin, and Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) at 12:24 by pinning Ziggler with his feet on the ropes for leverage, after Punk hit Ziggler with the Go To Sleep and Jericho pulled Punk to the floor and threw him over the announce table; at the 5-minute mark, Truth was helped backstage by officials after hitting his head while doing a dive onto Miz outside the ring; stipulations stated the winner would be the last entrant into the Elimination Chamber; after the contest, Jericho posed with the title belt and sat down in the ring in the style of Punk; moments later, Kane was shown backstage cornering Eve and saying he was afraid for her should John Cena not embrace the hate, then saying he was even afraid of himself as the show ended
WWE Superstars – 2/9/12 – featured an ad promoting ‘The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2011;’ included a “Did you know?” graphic that read WWE’s Facebook network has more than 53 million followers; featured comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, WWE World Champion CM Punk, John Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, Eve, Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; included a video package on the Elimination Chamber; featured the Justin Gabriel vs. Heath Slater and Yoshi Tatsu vs. Johnny Curtis matches taped 2/7/12 in Tulsa, OK:
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) defeated JTG & Michael McGillicutty in a non-title match when Primo pinned JTG with the Back Stabber at 3:02; Josh Matthews & Scott Stanford provided commentary for the bout
WWE US Champion Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated Santino Marella via submission with the ankle lock at 5:40; Josh Matthews & Scott Stanford provided commentary for the bout
Dark match after the taping: John Cena defeated Kane via disqualification when Kane hit Cena with a steel chair; after the bout, Cena dropped Kane with the FU
WWE @ Tulsa, OK – BOK Center – February 7, 2011
Brodus Clay pinned Damien Sandow
Percy Watson defeated Darren Young
Maxine defeated Kaitlyn
Heath Slater defeated Derrick Bateman
Tyson Kidd defeated Trent Barreta
Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso
WWE Superstars – 2/9/12: Justin Gabriel pinned Heath Slater with the 450 splash at around the 11-minute mark; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout
WWE Superstars – 2/9/12: Yoshi Tatsu pinned Johnny Curtis with a kick to the head at 3:59; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout
Smackdown! – 2/10/12 – featured an in-ring promo by Sheamus in which he said he would choose after Elimination Chamber as to what champion he would face at WrestleMania, noting at least one of the two titles would change hands; he went on to say he was bullied as a child and bullied once he came to WWE and wouldn’t change who he was as a result; moments later, Wade Barrett interrupted and said he hoped Sheamus would challenge for the WWE World Title because he himself would be World Heavyweight Champion at Elimination Chamber; WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes then appeared and noted he was the only one of the three to win at WrestleMania or be a current titleholder; Big Show soon followed, told Rhodes to shut up, and said himself vs. Sheamus at WrestleMania would be a match worth main eventing WrestleMania; Barrett then said even Snooki has had a more successful WrestleMania run, with Rhodes then joking as to who Show would lose to this year, noting it could be a boxer or sumo wrestler; Show and Sheamus then cleared Rhodes and Barrett from the ring; included footage from the previous week of Teddy Long suspending Mark Henry; featured a backstage segment with Long and Aksana, with World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan interrupting and calling out Long for holding a barbecue earlier, citing his vegan beliefs; Bryan then said he was sick to his stomach and wouldn’t be competing in his scheduled match against Randy Orton; Long then said the match was still on and told Bryan to get ready for it; included an ad promoting WWE’s exclusive YouTube content; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read John Cena has more than 10 million Facebook fans, more than the New York Giants, New England Patriots, and NFL Facebook pages combined; included a video package on the Rock, with comments from his parents, Rock, and Luis Guzman, and footage of Rock visiting Hawaii and talking about growing up there; featured a backstage segment with Natalya Neidhart and Tyson Kidd in which they talked about Natalya’s farting issues; moments later, Hornswoggle walked by and passed out; included a WrestleMania ad noting the show was 51 days away; featured Michael Cole conducting an in-ring interview with AJ, wearing a neckbrace, about her injury; after Cole made fun of her, AJ said she blamed Cole himself for the injury and not Show, simply for his constant insults towards Bryan, AJ, and the divas division; AJ then called Cole a biased obnoxious jerk and said the WWE would be a better place if he would shut up; Cole replied by saying Bryan set AJ up to be run over by Show and that Bryan was using her; Cole then insulted Bryan and said she and him would be nothing more than footnotes in WWE history at Elimination Chamber, with Bryan then coming out and threatening to break both of Cole’s arms; Bryan then cut a promo on the crowd and their lack of good nutrition and not helping th environment; Bryan then said he was taking AJ home because she had been traumatized enough; after they went backstage, Long confronted Bryan and said he would provide transportation for AJ if he wanted but that he would strip Bryan of the title if he left with her; included a video package on the Elimination Chamber; featured the announcement that John Laurinaitis had retained his Raw GM position, with Cole then speaking with Laurinaitis on the phone while he was on tour in Abu Dhabi:
The Great Khali pinned Jinder Mahal with the tree slam at 2:06; prior to the bout, a pretaped promo by Mahal aired in which he said he would beat Khali and demand to replace him in the Elimination Chamber match
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Alicia Fox in a non-title match with the Glam Slam at 1:18; after the bout, Phoenix attempted to hit the move a second time, only for Tamina to run out; the two then stared at each other before Phoenix left the ring
Sheamus & the Big Show defeated Wade Barrett & WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes at 13:30 when Sheamus pinned Barrett with the boot to the face
Ted Dibiase Jr. pinned Hunico (w/ Camacho) with a reversal into a roll up at 2:40; Dibiase wore a cast on his left wrist for the bout
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated Randy Orton via disqualification in a non-title match at 13:02 when Big Show, who provided guest commentary for the bout, shoved Bryan on the floor after Bryan became physical with him; after the bout, Orton dropped Bryan with the RKO in the ring, then confronted Show on the floor; Orton and Show then brawled as Bryan watched from the aisle
WWE @ Abu Dhabi – February 9, 2012 (5,000; near sell out)
WWE @ Abu Dhabi – February 10, 2012 (5,000; near sell out)
WWE @ Abu Dhabi – February 11, 2012 (5,964; sell out)
WWE @ San Francisco, CA – Cow Palace – February 11, 2012
WWE @ Bakersfield, CA – Rabobank Arena – February 12, 2012 (matinee)
WWE @ Monroe, LA – Civic Center – February 12, 2012
WWE @ Tyler, TX – Oil Palace – February 12, 2012
WWE @ Ontario, CA – Citizens Business Bank Arena – February 12, 2012
Moved from 12/2/11
WWE @ San Diego, CA – Valley View Casino Center – February 13, 2012 (6,000)
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening backstage promo by Kane in which he said John Cena would embrace the hate and someone would be taking a ride in an ambulance, with him showing the ambulance parked beside him; included an in-ring debate segment hosted by Jerry Lawler, alongside WWE World Champion CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler, alongside Vickie Guerrero, and Mike Mizanin; before Punk could answer Lawler’s first question, John Laurinaitis, alongside David Otunga, interrupted and talked about how happy he was to still be the Raw GM; after Laurinaitis and Otunga returned backstage; after Punk and Ziggler argued they would win, Truth went on a rant as if he were running for office; Miz followed by reminding everyone he won the main event of WrestleMania and ranted on everyone until he was cut off by the buzzer; Kingston then took exception to Miz calling him an after thought; Jericho finished by noting his successes in the Elimination Chamber, then telling Punk to go ahead and hand the title over because he was back to claim it; Lawler then said Kingston vs. Jericho would be the opening match, with Jericho then leaving his podium to confront Punk at his; Punk then held up his title belt, with Jericho turning around and sustaining Kingston’s spin kick to the face; included a backstage segment showing Shawn Michaels meeting with Triple H; featured a backstage segment with John Cena speaking with Zack Ryder, confined to a wheelchair and wearing a neckbrace; Ryder said he couldn’t stay away from Eve and brought her flowers, with Cena reminding him that Kane still wants to go through Ryder to get to Cena, then said he would bring Eve to Ryder so Ryder could stay safe in Cena’s lockerroom; included a backstage segment with Laurinaitis and Otunga in which Otunga said he had an idea on how Laurinaitis could be the permanent GM for both Raw and Smackdown; featured exclusive footage after Smackdown went off the air of the Big Show dropping Randy Orton with a chokeslam; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s Facebook network includes more than 50 million fans, more than ESPN, Pepsi, BMW, Google, Nike, and the NFL; featured an ad promoting ‘The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2011;’ included an in-ring promo by Michaels in which he said one cannot have a WrestleMania season without Mr. WrestleMania, with Michaels going on to say he expected Triple H to accept the Undertaker’s challenge and when he didn’t he called up Laurinaitis to come on the show; Michaels then said Triple H is probably just playing the Undertaker, citing he is the Cerebral Assassin, and then asked Triple H to come out to the ring; Triple H said it was good to see Michaels back but said he didn’t want to face Taker at WrestleMania because it would entail ending Taker, and he wasn’t that guy anymore; Michaels responded by saying he stuck by Triple H and questioned, “You married that chick, now you’re one of them?” and questioned whether Triple H was now a corporate sell out; Triple H then said Shawn didn’t understand where he was coming from, with Shawn implying he was a coward; Triple H then said all of the company would become his one day and he didn’t want to destroy the Undertaker brand because it was good for business; he went on to say he wouldn’t do it to feed his own ego and noted putting down Taker was something even Shawn couldn’t do, with Shawn taking the mic and telling Triple H to look him in the eye and tell him he didn’t want to end the streak; after more prompting by Michaels, Triple H responded with “No;” after Michaels went backstage, Taker’s gong sounded and a video package appeared on the big screen showing Taker hear Triple H’s comments from weeks earlier in which he said he felt bad for Taker and pitied him; moments later, Taker was shown cutting his own hair as he told Triple H to give him the immortality he deserved; Troy Polamalu was shown in attendance; featured a backstage segment with Ryder and Santino Marella in which Marella gave Ryder tips on how to woo Eve; included a backstage segment showing Cena speaking with Josh Matthews; featured an ad promoting WWE’s YouTube content; included a video package documenting the Rock’s publicity tour promoting ‘Journey 2’ and WrestleMania, with appearances on ‘The Jimmy Fallon Show,’ ‘The Tonight Show,’ SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, Live! with Kelly, CBS News, and being on the red carpet premiere in Mexico City; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Cena regarding the Rock’s video package, with Cena then running off after hearing Eve scream; Cena then ran to where he saw Eve being put in the ambulance and tried to get her out before Kane jumped him from behind; Kane then drove off, with Eve jumping out at the last minute and kissing Cena; moments later, Ryder was shown looking on; following the commercial break, Eve apologized to Ryder, said what happened was in the heat of the moment, and that she really wanted to be friends; Ryder then wheeled off upset; included the announcement Randy Orton would face World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan on Smackdown in a rematch; featured a closing in-ring segment in which Cena said it was Kane’s plan all along to turn his friends and the fans against him and leave him with no choice but to embrace the hate; after a brief chant of “We all hate you,” Cena said he was proud to be who he was and do what he does; the crowd then chanted “Fruity Pebbles” with Cena then saying he would adapt, overcome, and win at the Elimination Chamber; Cena then addressed the Rock, with Ryder wheeling his way out to the stage and eventually entering the ring; Cena then tried to talk to Ryder, with Ryder slapping him across the face and saying Cena was supposed to be his friend; Ryder then threw a punch, with Cena blocking it and knocking Ryder to the mat; as Ryder walked up the ramp on his crutches, Kane appeared on the big screen and said Cena embraced the hate; Kane then said Cena would not compete in a WWE ring until WrestleMania after what he does to him at Elimination Chamber; Cena then went to take a mic, with Kane walking out and shoving Ryder, in his wheelchair, off the ramp; Cena then darted to Ryder as medics came out with a stretcher, with Eve appearing as well and the crowd booing her:
Chris Jericho pinned Kofi Kingston with an eye gouge and the Code Breaker at 5:21; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised Westminster Kennel Show coverage on CNBC
Randy Orton defeated the Big Show via disqualification at 7:46 when World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, who sat ringside for the bout, hit Orton in the face with the title belt before then doing the same to Show; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised Westminster Kennel Show coverage on CNBC
R-Truth pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) with an inside cradle at 2:29 as Ziggler was doing sit-ups
Tamina pinned Brie Bella (w/ Nikki Bella) with the splash off the top at 1:28; prior to the bout, it was announced Tamina would challenge WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix at Elimination Chamber; Phoenix provided guest commentary for the bout; after the bout, Tamina and Phoenix stared at one another (the first time Tamina is referred to by the ring announcer as Tamina Snuka)
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Mike Mizanin in a non-title match via submission with the Anaconda Vice at 5:01; after the bout, Chris Jericho was shown watching on backstage; moments later, Kane was shown pulling back into the arena in his ambulance
WWE @ Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center – February 14, 2012
Smackdown! – 2/17/12 – featured an opening backstage segment showing Randy Orton sitting with Teddy Long and glaring at him after being told he could not compete in the Elimination Chamber as a result of sustaining a concussion; Long then said security would escort Orton from the building for his own good, with Orton then getting up and leaving; included a backstage segment with Long speaking on the phone about how to fill Orton’s spot in the Elimination Chamber; moments later, Mark Henry walked in and said there was no one else but him to put in Orton’s spot and that Long needed him; moments later, Big Show walked in and told Long he wanted World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan later that night; Henry took exception to Show interrupting him, with Show knocking Henry out with a punch and then starting to destroy Long’s office while demanding a match with Bryan; featured an ad promoting the following Tuesday’s live Smackdown; included a backstage segment in which Long told security to escort Show from the building, with security guards sayiing they didn’t want to get near Show; Long then walked off looking “for backup;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers US military personnel free tickets to live events in the US; included a video package recapping the previous week’s altercation between Triple H and Shawn Michaels on Raw; featured a backstage segment with Long, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, and Wade Barrett talking about Orton’s replacement in the Elimination Chamber, with Long saying he was inviting everyone in the building to compete in a battle royal to earn the shot; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s shown was seen by more viewers than both NBA games on ESPN; featured an ad promoting ‘The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2011;’ included a backstage segment with John Laurinaitis, David Otunga, and Long talking about the battle royal, with Laurinaitis saying Otunga would win the battle royal to ensure the winner would have the proper name recognition and charisma to add to the Elimination Chamber; featured an ad promoting WWE’s YouTube content:
The Big Show & Great Khali defeated Wade Barrett & WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes at 3:35 when Show pinned Barrett with the chokeslam; after the bout, Khali congratulated his partner, with Show knocking Khali out with a punch and leaving the ring
Hunico (w/ Camacho) pinned Ted Dibiase Jr. with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage after Camacho attacked Dibiase behind the referee’s back at 1:48
WWE Tag Team Champions Epico & Primo Colon (w/ Rosa Mendes) defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso in a non-title match at 4:47 when Primo scored the pin with the Back Stabber after lifting his knees to block the splash off the top; after the bout, Michael Cole announced that Big Show opted to leave the arena voluntarily
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated Sheamus via disqualification in a non-title impromptu match at 6:44 when Sheamus shoved down the referee after Bryan spat at him; prior to the bout, Bryan in which he bragged about his assault on Orton and Show Monday during Raw, then noting both men had already been escorted from the building earlier in the show before saying they had no guts for not facing him then and there; Bryan then said everyone was afraid of him because he keeps on winning, he proved all the fans wrong who thought he couldn’t win the title, and would prove them wrong again at Elimination Chamber; Bryan then said he would have beaten Orton in their advertised match on the show as he will win Sunday; Bryan then had Lilian Garcia announced him as the winner of their match via forfeit; moments later, Long interrupted him and said he had a volunteer to face Bryan, with Sheamus walking out
Jinder Mahal defeated Ezekiel Jackson via submission with the Camel Clutch at 2:08
Tamina & Alicia Fox defeated WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart at 2:52 when Tamina pinned Natalya with the splash off the top; late in the bout, Natalya had Fox in the Sharpshooter but the referee became distracted after Natalya apparently passed gass in the ring; after the bout, Tamina fought off Phoenix and attempted to hit the splash off the top but Beth rolled to the floor and yelled at Tamina she would never take the title
Santino Marella won a battle royal by last eliminationg David Otunga at 16:10; other participants included Jimmy & Jey Uso, Curt Hawkins, Tyler Reks, Ezekiel Jackson, Justin Gabriel, Drew McIntyre, Heath Slater, Darren Young, Michael McGillicutty, Yoshi Tatsu, Titus O’Neil, Percy Watson, Derrick Bateman, WWE Tag Team Champions Epico & Primo Colon, Jinder Mahal, Hunico, Camacho, Ted Dibiase Jr., Tyson Kidd, and Johnny Curtis; stipulations stated the winner would earn a spot in the Elimination Chamber match on Sunday
– 2/16/12: A press conference including John Cena, the Rock, Triple H, Mark Henry, Sheamus, Nikki & Brie Bella, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, New York Jets CEO Woody Johnson, and New York Giants CEO John Mara announced WrestleMania 29 would be held April 7, 2013 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
Elimination Chamber 2012 – Milwaukee, WI – Bradley Center – February 19, 2012 (15,306; sell out)
Hunico pinned Alex Riley
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Michael Cole, Booker T, & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included footage of Santino Marella winning the battle royal days earlier on Smackdown, followed by a shot backstage of Santino dressed in a sweatshirt drinking raw eggs as Eugene’s WWE theme played in the background; included a look at John Cena working out with the WWE developmental talent, with comments from both Cena and several of the younger talent, to promote his WrestleMania match with the Rock; featured comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, WWE World Champion CM Punk, John Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, Eve, Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; included a second backstage segment with Santino shown punching at a ham hung from the ceiling; featured Josh Matthews attempting to get a backstage interview with Chris Jericho but saying he was still being tended to and would hope to have an interview for later in the show; included an in-ring promo by John Laurinaitis, alongside David Otunga, in which he said he spoke with the board of directors and would make sure Teddy Long was held to the same level of scrutiny he had been held to; moments later, Alberto Del Rio drove out, with ADR joining the two men in the ring, and saying Long was corrupt, didn’t know how to run his show, held grudges, and was always trying to get with girls; ADR then suggested to Laurinaitis that Laurinaitis become the general manager for both Raw and Smackdown; Mark Henry then appeared, during which it was noted he would be inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame, with Henry then saying Long was a bully and he also endorsed Laurinaitis for Smackdown GM; moments later, Christian walked out, said Randy Orton’s injury was a fake but Long made him work hurt until he was sidelined with an injury; Christian too supported Laurinaitis as the Smackdown GM; the four then posed for Otunga to take a photo of them, with Otunga putting himself in a photo as well (ADR’s surprise return after a 3-month absence, Christian’s surprise return after a 4-month absence); featured a WrestleMania ad to the tune of Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling;” included a backstage shot of Santino running up the arena stairs and jumping in celebration; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with the Big Show about his poor WrestleMania win-loss record and goal to walk out of the Elimination Chamber with the belt; included a backstage segment showing Hornswoggle eating cheese, with Natalya Neidhart walking up, taking offense, and farting before running off; Justin Gabriel then walked in, with WWE US Champion Jack Swagger and Vickie Guerrero showing up and taking offense to Hornswoggle’s comments; moments later, Teddy Long appeared and told Swagger and Gabriel to go settle it in the ring; after Hornswoggle and Gabriel left, Swagger told Long that Laurinaitis should be running both shows, with Long saying he himself should be running both shows, then telling Swagger his match would be for the title; featured an ad promoting ‘The Epic Journey of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’ on DVD; included a WrestleMania ad featuring dueling comments from Rock and Cena; featured the announcement the Undertaker would appear on Raw the following night to confront Triple H:
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero), and Mike Mizanin in an Elimination Chamber match at 32:38; order of entry: Punk (0:00), Kingston (0:00), Ziggler (5:14), Truth (9:10), Miz (13:33), and Jericho (17:45); Punk pinned Truth with an elbow drop off the top at 11:43; Jericho pinned Ziggler at 19:29 with the Code Breaker; Kingston submitted to Jericho’s Walls of Jericho at 25:33; following the elimination, Jericho continued to assault Kingston on the steel grating and then threw him out of the ring, out the door, and to the floor; the match stopped at the 27-minute mark after Punk kicked Jericho in the head, knocking him out the door, into a cameraman on the floor, and then hitting his head on a piece of equipment on the floor; the match later resumed with just Punk vs. Miz as Jericho was tended to on the floor; Punk pinned Miz with the Go To Sleep; after winning, Punk passed Jericho’s body at ringside, shrugged, and held up his title in celebration
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Tamina with the Glam Slam at 7:18 after ramming the challenger face-first into the corner; late in the bout, Tamina hit the splash off the top but Phoenix kicked out at 2
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, the Great Khali, the Big Show, Santino Marella, and Wade Barrett in an Elimination Chamber match at 34:04; order of entry: Show (0:00), Barrett (0:00), Rhodes (5:15), Marella (9:31), Khali (15:40), and Bryan (19:49); Show pinned Khali with a spear at 16:30; following the elimination, Show walked over to Bryan’s pod and tried to reach down and grab at him; Show then began breaking the chains across the top of the pod and climbed in the pod to assault the champion; immediately after Bryan’s official entry to the match, Show threw him through the side of the pod, breaking it loose; Cody pinned Show at 22:37 after the Beautiful Disaster, a DDT, and an elbow drop from Barrett; Santino pinned Rhodes with a roll up at 23:04; after the elimination, Rhodes dropped Santino with Crossroads; Marella pinned Barrett at 30:38 after Bryan hit a headbutt off the top; Marella submitted to Bryan’s LeBell Lock; after the contest, Sheamus came out, blocked a kick from Bryan, and hit the Emerald Frosion, then indicating he would face Bryan at WrestleMania
WWE US Champion Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated Justin Gabriel (w/ Hornswoggle) via submission with the ankle lock at 3:05 in an impromptu bout
John cena defeated Kane in an ambulance match at 21:21 after hitting a FU off the top of the ambulance and then putting Kane in the ambulance; during the bout, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go Cena” and “Cena sucks;” after the bout, the ambulance drove out of the arena
WWE @ Minneapolis, MN – Target Center – February 20, 2012
Ryback defeated JTG
Michael McGillicutty defeated Alex Riley
Tyler Reks defeated Mason Ryan
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening backstage segment showing Eve speaking with Nikki & Brie Bella in which Eve said she was just using Zack Ryder and now the world was talking about her; Eve then said she would use John Cena next, then telling the Bellas to film her walking in to Cena’s locker room; Eve then turned around to see Cena standing behind her, with Cena then smirking and walking off; moments later, Cena walked out to the ring to a mixed reaction, took the mic, and began to speak before an emotional Eve interrupted and said what he heard had been taken out of context; Cena then said he lost a friend because of her, a “browski for a hoeski,” prompting a chant of “hoeski” from the crowd; Cena continued insulting Eve until she dropped to her knees and cried, eventually forcing herself on Cena until referees intervened; Cena then told Eve he was disease free and would like to keep it that way, then left the ring as Eve continued crying; Eve was then helped from the ring as the crowd chanted “We want Ryder;” included a vignette of the Undertaker demanding vengeance while speaking of Triple H and saying he would write Triple H’s ending later in the show; featured an ad promoting the following night’s live Smackdown, headlined by WWE World Champion CM Punk vs. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan; included a backstage segment with John Laurinaitis and David Otunga, with Teddy Long then walking in and taking exception to Laurinaitis’s comments; Long then said he agreed only one man should run both Raw and Smackdown, but that the fans should pick who it should be; Laurinaitis then said a 10-man battle royal would be held later in the show to determine Punk’s challenger at WrestleMania; featured a promo for the Taker / Triple H confrontation later in the show to the tune of Metallica’s “The Memory Remains;” included an ad promoting the Rock on the following week’s show; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was seen by more viewers than both college basketball games on ESPN combined; included a video package announcing Ron Simmons would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Chris Jericho about his peformance at the Elimination Chamber, with Jericho arguing he was never eliminated, a win was stolen from him, and he would win the battle royal and get his match with Punk at WretleMania; included a look at the previous week’s confrontation between Triple H and Shawn Michaels; featured an in-ring segment in which Taker came out to the ring wearing a hood and cut a promo saying what he has gone through the previous year has been a living hell and he wouldn’t deal with Triple H turning down his challenge for a rematch to erase the image that followed their previous match, of Taker being carted backstage; Taker then said this was bigger than either of them, they were the last of their kind, and it was the apocolypse; moments later, Triple H came to the ring, with the two having words until Triple H said he wouldn’t be the one to end Taker’s career because it was bad for business; Taker then questioned if it would be bad for business if he was gone, or if Triple H was gone; Triple H responded by saying what Taker was really asking him was to end him and he wasn’t going to do it; Taker then called Triple H a coward, with Triple H saying he was tired of hearing that and that Taker’s ploy wouldn’t work; Triple H then left the ring, with Taker taking the mic and saying Michaels was always better than Triple H, prompting Triple H to take off his jacket, unbutton his shirt, and return to the ring, adding he could do what Shawn couldn’t and ultimately accepting the match at WrestleMania, then adding he would only accept if it was Hell in a Cell; Taker then left the ring to Metallica’s “The Memory Remains,” turning around at one point to look back at Triple H in the ring; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read John Cena has 10 million Facebook fans to the Rock’s 5 million; featured an in-ring promo by Cena in which he made fun of Rock’s posse who do all his work for him, including writing his jokes, then adding he respects Dwayne Johnson for all his movies; Cena then made fun of the fact Rock left WWE for Hollywood and constantly left the fans, then adding he was fighting for every person who dreamed of becoming a WWE superstar; Cena then joked that on Monday, April 9, he would be on Raw while Rock would be sipping on drinks while making fun of his stunt double:
Sheamus pinned Mark Henry with the boot to the face at 3:13 after avoiding the powerslam; during his entrance, it was noted Henry was being allowed to wrestle on Raw by John Laurinaitis, despite his suspension by Teddy Long on Smackdown
R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Epico & Primo Colon (w/ Rosa Mendes) in a non-title match at 2:24 when Kingston pinned Primo with the spin kick to the face after avoiding the Back Stabber
David Otunga (w/ John Laurinaitis) pinned Ezekiel Jackson (w/ Teddy Long) with the uranage at 1:38
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated Santino Marella in a non-title match via submission with the LeBell Lock at the 57-second mark
Nikki & Brie Bella defeated Kelly Kelly & Aksana at 1:18 when Aksana was pinned after sustaining a facebuster from the illegal Bella behind the referee’s back
Chris Jericho won a 10-man battle royal at 12:17 by last eliminating the Big Show; other participants included R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero), Wade Barrett, the Great Khali, Kofi Kingston, Santino Marella, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, and Mike Mizanin; order of elimination: Khali by everyone else (0:55); Miz by Kofi & Truth via a double dropkick as Miz was on the apron (6:19); Barrett by Santino when Santino held onto the ropes as Barrett attempted to throw him out with the overhead slam (7:15); Truth by Santino via a backdrop (7:23); Ziggler by Show via a press slam onto Truth and Barrett on the floor (7:39); Ziggler landed with his face against the commentary table, with officials then calling for medical help for he, Truth, and Barrett; Kingston by Jericho via a push as Kingston was on the top rope (8:55); Santino by Rhodes via a clothesline (10:49); Rhodes by Show via a choke throw (11:36); Show by Jericho and an interfering Rhodes as both Jericho and Show were on the apron; WWE World Champion CM Punk provided guest commentary for the bout; stipulations stated the winner would challenge Punk at WrestleMania; following the bout, Punk confronted Jericho in the ring and offered his hand to Jericho, with Jericho smiling and walking off; Barrett sustained a partially dislocated elbow in the match
Dark match after the show: WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler
Dark match after the show: John Cena defeated Kane
WWE @ Rockford, IL – BMO Harris Bank Center – February 21, 2012
Jennifer Hudson was at the show
Titus O’Neal defeated Alex Riley
Tyson Kidd defeated Tyler Reks
Jinder Mahal defeated Justin Gabriel
Smackdown! – 2/21/12 – featured an opening in-ring promo by World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, alongside AJ, in which he said no one believed him when he said after winning Money in the Bank that he would headline WrestleMania; Bryan then made fun of Santino Marella’s Rocky-like story, then saying he was the real Rocky for going through the Elimination Chamber, then yelling “Yo, AJ, I did it!”; as the crowd chanted “CM Punk,” Bryan said Sheamus destroyed his victory moment at the Elimination Chamber and he would get revenge by beating Sheamus at WrestleMania, as well as beating Punk later in the show; Mike Mizanin then interrupted, said he knew Bryan had it in him the whole time, and then congratulated him for being in the main event of WrestleMania; as Miz suggested they someday become a tag team, Sheamus walked out and confronted Bryan, with Miz stepping in his way and calling out Sheamus for interrupting them both; moments later, Bryan slapped Sheamus, then ran off with AJ as Sheamus laid out Miz in the ring; included a backstage segment with Teddy Long and Aksana in which Aksana said she hoped Long would be GM of both Raw and Smackdown; moments later, John Laurinaitis and David Otunga walked in, with Long saying he had their office set up in the men’s room; Otunga then said he would again beat Ezekiel Jackson, just like he did on Raw; featured an ad promoting the Rock on Raw the following week; included clips from the upcoming episode of SyFy’s “Face Off;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown is airing live in more than 30 countries, including England, Iraq, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, and Italy; featured a video package announcing Ron Simmons being inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame; included a backstage segment set to Eurgene’s WWE theme of Santino training his cobra for target practice; moments later, Heath Slater interrupted, with Marella spraying water in Slater’s face and acting like the cobra did it; featured a look at Punk’s Twitter war with Chris Brown; included a WrestleMania ad to the tune of Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling;” featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with the Big Show regarding WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes costing him the battle royal win on Raw, then saying he would take it out on Mark Henry later in the show; included a video package recapping the previous night’s in-ring segment between Triple H and the Undertaker, leading to them agreeing to a WrestleMania match in Hell in a Cell; featured a clip of “Are you Serious” hosted by Josh Matthews & Road Dogg; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the Rock has more Twitter followers than John Cena; featured the announcement WWE.com would have an interview with Eve to explain her actions on Raw; included Striker conducting a backstage interview with Punk regarding his upcoming match with Bryan and then facing Chris Jericho at WrestleMania; featured an ad promoting ‘The Epic Jouney of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’:
Sheamus pinned Mike Mizanin in an impromptu bout with the Emerald Frosion at around the 7-minute mark (the bout began during the commercial break)
Dolph Ziggler & WWE US Champion Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated Kofi Kingston & R-Truth at 2:45 when Ziggler pinned Kingston with an eye gouge and the Zig Zag
The Great Khali pinned Drew McIntyre with a chop to the head and tree slam at the 33-second mark
Mark Henry defeated the Big Show via count-out at around the 5-minute mark when Show knocked Henry out with a punch and then stalked WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes backstage; late in the bout, Rhodes interrupted to make fun of Show and show footage of Show vs. Akebono in a sumo match at WrestleMania 21; the bell didn’t ring and no official announcement was made as to the winner
David Otunga pinned Ezekiel Jackson with a spinebuster at 1:21; prior to the bout, Teddy Long escorted Jackson out to the entrance stage, with Otunga escorted out by John Laurinaitis, during which Laurinaitis mocked Long’s dancing; early in the bout, a pretaped insert promo by Jackson aired in which he said Otunga would be the one going down in the rematch
WWE World Champion CM Punk fought World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan in a non-title match to a draw at 29:41; Punk initially won the match by pinning Bryan with a kick to the head at 9:55 after Sheamus ran out and threw Bryan back into the ring after Bryan attempted to get himself counted-out; moments later, John Laurinaitis interrupted and said he was restarting the match due to the outside interference; Bryan pinned Punk at 14:37 with a roll over and grabbing the ring ropes for leverage, with Teddy Long then coming out and restarting the match as well; the finish saw Punk hit a superplex, with Bryan hook the legs for a cover and all four shoulders being down for the pinfall; during Punk’s entrance and the match, Michael Cole played up the Twitter war between Punk and Chris Brown; following the bout, Long and Laurinaitis argued over who the winner was, with Laurinaitis raising Bryan’s hand and Long raising Punk’s; Laurinaitis and Long then argued, with Long eventually storming off as the show ended
Dark match after the taping: The Big Show fought World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan to a no contest
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Tegucigalpa, Honduras – National Engineers Coliseum – February 23, 2012 (2,500)
The Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal
Ezekiel Jackson defeated Drew McIntyre
Alicia Fox defeated Natalya Neidhart
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Booker T
Ted Dibiase Jr. & Justin Gabriel defeated Hunico & Camacho
Sheamus defeated Mark Henry
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification
WWE @ Panama City, Panama – Roberto Duran Arena – February 24, 2012 (4,000)
The Great Khali pinned Jinder Mahal
Ezekiel Jackson defeated Drew McIntyre
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Booker T at around the 18-minute mark; Hornswoggle was the guest ring announcer for the match
Ted Dibiase Jr. & Justin Gabriel defeated Hunico & Camacho after hitting Dream Street and the 450 splash
Alicia Fox defeated Natalya Neidhart at around the 10-minute mark; Aksana was the guest referee for the match; after the bout, Natalya put Aksana in the Sharpshooter until Fox made the save
Sheamus pinned Mark Henry in a streetfight at around the 20-minute mark after Henry struck his head on a steel chair in the corner
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification when WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes interfered; after the bout, Show dropped both men with a double chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center – February 24, 2012 (9,000)
Brodus Clay defeated David Otunga
Ryback defeated Alex Riley
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Nikki Bella
WWE US Champion Jack Swagger defeated Mike Mizanin and R Truth
Chris Jericho defeated Kofi Kingston
WWE Tag Team Champions Epico & Primo Colon defeated Santino Marella & Mason Ryan
John Cena defeated Kane in a last man standing match
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler; Chris Jericho was the guest enforcer for the bout
WWE @ Ontario, CA – February 25, 2012 (9,000; sell out)
Brodus Clay defeated David Otunga
Ryback defeated JTG
WWE Tag Team Champions Epico & Primo Colon defeated Alex Riley & Mason Ryan
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Nikki Bella
R Truth defeaed Mike Mizanin
WWE US Champion Jack Swagger defeated Santino Marella
Chris Jericho defeated Kofi Kingston
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler and Kane; Chris Jericho was the guest enforcer for the bout
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Guatemala City, Guatemala – Zone 13 Dome – February 25, 2012 (2,000)
Included an in-ring promo by WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes in which he ranted about the Spanish language
The Great Khali pinned Jinder Mahal
Ezekiel Jackson defeated Drew McIntyre
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Booker T at around the 18-minute mark; Hornswoggle was the guest ring announcer for the match
Ted Dibiase Jr. & Justin Gabriel defeated Hunico & Camacho after hitting Dream Street and the 450 splash
Alicia Fox defeated Natalya Neidhart at around the 10-minute mark; Aksana was the guest referee for the match; after the bout, Natalya put Aksana in the Sharpshooter until Fox made the save
Sheamus pinned Mark Henry in a streetfight at around the 20-minute mark after Henry struck his head on a steel chair in the corner
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification when WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes interfered; after the bout, Show dropped both men with a double chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ Eugene, OR – Matthew Knight Arena – February 26, 2012 (matinee) (5,000)
Featured an in-ring promo by Eve in which she admitted she took advantage of John Cena and Zack Ryder
Brodus Clay pinned David Otunga with a splash at around the 4-minute mark; prior to the bout, Otunga cut an in-ring promo about being John Laurinaitis’s assistant
Ryback pinned JTG at around the 6-minute mark
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Nikki Bella (w/ Brie Bella) at the 6-minute mark with the Glam Slam after sending Nikki into an interfering Brie on the apron
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated Alex Riley & Mason Ryan at the 16-minute mark when Epico pinned Ryan with the Back Stabber
R-Truth pinned Mike Mizanin at the 14-minute mark with the Little Jimmy; prior to the bout, Truth came out with the University of Oregon mascot, with the mascot being ejected from ringside late in the bout after punching Miz
WWE US Champion Jack Swagger defeated Santino Marella via submission with the ankle lock at the 12-minute mark
Chris Jericho pinned Kofi Kingston with an eye gouge and the Code Breaker; prior to the bout, Jericho cut an in-ring promo and had a fan ejected for throwing something at him
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler and Kane by pinning Ziggler with the Go To Sleep; prior to the bout, John Laurinaitis, alongside David Otunga, came out and announced Chris Jericho would be the guest enforcer for the match
WWE @ Portland, OR – Rose Garden – February 27, 2012 (9,000)
Santino Marella defeated Curt Hawkins
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Alicia Fox
Raw SuperShow – featured a backstage segment in which Josh Matthews discussed the attack WWE World Champion CM Punk sustained from Chris Jericho following the opening bout; included a video package recapping the Undertaker and Triple H match from the previous year’s WrestleMania, with comments from Big Show, Steve Austin, Mike Mizanin, Punk, Edge, Randy Orton, Pat Patterson, the Rock, and John Cena; featured an ad promoting ‘The Epic Journey of Dwayne The Rock Johnson;’ included an ad promoting WWE’s new content on YouTube; featured a backstage segment in which Teddy Long confronted John Laurinaitis, alongside David Otunga, in which he called Laurinaitis a horse’s ass; included a video package recapping Eve’s actions the previous week; featured an in-ring promo by Eve in which she was a woman in a man’s world and she did what she has to do to succeed; moments later, Kelly Kelly, alongside Alicia Fox, stopped Eve backstage and asked what has gotten into her, with Eve then laughing and walking off; included a trailer for “Bending the Rules,” starring Edge; featured the announcement Randy Orton would face World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan on Smackdown; included the announcement that the respective Raw and Smackdown GMs may not be running their shows in the coming week; featured the announcement the board of directors would make an announcement the following day on WWE.com at 10am; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the Rock has 2 million Twitter followers to Cena’s 1.5 million; featured the announcement Shawn Michaels would appear on the following week’s show; included a closing in-ring promo by the Rock in which he said he was born and created in WWE but it wasn’t to be taking literally when he said he would never leave, noting that someone backstage (Cena) apparently expected him to be on TV each week; Rock then replied to Cena’s comments, saying Cena has his cell phone number, then called Cena a liar and he would rather slap his face with a piece of kung pao chicken than talk to him; Rock then said Cena wasn’t a bad guy, but he was a kung pao bitch, prompting the crowd to chant “kung pao bitch;” Rock then said no one fought for him when he was dealing with harsh crowds, no one fought for him except himself, noting the same was true of Triple H, Mick Foley, Austin, Randy Savage, and Roddy Piper; Rock then said while Cena says he fights for all those backstage, he fights for the fans; Rock then said the fans were tired of having a kung pao bitch shoved down their throats; Rock went on to get the crowd to chant “Cena’s missing balls” until Cena interrupted and said he used to be a fan of the Rock until he met Dwayne Johnson, who was a self-centered guy who couldn’t care if the company closed; Cena then noted Rock’s promo notes were written on his hand, then said he would beat the hell out of him at WrestleMania before leaving the ring and telling Rock to carry on and continue trending; after Cena left, Rock said he and Dwayne Johnson were the same person and the only thing that mattered was him kicking Cena’s ass at WrestleMania:
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan (w/ AJ) defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via disqualification at around the 12-minute mark; neither title was at stake in the match; following Punk’s entrance, footage was shown of their controversial bout the previous week on Smackdown in which a clear winner was not determined; before Bryan’s entrance, Chris Jericho walked out, confronted Punk in the ring, and said he was the last of a breed of performers that travelled the world and became a star before he arrived in WWE, despite where promoters wanted to put him on the show, which led to him having a chip on his shoulder; Jericho then said Punk had become just like him and wanted to be just like him; Punk replied by saying he didn’t steal from anyone, noting Bret Hart was saying he was the best there is, was, and ever will be back when Jericho “was 2 years old,” then asking if Bret stole that from Jericho or if Bret stole the fact he was Canadian from Jericho as well; Jericho responded by saying he had faced every name and beaten them all, won dozens of championships, and stole the show at WrestleMania; Punk agreed that Jericho beat Steve Austin and the Rock, but was never the man like Punk is and Jericho has a Napoleon complex; Punk then noted Jericho goes off to write books and be on game shows while he himself stays in the ring; Jericho then said his Jan. 2 vignettes and the jacket were just window dressing because he came back for one reason, to embarass Punk at WrestleMania; Punk responded by saying he didn’t need Chris Brown just like Jericho doesn’t need Mickey Rourke, they didn’t need inflatable letters at the entrance, and they could put on possibly the greatest wrestling match in WrestleMania history, but it would be Punk retaining; during the closing moments, Santino Marella and David Otunga, who sat ringside for the bout alongside Teddy Long and John Laurinaitis, respectively, began fighting, eventually involving the two GMs; during the altercation, Bryan attempted to leave the ring but was jumped from behind by Sheamus and thrown back into the ring; Punk then dropped Bryan with the Go To Sleep and scored the pinfall, with Laurinaitis then ringing the bell himself after waving off Punk’s win; Long and Laurinaitis then briefly fought in the ring as Punk walked up the ramp with the title belt and posed; Jericho then jumped Punk from behind, locking him in the Walls of Jericho before several referees came out to pull him off; Jericho then told Punk he had four weeks left with the belt before the show cut to commercial break (the bout began during the commercial break)
Kelly Kelly pinned Nikki Bella (w/ Brie Bella) with a roll over into a bridge at 1:30; prior to the bout, Michael Cole discussed Kelly’s tweets regarding Eve’s actions in recent weeks
John Cena defeated Mike Mizanin at 4:04 via submission with the STFU after hitting the FU; during his entrance, Miz came out to the ring cutting a promo in which he said no one has worked harder for the WWE in the past year for him, noting he gets sent 16 hours to Russian to do a PR tour, then every other kind of media one can imagine, yet he doesn’t have a spot at WrestleMania; during the bout, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” after the bout, the Rock was shown on the big screen backstage, then slowly giving the “You can’t see me” hand sign at the camera
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) defeated Dolph Ziggler & WWE US Champion Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) and Kofi Kingston & R-Truth at 8:12 when Epico pinned Swagger after Kingston hit the spin kick to the face on Swagger, with Primo then dropping Swagger with the Back Stabber and shoving Kingston to the floor; after the bout, Kane appeared and laid out all the participants before setting off his ringpost pyro
Sheamus & the Big Show defeated Mark Henry & WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes at the 59-second mark when Sheamus pinned Henry with the boot to the face after Rhodes left ringside; during his entrance, it was noted Henry would be inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday; following his entrance, Rhodes took the mic and introduced a clip on the big screen of Floyd Mayweather beating Show at WrestleMania 24
Dark match after the taping: John Cena defeated Kane
WWE @ Seattle, WA – Key Arena – February 28, 2012 (7,000)
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Hunico
Titus O’Neal & Darren Young defeated Alex Riley & Percy Watson
Michael McGillicutty defeated Tyson Kidd
Kaitlyn defeated Maxine
The Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal
Smackdown! – 3/2/12 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Sheamus about his upcoming WrestleMania match against World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, then adding his own winning of the WWE World Title turned him into a bully and he needed someone to set him straight; Sheamus then said he would be that person for Bryan; moments later, Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero interrupted and had words with him until Teddy Long walked out and set up an impromptu match between Ziggler and Sheamus to take place immediately; included a backstage segment with Long walking into his office to find John Laurinaitis and David Otunga waiting on him, with Long and Laurinaitis having words about how they would run each other’s show the coming week; Long then said Otunga would face the Great Khali later in the night; featured a video package recapping the Undertaker and Triple H match from the previous year’s WrestleMania, with comments from Big Show, Steve Austin, Mike Mizanin, WWE World Champion CM Punk, Edge, Randy Orton, Pat Patterson, the Rock, and John Cena; included a backstage segment in which Natalya Neidhart confronted Eve about her actions towards Zack Ryder, with Natalya eventually farting against Eve; featured an ad promoting ‘The Epic Journey of Dwayne The Rock Johnson;’ included an ad promoting WWE’s YouTube content; featured a backstage segment with Long and Drew McIntyre in which Long said McIntyre’s next match would be do or die for his Smackdown career; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Randy Orton about his return from injury and his upcoming match with Bryan in the main event; featured comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, Punk, Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; included an ad promoting “Bending the Rules,” starring Edge; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read John Cena has 10 million Facebook fans to the Rock’s 5 million; included Striker conducting a backstage interview with Bryan, alongside AJ, in which he commented on Sheamus’s comments towards him earlier in the show and facing Orton later in the show:
Sheamus pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) at around the 9-minute mark with the White Noise; late in the bout, WWE US Champion Jack Swagger ran out only to then be knocked off the apron by Sheamus (the bout began during the commercial break) (the first time the move is referred to by name)
Santino Marella pinned Heath Slater with the Cobra at 1:56 after accidentally crotching Slater on the top rope
Eve pinned Natalya Neidhart at 1:43 with a roll up; during the bout, there were chants of “We want Ryder”
The Big Show pinned Mark Henry with the punch to the face at 8:49; late in the bout, Show sustained Henry’s powerslam but kicked out at 2; prior to the match, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes cut an in-ring promo in which he recapped Show’s WrestleMania losses to Akebono and Floyd Mayweather before saying he cost Show a WrestleMania world title shot, then arguing he did Show a favor because he would have lost that match too; Rhodes was going to continue until Show interrupted him; Rhodes then escaped into the crowd, with Show threatening to come after him; Teddy Long then walked out and said he couldn’t have Show going into the crowd but did announce Show would challenge Rhodes for the title at WrestleMania; Rhodes provided guest commentary for the bout
Justin Gabriel pinned Drew McIntyre with the 450 splash at 1:45; stipulation stated McIntyre would be fired from Smackdown if he lost; after the match, Teddy Long appeared on the big screen and said he had to let McIntyre go and he had given him a lot of chances
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan (w/ AJ) defeated Randy Orton via count-out in a non-title match at 9:21 when, after Orton became distracted by Kane walking out, Bryan rammed Orton into the ringpost and slid back into the ring; following his entrance, the crowd had dueling chants for Bryan of “Daniel Bryan” and “sucks;” after the contest, Kane and Orton continued to brawl in and around the ring before Kane threw Orton shoulder-first into the ringpost and dropped him with the chokeslam; Kane then took the mic and welcomed Orton back to the ring; John Laurinaitis and David Otunga were then shown backstage, with Laurinaitis suggesting Kane face Aksana the following week
Dark match after the taping: The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification when WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes interfered after Show hit the spear on Bryan; after the match, Sheamus chased Bryan backstage and Show dropped Rhodes with the chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ Cornwall, Ontario – Ed Lumley Arena – March 2, 2012 (2,500) Eve pinned Kelly Kelly
Brodus Clay pinned Michael McGillicutty
Xavier Woods pinned Curt Hawkins
WWE US Champion Jack Swagger pinned Santino Marella
Chris Jericho defeated Kofi Kingston
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated Mason Ryan & Santino Marella
John Cena pinned Kane in a No DQ match with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler with the Go To Sleep after fighting off ringside enforcer Chris Jericho
– 3/2/12: Former enhancement wrestler Paul Figueroa (Hipolito Cruz Figeroa) died at the age of 70.
– 3/3/12: Doug Furnas died at the age of 52.
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Albany, GA – Civic Center – March 3, 2012 (4,200)
The Great Khali pinned Jinder Mahal; after the match, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked Khali
Ted Dibiase Jr. pinned Hunico; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked Dibiase
Dean Ambrose pinned Drew McIntyre; prior to the bout, McIntyre took the mic and said he would win his job back if he won his match
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Justin Gabriel; after the match, the Great Khali and Ted Dibiase Jr. attacked Rhodes, with Gabriel then hitting the 450 splash on Rhodes
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart defeated Alicia Fox & Tamina when Phoenix pinned Tamina with the Glam Slam after avoiding the splash off the top
Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio (Del Rio’s return match after a 3-month absence)
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated Randy Orton and the Big Show by forcing Show to submit to the LeBell Lock after Orton hit Show with the RKO and Bryan knocked Orton to the floor; after the bout, Show dropped Bryan with the chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ Ottawa, Ontario – Scotiabank Place – March 3, 2012 (3,500)
Brodus Clay pinned Michael McGillicutty with a splash
Kelly Kelly & Eve defeated Nikki & Brie Bella when Kelly scored the pin with the K2; prior to the bout, Eve cut an in-ring promo apologizing to Kelly for what she’s been doing and asking her to be her partner for the match; during the bout, Eve walked out of the match, leaving Kelly at a 2-on-1 disadvantage
Xavier Woods pinned Curt Hawkins with a jumping DDT off the top
WWE US Champion Jack Swagger defeated Mason Ryan via submission with the ankle lock
Chris Jericho pinned Kofi Kingston with an eye gouge and the Codebreaker
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated R-Truth & Santino Marella when Santino sustained the Back Stabber after Rosa Mendes distracted the challengers
John Cena pinned Kane in a No DQ match with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler with the Go To Sleep after fighting off ringside enforcer Chris Jericho and kicking a chair into Jericho’s face
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Macon, GA – Coliseum – March 4, 2012 (matinee) (5,000)
The Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal
Dean Ambrose defeated Drew McIntyre
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Hunico; after the match, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, Hunico, and Camacho triple teamed Dibiase
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated Randy Orton and the Big Show
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart defeated Alicia Fox & Tamina when Phoenix pinned Tamina with the Glam Slam after avoiding the splash off the top
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Justin Gabriel; after the match, Ted Dibiase Jr. and Gabriel double teamed Rhodes
Sheamus pinned Mark Henry in a streetfight
WWE (Raw) @ Bangor, ME – Auditorium – March 4, 2012 (matinee) (5,500)
Originally was to be held at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA
Brodus Clay pinned Michael McGillicutty
Kelly Kelly & Eve defeated Nikki & Brie Bella; prior to the bout, Eve cut an in-ring promo apologizing to Kelly for what she’s been doing and asking her to be her partner for the match; during the bout, Eve walked out of the match, leaving Kelly at a 2-on-1 disadvantage
Xavier Woods pinned Curt Hawkins
WWE US Champion Jack Swagger defeated Mason Ryan
Chris Jericho pinned Kofi Kingston with an eye gouge and the Codebreaker
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated R-Truth & Santino Marella after Rosa Mendes distracted the challengers
John Cena pinned Kane in a falls count anywhere match with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler with the Go To Sleep after fighting off ringside enforcer Chris Jericho
WWE @ Boston, MA – TD Garden – March 5, 2012 (16,286; 13,000 paid; sell out)
The Great Khali pinned Curt Hawkins
Kofi Kingston defeated Dolph Ziggler
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring promo by Shawn Michaels in which he referenced his altercation weeks earlier with Triple H, then noting Triple H accepted the Undertaker’s challenge and would face Taker in Hell in a Cell; Michaels then called for Triple H out to the ring, with Michaels saying he said some things that friends shouldn’t say and he pushed the limits but Triple H didn’t waiver; Michaels then questioned what made Triple H change his mind, with Shawn eventually cutting him off so he could watch the footage himself as to what made Triple H change his mind; the two then watched as Taker used Michaels as a lure two weeks earlier to get Triple H to agree to the match; Triple H then said it had nothing to do with people comparing the two but said he couldn’t stand people comparing Michaels as a loser and that’s why he would end the streak; Michaels responded by saying it pained him to see Triple H lose to Taker the previous year, proving Michaels right, and said he knew who would win at Hell in a Cell and he would end up being right again; Michaels then said he had been made the special referee; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 200 Make a Wish families from all over the world will be on hand for WrestleMania; featured an ad promoting WWE’s YouTube content; included footage from earlier in the day of the Rock as Boston Harbor in which he compared John Cena to the British before then throwing various Cena merchandise into the water, then saying he would tour Boston before ending up in the ring by the end of the night; featured comments from Cena inside the empty arena earlier in the night in which he spoke of likely what would happen at WrestleMania, then focusing on his match with Rock and noting no one remembers who comes in second place and while he was proud of everything he had accomplished in his WWE career, he had to beat the Rock; included pretaped footage of Rock beside Paul Revere’s statue, then making fun of what would have happened had it been Cena riding Revere’s horse that night; featured a WrestleMania video package to Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling;” included a pretaped segment showing Rock beside the Boston Commons and saying the Rock Revolution would overtake Cena; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read there would be more than 300 appearances by WWE superstars, divas and legends during the four days of Axxess; included the announcement the Undertaker would be on hand for the following week’s show; featured a closing in-ring promo by Cena in which he noted Rock’s comments towards him earlier in the show, then adding he does look rediculous but still owned Rock the previous week; Cena then called for Rock to come out, with Rock clarifying that Cena didn’t shake his confidence; Rock continued by saying he would make Cena his bitch, then left the ring; Cena then said Rock would have to rip his throat out; Cena then said he would be the son of a bitch who would make history by whipping Rock’s ass, with Cena then jumping into a crowd of ringside fans, posing in the ring, and hugging his dad at ringside as the show ended:
Santino Marella pinned WWE US Champion Jack Swagger (w/ Dolph Ziggler & Vickie Guerrero) to win the title at 6:38 after reversing the ankle lock and sending the champion into the corner; early in the bout, John Laurinaitis and David Otunga came ringside, with Teddy Long, Aksana, and Kofi Kingston coming out moments later; throughout the bout, Long and Laurinaitis’s groups argued; after the match, Laurinaitis took the mic and argued that the title change wouldn’t happen on his show, with Long reminding him Raw was his show for the night; Long then had security escort Laurinaitis and Otunga from ringside before having Justin Roberts announce for the second time that Marella was the new champion; moments later, Marella, Kingston, Aksana, and Long did the trombone around the ring
Eve pinned Alicia Fox at the 26-second mark; Kelly Kelly provided guest commentary for the match, during which it was noted she was nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award; after the bout, Zack Ryder walked out using a crutch and said he was glad he and Eve never hooked up; following the commercial break, Eve ran up to Ryder backstage and kissed him, then walked off leaving Ryder smiling
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan (w/ AJ) & Chris Jericho defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk & Sheamus at 11:53 when Jericho reversed Punk’s inside cradle; after the match, Jericho went to the floor and held Punk’s title before sliding it in the ring towards Punk
The Big Show pinned Mike Mizanin with the punch to the face at 2:01; following the opening bell, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes appeared and showed footage of Show hosting at WWF New York during WrestleMania X-8, instead of actually being on the show; after the contest, Show looked at Rhodes and then pointed to the WrestleMania sign above the ring
Kane pinned R Truth with the chokeslam at 1:27; during his entrance, a pretaped insert promo by Truth aired in which he stopped mid-promo to question who he was talking to; after the bout, Randy Orton walked out and dropped Kane with the RKO; Orton then took the mic and told Kane it was good to be back
Dark match after the taping: WWE World Champion CM Punk & John Cena defeated Kane & Chris Jericho
WWE @ Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena – March 6, 2012 (5,000; sell out)
Xavier Woods pinned Hunico
Tamina defeated Maxine
Johnny Curtis defeated Yoshi Tatsu
Darren Young defeated Jey Uso
Percy Watson defeated Titus O’Neil
Justin Gabriel defeated Heath Slater
Jinder Mahal defeated Ted Dibiase Jr.; Dibiase sustained a torn ankle ligament and broken heel bone in the match
Smackdown! – 3/9/12:
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Jack Swagger in a steel cage match
Drew McIntyre defeated Hornswoggle
Mark Henry defeated Ezekiel Jackson
Teddy Long defeated John Laurinaitis
R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico in a non-title match
Randy Orton, Sheamus, & the Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan (w/ AJ), WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, & Mike Mizanin at around the 13-minute mark when Orton pinned Miz with the RKO; late in the match, Show chased Rhodes backstage; after the bout, Kane dragged Orton to the floor, with the two brawling at ringside and into the crowd (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
– 3/7/12: Kia Stevens (Kharma) admitted she had a miscarriage and did not give birth to a healthy baby boy on New Year’s Eve, as she previously said.
WWE (Raw) @ Toronto, Ontario – Ricoh Coliseum – March 9, 2012 (7,600) WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Jack Swagger with the Cobra
Ryback pinned JTG
Eve pinned Kelly Kelly with her feet on the ropes for leverage
R-Truth pinned Mike Mizanin
Chris Jericho pinned Kofi Kingston
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated Alex Riley & Mason Ryan
John Cena defeated Kane in a last man standing match after dropping Kane with a FU through a table
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match; fall #1: Punk won; fall #2: Ziggler pinned Punk after Chris Jericho distracted the champion; fall #3: Punk pinned Ziggler with the Go To Sleep after throwing Jericho out of the ring
WWE (Raw) @ London, Ontario – John Labatt Centre – March 10, 2012 (4,600)
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Jack Swagger with the Cobra
Ryback pinned JTG
Eve pinned Kelly Kelly
R-Truth pinned Mike Mizanin
Chris Jericho defeated Kofi Kingston; after the bout, Jericho attempted to assault Kingston with a steel chair, with WWE World Champion CM Punk coming out to make the save
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated Alex Riley & Mason Ryan
John Cena defeated Kane in a last man standing match
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler via disqualification when Chris Jericho interfered
WWE World Champion CM Punk & Kofi Kingston defeated Chris Jericho & Dolph Ziggler in an impromptu match when Punk pinned Ziggler after Ziggler sustained the spin kick to the face and Go To Sleep
WWE (Smackdown!) @ East Lansing, MI – Jack Breslin Student Events Center – March 10, 2012 (4,200)
The Great Khali pinned Jinder Mahal
Seth Rollins pinned Drew McIntyre
Hunico & Camacho defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked one of the Usos and dropped him with Crossroads, then cutting a promo in which he said he would beat the Big Show at WrestleMania
Sheamus pinned Mark Henry in a streetfight with the boot to the face after avoiding a chairshot; fans could choose between the streetfight stipulation and a Best 2 out of 3 falls match; during the bout, World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan interfered and hit Sheamus with the title belt
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart defeated Tamina & Alicia Fox when Phoenix pinned Tamina with the Glam Slam
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Justin Gabriel with Crossroads
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated the Big Show and Randy Orton by pinning Show after Orton dropped Show with the RKO and Bryan knocked Orton to the floor; after the bout, Orton dropped Bryan with the RKO, Sheamus came out and kicked Bryan in the face, and Show knocked Bryan out with a punch
WWE (Raw) @ Buffalo, NY – First Niagra Center – March 11, 2012 (10,000)
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Jack Swagger
Ryback pinned JTG
Nikki & Brie Bella defeated Eve & Kelly Kelly when Kelly was pinned after Eve walked out of the match
R-Truth defeated Mike Mizanin
Chris Jericho defeated Kofi Kingston
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated Alex Riley & Mason Ryan
John Cena defeated Kane in a last man standing match
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match; fall #1: Ziggler pinned Punk after ramming his head into an unprotected turnbuckle; fall #2: Punk pinned Ziggler with the elbow drop off the top; fall #3: Punk pinned Ziggler with the Go To Sleep after fighting off an interfering Chris Jericho
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Kalamazoo, MI – Wings Stadium – March 11, 2012 (4,000)
The Great Khali pinned Jinder Mahal
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart defeated Tamina & Alicia Fox
Hunico & Camacho defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked one of the Usos and dropped him with Crossroads, then cutting a promo in which he said he would beat the Big Show at WrestleMania
Sheamus defeated Mark Henry in a streetfight
Justin Gabriel pinned Drew McIntyre with the 450 splash; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes attacked Gabriel and dropped him with Crossroads; moments later, Rhodes cut a promo until Seth Rollins interrupted and challenged Rhodes to a match
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Seth Rollins with Crossroads; after the bout, Rhdoes raised Rollins’ hand but then dropped him with Crossroads again
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated the Big Show and Randy Orton by pinning Show after Orton dropped Show with the RKO and Bryan knocked Orton to the floor; after the bout, Bryan attempted to leave ringside but was stopped by Sheamus; Sheamus then threw Bryan back into the ring where he sustained a RKO from Orton and chokeslam from Show
– 3/12/12: Former referee Dick Woehrle died of colon cancer at the age of 81.
WWE @ Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena – March 12, 2012 (18,289; 15,000 paid; sell out)
Seth Rollins defeated Michael McGillicutty
R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated Tyler Reks & Curt Hawkins
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring segment in which Jerry Lawler introduced John Cena, with Cena coming out to his “Basic Thuganomics” and his 2003 jersey look; Cena then cut a battle rap on the Rock; Cena’s rap included comparing Rock to “chicken shit,” which was bleeped out; included the announcement that Teddy Long and John Laurinaitis would have teams compete at WrestleMania, with the winning GM getting to run both Raw and Smackdown; featured a look at “Psych” with Mike Mizanin and Wayne Brady as the guest stars that would air Wednesday; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Maxim Magazine rated Miami as the #1 party city; featured a look at Alicia Fox, Nikki & Brie Bella appearing on Extra earlier in the day to promote WrestleMania; included a backstage segment with Eve and Zack Ryder in which Eve said she wasn’t playing Ryder and said they should be friends with benefits; moments later, WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix interrupted and said she was sick of Maria Menounos showing up in WWE and wanted to do something about it, with Eve then telling Phoenix to stay away from Ryder; featured a backstage segment with Laurinaitis and Miz with Miz asking Laurinaitis when he would put him on his WrestleMania team; Miz then brought in James Roday of “Psych” and then questioned Laurinaitis why he wasn’t on the card; Laurinaitis then said Miz would be on if he won his match later in the show, then saying Roday could be the guest ring announcer; Miz then questioned who his opponent would be, then being told it would be WWE World Champion CM Punk; Machine Gun Kelly was shown in attendance; included an in-ring promo by Shawn Michaels about being the guest referee for the Triple H vs. Undertaker Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania, then calling Taker to come out to the ring; moments later, Michaels said Taker shouldn’t talk behind his back, with Taker saying Michaels needed to get over his insecurities; Michaels said Taker was still looking to prove something because Triple H beat him within an inch of his life the previous year, with Taker responding by saying Michaels was sticking his ego into the situation and he was willing to live with the result at the upcoming WrestleMania but not if it came because Michaels was working in Triple H’s favor; Michaels then noted Taker ended his career and he could still end up costing Taker his streak; Taker then threatened he would end Michaels if he messed with him; as Michaels walked up the ramp, Triple H appeared and looked toward Taker before returning backstage; during the segment, Taker accidentally said WrestleMania was on April 21; featured an ad promoting “The Epic Journey of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson;” included an ad promoting David Otunga’s law offices; featured the announcement Christian would have Long and Laurinaitis as guests of the Peep Show on Smackdown; included the announcement Cena would face Mark Henry the following week and Michaels, Triple H, and Taker would be in the ring together; featured a closing in-ring segment in which the Rock noted it was the biggest sell out crowd ever in Cleveland, then said whoever came out earlier wasn’t Cena and that it looked like Vanilla Ice banged a Teletubby; Rock went on to perform with a guitar and sing several parodies of “Jailhouse Rock” in which he made fun of Cena; Rock then finished with a parody of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” as the show ended:
Sheamus pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) with the boot to the face at 11:54; prior to Ziggler’s entrance, Vickie cut a promo at the entrance stage to introduce him; during the bout, Josh Matthews conducted an interview in one of the box seats with World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan & AJ in which Bryan was defensive about Matthews’ questioning him about telling AJ to shut up the previous week on Smackdown, then telling him the interview was over
David Otunga & Mark Henry defeated WWE US Champion Santino Marella (w/ Aksana) in a handicap match at 1:33 when Henry scored the pin with the powerslam; following the entrances, John Laurinaitis said the match would not be a mixed tag team match as originally planned, then introduced Henry as Otunga’s partner; prior to the bout, it was noted Marella would captain Teddy Long’s team and Otunga would captain Laurinaitis’s team; after the match started, Long walked out, argued with Laurinaitis, and shoved him over the commentary table; after the bout, Kofi Kingston ran out and tried to make the save but was beaten down as well, also sustaining the powerslam; R-Truth then followed but was also assaulted and sustained a splash from Henry; Laurinaitis then took the mic and introduced Henry as the new member of his WrestleMania team as Long and Aksana watched on from ringside
Brodus Clay (w/ Naomi & Cameron) pinned Jinder Mahal with a splash at the 30-second mark
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Mike Mizanin via submission with the Anaconda Vice at 6:15 in a non-title match; James Roday was the guest ring announcer for the bout; after the match, Chris Jericho appeared on the big screen and said Punk was a fraud, then saying Punk was Straight Edge because his father was an alcoholic and let him down; Jericho then said Punk couldn’t escape it because it was in his blood, then saying the reason he got all those tattoos was to avoid drinking, then saying he would take away Punk’s title and leave him a broken man; Jericho then said the loss would lead Punk to his own alcoholism; moments later, a startled Punk left ringside
Randy Orton pinned Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) with the RKO at 8:27; after the bout, Kane’s pyro went off but he did not appear
Dark match after the show: John Cena defeated Kane
WWE @ Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena – March 13, 2012
Brodus Clay pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Epico
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil
Tyler Reks & Curt Hawkins defeated Alex Riley & Percy Watson
Derrick Bateman & Kaitlyn defeated Johnny Curtis & Maxine
Hunico defeated Justin Gabriel
Smackdown! – 3/16/12 – featured an opening in-ring segment of the Peep Show in which Christian noted the upcoming 12-man tag team match at WrestleMania between Teddy Long and John Laurinaitis; moments later, Laurinaitis came out with David Otunga and Long came out with Aksana, with Christian then saying he would allow both men to vie to have him on their respective team; Christian then said Long could have him if he got his one more match for the world title; Long then said, once his team wins and he runs both Raw and Smackdown, then anyone wanting a title shot would have to earn it in the ring; Laurinaitis then said he would offer Christian his title shot, with Christian agreeing to be on Laurinaitis’s team at WrestleMania; Long then tried to book Christian in a match for later in the show, with Laurinaitis saying he wasn’t yet medically cleared; Long instead picked Otunga to be in the opening match, and announced Kofi Kingston would be the newest member of his WrestleMania team; included a backstage segment with World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan outside the divas locker room, then talking with AJ in which he said they were the new power couple of the WWE, like Randy Savage & Elizabeth, Triple H & Stephanie McMahon, or Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie; Bryan then said he set up a match for AJ that could lead her to a WWE Divas Title shot, with the two then kissing; after AJ left, Bryan wiped his mouth with his hand; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 200 Make a Wish families will be guests at WrestleMania; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes regarding his upcoming WrestleMania title defense against the Big Show; featured a WrestleMania ad to the tune of Flo-Rida’s “Good Feeling;” featured comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, WWE World Champion CM Punk, John Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; included an in-ring promo by Randy Orton in which he referenced his recent altercations with Kane, then called Kane out to the ring; moments later, Kane appeared and showed footage of Orton beating him the previous July, with Kane shaking Orton’s hand after the match; Kane then said the person that shook Orton’s hand that night was gone, replaced by someone who had no humanity left in him; Kane then said he needed closure and wouldn’t have it until he destroyed Orton, with Orton daring him to come out to the ring to try to finish what he started; Kane then said he would instead wait to do it at WrestleMania; featured an ad promoting ‘The Epic Journey of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson;’ included an ad for David Otunga’s law office; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read there would be more than 300 appearances by WWE superstars, divas and legends during the four days of Axxess; included footage from Z! True Long Island Story of Zack Ryder pushing to be part of Long’s team at WrestleMania; included an ad promoting the new WWE.com Kofi Kingston (w/ WWE US Champion Santino Marella) pinned David Otunga with the spin kick to the face at around the 5-minute mark after Otunga knocked Marella off the apron; Teddy Long, alongside Aksana, and John Laurinaitis, alongside Christian, provided guest commentary for the match; Christian was ejected late in the bout after Long told the referee he interfered behind the referee’s back, with Long and Laurinaitis then arguing at ringside; after the bout, Kingston, Long, and Aksana celebrated in the ring (the bout began during the commercial break)
AJ (w/ World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan) pinned Brie Bella (w/ Nikki Bella) with a reversal into a roll up at 2:29 after Bryan prevented the Bellas from switching places in the ring
WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes pinned the Great Khali in a non-title match with the Beautiful Disaster at 3:14
The Big Show defeated Drew McIntyre via referee’s decision at 1:50 after McIntyre sustained the chokeslam and punch to the face; following McIntyre’s entrance, Teddy Long appeared on the big screen and said he was excited to see McIntyre back so he could book him against Show
Mark Henry pinned Yoshi Tatsu with the powerslam at 1:39
Chris Jericho defeated Sheamus via count-out at 15:20, moments after Jericho knocked Sheamus off the apron onto the commentary table, with World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan then hitting a running dropkick to Sheamus behind the referee’s back; following his entrance, Jericho cut an in-ring promo regarding his comments on Raw regarding the father of WWE World Champion CM Punk, then saying he didn’t go over the line because you can’t go over the line when you tell the truth; Jericho went on to say he would beat Sheamus and walk out of WrestleMania as the new WWE World Champion, then celebrate with a cocktail at the after party; Jericho then led the crowd in chanting for Punk, himself saying “CM Drunk,” before saying “Pipebomb” and dropping the mic in the ring; Bryan and AJ came ringside early in the bout; during the match, there were dueling chants of “Daniel Bryan” and “Sucks;” late in the match, Sheamus hit the White Noise on Jericho but Jericho kicked out at 2; after the match, Sheamus scared Bryan and AJ to the entrance stage, then kicked Jericho in the face before the show ended
Dark match after the taping: Randy Orton, Sheamus, & the Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, & Mark Henry when Orton pinned Henry with the RKO
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre – March 16, 2012 (8,000)
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Jack Swagger with the Cobra
R-Truth pinned Mike Mizanin
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart defeated Tamina & Eve when Phoenix pinned Tamina with the Glam Slam after Eve walked out of the match; prior to the bout, Eve cut a promo saying she felt bad for Zack Ryder
Chris Jericho pinned Kofi Kingston with an eye gouge and Codebreaker
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated the Big Show and Randy Orton by pinning Show after Show sustained Orton’s RKO; after the bout, Bryan sustained Orton’s RKO and a punch to the face from Show
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated Zack Ryder & Mason Ryan when Primo pinned Ryan with the Back Stabber after distraction from Rosa Mendes
John Cena defeated Kane in a last man standing match after hitting the FU through a table
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Dolph Ziggler with the Go To Sleep after fighting off an interfering Chris Jericho
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Providence, RI – Dunkin Donuts Center – March 17, 2012 (8,500; sell out)
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Jack Swagger with the Cobra after Hornswoggle interfered as Marella was in the ankle lock
R-Truth pinned Mike Mizanin
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart defeated Tamina & Eve when Phoenix pinned Tamina with the Glam Slam after Eve walked out of the match; prior to the bout, Eve cut a promo saying she felt bad for Zack Ryder
Chris Jericho pinned Kofi Kingston with an eye gouge and Codebreaker
The Big Show defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan via disqualification
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated Zack Ryder & Mason Ryan when Primo pinned Ryan with the Back Stabber after distraction from Rosa Mendes
John Cena defeated Kane in a last man standing match after hitting the FU through a table
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Dolph Ziggler with the Go To Sleep after fighting off an interfering Chris Jericho
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ New York City, NY – Madison Square Garden – March 18, 2012 (17,000; 13,500 paid; sell out)
Zack Ryder pinned Mike Mizanin with the Rough Ryder after avoiding the Skull Crushing Finale
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated R-Truth & Kofi Kingston when Primo pinned Kingston with the Back Stabber after the challenger became distracted by John Laurinaitis; the challengers initially won the match and titles when Kingston pinned Primo with the spin kick to the face but Laurinaitis had the match continue since Primo’s foot was on the ropes during the cover
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) with the Cobra after Hornswoggle interfered; Swagger initially won the match and title by grabbing the ropes for leverage but Teddy Long came out and had the match continue; late in the bout, John Laurinaitis came out and argued with Long; after the bout, Marella, Long, and Hornswoggle celebrated in the ring
Alberto Del Rio defeated Mason Ryan via submission with the armbar within several seconds
WWE World Champion CM Punk, Triple H, & Randy Orton defeated Chris Jericho, WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, & Dolph Ziggler when Triple H pinned Ziggler with the tombstone, then sticking his tongue out like the Undertaker during the cover
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart defeated Kelly Kelly & Tamina when Phoenix pinned Kelly with the Glam Slam after Eve, from ringside, tripped Kelly; prior to the bout, Eve cut an in-ring promo regarding the chants of “Hoeski” that the crowd was giving her
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defeated the Big Show and Mark Henry at 9:34 by pinning Henry after Show dropped Henry with the chokeslam and Bryan clipped Show in the knee; after the bout, Show again punched Henry in the face
John Cena defeated Kane in a last man standing match after hitting a FU through a table
– 3/19/12: The SUV John Cena was in was rear ended around 11:30 a.m. between visiting sick kids and doing local media in Philadelphia.
WWE @ Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center – March 19, 2012 (18,088; 15,000 paid; sell out)
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE World Champion CM Punk in which he noted Chris Jericho wasn’t in the building, then speaking about Jericho’s claim the previous week that Punk’s father is an alcoholic; Punk then said it wasn’t Jericho’s story to tell and he did so in front of the entire world; Punk said there wasn’t a person in the building or watching at home that hadn’t been affected by alcoholism and wouldn’t let Jericho get away with letting some little kid watching think it was OK to do that whenever life hands them a crap hand; he went on to say there wasn’t a person alive that should let a past nightmare cloud their future dreams, then saying his father overcame his addictions and he was proud of him; Punk then said he was proud of being straight edge and proud of what his father overcame; Punk then said he would go straight through Jericho at WrestleMania to prove he was the best in the world; Jericho then appeared on the big screen, via satellite, and apologized for what he said the previous week and that he had no right to do what he did, then adding he would never speak of Punk’s father on Raw again; Jericho then said he found out all about Punk’s sister’s problems with drugs, adding Punk would fall into the same problems of his father and sister; Punk then took the mic and his comments towards Jericho were bleeped out, him ending with “and that’s exactly what I’m going to beat out of you;” included an ad promoting the following week’s “One in a Lifetime: Rock vs. Cena” the following week on USA; featured an ad for the new WWE.com; included a “Did you know?” graphic that stated fans from all 50 states and 35 countries have already purchased to WrestleMania Axxess; featured a vignette promoting Tensai; included a video showing Rock standing beside Rocky Balboa’s statue, with Rock saying Philadelphia is a city of ass kickers and showing a photo of him at 12 years old standing by the same statue; Rock then remembered watching WrestleMania 1 and VI, headlining his first WrestleMania right there in Philadelphia against Steve Austin, and said he went on to beat Austin and Hulk Hogan; Rock then said there was one last man he had to beat to be the greatest of all time; Rock went on to say he would go to Pat’s and stick a cheesesteak up Cena’s ass, then did impressions of Cactus Jack, Ric Flair, and Randy Savage on how they would react to Rock kicking Cena’s ass; featured the announcement Flo Rida would perform live at WrestleMania during Rock’s entrance; early in the show, Shane Douglas, who was in the crowd wearing a lucha mask, stood on his chair, took off his mask, and led the crowd in a chant of ECW; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s Facebook network has more than 59 million fans; featured footage from Extra of WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix and Eve interrupting Kelly Kelly while interviewed by Maria Menounos, with the four agreeing to a tag team match at WrestleMania; included the announcement Jericho would be on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday; featured Josh Matthews conducting an interview on the stage with Randy Orton regarding his WrestleMania match with Kane; included footage from the previous Thursday in Bridgeport, CT of Big Show, Otunga, and Stephanie McMahon speaking with kids about the Be A Star movement; featured footage of Triple H at Madison Square Garden the previous night dropping Dolph Ziggler with the tombstone, and then making the pin with Undertaker’s tongue out pose; included the announcement Sheamus & Punk vs. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan & Mike Mizanin would headline Smackdown; featured the announcement Rock and Cena would have an in-ring confrontation the following week; included a closing in-ring segment in which Shawn Michaels discussed being the guest referee for the upcoming WrestleMania Hell in a Cell match; moments later, Taker came out to the ring and told Michaels to shut up and listen, adding the match had to remain pure and without Michaels aiding Triple H; Triple H then came out to the ring, said the match wasn’t about Michaels, it was about himself and Taker, and noted there had been 24 Hell in a Cell matches and, between himself and Taker, they had been in 19; Triple H went on to say he was willing to put it all on the line to end the streak, and would do so; Taker then went to leave, but stopped momentarily to remind Triple H of when he said he thought Shawn was better than him, adding that he is; Michaels smiled as Taker walked off, with Triple H turning to Michaels and staring:
Kane pinned the Big Show at the 53-second mark with a chokeslam off the top after Show fought off an interfering WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, who came out before the match began; following the ring entrances, Rhodes had a video package air that made fun of Show’s various WrestleMania appearances and losses; after the match, Rhodes hit the Beautiful Disaster on Show, then handcuffed him to the bottom rope; Rhodes then entered the ring with boxing gloves and took turns punching him in the face until more referees came out; Show eventually shook off the punches, looked at Rhdoes, and yelled “Run;” Rhodes then walked up the ramp, with the freed Show then getting to his feet and being tended to by the referees
David Otunga (w/ John Laurinaitis) pinned WWE US Champion Santino Marella (w/ Teddy Long) in a non-title match at 1:43 with the spinebuster after Marella smashed Laurinaitis’s cell phone in the ring; prior to the bout, it was announced more members for Team Laurinaitis’s WrestleMania team would be announced later in the show; after the bout, Long slapped Laurinaitis across the face, with Long running up the ramp before Laurinaitis and Otunga could get him
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan (w/ AJ) defeated Zack Ryder in a non-title match via submission with the LeBell Lock at 1:43 after avoiding the Rough Ryder; during his entrance, footage was shown of Ryder holding a rally earlier in the day outside the arena trying to be part of Team Teddy Long at WrestleMania; prior to and after the match, Bryan and AJ kissed
John Cena pinned Mark Henry with the FU at 7:57; prior to the bout, it was noted Cena was in a car accident earlier in the day but had been cleared to wrestle; during Henry’s entrance, it was noted Summer Slam tickets would go on sale Saturday; after the contest, Rock walked out and dropped Henry with the Rock bottom before talking to Cena and promptly leaving the ring
Sheamus pinned Mike Mizanin with the boot to the face at 3:01; prior to the bout, Miz cut an in-ring promo in which he noted King Kong Bundy went from main eventing WrestleMania 2 to working with midgets at WrestleMania III, and would not let himself go from main eventing WrestleMania to not being on the show; Miz then said he offered an open challenge and said John Laurinaitis was watching because he wanted to be on Team Laurinaitis at WrestleMania; Laurinaitis and David Otunga were shown watching on during the match
Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated R-Truth & Kofi Kingston (w/ Aksana) at 4:34 when Ziggler pinned Truth with the Fameasser, with Vickie pushing Truth’s foot off the ropes during the cover; prior to their entrance, Guerrero announced her team would be part of Team Laurinaitis at WrestleMania; after the match, Aksana and vickie had to be pulled apart by their respective teams
WWE Superstars – 3/22/12 – featured an ad promoting the new WWE.com website; included an ad promoting “One in a Lifetime: Rock vs. Cena” the following week on USA; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Maxim Magazine rated Miami as the #1 party city in America; included an ad promoting John Cena and the Rock being in the ring together on Raw the following week; featured an ad promoting tickets for the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame and the inductions of the Four Horsemen, Mike Tyson, and Edge; included an extended look at the in-ring segment from Raw between Shawn Michaels, the Undertaker, and Triple H, set to Metallica’s “The Memory Remains;” featured the Titus O’Neil vs. Yoshi Tatsu and Drew McIntyre vs. Ezekiel Jackson matches taped 3/20/12 in Newark, NJ:
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) defeated Alex Riley & Mason Ryan in a non-title match at around the 10-minute mark when Epico pinned Ryan after Ryan became distracted by Rosa on the apron, then sustained a double Back Stabber behind the referee’s back; Scott Stanford & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Eve defeated Natalya Neidhart & Tamina at 4:22 when Eve pinned Tamina with a moonsault after throwing her off the top rope; little of the moonsault connected with Tamina; Scott Stanford & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout
WWE @ Newark, NJ – Prudential Center – March 20, 2012 (9,500)
Jinder Mahal defeated Alex Riley via submission with the Camel Clutch
NXT – 3/20/12 – featured an opening in-ring introduction by Matt Striker in which he announced William Regal set up four matches for the night, headlined by Tyson Kidd vs. Michael McGillicutty; included a backstage segment in which Tamina found Derrick Bateman and Kaitlyn, then compared them to termites in love; moments later, Titus O’Neil and Darren Young walked in and questioned Tamina about Jimmy & Jey Uso; Young then asked Tamina out, with the Usos showing up and saying O’Neil & Young had no respect for them or their heritage; featured a backstage segment in which Maxine spoke with Johnny Curtis and said Josh Matthews was still parking his car and there was no one ringside with William Regal; moments later, they overheard Matthews arriving, with Curtis then jumping Matt Striker as he walked by and putting him out with chloroform; as Maxine questioned why he even had chloroform, they hid Striker backstage:
Justin Gabriel pinned Curt Hawkins with the 450 splash at 2:21; during the match, the crowd briefly chanted “We want Ryder;” during the match, Ryder yelled at William Regal at ringside, then stared at him after the contest
Darren Young pinned Jey Uso (w/ Jimmy Uso) at around the 9-minute mark with a fireman’s carry into a double knee to the gut; Jimmy provided guest commentary for the match; after the bout, Tamina and Titus O’Neil were shown watching on backstage; moments later, Josh Matthews ran off and said he had to go look for his car in the parking lot; Maxine and Johnny Curtis were then shown backstage, revealing they were behind Matthews’ car problems and Maxine was using it to get herself off the show; Matt Striker then walked past, with Curtis putting him out with chloroform and stuffing him into a box; Maxine then said she would go to commentary to get herself off the show and told Curtis not to leave Striker alone; Alicia Fox then walked past Curtis, with Curtis following her
Percy Watson pinned Tyler Reks with a TKO; prior to the bout, Maxine came out and joined William Regal on commentary
Tyson Kidd pinned Michael McGillicutty with a leg roll up into the ring; prior to the bout, a video package aired recapping the growing feud between the two men; after the match, McGillicutty took the mic and told Kidd that it wasn’t over and he would regret ever crossing him
WWE Superstars – 3/22/12: Titus O’Neil pinned Yoshi Tatsu with a sit-down spinebuster at 4:16; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout
WWE Superstars – 3/22/12: Drew McIntyre pinned Ezekiel Jackson with the Future Shock at 5:02; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout
Smackdown! – 3/23/12:
Mark Henry defeated R-Truth
AJ defeated Brie Bella
The Big Show defeated Kane via disqualification
Brodus Clay defeated Heath Slater
The Great Khali defeated Dolph Ziggler via count-out
WWE World Champion CM Punk & Sheamus defeated World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan & Mike Mizanin
Dark match after the taping: John Cena defeated Kane in a steel cage match
WWE @ Lakeland, FL – Lakeland Center – March 23, 2012
WWE @ San Juan, Puerto Rico – Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum – March 24, 2012
WWE @ Bowling Green, KY – EA Diddle Arena – March 24, 2012
WWE @ Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena – March 25, 2012
WWE @ Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena – March 25, 2012
– 3/26/12: ‘Once in a Lifetime: Rock vs. Cena’ premiered on the USA Network. Subsequent airings appeared on CLOO, UNIHD, Style, Mun2, E!, NBC Sports, Syfy, Bravo, G4, and Oxygen.
WWE @ Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena – March 26, 2012
Raw SuperShow – Booker T joined Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary for the show; featured a video package recapping the Rock costing John Cena his match the previous year at WrestleMania; included an ad promoting ‘Bending the Rules,’ staring Edge; featured a video package recapping Cena and Rock agreeing the previous year in Atlanta to a WrestleMania match; included a video package recapping the Triple H / Undertaker feud, to the tune of Metallica’s “The Memory Remains;” featured the announcement the WrestleMania press conference would be held in Miami at 2:30pm on Wednesday, which would air on WWE.com and YouTube; included a video package recapping Cena & Rock vs. Mike Mizanin & R-Truth at Survivor Series; featured an ad promoting the new WWE.com; featured a “Did you know?” graphic that read more than 200 Make A Wish Foundation families would be guests at WrestleMania; included an ad promoting WrestleMania Axxess; featured a video package recapping the war of words between Rock and Cena; included an ad promoting the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame; featured a vignette promoting the debut of Lord Tensai; included a backstage segment with Nikki & Brie Bella arguing over who would win between Team Teddy and Team Johnny, with Zack Ryder showing up wearing a Teddy Long T-shirt; moments later, Eve walked in and asked what hotel Ryder was staying at during WrestleMania, then saying he should stay at her’s; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion CM Punk about Chris Jericho’s comments earlier in the show, with Punk saying he wasn’t off-limits but his family is; Punk then said he wasn’t a bastard, but the best wrestler in the world; included a WrestleMania ad to the tune of Flo Rida’s “Good Feelin;” featured a video package recapping the Rock coming out and dropping Mark Henry with the Rock Bottom after Cena’s recent match with Henry; included a closing in-ring segment in which the Rock spoke of his last match at WrestleMania 20 and being asked constantly when he would be coming back, then recapping everything that happened the previous year to bring him back to the ring at WrestleMania 28; moments later, Cena interrupted and said he became the standard in Rock’s absence, noted the divided crowd, said he would win at WrestleMania, and that he had been on the roster longer than Rock; Cena went on to say he had to win, noting Rock would go off to work on “GI Joe,” while his own office wouldn’t change and he had to win because no one remembers second place; Rock responded by saying he had to win, noting no one had ever beaten Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and Cena at WrestleMania, and he would give Cena the ass beating of a lifetime; the show then ended with Cena saying he would stand over Rock’s body at WrestleMania after beating him:
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan (w/ AJ) & Kane defeated Randy Orton & Sheamus at 11:35 when Bryan pinned Sheamus when, as the referee escorted AJ out of the ring after Sheamus attempted the boot to the face, Kane dropped Sheamus with a chokeslam from the apron behind the referee’s back
WWE US Champion Santino Marella (w/ Teddy Long & Hornswoggle) pinned David Otunga (w/ John Laurinaitis & Vickie Guerrero) in a non-title match at 1:30 with the Cobra prior to the bout, Michael Cole cut an in-ring promo, wearing a Laurinaitis T-shirt, in which he said he was the official commentator for Team Johnny at WrestleMania before then bringing out Laurinaitis; Laurinaitis then introduced Vickie Guerrero as his team flag bearer and Otunga as the team captain; moments later, Booker T stood on the commentary table and introduced Long; Long then brought out team captain Marella; after the contest, Laurinaitis confronted Logn in the ring, with Marella setting Laurinaitis up for the Cobra before Mike Mizanin ran out and dropped Marella with the Skull Crushing Finale; Laurinaitis then said Miz would be part of “Team Teddy,” misstating he would be on his WrestleMania team instead
Kelly Kelly pinned Eve (w/ WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix) at 2:29 with a cradle after avoiding the moonsault
WWE World Champion CM Punk fought Christian to a no contest in a non-title match; following Punk’s entrance, Chris Jericho appeared on the big screen and said he would expose Punk as a professional and personal fraud, saying he found out Punk was born after his parents were married, making him a legal bastard; Christian then jumped Punk, with Punk fighting him off on the floor, landing repeated elbows to the side of the head, kicking Christian in the head, hitting a Go To Sleep into the steel ring steps, and then locking Christian in the Anaconda Vice until referees forced him away; Punk repeatedly yelled, “This is you, Jericho!” and reapplied the hold until referees again pulled him away; following the commercial break, it was announced Christian was injured
Brodus Clay (w/ Naomi & Cameron) pinned Curt Hawkins with a splash at 1:06
The Big Show pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Primo Colon (w/ Rosa Mendes & WWE Tag Team Champion Epico) with the chokeslam at the 47-second mark; during the bout, it was announced Christian would not be able to compete at WrestleMania as a result of the attack he sustained from WWE World Champion CM Punk; after the match, Show dropped Epico with the chokeslam, with WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes then appearing at the entrance stage; Rhodes then turned Show’s name into a verb, saying no one wants to “Big Show,” especially at WrestleMania and that Show would be the biggest fool of all on April Fool’s Day
Mark Henry (w/ John Laurinaitis) pinned the Great Khali (w/ Teddy Long) with the powerslam at the 48-second mark; during Khali’s entrance, it was announced Drew McIntyre would replace the injured Christian on Team Laurinaitis at WrestleMania; after the bout, Laurinaitis threw Long into the ring where he was cornered by Henry; Laurinaitis then waved for McIntyre, Mike Mizanin, Dolph Ziggler, and Jack Swagger to block the ring; WWE US Champion Santino Marella, Zack Ryder, R-Truth, and Kofi Kingston attempted to make the save but were beaten down; Henry then lifted Long for the powerslam, with Booker T making the save and laying Henry out with an axe kick; Team Teddy then filed into the ring, with Long thanking Booker for the help and offering him a spot at WrestleMania
Smackdown!
WWE Axxess – Miami Beach, FL – Convention Center – March 29, 2012
Ezekiel Jackson defeated Hunico
Seth Rollins pinned Dean Ambrose at 7:26 with the Blackout
WWE Axxess – Miami Beach, FL – Convention Center – March 30, 2012
WWE Axxess – Miami Beach, FL – Convention Center – March 31, 2012
Santino Marella pinned Dolph Ziggler in a falls count anywhere, loser leaves Axxess match at 7:03 with the Cobra; during the bout, Marella chased Ziggler around the building before returning to the ring
– 3/31/12: Edge, the Four Horsemen, Yokozuna, Ron Simmons, Mil Mascaras, and Mike Tyson were inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame at the Amway Center in Miami, FL. Highlights from the event aired as a 1-hour special on the USA Network on April 2.
WWE Axxess – Miami Beach, FL – Convention Center – April 1, 2012
WrestleMania 28 – Miami, FL – Sun Life Stadium – April 1, 2012 (announced at 78,363)
WWE.com Preshow: WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso and Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel at 5:02 when Primo pinned one of the Usos with the Back Stabber after the Uso hit the splash off the top onto Gabriel; Matt Striker & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout (WrestleMania 28)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Lilian Garcia performing the national anthem to open the show, followed by a Naval fly over; included Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary; featured a backstage segment with Mike Mizanin, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Mark Henry, Jack Swagger, Vickie Guerrero, Nikki & Brie Bella in which Miz told the group that they would win just as he won the previous year at WrestleMania; David Otunga then walked in and introduced John Laurinaitis, who he said would soon be the GM of both Raw and Smackdown; Laurinaitis then told his team that they were creating a moment, like when Hulk Hogan slammed Andre the Giant and Steve Austin wouldn’t submit to Bret Hart’s Sharpshooter; included info on how 100 trips would be awarded for fans to attend WrestleMania 29 at Met Life Stadium; featured a backstage segment with Santino Marella, Mick Foley, and one of the captains from “Deadliest Catch” beside plates of crab legs, with Ron Simmons then walking in, watching them, and saying “Damn;” included a video package on the WWE’s relationship with the National Guard; featured a WWE Kmart ad; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Shawn Michaels about his guest referee role in the Hell in a Cell match; included Justin Roberts announcing that the show has set the new venue attendance record, with 78,363; following the announcement, fireworks went off overhead; featured a WWE Slim Jim ad with Rey Mysterio Jr., the Big Show, & Eve thanking fans for their support of the National Guard campaign; included footage from the previous night’s WWE 2012 Hall of Fame inductinos of Ron Simmons, Mil Mascaras, the 4 Horsemen, Yokozuna, Mike Tyson, and Edge; featured Howard Finkel introducing the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame Class; included a backstage segment in which Josh Matthews said he was about to interview Flo Rida, with Heath Slater interrupting and saying Matthews should be interviewing him; Flo Rida then walked out, with Slater suggesting they do a duet; after Slater took exception to Flo Rida turning him down, Flo Rida shoved him into the wall and walked off; featured an ad promoting Extreme Rules 2012; Alex Rodriguez and Torrie Wilson were shown in attendance; included a video package recapping the week of WrestleMania events in Miami, with comments from fans, Layla, Mysterio, Marella, Zack Ryder, Alicia Fox, Dolph Ziggler, Mike Mizanin, Randy Orton, James Durbin, Mick Foley, as well as a look at the media attention, and social media attention; the three WrestleMania Reading Challenge winners were shown in attendance; featured a backstage segment with the victorious Team Johnny walking past WWE World Champion CM Punk, with Laurinaitis speaking with Punk about his mindset and said Punk would lose the title if he got himself disqualified; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 29 on April 7, 2012; the pilots that flew over the stadium earlier in the show were later shown in attendance; featured a segment in which Brodus Clay, along with Cameron & Naomi, came out and told all the fans to get on their phones and call their mommas; Clay then introduced his own “mom,” who came out and danced along with her entire bridge club; included an ad promoting GI Joe: Retaliation; featured a video package to promote John Cena vs. the Rock, with comments from Triple H, Big Show, Michaels, Miz, Chris Jericho, and Sheamus to the tune of Fun.’s “We Are Young”:
Sheamus pinned World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan (w/ AJ) to win the title at the 19-second mark with a boot to the face after Bryan kissed AJ on the apron
Kane pinned Randy Orton at 10:57 with a chokeslam off the top; early in the bout, there were chants of “Daniel Bryan”
The Big Show pinned WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes to win the title at 5:20 with a spear, that ended up being a low blow, and the punch to the face; following Rhodes’ entrance, his video montage making fun of Show’s WrestleMania performances aired on the big screen
Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos defeated WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Eve at 6:49 when Menounos pinned Phoenix with a roll up after Menounos & Kelly caused Phoenix to collide with Eve on the apron, knocking Eve to the floor; prior to the bout, a video package on the divas aired to the tune of Madonna’s “Girls Gone Wild;” following Phoenix & Eve’s entrance, footage was shown of them confronting Menounos & Kelly on the set of “Extra;” during the contest, there were brief chants of “Daniel Bryan”
The Undertaker pinned Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match at 30:53 with the tombstone after striking Triple H in the head with his own sledgehammer; Jim Ross joined the commentary team for the match; for his entrance, Triple H walked out from underneath the set of a castle; following Taker’s entrance, he took off his hood to reveal a shaved head; moments later, the cell was lowered to the tune of Metallica’s “The Memory Remains;” at the 17-minute mark, Taker put guest referee Shawn Michaels in the Hell’s Gate, prompting referee Charles Robinson to come out minutes later to briefly take over officiating before sustaining Taker’s chokeslam; later in the bout, Michaels hit the superkick on Taker, with Taker then sustaining Triple H’s Pedigree for a 2 count; after the contest, Michaels helped Taker to his feet in an embrace and raised his hand in victory; during the final moments of the bout, Triple H sustained multiple chair shots, didn’t have the energy to fight back, and then gave Taker a defiant crotch chop, leading to the finish; during the post-match celebration, “20-0” appeared on the big screen as fireworks went off overhead; moments later, both Michaels and Taker helped Triple H to his feet and from the ring; voted Match of the Year by PWInsider.com
David Otunga, Mike Mizanin, Dolph Ziggler, Mark Henry, Drew McIntyre, & Jack Swagger (w/ John Laurinaitis & Vickie Guerrero) defeated WWE US Champion Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, the Great Khali, R-Truth, Zack Ryder (w/ Eve), & Booker T (w/ Teddy Long, Aksana, & Hornswoggle) at 10:38 when Miz pinned Ryder with the Skull Crushing Finale after Eve climbed in the ring to fist pump with Ryder; Brie Bella provided the ring introduction for Team Johnny while Nikki Bella introduced Team Teddy; stipulations stated the winning GM would run both Raw and Smackdown; after Team Johnny left the ring, Eve kicked Ryder between the legs and went backstage
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho via submission with the Anaconda Vice at 22:20; stipulations stated Punk would lose the title if he was disqualified; following Jericho’s entrance, a video package aired recapping the feud between the two; fireworks went off during both men’s entrance; Andy Garcia was shown in the crowd during Punk’s entrance (CM Punk: Best in the World)
The Rock pinned John Cena at 30:34 with the Rock Bottom as Cena attempted his own People’s Elbow; prior to the bout, Sean Combs came out to introduce Machine Gun Kelly, who performed “Invincible;” after the performance, MGK said the match was more than just a wrestling match, it was an ego vs. an underdog and compared himself to Cena, receiving boos in response; following Cena’s entrance, Flo Rida performed “Good Feelin” and “Wild One” at the entrance stage; “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks” and “Cena” and “Rocky;” after the bout, Rock celebrated in the ring as Cena watched on, sitting on the ramp, before fireworks went off overhead
WWE @ Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena – April 2, 2012 (13,687; 10,500 paid; sell out)
Dean Ambrose defeated JTG
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening backstage segment showing the entire roster sitting down as John Laurinaitis, alongside David Otunga, addressed them as the GM of both Raw and Smackdown; he then said WWE US Champion Santino Marella would face Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger in a title match later in the show; WWE World Champion CM Punk then walked through the crowd and said all the fans and talent still considered Laurinaitis to be a giant toolbox; Laurinaitis then said Punk would defend the title later in the show against Mark Henry; Laurinaitis then welcomed the roster to a new era; following the show open, the Rock walked out to the ring and, following a chant of “Boots to Asses,” “You still got it,” and “Rocky,” noted his return 14 months earlier all the way up to the previous night; Rock then thanked John Cena, to which the crowd responded with “Cena sucks,” and said Cena brought it to him like never before; Rock then said it was an honor to have fought Cena in the biggest match of all time, then adding they made history and they did it for the fans; Rock went on to thank the fans for their support and coming in from all over the world, noting he was cut from the Canadian Football League in 1995 and it was their support that got him to where he now was; Rock then said this wasn’t the end but the beginning, with the crowd then doing a Daniel Bryan “Yes” chant; Rock then said he wanted to again be WWE Champion; included stills from WrestleMania set to Flo Rida’s “Good Feelin;” featured an ad promoting the 100 trips to WrestleMania 29 contest; included a “Did you know?” graphic that read WrestleMania had more than 4 times the social media presence than any show on cable TV; featured an ad promoting “Bending the Rules,” staring Edge; included clips throughout the show of Cena’s previous comments stating he had to beat the Rock at WrestleMania; featured an in-ring promo by World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, with Ricardo Rodriguez then introducing Alberto Del Rio before Sheamus could speak; Del Rio then joined Sheamus in the ring, as the crowd chanted “Daniel Bryan,” and said Sheamus would soon lose the title because he had a new challenger; Sheamus responded, to a mixed reaction, by saying he wanted to kick someone in the face, with Del Rio saying he would get his match Friday on Smackdown in a non-title match; Del Rio then said he would win to earn a title match; after Del Rio had problems with his mic, he grabbed a new one, and turned around into a boot to the face from Sheamus; Daniel Bryan and AJ were then showing watching on, with the crowd chanting “Yes;” Josh Matthews then interviewed Bryan about his title loss, with Bryan not speaking; Machine Gun Kelly was shown in attendance; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 29 at MetLife Stadium; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania talk on Twitter trended at #1 in the world 14 times; included a backstage segment in which Abraham Washington spoke with Mark Henry backstage, with Washington saying he wanted to represent him; featured a promo by Eve, at the entrance stage, in which she made fun of using Zack Ryder at WrestleMania; after the crowd chanted “We want Ryder,” Eve said it was easy for her to manipulate any man, except Laurinaitis; included the announcement Randy Orton would face Kane on Smackdown; featured a closing in-ring promo by Cena in which he addressed his loss to the Rock, noting losing never crossed his mind and a true champion maintains the will to win despite suffering defeat; after the crowd chanted “You’re a loser,” Cena said he wasn’t there to call out the Rock because their issue was settled; the crowd then chanted “We want Lesnar,” with Cena inviting the Rock to the ring and noting he now considered him the greatest WWE superstar in the industry, an inspiration, and a champion; chants of “We want Lesnar” continued as Cena discussed the previous year with the Rock, with Cena then egging the crowd on in chanting “Yes” and “Daniel Bryan;” after Cena again asked Rock to come out, Brock Lesnar walked out instead to chants of “Holy shit;” Lesnar then shook Cena’s hand but dropped him with the F5 (Lesnar’s surprise return after an 8-year absence):
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger at 6:52 by pinning Swagger with the Cobra after the challenger missed a charge into the corner; prior to the bout, Vickie Guerrero introduced both challengers from the entrance stage and then supported them at ringside during the bout; after the contest, Marella was double teamed before he walked up the stage, with Brodus Clay walking out and standing side by side with Marella; Ziggler then ran after Clay only to sustain a headbutt that sent him reeling down the ramp; moments later, Santino, Brodus, Naomi, and Cameron danced at the entrance stage (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Lord Tensai defeated Alex Riley when the referee stopped the match at 2:49 after Tensai hit a double choke sit-down powerbomb; after Tensai took off his helmet, the crowd chanted “Welcome back;” late in the contst, there was a brief chant of “Daniel Bryan;” after the contest, Tensai attacked Riley and applied a claw hold on him until he passed out (Tensai’s debut; Matt Bloom’s return after an 8-year absence)
Mark Henry defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via count-out at 12:57 when Punk couldn’t get back in the ring by the referee’s count; during the bout, there were chants of “Yes” and “Daniel Bryan;” after the contest, Henry dropped Punk with the powerslam on the floor; the crowd then chanted “We want Lesnar,” with John Laurinaitis then coming out, alongside David Otunga, saying the fans wanted to see more title defenses on TV; Chris Jericho then came out of the crowd with a mic, saying his and Punk’s match was a classic, and they should celebrate with a drink; Jericho then noted Punk being straight edge before taking a bottle of alcohol and pouring it on Punk’s face; Jericho then assaulted him before taking another bottle and smashing it over the back of Punk’s head
Kofi Kingston pinned Cody Rhodes at 1:47 with the spin kick to the face after WWE IC Champion the Big Show came out to the entrance stage and made fun of beating Rhodes for the title the previous night
Mike Mizanin pinned Zack Ryder at 2:55 with the Skull Crushing Finale after throwing Ryder shoulder-first into the ringpost; during the bout, it was noted John Cena had just arrived to the arena
WWE Superstars – 4/5/12 – featured an ad promoting “Bending the Rules,” staring Edge; included an ad for the 100 giveaways to see WrestleMania 29; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read that on Sunday, WrestleMania had foru times more social media activity than any show on cable TV; included still photos from WrestleMania shown to Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling;” featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 29; included a closing segment recapping the attack of John Cena by Brock Lesnar on Raw; featured the Hunico vs. Tyson Kidd match taped 4/3/12 in Orlando, FL:
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks at 3:38 when Hawkins was pinned with the splash off the top after the Usos hit a double Samoan drop on their opponents; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout; during and after the match, there were chants of “Yes!”
R-Truth pinned Heath Slater with the What’s Up at around the 6-minute mark; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout; after the bout, Truth had the referee hold up the imaginary hand of Little Jimmy as well
Dark match after the taping: World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, WWE IC Champion the Big Show & Randy Orton defeated Daniel Bryan, Kane, & Cody Rhodes when Sheamus pinned Bryan
– 4/3/12: Joe Scarpa (Chief Jay Strongbow) died at the age of 83.
WWE @ Orlando, FL – Amway Center – April 3, 2012 (8,000)
Dean Ambrose pinned Ezekiel Jackson at the 5-minute mark
Percy Watson defeated Tyler Reks
Natalya Neidhart defeated Kaitlyn
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Titus O’Neil & Darren Young
Michael McGillicutty defeated Derrick Bateman
WWE Superstars – 4/5/12: Hunico (w/ Camacho) pinned Tyson Kidd at around the 10-minute mark with an Olympic Slam after Kidd became distracted by Camacho on the floor; during his entrance, Hunico took a mic and said he was trying to prove to the company that he deserved to be a main eventer; Josh Matthews & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout
Smackdown! – 4/6/12 – featured an opening graphic noting the passing of Chief Jay Strongbow; included stills from WrestleMania shown throughout the show, set to Flo Rida’s “Good Feelin;” featured an ad promoting the 100 trips being given away to WrestleMania 29; included an ad promoting the following Tuesday’s live ‘Blast from the Past’ episode, featuring Dusty Rhodes, Mick Foley, Tony Atlas, Sgt. Slaughter, Pat Patterson, Jimmy Hart, Gene Okerlund, Roddy Piper, Ted Dibiase, Jim Duggan, and more; featured an ad promoting “Bending the Rules,” staring Edge; included an in-ring promo by Daniel Bryan, alongside AJ, in which Bryan spoke about losing the World Heavyweight Title; AJ then took the mic and said Bryan was a great wrestler and person, with the crowd then chanting “Yes!”, and her noting those chanting that during WrestleMania and Raw; the crowd then chanted “Daniel Bryan,” with AJ saying they were all there to support him; Bryan then said the crowd wasn’t supporting him but mocking him, then blaming his title loss on AJ and yelling at her; Bryan then said her “kiss of death” led to him losing the title in 18 seconds and ruined what should have been the greatest night of his life; Bryan then said he would get his rematch with Sheamus and he would win it by himself, then calling AJ “dead weight” and dumping her; Bryan then turned his back on AJ as she left the ring and went backstage; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 29; included a backstage segment with Sheamus, Laurinaitis, Nikki & Brie Bella with Laurinaitis telling Sheamus that he wanted to see more sportsmanship, not like at WrestleMania when Sheamus attacked Bryan when he wasn’t ready; Laurinaitis then said the referee would bring Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio into the middle of the ring before their match later in the show; Sheamus responded by mocking Laurinaitis; featured an ad promoting ‘You Think You Know Me: The Story of Edge;’ included a video package in tribute to Strongbow; featured a promo by Damien Sandow in which he spoke of the fans’ ignorance, then noting he would save them from it (Sandow’s debut); included the announcement that the actors of ‘The Three Stooges’ would be guests on Raw Monday:
Mark Henry & David Otunga defeated R-Truth in a handicap match at 2:03 when Otunga scored the pin after Henry hit the powerslam and Otunga bossed Henry to tag him in to get the pinfall; prior to the bout, Otunga introduced John Laurinaitis at the entrance stage, noting he was the new GM of Smackdown as well as Raw; Laurinaitis then cut an in-ring promo in which he said Smackdown would rise to new heights and said he would use his new power for the fans; Laurinaitis then asked for Teddy Long to come out to the ring; Long then told Laurinaitis to go to hell and said he couldn’t leave Smackdown without thanking the fans for his years leading the show; as Long went to leave the ring, Laurinaitis invited him to be part of his new administration with Long refusing; Otunga then said the college fund set up for Long’s grandchildren was at risk should he not take the offer; Laurinaitis then said Long could still have the job if he admitted Laurinaitis was better than him, which he reluctantly said; after Long went backstage, Laurinaitis said Otunga would team with Mark Henry to face R-Truth in a handicap match; during the contest, AW (Abraham Washington) was shown watching the match backstage
Randy Orton pinned Kane in a No DQ match with the RKO at 13:52 after Kane hit an exposed turnbuckle (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Ryback pinned Barry Stevens at 1:10 with a fireman’s carry into a fallaway slam; following Stevens’ introduction, Kaitlyn, Alicia Fox, Jimmy & Jey Uso, Hunico & Camacho, and others were shown watching on in anticipation of Ryback’s debut (Skip Sheffield’s TV return after an 18-month absence)
WWE IC Champion the Big Show pinned Heath Slater in a non-title match with the chokeslam at 1:15; Cody Rhodes provided guest commentary for the match; following Show’s entrance, he replayed a video clip on the big screen mocking Rhodes’ loss at WrestleMania; after the contest, Show challenged Rhodes to get in the ring, then knocked out Slater with a punch
Nikki Bella pinned WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix in a non-title match at 1:02 with a facebuster after Phoenix became distracted by Kelly Kelly at ringside
Alberto Del Rio defeated World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus via disqualification in a non-title match at 11:31 when the referee turned around to find the champion holding a steel chair he stole away from ADR moments earlier, with Del Rio faking injury; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer; after the bout, Sheamus kicked the referee in the face; stipulations stated ADR would earn a future title shot if he won
Dark match after the taping: John Cena, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, Randy Orton, & WWE IC Champion the Big Show defeated Daniel Bryan, Kane, Mark Henry, & Cody Rhodes when Cena pinned Kane with the FU
WWE @ Washington DC – Verizon Center – April 9, 2012
Damien Sandow defeated JTG via submission
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening clip hyping ‘The 3 Stooges’ being guests on Raw later in the show; included an in-ring segment in which John Laurinaitis, alongside David Otunga, introduced a clip from the previous week’s show of Brock Lesnar attacking John Cena before then having Lesnar come out to the ring; during his entrance, Michael Cole noted Lesnar being a former UFC World Champion; moments later, Lesnar took the mic and thanked Laurinaitis for having the wisdom to bring legitimacy back to the WWE; Cena then walked out and slapped Lesnar, leading to a pull apart brawl between the two; moments later, the ring filled with Mike Rotundo, Dolph Ziggler, Zack Ryder, Alex Riley, Curt Hawkins, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, Billy Kidman, Dustin Rhodes, Mason Ryan, Bill DeMott, Jack Swagger, Michael McGillicutty, Mark Henry, Jamie Noble, Alberto Del Rio, Dean Malenko, William Regal, R-Truth, Daniel Bryan, Yoshi Tatsu, and others as they worked to pull the two apart; Cena’s face was busted up during the segment, with him bleeding from the mouth; lesnar was eventually pulled to the floor; featured an ad promoting the following night’s live Smackdown!; included a backstage segment with Laurinaitis, Otunga, and Teddy Long in which Laurinaitis yelled at Long for not containing Cena and told him to get an explanation from Cena; Eve then walked in, with Laurinaitis saying he couldn’t speak to her then but would call her; featured a backstage segment in which Laurinaitis told Mike Mizanin that he owed him for WrestleMania but they would have to talk the next week; moments later, Long and Cena walked in, with Cena saying he was just getting warmed up and said he wanted a match later in the show against anyone; after Cena left, Laurinaitis yelled at Long; moments later, Marella walked up to Tyler Reks & Curt Hawkins backstage looking for The 3 Stooges; following the commercial break, Marella was shown looking for the Stooges, eventually finding Kane instead; included a backstage segment in which Marella found a crate, opening it to find the Stooges inside and the four talking about being on the show; after Marella left, the three went off to figure out what they were going to do later in the show; Shanon & Marc Parker of SyFy’s “Dream Machine” were shown in attendance; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania’s attendance was 78,363, was seen in 105 countries and in 20 languages; included comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, WWE World Champion CM Punk, Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; featured a backstage segment with the Stooges discussing what they would do out in the ring; included an ad promoting an upcoming appearance by Cena on SyFy’s “Dream Machines;” featured an in-ring segment with the 3 Stooges, with Curly coming out to “Real American” and cutting a promo telling all the Hulkamaniacs to see their movie Friday; moments later, Kane appeared, scaring off Larry and Moe; Curly attempted a Hogan offense but sustained the chokeslam; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Mark Henry regarding his assault earlier in the show on Punk, with Henry saying he would face Punk in a No DQ, no count-out match the next week; featured an ad on the 100 free trips being offered for WrestleMania 29; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was the #1 show on cable, for the 4th week in a row, beating every other show on TNT, TBs, History, Fox News, and ESPN; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Lesnar about his return to WWE, with Lesnar noting his previous success in WWE and UFC; Lesnar then said Cena thinks he’s at the top but he could never hold Lesnar’s jockstrap, and he wasn’t back to make friends; included a video package recapping the Undertaker vs. Triple H Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania, with comments from Cena, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Punk, Regal, Mike Mizanin, WWE IC Champion the Big Show, Daniel Bryan, and Henry; more than 30 Wounded Warriors were shown in attendance:
WWE US Champion Santino Marella & Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) defeated Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) at 7:57 when Clay pinned Ziggler with a powerslam; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced her team from the entrance stage; after the bout, Marella, Clay, Naomi, and Cameron danced in the ring
R-Truth pinned Cody Rhodes with the Little Jimmy at 1:39 after WWE IC Champion the Big Show came out to the entrance stage and showed a clip showing how he caused Rhodes to lose the previous week
Lord Tensai defeated Yoshi Tatsu when referee Charles Robinson stopped the bout at 2:03 after Tatsu sustained several elbows to the head and a sit-down powerbomb; after the bout, Tensai applied a claw on Tatsu; during the contest, there were loud chants of “Albert”
Mark Henry defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via disqualification at the 51-second mark when Punk hit Henry with one of the moniters at ringside; prior to the bout, Punk took the mic, and said Straight Edge was a choice not to be cool or be trendy but a way of life; he then said he had his reasons for being Straight Edge and those were personal reasons he had never spoken about because he didn’t care to share them and no one should care anyway; Punk then addressed Chris Jericho, noting Jericho did everything he could to get under his skin but he still tapped out at WrestleMania; he then said Jericho took it too far by pouring whiskey on him and smashing a bottle over his head; Punk followed by saying his first thought wasn’t whether he could still go on the European tour, but that he now smelled just like his dad used to; Jericho then appeared on the big screen, claimed Punk was still drunk after the previous week and what he did to Punk forced him to see what it was like to be “CM Drunk;” Punk followed by saying he would take all of Jericho’s comments and would use them to come at Jericho; after the bout, Jericho walked out with packs of beer as Henry attacked Punk on the floor and twice dropped him with the powerslam in the ring; Jericho then entered the ring and went to pour beer on Punk but the champion tackled him before falling victim to the Code Breaker; Jericho then poured several cans of beer on Punk before he was stopped by referees; moments later, Jericho hit the Code Breaker again before holding up the title belt on the floor
Alberto Del Rio defeaetd Zack Ryder via submission with the cross armbreaker at 1:26 after avoiding the Rough Ryder; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout
John Cena defeated David Otunga (w/ John Laurinaitis) via submission with the STFU at 5:07 after hitting the FU; during the bout, there were chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks,” as well as “Fruity Pebbles;” after the contest, Brock Lesnar came out from the crowd and kicked Cena in the crotch from behind, following with the F5; moments later, the crowd chanted “One more time” but Lesnar instead left the ring as the show ended
WWE Superstars – 4/12/12 – featured an ad promoting ‘Bending the Rules,’ staring Edge; included an ad promoting ‘You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge;’ featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 200 Make-A-Wish families were guests of WWE at WrestleMania; included an ad promoting WWE’s new YouTube content; featured a video package recapping the Undertaker vs. Triple H Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania, with comments from John Cena, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, WWE World Champion CM Punk, William Regal, Mike Mizanin, WWE IC Champion the Big Show, Daniel Bryan, and Mark Henry; included an ad promoting Extreme Rules 2012; featured comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, Punk, Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; included a video package recapping the Cena vs. Brock Lesnar brawl from Raw earlier in the week, as well as Lesnar attacking Cena at the end of the show:
Kofi Kingston pinned Curt Hawkins (w/ Tyler Reks) at around the 10-minute mark with the spin kick to the face; Scott Stanford & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the match
Kelly Kelly pinned Brie Bella (w/ Nikki Bella) with a takedown into a bridge at 3:55; Scott Stanford & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the match
WWE @ Hampton, VA – Coliseum – April 10, 2012
Smackdown! – Super Smackdown ‘Blast from the Past’ – shown live – featured an opening segment in which Gene Okerlund introduced World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, who then came out to the ring and cut a promo saying there was no excuse for his actions against referee Chad Patton the previous week and apologized to Patton and the fans; moments later, John Laurinaitis interrupted, replayed footage of Sheamus kicking Patton the previous week, and demanded Sheamus apologize to Patton; after Sheamus said he just did, Laurinaitis said he didn’t hear it and had him do it again; Laurinaitis then had him re-apologize to the other referees and officials as well as the fans; after Sheamus did, Laurinaitis said Sheamus was on probation and would be fired if he touched another referee, accident or not; Laurinaitis then fined Sheamus $500,000 – the largest fine in WWE history – and said Daniel Bryan & Alberto Del Rio would team against Sheamus & Okerlund; included a backstage segment with Bob Orton Jr. speaking to Randy Orton about Randy’s match with Mark Henry later in the show; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania talk on Twitter trended at #1 in the world 14 times; included a backstage segment with Heath Slater talking with a reluctant Tyson Kidd about tagging up against Jimmy & Jey Uso later in the show, with Slater bringing in Jimmy Hart as their manager for the night; featured footage of John Cena taping an episode of SyFy’s “Dream Machine;” included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was SyFy’s most watched program for the 80th consecutive week; featured an in-ring segment of Piper’s Pit in which Roddy Piper reviewed what happened to Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 28, as well as Bryan blaming his loss on AJ; after Piper introduced Bryan, Bryan said he had been granted a title rematch with Sheamus at Extreme Rules and it would be a Best 2 out of 3 falls match; Piper responded by saying AJ was in the building and asked for her to come to the ring; after she did, she said everything was her fault and that Bryan was a nice guy, then apologizing to Bryan for costing him the title at WrestleMania; after Piper stepped in and tried to convince AJ that Bryan wasn’t for him and was just using him, Bryan interrupted and told AJ to leave the ring if she really loved him; Piper tried to talk her out of it but she left anyway, with Piper then telling Bryan to not tell a lady to shut up, yell at her, or use her as a human sheild, which only makes a coward out of him; Piper then said Sheamus would kick Bryan’s head off his shoulders twice, with Bryan then saying he would prove he was better than Sheamus, then slapping Piper and leaving the ring; included an ad promoting ‘You Think You Know Me: The Story of Edge;’ featured an ad on the new WWE.com; included a vignette by Damien Sandow in which he belittled social media rather than reading novels, adding he would be the ideal to follow; featured a backstage segment with Sheamus and Okerlund in which they discussed their upcoming tag team match; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA; featured an in-ring promo by Cody Rhodes in which he said ‘Blast from the Past’ was a waste of time and the future would see him regain the WWE IC Title from the Big Show; moments later, Dusty Rhodes walked out and said Cody came into the WWE the most gifted athlete since Shawn Michaels but was now poking a grizzly bear; as Cody went to leave the ring, Show walked out to the entrance stage and showed a clip from one of Rhodes’ “Dashing” vignettes before laughing and going backstage; moments later, Cody left the ring as Dusty danced to his theme music; included an ad promoting WWE’s new YouTube content:
Mark Henry defeated Randy Orton via count-out at around the 11-minute mark when, after Kane appeared on the big screen and showed he had attacked Bob Orton Jr. bakstage, Orton left the ring to find his dad; Bob Orton Jr. was shown watching the match backstage during the contest; after the bout, after Orton found his dad, Kane assaulted Randy with a pipe
Ryback pinned Benny Camer with a Samoan Drop at the 35-second mark; prior to the bout, Hillbilly Jim, Pat Patterson, Ted Dibiase, and Tony Atlas were shown watching on backstage and making fun of Camer’s chances; Camer briefly took the mic before Ryback’s entrance to note it was his WWE debut
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Tyson Kidd & Heath Slater (w/ Jimmy Hart) at 2:37 when Slater was pinned with the splash off the top; prior to the bout, Josh Matthews noted the teams Hart took to the tag team titles, mistakenly including Demolition; Mick Foley provided commentary for the contest; late in the contest, Foley left the broadcast table, quoting Owen Hart in saying “Enough is enough and it’s time for a change” in regards to Hart speaking on his megaphone; after the bout, Foley applied the Mr. Socko Mandible Claw on Hart before saying something muffled over the megaphone
The Great Khali, Natalya Neidhart, & Alicia Fox defeated Drew McIntyre, Nikki & Brie Bella at the 55-second mark when Fox pinned one of the Bellas with a bridge after McIntyre walked out of the match, yelling “I’m better than this;” after the bout, Mae Young walked out to the entrance stage, kicked Khali in the shin to bring him to his knees, and kissed him on the lips before then dancing with Neidhart and Fox
Hunico (w/ Camacho) defeated Jim Duggan via disqualification at 1:00 when Duggan hit Hunico with his 2×4; during his entrance, Hunico cut a promo making fun of the old timers on the show, adding he was the future of WWE; late in the bout, Duggan called for Sgt. Slaughter to come out; after the bout, Slaughter put Hunico in the Cobra Clutch
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus & Gene Okerlund defeated Daniel Bryan & Alberto Del Rio at 3:25 when Sheamus pinned Bryan with the boot to the face; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer while Howard Finkel announced Sheamus & Okerlund; late in the bout, Dusty Rhodes, Tony Atlas, Hillbilly Jim, Jimmy Hart, Sgt. Slaughter, Pat Patterson, Roddy Piper, Ted Dibiase, and Jim Duggan ran out, distracting Bryan; after the contest, Rodriguez was attacked by the legends in the ring; moments later, Michael Cole entered the ring and mocked the legends before he was kicked from the ring
NXT – 4/10/12 – featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 29; included an ad promoting the new WWE.com; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania’s attendance was 78,363, was seen in 105 countries and in 20 languages; included a backstage segment with Tamina and Titus O’Neil in which Tamina called out O’Neil for his actions the previous week, with O’Neil giving Tamina a pot for a coconut tree; after she walked off, Darren Young saw her and then called out O’Neil for going after Tamina when O’Neil knew Young liked her; O’Neil said he wasn’t interested in Tamina, he just wanted to prove he was better than Young; featured a backstage segment with Kaitlyn and Derrick Bateman in which they stumbled upon Matt Striker, tied up in the janitor’s closet; after freeing Striker, they found Curt Hawkins’ cane nearby; Bateman said they needed to take Striker to the hospital but Striker said he would handle it; included an ad promoting ‘You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge;’ featured a video package recapping the John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar brawl from Raw earlier in the week, as well as Lesnar attacking Cena at the end of the show; included a backstage segment with William Regal finding Hawkins & Reks and questioning them as to where Striker was, then telling them there would be serious consequences if anything happened to Striker; the two then went to find Striker with plans of framing it on someone else, then realizing Striker had been freed; the two then questioned Johnny Curtis & Maxine as to where Striker was; featured an ad promoting the new WWE content on YouTube; included an ad promoting ‘Bending the Rules,’ staring Edge:
Johnny Curtis (w/ Maxine) pinned Percy Watson with a roll up at around the 10-minute mark after Watson became distracted by William Regal walking backstage with Maxine; upon Curtis’s entrance, Watson took the mic and questioned why Maxine was ringside; moments later, William Regal took the mic and told Maxine to stay away from the ring; during the bout, Maxine stood by Regal at the commentary table; mid-way through the bout, Regal took off his headset to speak with Maxine, then put it back on and said “someone’s been taking liberties” in regards to why Matt Striker hasn’t been on the show recently; moments later, Regal left ringside with Maxine; after the bout, Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks spoke with Maxine about what she said to Regal; Hawkins & Reks said Maxine wouldn’t get Striker until she held up her end of the bargain; after Hawkins & Reks left, Maxine cried to Derrick Bateman, alongside Kaitlyn, and lied to him, saying Hawkins & Reks were harassing her; Bateman said Maxine was the worst thing that ever happened to him, but agreed to help her
Tyson Kidd defeated Michael McGillicutty via submission with a leglock choke at around the 11-minute mark; prior to the bout, a video package aired recapping the rivalry between the two men
WWE Superstars – 4/12/12: Jinder Mahal defeated Ezekiel Jackson via submission with the Camel Clutch at 3:42; Matt Striker & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout; during the match, Mahal bled from the mouth
WWE (Raw) @ Moscow, Russia – Luzhniki Small Sports Arena – April 11, 2012 (6,500)
Debut in Russia
WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico defeated R-Truth & Kofi Kingston
David Otunga defeated Alex Riley
Brodus Clay defeated JTG
Zack Ryder defeated Jack Swagger
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Mike Mizanin
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly
John Cena defeated Kane in a last man standing match
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler; David Otunga was the guest enforcer for the match
WWE (Raw) @ Gdansk, Poland – Ergo Arena – April 12, 2012 (7,000)
R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico in a non-title match
Lord Tensai defeated Alex Riley
Zack Ryder defeated Mike Mizanin
Brodus Clay defeated JTG
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated David Otunga and Jack Swagger
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly
John Cena defeated Kane in a last man standing match
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Dublin, Ireland – O2 Arena – April 12, 2012
The Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal
Alberto Del Rio defeated Yoshi Tatsu
Alberto Del Rio defeated Ezekiel Jackson
William Regal & Tyson Kidd defeated Hunico & Camacho
WWE IC Champion the Big Show defeated Cody Rhodes
AJ defeated Natalya Neidhart; Hornswoggle was the guest referee for the bout
Randy Orton defeated Mark Henry in a streetfight
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Daniel Bryan with the boot to the face at 17:49 after Bryan missed a running dropkick in the corner
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Belfast, Northern Ireland – Odyssey Arena – April 13, 2012
The Great Khali pinned Jinder Mahal with the tree slam
William Regal & Tyson Kidd defeated Hunico & Camacho when Regal pinned Camacho
Alberto Del Rio defeated Ezekiel Jackson via submission
AJ pinned Natalya Neidhart with a roll up after guest referee Hornswoggle shoved Natalya
WWE IC Champion the Big Show pinned Cody Rhodes with the chokeslam
Mark Henry pinned Yoshi Tatsu with the powerslam
Randy Orton pinned Kane in a No DQ match with a RKO onto a steel chair
World Heavyweight Champino Sheamus pinned Daniel Bryan at around the 20-minute mark with the boot to the face
WWE (Raw) @ Stuttgart, Germany – Porsche Arena – April 13, 2012 (6,000; sell out)
R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico in a non-title match
Lord Tensai defeated Alex Riley
Brodus Clay defeated JTG
Zack Ryder defeated Mike Mizanin
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated David Otunga and Jack Swagger
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly
John Cena defeated Kane in a last man standing match
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler
WWE (Raw) @ Berlin, Germany – O2 World Arena – April 14, 2012
R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico in a non-title match
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly; Eve was the guest referee for the bout
Brodus Clay defeated JTG
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated David Otunga and Jack Swagger
Lord Tensai defeated Alex Riley
John Cena & Zack Ryder defeated Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho in a No DQ match; David Otunga was the guest enforcer for the match
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Manchester, England – Evening News Arena – April 14, 2012 (10,000)
The Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal
William Regal & Tyson Kidd defeated Hunico & Camacho
AJ defeated Natalya Neidhart; Hornswoggle was the guest referee for the bout
Alberto Del Rio defeated Ezekiel Jackson
WWE IC Champion the Big Show defeated Cody Rhodes
Mark Henry defeated Yoshi Tatsu
Randy Orton defeated Kane in a No DQ match
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Geneva, Switzerland – Arena – April 15, 2012 (matinee)
The Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal
William Regal & Tyson Kidd defeated Hunico & Camacho
AJ defeated Natalya Neidhart; Hornswoggle was the guest referee for the bout
Alberto Del Rio defeated Ezekiel Jackson
WWE IC Champion the Big Show defeated Cody Rhodes
Mark Henry defeated Yoshi Tatsu
Randy Orton defeated Kane in a No DQ match
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan
WWE (Raw) @ Nottingham, England – Capital FM Arena – April 15, 2012 (8,000)
R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico in a non-title match
WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly; Eve was the guest referee for the bout
Lord Tensai defeated Alex Riley
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated David Otunga and Jack Swagger
Brodus Clay defeated JTG
John Cena & Zack Ryder defeated Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho in a No DQ match
WWE @ London, England – O2 Arena – April 16, 2012 (10,000)
Dean Ambrose defeated Alex Riley
Raw SuperShow – featured a backstage segment with R-Truth, dressed as Sherlock Holmes, in which he spoke of Little Jimmy as his Watson; Truth then said he would find Teddy Long a job, then walked off; included Josh Matthews attempting to interview Lord Tensai backstage, with Tensai responding with a mix of English and Japanese; featured the announcement WrestleMania 28 was the highest grossing and most watched WrestleMania ever; included a video package focusing on Brock Lesnar, with Lesnar speaking about his dominance before WWE, becoming a 3-time WWE World Champion, and leaving to become UFC World Champion; Lesnar then said he was in it for himself and the company needed him to come back to bring legitimacy to the company; Lesnar added had he not left then Cena would be the guy carrying his bags; Lesnar then discussed his upcoming extreme rules match with Cena at Extreme Rules; featured a backstage segment in which Daniel Bryan interrupting Kofi Kingston speaking with AJ, with Bryan renaming his LeBell Lock into the Yes Lock before Bryan then repeatedly chanted “Yes!” in Kofi’s face, with the crowd chanting along; included an ad promoting ‘You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge;’ featured an in-ring promo by John Cena in which he spoke about WrestleMania being an end of an era and John Laurinaitis was trying to make sure it was his, then comparing the previous year of the Rock going off to film movies while Lesnar was just there to fight; Cena went on to discuss his upcoming match with Lesnar, with Laurinaitis then interrupting and saying Cena would be in an extreme rules match tonight against an opponent of his choosing; Laurinaitis then said the following week’s show would feature the contract signing would be between Cena and Lesnar; included a backstage segment with Hornswoggle and Truth, dressed as Sherlock; featured an ad promoting WWE’s new YouTube shows; included a backstage segment with Laurinaitis and David Otunga, with Eve walking in and asking to speak with Laurinaitis; featured a video package in tribute to the passing of Chief Jay Strongbow; included a backstage segment with Truth in which he told Long he found him a job, that being the general manager of Smackdown; Long then walked off in frustration; featured footage of WWE’s debut in Russia earlier in the week:
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Mark Henry in a No DQ, no count-out match at 13:12 with an elbow drop off the top, using a steel chair; following the match, Chris Jericho appeared on the big screen from a bar, saying he would get a rematch against Punk at Extreme Rules, in a Chicago streetfight; Punk then took the mic and said he would happy to kick Jericho’s ass in front of his father, mother, and sister; Jericho then told Punk to promise to show up to Extreme Rules sober, then showing footage of Punk walking into the same bar around noon; Jericho then questioned what Punk was doing at the bar, with Punk telling him to come to the ring and smell his breath if he thought he was drunk; after mentions from both men, the crowd chanted “fish and chips” as Jericho said Punk had lost his honor, dignity, and would soon lose the title; Punk went to respond but Jericho’s video went out, with the crowd then chanting “CM Punk” (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned David Otunga with the Cobra at 2:00
Kane fought Zack Ryder to a no contest when Kane assaulted Ryder on the floor before the match began; moments later, Kane threw Ryder into the ring and dropped him with the chokeslam; Kane then took the mic and cut a promo on attacking Randy Orton and Bob Orton Jr. the previous week on Smackdown
Daniel Bryan defeated Kofi Kingston via submission with the LeBell Lock at 10:33; during the bout, there were frequent chants of “Yes” and “Daniel Bryan;” during and after the bout, AJ was shown watching on backstage; after the contest, Bryan reapplied the hold until World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus ran out, with Bryan sliding out to the floor (the first time the LeBell Lock is referred to as the Yes Lock)
Brodus Clay (w/ Carmen & Naomi) defeated Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero & Jack Swagger) via disqualification at the 23-second mark when Swagger interfered; Guerrero introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage before the match; after the match, Clay cleared both men from the ring before Naomi chased Vickie into the ring and shoved her to the mat
WWE IC Champion the Big Show & the Great Khali defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) in a non-title match at 1:55 when both men scored simultaneous pinfalls after Show’s chokeslam and Khali’s tree slam; during the bout, AW was shown watching on from the entrance stage
Lord Tensai (w/ Sakamoto) (mystery opponent) pinned John Cena in an extreme rules match at 6:59 with a sit-down powerbomb after spraying green mist into Cena’s face, moments after Cena dropped an interfering David Otunga with the FU; following Cena’s entrance, Laurinaitis, alongside Otunga, appeared and introduced Tensai as Cena’s opponent; during the match, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” Laurinaitis and Otunga remained ringside for the duration of the bout
WWE Superstars – 4/19/12 – featured a video package focusing on Brock Lesnar, with Lesnar speaking about his dominance before WWE, becoming a 3-time WWE World Champion, and leaving to become UFC World Champion; Lesnar then said he was in it for himself and the company needed him to come back to bring legitimacy to the company; Lesnar added had he not left then John Cena would be the guy carrying his bags; Lesnar then discussed his upcoming extreme rules match with Cena at Extreme Rules; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania’s attendance was 78,363, was seen in 105 countries and in 20 languages; featured an ad promoting ‘You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge;’ included the Jinder Mahal vs. Yoshi Tatsu match taped 4/17/12 in London, England:
Eve pinned Kelly Kelly with a takedown in the corner and putting both feet on the ropes for leverage at 5:21; Matt Striker & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout
R-Truth pinned Jack Swagger at around the 14-minute mark with the Little Jimmy; Matt Striker & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout; during the match, there were dueling chants of “Swagger sucks” and “Let’s go, Swagger”
Dark match after the taping: WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho via disqualification when Daniel Bryan interfered; after the match, WWE IC Champion the Big Show, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, and Randy Orton made the save against Bryan, Jericho, Cody Rhodes, and Alberto Del Rio
WWE @ London, England – O2 Arena – April 17, 2012 (7,500)
Antonio Cesaro defeated an unknown
NXT – 4/17/12 – featured an opening video recapping the previous weeks on NXT, narrated by Derrick Bateman; included an ad promoting ‘You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge;’ featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 200 Make-A-Wish families were guests at WrestleMania; included a backstage segment with Darren Young and Titus O’Neil in which they discussed their new deal with John Laurinaitis that would move them to Smackdown; featured a backstage shot showing Matt Striker in possession of Curt Hawkins’ cane; included an ad promoting WWE’s new YouTube shows; featured a backstage segment with Hawkins speaking with Tyler Reks, with Maxine and Johnny Curtis walking in, handcuffed, and blaming their situation on Hawkins & Reks; moments late, Percy Watson, Derrick Bateman, and Kaitlyn walked past and made fun of them; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 29:
Percy Watson pinned Johnny Curtis (w/ Maxine) at around the 10-minute mark with a fireman’s carry into a slam; Maxine joined the commentary team for the bout, during which she said Curtis was completely at fault for Matt Striker’s recent kidnapping and she had nothing to do with it; after the contest, William Regal took the mic and invited Curtis to join the commentary team for Maxine’s upcoming match
Maxine defeated Kaitlyn (w/ Derrick Bateman) via submission with a bodyscissors and dragon sleeper at 3:32; Bateman and Johnny Curtis joined the commentary team for the match; after the contest, William Regal took the mic, asked for Maxine to come towards the commentary table; Regal then said he would keep them together, as punishment for kidnapping Matt Striker, and had them sign an agreement stating as much; Regal said if they didn’t sign they could be taken off NXT, then handcuffed the two together, adding he didn’t know where the key was
Tyler Reks pinned Curt Hawkins in an impromptu match with a reversal into a roll up at 5:31; prior to the bout, Reks and Hawkins came out and claimed the footage of them dealing with Matt Striker had been doctored, with Striker then coming out with Hawkins’ cane; Striker then said the fans had accepted them as one of their own; Striker then said he had seen all the footage and he knew what the two did to him, then swinging the cane at both before William Regal took the mic and said he was sick of Reks and Hawkins; Regal then said the two men would compete, with the loser being fired and Striker as the guest referee; after the contest, Hawkins argued with Striker until Striker punched him in the face and yelled that Hawkins was fired; moments later, Regal took the mic and said Hawkins was fired, then shook Reks’ hand before announcing he was fired too
WWE Superstars – 4/19/12: Jinder Mahal defeated Yoshi Tatsu via submission with the Camel Clutch at 4:29 after avoiding the kick to the face and countering with a knee to the back of the head; Matt Striker & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout
Smackdown! – 4/20/12 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Daniel Bryan in which he discussed losing the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania, citing Sheamus took the cowardly way out to take the title from him; Bryan then said Sheamus would be fired if he touched the referee at Extreme Rules, then adding his rematch with Sheamus would be in the same city – Chicago – where he won the Money in the Bank briefcase when no one expected him to; Bryan said he would beat Sheamus twice in Chicago and they wouldn’t be fluke victories; Bryan then used his “Yes!” chant to confirm he would regain the title until AJ walked out and interrupted him; Bryan quickly told her to go away, but AJ entered the ring and asked Bryan to talk about their problems; Bryan responded by saying he had no problems because he got rid of her; after AJ wished Bryan good luck, Bryan said he wished he never went out with AJ to begin with and added he wished she had never been born; included a vignette of Damien Sandow in which he spoke of the celebrity culture, and said he would elevate the fans; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw has been the #1 show on cable four of the previous five weeks, beating every show on TNT, TBS, the History Channel, Fox News, and EPSN; included a backstage segment with Teddy Long in which he went looking for Aksana before finding Darren Young and Titus O’Neil, with the two making fun of the fact Long wouldn’t put them on Smackdown and now wasn’t running it anymore; John Laurinaitis then appeared and said Young & O’Neil were now on Smackdown; after Young & O’Neil left, Laurinaitis put a queen’s guard hat on Long’s head; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Randy Orton regarding Kane assaulting his dad, Bob Orton Jr., the previous week and said his match with Kane at Extreme Rules would be a falls count anywhere match; featured comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, WWE World Champion CM Punk, John Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; included an ad promoting the new WWE.com; featured an ad promoting ‘You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge;’ included the announcement WrestleMania 28 was the highest grossing and most watched WrestleMania ever; featured a video package focusing on Brock Lesnar, with Lesnar speaking about his dominance before WWE, becoming a 3-time WWE World Champion, and leaving to become UFC World Champion; Lesnar then said he was in it for himself and the company needed him to come back to bring legitimacy to the company; Lesnar added had he not left then Cena would be the guy carrying his bags; Lesnar then discussed his upcoming extreme rules match with Cena at Extreme Rules; included a backstage segment with Long, dressed as a royal guard, and William Regal briefly walking up to him; moments later, Aksana walked in with an unknown man and met with Laurinaitis, with Laurinaitis referring to the man as “Antonio” (Claudio Castagnoli’s TV debut):
Natalya Neidhart defeated AJ via disqualification at the 49-second mark when an emotional AJ wouldn’t stop assaulting Neidhart in the corner; after the contest, AJ cried and ran backstage
Brodus Clay (w/ Hornswoggle, Naomi, & Cameron) pinned Hunico (w/ Epico) with the splash at 1:13; during his entrance, Clay took a mic and introduced his little brother, with Hornswoggle then coming out dressed as him and dancing in the aisle and in the ring; following the bout, Lilian Garcia announced that both Clay & Hornswoggle won the match; after the contest, Clay, Hornswoggle, Naomi, & Cameron danced together
Darren Young & Titus O’Neil defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso at 3:35 when O’Neil scored the pin following a modified Hart Attack, with Young coming off the middle turnbuckle with a clothesline
Alberto Del Rio pinned WWE IC Champion the Big Show in a non-title match at 5:17 after Cody Rhodes interfered behind the referee’s back and hit Show with the Beautiful Disaster; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout; after the match, Rhodes escaped through the crowd
Ryback pinned Danny Lerman with a running Samoan Drop at 1:13; prior to and after the bout, Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre were shown watching on backstage, making fun of Lerman’s chances; following Lerman’s entrance, he took the mic and dedicated the match to his mother
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, Randy Orton, & WWE IC Champion the Big Show (sub. for the injured Great Khali) defeated Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, & Mark Henry at around the 18-minute mark when Orton pinned Henry with the RKO after Show punched Henry in the face; prior to the bout, Rhodes hit the Beautiful Disaster onto Khali’s knee outside the ring, with referees and trainers then coming out to tend to Khali on the floor; moments later, Show came out to be in Khali’s spot (the match began during the commercial break)
Dark match after the taping: Randy Orton pinned Kane with an RKO onto a steel chair
Dark match after the taping: World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Daniel Bryan at the 10-second mark
WWE (Raw) @ Rome, Italy – Pala Lottomatica – April 17, 2012
R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico in a non-title match
Zack Ryder defeated Dolph Ziggler
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Jack Swagger
Lord Tensai defeated Tyson Kidd
Nikki & Brie Bella defeated WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Eve
John Cena defeated Mike Mizanin
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho in a No DQ match
WWE @ Sheffield, England – Motorpoint Arena – April 18, 2012
WWE @ Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum – April 18, 2012
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Cardiff, Wales – Motorpoint Arena – April 19, 2012
The Great Khali pinned Jinder Mahal with the tree slam
Mason Ryan, Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Drew McIntyre, Tyler Reks, & Curt Hawkins when Ryan scored the pin
Alberto Del Rio defeated Percy Watson via submission with the cross armbreaker in less than 2 minutes
Alicia Fox pinned Natalya Neidhart after shoving her over guest referee Aksana
WWE IC Champion the Big Show pinned Cody Rhodes with the chokeslam
Booker T & Brodus Clay defeated Mark Henry & Christian when Clay pinned Christian with the splash after a scissors kick from Booker; late in the bout, Henry walked out of the match
Randy Orton pinned Kane in a streetfight following a RKO onto a steel chair
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Daniel Bryan with the boot to the face
WWE @ Toulouse, France – Zenith Arena – April 19, 2012
WWE @ Newcastle, England – Metro Radio Arena – April 20, 2012
WWE @ Paris, France – Bercy Sports Palace – April 20, 2012
WWE @ Glasgow, Scotland – Braehead Arena – April 21, 2012
WWE @ Antwerp, Belgium – Lotto Arena – April 21, 2012
WWE @ Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena – April 23, 2012 (announced at 16,122; sell out)
Raw SuperShow – 3-hour episode – featured an opening in-ring segment in which Teddy Long introduced John Cena, calling him “a 2-time WWE champion and a 2-time WWE champion;” Long then introduced Brock Lesnar, with John Laurinaitis coming out instead and saying the contract signing would be held later in the show, when Lesnar arrives, and it would be on Lesnar’s terms; Laurinaitis then said it could be Cena’s last Raw and he should enjoy it, then telling Long to instruct Cena to leave the ring; moments later, Edge interrupted, said he wasn’t supposed to be there and his contract would run out in a few days, but he wanted to speak in public to Cena; Edge then said he didn’t want to speak to the Cena in the ring, the Cena affected by losing to the Rock at WrestleMania, and reminded him of their rivalry in 2006; Edge followed by saying Cena couldn’t lose because Lesnar didn’t care about WWE or the fans and left while Cena and Edge carried the load; Edge then said if Cena didn’t get it together then it was a slap in the face to Shawn Michaels, the Undertaker, and himself; he finished by telling Cena to beat Lesnar, then left the ring; included a video package recapping the Lesnar vs. Jeff Hardy match at Backlash 2002; featured an ad promoting the new WWE.com; included a backstage segment with Laurinaitis on his cell phone until Eve walked in, with Laurinaitis making her his new executive assistant; featured a video package with Lesnar talking about why he returned to WWE; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion CM Punk in which he commented on Chris Jericho’s comments earlier in the show, then showing off the liquor basket Jericho gave him; Punk then said he would hand deliver his own gift to Jericho in Chicago, then giving the basket to Matthews; featured an ad promoting ‘You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge;’ included an in-ring promo by Kane in which he discussed his upcoming falls count anywhere match with Randy Orton at Extreme Rules; moments later, Orton appeared on the big screen with Paul Bearer, tied up in a wheelchair, and shut him into a freezer; Kane responded by saying his real father was the devil himself and he had no intention of saving Bearer; Orton then came ringside and assaulted Kane with a steel pipe; featured a backstage segment in which Alex Riley told Jericho that Punk kicked him out of his locker room after catching him drinking from his gift basket; moments later, Jericho peeked in Punk’s room to see him drinking while on his cell phone; featured the announcement WWE US Champion Santino Marella would defend against Mike Mizanin during the YouTube Extreme Rules pre-show, beginning at 7:30pm EST Sunday; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE granted wishes to Make-A-Wish kids in Germany, Ireland, UK, and France; featured a backstage segment with Jericho, Laurinaitis, Eve, and Long in which Jericho said Punk should be stripped of the title for drinking, with Eve saying he couldn’t drink within 12 hours of a WWE event and could be stripped of the belt; Jericho then suggested Laurinaitis give Punk a field sobriety test; after Jericho left, Laurinaitis told Long to do the test; included Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Lesnar about why the contract signing didn’t open the show as scheduled, then asked what would happen if he were to lose to Cena; Lesnar then briefly pinned Matthews against a production truck before then throwing him down; following the commercial break, Matthews was strapped onto a stretcher and put in a neckbrace; featured a backstage segment in which Long informed Punk of the sobriety test, with Punk yelling in response; included an ad promoting WWE’s new YouTube content; featured an in-ring segment in which Long, alongside police officers, asked for Punk to come to the ring; moments later, Jericho joined him in the ring to make sure the test was done correctly; Punk then came out, slightly staggering, and appeared to show signs of intoxication, even referring to the fans as the “WWF” universe; one of the police officers then told Punk to recite the alphabet backwards, with Punk saying no one can do that sober; he was then told to walk a straight line in the ring, with Punk failing to do so; Jericho then said Punk should be stripped of the belt, with one of the police officers saying he thought Punk was drunk; after the cops left the ring, Long asked Punk to hand over the title belt, which he reluctantly did; before Long could give the title to Jericho, Punk asked for another chance, with Punk reciting the alphabet backwards and walking back and forth down the straight line, even doing a Ric Flair strut; after getting to “A,” Punk hit Jericho with the mic and assaulted Jericho around ringside and up the ramp until Jericho escaped backstage; moments later, Eve and Laurinaitis were shown watching on backstage; included a video package showing Lesnar’s win over Hulk Hogan in 2002; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was seen by four times as many viewers as MLB on ESPN; included a backstage segment in which Kane rescued Bearer from the freezer only to then return him, saying he was saving Bearer from himself; featured a backstage segment in which AW interrupted Rosa Mendes, WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico, with AW saying they were the champions and needed to be higher profile, then giving them his business card; included a video package recapping Lesnar’s win over Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 19; featured the announcement World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus would face Mark Henry in a rematch on Smackdown, as well as Michael Cole conducting an interview with Orton; included Laurinaitis overseeing the in-ring contract signing between Lesnar and Cena, introducing both men; after Lesnar’s entrance, Cena didn’t appear when his music hit, prompting dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” Lesnar then took the mic, told Laurinaitis that Cena was too scared to come out, and had Laurinaitis sit down to discuss changes to his contract; Lesnar said he wasn’t happy about how things have gone and gave Laurinaitis a copy of things he wanted changed before he signed his contract for Sunday; Lesnar then said anything involving him would have to be cleared by him first, he would get use of Vince McMahon’s jet, couldn’t be fined, would get paid more money, and Raw would be renamed to ‘Monday Night Raw starring Brock Lesnar;’ Laurinaitis agreed, with Lesnar then signing the contract; moments later, Cena appeared with a steel chain around his hand, with Lesnar insulting him and calling him scared until Cena signed the contract; the two then faced off, with Lesnar eventually tipping the table and leaving the ring as Cena watched on:
Chris Jericho defeated Kofi Kingston via submission with the Walls of Jericho at 11:57 after countering a springboard crossbody with the Codebreaker; after the bout, Jericho took the mic and said that win was proof he would win the WWE World Title from CM Punk at Extreme Rules, then saying he would embarass Punk in front of his family and friends in Chicago; Jericho then said he would have a gift for Punk later in the night
Lord Tensai pinned R-Truth with a STO into a claw hold at 2:01 after a sit-down powerbomb; during his entrance, Tensai cut an insert promo in Japanese; there were chants of “Yes” during the match
WWE IC Champion the Big Show & the Great Khali defeated Alberto Del Rio & Cody Rhodes at 10:28 when Show pinned Rhodes with the chokeslam after ADR walked out of the match and Khali chopped Rhodes in the head; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; prior to the bout, it was announced Rhodes would challenge Show at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation not announced until Sunday
Nikki Bella (w/ Brie Bella) pinned WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix in a lumberjill match with a roll up to win the title at 4:06 after Phoenix appeared to injure her ankle on the floor; prior to the bout, Eve came out and announced the lumberjill stipulation; lumberjills for the bout included Kelly Kelly, Kaitlyn, Aksana, Alicia Fox, Maxine, Natalya Neidhart, Tamina, and Rosa Mendes; after the bout, an emotional Phoenix was tended to by officials
Mark Henry pinned World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus in a non-title match at 1:34 after a fast count from guest referee Daniel Bryan; following the ring entrances, Justin Roberts introduced Bryan as the guest referee, per John Laurinaitis; after the bout, Sheamus attacked Bryan on the floor, with the two going back to the ring where, after Sheamus kicked Henry in the face, Bryan applied the Yes Lock on Sheamus; following the commercial break, Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Sheamus, with Sheamus calling Bryan a coward
Zack Ryder & WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) in a non-title match at 3:17 when Santino pinned Primo with the Cobra
Brodus Clay & Hornswoggle (w/ Cameron & Naomi) defeated Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) via disqualification at 1:55 when Vickie climbed in the ring and slapped Clay; the bout was sponsored by Taco Bell Doritos Locos Tacos; Guerrero introduced her team from the entrance stage before the bout; Hornswoggle was dressed as Clay for the contest; after the match, Vickie apologized and put Clay’s hat on his head before doing his dance, with Hornswoggle then biting Vickie on the butt, clearing her from the ring
Dark match after the taping: WWE Champion CM Punk & John Cena defeated Kane & Chris Jericho at 3:38 when Cena pinned Kane with the FU after Punk hit Jericho with the Go To Sleep and made a cover; following the match, Vince McMahon appeared on the stage, with he and Punk announcing it was Cena’s birthday and Punk stating Cena was born to be a professional wrestler; the entire roster then came out, joined by Triple H, and the locker room sang “Happy Birthday” to Cena; moments later, most of the divas, along with Hornswoggle, entered the ring and piled on Cena
WWE @ Grand Rapids, MI – Resch Center – April 24, 2012
Smackdown! – 4/27/12 – featured Michael Cole & Booker T on commentary, without Josh Matthews, who was injured by Brock Lesnar Monday during Raw; included an opening in-ring promo by Daniel Bryan in which he bragged about getting rid of AJ before saying his WrestleMania loss to Sheamus didn’t count and should go on AJ’s record since she was the reason he lost; Bryan then discussed his being the guest referee for World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs. Mark Henry earlier in the week on Raw, showing doctored slow motion footage to counter critics saying he gave Sheamus a fast count; Bryan went on to say he would regain the title Sunday until Alberto Del Rio drove into the arena; ADR then mocked Bryan by having Ricardo Rodriguez answer all his questions with “Si!” and said he would be the next world champion while Bryan would be forgotten; Rodriguez’s chants prompted the crowd to chant “Si;” moments later, WWE IC Champion the Big Show walked out, cleared Bryan and ADR from the ring, and dropped Rodriguez with the chokeslam; featured a backstage segment with John Laurinaitis and Eve in which Laurinaitis told Eve to look for ideas to improve the show, with Eve suggesting all the crew wear name tags; Teddy Long then appeared, with Laurinaitis telling Long to report to Eve from now on; included footage from Raw’s match in which Nikki Bella won the WWE Divas Title from Beth Phoenix; featured a vignette from Damien Sandow in which he spoke of enlightenment and said he would make his debut the following week; included an ad promoting the new WWE.com; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE was the most talked about brand on Facebook, with more fans than Nike, Pepsi, UFC, HBO, ESPN, and the NFL; included a backstage segment in which Darren Young & Titus O’Neil mocked Yoshi Tatsu and kept asking him who Tatsu’s tag team partner was going to be to face them later in the show, with Ezekiel Jackson then appearing; featured a backstage segment with Long, dressed as a maid and wearing a name tag, in which Aksana appeared; after the two talked, Laurinaitis and Eve appeared, with Laurinaitis saying Aksana’s friend Antonio Cesaro would get a trial match later in the show with her as the guest ring announcer; Eve then said Long would be doing commentary, with Laurinaitis saying he would be on headset and Long would only say what he tells him to say; included an in-ring segment in which Cole interviewed Randy Orton about his feud with Kane, with Cole starting the interview by saying Laurinaitis had ordered that if any superstar lays their hand on an announcer then the superstar would be immediately suspended; after Cole showed a video package recapping the feud between Orton and Kane, he asked Orton what it would be like to face a monster he created as a result of his failure at WrestleMania; Orton then said he would beat Kane in their falls count anywhere match at Extreme Rules; moments later, Mahal interrupted, saying Orton and Kane would eliminate each other on Sunday, creating the path for him to go to the top; Mahal then said he would wait for Orton on the other side of the pay-per-view; Orton then asked if Mahal was an announcer, then dropping him with the RKO after he said he wasn’t; featured a video package recapping the feud between John Cena and Brock Lesnar to build their extreme rules match at Extreme Rules; included the announcement the Rock had been named the action star of the decade by the Motion Picture Association; featured a backstage segment in which AW spoke to Rosa Mendes, WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico about their position in the company and said he needed a decision from them by Monday as to if they wanted to work together; Ryback then walked past, with AW chasing after him; included a backstage segment in which Matt Striker tried to talk with AJ about what happened to her the previous week, with Kaitlyn stepping in and asking Striker to go away; Kaitlyn then told AJ that Bryan was a jerk that didn’t respect her, with AJ slapping Kaitlyn across the face; featured an ad promoting WWE’s new YouTube content:
WWE IC Champion the Big Show defeated Alberto Del Rio via disqualification at around the 3-minute mark when Cody Rhodes attacked Show as Show set ADR up for the chokeslam; after the bout, Rhodes pulled a kendo stick out from under the ring and hit Show with it but he brushed it off, punched a steel chair out of Rhodes’ hand, and then started whipping him with Rhodes’ own belt (the bout began during the commercial break)
WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella (w/ Brie Bella) defeated Alicia Fox in a non-title match at 1:49 when Brie scored the pin with a facebuster after the Bellas switched places in the ring behind the referee’s back; prior to the bout, it was noted Beth Phoenix would challenge Bella in a rematch at Extreme Rules
Darren Young & Titus O’Neil defeated Yoshi Tatsu & Ezekiel Jackson at 1:49 when O’Neil pinned Tatsu following a double team move in which O’Neil held Tatsu in a powerbomb position and Young came off the middle turnbuckle with an assist; prior to the bout, Teddy Long – wearing a John Laurinaitis ‘People Power’ T-shirt – sat at his own broadcast table
Antonio Cesaro pinned Tyson Kidd at 1:10 with a cradle piledriver into a slam; Aksana was the guest ring announcer for the bout; after the match, John Luairnaitis – on his headset – told Teddy Long to enter the ring and raise Cesaro’s hand in victory; moments later, Aksana kissed Cesaro, with an emotional Long then leaving ringside (Cesaro’s TV in-ring debut)
The Great Khali pinned Cody Rhodes at 2:00 with the tree slam; during the bout, it was noted Rhodes’ match with WWE IC Champion the Big Show at Extreme Rules would be decided by Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal
Ryback pinned Jacob Kaye at 1:09 with a running Samoan drop; following his introduction, Kaye took the mic and said he would beat Ryback and would use it to escape his hometown of Grand Rapids; Jimmy & Jey Uso were shown watching on before and during the match
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Mark Henry in a non-title match with the boot to the face at 11:05; after the bout, Daniel Bryan appeared at the entrance stage and clapped for Sheamus’s win; Sheamus then took the mic and challenged Bryan to come out to the ring, then prompting the crowd to chant “18 seconds” in regard to his WrestleMania win over Bryan; Sheamus then said Bryan would have no excuses following Extreme Rules and chanted “Yes!” after asking himself if he would kick Bryan’s arse to keep the title
Extreme Rules 2012 – Chicago, IL – AllState Arena – April 29, 2012 (announced at 14,817)
YouTube.com Pre Show – featured a backstage segment in which Eve spun a wheel to determine what the stipulation would be for the Cody Rhodes vs. WWE IC Champion the Big Show match later in the night; Eve, alongside Teddy Long, discussed the possibilities of the match to the two wrestlers before Long spun the wheel, with the wheel landing on a tables match; after the stipulation was decided, Rhodes blamed it on Long, with Eve looking on disapprovingly:
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Mike Mizanin with the Cobra at 4:40 after avoiding a charge in the corner; following his entrance, Miz cut an in-ring promo saying he didn’t care where on the show he was put because he would make it the most watched segment of the show, then saying he would win the US title and it would be the highlight of the night; Michael Cole & Matt Striker provided commentary for the bout
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Michael Cole, Booker T, & Jerry Lawler on commentary; featured a backstage segment with John Laurinaitis and Eve, with Eve bringing in Teddy Long to help give she and Laurinaitis a toast to change; moments later, Laurinaitis received a call from Triple H, with him then walking off to speak; included an ad promoting ‘You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge;’ featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Daniel Bryan regarding his upcoming Best 2 out of 3 falls match against World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, with Bryan insulting the Chicago crowd and saying he would take the title; after he walked off, AJ was shown looking on in the distance; included an ad promoting WWE’s new YouTube content; featured an ad promoting Over the Limit 2012; included Striker conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion CM Punk regarding his upcoming streetfight against Chris Jericho; featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA; included a backstage segment in which Eve walked up to WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella, along with Brie Bella, and said Phoenix wasn’t medically cleared to wrestle in her scheduled title match later in the show; Phoenix then said once she was cleared, she was taking the title; Eve then told Nikki she would be defending the title against a surprise opponent; Eve then said it wasn’t Kharma, with the Bellas sighing in relief; featured Striker conducting a backstage interview with Laurinaitis about why he was on the phone with Triple H, with Laurinaitis saying he would discuss it the next night on Raw:
Randy Orton pinned Kane in a falls count anywhere match with a RKO onto a steel chair; during the bout, the fight went backstage, where Zack Ryder briefly assaulted Kane
Brodus Clay (w/ Hornswoggle, Naomi, & Cameron) pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero & Jack Swagger) in an unadvertised bout at the 5-minute mark with a headbutt to the chest and splash; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage; during the match, there were chants of “Let’s go, Ziggler”
Cody Rhodes defeated WWE IC Champion the Big Show in a tables match to win the title at the 5-minute mark when Show stepped through a table set up on the floor following a dropkick from Rhodes which knocked Show off the apron; after the match, Show hit a spear on Rhodes inside the ring, then dropped Rhodes with a chokeslam through a table in the ring; moments later, Show hoisted Rhodes in a grilla press and threw him from the ring through a table set up on the floor; Rhodes was then tended to by referees on the floor but got to his feet by himself to hold up his title belt
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match, 2-1, at the 23-minute mark; Sheamus came to the ring wearing a T-shirt which read “18 Seconds;” Bryan was cheered upon his entrance and Sheamus received a mixed reaction; fall #1: Sheamus defeated Bryan via disqualification at the 15-minute mark when he repeatedly kicked Sheamus in the arm as the champion was against the ropes; fall #2: Bryan defeated Sheamus via TKO at the 17-minute mark when the champion passed out while caught in the Yes Lock, after being in the hold roughly a minute; after the fall, Sheamus was tended to by two trainers and the referee as the crowd gave dueling chants of “Yes” and “No;” fall #3: Sheamus pinned Bryan with the boot to the face
Ryback defeated Aaron Relic & Jay Hatton in a handicap match at the 2-minute mark by pinning both men after a lariat to Hatton and a running Samoan Drop to Relic; prior to and after the bout, WWE US Champion Santino Marella and the Great Khali were shown watching on backstage; following their introductions, Relic & Hatton took the mic and said them working together would overpower Ryback; during and after the match, the crowd chanted “Goldberg” at Ryback
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Chris Jericho in a streetfight at the 25-minute mark with the Go To Sleep after avoiding Jericho’s attempt at the move and using a slingshot to send Jericho face-first into an exposed turnbuckle; during his entrance, Punk hugged his sister at ringside, who sat by their mother; both wrestlers wore jeans for the match instead of their usual wrestling attire; mid-way through the bout, Punk’s sister slapped Jericho in the face after he confronted her; after Punk hit the elbowsmash off the drop late in the match, the crowd chanted “Randy Savage;” late in the bout, the crowd chanted “This is awesome;” after the contest, Punk ran into the crowd and was congratulated by his friends and family at ringside
Layla defeated WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella (w/ Brie Bella) by pinning an interfering Brie with the Layout neckbreaker at 2:28; following the Bellas’ entrance, they took the mic and talked about how long Nikki’s reign would last; Layla received chants of “Welcome back” upon her entrance (Layla’s surprise in-ring return after a year absence)
John Cena pinned Brock Lesnar in an extreme rules match at 16:47 with a FU onto the ring steps, set up inside the ring; prior to the entrances and during the bout, the crowd had dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” the match was stopped at the 1-minute mark when Cena began bleeding from the face after several elbow strikes from Lesnar; moments later, referee Charles Robinson was knocked to the floor; at the 9-minute mark, Robinson was again knocked down as Lesnar dropped Cena with the F5; moments later, Lesnar assaulted a replacement referee; after the match, a dazed Lesnar went backstage as Cena was tended to in the ring; after the contest, a bloody Cena took the mic and said he was proud to say the injuries he sustained happened in Chicago and alluded to being sent on a vacation and being off TV for a while
WWE @ Dayton, OH – Nutter Center – April 30, 2012
Raw SuperShow – featured an updated intro with “starring Brock Lesnar” now added; included an in-ring promo by John Laurinaitis in which he said he revolutionized the WWE in one night and said Brock Lesnar turned the WWE on its ear, brought legitimacy back to the WWE, and showed John Cena was human; Laurinaits then introduced Lesnar, with Lesnar taking the mic and saying the world witnessed him bringing the pain the previous night; moments later, Triple H walked out and told Lesnar that his days of holding up the WWE were through and he wouldn’t be using the corporate jet or limo service unless he paid for it; Triple H then said the name of the show was ‘Monday Night Raw,’ period; Triple H then said everything in Lesnar’s initial contract was approved but not what Laurinaitis agreed to the previous week; after Laurinaitis spoke against not adhering to Lesnar’s demands, Triple H tore up the agreement and said Lesnar wouldn’t be getting any of it; Triple H then said the fans – whether they like him or not – want to see Lesnar in the ring face the likes of Cena, WWE World Champion CM Punk, and World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and while Lesnar could go home, he didn’t think he would want to following his loss to Cena; Laurinaitis then repeatedly tried to intervene, with Triple H having to tell him to shut up; when Laurinaitis continued, Triple H went to confront him only to then be assaulted by Lesnar; Lesnar then locked Triple H in a Kimura Lock until Sheamus, the Big Show, R-Truth, and Kofi Kingston ran out; Lesnar eventually left ringside as Triple H told a trainer that his arm was broken; moments later, Triple H was helped from the ring by the trainer, Show, Sheamus, Truth, and Kingston; following the commercial break, Triple H was tended to backstage; featured an ad promoting WWE’s new website; included a look at Cena’s involvement with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and an article Cena wrote about Make-A-Wish for USA Today; featured a video package recapping the previous night’s Cena vs. Lesnar match; included a backstage segment with Long, Eve, and Laurinaitis in which Eve sent Laurinaitis away and then gave him a pep talk about the WWE needing a leader and the entire world was watching to see how he would react; Laurinaitis then said he knew who Cena’s next opponent would be and that Cena wouldn’t like it; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 28 on DVD and Blu-ray; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE Raw and Smackdown can be seen in more homes in China than in the U.S.; featured a backstage segment in which AW spoke with Rosa Mendes, Primo Colon & Epico about their loss of the tag team titles and offered again to represent them; included the announcement Sheamus & Orton would face Daniel Bryan & Kane on Smackdown; featured a closing in-ring promo by Cena, his arm in a sling, in which he discussed his match the previous night against Lesnar, adding he was hurt but he was there; moments later, Laurinaitis walked out, with Cena mocking him by asking if he got him Zeus to be his next opponent; after the two had words, Laurinaitis discussed Cena’s opponent at Over the Limit, then introducing Lord Tensai as his opponent; Tensai then came out, with Laurinaitis hitting Cena in the back of the head with the mic, announcing he himself would be Cena’s opponent, with Tensai, his second, and Laurinaitis triple teaming Cena; Laurinaitis then targetted Cena’s injured arm, smashing a steel chair over it as Tensai held the arm over the ring steps:
Beat the Clock Challenge: Mike Mizanin pinned WWE US Champion Santino Marella in a non-title match at 4:18 with the Skull Crushing Finale; prior to the bout, Eve walked out to the entrance stage and said the winner of the series would challenge WWE World Champion CM Punk at Over the Limit; during the match, it was announced Brock Lesnar had been ejected from the building
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Nikki Bell and Brie Bella at the 11-second mark by pinning one Bella after causing them to collide, knocking the other to the floor
Beat the Clock Challenge: Chris Jericho fought the Big Show to a no contest at 4:18; Jericho initially defeated Show via count-out at 4:17 when Jericho slid back into the ring after Show missed a charge on the floor; during the match, Mike Mizanin was shown watching on backstage; the finish was not clear and it appeared the time ran out before the referee had counted to 10; following the commercial break, it was announced Jericho did not make it back into the ring before the time expired
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned JTG with a splash at 1:40; after the bout, three young kids danced with Clay and the girls in the ring
Beat the Clock Challenge: Randy Orton pinned Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) with the RKO at 4:16; Guerrero introduced Swagger before the match from the entrance stage; after the contest, Mike Mizanin was shown watching on backstage
R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) at 7:03 to win the titles when Kingston pinned Epico with the spin kick to the face after Truth dropped Epico throat-first across the top rope; during the match, it was noted WWE.com had just broken news that Nikki & Brie Bella had been fired (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Beat the Clock Challenge: Kane fought the Great Khali to a no contest when the 4:16 time limit expired; during the bout, Randy Orton was shown watching on backstage; after the match, Kane dropped Khali with the chokeslam
Beat the Clock Challenge: Daniel Bryan defeated Jerry Lawler via submission with the Yes Lock at 2:21; during the match, Randy Orton was shown watching on backstage; moments later, WWE World Champion CM Punk walked out and held up his title belt as Bryan started a “Yes!” chant; Michael Cole called this match and the remainder of the show by himself
– 5/1/12: John Cena filed for divorce from wife Elizabeth Huberdeau.
WWE @ Toledo, OH – Huntington Center – May 1, 2012
NXT – 5/2/12 – featured an opening in-ring segment with Matt Striker & William Regal, with Striker introducing the returning Josh Matthews at ringside before Regal said new faces would soon join the show; Johnny Curtis, handcuffed to Maxine, then walked out and asked if the new faces would be handcuffed to a “she devil;” after the two complained about still being on NXT, JTG interrupted and said the fans wanted to see more of him; Regal then said the three in the ring were thorns in the side of Hornswoggle the previous week when Hornswoggle was in charge; Regal then said Curtis & JTG would be in an opening match; Tyson Kidd then appeared, made fun of the three in the ring, and introduced Alex Riley as his tag team partner for the opening contest; included an ad promoting ‘You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge;’ featured comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, WWE World Champion CM Punk, John Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; included a backstage segment in which Michael McGillicutty spoke with Percy Watson, with Watson challenging McGillicutty to a match, thinking he was responsible for attacking him the previous week; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 28 on DVD and Blu-ray; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 620 million unique pages were viewed on WWE.com; featured a segment in which Tyler Reks & Curt Hawkins appeared ringside holding signs, with Regal taking the mic and telling security to eject the two from the building, which they were; included a backstage segment in which JTG spoke with Alicia Fox, with Fox suggesting JTG get a new look; featured a backstage segment with Derrick Bateman and Kaitlyn in which they spoke about Bateman’s upcoming match on Smackdown; moments later, they found Riley down on the floor with an injured knee:
Tyson Kidd & Alex Riley defeated JTG & Johnny Curtis at around the 13-minute mark when JTG submitted to Kidd’s Dungeon Lock; Maxine provided guest commentary for the bout
Michael McGillicutty pinned Percy Watson with the neckbreaker at around the 12-minute mark; following the bout, Matt Striker appeared ringside, whispered something to William Regal, and handed him a piece of evidence found near the injured Alex Riley backstage; Regal then held up tassels from Watson’s boot and said security wanted to speak with him backstage; McGillicutty then laughed as the show ended
Smackdown! – 5/4/12 – featured an ad promoting WWE’s new YouTube content; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw was the #1 show on cable on Monday, beating all the NBA playoff games on TNT; featured a video package recapping John Cena’s win over Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules and his altercation with John Laurinaitis on Raw; included a backstage segment with Eve, Daniel Bryan, Alberto Del Rio, alongside Ricardo Rodriguez, with Bryan demanding he get a rematch with World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus later in the show; Eve then said she would consult with the trainer before making the decision; featured a backstage segment in which Matt Striker spoke with a bandaged World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus about competing later in the show; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 28 on DVD and Blu-ray; featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA; included a look at John Cena’s appearance on SyFy’s ‘Dream Machines;’ featured a backstage segment with Eve setting up publicity photos for Antonio Cesaro, alongside Aksana, with Eve eventually instructing Teddy Long to rub oil on Cesaro for his photos; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more people watched Smackdown than the NFL Draft on ESPN; featured a backstage segment in which Kaitlyn spoke with Alicia Fox, with AJ then appearing and apologizing for slapping Kaitlyn; Kaitlyn said AJ’s pity party needed to stop, with AJ slapping Kaitlyn to the floor:
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan via disqualification in a non-title match at 2:50 when Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez attacked the champion; prior to the bout, Sheamus cut an in-ring promo in which he said he loves to fight, noted Daniel Bryan wanted to face him after Extreme Rules, and he said yes; Sheamus then chanted “Yes” until Bryan walked out for the bout; after the match, ADR applied the cross armbreaker on Sheamus before Bryan put the champion in the Yes Lock, with Bryan then arguing with ADR about interfering in the match; following the commercial break, Sheamus’ arm was tended to backstage by the trainer
WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated Hunico & Camacho in a non-title match at 4:08 when Truth pinned Camacho with the Little Jimmy; prior to the bout, AW, Rosa Mendes, Primo Colon & Epico came out and watched the match from the entrance stage
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) defeated Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero & Dolph Ziggler) via count-out at 1:43 when Swagger left ringside; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced Swagger from the entrance stage; after the contest, Clay, Cameron, & Naomi danced in the ring with several fans
Damien Sandow fought Derrick Bateman to a no contest when, following his entrance, Sandow took the mic and said he wouldn’t waste his time facing a “miscreant” like Bateman and that he would opt not to wrestle for the benefit of the fans; moments later, Bateman took the mic and said he earned a match on Smackdown and wouldn’t leave until he got one; Ryback then appeared
Ryback pinned Derrick Bateman at 1:12 with the running Samoan Drop in an impromptu match
Randy Orton & the Big Show defeated Kane & WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes at 14:16 when Show pinned Rhodes with the punch to the face after blocking Rhodes’ Beautiful Disaster with a chop; prior to and after the bout, it was noted Show would get title rematches with Rhodes during the weekend at live events
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Natalya Neidhart in a non-title match with the Lay Out at 1:59
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Daniel Bryan in a non-title match at 13:33 with the boot to the face as Bryan came off the top; prior to the bout, it was noted ADR would challenge Sheamus at Over the Limit; Sheamus wrestled the match with his arm and shoulder heavily bandaged; Alberto Del Rio, alongside Ricardo Rodriguez, provided guest commentary for the match before attempting to interfere during the closing moments
WWE @ Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Center – May 4, 2012
WWE @ Asheville, NC – Civic Center – May 5, 2012
WWE @ Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena – May 5, 2012
WWE @ Chattanooga, TN – McKenzie Arena – May 6, 2012 (matinee)
WWE @ North Charleston, SC – Coliseum – May 6, 2012 (matinee)
WWE @ Charleston, WV – Civic Center – May 6, 2012 (matinee)
Moved to 7/27/12
WWE @ Greensboro, NC – Coliseum – May 7, 2012
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Laurinaitis in which he said no one, not even John Cena, would undermine his authority as GM of Raw; Laurinaitis then said he would continue where Brock Lesnar left off with Cena at Over the Limit and that the WWE Board of Directors knew he was tough but fair, adding he let Cena take the night off to heal his injured elbow but Cena would be live via satellite later in the broadcast; Laurianitis then said his voice was injured at the hands of Steve Williams in Japan, then showing still photos of his work in Japan before calling himself the Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and Rock of Japan; moments later, WWE World Champion CM Punk interrupted and said the fans didn’t want to see Laurinaitis, he was never a good wrestler, and Laurinaitis was just acting out because Cena beat Lesnar; Punk then said there wasn’t a territory or person that would pay to see Laurinaitis, prompting him to go to Japan in the first place; Laurinaitis then said Punk would learn respect by facing Lord Tensai later in the show, with Punk saying he was looking forward to it and would look forward to seeing Cena twist Laurinaitis into a pretzel at Over the Limit; following the commercial break, Laurinaitis bumped into the Big Show backstage and yelled at him, with Show then making fun of Laurinaitis’s voice; Eve then confronted Show, with Show walking off for the opening bout; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was the #1 show on cable, beating every NBA playoff game on ESPN; featured Michael Cole, in the ring, conducting an interview via satellite with Cena about his elbow injury and facing Laurinaitis at Over the Limit, with Cena saying some doctors are advising him not to wrestle for several months but that there would be nothing stopping him from facing Laurinaitis; Cena then said the Board of Directors contacted him and he told them not to fine, demote, or fire Laurinaitis before their match; Cole then said he had been watching footage of Laurinaitis’s career, with Cena saying he was only scared of Laurinaitis being so bad that he could hurt himself before the pay-per-view; included an ad promoting Santino Marella’s “Foreign Exchange” on YouTube; featured a backstage segment in which Laurinaitis told Eve that Show’s apology was hollow, with Chris Jericho, Alberto Del Rio, and Alberto Del Rio appearing and arguing that they should get the title shto against World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus; moments later, the three began brawling, with Sheamus also getting involved; as referees pulled Sheamus and Orton apart, Laurinaitis said he would defend against Jericho, ADR, and Orton at Over the Limit; included footage of Stephanie McMahon, Sheamus, Mark Henry, Eve, ADR, and others speaking to a school in the Bronx about the ‘Be a Star’ program; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE was the most talked about brand on Facebook, with more fans than Nike, Pepsi, UFC, HBO, ESPN, and the NFL; included still photos of Triple H wearing a mechanical brace on his arm, followed by the announcement he would appear on Raw the following week; moments later, Paul Heyman walked out to Brock Lesnar’s entrance music and said he was representing Lesnar; Heyman then said Lesnar felt betrayed by WWE for going back on its agreements, then listing his accomplishments before saying Lesnar was an honest man for saying he would hurt people; Heyman then read a prepared statement from Lesnar in which Lesnar said he came back to WWE to bring legitimacy to the company and then ranted about Triple H, saying he was afraid of him and always had been; the letter finished with Lesnar saying he was never coming back and quit; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 28 on DVD and Blu-ray; included a backstage segment with Show, along with Michael Ealy and Warren Kole of “Common Law,” regarding Show’s apology to Eve and Laurinaitis running the show, with the actors making fun of Laurinaitis’s voice until Eve appeared:
The Big Show defeated WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes via count-out at 1:52 when Rhodes took the belt and walked out of the match; after the bout, Show took the mic and challenged Rhodes to come back to the ring or he would go backstage and bring him back out; moments later, Eve walked out and told Show to apologize for making fun of John Laurinaitis’s voice earlier in the show, then reminding Show that there wasn’t much demand for him outside of the industry; Show then apologized and left the ring
Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero & Jack Swagger) pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston (w/ WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth) at 2:40 with the Zig Zag after Swagger pushed Kingston off the middle turnbuckle behind the referee’s back; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage Michael Ealy and Warren Kole of “Common Law” were shown in attendance before the match; AW, Primo Colon, Epico, & Rosa Mendes were shown watching on backstage during the contest, with Mason Ryan then joining them as well
WWE Divas Champion Layla & Kelly Kelly defeated Natalya Neidhart & Maxine at 1:05 when Layla pinned Maxine with the neckbreaker; prior to the bout, WWE.com footage of Layla speaking about her title win following Extreme Rules aired; Beth Phoenix provided guest commentary for the match; during the bout, it was noted Phoenix would challenge Layla at Over the Limit
Chris Jericho & Alberto Del Rio defeated World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus & Randy Orton at 13:05 when Jericho pinned Sheamus with the Code Breaker after Sheamus accidentally kicked Orton in the face when Jericho moved out of the way; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; Sheamus’s shoulder was heavily taped for the match; after the contest, Jericho held the title belt on the floor before bragging to the commentary team that he should be the champion; moments later, Sheamus helped Orton to his feet, with Orton then dropping Sheamus with the RKO
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Mike Mizanin at 4:13 with the splash; following his entrance, Clay cut an insert promo to remind fans to “Call their momma” for Mother’s Day; Miz cut a promo upon his entrance in which he made fun of Clay and compared him to King Hippo from Mike Tyson’s Punch Out
Daniel Bryan & Lord Tensai defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk in a non-title handicap match at 6:58 when Tensai scored the pin with the STO into the claw; during Punk’s entrance, John Laurinaitis walked out and said the previously scheduled Punk vs. Tensai match would now be a handicap match; after the match, Bryan assaulted Punk and put him in the Yes Lock as the show ended
– 5/10/12: Gail Kim and Chef Robert Irvine were married in Napa Valley. Mark Summers, Guy Fieri, Bully Ray, Frankie Kazarian, Traci Brooks, Jeremy Borash, Christopher Daniels, Tara, Natalya Neidhart, Beth Phoenix, Alicia Fox, Tyson Kidd, and Molly Holly were in attendance.
WWE (Raw) @ Glens Falls, NY – Civic Center – May 11, 2012 (5,500; sell out)
Brodus Clay pinned JTG
Zack Ryder pinned Dean Ambrose; after the bout, Dolph Ziggler, alongside Mason Ryan, attacked Ryder; moments later, Ziggler had Justin Roberts announce him as the next WWE World Champion
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Beth Phoenix
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Jack Swagger
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Primo Colon & Epico when Truth scored the pin; the challengers initially won the match and titles until a second referee came out and noted Truth’s foot was on the bottom rope during the cover
Lord Tensai defeated Tyson Kidd
John Cena defeated Mike Mizanin
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Mason Ryan) with the Go To Sleep
WWE (Raw) @ Syracuse, NY – War Memorial Arena – May 12, 2012 (5,500)
Brodus Clay pinned JTG with the splash
Zack Ryder defeated Dean Ambrose via disqualification; after the bout, Dolph Ziggler attacked Ryder
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Beth Phoenix with a roll up
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Mike Mizanin and Jack Swagger by pinning Miz with the Cobra
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Primo Colon & Epico when Kingston scored the pin; the challengers initially won the match and titles until a second referee came out and noted one of the champions’ feet was on the bottom rope during the cover
Lord Tensai defeated Tyson Kidd
John Cena pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Mason Ryan) with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Chris Jericho with the Go To Sleep
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Newark, DE – Bob Carpenter Center – May 12, 2012 (3,200)
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil
Jinder Mahal defeated Ezekiel Jackson
Natalya Neidhart defeated AJ via disqualification
Randy Orton pinned Kane in a No DQ match with a RKO onto a steel chair
Yoshi Tatsu defeated Drew McIntyre
The Big Show & the Great Khali defeated WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes & Christian
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan
WWE (Raw) @ Rochester, NY – Blue Cross Arena – May 13, 2012 (matinee) (5,500)
Brodus Clay pinned JTG with the splash
Zack Ryder defeated Dean Ambrose via disqualification; after the bout, Dolph Ziggler attacked Ryder
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Beth Phoenix with a roll up
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Mike Mizanin and Jack Swagger by pinning Miz with the Cobra
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Primo Colon & Epico when Kingston scored the pin; the challengers initially won the match and titles until a second referee came out and noted one of the champions’ feet was on the bottom rope during the cover
Lord Tensai defeated Tyson Kidd
John Cena pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Mason Ryan) with the FU
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho via submission with the Anaconda Vice; Mick Foley was the guest enforcer for the bout
WWE @ Youngstown, OH – Covelli Centre – May 13, 2012 (matinee) (3,500)
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Titus O’Neil & Darren Young
Jinder Mahal defeated Ezekiel Jackson
Natalya Neidhart defeated AJ via disqualification
Ryback defeated Heath Slater,BR> Randy Orton defeated Kane in a No DQ match
Yoshi Tatsu defeated Drew McIntyre
The Big Show & the Great Khali defeated WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes & Christian
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan
WWE @ Pittsburgh, PA – Consol Energy Center – May 14, 2012
Dean Ambrose defeated Zack Ryder
Heath Slater defeated Alex Riley
Lord Tensai defeated Tyson Kidd
Raw Supershow:
WWE World Champion CM Punk & WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Daniel Bryan & WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes
Beth Phoenix defeated Alicia Fox
Kane defeated the Big Show
Brodus Clay, WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated Mike Mizanin, Dolph Ziggler, & Jack Swagger
Chris Jericho defeated Randy Orton via disqualification
Dark match after the show: WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho in a streetfight at around the 3-minute mark
Dark match after the show: John Cena, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, & Randy Orton defeated Kane, Lord Tensai, & Dolph Ziggler when Cena pinned Ziggler with the FU
WWE @ Hershey, PA – Giant Center – May 15, 2012 (5,000)
Dean Ambrose defeated Jeff Lucas
Johnny Curtis defeated Percy Watson
The Great Khali & Ezekiel Jackson defeated Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks
Kaitlyn defeated Maxine
Tyson Kidd defeated Michael McGillicutty and Derrick Bateman
Smackdown! – 5/18/12:
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger
WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil
Daniel Bryan defeated Zack Ryder
Kane defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via disqualification
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Randy Orton in a non-title match with a roll up after avoiding the RKO at around the 21-minute mark; after the match, Orton extended his hand to Sheamus, with Sheamus shaking it before Orton dropped him with the RKO (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
WWE @ Winter Park, FL – Full Sail University – May 17, 2012 (500; all freebies)
NXT taping:
Xavier Woods defeated Dean Ambrose
Seth Rollins defeated Jiro
Jinder Mahal defeated Jason Jordan
Leo Kruger defeated Aiden English
Richie Steamboat defeated Rick Victor
Antonio Cesaro defeated Dante Dash
Derrick Bateman defeated Johnny Curtis
WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth defeated Epico
Sofio Cortez defeated Paige
Seth Rollins defeated Camacho
Jake Carter & Corey Graves defeated Nick Rogers & CJ Parker,BR> Kassius Ohno defeated Mike Dalton
Richie Steamboat defeated Leo Kruger
Jinder Mahal defeated Derrick Bateman
Kenneth Cameron & Conor O’Brien defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso
7/11/12 & 12/26/12: Bray Wyatt pinned Aiden English with a swinging reverse STO at 1:47
Michael McGillicutty, Hunico, & Camacho defeated Tyson Kidd, Bo Rotundo, & Seth Rollins
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio
NXT – 6/20/12 – Season 6 premiere; featured an opening narration from William Regal; moments later, Jim Ross was introduced; Ross then took the mic and brought out Dusty Rhodes as the interim NXT GM; the two then talked at the entrance stage, with Rhodes saying Tyson Kidd would face Michael McGillicutty later in the night; included a vignette introducing Bo Dallas, who discussed his being part of the Windham-Rotundo family; featured a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Jerry Lawler discussed the debut of Mr. Socko on 10/5/98; included Ross & Regal on commentary; featured a vignette promoting the following week’s debut of Seth Rollins; included a vignette on Antonio Cesaro and promoting his appearance the following week; featured a vignette introducing Kenneth Cameron & Conor O’Brien as the team called Ascension; included a vignette on Bray Wyatt in which he was shown preaching in a small town, saying monsters are real and so was he; featured a backstage segment in which Derrick Bateman walked into the men’s room looking for Johnny Curtis, with the two then discussing their main event match the following week before Curtis washed his hands on Bateman’s shirt and walked off; included a backstage pretaped segment in which Daniel Bryan urged the fans at home not to attempt what they see on WWE TV:
Bo Dallas pinned Rick Victor with a spear at 2:19; after the bout, ? conducted an interview with Dallas at the entrance stage about opening up the new season of NXT with a victory
Damien Sandow fought Jason Jordan to a no contest; following his entrance, Sandow took the mic, asked the crowd to be quiet, and said he had been pitted against an unworthy opponent; Sandow then said he wouldn’t demean himself by facing Jordan and he was looking out for the benefit of the fans
Kenneth Cameron & Conor O’Brien defeated Mike Dalton & CJ Parker at 1:16 when O’Brien pinned Parker with the Downcast double team
Tyson Kidd defeated Michael McGillicutty via submission with the Dungeon Lock at around the 16-minute mark
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Florence, SC – Civic Center – May 19, 2012 (5,000)
Moved from 12/10/11
Sin Cara pinned Hunico (Sin Cara’s return after a 6-month absence)
David Otunga pinned Zack Ryder with the spinebuster
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Jack Swagger with the Cobra; Swagger initially won the title when Vickie Guerrero knocked the champion’s foot off the rope during a pin attempt but another referee came out and the match was restarted
The Great Khali defeated WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes & Christian via disqualification when Khali was illegally double teamed; prior to the bout, Eve came out and said it would be a handicap match since Big Show, Khali’s scheduled partner, had been fired
Randy Orton pinned Kane in a no holds barred match with a RKO onto a steel chair
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Beth Phoenix
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Daniel Bryan with the boot to the face
John Cena pinned Mike Mizanin with the FU
Over the Limit 2012 – Raleigh, NC – RBC Center – May 20, 2012 (8,000)
YouTube pre-show – featured Josh Matthews & Matt Striker on commentary; included a backstage segment with WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes, WWE US Champion Santino Marella, and Eve in which Cody and Santino argued over who had the better title; Eve then said there would be a battle royal later in the night, with the winner opting to challenger either man during the pay-per-view:
Kane pinned Zack Ryder with the chokeslam at 6:43 after avoiding the Rough Ryder
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Michael Cole, Booker T, & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included a backstage segment with Eve, Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks in which Eve discussed Hawkins & Ryder going into the crowd and taking signs speaking out against John Laurinaitis, with David Otunga telling them it was legal to do; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Randy Orton regarding his upcoming match against World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, Chris Jericho, and Alberto Del Rio, with Jericho interrupting and bragging about his recent victories over Orton and Sheamus, adding he would win the title later in the night; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 28 on DVD and Blu-ray; featured a backstage segment with Eve and WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes in which they discussed John Laurinaitis, with Rhodes saying Christian dodged a bullet by opting not to challenge him later in the show; Christian then appeared from behind, told Rhodes he was full of crap, and decided that he wanted to challenge for the IC title instead of the US title later in the show; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA; featured a segment showing Hawkins & Ryder going into the crowd to take signs speaking out against Laurinaitis; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion CM Punk regarding his upcoming bout against Daniel Bryan, with Punk talking about his history with Bryan until AJ appeared and wished Punk good luck; featured a backstage segment with Teddy Long, Eve, and Otunga, with Long happy about the potential of Eve and Otunga being fired alongside Laurinaitis; included an ad promoting ‘The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions’:
Christian won a 20-man battle royal by last eliminating Mike Mizanin at 12:30; other participants included the Great Khali, JTG, Ezekiel Jackson, Curt Hawkins, Tyler Reks, Michael McGillicutty, Yoshi Tatsu, Tyson Kidd, Jimmy & Jey Uso, Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre, Heath Slater, Darren Young, Titus O’Neil, Alex Riley, David Otunga, and William Regal; order of elimination: Slater by Khali (1:33); McGillicutty by Khali via a chop as McGillicutty was on the top rope (1:46); JTG by the Usos via a double superkick as JTG was on the ring apron (2:07); Tatsu by McIntyre via a suplex (2:24); Jackson by Hawkins & Reks (2:46); Jey by O’Neil & Young when Young held down the top rope (3:10); McIntyre by Hawkins & Reks (3:45); Hawkins by Khali (4:02); Reks by Khali (4:03); Mahal by Khali (4:14); Khali by Miz, O’Neil, & Young (5:27); O’Neil by Jimmy via a superkick (6:08); Jimmy by Young (6:55); Regal by Christian (7:23); Young by Riley via a dropkick (7:53); Riley by Miz via a kick to the face as Riley was laid across the top rope (8:36); Kidd by Otunga as Kidd attempted to drag Miz over the top (9:38); Otunga by Christian (11:34); stipulations stated the winner would challenge either WWE US Champion Santino Marella or WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes later in the show; both champions sat ringside for the bout; after the match, Christian motioned he wanted to face Marella
WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) at 12:17 when Kingston pinned Ziggler with the spin kick to the face as Ziggler ran into the corner; prior to the bout, Guerrero entroduced her team from the entrance stage and noted she would be the logical replacement for John Laurinaitis, should he be fired later in the show
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Beth Phoenix with the LayOut at 7:10; during the bout, there were chants of “We want Kharma” and “Colt Cabana”
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Alberto Del Rio at 15:54 by pinning Jericho with White Noise; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; during the match, there were brief chants of “Lionheart” at Jericho
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Mike Mizanin with the splash at 4:12; during his entrance, Miz cut a promo on Clay, saying Brodus was what was wrong with the WWE and Miz was the better dancer; Miz then danced, wearing a fedora, before Clay came out; prior to Clay’s entrance, Miz’s music accidentally played over Clay’s backstage introduction; after the contest, several kids danced in the ring with Clay and the girls
Christian pinned WWE IC Champion Cody Rhodes to win the title at 7:25 with the Unprettier after ramming Rhodes shoulder-first into the top turnbuckle; during his entrance, Rhodes cut a promo about having to defend the title, then noting his dad’s history in North Carolina before saying he was a better man than Christian
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Daniel Bryan at 23:56 with a reversal of the Yes Lock; throughout the bout, there were dueling chants for both men, as well as chants of “This is awesome” late in the bout; immediately after the pinfall, Punk submitted to Bryan’s hold (CM Punk: Best in the World)
Ryback pinned Camacho (w/ Hunico) in an unadvertised match at 1:54 with the modified Samoan Drop; during the bout, the crowd chanted “Goldberg” at Ryback
John Laurinaitis pinned John Cena in a No DQ, no count-out match at 17:03 after the Big Show punched Cena in the face as Cena attempted the FU ; stipulations stated Laurinaitis would be fired if he lost; if any wrestlers interfered, they too would be fired; early in the bout, Cena did commentary for the match with a dazed Laurinaitis, then took turns putting Laurinaitis in the STFU for 10 seconds at a time; late in the match, Laurinaitis left the ringside area, only to be carried back to the ring by Show, who cornered him in the ring before attacking Cena; after the bout, Show went backstage, leaving Laurinaitis and Cena at ringside
WWE @ Richmond, VA – Coliseum – May 21, 2012 (7,500)
Dean Ambrose pinned Alex Riley
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated JTG & Michael McGillicutty
Zack Ryder defeated Heath Slater
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Cena in which he discussed losing to John Laurinaitis the previous night at Over the Limit after interference from the Big Show; moments later, Eve interrupted from the entrance stage and introduced Laurinaitis, who drove out in a scooter and using a crutch; Laurinaitis then took the mic and discussed the multiple injuries he sustained in the match with Cena; he then said Cena or no one else could touch him again or they would be terminated, then introducing Big Show; Laurinaitis said he rehired Show on Saturday, then adding Cena would face Show at No Way Out; Show then took the mic and discussed being fired the previous week and crying on national television, then telling the fans they had no right to judge him; Show finished by saying he would knock Cena out at No Way Out; after Show returned backstage, David Otunga came out and said he too would beat Cena, with Cena warning him to go backstage and watch reruns of ‘Law & Order’ because he would hurt him in the ring; Otunga then dedicated the opening match to Laurinaitis; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Over the Limit was more socially active than Game of Thrones, Mad Men, and the NBA playoffs; featured an ad promoting the new WWE.com; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 28 on DVD and Blu-ray; featured a backstage segment in which AJ chased down WWE World Champion CM Punk and said she enjoyed Punk beating up Daniel Bryan the previous night; after Punk questioned if she was sadistic, AJ began crying before Punk awkwardly hugged her; AJ then immediately stopped crying before Punk walked off; included an ad promoting ‘The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions’:
John Cena defeated David Otunga via submission with the STFU at 1:58 following the FU; during the bout, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” John Laurinaitis and Eve watched the match from the entrance stage; after the match, Curt Hawkins, Tyler Reks, Darren Young, & Titus O’Neil came out of the crowd and attacked Cena until World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus ran out and helped clear the ring; Laurinaitis then ordered the four men backstage before saying Cena & Sheamus would face three men in a lumberjack match later in the show
Randy Orton defeated Alberto Del Rio via disqualification at 7:20 when Chris Jericho slid in the ring and dropped Orton with the Codebreaker; as Ricardo Rodriguez introduced ADR before the bout, WWE US Champion Santino Marella interrupted, insulted Rodriguez, and hit him with the Cobra before introducing ADR himself; prior to ADR’s entrance, it was noted Raw would celebrate its 1,000 episode — and move to a 3-hour format — beginning July 23; upon ADR’s entrance, Marella ran backstage; during Orton’s entrance, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler discussed Big Show’s return to WWE, with Cole saying Show did not resign with the company until the early morning hours, thus John Laurinaitis’s win over John Cena would stand; after the match, Jericho took the mic and repeated he was the best in the world at what he does before hitting the Codebreaker twice more
Daniel Bryan defeated Kane via disqualification in an impromptu match at 1:49 when Kane stole a steel chair away from Bryan at ringside and repeatedly hit him with it; prior to the bout, Bryan cut an in-ring promo in which he said he should be the new WWE World Champion after making Punk tap out at Over the Limit, then demanding a rematch; moments later, Punk walked out, praised the match, and noted he pinned Bryan in the contest; Punk then showed footage of what happened between them and Kane on Smackdown before introducing Kane as Bryan’s opponent; Punk provided guest commentary for the match; late in the bout, Punk took the chair and attempted to hit Kane with it, only for Bryan to take the chair instead; after the match, Kane twice dropped Bryan with the chokeslam in the ring; after Kane left ringside, Punk entered the ring and applied the Anaconda Vice on Bryan, with Bryan quickly tapping out
WWE IC Champion Christian pinned Jinder Mahal in a non-title match with the Unprettier and frog splash off the top at 3:16
Beth Phoenix pinned Kelly Kelly with the Glam Slam at 2:30; during the bout, there were brief chants of “We want Kharma;” WWE Divas Champion Layla was shown watching on during and after the match
John Cena & World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus fought Lord Tensai, Jack Swagger, & Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) to a no contest in a handicap match at the 15-minute mark when all the lumberjacks attacked Cena & Sheamus; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced Swagger & Ziggler from the entrance stage; lumberjacks for the match included Tyler Reks, Curt Hawkins, Darren Young, Titus O’Neil, David Otunga, Hunico, Camacho, Chris Jericho, Primo Colon & Epico, Alberto Del Rio, Jinder Mahal, and Drew McIntyre; late in the match, the Big Show briefly watched the match from the entrance stage; after the bout, WWE World Champion CM Punk, Brodus Clay, WWE US Champion Santino Marella, WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth, the Great Khali, and Ezekiel Jackson ran out and brawled with the lumberjacks; moments later, Cena went backstage to find Show; after confronting John Laurinaitis, Cena turned around and was knocked out by a punch from Show as the show ended
Dark match after the show: WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Daniel Bryan with the Go To Sleep
WWE @ Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mohegan Sun Arena – May 22, 2012
Dean Ambrose defeated an unknown
Jinder Mahal defeated Derrick Bateman
Percy Watson defeated Heath Slater
Maxine defeated Alicia Fox
The Great Khali & Ezekiel Jackson defeated Drew McIntyre & Johnny Curtis
Antonio Cesaro defeated Tyson Kidd
Smackdown! – 5/25/12 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Eve in which she discussed John Laurinaitis not being at the show due to an international business trip, adding she was left in charge of the show and would deal with World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus; Eve then said Sheamus would apologize for bumping into Laurinaitis on Raw and she would name his opponent for No Way Out; moments later, Alberto Del Rio walked out, praised Eve, and asked for the title shot at the pay-per-view; Randy Orton then interrupted and said he should get the title shot, with Kane then walking out and noting it was Smackdown episode 666; Eve then said the three would face off later in the show, with the winner earning the title shot; included an ad promoting the 1,000th episode of Raw on July 23, with Raw moving to a 3-hour format; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Over the Limit was more socially active than Game of Thrones, Mad Men, and the NBA playoffs; included an ad promoting ‘The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions;’ featured a vignette promoting the return of Sin Cara the following week; included YouTube comments from various superstars and divas in which they answered a Twitter follower’s question as to who was the most annoying superstar, with them all saying Mike Mizanin; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers all U.S. military personnel free tickets to its live events in the US; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 28 on DVD and Blu-ray; featured an in-ring promo by Big Show in which he discussed his firing the previous week, adding he loves what he does, and he made a deal to get his “life” back if he agreed to help Laurinaitis against John Cena; Show finished by saying he didn’t care about the fans because they didn’t care about him:
WWE IC Champion Christian pinned Hunico (w/ Camacho) in a non-title match with the Unprettier and frog splash at 3:04; following the match, Cody Rhodes interrupted and cut a promo from the entrance stage, saying he elevated the title back to when it was held by greats like Razor Ramon, Randy Savage, and Shawn Michaels, adding Christian ruined that in one night; Rhodes then said it would only take him 3 seconds to regain the belt
Darren Young & Titus O’Neil defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso at 3:13 when O’Neil scored the pin following a Decapitation; prior to the bout, footage was shown of the two teams arguing backstage earlier in the day
Ryback defeated Brian Edwards & Kevin Bendel (Ricky Reyes) in a handicap match by pinning both men at 1:29 after simultaneously dropping them with the modified Samoan Drop; Ryback had a black eye in the match; prior to the bout, Edwards & Bendel cut an in-ring promo on facing Ryback; upon Ryback’s entrance, the crowd chanted “Goldberg”
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Ricardo Rodriguez in a non-title match at 1:52 with the Cobra
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) in a non-title impromptu match with the boot to the face at 10:35 after avoiding the gutwrench powerbomb; prior to the bout, Sheamus cut an in-ring promo in which he apologized for John Laurinaitis being an “arse” and David Otunga and Eve doing the same; Sheamus then discussed his challenger for No Way Out, with Vickie interrupting and saying Eve declared Sheamus would have a match then and there
Damien Sandow pinned Yoshi Tatsu with a neckbreaker at the 45-second mark (Sandow’s TV in-ring debut)
Alberto Del Rio defeated Randy Orton and Kane at 10:18 by pinning Kane after Orton dropped Kane with the RKO and ADR kicked Orton in the head during his cover; prior to the bout, Daniel Bryan assaulted Kane with numerous shots with a steel chair until he was pulled away and forced backstage by referees; Bryan returned during the closing moments of the match, distracting Kane from the floor; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout; stipulations stated the winner would challenge World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus at No Way Out; after the match, Sheamus knocked ADR down at the entrance stage before posing with the title belt
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Poughkeepsie, NY – Mid-Hudson Civic Center – May 23, 2012
Sin Cara & Tyson Kidd defeated Hunico & Camacho when Sin Cara pinned Hunico
Jinder Mahal defeated Yoshi Tatsu via submission with the Camel Clutch
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Jack Swagger with the Cobra
Ezekiel Jackson defeated Drew McIntyre
The Big Show pinned the Great Khali at around the 45-second mark with the punch
Randy Orton pinned Kane with the RKO in a no holds barred match
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Natalya Neidhart with the Layout
WWE IC Champion Christian pinned Cody Rhodes with the Killswitch
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan and Alberto Del Rio; Mick Foley was the guest enforcer for the match
WWE (Raw) @ Sao Paulo, Brazil – Ibirapurera Gymnasium – May 24, 2012 (5,000)
Debut in Brazil – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Laurinaitis in which he welcomed the fans
Brodus Clay pinned JTG with a splash at 3:38
David Otunga pinned Alex Riley with the uranage at 7:50
Michael McGillicutty pinned Curt Hawkins at 8:46 with the swinging neckbreaker
Zack Ryder defeated Mike Mizanin; prior to the bout, Miz cut a promo on the fans in their native language
Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Primo Colon & Epico
John Cena defeated Dolph Ziggler
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Chris Jericho with the GTS at around the 18:30 mark after Jericho failed in hitting Punk in the head with a steel chair; prior to the bout, Punk paraded around the ring with the Brazilian flag, with Jericho then stealing it away, crumpling it up, and kicking it from the ring; moments later, police came ringside and informed Jericho he could either apologize for his actions or go to jail; Jericho then took the mic and said what he did was for entertainment purposes
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Hermosillo, Mexico – Multipurpose Centre – May 24, 2012 (3,000)
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Jack Swagger
Ezekiel Jackson defeated Drew McIntyre
Jinder Mahal defeated Yoshi Tatsu
Sin Cara & Tyson Kidd defeated Hunico & Camacho
The Big Show defeated the Great Khali
Randy Orton defeated Kane in a No DQ match
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Natalya Neidhart
WWE IC Champion Christian defeated Cody Rhodes
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio and Daniel Bryan
– 5/24/12: Chris Jericho was suspended for 30 days, after pressure from the Brazilian government, as a result of his actions at the Sao Paulo event.
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Aguascalientes, Mexico – Monumental Bullring – May 25, 2012 (4,000)
WWE IC Champion Christian defeated Cody Rhodes
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Jack Swagger
Randy Orton defeated Kane in a No DQ match
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Natalya Neidhart
Drew McIntyre defeated Yoshi Tatsu
Jinder Mahal defeated Ezekiel Jackson
Sin Cara & Tyson Kidd defeated Hunico & Camacho
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio and Daniel Bryan
WWE (Raw) @ Guayaquil, Ecuador – Voltaire Paladines Polo Coliseum – May 25, 2012 (6,000)
Brodus Clay defeated JTG
Mason Ryan defeated Alex Riley
Michael McGillicutty defeated Curt Hawkins
David Otunga defeated Zack Ryder
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Primo Colon & Epico
Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly
John Cena defeated Dolph Ziggler
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Mike Mizanin (sub. for Chris Jericho)
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Guadalajara, Mexico – Vicente Fernandez Gomez Arena – May 26, 2012 (4,500)
WWE IC Champion Christian defeated Cody Rhodes
Drew McIntyre defeated Yoshi Tatsu
The Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal
The Big Show defeated Ezekiel Jackson
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Jack Swagger; Mick Foley was the guest referee for the bout
Randy Orton defeated Kane in a No DQ match
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Natalya Neidhart
Sin Cara & Tyson Kidd defeated Hunico & Camacho
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio and Daniel Bryan
WWE (Raw) @ Quito, Ecuador – General Ruminahui Coliseum – May 26, 2012 (9,000)
Brodus Clay defeated JTG
Mason Ryan defeated Alex Riley
Michael McGillicutty defeated Curt Hawkins
David Otunga defeated Zack Ryder
WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated Epico & Primo Colon
Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly
John Cena defeated Dolph Ziggler (w/ Mason Ryan); during the bout, both John Laurinaitis and David Otunga interfered on behalf of Ziggler
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Mike Mizanin in a No DQ match
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Lake Charles, LA – Civic Center – May 27, 2012 (3,000)
WWE IC Champion Christian defeated Cody Rhodes
Drew McIntyre defeated Yoshi Tatsu
The Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Jack Swagger; Mick Foley was the guest referee for the bout
The Big Show defeated Ezekiel Jackson
Randy Orton defeated Kane in a No DQ match
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Natalya Neidhart
Sin Cara & Tyson Kidd defeated Hunico & Camacho
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio and Daniel Bryan
WWE @ New Orleans, LA – Arena – May 28, 2012 (8,700)
Dean Ambrose pinned Tyson Kidd with a DDT
Beth Phoenix defeated Alicia Fox
Tensai defeated Alex Riley
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening video package noting it being Memorial Day in America; included an in-ring promo by the Big Show in which he said he had an iron-clad contract and was set for life, adding he could do whatever he wanted to whomever he wanted; Show went on to say he was a giant, not an entertainer, and was offended that Brodus Clay was dancing in the ring immediately after Show was fired two weeks earlier, then adding he thought WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth were his friends when they too danced; Show went on to say the fans and John Cena saw him as a joke but Cena would be facing an unstoppable giant at No Way Out; featured a backstage segment with Eve and Alex Riley, with Riley praising Eve’s work before Show walked in; Eve then said Show could pick his opponent for later in the show, with Riley backing off and saying he admired Show; Show then said he wasn’t picking Riley as his opponent, but then threw Riley face-first into the wall as a message to the locker room; included a backstage segment with Show and WWE US Champion Santino Marella, with Show grabbing Marella by his face until Brodus Clay walked in and challenged Show to a match later in the night; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 28 on DVD and Blu-ray; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read ‘Be A Star”s anti-bullying campaign had been recognized by U.S. Congress; featured an in-ring segment in which John Laurinaitis, on his scooter, alongside Eve and David Otunga, came out, with Laurinaitis announcing Show would face Clay, Cena vs. Show at No Way Out would be a steel cage match, and revealed his own XBox 360 custom cover to WWE ’13 which only had him on the box; moments later, WWE World Champion CM Punk interrupted, made fun of Laurinaitis, and said the person on the real cover was more handsome than Laurinaitis, with a giant poster of the real cover – featuring Punk – dropping from the rafters; Punk then told Laurinaitis and his group to get out of his ring so he could face Daniel Bryan, with Laurinaitis wishing Punk luck in his match; included a backstage segment with Laurinaitis, Eve, and Otunga in which Laurinaitis spoke down to his team before telling them he needed people to count on; moments later, teddy Long walked in with coffee for Eve, with Eve spotting it on his shirt; featured an ad promoting the 1,000th episode of Raw on July 23; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers free tickets to military personnel to live events in the US; featured a video package on Memorial Day, narrated by Cena; included the announcement Punk would defend against Kane on Smackdown; featured an ad promoting ‘ECW Unreleased Vol. 1’:
Alberto Del Rio defeated WWE US Champion Santino Marella in a non-title match via submission with the cross armbreaker at the 50-second mark; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout; after the bout, Rodriguez repeatedly announced ADR as the winner as Santino was laid out on the mat
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) at 7:07 when Truth pinned Swagger with the Little Jimmy; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced her team from the entrance stage; after the match, Ziggler walked out on Guerrero and Swagger after saying “I’m better than this”
Daniel Bryan pinned WWE World Champion CM Punk in a non-title match at 15:23 after dropping Punk face-first onto an exposed turnbuckle; early in the match, AJ came ringside; after the bout, Kane came out and attacked Bryan with a steel chair, then dropping him with a chokeslam onto the chair; moments later, AJ tossed a chair to Punk, who assaulted Kane with it; a smiling AJ was then shown watching Punk
WWE IC Champion Christian pinned Mike Mizanin in a non-title match with the Killswitch and frog splash at 4:16; prior to the bout, Michael Cole announced Chris Jericho was not at Raw because of what happened at a live event in Brazil, with he and Jerry Lawler telling fans to visit WWE.com for more info; Cody Rhodes provided guest commentary for much of the bout before leaving the commentary table during the closing moments; following the commercial break, Miz took the mic and said he was the sole reason John Laurinaitis was in charge and questioned where his opportunities were; Miz then said he wasn’t leaving the ring until he was treated like the superstar he was, with Randy Orton then walking out and dropping Miz with the RKO; Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero were then shown watching on backstage, with Ziggler saying he should be in Orton’s spot and wanted out of his tag team with Jack Swagger
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned David Otunga in a non-title match at 2:48 with the White Noise and boot to the face
The Big Show fought Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) to a no contest; upon his entrance, Show took the mic and said Clay was as much of a sell out as him, then comparing Clay to Doink the Clown before adding Doink, unlike Clay, actually had talent; after Show assaulted Clay at ringside, Show fought off WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth before kicking apart the commentary table; Show then used part of the table to twice hit Clay across the back and easily manhandled Kingston & Truth while knocking Clay out with a punch; moments later, Show and John Laurinaitis held up their hands at the entrance stage as the show ended; moments later, Clay was taken backstage on a stretcher (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Dark match after the show: John Cena defeated the Big Show, Tensai, & John Laurinaitis in a handicap match at 5:14 by pinning Tensai after Show accidentally punched Tensai in the face, with Cena then knocking Show to the floor with a clothesline; Laurinaitis competed in the match with the aid of a crutch; after the bout, Cena dropped Laurinaitis with the FU
WWE @ Baton Rouge, LA – River Center – May 29, 2012 (2,500)
Moved from the Cajun Dome in Lafayette, LA
Dean Ambrose defeated Luke Hawx via submission with a Crossface Chickenwing
Tyler Reks & Curt Hawkins defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso
Kaitlyn defeated Tamina
Derrick Bateman, Percy Watson, & Justin Gabriel defeated Michael McGillicutty, JTG, & Johnny Curtis
Jinder Mahal defeated Yoshi Tatsu
Smackdown! – 6/1/12:
WWE IC Champion Christian defeated Drew McIntyre
Sin Cara defeated Heath Slater
Damien Sandow defeated Ezekiel Jackson
Ryback defeated two unknowns
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Dolph Ziggler
Zack Ryder & WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil
Cody Rhodes defeated Tyson Kidd
WWE World Champion CM Punk fought Kane to a no contest
Dark match after the taping: John Cena defeated John Laurinaitis, the Big Show, & David Otunga in a handicap match by pinning Otunga with the FU; after the bout, Cena dropped Laurinaitis with the FU, took the mic, and noted it was Hornswoggle’s birthday, then leading the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to him
WWE @ Alexandria, LA – Rapides Parish Coliseum – June 1, 2012
WWE @ Mobile, AL – Civic Center – June 2, 2012
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Augusta, GA – James Brown Arena – June 2, 2012
Matt Striker was the ring announcer for the show
Sin Cara & Tyson Kidd defeated Hunico & Camacho when Sin Cara pinned Hunico with a reverse roll up
Jinder Mahal defeated Ezekiel Jackson via submission with the Camel Clutch
Ryback pinned Heath Slater with the running Samoan Drop
Damien Sandow pinned Richie Steamboat with a neckbreaker
WWE IC Champion Christian defeated Cody Rhodes in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match; Christian won the initial match by pinning Rhodes with a frog splash; moments later, Teddy Long and Aksana appeared and said John Laurinaitis ordered the match be 2 out of 3 falls with Jinder Mahal serving as the guest referee; fall #2: Rhodes pinned Christian with the Beautiful Disaster; fall #3: Christian pinned Rhodes with the Killswitch
AJ pinned Kaitlyn with a running knee to the head
Kane pinned the Great Khali with a chokeslam
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Alberto Del Rio with the boot to the face
WWE @ Savannah, GA – Martin Luther King Jr. Arena – June 3, 2012
WWE (Raw) @ Birmingham, AL – BJCC – June 3, 2012
Brodus Clay defeated Jack Swagger
Seth Rollins defeated Michael McGillicutty
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Natalya Neidhart
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated David Otunga
John Cena defeated the Big Show & Tensai in a handicap match
Dolph Ziggler defeated Zack Ryder
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Primo Colon & Epico
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Daniel Bryan
WWE @ Greenville, SC – Bi-Lo Center – June 4, 2012
Richie Steamboat pinned JTG with a sunset bomb off the top
Jinder Mahal defeated Alex Riley via submission with the Camel Clutch
Jack Swagger pinned Zack Ryder
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring segment in which Michael Cole interviewed John Cena and blamed him for Big Show’s recent violent actions; after the two argued, Cole said Cena was overrated and hoped Show takes care of Cena in their steel cage match at No Way Out; moments later, John Laurinaitis came out on his scooter, said Big Show was not in the building, and that he himself had retired from competition, then adding Cena could face anyone else; Cena then said he wanted to face Cole, with Laurinaitis agreeing despite Cole’s pleas; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania 28 has been the #1 sports DVD, selling more copies than the Super Bowl; featured a backstage segment with Cole and Laurinaitis in which Cole tried to get out of his match against Cena; included an ad promoting “ECW Unreleased Vol. 1;” featured a backstage segment with Laurinaitis and David Otunga in which they discussed news from WWE.com that Vince McMahon would be on the show the following week, with Laurinaitis saying it would be a good thing; included a Raw 1,000 segment in which Cena spoke about when he was drafted to Raw in 2005; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which stated WWE’s Facebook network has more fans than MLB and all 30 teams combined; included a backstage segment in which Josh Matthews interviewed AJ about the look she gave Kane in the ring minutes earlier, with AJ saying she likes when men look at her and then saying Matthews might be her type; featured a video package on Big Show in which he said he wasn’t an entertainer, he was a giant; included a Raw 1,000 segment in which Triple H spoke about his return from his quad tear in 2002:
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) in a non-title match with the boot to the face at 9:09; prior to his entrance, Vickie introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage, with Michael Cole storming past her to join Jerry Lawler on commentary; after the contest, Alberto Del Rio jumped Sheamus from behind at the entrance stage, with Ricardo Rodriguez helping in double teaming Sheamus; ADR then repeatedly stomped the champion’s head before applying the cross armbreaker across the edge of the stage
Sin Cara pinned Hunico (w/ Camacho) at 2:31 with La Mistico; the match was wrestled under blue and orange lights
Ryback defeated Stan Stanski & Arthur Rosenburg in a handicap match at 1:56 by pinning both men after hitting a double running Samoan Drop; prior to the bout, Stansky & Rosenburg took the mic and recited a poem about what they would do to Ryback
Kane pinned WWE World Champion CM Punk in a non-title match at 13:40 with the chokeslam after Punk hit a dive to the floor onto Daniel Bryan, who sat ringside for the match; prior to the bout, Bryan walked out, took the mic, stood on the announce table, and cut a promo on AJ and Punk; late in the contest, AJ came out after Bryan assaulted Punk from behind the referee’s back; after the contest, Kane cornered AJ until she smiled at him, with Kane leaving the ring confused; AJ then tended to Punk in the ring
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Tyler Reks & Curt Hawkins in a non-title match at around the 6-minute mark when Kingston pinned Hawkins with the spin kick to the face after Hawkins struck the corner; Truth’s shoulder was heavily taped for the match (the bout began during the commercial break)
John Cena pinned Tensai (w/ Sakamoto) in an impromptu bout with the FU at 9:05; prior to the match, John Laurinaitis came out and announced that Cena would face Cole, as advertised, in a No DQ match but only if he beat Tensai first; during the bout, there were dueling chants of “Cena sucks” and “Let’s go, Cena”
John Cena pinned Michael Cole in a No DQ match at 9:05 with the FU; mid-way through the bout, Cena grabbed a mic and made Cole apologize in the ring to both Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross, then taking bottles of JR’s barbecue sauce from Lawler to pour on Cole; late in the bout, Tensai returned to the ring and dropped Cena with a Baldo Bomb; after the contest, Cena took a fire extinguisher, which he used earlier in the match, and sprayed it in the ring
Dark match after the taping: John Cena defeated John Laurinaitis, the Big Show, & David Otunga in a handicap match by pinning Otunga after Show accidentally knocked out Otunga with the punch to the face
WWE @ Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena – June 5, 2012
NXT – 6/6/12 – featured Josh Matthews & Matt Striker, subbing for William Regal, on commentary; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE superstars have granted more than 5,000 wishes with Make-a-Wish and their “Circle of Champions” program in the past 25 years:
Tyler Reks pinned Jey Uso at 5:02 with an overhead carry into a DDT after crotching Uso on the top rope; prior to the bout, Jey was escorted ringside by Jimmy Uso
Percy Watson pinned JTG with a Samoan Drop at 6:13
Tamina pinned Natalya Neidhart with a Samoan Drop and splash off the top at 6:23
Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel defeated Johnny Curtis & Heath Slater at around the 12-minute mark when Kidd pinned Curtis with a flying neckbreaker off the top as Gabriel held Curtis in the air
Smackdown! – 6/8/12 – featured a video package on Big Show in which he said he wasn’t an entertainer, he was a giant; included a backstage segment with Teddy Long, Brodus Clay, Cameron & Naomi in which Long said Clay wouldn’t be allowed back on Raw, to protect him from Show, and would now be on Smackdown; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was SyFy’s most watched regularly scheduled program for the 87th week in a row; included an ad promoting “ECW Unreleased Vol. 1;” featured a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Booker T talked about his match against Buff Bagwell in July 2001; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read John Cena has more than 2 million Twitter followers, more than Tim Tebow, Christina Aguilera, Howard Stern, Zach Galifianakis, Kelly Clarkson, and Hugh Jackman; featured a segment in which Michael Cole took the mic and discussed the assault he sustained on Raw, with Hornswoggle coming out dressed as Jim Ross and making fun of Cole until he was interrupted by Damien Sandow; as Sandow cornered Hornswoggle, Tyson Kidd ran out and cleared Sandow from the ring; moments later, Sandow slid back into the ring behind Kidd’s back and dropped Kidd with the neckbreaker before posing; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Kane about his win over WWE World Champion CM Punk on Raw and facing Sheamus later in the night; featured a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Sheamus spoke about the 11/23/09 battle royal he won, with Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura on commentary:
Alberto Del Rio defeated the Great Khali via submission with the cross armbreaker at 3:23 in an impromptu match after Khali was distracted by Ricardo Rodriguez; prior to the bout, ADR cut an in-ring promo in which he showed footage of his attack on World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus Monday during Raw before Rodriguez, dressed as Sheamus, interrupted; ADR then admitted that it wasn’t really Sheamus, but anyone could do what Sheamus does and there was only one ADR; the real Sheamus then came out, dumped Rodriguez to the floor, but had his arm assaulted by Del Rio; Sheamus eventually knocked Del Rio out of the ring and attacked them both in the aisle, then ramming Del Rio into the WWE sign at the entrance stage; as Sheamus attempted the crucifix powerbomb on the stage, Rodriguez intervened, allowing Del Rio to attack Sheamus’s arm before he was pulled away by referees; moments later, Teddy Long came out, said he was in control in lieu of John Laurinaitis’s absence, and announced Kane would face Sheamus and ADR would face Khali; Del Rio sustained a severe concussion during the post-match altercation with Sheamus
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Derrick Bateman with the splash at 1:07; after the bout, Clay, Cameron, Naomi, and several kids danced in the ring
Sin Cara pinned Drew McIntyre at 3:16 with a tornado DDT; the match was wrestled under blue and orange lights
Ryback defeated Tony Androitis & Kevin Mahoney in a handicap match by pinning both men at 1:47 after dropping them with a simultaneous Samoan Drop; following their introduction, Androitis & Mahoney took the mic and cut a promo about ending Ryback’s undefeated streak
WWE IC Champion Christian pinned Dolph Ziggler with the frog splash in a non-title match at 9:35; prior to the bout, Cody Rhodes walked out during the set up for The Peep Show, took the mic, said he wouldn’t answer to Christian as the scheduled guest on the show and that Christian should answer to him; Christian then came out, talked about his inducting Edge into the Hall of Fame, and noted that his own career could end in an instant; Christian then said he wanted to come back and win championships en route to his own hall of fame career; Rhodes provided guest commentary for the match
Antonio Cesaro (w/ Aksana) pinned Jimmy Uso with a cradle piledriver into a slam at 1:00; prior to the bout, Teddy Long came out and said John Laurinaitis asked him to personally introduce Cesaro “with his lover” Aksana; after the contest, Cesaro called for Long to join him in the ring and raise Cesaro’s hand in victory
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Kane via disqualification in a non-title match at 12:58 when Ricardo Rodriguez ran into the ring, with Alberto Del Rio also appearing ringside; Sheamus’s elbow was heavily taped for the match; after the bout, Sheamus called for ADR to face him in the ring, allowing Kane to come up behind Sheamus and drop him with the chokeslam; moments later, AJ appeared ringside, distracting Kane before Sheamus dropped Kane with the boot to the face; Sheamus then did the same to Rodriguez as ADR watched on from the aisle
WWE (Raw) @ Madrid, Spain – Vistalgere Palace – June 6, 2012 (6,000)
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated David Otunga and Jack Swagger
Alex Riley defeated Curt Hawkins
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Beth Phoenix
John Cena defeated the Big Show, Tensai, & John Laurinaitis in a handicap match
Mason Ryan defeated Michael McGillicutty
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Zack Ryder (sub. for WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth) defeated Primo Colon & Epico
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Daniel Bryan in a streetfight
WWE (Raw) @ Seville, Spain – San Pablo Pavilion – June 7, 2012 (4,700)
Zack Ryder defeated Dolph Ziggler
Alex Riley defeated Curt Hawkins
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Beth Phoenix
Mason Ryan defeated Michael McGillicutty
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated David Otunga and Jack Swagger
John Cena defeated the Big Show, Tensai, & John Laurinaitis in a handicap match
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Brodus Clay (sub. for WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth) defeated Primo Colon & Epico
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Daniel Bryan in a streetfight
WWE (Raw) @ Valencia, Spain – Fuente De San Luis Pavilion – June 8, 2012 (4,700)
Zack Ryder defeated Dolph Ziggler
Alex Riley defeated Curt Hawkins
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Beth Phoenix
Mason Ryan defeated Michael McGillicutty
John Cena defeated the Big Show, Tensai, & John Laurinaitis in a handicap match
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated David Otunga and Jack Swagger
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Brodus Clay (sub. for WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth) defeated Primo Colon & Epico
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Daniel Bryan in a streetfight
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Salisbury, MD – Wicomico Youth & Civic Center – June 9, 2012 (4,000)
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Titus O’Neil & Darren Young
Big E Langston defeated Heath Slater
Tyson Kidd defeated Drew McIntyre
Ryback defeated Johnny Curtis
Kane defeated the Great Khali
Tamina defeated Natalya Neidhart
Sin Cara defeated Hunico
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Kane in a steel cage match
WWE (Raw) @ Barcelona, Spain – St. Jordi Palace – June 9, 2012 (6,500)
Zack Ryder defeated Dolph Ziggler
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Brodus Clay (sub. for WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth) defeated Primo Colon & Epico
Alex Riley defeated Curt Hawkins
John Cena defeated the Big Show, Tensai, & John Laurinaitis in a handicap match
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Beth Phoenix
Mason Ryan defeated Michael McGillicutty
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated David Otunga and Jack Swagger
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Daniel Bryan in a streetfight
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Binghamton, NY – June 10, 2012 (3,000)
Featured an announcment from Teddy Long in which he said Alberto Del Rio was injured with a concussion; Long then announced the new main event of Kane vs. World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus in a steel cage match
The Great Khali pinned Jinder Mahal with the tree slam
Big E Langston pinned Heath Slater
Tyson Kidd pinned Drew McIntyre with a double spring moonsault
Ryback pinned Johnny Curtis
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil following the splash off the top; Young & O’Neil initially won the match but Teddy Long had it restarted as the Uso’s foot was on the ropes during the cover
Tamina pinned Natalya Neidhart with the splash off the top; Alicia Fox was the guest referee for the bout
Sin Cara pinned Hunico with La Mistica
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Kane (sub. for an injured Alberto Del Rio) in a steel cage match by escaping over the top just before Kane escaped out the door
WWE @ Hartford, CT – XL Center – June 11, 2012 (9,000)
Drew McIntyre defeated Alex Riley
Titus O’Neil & Darren Young defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso
Zack Ryder defeated Michael McGillicutty
Raw Supershow – 3-hour episode; featured an opening in-ring promo by John Laurinaitis in which he was quickly interrupted by Vince McMahon; McMahon then said he was there for Laurinaitis’s evaluation and questioned why he shouldn’t fire Laurinaitis; Laurinaitis responded that Raw was approaching its 100th episode – before correcting himself to say 1,000th – and said he implemented People Power; as Laurinaitis compared himself to McMahon, the crowd chanted “Fire, Johnny;” McMahon then brought up Laurinaitis’ handling of Brock Lesnar’s contract, “hiring the wrong one-legged wrestler,” and and re-signing the Big Show to a huge bonus, after Show hasn’t lived up to billing since 1999; after McMahon responded to more of Laurinaitis’s claims, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus walked out and insulted Laurinaitis before McMahon noted “#FireJohnny” was the #1 trend worldwide on Twitter; Sheamus went on to say Laurinaitis should be fired, with Laurinaitis saying he would find an opponent for Sheamus to face for talking to him the way he did; McMahon followed by saying Laurinaitis’s opponent better be good and the show better be good or Laurinaitis would be fired; Laurinaitis then left ringside, with McMahon driving up the ramp in Laurinaitis’s scooter before pushing it off the stage; included a backstage segment with Laurinaitis, McMahon, Teddy Long, and Vickie Guerrero in which Guerrero argued that her men, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler, should challenge Sheamus in a triple threat match at No Way Out; Long then said the Great Khali and WWE IC Champion Christian were also former world champions and suggested there be a four-way elimination match for the title shot; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was SyFy’s most watched regularly scheduled program for the 88th week in a row; included a “Raw 1,000” segment focusing on the 7/13/09 episode of Seth Green, with comments from Green about his hosting Raw; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth regarding the attack he sustained two weeks earlier from the Big Show, with Truth saying the incident traumatized Little Jimmy; after Truth talked about how John Cena would beat Show at No Way Out, Show appeared and knocked him out with a punch; included an ad promoting the 7/23/12 episode, with an appearance by DX; featured a backstage segment with David Otunga and McMahon in which Otunga praised Laurinaitis’s performance but added he could take over if Laurinaitis were to be fired; moments later, WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston walked in, confronted Laurinaitis, and said he wanted Show in a match, with Laurinaitis agreeing and putting the match in a steel cage; included an in-ring promo by Daniel Bryan in which he discussed his upcoming match at No Way Out against WWE World Champion CM Punk and Kane, saying he was nothing like the other two; Bryan then said he wasn’t interested in AJ, only the title; Punk soon interrupted, said he and Bryan have traded wins, and they’ve both been beaten by Kane, but he was leaving Sunday with the title; Punk then noted his promo at the top of the stage the previous year and said the success he saw after was because of him only, whereas Bryan’s success turned him into a “goat-faced moron;” Kane then walked out and discussed his violent past, with AJ soon following and saying she saw heart in Kane’s eyes; Punk then said “You gotta love crazy chicks,” prompting a chant of “Crazy chicks” from the crowd; “Goat Face” was then shown as the #1 trending word on Twitter, with the crowd chanting “Goat face” before AJ said she knew the best man would win at No Way Out; Laurinaitis then appeared on the big screen and said Punk & AJ would face Bryan & Kane; included a backstage segment with Natalya Neidhart and McMahon in which Natalya asked to have the entire Hart family back on TV, with McMahon saying he would think about it; moments later, Naomi & Cameron appeared and asked Vince to talk to Laurinaitis about Brodus Clay being banned from Raw, with Vince eventually dancing with them; after they walked off, Zack Ryder appeared and was speechless, with Vince saying, “Woo woo woo, you know it;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE superstars have granted more than 5,000 wishes with Make-a-Wish and their “Circle of Champions” program in the past 25 years; included a backstage segment with Hornswoggle, wearing his JR cowboy hat, and McMahon in which McMahon gave tips on how to make a face like Jim Ross; moments later, John Cena walked in and said Laurinaitis was awful, with the two discussing Cena’s upcoming match against Show; Otunga soon followed, with McMahon telling him he has no respect for someone that will kiss his behind, then glancing at William Regal, previously unseen in the segment, and saying “No offense;” featured the announcement Clay would face Otunga on the No Way Out pre-show; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE was the most talked about brand on Facebook, with more fans than Nike, Pepsi, UFC, HBO, ESPN, and the NFL; featured recent clips from Backstage Fallout, on WWE’s YouTube channel; included a backstage segment with Bryan and Vince in which Vince said Bryan was the epitome of you can’t judge a book by its cover, with Bryan saying he had been fired from WWE once and ended up proving Vince wrong; Bryan then said he and Vince both defy expectations and are self-made success stories, with McMahon making fun of Bryan’s 18-second loss at WrestleMania; featured a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Dolph Ziggler talked about watching the first episode from 1/11/93; included footage of Otunga and Stephanie McMahon speaking at a YMCA in Hartford earlier in the day regarding the ‘Be A Star’ program; featured a backstage segment with Punk and AJ regarding their upcoming tag team match; included an ad promoting “ECW Unreleased Vol. 1;” featured the announcement Punk & Sheamus would face Bryan & Ziggler on Smackdown; included a closing in-ring segment with McMahon, alongside members of security, in which he took the mic, noted he lives in the state and Stephanie was born in Hartford, then implied it was time to end Laurinaitis’s employment; Laurinaitis then came out on a crutch, with McMahon saying the securing guards were there to escort “someone” out of his business; as McMahon went to announce Laurinaitis’s firing, Show walked out, took the mic, and blamed McMahon for his career being what it is; Show went on to say he would lay out McMahon’s “golden goose,” Cena, at No Way Out; Cena then came out and said Show was busy blaming others but had the match and opponent he wanted and there would be no escuses for Show if he lost in the steel cage; McMahon then said he would have two words for Laurinaitis if Show lost the match; moments later, a scuffle took place between Cena and Show, with security being cleared of the ring; Show then swung at Cena but struck Vince instead, with Laurianitis ordering Show to leave the ring:
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Tensai (w/ Sakamodo) in a non-title match with the boot to the face at 9:21; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Alberto Del Rio sustaining a concussion at the hands of the Great Khali, forcing ADR to give up his title shot against Sheamus at No Way Out; moments later, John Laurinaitis walked out to the entrance stage and introduced Tensai as Sheamus’s opponent; during his entrance, Tensai shoved his way past Sakamodo on his way to the ring; following the commercial break, Tensai attacked Sakamodo in the ring and at ringside before throwing him into the barricade
Ricardo Rodriguez & Beth Phoenix defeated WWE US Champion Santino Marella & WWE Divas Champion Layla at 2:55 when Phoenix pinned Layla with the Glam Slam; after the bout, Marella ripped off Rodriguez’s shirt to reveal him wearing a Justin Bieber shirt underneath
Dolph Ziggler defeated Jack Swagger, WWE IC Champion Christian, and the Great Khali in an elimination match at 12:20; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced both Ziggler and Swagger from the entrance stage; stipulations stated the winner would challenge World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus Sunday at No Way Out; the three pinned Khali at 1:52 after Christian hit the frog splash; Ziggler pinned Swagger at 8:38 after Christian hit Swagger with the Killswitch; Ziggler pinned Christian with the Zig Zag after Christian landed on his injured ankle; after the bout, Sheamus appeared on the entrance stage and held up the title belt in Ziggler’s face (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Ryback pinned Willard Fillmore & Rutherford PS Hayes in a handicap match at 1:32 after hitting a double Samoan Drop
The Big Show defeated WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston in a steel cage match at 7:22 by escaping the cage after knocking Kingston out with a punch; after the match, John Laurianitis was shown watching on backstage
Sin Cara pinned Curt Hawkins with La Mistica at 2:29; the match was wrestled under blue and orange lights; early in the match, there were chants of “Let’s go, Hawkins”
Vader (mystery opponent) pinned Heath Slater with the Vader Bomb at 3:18; prior to the bout, Justin Roberts said Slater’s opponent was a former Raw main eventer, with Slater taking the mic and saying it was “Slater time;” moments later, Vader’s music began playing; during the match, the crowd chanted “You’ve still got it” and “Vader bomb” (Vader’s surprise return after a 14-year absence) (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
WWE World Champion CM Punk & AJ defeated Daniel Bryan & Kane at 4:58 when Punk pinned Bryan with the elbowsmash off the top after a kick to the head; late in the bout, AJ was in the ring with Kane, with AJ then skipping around Kane, jumping into his arms, and giving him a prolonged kiss; Kane then left ringside; after the bout, AJ sat down in the ring and smiled as the three men watched her
Dark match after the show: John Cena defeated the Big Show, David Otunga, & John Laurinaitis in a handicap match by pinning Otunga with the FU after Show accidentally knocked out Otunga with a punch; after the bout, Cena dropped Laurinaitis with the FU
WWE @ Manchester, NH – Verizon Wireless Arena – June 12, 2012 (5,000)
Big E Langston pinned Dean Ambrose
Hunico defeated Justin Gabriel
NXT – 6/13/12 – featured Josh Matthews & William Regal on commentary; included an ad promoting WWE’s YouTube content; featured an ad promoting the next group of NXT stars the following week; included a vignette on Bo Dallas, who would make his NXT debut the following week; featured a vignette on Richie Steamboat, who would make his NXT debut the following week:
Tyler Reks & Curt Hawkins defeated Percy Watson & Derrick Bateman at around the 14-minute mark when Reks pinned Bateman with an overhead backbreaker into a face-first slam
Kaitlyn pinned Natalya Neidhart with a roll up at 5:22
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Johnny Curtis & Michael McGillicutty at around the 14-minute mark when Jimmy pinned McGillicutty with the splash off the top
Smackdown! – 6/15/12 – featured an opening in-ring promo by AJ in which she tried to explain why she kissed Kane on Raw, with Vickie Guerrero quickly interrupting and introducing Dolph Ziggler; Ziggler then said he would be the next World Heavyweight Champion and the moment wasn’t going to be upstated by AJ, who he referred to as a 95lb. disgruntled Hot Topic employee, with AJ responding by calling Vickie Dolph’s grandmother; WWE World Champion CM Punk then appeared and said Ziggler said he would take the title from Punk in January, but that wouldn’t happen and Ziggler wouldn’t take the title from Sheamus; Daniel Bryan soon followed and told Punk that AJ had him wrapped around her finger and he didn’t even realize it, adding that Kane was also falling into her trap; World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus then joined them in the ring, said he would beat Ziggler again at No Way Out, and opted to start the main event then and there; AJ then tried to go after Vickie but was held back by Punk; included an ad promoting ‘ECW Unreleased Vol. 1’ on DVD; featured an ad promoting the 1,000th episode of Raw on July 23; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania 28 has been the #1 sports DVD, selling more copies than the Super Bowl; included an ad promoting WWE’s YouTube content; featured a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Hornswoggle talkeda bout the Muppets hosting on 10/31/11; included a segment in which John Laurinaitis came out to the entrance stage and made a public apology for what happened to Vince McMahon on Raw at the hands of the Big Show; Laurinaitis then talked about his team winning at WrestleMania, his beating Cena at Over the Limit, and brought out Show to the ring; Show then said he was never allowed to outshine the top names in WCW – Hulk Hogan, Sting, and Ric Flair among them – and said he came to the WWE, was talked into becoming the Big Show, and saw Cena, Punk, Randy Orton, and Sheamus surpass him; Show then said he would finally show the world what he was capable of and was no longer burdened by what the fans think of him, adding he saw his match at No Way Out as his “first match” and guaranteed victory; after Show and Laurinaitis left the ring, Michael Cole told them he recieved word John Cena was on his way from his home in West Newberry, MA; featured a “Did you know?” graphic that read stamps cost 29 cents and a gallon of gas $1.11 when Raw debuted in 1993; included a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Michael Cole spoke about his crowning during the 4/18/11 Raw in London, England; featured a backstage segment in which Cena walked into Laurinaitis’s office to find it empty; included footage of David Otunga and Stephanie McMahon speaking at a YMCA in Hartford earlier in the day regarding the ‘Be A Star’ program; featured a closing in-ring segment by Cena in which he called out Show, with Laurinaitis coming out instead and saying Show wouldn’t be coming out, adding he sent Show home to protect the No Way Out main event; Cena said he came out to knock Show out or get knocked out himself, adding Laurinaitis would get knocked out in Show’s absence; the two continued to have words until Laurinaitis threatened to fire Cena on Monday, should Cena lose at No Way Out, with Cena knocking Laurinaitis out with a punch to the face to close the show:
Daniel Bryan & Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ AJ) & World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus at 11:40 when Ziggler pinned Sheamus with a roll up after AJ knocked an interfering Vickie into the ring; after the match, Sheamus chased Ziggler into the crowd, with AJ then assaulting Vickie in the ring before chasing her to the floor; Vickie eventually kicked AJ off, into the apron, and ran backstage; moments later, Kane appeared and went to carry AJ backstage until Punk jumped Kane from behind; the two continued to brawl until Kane dropped Punk with the chokeslam in the ring; AJ, at the entrance stage, then dropped to her knees and began laughing
Brodus Clay (w/ Naomi & Cameron) pinned Heath Slater with the splash at the 23-second mark; prior to the bout, Clay took the mic and said John Laurinaitis is keeping the Big Show away from him, but he knew John Cena would take care of Show at No Way Out; Clay then asked who Laurinaitis had to try to put him on his back, with Slater then appearing; after the bout, David Otunga came out and clipped Clay in the back of the knee, then continuing to assault his knee; moments later, Cameron, Naomi, and trainers tended to Clay in the ring
Beth Phoenix pinned Alicia Fox with the Glam Slam at the 49-second mark; WWE Divas Champion Layla provided guest commentary for the bout; during the match, it was announced Phoenix would challenge Layla at No Way Out
WWE IC Champion Christian pinned Jack Swagger (w/ Vickie Guerrero) in a non-title match with the frog splash after knocking Swagger off the top at 2:47
Ryback pinned Ari Cohen & Mike Testa in a handicap match after hitting both with a simultaneous Samoan Drop at 2:05; following their introduction, Cohen & Testa took the mic and talked about what they would do to Ryback
Damien Sandow pinned Tyson Kidd with a series of knees to the head and a modified neckbreaker at 1:04; upon his entrance, Sandow cut a promo on the previous week altercation between he, Hornswoggle, and Kidd
Dark match after the taping: John Cena defeated the Big Show, David Otunga, & John Laurinaitis in a handicap match by pinning Otunga with the FU after Show accidentally knocked out Otunga with a punch; after the bout, Cena dropped Laurinaitis with the FU
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Augusta, ME – Civic Center – June 15, 2012
Dean Ambrose defeated Alex Riley
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Zack Ryder (sub. for WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth) defeated Primo Colon & Epico
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Beth Phoenix
Brodus Clay defeated JTG
WWE IC Champion Christian defeated Cody Rhodes
John Cena defeated the Big Show & David Otunga in a handicap steel cage match by pinning Otunga
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Kane in a steel cage match
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Daniel Bryan
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Lowell, MA – Tsongas Center – June 16, 2012
Brodus Clay pinned JTG with the splash; after the bout, Clay brought five young fans into the ring to dance with he, Cameron, and Naomi
Dean Ambrose pinned Alex Riley
WWE IC Champion Christian pinned Cody Rhodes with a spear
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Zack Ryder (sub. for WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth) defeated Epico & Primo Colon when Ryder pinned Epico with the Rough Ryder and Kingston pinned Primo with the spin kick to the face; prior to the bout, David Otunga came out and ordered that Kingston & Ryder would defend the titles in Truth’s absence; the challengers initially won the match and titles when Ryder was pinned but the match continued as Ryder had his foot on the ropes during the cover
John Cena defeated the Big Show & David Otunga in a handicap match after Show accidentally knocked Otunga out with the punch
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Beth Phoenix with a roll up
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Daniel Bryan with the Go To Sleep in a streetfight; during the contest, John Cena Sr., who sat ringside for the show, hit a headbutt on Bryan while Punk held the challenger
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Kane in a steel cage match by escaping over the top of the cage
No Way Out 2012 – East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center – June 17, 2012
WWE.com pre-show: Brodus Clay defeated David Otunga via count-out when Otunga refused to reenter the ring
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Michael Cole, Booker T, & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included a backstage segment in which John Laurinaitis found Vince McMahon, noted McMahon sustained a concussion on Raw and it might not be best for him to go out later in the night; Laurinaitis then tried to get inside McMahon’s office but McMahon closed the door in his face; moments later, Josh Matthews attempted to interview Laurinaitis, with Laurinaitis making fun of Matthews being an ex-wrestler and a wannabe announcer; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion CM Punk regarding his upcoming title defense against Kane and Daniel Bryan, with Punk saying he had no relationship with AJ and he was focused on his match; moments later, AJ appeared, kissed Punk on the cheek, and wished him good luck, with Punk saying thanks but luck was for losers; included a video package recapping the history between Triple H and Brock Lesnar; featured an in-ring promo by Triple H in which he discussed now having a corporate job and being tied up in a legal mess with Lesnar and Paul Heyman; Triple H then said his arm was healing and he would be back in fighting shape soon, then proposing the lawsuits and lawyers go away so he and Lesnar can fight; Triple H then challenged Lesnar to a match at Summer Slam and told him he’d be waiting for an answer; included a backstage segment with AJ and Bryan in which AJ said there was a part of her that hasn’t gotten over him, then kissed him on the cheeck before wishing him good luck; featured a backstage segment in which AJ found Kane, wished him good luck, and kissed him on the cheeck; moments later, Kane kissed her back on the lips, with the crowd chanting “Yes;” included an ad promoting the 1,000th episode of Raw on July 23; featured an ad promoting Summer Slam, set to Kevin Rudolf’s “Don’t Give Up”:
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) at 15:09 with the White Noise and boot to the face; the two received mixed reactions during the in-ring introductions, followed by chants of “Let’s go, Ziggler”
WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated Ricardo Rodriguez in a tuxedo match at 4:25 after hitting the Cobra; after his pants were taken off, Rodriguez was revealed to be wearing Alberto Del Rio briefs
WWE IC Champion Christian pinned Cody Rhodes at 11:33 with the spear after avoiding the Beautiful Disaster
Titus O’Neil & Darren Young defeated Primo Colon & Epico (w/ AW & Rosa Mendes), Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel, and Jimmy & Jey Uso in an unadvertised match at 9:30 when Young pinned Epico with a double knee gutbuster after AW rolled Epico back into the ring; stipulations stated the winners would become the #1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Titles; during their entrance, footage was shown from earlier in the night of AW getting Epico, Primo, & Rosa mentally ready for the match; after the contest, AW congratulated O’Neil & Young on their win; moments later, Primo & Epico confronted AW and knocked him down, with O’Neil & Young then jumping them from behind and AW also stomping Primo & Epico
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Beth Phoenix at 6:53 with the Layout after avoiding a clothesline
Sin Cara pinned Hunico (w/ Camacho) at 5:47 with la Mistica; the match was wrestled under blue and orange lights
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Kane and Daniel Bryan at 18:14 by pinning Kane with a kick to the head and the Go To Sleep, moments after Kane accidentally knocked AJ off the ring apron to the floor; AJ appeared during the closing moments of the bout; after the contest, Kane picked up the unconscious AJ and carried her backstage, with a camera showing her looking back with a smile at Punk in the ring
Ryback defeated Rob Grymes & Dan Delany at 1:37 by pinning both men after hitting a simultaneous Samoan Drop; following their entrance, Grymes & Delany took the mic and said they would beat Ryback, then go across the street to MetLife Stadium for WrestleMania, then singing along to the 1993 single “WrestleMania;” prior to the finish and after the match, Ryback yelled, “Feed me three!”
John Cena defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match at 19:22 by escaping over the top and touching the floor just before Show escaped through the door; Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis, using a crutch, sat ringside for the match; at the 13-minute mark, Laurinaitis went to close the open cage door to prevent Cena from escaping, with McMahon walking over, pushing him out of the way, and then trying to open the door for Cena; Laurinaitis then knocked McMahon down; at the 16-minute mark, Brodus Clay appeared ringside with a steel chair, preventing Show from escaping the cage; moments later, Alex Riley, WWE US Champion Santino Marella, and Zack Ryder ran out to keep Show in the cage, with Show knocking out each one with a punch into the cage; WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston then ran out, scaled the cage, and kicked Show off the cage onto the mat; after the bout, Clay held Laurinaitis for Cena, who hoisted him for a FU at ringside, with McMahon then taking a mic and yelling, “You’re fired!”; Cena then dropped Laurinaitis with a FU into the Spanish announce table before celebrating and hugging Clay
WWE @ Long Island, NY – Nassau Coliseum – June 18, 2012
Dean Ambrose defeated Chris Kincaid via submission with a Regal Stretch at 2:29
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening introduction of Mick Foley, who cut an in-ring promo about the upcoming 1,000th episode of Raw before saying the board of directors reached out to him as a former GM while they were searching for a new GM; Foley then said he would host both Raw and Smackdown this week before announcing Daniel Bryan & Kane would face World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus & WWE World Champion CM Punk later in the show; Foley then said John Laurinaitis, fired the previous night, was allowed to make a farewell address; Laurinaitis then came out, wearing a neckbrace and his arm in a sling, as the crowd chanted “You got fired;” Laurinaitis, after saying the crowd was rude, said he would wait until later in the show for his farewell address; Laurinaitis then said John Cena would face himself, Big Show, & David Otunga later in the show before then leaving the ring; moments later, Sheamus came out for the opening contest, passed Laurinaitis in the aisle, and hugged Foley in the ring; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 1 million females watched the previous week’s Raw and more males watched than any show on ABC, Fox, NBC, and CBs; featured a backstage segment with Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger in which they argued who had been more successful, with Ziggler saying he was the real star of their team; Vickie Guerrero then interrupted, yelled at them both, and said the two would have a match, with the crowd chanting “We want Ziggler;” included a backstage segment with Big Show, Laurinaitis, and David Otunga in which Laurinaitis talked about their upcoming match against Cena, with Laurinaitis plotting to pin Cena in the match to make a lasting impact on WWE; Show then left after not being impressed by the plans; featured a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Jerry Lawler talked about the debut of Mr. Socko from 10/5/98; included an in-ring promo by Paul Heyman responded to the challenge from Triple H the previous night, said neither he or Brock Lesnar would drop their respective lawsuits, and Lesnar would not face Triple H at Summer Slam; moments later, Triple H joined Heyman in the ring and said he would make Lesnar the star of the promotion for Summer Slam; Heyman then said Triple H was becoming more and more like Triple H each day, then threatening another lawsuit should Triple H lay a finger on him; after Heyman mentioned Stephanie McMahon’s name, Triple H grabbed him by the tie but eventually released; Heyman then said he was smarter than Triple H and knew his every move, with Triple H knocking Heyman out with a punch; Triple H then told Heyman that he would see Lesnar at Summer Slam; featured an ad promoting the Orion Music Fest, featuring Metallica; included a video package on Cyndi Lauper and her WWF involvement in the mid 1980s; featured a “Did you know?” graphic that read stamps cost 29 cents and a gallon of gas $1.11 when Raw debuted in 1993; included an in-ring segment in which WWE Divas Champion Layla in which she introduced Cyndi Lauper and Wendi Richter; after Richter and Lauper talked about being at the first WrestleMania, Heath Slater interrupted and mocked the two; moments later, Roddy Piper walked out and made fun of Slater before talking about the gold record of her’s he smashed over Capt. Lou Albano’s head; Piper then had a new gold record of “She Bop” to give to her from the WWE; Piper then said he loved Lauper and hugged her; Slater soon interrupted, making fun of what happened “20 years ago” before Piper poked him in the eyes; Lauper followed by smashing the gold record over Slater’s head; featured an ad promoting WWE’s YouTube content; included the announcement Chris Jericho would return to Raw the following week, while showing a clip of Fozzy performing overseas; featured an ad promoting Raw going to 3 hours beginning July 23:
WWE World Champion CM Punk & World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan & Kane at 14:22 when Sheamus pinned Bryan with the boot to the face after Punk hit the Go To Sleep on Bryan; during Punk’s entrance, it was noted he would appear on ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’ later that night on NBC; late in the match, there were dueling chants of “Daniel Bryan” and “…Sucks;” during the final moments, AJ came ringside wearing a Kane mask, skipped around the ring, and then backstage, prompting a confused Kane to leave his corner and follow her halfway up the aisle
Dolph Ziggler pinned Jack Swagger with the Zig Zag at 4:10 after reversing the ankle lock and sending Swagger shoulder-first into the ringpost; Vickie Guerrero was ringside for the match, with stipulations stating the winner would earn her respect and admiration; after the bout, Guerrero joined Ziggler in the ring and kissed him
Alberto Del Rio defeated WWE US Champion Santino Marella via submission in a non-title match at 1:26 with the cross armbreaker; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; after the bout, Rodriguez attacked Marella’s injured arm
Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil (w/ AW) via count-out at 2:57 when AW talked his team into not returning to the ring, noting they were already the #1 contenders for the WWE Tag Team Titles; prior to the bout, AW introduced his team from the entrance stage, calling them the Prime Time Players and the next WWE Tag Team Champions
John Cena defeated John Laurinaitis & David Otunga in a handicap match at 6:14 when Laurinaitis submitted to the STFU after sustaining three FUs; prior to the bout, Laurinaitis said all the fans were losers and the next time they would see him was when he gets inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame; prior to Cena’s entrance, Teddy Long joined the commentary team, with Long ripping up his “Hello, My Name is Teddy” sign before the match; moments later, the Big Show, who was to be Laurinaitis & Otunga’s partner, noted the interference by many in his match the previous night against Cena and thanked Laurinaitis for his recent help, but then said he saw no reason for the match to happen and walked out; following Cena’s entrance, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” there were chants of “We want Ryder, Woo Woo Woo” during the bout; Otunga walked out of the match at the 4-minute mark
WWE @ Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena – June 19, 2012
Smackdown! – 6/22/12 – featured an opening segment in which Teddy Long was introduced, with Long coming out to the entrance stage, noting John Laurinaitis was fired and Mick Foley was the GM for the night; moments later, the Big Show interrupted, walked out to the ring, and took the mic, saying he didn’t care that Laurinaitis had been fired because the only person he cared about was himself; Show went on to say he would have crushed John Cena in a fair fight and threw his name into the mix for Money in the Bank, adding he would regain the WWE World Title; moments later, Brodus Clay came out with Cameron and Naomi, slid into the right, was initially taken down by Show but then gained the advantage; moments later, David Otunga slid into the ring and clipped Clay’s injured knee; Show followed by kicking Clay’s knees, then knocked Clay out with a punch as the crowd chanted “You can’t wrestle” at Show; after Show left ringside, Otunga took the mic and mocked Clay, saying he would call Clay’s momma himself before then doing his own dance to Clay’s theme music; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more males watched the previous week’s Smackdown than any show on TNT, Fox News, The History Channel, TBS, USA, and every ESPN channel; featured a backstage segment with Foley and Yoshi Tatsu, with Vickie Guerrero interrupting and saying she would be running Raw and Smackdown the following week; Foley then introduced the Great Khali as his assistant, with the two dancing to Khali’s theme music; included a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Daniel Bryan talked about Marty Jannetty winning the WWE IC Title from Shawn Michaels on 5/17/93; featured a video package on the recent situation between AJ, Kane, Daniel Bryan, and WWE World Champion CM Punk; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s Facebook nextwork has more fans than MLB and its 30 teams combined; featured an ad promoting ‘No Holds Barred’ on DVD; included an in-ring segment in which WWE US Champion Santino Marella recognized some of the signs in attendance, then brought a Santino fan into the ring; moments later, the “fan” kissed Santino on the lips, causing him to fall backwards onto the mat; featured an ad promoting the 1,000th episode of Raw on July 23; included footage of Punk being introduced earlier in the week on ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’:
Ryback defeated Frank Vanezia & Jared Wachtler in a handicap match by pinning both men at 1:45 after hitting a double Samoan Drop; prior to the bout, the two opponents took the mic and discussed the upcoming match; during the bout, Booker T noted Watchtler was Brickhouse Brown’s cousin
Alberto Del Rio defeated WWE IC Champion Christian in a non-title match via submission with the cross armbreaker at 10:58 after hitting an enzuigiri as the champion was on the top rope; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; after the contest, Cody Rhodes slid into the ring and jumped Christian from behind, further assaulting the shoulder as well; Rhodes then threw Christian shoulder-first into the ringpost before yelling “You’re stealing my time, I am Smackdown!”
Kane pinned Daniel Bryan with the chokeslam at 7:19; late in the match, AJ, who was the guest timekeeper for the match, rang the bell as Kane was caught in the Yes Lock, distracting Bryan and making him think he won the match
Zack Ryder pinned Heath Slater in an impromptu match with the Rough Ryder at 1:14; prior to the bout, Mick Foley came out to address the crowd, with Slater interrupting and saying he wanted revenge on what was done to him on Raw by Roddy Piper and Cyndi Lauper; Foley then brought out Ryder as the opponent; following the commercial break, Foley and Ryder celebrated backstage until they spotted Damien Sandow, with Sandow insulting them both and walking off
Darren Young & Titus O’Neil (w/ AW) defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso at 3:14 when O’Neil pinned Jimmy with a sit-down spinebuster after Young crotched Jimmy on the top rope as AW distracted the referee from the apron; following the commercial break, Primo Colon & Epico, alongside Rosa Mendes, confronted Young, O’Neil, & AW backstage and assaulted them before they were held back by referees
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) in a non-title match with the boot to the face at 12:26; late in the bout, there were dueling chants for both men (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
WWE @ Bethlehem, PA – Stabler Arena – June 22, 2012
WWE @ Wheeling, WV – WesBanco Arena – June 23, 2012
WWE @ Springfield, IL – Prairie Capital Convention Center – June 23, 2012
WWE @ Ft. Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum – June 25, 2012
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening backstage segment in which AJ was shown speaking to Daniel Bryan, Kane, and WWE World Champion CM Punk, saying they should all go their seperate ways; moments later, the camera panned around to show she was talking to the mirror; included an announcement from the entrance stage by Vickie Guerrero in which she noted she was running both Raw and Smackdown that week and said the opening match would be a 3-way elimination match; featured a backstage segment in which Alberto Del Rio had Ricardo Rodriguez give Vickie roses, with Dolph Ziggler walking in and reminding Vickie that he was the #1 contender and was deserving of another match; Vickie then said the two would face off later in the show in a pole match, with the winner facing World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus on Smackdown; moments later, Ziggler threw away Vickie’s roses; included a video package recapping John Cena’s 300th Make-A-Wish wish made the previous week; featured a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Bob Barker talked about hosting the 9/7/09 Raw; included the announcement Brock Lesnar would respond to Triple H’s challenge the following week; featured a backstage segment with Kane and AJ in which Kane let AJ down gently, adding that despite being a monster even he could see that she was unstable; after Kane walked off, AJ began crying, then laughing; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read it would take 75 days to watch every episode of Raw, back to back; featured a backstage segment in which Cena was shown walking past “People Power” T-shirts, with Zack Ryder tossing them in the trash; included an in-ring segment in which Cena compared his recent feud with Big Show and John Laurinaitis to a “bad episode of Star Wars,” then giving Star Wars-esque names to various talent; after finishing, he said he had a big announcement, with Chris Jericho interrupting and telling Cena to get to the point; Cena then said he was putting himself in the upcoming Money in the Bank match to prevent Show from winning; as Jericho went to put himself in the match, Vickie walked out and said only she could put them in the match; Vickie then said Kane, Show, Jericho, and Cena would be in the Money in the Bank match, noting they were all former champions, and Cena would face Jericho later in the show; featured an ad promoting ‘Falls Count Anywhere’ on DVD; included the results of the Twitter poll about AJ, with 51% of fans saying Punk, 27% saying Kane, 8% Bryan, and 14% all; featured a backstage segment with AJ and Punk in which she said she would dedicate her upcoming battle royal to Punk, with Punk saying they needed to talk after the match; AJ then said she understood they needed to talk, but took it as a sign they needed to take things to the next level; included a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Mick Foley talked about the Rock’s “This is your life” segment from the 9/27/99 Raw; featured an ad promoting a ‘Great American Bash’ live Smackdown the following Tuesday; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown was the #1 show on basic cable the previous week, beating every show on TNT, FX, The History Channel, TBS, Fox News, A&E, and ESPN:
Daniel Bryan defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk and Kane in a non-title elimination match at 10:11; prior to the bout, Michael Cole gave the fans info on how to vote on Twitter as to who they would like to see AJ pair with; Punk pinned Kane with the Go To Sleep at 9:56 after AJ appeared ringside and skipped around the ring; Bryan pinned Punk with a kick to the head
The Big Show pinned Brodus Clay (w/ Naomi & Cameron) at 2:33 when Clay’s knee went out attempting a slam, with Show falling on top for the win; during the commercial break, Show knocked Clay out with a punch as Clay was being helped backstage
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned Jack Swagger at 2:41 with the Cobra
Psycho Sid pinned Heath Slater with one hand on his chest after the powerbomb at 1:31; after the match, the crowd chanted “Psycho Sid” (Sid’s first WWE match in 15 years)
Dolph Ziggler fought Alberto Del Rio to a no contest in a contract on a pole match at around the 3:30 mark; Ricardo Rodriguez was the guest ring announcer for the match; early in the bout, there were chants of “Let’s go, Ziggler;” late in the match, Ziggler knocked the contract into the ring, with the two fighting over it; Rodriguez then slid in the ring to grab it, with Ziggler kicking him, knocking the contract to the floor; the two wrestlers then fell to the floor; stipulations stated the winner would challenge World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus on Smackdown; Sheamus then appeared and said he would face both men on Smackdown
AJ won a battle royal by last eliminating Vickie Guerrero
John Cena defeated Chris Jericho via disqualification at 8:18 when the Big Show came out and hit a legdrop on Cena as Cena was caught in the Walls of Jericho; after the match, Jericho left the ring, with Show dropping Cena with a chokeslam; Show then put Cena in a modified Camel Clutch as the show ended
WWE @ Evansville, IN – Ford Center – June 26, 2012
Smackdown! – 6/29/12 – featured the announcement the following week’s Great American Bash live Smackdown would feature a battle royal involving Alberto Del Rio, WWE World Champion CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Big Show, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, John Cena, and others; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was the #1 show on basic cable, beating every show on TNT, FX, The History Channel, TBS, Fox News, A&E, and ESPN; featured the announcement Charlie Sheen would be the social media ambassador for the Raw 1,000th episode; included a backstage segment in which Daniel Bryan went to AJ’s locker room to talk to her, with Kaitlyn coming out and telling Bryan that it would be in his best interest to get on AJ’s good side; featured a video package recapping Cena’s 300th Make-A-Wish wish made the previous week; included a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Jerry Lawler discussed the debut of Mr. Socko on 10/5/98; featured a backstage segment with Dolph Ziggler and Vickie in which Ziggler pushed for Vickie to ban Sheamus’s kick to the face and Del Rio’s cross armbreaker, then demanded it until Vickie slapped Ziggler in the face; Ziggler then asked simply that Vickie be out there to raise his hand when he wins the title; included an ad promoting WWE’s YouTube content; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Sheamus regarding his upcoming title defense against both Ziggler and ADR; included an ad promoting ‘No Holds Barred’ on DVD; featured a backstage segment with Bryan and AJ in which Bryan apologized for his actions earlier in the show and said he was worried about her; included a backstage segment in which Antonio Cesaro and Aksana were shown kissing, with Teddy Long walking in, saying he had no hard feelings for them and added he would be the guest GM the following week; Long then said Cesaro & Aksana would face WWE Divas Champion Layla & the Great Khali the following week on the live Smackdown; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE provides Raw, Smackdown, and pay-per-view events to the American Forces Network, broadcast to all U.S. military in 175 countries and naval ships at sea; included a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Triple H discussed his WWE return on 1/7/02:
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned AJ in a non-title match at 3:32 with a roll up after Daniel Bryan came ringside with a microphone, repeatedly chanting “Yes” along with the crowd; after the match, AJ jumped Layla from behind as Bryan watched from the ring apron; moments later, AJ turned around to face Bryan, with Bryan entering the ring and telling GM Vickie Guerrero that he wasn’t leaving the ring until he received what he wanted; when Vickie didn’t appear, Bryan began chanting “Yes;” AJ then began doing the same to Bryan, mocking him; following the commercial break, Vickie came out, with Bryan praising Vickie before demanding AJ be banned from ringside at Money in the Bank for his match against WWE World Champion CM Punk; Vickie then began insulting AJ before saying WWE.com polled the fans as to what they thought AJ should do at the pay-per-view; after the results revealed AJ should be guest referee, with 76% of the vote, Vickie backtracked and praised the board of directors for putting the decision in the fans’ hands; moments later, Bryan left the ring, chanting “No!” in response to AJ being the referee; Vickie then thanked the board for their decision before saying qualifying matches would take place to determine the participants in the World Heavyweight Title Money in the Bank match, adding anyone was open to compete unlike the WWE World Title Money in the Bank match (Layla’s first appearance with new theme music)
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Damien Sandow pinned Zack Ryder with the neckbreaker at 2:26 after avoiding the Rough Ryder and dropping Ryder throat-first across the top rope
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Tyson Kidd pinned Jack Swagger with a neckbreaker off the top at 4:26
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: WWE IC Champion Christian & WWE US Champion Santino Marella defeated David Otunga & Cody Rhodes at 6:16 when Christian pinned Otunga with the spear after Otunga knocked Marella to the floor
Ryback defeated Dan Barone & Brendan Burke in a handicap match at 1:52 by pinning both men with a simultaneous Samoan Drop; prior to the bout, Barone & Burke cut an in-ring promo on the match
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Tensai pinned Justin Gabriel at 2:47 with a running senton
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio (w/ Ricardo Rodriguez) at 14:29 by pinning Ziggler with the kick to the face after Ziggler had ADR covered with a roll up; during his entrance, ADR took the mic and said he would leave as the new champion; moments later, Vickie Guerrero interrupted and said ADR would not be the new champion because that would be Ziggler, then introducing Ziggler
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Monroe, LA – Civic Center – June 29, 2012
WWE @ Lafayette, LA – Cajun Dome – June 30, 2012
WWE @ Hidalgo, TX – State Farm Arena – July 1, 2012 (matinee)
WWE @ Laredo, TX – Energy Arena – July 2, 2012
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Cena in which he noted his attack the previous week at the hands of Chris Jericho and the Big Show and discussed his upcoming Money in the Bank match; moments later, Daniel Bryan interrupted, said Cena wasn’t relevant to him, and he would soon beat WWE World Champion CM Punk to win the title; Punk soon joined Cena and Bryan in the ring, getting all the fans to chant “Yes” in that they disagreed with Bryan, then reminding Bryan that AJ was the guest referee for their upcoming title match; Chris Jericho then interrupted, noted Bryan’s one catch phrase, and then went on a tirade mentioning the several that he had; Kane soon interrupted, with Show soon following; before Show could make it to the ring, a fight broke out in the ring; moments later, Show knocked down Kane to be the last man standing, and then left the ring; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Kim Kardashian was 12, Katy Perry was 8, Rihanna was 4, Miley Cyrus was 2 months old, and Justin Bieber wasn’t yet born when Raw debuted in 1993; featured a backstage segment with Teddy Long and Alberto Del Rio in which Long said ADR would challenge World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus at Money in the Bank, with Long saying ADR would be in a match after the commercial against an opponent of his choosing; included a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Stephanie McMahon discussed Shane McMahon training Vince McMahon for the 1999 Royal Rumble; featured a backstage segment with AJ and Bryan in which Bryan gave AJ a rose, with AJ saying Bryan never cared about her and he was trying to use her; AJ then said she would win her match later in the show and run into the arms of the man the WWE Universe sees as her soulmate; included the announcement that the winner of the following night’s Smackdown battle royal would be the guest GM of Smackdown the following Friday; featured Paul Heyman, via satellite, in which he announced Brock Lesnar would make his decision 3 weeks later, during the 1,000th episode of Raw, on whether he would face Triple H at Summer Slam, with Heyman saying Triple H wanted Lesnar in the ring as a mercy killing so he wouldn’t have to take another beating in the ring; included an ad promoting ‘Falls Count Anywhere’ on DVD; featured an ad promoting ‘No Holds Barred’ on DVD the following day; included footage of Cena and Alicia Fox visiting Walter Reed Medical Center two weeks earlier; featured a backstage segment with Long and Eve in which Long gave Eve a name sticker to help the fans remember who she was; after Long left, Eve found AJ and made fun of her, with AJ saying Eve was only out to get attention and she would show her how to get attention later in the show; included a “Raw 1,000” segment in which ADR discussed DX invating WCW on 4/27/98; featured a backstage segment with Jericho and Bryan in which they discussed their upcoming tag team match, with the two then arguing via catchphrases; included a backstage segment in which Punk and Cena talked about their upcoming match; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw debuted 11 years before Facebook was invented; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Tyson Kidd regarding his win earlier against Tensai, with Tensai then jumping Kidd from behind; featured an ad promoting Raw going to 3 hours on July 23:
WWE IC Champion Christian, WWE US Champion Santino Marella, WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes, David Otunga, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil (w/ AW) at 8:25 when Marella pinned Otunga with the Cobra, moments after Brodus Clay came out and threw Otunga back into the ring; late in the match, Young & O’Neil walked out of the match, alongside AW; moments later, Rhdoes did the same; after the bout, Christian dropped Otunga with the Killswitch, with Clay then hitting the splash on Otunga; AW wore a microphone for the match; after the match, Christian’s team danced with Clay, Cameron, & Naomi and several kids in the ring
Sin Cara (mystery opponent) fought Alberto Del Rio to a no contest when ADR jumped his opponent before the bout, knocked him to the floor, and applied the cross armbreaker outside the ring; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus & AJ defeated Dolph Ziggler & Vickie Guerrero at 3:28 when AJ pinned Guerrero with the Shining Wizard; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced herself from backstage, then walked to the entrance stage to introduce Ziggler; after the match, AJ took the mic and chanted “Yes!” as she made her way backstage; moments later, AJ went looking for WWE World Champion CM Punk, who was on his cell phone; she asked whether he saw her match, with Punk saying he was on the phone with his sister for the past 15 minutes and missed it; AJ then walked away
Heath Slater pinned Diamond Dallas Page with a neckbreaker at 1:21 after Doink hit the corner; following Slater’s entrance, a video package recapped his recent altercations with Vader, Roddy Piper, Cyndi Lauper, and Psycho Sid; moments later, Slater took the mic and said he wasn’t a clown, with Doink then coming out; after the bout, Diamond Dallas Page walked out, with both he and Slater holding up the diamond sign before dropping Slater with the Diamond Cutter
The Big Show pinned Kane in a No DQ match at 3:47 with a chokeslam onto a steel chair, moments after spearing the chair into Kane
Tyson Kidd pinned Tensai (w/ Sakamodo) with a roll up at the 58-second mark; after the bout, Tensai assaulted Sakamodo in the ring and on the floor
WWE World Champion CM Punk & John Cena fought Chris Jericho & Daniel Bryan to a no contest at around the 14-minute mark; during the bout, there were chants of “Si!” directed at Bryan and dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” at the 12-minute mark, Cena and Jericho fought their way backstage; Punk and Bryan continued fighting, with AJ eventually coming ringside and skipping around the ring, with neither man paying attention to her; after they were both knocked down, she pulled a table out from under the ring and climbed to the top rope, implying she would jump through the table; Bryan and then Punk tried to intervene, with AJ kissing Punk and knocking him off the top, onto Bryan, and through the table; AJ then chanted “Yes!” as the show ended
WWE @ Corpus Christi, TX – American Bank Center – July 3, 2012
Smackdown! – Great American Bash – 7/3/12 – featured an opening backstage segment with Alicia Fox, Jimmy & Jey Uso, Primo Colon, Epico, Johnny Curtis, Yoshi Tatsu, Natalya Neidhart, Hunico, Camacho, Kaitlyn, Rosa Mendes, Tamina, and Hornswoggle, with Teddy Long walking in and welcoming everyone to the live special; Long then brought in Eve, who would pick up everyone else’s mess; Long then spoke with WWE US Champion Santino Marella, who went to start the grill; Kane then appeared and started it himself without even touching it; included an in-ring segment in which Ricardo Rodriguez introduced Alberto Del Rio; following his entrance, ADR took the mic and cut a promo on challenging World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus at Money in the Bank; ADR then made fun of the crowd, noting unlike them he came to the US legally and said he would send Sheamus back to Ireland and the crowd back to Mexico; moments later, he went to the floor and began asking ringside fans for their immigration papers, eventually calling for one fan to be ejected; moments later, Sheamus came out and fought with ADR in the aisle; ADR eventually gained the upper hand and slammed the hood of his car over Sheamus’s back and head; after the commercial break, a bloody Sheamus was helped backstage; featured a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Mick Foley discussed winning his first WWE World Title against the Rock, with the result given away beforehand on WCW Monday Nitro; included a backstage segment from the Bash party, with Zack Ryder talking with Long about being the DJ for the party, with Heath Slater saying he should do it; Ryder then began playing Brodus Clay’s music, with Clay, Cameron, & Naomi coming out and leading everyone else into doing their dance; featured an ad promoting No Holds Barred on DVD; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read “Smackdown” was added to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary in 2007; featured an ad promoting the 1,000th episode of Raw on July 23; included Michael Cole conducting an in-ring interview with AJ about her actions the previous night on Raw in which she caused both WWE World Champion CM Punk and Daniel Bryan to fall through a table; after Cole berated AJ for her actions, he began hitting on her and playing up how big of a catch he was; moments later, Bryan interrupted, insulted Cole, and told AJ she would do an excellent job as guest referee at Money in the Bank; Bryan then said he knew she only meant for Punk to go through the table and forgave her for what she did, with Punk then walking out and telling Cole to leave the ring; Punk then said he wasn’t going to suck up to AJ and was worried about her mental state, with Bryan interrupting and saying Punk was only saying what he was to convince AJ to help him in the match; AJ then turned around to Bryan and began kissing him, with Punk leaving the ring; AJ soon followed and kissed him as well before skipping up the ramp and leading the crowd in a chant of “Yes!”; featured an ad promoting ‘Falls Count Anywhere’ on DVD; included a backstage segment from the party, with Long and WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth, with Damien Sandow eventually interrupting and saying the party was not what the founding fathers had in mind; he and Ryder then argued, with Ryder winning a fight and then accidentally dumping punch over Eve, ruining her white dress; featured an ad promoting WWE’s YouTube content; included the announcement that Sheamus would not be able to compete in the 20-man battle royal due to the injuries he sustained earlier in the show; featured a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Donald Trump discussed the 1/29/07 Raw in which he dropped money onto the crowd; Jael De Pardo of SyFy’s ‘Haunted Highway’ was shown sitting ringside, followed by a look at the new show staring Jack Osbourne; included a “Did you know?” graphic that read WWE’s main Facebook page adds 40,000 new fans each day:
The Great Khali & WWE Women’s Champion Layla defeated Antonio Cesaro & Aksana at 1:58 when Layla pinned Aksana with the Layout
Cody Rhodes pinned WWE IC Champion Christian in a non-title match at 9:11 with a reversal into Crossroads; stipulations stated Rhodes would earn a spot in the Money in the Bank match if he won; the Money in the Bank briefcase was suspended above the ring for the match
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) pinned Alex Riley with the Zig Zag at 2:27; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage; the Money in the Bank briefcase was suspended above the ring for the match
WWE US Champion Santino Marella, Sgt. Slaughter, & Jim Duggan defeated Drew McIntyre, Hunico, & Camacho at 2:25 when Marella pinned Hunico with the Cobra after Duggan hit the running clothesline
Ryback pinned Curt Hawkins (w/ Tyler Reks) with the modified Samoan Drop at 1:11; prior to the bout, Reks took the mic and said they both wanted Ryback but they flipped a coin backstage and Hawkins won
Zack Ryder won a 18-man battle royal by last eliminating Kane at 10:50; other participants included: Alberto Del Rio (w/ Ricardo Rodriguez), Jack Swagger, John Cena, Tensai, Damien Sandow, Dolph Ziggler, WWE World Champion CM Punk, Big Show, Cody Rhodes, Heath Slater, WWE IC Champion Christian, WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE US Champion Santino Marella, the Great Khali, Ezekiel Jackson, Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel, and Jinder Mahal; the match was advertised as a 20-man event; stipulations stated the winner would be the GM for the following week; prior to the bout, Teddy Long came out to the entrance stage wearing a BBQ cook apron and hat and said he had a blast running the show and thanked the fans; order of elimination: Gabriel by Show via a chop (0:18), Clay by Show (0:34), Jackson by Tensai (1:04), Khali by ADR, Swagger, & Tensai (1:40), Sandow by Ryder after being punched off the apron (1:59), Marella by Rhodes (2:16), Kingston & Rhodes by Show via a choke throw (2:48), Punk when a crossbody attempt to Bryan sent himself over the top (6:17), Bryan when the momentum of the move also sent him over (6:19), ADR by Cena (8:11), Tensai by Cena (8:41), Cena by Show (8:45), Christian by Show (9:08), Ziggler by Kane via a boot to the face as Show attempted to eliminate Ziggler (9:20), Show by Kane when the momentum also sent him over the top (9:23), Kane by Ryder when Ryder ducked a charge
WWE @ Amarillo, TX – Civic Center – July 6, 2012
Moved from 7/20/12
WWE @ Lubbock, TX – United Spirit Arena – July 7, 2012
WWE @ El Paso, TX – County Coliseum – July 7, 2012
WWE @ Rio Rancho, NM – Santa Ana Star Center – July 8, 2012 (matinee)
WWE @ Denver, CO – Pepsi Center – July 9, 2012
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring promo by AJ in which she spoke about being the guest referee for the WWE World Champion CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan match the coming Sunday at Money in the Bank; moments later, AJ asked for Punk to join her in the ring, with her saying she isn’t mentally unstable as Punk said the previous week on Smackdown; she went on to talk about how Punk cared for her and said his eyes sent her love, he turned her on, and she knew now what she had to do; AJ then took a few steps back and got down on one knee before asking Punk to marry her; Bryan then ran out, chanting “No” as the crowd responded “Yes,” and said Punk was only using AJ to ensure he keeps the title; when Punk interrupted, Bryan told Punk to go ahead and say “I do” to the proposal; Bryan then got down on one knee himself and proposed to AJ, with the two continuing to argue until Michael Cole received an email from the Raw GM which said Punk & AJ would face Bryan & Eve; Bryan immediately chanted “No!”, with the crowd responding “Yes!”; AJ then told the two that they all had things to think about and that everything happens for a reason, adding she had a feeling she would leave the arena with her future husband; included a backstage segment with WWE US Champion Santino Marella congratulating Zack Ryder on winning the battle royal on Smackdown, with Marella saying the anonymous GM was in the building and he would find him; featured the announcement the Rock would be at the 1,000th episode of Raw; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read it would take 5 and a half years to watch every Raw, by watching 1 hour each day; featured a backstage segment in which Marella questioned Chris Jericho as to if he was the Raw GM; after Marella left, Jericho spoke with Big Show about their tag team match later in the night and their history as Jeri-Show, with Show telling Jericho to stay out of his way in the match; included a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Stephanie McMahon discussed the Feb. 11, 2002 episode in which Triple H broke up with her on TV; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw has aired more episodes than Seinfeld, Friends, Cheers, and Frasier combined; included a backstage segment with Punk and Eve discussing their match later in the show, with the two discussing AJ and Eve saying if Punk didn’t say “I do” then AJ would cost Punk the belt; Eve then said Punk was overshadowed by the Rock, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, Show, and now even AJ; featured Marella finding Great Khali and questioning him as to if he was the Raw GM; included an ad promoting the 1,000th episode of Raw; featured the announcement WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston would face Hunico & Camacho on the YouTube pre-show before Money in the Bank; included the results of the WWE.com poll which read fans wanted to see Cole vs. Lawler, 75% to 25%; featured an ad promoting how fans can be part of Raw Active; included an ad promoting No Holds Barred on DVD:
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Jack Swagger in a non-title match with the boot to the face at the 58-second mark; after the bout, Alberto Del Rio cut a backstage promo via the big screen in which he told Sheamus that he would take the title on Sunday; moments later, Sheamus dropped Swagger with another boot to the face as Swagger made it back to his feet
Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) & Tensai (w/ Sakamodo) defeated WWE IC Champion Christian & Tyson Kidd at 1:33 when Tensai pinned Christian with a splash in the corner and running senton after Ziggler grabbed Christian’s leg from the floor; Vickie joined the commentary team for the bout; after the match, Tensai attacked Kidd on the floor and dropped him with a powerbomb onto the apron and a back splash; after the contest, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler argued at the commentary desk, with the Raw GM then sending an email that Cole refused to read; Lawler then read that the Raw GM ordered Cole to face Lawler later in the show; a second email read that it would be up to the fans as to if the match happened, with the crowd cheering in approval; Lawler then said fans could go to WWE.com to vote yes or no
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Drew McIntyre at the 36-second mark with a headbutt to the chest as McIntyre came off the top, followed by a splash; after the bout, Clay, Cameron, & Naomi danced in the ring with several fans
John Cena & Kane defeated Chris Jericho & the Big Show via disqualification at 16:32 when Show pulled Cena to the floor after Cena dropped Jericho with the FU; following his entrance, Cena took the mic and discussed his upcoming Money in the Bank match, adding he promised to stop Show en route to winning the briefcase; the briefcase was hung above the ring for the match; after the contest, Show threw Cena into the barricade and dropped Kane with a clothesline on the floor; Show then dragged a ladder out from under the ring and assaulted both Jericho and Kane with it inside the ring before Cena used a ladder to knock Show to the floor
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Sin Cara pinned Heath Slater with the La Mistico at 1:45; the match was wrestled under blue and orange lights; after the bout, Slater took the mic and said he was a future champion, then demanded any former champion come out and he would beat them; moments later, Bob Backlund came out and wrestled with Slater, eventually applying the Crossface Chickenwing before Slater tapped out
Jerry Lawler pinned Booker T after an airplane spin at the 58-second mark; Booker T & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the match; after the bout, the Raw GM sent an email, which Matthews read, that said Cole was the winner as a result of interference from Booker; moments later, WWE US Champion Santino Marella came out with his detective hat and said the Raw GM must be under the ring; moments later, Hornswoggle was revealed as the Raw GM and bit Cole and Lawler before leaving the ring
WWE World Champion CM Punk & AJ defeated Daniel Bryan & Eve at 3:19 when AJ pinned Eve with a roll up after Bryan went to the floor and refused to tag his partner; after the bout, Bryan took the mic and said he just proved to AJ that she means more to him than any match, then telling her they should leave together and go get married; Punk followed by saying he wouldn’t use AJ to keep his title, then saying Bryan was just using her and he would not marry AJ; Punk then said he was sorry but he cared enough about her to tell her the truth, with AJ then slapping Punk in the face as Bryan laughed; AJ then slapped Bryan as well before laughing and chanting “Yes” along with the corwd before skipping her way up the aisle
Smackdown!
WWE @ Colorado Springs, CO – World Arena – July 10, 2012
Canceled due to the Waldo Canyon fire; the taping was changed to a double taping in Denver; the WWE donated $10,000 to the American Red Cross, who assisted with relief efforts
Smackdown!
NXT @ Winter Park, FL – Full Sail University – July 12, 2012
NXT taping:
Alex Riley pinned Antonio Cesaro
Richie Steamboat pinned Leo Kruger
Big E Langston defeated Adam Mercer
Raquel Diaz pinned Audrey Marie
Jason Jordan & Mike Dalton defeated Hunico & Camacho
Seth Rollins pinned Drew McIntyre
Michael McGillicutty pinned Justin Gabriel
Kassius Ohno pinned CJ Parker
Paige & Tamina defeated Caylee Turner & Kaitlyn
Jinder Mahal defeated Bo Dallas via submission
Jinder Mahal defeated Richie Steamboat via submission
Scotty 2 Hotty pinned Heath Slater
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Conor O’Brian & Kenneth Coleman via disqualification
Seth Rollins pinned Michael McGillicutty
12/26/12: Kane pinned Cody Rhodes with the chokeslam at around the 12-minute mark; Tom Phillips & Tony Dawson provided commentary for the bout
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Tucson, AZ – Arena – July 14, 2012
Money in the Bank 2012 – Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center – July 15, 2012 (10,000)
YouTube pre-show: WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated Hunico & Camacho at 8:31
Pay-per-view bouts:
Dolph Ziggler defeated WWE IC Champion Christian, Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, WWE US Champion Santino Marella, Sin Cara, Tensai, and Tyson Kidd in a Money in the Bank match at 18:29
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Alberto Del Rio at 14:25
Epico & Primo defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil at 7:31
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Daniel Bryan in a No DQ match at 27:49; AJ was the guest referee for the bout
Ryback defeated Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks at 4:23 in a handicap match
WWE Divas Champion Layla, Kaitlyn, & Tamina defeated Beth Phoenix, Eve, & Natalya Neidhart at 3:25
John Cena defeated Chris Jericho, the Big Show, Kane, and Mike Mizanin in a Money in the Bank match at 20:03 (Miz’s return match after a 2-month absence)
WWE @ Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay Events Center – July 16, 2012 (8,000; sell out)
Raw Supershow – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE World Champion CM Punk in which he noted it was in that same arena a year earlier that he dropped a pipebomb that started a revolution; Punk then discussed his win the previous night’s win over Daniel Bryan, with AJ as the guest referee, before saying he would be proud to be champion for the 1,000th episode of Raw the next week; moments later, Big Show interrupted and said the only reason he wasn’t the Money in the Bank winner was because John Cena was in the right place at the right time; Punk responded by saying Show can beat people up but can’t get the job done and that’s why the people respect him and not Show; the two continued to talk, with Show saying he would beat Punk in their non-title match, which could open the door for Cena to come out, cash in his Money in the Bank title shot, and take the belt from Punk; included a WWE.com poll on whether the WWE IC, US, or Divas Title should be defended the following week; featured a backstage segment with Daniel Bryan and AJ in which Bryan said he was sorry for everything he’s said to AJ since WrestleMania; moments later, Eve interrupted and called out Bryan for walking out on him the previous week, adding she and her partner would face Bryan & AJ later in the show; included an ad promoting the following week’s 1,000th episode; featured an ad promoting WWE’s Tout account and how user’s Tout videos could air during Raw; included a Tout video from Cena about being drafted to Raw in 2005 and how it was his favorite Raw memory; featured a “Raw 1,000” segment in which Heath Slater talked about his recent altercations with Vader, Cyndi Lauper, Psycho Sid, Doink the Clown, Diamond Dallas Page, and Bob Backlund; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw has aired 300 more episodes than CSI, CSI: Miami, and CSI: NY combined; featured an ad promoting ‘Undertaker: The Streak;’ included a ‘Raw 1,000’ segment focusing on the Rock throwing Steve Austin’s Smoking Skull belt into the river; featured the announcement Bryan and AJ would be married the next week; included a Tout video from Cena in which he said he would make an announcement on Raw regarding the Money in the Bank title shot; featured an in-ring promo by Dolph Ziggler, alongside Vickie Guerrero, regarding his Money in the Bank win, saying he was a future world champion and would be a better world champion than Bret Hart, Austin, and the Rock; moments later, Chris Jericho interrupted, with Ziggler cutting him off before he could speak and saying it was his moment, his win, and he couldn’t remember the last time Jericho won a match; Ziggler then said Jericho was all hype and had been coasting, then questioning if Jericho had lost his touch; Jericho responded by dropping Ziggler with the Codebreaker and leaving the ring; included fan Tout responses on their favorite Raw moments; featured responses from the title defense poll for the next week, with the WWE US Title at 30%, WWE IC at 36%, and WWE Divas at 34%; included the announcement Bryan and AJ would be guests of Christian’s Peep Show on Smackdown; featured a “Raw 1,000” segment focusing on Vince McMahon appearing bald after WrestleMania 23:
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil (w/ AW) at 8:02 when Truth pinned O’Neil with the Little Jimmy after Kingston hit the spin kick to the face off the apron behind the referee’s back; AW introduced his team from the entrance stage before the bout; during the contest, it was noted DX would open the following week’s 3-hour episode
Alberto Del Rio defeated Zack Ryder via submission with the cross armbreaker at 1:31; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; after the contest, Rey Mysterio Jr. ran into the ring, with he and Del Rio fighting before Mysterio hit the 619 (Mysterio’s surprise return)
Rikishi pinned Heath Slater with the Bonzai Drop at 1:11; prior to the bout, Slater took the mic and demanded to know what former WWE name wanted to face him; after the bout, the lights went out; when they came back on, Jimmy & Jey Uso joined their father in the ring and danced with him; Rikishi’s thumb was taped for the match ala Umaga for the Samoan Spike
Daniel Bryan & AJ defeated Mike Mizanin & Eve at 2:53 when AJ pinned Eve after Bryan reversed an inside cradle attempt behind the referee’s back; prior to the match, Eve took the mic and introduced Miz as her partner; after the bout, Bryan took the mic and said he was previously too scared and stupid to say it but he loved AJ; Bryan then pulled out a ring, got down on one knee, and proposed to her; moments later, AJ said yes and the two kissed before leading the crowd in a chant of “Yes!”
Ryback fought Jack Swagger to a no contest when Swagger assaulted Ryback before the match began; the two continued to fight, with Ryback eventually clearing Swagger from the ring before chanting “Feed me more!”
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned JTG with a splash at 2:32; after the bout, Clay, Cameron, & Naomi danced in the ring with several young fans
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated the Big Show via disqualification in a non-title match at 9:18 when Show repeatedly punched Punk in the corner and then threw the referee out of the way; after the match, John Cena ran out with his Money in the Bank briefcase, clearing Show from the ring; moments later, Cena took the mic and prepared to make his announcement regarding his title shot; Show then interrupted by saying he knew Cena would cash it in then and there and Cena would be a fool not to; Cena responded by saying he would cash in his title shot the following week, then used the briefcase to knock Show off the ring apron; the show then ended with Punk holding up the belt as Cena held up the briefcase
WWE @ San Diego, CA – July 17, 2012 (5,000)
Smackdown! – 7/20/12:
Darren Young, Titus O’Neil, Hunico, & Camacho defeated Epico, Primo, WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston
Damien Sandow pinned Zack Ryder
Kane defeated Daniel Bryan via disqualification
Road Warrior Animal pinned Heath Slater
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Dolph Ziggler & Alberto Del Rio
WWE @ Jackson, MS – Mississippi Coliseum – July 20, 2012
WWE @ Sioux City, IA – Tyson Events Center – July 21, 2012
WWE @ Omaha, NE – Century Link Center – July 22, 2012 (matinee)
WWE @ St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center – July 23, 2012 (18,000; sell out)
Raw SuperShow – 1,000th episode; first episode under the new 3-hour format; featured a new company intro; included a several minutes long video package opening recapping some of the biggest moments and faces from the previous 999 episodes; featured an in-ring promo by Vince McMahon, in which the crowd chanted “Thank you, Vince” before he welcomed the crowd to Monday Night Raw; McMahon then introduced DX; moments later, Shawn Michaels told Triple H that he felt something was missing, with Triple H asking if there used to be more members; the two then pointed to the stage, with X-Pac, Billy Gunn, & Road Dogg driving out in a jeep; Road Dogg then took the mic and introduced he and Gunn as the 5-time former WWE tag team champions of the world, with Triple H then leading the crowd in “Let’s get ready to suck it;” Gunn and Michaels then argued over who would finish the line, with Triple H making a joke about Michaels appearing in ‘Playgirl;’ the two prepared to say the line together until Damien Sandow interrupted, citing DX as an example of how far society had fallen; moments later, Michaels hit the superkick and Triple H followed with the Pedigree; Gunn then led the crowd in chanting “Suck it;” Sandow was tossed to the floor as DX posed in the ring; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read stamps cost 29 cents and a gallon of gas cost $1.11 when Raw debuted; featured a collection of Touts from fans about the upcoming Daniel Bryan and AJ wedding; included a segment in which Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler spoke with Charlie Sheen via Skype about the show so far; featured a backstage segment in which AJ spoke about the upcoming wedding to WWE Divas Champion Layla, with Layla questioning if AJ was sure about going through with it; AJ then opened the dressing room door to find Jim Duggan, Roddy Piper, WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth, Mae Young and her “Hand” son grown up, as examples of how unstable everyone else was; Outasight’s “Tonight is the Night” was the theme song of the show; included a backstage segment with Triple H and Trish Stratus talking about yoga, with Trish aiding Triple H until the other members of DX walked in; after they walked off, X-Pac tried hitting on Trish; featured an in-ring segment in which Slick was introduced as the official for Daniel Bryan and AJ’s wedding, with it then reavealed that Twitter fans voted 74% against and 26% for the wedding; after Slick gave his talk, the crowd chanted “No!” before Bryan talked about how much he loved AJ, which drew resounding boos; Bryan and AJ then said yes, with Slick about to name them husband and wife until AJ admitted she was saying yes to someone else who proposed to her earlier in the show; Vince then walked out and said he made a business proposal to AJ and she was the new GM of Raw; AJ then shoved her bouque at Bryan, skipped around him, and left the ring; AJ then chanted “Yes!” from the stage as Bryan responded “No!” and destroyed the in-ring decorations set up for the wedding; following the commercial break, Bryan yelled at referees who tried to get him to leave the ring, with WWE World Champion CM Punk interrupting and joining Bryan in the ring, making fun of the fact Bryan got left at the altar; Bryan responded by saying he was the greatest WWE superstar of all time, with the Rock then coming out; Rock then said Bryan couldn’t get to say who the greatest of all time is because it was up to the fans; Rock then noted he won his first WWE World Title in St. Louis, called Bryan “Frodo,” and said he would challenge for the WWE World Title at the Royal Rumble; Punk responded by saying he would be champion, would beat John Cena later in the night, and would beat Rock at the Rumble; after Punk and Rock had more words, Bryan interrupted and said he would be the one to face Rock at the Rumble, with Rock again calling Bryan a troll from Lord of the Rings before dropping him with the Rock Bottom; included an ad promoting ‘Undertaker: The Streak;’ featured a Twitter poll on who fans would like to see face Rock at the Royal Rumble – Cena, Punk, or Big Show; included Lawler & Cole speaking with Sheen about the earlier segment with Rock and Bryan; featured pre-taped comments from Regis Philbin about the 1,000th episode of Raw and pasts guests on his show, including Freddie Blassie and the Destroyer; included an in-ring segment in which Triple H said he wanted to fight Brock Lesnar at Summer Slam and wanted an answer to his challenge; moments later, Paul Heyman walked out and said there would be no match and questioned if that’s what Triple H teaches his kids when Triple H began name calling; Heyman then said he felt sorry for Triple H’s kids, with Stephanie McMahon coming out and telling Heyman to never again mention her children; Stephanie then noted Heyman’s failures before slapping him, with Heyman telling Triple H that he could have his match at Summer Slam; Heyman again mentioned Stephanie’s children, with Stephanie tackling him until Lesnar walked out; Lesnar and Triple H briefly brawled before Triple H knocked Lesnar to the floor; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read “A Few Good Men” was the #1 movie in America when Raw debuted; included Tout videos from WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston and several fans; featured footage of Cena vs. Steve Austin from WWE 13; included a video package recapping the Austin vs. McMahon feud with comments from Cena, Stephanie, Maria Menounos, and Mike Mizanin; featured a look at the media that the 1,000th espisode garnered; featured Sean Mooney conducting a backstage interview with Bryan about what happened to him earlier in the show and Sheen’s comments toward him; included Cole conducting a ringside interview with Alex Guerrero Jr., WWE’s 100th million social media follower; featured a video package hosted by Fozzie Bear recapping the biggest catch phrases in Raw history; included a backstage segment with Cena, Zack Ryder, and Gene Okerlund in which Ryder said Okerlund was behing GTV; moments later, Rock appeared, with Ryder and Okerlund leaving, and Rock and Cena discussing the potential for a rematch should Cena win the title later in the show; featured footage from earlier in the day of Stephanie, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, Eve, Miz, and others at a Be A Star event earlier that day in St. Louis; included the announcement the next #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Title would be decided on Smackdown; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was the most watched regularly watched show on SyFy for the 94th consecutive week; included Lawler & Cole speaking with Sheen about the comments made from Bryan earlier in the show, with Sheen referring to Bryan as “Goatface”:
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, Rey Mysterio Jr., & Sin Cara defeated Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero), & Chris Jericho at around the 7-minute mark when Sheamus pinned Jericho with the boot to the face, moments after Ziggler hit Jericho from behind and Sheamus knocked Ziggler off the ring apron; Jim Ross provided guest commentary for the bout; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout (the match began during the commercial break)
Brodus Clay (w/ Dude Love, Cameron, & Naomi) pinned Jackie Swagger with the splash at the 16-second mark; prior to the bout, a Sonic employee walked over to give slushes to Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole; during Clay’s entrance, Lawler & Cole talked about how to access WWE theme songs on the Shazam phone app; following Clay’s entrance, he took the mic and brought out Dude Love; after the match, Love applied the Mandible Claw on Swagger
Mike Mizanin pinned WWE IC Champion Christian to win the title with the Skull Crushing Finale at 7:38 after the champion injured his knee attempting a reversal; Bret Hart was the guest ring announcer for the bout; after the contest, Miz took the mic and said he was awesome
Lita pinned Heath Slater with the Twist of Fate and moonsault at the 54-second mark in a No DQ, no count-out match; prior to the bout, WWE US Champion Santino Marella and Hornswoggle passed out Brawling Buddies to ringside fans; Howard Finkel was the ring announcer for the contest; after the entrances, Lita took the mic and said she had back up, with Bradshaw & Ron Simmons coming out and clearing Slater to the floor; moments later, Psycho Sid, Vader, Bob Backlund, Diamond Dallas Page, Rikishi, Sgt. Slaughter, Road Warrior Animal, and Doink the Clown came out and forced Slater back into the ring; after the bout, everyone stood over Slater, with Simmons taking the mic and saying “Damn!”
Kane fought Jinder Mahal to a no contest; during his entrance, Mahal brought out Curt Hawkins, Drew McIntyre, Tyler Reks, Hunico, & Camacho, who all surrounded the ring as Mahal cut a promo about he and his cohorts had been held back; moments later, the Undertaker appeared and helped Kane clear the ring, ending with Kane dropping Hawkins and Taker dropping Hunico with the chokeslam and tombstone before Kane and Taker posed together in the ring (Taker’s first appearance in 3 months)
John Cena defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via disqualification at 11:14 when the Big Show attacked the challenger as Punk was caught in the STFU; during Punk’s entrance, the results from the earlier Twitter poll on who fans would like to see Rock face for the title at the Royal Rumble was announced, with 55% saying Punk, 10% Big Show, and 35% for Cena; there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks,” as well as “CM Punk,” in the bout; late in the contest, the referee was knocked down, with Show running out, dropping Cena with a spear, and knocking him out with a punch; moments later, a hesitant Punk sat and waited before getting the referee back up and attempting a cover; after the bout, the Rock ran out to make the save for Cena against Show, with Punk then taking Rock down with a clothesline and the Go to Sleep; Punk then took the title belt and left the ring to boos
WWE @ Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center – July 24, 2012
Smackdown! – 7/27/12:
Alberto Del Rio defeated Kane, Daniel Bryan, and Rey Mysterio Jr. at around the 12-minute mark by pinning Bryan after Mysterio hit the 619 on both ADR and Bryan, then the splash off the top onto Bryan before Ricardo Rodriguez pulled Mysterio to the floor; stipulations stated the winner would become the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Title; Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
WWE @ Winter Park, FL – Full Sail University – July 26, 2012
NXT taping:
Bo Dallas defeated Dean Ambrose
Antonio Cesaro defeated Derrick Bateman
Tamina defeated Sofia Cortez
Kassius Ohno defeated Jake Carter
Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd defeated Johnny Curtis & Michael McGillicutty
Hunico & Camacho defeated Jason Jordan & Mike Dalton
Big E. Langston defeated Chase Donovan
Brodus Clay defeated an unknown
Richie Steamboat defeated Kassius Ohno via disqualification
Paige defeated Audrey Marie
Leo Kruger defeated Percy Watson
Conor O’Brien & Kenneth Cameron defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso
The Big Show pinned Alex Riley
NXT – 8/29/12 – featured Byron Saxton, Jim Ross, & William Regal on commentary:
NXT Championship Tournament Finals: Seth Rollins pinned Jinder Mahal with the buckle bomb and Black Out curb stomp at around the 18-minute mark; Howard Finkel was the ring announcer for the match; NXT Commissioner Dusty Rhodes was in the ring during the ring introductions and sat ringside for the match; the entire NXT roster watched the match from the entrance stage (Destruction of the Shield)
WWE (Raw) @ Charleston, WV – Civic Center – July 27, 2012
Moved from 5/6/12
Brodus Clay pinned JTG
Antonio Cesaro defeated Alex Riley
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Beth Phoenix
WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin pinned Zack Ryder in a streetfight
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neal and Hunico & Primo Colon; Young & O’Neal initially won the match and titles until another referee came out and noted that Kingston’s foot was on the bottom rope during the cover
Tensai pinned Tyson Kidd
WWE US Champion Santino Marella pinned William Regal
John Cena defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match
WWE @ Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena – July 28, 2012
WWE @ Johnson City, TN – Freedom Hall Civic Center – July 28, 2012
WWE @ Pikeville, KY – East Kentucky Expo Center – July 29, 2012
WWE @ Louisville, KY – Broadbent Arena – July 29, 2012
WWE @ Cincinnati, OH – US Bank Arena – July 30, 2012
Raw – featured an opening segment with footage from earlier in the night of the tron catching fire during a pyro test, which Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler said prevented fans from entering the arena on time; included a video package recapping the previous week’s episode, to the tune of “Tonight is the Night” by Outasight; featured an in-ring promo by WWE World Champion CM Punk in which he discussed what he did the previous week to the Rock before noting Jerry Lawler said Punk “turned his back on the WWE Universe” by his actions; Punk then sat cross-legged on the announce table to address Lawler, adding that the Rock is one man and not the WWE Universe; Punk then said Rock interrupted him the previous week and pretended that he wasn’t even in the ring when he addressed Daniel Bryan, then said Rock also disrespected him by telling him he would get a title shot at the Royal Rumble and acted like he would easily take the title; Punk followed by saying what he did was to show Rock that the show wasn’t his and he was the champion; he then added that the previous week’s show ended the way the show should end each week, with the focus on the champion; moments later, Big Show interrupted and said the focus of Raw was really him, noting he cost Cena the title and made Cena the first man to lose his Money in the Bank title opportunity; Show followed by saying he would take Punk’s title and was the only reason Punk still had the belt; Cena then ran out and cleared Show from the ring; AJ then appeared at the entrance stage and said Cena would face Show later in the night for a chance to face Punk for the title at Summer Slam; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s show was the most socially active show on all of TV – beating the top 10 shows on broadcast TV combined; featured a backstage segment in which Daniel Bryan went up to AJ’s dressing room door but then walked away without knocking; included an ad promoting ‘No Holds Barred’ on DVD; featured an in-ring segment in which Vickie Guerrero interrupted Brodus Clay and his dancers and mocked Cameron and Naomi before doing her own dance; Damien Sandow then interrupted and showed a clip of what happened to him the previous week at the hands of DX before jumping Clay and targetting his knee; included a backstage segment in which Bryan walked into AJ’s office and vented for walking out on him the previous week, with AJ telling him to shut up and reminding him that she was his boss; AJ then said she put him in a match later in the show against World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, and then chanted “No” as to whether it was for the title; featured a Twitter poll on which kind of match Bryan and Sheamus should have – no holds barred, falls count anywhere, or a streetfight; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Sheamus regarding his upcoming match; featured an ad promoting ‘Undertaker: The Streak’ on DVD; included a backstage segment with Punk and Cena in which Punk discussed their match the previous week, noted he did to Rock what Cena couldn’t, and didn’t let Cena say a word; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw was the most watched TV show on cable the previous week, beating every show on TNT, FX, TBS, History, Fox News, MTV, and ESPN; included a backstage segment in which a doctor questioned Bryan, with all the answers being “Yes” and Bryan eventually chanting it without being provoked; featured a backstage segment in which Bryan was administered a Rorsach test, with Bryan taking exception to one of the pictures looking like a goat face; Bryan then questioned whether Charlie Sheen put the doctor up to the joke; included Tout videos from fans about Punk’s comments and who was crazier between Bryan and AJ; featured a backstage segment with Bryan and the doctor in which the doctor ruled Bryan was sane; the doctor then left, with Kane appearing, assaulting Bryan, and saying he was his anger management therapist; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania 28 is the #1 selling sports DVD in America, outselling the SuperBowl DVD:
Alberto Del Rio defeated WWE US Champion Santino Marella via submission with the cross armbreaker at 7:35; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; during ADR’s entrance, Michael Cole noted his car wasn’t allowed in the arena due to the pyro accident earlier in the night; after the contest, ADR took the mic, said Marella, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, and the fans were beneath him and he wouldn’t wrestle again until it was for the world title
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Daniel Bryan in a non-title streetfight at 14:07 with the boot to the face; following his entrance, Bryan took the mic and told the fans to stop chanting “Yes” because that was his line, with Bryan then chanting “No” against the crowd’s chants; the match was decided by a Twitter vote, with streetfight gaining 73%, no holds barred getting 14%, and falls count anywhere getting 13%; after the commercial break, Bryan was tended to by several referees, took the mic, and said he wasn’t leaving the ring until he got a doctor to look at his neck; moments later, WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth, in a suit, came out and told Bryan to leave the ring; moments later, Bryan confronted Litte Jimmy and threw him to the floor, with Truth immediately going to the floor to tend to him; moments later, several men dressed in white came out, with Bryan saying they came to take Truth away; AJ then appeared and said the men in white were there for Bryan because he seemed unstable and needed a psych evaluation; Bryan was then escorted away
Titus O’Neil (w/ AW & Darren Young) pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston (w/ WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth) at 2:53 with a sit-down spinebuster after AW threw his shoe at Kingston behind the referee’s back; following the commercial break, Michael Cole apologized for AW’s ringside remarks about Kobe Bryant during the match
Randy Orton pinned Heath Slater in an impromptu match with the RKO at 1:18; prior to the bout, Slater cut an in-ring promo in which he said he was done with the WWE legends and would face any current WWE superstar, with Orton then appearing (Orton’s surprise return after a 3-month absence)
Chris Jericho & Christian defeated Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) & WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin at 12:24 when Jericho pinned Miz with the Code Breaker after Christian eye gouged Miz from the apron; after the match, Ziggler hit Jericho with his Money in the Bank briefcase, with some chanting “Let’s go, Ziggler”
Tyson Kidd defeated Tensai (w/ Sakamodo) via reverse decision; Tensai initially won the match at 2:13 with a running senton but the referee changed the call when Tensai wouldn’t stop assaulting Kidd after the match; moments later, several referees came out to tend to Kidd, with Tensai then assaulting Sakamodo and throwing him to the floor
John Cena fought the Big Show to a double disqualification at 16:16 when WWE World Champion CM Punk, who provided guest commentary for the match, knocked Cena over as he attempted the FU on Show, then kicked Show in the head; early in the match, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” late in the match, Show threw Cena into Punk at the commentary table; stipulations stated the winner would challenge Punk at Summer Slam; after the match, Punk took the mic, noted no one won, and they were both losers; Punk then walked up the ramp and past AJ at the entrance stage, with AJ announcing both men would challenge Punk at Summer Slam; moments later, Punk walked back up, called AJ crazy, and said she couldn’t do that to him as the show ended
WWE @ Indianapolis, IN – Bankers Life Fieldhouse – July 31, 2012
Smackdown! – 8/3/12 – included Michael Cole & Josh Matthews on commentary; featured an opening in-ring segment in which Vince McMahon discussed his search for a Smackdown general manager and then introduced Booker T as the new GM; after Booker appeared and took the mic, he thanked McMahon and the board of directors before then being interrupted by Alberto Del Rio; ADR then started speaking about he and Booker would be working together, with Booker cutting him off and saying ADR was trying to suck up to him and needed to do a better job at it; the two then discussed World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus; Sheamus then walked out, congratulated Booker, and responded to Del Rio’s comments; Booker then told the two they would be in matches later in the show, with ADR responding that he wouldn’t wrestle until Summer Slam; Booker then said he was the boss, ADR would compete, and it would be against Randy Orton; after ADR left the ring, Booker introduced Tensai as his opponent for the opening match; included a backstage segment with Eve and Booker in which Eve congratulated Booker and reminded him of what she was able to provide for John Laurianitis, with Teddy Long walking in and Booker offering Long a spot on his staff right in front of Eve; Booker then told Eve that all the spots on his staff had been filled; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania 28 was the #1 selling sports DVD in America, outselling the SuperBowl; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Daniel Bryan regarding what happened to him on Raw, with Bryan saying he would be saying “No” a lot more often and didn’t want to hear the fans chanting “Yes;” featured Striker conducting a backstage interview with Orton about his return to Smackdown and facing ADR later in the show; included an ad promoting ‘Undertaker: The Streak;’ featured a backstage segment in which AW, Darren Young, & Titus O’Neil confronted a crew member and berated him for not having a shirt of them; included an ad promoting WWE’s YouTube content; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE has produced 23 New York Times bestselling books; included comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, WWE World Champion CM Punk, John Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; featured Tout comments from fans about Punk’s comments from Raw; included a backstage segment in which congratulated by WWE Divas Champion Layla, with Cody Rhodes walking in; Booker then told Rhodes he would face Sin Cara the following week:
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Tensai (w/ Sakamoto) in a non-title match with the boot to the face at 13:32; during his entrance, a pre-taped promo from Tensai aired in which he spoke in Japanese about his match with Sheamus
Antonio Cesaro (w/ Aksana) pinned WWE US Champion Santino Marella in a non-title match at 2:36 with a cradle piledriver into a slam
Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero), WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin, & Daniel Bryan defeated Chris Jericho, Christian, & Kane at 12:00 when Bryan pinned Jericho with a roll up after Jericho dropped an interfering Ziggler with the Code Breaker; prior to the bout, Vickie introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage
Ryback defeated Jinder Mahal via disqualification at 1:14 when Mahal hit Ryback with a mic outside the ring; following his entrance, a pre-taped insert promo by Ryback aired; after the contest, Ryback scared Mahal up the ramp before chanting “Feed me more!”
Darren Young (w/ Titus O’Neil & AW) pinned WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth (w/ WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston) at 1:52 with a fireman’s carry into a double lung blower; prior to the bout, AW introduced his team from the entrance stage
Randy Orton defeated Alberto Del Rio via disqualification at 6:16 when Ricardo Rodriguez slid in the ring and prevented Orton from hitting the RKO; Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; after the match, Orton knocked Del Rio to the floor with a dropkick; moments later, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus ran out and threw ADR back into the ring, where Orton dropped him with the RKO
WWE @ Pensacola, FL – Civic Center – August 4, 2012
Canceled
WWE @ Albany, GA – Civic Center – August 4, 2012
WWE @ San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center – August 6, 2012
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by AJ in which she announced Randy Orton would face the Big Show and Daniel Bryan would face John Cena; moments later, WWE World Champion CM Punk interrupted and apologized for yelling at her the previous week, then saying AJ made a mistake by putting him in a match at Summer Slam against both Cena and Show and should cancel it; when she refused, Punk said she was acting out because he turned down her marriage proposal weeks earlier and told her not to pick on the guy everyone likes (himself); Cena then walked out and said he never would have thought Punk would become one of those guys to come out and demand respect, then pausing for a dueling chant of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” the two then argued over Punk’s interference the previous week, with Punk noting he’s the one that beat Cena last year at Summer Slam; Show then walked out, with AJ telling Show and Cena to calm down because they had matches later in the show; Punk then said the champion deserved to be in the main event, with AJ saying he would have a match but didn’t know who it would be against; AJ then said fans would vote on Twitter to determine if Punk would face WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin, Kane, or Rey Mysterio Jr.; she then said voting started then and the match was up next; included a backstage segment in which Alberto Del Rio arrived with Ricardo Rodriguez; featured a vignette promoting the return of Wade Barrett; included a backstage segment with AJ, ADR, and Rodriguez in which AJ thought she heard ADR call her crazy, with her putting him in a match later in the show; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE provides Raw, Smackdown, and pay-per-view events to the American Forces Network, broadcast to all U.S. military in 175 countries and naval ships at sea; included an ad promoting ‘Undertaker: The Streak;’ featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE adds 40,000 new fans every day to its Facebook network; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Damien Sandow regarding his actions the previous week against Brodus Clay, with Sandow saying he would dispose of Clay for the betterment of the fans; featured a backstage segment with AJ and Bryan in which Bryan said he was happy to face Cena later in the show, adding he would beat Cena and earn a WWE World Title shot for Summer Slam; AJ responded by saying Bryan would face Kane, leading to Bryan chanting “No” and AJ responding “Yes;” included an in-ring promo by Shawn Michaels about the talk surrounding the upcoming Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar Summer Slam match, with Lesnar coming out with Paul Heyman; Heyman then took the mic and praised Michaels’ ability before saying Lesnar wouldn’t entertain at Summer Slam, he was going to fight Triple H; Michaels responded by saying he would be in Triple H’s corner to see Triple H beat Lesnar; moments later, Triple H walked out and joined Michaels in the ring, with Lesnar pointing at Triple H and saying he would see him before Summer Slam, then pointing at Michaels and saying he would see him before then; featured a Tout from Sheamus with ADR’s stolen car beside the Alamo; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more viewers watched Raw the previous week than every show on ABC, Fox, ESPN, and CBS; featured comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, Punk, Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; included a Tout from Sheamus showing him spilling Mexican food on ADR’s car; featured an ad promoting WWE’s YouTube content; included Sheamus arriving back to the arena with ADR’s car covered in debris; featured the announcement the Highlight Reel would be held on Smackdown, with guests Dolph Ziggler & Vickie Guerrero:
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. in a non-title match at 10:13 with the Go To Sleep after raising his knees to block a splash off the top; prior to the bout, Jerry Lawler took the mic and announced the results of the Twitter poll – with Mysterio at 47%, Kane at 31%, and WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin at 22%
Alberto Del Rio defeated Christian via submission with the cross armbreaker at 3:05 after hitting Christian with his boot as Ricardo Rodriguez distracted the referee from the ring apron; Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout; after the match, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus appeared on the big screen beside ADR’s car, then climbed inside and drove off
The Big Show fought Randy Orton to a double count-out at 5:42 after Show speared Orton as the two fought on the floor; late in the match, Show dropped Orton with the chokeslam but Orton kicked out at 2; after the bout, Show attempted to punch Orton in the face inside the ring but Orton avoided and dropped Show with the RKO
Ryback defeated Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks in a handicap match at 2:50 by pinning Hawkins with the Samoan Drop; during his entrance, a pretaped insert promo by Ryback aired regarding the match; after the bout, Ryback chanted “Feed me more!” (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Primo Colon & Epico defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil (w/ AW) at 4:30 when Epico pinned Young with the Back Stabber after Young, O’Neil, & AW were blocked from leaving ringside by WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth, who appeared at the entrance stage late in the bout
Brodus Clay fought Damien Sandow to a no contest when Sandow attacked Clay from behind during his entrance; moments later, the two fought beside the entrance stage until Sandow attacked Clay’s leg and stomped it against the entrance ramp; moments later, Cameron, Naomi, and referees tended to Clay as Sandow yelled down from the ramp, “You did this to yourself, Brodus”
Kelly Kelly pinned Eve at 3:04 with a hurricanrana into a roll up (Kelly Kelly’s surprise return after a 3-month absence)
Alex Riley pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) with a roll up at 4:18 after Ziggler became distracted by Chris Jericho, who provided guest commentary for the match, shooting video of the match for Tout; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage
Kane pinned WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at 3:48 with the chokeslam
John Cena pinned Daniel Bryan at 14:00 with the FU after powering out of an attempted Yes Lock; following Bryan’s entrance, Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez found ADR’s car covered in debris after World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus returned it to the arena, with ADR blaming everything on Rodriguez and telling him to clean the car; during the match, the crowd had dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” after the match, WWE World Champion CM Punk came out and held up his title belt in Cena’s face, with Cena shoving Punk out of the way as Big Show ran out; moments later, Cena fought off Show and hoisted him for the FU, with Punk hitting Cena from behind; Punk then went to the floor and put on a headset, saying it was his own fault people have disrespected him and he let people walk over him but Cena and Show down on the mat were examples of what he would do now; Punk then slid in the ring and went to kick Show but Show caught the boot and knocked Punk out with a punch, then did the same to Cena; Show then held up the title belt as the show ended
– 8/7/12: AW was released from the company.
WWE @ Houston, TX – Toyota Center – August 7, 2012 (14,272; sell out)
Smackdown! – 8/10/12 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Booker T in which he recapped what World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus did to Alberto Del Rio’s car on Raw, then calling for Sheamus to come out and apologize in front of the fans; Sheamus then appeared and said he had a lot of fun on Raw but knew that if he did the crime, he had to do the time and apologized for his actions; after Booker said it was now in the past, ADR interrupted and said he contacted the police; Booker said legalities would get in the way of Sheamus defending the title at Summer Slam, with ADR saying he didn’t care; Sheamus then challenged ADR to have their scheduled title match later in the show, with ADR agreeing; included a backstage segment in which Daniel Bryan chanted “No!” at backstage crew members; featured a vignette promoting the return of Wade Barrett; included an in-ring segment in which Daniel Bryan cut a promo in which he complained about having to face Kane at Summer Slam instead of challenging for the WWE World Title; moments later, Kane walked out and confronted Bryan in the ring; AJ then followed and said Bryan and Kane couldn’t attack the audience or each other every week; AJ then addressed each man individually before telling the two to shake hands and that she wanted a clean fight at Summer Slam; Bryan extended his hand, with Kane attacking him; the two then fought before Bryan escaped into the crowd; moments later, AJ fell onto her knees at the entrance stage and looked at Kane as he stood in the ring; featured a backstage segment with Booker, Teddy Long, Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks in which Booker told Hawkins & Reks to step it up and that he was only after A+ talent; Reks then told Hawkins that he didn’t want to have to go back to his other job for a living, with Booker clearing them from his office; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA; featured an in-ring segment of the Highlight Reel in which Chris Jericho was soon interrupted by Vickie Guerrero, who walked out and said Dolph Ziggler wasn’t going to lower himself to be a guest on Jericho’s show as scheduled; Vickie and Jericho traded words before Jericho showed footage of Alex Riley beating Ziggler during Raw and said Ziggler has only won one match in 2012; Vickie responded by saying Ziggler knew Jericho couldn’t win “the big one” and Ziggler would face him at Summer Slam; Jericho then said Y2J was back and he would prove at Summer Slam that he hasn’t lost his touch; Ziggler then came in from behind and attempted to attack Jericho with his Money in the Bank briefcase but Jericho fought him off, but then fell victim to the Zig Zag after Vickie distracted Jericho; Ziggler then hit Jericho in the head with the briefcase; included an ad promoting ‘Undertaker: The Streak;’ featured a backstage segment with Eve and Booker in which Eve again asked about availability in Booker’s cabinet; moments later, Long brought in Kaitlyn, who asked to be Booker’s assistant and Booker agreed; Eve then took issue with Kaitlyn getting a job and Booker said the two would wrestle the next week with the winner getting the job; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more people watched Smackdown the previous week than every show on TNT, TBS, FX, MTV, Fox News, and every ESPN network:
0Sin Cara pinned Cody Rhodes at 3:47 with a cradle as Rhodes attempted to unmask Sin Cara; the match was wrestled under blue and orange lights
Jinder Mahal defeated two unknowns at the 41-second mark when one submitted to the Camel Clutch; during his entrance, an insert promo aired from Mahal in which he said he would beat his two opponents faster than Ryback would; after the match, Mahal locked both men in a simultaneous Camel Clutch before Ryback came out, scaring Mahal to the floor; Ryback then took the two opponents and lifted them up for a simultaneous Samoan Drop
Darren Young & Titus O’Neil (w/ AW) defeated Primo Colon & Epico at 1:41 after AW threw water onto WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth, who provided guest commentary for the bout, with the two chasing him into the ring and double teaming him; stipulations stated the winners would be the #1 contenders to the titles
Christian pinned Antonio Cesaro (w/ Aksana) at 4:10 with a reversal into the spear; after the bout, Cesaro tossed Christian to the floor from behind and then rammed him into the barricade
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at 4:44 by reversing the Skull Crushing Finale into a roll up
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus fought Alberto Del Rio to a no contest; Ricardo Rodriguez served as the challenger’s ring announcer for the match; following the ring announcements, security guards came out under the guise of responding to ADR’s police report he said he filed, with ADR eventually signalling them to attack Sheamus; the champion initially fought them off before he was beaten down, with the five men holding up Sheamus for ADR to repeatedly slap him before hitting an enzigiri in the corner; moments later, ADR applid the cross armbreaker in the ring
WWE @ Winter Park, FL – Full Sail University – August 9, 2012
NXT – 9/26/12 – featured an ad promoting ‘Rock vs. Cena: Once in a Lifetime;’ included a vignette on Paige; featured an ad promoting the WWE app; included a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA with Dolph Ziggler, Layla, Mike Mizanin, Alicia Fox, Kofi Kingston, John Cena, AJ, and Eve; featured an ad promoting the premiere of WWE Main Event:
Michael McGillicutty pinned Bo Dallas with a clothesline and the swining neckbreaker at 10:37
Leo Kruger pinned Jake Carter with the Kruger End at 3:56
Ryback defeated Aiden English & Francis Remi Dorian in a handicap match at 2:27 by pinning both men after a simultaneous Shellshocked
Richie Steamboat pinned Kassius Ohno with an inside cradle at 12:21 after avoiding the roaring elbow; Jim Ross joined the commentary team of William Regal & Byron Saxton on commentary for the bout; after the match, Ohno hit the roaring elbow to the back of Steamboat’s head and locked him in a cravatte until several referees pulled him away
Dark match after the taping: Sin Cara pinned Antonio Cesaro
WWE @ Tokyo, Japan – Ryogoku Sumo Hall – August 9, 2012
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Tupelo, MS – Bancorp South Arena – August 10, 2012
WWE @ Tokyo, Japan – Ryogoku Sumo Hall – August 10, 2012
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Biloxi, MS – August 11, 2012
WWE @ Shanghai, China – Oriental Sports Center – August 11, 2012
WWE @ Taipei, Taiwan – Linco Stadium – August 12, 2012 (matinee)
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Texarkana, AR – Entertainment Center – August 12, 2012 (matinee)
WWE @ Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center – August 13, 2012
Raw – featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read 25,000 people have attended Summer Slam Axxess in the past 3 years to acquire almost 10,000 superstar autographs; included a backstage segment with JTG and Kaitlyn in which AJ overheard JTG’s comments about her and booked him in a match up next; after he walked off, AJ asked Kaitlyn if she thought she was unstable, with Kaitlyn saying unstable didn’t describe her; featured a Twitter poll on who fans would like to see as a guest of Piper’s Pit later in the show – Chris Jericho, WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin, or Dolph Ziggler; included the announcement Antonio Cesaro would challenge WWE US Champion Santino Marella during the Summer Slam pre-show; featured a backstage segment with Roddy Piper and Shawn Michaels until Michaels got on the phone with Triple H, who was late getting to the show; included footage of Mark Henry visiting London as part of the 2012 Olympics; included Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler discussing recent tweets from social media ambassador for the night, Pauly D; featured footage from WWE.com of Booker T commenting after the conclusion of Smackdown and saying Alberto Del Rio’s world title match at Summer Slam was canceled; included a Tout from ADR in which he commented on Booker canceling his title shot and said he would speak to Booker about it on Smackdown; featured a backstage segment in which Michaels asked a crew member as to if he had seen Triple H; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more people watched Raw the previous Monday than every show on CBS, ABC, History, TBS, Fox News, Fox, and all ESPN networks; featured Lawler introducing Piper for an in-ring segment of Piper’s Pit, with Lawler revealing the results of the Twitter poll – Jericho at 55%, Miz at 21%, and Ziggler at 24%; after Jericho came out, Piper mentioned the last time he saw him, Mickey Rourke was punching him out; Jericho then noted the last time he saw him, he was taking out Piper and two other Hall of Famers; moments later, Vickie Guerrero interrupted and introduced Ziggler, with Ziggler telling Jericho he was in the midst of a failed comeback and would be finished after Summer Slam; Jericho responded by saying he would win the big one, with Miz then interrupting and saying he was taking over the show and told Jericho and Piper to leave the ring; moments later, Piper and Jericho cleared the ring, with use of Ziggler’s own briefcase; included a backstage segment with Eve and WWE World Champion CM Punk in which Punk said he was the same man he had always been and was after respect, with Eve implying John Cena didn’t believe Punk’s words; featured the announcement Pauly D would DJ the Summer Slam VIP party later in the week; included a backstage segment with Cena and Michaels, with Michaels walking off and Punk walking up to Cena and saying the title means everything to him and he’s not going to stab anyone in the back but he’s going to do what he needs to do ensure he keeps the title; featured a vignette promoting the return of Wade Barrett; included a video package recapping the feud between Brock Lesnar and Triple H; featured an ad promoting ‘Undertaker: The Streak;’ included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE has 75 of the top 100 top selling sports DVDs in the US; featured still photos from the WWE weekend tour of Asia; included a backstage segment in which Michaels found Lesnar, then walked away as Lesnar smiled; featured an in-ring segment in which Paul Heyman, alongside Lesnar, discussed Lesnar’s upcoming match at Summer Slam against Triple H before daring Michaels to come out and tell Lesnar to his face that he thinks Triple H will win; moments later, Michaels came out, with Triple H close behind; Triple H and Lesnar then went face to face, with Triple H signing the contract and Lesnar and Heyman leaving the ring; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 29 travel packages; featured Touts from fans about Booker’s decision; included a backstage segment with Michaels and Triple H in which Michaels said he was worried about what Lesnar could do in the ring; featured a backstage segment in which Matt Striker attempted to interview with Show, with Michaels being blocked from leaving the parking lot by Heyman’s car; moments later, Lesnar appeared, dragged Michaels out of the car, and the camera feed went out; audio could be picked up of Michaels apparently being beaten up; following the commercial break, Charles Robinson, AJ, Kaitlyn, Jimmy & Jey Uso, and others surrounded the wreck site; moments later, Triple H appeared and AJ said Lesnar dragged Micheals away; Lesnar then carried Michaels to the ring and dropped him with a F5 as Heyman watched on from the apron; Lesnar then locked Michaels in the kimura, with Triple H coming out until Heyman grabbed the mic and threatened to have Lesnar break Michaels’ arm if he came closer; Lesnar appeared to eventually break Michaels’ arm, with Triple H chasing Lesnar out of the ring; Lesnar and Heyman then watched on as Triple H and a trainer tended to Michaels in the ring:
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated the Big Show via disqualifcation in a non-title match at 6:01 when Daniel Bryan, who appeared ringside late in the bout, attacked Punk and locked him in the Yes Lock; moments later, John Cena ran out and knocked Show to the floor before doing the same to Bryan; AJ then appeared and said Bryan might have ruined the match but he would make it up by teaming with Show against Punk & Cena later in the night
Ryback pinned JTG with the Samoan Drop at 1:56; after the bout, Ryback led the crowd in chanting “Feed me more” (Ryback’s first appearance with new theme music)
WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth pinned Heath Slater with the Little Jimmy at 1:31; prior to the bout, it was announced Truth & WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston would defend against Darren Young & Titus O’Neil at Summer Slam; after the bout, Young & O’Neil ran out and double teamed Truth
Sin Cara pinned Tensai (w/ Sakamodo) with a tornado DDT at 1:07; the match was wrestled under blue and orange lights; after the contest, Tensai attacked Sakamodo and dropped him with a running senton
Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) defeated Chris Jericho and WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin in an impromptu non-title match at 14:18 by pinning Jericho with the Zig Zag as Guerrero distracted the referee as Jericho had Miz in the Walls of Jericho
WWE Divas Champion Layla & Kaitlyn defeated Eve & Beth Phoenix at 4:18 when Kaitlyn pinned Phoenix with a roll up
WWE World Champion CM Punk & John Cena defeated Daniel Bryan & the Big Show at 13:26 when Cena pinned Bryan with the FU; during the bout, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “CM Punk;” late in the match, Show took a seat at ringside after being yelled at by Bryan; during the closing moments, Punk walked out of the match after he and Cena traded each others signature moves; after the contest, Show slid in the ring to attack Cena, with Punk coming back in the ring and hitting Show in the head with the title belt; moments later, Punk held the title belt as Cena watched him, then extended his hand to Cena but Cena didn’t shake it; Josh Matthews then conducted a backstage interview with Punk in which Punk claimed Cena “went into business for himself” and noted Cena didn’t shake his hand “which is the ultimate show of disrespect where I come from;” Punk then said he would teach everyone about respect at Summer Slam
Damien Sandow pinned Christian with the neckbreaker at 2:11; late in the match, Brodus Clay appeared at the entrance stage to watch Sandow
WWE @ Austin, TX – August 14, 2012
Smackdown! – 8/17/12:
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated Cody Rhodes & Mike Mizanin
Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks defeated an unknown
Eve pinned Kaitlyn
Randy Orton pinned Daniel Bryan
Antonio Cesaro pinned Zack Ryder
Alberto Del Rio pinned Chris Jericho
WWE.com pre-show – featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with the Big Show regarding his upcoming WWE World Title match against champion CM Punk and John Cena, with Show saying he was a threat to Punk, Cena, and everyone else; included a backstage segment in which Triple H spoke with referee Scott Armstrong about refereeing his upcoming match against Brock Lesnar, with Triple H telling him not to stop the match on a disqualification or count-out and that the match should only end via pinfall or submission, with Armstrong agreeing; featured Touts from fans and Maria Menounos, and tweets from Kevin Rufolf and Mike Tyson about the upcoming Lesnar vs. Triple H match:
Antonio Cesaro (w/ Aksana) pinned WWE US Champion Santino Marella to win the title at 5:05 with the cradle piledriver into face-first slam, moments after Aksana distracted Marella from the ring apron; prior to the bout, Cesaro described himself as “great” in five languages; Scott Stanford & Matt Striker provided commentary for the match
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included a look at Brock Lesnar’s attack on Shawn Michaels the previous week on Raw, followed by a recent tweet from Michaels regarding the upcoming Lesnar vs. Triple H match; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Lesnar, alongside Paul Heyman, in which Lesnar said it was a fight Triple H couldn’t win; Heyman then said “If you’re not down with that, we’ve got two words for you. Tap out;” included an ad promoting the WWE app; featured a backstage segment with Eve and Teddy Long discussing AJ; the camera then panned to WWE World Champion CM Punk outside AJ’s office, then walking in and telling AJ that he would successfully defend his title and would force her to show him respect; included an ad promoting WWE’s relationship with the National Guard; members of the National Guard were shown in attendance; featured comments from earlier in the night of Triple H speakign with referee Scott Armstrong about the upcoming match with Lesnar; included a video package on Summer Slam Axxess and community events in Los Angeles, with comments from Alberto Del Rio, Santino Marella, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, Eve, WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth, Alicia Fox, David Otunga, Ryan Lochte, DJ Pauly D, Piers Morgan, Terry Crews, Joe Buck, Natalya Neidhart, Stephanie McMahon, James Durbin, and others; Piers Morgan, Fred Durst, Rick Rubin, David Arquette, and Maria Menounos – wearing a Bob Backlund T-shirt – were shown in attendance; featured a trailer for ‘The Day;’ Dominic Monaghan, Ashley Bell, and Michael Eklund of ‘The Day’ were shown in attendance; included footage of Antonio Cesaro winning the WWE US Title from Santino Marella during the pre-show; featured Kevin Rudolf performing “Don’t Give Up” at the entrance stage, during which Kelly Kelly, Eve, Rosa Mendes, Alicia Fox, Layla, Cameron, Naomi, Kaitlyn, Natalya Neidhart, Aksana, and Tamina came out and danced:
Chris Jericho defeated Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) at 13:04 via submission with the Walls of Jericho after Ziggler missed a charge in the corner; prior to the bout, Gurrero introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage; Jericho’s ribs were heavily taped for the contest; during the match, there were dueling chants of “Y2J” and “Let’s go, Ziggler”
Daniel Bryan pinned Kane at 8:02 with an inside cradle after escaping a tombstone attempt; after the bout, Kane went searching for Bryan backstage; moments later, Josh Matthews tried to get word with Bryan, with Kane asking where Bryan was, Matthews saying he had left, and Kane tossing Matthews across the hallway
WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. at 9:09 with the Skull Crushing Finale after dropping the challenger face-first onto the top turnbuckle; Mysterio was dressed as Batman for the match; Miz used the “Awesome” inflatable for his entrance
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Alberto Del Rio at 11:22 with a backbreaker after hitting the challenger with Ricardo Rodriguez’s shoe behind the referee’s back; Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout; ADR’s foot was on the bottom rope during the cover but the referee didn’t see it; after the bout, ADR argued with the referee before the referee left the ring
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Titus O’Neil & Darren Young at 7:06 when Truth pinned Young with a reversal into the Little Jimmy; prior to the bout, footage was shown of O’Neil & Young attacking Truth during Raw, followed by a Tout from O’Neil & Young about their title shot
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated John Cena and the Big Show at 13:27 by pinning Show after Cena dropped Show with the FU and Punk tossed Cena to the floor; the match ended at 11:37 when Show submitted while caught in Cena’s STFU and Punk’s leglock choke; moments later, AJ came to the ring, took a mic, and ordered the match to continue
Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) defeated Triple H via submission with the kimura at 18:43, moments after Triple H dropped Lesnar with the Pedigree; after the bout, trainers initially tended to Triple H before he forced them away; moments later, the crowd went from chanting “Triple H” to “You tapped out,” with Triple H mouthing “I’m sorry” and then receiving applause and more chants of “Triple H;” an emotional Triple H then made his way up the aisle, turning around to look at the crowd
– 8/20/12: Gabriel Tuft (Tyler Reks) quit the company.
WWE @ Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center – August 20, 2012
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar in which Heyman noted Triple H’s quad tear in 2001 and that Triple H was able to finish that match but he wasn’t able to survive Lesnar at Summer Slam; Heyman went on to say that Triple H tapped out on his family, company, and career and left him a beaten shell of a former man; moments later, Heyman called for referee Scott Armstrong out to the ring, then noting Armstrong agreed to let the match go to a decisive finish; Lesnar then took the mic and told Armstrong, “Good job” on his officiating; after Armstrong left the ring, Heyman referred to Lesnar as the new King of Kings, master of the Brocktagon, and master of the WWE; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Summer Slam was the most socially active show on TV the previous night, beating every show on CBS, ABC, TNT, TBS, Disney, Fox, NBC, and ESPN; featured a Tout from WWE World Champion CM Punk in which he said he wanted to pick his next opponent on Raw; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with AJ, with David Otunga appearing, noting he was off making a movie with Halle Berry, and could offer her legal services; AJ then said Otunga could offer his services in the ring against an opponent of her choosing; after Otunga left, Striker noted Punk wanted to pick his #1 contender, with AJ saying he could do that pending her approval; she then skipped away (Otunga’s surprise return); featured a backstage segment in which Dolph Ziggler confronted Chris Jericho and said he wanted a rematch, with Jericho reminding him that he knew how to win the big one and questioned if Ziggler did; AJ then appeared and said there would be a rematch, with Jericho getting fired if he lost and Ziggler losing his Money in the Bank briefcase to Jericho if he lost; included a backstage segment in which Alberto Del Rio yelled at Ricardo Rodriguez on his way out to the ring; featured WWE.com footage following Summer Slam of Punk discussing his successful title defense, with Punk responding to critics who said it was a controversial victory and noting he beat Show twice in the same match; included an ad promoting the WWE app; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers all U.S. military personnel free tickets to live events in the U.S.; included the in-ring Tout from WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro and Aksana following Cesaro’s title win the previous night at Summer Slam; featured a video package on Summer Slam Axxess and community events in Los Angeles, with comments from ADR, Santino Marella, Sheamus, Eve, WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth, Alicia Fox, Otunga, Ryan Lochte, DJ Pauly D, Piers Morgan, Terry Crews, Joe Buck, Natalya Neidhart, Stephanie McMahon, James Durbin, and others; included tweets from superstars and divas about the future of Triple H; featured Cole conducting an interview via satellite with Shawn Michaels, his arm in a sling, from San Antonio in which he discussed Triple H’s career possibly being over; Michaels went on to say he beleived he became a distraction for Triple H in recent weeks and he should have told Triple H all along that he didn’t think he could beat Lesnar; Michaels’ comments aired with still photos of the match and of his and Triple H’s relationship appearing inbetween; Michaels said he’s always respected and loved Triple H and was proud of him and went on to thank him “for a job well done” on behalf of himself and the fans; included an ad promoting ‘WrestleMania 28: Rock vs. Cena’ on NBC the coming Saturday; featured WWE.com footage following Summer Slam of Cena discussing not winning the title; included Striker conducting a backstage interview with Punk in which he chose Cena as his next opponent on one condition and he would demand respect from Cena; featured an ad promoting ‘Undertaker: The Streak;’ included a Tout from Lesnar in which he said he was leaving the WWE and never coming back; featured a backstage segment in which Vickie Guerrero yelled at Ziggler, saying Ziggler had to win his match for her; Ziggler responded by saying he was going to win the match for him and he might not get another title shot; Vickie then began screaming and freaking out, with Ziggler telling her he would win; included a trailer for ‘The Day;’ featured a closing in-ring promo by Punk in which he first went to the floor to address Jerry Lawler, telling him to admit his comments weeks earlier about Punk turning his back on the fans was a lie; Punk then told Lawler to have the respect for him to admit he was wrong; as Lawler tried to gather his thoughts, Cena walked out to a mixed reaction, with Punk taking exception to Cena coming out and then saying he had been taking a back seat to Cena, the Rock, and Triple H since WrestleMania; Punk then held up the title and said he hasn’t received the amount of respect he’s deserved, which led to a chant of “Cena sucks;” Punk went on to note he beat Cena the previous year at Money in the Bank, beat him last year at Summer Slam, and beat him the previous night at Summer Slam, and said he made Cena the #1 contender to beat him again; moments later, Punk noted the Cena fans in attendance – which drew a mixed reaction before leading to a “Cena” chant – and said the title shot was his at Night of Champions if only he could first admit Punk was the best in the world; Cena responded by saying he still had fans because he had the fans’ respect, even if he didn’t have the title; he went on to say he represented the fans, regardless to if he won or lost his matches, and said he could not say Punk was the best in the world because he believed in himself that he was the best and the fans believed in him too; Cena went on to note Punk’s long title reign was overlooked by that one night he walked out of the WWE, and offered Punk a chance to prove it to himself that he was the best by facing Cena anyway; Cena noted Night of Champions was in Boston and Punk beating him there could define his existance, then saying if Punk didn’t choose him that he had no respect for himself and then walked backstage; Punk then turned his attention back to Lawler and demanded an apology, then calling for Lawler to join him in the ring; Lawler said it was a misunderstanding and apologized, with Punk stopping him from leaving the ring and telling Lawler that he wanted Lawler to at least admit he was the best in the world if Cena couldn’t say it himself; Lawler refused, then bumped into Punk while trying to leave the ring, with Punk turning around and kicking him in the head; moments later, Punk knelt down beside Lawler and looked out at the crowd as the show ended:
Sin Cara, WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Cody Rhodes, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil at 10:15 when Sin Cara pinned Rhodes with a roll over as Rhodes attempted to unmask Sin Cara; during their entrance, WWE.com footage following Summer Slam was shown in which Truth doused “Little Jimmy” with Gatorade in celebration after their title defense; during the match, it was noted Khloe Kardashian Odom was the social media ambassador for the night
Ryback defeated two unknowns in a handicap match via disqualification at 1:28 when Jinder Mahal attacked Ryback from behind and applied the Camel Clutch; after the match, Ryback powered out of the move and cleared Mahal to the floor; moments later, Ryback dropped both opponents with the Samoan Drop
Randy Orton pinned Alberto Del Rio (w/ Ricardo Rodriguez) in an impromptu match at 8:35 with the RKO after ADR began arguing with World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, who provided guest commentary for the match; prior to the bout, ADR, alongside Rodriguez, cut an in-ring promo in which he said he was robbed at Summer Slam by the referee and Sheamus, noting his foot was on the bottom rope during the pinfall; ADR then demanded a title rematch, with AJ appearing and saying she could put ADR in a match to help Booker T determine if ADR was worthy of a rematch; late in the contest, ADR went for a pinfall but Sheamus stopped the referee to note Orton’s foot was on the bottom rope, leading to the finish
Damien Sandow pinned Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) at 2:41 with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage after avoiding a splash in the corner; during his entrance, a pre-taped insert promo from Sandow aired in which he discussed his match with Clay; Clay’s left knee was heavily taped for the bout; after the contest, Clay dropped Sandow with a t-bone suplex and followed with a splash before dancing in the ring with Cameron, Naomi, and several young fans
The Big Show pinned David Otunga with the punch to the face at 2:07; following the bout, WWE.com footage aired in which Show complained about the outcome of the WWE World Title match at Summer Slam, adding he should get a one-on-one match for the belt (Otunga’s in-ring return)
Kane & Zack Ryder fought Daniel Bryan & WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin to a no contest at the 5-minute mark when, after Bryan and Miz both escaped ringside, Kane dropped Ryder with a chokeslam in the ring; moments later, Kane grabbed a crew member around at ringside before sliding back into the ring and dropping Ryder with the tombstone
Kaitly won a 7-diva battle royal at 4:08 by last eliminating Eve; order of elimination: Rosa Mendes and Aksana eliminated each other when they rolled out of the ring while fighting (1:00); Natalya Neidhart after missing a charge in the corner on Tamina and falling to the floor (3:30); Alicia Fox by Tamina via a superkick as Fox was on the top rope (3:35); Tamina by Kaitlyn (3:40); Eve by Kaitlyn following two clotheslines; stipulations stated the winner would become the #1 contender for the WWE Divas Title; WWE Divas Champion Layla sat ringside for the bout and clapped for Kaitlyn’s win after the contest
Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) pinned Chris Jericho at 10:29 with the Zig Zag after lifting his knees to avoid a Lionsault; stipulations stated Jericho would be fired if he lost and Ziggler would lose his Money in the Bank briefcase to Jericho if he lost; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage; Jericho’s ribs were heavily taped for the contest; after the bout, Jericho stole Ziggler’s Money in the Bank briefcase from Vickie and twice hit Ziggler with it before dropping him with the Codebreaker; moments later, Jericho left the ring, briefly turning around to look at the crowd before going backstage
WWE @ Winter Park, FL – Full Sail University – August 23, 2012
NXT taping:
Dean Ambrose defeated CJ Parker
Conor O’Brien & Kenneth Cameron defeated Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd
10/3/12 – featured Riley Pierce conducting an interview with Kassius Ohno, as he entered the building, regarding his attack on Richie Steamboat the previous week after their match, with Ohno saying all he did was teach Steamboat a favor; moments later, Steamboat jumped Ohno and beat him down before walking away; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s Facebook network adds 75,000 new fans each day; featured a backstage segment in which Richie Steamboat went looking for Kassius Ohno, then asking Michael McGillicutty if he knew where he was; included the announcement WWE World Champion CM Punk would appear on the following week’s show; featured an ad promoting ‘Barricade;’ included the announcement McGillicutty would challenge NXT Champion Seth Rollins the following week; featured an in-ring promo by McGillicutty in which he said Rollins’ first title defense would be his last and then called for Rollins to come out and face him in the ring; moments later, Rollins appeared and noted McGillicutty’s lack of respect for him and said, unlike McGillicutty, he earned everything he had; Rollins then suggested the two not worry about next week and fight then and there, with McGillicutty backing down and leaving, saying he would do it when he was ready; featured Pierce conducting an empty arena interview earlier in the day with Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel regarding their match later in the show against Conor O’Brien & Kenneth Cameron; moments later, the lights began flickering as O’Brien & Cameron were shown watching them from higher in the arena; included a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA with Dolph Ziggler, Layla, Mike Mizanin, Alicia Fox, Kofi Kingston, John Cena, AJ, and Eve:
Drew McIntyre pinned Richie Steamboat at 4:27 by hitting him with his arm cast and the Future Shock after Kassius Ohno distracted Steamboat from ringside
Big E Langston pinned Aiden English at 1:15 with the Big Endinging; after the bout, Langston held English down for 2 more counts from the referee, then – following chants of “One more time” from the fans – hit the Big Endinging a second time; Langston then counted English down for a second 5 count before hitting the move a third time and again counting to 5
Kassius Ohno pinned Percy Watson with the roaring elbow to the back of the head at 3:20; prior to the bout, Richie Steamboat jumped Ohno from behind in the aisle during Ohno’s entrance, and beat him down until referee’s pulled Steamboat away
Conor O’Brien & Kenneth Cameron defeated Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd at 10:29 when Cameron pinned Gabriel with the Fall of Man, moments after Gabriel failed an attempt at the 450 splash; Jim Ross joined the commentary team of William Regal & Byron Saxton for the match
10/10/12 – featured an opening backstage promo by WWE World Champion CM Punk in which he complained about the lack of respect he had received, as champion, and said he would watch Seth Rollins’ first title defense as NXT champion; included a backstage segment in which Trent Barreta made fun of Jake Carter, with the two agreeing to a match the following week; featured Riley Pierce conducting a backstage interview with Rollins regarding his upcoming title defense; moments later, Punk walked up and told Rollins that the title alone doesn’t guarantee him respect; Punk told Rollins to beat the respect out of McGillicutty; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown has been the #1 show on SyFy for the past two years; featured Pierce conducting a backstage interview with McGillicutty regarding his upcoming match with Rollins, during which McGillicutty said Rollins could have all the respect he wants but he would beat Rollins and then take Punk’s title as well; included an ad promoting the WWE app:
Bo Dallas pinned Johnny Curtis with a spear at 4:04
Paige & Audrey Marie defeated Kaitlyn & Alicia Fox at 6:11 when Paige pinned Alicia with a roll up after sending Fox into Kaitlyn on the apron, knocking Kaitlyn to the floor
Leo Kruger pinned Dante Dash at 2:23 with the Kruger End; after the bout, Kruger cut an in-ring promo in which he questioned who his next trophy would be
NXT Champion Seth Rollins pinned Michael McGuillicutty at 13:09 with a Sliced Bread #2; following the entrances, WWE World Champion CM Punk came out to the entrance stage with a mic, wished the wrestlers good luck, and joined Jim Ross, subbing for Byron Saxton, and William Regal on commentary; after the match, Rollins watched as Punk gave him a standing ovation
10/17/12 – featured a vignette on Big E Langston; included an ad promoting ‘CM Punk: Best in the World;’ featured an ad promoting the WWE app; included a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA with comments from Layla about losing her mom to breast cancer:
Alex Riley pinned Jinder Mahal with a roll up at 3:50; after the match, Mahal jumped Riley from behind and applied the Camel Clutch
Trent Barreta pinned Jake Carter at 6:24 with a running knee to the face
Damien Sandow pinned Garrett Dylan with the neckbreaker at 6:08; during his entrance, Sandow cut a promo in which he questioned what George Washington would say about the fans in the crowd; during the match, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Sandow” and “Sandow sucks;” following the contest, the crowd chanted “One more time” at Sandow to do his cartwheel, but he instead left the ring
Kassius Ohno, Conor O’Brien & Kenneth Cameron defeated Richie Steamboat, Jimmy & Jey Uso at around the 14-minute mark when Ohno pinned Steamboat after hitting him with the roaring elbow to the back of the head as Ohno was on the ring apron and Steamboat ran the ropes
Dark matches after the taping:
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro via disqualification in a non-title match
WWE World Champion CM Punk & NXT Champion Seth Rollins defeated WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro & Kassius Ohno
– 8/24/12: Ariane Andrew (Cameron) was arrested and charged with DUI in North Hillsborough County, FL.
WWE @ Cape Girardeau, MO – Show Me Center – August 24, 2012 (3,600)
Tyson Kidd defeated Tensai
Big E Langston defeated Tensai
Alex Riley defeated David Otunga
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Aksana
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil in a streetfight
Wade Barrett defeated Curt Hawkins in a streetfight
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro defeated Zack Ryder
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated John Cena and the Big Show in an extreme rules match
WWE @ Sioux Falls, SD – August 25, 2012 (3,500)
Brodus Clay defeated Damien Sandow
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Michael McGuillicutty & Johnny Curtis
Ryback defeated Jinder Mahal
Naomi defeated Natalya Neidhart
Kane defeated Daniel Bryan in a streetfight
Sin Cara defeated Cody Rhodes
Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio in a last man standing match
WWE @ Peoria, IL – Civic Center – August 25, 2012 (3,500)
Tyson Kidd defeated Tensai
Big E Langston defeated Jack Swagger
WWE Divas Champion Layla defeated Aksana
Alex Riley defeated David Otunga
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil
Wade Barrett defeated Curt Hawkins
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro defeated Zack Ryder
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated John Cena and the Big Show
– 8/25/12: “WrestleMania 28: Rock vs. Cena” aired in primetime on NBC.
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Rochester, MN – Mayo Civic Center – August 26, 2012 (3,000)
Brodus Clay defeated Damien Sandow
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Michael McGillicutty & Johnny Curtis
Ryback defeated Jinder Mahal
Kaitlyn defeated Natalya Neidhart
Kane defeated Daniel Bryan in a tables match; fans chose the stiuplation over a Best 2 out of 3 falls bout
Sin Cara defeated Cody Rhodes
Randy Orton pinned Dolph Ziggler with the RKO
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio in a last man standing match after hitting the boot to the face; after the bout, Dolph Ziggler attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank title shot but Sheamus kicked him in the face
WWE (Raw) @ Rockford, IL – BMO Harris Bank Center – August 26, 2012 (3,500)
Tyson Kidd pinned Tensai with a roll up
Big E Langston defeated Jack Swagger; after the bout, Wade Barrett attacked Langston before cutting an in-ring promo on his return to the WWE and telling the fans they could choose the kind of match he has later in the show – a streetfight or a Best 2 out of 3 falls match
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Aksana
Alex Riley pinned David Otunga
WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated Titus O’Neil & Darren Young after hitting both the Little Jimmy and spin kick to the face
Wade Barrett defeated Curt Hawkins in a streetfight after hitting a powerbomb through a table set up in the corner; fans chose the stipulation over a Best 2 out of 3 falls match
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Zack Ryder
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated John Cena and the Big Show after Punk used the title belt as a weapon
WWE @ Milwaukee, WI – Bradley Center – August 27, 2012
Raw – featured an opening segment in which Jerry Lawler got up and left the broadcast table as Michael Cole read a tweet from Lawler sent the previous week in regard to WWE World Champion CM Punk; moments later, Lawler entered the ring, noted he apologized to Punk the previous week and now asked for one in return; Punk then appeared, with shorter hair, and said Lawler turned his back on the fans by slandering the WWE World Champion; Punk then said he kicked Lawler in the head because of his lack of respect and then apologized for the man Lawler had become; moments later, Lawler said he wasn’t out there for a fight, with Punk saying he knew Lawler wanted one but he himself was the best in the world; he followed by saying Lawler would leave the show embarassed, and it was up to him how embarassed he wanted to leave; as Punk left the ring, Lawler said he would think about a match; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown was the #1 most socially active show on TV, beating every show on CBS, ABC, TNT, Fox, NBC, HBO, ESPN, and Disney; featured a video package recapping Triple H’s stint with DX; included a video package showing Daniel Bryan in an anger management class, during which he yelled at the teacher’s son, dressed as a goat; Dominic Monaghan served as the social media ambassador for the night; featured a segment in which Lawler took the mic and noted the “nobodies” he beat in Memphis, responded to Punk’s earlier comments, and accepted Punk’s challenge to a fight later in the night; included an ad promoting WWE Saturday Morning Slam; featured the announcement that the fans could vote on Twitter as to what kind of match Punk vs. Lawler would be – tables, steel cage, or No DQ; included a video package on Triple H’s return from his 2001 quad injury; featured a video package promoting ‘The 50 Greatest Finishing Moves in WWE History;’ included a video package of Bryan at anger management in which he complained about how bad a boss AJ is, with Kane then walking in and joining the class; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s app had been downloaded 1 million times in 10 days, beating the TNT, Discovery Channel, TBS, History Channel, and ESPN apps; included a video package of Kane at the anger management class in which he discussed his life and career, with mentions of Katie Vick and Pete Rose; after the class, Bryan argued with the teacher before Kane confronted another person in the class; featured a video package recapping Triple H’s WWE career and multiple championships; included an in-ring promo by Triple H, his arm in a cast, in which he discussed getting into the industry and not wanting to stick around too long; he went on to say Brock Lesnar brought him to a crossroad where he has to decide whether or not he was done and thanked the fans for their support, noting the crowd got him through his injuries and doubts; a tearful Triple H then said, hopefully, he had done something in the ring that would have the fans never forget him; the crowd then chanted “Thank you, Hunter” as tears came down Triple H’s face; moments later, he did his pose and left the ring; featured a backstage segment in which Lawler spoke with John Cena, telling him that he had to face and beat Punk himself; included comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, Punk, Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; included an ad promoting ‘The Day;’ featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania 28: Rock vs. Cena on NBC was the #1 socially active show on all on broadcast and cable TV; included the announcement Randy Orton would face Dolph Ziggler on Smackdown; featured Josh Matthews announcing in the ring the results of the Twitter poll – tables 20%, steel cage 48%, and No DQ 32%; moments later, AJ walked out and announced Punk would defend the title at Night of Champions against her choice, Cena; included an ad promoting the WWE app:
Ryback pinned Jack Swagger with the Samoan Drop at 2:13
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Natalya Neidhart in a non-title match at 2:48 with a kick to the head; prior to the bout, Vickie Guerrero came out and said she had an announcement to make after the bout; following the contest, Vickie told Layla to get out of the ring, which she eventually did, before yelling that AJ was a horrible Raw GM and she herself should be made Raw GM instead of “some mentally deranged child;” AJ then came out smiling, asked for the mic from Vickie, and then tackled her to the mat; Vickie then ran backstage as AJ remained in the ring
John Cena pinned WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at 10:37 with the FU after the Five Knuckle Shuffle; early in the bout, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” during the match, Josh Matthews joined Michael Cole on commentary, subbing for Jerry Lawler
Santino Marella pinned Heath Slater with the Cobra at 3:15, moments after Aksana appeared at the entrance stage; prior to the bout, a Tout from Slater was shown in which he bragged about beating Sin Cara on Smackdown; late in the match and afterwards, the Cobra appeared to act on its own
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) & Sin Cara defeated Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow at around the 5-minute mark when Clay pinned Rhodes with a splash; prior to the bout, Sandow introduced Rhodes from the entrance stage, noting he’s the first person he’s been able to have an intelligent conversation with; Rhodes then came out with a mic and said Clay was as fat as everyone in the crowd and Sin Cara was as ugly as everyone in the crowd; after the bout, Clay, Sin Cara, Cameron, Naomi, and young fans danced in the ring (the match began during the commercial break)
WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth (w/ WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston) defeated Daniel Bryan via count-out at 3:05 when Truth goaded Bryan into chanting “No” in response to the fans’ chants of “Yes” outside the ring; Bryan and Truth did a fist bump to start the match; Kingston provided guest commentary for the match; after the contest, Bryan kicked the steel steps and yelled “No” in the ring
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus & Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler & Alberto Del Rio at 8:29 when Sheamus pinned Ziggler with the boot to the face after Orton prevented Ziggler from using his Money in the Bank briefcase as a weapon and dropped him with a neckbreaker; prior to the bout, Ziggler came out, briefly using Chris Jericho’s music, and cut a promo from the entrance stage bragging about kicking him out of the WWE; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout
Zack Ryder pinned David Otunga with the Rough Ryder at 2:28; prior to the bout, Kane came out, scared Josh Matthews into the crowd, and took his spot at the commentator table but never spoke during the contest; after the bout, Kane slid in the ring and went to chokeslam Ryder but instead did so to Otunga
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated Jerry Lawler in a non-title steel cage match at 7:39 when Lawler submitted to the Anaconda Vice after hitting the Rock Bottom; during the bout, Punk bled from the face; after the bout, Punk locked the cage door shut, took a mic, and again told Lawler to tell him he was the best in the world, with Lawler replying “Hell no;” Punk then landed repeated elbows to Lawler’s head until John Cena ran out and called for the cage to be raised; Punk landed repeated knees to Lawler’s head, then called himself the best wrestler in the world before sliding to the floor as the cage went up; Cena then tended to Lawler in the ring as Punk went backstage
WWE Superstars – 8/30/12 – featured the Ryback vs. Johnny Curtis match taped 8/28/12 in Green Bay, WI; included highlights of Triple H’s in-ring promo from Raw; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania 28: Rock vs. Cena on NBC was the #1 most socially active show on all of broadcast and cable TV:
Epico & Primo Colon (w/ Rosa Mendes) defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso at around the 12-minute mark when Epico scored the pin after one of the Usos hit the splash off the top behind the referee’s back, with Primo then sliding in the ring and dropping the Uso with the Back Stabber; Scott Stanford & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout
Jinder Mahal defeated Alex Riley via submission with the Camel Clutch at 5:57; Scott Stanford & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout
Dark match after the show: John Cena pinned the Big Show with the FU
WWE @ Green Bay, WI – Resch Center – August 28, 2012
Jinder Mahal defeated Yoshi Tatsu
Big E Langston defeated an unknown
WWE Superstars – 8/30/12: Ryback pinned Johnny Curtis with the Samoan Drop at 3:35; Matt Striker & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout Smackdown! – 8/31/12 – featured an opening in-ring promo by World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus in which he spoke of Triple H’s future, adding he faced him in his WrestleMania debut and he had the respect of himself and the fans; Sheamus then said Triple H was everything that Alberto Del Rio wasn’t; moments later, Damien Sandow interrupted and said Sheamus was ignorant; Sheamus eventually told him to shut up and challenged him to get in the ring, with Sandow saying Sheamus wasn’t worth his time; as he prepared to leave the aisle, Booker T walked out and announced Sandow would face Sheamus later in the show; included a vignette on Rey Mysterio Jr.; featured a “Don’t Try this at Home” PSA with WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston; included all the segments from Raw of Daniel Bryan appearing in anger management class, and Kane joining him; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Booker T in which he said Raw GM AJ was out of bounds for her actions the previous Monday against Vickie Guerrero, with Vickie then appearing and saying she was considering taking action against AJ for what she did to her and AJ’s reign would end; Vickie then said the WWE Board of Directors said they would be taking action, and if they didn’t then she would; included a vignette on WWE World Champion CM Punk; featured a “Don’t Try this at Home” PSA; included a vignette on Randy Orton; Donald Driver of the Green Bay Packers was shown in attendance; featured Josh Matthews conducting an in-ring promo with Alberto Del Rio, alongside Ricardo Rodriguez, regarding his beating Orton the previous week to become the #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Title and facing Sheamus at Night of Champions; ADR then said he would make Sheamus submit, just as he did Orton, before Matthews asked ADR about all the other matches in which Sheamus beat him; moments later, ADR said he would do to Matthews what Kane did to him at Summer Slam; moments later, Kane appeared, with Matthews going to the floor and ADR and Ricardo also leaving the ring; Kane then took the mic and said his therapist asked him to come out and apologize to Matthews for what he did to him at Summer Slam; as Kane went to leave the ring, Teddy Long appeared and said ADR would face Kane then and there; included a vignette on ADR; featured a “Don’t Try this at Home” PSA with John Cena; featured footage of Triple H’s in-ring comments from Raw:
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Cody Rhodes at around the 8-minute mark with a reversal into a roll up; during his entrance, an insert promo from Rhodes aired in which he discussed why Mysterio and Sin Cara really wear masks; after the bout, Rhodes attacked Mysterio and tried to unmask him before Sin Cara ran out and opened the door for Mysterio to hit the 619; moments later, Sin Cara put one of his own masks on Rhodes’ head before then shaking Mysterio’s hand (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Kaitlyn pinned Natalya Neidhart with an inside cradle at 2:47; Eve provided guest commentary for the bout; after the match, it was announced Kaitlyn would challenge WWE Divas Champion Layla at Night of Champions
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Damien Sandow via count-out in a non-title match at 6:49 when Sandow ran backstage after the two began fighting on the floor
Darren Young & Titus O’Neil defeated Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd at 2:11 when Young pinned Gabriel with a fireman’s carry into a double knee gutbuster after crotching him on the top rope; during the match, a Tout from Jimmy & Jey Uso aired as an insert in which they said they were deserving of being the #1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Titles
Alberto Del Rio (w/ Ricardo Rodriguez) pinned Kane in an impromptu match at around the 4-minute mark with a Back Stabber after Kane went after Rodriguez on the apron; after the match, Kane grabbed Josh Matthews at ringside and tossed him down, then apologized to him before throwing him into the ring; moments later, while still apologizing, Kane dropped Matthews with a chokeslam in the ring; during the commercial break, Matthews was helped backstage (the bout began during the commercial break)
Randy Orton pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) with the RKO at 7:11 after avoiding the Zig Zag; prior to the bout, Vickie introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage; Michael Cole provided sole commentary for the match; immediately after the match, Vickie took the mic and introduced Ziggler as still being the Money in the Bank winner
Saturday Morning Slam – 9/8/12 – featured a video package on Damien Sandow; included a segment of Damien’s Dictionary in which he taught the words “matriculate,” “sophomoric,” and “valedictorian;” featured a segment of the Video Vault with profiles on Bobby Heenan, the Genius, Dean Douglas, and Matt Striker; included a segment of the 3rd Degree in which Brodus Clay, Heath Slater, Cody Rhodes, Natalya Neidhart, WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin, Zack Ryder, and WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston about their favorite courses in school; featured comments from David Arquette, Angus T. Jones, WWE World Champion CM Punk, John Cena, Melissa Farman, Alicia Fox, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, and others about being bullied and the ‘Be A Star’ program; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA by Punk; featured a video package on ‘Be a Star’ events during Summer Slam week, with comments from David Otunga, Stephanie McMahon, Natalya, James Durbin, Fox, Ryan Lochte, DJ Pauly D, Piers Morgan, Joe Buck, Terry Crews, and others; included a closing segment of Damien’s Dictionary in which he taught the word “curriculum”:
Sin Cara pinned Michael McGillicutty at 9:01 with La Mistica; Josh Matthews & William Regal provided commentary for the bout; the match was wrestled under blue and orange lights
Dark match after the taping: World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio and Randy Orton
WWE @ Brisbane, Australia – Entertainment Centre – August 30, 2012
WWE (Raw) @ Sydney, Australia – Allphones Arena – August 31, 2012
Brodus Clay pinned Jack Swagger with the splash
WWE Divas Champion Layla pinned Rosa Mendes with a standing spin kick to the head
WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin pinned Alex Riley with the Skull Crushing Finale
Zack Ryder pinned Tensai with the Rough Ryder
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated Primo Colon & Epico; the challengers initially won the match and titles until AJ had the match restarted, noting one of the champion’s feet were on the rope during the cover
Santino Marella pinned David Otunga with the Cobra
WWE World Champion CM Punk pinned Daniel Bryan with the Go To Sleep
John Cena defeated the Big Show & John Laurinaitis in a handicap match
WWE @ Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena – September 1, 2012
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Madison, WI – Alliant Energy Center – September 2, 2012
Justin Gabriel defeated Heath Slater
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Michael McGillicutty & Johnny Curtis
Ryback defeated Jinder Mahal
Alicia Fox defeated Natalya Neidhart
Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler
Wade Barrett defeated Tyson Kidd
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro defeated Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio in a streetfight
WWE @ Chicago, IL – AllState Arena – September 3, 2012 (announced at 13,604)
Raw – featured an opening segment showing that Jerry Lawler did not appear ringside before the broadcast, with Michael Cole then showing footage of WWE World Champion CM Punk fighting with Lawler backstage until Punk was dragged away by referees minutes before the show went live; included an in-ring promo by World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus in which he said he would beat Alberto Del Rio at Night of Champions; moments later, Punk interrupted from the entrance stage – to chants of his name – and said Sheamus shouldn’t try to talk to his hometown because they can’t relate to him; Punk then said the cameras didn’t show Lawler jumping him from behind to start the fight, and said Lawler wasn’t the king in Chicago; he went on to say he taught Lawler respect the previous week in a steel cage “until a little white knight came along” (Cena); Punk then asked the crowd whether he, as Lawler said, turned his back on the fans, with them resoundingly saying “No;” he went on to say Cena siding with Lawler was a sign he disrespected him, and noted he had been champion for 288 days; Sheamus interrupted, to boos, and said Punk said he was the best in the world but he was the World Heavyweight Champion; Sheamus then said Punk interrupting him was akin to Rock interrupting Punk weeks earlier, then said at least Rock had the guts to do it in the ring; Punk then said, at best, Sheamus was the 2nd best in the world and told him to shut his mouth; moments later, AJ appeared and said ADR would face Cena later in the show and Punk would face Sheamus; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers U.S. military personnel free tickets to live events in the U.S.; included a video package of Daniel Bryan and Kane in anger management class in which Bryan held up his “anger collage” which detailed how the crowd chants against him; moments later, Kane held up his own collage which was on a blank white piece of paper; Kane then threw the paper in the trash can, which then shot pyro out of it, to show how he felt inside; after sitting down, Bryan said “teacher’s pet” at Kane; featured an ad promoting Saturday Morning Slam; included a video package from the anger management class in which everyone was told to form a “circle of trust” to get over their trust issues, with Bryan reluctantly doing a trust fall and falling into Kane; Dr. Shelby then had Harold do the trust fall to Bryan and Kane, with neither man catching him; featured an ad promoting the WWE app; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was seen by 5 times more viewers than MLB on EPSN; featured a backstage segment in which Jack Swagger told AJ he was taking time off and knew he was better than this; AJ then said everyone was leaving her, including Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, Punk, and now Swagger; included a segment from anger management class in which Bryan said he had put his anger management issues behind him and offered Kane a rematch; Kane thanked Bryan for his comments and said he would someday take Bryan up on the challenge; moments later, the two began arguing and both told Harold to shut up when he tried to calm them down; eventually, Dr. Shelby began yelling at them and stormed off in anger; back in the arena, Michael Cole told the fans in the arena they could vote on Twitter on whether Bryan and Kane should face each other, become a tag team, or hug; featured a backstage segment in which Striker attempted to interview Alberto Del Rio about the condition of Ricardo Rodriguez, with David Otunga appearing and saying his “client” had no comment at that time; included a look at coverage by The Sun in the UK about the Rock thwarting a theft attempt on the set of the latest “Fast & the Furious” movie; featured a backstage segment in which Striker spoke with AJ, with AJ saying Cena vs. ADR was now falls count anywhere; included an in-ring segment in which Bryan and Kane were introduced, with Cole then revealing the results of the Twitter poll — a match: 18%, be tag team partners: 27%, and hug it out: 55%; the crowd then chanted “Hug it out” as the two reluctantly came forward and then backed away; eventually Bryan hugged Kane, with the crowd chanting “Hug him back” at Kane before Kane hugged Bryan; the crowd then chanted “One more time” until the two hugged each other at the same time and then shook hands; moments later, the two began playfully slapping each other on the shoulder until it escalated into a fight in the ring and on the floor; Kane then grabbed a steel chair on the floor, hit Bryan with it, and dropped him with a chokeslam in the ring; Kane then put Bryan’s head in the chair and attempted to come off the top before referees intervened, with Bryan then hitting Kane with the chair and running out of the ring; featured an ad promoting ‘The 50 Greatest Finishing Moves in WWE History;’ included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was SyFy’s most watched regularly scheduled program for the 100th straight week; featured “Be a Star” comments from Carl Edwards, Cena, David Arquette, Perez Hilton, James Durbin, MGK, Sheamus, Kellen Lutz, Alicia Fox, James Roday, Angus T. Jones, and Jordin Sparks:
Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) pinned Randy Orton with a roll over and grabbing the tights for leverage at 13:42; prior to the bout, Vickie introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage and said she had personal issues with AJ that she would address later in the night; following the bout, WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin joined Michael Cole on commentary
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated Cody Rhodes & Tensai at 7:54 when Sin Cara pinned Rhodes with a swanton off the top after Mysterio hit the 619
WWE World Champion CM Punk fought World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus to a no contest in a non-title match; following Sheamus’s entrance, Punk came out in street clothes and cut an in-ring promo saying he wouldn’t be exploited at the 8pm hour simply because he’s from Chicago; Punk then said he was taking the night off and left the ring; after Punk left ringside, Sheamus took the mic and said Punk disrespected the fans by walking away; moments later, Punk was shown backstage talking with AJ and saying he was taking a personal day; Punk then got in a waiting car and left the arena; Matt Striker then appeared and asked AJ what she would do for the match, with AJ then asking who Striker was before saying she would find Sheamus an opponent
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger in a non-title match at 2:43 via submission with a Texas Cloverleaf; Alberto Del Rio, and Ricardo Rodriguez, stood ringside for the match; after the bout, Rodriguez distracted Sheamus, allowing ADR to slide in the ring and attack Sheamus from behind; Sheamus then attacked Rodriguez and dropped ADR with White Noise; Sheamus then attempted the boot to the face, with Rodriguez shoving ADR out of the way and sustaining the move himself; during the commercial break, Rodriguez was tended to in the ring by medical personnel
Eve pinned Kaitlyn with the neckbreaker at 3:12; WWE Divas Champion Layla provided guest commentary for the bout; after the match, Eve shook Kaitlyn’s hand and helped her to her feet; moments later, Eve confronted Layla at ringside and extended her hand for Layla to shake, with Layla reluctantly doing so
Ryback pinned Jinder Mahal with the Samoan Drop at 2:12
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro (w/ Aksana) pinned Santino Marella with the Neutralizer at 2:06; during his entrance, Cesaro & Aksana cut an insert promo in which he said he personified success; after the bout, Cesaro and Aksana kissed (Cesaro’s debut with new theme music)
Zack Ryder pinned Heath Slater with the Rough Ryder at 3:02; prior to the bout, the commentary team discussed the Twitter war between the two; after the match, Vickie Guerrero walked out and said she wasn’t leaving the ring until AJ came out; following the commercial break, Vickie argued about AJ recently putting Dolph Ziggler’s Money in the Bank contract at stake in a match and then attacking Vickie the previous week; Vickie then began interviewing AJ as if she were sitting in the empty chair, aluding to the Clint Eastwood RNC speech; moments later, AJ appeared and said she got off the phone with the WWE Board of Directors who told her she can not put her hands on anyone and told AJ to apologize, which she did; Vickie then called her inept and demanded another apology, with the crowd chanting “Slap her;” AJ then apologized, with Vickie slapping her and reminding AJ that she couldn’t touch her in response; Vickie then slapped her a second time before leaving the ring laughing and skipping backstage; moments later, AJ threw the chair and fell to the mat, starting to cry
Alberto Del Rio pinned John Cena in a falls count anywhere match at around the 14-minute mark after, as the two fought backstage, WWE World Champion CM Punk kicked Cena in the head and pulled ADR ontop of Cena for the win; during ADR’s entrance, a Tout from David Otunga said he would address Ricardo Rodriguez’s injuries on Smackdown; after the contest, Punk used a nearby car to drop Cena with the Go To Sleep; Punk then held up his title belt from the passenger’s side; moments later, the driver’s window came down to reveal Paul Heyman behind the wheel (the match began during the commercial break) (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
WWE @ Moline, IL – I Wireless Center – September 4, 2012
Smackdown! – 9/4/12:
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated Cody Rhodes & WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin
Zack Ryder defeated Daniel Bryan
Randy Orton defeated Damien Sandow via count-out in an impromptu match at around the 8-minute mark when Sandow ran backstage; during Sandow’s entrance, he cut a promo in which he complained about being put into a match without having had time to prepare for it, bragged about having not been pinned, and while fans were going to social media to call him a coward none of them had to guts to do so to his face; he then said the fans should spend less time tweeting and touting and more time reading, before being interrupted by Orton’s entrance; Orton then said he already went to Booker T and said he wanted a match with Sandow; before the bell rang, Dolph Ziggler & Vickie Guerrero walked out, with Ziggler providing guest commentary for the bout; after the contest, Orton slid to the floor and confronted Ziggler; the two then fought in the ring, with Sandow running back out and sustaining the RKO as Ziggler slid out of the ring (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Darren Young & Titus O’Neil defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso and Epico & Primo Colon
Wade Barrett pinned Yoshi Tatsu
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated David Otunga via submission
Saturday Morning Slam – 9/15/12 – featured a video package on Justin Gabriel, followed by him on tour in South Africa; included a video package on the various countries of origin by WWE superstars past and present; featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus; included a video package on international fans, including those in Japan and China; featured the announcement the following week’s show would focusing on the history of the WWE IC Title; included a closing segment in which WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro taught how to say “Welcome back to school” in five languages:
WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston defeated Primo Colon & Epico at 9:20 when Kingston pinned Epico with a crossbody off the top after Epico struck the corner; Josh Matthews & Santino Marella provided commentary for the match
WWE @ Hamilton, Ontario – Copps Coliseum – September 8, 2012
WWE @ Kingston, Ontario – K-Rock Centre – September 9, 2012 (matinee)
WWE @ Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre – September 10, 2012
Raw SuperShow – featured an opening in-ring promo by Bret Hart, in which he had to wait several minutes for the crowd to stop cheering and chanting “Ole;” moments later, Hart discussed Survivor Series 1997 and thanked the crowd for their support as the fans chanted “Thank you, Bret;” moments later, WWE World Champion CM Punk interrupted and said Hart had already detailed everything in his book, then adding he would never have written a book about himself like that; Punk then discussed what would have happened if he faced Hart at Survivor Series, with Hart saying he would have put him in a Sharpshooter within a minute; Punk then called himself the best in the world and he would have beaten Hart, creating a chain reaction that would have killed the Attitude Era, he himself would have jumped to WCW after beating Bret, and the WWF would have ended; Punk went on to make fun of Hart’s moniker before saying “You could call yourself the king of Memphis but that doesn’t make it true,” looking at Jerry Lawler at ringside; Hart said he had his history with Lawler but Lawler never walked out like a coward, as Punk did the previous week against World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus; Hart went on to show footage of the segment, with Punk then asking where John Cena was and whether he was going to run out if things got too much for Hart; Punk went on to say he’s been WWE World Champion longer than Hart ever had and he would cement his legacy Sunday as the best of all time against Cena, then saying Hart and Cena were overrated and overhyped and he would leave Cena as Hart was – “a broken, beaten shell of a man;” following the commercial break, a Twitter poll was set up to determine who Punk would face later in the night – Brodus Clay, Lawler, or Randy Orton; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more kids watched Saturday Morning Slam for the second straight week than any other show on broadcast TV; featured footage from WWE Headquarters earlier in the day of Sheamus, David Otunga, and Ricardo Rodriguez – in a neckbrace – in which Otunga questioned Sheamus about his use of the Brogue Kick on referee Chad Patton, Daniel Bryan, and Rodriguez and their long-term injuries as a result; moments later, Sheamus kicked the video camera in the room, breaking it; included a backstage segment with AJ and Punk in which Punk argued why he didn’t know who his opponent would be later in the night, with AJ saying the people would choose Punk’s fate since he walked out on them the previous week; Punk then turned around to see Clay behind him; featured an ad promoting the WWE app; included an ad promoting ‘Rock vs. Cena: Once in a Lifetime’ on DVD; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 1 million females watched the previous week’s Smackdown and more males watched than any other show on cable or broadcast TV; included a backstage segment with Bryan and Kane in which they realized they were lured into the office by Dr. Shelby, at AJ’s request, to cure their anger management issues; featured a backstage segment with AJ, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil in which AJ said they weren’t the #1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Titles because there was one more team they hadn’t beaten and they would face Kane & Bryan later in the show; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA; featured a Tout by WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth regarding facing Kane & Bryan at Night of Champions; included a backstage segment with Bryan, Kane, and Dr. Shelby about their earlier tag team match, with Bryan and Kane then arguing about which of them gets higher billing before Dr. Shelby said they should be called “Team Friendship,” with the two yelling at him; featured Michael Cole at the announce tale recapping the collapse of Lawler, adding he is breathing on his own and was taken to a nearby hospital; Cole then said, out of respect to Lawler, there would be no further commentary on the show; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s Facebook network has more than 75 million fans, more than the NFL and its 32 teams combined; featured Cole at the broadcast table in which he said Lawler was more responsive and was now in an isolated portion of the ER at a nearby hospital; included a closing in-ring segment in which Hart interviewed Cena in which Hart compared Cena’s feud with Punk to his own old feud with Shawn Michaels; Cena said he was flattered by the comparison and said he still had a long way to go before he could put himself in their league, with the crowd chanting “You can’t wrestle” at Cena; Cena then said he could never lace Hart’s boots and that Punk saw the belt as respect; after Hart said Punk was a “phoney little punk,” Punk interrupted and said both men were surpassed by men far superior of themselves, Michaels and himself, before saying he was better than Michaels; Punk then said he was also better than “that hillbilly” (Steve Austin) that passed out to the Sharpshooter at WrestleMania 13 and he was better than the Rock; he went on to say he was the best wrestler, brawler, talker, and technician and he wasn’t saying it out of insecurity but because it was true; Cena responded by saying the title has been irrelevant since Punk took it and the change Punk promised was a lie; he went on to say his own successes and failures were his own, while Punk had borrowed from everyone else – including Hart and Randy Savage – because he didn’t know who he himself was; Cena then cut a promo on Punk in French, then calling Punk an ignorant son of a bitch; moments later, Punk went to punch Hart, with Cena blocking it and taking off his shirt to fight Punk; Punk then went to punch Hart again, with Hart blocking it and punching Punk to the floor; moments later, Cole said Lawler’s condition had stabilized and his heart was beating on its own, adding fans could follow WWE.com and social media for the latest updates:
WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin & WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro (w/ Aksana) in a non-title match at 8:09 when Kingston pinned Cesaro with the spin kick to the head; during their entrance, Aksana had Cesaro say “prestigue” in five languages; prior to the bout, it was announced Cesaro’s challenger at Night of Champions would be determined by a battle royal which would take place during the live pay-per-view pre-show on WWE.com and YouTube
WWE Divas Champion Layla, Eve, & Kaitlyn defeated Beth Phoenix, Alicia Fox, & Natalya Neidhart at 2:27 when Eve pinned Fox with the neckbreaker
Randy Orton defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via disqualification in a non-title match at 13:43 when Dolph Ziggler interfered as Orton attempted the RKO; prior to the bout, Michael Cole took the mic and revealed the results of the Twitter poll: Brodus Clay: 12%, Jerry Lawler: 13%, and Orton: 75%; during the match, it was announced Orton would face Ziggler at Night of Champions; there were dueling chants for both men during the bout; after the contest, Orton was double teamed before Lawler threw off his headset to help make the save; moments later, Lawler and Orton continued to fight Punk and Ziggler on the floor; during the commercial break, a tag team match was ordered by AJ
Randy Orton & Jerry Lawler defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk & Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) in an impromptu match at around the 10-minute mark when Orton pinned Ziggler with a reversal into the RKO as Punk was speaking with Paul Heyman outside the ring; Heyman appeared ringside late in the match, with Punk going to the floor to speak with him and both men ignoring Guerrero when she told Punk to pay attention to the match; following the commercial break, Matt Striker conducted a backstage interview with Punk and Heyman, with Punk only saying “I’m a Paul Heyman guy” in response to Striker asking about their relationship (the match began during the commercial break)
Ryback pinned Heath Slater with the Samoan Drop at 2:12; prior to the bout, Slater took the mic and said Zack Ryder got lucky the previous week in his match with him; moments later, Ryder appeared on the big screen and said he wouldn’t be facing Slater then in a rematch but knew who would be
Kane & Daniel Bryan defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil at 8:31 when Bryan pinned Young after Kane attacked his partner and dropped him with a chokeslam onto Young; during the bout, the crowd chanted “Prime Time Losers;” mid-way through the match, in an untelevised happening, Jerry Lawler collapsed at the ringside announce table and was taken backstage for treatment; fans chanted “Jerry” as he was tended to at ringside; Michael Cole provided commentary for much of the match by himself, never referring to Lawler’s situation; stipulations stated the winners of the match would be the #1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Titles and challenge for them at Night of Champions; after the contest, Kane held up Bryan’s arm in victory
Alberto Del Rio defeated Tyson Kidd via submission with the cross armbreaker at 2:57; Ricardo Rodriguez, wearing a neckbrace, served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; after the contest, ADR continued to assault Kidd before taking the mic and said what he did to Kidd wouldn’t compare to what he would do to World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus at Night of Champions; following the bout, Michael Cole announced to the fans at home that Lawler passed out earlier and was taken backstage on a stretcher; Cole went on to say Lawler was receiving CPR and “it was not part of tonight’s entertainment”
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated David Otunga in a non-title match via submission with the Texas Cloverleaf at 1:29; during Sheamus’s entrance, recent tweets were shown in which he tried to have the Brogue Kick reinstated; there was no commentary for the match; after the contest, Sheamus returned to the ring and dropped Otunga with the kick to the face; moments later, AJ appeared; before she could make her point, Booker T appeared and told AJ it was his business, with AJ returning backstage; Booker then said he would strip Sheamus of the title if he used the kick again before his own internal investigation was complete
Cody Rhodes pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. at 4:39 with the Crossroads, moments after Mysterio fought off an interfering WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin; there was no commentary for the match; after the contest, Miz got in Mysterio’s face, only for Rhodes to also drop him with the move and then hold up the title belt
WWE @ Ottawa, Ontario – Scotiabank Place – September 11, 2012
Smackdown! – 9/14/12:
Sin Cara pinned WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin in a non-title match
Kane pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston
Randy Orton pinned Tensai
Kaitlyn pinned Beth Phoenix
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan via submission
Saturday Morning Slam – 10/6/12:
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Michael McGillicutty with the 619 and splash off the top at 10:14; Josh Matthews & Santino Marella provided commentary for the bout
WWE @ Hamilton, Ontario – Copps Coliseum – September 11, 2012
WWE @ Daytona Beach, FL – Ocean Center – September 14, 2012
NXT @ Ft. Pierce, FL – Fenn Center – September 14, 2012
Night of Champions 2012 – Boston, MA – TD Garden – September 16, 2012 (announced at 14,886; sell out)
Pay-per-view bouts – included an opening segment in which Michael Cole informed the viewers that Jerry Lawler was in recovery after suffering a heart attack six days earlier, and that Lawler would be going home to Memphis later in the week; moments later, John Bradshaw Layfield was introduced as Cole’s commentary partner for the program, subbing for Lawler; featured a backstage segment with Darren Young & Titus O’Neil complaining to Eve that they should be the ones in the WWE Tag Team Title match; moments later, Eve was alerted that Kaitlyn had been attacked further down the hallway; Kaitlyn said she didn’t see who attacked her, with Eve saying she was in no shape to compete in the WWE Divas Title match later in the show; included a video package on the recent anger management classes with Daniel Bryan & Kane, their teamwork, and friction; featured a backstage segment with Eve, Booker T, and Teddy Long in which they talked about who could replace Kaitlyn in the divas title match, with Booker suggesting Eve have the match; included information on how the WWE is partnering with the Susan G. Komen Foundation; featured a backstage segment in which Alberto Del Rio, David Otunga – wearing a neckbrace, and Ricardo Rodriguez in which ADR and Otunga called Rodriguez stupid for not wearing his neckbrace as they told him to; included an ad promoting ‘Rock vs. Cena: Once in a Lifetime;’ featured an in-ring announcement in which Lilian Garcia noted several breast cancer survivors in attendance and how to support the Komen organization; included a Komen for the Cure PSA with comments from John Cena, Layla, Dolph Ziggler, and Alicia Fox; featured a backstage segment in which WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan and WWE Tag Team Champion Kane both argued that they were the tag team champion to Dr. Shelby, with AJ screaming until they stopped; moments later, Bryan congratulated Kane on his win but Kane walked off; Kane then returned, doused Bryan with Gatorade, and said he was going to go celebrate at Disneyland; included a video package noting the history between World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio; featured a video on the WWE’s partnership with the National Guard; several members of the National Guard were shown sitting ringside; included a video package promoting the Cena vs. WWE World Champion CM Punk match:
WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin defeated Rey Mysterio Jr., Sin Cara, and Cody Rhodes at 12:04 by pinning Rhodes with the Skull Crushing Finale; during his entrance, Miz cut a promo complaining about having to defend against three challengers and blamed Booker T; late in the match, Sin Cara attempted to put a second copy of his mask on Rhodes, then successfully did it to Miz leading to the finish, with Miz hitting the move and making the pinfall while blinded by the mask
Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth to win the titles at 8:30 when Kane pinned Kingston after Kingston failed a hurricanrana off the top, with Bryan and Kane arguing leading to Bryan shoving Kane off the top onto Kingston for the pinfall; late in the bout, Bryan and Kane argued before hugging it out; after the bout, the two argued over who was the tag team champions as the crowd chanted “Hug it out”
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro (w/ Aksana) pinned Zack Ryder at 6:41 with a European uppercut and the Neutralizer after Ryder chased Cesaro back into the ring; prior to the entrances, the middle rope was replaced with a pink rope in support of the Susan G. Komen Foundation; following his entrance, Aksana said Cesaro would say a word that best describes the match in 5 languages, with Cesaro then saying “unfair” in the languages
Randy Orton pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) with the RKO at 18:23; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced Ziggler at the entrance stage; during the match, there were dueling chants for both men
Eve (sub. for Kaitlyn) pinned WWE Divas Champion Layla to win the title at 6:38 with a neckbreaker
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Alberto Del Rio with the boot to the face at around the 15-minute mark after ADR failed an enzigiri attempt; Ricardo Rodriguez provided ADR’s ring introductions after both participants entered the ring; following the introductions, Booker T appeared at the entrance stage and said the Brogue Kick was reinstated; during the bout, there were chants of “We want Ziggler;” prior to the match, ADR was also escorted out by David Otunga; both Otunga and Rodriguez wore neckbraces for the match
John Cena fought WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) to a draw at 26:54 when both men’s shoulders were counted down following a German suplex off the top by Cena; prior to the ring entrances, Heyman praised Punk during an in-ring promo; there were dueling chants for and against Cena during the match; John Cena Sr. was shown watching on before the contest; during the final moments, the crowd chanted “This is awesome;” Cena was initially announced the new champion and celebrated with the title belt before it was noted both men’s shoulders were down and Punk had retained the title; after the contest, Punk hit Cena with the title belt, held it up in the air, and yelled “Respect!”; the crowd cheered when Punk’s music played and he held up the title belt at the entrance stage (Cena’s debut in the pink color scheme for the Susan G. Komen Foundation) (The Top 25 WWE Rivalries Blu-ray)
WWE @ Bridgeport, CT – Webster Bank Arena – September 17, 2012
Raw – featured an opening segment in which Paul Heyman came to the ring to the theme song of WWE World Champion CM Punk, then saying he was happy to see Punk successfully defend the title the previous night at Night of Champions against John Cena; Heyman then brought out referee Chad Patton to come out and explain his decision in the match, with Heyman showing a still on the big screen of all four shoulders down during the main event match; moments later, Heyman showed footage taken by a fan that also showed all four shoulders down and then noted the match was a draw and Punk retained the title; Cena then interrupted and said Patton made the right call but compared it to the Super Bowl ending on a draw, then asked Heyman whether Punk earned the respect he had been after by keeping the title with a draw; Heyman responded “Yes,” with the crowd responding “No;” Cena, after noting his ankle was swollen, said he wanted a rematch later in the show; Heyman responded by saying Punk would respond when he arrives later in the show, with Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez, wearing a neckbrace, appearing and ADR saying he wasn’t prepared for the Brogue Kick being reinstated at Night of Champions and he was the one who deserved a rematch; AJ then appeared and said Punk & ADR would face Cena & World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus later in the night; she then said the match would determine whether there would be world title rematches and who would be in them; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Night of Champions was the most socially active show on TV the previous night, beating broadcast TV’s top 10 shows, combined; featured a Tout from Jerry Lawler, recovering in a Montreal hospital, with Michael Cole then noting Lawler was back home in Memphis and would have an exclusive interview the following week; Cole wore a Lawler T-shirt for the show; John Bradshaw Layfield & Jim Ross then joined Cole on commentary; included a segment in which the commentary team discussed the WWE’s campaign to aid Susan G. Komen for the Cure, with a pink ring rope and logo appearing at the entrance stage; featured a Komen PSA; included an ad promoting Saturday Morning Slam, featuring a match with Zack Ryder; featured an in-ring segment of Miz TV, hosted by WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin, in which he said his segment would be better than Piper’s Pit, the Highlight Reel, and the Cutting Edge; Miz then introduced Booker T as his guest, calling him the man that tried to get the title off him at Night of Champions by having him face three challengers; Miz said Booker missed the spotlight and being the center of attention, with the crowd chanting “Boring” and Booker snatching the mic away and saying Miz was going to have another guest; moments later, Ryback appeared and destroyed Miz’s set as Miz circled the ring; Ryback then hoisted up Miz’s couch and threw it into the aisle; included an ad promoting the WWE app; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown was the #1 entertainment show on cable TV on Friday, beating every show on TNT, History, FX, TBS, and all ESPN networks; included a backstage segment in which Josh Matthews conducted an interview with Punk and Heyman about his title defense the previous night against Cena and his tag team match later in the night; featured an ad promoting ‘Rock vs. Cena: Once in a Lifetime’ on DVD; included a backstage segment with Kofi Kingston & R-Truth celebrating Subway’s birthday with Jared; after Jared gave them sandwiches, Damien Sandow, Zack Ryder, and then Ryback appeared to get their own sandwiches; featured a backstage segment in which Cena and Sheamus discussed their tag team match later in the night; included footage of Lawler arriving in Memphis earlier in the day; featured footage of Big Show, David Otunga, and Stephanie McMahon speaking to kids in Bridgeport in March, with students from the program then being shown in attendance; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE Home Video has 75 of the 100 top selling sports DVDs in America, with “50 Greatest Finshing Moves in WWE” at #1; featured a Komen PSA with comments by Alicia Fox, Layla, Dolph Ziggler, and Cena; included a backstage segment with David Otunga, ADR, Heyman, and Punk in which ADR – through Otunga – said he should take the lead in their tag team match and then said Punk looked like he lived on the streets; moments later, Punk – through Heyman – said ADR should go back in time to the previous year’s Survivor Series when Punk took the title from ADR:
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated Epico & Primo Colon (w/ Rosa Mendes) at 6:45 when Sin Cara pinned Epico with a swanton off the top after Mysterio hit a double 619; after the contest, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil attacked Mysterio & Sin Cara in the ring; moments later, Young & O’Neil took the mic at ringside and said no one was going to take opportunities from them
WWE Divas Champion Eve pinned Beth Phoenix in a non-title match with a roll up after Phoenix hit the corner at 1:40; Layla provided guest commentary for the match; after the bout, Eve confronted Layla at the commentary table
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Heath Slater at 2:04 with the splash after blocking Slater coming off the top by landing a headbutt to the chest; WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro, alongside Aksana, provided commentary for the bout; after the match, Clay, Cameron, Naomi, and young fans danced in the ring
Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) pinned Santino Marella at 4:10 after twice hitting the Zig Zag, moments after Vickie stole away the Cobra; after the bout, Ziggler put the Cobra in Santino’s mouth
Wade Barrett pinned Justin Gabriel at 4:10 with a punch to the face; during the bout, the crowd chanted “We want Nexus”
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated R-Truth & Kofi Kingston at 12:44 when Truth submitted to the No Lock after Kane hit the chokeslam and Bryan tagged himself into the bout; after the match, Bryan celebrated with both belts before Kane stole them away and did the same, with the crowd chanting “Hug it out;” moments later, the two hugged before Bryan stole back his own title belt and the two yelled back and forth “I am the tag team champions!”
Randy Orton pinned Tensai (w/ Sakamodo) with the RKO at 6:14 after avoiding a charge in the corner
Damien Sandow pinned Zack Ryder at around the 7-minute mark with the neckbreaker; prior to the bout, Sandow cut a promo in which he introduced several words to the fans that would help them during back to school system; moments later, Ryder appeared and said he spoke to AJ and she made a match between the two (the bout began during the commercial break)
John Cena & World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) & Alberto Del Rio at 13:27 when Cena pinned Punk with the FU, with the referee not realizing Punk’s foot was on the bottom rope during the cover; Ricardo Rodriguez, wearing a neckbrace, served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout; following the ring entrances, there were dueling chants of “Cena sucks” and “Let’s go, Cena;” after the fall, Punk argued with the referee and heckled him up the aisle as the show ended
WWE Superstars – 9/20/12 – featured a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA; included footage of Jerry Lawler arriving home to Memphis earlier in the week; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Night of Champions was the most socially active show on TV the previous night, beating broadcast TV’s top 10 shows, combined; included the David Otunga vs. Tyson Kidd and Darren Young & Titus O’Neil vs. Jimmy & Jey Uso matches taped 9/18/12 in Philadelphia:
Ted Dibiase Jr. pinned JTG with Dream Street at 5:09; Scott Stanford & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout
Drew McIntyre pinned Jinder Mahal with the Future Shock at 5:12; McIntyre worked the match with a black cast on his arm to protect a healing broken wrist; there was a chant of “USA” during the bout; Scott Stanford & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout
WWE @ Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center – September 18, 2012
WWE Superstars – 9/20/12: David Otunga pinned Tyson Kidd at 3:23 with the spinebuster after avoiding an attack off the top; Matt Striker & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout
WWE Superstars – 9/20/12: Darren Young & Titus O’Neil defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso at around the 10-minute mark when O’Neil pinned Jey following the Decapitation after Jey was crotched on the top turnbuckle; Matt Striker & Josh Matthews provided commentary for the bout
Smackdown! – 9/21/12 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Edge in which he talked about the season premiere of ‘Haven’ on SyFy after the night’s show and then questioned how Daniel Bryan & Kane won the WWE Tag Team Titles, referring to them as “the devil’s favorite demon” and “goat boy;” moments later, Bryan interrupted and said “they” did not become the champions, he did and then repeatedly chanted “I am the tag team champions;” moments later, Bryan questioned if anyone really knew Edge and told him to go back to acting and retirement, adding neither Edge or the fans could do anything to make him snap; Edge responded by getting the fans to chant “Yes” to Bryan’s “No,” with Kane then appearing as well; Kane then said he, not Bryan, was the champions; Edge then questioned what Kane was doing, noting their long history facing each other; Kane then said he wanted to fix that situation and hugged Edge; Bryan then screamed “No” until Kane and Edge invited him in for a group hug; before he could hug them, Damien Sandow interrupted and said Kane & Bryan had ruined the show in recent weeks; Edge suggested Sandow compete against one of them; included a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA; featured an ad promoting the following day’s Saturday Morning Slam, and a match featuring Zack Ryder; included a backstage segment with Alberto Del Rio in Booker T’s office, with ADR calling Booker a coward and Booker saying ADR would have to earn another title opportunity and he wasn’t going to just give him one; ADR then threw a copy of Booker’s autobiography and left; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE app had been downloaded more than 2 million times in its first month, beating the TNT, Discovery Channel, TBS, History Channel, and ESPN apps; included an ad promoting ‘Rock vs. Cena: Once in a Lifetime;’ featured an ad promoting the WWE Tout community; included a Komen PSA with comments by Alicia Fox, Layla, Dolph Ziggler, and Johh Cena; featured footage after Raw went off the air of WWE World Champion CM Punk arguing backstage that his foot was on the ropes during the night’s main event; included the announcement that Dr. James Andrews performed ankle surgery on Cena earlier in the week; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown was the #1 entertainment show on cable TV the previous Friday, beating every show on TNT, History, FX, TBS, and all ESPN networks:
Damien Sandow pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Kane in an impromptu match at 3:06 with the neckbreaker after Kane argued with WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan, who was on the ring apron; Bryan sat ringside for the bout; after the match, Bryan left ringside with both belts; following the commercial break, Kane went looking for Bryan backstage only to find Dr. Shelby, who told Kane to calm down; moments later, Bryan appeared and the two argued, with Bryan calling Kane a “big red freak” and Kane calling Bryan “goat face;” Shelby eventually had Bryan agree to give back Kane’s title belt in exchange for Kane not ripping off his beard; Shelby then said he would speak to Booker T about having Bryan compete, to make Kane feel better about his loss
Layla pinned Natalya Neidhart with the Layout at 1:31; WWE Divas Champion Eve provided guest commentary for the bout
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus & Randy Orton defeated Alberto Del Rio & Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) at around the 10-minute mark when Sheamus pinned Ziggler with the kick to the face as Ziggler attempted to use his Money in the Bank briefcase as a weapon, moments after Orton dropped ADR with the RKO; Ricardo Rodriguez, wearing a neckbrace, served as ADR’s ring announcer for the contest (the bout began during the commercial break)
Cody Rhodes pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan with Crossroads at 2:11 after WWE Tag Team Champion Kane appeared at the entrance stage and shot pyro out of the ringposts as Bryan attempted the No Lock on Rhodes; following the commercial break, Bryan went looking for Kane backstage and found him laughing, with the two arguing about each other’s loss, Bryan saying Kane belonged in a basement, and Kane saying Bryan belonged in a petting zoo; moments later, they found Damien Sandow and Rhodes laughing at them and the fact they were champions; Bryan & Kane then challenged Sandow & Rhodes to a match later in the show, with the two leaving
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) defeated Heath Slater via disqualification at 1:09 when Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal ran out and aided in triple teaming Clay; after the bout, McIntyre dropped Clay with the double arm DDT and Mahal applied the Camel Clutch
Santino Marella pinned WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro (w/ Aksana) in a non-title match with a roll up at 1:50 after Aksana accidentally fell into the ring, distracting the referee as Cesaro had Marella covered after a European uppercut; after the contest, Cesaro took the mic, confronted Aksana on the floor, and said he was done with her
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow via disqualification in a non-title match at 4:07 when Rhodes hit Kane with a steel chair; Titus O’Neil & Darren Young, Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel, Jimmy & Jey Uso stood around the ring for the duration of the bout; after the match, Bryan took the chair, held it up, but then gave it to Kane to use instead; Kane then used the weapon on Rhodes, with Bryan taking another chair and the two taking turns repeatedly hitting Sandow with the weapons; moments later, Kane thew the other wrestlers at ringside into the ring, where he and Bryan hit them with chairs; Kane then picked up the title belts and gave one to Bryan, with the two then holding up the belts and chairs before arguing again as the show ended
WWE @ Winter Park, FL – Full Sail University – September 20, 2012
NXT taping:
Damien Sandow defeated Brandon Traven
10/24/12 – featured an opening backstage segment in which Heath Slater met with Dusty Rhodes and said he wanted a title match against NXT Champion Seth Rollins; moments later, Vickie Guerrero appeared and said she was there to support Slater; Rhodes then agreed to give Slater a non-title match, and a title shot should he beat Rollins; included Tony Luftman & William Regal on commentary (Luftman’s debut); featured a vignette on Paige; included Byron Saxton conducting a podium interview with Richie Steamboat regarding not being medically cleared to compete because of what Kassius Ohno did to him the previous week; moments later, Ohno interrupted and said Steamboat’s career was over and he had his eyes on the NXT title; Ohno then tossed Steamboat his towel and told him “to throw it in” and said he was on his way to the ring to end someone else’s career; featured a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA with comments from Layla about losing her mom to breast cancer; included Riley Pierce conducting a backstage interview with Rollins regarding his upcoming match with Slater; featured a vignette on Bronson; included an ad promoting WWE touts; featured a backstage segment in which an angry Ohno was shown screaming; included an in-ring promo by WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro in which he said he was the champion of all the fans and told them to stand for the national anthem; once they did, he called for the Swiss national anthem to be played; moments later, Tyson Kidd interrupted, made fun of Cesaro, and challenged him to a title shot; Kidd then slapped Cesaro and knocked him to the floor with a dropkick; featured an ad promoting ‘CM Punk: Best in the World;’ included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers U.S. military personnel free tickets to live events in the U.S.:
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Camacho with the splash at 3:54; during Camacho’s entrance, William Regal noted on commentary that Hunico was in trouble for “extra-curricular activities” and wouldn’t be seen for a while; after the contest, Clay, Cameron & Naomi danced with young fans in the ring
Trent Barreta pinned Kassius Ohno at 6:50 with the running knee to the face after Richie Steamboat appeared ringside and threw Ohno’s towel into his face
Layla & Alicia Fox defeated Paige & Audrey Marie at 5:04 when Layla pinned Audrey with a crucifix after Audrey tagged herself into the match and made a lazy cover; Matt Striker was the ring announcer for the match; after the bout, Paige argued with Audrey on the loss
Bronson defeated Lincoln Broderick via submission at 1:06 with a figure-4; Matt Striker was the ring announcer for the match
NXT Champion Seth Rollins pinned Heath Slater (w/ Vickie Guerrero) with a standing Sliced Bread #2 at 12:21; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced Slater from the entrance stage; Matt Striker was the ring announcer for the match; Jim Ross & William Regal provided commentary for the contest; during the match, it was noted WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro would defend the following week against Tyson Kidd and it would see the debut of Roman Reigns; after the bout, Guerrero left ringside without Slater
10/31/12 – featured Riley Pierce conducting a backstage interview with Trent Barreta regarding his recent win over Kassius Ohno, with Ohno then appearing and saying the win was a fluke and challenged him to a rematch; Barreta agreed to a match for the following week; included a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA with comments from Layla about losing her mom to breast cancer; featured a vignette on Big E Langston; included Byron Saxton conducting a podium interview with Langston about his wishes to pin his opponents for a count of 5; moments later, Vickie Guerrero interrupted and said she had her eye on Langston and wanted to make him part of her stable; Langston then clapped weightlifting chalk in her face until she screamed and stormed backstage; featured an ad promoting WWE touts; included an in-ring promo by Jinder Mahal in which he said he was after the NXT title and demanded that Dusty Rhodes come out and grant him a rematch against Seth Rollins; moments later, Justin Gabriel interrupted and said he was more deserving of a title shot; Drew McIntyre then appeared and also argued he should get a title shot, noting he was the only one to have beaten Rollins; Bo Dallas then walked out and said it was his turn; finally, Rhodes appeared and said the four would wrestle the following week for the #1 contender spot; featured an ad promoting ‘Brock Lesnar: Here comes the Pain Collectors Edition;’ included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA:
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Johnny Curtis & Michael McGillicutty when Jimmy pinned McGillicutty with the Samoan Drop / splash off the top double team at 4:19; during his entrance, Curtis danced his way to the ring; after the contest, Conor O’Brian & Kenneth Cameron’s music began playing and they were shown watching on from atop the arena
Leo Kruger pinned Xavier Woods with the Kruger End at 4:01 after avoiding a dropkick off the top
Roman Reigns pinned CJ Parker at 3:40 with a modified urinage (Reigns’ debut) (Destruction of the Shield)
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Tyson Kidd with the Neutralizer at around the 10-minute mark after hitting the European uppercut; Jim Ross, subbing for Tony Luftman, and William Regal provided commentary for the match
11/7/12 – featured Tony Luftman, Byron Saxton, & William Regal on commentary; Matt Striker was the ring announcer for the show; included an ad promoting WWE touts; featured a vignette promoting Corey Graves; included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured Saxton conducting a podium interview with Roman Reigns regarding his debut the previous week, with Reigns taking the mic, telling Saxton to go away, and saying everyone wanted to be just like him; included an ad promoting ‘Brock Lesnar: Here comes the Pain Collectors Edition;’ featured an ad promoting WWEShop.com; included the announcement the Great Khali would be in action and Jimmy & Jey Uso would face Titus O’Neil & Darren Young on Saturday Morning Slam:
Kassius Ohno pinned Trent Barreta at 6:11 with the roaring elbow as Barreta followed Ohno back into the ring; after the match, Ohno pulled Barreta to his feet and attempted the move again but Barreta blocked it and knocked Ohno to the floor
Big E Langston pinned Memo Montenegro with the Big Ending at the 57-second mark; after the bout, Langston hit the move a second time and counted his opponent down for a 5 count; the crowd continued to chant “One more time” before Vickie Guerrero appeared on the big screen and said she offered $5,000 to any wrestler that can injure Langston; Langston then turned around and went to further attack Montenegro until Chad Baxter ran out and attacked him; Langston then hit the Big Ending on Baxter and counted him down for 5
Luke Harper (w/ Bray Wyatt) pinned Jason Jordan with a spinning sidewalk slam at 2:18; following Wyatt’s entrance, he cut a promo which was interrupted by Jordan, who challenged Wyatt to a match; Wyatt then said he was there to protect Jordan, noting he himself was a monster, but he didn’t come alone; moments later, Harper came out and fought with Jordan; after the contest, Wyatt introduced Harper and said he was the first son of the Wyatt family (Harper’s surprise debut)
Jinder Mahal defeated Bo Dallas, Drew McIntyre, and Justin Gabriel in an elimination match at around the 17-minute mark; stipulations stated the winner would be the #1 contender to the NXT Title and challenge Seth Rollins the following week; Jim Ross & William Regal provided commentary for the match; Rollins watched the majority of the bout from the entrance stage; Dallas pinned McIntyre with a spear at around the 10-minute mark; Dallas pinned Gabriel 15 seconds later with a spear as Gabriel came off the top; Dallas submitted to Mahal’s Camel Clutch; after the bout, Mahal reapplied the hold before Rollins ran in the ring, with Mahal then beating down Rollins and taking the title before Rollins cleared him from the ring and regained the belt
11/14/12: Conor O’Brian & Kenneth Cameron defeated Yoshi Tatsu & Percy Watson at 2:55 when Cameron pinned Tatsu with the Fall of Man; Tony Luftman & Byron Saxton provided commentary for the match
Dark match after the taping: World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro
WWE (Raw) @ State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center – September 21, 2012
Included an opening in-ring segment in which AJ announced John Cena would not be appearing due to injury; moments later, WWE World Champion CM Punk interrupted and said if Cena wasn’t there, he was leaving; AJ then said Punk would face Big Show instead
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin & Tensai when Sin Cara pinned Tensai; after the match, Miz cut a promo and hit Sin Cara with the title belt
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin in an impromptu non-title match in less than a minute
Layla defeated Aksana
Brodus Clay defeated Heath Slater
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro defeated Zack Ryder
Justin Gabriel pinned Damien Sandow
Michael McGillicutty defeated Dean Ambrose
The Big Show (sub. for John Cena) defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via disqualification in a lumberjack match after Punk used the title belt as a weapon; fans chose the stipulation for the match; after the contest, Show knocked Punk out with a punch
WWE @ Sarnia, Ontario – RBC Centre – September 22, 2012
WWE @ London, Ontario – John Labatt Centre – September 23, 2012 (matinee)
WWE @ ? – September 23, 2012
WWE @ Albany, NY – Times Union Center – September 24, 2012
Raw – included Michael Cole & Jim Ross on commentary; featured an opening in-ring segment in which Paul Heyman stood beside WWE World Champion CM Punk, sitting in a chair, in which Heyman discussed Punk’s foot being on the bottom rope during the previous week’s main event; moments later, Heyman called for referee Brad Maddox to come out to the ring, apologize to Punk, and resign; Maddox then appeared and apologized, noting it was his first main event and he was nervous; Heyman thanked him and then told him to resign, with the crowd chanting “No;” when Maddox wouldn’t, Punk said he should be ashamed and questioned him on how he even got a job; Maddox replied by saying AJ called him after the Raw expansion, with Heyman noting he wasn’t even a real referee and then pulled out an eye cover that had both the WWE and NFL logos on them; Punk followed by saying AJ should come out and fire him, with AJ appearing and sending Maddox to the back; AJ then said the official made a mistake but she wasn’t going to let them hold her show hostage; Punk said the only reason there was tension between the two was because he wouldn’t marry her two months earlier and implied the two were intimate before saying “Tell them I’m the best in the world;” Heyman then stepped in and told Punk he could handle it, then addressed AJ and got down on one knee and proposed to her, telling her that they could be the most powerful couple in sports entertainment history before insulting her; AJ then slapped Heyman and left the ring; following the commercial break, AJ spoke with Maddox backstage, with Maddox apologizing before AJ said he would never make the mistake again or he would never work in the business; AJ then stared off in a trance as Maddox apologized and walked off; moments later, AJ smiled as tears came down her face; featured an ad promoting Saturday Morning Slam; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE app has been downloaded more than 2 million times in its first month, beating the TNT, Discovery Channel, TBS, History Channel, and ESPN apps; featured footage of WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan meeting with Dr. Shelby at a diner, with Dr. Shelby saying he had a role playing game set up to help Bryan’s relationship with WWE Tag Team Champion Kane; moments later, Kane appeared as their waiter, with Bryan making his order and then making fun of Kane; Shelby then said Kane was playing the role of “Gerald,” with Kane – as Gerald – talking about eliminating the old cook earlier in the day and putting his remains in everyone’s food; included a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA; featured an in-ring promo by Mick Foley in which he noted how inspired he was the previous year by Punk but then questioned what change Punk really created, noted he was now bullying referees and following Heyman; moments later, Punk interrupted and said Foley was not relevant anymore; Foley then said he sent Punk a text the previous year when Punk won the title, that Punk responded to and said his compliment meant a lot coming from Foley; Foley then said he didn’t become anyone in the business until he stopped listening to Heyman and did something on his own and said Heyman would only do what was best for Heyman; he went on to question why Punk had a mouthpiece when he was one of the best talkers in the business, to which Punk responded with a yawn; moments later, Foley noted his historic Hell in a Cell performance in 1998 and said he hadn’t had to ask for respect since and the same held true for Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and the Undertaker; Foley then said he wanted to see Punk prove he was the best in the world by stepping into HIAC against Cena, with Punk noting his successful title defenses against Cena and saying he had heard Foley’s same speach from Bret Hart and Cena; Punk then said Foley was beneath him and while Foley would do everything to his body to get the adoration of the fans, Punk brings them to their knees using only the mic and said he had held the bout 309 days; Foley said he had only held the title a total fo 29 days, then questioned Punk if he wanted to be a statistic or a legend and that Punk needed one more moment to prove his greatness; Foley said Cena just had elbow surgery but should be ready by HIAC, should Punk choose to face him; Foley then told Punk to think hard and make the right decision for himself, Foley, and the fans; included an ad promoting WWE Main Event on Oct. 3; featured footage of Bryan and Kane eating at the diner, with the two agreeing they could never be friends and talking about how much fun it was to beat up eight men the previous week on Smackdown; the two then played out a scene similar to the orgasm scene in ‘When Harry Met Sally;’ moments later, Mae Young, shown sitting nearby, said “I’ll have what they’re having;” included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was watched by more adults than any other show on cable TV; featured a backstage segment with AJ speaking with all the referees and told them to have a great rest of the show; after they left, Alberto Del Rio walked in with David Otunga and Ricardo Rodriguez, wearing a neckbrace; AJ then said the three would face World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, Rey Mysterio Jr., & Sin Cara; after AJ left, ADR and Otunga complained about the match as an excited Rodriguez took off his neckbrace; included an in-ring segment in which Cole discussed the recent injury to Jerry Lawler before introducing Lawler on the big screen, live from his home in Memphis; Lawler went on to discuss what he remembered from that night in Montreal, commented on the outpouring of support he had received, and said he would be back on Raw as soon as his doctors allow; featured an ad promoting the WWE app; included footage from the diner of Bryan, Kane, and Dr. Shelby in which Dr. Shelby had Kane have some of Bryan’s salad and Bryan have some of Kane’s pasta, to let them better understand what it’s like to be the other person; moments later, Kane burped and Bryan threw up on Dr. Shelby; featured a Komen PSA with Cena; included an in-ring segment in which Bryan & Kane came out, with Cole announcing the results of a Twitter poll were revealed on what Bryan & Kane’s tag team name should be, with Team Hell No at 59%, Team Teamwork at 3%, and Team Friendship at 38%; moments later, Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow attacked the champions from behind; moments later, Rhodes & Sandow cut a promo from the entrance stage in which they said they were known as Team Rhodes Scholars; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s Facebook network has more than 75 million fans, more than the NFL and its 32 teams combined; included the announcement Big Show would face Randy Orton on Smackdown; featured a closing in-ring promo by Cena, his arm in a sling, in which he thanked the fans for their support of the Susan G. Komen WWE campaign before apologizing for Punk’s recent actions against referees; Cena then said he didn’t know when he would be recovered but he guaranteed he would walk in to HIAC to fight; Punk then appeared with Heyman, with Punk saying Cena’s speaches remind him of politicians and said there has always only been one CM Punk, the man that has repeatedly beaten Cena in the past year; Punk said there were many reasons he wouldn’t defend against Cena at HIAC and eventually told Cena to run while he still could before he ensures Cena wouldn’t be cleared to wrestle by the pay-per-view; moments later, Punk turned his back and gave Cena until 5 to leave the ring, with Cena then clearing Punk from the ring with a lead pipe when Punk went after him; Cena then said he would see Punk at HIAC; several moments later, Punk walked past Foley backstage, then walked back to him and kicked him in the gut; Punk walked off, then turned around to do it again only to find Ryback staring back at him:
Dolph Ziggler pinned Kofi Kingston at 11:07 with the Zig Zag after throwing Kingston upside down in the corner; prior to the bout, Vickie Guerrero introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage; during Ziggler’s entrance, recent tweets between the two were shown; R-Truth escorted Kingston to the ring before the match; following the entrances, Vickie and Truth had a confrontation at ringside, with Vickie having Truth’s drink dumped on her before the referee ejected them both from ringside; during the bout, it was noted Criss Angel was the social media ambassador for the night’s show (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Titus O’Neil & Darren Young defeated Santino Marella & Zack Ryder at 1:56 when O’Neil pinned Marella with the sit-down spinebuster after Young made a blind tag
Ryback pinned WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin at 2:57 in a non-title match with Shellshocked; late in the bout, a fan ran into the ring before being pulled out by security
Wade Barrett pinned Tyson Kidd with the Souvenir elbow strike to the face at 2:21
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, Rey Mysterio Jr., & Sin Cara defeated Alberto Del Rio, David Otunga, & Ricardo Rodriguez at around the 9-minute mark when Sin Cara pinned Rodriguez with a springboard senton after Mysterio hit the 619 on Rodriguez; Rodriguez introduced ADR before the match; during the contest, Titus O’Neil & Darren Young were shown watching on backstage; after the bout, Sheamus dropped Otunga with the boot to the face (the bout began during the commercial break)
WWE Divas Champion Eve & Beth Phoenix defeated Layla & Alicia Fox at 1:29 when Eve pinned Fox with the neckbreaker; after the bout, Kaitlyn came out on the entrance stage on a crutch and said she tracked down security footage from backstage at Night of Champions that showed her attacker was a blonde; moments later, Eve began blaming Phoenix, with Phoenix saying Eve was a liar; moments later, Eve dropped Phoenix with the neckbreaker and yelled at her that Phoenix wasn’t going to take advantage of people
Tensai fought Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) to a no contest at 1:45 when the Big Show came out, knocked out Tensai with a punch tot the face and then did the same to Clay
WWE @ Buffalo, NY – First Niagra Center – September 25, 2012
Smackdown! – 9/28/12:
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Santino Marella
Beth Phoenix pinned Natalya Neidhart at 4:15 with a roll over; prior to the bout, a Tout from WWE Divas Champion Eve aired in which she said she took the attack on Kaitlyn very seriously; the two shook hands to start the contest; late in the match, Natalya kicked out of the Glam Slam; after the contest, Eve appeared at the entrance stage, apologized for her accusations against Phoenix, but then suspended her indefinitely until the investigation was complete (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso
Ryback pinned Tensai
The Big Show pinned Randy Orton
Saturday Morning Slam – 10/13/12: WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin pinned Justin Gabriel in a non-title match with the Skull Crushing Finale at 6:25 after Gabriel failed a springboard moonsault attempt; Josh Matthews & Santino Marella provided commentary for the match
Saturday Morning Slam – 11/3/12: Sin Cara pinned El Local (Ricardo Rodriguez wearing a mask) with the Swanton off the top at 7:32; the match was wrestled under blue and orange lights; Josh Matthews & Santino Marella provided commentary for the match
WWE @ Topeka, KS – Kansas Expo Centre – September 29, 2012
WWE @ Abilene, TX – Taylor County Coliseum – September 29, 2012
WWE @ Wichita Falls, TX – Kay Yeager Coliseum – September 30, 2012
Justin Gabriel defeated Heath Slater
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Leo Krueger
Kaitlyn defeated Natalya Neidhart
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin & Cody Rhodes
Wade Barrett defeated Tyson Kidd
Ryback defeated Jinder Mahal
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio in a streetfight
WWE @ Wichita, KS – Intrust Bank Arena – September 30, 2012
WWE @ Oklahoma City, OK – Chesapeake Energy Arena – October 1, 2012
Raw – featured an opening segment in which WWE World Champion CM Punk and Paul Heyman came to the ring, with Punk noting he was attacked from behind the previous week by John Cena weilding a pipe, then said Mick Foley was disrespectful to him backstage, something he wouldn’t have done to Cena, the Rock, or Steve Austin; Punk then said he spent the week thinking about Foley’s comments from the previous week and decided to again deny Cena a match at Hell in a Cell; Heyman then showed footage of AJ slapping him the previous week and called for AJ to resign, adding that he should be the one to take her place; moments later, Vickie Guerrero, alongside Dolph Ziggler, interrupted and said AJ had done wrong by both of them; after Vickie and Heyman had words, Ziggler suggested Vickie and Heyman be co-GMs; AJ then came out to the ring, noted she had been put on probation and that she had a co-executive coach to help her in her development as Raw GM; WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan then came out and apologized for dumping AJ after WrestleMania and playing a part in her mental instability, then saying he was a great catch, was a former world champion, and had a great beard; after Bryan claimed to be the tag team champions, WWE Tag Team Champion Kane came out, said AJ was a phenomenal kisser, but said he, not Bryan, was the tag team champions; all the men began arguing in the ring, with AJ screaming to make them stop and then saying Punk & Ziggler would face Bryan & Kane later in the night; included the announcement that Booker T would read questions from the fans as long as they tweet them using the hashtag #SheamusShow for the upcoming debate between Big Show and World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus; featured a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA; included a backstage segment in which AJ introduced Kaitlyn to her coach Christopher J Stevenson; moments later, AJ apologized to Kaitlyn for everything she’s done to her in recent months, then burst out laughing and said she wasn’t sorry at all; AJ then skipped away; featured an ad promoting WWE Main Event’s premiere on Wednesday and Punk vs. Sheamus; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous Friday’s Smackdown was seen by more than three times as many people as the Ultimate Fighter; featured the announcement Larry King was the night’s social media ambassador; included an in-ring segment in which Booker hosted a debate between Show and Sheamus in which they answered select questions from Twitter about what they would do to each other at Hell in a Cell, with Sheamus then showing a Tout from a “relative” (him wearing a Rey Mysterio Jr. mask); moments later, Sheamus made fun of Show for losing the World Heavyweight Title to Bryan in 45 seconds and the fact Sheamus won it in half that time from Bryan; eventually, the two appeared to be about to fight before Show left the ring; featured a backstage segment in which Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow made fun of the debate earlier in the show and said they would go on to win the WWE Tag Team Titles after winning the #1 contender tournament; included an ad promoting Foley’s new book, ‘A Most Mizerable Christmas;’ featured a segment in which Justin Roberts recognized the breast cancer survivors and families in attendance before promoting WWE’s Komen campaign; included a backstage segment in which AJ introduced Stevenson to Wade Barrett, with Barrett saying AJ was doing a horrible job and he was upset he wasn’t wrestling on the show; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s YouTube channel has generated more than 370 million views since its inception; included a look at John Bradshaw Layfield reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, followed by a Tout from JBL after reaching the summit; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s Facebook network adds 75,000 new fans every day; included an in-ring segment in which Michael Cole introduced Jim Ross for ‘Jim Ross Appreciation Night,’ with Punk and Heyman then interrupting and Punk saying Ross was the best announcer WWE had and he respected him for it; Punk went on to say the fans didn’t know about respect and he wanted JR to admit he was the best in the world; JR followed by saying Punk had been making a jackass of himself in recent weeks; Punk said Steve Austin and Jerry Lawler weren’t around to help JR, and said 316 now only stood for the number of days he had been world champion; moments later, JR said he had called WrestleMania main events and Austin and others like him never asked to be called the best in the world, they earned it; JR then said for Punk to be the best in the world, he would have to accept Cena’s challenge, face him in Hell in a Cell, and kick his ass; moments later, Punk took off JR’s cowboy hat and stomped it before saying he had already beaten Cena countless times and challenged Ross to fight him or leave the ring; Punk then stopped JR from leaving the ring before saying he was done doing commentary for the night and told him to do the walk of shame up the ramp and go backstage; as JR prepared to go up the ramp, Ryback came out and confronted Punk in the ring, with Punk eventually leaving the ring; featured a Komen for the Cure PSA with comments from Ziggler, Alicia Fox, WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin, AJ, WWE Divas Champion Eve, and Cena; included an ad promoting Tribute to the Troops in December, set to Kid Rock’s “Let’s Ride;” featured a backstage segment with AJ and Stevenson in which he gave her tips on how to improve herself and the show, with AJ saying Stevenson should be the guest referee for the bout before eventually telling him to get out of the arena; during the segment, JR’s audio could be picked up with him saying “Why don’t you do the reveal?”; featured an ad promoting ‘Barricade’ on DVD:
WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Tournament Quarter Finals: Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) at 9:22 when Mysterio pinned Primo with the splash off the top after Sin Cara hit a crossbody off the top to the floor onto Epico; Mysterio & Sin Cara wore matching masks for the bout; early in the match, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil came out and sat at the entrance stage WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) in a non-title match with the Neutralizer at 1:08; during his entrance, a pretaped insert promo aired from Cesaro
WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin pinned Zack Ryder in a non-title match at 2:39 with the Skull Crushing Finale
Ryback pinned Tensai at 1:50 with a clothesline after twice failing to hit the Samoan Drop (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
WWE Divas Champion Eve pinned Beth Phoenix in a non-title match with the neckbreaker at 2:34; during her entrance, a pretaped insert promo aired from Eve in which she praised her fellow divas
Santino Marella defeated Heath Slater (w/ Drew McIntyre & Jinder Mahal) via disqualification at 2:50 when McIntyre and Mahal attacked Marella after Marella hit the Cobra; after the bout, McIntyre dropped Marella with the Future Shock, with Slater then taking a mic and he, McIntyre, and Mahal cutting a brief promo
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Damien Sandow (w/ Cody Rhodes) in a non-title match at 15:43 with a kick to the head to both Sandow and an interfering Rhodes; Rhodes provided guest commentary for the bout (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Alberto Del Rio defeated Kofi Kingston (w/ R-Truth) via submission with the cross armbreaker at 6:08; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout; prior to the bout, WWE.com footage aired of ADR attacking Randy Orton after Smackdown ended the previous Friday; Rodriguez provided guest commentary for the match
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk & Dolph Ziggler in a non-title match at 12:45 when Kane pinned Punk with the chokeslam; prior to the bout, AJ was announced as the guest referee; Paul Heyman escorted Punk to the ring before the match and Vickie Guerrero escorted Ziggler; at the 12-minute mark, Heyman put Punk’s foot on the rope, prompting AJ to eject Heyman from ringside and doing the same to Vickie moments later, with Ziggler then leaving ringside with Vickie; after the bout, Bryan and Kane argued over who was the tag team champions as the show ended
WWE @ Tulsa, OK – Bank of Oklahoma Center – October 2, 2012
Main Event – 10/3/12 – premiere episode on ION; included an opening in-ring intorudction by Michael Cole & WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin in which they noted the WWE World Champion CM Punk vs. World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus later in the night; featured a video package on Punk, with comments from Punk, Joey Mercury, Paul Heyman, and Michael Hayes; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Punk, alongside Heyman, regarding his upcoming bout against Sheamus; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Sheamus regarding the upcoming bout against Punk; included a video package on Sheamus, with comments from him, Triple H, Chris Jericho, WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan, fans, and a look at his recent media appearances; Cole & Miz provided commentary for the show; featured a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA with comments from Dolph Ziggler, Layla, Miz, John Cena, WWE Divas Champion Eve, and John Cena; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown has been the #1 show on SyFy every week for two years; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Punk and Heyman regarding the controversial nature in which Punk won his match; included the announcement Randy Orton would face the Big Show the next week; featured Striker conducting a backstage interview with Show regarding his upcoming match against Orton:
WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) pinned World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus at 18:42 by grabbing the tights for leverage after Sheamus struck his head on an uprotected middle turnbuckle; after the bout, Matt Striker conducted an in-ring interview with Sheamus, who took the mic and said there was a reason Punk isn’t getting the respect he wants and said he would give Punk the Brogue Kick the next time they were in the ring together
WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Tournament Quarter Finals: Zack Ryder & Santino Marella defeated Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd at 4:04 when Marella pinned Kidd with the Cobra; during their entrance, an insert promo aired from Marella & Ryder regarding their chances in the tournament
Smackdown! – 10/5/12:
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Alberto Del Rio & David Otunga in an impromptu non-title match at 4:59 when Bryan pinned Otunga with a headbutt off the top after Kane hit Otunga with a chokeslam; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; after the contest, Bryan & Kane argued about who was the tag team champions (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) in a non-title match with the Go To Sleep at around the 10-minute mark (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Saturday Morning Slam – 10/27/12 – Josh Matthews & Mike Mizanin provided commentary for the show; featured a segment in which WWE Tag Team Champion Kane discussed the history of monsters in WWE, including the Boogeyman, Papa Shango, the Undertaker, and himself; included a segment in which Kaitlyn showed viewers how to do their own Halloween costumes at home; featured a segment in which Miz, R-Truth, Alicia Fox, AJ, Ted Dibiase Jr., and Brodus Clay discussed their favorite Halloween costumes; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA featuring Brodus Clay:
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Epico (w/ Primo Colon) with the splash at 2:07; after the bout, Clay, Cameron, & Naomi danced in the ring
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Derrick Bateman in a non-title match with the Neutralizer at 9:51 after avoiding a crossbody off the top; Bateman came out in possession of an American flag
– 10/12: Curt Hawkins sustained a torn PCL and Meniscus.
– 10/4/12: A free screening of “CM Punk: Best in the World” was held at the Portage Theater in Chicago, with 1,000 fans in atteandance. WWE World Champion CM Punk, Lita, Colt Cabana, and Cliff Compton were on hand.
WWE (Raw) @ Everett, WA – Comcast Arena – October 5, 2012
WWE Divas Champion Eve defeated Kaitlyn and Layla
Tensai defeated Xavier Woods
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Kofi Kingston & R-Truth
Brodus Clay defeated Damien Sandow
Santino Marella defeated Dean Ambrose
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro defeated Zack Ryder
WWE World Champion CM Punk defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match
WWE @ Yakima, WA – Sun Dome – October 6, 2012
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Anaheim, CA – October 7, 2012
Justin Gabriel, Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Yoshi Tatsu, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil
Tyson Kidd defeated Heath Slater
Natalya Neidhart defeated Aksana
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin & Cody Rhodes
Wade Barrett defeated Ted Dibiase Jr.
Ryback defeated Jinder Mahal
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio in a last man standing match; after the bout, Dolph Ziggler ran out to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase but Sheamus kicked him in the face
WWE @ Sacramento, CA – Power Balance Pavilion – October 8, 2012
Raw – included Michael Cole, Jim Ross, & John Bradshaw Layfield on commentary; featured an opening segment in which John Cena, wearing a brace on his arm, came out, noted how much he noticed about WWE in his week off, and then noted whether he would challenge WWE World Champion CM Punk at Hell in a Cell was up to Punk; Cena then challenged Punk to be a man, not a punk and better his own legacy by facing Cena; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE provides Raw, Smackdown, and pay-per-views to the American Forces Network, which is broadcasted to all U.S. military in 175 countries and Navy ships at sea; featured an in-ring promo by Vince McMahon in which he talked about the variety of characters in WWE and said WWE was about action; moments later, Punk, alongside Paul Heyman, appeared and said McMahon not mentioning his name was disrespectful to him, he had already beaten Cena repeatedly, and would not face him at HIAC; McMahon responded that he wasn’t a “CM Punk guy,” with Punk saying he should be and that he said 18 months earlier that he was just a spoke on the wheel but now realized he was the wheel; Punk went on to say that maybe he would walk out of WWE and not come back like he did last time and he was the reason all the fans were there, why McMahon had a jet, and why he had money to fuel the jet; McMahon then said it wasn’t Punk or himself that makes the WWE a success, but the fans; McMahon then said Punk wasn’t in the same league as Andre the Giant, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Bret Hart, or Steve Austin; Punk then insulted Austin before calling McMahon a clueless, inept millionaire; Punk then said McMahon had been slapping him in the face for years, then slapping McMahon across the face and knocking him down; moments later, as Punk and Heyman left the ring, McMahon took the mic and said he would fire Punk if Punk didn’t fight him later in the show; included the announcement that Arnold Schwarzenegger was the social media ambassador for the night; featured a backstage segment with Punk and Heyman in which Heyman tried to talk Punk out of the match with McMahon, noting the potential outcome; Punk then said he would find a way to win; included a Susan G. Komen PSA; featured the announcement that WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin would be a guest on Larry King Now later in the night; included a backstage segment with AJ and Punk in which Punk said AJ could be the one found at fault if he beat up McMahon on her show, with AJ implying he was scared to face McMahon and Punk saying whatever happened would now be on her; featured footage of Cena appearing on “Live! With Kelly & Michael” earlier in the day; included a “Did you know?” graphic that read more viewers watched WWE Main Event the previous week than both MLB games on ESPN and ESPN 2 combined; featured a backstage segment with McMahon and JR in which JR cautioned McMahon against the match with Punk, with McMahon then asking if JR could call the match as he used to for Austin; included a look at JBL reaching the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro; featured a segment of Larry King Now in which King, alongside his wife, had a table set up at the entrance stage and brought out Miz as his guest, who noted it was his birthday before King said no one cared; King then brought out Kofi Kingston as his replacement guest since Miz was “boring;” Kingston then talked about Raw being in Sacramento before Miz cut him off and made fun of both King and Kingston, saying he’s had more titles than King’s had wives; King’s wife then threw water in Miz’s face, with Kingston then tossing Miz off the stage; Kingston then chased Miz backstage to end the segment; included a look at Austin vs. McMahon in WWE ’13; featured a backstage segment in which Heyman apologized to McMahon for Punk’s actions and begged him to call off the match; after McMahon said no, Heyman reminded him of what Brock Lesnar did to Triple H and implied the same could happen to McMahon; included an ad promoting ‘CM Punk: Best in the World;’ featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was the most watched regularly scheduled program on SyFy for the 105th consecutive week; included Josh Matthews interrupting Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez to tell him Randy Orton tweeted he would be at Smackdown on Friday, with ADR and Ricardo walking off; featured a Komen PSA with comments from Ziggler, Miz, Layla, Cena, AJ, and WWE Divas Champion Eve; moments later, Justin Roberts recognized breast cancer survivors in attendance; included a backstage segment with King, his wife, and WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan in which Bryan complained of people saying he has a goat face, noting King looked like an owl, and then started hitting on King’s wife, who said Bryan looked like a troll who slept under a bridge; King then told Bryan to accept it, with WWE Tag Team Champion Kane walking in and saying he had been carrying Bryan since they won the belts, with the two arguing as King and his wife walked off; Kane then said he thought it was Skeletor, not Larry King; featured a backstage segment with Punk and Heyman:
Ryback defeated Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) in a handicap match at 2:35 by pinning both men after hitting them with a simultaneous Shell Shock
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) fought R-Truth to a no contest; following the entrances, Truth took the mic and said they could fight any time but Little Jimmy was going through puberty and wanted to dance; moments later, Vince McMahon appeared on the big screen and asked them to leave the ring because he was on his way out
WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Tournament Semi Finals: Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil at 7:14 when Mysterio pinned Young with the 619 and splash off the top
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Wade Barrett via disqualification in a non-title match at 12:36 when Tensai attacked the champion; early in the match, the Big Show appeared ringside to watch the bout; after the contest, Sheamus was double teamed by Tensai and Barrett until he eventually fought them both off; Sheamus and Show then tussled, with Show tossing Sheamus to the floor after avoiding the boot to the face
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Tyson Kidd in a non-title match at 3:55 with the Neutralizer; during his entrance, a pretaped promo from Cesaro aired in which he made fun of American obesity
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) & Alberto Del Rio in a non-title match at 17:03 when Kane pinned Ziggler with the chokeslam after tagging himself into the match; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; after the bout, Bryan & Kane argued over who was the rightful tag team champion
WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Tournament Semi Finals: Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow defeated Santino Marella & Zack Ryder at 3:09 when Rhodes pinned Marella with the Beautiful Disaster; during their entrance, a pretaped insert promo aired from Rhodes & Sandow regarding their upcoming bout; after the match, Jinder Mahal, Heath Slater, & Drew McIntyre attacked Marella & Ryder in the ring
WWE Divas Champion Eve defeated Kaitlyn via submission with a leg grapevine at 2:52; Kaitlyn’s ankle was heavily taped for the bout; Layla provided guest commentary for the match; after the contest, Layla made the save when Eve refused to break the hold, with Eve then apologizing to Kaitlyn before Layla shoved her away
Vince McMahon fought WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) to a no contest in a non-title match at around the 9-minute mark; during McMahon’s entrance, Punk jumped him from behind at ringside; during the match, Punk at one point put on a headset at the commentary table and yelled “What a maneuver!”; at the 6-minute mark, McMahon took a kendo stick, punched Heyman, and took possession of the title belt, keeping Punk from entering the ring to take it back; moments later, Punk grabbed his own kendo stick, leading to the two trading blows in the ring; during the closing moments of the match, Punk had McMahon up for the Go To Sleep before Ryback ran out, scaring Punk to the floor; moments later, John Cena appeared and tossed Punk back into the ring, where he narrowly escaped Ryback’s Shell Shocked; Punk then escaped through the crowd, with McMahon then taking a mic and telling Punk he had a week to decide who he would face at Hell in a Cell — Cena or Ryback — and if he didn’t decide then McMahon would decide for him (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Dark match after the taping: World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated WWE Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) via disqualification at 1:20 when Punk hit a low blow; after the bout, Sheamus hit the boot to the face to Punk as he was taunting the fans, then celebrated with the fans at ringside for several minutes
WWE @ San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion – October 9, 2012
Main Event – 10/10/12 – featured an opening in-ring introduction by Michael Cole & WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin in which they previewed the Randy Orton vs. Big Show match later in the show; included a video package on Show with comments from himself, John Cena, Pat Patterson, and Arn Anderson; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Show regarding his upcoming match against Orton; included a video package on Orton, with comments from himself, Anderson, Cena, Triple H, and Batista; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Orton regarding his recent loss to Show after an attack from Alberto Del Rio, with Orton saying he would see ADR soon and didn’t like losing; included a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA with comments from Layla, AJ, Dolph Ziggler, Miz, WWE Divas Champion Eve, and Cena; featured an ad promoting WWE ’13; included Matthews conducting a backstage interview with World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus regarding his upcoming bout with Show at Hell in a Cell:
The Big Show pinned Randy Orton at 21:50 with the chokeslam, moments after Orton fought his way out of the Colossal Clutch; after the bout, Matt Striker attempted to interview Show at the entrance stage, with Show taking the mic and saying he would take the World Heavyweight Title from Sheamus at Hell in a Cell; moments later, Orton was tended to in the ring
Kofi Kingston pinned Michael McGillicutty at around the 4-minute mark with the SOS; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin left the broadcast table and joined Kingston in the ring, making fun of him and saying he cheap shotted him on Raw; Miz then said Kingston would never be at his level, with Kingston challenging him to a title match the following week; when Miz laughed at the challenge, Kingston said he himself was a better champion than Miz ever would be, prompting Miz to finally accept the challenge; Miz then attempted to attack Kingston from behind, with Kingston hitting the spin kick to the face and holding up the title belt to close the show (the match began during the commercial break)
WWE @ Winter Park, FL – Full Sail University – October 11, 2012 (matinee)
NXT taping:
Dean Ambrose defeated Dante Dash via submission
Damien Sandow pinned Tyson Kidd
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil
11/14/12 – featured Tony Luftman conducting an opening backstage interview with Jinder Mahal regarding being the #1 contender to the NXT Title, with Mahal saying he embarassed “a nobody” to earn his shot; moments later, Bo Dallas interrupted and challenged Mahal to a rematch and goaded him to put his title shot on the line; included a backstage segment with Aksana and Layla in which Aksana made fun of Layla before Layla said she would see her in the ring; featured the Conor O’Brian & Kenneth Cameron vs. Percy Watson & Yoshi Tatsu match taped 9/20/12; included a vignette on Big E Langston; featured Luftman conducting a podium interview with Langston in which Langston said he was worried for anyone that accepted Vickie Guerrero’s $5,000 bounty; moments later, Camacho attacked Langston from behind and went backstage; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read ‘CM Punk: Best in the World’ was the #1 sports DVD in America; Byron Saxton was the ring announcer for the show; Jim Ross & Tom Hanovan provided commentary for the show; featured an outdoor sermon by Bray Wyatt, with Luke Harper; included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured an ad promoting the updated WWE Encyclopedia; included an ad promoting ‘nWo: The Revolution;’:
Corey Graves defeated Oliver Grey via submission at 4:13 with the Fuller Lock
Layla pinned Aksana at 5:23 with a standing kick to the head
Roman Reigns pinned Chase Donovan with the modified urinage at 2:38; after the bout, Reigns had Byron Saxton refer to him as “the Thoroughbread Roman Reigns” and then yelled at him until he did it right
Jinder Mahal defeated Bo Dallas via submission with the Camel Clutch at around the 13-minute mark; stipulations stated Mahal’s NXT Title shot was on the line in the bout; during the match, it was noted Bray Wyatt and Paige would be part of the following week’s show; after the contest, Mahal went to reapply the hold before NXT Champion Seth Rollins ran out
11/21/12 – featured Tom Phillips conducting a backstage interview with Kassius Ohno regarding his match later in the show against Trent Barreta, with Ohno suggesting he would to do Barreta what he did to Richie Steamboat’s; included a backstage segment showing Barreta down and injured and tended to by officials, with Leo Kruger kneeling nearby and smiling; featured an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era;’ included an ad promoting the updated WWE Encyclopedia; featured Phillips with a backstage report saying that Barreta may not be cleared to compete in the night’s main event; included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured a backstage segment in which Phillips was to interview NXT Champion Seth Rollins, with Jinder Mahal then attacking Rollins and the two fighting before referees intervened; included a WWEShop.com ad:
Paige pinned Alicia Fox with the Paige Turner at 4:52
12/26/12: Big E Langston pinned Camacho with the Big Ending at 2:05; after the bout, the crowd chanted “One more time” at Langston, with Langston hitting the move again and counting Camacho down for 5; Langston then left the ring but returned, hit the move a third time, and again counted Camacho down for 5
Bronson defeated Nick Rogers via submission with the figure-4 at 1:51
Luke Harper (w/ Bray Wyatt) pinned Mike Dalton with the spinning sidewalk slam at 2:42; following Dalton’s entrance, Wyatt appeared at the entrance beside a rocking chair and said he would make the “little lamb” (Dalton) famous; Wyatt sat in the chair for the duration of the match, then cut a promo before going backstage with Harper
Richie Steamboat (sub. for an injured Trent Barreta) pinned Kassius Ohno at around the 12:30 mark with the Sling Blade; following Ohno’s entrance, he took the mic and made fun of the fact Barreta was too injured to compete and then told the referee to announce him the winner; moments later, Dusty Rhodes appeared at the entrance stage and said he found someone to have a match with Ohno, with Steamboat coming out; it was announced during the bout that WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane would be part of the following week’s show
11/28/12 – featured an opening backstage promo by WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan in which he noted he was making his return to the show that kicked off his WWE career; he went on to demand that no one say “yes” when he goes to the ring, call him a “goat face,” and then told WWE Tag Team Champion Kane to stay out of his way; Kane replied he didn’t need Bryan’s help, with the two then arguing over who really was the tag team champions and then yelling “Yes” and “No” until Bryan stormed off; Jim Ross & Tom Phillips provided commentary for the show; Byron Saxton was the ring announcer for the show; included an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era;’ featured an ad promoting the updated WWE Encyclopedia; included a backstage segment with Tony Dawson in which he said he was to have interviewed Roman Reigns, but Reigns gave him a press release which read he was just too busy with meetings to give an interview but would give one at a later date; featured an in-ring segment hosted by Michael Cole in which he introduced Jinder Mahal and NXT Champion Seth Rollins and noted their title match would take place in 2 weeks; the two then discussed Mahal attacking him the previous week, with Mahal saying Rollins was a “born loser” just like the fans; Rollins then said he was with the fans and they would never be anything like him; the two then prepared to fight, with Cole intervening as the crowd chanted “Let them fight;” moments later, Mahal grabbed Cole and then beat down Rollins before locking him in the Camel Clutch; referees then swarmed the ring, with Mahal taking the title belt and holding it up; included an ad promoting ‘The Day’ on DVD and Blu-ray:
Leo Kruger pinned Trent Barreta with the Kruger End at 4:42; Barreta’s ribs were heavily taped for the match
Xavier woods pinned Memo Montenegro at 2:14 with a somersault into a clothesline
Audrey pinned Emma at 2:40 with the Last Roundup Slam
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Johnny Curtis & Michael McGillicutty at 7:02 when McGillicutty submitted to the No Lock after Kane dropped Curtis with the chokeslam; prior to the bout, Jim Ross noted Curtis’s title shot was the result of him winning a NXT competition in a previous season of the show; after the match, Bryan and Kane argued, with the crowd chanting “Hug it out” before Bryan chanted “No” at them; eventually, Bryan & Kane hugged before arguing more (debut of a new entrance and theme music for Curtis)
WWE (Raw) @ Knoxville, TN – Coliseum – October 14, 2012 (matinee)
John Cena did not appear as advertised and refunds were offered; included an in-ring segment in which AJ addressed the crowd, with WWE World Champion CM Punk interrupting; AJ then told Punk to defend the title against Ryback later in the show or be stripped of the title:
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil when Young submitted to Bryan’s No Lock
WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin pinned Santino Marella with the Skull Crushing Finale; after the bout, Miz attacked Marella, with Kofi Kingston running out to make the save
Layla pinned Kaitlyn with a kick to the head
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned the Big Show with the boot to the face after avoiding the punch to the face
Kofi Kingston pinned Justin Gabriel with the spin kick to the face; after the match, the two shook hands
Brodus Clay & Sin Cara defeated Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes when Sin Cara scored the pin with the senton off the top
Ryback defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via disqualification when Punk hit the challenger with a steel chair; after the match, Ryback attacked Punk
WWE @ Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena – October 15, 2012
Raw – featured Michael Cole & Jim Ross on commentary; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE Home Video has 6 of the top 10 selling sports DVDs in America, including Summer Slam 2012 at #1; featured an in-ring segment in which Paul Heyman, in possession of the WWE World Title, introduced WWE World Champion CM Punk, noting he had held the title 330 days; Punk then took the mic and said he didn’t matter if it was JR, Bret Hart, John Cena, the Rock, a fan, or even Vince McMahon who disrespected him because he would make them all pay; Punk then said he made sure McMahon would never compete in the ring again; he then showed the poster of Hell in a Cell, which depicted him as the devil, before discussing Cena and Ryback as his potential challengers for HIAC; moments later, Punk went to unveil who his opponent would be but then said he would need to go backstage and think about it some more; McMahon then interrupted and said he would now be the one to make the decision and he would do so later in the night during a contract signing in the ring; included a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA in which Layla talked about losing her mom to breast cancer; featured a backstage segment with Punk and Heyman, discussing McMahon’s announcement, before Punk told Heyman to go tell McMahon that he wanted to fight him later in the show; included a backstage segment in which Heyman gave McMahon Punk’s challenge, with Punk being able to choose his challenger if he beats McMahon; McMahon agreed but then said he wanted his match against Heyman; featured a backstage segment in which Matt Striker stopped AJ and noted he was attacked by Bryan & Kane and wanted an apology from them; after AJ misinterpreted what he said, she set up a match between Striker and Kane for later in the show; included an ad promoting WWE’s Touts; featured footage of Cena with the New York Jets the previous day at MetLife Stadium; included an in-ring segment of Miz TV in which WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin mocked Kofi Kingston before introducing him and saying Kingston would always be a “B player” and his WWE career was forgettable; Kingston agreed and said he would make a memorable moment when he wins the title from Miz on Wednesday during WWE Main Event, then challenged Miz to a match later in the night; Miz agreed but called Kingston a novelty act while he himself was a superstar, with Kingston then attacking Miz and knocking him to the floor; featured an ad promoting ‘CM Punk: Best in the World;’ included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE has more Twitter followers than TMZ, Nike, Coca-Cola, HBO, Under Armour, Disney, and McDonald’s; featured a backstage segment with McMahon and Cena in which Cena discussed his injury and whether he was ready to challenge Punk; included footage of the 2012 Social Good Summit in New York City and comments from Stephanie McMahon about WWE’s initiative; featured a look at the New York Post’s article about WrestleMania 29 possibly bringing in $100 million in tourism dollars; included a backstage segment with Bryan & Kane in which Bryan challenged Kane to face Big Show the next week; featured a backstage segment with McMahon and Ryback in which Ryback said “Feed me Punk;” included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured footage of Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, & Jinder Mahal walking into a bar in downtown Nashville and getting on stage until they were kicked out by security; included an ad promoting ‘Barricade;’ featured the announcement — and media coverage of — WWE hosting a Rolling Stones pay-per-view on Dec. 15; included a closing in-ring segment with McMahon, Cena, Ryback, Punk, and Heyman in which Punk signed the contract and told McMahon to do whatever he wanted to do because regardless of his opponent, he would beat them; Cena eventually told Punk to shut up and said he wanted nothing more than to challenge Punk but said Ryback was only there to kick someone’s ass and Punk needed his ass beaten; Cena then chanted “Feed me more,” and left the ring as the crowd chanted it and Ryback signed the contract; moments later, Punk confronted Ryback, with Ryback ramming Punk’s head into the table and then dropping him with Shell Shock to end the show:
The Big Show pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan in an impromptu match at 6:33 with the chokeslam after catching Bryan coming off the top rope; prior to the bout, Show cut an in-ring promo about the debate he had with World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus two weeks earlier, saying it was designed to make him look like a fool; Show then showed footage of him tossing Sheamus to the floor the previous week before noting the fans and Sheamus were making fun of him for his last world title win being 45 seconds long and said he would correct that, prompting the fans to chant “45 seconds;” Show then challenged Bryan to a match then and there; Bryan, WWE Tag Team Champion Kane, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Zack Ryder, and others were then shown watching on backstage; Bryan then said there was no way he was facing Show, with AJ appearing and telling him to go out for the match; moments later, Bryan began chanting “No” as the fans and other wrestlers chanted “Yes;” after the contest, Kane appeared, laughed at Bryan, but then protected him from Show; after Show left the ring, Bryan and Kane argued
Alberto Del Rio defeated Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) via submission with the cross armbreaker at 2:13; prior to the bout, it was announced ADR would face Randy Orton at Hell in a Cell; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer
Darren Young & Titus O’Neil defeated Santino Marella & Zack Ryder at around the 3-minute mark when O’Neil pinned Ryder with the sit-down spinebuster after Ryder hit the Rough Ryder on Young; after the bout, Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, and Jinder Mahal ran out wearing leather jackets and assaulted Marella & Ryder; moments later, Slater took the mic and introduced the group as the 3MB (the bout began during the commercial break)
Ryback defeated Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) & David Otunga in a handicap match at 1:52 by pinning Otunga with Shell Shock after Ziggler walked out of the match; during his entrance, Ziggler cut a promo against Ryback being handed a WWE World Title shot while he himself had to earn his title shot by winning Money in the Bank; he then said Ryback was a flash in the pan that would be gone in a few months but Ziggler would still be around; Ziggler went on to say he wanted to cash in his title shot at Hell in a Cell on Punk to win the belt; moments later, Otunga interrupted and said neither Ryback or Ziggler deserved a title shot, but he himself did; as the two began to argue, AJ appeared and said Ziggler and Otunga could prove themselves against Ryback in a handicap match
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Justin Gabriel in a non-title match at 3:53 with the Neutralizer after hitting a European uppercut as Gabriel came off the top; during his entrance, a pretaped insert promo from Cesaro aired in which he said he was elevating the belt and America
WWE Tag Team Champion Kane pinned Matt Striker with the chokeslam at 2:02; early in the match, Striker took the mic and told Kane they didn’t have to fight, with Kane then offering to hug Striker; Kane then didn’t let go, which led to the chokeslam; after the bout, Kane took the mic and began chanting “I am the tag team champions!” after mock interviewing the unconcious Striker
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated Wade Barrett via disqualification in a non-title match at 15:17 when Big Show, who came out to the entrance stage early in the match to watch, pulled down the top rope causing Sheamus to fall to the floor; after the bout, Sheamus kicked Barrett in the face and knocked Show to the floor
WWE Divas Champion Eve pinned Layla at 4:40 after knocking Layla face-first off the top rope; the challenger’s foot was on the bottom rope during the cover but the referee didn’t see it
Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow defeated Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) (sub. for Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara) at 6:53 when Sandow pinned Epico with the neckbreaker; the match was to be the finals of the WWE Tag Team Title #1 Contender Tournament but Mysterio was sidelined with the flu
Kofi Kingston pinned WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at 5:20 with the spin kick to the side of the head; after the bout, Miz was tended to in the ring by a trainer
Saturday Morning Slam – 10/20/12 – Josh Matthews & Santino Marella provided commentary for the show; featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA featuring Beth Phoenix; included a video package on snakes in WWE – from Jake Roberts, Steve Austin, and Randy Orton, followed by comments from Orton:
Zack Ryder pinned Justin Gabriel at 9:31 with the Rough Ryder; the two shook hands to start the match; during the finish, the camera cut to the commentary team reacting to the move; after the contest, Ryder invited Gabriel back into the ring and hugged him
WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan pinned Tyson Kidd at 3:34 with a take down and crucifix roll up; early in the match, Bryan attempted to walk out of the match but WWE Tag Team Champion Kane came out, preventing his escape; after the bout, Kane and Bryan argued over who was the tag team champions, during which Kane held the title belts in the air outside of Bryan’s reach
WWE @ Memphis, TN – Fed-Ex Forum – October 16, 2012
Main Event – 10/17/12 – featured an opening in-ring introduction from Michael Cole & John Bradshaw Layfield in which they reviewed footage of the Kofi Kingston vs. WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin from Raw, during which Miz sustained a spin kick to the side of the head; JBL said the kick resulted in six stitches but he had been cleared to wrestle; included a video package on Kingston, with comments from himself, Chilli from TLC, and Layla; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Kingston regarding his upcoming bout against Miz; included a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA with comments from Alicia Fox, Dolph Ziggler, Layla, and John Cena; featured an ad promoting WWE ’13; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE Home Video has 6 of the top 10 selling sports DVDs in America, including Summer Slam 2012 at #1; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Miz about his title loss, with Miz saying the title was stolen from him and he wanted a rematch:
Kofi Kingston pinned WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin to win the title with the spin kick to the head at 22:03; prior to the bout, Miz cut an in-ring promo in which he said others that would have taken the kick he took from Kingston on Raw would have been out for weeks and called himself Superman; he then introduced a video package on himself with comments from John Bradshaw Layfield, Christian, Josh Matthews, WWE World Champion CM Punk, WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan, and himself; following the video, Miz said, “Kofi, you want my title? Come and get it;” after the contest, Matt Striker conducted an in-ring interview with Kingston about his title win, during which Kingston said he was honored to follow in the footsteps of Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, and Shawn Michaels before leading the fans in a chant of “Boom boom boom” directed at Miz
Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) pinned Zack Ryder with the Zig Zag at 2:50 after avoiding the Rough Ryder and dropping Ryder face-first onto the top turnbuckle; prior to the bout, Guerrero introduced Ziggler from the entrance stage; after the bout, Guerrero took the mic and said everyone should be talking about Ziggler because he might cash in his Money in the Bank title shot at Hell in a Cell; Ziggler then took the mic and said he deserved better than to face Ryder and that he himself was the main event; Ziggler then issued an open challenge to anyone backstage to face him the following week, with Ryback then appearing at the entrance stage as the show ended
Smackdown! – 10/19/12 – featured Josh Matthews & John Bradshaw Layfield on commentary; included an opening in-ring segment of Miz TV in which Miz said Kofi Kingston stole the WWE IC Title from him at Main Event but he would get his rematch at Hell in a Cell; Miz then introduced WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane as his guests; Miz then said Bryan couldn’t get along with anyone and he would be the reason they lose the belts to whomever they defend against at Hell in a Cell; Bryan went on to say he would be the reason they win at Hell in a Cell because he was the world’s toughest vegan; as Bryan and Kane argued, Bryan reminded him he beat Big Show to win the World Heavyweight Title in 45 seconds, with the two arguing they were the tag team champions until Show interrupted; Show then took a mic and said he had no issue with Kane and they had a scheduled match Monday but he had a problem with Bryan and Bryan’s title win was the biggest fluke in history; as Show acted like he wanted to go ahead and knock Bryan out, Bryan hid behind Kane; as Kane said he could face Show then and there, Dolph Ziggler, alongside Vickie Guerrero, walked out and said no one cared about what happened last year between Bryan and Show because he was the one who now had the Money in the Bank contract; Ziggler then said he would let World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and Show beat the crap out of each other at Hell in a Cell and then beat the winner for the belt; the four men then started arguing, with Booker T coming out and Miz cutting him off, saying he knew Booker was going to make a main event between the men and mocked him for how predictable he was; Booker then said Bryan & Kane would face Show & Ziggler and, because Miz spoke up, put him in a match against Randy Orton; Orton then walked out for the opening match; featured an ad promoting the next day’s Saturday Morning Slam, with Zack Ryder in action and Bryan vs. Tyson Kidd; included a backstage segment with Sheamus and Teddy Long in which Sheamus complained about his recent battles with Wade Barrett that have been interrupted by Show, with Long saying he would talk to Booker about getting him a third match with lumberjack stipulations; after they walked off, WWE Divas Champion Eve was shown watching on; featured a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA in which Layla talked about losing her mom to breast cancer; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE provides Raw, Smackdown, and all pay-per-views to the American Forces Network, which is broadcast to all U.S. military in 175 countries and Naval ships at sea; featured a backstage segment in which Long walked in to Booker’s office and suggested Sheamus’s idea, with Eve telling Booker that that’s been her idea all week and Long was trying to take credit for her idea; after Booker and Eve left, Long began looking at Eve’s iPad; included an ad promoting ‘CM Punk: Best in the World;’ featured a look at the New York Post’s article saying WrestleMania 29 could bring in more than $100 million in tourism dollars; included recognition of Susan G. Komen for the Cure members in attendance; featured a look at the upcoming Rolling Stones pay-per-view, hosted by WWE; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Barrett regarding his upcoming lumberjack match against Sheamus, during which he implied he wanted the first title shot after Show takes the title from Sheamus at Hell in a Cell; featured an ad promoting WWE ’13; included a backstage segment in which Long showed Kaitlyn Eve’s iPad and told her Eve had to be stopped and she could do with the info whatever she wanted; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE app had been downloaded 2.5 million times in less than 2 months:
Randy Orton pinned Mike Mizanin with a reversal into the RKO at around the 13-minute mark; during the bout, Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez were shown watching on from a luxury suite; minutes later, Matt Striker conducted an interview with ADR about his upcoming match with Orton at Hell in a Cell; after the bout, Orton looked up to stare at ADR in the suite; ADR then took the mic, after Orton waved him down, and said their match would be on his terms, not Orton’s (the match began during the commercial break)
Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow defeated Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd at 3:16 when Rhodes pinned Kidd with the Beautiful Disaster as Kidd attmepted to put Sandow in the Sharpshooter
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Big Show & Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) in a non-title match at 13:07 when Ziggler submitted to the No Lock after Kane blocked Ziggler’s attempt at the Zig Zag; after the match, Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow attacked Bryan & Kane at the entrance stage and left them laying
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Ted Dibiase Jr. in a non-title match at 2:46 with the Neutralizer after hitting a European uppercut as Dibiase came off the ropes; during his entrance, footage was shown of Cesaro visiting Sun Studio in Memphis, with him making fun of Elvis, Johnny Cash, and others who recorded there; Cesaro then said the building should be demolished and it wasn’t part of his America
Heath Slater (w/ Drew McIntyre & Jinder Mahal) pinned Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) at 1:55 with a facebuster after Clay became distracted by McIntyre and Mahal on the ring apron; prior to the bout, Slater, McIntyre, & Mahal cut an in-ring promo about their new group
Layla pinned Natalya Neidhart at 1:53 with a kick to the head; WWE Divas Champion Eve provided guest commentary for the match
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Wade Barrett in a non-title lumberjack match at 10:56 with the boot to the face after Barrett collided with Cody Rhodes on the ring apron; lumberjacks for the bout included: Ted Dibiase Jr., Yoshi Tatsu, Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre, Brodus Clay, WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Zack Ryder, Sin Cara, Darren Young, Titus O’Neil, Big Show, Primo Colon, Epico, Damien Sandow, Rhodes, Jimmy & Jey Uso; late in the bout, all the lumberjacks began fighting on the floor, with WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane then appearing and trying to get at Rhodes & Sandow, leading to the finish; after the match, Ziggler hit the Zig Zag on Sheamus attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, only for Show to knock Ziggler out with a punch and leave ringside; Show then cut a promo from the entrance stage and told Sheamus that he would knock him out just as he did Ziggler
Saturday Morning Slam – 11/10/12 – Josh Matthews & Dolph Ziggler provided commentary for the show; featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with AJ; included a video message from John Cena in which he thanked the troops and veterans for their sacrifices; featured a Video Vault segment focusing on giant wrestlers, including the Great Khali, World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show, and Andre the Giant:
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil at 11:18 when Young was pinned after sustaining a Samoan Drop and splash off the top
The Great Khali pinned Primo Colon (w/ Epico) at 3:06 when Primo failed a slam attempt and Khali fell on top for the win
WWE @ Cairo, Egypt – Stadium Complex – October 18, 2012
WWE @ Cairo, Egypt – Stadium Complex – October 19, 2012
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeated the Big Show at 14:24 when Show couldn’t answer the referee’s standing 10 count after sustaining the Brogue Kick
WWE @ Cairo, Egypt – Stadium Complex – October 20, 2012
WWE @ Reading, PA – Sovereign Center – October 20, 2012
WWE @ Hartford, CT – XL Center – October 21, 2012 (matinee)
WWE @ East Rutherford, CT – IZOD Center – October 22, 2012
Raw – featured Jim Ross & Michael Cole on commentary; included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured a video segment of the WWE weekend tour in Egypt; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Saturday Morning Slam the previous weekend was the #1 show on cable and broadcast TV regarding social media; members of SuperBowl Champions the New York Giants were shown in attendance; featured an in-ring promo by John Cena in which he noted WWE World Champion CM Punk’s reign was at 337 days but change was coming in the form of Ryback; moments later, Punk and Paul Heyman appeared at the entrance stage, with Punk taking the mic and saying Cena could promise change but everyone knew that Punk’s promises came true and he promised to walk out of Hell in a Cell still the champion; Cena then revealed he was medically cleared and, while he wouldn’t mess with Punk’s scheduled match with Ryback on Sunday, he was up for a fight; Punk then went down to the ring but eventually, after prompting from Heyman, backed down and left the ring, holding up the title belt and showing it to Cena; included a backstage shot of Vince McMahon and AJ arriving to the arena; featured an in-ring segment with McMahon and AJ in which AJ discussed allegations against her, citing her fraternizing with a WWE superstar, and said she was resigning as a result; AJ went on to say the allegations were untrue and noted she grew up 15 minutes from the arena, and going from being homeless to being the boss; AJ then thanked the fans for their support and McMahon for giving her a chance; moments later, Heyman interrupted and said the board should name a replacement GM immediately and suggested it be him; McMahon said no and then introduced Vickie Guerrero as the “managing supervisor;” Vickie then appeared, with Heyman immediately praising her before suggesting to her to change McMahon’s ruling of Punk facing Ryback at Hell in a Cell; Vickie said Punk would still face Ryback and announced Punk would face World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus later in the show; when Heyman complained, Vickie said it would also be a lumberjack match; after Heyman left, Vickie confronted AJ and insulted her, accusing her of having an affair and saying she disgusted her; AJ went to leave but then tackled Vickie, with the two trading blows before Vickie escaped the ring; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 29 tickets going on sale Nov. 10; featured footage from Hartford, CT of Stephanie McMahon, Eve, Brodus Clay, and David Otunga speaking to kids about bullying; included a backstage segment with WWE Divas Champion Eve on her cell phone insulting AJ, with Kaitlyn walking up behind her and confronting her about what was on her iPad; moments later, Eve slapped Kaitlyn, with Kaitlyn having to be pulled away after Layla also became involved; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Sheamus, holding his own Brawling Buddy, about his upcoming match against Punk; moments later, Big Show walked in, knocked the Brawling Buddy out of Sheamus’s hand, and said he would knock him out and take the title; included a backstage segment in which Santino Marella told AJ that she did a good job; moments later, Cena appeared and the two talked about the accusations, with AJ saying he was the one implicated in the accusations; featured a second video package on WWE’s tour of Egypt; included a backstage segment in which Cena confronted McMahon about the accusations against AJ, with McMahon saying there was incriminating evidence and AJ was already on probation; featured a backstage segment in which Cena confronted Vickie about costing AJ her job, with Vickie telling Cena it was all his fault; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Summer Slam 2012 continues to be the #1 sports DVD in America; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Dolph Ziggler about his win earlier in the show over WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan, AJ’s resignation, and then blaming it all on Cena; included a video package on Ryback; moments later, Punk and Heyman were shown watching on backstage, with Punk complaining about having to face Sheamus just days before his match against Ryback; Heyman then said Punk would still be the world champion the following Monday and he would remain the best in the world:
WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Tournament Finals: Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara at 11:16 when Rhodes pinned Mysterio with Crossroads; stipulations stated the winners would challenge for the WWE Tag Team Titles at Hell in a Cell; during the bout, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane were shown watching on backstage; after the bout, Bryan & Kane appeared on the big screen and said “Hell no” as to whether they would win the titles, with Kane then setting off the ringpost pyro
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Michael McGillicutty in a non-title match with the spin kick to the head at 2:29; Mike Mizanin provided guest commentary for the match
Justin Gabriel pinned WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro in a non-title match at 4:40 with the 450 splash; following his entrance, Cesaro took the mic and cut a promo in several languages on the floor; during the match, it was noted Cesaro was wrestling with torn tendons in his right hand; there were chants of “We want Ryder” during the bout
Ryback pinned Mike Mizanin with Shell Shocked at 2:33
Dolph Ziggler pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan at 14:01 with a Zig Zag from the middle turnbuckle after Bryan chanted “No” as WWE Tag Team Champion Kane had the crowd chant “Yes” to encourage Bryan; Kane came ringside early in the match to support Bryan; after the bout, Bryan and Kane argued and Bryan shoved Kane before Matt Striker came out and said Vickie Guerrero had a surprise for them; Striker then said Vickie wanted them to take part in a game to get through their issues; following the commercial break, Striker had Bryan and Kane introduce themselves, as though they were on a game show, and introduced Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow as their opponents; moments later, Rhodes & Sandow appeared at the entrance stage and said they would win the titles at Hell in a Cell but were not playing the game show and then left; Striker then said Bryan & Kane were winners via forfeit, with Kane then clearing Striker from the ring; as Striker walked up the stage, he said he didn’t wish Bryan & Kane luck on Sunday; moments later, Striker walked into the Big Show, making his way out to the ring, with Show tossing Striker several feet (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
The Big Show pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Kane (w/ WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan) with the punch to the face at around the 7-minute mark after Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow appeared at the entrance stage; after the match, Rhodes & Sandow double teamed Bryan in the ring as Kane was still knocked out (the match began during the commercial break)
Alberto Del Rio defeated Zack Ryder via submission with the cross armbreaker at 2:47; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; after the match, ADR cut a promo on Randy Orton before reapplying the hold, with Rodriguez holding the mic for ADR as he repeated “Tap, Randy, tap!”; Rodriguez then repeatedly yelled ADR’s name on the mic
WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) pinned World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus in a non-title lumberjack match at 18:13 when, after Sheamus fought off an interfering WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro and Jinder Mahal, the Big Show dropped Sheamus with the chokeslam behind the referee’s back; lumberjacks for the match included Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, Brodus Clay, Sin Cara, R-Truth, Heath Slater, Darren Young, Titus O’Neil, Tensai, David Otunga, Show, Michael McGillicutty, Primo Colon, Epico, Drew McIntyre, Alberto Del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez, Ted Dibiase Jr., Rey Mysterio Jr., Jimmy & Jey Uso, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler, Wade Barrett, William Regal, Mike Mizanin, Santino Marella, Jinder Mahal, Justin Gabriel, Tyson Kidd, Mason Ryan, and JTG; after the bout, Ryback came out, with the lumberjacks throwing Punk back into the ring where Ryback dropped him with a powerslam; Punk again attempted to escape and again was tossed back into the ring by lumberjacks, where he sustained a powerbomb; the same thing happened a third time, with Ryback gorilla pressing Punk to the floor onto several of the heel wrestlers; the show ended with Punk on the floor in the aisle as Ryback stood in the ring
WWE @ Providence, RI – Dunkin’ Donuts Center – October 23, 2012
Main Event – 10/24/12 – featured an opening in-ring introduction by Michael Cole & Mike Mizanin in which they previewed the upcoming Ryback vs. Dolph Ziggler main event, followed by a video package on Ryback and then Miz discussing his loss to Ryback on Raw; moments later, a video package aired on Ziggler, with comments from Ziggler, Will Sasso, Booker T, and David Otunga; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Ryback regarding whether he had truly earned a WWE World Title match, with Ryback saying to watch what he does to Ziggler; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Ziggler regarding the upcoming match, with Ziggler refusing to comment and telling Matthews to leave; included a look at the upcoming Rolling Stones’ pay-per-view that WWE will air later in the year; featured the announcement that John Cena would address the crowd during the Hell in a Cell live pre-show on Sunday regarding the AJ situation; included an in-ring segment in which Cole & Miz spoke with Paul Heyman, who appeared on the big screen, about Ryback’s win earlier in the night over Ziggler and him challenging WWE World Champion CM Punk at Hell in a Cell; featured a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA with comments from Layla about losing her mother to breast cancer; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE has more Twitter followers than TMZ, Nike, Coca-Cola, HBO, Under Armour, Disney, and McDonald’s; featured an ad promoting WWE ’13:
Ryback pinned Dolph Ziggler with Shell Shocked at 9:09; mid-way through the bout, Ziggler returned backstage but Ryback eventually carried him back to the ring
Alberto Del Rio defeated Sin Cara via submission with the cross armbreaker at 8:37 after lifting his knees to block a swanton off the top; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout; after the match, ADR took the mic and cut an in-ring promo, saying he would do the same to Randy Orton at Hell in a Cell; moments later, ADR said he didn’t need to sing songs about millions of dollars because he had millions of dollars, with Rodriguez dancing in the background; Darren Young & Titus O’Neil then interrupted and asked whether there was an issue ADR had with them, with ADR saying there was no issue and they should work together against the likes of Sin Cara; Sin Cara was then triple teamed before Randy Orton ran out; ADR and Rodriguez escaped to the floor before Orton dropped both Young and O’Neil with the RKO; Orton then took the mic and challenged ADR, Young, & O’Neil to face himself, Sin Cara, & Rey Mysterio Jr. the following week
Smackdown! – 10/26/12:
Saturday Morning Slam – 11/17/12 – Josh Matthews & Santino Marella provided commentary for the show; featured a video package on Mike Mizanin doing scenes in front of a green screen; included a video package recapping previous Survivor Series events — John Cena & the Rock vs. Miz & R-Truth, Rock’s debut in 1996, Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels in 1997, and a look at some of the traditional elimination matches; featured a Saturday Morning Spotlight segment focusing on WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, with comments from Chilli of TLC, Kingston himself, and Layla; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with David Otunga:
R-Truth pinned William Regal at 3:10 with a modified victory roll
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Zack Ryder in a non-title match with a twisting crossbody off the top at 9:04; after the match, the two shook hands and hugged
Hell in a Cell 2012 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena – October 28, 2012
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield, & Jim Ross on commentary; included footage from the live pre-show of John Cena fighting off Dolph Ziggler in the ring; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Vickie Guerrero about the relationship between John Cena and AJ; moments later, Paul Heyman appeared and tried to get WWE World Champion CM Punk out of the Hell in the Cell match; Vickie said she wasn’t going to call off the match and that Punk needed to admit he was scared of Ryback, with Heyman telling Vickie he hoped she didn’t screw up in her position; included Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Mike Mizanin about his rematch later in the show against WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston; featured a backstage segment in which WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane argued over their loss earlier in the show; included a video package on Ryback’s undefeated streak; featured a backstage segment in which Heyman thanked Vickie for calling off the Hell in a Cell match, with Vickie saying the match was on and prompting Heyman to walk off; included a video package hyping the World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs. Big Show match; featured a backstage segment in which Booker T was confronted by WWE Divas Champion Eve, with Booker saying he had to go check on Sheamus and walked off; moments later, Teddy Long appeared and said Eve screwed over Kaitlyn and Eve at Night of Champions but they would get the chance to return the favor; Zack Ryder then walked in dressed as a witch, then saying he was Eve; Ryder then called for Santino Marella to walk out, who was dressed as Lady Gaga; moments later, Ron Simmons appeared and said “Damn!”; included a backstage segment with Vince McMahon and Punk in which Punk told McMahon to call off the Hell in a Cell match; McMahon asked if Punk was afraid of Ryback, with Punk saying no, and then told Punk to go prove he was the best in the world; featured an ad promoting WWE ’13; included Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Show regarding his title win, during which Show dared anyone to try to take it from him; featured a backstage segment in which Matt Striker showed Sheamus being tended to by medics backstage; included a video package hyping the Punk vs. Ryback Hell in a Cell match:
Randy Orton pinned Alberto Del Rio at 12:39 with the RKO; prior to the bout, Ricardo Rodriguez introduced ADR, who then drove into the arena
Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane via disqualification at 13:08 when Kane attacked both Rhodes & Sandow in the corner; during their entrance, Rhodes & Sandow mocked Bryan & Kane in saying they would win the belts and then chanting “We are the tag team champions;” after the contest, Bryan and Kane argued in the ring
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Mike Mizanin at 10:20 with the spin kick to the head; during Kingston’s entrance, footage was shown of him winning the title two weeks earlier on Main Event; Josh Reddick of the Oakland A’s was shown in attendance prior to the match; Miz’s entrance included the “Awesome” inflatable letters; during the match, Miz removed Kingston’s left boot and knee brace; after the contest, Matt Striker conducted an in-ring interview with Kingston in which Kingston said Miz brought out the best in him and helped him unleash the “wildcat” in him
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Justin Gabriel at 7:21 in an unadvertised match with the Neutralizer after hitting a European uppercut as Gabriel attempted a dive to the floor; following his entrance, Cesaro cut a promo in Swiss; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Gabriel beating Cesaro in a non-title match the previous week on Raw; during the match, there were chants of “We want Ryder, woo woo woo”
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil at 12:27 when Mysterio pinned Young with the splash off the top; prior to the bout, it was noted Lilian Garcia was in a car wreck on Friday and was in a neckbrace as a precaution; Chilli, of TLC, was shown in attendance before the match; following the contest, Sin Cara was briefly tended to at ringside before celebrating with Mysterio in the ring
The Big Show pinned World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus to win the title at 20:13 with the punch to the face as Sheamus attempted the boot to the face; during the match, Dolph Ziggler was shown watching on backstage; late in the contest, both men kicked out of the other’s finisher; after the match, Sheamus was tended to in the ring
WWE Divas Champion Eve defeated Kaitlyn and Layla at 6:26 by pinning Layla with a somersault splash off the top as Layla had Kaitlyn covered; prior to the bout, footage was shown recapping the history between Eve, Kaitlyn, and Layla in the previous month
WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) pinned Ryback in a Hell in a Cell match at 11:22 with a roll up and fast count from referee Brad Maddox after Maddox hit a low blow as Ryback had the champion up for Shellshocked; after the contest, Ryback assaulted Maddox and threw Punk into the cage; moments later, Ryback threw Maddox from the ring into the cage and prevented Heyman from dragging Punk out of the cage; Punk then climbed up the cage to escape where Ryback met him and hit Shellshocked atop the cell, with the crowd chanting “Feed me more” as the show ended
WWE @ Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena – October 29, 2012
Raw – featured opening still photos detailing the WWE World Champion CM Punk vs. Ryback match the previous night at Hell in a Cell; included an in-ring segment in which Punk, his ribs heavily taped, and Paul Heyman came out, with Punk taking the mic and saying he proved the commentary team and all the fans wrong with his victory over Ryback; Punk went on to say he turned back the challenges of Rey Mysterio Jr., Randy Orton, and John Cena, referee Brad Maddox was incompetant and he had nothing to do with Maddox’s actions at Hell in a Cell; Punk went on to say he was done with Ryback, was moving on, and would give others a shot at the title, with Mick Foley then interrupting and reminding Punk that he challenged him the previous month to be a legend and not a statistic; moments later, Punk noted Survivor Series was coming up, the same event where he won the title the previous year, and challenged Foley to lead a team to Survivor Series to face his own team; after Foley accepted, Punk made mention of who Foley might put on his team, with Ryback then coming out and Punk and Heyman escaping into the crowd; featured an ad promoting WWE ’13; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE Facebook network has more than 75 million followers, more than Google, HBO, ESPN, Amazon, Coke, MTV, and the NBA; featured a backstage segment in which Vickie Guerrero spoke with AJ about rehiring her as a performer and told her to find her later and give her one good reason why she should be offered a contract; included a Susan G. Komen for the Cure PSA with comments from Alicia Fox, Dolph Ziggler, Layla, and John Cena; featured an in-ring segment with Guerrero in which she called for Cena to come out so she could discuss the evidence against his relationship with AJ; after Cena appeared, Vickie showed footage from 3 weeks earlier in which Cena asked AJ out on a date, him hugging her the previous week, and then showed a photo of the two having dinner; after Cena explained those, she showed footage of AJ joining him in an elevator; as Vickie started putting words in Cena’s mouth as he explained his actions, Dolph Ziggler interrupted and made his own allegations, with Cena shoving him to the mat and telling him to never mention his and AJ’s name again; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 29 tickets going on sale Nov. 10; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown was the most socially active show on TV the previous Friday, beating every show on CBS, ABC, NBC, TNT, FX, TBS, ESPN, and MTV; included a backstage segment in which Vickie asked AJ about her “affair” with Cena and told her to admit it and she would go ahead and offer her a contract, with AJ refusing and saying she wouldn’t lie to get a job; Vickie then offered her the job but said she wouldn’t be allowed around the company if she touched her; featured a pretaped sit-down interview with Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal, & Drew McIntyre about their new group 3MB; included a look at “The Content Strategist”‘s look at WWE’s social media efforts; featured the announcement Jerry Lawler would return to Raw in 2 weeks; included a look at WWE ’13, with footage of a Bret Hart vs. the Rock match; featured an ad promoting ‘Brock Lesnar: Here Comes the Pain Collector’s Edition;’ included an in-ring promo by Sheamus in which he said he was happy to have had a fight the previous night against the Big Show, despite losing the World Heavyweight Title; Sheamus said he was looking forward to their next fight, then adding it wouldn’t be a fight but an all out war; moments later, Show walked out and joined Sheamus in the ring, bragging about his win and said Sheamus would never beat him; after Show called Sheamus a “red headed Ginger Snap,” Sheamus dropped Show with White Noise and left the ring; featured a look at Sports Business Journal covering WrestleMania 29; included a backstage segment in which Cena told AJ to keep her chin up, with Guerrero seen watching on behind them; moments later, Beth Phoenix appeared and thanked Vickie for restarting the match, with Guerrero blaming Phoenix for not doing what she was supposed to and fired her; featured a backstage segment in which Paul Heyman interrupted Foley and Kaitlyn and asked Foley who was going to be on his Survivor Series team, with Foley saying the WWE locker room had come to him wanting to be on his team and Heyman saying Punk put a bullseye on Foley and would prove to him at Survivor Series that he was the best in the world; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE app had been downloaded more than 2.5 million times; featured a Komen PSA with comments from Cena, Layla, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, Lilian Garcia, R-Truth, WWE Divas Champion Eve, Fox, and AJ and a look at WWE’s partnership with Komen; included a segment on the entrance stage in which Vince McMahon, with the roster behind him, introduced Cena in the ring with representatives from Komen, who discussed WWE’s partnership with Komen and thanked the fans for the support; Cena then presented a check to Komen for $1 million; featured a look at the Rolling Stones’ upcoming pay-per-view in December, hosted by WWE; included an ad promoting ‘Barricade’ on DVD and Blu-ray; featured an in-ring segment in which Heyman introduced Punk, who came out wearing a WWE ’13 hoodie; moments later, a giant WWE ’13 poster dropped from the rafters, with Heyman praising Punk and calling him the greatest WWE champion of all time; Heyman then introduced the members of Team Punk: Mike Mizanin, Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes, & Alberto Del Rio, who came out with Ricardo Rodriguez; Punk then said Survivor Series would be a celebration of his one year as WWE World Champion and he would celebrate by putting Foley out of his misery; he went on to say Foley wanted the spotlight but it was now his time; moments later, Foley interrupted and said Punk had weaseled out of his match the previous night and introduced his team as WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane, Randy Orton, & Ryback; as Ryback came out, the two teams began fighting in and out of the ring, with Punk leaving the ring as Ryback stared at him; Punk then held up the title belt at the entrance stage and Foley’s team in the ring; moments later, Ryback dropped Rhodes with a clothesline and dropped him with Shell Shocked as Punk and Heyman watched on:
Ryback pinned JTG with Shell Shocked at 2:01; after the bout, Josh Matthews conducted an interview with Ryback in which he said he wasn’t hurt, he was hungery and he would feast on WWE World Champion CM Punk; Ryback then chanted “Feed me Punk” and the crowd did the same
Randy Orton pinned Wade Barrett with the RKO at 10:13
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil in a non-title match at 4:27 when Young submitted to Bryan’s No Lock; after the bout, Bryan & Kane argued, each saying they were the sole tag team champions
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston defeated WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro via disqualification in a non-title match at 2:34 when Mike Mizanin, who provided guest commentary for the match, attacked Kingston following a confrontation on the floor; prior to the bout, Cesaro cut an in-ring promo in which he said America had the fattest children in the world; after the match, R-Truth ran out and helped clear the ring
Jinder Mahal & Heath Slater (w/ Drew McIntyre) defeated Zack Ryder & Santino Marella at 3:48 when Slater pinned Marella with a leg neckbreaker after Marella knocked McIntyre off the ring apron with the Cobra
Beth Phoenix pinned AJ with the Glam Slam; AJ initially won the match at 2:06 with an inside cradle; moments later, Vickie Guerrero appeared at the entrance stage and said she demanded more of AJ, with Phoenix jumping AJ from behind and calling for the referee to restart the match (Phoenix’s last match)
Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara at 14:41 when Sandow pinned Sin Cara with the neckbreaker after Rhodes pulled Sandow out of the way of Sin Cara’s senton off the top
Alberto Del Rio defeated Justin Gabriel via submission with the cross armbreaker at 5:21; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout
Saturday Morning Slam – 11/3/12 – included a video package on luchadores and Mexico’s Day of the Dead, with a look at La Parka, Juventud Guerrera, and Rey Mysterio Jr.; featured a look at some of Mysterio’s favorite masks; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with Heath Slater; featured the Sin Cara vs. El Local match taped 9/25/12 in Buffalo, NY:
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Cody Rhodes with the splash at 7:22; Josh Matthews & Dolph Ziggler provided commentary for the bout; after the match, clay, Cameron, & Naomi danced in the ring with several young fans
WWE @ Fayetteville, NC – Crown Center – October 30, 2012
Main Event – 10/31/12 – featured an opening video package recapping the conclusion of the Ryback vs. WWE World Champion CM Punk Hell in a Cell match on Sunday; featured Michael Cole & John Bradshaw Layfield on commentary; included the announcement that referee Brad Maddox had been indefinately suspended and would be questioned the following day at WWE Headquarters; featured footage from the previous week of Randy Orton making the save for Sin Cara against Alberto Del Rio, Darren Young, & Titus O’Neil; included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown was the most socially active show on TV the previous Friday, beating every show on CBS, ABC, NBC, TNT, FX, TBS, ESPN, and MTV; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Young & O’Neil, with ADR interrupting and sending a message to Orton to watch his back the coming Friday on Smackdown:
Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated Alberto Del Rio, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil at 21:39 when Orton pinned ADR with the RKO after Mysterio hit the 619; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; during his entrance, a vignette aired on ADR; after the match, Matt Striker conducted an in-ring interview with Orton, Mysterio, & Sin Cara, with Mysterio thanking Orton for leading them to victory and saying he and Sin Cara were a team for the long run; Sin Cara then cut a promo in Spanish, with Mysterio translating and saying they were together to be WWE Tag Team Champions; Orton followed by cutting a promo on ADR
Wade Barrett pinned Tyson Kidd at around the 6-minute mark with the Souvenir elbow after blocking a dive to the floor with a forearm to the face; after the match, Barrett took the mic and cut a promo on Sheamus; moments later, Sheamus interrupted at the entrance stage and said, while he wanted to get World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show back in the ring, he could face Barrett the next week on Main Event; Barrett accepted the offer, noted the next week’s show would be in England, and he doesn’t lose in England; moments later, Sheamus ran into the ring, with Barrett quickly escaping to the floor (the match began during the commercial break)
Smackdown! – 11/4/12 – included Josh Matthews & John Bradshaw Layfield on commentary; featured an opening segment of Miz TV in which Mike Mizanin briefly discussed the situation between John Cena and AJ before then introducing Sheamus as the now former World Heavyweight Champion; after Sheamus came out, Miz praised his match against the Big Show and assumed Sheamus now felt like a loser; when Sheamus noted Miz lost to WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston at Hell in a Cell, Miz said he’s beaten Kingston before but Sheamus had never beaten Show and never would; when Miz claimed he played a part in Show’s recent path of destruction, Sheamus questioned whether he should be the one Sheamus kicks in the face; after Miz said he would take the title back from Kingston, Kingston interrupted and made fun of his three consecutive wins over Miz; Miz replied by saying he would lead his team to victory at Survivor Series and would personally eliminate Kingston; Show then walked out and questioned Miz why he was interviewing Sheamus instead of the new champion; Sheamus then challenged Show to a fight then and there, with Show saying Sheamus didn’t really want that and he would get all of him he could handle at Survivor Series; moments later, Miz tried to attack Kingston, with Kingston dumping him to the floor; included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE has more Twitter followers than TMZ, Nike, Coca-Cola, HBO, Under Armour, Disney, and McDonald’s; included a backstage segment in which Booker T congratulated Show on his title victory and then told him that he would team with Miz later in the night against Sheamus & Kingston; featured an ad promoting ‘Maximum Conviction,’ starring Steve Austin; included an ad promoting Saturday Morning Slam, with Sin Cara in action as well as Brodus Clay vs. Cody Rhodes; featured a look at the closing segment from Raw and the formation of Team Foley and Team Punk for Survivor Series; included a backstage segment with Booker T, Teddy Long, and Natalya Neidhart in which Neidhart offered to chip in since WWE Divas Champion Eve was overseas; David Otunga then interrupted and said he had more leadership than Natalya, with Booker putting him in a match against the returning Great Khali; Otunga then spat his coffee on Natalya, with Natalya slapping him and causing him to spit more coffee on Long; featured an ad promoting the new WWE Encyclopedia; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 29 tickets going on sale Nov. 12; featured a Susan G. Komen PSA with comments from Cena, Kingston, Layla, AJ, and Eve, footage of Cena and WWE presenting Komen for the Cure with a $1 million check, and Layla discussing losing her mom to breast cancer; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Alberto Del Rio, alongside Ricardo Rodriguez, regarding involving themselves in Randy Orton’s match, with Orton appearing behind them and attacking ADR; moments later, Orton poured hot food over Rodriguez’s head before backdropping ADR through a table in catering; after ADR & Rodriguez escaped, Striker attempted to interview Orton with Orton then shoving his face into a cake; several wrestlers in the background, including Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre were shown laughing at Striker; featured an ad promoting WWE’s involvement with Tout; included a backstage segment in which Neidhart thanked Khali for beating Otunga; featured a look at tweets surrounding the Cena, AJ, Vickie Guerrero situation, with Vickie announcing she would present more evidence on Raw; included a backstage segment with Show and Miz in which they discussed who should follow the other’s lead in their upcoming match; featured the announcement the following week’s Tuesday Smackdown would feature Orton vs. ADR in a falls count anywhere match:
Darren Young (w/ Titus O’Neil) pinned Sin Cara (w/ Rey Mysterio Jr.) at 3:38 with a fireman’s carry into a lung blower; after the match, O’Neil took a mic at ringside, blew a whistle, bragged on Young’s win, and challenged Mysterio to a match; Mysterio immediately slid into the ring and threw his shirt into O’Neil’s face
Rey Mysterio Jr. (w/ Sin Cara) pinned Titus O’Neil (w/ Darren Young) at 2:57 with a roll up after O’Neil missed a charge in the corner and hit the middle turnbuckle; after the match, Mysterio & Cara mocked Young & O’Neil’s “Millions of dollars” dance at the entrance stage
Wade Barrett pinned Randy Orton with a roll up at around the 12-minute mark after Orton became distracted by Alberto Del Rio, at the entrance stage, and Ricardo Rodriguez, on the ring apron; prior to the bout, ADR, who was ringside providing guest commentary, slid in the ring to attack Orton but was himself attacked; moments later, Rodriguez sent Orton into the ringpost, with ADR doing the same moments later; eventually, referees came out and took ADR and Rodriguez backstage before the opening bell (the match began during the commercial break)
The Great Khali pinned David Otunga with the chop to the head at 1:34; Natalya Neidhart was shown watching on backstage during the bout (Khali’s return match)
R-Truth pinned Justin Gabriel with the Little Jimmy at 3:27; prior to and after the bout, the two shook hands
World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show & Mike Mizanin defeated Sheamus & WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston at 9:39 when Miz pinned Kingston after Show punched Kingston in the face behind the referee’s back; after the match, Show held up the title belt at the entrance stage, with Sheamus responding by kicking Miz in the face
Saturday Morning Slam – 11/24/12 – featured Josh Matthews & R-Truth on commentary; included a segment of 3rd Degree in which WWE Divas Champion Eve, Drew McIntyre, Mick Foley, David Otunga, Santino Marella, and Dolph Ziggler talked about what they were thankful for; featured a backstage segment in which Mike Mizanin hosted a pie eating contest between Truth, Marella, and Zack Ryder, won by Marella; after Marella was announced the winner, Ryder and Truth then threw pies in Marella’s face, leading to a food fight; moments later, Brodus Clay, Cameron, and Naomi walked in; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro:
Justin Gabriel pinned El Local at 3:38 with a moonsault into a reverse DDT after Local struck the corner
Heath Slater & Jinder Mahal (w/ Drew McIntyre) defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso at 8:15 when Slater pinned Jimmy with a powerslam off the top after Jimmy kicked away an interfering McIntyre after McIntyre climbed on the apron
WWE @ Strasbourg, France – Zenith Arena – October 31, 2012
WWE @ Nantes, France – Zenith Arena – November 1, 2012
WWE @ Lyon, France – Tony Garnier Hall – November 1, 2012
WWE @ Hamburg, Germany – O2 World Arena – November 2, 2012
Sheamus defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show via disqualification at 11:53 when Show pulled the referee in front of him as the challenger attempted the Brogue Kick; following the action, but before the referee called for the bell, Show dropped Sheamus with the chokeslam; after the match, Show attempted the punch to the face but sustained the Brogue Kick
WWE (Raw) @ Newcastle, England – November 3, 2012
Brodus Clay & Santino Marella defeated Primo Colon & Epico
Michael McGillicutty defeated Tensai
WWE Divas Champion Eve defeated AJ and Layla; AJ initially won the match and title but Vickie Guerrero came out and had the match continue
John Cena (w/ AJ) pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ Vickie Guerrero) with the FU
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro defeated Zack Ryder
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes
Ryback defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via disqualification when Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes interfered
WWE @ Leipzig, Germany – Arena Leipzig – November 3, 2012
WWE (Smackdown!) @ London, England – Wembley Arena – November 4, 2012 (matinee)
Sin Cara pinned El Local (Ricardo Rodriguez); after the match, Mike Mizanin attacked Cara and took the mic, saying he would take the WWE IC Title from Kofi Kingston later in the night
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil
Kaitlyn defeated Natalya Neidhart
Randy Orton pinned Alberto Del Rio with the RKO
Wade Barrett & William Regal defeated Johnny Curtis & Ted Dibiase Jr.
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Mike Mizanin with the spin kick to the head
Sheamus defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show via disqualification when Show pulled the referee into Sheamus
WWE @ Birmingham, England – LG Arena – November 5, 2012 (12,869)
Raw – included Michael Cole & Jim Ross on commentary; featured an opening backstage segment taped earlier in the day of Mike Mizanin confronting Paul Heyman about WWE World Champion CM Punk “retreating” at the end of the previous week’s show, with Miz saying Heyman and Punk were “full of crap” and then quit the team; included an ad promoting Jerry Lawler’s return to Raw the following week; featured an in-ring segment in which Vickie Guerrero replayed the clips she showed the previous week of John Cena and AJ together; moments later, Cena interrupted and reminded Vickie of her histories with Edge and Dolph Ziggler and how she used her power to get them the World Heavyweight Championship; Vickie then showed surveillance footage of AJ in a hotel hallway wearing a robe and going from one room to another, then another clip of Cena leaving the room wearing only a towel; after Cena laughed at how Vickie took footage from two different cameras, with Vickie then demanding AJ to come out and explain her actions; moments later, AJ appeared on the big screen and said she wasn’t going to come out because she would attack Vickie, get fired, and no longer be able to do what she loves to do; Ziggler then appeared behind her and made fun of her, with Cena running backstage as Vickie laughed on the mic; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 29 tickets going on sale Nov. 12; featured info on how fans could give to a Hurricane Sandy New Jersey relief fund; included a backstage segment in which Heyman tried to talk Wade Barrett into joining Team Punk, with Barrett turning him down before agreeing and saying Heyman owed him; included Cole conducting an in-ring interview with Brad Maddox, who said his actions at Hell in a Cell were not prompted by Heyman or Punk but by himself; Maddox said all he ever wanted to do was be a WWE superstar, with the crowd chanting “Feed me more;” he went on to say he once paid $2,000 for a try out and was given a developmental contract but even there he was told he didn’t have what it took; Maddox then said he agreed to be a referee because he knew he would get his one chance to make an impact and now even the fans in England knew his name; he went on to say he wanted a contract and a match with Ryback; as he went to leave the ring, Vince McMahon walked out and said Maddox was lying about his true involvement, but would give him a $1 million contract the next week if he could beat Ryback; moments later, McMahon brought out Vickie, and talked her into setting up Punk vs. Ryback vs. Cena at Survivor Series for the WWE World Title; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE’s Facebook network adds 75,000 new fans each day; included an ad promoting ‘Maximum Conviction,’ staring Steve Austin; featured a backstage segment in which Vickie told Ziggler he was now leading Punk’s former team at Survivor Series, with Punk then appearing and arguing over losing his team and now having to defend the title at the pay-per-view; Vickie then said Punk & Ziggler would face Cena & Ryback later in the show, with Punk repeatedly asking Ziggler “What is wrong with her?”; included an ad promoting ‘Brock Lesnar: Here Comes the Pain Collector’s Edition;’ featured an ad promiting ‘Redneck Island,’ with Austin; included a vignette promoting the debut of Fandangoo; featured a backstage segment in which Sheamus and William Regal spoke and agreed to get a drink after the show; included a backstage segment in which Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez spoke, with Rodriguez saying it should now be ADR’s team at Survivor Series; moments later, Rosa Mendes walked by; featured an ad promoting the WWE app; included an ad promoting the new WWE Encylopedia; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE superstars and divas have competed in Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Japan, Spain, Ecuador, Austria, Russia, and the UK thus far in 2012:
Rey Mysterio Jr., Sin Cara, & R-Truth defeated WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro, Darren Young, & Titus O’Neil at 10:52 when Truth pinned Cesaro with the Little Jimmy after Mysterio hit the 619; prior to the bout, recent Touts from Cesaro and Truth were shown; before and after the match, Mysterio & Cara mocked Young & O’Neil’s dance
Cody Rhodes (w/ Damien Sandow) pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan (w/ WWE Tag Team Champion Kane) with Crossroads at 1:57 after distraction from Sandow; after the bout, Rhodes took the mic at ringside, said he and Sandow would be the future tag team champions, and Sandow could beat Kane as easily as he just beat Bryan; moments later, Kane grabbed Sandow by the hair and pulled him into the ring
WWE Tag Team Champion Kane pinned Damien Sandow with the chokeslam at around the 6-minute mark in an impromptu bout; WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan was in Kane’s corner and Cody Rhodes was in Sandow’s corner until late in the match, when they were both ejected from ringside
Sheamus pinned Mike Mizanin with the boot to the face at 14:41; World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show provided guest commentary for the bout
Layla & Kaitlyn defeated WWE Divas Champion Eve & Aksana at 5:00 when Kaitlyn pinned Eve with a reverse DDT
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Alberto Del Rio with a roll up in a non-title match at 7:47 after ADR became distracted by Randy Orton’s music playing; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout; after the match, Orton came out of the crowd and dropped ADR with the RKO in the ring
Zack Ryder & Santino Marella defeated Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) at 5:02 when Marella pinned Epico with the Cobra
Wade Barrett pinned Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) with the Souvenir elbow at 3:00
Heath Slater (w/ Jinder Mahal) pinned Jey Uso (w/ Jimmy Uso) with the Smash Hit at 3:55 (debut of the move)
John Cena & Ryback defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) & Dolph Ziggler at 10:15 when Ryback pinned Punk with Shellshocked; following Punk’s entrance, he took the mic and complained about losing his team at Survivor Series and said Vince McMahon was out to “screw his most talented performer at Survivor Series;” during the bout, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” after the bout, Ryback chanted “Feed me more” while looking at Cena (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
WWE @ Birmingham, England – LG Arena – November 6, 2012
Smackdown! – 11/6/12 – featured Josh Matthews & John Bradshaw Layfield on commentary; included Michael Cole conducting an opening in-ring interview with Sheamus regarding he and William Regal going to a pub the previous night and getting into an altercation with World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show; cell phone footage from WWE.com was then shown of Sheamus and Regal arriving and Show attacking them from behind, knocking Regal out with a punch and assaulting Sheamus; moments later, Sheamus had Cole leave the ring before saying he couldn’t respect Show’s actions against Regal, who played a big part in his career and had helped many of the wrestlers backstage; Sheamus then called for Show to come out so he could kick his “arse;” Show then appeared on the big screen and said he held back to ensure Sheamus could actually make it to Survivor Series; Show went on to say he wasn’t coming out because Sheamus had nothing to offer him, with Wade Barrett appearing instead and reminded Sheamus they would fight the next night on Main Event and the fact he wanted to also face Show was crazy; Sheamus then challenged Barrett to a fight since Show wasn’t showing up; Barrett then approached the ring but turned around and went backstage; featured an ad promoting Jerry Lawler’s return to Raw the following week; included info on how fans can donate to the New Jersey Relief Fund; featured a backstage segment in which Booker T spoke with Barrett and informed him that Sheamus & Regal would face Barrett & Show later in the night, with Barrett thanking him; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read “CM Punk: Best in the World” is the #1 sports DVD in America; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 29 tickets going on sale Nov. 12; included a Tweet from Vickie Guerrero in which she said she had more evidence against John Cena and AJ; featured a backstage segment with Teddy Long and Booker in which Booker accused Long of trying to kiss up to him before saying he was just kidding, with the two laughing; included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Alberto Del Rio, alongside Ricardo Rodriguez, regarding his alteraction with Randy Orton the previous week and facing Orton later in the show in a falls count anywhere match; after Striker left, Rosa Mendes appeared and wished ADR good luck in his match; included an ad promoting ‘Brock Lesnar: Here Comes the Pain Collector’s Edition;’ featured info for how fans can help in Hurricane Sandy relief by donating to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City; included Striker conducting a backstage interview with Orton regarding his upcoming bout with ADR; featured a vignette promoting the debut of Fandango:
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Mike Mizanin at 11:32 with a crossbody off the top after knocking Miz off the top rope; after the bout, Mix extended his hand to Kingston, with Kingstop hitting a dropkick and sending Miz to the floor
Darren Young & Titus O’Neil defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara at 3:18 when O’Neil pinned Mysterio with a sit-down spinebuster; after the bout, Matt Striker attempted to interview Young & O’Neil in the ring, with O’Neil blowing a whistle and then conducting his own interview with Young about the importance of their win and going after the WWE Tag Team Titles; O’Neil & Young then had Striker get between them as they did their “Millions of Dollars” dance before telling him to get out of the ring as they continued to dance
World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show & Wade Barrett defeated Sheamus & William Regal at 13:01 when Show pinned Regal with the punch to the face, immediately after Regal hit the running knee to the head on Show
Randy Orton pinned Alberto Del Rio in a falls count anywhere match at 12:46 with a RKO onto the steel steps, inside the ring, after ADR attempted to hit Orton with a steel chair but struck the steps instead; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout (The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012)
Main Event – 11/7/12 – featured Michael Cole & Mike Mizanin on commentary; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 29 tickets going on sale Nov. 12; featured info for how fans can donate to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City; included Matt Striker attempting to conduct a backstage interview with World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show about facing Sheamus at Survivor Series, with Show then punching Striker in the face and knocking him out; featured the announcement that WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane would defend against Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow the following week:
Sheamus pinned Wade Barrett with the White Noise and boot to the face at 22:44; during his entrance, a vignette on Barrett aired; following his entrance, Barrett cut a promo about now being part of Survivor Series until he was interrupted by Sheamus, who immediately went after World Heavyweight Champion Big Show at the commentary table; moments later, referees intervened; during the closing moments of the bout, Show left the broadcast table and walked up the ramp; after the match, Show held up the title belt at the entrance stage as Sheamus watched him
R-Truth defeated Heath Slater (w/ Jinder Mahal) via disqualification at around the 8-minute mark when Mahal interfered as Truth made the cover following a suplex into a jawbreaker; after the bout, Truth was double teamed and Slater dropped him with a DDT (the match began during the commercial break)
Saturday Morning Slam – 12/1/12 – featured Josh Matthews & R-Truth on commentary; featured a video package in which Layla shared the culture of England and the differences between British and American words; included a Video Vault segment focusing on wrestlers from the UK – William Regal, Davey Boy Smith, Paul Burchill, and Wade Barrett; featured a Saturday Morning Spotlight on Barrett; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with WWE Divas Champion Eve; featured a closing backstage promo by John Cena in which he said he would be on the following week’s show and issued an open challenge to anyonoe; moments later, Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, & Jinder Mahal interrupted and Slater accepted the challenge:
Jinder Mahal (w/ Heath Slater) pinned Ted Dibiase Jr. at 2:59 when the momentum of a crossbody off the top by Dibiase put Mahal on top for the win
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd at 8:39 when Gabriel was pinned with the Samoan Drop double team
WWE @ Belfast, Northern Ireland – Odyssey Arena – November 7, 2012
WWE @ Brussels, Belgium – Forest National Arena – November 7, 2012
Sheamus defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show via disqualification at 13:52 when Show pulled the referee in front of him as the challenger attempted the Brogue Kick; following the action, but before the referee called for the bell, Show dropped Sheamus with the chokeslam; after the match, Show attempted the punch to the face but sustained the Brogue Kick
WWE @ Dublin, Ireland – O2 Arena – November 8, 2012
WWE @ Zurich, Switzerland – Indoor Stadium – November 8, 2012
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Malaga, Spain – Jose Maria Martin Carpena Sports Palace – November 9, 2012
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil
R-Truth defeated El Local; after the bout, Mike Mizanin attacked Truth and cut a promo in Spanish
Jack Swagger defeated Ted Dibiase Jr.
Kaitlyn defeated Natalya Neidhart
Randy Orton defeated Alberto Del Rio
Wade Barrett defeated Justin Gabriel
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Mike Mizanin
Sheamus defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show via disqualification when Show hit the referee
WWE (Raw) @ Cardiff, Wales – Motorpoint Arena – November 9, 2012
Brodus Clay & Santino Marella defeated Primo Colon & Epico when Clay pinned Primo with the splash after Marella hit the Cobra
Michael McGillicutty pinned Tensai with a roll up after avoiding a charge in the corner
WWE Divas Champion Eve pinned AJ with the neckbreaker; AJ initially won the match and title with a roll up but Vickie Guerrero ordered the match to continue
John Cena pinned Dolph Ziggler with the FU after AJ hit Ziggler with his own briefcase; Vickie Guerrero was in Ziggler’s corner until she was ejected for slapping Cena; she eventually came back out as the referee was down, prompting AJ to come out as well
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Zack Ryder with the Neutralizer
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow when Rhodes submitted to the No Lock after Kane hit the chokeslam and Bryan tagged himself into the match
Ryback defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) via disqualification when Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow interfered; after the match, Ryback fought off Tensai, Primo Colon & Epico, with WWE Tag Team Champion Kane appearing and dropping Sandow with the chokeslam; Punk then escaped Ryback’s Shellshocked but Kane threw him back into the ring for Ryback to hit the move
WWE @ Minehead, England – Butlins Resort – November 10, 2012
WWE @ Lisbon, Portugal – Atlantic Pavilion – November 10, 2012
WWE @ Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena – November 12, 2012
Raw – featured an opening video package narrated by John Cena paying tribute to military veterans; included a backstage segment with John Cena and AJ in which they discussed the earlier in-ring incident with Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero, with the two implying that while they weren’t in a relationship they might not be against having one; featured a video package recapping Jerry Lawler’s heart attack to hype his return later in the show; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE ’13 was the #1 sports video game title the previous week, beating out Madden, FIFA, and NBA2K13; featured an in-ring segment with Michael Cole & Jim Ross in which they introduced Lawler to the ring; Lawler then hugged the two and took the mic, comparing his situation to “It’s a Wonderful Life” and that he didn’t realize how many friends and fans he had until his heart attack; moments later, WWE World Champion CM Punk, alongside Paul Heyman, interrupted and noted he and Lawler were in the ring together the night he had his heart attack and said he received tweets from fans blaming him for the heart attack; Punk then said Lawler should have known better than to try to steal his spotlight with the “heart attack stunt” and said 358 days – the number of days he had held the world title – was more important than the number of minutes Lawler was clinically dead; Punk then said he just tied Diesel as the 9th longest running reign in WWE history and, in one week, will be at 365 days after he keeps the title at Survivor Series; Heyman then faked a heart attack as Punk hurridly called for help; moments later, Mick Foley interrupted, with Punk saying Foley was wasting his time and they were no longer captaining Survivor Series teams against each other; Punk then said Foley should worry more about picking the fifth man for his team, with Foley saying the fans would be doing that for him; Punk followed by saying the fans can’t think and he was better off not caring what they think; Foley then said he wasn’t happy about the Survivor Series change but realized Punk didn’t care about respect or anything aside from the title and he would lose it to Cena or Ryback; Punk said Foley didn’t matter and none of it involved him, with Foley responding by saying he would be the guest enforcer for the Punk vs. Cena main event later in the night; following the segment, Lawler replaced Ross on commentary; included a backstage segment in which Punk told Heyman to fix all his problems; featured a video package noting the WWE’s partnership with the National Guard; members of the Ohio National Guard were shown in attendance; included a backstage segment in which Heyman confronted Brad Maddox and walked off to talk with him away from cameras; featured a vignette promoting the debut of Fandango; included a backstage segment with Mike Mizanin on the phone, saying he would find a way to impact Survivor Series; moments later, Ziggler said he was waiting for Miz to come crawling back to join the team and Miz making fun of the fact he was slapped by a girl; the two then argued before Foley appeared, with Foley challenging Ziggler for 2 members of his team to face 2 members of Foley’s team, namely Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes against the winner of the fan Twitter vote and WWE Tag Team Champion Kane; Miz then proposed to Foley to put him on the ballot to be part of Team Foley, noting they didn’t like each other but they could work together; featured info on how fans could vote via Twitter for Miz, Zack Ryder, or Santino Marella to be part of Team Foley; included an ad promoting ‘The Day’ on DVD; featured a look at Ryback vs. Maddox on WWE ’13; included an ad promoting ‘nWo: The Revolution;’ featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read ‘CM Punk: Best in the World’ is the #1 sports DVD in America; included a backstage segment in which Josh Matthews reported William Regal sustained a concussion and possible broken jaw at the hands of World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show; featured a video package on the Wounded Warrior Project, narrated by Kevin Costner; included a backstage segment in which WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan confronted Kane about him tagging up with someone besides him later in the show; featured an ad promoting Tribute to the Troops 2012, with appearances from the Muppets, Flo Rida, and Kid Rock:
Randy Orton pinned Dolph Ziggler with a roll up at 3:20 after avoiding the Fameasser; late in the bout, Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez came out and distracted Orton from the apron; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston ran out to make the save; moments later, Teddy Long appeared and set up an immediate tag team match
Dolph Ziggler & Alberto Del Rio (w/ Ricardo Rodriguez) defeated Randy Orton & WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston in an impromptu match at 7:49 when ADR pinned Kingston with the running kick to the head after Rodriguez distracted Kingston from the floor; following the commercial break, Ziggler cut an in-ring promo with Vickie Guerrero in which he said he was after the truth in the situation between John Cena and AJ and showed clips of the two from hotel surveillance cameras; Guerrero then took the mic and called for AJ to come out to the ring, with AJ continuing to deny the rumors; Vickie then told AJ to admit to the affair, with AJ then admitting they were just friends; moments later, Vickie aired a voice mail from AJ in which AJ said “what happened last night was a mistake” and other incriminating lines; AJ said the messages were edited together; eventually, Ziggler stepped in and bullied AJ before Cena came out, with AJ slapping Ziggler and Cena clearing him from the ring
World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show pinned William Regal in a non-title match with the chokeslam at 1:39; after the bout, Show attempted to punch Regal in the face, with Sheamus running out and beating Show down to the mat until Show rolled out to the floor
Kaitlyn pinned Layla at 1:10 with a reversal into a reverse DDT; stipulations stated the winner would challenge for the WWE Divas Title at Survivor Series; WWE Divas Champion Eve provided guest commentary for the bout
Rey Mysterio Jr., Sin Cara, Tyson Kidd, & Justin Gabriel defeated Darren Young, Titus O’Neil, Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) at 11:01 when Gabriel pinned Young with the 450 splash after Mysterio hit the 619; early in the match, Ricardo Rodriguez appeared ringside and handed Rosa a note before returning backstage
R-Truth pinned Tensai with the Little Jimmy at around the 6-minute mark; prior to the bout, it was noted Truth would challenge WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro at Survivor Series; following Truth’s entrance, Cesaro appeared and cut a promo, comparing Truth and America to a joke; Cesaro provided guest commentary for the contest; after the match, Cesaro took the mic, with Truth taking it away, confronting Cesaro, and saying he would take the title (the match began during the commercial break)
Ryback pinned Brad Maddox with Shellshocked at 5:33; stipulations stated Maddox would earn a $1 million WWE contract if he won; during Maddox’s entrance, an ambulance backed into the arena; moments later, a pretaped insert promo aired from Maddox in which he said he had no regrets, win or lose, and no one would forget his name by the end of the night; EMTs brought a stretcher to the ring before the match began; after the contest, Maddox was placed on the stretcher, with Ryback then tipping it over; moments later, Ryback dropped Maddox with a clothesline on the floor; Ryback then carried Maddox into the ambulance near the entrance, with the ambulance leaving during the commercial break
Sheamus pinned David Otunga with the boot to the face at 2:24; during the bout, William Regal, Michael McGillicutty, and Aksana were shown watching on backstage; after the match, Sheamus took the mic and said he would take back the World Heavyweight Title at Survivor Series; moments later, World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show was shown assaulting Regal backstage and knocking him out with a punch, adding that would happen to Sheamus at Survivor Series
Mike Mizanin & WWE Tag Team Champion Kane (w/ WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan) defeated Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes at around the 8-minute mark when Kane pinned Rhodes with the chokeslam after Miz countered the attempted interference of Bryan on the floor and threw him into Rhodes outside the ring; prior to the bout, the results were revealed for the fan Twitter poll on who should be part of Team Foley at Survivor Series: Miz: 60%, Zack Ryder: 34%, and Santino Marella: 6%; during the bout, the crowd chanted “Miz is awesome;” after the bout, Miz and Bryan argued in the ring (the bout began during the commercial break)
John Cena pinned WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) in a non-title match with the FU at 13:20; during the bout, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “CM Punk;” late in the match, Heyman attempted to hit Cena with the title belt only to be pulled to the floor and knocked down by guest ringside enforcer Mick Foley; moments later, Punk tried to walk out of the match but was blocked at the entrance by Ryback; after the contest, Ryback joined Cena in the ring as the crowd chanted “Feed me more;” both men then grabbed the title belt, with Punk pulling himself up onto the apron as the show ended
WWE @ Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena – November 13, 2012
Main Event – 11/14/12 – featured Michael Cole & Mike Mizanin on commentary; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane regarding their upcoming title defense against Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow, with Kane eventually walking off after arguing with Bryan; moments later, Rhodes & Sandow jumped Bryan before running off; Kane and a referee then tended to Bryan; featured a video package on Bryan & Kane’s history and recent rivalry with Rhodes & Sandow; included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured Cole & Miz conducting an interview at the announce table with Dolph Ziggler, backstage, regarding Rhodes & Sandow losing earlier in the show and the chances of Team Ziggler at Survivor Series; eventually, Ziggler and Miz began arguing, with Miz saying there were a million more competent captains in the world than Ziggler – Capt. Crunch, Capt. Ron, and Capt. Caveman among them; Miz eventually challenged Ziggler to face him the next week, with Ziggler accepting; included an ad promoting ‘nWo: The Revolution’:
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow at 16:05 when Bryan pinned Sandow with a headbutt off the top after Kane dropped Sandow with the chokeslam; during the bout, Rhdoes sustained torn muscles and a separated shoulder after taking a bad fall during a backdrop; after the match, Matt Striker conducted a ringside interview with Bryan & Kane regarding whether Bryan could get alone with Mike Mizanin at Survivor Series; moments later, Miz left the broadcast table as Bryan yelled “No!” against the fans’ chants of “Yes!”
Santino Marella pinned David Otunga with the Cobra at around the 4-minute mark (the bout began during the commercial break)
Smackdown! – 11/16/12 – featured an opening shot of Sheamus waiting in the parking lot for the arrival of World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show; included an in-ring segment of Miz TV in which Mike Mizanin came out to chants of “Miz is awesome” in which Miz noted he was on Team Foley at Survivor Series, that he was on the poster for the pay-per-view, and he wouldn’t fall in line with any team captain, whether it was Dolph Ziggler or Mick Foley; Miz then brought Foley into the ring as his guest; Foley then showed off his book ‘A Most Mizerable Christmas’ which featured Miz as a character, with Foley then asking which Miz would show up at Survivor Series – the one that beat John Cena at WrestleMania or the one that takes vacations and wears makeup; Foley then introduced the remainder of his team – Randy Orton, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane, in which Bryan and Kane had words before Kingston intervened; Miz and Kingston then had words, with Orton taking the mic and noting his history with Foley and saying there wasn’t a member on the team he liked or trusted; moments later, Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez, Wade Barrett, & Damien Sandow appeared at the entrance stage, with Ziggler insulting Team Foley; Ziggler then broke up ADR speaking with Rodriguez, with ADR and Ziggler having words over which of them was more deserving of being team captain; Foley then said Booker T allowed him to set up matches with Ziggler’s consent, with Foley proposing ADR & Ziggler face Miz & Orton later in the night and Barrett face Kane; Sandow then made fun of Team Foley, with Foley setting up Sandow and Kingston in the opening match; featured the announcement Saturday Night Slam would feature Kingston and Zack Ryder; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous Raw was the most socially active show of the night, beating Monday Night Football and Dancing with the Stars, combined; featured the announcement Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel would face 3MB on the Survivor Series pre-show; included a backstage segment with Booker T and Sheamus in which Booker told Sheamus to settle down or there would be consequences; featured an in-ring promo by Sheamus in which he called for Show to fight him in the ring; moments later, Show appeared and said he was scared of what he might do to Sheamus and Sheamus needed to thank him, with Sheamus leaving the ring to go after Show until he was stopped in the aisle by Booker and held back as Show went backstage; Booker then told Sheamus to leave the building; included a “Did you know?” graphic which stated WWE ’13 was the #1 sports title the previous week, beating Madden, FIFA, and NBA2K13; featured a backstage segment with Show and Booker in which Booker said Show would be in the main event against a person of his choosing; included an ad promoting ‘The Day’ on DVD; featured an ad promoting Tribute to the Troops 2012:
Damien Sandow pinned WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston in a non-title match at 10:00 with a roll up after Kingston injured his knee
Kaitlyn, Layla, & Natalya Neidhart defeated WWE Divas Champion Eve, Aksana, & Alicia Fox at 3:41 when Kaitlyn pinned Fox with the reverse DDT
Mike Mizanin & Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler & Alberto Del Rio at 10:31 when Miz pinned ADR with the Skull Crushing Finale after tagging himself in to the match; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; after the bout, Orton and Miz argued before Orton dropped Miz with the RKO
WWE Tag Team Champion Kane defeated Wade Barrett via disqualification at the 57-second mark when Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, and Damien Sandow interfered; after the bout, WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan ran out to make the save but was beaten down as well; Mick Foley then appeared at the entrance stage and called for WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston to come out, with Kingston too being beaten down; Randy Orton soon joined, with Orton dropping Sandow and Ziggler with the RKO; moments later, Mike Mizanin appeared at the entrance stage and watched his team in the ring
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Sin Cara in a non-title match with the European uppercut and Neutralizer at 2:20; R-Truth provided guest commentary for the bout; after the match, Truth stood on the announce table with a mic and led the crowd in a chant of “USA” before clearing Cesaro from the ring
World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show pinned the Great Khali (mystery opponent) in a non-title match at 3:33 with the punch to the face; after the bout, Sheamus’s music played before Show’s started back up, visibly bothering Show; after Show went backstage and in the parking lot, Matt Striker attempted to interview him but Show chased him off; Show then went to get in his bus, with Sheamus coming out of it and assaulting Show in the parking lot; Show eventually threw Sheamus onto the hood of a car, cracking the windshield; Sheamus eventually rammed Show into another windsheild, also cracking it, and continued to assault Show until Booker T and referees intervened
Saturday Morning Slam – 12/15/12 – featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with Booker T; included a video package in which John Bradshaw Layfield discussed the origins of Tribute to the Troops; featured a segment of Saturday Morning Spotlight focusing on Ryback:
Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil at 11:05 when Kidd pinned Young with a sprinboard elbow drop into the ring
Ryback defeated Robbie Mathews & Yanni Grieco in a handicap match at 3:59 by pinning both men after hitting them with a simultaneous Shellshocked
NXT @ Winter Park, FL – Full Sail University – November 15, 2012
NXT taping:
Fandango pinned Garrett Dylan
Layla pinned Alicia Fox
12/5/12 – featured Tony Dawson & William Regal on commentary; included an ad promoting the WWE app; featured a holiday themed ad for WWEshop.com; Byron Saxton was the ring announcer for the show; included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured Tom Phillips conducting a backstage interview with Tyson Kidd about facing Leo Kruger later in the show, with Kidd saying he would go through Kruger to get at the NXT Title; moments later, Kassius Ohno interrupted and told Kidd to watch out because he also had his eye on the NXT Title and Kidd could end up like Richie Steamboat; included an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era’:
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Michael McGillicutty in a non-title match with the European uppercut and the Neutralizer at 5:59
Bo Dallas pinned Axl Keegan with the spear at 2:38; after the match, Dallas took the mic and said he fights because he loves to fight and issued an open challege to anyone in the WWE to fight him (Keegan’s debut)
Corey Graves defeated Yoshi Tatsu via submission with the 13th Step at 2:58; prior to the bout, Graves attacked Tatsu from behind on the floor; after the match, Graves left through the crowd
Roman Reigns pinned Gavin Reid at 2:10 with the modified urinage; after the bout, Reigns tossed Reid to the floor and took the mic from ring announcer Byron Saxton, asking Saxton whether he was jealous of him and that’s why he didn’t do a good job of announcing him (Reid’s debut)
Tyson Kidd defeated Leo Kruger via submission with a leglock at around the 14-minute mark; Jim Ross & William Regal provided commentary for the bout; after the match, Kassius Ohno ran out and fought with Kidd; Kidd was eventually double teamed and sustained Ohno’s roaring elbow and the Kruger End, with William Regal then leaving the broadcast table and pulling Kidd to the floor; Regal then helped Kidd backstage
12/12/12 – featured Tom Phillips & William Regal on commentary; included Tony Dawson conducting a backstage interview with Roman Reigns, with Reigns saying his time was more important than Dawson’s then taking a cell phone call and walking away; featured a backstage promo by Kassius Ohno and Leo Kruger in which they bragged about their attacks on Tyson Kidd, Trent Barreta, and Richie Steamboat, with Ohno saying he would do the same to Regal if he interfered in their business again; included a holiday themed ad for WWEshop.com; featured a segment in which Dusty Rhodes came out to the entrance stage and said Vickie Guerrero would not be making decisions on his show or placing bounties; moments later, Camacho interrupted and said he needed Vickie’s $5,000 and Hunico was stuck in Mexico; Big E Langston then appeared, with Rhodes saying Langston would face Camacho and a partner of his choice the next week in a handicap match; included a backstage promo by World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show in which he said he would answer the challenge of Bo Dallas, saying Dallas didn’t belong in the industry and noting his knockouts over John Cena, Randy Orton, and Sheamus; featured the announcement Show vs. Dallas would happen the following week; included an ad promoting ‘The Day’ and ‘Barricade’:
Paige pinned Sasha Banks with the Paige Turner at 4:06 (Banks’ debut)
Erick Rowan (w/ Bray Wyatt) pinned Oliver Grey with a side slam at 1:57; following Grey’s introduction, Wyatt came out and introduced his new follower; Rowan then dragged a rocking chair to the entrance; Wyatt sat in the chair for the duration of the bout; after the contest, Wyatt introduced the man as Rowan (Rowan’s debut)
NXT Champion Seth Rollins pinned Jinder Mahal with a superkick and the Skywalker at around the 24-minute mark; Summer Rae was the ring announcer for the match; late in the bout, there were chants of “This is awesome;” as Rollins left the ring, Corey Graves was shown in the crowd clapping; the two briefly had words before Rollins made his way backstage (Mahal’s first NXT appearance with 3MB entrance music)
12/19/12 – featured Tony Dawson & William Regal on commentary; Byron Saxton was the ring announcer for the show; included an ad promoting the updated WWE Encyclopedia; featured an ad promoting ‘The Top 100 Moments in Raw History;’ included a holiday themed ad for WWEshop.com; featured an ad promoting WWE ’13; included Jim Ross conducting an in-ring interview with NXT Champion Seth Rollins regarding his win the previous week over Jinder Mahal and next challenger; moments later, Corey Graves ran out, clipped Rollins, and locked him in the 13th Step; referees then swarmed the ring to tend to Rollins and get Graves away; Graves then grabbed the mic from Ross and said he wanted the NXT title, then looked at the title belt still on the mat; featured a backstage promo by John Cena regarding the following week’s year in review episode:
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Epico & Primo Colon (w/ Rosa Mendes) at around the 13-minute mark when Jimmy pinned Primo with the splash off the top; immediately after the bout, Conor O’Brian & Kenneth Cameron’s music began to play as they cut a promo on the big screen, saying that war was coming
Big E Langston defeated Aiden English & Camacho in a handicap match at 1:14 by pinning English with the Big Ending, moments after Camacho went to the floor and began to leave ringside; after the bout, Langston hit the move a second time on English and made a count of 5 as Camacho watched from the entrance stage; the crowd then chanted “One more time,” with Langston hitting English with the move a third time and again counting to 5
Kassius Ohno pinned Percy Watson with the roaring elbow at 5:21; after the bout, Ohno stared at William Regal at the commentary table and then goaded Regal
World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show pinned Bo Dallas in a non-title match at 4:54 with the punch to the face
NXT @ Largo, FL – Minnreg Hall – November 16, 2012
Moved to 11/30/12
NXT @ Ocala, FL – Armory – November 17, 2012
Heath Slater & Jinder Mahal defeated Santino Marella & Zack Ryder at 6:10
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, & John Bradshaw Layfield on commentary; included a backstage segment in which Kaitlyn was shown getting ready for her match, only to be jumped by a woman wearing a blonde wig; Kaitlyn fought her off and took off the wig, revealing her to be Aksana; moments later, WWE Divas Champion Eve appeared and wanted to make sure Kaitlyn was OK, with Kaitlyn shoving her to the floor; featured a backstage segment in which Mick Foley and Randy Orton watched Mike Mizanin, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane argue among themselves; Foley then broke up the fight and said the men were survivors and needed to learn to work together or they would be beaten; Foley then prompted the four wrestlers to put their hands in so he would go “Bang Bang,” with all doing so except Orton; Foley then spoke to Orton, who said “I hate you” to Foley; included an ad promoting TLC 2012; featured a look at recent tweets from the Rock about who he would challenge for the WWE World Title at the Royal Rumble; included an in-ring promo by AJ about the accusations against her from Vickie Guerrero and said Vickie came up with it because she had her own secret; moments later, Vickie interrupted, with AJ showing doctored photographs on the big screen of Vickie eating burritos with Ricardo Rodriguez, barbecue sauce with Jim Ross, and dancing in a bedroom with Brodus Clay; AJ then said she showed her evidence because it was as fake as what Vickie had been showing; the two continued to have words before Tamina appeared, dropped AJ with a Samoan Drop, and a splash off the top; featured an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era’ on DVD; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Paul Heyman regarding WWE World Champion CM Punk’s title defense later in the night; featured an ad promoting the Rolling Stones pay-per-view concert Dec. 15; included an ad promoting The Vortex on The CW; featured an ad promoting ‘The Day’ on DVD; included a sample of Touts from fans as to who they think will face the Rock for the title at the Rumble:
Rey Mysterio Jr., Sin Cara, Tyson Kidd, Justin Gabriel, & Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) defeated Tensai, Darren Young, Titus O’Neil, Epico & Primo Colon (w/ Rosa Mendes) in an unadvertised elimination match at 18:28; during the bout, Jerry Lawler accidentally referred to Primo as Carlito; Tensai pinned Clay with a splash in the corner and back splash at 8:25; Gabriel pinned Tensai at 10:23 with a crucifix as Tensai attempted a cover; Kidd pinned O’Neil at 13:51 with a leg roll up into the ring; Epico submitted to Kidd’s Sharpshooter at 15:00; Mysterio pinned Primo with a la magistral cradle at 17:31; Mysterio pinned Young after hitting the 619, Sin Cara hitting the Swanton, Gabriel hitting a springboard moonsault, Kidd hitting a springboard elbow drop into the ring, and Mysterio hitting the splash off the top
WWE Divas Champion Eve pinned Kaitlyn with the neckbreaker at 7:02 after yanking the challenger off the apron to the floor
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned R-Truth with the European uppercut and Neutralizer at 6:57; during his entrance, Cesaro cut a promo about what America had to be thankful for, joking about the economy, infrastructure, and obesity rate
Sheamus defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show via disqualification; Show initially won the match via pinfall at 14:45 after punching Sheamus in the face; late in the bout, Show shoved referee Scott Armstrong in the way of the challenger’s boot to the face, with Sheamus and other referees tending to Armstrong befoe Show punched Sheamus; after the initial decision, another referee changed the call because of Show grabbing Armstrong; after the bout, Show confronted the referee before Sheamus assaulted Show with a steel chair at ringside, repeatedly hitting him with the weapon; moments later, Sheamus tossed the chair aside and kicked Show in the face; after Sheamus went backstage and Show staggered to his feet, the crowd chanted “We want Ziggler”
Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Damien Sandow, David Otunga (sub. for Cody Rhodes), & Wade Barrett defeated Randy Orton, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, Mike Mizanin, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane (w/ Mick Foley) in an elimination match at 23:43; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the show; Kane pinned Sandow at 3:06 with the chokeslam after Bryan kicked Sandow in the head; after the fall, Bryan argued with Kane and shoved him before Kane shoved Bryan over the top rope to the floor; Ziggler pinned Kane with the Zig Zag at 3:48; Otunga submitted to Bryan’s No Lock at 7:10 after Bryan reversed a pin attempt; Barrett pinned Kingston with the Bull Hammer at 9:43 after a spinning sidewalk slam; Bryan submitted to ADR’s cross armbreaker at 12:36; Miz pinned Barrett with the Skull Crushing Finale at 16:05 after avoiding the Wasteland; ADR pinned Miz at 17:15 with a running kick to the head after Miz missed a charge; at the 20-minute mark, Foley prevented Rodriguez from interrupting and applied the Mr. Socko Mandible Claw on the floor; Orton pinned ADR with the RKO at 20:59 after avoiding the cross armbreaker
WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) defeated John Cena and Ryback at 18:00 by pinning Cena after Cena sustained Shellshocked by Ryback, with Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns ran into the ring, triple teamed Ryback, and then put him through the Spanish commentary table with a powerbomb; during the bout, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks” (Rollins, Ambrose, & Reigns’ surprise debuts)
WWE @ Dayton, OH – Nutter Center – November 19, 2012
Raw – featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE ’13 was the top selling sports game the previous week, beating Madden, FIFA, and NBA2K13; included a video package on Brad Maddox’s recent match with Ryback and a promo for more footage available on YouTube; featured a backstage segment in which Paul Heyman walked around with a giant poster of WWE World Champion CM Punk, then meeting Punk outside his locker room and discussing their celebration later in the show; moments later, Matt Striker interrupted and asked Punk about his win and whether he was associated with Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns; after Punk said Striker’s questions were disrespectful, Heyman said everyone would be invited to their celebration, even Ryback; Punk wore a “I’m a Paul Heyman Guy” T-shirt; included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured an ad promoting the upcoming Soup! episode, featuring Mike Mizanin, Eve, Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan and more on Wednesday; included a video package on John Cena being honored by the Make A Wish Foundation for granting his 300th wish; featured an in-ring promo by Vickie Guerrero, in which she introduced a man and women with her who had more evidence against AJ and her alleged affair with John Cena; AJ eventually interrupted and told Vickie to shut up, with Vickie saying her witness took photos of AJ and Cena together in a parked car for an hour; Cena then walked out and said Vickie was just trying to give people something to talk about, and then kissed AJ as an example of how to do it; as Cena went to talk to Vickie, AJ kissed him back before Dolph Ziggler ran out; Ziggler and Cena then fought before Cena chased Ziggler backstage; Cena appeared to injure his ankle during the segment; included a backstage segment in which Cena was tended to by a trainer, with AJ watching; WWe has more Twitter followers than TMZ, Nike, Coca-Cola, HBO, Under Armour, Disney, and McDonald’s; featured a backstage segment in which Heyman yelled at a stage hand for not having balloons for Punk’s celebration; included a backstage segment in which AJ confronted Vickie, who had Tamina with her, said she would get to know Tamina very well soon and asked Vickie what she was going to do about Cena being hurt; Vickie said she was going to do nothing, with AJ saying she would; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was the most socially active show on broadcast and cable TV, beating the Ultimate Fighter by 10 times; included a backstage segment with AJ and Layla in which Layla tried to talk AJ out of going into a locker room, with AJ telling Layla to leave her “the hell alone;” AJ then barged into the men’s locker room and confronted Ziggler, with Ziggler saying AJ was nothing, desperate, and weak, then calling her trash; AJ then attacked Ziggler, with Cena showing up and he and Ziggler fighting until Ziggler knocked Cena into bathroom stalls, knocking them down; after Ziggler left, referee Mike Chioda and AJ tended to Cena and his injured knee; following the commercial break, Josh Matthews stood outside the trainers room and discussed Cena’s injury; featured a backstage segment in which Heyman promised Punk that no one would ruin his celebration; included an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era’ on DVD; featured an ad promoting ‘The Day’ on DVD; included a closing in-ring segment with Paul Heyman in the ring, a giant X on the mat and with Punk posters in the background, called out fans for wanting “attitude” but then complaining when he and Punk gave it to them the previous week with their segment with Jerry Lawler; Heyman then said it was a celebration for Punk’s year-long reign as champion and introduced Punk to the ring; Punk then said Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, the Rock, the Undertaker, and Triple H couldn’t do what he did by holding the title 365 days, then introducing a video package detailing his title reign; Punk said he was already looking forward to surpassing Bruno Sammartino’s record, with Heyman saying he knew and liked Sammartino but Sammartino could never beat Punk and the same could be said of Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin; Punk said only he and Heyman knew he could survive Survivor Series with the belt, with Ryback then walking out to the ring until he was jumped by Rollins, Reigns, & Ambrose at ringside; Ryback fought them off in and out of the ring before they overpowered him and again powerbombed him through the announce table; moments later, the three entered the ring, with Punk going to the floor, kneeling over Ryback, and then holding up the title belt as he stood on Ryback’s chest:
Ryback pinned Tensai in an impromptu match with Shellshocked at 3:35; prior to the bout, Ryback cut an in-ring promo in which he challenged the three men that attacked him the previous night to come out or he would go backstage and find them; moments later, Vickie Guerrero appeared at the entrance stage, threatened Ryback with a fine or suspension should he cause chaos, and then brought out Tensai for Ryback to face
Wade Barrett pinned WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston in a non-title match with the Bull Hammer at 12:40; during his entrance, a WWE.com interview with Barrett backstage following Survivor Series aired in which he noted he eliminated Kingston from the match and he would take the IC title
Kaitlyn pinned Aksana with a fireman’s carry into a gutbuster at 3:04
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) in a non-title match at 2:33 with the Neutralizer after hitting a European uppercut from the middle turnbuckle
Randy Orton defeated Alberto Del Rio in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match at 13:35, 2-1; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; fall #1: Orton won via disqualification at 3:08 when ADR repeatedly rammed Orton’s shoulder into the ringpost, despite the referee’s count; fall #2: Orton submitted to ADR’s cross armbreaker at 8:44; Rodriguez was ejected from ringside at the 12-minute mark after referee Mike Chioda caught him tripping Orton from the floor; fall #3: Orton pinned ADR with the RKO after avoiding the enziguri
The Great Khali defeated Epico & Primo Colon (w/ Rosa Mendes) in a handicap match at 1:11 by pinning Epico with the tree slam; prior to the bout, Hornswoggle came ringside with flowers and, late in the match, squirted water out of them into Rosa’s face; after the contest, Khali and Hornswoggle celebrated in the ring
Mike Mizanin pinned David Otunga with the Skull Crushing Finale at 6:10; prior to the bout, Jerry Lawler noted Inside Edition would have a story about his recent heart attack the following day
Sheamus pinned Damien Sandow with White Noise and the boot to the face at 14:48; prior to the bout, Sheamus came out in possession of a steel chair and cut an in-ring promo, saying World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show made their feud personal for attacking William Regal and called him out; moments later, Show limped out to the entrance stage, with the two arguing until Sandow interrupted for the match
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane fought Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara to a no contest in a non-title match at 10:56 when Darren Young & Titus O’Neil, who provided guest commentary for the bout, attacked Kane and Mysterio as Kane attempted the chokeslam; after the bout, Young & O’Neil were attacked and cleared from the ring
WWE @ Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena – November 20, 2012
Main Event – 11/21/12 – featured an opening video package hyping the Mike Mizanin vs. Dolph Ziggler match later in the night; included Michael Cole & John Bradshaw Layfield on commentary; featured an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era’ on DVD; included an ad promoting WWEShop.com; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE Facebook network has more than 75 million followers, more than Google, HBO, ESPN, Amazon, Coke, MTV, and the NBA; included a preview of the WWE Talk Soup episode on E! later in the night; featured the announcement John Cena would be in action the following week; included a closing segment in which Damien Sandow cut a promo at the entrance stage in which he announced he would rid the WWE of Cena the following week:
Dolph Ziggler pinned Mike Mizanin at 25:35 with the Zig Zag after Miz hit an unprotected turnbuckle chest-first; prior to the bout, Miz cut an in-ring promo before he was quickly cut off by Ziggler’s appearance; Ziggler then bragged about being the sole survivor at Survivor Series and said he would outclass Miz; Miz then listed his accomplishments and said Ziggler was a fake, with Ziggler replying that he himself was the future and Miz was the past; Miz then said Ziggler was nothing and he was scared to cash in his Money in the Bank title shot because he knew he would fail, with Ziggler slapping him across the face; during the match, it was noted John Cena would be a guest of Miz TV Friday on Smackdown; following the bout, Matt Striker attempted to conduct an in-ring interview with Ziggler, with Ziggler taking the mic, telling Striker to leave the ring, bragged about being the best, and said he was just getting started; Ziggler then said he would finish Cena
Wade Barrett pinned Justin Gabriel with the Bull Hammer at 3:35 after crotching Gabriel on the top rope as Gabriel attempted the 450 splash
Smackdown! – 11/23/12 – featured an opening in-ring segment of Miz TV in which Mike Mizanin introduced John Cena as his guest to discuss his relationship with AJ and his tweaked knee; Cena admitted he liked kissing AJ on Raw and that she was a good kisser; moments later, AJ came out and told Cena she knew he just kissed her to prove a point to Vickie Guerrero; after Miz questioned if they were in love, Dolph Ziggler interrupted and said, if he were Cena he would hate AJ and then reviewed footage of AJ confronting Ziggler in the men’s locker room and then throwing Cena into the bathroom stalls; Guerrero then joined Ziggler at the entrance stage and made fun of Cena and AJ before Cena said Vickie ate a lot of nuts and Ziggler was still trying to find his; included an ad promoting WWEshop.com; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Brock Lesnar: Here comes the Pain Collector’s Edition is the #1 sports DVD in the US; included a backstage segment in which Booker T told Sheamus that he wouldn’t let him compete later in the show but would give him a chairs match against World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show at TLC; Booker then gave Sheamus access to his personal suite to watch the rest of the show, and then told Sheamus that Show would face WWE Tag Team Champions Kane & Daniel Bryan in a handicap match later in the night; featured a backstage segment in which Bryan & Kane argued about their match later in the night against Show, with Bryan then offering to invite Kane to his house for Christmas should they win their match; included an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era’ on DVD; featured an ad promoting WWE ’13; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers all US military free tickets to live events in the US; featured the announcement Michael Cole would conduct an interview with Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns Monday on Raw; included an ad promoting ‘The Day’ on DVD:
Ryback pinned Darren Young (w/ Titus O’Neil) with Shellshocked at 2:13; O’Neil provided guest commentary for the match; after the contest, O’Neil took the mic and confronted Ryback, with Ryback also dropping him with Shellshocked
R-Truth pinned WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro in a non-title match at 1:34 with the Little Jimmy after avoiding the Neutralizer; during his entrance, Cesaro cut a promo on how fat the crowd were following Thanksgiving
Alberto Del Rio defeated Sin Cara via submission with the cross armbreaker at 9:47; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; the bout was contested under blue and orange lights
World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Kane & Daniel Bryan in a handicap match at 8:01 by pinning Bryan with the chokeslam, moments after Kane left ringside and Show powered out of the No Lock; during the bout, Sheamus was shown sitting in Booker T’s suite, alongside William Regal; after the bout, Kane returned to the ring to tend to Bryan as Show held up the title belt in the direction of Sheamus; Show then attempted to knock out Kane with a punch, with the two grabbing each other by the throat before Bryan kicked Show from behind and Show escaped to the floor; moments later, Show took the mic at the entrance stage and cut a promo on facing Sheamus in a chairs match at TLC
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Damien Sandow with the spin kick to the face at 8:58; Wade Barrett provided guest commentary for the bout; during Sandow’s entrance, a Tout from Cody Rhodes, his shoulder heavily taped, was shown in which Rhodes told Sandow to stay focused on the bigger picture; moments later, a photo of Kane was shown on a dart board behind Rhodes; after the contest, Barrett took the mic at ringside, stood on the commentary table, and told Kingston that when Kingston defended the title against him it would be his last title defense because he would take the belt
Dolph Ziggler pinned Randy Orton at 12:32 with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage after avoiding the RKO; after the contest, Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez came out, with Orton dropping Rodriguez with the RKO as ADR watched on from the apron; moments later, John Cena tackled Ziggler at the entrance stage and applied the STFU as referees tried to pull him off
Saturday Morning Slam – 12/8/12 – featured Josh Matthews & Booker T on commentary; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with John Cena regarding his match later in the show against Heath Slater; featured a pre-taped segment in which Booker T gave lessons on doing the Spinaroonie; included a segment of Saturday Morning Spotlight focusing on Cena; featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with Layla:
Sheamus pinned Titus O’Neil (w/ Darren Young) with White Noise and the boot to the face at 3:32; Young provided guest commentary for the bout
John Cena pinned Heath Slater with the FU at 8:38; Drew McIntyre & Jinder Mahal were in Slater’s corner until they were ejected by the referee at the 4-minute mark
WWE @ Lafayette, LA – Cajun Dome – November 26, 2012
Raw – featured a segment from earlier in the day of Rosa Mendes confronting Hornswoggle backstage, with Alberto Del Rio appearing and telling Mendes not to worry about Hornswoggle; ADR then said he could get revenge on Hornswoggle if Mendes wanted, with the Great Khali appearing and scaring ADR away; included a backstage segment in which WWE World Champion CM Punk & Paul Heyman confronted Vickie Guerrero about her giving Ryback a TLC world title shot at the TLC pay-per-view; Guerrero then said she booked the match because of how Punk escaped with the title at Hell in a Cell and Survivor Series and said Punk would be in a match later in the night against either WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan or WWE Tag Team Champion Kane in a Raw Active match; featured an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era’ on DVD; included a pre-taped sit-down segment in which Michael Cole interviewed Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns about their recent actions, with the three saying they weren’t working for Punk and were there to right wrongs; Ambrose then said they weren’t the nWo, they were there to uphold honor and were a sheild from injustice; Ambrose then said they were a “Sheild,” with Reigns saying they had said enough and the three getting up and walking away; featured a vignette promoting the debut of Fandango; included a look at Vince McMahon, Layla, Mike Mizanin, R-Truth, and others visiting with soldiers in the Persian Gulf; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE beat NFL, New York Times, Pepsi, McDonald’s, MBL, and Ebay in the latest Social Business Power Rankings; included an in-ring promo by John Cena regarding the kiss he received the previous week from AJ, with Vickie interrupting, joining Cena in the ring, and saying the kiss proved they were having an affair; Vickie then gave Cena matching bathrobes for he and AJ, with AJ then coming out and saying – now that she wasn’t GM – she could date whomever she wanted and do whatever she wanted; AJ then said she wasn’t a lovesick puppy and confronted Vickie, leading to Dolph Ziggler coming out to the entrance stage and saying he knew it worried Cena that AJ kissed him but was really thinking about Ziggler; Cena went to confront Ziggler but Vickie stopped him and said Cena would face Ziggler later in the show; featured an ad promoting ‘The Day’ on DVD; included footage of the Washington Redskins presenting a WWE World Title replica belt to their MVP of the Thanksgiving Day game; featured a backstage segment in which Bryan showed Kane a map of the US and world, showing everyone was voting for him in the Twitter poll; moments later, Josh Matthews revealed the results of the poll — 59% for Kane and 41% for Bryan; Matthews then said Bryan would face Rey Mysterio Jr. in the next match; included a backstage segment in which ADR and Rodriguez found Mendes, who thanked ADR for defending her honor earlier in the show; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Ziggler regarding his upcoming bout against Cena; included footage of WWE superstars appearing on The Soup on E! the previous week; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers free tickets to military personnel live events in the US; included a tweet from Michelle Beadle that noted she would be part of the upcoming Tribute to the Troops; featured Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Heyman regarding the upcoming Punk vs. Kane match, during which Heyman noted Punk had surpassed Randy Savage’s reign as world champion; included an ad promoting WWEshop.com:
Ryback pinned Titus O’Neil (w/ Darren Young) with Shellshocked at 3:17, moments after Ryback threw O’Neil into Young, knocking him off the ring apron; after the bout, Ryback took the mic and said he wasn’t leaving until he got his hands on WWE World Champion CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, or Roman Reigns; following the commercial break, security came to the ring to remove Ryback with Ryback tossing one man aside; moments later, Vickie Guerrero appeared at the entrance stage and saying she understood why Ryback was angry but he would not be allowed to hold the show hostage; Ryback then said he wanted to face Punk at TLC in a TLC match, with Vickie agreeing and telling Ryback to leave the ring so she could continue the show; Ryback then scared off the remaining security guards
Alberto Del Rio defeated the Great Khali (w/ Hornswoggle) at around the 6-minute mark via submission with the cross armbreaker; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; during the contest, Rosa Mendes was shown watching on backstage; during the closing moments of the bout, Hornswoggle bit Rodriguez on the floor, with the two then going backstage (the match began during the commercial break)
Tamina pinned Alicia Fox with the splash off the top at 2:06; during Tamina’s entrance, a pretaped insert promo aired in which Tamina said AJ didn’t know her place WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Tensai in a non-title match with a springboard crossbody into the ring at 3:29; Wade Barrett provided guest commentary for the match, prior to which it was announced he would challenge Kingston at TLC; after the contest, Barrett entered the ring with the belt, handed it to Kingston, and left the ring
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan with a 619 around the ringpost and splash off the top at 12:21
John Cena pinned Dolph Ziggler with the FU at 11:47 after avoiding being hit by the Money in the Bank briefcase behind the referee’s back; during the match, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” during the final moments of the match, AJ came out as ziggler attempted to undo the turnbuckle pad, moments after Cena injured his knee and fell to the floor; moments later, Vickie Guerrero came out to confront AJ; after the bout, Cena and AJ kissed in the ring before celebrating the win
Sheamus defeated WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro via count-out in a non-title match at 12:53 after hitting the kick to the face; after the bout, World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show appeared at the entrance stage with a steel chair, with Sheamus taking the mic, saying he would beat Show with the chair at TLC, and take the title; Show responded by destroying the chair with his bare hands
Damien Sandow pinned Zack Ryder with the neckbreaker at 4:51 after crotching Ryder on the top rope; during his entrance, Sandow cut a promo
WWE World Champion CM Punk (w/ Paul Heyman) pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Kane in a non-title match with the Go To Sleep at 10:21; during his entrance, a photo was shown of Punk as the grand marshall in the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade in Chicago; late in the contest, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns appeared ringside; after the match, the three entered the ring and attacked Kane as Punk watched, then left the ring; moments later, WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan ran out to make the save but was beaten down as well; Ryback then appeared, with Punk escaping as he fought off the three men inside the ring; Punk eventually came back out, which led to the Sheild members overpowering Ryback and dropping him with a three-man powerbomb; moments later, they escaped through the crowd as Punk stood on Kane and held up the title belt
WWE @ Bossier City, LA – Century Link Center – November 27, 2012
Main Event – 11/28/12 – featured an opening in-ring introduction by Michael Cole & John Bradshaw Layfield in which they previewed the show; included a video package on John Cena, focusing on his media appearances, promotional work, and charity work; featured a video package on Damien Sandow; included a Tout from Cody Rhodes in which he wished Sandow well in his match against Cena and was looking forward to reuniting their tag team; featured an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era;’ included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE superstars have granted more than 5,000 wishes in the past 25 years with the Make-A-Wish Foundation; featured a backstage segment in which Josh Matthews said Sandow handed him a letter to read, which read Matthews didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as Sandow and there would be no interview, and that Cena was leading an ignorant flock:
John Cena defeated Damien Sandow via submission with the STFU at 19:30; Sandow cut a promo during his entrance in which he claimed Cena was a false idol
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Zack Ryder in a non-title match with the Neutralizer at 8:48 after blocking a dive to the floor with a European uppercut; during his entrance, a video package on Cesaro aired; after the bout, Cesaro took the mic and said Ryder represented everything that was wrong with America and he himself was the greatest champion in WWE history; moments later, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston interrupted and said he would face Cesaro on the following week’s broadcast
Smackdown! – 11/30/12:
John Cena pinned Alberto Del Rio
The Great Khali pinned David Otunga
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Wade Barrett, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil
Damien Sandow pinned Tyson Kidd
Heath Slater & Jinder Mahal defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso
Sheamus defeated Dolph Ziggler via disqualification
Saturday Morning Slam – 1/5/13 – featured an opening video recapping the history between WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane; included Natalya Neidhart conducting a backstage interview with Bryan & Kane regarding their upcoming singles matches; featured Josh Matthews & Booker T on commentary; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with Bryan; featured Neidhart conducting a backstage interview with Damien Sandow in which he said he would compete on Saturday Morning Slam to teach the fans; moments later, Randy Orton interrupted and said he would teach him about the RKO the following week:
WWE Tag Team Champion Kane pinned Jinder Mahal (w/ Heath Slater & Drew McIntyre) at 2:51 with a clothesline off the top, moments after WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan came out to prevent Slater & McIntyre from interfering
WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan (w/ WWE Tag Team Champion Kane) defeated Heath Slater (w/ Jinder Mahal & Drew McIntyre) via submission with the No Lock at 10:52
NXT @ Orlando, FL – Armory – November 28, 2012
Moved to 2/13/13
NXT @ Largo, FL – Minnreg Hall – November 30, 2012
Moved from 11/16/12
WWE (Raw) @ Asheville, NC – ExploreAsheville.com Arena – November 30, 2012
Brodus Clay pinned Michael McGillicutty with the splash
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro defeated R-Truth and Jack Swagger by pinning Swagger after Truth hit Swagger with the Little Jimmy and Cesaro threw Truth to the floor
Zack Ryder defeated Corey Graves
WWE Divas Champion Eve defeated AJ and Kaitlyn by pinning Eve; AJ initially won the match and title but Vickie Guerrero came out and restarted the bout
John Cena pinned Dolph Ziggler with the FU after AJ and Vickie Guerrero appeared ringside
Santino Marella pinned Tensai with the Cobra
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Primo Colon & Epico
Ryback defeated WWE World Champion CM Punk via disqualification when Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns attacked the challenger as Ryback had Punk set up for Shellshocked; after the bout, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane ran out to make the save, with Ryback hitting Shellshocked on Punk; Ryback then took the mic and said he would face the Rock at the Royal Rumble after beating Punk at TLC
WWE (Raw) @ Roanoke, VA – Civic Center – December 1, 2012
Matt Striker was the ring announcer for the show
Zack Ryder defeated Corey Graves; after the bout, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns attacked Ryder and dropped him with the triple team powerbomb
AJ & Kaitlyn defeated WWE Divas Champion Eve & Rosa Mendes when Kaitlyn pinned Rosa after Eve walked out of the match
Ryback pinned Jack Swagger with Shell Shocked; prior to the bout, Swagger took the mic and challenged anyone backstage to face him
Santino Marella pinned Tensai with the Cobra
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned R-Truth with the Neutralizer after the challenger hit an exposed turnbuckle
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Primo Colon & Epico when Bryan put one man in the No Lock as Kane pinned the other with the chokeslam
John Cena pinned Dolph Ziggler with the FU; Vickie Guerrero was in Ziggler’s corner until she was ejected from ringside
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena – December 1, 2012
Mike Mizanin pinned Damien Sandow with the Skull Crushing Finale
Fandango pinned Ted Dibiase Jr.
Layla & Paige defeated Natalya Neidhart & Aksana when Layla pinned Natalya with a kick to the head
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Wade Barret with the spin kick to the head
Randy Orton pinned Alberto Del Rio with the RKO
The Great Khali (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned David Otunga with the chop to the head
Rey Mysterio Jr., Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal, & Drew McIntyre after Mysterio hit the 619
Sheamus defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show via disqualification when Show pulled the referee in front of him to block the kick to the face; after the match, Sheamus took a steel chair from Show, hit him with it, and then cleared him from the ring after landing the boot to the face
WWE @ Anderson, SC – Civic Center – December 2, 2012 (matinee)
WWE @ Florence, SC – Civic Center – December 2, 2012
WWE @ Greensboro, NC – Coliseum – December 3, 2012
Raw – featured a backstage segment in which John Cena spoke with Sheamus about their tag team match later in the night; included an ad promoting the newest version of the WWE app; featured an in-ring promo by Paul Heyman & WWE World Champion CM Punk in which Heyman complained that Punk wasn’t featured enough in the new WWE Encyclopedia and would surpass John Cena the following night as the longest reigning champion of the modern era; Heyman then said Punk should be front and center on WWE’s Mt. Rushmore, with Punk saying he was the best in the world and should be listed above Hulk Hogan, Rock, Steve Austin, and the Undertaker; Punk said his reign had lasted longer than some of the fans had kept jobs or stayed married and that he had nothing to do with Brad Maddox or the Sheild, but he was the hottest thing in WWE; Punk then told the fans to leave if they didn’t agree and were in denial, with Mike Mizanin interrupting and saying Punk was a lair and challenged Punk to come on Miz TV and take a lie detector test to prove himself; Miz went on to call Heyman a walrus and told Punk that without doing the test his title reign would have an asterisk beside it; Punk went on to accept and said he would prove himself and Miz and the fans would have to learn to admit he was the best in the world; included an ad promoting WWEShop.com; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read nWo: The Revolution is the #1 sports DVD in America; included an ad promoting WWE content on YouTube; featured an ad promoting Tribute to the Troops with Miss Puggy and Flo Rida; included an ad promoting the Rolling Stone’s pay-per-view on Dec. 15; featured a backstage segment in which Dolph Ziggler told Vickie Guerrero to give him a rematch against John Cena at TLC and he would steal the show; moments later, Vickie walked into her office to find Maddox, with his own cameraman; following the commercial break, Vickie questioned Maddox as to why he thought he was worthy of a WWE contract, then offering him one should he win his match later in the night; included an ad promoting WWE touts; featured a backstage segment in which Vince McMahon told a stagehand he wanted to see Vickie in the ring; included an ad promoting The Attitude Era on DVD; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown was the #2 longest running episodic show on TV, with Raw being #1; included an in-ring segment in which Vickie introduced McMahon, who pushed on Vickie the idea of Ziggler facing Cena in a ladder match at TLC with Ziggler’s Money in the Bank title shot on the line; McMahon then suggested to Vickie that Punk should be punished should it be revealed he was working with the Shield, with Vickie saying Heyman would face Ryback the following week if that were the case; featured an ad promoting Kid Rock appearing as part of Tribute to the Troops; included a backstage segment in which Vickie yelled at referee Charles Robinson for the Sheild attacking Randy Orton, with Ziggler interrupting and blaming Vickie for putting him in a ladder match against Cena for his Money in the Bank title shot; Ziggler then said Vickie was becoming just like AJ in her role as GM; moments later, Heyman appeared and glared at Vickie before she said he better hope that Punk would tell the truth later in the show; after Heyman left, Cena walked in and thanked Vickie for making the match with he and Ziggler; featured an ad promoting ‘The Day’ on DVD; included the announcement Randy Orton would face Wade Barrett on Smackdown; featured a closing in-ring segment of Miz TV in which Miz introduced a representative of the local sheriff’s department and then brought out Punk and Heyman; after Miz and Punk had words, Miz began asking Punk questions as a graphic on the big screen charted whether Punk was answering truthfully; after establishing a baseline, Miz questioned whether Punk was working with Maddox and the Sheild, with the Sheild then jumping Miz at ringside, destroying the set, and attacking him in the ring; Miz then sustained the triple team powerbomb before WWE Tag Team Champions Kane & Daniel Bryan ran out; after they too were beaten down, Ryback ran out and attacked Ambrose in the corwd as Bryan & Kane gained the upper hand at ringside; moments later, Punk was left in the ring with Miz, still beaten down; Punk then kicked Miz out of the ring and posed before Ryback returned to the ring and dropped him with Shellshocked; Ryback then assaulted Punk with a ladder and steel chair before dropping him with a powerbomb through a table set up in the ring to end the show:
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil in a non-title match at 11:26 when Bryan pinned Young with a roll over; prior to the bout, Kane took the mic and challenged Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns — shown in the crowd — to come to the ring and fight them; during the contest, the members of Sheild were shown coming down from different sides of the arena; after the match, they jumped the barricade and assaulted the champions as the crowd chanted “Feed me more;” eventually, Bryan sustained a triple-team powerbomb; moments later, they escaped back into the crowd
AJ pinned Tamina with a roll up at 3:20
John Cena & Sheamus defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show & Dolph Ziggler at 11:56 when Cena pinned Ziggler with the FU after Sheamus dropped Show with the White Noise
Damien Sandow pinned Santino Marella with the neckbreaker at around the 6-minute mark after avoiding a headbutt off the top; prior to the bout, Sandow said he was looking for an apprentice and looked to the crowd to find someone; moments later, he pulled a man from the crowd and asked him several questions until the man got one wrong, then calling him stupid and telling him to leave the country; moments later, Marella came out and tried to quiz Sandow, before Sandow knocked him down; following the bout, the announce team told fans to send Touts to Sandow in an attempt to stump him (the match began during the commercial break)
Alberto Del Rio defeated Sin Cara via submission with the cross armbreaker at 12:40; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout Randy Orton pinned Brad Maddox with the RKO at 1:17; stipulations stated Maddox would earn a WWE contract if he won; immediately after the contest, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns ran out and triple teamed Orton and dropped him with the triple team powerbomb
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro defeated WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, Wade Barrett, and R-Truth at 12:26 by pinning Kingston with the Neutralizer, moments after Kingston hit the spin kick to the face to Barrett; only the US title was at stake; following the ring entrances, Teddy Long appeared and said the initially scheduled tag team match between Kingston & Truth and Cesaro & Barrett would now be a title match for either the IC or US title, then told fans to tweet their vote; following the commercial break, it was revealed the US title won at 83% to the IC title’s 17%
WWE @ North Charleston, SC – Coliseum – December 4, 2012
Main Event – 12/5/12 – featured Michael Cole & Mike Mizanin on commentary, with an opening announcement that WWE World Champion CM Punk underwent emergency knee surgery earlier in the week; included Josh Matthews conducting a backstage WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston regarding what prompted him to challenge WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro the previous week; featured footage from Cesaro defeating Kingston, Wade Barrett, and R-Truth earlier in the week on Raw; included a video package on Cesaro; included an ad promoting ‘The Day’ on DVD; featured an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era’ on DVD; included an ad promoting the Rolling Stones pay-per-view on Dec. 15; featured an ad promoting Kid Rock appearing at Tribute to the Troops 2012; included a “Did you know?” graphic that read nWo: The Revolution is the #1 sports DVD in America; featured the announcement of a written statement from Vince McMahon in which he addressed the injury to WWE World Champion CM Punk and said Ryback, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane would face Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns in the TLC main event, with pinfalls and submissions legal; additionally, Ryback would still get a future title shot against Punk; included the announcement Ryback would face Alberto Del Rio the following week:
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston fought WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro to a no contest at 11:35 when Wade Barrett and R-Truth, who provided guest commentary for the bout, interfered; during Cesaro’s entrance, it was announced he would defend the title against R-Truth at TLC; following his entrance, Cesaro cut an in-ring promo about successfully defending the title earlier in the week on Raw; after the bout, Truth took the mic and challenged Cesaro & Barrett to face he and Kingston
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston & R-Truth defeated WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro & Wade Barrett in an impromptu match at 19:54 when Truth pinned Cesaro with a sunset flip and assisted spin kick to the face from Kingston; after the bout, Matt Striker conducted an in-ring interview with Kingston & Truth about their respective singles bouts against Cearo and Barrett at TLC
Smackdown! – 12/7/12 – featured the announcement of a written statement from Vince McMahon in which he addressed the injury to WWE World Champion CM Punk and said Ryback, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane would face Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns in the TLC main event, with pinfalls and submissions legal; additionally, Ryback would still get a future title shot against Punk; included an in-ring segment in which Booker T showed footage from recent physical altercations between Sheamus and World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show and said the two could not have contact with each other until the TLC pay-per-view or they would be supsended; Booker then introduced Show and Sheamus to sign their no contact contract, then reminding both that if they got into a fight then and there they would face the consequences; Sheamus then signed the contract and the two had words about the upcoming chairs match, noting they could end the other’s career; Show eventually tipped the table over onto Show, with Booker having to hold him back and saying he could take out his frustrations on Alberto Del Rio later in the night; Booker then said Show would face WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan in the opening bout; featured an ad promoting E!’s pre-show coverage of the following Saturday’s Rolling Stones’ pay-per-view concert; included a Tribute to the Troops ad featuring Miss Piggy and Flo-Rida; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE beat the NFL, New York Times, Pepsi, McDonald’s, MLB, and Ebay in the latest Social Business Power Rankings; included an in-ring segment in which Damien Sandow said he was searching for an apprentice and found a fan in the crowd to come into the ring; moments later, Sandow quizzed him before he got a wrong answer, with Sandow sending him out of the ring and calling him a loser; Mike Mizanin then appeared and made fun of Sandow’s appearance before then leaving the ring; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Wade Barrett regarding his match with Randy Orton later in the night, during which Barrett noted he sent Orton out of the WWE for months the previous year after knocking him down a flight of stairs; included an ad promoting the Rolling Stones pay-per-view Dec. 15; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s show was seen by more viewers than all shows on ESPN, including college football, college basketball, and the NBA; included a video sent from Seth Rollings, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns in which they cut a promo on Ryback, Randy Orton, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane, and the Miz, adding they were there to sheild the WWE from injustice and they worked for no one but themselves; featured an in-ring promo by WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro in which he insulted the American crowd, saying they looked like the ‘American Dream’ before showing a photo of Dusty Rhodes on the big screen; moments later, R-Truth interrupted from the entrance stage, praised the American people for working hard in the face of difficulties; the two continued to have words, with Truth entering the ring and tackling Cesaro, with Cesaro eventually rolling out to the floor and leaving the belt behind; included an ad promoting Kid Rock’s appearance at Tribute to the Troops:
World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show pinned WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan in a non-title match at 10:50 with a chokeslam as Bryan was on the top rope, moments after Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns appeared in the crowd; after the bout, the three surrounded Bryan in the ring and triple teamed him until WWE Tag Team Champion Kane came out; Kane was then beaten down as well and put through the announce table with a triple team powerbomb
Drew McIntyre, Heath Slater, & Jinder Mahal defeated Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi), Jimmy & Jey Uso at 2:34 when McIntyre pinned Jimmy with the Future Shock after crotching him on the top rope
Randy Orton pinned Wade Barrett with the RKO at 10:47, moments after WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, who provided guest commentary for the match, prevented Barrett from exposing a turnbuckle behind the referee’s back
The Great Khali & Hornswoggle (w/ Natalya Neidhart) defeated Epico & Primo Colon (w/ Rosa Mendes) at 2:54 when Hornswoggle pinned Epico with the frog splash after Khali hit the chop to the head
Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio via submission with the Texas Cloverleaf at around the 12-minute mark; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show appeared at the entrance stage at the 4-minute mark; after the match, Show confronted Sheamus in the ring and dared Sheamus to hit him, with Sheamus then grabbing Rodriguez and throwing him head-first into Show’s groin
Saturday Morning Slam – 1/12/13 – featured Josh Matthews & Booker T on commentary; included a “Be a Star” PSA with Kofi Kingston in which he talked about his own experiences with bullying; featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with Kaitlyn; included a “Saturday Morning Spotlight” on Sheamus, followed by the announcement he would be in action the following week:
Randy Orton pinned Damien Sandow with the RKO at 17:31; Sandow cut a promo on his way to the ring
NXT @ Winter Park, FL – Full Sail University – December 6, 2012
TV taping:
Conor O’Brian pinned Oliver Gray with a legdrop
Wade Barrett pinned Alex Riley with the Bull Hammer
1/2/13 – featured Tony Dawson & William Regal on commentary; included an ad promoting ‘The Top 100 Moments in Raw History;’ featured an ad promoting WWE ’13; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA:
Garrett Dylan fought Denton Blackwell to a no contest when NXT Champion Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns attacked both men in the ring as the show opened; moments later, Dusty Rhodes appeared at the entrance stage, with Ambrose telling him that was just a small taste of what the Shield is capable of; Rollins then said they had taken over Raw and Smackdown, and now NXT and there was nothing anyone could do about it; Rhodes then said Rollins would defend the title later in the show against Corey Graves or be stripped of it; Rollins said Graves was a wrong they could right
Bo Dallas pinned Epico (w/ Primo Colon) with the spear at 5:06; following Primo & Epico’s entrance, the crowd chanted “We want Rosa;” after the bout, Michael McGillicutty ran out to make the save and clear Primo & Epico from the ring
Tamina pinned Sasha Banks with the splash off the top at 2:49
Kassius Ohno & Leo Kruger defeated Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel at around the 11-minute mark when Kruger pinned Gabriel with the Kruger End
Corey Graves defeated NXT Champion Seth Rollins via disqualification at 4:41 when Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns attacked the challenger as Rollins was in the 13th Step; after the match, Graves was triple teamed before Dusty Rhodes sent several wrestlers into the ring – incluiding Trent Barreta, Yoshi Tatsu, Percy Watson, Tyson Kidd – to fight them off; the Shield eventually cleared the ring and hit the triple powerbomb on Bo Dallas; moments later, Big E Langston walked out to the entrance stage beside Rhodes, then into the ring as the Shield slid to the floor; Rhodes then took the mic and said the title would be on the line the following week against Langston, with Rollins yelling that Rhodes couldn’t do that
1/9/13 – featured Tom Phillips & William Regal on commentary; included an ad promoting WWE ’13; featured a backstage promo by Adrian Neville in which he discussed making his debut the following week; included an ad promoting ‘The Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2012;’ Byron Saxton was the ring announcer for the show; featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA:
Luke Harper & Erick Rowan (w/ Bray Wyatt) defeated Yoshi Tatsu & Percy Watson at 4:14 when Harper pinned Tatsu with a discuss clothesline after a splash in the corner; Wyatt sat in a rocking chair at the entrance for the duration of the bout
Paige pinned Emma with the Paige Turner at 2:40
Primo Colon & Epico defeated Bo Dallas & Michael McGillicutty at around the 12-minute mark when Primo pinned McGillicutty with the Backstabber; early in the bout, there were chants of “We want Rosa”
Big E Langston pinned NXT Champion Seth Rollins to win the title in a No DQ match at around the 10-minute mark by reversing the Skywalker into the Big Ending, moments after Langston sustained the Skywalker and kicked out at 2; Jim Ross & William Regal provided commentary for the match; early in the match, Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns came out and attacked Langston, then remaining at ringside until Tyson Kidd, Justin Gabriel, Trent Barreta, and many others ran out, fought with them, and chased them backstage; after the bout, the NXT wrestlers returned to the ring to celebrate with Langston
1/16/13 – Byron Saxton was the ring announcer for the show; featured Tony Dawson & William Regal on commentary; included an ad promoting ‘The Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2012;’ featured an ad promoting WWE ’13; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA:
Adrian Neville pinned Sakamoto at 3:47 with a corkscrew Shooting Star Press (Neville’s debut)
Trent Barreta defeated Leo Kruger via reverse decision; Kassius Ohno provided guest commentary for the bout; Kruger initially won the match around the 11-minute mark after Ohno hit Barreta from behind on the floor and Kruger followed with the Kruger End; moments later, William Regal left the broadcast table to tend to Barreta as a second referee came out, told the initial referee what happened, and the decision was reversed
NXT Champion Big E Langston pinned Camacho in an impromptu match with the Big Ending at 1:17; prior to the bout, Langston cut an in-ring promo about his title win, with Camacho then interrupting and saying their situation was first about money but now he wanted the title; after the bout, the crowd chanted “One more time,” before Langston twice the move again and counted Camacho down for a 5 count each time
Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel defeated Damien Sandow & WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro at around the 11-minute mark when Kidd pinned Sandow with a springboard elbow drop after a springboard moonsault from Gabriel; during his entrance, Sandow said he didn’t need to hear cheers from the crowd, told them to be quiet, and said those who seek the admiration of idiots is an idiot
NXT @ Kissimmee, FL – Osceola Heritage Park – December 7, 2012
Moved to 1/9/13
WWE @ Norfolk, VA – Scope – December 9, 2012
Tribute to the Troops – 12/19/12:
WWE @ Newark, NJ – Prudential Center – December 10, 2012
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by Dolph Ziggler, on top of a ladder in the ring and with his Money in the Bank briefcase above him, in which he discussed his upcoming ladder match against John Cena on Sunday at TLC; Ziggler then said he would go on to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase against World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show and win the title; moments later, Sheamus walked out and said he would be the one to take the title off Show and it would be Sheamus vs. Cena for the title; Show then interrupted and said he would beat Sheamus at TLC in their chairs match; Sheamus responded by saying he couldn’t yet touch Show but he could put his hands on others, then knocked Ziggler off the ladder to the floor; included an ad promoting the Saturday Rolling Stones pay-per-view; featured an ad promoting the WWE app; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE has the top 10 selling sports DVDs in America, with ‘The Attitude Era’ at #1; featured a backstage segment in which AJ spoke with Aksana and then Kaitlyn about her match later in the night against Vickie Guerrero; moments later, AJ walked into the locker room to hug John Cena, with Cena quickly walking her out; included an ad promoting the following week’s Slammy Awards; featured a segment in which WWE World Champion CM Punk, alongside Paul Heyman, came out to the entrance stage and took the mic to discuss his knee injury and holding the title 388 days; Heyman then took the mic and said Punk doesn’t have a stunt double like the Rock and he wasn’t complaining about his injury, then adding Rock only shows up when he has a title opportunity; Heyman then said Cena would defend against the Rock and remained the best in the world; Punk then addressed those who thought he should be stripped of the title and listed the names of those who he beat to keep the belt, and said Ryback had two shots at the belt and failed; Punk followed by saying Rock would get one shot and he would fail too and that he himself would be on hand at TLC to watch the Sheild do to Ryback what Ryback did to him the previous week; included an ad promoting Tribute to the Troops 2012; featured tweets from Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, the social media ambassadors for the night; included an ad promoting WWEShop.com; featured a backstage segment with Vickie, Hornswoggle, and the Great Khali in which Hornswoggle and Khali stretched Vickie for her match, with Vince walking in during an awkward scene; featured the Ambrose, Rollins, & Reigns video from Smackdown; included an ad promoting the following week’s Slammys, live commercial free Smackdown, Wednesday airing of Tribute to the Troops, Show on Burn Notice, and Punk hosing ‘The Game Plan;’ featured an ad promoting the E! live pre-coverage of Saturday’s Rolling Stones concert pay-per-view; included an ad promoting ‘The Day’ and ‘Barricade’ on DVD; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Game Informer named WWE ’13 one of the top games of the year, alongside Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Halo 4, Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effect 3, and FIFA ’13; included a segment of Miz TV at the entrance stage in which Mike Mizanin introduced Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes as his guests; moments later, the two made fun of Miz before saying they were the future WWE Tag Team Champions; after they went backstage, Miz referred to them as “The Pink & the Stink;” featured a backstage segment in which AJ asked to be by Cena’s side for his match, with Cena asking her to stay backstage because he didn’t want her getting hurt; included the announcement a Divas battle royal would be part of the TLC countdown show, with the winner becoming the #1 contender for the WWE Divas Title:
R-Truth pinned Wade Barrett at 1:52 with a modified victory roll; WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston and WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro provided guest commentary for the match; prior to the bout, Vince McMahon appeared at the entrance stage and hyped the John Cena vs. World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show main event, then brought out Vickie Guerrero and had her set up a Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler match as well for later in the night; McMahon then said he wanted a third big match, with Vickie volunteering AJ to be in it and McMahon picking Vickie as the opponent; after the bout, Truth confronted Cesaro on the floor before Kingston hit a crossbody off the top onto Barrett in the ring
Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow defeated Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes), Darren Young & Titus O’Neil, Jimmy & Jey Uso in an elimination match at 10:55; an Uso pinned Primo with the splash off the top at 3:02; an Uso pinned Young with a splash off the top during the commercial break; Rhodes pinned an Uso with Crossroads after lifting his knees to block a splash off the top; stipulations stated the winning team would face Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara in a tables match at TLC, with the winners being the #1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Titles; during the match, there was a brief chant of “Cody’s mustache” (Rhodes return match after a month absence; his debut with a mustache) WWE Divas Champion Eve pinned Alicia Fox in a non-title match with the neckbreaker at 2:31; after the match, Eve brought the ringside photographer into the ring so she could pose beside Fox, still down on the mat
Sheamus defeated Dolph Ziggler via disqualification at 15:14 when Ziggler hit Sheamus with a steel chair outside the ring; Ziggler’s left thigh was heavily bruised for the bout; during the match, there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Ziggler” and “Ziggler sucks;” after the bout, Ziggler again hit Sheamus with the weapon before Sheamus kicked him in the face and cleared him from the ring
Alberto Del Rio defeated Zack Ryder via submission with the cross armbreaker at 6:28 after avoiding the Broski Boot; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match
Vickie Guerrero pinned AJ with a roll up at 2:13, moments after referee Brad Maddox refused to make the count as AJ had Vickie covered; after the bout, Vickie and Maddox went backstage before AJ threw a fit, tossed chairs at ringside, tipped over a ladder, and hit ring announcer Justin Roberts; after the commercial break, AJ continued throwing things backstage before John Cena appeared and consoled her
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston in a non-title match at 13:51 with the Neutralizer; during his entrance, Cesaro cut a promo and said America was rotting and it was obvious in New Jersey
John Cena defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show via disqualification in a non-title match at 13:51 when Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns ran into the ring, after Cena hit Show with the FU, and triple teamed Cena; prior to the bout, it was announced Cena would be on ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’ on Thursday; Dolph Ziggler provided guest commentary for the match; after the contest, Cena was triple teamed before WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane ran out to make the save; moments later, Ziggler and Show joined the fight, with Sheamus running out to chase Ziggler before Cena put Show through a table set up in the corner; Ryback then appeared and threw a ladder into the ring, hitting all three members of the Shield; Ryback, Cena, Bryan, and Kane then gained the upperhand as the show ended
WWE @ Bridgeport, CT – Webster Bank Arena – December 11, 2012
Main Event – 12/12/12 – 6:30pm start time due to the 12/12/12 benefit concert from Madison Square Garden; featured an opening in-ring introduction by Michael Cole & Mike Mizanin in which they previewed the Ryback vs. Alberto Del Rio match; included a vignette on Ryback and his recent altercations with Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE ’13 was named by Game Informer as one of the top games of the year, alongside Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Halo 4, Assassins’s Creed, Mass Effect 3, and FIFA ’13; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Ryback regarding his upcoming TLC match with WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane against Rollins, Ambrose, & Reigns; featured a video package hyping the John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler ladder match at TLC; included an ad promoting ‘The Top 100 Moments in Raw History;’ featured an ad promoting Saturday’s Rolling Stones pay-per-view; included a closing announcement that WWE Tag Team Champion Kane would face Cody Rhodes the following week:
Ryback pinned Alberto Del Rio with Shellshocked at 15:48; prior to the bout, Ricardo Rodriguez interrupted the show’s in-ring introduction and said he had a 17-minute video package highlighting the career of ADR; after several minutes aired, Ryback came out for the match, stopping the video; moments later, ADR appeared and said he would make Ryback pay
Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, & Jinder Mahal defeated Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel in an impromptu handicap match at 12:24 when Slater pinned Kidd with the DDT, moments after McIntyre punched Kidd from the floor behind the referee’s back; following their entrance, 3MB took the mic and complained about being left off the 12/12/12 concert at Madison Square Garden; McIntyre then took the mic and talked about the WWE’s Rolling Stones concert that Saturday and complained about not being asked to perform, with Mahal adding that Lady Gaga and Bruce Springsteen had been added to the pay-per-view; the three then prepared to give a preview of their first single until Kidd & Gabriel interrupted and challenged 3MB to a match; McIntyre said they would have to face all 3 of them in a handicap match, with Kidd accepting
Smackdown! – 12/14/12 – the entrance and aisle were decorated with tables, ladders, and chairs; featured an ad promoting the following week’s WWE Week on the USA Network; included an ad promoting WWEshop.com; featured a backstage segment in which David Otunga looked over the no contact clause with World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show and said they could get Sheamus out of his title shot at TLC; included a Tribute to the Troops ad with Flo-rida and Miss Piggy; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s episode was the most watched regularly scheduled program on SyFy for the 115th week in a row; included an in-ring segment in which Show and Otunga said they would go to the WWE Board of Directors about Booker not calling off Show’s title match with Sheamus and that Otunga would also seek to remove Booker from his job; moments later, Booker interrupted, said the title match was still on, and Otunga’s law degree wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on; Otunga then made a joke about Booker having been to prison, with Sheamus coming out with a steel chair and telling Show there was nothing stopping him from attacking him with the chair then and there if the match was called off; Show then agreed that the contract was still valid and left the ring; Sheamus then dropped Otunga with the boot to the face; featured an ad promoting Saturday’s Rolling Stones pay-per-view; included a backstage segment in which Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns were shown assaulting Randy Orton; featured a backstage segment in which Matt Striker said Orton sustained a separated shoulder and possibly a concussion; included the announcement a divas battle royal would air during the live TLC pre-show, with the winner being the #1 contender to the WWE Divas Title; featured an in-ring segment of MizTV in which Miz discussed the Shield before introducing WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane to talk about their TLC match on Sunday; moments later, the Shield interrupted on the big screen and said they would deal with Team Hell No on Sunday; when Kane questioned why wait until Sunday, Reigns agreed and the backstage video ended; the three then appeared high up in the crowd and began making their way down until Ryback appeared and joined Bryan & Kane in the ring; included an ad promoting the E! live pre-show coverage of the Rolling Stones concert the next day; featured an ad promoting the following day’s Saturday Morning Slam, with Ryback in action and a look at the history of Tribute to the Troops; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE has the 10 top selling sports DVDs in America, including ‘The Attitude Era’ at #1; featured a backstage segment in which William Regal spoke with Sheamus about his upcoming match with Show and facing WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro in the night’s main event; included an ad promoting ‘Barricade’ and ‘The Day’ on DVD:
World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show pinned R-Truth in a non-title match at 4:44 with the punch after throwing Truth across the ring; Sheamus and WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro provided guest commentary for the bout; during the match, Cesaro confronted Truth on the floor until Sheamus shoved Cesaro back in his chair; after the contest, Show confronted Sheamus on the floor until Cesaro jumped Sheamus from behind, knocking Sheamus into Show, then ran off; Show then complained that Sheamus violated their no contact clause and bragged Sheamus’s title shot had been canceled; following the commercial break, Show went to Booker T backstage and said Sheamus’s title shot was called off, with Booker saying the match was on and questioned whether Show was scared of Sheamus
Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso at around the 6-minute mark when Sandow scored the pin with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage, moments after the other Uso and Rhdoes fell to the floor; prior to the bout, Sandow cut an in-ring promo about searching for an apprentice only to find disappointment, then brought out his “best friend” Rhodes; Rhodes then took the mic, as the crowd chanted “Cody’s mustache,” and threatened anyone, like Mike Mizanin, who threatened to drive a wedge between he and Sandow; moments later, the entrance of the Usos interrupted Rhodes’ promo (the match began during the commercial break)
Kaitlyn pinned Aksana at 4:18 with a fireman’s carry into a gutbuster
Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd, the Great Khali (w/ Natalya Neidhart) & Hornswoggle defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil, Primo Colon & Epico (w/ Rosa Mendes) at 3:17 when Kidd pinned Primo by reversing a blocked sunset flip attempt; after the match, Kidd & Gabriel dropkicked Hornswoggle into O’Neil on the floor before diving onto Primo & Epico outside the ring
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Alberto Del Rio in a non-title match at 12:40 by reversing a suplex attempt into a roll up; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; after the bout, Wade Barrett ran out and tried to attack Kingston on the floor but Kingston hit him with the spin kick to the face
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro defeated Sheamus via count-out in a non-title match at 7:22 after World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show dragged William Regal out to the entrance stage, with Regal pleading with Sheamus not to break the no contact clause and cost himself a title shot at TLC; moments later, Show hit Regal in the back with a steel chair, with Regal falling into Sheamus’s arms
NXT @ Brooksville, FL – Armory – December 14, 2012
WWE (Raw & Smackdown!) @ Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mohegan Sun Arena – December 15, 2012
Naomi won a 9-diva battle royal at 3:21; other participants included: Layla, Kaitlyn, Alicia Fox, Natalya Neidhart, Tamina, Aksana, Rosa Mendes, and Cameron; stipulations stated the winner would challenge for the WWE Divas Title during the pay-per-view
Pay-per-view bouts – featured an opening in-ring segment in which Lilian Garcia said the bell would be tolled 26 times for the families affected in Newtown, CT; included Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, & John Bradshaw Layfield on commentary; featured a backstage promo by Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns about their upcoming TLC match against Ryback, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane; included an ad promoting Tribute to the Troops 2012, followed by touts from soldiers in which they wished their families back home a happy holiday; featured Josh Matthews conducting a backstage interview with Dolph Ziggler regarding his ladder match later in the show against John Cena, with Ziggler’s Money in the Bank briefcase on the line; included an in-ring segment of Miz TV in which Mike Mizanin introduced Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal, & Drew McIntyre as his guests, who said they were better than the Rolling Stones and Brooklyn’s own Jay Z; moments later, Slater said 3MB would perform the next night as part of the Slammy Awards before Mahal made fun of the Spanish commentary team for not being able to speak English; 3MB then surrounded the Spanish broadcast team and bullied them before Ricardo Rodriguez ran out to try to calm them down; the three held Ricardo and bullied him as well before Alberto Del Rio ran out and attacked all three members; Miz was pushed out of the way in the ring, prompting him to come to ADR’s aid in clearing 3MB from the ring; Slater took the mic and challenged Miz & ADR to find a partner to face them later in the show; as Miz responded, the crowd chanted “We want Ryder, woo woo woo,” before Miz said they would find a partner to beat them; featured a backstage segment with Bryan & Kane in which they discussed their upcoming TLC match against the Shield; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Wade Barrett regarding his upcoming match against WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston; featured an ad promoting the WWE app; included a segment in which WWE World Champion CM Punk was introduced, with Punk and Paul Heyman appearing in one of the box seats, saying his injury was no one’s business but his own, and Ryback ensured Punk would be injured so that Punk wouldn’t embarass him in a TLC match; Punk then said he was a fan of the Shield, but not affiliated with them, and would enjoy watching them beat up Ryback; featured Striker conducting a backstage interview with World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show regarding his upcoming chairs match against Sheamus; included a “Don’t try this at home” PSA; featured a backstage segment with Cena and AJ in which AJ apologized and thanked Cena for his help on Raw, with Cena telling her to thank him after he takes Ziggler’s MITB contract at the end of the night; AJ then said she couldn’t wait and skipped away; included a video package :
Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. & Sin Cara in a tables match at 9:28 when Rhodes shoved Sin Cara off the ropes and through a table set up at ringside as Sin Cara attempted a springboard into the ring; stipulations stated the winners would become the #1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Titles; during their entrance, Sandow & Rhodes cut a promo in which they said Brooklyn hipsters were literally “the unwashed masses;” during the match, there were chants of “Cody’s mustache;” after the contest, Mysterio and officials tended to Sin Cara on the floor
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned R Truth with the Neutralizer at 6:39; during the bout, it was noted Cesaro was wrestling with torn tendons in his right hand, which was heavily taped; after the match, Matt Striker conducted an in-ring interview with Cesaro about the crowd’s boos, with Cesaro taking the mic and saying he was an international super power, the greatest US champion ever, and the fans were booing their own country by booing him
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Wade Barrett with the spin kick to the head at 8:12; during the match, there were dueling chants for both men
Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns defeated Ryback, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane in a TLC match at 22:43 when Reigns pinned Bryan with a powerbomb off the top through a table set up inside the ring; late in the bout, Ryback pulled Rollins off a ladder at the entranceway and through a table set up on the concrete floor; after the contest, Ambrose and Reigns helped Rollins backstage (Rollins, Ambrose, & Regins’ TV in-ring debut) (Destruction of the Shield)
WWE Divas Champion Eve pinned Naomi with the neckbreaker at 3:07; during the match, Brodus Clay and Cameron were shown watching on backstage; after the bout, Eve posed beside Naomi’s body for a photographer
World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show pinned Sheamus in a chairs match at 14:16 after pulling a giant-sized steel chair out from under the ring and hitting Sheamus over the back with it; during the final moments of the match, Sheamus sustained Show’s punch to the face but kicked out at 2
Mike Mizanin, Alberto Del Rio, & the Brooklyn Brawler (mystery partner) defeated Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, & Jinder Mahal at 3:24 when Mahal submitted to a Boston Crab from Brawler after Mahal sustained the Skull Crushing Finale; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the match; following Miz’s entrance, he took the mic and introduced their hand-picked partner from Brooklyn; during the match, there were chants for the Brawler
Dolph Ziggler defeated John Cena in a ladder match at 23:15, moments after AJ shoved Cena off the top of the ladder and Cena sustained a superkick from Ziggler; Ziggler’s Money in the Bank briefcase was at stake in the match; prior to the bout, it was noted Cena would be on NBC’s Today the following morning; there were chants for Ziggler and dueling chants for Cena during the contest, including “You can’t wrestle” / “Yes, he can;” late in the match, Vickie Guerrero came out and attempted to hit Cena with a steel chair, with AJ soon following, attacking Vickie and using the 5 Knuckle Shuffle on her; after AJ shoved Cena off the ladder, she stared at him, then smiled at Ziggler, and skipped her way backstage; Cena sustained a cut hear his right eye during the contest
WWE @ Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center – December 17, 2012
Raw – 2012 Slammy Awards – featured Booker T announcing the nominees for the “Tell Me I Did Not Just See That” award — Brad Maddox hitting a low blow on Ryback, Sheamus beating Daniel Bryan in 18 seconds, Kofi Kingston doing a handstand at the Royal Rumble, and CM Punk attacking the Rock; after Booker announced the nominees, the Boogeyman appeared at the entrance stage and scared Booker; following the commercial break, Booker announced WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston as the winner, despite Brad Maddox coming out and standing beside Booker, expecting he would be the winner; moments later, Kingston came out to accept; included Billy Gunn & the Road Dogg announcing the nominees for “Comeback of the Year” — Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, DX, and Jerry Lawler; following the commercial break, Lawler was announced the winner; featured Vickie Guerrero announcing the nominees for “Kiss of the Year” – AJ and Daniel Bryan, AJ and Kane, AJ and Punk, AJ and John Cena; following the commercial break, Vickie announced AJ & Cena as the winners; moments later, AJ came out to accept, with Vickie questioning what she did to Cena the previous night; AJ said she spent the past year worried about what people thought about her, with Vickie interrupting her and calling her a piece of trash; as the two got in each other’s face, Dolph Ziggler came out and broke it up; AJ then said she may have won Kiss of the Year but it wouldn’t compare to “this,” then jumped in Ziggler’s arms, put her legs around him, and kissed him for several moments; included Ric Flair, off camera, introducing the nominees for “Superstar of the Year” — Sheamus, Cena, Big Show, and Punk; following the commercial break, Flair appeared at the entrance stage and announced Cena as the winner; Cena came out to a mixed reaction and gave the award to Flair, adding it was great to see him back where he belonged; moments later, Punk, alongside Paul Heyman, came out on crutches and said neither Flair or Cena were deserving of the belt, and went on to detail Cena’s losses throughout the year; Punk then made fun of Flair’s “baggage,” with Flair then bringing up his four ex-wives and then challenging Punk to a fight in the ring; following the commercial break, Punk joined Flair in the ring and assaulted him with one of his crutches before mocking the Flair strut; moments later, Flair hit a low blow on Punk and locked Heyman in the figure-4 before taking the mic and saying the world would never lose he or Lawler; Flair then said he told Vince McMahon that if he died, he wanted to died in the WWE; moments later, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns appeared in the crowd; following the commercial break, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane joined in a fight against Shield at ringside; moments later, Flair was set up for the triple team powerbomb through the announce table, only for Ryback to show up; Ryback then fought off the other members of Shield before press slamming Rollins onto the announce table; Flair, Bryan, Kane, and Ryback then celebrated in the ring before the others hoisted Flair onto their shoulders (Flair’s surprise return after more than a 3-year absence); featured an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era’ on DVD; included a backstage segment with Flair, Kane, & Bryan, with the three eventually “Wooo”ing, and chanting “Yes” and “No;” moments later, Ron Simmons appeared and said “Damn;” featured Santino Marella and Tensai, his head heavily bandaged, presenting the nominees for “LOL Moment of the Year;” after Tensai didn’t read his lines, Marella joked that Tensai was Japanese for “Fat Albert;” nominees were the Rock tossing Cena merchandise into the ocean, Bryan & Kane in anger management class, Randy Orton dumping food on Ricardo Rodriguez backstage and shoving Matt Striker’s head in a cake, and Vickie dancing; included a Tribute to the Troops ad featuring Miss Piggy and Flo-Rida; following the commercial break, the Rock was announced as the winner; Marella then said Rock could not be there to accept in person and he would keep it; Bryan then came out and sait it was his Slammy, with Kane having to carry him backstage; included Zack Ryder & Layla introducing nominees for “The Trending Now # of the Year” — #FeedMeMore, #PeoplePower, #LittleJimmy, and #WWWYKI; following the commercial break, #FeedMeMore was announced the winner; featured an in-ring promo by World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show in which he complained about not winning Superstar of the Year as the crowd chanted “Boring;” eventually Sheamus interrupted and said he had no regrets about their match the previous night and admitted Show was the better man in their bout; Sheamus then shook Show’s hand, with Show insulting Sheamus as Sheamus went to leave the ring; moments later, Sheamus tackled Show and hit him four times with Show’s own giant chair, then followed with the boot to the face; moments later, Dolph Ziggler ran out to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase; as he told the referee to ring the bell, Cena ran out and attacked him in the ring and at ringside; included a backstage segment in which Ziggler confronted Vickie about Cena costing him the title, with Vickie asking him why AJ helped him at TLC; after the two argued, Ziggler said Vickie was old, tired, and ugly and Vickie said Ziggler & AJ could face Cena & Vickie; featured Gene Okerlund, Ricky Steamboat, & Jim Ross presenting the nominees for “Match of the Year” — Undertaker vs. Triple H in Hell in a Cell, Lesnar vs. Cena, Sheamus vs. Show, and Cena vs. Rock; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown was SyFy’s most watched regularly scheduled program for the 115th week in a row; following the commercial break, it was announced Triple H vs. Undertaker was the winner; Triple H, with short hair, then came out to accept the award as the crowd chanted “We want Taker” and “Thank you, Hunter;” Triple H then thanked the fans and said they hadn’t seen the last of the Undertaker; featured a backstage segment showing the Shield triple teaming Dreamer and then assaulting Ricardo Rodriguez:
Rey Mysterio Jr. (w/ Sin Cara) pinned Damien Sandow (w/ Cody Rhodes) with the 619 and splash off the top at 3:12
Kaitlyn pinned WWE Divas Champion Eve in a non-title match at 2:06 with a fireman’s carry into a gutbuster; after the bout, Kaitlyn put the belt on Eve’s body and posed for a photograph by a ringside photogapher
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Tensai in a non-title match with the spin kick to the face at 1:08 after Tensai missed a charge in the corner; after the bout, Wade Barrett attacked Kingston on the floor and hit the Bull Hammer
The Great Khali (w/ Natalya Neidhart) pinned David Otunga with the chop to the head at 1:56
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned JTG with the splash at 1:53
Cody Rhodes (w/ Damien Sandow) pinned Sin Cara (w/ Rey Mysterio Jr.) with Crossroads at 4:17; the match was wrestled under blue and orange lights
Alberto Del Rio, Mike Mizanin, & Tommy Dreamer (mystery partner) defeated Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, & Jinder Mahal at 14:13 when Dreamer pinned Slater with the DDT; Ricardo Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout; following the entrances, Miz introduced Dreamer as the third partner; after the match, it was announced John Cena & Sheamus would face World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show & Dolph Ziggler the next night on the live Smackdown Ryback defeated WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro in a non-title match via count-out at 2:34 when Cesaro left ringside; prior to the bout, Sheamus announced the nominees for “Newcomer of the Year” — Cesaro, Brodus Clay, Damien Sandow, and Ryback; following the commercial break, Ryback was named the winner; Ryback then quoted Owen Hart in saying “Enough is enough and it’s time for a change” before saying he was the change; during his entrance, Cesaro said the voting was rigged and he was the true newcomer of the year
John Cena & Vickie Guerrero defeated Dolph Ziggler & AJ via disqualification at 4:25 when AJ went backstage and returned with Big E Langston, who attacked Cena in the ring; prior to the bout, AJ cut a promo from inside the ring atop a ladder about why she did what she did to Cena, with Vickie eventually coming out to interrupt her; there were dueling chants of “Let’s go, Cena” and “Cena sucks;” late in the match, Vickie walked out of the bout; after the match, AJ skipped around Langston, who stood over Cena’s body (Langston’s surprise debut)
Main Event – 12/19/12 – featured Michael Cole & Mike Mizanin on commentary; included footage from the previous month of WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane vs. Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow, during which Rhodes was sidelined with an injury; featured a video package recapping the tension between Bryan & Kane; included an ad promoting the WWE app; featured a Tout from soldiers in which they wished a happy holidays to their friends and family; included an ad promoting ‘The Attitude Era;’ featured footage of Miz training for and flying in a F18 as part of Tribute to the Troops; included a Tribute to the Troops ad with Flo-rida and Miss Piggy; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s network of Facebook pages has more than 75 million fans, more than the NFL and its 32 teams combined; included an ad promoting WWE’s content on YouTube:
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow at 25:20 when Bryan pinned Rhodes with a headbutt off the top after Kane dropped Rhodes with the chokeslam
Darren Young & Titus O’Neil defeated Santino Marella & Zack Ryder at 10:21 when O’Neil pinned Ryder with the sit-down spinebuster after avoiding the Rough Ryder
WWE @ Pittsburgh, PA – Consol Energy Center – December 18, 2012
Smackdown! – shown live on the USA Network – commercial-free episode; featured an opening in-ring segment of Miz TV in which Mike Mizanin introduced Dolph Ziggler, alongside AJ and Big E Langston, as his guests; Miz then questioned AJ about her recent actions, with AJ saying John Cena toyed with her heart and emotions and he was supposed to be different from the other guys that treated her like trash; Miz then questioned who Langston was, with Ziggler talking about how Langston crushed Cena the previous night on Raw and bragging about stealing the show at TLC and stealing Cena’s girl; moments later, Miz insulted Ziggler, with Langston attacking Miz and then standing over his body as AJ took the mic and said “Show off,” then skipping around the ring; included a backstage segment in which Teddy Long brought Brad Maddox to Booker T for Booker to consider giving a job to; Booker then brought Long aside, with Booker saying he didn’t trust him and Long saying Maddox had talent and a good social media presence; Long then said he was hungry for a contract and Booker agreed to give him a match; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw the previous night was the most socially active show on cable TV – beating The Voice, Hawaii Five-O, and Monday Night Football; included an ad for Tribute to the Troops with Miss Piggy and Flo-Rida; featured a backstage segment in which WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston and WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane in which they discussed the Shield and their tag team match later in the night, during which Bryan complained about not winning a Slammy; included an ad promoting WWEShop.com; featured a backstage segment with Cena and Sheamus in which they discussed their tag team match later in the show against Ziggler & World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show; moments later, Cena whispered into Sheamus’s ear about what happened between he and AJ, then revealing he was just kidding; included footage of Miz training to fly in a F18; featured a backstage segment with Kaitlyn and AJ in which AJ wished Kaitlyn good luck before Kaitlyn called her a lunatic; moments later, the two fought before AJ was pulled away by referees; included a backstage segment with Show, Ziggler, AJ, and Langston in which Show threatened to put Ziggler in a body cast if he tried to cash in his Money in the Bank title shot later in the show; featured an ad promoting the other WWE week programs on the USA Network; included a Tribute to the Troops ad featuring Kid Rock:
Damien Sandow (w/ Cody Rhodes) pinned Sin Cara with the neckbreaker at 6:18 after Sin Cara became distracted by Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns in the crowd; prior to the bout, Rey Mysterio Jr.’s music played but he did not appear; after the match, Sin Cara was triple teamed in the ring and his knee targetted
Santino Marella pinned Tensai at 4:20 after Tensai missed the running senton
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Wade Barrett, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil at 10:44 when Kane pinned Young with the chokeslam
Ryback pinned WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro in a non-title match with Shellshocked at 5:09; prior to the bout, WWE World Champion CM Punk, alongside Paul Heyman, cut an in-ring promo in which he discussed holding the title 394 days and it being the longest reign of the modern era, then complaining about not being voted Superstar of the Year; Punk then said John Cena knew the trophy belonged to Punk and not himself and that Ric Flair was a loser who only came back to pay alimony; after Punk bragged about holding the title into 2013 and that no one was going to take it from him, Ryback appeared at the entrance stage and joined Punk and Heyman in the ring; Ryback then said he would challenge Punk on the first Raw of 2013 for the title
Kaitlyn defeated WWE Divas Champion Eve via disqualification at 5:40 when Eve held onto the referee and knocked him over as the challenger tried to come off the top
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Brad Maddox with the splash at 2:08; during his entrance, Maddox cut a promo in which he said no one would forget his name after he won his match and earned a contract; Booker T and Teddy Long were shown watching the match backstage; after the contest, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns jumped Clay in the ring and dropped him with the triple team powerbomb; moments later, Clay was tended to in the ring by referees
John Cena & Sheamus defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show & Dolph Ziggler (w/ AJ & Big E Langston) via disqualification at 11:29 when Langston attacked Cena after Ziggler sustained the FU; late in the bout, Sheamus and Show fought their way backstage; after the bout, Langston stood above Cena’s body as AJ skipped around the ring, then kissed Ziggler
Raw – 12/24/12 – featured an opening holiday-themed segment in which John Cena directed all the talent, who stood at the entrance stage, in singing their own version of “Jingle Bells;” included an opening in-ring segment in which Justin Roberts introduced Santa Claus, the guest host of the show, with Santa coming out and passing out gifts; moments later, Ricardo Rodriguez appeared at the entrance stage and Alberto Del Rio drove into the arena, accidentally hitting Santa with his car; medics then tended to Santa as ADR and a tearful Rodriguez watched on; the crowd briefly chanted “You killed Santa” at ADR before Santa was placed on a stretcher and taken backstage; Santa gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was taken away; crime scene tape blocked off the area for the remainder of the show; featured a backstage segment in which Teddy Long, Booker T, Aksana, Tyson Kidd, Natalya Neidhart, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil, Yoshi Tatsu, and other members of the roster discussed Santa’s injuries and booed ADR when he appeared; Cena then got in ADR’s face, with ADR saying everyone knows he drives his car out and thus it wasn’t his fault; Booker then informed ADR that he, per Santa’s orders, would be in a streetfight against Cena later in the night; the roster then rooted Cena on in fighting for Santa’s honor; included an ad promoting the new WWE Encylopedia; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Santa makes more than 842 million stops on Christmas Eve and travels in excess of 221 million miles to deliver toys to more than 2 billion children worldwide; included a segment with Dolph Ziggler and AJ sitting by a Christmas tree and fireplace and watching AJ cost Cena his ladder match with Ziggler at TLC; featured the announcement a 20-man battle royal would take place on Main Event, with the winner becoming #1 contender to WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro; included an ad promoting ‘The Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2012;’ featured a backstage segment with Booker and Long in which Brad Maddox walked in with his camera man and Booker agreed to give him another chance at earning a WWE contract; included an ad promoting the WWE app; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 3 billion holiday cards are sent each year in the US; featured a backstage segment with Ziggler and AJ; included a backstage segment in which Matt Striker gave medical updates on Santa; featured an ad promoting WWE content on YouTube; included an in-ring promo by WWE World Champion CM Punk, on crutches, and Paul Heyman in which Punk first made fun of the Great Khali wishing the fans a merry Christmas earlier in the show and then said Ryback had ruined Christmas and Hanukkah by injuring Punk; Punk went on to say he was better than Ryback and the best in the world, with Ryback then joining them in the ring and informing Punk that he would challenge for the title in a TLC match in 2 weeks on Raw; featured an ad promoting ‘The Day’ and ‘Barricade’ on DVD; included a backstage segment with Kane & Bryan in which Kane gave Bryan a Slammy for Christmas and Bryan gave Kane a little dog; after Kane thanked him and said he was starving, Bryan said “No! Animals are our friend and not food!” and then took the dog back; featured a backstage segment in which AJ read her own version of The Night Before Christmas to Ziggler, with the two then kissing; included a backstage segment in which Striker said Santa had gotten worse, with the medical equipment then playing “Jingle Bells” as viewers could see Santa’s boots tapping to the music:
WWE Tag Team Champion Kane pinned Cody Rhodes at 5:56 with the chokeslam after Rhodes hit an unprotected turnbuckle chest-first
Kaitlyn, Natalya Neidhart, Alicia Fox, & Layla defeated WWE Divas Champion Eve, Tamina, Aksana, & Rosa Mendes at 5:29 when Kaitlyn pinned Eve with the fireman’s carry into the gutbuster
Sheamus pinned World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show in a non-title lumberjack match at 16:03 with the kick to the face after avoiding the punch to the face; lumberjacks for the bout included Tyson Kidd, Justin Gabriel, Brodus Clay, Santino Marella, Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil, Jimmy & Jey Uso, Tensai; after the bout, Sheamus and the babyface lumberjacks celebrated in the ring
Zack Ryder pinned David Otunga with the Rough Ryder at 4:42 after Otunga struck the corner; prior to the bout, Otunga cut an in-ring promo in which Santa Claus was really the one at fault for his injury earlier in the show; eventually, Ryder cut him off to start the match
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston & Mike Mizanin defeated Wade Barrett & WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro at 6:58 when Miz pinned Barrett with the Skull Crushing Finale, moments after Kingston hit the spin kick to the face on Barrett from the floor
The Great Khali (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Brad Maddox with the tree slam at 3:12; during his entrance, Maddox cut a promo on getting ready to earn a WWE contract; stipulations stated Maddox would earn a WWE contract if he won; Khali and Hornswoggle were dressed as elves for the match; after the bout, Hornswoggle took the mic and wished Santa well, with Khali then telling the fans to have a merry Christmas
WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan defeated Damien Sandow via submission with the No Lock at 5:38
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi), Tyson Kidd, Justin Gabriel, Santino Marella, Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Tensai, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil, Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre, & Heath Slater at 5:15 when an Uso pinned Slater with the splash off the top, moments after Gabriel hit a springboard moonsault and Kidd hit a springboard elbow drop into the ring
John Cena pinned Alberto Del Rio in a streetfight at 14:51 with the FU after Santa Claus came ringside, knocked out Ricardo Rodriguez with his toy bag, and applied a Santa Socko to ADR; Rodriguez served as ADR’s ring announcer for the bout; during the match, ADR took the mic and repeatedly apologized for what happened to Santa earlier in the show, adding it was an accident; after the match, Cena and Santa celebrated in the ring
WWE @ Rochester, NY – Blue Cross Arena – December 19, 2012
Main Event – 12/26/12 – featured an ad promoting ‘The Top 100 Moments in Raw History;’ included an ad promoting the WWE app; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE Universe views more than 190 million photos per month on WWE.com, more than 70 photos a second; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with the Great Khali regarding his battle royal win, with WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro attacking him from behind with the title belt; Khali then chopped Cesaro, with Cesaro leaving his title belt behind and Khali picking it up; included an ad promoting ‘The Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2012’:
The Great Khali won a battle royal by last eliminating Wade Barrett at 18:49; stipulations stated the winner would earn a title shot against WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro the following week; Cesaro provided guest commentary for the match; order of elimination: Yoshi Tatsu by Khali (0:09), Primo Colon by Brodus Clay (0:53), Drew McIntyre by Tyson Kidd via a headscissors over the top (4:04), Kidd by McIntyre via yanking him off the apron as Kidd fought with Jinder Mahal (4:11), Mahal and Justin Gabriel were both eliminated following a crossbody from Gabriel that sent both over the top rope (4:15), following the four eliminations, the two teams brawled at ringside, an Uso by Wade Barrett (7:47), William Regal by Damien Sandow (8:23), Epico by Santino Marella via a headscissors over the top (9:32), Clay by Khali (9:58), the other Uso by Zack Ryder via a punch as the Uso was on the apron (11:10), Titus O’Neil by Khali (15:51), Darren Young by Khali (15:55), Cody Rhodes by Khali via a chop to the head as Rhodes was on the apron (16:16), Sandow by Khali (16:21), Ryder by Marella (17:15), Marella by Barrett via a clothesline from behind (17:23), Barrett by Khali via a chop to the head as Barrett was on the ring apron; after the contest, Cesaro entered the ring and offered his hand to Khali, who shook it; during the commentary of the match, it was noted Cesaro was recovering from a broken hand and torn tendons in his hand
Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel defeated Drew McIntyre & Jinder Mahal (w/ Heath Slater) at 15:09 when Kidd pinned Mahal with a Blockbuster off the top as Gabriel held Mahal in the air; prior to the bout, McIntyre and Mahal cut an in-ring promo about how Slater lost his voice and blamed it on an injury sustained from Kidd & Gabriel during Raw
Smackdown! – 12/28/12 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Sheamus in which he talked about beating World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show on Raw in their lumberjack match and said his New Year’s resolution was to be the new champion; Sheamus then called out Show and challenged him to a title match later in the night; moments later, Show said he wasn’t afraid of anything but Sheamus had come up short in his title shots; Sheamus replied that if he wasn’t getting a title shot, he would just beat up Show; Booker T then appeared at the entrance stage and said it was true they had both won recent matches, with Show saying no one backstage was worthy and Sheamus wasn’t worthy of a title shot; Booker then said Show would be in a match later in the night against a man that will be chosen at random; Teddy Long and WWE Divas Champion Eve then brought out Santino Marella, Yoshi Tatsu, Tyson Kidd, Brodus Clay, WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane, Jimmy & Jey Uso, Justin Gabriel, WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro, Darren Young & Titus O’Neil, Alberto Del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez, Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal, & Drew McIntyre, Primo Colon & Epico, Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow, Zack Ryder, and others; after Eve and Long fought over the tumbler, which contained the names of the participants, Booker drew Santino’s name; Show then confronted Marella at the entrance stage, laughed at him, and walked away; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE Universe views more than 190 million photos per month on WWE.com, more than 70 photos a second; featured a backstage segment in which Sheamus offered to give Marella advice on how to beat Show, with Marella saying that if he used the Cobra and Brogue Kick then Sheamus would never again be champion because he would take the belt; Marella then practiced the Brogue Kick until he appeared to pull a muscle; included a backstage segment in which Show and Booker discussed Marella being unable to compete, with Booker saying there would still be a title match; Booker then drew another name from the tumbler and didn’t reveal it to Show, saying he didn’t need to worry about it right now; following the commercial break, Show and Booker continued to argue before Ricardo Rodriguez appeared and Booker confirmed he was the name he drew; Show then jokingly told Rodriguez to announce himself as the new champion; as Rodriguez did so, Show knocked him out with a punch, then took his belt, and left; featured an ad promoting the following day’s Saturday Morning Slam, and a replay of John Cena’s in-ring debut on the program; included a backstage segment in which Booker and a trainer tended to Rodriguez, with Brad Maddox walking in and saying he wanted another chance at a WWE contract; after he wouldn’t relent, Booker said he would get one last chance and told him to leave; ADR then ran in to check on Rodriguez, with Booker offering him the title shot against Show to get revenge; featured an ad promoting the WWE app; included an ad promoting “The Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2012;” featured a pre-taped video from Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns in which they discussed their attacks on Ryback, Randy Orton, Mike Mizanin, and WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane in 2012 and said more injustice would be rectified in 2013; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Show regarding his upcoming title match against ADR, with Show arguing he already had two opponents picked out and neither could compete and he would lay out ADR as well; featured an ad promoting WWE content on YouTube:
Brodus Clay (w/ Cameron & Naomi) pinned Primo Colon (w/ Rosa Mendes & Epico) with the splash at 1:14 after knocking Epico off the apron; after the bout, Rosa confronted Clay in the ring, with Cameron & Naomi attacking her before dancing with Clay and little kids in the ring
Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow defeated WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane at 10:03 when Barrett pinned Kingston with the Bull Hammer, moments after Kingston hit Rhodes with the spin kick to the face
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Zack Ryder in a non-title match at 3:28 with a European uppercut to the back of the head and Neutralizer after Ryder missed the Broski Boot
Dolph Ziggler (w/ AJ & Big E Langston) pinned Mike Mizanin with the Zig Zag at 11:21 after Miz became distracted by Langston on the ring steps; after the match, Miz took the mic and implied AJ would sleep with whomever she was around on New Year’s Eve; moments later, Ziggler returned to the ring and brawled with Miz; Miz fought off Ziggler but was then assaulted by Langston; Langston then stood over Miz’s body as AJ and Ziggler kissed
Sheamus pinned Brad Maddox with the boot to the face at 3:50; during his entrance, Maddox cut a promo in which he said he would earn a WWE contract; stipulations stated Maddox would earn a WWE contract if he won but would not get another opportunity from Booker T if he lost
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil at 2:09 when Young was pinned with an inside cradle
Alberto Del Rio defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show via count-out at 5:22 when Show left ringside, briefly battling Sheamus in the aisle; after the match, WWE Tag Team Champions Kane & Daniel Bryan, Mike Mizanin, Jimmy & Jey Uso, Yoshi Tatsu, Heath Slater, Titus O’Neil, Brodus Clay, WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro, and others came out and forced Show back inside the ring; moments later, ADR hit the running enziguri to Show and Sheamus followed with the boot to the face
Saturday Morning Slam – 12/22/12 – “Best of” episode; featured an opening holiday-themed segment in which John Cena directed all the talent, who stood at the entrance stage, in singing their own version of “Jingle Bells;” included the Justin Gabriel vs. WWE IC Champion Mike Mizanin match taped 9/25/12 in Buffalo, NY; featured a Saturday Morning Spotlight segment focusing on Rey Mysterio Jr.; included the Mysterio vs. Michael McGillicutty match taped 9/11/12 in Ottawa, Ontario; featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with Dolph Ziggler
NXT – 12/26/12 – Year in Review episode; hosted by Tony Dawson in the WWE studio; included highlights of the Seth Rollins vs. Jinder Mahal NXT Title Tournament Finals from 8/29/12; featured vignettes on the NXT roster; included a vignette showing Bray Wyatt finding new followers; included the Bray Wyatt vs. Aiden English match from 7/11/12, followed by a backstage promo by Wyatt about the new year; featured a vignette on Kassius Ohno, followed by a backstage promo from him in which he talked about 2013; included a backstage promo by WWE World Champion CM Punk in which he said NXT Champion Seth Rollins took his advice to heart and is making an impact as part of the Shield; Punk then said the superstars of tomorrow are in NXT and hoped they would learn from him, then said he would beat the Rock at the Royal Rumble and keep the title beyond WrestleMania; featured an ad promoting WWE ’13; included a vignette on Big E Langston, followed by his match against Camacho from 11/21/12 and a look at his new relationship with Dolph Ziggler & AJ; featured Dawson conducting a backstage interview with Langston in which he said he attacked John Cena on Raw to help his friend AJ and then said he was looking to take the NXT Title from Rollins, then ended the interview; included an ad promoting ‘The Top 100 Moments in Raw History;’ featured the announcement Corey Graves would challenge Rollins the following week; included the Cody Rhodes vs. Kane match taped 7/12/12; featured a backstage promo by Cena in which he spoke about NXT being the future of WWE; included the announcement Bo Dallas would face Epico and Ohno & Leo Kruger would face Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel; moments later, a video aired from Rollins, Roman Reigns, & Dean Ambrose in which Rollins said he was done waiting to be called up to the main roster and Ambrose talked about the injustices around the world; Rollins discussed Graves jumping him and talked about his title match the next night, eventually saying their new year’s resolution was to right the wrongs and they would start the following week
WWE @ Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena – December 26, 2012
WWE @ Green Bay, WI – Resch Center – December 27, 2012
WWE (Raw) @ New York City, NY – Madison Square Garden – December 27, 2012 (14,500)
Included an opening in-ring introduction by Vickie Guerrero
The Road Dogg & Billy Gunn defeated Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow when Gunn pinned Rhodes with the Fameasser
Brodus Clay pinned David Otunga with the splash; after the bout, Jack Swagger came out and challenged Clay to a match
Brodus Clay pinned Jack Swagger with the splash
WWE Divas Champion Eve pinned Kaitlyn
Santino Marella pinned Tensai; after the match, per stipulations, Tensai had to sing “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”
Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns defeated Mike Mizanin, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane after Miz sustained the triple powerbomb
Jimmy & Jey Uso defeated Darren Young & Titus O’Neil after both men hit the splash off the top
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Zack Ryder with the Neutralizer
Ryback pinned Paul Heyman with Shellshocked in a streetfight; early in the match, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns attacked Ryback, with Mike Mizanin, WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane then making the save; after the bout, Ryback hit a spear on Heyman through a table set up in the ring
John Cena pinned Dolph Ziggler (w/ AJ & Big E Langston) in a steel cage match with the FU
WWE @ Long Island, NY – Nassau Coliseum – December 28, 2012
WWE @ Minneapolis, MN – Target Center – December 28, 2012
Saturday Morning Slam – 12/29/12 – “Best of” episode; featured the WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Tyson Kidd match taped 10/15/12 in Nashville, TN; included a segment in which Bryan was asked several Yes or No questions, ending with him being asked if he liked goats; Bryan then chanted “No!” and walked off; featured a video package on John Cena; included the Cena vs. Heath Slater match taped 11/20/12 in Grand Rapids, MI
WWE @ Washington DC – Verizon Center – December 29, 2012
Raw – 12/31/12 – featured an opening segment of Miz TV at the entrance stage in which Mike Mizanin in which he said all titles would be on the line during the show, per Vickie Guerrero, and champions could pick their opponents; Miz then brought out John Cena as his guest to ask him about how the year ended between he and AJ; moments later, Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow interrupted and insulted Cena and Miz, with Cena then making fun of Rhodes’s mustache; Sandow then said Cena and Miz went from main eventing WrestleMania to being outshined by himself and Rhodes, with Cena challenging Sandow & Rhodes to a tag team match to start the show; included a backstage segment with the roster at a New Year’s Eve party hosted by Guerrero, with Dolph Ziggler showing up and Guerrero telling him he would face Sheamus later in the show; featured an ad promoting the Jan. 14, 2013 20th anniversary episode of Raw; included a backstage segment in which WWE World Champion CM Punk, alongside Paul Heyman, said he brought his doctor to explain that his injury was legit and said he wanted to compete but couldn’t; Punk then said he wanted to face Ryback, with Vickie saying Ryback would be in action and Punk suggested the Shield as his opponents; featured a backstage segment with WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane in which they said they were disappointed in that they couldn’t face the Shield, then found Drew McIntyre, Heath Slater, & Jinder Mahal in the adjacent locker area; included a backstage segment in which World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show found Ricardo Rodriguez and said he chose to face him later in the show; moments later, Kaitlyn brought Mae Young in to meet the divas, with WWE Divas Champion Eve interrupting and said she would face Mae later in the show; featured an ad promoting the Rock’s appearance the following week; included an in-ring segment with Punk and Heyman in which Punk talked about his successful 2012 and listed off the names of men he had defeated as well as the more minor injuries he sustained during the year; Punk then introduced his doctor, who showed a side by side X-ray comparison of a healthy knee and Punk’s knee on the big screen; Punk followed by discussing his title defense the following week against Ryback and said he could beat Punk with one arm, one eye, or one knee, with the doctor then chiming in and saying he could not allow Punk to compete in the following week’s match; moments later, Vince McMahon walked to the ring and said WWE officials would look at Punk’s condition the following week and would defend against Ryback if they clear him; McMahon then again brought up whether Punk had anything to do with Brad Maddox or the Shield, with Heyman stepping in, defending Punk, and noting McMahon’s own father started promoting wrestling in DC; McMahon said if Punk was not cleared to compete against Ryback then Heyman would face Ryback in his place in the TLC match; featured an ad promoting the WWE app; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was #1 on all television for social activity – beating It’s a Wonderful Life, Shrek the Halls, and Hawaii Five-0; featured an ad promoting WWE content on YouTube; included a backstage segment in which Wade Barrett confronted WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston about who Kingston would defend against later in the show, with Kingston agreeing to face Barrett; featured a backstage segment in which Maddox spoke with Punk & Heyman about getting him a job, with Heyman telling him to get out of the room and their lives; included a backstage segment in which the divas tended to an injured Young, with a doctor showing up to examine her and revealing that Mae could not compete because she was pregnant; Mae then said “Not again…;” featured a backstage segment in which Alberto Del Rio checked on Rodriguez about his upcoming match with Show, with ADR saying he would be in Rodriguez’s corner and then gave Rodriguez his scarf and keys to his car; included an ad promoting ‘The Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2012;’ featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the WWE Universe views more than 190 million photos per month on WWE.com — more than 70 photos per second; included a backstage segment in which the doctor tended to Young as she went into labor; featured a backstage segment in which the roster watched and tended to Young, with Bryan & Kane walking in and starting dueling chants of “No” and “Yes;” Hornswoggle, wearing a top hat, sash, and with a cigar in his mouth, was then “born;” included an ad promoting ‘The Top 100 Moments in Raw History;” featured a closing in-ring segment in which Ziggler, alongside AJ and Big E Langston, made fun of and showed footage of Cena losing to the Rock at WrestleMania, being beaten up by Brock Lesnar, pinned by John Laurinaitis, not successfully cashing in his Money in the Bank title shot in July, and then losing to Ziggler at TLC; Ziggler and AJ then joked that Cena hasn’t changed in 10 years, with Ziggler saying “John, your time is up and my time is now;” moments later, Ziggler told Langston that Cena was not invited to their party and told him to stand ringside and make sure he didn’t show up; Ziggler then drank a glass of champagne and made out with AJ until Cena appeared at the entrance stage; Cena said 2012 was not a banner year for him and then showed doctored photos of AJ, Ziggler, and Langston ready for AJ and Ziggler’s wedding, a photo of what their baby would look like, and photos of AJ’s other babies (with the faces of the likes of Punk, the Bushwhackers, Jamison, Mr. Fuji, and others); Cena then made fun of Ziggler’s entire WWE history, said he was entering the Royal Rumble, and would be WWE World Champion again in 2013; Cena then praised Ziggler before having crap poured on Ziggler and AJ in the ring to close the show:
John Cena & Mike Mizanin defeated Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow in an impromptu match at 12:05 when Cena pinned Sandow with the FU
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned Sgt. Slaughter with the Neutralizer at 1:50; prior to the bout, Cesaro cut an in-ring promo about visiting the DC monuments earlier in the day and brought out Slaughter as his opponent; after the contest, Cesaro hit the move a second time
WWE Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Heath Slater & Drew McIntyre (w/ Jinder Mahal) at 6:08 when Bryan pinned McIntyre with the headbutt off the top, moments after Kane dropped McIntyre with the chokeslam
Sheamus defeated Dolph Ziggler (w/ AJ & Big E Langston) via disqualification at 12:46 when Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, & Roman Reigns attacked Sheamus as Langston confronted Sheamus on the apron; after the match; Sheamus fought off the Shield but was eventually beaten down and sustained the triple powerbomb
WWE Divas Champion Eve defeated Mae Young via forfeit; prior to the bout, Eve took the mic and joked about Young looking for excuses not to face her before telling the referee to declare her the winner via forfeit; moments later, Kaitlyn walked out, with the two brawling in and out of the ring before Eve eventually grabbed her belt and escaped ringside
World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show defeated Ricardo Rodriguez (w/ Alberto Del Rio) via disqualification at 2:27 when ADR attacked Show as Show attempted to knock Rodriguez out with a punch; prior to the bout, Rodriguez drove out in one of ADR’s cars; after the contest, ADR kicked Show in the face and then winked at him from the floor
Wade Barrett pinned WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston to win the title at 10:30 with the Bull Hammer after avoiding a springboard crossbody into the ring
Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns fought Ryback to a no contest in a handicap match; during Ryback’s entrance, the four men fought on the floor; moments later, Sheamus ran out but was also beaten down; Randy Orton then appeared and helped clear the ring (Orton’s surprise return)
WWE @ Richmond, VA – Coliseum – December 30, 2012
Main Event – 1/2/13 – featured an opening in-ring introduction by Michael Cole & Mike Mizanin in which they discussed an update on WWE World Champion CM Punk’s injured knee and previewed the Great Khali vs. WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro match later in the show; included a vignette on Cesaro; moments later, Cesaro came out with a mic and complained about the lack of substance in his vignette video, shown moments earlier; Miz responded on the mic by telling Cesaro he could leave the country any time he wanted and Cole introduced a vignette on Khali; featured Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with Khali, with Hornswoggle & Natalya Neidhart showing up and encouraging him; he eventually told them they talk to much and then started a “USA” chant; Cesaro, in the ring, then said he represented the United States of Antonio; included an ad promoting the WWE app; featured an ad promoting the Rock appearing on the following week’s Raw; included a Tout from a WWE doctor in which he said Punk’s knee appeared to be 100% and he was cleared to compete; featured an ad promoting ‘The Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2012;’ included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE has published more than 20 books that have been New York Times Bestsellers; featured the announcement Sheamus would face Dolph Ziggler the following week:
WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro pinned the Great Khali (w/ Natalya Neidhart & Hornswoggle) with the Neutralizer at 10:07; after the bout, Matt Striker conducted an in-ring interview with Cesaro about his victory, with Cesaro noting his superiority to everyone in the US; Cesaro then said, if Mike Mizanin, had a problem with it then he could stop hiding behind the commentary table; Miz then took the mic and talked about how resilient the people are, ending by telling Cesaro he was in America and it was awesome
Kofi Kingston won a gauntlet match at 12:44 by pinning WWE IC Champion Wade Barrett; prior to the bout, Kingston, who provided guest commentary for much of the match before his own surprise entrance, said he would regain the IC title; during Barrett’s entrance, he questioned Kingston saying his win over him was a “one time thing” and said the title deserved to be on a real fighter; Barrett then said he was so confident in his ability that he would face anyone in a non-title gauntlet match; during the contest, it was announced Kingston would face Barrett in a title rematch on Smackdown; Barrett pinned Yoshi Tatsu with the Bull Hammer at the 14-second mark; Barrett pinned JTG with the Bull Hammer at 2:38; Barrett pinned Justin Gabriel with the Bull Hammer at 9:33 after dropping Gabriel throat-first across the top rope; Kingston pinned Barrett with the spin kick to the face
Smackdown! – 1/4/13 – featured an opening in-ring promo by Randy Orton in which he said his New Year’s Resolution in 2013 was to be World Heavyweight Champion and he would be in the upcoming Royal Rumble match; moments later, Sheamus joined him in the ring and said his resolutions were the same and he would be in the Royal Rumble match as well; Sheamus then thanked Orton for helping him against the Shield, with Orton saying he didn’t do it to help Sheamus but to get payback on them attacking him weeks earlier; the two continued to have words until World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show interrupted at the entrance stage and said that they were competing for a chance to be knocked out by him; WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro then interrupted Show and said Americans were all talk, no action; Booker T then appeared and announced Show & Cesaro would face Sheamus & Orton later in the night; included an ad promoting the Rock appearing on the following week’s Raw; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Game Informer named WWE ’13 one of the top games of the year alongside Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Halo 4, Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effect 3, and FIFA ’13; included Matt Striker conducting a backstage interview with WWE IC Champion Wade Barrett, who complained about Kofi Kingston attacking him on Main Event and said Kingston’s luck had run out; featured an ad promoting the WWE app; included Striker conducting a backstage interview with Kingston regarding his upcoming title match against Barrett; featured an ad promoting ‘The Best Pay-Per-View Matches of 2012;’ included an ad promoting the 20th anniversary of Raw on Jan. 14; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE’s Facebook pages have more than 75 million fans, more than the NFL and its 32 teams combined:
Mike Mizanin pinned Heath Slater with the Skull Crushing Finale at 16:17; Drew McIntyre & Jinder Mahal escorted Slater to the ring before the match but were ejected at the 3-minute mark after interfering on the floor
The Great Khali, Hornswoggle, & Natalya Neidhart defeated Primo Colon, Epico, & Rosa Mendes when Khali pinned Epico with the chop to the head at 4:04
WWE IC Champion Wade Barrett pinned Kofi Kingston at 16:44 with the Bull Hammer as the challenger came off the middle turnbuckle, moments after Kingston avoided an initial attempt at the move
Tamina pinned Layla with a Samoan drop and splash off the top at 3:07
Randy Orton & Sheamus defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Big Show & WWE US Champion Antonio Cesaro at 14:07 when Sheamus pinned Cesaro after, as Sheamus set up Cesaro to hit the boot to the face, Orton slid in the ring and dropped Cesaro with the RKO; after the match, Sheamus and Orton stared at each other
Saturday Morning Slam – 1/19/13 – featured Josh Matthews & Booker T on commentary; included a Saturday Morning Spotlight video package on Sheamus; featured a “Don’t try this at home” PSA with Sheamus; included Natalya Neidhart conducting a closing backstage interview with Mike Mizanin regarding his match the following week against Darren Young; moments later, Young & Titus O’Neil interrupted, with the three then having words:
Natalya Neidhart defeated Alicia Fox via submission with the Sharpshooter at 4:00
Sheamus pinned Michael McGillicutty with the White Noise at 7:51; following his entrance, Sheamus took the mic and talked about how he used to like spending Saturday mornings watching WWF and Randy Savage, Bret Hart, and Shawn Michaels; he went on to say he wanted the World Heavyweight Title back and joked that McGillicutty wasn’t much of a challenge but he would take him on anyway; late in the match, a confused McGillicutty rolled up the referee and Sheamus counted the pinfall, then hit the White Noise when McGillicutty realized what happened
WWE @ Raleigh, NC – PNC Center – December 30, 2012