Monday Night Raw
October 7, 2013
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
We go back to last night at Battleground when Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan fought for the WWE Title and the belt is still in abeyance. We head to Steel Town and out comes Stephanie McMahon and she’s got that Vince walk. The “purpose” walk. We all know what’s going down here. She says the WWE Title match last night was ruined because of one man’s selfish actions. Stephanie looks like she has jaundice. Who did her makeup tonight? She calls out Big Show and here comes the big guy. Big Show is very aloof tonight and not really caring what’s likely going to happen. Show tries to talk but Stephanie cuts him off. She lists his “crimes” from last night and he says he’s sorry very light-hearted. She calls Big Show a sorry, pathetic excuse for life. She gives a laundry list of what she and her husband have done for him, and how much of a loser he is. She tells him to “man up.” He says ok and can he leave. Stephanie says Big Show has no rights and he must beg for his job. He smirks and nods. Stephanie continues to bait him on by saying he has no soul. Show keeps chuckling and says he’s not begging anything. He knocked out Randy Orton because he couldn’t take it anymore. He knocked out Daniel Bryan because Stephanie told him to. Stephanie says Big Show is twisting everything around and he’s pathetic. Big Show calls Triple H a son of a bitch. Stephanie repeatedly slaps Big Show over and over and then fires him. Show walks off indignantly. That was a solid opening promo but I do hope this storyline is finished, but I doubt it.
MATCH: Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow
This is a rematch from last night’s Battleground pre-show. Of course the announcers are haggling over the Big Show situation. There’s too many voices when they get into these debates. Then again, Lawler seems to just not talk at all. Cole says Sandow was injured last night against Ziggler, and he says it impeded him from cashing in on whoever won the World Title match last night. Sandow dominated the action early while Ziggler is trying to go after Sandow’s knee. Cole just said that Big Show has been escorted out of the building. This match has gone longer than I thought. I didn’t see the pre-show match last night but I wonder if it was as good as this one. Dolph hits a Fame-asser to win the match, and Cole actually said “Thanks, Billy Gunn.” WINNER: Dolph Ziggler
Sandow has one win since winning MITB.
Backstage Brad Maddox is getting a dressing down from Stephanie McMahon for all of last night’s screw ups. He has to go out to the ring to apologize and fix the mess. I’m glad Stephanie is taking the entire on camera heel stuff.
During the commercial Pittsburgh’s own Bruno Sammartino came out to a great ovation. Why hide this on the WWE App? They should have just done it on the show. It’s Bruno’s birthday, 78 years old. Still the foundation of this company.
MATCH: Alicia Fox, Aksana & Rosa Mendes vs. Natalya, Eva Marie & JoJo
There’s no AJ tonight due to a concussion suffered last night in her Divas Title win over Brie Bella. That fact means I’m fast-forwarding. WINNER: Who cares
As the match is over, out comes GM Brad Maddox. Maddox says Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton will have their rematch inside Hell in a Cell. Brad says so there’s no shenanigans, three WWE Hall of Famers will be the choices of who the guest referee will be. Brad says the WWE Universe will decide via the app who the special guest referee will be. He announces the first guy, and it’s Booker T. I think if Booker is picked, he will turn heel and help Orton win, since he keeps telling everybody to fall in line over the past several weeks.
MATCH: Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre vs. Los Matadores
Yeah! Another week of #midgetmantaur. Another gimmicky squash. WINNER: Los Matadores
Back from break and in the ring is Paul Heyman, with his guys Curtis Axel and Ryback. Heyman shows the still shot from last night when Punk nut-shotted Ryback to win their match. Out comes Punk to interrupt. Punk asks if Heyman is calling him a cheater. He says all he did against Ryback last night was win. Punk says “balls” and it’s bleeped, but he was checking if Ryback had any. Heyman tells Punk he’ll never do that again but Punk says he will always beat Ryback. Ryback calls Punk a bully and says to bring his “skinny ass” into the ring. Punk is about to head into the ring when R-Truth comes out. He wants to help Punk and they head to the ring.
MATCH: CM Punk & R-Truth vs. Curtis Axel & Ryback
This could be a solid mid-hour match. Right before break Ryback audibly asks Paul “Paul what do we do?” Wrestle you stupid meathead! Truth gets pummeled but gets the hot tag to Punk who attacks Axel and hits the Savage elbow. Punk cleans both guys out Truth pins Axel after the Spin kick. WINNER: CM Punk & R-Truth
Back from break and we get the second candidate for the special referee vote: MR. Bob Backlund! Yeah, Bob. You better not get cabooved out of the vote. He says he doesn’t like the word Hell, but he will make the right decision and if anybody gets out of hand he will slap the Crossface Chicken Wing. Damnit rig the vote and have Backlund win!
MATCH: Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton
Orton is in a surly mood after what happened last night. Orton’s pretty much spent the match beating Kofi senseless in and out of the ring. Lawler just complained that Orton is pulling Kofi’s hair. What the hell? We haven’t heard that since about 1994. Kofi made some comebacks and extended the match, but Orton hits the RKO and wins it. WINNER: Randy Orton
As Orton is celebrating on the turnbuckle, Daniel Bryan comes out of nowhere and attacks Orton. Bryan is pummeling Orton behind the announce table and even a myriad of officials and referees can’t break Bryan off of him until about five guys finally do. Everybody runs up the ramp.
Back from break and Smackdown GM Vickie Guerrero is talking to some hump about vacation time. Over comes World Champion Alberto Del Rio who asks why she’s here. She says Triple H invited her to make an announcement. Del Rio says Vickie will name him the face of the WWE since he’s the only champion. Del Rio says he wanted the night off but he will wrestle to show everyone how great he is. Del Rio says Vickie will find him a suitable opponent as he’s using his masculine Latino wiles on her.
We now find out the final WWE Hall of Famer is that will be in the voting for special referee in the Bryan/Orton match at Hell in a Cell. It’s…Shawn Michaels! Sorry Bob, but I think we know who the guest referee will be. HBK to be in the same ring with his most famous protégé. HBK says everyone knows Triple H is his best friend, but he understands that’s personal and what we’re talking about tonight is business. Shawn acknowledges he trained Daniel Bryan, but that will not sway him nor will his friendship with Triple H nor the mutual hatred he has with Randy Orton. HBK pleads for the vote. I don’t think we will have a problem with that. #HBShizzle is trending. HBK guarantees that he will call it down the middle and there will be a new WWE Champion.
Out comes World Champion Alberto Del Rio, who doesn’t know who his opponent is. Out comes Vickie Guerrero, who announces his opponent.
MATCH: Alberto Del Rio vs. Ricardo Rodriguez
As the match is about to begin, Vickie says Del Rio will defend the World Title at Hell in a Cell, against…John Cena? Del Rio is stunned which allows Ricardo Rodriguez to roll him up for the victory. It’s a red herring, it has to be. Two months? Really? Two months???? WINNER: Ricardo Rodriguez
Del Rio is pissed and beats Rodriguez down with a chair, attempting to break his arm. John Cena on Smackdown? Not happening. This is definitely a red herring, like Bret Hart playing opossum.
Cena tweeted that he is indeed going to be in Miami on October 27. I still think it’s a fakeout.
MATCH: Zack Ryder vs. Fandango
Summer Rae has a great body. Just wanted to say that. Remember when Zack Ryder was US Champion back in 2011? Yeah I barely do too. Fandango wins with the top rope leg drop. WINNER: Fandango
Jerry Lawler is about to announce who the special referee for the Hell in a Cell match between Orton and Bryan, and the winner with 61% is…big shock. HBK wins.
The Goldberg DVD set comes out Tuesday. I’ll get it.
MATCH: The Real Americans vs. Santino Marella & Great Khali
We really need this match AGAIN? Or is it so Antonio Cesaro can spin Khali on free TV this time. Sure enough after a few minutes, Cesaro indeed does it again. It leads the Real Americans to victory again. WINNERS: Real Americans
After the match, Cesaro did the spin to Hornswoggle again. Santino breaks it up with the Cobra.
We get a Breast Cancer vignette.
Back from break and Miz is in the ring with his own Miz TV. He says about 5 words when the Wyatt Family comes out. Miz is cornered by Rowan and Harper, then punches his way past Bray Wyatt. Lots of giggling. Very weird.
Backstage and Triple H, the KING OF KINGS finally arrived. He and Stephanie berate Brad Maddox, and Hunter says he will be out at ringside to guarantee that tonight’s six-man tag match is good for business.
This Friday on Smackdown R-Truth gets another shot at Curtis Axel’s Intercontinental Title.
MATCH: The Shield vs. Goldust, Cody Rhodes and Daniel Bryan
It’s good to see Goldust back. ON YOUR KNEES DOG. Out comes COO Triple H to sit by ringside. Goldust is wearing pink gloves. It’s great the WWE is involved in promoting Breast Cancer research, but there’s a place and time for the pink. It’s been a pretty good back and forth affair. I wonder when the moment comes that Dean Ambrose will break out on his own. He just knows what’s going on in that ring. Daniel Bryan eventually gets a hot tag and goes bonkers. The match is chaos as Bryan drills Rollins with a kick, then cranks the Yes Lock. Ambrose brings a chair into the ring and hits Goldust drawing a DQ. Triple H decides that’s not good for business and restarts the match making it no DQ. Bryan is in control until Randy Orton runs down into the ring and jumps him. He throws Bryan into the ring and Rollins pins him. WINNER: The Shield
Triple H points and the Shield beats the Rhodes kids and Bryan down. Then out of nowhere the Big Show’s music plays and the big guy comes down the ramp. Triple H hides behind the Shield as Show gets into the ring. The Shield attacks but Show throws him away. Show goes after Triple H but the Shield jumps on him again. They hold him down as Triple H takes his jacket and loosens his tie. Big Show throws the Shield off him and knocks Triple H out. The crowd goes bonkers as Show smiles. Daniel Bryan gets back into the ring and starts the YES chant standing over an unconscious Triple H. With that we’re out.
SCOTT’S TAKE: We finally have an ending everybody can smile about. John Cena at Hell in a Cell? Red Herring. Take it to the bank.
