RAW
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Extend video recap of the Cena-Batista rivalry and the tag title win last week opens the show, it's a very good video package.
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John Cena's music hits to open the show and we're in Richmond, Virgina again? Weren't we here two weeks ago with Mickie's dad? Cena gets his usual mixed reaction mostly boos. Two weeks ago Adamle made a Cena-Batista match for summerslam for the first time ever. Cena says he's never had a personal problem with Dave Batista an issue with Dave and then poof they have a match and then poof they're Tag Team Champions. Cena makes jokes about Adamle and Smackdown, but basically he says Adamle doesn't know what he's done by putting Cena and Batista in a match for the first time ever. Cena does his worst Rock impression but his point is all you need is Cena and Batista to hype this match no razzle dazzle.
Batista music hits and he joins us. Dave says you wanted me here I am. Cena says last week we were allies not enemies and ladies and gentlemen your looking at the new tag team champions. Cena says if they don't find a way to co-exist they will sufer defeat. Cena says at Summerslam they will be enemies. Cena says the match has been six years in the making. Cena says he's been secretly watching Dave. He says he was groomed by the two best in the business Flair and Hunter. Cena says he didn't have that oppurtunity, every week he came down that ramp and turned the critics into believers. Cena says they've never answered the question between you and me whose better? The crowd kind of make random noises. Cena says on Sunday they answer that question and its gonna be him.
Dave says he's been watching Cena too, Dave says there two sides to the same coin, they've both won rumbles, Wrestlemania main events, tag world titles, he says Cena has had standing ovations and been booed out of the ring. But he respects him for saying true to himself. Batista makes fun of Cena's gimmick and says everyone over the age of 15 wants to see Batista beat him sensely and he will beat Cena senseless. Batista says sunday he will answer the question and the answer will be Dave Batista. They stare at each other for a bit, some black dude in the crowd is going nuts for this segment. Cena offers Batista a handshake and they shake.
Well that was a bit of an up and down segment, Cena seemed rambling and had bad jokes. Batista was suprisingly really cool and really good, no bumbling at all, and the end of the segment was nice.
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[Ad Break]
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We then go to a video from Cine who have awarded two golden eagles to the WWE one for the live production of Wrestlemania and one for the tribute to the troops.
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Beth Pheonix (w/Santino) vs. Kelly Kelly
Santino's facial expression behind Beth are absolute gold, Santino is on commentary. Kelly bitch slaps Beth but Beth just slams her. Santino calls Kelly Kelly a "Ditzy Blonde", Kelly Kelly gets a roll up for two. Santino is proud of beating Kelly Kelly, Santino says he's a "hot peice of man Meat". Beth is slaming Kelly around hard in the ring. Beth tries a stalling gorrilla press but Kelly counters to a roll up for two. Beth runs into a boot but comes back with a double chicken wing face buster.
Extended Squash but Santino was the star on commentary. (1/4*)
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Santino says they should send a message but Mickie and Kofi run to make the save. Santino challenges Mickie to match, he taunts them Kofi quite funny and Mickie accepts seeing as she's the home town girl. It's pretty funny stuff, Santino and Kofi were gold, Santino says he'll put her back in the kitchen were she belongs.
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[Ad Break]
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Mickie James (w/Kofi Kingston) vs. Santino Marella (w/Beth Pheonix)
They exchange wrestling sequences with Mickie gets the upper hand each time until Mickie rode and spanked Santino. That pissed Santino off and he scores with a body slam but misses a knee drop and fakes knee injury. Mickie keeps attacking but the ref tells her to stay back, Santino spits at Kofi and while the ref is distracted Beth rams Mickie shoulder first into the ringpost and Santino gets the leverage pin for the win and does the monster world cup winning celebration.
Alot of fun while it lasted. (1/2*)
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Adamle is talking to Todd and he says he's gonna take the Regan approach to running RAW. Kane comes in and Adamle says there's no more room on Summerslam so we get Kane Jericho tonight. But Adamle says he wants the bag and says its so kids don't go running around scaring each other at school. Kane says he's making a mistake.
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[Ad Break]
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We got to a classic segment as The Valiant brothers lose the World Tag Titles to Tito Santana and Ivan Putski.
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Rhodes & Dibiase talk about 1977 they say they weren't even born. Rhodes says that Tito and Ivan won the titles because they worked as a team. Rhodes says Batista and Cena hate each other and can't work as team. Ted says there only in there 20s and there further along than any hall of famer in there careers. Ted says next summerslam it could be Dibiase vs Rhodes main eventing summer slam and there gonna win the Tag Titles back tonight.
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[Ad Break]
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Cryme Tyme vs. The Highlanders
Micheal Cole is incredibly lame on commentary and Jerry isn't happy. Shad gets a shoulder block, JTG comes in with a slingshot front flip shoulder block before Rory tosses JTG out of the ring. Rory gets a hammerlock but JTG back body drops him out of it. Shad gets two closelines and a fallaway slam into a front suplex on Robbie. Shad boots Rory off the apron and gives Robbie the Thugnificances (STO).
Good showcase for Cryme Tyme. (1/4*)
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[Ad Break]
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According to Micheal Cole Orton had a motor cycle accident last night and will be out even longer than expected. Three Months longer infact.
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There's a desk and chairs set up with something hidden under a cloth set up. Punk and JBL come to the ring for JBL's mystery challenge. JBL wants to inform JBL of how happy he is that his title reign is coming to an end....but Punk cuts him off and he's fed of the same old tired arguement he's been hearing for ages mostly from JBL. Punk says the titles around his waist because he owned it. We are one week away from Summerslam, Punk has watched every single one, and he says his crowning moment will be walking into to summerslam and retaining his title. He says he'll proved that he's the man. JBL says he held the title longer than Cena and Batista. JBL says he built this industry and everyone here paid to see JBL. JBL rips on ROH and on ECW and then says Punk did a great job at Wrestlemania, he says Punk has talent but Punk has six days left as world champion. JBL says he can beat him at anything he chooses to do. So JBL challenges him to a drinking contest. JBL then rips on him being a straight edge and calls him boring. JBL says if he drinks that one drink he will conceed to him that he won that contest. JBL wants him to show that priciples and morals will be thrown out the window to win. JBL says he will do anything and that's why he'll win. Punk says if he drinks this then he's just like JBL. Punk says JBL doesn't get it, he's not JBL he's CM Punk, he says he won't compremise his beliefs, they've got him this far, he is world champion. He won't be bullied into his ideal of Championship persona. Thanks but no thanks. JBL says he didn't know Punk brought his soap box. JBL will toast to the footnote that is Punk's title run. CM Punk said he's had a change of heart. He toasts saying some times it's what you don't do that makes you who you are. Punk then throws the whisky in JBL's face and hits the high knee in the corner and poses with his world title.
Good segment, Punk was a bit goofy but the crowd we're into him, JBL was very good in his role but he always is. It was obvious that the crowd weren't overly familar with CM Punk's back story. Punk still gets a top midcarder response rather than a main event pop. JBL while have a long shelf life if he can keep this standard of promo work up.
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[Ad Break]
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Chris Jericho (w/Lance Cade) vs. Kane
Jericho unloads on Kane to start the match but Kane swats him away. Kane gets a head butt and a seated dropkick. Kane gets a hiptoss but misses the elbow drop and Jericho scores with the low dropkick. Kane then tosses Jericho and they brawl on the outside. Cade distracts Kane allowing Jericho to get the springboard apron dropkick. Jericho unloads from a mount. Jericho applies a sleeper but Kane fights out an runs into a brutal spinning side slam. Kane scores with a corner closeline and then runs into a back elbow. Jericho trys a flying axe handle but eats a throat thrust. Jericho rolls Kane into the Walls but Kane blocks it and scores with a side walk slam. Kane then goes up top but Jericho meets him. Kane shoves Jericho down and scores with the flying closeline. Mike Adamle turns up with a load of security distracting Kane as he goes for a choke slam. Jericho runs into a back elbow but as Kane clutches onto the burlap bag Jericho scores with the code breaker for the win.
Turned into an angle and too short to amount to much but fine while it lasted. (*1/4)
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Adamle gets in the ring and he says he knows its very difficult for him but he needs to resolve this. Adamle says he knows what's inside that bag, and he knows who Kane is refering to with the dead or alive stuff. Adamle says its the monster inside of Kane, he knows Kane is struggling for that answer. Adamle said when you made the declaration that he is dead, he proved that he can exercise his demons. Kane can live a normal life, yes he can, yes he can. Adamle says he can live a normal life by giving him the bag. Adamle knows what's inside and he thinks the people deserve to know as well. It's time to stop falling around, we need to get to the bottom of this right now. He promises he can have a normal life and if he shows the content of that bag. Adamle says Regan once told Gorbachev to take (he means tear) down that wall so he says to kane "hand me that bag". Kane walks up and takes the bag. Kane says there is a mask in this bag and the man who wore it has been scared and tortured beyond human recognition, proble is its not my mask. Oooooh.....he opens the bag and pulls out Rey Mysterio's mask. It's Rey Mysterio hahahhahahha that's a quote. Wow have they Bischoffed Rey again.
That was quite cool, but I mark for Adamle so you may disagree.
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[Ad Break]
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Jamie Noble vs. William Regal
Regal unloads on Noble and gives him a european uppercut accross the apron and just flings Noble into the side of the ring. Noble comes back with a charging cannon ball in the corner. Noble goes up top and scores with the flying cross body for two. Noble runs right into a great wrestling throw and Regal scores with the running knee for the win..
Well they definitely got Regal's offence over, Noble wasn't made to look too bad, well he's two moves up on Striker. (1/2*)
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We then go to the Smackdown rebound and see the genius that is Edge.
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[Ad Break]
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Cole and Lawler run down the Summerslam card:
Batista vs. Cena
Edge vs. Undertaker (Hell In A Cell)
Triple H vs. Great Khali - WWE Title
Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy - ECW Title
JBL vs. CM Punk - World Heavyweight Title
Mickie & Kofi vs. Santino & Beth - Intercontinental & Women's Title
MVP vs. Jeff Hardy
Shawn Micheals Career Announcement
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[Ad Break]
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WWE World Tag Team Title Match
Ted Dibiase & Cody Rhodes vs. Batista & John Cena
Cena and Batista argue over who should start but Cena decides to let Batista start before immediately tagging in. The heels jump Cena and unload in the corner. Cena tries to unload but Rhodes counters into a side Russian legsweep. Cena comes back with two flying shoulderblocks and the protoplex. Cena knocks Ted off the apron and does the five knuckle shuffle but he does the "you can't see me" to Batista instead on Rhodes and poses in Batista's face as we go to a break.
[Ad Break]
We return and Ted has John Cena in a chinlock, Cena powers out and avoids a butterfly press. Batista tags in and unloads with closelines and powers Ted into the corner with hard shoulder thrusts. Batista scores with the spinebuster and calls for the Batista bomb in Cena's face. Cena comes in and pulls Ted out of the Batista bomb. When Batista confronts Cena Rhodes comes out of nowhere with a chop block on Batista. They work over the leg of Batista until Dave pops up with a powerslam he hurts his own leg and tags Cena with a bitch slap, Dibiase shoves Cena into Batista and the levage pin gets the win.
No where near as good as last weeks all action main event, more of an extended angle than a match, good development of the story though and its good to see them get the titles back where they belong. (*1/4)
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Post match Cena and Batista look like there gonna fight when Rhodes and Dibiase return, the faces clear the ring. Cena walks away but Batista goads him to come back and Adamle's black shirt security charge down to step in. Batista and Cena keep diving at each other and we have a pull apart brawl. Cena has a really comedic slip in the middle of the brawl. We go off air as Batista scores with a spinebusterish takedown.
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Overall Thoughts: Nothing much in the ways of good wrestling, but a solid build for the PPV especailly from Punk and JBL. The continuation of the Kane storyline was long overdue, and I called it, I knew it was Rey Mysterio. The Beth-Santino build continues to be strong and Cena-Batista is doing its job. Nothing really stood out on the show to make it must see, but this was a very competent build that gave you taste but gave nothing away, made you want to see the real day. TNA should be taking notes.
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