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WWE: A Strong Response

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#1 · (Edited)
WWE: A STRONG RESPONSE
The Backstory​

Following No Mercy last night and after a difficult year with ratings and pay-per-view buys taking a downward turn, the steroids and Chris Benoit scandal, the WWE have been forced to take the company in a different direction, starting immediately.

Stephanie McMahon has been joined by Shane McMahon and Nigel Smith to head up the creative team that will see Smith take charge of writing both Raw and Smackdown. Vince McMahon has decided that wrestling and competition must become the main focus of the shows ahead of over the top storylines that have left viewers frustrated and fed up with WWE programming. It must be noted that the McMahon’s may still make appearances on television as Vince in particular sees himself as a top ratings puller.

If things couldn’t have been going much worse for the company, their top star John Cena was injured last week and will be out injured for around 7 to 12 months. With Cena pulling in a lot of ratings and being by far the top seller in regards to merchandise, it is expected that he may have some kind of role in the television shows, but that is only being discussed at the moment.

With regards to the low PPV buys, the WWE have decided that only five pay-per-views will remain in place for the next calendar year at bigger arena’s with the Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, King of the Ring making its return, Summerslam and Survivor Series being the five to add importance to the shows that were lacking in meaning and were rushed like the shows that have been in place this year. With this in mind, Saturday Nights Main Event will return in March and August, but we will also see the show at the end of December too, which will start at the end of this year. By doing this, the WWE are trying to make the TV shows seem more important and to add some more credibility to them and the company in the process.

Another one of several major decisions has seen ECW scrapped immediately due to its poor ratings and feedback from agents. This was seen to be coming for a long time and with its small roster, they have been split between both Raw and Smackdown rosters, which have also seen some changes between them, but none of any major note this far.

However, several workers have been removed from the rosters on WWE.com with Ric Flair and King Booker along with his wife Queen Sharmell apparently leaving the company after lots of speculation around their current situations. This is not seen as a big surprise as Flair and Booker had made themselves very unpopular with management in the build up to their disappearance from television tapings. It must be noted that it has NOT been confirmed by either parties that they have indeed left the company. The other main departure sees Vickie Guerrero leave her role as General Manager of Smackdown, but this is due mainly to family reasons with Vickie missing her children and vice versa. No replacement has been announced yet but Teddy Long will not be making a return to television in the near future. The Major Brothers have been removed from the roster but remain in Ohio Valley Wrestling since their disastrous debut on Smackdown after leaving ECW. Mike Knox has also been released from his WWE contract while ECW General Manager Armando Alejandro Estrada’s profile is no longer on the WWE website, but he has not been released, this is the same situation that Tazz, Joey Styles, Kelly Kelly, Layla and Brooke find themselves in since ECW’s demise.

On the injury front, John Cena as we know is out for the considerable future, Edge is recovering well and is set to return in the next 4 to 6 weeks. Bobby Lashley is pushing for a return at the end of the year and Gregory Helms is the only other long term absentee with a severe neck injury that will see him out until around June next year. Shawn Michaels remains on the sidelines at home following knee surgery several months ago, but there is no word on whether he is ready to return just yet.

On the TNA front, Bound For Glory takes place in six days time boosted by the news that they have signed former WWE superstars Rob Conway and Rob Van Dam. Any WWE return for Van Dam has officially gone out of the window now. However, the Chris Jericho debate continues to go on with neither Jericho or the WWE confirming that he has indeed signed a contract following the cryptic messages that have been displayed on Raw over the last few weeks.





Head of Authority: Eric Bischoff
Announce Team: Jim Ross & Jerry 'The King' Lawler
Ring Announcer: Lilian Garcia
Backstage Interviewers: Todd Grisham & Leticia Cline

~The Hall of Champions~


***Defeated Edge to win the vacant title at Backlash (27/4/09)***
PREVIOUS CHAMPION: Shawn Michaels (4)


***Won a fatal four-way on Raw (22/9/08)***
PREVIOUS CHAMPION: Ted DiBiase (1)


***Defeated Rey Mysterio & Mystico (1) on Raw (19/1/09)***


***Defeated Beth Phoenix (4) & O.D.B. at Extreme Rules (26/4/09)***


Carlito
Cesaro
Chris Jericho
Christopher Daniels
Cody Rhodes
Eddie Colon
Edge
Eugene
Ezekiel Jackson
Finlay
Goldust
Gregory Helms
Hardcore Holly
Jack Swagger
Joe Hennig
John Cena
John Morrison
JTG
Justin Gabriel
Kaval
Kofi Kingston
Matt Hardy
Mystico
Orlando Jordan
Rey Mysterio
Rob Van Dam
Shad Gaspard
Shannon Moore
Sheamus
The Miz
Zack Ryder

Divas
Angel Love
Brie Bella
Gail Kim
Kelly Kelly
Melina
Mia Rain
Nikki Bella
Queen Kong
Talia Sky

Tag Teams/Stables
Cryme Time
Eugene & Goldust
J'n'J (John Morrison & Justin Gabriel)
Picture Perfect (Angel Love & Talia Sky)
Rey Mysterio & Mystico
Team Omega (Matt Hardy, Gregory Helms & Shannon Moore)
The Bella Twins (Brie & Nikki)
The Colon Brothers
The Epitome of Excellence (Christopher Daniels & Kaval)
The King's Men (Cody Rhodes & Joe Hennig)




General Manager(s): Mr. McMahon & Stephanie McMahon
Announce Team: Michael Cole & Matt Striker
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Backstage Interviewers: Josh Matthews & Maria

~The Hall of Champions~


***Defeated CM Punk (1) at Wrestlemania (29/3/09)***


***Defeated Matt Sydal (1) at the Royal Rumble (18/1/09)***


***Defeated The Empire (Wade Barrett & Drew McIntyre) (1) on Smackdown (9/1/09)***


***Defeated Johnny Jeter (1) on Smackdown 14/11/08)***


***Defeated Beth Phoenix (4) & O.D.B. at Extreme Rules (26/4/09)***






Alberto Del Rio
Bobby Lashley
Brian Kendrick
Bryan Danielson
Charlie Haas
Chavo Guerrero
Chris Masters
Christian
CM Punk
Dolph Ziggler
Drew McIntyre
Elijah Burke
Harry Smith
Homicide
J-Red
Jamie Noble
Jay Lethal
Jimmy Yang
Johnny Devine
Johnny Jeter
Kid Kash
Matt Sydal
Michael Shane
Montel Vontavious Porter
Paul Burchill
Paul London
Petey Williams
Randy Orton
Ron Killings
Santino Marella
Shelton Benjamin
Sonjay Dutt
Super Crazy
Ted DiBiase
TJ Wilson
Wade Barrett
William Regal
Yoshi Tatsu

Divas
Beth Phoenix
Jillian Hall
Katie Lee – Valet & Member of The Empire
Layla
Maria – Also a Backstage Interviewer
'The Million Dollar Woman' Maryse – Valet & Girlfriend of Ted DiBiase
Michelle McCool
Mickie James
Natalya Neidhart – Valet & Girlfriend of TJ Wilson
O.D.B.
Stepahnie McMahon – Executive Vice-President

Tag Teams/Stables
CM Punk & Homicide
Jimmy Yang & Sonjay Dutt
M.V.P. & Ron Killings
Paul London & Brian Kendrick
Power & Perfection (Bobby Lashley & Charlie Haas)
The Empire (Drew McIntyre, Wade Barrett, William Regal & Katie Lee)
The Pitbulls (Jamie Noble & Kid Kash)
The UK Pack (Paul Burchill & Harry Smith)




FCW Heavyweight Champion
Ryback

FCW Tag Team Champions
The Rotundas

FCW Women's Champion
Nikki Roxx

FCW Television Champion
Damien Sandow


Alex Riley (Kevin Kiley)
'The Intellectual Saviour' Damien Sandow (Aaron Haddad)
Darren Young (Frederick Rosser)
'The Valedictorian' David Otunga
'The Maniacal Genius' Dean Ambrose (Jonathan Good)
Fandango (Jonathan Curtis)
'The Beast' G-Rilla (George Murdoch)
'The One Man Band' Heath Slater (Heath Miller)
The Mexican Assassin' Hunico (Jorge Arias)
Jay Uso (Joshua Fatu)
Jimmy Uso (Jonathan Fatu)
'The Human Wrecking Ball' Ryback (Ryan Reeves)
Taylor Rotunda
Tito Colon (Orlando Colon)
'The Ultimate Daredevil' Tyler Black (Colby Lopez)
Windham Rotunda
'The King of Charisma' Xavier Woods (Austin Watson)

Tag Teams/Stables
Alex Riley & Darren Young
Samoan Fury (Jimmy & Jay Uso)
The Harvard Alumni (David Otunga, Damien Sandow, Dean Ambrose & Alicia Fox)
The Rotundas (Taylor & Windham)

Female Performers
'The New Jersey Princess' AJ Lee (April Jeanette)
'The Complete Woman' Alicia Fox (Victoria Crawford)
'The Fearless Angel' Nikki Roxx (Nicole Raczynski)
'Queen Bitch' Rosa Mendes (Milena Roucka)
Serena Deeb
'The Girl Nextdoor' Shantelle Taylor (Shantelle Malawski)
Tamina Snuka (Sarona Reiher)

________


If anyone didn’t catch the No Mercy results from last night, here they are:

Triple H defeated Randy Orton to win the WWE Championship (11:15)

Mr. Kennedy and Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch defeated Jeff Hardy, Paul London and Brian Kendrick (8:06)

CM Punk defeated Big Daddy V (w/Matt Striker) by disqualification to retain the ECW Championship (1:37)

Triple H defeated Umaga to retain the WWE Championship (6:33)

Finlay fought Rey Mysterio to a no-contest (9:08)

Beth Phoenix defeated Candice Michelle to win the WWE Women's Championship (4:32)

Batista defeated The Great Khali (w/Ranjin Singh) in a Punjabi Prison match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (14:47)

Randy Orton defeated Triple H in a Last Man Standing match to win the WWE Championship (20:25)


PAY-PER-VIEW SCHEDULE 2009

RAW & SMACKDOWN PRESENT:
King of the Ring (4 Hours)
Sunday 31st May
From The Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia

RAW PRESENTS:
Vengeance (3 Hours)
Sunday 14th June
From The Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

SMACKDOWN PRESENTS:
The Great American Bash (3 Hours)
Sunday 5th July
From The Scottrade Arena in St. Louis, Missouri

RAW & SMACKDOWN PRESENT:
SummerSlam (4 Hours)
Sunday 23rd August
From The Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario (Canada)


OVERSEAS TELEVISION SCHEDULE 2009
(To be recorded due to time difference)

APRIL
Friday 3rd – Smackdown
(To be recorded on Tuesday 31st March)
The Sheffield Arena
Sheffield, England

Monday 6th – Raw
Adriatic Arena
Pesaro, Italy

Friday 10th – Smackdown
(To be recorded on Tuesday 7th April)
Olympiahalle
Munich, Germany


*Pay-Per-View History & Links*

Cyber Sunday 2007
2007 Survivor Series
2007 Year Ending Saturday Night's Main Event
2008 Royal Rumble
Pre-Wrestlemania Saturday Night's Main Event
Wrestlemania 24
Backlash 2008
Judgment Day 2008
2008 King of the Ring
Vengeance 2008
The Great American Bash 2008
Summerslam 2008
Unforgiven 2008
No Mercy 2008
2008 Survivor Series
Night of Champions 2008
2009 Royal Rumble (20th Annual)
No Way Out 2009
Wrestlemania 25 Pre-Show
Wrestlemania 25
Backlash 2009
Extreme Rules 2009


 
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#1,687 ·
But personally Triple H vs Shawn Michaels, this feud is highly predictable and we have seen it before as wrestling fans and each and every time they have feuded it has always been Triple H who has gone over in their feud, like have Shawn Michaels go over in this feud at least once instead of making it predictable in having Triple H go over yet again because at this point I don't think I can honestly sit through yet another Triple H title reign

But I am more, more interested in what is in store for my man Randy Orton, since I am a Randy Orton mark, because he is losing steam quite quickly as a face and I feel he has more to offer now that he has turned face but personally I love Orton as a heel better but as a face, he is more entertaining really
 
#1,688 ·
Looks like there's a lot of love for the Trips/HBK Mania match?!:D I understand the concerns and even though most feuds are recycled and this is one that's not happened all that often IRL in comparison to others, let alone for the title or on the biggest stage, there will be a few big surprises along the way. I don't think this will be that predictable at all.

As for Orton, wait & see.:)




>Breaking News!<

>Cena To Open Raw!<


WWE.com has just learnt that Smackdown's John Cena is still in Las Vegas and will be heading to Raw tonight at the Thomas & Mack Center and will open the show, presumably to address the events at No Way Out last night between him & The Undertaker.

Cena tried to apologise for inadvertently hitting the phenom with a steel chair on Smackdown Friday night before Taker's match to determine who would meet Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania for the WWE title. However he was unable to do so and seemingly looked to help Taker out when it Triple H was about to hit The Dead-Man with a sledgehammer. Cena hit the scene but again accidentally hit him again, costing him a shot at the WWE title.

The Undertaker returned the favour and was responsible for Cena losing to CM Punk in their world title match inside a steel cage. The lights went out when Cena was all set to escape it as the new World Champion. They came back on and The Undertaker entered for retribution, allowing Punk to retain the title in what was bound to infuriate Cena. It appears that Cena has something he wants to get off his chest tonight. Make sure you tune into Raw to find out what it is he has to say.


 
#1,689 ·
Yes Triple H and Shawn Michaels' rivalry has happened a lot especially with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line but never on the grandest stage of them all, but yes they have feuded a lot and yes this feud is being recycled because think about this honestly whenever these 2 would always be in the ring together, Triple H would always win always, especially when the feud was said and done and I know I am speaking for myself as well as others who may agree with my opinion and this is my opinion that no one wants to sit through yet another Triple H title reign because it is so predictable but I will give it a chance
 
#1,691 ·
As for Orton I feel honestly as a heel that is where he does his best work, he's much more charismatic but also much more venomous in the fact that he is more ruthless, more emotionless much more aggressive and much more remorseless punting superstars in the skull not caring one iota about anyone except himself and being champion and that is what makes him entertaining to watch hence the reason why I am such an Orton mark but as a face I feel like he is coming into his own as a face but at the same ever since this newfound face turn he is starting to lose steam relatively quickly and not to mention he isn't the same Orton anymore in the sense that he is not punting superstars in the skull and isn't venomous anymore, yes sure he has his charisma but bring out his dangerous side as a face with bringing the punt back and you will be fine with this face turn as it moves along in my opinion

Personally as for Orton I can't wait to see what you have planned for him seeing as how WrestleMania is approaching soon
 
#1,692 ·

Monday Night Raw
Monday 9th February 2009
Live from the Thomas & Mack Center
Las Vegas, Nevada



*Opening Video*
". . . To Be Loved"

*Video Recap*
From No Way Out Last Night!

"My Time Is Now"
The crowd erupts to a very mixed reception for John Cena as he walks out into the arena, not saluting the crowd as he heads down the aisle very low key, guilty even. . . Cena gets to the ring holding a microphone and his music cuts, bringing out of the boos as he stands in the centre of the ring with those angry boos being thrown at him as well as some cheers from the younger & more sympathetic members of the crowd.

John Cena: I'm not gonna waste any time here. It's a big night f' me included but there's something that I just had t' come out here an' say. . . Friday night on Smackdown as I'm sure you all know I was part of a six man tag team match, an' one of my partners was The Undertaker.

*Big Pop*

John Cena: Unfortunately not f' the first time I accidentally hit The Dead-Man with a steel chair, but let me repeat that word accidentally. I get why Taker's mad an' I don't blame 'im. I just wan'ed t' come out here t'night an' apologise f' what happened a couple of nights ago as well f' what happened on Raw the other week. I want Taker t' know that in no way whatsoever did I mean to do what I did. Taker, I hope you can accept my apol. . .

*GONG*

"Rest In Peace"
The lights are out and the crowd are going nuts as smoke blows around the aisle and The Undertaker emerges from it, getting an even louder reaction from the Vegas crowd. Looking as menacing as ever he makes his way down to the ring, eyes focused on the ring and the man inside it, and as he takes the steps, he brings the lights on to another big roar from the fans as a growingly more concerned Cena watches on. Taker steps through the ropes, eyes locked firmly & menacingly at Cena, and The Dead-Man walks right towards him. Cena takes a big gulp as he looks up at Taker as the music stops, tension aplenty in the ring as Cena expectantly appears to be waiting for a reaction from the phenom staring coldly at him.

"Sexy Boy"
The fans are on their feet again as the WWE Champion, Shawn Michaels walks out into the arena in a referee's shirt ready for the elimination match to determine who'll face him at Wrestlemania. Taker & Cena briefly turn away from each other & look up at Michaels as he heads down the ramp into the ring with purpose, and as he steps inside, he walks past them and Cena takes his leave, making his way to the back with Michaels going to collect a microphone. His music cuts and he gets one as Taker removes his jacket, giving Michaels centre stage.

Shawn Michaels: Like John Cena, I'm gonna get right t' the point. Nobody knows how important this match is more than me, but behind that curtain t'day I've heard a lot of rumours going round that yours truly is here t'night to abuse my power as the special guest referee. Let me make this crystal clear; I might've suggested that it be fatal four-way t'night but I never, not once asked or suggested I be the referee but here I am. My job is t' call this right down the line an' on my kids' lives that's exactly what I'm gonna do.

*The Opening Match*



First Elimination:
Orton turns his head towards the referee, then at Jericho, grudgingly having to accept the count. He does just that and retreats to the opposite corner, getting ready to take Jericho's head off with the PUNT!!!. . . . . Jericho unwittingly claws his way up on to his knees with the fans cheering in anticipation. Orton looks ready to explode, almost salivating, and as Jericho gets to his knees he bursts across the mat and swings his boot at Jericho's head.

Jericho pulls it back though and jumps back up as and turns round going for the CODE-BREAKER!!!. . . . . No, Orton pulls back and Jericho hits the deck. The Viper drops to his knees, banging his fists into the canvas, watching Jericho struggle back up, and as he makes it up to his feet, Orton leaps up and plants him with the RKO!!!. . . . . The crowd erupts as Orton shifts round to cover Jericho, hooking both legs with the fans counting along with H.B.K. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3!

Elimination #1: Chris Jericho by Randy Orton (pinfall).

Second Elimination: Orton stands back up as Jericho rolls towards the apron and The Game enters the ring. Orton turns round and sees Trips running at him, then connects with a perfect standing dropkick. The fans are enjoying it too as both men make their way back up and Trips runs into a snap spinning powerslam. The fans continue to cheer as a pumped up Orton turns round on his knees and sets his sights on The Game, driving his fists against the mat. The roof's about to come off but Jericho stands back up and steps out towards Orton, and The Viper gets up as Michaels stops Jericho in his tracks.

Orton stands firm though and stares at Jericho, letting him know he's ready for what he's got as Trips drags his way back up behind him. H.B.K. gets Jericho to leave the ring, and Triple H spins Orton round to kick him in the gut, quickly forcing him down into the PEDIGREE, AND HE HITS IT!!!. . . . . Orton's head got driven into the mat and Trips turns him over in a flash to make the cover with Michaels dropping to his knees and making an honest count. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3!

Elimination #2: Randy Orton by Triple H (pinfall).

Final Elimination: The fans love it as an unwitting Triple H lifts his head up off the mat, and Taker gives him a massive helping hand. He pulls up off the mat and scoops him on to his shoulder for the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!!!. . . . . It's deafening but Trips fights for his life and slips down Taker's back to safety, then pushes him forward into H.B.K. The WWE Champion takes a tumble and stays down, looking like he clashed heads with the shocked Taker, but Trips takes advantage by dropping on to one knee and low blowing The Dead-Man from behind to a ton of heat.

The fan boo the hell out of him as he stands up without a care in the world looking down at Shawn out cold and Taker writhing around. The Game cracks a wry smile and leaves the ring to look under the apron, pulling out his sledgehammer to even more heat. The Vegas crowd make a right racket as he slides back in the ring, eying up Taker as he tries to make his way back up. Michaels is still out of it, face down on the mat as an intense Triple H locks & loads on the unsuspecting phenom when all of a sudden a big pop breaks out and John Cena charges down to the ring.

He slides in to the ring, catching Trips off guard and tackles The King of Kings down to the mat. The fans cheer Cena this time and as he stands up, he picks up the sledgehammer Trips just dropped. Looking like he's trying to make it up to The Undertaker, Cena gets ready to take off The Game's head with his own weapon as he makes his way back up with Taker doing the same behind him. Cena's bursting to take his head off and runs at him, DRIVING THE SLEDGEHAMMER IN TO TRIPS' FACE, BUT HE DUCKS AND TAKER WALKS RIGHT IN TO THE SHOT!!!. . . . . Trips breathes a sigh of relief as Cena looks down stunned at Taker laid out thanks to him again.

The Game grabs Cena's shoulder and spins him round, right into a PEDIGREE!!!. . . . . The sledgehammer falls to the mat and Trips kicks it out of the ring, then kicks Cena to the apron before dragging the dead weight that is Taker up to his knees, struggling to do so as Michaels starts to stir. The fans boo like mad as the former WWE Champion gets set to get the rematch he craves at Wrestlemania against the man who took his title in the Royal Rumble. Taker's helpless and Trips sets him up, then sends him spiralling in to the mat courtesy of a PEDIGREE!!!. . . . . Taker's not moving and The Game rolls him on to his back as H.B.K. lifts his head up off the mat to see Triple H making the cover. Michaels drags himself across the mat and makes the count to a chorus of boos. . . . .

1. . . . .

. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3!!!

Michaels calls for the bell and "The Game" blasts out to even more heat from the Vegas crowd as a smug Triple H rises to his feet. The number one contender looks down with another wry smile as the WWE Champion drags himself up to his knees, watching as his Wrestlemania opponent throws his arms above his head again. It's clearly 'Game On' now, and as Shawn makes it back up to his feet looking unsteady on them, he & Trips stare at each other. There's so much tension between them with The Game looking very confident, almost laughing as Shawn shows some vulnerability.

To his credit he walks over and tries to raise The Game's hand, and he allows Shawn to do so, he takes serious pleasure in it, but as Shawn's about to let go, Trips turns him in to a kick to the gut and a Pedigree. His music cuts and the boos ring round the MGM Grand Garden Arena as the challenger for the WWE title stares down coldly at the man he'll meet in just less than two months on the biggest stage of them all. "The Game" hits again and he poses over Michaels, thrusting his arms back and taking great satisfaction in it with Cena coming to and Taker also starting to stir with The Game standing tall.



***



Punk's not down for long and tries to get out again but Cena stands up and drags him back, tries for an irish whip to the corner but Punk reverses it and runs in, nailing him with a high knee strike to the kisser. Punk grabs Cena's head on impact and spins round to run out of the corner for a bulldog, but Cena pulls back and shoves Punk forward into the pads. Punk hits them force and staggers out into Cena, F-U FROM CENA!!!. . . . . He got it and it's deafening in the arena, filled with cheers & boos as Cena hits the mat to make the cover. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3?

NO!!!

This time it's Punk who gets his shoulder up and Cena's in shock as he sits up, but he quickly shakes it off, turns Punk over and applies the STFU!!!. . . . . The crowd erupts and Cena tears away at Punk's face, and the World Champion has to fight to keep his title. He screams out in pain, face crimson as Cena tortures him, doing all he can to make him tap out. Punk keeps his right arm raised, desperately trying to keep it off the mat with the ref asking if he wants to quit. He screams no but looks in real trouble with Cena still putting the pressure on, but Punk starts to dig deep, dragging himself across the mat, trying to get to the ropes, and he gets closer.

Cena tries to hold on and Punk gets there, getting another mixed response from the fans as Cena lets the hold go, only to stand up and try to drag Punk back. The World Champion turns himself over though and kicks up at Cena, sending him back & down to the mat. Cena's not down for long though, and as Punk uses the ropes to get back up to his feet, Cena watches him, so focused & determined to put him away. Punk looks all over the place as he just manages to get his balance, and as he turns round to walk towards him, Cena again lifts him off his feet on to his shoulders and PLANTS HIM WITH THE F-U!!!. . . . . Punk is done for and Cena knows it, standing up to another huge mixed response from the Vegas crowd and he calls for the door to be opened again. . . . .

*GONG*

The crowd goes nuts as the lights go, turning the arena into darkness for about 30 seconds, and as they come back on, the cage door is open and standing outside it is The Undertaker. The fans are loving it, going absolutely mental as he glares menacingly at a stunned John Cena. Cena stands there in shock as Taker climbs the steps and enters the cage with the fans still cheering like crazy. Punk's rolled to the apron as Cena watches, still gobsmacked as the phenom walks slowly but intently towards him. Cena doesn't know what to do as Taker stares right through him, then grabs him by the throat with the ref trying to tempt him out of it, CHOKESLAM TO CENA!!!. . . . .

The fans continue cheering but Taker's not done and makes his cut throat gesture, then reaches down to drag the helpless Cena up, scooping him over his shoulder and into place for the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!!!. . . . . BOOM, TOMBSTONE CONNECTS!!!. . . . . Punk sits up looking absolutely stunned as Taker slowly stands back up, eyes on Cena the whole time, then turns to look up at the Wrestlemania sign hanging from the rafters. He turns back to look at Cena before leaving the cage with Punk and the ref still shocked. Punk watches Taker leave the cage and crawls across the mat opportunistically to cover Cena with the ref reluctantly making the count. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3!

Punk retains and "This Fire Burns" blasts out to a heavy mixed response again as the World Champion sits up looking thrilled with Taker turning back to watch without any shred of remorse. The World Champion stands up to get his arm raised by the referee in the ring, who shakes his head doing so as the ref on the outside collects the world title and hands it over to his fellow official. Punk receives it and throws it emphatically up into the air to more cheers & boos, grinning like mad with Cena flat out. Punk isn't done gloating and walks over to the corner and climbs up to the second rope, then stops & decides to climb to the top of the cage, sitting on top of it and raising his title again, this time with both hands, smug as hell with Cena starting to stir. The smile can't be wiped off Punk's face as he laughs away, clinging on to his world title as the show comes to a close!
"My Time Is Now"
A huge reaction goes off inside the Thomas & Mack Center as John Cena walks out to the stage, very low key tonight as he stops at the top of the stage and looks out into the crowd, clearly not sure how to take it or how to act after what went down last night at No Way Out. He sets off down the ramp, trudging down for a change and slides in the ring (with a steel cage looming above it for the main event) under the bottom rope, not acknowledging the crowd as he walks across the ring to get a microphone. He's passed one and he strolls back into centre stage, gazing into the crowd looking a bit sorry for himself as his music stops, bringing out a loud mix of both cheers & boos as he looks up at the cage too, shaking his head briefly.

John Cena: Y'know, f' the last 24 hours I've been thinking back an' forth. I didn't get a minute's sleep, playin' over in my head what went down last night an' what I wan'ed t' say, but as I stand here right now in front of you guys. . . I kinda don't know what t' say.

*Mixed*

John Cena: I've played it all back from the moment I walked out at the top o'the show to apologise to The Undertaker f' what happened on Smackdown Friday night. Right now I guess that was a mistake.

*Boos*

John Cena: Lookin' back I probably shouldn't 'ave been the nice guy I am an' gone to apologise f' what I did, but given what happened last night I kind o'have to explain why I did it. It ain't rocket science but after accidentally hitting Taker with a chair f' the second time I felt like it looked like it might not be an accident. All I wan'ed t' do was tell him that face t' face, an' after what happened Friday night when he chokeslammed me, I guessed he wasn't all that happy with me. That's why I felt the need t' walk on down t' the ring last night, an' since he didn't get chance to accept my apology I still felt like I had to let him know that I was sorry f' what I did, so when H-B-K got knocked out last night an' saw Triple H taking the sledgehammer into the ring I felt like I had my chance t' make it up to 'im. Right there in the heat of the moment I felt that was the right thing t' do so I ran on down t' the ring. All I had in mind was make sure Triple H didn't use that sledgehammer, but once you're in this ring something happens. I lost my head an' I picked up the sledgehammer. Obviously now I know I shouldn't have done that, an' f' the third time in less than a month I accidentally hit The Undertaker, only this time I cost him a shot at the WWE Championship at the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania, only it didn't end there.

*Heat*

John Cena: I respect that and I understand that reaction. If the shoe was on the other foot I'd be pissed too. The problem is I kind of am. The problem I have is I get why The Undertaker decided t' get even when he came down t' the ring during my match with CM Punk an' cost me the chance t' walk out World Heavyweight Champion.

*Mixed*

John Cena: Make no mistake about it, Punk just got the F-U, he was going nowhere an' that cage door was open. All I had t' do was walk out an' the world title was mine. I was seconds away from walking out of No Way Out into Wrestlemania 25 the World Heavyweight Champion.

*Mixed*

John Cena: Had it not been f' The Undertaker there's no doubt I'd be standing here t'night in a better mood with some a shiny gold title over my shoulder. The fact is I'm not an' I'm partly t' blame f' getting involved in business I didn't have to. Does that make it hurt any less? No, but like I said I understand it. It honestly doesn't make it any easier but right now the only way t' move on from all this is by clearing the air with The Undertaker. From his point of view I can see why he might think what's happened hasn't been a series of accidents how it's happened three times but I need you t' know dead-man that I have absolutely no beef with you whatsoever. I'm not gonna pretend I'm happy about what either of us did last night an' how yet again CM Punk escaped with the world title but we need t' get past this before it gets out of hand. Right now I wanna ask The Undertaker to come out here so we can settle this man-t'-man.

Cena turns & looks up at the stage, somewhat nervously anticipating Taker's arrival that he hopes to see with the crowd chanting "Undertaker."

*GONG*
A huge roar comes from the crowd as the lights go put the arena in darkness.

"Rest in Peace"
The fans go crazy as smoke blows across the stage and The Undertaker emerges from it to another massive pop from the Vegas crowd. His eyes are fixed firmly on Cena in the ring, and Cena also has his eyes on Taker, not looking too comfortable, still very sorry for himself. The Phenom walks round to the steps and slowly takes them one by one, then brings the lights back on to the joy of the fans in the stands. Cena looks on, still not comfortable as a very intense Undertaker steps inside the ring and removes his coat, making Cena even more nervous. Taker drapes it over the ropes and walks towards him, staring right at him with Cena looking very uneasy.

John Cena: As I was saying dog, what happened last night, I apologise, an' I just think it's best we get all this cleared up so we can both move pas. . .

Taker grabs the top of the microphone and forces it out of Cena's hand, completely shocking Cena. He looks up at Taker and The Dead-Man turns his head, looking up to the Wrestlemania 25 sign hanging from the rafters, and Cena looks up too, seemingly reading Taker's mind, and as they turn to face each other with Taker looking incredibly serious, he grabs Cena by the throat. The fans cheer and Taker lifts him up off the mat for the chokeslam, but Cena jumps free, landing on his feet and reacts in a flash by lifting Taker up off the mat, on to his shoulders and plants him with the F-U.

The crowd erupts, mostly with boos as Cena looks down in shock at Taker flat on his back thanks to him and he takes another look up at the Wrestlemania sign before looking into the crowd that are mostly booing him. He looks down at Taker again, seemingly regretting his actions and he takes his leave, heading back up the ramp as Taker sits right back up to a pop from the Vegas fans. Cena turns round on the ramp and looks down to see Taker glaring fiercely at him, and Cena doesn't know what to think as he turns back and heads back up the ramp to walk backstage, leaving a furious Taker watching his every step from the ring.


Dressed for action, a pumped-up Kofi Kingston is shown walking through the back.

Jim Ross: In just a few minutes when we come back, Kofi Kingston will be in action, next.

*Commercial Break*
We're shown footage of a sheepish John Cena walking through the back, and he walks past Leticia Cline, who tries to catch up with him.

Leticia Cline: John, what just happened out there?

Cena stops & turns round, still looking confused as to what happened before the break.

John Cena: Honestly? I'm not really sure. I remember The Undertaker grabbing me by the throat, I pulled away an' I just did what came naturally. I didn't do it on purpose t' make up f' last night if that's what anyone's thinking. The Undertaker attacked me an' I defended myself as I would with anyone else.

Leticia Cline: Well I have to ask John because I'm not sure how it came across t' you or I might be reading it wrong; did The Undertaker say anything while you were out there? He was looking up at the Wrestlemania sign. Did he make a challenge to a match at Wrestlemania?

John Cena: T' be honest Leticia, I didn't hear the actual words but yeah that's the impression I got.

Leticia Cline: He appeared t' do that too last night after he tombstoned you but I've got to ask John, how do you feel right now if that is indeed the case that The Undertaker, a man undefeated with the legacy he has at Wrestlemania possibly challenging you to a match there this year?

John Cena: Wow, I don't know what t' say about that right now. I mean we don't even know if. . .

Into the shot walks Triple H, looking right at Cena, plenty of tension between them as Cena stares right back at him, neither hiding their obvious dislike for each other.

Leticia Cline: Triple H, congratulations on becoming the number one contender for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania. In a way I suppose you might owe John some sort of thank you too.

The Game's still staring at Cena, not showing much love for him at all

Triple H: I don't owe him anything. He stuck his nose in my business, Taker's too, and it looks like he's going t' deal with John. Also, for the record, I'd have won without his or anyone's help. I'd have won the title shot I'm owed, I deserve, the rematch Eric Bischoff took away from me, but he can't take this away from me now. I've got my rematch at Wrestlemania against Shawn where I'll get my title back too.

John Cena: Huh. Taker might've challenged me to a match at Wrestlemania, we don't know, but you, you've definitely got a match there with Mr Wrestlemania himself. I wouldn't take that f' gran'ed if I were you Hun'er. Besides I hear you've got a cage match with Randy Orton t'night. Judgin' by what I've seen with you two lately, you might not be goin' t' Wrestlemania by the time Randy's done with ya t'night.

Cena gives Trips the eyes and walks out of the shot with the number one contender clearly not amused.

Leticia Cline: He is right. You do have a steel cage match with Randy Orton t'night. . .

Triple H: . . . Let me stop you there. As much as Cena and some other people may like t' think I won't be going to Wrestlemania after t'night, that's not going t' happen. Not only will I walk out of that cage later on and go on to Wrestlemania, I will beat Randy and send Shawn a message. He might be Mr Wrestlemania, but right now he's in a battle, a battle he can't win.

The King of Kings looks intently down the lens.


Jim Ross: Well folks it's been an eventful start to t'night's show t' say the least after what was a chaotic night last night here in Vegas at No Way Out. If you didn't know before I'm sure you do now that Shawn Michaels will defend his WWE Championship against Triple H at Wrestlemania after a controversial finish to the number one contender elimination match 24 hours ago, leading to the heated confrontation between John Cena an' The Undertaker moments ago.

Jerry Lawler: Heated doesn't begin t' cover it, from The Undertaker's point of view anyway, but I can't believe what we saw. John Cena FU'd him in the middle of the ring JR.

Jim Ross: He did, but like he just said King, and I believe him when he said it was just a natural reaction to defend himself. The Undertaker was going to chokeslam him like he did when he cost Cena the world title in his steel cage match with CM Punk last night. We haven't heard the last of this that's f' sure, but later on t'night as we just heard, Triple H will go one-on-one with Randy Orton in our main event inside a steel cage too. They've been at each other's throats since Orton returned last month after being put on the injured list thanks to The Game an' the sledgehammer that has helped get him the chance to meet Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania in London England.

Jerry Lawler: It was only a couple of weeks ago JR that Randy an' Triple H went through this announce table, and the same happened last Friday on Smackdown. Plus you have to think about how angry Orton's going t' be that Triple H is going t' Wrestlemania an' he's not.

Jim Ross: That's right. Randy got caught cold last night an' that I'm sure will only make him even more determined when he enters that cage later on.


*Video Recap*
From Last Week!

Kofi Kingston vs. Jay Lethal

Jay was pissed and was getting ready to hit the Trouble In Paradise he calls Enzufury. The fans were trying to warn Kofi and Kingston ducked it before exploding with the Trouble In Paradise himself. He absolutely levelled his brother who fell out of the ring under the bottom rope. He wasn't moving as Kofi tried to sit up himself, still struggling himself as the ref began the count. It got to 10 as Jay just managed to drag himself up the apron with Kofi just getting up too. "S.O.S." hit and Jay was pissed, then turned round in a strop to walk back up the ramp to the back. Kofi didn't look too pleased about it and went after him, catching him up close to the top and spinning him round. Lethal was taken by surprise and they talked some smack back before he dared Kofi to hit him, but Kofi couldn't and shook his head furiously, turned round and walked to the back leaving Jay not sure what to think.


***

An angry Jay Lethal was pacing backstage, shouting out for his brother Kofi Kingston walking in the distance. Kofi stopped and turned back to hear Jay calling him 'gutless'. Kofi asked him what he said, but as Jay walked up to his brother and reminded him how he beat him at the Rumble but how Kofi couldn't beat him just before. Kofi just about managed to keep his cool and told his brother he knew full well why he beat him at the Rumble, but Jay said it wasn't his problem that Kofi's gutless. This time Kofi couldn't keep his cool and threw a punch at his brother, and they went at it, slugging it out until officials stormed the scene to break it up, pulling them apart after a struggle with Kofi & Jay not appreciating it at all as they furiously stared at each other past the officials.​
*The Opening Match*
Kofi Kingston
vs. Cody Rhodes w/Joe Hennig
Kofi was really up for this from the bell, showing some real intensity. It was bad news for Cody, but he too was up for the fight against his old rival. Kofi started the brighter and was looking the likeliest to win as it entered the closing stages, but after only getting a two count from the Boom Drop, he looked to put Cody away with the Trouble In Paradise. Hennig though on the outside jumped up on the apron, distracting Kofi who went to knock him right back down. Hennig dropped down in time though, but as Kofi turned round he walked out into an Alabama Slam from Rhodes. Kofi kicked out at two, pissing Cody off no end. He thought he had it won but went back to work, trying to set Kofi up for Cross Rhodes. The Jamaican pulled back though and reacted quickly with the S.O.S.

Cody kicked out this time, and as they raced their way back up, Kofi ducked a wild clothesline and ran forward into the ropes to hit a springboard back elbow smash. Cody was reeling, but then Jay Lethal ran down the ramp to the ring, sliding inside as Kofi stood back up. The ref got right in Jay's path, blocking him off from Kofi who was fuming to see his brother there, but he wanted at him. Jay reluctantly got ushered on to the apron with Kofi talking smack at him, getting some back, but it gave Cody the chance to sneak up behind him and drill him with the Cross Rhodes, getting himself a big win! The fans weren't impressed & Jay jumped down to the floor laughing as Cody enjoyed his celebration with Hennig joining him in the ring. As they then left and Kofi started to come round, he looked up to see Lethal laughing at him, making Kingston furious as he proceeded to batter the canvas with both hands.

Winner: Cody Rhodes by pinfall.
Jim Ross: It seems that the sibling rivalry between Kofi Kingston an' Jay Lethal is far from over, an' Cody Rhodes takes full advantage t'night t' get a win over his old rival.


The Diva's Champion from Smackdown, Beth Phoenix is not looking in the best of moods at all as she paces the halls of the arena, walking into the path of Eric Bischoff as he looks to head back into his office.

Beth Phoenix: Hey, Bischoff, I need t' talk t' you.

Eric Bischoff: O-kay. I'm a bit surprised t' see you here since you're technically a Smackdown superstar, but after last night and we're still in Vegas I guess I can't be all that surprised. Needless t' say you're here about my Women's Champion right?

Beth Phoenix: In one. What I wanna know is if you knew what she was going t' do last night in my match, like getting one over on the Smackdown Diva's Champion. . .

Eric Bischoff: . . . Look Beth, I've always been a fan of yours. I was sorry t' see you leave Raw in the draft last year and I can honestly say that I had no part in or any idea Kong was going t' do what she did. With Vince sat alongside me last night too it wouldn't have been the smartest idea I've ever had.

Beth Phoenix: Right well, that leaves just one person f' me t' speak to.

Eric Bischoff: Whoa Beth. If I were you I'd be very careful about what you say or do as far as Kong is concerned. She's dangerous enough at the best of times. You don't wanna get her fired up believe me.

Beth Phoenix: Thanks for the advice but unlike the divas you have here on Raw, I'm not in the least bit scared of her.

Beth looks at Bischoff to let him know she means it before walking out of the shot, and Ted DiBiase walks up to him with his girlfriend, Maryse.

Eric Bischoff: Oh f' crying out loud. What the hell d' you want?

Ted DiBiase: Well it's real simple. I want you to give me a place in the Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania. I think we both know that has my name all over it. I have plenty of money in the bank after all and we know I'll be money for this company for a long time t' come.

Eric Bischoff: Well you make quite the case. I do however have one question. Seeing you lost t' Matt Sydal last night, why should I give you a qualifying match? I'm sure you think you're worthy of a spot by rights but it doesn't work like that I'm afraid. Even Big Show had to earn his spot.

Ted DiBiase: Last night Bischoff was just one of those things that always seems to happen with Matt Sydal. It was just another fluke for a lucky, lucky superstar like him.

Eric Bischoff: As ever you never fail to disappoint me with your excuses. There is in fact no shame at all in losing to Sydal. He's one hell of a talent but f' me you've done enough t' show me you deserve an opportunity to. . .

Ted DiBiase: . . . I'm so tired of this. I'm tired of you disrespecting me, so much so I'm that close to walking out on Raw. . .

Eric Bischoff: . . . What, really?

Ted DiBiase: Absolutely. Clearly you don't appreciate me like you should. We both know that I am without the question the next big star of this company. . .

Eric Bischoff: . . . Yeah yeah I've heard all this. If only you could back it up, but t'night I'm going t' let you attempt t' do that.

Ted DiBiase: Really, you are? You're going t' give me what I want like you should?

Eric Bischoff: Well, kind of. You will be in a match t'night, and if you win you will get a shot at qualifying for a place for Money in the Bank. . .

Ted DiBiase: . . . Great, that's all I ask.

Eric Bischoff: . . . Err I wasn't finished. Yes you will have a qualifying match next week if you win, but if you lose I'm going t' let you do something else you want t' do. . . you leave Raw.

Ted DiBiase: What? You can't be serious?

Eric Bischoff: I'm very serious. You're the one who said you were thinking of leaving Raw, and if you lose t'night you won't be getting a shot at Money in the Bank. It's up t' you. You win t'night you get a qualifying match right here next week, but if you lose you're no longer a Raw superstar. What's it t' be? For someone of your talent as you pointed out, you should be able to win t'night. I'm surprised you haven't accepted yet t' be honest.

Ted doesn't look too happy at the prospect it would seem about putting his future on the line.

Ted DiBiase: Fine, I accept. Who's my opponent?

Eric Bischoff: Let me think about that. . . Great, I have it. Now it won't be a one-on-one match. You'll be teaming up with someone you know rather well. Actually it was you that brought him here, your handpicked rookie Ezekiel Jackson, and you'll be taking on a team really making an impact right now who go about their business without any fuss unlike you, and they win too. . . John Morrison an' Justin Gabriel.

Ted DiBiase: That's all? Trust me, I'll still be a Raw superstar next week. Not only that I'll be the red hot favourite to be the next Mr Money in the Bank.

Eric Bischoff: Good f' you. I guess maybe you should go get ready then?

Ted DiBiase: In my own good time. . . in my own good time.

Looking fairly confident now, DiBiase turns & walks away with Maryse following.

Eric Bischoff: If there is a god up there, please let him lose t'night.

*Commercial Break*




"Glamazon"
The very angry looking Diva's Champion, Beth Phoenix paces her way out to the stage to cheers from the crowd, heading straight down the ramp, eyes straight ahead, not stopping to acknowledge the fans for a change.

*Video Recap*
From No Way Out Last Night!




O.D.B. just cleaned Beth's clock and stares down at her angrily, but quickly drags her back up to send her crashing back first in to the pads. Beth slumps against them as the challenger storms in at her, BODY AVALANCHE!!. . . . . Boy did she get all of that and she backs up with her eyes locked on The Glamazon as she staggers out in to the path of her challenger. O.D.B. doesn't mess about and lifts her up on to her shoulders, time for the BAM!!!. . . . . No, Beth counters, spinning round on her shoulders to hit a DDT!!!. . . . .

The crowd loved that. Beth fighting to keep hold of the diva's title but they both look wrecked as they try to make their way back up to their feet but the fans start to stand up looking towards the aisle. The camera switches to a shot of Raw's Women's Champion, Queen Kong worryingly headed down to the ring looking as menacing as ever with the two Smackdown divas completely unaware of her impending presence. As they get back up, Kong enters the ring and hammers O.D.B. down from behind her, leaving the ref no choice but to call for the bell.

The fans boo as Kong targets her fellow champion, nailing her with a devastating lariat. The ref tries to keep her away but can't as Kong drags Beth up off of the mat and lifts her high up into the air for a GORILLA PRESS SLAM!!!. . . . . The behemoth just drops Beth, staring eerily into the stands. O.D.B. makes it back up and Kong turns to see her on her feet again, but she's not on them for long as Kong plants her with a TWO-HANDED CHOKESLAM!!!. . . . . O.D.B. is down & out, Beth is trying to crawl towards the ropes, but Kong walks slowly towards her and drags her back and up to her feet.

Beth looks powerless as Kong scissors her between her legs, then hits a SIT-OUT POWERBOMB!!!. . . . . Beth is flat out, but Kong isn't done it would seem, slowly standing up and dragging the helpless Diva's Champion towards the corner. The undefeated monster climbs up to the top rope with Beth motionless beneath her, and you can hear the nervousness coming from the crowd before she leaps off, DIVING SPLASH FROM THE WOMEN'S CHAMPION ON THE DIVA'S CHAMPION!!!. . . . . A ton of boos ring round the arena as Kong leans back on her knees surveying the wreckage with no emotion whatsoever.
The Glamazon is standing in the middle of the ring with a microphone in hand and her music is cut, allowing her to speak, and she's obviously got something to get off her chest.

Beth Phoenix: I've been warned all day about what I came out here t' do, but despite what people think, I'm not scared of the woman who's been dominating Raw since she came here and for no reason whatsoever got involved in my match last night. You know who I'm talking about, the Women's Champion Queen Kong.

*Heat*

Beth Phoenix: Against a lot of people's genuine concern, Kong, I want you t' come down here right now.

*Pop*

Beth looks up at the stage, eagerly anticipating what she hopes is Kong's arrival, and she doesn't have to wait too long as the ever menacing looking sight of Queen Kong, the Women's Champion emerges from the back. She slowly but surely makes her way down to the ring with Beth watching her all the way into the ring, and as Kong steps inside she walks intently towards her Smackdown counterpart.

Beth Phoenix: You can try and intimidate all you want, it won't work. I came out here for a reason. I want t' know why you interfered in my match last night. You didn't need to. I wanna know. Tell me. I'm not going anywhere until you give me an answer.

There's no response from Kong as she coldly stares at Beth.

Beth Phoenix: Is that what you've got? Nothing? If you're not going to give me an answer there's only one other way I can get it, by beating it out of you.

Beth drops the microphone and hammers Kong to a big pop, continuing to unload, putting the Women's Champion on the back foot. She grabs her by the wrist and tries to send her into the ropes but Kong reverses it. The Glamazon comes back off the ropes into a massive lariat that puts the Diva's Champion down. Kong reaches down and helps her back up to send her crashing with force into the corner. Beth's back hits the pads and she slumps against them as Kong charges in at her, splashing the life out of her.

Beth falls forward face first and Kong glares down intensely at her, breathing heavily. She turns her head and sees Beth's title also on the canvas, and the Women's Champion walks over to it and picks it up, looking right it at before picking her women's title up too. She now turns to leave the ring with both titles to a chorus of boos without any remorse whatsoever, and The Glamazon comes too, lifting her head up to see Kong turn round with both titles in her possession staring down at her. The behemoth's music plays again with Beth in a bad way, slowly getting her breath back.

Jim Ross: I understand why Beth Phoenix called Queen Kong out t'night King, but I don't think many of us will be surprised it ended up like it has.

Jerry Lawler: The Glamazon's tough but why would anyone get Kong angry? I don't get it, and now she's taken Beth's title. This might real ugly JR.

Jim Ross: It already has, and I think she might have a job getting that title back.


We get a glimpse of the Christopher Daniels & Kaval (The Epitome of Excellence), the World Tag Team Champions walking through back in their ring gear, also not in the best of moods like most people tonight.

Jim Ross: It looks like when we come back folks, we'll be joined by the World Tag Team Champions. Don't go anywhere. We'll be back in just a couple of minutes.


*Commercial Break*
The music of the World Tag Team Champions, The Epitome of Excellence (Christopher Daniels & Kaval) hits to heat and they don't look at all pleased as they stop at the top of the stage in their ring gear, looking disapprovingly into the crowd.

*Video Recap*
From Last Week!

Carlito w/Eddie Colon vs. Christopher Daniels w/Kaval

Carlito & Daniels both had a couple of close calls before Daniels was able to pull away from a Backstabber attempt. Carlito rushed back up and ran right at Daniels who stepped away from the ropes, ducked it and rolled Carlito up while resting his feet on the ropes for leverage. The ref looked like he was about to count to three when he looked up & saw Daniels' feet on the rope and stopped the count. Daniels wasn't happy as he stood up and got into it with the referee, allowing Carlito to sit up and roll Daniels up himself, and mid-count he grabbed the rope with one hand himself, only this time the ref didn't see it and counted to three. Carlito slipped out of the ring with the fans cheering & "Cool" playing as Daniels sat up furiously. Kaval slid in the ring and tried to tell the ref what happened as Carlito backed away smiling with Eddie, both revelling in the win as the tag team champions looked on furiously from the ring with their protests falling on deaf ears.
Daniels is standing in the centre of the with a microphone in hand, Kaval alongside him, both still looking ticked off as their music cuts, no ref in sight though.

Christopher Daniels: It didn't take long. . . After finally winning the tag team titles three weeks ago having been disrespected an' cheated for months, it didn't take long for us to suffer all that all over again last week,

*Heat*

Christopher Daniels: The proof was there for you all to see, not that you care obviously. Time an' time again Kaval an' I have proved we are without question the epitome of excellence in this ring despite ev'rything we've had to endure, then last week we were cheated again. Carlito clearly held on to the ropes to help beat me. Of that there is no doubt. I am. . .

Raw's Head of Authority, Eric Bischoff walks out to the stage, armed with a microphone.

Eric Bischoff: We've been here before right guys? I don't exactly agree with all of that but it's clear you have a case about last week even though Christopher, you too tried to use the ropes yourself. I'm sure you wouldn't be complaining about that had you won, much like you weren't when you won the titles. Regardless we move on. T'night, right now actually you're going t' be in action and you'll have the chance to make up for last week because you're going t' team up with the Intercontinental Champion Sheamus t' take on both Carlito and Eddie Colon. Their partner will be a man you both know well, as will Sheamus after last night. . . Rey MYSTERIO.

"It's a shame that they lost their heads. . ."
A very serious looking Intercontinental Champion, Sheamus walks out to the stage, staring right at Bischoff before stomping down the ramp to the ring.

*Video Recap*
From No Way Out Last Night!




Sheamus again gets his shoulder up and Mystico drops his head into his hands, devastated, thinking he had the match & title won right there. Mystico takes some time standing back up with Sheamus still down on the mat, giving Mystico the chance to run the ropes for a SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT!!. . . . . Sheamus rolls away as Mystico crashes into the mat. They both pick themselves back up with Sheamus gunning for Mystico and runs right at him as Mystico backtracks into the ropes to drop toe hold Sheamus on to the middle rope.

The crowd erupts as Mystico stands up nodding his head and turns back into the ropes, storming back across the mat for the TIGER FEINT KICK, AND NAILS IT!!!. . . . . Sheamus falls back to the mat, but not for long as Mystico steadies himself on the apron. The crowd are loving it as a dazed Sheamus drags himself back up, and as he turns, Mystico hits the springboard, coming through the air, down into a BROGUE KICK FROM SHEAMUS!!!. . . . . He caught him out of nowhere and Mystico is out, giving an intense Sheamus the chance to make the cover, hooking both legs as the ref makes the count. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3!!

Sheamus retains but what an effort from Mystico, but Sheamus doesn't look too happy as he stands back up, staring down at his beaten opponent. He's passed his title and gets his arm raised with his music played, but as the ref lets go of his arm, Sheamus looks back at Mystico, who lifts his head up, eyes all over the shop. Sheamus drops his title and walks back towards him, then grabs his head to pull him back up off the mat. The fans boo and get a dirty look from the angry Celtic Warrior as he again sets Mystico up for the High Cross! He stands there and looks into the stands, giving the fans more filthy looks, then raises Mystico up into the air. . .

"BOOYAKA BOOYAKA. . . ."

The crowd blow the roof off the joint as Rey Mysterio (injured three weeks ago by Sheamus) emerges from the back and runs down the ramp to the shock of everyone, especially Sheamus who lets go of Mystico to get ready for Rey. Mysterio's eyes are locked on Sheamus and he slides in the ring wearing jeans a T-shirt. Sheamus charges at him but Rey ducks a clothesline and unloads with some stiff kicks to the chest that put Sheamus down on to one knee. It gives Rey the chance to check on Mystico, but Sheamus is back up quickly and he's pissed.

He charges across at Rey who steps back towards the ropes and catches Sheamus with a drop toe hold on to the second rope to another huge roar. Rey dials up, getting the crowd going even more before he runs the ropes bursts across the mat and swings through the ropes for the 619!!! Sheamus staggers back across the mat as Rey stands up on the apron, sights set on the man who cost him & Mystico the tag titles, and the Intercontinental Champion turns round in a spin, inviting Rey to hit a seated senton.

He takes Sheamus down but not for long. Sheamus turns and stares furiously at Rey, then runs right at him, but Rey leans back into the ropes and pulls down the top rope to send Sheamus spiralling down to the floor. The Irishman hits the floor to another big cheer as "Booyaka 619" plays again with Rey going to help Mystico back up, and as Sheamus sits up on the floor, he stares angrily at the both of them, absolutely livid with Rey & Mystico staring right back at him.
"I spit in the face of people who don't want t' be cool"

Carlito & Eddie Colon
stroll out to the stage with a spring in their step, taking great pleasure from seeing the World Tag Team Champions looking furiously up at them, and the Puerto Rican siblings carry on laughing down the ramp where they stand still, waiting it would appear for their partner.

"BOOYAKA BOOYAKA. . ."
A huge pop breaks out as Rey Mysterio explodes on to the stage, and boy does he look pumped up as he hits both sides of the stage, posing for his fans as Sheamus stares up at him, livid to see Rey there as he heads off down to the ring, joining his partners and slapping hands with them before sliding into the ring. All three of them salute the crowd with their opponents leaving them to do so as they hit the floor, watching angrily on the outside with Rey gazing over at the irate Irishman.

*Match #2*
Rey Mysterio & The Colon Brothers

vs. Sheamus & The Epitome of Excellence
Both teams brought their A-games for this one, but Sheamus and the World Tag Team Champions were hell bent on revenge throughout. The 'champion' team had the better of the match, but that was until Mysterio found his step. He came in firing at the end after he was tagged by Eddie with Kaval getting the tag from Daniels. Kaval & Rey had the crowd eating it up as they went at it fast & furious. Rey got the upper hand, coming close with a frankensteiner. Kaval kicked out of it at two, but he turned the screw when he caught Rey with a tilt-a-whirl back-breaker. This time it was Rey who broke the count at two, getting his shoulder up to deny Kaval the win for his team. He was looking to put Rey away and went looking for The Tidal Wave, the springboard roundhouse kick, but Rey ducked it and backtracked into the ropes with Kaval turning into a drop to hold on to the middle rope. Rey dialled up for the 619 to a massive roar from the Vegas fans, but Daniels came to his partner's rescue, storming the ring gunning for Mysterio. The Colons came at him though with Sheamus joining the fun as it all went off in the ring.

Carlito took Daniels to the outside with a clothesline that took him over too while Sheamus sent Eddie out. Sheamus turned to see Rey getting back up after being knocked down by Daniels. Kaval too was making his way up to his feet, but Rey was the target of the Intercontinental Champion who ignored the referee to charge at Rey for the Brogue Kick, only Rey sidestepped it and Sheamus nailed Kaval instead. The fans loved it but Sheamus didn't, running right at Rey who back pedalled into the ropes, pulling the top one down to send Sheamus spiralling down to the floor, much to the delight of the crowd. Kaval was flat out and Rey stepped through the ropes on to the apron, hit a springboard to come down on Kaval for a splash, picking up the win for him, Carlito & Eddie. The fans were thrilled, cheering for Rey as he stood up to get his arm raised, joined by Eddie & Colon with Daniels & Sheamus sitting up looking on furiously from the floor. All three hit the ropes, celebrating, rubbing salt into the wounds of the pissed champions on the outside.

Winners: Rey Mysterio & The Colon Brothers by pinfall.
Jim Ross: Rey Mysterio is back King an' it looks like he's back with a bang.

Jerry Lawler: An' Sheamus doesn't like it one bit JR.

Jim Ross: Sheamus has only got himself t' blame King. He attacked Rey purely because he eliminated him in the Royal Rumble match. Stupidly he blames Rey but he might be regretting that right now 'cause Rey is back better than ever.


We go backstage and Chris Jericho is headed through the back, looking very serious and ready to roll it would seem in his ring gear.

Jim Ross: It's time for a quick commercial break but when we return, we'll be joined by Chris Jericho. We'll be back in a few moments.

*Commercial Break*
*Video Recap*



The fans think they know what’s coming and try to warn the squirming Batista. The WWE Champion has no idea how much trouble he could be in, and Young is watching on with a big smile on his face, looking very confident. Orton’s raring to go, holding on to the top rope at each side with both hands to stop him going for Batista already. The WWE Champion gets up on to all fours, giving Orton the green light to charge across the ring and he swings his boot at Batista’s head for the PUNT!!!. . . . . Batista sees him coming and ducks his head. He stands up and runs in to the ropes as Orton puts the brakes on. The Legend Killer turns round as quickly as he can with Batista coming back off the ropes to take him down with a SPEAR!!!. . . . .

BUT NO! ORTON STEPS TO THE SIDE AND BATISTA SPEARS THE REFEREE!!!. . . . . The Animal can’t believe it as he looks the ref in eyes, then realises there’s Orton to deal with. He races back up to his feet, unaware of Orton behind him on his knees, pounding the mat getting ready to strike. As Batista turns round, Orton leaps up and RKO!!!. . . . . HE HIT IT BUT THE REF’S DOWN!. . . . . Orton jumps on Batista for the cover only to see the ref laid out at the side of him. Orton’s livid! He sits up in anger, clueless of what to do next. He looks over at Young, and he too has no idea. Orton looks back at Batista, and The Animal’s eyes are open. Orton panics and stands up, then calls for Young to get him something, pointing towards the timekeeper’s table.

Young gets it and turns round, walks over to Lilian Garcia and grabs the WWE Championship. He heads back to the ring and slides the title in the ring to Orton, and the crowd boo like mad as Orton bends down and grabs the title. Batista’s clawing his way up on to his knees, and Orton steps back with the title in hand, getting ready to take his head off. The fans’ worry is obvious as Batista struggles up to his feet, totally oblivious as to what’s waiting for him. The focused Orton runs at him, but Batista ducks his head and lifts Orton up off the mat and plants him with another SPINE BUSTER!!!. . . . .

The fans are cheering now as the intense WWE Champion kicks his belt out of the ring, causing great concern for Young on the outside. He watches on as Batista bends down and drags the helpless Orton in to place for the Batista Bomb. The fans rise to their feet as Batista takes a quick look at Young, and it’s a mistake as Orton ducks down and low blows him to a ton of heat, and the ref’s still down and unable to disqualify him. Orton remains on his knees with a face like thunder, pounding his fists in to the mat again. He’s chomping at the bit, getting ready to explode when the crowd does just that, erupting with a barrage of heat. Orton’s too focused to see what his rookie can. . . . .

TRIPLE H IS PACING DOWN THE RAMP WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER!!!. . . . . Young tries to warn his mentor, shouting at him and pointing, but Orton doesn’t hear him or takes no notice if he can as The King of Kings slips in the ring. Young jumps up on the apron and gets Orton’s attention, pointing behind him to the menacing sight of Triple H with a sledgehammer. Orton turns round and can’t believe his eyes. He stands up and RUNS RIGHT IN TO A SLEDGEHAMMER SHOT TO THE SKULL!!!. . . . . Young steps inside and charge at The Game, but he too is on the receiving end OF A SLEDGEHAMMER SHOT TO THE SKULL!!!. . . . .

Triple H stares down at the both of them with the weary ref lifting his head up off the mat and calling for the bell, awarding the match to Orton via disqualification. The crowd boo as The King of Kings turns his head to see Batista making his way up. Triple H turns round and sets his sights firmly on the unsuspecting WWE Champion. Batista stands back up as The Game sizes him up, then NAILS HIM WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER SHOT TO THE SKULL!!!. . . . . The fans continue to boo the hell out of Triple H, but he’s not done. He surveys the wreckage with no remorse whatsoever as “King of Kings” plays. The Game lifts his head and looks around the arena at the fans that are booing him, giving them all one collective dirty look as Unforgiven comes to a close.


***



Batista turns round and sees the ref isn’t moving, showing some concern, but as he turns back to face Orton, THE VIPER LEAPS UP OFF HIS FEET AND CONNECTS WITH THE RKO!!!. . . . . Orton doesn’t see the ref down and goes right for the cover, then turns to see the ref flat on his back. Orton’s livid and bangs his hands in to the mat. He crawls across and tries to shake him back to life, to no avail. The fans start to boo as we see TRIPLE H SEE PULL A SLEDGEHAMMER OUT FROM UNDER THE APRON!!!. . . . .

Danger looms for Orton & Batista as The Game sneaks back in the ring behind the oblivious Legend Killer. The King of Kings stands up with his deadly ally in hand, and as Orton give up trying to wake up the ref, he stands up and turns round IN TO A SHOT TO THE GUT FROM THE SLEDGEHAMMER!!!. . . . . Orton drops to his knees and THE GAME BRINGS IT DOWN TO HAMMER HIM IN THE HEAD TOO!!!. . . . . A ton of heat comes from the crowd as Orton just falls back in a heap, not moving as the sadistic Triple H stares down at him without an ounce of regret before kicking him under the bottom rope down to the floor.


***

From Raw (5th January)

The Big Show & Shawn Michaels
vs. Triple H & Chris Jericho


Triple H storms the ring and breaks up the cover with a stomp to the back of the head. Michaels is furious, as are the fans, and The Heartbreak Kid flies through the ropes and runs across the mat to clothesline The Game over the top rope, and the momentum takes him with the WWE Champion. Show & Jericho are both down as Michaels & Triple H try and make it back up to their feet on the outside, and Michaels gets there first and helps The Game up, but the WWE Champion reacts in a flash to send Michaels crashing into the steel steps.

Boos come from the stands, and back on the inside Show & Jericho claw their way back up as The Game drops to his knees and leans against the apron. He stops and a light goes off above his head, and he reaches under the ring, pulling out a sledgehammer to a ton of heat. He stands up and lifts his trusty ally up, looking at it with a sadistic look on his face. He slips back in the ring with Show & Jericho clueless, but the ref sees him and The Game just shoves him aside to run at Show, NAILING HIM IN THE SKULL WITH THE SLEDGEHAMMER!!!. . . . .

The ref calls for the bell, disqualifying Trips & Jericho, and the Canadian stands up looking shocked to see Show knocked out. The Game turns round and stares right at his partner, worrying Jericho. He has every right to be as the WWE Champion paces across and DRIVES THE SLEGDEHAMMER INTO JERICHO'S FACE!!!. . . . . A barrage of boos are thrown at The Game as he stands amongst the wreckage, then glares over at the referee, and the ref looks like he's about to make a mess in his pants. Triple H walks menacingly towards him with the ref really panicking.

"I hear voices in my head. . ."

The crowd erupts and rise to their feet as Randy Orton, for the first time in almost two months walks out to the stage. The Game turns round, shocked to see a seething Orton standing there glaring down at him with a face like thunder. He slowly heads down the ramp, eyes fixed solely on the stunned WWE Champion as he watches the man he put out on the shelf at Survivor Series on his way for revenge. The Game gets ready to take his head off as Orton calmly steps through the ropes and continues staring at Triple H.

They then charge at each other, TRIPLE H SWINGING THE SLEDGEHAMMER AT HIM, BUT ORTON DUCKS AND HITS THE RKO ON THE GAME!!!. . . . . It's absolutely deafening as Triple H hits the mat, sledgehammer falling alongside him. Orton stays on his knees but shimmies round, sticking his head right next to The Game's staring at him as he lies there out cold on the canvas. "Voices" hits again with the fans still cheering, and Michaels sits up on the outside, groggy and looking on shocked too with Orton still glaring intensely at the fallen WWE Champion as the show comes to a close.


***



Michaels is flat out, but Orton's not done as he stands back up and turns his attention to The Undertaker. With the fans cheering, Orton watches him turn into his path and leaps up for the RKO!!!. . . . . Taker avoids it and throws Orton down to the mat. The Dead-Man stares down at Orton and lifts his right hand up for a CHOKESLAM!!!. . . . . The fans are enjoying this as Orton claws his way back up, turning round with Taker grabbing him by the throat. With the fans cheering, Taker lifts Orton up off his feet but ORTON COUNTERS IN MID AIR WITH AN RKO!!!. . . . .

It gets a mixed reaction from the crowd as Orton stares over at Taker, watching him rolling around on the mat. The Viper picks himself back up again, as does The Game by the ropes. Orton turns his head and sees him getting up, and he runs right at him, right into a HIGH KNEE STRIKE FROM THE WWE CHAMPION!!. . . . . It sends Orton staggering away from the ropes, and Triple H follows him out with Orton turning into a SPINNING SPINEBUSTER!!. . . . . The incredibly focused WWE Champion picks himself back up, seeing the finish line in sight against all the odds.

He pulls Orton back up, once again setting him up for the PEDIGREE!!!. . . . . The fans boo as The Game gets ready to drill Orton, but The Viper counters again with the BACK BODY DROP!!. . . . . Both men pull themselves back up, and as they turn to face each other, Orton tries for an RKO!!!. . . . . The Game counters and shoves Orton into the ropes. Orton holds on, pissing Triple H off no end. The WWE Champion stares angrily at Orton and runs in at him, AND ORTON DROPS TO HIS KNEES AND PULLS DOWN THE ROPES TO SEND TRIPLE H TOPPLING DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND OUT OF THE MATCH!!!

The now former WWE Champion sits up on the floor in shock, livid to be out of the match and losing his WWE title. Orton stands there smirking back at him, very much enjoying the satisfaction of eliminating the man he blames for costing him the same title at Unforgiven and putting him on the shelf for two months at Survivor Series. The Game mouths something to Orton, not that it bothers The Viper one bit, but Triple H stands up and tries to get back on the apron. He's blocked by the two officials with Orton still watching as the angry former WWE Champion tries to get back at him. He's held back as Orton smirks and turns round, only to see Taker back on his feet and running at him, CLOTHESLINING HIM OVER THE TOP AND OUT OF THE RING & MATCH!!!

Orton hits the floor to a mixed reaction with The Game stepping back. He looks down at Orton without remorse, then shoves his way past the referees to drag Orton back up. The Game takes all his anger out on Orton and sends him face first into the ringpost. The Viper falls to the floor as the referees again grab Triple H and pull him away. He doesn't put up much resistance this time and retreats, still staring at Orton who remains on the arena floor, face down with the fans booing as Triple H finally relents and leaves ringside one angry S.O.B.


***

From Raw Two Weeks Ago

Randy Orton vs. Triple H

The Viper stared intently at The Game, getting ready to explode with the running punt. The fans were willing him to hit it as the oblivious Triple H dragged his way up to his knees, giving Orton all the invitation he needed to charge at him. The Game saw him coming though and pulled down the ropes with Orton falling over them all the way down to the floor. He sat up having dodged a bullet, and he knew it as Orton crawled across the floor towards the announce table. Triple H took some time to shake off the cobwebs before slipping out of the ring under the bottom rope to go after Orton, pulling him up from his knees to drive his head into the table. Orton fell to the floor again and a black cloud came over The Game as he stripped the announce table, prompting JR & King to shoot up from their seats. The referee panicked and joined him on the outside, pleading with Trips to rethink and get back in the ring, but he didn't, brushing past him to drag Orton back up and shove him on to the table.

Some of the fans were cheering but most were nervous as Trips jumped up on it, setting him up for the Pedigree dispute the ref's pleas. The Game looked into the crowd with Orton unresponsive, but not for long as he sprung to life, catching Trips completely off guard with the RKO to send them both crashing through the announce table. The fans went nuts and the ref couldn't believe what he was seeing, jumping up & down before checking on them, both laid out in the wreckage. He then called for help from the back and EMT's quickly came running out to attend to them with Bischoff shown watching on surprised from his office, stood up watching the TV. Orton started to show some sort of movement, lifting his head up and responding to the medics while the others checked on Triple H, who started to open his eyes too like Orton, leaving everyone concerned & confused as Raw came to a close.
Footage of 'The Viper' Randy Orton arriving in the arena is shown, game face well & truly on with his main event Steel Cage match against Triple H later on.


Leticia Cline is standing by backstage at the interview set.

Leticia Cline: Ladies an' gentleman please welcome my guest at this time, the WWE Champion, Shawn Michaels.

The camera zooms out and we get a glimpse of the WWE Champion, Shawn Michaels looking fairly relaxed with the shiny WWE title resting over his left shoulder.

Leticia Cline: Thanks for joining me Shawn but right now there's only thing I need to ask you. That being how you feel about Triple H becoming the number one contender for the WWE title you will defend against him at the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania.

Shawn Michaels: Well Leticia I think when I won the title a few weeks ago some people thought I wasn't exactly telling the truth about wan'ing t' face Hun'er at Wrestlemania. The truth is I meant it. Regardless of our relationship now we go a long way back. Many times we talked about going at it on the grandest stage of them all an' now, finally we've got the chance t' do just that.

Leticia Cline: I think it's fair t' say it's a match a lot of people have always wanted to see, but as you pointed out, the relationship between you both isn't as strong as it was. In fact it's quite the opposite, and last night after you counted his victory, he pedigreed you in the middle of the ring. How do you feel about that?

Shawn Michaels: I've known Hun'er a long time an' he's never missed an opportunity to stick the knife in. He does that better than anyone but he knows full well what he's up against at Wrestlemania. He's not been happy ever since I won the Royal Rumble an' took his title from him. Now he's got his rematch too, he's still not happy. He won't be 'til he gets the title back. He might say he's gonna beat me an' get it back but he knows I know him better than anyone in 'the game'. If that's not enough t' get him worried he knows that he's not just up against Shawn Michaels, the guy he knows knows him inside out. He's up against Mr Wrestlemania at you know where Leticia. He talked about it being impossible to overcome 29 men at the Royal Rumble. Well if he's gonna get his title back he'll have to overcome Mr Wrestlemania at Wrestlemania. He knows it's gonna be the fight of his life at Wembley Stadium. That's why he took the cheap shot last night. I promise y'though, it'll be the last one he makes. I'm ready f' whatever he's got in mind. He made it clear it's personal from now on in, an' that I'm fine with.

The Showstopper turns to camera looking more serious now.

Shawn Michaels: Whatever you wanna throw at me my man, bring it on. I'm ready f' the ride Jack.

Leticia Cline: Well thanks f' joining me Shawn.

Shawn Michaels: You're more than welcome.


"BREAK THE WALLS DOWN. . ."
Out to the stage walks Chris Jericho to a ton of heat, stopping & looking with disgust into the crowd before heading down the ramp to the ring with no referee, seeming to indicate Jericho has something he wants to say. He enters the ring and heads across it to ask for a microphone, and he gets one. His music cuts and the boos are thrown at him from the Vegas fans, not making him any happier at all.

Chris Jericho: I've not been back on Raw two months having left Smackdown because of John Cena, however in that short space of time he is already stealing the spotlight on Raw too without being a member of the Raw roster. All this because yet again he got involved in business that didn't concern him, costing me the opportunity to be a world champion, just as he did last year when I was a Smackdown superstar. The reason I left Smackdown to return t' Raw was to get away from the John Cena fanfare but yet again he has deprived me of proving I am in the best in the world at what I do by having the title I should and deserve to back it up.

*Heat*

Chris Jericho: The opportunity for me to prove that has been taken out of my hands on two diff'rent occasions by John Cena, however there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is an opportunity that has my name written all over it. It's an opportunity that originally was my creation. That creation, that opportunity is Money in the Bank.

*Mixed*

Chris Jericho: Money in the Bank guarantees the superstar in possession of it an opportunity at the world title of their choosing at any given time within a 12 month period. Given it was my creation as well as the opportunities I've missed out on thanks to Cena, I should be given a free pass to the match itself. Also, the first person to qualify for Money in the Bank last week is a man I've beaten twice in the last month. That man is The Big Show.

*Pop*

Chris Jericho: Big Show may be the largest athlete in the world but he is also without question the single biggest failure in the history of this business.

*More Heat*

Chris Jericho: Let me put this in perspective. The Big Show is seven foot plus and 500 pounds. He should be unstoppable. He is the biggest superstar and the biggest underachiever the WWE has or will ever see, which is why he will not be the winner of this year's Money in the. . .

"Crank It Up"
A big pop greets The Big Show as he strides out into the arena from behind the curtain, getting a filthy look from Jericho in the ring. Show, in his casual gear stares down at Jericho, not pleased at all with the Canadian's comments. He stays where he is, a microphone already in his hand as his music is cut.

The Big Show: You done running your mouth f' a change?

Chris Jericho: If you have something to say that can prove me wrong, feel free to enlighten me.

The Big Show: Yeah I've got something t' say. Sure I'm the biggest athlete in the world, but you Jericho, you've got the biggest mouth. You're a liar and you're a hypocrite.

*Pop*

The Big Show: You're out here making excuses we all know are nothing but crap. John Cena wasn't the reason you lost last night. You got laid out with an RKO, 1-2-3 that simple. The Cena thing is bull. You're just full of crap like those two wins you talked about. You know as well as I do one was a count out and one was a wrong call. . .

Chris Jericho: . . . That doesn't change the fact they were victories none the less.

The Big Show: Not victories t' be proud of or brag about it. You wanna talk about my career, about my accomplishments? I'll be the first to admit I've not achieved what I can but I've still got time, starting at Wrestlemania with Money in the Bank, which I will win. I just hope I get t' knock you out when I do it.

*Pop*

Chris Jericho: They're just words Show. They mean nothing until you back them up. You have next to nothing to show for your career here which coincidentally began 10 years ago last night which was a failure in itself. All you have to show for 10 years in the WWE is two short and incredibly forgettable world title reigns. You've been happy being a laughing stock which is what your career has become, and after I win Money in the Bank I'll be laughing at you again.

*Heat*

Chris Jericho: You're looking at someone half your size, someone who is the first ever undisputed champion. I went on to main event Wrestlemania as the first undisputed champion. I will main event Wrestlemania once again, something you will not do.

The Big Show: You sure about that are ya?

Chris Jericho: 110%.

The Big Show: You wanna back that up? I've got a challenge for ya. Right here t'night, you an' me one-on-one? How about it Chris?

*Big Pop*

The Big Show: Wait that's not it. If you beat me, not by count out or anything like that, you pin me or make me tap out, I'll give you my place in Money in the Bank.

*Pop*

Jericho stands there contemplating it, not exactly sure by the look of it as to what he should decide.

?: Hey, up here.

Eric Bischoff is shown on the tron, standing up in his office.

Eric Bischoff: As much as I think we'd all like t' see that, I can't sanction that.

*Major Heat*

Eric Bischoff: Your place is locked in Show. That's not up f' debate. If you want a way in Jericho I'll give you a shot. In fact I'll give you that shot right now.

Chris Jericho: May I ask who my opponent is? You know what? Don't tell me. It doesn't matter who it is. I will beat whoever is put in front of me, just as I will at Wrestlemania when I became Mr Money in the Bank!

*Ton of Heat*

Jericho drops the microphone, smiling up at The Big Show.

Jim Ross: It's time f' a quick commercial break, but when we come back in just a couple of minutes, Chris Jericho will be in action with a place in the Money in the Bank match up f' grabs. Who will he be up against? Find out when we return in a few moments.

*Commercial Break*

*Match #3*
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
Mystico
vs. Chris Jericho
The Big Show joined JR & The King at the announce table to watch as Mystico received a pretty good reaction from the Vegas fans. He troubled a cocky Jericho too, and he nearly got caught cold when the Mexican rolled out of the way of the Lionsault with both men standing back up and Jericho turning into a super kick. Mystico and the fans thought he had it won but Jericho just about managed to get his shoulder up before the ref could count to three. He shook off the disappointment and went up top, hitting a diving cross body, but he could only get another two count. Jericho was on the edge and Mystico looked to push him over, going for a hurricanrana. Jericho countered with a power-bomb, but he held on to the legs and in no time at all applied the Walls of Jericho, putting Mystico under massive pressure.

He tried to hold on despite the pain to his lower back with Big Show hoping he could fight it. Jericho didn't let up even though Mystico was getting closer to the ropes, and the Canadian stood up and dragged him back to the middle of the ring, giving the Mexican little option but to tap out. The fans didn't like it but Jericho did, looking so smug as he got his arm raised. He walked over to the apron and looked over right at Show, smirking at him before pointing up at the Wrestlemania sign, continuing to talk smack at Show. The World's Largest Athlete stood up and took off his headset, prepared to take Jericho on, but the Canadian turned away and left the ring, still smug as he headed up the ramp laughing down at Show.

Winner: Chris Jericho by submission.


Jim Ross: Well Show, Chris Jericho will be joining you at Wrestlemania in the Money in the Bank match.

The Big Show: Y'know what? I'm glad. This way I can run him over myself.

Jim Ross: It's shaping up that's f' sure. We've got two former world champions who'll be fighting it out for the chance t' be just that again. It's always a highlight at Wrestlemania and it will be again this year I'm sure.


The Miz is walking around the back in casual gear and he stops dead, and the camera pans to the side to show Zack Ryder on his cell phone. A black cloud comes over The Miz and he walks up towards him, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him round as Ryder puts his phone away.

Zack Ryder: Get your hands off me man, unless you want a repeat of last week that is.

The Miz: Oh yeah, a lucky punch. I'm really scared, and just so you know Zack, I never wan'ed to team with you. Bischoff forced us into those matches. You're a loser you Jersey punk.

Zack Ryder: You got anything else you wanna throw at me dude?

The Miz: As it happens yeah. You're lucky I don't knock you on your ass f' last week.

Zack Ryder: Go f' it. Lay it on me oh awesome one!

Miz smirks, clearly tempted but sees Ryder is ready & waiting.

The Miz: Y'know what? Not t'night.

Miz backs away and Ryder pulls his phone back out, turning his back on The Miz, but Miz comes back, clobbering from behind with a cheap shot to put Zack down. Miz sn-iggers and walks away this time as a pissed off Ryder sits up holding the back of his head looking in Miz's direction.


Ted DiBiase, ready for action is shown leaving his dressing room with Maryse, huge match moments away.

Jim Ross: Well folks, after the break Ted DiBiase will fight t' stay on Raw and a shot at Money in the Bank at Wrestlemania. Will it be his last match here on Raw or is he going t' get a crack at Money in the Bank? Come back after the break t' find out.

*Commercial Break*


Jim Ross:
You saw right folks. Next week live in Miami, The Rock will be in the house to announce who will be the first inductee in this year's Hall of Fame class.

Jerry Lawler: The Rock here next week? I can't wait JR. That's gonna be amazing t' see him in the ring again. I can't wait.

Jim Ross: You won't be the only one King. The Rock next week on Raw, don't miss it!


*Match #4*
John Morrison & Justin Gabriel
w/The Bella Twins
vs. Ted DiBiase & Ezekiel Jackson w/Maryse
The Bellas walked out to ringside to support Morrison & Gabriel, and the fans already were. DiBiase spent most of the match on the apron, asking Jackson to do the work until he had an opportunity to win it. The fans were all over DiBiase and they were panicking when he dodged a springboard enzuigiri from Morrison to lock in The Million Dollar Dream. He had it applied and Morrison was in deep trouble. He fought hard to stay in the match & managed to break it to a huge pop by forcing Ted back into the ropes. Ted was rattled and he stepped out of the corner into a super kick attempt he just managed to duck and quickly tried for Dream Street. Morrison slipped round and hit the Moonlight Drive, only for Ted to get his foot on the rope, and the ref only just saw it before he could count to three. Morrison was gutted but shook it off, tagging in Gabriel to try & put him away. Ted was a fighter and he managed to sidestep a jumping double knee takedown from Gabriel, and he jumped right on him for the Dream Street. He hit it too, but this time he was denied by the ropes as Gabriel got his foot on there before a three count. He was fuming and had a real go at the referee, giving Gabriel time to drag himself back up. Ted turned round in time to help him from his knees, but Gabriel shot up and kicked him in the gut, then exploded with a tornado DDT.

DiBiase was done for and Jackson knew it, as did the crowd. They were cheering until Zeke entered the ring, gunning for Gabriel, but he was cut off by a super kick from Morrison. Maryse was looking horrified as Jackson rolled out of the ring and Gabriel had time to go all the way up top, cheered all the way up, and he leaped up into the Vegas sky for the 450 splash, and he got all of it, landing on Ted to get the three count. The fans went crazy, cheering Gabriel as he stood up getting his arm raised with Morrison as the Bellas applauded, whistling away on the outside. Maryse couldn't believe it, looking on in shock as Gabriel & Morrison soaked up the ovation before leaving the ring, getting cosy with the Bellas who they've got up close to in recent weeks. They headed back up the ramp as Ted sat up looking shocked to the core. As the music came to a halt he stood up looking blankly into the stands, getting no sympathy whatsoever. Maryse didn't know what to do as a rendition of "Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye" started to come from the crowd, pissing him off big time. He didn't appreciate it but he had no choice but to leave the ring, and Maryse walked round to join him, walking back up the stage with the fans in full voice taunting him. He stopped & took one last look back before storming off to the back leaving an ecstatic crowd behind him.

Winners: John Morrison & Justin Gabriel by pinfall.
Jerry Lawler: Hallelujah JR. Thank god we don't have t' put up with this punk anymore. Good riddance.

Jim Ross: It's always sad t' see someone lose their job, maybe less so on this occasion but you have t' wonder what this means f' Ted DiBiase. On the other hand though King, John Morrison an' Justin Gabriel, their roles just goes on an' on.


John Morrison & Justin Gabriel along with The Bella Twins, Brie & Nikki are in the back walking back from the ring, all laughing & joking, until they walk towards the duo of Cody Rhodes & Joe Hennig.

Cody Rhodes: Well look who we have here, it's the golden boys. Well guess what? You're not the only ones who won t'night, but I'm still not all that happy. I don't know why that it is. Maybe it's because so many people are talking about how you two are Raw's next big tag team when anyone with any kind of brain knows that's me an' Joe.

Nikki Bella: Yeah whatever. Jealous much?!

John Morrison: Hey you're entitled to your opinion but I think we're all sick of listening t' you. But hey, congratulations on your win t'night all the same. You enjoy it and we'll enjoy ours.

Morrison & Gabriel walk away all smiles with Bellas.

Cody Rhodes: They better be careful with those two. God knows what they might catch.

Both Cody & Hennig smirk.

Cody Rhodes: What I said though about being sick of ev'ryone making out they're better than us, I mean it, but we'll show 'em.

Joe Hennig: F' sure.

Rhodes & Hennig turn & watch the foursome walking away, jealousy it may seem in the air.


The camera switches across the back & shows Triple H walking through the halls, looking up for the fight ahead as it switches to a shot of Randy Orton doing the same, also fired-up.

Jim Ross: We're just a matter of minutes away from our main event, a steel cage match between Triple H an' Randy Orton. Whatever you do, don't you go anywhere. This is one you just can't afford t' miss.



*Commercial Break*



>48 Days!<

We're shown footage from during the break where Ted DiBiase & Maryse are walking backstage, met by a group of superstars laughing at them, Eric Bischoff included in the background with DiBiase's bag being thrown at him by Finlay. Ted looks around and storms off with Maryse following, leaving the rest of the locker room very happy indeed, Bischoff too as he walks away smirking.


We go back to the arena as the steel cage is lowered to the ring, getting the crowd going no end.

"TIME T' PLAY THE GAME. . ."
An enormous eruption of boos breaks out as Triple H makes his way out to the stage, stopping there, briefly turning to the crowd before pouring water over his head and setting off down the ramp to the ring. He stops & looks at the cage, tosses the water bottle to the side and walks to the door, then steps inside to join the referee & Lilian Garcia. He walks towards her and demands the microphone, worrying her slightly and she hands it over as the number one contender for the WWE title's music is cut, bringing out the boos even more.

Triple H: This t'night is a match Eric Bischoff wants t' try an' punish me f' getting my rematch at the WWE Championship. I've got news for y'Bischoff, you're gonna be disappointed like you were last night. Randy Orton is about to suffer defeat at my hands like he did last night at No Way Out, just like Shawn Michaels will at Wrestlemania.

*Major Heat*

Triple H: Shawn, I know you're watching. I've got a simple message for you. Now I have my rematch it doesn't matter what our history is. It's about one thing. It's about one goal, reclaiming what should still be mine, what you stole from me at the Royal Rumble. . . the WWE Championship.

*More Heat*

Triple H: I don't care how good friends we once were. As of right now you are the enemy. I will do whatever I have to t' get my title back. If I have t' beat you up so bad it ends your career, that's what I'll do. I did it t' Ric an' I did it t' Batista. I've got no problem making you the next victim if that's what it takes.

*More Boos*

Triple H: I will win back the WWE title. I don't care if you call yourself Mr Wrestlemania where you claim t' be king. The thing is I'm the King Shawn, The King of Kings, but most importantly I'm the next WWE Champion. All that's waiting f' you is your ranch in San Antonio you'll be going back to crippled without the WWE title and with your tail between your legs. That Shawn will happen. I guarantee it.

*More Heat*

Triple H: In seven weeks at Wrestlemania when I step inside this ring with Mr Wrestlemania, The Showstopper, I WILL stop the show, once and for all.

With boos ringing round the arena The Game stares intently into the crowd as the camera briefly goes backstage to Shawn Michaels watching backstage, and he's clearly not taken those comments at all well. The shot goes back to the ring as Lilian receives the microphone back.

"I HEAR VOICES IN MY HEAD. . ."
The fans go wild as Randy Orton steps out into the arena, stopping & staring intensely down at the ring & Triple H inside it. He slowly & intently heads down to the ring, stopping again looking at the cage and then the crowd before walking round to enter the ring, staring straight ahead at Triple H, the man who put him out of action for two months, letting him know he's bang up for this.

*The Main Event*
Steel Cage Match
Randy Orton
vs. Triple H
The Viper & The Game didn't hold back & went all out to secure an important victory over the other. The crowd were behind Orton the entire way and they loved it when he managed to save the match, jumping up to the ropes in time to pull Triple H back in and take him down with a side suplex off the top rope. He was ready to explode with the RKO, driving his fists into the mat when they both started to stir. The fans were chanting "RKO" too, but The Game countered, pushing Orton into the ropes. The Viper held on though and Trips ran into it, given a helping hand face first into the steel though by Orton. Trips hit the deck but Orton pulled him back up, resting his feet on the second rope to hit a spike DDT to another big pop. The Game dug deep though and got his shoulder up at the count of two. Orton then looked to leave the cage, but as the door was opened he turned back to see Trips stirring, and The Viper decided to turn back to a massive roar, getting ready to surge out of his boots. He burst across the mat looking to hit the punt to the head but Trips pulled his head back and low blowed him to a ton of heat. The number one contender for the WWE title then crawled across eventually to try & leave the cage, but Orton followed to drag him back in as he was half way out. They both made their way back up with Orton reversing an irish whip to catch Trips with a spinning power-slam. Orton was picking up the momentum, catching Trips as they got back up with an inverted side back-breaker. The fans were willing him on again as he was once again got ready for the RKO, but again Trips dodged it, pulling back as Orton leapt up into the air.

Orton hit the deck, and as he got back up, he turned into a spinning spine-buster from The Game. The King of Kings was looking fierce now and could smell the blood in the water. He helped Orton up from his knees and set him up for the Pedigree, only for The Viper to counter with a back body drop. Both men had to drag themselves back up, and as they turned to face each other, Orton drilled him with a snap DDT. Again it wasn't enough and went to climb the cage. Unfortunately for him and the crowd, The Game caught up with him and brought him back on to the top rope, hitting a super-plex. Both were in a bad way but Trips was first to react and he started crawling towards the door. The ref opened it and a massive pop broke out in the stands, and as Triple H made it up to his knees and stuck his head through the ropes with Orton crawling behind him, Shawn Michaels appeared by the door, grabbed it and slammed it into Triple H's face to an almighty cheer from the Vegas fans. The Game turned back in a spin, right into an RKO from Orton who dived on top of him to make the cover, getting the three to get another huge pop from the crowd. They were cheering like mad as a very serious Heartbreak Kid walked over to the timekeeper's table and grabbed a microphone as a tired & sore Orton got his arm raised by the referee. He left the ring and had a brief awkward exchange with the WWE Champion before Michaels entered the cage with the microphone & his WWE title. With The Game slowly coming to, eyes all over the shop though, Michaels walked right towards him, kneeling down to get up close to his Wrestlemania opponent.

Winner: Randy Orton by pinfall.
Shawn Michaels: You wanna take this from me Hun'er? You wan' a battle? You got it.

*Big Pop*

Shawn Michaels: But at Wrestlemania Jack it's gonna end one way an' one way only my man.

The Heartbreak Kid backs up to the corner and drops the microphone and the WWE title, tuning up the band with the fans going nuts, stomping their feet in tandem, clapping their hands too. The Game has no idea as he claws his way back up, eyes all over the shop, and as he turns round, Michaels explodes out of the corner and takes his head off with some sweet chin music. It's deafening in the Thomas & Mack Center as Michaels stares down at him and does a DX chop. "Sexy Boy" blasts out to a huge pop as Shawn turns back to pick his title up off the mat. The Showstopper lifts his title up into the air, standing over the fallen number one contender he'll meet at Wrestlemania.

Jim Ross: Randy Orton gets a big win t'night but if Triple H thought he was going t' have it easy at Wrestlemania, Shawn Michaels showed him that's just not going t' be the case. Battle lines have well an' truly been drawn here t'night. If there's any doubt about whether or not we're on the road to Wrestlemania, they've been answered. It's going t' be a bumpy ride that's f' sure. We'll see you next week ladies an' gentleman when this wild ride continues in Miami with the return of The Rock. That you will not want t' miss I assure you. Until then, good night all.

*End of Show*

Quick Results

Cody Rhodes df. Kofi Kingston
Rey Mysterio, Carlito & Eddie Colon df. Sheamus, Christopher Daniels & Kaval
Chris Jericho df. Mystico
John Morrison & Justin Gabriel df. Ted DiBiase & Ezekiel Jackson
Randy Orton df. Triple H

>Superstars Tapings<
Matt Hardy & Gregory Helms df. The Pitbulls
Queen Kong df. Maria


______________________________________​

>Confirmed for Wrestlemania XXV<
Date:
Sunday 29th March 2009 (7 Weeks)
Location: Wembley Stadium (London, England)

WWE Championship
Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Triple H

Money in the Bank
The Big Show vs. Chris Jericho vs. ?


 
#1,693 ·
I loved RAW especially knowing that next week The Rock is coming back, but I wonder what Rock could be coming back for or more importantly why? I know he is coming back for introducing the first inductee for the 2009 Hall of Fame class, why do I get the feeling Rock is either going to introduce Mick Foley or his long-time rival Stone Cold Steve Austin as the first inductee for the 2009 class but I really wish this is not a one-off appearance from The Rock and here is hoping Rock sticks around maybe Rock can feud with Cena, Punk, Taker, HBK, Orton, sky's the limit

But the ending of RAW, I loved it, now HBK vs HHH is personal
 
#1,694 ·
I haven’t really left any proper feedback in a while, so just bare with me. I also might be a little slow on some things, as I don’t really know what’s going on in the thread. Well, here goes anyway...

Opening the show with John Cena tonight was definitely the right choice. Whilst I fully expect Cena to be the heel in this situation with ‘Taker, it was pretty obvious he’d deny having any beef with the Dead man. That’s all well and good and I thought you captured Cena’s character pretty well early on. From there though, I didn’t fully agree with the direction you decided to take things. As much as Cena’s a good guy and all that jazz, he loves the World Heavyweight title, so to see him apologise, even though ‘Taker got revenge, made him seem like a pussy. Cena should have been mad, regardless of what he did earlier in the night. The epic face to face confrontation and Cena getting the upper hand was a nice way to end the segment, and is probably just the beginning of what will be many more on the road to ‘Mania.

In a booking sense, I noticed you’ve booked a steel cage match as tonight’s main event. That seems strange considering there was just a steel cage match as the main event of last night’s PPV. Wow, way to really overkill the stipulation. Not much else to say other than I just think that one is a simple booking mistake.

Cena’s interview straight after the situation was a good move, just adding to the situation even more. You’ve made it seem majorly important right off the bat, just like it should be.

The confrontation between Cena and Hunter was done well. Obviously you’re still using Cena as a face, I’m just intrigued to see if that will change in the coming weeks. This just came across as a typical Triple H promo really. He wants to beat Orton, and he wants the title at ‘Mania. Nothing else really to add.

Not really too sure what’s been going on with the whole Kingston/Lethal situation. It seems you’re booking some sort of sibling rivalry storyline. No idea how that is going to go, but I’ll give you marks for doing something different. Jay interfering obviously adds more fuel to the fire, and this is a nice win for Rhodes to get under his belt as well.

Phoenix/Kong feud? Wow, that’s all kinds of awesome. I like Phoenix playing the bad ass who isn’t scared of Kong as well. A match at ‘Mania between these two would be a sight to see. I pray you make it a unification match though, two women’s titles in one thread make me want to throw up slightly.

Okay, so I’ve just finally realised now that Bischoff is playing a face in this thread. His interaction with DiBiase was decent enough, and butting heads with the GM is a good way to get DiBiase over. No idea what your plans for Ted are, but you’ve definitely put him in an interesting situation for tonight. Smart booking if I’ve ever seen it.

I like the segment to build some hype, with Phoenix being a Smackdown star and being here making the situation even more exciting. I feel like Beth could have said a little more. It just seemed a little rushed, probably could have been better if she recapped Kong’s dominance a little more, before mentioning her own. Even still, what she said was okay, and Kong looks like a monster coming out of this one. Again, a nice segment to build hype towards what will obviously become a ‘Mania match. The fact that Kong took both titles makes me think you might actually make it a unification match as well, great.

Typical dickish heelish stuff from Daniels, complaining about things he wouldn’t think twice about doing. Bischoff interrupting, and booking a pretty neat six man tag match is good booking. If I’m honest, I probably would have liked a little more length with the promo, as it all seemed a little rushed. With that being said, it looks like you might just prefer condensed promos.

A nice win for the faces in a six man tag, in a match that clearly just adds fire to both respective feuds.

I really enjoyed the massive video package, highlighting everything that’s taken place between Orton and Triple H. If I’m honest though, with how long this feud has gone on for, it seems a little lacklustre for the blow off match to take place on an episode of Raw.

Shawn Michaels interview was pretty good as well, getting his perspective of things. Nothing overly special, just mentioning their past a little, which has happened about a MILLION times before. I’m already not sold on HBK/HHH headlining ‘Mania just because of how many times they have battled in the past. Now, If I’m catching up on things right, I hear they just wrestled a few weeks ago with Shawn winning and now he has his rematch? If that’s the case, I’m even more against this feud heading into ‘Mania.

Chris Jericho promo time? Okay, sounds good. I didn’t necessarily like Jericho using the Cena angle here. I mean, Cena is clearly going to be busy with The Undertaker, so it more or less just seems like Jericho threw it in there for an excuse. I get that excuses suit his character, but mentioning Cena randomly, in my opinion, does no good for anybody. Jericho running down Show’s career was pretty well done, and I like the idea of building some legitimate heat between guys who’re going to be in the MITB ladder match. So often it’s just a bunch of spot monkeys, if you can add some decent build, and throw some psychology into the match it can be an absolute winner. I feel like you’ve started to do that well here.

A nice little chance here for Mystico to shine, but let’s be serious, he was never going to win this one. Jericho’s now in the MITB, which is a great move, and I’ve loved the way you’ve started things with Jericho/Show tonight.

Not too sure what’s going on between The Miz and Ryder but the segment was pretty heated. The little hyphen to stop yourself from writing ...... made me laugh slightly. Back on topic, Ryder just pulling his phone back out and allowing himself to be attacked came across as dumb. He grabbed his phone way to soon, not even bothering to stare down Miz, instead he just turned his back. Really seemed dumb, which probably wasn’t necessarily what you were going for. I guess the attack does still build some heat between the two though.

The Rock on Raw next week? Awesome. It looks like I decided to start following at the right time.

Morrison and Gabriel seem to be a team you are working towards pushing which I like. Not too sure about having The Bellas with them though, but I’ll withhold judgment at this stage. DiBiase being gone from Raw shocks me... but he’s a great talent, so I’m guessing it’s only a matter of time before he makes an impact on Smackdown.

A decent confrontation between two young tandems. A feud between the four men could really do magic for all their careers. This is a decent start to that, although Morrison’s line about you enjoy your win, we’ll enjoy ours was way to cheesy and nice for my liking. I loved the god knows what they might catch from Rhodes though, and hopefully this escalates in the coming weeks.

Random Finlay appearance? Okay then...

I don’t want to give you the wrong idea, I’m all for ‘Mania hype. I feel as if every show in this thread up until ‘Mania itself, should all just be flat out hype for the event. With that being said, judging by how big this HHH/Orton thing has been, for Trips to come out right before a big blow off match with Orton, and just talk about Michaels only is a huge mistake. All you’ve done is basically make this match between Trips and Orton seem unimportant. Definitely a big mistake there, imo.

Steel cage match? Big time main event? Blow off of a major feud? All signs said this should have been brilliant, but I just continue to disagree with how it was done. Orton was ready to lose until Shawn makes the save, and being that Orton is still pretty fresh off a return he should have looked really good here. And again, Michaels getting involved and then even the aftermath all being about Michaels really over shadows the Orton/Trips situation. I don’t agree with the way this was done, and to be honest, I think you’ve sort of blown a massive storyline if this is now the end of Orton and Triple H.

Overall, you seem to know where you want to go with Mania, and I’m not going to lie, the show is already shaping up be a good one. Everything seems to be ready to explode during the lead up to the big event which is brilliant. I feel like the whole main event situation was handled incorrectly here tonight though, and it did leave a damper on the show for me. With that being said, the show was still solid, and there’s enough brewing to make me want to come back for more. Keep it up.
 
#1,695 ·
Cheers for that mate. There's some really good stuff in there, some of which I knew would be questioned & rightly so. There's also a few things I wanted to clarify.

Opening the show with John Cena tonight was definitely the right choice. Whilst I fully expect Cena to be the heel in this situation with ‘Taker, it was pretty obvious he’d deny having any beef with the Dead man. That’s all well and good and I thought you captured Cena’s character pretty well early on. From there though, I didn’t fully agree with the direction you decided to take things. As much as Cena’s a good guy and all that jazz, he loves the World Heavyweight title, so to see him apologise, even though ‘Taker got revenge, made him seem like a pussy. Cena should have been mad, regardless of what he did earlier in the night. The epic face to face confrontation and Cena getting the upper hand was a nice way to end the segment, and is probably just the beginning of what will be many more on the road to ‘Mania.
There will be a further twist in the tale on Smackdown as far as Cena is concerned but I didn't want to go overboard with Cena's anger & character too soon. Knowing the F-U was coming I thought I'd play it gentle for now and let his intensity build over time. As far as a heel turn goes, I'm open to it but it's not planned tbh.

Shawn Michaels interview was pretty good as well, getting his perspective of things. Nothing overly special, just mentioning their past a little, which has happened about a MILLION times before. I’m already not sold on HBK/HHH headlining ‘Mania just because of how many times they have battled in the past. Now, If I’m catching up on things right, I hear they just wrestled a few weeks ago with Shawn winning and now he has his rematch? If that’s the case, I’m even more against this feud heading into ‘Mania.
Shawn won the title at the Rumble from him but the title was on the line in the Rumble match. Triple H had to defend it against everyone so it wasn't a one-on-one match and he had his rematch taken off him by Bischoff for giving him a pedigree. Also, Trips had to defend it as the number one entrant, calling it an impossible task but Shawn coincidentally won it as number two.

Chris Jericho promo time? Okay, sounds good. I didn’t necessarily like Jericho using the Cena angle here. I mean, Cena is clearly going to be busy with The Undertaker, so it more or less just seems like Jericho threw it in there for an excuse. I get that excuses suit his character, but mentioning Cena randomly, in my opinion, does no good for anybody. Jericho running down Show’s career was pretty well done, and I like the idea of building some legitimate heat between guys who’re going to be in the MITB ladder match. So often it’s just a bunch of spot monkeys, if you can add some decent build, and throw some psychology into the match it can be an absolute winner. I feel like you’ve started to do that well here.
He mentioned Cena because he left Smackdown because of Cena going there & taking the spotlight, now Cena was on Raw too I wanted it to get him more heat.

As for Money in the Bank, I've discussed this with Oz and there are plans to make a change to the match itself. I'm not a big fan of the clusterfuck spotfest match myself and I am looking at alternatives for a refreshing change & spin too, and what better place than the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania?!

I don’t want to give you the wrong idea, I’m all for ‘Mania hype. I feel as if every show in this thread up until ‘Mania itself, should all just be flat out hype for the event. With that being said, judging by how big this HHH/Orton thing has been, for Trips to come out right before a big blow off match with Orton, and just talk about Michaels only is a huge mistake. All you’ve done is basically make this match between Trips and Orton seem unimportant. Definitely a big mistake there, imo.

Steel cage match? Big time main event? Blow off of a major feud? All signs said this should have been brilliant, but I just continue to disagree with how it was done. Orton was ready to lose until Shawn makes the save, and being that Orton is still pretty fresh off a return he should have looked really good here. And again, Michaels getting involved and then even the aftermath all being about Michaels really over shadows the Orton/Trips situation. I don’t agree with the way this was done, and to be honest, I think you’ve sort of blown a massive storyline if this is now the end of Orton and Triple H.
This was what has been driving me mad for months & months. I went back & forth on having this blow off match or not. I thought I'd get criticised either way and I need Randy to get a big win going into Wrestlemania to look strong as he did on his return. I didn't want to have the number one contender look weak by losing clean just after getting his Mania title shot, and by having Shawn cost him the win to start the fire between them was the best way I felt to do that.

I was always going to open myself up to it and like I said I was so torn on whether going with this match or not. There were strong reasons both to go for it & not. Maybe I should've left it but I felt I couldn't ignore it. With that I booked myself into corner with how to make both look strong. I totally agree with all you said about that match though 100%.

Thanks again for all that. It's much appreciated. Hopefully the Hawks don't give the Pies too much of a hiding tomorrow now!:eek:
 
#1,696 ·



>RAW<

>The Rock Returns Next Week; Cena & Taker at Wrestlemania?!<


After a controversial night 24 hours ago at No Way Out, there were more shocks still waiting in Las Vegas earlier tonight on Raw live from the Thomas & Mack Center.

The biggest shock was that we discovered that next week in his hometown of Miami, The Rock will be live on Raw to announce who will be the first inductee of the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame. The Rock never fails to entertain and he's sure to do so again a week from now. You sure won't want to miss the return of The Great One!

All the talk coming out of No Way Out last night revolved around John Cena & The Undertaker, and it's the same again tonight after Cena turned up on Smackdown to try & bury the hatchet before things threatened to spiral out of control. He was however too late, as it looked like The Undertaker was in no forgiving mood. He looked up to the Wrestlemania sign hanging above the ring and then grabbed Cena for a chokeslam like at No Way Out and Friday night on Smackdown. This time however Cena avoided it and as he described moments later in an interview with Leticia Cline, he reacted on impulse by defending himself, hitting an F-U on The Dead-Man in the blink of an eye. He was asked about whether he was challenged or not to a match by The Undertaker as it was unclear if that was the phenom's intent. Cena too couldn't be sure but it surely will become apparent soon enough, maybe even this Friday on Smackdown.

We witnessed a second steel cage match in 24 hours when Randy Orton stepped inside the unforgiving structure to take on Triple H. He's been gunning for him since his return, and despite eliminating him from the Royal Rumble where The Game was looking to retain his WWE Championship, it was Triple H who was victorious in the fatal four-way elimination match last night to earn his rematch for the WWE title at Wrestlemania, eliminating The Viper after a distraction from Chris Jericho who Orton pinned moments before he fell victim to a pedigree. They went all out earlier on and it looked like the number one contender for the WWE title was about to leave the cage victorious until Shawn Michaels slammed the door in his face, letting The Game know he's ready for the war sworn on him by Triple H. It gave Orton the chance to hit the RKO and win the match, gaining much craved retribution after being injured by Triple H at Survivor Series.

Chris Jericho became the second entrant in this year's Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania, joining The Big Show. They've had their problems as of late to say the least, and Jericho continued to put down The Big Show this evening, calling him the biggest failure in the history of the business. Now he's qualified along with The World's Largest Athlete it's already shaping up to be a monster of a Money in the Bank this year.

There was another Smackdown superstar who confronted a Raw superstar earlier on when Beth Phoenix, the Diva's Champion, still furious that the Women's Champion, Queen Kong got involved in her title defence against O.D.B. at No Way Out. The Glamazon was warned by Eric Bischoff to be careful and maybe she should've listened to his advice as Kong left her on the mat as she did last night. The Women's Champion also took her title too which is bound to make Beth even angrier. There could be a whole lot more to come with these two dominant women.

We also got to see the final Raw appearance of Ted DiBiase as his mouth finally got the better of him. He went to Eric Bischoff demanding a place in Money in the Bank, claiming he was also close to walking out on Raw because of so called 'mistreatment'. Bischoff called his bluff and gave him the chance to earn a qualifying match in the Money in the Bank match. He was put in a tag team match with his previously handpicked rookie, Ezekiel Jackson to take on the exciting team of John Morrison & Justin Gabriel, and if he & Jackson lost he would have to leave Raw, but if he won he would gain a qualifying match for Money in the Bank. It didn't however go in DiBiase's favour as he & Jackson were the latest victims of the impressive team of Morrison & Gabriel, meaning DiBiase is no longer a Raw superstar. He received no sympathy as you would expect from the fans and it'll be interesting to see what the future holds for him now, if he even has one!

If you missed Raw tonight, click here to read the full results.


 
#1,697 · (Edited)



Headlines

>Backstage News & Rumours<
Big news coming out of Raw last night is that The Rock will return live next Monday night in Miami to announce who will be the first inductee into this year's Hall of Fame class. We reported recently that the WWE was interested in bringing back some past superstars as a way of marking the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania, and we can confirm that The Rock will very likely be competing at this year's showpiece event. We understand that a program may start on Monday night to build that up. It is very unlikely though that it will be a full time return though for The Rock, although there are also talks in place for him to be involved in the ring at Backlash the month after Wrestlemania.

There are also talks going on to bring back a couple more former superstars for non-wrestling roles at Wrestlemania, one of which will be a major surprise if it comes off. From what we understand creative are torn as to whether the match in question would be better off with or without this person involved, and at the moment it's not known whether the person in question has agreed to it in principle.

We previously reported that The Rock was one of the names mentioned touted to return for Wrestlemania along with 'Stonecold' Steve Austin, Goldberg & Brock Lesnar. Talks never took place with Lesnar as he's contracted with UFC but the WWE would be very interested to do so if there were any changes in that regard. Austin was strongly considered but with The Rock having a big pull commercially outside of wrestling as well as being in better shape physically, he was the one seen as the safer & better option. Goldberg was always a reserve from what we're told.

Everything points to John Cena facing The Undertaker at Wrestlemania and we can confirm that is the plan in place but there is also an alternative option being considered too that would see him face CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship with Mr. McMahon in his corner. There has been strong speculation for a while that The Undertaker could be retiring or working a part-time schedule after Wrestlemania, and it's our understanding that he could well be retiring along with another top level superstar. He is expected to make his decision very soon and we believe that is why he is facing Cena this year as that is the match considered he needs to have at Wrestlemania above anyone else on the roster.

It also appears to be the case that Beth Phoenix & Queen Kong will meet at Wrestlemania, and after Kong took Beth's diva's title from the ring, the speculation has grown that they could meet in a unification match. From what we're being told, that does indeed appear to be the case, although there is also a possibility that O.D.B. may be part of the match too with three monsters involved, and she was part of the match at No Way Out which Kong interfered in.

There's also talk of changing the Money in the Bank match from a ladder match to another type of match yet to be decided. A number of initial ideas have been thrown about and the latest rumblings we hear are that the fans may get to vote on the choice of match.

Ted DiBiase's departure from Raw doesn't mean he will be leaving the company. He's expected to become a Smackdown superstar in the next couple of weeks, maybe even this Friday night.

The Hall of Fame class this year is expected to feature between 6-8 legends. The final choices have tentatively selected and among those being mentioned are Bruno Sammartino, The Road Warriors, Mick Foley, The Von Erichs, The Brisco Brothers, The Funks, Arn Anderson & Jake 'The Snake' Roberts.

 
#1,698 ·
In the WF BTB Hall of Fame Class of 2013: Nige :lol
It is going to happen now back to the topic:topic:
I think this thread is awesome Mania 25 should be the best mania in BTB HISTORY! and who in the blue hell is the Fucks (I do know it's The Funks) the HOF looks stacked from Mick Foley to Bruno to Road Warriors and The Snake. I am excited for Mania 25.
 
#1,699 ·
The Rock competing at Mania? Awesome. I really am interested to see who he feuds with, and hopefully you use him correctly, putting a newer, younger talent over in the process. Cena/'Taker is definitely the way to go with the way you've started booking things, that other potential plan is just a swerve. Kong/Phoenix is probably the best match you can muster at Mania for the divas, so I'm all for that as well. I'm also intrigued to see just what direction you decide to take the MITB ladder match. Hopefully you don't listen to Oz to much, because he's a jobber.

Anyway, news and notes did a good job of wetting my appetite for Mania. Just get there already.
 
#1,700 ·

Friday Night 'Live' Smackdown
Friday 13th February 2009 - Preview!
Live from the Rimrock Auto Arena
Billings, Montana





The Road to Wrestlemania is always a bumpy one, and No Way Out lived up to the tradition, but we're still feeling the fallout to Sunday's controversial pay-per-view. There was nothing more controversial than the World Heavyweight Championship yet again when John Cena locked horns with CM Punk. This time they met inside a steel cage to ensure there would be an undisputed World Champion. That unfortunately didn't happen after another incident between Cena & The Undertaker came back to haunt Cena, just as it looked as if he was going to emerge from the cage as the new World Champion. The Dead-Man got his retribution for what appeared to be another innocent mistake earlier in the evening, leading to a confrontation on Raw Monday night that saw Cena F-U The Undertaker in what he called 'instinctive' and in 'self-defence'. There's also some confusion as to whether he was challenged to a match at Wrestlemania by the man who is 16-0 at the showpiece event with the phenom looking up above the ring to the Wrestlemania sign looming above the ring, something he did too at No Way Out. If he was gunning for Cena before Monday night, surely he'll be hell bent on making Cena rest in peace now. The speculation remains and Cena will be in Billings, Montana live this Friday night, and he too will be looking for answers. Will we get any clarification on this, and what will be Mr. McMahon's reaction to CM Punk once again escaping with the world title? What response will we get from the man himself? Punk is never short of words and that surely won't be any different this time around!

We expected a brutal encounter between Christian & Edge in their TLC match at No Way Out and they didn't disappoint. After losing to his younger brother at Summerslam last year, The Rated-R Superstar evened the score after a con-chair-to Christian who put up an incredible effort in a match that both men came close to winning. It was Edge ultimately who prevailed and he'll be in Billings this week too while we understand that Captain Charisma is recovering from a concussion suffered in that match and won't be on hand. Now that Edge has got the win over his brother to make up for the defeat at Summerslam, you can safely say he'll be in high spirits this Friday night when he steps foot inside the Rimrock Auto Arena.

We'll also find out who will become the number one contenders for the WWE Tag Team titles when the two teams left in the tournament collide. Power & Perfection, the team of Bobby Lashley & Charlie Haas knocked off The Empire in a very impressive victory last week before the men who refer to themselves as Mexican Royalty, Chavo Guerrero & Alberto Del Rio went on to defeat Paul Burchill & TJ Wilson thanks to a distraction from The Empire. These two teams will go at it with the winners guaranteed an opportunity to fight for the titles that belong to Paul London & Brian Kendrick. Make sure you watch Smackdown this week to find out which team that is.

The problems as we just said there between The Empire & The UK Pack, TJ Wilson & Natalya Neidhart show no signs of dying down, and last Sunday we saw Harry Smith's long awaited return to the ring when he met Wade Barrett, the main man responsible for breaking his ankle last year. Smith was gunning for revenge and got it when he played Barrett at his own game, using brass knuckles after the referee saw Barrett trying to use some of his own, just as he did at Night of Champions when he & Drew McIntyre won the titles from Burchill & Wilson, weeks after breaking Smith's ankle which led to Wilson defending the title on his friend's behalf. Barrett is bound to be seething and he might be happy to learn that Smith will be in action again this week when he goes up against someone who he might prefer not to in Jack Swagger. The All-American American will have no problem in going after his ankle with his ankle lock submission hold deadly enough as it is in normal consequences. Can Harry overcome this challenge too from Swagger like he did Sunday against Barrett?

Another man victorious at No Way out was Matt Sydal when he defeated Ted DiBiase, the man who claimed he not Sydal should've been named the Breakthrough Star of 2008. Sydal settled the score after DiBiase's part in him losing the United States Championship to Dolph Ziggler at the Royal Rumble. The reigning King of the Ring still has a rematch for the title many feel he should still have, and this week the man who holds that title will meet Bryan Danielson in a non-title match. Danielson & Ziggler have both been on fire lately and it's bound to be a terrific contest you won't want to miss.

Sydal may be able to take it easy after Sunday's win as he has best man duties to perform the night after Smackdown when Elijah Burke ties the knot with Layla on Valentine's Day. All DiBiase has to look forward to is time off after he was forced to leave Raw on Monday night. He lost a challenge that would've seen him earn a Money in the Bank qualifying match had he won his match, but after losing he lost his place on the Raw roster. You can imagine Sydal will have enjoyed seeing that too!

One very unhappy Smackdown superstar after two bad nights in Vegas is the Diva's Champion, Beth Phoenix. She & O.D.B. were left helpless when Raw's Women's Champion, Queen Kong interrupted their match and left them both flat on their backs, and The Glamazon may be regretting her decision to go to Raw to confront Kong. The Women's Champion answered Beth's call to go down to the ring, and when they
went at each other it was Kong who again was standing tall, only this time she left with Beth's diva's title. Will Beth be regretting that decision now? We'll probably find out this Friday night.

It's bound to be another explosive edition of Smackdown live this week, and it'll be one you won't want to miss!

>Confirmed for this week on Smackdown!<

Non-Title Match

Bryan Danielson vs. Dolph Ziggler

Number One Contenders Match
Power & Perfection (Bobby Lashley & Charlie Haas) vs. Mexican Royalty (Chavo Guerrero & Alberto Del Rio)

Plus
Harry Smith vs. Jack Swagger


 
#1,701 ·

Friday Night Smackdown
Friday 13th February 2009
Live from the Rimrock Auto Arena
Billings, Montana



*Opening Video*
"Let It Roll"

*Video Recap*
From Last Week

John Cena, The Undertaker & Randy Orton
vs. CM Punk, Triple H & Chris Jericho
Special Guest Referee: 'The Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels

Orton stormed the ring and took Triple H down with a clothesline, ending up clotheslining him over the top rope to the floor. He stripped the announce table to another big pop with Cole & Striker shitting themselves in a panic. Orton smashed Trips' head into it and then shoved him on, climbed up himself with Michaels leaving the ring to try & stop Orton. The Viper had none of it and hit an RKO through the table to a huge roar from the Melbourne crowd. They loved it as Michaels then checked on both Orton & Trips who were barely moving, just as Punk dragged himself back on the apron with a steel chair in hand he got from under the ring. Michaels didn't have a clue, and as Taker was getting back up, Cena turned his head back to the action and tackled Punk in time. Cena then grabbed the chair for himself and lined up Punk, but as he swung it at him, he ducked like he did on Raw two weeks ago with Cena again nailing Taker by mistake with the chair. Taker fell back to the mat with Cena in shock, but he turned to see Punk go for a roundhouse.

This time Cena ducked and dropped the chair before sweeping Punk's leg and applying the STFU to another massive pop with some boos too. Punk was screaming out in pain, trying to hold on, not that Cena was the legal man. Michaels turned his head and saw what was going on and slid back in the ring, clearly thinking Cena was the legal man as he tortured Punk. Punk eventually tapped and H.B.K. called for the bell, confusing Cena but he got on with it, getting his hand raised. "My Time is Now" hit and Michaels went back to check on Orton who was moving and Trips who started to open his eyes. Punk rolled out of the ring and Cena posed for the crowd as Taker sat up behind him with a face of fury. As he then stood up glaring at Cena, Cena turned round and realised he might be in trouble. He walked over to Taker and tried to apologise, but Taker had none of it and grabbed him by the throat to chokeslam him down to the mat. The fans loved it and Taker turned to the side, looking at Michaels who was still by the wreckage as Orton & Trips were sitting up.


***

From No Way Out!

"My Time Is Now"
The crowd erupts to a very mixed reception for John Cena as he walks out into the arena, not saluting the crowd as he heads down the aisle very low key, guilty even. . . Cena gets to the ring holding a microphone and his music cuts, bringing out of the boos as he stands in the centre of the ring with those angry boos being thrown at him as well as some cheers from the younger & more sympathetic members of the crowd.

John Cena: I'm not gonna waste any time here. It's a big night f' me included but there's something that I just had t' come out here an' say. . . Friday night on Smackdown as I'm sure you all know I was part of a six man tag team match, an' one of my partners was The Undertaker.

*Big Pop*

John Cena: Unfortunately not f' the first time I accidentally hit The Dead-Man with a steel chair, but let me repeat that word accidentally. I get why Taker's mad an' I don't blame 'im. I just wan'ed t' come out here t'night an' apologise f' what happened a couple of nights ago as well f' what happened on Raw the other week. I want Taker t' know that in no way whatsoever did I mean to do what I did. Taker, I hope you can accept my apol. . .

*GONG*

"Rest In Peace"
The lights are out and the crowd are going nuts as smoke blows around the aisle and The Undertaker emerges from it, getting an even louder reaction from the Vegas crowd. Looking as menacing as ever he makes his way down to the ring, eyes focused on the ring and the man inside it, and as he takes the steps, he brings the lights on to another big roar from the fans as a growingly more concerned Cena watches on. Taker steps through the ropes, eyes locked firmly & menacingly at Cena, and The Dead-Man walks right towards him. Cena takes a big gulp as he looks up at Taker as the music stops, tension aplenty in the ring as Cena expectantly appears to be waiting for a reaction from the phenom staring coldly at him.

"Sexy Boy"
The fans are on their feet again as the WWE Champion, Shawn Michaels walks out into the arena in a referee's shirt ready for the elimination match to determine who'll face him at Wrestlemania. Taker & Cena briefly turn away from each other & look up at Michaels as he heads down the ramp into the ring with purpose, and as he steps inside, he walks past them and Cena takes his leave, making his way to the back with Michaels going to collect a microphone. His music cuts and he gets one as Taker removes his jacket, giving Michaels centre stage.

Shawn Michaels: Like John Cena, I'm gonna get right t' the point. Nobody knows how important this match is more than me, but behind that curtain t'day I've heard a lot of rumours going round that yours truly is here t'night to abuse my power as the special guest referee. Let me make this crystal clear; I might've suggested that it be fatal four-way t'night but I never, not once asked or suggested I be the referee but here I am. My job is t' call this right down the line an' on my kids' lives that's exactly what I'm gonna do.

*The Opening Match*



First Elimination:
Orton turns his head towards the referee, then at Jericho, grudgingly having to accept the count. He does just that and retreats to the opposite corner, getting ready to take Jericho's head off with the PUNT!!!. . . . . Jericho unwittingly claws his way up on to his knees with the fans cheering in anticipation. Orton looks ready to explode, almost salivating, and as Jericho gets to his knees he bursts across the mat and swings his boot at Jericho's head.

Jericho pulls it back though and jumps back up as and turns round going for the CODE-BREAKER!!!. . . . . No, Orton pulls back and Jericho hits the deck. The Viper drops to his knees, banging his fists into the canvas, watching Jericho struggle back up, and as he makes it up to his feet, Orton leaps up and plants him with the RKO!!!. . . . . The crowd erupts as Orton shifts round to cover Jericho, hooking both legs with the fans counting along with H.B.K. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3!

Elimination #1: Chris Jericho by Randy Orton (pinfall).

Second Elimination: Orton stands back up as Jericho rolls towards the apron and The Game enters the ring. Orton turns round and sees Trips running at him, then connects with a perfect standing dropkick. The fans are enjoying it too as both men make their way back up and Trips runs into a snap spinning powerslam. The fans continue to cheer as a pumped up Orton turns round on his knees and sets his sights on The Game, driving his fists against the mat. The roof's about to come off but Jericho stands back up and steps out towards Orton, and The Viper gets up as Michaels stops Jericho in his tracks.

Orton stands firm though and stares at Jericho, letting him know he's ready for what he's got as Trips drags his way back up behind him. H.B.K. gets Jericho to leave the ring, and Triple H spins Orton round to kick him in the gut, quickly forcing him down into the PEDIGREE, AND HE HITS IT!!!. . . . . Orton's head got driven into the mat and Trips turns him over in a flash to make the cover with Michaels dropping to his knees and making an honest count. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3!

Elimination #2: Randy Orton by Triple H (pinfall).

Final Elimination: The fans love it as an unwitting Triple H lifts his head up off the mat, and Taker gives him a massive helping hand. He pulls up off the mat and scoops him on to his shoulder for the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!!!. . . . . It's deafening but Trips fights for his life and slips down Taker's back to safety, then pushes him forward into H.B.K. The WWE Champion takes a tumble and stays down, looking like he clashed heads with the shocked Taker, but Trips takes advantage by dropping on to one knee and low blowing The Dead-Man from behind to a ton of heat.

The fan boo the hell out of him as he stands up without a care in the world looking down at Shawn out cold and Taker writhing around. The Game cracks a wry smile and leaves the ring to look under the apron, pulling out his sledgehammer to even more heat. The Vegas crowd make a right racket as he slides back in the ring, eying up Taker as he tries to make his way back up. Michaels is still out of it, face down on the mat as an intense Triple H locks & loads on the unsuspecting phenom when all of a sudden a big pop breaks out and John Cena charges down to the ring.

He slides in to the ring, catching Trips off guard and tackles The King of Kings down to the mat. The fans cheer Cena this time and as he stands up, he picks up the sledgehammer Trips just dropped. Looking like he's trying to make it up to The Undertaker, Cena gets ready to take off The Game's head with his own weapon as he makes his way back up with Taker doing the same behind him. Cena's bursting to take his head off and runs at him, DRIVING THE SLEDGEHAMMER IN TO TRIPS' FACE, BUT HE DUCKS AND TAKER WALKS RIGHT IN TO THE SHOT!!!. . . . . Trips breathes a sigh of relief as Cena looks down stunned at Taker laid out thanks to him again.

The Game grabs Cena's shoulder and spins him round, right into a PEDIGREE!!!. . . . . The sledgehammer falls to the mat and Trips kicks it out of the ring, then kicks Cena to the apron before dragging the dead weight that is Taker up to his knees, struggling to do so as Michaels starts to stir. The fans boo like mad as the former WWE Champion gets set to get the rematch he craves at Wrestlemania against the man who took his title in the Royal Rumble. Taker's helpless and Trips sets him up, then sends him spiralling in to the mat courtesy of a PEDIGREE!!!. . . . . Taker's not moving and The Game rolls him on to his back as H.B.K. lifts his head up off the mat to see Triple H making the cover. Michaels drags himself across the mat and makes the count to a chorus of boos. . . . .

1. . . . .

. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3!!!

Michaels calls for the bell and "The Game" blasts out to even more heat from the Vegas crowd as a smug Triple H rises to his feet. The number one contender looks down with another wry smile as the WWE Champion drags himself up to his knees, watching as his Wrestlemania opponent throws his arms above his head again. It's clearly 'Game On' now, and as Shawn makes it back up to his feet looking unsteady on them, he & Trips stare at each other. There's so much tension between them with The Game looking very confident, almost laughing as Shawn shows some vulnerability.

To his credit he walks over and tries to raise The Game's hand, and he allows Shawn to do so, he takes serious pleasure in it, but as Shawn's about to let go, Trips turns him in to a kick to the gut and a Pedigree. His music cuts and the boos ring round the MGM Grand Garden Arena as the challenger for the WWE title stares down coldly at the man he'll meet in just less than two months on the biggest stage of them all. "The Game" hits again and he poses over Michaels, thrusting his arms back and taking great satisfaction in it with Cena coming to and Taker also starting to stir with The Game standing tall.

***



Punk's not down for long and tries to get out again but Cena stands up and drags him back, tries for an irish whip to the corner but Punk reverses it and runs in, nailing him with a high knee strike to the kisser. Punk grabs Cena's head on impact and spins round to run out of the corner for a bulldog, but Cena pulls back and shoves Punk forward into the pads. Punk hits them force and staggers out into Cena, F-U FROM CENA!!!. . . . . He got it and it's deafening in the arena, filled with cheers & boos as Cena hits the mat to make the cover. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3?

NO!!!

This time it's Punk who gets his shoulder up and Cena's in shock as he sits up, but he quickly shakes it off, turns Punk over and applies the STFU!!!. . . . . The crowd erupts and Cena tears away at Punk's face, and the World Champion has to fight to keep his title. He screams out in pain, face crimson as Cena tortures him, doing all he can to make him tap out. Punk keeps his right arm raised, desperately trying to keep it off the mat with the ref asking if he wants to quit. He screams no but looks in real trouble with Cena still putting the pressure on, but Punk starts to dig deep, dragging himself across the mat, trying to get to the ropes, and he gets closer.

Cena tries to hold on and Punk gets there, getting another mixed response from the fans as Cena lets the hold go, only to stand up and try to drag Punk back. The World Champion turns himself over though and kicks up at Cena, sending him back & down to the mat. Cena's not down for long though, and as Punk uses the ropes to get back up to his feet, Cena watches him, so focused & determined to put him away. Punk looks all over the place as he just manages to get his balance, and as he turns round to walk towards him, Cena again lifts him off his feet on to his shoulders and PLANTS HIM WITH THE F-U!!!. . . . . Punk is done for and Cena knows it, standing up to another huge mixed response from the Vegas crowd and he calls for the door to be opened again. . . . .

*GONG*

The crowd goes nuts as the lights go, turning the arena into darkness for about 30 seconds, and as they come back on, the cage door is open and standing outside it is The Undertaker. The fans are loving it, going absolutely mental as he glares menacingly at a stunned John Cena. Cena stands there in shock as Taker climbs the steps and enters the cage with the fans still cheering like crazy. Punk's rolled to the apron as Cena watches, still gobsmacked as the phenom walks slowly but intently towards him. Cena doesn't know what to do as Taker stares right through him, then grabs him by the throat with the ref trying to tempt him out of it, CHOKESLAM TO CENA!!!. . . . .

The fans continue cheering but Taker's not done and makes his cut throat gesture, then reaches down to drag the helpless Cena up, scooping him over his shoulder and into place for the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!!!. . . . . BOOM, TOMBSTONE CONNECTS!!!. . . . . Punk sits up looking absolutely stunned as Taker slowly stands back up, eyes on Cena the whole time, then turns to look up at the Wrestlemania sign hanging from the rafters. He turns back to look at Cena before leaving the cage with Punk and the ref still shocked. Punk watches Taker leave the cage and crawls across the mat opportunistically to cover Cena with the ref reluctantly making the count. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3!

Punk retains and "This Fire Burns" blasts out to a heavy mixed response again as the World Champion sits up looking thrilled with Taker turning back to watch without any shred of remorse. The World Champion stands up to get his arm raised by the referee in the ring, who shakes his head doing so as the ref on the outside collects the world title and hands it over to his fellow official. Punk receives it and throws it emphatically up into the air to more cheers & boos, grinning like mad with Cena flat out. Punk isn't done gloating and walks over to the corner and climbs up to the second rope, then stops & decides to climb to the top of the cage, sitting on top of it and raising his title again, this time with both hands, smug as hell with Cena starting to stir. The smile can't be wiped off Punk's face as he laughs away, clinging on to his world title as the show comes to a close!
Michael Cole is stood in the middle of the ring, microphone in hand ready to address the fans.

Michael Cole: I'd like to welcome you all t'night t' Friday Night Smackdown. . . Now No Way Out was just five nights ago but I think it's fair t' say there's still a whole lot of you as well as us here an' backstage talking about what happened Sunday night when The Undertaker entered the steel cage match for the World Heavyweight Championship between John Cena an' CM Punk.

That draws a big pop from the fans with some boos too.

Michael Cole: I was sat at ringside and I f' one was shocked t' see The Undertaker cost John Cena the chance t' leave the cage an' become the new World Heavyweight Champion. It looked a formality but once again, CM Punk emerged with the world title.

*Mixed*

Michael Cole: Needless t' say that there's been a lot of speculation as to why The Undertaker did what he did, however given what happened earlier in the night when John accidentally hit him with the sledgehammer in the number one contender match for the WWE title, it shouldn't really have come as the surprise it was. It's certainly clear t' me that John was trying to make amends for what happened here on Smackdown last week, unfortunately it went wrong an' cost The Undertaker the chance t' challenge Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania, a place where he has never lost a match.

*Small Pop*

Michael Cole: With that incredible 16 an' 0 record in mind, it's hard to imagine that he would've failed to walk out with the WWE title had he become the number one contender at No Way Out. The frustration I can understand but it's spiralled into this huge talking point that isn't going away. . . So with that said, I've invited John Cena down t' the ring so we can get all this out in the open. John, if you will please, come join me.

"My Time Is Now"
A strong mixed response, largely positive comes from the crowd as John Cena walks out to the stage, stopping & taking in the atmosphere, more low key than normal as he was on Raw Monday night. He nods his head & makes his way down the ramp to the ring, climbing in under the bottom rope to shake hands with Cole before being handed a microphone by him. His music cuts and both cheers & boos are thrown at him by the Montana crowd.

Michael Cole: Fist of all John, thanks f' coming out here.

John Cena: No problem Michael. Thanks f' having me.

Michael Cole: You don't need me t' tell you that ev'rybody's talking about what's happened over the past week between you an' The Undertaker. We've spoken about last Friday and No Way Out, but on Raw Monday night you yourself attempted to clear things up. For those of you that didn't see what happened, here's what went done four nights ago on Raw.

Both Cole & Cena turn up to look up at the tron.

*Video Recap*
From Raw Monday Night
John Cena: Had it not been f' The Undertaker there's no doubt I'd be standing here t'night in a better mood with some a shiny gold title over my shoulder. The fact is I'm not an' I'm partly t' blame f' getting involved in business I didn't have to. Does that make it hurt any less? No, but like I said I understand it. It honestly doesn't make it any easier but right now the only way t' move on from all this is by clearing the air with The Undertaker. From his point of view I can see why he might think what's happened hasn't been a series of accidents how it's happened three times but I need you t' know dead-man that I have absolutely no beef with you whatsoever. I'm not gonna pretend I'm happy about what either of us did last night an' how yet again CM Punk escaped with the world title but we need t' get past this before it gets out of hand. Right now I wanna ask The Undertaker to come out here so we can settle this man-t'-man.

Cena turns & looks up at the stage, somewhat nervously anticipating Taker's arrival that he hopes to see with the crowd chanting "Undertaker."

*GONG*
A huge roar comes from the crowd as the lights go put the arena in darkness.

"Rest in Peace"
The fans go crazy as smoke blows across the stage and The Undertaker emerges from it to another massive pop from the Vegas crowd. His eyes are fixed firmly on Cena in the ring, and Cena also has his eyes on Taker, not looking too comfortable, still very sorry for himself. The Phenom walks round to the steps and slowly takes them one by one, then brings the lights back on to the joy of the fans in the stands. Cena looks on, still not comfortable as a very intense Undertaker steps inside the ring and removes his coat, making Cena even more nervous. Taker drapes it over the ropes and walks towards him, staring right at him with Cena looking very uneasy.

John Cena: As I was saying dog, what happened last night, I apologise, an' I just think it's best we get all this cleared up so we can both move pas. . .

Taker grabs the top of the microphone and forces it out of Cena's hand, completely shocking Cena. He looks up at Taker and The Dead-Man turns his head, looking up to the Wrestlemania 25 sign hanging from the rafters, and Cena looks up too, seemingly reading Taker's mind, and as they turn to face each other with Taker looking incredibly serious, he grabs Cena by the throat. The fans cheer and Taker lifts him up off the mat for the chokeslam, but Cena jumps free, landing on his feet and reacts in a flash by lifting Taker up off the mat, on to his shoulders and plants him with the F-U.

The crowd erupts, mostly with boos as Cena looks down in shock at Taker flat on his back thanks to him and he takes another look up at the Wrestlemania sign before looking into the crowd that are mostly booing him. He looks down at Taker again, seemingly regretting his actions and he takes his leave, heading back up the ramp as Taker sits right back up to a pop from the Vegas fans. Cena turns round on the ramp and looks down to see Taker glaring fiercely at him, and Cena doesn't know what to think as he turns back and heads back up the ramp to walk backstage, leaving a furious Taker watching his every step from the ring.
Michael Cole: There's a lot of people including myself making assumptions as to what happened on Raw. It looked as if he was challenging you to a match at Wrestlemania. I know a challenge wasn't officially made but the belief is that is what he had or has in mind. If that is indeed the case which most believe it is, what is your response to the speculation? Also, what would your response be if indeed you were challenged to a match at Wrestlemania by The Undertaker?

John Cena: Y'know I've been asking myself those same questions all week long. There's no one who wants t' know what the deal is more than me let me tell ya. I was stood barely a foot apart from him an' ven I don't know if it was officially a challenge, but the impression I got, it sure felt like it.

Michael Cole: If you believe that t' be the case, how exactly do you feel about the prospect of accepting a challenge to face the man who is 16 an' 0 at Wrestlemania?

"UNDERTAKER. . . UNDERTAKER"

Cena turns & looks into the crowd.

John Cena: Honestly? How exactly are you supposed t' feel about the thought of facing a man who's a legend even away from Wrestlemania? That's what The Undertaker is, an absolute legend, but at Wrestlemania, the biggest stage of them all, there are no words t' describe his accomplishments. He's had 16 matches there an' won them all. That simply is an unbelievable achievement. It's enough to have anyone going into Wrestlemania already thinking they've lost before the bell's even rung. The thought of facing The Undertaker's intimidating enough even before you look at that record. T' put it frankly Cole, you'd have t' be almost crazy t' want t' walk in t' Wrestlemania an' face The Undertaker.

Michael Cole: So you're saying that it's something that you wouldn't consider if indeed you were challenged by The Undertaker?

John Cena: You're putting words in my mouth Michael. That's not what I said. I was just stating the facts. The task of beating The Undertaker at Wrestlemania is as tough as it gets. It's a challenge like no other that comes along once a year. The streak year on year becomes more impressive. The streak has become as much of a legend as The Undertaker himself. It takes guts to accept that challenge but it takes more than guts to end the streak. One thing I've always had though is guts. The thought of walking down to this ring at Wrestlemania 25 against the legend and his streak is something that doesn't scare me. If the challenge is out there. . .

"No Chance In Hell"

Mr McMahon
walks out to the stage to a big pop holding a microphone looking to be in a very serious mood indeed with Cena & Cole turning to look up at him.

Mr. McMahon: John I apologise for interrupting but there's something that I think I need t' say before you make any decision as far as The Undertaker is concerned.

Cena looks up at Vince, clearly unsure of what Vince has to say.

Mr. McMahon: The situation you find yourself in in regard to The Undertaker's involvement in your match at No Way Out with CM Punk also needs t' be resolved. It was abundantly clear I think to ev'ryone that you had CM Punk beat and you were going to leave the new World Heavyweight Champion.

*Mixed*

Mr. McMahon: That John, yet again leaves us in the same position we've been in f' months as to who deserves t' be World Champion, you or Punk. Now it seems perfectly fitting t' me that we decide this once an' f' all with one final match between you an' Punk for the world title at Wrestlemania.

*Strong Mixed Reaction*

Cena looks shocked, completely thrown by Vince's twist in the tale.

Mr. McMahon: That obviously would mean John that if this challenge exists or not from The Undertaker, you would be unable to fight for the chance to become World Heavyweight Champion.

John Cena: Wow. That really makes it easy f' me, thanks Vince.

Mr. McMahon: I appreciate you feel the need to resolve these issues you have with The Undertaker John. . .

John Cena: . . . Vince let me stop you there before this whole situation gets out of control. I already had a lot t' think about, but now. . . Y'know what I can't make a decision in the heat of the moment. Vince I appreciate what you're sayin', an' you're right. There's nothing I want more than t' beat CM Punk f' the World Heavyweight Championship, but at the same time I've never been one t' duck a challenge, if that's what this is. I need time t' think. Hopefully by Monday night I'll be able to make a decision that I can tell The Undertaker. . .

Mr. McMahon: . . . I respect that, but John I have t' tell you that unless you make a decision by then I'll have t' look elsewhere as t' who will challenge Punk at Wrestlemania. Just so we're clear you understand that right?

John Cena: Absolutely, 100%. I'll have my decision Monday night live on Raw. That's a promise.

"My Time Is Now" hits again as Cena looks into the crowd, taking in the reaction with Vince still far from satisfied looking down at the ring.

Matt Striker: This just got a whole lot more int'resting. John Cena has arguably an impossible decision t' make as to whether he challenges CM Punk one more time t' find out once an' for all who deserves t' be the World Heavyweight Champion or he accepts what appears t' be a challenge to a match at Wrestlemania with The Undertaker. I f' one don't envy him. He's got three days t' make that decision. Just what will it be?

*Commercial Break*




*The Opening Match*
Non-Title Match
Paul London & Brian Kendrick
vs. The Pitbulls
It looked like being an easy victory for the tag team champions but it didn't turn out to be as easy as that. Noble & Kash were out to make an impression at their expense, and they did a good job of troubling the champions. They isolated London and just as it looked like he was going to make a vital tag to Kendrick with Noble down after an enzuigiri, Kash stormed the ring and ran at Kendrick, knocking him off the apron to leave no one for London to tag. The fans & referee were furious, and it meant that London had to continue to battle it out with Noble. They battled it out and Noble came close to making London tap in the camel clutch until London fought his way to the ropes. The fans loved it. Noble didn't though and he had to be held back by the referee as London used the ropes to make his way back up to his feet. Noble ran at him as soon as he was up, and London reacted with an extended elbow. It sent Noble staggering away from the ropes and London followed him out with a super kick. Instead of going for the cover he dived into his corner to tag in Kendrick to a big pop from the crowd who burst into the ring to make the cover. Noble kicked out at two and Kendrick took it well, going right back up to try & put him Noble away.

He hit the corner, climbing up to the top rope as Noble dragged himself back up. Kendrick had his back to the ring and turned his head to see Noble walking into his path and he walked into an asai moonsault. Noble again kicked out at two but Kendrick was fired-up to put the match to bed. He helped Noble up and sent him into the corner, running in at him with a backflip dropkick. He back tracked out as Noble staggered into his path, and Kendrick set him up for Sliced Bread. The fans were loving it and he ran into the corner, up the ropes but Noble threw him off his shoulder into the canvas. Noble took in some deep breaths as Kendrick clawed his way back up, and as he made it to his feet, Noble ran at him, taking him down with a running swinging neckbreaker. This time it was Kendrick who hung on before the ref could count to three. Noble brought Kash into the ring, and The Notorious K.I.D. tried to finish Kendrick off too. He fought to the ropes when Kash had the K.O.D. (Kash On Delivery) locked in. Kash was fuming and ran the ropes, looking for a double jump moonsault.

Kendrick got his knees up and reached up to roll him into an inside cradle Kash kicked out and they made their way back up with Kendrick ducking a wild right hand and jumping into the air for a hurricanrana. It was only two again, but as they made their way back up, Kendrick stomped him in the gut and drilled him with a tornado DDT. Noble this time broke the count, but not how he planned, racing into the ring to drop an elbow on Kendrick, but Kendrick saw him coming and pulled back. Noble's elbow hit his own partner, and as he stood back up he ran at Kendrick who helped him over the ropes and down to the floor. Kash was reeling as he made his way back up to his feet, and as Kendrick turned round, he made no mistake this time, hitting the Sliced Bread to pick up the win for him & London, who joined him the ring to celebrate the hard fought victory with the fans showing their appreciation. The champions were emphatic in the celebration, hugging & looking like they're ready for any challenge coming their way.

Winners: Paul London & Brian Kendrick by pinfall.

Michael Cole:
We might have two teams battling it later on out for the right t' face the tag champs, but London & Kendrick certainly showed t'night why they're going t' be tough t' beat. They can go put their feet up an' watch as the two remaining teams battle it out to become the number one contenders later this evening.


Maria is shown backstage, knocking on a locker room door & walking in to see Mexican Royalty, Chavo Guerrero & Alberto Del Rio watching London & Kendrick celebrating on a TV. They're both in their normal clothes (trousers & shirt) for now as Maria walks towards them.

Maria: Excuse me. . . Chavo, Alberto, may I have a word with you about your match t'night?

Chavo Guerrero: Of course Maria, ask away.

Maria: Well later on this evening you'll be facing Bobby Lashley and Charlie Haas for a shot at the tag team titles. How confident are you of winning that match later?

Chavo Guerrero: Well it's really simple. We had confidence before this tournament even started. We have total belief in ourselves and each other. That's why we will win t'night, then when we get our shot at the tag team champions we will be successful too like we've said from the beginning.

Maria: It has t' be said though that since they got back t'gether, Paul London an' Brian Kendrick have been very impressive.

Chavo Guerrero: Indeed they have. There's only one problem though Maria. They're not as impressive as us. We all know they've had problems not that long ago before they got back together. I assure you if we needed to we could exploit these problems but we don't need to. We're already the best team there is on Smackdown.

Alberto Del Rio: Did you hear that Maria? We'll prove it t'night too, and when we have we will make all of Mexico proud because there'll be no stopping us winning the tag team titles.

Chavo Guerrero: Make no mistake about it Maria. We'll win t'night, then we'll win the titles. I assure you, t'night we will be victorious.

The shot switches to Power & Perfection, Bobby Lashley & Charlie Haas getting ready in their locker room, lacing up their boots when there's a knock at the door and Josh Matthews walks in, towards the focused duo and sits alongside them on the bench.

Josh Matthews: I apologise f' just walking in guys but I wan'ed to ask you about your match later on against Chavo Guerrero and Alberto Del Rio for a shot at the tag team titles. How are you feeling about that match t'night?

Charlie Haas: We both feel the same way. We do our talking in one place. . . in the ring. That's not going t' change. Our talking t'night will be done out there.

Bobby Lashley: He's right, and if you don't mind we need t' get ready.

Josh Matthews: Absolutely, good luck t'night guys.

Josh stands back up and takes their advice, leaving their locker room and shutting the door behind him.

Josh Matthews: Clearly they mean business t'night folks. If I were Chavo or Del Rio, I wouldn't be getting too confident just yet.


A very purposeful looking Edge is shown walking through the back, walking right up to the office of Mr. McMahon and walks right in. Mr. McMahon stands up off the leather sofa, surprised to see him bursting in.

Mr. McMahon: So what is it that has you bursting in here like that?

Edge: I actually think you're going t' like what I have t' say. See I know how much you wanna see CM Punk lose the world title, an' seeing what's going on with Cena an' The Undertaker, it looks like you might need a new number one contender, an' Vince, I'm your man.

Mr. McMahon: You're my man right? Why exactly is that may I ask?

Edge: First off we both know what I'm capable of. I've won ev'rything here there is t' win, ev'rything, plus I'm a two time world champion, an' five nights ago I beat Christian up so bad he's at home with a concussion with his wife nursing him all because of what I did t' him. That can be Punk too, no doubt about it. I want that world title badly. I proved it Sunday night. Just give me that chance an' you won't regret it.

Mr. McMahon: Actually Edge you make a compelling case. You're certainly very qualified and I have to admit your match Sunday was very impressive. The only problem I have right now is that John Cena's still first in line. Until I know what's happening with him I can't make a decision as to who will face Punk. I will however take you into consideration along with other superstars. F' now though my hands are tied.

The World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk & Homicide burst their way in with Punk looking very angry indeed.

CM Punk: What the hell's going on Vince? How many chances you wanna give your boy Cena? How many times do I need t' beat him huh? You've gotta be kidding me if he gets one more final shot.

Mr. McMahon: Let me make it crystal clear f' you Punk. There's no agenda here whatsoever. It all comes down t' one thing, whether you can beat John Cena or not, and vice versa. Until we get a clean fight. . .

CM Punk: . . . Hey look, I didn't ask f' The Undertaker t' do what he did. That's all on your number one guy tryin' t' be the hero one time too many. He got what he asked for. It had squat t' do with me an' it's not my fault.

Mr. McMahon: Maybe so but you are still yet t' defeat John Cena fair an' square. . .

CM Punk: . . . Yeah yeah whatever. . .

Edge: . . . Look Punk. Cena's an idiot. He's gonna let his ego get the better of 'im an' take on The Undertaker at Wrestlemania, meaning you won't have t' worry about 'im. What you do have t' worry about, or who you have t' worry about taking that title of yours is standing right in front of you.

Punk turns to look right at Vince, not at all happy.

CM Punk: What are you lining up guys t' take the title off me now Vince?

Mr. McMahon: Actually I've done nothing of the sort. Edge came here an' asked me to consider him as the number one contender for the world title if John decides to face The Undertaker. If indeed that happens I do need t' decide on a challenger very soon as Wrestlemania is only six weeks away. As it happens I think Edge is a strong contender. In fact I'm going t' put you to the test t'night in our main event against someone else who I think warrants an opportunity.

Edge: Hang on a minute. I only competed in a brutal TLC match a few nights ago. You can't expect me t' compete again t'night?

Mr. McMahon: That's not what you want t' hear from someone who thinks they have what it takes t' be fighting for the world title at Wrestlemania.

Edge: Alright fine. I'll show you why I should get a shot t'night. Who's this worthy opponent anyway?

Mr. McMahon: You'll be going up against another superstar who won at No Way Out, a superstar who just happens t' be the current King of the Ring, the 2008 Breakthrough Star of the Year and the person some people think should still be the United States Champion. . . Matt Sydal.

Edge: Huh? The kid's got talent but he's not gonna stop me getting a shot at that title.

The Rated-R Superstar turns his head, looking right at Punk.

Edge: Look out champ. That title won't be yours much longer.

Edge smirks right at him and brushes past him to walk out, leaving Punk to vent his frustration at the Chairman of the Board.

CM Punk: Line up whoever you want Vince, it doesn't change the fact I'm gonna do something even worse f' you than walk in t' Wrestlemania as World Heavyweight Champion. I'm gonna walk out World Heavyweight Champion too, no matter who you put in my way. All you can do is deal with it.

Punk gives Vince in the eyes for a couple of seconds and turns to leave the room, followed by Homicide.

Mr. McMahon: Yeah well we'll see about that. . . champ.

*Commercial Break*

*Video Recap*
From No Way Out!




Wade drops to one knee and takes a little time to recover as Smith pulls back clutching his shoulder, and Barrett shoots back up to lift him up one more time for THE WASTELAND!!!. . . . . He hits it and Smith rolls towards the ropes with Wade crawling across on his knees to make the cover. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . . .

. . . . . 3?

NO!

Smith gets his foot on the rope, setting off a big pop in the Vegas crowd. Barrett looks up and can't believe it, then screams at the referee. They both stand up with Barrett getting right in his face, absolutely furious as Smith rolls on to his side. Barrett continues to go at it with the ref standing his ground, but as the ref goes to check on Harry, Barrett goes in to his trunks, pulling out some brass knucks like at Night of Champions. The fans boo and the ref sees them as he turns round.

Barrett looks stunned and the ref orders him to take them off, pissing Wade off no end but he has no choice and hands them over. The ref walks over to the apron to hand them over to the timekeeper with Barrett walking towards Smith, pulling him up but Smith levels him with a right hand that knocks Barrett stone out. He falls flat on his back and Smith takes some knucks of his own off and puts them back in his trunks, and as the ref turns back, Harry goes for the cover with the fans counting along with the ref. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . . .

. . . . . 3?

YES!

Harry stands up to a big pop, getting his arm raised with "Britannia" playing. He's got a big smile on his face and heads over to the corner, standing on the second rope to soak up the moment, still smiling like mad on a big return victory. He stands down and sees Barrett coming round slowly, amusing Harry greatly before he leaves the ring and heads back up the aisle, slapping hands with the fans, stopping to raise his arms up in the air one more time, loving being back & back with a win as a starry-eyed Barrett sits up looking clueless as to what just happened.
*Match #2*
Harry Smith
w/Paul Burchill, TJ Wilson & Natalya Nedihart
vs. Jack Swagger
The Empire joined Michael Cole & Matt Striker at the announce table, unsettling Smith & Co from the moment they walked out into the arena. Barrett was the only one of them with a headset on and spoke of his anger at Smith beating him via brass knucks at No Way Out. He shrugged off Cole's counterpoint that he was about to use them himself too, just as he did to win the tag team titles at Night of Champions for him & McIntyre. Barrett said that it was the only way Smith was going to beat him, and Smith kept looking over at them with fire still there in the eyes. Smith had a fight in the ring though against an angry Jack Swagger. The All-American American was quickly getting frustrated at Smith hanging on in the match, again after a corner slingshot splash. He then tried for a spin-out powerbomb but Smith blocked it and escaped through a couple of elbow shots, allowing him to then duck a wild clothesline attempt before planting Swagger with a german suplex.

Swagger kicked out at two, but Smith seized the momentum, then came so close with a delayed vertical suplex. The All-American American again got the shoulder up, but only just. Smith's momentum was clearly angering The Empire at ringside while Burchill, TJ & Natalya all tried to will Harry over the line. Swagger was struggling and Harry had the crowd behind him too as he scooped him up for a running powerslam. As he turned he saw McIntyre & Regal walk towards the apron. Harry let go of Swagger and walked to the apron himself, warning The Empire members to stay away. Burchill, TJ & Natalya walked round to get them to back up too, resulting in Barrett standing up too. He & Smith were staring at each other, just as Swagger was getting back up on his knees. The All-American American saw the door opening in front of him to run up behind Smith and chop block him in the back of the leg.

He was back on his feet in a flash, so intense as he grabbed Smith by the ankle and pulled him away from the ropes to apply the Ankle Lock. He applied it to the just healed broken ankle of Smith, putting him through agony, much to the amusement of The Empire. They watched with smiles on their faces as Smith was screaming out in pain. He tried to hold on but couldn't despite encouragement from his friends on the outside. Swagger's music hit and he didn't look too happy at getting his arm raised before staring coldly down at Smith before leaving the ring, heading up the ramp looking straight ahead. The Empire left laughing, taunting their rivals as they jumped into the ring to check on Harry who was holding his ankle, but Burchill went back to get a microphone as Barrett & Co walked back up the ramp.

Winner: Jack Swagger by submission.
Paul Burchill: I think I speak for all of us, even you too when I say I've had enough of all this. We need to settle this once and for all. In fact I have just the idea. What better place than Wrestlemania at Wembley Stadium in front of our fellow Brits in not just any match? No we need something more than that. I propose that the four of us take on all four of you in a Battle of Britain?

*Big Pop*

Paul Burchill: You're not usually short of things t' say. This is one occasion I would actually like to hear what you have t' say.

Barrett turns round looking towards the back and calls for a microphone. A worker runs out and hands one to him with the UK/Canadian alliance awaiting their answer.

Wade Barrett: Y'know what? F' you that's actually not a bad idea. You have a deal.

The fans cheer as "Rule Britannia" plays with the two factions eying each other up, all eight of them looking really up for the battle we'll see at Wrestlemania.

Michael Cole: Well after months of these two rival groups going all out against each other, at Wrestlemania in the United Kingdom, a fitting place, they will collide in a Battle of Britain. I don't think battle is strong enough a word f' what we'll see when they clash at Wembley Stadium.


Maria is standing by at the interview set.

Maria: Joining me at this time, Petey Williams.

The camera zooms out, letting us all get a glimpse of Petey Williams in his ring gear looking like he means business as he gently takes the microphone from her.

Petey Williams: Look I wanna keep this t' the point. A lot of people are calling me selfish f' flying solo, but what they don't know is that me an' Johnny (Devine) go a long way back. We respect each other and each other's wishes. Right now I wanna focus on me, on one specific thing. That thing I've got my mind on is the Cruiserweight Championship, and for the record, Johnny respects my desire t' show I have what it takes t' be successful here in the WWE by becoming the Cruiserweight Champion. I came here to compete against the best on the biggest stage. This is where ev'ryone wants t' be. I'm no diff'rent. I wanna win titles like ev'ryone else. It just so happens that the person who currently has the title I want, we go a long way back too. We've had our problems an' we've both beat each other many times. I intend to beat him again here where it matters when it matters. I'm gonna do just that and take the cruiserweight title. If that upsets people too, too bad. It's gonna happen. It's going t' happen soon.

Petey lets Maria know he means it, giving her the eyes for a couple of seconds before passing the stick back, turning away and walking out of the shot.

*Commercial Break*
We're shown what appears to be a party going on in the back with Elijah Burke, Matt Sydal, Mickie James & Layla along with other Smackdown superstars. Burke, Layla & Mickie are all sipping champagne with Burke & Layla's Valentine's Day wedding less than 24 hours away.


*Match #3*
Jimmy Yang
w/Sonjay Dutt
vs. Petey Williams w/Johnny Devine
Johnny Devine came out to support his friend & on/off tag team partner while the Cruiserweight Champion, J-Red watched on a monitor in the back. Petey was all business but Yang was up for the fight too. Petey was well on top and he knew it, and he was too complacent when going to apply what looked like the Sharpshooter. Yang kicked off though, and as they picked themselves back up, Yang put him on the mat with an arm drag takedown. Petey was back up but Yang sent him into the corner, running in straight away with a heel kick. Petey fell forward and Yang landed on the apron. He climbed up to the top rope with the fans cheering as Petey made his way back up, and as he turned round Yang came off the top with a missile dropkick.

The fans cheered as he hit it and he followed up for the cover, only to get a two count. He kept the offence going but it came unstuck when he hit the top rope soon after, and as he dived off for a cross body, Petey countered with a standing dropkick. It was picture perfect and he wasted no time at all in dragging him back up, pulling him into place for the Canadian Destroyer, and he hit it to get the three count and the victory. Red was shown watching again clinging on to his title as Devine joined Petey in the ring to raise his arm along with the referee. Petey made a gesture of a title around his waist, making it clear he's after the cruiserweight title as a serious J-Red watched on.

Winner: Petey Williams by pinfall.

Michael Cole:
Petey Williams has talked a good in game in recent weeks and he's been backing it up in the ring. He's got the attention of the Cruiserweight Champion too. Going off what we've seen recently, Petey Williams could certainly give J-Red a run f' his money.


A split screen appears with Bryan Danielson on one side and the United States Champion, Dolph Ziggler on the other, both walking through the back looking ready & dressed for action.

Michael Cole: When we come back folks, the United States Champion Dolph Ziggler will be in action against Bryan Danielson. The United States Champion will have a battle on his hands t'night that's f' sure. You won't want t' miss it.

*Commercial Break*

"Ride of the Valkyries"
Bryan Danielson walks out into the arena to a good reaction from the Billings crowd, stopping at the stage with a look of determination on his face before heading down to the ring with purpose. He steps inside and looks into the stands, taking in the positive response from the fans.

"This Fire Burns"
The fans respond with a heavy mix of both cheers & boos as CM Punk, the World Heavyweight Champion curiously walks out to the stage with Homicide by his side. He smirks at the fans' reaction, not bothered in the slightest as they walk on down to the ring, and the World Champion smiles at the confused Danielson as he walks past him to receive the microphone from Justin Roberts.

CM Punk: It's been a long time right?

Danielson, still confused somewhat just looks at the slimy looking World Champion.

CM Punk: What you guys don't know is that Bryan here, Homicide an' myself have travelled the word t'gether before we all turned up in the WWE, an' I've gotta say hand on heart that out of the many many talented guys I've worked with he's right up there.

Punk draws a calm reaction from the crowd, some clapping in approval of his endorsement of Danielson.

CM Punk: I respect the hell out of this guy's talent, his desire, an' just like us he's still the same guy he was before he turned up here. He's kept his integrity, which is why Bry' I'm sure you understand what I've been saying all along. You haven't needed t' sell your soul t' get a spot on TV like so many have and continue to. That's why I want you to stand alongside Homicide an' I against the agenda t' hold back the real talent in favour of 'superstars' like John Cena who simply can't cut it against guys who are being held back despite being so much better but that there are exceptions like us who can make it.

*Heat*

Danielson turns round and walks to the apron, getting a microphone passed to him. He turns round and walks back into the middle of the ring, looking at Punk.

Bryan Danielson: I appreciate the kind words Punk, really I do. I respect your ability too, I always have. The agenda thing though I kind of got a problem with that. You said y'self I'm still the same Bryan Danielson I've always been. I've not had t' change who I am t' get here or on TV. I'm still the same guy and I plan t' keep it that way.

*Pop*

Bryan Danielson: The way I see it, you've changed. You care about one thing. It's not looking out f' other guys. It's about keeping that title around your waist no matter what.

*Pop*

Bryan Danielson: One other thing you know about me Punk is that I've always been an individual, so despite the kind offer, unfortunately I have t' decline.

*More Cheers*

CM Punk: Well, well that's mighty naive of you Bryan. The same rules we're used to, they don't apply here. If you believe you'll get as far here as you have ev'rywhere else you're in for a mighty fall. This is the WWE. It's not about competition or respect. It's all about survival. It makes you do things you wouldn't normally do. It makes you do things you don't want t' do, kind o'like this. . .

Punk nails him out of nowhere with the microphone, putting Danielson down on the mat to a ton of heat. He steps back & drops the microphone as Homicide also steps back, both watching as Danielson makes his way back up, looking a little groggy. The fans try to warn him, some still booing as Homicide eyes him up, getting itchy feet. Danielson turns round and Homicide charges at him, turning him inside out with the West Brooklyn Lariat. More boos come from the stands as Punk revels in it, watching Danielson trying to sit up on the mat with his eyes all over the shop. He again claws his way back up as Punk hands his world title over to the Brooklyn native and turns his full attention to Danielson with the fans booing the World Champion. He locks his eyes on Danielson, and as he makes it back up, Punk pounces on him, lifting him off his feet on to his shoulders, then drops Danielson's head down on to his knee for the GTS! The fans throw a ton of boos at him as he looks down at him with a wry smile on his face, no remorse whatsoever as Homicide hands him his title back. Punk puts the title back over his shoulder and looks into the stands, still smirking through the heat. He turns to leave the ring, followed by Homicide, walking carefree back up the ramp.

"I AM PERFECTION. . ."
Out walks Dolph Ziggler, the United States Champion to the stage to more heat and he looks right at Punk as they meet with Danielson starting to come round in the ring. Ziggler doesn't look at all happy as he looks right at Punk who carries on past him, laughing to himself, not giving a damn about what he's just done. Ziggler shakes his head but looks down at the ring, then makes his way down as the referee checks on Danielson's condition. Ziggler enters the ring and poses with the title while looking over at Danielson who tries to stand back up, assuring the ref he's fine to compete despite looking unsteady initially.

*Match #4*
Non-Title Match
Bryan Danielson
vs. Dolph Ziggler
Danielson was struggling in the early going after the attack from Punk & Homicide with Ziggler taking full advantage. The United States Champion showed no mercy, but Danielson showed how courageous he is and came back fighting. The crowd were right behind him the whole way and Dolph was rattled. He was on the wrong end of a front missile dropkick, and as they made their way back up, Danielson came back off the ropes to nail him with a jumping high knee strike. Ziggler hit the deck but made his way back up, walking right into a LeBell Lock attempt. Dolph fought it right away, dragging himself towards the ropes before Danielson could get it locked in. It was a lucky escape, but as he stood back up, he ran into a drop toe hold and then a vicious kick to the head as Danielson stood back up. Dolph fell flat on his back from a seated position and Danielson went up to the top rope to a big pop, focused as hell as he then leapt off the top for a diving headbutt, and it connected. The fans were eating it up and Danielson shook off the impact he felt too before crawling across to make the cover, and with the crowd counting along with the ref, Ziggler just got his shoulder up at two.

They were gutted, as was Danielson as he sat up showing his disappointment initially. He shrugged it off quickly before taking advantage of Ziggler still in a bad way, turning him over to apply the LeBell Lock. The fans again got behind Danielson, cheering as Ziggler struggled to hold on, keeping his right hand off the mat with the ref asking him if he wanted to tap. The United States Champion held on with Danielson tearing away at his face, but he dug deep himself to try & get to the ropes. He started to drag himself towards them, and he got there to frustrate the crowd. Danielson was surprised but took it on the chin again. He watched as Dolph dragged himself up using the ropes, and he pulled him away, setting him up for a suplex, but Ziggler fought back with an elbow to the head. Danielson was knocked in a spin, allowing Ziggler to kick him in the gut and then drive his head into the mat courtesy of a leg drop bulldog. It was Danielson's turn to kick out again at two, and Ziggler was desperate to end it there & then, stalking him for the Zig Zag.

He backed up across the mat, getting ready to explode, but Danielson dodged it as Dolph hit the deck. As he stood back up Danielson was on him in a flash, looking to pull him into the LeBell Lock. Ziggler though tried to fight it and did, then pulling back to send Danielson shoulder first into the ringpost. The momentum put Ziggler on one knee and he used the time to get his breath back as a sore Danielson pulled away from the post, holding on to his shoulder as he tried to get back up. Ziggler's eyes were locked on him, staring intently at him and he ran across the mat at him, this time hitting the Zig Zag to secure the victory and earn a very hard fought victory after a spirited effort from Danielson. Ziggler was passed his title and got his arm raised, not that he looked all too pleased as Danielson rolled to the apron and under the bottom rope to the floor. Ziggler walked over to the apron too to collect a microphone.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler by pinfall.

Michael Cole:
There's no doubt Dolph Ziggler had a big assist from CM Punk an' Homicide before the match, but don't take anything away from him or Danielson f' that matter. Danielson showed some real courage to put up the fight he did, but Ziggler dug deep himself to pick up the win here t'night.

Dolph Ziggler: Just so we're straight and before all the criticism comes my way again, I didn't know that was gonna happen before the match, just like I didn't at the Royal Rumble when I became the United States Champion.

*Heat*

Dolph Ziggler: That brings me t' Matt Sydal. I wanna congratulate on your win at No Way Out Matt but I want you t' know that you might have your rematch, the problem is I'm ready an' waiting. I know you're busy t'night with your buddy's party back there and your big match with Edge. All you've gotta do Matt is name the day. I'll face you wherever whenever t' settle this once an' for all, and just like the Rumble I'll be the one standing tall, only there'll be no doubt this time. That folks is a promise you can take t' the bank.

Looking a little rattled still, the United States Champion throws the stick down and leaves the ring, showing his title defiantly to the fans in the front row as he walks past them.

*Commercial Break*
In the back, the Diva's Champion, Beth Phoenix is angrily pacing back & forth without the title belt Queen Kong stole from her on Raw Monday night. She's understandably not in a good mood tonight, and it might get worse as O.D.B. walks up to her.

Beth Phoenix: I'm not in any kind of mood t' talk right now, let alone with you.

O.D.B: You're not the only one pissed y'know. I know that crazy bitch beat the crap out of you an' stole y'title the other night but she stopped me taking it from y'too. The only reason I don't have that title now is 'cause of that freak.

Beth Phoenix: Huh? You think she's a freak?

O.D.B: An' what's that s'pposed t' mean?

Beth Phoenix: Just funny hearing you of all people calling someone a freak, not that you're wrong in this case.

O.D.B: You're lucky I'm gonna let that go, but once I'm done getting even with that freak, don't think I ain't comin' f' you.

Mr. McMahon enters the scene, instantly calming the tension temporarily between the two divas just by his presence taking their attention away from each other.

Mr. McMahon: Beth, am I glad I found you?

Beth Phoenix: You better have something good t' tell me.

Mr. McMahon: Well let's see. I've just been speaking with Eric Bischoff because after what happened at No Way Out and then on Raw Monday night, we both felt that we had t' deal with this as a matter of urgency before it goes any further. Now I know this is a little unorthodox but we felt this was too good an idea t' pass up. We've got both you and Kong as champions, so we felt that with Wrestlemania just around the corner, how huge it would be t' have the women's champion take on the diva's champion in a unification match?

That seems to calm Beth down but not O.D.B.

O.D.B: Well that's great f' her but what about me huh?

Mr. McMahon: Ah yes. You do have a point but right now this is what. . .

Beth Phoenix: . . . Vince, thank you. I think it's a great idea, but it's not going t' stop me going t' Raw Monday night t' get my title back.

Mr. McMahon: I understand, but I must tell you t' be very careful.

Beth Phoenix: I'll do whatever it takes. She's not going t' push me around like ev'ryone else. I promise you that.

The Glamazon, much happier now walks away while O.D.B. stares at Vince, unnerving him slightly.

Mr. McMahon: Yeah I think I'm gonna go.

Mr. McMahon wisely takes his leave, but O.D.B. is still looking very angry indeed.


"Don't Waste My Time"

Elijah Burke
is standing in the middle of the ring with his fiancée Layla, both looking very happy as you would expect with their upcoming nuptials.

Elijah Burke: Hey, this is the groom speakin' I guess. I just wanna say a few words t'night. . . Whoa, before I f'get. Good luck t' my boy Matty later on too by the way. T'night though's about one thing. . . my beautiful fiancée here.

Layla is absolutely beaming at hearing her fiancé speak so delightfully of her.

Elijah Burke: This is one time you're gonna hear me a little soppy 'cause this time t'morrow Lay's officially gonna be the ball an' chain.

Layla gives her fiancé a little slap on the arm in jest.

Elijah Burke: I kid I kid. Lay', you know how I feel 'bout you girl but I want ev'ryone else t' know just how much I love this girl. She's made me the happiest guy in the world, an' I hope from now on I make the happiest girl in the world. I love y'Lay.

Layla sheds a little tear and he gives her a quick hug, and as they pull away she asks for the microphone and he hands it over to her.

Layla: That was so nice, thank you baby. I just wanna say I love you too. You've already me so happ. . .

"Priceless"

*Tons of Boos*


A smug Ted DiBiase strolls out to the stage with his girlfriend Maryse, making Burke furious and Layla somewhat awkward. DiBiase walks down the ring with Maryse, smiling in a big way for some reason, and as he enters the ring he walks past Burke & Layla, he still smiles at them as he collects a microphone while Burke takes his back off Layla.

Elijah Burke: You wanna explain what the hell y'think y'doin' comin' out here before I put you on y'ass? Wait, didn't you get fired the other night?

Ted DiBiase: First, thank you for the warm reception! As f' being fired, I left Raw. I still have a contract with the WWE, which means I'm free t' be here on Smackdown and wish you well on this special occasion for you both.

DiBiase turns to look right at a very uneasy looking Layla.

Ted DiBiase: Are you alright? You wouldn't think it's the happiest day of your life t'morrow. Why is that?

Elijah Burke: Hey, you don't talk t' her y'hear? In fact I don't even know why you're out here. This isn't about you. Why don't you get t' steppin' an' go back t' wherever you came from?

Ted DiBiase: Oh I'm sure you'd like that wouldn't you? See like I told you Sunday night, which I'm sure you've f'got, no one tells me what t' do. That includes you, which is why I'm out here t' make my point.

Elijah Burke: There's a point to all this? Maybe you should get to it before I knock you the hell out.

Ted DiBiase: Oh I intend to. . . Now we heard all about how the divas were invited to a party your beautiful fiancée was having in Vegas on Monday night, so Maryse thought. . . well we both did that we'd go along. . .

Elijah Burke: . . . Just get t' the point.

Ted DiBiase: Okay, y'know what? Instead of me telling you about what happened, I'll show you.

Ted turns to look up at the tron and footage of what appears to be a bar is shown where Ted & Maryse turn up. They walk further into the room where Layla, Mickie James, Gail Kim, Natalya Neidhart, Kelly Kelly, Melina, Beth Phoenix, Maria are shown dancing and have a good time, but Layla turns round and sees them. She's furious and walks right up to them.

Layla: You two? You're not invited.

Ted DiBiase: We're aware of that but we couldn't help but stop by since we were close by. We can't help but think that you're making a mistake. . .

Layla: . . . Ex-cuse me.

Ted DiBiase: Listen to what I have t' say. To outsiders it looks like you're settling. Look at Maryse. She's stunning right? I wouldn't settle and neither would she. We're the perfect couple unlike you and your fiancé. I'm sure Maryse wouldn't mind me saying that you're a very attractive woman. You can do far better than him.

Layla: Oh, like you right?

Ted DiBiase: Well of course but that's not what I meant.

Layla: You wouldn't stand a chance. I'd go f' her before I'd go near you.

Maryse looks disgusted as Layla looks her up & down. So much so she walks away and the shot goes back to the ring with Layla still looking very awkward. Burke looks totally confused with DiBiase loving stirring things up as Maryse stands by his side, not giving much away.

Ted DiBiase: So, would you like me to show your fiancé the rest?

Layla turns to Burke and tells him she thinks they should leave.

Elijah Burke: Na, I wanna know what he's up to.

Ted DiBiase: You heard the gentlemen.

The footage starts again where Ted is shown talking to Maryse who's still slightly riled up.

Ted DiBiase: Baby I have an idea.

Ted takes her to a quiet spot in the distance and looks to be trying to convince into something. The footage then fast forwards to Maryse walking up to Layla as she comes out of the toilets, caught by surprise by Maryse.

Maryse: Hey. I want to apologise for what Teddy said before and. . .

Layla: . . . And what?

Maryse: I don't know how to say this but before it looked like you were looking. . .

Layla: . . . I know where you're going and I'm sorry. It's just, I've gotta say, you're really sexy y'know, too good f' him.

Maryse: It's okay, it's just he doesn't know. . .

Layla: . . . Doesn't know what?

Maryse: Well, it's not just guys I go for.

Layla: Really? I would never've guessed. I mean it's not like we haven't all thought about that, experimenting. Y'know. I never did but if I did you'd be just the type I'd go for. Wait what am I saying? I'm sorry I shouldn't be saying that.

Maryse: No it's okay. I understand. I must say, what's stopping you? If you were going to experiment, now's the perfect time. You can get it out of your system before you get married.

Layla: Really, you think so? No I couldn't. I mean. . . no it's crazy.

Maryse: Is it? I don't think so. Trust me, it's amazing.

Layla: Yeah? I've heard that. I've always thought about it. Maybe you're right. No I can't. . . wait, oh who cares?

She grabs Maryse by surprise & kisses her. The footage stops right there, going back to the ring where Burke can't believe it, turning to look at his embarrassed fiancée.

Ted DiBiase: Well, who would've thought we'd see that from a woman about t' get married? There's a whole lot more footage too but unfortunately we're not allowed t' show it, and it doesn't just feature these two lovely ladies either if you catch my drift.

Layla: He's lying. That's not true. Yes I kissed her but I was drunk. That's all it was baby, a silly mistake I promise.

Burke snaps, dropping the microphone to hammer DiBiase with a hard right hand, sending him down to the mat and rolling under the bottom rope down to the floor. Maryse follows him and Layla tries to apologise to Burke who still looks furious & stunned by what he's seen & heard. He goes to walk away and Layla panics, quickly picking the microphone back up.

Layla: Please baby I'm so sorry. I swear it was just that kiss. It only lasted that second. Please f'give me, I'm so sorry.

Burke stops & turns round, looking right at her starting to cry. He walks towards her, looks at her again with DiBiase sitting up on the floor looking on with Maryse fairly ashamed by the looks of it. They watch as Burke takes the microphone from her, gently though.

Elijah Burke: Sorry but I can't go through with it right now. The wedding's off.

He drops the stick & leaves, leaving Layla in tears with DiBiase watching on the outside with a big smile on his face. Burke stomps back up the ramp and Mickie James runs out past him to console Layla in the ring. She turns her head to give the amused DiBiase a look of pure disgust.

Michael Cole: That was absolutely despicable if you ask me from Ted DiBiase t'night, absolutely disgusting. I feel f' both Elijah Burke and Layla. I just hope they can get over this.

Michael Cole: Coming up though when we come back, we'll find out who will be next to challenge our tag team champions. Will it be the team of Bobby Lashley an' Charlie Haas or the Mexican duo of Chavo Guerrero and Alberto Del Rio? Find out when we return in a couple of minutes.

*Commercial Break*



>44 Days!<


*Match #5*
Number One Contendership Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
Power & Perfection (Bobby Lashley & Charlie Haas)

vs. Mexican Royalty (Alberto Del Rio & Chavo Guerrero)
Both teams entered in different fashions with the Mexican duo very relaxed & confident while Lashley & Haas walked out meaning business. Lashley showed that in the early going, but as the match went on, Del Rio & Chavo did a good job of isolating Haas. Del Rio was revelling in the heat coming from the stands. He thought it was just a matter of time before they put the match to bed, but as he took his eye off of Haas, he turned back to help him up and got a shock as Haas fired at him with right hands. He fired the Mexican into the ropes and caught him with the kitchen sink, and as Del Rio made his way back up, Haas went for it, feeling the momentum switch his way. He went for a scoop lift and turned it into a reverse DDT, but Del Rio just got his shoulder up to stay in the match. Haas was feeling it and stood back up, circling the reeling Mexican. Just as Del Rio was about to get back on his feet, Chavo raced into the ring, but Haas ducked a clothesline and planted him with the Olympic Slam to a big pop. As Haas then stood back up, Chavo rolled out of the ring but Del Rio was back on his feet and nailed Haas as he turned round with a super kick. Haas fell to the mat and Del Rio wasted no time going for the cover, looking pissed as Haas managed to get his shoulder up at two.

Del Rio couldn't believe it and let the ref know it too. Haas was looking dazed as he sat up, struggling to make it back up as the now all business Mexican turned the attention back to him. Haas was looking in grave danger, and Del Rio ran past him into the ropes, hitting a springboard for an enzuigiri, but Haas ducked it to the surprise of everyone. Del Rio landed awkwardly and Haas took full advantage to hit the Olympic Slam to get the crowd going, and he crawled over to make the cover. Chavo though denied him by diving across, just saving the day to break up the cover. The crowd were gutted but Lashley was furious as he tried to get in the ring, but the ref blocked him off. It gave everyone else a chance to recover, but not longer after he was brought into the fold when Haas rolled out of the way of a diving senton, rolling across to tag in his partner. Del Rio was in shock as he stood up to see Lashley bursting out of his boots at him to the delight of the crowd. After a couple of clotheslines, Del Rio found himself on the end of a bone crunching spinebuster. He might've survived that but it wasn't long before he fell victim to a one arm delayed vertical suplex & a running powerslam.

Del Rio again kicked out, but Lashley was gunning for a spear, but before he could hit it, Chavo again entered the fray and took his attention off of his partner. The ref blocked Chavo off, allowing Del Rio to stand up, and as Lashley ran at him he caught him with a drop toe hold to the turnbuckle pads. That brought Chavo & Haas into the match, and after failing to get a three with the Three Amigo's, Chavo tried for a brainbuster and went up top for the Frog Splash. Haas though brought his knees up into the Mexican's guts, and as they both clawed their way back up, Haas ducked a wild right and hit an exploder suplex. The fans counted along with the ref but Chavo kicked out to the relief of Del Rio. Haas shook off the disappointment quickly to switch gears and lock in the Haas of Pain. Chavo was struggling to hold on big time, looking on the brink until Del Rio stormed the ring to break the hold to a chorus of boos by stomping on the head of Charlie Haas. Chavo showed no remorse and Lashley snapped, hitting the ring to level him with an almighty clothesline. Chavo rolled to the apron as Haas & Del Rio made their way back up with Haas looking the brighter, going for an Olympic Slam.

Del Rio though jumped down and pushed Haas into the ropes, then ducked his head, giving Haas the chance to kick him square in the head. Del Rio's head snapped up and Haas shifted behind to hit the Olympic Slam to a big pop. He went for the cover but Chavo again came to the rescue, pulling Haas away by his feet. Chavo & Lashley both had had enough and went after him, and he pleaded for mercy as the ref stood between them, trying to get Lashley & Chavo out of the ring. Del Rio sat back up and caught Haas with a low blow then rolled him up as Lashley pushed past the ref to nail Chavo and started to unload. The ref turned and saw the cover, so darted across to make the count as Del Rio held on to the tights, something the ref didn't see as he counted to three. The bell rang and Lashley turned round in shock as Del Rio stood up with his arms raised. Lashley snapped, shaking his head with steam coming out of his ears, and as Del Rio turned he got ripped in half by a spear to a big pop. Lashley stood up as Haas did too looking furious, trying to make his point to the referee who claimed not to see the tights being held with Chavo sitting up looking on clueless and Del Rio starting to sit up holding his stomach.

Winners: Mexican Royalty by pinfall.
Michael Cole: What a great contest that was but it doesn't change the fact that Chavo and Del Rio have stole one t'night, and as you can imagine, Lahsley an' Haas are furious. We might not have heard the last of this by the looks of it though.


Ready for action the 2008 King of the Ring, Matt Sydal is shown walking through back, then so is 'The Rated-R Superstar' Edge with their match just moments away.

Michael Cole: Well the action doesn't end there. We're just minutes away from our main event as two superstars looking t' challenge CM Punk for the world title at Wrestlemania battle it out when the King of the Ring Matt Sydal takes on 'The Rated-R Superstar' Edge. Don't go anywhere folks.

*Commercial Break*

Michael Cole: Yes folks, you are seeing what you think you are. Monday night on Raw live in Miami, The Rock will be in the house to announce who will be the first inductee in the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame class. Finally The Rock has come back to the WWE! Make sure you're watching live Monday night when The Great One makes his long awaited return to Raw.

*Video Recap*
From No Way Out!




The fans look nervous, and they have every right to be as Edge drags his way back up and clears the broken table out of the ring with the younger brother starting to come round. The Rated-R Superstar stares down with contempt at him, then backs away to the corner, watching Christian struggling to get up to his knees, much to Edge's amusement. Edge bends down and gets ready to explode out of the corner, and the fans know what's coming. They desperately try to warn the oblivious Christian, but as he turns round with his eyes all over the shop, Edge races out of the corner and TACKLES HIM WITH THE SPEAR!!!. . . . . Christian's done and Edge knows it, smirking into the crowd before hooking the leg. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3?

NO!!!

Christian somehow gets his shoulder up and Edge can't believe it, sitting up with the fans going nuts. They're cheering like mad as Edge stares in bewilderment at the referee who lets him know it was definitely a two count. Edge drives both hands furiously into the mat as Christian starts to stir, and that fires Edge up even more. He stands up in a huff and goes back to the corner. He gets ready for another spear as Christian crawls towards the corner, using the ropes to help get back up, struggling desperately to do so by himself.

Edge is steaming though. It's coming out of his ears, and as Christian struggles back up and turns round, Edge bursts across the canvas again for another SPEAR!!!. . . . . Christian sidesteps it and Edge runs into the pads! The fans cheer, and as Edge turns round in a spin, Christian grabs him by the arms and PLANTS HIM WITH THE KILL-SWITCH!!!. . . . . Edge is out and the fans are on their feet going crazy as Christian shimmies round, turns his brother over on to his back and makes the cover, sloppily hooking the leg. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3?

NO!!!

Edge this time somehow gets the shoulder up to the frustration of the crowd as Christian looks up stunned at the ref and drops his head back down instantly, devastated, thinking he had it won right there. Edge lives to fight another day and Christian's clearly gutted, sure as he hell he had the win in the bag. He shakes his head as he stands up, then sees the steel chair and takes another glance back to see Edge sitting up but looking in bad shape. Captain Charisma goes for the chair and turns round with Edge desperately dragging himself back up to his feet. He can't get his balance initially, but as he does, Christian psyches himself up one more time and walks towards him, lifting the chair up above his head.

Edge turns round and ducks his head in time, catching Christian off guard, and as Christian turns round, Edge stomps him in the gut. Christian drops the chair and Edge drills his head into the CHAIR WITH THE EDGECUTION!!!. . . . . Captain Charisma is out! Edge pulls back on the mat with a sick smirk on his face, revelling in seeing the crowd looking on disappointed to see Christian n trouble. Edge though thrives on it and he has an idea, standing up and leaving the ring to grab another chair. Boos ring round the arena as he slides back in, letting go of the chair before walking towards Christian, still completely out of it.

The Rated-R Superstar makes sure the chair Christian's head crashed into is under his face with him face down against the chair & canvas. Edge then stands up with that sadistic smile, getting more heat from the fans as he gets the other chair and goes back to stand over Christian, still motionless. Edge lifts the chair up above his lead like Christian did to him on Friday night then, then BRINGS IT DOWN, SMASHING IT INTO CHRISTIAN'S SKULL FOR THE CON-CHAIR-TO!!!. . . . . . That surely has to be it and Edge definitely thinks so, dropping the chair before confidently dropping to his knees and rolling Christian on to his back to make the cover. . . . .

1. . . . .

2. . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3?

YES!!!

"Metalingus" blasts out and Edge leans back on his knees looking into the crowd with that smug grin with Christian lying in front of him. He slowly stands back up to get his arm raised, revelling in the heat, raising both arms in the air as the ref lets go, looking down smugly at his defeated brother who remains out of it. EMT's rush down to check on him, amusing Edge more as he looks on, turning to the crowd still too, leaving us in no uncertain terms how pleased he is to have beaten his brother.
*The Main Event*
Matt Sydal
vs. Edge
Sydal was left to fight alone with his girlfriend Mickie James seemingly still supporting Layla, but it didn't change anything as he approached the match in a typical fearless fashion against the determined Rated-R Superstar. Edge didn't take Sydal lightly at all, and it was a good thing he didn't. The fans were supporting Sydal throughout, and they quickly had the belief he could get the win to add to his incredible year in the WWE. Edge was rattled as Sydal battled away, reversing a whip to the corner, following in to drive his elbow into the head of the Canadian. Edge fell on his ass against the pads and Sydal backed up to run in, driving both his feet into Edge's kisser to a loud cheer. He pulled Edge away to get a two count, but he kept the fight going until Edge sidestepped a missile dropkick. He quickly pulled him up to send him into the ropes and hit a release back body drop. If that wasn't enough, he went up to do what Sydal couldn't and connected with a missile dropkick. It wasn't enough for the victory and he continued to take the fight to Sydal, getting more & more frustrated as Sydal continued to cling on for survival.

Edge's frustrations were starting to boil over and as the match was drawing closer to the end, he was left furious when Sydal got his shoulder up at two after the Edgecution. The Rated-R Superstar retreated to the corner, getting ready for the spear. The fans were desperately trying to warn Sydal, and as he dragged himself back up, Edge burst out of the corner at him to finish him off. Sydal had different ideas though and sidestepped it as Edge ran into the pads. He turned round and staggered out into the path of the King of the Ring, walking into a feint enzuigiri into a headscissors takedown. The fans were buzzing and Sydal felt the adrenaline running through his body, going to the dizzy heights of the top rope as a stuttering Edge picked himself back up, turning into a double knee takedown. It was getting seriously loud in the arena as Sydal gained the initiative, and despite Edge kicking out, he kept going. Edge was reeling and Sydal looked to take full advantage by kicking him in the gut and drilling him with a tornado DDT.

Edge wasn't moving and the fans were bursting with hope as Sydal turned him on to his back to make another cover, but he was denied as Edge just about managed to get his shoulder up before the ref was about to count to three. The former United States Champion didn't let it bother him too much and dragged Edge closer to the corner before climbing up to the top rope, setting off a huge pop from the crowd thinking the Shooting Star Press was coming. As he made his way up, Edge sat up and saw what was about to happen and panicked, pushing the ref as he checked on him into the ropes. Sydal fell into a seated position to a ton of heat and Edge just smirked at the crowd as he stood up and took his time going after Sydal. He climbed up to the second rope, and then the top, setting him up for a superplex, and he hit it, but it was only enough for a two count. Edge couldn't believe it and shook his head in sheer frustration and went back to the corner, stalking the wrecked looking Sydal for the spear again. Edge was getting agitated as the fans again tried to warn Sydal, and as Edge charged at him, the King of the Ring leapfrogged his opponent.

The Rated-R Superstar put the brakes on and turned round in a flash, right into a spinning savote kick. It floored Edge to a massive pop from the Billings crowd and Sydal took a couple of seconds to regroup before going back up to the top rope. The fans were on their feet unlike Edge as he lay flat out beneath Sydal who looked down briefly before leaping up into the air for the Shooting Star Press, but Edge rolled into the corner and Sydal crash landed into the canvas with one almighty thud of an impact. He rolled into the centre of the ring clutching his recently recovered broken ribs as a relieved Edge sat up in the corner breathing a sigh of relief. He watched as the hurting Breakthrough Star of the Year struggled to make it back up to his feet with the fans sensing there could be trouble ahead. There was, and as Sydal made it up, Edge exploded out of the corner and at the third time of asking connected with the spear to pick up the victory despite an incredible effort from Sydal. "Metalingus" blasted out and a relieved & serious looking Edge stood up to get his arm raised, taking an almost respectful looking glance down at Sydal.

Winner: Edge by pinfall.

Michael Cole:
What a great match that was. Matt Sydal gave it ev'rything he had but The Rated-R Superstar persevered t' get the hard fought victory here t'night.

The World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk walks out to the stage with a microphone in hand with Homicide by his side.

CM Punk: I guess I should congratulate you on your victory but that's not what I came out here t' say. What I have t' say is a message for you, Vince an' anyone else he thinks is going t' take my world title off me at Wrestlemania. The bottom line is no one will take it from me. It doesn't matter if it's Edge. . .

*Heat*

CM Punk: . . . John Cena. . .

*Mixed*

CM Punk: . . . Hulk Hogan. . .

*Pop*

CM Punk: . . . Hell it doesn't matter if it's Vince himself. It's not enough that I'm finally headlining Wrestlemania as a defending world champion. It's gone way past that. This is about proving without a shadow of doubt I am the benchmark f' all aspiring 'wrestlers', not 'superstars' by walking in and out of Wrestlemania as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

*Mixed*

CM Punk: F' those of you who don't like it, especially the McMahon family and all the puppets beneath him, you can all kiss my underappreciated ass.

*Mixed*

Punk drops the stick & lifts his title up into the air with "This Fire Burns" playing. Edge looks up at him from the ring, and we also get a quick glimpse of an unimpressed Mr. McMahon watching in his office before it goes back to Punk defiantly showing off his world title looking so smug.

Michael Cole: CM Punk absolutely emphatic in his statement. Will anybody be able to take the world title from him at Wrestlemania? Who'll face him? Will it be John Cena, or Edge? Mr. McMahon has made it clear he wants that decided next week. Make sure you're with us next week live to find out just who will face Punk at Wrestlemania. Until then folks, good night an' take care.

*End of Show*

Quick Results

Paul London & Brian Kendrick df. The Pitbulls
Jack Swagger df. Harry Smith
Petey Williams df. Jimmy Yang
Dolph Ziggler df. Bryan Danielson
Alberto Del Rio & Chavo Guerrero df. Bobby Lashley & Charlie Haas
Edge df. Matt Sydal

Superstars Tapings
J-Red df. Shelton Benjamin


______________________________________


>Confirmed for Wrestlemania XXV<
Date:
Sunday 29th March 2009 (6 Weeks)
Location: Wembley Stadium (London, England)

WWE Championship
Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Triple H

Money in the Bank
The Big Show vs. Chris Jericho vs. ?

Unification Match
Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Queen Kong (c)

Battle of Britain
The UK Pack, TJ Wilson & Natalya Neidhart vs. The Empire


 
#1,702 ·
DiBiase is already making an impact on Smackdown, just gotta love Ted, he is basically the reason why Elijah Burke and Layla's wedding is being called off because of Layla cheating, she kissed Maryse all be it that she was drunk when she did it but still that was enough for Burke to call off the wedding but I wonder if this will cause Burke to turn heel or cause Layla to turn heel because of this while with DiBiase now that he is on Smackdown he has quite a future ahead of him here on the blue brand and he could go after the World Heavyweight Championship even if he wants to

CM Punk/Edge rivalry I could get behind a heel vs heel rivalry between these 2 especially with the World Heavyweight Championship in the mix, with Punk having to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Edge who is another heel, which is even better because I love heel vs heel matches but I see Edge being the face in this feud or at least being a tweener in this feud but showing face tendencies

But I hope Cena/Taker happens at WrestleMania 25, I really do

But as for Sydal/Ziggler if this happens at Mania 25, I really hope these 2 go at it in a Ladder Match with the United States Championship on the line
 
#1,703 ·



>Wrestlemania XXV<



It's been less than seven days since last week's No Way Out in Las Vegas but we already have three matches lined up in addition to the Money in the Bank match for the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania which will be held for the first time outside of the United States of America & Canada when it comes to you live six weeks from now from Wembley Stadium in London, England.




It's a relationship that goes back years, but for the first time in their long history they will meet on the grandest stage of them all with the richest prize in the industry on the line.

It was back at the Royal Rumble four weeks ago that Triple H was forced into defending his WWE Championship by Eric Bischoff in the Royal Rumble against 29 other men as the number one entrant. The Game claimed at the time it was an impossible task to go all the way to the end to retain his title, and ultimately he failed. It was ironic that the only other person to start the match did the impossible and won the Rumble as well his WWE title. It was almost fate that Shawn Michaels was that man who went on to win his fourth WWE Championship to dethrone The King of Kings.

After Bischoff nullified the rematch clause from Triple H's contract after he was on the receiving end of a Pedigree, The Game had to fight to earn a rematch last weekend at No Way Out, emerging victorious in the number one contender match to get his rematch against The Heartbreak Kid. Battle lines were drawn on Raw with Triple H vowing to regain his title and end his long time friend's career. Michaels stood up to him and let him know he's up for the fight on the stage that he has always shined. With so much at stake as well as taking their history into account, it'll be a match for the ages when they meet at Wrestlemania in six weeks.




We were all shocked to see Queen Kong, the woman who's dominated Raw since her arrival show up at No Way Out last weekend when she attacked the two divas battling it out for Beth Phoenix's Diva's Championship. Along with The Glamazon, O.D.B. was left flat on her back at the hands of the Women's Champion, and after going to confront Kong on Raw, the Diva's Champion fell to the same fate she did 24 hours earlier. On this occasion, Kong also left with her diva's title too.

Last night on Smackdown, Beth was understandably furious and vowed to get her title back this coming Monday despite a stern warning to be careful by Mr. McMahon, who went on to tell her that she will meet Kong at Wrestlemania in a unification match for both her diva's title and Kong's women's title. O.D.B. wasn't happy either as she felt she would've gone on to beat Beth in Las Vegas last Sunday. Her feelings now are irrelevant as we'll see two of, if not the two most dominant women in WWE history collide with two titles at stake. What a collision this is going to be!




These two groups have been at each other's throats for months now, but everything will be settled once & for all at Wrestlemania next month when they meet in a fitting showdown; a Battle of Britain.

All eight of them will go at it in their homeland in front of 80,000+ of their fellow Brits. It was The Empire who controversially ended the year long reign of The UK Pack at Night of Champions after breaking Harry Smith's ankle beforehand. TJ Wilson, Smith's friend & rookie was able to defend his title on Harry's behalf, but still Wade Barrett & Co stole the titles with the aid of brass knuckles. A couple of weeks later though, The UK Pack got their revenge when they played a part in Paul London & Brian Kendrick culminating in their successful reunion by winning the WWE tag team titles from Barrett & Drew McIntyre. Just over a week ago when the two teams were a couple of matches away from a shot to regain the titles from London & Kendrick, The Empire were defeated by Bobby Lashley & Charlie Haas, much to the amusement of the UK/Canadian alliance.

The Empire retaliated though, furious at being laughed at by their rivals, distracting them to see the Mexican duo of Chavo Guerrero & Alberto Del Rio overcome Wilson & Paul Burchill. Then, last Sunday with Smith cleared to compete, he was able to take on the man who broke his ankle, and he beat Barrett at his own game, using brass knuckles when Barrett was about to do the same and was stopped from doing so by the referee. He didn't see Harry use them though and he was able to gain some retribution by defeating The Empire's leader. Understandably he wasn't happy last night on Smackdown and decided to get a close look at Smith in action. His presence along with the rest of The Empire distracted Harry in his match with Jack Swagger, who may have come close to breaking Harry's just healed ankle. Burchill was furious and proposed the challenge of a Battle of Britain with all eight of them going at it, and Barrett was only happy to accept in what will truly be one hell of a battle in England's capital city.




It's become a tradition in the last four years that allows a superstar the opportunity to become a world champion, and this year will be no different.

Each time the Money in the Bank contract has been cashed in we have seen that superstar become a world champion. On the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania we will see the 5th anniversary of Money in the Bank, and at this moment we have two former world champions who have earned their spots in the match. They are The Big Show & Chris Jericho, and they have had their issues as of late. This past week Jericho qualified after calling The Big Show the biggest failure in the history of the business. It doesn't look like the rivalry that's developed between them will be quietening down anytime soon.

These two are incredibly strong contenders already, but who will join them in fighting for the huge opportunity that awaits them and can take their careers to a new level?

 
#1,704 ·



>SMACKDOWN<

>What Is Cena Going To Do?<


Going into Smackdown last night we were expecting to hear John Cena's response to what appeared to be a challenge to a match at Wrestlemania from The Undertaker. It looked like we were going to get it too until Mr. McMahon threw a spanner in the works. As there is still serious doubt as to whether CM Punk should be World Heavyweight Champion given how his matches with Cena have ended, including last weekend's at No Way Out, the Chairman of the Board has thrown Cena another lifeline.

Mr. McMahon is adamant that Cena should meet Punk one last time to determine who is the undisputed World Champion at Wrestlemania, and Cena was told last night he will have to decide by the time Raw goes off the air on Monday night so if a new challenger is needed for Punk, Mr. McMahon can find one quickly. Cena has promised to make his decision on Monday night, but what will that be? What a dilemma he faces, having to choose between one last shot at CM Punk's world title or going up against the man undefeated at Wrestlemania.

Make sure you tune into Raw in two nights to see whether he chooses to attempt to win the world title or try to do what no one ever has and defeat The Undertaker at Wrestlemania.



>The Mexicans Are Coming for The Gold<
Last night we saw the final of the tournament to crown new number one contenders for the WWE tag team titles, and after one gruelling contest, it was Mexican Royalty, Chavo Guerrero & Alberto Del Rio who emerged victorious against Power & Perfection.

The Mexican duo had to fight to survive a massive effort from Bobby Lashley & Charlie Haas, and they did survive, only they gained the victory in controversial fashion when Del Rio rolled Haas up after a low blow and grabbed a handful of tights. The referee failed to see it, but a seriously angry Lashley did and speared Del Rio out of his boots. Once Del Rio recovers from the spear, he & Chavo will have the chance to take the titles back to Mexico as planned, adding to the success their respective families have had in the business.

Will they be able to overcome Paul London & Brian Kendrick whenever it is they meet for the titles?



>DiBiase Causes Heartbreak!<
Last Monday night Ted DiBiase was forced to leave the Raw after failing to win the tag team match he had to with Ezekiel Jackson to earn the opportunity to fight for a spot in the Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania. He didn't, and because he lost his spot on the Raw roster, and last night on Smackdown we saw him turn up on Smackdown in cruel circumstances.

Today was supposed to be Elijah Burke & Layla's wedding day, but DiBiase with the help of his girlfriend, Maryse put a stop to that. DiBiase admitted he went out of his way to put Burke in his place for talking down to him last Sunday after he lost to Burke's friend & best man, Matt Sydal. DiBiase showed footage of him & Maryse turning up at a party in Las Vegas after Raw. The bride-to-be was a little drunk to say the least after enjoying a night out with fellow divas & friends, and after showing a very small interest in Ted's girlfriend, he put her up to coming on to Layla. We then saw Maryse awkwardly encourage Layla's brief interest in 'experimenting' while she could, and then Layla kissed her before the footage stopped suddenly. Ted teased Burke that the fun didn't end there and he too joined in, fiercely denied by Layla though. It was too much for Burke to think about and he said he couldn't go through with the wedding after knocking the remorseless DiBiase on his ass.

It appears that this piece of work will be a permanent addition to the Smackdown locker room, but after last night he won't be a popular one, especially with Burke & Layla.

If you missed Smackdown tonight, click here to read the full results.


 
#1,705 ·

Monday Night Raw – Preview!
Monday 16th Febuary 2009
Live from the AmericanAirlines Arena
Miami, Florida





Tonight's Raw is shaping up to be one of the biggest in recent history as we continue on the Road to Wrestlemania, rolling into Miami, Florida.



Last week we saw a confrontation between The Undertaker & John Cena, 24 hours after both were responsible for the other missing out on becoming a world champion. Cena wanted to apologise for his part in accidentally costing The Dead-Man his match the night before and settle things before all hell broke loose. The Undertaker answered Cena's invitation to join him in the ring, but it didn't seem he wanted to put things to bed, looking right up at a Wrestlemania sign looming above the ring. There's been speculation ever since as to whether it was a challenge or not, but just as Cena looked back at him, he was grabbed around the throat for a chokeslam.

Cena though acted on impulse and fought his way free before hitting an F-U to the phenom. He clearly regretted his actions but defended them as self-defence. Just when we thought we were going to get an answer last Friday night on Smackdown as to whether he was challenged or not, if he knew what he would do if it was, Mr. McMahon threw a spanner in the works. The Chairman of the Board was keen to give Cena one more chance at fighting for the world title against CM Punk to find out who truly deserves to be the World Heavyweight Champion. It's a decision Mr. McMahon wants by the end of tonight's Raw, and Cena has promised to make his decision live tonight from the AmericanAirlines tonight.

What will that be? Will he decide to take up Mr. McMahon's offer of another shot at Punk's world title, or will he decide to try & do what no one has been able to by taking on the legendary streak? Make sure you tune into Raw tonight to find out.




We're also going to witness the return of Miami's own, The Rock when he announces who will be the first inductee into this year's Hall of Fame class. We learnt last week that after going into the Hall of Fame himself last year, The People's Champion will be live on Raw in his hometown to welcome a new member to join him. Who will that man be? You'll have to watch Raw live later on when we'll be greeted with the presence of The Great One. It's fair to say there'll be a lot of electricity in Miami as the hometown here returns to Raw to electrify the millions & millions of his fans. You won't want to miss it whatever you do!

The battle lines are well & truly drawn between Shawn Michaels & Triple H as they move towards their WWE Championship showdown at Wrestlemania. After securing his title shot at No Way Out the night before, last week on Raw The King of Kings made it clear to The Heartbreak Kid that this is going to be a war, going as far to say he'll end his career if he has to to get the WWE Championship back. Michaels though was defiant in his response, slamming the door to the steel cage in Triple H's face during his match with Randy Orton. The WWE Champion cost the number one contender the match, allowing The Viper to pick up a big win over The Game. Michaels wasn't done there though and said that he was ready for anything his long time friend plans to cause him, showing just that as he gave him a taste of some sweet chin music. Both men will be in Miami later on tonight, and after last week you know it's war now!

We'll also see the Women's Champion, Queen Kong in action when she takes on Gail Kim, a few days after finding out she will meet Smackdown's Diva's Champion, Beth Phoenix at Wrestlemania in a unification match. Last week on consecutive nights, the undefeated Kong left The Glamazon flat on her back, and on Raw last week in Las Vegas she took the title she'll hope to call her own in six weeks. Will the behemoth send a message to Beth tonight? History suggests she will.

We also witnessed the return of Rey Mysterio last week after being put out of action last month by the Intercontinental Champion, Sheamus. He returned at No Way Out after Sheamus defeated Mystico to retain his title when it looked like The Celtic Warrior was going to continue his assault of Rey's tag team partner. Last Monday they met in six-man tag team action where Rey was victorious, pinning one half of the tag team champions, leaving the Intercontinental Champion furious. Rey will be in singles action tonight when he meets The Miz. Will it be another win for the Master of the 619?

It's guaranteed to be an amazing night live in Miami on a Raw that you won't want to or can afford to miss with Wrestlemania drawing closer & closer.


>Confirmed for Raw This Week!<

Non-Title Match
Gail Kim
vs. Queen Kong

Plus
Rey Mysterio
vs. The Miz


 
#1,706 · (Edited)

Monday Night Raw
Monday 16th February 2009
Live from the AmericanAirlines Arena
Miami, Florida



*Opening Video*
". . . To Be Loved"

*Video Recap*
From Last Week
John Cena: Had it not been f' The Undertaker there's no doubt I'd be standing here t'night in a better mood with some a shiny gold title over my shoulder. The fact is I'm not an' I'm partly t' blame f' getting involved in business I didn't have to. Does that make it hurt any less? No, but like I said I understand it. It honestly doesn't make it any easier but right now the only way t' move on from all this is by clearing the air with The Undertaker. From his point of view I can see why he might think what's happened hasn't been a series of accidents how it's happened three times but I need you t' know dead-man that I have absolutely no beef with you whatsoever. I'm not gonna pretend I'm happy about what either of us did last night an' how yet again CM Punk escaped with the world title but we need t' get past this before it gets out of hand. Right now I wanna ask The Undertaker to come out here so we can settle this man-t'-man.

Cena turns & looks up at the stage, somewhat nervously anticipating Taker's arrival that he hopes to see with the crowd chanting "Undertaker."

*GONG*
A huge roar comes from the crowd as the lights go put the arena in darkness.

"Rest in Peace"
The fans go crazy as smoke blows across the stage and The Undertaker emerges from it to another massive pop from the Vegas crowd. His eyes are fixed firmly on Cena in the ring, and Cena also has his eyes on Taker, not looking too comfortable, still very sorry for himself. The Phenom walks round to the steps and slowly takes them one by one, then brings the lights back on to the joy of the fans in the stands. Cena looks on, still not comfortable as a very intense Undertaker steps inside the ring and removes his coat, making Cena even more nervous. Taker drapes it over the ropes and walks towards him, staring right at him with Cena looking very uneasy.

John Cena: As I was saying dog, what happened last night, I apologise, an' I just think it's best we get all this cleared up so we can both move pas. . .

Taker grabs the top of the microphone and forces it out of Cena's hand, completely shocking Cena. He looks up at Taker and The Dead-Man turns his head, looking up to the Wrestlemania 25 sign hanging from the rafters, and Cena looks up too, seemingly reading Taker's mind, and as they turn to face each other with Taker looking incredibly serious, he grabs Cena by the throat. The fans cheer and Taker lifts him up off the mat for the chokeslam, but Cena jumps free, landing on his feet and reacts in a flash by lifting Taker up off the mat, on to his shoulders and plants him with the F-U.

The crowd erupts, mostly with boos as Cena looks down in shock at Taker flat on his back thanks to him and he takes another look up at the Wrestlemania sign before looking into the crowd that are mostly booing him. He looks down at Taker again, seemingly regretting his actions and he takes his leave, heading back up the ramp as Taker sits right back up to a pop from the Vegas fans. Cena turns round on the ramp and looks down to see Taker glaring fiercely at him, and Cena doesn't know what to think as he turns back and heads back up the ramp to walk backstage, leaving a furious Taker watching his every step from the ring.

***

From Smackdown Last Friday
Michael Cole: There's a lot of people including myself making assumptions as to what happened on Raw. It looked as if he was challenging you to a match at Wrestlemania. I know a challenge wasn't officially made but the belief is that is what he had or has in mind. If that is indeed the case which most believe it is, what is your response to the speculation? Also, what would your response be if indeed you were challenged to a match at Wrestlemania by The Undertaker?

John Cena: Y'know I've been asking myself those same questions all week long. There's no one who wants t' know what the deal is more than me let me tell ya. I was stood barely a foot apart from him an' ven I don't know if it was officially a challenge, but the impression I got, it sure felt like it.

Michael Cole: If you believe that t' be the case, how exactly do you feel about the prospect of accepting a challenge to face the man who is 16 an' 0 at Wrestlemania?

"UNDERTAKER. . . UNDERTAKER"

Cena turns & looks into the crowd.

John Cena: Honestly? How exactly are you supposed t' feel about the thought of facing a man who's a legend even away from Wrestlemania? That's what The Undertaker is, an absolute legend, but at Wrestlemania, the biggest stage of them all, there are no words t' describe his accomplishments. He's had 16 matches there an' won them all. That simply is an unbelievable achievement. It's enough to have anyone going into Wrestlemania already thinking they've lost before the bell's even rung. The thought of facing The Undertaker's intimidating enough even before you look at that record. T' put it frankly Cole, you'd have t' be almost crazy t' want t' walk in t' Wrestlemania an' face The Undertaker.

It's a challenge like no other that comes along once a year. The streak year on year becomes more impressive. The streak has become as much of a legend as The Undertaker himself. It takes guts to accept that challenge but it takes more than guts to end the streak. One thing I've always had though is guts. The thought of walking down to this ring at Wrestlemania 25 against the legend and his streak is something that doesn't scare me. If the challenge is out there. . .

"No Chance In Hell"

Mr McMahon
walks out to the stage to a big pop holding a microphone looking to be in a very serious mood indeed with Cena & Cole turning to look up at him.

Mr. McMahon: John I apologise for interrupting but there's something that I think I need t' say before you make any decision as far as The Undertaker is concerned. The situation you find yourself in in regard to The Undertaker's involvement in your match at No Way Out with CM Punk also needs t' be resolved. It was abundantly clear I think to ev'ryone that you had CM Punk beat and you were going to leave the new World Heavyweight Champion.

*Mixed*

Mr. McMahon: That John, yet again leaves us in the same position we've been in f' months as to who deserves t' be World Champion, you or Punk. Now it seems perfectly fitting t' me that we decide this once an' f' all with one final match between you an' Punk for the world title at Wrestlemania.

*Strong Mixed Reaction*

Cena looks shocked, completely thrown by Vince's twist in the tale.

Mr. McMahon: That obviously would mean John that if this challenge exists or not from The Undertaker, you would be unable to fight for the chance to become World Heavyweight Champion.

John Cena: . . . Vince let me stop you there before this whole situation gets out of control. I already had a lot t' think about, but now. . . Y'know what I can't make a decision in the heat of the moment. Vince I appreciate what you're sayin', an' you're right. There's nothing I want more than t' beat CM Punk f' the World Heavyweight Championship, but at the same time I've never been one t' duck a challenge, if that's what this is. I need time t' think. Hopefully by Monday night I'll be able to make a decision that I can tell The Undertaker. . .

Mr. McMahon: . . . I respect that, but John I have t' tell you that unless you make a decision by then I'll have t' look elsewhere as t' who will challenge Punk at Wrestlemania. Just so we're clear you understand that right?

John Cena: Absolutely, 100%. I'll have my decision Monday night live on Raw. That's a promise.

"My Time Is Now" hits again as Cena looks into the crowd, taking in the reaction with Vince still far from satisfied looking down at the ring.
Jim Ross: Welcome ev'ryone. We're live t'night in Miami Florida from the American Airlines Arena, six weeks away from Wrestlemania, an' what a night it's gonna be. . .

Jim Ross: . . . 'cause right here live t'night, after a week of non-stop speculation, John Cena will tell the world just who he will face at Wrestlemania, whether it will be The Undertaker or if he'll challenge CM Punk one more time for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Jerry Lawler: What a dilemma JR. Personally I wouldn't wanna face The Undertaker at Wrestlemania but I understand why John Cena likes the idea of that challenge, but at the same time he has the chance to beat CM Punk after ev'rything they've been through for the world title. I don't know what he's going t' do.

Jim Ross: I don't think anyone does but what we do know is what The Rock is going t' do. He's back on Raw in his hometown of Miami to announce the first inductee of the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame. It's been a long time since we've had The Rock on Raw.

Jerry Lawler: It sure has JR. I f' one can't wait. He's going t' blow the roof of this place t'night.

"Sexy Boy"
Everyone in the arena jumps up to their feet and give the WWE Champion, Shawn Michaels a rapturous standing ovation as he walks out to the stage with his WWE title draped over his shoulder. The Heartbreak Kid's looking fairly relaxed tonight in his casual gear, looking out into the stands, clearly appreciating the reception with a smile on his face, clapping them as he heads down the ramp towards the ring.

*Video Recap*
From Last Week

Triple H
pours water over his head and sets off down the ramp to the ring. He stops & looks at the cage, tosses the water bottle to the side and walks to the door, then steps inside to join the referee & Lilian Garcia. He walks towards her and demands the microphone, worrying her slightly and she hands it over as the number one contender for the WWE title's music is cut, bringing out the boos even more.

Triple H: Shawn, I know you're watching. I've got a simple message for you. Now I have my rematch it doesn't matter what our history is. It's about one thing. It's about one goal, reclaiming what should still be mine, what you stole from me at the Royal Rumble. . . the WWE Championship.

*More Heat*

Triple H: I don't care how good friends we once were. As of right now you are the enemy. I will do whatever I have to t' get my title back. If I have t' beat you up so bad it ends your career, that's what I'll do. I did it t' Ric an' I did it t' Batista. I've got no problem making you the next victim if that's what it takes.

*More Boos*

Triple H: I will win back the WWE title. I don't care if you call yourself Mr Wrestlemania where you claim t' be king. The thing is I'm the King Shawn, The King of Kings, but most importantly I'm the next WWE Champion. All that's waiting f' you is your ranch in San Antonio you'll be going back to crippled without the WWE title and with your tail between your legs. That Shawn will happen. I guarantee it.

*More Heat*

Triple H: In seven weeks at Wrestlemania when I step inside this ring with Mr Wrestlemania, The Showstopper, I WILL stop the show, once and for all.

*The Main Event*
Steel Cage Match
Randy Orton
vs. Triple H
Both were in a bad way but Trips was first to react and he started crawling towards the door. The ref opened it and a massive pop broke out in the stands, and as Triple H made it up to his knees and stuck his head through the ropes with Orton crawling behind him, Shawn Michaels appeared by the door, grabbed it and slammed it into Triple H's face to an almighty cheer from the Vegas fans. The Game turned back in a spin, right into an RKO from Orton who dived on top of him to make the cover, getting the three to get another huge pop from the crowd. They were cheering like mad as a very serious Heartbreak Kid walked over to the timekeeper's table and grabbed a microphone as a tired & sore Orton got his arm raised by the referee. He left the ring and had a brief awkward exchange with the WWE Champion before Michaels entered the cage with the microphone & his WWE title. With The Game slowly coming to, eyes all over the shop though, Michaels walked right towards him, kneeling down to get up close to his Wrestlemania opponent.
Shawn Michaels: You wanna take this from me Hun'er? You wan' a battle? You got it.

*Big Pop*

Shawn Michaels: But at Wrestlemania Jack it's gonna end one way an' one way only my man.

The Heartbreak Kid backs up to the corner and drops the microphone and the WWE title, tuning up the band with the fans going nuts, stomping their feet in tandem, clapping their hands too. The Game has no idea as he claws his way back up, eyes all over the shop, and as he turns round, Michaels explodes out of the corner and takes his head off with some sweet chin music. It's deafening in the Thomas & Mack Center as Michaels stares down at him and does a DX chop. "Sexy Boy" blasts out to a huge pop as Shawn turns back to pick his title up off the mat. The Showstopper lifts his title up into the air, standing over the fallen number one contender he'll meet at Wrestlemania.

The WWE Champion is standing in the middle of the ring holding a microphone and his music cuts, bringing out a whole host of "HBK" chants.

Shawn Michaels: It's always great t' be back in Miami.

*Big Pop*

Shawn Michaels: It's that time of the year boys an' girls. We're on the road to Wrestle-mania.

*More Cheers*

Shawn Michaels: I can tell Miami's excited. I'm excited too. Hell ev'ryone's excited. It's the sports entertainment version of the Superbowl an' you should be excited. There's nothin' like it. I've been with this company over 20 years an' ev'ry year the feeling stays the same, but this year it's even bigger. That's because this year is the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania.

*Pop*

Shawn Michaels: 25 years of Wrestlemania an' once again, look who's the main event.

*More Cheers*

Shawn Michaels: This'll be my third straight year in the main event of Wrestlemania, an' this year f' the first time ever we're takin' the party t' the UK.

*Mixed*

Shawn Michaels: It's been a long time comin' let me tell ya. 17 years ago yours truly went over t' Wembley Stadium in front of 80,000 screamin' fans, an' that without question was one of the best nights of not just my career but my entire life. I've been lucky enough t' take part in some incredible events, but that night was somethin' else. Goin' outside the United States was a big deal, as it is now an' I can't wait t' go back. I love this country as much as anyone but Wrestlemania at the new Wembley Stadium is going t' be something special.

*Pop*

Shawn Michaels: There's just me an' The Undertaker left from that incredible night but hist'ry plays a part in another way. This year I'll be competing against someone I have a whole lot o'hist'ry with. You know him by the name Triple H.

*Major Heat*

Shawn Michaels: T' me he's Hun'er, an' even though we've talked about this moment f' years an' how great it is t' be doing it on the 25th anniversary f' the WWE title, it seems that's not enough f' my old buddy. It seems he wants t' send me back t' my ranch in Texas. Not just that he wants t' send me back t' my wife an' kids crippled and end my career.

*Major Heat*

Shawn Michaels: Y'know what? That's fine 'cause that doesn't mean it's gonna happen. If you wanna end my career Hun'er, give it y'best shot my man. You might think this is a battle I can't win but you know as well as I do Jack that this, this is my stage. You can play it down all you want, there's a reason I got the name of Mr. Wrestlemania, an' in six weeks you're gonna find out why when I stand in this ring like I am right now, standing tall with the WWE Championship.

Shawn lifts the title up and gets a big pop from the Miami crowd.

Shawn Michaels: We've met before an' we might meet again, but against The Main Event in the main event on the stage The Showstopper shines, you have no idea Hun'er. You won't be the first t' take it f' gran'ed, an' yeah you might've ended Ric Flair's career last year an' played a big part in Batista calling it a day, but that doesn't mean you're gonna stop me too.

*Pop*

Shawn Michaels: You said last week this is gonna be a battle, a battle apparently I can't win, so I thought I'd show you that there's plenty of fight left in the old dog yet.

*More Cheers*

Shawn Michaels: I'm ready f' a battle. I'm ready f' a war. I'm ready f' whatever you're gonna throw at me Hun'er. I've been in many battles no one thought I could win. Hell I was in one you thought was impossible at the Royal Rumble, an' look what happened. Even at this stage of my career I still came out on top because despite all the nicknames one thing I've got that I've always had is heart. I've got one big heart Jack, an' at Wrestlemania it takes me t' levels like no other, a level that you Hun'er won't be able t' deal with.

*Pop*

Shawn Michaels: The sooner you realise this is a battle I can win, the better f' your sake. Make no mistake though my man, I know how bad you want this. I know it's personal an' that's fine by me but I'm ready. I'm ready for it all. I retained the world title last year in the main event an' this year I'll do it again.

*Big Pop*

"Behold the King, the King of Kings. . ."​
'The King of Kings' Triple H
with fury written all over his as face slowly walks out to the stage, stopping & staring right down at Michaels who stares right back up at him. The former WWE Champion turns briefly to the crowd, giving them mean looks too before making his way down to the ring, eyes fixed firmly on The Heartbreak Kid all the way with Shawn also not taking his eyes off his Wrestlemania opponent. The Game makes his way up the steps and enters the ring, getting even angrier as he walks right up to Michaels, staring right at him but brushes past him to walk over to the apron, getting a microphone handed to him. His music stops, bringing out the heat as he turns back and walks into the centre of the ring, again sights set firmly on Michaels.

Triple H: You're right about one thing. After last week an' that cheap shot it's not just a battle, it's a war. That's if I don't beat the crap out of you right here right now.

Shawn smirks, clearly not intimidated despite the anger on Triple H's face being there for all to see.

Shawn Michaels: Hun'er you're the one who declared war on me. Last week was my way of letting you know I'm ready. I know just how much you wanna kick my ass an' take this title back, an' like I said, that doesn't mean it's gonna happen. This whole man on a mission thing you've got going on, we both know why it is. The whole reason you wanna beat me up so bad is 'cause I did the impossible, the thing you said couldn't be done at the Royal Rumble. You're the one that said that it was impossible t' defend the WWE title by starting the Royal Rumble match an' going all the way t' the end t' be the last man standing. You were right about one thing too. You couldn't do it. There's only one problem though right Hun'er? I did. I did the impossible.

*Pop*

Shawn Michaels: You might've been number one but we both know that number one or number two like I was it makes no diff'rence. When that bell rung I was there at the start with you, only when the bell rang at the end it was just me. . . just me an' the WWE Championship.

Shawn looks to the title and smiles, winding The King of Kings up even more.

Shawn Michaels: It's not the first time I've gone the whole way in the Rumble, an' like so many people have said f' a long time Jack, you've tried t' fight your way past the shadow of The Heartbreak Kid.

*Big Pop*

Triple H is fuming but somehow manages to keep it all inside as he stares furiously at Michaels.

Shawn Michaels: All your career you've known that an' done ev'rything in your power to eclipse Shawn Michaels, but even now you still can't do it, an' that hurts doesn't it? I can see it in your eyes how much that pisses you off.

Triple H: You're kidding yourself Shawn. You may have won the Royal Rumble but the fact is I've accomplished way more an' won more world titles than you ever have. I never had t' resort t' screwing someone over either like you did in Montreal.

*Heat*

Triple H: Believe what you want Shawn. You've always had a big mouth. I know how much you fear getting in the ring with me at Wrestlemania. You more than anyone know what I'm capable of. You know that I can end your career at Wrestlemania, Mr. Wrestlemania or not, I guarantee that it will be your last match. If you're so confident you'll beat me in London, prove it. Put your career on the line Shawn, I dare you.

Again that brings a smirk to the face of the WWE Champion.

Shawn Michaels: Hun'er, I'm not gonna do that.

*Big Pop*

Shawn Michaels: I'm not gonna do it f' a couple of reasons. F' one the title's already on the line. My career doesn't need t' be. You beat me you get the title back, you win regardless. Most importantly though Hun'er, only one person's gonna decide when it's time my career comes to an end, an' that's Shawn Michaels.

*Pop*

Shawn Michaels: I'll call it a day when the time's right. You don't get t' decide that, I do.

Triple H: Just as I thought. As always you're all talk. You've left me with no choice. You f'got t' realise that there's another way your career can end, if someone ends it for you. The decision can be taken out of your hands Shawn. That's what'll happen when I beat you within an inch of your life.

*Heat*

Triple H: Taking that title isn't enough. Your career's in my hands at Wrestlemania and I will end it. Not only that, I'll enjoy it too.

Michaels clearly isn't fazed or worried by the threats, keeping his cool.

Shawn Michaels: You really wanna end my career so bad? How about you try it right now?

*Massive Pop*

The WWE Champion drops his title to the mat.

Shawn Michaels: Come on Hun'er, show me how you're gonna finish The Heartbreak Kid.

Michaels means business and drops the microphone too.

?: Oh no you don't, hold it right there.

Eric Bischoff, Raw's Head of Authority walks out panicked to the stage with a microphone in hand.

Eric Bischoff: There's no way the Wrestlemania event is getting ruined on my watch. There's only one way we're gonna deal with this. Hun'er you're gonna leave this arena right now, 'cause later on t'night I made a match that will see Shawn Michaels go one-on-one with a former Wrestlemania opponent. . . Chris Jericho.

*Big Pop*

Eric Bischoff: I don't want you anywhere near it Hun'er so you either walk out right now or I have you removed. . . your call.

The King of Kings takes a long angry look at Shawn, then drops the microphone, turns his back and leaves, heading back up the ramp with Bischoff watching closely, getting a filthy look from Triple H too.

Jim Ross: This just got real personal, and we're still six weeks away from Wrestlemania. It looked like it was going t' boil over t'night, but later on we're going t' see Shawn Michaels in action when the WWE Champion goes one-on-one with Chris Jericho. That will be one hell of a match that's f' sure on what already is sure t' be one hell of a night here on Raw.

*Commercial Break*
A video of Triple H leaving the arena during the break is shown with security watching him leave through the door to the parking lot.


*The Opening Match*
The Colon Brothers
vs. Ezekiel Jackson & Orlando Jordan
The World Tag Team Champions, The Epitome of Excellence (Christopher Daniels & Kaval) joined JR & The King at the announce table to get a closer look as they put it at the Puerto Rican siblings who have gotten to them the last two weeks. Carlito & Eddie were out to impress as well with the champions watching, and they sure did that. The fans were behind them too, and despite a great start, Jackson proved to be a major roadblock. When Jordan just about managed to tag him into the match, the big man put the match in their favour, and he came close to securing an upset when he caught Eddie in a diving cross body attempt. He swiftly lifted him up into a torture rack, and Eddie sure looked like he was being tortured. Thankfully Carlito saw how close it was to being over and ran the ring to dropkick Jackson in the chest, and he let go of Eddie who fell to the mat. Carlito got a ticking off, but Eddie's pain didn't end there. Jackson continued to dominate him, but Eddie dug deep.

He survived a bearhug and got his shoulder up at the count of two after a thunderous running powerslam. Jackson was quickly getting angry and looked to hit a body avalanche on the younger brother, but Eddie sidestepped out of the corner and rolled him up after Jackson jumped into the pads. It was only two though and Jackson powered out, but as the big man made his way back up, Eddie caught him with a springboard dropkick and then made the tag to Carlito. He came in flying, connecting with a springboard back elbow smash and then a running knee lift to the side of the head. As he came back off the ropes for a clothesline though, Jackson caught him with a monstrous lariat. It turned Carlito inside out, and after he kicked out, Jackson stood up to bring Jordan back in. Jordan entered very smug, and Daniels & Kaval were happy to say the brothers weren't looking so good. It wasn't over though, and when Jordan missed with the Miami Hangover, a leg drop bulldog, Carlito reacted quickly with a lifting reverse STO.

Jordan though just got his shoulder up, but the writing was on the wall. The fans encouraged Carlito to end it, and he was on the way, urging OJ to get up, shifting behind for the Backstabber. Jackson saw the danger though and stormed the ring, but Carlito saw him coming and ducked a clothesline with Jackson running into the ropes. Carlito turned and dropkicked him through the ropes, but Eddie ran along the apron and knocked him off with a double leg kick to the knees. Carlito smiled with approval, but as he turned round, Jordan was back up on his feet and ran at him. Carlito ducked underneath though and caught him with the Backstabber to get the win for him & Eddie, met with joyous approval from the fans. Daniels & Kaval didn't look happy as they got their arms raised by the referee, and Carlito signalled that they want the titles around their waist, not going down well with the champions at all at the announce table.

Winners: The Colon Brothers by pinfall.
Jim Ross: There's no doubt that Carlito an' Eddie are on a roll right now. They've got their eyes on the two men set alongside us as well as their titles.

Christopher Daniels: They can look as much as they like. These titles are ours and it will remain that way I assure you.


Leticia Cline is standing by backstage at the interview set.

Leticia Cline: Ladies an' gentleman please welcome my guest at this time, Chris Jericho.

The camera zooms out and there stands Chris Jericho in his ring gear looking fairly relaxed.

Leticia Cline: Chris, last week you won a spot in this year's Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania which guarantees the winner a world championship match of their choosing at anytime in the next 12 months. How confident are you that you can become Mr. Money in the Bank this year?

Chris Jericho: How confident am I? Let me put it this way Leticia. Not only will I be part of this year's Money in the Bank match, I will without question be the winner of this year's Money in the Bank match. It doesn't matter if it's between just me and The Big Show or if the entire roster is in the match as well, I will be the one who claims that contract that will entitle me to a shot at the world title of my choice. It's not just confidence. It's because I am without question the best in the world at what I do. . .

Into the shot walks the menacing sight of The Big Show, looking right at Jericho who turns right round, not at all impressed by his presence.

The Big Show: . . . Jeez, I've not heard that before.

Chris Jericho: You've heard it because it's true. It's something you won't have heard or ever will about yourself though.

The Big Show: Maybe, but if you were the best in the world you wouldn't need money in the bank. You'd be the champion right now or you would've won the number one contender match at No Way Out. You won't win this either. . . I will. All the talk in the world won't change that, but hey, if you're really the best in the world, you go an' beat Shawn Michaels t'night.

Show smiles at Jericho and takes his leave.

Leticia Cline: Like Big Show just said, you'll be in action against Shawn Michaels later on t'night. . .

Chris Jericho: . . . Yes I am, and just like I will be victorious at Wrestlemania, I will be victorious t'night when I beat Shawn Michaels as I would have at Wrestlemania if there was any justice in the world. The money in the bank will be consolation though, and you never know. I might just cash that in at Wrestlemania too.

Jericho looks right down the lens with a confident smile before walking out of the shot.


Rey Mysterio is shown looking ready to go, walking out of his locker room.

Jim Ross: It's time f' a quick commercial break, but when we come back, 'The Human Highlight Reel' Rey Mysterio will be in action an' you won't wanna miss it.

*Commercial Break*
*Video Recap
From Last Week

Rey Mysterio & The Colon Brothers

vs. Sheamus & The Epitome of Excellence
Both teams brought their A-games for this one, but Sheamus and the World Tag Team Champions were hell bent on revenge throughout. The 'champion' team had the better of the match, but that was until Mysterio found his step. He came in firing at the end after he was tagged by Eddie with Kaval getting the tag from Daniels. Kaval & Rey had the crowd eating it up as they went at it fast & furious. Rey got the upper hand, coming close with a frankensteiner. Kaval kicked out of it at two, but he turned the screw when he caught Rey with a tilt-a-whirl back-breaker. This time it was Rey who broke the count at two, getting his shoulder up to deny Kaval the win for his team. He was looking to put Rey away and went looking for The Tidal Wave, the springboard roundhouse kick, but Rey ducked it and backtracked into the ropes with Kaval turning into a drop to hold on to the middle rope. Rey dialled up for the 619 to a massive roar from the Vegas fans, but Daniels came to his partner's rescue, storming the ring gunning for Mysterio. The Colons came at him though with Sheamus joining the fun as it all went off in the ring.

Carlito took Daniels to the outside with a clothesline that took him over too while Sheamus sent Eddie out. Sheamus turned to see Rey getting back up after being knocked down by Daniels. Kaval too was making his way up to his feet, but Rey was the target of the Intercontinental Champion who ignored the referee to charge at Rey for the Brogue Kick, only Rey sidestepped it and Sheamus nailed Kaval instead. The fans loved it but Sheamus didn't, running right at Rey who back pedalled into the ropes, pulling the top one down to send Sheamus spiralling down to the floor, much to the delight of the crowd. Kaval was flat out and Rey stepped through the ropes on to the apron, hit a springboard to come down on Kaval for a splash, picking up the win for him, Carlito & Eddie. The fans were thrilled, cheering for Rey as he stood up to get his arm raised, joined by Eddie & Colon with Daniels & Sheamus sitting up looking on furiously from the floor. All three hit the ropes, celebrating, rubbing salt into the wounds of the pissed champions on the outside.
*Match #2*
Rey Mysterio
vs. The Miz
Rey got a rousing reception from the fans when he walked out into the arena. Miami though weren't taken with The Miz, and it was clear that the feeling was mutual. He was a man on a mission though, not looking at all happy as he stepped out to the stage. He looked to take his frustration out on Rey, but Mysterio took advantage of it in the early going, starting fast to make Miz even angrier. Mr. Hollywood got a foothold after catching Rey with the kitchen sink, and as the match went on he was more than in it. Rey's spirit was there as always, but Miz turned the tide in his favour with a great counter, catching Rey with a standing dropkick when the Mexican went looking for a springboard reverse cross body off the second rope. Miz wasn't happy to see Rey get his shoulder up at two and went about trying to make sure he didn't kick out the next time.

He hit a springboard bulldog and then a falling neckbreaker, but that still wasn't enough. The anger was rising to the surface again, and the Clevelander drove both his hands into the canvas. He watched Rey trying to claw his way back up and stalked his prey for The Skull Crushing Finale. Rey though slipped behind him and put him in a waistlock, then ran into the ropes, trying for a roll up, but Miz held on to the ropes. Rey raced back up and Miz turned round to run at him, right into a hurricanrana. Miz kicked out, and as they made their way back up, Rey back pedalled into the ropes and Miz walked right into a drop toe hold. Rey dialled up for the 619 with the crowd going nuts, and he hit it to a huge pop.

Miz fell back and hit the deck as Rey steadied himself on the apron, then hit a springboard splash, coming down on The Miz for the pin, getting the three count and a good win. "Booyaka 619" hit to another big pop as Rey got his arm raised by the referee, but boos came from the crowd, fans standing up, and as Rey turned round, Sheamus, the Intercontinental Champion had slid in the ring. The Celtic Warrior burst at him going for the Brogue Kick but Rey ducked it and ran into the ropes to slide out of the ring to piss off the already livid Irishman. Rey backtracked up the ramp watching Sheamus glaring at him, but the Intercontinental Champion turned round and went after a microphone.

Winner: Rey Mysterio by pinfall.
Sheamus: Hey, Mysterio. Y'might've got away dis time fella, but let me tell y'somethin', sooner or later I'm gonna get my hands on ya. I should be goin' t' Wrestlemania t' replicate The Ultimate Warrior's feat of walking out of Wrestlemania as both Intercontinental and WWE Champion, but I'm not, because of you.

*Heat*

Sheamus: It's your fault Rey an' I'm gonna make y'pay. It's gonna be worse than de last time. Dis time you won't be comin' back.

Eric Bischoff walks out to the stage holding a microphone.

Eric Bischoff: Sheamus Sheamus Sheamus. You're not gonna let this go are y'fella? Well guess what? I'm gonna make your dreams come true. Just like The Ultimate Warrior did, you'll be going t' Wrestlemania with the Intercontinental title which you will defend, only you won't be challenging for the WWE title. You'll be defending your Intercontinental Championship against this man right here, Rey Mysterio.

*Big Pop*

Rey looks really happy at that, Sheamus less so as he looks up at Bischoff.

Eric Bischoff: But since I'm in a good mood t'night, I'm gonna give you a chance later on t' take on the man who defended the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania last year so you're ready for your first Wrestlemania. Your opponent t'night is The Viper, Randy Orton.

*Huge Pop*

Sheamus shakes his head, not happy at all.

Eric Bischoff: Good luck fella.

Bischoff turns round and walks backstage again with a happy Rey looking down at Sheamus, and the Intercontinental Champion can't hide his frustration as "Booyaka 619" plays again.

Jim Ross: What a match that is going t' be at Wrestlemania, but later on Sheamus will have another massive challenge when he goes one-on-one with Randy Orton who last week beat Triple H inside a steel cage. We'll see how he copes up against The Viper later on.

*Commercial Break*



The Miz
doesn't look too happy as he's shown walking back from the ring, walking right into the path of a sn-iggering Zack Ryder, not making Miz's mood any better at all.

Zack Ryder: Hey look who it is. Who looks like the loser now huh oh awesome one? Great job man.

The Miz: You're calling me a loser, really? Really? I'd rather lose one match than be a loser my entire life.

Zack Ryder: One match? Seriously bro?

The Miz: Yeah bro, seriously. I'll prove it. Next week, you an' me. How about it?

Zack Ryder: You an' me next week? Oh you know it's on.

Zack smiles, clearly looking forward to the match before walking off with the angry Miz watching him walk away with contempt.


Jim Ross: As we just found out before the break, later on t'night we'll see Rey Mysterio get the chance t' face Sheamus at Wrestlemania for the Intercontinental Championship. The Celtic Warrior put him out of action for a few weeks after Rey eliminated him from the Royal Rumble. . .

Jerry Lawler: . . . Not just that JR. Sheamus cost Rey an' Mystico the tag team titles the next night too. I think ev'ryone's rooting f' Rey at Wrestlemania.

Jim Ross: I agree, but King, I think ev'ryone here t'night is looking forward to the return of The Rock when he reveals who will be the first inductee in this year's Hall of Fame.

Jerry Lawler: I can feel the electricity. It's been balding all night. I think this place is gonna erupt when he walks out here later on.


*Match #3*
JTG
vs. Hardcore Holly
JTG got a good reaction from the Miami fans, but not long into the contest he & Holly found themselves on the outside after the momentum of a clothesline from JTG took them both down to the floor. They along with the fans were both in for a surprise when Smackdown's Jack Swagger ran down the ramp, grabbing Holly and tossing him into the steps. The ref called for the bell as The All-American tossed JTG in the ring and followed him in, helping him up and planting him with the Swagger Bomb. He was like a man possessed and turned him over on to his front, then applied the Ankle Lock, making JTG scream out in agony, quickly tapping, not that it stopped Swagger. The referee tried to get him off, and eventually Swagger relented with the fans booing as he stared into the stands and then down at JTG without a shred of remorse. The boos continued as he left the ring, taking a quick cold glance at Holly writhing around the floor before heading back up the ramp, giving the fans dirty looks too, shrugging off the heat without a care in the world.

Result: No Contest.
Jerry Lawler: What was that all about JR? Why's he here?

Jim Ross: I don't know King. What I do know though is my fellow Oklahoman, Jack Swagger has made a statement here t'night live on Raw.


We're shown a split screen of the WWE Champion, Shawn Michaels & Chris Jericho as they both make their way through the back ready for action.

Jim Ross: What a treat in store when we come back, a Wrestlemania rewind between Chris Jericho and the WWE Champion Shawn Michaels. Whatever you do folks, don't go anywhere. You won't wanna miss this.

*Commercial Break*

'The All-American American' Jack Swagger
is shown walking through back with a wry smile on his face, and suddenly he stops. We now see that Eric Bischoff is standing right there, not looking too impressed at all.

Eric Bischoff: What the hell was that? What are you even doing here?

Jack Swagger: This is the A-show, the place t' be right?

Eric Bischoff: Y-e-s.

Jack Swagger: Well if this is the A-show, it needs Jack Swagger.

Eric Bischoff: Is that so?

Jack Swagger: Yeah, it is. Raw needs The All-American American, believe me.

Eric Bischoff: Oh I've seen you in action. You've sure got talent alright but you should've just called me. I've got no problem bringing talent t' Raw. If you want in, that's fine by me. Just so you know though Jack, what I say goes around here. Taking matters into your own hands like that, that won't do you any favours alright, just so we're clear.

Swagger smiles again and walks off without a care in the world.


*Match #4*
Non-Title Match
Shawn Michaels
vs. Chris Jericho
Jericho may have been very calm walking out into the arena and once in the ring he looked very complacent too. Michaels on the other hand wasn't, and he had the Miami fans cheering him on throughout. The WWE Champion was on fire in the early going, but Jericho came back and his complacency vanished. The Canadian rose to the challenge and was more than a match for The Heartbreak Kid. Jericho showed why he calls himself the best in the world at what he does, turning the tables late on when he ducked a leg feed enzuigiri to lock in the Walls of Jericho. The fans were shocked as Michaels was forced to fight like mad to stay in the match with Jericho begging Shawn to tap out. Michaels struggled to hold on, slap bang in the middle of the ring. The fans were worried but chanted "HBK" over & over, supporting the WWE Champion, and he responded, desperately dragging himself slowly across the canvas. Jericho started to panic, keeping the hold locked in though as Michaels dragged himself closer to the ropes.

The fans were willing him to get there, but Jericho responded, standing up slightly to try & drag Michaels back. Shawn responded though, taking advantage to turn himself over and kick Jericho off him, getting a big pop from the fans. Michaels struggled to get back up while Jericho easily made it up to his feet, and he went right after Shawn by the ropes, chopping him across the chest. He fired him into the opposite side and walked out to meet Shawn, but the WWE Champion came back with a flying forearm smash. Again the fans loved it and cheered as both men picked themselves back up. Michaels blocked a right hand and unloaded on Jericho to then fire him into the ropes, and as Jericho came back he was sent high up into the air with a back body drop. With the fans loving it, Jericho dragged himself back up, walking into a scoop slam from Michaels who then headed to the corner, climbing up to the top rope to get the fans even more excited.

It was getting incredibly loud in the arena as Shawn then leapt off the top for a diving elbow drop, but Jericho just rolled out of the way at the last second. The fans' disappointment was clear, and as both men clawed their way back up, Jericho was looking the brighter and set his sights on Michaels, looking determined to put Shawn away, and he ran at the WWE Champion, planting him with the Codebreaker. He hit it and the momentum took Shawn rolling across the mat towards the apron, and just before the ref was about to count to three with Jericho looking smug, Michaels got his foot on the bottom rope to a huge roar. Jericho couldn't believe it and took his anger out on the referee before going back to Shawn, grabbing him by the legs and pulling him to the middle of the ring. Michaels though swung his legs forcefully to send Jericho down, and as they made their way back up, Michaels ducked a clothesline and took Jericho down with a swinging neckbreaker.

It gave him the chance to regroup, and as he stood up he retreated to the corner as Jericho slowly dragged his way back up, oblivious to The Heartbreak Kid tuning up the band. The fans joined in, stomping their feet in the stands and clapping their hands. Michaels locked & loaded, watched Jericho stand up, and as he turned his way Michaels exploded out of the corner for the super kick. Jericho ducked it though and smirked into the stands at doing so, too cocky for his own good, and as he turned again, Michaels took his head off with the sweet chin music. Jericho wasn't laughing this time as he fell flat on his back to a huge roar again with Michaels falling on top of him to make the cover and secure the victory. "Sexy Boy" blasted out to get the crowd going even more as Shawn was handed his WWE title and got his arm raised by the referee. He hit the corner to applaud the fans again as Jericho rolled to the apron a little worse for wear as he came round with the WWE Champion looking good heading into Wrestlemania.

Winner: Shawn Michaels by pinfall.
Jim Ross: That's a great win f' Shawn Michaels t'night heading into Wrestlemania. Jericho made a real fight of it but he got too cocky. Ultimately it cost him the match and the WWE Champion comes out on top like he intends to at Wrestlemania when he meets Triple H.


The shot goes to the back and John Cena is shown, seemingly on his way to the ring.

Jim Ross: When we come back though, we'll find out the decision John Cena has made as to who he'll face at Wrestlemania, CM Punk or The Undertaker. We'll all find out when we come back in just a few minutes.

*Commercial Break*


Jim Ross:
Still t' come t'night, live in his hometown of Miami, The Rock will be here on Raw!


"My Time Is Now"
The arena erupts with fans rising to their feet as John Cena walks out to the stage, stopping to take in the cheers & boos being thrown at him. He smiles through it and does his trademark salute before running down to the ring, looking back to normal after last week's troubles despite the decision he plans to make. He hits the ring to more thunderous cheers & boos as he poses for the fans, then walks across to the apron to collect a microphone. The music stops and the noise is deafening as Cena soaks it in, enjoying the moment.

John Cena: Is it me or is Miami EXCITED T'NIGHT?

*Big Cheer*

There again are some boos too, not that they bother Cena.

John Cena: Yeah it sounds t' me like you people are excited an' y'should be. Not only is it Wrestlemania season, right here t'night live from his hometown of Miami, The Rock will be in the house.

*Huge Pop*

John Cena: It doesn't get much better than this right? This is what this time of year's all about. Wrestlemania is like nothing else. The slightest mention of Wrestlemania gets the hair on the back of my neck standing up. I've been lucky enough t' main event a fair few in recent times. In fact ev'ry match I've had at Wrestlemania, a title's been on the line. The first time I won the United States Championship. The last four years it's been f' the WWE title. All but one of those matches, last year as it goes, I've won. This year though I'm in the position where I can fight for the World Heavyweight Championship against the man who just manages to escape ev'ry timeI face him, CM Punk.

*Mixed*

John Cena: Vince McMahon has given me one more chance, an' after ev'rything me an' Punk 'ave been through the last few months, you have no idea how much I wanna beat that guy an' become the World Heavyweight Champion. It's what I've been trying t' do the last six months it feels like, but one thing after another keeps happening t' stop me, whether it be Stephanie McMahon, Punk getting his buddies t' help him out or a certain dead man chokeslams me in the middle of this ring when I'm about to walk out of the cage an' grab that title.

*Mixed*

John Cena: That, that's the twist in the tale. . . That twist goes by the name of. . .

"Undertaker. . . Undertaker. . ."

John Cena: Yeah that's him, The Undertaker.

*Pop*

John Cena: F' the last week, ev'ryone's been talking about if at Wrestlemania 25, the 25th anniversary of the showpiece event in this business, The Undertaker's gonna face John Cena.

*Big Pop*

John Cena: Exactly. Ev'ryone wants t' know, including me. That's the problem. I don't know if that's really on the cards or not. Nobody knows but The Undertaker himself if he challenged me last week, leaving me in this position of whether I accept Vince's challenge or not, or do I find out if he challenged me or not last week? If he did, do I instead choose t' try t' do what no one else ever has? Do I dare walk through the gates of hell an' face the man who at Wrestlemania is 16 an' 0? Do I choose t' do what almost ev'ryone thinks can't be done? Do I go t' Wrestlemania an' try t' beat the streak?

*Mixed*

John Cena: I've gotta admit I'm still not sure I know the answer, but I think, I think I know what I want. . . no, what I have t' do. . . F' months now I've tried t' beat CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship, an' at Wrestlemania I have the chance t' do just that. It's a no brainer, or so you'd think. As much as I wanna beat Punk an' win the world title, if he defends that title at Wrestlemania I'll still have that chance another day. The opportunity t' face The Undertaker an' end the streak comes along once a year, an' man do I love a challenge?

*Pop*

John Cena: I've been in this business a long time now an' one man I've always respected the hell out of is The Undertaker. In fact after my first match here he came t' me an' told me "good job kid". I won't f'get that. He helped me out in my early days but now I'm in the position that I have the chance, or at least I think I do t' step inside the ring with one of the all time best on the biggest stage, the stage where he's been invincible. But you know what they say right? All good things must come to an end!

*Heat*

John Cena: I've always been true t' myself. I always try t' be honest an' I can stand here t'night an' say that I've always thought The Undertaker couldn't be beaten at Wrestlemania. I've thought that the streak would never come to an end an' that it shouldn't. Now I'm stood here with maybe the chance t' be the man to achieve the unthinkable. I don't see it as the chance to end it an' rub it in his face. I see this as a challenge, simple as that. I've never ducked a challenge in my life. I never have an' I never will. That's why if the challenge is there, I. . .

*Gong*

The fans go nuts and the lights go out and "Rest In Peace" hits to more cheers, then The Undertaker slowly emerges through the smoke blowing across the stage. He carries on slowly down the ramp with Cena watching, smile gone completely, taking The Dead-Man very seriously. Taker gets to the steps, takes them up on to the apron and brings the lights back on to a deafening roar, staring straight ahead at Cena who keeps his eyes on Taker. The phenom enters the ring with his special microphone, menacingly walking towards Cena as his music comes to a halt with the cheers continuing with both men staring right at each other.

The Undertaker: The challenge of which you speak implies you have a choice.

*Pop*

The Undertaker: 41 nights John, you will walk through the gates of hell, and just like ev'ryone before you, you will fall and become another victim of the streak.

*More Cheers*

John Cena: You might be right. Hist'ry dead man says you are. No one has beaten you f' a reason. Hell, you may well be invincible. That's what makes this the biggest challenge of my life or f' anyone who tries t' beat the streak, but like I've said, I've never backed away from a challenge. This, this is no diff'rent. If you say I've got no choice, that doesn't make any diff'rence either. My mind was made up. Wrestlemania 25, The Undertaker versus John Cena. . . it's on.

Cena looks right at Taker, showing he's not intimidated and drops the stick to walk past him and leave the ring, heading back up the ramp as Taker turns to watch him leave. Cena turns back and looks down to the ring and the man he'll face at Wrestlemania as the shot focuses on the Wrestlemania sign above the ring visible behind Taker with Cena looking down at him.

Jim Ross: There we go. We now know. As John Cena said himself, it's on. At Wrestlemania it will be a real clash of the titans. It'll be John Cena taking on the streak when he challenges The Undertaker. What a match that is going t' be.

Jerry Lawler: You're not wrong. It's going t' be incredible JR. Cena an' The Undertaker, I can't believe it.

*Commercial Break*


Jim Ross:
If f' some reason you weren't watching before the break, it's official. At Wrestlemania in six weeks we will see perhaps the biggest challenge to The Undertaker's streak when the man who is 16 an' 0 faces John Cena. That truly is something worthy of the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania.

Jerry Lawler: It sure is JR.

*Video Recap
From Last Week
The Glamazon is standing in the middle of the ring with a microphone in hand and her music is cut, allowing her to speak, and she's obviously got something to get off her chest.

Beth Phoenix: I've been warned all day about what I came out here t' do, but despite what people think, I'm not scared of the woman who's been dominating Raw since she came here and for no reason whatsoever got involved in my match last night. You know who I'm talking about, the Women's Champion Queen Kong.

*Heat*

Beth Phoenix: Against a lot of people's genuine concern, Kong, I want you t' come down here right now.

*Pop*

Beth looks up at the stage, eagerly anticipating what she hopes is Kong's arrival, and she doesn't have to wait too long as the ever menacing looking sight of Queen Kong, the Women's Champion emerges from the back. She slowly but surely makes her way down to the ring with Beth watching her all the way into the ring, and as Kong steps inside she walks intently towards her Smackdown counterpart.

Beth Phoenix: You can try and intimidate all you want, it won't work. I came out here for a reason. I want t' know why you interfered in my match last night. You didn't need to. I wanna know. Tell me. I'm not going anywhere until you give me an answer.

There's no response from Kong as she coldly stares at Beth.

Beth Phoenix: Is that what you've got? Nothing? If you're not going to give me an answer there's only one other way I can get it, by beating it out of you.

Beth drops the microphone and hammers Kong to a big pop, continuing to unload, putting the Women's Champion on the back foot. She grabs her by the wrist and tries to send her into the ropes but Kong reverses it. The Glamazon comes back off the ropes into a massive lariat that puts the Diva's Champion down. Kong reaches down and helps her back up to send her crashing with force into the corner. Beth's back hits the pads and she slumps against them as Kong charges in at her, splashing the life out of her.

Beth falls forward face first and Kong glares down intensely at her, breathing heavily. She turns her head and sees Beth's title also on the canvas, and the Women's Champion walks over to it and picks it up, looking right it at before picking her women's title up too. She now turns to leave the ring with both titles to a chorus of boos without any remorse whatsoever, and The Glamazon comes too, lifting her head up to see Kong turn round with both titles in her possession staring down at her. The behemoth's music plays again with Beth in a bad way, slowly getting her breath back.

***

From Smackdown Friday Night
In the back, the Diva's Champion, Beth Phoenix is angrily pacing back & forth without the title belt Queen Kong stole from her on Raw Monday night. She's understandably not in a good mood tonight, and it might get worse as O.D.B. walks up to her.

Beth Phoenix: I'm not in any kind of mood t' talk right now, let alone with you.

O.D.B: You're not the only one pissed y'know. I know that crazy bitch beat the crap out of you an' stole y'title the other night but she stopped me taking it from y'too. The only reason I don't have that title now is 'cause of that freak.

Mr. McMahon enters the scene, instantly calming the tension temporarily between the two divas just by his presence taking their attention away from each other.

Mr. McMahon: Beth, am I glad I found you?

Beth Phoenix: You better have something good t' tell me.

Mr. McMahon: Well let's see. I've just been speaking with Eric Bischoff because after what happened at No Way Out and then on Raw Monday night, we both felt that we had t' deal with this as a matter of urgency before it goes any further. Now I know this is a little unorthodox but we felt this was too good an idea t' pass up. We've got both you and Kong as champions, so we felt that with Wrestlemania just around the corner, how huge it would be t' have the women's champion take on the diva's champion in a unification match?

That seems to calm Beth down but not O.D.B.

O.D.B: Well that's great f' her but what about me huh?

Mr. McMahon: Ah yes. You do have a point but right now this is what. . .

Beth Phoenix: . . . Vince, thank you. I think it's a great idea, but it's not going t' stop me going t' Raw Monday night t' get my title back.

Mr. McMahon: I understand, but I must tell you t' be very careful.

Beth Phoenix: I'll do whatever it takes. She's not going t' push me around like ev'ryone else. I promise you that.[/COLOR]

*Match #5*
Non-Title Match
Gail Kim
vs. Queen Kong
Kong was even meaner than normal as she walked out with both her women's title but the diva's title she stole from Beth Phoenix last week. Gail though was fearless. She gave almost as good as she got, only making Kong's mood worse. The Women's Champion was showing off her strength when she had Gail up in the air for a gorilla press. Kim though wriggled her way down to safety, landing on her feet. Kong was shocked and turned into an enzuigiri that floored the Women's Champion, falling right on her face. Kim turned her over for the cover but Kong kicked out at two. Gail went on the offensive and connected with a front missile dropkick off the second rope.

Kong was back up and easily reversed an irish whip, but as Gail came back off the ropes she surprised everyone, Kong especially with tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Gail then ran the ropes as they both made it back up, going for a springboard cross body. Kong caught her though and swung her round in a flash for a spinning side slam. Kim got the Women's Champion even angrier when she got her shoulder up before the ref could count to three. The fans cheered, but as Kong menacingly stood back up, bringing Gail with her to set her up for the Awesome Bomb, a cheer broke out as Beth Phoenix, the Diva's Champion Kong will face in a unification match at Wrestlemania made her way out into the arena.

She walked down to ringside and past the ring to take back the diva's title Kong stole last week. Kong saw her and let go of Gail to go after Beth, but The Glamazon stood firm as Kong tried to block her off on the floor. Beth though cracked a wry smile before driving her title belt into Kong's face, not once but twice to put Kong on the floor, resulting in the ref calling for the bell to award Kong the win by DQ. Beth taunted her before walking back up the ramp as a confused Gail stood up to see Kong on the floor, sitting up looking furious with the ref explaining what happened to Gail. The Glamazon turned back to defiantly raise her title to a pop from the Miami crowd.

Winner: Queen Kong by DQ.
Jim Ross: You have t' give Beth Phoenix credit King. Kong left her on lying on her back twice last week but The Glamazon came back fighting t'night. It's going t' be a real ding dong battle when these two women get their hands on each other in their unification match.

*Commercial Break*

Beth Phoenix
is shown walking in the back, and she walks towards the oncoming Leticia Cline.

Leticia Cline: Beth, can I speak with you for a moment?

Beth Phoenix: Sure.

The Diva's Champion stops.

Leticia Cline: Well you must be pleased you've got your title back?

Beth Phoenix: Of course I am, it's my title. I don't care what Kong or anyone might think. We might be in a match at Wrestlemania to unify both our titles, but if she beats me, if, then she can have this title. I'm going to prove her wrong. She might not've lost a match yet but she will when I get my hands on her at Wrestlemania. Then Leticia, I'll have her title too.

?: QUICK, CAN WE GET SOME HELP?

The cameraman turns round to show some workers/agents running towards what looks to be the entrance to the parking lot. The camera follows and runs outside where the workers are crouched down by a car, and they part as a medic rushes out, and now we can see that the WWE Champion, Shawn Michaels is down by what appears to be his car with some blood coming from his forehead. He's conscious but barely moving with the camera panning to the side to show Triple H standing there smirking.

Medic: Shawn, can you hear me?

Triple H: Have a safe journey home champ.

The King of Kings walks away with a sadistic smile on his face as Eric Bischoff runs outside.

Eric Bischoff: What happened?

He immediately looks and sees Triple H walking away as medics check on Shawn's condition.

Eric Bischoff: Is he okay?

Medic: I'm not sure. I think we need to get him to the emergency room.

Eric Bischoff: Okay. Whatever you need t' do doc.

[Bischoff shakes his head looking in The Game's direction, absolutely furious as the medics attend to the WWE Champion who looks in a bad way, still struggling to move.


*Match #6*
Kofi Kingston, John Morrison & Justin Gabriel
w/The Bella Twins
vs. Jay Lethal, Cody Rhodes & Joe Hennig
Before the match started, Morrison & Gabriel were introduced by the Bella Twins with them calling the two men not just the two hottest guys on Raw but the hottest team that they're lucky to be dating. They also said they call Morrison & Gabriel J & J, or J'n'J. Kofi came out all fired up as he has been lately, gunning for his brother. Lethal did his best to stay away from Kofi, but when he saw Kofi struggling he jumped at the chance to get in there with him. He slapped Cody on the back for a blind tag and jumped over the top rope, urging Kofi to get to his feet, and when he did he slipped behind Kofi, hitting a flipping release dragon suplex. He wasn't done there and again was jumping up & down, begging Kofi to get up. He gave in waiting and helped him up from his knees to hit the Lethal Combination, an STO backbreaker into a reverse STO.

He hit it and the fans looked nervous as the determined Lethal made the cover, devastated to see Kofi get the shoulder up. Jay was furious and got in the ref's face, but as he turned & looked down to see Kofi stirring, he went back after him to finish him off, but as he lifted him up off his feet for the Lethal Injection, Kofi slipped down. The Jamaican Sensation landed on his feet behind Jay, who turned round into a Trouble In Paradise. Kofi couldn't take advantage straight away, and by the time he crawled across to make the cover, Lethal got his shoulder up just as the ref looked like he was going to count to three. Kofi sat up disappointed but crawled across to make a tag to Gabriel, and the South African didn't waste much time in stepping through the ropes as a groggy Jay made his way back up to his knees.

Gabriel ran at him, corkscrew flipping over Jay before connecting with a jumping heel kick. The Bellas were applauding on the outside, and with Lethal rattled, Gabriel took full advantage to nail him with a super kick. Lethal was down & out and Gabriel dragged him towards the corner before jumping up to the top rope with the fans cheering. Cody though burst across the apron, just as it looked like the 450 splash would end the match, but Cody sent Gabriel crashing down to the mat to a ton of boos. Kofi & Morrison were furious too, and it gave both men the chance to crawl to their corners and make tags. It came down to Kofi & Hennig with Hennig on top having avoided the Boom Drop and quickly following up with a jawbreaker as they raced back up. Kofi just got his shoulder up, and after again failing to put Kofi away, Hennig pulled him into place for the Hennig-Plex.

Kofi fought it though with elbows, getting himself free. Joe wasn't happy and ran at him for a clothesline, but Kofi ducked it and reacted quickly to hit the S.O.S. Hennig kicked out at two, and he stood up ready to explode, but Lethal and then Cody burst into the ring. So did Morrison & Gabriel though, taking care of Cody & Lethal, leaving Kofi to hit the Trouble In Paradise on Hennig to get the win for him & J'n'J. The fans loved it, cheering as J'n'J & Kofi celebrated their win with the Bellas joining them in the ring, throwing themselves all over J'n'J as a pissed off Lethal sat up on the outside staring angrily at Kofi who stared right back as JR announced that he just received word that next week, Kofi & Lethal would meet one-on-one in a Money in the Bank qualifying match!

Winners: Kofi Kingston, John Morrison & Justin Gabriel by pinfall.
Jim Ross: That's a big win t'night f' Kofi Kingston. Next week he has another big match when he meets his brother Jay Lethal for a place in the Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania. So much at stake there folks.


A split screen pops up with the fired-up Randy Orton & Intercontinental Champion, Sheamus both making their way through the back looking more than ready for action.

Jim Ross: Our main event is just a matter of moments away. When we return Randy Orton will go one-on-one with the Intercontinental Champion Sheamus. That'll be live when we come back in a few moments.

*Commercial Break*



>41 Days!<


*The Main Event*
Non-Title Match
Randy Orton
vs. Sheamus
The Viper received a warm reception as he made his entrance to the ring with Sheamus not exactly looking forward to his impending arrival. The Intercontinental Champion though did prove to be a challenge for Orton. Sheamus took the opportunity to make an impression against the former WWE & World Heavyweight Champion. Orton might've started the stronger but the Irishman took his chance when he rolled away from a pointed knee drop and reacted first of the two as they got back up with a swinging neckbreaker. He stepped up to the plate and made it a real battle for Orton, but The Viper showed how much he loves a scrap too. As the match went into the closing stages, Sheamus watched Orton getting back up by the ropes and ran at him for a clothesline. Orton lifted him over the top rope and on to the apron. Sheamus landed on his feet but Orton blocked a right hand and dragged Sheamus through the ropes, resting his feet on the rope before drilling him with a spike DDT.

The Irishman was out for the count but somehow managed to get his shoulder up to deny Orton the win, surprising Orton slightly. The fans were shocked but Orton took it on the chin, turning himself over and driving his fists repeatedly into the mat, full of focus & intensity as the starry eyed Sheamus tried to sit up. The fans were chanting "RKO", and as Sheamus managed to drag his way back up, eyes all over the place, Orton leapt up for the RKO. Sheamus pulled back though, and as they both turned to face each other, the Intercontinental Champion caught him with the Irish Curse backbreaker. Sheamus wasted no time in going for the cover, only getting a two count to the frustration of The Celtic Warrior, not that he looked too surprised. He stood back up and watched Orton sitting back up, and Sheamus was desperate to put Orton to bed. He dragged him back up and set him up for the High Cross.

He lifted him up off the mat, but as he stepped out of the corner, The Viper slid down his back, and as both men spun round in a hurry, Orton stomped him hard in the gut before turning back to run the ropes. Orton hit them but ran back into a Celtic war sword, and as he made his way back up to his knees, Sheamus dragged him up to hit the White Noise, only to be frustrated again as Orton got the shoulder up. Sheamus battered the canvas before standing back up reluctantly, but he quickly realised what he had to do and backed up into the corner, watching Orton struggling to pick himself back up. Sheamus started banging his chest, and as Orton made it up and turned round, the Irishman burst out of the corner, going for the Brogue Kick. Orton ducked it though and they turned round in a hurry with Orton again stomping him in the gut, but this time he drilled him with a snap DDT.

The fans were enjoying that, but instead of going for the cover, he turned himself over and again prepared for the RKO, furiously banging the mat with his fists as Sheamus began to sit up, and seeing what was coming he rolled to the ropes and under the bottom rope. The fans booed like crazy as Sheamus turned his back on the match, surprising the hell out of Orton and the referee. Sheamus turned round looking at the ring, staring at Orton when a big pop broke out with Rey Mysterio running down the ramp to grab Sheamus by the tights & head to send him back in the ring. The fans were cheering again but Sheamus was pissed, staring down furiously at Rey who told him to turn around, and when he did, Orton hit the RKO to a massive cheer and made the cover to get the win. The crowd rose to their feet & cheered with Rey backing away smiling. The Viper didn't show much emption as he got his arm raised, staring into the stands defiant after two strong wins back-to-back on Raw with Sheamus sitting up looking up at Rey with a look of contempt.

Winner: Randy Orton by pinfall.

Jim Ross:
Randy Orton picks up another win t'night heading into Wrestlemania season on a roll. As f' Sheamus he got what he deserved f' trying t' walk out on this match.

Jim Ross: Well the time has come folks. After what will be our last commercial break of the evening, The Rock will be here live on Raw. You'd be a fool t' go anywhere. The Rock will be here when we return live from Miami.

*Commercial Break*
A limo pulls up in the parking lot and the driver gets out, walking to the passenger door and opens it, and out steps The Rock to a massive pop that can be heard coming from inside the arena. He heads into the arena and walks through the back, making his way to the production area as the shot goes back to the ring.

"IF YA SM-E-L-L WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN'. . ."
The crowd goes absolutely nuts as they await the arrival of The People's Champion, and they don't have to wait long as The Rock walks out into the arena to another rapturous reception, stopping to take it all in. He smiles, revelling in the response from the crowd and walks to both sides of the stage, getting them going even more before heading down to the ring. He steps inside and the crowd goes wild again, and he heads to the opposite corner, climbing up to the second rope and throwing his right arm up into the air. The fans are eating it up big time as he looks into the Miami crowd, loving every minute. He steps down and is handed a microphone by the timekeeper and walks into the middle of the ring with his music coming to a stop.

"ROCKY, ROCKY. . ."

The Rock: It's been a long time since I've done this so bear with me . . FIN-ALLY THE ROCK HAS COME BACK. . . HOME.

*Huge Pop*

The Rock: It really has been a long time, too long people, but one thing that's not changed all this time is you, the people. The Rock has always had the support of people, and there's no people quite like The Rock's people right here in Miami, and let me tell you I appreciate ev'ry single one of you.

There are more cheers for the hometown hero.

The Rock: You've continued t' support The Rock and I love you for it, but there are some things that have changed since the last time I was here. It appears there's a World Heavyweight Champion by the name of CM Punk.

*Heat*

Punk's mention gets some cheers from the fans.

The Rock: I've told a lot of people in my time t' know their role an' shut their mouth, but if I ever met this CM Punk I'd have t' tell him t' turn around know his role an' shut his ass.

*Pop*

The Rock: I've never heard someone talk as much as crap as that guy does, and one thing I won't allow is a jabroni like that talking crap out the people, hell no. . . Then, then there's the man I hear's the new number one guy. His name is John Cena?

*Mixed*

The Rock: Yeah I hear he's not the most popular guy in the world, but that's what walking round like an 8-year-old at a summer camp might do that for ya.

Laughs come from the crowd.

The Rock: I kid I kid of course. As a matter of fact I got a lot of time f' John Cena. That guy's got some serious heart. I mean seriously. Anyone who chooses t' fight The Undertaker at Wrestlemania's got my respect. That though, that one thing hasn't changed. It might've got bigger, what 16 straight wins now right? The Undertaker is still, still undefeated at Wrestlemania.

*Pop*

The Rock: 16 times he's walked on down t' the ring on the biggest stage of them all, and ev'ry time he's walked back from it he's walked back a winner. That, that is unreal. People tell me this might be the year that changes but I doubt it. The only way that would've changed is if The Dead-Man met The Great One.

*Pop*

Rocky turns to the side and sees Lilian Garcia sitting at ringside.

The Rock: Who do we have here? Wow momma, lookin' good baby. As it happens we used t' have a hot ring announcer. Lilian she was called if I remember rightly.

Lilian smiles, thinking he's joking.

The Rock: She had a smile just like that. That chick was hot, loved some pie she did too. . . Wait. . .

Rock looks closer, realises it is Lilian.

The Rock: . . . That's not Lilian as I live an' breathe is it?

Lilian nods at him with a grin.

The Rock: Wow, looking good momma. Let me ask you something Lilian, you still like pie? It's cool I'm single now. You can be honest.

She blushes and The Rock laughs.

The Rock: I'm playin' people. I'm here t' have fun t'night. I'm here t' see the people but I'm actually here f' another reason too. See last year after having a great career here in the WWE, I had the huge honour of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

*Big Pop*

The Rock: That's right, a great honour. As much as I've achieved in this ring, in this business and the movie business, that was without question the greatest moment of my career. Aside from the birth of my daughter it was the best moment of my life. T'night I have the honour of naming the first person to be inducted this year. Not just that, the night before Wrestlemania I will be in London England to personally induct this person myself.

*Pop*

The Rock: As I just said, I had a great career with some great moments. World titles, main eventing Wrestlemania, Hall of Fame I've done it all. There's nothing I haven't done. . .

"One More Match, One More Match. . ."

Rocky laughs, amused by their chant.

The Rock: It's a cliché I know but as they always say, never say never.

*Big Pop*

The Rock: Like I was saying, I've done it all an' had some great moments but I've also had some crazy moments I've loved just as much, which ironically is why I'm here t'night apart from t' see the people of course. . . In life we all need someone a little crazy t' keep us en'ertained. That's what I had with this person I'll induct into the Hall of Fame. We had a blast. We had fun, we en'ertained an' we had a connection, a special connection, something which had a special name. . . the Rock an' Sock connection.

*Huge Pop*

The Rock: That's right. We had some fun an' we kicked some ass. We were even the tag team champions f' a while. I think you know who I'm talking about, so with that said Miami, I want you all t' stand up an' give this very soon t' be Hall of Famer the response he deserves. Ladies an' gentleman it is my honour, my pleasure to announce that right here right now to announce an' welcome t' the Hall of Fame, and this ring, MICK FOLEY.

"Wreck"
Another huge pop breaks out as Mick Foley walks out to the stage with a big smile on his face, embarrassingly holding his right hand up before making his way down to the ring. He steps inside and walks up to The Rock, getting a big guy hug from his former tag team partner and he's a handed a microphone by The Great One. The music cuts and the cheers continue with chants of "Foley" as he looks into the crowd, taking in their admiration.

Mick Foley: The Rock will know how strange this is but this is one of the rare moments I don't know what t' say.

Rocky smirks & nods his head.

Mick Foley: I won't make a big speech t'night. I'll leave that 'til the night itself. I do though want to thank the WWE of course for choosing to induct me. It really is a great honour, as is having arguably the greatest of all time being here t'night as well as inducting me too.

The Rock: Mick, it's absolutely my honour.

Mick Foley: All the same I appreciate you being here, just like all the people here t'night, right here in Miami Florida.

*Big Pop*

Mick Foley: Without the support of you and the fans all over the world I wouldn't have had the career I've had and enjoyed so much, so from the bottom of my hearts I want to thank each and ev'ryone of you for supporting me through the years. Without it this wouldn't be possible, but I don't wanna talk about me Rock. I wanna talk about you. Five years ago you had your last match with me when The Rock an' Sock Connection reunited f' one night only, and I couldn't help but hear earlier that the people were chanting "one more match". I did hear that right?

*Big Pop*

"One more match, one more match. . ."


Mick Foley:
It sounds t' me Rock the people wanna see The Rock have one more match. They're not the only ones. I. . .

"Metalingus"
The arena erupts with a chorus of boos as 'The Rated-R Superstar' Edge hits the stage with a serious look on his face, looking down at the ring not happy at all. In jeans and a T-shirt he stomps his way down there with Rocky & Foley confused, and The Rock looks furious.

Edge: I'm sorry f' interrupting this big occasion but when I heard what was going down t'night I just had t' be here. I mean you going in the Hall of Fame. What a joke.

*Major Heat*

Edge: The only thing better than that is we get The Rock here too. I guess it's appropriate you're the one who's going to induct him, 'cause just like Mick you're weren't a great wrestler either.

*More Heat*

Edge: You truly do make the great combination. We've got the big movie star an' the man who made a career being a wannabe stunt man.

*More Boos*

Edge: That sums you both up in a one easy sentence. Wait I've got another. We've got one guy who made a career out of making jokes and the other who made a career of being a joke.

*More Heat*

Edge: Me on the other hand, I didn't need to throw myself off the roof of my house, fall off a cell through a table, cut myself in barbwire like you Mick or make jokes like you Rock. I'm the real deal. I proved it when I beat Mick in his own stupid match at Wrestlemania three years ago. . .

The Rock: . . . Hey listen up you disrespectful son of a bitch.

*Big Pop*

Edge doesn't take that at all well, glaring furiously at The Rock.

The Rock: Who the hell do you think you are coming down here? Do I even know who you are? You do look a little familiar. Remind me of your name jackass.

Edge: You don't remember be? Come on. You know who I am. I'm. . .

The Rock: . . . It doesn't matter what your name is.

*Huge Pop*

The Rock: You're lucky I don't slap that huge chin off that even uglier face, an' yeah I know who you are. You were that weird kid with long hair who'd sneak around the back in stupid big ass glasses. Now you call yourself The Rated-R Superstar. With that long ass jacket you usually wear with that stupid long hair you look more like The Rated-R Transvestite.

The crowd reacts with most laughing, not at all going down well with the furious Edge.

The Rock: Was it you I saw prancing up an' down some highway pretending you were Ric Flair in a robe? What the hell is wrong with you? You really are a transvestite, but y'know what? I'm not here t' judge. I'm here f' one thing, to show a legend in Mick Foley the respect he deserves. You, you need t' get the hell out of this ring before I whoop your candy ass all over Miami.

*Massive Pop*

Edge tries to laugh it off but keeps his cool, just.

Edge: Y'know what? I said what I came here t' say, so fine, I'll go. . . right after I. . .

Edge out of nowhere nails The Rock with a microphone, putting him on the mat to a ton of heat. The crowd are pissed, and so is Foley as he spins Edge out to hammer him. The Rated-R Superstar ducks it though and runs the ropes, coming off them to take the future Hall of Famer down with a spear. Edge glares down at him on his knees, running his hand through his hair as The Rock sits up watching, absolutely incensed with anger all over his face. He makes his way back up behind Edge, and as the Canadian slowly stands back up he turns round to see Rocky pissed, and The Rock plants him with a thunderous Rock Bottom to a huge pop. He stands back up and stares down at him, still livid as his music plays again, and he turns to see Foley sitting up. Rocky walks over to him and gives him a helping hand, asking him if he's okay as they both look down at Edge before Rock raises Foley's hand, pointing to him as the fans cheer the hometown Hall of Famer and soon to be Hall of Famer with Edge slowly coming round.

Jim Ross: I don't think anyone expected The Rock's return t' go down like this. Firstly I've gotta say I'm so happy f' Mick Foley, but Edge got exactly what he deserved f' coming out here when he didn't need to. The bottom line is folks, The Rock has electrified his hometown Miami fans here t'night like only he can. It was great t' see The People's Champ here again even if it is f' one night, a night where we found out that at Wrestlemania, live in London England, John Cena will go one-on-one with The Undertaker with the streak on the line. It's been an amazing night on this wild ride of a road to the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania. That's all we've got time for t'night but thanks f' joining us once again. We'll see you next week, but from Miami it's good night all.

*End of Show*

Quick Results

The Colon Brothers df. Ezekiel Jackson & Orlando Jordan
Rey Mysterio df. The Miz
Shawn Michaels df. Chris Jericho
Queen Kong df. Gail Kim
Kofi Kingston, John Morrison & Justin Gabriel df. Jay Lethal, Cody Rhodes & Joe Hennig
Randy Orton df. Sheamus

>Superstars Tapings<
Melina df. Mia Rain
The Epitome of Excellence df. Team Omega


______________________________________


>Confirmed for Wrestlemania XXV<
Date:
Sunday 29th March 2009 (6 Weeks)
Location: Wembley Stadium (London, England)

WWE Championship
Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Triple H

Intercontinental Championship
Rey Mysterio vs. Sheamus (c)

Plus
The Undertaker vs. John Cena

Money in the Bank
The Big Show vs. Chris Jericho vs. ?

Unification Match
Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Queen Kong (c)

Battle of Britain
The UK Pack, TJ Wilson & Natalya Neidhart vs. The Empire


 
#1,707 ·
Good Raw show here Nige. The Shawn Michaels and HHH stuff is good in this fed. Never was a fan of their actually feud. John Cena Vs Taker should be good. I hope Edge doesn't face Rock at Mania, I hope that's reserved for my boy Orton. I hope he's not in Money in the Bank that's beneath him IMO. Beth Phoenix put queen kong down can't mess with Phoenix. I wonder what you got install for Punk should be good. All in all Good Show.
 
#1,708 ·
It was awesome that The Rock returned but I was hoping Rock's return would be more permanent but at least he did return even though it was for one night only to induct Mick Foley into the WWE Hall of Fame but I loved Rock laying Edge out with a Rock Bottom, that was funny especially the way Rock tore down Edge but then when Rock mentioned Cena and Punk, that is what I am hoping for when Rock does come back that he does feud with those guys maybe we even get a Rock/HHH feud or even a Rock/HBK feud

It seems HBK/HHH's feud over the WWE Title is getting more personal especially now, but I am hoping no I am praying Shawn Michaels retains the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 25 because I don't know if I will be able to stand yet another Triple H title reign

Cena/Taker at the 25th Anniversary of Mania, will it be 16-1 or 17-0? Cena is perhaps Taker's biggest threat ever as far as the Streak goes, and I for one think that this match will be the Match of the Year by far, that this match will be better than HBK/HHH by a landslide

But Punk is left without an opponent for WrestleMania, so I wonder just who Punk will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against?

Rey Mysterio vs Sheamus for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 25, I see this being Sheamus' coming out party, Sheamus will retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship starting his own WrestleMania undefeated streak since this is Sheamus' first Mania

Chris Jericho is my pick for Money in the Bank, finally winning a MITB match since he was the inventor of the match, he deserves the win the most

I wonder what's in store for Orton since he doesn't have a match at WrestleMania
 
#1,709 ·



>Breaking News<

>H.B.K. Taken To Miami Hospital<


We can confirm that following an incident in the parking lot earlier this evening that the WWE Champion, Shawn Michaels was taken from the AmericanAirlines Arena to a local medical facility in Miami.

From the information we have been given he was concussed at the scene after seemingly being attacked by Triple H in addition to having lacerations on his head & arms. We understand that he may too have broken his nose or cheekbone but that is not confirmed as he is awaiting X-rays at the moment.

We will update you on his condition when we receive more information.

If you missed Raw tonight, click here to read the full results.


 
#1,712 · (Edited)



>Headlines<

>The Undertaker vs. John Cena. . . It's On!<


After a week of non-stop speculation whether this was going to happen or not, last night on Raw we learnt that at Wrestlemania we will indeed see John Cena attempt to defeat the streak.

No one knew if a challenge was made a week ago by The Undertaker and Cena came to Raw to find out himself, also knowing he had to make a decision to commit to a match with The Dead-Man or instead choose to challenge CM Punk for the world title instead. Cena's decision looked to be made, leaning towards challenging the streak when The Undertaker made his presence felt. He let Cena know it was more than a challenge; it wasn't optional. Cena wasn't intimidated and accepted the battle is on, and at the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania he will attempt to become the man to end the streak.

Can he do it though? Is Cena the man to break the streak and make it 16-1? If anyone has the fight needed, surely it's Cena?!



>Rey's Back Looking for Payback!<

Sheamus took his frustration & anger out on Rey Mysterio after the Mexican eliminated him in the Royal Rumble to deny him the chance to go to Wrestlemania as both the WWE & Intercontinental Champion, but last night we found out that Sheamus will go to Wrestlemania with his Intercontinental title, where he will defend it against Mysterio.

The former World Heavyweight Champion made his return at No Way Out last week after being put out of action for three weeks by The Celtic Warrior, who cost Rey & Mystico the world tag team titles in the process. Rey's come back with a bang, notching up two wins in the past 8 days, not going down well with Sheamus who now knows his first Wrestlemania moment will be attempting to overcome The Ultimate Underdog if he wants to retain the Intercontinental Championship he won last September.

Is Sheamus's title run coming to an end or he will be able to defeat the man who three years ago won the world title on the same stage?

If you missed Raw tonight, click here to read the full results.






Kane was released last summer and Morrison's been involved in a developing tag team for the last 6 weeks. Neither will be in it and Kane won't be returning.
 
#1,714 ·
Jeff was let go at the same time as Kane pretty much, and I have no plans to bring either of them back. Matt's part of Team Omega right now so I very much doubt he'd be in the running for a spot.

Orton though, all I can say is wait & see what he does at Wrestlemania. I was in two minds about having him defeat Triple H on Raw a week ago but I went with it for a reason, to keep him strong for a purpose. Whether it's Money in the Bank or not you'll find out soon enough!
 
#1,715 ·

Friday Night 'Live' Smackdown
Friday 20th February 2009 - Preview!
Live from the Mobile Civic Center
Mobile, Alabama





This week Smackdown rolls into Mobile, Alabama as we draw another week closer to the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania.



After hearing on Raw that John Cena will indeed take on The Undertaker at Wrestlemania, Mr. McMahon needs to find another contender for CM Punk's World Heavyweight Championship. He told Cena that he needed to know his decision by Monday night so he could name Punk's number one contender swiftly. We can confirm that having received confirmation from Mr. McMahon that the new number one contender will be announced this week live on Smackdown. The Chairman of the Board refused to tell us who that superstar is but he will reveal him live in person in Mobile. At the end of last week's show, Punk addressed the world to say that whoever it is he defends his title against at Wrestlemania, he will come out on top and retain his title. Is he right? Will he have the chance to react to whoever his opponent will be?! No one seems to have an idea as to who it will be but you'll have to tune in to find out who that is.

One person who staked a claim last week was 'The Rated-R Superstar' Edge. He went to Mr. McMahon to let him know he felt he should be the one to face CM Punk having defeated his brother, Christian at No Way Out in a TLC match. Mr. McMahon indulged him and put him in a match against the 2008 King of the Ring, Matt Sydal, giving them both a chance to prove themselves worthy of a shot at the world title. They both gave it everything they had in a terrific match, but after a tremendous effort from Sydal, it was Edge who prevailed in the end. However on Raw, The Rated-R Superstar caused a stir when he turned up to crash The Rock's return to the WWE in his hometown of Miami where he announced Mick Foley will be inducted into this year's Hall of Fame class. Edge let both men know how he felt about both of them before getting in a cheap shot in on The Rock before spearing Foley. The Canadian then fell victim to a Rock Bottom and The Great One clearly wasn't happy. Will there be a response from Edge this Friday night? He's never been one to keep quiet has he?!

Sydal will definitely be in Mobile as he will be taking on a former rival in Shelton Benjamin. The King of the Ring defeated Benjamin to win that title before repeating the win at Summerslam to claim the United States Championship, and with his United States title rematch against Dolph Ziggler still to take place, this is a chance for Sydal to show him what he's up against when they do meet.

We also know that the Cruiserweight Champion, J-Red will be in action when he takes on Johnny Devine, the friend & on/off tag team partner of Petey Williams, the man who's declared his intentions to take his title. Petey was victorious again last week and made his point about getting an opportunity at the gold. It appears they have a history and Red will have the chance to show Devine & Williams why he's on top of the cruiserweight division right now. Could that be about to change in the coming weeks or months? Petey certainly thinks & hopes so.

We will also witness Harry Smith's return to action alongside Paul Burchill after recovering from his broken ankle. He returned to the ring in singles action at No Way Out to defeat Wade Barrett, the man responsible for his injury, but now The UK Pack, the team that held the tag team titles for a year will be back together inside the ring against The Pitbulls. They will be in action at Wrestlemania alongside TJ Wilson & Natalya Neidhart against The Empire in a Battle of Britain after Burchill challenged their fellow Brits last week. It's going to be an all out war in their homeland at Wrestlemania, but will it be a successful return to the ring for The UK Pack this Friday in Mobile?


>Confirmed for this week on Smackdown!<

Non-Title Match

J-Red vs. Johnny Devine

Plus
Matt Sydal vs. Shelton Benjamin

The UK Pack vs. The Pitbulls


 
#1,716 ·

Friday Night Smackdown
Friday 13th February 2009
Live from the Mobile Civic Center
Mobile, Alabama



*Opening Video*
"Let It Roll"

*Video Recap*
From Last Week

Michael Cole
is standing in the ring, joined by John Cena.

Michael Cole:
There's a lot of people including myself making assumptions as to what happened on Raw. It looked as if he was challenging you to a match at Wrestlemania. I know a challenge wasn't officially made but the belief is that is what he had or has in mind. If that is indeed the case which most believe it is, what is your response to the speculation? Also, what would your response be if indeed you were challenged to a match at Wrestlemania by The Undertaker?

John Cena: Y'know I've been asking myself those same questions all week long. There's no one who wants t' know what the deal is more than me let me tell ya. I was stood barely a foot apart from him an' ven I don't know if it was officially a challenge, but the impression I got, it sure felt like it.

Michael Cole: If you believe that t' be the case, how exactly do you feel about the prospect of accepting a challenge to face the man who is 16 an' 0 at Wrestlemania?

"UNDERTAKER. . . UNDERTAKER"

Cena turns & looks into the crowd.

John Cena: Honestly? How exactly are you supposed t' feel about the thought of facing a man who's a legend even away from Wrestlemania? That's what The Undertaker is, an absolute legend, but at Wrestlemania, the biggest stage of them all, there are no words t' describe his accomplishments. He's had 16 matches there an' won them all. That simply is an unbelievable achievement. It's enough to have anyone going into Wrestlemania already thinking they've lost before the bell's even rung. The thought of facing The Undertaker's intimidating enough even before you look at that record. T' put it frankly Cole, you'd have t' be almost crazy t' want t' walk in t' Wrestlemania an' face The Undertaker.

It's a challenge like no other that comes along once a year. The streak year on year becomes more impressive. The streak has become as much of a legend as The Undertaker himself. It takes guts to accept that challenge but it takes more than guts to end the streak. One thing I've always had though is guts. The thought of walking down to this ring at Wrestlemania 25 against the legend and his streak is something that doesn't scare me. If the challenge is out there. . .

"No Chance In Hell"

Mr McMahon
walks out to the stage to a big pop holding a microphone looking to be in a very serious mood indeed with Cena & Cole turning to look up at him.

Mr. McMahon: John I apologise for interrupting but there's something that I think I need t' say before you make any decision as far as The Undertaker is concerned. The situation you find yourself in in regard to The Undertaker's involvement in your match at No Way Out with CM Punk also needs t' be resolved. It was abundantly clear I think to ev'ryone that you had CM Punk beat and you were going to leave the new World Heavyweight Champion.

*Mixed*

Mr. McMahon: That John, yet again leaves us in the same position we've been in f' months as to who deserves t' be World Champion, you or Punk. Now it seems perfectly fitting t' me that we decide this once an' f' all with one final match between you an' Punk for the world title at Wrestlemania.

*Strong Mixed Reaction*

Cena looks shocked, completely thrown by Vince's twist in the tale.

Mr. McMahon: That obviously would mean John that if this challenge exists or not from The Undertaker, you would be unable to fight for the chance to become World Heavyweight Champion.

John Cena: . . . Vince let me stop you there before this whole situation gets out of control. I already had a lot t' think about, but now. . . Y'know what I can't make a decision in the heat of the moment. Vince I appreciate what you're sayin', an' you're right. There's nothing I want more than t' beat CM Punk f' the World Heavyweight Championship, but at the same time I've never been one t' duck a challenge, if that's what this is. I need time t' think. Hopefully by Monday night I'll be able to make a decision that I can tell The Undertaker. . .

Mr. McMahon: . . . I respect that, but John I have t' tell you that unless you make a decision by then I'll have t' look elsewhere as t' who will challenge Punk at Wrestlemania. Just so we're clear you understand that right?

John Cena: Absolutely, 100%. I'll have my decision Monday night live on Raw. That's a promise.

"My Time Is Now" hits again as Cena looks into the crowd, taking in the reaction with Vince still far from satisfied looking down at the ring.

***

From Raw Monday night


"My Time Is Now"
The arena erupts with fans rising to their feet as John Cena walks out to the stage, stopping to take in the cheers & boos being thrown at him. He smiles through it and does his trademark salute before running down to the ring, looking back to normal after last week's troubles despite the decision he plans to make. He hits the ring to more thunderous cheers & boos as he poses for the fans, then walks across to the apron to collect a microphone. The music stops and the noise is deafening as Cena soaks it in, enjoying the moment.

John Cena: Is it me or is Miami EXCITED T'NIGHT?

*Big Cheer*

There again are some boos too, not that they bother Cena.

John Cena: It doesn't get much better than this right? This is what this time of year's all about. Wrestlemania is like nothing else. The slightest mention of Wrestlemania gets the hair on the back of my neck standing up. I've been lucky enough t' main event a fair few in recent times. In fact ev'ry match I've had at Wrestlemania, a title's been on the line. The first time I won the United States Championship. The last four years it's been f' the WWE title. All but one of those matches, last year as it goes, I've won. This year though I'm in the position where I can fight for the World Heavyweight Championship against the man who just manages to escape ev'ry timeI face him, CM Punk.

*Mixed*

John Cena: It's what I've been trying t' do the last six months it feels like, but one thing after another keeps happening t' stop me, whether it be Stephanie McMahon, Punk getting his buddies t' help him out or a certain dead man chokeslams me in the middle of this ring when I'm about to walk out of the cage an' grab that title.

*Mixed*

John Cena: That, that's the twist in the tale. . . That twist goes by the name of. . .

"Undertaker. . . Undertaker. . ."

John Cena: Yeah that's him, The Undertaker.

*Pop*

John Cena: F' the last week, ev'ryone's been talking about if at Wrestlemania 25, the 25th anniversary of the showpiece event in this business, The Undertaker's gonna face John Cena.

*Big Pop*

John Cena: Exactly. Ev'ryone wants t' know, including me. That's the problem. I don't know if that's really on the cards or not. Nobody knows but The Undertaker himself if he challenged me last week, leaving me in this position of whether I accept Vince's challenge or not, or do I find out if he challenged me or not last week? If he did, do I instead choose t' try t' do what no one else ever has? Do I dare walk through the gates of hell an' face the man who at Wrestlemania is 16 an' 0? Do I choose t' do what almost ev'ryone thinks can't be done? Do I go t' Wrestlemania an' try t' beat the streak?

*Mixed*

John Cena: I've gotta admit I'm still not sure I know the answer, but I think, I think I know what I want. . . no, what I have t' do. . . F' months now I've tried t' beat CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship, an' at Wrestlemania I have the chance t' do just that. It's a no brainer, or so you'd think. As much as I wanna beat Punk an' win the world title, if he defends that title at Wrestlemania I'll still have that chance another day. The opportunity t' face The Undertaker an' end the streak comes along once a year, an' man do I love a challenge?

*Pop*

John Cena: I've always been true t' myself. I always try t' be honest an' I can stand here t'night an' say that I've always thought The Undertaker couldn't be beaten at Wrestlemania. I've thought that the streak would never come to an end an' that it shouldn't. Now I'm stood here with maybe the chance t' be the man to achieve the unthinkable. I don't see it as the chance to end it an' rub it in his face. I see this as a challenge, simple as that. I've never ducked a challenge in my life. I never have an' I never will. That's why if the challenge is there, I. . .

*Gong*

The fans go nuts and the lights go out and "Rest In Peace" hits to more cheers, then The Undertaker slowly emerges through the smoke blowing across the stage. He carries on slowly down the ramp with Cena watching, smile gone completely, taking The Dead-Man very seriously. Taker gets to the steps, takes them up on to the apron and brings the lights back on to a deafening roar, staring straight ahead at Cena who keeps his eyes on Taker. The phenom enters the ring with his special microphone, menacingly walking towards Cena as his music comes to a halt with the cheers continuing with both men staring right at each other.

The Undertaker: The challenge of which you speak implies you have a choice.

*Pop*

The Undertaker: 41 nights John, you will walk through the gates of hell, and just like ev'ryone before you, you will fall and become another victim of the streak.

*More Cheers*

John Cena: You might be right. Hist'ry dead man says you are. No one has beaten you f' a reason. Hell, you may well be invincible. That's what makes this the biggest challenge of my life or f' anyone who tries t' beat the streak, but like I've said, I've never backed away from a challenge. This, this is no diff'rent. If you say I've got no choice, that doesn't make any diff'rence either. My mind was made up. Wrestlemania 25, The Undertaker versus John Cena. . . it's on.

Cena looks right at Taker, showing he's not intimidated and drops the stick to walk past him and leave the ring, heading back up the ramp as Taker turns to watch him leave. Cena turns back and looks down to the ring and the man he'll face at Wrestlemania as the shot focuses on the Wrestlemania sign above the ring visible behind Taker with Cena looking down at him.

Jim Ross: There we go. We now know. As John Cena said himself, it's on. At Wrestlemania it will be a real clash of the titans. It'll be John Cena taking on the streak when he challenges The Undertaker. What a match that is going t' be.

Jerry Lawler: You're not wrong. It's going t' be incredible JR. Cena an' The Undertaker, I can't believe it.
***Pyro***
***Pyro***
***Pyro***
***Pyro***


Michael Cole:
Good evening ev'ryone. Welcome to Friday Night Smackdown, live t'night from the Mobile Civic Center in Mobile Alabama on a night where we will learn who will challenge CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship in just over five weeks from now at Wrestlemania.

Michael Cole: We learnt on Monday night that John Cena will indeed attempt t' do what nobody before him has ever managed by defeating The Undertaker and the streak that now stands at 16 an' 0. He had the option of challenging CM Punk one more time but he made the decision t' pass that up for the time being. . .

"My Time Is Now"

John Cena
hits the stage to a huge reaction, largely positive despite a few boos and he stands there taking it in, looking into the crowd nodding his head. He salutes the fans and then bursts down the ramp into the ring, sliding in to another huge response from the Mobile crowd. He soaks it up and his music stops as he gets the fans going even more, just by looking into the stands. He nods in approval again before walking over to the apron to get a microphone, then walks back in a good mood tonight for sure.

John Cena: Well I guess it's official. The speculation, the rumours, the confusion, they're all gone. Now we now that in five weeks at the 25th anniversary of the biggest event in the sports entertainment calendar, it will be John Cena versus The Undertaker.

*Big Pop*

John Cena: Let me tell ya, no one's more surprised than me t' hear that. If you'd 'ave asked me about a month ago who I thought I'd be facing at Wrestlemania, man I never would've thought about The Undertaker. The respect I have f' that guy is off the scale. I'd like t' think he respects me too but the fact is we'd never so much as crossed paths, which is why I never imagined we'd be in the position we are now. This isn't about two guys beating the hell out of each other because we hate each other's guts. It's not about trying t' get the world title from CM Punk. It's about one thing an' one thing only. . . the challenge it presents. You don't need me t' tell you that throughout his incredible career, incredible doesn't do The Undertaker justice when it comes to what he's done at Wrestlemania. In fact it's about what he hasn't done. . . lose. In 16 matches he's never been beaten. That, that's just crazy.

*Pop*

John Cena: F' anyone t' achieve that goes way beyond impressive. 16 an' 0 at Wrestlemania, it's just crazy thinking about it. It's not like we've not known. The number's been growing f' years. We've talked about it f' a long time. F' a long time now people have said that when it comes t' Wrestlemania The Undertaker is invincible. I'm sure there's a lot of people right here t'night in Mobile who agree right?

*More Cheers*

John Cena: See. Wherever you go you'll find a lot of people who don't think anyone can beat him at Wrestlemania. There are a lot of people back there too behind the curtain who believe that too. That's where the challenge lies though. There are people who have the fight inside them to believe they can do what no one else has. Like I said, it's not something I thought about until the opportunity presented itself. It's a challenge like no other. You can challenge for the world title any night of the year if you're lucky enough to win that opportunity. This, this is diff'rent.

"Undertaker. . . Undertaker. . ."

John Cena: Hey, I respect the guy too, big time. I respect the streak, but I believe in myself too. I also believe in taking on a challenge. That's why I had t' do this. T' beat The Undertaker you have t' have so much heart. That I've got. As I'm often told, you're not a good wrestler John. Hey, they might be right, but one thing I know how t' do is fight an' I never give up.

*Mixed*

John Cena: That's what it'll take to end the streak. I sure as hell am not gonna back away from it. I respect it but I don't fear it. I don't fear anything. This is going t' be the biggest most challenging fight of my life, but that's what drives me. Do I think I'm going to end the streak? I don't know. Do I think I have what it takes to beat The Undertaker an' end the streak? You're damn right I do.

There's a strong mix of cheers & boos.

John Cena: There are people who don't like me. Hell there are people who hate my guts. I know what I'm getting myself into. No one wants t' see The Undertaker lose at Wrestlemania, meaning I'm gonna cop a whole lot more hate than ever before if I do the unthinkable. That's not a problem f' me. It makes no diff'rence. I have people that support me which I respect so much. My fans have stuck by through thick an' thin. I thank them f' that but I'm under no illusions about what most people think about the thought of me ending the streak. I'm not going t' Wrestlemania hell bent on ending the streak t' brag it about after. I'm going to achieve something huge.

*Mixed*

John Cena: It's not personal. It's all about the biggest challenge of my career an' coming out on top. That's what it's all about, not proving people wrong or anything like that. If, an' it's a big if I do defeat The Undertaker, even if I lose I'll carry myself with dignity as I always have. I'll stand up in the middle of this ring and offer him my hand. You won't hear me shouting from the rooftops about it if I win. That's not my style. I won't take any pleasure or satisfaction from seeing the streak end. That doesn't mean I'm not gonna bust my ass t' win the match because I will. I'm gonna bring it like never before, just like I know The Undertaker will. That's why I know this is gonna go down as one of the biggest fights in Wrestlemania hist'ry.

*Pop*

John Cena: Right now though there's something I need t' say. I need to thank Vince McMahon f' giving me the opportunity t' challenge for the world title at Wrestlemania. I appreciate him giving me another chance but I'm sure he understands that this is something I just have t' do. The world title is as big as it gets, but like I said the other night on Raw, I'm sure one day soon enough me an' CM Punk, if he's still the champ that is will get it on one more time.

*More Cheers*

John Cena: Trust me it wasn't easy. I've wan'ed t' beat Punk f' a. . .

"No chance, that's what you've got. . ."
The Chairman of the Board, Mr. McMahon walks out into the arena to a big pop, also stopping at the top of the stage, taking in the crowd's response before heading down to the ring to join Cena, shaking hands with him before collecting a microphone.

Mr. McMahon: John I wan'ed t' come out here an' let you know there's no hard feelings. I respect your passion, and to be honest I fully expected you to make the decision you did. I f' one along with many fans across the world I'm sure am looking forward to seeing a match that you rightly pointed out will surely go down as one of the greatest in the history of Wrestlemania.

*Pop*

Mr. McMahon: I'm not going t' lie however. There was a part of me that would've liked to have seen you finally put CM Punk in his place instead but I wish you nothing but the best of luck in a match I can't wait t' see.

John Cena: Thanks Vince.

Cena again shakes hands with Vince, initiating it himself this time.

Mr. McMahon: Now obviously with John choosing to face The Undertaker it means that we need a new number one contender to challenge CM Punk at Wrestlemania, and as I said last week I planned t' have that man in place t'night. I'm sure you'll all be happy t' know that later on this evening I will announce just who that man will be in this very ring.

*Pop*

John Cena: Vince I have to ask, who is it?

"Metalingus"
A chorus of boos meets 'The Rated-R Superstar' Edge as he walks out to the stage, not looking too happy it would seem, barely looking into the crowd as he stomps down the ramp towards the ring. He picks a microphone up off the apron as he takes the steps, staring into the ring at Cena & Vince as his music is cut by the boys in the truck.

Edge: First I wanna say John it takes guts t' do what you've done. It doesn't mean I give a crap about your match with The Undertaker like ev'ryone seems to. All I wanna know is if Vince is gonna make me the number one contender like we all know he should.

*Major Heat*

Edge: I couldn't care less about you, The Undertaker or the damn streak. All I care about is being in the main event of Wrestlemania like I was last year an' once again becoming the World Heavyweight Champion. There's no one better than me. Seriously, who else is there? I've won ev'rything here there is t' win. No one else even comes close.

Mr. McMahon: Edge let me stop you right there. There's a lot of truth to what you just said. Indeed you have accomplished practically ev'rything there is. There's just one problem I have. See you talked about how you were in the main event last year. That's true, you were. You challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship too in the main event. . . and you lost.

*Pop*

Mr. McMahon: I want someone who I believe will go on to Wrestlemania and defeat CM Punk. I have that person Edge. Unfortunately that's not you.

Edge: I can't believe this. Yeah I lost year but it doesn't mean I wouldn't win this year.

Mr. McMahon: That's true. I have however made my decision, and like ev'ryone else you will find out that is later on.

Edge: Alright fine but you're making a big mistake. I gotta admit I kinda knew last week even though I won my match you were gonna pick someone else anyway. I don't know who but I had that feeling. Honestly, I'm with John. I'll get that chance soon enough anyway 'cause I've got another idea that'll make you really stand up an' take notice. Monday night on Raw I went there t' make my feelings known about Mick Foley getting in the Hall of Fame an' t' tell The Rock what I thought of him too. One thing I heard while I was there was these idiots chanting one more match at 'im. Well I'm gonna give them what they wanna see. I'm gonna go back t' Raw on Monday night t' challenge the so called great one to a match at Wrestlemania.

*Huge Pop*

Edge: Yeah, you might wanna see The Rock have one more match. The problem is if he accepts, it'll be a match he loses I guarantee y'that. Then Vince, you'll have no choice but t' give me a shot at the world title.

Edge slams his microphone down and turns round to leave the ring, stomping back up the ramp with "Metalingus" playing while Cena & Vince share a joke amongst themselves.

Michael Cole: Wow, I didn't expect that. Edge is going t' call out The Rock to a match at Wrestlemania? He did get Rock Bottomed on Raw the other night but how amazing would it be t' see The Great One back in the ring at Wrestlemania?

Matt Striker: Oh it would be incredible. It's been five years since we last saw The Rock in a WWE ring. I f' one would absolutely love t' see that.

Michael Cole: I think there'll be millions, and millions of The Rock's fans who would agree with you. However as Mr. McMahon just reminded us, later on t'night we will find out who will challenge CM Punk for the world title. I don't have a clue who that will be. I don't think anyone does but I can't wait t' find out. . .


The Cruiserweight Champion, J-Red is shown walking through the back looking more than ready for action.

Michael Cole: Well when we come back we'll see another champion in action. The exciting Cruiserweight Champion J-Red's up next live when we return.

*Commercial Break*

Mr. McMahon
is walking back from the ring, through the production area and is approached by a very serious looking Bryan Danielson who's in his casual gear.

Bryan Danielson: Mr. McMahon, there's something I really need t' speak with you.

Mr. McMahon: Sure thing, go ahead.

Bryan Danielson: I don't know if you saw what happened last week before my match with Dolph Ziggler. . .

Mr. McMahon: . . . As a matter of fact I did. You don't need t' tell me about CM Punk. . .

Bryan Danielson: . . . Oh but I do. I know you have your issues with him, and I've known the guy f' a long time. He's a great wrestler like he says but he can also be a jackass. Anyway that's beside the point. Why I'm here, after what he did t' me last week with that cheap shot, I want a match with him t'night. I don't care about the title. I just wan' a match, nothing else.

Mr. McMahon: Hmm, int'resting. . . Y'know I admire your guts asking for a match with Punk. Not many people would demand a match with him without the title on the line. I like that. You can have your match later on. Good luck. I'll be watching.

Bryan Danielson: Thanks, but I don't need luck.

Danielson walks away happy he's got what he wants and Vince smiles, looking quite impressed.

Mr. McMahon: I think I like that guy.


We cut across the back and a seriously angry looking Elijah Burke is pacing through the halls of the arena.

Elijah Burke: DIBIASE. WHERE ARE YOU Y'PUNK?

Layla is shown trying to catch up with him.

Layla: BABY, 'LIJAH.

Burke carries on, ignoring his former fiancée.

Layla: Baby I need t' talk t' you.

Reluctantly Burke stops and turns round to face her, and clearly she's fighting off her emotions.

Elijah Burke: Now's not the time right. The only thing I wanna do right now is get my hands on that son of a bitch.

Burke turns to walk off and he sees a worker standing close by.

Elijah Burke: You seen DiBiase?

Worker: Sorry I haven't.

It's clearly not the answer he wanted and he carries on walking.

Layla: BABY, PLEASE, WE NEED T' TALK.

Burke stops & thinks about turning back but heads off up the hall leaving a very upset Layla behind, close to tears.


*The Opening Match*
Non-Title Match

J-Red vs. Johnny Devine w/Petey Williams
Petey Williams was by Devine's side walking out to the ring with him, making Red look a little uneasy with Petey's comments about wanting to take his title in recent weeks. The Cruiserweight Champion quickly put that to the side and was on fire as usual, getting the crowd behind him. He was his usual energetic self, making it difficult for Devine to keep up. Petey was watching closely, but he didn't get involved. Devine did make it tough for the champion though, and when Red missed with a roundhouse kick, the Canadian caught him with an enzuigiri, coming so close to getting the upset. Devine kept going and hit a split-legged moonsault which still wasn't enough to get the win. Red had to fight to stay in the match, and when he was fired into the ropes he came back fighting, countering with tilt-a-whirl headscissors into a DDT, a satellite DDT. The fans got louder in their support, and Devine was reeling as they made their way back up. Red was on the serious offensive, and after catching Devine with a thunderous roundhouse kick, he went to the apron, sizing him up for the Red Alert.

The fans were cheering as he steadied himself, watching the Canadian struggle back up to his feet looking all over the place. Red then struck, hitting a springboard for the diving swinging reverse STO. Petey watched, helpless as Red made the cover to pick up the win to the delight of the fans. He stood up to get his arm raised, but as the ref then walked across the ring to collect his cruiserweight title from the timekeeper, Petey stepped in and snatched it, then entered the ring with Red confused and not too happy. Red's music stopped and Petey stared right at him for several seconds before looking down at the title and then handing it to him. The champ took hold of it while looking cautiously at Petey who let him know he wanted the title for himself before leaving the ring as Red then went on to celebrate his win on the second rope, lifting the title into the air before turning back to take a look at Petey on the ramp who was looking right back at him.

Winner: J-Red by pinfall.
Michael Cole: In recent weeks we've heard Petey Williams make his intent clear as far as the Cruiserweight Championship goes, and tonight after another typically impressive performance from J-Red, he's letting the champion know man-t'-man that he's got his eyes on his title.


A very smug looking Ted DiBiase is shown through back with his girlfriend Maryse, both on their way to the ring with DiBiase dressed for action.

Michael Cole: Well earlier on we saw Elijah Burke looking f' the man we see right there. When we return in just a few moments, the contr'versial Ted DiBiase will make his Smackdown debut.

*Commercial Break*
*Video Recap*
From Last Week
Elijah Burke is standing in the middle of the ring with his fiancée Layla, both looking very happy as you would expect with their upcoming nuptials.

Elijah Burke: Hey, this is the groom speakin' I guess. I just wanna say a few words t'night. . . Whoa, before I f'get. Good luck t' my boy Matty later on too by the way. T'night though's about one thing. . . my beautiful fiancée here.

Layla is absolutely beaming at hearing her fiancé speak so delightfully of her.

Elijah Burke: This is one time you're gonna hear me a little soppy 'cause this time t'morrow Lay's officially gonna be the ball an' chain.

Layla gives her fiancé a little slap on the arm in jest.

"Priceless"

*Tons of Boos*


A smug Ted DiBiase strolls out to the stage with his girlfriend Maryse, making Burke furious and Layla somewhat awkward. DiBiase walks down the ring with Maryse, smiling in a big way for some reason, and as he enters the ring he walks past Burke & Layla, he still smiles at them as he collects a microphone while Burke takes his back off Layla.

Elijah Burke: You wanna explain what the hell y'think y'doin' comin' out here before I put you on y'ass? Wait, didn't you get fired the other night?

Ted DiBiase: First, thank you for the warm reception! As f' being fired, I left Raw. I still have a contract with the WWE, which means I'm free t' be here on Smackdown and wish you well on this special occasion for you both.

DiBiase turns to look right at a very uneasy looking Layla.

Ted DiBiase: Are you alright? You wouldn't think it's the happiest day of your life t'morrow. Why is that?

Elijah Burke: Hey, you don't talk t' her y'hear? In fact I don't even know why you're out here. This isn't about you. Why don't you get t' steppin' an' go back t' wherever you came from?

Ted DiBiase: Oh I'm sure you'd like that wouldn't you? See like I told you Sunday night, which I'm sure you've f'got, no one tells me what t' do. That includes you, which is why I'm out here t' make my point.

Instead of me telling you about what happened, I'll show you.

Ted turns to look up at the tron and footage of what appears to be a bar is shown where Ted & Maryse turn up. They walk further into the room where Layla, Mickie James, Gail Kim, Natalya Neidhart, Kelly Kelly, Melina, Beth Phoenix, Maria are shown dancing and have a good time, but Layla turns round and sees them. She's furious and walks right up to them.

Layla: You two? You're not invited.

Ted DiBiase: We're aware of that but we couldn't help but stop by since we were close by. We can't help but think that you're making a mistake. . .

Layla: . . . Ex-cuse me.

Ted DiBiase: Listen to what I have t' say. To outsiders it looks like you're settling. Look at Maryse. She's stunning right? I wouldn't settle and neither would she. We're the perfect couple unlike you and your fiancé. I'm sure Maryse wouldn't mind me saying that you're a very attractive woman. You can do far better than him.

Layla: Oh, like you right?

Ted DiBiase: Well of course but that's not what I meant.

Layla: You wouldn't stand a chance. I'd go f' her before I'd go near you.

Maryse looks disgusted as Layla looks her up & down. So much so she walks away and the shot goes back to the ring with Layla still looking very awkward. Burke looks totally confused with DiBiase loving stirring things up as Maryse stands by his side, not giving much away. Ted takes her to a quiet spot in the distance and looks to be trying to convince into something. The footage then fast forwards to Maryse walking up to Layla as she comes out of the toilets, caught by surprise by Maryse.

Maryse: Hey. I want to apologise for what Teddy said before and. . .

Layla: . . . And what?

Maryse: I don't know how to say this but before it looked like you were looking. . .

Layla: . . . I know where you're going and I'm sorry. It's just, I've gotta say, you're really sexy y'know, too good f' him.

Maryse: It's okay, it's just he doesn't know. . .

Layla: . . . Doesn't know what?

Maryse: Well, it's not just guys I go for.

Layla: Really? I would never've guessed. I mean it's not like we haven't all thought about that, experimenting. Y'know. I never did but if I did you'd be just the type I'd go for. Wait what am I saying? I'm sorry I shouldn't be saying that.

Maryse: No it's okay. I understand. I must say, what's stopping you? If you were going to experiment, now's the perfect time. You can get it out of your system before you get married.

Layla: Really, you think so? No I couldn't. I mean. . . no it's crazy.

Maryse: Is it? I don't think so. Trust me, it's amazing.

Layla: Yeah? I've heard that. I've always thought about it. Maybe you're right. No I can't. . . wait, oh who cares?

She grabs Maryse by surprise & kisses her. The footage stops right there, going back to the ring where Burke can't believe it, turning to look at his embarrassed fiancée.

Ted DiBiase: Well, who would've thought we'd see that from a woman about t' get married? There's a whole lot more footage too but unfortunately we're not allowed t' show it, and it doesn't just feature these two lovely ladies either if you catch my drift.

Layla: He's lying. That's not true. Yes I kissed her but I was drunk. That's all it was baby, a silly mistake I promise.

Burke snaps, dropping the microphone to hammer DiBiase with a hard right hand, sending him down to the mat and rolling under the bottom rope down to the floor. Maryse follows him and Layla tries to apologise to Burke who still looks furious & stunned by what he's seen & heard. He goes to walk away and Layla panics, quickly picking the microphone back up.

Layla: Please baby I'm so sorry. I swear it was just that kiss. It only lasted that second. Please f'give me, I'm so sorry.

Burke stops & turns round, looking right at her starting to cry. He walks towards her, looks at her again with DiBiase sitting up on the floor looking on with Maryse fairly ashamed by the looks of it. They watch as Burke takes the microphone from her, gently though.

Elijah Burke: Sorry but I can't go through with it right now. The wedding's off.

He drops the stick & leaves, leaving Layla in tears with DiBiase watching on the outside with a big smile on his face. Burke stomps back up the ramp and Mickie James runs out past him to console Layla in the ring. She turns her head to give the amused DiBiase a look of pure disgust.

Michael Cole: That was absolutely despicable if you ask me from Ted DiBiase t'night, absolutely disgusting. I feel f' both Elijah Burke and Layla. I just hope they can get over this.
*Match #2*
Santino Marella
vs. Ted DiBiase w/Maryse
DiBiase came out all cocky, laughing at Santino even before the match started. Soon he wasn't so cocky when his complacency allowed the Italian into the match, and he even came close to the defeat until he just managed to kick out of a roll up. Maryse was looking worried, and despite fighting way back into control of the match, Santino wasn't done. He slipped out of a Dream Street attempt and spun Ted round into a jawbreaker. DiBiase got his shoulder up just before Santino went further, hitting the ropes for a flying thrust kick, and he got it. Again Ted kicked out, frustrating the over-excited Italian Stallion. The fans were chanting Santino's name as he looked to put Ted away, but Ted ducked his head when Santino went for a leg-feed enzuigiri. It gave Ted the chance to step back and then take him down with a neckbreaker. Marella dug deep to kick out, but DiBiase wasn't messing around now and urged him to get back up, again stalking him for Dream Street.

Again Santino escaped his clutches and went for an irish whip which Ted reversed it and then caught him with a flapjack. Santino's face hit the mat hard, and he was all over the place as he clawed his way back up. DiBiase was livid, determined to put him away, and this time he had the chance with Santino all over the place to take him down with Dream Street and pick up the win. He had a wry smile on his face after the bell when the ref raised his hand, and then a pop came from the crowd. DiBiase turned round with Maryse frantically trying to warn her boyfriend about something, and there was Elijah Burke. Ted panicked and had to duck a clothesline, ran to the ropes and slid outside the ring, escaping to piss off an irate Burke. He was pissed, kicking the bottom rope as Ted backtracked with Maryse following. Burke talked smack at him before turning round to go get a microphone, glaring right at DiBiase when he got it.

Winner: Ted DiBiase by pinfall.
Elijah Burke: HEY, you no good son of a bitch. If you've got a pair between those legs o'yours, you'll get your spoiled sorry ass back in this ring right now.

DiBiase laughs, not at all contemplating heading back.

Elijah Burke: Yeah? Just what I thought you gutless piece of crap. Y'can run t'night but mark my words, one day real soon your ass is gonna get knocked the hell out f' what y'did last week. Trust me. It might not be t'night but it'll happen. Believe me, it will happen.

Burke drops the stick and "Don't Waste My Time" hits as he stares right at DiBiase, steam coming out of his ears with Ted laughing back at him with Maryse by his side, not showing much love for Burke either.

Michael Cole: That seems certain t' me Matt. Elijah Burke is livid as you can imagine.

Matt Striker: Oh absolutely. We all know what Ted DiBiase is like. You have to imagine one day soon he'll get what's coming to him.

*Commercial Break*
The World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk & Homicide are shown entering the arena with Punk looking very relaxed (dragging his travel bag too), and he's approached by Josh Matthews.

Josh Matthews: Punk, may I have a quick word with you?

CM Punk: You wan' a word Josh? I'll do better than that. I'll give you a few. I know that Vince is ready t' drop some kind of bomb on me t'night as to who he's got lined up f' me at Wrestlemania now his poster boy's decided t' face The Undertaker instead. Quite frankly I couldn't care less who it is. I mean there's nobody in this company that has me even slightly worried. . . not in the least bit. So when he announces this challenger who'll come up short at Wrestlemania, I'll be in that ring t' tell Vince what I just told you. I'm not worried.

Punk turns to walk off, laughing off any worries he may have.

Josh Matthews: Have you heard about your match t'night?

The World Champion turns back, clearly confused.

CM Punk: Match, what match? What are you talking about?

Josh Matthews: Earlier t'night Bryan Danielson went to Mr. McMahon an' asked him for a match with you after what happened between you two last week.

CM Punk: Did he now? Good thing I brought my gear then right? Come on man, let's go.

A relaxed Punk and a typically serious Homicide carry on their way into the arena.


*Video Recap*
From Last Week

Harry Smith
w/Paul Burchill, TJ Wilson & Natalya Nedihart
vs. Jack Swagger
The Empire joined Michael Cole & Matt Striker at the announce table, unsettling Smith & Co from the moment they walked out into the arena. Barrett was the only one of them with a headset on and spoke of his anger at Smith beating him via brass knucks at No Way Out. He shrugged off Cole's counterpoint that he was about to use them himself too, just as he did to win the tag team titles at Night of Champions for him & McIntyre. Barrett said that it was the only way Smith was going to beat him, and Smith kept looking over at them with fire still there in the eyes. Smith had a fight in the ring though against an angry Jack Swagger. The All-American American was quickly getting frustrated at Smith hanging on in the match, again after a corner slingshot splash. He then tried for a spin-out powerbomb but Smith blocked it and escaped through a couple of elbow shots, allowing him to then duck a wild clothesline attempt before planting Swagger with a german suplex.

Swagger kicked out at two, but Smith seized the momentum, then came so close with a delayed vertical suplex. The All-American American again got the shoulder up, but only just. Smith's momentum was clearly angering The Empire at ringside while Burchill, TJ & Natalya all tried to will Harry over the line. Swagger was struggling and Harry had the crowd behind him too as he scooped him up for a running powerslam. As he turned he saw McIntyre & Regal walk towards the apron. Harry let go of Swagger and walked to the apron himself, warning The Empire members to stay away. Burchill, TJ & Natalya walked round to get them to back up too, resulting in Barrett standing up too. He & Smith were staring at each other, just as Swagger was getting back up on his knees. The All-American American saw the door opening in front of him to run up behind Smith and chop block him in the back of the leg.

He was back on his feet in a flash, so intense as he grabbed Smith by the ankle and pulled him away from the ropes to apply the Ankle Lock. He applied it to the just healed broken ankle of Smith, putting him through agony, much to the amusement of The Empire. They watched with smiles on their faces as Smith was screaming out in pain. He tried to hold on but couldn't despite encouragement from his friends on the outside. Swagger's music hit and he didn't look too happy at getting his arm raised before staring coldly down at Smith before leaving the ring, heading up the ramp looking straight ahead. The Empire left laughing, taunting their rivals as they jumped into the ring to check on Harry who was holding his ankle, but Burchill went back to get a microphone as Barrett & Co walked back up the ramp.
Paul Burchill: I think I speak for all of us, even you too when I say I've had enough of all this. We need to settle this once and for all. In fact I have just the idea. What better place than Wrestlemania at Wembley Stadium in front of our fellow Brits in not just any match? No we need something more than that. I propose that the four of us take on all four of you in a Battle of Britain?

*Big Pop*

Paul Burchill: You're not usually short of things t' say. This is one occasion I would actually like to hear what you have t' say.

Barrett turns round looking towards the back and calls for a microphone. A worker runs out and hands one to him with the UK/Canadian alliance awaiting their answer.

Wade Barrett: Y'know what? F' you that's actually not a bad idea. You have a deal.

The fans cheer as "Rule Britannia" plays with the two factions eying each other up, all eight of them looking really up for the battle we'll see at Wrestlemania.

Michael Cole: Well after months of these two rival groups going all out against each other, at Wrestlemania in the United Kingdom, a fitting place, they will collide in a Battle of Britain. I don't think battle is strong enough a word f' what we'll see when they clash at Wembley Stadium.

*Match #3*
The UK Pack
vs. The Pitbulls
Back together for the first time in months, Smith & Burchill were up for this one, and the fans too were happy to see them back at it. Noble & Kash weren't though, but they weren't there to lie down for the Brits. They gave them a real fight, and they targeted Smith's ankle the first chance they got. Harry had to fight like crazy to get to the ropes when Noble had him in the Trailer Hitch, a reverse figure four leglock. Noble wasn't best pleased to say the least at having to let the hold go, and he pummelled Smith as he tried to get up by the ropes. Harry came back fighting though with ferocious shots of his own, eventually taking him down with a strong clothesline and then a belly-to-black suplex. As soon as Noble was back on his feet, he found himself on the end of a delayed vertical suplex which the crowd loved.

They were all cheering, but after Noble kicked out, Harry tagged Burchill into the match. It looked like just a matter of time, and it turned out to be that way. Noble managed to roll out of the way of a standing shooting star press, but he failed with a double underhook powerbomb that Burchill countered easily with a back body drop. As soon as he got to his knees he was pulled into a pump-handle lift into a sidewalk slam. The crowd cheered again and Noble was in deep trouble as Burchill sized him up for the C4. Kash panicked and ran the ring, given a helping hand over the top by Burchill before he turned the attention back to Noble, ducking a wild right before stomping him in the gut and hitting the C4 to get the win for him & Smith. Harry joined him in the ring, giving each other a guy hug after getting their arms raised.

Winners: The UK Pack by pinfall.
The shot quickly goes to the back where The Empire are stomping all over TJ Wilson with Katie Lee doing the same to Natalya Neidhart. They all stop as TJ & Natalya put up no resistance, down on the floor with the shot going back to Burchill & Smith looking on with concern in the ring as they watch on the tron, about to leave the ring when Barrett starts to speak.

Wade Barrett: Let me just say on behalf of all of us how great it is t' finally see you back t'gether. We'd also like t' thank you for the magnificent idea you had last week for us to all take part in a Battle of Britain at Wrestlemania. Personally I couldn't have been any angrier than I was last Friday night after I was cheated at No Way Out in our match Harry, but this idea of yours, well it plays right into our hands. You've given us the chance to humiliate you in front of our people in the UK. See we're all British. You two might be. . . well half in your case Harry. These two here, they're not even the slightest bit British. You're more like an alliance or united nations. When it comes down to it though it doesn't matter what you all are. All that matters is at Wrestlemania at Wembley Stadium we'll be victorious, and if you don't already, you'll be regretting that challenge soon enough.

Barrett turns round and stomps on TJ for good measure as he starts to squirm. They all walk off leaving TJ & Natalya down, and this time The UK Pack leave the ring and rush back up the ramp to check on their friends.

Michael Cole: We knew this was going t' be a battle at Wrestlemania between these two forces. If you didn't think that already, after t'night I think you might just've changed your mind. It's going to be a battle alright.

Matt Striker: It absolutely will be nothing short of a battle. I don't think it will be pretty but it sure will be one hell of a fight. You can count on that.


Beth Phoenix, the Diva's Champion leaves her dressing room with her title back on her shoulder all set for action it appears.

Michael Cole: Well we all know that this lady has a fight on her hands in five weeks when she meets Queen Kong in a unification match for both the women's and diva's titles. The Glamazon's got her title back t'night and she'll be in action when we come back in just a few moments.

*Commercial Break*

"Glamazon"
The Diva's Champion, Beth Phoenix walks out into the arena smiling with the crowd cheering. She sets off down the ramp looking far happier now she has her title back.

*Video Recap*
From Raw Monday night

Non-Title Match
Gail Kim
vs. Queen Kong
The fans cheered, but as Kong menacingly stood back up, bringing Gail with her to set her up for the Awesome Bomb, a cheer broke out as Beth Phoenix, the Diva's Champion Kong will face in a unification match at Wrestlemania made her way out into the arena. She walked down to ringside and past the ring to take back the diva's title Kong stole last week. Kong saw her and let go of Gail to go after Beth, but The Glamazon stood firm as Kong tried to block her off on the floor. Beth though cracked a wry smile before driving her title belt into Kong's face, not once but twice to put Kong on the floor, resulting in the ref calling for the bell to award Kong the win by DQ. Beth taunted her before walking back up the ramp as a confused Gail stood up to see Kong on the floor, sitting up looking furious with the ref explaining what happened to Gail. The Glamazon turned back to defiantly raise her title to a pop from the Miami crowd.


"Glamazon" is playing and Beth is waiting in the ring for her opponent. Her music cuts and all of a sudden Queen Kong's the Women's Champion walking out to the stage with a look of fury on her face, completely taking The Glamazon by surprise in the ring. The behemoth menacingly makes her way down to the ring and climbs inside, dropping her title with the referee trying to keep her back. Kong though ignores him and walks right up to Beth, and the Diva's Champion stands her ground. The fans cheer too as Beth reacts to a shove from Kong by shoving her right back. Kong blows her top and takes her head off with a clothesline. The fearsome sight of the Women's Champion drags her Smackdown counterpart back up and fires her into the corner, then runs in for a body avalanche. Beth steps out of the corner though and Kong crashes into the pads, and as she turns round Beth hammers with a double axe handle to the chest.

Kong teeters but stays on her feet as Beth turns back to run the ropes, and she comes bouncing back into a thunderous lariat. Kong is mega pissed and again drags Beth up, setting her up for the a sitout powerbomb, but cheers break out in the crowd, and we see O.D.B. slide in the ring, running at Kong and hitting her with a shot to the side of the head. Kong lets go of Beth and O.D.B. unloads on her, putting Kong on one knee. O.D.B. turns into the ropes and comes storming back with a spear to send Kong down and she rolls to the apron and under the bottom rope as Beth sits up, shocked to see O.D.B. standing there. O.D.B. looks down at her, still tension between them as a furious Kong stands back up on the outside, grabs her title off the apron and stares furiously at Beth & O.D.B with tension still there between them.

Michael Cole: I wasn't expecting that Matt. O.D.B. an' Beth have been rivals for a while now. I can't believe she came to Beth's rescue t'night.

Matt Striker: We heard O.D.B. say last week she too had an axe t' grind with Kong as she felt it was Kong's fault she didn't become the Diva's Champion at No Way Out. It appears that we may well have a very unlikely alliance on our hands.


We go backstage again where Chavo Guerrero & Alberto Del Rio (Mexican Royalty) are shown in their new pimped up Mexican ring gear, headed for the ring by the looks of things.

Michael Cole: There you see the new number one contenders for the WWE tag team titles. The men who call themselves Mexican Royalty, Chavo Guerrero and Alberto Del Rio will be joining us it seems when we come back after this short break.

*Commercial Break*
*Video Recap*
From Last Week

Number One Contendership Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
Power & Perfection (Bobby Lashley & Charlie Haas)

vs. Mexican Royalty (Alberto Del Rio & Chavo Guerrero)
Chavo rolled to the apron as Haas & Del Rio made their way back up with Haas looking the brighter, going for an Olympic Slam. Del Rio though jumped down and pushed Haas into the ropes, then ducked his head, giving Haas the chance to kick him square in the head. Del Rio's head snapped up and Haas shifted behind to hit the Olympic Slam to a big pop. He went for the cover but Chavo again came to the rescue, pulling Haas away by his feet. Chavo & Lashley both had had enough and went after him, and he pleaded for mercy as the ref stood between them, trying to get Lashley & Chavo out of the ring. Del Rio sat back up and caught Haas with a low blow then rolled him up as Lashley pushed past the ref to nail Chavo and started to unload. The ref turned and saw the cover, so darted across to make the count as Del Rio held on to the tights, something the ref didn't see as he counted to three. The bell rang and Lashley turned round in shock as Del Rio stood up with his arms raised. Lashley snapped, shaking his head with steam coming out of his ears, and as Del Rio turned he got ripped in half by a spear to a big pop. Lashley stood up as Haas did too looking furious, trying to make his point to the referee who claimed not to see the tights being held with Chavo sitting up looking on clueless and Del Rio starting to sit up holding his stomach.
Michael Cole: What a great contest that was but it doesn't change the fact that Chavo an' Del Rio have stole one t'night, and as you can imagine, Lahsley an' Haas are furious. We might not have heard the last of this by the looks of it though.
"Realeza"
The number one contenders for the WWE tag team titles, Mexican Royalty, Chavo Guerrero & Alberto Del Rio are greeted by a ton of heat as they walk out to the stage looking so smug, and they continue to look smug as they shrug off the heat on their way down to the ring. Chavo picks a microphone up off the apron as he & Del Rio enter the ring, still laughing off the heat coming from the crowd.

Chavo Guerrero: Here we are, just as we said, the number one contenders for the tag team titles.

*Heat*

Chavo Guerrero: It wasn't long ago we said this would happen, that we would prove to you Americans that you need to respect us, that you should respect our heritage. We took it upon ourselves t' join forces to stand up for what our families have accomplished in Mexico to show you ignorant people that disrespecting and underestimating us was a big mistake.

*More Boos*

Chavo passes the stick over to Del Rio.

Alberto Del Rio: We told you. We told you this would happen, however the job is not done jus' yet. We still have to defeat the people who right now are the champions. Only they won't be champions for long.

*Heat*

Alberto Del Rio: Last week we guaranteed we would get that chance. Now it's just a matter of time before we take the tag team titles back to Mexic. . .

"Hell Will Be Callin' Your Name"
The angry looking duo of Power & Perfection, Bobby Lashley & Charlie Haas stroll out to the stage, staring down furiously at the very smug Mexicans with Lashley holding a microphone.

Bobby Lashley: It's not like either of us to come out here an' talk. We do our talking in the ring. Last week we had you beat but you stole it from us. We all just saw what happened. You might think you'll be the new tag team champions but first you need t' prove you deserve it, because we want a rematch right now.

*Big Pop*

Chavo Guerrero: Oh, you'd like a rematch? Sorry, that's not going t' happen.

*Heat*

Chavo Guerrero: We won last week. That's all that matters.

Bobby Lashley: Right then. I guess you leave us no choice.

Menacingly, Lashley & Haas walk down the ramp to a big pop with Lashley dropping the microphone when Mr. McMahon walks out to the stage looking a bit panicked.

Mr. McMahon: Wait just a second fellas, I think we can smooth this out. . . Chavo, Alberto, I think it's fair t' say that they have a point do they not?

Alberto Del Rio: No, no they don't. Like Chavo says. We won the match. That's all that matters.

Mr. McMahon: Well I tend t' disagree. As much as I can't change the outcome of your match last week, I can ask you to give them a rematch.

Chavo Guerrero: And why we would do that?

Mr. McMahon: Well it seems clear t' me that you two are so confident you will become the WWE Tag Team Champions, you won't have a problem defeating Bobby an' Charlie t'night either? That is unless you're, I don't know, full of it?

Chavo Guerrero: Hey, we're not full of it. Of course we could beat them again.

Mr. McMahon: Great, I'm glad t' hear it, because right now we're going t' have a rematch, and if you lose, you won't be the only team to receive a title shot. Bobby an' Charlie will also receive a shot at the tag team titles. Good luck ev'rybody.

The Mexican number one contenders do all they can not to throw a strop as Mr. McMahon makes his way backstage again with Lashley & Haas about to step in the ring.

"HEY YOU. . ."

Paul London & Brian Kendrick
, the WWE Tag Team Champions explode out to the stage to a big pop, catching both teams off guard in the ring. They all look up at them as the laid back as ever duo head down to join Michael Cole & Matt Striker at the announce table with the two teams still watching them.

*Match #4*
Power & Perfection
vs. Mexican Royalty
*If Power & Perfection win, they too will receive a title shot*

Boy Lashley & Haas were fired-up, and they dominated the early going against the unprepared Mexican duo. The number one contenders did come into it though, using some very intelligent but 'dirty' tactics to do so and keep in control. It didn't last though and Lashley came back firing. The fans were right behind Power & Perfection too. Lashley was throwing Del Rio around like a rag doll. After the Mexican missed with a diving senton, they both made their way back up with Lashley on a mission, hitting a flipping release german suplex. A T-Bone was next, and after pulling Del Rio back up, he sent him into the ropes at speed and then planted him with a bone crunching spinebuster. The fans were loving it, but when Lashley went for the cover, Del Rio got his shoulder up at two. Lashley shrugged it off in a flash and immediately got back up, going for a Dominator. Chavo put pay to that by storming the ring. Lashley let go of Del Rio to nail Chavo with a clothesline. He dragged him back up and sent him flying over the top rope, but when he turned round to go back after Chavo's partner, he walked right into a super kick.
l
Haas was shocked and breathed a huge sigh of relief when Lashley just managed to get his shoulder up before the ref coud count to three. Del Rio couldn't believe it, getting right in the ref's face as Lashley sat up. He turned round and watched angrily as Lashley dragged himself back up, and Del Rio sprung back into action, running past him into the ropes, looking for a step-up enzuigiri. Lashley ducked it though and quickly caught him with a gut-wrench suplex. Lashley dragged him right back up and lifted him on to his shoulder for a running powerslam, but Chavo was back up on the floor and grabbed his legs to stop him in his tracks. He had to let go of Del Rio and the ref had a go at Chavo too, telling him to let go, and he did with Lashley glaring down at him. It gave Del Rio the chance to this time hit a step-up enzuigiri, but again Lashley got his shoulder up to deny the Mexicans the win. Del Rio sat up in sheer frustration and Chavo called out for the tag. He got it too with Lashley still on the mat. Chavo climbed up top and pointed to the ceiling, getting ready for the frog splash before turning to take a look at London & Kendrick at the announce table, grinning at them before turning back to Lashley on the mat and leaping off the top. Lashley though rolled out of the way to a big pop.

Both men clawed their way back up, and Chavo had a right hand blocked by Lashley who hammered him back into the ropes. He then fired him into the opposite side and ran out to meet him with a devastating lariat. Chavo was in trouble and quickly fell victim to the Dominator. Del Rio though hit the ring to break up the count, trying to stamp on Lashley's head, but he pulled back. He was up in a flash and backtracked to the ropes with a livid Del Rio running right him, getting lifted over Lashley's shoulder and down to the floor below. The crowd went nuts, and as Lashley turned round he saw Chavo struggling back up to his feet and he locked & loaded on the Mexican. As soon as he was back on his feet, he stormed across the mat at him, ripping him in half with a spear to another huge pop from the crowd. Lashley wasted no time going for the cover and picked up the win to see him & Haas also get a shot at the tag team titles with London & Kendrick watching on, not giving much away. The ref raised their arms as a shocked Del Rio looked on as he sat up on the floor. Lashley & Haas looked down at him and then at the tag team champions letting them know that they're real serious about getting the titles too.

Winners: Power & Perfection by pinfall.
Michael Cole: Justice I believe has been served t'night, although for you guys this isn't a great situation now there are two teams who you have to defend your titles against.

Brian Kendrick: It's not ideal but we don't mind. We'll take on all comers. We're stronger now than ever before. We're ready for anyone Michael.


We get a split screen of a fired-up Bryan Danielson and a calm looking World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk with Homicide walking through the back.

Michael Cole: Well gentleman I hope CM Punk is ready for Bryan Danielson. The World Heavyweight Champion will be in action on a night when he finds out who he will meet at Wrestlemania. Danielson has impressed in his short time here on Smackdown. Will he impress against Punk when we come back?

*Commercial Break*
*Video Recap*
From Last Week

"Ride of the Valkyries"
Bryan Danielson walks out into the arena to a good reaction from the Billings crowd, stopping at the stage with a look of determination on his face before heading down to the ring with purpose. He steps inside and looks into the stands, taking in the positive response from the fans.

"This Fire Burns"
The fans respond with a heavy mix of both cheers & boos as CM Punk, the World Heavyweight Champion curiously walks out to the stage with Homicide by his side. He smirks at the fans' reaction, not bothered in the slightest as they walk on down to the ring, and the World Champion smiles at the confused Danielson as he walks past him to receive the microphone from Justin Roberts.

CM Punk: It's been a long time right?

Danielson, still confused somewhat just looks at the slimy looking World Champion.

CM Punk: What you guys don't know is that Bryan here, Homicide an' myself have travelled the word t'gether before we all turned up in the WWE, an' I've gotta say hand on heart that out of the many many talented guys I've worked with he's right up there.

Punk draws a calm reaction from the crowd, some clapping in approval of his endorsement of Danielson.

CM Punk: I respect the hell out of this guy's talent, his desire, an' just like us he's still the same guy he was before he turned up here. He's kept his integrity, which is why Bry' I'm sure you understand what I've been saying all along. You haven't needed t' sell your soul t' get a spot on TV like so many have and continue to. That's why I want you to stand alongside Homicide an' I against the agenda t' hold back the real talent in favour of 'superstars' like John Cena who simply can't cut it against guys who are being held back despite being so much better but that there are exceptions like us who can make it.

*Heat*

Danielson turns round and walks to the apron, getting a microphone passed to him. He turns round and walks back into the middle of the ring, looking at Punk.

Bryan Danielson: I appreciate the kind words Punk, really I do. I respect your ability too, I always have. The agenda thing though I kind of got a problem with that. You said y'self I'm still the same Bryan Danielson I've always been. I've not had t' change who I am t' get here or on TV. I'm still the same guy and I plan t' keep it that way.

*Pop*

Bryan Danielson: The way I see it, you've changed. You care about one thing. It's not looking out f' other guys. It's about keeping that title around your waist no matter what.

*Pop*

Bryan Danielson: One other thing you know about me Punk is that I've always been an individual, so despite the kind offer, unfortunately I have t' decline.

*More Cheers*

CM Punk: Well, well that's mighty naive of you Bryan. The same rules we're used to, they don't apply here. If you believe you'll get as far here as you have ev'rywhere else you're in for a mighty fall. This is the WWE. It's not about competition or respect. It's all about survival. It makes you do things you wouldn't normally do. It makes you do things you don't want t' do, kind o'like this. . .

Punk nails him out of nowhere with the microphone, putting Danielson down on the mat to a ton of heat. He steps back & drops the microphone as Homicide also steps back, both watching as Danielson makes his way back up, looking a little groggy. The fans try to warn him, some still booing as Homicide eyes him up, getting itchy feet. Danielson turns round and Homicide charges at him, turning him inside out with the West Brooklyn Lariat. More boos come from the stands as Punk revels in it, watching Danielson trying to sit up on the mat with his eyes all over the shop. He again claws his way back up as Punk hands his world title over to the Brooklyn native and turns his full attention to Danielson with the fans booing the World Champion. He locks his eyes on Danielson, and as he makes it back up, Punk pounces on him, lifting him off his feet on to his shoulders, then drops Danielson's head down on to his knee for the GTS! The fans throw a ton of boos at him as he looks down at him with a wry smile on his face, no remorse whatsoever as Homicide hands him his title back. Punk puts the title back over his shoulder and looks into the stands, still smirking through the heat. He turns to leave the ring, followed by Homicide, walking carefree back up the ramp.
*Match #5*
Non-Title Match
Bryan Danielson
vs. CM Punk w/Homicide
Danielson walked out like he was on a mission, eyes fixed firmly on Punk with the fans giving him their approval as he made his way to the ring. He gave the World Champion a real fight too, and it didn't take long for Punk to realise he was in one either. Homicide even showed some emotion for once at ringside, looking a little nervy on occasions, and he breathed a sigh of relief on a couple of occasions. Punk turned the tables going into the closing stages but the tide turned back in Danielson's favour when he rolled forward to avoid a springboard clothesline. When they raced their way back up to their feet, Danielson was first to react with a sitout dropkick to the knees. Punk fell to his knees and Danielson ran back into the ropes before nailing Punk in the kisser with another sitout dropkick. The fans cheered but not for long as Punk kicked out. He was reeling though, and when they picked themselves back up, the underdog Danielson tossed him back across the mat with a release german suplex.

Punk landed close to the corner and used the ropes to help make his way back up, and Danielson was watching the whole time. As soon as Punk was up in the corner and turned round, Danielson charged at him and nailed him with a vicious elbow smash. He stepped back out of the corner and Punk staggered out into his path looking all over the shop, walking right into the LeBell Lock. Danielson dragged him down to the mat and locked the hold in to a huge roar from the capacity crowd. They were going nuts as an intense Danielson put the pressure on the World Heavyweight Champion who was holding in for his life. Punk was struggling. It was there for all to see, written all over his face as he just managed to keep his right hand up off the mat and not tapping out. He screamed "no" at the referee with him asking Punk if he wanted to give it up. He held on, clinging on with Danielson tearing away at his face. The crowd were chanting at him to tap but he fought it with everything he had, dragging himself across the mat slowly towards the ropes.

Danielson desperately kept the hold applied but Punk toughed it out, just about managing to get to the ropes to a ton of heat from the fans. Danielson reluctantly let the hold go, but as soon as Punk was back up, the underdog was on him, pulling him away from the ropes before hitting a snap suplex. With Punk down & out, Danielson hit the top rope with the fans going crazy. Punk was flat on his back and Homicide walked across the floor to get closer to Danielson, distracting him briefly before he leapt off the top for a diving headbutt, but Punk rolled out of the way to more heat. Danielson crash landed on the mat, and when they both clawed their way back up, Danielson unloaded with a series of stiff kicks to the body. He then tried for an irish whip but Punk reversed it and caught him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. He went for the cover straight away and Danielson got the shoulder up at two. Punk was more than frustrated, desperate to put his opponent away, and he stood up staring down at him, signalling for the GTS.

Danielson dragged his way back up completely oblivious with the fans trying to warn him, and as he turned round, Punk lifted him up off his feet on to his shoulders for the GTS. Danielson slipped down though and rolled him up, but Punk kicked out at two. They raced their way back up and Danielson ducked a roundhouse kick for a small package. Again Punk kicked out to the disappointment of the fans before Punk & Danielson jumped back up with Danielson firing Punk into the corner. He ran at him for a big boot, but Punk stepped out of the corner as Danielson ran right in, hitting the pads awkwardly. Punk took a quick breather as Danielson turned & staggered out, right into the GTS from the World Champion who made the cover & secured the win to heat from the fans. After the bell and getting his arm raised and his title passed to him, a dissatisfied Punk walked over to the apron and grabbed a microphone. Homicide joined him in the ring as Punk walked back over to Danielson and kneeled down alongside him.

Winner: CM Punk by pinfall.
CM Punk: I guess Bry', from now on you'll be careful what you wish for.

Punk smirks and looks up into the crowd, standing up.

CM Punk: Vince, I know you're watching back there. You're probably getting ready f' your big announcement t'night but I just want you t' know that regardless of who it is I'll face at Wrestlemania, their fate will be the same as this loser's. No matter who it is, this title (lifts it) is mine, and it's staying that way.

Punk hands the microphone back through the ropes and he & Homicide see Danielson getting back up. Punk nods at Homicide and he runs at Danielson, taking him down with a West Brooklyn lariat. The Brooklyn native drags him right back up, setting him up for the ****** Killa, a back-to-back double underhook piledriver. He looks into the crowd with Punk enjoying what he sees, and his ally drills Danielson's head into the canvas to a ton of heat. He stands back up staring right back down without remorse at Danielson as "This Fire Burns" plays. Punk applauds as he & Homicide then look into the crowd, not at all bothered by the ferocious heat coming their way.

Michael Cole: That was one hell of a match as we expected, and to his credit CM Punk came out on top, but there was no need f' that. . . none at all.

Matt Striker: I agree, but it has t' be said, CM Punk is very relaxed as far as finding out who his challenger will be. I wonder if that'll be the case later on when he actually does find out who he'll face at Wrestlemania.


Mickie James is backstage in the locker room consoling an upset Layla.

Mickie James: I know it's bad now but I'm sure he'll change his mind when he's calmed down. It's not that big a deal really is it? It's not like you had an affair or anything. It was only one kiss.

Matt Sydal walks into the shot.

Matt Sydal: Hey Mick', my match is up next.

Mickie James: Oh okay. . . Actually you don't mind if I stay with Layla do you? I think she needs me more than you do right now.

Matt Sydal: Yeah sure. How you doing by the way?

Mickie James: How do you think she's doing? While we're on it, have you spoken to Elijah yet?

Matt Sydal: Yeah course but he's not really in the mood f' talking right now.

Sydal walks towards Layla.

Matt Sydal: Stay strong though yeah. I'll keep working on him. He'll come round.

Layla: Thanks Matt.

Mickie James: Yeah thanks baby. Good luck with your match.

Mickie stands up and kisses Matt, and he then leaves the room as Mickie turns back to console Layla.

*Commercial Break*



>37 Days!<

*Video Recap*
From SummerSlam Last Year



WWE United States Championship
Title Can Change Hands By Disqualification or Count Out
Matt Sydal vs. Shelton Benjamin (c)

The Gold Standard looks hell bent on putting his rival away and grabs him straight away, setting him up for an INVERTED FACE LOCK BACKBREAKER!!. . . . . There’s still life left in Sydal as he wriggles free and slips behind Benjamin. The champion turns round immediately, getting a kick to the gut, and the challenger thinks fast to plant him with a TORNADO DDT!!. . . . . He got all of it, and Shelton is out of it. He lays flat on his back a couple of feet away from the corner.

Still looking very sore, Sydal stands up and walks in to the corner, then steps through the ropes on to the apron. With the crowd cheering, the King of the Ring slowly begins to climb up to the top rope with Benjamin coming round. Sydal attempts to steady himself as Shelton gets to his feet and spots his opponent’s plan. He paces towards him and punches him in the chest, bringing Sydal’s plans to a grinding halt. He then climbs up to the second rope and tries to get Sydal in to place for a SUPERPLEX!!!. . . . .

He grabs Sydal’s head and pulls it under his arm, but the King of the Ring fights back again and shoves Shelton down to the mat. The champ isn’t moving as Sydal stands up again and steadies himself with the crowd rising to their feet, watching on as Sydal leaps up in to the air and comes down on Benjamin’s chest, connecting with the SHOOTING STAR PRESS!!!. . . . . HE HIT IT!. . . . . Sydal goes for the cover straight away, desperately clinging on to Benjamin’s leg as the referee gets in to place to make the count. . . . .

1 . . . . .

2 . . . . .

. . . . .

. . . . . 3!

DING DING DING!

“Axeman” blasts out to a huge pop as Sydal leans back on to his knees in shock. He then throws his arms up in the air as the referee walks over to the apron and collects the United States Championship belt that Sydal can now call his own. The new champion stands up with a huge smile on his face and he can’t take his eyes off the belt as the ref presents it to him and then raises his arm up in the air to another big cheer from the sell out crowd. He then drops the title down in to both hands and takes a long look at it before walking in to the corner, where he climbs up to the second rope and throws it up in to the air, looking absolutely delighted.
*The Main Event*
Matt Sydal
vs. Shelton Benjamin
Before the match started, Michael Cole announced that Sydal's rematch for the United States title against Dolph Ziggler will take place next week live in Sydal's hometown of St. Louis Missouri. Ziggler came out early on to watch from the stage with the United States title draped over his shoulder, watching with real interest as the 2008 King of the Ring renewed his rivalry with Benjamin. Sydal didn't let Ziggler's presence bother him, and he had the full support of the fans. Benjamin though was really motivated by the chance to meet Sydal one more time having been on the wrong end of their matches last year, including their Summerslam title match as well as the King of the Ring final. He clearly still had plenty of anger as far as Sydal was concerned, and he took out that frustration on him. Sydal started fast as always, but in the closing minutes he was in trouble.

After The Gold Standard dodged a jumping double knee takedown, Sydal managed to land on his feet but turned into a super kick. Sydal got his shoulder up to avoid defeat, but Benjamin didn't let the frustration get the better of him. He dragged Sydal right back up and fired him into the corner with force, then ran in for a Stinger Splash, and he got it. Ziggler was watching with a small grin on his face as Sydal then staggered out into a samoan drop. The fans looked concerned, but they didn't need to be as Sydal just managed to get his shoulder up before the ref's hand came down for a third time. Shelton stood up and backed away, getting ready to strike and seal the deal as an oblivious Sydal dragged himself back up to his knees and then his feet. He was in a bad way, but as Shelton burst across the canvas for the Paydirt, Sydal pulled back. Benjamin put the brakes on but he turned round a cyclorama, a belly-to-belly moonsault slam.

Again the fans cheered, and as they both made their way back up, Benjamin turned into a stomp to the gut and a tornado DDT. Sydal drilled him to a big pop with Benjamin flat on his back with the impact sending him rolling towards the corner. The fans rose to their feet as Sydal then raced to the corner, stepped through the ropes and went up to the dizzy heights of the top rope. Ziggler didn't look too happy as the man he'll face next week then leapt up into the air and came crashing down on Benjamin for the shooting star press to a huge roar. He reached to the side and hooked the leg for the cover, picking up the win to another big pop from the Mobile crowd. He got his arm raised by the referee and hit the ropes to celebrate the hard fought win with Ziggler turning to go backstage, but he quickly re-emerged with a microphone as Sydal stepped off the ropes and turned round to see Dolph back on the stage with Sydal's music coming to a grinding halt.

Winner: Matt Sydal by pinfall.
Dolph Ziggler: I really should congratulate you on your victory but that's not what I'm out here for. I came out here so that you and your beloved fans don't get carried away by your win t'night. You might have your rematch next week in your hometown, it just won't make any diff'rence. It will be the same outcome as it was at the Royal Rumble, only this time there'll be no doubt as to whether I deserve this title or not. In fact what I want you t' do is lock yourself away for a week just so you get to the ring safe next week. I don't want t' hear excuses again after I beat you, which I will do I promise you.

*Heat*

Ziggler looks into crowd and back down at Sydal, clearly meaning what he says.

Dolph Ziggler: In a week from now you will all see me beat the wonder kid in front of his own people, and when the referee has counted t' three you will hear these words. . . your winner, and still United States Champion. . . Dolph ZIGGLER.

The United States Champion lifts his title up in the air defiantly, getting a lot of heat as "Perfection" hits and Sydal looks up at him, not intimidated at all.

Michael Cole: It remains t' be seen whether that will be the case. Dolph Ziggler means business. There's no doubt about that. Matt Sydal though, you just can't write him off. It will be in his hometown of St. Louis Missouri. You have t' think that will give him some kind of advantage too, but what a match it will be. . .

Showered & changed, the World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk along with Homicide is shown walking through back, looking to be on his way back out into the arena.

Michael Cole: There's our World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and it seems like he's on his way out here, you would expect t' find out who the superstar will be that will challenge him in five weeks at Wrestlemania. Whatever you do folks, don't go anywhere. We'll be back in a few minutes after our final commercial break of the evening.

*Commercial Break*

"This Fire Burns"
A lot of heat along with some cheers greets CM Punk as the World Heavyweight Champion walks out to the stage with Homicide. Punk stops and shrugs off the boos without a care in the world to head down the ramp with Homicide following, picking a microphone up off the apron as he enters the ring. They step inside and Punk gestures at the fans to pipe down.

CM Punk: The time has come ev'rybody. The excitement's got t' me. I just couldn't wait t' find out who it is who will be the number one contender for the world heavyweight title at Wrestlemania. I'm just so excited like I'm sure all of you are right?

*Pop*

CM Punk: Oh please. I just came out here t' laugh in Vince's face. Like I said earlier, it doesn't matter who it is who faces me at Wrestlemania. I'm the World Heavyweight Champion f' a reason, because I'm the best in the business. Vince knows it too. He just doesn't like that I know it, that I say it an' that I tell it like it is. I've said many times how he's ruined professional wrestling, turning it into 'sports entertainment', but there is one thing left in all fairness that has some tradition, some prestige like this world title. That is Wrestlemania, the so called showcase of the immortals. All my career I've dreamed of being at Wrestlemania, now I've done that I wanna do what I always knew I should, an' that's be the main event.

*Heat*

CM Punk: Oh wait it doesn't end there. Not only will I main event, I'll do it as the World Champion, an' that, that makes Vince McMahon sick. The guy who he signed but didn't know what t' do with so he left him out t' rot who worked his ass off to prove him wrong now stands here with the world title. I'm not one of his one pet projects like John Cena. I'm the complete opposite an' Vince can't handle that I made me a star, not him. That's why he's gone all out t' try an' find someone t' beat me at Wrestlemania. Well guess what Vince? Unless you picked up the phone t' the man upstairs you're gonna be disappointed.

*Heat*

CM Punk: This is about more than the title now. This runs so much deeper than that. This is about my integrity, ev'rything I've ever worked for. I bust my ass day in day out t' get t' this point to rub it in Vince's face. I sat back f' too long but no more. I don't regret anything I've done. That includes intr'ducing your daughter's face t' my knee. I'm just disappointed I never got the chance t' meet your wife.

"UUUUUH"

CM Punk: I think you get what I'm saying here. This f' me is about overcoming the odds stacked against me, defying the McMahon family that have done nothing but try t' stop me getting t' this point. They've failed t' stop me headlining Wrestlemania as the World Champion, an' Vince you're gonna fail in trying t' stop me walking out as the champion too.

*Heat*

CM Punk: You can put whoever you want in front of me, the outcome will be the same. I've beaten ev'ryone on the Smackdown roster whether it be John Cena, Christian or Edge. Hell even Shawn Michaels an' The Undertaker who went t' Raw. I've beaten them too. There's no one left. Whoever it is will just be added t' that list an' deep down you know i. . .

"No chance, that's what you've got. . ."

Mr. McMahon
walks out to the stage not looking at all happy despite a big pop from the crowd. He stares down at Punk as he does his trademark walk down to the ring with Punk laughing, mocking Vince by doing the walk around the ring too. The Chairman of the Board joins Punk & Homicide inside and stares furiously at the World Champion who stands there grinning at Vince. Mr. McMahon walks past him to grab a microphone, giving Punk a ferocious look as he does so.

Mr. McMahon: Until this point Punk I've remained professional. I told you that if you beat John Cena fair an' square at No Way Out I had no problem with you being World Champion. To a point that was true but again you failed t' do just that which is why we have this problem along with that big mouth of yours.

*Pop*

Mr. McMahon: See Punk, the pretence is over. As you failed to convince me you deserve that championship. . .

CM Punk: . . . Oh please. The. . .

Mr. McMahon: . . . SHUT UP.

Punk realises he means business but still cracks a wry smile.

Mr. McMahon: You've failed t' beat John Cena for numerous reasons, all of which I grant you aren't your fault, but the fact remains I amongst a lot of people remain unconvinced you should be the World Heavyweight Champion. That though is just half the issue. The other issue is you. You, your attitude and your big mouth. . .

CM Punk: . . . Not t' mention what I did t' Stephanie right?

Mr. McMahon: Exactly. I've played nice until now thinking this would work out but I was wrong. Now I'm taking action. I said t' myself I'll find someone who can beat you at Wrestlemania and I have. . .

CM Punk: . . . Great, let's just get it out of the way. I already told you I've beaten ev'rybody in that locker room. . .

Mr. McMahon: . . . You're right. In one way or another you have, but I don't remember saying that it would have t' be a Smackdown superstar.

The World Champion looks curious right now, clearly surprised by that last line from Vince.

Mr. McMahon: The search went further Punk. I wanted to find someone hungry, ruthless, fearless who I knew has what it takes t' kick your sorry ass at Wrestlemania.

*Big Pop*

Punk's not looking too happy right now.

Mr. McMahon: I've found him Punk and he was only too happy to accept my invitation. Not only is he a former WWE and World Heavyweight Champion, he just happens t' be the youngest ever World heavyweight Champion who only last week beat Triple H inside a steel cage.

*Massive Pop*

Mr. McMahon: They know who I'm talking about. I think you do too but I think we should you intr'duce you to him.

It seems that Punk knows full well who his opponent's going to be as Vince turns to look up at the stage.

Mr. McMahon: Please welcome the number one contender for the world heavyweight title at Wrestlemania, The Viper RANDY OR-TON.

"I hear voices in my head. . ."

'The Viper' Randy Orton
strolls out in his ring gear and a trademark T-shirt to a massive pop with a very serious look on his face as he looks down at Punk, and he too is serious now as he looks up at his Wrestlemania opponent. The Viper sets off on his way down the ramp, eyes focusing straight ahead with Punk watching too, and as Orton enters the ring, Vince extends his hand and Orton shakes with the Chairman of the Board, all to the apparent amusement of Punk.

CM Punk: If I'm being honest I didn't expect that it would be you standing here Randy but it still doesn't change the fact that like ev'ryone else until now, you won't take this title from me. You can try but you'll fail, just like you did in getting a shot at Shawn Michaels, which is why you're here right?

*Heat*

CM Punk: What, you think I'm worried about facing someone who couldn't even get a shot at the WWE title? Please.

Orton gives Punk a very cold stare.

Mr. McMahon: I think you'll find there were extenuating circumstances as far as that is concerned. All you should care about Punk is that since he returned from injury he's been on a mission to regain championship gold. He got his retribution on Triple H, now at Wrestlemania he will get the title he craves when he beats you. I personally can't wait f' that to happen and I will be there personally in his corner t' see it.

Orton turns round to Vince and holds his hand out, clearly asking for the microphone, and he gets it.

Randy Orton: Vince, I appreciate the opportunity but I'm not doing this f' you. I'm doing this f' me.

The number one contender turns back to face Punk.

Randy Orton: I'm doing this for one reason, to become the World Heavyweight Champion.

*Big Pop*

Randy Orton: Unlike you champ I don't have a big mouth. The only thing I need t' say right now is. . .

Orton drops the microphone in a flash and takes Punk down with the RKO to a huge pop. Vince looks on with a big smile, loving it, but as Orton gets back up, Homicide is right on him and runs at him for a lariat. The Viper ducks it though and hits another RKO with the fans going nuts. Orton stands back up slowly, staring down at Punk the whole time as the World Champion starts to stir, ever so slowly dragging himself towards the corner. Orton briefly looks into the crowd and then backs up into the opposite corner to Punk, setting his sights on doing some damage to the World Champion, and again the fans love it. Punk looks in a bad way as he tries to get to his knees, and the determined Orton darts across the mat to punt Punk in the head, but Punk pulls back and slips out of the ring. Boos ring round the arena as he reaches back inside to grab his world title as Homicide too slides out of the ring. With the boos continuing to echo around the arena, Punk & Homicide backtrack to the ramp looking lucky & relived to escape with a very focused looking Orton watching their every step. Vince enjoys what he's seeing too as Orton stands tall in the ring, letting Punk know that he's got a huge fight on his hands at Wrestlemania, and boy it looks like Punk knows it.

Michael Cole: There you have it folks. I'm in shock but we now know that Randy Orton will face CM Punk at Wrestlemania for the World Heavyweight Championship, and what a marker he put down t'night. I f' one think that CM Punk has more than a match on his hands in The Viper as he just found out, and next week we'll be live in his hometown of St. Louis. What a night it promises t' be. What a night it was t'night in Mobile. Good night folks. We'll see you next week in St. Louis. My god what a night!

*End of Show*

Quick Results

J-Red df. Johnny Devine
Ted DiBiase df. Santino Marella
The UK Pack df. The Pitbulls
Power & Perfection df. Mexican Royalty
CM Punk df. Bryan Danielson
Matt Sydal df. Shelton Benjamin

Superstars Tapings
Brian Kendrick df. Johnny Jeter


______________________________________


>Confirmed for Wrestlemania XXV<
Date:
Sunday 29th March 2009 (5 Weeks)
Location: Wembley Stadium (London, England)

WWE Championship
Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Triple H

World Heavyweight Championship
Randy Orton vs. CM Punk (c)

Intercontinental Championship
Rey Mysterio vs. Sheamus (c)

Plus
The Undertaker vs. John Cena

Money in the Bank
The Big Show vs. Chris Jericho vs. ?

Unification Match
Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Queen Kong (c)

Battle of Britain
The UK Pack, TJ Wilson & Natalya Neidhart vs. The Empire


 
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