Tuesday, February 9, 2010

RAW Results: 2/8/10

ECW vs. WWE, The Better Champion is...?

In two weeks, The WWE Champion Sheamus will have to defend his title inside the Elimination Chamber. There is a strong possibility that Sheamus will lose the title, but he demanded from RAW Guest Host Carl Edwards to make him the final entry into the Elimination Chamber.

You can close your eyes, but not against ECW Champion Christian who interrupted the WWE Champion. Christian remarked on Edge's appearance on RAW last week and mentioned that his Championship Match could either be for the WWE or World Heavyweight Champion, leaving him quite peeved that the ECW Title was not taken into consideration. But McMahon's announcement of the cancellation of ECW put the pieces together. In two weeks, all the ECW superstars become free agents, meaning they are free to join up any show they see fit, and Christian decided to test the waters on RAW before making his decision.

In order to test the waters, Christian demanded a match against Sheamus to see who the better champion was. Well, in two weeks, the ECW Title will become vacant, making Christian the final and longest running ECW Champion in WWE history.

As for the match, Christian is used to taking on opponents that outmatch him in size, but he usually relies on his speed and agility to get the job done. But what happens when your opponent is equally as fast? Christian held off Sheamus better than I have ever seen anyone do, and possibly one of my favorite Christian matches since his return in 2009. Christian even almost got the pin after a tornado DDT, but Sheamus powered out. In the end, Christian could not evade a second Bicycle kick, and the exclamation point, the Celtic Cross.

The New Unified Tag Team Champions - ShoMiz (Like Show-Biz)

Minutes... seconds... that's all it takes for titles to change hands, and it happened in a big way on Monday Night RAW. D-Generation-X put the Unified Tag Team Titles on the line against The Straightedge Society, and The Show-Miz in a Triple Threat Elimination Match.

First off, fabulous tag team match; and finally, WWE created a stipulation where three people in a tag team match could fight at the same time, unlike those Fatal Four-way Tag Team Matches where only two competitors are allowed in the ring at a time.

There was a nice mixture of wrestlers in the ring, from the middle-weights: Shawn vs. Miz vs. C.M. Punk and the heavyweights: Triple-H vs. Big Show vs. Luke Gallows. Then at times the combination was meshed, which is great because it allows fresh competition, instead of the stale matches week after week.

After C.M. Punk was super kicked and pinned by Shawn Michaels, team Straightedge were eliminated... thus leaving The Miz and The Big Show fending off against D-Generation-X. Shawn Michaels was occupied with trying to survive against Big Show, who would not let him tag in a fresh Triple-H. Show and Miz however were celebrating too early and taking Shawn Michaels too lightly. He is after all called Mr. WrestleMania for a reason, do not take him lightly, ever.

The tragic story concluded after Triple-H was finally tagged in, and D-X looked to retain their titles, but Shawn Michaels forced tagged himself back in.

The Miz used the distraction between Triple-H and Michaels arguing to roll Michaels up for the win.

The Miz made good on his promises to retain the United States Championship, which he did at The Royal Rumble, and to capture the Unified Tag Team Championships... something he was unable to do with his partner John Morrison during the title's fusion one-year ago at WrestleMania 25.

As for The Big Show, he not only found a new partner in The Miz, who treats him like a person, but is the only man in the WWE to become a 2-time Unified Tag Team Champion. And not only that, he was able to accomplish something that he could not with Chris Jericho, and that is defeat D-Generation-X.

Congratulations to ShoMiz on becoming the New Unified Tag Team Champions.

The Fall of D-X

Last week, Shawn Michaels incurred the worst 24-hours of his life as he lost the Royal Rumble and the qualifying match for the Elimination Chamber. Shawn Michaels dreams of another shot at ending Taker's Streak seemed to have vanished, but he could at least take solace that this would be the first WrestleMania for D-X, right...?

Triple-H had to burst Michaels' bubble by reminding him that though he didn't win his qualifying match, he did. Triple-H has been in five Elimination Chamber matches and won the last four. Winning chamber matches is what Triple-H does, and he will do what he does, and that is win the chamber match, become a 14-World Champion, and go on to headline WrestleMania.

It doesn't come as a surprise that Michaels made a bad decision call when he tagged himself in, costing D-X the Unified Tag Team Titles against ShowMiz. Michaels went to see Teddy Long, who was present to see Straightedge Society in the Triple Threat Elimination, on being traded to SmackDown and taking someone's entry spot in the Elimination Chamber. Michaels plans on moving to SmackDown, taking someone's spot, becoming the World's Champion, and defending his title at WrestleMania against The Undertaker, retaining and thus... end the streak. That's a tall order, however, Teddy is unable to fulfill Michaels' wish.

Triple-H encountered Michaels and demanded that he doesn't just through his career away over this obsession. But Michaels declared that his career was over, and superkicked Teddy Long.

Mole within Legacy?

Last week I spoke about Cody Rhodes and how there was something off with the way the WWE Championship match went down at the Royal Rumble. And now the plot thickens as Cody continues to dispute with Ted DiBiase Jr. and Randy Orton.

Unlike Ted, Cody Rhodes failed to secure a spot in the Royal Rumble and he attributes that loss based on the assigned opposition. Ted defeated Mark Henry, an opponent that all three members of Legacy have defeated on numerous occasions, to secure a spot in the Elimination Chamber; while Cody had to face John Cena in a losing effort. Cody proposed that he had a much tougher opponent, while DiBiase eased by.

Randy Orton then scheduled two matches for the night: DiBiase vs. John Cena, and Cody vs. Randy Orton.

Cody Rhodes' ring prowess has considerably changed, escalating in arrogance and intensity. And for those that have wondered, the reason Rhodes does not wear knee pads is to inflict more damage with his bony knees. Hence, when Cody slapped Orton's hand away from his face and then dropped kicked him, its his evolution.

Predictably, Orton delivered much needed punishment to Cody for costing him the title. A title match, in which Cody appeared to have wanted Orton to lose. If that's not enough to generate some rumors, then how about the fact that Sheamus showed up to distract Orton from an unsuspecting Cody Rhodes, who struck with Cross-Rhodes. Maybe Cody is working for Sheamus, or it can just be a coincidence.

As for Ted DiBiase's match, there was no match... only a beat down from John Cena.

WrestleMania Matches?

John Cena addressed the beat down he received from Batista last week, and called out Mr. McMahon. Vince claims that he didn't hire Batista to take him out, but it was by coincidence. Of course it was by coincidence, because no one told Cena to come to Bret's aid. Cena showed up Batista, and The Animal is not one to be shown up.

Will we indeed see a rematch from the SummerSlam 2008 encounter?

As for McMahon screwing Bret Hart last week yet again, Cena revealed that Bret wants nothing more than to have one more WrestleMania moment against Mr. McMahon. And Vince agreed to have that match, that was until Bret sneeked attacked him.

McMahon's final words were that he would not fight Bret at Mania, because Bret deserves to be screwed.

Thoughts on these pending WrestleMania matches are as follows:

John Cena vs. Batista: If John Cena fails to procure the WWE Title at the Elimination Chamber, this would mark Cena's first WrestleMania where he is not defending or contending for a title. As for Batista, he hasn't had a good WrestleMania since facing Taker at 'Mania 23, so the spotlight he so desires would be on him if he defeats John Cena. Batista defeated John Cena in their last match, and embarrassed him last week on RAW... could he do it again at WrestleMania?

Bret Hart vs. Mr. McMahon: A few months ago, Rowdy Piper wanted to wrestle Mr. McMahon, but he refused, saying that he was officially retired from wrestling. Yet, when it comes to a guy like Bret Hart, who sufferred a stroke a few years back, and looks physically incapable of wrestling another match, Mr. McMahon cannot wait to strap on his wrestling boots. Bret Hart appears to have gotten closure from Shawn Michaels, but when it comes to Mr. McMahon, they both still harbor hatred for one another. A WrestleMania bout between these two is a dream, but is that all it is? Bret Hart's stroke is not kayfabe, it's a serious disability hindering him from wrestling. The days of the Excellence of Execution are long behind him, and a physical match such as this could have some serious implications on his health.

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