RAW Results: 1/4/10

Excellence of Execution

After twelve years, The Hitman returns home. On January 4, 2010, the wrestling world witnessed one of the darkest chapters in wrestling history finally resolved. Bret Hart entered the Nutter Center and stood in the middle of the ring to an overwhelming reception. He expressed his love for the sport and the fans who made sure that he was never forgotten. Bret's first order of business was to confront Shawn Michaels. Michaels, coming out in his DX ring attire, stood face to face against the man he placed in a Sharpshooter at the Survivor Series. This confrontation between these two legends has been the most highly anticipated moment for any wrestling fan emotionally invested in the controversy of the Montreal Screwjob. Bret Hart was not there to pick a fight, but to finally bury the hatchet. Shawn Michaels truthfully told Bret, "You deserved what happened to you." Shawn Michaels went on to mention how much he respected Bret, but he never felt respected. And how everyone remembers Survivor Series, but he remembers a 60-minute Iron Man Match that everyone said would not be possible, but they defied the odds at WrestleMania. Bret Hart acknowledged that they both have had successful careers and they shook hands. Everyone cheered and then waited because Michaels was set up for the Superkick; however, he walked over and gave Bret a hug as a personal sign of forgiveness. During the days of the federation, both HBK and The Hitman were cocky superstars, believing that they were better than everybody else, but the wear and tear of life has humbled them to learn that life is bigger than any one person, and that it should not be lived in hatred. Shawn Michaels mentioned last week that he would be more than happy to see Bret Hart one last time, and I feel that this confrontation will finally put to rest the restless demons of their past. Yet, there is one more man that owes Bret a little face to face - Mr. Vincent Kennedy McMahon!

Melina Vacates Divas' Title

It was reported on WWE.com that Melina injured herself during a live show and would be unable to defend the the Divas' Title. Unable to work a match, dropping the strap to Maryse, Melina's title was vacated, and instead WWE has issued a tournament to crown the new Women's Champion. The first tournament match featured Maryse against Brie Bella. The Bella Twins were moved over to RAW because McMahon loves how they interact with the celebrity hosts, and the fact that they are twins is a factor. However, with the Bellas current position in the company, they have not had regularly scheduled matches, and it showed in their ring rust during their fight with Maryse. The Bellas' best shot at advancing was to alternate for a fresh Bella, however the trick doesn't work if the opponent sees the switch. Maryse easily disposed of Nikki Bella to advance in the tournament. This was a major disappointment in women's wrestling, and further proves that SmackDown has the more serious competitors.

Former 2-time, 2-time, United States Champion?

The following contest was a Fatal Four-way to determine the #1 Contender for the United States Title; and sitting at the RAW announce table was US Titlist, The Miz, sporting a new entrance theme entitled "I Came to Play" by Downstait, which starts off with him saying "I'm Awesome!" The contestants were MVP, Jack Swagger, Carlito, and Mark Henry. Either one of these competitors would be a great candidate for the US title, but who deserves it more? Mark Henry and Jack Swagger, were dominate forces on ECW, capturing the ECW Title in such a short amount of time, but with their move to RAW they are no longer on top. Mark Henry has been a part of WWE since the days of The Nation of Domination, and his final rise to power might have been on ECW. Mark Henry's health is noticeably depleting and it does not look at all possible that he will have another title reign. Jack Swagger, on the other hand, is a rising star that can out wrestle the best in the industry, and contending for the United States Title is a good place to be on while on RAW at such an early age. Carlito needs to start from scratch and start winning more matches. His past three years has been a foot note in the annals of the WWE, and will not be taken seriously until he gets some steady wins under his belt. MVP should learn from the old adage that nice guys finish last. As a heel, MVP prospered when he held both the United States Title and the WWE Tag Team Titles with then-rival Matt Hardy. MVP has recovered financially and has grown into a fan favorite, but his competitive drive to score titles is no longer there. This is more like his fifth go-around challenging for The Miz's strap; if he still had the same fighting spirit as he did in '07, we might have a 3rd reign on our hands, or has Miz taken over? Luckily for MVP, he became the #1 contender after applying the Play Maker to Swagger. Can MVP stop show boating in the ring, and start aggressive and end aggressively to achieve his goal of becoming a 3x United States Champion?

Jeri-Show vs. DX, one-more-time

Chris Jericho tried appealing to Bret Hart to stand in as guest referee, and if Jericho manages to get Michaels in the Walls of Jericho... let instinct take its course. Hart, however, declined the offer because he was serious what he said to Shawn - he wants to bury the hatchet for good. Jericho's attempted ace in the sleeve failed, but he still has the Largest Athlete as his tag team partner. The match was fast paced which saw a lot of finishers but no covers: DX teamed up to lock the Pedigree on Big Show, but he rolled out of the ring... Big Show went for a body slam off the top turnbuckle, but Triple H rolled out of the way. Jericho picked his spots, by applying chokeholds and missile dropkicks to both Shawn and Triple-H. Yet, after attempting the Walls of Jericho on Triple-H, The Heartbreak Kid's instinct called for a superkick to the face of Jericho laying him out for the 3-count. Big Show did not console his partner, but understood that the business understanding between them had officially ended. Jeri-Show formed out of convenience, but with no more title shots, there is no more Jeri-Show... and more importantly to DX, no more Chris Jericho on RAW, again.

Air-Bourne Crashes and Burns

Sheamus, having retained his WWE Title last week against John Cena... via DQ of course, has demanded a new challenge for his next title defense at the Royal Rumble. Out of all the superstars in the WWE, Evan Bourne came out and stated that the only reason Sheamus holds the WWE Title is because he was given a chance, and he wants that same chance. Evan then issued a challenge, if he could defeat him in a match, then he gets a title opportunity at the Royal Rumble. Sheamus, love him or hate him, agreed to grant "little" Evan Bourne a shot to prove his candidacy for the WWE Title. Evan Bourne's weakness: I had mentioned that Bourne is underrated, but he is also overrated. Bourne's high flying style ranges from swift kicks and aerial assaults, all executed in under two minutes, without applying any long term offense. Evan Bourne looked good when he managed to out pace Sheamus and execute the Shooting Star Press, but Sheamus has endurance, which is something Bourne doesn't have. It takes more than flashy moves to win a wrestling match, it takes actual grappling to wear out an opponent, especially one of the magnitude of our WWE Champion. Sheamus sent a message to the RAW locker room again, by adding Evan Bourne to the list of his victims.

Orton's Leadership Tested

The main-event featured Randy Orton taking on Kofi Kingston, a match brought on after Randy interfered with Kingston's match, where he was seconds away from becoming the new United States champion. However, this week, Orton had added incentive because his Legacy brethren stated that if he didn't win this match not only would he be out of Legacy but that he would receive a beating. It wouldn't be the first time that Orton was turned on in a faction? As for Kofi Kingston, this former-Jamaican superstar is slowly rising as a top start in the WWE, one might say that he has a chip on his shoulder, but experience usually beats momentum. For the most part, Kofi has relied on his high impact moves to take down Orton in the past, but it sometimes isn't enough. Kingston looked good executing his signature moves the S.O.S. and Boom Drop, but with someone of Orton's caliber, you need to wear out your opponent. Orton is no Evan Bourne, he has the endurance to outlast a one-hour Iron Man Match, if Kofi wants to win he has to use excessive force and impossible-to-kick-out pinning combinations. In regards to Orton's viper-like quickness, Kingston managed to counter two RKO's; but, with Orton blocking the Trouble in Paradise with his forearms, Kofi lost control of his in ring instincts and fell to a 3rd RKO. Randy Orton has Kofi Kingston well scouted, but could he do that trick against a second Trouble in Paradise kick? As for Legacy, Rhodes and DiBiase did not seem at all thrilled with Orton's victory, but at least a renewed sense of respect should surface between The Legacy.

McMahon Didn't Kick Bret

Years ago, in an interview conducted by Jim Ross, Mr. McMahon stated "I did not screw Bret Hart; Bret Hart screwed Bret Hart." Bret Hart screwed Bret Hart because, at the time, Bret signed a contract to WCW, the rival company, and was still the WWE Champion and refused to lose the title. It was to McMahon's, and a certain few, understanding that if Bret were to have retained the title, he might have gone over to WCW and stripped the title of its prestige, thus destroying the WWE. McMahon wanted nothing more than to keep Bret Hart, but he signed a contract that he couldn't quite oblige to. Bret Hart would not listen to reason, so extreme measures at to be taken. McMahon has his reasons for hating Bret Hart, because immediately after the Screwjob, Bret spit in his face and then punched him in the face backstage. Twelves years removed, Hart claims that he has tried to make his way back to the WWE, but McMahon had refused; but with McMahon accepting to try to close this chapter in his life, the two met in the ring. McMahon, such as Shawn Michaels, stated that Bret deserved what happened to him, but he also acknowledged The Hitman's excellence in the ring and thanks him for being the best that there was, the best that there is, and the best that there ever will be. The two shook hands and McMahon raised Bret's hand to a cheering audience. The chapter of the Screwjob had finally come to a close, until McMahon kicked Bret right in the gut. A future interview would be kind of silly, "McMahon didn't kick Bret; Bret kicked Bret," well McMahon, there is photographic evidence that proves otherwise, plus video footage.

RAW Results: 12/28/09

Timbaland is Bland. The American Grammy Award-winning record producer/rapper stayed behind the scenes throughout the majority of the show. Timbaland is no stranger to the WWE since, on April 20, 2007, he recruited Maryse, Kelly Kelly, Layla, and former divas Torrie Wilson, Brooke, and Ashley Massaro to be filmed in his video, "Throw It on Me" featuring The Hives. But this time around, Timbaland was seen talking to the Bellas and Gail Kim, and the occasional Josh Matthews or enthusiastic superstar. Tim was promoting his new album Shock Value II, and having the divas lazily dance to the mellow tracks. The most Timbaland did was announce John Cena and Sheamus for the start of the WWE Championship main event but was not seen afterwards. Overall, Timbaland did not make an impression whatsoever. McMahon should be contracting former WWE superstars, instead of these celebrities, because they know how the business works.

Cena demands Tables Rematch. Former WWE Champion John Cena recaps how Sheamus became the WWE Champion by setting up a table adjacent to the turnbuckle. Cena, still not taking the champ seriously, demanded an immediate Tables Match as his rematch for the WWE Title. The Celtic Warrior declined and declared that it would occur at the end of the night in a regular wrestling match. Sheamus stated the reason for this is to prove that he can beat Cena in a non-stipulation match, and once he does... he would hold the WWE Title over Cena's body as the final image that the RAW audience would see in 2009.

Legacy faced with crossroads. After a year and a half, Randy Orton contemplated breaking up Legacy. This train of thought started last week when Legacy lost to Kingston, Bourne and Henry, a group of individuals who have never teamed together. Questions of the success rate soon followed, since Orton is not the WWE Champion nor Rhodes and DiBiase the Unified Tag Team Champions. Orton then issued each member to face off against a member from the team they lost to, to test whether or not Legacy would endure.

DiBiase and Rhodes reinstated. The first challenge issued by Orton was Ted DiBiase against Evan Bourne. It is no secret that DiBiase respects Orton, but he also resents him. At times, DiBiase wants to impress Orton, but he also wants to surpass him. Last week, Bourne showed some improvement, but also fell short when he exhausted all his high flying in a short amount of time. Another weakness of Bourne is his constant dependance on his high knee lifts and kicks; instead, he should be issuing more grapple holds to render the oponent for a move like Shooting Star Press. DiBiase kept Bourne grounded with a number of chin locks, a suplex, and finishing it off with Dream Street.

The second challenge was Cody Rhodes against Mark Henry. About a year ago, when Mark Henry was dominating the land of extreme as the ECW Champion, Cody Rhodes would not have had a chance, but now, it seemed like an easy feat. The reason for this is Mark Henry's weight. The man is close to pulling 400lbs, a lot for a man to lug around. He hasn't weight lifted since 2002, and since then he has suffered quadricep and knee injuries. Mark Henry walks around with two knee braces, which gave Cody a good target. Henry's endurance in the ring is terrible and he looked winded after two minutes. Mark Henry should take a leave of absence and shed about 150lbs, much like Big Show did between 2007-2008. Cody Rhodes took advantage of the deteriating health and knees of the once World's Strongest Man for the 3 count. And as a result of DiBiase and Rhodes winning their matches, Legacy will still be around after the New Year.

Ditzy Divas. The final RAW divas match for 2009 was a contest between Kelly Kelly and Maryse. Last week, Kelly Kelly pinned Maryse, with the assist from Divas' Champion Melina, in the Santa's Little Helper's Match; and this week, Maryse looked to rectify the situation. Kelly Kelly displayed confidence in the ring, connecting with drop kicks, cross bodies, and takedowns. Kelly's weakness is the Kelly Killer... it's killing her matches. It's not a credible move, who waits at the turnbuckle long enough for her to handspring across the ring to execute an elbow smash? Dodging the Kelly Killer, Maryse managed to apply French Kiss, thus ending the match.

“Only good things can happen.” Ever since Dennis Miller suggested Bret “The Hitman” Hart guest host RAW, the WWE Universe has been overzealous of the possibility that Canada’s favorite son, absent for twelve years, would finally make his triumphant return home to the WWE. Vince McMahon, no doubt anti-Hart, stated that Bret Hart would never guest host Monday Night RAW. Then enter the Heart Break Kid, the man who carried out the hit on The Hitman in the infamous – real life – Montreal Screw job. Shawn and Bret had an intense, well documented, rivalry on-and-off screen, culminating in Bret disgraced in the Molson Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; but when Michaels mentioned to McMahon that there are some rivalries that are bigger than this business, he wasn't talking about Bret. Shawn Michaels believes that he can end The Undertaker’s Streak, and demanded a rematch at WrestleMania. McMahon did not consent, but he did, however, announce that Bret Hart would indeed guest host. Why did he agree to this? Could it be that TNA will be going up against RAW next week with Hulk Hogan as their main powerhouse superstar? Or can it be, as Michaels said, it’s time for McMahon to get closure...?

Kingston mid-carder or superstar? Timbaland issued a match between Kofi Kingston and The Miz, with the promise of the match culminating to a U.S. Championship Match next week. Kingston seemed content with getting another shot at the mid-card title. MVP, who was present in the room, imposed a rematch for the U.S. Title if Kofi were to come out the victor, since, originally, Kofi defeated MVP for the strap. The current United States Champion The Miz found the whole matter humorous because Kofi, in Miz's opinion, will never become the United States Champion. Timbaland changed the stipulation for the night, if Kofi defeats Miz then the title match would occur, not next week but, immediately after the match. The contest between Miz and Kofi ended abruptly as Miz attempted a high-risk maneuver that found him Troubled in Paradise. The title match, that occurred right after, saw Kingston connect with Trouble in Paradise for the second time that evening. However, the referee was unable to call the 3-count being that Randy Orton pulled him out of the ring in order to assault Kingston. The onslaught resulted in a nasty RKO on to the concrete. So, is Kofi Kingston still a mid-carder? The Miz became the United States Champion by defeating Kofi Kingston several months ago, but tonight, Kofi was on a different level than The Miz. Warrant that, earlier in the evening, DiBiase and Rhodes defeated Evan Bourne and Mark Henry in an effort to prove that the team of Bourne, Henry, and Kofi are no match to Legacy, but it was Kofi who pinned DiBiase last week; hence, why Kofi's team was able to overcome Legacy. Because of his feud with Randy Orton, Kofi Kingston is escalating past the mid-card but not quite a headliner.

Jericho, move on. Through out the program Chris Jericho was seen protesting and petitioning outside the arena in Hartford, Connecticut, trying to get signatures for him to be featured on RAW. Chris Jericho, drafted over to SmackDown in the 2009 draft, has wrestled on the two main brands for months due to his liberties as one half of the Unified Tag Team Champions. But after losing both the TLC Match and the rematch, it is time to move on. Chris Jericho, for the most part, transcends the WWE and would benefit the business if he were to appear on all three shows, but things cannot stay the same forever. Jericho claimed he was doing this for Big Show, but he just wants to be on RAW. Nothing against SmackDown, since it does have the better wrestlers, but RAW has been the top tier program for the WWE for the past sixteen years; and any wrestler would want to wrestle on the top brand. In a close emotional scene between two former tag team partners, Big Show conveyed that he had found someone else. And that someone else was Chavo Guerrero, who teamed with Show to take on D-Generation X in a losing effort. Chris Jericho, who was present as a ticket holder during the match, jumped over the barricade to the aid of his former tag team partner. Triple H announced that next week, Jeri-Show would get another crack at the titles, with the promise that after they lose Jericho is never allowed on RAW - "never... EEEEEVVVERRR Againe...."

Sheamus on top of the WWE mountain. The WWE Championship Match where many believed would be Cena's night ended in disqualification. The WWE Champion Sheamus proves why he is at the top of the mountain because he is able to scout and counter Cena's moves. John Cena matches are a set formula, he builds momentum and he hits with the running bulldog... followed by the 5-knuckle shuffle... a few open fist punches... maybe a top rope leg drop... eventually going into an STF or an Attitude Adjuster. At the start of the match, Sheamus managed to knock Cena in mid-running bulldog. And to futher testify Sheamus' in-ring prowess, he dominated Cena by thrashing his back with a series of punches. The match would have ended with John Cena the WWE Champion, but thanks to Sheamus grabbing on to the referee's shirt during the Attitude Adjustment, that did not occur. Trying to build momentum to the next encounter, Cena ran up the ramp and grabbed Sheamus and tossed him back in the ring. Every time Cena does this, he rolls back into the ring to connect with the Attitude Adjuster, but instead, Sheamus delivered a boot to the face as soon as Cena entered. Sheamus shocked the WWE Universe, and if that did not get the attention of John Cena, then a second boot to the face sure did. Sheamus might not have won the match as he wanted, but he did manage to retain his title and appear, holding the championship, as the final image on RAW 2009.

RAW Results: 12/21/09

Johnny Damon Strikes Out. Formerly on the New York Yankees, this free agent knew less how the wrestling business worked than Dennis Miller. WWE announcer, Justin Roberts, announced two-time MLB World Series Champion Johnny Damon to a jeering Tampa audience. He tried to play it cool by stating his past accomplishments with the Yankees and Red Sox, but he came off as insolent. After issuing a foreseeable Santa's Little Helpers Divas' Match, Damon stayed away from the ring throughout the rest of the night. Instead, he appeared in a series of back stage scenes involving Santa Clauses advising wrestling matches, and one undesirable makeout session with Santa's oldest helper, Mae Young. If not for the holiday gimmicks, Johnny Damon's lack of charisma would have been apparent.

RAW Divas are cute, not athletes. The opening match was a Six-Diva Santa’s Little Helper Tag Team Match, involving: Divas' Champion Melina, Kelly Kelly, and Gail Kim against Maryse, Alicia Fox, and Jillian Hall. There is very little intergrity left when it comes to the women of the WWE, and chances are, they know it too. Melina, who in the past year, has improved immensly after her feuds with Mickie James and Beth Phoenix, stands alone as RAW's only competitor. Gail Kim, a former WWE Women's Champion, and headliner/champion of the TNA Knockout division, returned to the WWE last summer as a mid-carder. Gail Kim's status has not changed, as her role is still to carry the match and then lose at the last minute. WWE should utlize Gail Kim instead of having her job to the likes of Alicia and Maryse. Kelly Kelly, nicknamed Barbie, was actually a model who the WWE insisted should join pro-wrestling. This suggests that WWE is focused on looks rather than athleticism. Jerry Lawler, unknowingly, demeaned Kelly Kelly's offensive strike, "She did a drop kick!" Even the announcers are shocked when a diva actually shows some sign of athletic offense. Thanks to the assist from Melina, Kelly Kelly scored the pinfall on Maryse.

Evan Bourne, most underrated superstar of 2009. This Six-Man Tag Team Match featured Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry & Evan Bourne against Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase. This was one of those matches where the years of watching these superstars grow into formiable opponents really pays off; Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, and Evan Bourne were among these opponents. Yet, Evan Bourne is among the most underrated superstar - and not just in the WWE - but throughout his whole pro-wrestling career. Since arriving in WWE in late 2008, on the ECW brand, Bourne became an instant fan favorite, even winning a Slammy for Best Finishing Maneuver of 2008. However, that's about all Bourne has accomplished and the reason for this is his fast paced, high octane style of wrestling is short lived. When tagged in, Bourne was able to jump over the ropes, perform a hurricanrana on Rhodes, knock out Orton and DiBiase out of the corner with one kick, and set Rhodes up for the Shooting Star Press - all in under three minutes. What happens when that doesn't get the job done? This is why Bourne jobs to everyone because he is flashy, but cannot last in a full match. His matt wrestling skills is below par, and unless he faces off against another high flyer, Bourne will always be at a disadvantage. Luckily, Kofi Kingston was tagged in and picked up the win after executing Trouble in Paradise to the back of DiBiase's head.

Jack Swagger is the Future. The next match was John Cena vs. Jack Swagger. Unlike Sheamus who uses brute force to intimidate his opponents, Jack Swagger combines his 6'5" stature and his All-American wrestling background to takedown the competition. His opponent for the night was no stranger to Swagger seeing as these two fought in a Champions vs. Champions match during the 2009 Draft picks. John Cena, who has vowed to never lose a match until he reclaims the WWE Title, did not have it easy against the Perry Oklahoman. Jack Swagger dominated the match, not just in keeping John Cena down on his knees, because he is the better wrestler. Correction, Jack Swagger is a wrestler with charisma, while John Cena makes up for his lack of wrestling with more charisma than anyone else. Jack Swagger, in four months in the WWE, became the ECW Champion - all for what? To become a mid-carder on Monday Night RAW. Much like everyone else, it was thrilling to see Sheamus defeat John Cena for the WWE Championship, but honestly, it was too much too soon. Despite being the one to take the WWE Title, Sheamus and Cena really have no back story. Swagger, on the other hand, has the ability to rise up the ranks of the WWE and truly become the poster boy for the company. Swagger has the makings to become a phenomenal WWE Champion because he's the complete package: a larger-than-life persona and the technical skills to back it up. The match was great because Jack Swagger made it great, but again, the best man must fall in order to fuel the passion of John Cena.

Eve finds her man. Since coming over to RAW as a result of the Tri-Branded Divas Trade, WWE has been trying to administer Eve Torres in a valet role. At first, a short stint started between The Miz and Jack Swagger over the United States Title and Eve's affection; but after Miz won the title, the angle was dropped and Eve remained single. Then Chris Masters returned to the WWE, undergoing a babyface turn when he instilled the dancing pectorals as part of his gimmick. Along with the turn, Chris Masters practices chivalry, especially when it comes to protecting Eve from the likes of Chavo Guerrero and Carlito. The match between Carlito and Chris Masters was not about Carlito's past aggressions with Masters, but his disrespect towards Eve. Carlito was able to avoid the first Master Lock attempt, but the second one rendered him unconscious. After the match, Eve pulled out a mistletoe and gave Masters a kiss, starting a relationship. As romantic as this angle is, unless Masters trains Eve to be a better wrestler, she benefits nothing from this story line.

"What's underneath the ring, Shawn?" Many mysteries remain unsolved in the WWE, such as: "Where is Parts Unknown?" and "Why the Gobbledy Gooker?" But the most mysterious one of all is the space underneath the ring, what's really down there? Finally, it was revealed on Monday Night RAW when DX went to Little People's Court. In the past, Hornswoggle had hidden under the ring to escape opponents; The Bella Twins hid in order to alternate during singles matches; The Boogeyman lurked in the shadows to trap victims; and, followed by flames, The Undertaker chokeslammed Edge straight through the mat, implying hell resides below the squared circle. Shwan and Triple H traveled underneath the ring to find an underground passage, alike basements in any building, and went to a court hearing where they were found guilty for intentional infliction of emotional distress towards Hornswoggle. And now a new mystery has arisen, why cannot the little people in WWE speak?

John Cena overshadows WWE Champion? Unlike other superstars who demand championship matches, Montel Vontavious Porter preferred to earn his by taking on the Celtic Warrior in one-on-one competition. At any rate, Sheamus vs. MVP could have been a great follow up to Swagger and Cena, but the match turned into an exhibition of Sheamus' intense capacity in the ring. With an impressive array of finishers, The Celtic Warrior will make a fine head liner someday, considering that it hasn't occurred yet. Albeit, John Cena is no longer the champion, but his standing in the WWE far surpasses that of the company's main champion. Even looking at the Royal Rumble poster, John Cena is at the head of the line while Sheamus is #13 down the row.

The Miz that stole Christmas. 2009 has been an overall great year for The Miz from being part of one of the greatest tag teams and holding both WWE and World Tag Team Titles... Being drafted over to RAW... Entering a feud with John Cena... Losing a match causing him to be banned from RAW... Winning a contract back to RAW as the Calgary Kid... Revamping his attitude and wrestling gear, and now... The United States Champion. However, it's not enough for the Miz because he also wants to be the WWE Champion. The following match was The Miz vs. Santino Clause. Santino Marella, chosing to fight in his Santa garb, lost miserably to The Miz, who picked up the win with the Skull Crushing Finale.

One wish to rule them all... Johnny Damon promised that one wish would be granted and so far that hadn't happened, but could the Big Show get his wish? Calling out for the real Santa Clause, Big Show looked on as Santa Clause came, accompanied by the Bella Twins, to the ring willing to grant one wish. Big Show wished for Chris Jericho to come back to RAW, and Santa agreed. But before the fans could bring back their RAW is Jericho signs, Hornswoggle demasked Father Christmas to reveal Chris Jericho. If that were not enough, Hornswoggle rallied a miniature DX army of little people to take down Jericho. But before Jericho could fully clear the DX elves, the real DX disposed of Jeri-Show. Seeing as Jericho was Santa Clause, he has no power to reinstate himself as an agent of RAW, so Show's wish was nullified. As for Hornswoggle and DX's court issues, Triple H propositioned a deal: If Hornswoggle would drop the law suit, then he can be the faction's mascot. Hornswoggle agreed and initiated in his first official DX Crotch Chopping pyro routine.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

WWE RAW Presnts The Slammy's 2009; Shawn Michaels Challenges Undertaker One-More -Time at WrestleMania; Bret Hart to Host RAW?

The Slammy Award for "Tag Team of the Year" presented by R-Truth and Jillian Hall. The nominees are: The New Unified Tag Team Champions, D-Generation X; The Former Unified Tag Team Champions, Jeri-Show; Legacy's Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase; or The Hart Dynasty's Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith. And the winner: Jeri-Show! Chris Jericho thanks his former tag team partner Edge for "selfishly" stepping down as his tag team partner, and he thanks himself, because he was smart enough to chose the Big Show as his partner. Chris Jericho challenges DX for the Unified Tag Team Titles as part of their rematch clause.

First Match: Christian, Kane and The Great Khali vs. The Ruthless Roundtable. ECW's lowest rated faction, The Ruthless Roundtable, boast about being the most dominate team in the WWE. What has The Roundtable done? William Regal has failed to capture the ECW Title on three separate occasions; and Kozlov and Jackson cannot even get along, let alone get in line for a tag team title opportunity. The reigning ECW Champion, Christian challenged the Roundtable to a match with two monsters of his own: Kane and The Great Khali. The Punjabi Playboy was on a long leave of absence since Kane destroyed him. How do they patch that bit of grudge history? Well, it's WWE: the moto is not show something long enough and hopefully the fans will forget. Unfortunately for them, I don't forget. Christian made very few tag-ins to the match - do you blame him, he was part of a ladder match just 24 hours ago. The monsters mostly dominated the match, with Khali getting the win over Kozlov with the Punjabi Plunge. They really don't know what to do with these once unstoppable monsters, do they? Also note, that each of these competitors have been a member of the ECW brand at least once within the past 3 years.

The Slammy Award for "Breakout Star of The Year" presented by SmackDown GM, Teddy Long and ECW GM, Tiffany. The nominees are: The New Intercontinental Champion, Drew McIntyre; Abraham Washington; Yoshi Tatsu; or The New WWE Champion, Sheamus. And the winner: The Celtic Warrior, The New WWE Champion, Sheamus! He walked in, with his newly won WWE Championship around his waist, staring down the WWE Universe with a smile on his face because no one believed that he could do it, "Do you take me seriously now?"

Second Match: Kofi Kingston vs. Cody Rhodes. You can see the damage Randy Orton's punt inflicted on Kofi Kingston, as he now walks around with a target on his left shoulder. It's amazing the agility that Kofi posses even after being punted in the armpit, a move that has sidelined many superstars for months. Cody Rhodes kept his focus on the left shoulder, but the match was broken up by Ted DiBiase. Evan Bourne came to the aid of Kofi Kingston.

And The Slammy for "Greatest Decision by a RAW Guest Host" invented, presented, and accepted by Dennis Miller. Dennis Miller restarted the match as a tag team match.

Second Match (Restarted): Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne vs. Legacy. Remember, both Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne got their start on ECW, before being drafted to Monday Nights. Not much has been down with Bourne since, unless you count the successful job he's doing at... well, jobbing. Kofi kept DiBiase distracted outside, while Bourne was left with the son of "The American Dream." With the distraction from the outside, Rhodes attempted to go for Cross-Rhodes, but it was countered. Yet, not for one second did I believe Bourne would get the upset, why? Because Bourne is happy just competing in the WWE, so for the rest who are actually their to rise to the top of the mountain, Cody connected with Cross-Rhodes to end the match.

The Slammy Award for "Shocker of the Year" presented by Vickie Guerrero and Santino Marella. The nominees are: Batista turns on Rey Mysterio at WWE Bragging Rights; Randy Orton DDT's Stephanie McMahon and kisses her as Triple H is forced to watch; CM Punk defeats Jeff Hardy in a Steel Cage Match, forcing Jeff to leave the WWE; or Sheamus slams RAW Guest Host Mark Cuban through a table. The winner is: CM Punk for defeating Jeff Hardy.

First Superstar of the Year Tournament Match: John Cena vs. CM Punk. Last year, CM Punk won the Slammy for OMG! Moment of the Year, for cashing in his first MitB on Edge to win his first World Heavyweight Championship - oh, how things have changed in a year. CM Punk is now being awarded for getting rid of the Charismatic Enigma, or Enabler, and has also taken on a cult leader persona. CM Punk, not only turns away from alcohol and drugs, he also seems to be afraid of a razor. The man is pulling a wise prophet look, possibly a false prophet? This is the second time that Cena and Punk duke it out, the first being on the 3-hour RAW Thanksgiving - seems to be a trend, no? John Cena won the match with his second attempt at the STF, forcing Punk to tap out. Then Cena made a heart-warming speech for some reason, about letting the fans down. Well Cena, you did because you failed to take Sheamus seriously. John Cena may have everyone else fooled, but he prides himself on being the face of the company, and to have a newbie like Sheamus, who has only been there for 6 months! Yes John, there are others out there who have not lost sight of why they are there. John Cena's real regret is forgetting why he's in the WWE. He's lost his competitive edge, accepting wins as if per usual. John Cena also vows to never lose another match until be becomes the WWE Champion again! With a speech like that, how is he not going to defeat Randy Orton? Yes, I knew it since then that Cena would face Randy Orton. WWE would never allow a WrestleMania-caliber match to take place on cable network television.

Second Superstar of the Year Tournament Match: Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker. The legendary Phenom has dominated this business for nearly twenty years. His WrestleMania Streak is unmatched, never to be replicated. The Undertaker is a seven-time, and current, World Champion. The Viper built his reputation of destroying legends, and for creating his own stable of second and third generation superstars known as Legacy. Randy Orton has captured both the illustrious WWE and World Heavyweight Championships on more than one occasion. It is no wonder as to why these two were nominated for Superstar of the Year. But only one can grace the stage and be recognized as the best in the business. Randy Orton is no stranger to the unbelievable energy that Undertaker brings into the ring, being one of the victims of the 17-0 streak, and failing to capture the Undisputed Championship at the start of his career. Undertaker may be undefeated at WrestleMania, but Orton has changed since then and, as we saw, a factor that he did not have back then, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. The Legacy members distracted Taker on the outside, and the Viper struck with an RKO. The finisher along with the distraction resulted in Undertaker being counted out – Randy Orton advances to face off against John Cena. Undertaker, on the other hand, chokeslammed Orton into the middle of the ring; lesson to be learned, don’t screw over The Undertaker.

The Slammy Award for "Best Match of the Year" presented by Triple H. The nominees are: Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania; John Cena vs. Randy Orton in a "I Quit" Match at Breaking Point; Jeff Hardy vs. Edge in a Ladder Match at Extreme Rules; or Team RAW vs. Team SmackDown at Bragging Rights. The winner is: Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker for their match at WrestleMania! Come on, like any of the other matches paled in comparison? I'm a fan of the Hardy-Edge ladder match, since both are veterans to ladder matches, but nothing can compare to Michaels and Taker. And to throw the Bragging Rights Match, they weren't even trying to pick a match at that point. I'm also a fan of the Orton-Cena rivalry, but the "I Quit" wasn't their best, it was the Iron Man Match! Shawn Michaels accepted the award, noting that he also won the award last year for his WrestleMania match with Ric Flair. Shawn Michaels, knowing that he came up short, also stated a challenge to the Undertaker - WrestleMania, ONE-MORE-TIME! Will we see Michaels-Undertaker at WrestleMania 26? Can they actually recreate a second WrestleMania moment that will live with us forever? If there is a re-match, it is only plausible that Taker's streak would end at 17-1. "It is Hell trying to get to Heaven," those were the words that fueled Shawn in that match, but he didn't exactly reach heaven. In order to end, both Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker, HBK has to win - laying both of these superstars to rest in peace.

Unified Tag Team Championship Match: (C) D-Generation X vs. Jeri-Show. Triple H asks Shawn Michaels to stand behind the referee, and then pushes him over Michaels. The referee called the bell and the match was over. DX lost the match via disqualification, but the titles cannot change hands on a DQ, only by pinfall or submission. What was also a kick in the crotch was that this match was Jericho's obligatory rematch clause for the titles and can no longer contend for them, but more strategically, can no longer be on RAW. If there was a Slammy for "Oh, SNAP!" then DX would have gotten it for this moment. Chris Jericho was escorted out of RAW by SmackDown and ECW superstars all dressed in DX garb. Goodbye, Chris Jericho, the RAW ratings will sure miss you.

The Slammy Award for "RAW Guest Host of the Year" presented by The Chairman of the Board, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. The nominees are: Bob Barker, Seth Green, Shaquille O'Neal, or Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. The winner is: Bob Barker! Personally, Ozzy and Sharon were my favorite hosts, I'm still waiting for mid-January to purchase I Am, Ozzy autobiography. And who can forget Seth Green, the first ever RAW Guest Host, and brought the Divas Bikini Blowout Rumble - King's and my dreams came true that night. As for Shaq, he was my least favorite. If Bob Barker was ten years younger, yes, I'm talking about Happy Gilmore Bob Barker, then yes, I would agree on the decision. McMahon asked RAW Guest Host, Dennis Miller on who he thinks should be a future guest host. Miller responded, Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Miller, who has been faltering on his jokes all night, finally had gotten a huge reaction from the RAW audience. McMahon chose not to respond and walked away. Will WWE have Bret Hart guest host on the... well, I dunno, the January 4th episode of RAW, on the same night that Hulk Hogan returns to wrestle on TNA, which moves to live taping on Monday Nights?

The Slammy Award for "Most Extreme Moment of the Year" presented by Carlito, Chris Masters, and Eve Torres. Chris Masters kept interrupting Carltio with his peck dance, which prompted an awesome question from Carlito, "Eve, can you do it as well?" Well, Carlito and the WWE Universe will never know. The nominees are: Kofi Kingston Boom Drops Randy Orton through a table at Madison Square Garden; Big Show throws Cena into a search light at Backlash; Jeff Hardy dives off a 20-foot ladder onto CM Punk at SummerSlam; or Triple H fights Randy Orton at Orton's home, throwing Orton through his front window? And the winner is: Jeff Hardy for diving off a ladder onto CM Punk. Accepting on behalf of Jeffro is his brother, Matthew Moore Hardy. This marks the second year in a row that Jeff Hardy wins the Extreme Moment of the Year, the first being diving off the RAW set 30-feet in the air onto Randy Orton. Jeff Hardy watched the RAW action as he noted on his twitter account "Love & miss You WWE universe.... thanx." My response, "We effin' love you Jeff Hardy! You are not only a 3x World Champion but a 2x Slammy Award winner for Extreme Moment 08-09!!!"

Fifth Match: John Morrison, Yoshi Tatsu, and Mark Henry vs. Drew McIntyre, Zack Ryder, and The Miz. Not only is The Miz the United States Champion, but Drew McIntyre is now the Intercontinental Champion. How does it feel for a team comprised of championless superstars going against a team with two? Well, obviously the one without the title will be the one that loses it for his team mates. When Zack Ryder was tagged in, he had the choice of facing Morrison, but he decided on Yoshi Tatsu instead. Well, Tatsu dropped the enziguri kick to win it for their team. Yoshi gets a push on his only night on RAW, good for the happy Japanese man!

The Slammy Award for "Oh My! Moment of the Year" presented by Abraham Washington, Tony Atlas, and Big Dick Johnson. The nominees are: Shawn Michaels superkicks little girl in cafeteria (Monday Night Raw, August); Chris Masters “dancing pecs” with the Osbournes on "Raw's Got Talent;" Michael Cole throws up on Chris Jericho at SD party (Decade of SmackDown special); or Santino Marella accidentally pies Vickie Guerrero in the face (Raw Thanksgiving). The winner is: Michael Cole for upchucking on Jericho! Michael Cole acted like he won the World Series or WrestleMania as he ran up the aisle to accept his award. He thanked his mentor J.R. who is still recovering from his 3rd Palsy attack.

Divas Tag Team Match: Mickie James, Maria, Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim, The Bella Twins, and Melina vs. Michelle McCool, Natalya, Beth Phoenix, Maryse, Rosa Mendes, Alicia Fox, and Layla. All the Divas were dressed in evening gowns, how were they expected to compete? Well, all you need is two Divas who were dressed in movable clothing: Mickie James and Rosa will do seeing as they started and closed the match. Mickie gets the pin with the Mick-DDT. Congrats on that pointless filler Divas' match.

The Slammy Award for "Diva of the Year" presented by MVP and Goldust. The nominess are: every Diva! The winner is: Maria! This Slammy was supposedly voted upon by the WWE Universe on WWE.com, but what happened next seemed more than likely that it was staged. Maria accepted her award and thanked all the WWE Universe for believing in her - Then Batista interrupted, and spoke about Screw Job of the Year, and it goes to him because Teddy Long screwed him over in his match with The Undertaker. Batista kept saying, it's not about her, its about me! I was dying, the obvious pun at Taylor Swift and Kanye West definitely got some cool points with me. Some people were upset over Maria winning the Slammy, but in all reality it was a gag. Do we not remember the Miss WrestleMania Award won by Santino Marella, or Santina? WWE uses Divas as part of gags about 90% of the time.

The Final Superstar of the Year Match: John Cena vs. Randy Orton. The match was a bit of a let down, but exciting nevertheless. The Orton-Cena feud has been ‘the feud’ of recent WWE history. The feud started in late 2007, as Orton set to rid Cena of his one-year reign as WWE Champion and looked to establish the Age of Orton. Then, in 2008, Orton punted Cena’s father. And then, in 2009, the war raged on in singles, “I Quit,” Hell in a Cell, and, to finally end it all, a One-hour “Anything Goes” Iron Man match. “I Quit” was nominated for match of the year, how about that Iron Man match? Their final match was so entertaining, and the story they told in that match… so you see where this match was a treat, but it was also a disappointment. Cena connected with the Attitude Adjuster, but Orton landed himself near the ropes in order to break the 3-count. Yet a second Attitude was used to secure the win.

The Slammy Award for “Superstar of the Year” won through a tournament. The nominees are: CM Punk, The Undertaker, Randy Orton, and John Cena. The winner, by two hard fought matches, is: John Cena. The former WWE Champion vows to never lose a match until he becomes Champion once more; and that WrestleMania season, for him, starts right now.

The Undertaker Responds; John Morrison is Braveheart; Hardy falls to the Gallows Pole

First Match: CM Punk and Luke Gallows vs. Matt Hardy and R-Truth. The Jeff Hardy: My Life, My Rules DVD is flying off the shelves, why? Because there are people who want to be drugged by a man who will make them believe that they can fly - or so said The Straight-Edge CM Punk while holding the alleged digital video disc collection. Matt Hardy, the brother of Jeff Hardy, came out with R-Truth carrying a duffle bag filled with Jeff Hardy DVDs, passing them to the crowds. CM Punk shouted, "Sell it on eBay!" The past two weeks, R-Truth and Matt Hardy have won separate matches against CM Punk due to Luke's interference with the match. Now, these victims of the Gallows Pole, have teamed up to face off Punk and Gallows in tag team action. Yet, Hardy could not Twist Luke's Fate, nor could Truth Detect Punk's lies. The Veteran, Matt Hardy fell once again to The Twelfth Step, the Gallows Pole for the win. Is Straight-Edge really the way to go?

Handicap Match: Jeri-Show vs. Eric Escobar. Despite falling to the Hart Attack and being slapped by his ex-girlfriend, Escobar was relentless in making fun of Vickie this week. The match was originally a one-on-one match against Chris Jericho, who Escobar really had the advantage for some reason, but it was changed into another handicap match with The Big Show added to the list. Jericho was knocked out of the ring when the announcement was made, and what did Escobar do as Show walked down the ring? Exactly what I would have done, Get Jericho back into the ring and go for the cover! Jericho kicked out and brought in Big Show. I thought it would end in two seconds, just like Jericho did to Gaspard last week with the KO Punch, but Show knocked him around the ring, weakening him enough to tag in Jericho. He applied the Walls of Jericho, forcing Escobar to aggressively tap out. And of course, Jericho campaigned, once again, for the TLC match and how they will destroy DX and the DX Army. I wonder when DX will campaign?

Braveheart Face Off. Drew McIntyre came out telling the people that Mr. McMahon personally endorsed him into SmackDown and saw him as the future of the WWE. He claimed that the only thing stopping him from becoming the Intercontinental Champion is John Morrison, who he defeated last week. Then, the bag pipes were playing, and out of no where, John Morrison appeared as William Wallace! He had the blue/white face, the kilt, and the mighty sword. The Shaman of Scottish Lore? spoke in a Grounds Keeper-like scottish accent, totally making fun of McIntyre's culture. Unlike the Celtic Warrior, Sheamus, McIntyre draws his strength from the modern era and does not rely on Scottish Lore to dictate his life. Morrison was hilarious as William Wallace, and did what he came dressed to do, punched McIntyre in the face! This Sunday, John Morrison will defend his title against Drew McIntyre at the TLC PPV. Will The Shaman of Sexy remain champion, or will McMahon's intuition be right?

Third Match: Kane vs. Mike Knox. Last week, Kane defeated Knox with a chokeslam and did so again this week. The difference was, Knox asked for this match because he feels that they are one and the same. Kane said that they are nothing alike and tried choking him. Knox, a kinesiologist, seemed to enjoy the asphyxiation applied by Kane, creating a euphoria in the lungs. It seems as if Kane likes to deal out punishment, while Knox likes to take it - sounds like Mick Foley in any WWF feud.

Fourth Match: Mickie James and Maria vs. Michelle McCool and Layla. I believe we all foresaw this match coming. Last week, after Mickie James became the #1 contender for McCool's Women's Title, was outnumbered by both McCool and Layla, until Maria evened the odds. The sad thing, Maria has about two years more than Layla in the WWE, and she's on the same level of inexperienced wrestling ability as Layla. Believe me, I'm happy that Maria is back and all, but she cannot put on a match to save her life. Hence, when Maria finally became the #1 contender for McCool's Divas' Title, she tapped out in like 2 minutes. When Mickie James was tagged in, McCool tagged out to Layla. Bad idea, seeing as Layla cannot out-wrestle Mickie James in a million years; hence, why McCool lost the match cause Layla was pinned. Speaking of inexperienced women wrestlers, what ever happened to Alicia Fox? Don't forget that this Sunday, Mickie James will face off Michelle McCool for the Women's Title at WWE's TLC PPV.

Street Fight: Batista vs. Rey Mysterio. Why would Rey Mysterio want to be a part of a street fight against The Animal Batista? Why would Rey continue to wrestle when he has a knee that needs surgery? Mysterio is holding off on surgery until after WrestleMania. Why on earth would he do that? It's not like WWE is going to give him the title at the Show of Shows. Mysterio is digging a deep hole for himself, possibly shortening his career by at least... the rest of his life! But if Mysterio wants the crap kicked out of him, then a Street Fight it is! It wasn't much of a fight, Mysterio did everything he could, but Batista would just lift his arm and Mysterio would be flat on his back. Mysterio even executed the 619, but was too small, or Batista too roided out, to have a secure cover on The Animal. Why did Rey Mysterio ask for a Street Fight? Well, if you were small and unable to take down a big guy, wouldn't you want all the foreign objects available at your choosing? Problem is, that big dude also has access to those same foreign objects, so Mysterio would fall to a chair shot to the face - ending the match. After the match, Batista fixed Mysterio's neck inside the fold of the steel chair, and was going for an aerial drop from the top rope, until the lights went out. After two weeks of being humiliated and pummeled by a steel chair, it was time to return the favor, as The Undertaker appeared - standing where Rey layed - and started pummeling Batista. This Sunday, The Undertaker will defend the holy grail against The Animal Batista in a Chairs Match. What exactly is a chairs match? Pretty much a street fight with chairs as your #1 foreign object.

Sheamus Finds Third Table Guest; Chris Masters Turns Babyface; Orton-Kingston PPV Match Revealed

First Match: John Cena vs. Carlito. Really?? First off, these two had a history. Carlito defeated John Cena for the United States Title when he first arrived in the WWE. And how interesting to see how much success one has while the other became not so successful. Last week, Carlito stated that the locker rooms are filled with people who cannot stand John Cena and wishes Sheamus all the luck in defeating him at the TLC ppv; Lawler tried to erase that comment by commenting that Carlito was only talking about himself, while reaffirming Cena's position in the WWE. John Cena may be a nice guy, but there is no doubt that what Carlito claimed does not have a large kernal of truth embedded somewhere. John Cena is the top of the business and always will be, you cannot say that people are happy about that. Word has it that Charlie Haas wanted his release from the WWE over not being used, but instead WWE gave him a raise to keep him away from rival TNA. People like Haas will never get a world title shot as long as Cena is the peak of Sports Entertainment. Sheamus, who is leading the revolution, came to interfere with the match, but was ejected from the ring by Mark Cuban's security team. Then Carlito "took advantage" while Cena was distracted. Well, the match never stopped, so that would be Cena's fault for taking his eyes off of his opponent. But, as usual, Cena ended it quick with a firearm carry followed by his U Can't C Me hand gesture, finished off with the attitude adjuster. What a slap in the face to Carlito, and they wonder why people can't stand The Champ.

Second Match: Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase vs. Evan Bourne and Primo. Mark Cuban was unwilling to accept Rhodes' request for a match, seeing as if Rhodes would have won, then the ban, restricting Orton to face Cena for the WWE Title, would be lifted. Instead, Cuban announced that Legacy would be in action immediately, while Orton would face Kofi one-on-one with him as the special guest referee. Michael Cole mentioned that Mark Cuban watched WWE Superstars because this was a rematch from last Thursday, when we all know Cuban had no clue who Legacy would face, "Don't you have a match now? Go!" The match was decent, not as great as last Thursday, but it still had its moments. Again, Bourne is the strongest member of the team, but once again Primo did not concentrate on the match costing Bourne to be pinned by Dream Street. It's interesting that Primo is the weakest link seeing as he was the first ever Unified Tag Team Champion alongside his brother Carlito. But, Primo is also the one that cost them from recapturing their titles against Edge and Jericho. Bourne would be well advised to find another partner. Legacy didn't have much time to celebrate their win since they were ejected from the Airlines Arena by Cuban's team of security guards; thus, insuring that Legacy would not interfere in Orton's match.

Third Match: Gail Kim vs. Maryse. Kelly Kelly was the special guest ring announcer for the match, a little rough around the edges but makes a formidable announcer. Gail Kim was fluid in her motions and carried the entire match; and when I say entire, I mean Gail executed every offense within the match. Seeing as Gail Kim is a former Women's Champion prior to the decline of women's wrestling, I would expect Gail to be in the title picture. But one swift kick to the back of the knee dropped Gail on her back. And Maryse, with the assist from the ropes, covered Gail for the win. Mark Cuban was right, the WWE referees are worse than the NBA, how do you not see that! Kelly Kelly announced Maryse as the winner with very little enthusiasm, but Maryse demanded that she'd be recognized as the next Divas' Champion. Refusal to adhere to her request led to a beat down, followed by a rescue from current Divas' Champion, Melina. So far, SmackDown has the better Divas storyline.

Fourth Match: Kofi Kingston vs. Orton w/Special Guest Referee, Mark Cuban. Randy Orton won his match last week thanks to the blatant assault that occurred prior to the match. The referee allowed the match to go one, despite seeing Kofi assaulted by both members of Legacy, which is one of the reasons Cuban opted to be the referee for this match. The second reason would become clear after the match. Cuban, much like Stone Cold at Cyber Sunday 2007, allowed pretty much anything to go down. Orton attempted an RKO, but was countered into a backslide, which would not normally win a match, but Cuban's fast 3-count ended the match. Oh yeah, that's the second reason. In 2003, at the Survivor Series, Randy Orton RKO'ed Mark Cuban, so after 6 years, he has gotten his revenge on Orton. And seeing as each one has a win over the other, at TLC, Randy Orton will face off against Kofi Kingston one more time.

At TLC PPV: Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston.

United States Title Match: (C) The Miz vs. Mark Henry. Resulting from last week's win, Mark Henry was granted a title match against The Miz. Sadly, the WWE showed a video recap of Verne Troyer celebrating with Mark Henry and the Divas, which was a pathetically low point in last week's show. The Miz has defeated MVP, so how would he fare against the World's Strongest Man? Well, it helps when the strongest man is also the slowest man. Mark Henry obviously doesn't work out like he use to, and his two knee braces are indications that his body mass is getting to him. The Miz utilized his agility and his hunger to remain a champion to retain his title. It almost looked as if Mark Henry would capture the U.S. Title as he had Miz positioned for the World's Strongest Slam, but it was countered into a DDT. Beautifully done Miz, I saw the DDT coming and it was worth it.

Mixed Gendered Tag Team Match: Hornswoggle and Eve vs. Chavo Guerrero and Jillian. Billed as a mixed gendered tag team match was actually disguised as a second divas match. Hornswoggle, who now sports a self-made DX-Hornswoggle t-shirt, which is also available at WWEShop.com, started the match. Hornswoggle is just as bad as DX with his self merchandise promoting. Hornswoggle started the match, but then quickly tagged himself out, so that Eve and Jillian would fight. The team of Eve and Hornswoggle doesn't surprise me seeing as they travel together and twitter one another on the road. Eve is still rusty, but she is starting to look more like a wrestler. She doesn't bother dressing sexy to the ring, but wears lady trunks to her matches. She pinned the former Divas' Champion with a rolling senton. Chavo then started pushing around Hornswoggle, a little pay back for all the countless times Hornswoggle one-uped the Warrior. Side note, I miss JBL's commentating, "The name Guerrero, it means Warrior!" Eve then took a firm stance before Chavo, which really got the crowd moving. It's nice to have a woman not afraid to confront a guy. Yet, Chavo wasn't shy about shoving Eve out of his way to get to Hornswoggle, so cue in Chris Masters. Ever since his peck dance when Ozzy hosted, WWE has been pushing Masters as a babyface during house shows to see how the crowd would respond. I'm guessing that it went over big, seeing as the audience were for Masters scaring Chavo with his dancing man pecks, followed by a Masterlock powerslam. Then a love interested bloomed as Masters told Guerrero that he better not dare touch Eve. Let's see if this love story with Eve sticks, unlike the short-lived love triangle between Swagger and Miz.

2-0n-1 Handicap Match: DX vs. Chris Jericho. Chris Jericho made another great promo, stating that Jericho is greater than RAW and SmackDown, that he transcends all of the WWE. A man of his calibur knows no boundaires and he can do whatever he likes. DX's strategy was to make frequent tags, trying to keep Jericho in the corner. A lot of good that did seeing as Jericho knocked the referee into Triple H, which apparently means that the ref is knocked out for the remainder of the match, and the Big Show appeared. How did we not see that one coming? Then, Tables, Ladders, and Chairs came into play, leaving DX destroyed. Chris Jericho set up the ladder and symbolically climbed to the top hositing the Unified Tag Team Titles in the air. Was this truly Jericho's final night on RAW, or will he be back next week?

WWE TLC ShowDown: Mark Cuban set up this Q&A session between Sheamus and WWE Champion, John Cena for further build up to their Tables Match this Sunday. It would have been wise for Sheamus to have actually had a match, instead of being ejected from the ring. But, Sheamus spoke of how it took Cena three years to become the WWE Champion, while it will only take him a few months. John Cena states that he is impressed with the Celtic Warrior, but he is not intimidated. Cena has faced off against everyone from the greats, to the one-hit wonders, and that Sheamus won't be any different. I have no doubt in my mind that Sheamus could overpower Cena, but I also foresee John Cena finding the strength deep inside from all his Hulkamaniacs... I mean Cenation and put Sheamus through a table. Sheamus delivered two boots to Cena's face and shoved Cuban around. Mark Cuban was all big and tough earlier when he had a whole security team at the snap of his command, but what happens when its just you starring at a man like Sheamus, a man who retired Jamie Noble? Well... Sheamus propted a table on one corner of the ring and rammed Cuban through the table. Unlike Ben Roethlisberger, who had his whole defensive line to protect him, Cuban's Dallas Mavericks were of no help. Overall, Sheamus is indeed ready to face off against John Cena, but all things considered, Cena will be Sheamus first real challenge since Shelton Benjamin. Will the revolution come full circle with a new WWE Champion, or will The Champ Still be Here?

Batista Sends a Message; Mickie James and Drew McIntyre in line for Gold; Maria Returns!

First Match: CM Punk w/Luke Gallows vs. R-Truth. CM Punk has been fighting a crusade, trying to turn people away from the abuses of drugs and alcohol; and during that time he has acquired a disciple, Luke Gallows. Punk started his heel turn with preaching, now he has a follower. How soon until he forms an army of Straight-Edge superstars? And how long until he faces off against the Born-Again, or Straight-Edge?, Shawn Michaels? I would love to see that encounter, possibly a WrestleMania main event? R-Truth suffered the same fate as did Matt Hardy by the hands of Luke Gallows, who delivers the Inverted full nelson spinebuster. Truth may have won the match, but Straight-Edge is winning the war.

Second Match: Kane vs. Mike Knox. The bearded giant has vast knowledge in biology and the human anatomy, which he claims he can use that to inflict unimaginable pain on his opponents. There is something wrong with that statement, Mike Knox inflicts imaginary pain on his opponents, seeing as he has virtually lost every match. I'm usually not a fan of two monsters fighting in the ring, but they were fast paced so it was worth the watch. Despite a valiant effort by Knox, Kane finished him off with a chokeslam.

#1 Contender's Divas Triple Threat Match: Mickie James vs. Natalya vs. Beth Phoenix. A dream match for me because these are the three best wrestlers that the WWE has to offer! I liked how the other two got rid of Mickie early in the match, in order to devote some time between Natalya and Beth Phoenix.The two tested each other's strengths by shoving the other, only to find that they were evenly matched as they collided to the other's clothesline. Natalya attempted to win the match by applying the move that she used to beat Mickie James a few weeks ago, The Sharp Shooter! However, Natalya was pulled away and suffered the impact of the Glam Slam. Normally, Beth Phoenix would pick up the victory, but Mickie dropped kicked her out of the ring to steal the pin-fall victory. Mickie James is now the #1 contender for Michelle McCool's Women's Title. Mickie spoke adamantly about, not only becoming the Women's Champion again but, shutting McCool up once and for all. She ended her rant by knocking McCool over her seat and delivering a forearm to Layla. The numbers game caught up to Mickie, until an old friend came to the rescue. Here She Comes Again, Maria evens the score and both chase away McCool and Layla shouting, "That's right, I'm Back!"

Fourth Match: John Morrison vs. Drew McIntyre. Drew McIntyre was not only personally signed by Mr. McMahon and considered a future champion, but he was on the surviving team that did away with captain John Morrison at the Survivor Series. John Morrison told Teddy Long that he would take either Sheamus, Miz, or Drew on at anytime one on one, and that's exactly what Morrison got. McIntyre told Morrison that the title must be going to his head because who would want to face him, knowing the pain he ensues. The battle between these two was fierce, but with the assistance of the metal support railing underneath the ring, Morrison was primed for the Kobashi DDT. As a result, Drew McIntyre becomes the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship. Will McMahon's vision of McIntyre becoming a champion come true? Or will John Morrison leave TLC, still the Intercontinental Champion?

At TLC: (C) John Morrison vs. Drew McIntyre (Intercontinental Championship Match)

Handicap Match: The Hart Dynasty vs. Eric Escobar. After being embarrassed last week, Vickie Guerrero demanded an apology from her ex-boyfriend. Eric Escobar made his face turn as he apologized for ever having to be with her, and seeing her in her unmentionables. As punishment, Escobar had to face the Hart Dynasty in a handicap match. People actually got behind Escobar, not so much of his wrestling, but because we all hate Vickie. The Puerto Rican wrestler fell to the Hart Attack and then restrained so Vickie could deliver the finishing slap to the face. The Hart Dynasty escorted Guerrero out of the arena, but let's hope it was courtesy and not a plea for a new manager.

Main Event: Jeri-Show vs. Cryme Tyme. Chris Jericho, in an interview, was asked of the dangerous weapons used in a TLC match. Jericho scoffed at Matthew's lack of understanding the true significance of a steel chair, or a 20ft ladder, or the shattered splintered effects from a wooden table; but most importantly, that he has the greatest weapon in his arensal, The Big Show. In their match with Cryme Tyme, Jericho and JTG started things off. Yet, as soon as both Show and Shad were tagged in, Show KO'ed Shad in under 3 seconds. DX beware because Jericho has the World's Largest Athlete.

Undertaker Calls out Batista. Last week, after being declared the #1 contender, Batista interrupted Taker's match in order to deliever a steely message. This week, Undertaker wanted a heart to heart with the Animal and possibly talk about messing with the wrong man. That never took place as Batista assualted the World's Heavyweight Champion, during Taker's iconic entrance, with a stel chair. Batista stood above Taker, shirtless, holding the steel chair and the World Title - the two things that symbolize this match, but will Batista be the one left standing, or will The Deadman walk out still the World Heavyweight Champion?

Sheamus Gets Locker Room Support; Chris Jericho Leaving RAW?

RAW's Guest Host: Verne Troyer (born January 1, 1969) is an American actor and stunt performer. Troyer is notable for his height of 2 ft 8 in (0.81 m), the result of cartilage–hair hypoplasia dwarfism, making him one of the shortest men in the world. He is best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers series.

Divas Tag Team Match: Divas' Champion, Melina and Gail Kim vs. Maryse and Jillian Hall. This match focused on Melina's anger towards Maryse's sneek attack last week, who compared the Goobley Gooker construct as a Trojan Horse that Melina should have never encountered. Jillian Hall continues to unimpress the fans with her 'wrestling' abilities. Gail Kim continues to act as a filler, and Maryse proves to be the Hogan of the Diva division, a lot of charisma but only a few set moves. Maryse pinned Melina with the French Kiss (DDT), which will put her in line for a future title shot. Justin Roberts almost goofed by announcing, "And the winners is the Diva... Jillian and Marsye!" Nicely done, Roberts, almost announcing the Divas' Champion.

Second Match?: Sheamus vs. Santino Marella. This was not considered an actual match because the bell never rung to official start the match. The #1 contender for John Cena's WWE Championship came to the ring stating that he demanded respect from John Cena, and after throwing him through a table last week, he has no choice. Sheamus has proven his position as the contender by manhandling John Cena. And in 2 weeks, all Sheamus has to do is throw Cena through a table, once more, to be crowned the WWE Champion. His opponent for the night, Santino Marella, was offended that Sheamus didn't mention him. The Milan Miracle started ribbing Sheamus for being jealous of his skin pigments, being a former 2-time Intercontinental champion, and followed up by calling him a lame ass. It shocked me, as it must have others, for Santino to say 'ass' on a PG rated show; but what happened next seemed like WWE's vengeance on those that cuse, a beat down from the Celtic Warrior. Sheamus knocked Marella out with Ramon's Razor Edge, or Crucifixion Powerbomb. He then set up a table and rammed Santino clean through, very hardcore ECW-style. I had serious doubts about Santino, but if one were to get serious heat, then why not destroy everyone's favorite Italian funny man?

Third Match: Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton. As Kofi came down the ramp, he was attacked by Cody Rhodes, then Irish whipped to the steel steps. Kofi tried selling the hit, but he over sold. I couldn't buy that he was really that beat up by a mere trip to the steps. Plus, you would think that after being attacked by Edge at No Way Out 2009, he would be more aware of ambushes down the ramp? Then, from within the ring, Ted DiBiase attacked Kofi. This was truly upsetting, not because Kofi got beat up, but that Orton still relies on Legacy to fight his battles. Randy Orton is too good to need two lackeys to beat up a superstar just climbing the ranks of super stardom. Kofi still wanted to go through the match and fell to the RKO.

Serious Heat Against John Cena. Cena, being Cena, theatrically expressed the war that Sheamus has just started and demanded to take him on one-on-one for the WWE Championship. The crowd went wild, all the Cenation kids were going nuts, until Carlito appeared. This was the worst return strategy I had ever seen. Everyone had forgotten about Carlito, and to see him back at the pinnacle of Cena's big speech, really brought people down. Carlito has been absent from the WWE since Flyod Mayweather knocked him out in a backstage segment. Carlito expressed how he may not like Sheamus, but everyone, including himself, cannot wait for Cena to lose the WWE Title. And this hatred is not just in the RAW locker room, no, no, it expands to the ECW and SmackDown locker rooms. Why, because John Cena is the face of the company, and others, who will most likely never get a chance, are tired of him being the corporate champion. Future legends, Triple H, The Rock, and Stone Cold were all Corporate Champions at one point in their careers, and John Cena is currently following the same path, not like they will ever label him as such. But The Governor has lit a match within the WWE and the locker room is a blazing forest fire waiting for Sheamus to become Champion. John Cena, before Carlito could spit apple, executed the Attitude Adjuster. This is such a stupid name for the move, seeing as Carlito's, or anyone else's, attitude surely did not change towards Cena.

Fourth Match: Mark Henry vs. The Miz. United States Champion, The Miz ribbed RAW's Guest Host, Verne Troyer, beautifully. He insulted Verne's height, his movie choices, and then imitated Fat Bastard, from the Austin Powers series, when Mark Henry walked out. And this is what opened the show to a whole new concept, Where's Henry's Personality? Well, it wasn't in dancing, cause he fell and squashed Jillian Hall. And it's not in rapping, seeing as only a few people started clapping - wow, that rhymed. And as for punishment, Verne set up this match, the only match he called, to get back at Miz for making fun of him and being mean to him. Mark Henry defeated Miz with the World's Strongest Slam. Afterwards, Verne celebrated with the other RAW Divas: Kelly Kelly, Eve, and The Bellas. There was absolutely no pop for this 'celebration.'

Main Event: Triple H vs. Chris Jericho. Have you noticed? DX uses their strongest team member against Jeri-Show's weakest. And what was up with the stipulation? If Triple H lost, next week it would be Jeri-Show vs. Triple H in a handicap match; but, if Jericho lost, it would then be DX vs. Chris Jericho in a handicap match. This was a terrible stipulation, why not have Jeri-Show vs. Shawn Michaels, or DX vs. Big Show if either member lost? And as for their match at TLC, DX are not a faction that ever cared about the tag team titles, it was never their M.O. but to pull pranks and sell merchandise. Jeri-Show prides themselves on being the Unified Tag Team Champions, but H makes a point: Chris Jericho is a SmackDown superstar, and once he loses the title, which grants him access to all three shows, will no longer be allowed to appear on RAW. With the referee distracted, Big Show struck Triple H with the K.O. Punch. He was ejected from the arena, followed by Shawn Michaels, who Superkicked Jericho (unknown to the ref of course). Jericho attempted the Codebreaker, counterfed by an attempted Pedigree, which was countered by an attempted Walls of Jericho. The Game managed to kick free and went for the roll up for the win. Seeing as Triple H lost to Jeff Hardy twice with the roll up, seems Triple H has learned to appreciate it. As per the stip, Chris Jericho will face off against DX in a handicap match.

Final Assessment: This was a terrible edition of RAW, I had high hopes that Verne Troyer would not only be the judge in the Little People's Court case involving DX and Hornswoggle, but issue a small people wrestling match. Hornswoggle and Verne had just one vignette of interaction time, which Verne suggested that he should sue DX for all they're worth. The whole Mark Henry personality push was a wasted effort, and a waste of The Miz's talent. MVP is sadly being misused in this tag team. If WWE wants guest hosts, then it is important to choose people who actually will contribute to making the show better.

RAW's Next Host: Mark Cuban

World Champions Prevail Triple Threats; Batista is Unleashed

Triple Threat Match for The World Heavyweight Championship: (C) The Undertaker vs. The Big Show vs. Chris Jericho. As I have mentioned before, Show has no fear of The Undertaker seeing as they were once tag team partners during the Attitude Era; also, it's easy to be fearless when you are the World's Largest Athlete. Chris Jericho, on the other hand, has been acting out against his partner, because Show has been constantly undermining his chances in the match. Instead of working together as the Unified Tag Team that they are, they fell a part at the seams. At the final moments of the match, Jericho locked Taker in the Walls of Jericho, which was broken by Big Show. Then Taker attempted to Tombstone Jericho, but was attacked by Show, who was soon locked in Hell's Gates. With the Big Show tapping out to Hell's Gate, who in the locker room will be man enough to challenge the Deadman?

Grudge Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Batista. In this feud, Batista blames Mysterio for costing him the World Heavyweight Title at Bragging Rights (you see how it comes full circle?). And after a vicious onslaught by Batista following the Fatal Four-Way, Mysterio chose to embarrass Batista in the final weeks leading up to Survivor Series. I say, if you know that you are going to die at the hands of the Papa Pump Wannabe, then you might as well get some laughs along the way. Yet, only the anti-Mysterio fans found something to laugh about as Batista dealt a spear, a spine buster, and 3 Batista Bombs before the referee chose to call for the bell, because Mysterio was unable to compete. But, because Mysterio signed the Hold Harmless Agreement, Batista added a spine buster over a steel chair as a complimentary 'Screw You.' Mysterio was carried out on a stretcher, while Batista has now been Unleashed.

Triple Threat Match for The WWE Championship: (C) John Cena vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels. This match had the worst build up because, for the past month, all these three competitors did was joke around. DX was more concerned over Hornswoggle than the WWE Title. DX even stated that they would not let this title match divide them. Are you kidding me? This is the most coveted prize in all of Sports Entertainment. At least in the WHT Triple Threat, Jericho and Show actually threw together a hell of a promo, which escalated last SmackDown, with Jericho grabbing hold of the title while his opponents were laying in the ring. But what was great about the whole DX angle is what happened at the very start of the match, a superkick to Triple H. This set the whole tone for the match, because play time was over, and Michaels was dead set on becoming the WWE Champion. Shawn Michaels has not been the WWE Champion since the infamous Montreal Screw Job, or has been the World Heavyweight Champion since the 1st ever Elimination Chamber in 2002. It would have been nice to have Shawn Michaels win the WWE Championship at the Survivor Series, to wash away the controversy of that Montreal night, twelve years ago. The match was one for the ages, but with a typical John Cena ending; seeing as he is notorious for pulling a win out of thin air, especially when everyone else does all the work. Not even The Game, Triple H, who pinned Cena the RAW before Bragging Rights was able to overcome The Champ. HBK struck H with the super kick once again; but, in turn, Cena adjusted Shawn’s attitude onto the fallen Cerebral Assassin. Finally, with both men down, Cena chose to cover Triple H and retained his title.

Batista Embarrassed Again; Mickie James forced to Lose Weight?; SmackDown Foreshadows Survivor Series Outcome?

First Match: Matt Hardy vs. Batista. This all started when Matt Hardy was trying to warn Batista of the regret of feuding with a brother, but Batista has chosen a dark path. It has been two weeks since these two have met in the ring, and let me say, it's about time Matt gets taken more seriously. Matt Hardy can, indeed, stand toe to toe with the heavyweights in the business, and proves true to his mantra that he will not die. Especially since Matt Hardy has held almost every belt the WWE has/d to offer: ECW, European, Cruiser, IC, US, WWE and World Tag Team Titles; yet, he has never won the big one, but a match like this would really get him noticed in the title picture. The first match left Hardy the victor via DQ on the part of Batista; but this week, Batista made sure to get the job done right. With 3 spine busters and the Batista Bomb, not even the resilient Matt Hardy could withstand such an offense.

Second Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Finlay. After last week's assault on Finlay, I have to admit, McIntyre has grown on me. Sure, his accent is a little rough, but at least I can understand him, because hell if I can understand "The Hot Rod" sometimes. This was not even considered a match, it was a straight out brawl. The impact of their shots was incredible, and I know Matt Striker was enjoying the brutality happening in and outside of the ring. The match went to McIntyre with a thumb to the eye followed by the Double Underhook DDT. Unlike his other opponents, McIntyre was roughed up by Finlay. I feel that this feud will help make McIntyre into a superstar, but we will just have to wait and see.

Promo: Punk's Intervention. Punk preached to the people of Philadelphia, same arena where he pinned ECW Champion Christian on ECW, about the dangers and abuse of drugs and alcohol. He had a demonstration where he dumped a carton of generic cigarettes, a bottle of pills, and an entire bottle of whiskey into a metal trash can. The people cheered when they say the bottle, but was quickly angered when he poured it out. R-Truth appeared, not singing his song, but proclaiming to Punk that people have a right to chose the path they want. He then followed by humiliating Punk with a DDT, covered by the alcoholic/drug mess of the trash can, and then, to make matters worse, crushed in the midsection by the trash can. Many people may see this as a demotion to Punk, but in actuality, WWE is using Punk's status to boost up R-Truth to main event status.

Third Match: (C) John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler (2 out of 3 Falls Intercontinental Match). This is Dolph Ziggler's 6th attempt at the Intercontinental Title, 2 from Rey Mysterio, and 4 against John Morrison. Having bruised the ribs of John Morrison, it was only a matter of Ziggler wearing out the champion, so that he could win this 2 out of 3 falls match. This was by far the greatest encounter between Morrison and Ziggler. Sure, they do not cut enough promos, but their matches speak for themselves. However, Ziggler's greatest weakness is his lack of innovation, but his determination has not faltered yet. In the first pin, Morrison executed an amazing 450° seated splash from the top rope and eventually dragged Ziggler in for the first count.

Ziggler than struck hard with a firearm's carry into a double knee backbreaker, awarding him the second count. With each opponent having a count, it appeared that Ziggler would take home the gold because Morrison was completely out of it. But Morrison is the Guru of Greatness for a reason, and with Starship Pain, Morrison retained his title for the fourth time. Now... can we get a different opponent for Morrison because this is getting redundant.

Fourth Match: Mickie James vs. Layla. Mickie James' confrontation with 'Scary Spice' proved to be a simple task, but what happened afterwards left her heart broken. On the titantron screen, Michelle McCool had photo shopped a crude video of her on a farm singing an altered nursery rhyme version of Old McDonald's Farm. But on that farm McCool had a Piggy James: a fat pig with Mickies' face, with a pig's snout, on the body. Mickie James, listening to this song, left the arena in tears. This begs the question, how will she pull herself together come this Sunday as she leads her team against Michelle McCool's? On a side note, it is rumored that these acts from McCool are messages from the WWE trying to get Mickie to lose weight. I don't know how much of this is true, but what I do believe is that Mickie is frustrated with her position in the WWE and may want out of the company; hence, this storyline will probably be leading to her eventual departure with the company.

Fifth Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Tyson Kidd. Rey Mysterio didn't appear on commentary during Batista's match, why would Batista sit-in for Mysterio's? Well... for exactly the reason the match ended the way it did. Mysterio set up Tyson for the 619, but he rolled out of harm's way, but Batista shoved Tyson out of the way to end the match. If a wrestler is attacked from outside interference, then they are automatically declared the victor; thus, Batista cost Mysterio the match, much like Mysterio cost him the World Heavyweight Title. Batista mentioned three things that Mysterio should have never done: first, costing him the World Heavyweight Title; second, signing the liability contract; and third, for embarrassing him last week. I think Batista failed to add a fourth mark on the list: embarrassing him for the second time with a hit-and-run tactic; and possibly a fifth mark, if Mysterio can overcome the enraged Animal come this Sunday.

Main Event: The Brothers of Destruction vs. Jeri-Show. One born from the darkness of the Grave, the other from the fiery depths of Hell, two brothers have one aim in life and that is Destruction. Undertaker says that there is nothing in this world that warms his dark heart than to fight alongside his brother Kane, but at the Survivor Series, Undertaker will put forth the 'Holy Grail' against The World's Largest Athlete, and the Best in the World. The Big Show had no qualms about going into this tag match because he has teamed, captured gold, and feuded with each Brother of Destruction. Jericho, on the other hand, was ready to prove how powerful of an adversary he can really be. The match was a fantastic brawl with a lot of close calls. Undertaker was ready to chokeslam Jericho, but countered into a pin, then into an attempted Walls of Jericho, but then that was countered into Hells Gate. Big Show broke it up with a Leg Drop on Taker. Then the Brothers almost Double Chokeslammed Show into the SmackDown announce table, but was stopped with a flying double ax-handle. Back in the ring, Kane chokeslammed Jericho, but was taken out of the ring and knocked out by Show. Taker went for the Tombstone but was Chokeslammed by Show. When Show went to aid his partner, he was attacked by a surprise Codebreaker. Jericho betrayed his partner and grabbed the World Heavyweight Title. He ran up the ramp, holding the title high. The match had a lot of close calls but no winner, only the destruction that took place in the ring. Will Jericho become a 6-time World Champion, or will the Grail reside elsewhere?