Jesse’s WWE RAW Report: Money in the Bank Aftermath & Summerslam
By Jesse Castleman
In the aftermath of Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view, Monday Night Raw commences with a bang in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Triple Threat Match between Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Edge for number one contendership for the WWE Championship. Orton pummels Jericho and Edge to start, but they get the upper hand quickly and team up on Orton in the corner. Jericho trades off with Edge, Orton fights back and knocks Edge off the apron, but Edge hangs Orton up from the outside. Jericho pounds on Orton, then screams at Edge to beat on Orton.
Jericho hands Orton from behind, while Edge punishes Orton with a few right hands. Edge and Jericho continue to work together, throw Orton into the ropes, Double DDT counter off a double back body drop. Orton with a near fall on Edge, then two big knees to Edge’s temple. Knees to Edge’s face, and Orton continues to punish and choke Edge in the corner. Orton Irish whips Edge into the corner hard and Edge falls face first to the ring mat. Orton drops down and taunts Edge with his viper pose. Orton jumps up for an RKO, but Edge counters the RKO and pushes Orton right into the recently recuperated Jericho for a Codebreaker from Jericho. Edge breaks up Jericho’s near fall on Orton, and the two punch each other and spill to the outside.
Back from the commercial break and Jericho has taken control of the match. Jericho dropped Edge onto the outside barrier and hops up onto the apron, only to get hit right back off. Orton goes for a double rope hung DDT, Edge breaks out and Orton hits it onto Jericho. Near fall but Edge breaks it up and saves the match. Edge tosses Orton to the outside and as the crowd cheers for Orton rolls Orton back into the ring. Near fall on Orton, who kicks out. Edge connects with a knee to Orton’s back and taunts the crowd. A right hook, two to Orton’s face. Edge is thrown onto the announce table face first, then Jericho hops back into the ring and pins Orton with his feet on the ropes, but Orton manages to kick out! Jericho is frustrated, and he puts a headlock on Orton. Orton breaks out, they trade punches, and Orton hit’s a couple of momentum building clotheslines on Jericho. Orton fakes another rope hung DDT on Jericho, but clotheslines an oncoming Edge. near fall, kick to Edge’s midsection. Back to Jericho for another rope hung DDT, but Jericho counters into the Walls of Jericho.
If Orton taps out, Jericho faces the champion at SummerSlam. Orton’s a long way from the ropes, and he’s crawling and scratching for the ropes… but Jericho walks Orton back to the center. In comes Edge to save Orton with an Edgecution onto Jericho’s face. Near fall on Jericho, and Edge stalks Jericho for a spear. Spear… no! Jericho counters with a Walls of Jericho on Edge, but Edge manages to grasp the ropes. Edge rolls up Jericho for a pin, but Jericho escapes. Clothesline over the top rope. RKO, Edge-o-matic, pin, 1, 2, no! Orton kicks out, and Edge looks disgruntled. Edge moves to the corner and stalks Orton for a spear. Jericho blindsides edge with a clothesline as Edge goes for the spear. Jericho pins Orton, kick out and Edge pins Jericho, kick out then Jericho hit’s a double clothesline onto Edge and Orton,. All three men are down. Things are getting crazy here. Jericho sends Edge over the top rope. Orton attempts and RKO and connects on Jericho… no he counters and slams Orton down. Jericho goes for the Lionsault, but Orton moves out of the way. After this debacle, Orton hits an RKO on Jericho, but Edge enters the ring before Orton can cover Jericho. Edge finds himself on the wrong side of another RKO from Orton, and Orton covers Edge for the win…1, 2, 3, and this match is over. Orton’s going to Summerslam and will face the champion. Video for the Elimination Chamber DVD, and a commercial break.
Back from the break and Edge is on the mic. He refuses to leave the ring and demands that Jericho comes back out. Out comes Jericho, and Edge says this has gone on for too long, eleven years, injuries, championships, ladder matches, years of careers taken off. Edge wants to end this right now, tonight. Jericho grabs the microphone, and says that he agrees because Edge is stupid. Jericho says Wade Barrett explained to him that Nexus’s success is due to Jericho’s guidance. Jericho claims that he could call Nexus out here right now and beat down Edge. Edge disagrees, and tells Jericho that Nexus could very well take the next best offer to climb the ladder of success. We’ll find out, ladies and gentlemen, as Lexus has entered the ring now. Barrett takes the mic and says Nexus would be lucky to call either one of these two veterans an ally. He butters Edge and Jericho up a bit, but tells Edge that Jericho is right. Nexus won’t only take years off of Jericho’s career, but they will end it. Jericho orders Nexus to attack Edge, and Edge goes down. Nexus mauls Edge as Jericho barks orders. Sheffield hit’s a spear on the held Edge, after which Jericho locks in the Walls of Jericho on Edge. Jericho is being looked at by Nexus, but Barrett grabs the mic and explains that Edge was also right. Nexus would love to beat down the wrestler who takes responsibility for their success. At this, Jericho runs at Nexus, who stifles him quickly, and continue the beat down on Jericho. Barrett hit’s a BIG head butt on Jericho, then Otunga slams Jericho down hard. Nexus stands over Jericho, and Barrett yells that Jericho hasn’t taught him a thing. And Nexus is out, getting booed and jeered. Nexus is getting some serious heat here as we reach another commercial break.
Back from commercial with a replay of the most recent Nexus carnage. Backstage, Nexus enters their locker room. Matthews grabs Barrett before he enters and questions him about Nexus’s ability to compete against Mark Henry, the world’s strongest man. Barrett insists that Mark Henry is quaking in his boots. Barrett says that he’s writing his next chapter. Sheamus offers a proposal to Barrett, who asks Sheamus to step into his office. Barrett scoffs at Sheamus, telling him to suit himself, and enters his locker room. Sheamus doesn’t oblige, and instead stands outside, looking puzzled.
Back to ringside with Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler, who interview the backstage-located John Cena. Cena says he brought everything upon himself, and that he should have shaken Barrett’s hand. He concedes defeat to Nexus, citing numerous references of Nexus attacking WWE superstars successfully. Cena says he’d like to meet Nexus in the ring tonight, because he has something to say to them. He says Nexus has made his life miserable, and that “if you can’t beat them…” and Cena walks off the set. Can you say, “Cliffhanger?” Is this a trap to lure Nexus into the ring unsuspecting, or is John Cena, Mr. WWE really considering joining Nexus in their business? We’ll have to wait to find out.
Newsflash: Apparently WWE provides the best family entertainment
Back from commercial, and eve Torres has entered the ring. Accompanied by Ted Dibiase, Maryse enters the ring. Looking good, as usual…back to the action. It’s Maryse vs. torres. Maryse takes off a monster diamond ring before the match stats. Maryse taunts torres, who smacks her in the face. Maryse fights back with a vengeance. Irish whip to the corner, but Torres kicks Maryse in the face, and covers Maryse. Apparently Maryse’s feet were on the rope, and Dibiase quickly runs into the ring to argue with the ref. Torres rushes backstage, and Morrison runs into the ring to blindside Dibiase. After a beat down, Morrison hits starship pain on Dibiase as Maryse watches on from ringside. The wealthy couple stare down the exiting Morrison, who receives a big pop from the audience. This grudge is heating up, as each competitor has cost the other a victory now.
Cut to shamus backstage with his WWE championship on his shoulder, who’s apparently joining the WWE universe in the ring after the commercial.
Nexus cost Cena the steel cage match against Sheamus last night, holding him from reaching the ground after escaping the cage simultaneously with Sheamus. Justin Roberts introduces shamus to the audience, who enters with his wwe championship. Side note, Sheamus’s entrance music is great. The music dies down to the audience giving off some heat. Sheamus explains that he’s beat Cena three times now. Fluke, luck, and now dominance, whether the audience likes it or now. Sheamus says Cena is in his past now, and that he won’t be getting a title shot anytime soon. Sheamus says he explained to wade Barrett that he wanted a truce, as only a year ago no one knew about either himself or nexus, and now he and nexus are the two most powerful entities in the WWE. Further, Barrett agreed, and the truce between the two entities are now in effect. Therefore, Orton doesn’t stand a chance against shamus…
Awesome! Out comes the Miz to interrupt Sheamus’ rant. The miz won raw’s money in the bank ladder match last night. He congratulates shamus on winning the title and solving his nexus problem, but that shamus doesn’t control the fate of the wwe championship, miz does, because he can cash in his money in the bank whenever he wants. He’ll be watching shamus’ every match, every move, and that he’ll be ready to fight shamus, no matter the circumstance. Miz’s dream is to main event wrestle mania, on the grandest stage of them all, but he can cash it in whenever he wants. He tells shamus that h can call him his celebrity stalker, because he’s the Miz, and he’s… shamus interrupts and says that the Miz is nothing, as Sheamus is the champion.
Blinks! Aaaand an email from the gm for Michael Cole to read aloud: The GM advises that the miz should take a seat at ringside, if he is serious, and watch the next match, because shamus will be in action against…Evan Bourne! The Miz looks pleased, and a referee ushers shamus back into the ring. Bourne receives a pop from the crowd, but he doesn’t seem to ready either, as he tapes his wrists during his entrance. Sheamus misses a bicycle kick to start off, and Bourne goes to work on the champion, kicking him out of the ring quickly. Sheamus smacks the announce table and screams a bit before a commercial break.
We’re back live on raw, as shamus rolls Bourne back into the ring. Bourne kicks shamus a few times, but is Irish whipped. He kicks the awaiting shamus, who hit’s a clothesline on bourne. Miz looks on intently. Momma. Near fall, with bourne kicking out of shamus’s cover. Shamus proceeds to beat down bourne in the corner. He stretches out Bourne’s arm and leg from the steps with a unique pulling submission, then reenters the ring. It looks all too easy for shamus, holding a sitting bourne from behind and punching him in the face. Rear chin lock-chicken wing, but bourne manages to break out. Bourne runs off the ropes and attempts a move on shamus, who counters with a huge body slam. Cover, and bourne kicks out at 2. Sheamus knocks bourne again, and locks in the chin lock-chicken wing once more. The crowd begins cheering for bourne, who is showing some life. Bourne breaks out and kicks shamus in the leg twice. But shamus throws bourne into the corner and slaps him in the face! Bourne responds with a kick to shamus’s face! Bourne runs off the ropes and kicks shamus twice. Bourne goes for another kick but is caught by shamus. Near fall rollup. Bourne catches shamus with another deadly kick, goes up for a shooting star, but shamus rolls out of the ring wisely. Instead bourne hits shamus with a splash to the outside. Shamus throws Bourne’s face into the outside barrier. Bourne re enters the ring to a big bicycle kick to the face from shamus. He covers bourne for the inevitable win.
As shamus celebrates, miz enters the ring and assaults shamus with his brief case. Sheamus is down, and miz attempts a skill crushing finale to the brief case. After a struggle, miz connects and cashes in his MITB contract! Miz awaits for shamus to get back up. But shamus isn’t moving: he‘s out cold. As the miz waits for the bell to ring, r-truth comes out and gets some pops from the audience. He looks for some sweet revenge on the miz, who injured r-truth so badly that he had to withdraw from the MITB match this past Sunday, but miz grabs his briefcase and escapes r-truth. The bell never rang, so the miz never officially cashed in his briefcase. Sheamus is a lucky man, as he comes to and grabs his championship belt.
Josh Matthews interview the miz backstage as we return from the commercial break. The miz says r-truth just cost him the wwe championship. Miz explains that there will be opportunities, as he has an entire year to cash in his briefcase. Because he’s the miz, and he’s awesome!
Summerslam recall: it’s 1998 and the undertaker is facing off against Steve Austin. The good old days…video highlights of undertaker’s dismantling of Austin, but Austin hits the stunner for the win.
Back live, shamus is holding ice on his head. Girlies scoff at him backstage, and he yells at them, asking if they think it’s funny. Orton pops out of the shadows, saying it’s too bad that shamus is a target, because Orton will hit the target’s bulls eye at summer slam with an RKO, regardless of whether it is shamus or anyone else. That’s a clear statement from Orton about his intentions for summer slam. Cut to cena contemplating backstage.
The BOC Center is shown, as well as John Morrison on the muscle & fitness magazine. Santino Marella and Vladmir Kozlov enter the ring to face off against William regal and Zakk Ryder. Marella faces Ryder to start, and Ryder locks in a wristlock. Marella fights back, but makes a fool of himself, and tags in Kozlov. Regal tags in as well, and Kozlov takes control, but Marella tags in and takes a beating from regal. Near fall, but ryder tags back in for another near fall. modified choke lock from ryder on marella. Marella makes some moves but rider goes for a dropkick from the top rope, and marella moves out of the way. Marella escapes ryder and tags kozlov back in. kozlov commences a flurry of attacks on ryder with a big slam. Kozlov pins him, but turns his attention onto the oncoming regal by rejecting him out of the ring. Kozlov hit’s a spine buster on ryder now, and Santino calls in for a tag. “Pick me, pick me,” again. Marella is the man, and he hits a big, flamboyant splash onto the fallen ryder. 1-2-3, and kozlov and marella get the victory. Marella celebrates in the ring, tooting on his imaginary vuvuzela (the annoying horns that the spectators would blow on at the world cup this year), and kozlov cracks a smile and seems to actually be enjoying this partnership. Cut Backstage, as barrett conferences with his stable-mates, then heads off to the ring in anticipation of his match with mark Henry.
Back from the commercial break, and wade barrett enters to some heat for his match against mark Henry. Barrett looks focused, cool, calm, and collected. Out comes Henry, The world’s strongest man, sporting a band aid on his forehead. The bell rings, but barrett evades Henry’s rush by hopping outside the ring. He regroups, and reenters, and is countered by Henry who hit’s a big punch to Barrett’s face, knocking him back outside of the ring. Wade takes his time to reenter. Lockup, but barrett punches, kicks, and knees Henry. Not much of an effect on Henry, who punches barrett back angrily, and whips barrett hard into the corner then hit’s a clothesline. Pin on barrett, but he kicks out. Henry picks barrett up, head butt, tries again, but barrett head butts him back and attacks Henry’s knee. Henry counters with a scoop slam on barrett, and covers him for a 2-count. Henry drags barrett into the corner and climbs the turnbuckle for a splash. Nexus walks out and distracts Henry just long enough for barrett to punch Henry and put him on his shoulders. Barrett hit’s a big attitude adjustment onto henry! That’s Cena’s move. One, two, three, and barrett gets a huge win over henry. He continues the assault and kicks henry to the outside. Down walks nexus, and they stand over henry, then enter the ring to congratulate barrett, who now has a mic. Barrett calls cena out for their meeting, right now. Nexus waits In the ring, and cena is shown walking backstage. Commercial break.
Back to the action from the break, and nexus is still waiting in the ring for cena. Tarver says nexus will at least hear cena out if he acknowledges that nexus runs raw. If cena continues with his futile resistance, nexus will destroy what’s left of Cena’s career. Tarver wants cena to show some remorse for what he’s done to nexus. He says the ball is in Cena’s court, as nexus has already made one truce tonight. Out comes cena to the biggest pop of the night. Cena looks defeated, almost somber as he walks to the ring. Cena enters the ring slowly, but doesn’t step through the ropes. He thanks nexus for meeting him in the ring. Cena explains that nexus cost cena his first match, and prevented him from winning his second. Cena says he should have made a truce with nexus, like shamus, a long time ago. He’s asking nexus for a truce. Barrett says the answer… is no! he explains that he is not interested in a truce, or peace, but that he is interested in something much, much bigger. The crowd chants “cena!” but barrett tells cena to listen to barrett, and he asks cena to join nexus! The crowd is getting really rowdy now. Barrett explains that cena could accomplish so much more by joining nexus, and that together, nexus and cena would be unstoppable. This isn’t much of a choice because cena is either nexus, or against us. Haha. Cena’s response: after he looks around, he says that he can’t do it. Nope! Barrett gives cena two choices now: cena can leave the ring and show the world what a coward he is, or he can stand in the ring and take a beating of a lifetime. Another pause as the crowd chants again for cena, and cena drops his mic and leaves the ring. Nexus scoffs at cena, but before cena leaves, cena tells nexus to wait. He has one more thing to say: whether he does it himself, or with help, he will take each and every member of nexus down. Cena says the truce was a test, and that nexus has sealed their fate, because cena has assembled himself a team that will help take nexus down at summer slam. Cena announces that nexus is history at summer slam, and introduces his team. First, edge! Next, john morrison! R-truth is the next teammate, after which the great Khali emerges. The backstabbed Jericho emerges next, then to round it off, Bret “the Hitman” Hart emerges! The team of superstars hit the ring, sending nexus off into retreat, and raw goes off the air with the new team of superstars in the middle of the ring.