– Tonight’s WWE RAW kicks off with a video package showing Shawn Michaels at Armageddon announcing his job with JBL and clips from last week’s RAW with Michaels letting JBL win the Fatal Four Way match.
– We’re in the arena and Lilian Garcia introduces Chris Jericho and Randy Orton, who are standing in the ring. Cole welcomes us to RAW. Jericho says he and Orton are here to address the atrocity that happened last week with HBK letting JBL win, breaking the rules of the match, Jericho says. Jericho says he and Orton have filed a joint protest about what happened last week. Orton takes the mic and feels JBL should be removed from the Royal Rumble match.
Orton says they also feel HBK should not be able to compete for the World Title again. Orton and Jericho have agreed to face each other tonight with the winner facing John Cena at the Rumble instead of JBL. Jericho goes on and says they won’t leave until….JBL’s music hits and out comes the white limousine in the arena and Shawn Michaels steps out followed by JBL.
They enter the ring and HBK has that pitiful look on his face again and won’t hold his head up. JBL says they can protest all they want but he won the match last week and gets the shot against Cena. JBL tells them to lose with some dignity, perhaps. Jericho asks Michaels how he feels, Mr. WrestleMania? Jericho says he got heat for months for calling HBK a sell-out and a phony, and he was right along. HBK says if there’s one thing that allows him to sleep at night without being sick with himself, it’s knowing that he personally stopped Orton and Jericho from fighting for the World Title. Orton tells Michaels to face the facts, he took a turn for the worse and it turns out Ric Flair’s career was ended by a weak pathetic sell-out. Orton says once their protest is heard, the decision will be overturned tonight. Stephanie’s music hits and out she comes to the stage looking fine as ever. She is not fat and they’re showing her full body. Wow. She looks amazing for a new mom. Stephanie says JBL won last week after clotheslining Michaels and the decision stands. She says they have a shot to main event WrestleMania if they win the Royal Rumble match. Jericho is pissed and says HBK shouldn’t be allowed in the Rumble match. Stephanie says that’s not his decision but JBL says he agrees to that. He has made it clear HBK’s purpose at the Rumble is to protect him and he will be in JBL’s corner to help him defeat Cena.
Stephanie says she agrees to that, so apparently HBK is out of the Rumble match. For tonight, Stephanie announces Chris Jericho and Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels and John Cena, to see how much integrity HBK has left. Stephanie’s music hits again as everyone in the ring looks at each other. Cole runs down tonight’s card with the IC Title match as we go to commercial.
– Back from commercial and we get a clip of last week where Melina won the right to face Beth Phoenix at the Rumble, then Rosa attacking Melina from the crowd.
Goldust and Melina vs. Beth Phoenix and Santino Marella
Goldust is in the ring waiting as Lilian does the introductions. Out comes Melina with her red carpet entrance. Melina spots Rosa in the crowd and waves at her. Out next is Santino Marella and WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix.
Beth and Melina start the match off first while Rosa sits at ringside. They lock up and Beth gets the upperhand first, sending her to the mat. Melina fights back out of a hold with right hands but Beth just drops her again. Beth lifts Melina and drops her after Santino tags himself in. Santino grabs Melina’s arm but she slaps him. Goldust is tagged in and bumps Santino. A big slap then arm drag by Goldust. Goldust drops big knees on Santino and takes him back to his feet.
Santino counters Goldust and takes him to the mat for a 2 count. Santino puts a headlock on Goldust but gets hit with the old school right hand. Clothesline by Goldust. He blows a kiss at Beth, drops Santino again and gets a 2 count. Melina and Beth are tagged back in. Beth rams Melina in the corner. Melina goes to the top and slams Beth’s face into the mat with a pretty cool looking move. Melina gets the pinfall on Beth for the win.
Winners: Melina and Goldust
After the match, Rosa throws a sign at Melina and hops the rail. They brawl until security breaks it up and takes Rosa through the crowd. Goldust and Melina head to the back with their hands in the air.
– We go backstage with Todd Grisham and CM Punk. Punk talks about his Intercontinental Title match tonight and brings up Ricky Steamboat, Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect. Punk says it’s a new year and Grisham wishes him good luck as we go back to commercial.
Intercontinental Championship Match: CM Punk vs. William Regal
Out first is CM Punk to a nice pop. William Regal comes to the ring next with the belt around his waist and Layla looking fine at his side. The bell rings and Regal backs Punk into the corner. Punk comes right out of it and gets a 2 count. Snap suplex by Punk for another 2 count. Regal ducks the high knee in the corner by Punk but gets kicked to the mat. Regal rolls to the floor for a breather. Punk goes to dive onto Regal but he pulls Layla in the way and Punk halts. Regal pulls Punk to the floor with a cheap shot and we’re back in the ring now with Regal in control.
Regal takes control now and gets a close 2 count on Punk. Regal grounds Punk on the mat as Layla looks on pissed. Punk kicks Regal out of nowhere and drops him for another 2 count. Punk nails the high knee in the corner but can’t hit the bulldog. Regal whips him in the corner. Punk puts Regal up for the GTS. Regal hangs onto the ropes but Punk pulls him around the ring, still in the position for the GTS. Regal grabs the referee’s shirt and the match is thrown out. Layla rushes to the table and grabs the belt. CM Punk wins by DQ but doesn’t win the belt.
Winner by DQ: CM Punk
– After the match, Punk is pissed as Regal and Layla head up the ramp. Stephanie appears on the big screen and says she won’t have the first title match of 2009 ending like that and says CM Punk will get a rematch and if Regal is disqualified in that match, he loses the belt on a DQ. We go to commercial.
– We’re backstage with JBL and Shawn Michaels. JBL is talking about how great everything has worked out for them tonight. JBL tells him that if an RKO and Codebreaker happens tonight, HBK gets a bonus. Add a Super Kick to Cena and he gets a really big bonus. JBL says he hired HBK to get him to WrestleMania 25 as World Champion in Texas.
– Backstage Randy Orton is with Cody Rhodes and Sim Snuka. He said they won last week and are almost a part of the group. He says if they win tonight, then they are in. Orton talks about not accepting failure as Manu walks up, asking for a second chance. Manu points out Orton also lost his match this week. This pisses Orton off. Orton says Manu hasn’t done anything and says his father wasn’t anything compared to Orton’s father or him. Orton tells Manu he will never, ever be a part of his group and doesn’t want to see his face again. Manu is pissed as Orton walks off. Sim and Cody follow as Manu fumes.
– We cut to another area backstage as Dolph Ziggler introduces himself to Mickie James. Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio are headed to the ring as we go back to commercial.
John Morrison and The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio
Back from commercial and the World Tag Team Champions are in the ring doing their entrance. Miz takes the mic and asks why people are booing them when they should boo themselves. Morrison says New Orleans is the murder capital of the country, so don’t blame them for being who they are. They end it with a “Be Jealous” as Rey Mysterio’s music hits and out he comes. Out next is his partner Kofi Kingston in what looks to be a non-title match.
Kofi and Miz start the match out with Kofi getting a quick 2 count. Kofi hits some more offense as Miz ducks to the floor to regain his composure as Kofi taunts him from the ring. We go back to commercial.
Back from commercial and Miz has Rey on the mat with a headlock. During the break Miz caught Rey in mid-air and dropped him on his face. Rey slaps and punches at Miz to break the hold but gets thrown in the corner. Rey drops Miz on the turnbuckle and tags in Kofi. Kofi chops and kicks at Miz, knocking him down with a dropkick. Kofi goes to the floor and pulls Morrison’s face down to the apron. Kofi goes to springboard back in the ring onto Miz but Morrison pulls him down, letting Miz regain control.
Miz drops some elbow drops and tags in Morrison. Morrison goes to work on the hurt knee of Kofi Kingston. Morrison pulls Kofi’s leg over the edge of the apron and keeps working it over as the ref counts. Miz gets tagged in for a little bit of double teaming. Miz continues to work on Kofi’s leg.
Kofi finally gets to his feet but Miz beats him down and knocks Rey off the apron. Miz goes down and Kofi looks for a tag but Rey isn’t there. Miz drags Kofi back and tags back in Morrison who nails a series of right hands on Kofi. Morrison stomps on Kofi and kicks him in the face getting a 2 count. Kofi takes Morrison down with a head scissors but Miz gets tagged back in to continue punishing Kofi.
Rey finally gets tagged in as Morrison does. Morrison hits a bunch of high impact moves and a dropkick to the face for a 2 count on Morrison. Morrison counters a move off the ropes and drops Rey hard on the mat for a 2 count of his own. Rey climbs the top rope with Morrison in hand and hits a crazy looking plancha move. Miz comes in but Kofi ends up dumping him to the floor over the top rope. Rey with a dropkick on Morrison off the top. Rey nails the 619 and kicks Miz away on the apron, distracting him a bit. Mysterio comes off the top and Morrison kicks him in the gut for the pinfall and the win.
Winners: John Morrison and The Miz
After the match, Miz and Morrison head to the back as Rey is trying to recover in the ring. Mike Knox rushes the ring and attacks Rey, pummeling him. Kofi tries to make the save from the floor but gets dropped. Knox sets Rey on the ropes and gives him a huge boot, sending Rey to the floor. Knox climbs over the rope and walks past Rey to the back as the ref checks on Rey.
– Backstage we see Shawn Michaels getting ready when John Cena walks up. He asks if he’s fighting three guys out there tonight or what. He says is he getting Shawn Michaels or JBL’s puppet. HBK says he is nobody’s puppet. HBK says as far as what to expect, what does history tell him. HBK walks off as we go back to commercial.
Kelly Kelly vs. Jillian Hall
Back from commercial and Kelly Kelly makes her way to the ring. We see the clip of where Randy Orton shut her down last week. Jillian Hall comes down the ramp horribly singing “When the Saints…” The two Divas start the match by locking up. Kelly ends up on the apron and Jillian lets her come back in the ring. Jillian decks her when she comes back in and starts throwing Kelly around for a 2 count.
Jillian controls the entire match, throwing Kelly around and stomping on her. Another 2 count by Jillian. Jillian locks on a full nelson until Kelly counters it and ends up taking Jillian down with a head scissors. Kelly nails a cross body off the top rope for a 2 count. Two clotheslines and a dropkick by Kelly send Jillian back down for a 2 count.
Kelly tries to hit a victory roll but Jillian stops her and gets a 2 count. Jillian cartwheels into Kelly’s foot. Kelly nails a finisher move to get the pinfall and the win.
Winner: Kelly Kelly
After the match Kelly is celebrating until Jillian attacks her from behind and goes to work. The pyro explodes and out comes Kane. Jillian runs off through the crowd. Kane gets on the mic and says the truth finally came out, she never liked him and was protecting Randy Orton. Kane says Orton rejected her and says it doesn’t feel so good, does it? Kane says next week, he is going to go back to what makes him feel good, destroying people. Kane says he has a match with Randy Orton next week and tells her to feel free to watch. Kane walks off as Kelly looks terrified.
Cody Rhodes and Sim Snuka vs. Cryme Tyme
Out first is Cody and Snuka followed by Cryme Tyme. JTG and Snuka start the match off first going back and forth. JTG comes off the ropes with a shoulder and a 2 count. Shad comes in and runs right over Sim. JTG gets tagged back in for some double teaming on Snuka. Snuka back kicks JTG and hits him with right hands.
JTG and Cody get tagged in, going back and forth. Sim sneaks in a cheap shot and Rhodes stomps away on Shad. 2 count by Cody. Rhodes slams JTG and tags back in Sim. Sim off the ropes, landing on JTG for another 2 count. Sim grounds JTG to the mat with a chinlock. JTG counters Sim, dropping him with a back breaker. Cody and Shad get tagged in at the same time and Shad unloads on Cody. Shad nails a big slam, runs the ropes and drops the big Money elbow. Sim makes the save but gets dumped on the apron by Shad. Shad runs at Cody in the corner but he moves out of the way. JTG tags himself in and gets a 2 count on Cody. Cody and JTG counter each other until Cody nails an inverted DDT for the pinfall and the win.
Winners: Cody Rhodes and Sim Snuka
– Backstage we see JBL coming to the ring as we get ready for another commercial break.
– Back from commercial and we get a video promoting Mr. Kennedy’s new movie, coming out on DVD tomorrow.
– We go backstage with Sim Snuka and Cody Rhodes walking up to Randy Orton all excited. Orton says Snuka is out of the group. He says Cody got the pinfall but Sim argues it was a tag match. Orton says he wanted to see who the weakest link was and asks Cody what he thinks. Cody says all he knows is that he won the match and walks off. Sim is pissed.
– We cut to Stephanie McMahon, Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix backstage. Steph says Rosa Mendes is banned from WWE events. Beth accepts it but Santino doesn’t like it and says she is obsessed with him. Beth thanks Stephanie and walks off with Santino’s head in her grasp. Chris Jericho walks in and says he saw JBL leaving her office earlier and asks what it was about. Jericho says he also sent his protest from earlier to Vince McMahon. Stephanie says since the accident, Vince has been out of the picture. Jericho says he got a call from Vince’s office tonight and in two weeks, Vince will be returning on RAW. Jericho says we will find out who’s show this really is and walks off.
– We cut to John Cena walking to the ring as we go back to commercial.
Randy Orton and Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels and John Cena
Chris Jericho and Randy Orton come out separately first for tonight’s main event. Out next is Shawn Michaels to a mixed reaction followed by the World Heavyweight Champion John Cena.
Cena and Jericho start the match off. They lock up and Jericho takes Cena to the mat with a headlock. Jericho runs the ropes and Cena takes him down with the same hold. HBK tags himself in as Cena goes for the FU. He drops Jericho as HBK misses the Sweet Chin Music. Jericho gets dumped to the floor and it looks like Cena and HBK are on the same page now. JBL walks out to the stage and just stares at HBK as we go back to commercial.
Back from commercial and HBK and Orton are wrestling in the ring. JBL has gone backstage during the break. HBK tags in Cena, who comes in and hits two shoulders on Orton and an atomic drop. Cena gets the crowd pumped and hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Orton. Orton scoops Orton for the FU but Jericho comes in. HBK comes in and clotheslines Jericho. Cena goes for the FU again on Orton but HBK argues with him after Cena had him. Orton decks Cena from the side and takes control. Jericho is tagged in now, using the ropes against Cena.
Jericho picks Cena to his feet and slaps him, taunting him. Jericho distracts the ref so Orton can get some cheap shots in on Cena. Jericho hits a baseball slide on Cena, sending him to the floor. Jericho comes to the floor and slams Cena’s face into the announcers table. Back in the ring and Jericho gets a 2 count.
Jericho applies a headlock on Cena as HBK looks on. Cena lifts out of it and picks Jericho up for the FU but he counters and breaks Cena’s hold. 2 count by Jericho. Orton is tagged back in for a little bit of double teaming. Orton begins stomping on Cena like he usually does. Big knee by Orton for a 2 count.
Orton backs Cena into the corner and puts the boot to his throat. Jericho is tagged back in now and Cena fights back with him. Jericho locks on a sleeper hold but Cena tries to fight out of it. Cena reaches for a tagand HBK reaches back out. Jericho pulls Cena back to the mat with the sleeper still locked. We see JBL watching on a monitor backstage. Cena finally gets to his feet and breaks the hold. Jericho takes him to the top for a superplex but Cena pushes him off. Cena with a big leg drop from the top.
Cena tries to tag but Orton gets tagged in first and comes in for a 2 count on Cena. Orton drops Cena with right hands. Cena blocks a dropkick by Orton but goes down himself. Cena leaps to tag in HBK. Michaels comes in but looks at Cena in the corner. Jericho comes from behind and HBK decks him. HBK hits his usual series of moves on Jericho. Jericho does the Lionsault but lands on HBK’s knees. Scoop slam from HBK and he goes to the top rope. HBK goes for the elbow drop but Jericho puts his knees up and HBK hurts himself. Jericho locks the Walls of Jericho but HBK rolls him for a 2 count. Orton comes in but Cena tries to stop him. Back breaker by Orton on Cena. HBK hits the Sweet Chin Music on Orton, then Jericho. HBK covers Jericho for the pinfall and the win.
Winners: John Cena and Shawn Michaels
After the match, HBK looks confused. Cena nods at him in approval. HBK walks back and looks at Cena. Todd Grisham is backstage with JBL. JBL says he talked with Stephanie and on next week’s RAW, HBK will face John Cena in singles action. JBL says he will be in HBK’s corner. We cut back to the arena where HBK’s music is still playing. Cena tries to get HBK pumped but it’s not happening. RAW goes off the air.
