– The pyro explodes as we’re live in Columbus, Ohio for tonight’s RAW from the Nationwide Arena. Michael Cole welcomes us to RAW, just six nights away from Judgment Day. Lilian Garcia is in the ring and she introduces the WWE Champion Randy Orton.
– Voices starts playing and Orton walks out with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. Orton starts in on the fans as he takes the mic. Orton says the fans don’t fight back when they deal with problems, they just sit and take it. Orton calls everyone cowards. Orton says he put an end to the McMahon era last week and shows clips of their match with Shane.
Orton says everyone needs to recognize that WWE revolves around him and mentions Batista. Orton says earlier today, Vickie Guerrero announced a “no physical contact” ruling between Orton and Batista until Judgment Day. Orton invites Batista to the ring for a chat and the music plays, out comes Batista to the ring.
Orton tells Batista that he will not win the WWE Championship, not this Sunday, not ever. Orton offers Batista a chance to join Legacy. Ted tells Batista he knows he’s mad about getting kicked by Orton. Ted says it was the best thing for his own career when Orton kicked him in the head. Ted tries to convince Batista to join. Orton says they will be bigger than the Horsemen, DX and Evolution if he joins. Orton says Batista could be on his side and brings up Arn Anderson and Ric Flair. Orton says Batista can be his enforcer like Arn was to Flair. Batista takes the mic and says it sounds like a great opportunity but there’s one problem, he don’t like him. He despises Orton, he says. No, he loathes Orton. Batista says he will never be Orton’s backup. Batista says he is here to hurt Orton and there’s nothing he can do to stop him. Orton says Batista just made the biggest mistake of his life and if there wasn’t a ruling tonight, he would drop him right now.
Batista says he’s tired of listening to Orton and Vickie Guerrero and he’s tired of waiting. Batista says he’s pretty sure Vickie won’t call off the Judgment Day match so there’s nothing stopping him from destroying Orton tonight. Batista drops the mic and backs up. Excuse me! Out comes Vickie and Chavo Guerrero and she’s pissed. She asks if she was just called predictable. She doesn’t care if they tear each other up. She says things are going to get interesting and announces Batista vs. DiBiase and Rhodes tonight. She says if Legacy wins, there will be a 3 on 1 Handicap match tonight and if Batista wins, we will see Orton vs. Batista tonight. Batista vs. DiBiase and Rhodes is next, after the commercial.
Batista vs. Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase
Back from the break and the match is already underway. Batista is working over Ted in the corner with shoulders. Batista launches Ted into the other corner and continues to control the match. Michael Cole calls this a tag team match up. Batista hits a big suplex on Cody after he comes in. Ted distracts Batista and Cody takes his knee out from behind and goes to work, tagging back in Ted.
Ted comes in and works over the leg of Batista. Cody comes back in for some double teaming on both legs. Cody stomps away on Batista. Ted tags himself back in and uses the apron against Batista’s leg. 2 count by Ted. Batista kicks Ted into Cody but Cody comes back in with more focus on the leg. Batista fights them both off and clotheslines Cody a few times. Clothesline in the corner by Batista and a big back drop. He kicks Ted off the apron but turns around to a shot from Cody. Batista nails Cody and he rolls to the floor. The ref is distracted as Cody brings in a steel chair to the ring. Batista stops him but the ref turns around to Batista with the chair in his hands, swinging it as Cody ducks back to the floor. The ref DQ’s Batista.
Winners: Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase by DQ
– It will be a 3 on 1 Handicap match later tonight in the main event. Cody and Ted taunt Batista as they head to the back and we go for another commercial break.
Maryse and Jillian vs. Mickie James and Kelly Kelly
WWE Divas Champion Maryse is in the ring with after we return from commercial. She’s speaking in French and says if she wasn’t Maryse, she would want to be. Out comes Mickie followed by Kelly. Jillian and Kelly start the match off and Jillian gets taken down by Kelly.
Kelly hits a few counters and a nice head scissors move. Maryse distracts Kelly and Jillian drops her with a clothesline for a 2 count. Jillian in control now. Maryse is tagged in and they double team Kelly. Maryse applies a chinlock on Kelly. Kelly gets to her feet but Maryse drops her using her hair. Mickie comes in and goes to work on Maryse with her usual offense. Mickie hits the big Thesz Press off the top but only gets a 2 count as Jillian makes the save. Kelly dumps Jillian to the floor and clotheslines her off the apron. Maryse goes for her DDT in the ring but Mickie counters it. Mickie ends up hitting her DDT and getting the pinfall for the win on Maryse.
Winners: Mickie James and Kelly Kelly
– Josh Matthews is backstage with Randy Orton. He starts talking when Ted DiBiase walks up and says Cody Rhodes is gone. Orton steps away from the corner and they’re seen talking. Orton asks where Batista is at and they march off. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and Cole leads us into replays of Backlash where Big Show threw John Cena into the light. Then we see what happened last week where Show beat the hell out of Cena.
– Backstage is Chavo Guerrero talking with Vickie. He’s proud of her for the way she handled herself earlier. Chavo talks about John Cena and says even though he’s not medically cleared until Sunday, he should be forced to compete tonight in an “exhibition match” to prove that he’s not milking his injuries. Chavo says Cena will compete until Vickie is satisfied. Vickie says that’s brilliant and announces Cena vs. Miz later, which we already knew.
– We go to Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler, who are in the ring for some odd reason. They run down the card for this Sunday’s Judgment Day from the ring. Odd.
– Backstage we see Cody and Ted looking for Cody, going separate ways. Randy finds him talking to some woman. A man runs by saying he will get a doctor. Orton finds Ted laid out in the hallway with officials tending to him. Orton is pissed as we go back to break.
– We get a “Coming Soon” promo for the RAW return of Mr. Kennedy.
Carlito vs. The Brian Kendrick
WWE’s Unified Tag Team Champions Primo and Carlito start to make their entrance but Primo goes back to the back. Out next is Carlito’s opponent, The Brian Kendrick.
Kendrick taunts Carlito as the bell rings and Carlito lays him out. Big dropkick by Carlito. Cole says Carlito requested this rematch this week. Kendrick gets a break and takes control, hitting a clothesline in the corner and going to the top. Carlito kicks him in mid-air and drops him with a big clothesline and then a big leg drop. 2 count by Carlito. Carlito goes to springboard off the ropes and Kendrick yanks him down by his hair. Kendrick throws Carlito into the ring post and rolls him up for a 3 count out of nowhere.
Winner: The Brian Kendrick
– After the match, Kendrick takes the mic. He says that was just the first step. The next step is to find a tag team partner and become the WWE Tag Team Champions.
– Back from commercial and we’re supposed to get John Cena vs. The Miz, but the music hits and out comes Big Show. Show makes his way over and takes a seat on RAW’s announce table.
Exhibition Match: The Miz vs. John Cena
Lilian announces that they will wrestle this match until Vickie Guerrero stops the match. Out first is John Cena to a pretty big pop. Cena stares down Show as he enters the ring. Out next is The Miz with a mic. Miz says what Show has done to Cena recently doesn’t compare to what he will do to him tonight. Miz taunts Cena. Miz puts down 12 Rounds and Cena’s rap albums. Miz says he’s awesome as we get ready to start.
No bell rings and there’s no referee. They go at it and go to the mat. Cena has his eyes on Big Show the whole time. Miz takes control and starts throwing Cena around and hits a nice suplex. Taunts by Miz. Miz hits his running clothesline in the corner as Show watches. Miz stomps away on Cena and works him over in the corner. Miz misses the corner clothesline this time and Cena hits him with two shoulders and a back drop.
Cena hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Miz when Vickie appears on the big screen. She says she has seen enough and is stopping this exhibition, saying it’s obvious Cena has no chance against Show. Miz takes advantage and decks Cena. Miz drops Cena and says he is now 3 and 0. Show just stares at Cena as we go backstage. WTF?
– Backstage we see Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton talking. Orton tells Cody it’s time he proves himself and go find Batista and take him out. Cody says he’s got this as he walks off. Back to commercial.
– Back from commercial and Chavo is backstage talking with Vickie. Santina Marella walks up. Vickie asks if it’s true that she called him swine-like last week. Santina says it was Santino and not her. Chavo tries proving it’s Santino but she slaps him. Vickie calls Rosa and Beth Phoenix in to try and prove it. Vickie orders Rosa to give Santina a good luck kiss. She kisses Santina. Santina grabs her and plants a kiss back on her. They try and get Santino to admit it. Santina says it’s true, she likes women. Comedy stuff here.
– We see Cody Rhodes backstage walking with a pipe. He hears something behind a door and opens it. Hornswoggle runs out from behind it. Batista grabs Cody from behind and throws him into the wall. Batista throws Cody inside the room, goes in with him and shuts the door. Back to commercial.
Beth Phoenix vs. Santina Marella
Back from the break and Beth Phoenix comes out with Rosa at her side. Beth looks pissed. The music hits and out comes her opponent, Santina Marella. Santina plays around to start the match. Beth rocks her with shots and goes to work with shoulders in the corner. Beth clotheslines Santina to the floor and goes after him. Beth lifts Santina above her head and throws her back in the ring. Beth with stomps and kicks now.
Santina manages a reversal but Beth catches him in a full nelson. Santina tries to power out and eventually breaks the hold. Beth mounts Santina with rights and lefts. Beth smacks and punches him, saying this has embarrassed her too much. Santina rolls Beth up out of nowhere to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Santina Marella
– Backstage Josh Matthews approaches John Cena. He asks Cena how is he going to be able to compete at Judgment Day this weekend. Cena says he is hurt and going through hard times, but how does that make him any different from anyone else? Cena says despite the troubles, people always find a way to adapt and overcome so he has to do what he does best – adapt and overcome. Cena says he isn’t going to compete at Judgment Day, he’s going to win.
MVP’s VIP Lounge
The WWE United States Champion MVP is making his way to the ring next. MVP welcomes us to the very first VIP Lounge on RAW. MVP talks about William Regal getting involved in his business last week. MVP calls out William Regal to the VIP Lounge.
Regal comes out and says he hates it how MVP comes to his RAW and acts like he owns it. Regal talks about being RAW GM last year and returning to pay his dues and wait for his chance again. Regal says the draft picks have came to RAW and tried to jump ahead of him in the pecking order. MVP says while he and the fans are straight up ballin, Regal is just boring. Regal says MVP perfectly represents the United States and calls him arrogant, misguided and despised by everyone else in the world. USA chants break out. Regal takes his coat off as Matt Hardy’s music hits and out he comes.
Hardy says since everyone is airing grievances tonight, he has to voice his. He talks about being forced to wrestle in a cast for three weeks. He says his loss to Kofi Kingston last week should be erased. Hardy tells Regal he needs to wait his turn and says he should get the US Title shot because he’s beat MVP so many times before. Hardy enters the ring but Kofi Kingston runs down and lays him out. They brawl to the floor. Chavo Guerrero runs out and says Vickie has ordered that the ring be cleared now for a tag team match after the break.
MVP and Kofi Kingston vs. William Regal and Matt Hardy
Back from the break and Kofi is going at it with Regal. 2 count by Kofi. Kofi decks Hardy off the apron. Kofi hits his big leg drop on Regal for a close 2 count. Hardy comes in the ring but so does MVP. The ref is distracted as Matt hits Kofi in the back with the cast. Regal with a 2 count on Kofi.
Matt is tagged in now and he goes to work on Kofi. Hardy with a scoop slam and a 2 count. Hardy with a body submission on Kofi as MVP waits for the tag. Hardy tags in Regal who comes in kicking at Kofi. Shoulder to the gut by Regal followed by a knee to the gut. Regal taunts MVP. Kofi starts fighting back but Regal slams him. 2 count by Regal. Hardy comes back in and continues the assault on Kofi. Another abdominal stretch by Matt on Kofi.
The hold is broken but Regal is tagged back in. A submission by Regal now. More knees by Regal. MVP is finally tagged in and goes to work on Regal with rights and lefts. A big knee to the face by MVP. MVP hits his ballin’ elbow for a 2 count. Hardy comes in but Kofi sends him to the floor. Regal dumps Kofi to the floor. MVP mounts Regal with rights and lefts and nails his big kick in the corner to the face of Regal. MVP hits the Playmaker for the pinfall and the win.
Winners: MVP and Kofi Kingston
– Randy Orton is shown backstage making his way to the ring by himself for the main event. We go back to commercial.
Randy Orton vs. Batista
Back from the break and the WWE Champion Randy Orton makes his way to the ring for what was supposed to be a 3 on 1 Handicap match. Orton takes the mic and tells Batista he made his point and says there’s no reason they should fight just six days away from their pay-per-view match. Orton is interrupted by Batista’s music.
Batista enters the ring and it looks like we’ve got a match. Orton strikes first and goes for an RKO. Batista lays him out with a clothesline. Orton goes to the floor and tries going into the crowd but Batista pulls him back into the ring. Big spinebuster by Batista and another. Batista brings a chair in the ring and smacks Orton with it, getting disqualified. Batista cracks Orton with the chair a few times and starts hitting his ankle with it like Orton did to Shane McMahon last week. Batista brings the steel steps in the ring.
Rhodes runs down but gets hit with a Batista Bomb. DiBiase attacks from the back. Orton goes for a RKO but Batista blocks it and drops Ted. He goes for the Batista Bomb on Orton but Ted stops him. Batista spears Ted and grabs the steps again. Orton goes to the floor. Batista launches the huge steps over the top rope and onto the ramp but Orton moves out of the way. Batista’s music plays as we go to replays. Orton is down on the ramp as Batista tells him he’s done from the ring. RAW goes off the air.
