– Tonight’s WWE RAW
kicks off with tons of pyro as Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler welcome us to Dallas, Texas. The Miz will defend the US Title against Mark Henry tonight and Chris Jericho will take on DX in a Handicap main event. We go to the ring where Justin Roberts introduces the founder of HDNet and the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban. Cuban enters the ring from the crowd to a nice pop.
Cuban makes the crowd pop and welcomes the world to Dallas. Cuban says he’s incredibly excited to be hosting RAW tonight. Cuban asks if there are any Mavericks fans in the house and it sounds like their are. Cuban says fans know he can get crazy at courtside but they haven’t seen anything yet as he will get crazy at ringside tonight on RAW. Cuban says he’s large and in charge all night long. Cuban is going to let the TLC opponents have words, no holds barred tonight. He introduces the WWE Champion and out comes John Cena to a nice pop.
John Cena vs. Carlito
Cena makes his entrance and out comes his opponent, Carlito, for tonight’s opening match as made by Mark Cuban.
The bell rings and they go at it. Carlito takes Cena to the corner. Cuban takes a seat back in the crowd at ringside. Carlito rocks Cena with right hands and a big kick to the face. Carlito with a big knee to the face. Cena catches him in the Adjuster but Carlito slides out and dropkicks Cena for a 2 count.
Cena fights back and goes to hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle when the music of Sheamus hits. The #1 contender comes out to the ramp. Mark Cuban sees this and hops the railing. Cuban walks to the ramp between Sheamus and the ring. Sheamus comes down the ramp but WWE security stand by Cuban and keep Sheamus from coming down. Carlito takes advantage of the distraction and lays out Cena in the ring. Cena goes for the Backstabber but Cena catches him in the Attitude Adjustment for the pinfall and the win.
Winner: John Cena
– We take a commercial break with a graphic promoting a Championship Showdown between Sheamus and John Cena later tonight and a promo for next week’s three-hour RAW with Dennis Miller and the Slammy Awards.
– Back from the break and Randy Orton makes his entrance to the ring with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. Orton takes the mic and the crowd gives him some heat. He applauds Cuban for taking charge and showing some authority. Orton says he doesn’t care who wins the WWE Title at TLC because of what Cuban is about to do for him. Orton tells Cuban he will lift Orton’s ban from WWE Title matches as long as Cena’s the Champion. Orton demands the next WWE Title match at TLC.
Ted DiBiase takes the mic and says he knows rich people have pride but they shouldn’t be stupid. Ted says Cuban has left them no choice. Ted shows a clip from 2003 at the Survivor Series when Orton laid out Cuban with the RKO. Cuban says he thought it might happen like this tonight. Cuban says Orton will not fight the winner of the WWE Title match at TLC. Cuban says Orton got lucky against Kofi Kingston on RAW last week and says the only reason he won is because the WWE referees are worse than the NBA referees. Cuban announces Orton vs. Kofi tonight on RAW with Cuban as the special referee. Cody takes the mic and tells Cuban he can’t talk to them like this. Cody disses the Mavericks. Some of the Mavericks are sitting with Cuban and the Bella Twins at ringside. Cody challenges Cuban to a match tonight. If Cody wins, he lifts Orton’s WWE Title match ban. Cuban says we can talk about this again after the Mavericks win the NBA Championship. Cuban says Legacy have a match to get ready for and out come their opponents.
Evan Bourne and Primo vs. Legacy
Primo and Evan Bourne make their way to the ring for this tag team match. Cuban has words at ringside as Legacy group with Randy Orton to talk. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Primo and Cody are going at it. Ted comes in for some double teaming and a close 2 count on Primo. Ted stomps away on Primo and tags back in Cody for more double teaming. Cody with more offense and a 2 count on Primo. Ted is tagged in and hits a big dropkick on Primo. Primo backdrops Ted but Cody is tagged back in. Cody knocks Bourne off the apron and they double team Primo some more. Cody with 2 on Primo.
Cody and Primo collide and both go down. Ted and Bourne come in at the same time. Bourne with a head scissors off the ropes. Bourne knocks Cody off the apron. Bourne goes to the top but Ted stops him. Ted goes for a superplex but Bourne knocks him back. Bourne with the double knees off the top for a 2 count as Cody makes the save.
Primo pulls Cody out to the floor and they brawl. Ted comes up on Bourne and nails the Dream Street for the pinfall and the win.
Winners: Legacy
– After the match, Cuban is shown at ringside talking with Justin Roberts. Justin announces that Mark Cuban has ejected Rhodes and DiBiase from the arena tonight. This pisses Legacy off. Security comes down to escort Legacy out of the building. Cole and Lawler lead us into a video package of Sheamus destroying people since he’s been on RAW.
Back from the break and Kelly Kelly is in the ring announcing this match. Maryse comes out first followed by her opponent, Gail Kim. Maryse and Gail have words before the match. Maryse shoves Gail but gets speared right back. Gail takes it to Maryse in the corner. Gail catches Maryse’s leg and drops her with a clothesline. Gail with a 2 count rollup.
Maryse slaps the hell out of Gail and runs outside. Gail chases her and slams her face into the ring apron. Back in the ring, Gail takes it back to the corner. She goes to the top but Maryse kicks her off and down to the mat. Maryse pins Gail and uses the ropes for leverage to get the win.
Winner: Maryse
– After the match, Kelly Kelly announces Maryse as the winner. Maryse goes to ringside and wants Kelly to announce her as the next Divas Champion. Maryse shoves Kelly. Kelly shoves her back into the ring apron. They go at it until Melina runs down and chases Maryse off.
– Back from the break and DX is backstage with a Christmas tree and stuff. Time to shill some merchandise for the Holidays. How about the new DX slippers? Or a DX Santa hat? Shawn says he got Triple H a gift and it’s the new SmackDown vs. RAW video game. Shawn starts playing the game. Triple H says he’s been playing all week because he got one in the mail free too… exposing Shawn as a re-gifter. Triple H has a gift for HBK also. The box pops open and it’s Hornswoggle in a DX t-shirt. Hornswoggle shows off the t-shirt. This goes nowhere. They talk about Star Wars or something. Hornswoggle ends up on top of the Christmas tree and jumps down on DX, knocking everyone to the floor. Hornswoggle does some crotch chops before walking off. DX crack a joke and that’s it.
– We go to another video package pushing Sheamus.
Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston
Back from the break and Justin Roberts introduces the special referee for this match, Mark Cuban. Out first comes Randy Orton, without Legacy as they were ejected from the building. Out next is Kofi Kingston to a nice pop. Cuban calls for the bell and here we go. They lock up and Kofi strikes first in the corner. Kofi sends Orton to the floor with a clothesline. Kofi leaps through the ropes and onto Orton on the floor.
They go back in the ring and Orton gains some momentum. Orton stomps Kofi to the mat and works him over. Kofi tries to fight back but Orton scoop slams him and drops a big knee to the head. Orton works Kofi over and has words with Cuban. More stomps by Orton and a headlock on Kofi.
Kofi finally fights back with a bunch of right hands in the corner. Kofi mounts Orton and continues with the rights. Orton runs into a big uppercut from Kofi. Kofi takes Orton back to the mat and gets hyped, hitting the Boom Boom Drop. Orton ducks Trouble in Paradise and nails Kofi with the backbreaker. Orton starts stalking Kofi on the mat.
Orton goes for the RKO but Kofi turns it into a backslide pin. Cuban counts fast and Kofi gets the win.
Winner: Kofi Kingston
– After the match, Cuban takes the mic and says he waited 6 years to get revenge on Orton and here it is. Cuban says Orton and Kofi are 1-1 and will have their rubber match at the TLC pay-per-view in a singles match.
– We go to another video package for Sheamus. We see MVP and Mark Henry walking to the ring as we go back to commercial break.
WWE United States Title Match: Mark Henry vs. The Miz
Back from the break and the WWE US Champion The Miz makes his way to the ring. Out next is his challenger, Mark Henry to a nice pop. We go to clips of Henry dancing with the Divas and Verne Troyer on last week’s show.
They lock up and Miz applies a headlock. Henry powers out and tosses Miz. Miz goes for a rollup on Henry but can’t pull him down. Henry goes to sit on Miz but he moves. Miz with a kick to the face and a 2 count. Miz drops a knee and kicks Henry. Henry shakes it all off and gets to his feet. Henry swings wild and Miz ducks it. Henry with a big headbutt and a splash. Henry lifts Miz above his head but Miz fights out and dropkicks Henry to the floor.
Miz runs the apron and dropkicks Henry into the steel steps. Henry grabs Miz by the throat and gets back in the ring. Henry sells the attack into the steps. Miz comes off the top rope but Henry catches him in mid-air for a big slam. Miz counters and lays Henry out with a DDT for the pinfall and the win.
Winner: The Miz
– Backstage we see Chris Jericho talking with Big Show. Back to commercial break.
– Back from the break and we see Chris Masters talking with Mark Cuban at ringside.
Eve and Hornswoggle vs. Jillian Hall and Chavo Guerrero
Back from the break and Chavo is waiting in the ring with Jillian. Out comes the team of Eve and Hornswoggle, who is in DX gear. Hornswoggle tags in Eve when the match starts and they go back and forth on tags. Jillian and Eve lock up. Eve is distracted by Chavo. Jillian drops her from behind and goes to work. Jillian with a clothesline and a 2 count.
Jillian keeps control of Eve until a kick to the face and a flying clothesline by Eve. Eve hits two dropkicks and gets a 2 count. Eve tries a move in the corner but Jillian pushes her off. Jillian lands on Eve’s knees. Eve runs the ropes and hits a senton for the pinfall and the win.
Winners: Eve and Hornswoggle
– After the match, Hornswoggle dances with Eve until Chavo attacks him. Eve comes to Hornswoggle’s defense and yells at Chavo. Chavo shoves Hornswoggle to the mat. He and Eve have words. Chris Masters enters the ring and takes his shirt off, having words with Chavo. The crowd chants for a Masterlock. Chavo backs Masters up with fingers to the chest. Masters stops and his pecs start dancing again. Eve likes this and smiles. Masters snaps and locks the Masterlock on Chavo, laying him out. Eve is mesmerized by Masters’ pecs and leaves with him. Hornswoggle tries to make his pecs jump.
– We get another video hyping Sheamus as we go to break.
– We come back from commercial and Lawler is in the ring with Cole to hype the TLC pay-per-view for this coming weekend.
Chris Jericho vs. DX
One half of the Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho makes his way out to the ring. They tell him he sucks and he tells them he doesn’t because he was the 2008 Superstar of the Year. He says at the Slammy’s next week, he will be named the 2009 Superstar of the Year, winner of the OMG Moment of the Year, Tag Team of the Year and Match of the Year after TLC this Sunday. Jericho says he is bigger than RAW and SmackDown. He goes where he wants because he’s the best at what he does, according to him. He says he’s staying on RAW as long as he wants to. He talks about how he is going to beat DX at TLC. More heat from the crowd as Jericho brags about what he’s done. Jericho says to never underestimate him as we take another commercial break.
Back from the break and DX make their way to the ring for the main event match. The bell rings and Jericho starts it off with HBK. They go back and forth. HBK with a big chop to the mat. HBK takes it to the corner and tags in Triple H. They double team Jericho in the corner. HBK comes back in for more double teaming. Huge chop by HBK. HBK with a kick to the head. He runs Jericho into Triple H’s boot and back in comes HHH for more double teaming. More of the same here. Back and forth by DX.
Triple H works over Jericho until Jericho throws the referee into Triple H. Big Show runs down and lays HBK out with a big headbutt. HBK with big body blows on HBK in the corner. Triple H comes in with a steel chair and cracks Show in the back with it. Show charges after Triple H and punches the chair right into his face. Show charges HBK in the corner but he moves. HBK brings a ladder from under the ring. Jericho hits a baseball slide into the ladder, knocking it into HBK.
Show opens the ladder in the ring and lays HBK and Triple H in between the legs. Jericho smashes the ladder with a chair and works DX over. Jericho goes and grabs his tag belts and holds them over DX, screaming never. Show stands on HBK’s head as Jericho climbs the ladder with his belts. Show and Jericho pose above DX as they try to recover on the mat.
Winners by DQ: DX
– We see John Cena and Sheamus heading to the ring for their Championship Showdown as we go back to commercial break.
– Back from the break and Mark Cuban is in the ring to host the Championship Showdown. He introduces the #1 contender first, Sheamus. Cuban is standing at a podium with the TLC logo on it and there are tables on both sides of him. Out next is the WWE Champion John Cena.
Cuban says he is going to ask three questions and they can say whatever they want, nothing is off limits. Cuban asks Sheamus why he thinks he will win at TLC. Sheamus takes a mic and mentions Cena’s WWE debut in 2002 and how it took him 3 years to win a World Title. Sheamus says it will only take him weeks and talks about how he’s never been beaten in a ring or on the streets. Cena says he has no comment. Cuban asks if they’re concerned about wrestling in the tables match. Sheamus answers first and says Cena won’t be in any condition for a rematch after TLC. Sheamus says he’s going to put Cena through two tables and shatter his backbone. Sheamus says Cena has never faced anyone like him before.
It’s Cena’s turn to reply now and again he says no comment. Cuban’s final question here. He asks if either of them want to say directly to their opponent. Sheamus talks but Cena interrupts and says he has a question for Sheamus. Cena says Sheamus talks a lot. Cena says in 7 years he’s faced just about everyone there is from up and comers to Hall of Famers, everyone from HBK to Kevin Federline. Cena says a lot of guys have said what Sheamus is saying now and he’s still here after everything.
Cena says the same thing he says every week about what he’s done and how he’s on another level. Cena says the Champ is here… more of the same again. Cena says he will make Sheamus a footnote in WWE history. Cena says Sheamus impressed him but doesn’t intimidate him. Sheamus tosses a table out of the way. Cena tosses one of the chairs and table out of the way, and the podium. Sheamus lays out Mark Cuban with a push as Cuban tried to get between them and drops Cena with a kick to the face. Sheamus starts tossing furniture out of the ring as we go to a replay. Sheamus stands up a table in the corner. Cena gets to his feet but Sheamus kicks him back to the mat. Cuban starts to get up now. Cuban and Sheamus come face to face. Cuban shoves Sheamus to the mat.
Sheamus is shocked at this. He gets back up and stares Cuban down. Sheamus hits Cuban with a knee to the gut and he goes down. Sheamus lifts Cuban over his shoulder and drives him through the table setup in the corner. Sheamus declares he is the new WWE Champion. The Dallas Mavericks at ringside get up and walk towards Sheamus. Sheamus backs up the ramp yelling about the WWE Title. Cena gets to his feet in the ring as officials tend to Mark Cuban. RAW goes off the air with Cena and Sheamus staring each other down.
