By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT
AUGUST 9, 2010
SACRAMENTO, CALIF.
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK

[Q1]

-After the Raw opening, they went into a full pyro show. The sign on the stage said "SummerSlam this Sunday." Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler introduced the show and hyped the first-ever teaming of Bret Hart & John Cena against Chris Jericho & Edge with Nexus as lumberjacks.

-Bret Hart made his way to the ring to his intro song. "Hello Sacramento!" said Bret. He said for the past two weeks he's been back home in Calgary training like an absolute lunatic training for Summerslam only to see everything fall apart. He said it was a huge disappointment. He said one week ago Edge and Chris Jericho decided to quit Team WWE. He said he put his reputation on the line and vouched for both of them. He assured Cena they had enough experience to see the big picture and know that Nexus's momentum needs to be stopped right now. He said he was wrong, but it's not too late so he's going to take this opportunity to call Jericho and Edge to the ring so maybe "we can put this machine back together again."

Jericho walked to the ring. He told Bret to go ahead and dazzle him and stroke his ego talk him into rejoining the team. Bret said he doesn't have time "for that crap." He said Jericho is like a man without a country if he turned his back on everybody with nowhere to go. He said this is his chance to step up and join Team WWE and make things right and do the honorable thing. Jericho thought it through. Bret asked if he was going to step up or disappoint his fans everywhere by being a quitter. Jericho hung his head and softly said Jericho made him think, but his answer is still no. He said, "I had you figured out years ago. You're a phony, you're a hypocrite just like them." He said he's just scared of getting beaten up tonight and being put in the Walls of Jericho. He said he's scared and desperate and he can see it in his eyes. He said nobody can replace he and Edge. "Once again, in WWE, Bret Hart is screwed," he said.

[Q2]

Edge walked out next. He asked Jericho what's wrong with him. "This is Bret 'The Hitman' Hart," he said. "We grew up idolizing him. He's the reason we got into this business, Chris." He said he had his poster on his wall and he shoveled driveways every winter to save money so he could go to Maple Leaf Gardens and hope that Bret put those sunglasses on his head. Edge said, "Bret, I don't know about Jericho, but you can count me in." Jericho walked out of the ring in disgust. Edge shook Bret's hand, but then Edge tried to kick Bret. Bret caught his leg and set up a sharpshooter, but Jericho ran back in and popped Bret in the face. Natalya ran to the ring to check on Bret. She was hysterical. She told Bret something.

The cameras cut backstage to Nexus attacking Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith. Wade Barrett looked at the camera and said, "It's not your day, Bret." He said the Hart Dynasty won't be his replacements. [c]

-A trainer checked on Kidd and Smith as Natalya and Bret stood by concerned. Bret said he was going to take things into his own hands. Cena walked up to Bret and said he shouldn't do that because that's what Nexus wants. Cena said he wants to find out who else is with them starting with Great Khali. Bret nodded in reluctant agreement.

1 -- THE MIZ vs. EVAN BOURNE

Bourne had a black eye. Cole said he suffered it on Superstars last week. Miz took early control. At 2:00 Bourne made a comeback with roundhouse kicks, which Cole called unorthodox. Bourne leapfrogged backwards off the second rope and headscissored Miz to the mat. Lawler called it "a thing of beauty." It really was. Bourne is exactly what Raw has needed lately. Miz came back with the Skull Crushing Finale for the win.

WINNER: Miz in 3:00. That would not have overstayed its welcome if it lasted 13 minutes instead of three. As much as they're pushing Miz right now, Bourne deserved to last longer against him.

-Afterward Miz said he didn't care if it was Randy Orton or Sheamus who won their match on Sunday at Summerslam, he will walk out as WWE Champion "because I'm the Miz and I'm awesome!" [c]

[Q3]

2 -- ALICIA FOX vs. MELINA

Cole and Lawler discussed the situation with Cena and Bret's team and Nexus attacking the Hart Dynasty. When Fox called a spot in Melina's ear, Cole covered by saying she was mocking Melina there. They managed to mess up a swing into the ropes and a back breaker by Fox right afterward. Cole and Lawler mocked the referee for not scolding Fox more for pulling Melina's hair, saying he was intimidated by women. Melina a comeback with the Last Call Sunset Bomb for the win. Cole called that win over the champ an "emphatic win" and said she vaulted to the top.

WINNER: Melina in 3:00.

-Josh Matthews asked Great Khali backstage if his allegiance is to Team WWE or Team Nexus. Khali said Team WWE. He said something else, but Matthews didn't understand because Ranjin Singh wasn't there to translate. He issued a challenge to someone. Matthews said he challenged Barrett, so apparently he understood Khali's broken English better than I could. [c]

-They aired a clip of what happened during the break as the Raw G.M. sent word through Michael Cole that Fox will now defend the Divas Championship against Melina at Summerslam. Cole told Lawler that the G.M. also emailed him and told him Barrett would face Khali later. Lawler plugged that the Summertime Spectacular with six Divas would be coming up. Cole said Sheamus is also going to call out his Summerslam opponent Randy Orton later.

-Backstage Edge asked Jericho where Bret gets off telling them what to do. Jericho told Edge that Bret might be right now that he thinks about it. He said if Nexus takes over Raw, they'll be ostracized. Edge asked what they should do. Edge reminded Jericho that they survived and outlasted Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, DX, Mr. McMahon, and The Alliance. He said they'll survive against Nexus. Jericho agreed that they are generals. He suggested they take out Cena and Bret later which would lead to the match at Summerslam being canceled, which he concluded meant they would be in the clear.

-John Morrison told R-Truth that all they can control is their role. R-Truth asked if he's got his back. Morrison said he does. Mark Henry walked up and said he can replace both Edge and Jericho. He said his match coming up next should be considered his audition.

[Q4]

-They cut to The Nexuas watching on a monitor backstage. Then they headed out of the room. Barrett stayed behind. [c]

-WWE Fact: WWE's Facebook page has more fans than ESPN, the NHL, Major League Baseball, or the NFL.

-Ted DiBiase and Maryse walked out for their match against Mark Henry. Henry then walked out, but Nexus attacked him. They threw him hard into the ringside steps. Then Henry stood up and hugged Nexus and they all raised each other's arms. The Hart Dynasty joined in, too. Oh wait, that's what happened after the garbage brawl with Team 3D, Balls Bahoney & Axl Rotten, and the Gangstas last night at the TNA Hardcore Justice PPV. I forgot that WWE likes to draw money with their feuds. Nexus left and Henry lay flat on his face and didn't move.

-They cut backstage to Sheamus walking toward the entrance tunnel to call out Orton. [c]

-Sheamus walked to the ring. He said people speculated he would be scared to get into the ring with Orton. He said he was scared, scared of what he'd do to him. He said usually when people say that they're talking out of their arse, but in this case he speaks the truth. He said if anyone thinks Orton will swoop into Summerslam and take his championship away, he directed them toward the big screen showing highlights of Sheamus kicking a lot of wrestlers in the face and executing his Celtic Cross finisher. Lawler said during the video that he is "the center of evil in the WWE."

[Q5]

Sheamus smiled when the video concluded. He asked fans how many thought he was afraid of Orton now. He said that footage proves he's afraid of nobody in WWE. Orton walked out and said he thinks Sheamus is full of it. He said he had a chance last week to prove to everybody last week that they should take him seriously. Sheamus interrupted and said everybody already takes him seriously. The fans chanted, "RKO! RKO!" He said he can put a video together, but the fact remains that he has never defeated him and he never will. Sheamus said Triple H and John Cena looked him right in the eye and he didn't back down. Orton said, "I'm not Triple H and I'm definitely not John Cena." Sheamus bragged that he, not Orton, is WWE Champion. He said just like Cena, after he beats him, he'll go to the back of the line. He said as long as he is champion, he'll never get another title opportunity.

Orton said he will beat him at Summerslam. He said he has a chance to redeem himself after avoiding him last week. "Do something about it," Orton said. Sheamus, who's got great instincts for hitting just the right note on facial expressions, stared down Orton. The mystery G.M. chime sounded. Cole stepped up to the podium and said he has received an email from the general manager. It appeared he was actually reading off the monitor screen this week and not a piece of paper on the keyboard. Cole said the G.M. said: "Sheamus, your title matches in the past have been marred in outside interference. Therefore if anyone interferes in the Championship Title match at Summerslam, they will be suspended indefinitely." The G.M. also said that if Orton loses, there will be no rematch and he will go back to the end of the line. He said he also agrees with Orton that if Sheamus is not scared, he "encourages him to do something about it right now."

Orton snorted and snarled. Sheamus shook his head no and backed off while smiling. He made a move toward Orton, who didn't flinch. Sheamus turned to leave the ring. Orton jumped him. Sheamus shoved back and nailed him in the face with the title belt. Orton was slow to get up. Sheamus yelled and went for the big trust kick, but Orton ducked and gave Sheamus a backbreaker. He stood over Sheamus as he tried to get up. He waited and waited, leaning in the corner. He set up a punt kick, but stopped short. Sheamus backed into the corner and begged off, wide-eyed and clearly shaken by what almost happened. Orton rolled to ringside and held the WWE Title in his hand. Really good segment. It's the personalities telling a simple story well that sold this match, not any reinventions of how to tell a story of conflict between two men or attempts to cater to the Internet or play to angles from the 1990s. This is what selling a match is about. It is much simpler, when the bookers respect the players involved on camera, to tell a story like this.

-Cole and Lawler plugged the tag team main event. [c]

[Q5]

3 -- KAVAL & PERCY WATSON & LUCKY CANNON vs. MIKE MCGILLCUTTY & ALEX RILEY & HUSKY HARRIS

Cole said these six wrestlers participate on the NXT show on Tuesday night's on SyFy and there'd be another elimination among these six tomorrow night. That NXT theme song doesn't get any better with age and repetition. Cole called Kaval a ten year veteran of sports entertainment around the world. I thought only WWE did sports entertainment and other groups like ROH and TNA are "pro rasslin'." Hmm. Kaval looked good with his signature style. Can't they find a way to feud Kaval and Bourne in a Best of Five series on Raw or Smackdown in the next six months, perhaps with a deciding match at WrestleMania? You know someone in WWE wanted to call Husky Harris the Roy Nelson of WWE, but instead Cole just said, "Don't let his looks fool you." Husky overshot on a back senton splash on Kaval which led to the pin.

WINNERS: Harris & McGillicutty & Riley in 3:00.

-Sheamus, who fumed at ringside during the match, attacked Cannon and McGillicutty. The rest of the Rookie fled, leaving Kaval alone in the ring. Sheamus gave Kaval a running High Cross. He grabbed a mic and entered the ring. He said that was a message to everyone that next Monday he will still be WWE Champion. [c]

-Cole plugged Barrett vs. Khali was coming up soon.

4 -- R-TRUTH & JOHN MORRISON vs. WILLIAM REGAL & ZACH RYDER

Truth sang and danced his way to the ring. He's starting to learn the words to his own song and seems to have the wind, despite years of cigarette smoking, to get through the song without falling behind and gasping and sounding like he just ran up 20 flights of stairs. It's progress. Morrison finished Ryder with Starship Pain. Cole called it a big win for unity and solidarity and give some hope to Team WWE.

WINNER: Morrison & Truth in 2:00.

-Cole and Lawler hyped the announced Summerslam line-up.

-They showed the Bella Twins heading toward the entrance tunnel.

[Q7] [c]

-The trailer aired for "Legendary" starring John Cena once again.

5 -- MARYSE & JILLIAN vs. GAIL KIM & EVE TORRES & THE BELLA TWINS

The women entered the beach-themed ring area via an inflatable water slide. The women wrestled barefoot. Santino was special guest referee dressed in a loud yellow life guard outfit. "You do not want to see me in any kind of swimsuit attire," said Cole. He has never ever been more right about anything.

WINNERS: The Bellas in 3:00.

-Afterward, as Santino raised the arms of the Bellas, Tamina entered the ring and got up close to Santino's face. He tried to leave, but she stepped in front of him. She pushed her body up against his, then offered to let him leave by stepping aside. She spanked him seductively. He let out a bashful half smile and then walked away as his music played. Cole said Tamina is smitten with him. Cole said he should get himself Santino's full body skin-tight swimsuit if that's the key to that kind of magic. Vladimir Kozlov met Santino on the stage.

-A flashback aired to Summerslam '91's match between Big Bossman and The Mountie including an intense promo with Bossman. It ended with Mountie being thrown in jail for using his taser. Strange choice of a match to feature.

-They showed Great Khali heading toward the entrance tunnel for his match against Barrett. In a relief to many viewers, Nexus jumped him from behind, attacking his left knee. A referee called for help. [c]

[Q8]

-Nexus walked to the ring. He said he was just informed that the match against Khali had been canceled. He vowed that the balance of power was about to shift after Summerslam. He said they will have achieved more than anyone could have imagined. "Raw has become our show," said Sheffield. He said Bret will joined Ricky Steamboat and Mr. McMahon as their victims. Steamboat is doing well enough out of the hospital now that they can safely brag about hospitalizing him now without it having a good chance of seeming like exploiting someone on their real-life death bed. Sheffield vowed to break Team WWE physically and mentally to the point that they never, ever recover. David Otunga said if anyone in the WWE locker room is even thinking of joining Team WWE, think about the Hart Dynasty and Mark Henry and Great Khali. "Think about whether you want to be next because you're either Nexus or you're against us."

-They cut to Bret and Cena backstage. Miz stepped up to them and said he wanted to address the inevitable. He said two quit, three potential members got ambushed, and another "just got Nancy Karriganed in the hallway." Cena said, "Brilliant." Miz said it was just a matter of time before they came looking to him as a fill-in. Miz said he wanted to hear them ask him to be on their team and help save Raw. "I want to hear it from your mouth," he told Bret. Bret said, "Fine. Are you in or out?" Miz insisted Cena asked him, too. Cena said, "That's fair. Are you in or are you out?" Miz said, "Wow. John Cena asking me for help. Times have changed in just one year, haven't they?" He contemplated it and said, "I'll let you know Sunday." Cena told Bret it's a shame they might actually need him. [c]

-Cole announced that Justin Long would guest host Raw next week.

[Q9 - Overrun]

6 -- BRET HART & JOHN CENA vs. EDGE & CHRIS JERICHO

Nexus stood at ringside together as official lumberjacks. Edge opened against Cena. The match didn't begin until two minutes into the overrun period. Bret dressed in street clothes - jeans and a t-shirt. Edge threw Cena to the floor where Nexus attacked Cena and threw him back into the ring after a few seconds. Jericho did the same thing a minute later. When Cena made a comeback, he tossed Jericho to the floor. Nexus stepped back. Jericho was leery as he stood up. He then smiled as he reentered the ring. Jericho countered Cena back in the ring and went for a Walls of Jericho. Cena powered out and dove at Jericho. Jericho ducked and Cena slid out of the ring. Cena punched Barrett as he charged at him, then he reentered the ring. Jericho flew at Cena, but knocked Barrett off the top rope instead. Cena threw Jericho to the floor. Jericho yelled at them to get Cena. They attacked Jericho instead. Edge jumped into the mix and he also got beat down. Bret yanked Justin Gabriel into the ring and punched him. Cole said the strategy on Sunday will be to isolate one member of Nexus at a time and try to eliminate them to get the numbers advantage. All seven Nexus member stepped onto the ring apron. Cena and Bret stood center ring and faced them. Truth and Morrison ran to the ring and stood by Cena and Bret. Edge and Jericho watched from the entrance stage with interest. They looked at each other. Jericho signaled to Edge that they should leave together. Edge voted to go to the ring. Jericho agreed. They entered the ring and stood by the side of the other four babyfaces. That made it sven on six. The crowd popped as a big brawl broke out. That's the type of pop any wrestling promotion looks for when doing a big angle before a big PPV. The babyfaces cleared the ring. Nexus ran up through the crowd.

WINNERS: No decision announced after four minutes.

-Afterward the crowd chanted "You suck!" at Nexus. Cena's music then played. The staredown continued as the show went off the air. That seventh spot is still open for the Miz if Khali is too injured. It's an interesting finish to the show as it put the babyfaces in a position of strength rather than dire jeopardy. It's the type of final angle that gives fans hope and excitement for success rather than a sense of doom and odds being stacked against them.

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