WWE Raw Results
August 30, 2010 - Episode #900
Live from Boston, Mass.
Aired on USA Network
Report by James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

Tonight's WWE Raw #900 episode started with a video package flashing back through the various Raw logos through the years and various top stars. They showed rapid-fire clips of top moments in Raw history, with Jim Ross providing the soundtrack for many of them. "This epic night begins...now," the voice-over man said to lead into the standard Raw intro.

Arena: Live in the building, standard pyro shot off and they panned the audience while Michael Cole introduced the "900th consecutive week" of Raw on Monday nights. I believe some dogs and tennis balls have something to say about that. Jerry Lawler plugged the big ten-elimination tag match to come as the featured match tonight.

In-ring: Bret Hart was out to kick off the show and Cole noted Hart was part of the early great memories from the TV show. Cole said some others might think Hart is "stealing the spotlight." Another hint (or red herring) he's the GM. Hart completed his ring intro and apparently we're going to get two hours of Cole doing the "longest running episodic" line. Once in the ring, Hart recapped the beginning of Raw when he wasn't sure if the show would catch on, but now it's "doing pretty damn good." Hart said Raw has the most shows in the history of prime time TV. He said he was there for the very first show and there's only one other wrestler still here who was around back then. The Undertaker.

Suddenly, Kane's pyro shot off and Kane strolled out sans World Title belt around his waist. Once in the ring, Kane took a mic and smiled. He said there is no Undertaker anymore because he physically decimated Taker and left him to rot in a vegetative state. Kane said he's not "phenomenal" in any way; he's just a man. Kane paused for an "Under-Taker" chant and smiled. He then described Taker like Hart - old, feeble, scraggly, over-the-hill, irreversibly damaged. There were "What?" chants during this. Only appropriate on a historic Raw. Kane said the only time Taker was truly Taker was when he ended Shawn Michaels's career. Kane said Hart must have really liked that seeing a man he seemingly made amends with, yet utterly despised.

Hart said the only thing he's going to savor is when Taker gets his hands on Kane and beats him...like he always does. Kane laughed to himself and said the only thing he's only wanted his entire life was to break away from Taker and prove he is the devil's favorite demon. Kane said Taker took out an icon, Michaels, and he needs to take out an icon of his own. Kane grabbed Hart around the throat, but Hart Dynasty hit the ring to make the save. Hart then tried to fight them off, but Kane grabbed him by the throat again.

Suddenly, the bell tolled and the arena went dark. Taker was in the ring when the lights came back on. Taker stared down Kane, who gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw. They exchanged looks, then Kane smiled and back-flipped out of the ring. Taker stood his ground in the ring as Kane walked off from the ring. "Not yet, big brother, not yet."

Suddenly, the Raw GM chimed in. Taker no-sold the MacBook. Cole said he has received an email. Cole read that the GM sees an iconic moment taking place, so in honor of this moment (and despite his disagreement in the past), there will be a history-making main event tonight: Bret Hart vs. The Undertaker. Lawler said he doesn't know what to make of this. Hart left the ring while Taker coughed to sell the "vegetative state" effects. PYB (3) talk time: 8:35.

Episode #1 from January 1993. Cue up the old-school Raw theme, Bobby Heenan, Taker rolling his eyes back, Doink, and more.

[Commercial Break]

[Q2]

Raw #379 from Sept. 1998: Austin has the Zamboni. "Stone Cold! Stone Cold!" Ross proclaimed before Austin tackled Vince McMahon and was arrested.

In-ring: Already in the ring were two teams for a three-way tag match. Kaval and Bryan Danielson are together as a unit. "The team made in Internet heaven," Cole declared. Kofi Kingston was with his NXT Rookie, Joe Hennig. The Miz and Alex Riley then came out with full ring intros talking trash to Bryan and Kaval. Cole noted the NXT season finale tomorrow night. He also bragged about Austin, from the previous clip, helping WWE win the Monday Night Wars.

1 -- KOFI KINGSTON & MICHAEL MCGILLICUTTY vs. DANIEL BRYAN & KAVAL vs. U.S. champion THE MIZ & ALEX RILEY

Rapid-fire start to the action before Bryan clubbed Miz in the face to draw Miz's ire. Bryan then ripped off rapid-fire kicks on Riley before running into Kofi, who landed a leg sweep for a nearfall. Three men are eligible at a time here. Eventually, all three Rookies were in the ring together. Riley broke up a submission attempt by Kaval on Hennig, then took a big kick to the face from Kaval. Hennig tried to roll up Kaval from behind, but Kaval escaped. Kaval then went up top for the Warrior's Way on Hennig and he connected. Miz suddenly entered from behind (following a blind tag) and dropped Kaval with the Skullcrushing Finale and Cole nearly jumped out of his chair. Miz with the pin on Kaval for the win. As a result, Cole plugged in Miz to the list of "Raw greats" from the show's history.

Post-match: Miz talked trash to Bryan, who then blasted Riley off the apron with a kick strike. Miz then stormed back into the ring with the MITB briefcase and nailed Bryan in the gut with the case. Miz and Riley gloated over Bryan before Miz's music hit again. On the way out, the fake tanning lotion was exploding off the screen as Miz and Riley celebrated on the stage.

WINNERS: Miz & Riley at 3:18. Too many men in the over-done, over-played three-way format. The end result was fine to continue getting heat on Miz building to a likely U.S. Title match between Bryan and Miz. (*)

Still to come: Team WWE vs. Team Nexus and Bret Hart vs. The Undertaker.

[Commercial Break]

[Q3]

In-ring: Back from break, Smackdown's Women's champions Lay-Cool were in the ring. The red carpet was then rolled out for Divas champion Melina, who was accompanied by Eve. Apparently it will be a physical challenge rather than a verbal challenge to begin things.

2 -- Divas champion MELINA & EVE vs. LAY-COOL (MICHELLE MCCOOL & LAYLA)

This went less than one minute, with Melina sneaking in a quick victory. Melina and Eve then took off. McCool and Layla halted them on the way out and laid out the challenge for Night of Champions: unify the Women's and Divas Titles. Melina shot a look that she was intrigued by this possibility. She said only if it's a lumberjill match. Suddenly, a row of women walked out on stage to stand behind Melina.

WINNERS: Melina & Eve at 0:58. The verbal went longer than the in-ring, rendering the in-ring useless. Why even bother with a match? As expected, the shortage of women's wrestlers on the roster has led to a unification match. (n/a)

Episode #889: June 7, 2010. Nexus springs an attack on John Cena.

Backstage: Nexus was in the locker room arguing amongst themselves while Wade Barrett stood tall in the middle. Michael Tarver said people are talking that Nexus is done after they kicked out Darren Young and Skip Sheffield broke his ankle. Barrett calmed them all down and said he will become WWE champ in a few weeks time, so to remove all doubt on their unity, they need to do something unforgettable tonight. He said he knows exactly what that is. The camera zoomed in on Barrett's face as he sold an idea being formulated.

[Commercial Break]

Back live: Cole robotically read a plug for WWE's website celebrating 900 episodes. Lawler then narrated aerial footage of Boston and said the city has been home to numerous historic moments on Raw.

Episode #850: September 2009. Bob Barker hosted and Chris Jericho cut a promo on Mr. Barker.

Backstage: Josh Mathews brought in Chris Jericho, who cut him off and said he has no use for his comments. Jericho said he doesn't say he's the best at what he does because of a gimmick or to make a catchphrase for a t-shirt. He said he believes he's the last one to believe in that line, so he's making a promise. If he doesn't win the WWE Title at Night of Champions, he's gone. "It's the last you'll see in WWE." Mathews mocked Jericho, saying he's been kicked off or threatened to leave at least half-a-dozen times. Jericho cut him off and told him to watch what he does tonight, proving to Nexus and the hypocrites watching that he is the Best in the World at what he does.

Announcers: Cole and Lawler exchanged looks as Lawler noted Jericho is putting tremendous pressure on himself. They're obviously setting up a scenario for Jericho to exit if he doesn't re-sign with the company. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

In-ring: John Morrison came out to the ring as Justin Roberts announced a #1 contender match for the WWE Tag Titles up next. R-Truth was out as Morrison's partner. How is this #1 contender match coming together? It feels like WWE is throwing the majority of the show against the wall tonight. Cole said they'll determine the contenders next on Raw.

Syfy plug: They aired an interesting video package on The Undertaker, with a plug for Smackdown moving to Syfy on October 1.

[Q4]

[Commercial Break]

In-ring: Morrison and Truth were dancing it out in the ring coming back from break. Didn't they just have tension building to Summerslam? Out came Cody Rhodes as the first opponent here. Cole noted Rhodes's appearance on "Warehouse 13" last week. Rhodes was joined by Drew McIntyre for the tag match. Cole gave a shout-out to Jim Ross and said this match is "going to be a slobberknocker." Fortunately, McIntyre slowed down the pace of the show with an elaborate ring entrance to set up the match.

3 -- DREW MCINTYRE & CODY RHODES vs. R-TRUTH & JOHN MORRISON -- #1 contender match to the WWE Tag Titles

Cole listed notable tag teams in Raw history and Lawler interjected, "Ross and Lawler." Cole and Lawler talked up Ross for a bit, noting his signature catchphrases. The match lasted less than one minute, as all four men brawled in the ring and the ref threw out the match. Post-match: McIntyre and Morrison brawled ringside. Mac ate the Raw GM podium and crumpled to the floor. Morrison and Truth then walked off. And, well, nothing was settled.

WINNER: No Decision at 0:51. I hope this is leading somewhere. Otherwise, more bizarre booking going nowhere. (n/a)

Next: Bret Hart vs. The Undertaker.

[Commercial Break]

Raw #867: January 4, 2010. They flashed back to Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart's never-thought-you'd-see-it summit to begin the year. Hart and Michaels were shown shaking hands and hugging it out.

In-ring: Bret Hart's music hit to bring out Hart dressed in a black jacket, black t-shirt, sunglasses, jean shorts, and kneepads. I thought for sure the Raw GM buzzed twice, but the announcers no-sold. Once Hart entered the ring, he removed his leather jacket, revealing a cut-off black t-shirt. Undertaker's music hit to bring out Taker in an old-school hooded ring jacket just before the top of the hour. Taker vs. Hart - someone has to pop through the ring canvas, right?

[Q5 -- second hour]

4 -- THE UNDERTAKER vs. BRET HART

Before the bell sounded, Nexus's theme music hit. You knew they weren't delivering a match. Barrett said this match is not going to happen. He said when people talk about the 900th episode of Raw, they don't want to talk about two legends, but the future. "And the future is Nexus," he said. Barrett said he said earlier today he would do something unforgettable and he's going to do that right now. Barrett slipped into the ring and charged Taker, who answered with right hand blows. Taker landed a big boot and Barrett crawled to the ropes to take a clothesline over the top rope.

Suddenly, the lights went down again. The bell tolled. This time, Kane was in the ring. Hart was gone. Kane now has Taker's magical powers. Kane then landed a right hand strike and they traded blows. Taker had Kane by the throat, then the lights went down again. Kane was gone this time. Taker was alone. Nexus's music hit and the remaining four members stomped out to the ring. Was Hart eaten up by the ring during this? Nexus surrounded the ring, then Taker tried to fight them off one-by-one. Taker had Barrett by the throat, but the lights went off again. Thud noises in the dark.

Suddenly, Barrett had Taker on his shoulders to deliver his signature slam. They cut to a shot of Kane standing on the entrance ramp watching with a smile. Barrett then directed traffic to set up Taker for the 450 Splash from Justin Gabriel. Kane watched approvingly from the stage. At least there was heat on Nexus by the end of this, as the crowd chanted, "Nexus sucks," as they stood over Taker. Taker then tried to do his classic sit up, but he collapsed down to the mat. Kane chuckled and smiled from the stage. Fade to commercial.

WINNER: No match. Another non-match here. Hopefully they're following the Summerslam formula of a weak undercard, then 20-30 minutes in the elimination tag match to tell a strong in-ring story to make that important. The lights on/off gimmick was over-done and Barrett looked very weak mid-way through, but at least Nexus stood tall at the end to retain some measure of credibility as heel threats. I'm not sure if anyone cared by the end of the segment, though. The key is the elimination tag to come. (n/a)

Night of Champions plug: Every title on the line. Whose moment has come?

[Commercial Break]

Still to come: Five on Five elimination tag match. ... Boston: They showed an exterior shot of Fenway Park in Boston as Cole reset the events. He said they were expecting an epic confrontation between Undertaker and Hart, but Nexus ruined the fun.

In-ring: Jack Swagger's music hit to bring out Swagger. Another Smackdown act. Smackdown's roster is getting more love than Raw's tonight. Swagger had a mic to talk about his return to Raw as a conquering All-American hero. Swagger said he is a former World champion. He went for the local heat that he understands why Johnny Damon doesn't want to come back to Boston, but he wants to bring some swagger back to Raw. Speaking of disappearing acts following Taker, Evan Bourne came out to face Swagger. The hubris from WWE continued noting the other Monday night shows that have ended during Raw's run.

4 -- JACK SWAGGER vs. EVAN BOURNE

Thirty seconds, yes, 30 seconds into the match, Alberto Del Rio's music interrupted. Del Rio honked his horn rolling out to the ring as his personal ring announcer introduced him. They cut to a brief split-screen showing Del Rio arriving and Swagger-Bourne in the ring. Cole went nuts for Del Rio, who paraded down the ring soaking in admiration from the crowd. Meanwhile, Bourne went up top and missed with Air Bourne. Swagger then took out Bourne at the ankle and slapped on the Anklelock. Bourne tapped out, giving Swagger the win.

[Q6] Post-match: Del Rio took the mic ringside. He said that next to him, that little Chihuahua Rey Mysterio will not be here tonight. Del Rio said the only place to find Rey is in the hospital. He said he's going to re-create what he did to Rey right here tonight with Evan. Del Rio jumped into the ring and slapped on the cross-arm breaker. He slowly removed his jacket and knocked Bourne to the outside. On the outside, Del Rio threatened to snap Bourne's arm, but Mark Henry's music hit. Henry slapped the chair out of Del Rio's hand, and Del Rio initially sold before collecting himself and laughing at Henry.

WINNER: Swagger via submission at 2:16. Seriously, did TNA take over the book for one night? Absurd presentation of pro wrestling matches so far tonight. Del Rio is a great, great man, though. One of the best characters to debut in a while. (n/a)

Announcers: Cole and Lawler were shown on-camera to introduce a video package on WWE in China last week. Wrestlers were shown entering the country and playing to the crowd assembled to see WWE. They included footage of the wrestlers talking about the experience being part of the first crew to wrestle in China.

Still to come tonight: Cena vs. Nexus.

[Commercial Break. GoDaddy.com has a new commercial referencing TNA. Wait, that was T&A? Gotcha.]

Episode #331: September 1999. Mick Foley and The Rock doing "This is Your Life." Rock was much bigger at the time.

In-ring: Straight Edge Society's music hit to bring out C.M. Punk, Joey Mercury, and Luke Gallows. Joseph was in a sling. Cole called it a buzzkill being joined by Punk and SES. Cole and Lawler reminisced about the old times before Punk took the mic in the ring. Punk asked if they know who he's better than. "The Rock," he said. Punk said he doesn't drink, smoke, or make crappy movies like "Tooth Fairy." Punk asked the people if they like Rock. He asked the people if they miss him on Raw. Punk said he doesn't miss him because he epitomizes this septic tank of a show known as Raw. Punk said 900 shows is a milestone, but for 900 shows, Raw has been promoting poor values. He has two words for you. The crowd filled in the blank with DX. "Katie Vick," he said. Punk said if the audience doesn't know who that is, YouTube it, you'll be driven to drink, then come see him. Punk has the four worst moments in Raw history to show off.

Episode #824: March 2009. "Property Damage." It was Triple H with the home invasion on Randy Orton. ... Episode #691: August 2006. John Cena and Edge fighting in the harbor before Cena dumped Edge into the water. ... Punk said he would never throw any competitor into another body of water. Good heel line forgetting his time on ECW. ... Episode #257: April 1998. DX invades WCW. Punk did not like that moment. And finally, D for Dumb. Excessive Use of Alcohol via Firehose. ... Episode #304: March 1999. McMahons taking a beer bath from Austin.

[Q7] Back live, Punk said he can't believe how irresponsible the fans are for cheering a man like that. Punk said he knows everyone in the audience would pay good money to see Austin walk down the ramp and spray him with a fire hose. Suddenly, the glass broke and Austin's music hit. Punk and SES sold fear over Austin coming out, but no sign of Austin. The fans booed once Austin's music stopped. Punk rolled around on the mat mocking the crowd and telling them that's how empty he always feels when he comes here and sees each and every one of them. Punk said he's not sorry for making them feel this way because he's disappointed they feel this way. And one more clip to leave them on a high note. Punk said this is a clip from a really good show called Smackdown.

Smackdown Episode #199: June 2003. Brock Lesnar superplexing Big Show, causing the ring to collapse. Taz's voice back on WWE air. Punk said he could watch that clip over and over because it represents everything he could never be. One is being criminally obese. He said under his breath that he doesn't know who the other guy is, but Big Show could break an entire ring. (Lots of little messages being sent here from WWE to former WWE wrestlers.) Big Show's music interrupted. Austin for Big Show trade? Eh, not so much. Punk noted the trade-off here as Show chuckled on the way to the ring. Show said he's disappointed with Punk's jokes. Show said he should have gone with the Eddie Guerrero gimmicked taco giving him the runs. The crowd chanted, "Eddie, Eddie," before Show continued with a flashback to the embarrassing sumo wrestling deal. Or, kissing Vickie Guerrero.

Big Show said he likes to make people laugh and entertain. He can do impersonations. Big Show did a Hulk Hogan impersonation, which drew boos. Punk smirked and told him that was boring and no one likes him. Good heat for Punk's comeback. Big Show had his hand in the air mocking the SES salute. "That was mean," he said, acting grumpy. Punk said there is nothing high about SES and that's what makes them better than him. Show said he's not high, but tall. Show then chopped Punk on the head. Luke and Show started brawling as Punk and Mercury bailed to the outside. Punk told Luke he can't even do anything right. Punk freaked out on the stage yelling back at Show, who smiled in the ring. PYB talk time: 11:05. Punk was great on the mic, but they wasted all of those matches in the first part of the show to reserve about 15 minutes for this?

NXT conclusion tomorrow night: Kaval, Hennig, Riley. Only one can win and go on to a PPV title match.

[Commercial Break]

Did You Know: Raw has aired 256 more episodes than Monday Night Football. That's because the NFL has something that we can all say together really, really slowly...an off-season. You know, so athletes can properly rest, recuperate, and live a normal life. I know, such an amazing concept.

Back live: Cole called it a "mind-boggling episode" of Raw tonight. Another flashback. Episode #450: January 7, 2002. A much, much bigger Triple H returned to Raw and dropped Kurt Angle.

On-stage: Josh Mathews introduced WWE champion Sheamus. More talking. Sheamus said he put out Triple H. With them being in the home of the Boston Celtics, Sheamus said he's the only real Irishman here tonight. Sheamus said he was dealt a bad hand at Night of Champions and now, tonight, he has to team with four of his NOC opponents. He said never in the history of Raw has a champion been treated so poorly.

Edge's music interrupted and Edge walked out rubbing his head. "You're giving me a headache, fella," Edge said with an accent. Edge said that since he debuted on episode #265, he's experienced just about everything possible on Raw. He didn't mention the live sex show. It's a PG show. Edge said as many atrocities as he's experienced, he's given back three times as much. Edge said he's won 29 championships in WWE. He said he's going to make it an even 30 at Night of Champions. Edge stormed off to the ring ahead of the main event.

[Commercial Break]

In-ring: Back from break, Edge and Sheamus were jawing with each other. Chris Jericho then walked out with his chest puffed out to join them. Randy Orton was out next to join the eclectic mix of teammates. Finally, John Cena's music hit to bring out the hometown star. Cena stormed the ring as Cole called him "the franchise" and one of the reasons Raw has been on the air for 900 episodes. Cole plugged next Monday's Raw in D.C. before Team WWE assembled in the ring. Nexus's music hit to bring out the five remaining members of the group. It's next. There are nine potential eliminations in a match that will begin near the top of the hour.

[Commercial Break]

Smackdown on Syfy plug: Taker, Rey, Kofi are ready for their move to Syfy.

[Q9 -- over-run]

5 -- TEAM WWE (WWE champion SHEAMUS & JOHN CENA & RANDY ORTON & CHRIS JERICHO & EDGE) vs. THE NEXUS (WADE BARRETT & JUSTIN GABRIEL & HEATH SLATER & DAVID OTUNGA & MICHAEL TARVER) -- elimination tag match

The bell sounded just before the top of the hour to begin the over-run. Jericho and Tarver started things off, but didn't lock up. Jericho paused for a pro-Jericho chant, then decided just to bail from the ring. The ref started a ten count and Jericho teased running back into the ring, but smiled and walked off to the back. Jericho is gone at 1:15. Cena was upset, but went back to the ring as Edge entered the ring. Edge then shoved down the ref to be DQ'ed at 1:48. Nexus had a good laugh at this. So, it's Cena, Orton, and Sheamus.

Cena entered the ring and battled Tarver. Cena shoved Tarver into the corner, then tagged in Sheamus while shooting a look to Orton. Slater tagged in and the red-headed kids battled in the ring. Sheamus slowed down the pace and knocked Slater to the outside before rolling him back into the ring. There just isn't any energy to this match right now. Otunga tagged in to no reaction, then paced the ring and grabbed a basic side headlock. Sheamus and Otunga collided mid-ring, then Sheamus clotheslined Otunga, who tried posing in Sheamus's face. Sheamus was then isolated - yes, the heel champion playing babyface in peril - as Nexus stomped away on him. Sheamus never made it out of the corner after a couple of hope spots and Slater eventually pinned Sheamus at 7:10. I don't get that booking at all.

John Cena then came in hot and dropped the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Slater. He wanted the Attitude Adjustment and connected for a pin on Slater at 7:52. Wade Barrett entered next and dumped Cena to the outside. Nexus seized the opportunity to stomp away on Cena ringside. Barrett rammed Cena head-first into the announce table before rolling him back into the ring for a two count. Gabriel came in and landed some basic offense. Otunga then tagged in and showed how green he is in the ring before Cena countered a suplex attempt.

Otunga cleared Orton off the ring apron, but Cena sprung to life and slapped on the STF for a tap-out at 10:30. Gabriel then came right off the top with the 450 splash on Cena for a pin on Cena at 10:37. Orton then snuck in the back door and dropped Gabriel with the RKO for a pin at 10:52. Tarver came in next and took an RKO for another pin at 11:03. Barrett then hit the ring and dropped Orton with his overhead slam finisher. Barrett made the cover for the win at 11:14. Five decisions in less than one minute. Very fitting for this show. Barrett posed in the ring with a smile on his face as Cole suggested Barrett's in control heading to Night of Champions. They signed off 12 minutes past the hour.

WINNERS: Team Nexus at 11:14. Nexus gets the win they needed at Summerslam. But, it's too little, too late. There was hardly any heat on this match until the very end with the rapid-fire finishers. At the end of the day, it's Barrett and "a group of inexperienced wrestlers," based on WWE's presentation, who have lost their edge as threats. The collective unit doesn't have much steam, with the emphasis now on Barrett leading to Night of Champions. As for Team WWE, fine use of Jericho and Edge, Orton was protected with his injury, Cena was surprisingly finished off early, and I have no idea what WWE was thinking with the booking of Sheamus here. Disappointing main event to conclude a very disappointing show. (*1/2)

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