WWE Raw TV Results
August 19, 2013 - Episode #1,055
Live in Anaheim, Calif.
Aired on USA Network
Report by James Caldwell (@JCTorch), PWTorch assistant editor

Third Hour of Raw Results

In the third hour, C.M. Punk responds to Paul Heyman and Randy Orton's WWE Title Coronation...

C.M. Punk Promo Segment

Raw returned two minutes before the top of the hour with Cult of Personality playing to bring out C.M. Punk. Punk limped out on-stage selling the effects of fighting Brock Lesnar last night as Michael Cole said he can't believe Punk is even walking tonight. After Justin Roberts introduced Punk to the crowd, Punk hobbled down to the ring favoring his left leg/ankle.

Once in the ring, Punk said he doesn't really know what to say right now. But, what he does know is that Paul Heyman was out here earlier (boos) saying a lot of personal things trying to push his buttons. Punk then turned to a fan on the front row booing and said he knows he paid for a ticket tonight, but he doesn't mind fighting him tonight. Punk told the guy to climb over the guardrail and jump in the ring, saying he'll render him toothless. Punk got the crowd fired up, then called the fan something that was bleeped out, popping the crowd again.

[Q9 -- third hour] Punk returned to the subject of Paul Heyman. Punk said Heyman thinks he can carry him back to the WWE Title and if he wants an apology, he might just get what he wants if he comes out to the ring. Instead, Heyman walked out on-stage with Curtis Axel. Punk said the doctors won't clear him to compete, but all he knows is competing inside this ring.

Punk said he took a beating from Brock Lesnar last night, but he is still standing. Punk said he is sorry - Heyman anxiously walked forward with a smile - that he took his eye off Lesnar for one second to get revenge on Heyman. Punk said he's sorry he didn't take Heyman's arm home with him, then said he's sorry that Heyman thinks a beating is going to stop him. He said he is relentless and he will get his revenge. Punk wanted to do it right here in Anaheim.

On-stage, Heyman waited out Punk chants before saying the apology should come from him. He said he is sorry for what is about to happen to Punk. Heyman then told Axel to go backstage and tape up his hands for a fight. Heyman told Punk that he has pushed him once too often. Heyman said he is not the Fat Guy sitting in the front row, but the worst nightmare that Punk has encountered in his entire life. Heyman said Punk better not be in the ring when they come back from commercial because he is sending Curtis Axel down to the ring to finish the job that Brrrrock Lessssnar started on him last night. Raw faded to commercial with a shot of Punk standing his ground in the ring.

[Commercial Break at 10:06]

Back from break, Curtis Axel marched down to the ring as C.M. Punk sat down in a chair. Axel then hit the ring and Punk jumped out of his chair to attack Axel. Punk quickly knocked Axel out of the ring, then Axel fought back on the floor. Heyman watched as Axel popped Punk in the face, but Punk back-dropped Axel over the guardrail into the front row.

Punk began to give chase to Heyman, but then stopped and ran back toward the timekeeper's area to splash Axel. Punk used the ring bell as a weapon, then dragged Axel back into the ring. In the ring, Punk taunted Heyman, then lifted up Axel for a GTS, but Axel slipped out and targeted Punk's injury from the Lesnar match last night. Axel followed with a chair jab to Punk's injured leg before delivering his neckbreaker-grip into a facebuster.

Axel wanted to finish Punk's ankle as Heyman shouted instructions from the outside. Axel hopped to the second rope, put on a super-intense look, and tried to splash the ankle inside a chair, but Punk moved in-time. Punk then picked up the chair and bashed Axel with it. Axel bailed from the ring as Heyman watched nervously.

[Q10] On the outside, Punk chucked Axel into the ring steps a few times. Punk then gave Axel a modified GTS into the ring steps, angering Heyman. With Axel KO'ed, Punk slowly stood up, caught his breath, and stared down Heyman with a calm facial reaction. On the other side of the floor, Heyman slowly backed away up the entrance ramp. Punk remained standing on his one good leg to close the segment.

Still to come: Randy Orton's WWE Title Coronation. Up Next: Bray Wyatt's first Raw TV match.

[Commercial Break at 10:17]

Back from break, the latest "WWE 2K14" video game spot was for The Rock.

In-ring: R-Truth's music played to bring out Truth for singles action against Bray Wyatt, who took him out several weeks ago. In the middle of Truth's rap, the Wyatt Family vignette "interrupted the feed" and Bray noted they're here. In the arena, Bray led Erick Rowan and Luke Harper down to ringside via lantern in the darkness. As the Wyatts came to the ring, Lawler noted the Wyatts dragged Kane away from Summerslam after Kane lost to Bray in the Ring of Fire match, and they haven't heard from Kane since.

7 -- BRAY WYATT (w/Erick Rowan and Luke Harper) vs. R-TRUTH

Once the bell sounded, Bray charged Truth and pushed him into the corner. Bray tried to follow with a wild clothesline, but Truth ducked and answered with a dropkick. Bray came back with a bodyslam before shouting out to the crowd that he is the new face of fear. Bray proceeded to hold himself upside-down in the corner before charging Truth with a big corner splash. Bray then needed two tries to set up for and deliver his Sister Abigail finisher for the pin and the win.

Post-match, Rowan and Harper entered the ring to stand over Truth. Bray knelt down next to Truth, then the feed "suddenly cut out" to send Raw to break.

WINNER: Wyatt at 1:36.

[Commercial Break at 10:27]

[Q11] Back from break, WWE ran a vignette on bull-fighters through history. Two of these men are coming to WWE to restore honor to the legacy of bull-fighters. They are Los Matadores. This looked like an independent-level tag team, complete with the two masked wrestlers appearing in front of a green-screen of bull-fighter stock footage.

In-ring: 3MB was standing by in the ring. The Usos were then introduced to face 3MB as the announcers hyped the re-opening of Jerry Lawler's Museum in Tunica, Mississippi this weekend.

8 -- THE USOS vs. 3MB (HEATH SLATER & JINDER MAHAL w/Drew McIntyre)

McIntyre was given the night off here. Basic action to start. Cole, presumably attempting to get people to stay tuned, said The Miz is in action later tonight. Then, Cole and JBL resumed their argument about Hunter helping Randy Orton cash in MITB last night. In the ring, Slater rocked Uso with jabs as the crowd actually picked up a dueling chant for this Q11 tag match.

Uso rocked Slater with a big kick to the head, then tags were made all around. Cole identified the legal man in the match as Jey Uso, who "backed it up" on Mahal with a corner butt-bomb for a two count. Slater and Mahal suddenly knocked heads on the floor, then Uso popped Mahal with a standing sidekick in the ring. Jimmy took a mid-air tag from Jey, then came off the top with a Superfly Splash to Mahal for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Usos at 5:24. WWE presented this as if the introduction of indy stars Los Matadores will put this tag division right over the top. Seriously, that's what the announcers stressed after the outcome.

Still to come: Randy Orton's WWE Title coronation.

[Commercial Break at 10:39]

Summerslam Flashback: Fandango and Summer Rae interrupted The Miz's Summerslam hosting gig, so Miz punched Fandango in the face. This prompted the announcers to try some puns.

In-ring: Miz was introduced for the default main event match. In the ring, Miz did his deal leaning on the top rope cocking his fingers to his ear to encourage a louder crowd reaction. Wade Barrett was then introduced as Miz's opponent.

[Q12]

9 -- THE MIZ vs. WADE BARRETT

Barrett dominated early on as the announcers listed the names of B-Level celebrities at Summerslam last night. Barrett then knocked Miz to the outside and mocked Miz's fingers-to-the-ears pre-match pose as Miz sold on the outside. On the floor, Barrett roughed up Miz some more, prompting Cole to go for an End of the Third Hour Promotional Tie-In: "Miz might need to go to O'Reilly Auto Parts for a (pause to think) new face." Cole laughed at himself as Barrett sent Miz back into the ring.

In the ring, Miz ducked a clothesline and built momentum with a high knee. Miz followed with a clothesline that drew some boos from the vocal males. Miz followed with a kick to the hamstring, then a corner dropkick to the leg. Miz teased the figure-four leglock, but Barrett kicked him away. Cat-calling was heard in the arena before Miz re-tried the figure-four. This time, he applied it. Barrett teased tapping out as the crowd popped, but for Fandango, who came off-camera with a top-rope leg drop to Miz's head.

After the bell sounded for a DQ, Fandango brought Summer Rae into the ring to dance over Miz. Fandango's music hit and the crowd joined in "Fandango'ing" with the heel who just attacked the face. Never mind, it's Miz, who doesn't draw much sympathy in the face role.

WINNER: Miz via DQ at 4:51.

Backstage: Brad Maddox walked up to Stephanie McMahon and said security has informed him that Daniel Bryan is back in the building. (Teaser for the final segment of the show.) Steph smiled and said that's good news, then she walked into an office with "Mr. McMahon" on the name label. Lawler excitedly drew attention to the second teaser for the final segment before Raw cut to break.

[Commercial Break at 10:51]

Raw returned six minutes before the top of the hour with Mr. McMahon and Stephanie McMahon in the ring. Triple H's music was playing and Hunter emerged on-stage through a sea of the entire roster assembled on-stage. Hunter then walked past The Shield, which was positioned ringside as "security."

On the mic, Mr. McMahon asked the crowd to "give it up for The Game," who entered the ring to boos from the crowd. Stephanie applauded Hunter before McMahon said this is a wonderful night recognizing a new WWE champion. McMahon said he is most proud of his son-in-law, noting he had his doubts about him, but he did the right thing. "At the end, you SAW THE LIGHT!" McMahon hugged Hunter, then applauded.

The crowd greeted Hunter with a "You Sold Out" chant, then Hunter sarcastically said this is where he is supposed to explain himself. Hunter said it always makes him laugh how short-sighted the fans are, not able to see the bigger picture. "I did what I did last night to ensure the future of the WWE," Hunter said. "I did what I did last night for all of you. Each and every one of you. I did it for you, for you, for all of your children, for their children, for all of you standing up on top of that ramp." Teddy Long applauded on-stage, of note.

Hunter continued that he did it for McMahon, his father, and his grandfather. Hunter said he did it so that WWE will be here long after Vince is gone and for his wife and their children so this will exist in their future. Hunter said he did it so WWE will exist in all of their futures. "You think I wanted to do that to Daniel Bryan?" Hunter said.

Hunter said he considers Bryan a friend and he likes what he does in this ring. Hunter said Bryan is a "very good, little technician" and he deserved to beat John Cena last night. "But, let's be honest, WWE Champion? Face of the WWE?" Hunter said, drawing "Yes!" chants from the crowd. Hunter said the fans deserve better than that. Big boos.

[Q13 -- over-run] Hunter said the fans deserve the complete package. "You deserve A-Plus, not B. Don't ever settle for less. And that is what I gave you last night. I gave you A-Plus," Hunter said. Hunter said Daniel Bryan came out here and said he has a personal problem with that. "What about my personal issues?" Hunter said. He said personally he didn't want to do that to Bryan. "You think I wanted to throw that all away because he over-achieved?" Hunter said. "It hurt me personally to do that to Bryan."

Hunter continued that he didn't want to associate with Randy Orton, either, as there's a lot of history, but he buried his personal problems, bitterness, and hate to do what was right for WWE and the fans. Hunter said he doesn't really care about Bryan's personal problems, and him saying he has a personal problem with this is just selfish. "This is not all about you," Hunter said, pulling the classic heel move flipping it on Bryan.

"It's not about me," Hunter said. "You put your personal feelings aside and do what is right for business." Hunter paused for a "Daniel Bryan" chant, then said he is going to do what needs to be done by putting aside his personal problems one more time to bring out The Future, Your Future, The Face of the WWE, The New WWE Champion, "The Viper" Randy Orton.

Orton's music played and Orton slowly walked out on-stage with the WWE Title belt over his shoulder. Orton stared down both sides of the roster as Teddy Long applauded, then Orton marched down to the ring not showing much of a character change facially. In the ring, Orton shook hands with Mr. McMahon and Triple H with a firm grip. Orton then approached Stephanie, who reached out and hugged Orton as Cole noted all of the heinous things Orton did to Stephanie in past years.

Orton took the mic and surveyed the crowd, which was making a lot of noise. "I told you so," Orton said. Orton said he told everyone that when he cashed in, they would not see it coming. Now, he is WWE champion again. Orton said he is not usually one for thank-yous, but he can make an exception. Orton turned toward Hunter and said he owes all of this to him. They shook hands again.

Orton said as a matter of fact, everyone should stand up and show Hunter the respect he deserves. Hunter did a slight Eric Bischoff pose thanking the crowd for the applause he heard in his head. Hunter then took the mic and said since they own the place, they know that Daniel Bryan is in the building. Hunter told Bryan to come on down and get their personal issues out in the open like men. Hunter offered some more backhanded compliments, then told Bryan to come on out wherever he is.

Hunter had a second thought and told "The Shield guys" to move to the side because Bryan is probably a little intimidated. Hunter told the roster on-stage not to touch Daniel Bryan or else there will be problems. McMahon then gave Hunter an idea, so Hunter did the "Yes!" chants in a mocking way to encourage Bryan to feel at home. Bryan's music played, but no sign of Bryan.

Bryan then emerged off-stage and walked onto the entrance ramp. Bryan walked past The Shield with eyes locked on Hunter, the McMahons, and Randy Orton. McMahon tried to get Orton to back down so Bryan would feel comfortable entering the ring, then Shield jumped Bryan on the floor. But, Bryan fought off all three Shield members. He tried to jump into the ring, but Dean Ambrose held off. Bryan and Ambrose scrapped ringside, then Bryan fought off all three Shield members.

Bryan had a clear path to the ring as Hunter encouraged Bryan to come talk in the ring. But, Reigns suddenly came out of nowhere with a big spear to Bryan, splattering him on the floor. Shield then put the boots to Bryan. They wanted a triple powerbomb, but Hunter told Shield to stop. He said that's not what he wants. Hunter told Bryan to come in the ring and say what he needs to say. But, Bryan was too injured to talk, of course. Hunter talked to Bryan like a child, telling him he can do it.

Bryan slowly pulled himself up by the ring apron as Hunter taunted him to show some fighting spirit. Bryan eventually hit the ring apron, slid into the ring, and Orton dropped him with an RKO. Hunter, done talking, raised Orton's hand in the air as the announcers flatly reacted. Vince and Stephanie joined the victory line-up as Bryan sold on the mat. Lawler called it a black day for WWE as Raw signed off 12 minutes past the top of the hour.

Overall, the final segment was strong to keep building heat on the McMahons (setting aside the argument of whether the McMahons should even be the focal point of the show) and get sympathy on Bryan, but the last 10 seconds really put a damper on the whole angle. Something about the tone of the announcers's reaction dumped a bucket of water on the heat built up over the course of three hours, ending the show with an "eh" feeling that might prevent some people from tuning in for the follow-up. Cole has really improved as lead play-by-play announcer, but Jim Ross wouldn't have let the show go off the air with a flat feeling after three hours of heat-building on the Raw following Summerslam. Tone is so vital when trying to sell stories like this, and the announcers seemed to miss it until Lawler went for the last-second "dark days" sign-off line.

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