SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 10 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
KELLER’S WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW REPORT
OCTOBER 20, 2014
KANSAS CITY, MO.
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
[Hour One]
-A video recap aired of last week’s John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose main event that Ambrose won to earn a match against Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell. It included a Cena handshake with Ambrose.
-They cut to the arena where the Hell in a Cell cage was lowered around the ring. Michael Cole introduced the show and talked about the HIAC PPV next Sunday.
-Triple H, Kane, Seth Rollins, and Randy Orton walked to the ring, marveling at the HIAC structure on their way. Triple H’s entrance music played. Hunter said from center ring that tonight The Authority would face Cena & Ambrose in the main event. He said if they make it through the match tonight, then they will move on to singles HIAC matches on Sunday. He said unspeakable things will happen inside the Cell on Sunday. He said fans can see it happen live on the Network for just $9.99. Hunter bragged that he’s won more HIAC matches than anyone else, but he said his main point is that it’s not a match you win as much as it’s a match you survive. He very slowly listed each of the one-on-one HIAC main events.
Seth took the mic. The crowd chanted “You Sold Out!” at him. He said Mr. Money in the Bank is a nice nickname, but he wanted to run by them a new one: Undisputed Future of the WWE. He said the key word is “future” because it’s something Ambrose won’t have after he beats him in the main event on Sunday. He stressed “the main event.”
Orton took the mic and told Seth that the true main event is going to involve two Superstars who have been around WWE longer than a hot cup of coffee. He said he will beat Cena on Sunday and end the decade-long rivalry once and for all. Triple H tried to play peace-maker by saying it was a double main event. Hunter then announced that the winner of Orton vs. Cena will face WWE World Champion Brock Lesnar for the belt.
(WK Reax: Shouldn’t Cena be in line for an automatic rematch since Rollins interfered in Cena’s last one when Cena appeared on the verge of winning?)
Orton said today is turning out to be a very good day indeed. Orton said the Royals haven’t won a championship in 29 years and it’ll probably be another 29 years. He said he’ll make Triple H proud because he’ll beat Cena and then go on to face Brock and beat him, too. Triple H said the Authority always wins and “that is best for business.” Kane lowered his arms and the pyro blasted and lights went red and his music played. We’re not sure why.
-They went to Cole, Lawler, and JBL at ringside. They shifted to talking about what happened on Main Event last week where Damien Sandow imitated Sheamus leading to Sheamus giving Sandow a big boot. [c]
1 – THE USOS & SHEAMUS vs. GOLDUST & STARDUST & DAMIEN SANDOW (w/The Miz)
Before the match they aired pre-taped inset interviews with both the Usos and Goldust & Stardust. Miz was scheduled to wrestle, but he volunteered Mizdow to take his place in the match. Mildew was flattered by the gesture. Miz joined on commentary. He said he is a giving person and that’s why he gave Mizdow this chance. They cut to an early break. [c]
Sheamus got the hot-tag and went to work on Sandow including a running knee in the corner. After a Stardust distraction, Sandow got a move in, but Sheamus came right back with a powerslam for a near fall. Goldust broke up the pin. The Usos got back in the mix and cleared the ring of the Dusts. Stardust leaped backwards onto the Usos at ringside with the Falling Star. Sheamus dove onto everyone at ringside. Back in the ring Sheamus gave Stardust a Brogue Kick, but Sandow surprised Sheamus with a schoolboy and yank on his tights for the win. Miz freaked out at ringside. He yelled, “I won! I won! I won!” That’s pretty funny. He hugged Sandow and they both yelled “I won!” over and over.
WINNERS: Mizdow & Stardust & Goldust at 9:42.
-Lawler hyped the three-on-two street fight main event. [c]
-Backstage Orton approached Hunter and said he realizes he’s not always the easiest guy to deal with, but he will make him proud on Sunday. He said he is the guy who is going to beat Lesnar. He said he’ll then go to WrestleMania with the World Title around his waist. Hunter said this is a long-time coming for him, but he has to be honest it was all Seth’s idea. Orton was thrown off and said he was’t sure what to make of it. Hunter said Seth is looking out for him. Orton said he’s going to go thank Seth personally. He seemed leery and suspicious of the whole situation, though.
-A Wyatt video aired focused on Erick Rowan with Bray saying he is setting him free. Bray said he used to be afraid, but “she” came to him and whispered in his ear and told him that he is special and he will truly never be alone and he will leave behind nothing but smoke and damnation. He said it’s coming and then laughed maniacally.
-A.J. Lee’s ring entrance took place. [c]
-Cole said subscribers to WWE’s SMS subscription service found out exclusively earlier today that Lee would defend at HIAC against Paige. A clip aired from Smackdown of Lee beating Layla with her Black Widow. Fox and Paige attacked Lee afterward.
(2) A.J LEE vs. ALICIA FOX (w/Paige)
Late in the match Paige got upset at Fox for not doing well enough. Fox shoved her back. Paige threw Fox into the ringside barrier and then into the ring. Lee then yelled at Paige at ringside for some reason, giving Fox a chance to schoolgirl her for the win. Fox and Paige celebrated together. Cole said their dispute was a ruse. I’m not sure how the fight between them actually predictably led to the sequence that helped Fox win.
WINNER: Fox at 4:16.
-Backstage Orton walked up to Seth and thanked him personally. Seth said not to mention it. Orton said he doesn’t understand why he’d look out for him like that. Seth said he’s a team player. Orton said he doesn’t need him on his team and asked him to stay out of his business. Seth said he has a golden opportunity to beat Cena and end his rivalry for good. Seth said if by some miracle he were to beat Lesnar, he’d become the WWE World Hvt. Champion. He said from there, the future takes care of itself. He looked at his MITB briefcase. Orton smiled and walked away. [c]
-A Smackdown commercial hyped the Ambrose-Seth rivalry but didn’t promise anything specific.
-Cole hyped that there’d be an exclusive Hulk Hogan interview on WWE Network on Raw Backstage Pass right after Raw ended including Hogan’s HIAC predictions.
-They went to a wide shot of the HIAC cage above the ring, then Orton’s ring entrance took place.
[Hour Two]
Orton talked about having been in the HIAC against Cena in the past. He said time really flies. He said it seems like just yesterday it was 2002 when Cena and him were both making their WWE debuts. He said he was third generation royalty and Cena was just some punk kid from Boston, Mass. who thought he could rap. A “Let’s Go Royals” chant broke out. He said the Royals won’t win and will never win – not in their lifetime. “Got your attention now?” he asked. He then went back to talking about Cena. He said it was Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper, then Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, The Rock and Steve Austin, and then Randy Orton and John Cena. The “Let’s Go Royals” chant got going again.
Orton called Cena a jacked-up punk kid who has no business being in the ring with him because he’s better than him. He said he can take is hustle, loyalty, and respect and shove it up his ass. He said he’s never cared about fighting for what’s right and he never will. He said the last time he faced Cena was at the Royal Rumble, and he won. He said when he looks into Cena’s eyes – the bane of his existence the last decade – he knows he will beat him at HIAC and he will savor every second of it. As he talked about going on to face The Beast, Cena’s music interrupted.
Cena marched to the ring. He told Orton to “shut up, shut up, shut your mouth.” He said everyone knows Orton is a future Hall of Famer, but every time he opens his “pie hole,” he exposes that he’s “the biggest dumbass alive.” He said his talking about the old times is like a grandpa who pees his pants. Orton laughed and asked what is doing. Cena made some very strange faces as he waited for the “Let’s Go Royals” chant to start. He kind of channeled Dusty Rhodes again with that posture and those facial expressions. Cena said back in 2002 the Royals lost 100 games, and back then Orton was relevant. He said in 2014, though, the Royals are in the World Series. The fans popped. He said they have their eyes square on the world championship. Orton said being in the World Series and winning it are two different things. Cena said just like Orton is in their match on Sunday, but he’s not winning it. He said if he survives against Orton on Sunday, he gets what he wants – a match against the Beast. He said on Sunday he’ll be locked in the Cell against a man on a mission and the man who runs the place “and hell is coming with me!”
Paul Heyman then introduced himself on the stage. He said this history lesson is nothing but laughable. He said the Class of 2002 did feature Orton and Cena, but also Brock Lesnar. He said the reigning, defending, undisputed WWE Heavyweight Champion of the World in 2002 is also the reigning, defending, undisputed WWE Heavyweight Champion of the World in 2014. He said the winner of the Cena-Orton match is ultimately a loser because he has to face the Beast next. He walked up to Orton said he’s always respected him, but he wants no part of his Beast.
As Cena was about to leave, Heyman told him to stop because if he beats Orton, he has to step into the ring with his challenger-eating-carnivore. Cena lifted Heyman for an AA. Heyman squealed. Cena set him down. Lawler wasn’t sure why. Orton surprised Cena with “an RKO out of nowhere.” Heyman laughed at the fallen Cena and said, “Wrong place at the wrong time!” Orton asked Heyman to leave, but then surprised him with an RKO. Orton played to the crowd a bit and asked, “Who’s the dumbass now?” Orton’s music played as Cole recapped what just happened.
-They went to the announcers who hyped the HIAC line-up. Then they threw to a clip of the Rusev-Big Show match last week ending when Mark Henry saved Show from having to tapout. [c]
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Raw: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
(3) RUSEV (w/Lana) vs. BIG E.
Rusev waved the Russian flag in the ring with Lana watching and smiling at ringside. Cole plugged the Big Show vs. Rusev match at the HIAC PPV. A “USA!” chant started as soon as the bell rang. The crowd “oohed and ached” a leapfrog by Big E. mid-match. They cut to a break after Rusev landed his leaping spinning wheel kick. [c]
Shortly after the break, Rusev put Big E in the Accolade and forced a tapout. JBL said he’s dominated everyone he has faced and Big Show is the “last hope for our country.”
WINNER: Rusev via tapout at 7:22.
-Lana said Big Show “is not an American hero; he deserves to be in a circus where people will throw half-eaten food at him as he wallows in his own excrement.” Rusev said, “Big Show, I’m going to rip your giant heart out and devour it.” He said he will fail his country and the people of the United States will despise him for it. Lana asked the “hopeless Americans” to rise for the big red. white, and blue. They raised their arms, but the Russian flag didn’t lower. Rusev and Lana were upset. Big Show appeared on the big screen making fake over-the-top funny faces. Then the American flag dropped instead and patriotic music played.
Rusev reached up and was going to yank the flag down when he noticed a fan in a military uniform try to get into the ring. The “fan” fought past security and made his way into the ring. Another security guy held him back, but Rusev kicked him in the face. He went down and appeared to be bleeding from the mouth. Medics came to the ring and put on gloves and tended to him. The camera zoomed in close in a way they never would if it wasn’t a plant. It would have been more effective for more people had they cut away after the kick to a wide-shot to capture that same scene, and then cut to a commercial a few seconds later. [c]
-They replayed what Cole called a “horrible situation,” including the “fan” running into the ring but getting kicked in the mouth. They showed Big Show helping the military guy to the back.
-Back live, Show was inside the ring and he could barely compose himself. He paused and huffed and puffed and eventually began to cry. He finally gathered himself enough to say, “There are certain lines you do not cross.” He said disrespecting an American soldier is one of them. He said what Rusev just did is going to make him unleash all of the wrath inside of him all over his head. He said he is an American and a giant and he is going to end Rusev’s 15 minutes of fame. He stormed out of the ring. Then he re-entered the ring and called Rusev to the ring right now. He said a piece of America is right there waiting for him. Show said he’d go find him.
-They cut to the announcers to react. Cole said with all due respect, no one in uniform or not, should ever rush the ring.
-They cut to Show who asked where Rusev’s locker room was. Show walked up to it and then kicked it in. No one was inside.
-They went to Dean Ambrose who was munching on popcorn and watching a movie from an odd sharp 90 degree angle. Cena walked in and asked what he was doing. Ambrose said he was watching “See No Evil 2.” Cena thought that wasn’t a great way to prepare for their match. Ambrose said Cena is like Superman with a nice American square jaw who fights for truth, justice, and the America way. He said he is like Batman because he likes to beat up scumbags and has been known to wear a cape. He said they just don’t mix. Cena said they need to come up with a strategy because their opponents are going to try to take them out before Sunday’s HIAC. Ambrose said they handle it by trying to punch anything that moves and they’re going to take as many of them down with them as possible. Cena liked it. [c]
-Cole congratulated Stephanie McMahon for being selected as a recipient of an Eisenhower USA Fellow award, a committee chaired by Colin Powell. Cole called it a huge achievement.
(4) BRIE BELLA vs. SUMMER RAE
They showed Nikki Bella watching backstage from an odd 90 degree angle in a way absolutely nobody in real life watches TV. They showed Nikki cartoonishly responding with anger at Brie winning. Cheesy. As Brie celebrated, the announcers hyped that Brie vs. Nikki at HIAC include a stip that the loser must be the other’s personal assistant for a month.
WINNER: Brie at 3:42.
-They showed Ambrose backstage heading to the entrance stage with a heavy sack over his shoulder. [c]
-They went to the announcers who hyped WWE Network and the HIAC event this Sunday. They also hyped the Raw Backstage Pass after Raw tonight with Hulk Hogan’s HIAC predictions followed by a DX Confidential special.
-Ambrose’s ring entrance took place. He dragged the heavy sack to the ring with him. The announcers wondered what was in the sack. Lawler speculated it was a human body. He pulled a mannequin out that looked a little more like Al Snow than Seth Rollins, but it was supposed to be Seth. Ambrose talked to the doll like it was Seth, accusing him of selling out for The Authority.
[Hour Three]
Ambrose said the first body part he’ll rip off will be his hands so he never has to get his hands dirty again. He ripped one of his arms off. He slapped the doll in the face with the doll’s dismembered hand. “Seth, you’re a smart guy, you’re no dummy,” Ambrose said. JBL then explained the joke, saying “Actually, yes you are.” He then shoved a screw driver into a nostril. The announcers chuckled. Then he hammered the doll’s head a couple times. He then pulled out a saw and said he saw himself in a dream sawing his testicles off. “And then I remembered that you already sold your testicles to the Authority, so I can’t do that.” He pulled out tongs and squeezed the doll’s crotch with them. “You don’t need to have kids anyway,” he said. Then he pildrove the doll and the wig came off. JBL compared it to Ric Flair dropping an elbow on his jacket.
Out came Rollins along with Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble. Seth said Ambrose can never beat him, but at least he can parlay this into a comedy career and open for Carrot Top, Gallagher, or Louis C.K. (Which comedian doesn’t belong with the others on that list!?) Ambrose threw the severed arm at Seth. JBL actually made a current reference to the Lannister who lost his arm (“Game of Thrones”). I’m quite sure Vince McMahon did not feed him that line. Seth said he grew up in the Midwest and he’s a Midwest kid, too, but that’s where what he shares in common with the fans comes to an end. He said he knew from a young age he was destined for greatness, not being a piece of trash loser like the fans. He said fans look up to him for being great and that’s why they are taking pictures of him. He said they’ll be posting those pics on Twitter and saying he was the best part of Raw.
Ambrose said he’s saving his best for Sunday’s HIAC, but he’ll give the KC fans an early preview if he doesn’t shut his mouth. Rollins said he doesn’t sweat Ambrose or that drill in his hand or the Hell in a Cell structure.
Then Mick Foley’s music played and he came out making a surprise special appearance. “Oh my God, it’s Mick Foley!” Cole said. “Are you kidding me?”
(WK Reax: This is another example of WWE’s philosophy of having big name surprises on Raw rather than advertising them ahead of time, the theory being people will watch every week because they never know when a big surprise is coming rather than waiting around to hear ahead of time which show the big stars are going to be on.)
Foley entered the ring with Ambrose. He said he was there to visit an old friend. He pointed at the cage, not Ambrose. Rollins stood on the ring apron. Foley said in December 2012 he remembers the Foley children returning from watching The Shield for the first time. He said his daughter said The Shield were amazing. He said he doesn’t “grace your screens very often,” he watches Raw and Smackdown every week “and I even subscribe to The Network for an undisclosed monthly sum.” Funny.
He said as good as Ambrose and Rollins were as a unit, he always imagined them one day fighting. He said he envisions Rollins coming out victorious in almost every scenario. Rollins smiled and seized the chance to enter the ring and tear into Foley. He said: “Just when I thought you had nothing redeeming left in your body; just when I thought you were an old dinosaur who dresses up as Santa Claus for a living and you had made a mockery of everything you ever did in this ring, I realize you still got some good thoughts in that half-working brain of yours.”
Foley said the key words he seemed to miss out on: “almost every scenario.” He pointed up at the cage and said, “That’s no ordinary scenario.” He said Ambrose has made his intensions clear – he wants to rip his face off – and the structure gives him the tools with which to do that. He said he has worn Santa Clause attire for 300 straight days. JBL said that’s strange. He said it’s because he clings to the last vestiges of his innocence that weren’t stripped away from him 18 years ago. He pointed at his missing tooth space and talked about the tooth sticking out of his nose. He said he wakes up every morning remembering his contributions to this business. He said the scars that won’t heal and will haunt them forever are the emotional wounds that won’t heal. A “Thank you, Foley!” chant broke out. Foley paused for them. I’m sure they mean a lot to him.
Ambrose said, “Thanks, Mick, but with all due respect, I lost my innocence a long time ago in more ways than one, and I’m not worried about adding more psychological scars.” He said nobody in the company understands him, but if there’s anybody on the planet who might get him just a little bit, it’s him. He said he’s ready for Hell in a Cell. He said next Monday Seth ask himself from a hospital bed if it was all worth it. He told him to ask himself that.
Rollins laughed and said they’re both crazy and out of their minds. He said HIAC doesn’t have anything to do with how crazy they are. He said he’ll beat them because he’s better than them and smarter than them. Foley said the man who said what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger was never thrown off a Cell. He said his life is divided by pre-Cell and post-Cell. He dropped the name of the town for a pop. He said the fans get the game tomorrow they’ve been waiting for for 29 years. He said next Sunday night, the two of them will get the match they’ve been waiting for their entire lives. “Have a nice day,” he concluded. His music played as Ambrose stared down Rollins. Ambrose charged at Rollins with a chair, but Rollins bailed out. Rollins charged back onto the apron, but Ambrose knocked him down and then threw the mannequin at him. Ambrose’s music then played.
(WK Reax: This PPV needed a segment like that. Great call by WWE to have Foley there for this final hard-sell to put the match in a historical context and also play into Ambrose’s personality and have Rollins get some heel heat opposite Foley. That segment elevated both guys.)
-They showed Dolph Ziggler and Cesaro on a split screen headed to the ring.
-A plug aired for a WWE Network exclusive called “Degeneration X Confidential,” pitched as a tell-all exclusive with Triple H and Shawn Michaels talking to Michael Cole about the DX years. [c]
5 – DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. CESARO
The announcers acknowledged the death of Ox Baker at age 80 earlier in the day. After Cole said Ziggler and Cesaro had been engaged in a Twitter war, JBL: “We used to fight over beer and chicks; now we fight over Tweets.” He’s got a point. They cut to an early break. [c]
Back live Cesaro lifted Ziggler and then dropped him gut-first over his knee. He climbed to the top rope and leaped at Ziggler with a forearm. He then dropped an elbow off the second rope. He the applied a cobra clutch mid-ring. Ziggler made a comeback. A small “This is awesome” chant started. Cesaro landed an uppercut out of nowhere after blocking a superkick and got the clean three count.
WINNER: Cesaro at 9:30.
-Backstage, Seth and Orton were arguing. Triple H walked in and said in the main event, Kane was in charge of keeping everyone on the same page. Seth and Orton didn’t want to hear it. Kane yelled loudly that they all need to work together. [c]
-The announcers said the HIAC PPV pre-show would include Miz TV with Damien Sandow as his guest, plus Heyman would join Alex Riley and Booker T on the panel hosted by Renee Young.
-A video package aired on Hell in a Cell by the numbers. Cool use of stats that put the history of the gimmick match in perspective.
-A Wyatt Family vignette aired with a similar theme as earlier.
-Cena’s ring entrance took place. Then Ambrose’s. They cut to a break. [c]
-They showed Hogan chatting with Renee backstage.
-Kane ring entrance then took place followed by Orton and then Seth.
6 – DEAN AMBROSE & JOHN CENA vs. KANE & RANDY ORTON & SETH ROLLINS
As Seth and Ambrose began, the crowd engaged in the obligatory “Let’s Go Cena! / Cena sucks!” battle chant. Orton and Kane interfered at ringside when Ambrose took it to Seth near the announce table. Cena ran over to help. Ambrose dove onto all four. Ambrose then pulled out a chair. JBL said, “Out come the toys!” Boy, do I hate when announcers call weapons “toys.” Ambrose hit Seth across the back. JBL pandered and said he swung it like a Kansas City Royal. When Ambrose pulled out a table, JBL asked if there was a Home Depot under there. Kane ran over and slammed Ambrose onto the table, then threw Cena into the ringside steps. [c]
When Cole said they should give Kane a Nobel Peace Prize for keeping Rollins and Orton together, JBL took a dig at President Obama by saying, “The way they give it away, yeah, maybe he should get it.” Vince McMahon loved that one.
[Overrun]
Cena eventually got a hot tag and went to work on Rollins. Cena slid a table into the ring and set it up. He tried to put Seth through the table with an AA, but Seth kicked it away and then sent Cena shoulder-first into a chair wedged in the corner. At ringside Kane and Orton beat up Ambrose. Kane rammed the steps into the head of Ambrose.
Seth and Cena battled in the ring. Seth tagged in Kane. Kane beat up Cena in the ring and then at ringside. He rammed Cena head-first into the ringpost. Kane threw Cena through a table leaning in the corner of the ring. Then the Cell began to lower, at Kane’s command. Ambrose was at ringside. Cena began a comeback, but was stopped quickly by Orton. Ambrose rolled under the cage before it completely lowered. Cena hot-tagged Ambrose. Ambrose dove onto all three heels. He dropkicked Seth off the ring apron, who then flew into the cage wall. Ambrose hit Orton with the kendo stick and then Russian leg swept him to the mat with the kendo stick across his neck. Ambrose continued to single-handedly battle all three heels and be in control of all of the offense. He dove onto Seth at ringside. Orton finally threw Seth head-first into the ringpost. The crowd chanted “This is awesome!”
As Cena signaled for the RKO, Cena entered. Kane broke up Cena’s AA attempt and then chokeslammed him. Ambrose then gave Kane his Dirty Deeds DDT. Orton then gave Ambrose an uppercut and RKO for the three count.
WINNERS: Rollins & Orton & Kane at 18:30.
-Afterward Rollins gave a Curb Stomp to Orton. Cole went berserk. Lawler gasped, “What?” Rollins said he calls the shots around here. Rollins then climbed onto the top of the Cell and held his arms out in celebration, a strong final image for the show.
(WK Reax: It appears the Brooklyn crowd killed the Bunny. This was the second week with more serious promos and better wrestling matches and almost no comedy. The twist at the end with Seth Rollins giving Orton a Curb Stomp could sell some Network subs as people want to see how Orton reacts on Sunday. Good show, good sell. I hope this is a sign of a change in editorial direction for the show. Now if people would just stop being filmed watching TV’s at sharp 90 degree angles!!!)
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