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 RAW REPORT
MARCH 16, 2015
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
[HOUR ONE]
-A video package aired featuring a sit-down interview with Michael Cole talking to Randy Orton about his decision to deceive The Authority by joining them, then picking his moment to strike. He talked about seeing fear in Seth Rollins’s eyes. He said every time he threw him into a barricade or steel steps, it was like the weight of the world off his shoulders. Snippets of the beatdown aired with special filter effects. He said he let it all out at once and enjoyed every second of it. He said he’s ready to deal with whatever the consequences are. He said tonight he is going to find Seth Rollins, spit in his face, and challenge him to a match at WrestleMania.
-They went live in the arena with Rollins, Kane, Big Show, Jamie Noble, and Joey Mercury standing in the ring as Michael Cole welcomed viewers to Raw. They very briefly showed a graphic saying that they were in Des Moines, Iowa. Seth said he was betrayed, and the fans wouldn’t understand what that’s all about because to be betrayed, you have to be “a somebody.” He said to nobody’s like them, it’s called getting screwed over. He said, “For important people like me who actually made it out of Iowa and made something of our lives, to us it is betrayal.” He said that’s what happened to him courtesy of Orton. The crowd chanted “RKO!” Cole noted that Seth is from Iowa. Seth said what Orton did was so much different than what he did to The Shield because what he did was to secure his future. He said what Orton did was cold blooded and almost sociopathic and without empathy. He said it disgusts him.
Big Show said he owes him apology and it breaks his heart what happened. He said he believes he is the future and the best damn talent in WWE. Show said Orton betrayed their trust and showed he wasn’t past his petty grievances. He said instead Orton is a snake in the grass. Kane said he is sorry too, even if he wasn’t as gullible as Show. He said Orton sucked him in as well, and he’ll never make that same mistake again. He vowed that Orton will pay.
Jamie Noble said, “I know I’m considered the secret weapon of The Authority.” That drew laughs. That was funny. He said he didn’t see a snake, he smelled a rat, when it came to Orton. He said he only cares about Seth. He said he’s not only his boss, he’s also his friend, and what Orton did to Seth hurt him too.
(WK Reax: This really started to drag, 11 minutes into the show.)
Seth said if Orton wants to challenge him to a match at WM, he accepts – but only under one condition. He said Orton must face him tonight on Raw first. Orton came out and said he’s not the face of WWE, he’s just a guy who made him “look like a little bitch” last week.
(WK Reax: I’m surprised, since WWE markets itself overtly to pre-10 year old kids, that in the first hour they have a babyface calling another wrestler a “bitch.”)
Orton said he knows the deck is stacked against him, but he has all the venom needed for each member of The Authority. He said at WrestleMania he will end “The Future of WWE.”
-Cole said Orton wants Seth so badly at WM he’s willing to walk into a trap tonight on Raw. JBL said he doesn’t know what Randy was thinking. Cole plugged a John Cena vs. Rusev contract signing. JBL plugged they’d hear from Brock Lesnar tonight.
-They showed A.J. Lee and Paige heading toward the entrance stage. [c]
-Cole plugged the start times of WrestleMania, but got it wrong and had to correct himself right away. JBL – via Vince McMahon, probably – chewed out Cole for not knowing the right start time. He told him to get himself a new fancy Apple watch.
-A soundbite aired where Brie said A.J. and Paige have only been friends for five minutes, whereas they’ve been sisters their entire lives. “Give Divas a chance? Give us a break!” they closed.
(1) NIKKI BELLA (w/Brie Bella) vs. A.J. LEE (w/Paige)
They cut to a break at 3:00 with A.J. writhing in pain after Nikki snapped her arm over the top rope. [c]
Booker said, “Women just typically hate each other,” as he predicted A.J. and Paige will have issues with one another soon enough. Cole and JBL leaped on that. Booker said he heard that from his wife. Cole said he just threw his wife under the bus. Booker said his wife just Tweeted him. A.J. eventually came back with a cross body off the top rope for a two count. Paige and Brie argued at ringside. Brie shoved Paige into the ringpost. Nikki took advantage of a distracted A.J. Lee and gave her a Rack Attack for the win.
WINNER: Nikki Bella at 11:02.
-Cole hyped a six-man tag match for later. JBL said Mark Henry made a surprise return and they’d show what happened next – while they actually showed what happened – a slo-mo of Reigns spearing Henry through the ringside barrier. [c]
-A WrestleMania 31 ad aired with L.L. Cool J. They used the hashtag #WM31. It’s not often WWE actually uses the number “31” in association with this year’s WrestleMania.
-They went to Cole, Booker, and JBL at ringside who plugged the two hour pregame show in addition to the four hour live event. Cole said there’d be 15 hours of live television on WWE Network that weekend. Cole called $9.99 the greatest deal in the history of Sports Entertainment.
-A clip aired from Smackdown of Mark Henry returning and asking Roman Reigns if he really thinks Brock Lesnar respects him. He said he hasn’t done anything yet. When Henry shoved Reigns, Reigns knocked him down with a forearm and then he speared him through the barricade. Reigns said he can and he will beat Lesnar. “Believe that,” he closed.
-Cole said that is the big question – can Reigns beat Lesnar in two weeks. Then he plugged a sit-down interview with Brock Lesnar later in the show.
-Renee Young interviewed Kane and Big Show backstage. She asked what role they’ll have later in the Orton vs. Seth match. Kane said he decided he’d be in Seth’s corner. Show took exception with Kane thinking he’s in control. Kane asked if he’s hurt his feelings. He said he doesn’t answer to Show, he answers to a higher power. Seth came into the picture and told them to calm down and see the big picture. He said they represent The Authority. He asked how stupid they can be. Kane and Show didn’t like that. Kane said Stephanie can address them how she pleases, but he cannot. Kane said they felt sorry for Seth last week, but in reality they kind of enjoyed it. Kane said Seth has been acting entitled since he helped him win the MITB contract, so it’s about time that someone gave him what he deserved. He said he will not be at ringside for him tonight. Seth hard-blinked as he absorbed that news. Kane asked Show if he will be at ringside for Seth. Show stared at Seth and walked away without answering.
-Ryback’s ring entrance aired. [c]
-A clip aired from Smackdown of Ryback beating up Miz last week and scoring a win after Shellshock as Mizdow smiled and laughed while watching on a monitor in the back.
-A pretaped promo aired with Miz saying he must win tonight or Mizdow will be fired and fade from public existence.
(2) RYBACK vs. THE MIZ (w/Mizdow)
Miz chewed out Mizdow for not saving him when Ryback hand him by the hair at ringside and offered Mizdow a chance to punch Miz. Ryback gave Miz a spine buster back in the ring, then finished him with a Meathook for the win.
WINNER: Ryback at 1:54.
-After the match, Mizdow helped Miz to his feet. Miz gave Mizdow a Skull Crushing Finale.
-Cole, JBL, and Booker talked about what just happened with Miz and Mizdow. Cole said all three of them will be in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He threw to a video package on the John Cena-Rusev feud. [c]
-A Sheamus is Returning video aired.
[HOUR TWO]
-Cole stood mid-ring and introduced Cena. Cole handed him the contract. Cena absorbed a “Let’s Go Cena / Cena Sucks” battle chant. He stared at the contract, then told the crowd he shares their enthusiasm for WrestleMania. He said he’s signed many contracts, but this is “by far the most important.” He said his opponent is the hero of the Russian federation, and he has plowed through every obstacle in his path so far “including myself.” He said Rusev is “the champion of the United States.” He said he has thought long and hard about that, and it means Rusev represents the U.S. and each of the fans. He said that’s what makes the contract important. He said as long as Rusev holds the U.S. Championship, he represents each of the fans. He said tonight he will sign the contract because he thinks enough is enough. He said Rusev has the luxury to live in the United States and every chance he gets all he does is belittle the USA. “I am disgusted,” he said. “Quite frankly, it is disrespectful Rusev represents a country we love and are proud to call home.” A “USA!” chant broke out. He told the fans to let that chant fill them with pride.
Cena talked about standing with the troops who fight for freedom of speech, assembly, and religion. He said in the same breath he is ashamed to have to look them in the eye and say that Rusev is the man to bring their title into battle. “No more!” he said. “To me, this is not a contract, this is a declaration of independence, and WrestleMania is our revolution!” He said he believes that the United States of America is the greatest country on Earth and he believes that because, against all odds, they will not quit and they will stand up and fight. He said, “At WrestleMania, Rusev will find out you can only push the USA so far before they come back and kick your ass.”
Cole then introduced Rusev. Rusev walked out in a suit, without Lana, but with a nerdy attorney instead. Booker asked who that was. JBL wanted to know where Lana was. The attorney asked for the mic as the fans chanted, “We want Lana!” Cena said apparently Lana is the one with the balls. The attorney said, in a Russian accent, that his client will not be competing against American John Cena at WrestleMania. He said Rusev did not agree to that match. He threw to a video clip of Lana accepting Cena’s challenge last week to a title match at WrestleMania. The attorney said Rusev is the only person who can grant such a match, and therefore the proposed contract is null and void. JBL claimed the attorney is a phony. Booker said his accent is more Texan than Russian. The attorney said Cena must contain his American barbaric behavior long enough for Rusev to read his prepared statement in full, and then he will accept his proposed match. JBL said this guy is right out of Des Moines community theater.
Rusev read a statement about America living and dying on its belief in second chances. He said America worships failures. He said the parents are failures. Cena got hot when he heard that. He said their children will grow up to be failures. He said America is a country that will die. Cena, full of rage but also restraint, stared at Rusev as he signed the contract. Then Rusev tipped the table over and ran out of the ring. Cena snarled at him as Rusev retreated with his attorney and his U.S. Championship belt. The Russian flag dropped.
(WK Reax: This was Mystery Science Theater 3000 level commentary. The mocking of the attorney not really being Russian undercut the tone of the segment and what Cena was trying to accomplish. It made Rusev out to be a joke rather than a vicious threat. Had the announcers called it straight, this would have been a more effective segment. Instead, it was about the attorney rather than the “vile comments” Rusev made and Cena’s patriotic heroic push-back against it. It seems Vince McMahon cares more about having fun than selling tickets.)
-Cole plugged the six-man tag match. [c]
-Cole plugged the WrestleMania weekend live events on WWE Network including the Hall of Fame Red Carpet special and the HOF ceremony itself.
-A clip aired of last week’s Raw match with New Day beating Tyson Kidd & Cesaro. Booker blamed Natalya for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, costing her husband the match.
-A pretaped interview aired with Tyson Kidd and Cesaro blowing off their loss last week. They said they can even clap better than The New Day. They mocked them with a clap of their own. They sang that their chances of winning the tag team titles were, “No way! No way!” to the tune of “New Day! New Day!”
(3) CESARO & TYSON KIDD (w/Natalya) vs. THE NEW DAY (Kofi Kingston & Big E. w/Xavier Woods)
Los Matadores walked to ringside to their music for some reason just before the bell rang. Kidd broke up an early pin attempt by Kofi on Cesaro. Then Big E. charged at Kidd with a shoulder, but Kidd moved and Big E. went shoulder-first into the ringpost. Kofi then surprised Kidd with Trouble in Paradise, but Cesaro rolled Kofi up from behind for the win.
WINNERS: Kidd & Cesaro at 1:51.
-Afterward, a brawl broke out between Los Matadores and New Day. Cesaro gave Xavier the Neutralizer. El Torito dove at Cesaro, but Cesaro brushed him off. El Torito head scissored Cesaro out of the ring where he recovered with Kidd and Natalya.
-They went to the announcers who talked about Bray Wyatt vs. Undertaker. A clip aired of Bray’s challenge and Undertaker’s response last week. Cole asked if Bray really got what he wanted. He said he’d respond to Undertaker later. JBL plugged the Lesnar interview next. [c]
-They showed the exterior of the Wells Fargo Arena. They showed a video game simulation of Sting vs. Triple H.
-Backstage Seth told Noble and Mercury he cannot be left high and dry like last week. Noble pointed out that Seth made them leave last week. Seth told Noble that he isn’t paid to argue with him. He said he knows about his diverse skill set, but it shouldn’t include arguing with him. Noble told Seth if he listened to him in the first place, they wouldn’t be in this mess. He’s right. When Seth threatened to fire him, Noble said he quit. Seth asked Mercury if they even needed Noble. Mercury shrugged and left. Seth said he didn’t need either of them.
-Cole threw to the interview with Lesnar.
-Lesnar said he was put on Earth to seek and destroy and hurt people. He said some people think that’s sadistic, but not him. He said he enjoys it and it’s what he does. “That’s why I’m here.” He said WrestleMania is a day he gets to show up, kick somebody’s ass, and gets paid to do so. They went to a clip of Lesnar beating Undertaker last year. He said he doesn’t care that people were disappointed he beat Undertaker. They showed various fans reacting with dismay. Lesnar said he loves every minute of it. He said his take on his contract with WWE is: “There’s one thing for sure. If I stay, I’ll be WWE Champion. If I go, I will be WWE Champion.” He said Roman Reigns is not going to stand in the way of it. He said as a rookie he came into WWE and sent The Rock to Hollywood. He said he beat Taker, then suplexed Cena out of the main events. He said this is his world. “I don’t need to hunt, I need to defend.” He said when he’s in defense mode, he’s something special compared to hunt mode. He said his message to Reigns is that he can dream and wish he will beat him, but Lesnar will kick his ass at WrestleMania. “This isn’t a fairy tale. He said there’s no happy, feel good moment. At WrestleMania I am going to f-— up Roman Reigns. The end.” He got up and left.
(WK Reax: That’s great use of Lesnar. I’m glad to see them own that Lesnar win over Undertaker and utilize it to promote his match with Lesnar. I love the sneaky way he addressed the rumors that WrestleMania might be the end of his WWE run, with him saying that he will be WWE Champion whether he stays or goes. He’s an underrated interview, and this was an example of him in the proper setting, similar to how he was featured when promoting big UFC fights.) [c]
(4) BIG SHOW vs. ERICK ROWAN
Show was in the ring and Rowan’s entrance music was playing as they returned from the break. Show aggressively attacked Rowan as Rowan entered the ring. Show gave Rowan a KO punch and then a flying elbow to the chest off the second rope. Then he left the ring. Cole said the match never officially began. Cole said Show wants to win the Andre battle royal after being compared to him his entire career. Yeah, he was billed as his son for a while.
WINNER: No contest. Match never officially began.
-Cole said Rolling Stone broke the news earlier today that Larry Zbyszko would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. A video package aired, focused on the Larry Zbyszko feud with Bruno Sammartino. When Zbyszko turned on his mentor, the shot of the old ladies in the front row reacting with dismay was classic. The video then covered his run as AWA Champion and the voice of Nitro. The narrator said he was one of the brave few who refused to back down to the NWO. Good video, and it included WCW announcer Chris Cruise interviewing Zbyszko at the very end.
(WK Reax: Good video package. The vintage Bruno-Zbyszko footage was great. They covered the key points of his career and got across his charisma on the mic and the way he carried himself like he was a big star every moment he was on camera.) [c]
-Back live, a bunch of wrestlers were in the ring – Curtis Axel, Zack Ryder, Heath Slater, Fandango, Titus, Darren Young, Jack Swagger, Goldust, Adam Rose, and Kane. Kane said he invited everyone to the ring for a demonstration. Henry interrupted. He said WrestleMania will have its own March Madness. He rolled into the ring and started a brawl. Axel left the ring to watch, avoiding being eliminating. A mini-battle royal broke out. It came down to Titus, Kane, and Henry. Kane easily tossed Titus. Kane and Henry had a staredown. Kane got in the first few shots. Henry came back with a headbutt and then tossed Kane over the top rope. Axel charged in, but Henry head butted him and tossed him over the top. JBL quickly said, “But Axel is still in the Royal Rumble.”
(WK Reax: Nothing sells a battle royal like a 90 second series of rapid-fire eliminations. Based on this awful angle, fans can’t be excited about the battle royal because it looks like it’ll last all of two minutes. I really really dislike these mini-battle royal “abandon ship” segments. It’s so counter productive. It takes away whatever mystique exists regarding a bunch of wrestlers being in the ring at once fighting to try to get one other over the top rope. It take the whole concept of it being difficult to wear someone down enough to break down their resistance so they can be thrown over the top rope and turns it into a fiasco of men just going limp and being easily tipped over the top rope. Awful segment.) [c]
-Cole plugged a “6-Being Interspecies Match” this Thursday on Smackdown featuring El Torito & Los Matadors vs. Cesaro & Kidd & Natalya.
[HOUR THREE]
-Paul Heyman stood mid-ring and introduced himself. He called Lesnar the single most legitimate champion in WWE or mixed martial arts “now and forever.” He said in the spirit of that credibility and authenticity that he has to come out there and tell them that they are just 13 days away from WrestleMania. He said that his client is not a pacifist. He said he is not coming to WrestleMania to make love, he is coming to make war. “War on Roman Reigns!” he said.
He said no one has taken the time to consider what happens when Lesnar violates the parameters and sensibilities that are being imposed on him. He asked if they’ll turn off the lights or cut the feed to the pay-per-view or cut WrestleMania off entirely and throw out the match and give the fans their money back. He said it’s an impossibility “because you’re stuck with Brock Lesnar as your WWE Champion.” His mic got cut off again. Cole said, “Oh, that’s a shame.” Heyman leaned on the top rope and waited for the mic to come live again.
He said they can stop his mic, but no one can stop Lesnar, not even Reigns. He said Reigns was a stand out at NXT and he did beat 29 others in the Rumble and he did get past Daniel Bryan and he was the badass in the Shield, but what happens when reality slaps him across the face and “Brock Lesnar gives him a prison beating at WrestleMania.” He said Reigns is not the next great Ameri-can, he’s the next Ameri-can’t. He insisted he can’t beat Lesnar. He said his father should have told him that a long time ago. Reigns’s music interrupted.
Reigns made his way down the stands. He wore a t-shirt that said, “I Can & I Will.” Reigns entered the ring and Heyman held his ground. Reigns said he has a lot of respect for him. “Possibly the best talker ever in this business,” he said. Reigns said he didn’t think he was talking trash about his family, but the way he sees it, he was warning people about where he came from and what he’s capable of. He said he wanted to talk to his client now. He turned to the hard camera. He said if Lesnar was there, he’d tell him face-to-face what he has to say. He said he knows it won’t be a fairy tale. He said he’s expecting a fight and hoping for a war. He said he’s going to have plenty of people to carry him out of the arena because he has a big family, but he’ll be holding the WWE Title over his shoulder when that happens. He said right next to it is a huge chip on his shoulder from people telling him he can’t. He said he’s going to beat his ass at WrestleMania not because he wants to or needs to, but because he can and will “and I believe that.”
(WK Reax: Reigns’s best promo to date. I liked that he looked directly at the camera. I liked how he framed Heyman’s promo about him last week as a badass who has street fight experience, as distasteful as it made his family out to be. I’m still waiting for a reason to root for Reigns and not Lesnar, though. They’re both approaching this pretty much with a similar narrative and equal moral position. It’s being sold as “can Reigns win,” not Lesnar is a bad guy who deserves to lose to Reigns who is a good guy.)
-Clips aired of Seth losing support of The Authority throughout the show. [c]
-They showed Heyman walking quickly in a back hall of the arena. Renee caught up with him and asked for his response to Reigns. Heyman said Reigns clearly holding in a lot of hostility and he likes it. He said he’s going to throw a little wrinkle in his gameplay because Reigns won’t have to wait until WrestleMania to get in Lesnar’s face. He said he will give Reigns that opportunity next week on Raw. He said he can say anything he wants to Lesnar’s face. He said Lesnar will also have a chance to say or do anything he deems appropriate to Reigns’s face. He said Reigns can think about it all week, but he can’t do anything about it.
(WK Reax: Great set-up for next week. Having kept them apart since the studio segment the day after the Rumble, this feels big.)
-Daniel Bryan’s ring entrance took place. Cole said Bryan gave an impassioned speech on Smackdown last week about how the IC Title is the only belt he hasn’t won in WWE and he wants to win it at WrestleMania. Then Dolph Ziggler came out next followed by Dean Ambrose. Then R-Truth came out in street clothes.
(5) DANIEL BRYAN & DOLPH ZIGGLER & DEAN AMBROSE vs. LUKE HARPER & STARDUST & WADE BARRETT
The hard camera showed that Truth had the IC Title belt clipped to the back of his shirt. JBL said it’s a felony and it’s not funny. Truth sat at ringside. Truth joked about using the five-finger discount back in college. They cut to an early break when the heels jumped to ringside to regroup. [c]
Back from the break, nobody had anyone else in a chinlock, which was shocking. Dean gave Harper a tornado DDT off the ropes. Ziggler hot-tagged in against Stardust next. Ziggler gave Stardust a DDT for a near fall. Eventually a six-way brawl broke out. Harper powerbombed Ziggler for a believable near fall. They cut to another break. [c]
In a return or normalcy, after the break, Barrett had Ziggler in a chin lock. All is right in the world once again. JBL said he’s “done some Columbo work” and he has uncovered that someone has put the IC Title belt on Truth’s back. Truth talked about rabbits being cool and having a lucky rabbit’s foot on his back. I think, by definition, the foot should be called “an unlucky rabbit’s foot” because no rabbit who is missing a foot is a lucky rabbit.
Ambrose hot-tagged in against Stardust. He gave Cody his rebound clothesline. Harper gave Dean a boot to the face. Ziggler misfired and gave Bryan a super kick to the face. Then he kicked Harper. Barrett then lifted Ziggler and dumped him onto Bryan and Ziggler at ringside. Barrett went for the Bull Hammer on Dean, but Dean ducked and gave Barett his Dirty Deeds finisher for the win.
WINNER: Ambrose & Bryan & Ziggler at 17:02.
-After the match Harper threw Ambrose into the announce table. Then Harper pointed at Truth, who got bug-eyed and danced away with the belt still hanging onto his back. Stardust yanked the belt away and ran into the crowd. Dean chased him down in the crowd. Dean took the belt, but Stardust knocked it out of his hands right back at ringside. Truth bent over and picked it up. Harper then confronted Truth and asked for the belt. Truth taunted Harper with it and threw it into the ring right into the lap of Bryan. Dean hit Harper with a clothesline. Ziggler then pulled on the belt. He said, “Just because he threw it at you doesn’t mean it’s yours.” Bryan and Ziggler punched each other. Stardust and Harper joined in. Then Barrett entered and knocked everyone down and stood tall with his belt.
(WK Reax: The bright side is this is the most attention the IC Title has gotten in years. The bad news – pun not intended – is that it’s mostly about Truth making Vince McMahon laugh with outdated racist humor week after week. It’s what happens after WM31 that will dictate whether this was a successful angle at elevating the IC Title. Not that that’s even the goal here.)
-The announcers plugged the $9.99 price for WrestleMania on WWE Network, stressing fans can cancel anytime. Booker joked that it’s a steal.
-Backstage Triple H and Stephanie were looking at Steph’s phone, smiling. Seth walked in and complained about being abandoned. He asked what they’re going to do to fix it. Steph asked him not to alienate everyone who has tried to help him. She said he made his own bed, so it’s time he lie in it. Seth said if it weren’t for her sending Kane and Show home early last week, they wouldn’t even be in this situation. Triple H asked, “Who in the hell do you think you’re talking to?” Seth asked if he’s taking a break from playing hide and seek with Sting. He asked if he’s going to screw up the future of the company. Steph told him to take responsibility for his own actions, and “man up, if you can.” Triple H told him to run along before his situation goes from bad to worse.
-Cole plugged that Bray was up next. [c]
-Cole threw to a clip of the Cena-Rusev angle from earlier in the show.
-A Bray segment aired where he talked about the first time he saw Sister Abigail sitting in a chair and talking to him. He said she taught him about people like him and all the horrible lies that are repeated in this world. He said that Taker tried to burn fear into his heart, but all he succeeded in doing was turning a chair into dust. He poured dust from an urn into his hand. He said everyone is asking what is left of him. He said last year they saw an end to the Streak and a broken, empty soul. He said now he’s afraid to show his face because he knew in that moment, the eyes of the entire world were open and everyone felt shame at their nakedness. He said it’s a tragedy what happened to him. “Your destiny taken; it almost bought me to tears.” He said now his fate is sealed. He said he will make Abigail so proud of him when she watches him destroy Undertaker so he can take his rightful place among the gods. He said after WrestleMania, no one will be safe. “Behold the new face of fear,” he closed.
(WK Reax: Definitely one of his better promos. Less gibberish that adds up to nothing and more direct specific references to history and the consequences of his victory at WrestleMania. I like that he outright called out Taker for being a broken soul after the Streak ended, and that after he beats Taker, no one will be safe.) [c]
-WWE Fact: Raw was the no. 1 show on cable last week. Cole congratulated fans for making that happen. Then they plugged that Snoop Dogg and Bill Simmons will be on Raw next week. JBL put over Simmons as one of the biggest stars in the sports world before ripping into him for talking about himself too much. He wanted to know “who in the hell booked him.” Cole asked JBL to be nice to him next week.
-Orton’s and then Seth’s ring entrances took place for the planned main event. Seth stood on the stage and told Orton that it took weeks of scheming and cajoling to make every member of The Authority look like fools. He began to laugh maniacally. He said it’s only taken him three hours to make a fool out of him. He laughed obnoxiously some more. Then he raised his arms and out came Triple H to his music. Triple H led Kane, Show, Noble, Mercury, and Stephanie onto the stage. They all laughed at Orton’s expense. Orton rolled out of the ring and grabbed a chair. Then he returned to the ring and called them all to the ring. The heels surrounded the ring as the crowd began chanting “We Want Sting!”
As the heels entered the ring, the lights went out and Sting’s crow was heard. The lights came on and Sting appeared next to Orton. He cleared the ring with his baseball bat. He gave J&J his Stinger splash. He looked down at Triple H. Booker said he had goosebumps and said it’s going to be great. He then gave Noble the Scorpion Death Drop. Booker said it was 13 years in the making and long overdue. Cole said they are steamrolling to WrestleMania and he called it “one of the greatest moments in Raw history” as Triple H & Co. backed down. They replayed Sting clearing the ring with Orton. JBL said he never dreamed he would see that in a WWE ring. JBL said it’ll be amazing when 70,000 people are on their feet at WrestleMania. Cole said Orton and Sting will be interviewed live on WWE Network right after Raw.
(WK Reax: Good angle. I liked the swerve that The Authority pulled on Orton because, ultimately, while Orton was outsmarted, he still gets his match at WrestleMania and at least they didn’t give it away on Raw. They also stacked the odds against Orton in revealing that The Authority are still all on the same page. The use of Sting at the end is the best way Sting was ever used. Shows up out of nowhere, uses the baseball bat, doesn’t talk, but stands tall as heels have to regroup at ringside. It’s what worked with WCW Nitro and WWE is smart to repeat it and not do more or less than that. The teaser at the end to hear from Sting and Orton is a great way to let viewers of Raw know they are missing out if they’re not watching live and aren’t Network subscribers.)
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