Raw ended with an irate Bret Hart standing in the ring with the glowing Wrestlemania 26 sign hovering above his head. Even the most ardent of doubters must now realise that when WWE’s premier event rolls along in seven weeks time, The Hitman and Vince McMahon will do battle. 12 and a bit years after the pandemonium of Montreal, and finally there will be closure.
McMahon has yet to officially sanction the match – reversing his decision to fight after he was attacked by a fired-up Hart – but he will. For both egotistical and financial reasons, Vince won’t back down. He will enjoy his own Wrestlemania moment.
Shawn Michaels’ place at the March extravaganza, though, is far from secure. The Heartbreak Kid continued his dramatic downward spiral this week, as he and DX crony HHH lost the Unified Tag Team Titles to Big Show and The Miz, a la ShowMiz.
Mr. Wrestlemania accosted visiting Smackdown general manager Teddy Long after the contest pleading to be traded to Friday nights so he can get another chance to face The Undertaker. When Long said no can do, the tortured Michaels lost the plot, declared his career was over and proceeded to give Teddy a taste of Sweet Chin Music. The Deadman v The Showstopper seems odds on for the big one, but there is growing dissention between Shawn and HHH and a clash between the DX duo should not be ruled out.
There is also tension in Legacy’s ranks. Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes bickered about who was the better man after the former qualified for the Elimination Chamber and the latter did not, while Randy Orton and DiBiase had words ahead of their participation in the hellacious metal confine on Sunday week. The backstage interlude led to The Viper revealing Ted was facing John Cena later in the night, and Rhodes was opposing him.
Things did not go the way Orton planned. After a distraction from WWE champion Sheamus, Rhodes was able to apply a slick CrossRhodes to pick up the win, though the Legacy member swiftly turned into The Legend Killer’s ally to prevent his mentor from being crushed by Sheamus.
The Celtic Warrior – just like last week – was involved in the opening segment, interrupting guest host, NASCAR driver and back-flip extraordinaire, Carl Edwards. The ginger-haired philistine demanded he enter the Elimination Chamber match last, but before the Irishman was given an answer from Edwards, he himself was cut off.
Not by Cena, Orton, Kofi Kingston or even Edge but by ECW champion Christian. Captain Charisma divulged that as his home brand is about to be shut down, he will become a free agent and wanted to visit Raw to see if it was for him. After some inevitable jokes about Sheamus’ paleness, the two title holders squared off in an excellent back-and-forth encounter that the WWE champion won. Christian did himself proud however, and while Smackdown looks like his logical new home, he would certainly boost Monday nights should he end up there.
DiBiase – whose father will be inducted in this year’s Hall of Fame – and Cena wrestled the final bout of the evening, but it ended in a no contest when The Chain Gang Soldier – still seething from his attack by Batista last week – pummelled his opponent outside the ring until officials curtailed the match.
Cena then implored Batista to come and face him, but with The Animal nowhere to be seen, Raw’s top dog turned his attention to his new adversary’s string puller, McMahon. Cue Cena defending Hart and telling the WWE chairman to face the Canadian at Wrestlemania, Vince accepting only to change his mind when The Hitman ambushed him and Bret responding by smashing every technical implement he could see.
Hatred, betrayal and vexation – next week’s guest host Jerry Springer should feel right at home.
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