The 876th edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the Rose Garden in Portland, OR. Just under two weeks before WrestleMania, master illusionist Criss Angel would serve as the Guest Host. In an effort to prove to his WrestleMania opponent, Bret Hart, that he is capable of defeating “The Hitman”, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon would step into the ring with former WWE Champion John Cena! In their continuing effort to get the better of their former mentor, Legacy will get their chance as Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase would face Randy Orton in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match. Wendi Richter, Antonio Inoki, Mad Dog Vachon, & “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase have all been announced for the 2010 WWE Hall of Fame and, on RAW, the fifth inductee would be revealed.
Match Results
- 6-Diva Tag: Gail Kim, Eve Torres, & Kelly Kelly def. Maryse, Katie Lea, & Alicia Fox by Maryse submitting to a modified arm bar by Eve Torres.
- WrestleMania Preview Match: Non-Title: The Miz & Big Show and R-Truth & John Morrison fight to a No Contest after the match spills to the outside of the ring.
- 2-on-1 Handicap Match: Legacy def. Randy Orton by Ted DiBiase pinning Randy Orton following Dream Street.
- Final Money-in-the-Bank Qualifying Match: Evan Bourne def. William Regal by pin following Air Bourne to qualify for the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania.
Evan Bourne will join Christian, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Jack Swagger, MVP, & Matt Hardy in the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania.
- Handicap Gauntlet Match: Mr. McMahon, Batista, Mark Henry, Drew McIntyre, & Vladimir Kozlov def. John Cena (with Kofi Kingston) by Mr. McMahon pinning John Cena following the Batista Bomb.
Detailed Results
Just twenty days before he puts his undefeated WrestleMania streak on the line against the storied career of Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker opens the show! Undertaker states that the life of Shawn Michaels now has a “dark cloud” over it and it will cause HBK to pay the “ultimate price” by putting his career on the line. “The Deadman” states that, after WrestleMania, there will be no “victory” for Shawn Michaels and the “dark cloud” will remain! Undertaker then starts to emphatically state that the career of Shawn Michaels will “rest in peace”, but Undertaker is cut off by the arrival of Shawn Michaels! HBK states that he had an “epiphany” last week, that, for the “first time ever”, the dark heart of The Undertaker contains “fear”! Michaels then says that he would not put his career on the line if he did not think he could beat The Undertaker! HBK then states that “nothing lasts forever” and he will prove it come WrestleMania! Undertaker responds by alleging that Michaels is filled with “pitiful desperation”! Michaels then states that he wants their match at WrestleMania to have no count-outs and no disqualifications before vowing to beat The Undertaker! Undertaker agrees to the added stipulation and states that he can see it in Michaels’ eyes that HBK truly believes he can win at WrestleMania and that is what makes Shawn Michaels who he is! Undertaker then vows to “open the gates of hell the likes that no man has ever seen” come WrestleMania to ensure that the career of Shawn Michaels will be “over”! Michaels responds by saying that, after WrestleMania, the “dark cloud” will come back, but it will be hanging over the head of The Undertaker and it will remind “The Deadman” of the night that Shawn Michaels ended the undefeated WrestleMania streak of The Undertaker! This monumental WrestleMania rematch has just become more interesting as the contest will now have no count-outs and no disqualification. When nothing is off limits and the only ways to win are by a definitive pinfall or a painful submission, will Shawn Michaels be the one to end the undefeated WrestleMania streak of The Undertaker or will The Undertaker put an end to the twenty-five year career of Shawn Michaels?
The opening match of the night was a 6-Diva Tag Match as Divas Champion Maryse, Katie Lea, & Alicia Fox would face Gail Kim, Eve Torres, & Kelly Kelly Utilizing an innovative arm bar, Eve Torres was able to win the match for her team after forcing Maryse to tap out! By forcing the Divas Champion to submit, has Eve Torres earned a shot at the Divas Title?
Twenty days before they square off for the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania, Unified WWE Tag Team Champions The Miz & Big Show would face their WrestleMania opponents, R-Truth & John Morrison in a “WrestleMania Preview Match”! Before the match, The Miz states that R-Truth & John Morrison have “little credibility” as a tag team and states that himself and Big Show are “the last truly great tag team in the WWE”!
Following his brash words for his and Big Show’s WrestleMania opponents, Unified WWE Tag Team Champions The Miz & Big Show would face their WrestleMania opponents as they would squared off against R-Truth & John Morrison in a “WrestleMania Preview Match”. The contest quickly got out of hand as both teams spilled to the outside and, in the end, Truth & Wisdom was able to prove ShoMiz wrong by taking out the tag team champions and leaving them laying on the outside! Will R-Truth & John Morrison prove their worth to The Miz & Big Show by taking the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles from ShoMiz or will ShoMiz retain in their most high profile match as a team?
In their continued efforts to best their former mentor, Legacy would compete in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match against Randy Orton. However, in the middle of their entrance to the ring, Orton blindsides his former protégés and attacks Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase before entering the ring and awaiting his opponents! In the end, the 2-on-1 disadvantage was simply too much for Randy Orton as Ted DiBiase was able to capitalize on the distraction by Cody Rhodes to hit Dream Street on Orton and pick up the win! After the match, Rhodes gets his own hands dirty by laying Orton out with Cross Rhodes! What is the next step in this intense rivalry?
One week after being assaulted by Sheamus, Triple H made an appearance on RAW to address the attack perpetrated by “The Celtic Warrior”! Triple H states that if he was “humiliated” inside the Elimination Chamber like Sheamus, then he might have done the same thing! However, “The Game” is quickly interrupted by the arrival of Sheamus, who says that he makes a “statement” of facing Triple H at WrestleMania! Triple H tells Sheamus that, until Sheamus competes at WrestleMania, his other accomplishments mean “nothing”! Triple H then asks Sheamus if he has the “guts”, because Sheamus has got to “put it all on the line” at WrestleMania and tells Sheamus that, before Sheamus takes the “gamble”, he better be sure! Sheamus then tries to cheap shot “The Game”, but Triple H avoids the attack and fires back at “The Celtic Warrior”; sending Sheamus careening out of the ring! Triple H & Sheamus go back-and-forth on the outside before the brawl re-enters the ring and Triple H plants Sheamus with a spinebuster! Sheamus has physically expressed that he is ready to face Triple H at WrestleMania. Who will emerge victorious in this first time meeting between these two Superstars?
With fellow qualifier, Christian, on commentary, the final Qualifying Match for the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania took place on RAW as the high-flying Evan Bourne went one-on-one with William Regal. In the end, it was Bourne hitting Air Bourne on Regal en route to becoming the final man to qualify for the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania! All eight participants have been determined for the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match as Christian, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Jack Swagger, MVP, Matt Hardy, & Evan Bourne will all compete to try and secure the Money-in-the-Bank title opportunity. Which one of these Superstars will elevate their game to the next level by winning the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match?
Next week’s RAW promises to be a memorable show as WWE Hall of Famer, six-time WWE Champion, and star of the new film “Damages”, Stone Cold Steve Austin, himself will take the helms as the Guest Host of RAW! “The Texas Rattlesnake” has already ensured a memorable night next week as the Hall of Famer has instituted a WrestleMania Rewind Night; a night featuring rematches of past WrestleMania events! In a rematch from WrestleMania XIX, World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho will go one-on-one with Shawn Michaels! In a rematch from their highly personal championship match at last year’s WrestleMania, Triple H will square off against Randy Orton! In a rematch from the historic WrestleMania XX, John Cena will relive his first WrestleMania as he would go one-on-one with “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show! Not only has Stone Cold made this trio of blockbuster matches, but Austin will also step in the middle of two of the most intense rivals in his career as “The Texas Rattlesnake” will oversee the official contract signing for the WrestleMania match between Bret Hart & Mr. McMahon! How will the “hands on” hell-raising Hall of Famer handle any potential physicality between Hart & McMahon? What else will go down when Stone Cold Steve Austin takes control of RAW next week?
Then it was time for the main event as WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon would step into the ring to compete in, as McMahon called it, a “warm up match” against John Cena in an effort to prove to Bret Hart that he is ready for their match at WrestleMania! After confidently walking to the ring, Mr. McMahon reveals the reason for his confidence as the Chairman changes the match from a one-on-one match to a Handicap Gauntlet Match; where John Cena will face Mr. McMahon and a series of partners! First up was “The Moscow Mauler” Vladimir Kozlov, who demolishes Cena and lays Cena out before tagging McMahon, but Cena is able to kick out! The Chairman then brings out his “Chosen One” as Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre, who plants Cena with the Future Shock DDT, but still, Cena kicks out! The Handicap Gauntlet Match then continues as Mr. McMahon brings out “The All-American American” Jack Swagger, but Cena still kicks out of all of Swagger’s attacks! McMahon then brings out a reluctant Mark Henry, who plants Cena with the World’s Strongest Slam! Cena still kicks out, but then things take a turn for the worst when Mr. McMahon goes out and gets the ring bell and announces the match now has no disqualifications! After refusing McMahon’s demands to blast Cena with the ring bell, Henry is blasted with a Spear by the WWE Champion Batista! Though Kofi Kingston tried to even the odds in Cena’s favor, Batista soon takes Kofi Kingston out of the equation and finishes the match with the Batista Bomb followed by Mr. McMahon scoring the pinfall to defeat John Cena! After the match, Batista stands tall over the fallen John Cena. Will this be the same scene come WrestleMania or will Cena rebound and dethrone Batista by taking the WWE Title?