9-10-12 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the September 8, 2012 episode of Raw

The show starts with Bret Hart coming to the ring. The fans cheer and give him a hero’s welcome. Bret thanks the fans. He says it took a long time to get here. Then the fans start singing El Generico’s theme. Bret says this is a great moment for him to come back to Montreal. He’s speechless after 15 years. He mentions the last time he was there it was 1 of the darkest nights but also 1 of his proudest. He thanks the fans for getting him through those dark days. He says it was unique Canadian moment for supporting him for all these years. He says God Bless all the fans in Montreal and he means it from the bottom of his heart. Then CM Punk comes out. Punk says that everything that’s happened to Bret in the past 15 years has been written about in the book Bret wrote about himself. Then Punk mentions what if it was him who faced Bret that year instead of Michaels. Bret says it wouldn’t have mattered. It would’ve taken him less than a minute to get Punk in the Sharpshooter. Punk doesn’t believe it and he says Bret doesn’t either. Punk says he’s the best in the world and wouldn’t have needed Vince. He says he fought Bret and won the title that night then the attitude era would have never been born and he would’ve jumped the sinking ship to WCW and WWE would be dead. Bret says Punk maybe the best in the world but he is the Best there is, was and ever will be. Punk says Bret could be the king of England and he wouldn’t believe it. Then Punk says that he could King of Memphis. Then Punk asks Lawler how he’s doing. Bret mentions that he feuded with Lawler in the past but Lawler always showed up and never walked out. Then they reshow what happened at the end of last week’s Raw. Punk says that he was in his home town. A town that treats champions respectfully and he was in a hurry to enjoy his day off. He mentions that he came back to pick up some stuff and he bumped into Cena. Punk asks Bret if Cena’s gonna be Bret’s white knight. Bret says that he wanted to talk to Cena. Then Punk says that Bret doesn’t know what the word respect means because he wouldn’t talk to the WWE Champion. Punk says he’s been WWE Champion longer than Bret ever was and this Sunday he will beat Cena and become the greatest WWE Champion of all time. Punk says the ovation the fans gave Bret is the ovation Punk deserves in every arena he walks in. Punk says that he will put Cena to sleep. Bret says just like he’s putting all the fans to sleep right now. Punk says he will turn Cena into a beaten broken down empty shell of a former man just like Bret is. Punk walks out holding the title above his head and shouts best in the world. This was a really good opening segment. Both Bret & Punk were great here. Also the fans were great too.

They show a graphic where the fans can tweet who they want to see Punk face tonight. Brodus Clay, Jerry Lawler, or Randy Orton.

Antonio Cesaro & Aksana come out for the next match. Antonio’s word of the week is prestige.

WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth & Kofi Kingston vs. Intercontinental Champion The Miz & U.S. Champion Antonio Cesaro. Truth & Kofi win when Kofi pins Cesaro. This was a decent match.

They reshow Ricardo getting Brogue Kicked last week on Raw. Then they showed the end of Smackdown when Booker T banned the Brogue Kick.

Bret Hart & Sheamus are backstage talking.

They go a bit from earlier in the day with David Otunga, Ricardo & Sheamus. Sheamus says his name. He says he’s half Irish & half Jewish. Then he goes on the old folk tale bit. Otunga mentions last Monday when Sheamus Brogue Kicked Ricardo. Otunga asks if Sheamus Brogue Kicked Ricardo. Sheamus says that he did and if he had to do it again he would. Then Otunga shows a pic of Sheamus Brogue Kicking referee Chad Patton from April this year. Then Otunga mentions Daniel Bryan. Otunga asks “Isn’t it true.” Then Sheamus kept saying yes. Then they mention Sheamus Brogue Kicking Daniel at WrestleMania and Sheamus says that match was 18 seconds. Otunga talks about all the damages the Brogue Kick causes. Sheamus says the Brogue Kick doesn’t discriminate against anybody. Then Sheamus Brogue Kicks the camera. This was really idiotic!! They should ban this storyline!

Divas Champion Layla, Kaitlyn & Eve Torres vs. Beth Phoenix, Natalya & Alicia Fox. Layla, Kaitlyn & Eve win when Eve pins Alicia. This was just there. When’d Alicia turn heel? Not that any of this matters. The Divas have no meaning.

They show AJ watching the show on a monitor backstage. Punk comes in and says that he has a match tonight but Cena doesn’t. He mentions that’s unfair and asks why she’s letting the fans decide who Punk faces. Punk asks if it’s because he turned her down. AJ says things could be worse. She could make him face Sheamus since that’s who he was supposed to face last week. Then she says that a champion vs. champion match does deserve more build. Then she says that since he walked out last week the fans will decide his fate this week. AJ wishes Punk luck and walks off. Then Brodus Clay comes in and asks what’s up? This was ok.

CM Punk comes to the ring to find out who he will face next. Michael Cole gets the mic and mentions it being interactive time. The fans picked Orton.

Randy Orton vs. WWE Champion CM Punk. Orton wins by DQ when Dolph Ziggler comes in. Orton was goin to set up Punk for the RKO but then Dolph came in and the referee called for the bell. Afterwards Orton clotheslined Punk out of the ring. Then he gave power slammed Dolph. Then he gave Punk a power slam too. Then Dolph came to and pounded on Orton. Then Lawler came in to even the odds. The faces clotheslined the heels out of the ring. Then they brawled on the outside and they went to commercial out of nowhere.

Back from break and we have an impromptu tag match happening.

Randy Orton & Jerry Lawler vs. Dolph Ziggler & WWE Champion CM Punk. Orton & Lawler win when Orton pins Dolph. During the match Paul Heyman came to ringside. He talked to Punk and Vickie screamed at them. Punk & Heyman continued talking. Then Heyman got the belt and gave it to Punk. As they were talking Orton hit the RKO on Dolph for the pin. Then Punk & Heyman walked up the ramp. The Orton-Punk singles match was solid and the tag match was too but I felt that this was more about furthering the Punk-Heyman partnership than the match. Of course Dolph does the clean job once again!

Punk & Heyman are backstage and Matt Striker comes by. He asks them what the nature of their relationship is. Punk says he’s a Paul Heyman guy and they both walk off.

They recap the Kane-Daniel Bryan “hug out” from last week. This was idiotic. Why make a video package out of this?

Kane is backstage and Daniel Bryan shows up. Daniel says he heard Kane had something he wanted to say to him. Kane says he heard that Daniel had something he wanted to say about him. Then they both turn to the door and Kane flips out at whoever’s standing there. It turns out the Doc is there too. AJ asked him to be there. He says that he has an idea that will either solve their problems or send them into an abyss. Then he says that they have to trust each other. This was idiotic! This storyline is really crappy!

Heath Slater is in the ring. He says that last week Zack Ryder did something he’s never done with the ladies. He got lucky. Slater says that he wants his rematch right now. Ryder shows up on the Tron and says he won’t be facing Slater tonight. Out comes Ryback.

Ryback vs. Heath Slater. Ryback gets the pin. This was a squash.

AJ is backstage and in come the Primetime Players. They yap for a bit. Then AJ says she called them there because there’s been a mistake. They aren’t the number 1 contenders for the tag titles. Titus says they’re the only team that are worth millions of dollars. AJ says they haven’t beaten every team but will get to face the team they haven’t beaten. Kane & Daniel Bryan. Titus was kinda funny with the whistle but this segment was pointless I thought.

Kane & Daniel Bryan vs. The Primetime Players. Kane & Daniel win when Daniel pins Darren. Kane choke slammed Daniels onto Darren and got the pin. Kane & Daniel Bryan are the number 1 contenders for the tag titles? What was the point of the 3 way tag match on Smackdown then? I have a feeling they’re gonna put the titles on them at Night of Champions. I know WWE loves to do the “guys who hate each other be tag champions” bit. WWE has once again reminded us that regular tag teams don’t matter!

Ricardo Rodriguez comes out with the neck brace and introduces Alberto Del Rio.

Tyson Kidd vs. Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio wins by submission. This was a solid match. Tyson got in a good amount of offense in. Afterwards he kicks Tyson. Then he gets the mic and says that he hopes Sheamus is watching. He says that he just destroyed this Canadian peasant. That’s nothing compared to what he will do to Sheamus at Night of Champions. Del Rio says that Sheamus lost the Brogue Kick and on Sunday he will lose the World Title.

They go to the announce table and Jerry Lawler isn’t there. Michael Cole mentions that Jerry Lawler passed out during the show and was stretchered to the back right away. He said that King was being given CPR backstage and that this wasn’t part of the show. I found out that King a seizure during the Kane & Daniel vs. Primetime Players match. I hope to God he’s going to be alright!

World Champion Sheamus vs. David Otunga. Sheamus wins by submission. This was a squash. Afterwards Sheamus gets back in the ring. He pounds on his chest and gives Otunga a Brogue Kick. Then AJ Lee comes out. She says that Sheamus defied authority. Then Booker T comes out. He says this is World Title business and he will handle this. Booker tells Sheamus he shouldn’t be using the Brogue Kick. Booker says if Sheamus uses the Brogue at anytime against anybody before Booker’s investigation is done Sheamus will be stripped of the World Title. This whole thing with Booker investigating about the Brogue Kick is really idiotic!!

Bret Hart is backstage with Rey Mysterio.

They show a TOUT from R-Truth & Kofi Kingston.

Daniel Bryan & Kane walk in to the doc’s office. Daniel asks Kane what he was thinking when he choke slammed him. Kane says they won. The doc says that they won as a team. Then Daniel says that didn’t appreciate the choke slam but he does appreciate them being a team. Then they argue over which name should be mentioned first. The doc says they should be called Team Friendship. They both scream no. Then they walk off continuing to argue. This was lame.

Back to Michael Cole. He brings up Lawler collapsing earlier. He says Lawler has been taken to a hospital and is being given oxygen but was breathing on his own. Cole says that out of respect of Lawler there won’t be anymore commentary on the show but they hope to have an update on Lawler before Raw ends.

Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes. Cody gets the pin. This was a solid match. Rey had Cody set up for the 619. Then Miz came out but Mysterio drop kicked him off the apron. That allowed Cody to hit cross Rhodes for the win. Afterwards Cody gave Mic cross roads too. Then he held up the Intercontinental Title.

John Cena is backstage and his on his way to the ring next.

Back to Michael Cole with an update on Jerry Lawler. He says that Lawler is more responsive and is reacting to lights. He’s in an isolated ER and is awaiting a cat scan. He says that Lawler is fighting hard and again hopes to have more info before the end of the show. I really hope to God Lawler will be alright!

Bret Hart comes to the ring. He brings out John Cena. Cena comes to the ring. He raises Bret’s hand. Cena thanks Bret for the interview. Bret talks about the Cena-Punk feud and he says it reminds him of the feud he had with Michaels. He talks about the history of that rivalry and how it almost destroyed their lives. Bret then says that he sees a lot of him in Cena and sees the old Michaels in Punk. Cena thanks Bret for mentioning him in the same sentence as Bret & Shawn. The fans boo and chant you can’t wrestle. Cena says what he loves about Montreal is that they know a Hall of Famer when they see one. Cena then mentions that when Shawn was jerk he owned up to it. Punk is constantly saying how good he is. Cena says that the fans adore Bret because they know he stood for something. Then he says that Punk is delusional and thinks gold=respect. Bret asks him what he will do to finally shut this phony little Punk up. Then Punk & Heyman come out and Punk says, “Did you call me a phony”? Cena says he’s calling him that too. He offers Punk to get in the ring. Punk finds it ironic that the most phony guy is casting judgment on the champion. Punk says he doesn’t need Cena’s judgment and it out here to defend his own name. Punk says it breaks his heart to see Bret & Cena in the ring together. He says they can both talk about how great they were. Punk then mentions that he’s better than Cena and Shawn is better than Bret. Punk then says that he is better Shawn Michaels. Punk then mentions Bret making Austin pass out at WrestleMania 13. Punk says he’s better than Austin too. Then he says he’s better than The Rock. He says he is the best technician, talker and brawler. He doesn’t say it for lack of confidence. He says it because he is it. Cena says that whole spiel makes Punk a liar and a hypocrite. Cena then says the fans in Montreal are honest. Cena mentions that the WWE Title has been irrelevant. He also mentions Punk saying there’s a conspiracy against him but there is no Punk. Cena says that Punk made so much noise but the most noise he made was when his mic was cut. Then he mentions Punk beating him at MITB last year. Cena then mentions that there was never any change. The change is about Punk being champion. Cena says he went from an underdog to a favorite as himself. Cena says that Punk has ripped off other wrestlers because he can’t find himself. Cena says Punk is still champion because of any means necessary. Then Cena says that Punk is in jeopardy of losing the title to him at Night of Champions. Then Cena says something in French. Punk says that Cena has lowered himself to the fans level by speaking their language. Cena says he doesn’t lower himself to anybody. He says the fans are why their there. He calls Punk an ignorant SOB. Then he translates what he said in French. That being he will kick Punk’s ass at Night of Champions. Then they stare each other down for a bit. Then Punk turns to Bret and Bret punched Punk. Punk then stands on the ramp with the belt while Bret & Cena raise each others hands in the ring. Cena tells Punk to bring his A game. This was really good. I thought Cena cut a really good promo here. This is the way Cena should be all the time. Punk was really good here too of course. Bret punching Punk at the end was done for the fans but I thought that was good too.

Michael Cole with more on Lawler. Lawler’s condition has stabilized. His heart is beating on its own and he’s also breathing on his own too. Cole says that Lawler is being prepared for a CAT scan on his chest and head. Cole wishes Lawler a speedy recovery.

Then they show Bret & Cena at ringside to end the show.

This week’s show was better than last week’s. The opening segment with Bret & Punk was really good and the Bret-Cena-Punk promo at the end was well done too. Orton-Punk was solid and I thought the Orton & Lawler vs. Dolph & Punk match was too. I was really shocked to hear what happened to Jerry Lawler and I really hope to God that he pulls through! Rey-Cody was a solid match. It looks like they’ll be having Cody challenge for the Intercontinental Title. I’m not sure if they’ll throw Mysterio in there too so they can have a face in the match. The Kane-Daniel Bryan segments were lame. Kane & Daniel vs. The Primetime Players wasn't really much either. I have no idea why they’re having them team up and challenge for the tag titles. WWE just threw all the other tag team aside after building to which team will get a title match. Well it won’t be any of them! The Divas match was just there. Ryback-Slater was a squash. The segment with Sheamus & Otunga in the WWE building was idiotic too and the Sheamus-Otunga match was a squash. The post match bit with Booker T saying he will strip Sheamus of the World Title if he uses the Brogue Kick before his investigation is finished was idiotic too. Truth & Kofi vs. Cesaro & Miz was also decent. Tyson-Del Rio was solid. Tyson got a good amount of offense in during the match. Overall I thought this was a decent show. Once again I really hope to God that Jerry Lawler will pull through!