Tonight, we are over 24 hours removed from Survivor Series and the biggest questions: did C.M. Punk retain his WWE Championship and can make it past a year? How about the World Heavyweight Championship – was Big Show able to walk out with the title, or did Sheamus gain some revenge and the belt back. Or even better, did Dolph Ziggler pull a swerve and cash in his Money In The Bank briefcase to win him his second World Championship?

I can’t wait, let’s find out right now!

Monday Night Raw Report for November 19th, 2012 – “1 Year”

Introduction Segment: Recap

Yes and Yes! With the still images on the screen depicting the two champions, C.M. Punk and The Big Show kept their titles! Albeit not without controversy, as during the World Championship match, Sheamus accidentally Brogue-kicked the referee, while in the WWE title bout, three unknown men put Ryback through a table just as he was about to win the Championship, and allowing C.M. Punk to continue his streak.

Segment #1: Arena Promo

Ryback is out right away, ticked off and wanting to hunt down the mystery partners of C.M. Punk. He challenges all of them to come on down, but instead receives Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero. She tells Ryback he had his chances, and if he causes any “chaos”, then he “will be subject to a fine or suspension.” Guerrero has other plans for Ryback, and orders him to face Tensai right now.

Match #1: Single – Ryback VS. Tensai

The two behemoths lock up to begin, with Ryback punching away at Tensai’s head into the corner. He drops Tensai with a clothesline, but Tensai returns the favor and splashes him in the corner too. Ryback counters a run with a Lou Thesz press and head-slam. Despite initially blocking it, Ryback gets double-chokeslammed and ground-Senton splashed.

Ryback reverses another run attempt into a powerslam, and starts to get momentum. Huge spinebuster, as Ryback is measuring Tensai, then pushes him over the top rope with a clothesline. Following another inside the ring, Ryback manages to pick up Tensai and drop him with the Shell Shock marching Samoan Drop for the victory!

Winner via Pinfall: Ryback

Segment #2: Backstage Promo

Sheamus is seen yelling at a referee about the finish to his match last night.

Later tonight, WWE Champion C.M. Punk will celebrate his WWE Championship streak continuing past one year.

Up next, Wade Barrett will challenge Kofi Kingston for the Intercontinental Championship.

Commercials.

Match #2: Single – Wade Barrett VS. Kofi Kingston

Kofi kicks away at Barrett’s thighs to get an early advantage, then drops him with a jumping-spinning-elbow. Kofi leaps onto Wade in the corner and punches him, then takes him down with an uppercut. Barrett counters with an elbow-to-the-head and takes control. He dumps Kingston to the outside with a clothesline for a break.

Ads.

Back live, Barrett has Kofi in a grounding side headlock to wear down Kingston. Wade takes the fight to the outside, slamming Kofi’s head onto the steel steps. Back in the ring, Barrett continues to kick away and headbutt Kofi, then clamping on a half-camel-clutch. Kingston reverses a slam-grab with a sunset-flip for a near-fall, then catches Wade with a calf-kick.

Kofi pounds away, then chops and dropkicks Barrett down. Boom drop legdrop delivered then runs at Wade, right into the tilt-a-whirl side-slam. Barrett covers but only gets two! Kofi fends off Wade again and flies with a high-crossbody for another two-count. Wade grabs Kofi’s head and rakes his eyes on the ropes, then spins him around with the harsh elbow/forearm to the head for the 1 – 2 – 3!

Winner via Pinfall: Wade Barrett

Segment #3: Recap

Jerry “The King” Lawler and Michael Cole go over the main event from Survivor Series, in which three rogue NXT Wrestlers – Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins, slammed Ryback through the announce table and allowed WWE Champion C.M. Punk to retain his title.

They also take a look at “rogue referee” Brad Maddox via video footage of his promo and what he did at Hell In The Cell, plus the match he had last week with Ryback.

Segment #4: Locker Room Promo

Paul Heyman is toting C.M. Punk’s WWE Championship win and celebration with some local backstage crew. He knock’s on the “Straight-Edge” Superstar’s door and out comes C.M Punk, donned in a “I’m a Paul Heyman Guy” t-shirt.

Heyman gloats about his upcoming celebration, then Matt Striker interrupts. He asks about the controversial finish to his S.S. match, as well as possible alliance with Rollins, Ambrose, and Raines. Punk shoots him down, then when asked about Ryback, Heyman even invites him to the party. Punk cuts off Striker and wants a conversation with his manager instead. (Oops!)

Commercials.

Match #3: Single – Aksana VS. Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn rushes Aksana right away, but she chickens out, only for Kaitlyn to be suckered into a clothesline outside. Quick cover then a head-pound on the mat from Aksana. She manages to lock on an arm-stretch, hanging off the ropes a la Tajiri.

On the mat, Aksana has Kaitlyn’s arm wrapped behind her head, then punches at the cranium. Kaitlyn counters with a kick-to-the-gut then elbows and whirls her around by the head, twice! Kaitlyn with a running shoulder-tackle and gut-wrench knee-drop for the win!

Winner via Pinfall: Kaitlyn

Ads.

Match #4: Single – “The Funkasaurus” Brodus Clay (with “The Funkadactyls” Naomi and Cameron) VS. United States Champion Antonio Cesaro

Elbow/collar tie-up with Brodus gaining control quickly. Cesaro counters with a headbutt and punches/kicks fiercely to bring the big-man down. Huge double-stomp from Antonio, but Clay ducks a clothesline and hits a headbutt. Running Splash in the corner sets up Brodus drop his body on him, but Cesaro moves and jumps off the second rope with a spinning uppercut. Antonio uses all his power to finish off Brodus with the Neutralizer cradle-faceplant!

Winner via Pinfall: United States Champion Antonio Cesaro

Segment #5: Make-A-Wish Foundation Promo

A montage of John Cena’s dedication to the children with life-threatening illnesses and special needs via the Make-A-Wish Foundation is aired. (Truly again, I say, no matter what you think of him as a wrestler/on-air character, the MAN John Cena deserves a lot of respect for his honest and caring nature towards this charity. I will always have an infinity amount of respect for him because of this.)

Commercials.

Segment #6: Arena Promo

Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero is out with a man and woman behind her. She is out to set the record straight, saying that she “would not lay a hand on a WWE Superstar.” She puts over Tamina Snuka for standing up for authority. She then turns over the microphone to the “eye witnesses,” Whitney Smith, who is a waitress at the hotel restaurant where “Cena and A.J. had their alleged business dinner.” She claims that Cena and A.J. were very, very friendly at dinner.

Her next witness is Doug Brady, who is a parking attendant. He says that Cena and A.J. were staying in a parked vehicle for about an hour, and he received a complaint from a dad in a family about what they had seen in the vehicle.

Before we can find out what that was (and I’ll give you just one guess!), A.J. marches down and shoots down these doctored rumors and video footage. A.J. tells Vickie to either fire her or “shut the hell up!” Guerrero then wants to show a controversial picture courtesy of Doug’s cell-phone, but John Cena also interrupts and stomps out.

Cena calls all this a load of garbage and crap, then tells Vickie if she wants something to talk about, watch this! Cena gives A.J. a passionate kiss, then A.J. returns with a full-on make-out session, until Dolph Ziggler runs out and attacks. He and Cena fight to the back, with A.J. looking mesmerized.

Later tonight, Sheamus will take on Damien Sandow, and up next it’s the 2 out of 3 falls match between Orton and Del Rio

Ads.

Match #5: Two out of Three Falls Single – Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez) VS. “The Viper” Randy Orton

They walk around each other then Orton begins with punches. Clothesline out of the corner and a two-count. Del Rio kicks away and snapmare’s Orton, then kicks at his back. Orton fends off and hits a high-dropkick for two! Quick snap-suplex from Del Rio, then later hits a kick and a jumping armbar-breaker.

He sets up for the Cross-Armbreaker submission, but gets countered and tossed outside. Alberto snags Orton on the ropes then repeatedly slams Randy’s left arm against the ring post, despite Referee Mike Chioda ordering him to stop, so he gets disqualified.

Winner of Fall #1 Via Disqualification: Randy Orton

Commercials.

Back live, Alberto continues to work over Orton’s arm with an armbar. Randy struggles out of it and hits a backdrop. “The Viper” gets momentum, nailing a couple clotheslines then follows with a powerslam. Del Rio counters Orton, then manages to grapple him down with the Cross Armbreaker for the quick tap-out!

Winner of Fall #2 via Submission: Alberto Del Rio

(Tied 1 – 1)

Round three is underway, with Del Rio playing games knowing Orton’s left arm is hurt bad. Orton counters a corner-run with an over-the-top roll-up and nearfall! Del Rio measuring Randy, then hits the running enziguri for a two-count! Del Rio again sizing him up, and goes for a running clothesline but Orton reverses into his backbreaker. Rodriguez trips up Orton, but unfortunately in front of referee Chioda, so Ricardo is outa there!

This distraction allows Alberto to drive Orton down with the backstabber, but only gets a two-count! Alberto then mocks Randy’s “zoning up” and goes for his own R.K.O., but “The Viper” counters and slams his head to the mat with the slingshot-DDT. Orton tries the real R.K.O., but Alberto counters into the Cross Armbreaker again, and Orton reverses into a roll-up for two! Del Rio runs at him with the Enziguri, but Orton moves and takes him down with the R.K.O. for the victory!

Winner of Fall #3 and the match via Pinfall: Randy Orton

Segment #7: Locker Room Promo

John Cena may legitimately be injured, as a clip of him running after Dolph Ziggler earlier shows that he may have tweaked his knee/ankle. In the locker room, Cena is with A.J. getting his knee taped up.

Commercials.

Match #6: Two On One – Epico and Primo (with Rosa Mendes) VS. The Great Khali

Squash! Khali takes care of the cousins with a chop and Punjabi Plunge Double-Chokeslam, quickly. The main feature was Hornswoggle squirting Rosa with waters out of the flowers. (Pointless!)

Winner via Pinfall: The Great Khali

Segment #8: Backstage Promo

Paul Heyman is with the crew, going over the celebration for later tonight. He is happy with everything, then adds balloons to the list.

Up next, The Miz is in action.

Ads.

Match #7: Single – David Otunga VS. The Miz

Lock up with Otunga taking control and hammering away. Kicks in the corner, but Miz comes back with some of his own. David tosses Miz into the post then brings him back with a Russian Legsweep. Springboard elbow Otunga, then grasps on a grounding rear-chinlock. Miz fights out of it, but gets clotheslined and shoulder-tackled. Otunga delivers hard-fists to Miz’s chest then a clothesline and another grounding rear-chinlock.

Miz reverses an Irish Whip into a sunset flip for two, then another roll-up for another nearfall! Miz is now battling back with punches and the running corner clothesline. He’s setting up Otunga for a double axe-handle off the top-rope! Miz measures and delivers the Skull-Krushing Finale to get the 1 – 2 – 3!

Winner via Pinfall: The Miz

Commercials.

Segment #9: Arena Promo

Sheamus is out, carrying a well-dented chair, and wants to get something off his chest. At first, he was okay with losing to Big Show at Hell In The Cell, because it was just two guys fighting over a Championship. However, Sheamus took exception when Show attacked William Regal – Sheamus’ close friend – then used the referee in their Survivor Series match to block the Brogue Kick.

The smile is wiped from Sheamus’ face and he orders the World Heavyweight Champion to settle it. Big Show cautiously walks out, due to the “dozens and dozens of chair shots” by Sheamus at S.S. Show denies that they have something to settle, as he has defeated Sheamus twice now. They argue back and forth, with Show calling Sheamus “barbaric” for assaulting him with the chair, and then Sandow walks out to get his bout in.

Match #8: Single – “The Intellectual Savior Of The Masses” Damien Sandow VS. Sheamus

Lock up and pushing to the corner by Sheamus, until Damien orders him off via referee Charles Robinson. Sheamus, slams Sandow down with a side-headlock, until Damien shoves off and kicks Sheamus down in the corner. Sheamus counters with more punches and knees Damien in the corner, then runs at him with a shoulder-tackle.

Sandow rolls to the apron and punches Sheamus back. He tries a suplex, but is reversed by Sheamus into one of his own. Sheamus gains control now, standing on Damien’s arm, then later chucks him out of the ring by his beard!

Ads.

During the break, Sandow regained dominance by pressing Sheamus down on the mat. He locks on a rear-chinlock to wear down the Irishman. Sandow sets up Sheamus for the Elbow Of Disdain, but “Great White” jumps up and drops Damien with the Irish Curse backbreaker.

He follows that up with pounding on the chest against the ropes and a suplex off the apron to the canvas. Sheamus ascends the top rope and dives off with the Battering Ram shoulder-tackle. One “White Noise” later, plus a Brogue Kick, and Sheamus is your victor!

Winner via Pinfall: Sheamus

Segment #10: Office Promo

A.J. marches into confront Vickie Guerrero, however Tamina Snuka stops her. A.J. threatens that she will “get to know Tamina better in the very near future.” A.J. accuses Vickie of setting up Dolph to attack Cena, and demands that she does something about it. Vickie says “nothing,” then A.J. threatens she will take care of it instead.

Commercials.

Segment #11: Locker Room Promo

Despite warnings from Layla, A.J. barges into the guys’ locker room and demands to know “who the hell” Dolph Ziggler is. He cuts a promo on her, telling her that “girls like her, are a dime a dozen. You came from nothing and you came from nothing.”

He says that she latches on to any attention she is given, then whenever someone disappoints her, “you lose a piece of your pride and you’re nothing more than a shell of a women. Sad, weak pitiful. Face it A.J., you’re just trash.”

Dolph sits back down, then gets a flurry of arm-whalings by A.J. Cena quickly stops it (boy, that knee heeled fast!), and then engages in a big brawl with Ziggler, even knocking out a bathroom stall! “The Showoff” gets the best of him, as other referees and wrestlers have to pull him off, leaving Cena writhing in pain.

Ads.

Segment #12: Locker Room Promo

Josh Matthews tells us that John Cena is being looked at by trainers.

Match #9: Tag-Team – Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio VS. Tag-Team Champions “Team Hell-No” (Daniel Bryan and Kane) (Non-Title)

(NOTE: “The Primetime Players” Titus O’Neil and Darren Young speak fantastically on commentary) Sin Cara and Kane start out, with Kane dominating then tagging in Bryan to loud “yes, yes, yes” chants. Cara moves from a diving knee by Bryan, then spins him around with a springboard tilt-a-whirl armdrag.

Rey is now in with Daniel, but gets worked over by Bryan. Kane tags himself in, and Rey flies around, dropkicking him on the outside and running off the apron with a seated senton. Daniel levels Rey, then Cara takes out Bryan with a suicide dive.

Commercials.

Kane is back in control now over Sin Cara, driving him down with a sidewalk slam. He switches with Daniel again, who clamps on a submission hold then stomps away. Kane and Daniel switch in and out, dominating this contest. Cara eventually counters a run in the corner then brings Bryan out with a spinning Tornado DDT.

Both tag-in their partners, and Mysterio hits two dropkicks for a nearfall on Kane! Mysterio reverses a sidewalk slam into a reverse DDT, as Cara takes out Bryan. Mysterio flies off the top but is cut off with an uppercut. Kane eventually counters a splash with a chokeslam attempt, then the “Prime Time Players” interfere, causing a double DQ.

Winners: No Contest, via Double-Disqualification

Post-match, the face-teams take out the Players and all three are staring at each other, pondering the tag-team situation.

Segment #13: Locker Room Promo

Paul Heyman and WWE Champion C.M. Punk are discussing the celebration and Heyman is excited. He leads his charge out of the room to the ring.

Ads.

Segment #14: Arena Promo

Paul Heyman is in the ring, which is decked out with pictures of WWE Champion C.M. Punk, a picture listing the longest-reigning champions in WWE History, and the canvas covered with his “X” sign carpet. Heyman first goes on a rant about how they received hate for their mockery of Jerry Lawler’s heart attack last week (which I still believe justified, as that was just wrong, wrong). (My PVR cut off a bit, so the next image is C.M. Punk walking down the aisle.)

“The Second-City Saint” hugs Heyman, then takes the microphone. “Shawn Michaels, he couldn’t do it. Triple H couldn’t do it. Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart’, ‘the best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be’ could not do it. I guess that makes me ‘the best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be.’ The Undertaker could not do it. And ‘Dewey,’ I’m sorry Dwayne. ‘The Rock’ couldn’t do it. 365 days as WWE Champion, one calendar year.’

Punk then points to the titantron, where a montage of his Championship reign plays, that depicts all his wins and significant moments.

Punk already has a goal in mind, July 25, 2018, when he would surpass Legend Bruno Sammartino as the longest-reigning WWE Champion in history. Heyman puts over Sammartino (even plugging him for the Hall-Of-Fame), but then says he, along with Hulk Hogan and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin could not beat C.M. Punk. Not even The Rock at the upcoming Royal Rumble in January 2013.

“The Straight-Edge Superstar” gloats over his Survivor Series win until Ryback interrupts. He is storming for Punk, but the Rollins, Ambrose, and Raines cut him off and assault. They rip apart the announce table then triple-powerbomb Ryback through it, to the happiness of Punk. He walks over and puts one foot over a downed Ryback, holding his Championship high and calling himself “the best in the world” to close the show.

End Of Raw.

Reporter’s Rumblings – By Moe Tapp

This was a good follow-up to Survivor Series, but not great. There were a few matches that could’ve done without, shortening up the already too long program. However, on the plus, plenty of continuity. To the analysis:

Excellence: Ryback opening promo was short, sweet, and expected in terms of mike ability. His match was Tensai was pretty decent as well, and liked the “struggle” to pick him up in the finisher. Wade Barrett/Kofi Kingston, awesome match and great-looking feud. Del Rio/Orton match – while stipulation perhaps saved for another PPV, the match itself was well executed, especially with Del Rio telling a psychological story by focusing on his left-arm.

Liking The Miz’s slow face-turn and glad it is actually garnering the reaction desired, for once! I think he could be a top-tier true babyface, even more-so than Orton with his charisma/personality.

Although I don’t like the A.J./Vickie feud/”reason,” I liked the brawl and pending rivalry/continuity between Ziggler and Cena. This should be great and my vote goes for Dolph to elevate himself. Much like Orton/Del Rio, Sheamus/Sandow was a story-tellers and psychological/old-school matchup. Beautiful!

Honestly, thought the celebration would be a little more, but still like Ambrose/Raines/Rollins being brought up and part of C.M. Punk/Ryback. Particularly Rollins, as he is much like early Punk, in both his look and wrestling, so I believe a good fit. And a great way to wear down Ryback a bit, without obviously completely destroying him or making Punk look bad too.

Bogus: Matches that didn’t need to be on the show: Kaitlyn/Aksana, Primo/Epico/Khali, Ceasaro/Clay (or at least a better opponent for the United States Champion), and even the tag-team main-event (Sheamus/Sandow or Orton/Del Rio should’ve been the last match). Again, all these were really filler matches and truly, three hours is too much, so there does not have to be extra!

Also, really wish they’d stop the Vickie accusations w/ A.J., and hopefully after tonight, they have. It is just dumb.

To end, some great new/continuing setups after tonight for feuds, so looking forward to watching those play out, especially Ziggler/Cena and Ryback/Punk and the three NXT Stars

As always, be excellent Wrestling-Online readers and wrestling fans!