WWE Raw Flashback: Bret Hart return to WWE on the first Raw of 2010, calls out Shawn Michaels on an episode that went head to head with a live edition of TNA Impact

The following is a flashback to Rich Twilling's live coverage of the January 4, 2010 edition of WWE Raw. Join Jason Powell tonight for live coverage of the first WWE Raw of 2013. He will also be recording a audio review exclusively for the Prowrestling.net Members. Join us on the ad-free version of the website and listen to several hours of new audio content each week by signing up via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

WWE Raw on the USA Network
Live from Dayton, Oh.

[Q1] The very well put together Bret "The Hitman" Hart video package from last week was shown to open the broadcast. The video was accompanied by footage of Shawn Michaels instructing Vince McMahon to bring Bret back to WWE. "Only good things will happen." ...

Live in the arena and without and opening video or pyro, Justin Roberts said it was his honor to introduce Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Bret came out to "We want Bret" chants. He stopped at the top of the stage, looked aged, and slowly made his way to the ring. He did his signature pose and acknowledged the fans.

He grabbed a microphone. "Well, I guess hell froze over." He sounded good. He said he was back after twelve years and it was a great feeling. He said he has tried to come back over the past couple of years but Vince McMahon would not let him. A "welcome back" chant came from the crowd. He said it was great to be back.

Bret thanked the audience for never letting him be forgotten. He said he had a lot of great memories. He said he won the King of the Ring in this arena. He recalled being attacked by Jerry Lawler afterwards. He said hello to The King. "Some things never change," said Bret.

Bret then called out Shawn Michaels. Shawn's music (not DX music) hit and Shawn came out in his wrestling gear. He came out with a stern look on his face and once he entered the ring, they stood eye to eye.

Twill's Two Cents: Here we go. This is great.

Bret told Shawn he wanted to bury the hatchet. Shawn interrupted and said he was waiting twelve years to say something to Bret. He said he felt Bret deserved what happened in Montreal and he had a hand in it. He said part of him doesn't regret what he did. The crowd chanted "You screwed Bret." Bret said, "I rest my case."

Shawn continued and said he has changed a lot over the past twelve years. He said he did not remember Bret from Montreal, he remember Bret as the guy from Anaheim, California and WrestleMania XII. He remembered Bret for the "Iron match" that "nobody wanted to see." He said he was carrying Montreal around for the past twelve years too and he too wanted to bury the hatchet.

[Q2] Bret was in agreement and told Shawn it would be nice if they could shake hands in front of the live crowd and in front of the world. He asked Shawn if they could be friends and offered his hand. Shawn shook it. He started to walk away and they hugged awkwardly. Bret then asked for Vince McMahon to come out. He did not...

Twill's Two Cents: I loved it. It was great seeing them in the ring together and storyline wise, Bret only has tonight to bury the hatchet and let bygones be bygones. So, he will have to do something later in the show to warrant his staying around. Bret sounded great and looked better than I originally thought. He didn't move around all that well, but that's okay. Great segment giving the fans what they wanted to see, and they definitely set up for more.

Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston was plugged for later in the show... [C]

Josh Matthews was waiting outside of Vince McMahon's door. Vince approached him and asked what the hell he was doing. Josh wanted a response to Bret calling Vince out. Vince said Bret, or anybody else, calls him out. He said if he wants to talk to Bret later, he will call him out...

Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler explained Melina's injury and the fact that there will be an eight woman tournament to crown a new champion due to Melina having the relinquish the belt...

1. Maryse defeated Brie Bella (with Nikki Bella) to advance in the Divas Championship tournament in 2:15. It was very sloppy and the Bella Twins actually pulled the switch. Maryse saw it though and hit the French Kiss for the win. She pinned Nikki but officially beat Brie...

After the match, The Miz, with sweet new entrance music, came out to approach Maryse on the ramp. He spoke French and English to Maryse and said if she wins the tournament, he might call her back. He said 2010 would be not the year of Maryse, this year, this decade, and every moment will belong to The Miz. He said he was awesome and came down to the announce booth...

Twill's Two Cents: Quick and relatively painless with the Maryse victory. Great promo by Miz, especially since he left Maryse speechless. Nice start to the show so far.

With Miz at the announce table to scout the match, MVP and Jack Swagger made their entrances. A fatal four way match to determine a number one contender to Miz's United States Championship is up next... [C]

[Q2] 2. MVP defeated Jack Swagger, Mark Henry, and Carlito in a Fatal Four Way match to become the number one contender for the United States Championship in approximately 3:35. The match was joined in progress. Henry was taken out during the break but came back. He even disposed of MVP. It was like seeing Kool-Aid dump his kid over the ropes.

Henry began to dominate the match. He had Carlito in a bearhug as Miz shined on commentary. Henry had Swagger up in a reverse torture rack (not sure why that would hurt) and MVP hit him with a big boot. After Carlito went to the floor, MVP caught Swagger with the Driveby for the win...

After the match, MVP and Miz eyeballed each other for a moment. MVP retreated to the back and was all smiles...

Twill's Two Cents: Miz was great during the entire match and made me completely forget about last week (except for me mentioning it right here). I like the idea of a Miz vs. MVP program for the United States Championship. This show has focus tonight.

Backstage in a hallway, Chris Jericho and Big Show were talking. Jericho said he did not want to leave Raw and Show did not want him to go. Jericho said he was going to pay Bret Hart a visit and he had a deal for Bret he could not turn down. He walked away from Show and toward Bret's locker room... [C]

Twill's Two Cents: I was hoping to see Jericho and Bret together.

Backstage, Bret was talking a kid and Jericho entered. He said he had a lot of history with Bret's family. He said he made Keith Hart tap the Walls in the dungeon and the cats went running everywhere.

He said he knew what was inside of Bret and he had an idea. He wanted Bret to be the special guest referee tonight. He wanted Bret to "let instinct take over" and ring the bell when he had Shawn or Hunter locked in the Walls.

Bret said no. He said he wanted to put Montreal to bed once and for all and did not want to relive it. He said he did not want the WWE Universe to perceive him as anything like Jericho. He did not want to be like Jericho at all. He said if Jericho wanted to stay on Raw, he would have to win his match alone. "I'm not going to help you and I don't know anyone else that will." He finished by saying Jericho screamed louder than anyone ever in the dungeon...

Twill's Two Cents: I wonder how many people are wondering what the hell the dungeon is? It's great for a lot of us, but some people probably have no clue. Another nice segment with Bret, who seemingly has to be setting something up. His "I don't know who will" line suggests to me that someone will help Jericho and Show tonight.

[Q4] Triple H was playing with Hornswoggle. They were going through a bunch of action figures. Shawn came in and asked why Hunter treated Horny like a little kid. "He has a beard!!!" They talked about tonight's title match, and brought in Santino, dressed like Jericho. Horny attacked him, Shawn got serious, and DX took off. Santino said, "Good luck with the suck it." ... [C]

Twill's Two Cents: The less campiness, the better. This was okay. It was short and Santino was funny as Jericho. "I am the best at whatever it is I do" was a semi-classic line. By the way, Shawn has history with little people (remember the day after Montreal?).

Did you know? Last week, a bunch of women watched the show, even more than the shows on the female targeted cable networks...

3. Degeneration X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H, with Hornswoggle) defeated Chris Jericho and Big Show to retain the Unified Tag Team Championships in 11:59. Show and Michaels began the match. Hunter tagged in and Show hit a double vertical suplex. DX retreated to the floor... [C]

[Q5] Back from commercial, Show was working over Hunter. Show scored a couple of nearfalls before Jericho came in and for some reason, mimicked Hulk Hogan's hand cup to the ear. The crowd booed. Hunter, out of desperation, hit a spinebuster. Both men were down and struggled to their corners.

Show tagged in first and cut Hunter off before he could tag out. Show missed a corner middle rope delayed splash. Shawn tagged in. He hit move after move, but did not get Show off of his feet until he hit a dropkick to Show's knee. He went to the top for an elbow, but Jericho knocked him down. Horny came in and hit a butt splash on Show.

Michaels rolled into the ring and scored a two count. He tuned up the band and tried Sweet Chin Music, but Show caught it and hit a chokeslam. He could not cover right away and only got a two count. Jericho tagged in and tried to apply the Walls, but Shawn fought out.

Hunter tagged in and hit a Pedigree on Jericho, but Show broke up the pinfall. DX hit a super Pedigree on Show and he rolled to the floor. Jericho pushed Hunter into Shawn and rolled Hunter up for a two count. He then hit a Codebreaker but remained down. The referee counted. Jericho finally made the cover and Shawn broke up the fall.

Hornswoggle came in and set up for SCM on Jericho, but Jericho kicked him in the head instead. Jericho then applied the Walls to Hunter, but Shawn hit Sweet Chin Music. Hunter covered Jericho for the three count...

After the match, Show entered the ring to approach his prone partner. Hunter grabbed the mic and instructed the crowd to sing the "Goodbye" song. They didn't pick up on the hint. Michaels said if he wasn't down with that... Show gave Jericho a bad look and headed to the back. Jericho came to in the ring. DX was still at ringside and everyone finally started to sing "Goodbye" to him. Jericho struggled to the back...

Twill's Two Cents: Fun and enjoyable match with a surprising finish. I expected Jericho and Show to regain the belts and when they didn't, I figured Bret would appear. I have a feeling Jericho is not done tonight.

There was a knock at Vince McMahon's door. Vince answered and was not happy with who was knocking. Randy Orton stared Vince in the face. Vince said everything Bret did was nothing compared to what Orton did to him and his family. Orton said he was there to do business with Vince and Vince has done business with people he has despised.

He offered to kick Bret Hart in the head, since he is one legend he has yet to "lay to rest." He told Vince that Bret wanted to fight tonight. He offered his services in that he would kick Bret in the head if Vince put Randy in the Royal Rumble, at number 30. Vince said no and told Randy to never confront him again...

Orton walked away dejectedly and was met by Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. They told Randy they would be sitting at ringside tonight, and if he did not beat Kofi Kingston, they would kick Orton out of Legacy... [C]

Twill's Two Cents: Back to back great segments there. I like that everyone thought it would be Vince and Bret face to face. I love that Randy reverted to his "Legend Killer" gimmick. I love that Vince remembered what Randy did to Stephanie. The kick to the head and Bret's concussion issues were something I could have done without, but other than that, it was great. I love that Cody and Ted turned the tables and grew a set.

[Q6] Footage was shown of last week's WWE Championship match between Sheamus and John Cena. Sheamus made his entrance for an in-ring promo. Sheamus said he would defend the title at the Royal Rumble, but not against John Cena. He said Bret Hart was the best there ever was, but the best there is and the best there ever will be is Sheamus. Nice line.

Evan Bourne's music hit and he came out to ringside. He said Sheamus is the champion because someone gave him an opportunity. Evan said if he received the same opportunity, he knew he could beat him. Sheamus said he would face Bourne tonight and if "little Evan Bourne" could beat him, he would defend against Bourne at the Rumble...

Twill's Two Cents: I like that Sheamus is not a chicken shit heel.

4. Sheamus defeated Evan Bourne in a non-title match in 1:42. Bourne hit a kick and the Air Bourne within the first thirty seconds, but Sheamus kicked out. He followed with the bicycle kick and Razor's Edge (does it have a name yet?) for the win...

Twill's Two Cents: Nice all around segment. I said Sheamus needed to shine on the mic and in the ring tonight and he did that. I love that he accepted the challenge and made one of his own. I love that he took a finisher and kicked out. Finally, I love that he won a non-title match. I think champions lose non-title matches too often and winning them makes them look stronger.

Cole and King talked at ringside about the passing of "Dr. Death" Steve Williams. Cole and King did a nice job talking about Williams for a few moments. A graphic for Williams was shown on the screen... [C]

[Q7] Back from commercial, they showed the Bret Hart video again after Cole and King talked about the animosity between Vince and Bret. Cole introduced it as the footage from Montreal. The sharpshooter, Hebner ringing the bell, Vince's comments, Bret's comments, and spit in Vince's face were all featured. It finished with Vince saying he had no sympathy whatsoever for Bret...

Kofi Kingston made his entrance for his match against Randy Orton... [C]

5. Randy Orton defeated Kofi Kingston in 10:58. Kofi was impressive early during an Irish whip sequence. He put Orton on the floor and hit a dropkick through the middle and bottom ropes. Orton reversed things and tried the DDT with Kofi's feet on the second rope. Kofi backdropped him to the floor. Orton made eye contact with Ted and Cody... [C]

Twill's Two Cents: Odd commercial placement, especially since they just went to one a few minutes ago. I guess they don't want anything interrupting Bret and Vince.

[Q8] Back from commercial, they showed a spot during the break with Orton pushing Kofi from the top rope to the ring barricade. Orton still enjoyed the advantage. He really worked on the lower back of Kofi. He methodically wore Kofi down. He scored a nearfall after a guillotine closeline from the apron to the bottom rope.

The match took a turn with both men hitting simultaneous high cross bodies. Kofi came back first and turned up the pace of the match. He hit a Russian leg sweep and the Boom Boom legdrop. Orton rolled to the floor but Kofi hit a dive through the ropes. He threw Orton in the ring and scored a very nearfall with a high cross body.

Kofi hit the SOS for a two count. Kofi then attempted the Trouble in Paradise, but Orton put up his fists like a boxer and blocked it. He immediately followed with the RKO for the win...

After the match, Orton eyeballed his boys and walked partially up the ramp. Cody and Ted remained behind...

Twill's Two Cents: I'm a little surprised Kofi did not get this win here, but I actually liked the finish. Kofi looked good when he was on offense, but I'm more intrigued by Orton winning here and what will happen next with Legacy than I would have been had Kofi won. I know Kofi is a new star, but I could see him gaining momentum in time to win Money in the Bank.

Vince McMahon was shown walking through the backstage area. King hyped his "twelve years in the making" face to face meeting with Bret Hart... [C]

Mike Tyson was hyped as next week's guest host. Cole said that will be huge. King said what we were about to see was huge...

Justin Roberts introduced the Chairman of the Board, Vince McMahon. Vince wished the people all over the world a happy new year. He said he had no reason to call out Bret Hart because Bret and Shawn brought closure to the Montreal incident. Vince said since they did it, he felt the same. He thanked Bret for being the guest host and he moved on to talk about Mike Tyson.

[Overrun] Bret Hart came out with no music. He took of his jacket and looked Vince in the eye. Vince said the fans wanted to see Bret put Vince in the Sharpshooter. He asked Bret to be the bigger man and that he did not want to provoke him. He said he wanted to hear what Bret had to say.

He said he will never forget Bret spitting in his face, sucker punching him backstage after the event, and disrespecting him at the Hall of Fame ceremony. Vince wanted Bret to say "two words" to him. Bret said he could think of two words, but they were much different than the ones he wanted to hear.

Bret continued and said Vince wanted closure just as much as Bret does. Bret said he came tonight to get closure and he was halfway there. Vince said he honestly wanted to "kick Bret in the guts." Vince said he knew that was stupid and he did want the same thing as Bret.

Vince said he remembered Bret's first WrestleMania, which was WrestleMania 2. He mentioned Bret being in the battle royal at that event with Andre the Giant. He said he knew Andre's career would soon come to an end, but he knew Bret was the future.

He said Bret once said Vince was like a father to him. He then nominated Bret's dad, Stu Hart, for this year's WWE Hall of Fame class. He thanked Bret for everything he had ever done for WWE and the fans. He thanked him for being the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.

They shook hands. Bret's music hit and both men raised their arms together in unison. At this point, it was just a matter of who would kick whom first. It turned out to be Vince. Vince kicked Bret right in the guts, just like he envisioned earlier, and left the ring. Vince, from the stage, and Bret, from the ring, stared each other down...

Twill's Two Cents: For those who said Bret did not play a good babyface, well, he's a very good one now. He was very likable all night long and I already want to see him beat the shit out of Vince. I'm not sure what involvement, if any, Shawn Michaels will have, but after tonight, I'm okay with a Vince vs. Bret program with Shawn focusing on Taker. I'm sure people will be disappointed that they didn't use the Hart Dynasty and that Vince got the best of Bret tonight, but we are supposed to want to pay to see Bret finally get Vince, and I will pay to see that at WrestleMania. Very nice job tonight laying the groundwork. Very good show.