WWE Raw on the USA Network
Live from Indianapolis, Ind.

[Q1] The show opened with an Elimination Chamber recap video that focussed on Batista leaving the show as the new champion... The opening montage was shown... Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler introduced the show and hyped more on the Shawn Michaels and Undertaker situation. Plus, we got a shot of a mechanical bull that will be used because Ty Murray and his wife Jewel are hosting the show...

Justin Roberts introduced new World Hvt. Champion Chris Jericho, who came to the ring wearing a suit with the title belt draped over his shoulder. Jericho gloated with a big smile before yelling, "I'm going to WrestleMania!" He said he's now defeated Undertaker twice in a row. "How many men can claim that?" he asked. "I can because I did and as a result I'm the World Hvt. Champion."

Jericho continued to gloat about being the champion as the fans booed. "I'll say it again, I'm going to WrestleMania," Jericho said as a shot of the WrestleMania banner was shown hanging from the rafters above him. Edge's entrance music played. Jericho looked to the stage. Edge entered from the other side of the ring and speared Jericho.

"Hey, Chris, you're going to WrestleMania against me," Edge declared. Jericho held his abdomen in pain and slowly walked up the ramp with a sour look on his face...

Powell's POV: Great segment. Jericho's smiling promo was a lot of fun. There was no mystery in what Edge was going to announce, so they made it quick and painless. We have our first official WrestleMania 26 match.

John Cena's music played and he came to the ring. Lawler said he doesn't think he's ever seen Cena this upset. Cena said we could add him to the list of people that Vince McMahon has screwed. He recapped winning the title and then losing it to Batista when Vince made the impromptu match. Cena said he wants his rematch now.

Vince McMahon walked onto the stage and admitted he made a business deal with Batista. He said Bret Hart is now humiliated with his broken leg in Calgary. "Thank you, Dave," Vince said. He recalled telling Batista that he'd give him a title match at any time or any place in return. "It's just business," McMahon said.

Cena said Vince hired a mercenary and now he's taking the title back. "Batista will not be defending the title until he gets to WrestleMania," Vine responded. He also noted that Sheamus has a return clause in his contract as well. "Who deserves that rematch?" Vince asked. He questioned whether Cena or Sheamus should get the rematch at WrestleMania.

Vince announced that he was going to make a business decision with Cena. He said that he was going to put Cena in a match tonight. If Cena wins the match, he goes to WrestleMania to face Batista. If Cena loses, Sheamus gets the title shot and Cena will be watching from a sky box. Cena interrupted and said he'd take the match. Vince announced that Cena's opponent will be Batista...

Powell's POV: Good intensity from Cena. Vince was in gloating mode just like Jericho. I liked the rapid fire plan with four people featured in the first 15 minutes. Will they actually give away a Cena vs. Batista match when they're likely to face off at WrestleMania? By the way, Dot Net contributors Chris Shore and Marvin Hermanstyne are corresponding about Raw the Dot Net Members' Forum tonight. You can chat with them and other members by signing up for full membership for only $5 per month via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

[Q2] [C] 1. Maryse pinned Gail Kim to win the vacant WWE Divas Championship in 2:50. Cole explained why the match didn't take place at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view as advertised. At 1:00, Gail went for the finishing move where she pulls her opponent into her boot, but Maryse held onto the ropes.

Gail went up top for a move. Maryse slid underneath her in the corner. Everyone in the building noticed that Maryse was there for a few seconds, but Gail still jumped off the rope and ate canvas upon impact. It looked really sloppy. In the end, Maryse hit the double-arm DDT and scored the pin...

Powell's POV: A long tournament that just wouldn't end all to get the champion everyone expected. By the way, Cole sounded like a newscaster reading tragic news while he declared Maryse the winnner on commentary afterward. He wasn't trying to use the somber voice, he just has no enthusiasm.

The announcers teased that Shawn Michaels would appear to explain his actions at the pay-per-view. Lawler questioned whether Undertaker would also be there... [C]

Another shot aired of the mechanical bull... Backstage, Ty Murray and Jewel were hanging out with the celebrity whore Bella Twins and other Divas. Jewel was on crutches. Ty hyped a Diva bull riding contest. Jewel, who was on crutches, said she broke her ankle riding a mechanical bull.

[Q3] Jillian Hall showed up and started singing. She got cocky with Jewel and said she should show her respect or she'd show her back to living in her car. Jewel slapped Jillian across the face and the babyface Divas celebrated with her...

Backstage, Cody Rhodes said he didn't want to tell Randy Orton he told him so, but he told him that Ted DiBiase would betray him. Cody claimed he threw the pipe in the ring with the intent of Randy using it and headlining WrestleMania. Cody said Ted had been talking all week about headlining WrestleMania in the same year his father was being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Cody said he didn't know how the three of them would coexist as a team tonight. Randy said he knew what Cody was trying to do and it was okay. Orton said he hasn't been the type of leader he should be. He said he resorted to physical violence when they did something he didn't like. Randy said he asked for the six-man match because they've come to far to split up. Randy told Cody to tell Ted he's sorry.

A split second after Orton left, Ted showed up and asked Cody how it went. Cody said it went well. "Almost too well," Cody said. Ted asked, "Are we sticking to the plan?" Cody responded, "Absolutely"... [C]

Powell's POV: Randy was way too nice here, which means he must be one step ahead of Cody and Ted.

Still shots aired of Ted DiBiase eliminating Randy Orton from the Elimination Chamber match...

2. Kofi Kingston, Yoshi Tatsu, and Evan Bourne defeated Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase, and Cody Rhodes in a six-man tag match in 9:50. Cole said Yoshi was a "top dynamic young stars who joined his friends on Monday Night Raw as a free agent." The teams traded offense early. There were no signs of tension with Legacy. Orton even clapped for one of Cody's offensive moves as the show went to break. [C]

[Q4] After the break, Ted tagged Randy into the match for the first time at 7:00. Orton took the tag and went to work on Kofi with some slams. He looked back at his partners in the corner. Lawler said it was as if Orton was saying, "This is how it's done." As Orton worked over Kofi, Ted and Cody were whispering to one another.

A loud "Randy" chant broke out. Cody reached in and tagged himself in the match. As he was entering the ring, Randy DDT'd him. Randy left the ring and headed to the floor. Ted followed him and demanded to know what Randy was doing. Orton hit the RKO on Ted on the floor. Back in the ring, the babyface trio won the match when Bourne hit the Shooting Star Press on Rhodes and pinned him... [C]

Powell's POV: The live crowd cheered loudly for Orton attacking his former proteges. He hasn't flashed any babyface tendencies yet. I don't count the backstage segment with Cody because it was obvious he was baiting them into a false sense of security. The key for Orton will be to maintain all the qualities that made him so effective as a heel. He can't abandon those traits and become a smiling handshaker or the fans will reject him. All indications are that he and WWE creative recognize this, so he has the potential to be huge as a babyface.

An NXT commercial hyped the debut for tomorrow night... Cole hyped the show and set up a video that recapped Shawn Michaels' obsession with Undertaker...

Powell's POV: A great video that brought everyone up to speed and served as a nice recap for regular viewers.

Shawn Michaels came to the ring in street clothes. He received a lot of cheers. He said he wasn't going to take up a lot of time because what he did isn't that complicated. He said he did what he needed to do. Shawn said that's won't be popular with everyone, but he can live with that.

[Q5] Shawn said he heard the rumors that Undertaker would be there. He said every action demands a reaction. He said he's not just hoping Taker is in the building, he's counting on it. Undertaker's muisc played and he made his usual entrance to a huge ovation. Taker made the slow march to the ring. The only fire balls that shot up were on the stage.

"You wanted my attention," Taker said. "Now you have it." Shawn said that people said they had the greatest match in WrestleMania history and some said they had the greatest match in history. Shawn said he wrestled the perfect match. He stopped himself and said he nearly wrestled the perfect match. He said he made only one mistake and it cost him everything. He said he can't live with that.

Shawn said he asked Taker for a rematch and he refused. "You ignored me," Micahels said. "You didn't leave me any choice and that's why I cost you the World Hvt. Championship." HBK said he knows Taker is angry with him and can't wait to get his hands on him. "And that's okay," Michaels said. "You want your revenge. Face me at WrestleMania, Undertaker, and get your revenge."

"You're on," Undertaker responded. "I accept." Shawn started to leave the ring. "On one condition" Taker said, which stopped Shawn in his tracks. "This year, you have to put up something as well. Your soul. This year won't be enough. If you defeat me, you end the streak, but if I beat you, your career is over."

Shawn stood expressionless and exchanged a long look with Taker. "That's it, Shawn," Taker said. "The Streak versus your career." Shawn inched closer to Taker and responded" "You don't get it. If I can't beat you at WrestleMania, I have no career. You're on." Taker nodded as he looked down at Shawn. Taker's bell tolled and they cut away...

Cole said two matches have already been announced for WrestleMania. He said a third would be determined via Batista vs. Taker. A shot aired of Christian backstage. Lawler said Christian has signed with Raw and was coming up next... [C]

Powell's POV: Awesome segment with Taker and Shawn. Screw both World Titles. There's your main event. I'm sorry, but The Streak vs. HBK's career means more than two titles being defended by two five-week champions. By the way, Taker had something on his face that I assume was due to the burns he suffered, which made him look like a sloppy orange eater. I'm guessing he wore the long coat that covered his entire chest to cover burns. Overall, an excellent segment. It was awkward that they cut to Cole and Lawler rather than just going to break. The Christian announcement was completely overshadowed by Taker vs. Shawn.

Highlights aired from the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 25... Back live, Cole said tonight is all about WrestleMania. He said the first Money in the Bank qualifier was coming up. They hyped the Taker vs. Shawn match briefly...

[Q6] As Christian was coming to the ring, a Heath Slater vignette aired. He referred to himself as a "one man rock band" and said he would blow your mind... As Carlito came out, a Michael Tarver vignette aired. He spoke about being the son of a preacher and a prize fighter. He said he feels like he has an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other...

Powell's POV: Lawler said he can't wait for NXT. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and guess that he watches it once. Hey, I'm feeling generous. Decent hype for NXT via those videos, but there's so much going on tonight with the WrestleMania hype that it's also getting lost in the shuffle.

3. Christian pinned Carlito in a Money in the Bank qualifier in 3:00. The briefcase was hanging above the ring. Christian dominated the early portion of the match. He stood on Carlito on the ropes and lost his balance. He went right back to work. Christian went for the fulcrum kick in the corner, but Christian swept his legs and hit a neck breaker for a good near fall. Christian went for his finisher a couple times, but Carlito dodged it. Christian eventually hit the Killswitch and scored the clean pin...

The WWE Divas bull riding segment is up next... [C]

Powell's POV: Before the Christian fans pitch a fit because he didn't end up on Smackdown with Edge, don't forget that the WWE Draft is probably right around the corner.

A WrestleMania video aired... Ty Murray and Jewel walked onto the stage and hyped the bull riding contest. Murray said he's been working with the Divas. Eve came out and lasted the full eight seconds. Kelly Kelly was up next. She also lasted the full eight seconds. The Bella Twins were up next. They rode the bull together and lasted the full eight seconds.

The Miz and Big Show came out. Miz mocked the idea of a Diva bull riding contest. He asked if Jewel was going to have a yodeling contest next. She said her yodeling would crush him. She yodeled and received no reaction. Big Show said anyone could ride a bull. He went down to the pit and tried to get the Divas to hold his title belts. Eve was going to grab them, but he pulled them away so he could tell them they are "just rude."

[Q7] Big Show struggled to get on top of the bull. He didn't last long and was sent flying off the bull. The Miz said it wasn't fair because the bull was going faster than when the Divas were doing it. Murray mocked Miz for saying it wasn't fair. Miz held back Show, who was staring down the mechanical bull.

Show pulled away and cut a promo on the bull. "You think I'm afraid of you or something?" Show asked. "You want some of me." Show swung at the bull and fell down onto the padded mats. "Take that," Miz yelled. Ty said the Divas won. Jewel said it was animal cruelty. Miz said it was another guest host segment that ended in disappointment, just like the Colts in the Super Bowl. They were about to leave when the guest hosts booked them in a tag title match against MVP and Mark Henry...

Powell's POV: The bull riding skit was silly. Show and Miz made the most of it. If nothing else, the Divas proved that Jonny Fairplay and the other celebrities on Murray's bull riding show were just a bunch of pussies.

The announcers hyped the main event... [C] Another NXT commercial aired...

After The Miz and Big Show were introduced for their match, a shot aired of Daniel Bryan watching a backstage monitor. Cole noted that Bryan would be mentored by The Miz on NXT...

4. The Miz and Big Show defeated MVP and Mark Henry to retain the Unified Tag Titles in 2:50. Henry had his right shoulder heavily wrapped to sell the big spot in the pay-per-view. Early in the match, Show opened MVP's singlet and slapped him across the chest a couple times. Cole said Miz has been criticized all over the internet for being Bryan's mentor.

Late in the match, Henry caught Miz and hit the World's Strongest Slam. However, legal man Big Show hit the Knockout punch on Henry and pinned him...

Powell's POV: Henry used the "injured" shoulder, then sold it briefly, and then cause Miz like he was nothing when he jumped off the ropes onto him. What a waste of tape.

The announcers teased an update on Bret Hart for after the break... [C]

[Q8] The announcers hyped Jewel's CD or something...

The third entrant in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010 is Wendi Richter. A video recapped her career and featured footage of Cindi Lauper appearing in her corner at past events. Roddy Piper will induct Richter...

Powell's POV: Nice addition. Richter didn't have a long run on top of the women's division, but she made a big splash at a key time. Piper delivering the induction speech will be the hook for most fans.

A video recapped the Bret Hart angle from last week... Back live, Vince McMahon delivered a promo from the backstage area. He said he was looking forward to accepting Bret's challenge and facing him at WrestleMania. Vince said he had nothing to do with the accident and said Hart knows that.

Vince invited Bret back to Raw next week. He offered to have an ambulance pick him up and said he would have a lift that would get him into the ring so that he could say a proper farewell... [C]

Powell's POV: The idea is that Vince is getting cocky now that Bret is sidelined with the injury. Whether the story is that Vince was behind the accident or it was staged by Bret, my guess is that Vince agrees to the match and then Bret stands up and reveals he's not hurt next week. Perhaps Steve Austin will name himself the special referee when he hosts the show on March 15.

A shot aired of John Cena before the break... [C] The announcers hyped the Bret Hart farewell for next week. They also hyped that Cheech and Chong will be the guest hosts... Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase is advertised for next week's Raw...

[Overrun] 5. John Cena defeated Batista by DQ in a non-title match in 0:25. The stipulation was that if Cena won, he would challenge Batista at WrestleMania. If he lost, Sheamus would challenge Batista. Cena charged at Batista when the bell rang, but Batista ducked between the ropes. They did this a few times. The ref pulled Cena off and Batista nailed him with a low blow for the DQ.

Batista clapped when Cena was named the winner of the match by DQ. He ran at Cena and kicked him in the head with the bottom of his boot (not Orton style). Batista put the boots to Cena in the corner. Batista laughed as he looked down at Cena. Batista left the ring and shadow boxed at ringside.

Cena slowly worked his way toward getting up. Batista ran back inside the ring and threw Cena to the floor ringside. Batista picked up Cena and rammed him into the guardrail and ran him back first into the ring post. Batista headed up the ramp as the trainers tended to Cena. Batista headed back to ringside and the medical crew scattered. Batista grabbed a chair and nailed Cena across the back with it.

Cena started to get up again, so Batista nailed him with the chair over the back again. Rinse and repeat, as Batista did it a third and a fourth time. The announcers said Cena should just stay down. The announcers narrated highlights of the brief match and Batista's attack. Back live, Batista stood with his arms raised on the ramp while Cena writhed in pain to close the show...

Powell's POV: Batista was good here. It's all leading to another "I won't stay down" promo from Cena, but obviously the goal of the angle is for Cena fans to pay to see him get his revenge at WrestleMania. My guess is that Cena won't get the WrestleMania match without jumping through more hoops. We didn't see Sheamus tonight, and we'll probably get a match between those two at some point to determine which one will challenge Batista. Likewise, there was no sign of Triple H tonight.

Overall, a strong and newsworthy show. I'll have more to say in the WWE Raw Hitlist on Tuesday. If you can't wait until then, Dot Net Members will be listening to my audio recap of Raw later tonight. You can gain access to all the perks of membership for only $5 per month by visiting the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

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