By Jason Powell

WWE Raw on the USA Network
Live from Buffalo, N.Y.

[Q1] Josh Mathews welcomed viewers to Raw on commentary... Triple H's music played and he came to ringside. Mathews and Jerry Lawler (no Michael Cole) spoke on commentary as Hunter set up for his water spitting routine. A graphic showed Triple H and then Undertaker, who was listed as "The Last Outlaw."

Hunter took his jacket off and flashed a smile as the fans cheered him. He soaked up the cheers before saying anything and a "Triple H" chant broke out. "It's good to see you, too," Hunter said. He said he's done everything there is to do in WWE and ran through some of his accomplishments, including that he's a 13-time WWE Champion.

Triple H recalled how he and Shawn Michaels started DX. He said he and Ric Flair started Evolution. "I've been hated, I've been loved," Hunter said. "I've defeated icons, legends, immortals, I've done it all. Sixteen years. For 16 years I've seen them all come and I've seen them all go. For 16 years, I've outlasted everybody, except for one...The Dead Man."

Hunter said he's heard Taker referred to as The Last Outlaw. "Not yet," Hunter said. He said he is still around. Hunter said Taker looks around the locker room and sees the same thing he does. "There are no challenges left, really," Hunter said. Triple H said the big thing for Undertaker is The Streak. "The fact is when you look around that locker room, I'm the only true challenge you have left, Dead Man."

Triple H said the only true challenge he has left is ending The Streak. "And it will happen at WrestleMania 27," Hunter said while pointing at the sign. Hunter called it the biggest event in history. He looked at the sign for a moment and then said that he and Taker will define an era. "The last two will meet," Hunter said. "And on that night, Dead Man, nothing else will matter. There can be only one."

Hunter said that Taker has only one thing left - The Streak. "And when it dies, you die," Hunter said. "And at WrestleMania, I have only one thing left and it's The Streak, and if I can't end it, then I'll die trying." Triple H's music played to conclude the promo. He played to the crowd as the announcers spoke.

Sheamus's music played and he headed toward the ring for a meeting with Triple H. As Sheamus was climbing through the ropes, Hunter kicked him low. Sheamus sold the kick on the mat. Hunter picked him up and threw him over the top rope. Triple H followed to ringside and beat the hell out of Sheamus.

Hunter rammed Sheamus into the ring post and eventually clotheslined him into the timekeeper's area. Hunter set up Sheamus on the announcers' desk. Hunter set up in Pedigree position and then pointed at the WrestleMania sign. Hunter Pedigreed Sheamus through the announcers' table...

Powell's POV: It's Hunter's world again, and we're all just living in it. I liked a lot of his promo, but I could have done without the "nothing else matters" at WrestleMania talk. Likewise, I didn't care for the way he made it seem like he was the only thing left for Undertaker given that John Cena is still the most obvious threat to Taker's streak. Worst of all, I hated the way Hunter destroyed Sheamus. Granted, Hunter is an integral part of WrestleMania and they had to address the Sheamus issue somehow, but that was a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, Hunter's promo left me looking forward to his match against Undertaker, so it succeeded from that standpoint.

The announcers recapped the segment and then said we'd hear from Shawn Michaels about the Undertaker and Triple H match. Mathews said Michael Cole would respond to Jerry Lawler's challenge. A shot aired of the photo that The Rock had on his Twitter page with the boot on the John Cena merchandise. The announcers said he would respond to Cena tonight...

[Q2] [C] The announcers recapped Hunter's beating of Sheamus. Lawler said Sheamus was scheduled to have a match, but he came out a little early...

Sheamus was still at ringside selling the Triple H burial, er, attack. A few referees and a trainer tried to help him to the back. The anonymous general manager's email chime sounded. Lawler said he always wanted to read it. "May I have your..." Lawler said before stopping. "I'm not going to do it that way."

Lawler said that even though Sheamus was attacked by Triple H, that's not the general manager's problem. The GM ruled that Sheamus was supposed to have a match tonight and still would "against this man..." Justin Roberts introduced Evan Bourne...

1. Evan Bourne pinned Sheamus in 0:35. Evan went right to work on Sheamus, who wore his shirt throughout the match. Bourne hit the Shooting Star Press and scored the pin...

Powell's POV: It's cool to see Bourne back, but it's hard to get overly excited about him beating a beaten down Sheamus. By the way, the general manager could teach those pussies in the NFL a thing or two about playing through injuries. Oh, wait...

Justin Roberts introduced Michael Cole as the voice of WWE. Cole walked out with a big grin on his face and approached Lawler, who was seated behind the broken annoucners' table. Cole didn't have a mic in hand, but he said something about how everyone wants to know what he's going to do at WrestleMania... [C]

An aired for The Undertaker's return to WWE Smackdown. The show will also feature the official contract signing for the Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio match at WrestleMania 27... An ad aired for WWE Tough Enough...

Powell's POV: Great heel smile and swagger from Cole. Poor Sheamus should have stayed in bed this morning.

After the break, highlights aired of the Cole and Lawler segment from last week... Cole asked the fans for their attention. He got tons of heat. He called for Lawler to join him in the ring so he could address him face-to-face. Lawler shot up. Cole reminded Lawler that he can't touch him or he'll be fired. However, the general manager never mentioned that Cole can't strike Lawler.

[Q3] "Did you think that I was intimidated last week?" Cole asked. He questioned whether Lawler thought he would back down from the WrestleMania challenge. Mr. McMahon, er, Michael Cole said no one on earth has more guts than he does. Cole said he never backs down from a fight. "So my answer to your little WrestleMania challenge is no."

Cole gave the "unless" line. He said he wants to have his trainer in his corner and he wants to choose a special referee for the match. Lawler referred to him as "Cole Sore," worked in a Saba Simba reference (look it up, kids) and accepted the challenge. Cole celebrated that they have a WrestleMania match.

Cole introduced the man who will train him and be in his corner at WrestleMania 27 - Jack Swagger, who came to the ring as Cole applauded. Swagger stood between Cole and Lawler and glared at The King. Cole talked smack behind Swagger as the fans chanted "Jerry."

Cole reached around Swagger to jab at Lawler, who shoved Swagger aside and went after Cole. Rather than let Lawler get himself fired, Swagger applied the ankle lock on Lawler. Cole taunted Lawler as he cried out in pain. Cole raised Swagger's hand and they celebrated together...

A shot aired of Randy Orton walking backstage... [C]

Powell's POV: Okay, so this probably isn't the high profile role that many of us thought Swagger would have at WrestleMania 27 when he captured the World Hvt. Championship last year, but we'll see how it plays out. Is he there to take a beating from King or will he be taken care of? Only time will tell, I guess. However, the new talent initiative that Vince McMahon touted isn't looking so hot right now as far as Sheamus and Jack Swagger are concerned. I just hope Jack Swagger's father returns for the obligatory workout videos.

Mathews hyped that Steve Austin will appear on next week's Raw in Dallas... Cole used wet wipes to wipe down the headsets that Jerry Lawler had been wearing. Cole narrated highlights of Swagger attacking Lawler. Cole said Lawler's glory days are over because of him...

Randy Orton came to the ring and addressed C.M. Punk. He said the mistake he made when he punt kicked Punk is that he should have kicked him harder. Orton spoke about crushing Punk's spine and sending him to a rehabilitation facility. He said the only thing Punk will have left after WrestleMania is the faith that fails him.

C.M. Punk headed onto the stage with the rest of New Nexus. Punk cut a brief promo and said he was going to put Orton in the ground. He huddled with Nexus and they started to walk toward the ring when the general manager chime sounded. Cole said he didn't want to steal the spotlight, so Mathews could take it.

[Q4] Mathews announced on behalf of the general manager that it appears the only way to settle it is to have Orton vs. Punk at WrestleMania. The GM said there will be a series of matches involving Orton vs. New Nexus members in the coming weeks. If the Nexus members win their match, they can be in Punk's corner at WrestleMania. If they lose, they can't be in his corner. The GM threatened to break up Nexus if they interfered in these matches...

Powell's POV: There was a little confusion when Orton came out, as the bell rang and Justin Roberts introduced him for a one fall match. Orton actually hesitated for a moment right before Roberts introduced him, so I'm not sure what happened. It was kind of odd if only because the general manager's announcement actually set up the match.

2. Randy Orton defeated Michael McGillicutty in 7:15. Orton jumped out to the early advantage and dumped McGillicutty to ringside. [C] After the break, McGillicutty wenton the offensive. The crowd wasn't buying it, nor did the offense do anything to change their minds.

Orton came back with his signature spots and hit the RKO for the clean win. Punk was shown watching on the stage. Orton slowly turned and looked down at McGillicutty. He looked at Punk and then looked back down at McGillicutty. Orton backed into the corner to set up for the punt kick.

Punk had a mic and told Orton to stop. "Nobody wants to see you do this," Punk said. The crowd cheered. "Randall, I'm telling you do not punt him in the skull," Punk said. Orton seethed and then delivered the big punt kick to McGillicutty. Nexus hit the ring and Orton fled into the crowd. Cole said he should have stuck around and paid for his actions...

Powell's POV: One can only hope that Orton plows through David Otunga and gives him the same vacation inducing move, but somehow Mason Ryan wins by DQ and gets to serve as Punk's muscle at WrestleMania 27.

The announcers narrated highlights of the WWE press conference to introduce Sin Cara, who was previously known as Mistico... A shot aired of The Miz and Alex Riley walking backstage... [C]

[Q5] Highlights aired of the tag title mess that concluded last week's Raw...

The Miz and Alex Riley came to the ring for a promo. The Miz noted that The Rock will respond to John Cena. He said he's been calling out The Rock all week too, but he's not responding to him. Miz said everyone needs to know that he's the biggest star in WWE. Miz said that Cena should be worried about him, not rapping about The Rock.

The Miz boasted that he will defeat John Cena at WrestleMania 27, and then go on to beat The Rock. He said no one will talk about them again. He said everyone will then talk about him as the greatest star of all time. Riley told the fans to get on their feet and show respect for the man that will headline WrestleMania in 34 days.

John Cena's music played. Cena walked out and surveyed the crowd before heading to the ring. Cena told the fans that he had some very important news. He said he's upset like the fans are because he can't listen to another word that Miz says.

Cena said The Miz isn't well. He pulled out a piece of paper that read "Doctor's Note." He said it diagnoses Miz as having obsessive compulsive disorder. Cena said the report shows that Miz isn't awesome, he's just average. He said he's also obsessed with being "must see" but you actually need a microscope to see it.

Cena said The Miz has 200 cats, saves his dog's poop bags, and pees in milk jugs. Cena said the obsession has rubbed off on Riley, who locks himself in a closet and eats toilet paper. Riley said he just realized why people nicknamed toilet bowls johns. He said everything Cena says is full of crap. Ughs all around.

Cena put his hand on Miz's shoulder. He said that if Miz wants to be a champion and leave a legacy, he needs to start doing things by himself. He asked if he wants his legacy to be that he shared it with another man. Cena asked Miz to fire Riley so that WrestleMania can be Miz vs. Cena.

The Miz asked if Cena is afraid of A-Ri or trying to play mind games. Miz said that unlike Cena, he's mentoring the next generation of superstars. Cena told a bunch of bad jokes about Cena and Riley watching "The Notebook" and going to Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Cena challenged Riley to a match. He said that if he wins the match, Riley is fired.

Miz and Riley conferred. The Miz accepted the match. Cena started to celebrate, but Miz said there's one condition. Miz gave his word that he wouldn't interfere, but he said that if Riley wins the match, Cena has to admit that Miz is the greatest superstar of all time. Miz delivered his catchphrase.

Cena asked Miz if he's from outer space. He pointed out all the things he's been through and laughed that the only thing Miz wanted was to be called awesome. Cena accepted the match. The general manager chime sounded. Mathews stood up. Cole told him he threw him a bone once and told him to sit down.

[Q6] Cole took his spot at the general manager's podium and announced that Cena and Riley will compete in a cage match. The only way to win the match is to escape the cage...

Mathews hyped that The Rock will respond to John Cena tonight on Raw... [C]

Powell's POV: That segment was filled with lousy comedy. Did they plant Riley's bad joke to offset Cena's horrible jokes? Cena made a more than fair point about The Miz's stipulation request being really weak. That segment did nothing to get me excited about their WrestleMania match. Miz is trying, Cena is too busy clowning around to make viewers think he takes Miz seriously.

3. Brie Bella won a battle royal to earn a future shot at the WWE Divas Championship. The match was joined in progress (at least on DirecTV). Eve was on commentary. The match came down to Gail Kim and Nikki Bella.

Gail eliminated Nikki, but Brie attacked her from behind and eventually eliminated her. Cole explained that the referees were busy with Maryse outside the ring and missed "twin magic." Eve entered the ring and protested on behalf of Gail...

Powell's POV: I'd like to thanks DirecTV, USA Network, WWE, or whomever was responsible for making me miss the bulk of that match. Eve on commentary combined with a Divas battle royal that involved a tired "twin magic" finish is actually worse than John Cena's sorry attempt to be a standup comedian.

Highlights aired of John Cena's promo on The Rock from last week...

[Q7] At ringside, Cole said Cena had every right to come out and say what he did last week. Mathews introduced The Rock "via satellite" from his home...

Powell's POV: The fans must have been told that Rock wasn't in the building, as they didn't pop when Rock's entrance music played.

The Rock stood with his back to the camera and next to a display with various title belts. He was wearing a hat turned sideways. He mocked John Cena's rap promo from last week and then threw the hat down. The fans in Buffalo popped when he mentioned the name of the arena and said he's finally come back to Buffalo.

Rock said he spoke to the fans from the heart and said exactly how he feels about John Cena. "And what do you do in response?" Rock asked. "You rap to me? You rapped to me. You address me in the form of rap. Well, of course you did, because that's how the guy in the purple shirt with the dog chains and and his jean shorts responds."

Rock mocked hustle, loyalty, respect, and Thuganomics. "I thought it was real funny," Rock deadpanned. Rock said the whole thing started with John Cena running his mouth about him. He said Cena called him a liar by suggesting that he doesn't love the business and WWE.

"John, by saying that, you insulted me and my family," Rock said. He said his love for WWE is endless. He said he was born into WWE and his blood is WWE. He mentioned his grandfather and his father being WWE Hall of Famers. "I am standing in my house, this is my collection of WWE titles that I proudly display. I didn't show love? Because I accomplished my goals in WWE and I wanted to achieve more?

Rock said that he knew if he made it in Hollywood outside of WWE, it helped open the door for the entire WWE locker room, including John Cena. Rock said it would pave the way for Cena. "And what do you do?," Rock asked. "You publicly mock and insult The People's Champion."

The Rock said there will be consequences. "You're going to pay for running your mouth," Rock said. He said no one else on the planet can bring it like he can. Rock said Cena opened the door and now he's staring at him on the other side. "The Rock is hosting WrestleMania," Rock said. "But more importantly, John Cena, he'll be addressing you sooner than you think."

Rock said his spirit is everywhere. He said he could raise the people's hand and snap the people's fingers and electrify the fans of Buffalo. Cena said he'll address Cena face-to-face and man to man. He said he's never alone because of the millions (crowd plays along bit). Rock said The Rock "ain't no rapper, and clearly neither are you." Rock said he's back to scratch a major itch, so enjoy your Fruity Pebbles, you Yabba Dabba bitch"...

Powell's POV: Another brilliant promo from Rock. It doesn't pack the same punch when he's not there live because he can't play off the crowd's energy, but that was still fantastic. WWE is making it awfully easy for John Cena haters to dislike him right now. Will Rock's endorsement eventually win people over or will they use Rock to turn Cena once and for all?

Mathews hyped the Cena vs. Riley cage match for the main event. Plus, Cole hyped Shawn Michaels offering his comments on the Triple H vs. Undertaker match coming up after the break... [C]

Powell's POV: The lack of hype for HBK's comments backs up what Chris Jericho implied in his interview with Brian Fritz about being overshadowed at WrestleMania. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle these days.

[Q8] A video featured Shawn Michaels discussing Triple H and Undertaker as video footage played of all three men. HBK broke down what it's like to be in the ring with both men. Shawn admitted that he doesn't know how he's going to feel when and if Hunter beats Undertaker...

Powell's POV: Awesome video package. Here's hoping we get HBK as special referee or least more videos like these. It was tough to follow up The Rock, but that definitely held my interest.

Daniel Bryan made his entrance only to be attacked at ringside by The Miz. Miz rammed Bryan into the guardrail and eventually hit the Skull Crushing Finale on the floor. Cole, who wasn't cheerleading for some odd reason, said it was a premeditated attack. He said the fans were in shock by the attack. Miz took the mic and cut a brief promo that concluded with him saying, "Start the match." The cage lowered around the ring... [C]

Powell's POV: Cole was at his heel peak earlier tonight, but now he's suddenly calling the action normally even though his boy The Miz is involved? By the way, the way Cole endorsed Cena's response on The Rock earlier in the show was odd. Are they actually turning Cena heel via The Rock? Do they just want us to think that's a possibility? Is this just an issue with Cole being a heel one minute and a standard broadcaster the next?

The announcers hyped Steve Austin's return to Raw next week... The Miz was on commentary with Cole and Mathews. Cole said he was unsettled by The Miz's attack on Bryan. He asked why he would do that. "Because I can," Miz said...

Powell's POV: At least they're trying to address Cole's odd character shift. The problem is that it doesn't work with his character. After all, The Miz is Cole's hero, and Daniel Bryan was Cole's primary target for months. It just doesn't ring true that he would be bothered by Miz jumping Bryan.

4. John Cena defeated Alex Riley in a cage match in 12:55. The winner must escape the cage. Miz tweeted "I'm so awesome" from ringside and boasted about it. Miz recalled Mini-Me and Pee Wee Herman hosting Raw. He said Rock has joined their ranks. Cena could have strolled out of the cage door early, but Miz leapt to his feet and closed the door on Cena.

Riley came back and shoved Cena's face into the cage. Miz took a picture for Twitter. Funny.

[Overrun] Cena came back and locked Riley in the STF. Riley tapped out, but Cole reminded viewers that the only way to win the match was to escape the cage. Cena tried to escape, but Miz swung a chair at the cage to stop him. Riley recovered and dropped Cena before a rare commercial break during the overrun. [C]

After the break, Riley was still in control. The announcers recapped the stipulations of the match. Miz hilariously explained that the steel cage eliminates the threat of outside interference. Cena made his comeback and picked up Riley for the Attitude Adjustment, but Riley grabbed the cage and started climbing. Cena followed.

A short time later, Cena and Riley ended up seated on top of the cage. Cena threw punches at Riley and they both ended up back inside the cage and fought while standing on the top rope and hanging onto the cage. Cena performed a bulldog off the top rope.

Cena picked up The Miz's phone, which was on the mat. Cena texted something as Miz threw a fit on commentary. Cena walked toward the door, but Miz slammed it shit. Cena tried to power out of the door. Superman Cena pushed the door open and fell to the floor to win the match. Miz immediately hit the Skull Crushing Finale on the floor. Mathews spoke about Cena's freakish strength.

The Miz posed on the stage as Cena sold his finisher on the floor. Cole said Miz proved he's not just an afterthought. Cole said Miz is the only thought. He said John Cena and The Rock can take that...

Powell's POV: The announcers didn't put over the stipulation that Miz has to fire Riley after the match. I hope they have something in mind to put Riley back with The Miz, because I enjoy their act. WWE packed a lot into this episode, and The Rock was once again the highlight of the night. Vince McMahon should be counting his blessings that he was able to bring back The Rock, because he and the creative team are not doing a very good job of building intrigue in Miz vs. Cena.

Thanks for watching along with me tonight. I will be back on Tuesday with an exclusive audio review of Raw for the Dot Net Members. Plus, check back tomorrow night for Chris Shore's live coverage review of the WWE NXT season four finale.

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