5/2 Powell's WWE Raw Live Coverage: The Rock celebrates his birthday, John Cena vs. The Miz for the WWE Championship, WWE celebrates patriotism


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WWE TV Reports


5/2 Powell's WWE Raw Live Coverage: The Rock celebrates his birthday, John Cena vs. The Miz for the WWE Championship, WWE celebrates patriotism
May 2, 2011 - 10:15 PM


By Jason Powell

WWE Raw on the USA Network
Live from Miami, Fla.


[Q1] The show opened with footage from 9/11 with footage of President George W. Bush's speech included. The footage cut to the WWE Smackdown taping that was held two nights later and included footage of Vince McMahon's speech to the fans and other footage from the show, including Lilian Garcia's performance of the national anthem.

Live in the building, Justin Roberts introduced Lilian Garcia, who was standing in the ring. Lilian performed the national anthem. Lilian pumped her fist as the live crowd chanted "USA"... The opening montage aired...

Powell's POV: Fantastic. I was always respectful of the Star Spangled Banner, but it took on a whole new meaning to me after 9/11. My heartfelt thanks to my youngest brother Eric and all of the men and women who have served in the United States military.

Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler checked in from ringside and hyped The Rock's birthday, and John Cena vs. The Miz for the WWE Championship...

The Rock's music played and he walked onto the stage to a big pop from the Miami crowd. Rock stopped on the stage and breathed heavily while taking in the crowd reaction. The Rock slowly made his way to the ring. Lawler noted that it appeared Rock was a little overwhelmed. Rock took a deep breath and then flashed a smile to the crowd.

"Finally, The Rock has come... home," Rock said. The crowd roared and then a "Rocky" chant broke out. "Before we get started, I have one thing to say. We got him." The crowd roared again and a "USA" chant broke out. The Rock thanked the "proud men and women who continuously and fearlessly fight for our great country every day and every night."

Rock said he has family in the military, and he said he's damn proud of them and damn proud to be an American. Rock led the fans in Miami in the Pledge of Allegiance. The crowd cheered again afterward and another "USA" chant broke out. Rock said it feels good to be home "because it all started right here for The Rock." Rock said the nurses gathered around and held the "baby Rock" and said "this baby is damn sure named Johnson."

[Q2] Rock said he went to high school and had an afro and a mustache and looked like the lead singer from Menudo. His yearbook photo was shown to the crowd. He said that face ate more pie than King Kong Bundy at a bakery. Rock said he went to college at "The U" and wore 94 on the field and was number one in the hearts of the fans. He boasted about helping to bring a National Championship to Miami.

Rock delivered a rhyme that concluded with how he was ready to party all over South Beach. Rock started to deliver the "If you smell..." line, but he was cut off by the anonymous general manager chime. Michael Cole stood up and said he just received an email from the GM on his iPad.

Cole was about to read the general manager's statement when Rock cut him off. Rock said that if Cole was going to interrupt him, he should join him in the ring and say it to his face. Cole said he'd remain in the Cole Mine. Rock pointed out that Cole won at WrestleMania and Extreme Rules, so he probably considers himself a tough guy. Cole nodded.

Rock invited Cole to join him in the ring again and said he could also stay at ringside like a drunk hobbit jack bag. Cole said he's not afraid of anything and he's not the kid that Rock used to humiliate. Cole said he's a man and he's a winner who associates himself with winners. Cole took his jacket and shirt off to reveal that he was wearing a Kevin Garnett jersey. The Miami crowd booed. Funny.

Cole stood on his chair and asked the Miami fans if they were jealous because "we've" got more championship rings than anyone in history. Cole said that he would meet Rock in the ring and referred to him as Dwayne. Cole entered the ring and said the general manager was demanding an apology because Rock embarrassed him at WrestleMania. Cole said the GM was threatening to shut down the birthday party.

Cole also asked for an apology for all of the humiliation he put him through over the years. "Just say you're sorry," Cole said. Rock said Cole is right in that he disrespected the general manager and he disrespected Cole over the years. He said he had only one thing to say to Cole. "I'm sorry," Rock said before offering Cole his hand.

Cole was leery of shaking The Rock's hand. Rock said Cole could accept his apology like a man or not. Cole eventually shook Rock's hand and then thanked him for apologizing. Rock looked down at the KG jersey that Cole was wearing. "Well, Michael Cole, thank you and go Heat, bitch (bitch was censored)."

Rock hit a Rock Bottom on Cole and then followed up with the People's Elbow as Josh Mathews and Jerry Lawler laughed on commentary. Rock's music played, but Rock cut it off. Rock said it's the biggest birthday celebration in TV history. Rock introduced the musician Pitbull, who walked onto the stage and wished Rock a happy birthday. Pitbull performed on the stage. The Miami Heat dance team joined him on stage and danced...

The announcers hyped John Morrison vs. R-Truth, and said The Rock's birthday party will be going all night. A pre-taped greeting with Lebron James and Dwayne Wade wishing Rock a happy 39th birthday... [C]

Powell's POV: Well, that made up for the night after WrestleMania 27. The Rock was phenomenal on the mic, and that was one of the most entertaining first 30 minutes of Raw that I've ever seen. Great stuff. I'm curious to know what viewers who live outside the United States think about the "patriotism" celebration tonight. As an American, I've enjoyed it so far, but I am interested in hearing from people who live outside the U.S. via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com.

[Q3] Highlights aired of the R-Truth and John Morrison angle from last week... Jim Ross was on commentary with Mathews and Lawler...

John Morrison was making his entrance for the match when R-Truth attacked him from behind. Truth hit his finishing move on the floor at ringside. Lawler noted that the referee told Truth to leave, so the match was off. Truth headed backstage. Three referees helped Morrison, who was selling a neck injury. Truth came out and hit his finisher on Morrison on the stage again...

Powell's POV: There's a pay-per-view in three weeks, so I'm fine if they don't give us the first Morrison vs. Truth match until then. It's one of those feuds where both guys really need wins, yet so far it looks like both guys are getting over because of the feud. The announcers did a nice job of pointing out Truth's facial expressions and the intense looks he was flashing.

The announcers invited fans to tweet birthday wishes to The Rock via @TheRock#Raw and said he would get the messages... A pre-taped Jimmy Kimmel promo from his talk show desk was shown. He said he hopes Rock celebrates his birthday the same way he spends his - in Miami with a bunch of men in his underwear...

Powell's POV: This has to be a setup for a Kharma beatdown, right?

1. Maryse vs. Kelly Kelly. Ross predicted that a blonde would win the match. Kelly jumped out to a quick advantage, only to have Kharma's music play. There was a buzz in the crowd as Kharma walked onto the stage. Mathews recapped Kharma taking out Michelle McCool last night. Lawler pleaded on commentary for Kelly to leave the ring.

Kharma slowly walked to the ring, and Kelly backed into a corner of the ring. Ross said she appeared to be frozen in fear. Kharma looked down at Kelly and then at Maryse, who was still selling the Kelly attack. Kharma took one step toward Kelly, but turned her attention to Maryse instead. Kharma hit the Implant Buster, which still doesn't have a WWE name.

Kharma looked at Kelly, who was still frozen in the corner with a look of shock on her face. Kharma's music played and she left the ring. She stopped long enough to look at Kelly and laugh at her. Ross said Kelly got a reprieve tonight but questioned how long it would last...

Powell's POV: A strong Raw debut for Kharma (a/k/a Awesome Kong). Ross did a good job of explaining that Kelly was frozen in the ring, and Kelly did a decent job with her facial expressions.

[Q4] Backstage, The Miz questioned where Alex Riley was when he lost the WWE Title. Riley said he was drafted to Smackdown. Miz said Riley is under a personal services contract to him, so the draft doesn't matter. Miz said no one would be talking about The Rock's birthday at the end of the night. Rather, they'll be talking about the new WWE Champion...

Ross said it appears Riley will be in The Miz's corner for the WWE Championship match, and Mathews plugged Rock's birthday... A pre-taped video aired of actor Paul Walker wishing Rock a happy birthday. Walker tried to be cool and failed... [C] Actor Samuel L. Jackson delivered a pre-taped birthday greeting for The Rock...

Powell's POV: Rock and Sam were a hell of a duo in "The Other Guys." They didn't have a long run, but it was fun while it lasted.

Backstage, The Rock thanked the babyface Divas for coming to his party. A lot of other WWE stars were wearing street clothes in a party room. Vladimir Kozlov said he had a script for Rock. He introduced Santino Marella, who was dressed like The Rock's character in "Fast Five." Hornswoggle showed up in Scorpion King gear. Ugh.

Hornswoggle acted like he had a toothache. Santino called for help. The Great Khali entered the room wearing a Tooth Fairy costume and said, "You can't handle the tooth." Ron Simmons showed and surveyed the scene, which led to the big "Damn!" line... Split shots aired of John Cena and The Miz walking backstage. Lawler noted that Miz had Riley with him... [C]

Powell's POV: The "Damn!" line is predictable, but we haven't heard it lately, so it was fun and made an otherwise corny segment watchable. The feedback from the non-Americans watching or reading (depending on where they live) has been surprisingly positive. It got a split reaction to start, but the emails coming in since then have been very positive in support of WWE's approach thus far, and the United States in general. Keep it coming, folks.

[Q5] A pre-taped Steve Carell birthday greeting aired. He said he was wishing Rock a happy birthday against his will and against his better judgement. He then said Rock was a kind and wonderful person...

Powell's POV: Nice score for WWE given that Steve Carell is in the news following his awesome departure from "The Office" last week. I wasn't always a big fan of the Michael Scott character. Don't get me wrong, he made a lot of episodes, but he also spoiled some for me by being so over the top. However, that episode last week was a gem. Okay, back to wrestling. We haven't even heard from Cena despite his title win last night, yet he's already defending it? Strange.

2. John Cena defeated The Miz (w/Alex Riley) by DQ to retain the WWE Championship in 12:10. Justin Roberts handled the in-ring introductions for the championship match. Cena opened up quickly with a hip toss and a drop kick that revved up his fans. The boo birds weren't very vocal. Cena knocked Riley off the ring apron, which opened the door for Miz to clothesline him. The Miz controlled the action heading into the break. [C]

The Miz was still in control of the match after the break. Cena made his comeback quickly and did the "You Can't See Me" routine followed by the Five Knuckle Shuffle. He went for the Attitude Adjustment, but Miz avoided it and nailed Cena with a kick to the head. He tried to go for a second kick, but Cena avoided it and applied the STF. Miz reached the ropes to break the hold.

The Miz came back and hit the Reality Check for a good near fall. He went for the Skull Crushing Finale, but Cena flung him off and Miz bumped the referee in the process. The Miz tapped out quickly and Cena released the hold, but the ref was out. Cena went after Riley, and Miz ended up hitting Cena with the briefcase. The ref recovered as Miz had the pin, but Cena kicked out at the last moment.

[Q6] Cena came back with an Attitude Adjustment and Miz kicked out at the last moment. "What a match!" Lawler yelled. Riley stood on the ring apron and the referee was distracted. The Miz grabbed the title belt and slammed it over Cena's head. Miz made the cover and got the pin at 12:10.

The Miz and Riley celebrated, but the referee spotted the WWE Championship belt in the ring. The referee went to ringside and informed Justin Roberts that he was reversing his decision, and Cena won the match by DQ. Cena recovered and hit both heels with clotheslines and Attitude Adjustments...

Powell's POV: Very good match. That was so much better than the WrestleMania 27 match. It was fast paced from the start and the near falls were believable. Miz lost the match, but I think he gained something by kicking out of Cena's finisher and getting the pin, albeit illegally, before the ref reversed the decision. I'd definitely watch a rematch at Over The Limit.

Ellen Degeneres wished The Rock a happy birthday from the set of her shitty show. Sorry, I'm not a fan... [C]

Powell's POV: WWE is putting on a hell of a show tonight, but all of The Rock love from the celebrities has me worried that he looks like he's above everyone else. Okay, so he is in terms of star power and there's no denying that, but it's a Rock love-fest, and it would be wise to have him give some rub while he's at Raw. Maybe it will happen by the end of the show.

Tyler Perry delivered a birthday greeting for The Rock... The announcers spoke at ringside and invited WWE fans to send Tweets to their Rock's birthday Twitter page. The announcers set up the footage of John Cena announcing the news to the fans at Extreme Rules that Osama Bin Laden was killed...

Powell's POV: They caught some great looks of surprise and joy on the faces of the fans in the building. For those who didn't see the pay-per-view, this took place after the show went off the air. A great moment.

Ricardo Rodgriguez introduced Alberto Del Rio, who joined the announcers on commentary...

[Q7] 3. Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio defeated Jack Swagger and Drew McIntyre in 8:20. The heels were in control of the action when the show cut to commercial. [C] Kofi sold for the heels after the break and then Mysterio took a hot tag to a big ovation. The crowd popped as Mysterio hit some fast offense on McIntyre, but Swagger cut him off.

Kofi took care of Swagger and then Mysterio hit the 619 on McIntyre. Del Rio stood up at ringside. Mysterio looked at him as he headed to the top rope and hit a splash for the win. Del Rio tried to charge the ring, but Mysterio drop kicked him...

Powell's POV: A good television match. Sure, it was a step down from everything else we've seen tonight, but that was only when the heels were working over Kingston. The action picked up when Mysterio checked in. Didn't Mysterio and Del Rio have their final match on Smackdown a couple months ago? I guess what happens on Smackdown stays on Smackdown, as it sure looks like they're setting up a program between the two.

A Be A Star charity function video was shown with Triple H and other celebrities... Ross hyped that The Rock's birthday party would continue. Ludacris delivered a pre-taped birthday greeting for The Rock. He said he wouldn't tell anyone about the scene that was cut out of the movie that featured him kicking Rock's ass... [C]

[Q8] A graphic noted that WWE held the first public assembly just two days after 9/11... Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino delivered a pre-taped birthday message for The Rock...

The backstage party continued for The Rock. Fortunately, David Hart Smith wasn't wearing cowboy gear. Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Zigggler showed up. They said they know Rock loves pie. They moved the giant birthday cake aside, and Mae Young was standing there in a bathing suit. Vickie and Dolph laughed.

Rock said he wanted to see Mae on her birthday. He said Vickie could lose more weight and she'd never look as good as Mae Young. He asked if they thought they were going to get one over on The Rock. "It doesn't matter what you think," Rock said. Rock told Mae it was good to see her, as always. He planted a big kiss on Mae, and then told Dolph that he gets more pie in one night than Dolph gets in a lifetime.

The Rock was about to walk away, but he turned around and John Cena was waiting for him. Cena said he brought a gift that Rock could only get from him. He held up the WWE Championship and said that he made the biggest match in history even bigger by winning the belt. "Just bring it," Rock said. Cena wished Rock a straight faced happy birthday and then left the room while Rock watched him intently...

A shot aired of Kane walking backstage... [C]

Powell's POV: Damn, I hope that's not the only reason they put the belt back on Cena last night. I have yet to see anything else tonight that explains why he needed to win the belt back at a time when his fans hadn't been worked up to the point that they expected or were demanding it. The brief confrontation was a solid, quick reminder of the WrestleMania 28 main event, but it's not the thing about this show that people will be talking about around the water cooler on Tuesday.

The announcers thanked Pitbull and plugged his CD... George Lopez delivered a pre-taped birthday greeting for The Rock from the set of his show. He couldn't make The People's Eyebrow, so he took out a marker and drew one above his eye. Funny...

4. Kane beat Mason Ryan (w/C.M. Punk) by DQ in 1:50. Tie-Dye Guy was in the crowd. He or someone next to him had a sign that said Skid Marks (Tough Enough) fears him. He also posed a couple of times during the match. Kane was in the midst of a flurry of offense when Punk entered the ring for the DQ. Ross pointed out that Ryan hadn't left his feet during the match.

David Otunga and Mike McGillicutty hit the ring, but Kane fought them off. Kane went for a chokeslam on Ryan, who powered out of it and hit a side slam on Kane. New Nexus put the boots to Kane until Big Show ran out for the save. Show plowed through Punk, Otunga, and McGillicutty, but Ryan speared Show. Ryan headed backstage by himself, and Punk didn't look happy about it...

Powell's POV: I'm surprised they are giving Ryan such an aggressive push given how green he is. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for pushing new and young talent, but this could easily result in one of those pushes that starts strong and then stops once they acknowledge his flaws.

[Overrun] Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa delivered birthday greetings to The Rock from the set of their show. Regis said Rock is 39, which is the same size as his own biceps. Regis challenged Rock to face him before he turns 40... [C]

Powell's POV: I'm bracing for a long overrun since we're sure to get more Rock in the final segment.

A generic ad for WWE Smackdown questioned where the World Hvt. Championship will reside. The next commercial focussed on Christian winning the title at Extreme Rules, and then hyped the kickoff of Christian's reign on Smackdown...

Craig Ferguson delivered his birthday greeting to The Rock from the set of his CBS talk show...

The Rock's music played and he headed to the ring as Mathews hyped the big weekend that "Fast Five" delivered at the box office. The Rock asked if the fans had a good time and whether they had fun. He said that before the big finale, he wanted to thank the fans for coming out and making it one of the greatest nights in the history of his life. The fans at ringside were wearing party hats.

Rock thanked his family and pointed them out at ringside. He thanked other family members who were at home watching. He thanked WWE. Rock gave the fans his word that WrestleMania 28 will be the biggest of all time.

Mr. McMahon's music played. Vince McMahon walked onto the stage and stayed there while wishing The Rock a happy birthday. He thanked Rock for letting WWE and the fans celebrate his birthday in Miami. Vince thanked Rock for the day early in his career where he pulled him aside and asked for an opportunity to seize the brass ring and carry the company to heights its never seen.

"By God, you have," Vince said. "I think you for that. I'd like to thank you for your respect, your passion, I'd like to thank you for your humanity. I'd like to thank you for giving this audience the chance to say 'what.'" They followed on cue. Vince thanked Rock for his love of life and for being The Rock.

Vince said that WWE put together a birthday present for Rock. "A heartfelt thank you for coming home," Vince said. Rock looked emotional in the ring as he took a deep breath. A Rock video aired and featured photos of a young Rock, video footage of him as football player, clips of his grandfather, Rock in the ring, and Rock at WrestleMania 28.

The footage also included a young Rock with Muhammad Ali, Andre the Giant, Freddie Blassie, and others. The video also included shots of Rock in the ring with Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and John Cena. Rock's line about being back in the ring and "never ever going away" was part of the video. The fans roared when the video concluded, and Rock was smiling in the ring. A "Rocky" chant broke out, and his mother was shown clapping at ringside.

Justin Roberts introduced Mya to sing "Happy Birthday" to The Rock. Rock looked genuinely surprised during the announcement, and he smiled when she walked onto the stage. She invited the fans to sing along with Rock and they obliged.

Rock took another deep breath and thanked the fans, his family, etc. before delivering "If you smell what The Rock is cooking." Streamers fell from the rafters and then balloons followed as the confetti machines kicked in. Rock looked up and had a big smile as it all fell in and around the ring. Ross touted it as the biggest birthday celebration known to man. Pyro shot off on the stage as The Rock smiled again to close the show...

Powell's POV: An awesome video and a cool segment to close the show. I'm sure the fans who want nothing but wrestling hated this episode, but I enjoyed the hell out of it. The Rock tribute was cool even if it did make him look like he was on a different level than everyone else in WWE. It was really over the top in that it felt like a retirement without the tearful farewell speech. I guess now girls on the "My Super Sweet 16" show can ask their rich fathers to give them a Raw birthday party.

I hate to close it on a negative note because I really did enjoy the show, but what incentive were viewers given to tune in next week? Granted, Cena and Miz had a hell of a match and Kharma's Raw debut was cool, but I'm talking from a storyline perspective. I don't know how many times WWE will have Rock appear before or after WrestleMania 28, but they have to start doing a better job of having him provide rub to others in the locker room, and they have to give viewers a reason to hook for the shows that follow. By the way, I can't even image the level of jealousy that exists with some of the WWE wrestlers tonight.

Check back on Tuesday for the WWE Raw Hitlist. I'll have more to say about tonight's WWE Raw in Dot Net Members' audio. Join us on the ad-free version of the website by signing up via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

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