6/13 Powell's WWE "All Star Night" Raw Live Coverage: Steve Austin as guest general manager, final hype for WWE Capitol Punishment, Raw and Smackdown wrestlers appear


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WWE TV Reports


6/13 Powell's WWE "All Star Night" Raw Live Coverage: Steve Austin as guest general manager, final hype for WWE Capitol Punishment, Raw and Smackdown wrestlers appear
Jun 13, 2011 - 10:00 PM


By Jason Powell

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


[Q1] The opening video aired... Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler introduced the show from ringside and hyped Steve Austin as the guest general manager. They said Austin was already hard at work and had booked John Cena vs. C.M. Punk as the show's main event match...

The Miz came to the ring. Miz said he won in the main event of last week's Raw, so that must mean he's the all-time WWE All Star. "Then again, that's been pretty obvious for a very long time," Miz said. He said you'd have to be an ungrateful moron not to realize that. "In other words, you'd have to be Alex Riley," said Miz.

Miz said he's going to expose Riley at WWE Capitol Punishment more than a tweet from Anthony Weiner. The "What" chants started. "That was cool in 2001," Miz told the fans. Funny. Miz told the fans to watch closely as he calls out Steve Austin. He questioned why every time he looks, The Rock, Steve Austin, and other stars from the Attitude Era are trying to steal his spotlight. He said Austin owes him an apology.

The sound of breaking glass played and Steve Austin made his entrance to a big ovation. Austin played into the "What" chants by pausing as he berated The Miz for calling him out. Austin said he's let Miz run his mouth because he wanted to see what he really had. Austin said Miz is a silver-tongued devil who ran to the back when it was time to fight.

"I let you talk then, I'm talking now," Austin said when The Miz tried to interject. Austin said he has an itchy trigger finger and will pull it by hitting the Stunner on The Miz if he has to. Austin recalled whooping Alex Riley's ass, but said he had to give him credit. Austin said Riley might be a bigger superstar than Miz someday.

The Miz asked if he could speak. Austin said no. Austin asked the crowd if they wanted him to give Miz a Stunner. The fans roared. Austin eventually grabbed Miz by the tie. Austin said he gives Miz credit for everything he's done, but he was setting up a little counseling by having Roddy Piper host a Piper's Pit segment with Miz and Riley.

Austin said that if Miz knew what was good for him, he'd take his ass out of the ring. Miz slowly backed away while Austin watched him out of the corner of his eye. "You better get to stepping," Austin said. Miz left the ring, and Austin told him that was the best decision Miz has ever made.

Austin said it was WWE All Star Night "or whatever the hell they want to call it." He said he was calling the shots so it was Stone Cold's Raw. Austin was interrupted by Alberto Del Rio's entrance music. Del Rio drove a sports car into the arena, and Ricardo Rodriguez introduced him from the stage. Del Rio spoke about Austin passing the torch to him.

[Q2] Once in the ring, Del Rio said he heard rumors all day that Austin wanted to see him. He assumed it was because Austin wanted to see what true greatness looked like. Del Rio tried to talk about his destiny, but Austin cut him off and said he saw an ass whooping as Del Rio's immediate destiny.

Austin said there's a guy backstage who has been waiting to bash Del Rio's skull in ever since he took out Big Show with his car. Enter Kane, who Austin said would face Del Rio in the first match of the night. Del Rio and Ricardo showed concern while Kane made his entrance... [C]

Powell's POV: A good opening segment with Austin in good form on the mic. It was fun to see Austin and Miz share the spotlight. Miz backed down from Austin, but that's par for the course as far as his character is concerned. Kane facing Del Rio is a logical match given that Kane has been trapped on Smackdown due to the brand split rules. However, they should have been playing up how badly Kane wanted to get his hands on Del Rio so that this match may have generated some interest if it had been advertised in advance.

Highlights aired of the Big Show car accident angle...

1. Kane beat Alberto Del Rio (w/Ricardo Rodriguez) by DQ in 2:50. The announcers quickly reminded viewers that Steve Austin booked the match and would be the guest general manager. Del Rio applied the cross arm breaker. Kane reached the ropes, but Del Rio refused to break the hold and was disqualified.

Big Show's music played and he ran to the ring wearing yellow tape on his right fist. Show attacked Del Rio. Ricardo jumped in to try to help Del Rio. Show grabbed Ricardo and punched him repeatedly. Kane pulled Show off and told him that he'd kill Ricardo and then he'd never get his hands on Del Rio. Show calmed down.

Steve Austin walked back onto the stage and announced Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show for the pay-per-view. Ricardo was face down in the ring selling the attack as Show and Kane walked to the back...

The announcers hyped that Randy Orton was back for one night only. Cole said Orton has a declaration to make... [C]

Powell's POV: Kane showed compassion when Show was injured, and now he's the voice of reason? Strange. Anyway, Show's return was nicely done and the live crowd popped for him. They're using WWE All Stars video game graphics. For instance, they didn't show the usual image of Orton. Rather, it was the game graphic with game highlights featuring Orton. A nice touch. I like the way the announcers are reminding viewers that Austin is the host. Sure, it gets old hearing it if you watched from the beginning of the show, but they're more concerned about hooking viewers who are tuning in late. Dot Net reader Danny Goldstein noted that Ricardo was stretchered to the back during the commercial break.

[Q3] They aired footage of Ricardo being stretchered to the back...

2. Sin Cara, Ezekiel Jackson, and Daniel Bryan defeated Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, and Ted DiBiase in 2:40. Late in the match, Zeke picked up Bryan and tossed him onto Rhodes and DiBiase at ringside. Zeke roughed up Barrett, and then tagged in Sin Cara, who hit a springboard cross body block on Barrett for the win...

Powell's POV: It seemed odd to have Zeke not take the pin himself given his current feud with Barrett, but the announcers did a good job of building him up on commentary. It's worth noting that of the six men in the match, only Sin Cara's entrance was shown. Sin Cara, who has been known to blow spots on live TV, was limited to working just a few seconds to start the match and then didn't tag in until the end.

The announcers hyped Piper's Pit with Miz and Riley... [C]

After the break, Hornswoggle was shooting t-shirts to the live crowd. R-Truth made his entrance and said Hornswoggle was shooting t-shirts to all the "Little Jimmy's and all the Little Jenny's." Truth said it looked like fun, and he asked Hornswoggle if he could try it. "You've got nothing to be afraid of," Truth said. "You see, I'm a good R-Truth."

Truth said people may not know it, but he's going to defeat John Cena to become the WWE Champion on Sunday. He said Cena wouldn't stop him from getting what he wants on Sunday, and neither will Hornswoggle. Truth glared at Horny, who shot a t-shirt at him. Truth grabbed him. Hornswoggle tried to get away, but Truth tried to calm him down and assure him that everything was fine.

Truth shook Hornswoggle's hand, but then kicked him in the face. The crowd booed. Truth's smile turned into an intense look as he stared down at the fallen Hornswoggle. Truth intensely spoke to himself while looking down at Horny.

[Q3] Steve Austin appeared on the big screen and told Truth to pick on someone his own size. "Why don't you pick on someone like this?" Austin said. John Morrison entered the picture with a big smile on his face. Austin told Truth that he has to face Morrison tonight before facing Cena on Sunday. Truth said Morrison will have to get some of this and then stomped on Hornswoggle... [C]

Powell's POV: Great work by R-Truth, who is doing the best work of his career. However, that was the best they could do for Morrison's return? Really? He just shows up unadvertised in a backstage bit with Austin? I know he hasn't been out that long, but you'd think they would have come up with something better for his return from neck surgery. Furthermore, I'm surprised they're giving the first Morrison vs. Truth match following the surgery away on TV. I assume they're going to put heat on Truth by having him target Morrison's neck.

3. Sheamus beat Santino Marella via submission in 2:45. A loud "We want Ryder" chant broke out about 90 seconds into the match. Santino set up for The Cobra. Sheamus went for the Brogue Kick, but Santino ducked and hit him with The Cobra. Sheamus kicked out and nailed Santino with the Brogue kick. Sheamus applied a cloverleaf-like submission hold and Santino tapped out...

Powell's POV: Sheamus has the Celtic Cross, the Brogue Kick, and now a submission hold. I like it. He's in the upper mix on Smackdown, and I'd like to see him stay in the main event mix on the Friday night brand. As for the Ryder chants, they are on his native Long Island tonight. If we start getting those chants outside his home area, then WWE officials will really take notice. I have no idea what they they are waiting for with a Ryder push. By the way, he worked a WWE Superstars match, so I'm not sure whether he'll get any meaningful time on Raw tonight.

The announcers set up a preview of USA Network's "Suits" television show... [C] A video package recapped the Randy Orton and Christian feud from Smackdown...

[Q5] Randy Orton made his entrance, and additional highlights aired from Friday's Smackdown of Christian blasting Orton with the World Hvt. Championship belt. Orton had some mic trouble. "As I was saying, live TV is awesome," Orton said. "My name is Randy Orton. I know I haven't been gone too long, but it feels damn good to be back on Monday Night Raw."

Orton said you would think he would feel satisfied since he's World Hvt. Champion and he has a chance to cause Christian a lot of pain on Sunday. "But believe it or not, I am not satisfied," Orton said. "I am not satisfied because I know that Christian is in this building. So Christian, please come to this ring. I promise that I just want to talk. I promise I won't hurt you."

Orton waited a bit, but Christian didn't come out. Orton said Christian got him. "I was lying," Orton said. "The first chance I get I will hurt you. Now be a man and don't make me come back there and find you myself." Christian appeared on the big screen and said it's no fun to stand out there and be embarrassed week after week.

Christian questioned why Orton is so angry. He said Orton was basically born into WWE and had his entire career handed to him on a silver platter. Christian said he's had to scratch and claw for everything he's earned in WWE. "It's called hard work, Randy, something you and these idiots in Long Island would know nothing about."

Christian polled the crowd to see how many fans wanted to see him come out to face Orton. "I'm really sorry, but you people must have confused me with somebody who actually cares about what you want." Orton said it was too bad that Edge wasn't there to carry Christian to the ring. "He's been carrying you for 17 years, what's one more day?"

Christian took the bait and headed through the backstage area and on his way to the ring. Christian's music played and he walked to the bottom of the entrance ramp. He stopped there and then shook his head no as he backed up the ramp. Security ran out and prevented Orton from getting at Christian.

The anonymous general manager's email chime sounded. Cole stood up and announced that while the GM put Austin in charge of the show, the GM felt he had to get involved. The GM said that Orton suffered a concussion from taking two belt shots to the head.

The GM said that while Orton should be able to compete on Sunday, he can't let him fight Christian or anyone else on Raw. The GM said Orton should leave the building and wait to get his hands on Christian. Orton tried to get through security. The chime sounded again, and Cole said that the GM will have no choice but to strip Orton of the World Heavyweight Championship if he failed to comply. Orton made one more lunge toward Christian, but stopped and then headed backstage.

Austin appeared on the big screen. He said Christian got out of an ass kicking from Orton, but he wasn't getting off that easy. Austin booked Christian vs. Rey Mysterio for after the commercial break... [C]

Powell's POV: A good angle that should make viewers want to see Orton get his hands on Christian. I don't think anyone will think twice about ordering the pay-per-view due to Orton's concussion, as fans know it's not legit given that the story line injury came from belt shots on television. Christian's smug look of satisfaction when Orton finally headed backstage was great.

[Q6] Booker T joined the announcers on commentary. Lawler said Booker is the one friend Cole has. Cole said he wanted to hear about the 86 that Booker shot on the golf course...

The announcers announced Rey Mysterio vs. C.M. Punk for the WWE Capitol Punishment pay-per-view...

3. Rey Mysterio defeated Christian by DQ in 5:35. Christian took a huracanrana early and landed face first on the bottom rope. Christian dumped Mysterio to ringside and they cut to commercial break around the 2:00 mark. Shortly after the break, Christian was disqualified for refusing to break the ref's five count.

Christian went to the top rope, but Mysterio recovered and met him up there. They fought for position, and Mysterio ended up back dropping Christian to the mat. Mysterio went to the top rope. C.M. Punk ran out and Mysterio dove on Punk. The rest of New Nexus headed to the ring. Christian went for his finisher on Rey, who avoided it.

Mysterio went for a 619 on Mysterio, but Mason Ryan caught him. Ryan ran Mysterio's back into the ring post and threw him inside the ring. Nexus backed up the ramp. Christian smirked and then hit his finisher on Mysterio...

Powell's POV: Didn't we see essentially the same finish in the Del Rio vs. Kane match earlier? Christian didn't come out of this looking like a real in-ring threat since Mysterio got the better of him frequently, but he does look like an opportunist who will do what it takes to win. Whether that's enough to make people order the show to see him face Orton remains to be seen.

Backstage, Steve Austin was on the phone when Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler entered the ring. "Excuse me," Vickie said in a sweet match. She went into usual "excuse me" mode when Austin didn't listen. Vickie asked Austin to give Dolph a U.S. Title match.

Austin said he would if Dolph agreed to drop Vickie as his adviser. Austin said he had Ted DiBiase as his manager when he started. He said people need to know that they can count on Dolph to stand on his own. Dolph agreed to the stipulation. Austin said he was just having fun with them. "I already made the match earlier today," Austin said before walking away...

The announcers hyped Morrison vs. R-Truth for after the break...

Powell's POV: I assume Dolph and Vickie are still a unit, as Austin said he made the match earlier in the day, so they don't have to live up to the stipulation. It was nice to hear someone use the word manager on Raw again.

[Q7] [C] The announcers hyped Cena vs. Punk for later in the show...

R-Truth came to the ring for his match with John Morrison. Morrison's music played a couple of times, but he didn't come out. Truth grabbed the mic and asked what's up. Truth said Morrison was acting bad earlier. "Where I come from if you act bad, you better be bad," Truth said. He said that if Morrison is scared, he should say so.

R-Truth called for him to come out for a fight. "If you won't come to me, how about I bring the fight to you. Truth headed backstage in search of Morrison. The announcers spoke at ringside. Truth was still talking on the house mic as he walked through the backstage area. Morrison was being tended to by a trainer and a couple of referees.

Truth insincerely acted surprised as he spotted Morrison lying on the ground and holding his surgically repaired neck. "At least you can say you got got by the future WWE Champion," Truth told Morrison. He slapped Morrison's hand away. Truth grabbed a rolling cart and ran it into Morrison. The trainer called for one of the referees to call for the paramedics. "Take that Little Jimmy," Truth said... [C]

Powell's POV: Awesome. I could have done without the "Take that" line at the end because it drew laughs from the crowd. Hell, it made me laugh too, but why take away the edge from an otherwise intense angle. Nevertheless, that was really good, and I'm happy they didn't just give away Morrison's return. The segment put more heat on Truth, and reintroduced Morrison in a manner that will remind viewers why they should want to see him get his hands on Truth.

Cole hyped a WWE website feature on the Top 25 managers, and said Vickie Guerrero is on the list. Wow, manager talk continues...

Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero headed to the ring together for a match. Cole introduced a video package on Ziggler. Jack Swagger was introduced as Ziggler's tag partner.

[Q8] 4. Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne defeated Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero) in 2:55. Late in the match, Kofi stood on the ring apron and caught Swagger with a kick. Bourne followed up with Air Bourne and got the pin. Dolph and Vickie showed some frustration with Swagger afterward, but it didn't look like they were setting up anything...

Cole congratulated The Rock for winning "Biggest Ass Kicker" at the Guys Choice Awards... Lawler hyped Piper's Pit with Miz and Riley for after the break... [C]

Powell's POV: It's worth noting that while Cole mentioned the Guys Choice Awards, there was no mention of Spike TV, which is the former home of Raw and the current home of TNA Impact Wrestling. It's a shame that Rock hasn't been around to present John Cena with the "Biggest Ass Kisser" award. The tag match was strange in that it seemed to be about Swagger vs. Bourne more than the two guys who are having a pay-per-view match.

An ad for Friday's WWE Smackdown questioned how far Christian will go to regain the World Hvt. Championship. No matches were advertised... The WWE Rewind featured Alex Riley, The Miz, and Michael Cole from two weeks ago...

Justin Roberts introduced Roddy Piper as the host of Piper's Pit. The ring was set up with the red carpet and three stools with plaid clothes over them. Piper pointed to the middle of the ring and said it was right there at WrestleMania 2 that he dropped Mr. T like a bad habit. The fans gave the golf clap. "It was a lot of fun, not at the time," Piper said.

The Miz's music hit and he walked out wearing a suit and did the "Really" routine. Miz said his favorite moment in the building will be when they tear it down and replace it with nothing. Miz said he's tired of people saying he's a modern day Roddy Piper. Piper took offense and said there will never be another Roddy Piper. Piper said the phrase Miz is looking for is "a Roddy Piper wannabe."

The Miz said he's nothing like Piper. He got in Piper's face and said, "For one thing, I've been WWE Champion." He said he's also won the main event at WrestleMania, and said his "Real World" appearances were better than "They Live." Piper said he's never seen "Real World."

[Q9] Piper introduced Alex Riley, who came out to his cool ring music dressed in a suit. Piper shook Riley's hand and said it was nice to see him. A loud "Alex Riley" chant broke out and they stopped to let the crowd chant briefly. Piper said Riley took a lot of abuse from Miz, and he wanted to know what made him realize he'd had enough.

Riley said he didn't want it to be this way. He said Miz was never his friend, he was just using him. He said he realized that he didn't have to help Miz when he could beat him. Piper stood between the two. Miz said the guy who abused "Cowboy" Bob Orton for years was talking about self respect.

Piper asked Miz a question about which former WWF stars he would save if they were in the bottom of the well. Piper said just when Miz thinks he has all the answers, he changes the questions. He said Riley would do the same on Sunday. Miz ended up putting up $1,000 of his own money to face him, and he'd even wear the suit.

The fans chanted Piper's name. Piper said the guy who won at WrestleMania 27 wants to face the guy who was in WrestleMania 1. Piper said he's gonna get his butt kicked. "I'm tired of getting my butt kicked... how about five thousand dollars," Piper said. Austin appeared on the big screen, and said it was official, Piper vs. Miz with both men putting up $5,000 of their own money, and Riley will be special referee... [C]

Powell's POV: Piper wasn't on top of his game like the last time he appeared on Raw. He's definitely had worse appearances, but he seemed to be in his own world a couple of times. For instance, the crowd didn't care about the WrestleMania 2 reference. However, the fans were into the idea of seeing Piper wrestle. Riley did okay here. I'd like to see Riley move away from the suit look if he's going to remain a babyface.

Cole hyped the WWE All Stars video game and showed footage of Piper facing The Miz in video game form...

5. Roddy Piper defeated The Miz with Alex Riley as special referee in 1:05. Miz wrestled in his dress shirt and pants. Piper worked in trunks and a t-shirt. Miz worked over Piper in the corner, but Riley pulled him off a couple of times. Miz finally punched Riley. They traded punches, and Piper rolled up Miz for the three count to win five grand of Miz's money...

The announcers hyped Cena vs. Punk as the main event... [C]

Powell's POV: This didn't make me want to see Riley get his hands on The Miz. In fact, it took away from the intensity of their feud. We've seen them have some wild brawls, so it was odd to see Riley try to play it straight as the special referee. The fans showed they're into Riley by chanting his name, but I don't think he's solidified himself in any way yet. He needs to show more on the mic, and we'll see how his match goes. I'm pulling for the guy, but there's just something about his push that feels off to me despite the crowd pleasing brawls we've seen in the past.

[Q10] The announcers set up footage of Kelly Kelly and The Bella Twins appearing on "The Price is Right." Cole said they set their differences aside for a day to appear on the show...

6. Kelly Kelly, Eve, Gail Kim, Natalya, Beth Phoenix, A.J., and Kaitlyn beat The Bellas, Tamina, Rosa Mendes, Alicia Fox, Maryse, and Melina in a seven-Diva tag match in 1:25. Kelly hit her finisher on Rosa and got the pin while the other Divas were fighting at ringside. Afterwards, Eve took the mic and said the Tony Awards were in New York last night. This set up the babyface Divas doing the dance line kicks...

Highlights aired from last week of Tough Enough winner Andy Leavine taking a slap from Vince McMahon, and a Stunner from Steve Austin....

Backstage, Austin gave Andy a pep talk and told him now is when he has to get tough. Austin and Andy drank beer together. C.M. Punk entered the room. Austin told Punk that Andy won Tough Enough. "You won Tough Enough," Punk asked. "You and how many of your friends?" Austin sent Andy on his way.

Austin asked Punk if he wanted a beer or a whiskey. Punk said he was there to give Austin a breathalyzer. He asked if Austin could say the alphabet backwards. "I could whoop your ass backwards," Austin replied. Punk thanked Austin for setting in motion "something that is going to change the landscape of WWE forever."

Austin said Nexus is not allowed at ringside. Punk said he can get it done by himself. Austin said he has other things to do. He said he had an announcement to make. "So I'll see you later, punk," Austin concluded... [C]

Powell's POV: Andy yelling "yes sir" in response to Austin makes me want to see him even less than I did throughout the season of Tough Enough. Punk's comments were intriguing, and he and Austin have strong chemistry. I'd love to see them work together at WrestleMania. The story just writes itself with Punk being straight edge and Austin being the beer swilling redneck (that's a compliment in his case).

[Q11] Austin drove his four-wheeler to the ring. He started to deliver some mic work when the anonymous general manager's email chime sounded. Cole stood up and politely asked for Austin's attention. The GM said Austin did a fair job in his absence, but the GM will be back next week.

Austin said he might not be the GM next week, but he still has time left. Austin said it will be another three-hour show, and it's going to be all about the power of the people. Austin said he's going to let the fans pick the stipulations, rules, etc. The GM chime sounded again. Austin asked if Cole was pushing the button.

Cole started to talk and the GM chime sounded again. "You pushing that button," Austin asked. Austin threatened Cole. The chime sounded again. Austin went to ringside and Cole ran off. The chime sounded repeatedly, so Austin pushed the podium over. He took the computer and dropped it on the floor.

Austin opened two beers and poured them onto the laptop. He climbed back on his four-wheeler and drove over the computer a couple of times. Austin ran back to the ring for the beer bath. Austin took a mic from Lawler and only half of what he said could be heard. It concluded with him saying it was good to be back and then the "because Stone Cold said so" line...

Powell's POV: Did Austin really have a beer bath to celebrate a glorious victory over a laptop computer? Corny segment, but the live crowd loved everything Austin has done tonight.

Lawler and Booker T talked about having the same dream about Capitol Punishment. They set up the latest commercial with the Smackdown stars asking President Obama questions. Obama was speechless in response in most of his clips... [C]

Powell's POV: And the award for lamest pay-per-view marketing campaign goes to WWE for the Capitol Punishment pay-per-view. The highlight was Christian asking Obama how he would feel if he was elected President and then had to run again five days later. I just pray they don't roll out an Obama or other political figure impersonator on Sunday, but I have a feeling that's way too much to ask for. Raw has lost steam and is limping across the finish line. Hopefully the main event delivers.

[Q12] C.M. Punk made his entrance, and the announcers hyped his match with Mysterio for Sunday. Punk took a seat in the middle of the ring and waited for John Cena, who made his entrance shortly thereafter. There were a lot of boos for Cena. He looked into the camera and it sounded like he asked his uncle, who he referred to as his hero, to save him a cold one in the bar upstairs...

7. C.M. Punk defeated John Cena in 14:00. There were dueling "Let's go Cena" and "C.M. Punk" chants with the latter being slightly louder and filled with much more bass. Punk got the better of Cena and sent him to ringside as the show went to break. [C]

After the break, Cena was back in the ring throwing punches at Punk, who put him in an abdominal stretch. Cena powered out with a hip toss. Punk came back moments later with a dive onto Cena on the floor. Cena came back with an STF at 8:45, but Punk reached the ropes to break the hold. At 10:15, Punk hit a high knee in the corner. He tried to follow up with a bulldog, but Cena pushed him off.

[Overrun] Cena was about to go into his signature offense at 13:00. R-Truth could be heard over the house mic. He approached a a young fan and offered to trade him a sip of water for his Cena hat. Cena turned his attention to Truth and said, "No." Truth acted like he might throw the water at the young fan. Punk hit GTS on Cena and pinned him.

After Punk left the ring, Truth entered and slammed the plastic water bottle off the side of Cena's head (yes, really). Truth hit his finisher on Cena. Although there were plenty of anti-Cena fans during the match, Truth received mostly boos until a "Little Jimmy" chant broke out.

Truth grabbed a mic and stood over Cena while saying, "This Sunday I'm going to beat you for the WWE Championship, and that's the truth." Truth held up the WWE Championship belt and ended up walking up the ramp with the belt to close the show...

An ad aired for the "Power to the People" edition of WWE Raw next Monday...

Powell's POV: It was nice to see Cena lose a match for a change and they put good heat on Truth. They had to make up for poor pay-per-view promotion in the weeks that led up to this show, and they did a decent job tonight. I don't think it will be enough to save this show from being a buy rate bomb, but it left me a lot more interested in the pay-per-view than I was going into Raw.

I'll have a lot more to say in the WWE Raw Hitlist on Tuesday. Join Will Pruett and Jake Barnett tonight for their member exclusive audio review tonight by signing up right now via the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

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