By Jason Powell

Dot Net Members are listening to my 64-minute audio review of TNA Against All Odds that includes comments on the creative situation involving Vince Russo. They will also be listening to my member exclusive audio review of WWE Raw later tonight. Join us on the ad-free version of the website by signing up for membership now via Prowrestling.net/amember/signup.php. You are also encouraged to download our free iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire apps.

WWE Raw on the USA Network
Live from San Diego, Calif.

[Q1] The show opened with a video that recapped the John Cena and Kane saga... A live closeup shot aired of Kane. He was backstage and he cut a promo in which he vowed that John Cena will embrace the hate. "And someone will take a ride in this," Kane said as the camera pulled back to show an ambulance...

Michael Cole introduced the show and hyped the return of Shawn MIchaels... Jerry Lawler stood in the ring and hosted an Elimination Chamber match debate. Podiums were set up and all of the Raw Elimination Chamber wrestlers were included, along with Vickie Guerrero.

A loud "C.M. Punk" chant started. Punk acknowledged the chants by saying he couldn't hear Lawler, who asked what makes him think he can walk out of the chamber with his title. John Laurinaitis interrupted over the house mic. Laurinaits and David Otunga walked onto the stage together.

Laurinaitis thanked the board of directors for showing confidence in him. Lawler went back to Punk, who gave his word that the debate would not end in violence. Punk took some jabs at Laurinaitis and then got around to answering Lawler's question. He said the answer is simple in that he's the best wrestler in the world.

Dolph and Vickie took their turn. She delivered her "excuse me" line and then Ziggler cut a brief promo. He said Truth doesn't even know what state he's in. Truth said that if he's elected, the first thing he's going to do is trade Dolph and Vickie to Smackdown for Hornswoggle and a box of spiders. Dolph called him and idiot and said they're not running or office.

Lawler told Truth to continue. "Thank you, your honor," Truth said. He added that if he's elected, he will require "what" chants after every line in the pledge of allegiance. He told the crowd not to "what" him and then told them to go ahead. He referred to Little Jimmy as his running mate and talked about putting spiders in a blender. He got a decent pop at the end of his speech.

Lawler tried to ask The Miz a question about being in the main event of WrestleMania. Miz corrected him and said he was the main event of WrestleMania. Miz pointed out that Punk is 0-2 in the Elimination Chamber. Miz stumbled over his words and Punk said, "Good job." Miz took shots at Dolph's first score being with an old woman.

Miz tried to talk about Jericho, but a buzzer cut him off. Well, the buzzer was supposed to cut him off, but he kept going until Lawler interrupted him. Kingston said he's been ignored for far too long. He said the beauty is that everything can change in the chamber. He said he may walk in as an afterthought and leave as WWE Champion.

Jericho was up and Lawler gave him 45 seconds. Jericho said he's surrounded by neophytes in the ring and in the arena. He said he's the true best in the world at everything he does. He said there isn't a human being who has been in more Elimination Chamber than he has. He said he's also eliminated more superstars than anyone, and walked out as a World Champion the last time he was in a chamber.

[Q2] Jericho turned his attention to Punk. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy," Jericho said. Punk didn't comply. Jericho said Punk should give the title to him because the master has come back to reclaim what is his. "Oh, god, were you talking to me," Punk said. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening to a thing you said." Punk took a jab at Jericho for finishing seventh on Dancing With the Stars.

Ziggler complained. Truth said he won't be talked down to by a guy who was named after a stripper. Lawler tried to hype the advertised matches. Jericho took his awesome jacket off and pushed over a podium while glaring at Punk, who responded by holding his title belt over his head. Kingston hit Jericho with Trouble in Paradise and his music played to end the segment...

Cole hyped Kingston vs. Jericho... [C]

Powell's POV: Okay, so that wasn't my favorite opening segment either (based on instant Twitter feedback), but there is something to be said for giving viewers a minor spectacle. If you flipped on the show and saw that setup, you would probably stick around for a bit. Truth was comical at times, Jericho was very good, and I really liked Kofi's comments.

1. Chris Jericho beat Kofi Kingston in 5:20. There's a big "Fire Cole, We Want Tony Schiavone" sign. Jericho was still selling Kofi's kick when the bell rang to start the match. Loud "Y2J" chants started at 2:30. At 4:00, Jericho applied the Walls of Jericho. Kofi reached the ropes, but Jericho thought he won.

Jericho bickered with the referee and then walked into another Trouble in Paradise kick. Kofi went for a cover, but Jericho put his foot on the bottom rope. They jockeyed for position and Jericho stuck his thumb in Kingston's eye. Jericho followed up with the Codebreaker and pinned him...

A shot aired of Shawn MIchaels standing backstage. Triple H approached him. They shared a smile and a hug... Cole hyped Orton vs. Big Show for after the break...

Powell's POV: A good, competitive match between Kingston and Jericho. Kingston looked good in defeat and it's nice to see him back in the singles division. Here's hoping creative comes up with a plan that doesn't involve him winning a secondary title for what would feel like the millionth time. He has the potential to be more than that.

[Q3] [C] Highlights aired of Kane roughing up Zack Ryder at the Royal Rumble... Backstage, Ryder was in a back brace and had a dozen roses with him that he was waiting to give to Eve. John Cena told him that something bad happens every time he shows up. He said he'd go get Eve and they could have a quiet meeting...

Backstage, David Otunga said the board of directors didn't appoint him the permanent general manager. Otunga said he had an idea that would make Laurinaitis the permanent general manager of Raw and Smackdown...

At ringside, Cole showed off his own action figure and then set up footage of the main event from Friday's Smackdown television show and the angle with Orton and Show...

Daniel Bryan made his entrance and was over the top in playing to the crowd at ringside. Lawler hyped Orton vs. Show for after the break... [C]

WWE has over 50 million followers on their Facebook network, which is more than ESPN, Pepsi, BMW, etc...

Powell's POV: Shockingly, they did not claim that they have more followers than Prowrestling.net. I really wish they would do that one of these weeks. No, I'm not holding my breath.

Ring introductions for Show vs. Orton took place...

[Q4] 2. Randy Orton vs. Big Show. Bryan was on commentary. After some back and forth, Show hit a side slam for a near fall and the show cut to break at 1:10. [C] After the break, Orton had Show locked in a sleeper. Cole put over Bryan's radiant smile. Yes, really.

Later, Show and Orton were at ringside when Show threw Orton back inside the ring and then turned his attention to Bryan. Show headed back to the ring where he was dropkicked by Orton, who followed up with his usual DDT off the ropes, only this time he did it with Show on the top rope. Cool spot.

Orton struck the Viper's Pose and went for the RKO, but Show fell down and Orton didn't go down with him. A vocal "You f---ed up" chant started. Show went for the chokeslam, and Orton avoided it and hit the RKO. Bryan ran in and hit Orton with the title belt. Cole said this was a weaselly way out for Bryan, and Lawler pointed out that he was badmouthing him now that he was in the ring. Bryan also struck Show with the title belt...

The announcers hyped that Shawn Michaels would appear after the break... [C]

Powell's POV: I didn't care for the way that such a big match was just thrown out there in the middle of Raw. That's a big Smackdown main event. Hell, it was the big main event last week and it just didn't feel important until the wrestlers got the fans into it. That said, I like the opportunistic Bryan character and WWE should sell some pay-per-views by pointing out that he'll finally get his inside the Elimination Chamber. As for the botched spot, Orton looked frustrated, but he kept his cool. I wonder if he would have kept his cool if he hadn't been in there with another veteran.

Lawler hyped the shitty Nickelback song that they are using for the pay-per-view...

Justin Roberts introduced Shawn Michaels, who made his entrance to a good ovation.

[Q5] Once Michaels entered the ring, a great "HBK" chant started. Shawn said that when you don't do this for a while, you get a little nervous. "I'm nervous," Michaels confessed. He said a fan on Twitter asked him why he always appears around this time of the year. "It's WrestleMania, and you cannot have WrestleMania, WrestleMania season without Mr. WrestleMania."

Michaels started running through his nicknames, but stopped short of calling himself "The Main Event." He said he's replaced that with the name of Mr. Hall of Fame. He said he sat home last week and waited for Triple H to accept the challenge of Undertaker. He said it was time for Triple H to come on down and tell the fans what they want to hear.

Triple H's music played and he also got the big star pop, as Michaels stood in the ring playing air guitar. Hunter came out with a serious look on his face and headed to the ring wearing a suit. Once in the ring, Hunter shared another hug with Michaels. He said the fans made it clear and he agrees that it's great to see Shawn.

Hunter said it would be nice if they saw HBK more than just once a year at WrestleMania time. He said he'd like to see Shawn more. "We'll see if we can work on that," Michaels said before shifting the focus back to Undertaker. Triple H said he wishes Shawn would have called if that's the only reason he came because he's not going to face Undertaker.

HBK said he knows Hunter has to do the thing with the suit. He said it's cool and he's always been there for him. Hunter said it's not about the suit. He said Undertaker won the battle, but he won the war. He said he has to end Taker in order to beat him and he's not that guy. "You're not that guy?" Shawn asked. "That's exactly what you do."

Shawn said that's what makes him The Game. He pointed to the suit and asked if that's who he is now. He said that when Hunter got married, people said a lot of things about him but he stayed by his side. "You married that chick and now you're one of them?" Michaels questioned. He questioned whether Hunter was a sellout.

Triple H said he's not a sellout. He said Shawn isn't in his shoes and doesn't understand. Michaels said he's a simple guy and he can't possibly understand how his business life is. "But I do understand that when a man challenges you and you back down that makes you a coward."

Triple H tried to leave the ring, but Shawn grabbed him and said, "Get back here, I'm not finished." He said it doesn't care how nice you dress it up or wrap it up, at the end of the day a coward is still a coward. Triple H and Michaels shared an intense look. A "one more match" chant broke out amongst some fans. Hunter was about to leave the ring.

"Walk away, because that's what a coward does," Michaels said. Hunter came back and said HBK sits at home with his wife and kids on his ranch, whereas he has responsibilities. "All of this is going to be mine," he said. He said the responsibility weighs on his shoulders even now.

Triple H said he used to look at Undertaker at just another guy he had to go through. He said he now looks at Undertaker as a brand. He said he can't let that brand end because it's bad for business. Hunter spoke about the end of an era of a different breed. He said it was a smash mouth style that doesn't exist. He said he, Shawn, and Taker would make the ultimate sacrifice and leave it all in the ring if they had to.

Hunter said Undertaker is all that is left from that era. He said he won't be the one to end it. Hunter said he's not going to do it for Shawn so that he can live vicariously through him to get done the things he couldn't get done.

[Q6] "That's an awesome speech, Michaels said. "And I am quite sure that works on a lot of people. And I like the always consistent little jab at me." Shawn said he's at peace. He told Hunter to look him in the eye and tell him that he doesn't want to end The Streak. "I want you to look me in the eye and tell me no."

Hunter glared at Shawn, adjusted his tie and started to walk away. Shawn pulled him back and yelled, "Look me in the eye." Hunter took his jacket off and started into Shawn's eyes intensely. "No," Hunter said before dropping the mic. Shawn looked surprised and took a step back. Shawn sized up Hunter and left the ring. Another HBK chant started. Hunter turned and watched Shawn walk away. Shawn stopped, looked back at Hunter, shook his head, and left.

Undertaker's gong sounded and the lights went out, leading to the biggest pop of the night. An Undertaker video played with footage of Hunter saying he feels bad for Taker and won't face him. Taker's voice said it's not over. He took out a switchblade and started cutting his hair off. "Give me what is mine, immortality," Taker said. Back in the ring, Triple H removed his tie and looked uncomfortable...

Powell's POV: Goddamn, I enjoyed that segment. There were a number of ways that Shawn's involvement could have went and that one surprised me. For that matter, so did Triple H's explanation. Undertaker's video was perfect. It would have been a cool touch to have him pull the hair out while obsessing over Hunter, but it was still a cool way to explain Taker's hair being shorter. No more wigs.

A shot aired of NFL great Troy Polamalu and his kids in the crowd... Cole hyped Punk vs. The Miz for later in the show, and Lawler hyped that Kane had promised to send someone away in an ambulance...

3. R-Truth defeated Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero) in 2:25. Truth jumped out with some of his signature offense, but Dolph dodged a shoulder block in the corner and took control. He strutted and mocked the crowd to play up the showoff theme. Ziggler continued with the cockiness, only to have Truth take advantage by pinning him out of nowhere...

Powell's POV: It's hard to care about that one. Both guys need wins and aren't being taken seriously heading into the match. Truth is more comedic than edgy these days, and Ziggler's showoff routine doesn't feel main event. I hope it's leading to him abandoning the showoff gimmick in favor of being a more serious heel who goes on a winning streak as a result.

Backstage, Santino Marella gave Zack Ryder a prototype of his new breath mint. Ryder said it was disgusting. "Garlic, a/k/a love potion number nine" Santino said...

Powell's POV: Zero laughs from the crowd over that skit. Awful.

[Q7] Highlights aired of Tamina getting a recent win... Cole and Lawler were joined by Beth Phoenix on commentary. They announced that Beth Phoenix will defend the Divas Championship against Tamina Snuka at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view...

4. Tamina defeated Brie Bella (w/Nikki Bella) in 1:25. Tamina won with the Superfly. She stood in the ring and had a staredown with Beth, who remained at the announcers' table...

John Cena was shown talking with Josh Mathews. Cole hyped a special look at The Rock followed by Cena's reaction after the break... [C]

Cena's POV: Less is more when it comes to hair product, Josh.

The announcers set up The Rock's video by saying he was everywhere promoting his new movie and WrestleMania 28... The video featured footage of Rock appearing on various talk shows and showed clips from his "Journey 2" movie...

Powell's POV: Rock came across like the A-lister that he is in that piece. I didn't feel like I was supposed to go out and vote for him that time. It didn't focus much on wrestling, but hopefully that will kick in after Elimination Chamber.

Backstage, Josh Mathews asked Cena for his take on the Rock video. He smiled and looked like he wasn't overly impressed. Before he could say anything, he heard a scream. The camera cut to Kane shutting an ambulance door with Eve inside. Cena showed up and roughed up Kane. He told Eve to unlock the door. Kane recovered and got the better of Cena.

Kane got in the driver's seat. Before he could leave, Eve jumped into his arms. Suddenly, Eve and Cena started making out. "Whoa, what was that for?" Cena asked. They looked over and saw Ryder sitting in a wheelchair with roses on his lap looking like a complete tool. Cena and Eve looked ashamed...

Powell's POV: Wow, I didn't see that one coming. Eve has to be a heel, right? Kane never touches her and now she's throwing herself at Cena right in front of Ryder. For those not watching, yes, Cena did kiss back.

[Q8] [C] Backstage, Eve caught up to a slow rolling Ryder and asked her to let him explain. She said she got caught up in the heat of the moment. "I want you to know, I really do care about you, Zack. I never thought we were going to be together. I just really want us to be friends"...

Powell's POV: The only thing missing was the "it's not me, it's you," line. We've all been on the wrong end of that line at one time or another. And if you haven't been, you're probably a female or you married your high school sweetheart. Either way, screw you! I just hope this leads to Ryder becoming a a heel or a more serious character. He looks like a human NASCAR. It's been a lot of fun and all, but it has a short shelf life so I'm happy that he appears to be on the verge of shaking things up.

5. C.M. Punk defeated The Miz in a non-title match in 4:45. The crowd was up for Punk's entrance, but quiet as the match got started. Miz was on the offensive early and cut off some of Punk's attempts to take control. In the end, Punk caught Miz in the Anaconda Vice and got the submission win. Cole pointed out that submissions can lead to eliminations in the chamber. A shot aired of a smiling Jericho watching the match on a backstage monitor...

A shot aired of the ambulance backing into the backstage area. "Oh, no," Lawler said... [C]

Powell's POV: The Miz character needs to evolve way more than Ryder's does at this point. Ryder still has life in the current version of his character even though I don't see it having a long shelf life in its current form, whereas Miz's act hasn't changed this year. The live crowd didn't seem to take his offense seriously, as it appeared they were just waiting for Punk to come back and win the match.

An ad for Friday's Smackdown hyped Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan in a rematch heading into the Elimination Chamber...

John Cena's music played and he received a good mix of boos and cheers. No witty comment into the camera this week. Rather, he took a deep breath, saluted, and ran to the ring. Cole hyped the ambulance match. A "Cena sucks" chant started.

[Overrun] Cena said it was an awkward moment by the ambulance backstage. He said he tried to apologize to Ryder, but he wouldn't listen. "Zack, for what it's worth, I'm sorry," Cena said. "So this is it? This was Kane's plan all along. Turn my friends against me. Turn the WWE Universe against me. And leave me alone with no other choice but to embrace this hate."

Cena said it would be a solid plan if he were anybody else. Cena said people think he has a breaking point where he will snap if he's pushed enough. Cena stopped and held the mic up while a loud "We all hate you" chant started. "Guys, it's been like six years," Cena said. "People like that can't understand that I'm comfortable in my own skin."

Cena said people like that don't understand that he rises above hate. He said those people and Kane can continue to think that he needs to hate and think he's a cream puff who can't fight his way out of a paper bag. A loud "Fruity Pebbles" chant started. Cena smirked and nodded. "It's funny, right," he said. "I will just continue to do what I do. I will adapt, I will overcome, and I will win."

"You have my word this Sunday at the Elimination Chamber, Kane leaves the arena in an ambulance," continued Cena. "And as for my good friend Dwayne, well, I have a message for him about WrestleMania." Before Cena could talk, Zack Ryder wheeled himself onto the stage. Ryder stood up and used crutches to walk to the ring.

Once Ryder got to ringside, he set the crutches down and slowly walked over to Cena, who tried to talk to him minus the mic. Ryder shoved the mic away. Cena tried talking to him, but Ryder slapped him across the face. Cena removed his dog tags and kissed them and then took his shirt off.

"You were never my friend, John," Ryder yelled. Ryder tried to slap Cena again, but this time Cena blocked it. Cena wound up for a punch, but Ryder fell down (may have been shoved by Cena). Cena immediately felt guilty. Ryder told him to stay away. Ryder used his crutches and headed up the aisle.

Kane appeared on the big screen and said Cena was in denial. He said Cena stole the one true love of Ryder. He said Cena sunk to depths that he could only dream of. "You truly have finally embraced the hate," Kane said. "Unfortunately for you, I feed off hate." Kane said Sunday will be the last time anyone sees Cena compete in a WWE ring until WrestleMania. He said Cena's body and soul will leave WWE in an ambulance.

Kane called for a round of applause for Cena. The crowd booed. Ryder was shown sitting on the stage. Kane wheeled Ryder off the side of the stage and he did a crash landing on the ground. Cena ran to ringside and told the trainer to go. Cena and the trainer ran to Ryder. Cena called for help. EMT's came out. Eve came out and cried again to some boos.

Powell's POV: It's nice that Kane is conscious of the WrestleMania main event. He wants to hurt Cena, but only enough to put him out until WrestleMania apparently. WTF? Anyways, Cena had plenty of supporters when he came out, but the vocal male crowd definitely won out this week.

The soap opera drama was especially sappy this week and Cena has to look bad to the kids since he returned Eve's advances. Ryder is well on his way to becoming Tucker from "There's Something About Mary." I didn't think I could take another Ryder stretcher job, but that was a cool crash landing. I'll have more to say about the show in audio later tonight. Thanks for watching along with me.

RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE: