WWE Raw on the USA Network
Live from Charlotte, N.C.

[Q1] The show opened with a shot of Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler seated at the announcers' table. Cole said it was exclusively announced on the WWE website that Vince McMahon was going to appear on the show to name the new Raw general manager in the wake of Vickie Guerrero quitting last week...

A video package recapped Legacy's attack on Batista, and Triple H destroying Randy Orton... The opening montage aired...

Powell's POV: I posted a blog regarding tonight's show about five minutes ago. It was on the members' site earlier, but it didn't get posted on the ad-based site until a few minutes ago. Reason No. 643,021 why I hate Rich Twilling! Just kidding. He was a big help today while I was in and out of the office dealing with non-work fun. And by "fun," I mean it's been a shitty day. Oh well, I'm home now and ready to have some real fun.

Cole and Lawler hyped the four-way match for the WWE Title. Josh Matthews and Matt "Beer Can" Striker checked in and hyped the ECW Title match. Todd Grisham and Jim Ross hyped the three-way match for the World Hvt. Championship...

Powell's POV: Just a reminder that we have a double dose of "Live Coverage" going on right now, as Dot Net contributor Chris Shore is also covering the show live.

Chris Jericho made his ring entrance for the opening match and ragged on how bad Raw has become since he left. He pointed out that the general manager quit, the WWE Title is vacant, and the fans stick suck. He said someday the fans might realize how important he is. Jericho turned his attention to Rey Mysterio and said he'd be his savior by setting him free of the mask...

1. Chris Jericho beat Rey Mysterio to retain the Intercontinental Title in 9:35. Grisham and J.R. on commentary. Rey came out wearing one of the masks with the straps on the back. Mysterio attacked Jericho right after the bell rang. He hit an early legdrop off the ropes and went for a cover, but Jericho had his foot on the ropes.

A graphic counted down that the WWE Title match was roughly 32 minutes away from taking place. Jericho went for his jump off the ropes onto Rey on the apron, but was greeted with a boot to the face. Rey tried to follow up with a huracanrana off the apron, but Jericho caught him and dumped him onto the ring apron. [C]

Powell's POV: If Rey is worried about keeping his mask, shouldn't he wear one that isn't so easy to remove? Anyway, good action to start the match. I'm guessing they have something else planned for the person who wins the WWE Title tonight. Why else would they have that match on so early? Don't get me wrong, I'd rather see the World Hvt. Championship three-way match headline the show, but I'll be surprised if they let that happen on Raw.

[Q2] After the break, Jericho had Rey's mask twisted on his face. Rey ducked out of the ring to straighten it out. Once back inside the ring, Rey ended up on his back. Jericho went for the mask again, but Rey kicked him in the head to get him away. Rey hit a great springboard moonsault onto a running Jericho for a great near fall at 9:05.

Rey came right back with a 619. He tried to follow up with the West Coast Pop, but Jericho caught him. Jericho twisted Rey's mask so that he couldn't see and then hit him with the Codebreaker for the 1-2-3...

A shot aired of Vince McMahon sitting in a chair while an aid helped fix his tie and jacket... [C]

Powell's POV: Very good match to open the show. Part of me wishes they would showcase the Smackdown show during the standard two hours so that people who only watch Raw could learn how great the Friday night show is. People who forgot about the early start should be kicking themselves for missing that match. They've had longer and better matches, but it's still a treat to watch those two in action.

Did You Know that almost two million females watched Raw last week?...

Powell's POV: Did you know that half of the two million females who watched Raw last week bitched about it throughout the show and pleaded with the men in their lives to turn the channel?

Backstage, Josh Matthews interviewed Randy Orton, who spoke about Triple H. John Cena interrupted and told Josh to take a hike. Cena turned toward the camera and cut a mocking promo about how the WWE Universe always talks about Randy Orton. He referred to Orton as "the grand wizard of the baby oil boy's club." Funny line.

Cena turned toward Orton and reminded him that it's not just him and Hunter in the match. He said if that Orton thinks he and Show are going to take the night off, then maybe the oil he puts on his skin is starting to rot his brain...

Powell's POV: I didn't care for the way Cena looked into the camera because it made Orton look silly for standing there and not punching the side of his head. I loved the line about the baby oil, though. I recently pointed out that Orton has been going overboard with it.

At ringside, Cole and Lawler spoke about the Vickie Guerrero situation and introduced footage of her quitting last week. They introduced Vince, who was standing backstage, and asked him who the new general manager is. Vince said he wouldn't announce who the general manager is. He said he was going to let someone else make the announcement. He said when opportunity knocks, you have to walk through the door and seize the moment. he said that when someone makes an offer you can't refuse, you have to take it. A "We want Flair" chant started.

[Q3] Vince said his announcement is that he's selling Monday Night Raw. He said he would explain who he is selling the show to after the WWE Title match. Vince said if someone had told him previously that the buyer would be the new owner of Raw he would have said there's no chance in hell... [C]

Powell's POV: Well, that was unexpected. I'm not sure what to make of it yet to be honest. I'm going to let this one play out. Obviously, everyone expects Flair to be the new general manager, but is he the owner? Wait, didn't he already do that once? Hmm. Interesting idea. At least they're trying something new. Well, maybe they're trying something new. Given the state of Raw, I would hope the new buyer got a big discount!

After the break, the announcers recapped the Vince announcement. Lawler said he was shocked and noted that Vince owned Raw for 17 years...

2. Tommy Dreamer beat Christian to retain the ECW Title in 3:25. Josh and Striker on commentary. Striker joked that Barack Obama may be the buyer since he "owns everything else." Sigh. Nice reaction for Christian, not so much for Dreamer. Late in the match, Christian jumped off the ropes and missed Dreamer. Christian came up holding his ankle. He went for the Killswitch, but Dreamer fought out of it and flipped Christian over. Christian came up holding his ankle again. Dreamer rolled him up for the clean pin. Christian came up holding his ankle again...

Powell's POV: Wow, the live crowd didn't give a damn about that match. Normally I would bitch about the lack of time they were given, but I don't think it would have mattered. WWE can chalk it up to them not being over. However, the bigger issue is that they don't do enough to make ECW feel like an important show.

The ECW announcers hyped the World Hvt. Title match for later in the show... [C]

[Q4] Backstage, Kelly Kelly and the Bella Twins speculated about who bought Raw. It actually started with one of the Bellas saying, "Oh my gosh, so I wonder who bought Raw." So genuine. They mentioned Oprah, Paris Hilton, or the president as candidates and said they hope they still have jobs...

Powell's POV: Guess what, ladies, I bought the show and I have a very special job for you all.

A video recapped Legacy's attack on Batista... Still shot photos aired of Batista's surgery. They used the somber voices and said he would be out of action for several months...

The wrestlers in the four-way WWE Title match made their entrances. Hunter came out last. Lillian Garcia handled the in-ring introductions...

3. Randy Orton defeated Triple H, Big Show, and John Cena in a four-way to win the vacant WWE Title in 11:15. Cole explained that the first man to score a pinfall or submission was the winner. Show and Hunter cleared Cena and Orton from the ring. The show cut to a commercial roughly 40 seconds into the match. [C]

Powell's POV: Good placement of the match in the sense that viewers who tune in at the usual start time will be hooked on the mystery of which wrestler will be the new WWE Champion.

After the break, the announcers were recapping the show even though it wasn't quite the top of the hour. Cena and Hunter worked together briefly to clear show from the ring. They stared at one another and waited for the crowd to cheer, but they didn't get much love for the next WrestleMania main event.

[Q5] Cena got the better of Hunter briefly and received as many boos as cheers. Cena went for the Attitude Adjustment, but Show recovered and broke it up. At 9:45, Show speared Hunter. He went for the Vader bomb and missed like he always does. Orton went for the RKO on Show, who just tossed him aside. Hunter hit the Pedigree on Show. Cena grabbed Hunter and hit the Attitude Adjustment. Cena covered Show, but was thrown off at two.

Cena picked up Show and hit the Attitude Adjustment. The announcers freaked out even though he hits the move a couple times a month. A short time later, Orton hit the RKO on Big Show and pinned him clean. Orton grabbed the belt and headed to the top of the stage to celebrate as the announced noted that he is now a five-time champion. Hunter and Cena sat dejected at ringside...

Powell's POV: So what was the point of taking the WWE Title off Orton at Extreme Rules?

A shot aired of Vince McMahon walking backstage. The announcers said he was on his way to the ring to make the formal announcement regarding the Raw sale...

Powell's POV: The most plausible email suggestion I've read would be JBL. Lots of love for Ted DiBiase Sr., Paul Heyman, and Eric Bischoff from the readers. By the way, the Dot Net Members are over 50 pages of Raw discussion in the members' forum already tonight. If you're not a member, you can join them for only $5 per month (cheaper than buying Raw!) by visiting the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

An ad aired from Evan Bourne vs. Mark Henry for tomorrow night's ECW on Sci-Fi show... The announcers recapped Randy Orton regaining the WWE Title...

Vince McMahon came to the ring and said he was there with a heavy heart. He said he feels he made the right decision to sell Monday Night Raw. He said he has a history with the man he sold the show to. He said he's been compensated in "overwhelming fashion." He said that's really saying something for a man of his standards.

Vince introduced new owner Donald J. Trump via satellite. The live crowd groaned. Trump said Vince finally put his ego aside and made a smart business decision. Trump said Vince never showed appreciation for the fans. Vince tried to speak a couple times, but Trump just kept talking. He said he was going to do something for the fans that's never been done before.

[Q6] Vince said something about how it's time for the WWE Universe to do something for him. Trump cut him off and announced that he's going to deliver Raw commercial free next week on the USA Network. Vince questioned whether Trump was serious. Trump repeated himself and said there would not be any commercials next week. Vince said he thinks Trump has lost his marbles. Trump said he would be at Raw next week to make sure things are run the right way.

Trump told Vince that he better not get in his way next week. He started to talk about how much fun he had shaving Trump's head. "Cut it off," Vince said several times until Trump's image disappeared from the big screen.

Vince said he was too emotional to provide his farewell address, so he hopes Trump will let him do that next week. Vince announced that there would be a 10-man battle royal later in the show to determine who will challenge Randy Orton at The Bash... [C]

Powell's POV: Wow, did that ever fall flat. Vince's ego got in the way. Trump was delivering his lines nicely, but Vince kept trying to interrupt him. Maybe Trump strayed from the script. Either way, the live crowd didn't give a damn about the announcement. Very lame announcement regarding the new owner, but the commercial-free Raw is an interesting gimmick.

The announcers introduced a recap video of the Trump footage...

Powell's POV: It still sucked.

At ringside, the announcers spoke about the Trump acquisition. Cole referred to Monday Night Raw as "the crown jewel of entertainment"...

Powell's POV: The crown jewel of entertainment? Really? Man, that announcement just killed whatever momentum the show had. WWE should stop worrying about the mainstream media attention they covet and start worrying about pleasing their core audience.

4. Mickie James beat Rosa Mendes in 2:50. Rosa has her own generic entrance music. Beth Phoenix walked onto the stage with Rosa and then headed backstage. Maryse walked to ringside before the match. Mickie won with a DDT.

[Q7] After the match, Mickie immediately glared at Maryse, who climbed onto the ring apron. Mickie kicked at Maryse, who dropped off the apron and walked backstage... [C]

Powell's POV: Maybe Vince finally figured out how lousy Raw has been lately and decided it was time to let someone else take the blame.

After the break, Goldust and Hornswoggle were shooting t-shirts into the crowd with the t-shirt gun...

Powell's POV: And here I thought they'd save the t-shirt gun for next week's commercial-free Raw. Silly me.

The Miz came to the ring wearing his anti-Cena t-shirt with a sleeve that read, "Miz 7, Cena 0." Goldust and Hornswoggle backed into the corner as Miz took the mic. He said he had a message for Trump. He said that if he really wanted to something new, then the face of Monday Night Raw is The Miz. He pointed at his face and said it's the money maker of the present and future.

Miz vowed to throw Cena over the top rope and win the battle royal to earn a shot at the WWE Title at The Bash pay-per-view. He said he wouldn't stop with the WWE Title. "I want it all," Miz said. "I want to be on the cover of the magazines." He said he wants to be on t-shirts and in movies. Suddenly, he noticed Goldust and Hornswoggle and asked why they were still in the ring. "Get out!" he yelled.

Goldust took the mic and said he's been watching Miz try to play mind games with Cena. He asked where Miz's imagination and creativity. He said he gave Ahmed Johnson mouth-to-mouth to get his attention. He mocked Miz's promos. Goldust said Miz should change his name to "The Whiz." He said that when Miz starts talking, that's what everyone in the crown heads up to take. Hornswoggle laughed and Cole laughed harder.

Miz said Goldust isn't someone to be giving him advice on the business. He said this is his fourth or fifth run with the company. He said Goldust was fun, but now he's just a joke who shoots t-shirts. Miz said he's going to show Trump that he's not afraid to take risks. Miz hit Goldust with the mic and then DDT'd him. Miz grabbed Hornswoggle and threw him on the mat.

Miz picked up the t-shirt gun and ordered Horny to get on his knees. He eventually shot Hornswoggle with the t-shirt gun, which drew loud boos from the live crowd. Miz's music played as he posed for the crowd. A slow motion replay showed that the t-shirt caught Horny in the junk or just above it...

The announcers hyped the Triple Threat match with C.M. Punk, Edge, and Jeff Hardy... An ad for WWE Superstars hyped Christian, Carlito, and Primo vs. Jack Swagger, Tyson Kidd, and David Hart Smith... [C]

Powell's POV: I'm all for anything that results in Hornswoggle being shot. Um, with a t-shirt gun, of course.

[Q8] Backstage, Josh asked Punk about taking advantage of Jeff Hardy to capture the World Hvt. Championship. Punk said he did the same thing roughly a year ago when he beat Edge. He said that if it had been Edge again, he'd be considered the conquering hero. He said he believes the majority of the WWE Universe sides with him, but he said there is a "very vocal minority."

Matt Hardy entered the picture and buddied up to Punk. Matt said Punk shouldn't feel bad about what he did because he would have done the same thing. Punk said that wouldn't be possible because Matt has never won the Money in the Bank briefcase. Punk said Matt thrives on jealousy and hate, whereas Punk feels he's earned everything he's done...

Powell's POV: Punk sounds like a tweener to me. The live crowd didn't seem to know how to react because they didn't cheer or boo at the end of Punk's promo on Matt.

Grisham and Ross introduced footage of Edge dumping Vickie last week... Ring introductions for the World Hvt. Title match took place. Grisham pointed out that they were in Hardy's home state... [C]

Powell's POV: Grisham probably spent the commercial break getting screamed at by Vince because he couldn't remember the triple threat match and instead said there would be a "three-man match" coming up.

An ad for ECW actually questioned whether Tommy Dreamer's first ECW Title match on Raw was his last...

5. C.M. Punk defeated Jeff Hardy and Edge in a Triple Threat to retain the World Hvt. Championship in 15:45. Grisham said Punk has a tattoo that says, "Luck is for losers." Wait, isn't he a Cubs fan? Justin Roberts handled the in-ring introductions. More boos than cheers for Punk, but not a loud reaction. Hardy wore full makeup and went for a quick cover that Edge broke up.

[Q9] Punk paid tribute to Mitsuharu Misawa by displaying his name on his wrist tape. Very nice. Edge had Hardy on his shoulders. Punk jumped off the top rope toward Hardy, who rolled up Edge for a near fall before Punk could hit him. [C] Later, Hardy was setting up for a Swanton on Punk, but Edge recovered at ringside and threw him off the ropes. Edge entered the ring and went for a spear, but Punk turned it into a powerslam for a good near fall.

Punk and Hardy took turns going for their finishers. Edge recovered and tried to spear Punk, who leapt over Edge, who then speared Hardy. Cool spot. Moments later, Punk went for a high knee on Edge in the corner. Edge moved and shoved Punk over the top rope. Punk hit his knee hard on the ring steps. Great bump. The trainers immediately tended to Punk while Edge and Hardy kept fighting in the ring.

Ross noted that there would be a new champion if Punk was unable to compete. Hardy had Edge pinned, but Punk climbed inside the ring and broke it up. Hardy went right after his bad knee. Punk was back at ringside getting his knee looked at. Hardy hit the Swanton on Edge and went for a cover. Punk reached in and pulled him to ringside, then slammed Jeff into the ring steps. Punk slid in the ring and covered Edge for the 1-2-3.

[Q10] After the match, Smackdown general manager Teddy Long walked out and announced that Punk's next title match will be at The Bash in a one-on-one match with Jeff Hardy...

Powell's POV: Very nice match that helped the show recapture my interest in the show. That wasn't easy following the lame ass Trump announcement. As for The Bash announcement, Punk could go full fledged heel on Hardy or Jeff can shake his hand in a sign of respect and try to keep him babyface after that match. It should be fun, but I'm definitely hoping Punk goes full fledged heel.

The announcers recapped the four-way title match and hyped the battle royal. The participants are MVP, William Regal, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, The Miz, Kofi Kingston, Triple H, John Cena, Matt Hardy, and Big Show... [C]

Powell's POV: I know I can't be the only person who would have been thrilled if they had announced that Hunter, Cena, and Show were out of the battle royal because they lost the Triple Threat match.

After the break, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase were seated at ringside with the announcers...

6. Primo and Carlito defeated The Hart Dynasty (w/Natalya) by DQ in 2:25. Cole hyped Primo and Carlito vs. Rhodes and DiBiase at The Bash. Primo went for a huracanrana on Smith early, but ended up landing on the back of his head. He popped right up, but it was an awkward spot. Carlito hit the Backstabber on Smith and had him pinned, but Rhodes and DiBiase ran in for the DQ.

Powell's POV: Let me get this straight, the first exposure of The Hart Dynasty to the Raw viewing audience was them nearly losing to Primo and Carlito in 2:25 in an unadvertised match? Lame.

[Q11] [C] After the break, yet another recap aired of the Donald Trump announcement. The announcers hyped the commercial-free Raw for next week...

Backstage, Santino Marella sat on a couch with Vince McMahon. He expressed his concern that Donald Trump wouldn't like Santina. Vince joked that Trump might be attracted to her. Vince's cell phone rang ("No Chance in Hell" ring tone) and he told Trump that he was sitting next to Santino.

Trump wants to make an announcement after the battle royal. After Vince hung up the phone he said, "If there's one thing I can't stand it's a billionaire with a massive ego." Santino said something that offended Vince. Santino raced out of the room in fear of Vince...

Powell's POV: That skit bombed with the live crowd. Why would Santino or anyone else care what Vince thinks now that he sold the show the brand they work for?

Lillian Garcia introduced most of the battle royal participants. They saved the Cena and Hunter entrances for after the break... [C]

[Q12] Hunter and Cena made their entrances for the battle royal...

7. Triple H won a battle royal to earn a WWE Title match at The Bash in 16:40. The participants are MVP, William Regal, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, The Miz, Kofi Kingston, Triple H, John Cena, Matt Hardy, and Big Show. Randy Orton walked out a few seconds into the match to watch from the ramp. Show beat the hell out of everybody in their desperate attempt to get him his heat back after burrying him so many times over the last few weeks.

Hardy ducked to ringside. Show reached over and pulled him back inside the ring just to throw him over. MVP caught Show with a drive by kick, but Show dumped him over the top rope. The remaining wrestlers ganged up on Show and dumped him over the top rope. [C]

Powell's POV: So much for my battle royal favorite MVP. Yeah, silly me hoping for new blood in the title picture.

After the break, The Miz was missing. Unless I missed his elimination, he's hiding out and waiting to eliminate Cena, which would be a nice touch. The last time I saw him was when Big Show chokeslammed him moments before Show was eliminated. The wrestlers fought for the next few minutes without any eliminations.

[Overrun] Cody and Ted eliminated Kofi and Regal back-to-back. Randy slowly walked toward ringside and nodded at his minions as they faced off with Cena and Hunter. Cena eliminated DiBiase. Hunter eliminated Rhodes. Hunter and Cena faced off momentarily. Suddenly, Cody and Ted were back in the ring attacking Hunter until the referee ran them off.

Suddenly, The Miz popped his head over the ring apron and slowly entered the ring while Cena and Hunter recovered. Miz charged at Hunter and Cena, only to have the two of them pull the top rope down so Miz eliminated himself. Hunter quickly dumped Cena over the top rope to win the match...

After the match, Donald Trump appeared on the big screen and announced that they weren't waiting until The Bash to have the WWE Title match. Rather, it will be Orton vs. Hunter in a last man standing match for the WWE Title next week on the commercial-free Raw. Hunter celebrated while Orton looked dejected on the stage...

Powell's POV: Wow, Donald Trump is a shitty wrestling promoter. He doesn't want to make money on next week's Raw, and he's giving away a pay-per-view match on free television. Believe me when I say I'll have a lot more to say about this show in Dot Net Member Exclusive Audio later tonight. You can gain access to all Dot Net Audio and the many perks of membership for only $5 per month by visiting the Dot Net Members' Signup Page. Thanks for watching along with me tonight.

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