WWE Raw on the USA Network
Live from Green Bay, Wisc.

[Q1] The show opened with a video recap of the Donald Trump announcement... The opening montage aired... Lillian Garcia introduced Trump, who walked onto the stage and welcomed viewers to Raw. He said it's not his show, it belongs to the fans. He boasted about the show being commercial-free. He said Vince McMahon would never give the fans that. He said Vince is a taker, whereas he's a giver.

Trump reminded viewers that he would be giving them a full refund of "whatever the hell they paid." He said he would be giving back a total of $245,000 in ticket money. "It's your show, folks," Trump said to wrap up his segment. Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler raved about Trump giving them their money back...

Powell's POV: No commercials means I might fall behind tonight, so hang in there with me. The Trump segment came across well. The live crowd loved the part about getting their money back. I wonder how many fans will be hanging out afterward hoping to find lost ticket stubs amongst the debris?

John Cena's music played. He came to the ring and hyped the Triple H vs. Randy Orton match. He also reminded fans that they would get their money back if they kept their ticket stubs. He introduced a video of The Miz's anti-Cena statements. Cena called out The Miz.

Miz walked onto the stage and called Cena a coward. Cena pointed out that Miz was saying that from the stage. Miz walked to the ring and joined Cena inside as the fans chanted "You suck" at Miz. He got right in Cena's face and said, "You're a coward." Cena he was going to give Miz exactly what he wants.

[Q2] Cena said it was good news and bad news for Miz. He said the good news was that for the first time ever, Miz would main event a pay-per-view when he meets Cena at The Bash. He said the bad news was also that Miz has a pay-per-view match with him. Cena said he survived that Hammerstein Ballroom and had 85,000 people tell him he couldn't wrestle on the grandest stage of them all. "I don't get rattled," Cena said.

Cena said people would find out that The Miz isn't a reality show has-been, but a "WWE never was." Cena said this was the part where Miz would tuck his tail between his legs and head backstage. Miz paused and eventually threw a punch at Cena, who didn't sell it. Cena held up six fingers to signify "six days." Miz headed backstage and Cena eventually followed with a smile on his face...

Powell's POV: I didn't care for the no-sell, but I suppose Miz has enough heat already. Plus, he can always get more on Cena later in the show if they really want to give it to him. I'm just happy to see they're not giving the match away on Raw.

Footage aired from earlier in the day of Vince McMahon's limo broken down on the side of the ring. Vince was on the phone bitching about the limo driver, while the limo driver looked under the hood. The driver said they could just walk to the building or go to a gas station. Vince said he's never been to a gas station in his life and wouldn't walk (even though a shot showed the building wasn't far away). The driver said they could call for a ride. Vince hopped on the driver's back...

Powell's POV: Funny segment even though you it makes no sense that there was a camera crew present.

Jim Ross and Todd Grisham checked in from ringside and had a bucket of KFC chicken in front of them....

Powell's POV: No ads, but there's the first of what I assume will be plenty of product placement. I guess they have to make their money somehow.

1. Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Great Khali (w/Runjin Sing) defeated Edge, Dolph Ziggler, and Chris Jericho in 4:45. C.M. Punk came out and joined Ross and Grisham on commentary.

[Q3] A countdown graphic appeared on the screen to note that we were 23 minutes away from the Last Man Standing match. You know, because they know how long this match will last. Sigh. After some good rapid fire action with a fun comedy spot that featured Great Khali teasing a top rope dive, Hardy hit the Swanton Bomb on Ziggler and scored the pin.

After the match, C.M. Punk entered the ring and raised Hardy's hand. Hardy yanked his hand away and left the ring...

Backstage, Vince McMahon knocked on Donald Trump's office door. He was interrupted by Santina, who offered her hand. Vince slapped it away. Vince griped about Trump giving refunds to the fans. Trump opened the door and said he bought the show so his office is his office. He said Vince's office was at the end of the hall.

Trump asked Santina who she was. Trump said he was going to do the same thing to Santina that he did to Miss California. "You're fired, get out of here." After Trump and Santina exited the picture, Santino Marella walked into picture. He fretted over Santina being fired and then said, "She had a good run." Funny...

Powell's POV: I'm happy to see Santina go away. Thank you, Donald! The spot with Santino walking into the picture right after Santina exited was great.

Cole and Lawler spoke at ringside. They also had a bucket of chicken on the desk...

Primo and Carlito came to the ring. They told a joke about Cody rubbing oil on Randy Orton...

2. Cody Rhodes (w/Ted DiBiase) pinned Primo (w/Carlito) in 3:50. Back and forth action to start with very little reaction from the live crowd. In the end, Primo hit a crossbody block off the second rope, but Rhodes rolled through and held the tights for the win...

[Q4] Backstage, Vince saw Goldust and Hornswoggle in the locker room. Goldust said he knows Trump likes hair, so he wanted to give Vince his wig since it worked so well for Goldberg. He placed the wig on Vince's head. Vince scowled while Goldy and Horny laughed. Vince whipped the wig down.

Vince walked away and said, "That's real cute." The camera showed a sign that read, "Mr. McMahon's Office" on a bathroom stall. Vince fumed. The toilet flushed and Festus came out and handed Vince a copy of the Wall Street Journal...

Powell's POV: Cute big regarding Vince's office.

A video package recapped the Randy Orton vs. Triple H feud...

3. Randy Orton and Triple H were both counted down in a Last Man Standing match for the WWE Title in 21:00. Hunter attacked Orton at the bell and took the early advantage.

[Q5] Hunter took the fight to ringside and dumped Orton over the guardrail. They fought into an aisle in the crowd briefly. Orton took control as they headed back to ringside and worked over Hunter's knee. Orton pulled him into the corner and wrapped his leg around the post.

Orton grabbed a chair from the front row and went after Hunter's knee, but Hunter kicked the chair into the face of Orton. They fought onto one of the announcers' tables at ringside. Hunter went for the Pedigree, but Orton slipped out and hit the RKO. The referee counted to nine and slowed down to let Hunter stand up. Orton charged at Hunter, who backdropped him onto the table.

They fought up the ramp. Hunter grabbed his left quad at one point, but he was probably just selling. Hunter went for a Pedgiree on the steel grating just below the stage, but Orton backdropped him. The fight continued on the floor after Hunter beat the count. Orton nearly slipped, just as Jeff Hardy did when he walked onto the stage during his entrance.

[Q6] Orton knocked Hunter down and then set up for the RKO, but Hunter shoved him over the guard rail near the electrical equipment. Hunter grabbed a ladder and ran at Orton with it. Orton ducked and Hunter creamed a crew member with it. The referee called for medical attention right away. It looked like the guy was expecting the ladder shot since he held his up to block part of the blow.

Orton dragged the fallen crew member out of the way so that he could get the ladder. Orton rammed the ladder into the back of Hunter's leg on the stage. He wrapped the ladder around Hunter's knee and then stomped on it repeatedly. The live crowd booed Orton.

Orton set up the ladder on the stage. He climbed up three steps and tried to RKO Hunter, who was standing on the stage. Hunter escaped the move and hit a lousy looking Pedigree on the stage. The referee counted both men. Hunter tried to use the ladder to prop himself up, but he and the ladder fell over. The referee counted both men down to end the match. There were some boos from the live crowd.

Lillian announced that since both men were counted down, Orton retains the title. Hunter sold the knee after the match. He took one more shot at the fallen Orton after the referees helped him up. Orton was eventually helped to his feet and headed backstage...

Powell's POV: A good brawl. The finish wasn't satisfying, but you had to expect something like that since they're facing off in six days at The Bash pay-per-view.

A Bash pay-per-view ad, er, video hyped C.M. Punk vs. Jeff Hardy...

Backstage, The Miz approached Maryse and tried to brag about punching John Cena. She wasn't impressed...

Cole announced Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho and Edge in a cage match for Friday's Smackdown...

Powell's POV: Damn, another hot match on Smackdown!

Donald Trump was escorted to the ring by Maria and Eve. He received a nice ovation from the crowd, but not as nice as the first time. He asked if everyone was having a good time. The fans popped big. "There's nothing like really good ownership," Trump said. "We get rid of this guy McMahon, nothing like it."

Trump reminded the fans that they'll be getting their money back after the show. He said the fans watching at home were getting the show without commercials. Trump said Vince wanted him to announce a general manager last week, but he's not going to do that. Rather, he said he's going to name a celebrity host every week.

"I don't believe in general managers," Trump said. He said it could be an actor or an actress or a wrestling star. He promised more freebies for the fans. He said the greatest thing will be WrestleMania 26. "It's going to be fantastic," Trump said.

Trump was interrupted by Vince McMahon's entrance music. Vince walked onto the stage and then power walked to the ring. He said the rumor was that Trump wanted to hold a commercial-free Raw. He said that would cost Vince millions. Um, what? Trump said paying for the commercial-free Raw was peanuts to him.

Trump said he has a lot of billionaire friends who want to buy the show from him. He said he could double his money by selling anytime. "How could I be so stupid?" Vince asked. "You played me. You played me. All of this is a well orchestrated plan. You could drive me into bankruptcy." Vince admitted that Trump is smarter than he is.

[Q7] Vince said he would buy Raw back for the same amount of money that Trump paid him. The fans booed. Trump didn't go for it. Vince offered 25 percent more money. Trump said he likes the fans and likes giving them freebies. Vince said he liked them too. He offered 50 percent more. "It's a fair deal," Vince said.

"That's good for some people, but not me," Trump said. "No deal, Vince." Vince offered 75 percent more money than Trump paid him. Trump said no. Vince said Trump could double his money. The fans booed. "Shut up!" Vince screamed at them. Trump said he has to take that deal. "You've got a deal," Trump said. They shook on it.

Vince said that if Trump ever crosses his path again, he'll knock him on his billionaire butt. Vince got cocky and said, "Donald Trump, you're fired!" Trump got face-to-face with Vince as the crowd chanted Trump's name. Trump slapped him. John Laurinaitis and two bald men came out and stood between Vince and Trump.

Cole noted that Trump just suckered Vince into paying twice the money he paid. Cole questioned whether the fans would still get their money back. Lawler said he thinks they will. Vince left to boos. The live crowd cheered for Trump as he left the ring and shook hands. The announcers pimped KFC chicken at ringside...

Powell's POV: I'm surprised the fans didn't turn on Trump for selling out. Of course, they think he's giving them their money back. I guess the angle makes sense in a confusing way. Trump bought Raw, but Vince still owned WWE, so I guess Trump could cost him money somehow. I can't say I totally understand it since you'd think Trump would be the one losing money if he wasn't selling ads. Honestly, I'm just happy it's over and we don't have to suffer through lame celebrity hosts. Well, unless the celebrity host was going to be Megan Fox. Now that would have been cool.

Backstage, Vince approached Randy Orton, who was sitting on a trainer's table in pain. Vince said the pain was nothing compared to what he would feel on Sunday. Vince announced that Orton and Hunter would meet in a two-of-three falls match at The Bash. The first fall is a regular match. The second fall is a falls count anywhere match. The third fall (if necessary) is a stretcher match. Vince called it the "Three Stages of Hell"...

Cole and Lawler hyped Kofi Kingston vs. Matt Hardy vs. MVP in a Triple Threat match for the U.S. Title as the main event of Thursday's WWE Superstars match...

4. Mickie James and The Bella Twins defeated Maryse, Rosa Mendes, and Beth Phoenix in 5:10. No heat for the beginning of the match regardless of which team was in control.

[Q8] In the end, Mickie superkicked Rosa and scored the clean pin...

Powell's POV: More time than usual for the Divas. Unfortunately, the live crowd didn't seem to give a damn about anyone other than Mickie.

Did You Know? WWE will produce more original programming than HBO and Showtime combined?... Cole and Lawler hyped USA Network airing National Treasure without commercials tomorrow night...

Ross and Lawler were in the ring. They promoted the various pay-per-view matches...

5. Big Show defeated John Cena in 10:25. Nice ovation for Cena. He and Show went face-to-face when the bell rang, which helped establish Show's size advantage. Cena took the early advantage by shoulder blocking Show out of the ring. Cena followed, but Show picked him up and dropped him on the guardrail.

Back inside the ring, Cena made a bit of a comeback. However, Show cut him off and powerbombed Cena, who ended up rolling to ringside. Back inside the ring, Show took control of the offense for an extended period.

[Overrun] Show charged at Cena in the corner. Cena moved and Show crashed into the corner. Cena fired punches, but Show knocked him down and went back to the slow, methodical offense. Show controlled the match for the next few minutes and missed a Vader Bomb.

Cena started to come back, but Miz came to ringside and distracted him. Show chokeslammed Cena and scored the pin thanks to the distraction by Miz. After the match, Show headed backstage. Miz entered the ring and stood over the fallen Cena...

Powell's POV: Boring match until the final sequence. They have lousy chemistry together. Miz standing over Cena was cool, but they stuck with the camera shot too long and Miz didn't have anything to do other than raise his arms in the air a couple times. I was actually hoping Cena would beat Show to wrap up their feud once and for all.

A shot aired of Randy Orton walking backstage. Hunter attacked him from behind and placed the front of his body inside the trunk of a car. Hunter slammed the trunk down on Orton's back. Hunter sat down and spoke into Orton's ear. "This Sunday, you're going to hell," Hunter said. Triple H stood up and left Orton sitting next to the car to end the show...

Powell's POV: It's amazing the cameraman just happened to get a seemingly worthless shot of Orton only to have Hunter attack him. Oh well, they did a good job of making the Hunter vs. Orton pay-per-view match meaningful despite giving away the match on tonight's show. Thanks for following along with me. I'll have more to say about the show along with Sean and Wade in the post-show audio recap.

BIG DOT NET ANNOUNCEMENT: Dot Net Members will be listening to a special Dot Net and PWTorch.com simulcast audio review of the WWE Raw show. It will be me, Wade Keller, and very special guest Sean "X-Pac" Waltman recapping the WWE Raw show. We're all hanging out at Wade's place now. The audio will also be available on the Torch VIP page. You can score access to this audio update and all Dot Net Audio by becoming a member for only $5 per month by visiting the Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

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