WWE Raw Report
The Big News: WWE presented its annual Tribute to the Troops, with straight matches and clean finishes.
Title Changes/Turns: None.
Conclusive Finishes: 6 of 6. Winning with a handful of tights is close enough.
Match Results: John Cena b Edge; CM Punk b Shelton Benjamin, Undertaker b Johnny Nitro; Bobby Lashley b Hardcore Holly; Umaga b Jeff Hardy, Carlito Caribbean Cool b Randy Orton.
Show Analysis:
John Cena beat Edge. Edge hit a DDT, punches and a baseball slide. Edge brought in a chair but the referee took it awway. Edge hit an elbow drop and applied the camel clutch but Cena powered out. They traded punches, and Cena hit shoulder blocks, the Cena slam and the five knuckle shuffle. He went for the FU but Edge escaped and hit an implant DDT. He followed that up with the electric chair, but missed the spear. Cena hit the FU for the pin. This was probably the best of the matches.
CM Punk beat Shelton Benjamin in a short match. Benjamin teased leaving but Punk brought him back. Benjamin sent Punk into the post and went after his shoulder. Punk came back with knees and a bulldog. Benjamin turned the tide with a superplex, but missed the Stinger Splash and Punk rolled him up for the pin.
Undertaker beat Johnny Nitro. Nitro dodged around early but Undertaker caught him with punches and the rope walk. He went for the Last Ride, but Melina distracted him and Nitro hit an enzuigiri and drop kick. Undertaker hit a hard clothesline, yakuza kick, choke slam and tombstone.
Lashley beat Hardcore Holly. Lashley started with a press slam, shoulder block, snap suplex and delayed vertical suplex. Holly threw Lashley into the steps and hit punches. Lashley then used a belly to belly and torture rack back breaker. Holly went for the Alabama slam, but Lashley avoided that and hit a running power slam for the pin.
Umaga beat Jeff Hardy. Jeff hit a drop kick and baseball slide, but he was caught going for the pescado. Umaga rammed him into the post and hit a leg drop, but he missed a splash off the top. Hardy responded with clotheslines, the whisper in the wind, and the twist of fate. He went for the swanton but Umaga got up his knees. Umaga finished Hardy with the running butt drop and the Samoan spike.
Carlito beat Randy Orton. Orton went to the eye, hit a drop kick, used the Garvin stomp, and applied a spinning side slam. Carlito answered with a knee lift, clothesline and springboard elbow. Orton hit the back breaker. Carlito attempted a back cracker but Orton escaped and tried to pin Carlito with his feet on the ropes. The ref caught him, but didn’t catch Carlito using a handful of tights seconds later for the pin.
JBL came out as Santa with the divas, and they gave out gifts. Chris Masters came out and said he hates Christmas and doesn’t believe in Santa. He challenged Santa to the Masterlock challenge and won. He then challenged the troops, and picked out a small guy. JBL came back in and kicked Masters, breaking the hold. They announced that the soldier was the first to break the Masterlock.
Final Thoughts:
When WWE started Tribute to the Troops, I was somewhat leery of it both because of the politics WWE infused into it and because I was suspicious of the motivations of the company. But my initial suspicions were unfounded. The event has turned into a valuable and classy endeavor providing smiles to people who deserve them.
I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday.
Title Changes/Turns: None.
Conclusive Finishes: 6 of 6. Winning with a handful of tights is close enough.
Match Results: John Cena b Edge; CM Punk b Shelton Benjamin, Undertaker b Johnny Nitro; Bobby Lashley b Hardcore Holly; Umaga b Jeff Hardy, Carlito Caribbean Cool b Randy Orton.
Show Analysis:
John Cena beat Edge. Edge hit a DDT, punches and a baseball slide. Edge brought in a chair but the referee took it awway. Edge hit an elbow drop and applied the camel clutch but Cena powered out. They traded punches, and Cena hit shoulder blocks, the Cena slam and the five knuckle shuffle. He went for the FU but Edge escaped and hit an implant DDT. He followed that up with the electric chair, but missed the spear. Cena hit the FU for the pin. This was probably the best of the matches.
CM Punk beat Shelton Benjamin in a short match. Benjamin teased leaving but Punk brought him back. Benjamin sent Punk into the post and went after his shoulder. Punk came back with knees and a bulldog. Benjamin turned the tide with a superplex, but missed the Stinger Splash and Punk rolled him up for the pin.
Undertaker beat Johnny Nitro. Nitro dodged around early but Undertaker caught him with punches and the rope walk. He went for the Last Ride, but Melina distracted him and Nitro hit an enzuigiri and drop kick. Undertaker hit a hard clothesline, yakuza kick, choke slam and tombstone.
Lashley beat Hardcore Holly. Lashley started with a press slam, shoulder block, snap suplex and delayed vertical suplex. Holly threw Lashley into the steps and hit punches. Lashley then used a belly to belly and torture rack back breaker. Holly went for the Alabama slam, but Lashley avoided that and hit a running power slam for the pin.
Umaga beat Jeff Hardy. Jeff hit a drop kick and baseball slide, but he was caught going for the pescado. Umaga rammed him into the post and hit a leg drop, but he missed a splash off the top. Hardy responded with clotheslines, the whisper in the wind, and the twist of fate. He went for the swanton but Umaga got up his knees. Umaga finished Hardy with the running butt drop and the Samoan spike.
Carlito beat Randy Orton. Orton went to the eye, hit a drop kick, used the Garvin stomp, and applied a spinning side slam. Carlito answered with a knee lift, clothesline and springboard elbow. Orton hit the back breaker. Carlito attempted a back cracker but Orton escaped and tried to pin Carlito with his feet on the ropes. The ref caught him, but didn’t catch Carlito using a handful of tights seconds later for the pin.
JBL came out as Santa with the divas, and they gave out gifts. Chris Masters came out and said he hates Christmas and doesn’t believe in Santa. He challenged Santa to the Masterlock challenge and won. He then challenged the troops, and picked out a small guy. JBL came back in and kicked Masters, breaking the hold. They announced that the soldier was the first to break the Masterlock.
Final Thoughts:
When WWE started Tribute to the Troops, I was somewhat leery of it both because of the politics WWE infused into it and because I was suspicious of the motivations of the company. But my initial suspicions were unfounded. The event has turned into a valuable and classy endeavor providing smiles to people who deserve them.
I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday.
posted by Todd Martin at 8:53 PM
4 Comments:
Hey, no mention of Saturday's ROH show? I thought it was great, and actually enjoyed it more than the one they had there back in September. What'd you think of it?
I'm so torn on that Masterlock challenge, since they're considering it having been broken now. They had done so well in making sure it was never broken, but it's kind of a nice nod to the troops this way, but it doesn't really benefit anyone on the roster like it should have, but it was disputed how it happened and Masters isn't going anywhere...
Bah, I'm just a Masters mark, that's probably all it is.
Cena broke the Masterlock two weeks ago anyway, even though JR has said for the last two weeks on Raw that it has never been broken.
Cena broke the Masterlock two weeks ago anyway, even though JR has said for the last two weeks on Raw that it has never been broken.
He didn't, though. They've been real careful so far with Masters actually letting go of the Masterlock, such as when Cena was in it. The ref bumped in the corner when Cena was getting a running start, and then Masters let it go. IIRC, JR called it as such as well. It was similar to another Masterlock challenge when Masters let the hold go when somebody ran in to the ring.
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