The Nexus Crossing Over To SmackDown, Update On Tough Enough Casting, More

– Casting for the Tough Enough revival on the USA Network will begin shortly after New Year’s Day.

– WWE returns to the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut on Mar. 18, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. for a Raw live event. Tickets go on sale Jan. 14, 2011 at noon via Ticketmaster.com.

– Today is Raw Superstar Primo’s birthday. He turns 28 years old.

– A radio advertisement for the Feb. 5 SmackDown live event at the Richo Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario is advertising The Nexus vs. Big Show in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match (Thanks to Matthew)

Vance Archer Says WWE Dropped The Ball By Releasing Him, Vows To Return

Lance Hoyt (a/k/a Vance Archer), who was released by World Wrestling Entertainment on Nov. 19 alongside alongside Luke Gallows, Tiffany, Caylen Croft, Jillian Hall and Shad Gaspard, feels the company made a mistake by cutting him loose.

“For me it was a budgetary decision that was what was told to me,” Hoyt told SLAM! Wrestling in an interview. “I was obviously disappointed and felt WWE was making a mistake.

“They dropped the ball by releasing me; I only regret not pushing the right people harder for more.”

In the meantime, Hoyt will continue to hone his craft on the independent scene until he can return to a major promotion. He still believes he can be a major force in WWE if given the opportunity to shine.

“I simply believe that I am that star that WWE is looking for,” he said. “But in this business you have to be put in the right spotlight for that to be recognized. Give me that spotlight and you won’t be able to look away.

“I will get back [to WWE] and I will be a star. It’s never a good feeling when leaving your dream job. But I will be back.”

NXT Introduces New Scoring System, Melina Backs Down On Short Hair, More

– WWE has announced that a new scoring system will be used on NXT as some of the Rookie Challenges will be worth more immunity points than others. WWE says the challenges will be selected randomly and surprise the rookies and viewers.

– WWE’s arcade-style video WWE All Stars will be released on Mar. 29, five days before WrestleMania XXVII.

– Melina, who posted a photo of herself with short hair over the weekend on Twitter, apologized to fans about not keeping the look going forward.

She wrote, “You guys r getting me all hyped up 4this new year! I’m feeling GREAT! I’m sorry about the hair! I truly do luv short hair though! One day!”

Jim Ross Blog: CM Punk vs. John Cena, John Morrison’s Push, Booker T

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JrsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what Jim Ross said about:

CM Punk vs. John Cena: “The issue that started tonight between John Cena and C.M. Punk has my curiosity. I think that these two will have some stellar bou”ts when they finally wrestle. Punk is very hungry to re-establish himself as a dominate, singles performer. Punk and Cena can also carry the verbal load of this main event level issue.”

John Morrison: “The evolution of John Morrison continues. As many have pointed out over time and of which I agree, John has some young HBK tendencies/mannerisms but his biggest step, in this fan’s eye, is recently demonstrating more physical toughness in the ring. It reminds of when HBK added another layer to his body of work many years ago on PPV against Mick Foley aka Mankind in what was essentially a physical war. Some ‘experts’ on Twitter feel that Morrison’s verbal skills are an issue but I don’t.”

Booker T: “It seemed to me that Booker T was in excellent shape when we spoke on Sunday afternoon in Houston. That statement will likely fuel ample speculation and I’m not saying that Booker wants to or ever will step back in the ring but, as always, one never says never in this biz. With two beautiful twin children just coming into this world, I don’t ever see Booker T going back on the road full time. Nonetheless it was great seeing him and his lovely wife Sharmell. Ol Book did quite well in the wife department, much like yours truly, as he ‘out punted his coverage.’”

WWE Raw recap for 12/20/2010

Hello again readers and welcome to another weekly edition of the Raw Recap! WWE’s schedule this week is absolutely insane, with 4 shows in a row. I’ll be covering tomorrow night’s Smackdown but I won’t be recapping the Tribute to the Troops show. Four recaps in four days is pretty hectic, nahwhadimean? Anyway, I watched Raw live last night but I felt that it was so good that I gave it a second viewing early this morning, . That and the fact that my boy Dolph Ziggler played a pretty big role on last night’s Raw. That just makes it awesome by default. Let’s roll.

The Miz comes out to open the show. He tells everyone that they better get used to hearing, “STILL WWE Champion, The Miz!” The Miz was in full-out cocky heel mode here. He’s interrupted by Alex Riley coming out playing the role of “The Ghost of Christmas Past.” Riley’s dressed in an olden-style robe with thick chains around his neck. He tells The Miz he wants to show him the error of his ways. He then directs our attention towards the tron which shows The Miz beating Lawler a few weeks ago in the TLC match. The Miz says he doesn’t regret beating up Jerry Lawler but then he’s interrupted by Michael Cole playing the Ghost of Christmas Present. He dropped the “And I quote” line while speaking in a spooky voice. He tells The Miz he should be ashamed for defeating Orton last night by nefarious means. The Miz then says Orton underestimated him and he ended up beating him because of that. THEN we get an image of “The Miz girl” playing the part of the ghost of Christmas future on the tron with obvious painted on lips telling The Miz that he needs to be wary of the # 1 contender – John Morrison. The Miz says he was the future and then drops his “awesome” line. Morrison’s music hits and he enters to a massive pop. John Morrison just called the whole “Christmas past/present/future shit” stupid. Even for The Miz. I agree. He points out that he is the new # 1 Contender and said that sometime soon he’s going to take on The Miz for the title. He brought up that the fact that he beat Miz in the past, present and will also defeat him in the future. The Miz answered with “really” about 5 times and said he begs to differ. Alex Riley then gets in Morrison’s face but gets his ass kicked as The Miz bails in a hurry. Sheamus came out and kicked Morrison’s weak knee to knock him down while Morrison was all over Riley. Meanwhile, on the outside Alex Riley got in Lawler’s face but got decked for it. GM email time! He makes a match for later tonight. A six man tag pitting The Miz, Alex Riley and Sheamus against John Morrison, Jerry Lawler and Randy Orton. Orton then comes out of nowhere and clotheslines The Miz on the entrance ramp to a big pop. Pretty decent opening segment with the exception of all the Christmas past/present/future shit. It wasn’t very funny but I can understand why they did it. It just didn’t go over as well as they thought it would. I liked the Morrison/Miz face off. Morrison = main eventer. Even JR thinks so.

# 1 Contenders Match
Melina vs. Alicia Fox vs. Eve

Natalya joined the announce team before the match. Rumor is that Melina’s going heel. Fine by me. She sucks as a babyface IMO. Alicia Fox came out to her vintage porno music and planned a wedding on her way down the ramp. The start of the match was pretty disjointed. There were a sequence of nearfalls followed by a sweet powerbomb by Fox on Melina. That was followed by Eve taking control and hitting a standing moonsault on Alicia Fox! The finish saw Alicia and Eve trying to hit the DOOMSDAY DEVICE on Melina but Melina rolled through and pinned Alicia for three as Eve completely missed the flying clothesline off the top. Great finish. Post match, Natalya went in the ring to congratulate Melina but got slapped in the face to HUGE heat! Heel turn complete. Natalya looked on shocked as Melina exited the ring and walked to the back.

Analysis: ** One of the better 3 minute matches I’ve seen. Loved the finish. It should’ve got more time but it’s a divas match on Raw. Nobody’s going to book one for more than five minutes. The Melina heel turn was done perfectly.

The Bellas were backstage talking up Daniel Bryan. He entered and they locked arms with him while escorting him to the ring. Michael Cole flipped out as usual.

Daniel Bryan vs. William Regal

Regal looked he gained quite a few pounds. Bryan could barely get him up during some parts of the match. They start it out with some nice chain wrestling, with both of them hitting some sweet looking armdrags in the process. Regal takes Bryan down and kicks him in the back a few times but Bryan gets uber pissed, gets up, knocks Regal down and does the same thing. He kicks the shit out of him in the corner a bit but gets clotheslined down. Regal continued his strike-fest with forearms to the face, followed by a few knees. Regal then hooks in a seated full nelson, which Bryan fights out of. Awesome spot with both guys exchanging European uppercuts. The crowd really got into it as well. A backslide is reversed into a regal stretch, which Bryan counters. Bryan then, very awkwardly, counters a double underhook suplex into the Lebell Lock for the submission victory after five minutes. Post match, the Bellas kissed Daniel Bryan.

Analysis: **1/4 Solid five minute encounter here. Both guys are great technicians so I’m not one bit surprised. Regal’s still got it. Bryan is a wrestling machine.

They showed John Morrison and Randy Orton backstage. Orton said he’ll be coming after Morrison should he beat The Miz for the title. JoMo said he’ll be ready and then said, “I trust you’ll be ready too.” Orton said not to trust him. What a viper. Pretty cool confrontation. Orton/Morrison on pay per view would be really good but I don’t think it’s happening. Not anytime soon anyway.

Tamina was backstage stepping on Santino’s back to work the kinks out of it. Maryse came in and started arguing with her. She got on Santino’s back to get in Tamina’s face as Santino screamed in pain. Security broke it up.

Mark Henry and Gail Kim were shown backstage talking about something. I walked away for a second so I’m not sure about what. He was probably telling her that he plans on injuring a main eventer soon. Her reply was most likely something along the lines of, “I wish I were in TNA.”

Mixed Tag Match
Santino & Tamina vs. Ted DiBiase & Maryse

Teddy and Santino started things out with Ted gaining the advantage early. He hit a beautiful Orton-like dropkick in the early going. Santino ended up gaining momentum and making a comeback. He set up to go for the Cobra, but Teddy tagged in Maryse. He stopped himself from hitting her with it and she twisted his hand around and hit him in the throat with his own Cobra. That sounded really weird. Anyway, Tamina ended up getting tagged. She beat up Maryse and hit her father’s trademark Splash off the top and pinned Maryse for three.

Analysis: ½* for the finish. Too short to garner a higher rating. I’m talkin’ like two minutes short. Post match, Tamina carried Santino out.

John Cena comes out and hugs a guy in the crowd with a “We hate Cena” shirt. Cena sure loves his haters. He says The Nexus is history and did a little dance and sang a little song. He showed footage of him dropping 23 chairs onto Wade Barrett from last night four times in different camera angles and in slow motion. CM Punk thinks it’s stupid. I do too. Cena looks happier than usual here. I don’t blame him. He can finally move on from the stupid Nexus angle. He calls Nexus a bunch of turdburglars and says he’s going to win the Rumble and go to Mania. He’s interrupted by Vickie and Dolph F’n Ziggler who garners HUUUUUUGE heat with her “Excuse Me” line. I know my pbp is awesome and just by reading it you feel like you’re right there in the moment, but you HAVE to watch what happens next. Vickie keeps trying to talk but the crowd keeps drowning her out with a chorus of “boos”. I can’t explain how rabid the crowd is here. Again, you have to watch it for yourself. Cena kept replying with, “I can’t hear you” every time she tried to talk. I really don’t think he could. He tells the crowd that this just made the all-time greatest moments of Raw highlights. After what seems like forever, Vickie is FINALLY able to talk, but the crowd was STILL going rabid. She tells Cena that Dolph Ziggler also won his match last night. Crowd is on fire right now. Vickie wants to play a clip from the Slammy’s where Lawler made fun of her weight. Vickie says she wants an apology from Lawler and if he refuses, Dolph Ziggler is going to beat him up. Of course, the crowd is still drowning her out with boos all the while so Cena has to relay the message to the King. Dolph says, “Yeah that’s right, I’m gonna beat you up!” That was so junior high school-ish, but so awesome at the same time. Lawler and Cena then traded fat jokes about Vickie. The funniest of which was Lawler’s about Vickie’s bathtub having stretch marks LOL! John Cena said that, “Vickie is so fat that her baby pictures were taken via satellite!” Vickie screams for Cena and Lawler to stop and Dolph intervenes. He says that Vickie is beautiful inside and out but Cena shot back with, “I was talkin’ to you a little while ago when you called Vickie a double bagger! That means you gotta put a bag over your head just incase the one on her head breaks” WOW! That wasn’t PG at all. He made a few more fat jokes about Vickie before she ended up slapping him. Dolph got in Cena’s face as the GM buzzed in with an email. He makes Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena! For right now! It’s definitely worth mentioning that this entire segment, from top to bottom, was absolute GOLD! Did I mention the crowd was amazing? Yeah, watch it!

John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler

Nice feeling out process as both guys try some chain wrestling. Ziggler fools Cena with a test of strength attempt and kicks him down. Cena ends up coming back early with a bulldog though. Huge “Let’s go Cena” chant started up early as Dolph went for a kick to the gut, which Cena counters and follows it up with a fisherman’s suplex. Cena whips Dolph, but runs himself into the turnbuckle, giving Ziggler the advantage. Ziggler dazes Cena with punches, goes for a pinfall but only gets two. More offense from Ziggler ensues, but he gets too cocky and ends up getting gutwrench suplexed. Whip and a duck by Cena results in him almost getting his head kicked off. Cena counters a headlock into the AA, but Ziggler counters that an X-factor. Pinfall attempt by Ziggler gets two as we go to commercial.
Commercial
A big collision happens after the break and both guys go down in a heap. Dramatic double count spot and Ziggler’s first. Jawbreaker by Ziggler into a cover only gets two. Vickie is going CRAZY on the outside right now. Sweet dropkick by Ziggler connects. Punk says Ziggler “one hell of a competitor.” Fuckin’ right! Another dropkick attempt by Ziggler is swatted down and is followed by vintage Cena offense. You know, a bunch of shoulderblocks. Cena hits the five knuckle shuffle and picks Ziggler up in AA position but it’s countered into a sleeper! Cena throws Ziggler off and Dolph runs right into an STF. Vickie distracts the ref as Dolph taps out. Ref didn’t see it. Match aint over! Cena goes to tell Vickie to fuck off, turns around and eats a fame-asser! Cole called it the Zig Zag. Idiot. Dolph hooks the leg and covers. One..two…KICK OUT! Damn you, Billy Gunn! You can sense Punk’s animosity towards Cena at this point. I wasn’t paying attention to it much during my first viewing because I was so into the match. Dolph, frustrated now, takes the padding off the turnbuckle in the corner. As the ref goes to put it back on, Dolph grabs the IC title and tries to nail Cena with it. He swings wildly, Cena ducks it and hits the AA on Dolph. He covers and gets three after nearly 14 minutes. Post match, Cena celebrates and CM PUNK jumps in the ring and attacks him with a chair! Cole is shocked! Sewing the seeds for an AWESOME feud! I guess Punk’s cleared to wrestle again.

Analysis: ***1/2 Really good match that was hot all the way through. They got a good amount of time and worked very well together. Punk attacking Cena after the match was great. Cena no selling it and getting up after a couple of seconds was not. I look forward to that feud. We can expect some great mic work from those two. On another note, how many good matches has Dolph had in the past 3 months? Too many! I know there’s people out there complaining that Cena didn’t put Dolph over. To them I say, “Are you out of your fucking mind?!” Cena is THE guy on Raw. He may suck in the ring and all, but he just needed to go over here. Don’t shit on the booking, folks. Dolph is a midcard heel on the B show. The guy’s great and one of my favorite wrestlers, no doubt, but by even losing to Cena in a near 15 minute *** + match is a big enough rub for Ziggler at this point. It’s not all about wins and losses. Just ask Chris Jericho.

Josh Matthews gets a word with CM Punk and asks why he did what he did to Cena. Punk says Cena brutalized Wade with a steel chair and tonight, he just gave him a taste of his own medicine.

Sheamus and Lawler face off backstage. Sheamus says he’s the real king and “The king is dead” followed by “Long live the KING!” Huh?

Vickie and Dolph argue backstage. Dolph challenges Cena to a rematch tomorrow night on Smackdown. Yes! Vickie says she can make it happen, but then adds herself to the match as a part of Dolph’s team so now it’s a handicap match. Fuck!

The Miz, Alex Riley & Sheamus vs. John Morrison, Jerry “The King” Lawler & Randy Orton

It looks like Orton and Riley are going to start things out. Orton hits him with uppercuts and drops the knee. He tags JoMo in as all the girls scream. Look out, John Cena. Morrison goes to work on Riley, hitting him with punches and locking him into a front facelock as he tags in The King. Lawler just hit a dropkick! Impressive. Riley comes back with punches and tags in The Miz. Lawler reverses Miz’ strike and decks him. Lawler tags Orton in and Miz dashes out of the ring. Here comes Sheamus as we go to commercial break.
Commercial
We come back to Sheamus working over Lawler. Sheamus charges at Lawler but he misses and nails the ringpost. Tag to Morrison. John goes right after Sheamus with strikes. John Morrison is limping, still selling the knee from last night. John hits a beautiful springboard kick on Sheamus and goes for Starship pain but Sheamus hits the injured knee while Morrison is up top. Nice spot there. Morrison sells it like crazy
Tag in to The Miz. He stomps away on JoMo. Sheamus gets tagged back in and works the knee. Huge “Morr-i-son” chant starts up. Man it must be hard to chant that over and over! “Nitro” would’ve been so much easier. Riley is in now and he’s also working the knee. He drags Morrison towards his corner and tags in The Jizz. He punishes Morrison’s knee by bouncing off the ropes and sitting on it twice. He goes for it a third time but Morrison kick’s him right out of the ring. John crawls over to his corner and reaches for a tag but Miz pulls him back. Sheamus gets tagged back in now and clubs away at Morrison’s chest. A cover gets two. Sheamus puts pressure on the knee as he bearhugs it. Morrison uses his good leg to kick Sheamus in the head a few times. He tries an enziguri but misses wildly. Half crab by Sheamus as Morrison is trying to drag the 270 pound Sheamus so he can get to his corner and tag. Hold is broken by outside interference but Sheamus is still in control. Sheamus gets cocky and taunts Orton. He goes to pick Morrison up and eats a kick to the face. Sheamus quickly tags The Miz as Morrison gets the hot tag to Orton. Two clotheslines followed by a powerslam on The Miz. The Viper hits an Angle Slam and DDT’s The Miz. Orton covers but Sheamus interrupts the count at two. Morrison clotheslines Sheamus out. Orton sets up to RKO The Miz but Riley runs towards him. RKO to Alex Riley instead. This gives The Miz enough time to recovery and hit Orton with a boot to the face. Orton falls in his corner and Lawler tags himself in. He punches The Miz but Miz reverses a second strike into SCF position. The ref is pre occupied with Alex Riley, trying to get him out of the ring and Orton runs in to RKO The Miz. Lawler covers and gets three after about 15 minutes to get his revenge on The Miz! Post match, Lawler and Orton celebrate in the ring. I’m assuming John Morrison is licking his wounds outside the ring. The GM chimes in and makes Orton vs. The Miz for tomorrow night on Smackdown. The Miz runs in to hit the SCF on Orton but Randy sees it coming. Orton decks Riley and The Miz bails once again.

Analysis: ***1/2 I loved this match. No bullshit DQ or “schmozz” finish. It was very smartly booked, in that it kept Orton looking strong even after his loss last night and gave Lawler his revenge on The Miz, even if Orton did the leg-work for him, which kept Miz’ credibility. Great effort by everyone involved and a great way to end the show.

Wrapping Up

This was definitely one of the better Raws I’ve seen recently. Match quality was way up there without sacrificing good promo time. The Cena/Vickie in ring promo was just incredible and was enough to carry the talking aspect of the show. This felt like a very good edition of Friday Night Smackdown. Speaking of Smackdown, I’ll be covering tomorrows show. See ya then.

Quick WWE TLC Recap

What’s up readers?! So after a pretty solid Smackdown this past Friday, I’m back with what you’ll probably consider a very quick recap of last nights TLC pay per view. I watched the show this morning instead of live last night and I was fairly surprised with the quality of some of the matches. Of course, there are always disappointments, and then there’s the good ol’ John Cena match on the card that we never have ANY expectations for whatsoever. Here we go.

Dolph Ziggler def. Kofi Kingston & Jack Swagger in a Triple Threat Ladder Match (*3/4)

Was it just me, or did the majority of this 9 minute opener feel dry. Nothing really happened in between the big spots. Swagger locked in an ankle lock while Kofi was climbing the ladder, which looked sweet. Ziggler then locked in a not so cool looking sleeper hold on Kofi some time later. Simply put, it needed more time. What could’ve been a possible show stealer turned out to be nothing more than an extremely underwhelming experience. I did like the finish though, with Ziggler grabbing the title on its way down after both Kofi and Swagger had unhooked it.

Natalya & Beth Phoenix def. Laycool in a Tag Team Tables Match (**1/4)

I was pleasantly surprised by the work in this match. There were some really innovative, cool looking spots throughout. By far, the double sharpshooter spot was my favorite. The finish didn’t go exactly as planned. Michelle and Layla were supposed to fall off the top turnbuckle and break through the table I presume. Instead, the table didn’t break and thankfully, Natalya improvised and hit a splash off the top to break the table. Much like everyone else, I thought the Beth heel turn was coming here. It didn’t happen. I guess WWE wants to very slowly build towards it.

Santino & Kozlov def. The “Lexus” for the Tag Team Titles (1/2*)

This really should’ve been left off the card. Was it even booked for TLC? Santino’s pre-match stickwork was funny. He said that TLC stood for “Totally Lethal Cobra” and some other pretty hilarious stuff. As for the match itself, it was like 7 minutes and ended when Michael McGillicutty jumped in the ring to nail Santino just as he was about to hit the Cobra. Post match, Wade Barrett came out to beat the shit out of the tag champs with a chair. Honestly, the whole point of putting the match on the card was probably to give Wade Barrett some actual heat going into his match with Cena later in the evening. As you and I both know, the feud has gone from one of the best on Raw to an absolute afterthought. The whole “firing angle” seriously KILLED this feud.

John Morrison def. Sheamus in a Ladder Match to become the # 1 Contender for the WWE Championship (****1/4)

Wow. This was just utterly AWESOME in every sense of the word. I’m glad they booked it to go 20 minutes. 10 or 15 wouldn’t have been enough. This was one of those matches that I just did not want to end. The story of the match was of course, John Morrison’s knee. Sheamus had really destroyed it early in the match and Morrison, unlike John Cena, actually sold it beautifully throughout the entire bout. Both guys looked more motivated than ever here. Loved the finish. It’s been said to death but these guys have GREAT chemistry together. IMO, this is how main event level feuds should be booked. Let the in ring action do the talking. Sheamus took a nasty bump when he fell perched up on a ladder on the inside of the ring onto a ladder locked between the ring apron and the announce table. The ladder cracked in half! We’ve seen the bump before but I never thought Sheamus would agree to something like that so kudos to him. As expected, JoMo went over and I’m happy for him. It’s just sad that he’ll be the first guy to lose clean to The Miz. He’s a much better worker than his former tag team partner. On the bright side though, he’ll actually get to main event a pay per view (I’m assuming the Morrison/Miz match happens at the Rumble) and once you do something like that, it’s not that easily forgotten.

The Miz def. Randy Orton in a Tables Match to retain the WWE Championship (*3/4)

It went 15 minutes. In retrospect, this really should’ve been a regular one on one match. I understand that they wanted to book the whole “fluke finish for Miz” here but once the bell rung, this match got boring in a hurry. I have to admit though, I liked the false finish. If they had just left it at that, The Miz would’ve become even more hated. That’s exactly what you want when you have a heel champion. Instead, the ref restarted the match with Orton going through a table at the hands of Riley just a minute later. Was there even a point in restarting the match then? As Orton would say, “STUPID!”

Edge def. Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio & Kane in a Fatal 4-Way Ladder Match to win the World Heavyweight Championship (****)

Boy am I glad they changed the World Championship match to a Fatal 4-Way! This was awesome! All four guys (yes, even Kane) worked their asses off here. The bump that ADR took off the gigantic ladder near the end of the match was nasty. Jeff Hardy nasty. Star of the match in my opinion. The kid is going to be a champion very soon. There wasn’t really a slow point in the whole match. It had a great flow and for a 23 minute match, it didn’t feel so long. These guys fought from inside the ring to the entrance ramp and back. This match was literally all over the place! My guess is that Edge feuds with ADR after this. Their pre-match face-off backstage was definitely sewing the seeds for a possible future feud. With the lack of main eventers on Smackdown at this point, it’ll probably happen sooner rather than later.

Cody Rhodes came to the ring and cut a promo on fat people in Houston. What do you do when you’re desperately trying to get a pretty-boy character over? Rip on fat people. Always works. I liked when he said, “Houston, YOU are the problem.” His awesome fat people flame-fest was followed by Big Show coming out dressed as Santa Claus, handing out free copies of Knucklehead. I’m surprised nobody threw it back. The segment ended when Show stripped Rhodes down to his underwear.

John Cena def. Wade Barrett in a Chairs Match (*)

So yeah. What the fuck? These guys got nearly 20 minutes (I think it was 19 to be exact but I’m not 100 % sure), and they couldn’t even work a half-decent match. Some of the crowd reactions seemed extremely forced, as if everyone “felt bad” for Cena. Hey, the guy sucks. Cheer for him to make him feel better. And why did this go on last? Nobody cares about this feud anymore. I actually at one point forgot that this match was even on the card. They even tried the whole chair shot sword fight spot. It fell flat. These two had a better match back at Night of Champions because of all the heat their feud had generated by then. In retrospect, it really should’ve ended then. Nexus disbanding was the condition if Cena had won. Ah well, whatever. I’m glad it’s over now. Now John Cena can “achieve his boyhood dream” and win the fucking Royal Rumble. Fuck.

Wrapping Up

The two **** + carried this show. That was exactly what I was expecting anyway. This was a very enjoyable PPV and a lot better than last month’s Survivor Series. Honestly, it was probably better than more than half the shit WWE produced this year. WrestleMania was probably a tad better but not by much. The only thing that annoys me is that they put Cena/Barrett on last. That snoozer should’ve been buried in the midcard somewhere. Anyway, watch the show. You’ll be pleased with the quality of some of the matches. Skip the last one. Even I’m trying to pretend it never happened.

Original Finish For Intercontinental Title Match At TLC, Lawler Tag Teams With Diva

– The planned conclusion for the Intercontinental Championship Match at last night’s WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view was for Dolph Ziggler to catch the belt when it slipped from the grasp of Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger. Instead, Ziggler picked the belt up after it had fallen to the mat.

– Last night’s WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view will be released on DVD on Jan. 18.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler partnered with WWE developmental women’s wrestler Sonia at Friday’s Florida Championship Wrestling’s Christmas Supershow in Fort Myers, Florida, a talent who previously performed for his Memphis Wrestling promotion. They defeated the pairing of Trent Baretta and Rosa Mendes in a tag team bout.

Early RAW Preview, Mysterio Banged Up At TLC, WWE Stars On The View & More

- Tonight marks the beginning of WWE Week on the USA Network. RAW will take place from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. No matches have been announced for tonight’s show. Expect to see fallout from last night’s TLC pay-per-view and perhaps some early build to the 2011 Royal Rumble.

- Jim Ross noted on Twitter that former WWE star Booker T, his wife Sharmell and their infant twins were backstage at TLC.

- Rey Mysterio wrote the following on Twitter last night after TLC:

“Finished TLC 2night,feel banged up,good looking out to every1 that watched!good to c1of my homies2day BookerT& Fam,1Luv &GodBless! 619″

Mysterio came up short in the Fatal Fourway TLC match that saw Edge capture the World Heavyweight title from Kane.

- Nexus leader Wade Barrett was a trending worldwide topic on Twitter following his main event chairs match against John Cena.

- WWE superstars are scheduled to appear on today’s episode of “The View” on ABC. Check your local listings for air times or visit ABC.com for more information.

TLC Dark Match, Tribute To The Troops Rating Disappoints, Beth Phoenix

- In a dark match that took place prior to Sunday’s WWE Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, Daniel Bryan defeated Ted DiBiase by submission with the LaBell Lock.

- Saturday’s night’s Tribute to the Troops special on NBC drew a disappointing 0.7 overnight rating in the 18-49 demographic. The 1-hour show averaged 2.34 million viewers. It will be interesting to see if Tuesday’s 2-hour show does any better.

- WWE diva Beth Phoenix was surprising not hurt after the nasty bump she took last night at TLC during the divas tag team tables match. She wrote the following on Twitter after the show:

“The risks are high each time you step foot in the ring, but nights like tonight prove to me how much I love my job. I took a nasty fall…but that’s why I’ve always been called Phoenix. I just can’t stay down for long.”

WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs Results – December 19, 2010

WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs Results
Sunday, December 19, 2010
From the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas
Results by: Sean Hopkins

We start out the show with a video package highlighting tonight’s Tables, Ladders and Chairs theme, as well as the main feuds heading into tonight.

The pyro hits and Michael Cole welcomes us to the PPV proper. Cole hypes tonight’s TLC theme right off the bat before gloating about his Slammy awards and introducing Matt Striker and Jerry Lawler who will be announcing with him tonight.

Triple Threat Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
- Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Jack Swagger

The Intercontinental Championship is shown dangling above the ring, and it looks like we’ll get a three way ladder match to kick things off. Kofi Kingston’s music hits and he makes his way out to the ring to a big pop. Jack Swagger is out next to a decent amount of heat, followed by Ziggler, with Vickie Guerrero in tow.

The start:

All three men stare each other down and everything breaks down quickly with everyone going after everyone else. Kofi is able to toss Ziggler to the outside and he turns around into a couple of big right hands from Swagger. Kofi tries to fight back but Swagger buries his shoulder in Kofi’s midsection, only to run right into Kofi’s back, stunning both men and sending them to the floor.

Mid-match notes:

Ziggler sets up a ladder and races up it while both men are stunned, almost reaching the title before Kingston and Swagger tip him over and send him to the outside. Kingston hits Swagger with a beautiful dropkick before slamming the ladder down on top of Swaggers hands and wrists. Ziggler is in with another shorter ladder. He takes Kofi down and wedges the other ladder in the corner, avoiding a dropkick from Kofi and connecting with a big neckbreaker.

Swagger is back in the match after having his wrist quickly taped by a medic and he slams Ziggler’s face into the mat. Swagger sets up a ladder but Kofi jumps through the ladder with a double knees to Swagger that knocks him back. Kofi begins to climb, but jumps off onto Swagger instead. Kofi puts a ladder on top of Swagger, but ends up eating a rocker dropper into the ladder from Ziggler. Everyone is down and Vickie Guerrero is in the ring. She begins climbing the ladder slowly.

Kingston is in and he climbs, telling Vickie to stop. Vickie doesn’t listen and continues to climb, reaching for the belt, but Kingston begins to tip the ladder. Vickie screams, but Kofi drops the ladder when Swagger comes in and hits him with another ladder from behind. Swagger slams the ladder into Ziggler before climbing the ladder sets up in the middle of the ring. Kingston in turn picks up the smaller ladder and uses it to knock Swagger to the outside before eating a clothesline over the top rope from Ziggler.

Kingston is the first man back into the ring, but Swagger isn’t far behind, immediately locking in the ankle lock. Kingston begins scaling the ladder while Swagger keeps the ankle lock hooked in. Ziggler jumps over both men and climbs to the top of the ladder, reaching for and touching the belt. Ziggler climbs to the outside side of the ladder, and Kingston kicks Swagger off, sending him crashing down to the mat.

Kingston climbs and he and Ziggler fight it out at the top of the ladder. Kingston looks to get the advantage with a couple of quick right hands, but Ziggler is able to lock in the sleeper at the top of the ladder. Kingston fights the sleeper off and knocks Ziggler down a rung before reaching for the title. Ziggler comes back, stopping Kingston and reaching for the title himself.

The finish:

Kingston knocks Ziggler off the ladder, and Kingston has a clear shot for the title. Swagger climbs up the ladder and he and Kofi both reach for the title simultaneously grabbing it and letting it fall to the mat. Ziggler scrambles under the ladder and picks up the belt, and the referee calls for the bell.

Winner & STILL WWE Intercontinental Champion: Dolph Ziggler

Cole, King and Striker describe why this is the outcome of the match, but it still seems like a pretty big BS ending.

The Nexus is shown backstage. Wade Barrett says tonight they’re standing tonight, and it starts when they go out and win the tag team titles. Barrett reiterates that they’ll stand together. He says they’ll end it tonight, and send a message to the world that you’re either Nexus, or against us.

Divas Tag Team Tables Match
- LayCool vs. WWE Divas Champion Natalya & Beth Phoenix

Beth Phoenix is out next, to a big pop from the crowd. There are really tables everywhere for this one. Natalya, the WWE Diva’s Champion, is out next, to a huge pop from the crowd.

The start:

The match begins and LayCool tries to get the jump on Natalya and Beth, but it doesn’t last long as McCool ends up slammed on the mat and Layla ends up slammed righton top of her. Phoenix and Natalya go outside and grab the table that’s been painted with the caricature of LayCool. Natalya sets the table up in the corner and Beth shoulders both members of LayCool, but they fights out of it. Natalya sends Layla to the outside, and Beth clotheslines McCool over the top rope, almost through a table, but McCool avoids it.

Mid-match notes:

Things break down and LayCool are able to use a bit of brawling to turn things around, bringing both of the other ladies into the ring and wearing away on them with kicks, before whipping Beth right into Natalya in the corner before sending Beth through the ropes.

LayCool set up a table in the middle of the ring and begin focusing on Natalya while Phoenix is still laid out on the floor. McCool teases a Styles Crash from the top rope through the table, but Phoenix is up and trips Layla before preventing McCool from following through. Beth gets McCool into press slam position, but McCool fights out of it with an eye rake and Layla makes her way back in, allowing the tide to turn. Layla sends Natalya to the outside before recentering a table and picking up Phoenix. Layla lays into Beth with a series of strikes and kicks before she tries to suplex Beth through the table. Beth continues to resist the suplex, instead almost turning it into a double press slam with Natalya before it’s broken up by McCool.

Natalya teases a sharpshooter on McCool. Layla tries to break it up, but instead, finds herself locked in a double sharpshooter along with McCool. Phoenix taunts LayCool with the painted table, but Phoenix and Natalya gloat for too long after Natalya breaks the hold, allowing LayCool to recover and bring the attack. LayCool team up on Natalya, with McCool placing Natalya on the top turnbuckle and Layla setting up a table. LayCool go for a double superplex, but Phoenix is back up, preventing Layla from following though.

The finish:

Layla slams Phoenix head first into the ring post, and tries to go up for the double superplex again. Natalya won’t die and she fights off the attempt, pushing both women from the top on top of the table which does not break. Natalya instead jumps from the top with a cross body, putting both members of LayCool through the table at the same time.

Winners: Natalya and Beth Phoenix

Kane is shown backstage. He says Christmas is just around the corner, but the festivities just remind him that he never celebrated as a child. He was sitting alone in the darkness, and that’s how he feels now. But for the first time, he’s giving Christmas presents. He’s giving tables, ladders and chairs. And just like the children he used to despise, he’s going to play with his new toys. Kane starts screaming Merry Christmas, and pulling down Christmas decorations that are set up in the background.

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
- Santino Marella & Vladamir Kozlov (c) vs. Heath Slater &Justin Gabriel

The Tag Champs make their way out to the ring to a lot of love from the crowd, although it’s obvious they’re bigger fans of Santino right off the bat. Marella grabs the mic and says they’re the champions, that means they’re the best in the galaxy. Santino runs down an awesome rhyme, before saying he doesn’t even know those words. He says they’ll retain against the Lexus, and tonight TLC stands for Totally Lethal Cobra. Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel make their way out to spoil the fun with McGuillicuty and Harris in tow.

The start:

Santino and Gabriel kick things off for their team, with Gabriel immediately putting Santino into an arm submission. Santino is able to fight out of it and turn things around on Gabriel with a Judo toss into a side headlock. Gabriel is quick to fight out of it, but when he tries to hip toss Marella, Marella avoids it, hits a wimpy leg sweep, but follows it right up with a huge forearm.

Mid-match notes:

Slater makes his way into the match and Santino quickly takes him over into the side headlock. Slater fights out of it and puts Santino right down to the mat with a series of strikes and knees to the back of Santino’s head. Slater picks Santino up, and Santino teases the cobra, only for Slater to freak out, allowing Santino to make the tag. Kozlov comes in and quickly tosses Slater around before slamming him into the corner, kicking him, head butting him, and hitting a fall away slam that sends Slater to the outside.

Kozlov sends Slater back into the ring, slamming him back first into the apron, but Harris attacks Kozlov from behind, allowing Slater to make the tag to Gabriel. Gabriel comes in and locks in a front chancery, but Kozlov fights out of it pretty quickly. Kozlov reaches for the tag, but Gabriel stops it and tags out to Slater. Slater comes in and slams Kozlov right down to the mat. Slater locks in a front face lock, and Kozlov attempts to power his way back to his own corner. Slater cheap shots Kozlov before turning around to hit Santino and cause a distraction, allowing Slater and Gabriel to drag Kozlov back across the ring. Slater charges Kozlov, but runs right into a big head butt. Santino and Gabriel tag in and Santino comes in as a house of fire.

The finish:

Santino takes Gabriel down and teases the cobra, but McGuillicuty gets caught coming into the ring taking Santino out from behind while Harris tries to distract the ref.

Winners by DQ and STILL WWE Tag Team Champions: Santino Marella & Vladamir Kozlov

After the match Nexus begin the immediate beat down on Kozlov and Santino. Wade Barrett makes his way down with a chair in hand and uses it to take both Kozlov and Santino out and leave them laying. Barrett holds the chair up while the rest of the Nexus gloat in the ring.

Ladder Match for the #1 Contender Spot to the WWE Championship
- Sheamus vs. John Morrison

Sheamus is the first man out to the ring, his ring music interrupting the announcement of the rules, to a bit of heat from the crowd. The announcers talk about the fact that last year Sheamus won the WWE Title at the first ever TLC event, taking it from Cena in a table’s match, so he should be comfortable tonight. Sheamus is of course all decked out in his crown and robe too, just wanted to mention that. Morrison is out next to a healthy pop from the crowd.

The start:

The bell rings and Sheamus takes Morrison right into the corner before taking him over in a side headlock. Morrison fights out of it but falls to a shoulder block. Sheamus asks if that’s all Morrison’s got, and in response, Morrison grabs Sheamus and runs with him, sending both men toppling over the top rope.

Mid-match notes:

On the outside, Sheamus slams Morrison into the barricade before setting the ladder up as a bridge between the ring apron and the announce table. Sheamus tries to launch Morrison into the ladder, but Morrison ducks. Sheamus comes under the ladder, running into a big kick in the chest. Sheamus comes back with a couple of strikes, but Morrison spears Sheamus back into one of the ring barricades. Sheamus recovers fairly quickly and takes Morrison off of his feet.

Sheamus walks over and picks up a ladder, but Morrison springs up from out of nowhere and takes Sheamus down with a big splash. Morrison goes back into the ring and sets up a ladder, beginning the climb toward the contract, but Sheamus is in to stop things, backing Morrison up into the corner and using it to wedge him in the corner. Morrison fights it off, and uses the ladder to help give him height for a corkscrew dive from the top turnbuckle on top of Sheamus.

Morrison kicks at Sheamus, sending him to the outside. Morrison begins the climb up the ladder again, but Sheamus is in, catching Morrison and wedging one of his legs in between ladder rungs and hanging him upside down, before tipping the ladder over on top of Morrison. Sheamus targets Morrison’s knee, hitting it with kicks before slamming the ladder down on top of it. Sheamus picks up the ladder and sets it up in the middle of the ring.

Sheamus starts to climb, but abandons the idea when Morrison crawls toward the ladder. Sheamus puts the ladder on the ground before slamming Morrison down knee first on top of it. Morrison tries to get back in the match with a couple of quick right hands, but Sheamus takes him right back down with a right hand of his own. Sheamus ties Morrison’s leg up in the ladder and uses it, picking Morrison’s leg up by picking up the ladder, and slamming it back down into the mat. Sheamus sets up the ladder again, but Morrison won’t die, grabbing at Sheamus’ ankle. Sheamus stomps at Morrison before setting the ladder back up, and going to the outside to grab another ladder.

Sheamus rolls back into the ring with the second ladder and Morrison tries to fight him off, but Sheamus drops him to the mat. Sheamus sets up the ladder in between the bottom and middle rope in the corner, sending Morrison down knee first into the ladder before stomping away on Morrison’s knee repeatedly. Sheamus begins to climb the ladder toward the contract, but Morrison is up and he tosses a ladder at Sheamus’ back, stopping his progress. Sheamus grabs Morrison’s leg, and uses it for an awesome over the head slam. Sheamus picks up the ladder and attempts to charge at Morrison, but Morrison hits a drop toe hold, sending Sheamus down face first into the ladder. Morrison comes back with a couple of right hands and a huge kick to the side of Sheamus’ head.

Morrison goes for a clothesline, but Sheamus comes right back with the Irish curse backbreaker. Both Sheamus and Morrison go to the outside, and both bring ladders beck into the ring. Morrison and Sheamus charge each other, and Sheamus drops the ladder, grabbing at his hands. Morrison then takes his ladder and throws it straight into Sheamus’ face. Morrison sets up a ladder in between the middle and top rope in the corner and slams Sheamus into it face first before crotching him on a ladder standing on its side and sending Sheamus to the outside. Morrison picks up a ladder and presses it over his head, walking to the side of the ring and tossing the ladder out on top of Sheamus. Morrison sets up a huge ladder in the middle of the ring and slowly begins the climb.

Morrison gets to the top of the ladder, but Sheamus is there to hit a clothesline to Morrison’s knee that takes him off the ladder. Sheamus sends Morrison to the outside. Sheamus gets to the top of the ladder and reaches for the contract but it’s swaying. Morrison is in and he fights Sheamus off, sending him off of the ladder and getting his hand on the contract, but Sheamus pulls Morrison off of the ladder in powerbomb position. Sheamus walks Morrison to the side of the ring but he ends up eating a headscissors over the top rope to the outside. Morrison begins the climb up the ladder and gets to the top, but Sheamus is in to tip the ladder over and send Morrison crashing into the ropes.

Sheamus back drops Morrison over the top rope to the outside, but Morrison is able to avoid the ladder that was propped between the ring apron and announcer’s table. Sheamus begins to climb the ladder, but Morrison is on the apron and he starts fighting Sheamus off. Sheamus gets a couple of rungs up on the ladder and Morrison climbs on the ropes, teasing a superplex onto the propped up ladder. Sheamus fights it off and drags Morrison up the ladder. Both men fight on the side of the ladder in the ring, and Morrison pushes Sheamus off through the ladder propped on the announce table (which lets off a lot of sawdust for a steel ladder).

The finish:

Morrison climbs back into the ring and begins climbing up to the top of the ladder. Sheamus struggles to get back into the ring, and he tries to tip over the ladder, but Morrison gets his foot on the ropes, tips the momentum of the ladder, kicks Sheamus in the face, and pulls down the contract to win the match.

Winner & NEW #1 Contender to the WWE Championship: John Morrison

Josh Mathews is standing backstage along with the WWE Champion, The Miz. Mathews asks Miz who will be the Champion when Morrison challenges for the title. Miz says he really doesn’t care. Miz brings in Alex Riley, who’s carrying a briefcase. Miz opens the briefcase to show off his title, saying that this says he’s champion, and tonight he’s going to kill off the legend of Randy Orton. He wants everyone to see the new face of the entire WWE because he’s the Miz, and he’s awesome.

Wade Barrett is shown walking backstage with Husky Harriss, Todd Grisham tries to get a word, but they brush him off rather quickly. They walk on and go into their dressing room only to find all of the Nexus laid out. Barrett tells Husky to lock the door.

Tables Match for the WWE Championship
- The Miz (c) vs. Randy Orton

Randy Orton is the first man out to the ring to a monster pop from the crowd. The Champion is the second man out to the ring, and he’s got Alex Riley in tow of course. Riley still has the briefcase in his hand for some reason.

The start:

The bell rings and we’re ready to kick things off in this one. Orton and Miz circle each other and Orton is quick to lay in with the kicks and European uppercuts before slamming Miz down to the mat and following up with a knee to the face. Orton beats down on Miz, stomping at his face before whipping him into the corner hard and stomping away at Miz’s chest.

Mid-match notes:

Orton slams Miz head first into the corner before whipping him across the ring, but when Orton charges Miz in the corner, Riley pulls Miz out of the way. Miz capitalizes, using the opportunity to lay into Orton with a series of kicks, but when he sends Orton into the opposite corner, Orton explodes out with a big clothesline before sending Miz to the outside.

Orton slams Miz head first into the ring apron before beginning to go under the ring for a table. Riley distracts Orton for a second, before Orton walks toward him and Riley walks away. Orton sends Miz into the barricade before hitting a big suplex on the outside, only to find that Riley has slipped his table back under the ring. Orton grabs the table again and begins to bring it into the ring, but Miz responds with a baseball slide, sending the table into Orton’s face.

Miz sets up the table on the outside and picks up Orton, teasing a suplex, but Orton fights it off and comes back with a European uppercut before shouldering Miz and teasing a powerslam from the ring steps through the table. Miz sneaks out of it and takes Orton’s feet out from under him, causing Orton to slam face first into the steps. Miz grabs the top set of steps and uses the to drive into Randy Orton’s face.

Miz goes under the ring and grabs a table, setting it up and placing Orton on top of it only to have one of the legs collapse. Miz kicks away at Orton before setting the table back up and placing Orton on top of it. Miz goes to the top turnbuckle and teases a dive, but Orton rolls off of the table. Miz jumps down from the turnbuckle and brings the fight to Orton, slamming his arm down on top of the ring steps.

Miz goes under the ring again and grabs another table, sliding it into the ring before slamming Orton head first into the steps and sliding him into the ring. Miz hits his signature corner clothesline and gloats for the crowd to huge heat. Miz sets up a table, propping it in the corner before going back over to Orton and laying into his with a couple of kicks. Miz tries to whip Orton into the table, but Orton avoids it and counters with what looks like an Angle slam.

Orton goes to the corner and grabs the table, slamming it down into the Miz before setting it up in the middle of the ring. Orton sets Miz on the top turnbuckle and goes for the superplex, but Alex Riley moves the table out of the way and actually takes the table out of the ring altogether. Orton gets back to his feet and lays into Miz with a series of punches. Miz tries to respond with several of his own, but a kick to the chest and clothesline from Orton take Miz down.

Orton hits a snap powerslam that sends Miz to the apron, and when Miz tries to come back in, Orton hits a kick to Miz’s chest and follows up with his rope assisted DDT. Orton goes to the outside after another table and uses the opportunity to hit Riley with a big clothesline that takes Miz’s crony off of his feet.

Orton brings the table back into the ring and sets it up. Miz tries to attack him from behind, but Orton hits his signature backbreaker. Orton teases the RKO but goes for a powerbomb instead. Riley tries to break it up, but runs right out of the ring when Orton teases hitting him. Miz tries for the SCF, but Orton fights it off and sends Miz into the referee, Riley is in, and he eats an RKO. Orton picks up Riley and powerbombs him through the table. Miz uses the distraction to hit the SCF on Orton. Miz rolls Riley off of the table and Orton onto the wreckage. Miz gets the ref back into the ring, where he sees Orton on top of the debris, and the ref calls for the bell.

The finish:

The referee sees the footage on the screen as it plays, and calls for the match to restart. Orton jumps Miz right off of the bat and lays into him with punches before sending him into two ringside barricades and following with a big clothesline. Orton sends Miz into the ring post and sends Miz back into the ring. Orton begins to climb into the ring, but Riley hits him with a shoulderblock that knocks him back through a table that’s set up ringside. The referee calls for the bell.

Winner & STILL WWE Champion: The Miz

Rosa Mendes is shown backstage admiring Alberto Del Rio’s car. They speak to each other in Spanish, but unfortunately I don’t know Spanish. Edge is in Del Rio’s car, and Del Rio asks if Edge is here to abduct his personal ring announcer, because he doesn’t care, because he’ll just buy another one.

Edge says he thinks Kane has snapped, and he thinks he, Del Rio, and Mysterio need to team up to take out Kane. Edge then says not really. He says Del Rio wouldn’t realize that because he’s never been in a TLC match before. Del Rio says all he needs is his natural ability. All Edge has to do is ask his buddy Christian. Edge says maybe he doesn’t know Alberto, but he does know that he’s going to walk out of Houston a ten time World Heavyweight Champion. Edge walks off and Del Rio talks to himself a bit in Spanish some more.

Fatal 4-Way TLC Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
- Kane (c) vs. Edge vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio

Rey Mysterio is out first to a big pop from this Houston crowd. Alberto Del Rio’s personal ring announcer is announced, and he in turn announces Del Rio. I’d like to take this opportunity to note that this match will probably be fairly hectic, so please bear with me during this one as I’ll try to cover as much as possible. Edge is out third for this match, to a really large pop from the crowd. The World Heavyweight Champion, Kane, is the last man out to the ring, to a fairly apathetic reaction from the crowd.

The start:

Kane goes right for Edge at the beginning of the match, taking him to the outside. Del Rio goes after Mysterio with a kick to the leg and a series of rights to the side of Mysterio’s head before whipping him across the ring. Mysterio comes right back with a headscissors that sends Del Rio into the middle turnbuckle, setting him up for a low dropkick. Kane and Edge take each other out on the outside and Mysterio rolls to the floor to grab a ladder. Mysterio brings the ladder into the ring and sets it up under the title, running right up the ladder and reaching for the belt. Del Rio comes in from behind and tips the ladder over, sending Mysterio crashing to the outside on top of Edge and Kane.

Mid-match notes:

Mysterio is quick to get back to his feet and comes into the ring with another ladder in hand, but he finds himself crashing down to the mat at the hands of Del Rio. Del Rio sets the ladder up in the corner, but eats a drop toe hold into the ladder. Del Rio tries to send Mysterio into the ladder from electric chair position, but Mysterio is able to jump onto the ladder, and use it with a seated senton on top of Del Rio.

Kane makes his way into the match and tosses Mysterio into the ladder, easily taking him out. Kane is taken out by Edge, but he’s quick to come back, taking Edge out with the ladder, then throwing a ladder over the top rope out on top of both Del Rio and Mysterio. Kane teases the chokeslam, but Edge blocks it and hits an implant DDT before using a ladder to knock Kane over the top rope to the outside.

Edge goes to the outside and grabs a really tall ladder, heading back inside the ring with it. Edge stops setting up the ladder to hit a baseball slide to Kane, who’s trying to bring another ladder into the match, sending the ladder right back into Kane’s own face. Edge sets up a table on the outside and goes toward Kane, but eats a quick right hand to the face. Kane slams Edge head first into the announce table before sending Edge over the barricade to the timekeeper’s area, kicking Del Rio in the face, and hitting Mysterio, laying him out.

Kane grabs a table, and goes to set it up but actually rips off one of the legs of he table in the process. Kane attacks Mysterio and then Del Rio before propping up the table against the announce table. Kane catches both Mysterio and Del Rio in chokeslam position, but Edge comes in from behind to stop it, and all three men gang up on Kane. This only lasts for a little bit before Kane and Edge turn on Del Rio, slamming him into the barricade.

Edge and Mysterio fight off Kane and use their time to set up a table. Edge and Mysterio get Kane on the table, pounding away at the Big Red Machine and trying to wear him down. Edge goes back into the ring and sets the ladder in place, climbing up and launching himself off with a big dive, sending himself crashing down through Kane and the table. Mysterio uses the opportunity to climb into the ring and set up the ladder. Mysterio goes to climb the ladder, but Del Rio is able to sneak in from behind to stop things, sending Mysterio into the corner and following with a big enzugiri.

Del Rio goes to the outside where he’s handed a chair by his ring announcer. Del Rio comes back into the ring but he eats a drop toe hold. Mysterio goes for the 619 but Del Rio ducks it, Mysterio spins around and walks right into a spear from Edge. Del Rio gets up and he too gets a spear for his troubles. Edge begins the climb up the ladder, but Kane is in to tip the ladder over, crotching Edge on the top rope. Del Rio and Mysterio come in and team up, clotheslining Kane and themselves over the top rope, but Kane is quick to come back, slamming both men into the ringside barricade.

Kane has a chair and he goes to town on everyone, but he’s eventually stopped by Edge at the top of the entrance ramp. Mysterio tries to use some of the stage props to his advantage, climbing on a table and using it to launch himself out on top of Edge. Mysterio races back to the ring and tries to set up the ladder but Del Rio is down to break it up. Mysterio is able to get both Edge and Del Rio into 619 position. Mysterio connects on Del Rio, but when he tries to hit the 619 on Edge, Edge holds up a chair and Mysterio’s legs crash into the chair.

Edge goes up the ladder, and Del Rio goes up the other side. Mysterio sets up another shorter ladder beside it, going up and knocking Del Rio off before climbing over on to his side. Rey and Edge fight it out on top of the ladder before both men come crashing down face first to the canvas. Del Rio’s ring announcer is looking around, and he pulls the same stunt as Vickie earlier, going up the ladder and trying for the title.

He makes it all the way up the ladder, but when he looks back down, Kane is standing there. Kane grabs Ricardo by the throat and comes down the hard way with a chokeslam. Kane hits a chokeslam on Del Rio, then a chokeslam to Edge to the outside through a table. Mysterio knocks down the ladders, hits a drop toe hold and 619 on Kane before hitting him with a chair and sending him to the outside.

Mysterio sets the ladder back up in the middle of the ring and reaches the top of the ladder, getting his hands on the belt, but he’s ripped down from behind by Del Rio, who picks Mysterio right up and locks in the cross arm breaker for just a bit. Del Rio looks up at the belt, but decides against it and locks the cross arm breaker in again. Del Rio breaks again and stares up at the belt, before walking over the the ladder and beginning the slow climb toward the top.

Del Rio puts his hand on the title, but Mysterio is able to tip the ladder over, sending Del Rio over the top rope crashing out to the floor and through a table. Mysterio rights the ladder and begins the climb yet again. Mysterio makes it up to the top, but Kane comes in from behind, grabbing Mystero’s ankle. Mysterio jumps from the ladder to the ropes and back flips to Kane, where he’s caught, and planted with a big tombstone piledriver in an awesome spot.

The finish:

Kane begins to climb the ladder, making it to the top of the ladder before he’s caught from behind by Edge who swings a chair hitting Kane a total of four times, bringing him down off of the ladder. Kane rolls out to the apron, where he’s speared by Edge to the floor and through the table that was propped against the announce table earlier. Edge climbs to the top of the ladder and gets his hands on the title, pulling it down and winning the match.

Winner & NEW World Heavyweight Champion: Edge

Cody Rhodes’ music hits, and the Dashing one makes his way out to the entrance ramp. He introduces himself and says Christmas has come early to Houston. Rhodes says he’s going to stuff everyone’s stocking with his grooming tips. He does say there’s a bit of bad news. They have a problem, and Houston is the problem. Rhodes says Houston is filled with carriers of an epidemic sweeping across the country. Rhodes is talking about IJS: Irritable Jowl Syndrome.

Rhodes points out where his neck and jaw meet and points out that he doesn’t have a bunch of low loose jangly neck fat. Rhodes says if it looks stupid on a rooster, it’s probably going to look stupid on some of these people in the audience too. Rhodes says it’s not time to be jolly if you’re too jowly. He tells the crowd not to stuff their face when they’re the #1 fattest city in America. He says that’s fat with a f, not a ph. He then says his skin is remarkably ph balanced. He’s interrupted by The Bella’s along with ‘Santa Claus’.

Santa is pretty obviously the Big Show, since he’s humungous. The Bella’s and Show are tossing out presents to the crowd, it looks like DVD’s. Cole keeps calling ‘Santa’, Show, and Striker and Lawler keep correcting him. Rhodes says he doesn’t appreciate being interrupted while he’s giving Dashing tips. Rhodes calls out Show. Show says he’s not Show, he’s Santa Claus. Rhodes says he’s the prime example of how not to be Dashing. Rhodes says the worst image of 2010 is the site of Big Show in his underwear in his movie Knucklehead. He calls Show a man with no dignity. Show says the problem is Rhodes is not funny.

He’s too uptight and serious, and maybe it’s because he diets too much. Show encourages Rhodes to run around in his underwear. Rhodes says Show giving him fashion advice is ridiculous, and the only thing more ridiculous is that Show is starring in movies and Rhodes is not. Rhodes calls Show a vanilla Shrek, but says Shrek probably smells better. Show says he can get Cody a part in Knucklehead 2. Rhodes slaps Show’s hands away and runs him down, screaming at him for touching his suit. Show looks sad for a bit, but then he pushes Rhodes off the ropes and comes back with a big spinebuster. Show rips the jacket and shirt off of Rhodes roughly. Show then rips off Rhodes’ pants and forces him to run around in his underwear, as Show recommended.

Barrett and Harris are shown walking toward the ring backstage. They make their way through a doorway only for Harris to eat a chair shot, taking him out. Cena comes out of the doorway and smiles, saying hey to Barrett, saying he guess that’s all before he heads off to the ring.

Chairs Match
- John Cena vs. Wade Barrett

CM Punk’s music hits, and Punk makes his way down to the broadcast area to join in on things. Striker gives up his headphones, and it looks like Punk will be taking over for Striker. This really all just seems like an attempt to artificially extend the PPV at all costs. Wade Barrett’s music hits, and the main man of Nexus makes his way out to the ring first to a little bit of heat from the crowd.

John Cena is out to the ring next, and there are chair set up everywhere around the ring, and lining both sides of the entrance ramp on the way down to the ring. Barrett is a bit apprehensive to make it into the ring after Cena has come down, but he eventually does.

The start:

The bell rings, and both men circle each other before locking up. Cena pushes Barrett back into the corner, and the ref breaks it up cleanly. Cena charges right back toward Barrett, grabbing him by the leg, pulling him into the ring and locking in a side headlock. Barrett is able to fight up to his feet and out of the hold, but Cena responds with a shoulder block.

Barrett rolls to the outside and tries for a chair, but Cena stops him, wrestling with Barrett while tossing chairs away from Barrett. Barrett is able to fight Cena off and grab a chair, which he uses to threaten and back off Cena. Barrett swings at Cena, but Cena ducks and Barrett connects with the ring apron. Another attempt and Barrett hits the ring post. Yet another and he connects with the steps. Cena rolls in the ring, out the other side, and rolls back in with a chair of his own, leveling the playing field.

Mid-match notes:

Both men swing and connect with their chairs, causing both men to drop their weapons. Cena lays into Barrett with a series of blows in the corner, before whipping Barrett across the ring, and following up with a bull dog, planting Barrett’s face on a chair. Cena goes to swing at Barrett, but Barrett pulls the ref in front of himself. Barrett uses the distraction to get in a couple of cheap shots and take Cena off of his feet. Barrett connects with a pump handle slam and goes for the pin, but he only gets a two count. Barrett hits Cena with a couple of big right hands that send him down to the mat and out of the ring.

Barrett follows to the outside, where he immediately sends Cena shoulder first into the steel ring steps. Barrett picks up a chair, and tries to hit Cena while he’s laid out on the ring steps, but Cena is able to move out of the way, and he begins crawling up the entrance ramp. Cena gets a little way away from Barrett, but Barrett smashes a chair over Cena’s back, denting it in the process.

Barrett goes back toward the ring and picks up a set of ring steps, which he brings part of the way up the entrance ramp before dropping them and simply grabbing a chair. Barrett smashes Cena across the back before going back to the steps and setting them up on their side at the bottom of the ramp. Barrett goes to the top of the ramp and tries for a powerbomb on the top of the ramp, but Cena counters with a back body drop.

Cena goes to the backstage area and comes back with a rolling chair, which Punk says he doesn’t think is legal. Cena puts Barrett in the chair and uses it to launch Barrett down the ramp and into the steel steps waiting at the bottom. Cena goes toward Barrett to toss him in the ring, but Barrett grabs a chair and smashes it into Cena’s midsection. Barrett traps Cena’s head and neck in a chair and rams Cena into the ring post. Barrett sends Cena back into the ring, and follows with a chair in hand. Barrett uses the chair to come down across Cena’s chest before standing over him and choking. Barrett kicks at Cena before putting the chair across his throat and sitting down on top of it.

Cena is able to power out of it, pushing up on the chair and launching Barrett out of it. Back on his feet Cena hits a couple of big right hands on Barrett, ducks a clothesline and hits a big shoulderblock. A second shoulderblock attempt is too much as Barrett responds by throwing a chair into Cena’s face. Barrett goes for the pin but he’s only able to get a two count. Cena picks himself back up to his feet, only to have Barrett hit a big right hand, and end up being ties up with his arms trapped in the ropes. Barrett grabs a chair, and uses it to bury it in Cena’s midsection. Barrett goes to the outside and hits Cena in the back while he’s still tied up. Barrett climbs back into the ring and Cena is still struggling with the ropes. Barrett picks the chair up again and goes to swing but Cena is able to connect with a kick, get out of the ropes, and hit a big belly to back suplex before following up with a five knuckle shuffle.

Cena goes for the AA, but Barrett fights out of it, hitting a big side slam that’s good for a two count. Barrett goes back to the outside and grabs another chair, bringing it in and wedging it in the corner between the top and middle rope. Barrett goes to send Cena into the chair, but Cena counters. Barrett stops himself from crashing into the chair, but turns around almost into the STF. Barrett fights it off and kicks Cena, sending him crashing head first into the chair in the corner. Barrett grabs yet another chair and brings it back into the ring. Barrett drags Cena toward the corner, before grabbing a chair and climbing up to the middle turnbuckle. Barrett jumps off with the chair in hand but Cena is able to get out of the way, and Barrett simply crashes and burns.

Cena is the first man to get to the chair, and he gets to his feet and uses it to crack Barrett across the back. Cena goes to the top turnbuckle himself, also with a chair in his hand. Cena waits for Barrett to get back to his feet and drops the top rope leg drop, chair assisted of course, on Barrett. Cena goes to the outside and grabs even more chairs, taking the total in the ring up to six. Cena sets the chairs up 2×3 with all of the seats pressed against each other.

The finish:

Cena picks Barrett up and shoulders him, walking him over to get him into position, and hitting an AA, laying Barrett out across all of the chairs. Cena pins Barrett, and this one is over.

Winner: John Cena

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