WWE Raw: July 29, 2013 Results

The 1053rd edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you from the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, TX. On a stacked card of Monday night action, WWE Champion John Cena would renew an old rivalry as “The Champ” goes one-on-one with “The Sin City Cyborg” Ryback in a Tables Match. The #1 Contender for John Cena’s WWE Championship at SummerSlam would also be in action on RAW as Daniel Bryan would go one-on-one with his former tag team partner, “The Big Red Monster” Kane! In a unique first-time meeting, “Mr. Monday Night” Rob Van Dam would go one-on-one with “The Lord of Dance” Fandango. RAW would also see World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio facing “Captain Charisma” Christian in a non-title match, The Shield facing Mark Henry and Jimmy & Jey Uso in a 6-Man Tag Match, and intense personal rivals facing off as Divas Champion AJ Lee faces Kaitlyn in a non-title match!

Match Results

• 6-Man Tag: The Shield def. Mark Henry and Jimmy & Jey Uso by Dean Ambrose pinning Jimmy Uso following the Headlock Driver.
• Rob Van Dam def. Fandango (with Summer Rae) by intentional count-out.
• Non-Title: Kaitlyn def. AJ Lee by pin following the Spear.
• Dolph Ziggler def. Big E. Langston by DQ after AJ Lee interferes.
• Non-Title: Christian def. Alberto Del Rio by roll-up.
• Cody Rhodes def. Wade Barrett by pin following Cross Rhodes.
• Daniel Bryan def. Kane by roll-up.
• Brie Bella (with Nikki Bella) def. Natalya by roll-up.
• Non-Title: Curtis Axel def. R-Truth by DQ after CM Punk interferes.
• Tables Match: Non-Title: John Cena def. Ryback.

Detailed Results

RAW kicks off with WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon, who is accompanied by RAW General Manager Brad Maddox, as both the show’s boss and the company’s boss make their way to the ring. After welcoming everyone to the show, the Chairman hands the microphone to Brad Maddox, who apologizes for his “bone-headed” decision to allow John Cena to select his SummerSlam opponent. Mr. McMahon then takes the microphone back, saying that the GM called Daniel Bryan a “troll” and has “psychological problems”, as well as saying that Bryan does not have the “aura of being a WWE Champion”, asking Maddox how he “really feels” about Daniel Bryan. However, before the RAW GM can answer, he is interrupted by the arrival of the #1 Contender for the WWE Title at SummerSlam, Daniel Bryan. Bryan says that the words may have come out of the mouth of Brad Maddox, but he believes they were dictated by Mr. McMahon. Maddox begins to speak, but the Chairman dismisses the GM, who exits the ring. McMahon then tells Daniel Bryan that he is showing a “lack of respect”, but Bryan argues that respect is a “two-way street”, saying that the Chairman has not given him an “ounce of respect”. McMahon then alleges that John Cena was lying when he said that Bryan “earned” the #1 Contender’s spot and that Bryan is the hottest thing in the WWE, saying that the WWE Champion has made Bryan look “foolish”, asking Bryan if he is a fool. McMahon continues, telling the #1 Contender that Daniel Bryan cannot beat John Cena and Bryan cannot even defeat Kane later tonight. McMahon tells Daniel Bryan that Bryan lacks “ruthless aggression” and that is why he cannot beat Cena before admitting that he does not want John Cena to be the WWE Champion because Cena walks around like he owns the whole company.

McMahon continues, saying that, just because he does not want Cena to be the WWE Champion does not mean that he wants the “biggest embarrassment to WWE management” to take place by having a “half-pint troll” like Daniel Bryan wearing the company’s most prestigious championship. The Chairman then says that he is the only who will “win” come SummerSlam, pitching a scenario where Cena and Bryan lock up and they both spontaneously combust, never to be seen or heard from again, saying that is what he is hoping for at SummerSlam. Daniel Bryan says that John Cena will have “hell to pay” if the WWE Champion is lying to him. Bryan then says that Mr. McMahon is always “honest” to him, but it does not matter what the Chairman thinks, it only matters what the fans think and, to him, it sounds like they want a new WWE Champion come SummerSlam. Bryan continues, telling the Chairman to listen to the WWE fans as he asks the fans if they want a new WWE Champion with the fans responding with an overwhelming “yes” chant led by Daniel Bryan!

The opening match of the night would see a 6-Man collision as The Shield, United States Champion Dean Ambrose and WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns, would face the team of “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry and Jimmy & Jey Uso in a 6-Man Tag match. In the end, it was Dean Ambrose hitting the Headlock Driver on Jimmy Uso en route to picking up the win for The Shield. After the match, Mark Henry would show that he is not done with The Shield as “The World’s Strongest Man” attacks all three members of The Shield, tossing them out of the ring before the trio retreats through the crowd.

In a piece of footage captured before RAW went on the air, Ryback is backstage at catering, which is where the big man decides to bully an innocent bystander, slapping the man and smashing food all over his face before lifting the smaller man up and slamming him through the catering table!

Backstage, “The Big Red Monster” Kane barges into the office of RAW General Manager Brad Maddox, demanding to know where The Wyatt Family is. However, the GM tells Kane that he does not know where they are at, but suggests that Kane use his match against Daniel Bryan to “send a message” to The Wyatt Family.

In a unique first-time meeting on RAW, “Mr. Monday Night” Rob Van Dam would go one-on-one with “The Lord of Dance” Fandango, with Summer Rae in his corner. During the match, Rob Van Dam would knock Fandango to the outside and it was then that Fandango would decide that he did not want any more of “Mr. Monday Night”, opting to take a count-out loss to RVD.

In an emotionally-charged non-title match, RAW would see Divas Champion AJ Lee, with Big E. Langston in her corner, going one-on-one with the former champion, Kaitlyn. In the end, it was Kaitlyn catching AJ Lee with the Spear, pinning the Divas Champion to pick up the win. After the loss, the Divas Champion throws a tantrum, screaming and pounding the mat, but things would get worse for AJ Lee when her ex-boyfriend, Dolph Ziggler, comes out! “The Show-Off” congratulates AJ Lee on her loss, saying that she can cry on Big E. Langston’s shoulder and, later, Langston can cry on AJ’s shoulder because he wants a match with Big E. Langston right now!

Dolph Ziggler would then get his wish as “The Show-Off” went one-on-one with Big E. Langston, with AJ Lee in his corner. In the middle of the match, after Dolph Ziggler tosses Big E. Langston to the outside, AJ Lee rushes the ring, scratching and clawing at the face of Dolph Ziggler, resulting in a disqualification victory for Ziggler! After the match, Big E. Langston was livid at AJ’s involvement, but amidst the argument, Dolph would slide back into the ring, hitting Langston with the Zig Zag!

With Alberto Del Rio set to announce who he will defend the World Heavyweight Title against at SummerSlam this Friday on SmackDown, “Captain Charisma” would be looking prove himself to the champion in a direct fashion as Christian would go one-on-one with the World Heavyweight Champion himself, Alberto Del Rio, in a non-title match. At the end of a grueling match, it was Christian countering the cross armbreaker into a roll-up, surprising Del Rio to pick up the win over the World Heavyweight Champion.

After taking Damien Sandow’s Money-in-the-Bank briefcase and tossing it into the Gulf of Mexico on SmackDown, Cody Rhodes was in action on RAW as the second-generation star would go one-on-one with Wade Barrett. In the end, it was Cody Rhodes hitting the Cross Rhodes on Wade Barrett en route to picking up the win. After the match, a livid Damien Sandow comes out, telling Cody Rhodes that he has “filed a complaint” with WWE management about Rhodes’ actions on SmackDown. Sandow continues, saying that he comes from a “family of scholars”, while Rhodes comes from a “family of clowns”, saying that “carny folk” are beneath him, backing off from a potential fight with Cody Rhodes.

In his first appearance since being laid to waste by The Wyatt Family three weeks ago on RAW, “The Big Red Monster” Kane would go one-on-one with his former friend and former tag team partner in the #1 Contender for the WWE Title, Daniel Bryan. At the end of a back-and-forth match, it was Daniel Bryan countering an attempted chokeslam by Kane into a roll-up, surprising “The Big Red Monster” to pick up the win. After the match, an angry and frustrated Kane would take out his frustrations on Daniel Bryan with a thunderous chokeslam!

After Daniel Bryan exits the ring, Kane would get his wish as The Wyatt Family descends upon RAW as Bray Wyatt leads Luke Harper & Erick Rowan to the ring. Surrounded by Luke Harper & Erick Rowan, Kane would slide out of the ring, intent on taking out the head of the trio, Bray Wyatt. However, Harper & Rowan would quickly rescue their leader, attacking Kane and rolling him back into the ring and, despite a flurry of offense from Kane, Harper & Rowan would overwhelm Kane, leaving “The Big Red Monster” at Bray Wyatt’s mercy as Wyatt enters the ring, planting Kane with his vicious twisting neckbreaker! Wyatt then speaks to his victim, saying that Kane likes to refer to himself as “The Devil’s Favorite Demon”, but Kane is “no demon” and Kane ought to be careful who he says those things in front of because you “never know who might be listening”.

Following a confrontation earlier in the day where Brie Bella called Natalya an “ugly duckling”, Natalya would face Brie Bella on RAW. During the match, Natalya would go for the Sharpshooter on Brie Bella, but Brie’s sister, Nikki, would come out using a duck call to distract Natalya long enough for Brie to catch Natalya with a roll-up for the win.

The Intercontinental Champion was in action on RAW as Curtis Axel, with Paul Heyman in his corner, went one-on-one with R-Truth in a non-title match. During the match, CM Punk would rush out, pulling Curtis Axel out of the ring and tossing the Intercontinental Champion into the ringside barricade, leaving Paul Heyman all alone! Punk would chase his former friend, catching Heyman before he could escape through the crowd, but before Punk would get his hands on Heyman, Curtis Axel would attack CM Punk, sparking a brief brawl that ends with Punk sending the Intercontinental Champion over the barricade. Unfortunately for CM Punk, Paul Heyman would use the distraction to make his escape, avoiding the wrath of CM Punk for the time being.

Backstage, WWE COO Triple H confronts his father-in-law, Mr. McMahon, asking if the Chairman is done pulling the strings for Brad Maddox and running down Daniel Bryan. McMahon says that all he wants is someone who can beat John Cena, someone like Triple H, but someone who is “twenty-three years younger”! This brings in Stephanie McMahon, who pitches a “corporate makeover” for Daniel Bryan. The Chairman scoffs at the idea, wishing his daughter good luck while Triple H reluctantly admits that it’s “worth a shot”!

Then it was time for the main event as, just a few weeks before he defends the WWE Title against Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam, WWE Champion John Cena would go one-on-one with “The Sin City Cyborg” Ryback in a non-title Tables Match, where the only way to win is by putting your opponent through a table. During the match, Ryback would send John Cena into the steel ring post on the outside before charging at the WWE Champion with a table, but Cena would narrowly move out of the way and the table would break in half over the ring post! Later on in the match, John Cena would narrowly avoid getting put through a table by Ryback before both men pick up the top halves of the steel steps with both Superstars standing off, which ends with both men tossing their respective steel steps at each other. Shortly after this, Ryback would set a table up in the corner of the ring, but John Cena would dodge a charging Ryback, hoisting Ryback up on his shoulders before driving him through the table with the Attitude Adjustment to pick up the win. After the match, Daniel Bryan would come out to ringside and, unknown to Cena, Bryan would grab the WWE Title belt and slide into the ring. Cena then turns around, ready to fight Bryan, but Bryan feigns handing the title belt over to Cena, so Cena snatches the belt out of Bryan’s hands, telling Bryan that he will have to “earn” the title!

What did you think of this week’s RAW? Post your comments in the box below.

Top 10 Superstars of the week: July 28

This is where I rank the top 10 superstars who have made an Impact, had   victories or have gained momentum throughout the week on RAW and/or Smackdown. The top 10 are my own opinion. The List are as follows :  

   1. John Cena  (Last Week no.1)

The WWE Champion stays at number 1 for the third straight week. The champ will face Ryback in a Tables match on next weeks RAW.

2. Daniel Bryan (Last Week no.5)

Daniel Bryan defeated not one, not two but three superstars on RAW in a gauntlet match but still didn't seem impressed after John Cena came out to help him in his match with Ryback. Bryan will now face his former Best Friend Kane on RAW next week.

 3. Randy Orton  (last week no.2)

Mr Money In The Bank keeps his place in the top three this week after an impressive victory over the other Mr Money In The Bank Damien Sandow on Smackdown, The question now remains, When will The Viper cash in his briefcase?

4. Alberto Del Rio (Last Week no.6)

The World Heavyweight Champion makes his way into the top 5 this week after a sequence of good results against Sheamus on RAW and Rob Van Dam on Smackdown, We now await Del Rios challenger for Summerslam.

 5. Dolph Ziggler (Last Week no.10)

The Showoff seems to have regained focus after dumping AJ as he picked up a impressive victory over the Prime Time Players on RAW.

6. CM Punk (No entry Last Week)

CM Punk doesn't look to have any fear of Brock Lesnar after a match at Summerslam was announced between the two. CM Punk also delivered a pipe bomb on smackdown which ultimately led to him dropping Fandango with a GTS when he interrupted Mr Straight Edge.

7. The Shield  (last week no.3)

The Shield have lost momentum over the past week or so after Mark Henry called them out. The Usos still look to have unfinished business with the Hounds Of Justice which may lead to another match at Summerslam.

8. Damien Sandow (Last Week no.4)

After a defeat at the hands of Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes stole Sandows Briefcase which angered the Intellectual Savior, Cody then threw the Briefcase into the Gulf Of Mexico which rounded of a very disappointing week for Sandow.

9. Rob Van Dam ( Last Week no.8)

RVD has had a mixed bag this week in WWE, a win on RAW but then a quick loss on Smackdown at the hands of the WHC Alberto Del Rio, still Mr One Of Kind remains in the top 10 this week.

10. AJ Lee (Last Week no.9)

After giving a "State of Address" on Smackdown, AJ made it clear that she has still not came to terms with the fact that she is no longer with her former boyfriend Dolph Ziggler.

WWE RAW Results: July 22, 2013

The 1052nd edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you, live, from the Frank Erwin Center at UT Austin in Austin, TX. After Brock Lesnar brutally assaulted CM Punk at the behest of Paul Heyman on last week’s RAW, what is the status of CM Punk? Will “The Best in the World” be on RAW to respond to the assault?

Match Results

• Non-Title: Alberto Del Rio def. Sheamus by roll-up.
• Christian def. Titus O’Neil (with Darren Young) by pin following the Killswitch.
• Dolph Ziggler def. Darren Young by pin following the Zig Zag.
• Cody Rhodes def. Fandango (with Damien Sandow) by pin following Cross Rhodes.
• Rob Van Dam def. Wade Barrett by pin following the Five-Star Frog Splash.
• Gauntlet Match: Match #1: Daniel Bryan def. Jack Swagger by submission to the Yes Lock.
• Gauntlet Match: Match #2: Daniel Bryan def. Antonio Cesaro (with Zeb Colter & Jack Swagger) by roll-up.
• Gauntlet Match: Match #3: Daniel Bryan def. Ryback by DQ after Ryback puts Daniel Bryan through a table.

Detailed Results

RAW opens with the General Manager of RAW, Brad Maddox, in the ring as the GM would present the official contract signing for the WWE Championship match between John Cena and Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam. Maddox first introduces the WWE Champion, John Cena, who makes his way to the ring and takes his seat. The GM immediately begins to question Cena hand-picking Daniel Bryan to be his next challenger. The WWE Champion explains that he chose Daniel Bryan because the WWE fans wanted Bryan to be the new #1 Contender, but Maddox says that some people are saying that Cena only selected Bryan because Cena is “stronger” than Bryan and Bryan is a “troll” who is “severely unstable” and cannot hold a relationship together. This brings out the #1 Contender himself, Daniel Bryan, which electrifies the Austin crowd with an eruption of “yes” chants and “Daniel Bryan” chants. Daniel Bryan confronts the GM, saying that it seems like the fans disagree with Maddox’s views on him and Brad Maddox immediately quizzes Daniel Bryan on why Bryan thinks he deserves a shot at the WWE Title.

John Cena fields the question himself, saying that Maddox and the “dumbasses” that he works for are afraid to see “god given talent” like Daniel Bryan. Cena continues, saying that if “size matters” in the WWE, then Maddox should go hand the WWE Title to The Great Khali, but he knows that legends like Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, and Eddie Guerrero are a perfect example of how passion and athleticism means more than size. Cena then says that he chose Daniel Bryan as his challenger is because Bryan deserves it, telling Daniel Bryan that he picked Bryan to compete in the match and it does not mean that he is just going to hand the WWE Championship to Bryan. Cena then signs the contract, saying that he will defend the WWE Title at SummerSlam and Daniel Bryan is the best in the WWE right now, but he will prove that the best is still not “good enough”. With a smile on his face, Daniel Bryan does not hesitate to sign the contract to make the WWE Title match at SummerSlam official. Brad Maddox cuts Daniel Bryan off from speaking, but Bryan shouts “no” at the GM, saying that he deserves his moment. Maddox then says that he is going to give Daniel Bryan the opportunity to prove himself tonight on RAW, saying that Bryan will compete in multiple matches, emphatically chanting “no”, he does not think Bryan will be able to prove himself!

Competing for the first time since the grueling Money-in-the-Bank All-Stars Ladder Match, the opening match of RAW would see “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus, still sporting a giant bruise on his quadriceps muscle from Money-in-the-Bank, face World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio in a non-title match. Throughout the match, Alberto Del Rio would work on the injured leg of Sheamus and, in the end, the work would pay off as, when Sheamus went for White Noise on Del Rio, the injured leg gave out and it allowed the World Heavyweight Champion to capitalize, catching “The Celtic Warrior” with a roll-up, hooking the bad leg to pick up the win.

After they were both fired in favor of Vickie Guerrero being named the new General Manager of SmackDown, former General Manager Booker T and his former Senior Advisor, Theodore Long, were interviewed on RAW. Booker T says that he respects Mr. McMahon’s decision, but he was a bit “shocked” by the whole situation. Theodore Long says that he filled in for Booker T for three long months, saying that Booker would not believe the “abuse” that he had to endure while Booker relaxed at home. Booker reminds Theodore Long that he had to have surgery to repair his triceps tear, but Long says that he was still left to run SmackDown by himself and, after all he has done for SmackDown, Vickie still had him thrown out of the building Friday night. Booker T then says that, if Long keeps running his mouth, he will toss Theodore Long out of the arena himself. Long fires back, saying that Mr. McMahon made the right decision in firing Booker T as the General Manager.

Christian was in action on RAW as “Captain Charisma” went one-on-one with one-half of The Prime Time Players, Titus O’Neil, with Darren Young in his corner. In the end, it was Christian planting Titus O’Neil with the Killswitch en route to picking up the win.

After he was assaulted by all three members of The Shield on last week’s RAW, “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry would appear on RAW to respond to the attack. Mark Henry says that he is proud of the fact that he was born and raised in Texas and he is proud of the match he had with John Cena at Money-in-the-Bank, but what he is not proud of is what happened to him at the hands of The Shield last week. Mark Henry continues, saying that when he takes a beating, he gives one back. With that, Mark Henry actually calls out The Shield, who waste no time in making their way through the crowd as United States Champion Dean Ambrose and WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns surround the ring. Much like last week, The Shield enters the ring and Mark Henry briefly holds the trio off single-handedly, but the numbers get the better of Mark Henry. However, Jimmy & Jey Uso rush to the aid of “The World’s Strongest Man” and, together, they take Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins out of the ring. Alone in the ring, Roman Reigns found himself at the mercy of Mark Henry and Jimmy & Jey Uso as Mark Henry squashes Reigns in the corner with a big splash before Ambrose & Rollins pull Reigns out of the ring, rescuing their teammate and retreating through the crowd.

Last week, he was attacked by his ex-girlfriend, AJ Lee, and laid out with the Big Ending by Big E. Langston and, this week, “The Show-Off” Dolph Ziggler would go one-on-one with Darren Young of The Prime Time Players. In the end, it was Dolph Ziggler hitting the Zig Zag on Darren Young en route to picking up the win. After the match, AJ Lee would lead Big E. Langston to the ring, but Dolph Ziggler would use his speed to dodge Langston as “The Show-Off” tosses Langston to the outside and, when Langston slides into the ring, Dolph slides out, avoiding the big man.

With The Miz in the ring, it was time for a special edition of Miz TV as “The Awesome One” would feature the cast of Total Divas on the E! Network as Natalya, Cameron, Naomi, The Bella Twins, and the two new arrivals, Eva Marie & JoJo. However, The Miz then turns things over to Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler, who greets the Divas, shaking hands with JoJo, but when Lawler tries to shake the hand of Eva Marie, the new arrival says that she is here to make a name for herself, slapping the legend across the face!

Backstage, RAW General Manager Brad Maddox is confronted by WWE COO Triple H, who asks the GM if he thinks that Daniel Bryan is not “championship material”. The COO says that Mr. McMahon has been putting words in Maddox’s mouth. Triple H then says that he believes that Daniel Bryan is the future of the WWE, telling Brad Maddox that there are two trains leaving the station, one that leads to the future and the other leads to a “dead end”. The COO exits and his wife, Stephanie McMahon, enters, telling the GM that he needs to make sure to “get on board”.

“The Lord of Dance” was in action on RAW as Fandango, with Summer Rae in his corner, went one-on-one with Cody Rhodes with “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Damien Sandow a guest on commentary. During the match, Cody Rhodes would go for a standing moonsault on Fandango, but Fandango would dodge it, rolling to the outside of the ring. With the referee’s attention on Fandango, Damien Sandow would try to get involved in the match, but Rhodes would end up hitting the Disaster Kick, hitting both Sandow and Fandango. Rhodes then hits Cross Rhodes on Fandango en route to picking up the win.

One week after being the victim of a heinous assault at the hands of Brock Lesnar, all orchestrated by Paul Heyman, “The Best in the World” CM Punk would make an appearance on RAW to respond to the attack that left him with bruised ribs and strained ligaments in his knee and ankle. Punk admits that he got his “ass handed” to him by Brock Lesnar last week and he knew that he was dealing with a “freak” of an athlete. Punk then says that, no matter what Brock did to him last week, he still got up and, one week later, he is hurting, but still standing. Punk says that Lesnar can beat him down, but cannot keep him down. Punk continues, saying that Lesnar’s biggest strength has always been about one thing, “fear”, saying that he has seen some of the toughest men in the WWE buckle at the sight of Brock Lesnar, but he is “not afraid” of Brock Lesnar! Punk then shifts his focus to Paul Heyman, saying that Heyman made the “wrong” decision and he will make sure that Heyman regrets it every day of his life. Punk continues, vowing that he will not rest until he leaves Brock Lesnar in the same heap that Brock left him in last week and it does not matter what Paul Heyman or Brock Lesnar thinks, he is standing in his ring! Punk says that he has consistently proven that he owns that ring against the likes of John Cena, The Rock, and The Undertaker and he would have done the same against Brock Lesnar had it not been for Paul Heyman’s involvement. Punk continues that he is not going to stand out there and pretend like Lesnar is not a “monster”, but monsters were put on this earth “to be slaughtered”!

Punk then says that he wants Brock Lesnar one-on-one right now, but he knows that Lesnar is not in the arena, so Punk lays out an open challenge to Brock Lesnar for SummerSlam, saying he wants it to be “The Best” vs. “The Beast”! Paul Heyman then appears on the Tron, live via satellite, saying that, through the miracle of technology, neither he nor Brock Lesnar have to set foot in the state of Texas. Heyman then asks Punk if he is a “coward” or “fool” who is “too stupid to stay down”. Punk says that he will give that answer to Heyman and his client come SummerSlam, demanding that Heyman tell him where he is at. Heyman ignores the demand, saying that Brock Lesnar is in the “best fighting shape” of his life, but Punk is all beat up from last week’s Money-in-the-Bank All-Stars Ladder Match and last week’s beating on RAW. On behalf of Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman accepts CM Punk’s challenge for SummerSlam, saying that “The Best” is “The Beast”, Brock Lesnar, who Heyman claims is his new “best friend”!

After making his return at Money-in-the-Bank, followed up by a classic match with Chris Jericho on RAW, “Mr. Monday Night” was in action on RAW as Rob Van Dam went one-on-one with Wade Barrett. In the end, it was Rob Van Dam hitting Wade Barrett with the Five-Star Frog Splash en route to picking up the win.

Then it was time for the main event as the new #1 Contender for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam, Daniel Bryan, would compete in a Gauntlet Match, where Bryan must face back-to-back opponents. Daniel Bryan’s first opponent was one-half of The Real Americans, Jack Swagger, with Zeb Colter & Antonio Cesaro in his corner. In the end, it was Daniel Bryan locking the Yes Lock in on Jack Swagger, forcing Swagger to tap out to advance in the Gauntlet Match.

In the second leg of the Gauntlet Match, Daniel Bryan would face the other half of The Real Americans, Antonio Cesaro, with Zeb Colter & Jack Swagger in his corner. At the end of an incredible match, it was Daniel Bryan overcoming interference from Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger, catching Antonio Cesaro with a roll-up to pick up the win and stay alive in the Gauntlet Match.

The third and final portion of the Gauntlet Match would pit Daniel Bryan against the remorseless “Sin City Cyborg” Ryback. During the match, Ryback would get the advantage in the match and would decide to set up a table on the outside, but Daniel Bryan would dive to the outside, taking Ryback down. However, Ryback would shove Daniel Bryan into the steel steps before Ryback finishes adjusting the table. Daniel Bryan would try everything to put down the monster, but Ryback would spot his opportunity for destruction on the outside of the ring as, following a powerbomb onto the arena floor, Ryback would hoist Daniel Bryan up again, this time driving Daniel Bryan through a table, which results in a disqualification win for Daniel Bryan! After the match, Ryback was set to do even more damage to Daniel Bryan, but John Cena would rush out as the WWE Champion makes the save, knocking Ryback out of the ring. The WWE Champion then grabs a microphone, challenging Ryback to a Tables Match on next week’s RAW, which Ryback accepts! Backstage, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon confronts RAW General Manager Brad Maddox, saying that he will make the Tables Match official for next week and, at the ‘encouragement’ of the Chairman, Maddox places Daniel Bryan in a match against his former tag team partner, Kane, for next week!

What did you think of this week’s RAW? Post your comments in the box below.

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Chris Jericho Tweeted farewell to WWE Universe

Just days after Chris Jericho's epic showdown with Rob Van Dam on Raw, the nine-time Intercontinental Champion revealed on Twitter that he is taking a break from WWE.

So long to @WWE for now…2013 was one of my favorite in ring yrs ever! Thx for always sticking w Y2J & see u on the road soon w @FOZZYROCK!
— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) July 17, 2013

The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla is scheduled to compete this Friday on SmackDown (8/7 CT on Syfy). Will it be Jericho’s final match in WWE, or will he return to action when the time is right?

With Y2J’s history of making surprise entrances, we certainly aren’t counting him out yet!

Jericho recalls his 1999 debut on Raw | Jericho's Superstar profile 

WWE RAW Results: July 15, 2013

One night after a brutal and shocking Money-in-the-Bank, the 1051st edition of WWE Monday Night RAW came to you, live, for the first time ever, from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. On a night full of surprises, two men can now call themselves “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” as nine-time former World Champion Randy Orton overcame CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Christian, and the returning Rob Van Dam to win the Money-in-the-Bank briefcase for a guaranteed WWE Title match, while “The Intellectual Savior of the Masses” Damien Sandow betrayed his so-called “best friend” Cody Rhodes to secure the other Money-in-the-Bank briefcase, earning himself a future shot at the World Heavyweight Championship! Also at Money-in-the-Bank, John Cena overcame a determined Mark Henry, forcing “The World’s Strongest Man” to tap out to retain the WWE Championship, but with Randy Orton now lurking in the shadows, is Cena’s time as WWE Champion coming to an end? One of the more controversial occurrences at Money-in-the-Bank revolved around AJ Lee as the Divas Champion blatantly cost her boyfriend, Dolph Ziggler, the World Heavyweight Title by smashing Alberto Del Rio with the Divas Title! What does this mean for Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee? Another shocking betrayal came at the hands of Paul Heyman as, with CM Punk all but poised to become a three-time Money-in-the-Bank winner, Heyman used a ladder to annihilate his former client, leaving Punk bloodied and, no doubt, furious. What explanation will Paul Heyman have for screwing CM Punk over? How will CM Punk react to Heyman’s betrayal?

Match Results

• Randy Orton def. Fandango by pin following the RKO.
• Non-Title: Alberto Del Rio (with AJ Lee) def. Dolph Ziggler by pin following a straight kick to the head.
• Christian def. Damien Sandow by roll-up.
• Naomi def. Brie Bella by pin with a high cross body.
• Rob Van Dam def. Chris Jericho by pin following the Five-Star Frog Splash.

Detailed Results

RAW kicks off with a drumroll as the brand new General Manager of RAW, Brad Maddox, makes his way to the ring and wastes no time in announcing a big rematch for RAW as, one night after AJ Lee got Dolph Ziggler disqualified in his World Heavyweight Title match against champion Alberto Del Rio, “The Show-Off” will go one-on-one with the World Heavyweight Champion on RAW! Before the new GM can continue, he is interrupted by the man who made Mark Henry tap out at Money-in-the-Bank to successfully retain the WWE Championship, John Cena. Cena tells the GM that this is the only time of the “Maddox Era” that he will be the second most hated man in the ring. The WWE Champion says that everyone should give Brad Maddox the “chance” to be a good General Manager. Maddox says that he “admires” how Cena treats those “less privileged” than himself and that is why he is going to allow Cena to hand-pick his new #1 Contender for the WWE Title at SummerSlam. Cena says that is a “stupid” decision, saying that he could literally pick anyone he wants, from Doc Hendrix to Dutch Mantel to even Michael Cole!

However, John Cena is interrupted by the new “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Randy Orton, who warns Brad Maddox that Cena may not even be the WWE Champion come SummerSlam. Orton continues, saying that he is not going to cash in his title shot tonight because he does not want to make the same “stupid mistake” that Cena did last year when Cena let CM Punk know a week ahead of time that he was cashing in his title opportunity, ultimately failing to win the title. Orton then says that he believes in being “straight-up”, telling Cena that, when he decides to cash in Money-in-the-Bank, the WWE Champion will “never see it coming”! This is followed by an unexpected interruption as Fandango, with Summer Rae in tow, prances his way to the ring, telling Orton that he will be cashing in Money-in-the-Bank against him, not John Cena! Fandango then claims that there is only one man that the world wants to see Cena defend the WWE Title against at SummerSlam and that is Fandango. Not known for his patience, Randy Orton pops Fandango with a right hand, sparking a brawl between Orton and Fandango with Orton ultimately getting the better of Fandango, tossing the dancer to the outside! This prompts Brad Maddox to make an impromptu match between Randy Orton and Fandango as the GM calls for a referee to start the match!

Following a brawl between the two moments earlier, the opening match of the night would see the new “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank”, Randy Orton, going one-on-one with “The Dancing Enigma” Fandango, with Summer Rae in his corner. Despite an impressive outing from Fandango, Randy Orton would overcome, dropping Fandango with the RKO en route to picking up the win.

Backstage, AJ Lee catches up with Dolph Ziggler and Ziggler tells AJ to stop apologizing about what she did at Money-in-the-Bank because it’s time to “move on”. AJ says that she is glad to hear that, hugging Dolph Ziggler, but Dolph elaborates, saying that it is time for him to “move on” from her, sternly telling AJ that they are through!

One night after failing to win the WWE Championship from John Cena at Money-in-the-Bank, “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry appears in suit and tie on RAW, saying that he took Cena to the limit and he came closer than ever to winning the WWE Championship. Henry continues, saying that he is not out there to make “excuses” and he is definitely not out there to “apologize”, but he knows that John Cena can pick anyone to face at SummerSlam and he wants to be that guy, saying that he took John Cena to the limit once and he will do it again. In an unexpected interruption, the dangerous trio known as The Shield makes their way to the ring as United States Champion Dean Ambrose and WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns surround the ring. “The World’s Strongest Man” does not back down, however, as Mark Henry knocks Roman Reigns off of the ring apron, but the three-on-one advantage overwhelms Mark Henry and, despite holding his own at several points, Reigns changes things with a massive Spear to “The World’s Strongest Man”. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & Roman Reigns then manage to hoist up the super heavyweight, dropping Mark Henry with a ring-rattling three-man powerbomb!

Backstage, RAW General Manager Brad Maddox makes a huge match as he pits “Y2J” Chris Jericho against the man who made his grand return at Money-in-the-Bank, “The Whole Damn Show” Rob Van Dam!

In a non-title rematch from Money-in-the-Bank, World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio would go one-on-one with “The Show-Off” Dolph Ziggler. During the match, Dolph Ziggler hits the Fameasser on Alberto Del Rio, but as Dolph goes for the pin, the bell rings! It is then revealed that AJ Lee rang the bell and the confusion distracts Ziggler long enough for Del Rio to catch Dolph with a straight kick to the skull en route to picking up the win! After the match, the crazed AJ Lee enters the ring, waylaying Dolph Ziggler with several slaps before Big E. Langston comes in out of nowhere with a huge clothesline to Dolph, followed up by the Big Ending! With Dolph unable to defend himself, AJ kisses the unconscious Ziggler!

R-Truth was set for action on RAW, but that is when The Wyatt Family would make their presence known as Bray Wyatt leads Luke Harper & Erick Rowan to the ring and, after sitting in his signature rocking chair, Bray Wyatt sits back and watches as Harper & Rowan lay waste to R-Truth, pawing and clawing at Truth before tossing him out of the ring. With the damage done, Bray Wyatt enters the ring to stand with his charges. Wyatt says that there is “no such thing as a hero” and the fans have become “addicted to the illusion” of what a hero is and what a hero does and they need a hero to tuck them in and tell them that everything is “going to be alright”. Bray then says that the man who made them have been lying to them and, maybe, he has been the “answer” all along. However, an angry R-Truth gets on the apron with a steel chair in hand and Bray Wyatt stands in the ring as Luke Harper & Erick Rowan wait on the outside, but when Truth turns his attention away from Bray Wyatt for a split second, the big man strikes, waylaying R-Truth with lefts and rights, joined shortly by his two followers. The heinous assault then concludes with Bray Wyatt hitting a snap neckbreaker on R-Truth in the center of the ring before Bray Wyatt has a message for Kane, telling their victim from last week to “follow the buzzards”.

After failing to win the WWE Tag Team Titles from Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns on Money-in-the-Bank Kickoff, Jimmy & Jey Uso would face The Real Americans, Jack Swagger & Antonio Cesaro, with Zeb Colter in their corner. In the end, it was Jimmy Uso catching Antonio Cesaro with a roll-up to pick up the win for himself and his brother.

After betraying his tag team partner, Cody Rhodes, to win the Money-in-the-Bank briefcase for a future World Heavyweight Title match, “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” was in action on RAW as Damien Sandow went one-on-one with “Captain Charisma” Christian. In the end, it was the veteran Christian surprising Damien Sandow with a roll-up to pick up the win! Damien Sandow’s night would go from bad to worse after the match, however, as Cody Rhodes rushes the ring, pummeling his former tag team partner!

The Divas were in action on RAW as Brie Bella, with Nikki Bella in her corner, would go one-on-one with Naomi, with Cameron in her corner. In the end, it was Naomi hitting a high cross body on Brie Bella en route to picking up the win.

With thirteen staples in his head due to a heinous betrayal by Paul Heyman at Money-in-the-Bank, a battered and hurting CM Punk appears on RAW, solemnly stating that he knows Paul Heyman is in the building and he knows that Brock Lesnar is in the building, telling both men that he is not waiting any longer! This brings out Paul Heyman, who says that, in his world, CM Punk does not “exist”. Heyman then says that, in 2005, CM Punk was a figment of Paul Heyman’s imagination, so he martyred his entire career for Punk, saying that, together, they were the longest reigning WWE Champion of the last 25 years and they came within an eyelash of beating The Undertaker at WrestleMania and, together, they were the “best in the world”. Heyman continues, saying that, without him, CM Punk is “not the best in the world”, saying that Punk “failed” both of them when he did not defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Heyman then says that, when CM Punk returned, Punk thought that he was “better” than Heyman, so he “manipulated” Punk so that the history books will read that he “dumped” Punk, not the other way around. Heyman continues, telling CM Punk that he has “no family” as he is estranged from his mother and has no wife and has no children, so all he has is the “admiration” and the “respect” of the WWE fans. Heyman then says that Punk took his best friend away from him, so he took Punk’s title opportunity away, saying that, as tough as he is to deal with in business, he is even more difficult to deal with on a personal level. Heyman continues, saying that his children asked him why CM Punk never listens to him and why Brock Lesnar always listens to him before he says that the true reason he betrayed Punk at Money-in-the-Bank is because he knows that Punk cannot defeat Brock Lesnar!

CM Punk says that he should have seen Paul Heyman’s betrayal coming, saying that Heyman knows for a fact that, if he wants something bad enough, he does not stop until he gets it. Punk then swears on Heyman’s children that he is going to “get” Heyman and he is going to get everyone who has knowledge of Heyman’s betrayal, anyone from Heyman’s clients to Heyman’s family. Punk continues, saying that anyone who gets in between him and Heyman will be taken out, vowing to “rip apart and hurt” Heyman or anyone else who stands in his way. Punk then tells Heyman that Heyman has “no future” because he is going to burn down everything that surrounds Heyman until he is the last man standing and he is going to keep Heyman alive just long enough to tell him how bad he is going to hurt him, daring Heyman to tell him if he is lying! A nervous Heyman says that Punk is not lying before saying that he knows what Punk’s “immediate future” will be, mocking Punk before shouting “it’s clobbering time”. With this declaration, “The Best” Brock Lesnar makes his way to the ring with Paul Heyman in tow. However, with Punk’s focus solely on Lesnar, Heyman gets a cheap shot in on Punk from behind before Lesnar drags Punk to the outside, but Punk fights back against the monster. However, Punk’s injuries from Money-in-the-Bank would hinder Punk as Brock would repeatedly overcome Punk’s onslaught, tossing Punk over the announce table! Punk then climbs to the announce table, launching himself at “The Beast”, but Lesnar catches Punk, driving him spine-first into the steel ring post. Even then, Heyman demands more and Brock complies, hoisting Punk up and slamming the carcass of CM Punk onto the announce table with a sternum-crushing F-5! Heyman then shouts at a helpless Punk to stay out of his life before leaving with his hired gun. WWE’s medical personnel rush to aid CM Punk, but Punk refuses any medical attention, holding his ribs and his neck, unable to leave the ringside area on his own.

Backstage, RAW General Manager Brad Maddox is confronted by WWE COO Triple H & WWE Executive Vice President Stephanie McMahon, who grill the new GM on if Maddox has spoken to WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon yet. The GM admits that he has not been able to get ahold of the Chairman, which Triple H comments is common on a Monday night. WWE’s premiere power couple then take issue with Maddox’s decision to allow John Cena to select his opponent for SummerSlam, saying that Mr. McMahon may have a lot of negative things to say about Cena’s pick, assuming that the WWE Champion is going to pick who they think he is going to pick. Triple H then tells Maddox that the reason that he was hired as the new GM is because he was the only guy standing there at the time! The COO then says that he thinks everything is going to go great, wishing Maddox well on his “future endeavors”!

Making his first appearance on RAW in six years, the man known as “Mr. Monday Night”, Rob Van Dam, would go one-on-one with “Y2J” Chris Jericho on RAW! In an incredible, back-and-forth war worthy of “match of the year” status, it would end with Rob Van Dam finally hitting the Five-Star Frog Splash on Chris Jericho, which would secure the hard-fought victory for “Mr. Monday Night”!

Then it was decision-making time for John Cena as the WWE Champion must reveal who he has hand-selected to be his next challenger at SummerSlam. With nearly every WWE Superstar on the roster standing on the stage, including World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio, “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Randy Orton, Ryback, Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam, Brodus Clay, Tensai, 3MB, Sheamus, Cody Rhodes, The Miz, Christian, The Great Khali, Wade Barrett, The Prime Time Players, Jimmy & Jey Uso, Jack Swagger, Antonio Cesaro, and even The Brooklyn Brawler, WWE Champion John Cena would make his way to the ring to make his decision. However, John Cena admits that he has not made his decision yet and, while he has heard from a ton of Superstars on why they should be the #1 Contender, he has left out the most important voice and that is the voice of the WWE fans. Cena then says that he is going rattle off some of the Superstars and the fans will let him know who they want to see Cena face at SummerSlam. The champion presents Heath Slater as an option, but Slater, as well as 3MB get an overwhelming “no” from the crowd. Cena then brings up the holder of the Money-in-the-Bank contract, Randy Orton, but Orton gets a lukewarm response from the crowd. Cena then moves on to the biggest man on the stage, The Great Khali, who the fans boo as well. The fans also refuse to pick Alberto Del Rio, but when Cena mentions Chris Jericho, the crowd cheers and even more so when Cena brings up Rob Van Dam! The fans then react negatively towards both Fandango and Sheamus and also boo Ryback out of contention. The WWE Champion then asks if there is anyone else out there worthy of a title shot at the crowd erupts in a “yes” chant, followed shortly by a “Daniel Bryan” chant. John Cena then says that, if the individual he is going to select wants the title match, then he can have it. With that, the WWE Champion then reveals that, at SummerSlam, he is choosing to face Daniel Bryan with the WWE Championship on the line! This brings Daniel Bryan out, who leads a “yes” chant all the way down the ramp and into the ring and, after chanting “yes” in the face of the WWE Champion, an ecstatic Bryan continues to lead the Brooklyn crowd, who overwhelmingly support Daniel Bryan getting the title shot at SummerSlam!

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WWE Money In The Bank 2013 Results

The fourth annual WWE Money-in-the-Bank came to you, live on pay-per-view, from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. A six-year sabbatical will conclude in spectacular fashion at Money-in-the-Bank as former WWE and ECW Champion “The Whole Damn Show” Rob Van Dam will make his much anticipated return to the WWE as the ECW Original joins two-time “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” and the longest reigning WWE Champion of the modern era, CM Punk, the 2011 “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” and former World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, three-time World Champion “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus, two-time World Heavyweight Champion and master of the Ladder Match Christian, and nine-time World Champion “The Viper” Randy Orton in the star-studded Money-in-the-Bank All-Stars Ladder Match where all six men will compete with the first man grabbing the briefcase hanging high above the ring earning themselves a guaranteed shot at the WWE Championship whenever he sees fit for the next year. Seventeen years and one massive hoax have earned Mark Henry exactly what he wanted as “The World’s Strongest Man” will try to procure the one championship that has eluded him as Henry challenges one of the most decorated WWE Champions of all-time, John Cena, for the most prestigious title in the WWE. At Payback, Alberto Del Rio showed his true colors, taking advantage of Dolph Ziggler’s recent concussion, preying on “The Show-Off” to regain the World Heavyweight Title, but, at Money-in-the-Bank, Dolph Ziggler would get his shot at redemption when “The Show-Off” challenges “The Mexican Aristocrat” for the World Heavyweight Championship. A future World Heavyweight Champion could very well be determined at Money-in-the-Bank as United States Champion and member of The Shield, Dean Ambrose, former Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett, “The Dancing Enigma” Fandango, 2010 Money-in-the-Bank winner Jack Swagger, former United States Champion Antonio Cesaro, third-generation star Cody Rhodes, and “The Intellectual Savior of the Masses” Damien Sandow will all go to war in a Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match with the winner of the briefcase earning themselves a guaranteed World Heavyweight Title match at any time they see fit for the next year. After taking issue with Ryback’s questionable conduct as of late, Chris Jericho would take “The Sin City Cyborg” to task as Y2J goes one-on-one with Ryback. The Intercontinental Championship would also be up for grabs at Money-in-the-Bank as Curtis Axel makes his first pay-per-view defense of the Intercontinental Championship against “The Awesome One” The Miz. In one of the most emotionally charged Divas Title matches in recent memory, the unbalanced and conniving AJ Lee would defend the Divas Championship against the target of her torture in recent weeks, Kaitlyn.

Match Results

• WWE Tag Team Championship: Kickoff Match: Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns (c) def. Jimmy & Jey Uso by Roman Reigns (c) pinning Jimmy Uso following the Spear to retain.
• World Heavyweight Championship Contract Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match: Damien Sandow def. Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Dean Ambrose (with Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns), Fandango, Jack Swagger, & Antonio Cesaro to win the Money-in-the-Bank contract for a future World Heavyweight Title match.
• Intercontinental Championship: Curtis Axel (c) def. The Miz by pin following the Axel Cutter to retain.
• Divas Championship: AJ Lee (c) (with Big E. Langston) def. Kaitlyn by submission to the Black Widow to retain.
• Ryback def. Chris Jericho by roll-up.
• World Heavyweight Championship: Alberto Del Rio (c) (with AJ Lee) def. Dolph Ziggler by DQ after AJ Lee attacks Alberto Del Rio (c). As a result, Alberto Del Rio (c) retains.
• WWE Championship: John Cena (c) def. Mark Henry by submission to the STF to retain.
• Money-in-the-Bank All-Stars Ladder Match: Randy Orton def. CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Christian, & Rob Van Dam to win the Money-in-the-Bank contract for a future WWE Title match.

Detailed Results

Money-in-the-Bank kicks off in a most appropriate way as United States Champion Dean Ambrose, Wade Barrett, Fandango, with Summer Rae in his corner, Jack Swagger, Antonio Cesaro, with Zeb Colter in both men’s corner, Cody Rhodes, & Damien Sandow would wage war in the World Heavyweight Championship Contract Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match where the first man to climb a ladder and successfully retrieve the briefcase hanging high above the ring will earn a future World Heavyweight Title match whenever they want it. Early on in the match, the two alliances in the match would collide as Team Rhodes Scholars and The Real Americans would take each other out with ladders before Wade Barrett and United States Champion Dean Ambrose work with the steel with Barrett taking Ambrose out. Fandango then gets in on the action, using a leg drop over the top rope onto a ladder onto Barrett to take Barrett out for the time being. Later on in the match, Wade Barrett would actually break a rung off of one of the ladders on the outside of the ring, using it to waffle Damien Sandow and keep Sandow from winning the match. After taking Barrett out, Dean Ambrose would try to climb the ladder, but The Real Americans would intervene. However, the chaotic United States Champion would take Swagger out with a DDT, but when Ambrose meets Cesaro atop the ladder, Cesaro would utilize a sleeper hold to put Ambrose out. Cody Rhodes then re-enters the match, putting his own body on the line to take Antonio Cesaro out with a modified muscle buster on a ladder propped up in the corner. Jack Swagger would get the closest of any Superstar up to that point to grabbing the briefcase, but Wade Barrett would use the Bull Hammer Elbow to drop Swagger from the ladder. However, the unorthodox Fandango would use a sunset flip over the top of the ladder to take Wade Barrett out! Fandango would have difficulty making it up the ladder and Dean Ambrose would take advantage of the delay, using the ladder for a modified Headlock Driver to take Fandango out.

In a move that brought back memories of Terry Funk, Dean Ambrose would use the ladder like a helicopter, taking guys out by placing his head in the ladder. With The Real Americans both trying to take the United States Champion out, Ambrose would ‘skin the cat’ by using his strength to pull himself on top of the ladder, only to get dumped to the outside by Swagger & Cesaro. Swagger would then allow Cesaro to stand on his shoulders to try for the briefcase, but Cody Rhodes would topple the tower with a dropkick off of the top rope. Rhodes then sends Swagger to the outside before taking both Fandango and Wade Barrett out with Cross Rhodes! Rhodes then heads to the outside, grabbing the tallest ladder available and setting it up in the center of the ring. The time that Rhodes took to retrieve the ladder would cost Rhodes as Dean Ambrose would again climb the ladder as Rhodes would battle with The Shield member, eventually knocking Ambrose off of the ladder. However, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns would rush the ring, absolutely taking over the match as the WWE Tag Team Champions take Rhodes out before knocking Wade Barrett off of the ring apron and Roman Reigns crushes Fandango with the Spear. Rollins & Reigns then tries to help Dean Ambrose up the ladder, but Jimmy & Jey Uso rush out, attacking The Shield and this sparks a massive brawl on the outside of the ring, which is brought to an end when Cody Rhodes tips the ladder over, dumping Dean Ambrose to the outside, taking out all of the participants in the match, as well as The Shield and Jimmy & Jey Uso! Bloodied and battered, Cody Rhodes would climb the ladder, but the third-generation star would have the biggest opportunity of his career snatched away from him as, after keeping himself out of the match for nearly the entire match, Damien Sandow comes into the ring, knocking Rhodes off of the ladder before climbing the ladder himself and successfully retrieving the Money-in-the-Bank briefcase, earning a future World Heavyweight Title shot!

After he was named the new General Manager of RAW following Vickie Guerrero’s firing as Managing Supervisor on RAW, Brad Maddox appears at Money-in-the-Bank, saying that he is so proud to be the new General Manager of RAW. The new GM says that he does not claim to “fill the shoes” of the legendary Vickie Guerrero, joking that he does not look good in high heels. Maddox continues, saying that he has taken the liberty of putting Vickie Guerrero on the Money-in-the-Bank Kickoff Panel, thanking Vickie for her “contributions” to Monday Night RAW. The GM then asks Philadelphia to chant “thank you Vickie” along with him, but instead of chanting with Maddox, the fans opt to chant “you got fired” at the former Managing Supervisor. Maddox then presents a highlight package dedicated to Vickie Guerrero, which prominently features Vickie’s worst and most embarrassing moments of all-time. After the video package, Brad Maddox asks for a standing ovation, but the Philadelphia crowd shows no love for the departed Vickie Guerrero.

The Intercontinental Championship was up for grabs at Money-in-the-Bank as “The New Perfection” Curtis Axel, with Paul Heyman in his corner, defends the Intercontinental Title against “The Awesome One” The Miz. Early on in the match, The Miz pulls off a genius move to rid the match of Paul Heyman as The Miz feigns slapping himself, convincing the referee that Heyman slapped him and the referee falls for it, ejecting Heyman from ringside! During the match, The Miz would survive the Perfect Plex from Curtis Axel and would manage to lock in the Figure Four Leg Lock in on Axel, but after Axel reverses the move, The Miz would flip the move back over and Axel manages to get to the bottom rope, forcing the break. Axel would then lure The Miz around the ring and, when Miz comes back into the ring, Curtis Axel uses the middle rope to jack the jaw of The Miz, following it up with the Axel Cutter en route to picking up the win and successfully retaining the Intercontinental Title.

In an emotionally charged Divas Title match, AJ Lee, with Big E. Langston in her corner, would defend the Divas Championship against Kaitlyn, with Layla in her corner. During the match, Kaitlyn would blast AJ Lee with the Spear, but the previously injured elbow of Kaitlyn would keep Kaitlyn from taking advantage and, shortly after this, AJ Lee catches Kaitlyn in the Black Widow, nearly making Kaitlyn pass out before Kaitlyn weakly taps out as AJ successfully retains the Divas Title.

After taking issue with Ryback’s recent change in attitude, Chris Jericho would go one-on-one with “The Sin City Cyborg” Ryback at Money-in-the-Bank. At the end of a hotly contested match, it was Ryback surprising Chris Jericho with a roll-up to pick up the big win.

The World Heavyweight Championship would then be decided as “The Mexican Aristocrat” Alberto Del Rio defends the World Heavyweight Title against the man he took the title from last month at Payback, “The Show-Off” Dolph Ziggler. During the match, Dolph Ziggler’s girlfriend, AJ Lee, would skip down to ringside, entrance music and all, but with the match in his control, Ziggler had no need for AJ’s help. Dolph repeatedly tells AJ to head to the back, but the Divas Champion refuses and, in a very confusing conclusion, Ziggler sets up for the Zig Zag on Del Rio, but that is when AJ enters the ring and blasts Del Rio with the Divas Title belt, resulting in a disqualification win for Del Rio, who retains the title! After the match, Dolph Ziggler screams at AJ Lee that he had the match won before walking out on AJ, leaving the Divas Champion in the ring, screaming “I’m sorry” at Ziggler.

Then it was time for the WWE Championship to be decided as the reigning eleven-time champion, John Cena, would defend the WWE Championship against “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry. Early on in the match, Mark Henry would methodically dominate John Cena, but after several attempts, Cena would finally manage to hit the Attitude Adjustment on Mark Henry, but Henry would kick out of Cena’s finisher! Cena would then attempt to come off of the top rope, but Mark Henry would catch Cena in mid-air, squashing Cena with the World’s Strongest Slam, but Cena would respond with a kick-out of his own! In a fit of rage and frustration, Mark Henry would rip one of the top turnbuckle pads off, exposing the steel. Henry would then throw a couple of steel chairs into the ring, which distracts the referee long enough for Mark Henry to expose a different turnbuckle, but Cena would counter Mark Henry, sending the challenger into the exposed steel! Cena then locks in the STF on Mark Henry, but Henry manages to get to the ropes for the break. Cena then pummels Henry in the corner, but when the referee gets close enough, Henry shoves Cena into the referee, knocking the referee down long enough to sneak in a low blow on Cena, but Cena still kicks out! Mark Henry then goes for the World’s Strongest Slam again, but Cena counters, again locking in the STF, leaving Mark Henry no choice but to tap out as Cena successfully retains the WWE Title!

Then it was time for the much-anticipated main event as six of the top Superstars in the WWE would go to war in the Money-in-the-Bank All-Stars Ladder Match as the longest reigning WWE Champion in the modern era CM Punk, former World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus, Ladder Match veteran Christian, nine-time World Champion Randy Orton, and, returning to the WWE to compete for the first time in six years, “The Whole Damn Show” Rob Van Dam would all compete in the ultra-dangerous match with the first man to successfully retrieve the briefcase hanging high above the ring winning the match and earning themselves a future shot at the WWE Championship whenever they please. Once the match begins, five of the six combatants formulate a plot as CM Punk, Christian, Sheamus, Randy Orton, & Daniel Bryan all target Rob Van Dam, taking the crowd’s favorite out of the match first. With RVD down on the outside, Punk, Christian, Orton, & Bryan target Sheamus, taking the biggest man in the match out of the ring! After a brief brawl between the four men standing, it comes down to the two best technical wrestlers in the match, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, but the chain wrestling would be broken up by Sheamus, who takes both men out with a ladder. After getting cut off twice early on in the match, “The Whole Damn Show” would finally get the chance to showcase that he’s still got what it takes as Rob Van Dam drops Orton with a shoulder to the mid-section before taking Sheamus out with a kick off of the top rope. “The Extreme Innovator” then takes Punk out with a straight kick to the skull, followed by a kick to Daniel Bryan and a monkey flip to Christian! Christian would soon make his way back into the match, but Van Dam tosses Christian onto the ladder before RVD places Daniel Bryan on the ladder, squashing Bryan with Rolling Thunder! RVD would then square off with Randy Orton, leaving “The Viper” prone on a ladder, but before RVD could hit his Five-Star Frog Splash, Christian uses a ladder to knock Van Dam off of the top rope to the outside. Christian would then use a miniature ladder to take out some of the participants on the outside, but when Christian tries to climb a full-size ladder, Sheamus cuts “Captain Charisma” off and the two men end up jockeying for position on the ladder, but Sheamus would use the ladder to knock Christian out of the ring.

Alone in the ring, Sheamus would begin to climb towards the briefcase, but Rob Van Dam would roll back into the ring, shoving the ladder over, making “The Celtic Warrior” fall on top of the ladder. Sheamus would fight back against RVD, using a senton to squash Van Dam on top of a ladder. On the outside of the ring, Sheamus uses a ladder to make a bridge between the ring apron and the announce table with his sights set on putting Daniel Bryan through the ladder, but Bryan would counter, knocking Sheamus to the floor before running the apron and taking Sheamus down with a knee to the face! Meanwhile, back in the ring, CM Punk sets up a ladder and begins to climb, but Randy Orton knocks Punk off of the ladder before Christian re-enters the fray, pummeling “The Viper” down. With Punk, Orton, and Christian already scrambling to climb the ladder, Daniel Bryan brings a second ladder into the ring and, before long, all six match participants are desperately reaching for the briefcase, but all six men end up toppling to the mat! The first man back to his feet is Sheamus, who systematically takes out CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Rob Van Dam, and Randy Orton before Christian enters the fray, but Sheamus makes Christian pay, slamming Christian into a ladder before dropping “Captain Charisma” with White Noise. Sheamus then begins to climb the ladder, but spots RVD nearby and “The Celtic Warrior” pops Van Dam in the face with the ladder before leveling “The Whole Damn Show” with the Brogue Kick! Sheamus is then met atop the ladder by Daniel Bryan, but Sheamus clubs Bryan, knocking Bryan off of his perch. Before Sheamus can successfully unhook the briefcase, CM Punk comes back into the ring, knocking “The Celtic Warrior” down, but Sheamus would come back at “The Best in the World”, pummeling Punk with right hands. However, the crafty Punk would come back with a kick to Sheamus’ face, propping Sheamus up against the ladder before coming off of the top rope, using the steel ladder to crush Sheamus! Randy Orton would then capture CM Punk, using a T-Bone Suplex to slam Punk into the steel ladder propped up in the corner. Before Orton can even get a ladder, Christian hits the ring and hits Orton with the Spear, followed by a Spear to Daniel Bryan that knocks Bryan off of the apron, but Rob Van Dam would not allow “Captain Charisma” to grab the briefcase, using a ladder to knock Christian down to the mat. The two Ladder Match veterans than wage war atop the ladder, but when both men try to reach for the briefcase, the ladder topples and, while Christian falls, RVD catches himself on a nearby ladder, scrambling up the ladder and sacrificing himself to take Christian out with the Five-Star Frog Splash!

Rob Van Dam then climbs the ladder again, but Sheamus would push the ladder over as RVD’s jaw catches the top rope. Daniel Bryan would then jump back into things, teeing off on both RVD and Sheamus with several kicks to the chest of both men before Bryan sandwiches Randy Orton in the corner with a ladder and dives onto CM Punk on the outside as both men crash into a stack of ladders! The adrenaline and momentum then drives Daniel Bryan as Bryan takes RVD and Sheamus down with a double missile dropkick before Bryan uses a ladder to knock RVD and Orton to the outside and drops Sheamus with a ladder shot that sees “The Celtic Warrior” fall from the top rope through a ladder at ringside! With everyone down, Daniel Bryan is the only man capable of climbing the ladder and retrieving the briefcase, but when Bryan gets his fingers on the briefcase, Curtis Axel comes out of nowhere with a steel chair, using it to knock Daniel Bryan off of the ladder! Axel then drags Bryan to the outside, driving Bryan skull-first into the arena floor with the Axel Cutter! The Intercontinental Champion then slowly stalks the ringside area, but CM Punk catches Curtis Axel, dropping the Intercontinental Champion with the GTS, emphatically refusing Axel’s help! Axel’s advocate, Paul Heyman, then comes out, shouting at Curtis Axel to never do anything without his permission. Heyman then leaves the side of Curtis Axel to cheer on CM Punk as Punk slowly hobbles up the ladder, but the second that Punk’s back is turned, the maniacal mastermind slowly slithers into the ring, twice slamming his supposed “best friend” with a ladder, knocking Punk off the ladder! Heyman then allows Punk to get to his feet and, with a maniacal look in his eyes, Heyman slams the ladder into Punk for a third time, this time smashing the skull of Punk between the two steel ladders, lacing Punk wide open! The match then returns to chaos as Rob Van Dam tries to climb the ladder, but Randy Orton pulls RVD off of the ladder and, in mid-air, Orton drops RVD with a massive RKO! Randy Orton then carefully surveys the devastation around him before “The Viper” climbs the ladder and unhooking the briefcase, winning the match and earning himself a guaranteed shot at the WWE Championship at any time for the next year!

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