The Official Wrestling Thread (now with more news and stuff)

[Arcademan]

WWE NXT Results: 3-14-12

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to James's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

Matt Striker and William Regal start the show in the ring. This week, Regal is the "official match coordinator." Regal says that the theme of NXT is "tag teams." Regal explains why tag team wrestling is so special. Love it. He introduces "the most dynamic tag team I've seen in years, The Usos." That is high praise coming from Regal. Titus O'Neil and Darren Young then hit the ramp, mocking The Uso's entrance war dance.

1 - THE USOS vs. TITUS O'NEIL & DARREN YOUNG - Tag Team Match

Jimmy and O'Neil start the match, and Jimmy brings O'Neil to his corner and tags in Jey. Some boots in the corner and Jimmy tags back in. Quick cover for one. O'Neil turns the momentum with a knee lift, but Jimmy no sells two headbutts and responds with one of his own. Jey comes back in. O'Neil is able to tag out, but Young eats an elbow, then a headbutt. Jey whips Young right over the turnbuckle, then knocks O'Neil off the apron, tags in Jimmy, and Jimmy hits Young with a crossbody on the outside.

Out of the break, Jimmy and Young are trading blows with Young getting the upper hand. O'Neil tags in, but Jimmy is able to get Jey into the match and O'Neil in their corner. O'Neil powers up, and brings Young in again. Young settles into the first hold of the match - it may be a WWE record for time without a hold. O'Neil's back in and works Jey over in the corner, then Young comes back in as the crowd chants for The Usos. Young puts Jey on the turnbuckle, but Jey hits a side kick to the throat area to knock Young down. The ref starts a double count and hot tags are made. Jimmy goes wild on O'Neil. Cross-ring stinkface for a nearfall, but Young breaks up the pin. Jey gets involved and clears Young out. Jimmy lands a Samoan Drop on O'Neil, then tags in Jey, who gets the win with the Superfly Splash.

WINNERS: The Usos in 10:00. Decent match at the end. I was impressed that everyone stayed away from the rest hold formula for the match, despite it being relatively long for O'Neil and Young.

2 - ALEX RILEY & PERCY WATSON vs. CURTIS HAWKINS & TYLER REKS - Tag Team Match

Percy Watson and Curt Hawkins start things off. Hawkins hides in the corner to avoid an aggressive Watson. Hawkins runs to his corner and tags in Reks, who looks annoyed. Watson and Reks trade heavy blows and make it a power game. Big dropkick from Watson gets one. Reks sends Watson into the corner, but Reks can't tag out. Riley tries to get involved, but this allows Hawkins to get in some cheap shots. Reks goes wild on Watson with axe handles and the crowd cheers for Watson. Reks clears Riley from the ring, but when Riley reacts, the ref deals with him letting Hawkins get involved.

Hawkins tags in and slows it down with a side chinlock. Reks comes in again, but Watson uses an overhead throw to get a double tag out. Riley runs over Hawkins, then nails a spinebuster to take it up a notch. Riley heads to the turnbuckle, but Reks tries to get involved. Watson takes Reks out, but Hawkins is able to throw Riley to the floor and hit the Heatseeking Elbow for the three count.

WINNER: Hawkins & Reks in 5:30. Very enjoyable match with sound pacing and ring psychology.

3 - DERRICK BATEMAN & KAITLYN vs. JOHNNY CURTIS & MAXINE - Mixed Tag Team Match

Kaitlyn and Mazine to start things off. Kaitlyn takes Maxine's legs out from underneath her twice, then Maxine slaps Bateman. Bateman and Curtis come into the ring to calm down the Divas.

Bateman is dominating Curtis out of the break with power, but Curtis dodges a high knee in the corner, then works Bateman's knee. Kaitlyn encourages Bateman, but Curtis gives her a goofy look and sexual innuendo. He body slams Bateman, then gives more dirty looks to Kaitlyn. Bateman capitalizes with a schoolboy for a two count. Curtis puts him back down for two, then goes back to the leg work. As he does it, he tries to disgust Kaitlyn. Bateman kicks out of the leg hold, and lands the Sweet Meat Sizzler for the win.

WINNERS: Bateman & Kaitlyn in 3:45. This match needed more time to properly develop given that the folks involved are all pretty good wrestlers.

[Arcademan]

WWE Superstars Results: 3-15-12

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to James's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 - JUSTIN GABRIEL vs. HUNICO (w/Camacho)

Pre-match, Hunico cut a promo in Spanish.

Hunico with an arm drag and a kip-up to start, then they go through some back-and-forth chain wrestling. There's some nice work here. Gabriel with a backslide for two and Hunico rolls outside the ring in frustration. They pick up the pace a little and they trade some fancy moves. Gabriel ends up on the turnbuckle and jumps off with a snap huracarana, sending Hunico to the outside. Gabriel tries to dive through the ropes, but Hunico kicks him on the way through.

Hunico with a side chinlock out of the break. Hunico sends Gabriel to the outside and distracts the ref so Camacho can get in a cheap shot. Hunico rolls Gabriel in and puts boots to him. Hunico with a sit-out slam, but the ref sees that Gabriel's shoulders aren't down and won't count. Hunico continues to control.

Gabriel comes back with a jawbreaker and kicks. A dropkick sends Hunico outside the ring. Gabriel with a springboard splash on Hunico and Camacho outside. He rolls Hunico in and lands springboard double knees to the back of Hunico's head for a nearfall. Hunico comes back with a Saito suplex for two. Gabriel slips out of a second suplex and tries a Tornado DDT, but Hunico reverses into a German suplex with a bridge for two. Great sequence. Hunico gets a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. Gabriel counters a carry position with a Tornado DDT. Gabriel wants to go to the top, but Camacho deliberately stands in the way. By the time Gabriel clears Camacho out of the way and gets up top, Hunico has recovered enough to crotch Gabriel. Hunico meets him up top for a suplerplex for the win.

WINNER: Hunico in 11:30. This was an excellent match. Great back-and-forth with a mix of technical wrestling, brawling, and high-flying. Catch the match if you get a chance.

2 - KOFI KINGSTON & R-TRUTH vs. CURT HAWKINS & TYLER REKS - Tag Team Match

Kingston and Hawkins start off. Hawkins tries to yank Kingston into the corner, but Kingston gets free and Hawkins bumps Reks from the apron, drawing Reks's ire. This is the second time this week WWE has teased dissension between Reks and Hawkins. Kingston with a drop toehold and Hawkins and Kingston trade holds. Kingston somehow with an axe handle from the mat for one. R-Truth tags in and goes to work. Hawkins is able to get to the corner, but Truth overpowers Reks for a bit and brings Kingston back in to the match. They continue to isolate Reks. Reks gets a boot up in the corner to get Hawkins in. Hawkins with a suplex for two. They isolate Truth for a moment, but Truth sends them both outside and Kingston leaps off Truth to land a big flip dive over the ropes.

Back from break, Reks is stuck in the corner with Truth and Kingston working him over. Reks makes a comeback against Kingston, but walks into a pendulum kick and eats a top-rope crossbody. Hawkins distracts Kingston, allowing Reks dump him out. Hawkins tags in and rolls Kingston in. More isolation work from Reks and Hawkins. Reks puts Kingston in the Tree of Woe and brings Hawkins in. Kingston almost tags out, but Hawkins stops him, then cheap shots Truth. Truth tries to come in, which distracts the ref, so Reks and Hawkins land a high/low on Kingston getting a very close nearfall. Reks comes back in and keeps Kingston away from Truth. Kingston counters a bodyslam with a DDT and they both tag out.

Truth quickly hits the Lie Detector, then a big front suplex, but Reks breaks up the pin. Kingston sends Reks to the outside and, while the ref is distracted, Kingston hits the Trouble in Paradise from the apron. Hawkins then stumbles into the Little Jimmy for the loss.

WINNERS: Kingston & Truth in 10:30. Good match, but too much of it was spent with Kingston at the losing end of a beat down. This feels too much like the old Air Boom formula, but this time with R-Truth being the closer and Kingston being the victim.

3 -- Divas champion BETH PHOENIX vs. KELLY KELLY -- non-title match

Phoenix and Kelly show off at each other and Phoenix sends Kelly to the mat to abuse her. Kelly shoves Phoenix into the corner, then lands the cheerleader backspring splash, then the stinkface. Kelly chokes Phoenix in the ropes, and lands a Thesz Press from the top rope. Phoenix recovers for a moment, but Kelly gets a huracarana-like moved to settle into a cover for two. Phoenix hotshots Kelly on the ropes to turn it around.

Phoenix with the power for a number of two counts. Kelly dodges a corner charge and schoolgirls Phoenix for two. Phoenix with a clothesline for two, and another cover for two. Dragon Sleeper on the mat from Phoenix, but Kelly doesn't tap. Kelly punches out and sends Phoenix into the corner with her head scissors move, then lands a bulldog for two. Phoenix sends Kelly into the ropes, then goes for the Glam Slam, but Kelly rolls through and leverages a two count. Phoenix comes out of the cover and puts Kelly down. Phoenix calls for the Glam Slam again, lands it, and the match is over.

WINNER: Phoenix at 5:45. Kelly is simply too limited to make her matches enjoyable to watch. What I don't get is the booking of the Divas Champion (who is also a very good wrestler) to be on Superstars two weeks in a row, while the Eve Torres mess dominates Raw and Natayla is stuck with a farting gimmick on Smackdown. Perhaps things will change with the announcement of Beth in a tag match at WrestleMania.

[Arcademan]

TNA Impact Wrestling Results: 3-15-12

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Turner's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- MADISON RAYNE vs. VELVET SKY

Before she could “let the pigeons loose,” Sky dove through the ropes and tackled Rayne. Taz said that sometimes he didn’t like even saying his catchphrase, funny. Sky slammed Rayne’s head into turnbuckle for a two count. Rayne mounted a come back and did a number on Sky’s head while it rested on the middle rope for her first two count. Rayne threw Sky out of the ring and proceeded to hang Sky on the middle rope to hit a neckbreaker for another two count. Sky went for a roll-up that Rayne reversed into a roll-up of her own, with a handful of tights, for the win.

WINNER: Madison Rayne via pinfall at 3:58.

2 -- CRIMSON (w/Matt Morgan) vs. TNA Tag Team champion SAMOA JOE (w/TNA Tag Team champion Magnus)

As the match started, the crowd started chanting, “Let's go Crimson.” Joe dominated early with some awesome offense in the corners of the ring followed by a knee drop onto the head of Crimson for a two count. Crimson got the offensive edge after Morgan interfered on Crimson’s behalf. Crimson threw some knees into the face of Joe followed by a neckbreaker for a two count.

Joe came back with a boot to the face of Crimson followed by a senton splash for another two count. Joe tried to set up Crimson for a muscle buster, but an altercation between Morgan and Magnus at ringside distracted him long enough from Crimson to regain his bearings and hit Joe with a spear for the pin.

WINNER: Crimson via pinfall at 4:29. I expected Crimson to win this given his “undefeated streak,” but I was okay with that. TNA has gotten this far billing him as undefeated, and it wouldn’t really make sense to have him lose with no hype. A fun, albeit short, match that could have benefitted from a few more minutes. That being said, it was weird seeing Morgan use some heelish tactics during the match.

3 -- MICKIE JAMES vs. TNA Knockouts champion GAIL KIM -- non-title match

Both Knockouts exchanged holds until James caught Kim with a running boot for a two count. Kim instantly went for her belt, but was stopped before she could use it by James. She started systematically attacking James’s right knee.

James tried fighting out, but Kim consistently kept taking advantage her bad knee. Eventually, James was able to get a pin attempt in followed by a neckbreaker. James hit a Thesz Press for a two count on Kim, and then proceeded to hit a baseball slide to send Kim to the outside. As James tried to pull Kim back into the ring, Kim was able to hit James with the Knockout Title behind the referee's back and scored the pin.

WINNER: TNA Knockouts champion Gail Kim via pinfall at 5:16. That was much better than the match between Rayne and Sky earlier in the night. Not to take anything from the homegrown Knockouts, but these put together a much more believable match.

4 -- MR. ANDERSON vs. DANIELS

As soon as Anderson stepped foot into the ring, Daniels was on the attack. It didn’t last long, as Anderson quickly regained the offensive edge, causing Daniels to bow out to ringside. Daniels, with an apparent cut on his face, was met outside by Anderson and thrown back into the ring. Back in the ring Daniels was able to regain his offensive bearings and put the boots to Anderson in one of the corners of the ring, followed by a knee to Anderson's gut for a two count.

Anderson and Daniels exchanged blows, with Anderson getting the best of the exchange with a neckbreaker followed by another two count. Anderson hit a spin kick and a Pittsburgh Plunge on Daniels as Kazarian made his way to the ring. A.J. came out and Kazarian came off, allowing Anderson to hit the Mic Check on Daniels for the win.

WINNER: Mr. Anderson via pin at 5:47. That was an all right match. Anderson looked like he was motivated, and Daniels always makes his opponents look like a million bucks. I thought Daniels was holding something over Kazarian’s head to make him follow orders? The idea of Kazarian suffering from Stockholm Syndrome is silly.

5 -- KURT ANGLE vs. GARETT BISCHOFF -- five minute-challenge

Angle quickly started laying into Bischoff as a timer counted down in the corner of the screen. The announcers played up the idea that Bischoff was in survival mode. Angle feigned a pin attempt by pulling Bischoff up by his hair as soon as the referee started to make the count. Angle dominated Bischoff and eventually threw him outside of the ring. At ringside, Angle hit Bischoff with a suplex and threw back into the ring for a two count. Angle gave Bischoff an overhead belly-to-belly suplex and feigned another pin attempt, pulling Bischoff up by his hair.

The Olympic Gold medalist went for an Angle Slam, but it was reversed by Bischoff, who threw him outside the ring. Angle quickly made his way back into the ring and hit another Angle Slam, but by the time he went for a pin attempt the allotted five minutes had passed. An enraged Angle knocked the referee out and put Bischoff into an anklelock until Hardy made the save.

WINNER: Time Expired at 5:00. I wonder if Eric caught word of the criticism floating around about his son not taking a single bump last week before hitting three offensive moves to set up Hardy for the win...Bischoff was Angle’s ragdoll this week, and even though it gave me sick pleasure watching him take bumps, I still want Garett Bischoff off my television.

6 -- GUNNER vs. JAMES STORM

Storm was quick to attack Gunner, but was met with a thumb to the eye. This only angered Storm, who continued to beat on Gunner who made his way outside to avoid further punishment. Storm threw Gunner back into the ring and as he made his way back in Gunner was there to meet him with some offense. Gunner went for a few crossface attempts, but only got a two count. Ray was shown at ringside cheering Gunner on, but Storm came back with a clothesline to buy himself some recovery time. Strom got some offense in with a back body drop, followed by a codebreaker. Storm won the match with a superkick.

WINNER: James Storm via pinfall at 3:52. I guess Gunner is only a menacing wrestler when he’s in the ring with Garett Bischoff...

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 3-16-12

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Parks' complete report). Condensed here to mostly in-ring results.

- Christian is back and on 'The Peep Show, he had both GMs bickering at each other. Christian wanted them to present their best offer to be on their team in WM but we already knew what the answer was going to be as he joined Team Laurinaitis.

1 - DAVID OTUNGA vs. KOFI KINGSTON

Match was joined in progress out of break. Otunga was still wearing dress pants. As strange as it looks, I like that better than when wrestlers just happen to wear their gear to the ring and then just happen to be put in a match. Long and Laurinaitis were on commentary. Laurinaitis said Christian’s injury this week was an ingrown toenail. Otunga had the advantage and did some posing while sitting on Kingston’s back. Cole spent most of the match antagonizing Long. Kofi kicked Otunga in the chest, but dove into Otunga’s arms, only for Otunga to slam him. He looked a little out-of-control with that move. Otunga’s pants were ripped right down the crack of his butt. Otunga attempted a third corner clothesline, but Kofi fought it off and hit a springboard cross-body for two. He made his comeback, which included a high dropkick. Kofi hit the ropes, but Christian tripped him. The ref didn’t see it but clearly suspected something. Long talked to the ref, who then sent Christian back to the locker room. Laurinaitis and Long argued at ringside, and the ref was involved in the argument as well. Otunga tried to use his belt, but Santino grabbed it. Santino was knocked off the apron by Otunga, who turned around into Trouble in Paradise for the win.

WINNER: Kingston, 5:03 shown. Otunga is still clearly raw, but Kingston is a guy who can help make him look better than he is.

2 - NIKKI BELLA vs. AJ

After AJ made her entrance, Bryan made a separate entrance to cheer on his girlfriend at ringside. She looked less-than-thrilled when he came out. Nikki got down on her knees to fight AJ, making fun of her opponent’s size. AJ responded with a running dropkick to the face. Nikki regrouped to hit a neckbreaker. She then stood on AJ’s hair and pulled on her arms. With Bryan shouting encouragement at ringside, Nikki kept AJ down with a chinlock, hooking the arm with her leg as well. AJ fought out and hit a spinning back kick on Nikki. To the top she went for a diving splash. Nikki switched with Brie, and Bryan alerted the ref. Nikki then ran over to yell at Bryan for ratting her out. Brie grabbed AJ by the hair and pulled her down with Bryan still on the ref’s case. Nikki went for the finish, but AJ rolled her up for the win.

WINNER: AJ, at 2:49. AJ predictably looked good in there, and Nikki actually didn’t look terrible either.

3 – THE GREAT KHALI vs. CODY RHODES

Did I just see two women in the crowd with powder blue long-sleeved shirts that had the old-school WCW logo on it? Khali caught a kick attempt by Rhodes, putting him on his back. Rhodes chopped Khali in the chest, and Khali responded with a chop to the head. In the corner, hard chop to the chest. Rhodes ran the ropes, but Khali hit him in the head. Another corner chop. Rhodes went after the legs and did a single-arm DDT (I think – tough to tell with Khali selling). Rhodes worked the arm of Khali. After Khali shoved him off, Rhodes went after the leg. Khali kicked Rhodes off of him, but Rhodes went to the top. Khali caught him on the way down with a chop to the chest. Clotheslines from Khali, but he missed an overhand chop. Rhodes brought Khali throat-first over the top rope, then dropkicked the leg. Disaster kick to the head finished Khali.

WINNER: Rhodes, at 3:14. Credibility booster for Rhodes heading into Wrestlemania against another giant, Big Show. Almost surprised they didn’t do this match on the go-home show.

- Orton confronts Kane. Kane used his match against Orton in July of last year for motivation. Orton defeated Kane and after the match, shook his hand. Kane said that's a side of him you'll never see again. Yep, here's another WM match set.

4 – DREW MCINTYRE vs. THE BIG SHOW

Show almost ran over referee Rod Zapata in running McIntyre into the corners. McIntyre tried to comeback, but got speared. Chokeslam, followed by the WMD. The referee checked on McIntyre, then called the match.

WINNER: Show, via ref stoppage, at 1:49. So will Long punish McIntyre for the next year now, until his contract runs out?

5 – MARK HENRY vs. YOSHI TATSU

Tatsu was already in the ring. At the sound of the bell, Tatsu attacked with a dropkick. It got Henry off-balance, but that’s all. Chops had no effect, but a headbutt from Henry did. Hard forearm to the chest by Henry in the corner. Running powerslam, then some trash talk from the World’s Strongest Man. Henry waited for Tatsu to get to his feet, then gave him the World’s Strongest Slam for the win.

WINNER: Henry, at 1:38. So disappointed that Henry’s resurgence the past week on Raw and Smackdown (including last week’s show) will probably just lead to him being fed to Cena on Raw.

6 – CHRIS JERICHO vs. SHEAMUS

Cole recalled these two men being the final two men in the Royal Rumble match in January. Sheamus, still showing the bruise on his back from Monday night, gave Jericho a few knees to the mid-section. When he was on the apron, Jericho ran at him, but Sheamus propelled himself over the top and shoulder tackled Jericho. Jericho missed a corner dive and ended up outside the ring. Hard forearms to the chest by Sheamus. He suplexed Jericho back into the ring, but kept Jericho in the air for a spell during the vertical suplex. Jericho dodged a Sheamus attack, leading to the Rumble winner being sent to ringside. He kicked Sheamus to keep him outside the ring. Daniel Bryan and AJ walked to the ring as the show went to break, 3:26 into the match.

Back at 6:52 of the match. Jericho propelled Sheamus throat-first into the bottom rope as Bryan was shown sitting at ringside with AJ standing behind him. That’s a nice subtle visual there, Bryan taking the chair and making AJ stand. Sheamus attempted to get some momentum going, but Jericho stopped it with a knee-lift. Back suplex for only one at 8:34. Jericho slowed the match down with a rest-hold, but Sheamus stood up with Jericho on his back and backed him into the corner. Jericho went for a running bulldog, but Sheamus shoved him into the buckle. Sheamus went on the offensive and landed his Irish Curse back-breaker for two at 10:49. Mathews noted that Sheamus hasn’t seemed to notice Bryan’s presence at ringside. Forward roll by Sheamus for two. Jericho thumbed the eye of Sheamus without the ref seeing. Brogue Kick missed, catching Sheamus on the top rope. Springboard dropkick, then Lionsault for two at 11:56. Sheamus went to the top, but Jericho crotched him. “Y2J” chant from some of the males in the crowd. Sheamus fought off Jericho’s attempts at offense on the top rope and Sheamus took Jericho out with a diving shoulder tackle. Celtic Cross countered into the Walls of Jericho. Sheamus made the ropes at 13:54. Sheamus got back to his feet and went for the Cross, but Jericho got out and was clotheslined over the top and to the floor, in front of the announce table (and Bryan and AJ). Jericho was thrown in Bryan’s direction by Sheamus, but Bryan and AJ moved. Sheamus got on the apron and stared down Bryan, allowing Jericho to dropkick him back outside. Behind the ref’s back, Bryan dropkicked Sheamus as well. He couldn’t quite make it back before the 10-count.

WINNER: Jericho, via count-out, at 15:19.

Sheamus chased Bryan and AJ around ringside, but stopped when the heels reached the top of the stage. Sheamus stared at them from ringside as they replayed the finish of the match. Sheamus snuck back into the ring and gave an unsuspecting Jericho the Brogue Kick. Sheamus intensely stared at Bryan from the ring as the show finished.

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 3-25-12

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to mostly in-ring results with my usual commentary thown in for good measure.

- First off...the Cena-Rock special that aired before RAW...good stuff. Nice to see some of the behind-the-scene personal life stuff of both guys.

1 -- RANDY ORTON & SHEAMUS vs. World Hvt. champion DANIEL BRYAN (w/A.J.) & KANE

The bell sounded and Bryan shared a good luck kiss with A.J. before locking up with Orton. Production started off with the WrestleMania Hard Camera Shot - a low-level, widescreen angle - to make the setting seem grander leading to Mania. Eventually, the shot returned to the standard Raw TV angle. The participants went back-and-forth, exchanging control, before Bryan blasted Sheamus with a flying knee on the floor. Bryan laughed to himself as Sheamus sold on the outside leading to break.

Back live, Sheamus and Bryan were struggling in the ring before Bryan ripped off a series of kick strikes to the mid-section. Bryan then missed with a flying attack and ate the top turnbuckle. This gave Sheamus an opening to tag in Orton, who ran over Bryan with clotheslines, followed by a powerslam. Orton then wanted his second-rope DDT and connected. Orton was ready to Enter That Place, but Kane yanked Bryan out of the ring, setting off a Kane-Orton brawl on the outside. Kane ate the ringpost before Bryan dropkicked Orton through the ropes to cut off Orton's momentum. Orton sold on the outside before Bryan blasted away with strikes to the mid-section.

Back in the ring, Bryan tagged in Kane to resume control of this extended-length tag match. Kane went for a corner attack, but Orton blocked, only to eat a sidewalk slam from Kane for a two count. Kane tried going up top for a flying clothesline...and he connected. He then wanted the Welder's Mask chokeslam, but Orton countered with a flying dropkick before Kane could grab him. Tags were made to Sheamus and Bryan, who was taken apart by Sheamus. All four men found themselves in the ring, then the faces clotheslined Kane over the top rope to the floor. On the outside, Orton teased an RKO, but Kane shoved him into the turnbuckle.

Back in the ring, A.J. suddenly stepped into the ring to stand in front of Bryan before Sheamus could deliver the Brogue Kick. The distraction allowed Kane to re-enter the picture and chokeslam Bryan behind the ref's back. Bryan then covered Sheamus for the win. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Bryan declared before pointing to the WM28 sign hanging in the arena. Ringside, A.J. smiled and applauded.

WINNER: Bryan & Kane at 11:34. Solid tag match to open the show. The booking says that Bryan getting the win here means Sheamus gets the win at Mania.

2 -- U.S. champion SANTINO vs. DAVID OTUNGA (w/John Laurinaitis and Vickie Guerrero) -- non-title match

No mock posing before the initial lock-up for this repeat match. Otunga took control, then grabbed the Team Johnny flag to pose and wave. Hornswoggle tried to one-up Otunga, then an agitated Otunga accidentally knocked himself out with Teddy's flag. Santino followed with the Cobra to Otunga for the win.

Post-match: Laurinaitis entered the ring to protest the decision. Long and Hornswoggle did the old high/low routine to trip up Laurinaitis, then Santino was ready to pop Laurinaitis with the Cobra, but The Miz stormed the ring and dropped Santino with the Skullcrushing Finale. Laurinaitis botched the next line, welcoming Miz to Team Teddy...I mean, Team Johnny. Miz celebrated as Cole declared Miz the difference-maker to help Team Johnny win at WrestleMania. After a replay of the finish, Cole recapped Team Johnny's six-man tag team as Miz stood in the ring with a few pieces of the team.

WINNER: Santino at 1:29. It seemed a little anticlimactic for Miz to finally be added to a WrestleMania match with a quick announcement (and botched announcement, at that).

3 -- EVE (w/Divas champion Beth Phoenix) vs. KELLY KELLY

Back from break, Kelly Kelly came to the ring to face Eve ahead of their WrestleMania tag match, also involving Maria Menonous as Kelly's partner. Eve dominated early on, then Kelly scored a surprise win. Beth tried to grab Kelly on the way out of the ring, but Kelly avoided the champ to take momentum into WrestleMania.

WINNER: Kelly at 2:26. Standard, WWE formula Divas match.

In-ring: Justin Roberts gave an interesting formal introduction for Christian, who came out sporting a different haircut a la referee Charles Robinson, and a Team Johnny t-shirt. Christian made his way into the ring before Cult of Personality played to bring out WWE champion C.M. Punk. Before the match started, Chris Jericho appeared on the Titantron to address Punk. Jericho said he's going to beat Punk at WrestleMania and become new WWE champion, then expose Punk as a fraud. He said he's already exposed Jericho's dysfunctional family, and now has found out some new information. Next is Punk's mother. Jericho said Punk's mom is actually a kind, decent woman. But, he did find out some interesting information about Punk's parents getting married after his birthday, making him a bastard. In the ring, Punk sold fighting anger and tears, then Christian blasted him from behind.

The bell didn't sound as Christian continued to beat up Punk before throwing him to the outside. Punk recovered on the floor and smashed Christian head-first into the announce table over and over. Punk then went old-school Bryan Danielson with multiple elbow strikes to the neck. Punk continued to use Christian as a punching bag before flinging Christian onto the ring steps. He followed with his submission finisher and refused to let go, screaming, "This is you, Jericho!" Refs stormed ringside to separate Punk from Christian before Punk stood tall ringside. Punk then jumped the ring steps and splashed Christian, continuing to tear apart Christian. Cult of Personality played and a WWE doctor checked on Christian before they replayed Punk's assault on Christian. Back live, Punk was shown standing tall in the ring, ready for WrestleMania.

4 -- WWE champion C.M. PUNK vs. CHRISTIAN -- non-title match

WINNER: Match Did Not Happen. Nice use of Christian as a surrogate for Jericho to demonstrate that Punk is ready for WrestleMania.

4 -- BRODUS CLAY vs. CURT HAWKINS

Clay started with some shaking and jiggling before Hawkins knocked Clay down to one knee. Hawkins then took Clay off his feet and onto his back before running into a headbutt from Clay. Clay followed with a high knee lift, then a t-bone suplex. Next was the big running splash for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Clay at 1:05. Apparently WWE doesn't have plans to invest in Clay, as they just threw money out the window with Clay being taken off his feet in a match with Curt Hawkins again after Smackdown. He's officially a bit player.

5 -- BIG SHOW vs. WWE tag champion PRIMO (w/Epico and Rosa Mendes)

The announcers made light of Primo in this match-up, then Cole announced Christian is officially out of WrestleMania. He said one more slot is available for Team Johnny now. Show made short work of Primo with a chokeslam to win in under one minute.

Post-match: Rosa tried to scream at Show, then IC champion Cody Rhodes came out on-stage to taunt Big Show some more. Rhodes threw some philosophy toward Show before turning Show's name into a verb. He said students are going to pray they don't "Big Show" on their finals, guys at the bar are going to hope they don't "Big Show" with the ladies, and he hopes he doesn't have to take a Big Show. The announcers chuckled, then Rhodes noted Show will be the biggest fool of all on April 1 at WrestleMania. Cole said he hopes Rhodes knows what he's doing trying to anger Big Show.

WINNER: Show at 0:47.

6 -- MARK HENRY (w/John Laurinaitis) vs. GREAT KHALI (w/Teddy Long)

Khali dominated with clumsy blows early on, taking Henry off his feet. Henry suddenly came back with the World's Strongest Slam in a feat of strength. Henry with the pin for the win.

WINNER: Henry at 0:48.

Post-match: Teddy gave his props to Henry, then Laurinaitis threw Teddy into the ring. Teddy then found himself face-to-face with Henry before Laurinaitis waved out his team to come join the team. They stood ringside, ready to fend off Team Teddy, and some members hit ringside to zero heat. A red on blue brawl broke out as Henry continued to stalk Teddy in the ring. Suddenly, R-Truth came out late and jumped into the pile. Kofi Kingston was out last and he ate a World's Strongest Slam in the ring. Henry then hoisted up Long for a World's Strongest, but Booker hit the ring and saved Teddy. Booker then cleared Henry, leading to the heels retreating up the ramp.

Once the dust settled, Team Teddy members assembled in the ring along with Booker. Teddy asked Booker if he would join Team Teddy, and Booker accepted. Booker celebrated by dropping down and doing a Spin-a-roonie before hugging the other members. Cole said it's Booker and the Oddities. Booker then put on a blue t-shirt to make his membership official.

- Last 20 minutes of the show was Rock and Cena's last verbal confrontation face-to-face before WM XXVIII. Nothing really new that you haven't heard already however I do like the intensity level of Cena. Rock...there's a reason why he's an actor now. To me, he didn't have the same intensity level.

[Arcademan]

Was sick most of last week so the Wrestling results weren't updated here. Check out the Neo (link below my sig pic) to get caught up with all of last week's results including the TNA Victory Road PPV report. Thanks.

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TNA Comments on Flair's WWE ROH Induction

Legacy Talent & Entertainment, along with TNA, issued a press release Tuesday announcing Ric Flair's appearance at the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony on March 31 after WWE and TNA reached an agreement on Flair's appearance.

“Being inducted once was one of the greatest accomplishments of my career, so I’m humbled and honored to be recognized again. I wouldn’t miss the ceremony for the world,” Flair said in the release.

TNA president Dixie Carter added, "We are proud of Ric’s many accomplishments and contributions he has made to the world of professional wrestling and beyond. We wish to congratulate him on yet another honor he truly deserves.”

WWE did not comment in the press release drafted by Flair's representatives. Financial terms of the agreement, if any, were not disclosed.

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WWE NXT Results: 3-28-12

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to James's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 - DERRICK BATEMAN (w/Kaitlyn) vs. HUNICO (w/Camacho)

Hunico with early control. Bateman uses his size to get an offensive flurry, then Hunico arm drags Bateman right into the turnbuckle back-first - that may be the bump of the night, but it is only good for a one count. Hunico back on the attack; he even manages a suplex on the much-larger Bateman. Regal talks about how Hunico was stabbed to save Camacho's life, biting a man's eyeball out in the process. Regal must be attending the Scott Stanford school of character enhancement. Double cross-body block sends to a break.

Hunico has Bateman in the corner out of the break, but Bateman tries to fight back. Hunico's shirt is ripped up. Hunico lands a bodyslam and looks for a top-rope move, but Bateman counters with a dropkick, then dumps Hunico face-first onto the turnbuckle. Bateman with a running neckbreaker, which is good for two. Hunico gets frustrated, unable to put Bateman away. Bateman delivers some big punches to Hunico on the apron, and tries to suplex him into the ring, but Hunico counters the suplex with a lateral press with a handful of tights. Bateman lands a suicide dive on Camacho to pre-emptively take him out of the equation, but when he gets back in, Hunico lands a move for the win. It looked kind of like an Angle Slam.

WINNER: Hunico at 7:15. I enjoyed this match, as Hunico and Bateman meshed well. There was one slightly missed spot (the suplex counter to roll-through sequence), but it was a lot of fun. I'd like to see Hunico get more character development on NXT since his in-ring work is fun.

2 - JEY USO (w/Jimmy Uso) vs. TITUS O'NEIL (w/Darren Young)

Young talks about running NXT, so Regal says, "Do I need to verbally castrate you?" and then does so with ease. He talks about taking control and keeping Hawkins and Reks off as punishment for their attitudes, and then tells Young that he needs to toe the line too.

Jey with hard offense and Jimmy talks about how it's tough to transition from being a team to singles competition. Young mouths off, so Regal hints at a match next week. Jey looks for the Superfly Splash, but O'Neil rolls out of the ring.

Out of the break, O'Neil is beating on Jey in the corner. Jey can't get traction as Regal mentions that The Usos train with Booker T to keep improving. Regal jumps on Young for wearing a "balance bracelet" and for not talking up O'Neil. Regal reminds Young that he got "who are you" chants last week. Young's headset isn't on right, so it's hard to hear him. Regal jumps on Young for not sounding upset about the "who are you" chants. O'Neil gets creative with a running back elbow on a seated Jey Uso. Jey then manages a massive back body drop on the big man O'Neil, and Regal rightfully praises it.

Jey fires up and puts O'Neil down with a spinning elbow, then puts him down with a stinkface for two. Disgusting quote of the night from Regal: "I've had my head buried up your father's crevice so many times you wouldn't believe it." Thanks for the visual, Regal. Jey gets a Samoan Drop and goes for the Superfly Splash, but O'Neil gets knees up. That looks like it hurt. O'Neil catches the stumbling Jey Uso with the Clash of the Titus for the win.

WINNER: Titus O'Neil at 6:15. Jey Uso did a good job making O'Neil look good, and Jimmy did a fine job in the booth to talk up their tandem. Darren Young was totally blindsided on commentary - Regal and Mathews gave him every opportunity to develop as a character or expand upon his teaming with O'Neil, and he completely dropped the ball. Regal egged him on about the "who are you" chants and Young sounded like he was talking about a gallon of milk gone bad instead of having the anger that he needed to show.

[Arcademan]

WWE Superstars Results: 3-29-12

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to James's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 - ALEX RILEY vs. HEATH SLATER

Matt Striker and Scott Stanford are in the booth on this one. I am curious how it works out, because this is a pairing that I've thought for some time would be a good team. Back-and-forth action to start. Slater does a nice job at portraying his character with in-ring mannerisms, and is constantly growing with it. Slater dominates for a stretch as Stanford and Striker talk up Riley as a nice guy, including taking his mother to the Hall of Fame ceremony even though women throw themselves at him.

Slater with a leaping neckbreaker for a close two count, and Slater argues at the ref. Riley draws Tim Tebow comparisons, in no small part because he has a Biblical reference written on his wristtape. Riley dodges an elbow in the corner to turn the tide. Riley with his usual comeback, including the big spinebuster. Riley with the A-Bomb faceplant in the corner for a nearfall. Slater then elbows out of the Final Score and he fires back with this running neckbreaker for the win.

WINNER: Heath Slater at 5:40. Fun match with lots of back-and-forth. Heath Slater continues to impress with his growth as a wrestler, both in terms of technical ability and his ability to portray a character. Alex Riley is someone I continue to want to see more of.

WrestleMania ad, Punk vs. Jericho video package, Triple H vs. Undertaker video package, video on Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos vs. Eve Torres & Beth Phoenix, "Bending the Rules" trailer, and another Rock-Cena ad.

2 - TYSON KIDD vs. JUSTIN GABRIEL

This is set to be a top-flight match. Too bad there's well under ten minutes left in the video feed for the match.

Lightning-quick chain wrestling to start the match. They crank up the intensity and start combining luchador speed and martial arts counters and throws. They head to the outside and Kidd hits a side Russian legsweep into the barrier. Kidd rolls Gabriel into the ring and follows with a springboard dropkick for two. Gabriel turns it around by outwitting Kidd in the corner, then moves to attack. Gabriel counters a snap huracanrana with a powerbomb for two. Yikes.

Kidd rolls under a huge springboard moonsault and lands a dropkick for a nearfall. Kidd wants the Sharpshooter, but Gabriel counters, then reverses into a roll-through for two. Kidd tries his reverse slingshot sunset flip, but Gabriel has it scouted and turns it around and stacks Kidd up on the shoulders for the pin. Post-match, the shake hands and Kidd raises Gabriel's hand.

WINNER: Justin Gabriel in 5:00. Someone please go back in time and give these two an extra ten minutes from those video packages! There was more action here in five minutes than on a two-hour Raw. It looks like they may be slotting Justin Gabriel into a tag team with Tyson Kidd, instead of the injured Trent Barreta.

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TNA Impact Wrestling Results: 3-29-12

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Turner's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- VELVET SKY vs. MADISON RAYNE

The bell rang as Rayne attacked Sky on her way into the ring, and hit a flying heel kick, followed by choking Sky out on the ropes. The crowd chanted for Sky as she made a comeback for a two count following a dropkick to Rayne. Sky hit a “spear-like move” followed by a bulldog and In Yo Face for the win.

WINNER: Velvet Sky via pinfall at 3:00. Quick and painless, but it's not like that is a testament to the work from these Knockouts. Sky and Rayne are a mixed bag, in that their work ranges from pleasantly passable to almost unwatchable, but they have come a long way from playing second and third fiddle to Angelina Love.

2 -- MATT MORGAN vs. CRIMSON

In the ring, Crimson got the offensive advantage over Morgan, until Morgan was able to knock Crimson to the outside. Crimson yanked Morgan out of the ring and slammed his head on the apron and threw him back in the ring for a two count. Morgan was able to dodge a spear that sent Crimson, shoulder first, into the ringpost. He was able to take advantage of Crimson’s mistake, and continued to brawl with him outside of the ring. As Morgan reversed Crimson’s piledriver attempt on the ramp, the ref rang the bell for a double-countout.

WINNER: The match ended in a double-countout at 3:51.

Morgan and Crimson continued to battle until they were out of the Impact Zone.

3-- MR. ANDERSON vs. JEFF HARDY

Hardy and Anderson started the match exchanging basic holds. As the wrestlers went at it in the ring Mike Tenay announced that the Motor City Machine Guns would be returning next week. Back to the match, Anderson nailed Hardy with a big kick to the side of the gut of a fallen Hardy. Hardy made a comeback, but missed a dropkick in the corner, which led to a two count from Anderson. Hardy was able to come back on the offensive with a pair of dropkicks for a two count. Anderson was able to regain the offensive edge and hit an elbow drop, and tried to followed up with the Mic Check, but Hardy countered, which led to both wrestlers butting heads so bad that it sent Hardy to the outside. Outside the ring, Angle snuck up on Hardy and hit him with a low blow before throwing him back in the ring. In the ring, Anderson hit a dazed Hardy with a Mic Check for the win.

WINNER: Mr. Anderson via pinfall at 4:17. A pretty standard match the furthered the issue between Angle and Hardy. After airing vignettes over the past few weeks for the return of the Motor City Machineguns. I found it strange that they would just announce their return date so anticlimactically in the middle of an unrelated match.

4 -- BULLY RAY & TNA World Heavyweight champion BOBBY ROODE vs. JAMES STORM & TNA X Division champion AUSTIN ARIES

It seemed as if Aries and Ray were going to start the match as the crowd chanted for Aries. Ray teased Aries about getting his hands on him, but then tagged Roode in. Roode took advantage of Aries trying to tag Storm in to face to Roode. Aries showed off some his flashy offense until Roode was able to ground for a short while before Aries nailed him with an elbow to the face.

Back from the break, Aries was in the ring getting the better of Ray. Aries continued to get the best of Ray in the corner until he caught Ray’s boot the face.

Ray tagged in Roode, who picked up his scraps while taunting Storm. Roode got a little offense in before tagging Ray back into the match. Ray put Aries into the corner where Roode started to get into his face yelling that he was the real champion which prompted Aires to wake up and attacked both Roode and Ray. Aries was able to roll through Ray’s offense to tag in Storm, who cleaned house.

As Storm was about to substantially get his hands on Roode, Ray got involved as Roode went to the outside to fill his mouth up with some of Storm’s beer. Roode tried to spit Storm’s beer in his face, but Storm as quick enough to dodge the spray as it hit Ray in the face. Storm hit the superkick on Ray for the pin.

WINNERS: James Storm and Austin Aries via pinfall at 12:24. Good match that shouldn’t have been overshadowed by a segment with Hogan and a trite authority figure scenario. This match accomplished two significant things: one, it established Austin Aries as a serious contender outside of the World Title picture, as he picked up the slack for an injured Storm, and two, it made Storm look like badass for picking up the win for his team.

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 3-30-12

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Parks' complete report). For the most part, the show focused on Wrestlemania and the Fan Axxess events taking place. The two matches shown were taped from last Monday's live RAW event from Monday for this show.

1 – ZACK RYDER vs. DREW MCINTYRE

During Ryder’s entrance, they showed Josh Mathews and Matt Striker at the announce desk. Ryder did an inset interview talking positively about his relationship with Eve and how she’ll help Team Teddy go all the way at Wrestlemania. McIntyre was on his heels early on, with Ryder getting the better of him. McIntyre appeared to have the advantage, but Ryder turned the tide with a dropkick. Leapfrog, then a flapjack by Ryder. On a charge, Ryder was sent up into the air and came down on McIntyre’s knee. Snap suplex for two at 2:11. Gut-buster by McIntyre for another two-count. Mathews said we’d be joined by Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler at Fan Axxess throughout the show. McIntyre came off the middle rope and ate a boot. Ryder began to come back at 4:31 and landed the Broski Boot. Cover got two at 5:06. McIntyre created enough separation to get a big boot for two. Ryder got his knees up on a corner charge and hit the Rough Ryder leg drop for the win.

WINNER: Ryder, at 6:00. Basically a Superstars match.

2 – CHRIS JERICHO vs. KOFI KINGSTON

Shoulder knock-down by Jericho, and he did some simple taunting, but Kofi came back with a jumping back-elbow and a corner splash. The match spilled to ringside but quickly went back in the ring. Jericho had the upper-hand when they went to break 1:56 into the match.

Back at 5:50, Jericho still working over Kingston. He connected on a baseball slide that sent Kingston to ringside. Jericho sent Kingston head-first into the exposed steel barrier at ringside. After Kingston worked out of a rear chinlock, Jericho hit an enziguiri for two. More taunting and posing from Jericho, but that opened the door for Kingston. He exploded out of the corner with a clothesline. Chops and a dropkick, then Kofi gathered a head of steam for his Boom Drop. It was successful. Trouble in Paradise missed and Jericho went for the Walls. Kingston flipped out of it and hit a high cross-body off the top for two at 10:15. Another Trouble in Paradise counter and this time the Walls of Jericho was locked in, and it wasn’t the wussy Boston Crab either. It was legit, and Kofi tapped.

WINNER: Jericho, at 11:11.

Noted in the show, the WWE.com pre-show will also air on YouTube, at 6:30 pm EST Sunday and the WWE HOF, which takes place Saturday night will air an hour special Monday night before WWE RAW.

[Arcademan]

WWE WrestleMania XXVIII PPV Results: 4-1-12 (next several posts)

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's ongoing reoprt).

1 -- World Hvt. champion DANIEL BRYAN (w/A.J.) vs. SHEAMUS -- World Title match

Once the bell sounded, A.J. hopped on the ring apron to get a good luck kiss. Bryan then turned around and suddenly ate a Brogue Kick. Sheamus with the cover for the win. Ringside, A.J. was stunned as Sheamus celebrated the World Title victory. They went to a replay that lasted as long as the match, then Lawler claimed it was a "world record" for shortest World Title change.

WINNER: Sheamus at 0:18 to capture the World Title. And, for the second year in a row, Bryan-Sheamus gets the shaft.

[Arcademan]

2 -- KANE vs. RANDY ORTON

No finish after 18 seconds. The crowd, ready to make a point, chanted "Daniel Bryan" as Kane and Orton exchanged basic holds to begin the match. Orton then put Kane on the mat and began stomping away. Kane then took control with a sidewalk slam for a two count. "That there is vintage Kane," Cole said. The two men resumed a back-and-forth exchange as the crowd remained quiet. Orton then built an attack, getting the crowd involved.

Orton followed with a DDT from the second rope as the sun began to set in the background. Orton then went to That Place to stalk Kane for an RKO, but Kane shoved him off and landed a boot to the face for a two count. Kane then went up top for a clothesline, but Orton intercepted with a mid-air dropkick. Orton sold a left knee injury, then teased a Punt, but Kane intercepted with a chokeslam. Kane made a cover for a two count only, popping the crowd.

At 10:00, the fight moved up-top, where Orton landed multiple fist strikes. Orton then wanted a superplex, but Kane blocked and nailed a top-rope chokeslam. Kane made the cover and it was good for the win.

WINNER: Kane at 10:58. Surprising outcome. It looks like WWE wants to re-build Kane coming out of Mania. Overall, Kane and Orton put in a good effort, winning over a let-down crowd with a strong second-half to the match. (**1/4)

[Arcademan]

3 -- IC champion CODY RHODES vs. BIG SHOW -- Intercontinental Title match

Show quickly cornered Rhodes before tossing him clear across the ring. Show then hushed the crowd and did the frying pan chop to the chest. Lawler offered an odd line about Show's weight fluctuating 15 pounds on any given day depending on what he eats for breakfast. Show continued the assault by smushing Rhodes's face in-between his cheeks in the corner. Show continued to have fun with Rhodes, but lost control with an airball on a corner butt splash. Rhodes then went after the left knee to take Show off his feet and began working over the challenger.

After Rhodes worked over Show's knee for a bit, Show came back with a hip toss, but Rhodes yanked Show arm-first across the top rope. Rhodes followed with the Disaster Kick, then tried again, but Show punched him in mid-air to block. Show dropped the straps, then delivered the KO Punch. Show made the cover for the win. Post-match: Show sold emotion before accepting the IC Title belt, which was about the size of his hand. Cole said Show finally has his WrestleMania moment.

WINNER: Show at 5:20 to capture the IC Title. So, now what for the IC Title? Show made Rhodes look small, but Rhodes had some offense to retain a shred of credibility. (**)

[Arcademan]

4 -- Divas champion BETH PHOENIX & EVE vs. KELLY KELLY & MARIA MENOUNOS

Before the match, WWE ran a video package on the Divas roster before Eve and Beth came out to the ring. WWE then showed footage from "Extra" when the four participants set up this match. Babyface Divas Kelly and Maria came out next, and the announcers stressed Maria is working hurt with broken ribs from DWTS training. The match built to Kelly getting a hot tag before the action broke down. Maria then took a final tag, Beth teased the Glam Slam, but Kelly made the save, and Maria pinned Beth for the win. Cole called it an "Extra...special" win for Maria tonight as the camera picked up a "Mario Lopez is a tool" sign. The faces celebrated the win.

WINNERS: Maria & Kelly at 6:50. Your basic WrestleMania Divas celebrity tag match.

The THE UNDERTAKER vs. TRIPLE H -- Hell in a Cell match is next with special guest referee Shawn Michaels and special guest commentator Jim Ross.

[Arcademan]

5 -- THE UNDERTAKER vs. TRIPLE H -- Hell in a Cell match -- Undertaker's 19-0 Mania Streak on the line -- Shawn Michaels special referee

Once the bell sounded, they backed up two steps, then charged each other. A flurry of rights and lefts followed as Lawler discussed Taker's new look. Lawler gave a storyline explanation that Taker began cutting his hair off every day until Hunter accepted this match. The match moved to outside the ring and they threw each other into the Cell walls a few times. "Under-Taker" chant as Taker blasted Hunter into the Cell walls. From inside the ring, Michaels tried to get them back in the ring, but Taker lightly shoved Michaels. Taker continued on, shoving Hunter into the ring steps.

Back in the ring, Hunter reversed a whip and landed a kneebuster, but Taker popped up, no-sold, and delivered a big clothesline that popped the crowd. Taker then went old-school to continue the assault, clearly being the dominant wrestler early on. Hunter tried to roll to the outside for a breather, but Taker followed with a ring step shot to the face. Taker then nailed his trademark leg drop as Hunter was draped across the ring apron.

Back in the ring, Taker slowly approached Hunter to continue the assault, but Hunter suddenly delivered a kick to the gut and DDT to slow down Taker. Hunter followed with multiple shots into the ring steps, which Taker previously brought into the ring. Hunter then wanted the Pedigree on the steps, but Taker countered with a back-drop to center-ring. Taker landed body shots, but then walked into a spinebuster across the ring steps. Big reaction for that spot. Taker then suddenly applied the Hell's Gate submission, but Hunter lifted Taker into the air for a sit-down powerbomb. There was a trickle of blood involved at this point, apparently coming from a cut over Hunter's eye.

Hunter then went to the outside and retrieved a chair, which he cracked over Taker's back. Hunter then threw Taker into the ring steps, which he propped up in the corner. Hunter followed with more chair shots to the back as Michaels winced in the background. Hunter then went rapid-fire, drawing in Michaels to hold back Hunter. Hunter lightly pushed him aside, then landed more chair shots. Michaels had enough and yanked the chair away. Hunter told Michaels to end it, then, but Michaels said Taker will never quit. A little early for this story to come into play when Taker was dominating just a few minutes ago.

Michaels checked on Taker, then Hunter pushed HBK aside and landed more chair shots to the back. "Do not stop it!" Taker told HBK. At 14:00, Taker slowly pulled himself up to his feet and met Hunter, who landed a chair shot to the gut, then another shot to the back. Hunter made a cover, but Taker unemphatically kicked out. Hunter then landed more chair shots to the back before going to the outside. "Don't stop it, Shawn!" Taker told the ref. Hunter retrieved his Sledgehammer, then HBK and Hunter argued. Michaels told Taker he wants to ring the bell, but Taker waved him off. Hunter then blasted Taker with a Sledgehammer shot to the face, but Taker kicked out in time. Big reaction.

Hunter then went for another Sledgehammer shot, but Michaels jumped on Hunter's back and yanked it away. The fans booed. Hunter told Michaels to end the match. HBK teased calling for the bell, but stopped short. HBK continued to milk it, giving Taker a breather without making it obvious. Suddenly, Taker yanked Michaels into the Hell's Gate. Hunter then broke it up with a Sledgehammer shot to Taker's head. Hunter was the only man on his feet, then Hunter tried to nail Taker again, but Taker kicked him in the gut and slapped on Hell's Gate. Hunter fought the hold as Michaels remained KO'ed in the corner. Hunter faded out in the hold, but HBK was still down. Taker eventually released the hold, then ref Charles Robinson stormed the Cell. He struggled to unlock the Cell door, then another ref showed up to help him out.

Back in the ring, Taker delivered a chokeslam mid-ring. Taker covered Hunter, but Hunter kicked out to a big reaction. Taker sold shock, then grabbed ref Robinson and chokeslammed him, giving Charles his WrestleMania Moment. Ross called it the scene of a car accident. The match eventually reset with Taker and Hunter on their feet. Taker wanted the Tombstone, but Hunter escaped and HBK suddenly popped Taker with Sweet Chin Music. Hunter made the sure-bet cover, but Taker kicked out just before three. HBK, shocked, covered his face in the corner as Ross declared, "Undertaker will not die."

They reset at 22:00 with HBK and Hunter on their feet. Hunter then tossed HBK through the ropes to the outside. Suddenly, in the background, Taker sat up and stared down Hunter. Taker was a house of fire with a kick, stomp, and another kick. Taker then clotheslined Hunter before dropping Hunter with Snake Eyes. Taker with a leg drop, but there was no available ref. Taker then delivered the Tombstone Piledriver center ring. Taker made the cover, HBK re-entered the ring with a leap across the ring, and Taker only scored a two count. Taker sold shock with drool coming out of his mouth. HBK returned to the corner, selling emotion, as he contemplated what to do about this.

They reset at 24:20 with both men on their knees. An exchange of right hands led to an exchange on their feet. The crowd cheered along with each right hand before Hunter set up and connected with the Pedigree. Hunter made the cover, but Taker kicked out again, popping the crowd again, as captured by a wide crowd shot. Back in the ring, Hunter and Taker were shown on the mat, breathless, as Michaels simply stood in the corner, helpless.

Taker, working on his seventh out of nine lives, sat up in the ring as Hunter reached for the Sledgehammer. Taker also retrieved a chair. Taker was the first man up and he stood on the Sledge. Taker then jabbed the chair into Hunter's neck region. A chair shot across the back followed. More chair shots by Taker to Hunter. This time, Michaels was freaking out over Taker tearing apart Hunter. More chair shots followed. Michaels then pushed Taker aside, Taker tossed the chair aside, and covered Hunter for a two count. Michaels told them to stop as the camera focused on big welts and bruises on Taker's back.

Just before 30:00, Taker pushed aside a weak Sledgehammer shot as Hunter sold exhaustion. Hunter then stood in the corner, did a crotch chop, and Taker blasted him with a Sledgehammer shot to the head. Michaels turned his back, not able to watch this. Hunter then pulled a Michaels at WM26 slowly climbing up Taker's leg. Taker called for the end, then positioned Hunter for the Tombstone. Taker connected center-ring, Taker folded Hunter's arms, and Michaels made the three count. Taker wins. 20-0.

Post-match: All three men remained in the same position - Michaels standing over both bodies, Hunter flat on his back, and Taker looking up at the lights, as well. The Cell then raised to the sky as Taker rolled onto his stomach, the welts on his back visible. Michaels knelt down next to Hunter, who remained KO'ed in the ring. Taker then recovered in the corner and Michaels came over to him. Ross asked whether Taker or Hunter will ever compete again after this. Michaels extended his hand and helped up Taker, then they two shared a moment with words whispered in each other's ears.

Taker then stood up on his own two feet and stared into the crowd, which applauded the effort. Hunter remained motionless on the mat, then Taker bent down to pose as his music played and the blue lights flashed in Sun Life. The announcers remained silent as WWE focused on giant 20-0 text on the scoreboard. Back in the ring, Hunter was still out cold as Taker leaned across the top rope. Taker approached Hunter and waved his finger as Michaels continued to kneel down next to Hunter. Taker and Michaels then grabbed Hunter and pulled him off the mat, the brothers and old souls helping each other out of the ring to applause. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is respect," Ross said with the perfect tone to capture the moment. Once everyone was assembled outside the ring to exit the ring, WWE replayed high points from the match. Back live, they showed all three men now on the stage, with Hunter struggling to stand. All three men hugged on the stage, then turned to walk to the back. Ross said it's a match they will all remember forever.

WINNER: Taker at 30:52 to retain The Streak. Amazing, amazing storytelling. There were some off spots mid-way through that made it more chaotic than needed, but that is a minor complaint in the grand scheme of a 30-minute classic that played off the previous WrestleMania matches involving Taker, Hunter, and HBK from the previous three Manias. Simply breath-taking involving all three Legends. (****1/2)

[Arcademan]

6 -- TEAM LAURINAITIS (captain DAVID OTUNGA & MARK HENRY & DOLPH ZIGGLER & JACK SWAGGER & DREW MCINTYRE & THE MIZ w/John Laurinaitis, Vickie Guerrero, and Brie Bella) vs. TEAM LONG (U.S. champion captain SANTINO & KOFI KINGSTON & BOOKER T & GREAT KHALI & R-TRUTH & ZACK RYDER w/Eve, Teddy Long, Hornswoggle, and Nikki Bella) -- 12-man tag match -- winning team's GM takes over both brands

Everyone got their time in the ring to start the match. Booker then cleared the red-shirted heels from the ring apron before walking into a neck snap from Otunga. The heels took turns working over Booker, including Henry offering some trash-talk in-between blows and kicks. The blue-shirted faces eventually tried to start up a "Booker" chant to rally him.

Suddenly, Khali entered the ring to knock down Henry, so Swagger and Mac double-suplexed Khali. The action broke down with men running in and out of the ring at this point. Suddenly, Hornswoggle was in the ring and he tried to splash Henry, but Henry tossed him aside, only to see Truth and Kofi splash the heels ringside. Suddenly, the women involved in the match picked up a cat fight ringside. Miz, with his 0-20 streak on the line, was left in the ring against Santino. Santino then hit the Sailor's Salute top-rope dive before reaching into his trunks for the Cobra. Laurinaitis distracted Santino, but Santino still nailed the Cobra on Miz. Santino made a cover and appeared to score a three count, but Ziggler apparently broke up the pin in time.

They reset with bodies flying in the ring again. Ziggler popped the crowd with an athletic feat before Ryder leaped over Miz onto Ziggler with the Rough Ryder. Suddenly, Eve entered the ring to get her shine with Ryder. The distraction allowed Miz to tackle Ryder from behind and nail the Skullcrushing Finale. Miz made the cover on Ryder and it was good for the win. Miz ends 0-20 TV/PPV losing streak dating back to 2011, Laurinaitis has control of both brands now, and everyone is mad at Eve.

Post-match: The heels celebrated on the outside as Eve tried to console Ryder in the ring while the other team members stood in the background. Was she hired by Team Laurinaitis? Suddenly, Eve kicked Ryder between the legs and stormed out of the ring. On-stage, Eve smiled as she walked away with the spotlight on her. After a replay of the items in the match, they returned with Ryder recovering in the ring and Eve smirking on-stage.

WINNERS: Team Laurinaitis at 10:38. It's a new era for Miz coming out of Mania, Eve is the top heel in the Divas division, and it will be interesting to see how WWE handles Laurinaitis in control of both brands ahead of the upcoming Draft.

[Arcademan]

7 -- WWE champion C.M. PUNK vs. CHRIS JERICHO -- WWE Title match -- If Punk is DQ'ed, Jericho captures WWE Title

Early on, Punk nearly got himself DQ'ed with four stomps in the corner, stopping short just before five. Jericho then egged on Punk by slapping him multiple times, trying to get a DQ. "How's your father?" Jericho shouted at Punk, who tackled Jericho before landing multiple elbow strikes to the neck. The match then moved to the outside, where Jericho continued to taunt Punk by asking, "How's your sister?" with a crazy look in his eyes. Punk then chased Jericho into the ring with a chair as Jericho continued to taunt him. Punk teased a chair shot, but thought better of it and delivered a kick to the gut. Jericho took control moments later, though.

After Jericho inflicted more pain on the outside, Jericho continued to target Punk's lower back inside the ring. Jericho taunted Punk as the crowd tried to get involved by rallying behind Punk. Jericho then paused to wipe blood off his forehead, which came from a cut above his left eye. The match slowed down when Punk kicked Jericho away and Jericho recovered in the corner. Punk and Jericho then entered classic reverse/counter mode, teasing finishers that got the crowd involved. Punk landed a swift kick to the head, but it was only good for a two count.

At 12:00, Punk went up top and set up for the Macho Man elbow drop as a giant palm tree lingered in the background. Jericho countered the elbow drop, though, and landed the Codebreaker. Punk smartly rolled to the outside to avoid a three count, then Jericho rolled him back into the ring. Punk suddenly captured Jericho for the GTS and connected. Punk was slow to make a cover and Jericho put his foot on the bottom rope for a break. Jericho recovered and went up top, but Punk cut him off with slaps and chops. Punk then tried to snap off a huracanrana, but Jericho made an amazing counter into the Walls of Jericho in one fluid motion. Punk fought the hold and reached the bottom rope for a break.

At 17:00, Jericho charged Punk, who back-dropped him clear over the top rope to the outside. Punk followed with a suicide dive before delivering a running knee strike that sent Jericho back-of-the-head-first into the ringpost. Ouch. Punk then rolled Jericho back into the ring and went for a springboard move, but Jericho intercepted with a mid-air Codebreaker. Punk kicked out of a pin attempt, though. Jericho then pulled up Punk and told him he's the Best in the World.

After blocking two GTS attempts, Jericho went up top, but Punk smashed him with a kick to the mid-section. Jericho was draped across the top turnbuckle, so Punk hoisted him up for the GTS. "Best in the world!" Punk declared before Jericho countered the GTS into the Liontamer. Jericho then transitioned to the Walls of Jericho, with Punk gasping for air center-ring. Punk then crawled across the ring toward the bottom rope, but Jericho yanked him back to center-ring. Punk suddenly countered into a small package, which Jericho reversed. Suddenly, Punk floated over Jericho into the Vice. But, Jericho yanked Punk's hair into a roll-up, which Punk countered by re-establishing the Vice. Jericho fought out with knees and kicks to the back of the head, then he floated over Punk into a submission attempt, only to have Punk block. Amazing counter/reversal sequence. Punk then broke the leverage and slapped on the Vice again. More knees from Jericho. Punk pulled his head away, though, and Jericho had no more escape routes. Jericho fought the hold as the crowd roared, sensing the end. Jericho then tapped out, giving Punk the submission win.

WINNER: Punk via submission at 22:21. Up-and-down match until one of the better match finishes you'll see with some great counters, reversals, and physical feats of strength on the mat. The match started off as a case of mis-matched expectations with the crowd expecting a straight-up, one-on-one classic, but it started out as an extended TV match focusing on the pre-match storyline. As a credit to them, Punk and Jericho managed to turn it into a great one-on-one with a very strong final five minutes. (***1/2)

[Arcademan]

8 -- THE ROCK vs. JOHN CENA

Once the bell sounded, the crowd roared for the big fight of the evening. The two men danced around the ring before locking up center-ring. Cena won the exchange by shoving Rock away to the corner, stunning Rock. The crowd responded with a Cena Sucks chant. They locked up again and Rock shoved Cena to the corner. "Whatcha gonna do?" Rock asked Cena. Rock then won the next exchange before scaring Cena with a two count on a quick small package. Next, they did a drop down, leap frog, duck-the-clothesline sequence, which was won by Cena, who slapped on a headlock to slow down the pace.

Rock suddenly popped Cena with a right hand to the jaw, catching Cena off-guard. Cena charged Rock, who teased a submission, but Cena fought him off and slipped to the outside to recover. Back in the ring, Cena targeted Rock's mid-section with a kick and shoulder tackles. Cena then ran over Rock with a clothesline, and Rock kicked out at one. Cena resumed his focus on Rock's mid-section, targeting the injured area. Cena then pulled down the top rope and Rock went flying to the outside. On the floor, Cena dropped Rock neck-first across the guardrail, sending Rock reeling. Cena followed with a slam onto the announce table, targeting the ribs. Cena slipped into the ring, then returned to the outside and threw Rock back inside the ring for a two count on a pin attempt.

Cena, who is usually on the defensive for his big matches, continued the attack on Rock, who sold the ribs as Cena landed blows and strikes, followed by a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. Suddenly, Rock fired off a right hand, but Cena cut him off and locked in a bearhug. Rock eventually recovered inside the hold and kicked Cena in the gut to deliver a DDT for a two count. The two men then came to their feet and started trading big right hand bombs, leading to Rock flying off the ropes with a clothesline. Rock with a spinebuster, then he set up Cena for the People's Elbow, but Cena suddenly countered with an STF tease. Rock escaped, then Cena did his Five Knuckle Shuffle set-up. Cena wanted the Shuffle, and he connected, no counter. Cena, with a cut on his cheek, then stalked Rock for the Attitude Adjustment, but Rock slipped out. Double clothesline put both men on the mat.

Rock and Cena reset at 13:00 by coming to their feet and trading right hand bombs again. Cena was more powerful, rocking Rock, who suddenly came back with right hands. He wanted the trademark spit-on-the-hand-and-slap, but Cena was quick to duck, hoist up Rock, hit the AA, and instantly make a cover, but Rock kicked out just in time, popping the crowd. Big spot. The crowd recovered, then started a dueling chant. Suddenly, Rock nailed Rock Bottom center-ring. Rock made a cover, but Cena kicked out. The crowd popped briefly, then simultaneously came down to their seats.

The match resumed in the corner with Rock landing elbows and strikes in the corner. Rock, more confident after the Rock Bottom, wanted a corner move, but Cena countered with a sidewalk slam for a two count. Cena popped up and surveyed his next move before approaching the top turnbuckle. Cena wanted the top-rope guillotine drop, and he connected. Cena quickly made a cover, but Rock kicked out again.

They reset at 18:00 with Rock applying the Sharpshooter center-ring. Cena crawled across the ring toward the ropes, then reached out and grabbed the bottom rope. Rock followed up with rapid-fire right hand strikes to the head. Rock then tried the Sharpshooter again and Cena cried out in agony. Cena made it the bottom rope again, though. They were 15 minutes away from the top of the hour and seemingly not close to a finish as Rock inflicted further punishment on the outside by throwing Cena into the ring steps. The two men then returned to the ring with Cena scoring with a sunset flip into the STF in one swift move. Rock fought the hold as Lawler noted Rock can't make movies with a broken leg. Rock teased reaching the ropes, so Cena dragged him back to the middle of the ring to re-apply the STF. Rock started to fade, and closed his eyes. The ref checked Rock's hand a few times, then raised Rock's arm once. And, twice. Rock's hand nearly hit the mat on the third arm drop, but Rock held it up high, popping the crowd. Rock then got a burst of energy to reach the bottom rope for a break. Nice, dramatic sequence.

They reset at 24:00 with Cena selling his back after keeping the hold applied for so long. Cena was the first man up and he walked right into a Samoan Drop. Rock, exhausted, couldn't make a cover, though, and both men sold on the mat. At 25:00, they reached their feet and started trading bombs again. Cena got fired up and landed consecutive blows. Rock teased Rock Bottom, Cena teased the AA, and Rock delivered a spinebuster. Rock then stood over Cena to set up for and deliver the People's Elbow. Cole noted it's how he beat Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, and perhaps Cena, but Cena kicked out of the elbow. Rock recovered and approached Cena, who countered with a quick small package for a two count.

The two men came to their feet at 27:15 and Cena catapulted Rock into the corner before rolling up Cena for a two count. Both men sold on the mat, then Cena sat up and looked down at Rock before gingerly helping him up to his feet. Cena drove Rock into the corner, then hoisted him up to the top turnbuckle. Suddenly, Rock delivered right hand strikes to the mid-section that decked Cena. Rock, alone on top, climbed up to the top turnbuckle and came flying off the top with a flying body splash, but Cena rolled through and powered Rock into AA position. Cena delivered it center-ring. Cena made the cover, but Rock kicked out just in time. Big pop for the nearfall. Cena laughed and told the ref he knows he got him.

Cena then stood up, contemplated his next movie, smirked to the crowd, and did Rock's People's Elbow hand motion to boos before setting up for the Elbow. As Cena hopped over Rock, Rock popped up in the background and caught Cena with the Rock Bottom. Rock made the cover and it was good for the win. The crowd exploded in unison.

Post-match: Cena rolled out of the ring as Cole covered for Cena, saying he doesn't think there was a loser tonight. Cole said Cena was dominant tonight. In the ring, Rock posed and sold emotion as he celebrated in front of the Miami crowd. The crowd continued to cheer as Rock posed in the ring. Cena was shown sitting on the entrance ramp, a mix of being stunned and disbelieving. Cole wrapped up the show as Rock posed in the corner turnbuckle three minutes before the top of the hour.

WINNER: Rock at 30:34, 18 seconds shorter than Taker-Hunter, with 18 seconds being the length of the opening match. Well worth the year-long hype with an outstanding performance from both men. It's difficult to compare to Taker-Hunter, as they were two different matches, but this matched the effort, story, and finish. Cena not winning was surprising, but WWE, Rock, and Cena played the psychological games ahead of time making it seem like Cena would win. But, now, Cena can take a different route coming out of Mania when his cockiness got the best of him. (****)

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 4-2-12

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results plus bonus comments from yours truly.

- John Laurinaitis now controls RAW and Smackdown. He puts Santino in a match to defend his US title against both Swagger and Ziggler. Punk comes out and calls Johnny a toolbox and for that comment he gets to defend the title against Mark Henry.

- The Rock hogs the fnext 15 minutes or so of the show. He now says his vision is to once again become WWE Champion.

1 -- U.S. champion SANTINO vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. JACK SWAGGER -- three-way U.S. Title match

Ziggler and Swagger took turns dominating Santino early on. The crowd was much more appreciative of Ziggler's work than Swagger's push-up routine. Santino then teased a comeback, dumped Ziggler to the outside, and was clotheslined by Swagger. They cut to break with Swagger in control.

Back from break, the heels were in control until Santino thwarted a double-team. Santino then reached into his trunks for the Cobra, but Ziggler cut him off and landed a neckbreaker. Swagger and Ziggler then combined for a dangerous-looking double-team move on Santino that could have injured Santino's neck. Ziggler and Swagger then turned against each other, arguing over who should get the pin. After Ziggler took a wild bump into the top turnbuckle, Santino dropped Swagger with the Cobra for the win.

Post-match: Santino escaped an attack by pointing to an object and running away. Suddenly, Brodus Clay appeared on-stage in normal Brodus mode to stand next to Santino. Ziggler then charged Clay, who headbutted him in mid-air, with Ziggler taking a big, wild bump on the entrance ramp. "Funkasauras" chant as Swagger decided whether to go after Clay or call it a night. Swagger opted to check on Ziggler, then Clay's music hit and the dancers came out for Swagger, Santino, and the Funkettes to dance in a scene from Santino's YouTube show.

WINNER: Santino at 6:52 to retain the U.S. Title. Basic Santino vs. Vickie storytelling with Santino finding a way to thwart the incompetent villains and "put a smile on people's faces."

2 -- LORD TENSAI (w/Sakamoto) vs. ALEX RILEY

Tensai slowly picked apart Riley, methodically inflicting punishment while staring into the crowd every once in a while. The crowd chanted, "A-Train," once in a while, but they were more hushed as Tensai slowly destroyed Riley. Tensai delivered a butterfly suplex bomb, then delivered an elbow drop follwed by a flying splash. Tensai continued to take his time picking apart Riley before delivering hard elbow strikes in the corner. The crowd chanted along, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" with each elbow strike. Lawler noted this is how Tensai destroyed competition in Japan. Tensai then hit a bit sit-out powerbomb, and the ref called for the bell. Apparently Riley could no longer continue.

Post-match, The crowd wasn't sure how to react, then Tensai spewed mist into the crowd and applied The Claw to Riley's head to inflict more punishment. They replayed Tensai's destruction of Riley as Sakamato joined him in the ring for a celebration. Lawler said he didn't see any flaws or weaknesses in the ring. Tensai was then shown slowly walking out of the ring. Now a word from Yoshi Tatsu on Twitter, "I just wanna let you know Lord Tensai is NOT Japanese. I'm REAL Japanese!!!"

WINNER: Tensai via referee stoppage at 2:50. It was like a pre-Funkasauras Brodus Clay squash match, only drawn out another two minutes and more methodical. It will be interesting to see how Bernard's re-introduction unfolds over the next few weeks and how it plays in front of a regular WWE crowd, not a hardcore fanbase the night after WrestleMania.

3 -- WWE champion C.M. PUNK vs. MARK HENRY -- WWE Title match

After formal ring intros, the bell sounded and Henry threw Punk across the ring to target Punk's injuries from last night at Mania. The crowd rallied with a "C-M-Punk" chant as Punk tried to get Henry off his feet, but couldn't. Henry then knocked Punk to the mat and stomped away at the champ. Cole did the line about not seeing how Punk will walk out as WWE champ tonight, which gave away the outcome. The crowd tried to rally with a "Yes! Yes! Yes!" chant as Henry trash-talked Punk. Henry then landed body shots to the stomach and back, targeting Punk's mid-section. Henry continued to handle running commentary, instructing Punk to stay down if he knows what's good for him.

At the top of the hour, Punk found himself in a bearhug that Punk countered with a DDT. Punk tried a cover, but Henry press-slammed him onto the ref. Punk followed with kicks and body shots as the crowd chanted, "Yes!" with each strike. Punk made a cover, but Henry grabbed the bottom rope for a break. The crowd then chanted, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" before Punk went for a top-rope move, only to find himself in Henry's arms for a bodyslam. Henry wanted a Vader Bomb, but Punk blocked and landed more "Yes!" body shots. Cole noted the crowd is jacked tonight.

Henry then kicked Punk in the face, prompting "No! No! No!" chants. Henry tried to finish Punk with a corner Vader Bomb, but Punk moved. Punk then went to the corner turnbuckle for a springboard move, but Henry intercepted with a clothesline. At 6:27, they cut to commercial with the two men locked in a stalemate.

After a video plug for Smackdown with WM28 fall-out, they returned with Punk on the top turnbuckle for a double axehandle attempt, but Henry intercepted with a kick to the injured mid-section. Henry then slowed down the match with a nervehold as the crowd apparently chanted Daniel Bryan's name. Punk fought back and got super-fired up with rapid-fire chops as the crowd chanted, "Yes!" with each chop. He finally floored Henry, drawing a big reaction. Punk then went up top to a big reaction, set up for the Macho Man elbow drop, smiled through the pain, and connected. Punk sold he may have hurt himself connecting, though.

They reset with Punk landed a high knee in the corner as Henry tried to recover. Punk followed with a second high-knee, then Punk tried a bulldog, but Henry lifted Punk up into the air and dropped him over the top rope on the floor. The ref applied a very fast ten count and Punk was not able to re-enter the ring, resulting in a count-out victory for Henry.

WINNER: Henry via count-out at 12:57; Punk retained the WWE Title. This was an amazing match. The crowd was red-hot, the storytelling of Henry cutting off Punk at every move was strong, Henry's trash-talking added to the match, and Henry looks like a monster heel again. Aside from the Punk-Bryan match a few months ago, this was one of the best Raw TV matches in a while. (***)

4 -- KOFI KINGSTON vs. CODY RHODES

Kofi and Rhodes started off with quick offense, indicating this wouldn't be going long. Cody nailed the Disaster Kick early in the match, then Big Show's music suddenly played. Show walked out on-stage and told Cody he has something to show him from WrestleMania. He said he hopes Rhodes doesn't find it...embarrassing. Show introduced a slow-motion clip of his KO Punch that ended Rhodes's night and title reign. Back in the ring, Rhodes then tried to run at Kofi out of anger, but Kofi nailed him with Trouble in Paradise for the win.

WINNER: Kingston at 1:48.

5 -- THE MIZ vs. ZACK RYDER

Once the bell sounded, Miz taunted the Zack Ryder chants in the crowd. Meanwhile, Lawler said he's just been informed that John Cena has arrived at the building. To start the match, Ryder blasted away at Miz with strikes before throwing him to the outside and blasting him into the guardrail. Ryder continued to punish Miz back in the ring, but Miz cut him off with a big boot to the face. Ryder came back with double knees to the face, ducked a clothesline, and nailed a clothesline. Ryder then planted Miz face-first into the mat before nailing Miz with the Broski Boot. Ryder with a cover, but Miz kicked out. Miz then avoided a follow-up move and rammed Ryder into the guardrail. Miz then wanted the Skullcrushing Finale and he connected. It was good for the win.

WINNER: Miz at 2:56. Ryder momentarily re-built momentum showing fire early in the match, but it's clear Ryder is not a priority. Whereas, it appears WWE will be re-building Miz coming out of Mania.

- The show ended with John Cena apologizing to his fans for not beating the Rock but won't makes excuses. Crowd chants 'We want Lesnar!' Ask and ye shall receive. Brock came down and without a word drops Cena with an F5.