3/21/11 Raw Recap

Mar 21, 2011 - by Jason Graening

Live Raw coverage brought to you by the Starman.

Raw opens as Jim Ross is introduced to the live crowd in Pittsburgh, PA. Michael Cole comes out, though, and is dressed in a fat suit with a brace around his ankle and is carrying a bottle of JR’s BBQ Sauce. Jerry Lawler and Josh Mathews say that Cole has no shame as he makes the way towards his personal announce table, the Cole Mine.

Triple H’s music hits as he makes his way towards the ring and grabs a microphone. Triple H says he has spent almost 20 years in this business and wonders if tonight may be the last night he works in this arena. He continues by saying in two weeks he and the Undertaker will have their defining moment when the two icons go at it at WrestleMania.

Triple H calls Undertaker’s streak bigger than any championship he has ever held and ending it will be a career defining moment. He then asks Undertaker to come to Raw next week so he can tell him face to face that he will lose at WrestleMania. Triple H says the Undertaker will die when he is defeated and he will rest in peace.

Ted DiBiase comes out and says one year ago he was one of the rising stars of the WWE. This year, however, he has become an afterthought. DiBiase says he is making his own opportunity and challenges Triple H to a match tonight to get noticed by taking out the Game two weeks before WrestleMania.

The two then come to blows with DiBiase getting the best of the exchange, but Triple H sends him into the steel steps a few times to bring his momentum to a halt. Triple H then nails DiBiase with a chair several times before sending him through the announce table with a Pedigree.

The announce team then hype tonight’s show that will feature John Cena’s response via satellite from his home and the Miz will be rewriting “Miz-tory” and change the entire face of the WWE.

Match 1: Sheamus vs. Evan Bourne
Sheamus quickly takes Bourne down with a hard clothesline and wears him down with repeated strikes and boots. Bourne is able to use his quickness to get out of the way and takes Sheamus down with a spin kick. Bourne then heads to the top rope but misses with the Air Bourne and Sheamus connects with a Brogue Kick to pick up the pin fall.

After the match, Daniel Bryan’s music hits as he comes down to the ring with a microphone. Bryan says he wants to invoke his rematch clause at WrestleMania and Sheamus responds by throwing the US Championship in his face before taking him down with a Brogue Kick.

The announce team hypes a WrestleMania rewind match as Rey Mysterio takes on Randy Orton in a rematch from WrestleMania 22. For those keeping track, Kurt Angle will not be a part of this match.

We are treated to a Raw Rewind where Randy Orton defeated Mason Ryan to earn a one-on-one shot against CM Punk at WrestleMania. We then see Randy Orton coming out of the WWE tour bus, the same bus where he witnessed the birth of the new Nexus, the same Nexus that he is taking out one punt at a time. Orton says CM Punk clams to be sick and twisted, but he has no idea what that is.

Match 2: Maryse vs. Eve Torres
Maryse gets in Eve’s face and slaps her before taking her down and slamming her head into the mat. Maryse then misses with a kick before Michael Cole interrupts the match saying that he has another worldwide exclusive to reveal. Back to the action, Eve has taken control but Maryse is able to counter a moonsault. Eve then counters an attempt at a neckbreaker and pick up the pin fall.

After the match, Eve heads to the Cole Mine where Michael Cole is taunting her. Eve slaps him as she is held back by security and Cole says he is glad their match is over with as we head into a commercial break.

The Corre is in the ring as Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel are set to compete. We are treated to a highlight of Smackdown from last Friday where the Corre took out both the Big Show and Kane.

Match 3: Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel vs. Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov
Santino takes down Gabriel with a side slam and goes right for the Cobra but Slater distracts Marella as Gabriel is able to take him down. Slater is tagged in and works over Marella but Marella is able to kick Slater away and tag in Kozlov. Kozlov charges at Slater and Kozlov is distracted by Wade Barrett on the outside. Slater then takes Kozlov down with a inverted DDT and Gabriel hits the 450 splash to pick up the pin fall.

After the match, the Corre storms the ring and continues beating down Marella and Kozlov until the Big Show and Kane head out to the ring for a little retribution. The two big men dismantle the Corre as Marella and Kozlov join in. The Big Show shakes hands with Kozlov as the four stare down at Ezekiel Jackson, who Big Show and Kane just took out with a double chokeslam.

The announce team hypes the fact that the Rock will be live on Monday Night Raw next week. We then see footage of last week’s match between John Cena and Alberto Del Rio where Cena was attacked by Brodus Clay. The Miz then came out dressed as the Rock and took Cena out with a Rock Bottom before sending him into the ring post and into the WWE sign on the entrance ramp.

We join John Cena via satellite where he says next week will be epic when he will be face to face with the Rock. Cena says he plans to settle his problems with the Rock so he can focus on the Miz. Cena says the Miz deserves to be the WWE Champion and admits that he has underestimated him. Cena says he hopes the Miz rewrites history tonight as Cena plans on making history at WrestleMania.

Michael Cole emerges from the Cole Mine and says he will have another worldwide exclusive and tells Jerry Lawler that it is something that he won’t want to miss. This announcement will come up next.

We return from a commercial break to see Michael Cole and Jack Swagger in the ring together. Cole introduces Swagger as the man who will train him to beat Jerry Lawler at WrestleMania. Cole says he was touched by last week’s family reunion as we are treated to footage of the meeting between Lawler and his son, Brian Christopher.

Cole continues by saying that Christopher gave him a gift afterwards, which is a Lawler photo album. We see photos of Lawler growing up with Cole saying his father must be thinking how his son is a dork and how he won’t grow up to be anything. Cole says realized all of his family members have one thing in common, which is that they are all a bunch of losers.

Lawler gets up from his seat but Swagger stops him. Lawler, though, is able to send Swagger into the announce table, which has been set back up, and he chases Cole around the ring. Swagger is able to take Lawler down with a clothesline as Cole retreats to the Cole Mine. Swagger then puts Lawler in an ankle lock as Cole comes out and takes over with the submission hold. Cole screams at Lawler to tap out before leaving him lying on the ground.

After a commercial break, Michael Cole apologizes for what just happened but Lawler knows how to push his buttons and he just snapped. We then see footage of Snooki’s guest host appearance on Raw from last week and all of the media that covered “SnookiMania.”

Match 4: Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison
Ziggler and Morrison go back and forth in the opening moments with Ziggler picking up a near fall after hitting a neckbreaker. Ziggler then wears Morrison down with a headlock but Morrison is able to swing the match into his favor by hitting a dropkick and sending Ziggler out to the floor. Morrison is about to dive over the ropes but Michelle McCool steps in the way as Morrison stops. Trish Stratus then pulls McCool off the ring apron as the anonymous GM email sound goes off, where he orders the match to become an handicap inter-gender tag team match with Morrison and Trish going up against Ziggler, LayCool and Vickie Guerrero.

Match 5: John Morrison & Trish Stratus vs. Dolph Ziggler/LayCool/Vickie Guerrero
We join the match in progress from a commercial break with Morrison and Ziggler going at it in the ring. Ziggler makes the tag with Layla as Trish comes in and shows that she still has it by doing a handstand headscissors takedown from the turnbuckle. Michelle McCool then connects with a kick on Trish from the apron before being tagged into the match as she continues attacking Trish.

Michelle isolates Trish into their corner as the three women tag in and out and work over Trish until Vickie misses with a leg drop. Morrison is tagged back in as Ziggler has to get back into the match and is quickly taken down. While Morrison is working over Ziggler, Layla sneaks around the ring and sends Trish down to the floor. Meanwhile, Morrison misses with Starship pain and Ziggler connects with the Zig-Zag. Vickie is then tagged in as she covers Morrison for the pin fall.

A Sin Cara video package airs as Michael Cole says high flying action is coming to the WWE before they recap what Triple H said earlier in tonight’s broadcast. We then are treated to thoughts from various wrestlers, old and new, about their confrontation and their upcoming match.

Match 6: Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio (WrestleMania Rewind Match)
Mysterio hits Orton with a series of kicks and is focusing on Orton’s leg before Orton takes Mysterio off his feet with an uppercut. Orton then slides Mysterio out to the floor before rolling him back in for a near fall. Orton then puts Mysterio in a headlock before putting him on the turnbuckle. Mysterio fights back and hits Orton with a seated senton but Orton quickly regains control with a snap slam.

Orton sets Mysterio on the middle rope for a DDT but Mysterio counters and sets Orton up with a 619 but Orton counters that move and hits Mysterio with a DDT. CM Punk then appears on the big screen and is standing outside of Orton’s tour bus. Punk complements Orton on the bus and says he cannot wait to meet is wife.

Orton then leaves the arena and heads out to the parking lot where CM Punk attacks him from behind with a wrench. Orton’s wife comes out but Punk tells her to shut up as he tells Orton he doesn’t think he will be punting anyone at WrestleMania before stomping on Orton’s head as his wife looks on from the tour bus. CM Punk then blows her a kiss before walking away.

The announce team hypes next week’s WrestleMania go home show as the Undertaker goes face to face with the Undertaker and the Rock will be appearing live.

Alex Riley is in the ring, that is decked out with a red carpet, and says he was fired three weeks ago but was hired earlier this week as the VP of Corporate Communications. Riley then introduces the WWE Champion, the Miz.

Miz comes out and talks about people paying big money to see Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan perform in their primes. They now have the opportunity to watch the Miz. He continues by saying that he has rewritten history as someone has come along with more charisma than Shawn Michaels, more dominant than Andre the Giant, and more intelligent than John Cena and the Rock combined.

The Miz says he has flipped the WWE since day one and before taking the WWE logo off the microphone and turning it upside down. He says it stands for the Miz before revealing a new WWE Championship belt with an upside down WWE logo. The Miz then has Alex Riley put the belt around his waist and the Miz says he doesn’t plan on being a multi-time champion, as he plans to never lose it.

John Cena appears via satellite and applauds the Miz for being so clever. Cena says he will soon find out that they shouldn’t have made him angry as we see some crew members take apart his set to reveal that he is in Pittsburgh. Cena says the WWE has been his home for nine years and he is about to take out the trash as he heads towards the ring.

Cena runs towards the ring and goes right after the Miz. Alex Riley pulls Cena off the Miz as Cena turns his attention to him. The Miz runs up the ramp as Cena locks Riley in the STF as he taps out. Cena refuses to break the hold as a referee tries to pull him off. The Miz finally makes his way out and stares down Cena but refuses to take a step closer. Cena then puts Riley in another STF but the Miz again walks away as three referees try to pull Cena off of Riley.

Cena finally lets go of the hold as the announce team quickly hypes next week’s Raw as the show comes to a close.

Quick Results
– Sheamus defeated Evan Bourne by pin fall.
– Eve Torres defeated Maryse by pin fall.
– Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel defeated Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov by pin fall.
– Dolph Ziggler/LayCool/Vickie Guerrero defeated John Morrison & Trish Stratus by pin fall in an inter-gender handicap tag team match.
– Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio fought to a no contest.


Leave a Reply