Kane has an announcement for the WWE Universe. (Source: Online World of Wrestling)

The epic rivalry between The Undertaker and the World Champion, Kane, continues on Smackdown.  Kane had a “major announcement” that would shake things up going into Night of Champions in a few weeks.  What was it?  Read on and find out.

Video Package: The Undertaker was attacked and put in a vegetative state.  Kane stood up for his brother and believed it was Rey Mysterio who attacked.  It wasn’t.  It was the “Big Red Monster” himself.  Since then, the Brothers of Destruction have been at odds.

Alberto Del Rio is introduced and comes to the ring where a fiesta is awaiting him.  He shows a video package of what he did to Rey Mysterio last week.  The incident fractured Rey’s wrist.  Del Rio says that Rey is ashamed, that’s why he wears a mask.  Alberto beats down a pinata in the ring wearing a Mysterio mask saying that Rey is now broken.  He goes to have a champagne toast to himself.

• Interrupted by Christian who’s a little upset about what he did to Rey.  Christian starts teasing him by calling him names like JBL (Juan Bradshaw Layfield) and Enrique Iglesias, even starts to sing his song, Hero.
• Del Rio threatens Christian saying that he doesn’t want to end up like Rey.
• Christian says he’s got a match tonight, but doesn’t mind doing something now…
• Things look like they’re going to come to blows, but Del Rio walks away saying another place and another time.
• Christian still in the ring gets jumped from behind by Drew McIntyre (his opponent tonight), knocking him out of the ring.
• Del Rio takes the opportunity to pour champagne on Christian.

Christian vs. Drew McIntyre
WINNER: Christian via jacknife pin fall

Non-Title Match
Kelly Kelly vs. Michelle McCool with Layla (On Commentary)
WINNER: McCool via pin fall after hitting the Faith Breaker

Backstage: A doctor is hooking up electrode monitors on Hornswoggle.  Teddy Long comes into the office wondering what’s going on.  The doctor says that he’s tried to help Hornswoggle with his communication skills and nothing normal has worked.  He’s now going to try something drastic, electroshock therapy.

• Teddy looks hesitant, but asks for Hornswoggle to give it a try.  The doctor shocks him twice, and Hornswoggle is done.  He takes the monitors off and sticks one to the doctor’s head and turns it on, shocking the doctor.  Hornswoggle and Teddy leave.

Non-Title Match
Chris Masters vs. Dolph Ziggler with Vickie Guerrero
WINNER: Ziggler via pin fall after hitting the Zig Zag

Big Show vs. CM Punk & Luke Gallows with Joey Mercury
WINNER: Big Show via submission with a variation of a Camel Clutch/Rear chin lock

• Post match, Punk is so pissed that he hits Gallows with the Go To Sleep

VIP Lounge is set up and this time around, the host is Jack Swagger after winning his bet with MVP. Swagger’s guest is his daddy who’s been all beaten up and is sitting in a wheel chair with a neck brace on.  Swagger Sr.  says he’s so proud of his son, and asks him to do some push ups to show off.

• MVP interrupts the segment saying that there’s nothing ballin’ about this VIP Lounge.
• Swagger gets upset with him, and MVP says I own the VIP Lounge and tonight it’s closed for renovations.  MVP goes to attack Swagger and Jack uses his daddy in the wheel chair as a shield.  Swagger Sr. ends up on the canvas, and Jack ends up on the outside.  MVP hits Senior with Ballin’.

Matt Hardy to the ring.  He’s followed by his opponent, “Dashing” Cody Rhodes who cuts a promo on Hardy as he walks the aisle poking fun at his hygiene and weight.

Cody Rhodes vs. Matt Hardy
WINNER: Rhodes via pin fall after hitting Cross Rhodes

Kane appears on the TitanTron in the arena, he’s backstage.  He cuts a promo saying that The Undertaker’s end will come at Night of Champions when he defends his World Title against his brother.  Kane says that he’s longed for his brother’s powers, and now they’re his!

• Out to the ring come some druids and they’re wheeling a casket.  Out of the casket pops Kane.  He continues the promo saying that there is nothing his brother can do about it.  Kane shows the video package of what happened to Taker earlier this week on RAW.  He believes that The Undertaker will be nothing more than a memory and nothing can stop him!
• Taker’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring.  As soon as he steps foot in the ring, the music stops and the lights go out.  When the lights come back on, Kane is no longer in the ring, and is backstage appearing on TitanTron.  He says to Taker, after Night of Champions, you will be known as the brother I destroyed!

QUICK THOUGHTS:

I can’t help but love Christian’s witty humor… I know that people have compared Alberto Del Rio’s entrance with the fancy car to John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL), but the Juan Bradshaw Layfield joke had me rolling on the floor.  Totally caught me off guard.  Also, I think Christian should stick to wrestling because his singing sucked.

For the most part, the show sucked.  I wasn’t really into it at all.  The matches weren’t terrible, but there wasn’t really anything too epic that made me stand up and cheer.

Kane’s announcement wasn’t really a huge announcement like WWE always builds things up to be.  He’s going to face Taker at Night of Champions… Like we didn’t see that coming anyway!  Stevie Wonder could’ve seen that coming!

Would Wade Barrett and The Nexus ruin the RAW 900 celebration? (Source: Online World of Wrestling)

The longest running episodic show in television history just hit another milestone, 900 episodes.  The stars of all the WWE brands came together last night on RAW to put on a show for the WWE Universe.  Here’s what went down:

Video Package: RAW has had more episodes than any other show in television history with highlights over the years.

Bret Hart comes out to welcome us to the 900th episode of RAW.  Bret talks about how RAW is going strong because of the fans and then mentions about how he and only one other person still in WWE were at the first episode.  That other person is The Undertaker.

• Bret goes to introduce Taker, but out walks Kane who says that “There is no Undertaker any more… He’s just a man… The man you once knew, he’s like you, weak, feeble, scraggly, over the hill, irreversibly damaged.”  He then teases Bret over Taker putting Shawn Michaels out for good.  Kane tells Bret that Taker took out an icon in HBK, and now he needs to take out one in Bret!  Kane goes for the Chokeslam…

• The Hart Dynasty come out to help, but Kane fends them off.  He heads towards Bret Hart, but the lights go out/on.  Taker is in the ring.  He and Kane have a stare down in the ring.  Kane backs up the ramp and says, “Not yet big brother.”
• An email comes in from the anonymous General Manager that says in honor of the 900th episode of RAW, we need a main even befitting the occasion.  He makes a match between Bret Hart and The Undertaker.

Video Package: Clips from episode #1 (1993) with the original opening.

Video Package: Clips from episode #279 (1998) Stone Cold Steve Austin drives a Zamboni into the arena.

Kofi Kingston & Michael McGillicutty vs. Kaval & Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz & Alex Riley
WINNERS: Miz/Riley via pin fall after Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale on Kaval

• Post match, Miz attacks Bryan with the Money in the Bank case.

LayCool vs. Melina & Even Torres
WINNER: Melina/Eve via pin fall roll up on Layla (by Melina)

• Post match, LayCool challenge Melina to a title unification match at Night of Champions
• Melina accepts only if it’s a Lumberjack Match.  They say fine.

Video Package: Clips from episode #889 (2010) The Nexus destroys John Cena and the RAW set.

Backstage: Nexus arguing backstage, and reveal that Skip Sheffield has a broken ankle, so now the fat has been trimmed.  Wade Barrett says that they have to do something big tonight to be remembered.

Video Package: Clips from episode #850 (2009) Bob Barker hosts RAW and picks on Chris Jericho.

Backstage: Josh Matthews is with Chris Jericho who cuts him off.  Jericho says that the only reason why he says “he’s the best in the world at what he does” is because it’s true.  He then puts out an ultimatum saying that if he doesn’t win the WWE Title at Night of Champions, he’ll quit the WWE.

John Morrison & R-Truth vs. Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre
WINNERS: Double DQ as the referee lost control of the match

• Post match, brawl continues and JoMo and Truth stand tall.

Video Package: Clips from episode #867 (2010) Bret Hart returns.  He and Shawn Michaels bury the hatchet after all the years since the “Montreal Screwjob.”

Bret Hart vs. The Undertaker

• Just before the bell rings, Wade Barrett comes out saying that this match isn’t going to happen… People want to talk about the future and that’s The Nexus.  Barrett vows to take out both men and gets in the ring only to be thrown around by Taker.
• Lights out/on, Kane is in the ring.  He and Taker exchange blows.  Taker goozles Kane, lights out/on, Kane’s gone.
• The Nexus surrounds the ring and attack Taker, and Taker holds them off.  Lights out/on.  Taker is on Barrett’s shoulders, Fireman’s Slam followed by Justin Gabriel’s 450 Splash as Kane looks on from the stage with sick joy.

Jack Swagger to the ring with the mic and gloats about returning to RAW as a conquering hero.

Jack Swagger vs. Evan Bourne
WINNER: Swagger via submission due to the Ankle Lock

• Mid match, Alberto Del Rio comes out to ringside.
• Post match, Del Rio cuts a promo on Rey Mysterio saying that his fans won’t see him tonight unless they visit him in the hospital.  He’s disappointed though because the RAW fans didn’t get to see what he did to Rey, so he decides to show them on Evan Bourne.  He locks on the Cross Arm Breaker and then goes to put his arm inside a chair to slam it into the ring post when Mark Henry comes out to knock the chair out of his hands.  Del Rio backs up the ramp.

Video Package: Clips from WWE’s first ever trip to China.

Video Package: Clips from episode #331 (1999) Mick Foley throws a “This is your life” segment for The Rock.

CM Punk & The Straightedge Society (Luke Gallows & Joey Mercury) to the ring.  Punk says that he’s better than the rock because he doesn’t make crappy movies like Tooth Fairy… He says that he doesn’t miss The Rock because he epitomizes this ceptic tank of a show with poor family values… even goes on to mention the Katie Vick situation…

• Punk shows his four most atrocious moments.

1. Episode #824 (2009) Triple H breaks into Randy Orton’s house to attack him.
2. Episode #691 (?) John Cena throws Edge into a body of water.
3. Episode #257 (1998) DX fires the first shot on WCW to start the Monday Night War.
4. Episode #304 (1995) Stone Cold hoses down Vince McMahon with a beer truck; Repeated in episode #754 by Austin on Santino Marella.

• Punk teases about Austin coming out there and spraying him down with the beer truck, and then Austin’s music hits… Punk acts scared and then starts laughing… It’s a trick.
• Punk shows one more clip, this one from episode #199 of Smackdown when Brock Lesnar Superplexed Big Show off the top rope and the ring broke.  CM Punk makes a fat joke.
• Big Show interrupts and is upset that all Punk could come up with was a fat joke.  Big Show does an impression of Hulk Hogan and then slaps Punk in the chest.  Gallows becomes the sacrificial lamb for Show as Punk and Mercury run.

Video Package: Clips from episode #450 (2002) Triple H returns from a major injury and destroys Kurt Angle.

Josh Matthews on the ramp and introduces Sheamus.  Asks about Night of Champions, but Sheamus goes right into talking about how Triple H isn’t here to celebrate because he took him out.  Sheamus then bitches about how he has to defend his title at Night of Champions in a Six Pack Challenge and then vents about having to tag with Randy Orton tonight.

• Edge interrupts.  Informs Sheamus that tons of crazy things have happened to him over the years, but the key thing is that he’s given it back three times as much.  Says he’s going to win the Six Pack Challenge and become WWE Champion.  Tells Sheamus to “head back to the lab, Beaker!”

Elimination Tag Team Match
The Nexus vs. Randy Orton, Edge, Sheamus, Chris Jericho & John Cena
WINNERS: Nexus via eliminating their opponents; Final fall Barrett hits Orton with Fireman’s Slam for pin

QUICK THOUGHTS:

It was really great to see all the old clips from the past RAW episodes, but for me this was a pretty lackluster show.  There wasn’t anything overly exciting about it, and I’m shocked that it wasn’t a three hour extravaganza.

When they announced the Taker vs. Hart match, I figured it wasn’t going to actually happen because it’s WWE and Bret Hart is in no shape to actually wrestle.  Part of me thinks he’s there because he’s hard up for cash, but then again who isn’t right now in this economy.

Another great booking of Alberto Del Rio.  He has no care for anyone else but himself and interrupts a match to cut a promo on Rey Mysterio.  Just brilliant.  He’s got more heat now.  It’s only been two plus weeks and he’s got a ton of heat.