Monday Night RAW – 12/7/09

This week, Monday Night RAW kicks off with Justin Roberts announcing the guest host for the evening, Dallas Maverick’s Owner, Mark Cuban who’s sitting ringside.

• “I’m large and in charge tonight… Later on, there will be a ‘Showdown’ between John Cena & Sheamus where both guys can say whatever they want to each other face to face!”

John Cena vs. Carlito
WINNER: John Cena via pin fall after countering the Back Stabber into an Attitude Adjustment.

• Mid match, Sheamus tried to come to the ring, but Cuban jumped the rail and had security block his path.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Next Monday is a 3-hour special for the annual WWE Slammy Awards hosted by Dennis Miller.

Randy Orton & Legacy come to the ring.  Orton talks directly at Mark Cuban, “You’re going to lift my title shot ban, and say that no matter who wins this weekend at TLC, I get the next title shot!”

• Cuban says, “NO WAY… I respect you as a competitor, so I’m going to put you in a match against Kofi Kingston, but I’m going to be the referee!”

Legacy (Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes) vs. Evan Bourne & Primo
WINNERS: Legacy via pin fall after DiBiase hit Dream Street on Bourne.  After match, Cuban has Legacy ejected from the building.

Video Package: Look back at how Sheamus destroyed Jamie Noble.

Kelly Kelly comes out to the ring to announce the next match.

Maryse vs. Gail Kim
WINNER: Maryse via pin fall thanks to some help from the middle rope.  After the match, she attacks Kelly Kelly, and Melina comes down to save the day.

Backstage: DX marks out for their own merchandise just in time for Christmas!  They exchange gifts, and in Triple H’s gift to Shawn Michaels, out pops Hornswoggle who is wearing a DX t-shirt that has him on it and says, “Littlest Member.”

• Shawn says that Hornswoggle is going to sell it from hearing Hornswoggle make his random sounds, and DX starts making Star Wars references about Han Solo and Chewbacca.  Then they harp on the writers, saying, “Who writes this crap?!?”
• Hornswoggle jumps off a step ladder into the Christmas tree that falls onto DX and he bails.

Video Package:  A look at how Sheamus beat up the time keeper and Jerry Lawler.

Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton – Cuban guest referee
WINNER: Kingston via backslide pin fall on the fastest count in wrestling history!  Cuban then decides to make a rematch for TLC to settle the score.

Video Package: How Sheamus came to earn the #1 contender spot.

U.S. Title Match
The Miz (Champion) vs. Mark Henry
WINNER: The Miz retains via pin fall after countering the World’s Strongest Slam into a DDT.

Camera’s show Chris Masters chatting it up with Mark Cuban ringside.

Eve Torres & Hornswoggle vs. Chavo Guerrero & Jillian Hall
WINNERS: Eve & Hornswoggle via pin fall on Jillian.  After the match, Chavo shoves Hornswoggle down, and Eve gets in the middle of them.  Chris Masters jumps the rail thinking Chavo may attack Eve and Chavo decides to swing at Masters… Big mistake.  He gets a Masterlock and a slam for his trouble.

Video package: Why Should John Cena take Sheamus seriously?  Clips of Sheamus destroying Santino Marella.

Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole run down the card for the TLC PPV this weekend (preview coming soon).

Chris Jericho comes to the ring and says, “I’m bigger than RAW or Smackdown!  I’m the best in the world at what I do… At TLC, DX, you will not take this title away from me!”

Chris Jericho vs. DX – Handicap Match
WINNER: No Contest.  Mid match, ref got knocked out and the Big Show came out to help destroy DX as they tried to attack him with a chair and a ladder.  DX was demolished!

ANNOUNCEMENT: WWE Tribute to the Troops set for Saturday, December 19th on NBC.

Magically, a press conference set appears and John Cena and Sheamus come down to the ring.

• Sheamus says, “What took Cena years to do, will take me weeks.”  Cena has no comment.
• Sheamus says, “Best case scenario, you lose your title.  Worst case, I slam you through multiple tables and watch your spine shatter!”  Cena has no comment.
• Sheamus goes to talk again, but this time Cena interrupts saying, “I hope you believe what you’re saying… Either back up what you say, or I’m going to be the guy that makes you a footnote in WWE history.”
• Sheamus is pissed and it looks like there’s going to be a melee.  Mark Cuban gets in between them, and Sheamus shoves him down, then Pump Kicks Cena twice.
• Mark Cuban gets the notion to stand up to Sheamus and shoves him down.  Sheamus takes exception and slams Cuban through a table.  The Dallas Mavericks sitting at ringside jump the rail to aid their owner along with medical staff.

QUICK THOUGHTS:

Cuban was decent, but again I can’t help but harp on WWE for getting the guest host involved in a match up who really doesn’t know what they’re doing in a ring.  Cuban tried to fake like he knew the rules on how to ref a match and then he took a table bump to cap off the night.  WOW!  How about you let the wrestlers take the bumps from now on?!?

I really don’t know what to think when it comes down to the tag team match this weekend between DX and JeriShow.  They keep having JeriShow get the upper hand, and I don’t know whether or not WWE will have DX go over or not to win the titles.  I’ll have to think about it some more and get back to you on my preview/prediction post at the week’s end.

Almost every match on tonight’s card (minus the US Title match) had some sort of run in or extra circulars after the match.  Seriously, do you really need to do that much to get these feuds over?  We knew Maryse and Melina hated each other!  We knew that Big Show was going to help Jericho somehow.  We don’t need every match to have extra things attached to it to waste time.  Some things I can understand, like throwing out Legacy so they don’t get involved in the match later, but really, why does Masters need to attack Chavo?  Time waster for an insignificant feud that will NEVER make it to PPV!

I hope Sheamus vs. Cena lives up to the hype.  Since Sheamus joined, I’ve given him crap on being the “whitest white man on the planet,” but the guy is over right now as a heel and this match with Cena could make or break his career.  I love the quote from Cena about making him a footnote, that really painted a great picture.