Monday Night RAW – 8/9/10

On the final episode of RAW before SummerSlam, would Team WWE finally get their act together before going into this weekend’s battle with The Nexus?  Find out all the details right here:

Bret Hart to the ring and takes the microphone.  Says that he’s been training a lot lately for SummerSlam and is slightly disappointed with his team falling apart.  Hart says he vouched for Edge & Chris Jericho saying that they would see the light, but after recent events, he wants to try to salvage things with them.  He calls both of them out.

• Chris Jericho comes out by himself.  He starts to patronize Bret, so The Hitman cuts him off saying, “This is your chance to be a man… step up… If you don’t join team WWE, you’re not hurting us, you’re hurting yourself.”  Asks for him to rejoin the team.
• Jericho still says no… Calls Bret a phony and says Bret’s just worried about losing the he and Edge later tonight and about losing on Sunday to Nexus.
• Edge comes out to the ring and sounds like he’s going to come around and join the team.  He reminisces about growing up idolizing Bret Hart in Canada.  He says he’s in and shakes Bret’s hand, but then tries to kick Bret in the gut.  Bret catches the boot and flips him over to put him in the Sharpshooter.  Jericho pokes Bret in the eye, and both he and Edge bail out.
• Natalya comes running out to check on Bret, but she’s hysterically crying.

Backstage: Nexus is beating the crap out of Tyson Kidd (incident is shown on TitanTron)… DH Smith is shown already on the ground.  Wade Barrett says “so much for The Hart Dynasty being your replacements.”

Backstage: Bret and Natalya made their way back to the locker room to check on their teammates.  Bret’s so pissed he grabs a chair to take matter into his own hands.  John Cena enters to stop him because he believes that this is what Nexus wants, to pick them off one by one.  He says he’s going to go check on The Great Khali to see where he stands.

Non-Title Match
The Miz vs. Evan Bourne
WINNER: Miz via pin fall after hitting the Skull Crushing Finale

• Post match, Miz takes the mic, “I don’t care who wins the title Sunday.  When I cash in, I will be the WWE Champion.”

Non-Title Match
Melina vs. Alicia Fox
WINNER: Melina via pin fall after hitting the Last Call Sunset Bomb

Backstage: Josh Matthews is with The Great Khali, no translator.  Josh asks him where his loyalties lie…

• Khali responds “WWE.”  He then takes the mic and rants.  We cannot understand him.  Josh asks if he could try it in English.  Khali says in broken English, “Barrett, you and me tonight!”

Video Package: During commercial, email from anonymous General Manager making a match for SummerSlam between Alicia Fox & Melina for the Diva’s Title.

Backstage: Edge and Chris Jericho talking about the situation earlier.  Jericho sounds like he’s having a change of heart.

• Edge says that no matter what happens on Sunday, they’re going to survive it.  They’ve survived tons of factions over the years.
• Jericho sees Edge’s point and they want to take out John Cena and Bret Hart.

Backstage: John Morrison & R-Truth talking about needing to find another couple of members for Team WWE.

• In walks Mark Henry who says, “All you need is one more member… Consider this my audition.”
• Cut to Nexus who’s watching the screen and seeing what just transpired.  Barrett sends out the troops.

Ted DiBiase & Maryse vs. Mark Henry

• Never occurred.  Before match, Justin Gabriel & Heath Slater block the ring steps from Henry and the rest of Nexus jump him from behind.  They slam his head into the steel steps.  Trainers called out to tend to him.

Sheamus to the ring, takes the microphone.  Says last week he was scared… of what he would do to Randy Orton.  He shows a video package of what he’s done over the past year.  Says he’s not afraid of anybody, and calls out Orton.

• Orton to the ring.  Orton says Sheamus is full of it, and that last week Sheamus blew the opportunity to show that he’s not afraid of him.  Orton says “you haven’t beaten me and you never will.”
• Sheamus says he’ll be WWE Champion after SummerSlam and Orton will have to go to the back of the line.
• Orton says bluntly, “Do something about it!”
• Email from anonymous GM, “If anyone interferes in the title match on Sunday, they’ll be suspended indefinitely.  If Orton loses, he will not get a rematch.  If Sheamus isn’t scared of Orton, he should do something right now.”
• Sheamus feigns a punch, and tries to walk out.  Orton attacks from behind, Sheamus turns it around.  Sheamus misses a kick and Orton takes advantage.  Sets him up for a punt, but then stops short.  Sheamus freaks out and Orton leaves the ring.

NXT Rookies Match
Kaval, Percy Watson & Lucky Cannon vs. Michael McGillicutty, Husky Harris & Alex Riley
WINNER: McGillicutty, Harris & Riley via pin fall after Harris hit Kaval with a senton back splash

• Sheamus remained out at ringside throughout this match.  Post match, he snapped and attacked McGillicutty, Cannon and Kaval.  Sheamus then takes the mic, “That was a message… next week, I’ll still be WWE Champion!”

R-Truth & John Morrison vs. William Regal & Zack Ryder
WINNERS: Truth & Morrison via pin fall after JoMo hit Star Ship Pain on Ryder

Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole rundown the SummerSlam card.

Diva Summertime Spectacular – Triple Threat Tag Match (Special Refs – Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov)
Maryse & Jillian vs. The Bella Twins vs. Eve Torres & Gail Kim
WINNERS: Bellas via pin fall after one hit a crossbody on Jillian

• Post match, Tamina comes out to the ring and blocks Santino’s way.  She lets him by and then smacks his butt.

Video Package: SummerSlam Recall – SummerSlam 1991 – Jailhouse Match, Big Boss Man vs. The Mountie.  The Mountie loses and is forced to sit in jail for 24 hours.

Backstage: The Great Khali is on the way to the ring for his match with Wade Barrett when the Nexus attack him from behind.

Nexus come to the ring.  Barrett speaks, “This Sunday, a new chapter in WWE history will be written by the Nexus… We will beat Team WWE…”

• Skip Sheffield speaks, “RAW will become our show… and you will never see Bret Hart again…”
• David Otunga gives a warning out to anyone who wants to join Team WWE.

Backstage: John Cena and Bret Hart are on their way to the ring when they’re confronted by The Miz.  Miz claims to know that it was only a matter of time before they turned to him for help.  Tells them just to ask.

• Both Bret and John ask him if he’s in or out.  Miz says I’ll let you know on Sunday.
• The whole segment is shown on the TitanTron so that the Nexus can see.

Tag Team Lumberjack Match – Nexus is lumberjacks
Bret Hart & John Cena vs. Edge & Chris Jericho
WINNERS: No Contest

• Throughout match, Nexus only attacks Cena when he gets tossed to the outside until Jericho tries to hit Cena and accidentally clocks Barrett.  Things go crazy.
• Post match, R-Truth & John Morrison join Cena & Hart in the ring, and have a stand off with Nexus.
• Edge and Jericho walk up the ramp, and stop halfway up.  They have a change of heart and get in the ring and brawl alongside Team WWE.  Nexus eventually splits.

QUICK THOUGHTS:

Match of the night has to go to The Miz & Evan Bourne.  They were one of only three matches that actually had a fall to a finish.  There were three other matches that were either stopped in the middle of, or before the match even started.

It’s good to see that Edge and Jericho are back on board.  I was a little shocked to see the backstage segment with the Miz gloating about them coming to him.  I really don’t foresee the Miz joining the team, but crazier things have happened in pro wrestling.

I am excited that Khali is out of the match, and I’m even more excited that the Nexus didn’t even let Mark Henry get into the match.  Both of those guys just need to leave wrestling in my opinion.  They bore the crap out of me.

The whole Tamina/Santino thing is just practically a rehash of what happened previously between Santino and Beth Phoenix.  WWE’s recycling story lines again.