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Arcademan:
TNA Impact! Results: 7-15-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Keller's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results and the final segment of the program.

1 -- TAYLOR WILDE vs. SARITA - Street Fight

The brawl backstage continued in the ring and at ringside. Wilde dropkicked Sarita at ringside, knocking her over the ring barrier. Sarita ended up choking Wilde from over the railing with a strap. Taylor passed out and the ref stopped the match.

WINNER: Sarita in 5:00.

2 -- BRIAN KENDRICK vs. DOUGLAS WILLIAMS - Non-Title I-Quit match

Williams dominated almost the entire first four minutes, but Kendrick side-stepped a charging Williams. Kendrick applied his cobra clutch and Williams quickly tapped.

WINNER: Kendrick in 4:00.

3 -- ROB TERRY vs. DESMOND WOLFE vs. SAMOA JOE

Terry got a ring entrance. Wolfe did not. He was already in the ring. Joe came out last. The crowd loudly chanted "Joe! Joe! Joe!" at the start. Brutus Magnus joined Taz and Tenay on commentary. He told Tenay that he has not aged well. "If you're going to have television, you need a handsome devil to sell television ratings. It doesn't get much more handsome than me," he said. He said Wolfe is a thinking man's wrestler. He said he's a big fan of Chelsea. As Terry celebrated a spin kick on Wolfe, Joe nailed him with a flying kick off the ropes. Joe then choked out the dazed Wolfe for the win.

WINNER: Joe in 6:00.

4 -- THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS vs. BEER MONEY -- Ladder Match

Four-way action opened the match. The Guns knocked Beer Money to the floor, then dove through the ropes and knocked them into the security railing. TNA showed multiple replays. Sabin brought a ladder into the ring as Sabin held off Beer Money. Sabin climbed the ladder, but James Storm yanked him off. At 3:00 Storm and Robert Roode caught Sabin and threw him crotch-first into a ladder propped in the corner. Storm climbed the ladder, but Shelley yanked him down. Shelley yanked Roode off the ladder at 5:00 and bridged another ladder off the second rope to the standing ladder. Sabin helped Shelley drop Roode face-first on the bridged ladder. Storm yanked Shelley off the ladder seconds later and then gave him a knee-driver backbreaker. Storm dropped the ladder flat on the mat and then set up a superplex on Sabin. Sabin blocked it and then hung Storm upside down and slidekicked the ladder into Storm's face. Sabin dove over the top rope onto Roode lying on a bridged ladder. The crowd chanted "TNA! TNA!" Taz challenged viewers to find action like this anywhere else on prime time TV. Sabin reached for the briefcase admist chaos in the ring. The ladder was off-center. Roode met him on the top. Sabin yanked his head into the ladder and sent him to the floor. Sabin grabbed the contract hanging over the ring. Storm hit him with the beer bottle. Earl Hebner saw Storm with the contract and awarded him the match. The starting the referee, Brian Hebner, was KO'd at ringside.

WINNERS: Beer Money in 10:00.

STAR RATING: **1/2 -- A spotfest with some dazzling athleticism. Booking this rematch so soon diminished what fans paid for on PPV on Sunday. The controversial finish was overdone and I'm not eager to see a referee-based storyline. It's distracting and rarely if ever pays off for the time invested in it.

5 -- MATT MORGAN vs. "THE POPE" D'ANGELO DINERO

Pope won quickly and cleanly. Taz declared it a big upset. What did that accomplish? It made Morgan look weak, but was just thrown out there and didn't really help Pope. It just seemed like Morgan had an off-night.

WINNER: The Pope in 1:00.

6 -- JEFF HARDY vs. JAY LETHAL

Taz and Tenay agreed Lethal was the underdog considering Hardy's career history of big matches. Lethal dove onto Hardy at ringside at 1:00. The former ECW wrestlers walked through the crowd. The fans chanted "ECW! ECW!" Tenay announced that Kurt Angle would face Hernandez, no. 7 in the rankings next week on Impact, plus Beer Money would face The Guns in a the second match in their Best of Five series in a street fight. Lethal rallied and hit Hardy with a missile dropkick off the top rope for a two count. Hardycountered the Lethal Combination with a Twist of Fate and then hit a Swanton Bomb on Lethal for a clean win.

WINNER: Hardy in 6:00.

STAR RATING: ** -- Nice short TV match, but the as was the case from start to finish on this show, it's just too many matches thrown out there without enough context or build up and thus the loss hurts Lethal more than it does anything for Hardy. It just offsets whatever momentum Lethal might have had from beating Flair.

Abyss told RVD that when "they" arrive "they" are taking TNA over. He said RVD, Dixie Carter, and the ignorant sheep (fans) can't stop them. Abyss said "they" have asked him to pave the way for them, and part of that is taking the TNA World Title off of him. He said they laid out a blue print and it prompts a question for RVD. He said he is going to hang Janice 15 feet above the ring and then they can have the most extreme match in the history of professional wrestling. He said they can use chairs, tacks, ladders, glass, barbed wire, whatever they want. He said Janice told him that "she wants a piece of your ***." Abyss told RVD the only thing left is the when and the where, and he suggested they get extreme.

RVD yanked the mic from Abyss and said he knows what the title means to everyone. He said he will try not to take things too personally. He said what he loves about being World Champion is the standards he gets to set against a monstrous challenge like him. He jumped Abyss with a rapid-fire attack. Abyss made a comeback with a big boot and then a chokeslam. Mick Foley then made his return. He walked onto the stage. Tenay said he hadn't seen him in months since he was fired by Bischoff. Stevie Richards, Raven, Tommy Dreamer, and Rhino jumped over the guard rail and attacked Abyss. Taz said those guys don't even work for TNA as far as he knows. Security intervened. Then the lower card wrestlers tried to run to the ring, but they were easily fought off. Kendrick and Wolfe ran out and took a beating. TNA agents D-Lo Brown, Terry Taylor, Pat Kinney, and Al Snow ran out, but Snow joined the ECW wrestlers. RVD also fought on the side of the ECW wrestlers against TNA. Some higher level TNA wrestlers ran out including Matt Morgan and Devon. Jarrett then ran out and yelled at Dreamer. They showed Dixie Carter standing at ringside looking worried. Police entered the ring and threatened wrestlers with mace. Dixie stepped onto the ramp and told everyone to stop. She said, " Listen! I invited them!" Everyone in the ring look puzzled. That was the cliffhanger.

Arcademan:
WWE Smackdown Results: 7-16-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results and the final show segment.

1 – KOFI KINGSTON vs. “DASHING” CODY RHODES

The briefcase, of course, hung over the ring for effect. They showed Kofi getting beat up on NXT by Nexus this past Tuesday. Kofi kipped up out of a headscissors early on. Cody pounded away on his opponent with rights, then stomped him in the corner. He hung Kofi stomach-first on to the top rope, then kicked him to ringside as they went to break.

Rhodes held serve on offense when the show returned. He went into an abdominal stretch as the crowd cheered on the fan favorite. From his back, Kofi was able to hurricanrana Cody down and began to build momentum. Desperation second-rope bulldog by Rhode broke that up. Kingston later came off the top with a cross-body that hurt Kofi as well. Then, Kane’s music played and he walked out, chokeslamming both competitors.

WINNER: No Contest (no bell), about 10:12. Can I get a friggin’ bell PLEASE, WWE? How hard is it, really? They’ve been doing this “no announcement of the finish” way too often lately.

2 – DREW MCINTYRE vs. CHRISTIAN

Christian made McIntyre chase him, playing mind games as the match began. Christian flew onto Mac from the top rope to the arena floor. Back in the ring, he landed another for a near-fall. McIntyre took over on offense and Christian tried a Tornado DDT, but Drew pushed him to the floor. They went to break at this point.

Christian barely made it back in before the ten-count during the break, apparently. After a few knees to McIntyre, the Tornado DDT was finally hit. Another DDT variation from Christian, this time for two. Dropkick off the top for two. He went to the second rope, but McIntyre booted him in the chest in mid-air. Monkey flip in the corner and both men went to the second rope. Christian elbowed Drew down and did a sunset flip for two. Finishers of both men were countered by the other. Thumb to the eye by McIntyre, and the ref didn’t see it. He finished Christian with his Future Shock DDT.

WINNER: McIntyre, at 11:30. A notch better than the opening match. Christian continues to bring it, and McIntyre is improving.

3 – LAYLA & TRENT BARRETA vs. KELLY KELLY & CHRIS MASTERS

Poor Masters had to come out to Kelly’s jam. Caylen Croft and Tiffany were the persons at ringside for this one, for those scoring at home. Layla got her feet up on a cartwheel elbow attempt by Kelly in the corner. Soon after, Rosa Mendes jump roped her way to the ring, to show Layla how she’s trying to get in shape. The Dudebusters assisted her in Double Dutch, pissing Layla off. Masters clotheslined Barreta on the outside, while Kelly K2’d the distracted Layla for the win.

WINNERS: Kelly & Masters, at 1:33. Just a comedy match to hype Kelly vs. Layla for Sunday. Barreta was an odd choice for Layla’s partner, though.

4 – MATT HARDY vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER

Hardy worked over Ziggler on the ground to start. Ziggler went to the top but missed an axe-handle, catching a fist in the gut instead. Hardy clotheslined Ziggler outside the ring. Ziggler turned things around by slamming Matt into the barricade as they went to break.

Hardy worked out of a chin-lock, but was sent crashing back down to the canvas. Back to another rest-hold. Matt made a comeback and landed a patented elbow to the back of Ziggler’s neck off the second rope. Hardy turned a Fame-Asser attempt by Ziggler into a powerbomb in a nice sequence. Side Effect by Hardy, but Ziggler grabbed the bottom rope on the pin attempt. Vickie Guerrero, who was at ringside with Ziggler, got on the apron after Ziggler failed on a sleeper attempt. Ziggler pushed Matt into Vickie, but Matt stopped short. That allowed Ziggler to land the Zig Zag for the win.

WINNER: Ziggler, at 10:57.

- Jack Swagger and his daddy came out. Swagger said winning his title back is job number one, so he wants to clear his name to Kane. He said that on that Memorial Day, he spent time with the man who made him the All-American American: His father. The two men hugged in the ring. Jack said he and his dad were winning and looking good that day. They showed pics of the two doing push-ups and workouts in the morning. More pics on the Titan-Tron, this time of them winning a fishing contest, with big, goofy grins of course. No proof of the time or date of these photos, by the way. Finally, pics of them winning a chicken-wing eating contest. Kane had had enough and he came out. He got into the ring and said he didn’t believe any of it. Swagger shared more pics as proof, with him and his father running a 5K. Kane tired of this, and grabbed Jack by the throat as his dad tried to verbally intervene. Swagger bopped Kane with the mic and applied the ankle-lock as his dad cheered him on. Rey hobbled out and gave the 619 to Swagger, then walked over him to leave the ring. Kane ended up locking both Swaggers in his grip, but Jack got out by stepping on Kane’s foot. He fled to ringside, pleading with Kane to let go of his daddy. He turned his back at ringside as Kane chokeslammed Mr. Swagger. Jack began heading to the back, turning around in the aisle long enough to watch his dad get Tombstoned. He sold distraught as Kane cued his flames. They replayed the beating then Kane’s face, cloaked in his red light, was the final image.

Arcademan:
WWE Money in the Bank PPV Results: 7-18-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's ongoing report). or to view complete report without pop-ups, click my TOKYOPOP Blog link under my sig pic.

1 -- SMACKDOWN'S MITB LADDER MATCH
WINNER: Kane at 26:18. Excellent MITB ladder match. Nice false finishes and big moments while telling some good stories within the match. There's always the "health concern" issue for these types of matches, which has to be balanced with the entertainment value of the match. At least there weren't any head shots using weapons, which is a good thing. Now, the rest of the PPV has a tall order living up to a thrilling, highspot-type match. (****)

2 -- Divas champion ALICIA FOX vs. EVE TORRES -- Divas Title match
WINNER: Alicia Fox at 5:54 to retain the Divas Title. Fine title match. Alicia continues to fit the role as the Raw brand's heel champion. It seems to set up nicely for Melina to enter the picture as the next challenger. (*)

3 -- Unified tag champions HART DYNASTY (TYSON KIDD & D.H. SMITH w/Natalya) vs. USO BROTHERS (JEY & JIMMY USO w/Tamina) -- Unified tag title match
WINNERS: Hart Dynasty at 5:54 to retain the Unified tag titles. WWE has to walk a fine line between using the past to get over the second-generation stars, but not making it to where the audience would rather see the original. HD needs to find a way to stand out more than just using the Hart name, while WWE hasn't done enough with the Usos since they debuted a few months ago and really had a stand-out introduction promo. The tag title match was fine, but the biggest pop of the match was for Natalya dropping Tamina with a bodyslam ringside. (*1/2)

4 -- World Hvt. champion REY MYSTERIO vs. JACK SWAGGER -- WWE World Hvt. Title match
WINNER: Mysterio at 10:45 to retain the World Hvt. Title. The finish of the match pretty much confirmed WWE trying to turn Swagger into their version of Kurt Angle. Swagger and Rey worked well together playing off the big man vs. little man match-up. But, when the announcers have to constantly ask the kayfabe question of how they're recovering from each other's offense, it means there isn't long-term selling. There wasn't much of that here, which took away from the overall quality of the match. But, the crowd was into the story and Swagger got over his power offense and menacing heel persona. (**3/4)

Post-match: Swagger attacked Mysterio as he celebrated and pounded Rey with forearms. Swagger then slapped on the anklelock and wrenched on Rey's ankle as Rey tapped out repeatedly. Suddenly, Kane hit the ring, but sans briefcase. Kane beat down Swagger and knocked him to the outside. Kane beat up Swagger and took him to the back. They went back to Rey celebrating in the ring as Striker noted Rey pulling a trick from Eddie Guerrero's playbook. Suddenly, Kane's music hit. This time, Kane emerged with briefcase in hand and referee Charles Robinson. The announcers were silent as Kane slowly entered the ring. Kane held the case and handed it to the referee to officially cash in the case.

5 -- World Hvt. champion REY MYSTERIO vs. KANE -- WWE World Hvt. Title match
WINNER: Kane at 0:54 to capture the World Hvt. Title. This sure seems to be setting up Kane vs. The Undertaker at Summerslam if Taker is ready, health-wise, for the title match. The male audience in the crowd was pro-Kane as he cashed in on the babyface Mysterio, which was interesting. Smackdown's storylines should be interesting going to Summerslam now. (n/a)

6 -- Women's champion LAYLA (w/Michelle McCool) vs. KELLY KELLY (w/Tiffany) -- Women's Title match
WINNER: Layla at 3:59 to retain the Women's Title. A lot of moving parts here for a match that seemed to fit on TV rather than PPV. (n/a)

7 -- RAW'S MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH
WINNER: Miz at 20:26 to earn a future WWE Title match. Another excellent MITB ladder match. This one was a little different than Smackdown's, which had plenty of good stories within the story thanks to Smackdown's writers doing the heavy lifting on Smackdown leading to the PPV. Raw's was more dependent on some creative spots, Evan Bourne having another stand-out night, and some very good false finishes utilizing Randy Orton. It will be a good debate on whether Raw's or Smackdown's MITB match was better. I'm going to lean slightly toward the Raw side. (****1/4)

8 -- WWE champion SHEAMUS vs. JOHN CENA -- WWE Title match -- Steel cage match
WINNER: Sheamus at 23:03. Decent, but not satisfying main event title match. They had a slow - almost too-slow at times - pace to the match before picking up steam in the second-half with some strong false finishes. Nexus's interference and WWE's cage match stipulation that you can climb out of the cage pretty much defeated the purpose of the cage and WWE selling the PPV on the idea that Nexus would be kept out of the cage. It will be interesting to see where they go with Sheamus at Summerslam if Triple H is indeed unavailable. Sheamus vs. Randy Orton is a potential candidate. Some form of a Cena vs. Nexus match at Summerslam also seems likely. (***)

FINAL THOUGHT: Overall, a strong PPV thanks to two four-star-plus Money in the Bank ladder matches telling some good stories within the matches. With the way the main event finished, WWE has to be careful not to create go-away heat on Nexus after investing two months on building up the group. They're already in the danger zone of go-away heat on the Raw GM.

Arcademan:
WWE RAW Results: 7-19-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only. The following post will detail the end of the show segment.

1 -- RANDY ORTON vs. CHRIS JERICHO vs. EDGE -- #1 contender match to WWE Title

Edge and Jericho started things off with a unified attack on Orton. They went for a double backdrop, but Orton pulled out a signature counter with a double DDT. He made a cover on Edge for a two count. Orton then went to work on Edge with a methodical attack as Jericho recovered on the outside. Orton whipped Edge hard into the corner, then went down on both hands to tease the RKO. Edge shoved him away, though, and Orton ran into Jericho for a codebreaker out of nowhere. Jericho attempted a cover, but Edge broke it up. Jericho and Edge then brawled to the outside. Edge rammed Jericho off the announce table and they cut to break with action on the floor.

They returned from break with Jericho and Edge still on the outside as Lawler reset that the winner will face Sheamus for the WWE Title at Summerslam. Jericho then crawled back onto the ring apron and Orton bumped him back to the floor. Edge and Jericho tried to crawl back in again, but Edge scampered away and Jericho took the signature spike DDT off the middle rope. Orton tried a cover, but Edge yanked Orton out of the ring. Some good sequences so far in the match. They reset at 9:00 with Edge and Orton in the ring, but Jericho yanked Edge out of the ring and went to work on Orton. Jericho tried a pin with his feet on the ropes, but Orton kicked out in time.

At 10:00, Jericho settled into a reverse chinlock on Orton as the crowd rallied behind Orton. They came to their feet and Orton mounted a comeback with two knock-down clotheslines followed by a snap powerslam for a nearfall. Edge then tried to sneak in, but Orton dropped him with a fallaway backbreaker for another two count. Orton kicked Edge to the outside again, then he teased the spike DDT on Jericho again, but Jericho countered with the Walls of Jericho. They went to the Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 camera shot of Orton trying to fight the hold, then Jericho pulled him back to center ring. Suddenly, Edge entered the ring and grabbed Jericho for a DDT that resulted in a two count.

Edge measured Jericho for a spear moments later, but Jericho countered with a roll-through into the Walls of Jericho. Edge fought the hold and grabbed the bottom rope for a break. Edge tried to come back with a roll-up pin, but Jericho kicked out. Edge then clotheslined Jericho over the top rope and Orton snuck in the back door. He tried the RKO, but Edge blocked with a reverse DDT for another close nearfall. Suddenly, all three men traded nearfalls before all three men hit a triple knock-down clothesline to put everyone on the mat.

They reset with Jericho shoving Edge to the outside, then Orton teased the RKO on Jericho, who blocked. Jericho teased the Lionsault, but Orton moved. Orton then stalked Jericho and finally connected with the RKO. Edge tried to run in with the spear, but Orton dropped him with the RKO. Orton then covered Edge for a three count to win as the crowd popped for Orton's victory. Post-match: Orton maintained his cool demeanor as a graphic showed Orton going to Summerslam. After a replay of the high points in the match, they showed Orton staring into the crowd with an icy glare. It's Sheamus vs. Orton at Summerslam.

WINNER: Orton at 15:10 to become #1 contender. WWE obviously saw how hot the crowd was for Orton almost winning the MITB match last night and pulled the trigger on the hot babyface in the main event of the second-biggest PPV of the year. Strong match despite the dependence on wrestlers escaping/countering/blocking trademark finishing moves for false finishes. The two and three-man spots were well-timed and well-executed in the format. Very interesting start to the show, but accomplishing the goal of getting the Summerslam main event in the hands of the audience right off the bat. (***)

2 -- EVE TORRES vs. MARYSE (w/Ted DiBiase)

Maryse talked trash to Eve before the match started, so Eve slapped her. DiBiase noted Maryse will become #1 contender to the Divas Title if she wins tonight. Eve then hit a kick to the face out of the corner and made a cover. Maryse put her foot on the bottom rope in-between the two and three, but the ref didn't see it and awarded Eve the win. DiBiase, agitated, jumped into the ring and screamed at the ref. Suddenly, John Morrison hit the ring in street clothes and sporting a bandage over his left arm to jump DiBiase. Morrison nailed a kick strike to the face, then hit Starship Pain. Morrison stood tall over DiBiase with a more serious demeanor as Maryse sold agitation with things falling apart again. Morrison stared down Maryse as he left the ring, then helped DiBiase recover as DiBiase stared down Morrison.

WINNER: Eve at 1:15. Too short to amount to much, but nice follow-up on DiBiase vs. Morrison to set up what appears to be a singles match at Summerslam. (n/a)

3 -- WWE champion SHEAMUS vs. EVAN BOURNE -- non-title match

Sheamus tried an early pump kick, but Bourne ducked while still fixing his trunks. Bourne then cleared Sheamus to the outside with a kick strike. Sheamus smashed the announce table in frustration while Miz smirked and waved his briefcase in Sheamus's face. They cut to break with Sheamus still complaining on the outside.

Back from break, Sheamus was in control of the match as Miz continued to watch. Sheamus continued to dominate as the crowd tried to rally behind Bourne. Bourne tried to come back with a head scissors, but Sheamus countered with a back breaker for a two count. Sheamus went back to work on Bourne, who got to his feet and landed kick strikes to the thigh. Sheamus then paintbrushed him across the face, so Bourne fired off a kick to the head. Bourne mounted some offense, then hit a heel kick to the face. Sheamus got up and Bourne answered with another kick. Bourne then tried a roll up, but Sheamus kicked out. Bourne followed with a knock-down kick and Bourne went up top to tease the Air Bourne. Sheamus rolled to the outside, though, so Bourne redirected his attack with a flying splash on the floor.

On the floor, Sheamus shoved Bourne into a cameraman as the ref was in the middle of a ten count. Bourne made it back into the ring, but Sheamus crotched him across the middle rope after using the ref as a shield. Sheamus then hit his big bicycle kick that floored Bourne and took the air out of the building. Sheamus made the cover for the win as Miz mockingly applauded ringside.

WINNER: Sheamus at 10:31. Decent TV match that kept Sheamus strong and kept Bourne in the main event picture with a decent showing against the champ. Sheamus gave him good offense to make sure Bourne got over his signature spots in the match. The key is to reinforce that Bourne belongs in the picture even if he loses. (*1/2)

4 -- WILLIAM REGAL & ZACK RYDER vs. SANTINO MARELLA & KOZLOV

Santino and Ryder started things off as Cole plugged Raw coming up on the 900th episode of the series next month. Santino then tried a handspring move, but Ryder ducked underneath him and Santino kinda fell to the mat. Santino then tagged in Kozlov and Regal entered for Ryder. Kozlov then tagged in Santino, who instantly lost control of the match to Regal. Regal screamed as he executed a signature left-arm lariat for a two count. Ryder followed with some offense to keep the heels in control on Santino. Ryder tried to follow with a top rope dropkick, but Santino moved out of the way. Kozlov then tagged in to no reaction and worked on Ryder. Kozlov landed a big powerslam and scored a two count when Regal tried to interfere. Kozlov followed up with the Iron Curtain on Ryder before Santino begged to tag in. Santino then hit his sailor's salute diving fist drop on Ryder for the win.

WINNERS: Santino & Kozlov at 2:55. Poor Ryder. And the Santino and Kozlov team must continue. The match was fine and harmless, overall. (*)

5 -- WADE BARRETT vs. MARK HENRY

The bell sounded and Barrett ducked under the ropes to stand on the ring apron for some space from Henry. Barrett heelishly demanded Henry back up, so he re-entered the ring. Henry knocked him down with a head butt and Barrett rolled back to the outside. Barrett took his time re-entering the ring and they locked up with Barrett landing a knee to the gut. Barrett tried a head butt, but Henry no-sold and shot him a look before landing a big chop to the head. Henry followed with a knock-down clothesline for a one count. Henry went back to work on Barrett, who came back with a head butt and right hands that staggered Henry.

Barrett tried a running clothesline, but Henry countered with a powerslam for a two count. Henry then dragged Barrett to the corner for a big move, but Nexus came out on stage. Henry was distracted momentarily, which allowed Barrett to cut him off on the second rope. Barrett then lifted Henry in the air for his overhead slam finisher, but Henry kinda slipped off and Barrett just dropped him hard to the mat. Barrett made a cover for the win.

WINNER: Barrett at 3:20. Fine TV match. Barrett scored a needed win to give the group some measure of credibility in the ring, while enhancing their heel heat with the distraction for the win. Henry isn't exactly a strong babyface character, but it was fine. (*)

Ending sequence of events on RAW will be posted next...

Arcademan:
In-ring: Nexus was still assembled in the ring as Cole repeated the line that Barrett may have proved Nexus is just as strong individually as a group. They recapped the end of Henry vs. Barrett, then cut back to the ring. Michael Tarver started a promo for Nexus by suggesting they will make Cena's life miserable if he doesn't join the group. He said Cena needs to show some remorse for assaulting Darren "weird haircut" Young and the rest of the group last night. Tarver said if he does, then maybe they will consider ending this feud. Tarver said everything that's happened is on him. Tarver paused.

John Cena's music hit and Cena slowly walked out on stage to a big pop. Cena looked into the crowd as he contemplated what's up next. Cena walked to the ring and stood on the ring apron as his music stopped. Nexus was in a straight line in the ring as Cena addressed them from the ring apron. Cena thanked them for meeting him in the ring, then he slowly entered the ring. Cena recapped Nexus costing him two WWE Title matches since they've arrived on the scene. He said he's apparently not part of their big picture and Sheamus made a truce with them. He said he should have done that a long time ago.

Cena paused before saying, "I'm sorry, guys, uh..." He said he's putting himself in front of all them to look them all in the eye. Barrett said their answer is no. He said he's not interested in a truce or any type of peace. Barrett said he wants something much, much bigger. Barrett paused for a "Cena, Cena" chant. He told Cena not to listen to the fans, but listen to him. Barrett said he wants Cena to join the group. He wants him to join the Nexus. Cena stared blankly ahead. Barrett said Cena can achieve something ten times greater than everything he's accomplished in his career. He said Nexus is the present and future of WWE, and together, they would be unstoppable. Barrett told him he doesn't have much of a choice because "you're either Nexus or against us."

The crowd screamed for Cena not to join the group as he stared down at the mat contemplating things. Cena looked up at the Nexus group and stared them down before looking into the crowd. Cena just shook his head and said he can't do it. The crowd popped. Barrett took a deep breath and said that's very unfortunate because they have a very different proposition. He told Cena he could leave the ring and show the world he's a coward...or, he could stand in the ring and they will give him the most vicious beating Nexus has every given. Cena stared ahead again and shook his head from side to side. Cena teased backing away, then he left the ring.

Cena started to leave up the entranceramp, then he stopped at the top of the ramp. He said he needs to say one more thing. Cena said whether he does it by himself or does it with help, he will take each and every one of the Nexus group down. Cena started walking back to the ring. He said the peace offering was just a test to see how Nexus would react. Cena said he got his answer. He said he's been quietly forming a team. "A team that will take down Nexus at Summerslam," he said. Cena said Nexus wanted him to join the group, but now the Nexus is history at Summerslam.

Edge's music hit and out came Edge selling ribs to join Cena on the entrance ramp. Edge and Cena together. That's a sight. John Morrison came out next with a determined look on his face. R-Truth was out next. Great Khali was out next. Does this tie together Ranjin Singh wanting a more aggressive Khali? Or, is that too logical? Anyways, Chris Jericho came out sixth to join Cena's group. And the final member of Cena's team is...Bret Hart. There's your big surprise on the show, which popped the crowd huge.

Hart walked out on stage and slapped hands with Cena, then Team Cena stormed the ring and chased off Nexus, who ran through the stands to the top of the stands. Team Cena stood tall in the ring with Bret Hart smiling as Nexus stood their ground at the top of the arena. Lawler protected Nexus by saying he knows Nexus will regroup and come back with something, but look at the team Cena has assembled. They closed with a final shot of Team Cena standing tall in the ring. PYB (3) talk time: 13:26.

CLOSING THOUGHTS: Very strong episode of Raw advancing from the MITB PPV to Summerslam. Virtually everything on the show had a purpose and the action on the show was strong throughout. It came across like WWE recognized a sense of urgency to hit the ground running hyping their second biggest PPV of the year and they set up two strong matches for Summerslam in the process. Bret Hart's surprise return was pretty big too after a strong show-closing segment where the audience was hanging on everything Cena was doing or saying. I'm not sure about some of the picks for Cena's group e.g. R-Truth and Khali, but WWE can focus on Cena, Jericho, and Edge as the top players going into the match. Well done from WWE tonight.

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