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Arcademan:
WWE Superstars Results: 12-22-11

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to James's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 - JUSTIN GABRIEL vs. HEATH SLATER

A few days ago, my wife asked me where "the belly flop guy" was. I didn't know she meant Justin Gabriel until she imitated the way he sells his ribs after the 450 splash. According to Matt Striker, these two are fighting because Slater asked a girl out and she went to dinner with Gabriel instead. The two trade a bit of offense until Gabriel slows it down with an armbar. Slater fights out and they trade some more offense. Slater gets frustrated with his inability to put Gabriel away. The commentary feels really off, like perhaps they scrapped what was taped and replaced it with post-production work.

Slater retains control with his plodding attack. Slater's good at working an audience to get some heat, though. Gabriel finally turns it around and sends Slater tot he outside with a huracarana and Gabriel leaps over the top rope in a flip dive, rolls Slater into the ring and hits a springboard crossbody for two. Gabriel with a side Russian leg sweep and sets up for the 450 Splash, but Slater dodges. Gabriel charges Slater in the corner, but Slater gets a boot up. Slater heads tot he second rope but Gabriel kicks him mid-air and flapjacks him into the ropes. Gabriel with a 450 splash that the cameraman catches right up-close to get the win.

WINNER: Justin Gabriel in 7:00. Slater isn't great on offense, but he can work a crowd. Gabriel's the opposite, his offense looks good but he doesn't pull the audience into the match. It's not a good sign for Gabriel that my wife (representing the casual viewer), who used to really like him, can't even remember his name anymore.

2 - EZEKIEL JACKSON vs. HUNICO (w/Camacho)

Donnie Marlow from FCW was given a name this week - Camacho. Jackson is growing some hair, which makes him look a bit older. Hunico has a great projection of thug-arrogance. Early lock-up, which Jackson wins. Hunico hides in the ropes. Hunico surprises Jackson with a kick to the shin, but Jackson cuts him off. Jackson grabs Hunico's arms, but Hunico uses it as leverage to kick Jackson's chest, then dropkicks a knee. Cover gets Hunico two, but the kickout sends him outside. Hunico goes back to the offense, but a single punch stuns him.

Jackson punches him again, then gorilla presses him up and down to show off, then drops him to the mat. Jackson with a pair of clotheslines in the corner, then the bodyslam sequence. Jackson sets up for a powerbomb, but Camacho distracts Jackson letting Hunico escape. Jackson charges Hunico in the corner, but gets tripped and lands face first into the turnbuckle. Hunico with a springboard mule kick. Jackson rolls into the ring a bit more and Hunico lands his Swanton Bomb finisher.

WINNER: Hunico in 5:00. Hunico looked good, Jackson looked bad. The distraction for the win was a bit typical as far as heel tactics go. Just once, I'd like the face to ignore the distraction with the attitude that a guy on the ringside yelling at him is less important than the person in the ring.

3 - ALEX RILEY vs. MICHAEL MCGILLICUTTY

They have a trial lockup, break, and jaw at each other a bit. McGillicutty controls with an armbar, but Riley reverses into an armbar of his own. McGillicutty gets a rope break. McGillicutty kicks Riley to the ground and beats on him a bit, but Riley lands an arm drag to turn things around. Riley with Ten Punches followed by a faceplant for two. Riley lands a clothesline to turn it around. McGillicutty with feet then rips off Sheamus with clubbing blows while Riley is tied up in the ropes, then pulls Riley through the ropes to land a neckbreaker for two.

McGillicutty with a side chinlock while the crowd chants "We Want Ryder." Riley tries to fight out but McGillicutty with a dropkick for two. McGillicutty with another chinlock. Riley fights out but McGillicutty sends him tot he outside. Riley surprises him with a dropkick when McGillicutty climbs through. Riley with a comeback, ends up with a spinebuster and then the Final Score for the win.

WINNER: Alex Riley in 6:00. Alex Riley is a keeper. His in-ring work is decent with potential for more, and his mic work is good. I don't know what McGillicutty brings to the table - it feels like he went to the JTG school of wrestling, which isn't a compliment.

4 - WWE tag champions AIR BOOM (KOFI KINGSTON & EVAN BOURNE) vs. CURT HAWKINS & TYLER REKS - non-title tag match

Bourne and Hawkins start off. Hawkins makes fun of Bourne's size, but Bourne surprises him with speedy kicks. Bourne with a quick huracarana and tags Kingston in. Kingston with a dropkick for two. Hawkins puts a knee into Kingston to turn it around and brings Reks in. Kingston surprises Reks with a neckbreak, but Reks turns it right around with a bodyslam and blows on the mat. Kingston with punches from the ground to get back in the game, but Reks sends him to the corner and tags in Hawkins. Quick offense and Reks comes back in.

Reks charges, but Kingston with a pendulum kick and a cover for one, dropkick and Bourne tags in. Kingston holds Reks for a double footstomp. Bourne kicks the hamstrings and covers for two. Kingston tags in and they hit a double bulldog. Kingston calls for the Trouble in Paradise but Reks rolls away and Hawkins tries to ambush Kingston, but Kingston throws him over the rope. Bourne and Kingston hit dives off the turnbuckles simultaneously.

Reks back with power offense and slows things down with an armbar. Bourne is looking for a tag as Reks punishes him. Bourne slips out and hits a knee to the jaw, then goes to the top rope. Hawkins moves in to interfere but Bourne jumps to the apron to elbow him off. Reks kicks Bourne as he comes back into the ring. Reks with a grounding offense and tags Hawkins in. Hawkins with a suplex for two. Reks comes back in. More offense and a chicken wing from Reks. Reks with a gutbuster of sorts for two. Hawkins comes back in. Hawkins continues to keep Bourne immobilized and near the corner, and hits his odd bodyslam, which gets two. Reks comes back in. Repeat of an earlier sequence, with Bourne slipping out of a bodyslam and landing a high knee.

Double tag and Kinsgton comes in with his typical hot tag moveset. Hawkins counters the SOS but Kingston comes back with his springboard turnaround high crossbody for two. Kingston with a Superman punch and the Boom Drop. He looks for the Trouble in Paradise, but Reks grabs his leg. Hawkins tries to follow up but eats an SOS. Reks breaks up the pin, then hits Bourne who tries to come in. Bourne lowers the rope when Reks charges, so Reks goes out of the ring. Hawkins runs at Bourne, but gets a kick to the back of the head. Kingston with the Trouble in Paradise, then he tags Bourne, who gets Air Bourne for the win.

WINNER: Air Boom in 10:00. I like the skills of both Kofi Kingtson and Evan Bourne, but they put on the most formulaic tag team matches around. Every cliche is there. It's wearing thin, and if the TV audience saw as much of it as I do on Superstars, an Air Boom match would be the signal to head to the bathroom.

Arcademan:
WWE Smackdown Results: 12-23-11

1 – CODY RHODES vs. ZACK RYDER

Cody stared at Booker from the ring before Ryder came out. When Ryder made his entrance, they showed a still photo from TLC of Ryder celebrating his US Title win with his father. Cole said Ryder is a fad, like mood rings. Ryder caught Rhodes with a back elbow, followed by a few arm-drags. Rhodes hit the mat and gave Ryder an uppercut, a la his brother Goldust. Cody clotheslined Ryder to the apron, then kicked his knee, sending Ryder to ringside. Rhodes shoved Ryder into Booker, who stayed at the announce table. He gave Rhodes an icy stare as they went to break 2:30 into the match.

Back at 5:55 of the match. Rhodes connected on the Alabama Slam for two. Mathews reminded viewers that he used that move to be Santino on Monday. Nice touch there to mention that. Ryder ran the ropes, but Rhodes ducked a cross-body attempt by Ryder, causing him to get tangled in the ropes. The two men ran into each other, knocking heads. Ryder was up first and began to roll at the 8:00 mark. Broski Boot found the mark for a near-fall at 8:41. Rhodes side-stepped a middle-rope dropkick. Booker all of a sudden said he was in the Holiday spirit and grabbed a mic. He stood atop the announce table and sang “Cody the Red-Nosed Reindeer” with altered lyrics. That distraction allowed Ryder to hit the Rough Ryder for the win.

WINNER: Ryder, at 9:33. It appears the Rhodes vs. Booker feud will continue. Good, even match-up, as it should be between two secondary title holders.

2 – THE MIZ vs. SHEAMUS

Sheamus had to chase Miz around the ring in the opening minute, and Miz caught him and worked the arm. He shoved Sheamus arm-first into the ring post. Cover by Miz for only one. Corner clothesline connected, as did a running boot. Then another. Miz worked over Sheamus in the corner and the referee almost reached five in his count. Sheamus came back with the Irish Curse back-breaker. He set up for the Celtic Cross, but Miz snuck out the back. Sheamus shrugged off the Skull Crushing Finale and hit the Brogue Kick for the win.

WINNER: Sheamus, at 3:02. Surprised Sheamus disposed of Miz so quickly. Sheamus has been running through competition but they don’t see to have much for him or are biding time until Christian returns.

3 – PRIMO vs. KOFI KINGSTON

Rosa and Epico were out with Primo, who was already in the ring. Primo jumped Kofi at the bell and corralled Kofi, landing a side Russian leg-sweep. Primo continued to own the opening minute, sweeping Kofi’s leg and hitting an elbowdrop for two. The tide turned at 1:39 when Primo missed a corner splash. Kofi hit some chops then a dropkick. Top rope cross-body for two. Flip kick by Kingston. A distraction by Epico caused Primo to arm-drag Kofi off the top rope for a near-fall. Primo seemed put off by the fact that he couldn’t pick up the win there. He charged at Kofi, who ducked and hit his finisher for the win.

WINNER: Kingston, at 3:07. Fine match to further this tag-team feud. Primo and Epico have gotten wins, but they were on Superstars – perhaps they need a few wins over Bourne and/or Kingston to legitimize them on Smackdown.

4 – DANIEL BRYAN vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER

Booker didn’t know the title wasn’t on the line here until Cole corrected him. Ziggler attempted a leap-frog and Bryan grabbed Ziggler’s leg in mid-air and took him down. Bryan then applied a surfboard, one of my favorite underutilized moves. Bryan missed a dropkick when Ziggler held onto the ropes, and Ziggler took advantage by kicking away at Bryan. Ziggler proceeded to do sit-ups near Bryan’s fallen body. Bryan grabbed Ziggler’s arm with his feet to attempt the LeBell Lock, but Ziggler got to the ropes. Bryan charged at Ziggler in the corner and Ziggler gave him a drop-toe hold, then an inverted slam for a near-fall. The show went to break at 3:07.

Back at 6:29 of the contest. Dropkick by Ziggler put Bryan back onto the mat. The two men had a mid-air collision when both went for cross-body blocks. At 7:35, Jack Swagger walked to ringside. Bryan back-dropped Ziggler out of the ring. Bryan then hit a suicide dive onto Ziggler. With the ref distracted by Vickie, Swagger ran right over Bryan on the outside. After that took place, Big Show came out to even up the odds. Ziggler applied a sleepr hold but Bryan rolled out. Roll-up by Bryan turned into a German suplex for two. Bryan kicked at Ziggler’s chest. Ziggler tried a Zig Zag, but Bryan awkwardly shoved him off (looks like Ziggler may have come up short on the move) and landed a straight kick to Ziggler’s head. That only garnered him a two-count. Hurricanrana off the top by Bryan, but Ziggler rolled through, then a fameasser for two. Ziggler set Bryan on the top rope, but Bryan slid out between Ziggler’s legs. Back suplex off the top rope by Bryan. Bryan crawled for the cover, but Ziggler put his foot on the bottom rope. With both men down, Swagger tried to attack Show outside the ring. It didn’t work and Swagger entered the ring. Show grabbed Swagger in a choke but Long came out and turned this into a singles match, in a move he said would make everyone happy. I’m not happy.

WINNER: No Contest, about 13:03. Tremendous, tremendous match. Disappointing result.

5 – DANIEL BRYAN & BIG SHOW vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER & JACK SWAGGER

Show was owning Swagger out of break. Ziggler wasn’t enthused when Swagger tagged him in. Show took out his frustrations on Ziggler next. Show slammed Ziggler in the face corner, then asked Bryan if he was ready to finish it. Bryan nodded and tagged in. Lots of hard kicks in the corner to Ziggler. Bryan tried a running dropkick in the corner, but missed and landed on the back of his head. Swagger made the tag and hit the Swagger Bomb for two. Bryan fought out of the heel corner, but Swagger grabbed him and hung him up on the top rope. Ziggler torqued Bryan’s leg while the ref was distracted. Ziggler and Swagger both worked the leg and ankle of Bryan. Ziggler jumped on Bryan’s back and applied the sleeper. He didn’t have it on long as Bryan ran him into the ring post and out of the ring. Ziggler held his knee in pain, even after he went shoulder-first into the ring post. Could’ve been legit hurt, in that case. Show tagged in and kept Ziggler at bay while taking it to Swagger. Swagger hit Show from behind in the leg. Bryan tagged himself in but fell victim to the ankle-lock. Bryan countered with the LeBell Lock for the submission win.

WINNERS: Bryan and Show, 6:54 shown.

Bryan celebrated with the title in the ring while Show looked on from ringside. They showed a few highlights from the one-on-one match, then the tag match. Mathews wished everyone Happy Holidays as they signed off.

Arcademan:
ROH Final Battle iPPV Results: 12-23-11 (next 2 posts)

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report).

1 -- MICHAEL ELGIN (w/Truth Martini) vs. T.J. PERKINS

This was all about Elgin's power vs. Perkins's speed and agility, which often intersected with power counters to T.J.'s high-flying offense and quick counters to Elgin's power offense. For the finish, Perkins tried to flip the match formula with a Samoan Drop, but Elgin easily escaped and delivered a buckle bomb into a spinning powerbomb for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Elgin at 7:25. Fine opening match to get the crowd warmed up and continue building Elgin's march to ROH World Title level.

2 -- TOMMASO CIAMPA (w/The Embassy) vs. JIMMY RAVE

The ultra-intense Ciampa tried to get under Rave's skin early on, but Rave acted unfazed. The action then moved to the outside, where Ciampa took control. Back in the ring, Ciampa landed multiple corner knee strikes for a nearfall. Rave came back with a Rave Clash at 7:00 for a close nearfall that nearly ended Ciampa's undefeated singles streak. The crowd chanted, "A-J-Styles," after the move.

Rave went for his finisher, but Prince Nana hopped on the ring apron to distract Rave with an offer to rejoin the Embassy. Chaos ensued with interference from all directions, leading to Ciampa finishing off Rave for the pin and the win. Afterward, Ciampa received Rave's old robe to be coronated as the Embassy's crown jewel. Meanwhile, Kelly wondered what the future holds for Rave after flying 26 hours from India to be part of the show.

WINNER: Ciampa at 8:33.

3 -- TV champion JAY LETHAL vs. EL GENERICO vs. "THE PRODIGY" MIKE BENNETT (w/Maria and "Brutal" Bob Evans) -- ROH TV Title match -- triple threat elimination match

Bennett bailed from the ring to let Lethal and Generico wrestle. Generico teased wrestling Lethal, then jumped to the outside and Lethal joined him to knock Bennett back and forth with right hands. Bennett scampered back into the ring, where Generico and Lethal met him to deliver more offense. Bennett returned to the floor, then G&L delivered dual flip dives to send Bennett crashing into the guardrail. Bennett spent the next several minutes "recovering" on the floor, allowing Generico and Lethal to battle in the ring.

The match moved to the outside, where Bennett threw Maria in harm's way to slow down Generico. Generico, a fine gentleman, gently moved Maria out of the way, which allowed Bennett to cheap-shot him. Back in the ring, a rapid-fire sequence put all three men on the mat. Bennett then scored an apparent three on Lethal, but the ref stopped short and the match continued with all three men. Generico suddenly got a burst of energy for a double-rope splash onto Lethal on the outside, which he followed right up with a suicide dive through the turnbuckle into a tornado DDT on Bennett. Back in the ring, it was only good for a nearfall on Bennett.

Lethal then went up top for a Macho Man elbow drop on Generico for a nearfall. Lethal tried again, but Generico blocked and they battled up top. Bennett broke it up, though, and rolled up Generico from behind with a handful of tights for an elimination at 18:03. Lethal followed right up with the Lethal Injection on Bennett. It was good for a pin and the win moments later. Post-match: Bennett quickly left the ring with Maria and Bob before Generico and Lethal shook hands in the ring.

WINNER: Lethal at 18:17. Excellent work from Generico to accelerate the match leading to the finish and save it from being a disappointment. Bennett is developing as a heel, but not there yet. (**1/2)

4 -- KEVIN STEEN vs. STEVE CORINO -- Jimmy Jacobs special referee -- No DQ match -- Steen reinstated if he wins -- Steen gone for good if he loses

The fight quickly moved to the floor, where Steen delivered a running cannonball splash onto Corino against the ringpost. Suddenly, Corino recovered and flew off the apron with a splash onto Steen. Back in the ring, Corino used a controlled chair strike to the top of Steen's head to subdue Steen, but Steen came back with a big splash once they returned to the floor. Steen's next move was removing a portion of a guardrail cover, which he used to bop Corino in the face.

Next, Steen powerbombed Corino back-first across a chair while the chair was draped across a corner guardrail. Steen had a good laugh, then talked into Nigel's headphones that he's glad to see him again. Kelly said there's a Brian Pillman-like streak in Steen as he went for his next move: a table. Steen wanted a powerbomb through the table on the outside, but Corino blocked with a left-arm lariat. Corino then tossed a trashcan and multiple chairs into the ring. Steen ducked a shot, then blasted Corino with a trashcan lid to the face.

Corino came up bleeding heavily from his left ear, but mule kicked Steen out of desperation to slow down Steen. Corino followed with trashcan shots to the head, then he slammed Steen back-first onto a pile of chairs. Corino followed with a top-rope splash for a two count. The crowd picked up a dueling chant in favor of each man while Corino set up an elaborate chairs and guardrail spot mid-ring. Nigel said this is beyond pro wrestling and could end someone's career or life. They moved up top, where Corino delivered a superplex into the guardrail draped across the chairs. The crowd popped as Corino made a cover, but Steen kicked out, much to Cornette's dismay.

Steen and Corino reset after the nearfall with Steen landing a chair shot across the back. They returned to the top turnbuckle to tease another superplex spot. This time, Steen bit Corino's ear, but Corino hopped off the top turnbuckle, grabbed a lid, smashed Steen in the face, and Steen fell off the top through a table and chairs on the floor below. It took Corino a while to get Steen back into the ring to make a cover, which allowed Steen to kick out in time. Steen then found a burst of energy for a suplex through the seat of a chair, but Corino kicked out.

At 20:00, Steen measured Corino for a final chair shot. Corino spit in his face, which encouraged Steen to deliver a chair shot to the back of Corino's neck. Steen made a cover, but Corino kicked out. Steen wanted another chair shot, but ref Jacobs yanked the chair away from him. In the confusion, Corino retrieved some sort of foreign object to pop Steen in the face with, but Steen kicked out again. The crowd was hushed waiting to see what the final blow would be. Corino set up another set of chairs mid-ring, but Steen punched Corino low, then delivered a Package Piledriver through the chairs. Steen made a cover for a one...slow count....two...Jacobs paused to look at Cornette not wanting to make the final count...three.

Post-match: Steen celebrated by himself, then declared that the devil is back in ROH. As Cornette and Jacobs checked on Corino, Steen said he came here to do three things. (1) Destroy Corino and win his job back. (2) Steen scooped up Jacobs to deliver a Package Piledriver. Nigel wanted to know what #3 is.

Steen stared down Cornette and lifted up three fingers. Cornette begged off, then Steen grabbed Cornette, but El Generico hit the ring to stare down Steen. Kelly noted Generico eradicated Steen from ROH 12 months ago at Final Battle 2010. Generico and Steen fought, with Generico getting the advantage until Steen blocked a top-rope brainbuster attempt. Steen then delivered a Package Piledriver off the apron through the scraps of a table ringside. Generico sold being KO'ed as Steen re-entered the ring to celebrate his return to ROH. To "sell the moment," Nigel dropped his headsets to check on Generico. Kelly recapped Steen returning to ROH as Cornette tried to make sense of what was going on. Cruise requested medical personnel to ringside to check on Generico, who was selling a neck injury. Only one ref seemed to be concerned with Corino in the ring. Kelly then sent the show to intermission.

WINNER: Steen at 23:13. Sick, crazy match that only happens once in a blue moon...and for good reason with too many blows to the head/neck region. As for the wrestlers involved, Steen adds such a strong presence to ROH's roster that has been missing for the past year. Steen is a stand-out, crazed, monster heel that can help drive ROH business on top of the roster going forward. Another round of Steen vs. Generico one year removed from their 2010 feud would not be a bad thing, either.

Continued in next post...

Arcademan:
5 -- TAG TEAM GAUNTLET MATCH -- winning team receives future Tag Title shot

The Bravado Brothers were eliminated by Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander in the opening portion of the match. Future Shock came out next to face C&C. After a nice back and forth match, Alexander found himself trapped in a double-team from Cole & O'Reilly for a pinfall. Coleman & Alexander were eliminated, bringing out the Young Bucks with their cocky attitude. The Bucks dominated Cole & O'Reilly early on before Cole subdued Nick Jackson with nine straight rolling butterfly suplexes. Impressive. The action broke down, leading to the Bucks's double-team More Bang For Your Buck combination for a pin on Cole.

Out last was an injured All Night Express team to face off with the Bucks. Before Kenny King and Rhett Titus even entered the ring, the Bucks met them on the floor. The action eventually entered the ring with the Bucks in control of King as Titus sold on the floor. Titus eventually made it to the ring apron to receive a hot tag and clean house. The action broke down moments later, then the Bucks targeted Titus's injured knee.

For the inish, Matt Jackson slapped on a spinning toehold, Titus screamed in pain, and Nick stood up-top ready to inflict more damage. Titus refused to tap, so Nick came off the top with a 450 splash to the injured knee. The ref then called for the bell to "save Titus" from future injury. After the Bucks won, Nick went back up top for another 450 splash on Titus to add insult to injury. Afterward, Titus was helped out of the ring to continue selling the injury.

WINNERS: Young Bucks at 29:36 to receive a future Tag Title shot. Good ending focusing on the Bucks's resurgence as a heel team and trying to establish more credibility for Titus. The overall match was a bit long and the crowd lost interest at times, but it did spotlight ROH's strong tag division.

6 -- RODERICK STRONG INVITATIONAL CHALLENGE
 
The bell sounded and Truth Martini slowly began counting to ten to give Strong a count-out victory. Martini was almost too entertaining making comments in-between each number. When he hit nine, the Kings of Wrestling music played to bring out Chris Hero to a big reaction making his return to ROH. Strong threw a fit as Hero made his way into the ring. The bell re-sounded to officially start the match.
 
6b -- RODERICK STRONG (w/Truth Martini) vs. CHRIS HERO

Hero blasted Strong with an early boot to the face as Martini complained to Kevin Kelly about not being informed of this development in advance. The match moved to the floor, where Martini snuck in a shot to Hero's face using the Book of Truth. That allowed Strong to take control of the match back in the ring. Strong continued to wear down Hero, including a six-move combination into a Gibson Driver for a close nearfall. This woke up the crowd to get them behind Hero, who nailed a roaring elbow and kick strike for a close nearfall. Hero tried another pin, but Truth Martini ran into the ring to grab Hero's foot. Truth tried to run away, but Hero chased him around the ring. In the subsequent chaos, Hero big-booted Truth, then Strong sick kicked Hero for the pin and the win.
 
WINNER: Strong at 16:37. Although it remains to be seen, this came across like a one-off for Hero based on him putting over Strong, even with the interference. The crowd reacted to Hero's return to ROH, but didn't seem to invest in the match beyond Hero's return. (**1/2)
 
7 -- ROH tag champions CHARLIE HAAS & SHELTON BENJAMIN vs. THE BRISCOES -- ROH Tag Title match
 
The tag champs were still in the ring, now with Mark Briscoe in the ring and Jay limping around on the outside. Shelton went for his Leap of Faith again, but Jay suddenly slipped back into the ring to intercept Shelton with a superkick to a big reaction. Jay and Charlie then came face-to-face for a rapid-fire exchange of blows. After their exchange, Shelton targeted Mark with a splash, but that re-injured his ribs. The Briscoes then went to work on Shelton's ribs with methodical offense.
 
Haas took a tag for the tag champs at 5:00 and mounted an offensive attack in-between insults to the crowd. Haas executed a triple German Suplex combo on Jay, then slapped on the Haas of Pain. Mark tried to break it up with a splash, but Shelton tried to intercept, only to have Mark splash Shelton's ribs. As a result, the ref called for more refs to come check on Shelton. Shelton was taken to the back, leaving Haas alone in the ring with the Briscoes.

The Briscoes couldn't put Haas away, though, and Shelton crawled back to the ring. The ref was bumped during this sequence and Shelton used a 2x4 to crack over the Briscoes. The crowd entertained themselves with a Hacksaw Duggan Hooooo! and U-S-A chant. After this sequence, the Briscoes set up Haas for a Doomsday Device and connected. Cover, three count, and new ROH tag champions.
 
WINNERS: Briscoes at 13:24 to capture the ROH Tag Titles. A tag title change was the only way the crowd was going to be happy with this match after another round of mainstream wrestling booking with a ref bump involved here. Throw in another round of chair shots to the head and an indictment of the booking with the crowd entertaining themselves and this was a disappointing match. Meanwhile, Haas & Benjamin as heels has a good chance to help advance the tag division. (**)
 
8 -- ROH World champion DAVEY RICHARDS (w/Team Richards) vs. EDDIE EDWARDS (w/Dan Severn) -- ROH World Title match
 
Richards dominated the first stage of the match, showing superior fitness and striking. Edwards then took control with submission holds for the next stage of the match. He followed with Bryan Danielson-style repeated strikes to the chest, which only fired up Richards. The two men came face-to-face center-ring for an exchange of blows and strikes. Next was an exchange of headbutts while positioned on the top turnbuckle. Neither man gained the advantage, then the two men suplexed themselves over the top rope clear down to the floor, which drew oohs and aahs from the crowd.
 
The two men re-entered the ring at a 19 count, leading to another mid-ring exchange. Richards got the best of it, then Edwards challenged him with a slap to the face. Another mid-ring exchange of slaps and strikes. The two men were dizzied, then traded suplexes and popped to their feet after each one. They KO'ed each other with kick strikes, then Roderick Strong came down to ringside. Strong picked a fight with Team Richards, then Dan Severn stalked Strong. Severn teed off on Strong before House of Truth came down to ringside. Severn dragged Truth away, then everyone seemed to disappear ringside.
 
In the ring, Richards and Edwards stood up and slowly came face-to-face to get the focus back on them. They traded forearm strikes again before Eddie dropped Richards on the mat with a suplex that seemed to KO Richards. Edwards opted to pick up Richards for a top-rope move instead of making a cover, though. On the mat, Edwards delivered power move after power move, but Richards continued to kick out. Edwards then hit a Tombstone Piledriver into his Diehard suplex, but Richards kicked out just before three.
 
The action reset with the two men back up top. Richards tried a sunset flip powerbomb, but Edwards blocked. Richards regrouped and delivered a top-rope full nelson superplex for another close two count. The fans stomped their feet on the ground before chanting, "R-O-H." The match then moved to the ring apron, where they traded blows again. In the process, Edwards ate the ring apron and fell to the ground. Edwards needed a 19 count to re-enter the ring, then Richards suplexed Edwards onto the ring apron again. Richards asked for a quick count as Eddie struggled to recover on the floor. Edwards made a desperation leap into the ring before 20 and the match continued.
 
They reset again. Richards stood up and glared down at Edwards, who crawled toward him. Richards delivered repeated kick strikes to the head, but Edwards kicked out again. Richards then slapped on an anklelock, but Edwards rolled into a quick two count. Richards went right back to the anklelock, dropped the hold, and kicked Edwards in the head for another two count. Richards then measured Edwards again and said this is over. Richards with a kick, then a roundhouse kick to the head. Richards made a cover and it was good for the three count.
 
Post-match: Richards took a knee next to Edwards to check on his former tag partner. Richards then took the house mic and paced the ring. He said Jim Cornette pulled him aside earlier in the day to make sure they talk each other up after the match. Richards then looked at Edwards to tell him when he's ready to be his brother again, he'll be ready for him.
 
Suddenly, a mocking voice was heard. Kevin Steen walked out on-stage and mocked Richards before calling him a mf'er (unbleeped). Richards had to be held back as Steen continued his promo. Steen vowed to take the ROH World Title from Richards and hold ROH hostage. Steen flipped off Richards before disappearing to the back. Richards then ranted on everyone ringside, wanting answers. Severn returned to check on Edwards as they signed off with Richards and Edwards in the ring after their main event.
 
WINNER: Richards at 41:21 to retain the ROH World Title. Richards vs. Steen could be the type of epic title match ROH needs as a change of pace from the Richards-Edwards series. Not that there was anything wrong with Richards-Edwards, but they have such similar styles that there are only so many "evenly matched, stand-in-the-middle-of-the-ring and trade blows" type exchanges you can have in a 40-minute match before it wears on the audience. (****)

Arcademan:
WWE RAW Results: 12-26-11

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- IC champion CODY RHODES vs. BOOKER T -- non-title match

Before the bell sounded, they replayed footage from Smackdown when Booker sang Christmas tunes for Rhodes, causing Rhodes to lose to Zack Ryder. Back live, Cole complained about everything before the bell sounded. Booker teased the scissors kick early on, but Cody ducked and delivered a swinging neckbreaker. Cody followed with an exposed knee to the mid-section, followed by kicks and stomps. Rhodes then dumped Booker to the outside and they cut to break.

Back from break, Rhodes was wearing down Booker in the ring. Meanwhile, Cole and Lawler debated when a wrestler is too old. Lawler said you can be as old as you want in WWE because it's an individual sport, as opposed to a team sport, where an athlete could drag down a team. Rhodes continued to wear down Booker, who then fought out of a corner with blows, but Rhodes responded with a dropkick that floored Booker again. The crowd tried to rally behind Booker, who continued to take a beating.

Booker finally mounted some offense with a corner attack before landing a flying forearm and a series of clotheslines. Booker followed with a sidewalk slam for a two count. Booker got that look in his eyes, then rolled up Rhodes out of the corner for a two count. Rhodes responded with a quick pin attempt, but Booker escaped. Booker then wanted an axe kick, but Rhodes ducked. He then scored with a Disaster Kick that he almost turned into a missile dropkick. Booker kicked out of a pin attempt in time, though. Rhodes tried Cross Rhodes, but Booker blocked and landed a back kick. Booker, sucking wind, missed with a kick, but hit the axe kick moments later. Booker made the cover and it was good for the win.

WINNER: Booker at 12:03. Is Booker retiring for good? They acted like this was Booker's retirement match with Rhodes putting him over to have a feel-good send-off. It will be interesting to see what the fall-out is. Overall, good match that effectively built to a clean finish. (**1/4)

2 -- U.S. champion ZACK RYDER & EVE vs. TYSON KIDD & NATALYA -- mixed tag match

Back from commercial, Tyson Kidd and Natalya were in the ring as the opponents. As the action started, Cole told viewers to mark down July 23, 2012. Cole said that will be the 1,000th episode of Raw. He also noted Cena is coming up soon to address Kane again. After the Divas battled, Ryder took a tag, which also brought in Kidd. The action broke down and Team Ryder delivered stereo Broski Boots. Ryder followed with the Rough Ryder on Kidd for the pin and the win. Post-match: Ryder and Eve fist-pumped for the crowd before Ryder handed his title belt to Eve to hold for a second.

WINNERS: Ryder & Eve at 3:03.

3 -- JOHN CENA vs. THE MIZ

Cena and Miz started this impromptu match-up with some basic back-and-forth feeling each other out. Lawler equated Miz to Cousin Eddie showing up at Christmas uninvited. Great "Christmas Vacation" reference. The crowd picked up a dueling chant for and against Cena, which led to Miz leaving the ring. Miz took the mic and said he's done with this match. the ref was applying a ten count as Miz continued to rant and rave. Miz noted he beat Cena at WrestleMania because all that matters is he beat Cena on the grandest stage of them all. The bell then sounded, indicating a count-out.

WINNER: Cena via count-out at 2:23.

4 -- BIG SHOW vs. DAVID OTUNGA

Otunga tried to run around Show, who trapped Otunga's foot in-between his legs before landing some left arm chops. Otunga continued to run around Show before taking a headbutt. Show then one-handed Otunga over the top rope to the floor. Suddenly, Mark Henry's music played. Henry came out to the ring as Show appeared to escape the knot tied around his arm. Meanwhile, the ref called for the bell, apparently ending the match.

WINNER: Show via DQ at 2:01. There are a lot of moving parts on this show this week.

5 -- WWE champion C.M. PUNK RUNS THE GAUNTLET

In-ring: Justin Roberts introduced a "special" gauntlet match. Roberts set the ground rules for the match before Jack Swagger came out along with Vickie Guerrero. The crowd booed Swagger before Cult of Personality played for the third time tonight. Punk came out to a strong reaction, but not like the opening segment with the law of diminishing returns in-play. Before the bell sounded, Cole advertised Kane in the building later tonight.

5a -- WWE champion C.M. PUNK vs. JACK SWAGGER (w/Vickie Guerrero) -- non-title match

As Punk and Swagger started the action, Cole went back to July when Punk won the WWE Title, walked out of WWE, and began his revolution to change WWE "for good or for bad." Punk scored with a hard kick to the face as Cole went through the timeline of Punk's last five months in WWE. A pro-Punk chant started up as Swagger tried to wear down Punk. Swagger targeted Punk's mid-section before trying a Swagger Bomb, but Punk caught him in mid-air. After teased moves on both sides, Punk delivered a big roundhouse kick to the head that KO'ed Swagger for a three count.

WINNER: Punk at 3:26.

As Dolph Ziggler made his way to the ring to face Punk next, Swagger attacked Punk from behind, targeting Punk's left leg. Ziggler wanted to start the match right away, but ref Scott Armstrong checked on Punk to make sure he could still compete before ringing the bell. Punk nodded his head up and down before they suddenly cut to break.

5b -- WWE champion C.M. PUNK vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER (w/Vickie Guerrero and Jack Swagger) -- non-title match

Back from break, the match was already in progress with Ziggler working on Punk's injured left leg. The crowd to rally behind Punk, who suddenly tried a small package, but Ziggler kicked out. Ziggler then resumed the attack.

Ziggler sat down on a half-Boston Crab as Punk resisted tapping out. Punk crawled and crawled toward the bottom rope before reaching out to break the hold. Ziggler nearly got himself DQ'ed by not breaking until four. Punk, now on his feet, landed right hand blows and chops, followed by a standing back kick and punt to the gut. Punk followed with punishing right leg kicks to the back before delivering another KO kick to the head. This time, Ziggler kicked out. Vickie and Swagger then ran interference, which allowed Ziggler to hit the Zig-Zag for a close nearfall.

Suddenly, Laurinaitis came down to ringside and marched over to the timekeeper's table. Laurinaitis grabbed the mic and said there has been an injustice here tonight. Suddenly, Punk had a cover as Laurinaitis occupied the referee on the mic. Laurinaitis tossed Vickie and Swagger from ringside, which disallowed the ref from counting a three for Punk. Laurinaitis then got on the ring apron to talk to Punk. Suddenly, Ziggler dropped Punk from behind with the Zig-Zag and Laurinaitis stopped talking. Ziggler made the cover for the win.

WINNER: Ziggler at 7:32; Ziggler gets a WWE Title shot next week. A sample of the 15-25-minute match they could have next week to start 2011. It will be interesting to see if Ziggler wins next week, then if WWE uses Ziggler as a transitional champion to get the belt to Cena ahead of WM28 (if Cena vs. Rock will actually be for the WWE Title) so that Cena doesn't take the belt from Punk.

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