What’s not to get pumped up for?  Tonight’s PPV is being headlined by two MITB Ladder matches- one featuring eight Raw Superstars and the other featuring eight SmackDown superstars- and a steel cage match between WWE Heavyweight Champion  Sheamus and John Cena.  Spanish Announcers Hugo Savinovich and Carlos Cabrera are in the house!  Place your bets on when their table bites the dust…

There’s always the threat of an appearance by Nexus to wreak some havoc, and on paper, it’s a recipe for success.  However, after I confirmed the buy on my cable box, I wasn’t 100% sure I was parting with my money wisely.

After all, there were also two Divas matches on the card.  Of course, it’s not the ladies’ fault that they’ve been booked into oblivion for the last two years.

The first match of the night was the SmackDown MITB ladder match and it scored in a big way.  For almost 30 minutes, the participants went at it.  The sickest spot was Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston performing a boom drop onto a prone Drew McIntyre as he lay on…yep, you guessed it…the Spanish announcers’ table. 

Nice booking by the WWE…it was difficult to determine a clear-cut winner and I was more than a little surprised as Kane emerged victorious.

In the second match of the evening, Alicia Fox retained the Divas Championship against Eve Torres.  It was a short contest and the crowd unfortunately, lost interest quickly.

Due to a very weak tag team division, it was tough to get psyched up for yet another Hart Dynasty vs. The Usos match.  Nothing special here as the Harts retained the titles when David Hart Smith caused one of the Usos to tap out to the Sharpshooter.

Rey Mysterio defended the World (not Heavyweight) Championship against Jack Swagger.  It was a physical contest that saw Mysterio gamely working through the ankle injury suffered at Swagger’s hands a few weeks ago.

Mysterio won the match and while Swagger was attacking him afterwards, Kane ran in and chased Swagger away.  Kane then cashed in his newly-won MITB contract (in record time) to win the Championship from Mysterio in a minute-long match.

Divas match #2 was next and Layla beat Kelly Kelly.

The second MITB Ladder match of the night followed, featuring eight Raw Superstars in action.  There were some sick spots in this match as well, including Randy Orton hitting an RKO on John Morrison off of the ladder.

Towards the end of the match, there some nice teases as three of the wrestlers all came very close to grabbing the briefcase.  First was Evan Bourne who was stopped by Edge, and then Randy Orton who received one of the biggest pops of the night as he began to ascend the ladder.

However, it was Miz who emerged victorious to win the briefcase.  Not sure how long he’ll hold the contract before cashing in, but one thing is for sure, I can’t wait to see him as a Heavyweight Champion.

The final match of the night was a steel cage match between WWE Champion Sheamus and John Cena.  The Kansas City crowd popped huge for Cena and was hot for the entire match.

It wasn’t a five-star classic, but there were plenty of nearfalls and lots of back-and-forth action between both men.  Sheamus passed up an opportunity to walk out of the cage when he had Cena tied up in the ropes, but he decided to continue attacking Cena.

Shortly after, Nexus made their inevitable appearance.  Michael Tarver was carrying a pair of bolt cutters, but one of the ringside officials grabbed them out of his hands and ran backstage.  Nexus then turned their attention to another ringside official, demanding the keys, but he refused and threw them into the crowd (nice!)

Back in the ring, Cena grabbed Sheamus and they accidentally took out in-ring referee Charles (Lil’ `Naitch) Robinson.  Cena locked Sheamus into the STF, and Sheamus tapped but since the ref was out, it didn’t matter.

Cena then tried to climb the cage, but was met at the top by Nexus member Justin Gabriel. They traded punches before Cena flipped Gabriel into the ring.  The other Nexus members then caught Cena on his way down and provided enough interference to him down while Sheamus climbed over the other side of the cage and only had to fight off Heath Slater.

Sheamus hit the floor first and retained the title.  He then high-tailed it through the crowd to the back followed by several Nexus members.

Cena was pissed and took out his frustrations on Michael Tarver and Darren Young (sporting a new `do) who had remained at ringside after catching the better of the exchange on the side of the cage just minutes earlier.  Cena screamed “I told you I’d take you all out.”

Good finish to an otherwise average PPV.

I read over the last few weeks that some fans were worried about the MITB PPV cheapening the annual MITB match at Wrestlemania, but the two matches on tonight’s card delivered in a big way, and are spread out far enough to keep the excitement level for the match at Wrestlemania high.

Still plenty more to be done with the Nexus storyline as Cena has just begun to make a dent in the group.  Although, it doesn’t look like Sheamus is safe from attack by any means…will they eventually team up as they’ve teased several times on Monday Night Raw?

Now that Undertaker is part of the promos for next month’s SummerSlam  PPV, I’d have to take the early odds on him facing Kane for the Heavyweight title.

John Cena appears with us on the “Busted Open” radio show.  We’ll get his reaction to the night’s events.  Check it out…Monday between 2-4PM, Eastern on Sirius 125/XM 241.

WWE’s “Money in the Bank” pay-per-view is coming up on Sunday night live from Kansas City, and WWE Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston will be competing in one of two MITB Ladder matches against seven other Smackdown superstars.  I had a chance to chat with Kofi about the event, his role as an “NXT” pro, and one of his career highlights.

So… Big Show, Kane, your “good friend” Drew McIntyre…it looks like you’re going to have your hands full on Sunday night.

It’s going to be an awesome, awesome pay-per-view.  Money in the Bank traditionally is the match that’s the most anticipated on the Wrestlemania card…you have eight guys who all have to climb a ladder and get the briefcase at the top of the ladder; there’s a contract… you get a title match at any time of your choosing, which is very valuable.  Anyone who’s won the MITB ladder match has won and become World Champion.

The thing about the MITB PPV, it’s the first time we’ve ever done this.  You’re not only getting one, but two MITB ladder matches. So, it’s going to be awesome. We’re all looking forward to it, we’re all getting pumped up…and we’re ready to take it to the limit.

I’d have to imagine wearing two straps wouldn’t be a bad thing?

Oh no….I’ve got two shoulders, man…the other one gets kind of lonely sometimes, so… I’d love to add some more gold to my repertoire.

It gets pretty chaotic in the ring during these matches with every man for himself.  How do you prepare for a ladder match knowing that no one’s “playing nice?”

You just have to be ready to go all out…and you’re going to go through some pain…a lot of times there’s one opportunity and there’s one… window…that you have to try and climb through at the right time…there’s really no formal preparation, but… it’s a huge opportunity and we’re all going to try and take advantage of it.

You were drafted to SmackDown earlier this year, and you’ve been a member of the Raw roster, and of course before that ECW…does it ultimately matter to you and the other wrestlers what brand they are on?

[Jokingly] I always think that the better brand is the one I’m actually on…as far as it mattering which brand I’m on, it doesn’t really matter as long as I’m out there and I get to perform in front of the WWE Universe; then I’m cool.

This year, you’ve added some job responsibilities as one of the pros on “NXT”…mentoring Michael Mc Gillicutty who I believe is still undefeated in Season 2.  Give us a little scouting report…what do you see so far that you like and what would an area of improvement be for him?

Michael is very, very focused and as you know, he’s the son of “Mr. Perfect” (the late Curt Hennig), so he has a lot to… live up to…now he realizes that, but at the same time, he’s really starting to make his own mark, and really wanting to stand out; he puts a lot of pressure on himself.

I think he’s definitely one of the guys who’s more talented on that show.  He’s really excited to be there.

As far as disadvantages he might have, I think he may be a little overzealous sometimes…sometimes as a rookie you want to make such a good impression that you go all out and you’re not cautious. I think maybe sometimes he could be a little bit more cautious. But definitely, it’s also easier to have someone pull back then to push them forward, so I’m looking forward to see what he’s going to do in the next few weeks.

You had a pretty quick rise up the ranks yourself…not a lot of time in the “minor leagues,” so to speak, before debuting full-time in ECW back in 2007.  Who were some of the people that mentored you early on in your career?

Early on, the guy who broke me into the business was a guy named Mike Hollow. When I trained up in Boston, I was really, really fortunate to have him.  He was probably the best trainer on the East Coast…he gave me a very good foundation to build upon.  I’ve also had great teachers like Bill DeMott, Dr. Tom Pritchard, Steve Kern, Billy Kidman…I’ve just been real fortunate to have been around some really good people who were very knowledgeable and were willing to pass on their knowledge to me.  So I definitely try to soak it all up and become as good as I can get.

Not a whole lot of “kayfabe” left in professional wrestling these days…but when you  revealed that you were actually from Ghana and not Jamaica as you were billed for your first few years in WWE…did you worry at first what fans would think about the switch? 

You know, to be honest…not at all.  And the whole reason that I came out with the whole Jamaican thing was because Jamaica did have a big influence on my life as far as the music, and the culture, and the laid-back attitude.

So, you know, when I came to WWE I wanted to do something that was unique as well as a tribute to kind of what had a big influence on my life.

As far as the fans and the WWE Universe’s response to it, I know that they didn’t like me because I was “Jamaican,” it wasn’t’ like `oh there’s a Jamaican guy, oh I want to like him.”  It was more the things I did in the ring and my style, and just being unique in there I think was what people gravitated to more. As far as where I’m from, I don’t think people really cared too much about that, do you know what I mean?

You’re a man of few words…you just go out and take care of your business without a whole lot of trash-talking.  I was at Madison Square Garden a few weeks ago and there’s no doubt that you’re a fan-favorite.  Obviously you blow away the theory that in addition to the ring work, a wrestler has to spend a ton of time on the mic to make a connection with the fans.

Yeah man, I’ve had a few opportunities…I mean yeah, I think again it’s being able to go out there and entertain people and do things that are different and things that people haven’t seen that’s definitely very important.

Now, mic work is also very important too, and I haven’t had very many opportunities to be on the mic, when I do it’s kind of an advantage to get on the mic and I do have have something to say, people want to listen.

It’s tough to picture but have you ever thought about what it would be like to work as a heel?

The whole face and heel deal has really kind of been blurred these days…Stone Cold Steve Austin, when he came out and…kind of was just real brash…you know, a decade back, that wouldn’t have been considered a “bad guy” role.  But…times change, and as far as me being in that role, I guess it’s going to come down to the WWE Universe and however they perceive me…again, it’s one of those things… we’ll have to see what happens.

One of my favorite moments last year was when you were feuding with Randy Orton…it was “Monday Night Raw” at Madison Square Garden and you guys brawled outside the ring where you hit a “Boom Drop” (one of his signature moves) off the railing sending Randy through the table…the crowd went crazy.  What was that moment like for you?

Yeah, it was awesome. It was definitely one of my career highlights. And just to be in Madison Square Garden in and of itself was awesome.  What a lot of people forget about…is that there was a brief moment… Randy was about to attack Roddy Piper at the beginning… that’s how this whole thing started.  I came out to save Piper and then me and Randy went into our thing.

But just to be in there, number one in the same ring with Roddy Piper in Madison Square Garden even if it was only for a couple of seconds, was awesome for me.  And then…Randy and I got into our thing and then just brawled throughout the whole arena.

Now, Madison Square Garden as a lot of people know is one of those arenas that’s kind of still the same as it was.  You know, when we used to watch… wrestling at MSG, it looked the same way that it does today, so it’s almost like we’re kind of living out a childhood dream…a childhood moment, when you go in there.

Again, just to be involved in that moment…and when I put Randy through that table and looked up at the crowd, everyone was cheering…it was just… an awesome moment for me and I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.

Coming up Monday on Sirius XM Radio’s  “Busted Open…” WWE Superstar John Cena joins us live at 3PM, Eastern.  Catch the show on Sirius 125/XM 241 from 2-4PM, Eastern.

We’ve hit the halfway point of the year, so now is as good a time as any for Uncle Copes to hand out his midseason awards for the WWE.  Categories have been chosen entirely at random and I’m the only one that voted…but it occurred to me that I’ve watched a whole lot of wrestling this year and that’s qualification enough, so without further ado…

Wrestler of the Year:

1. CM Punk – He’s untouchable on the mic (see this year’s Royal Rumble, or his creepy rendition of “Happy Birthday” to Rey Mysterio’s daughter) and the constant reinvention of his character (the mask), make him the winner going-away.
2. Sheamus – No one has improved more on the mic…he’s become a heat-magnet, and the fact that he’s turned into a no-nonsense heel speaks to his in-ring work
3. Randy Orton – Amazing!  He has done nothing at all to alter his character, but has turned into one of the most-over wrestlers in the business

Match of the Year:

1. HBK vs. Taker, Part 2 at Wrestlemania 26 – two of the all-time greats work their magic; a fitting farewell for Shawn Michaels
2. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio; the head shave match at Extreme Rules – blood, bumps, and some great near-falls…this one had it all
3. Cody Rhodes vs. Christian on Friday Night Smackdown – A PPV-quality match given away on TV as both men shone in a lengthy tilt

(News) Story of the Year:

1. Return of the Monday Night Wars between TNA and Raw – wrestling fans were ready to party like it was 1998 all over again
2. TNA ends the Monday Night Wars after just a few weeks – if a wrestling show falls in the woods and…oh, nevermind.
3. Release of Bryan Danielson from WWE after NXT Invasion angle – I still think that it’s the same 77 smarks that follow Danielson’s every move, but this even made the “mainstream” fans take notice

Tag Team of Year:

1. Joey Votto – how does that even happen?
2. Show-Miz – temporary team was fun while it lasted in a REALLY weak division
3. Hart Dynasty – haven’t been involved in a meaningful feud due to a dearth of opponents but sure were fun at Wrestlemania 26 helping out Bret “The Hitman” Hart

Face of the Year:

1. Randy Orton – Hell, I’m still not sure he can really be considered a face; doesn’t matter to the members of the WWE Universe who eat up “The Viper’s” every move
2. John Cena – supposedly it’s the kids who love him and the grownups who hate him, but maybe those grownups wearing the bright, orange T-shirts at Madison Square Garden two weeks ago didn’t get the memo.
3. Big Show – it was harder to find a third name for this list than you might think; Show is kind of fun though, I guess…so he’s my choice

Heel of the Year:

1. CM Punk – He’s better than me because he’s “Straight Edge” and I’m not
2. Sheamus – Amazing what a lead pipe and an attack on HHH can do for you
3. The Miz – Almost as good as CM Punk at getting under your skin

Once December rolls around, I’m sure this list will look a lot different than it does now with the likes of Evan Bourne and the Nexus emerging, and it still remains to be seen what will happen when HHH and The Undertaker return.  The next six months are sure to be as interesting as the first half of this year has been.

Heading into last night’s edition of Monday Night Raw, I was looking forward to seeing what havoc the Season One NXT Rookies would wreak next.  After last week’s vicious attack on WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon, the group had a week’s reprieve as the new, anonymous, General Manager of Raw said that they would be dealt with next week.  The Nexus (as they are now known) leader Wade Barrett was absent from the show as he was waiting to meet with WWE officials at the company’s Stamford, Connecticut headquarters.

I was pretty amped up for the night’s first appearance of Nexus…quite honestly, the rest of the show had become secondary to me.  However, there was also some business at hand as the WWE has its upcoming “Money in the Bank” pay-per-view to promote. Ultimately, I enjoyed the two hours, and the tone of the show was set early.

The new GM was still communicating via e-mails which were being read by announcer Michael Cole.  Amusingly, there was a podium set up next to the broadcaster’s table at ringside with a sign that said “Raw General Manager” and contained the laptop that Cole read from.

I am more convinced than ever after last night that Cole is the new GM.  He had a bit of an edge to him as he read each e-mail in a commanding tone…it was similar to the heel announcer persona he took on during the first season of NXT.

In the opening segment, John Cena challenged   WWE Champion Sheamus to team up for one night so that they could take down The Nexus together.  Just when it looked as though Sheamus might do it, a lengthy e-mail (and the GM is one damn fast typist, by the way) was read by Cole. It prohibited any attacks by Nexus members on anyone on the WWE roster and vice versa. Nexus members would be fired while those on the WWE roster would face suspensions.

That didn’t stop the Nexus from going on the offensive though, as they quickly exploited a loophole (seems WWE didn’t extend the protection to ALL of its employees).  First to get attacked was a technician backstage as the group was being interviewed by Josh Mathews (who came perilously close to also being made an example of).  However, their most vicious moment was yet-to-come.

WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat was called out to the ring by Jerry “The King” Lawler to celebrate the release of his new career-retrospective DVD set.  A couple of other legends in Dean Malenko, Arn Anderson, Mike Rotundo, and Michael “PS” Hayes joined Steamboat in the ring to offer congratulations.

The festivities were short-lived though as The Nexus soon surrounded the ring and took the men out one-by-one until Steamboat was left alone in the ring.  He ultimately suffered the same fate as John Cena and Mr. Mc Mahon.  It was another vicious beatdown culminating in Justin Gabriel’s 450 splash off the top rope.  Steamboat was removed from the ring by stretcher.

The two most interesting things about the attack were that Michael Cole once again disappeared from ringside (and the fact that there’s no commentary during these attacks lends a more dangerous air to things); and that no member of the WWE roster risked being suspended to save the legends.  Surely, someone could’ve done the right thing.  As usual the Nexus drew tremendous heat from the Philadelphia crowd.

This angle is still mega-hot.  I am really interested to see what action, if any is taken against the group next week by the new GM.  The beatdowns of John Cena, Bret Hart, Vince McMahon, and now a group of wrestling legends have served to make the Nexus look vicious and calculating.  But someone needs to step up and retaliate somehow.

There are so many questions still left to be answered.  Who is the anonymous General Manager?  Has Daniel Bryan really been fired?  Are all of the Nexus members really still in this together?  Some members screamed at Justin Gabriel to hit the 450 splash on Ricky Steamboat as Gabriel paused on the top rope for what seemed like an eternity.  He also continued to glance back at the ring as the group walked off together, post-attack.

I am still in awe of how WWE took a mediocre group of wrestlers from a mediocre show and created monsters.  I am buying it with the proverbial “hook, line, and sinker.”  I can’t wait to see what the Nexus will do next.  Perhaps an unintended consequence is that I have yet to care about any of the Season Two NXT rookies.  It was a good idea to separate the first season crew from the new crop by giving the heel group an official name.

While the Nexus angle did overshadow last night’s show a little bit, there were still some storylines advanced in an entertaining show.  For one, Sheamus will face John Cena in a steel cage match at MITB.

Also, each brand will have its own Money in the Bank Ladder match at the PPV.  Last night, the eight Raw participants (Miz, Morrison, Orton, Di Biase, R-Truth, Jericho, Edge, and Evan Bourne) competed in a fun eight-man tag team match which culminated in Orton getting the win for his team and then ending the show atop the ladder while posing with the briefcase.

WWE reminded us last night that it’s now been just under a year since the guest hosts started (woo-hoo!).  Check out the list if you have a chance and see just how (un) memorable some of them were (I already forgot about Flavor Flav, and that was just a few weeks ago).  Rob Zombie’s involvement last night was thankfully kept to a minimum.

Last night’s Raw followed up nicely on several levels, and even got me interested in the next PPV a little earlier than usual. 

Later this week…Mid-Season report cards for the WWE (think “The Slammys” minus the bad comedy).

Sirius XM listeners can catch me on the “Busted Open” radio show which has a new home…Sirius 125/XM 241.  We’re live on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2-4PM, Eastern with various replays throughout the week. Listener participation is always encouraged…join us at 866-522-2846.

Last night’s edition of “Monday Night Raw” was not your typical “go home” show before a pay-per-view.

Sure, a few more matches were (finally) booked for Sunday’s “Fatal 4 Way” PPV, and The Miz recaptured the United States Championship from R-Truth. But what every WWE fan wanted to know, and what was the subject of proverbial “water cooler” talk all week was how the NXT-invasion angle of one week ago would be addressed.

Except for showing the video in its entirety on last Tuesday’s “NXT” and “Friday Night SmackDown,” there had been no follow up.

Actually, to quote the guy who had been running against Linda McMahon in the Connecticut Senate race, that last sentence was a “misstatement.”  The video was shown in its entirety, EXCEPT for the footage of Daniel Bryan choking Ring Announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie, and Bryan spitting in the face of WWE Champion John Cena.

It seems that Bryan had been fired by the WWE over the weekend –his bio was removed from the WWE website, and none other than Cena himself took to Twitter to say it was not fair – and as of yesterday, thousands of fans signed a digital petition to have Bryan rehired.

No reason was offered by the WWE for Bryan’s release, but speculation was rampant. One website reported that Vince McMahon felt pressure from someone outside the company (with close ties) because Bryan’s actions crossed the line for what was acceptable on a PG-rated broadcast.

What at first seemed like a work (and a brilliant one at that), started to become more realistic as the day wore on.

When the NXT rookies were confronted by General Manager Bret “The Hitman” Hart to begin “Raw,” group leader Wade Barrett said that because Bryan had shown remorse for his actions, he was no longer a part of the faction.  Nice way to put that whole “work” theory to bed.

So, Bryan was legitimately fired for being the member of the group who took the violence too far, but his absence was explained by saying that he felt bad…see you in TNA, Daniel.

For the most part, there wasn’t much that was special about how they handled the invasion on last night’s “Raw.”  Perhaps they had bigger plans that were scuttled by having to tone things down.

During the opening segment, as Barrett and the rookies addressed the crowd from the ring, they received massive heat (maybe Drew McIntyre can take Daniel Bryan’s place?  Just askin’). 

They told Bret Hart that they were upset with how they were treated – having to use a closet-sized dressing room, and they were mad that Wade Barrett was the only one with a guaranteed contract.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t they made aware during “NXT” that only the winner of the competition received a contract?

The funniest (unintentional) part of the open was when Hart demanded that they leave the building immediately or they would all be arrested (he had fired them all moments earlier).

Soooooo…wait.  The rookies assault a bunch of people and cause thousands (presumably) of dollars worth of property damage, but now they should be afraid of getting arrested.  How about locking the doors and beating them down “Bronx Tale”style? (“now you’ze can’t leave”).

The next time the angle was addressed was at the start of Hour Two when John Cena, who had been given the night off, came out to address the crowd. He made no mention of Daniel Bryan during his speech.  The NXT-ers returned during Cena’s promo, entering the ring area through the crowd.

This time though, Cena had help as faces and heels alike rushed to the ring to counterattack and beat up the NXT crew.  Edge, Randy Orton, and Mark Henry among others took part, but easily the best moment was when Sheamus cleaned house with his lead pipe.  The WWE veterans were able to chase the rookies out of the arena.

WWE Security is either really incompetent or seriously understaffed, by the way (and did Bret forget to call the police after the rookies returned the first time?).  Fast forward to the main event…  During the action in the ring, there was an abrupt cut backstage where the NXT-ers were once again wreaking havoc and destroying everything in sight.

They grabbed Bret Hart and threw him into a limo after roughing him up (and ripping off his shirt and jacket).  By the way, who fights like that? “Hey!  You slept with my wife!! I’m going to undress you and then beat you to a pulp!”  Really?!!?

Now, here is where WWE doesn’t learn.  Limousines are synonymous with bad storylines. Here’s a quick refresher…

Vince McMahon was blown up in a limo a few years ago…the storyline had to be scrapped in the wake of the Chris Benoit story coming to light, days later.

Just a few short months ago, Bret Hart himself was involved in one of the worst storylines in years when his leg was crushed as he was getting into a limo, when a car driven by one of Mr. McMahon’s goons backed into him.  Turns out Bret knew it was coming and hired a stunt driver, and …oh, never mind.

Back to last night’s show…the limo with Bret inside screeches around the bowels of the arena, smashing up other cars before the rookies take off.  The show fades to black as a visibly-injured Hart tumbles out of the wreckage in a heap.

I’m sure there will be some answers at Sunday’s PPV, if not sooner.  I’m not going to throw in the towel just yet, but the WWE couldn’t have dropped the ball on this angle already, could they?  They had to be aware of the buzz and anticipation from wrestling fans.  This was one of the most talked-about angles in years.

Maybe they were truly caught off guard by having to fire Daniel Bryan for the alleged complaints. But they had all weekend to figure that out.  And putting someone in a car and intentionally smashing it up is PG-rated??  Also, once again, they succeed in making Bret Hart look like a fool…this time at the hands of a bunch of rookies.

Aside from not being able to generate more interest in the “Fatal 4 Way” PPV for this viewer, one of the most eagerly-anticipated editions of “Raw” in recent memory amounted to not much more than a buzz kill.

Perhaps we can get some answers from the champ, himself.  John Cena will be on the “Busted Open” radio show tomorrow.  Catch us every Monday and Wednesday from 2-4 PM, Eastern on Sirius 126/XM 243.

I seriously thought about ditching the column today, in light of the horror show that was Monday Night Raw.  It was a three-hour, “viewer’s choice” edition, hosted by the stars of the new “A-Team” movie.  I was psyched for the bonus hour, but skeptical that the members of the WWE Universe would have much real say in what was presented in the ring.

Among the gems offered over the first two hours-plus:  a dance off between Vladimir Kozlov and Santino Marella, a Divas Battle Royal,  and a match between sling-wearing Randy Orton and Edge who had to wrestle with one arm tied behind his back. And let’s not forget about a skit involving Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Rampage Jackson who stars as BA Baracus in the A-Team” movie. The only purpose it served was to make poor “Hot Rod” look like a crazy, old man who thought it was still 1985 (think back to the main event of the inaugural Wrestlemania and you’ll figure out where that was going).

We have no right to complain, though.  We chose the stipulations by voting throughout the show on WWE.com.  No way that WWE-creative would present a stinkfest like this on its own, right?

Then, during the main event between WWE Heavyweight Champ John Cena and CM Punk (accompanied to the ring, as always by the S.E.S.), something that defied all logic happened.  And for the next 15 minutes, I couldn’t believe what transpired.

During the match, the winner of the first season of “NXT,” Wade Barrett appeared and slowly walked to the ring, distracting Cena.  Simultaneously, the eight eliminated “NXT” rookies emerged from the crowd and without warning, attacked the S.E.S. and CM Punk.

Cena was now in the middle of the ring alone as the rookies climbed up the ring apron and surrounded him.  As they slowly entered the ring, this was where I was expecting “Super-Cena” to clean house. Oh, he tried…but after a few seconds, the rookies were beating him down in the ring. Eventually, they were able to subdue Cena, but they weren’t done.

The rookies began to lay waste to everything and everyone in their path.  They destroyed the barrier at ringside, the announce table, and all of the furniture.  Among those on the business-end of beatdowns were Jerry “The King” Lawler, Matt Striker, ring announcer Justin Roberts (who was choked out with his own tie)… even the timekeeper wasn’t spared.

They weren’t done, though.  After smashing everything outside the ring, they tore apart the ring itself.  The canvas was pulled up to expose the plywood, the ropes were loosened from the posts…in short, it looked like a warzone.

The rookies then turned their attention back to Cena who was still lying in the ring.  They repeatedly clotheslined him, punching and kicking him.  Daniel Bryan picked him up at one point screaming, “I’m better than you!” before spitting in Cena’s face.  CM Punk tried to counterattack at one point, but was quickly overpowered again.

Then, after 15 minutes of destruction, the rookies left without a word.  The cameras did a great job of panning the entire floor to show the damage and the shocked look on the faces of those in the audience.  With no announcers left standing, we were left wondering what had just occurred.  The show ended with Cena being stabilized by paramedics and wheeled out of the arena on a stretcher.

There were obviously a number of questions raised.  What was the significance of the armbands with the letter “N” that all of the rookies were wearing?  Why did even the rookies who were clearly faces during “NXT” such as Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater take part in the attack?  How come none of the other wrestlers emerged from the locker room to help?

I hope that this isn’t the explanation for what happened to the Undertaker, if only because it would be too easy and quick of an answer.  Perhaps the “NXT rookies” are forming some sort of a faction, a-la the NWO from WCW.

SmackDown gave us the beginnings of a great storyline last Friday, and Raw has a lot of people buzzing today for the same reason.  I can’t wait to see how it all plays out in the coming weeks. 

The “Busted Open” radio show with Pete Copeland, Dave La Greca, and Doug Mortman covers the world of Professional Wrestling…Mondays and Wednesdays  from 2-4PM, on Sirius 126/XM 243.

The WWE received more bad news on the injury front this week as they learned that The Undertaker suffered a fractured orbital bone, broken nose, and a concussion in his match against Rey Mysterio on SmackDown last week. 

Coming off of the “Over the Limit” PPV a few weeks ago where Randy Orton dislocated his shoulder and Ted Di Biase was concussed after being slapped by R-Truth, the last thing the company needed was another top star getting sent to the infirmary.

Instead of just making the announcement that Taker would be missing some time, WWE decided to turn it into a storyline.

SmackDown opens with General Manger Teddy Long telling us that over the Memorial Day weekend, Kane” found his brother ‘The Undertaker’ in a vegetative state.” No one is sure who’s responsible for the attack.

Two Druid-like figures then slowly bring a coffin down to ringside. Kane follows and enters the ring, where a podium has been set up, covered in his signature red light.  The coffin is opened and revealed to be empty.  The “Big Red Monster” delivers a pseudo-eulogy about his brother and says that Taker may be done.  After vowing that “there will be vengeance,” Kane knocks over the podium and collapses in hysterics.  He keeps saying to the empty coffin that “I should have been there for you.”

In 2010, it’s tough to pull off a storyline like this, especially when word has been out all week about how Taker suffered the injuries.  When I heard that they would address things this way, I was skeptical.  However, The Undertaker is no ordinary wrestler, and I was willing to suspend my disbelief.  Kane was excellent in selling the grief that quickly turned to anger as he sought revenge.  And that red spotlight is so damn creepy.  I’m looking forward to see where Kane ends up since he hasn’t been a main-eventer in awhile.

The first match of the night featured World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger against MVP.  Good, cheap heat as the champ came to the ring in an Oklahoma Sooners jersey, irking the Texas-faithful in Dallas.

It was a slow-paced match that was tough to get into.  Ultimately, Swagger, who hasn’t looked strong in recent weeks got the clean win…imagine that concept! 

As MVP gathered himself in the ring post-match, he was attacked by Curt Hawkins and Vance Archer who for the last few weeks have been trying to impress the WWE before their current contracts expire (They have about a week left…I’ll save you the trouble of looking it up).

Surprisingly, they received major heat from the crowd as they stood in the ring posing over the laid-out MVP.

Teddy Long and SmackDown advisor Vickie Guerrero were shown talking backstage about Undertaker’s spot at “Fatal 4 Way.” Teddy decides to fill the spot with a Battle Royal featuring the entire SmackDown roster. 

This sounds great on paper, but realistically all suspense is removed.   Am I supposed to believe that someone like Caylen Croft has a shot at winning this thing and getting into the “Fatal 4 Way” match for the World Heavyweight Championship?

Up next is Drew McIntyre vs. Kofi Kingston for the Intercontinental Title.  Reaction for Drew is again virtually non-existent as he comes out to a smattering of boos.

After the match gets underway, the cameras cut to the crowd where we see that the suspended Matt Hardy is in the arena.  He walks right up to the ringside barrier and he shows everyone that he has a ticket.  The crowd breaks into a loud “Har-DEE!! Har-DEE!!” chant for the fan-favorite. Matt Striker is of course, incensed.

The action inevitably spills out to ringside and when McIntyre gets the upper hand on Kofi, he runs over and backhands Hardy.  Matt tries to get over the barrier but is held back by security.

After the wrestlers get back in the ring, McIntyre is distracted by the Hardy-commotion at ringside, and Kofi hits the SOS to retain the championship.

Hardy then breaks free from security and gets into the ring to hit the “Twist of Fate” on McIntyre before running through the crowd and out of the arena. 

This was a very entertaining segment.  Hardy is still way-over with the crowd, and I could really get into a feud with him and McIntyre.

Kane and Mysterio are shown under the arena and Rey begins to say he is “sorry for your loss.”  Kane cuts him off and says that Rey may or may not be responsible, but he will get revenge.

Following a commercial break, Jack Swagger is back; this time on the big screen and again in his Sooners jersey.  He boasts of the Oklahoma football team’s victories over Texas and begins to sing “Boomer Sooner” to a huge chorus of boos.  However, he’s interrupted by Kane who asks Swagger if he’s responsible.  The visibly-disturbed champ meekly shakes his head, “no.”

The main event is next and it’s the Teddy Long-sanctioned Battle Royal to find someone for Undertaker’s spot at “Fatal 4 Way.”

Battle Royal matches are a pain-in-the-ass to follow on TV, so I won’t bore you with the order of eliminations.  However, the last three wrestlers standing are Kane, Mysterio, and Luke Gallows.  Kane and Mysterio eliminate Gallows and face-off against one another.  They trade offense for a bit, but Mysterio ultimately prevails.  He is in the “Fatal 4 Way” match for the World Heavyweight Championship against Jack Swagger, Big Show, and his current nemesis CM Punk.

Overall, I thought this was a very solid show.  It’s tough to get into certain styles of storylines in the “digital age,” but I was willing to suspend my disbelief, and WWE delivered.  After all, don’t we watch wrestling to be entertained? Haven’t we all bought into the Undertaker’s character for the last twenty-plus years?

Kane’s grief and rage were very believable. This could open the door for a meaningful feud for him, and Mysterio is now involved with CM Punk AND Kane, so it will be interesting to see how each of those storylines plays out.

Swagger was great on the mic again tonight, and a clean win has been a long time coming.  He needs to look strong heading into the next PPV in two weeks and this was a step in the right direction.

Matt Hardy was great being the distraction for Drew McIntyre, and even though he helps Drew get over way more than Drew helps him, I want to see Hardy elevated again.

Though Battle Royals hardly ever deliver (save for some classic Royal Rumble matches), and we knew that there wouldn’t be any upstarts winning considering what was at stake, kudos to WWE-creative for not taking the lazy way out to explain-away the Undertaker injury.

Check out the “Busted Open” Radio show on Monday from 2-4 PM, Eastern…Sirius 126 and XM 243. My co-host Dave La Greca and I will further delve in to SmackDown and preview the three-hour, Viewer’s Choice” Monday Night Raw.  We’ll also take your calls on anything going on in the world of Professional Wrestling at 866-522-2846.

In honor of the ongoing Stanley Cup Final (and the fact that the Flyers are down two-games-to-none), I decided to present my Raw Rewind in a “plus/minus” format.  Here goes:

PLUS – Evan Bourne.  Not sure if this is going to really be a big push for Bourne or not, but he was great, while bookending the show.  During the open, he scrapped with Edge.  Then, he was John Cena’s tag partner in the main event against Sheamus and Edge when Cena’s original partner Randy Orton couldn’t go due to Edge re-injuring RKO’s shoulder earlier in the evening. Bourne hit an absolutely sick “Air-Bourne” off the top rope and onto Sheamus for the win. It was shown several times in slow-motion replays and was more impressive each time I saw it…by far the highlight of the show.

PLUS-Daniel Bryan…or is it Bryan Danielson?  He’s been an Indy-darling for years, but has turned a lot of heads in the WWE –Universe in recent weeks; particularly after his attacks on announcer Michael Cole. He made the most of his one-night contract by beating the Miz and then continuing to take his frustrations out on Cole by launching Miz over the announcer’s table and into the play-by-players lap.  Just a wild guess that Danielson will ink some sort of new pact to stick around and continue the feud with Miz which had a nice buildup for weeks on NXT.

PLUS-The Usos.  Jay and Jimmy Uso along with Tamina were called up from FCW.  Last week they launched a sneak attack on the Hart Dynasty. This week, they cut a promo explaining who they were-that they had a strong Samoan lineage going back to the Wild Samoans and that they are in the WWE for one thing…”dominance.” The Uso brothers are the sons of former superstar Rikishi and Tamina is Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka’s daughter.

They were solid on the mic and got some heat (more than Drew McIntyre’s been getting on SmackDown in the last two months). When the Hart Dynasty rushed the ring to return the favor for last week’s beating, they gained the upper hand on the Usos.  However, the tables quickly turned (highlighted by a wicked clothesline on Natalya by Tamina) and the result was the same as last week;   top rope splashes by the Usos and Tamina and the Hart Dynasty was left laying in the ring.

PLUS-Vincent Kennedy McMahon returns.  He just couldn’t resist, could he?  After saying that the “Mr. McMahon” character was retired after Wrestlemania 26, Vince returned last night for a little taunting of new Raw General Manager Bret “The Hitman” Hart while simultaneously acting as his own hype-man.  He was equal parts snarky and goofy, and it was “vintage” (thanks Michael Cole) McMahon.

Now for the not-so-good stuff…

MINUS-Ashton Kutcher as guest host.  The first two times he appeared on camera weren’t that bad.  He was basically playing himself in short segments.  However, as usually happens with the guest hosts, there was a waaaaaaaaay too long segment in the second hour that brought everything to a screeching halt.  It had actually been setup earlier in the show, and it involved Kutcher, Zack Ryder, Great Khali, Goldust, and some stupid bit about a “hit” being put on Ryder because he called out Kutcher on Twitter.  These are the times the fast-forward button was invented for.  Except, I was watching live…ugh.

MINUS-Bret “The Hitman” Hart as General Manager.  Before I get crushed here, let me clarify…I love Hart as the GM. I don’t like the fact that the guest host still has decision-making power.  Wasn’t the point of having a permanent Raw GM to eliminate the need for the guest host to influence the show? I know the guest hosts aren’t going away…fine.  But, Bret should be the one setting matches, stipulations, etc.

MINUS-Edge.  He’s one of my all-time favorites.  However, since he came back at Royal Rumble, something’s just not clicking.  I don’t think it’s entirely his fault, though.  He was forced on us as a face, now he’s supposed to be heel again.  No matter what he does, it never seems to elicit the right reaction from the crowd. The Orton injury in their match at “Over the Limit” didn’t exactly help matters. 

Edge is a great worker who needs a meaningful feud.  If it’s not going to be with Christian, then I’d love to see him as a “tweener,” who can take on anybody.

MINUS-Chris Jericho.  It pains me to put him here, but a loss to new United States Champion R-Truth was weird.  R-Truth needs some quality victories to look strong…I get that. And Y2J has a history of helping get guys over. Maybe Jericho is getting phased out for some time off…who knows?  But, he’s another wrestler in need of a good feud.  After all, he was the World Heavyweight Champion as recently as Wrestlemania 26.

Overall, the show was solid.  If you take the silly, guest host stuff out of the mix, it would have been even better.  

No more matches were set for the upcoming “Fatal 4-Way,” PPV, although I would have to think that we’re headed for a tag match with the Usos and the Hart Dynasty.

 Evan Bourne was spectacular, and held his own with the big boys during the main event tag match.  If Randy Orton can’t work his own spot at “Fatal 4-Way” due to the shoulder injury, I wonder if Bourne gets in somehow. That would add a huge dose of excitement to the match.

There was also a mixed-tag match between Divas Champion Eve Torres and Santino Marella taking on William Regal (accompanied by Vladimir Kozlov) and Maryse. Eve and Maryse have delivered some solid matches lately with what little time they’ve been given, but the whole point of this one was for Kozlov to turn on Regal and attack him mid-match so that Santino could get the pin.  It’s too bad the Big Russian has spent most of his time lately in unfunny comedy skits or meaningless squash matches.

Mid-week musings, SmackDown stuff, and less alliteration (I promise), as the week moves along.  And you can always check out the “Busted Open” radio show on your Sirius/XM Radio…Mondays and Wednesdays from 2-4 PM, Eastern.

I am purposely going to keep my expectations low for this episode of SmackDown.  This way, I can’t possibly end up as disappointed as the last week or so of WWE programming has left me after a so-so Pay-Per-View on Sunday, and a pretty bad Monday Night Raw.

An announcement at the top of the show says that the Undertaker is returning to TV tonight…things are looking up already!

SmackDown GM Theodore Long opens the show.  He comes to the ring to announce tonight’s lineup and begins to detail next month’s “Fatal 4 Way” PPV when he’s interrupted by Drew McIntyre who still elicits no reaction from the crowd. 

Oh boy, Drew’s got another letter from Mr. McMahon.  This one announces the suspension of Matt Hardy for the attack on Drew after his match at last Sunday’s “Over the Limit” PPV.  By the way, how seriously are we supposed to take these letters from Mr. McMahon?  If these were such important decisions, shouldn’t Vince be delivering them himself?  Or sending the letters directly to Teddy Long since he’s one of Vince’s GM’s? 

Hardy’s music hits but Teddy Long and some security guards meet him halfway down the ramp.  Long begs him to leave or he will be fired.  I could get into this feud because of Hardy’s involvement.  The problem is, I still don’t care about McIntyre’s character (though I chalk some of that up to WWE-creative).

Up next is a tag team match between McIntyre and his partner, the World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger, who gets massive heat as he cuts a promo on his way to the ring.  They are facing Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston and Big Show.

Decent match…Show and Kingston get the win when McIntyre receives a knockout punch from Show (I cheered a little after that one).

Backstage, CM Punk has a towel draped over his head and his back to the camera as Serena and Luke Gallows convince him that he has nothing to hide since he got his head shaved by Rey Mysterio last Sunday.

Vickie Guerrero is also backstage and she thanks Dolph Ziggler for stepping in when Christian insulted her during last week’s episode of “The Peep Show.”  She tells Dolph that he has a tag match with his partner Chavo Guerrero against Christian and Hornswaggle.  All I can say is…wow.

Punk and the Straight Edge Society make their way to the ring.  Punk still has the towel draped over his head.  He pauses for a minute and when he rips the towel off, he’s wearing a Mysterio-style mask featuring the letters “S.E.S.”…genius!  Count me in for a “Mask-vs. Mask” match between Punk and Mysterio somewhere down the road.

Punk’s opponent is Kane, who was responsible for getting rid of the S.E.S. last week, thereby allowing Rey Mysterio to shave Punk’s head after their match at “Over the Limit.”

Kane’s not one of my favorite workers in the ring, but we get a solid effort from both men.  Lots of back-and-forth and nearfalls and Punk was almost unmasked at one point, but he ultimately outlasts the “Big Red Monster” and gets the win which qualifies him for “Fatal 4 Way” in the World Heavyweight Championship match.

Up next is the match that could revive the Tag Team Division in WWE (not really).  Christian and Hornswaggle prevail over Chavo and Dolph Ziggler. After the match, Ziggler attacks Christian and puts him in the sleeper.  Not much crowd reaction for the result.

I’m still undecided on this feud.  Ziggler is a solid worker, and I have no problems with him being elevated.  However, I don’t see him as a main-eventer yet.  My biggest fear is that Christian is used to get Ziggler over, and then ends up buried (yet) again.

Luke Gallows is back for his second appearance of the night, accompanied to the ring by Serena.  The double-dose of the “Anti-Diva” helps keep me from picking up the remote, which is good, because…”tick-tick-tick,” here comes MVP. 

The highlight of the match actually takes place before the in-ring action when MVP goes over to the announce table and does the baby powder toss a-la LeBron James (the show is in Cleveland this week).

Gallows gets the win after the mystery member of the S.E.S emerges and takes out MVP while the referee is distracted.

The Main Event is next and it pits Rey Mysterio against the Undertaker who gets the loudest pop of the night, by far.  It’s another “Fatal 4 Way” qualifier for the final spot in the World Heavyweight Championship match.

I always enjoy watching these two work together, if for no other reason than seeing the size difference between them in the ring. 

Fun match…big flurry of action at the end with Undertaker getting the win and a spot at “Fatal 4 Way.”   Taker’s presence should translate into a few more PPV buys, and after reading and hearing some of the reaction from WWE fans after last week’s “Over the Limit” show, they’re going to need a solid card in order to drop 50 bucks on another PPV.

Overall, this was a middle-of-the-road show.  The veterans were used a little more compared to last week, and the return of the Undertaker didn’t hurt.  I know that SmackDown is the show where you get more in-ring action and less (bad) comedy than Monday Night Raw, but it still feels like the show is lacking a little in star power.  Thankfully, they stayed away from the squash matches this week.

Nice job with having CM Punk in the mask instead of appearing with the shaved head.  It leaves the feud with Mysterio open and I’m impressed that Punk’s character always finds new ways to keep from getting stale. 

If the live crowd in Cleveland was any indication, then Jack Swagger didn’t lose as much heat as I thought he might after the weak finish in his match with Big Show at “Over the Limit.”

Random thought for the week…some of the callers to the “Busted Open” radio show last week, suggested that Randy Orton should have gutted it out and finished his match with Edge at “Over the Limit” after he suffered a shoulder injury.  Only Orton knows what kind of pain he was in, but I’m going to take a stab here and say that if he could have continued, I think he would have.  Orton doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who wants to appear weak.

I’ll be back late on Monday with some thoughts on Raw.  Enjoy the long weekend!  You can also check out the “Busted Open” radio show on Sirius XM; Monday from 2-4PM, Eastern on Sirius 126/XM 243.  My partner Dave La Greca and I will be talking to WWE Hall of Famer “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff and taking your calls at 866-522-2846 to talk about everything going on in the world of Professional Wrestling.

It’s WWE’s “Over-the-Limit” live from Detroit, Michigan.  Cool set with a couple of cars flanking the stage in a nod to the “Motor City, “ as the pyro hits and Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and Matt Striker welcome us to the Joe Louis Arena. 

And Si!!! Hugo Savinovich and Carlos Cabrera are in the house handling the Spanish-language broadcast.  Wonder which match features the destruction of their table tonight.

First up is the Intercontinental Title Match featuring Drew McIntyre vs. Challenger Kofi Kingston.

Kofi is out first to a nice pop.  IC Champion McIntyre is introduced next to more cheers than boos…not saying much though, because it’s not a huge reaction.

Good high-energy match; decent tension with a couple of near pinfalls; first surprise of the night for me as Kofi wins the title; one match, one wrong prediction in the books;  McIntyre screaming post-match about Teddy Long needing to reverse the decision…ugh, he is annoying; Matt Hardy comes out and hits the “Twist of Fate” as a measure of revenge for the beatdowns he received at McIntyre’s hands for several consecutive weeks on “SmackDown.”  I guess Hardy still figures into the feud…little confused as to where they’re taking this.

It’s time for a non-title battle, and R-Truth is out to nice pop with “What’s Up?”  Always wondered why he couldn’t freestyle and change up the lyrics for whatever city he was in.  Ted Di Biase, Jr.  is accompanied by “the Real Virgil.”

Matt Striker made mention of Virgil working as Soul Train Jones early in his career.  His frequent nuggets like this and his frequent pop-culture references have allowed his announce work to grow on me…but the three-man booth during PPV’s is still too much.  I also don’t understand why Michael Cole is the heel announcer on NXT but is appalled by some of the things that Striker says otherwise.

Solid effort by both men…Virgil even got into the action with some ringside distraction.  Surprise #2…R-Truth hits the “Lie Detector” and gets the clean pin.  Really thought that Ted would get the win here.  Di Biase spent the last year-plus in Randy Orton’s rather large shadow with his partner Cody Rhodes. Now he’s being cast as the second-coming of his father, complete with Virgil.  Nothing against fan-favorite R-Truth, but losing clean in his first solo PPV effort does Di Biase no favors.

It’s “clobberin’ time!”  Up next is CM Punk against Rey Mysterio.  If Rey loses, he joins the Straight Edge Society; Punk loses his hair if Rey gets the win.  This is the third PPV in-a-row that these two are locking up, starting at Wrestlemania 26. Punk arrives to the ring unaccompanied by the S.E.S., and the barber’s chair is at ringside should Mysterio need it. I’m ready for some resolution to this feud.

No shortage of action early.  Rey takes a nasty spill through the ropes and into the barber’s chair.  But the match is put on hold for a few minutes as Punk has been busted open from a pretty nasty cut on top of his head.  Punk is visibly annoyed as he’s tended to by the trainers and referee Charles “Little `Naitch” Robinson.  Replays show that Punk took a nasty spill into the announce table after a hurricanrana by Mysterio outside the ring.

Punk breaks away from the trainers and goes to work on Mysterio before the match is officially restarted.  The action picks up right where it left off before the delay for Punk’s cut. 

This is the best match of the night so far.  Nearfalls galore as Mysterio fights out of two GTS attempts.  Punk is bleeding pretty good.  I wonder if they’ll even be able to shave his head even if he does lose.

Rey Rey hits a 619 out of nowhere but misses the follow-up splash.  Punk relaxes for a second, and Rey rolls him up for the win.  The mystery member of the S.E.S. arrives out of nowhere to start beating on Rey.  Punk calls the rest of the S.E.S. down from the back, and Serena and Luke Gallows arrive with a pair of handcuffs.  It doesn’t look good for Rey, but Kane’s music hits and “The Big Red Monster” runs-in to save Mysterio and get Punk handcuffed to the ropes.

Mysterio takes the razor to the defenseless Punk as he screams for mercy.  WWE fans who have complained about the lack of blood are getting their money’s worth now courtesy of Punk’s scalp…guess they only care if bleeding happens during in-ring action.

Mysterio makes a mess of Punk’s bloody head and holds up a mirror.  Punk is beside himself…I’m really enjoying this.  Serena eventually comes to Punk’s rescue and drapes a towel over his head to lead him backstage.

Michael Cole just mispronounced tonight’s sponsor “Prince of Persia.”  Just a hunch that Mr. McMahon is screaming in his headset.

Up next, Unified Tag Team Champions “The Hart Dynasty” put the belts on the line against The Miz and Chris Jericho (“Chris-Miz”).  I hope there’s a promo from Jericho and Miz before the match.  I also hope this is a tag team alliance that lasts for awhile. 

Early advantage goes to The Hart Dynasty who gets some offense in on the Miz.  The tide turns a little bit as Miz and Jericho go to work on David Hart Smith for awhile. Smith hits the electric chair on Miz, and both hit the hot tag as Tyson Kidd meets Jericho in the ring for an offensive flurry. 

Crowd is pretty dead for this match so far.  Helps though as Jericho is his usual entertaining self, imploring the ref to “Ask him!!” and slapping Kidd in the face while demanding that he “stay down.”

Jericho hit a pretty sick mid-air “Codebreaker” as Kidd tried to vault back into the ring from the apron.

Hart Dynasty gets the win and retains when Miz gets caught in the corner by David Hart Smith who counters to set up the “Hart Attack.”

Next up…match I am most looking forward to.  Edge against Randy Orton.

Edge’s music hits and “The Rated R Superstar” hits the ramp sporting a nasty shiner under his right eye. 

Edge doesn’t necessarily need a win, but his character is caught in between right now.  He needs a convincing enough attack to sell the heel persona again.

Striker says it’s due to his run-in with the Undertaker on “Monday Night Raw.”  I only remember a chokeslam on Edge by Taker.  Maybe it’s a cover for something else…maybe I’m spending too much time thinking about it.

Tense staredown as both men pace around the ring for awhile.  Orton gets the early offense before Edge rolls out of the ring and lures “The Viper” outside.

Crowd starts to show some life with an “RKO” chant.  Rather slow pace though, as Orton is not exactly known for rapid flurries of offense.  Every time Orton gains the upper hand, Edge manages to counter.

“Vintage Randy Orton” (thanks Michael Cole) as Orton drags Edge into the ring for the DDT.  Orton counters the spear with a big kick, and goes into the “Viper” pose but strangely, doesn’t follow up after pounding the canvas.  He’s favoring his right arm, and looks like he’s really hurt.  Edge looks like he’s trying to buy some time as he’s pulling himself up on the announce table.  Orton follows him outside, but is still holding his arm.

Edge hits a couple of kicks and then goes for the spear as Orton rests against the crowd barrier.  Orton moves and both men get counted out.  RKO is clearly hurt as he’s helped to the back by a trainer.  Hope he’s OK.

World Heavyweight Title Match is next between the Champion Jack Swagger and Big Show. Swagger also comes to the ring sporting a bit of a black eye…could he and Edge have had a dust-up at some point?  Pure speculation on my point.

This feud has had an entertaining buildup based around Swagger’s accomplishments from childhood through now and Big Show mocking them along the way. 

Show is on his game at the start.  Frustrates Swagger with some early offense and mocks “The All American American” by doing a set of push-ups in the ring…very amusing.  I’ll be interested to see how long this match lasts.

Big Show is really impressive with the offensive moves.  He also kicks out of a pin attempt by throwing Swagger clear through the ropes to the outside…wow!

A frustrated Swagger fails to gain any real advantage in the match and goes to the outside to grab his belt. He gets himself DQ’d when he brings it into the ring and hits Big Show with it.  Swagger then brings in a chair to the ring for a couple of shots before an enraged Show wakes up and knocks out Swagger to a huge pop from the crowd.

The DQ keeps the heat on Swagger and the feud will continue…I’m looking forward to it.

The Divas Championship match between Maryse and Champion Eve Torres is next.  I’m thinking dirty things in French as Maryse makes her way to the ring. 

Wonder if they were given more time than originally allotted due to the Edge-Orton match ending early. A little longer than the usual Divas match, and a solid effort was turned in by both ladies.  Maryse is so good playing the bitchy heel.  Eve ultimately gets the victory.

Up next is our final match of the evening…and I so want to flip over to the Mets-Yankees game (sorry, just thinking out loud).  It’s the WWE Heavyweight Champion, the Reverend John Cena against Batista in an “I Quit” match. 

Couple of things at play here…it’s rumored that Big Dave’s contract is up and he’s leaving (no official confirmation has ever been given). If Cena ever quit, it would leave Cenation and a good portion of the WWE Universe distraught.  I really hope there is something to add an element of surprise to the match along the way.

Cena gets a huge pop (only a smattering of boos tonight) during the intros.  When the bell rings, Batista grabs the mic and gives Cena one last chance to quit before he “puts his ass in a world of pain.”  C’mon John…Mets are up 6-0 in the rubber game.  (No such luck, though).

Crowd is way hot for the main event.  Both men trade some offense and Cena goes for the early finish.  Batista counters by pulling the ref in front of him and getting in some kicks to Cena’s knees.  They each trade submission holds (Batista with his new STF-like move and Cena with his patented STF).  Neither  man quits, but Batista passes out.  The match can’t end until someone says “I quit,” however.

Cena heads for the Spanish announcers table, but Hugo Savinovich and Carlos Cabrera are safe for now (they’ve almost made it to the end of the show) as Cena grabs a bottle of water from behind Hugo’s chair.  Upon reviving Batista in the ring, Big Dave immediately gets up to hit a Batista Bomb and some other offense on Cena.

Batista goes out to ringside where the Spanish-announce table as well as Lawler, Cole, and Striker’s gets stripped down.  After fighting out of an Attitude Adjustment, Batista power slams Cena onto the Spanish announce table, destroying it in the process.  Cena is busted open.  If you’re counting Drew McIntyre’s elbow-scrape earlier tonight, that’s three matches with blood. Cena doesn’t quit, and gets tended to by the very busy WWE training staff.

Cena and Batista then fight up through the crowd.  Up and down steps, over railings, and still neither man quits.  They make their way to the top of the ramp and Cena gets knocked behind one of the two cars that’s been decorating the stage all night.  Batista gets in the car and starts it up.  In no way am I supposed to believe that Batista would really attempt to murder Cena, right? 

He throws the car into reverse and crashes into the set…but wait!!! Cena had rolled out of the way!! Cena climbs onto the roof of the car and hoists Batista up for the Attitude Adjustment, but Batista says “I quit.” 

Cena retains the belt, but also gets the spot of the night by flipping Batista off the roof and through the stage floor, anyway.  As Cena basks in the applause and the show goes off the air, Sheamus comes out for a sneak attack and leaves Cena lying on the stage.  They’re wheeling a stretcher towards Cena as the show goes off-the-air.

Solid PPV.  Obviously disappointing that Edge-Orton ended with the injury.  I’m sure we’ll get an update on tomorrow night’s “Raw.”  Drew McIntyre has really begun to get under my skin…but it’s not because he’s been a good heel.  His character is whiny and annoying, and I just don’t like that they’ve gone through so much time and trouble to get him some heat.  Remains to be seen what they’re doing with him.

The IC Title was the only one to change hands, but I’m glad Kofi has it back after being stripped by Mr. McMahon two weeks ago on SmackDown.

For the third PPV in-a-row I wasn’t looking forward to Cena-Batista, and for the third time the match exceeded my expectations.  For all of the hate that Cena gets, he always steps it up a notch for the PPV’s.  Have to think Batista is really done after being thrown through the stage and out of sight.

If you have Sirius XM Radio, please tune in on Monday from 2-4PM, Eastern on Sirius 126/XM 243 for “Busted Open” with me, Pete Copeland and Dave La Greca as we break down “Over the Limit” and take your calls at 866-522-2846.