Monday Night Raw TV report for 03/26/2012

Reported by Earnest I Aguilar

THIS IS IT! The last Raw before WrestleMania XXVIII. It all ends here. What will happen tonight as everyone gears up for one more showdown before the "The Showcase Of The Immortals?" We know that everyone involved *should* be in the building.

Is there a final confrontation between Triple H, The Undertaker, & Shawn Michaels? What mind games will be played to make each other nervous leading to the volatile bout? 

Who will be the remaining members of "Team Teddy" (Smackdown) & "Team Johnny" (Raw)?

How will Chris Jericho get under WWE Champion C.M. Punk's skin again, or can the "Straight-Edge Superstar" retaliate verbally against his challenger to even the odds?

And of course, will John Cena & Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson make physical contact to intimidate the other respectively, or will it be just another vocal throw down?

As usual, only one way to find out and that is to read on....

Monday Night Raw for March 26th, 2012 - "WrestleMania."

Introduction Segment: Welcoming

The regular Raw video plays, the pyro explodes, and we are six nights away from WrestleMania XXVIII! Michael Cole & Jerry "The King" Lawler hype up the night from the site of last year's WrestleMania, Atlanta, Georgia. They talk about The Rock & John Cena, then Randy Orton's music blares the speakers of Phillips Arena, getting right into the action...

Match #1: Tag-Team - Randy Orton & "Great White" Sheamus VS. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan (with A.J.) & Kane

Bryan and Orton starts the bout with a lock up and side head lock from Orton. Randy shoves down Daniel with shoulder-block and counters a running attack with a back-body-drop. Orton stomps away but misses a knee. Bryan capitalizes on the misstep with a few kicks, but he also ducks then gets nailed with a clothesline by Randy. 

Sheamus is now in but Bryan also does the switch-up bringing in Kane. Another lock up that goes no where begins the contest for the big men. Sheamus drops out of a scoop slam attempt and chops Kane, but the Big Red Machine takes control after an elbow and nice little drop kick. 1 - 2 - Sheamus kicks out. 

Sheamus counters a running attempt with a boot-to-the-face and then the "Battering Ram" top-rope shoulder dive. Kane gets his shoulder up at one though, and as Sheamus was going for the Celtic Cross powerbomb, Bryan distracted him, allowing Kane to chuck Sheamus outside, which also gave Daniel the motive to hit a running knee.

Commercials.

The World Heavyweight Champion is now viciously kicking away at his challenger, Sheamus in the corner. The Irishman moves out of the way of a running drop kick and slaps hands with Orton again. "The Viper" takes Bryan down with clotheslines and spins him around with a powerslam. Orton drives Daniel's head to the mat with a slingshot-DDT, but Kane pulls out Bryan before Orton can get a possible R.K.O. in. 

Randy and Kane brawl on the outside until Bryan slides through with a drop kick. He tags Kane back in, who goes to work on Orton. Rear chin lock clamped on by Kane, which Orton fights out of, but soon gets side-slammed for a near-fall! Kane ascends the turnbuckle and flies off with a clothesline. He stalks Randy looking for a chokeslam, but Orton hits him with a beautiful high dropkick. 

Double-tag again and Sheamus is all over Bryan, connecting with standing-axe-smashes and the Irish Curse back breaker. Kane comes in and is taken out by both his opponents with a double over-the-top-rope clothesline. Orton goes for the R.K.O., but Kane pushes him into the ring post.

Just as Sheamus fires up for the Brogue Kick, A.J. gets in the way, and Sheamus gets nothing but rope. This sets up for a Kane chokeslam and the victory by Bryan & himself.

Winners via Pin-fall: World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan (with A.J.) & Kane

Segment #2: Arena Promo

Michael Cole is in the ring and dons a Team Johnny t-shirt, complete with the Interim Raw General Manager's mug shot on it. He announces himself as the "official commentator" for Team Johnny at WrestleMania. Cole then brings out the self-named leader. Laurinaitis introduces the flag bearer - Vickie Guerrero - and then brings out his team captain, David Otunga.

John shakes Cole's hands, but then Booker T. stands up on the table and announces the other leader, Teddy Long of Team Teddy. The Smackdown General Manager comes out and presents his team captain, United States Champion Santino Marella.

Match #2: Single - David Otunga (with Vickie Guerrero & John Laurinaitis) VS. United States Champion Santino Marella (with Hornswaggle & Teddy Long) (Non-Title)

Side head lock by Santino, but he gets pushed down a couple times. Marella then drop-toeholds Otunga until he misses a jump-over and gets hit from behind with a clothesline. David waves the Raw flag around, as does Hornswoggle. This allows Santino to put on his snake glove and poke Otunga in the face with The Cobra. 1 - 2 - 3!

Winner via Pinfall: United States Champion Santino Marella (with Hornswoggle & Teddy Long)

Post-match, the team leaders get in each other's faces, with Teddy pushing Laurinaitis down. Santino gets ready for another Cobra until The Miz slides in and drives him down with The Skull-Krushing Finale. Laurinaitis awards Miz with the last spot on Team Teddy...Johnny. (Big Johnny made a oopsy there!). Otunga, Miz, Guerrero, & Laurinaitis gloat, while it is announced that WWE Champion C.M. Punk will take on Christian.

Up next, a closer look at an "End Of An Era."

Ads.

Segment #3: Video Promo

Clips from "Once In A Lifetime," the John Cena/Rock pre-Raw special (which airs on Thursday here in Canada) are shown, this one being "The Challenge" - a recap of the night that they agreed to the match.

Segment #4: Video Promo

A montage of The Undertaker, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels plays to highlight aspects of their respective careers leading up to this major match & moment - the "end of an era." (Awesome package, accompanied by heavy-metal band Metallica's "The Memory Remains.")

Match #3: Single - Eve Torres (with WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix) VS. Kelly Kelly

Eve & Phoenix make their entrance, then it is time for a break.

Commercials.

Kelly is out and sweeps up Eve into a cover for a two-count. Eve quickly gains domination with a couple of kicks and then pounds Kelly's head into the mat repeatedly. She chokes her on the rope, right in front of Beth. Eve climbs the top rope to strangle Kelly, then locks in an arm & chin lock. Kelly struggles out of the hold and twirls Torres around with a head scissors. 

Mount-punching in the corner from Kelly is quickly stopped by Eve and she goes for her moonsault splash, only to find canvas. Kelly takes advantage and rolls her for the 1 - 2 - 3!

Winner via Pinfall: Kelly Kelly

Segment #4: Video Promo

Shots from the Survivor Series match between The Miz & R-Truth VS. The Rock & John Cena now air to further plug.

Ads.

Match #4: Single - Christian VS. WWE Champion C.M. Punk (Non-Title)

Prior to the contest, Chris Jericho appears on the Titantron. He claims he will expose Punk more at WrestleMania, but first will reveal some facts about his mother - she's actually clean. However, he thinks C.M.'s parents' marriage is not. Apparently, they got hitched after his birth, so Jericho calls him a "legal bastard!" 

This distraction gave Christian the opportunity to attack from behind, but the WWE Champion quickly acquires control, whaling away on Christian, slamming his head on the announce table, dropping him face-first on the steel steps, and clamping on the Anaconda Vice submission, yelling "this is you Jericho!" Referees work hard to eventually break the hold and C.M. Punk poses with his WWE Championship in the ring. He has a look of anger mixed with relief on his face.

Match #5: Single - "The Funkasaurus" Brodus Clay VS. Curt Hawkins

Hawkins makes a decent effort with a chop-block and bulldog, but Brodus comes back with his usual big-man moves. A T-Bone Suplex & Splash later, Clay is celebrating a triumph!

Winner via Pinfall: "The Funkasaurus" Brodus Clay

Segment #5: Video Promo

"War Of Words," featuring the awesome promo from John Cena (02.20.12) calling out The Rock for who he really is. Still one of the best that Cena has cut, ever!

Commercials.

Match #6: Single - The Big Show VS. WWE Tag-Team Champion Primo (with WWE Tag-Team Champion Epico & Rosa Mendes)

The only two important things that happened during this squash - Christian is OUT of WrestleMania due to the attack by WWE Champion C.M. Punk, & Big Show gets the duke with a chokeslam.

Winner via Pinfall: The Big Show

Post-match, he also chokeslams Epico, then his opponent for WrestleMania appears on stage. Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes cuts a promo making fun of his challenger, and angers Show, basically stating Rhodes will come out on top Sunday.

Ads.

Segment #6: Video Promo

Another coming soon package airs for Lord Tensai. (Apparently, I missed this last week - oops!)

Segment #7: Backstage Promo

The Bella Twins, each decked out in Team Johnny & Team Teddy t-shirts argue on who's better, naturally. "Long Island Ice-Z" Zack Ryder interrupts and tells them Team Teddy will win because he's on it. He inadvertently insults both, and then Eve Torres walks in. She invites him to her hotel at WrestleMania, and of course like a smart single man, Ryder accepts.

Segment #8: Backstage Promo

Josh Matthews wonders about C.M. Punk's thoughts on Jericho's accusations from earlier. The WWE Champion refutes them all, and instead says "I am not a bastard, I am the best wrestler in the world."

Up next, Mark Henry takes on The Great Khali

Commercials.

Match #7: Single - "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry (with Mr. John Laurinaitis) VS. The Great Khali (with Teddy Long)

Teddy distracts Henry, giving Khali the advantage. Henry soon runs off the ropes into the overhead chop. As Khali goes to pick up Mark for a possible two-handed chokeslam, the "World's Strongest Man" proves why he has that moniker with a reversal and the World's Strongest Slam. Victory!

Winner via Pinfall: "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry

Post-match, Laurinaitis throws Teddy into the ring to get attacked by Henry. The rest of Team Johnny (with new member Drew McIntyre) walks out, but some of Team Teddy attempt a rescue, to no avail. Cue huge rescue - BOOKER T! He lays out Mark Henry with the Scissors kick just before Long got slammed. 

Long thanks T with a place on Team Teddy, which Booker answers with "Can you dig that, suckkaaa!" and a Spin-a-Rooni. (This was actually a surprise!)

Segment #9: Video Promo

Last week's altercation between The Rock and Cena is shown, with The Rock Rock-Bottoming Mark Henry, sending Cena a not-so-subtle message.

Up next is the final face-off!

Ads.

Segment #10: Arena Promo

The Rock is out first, to a mix of chants and boos. "2004, WrestleMania 20, The Rock competed in what many thought would be his very last WrestleMania match ever." The Rock says he has been bombarded with questions of "when ya coming back?" everywhere. The Rock didn't know when, until last year. WrestleMania XXVII was the answer. 

The Rock walked in the Georgia Dome and delivered a Rock Bottom "heard around the world." That was the moment that The Rock knew. The next night, the main-event was set for a year later, at WrestleMania XXVIII. That was thanks to you (the audience.)

The Rock is "damn proud" to stand before them live and say "FINALLY The Rock has come back to Atlanta!" He name-drops John Cena, to a reception of boos & "fruity pebbles." 

Rock puts over what Cena has done since WrestleMania 20, but he has "never, and The Rock means NEVER" faced anyone like him. Before Rock can continue his usual stick, John Cena interjects, also to love & hate. He commands for a microphone too.

Cena asks The Rock if he hears that, pointing the mike to the fans. Cena isn't perplexed by their reaction, but is by Rock's claim of never seeing anything like The Rock. John retorts by saying that The Rock will never see anything like John Cena.

Cena puts down Rock's recent verbal bashings, and says that he is still here with a smile on his face. John says that while The Rock talks trash at his finest, he is not the first. Cena recalls that almost EVERYONE took shots at him during the gap of years Rock has been gone. Cena even leads the crowd in a "let's go Cena/Cena sucks" chant.

John tells The Rock that he cannot "look past the pure emotion that happens every time I step into this ring." Cena sums it up with the phrase quoted above. 

Cena proclaims that like his shirt, he "rises above and wins!" Cena declares "I am going to win at WrestleMania." He also puts himself over more, being himself and displaying his true passion for this business for 10 consecutive wins. Cena says has HAS to win at WrestleMania and that he will be "damned if you come in a visitor, as good as you think you are, and take my life from me." Cena claims 10 years and he's just getting started, and he HAS TO WIN! The people know it and he knows it.

Rock nods and agrees that the match is important - TO BOTH. He says he will be damned too, since this "house" is the house that The Rock helped build for Cena. The Rock says that the people know that Cena has overcome every opponent, until The Rock. The people know that this is history. They know The Rock has come back after all these years to beat Cena. That is what drives The Rock. Rock says that no one can ever claim to "beat Hulk Hogan, beat 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin' and beat John Cena."

Rock maintains that on a professional level, he has to beat Cena to become the greatest superstar of all-time, but on a personal level "I just don't like you." The Rock tells him that he will beat him and give him the "ass-kicking of a lifetime! You know it, The Rock knows it, and you can bet your ass that they [pointing to the crowd] know it too!" declares The Rock.

Cena puts it in The Rock's own terms, standing over him with his hand raised high, and the headline reading "John Cena whoops The Rock's ass at WrestleMania!" He drops the mike and the two mega-stars stare down each other to close the show.

End Of Raw.

Reporter's Rumblings - By Moe Tapp

Who's ready for WrestleMania? I AM!!! So on that note, instead of my usual nit pickings of Raw (all in all, it was pretty great and psyched up everything/one properly), I am going to offer an (almost) in-depth analysis of the biggest show of the year - WrestleMania XXVIII.

Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes MUST defeat Big Show - Rhodes' star is on the huge up rise right now, and legitimate win over a long-term wrestler like Show goes a long way, especially at "The Grand Daddy Of Them All."

Beth Phoenix & Eve MUST be victorious over Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos, due to the former being actually great at WRESTLING!

Team Johnny & Team Teddy will probably end in shenanigans. Really, not sure who to call on this one, as either winning would be a good choice and provide intrigue for Raw & Smackdown no matter what. So for a change-up and the hell of it, I'll take Team Smackdown!

Orton & Kane, not so into, but I'll pick Randy to win and roll on towards the Heavyweight Title scenario again.

Speaking of which, in a sweet twist, Sheamus wins the World Heavyweight Championship off of Daniel Bryan, then promptly turns heel against Randy Orton for a feud. (Long-shot, but only real money-making potential I see in the W.H.C. picture)

WWE Champion C.M. Punk keeps his title after a ferocious beat-down of Chris Jericho. I think Punk's built up rage will culminate here and he will just decimate "Y2J" in the end, sending him home for another sabbatical.

"The Streak" will stay alive. Following a long and violent match, probably with a brutal ending ta-boot, The Undertaker will be triumphant over Triple H. I also honestly think that Shawn Michaels will be fair & square, as I can't see him coming out of retirement for another round with either of these guys, something he has had much of in recent years, let alone his entire career. Still, probably match of the night with the two veterans.

John Cena HAS TO win over The Rock. And the reasons are already stated in Cena's promo above. He is THE GUY to lead this company for a long while, whereas The Rock will continue to come & go for the next few years I'm sure. 

Cena will always be there for the WWE and the fans, so The Rock must "pass the torch" to Cena. Also, this match is OBLIGATED and NECESSITY to be even with CLEAN finish. The match should only be between THE TWO, and NO outside interference or even appearances WHATSOEVER! This "pure" bout is required to SOLIDIFY Cena as the #1 Wrestler and company man in the WWE!

All in all, this looks to be one of the best WrestleManias in a long, long time, if not ever. Hopefully, the execution of the Pay-Per-View this Sunday will be just as flawless as the build-up and though-process in the card itself. 

To quote a late-great WrestleMania icon, "OOOOOHHHHHH YEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!"

Be Excellent Wrestling-Online readers and Wrestling Fans!