411's WWE Raw Report 05.12.08

Posted by Daniel Wilcox on 05.12.2008

Two of Raw's most popular stars return!

Welcome to 411's Raw Report with me, Daniel Wilcox!

Raw starts now!

We get highlights of Triple H and Kennedy vs. ECW from last week, with Randy Orton hitting the RKO after the match.

We're live and the lights are out. Lights on and William Regal is in the ring. Lillian Garcia is there and sings "God Save The Queen!" Ha, I love it! Regal disapproves of the fans' disrespect. He's General Manager and King and could have them thrown out if he wants. He's not bluffing. He picks on a random couple and has them thrown out. Mickie James is here and says it's her brother and his girlfriend. "Regal sucks!" – Joe Louis arena. Regal threatens to throw Mickie out too. She pleads her case and he threatens to strip her… of her championship.

John Cena is in the house! He sends Mickie to the back and gets a mic. He's back and is usually ready to raise some hell but he wants to talk to Regal man-to-man. He understands. He knows what it's like to give your soul to these people and have them tell you "you suck". Regal points out Vince endorsed him but Cena points out Vince is insane and has "a bunch of sexual fantasies you can't even find on the internet." Cena reads out complaints from fans. "This is WCW Thunder bad." "I'm going to start a chant in every arena in the country saying "Fire Regal clap clap clap, fire Regal clap clap clap."" Glorious.

Regal says he won't turn out the lights tonight. He knows Cena wants revenge on Randy Orton, so the main event is Orton vs. Cena. Regal says if anyone gets involved in the match (like JBL) they will be suspended. Regal hopes he's earned some respect.

Cena stops him leaving and says he's not done. Cena points out we're in the USA tonight. Cena says even God cannot save Regal if he keeps messing up. We're in the Motor City and you got realize where we're at. Cena has Lillian sing "Respect" by Aretha Franklyn.

Tonight – Chris Jericho apologizes to Shawn Michaels.

Next – World Tag Team Championship – Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly vs. Carlito and Santino Marella

Rodney The Piper is here! He takes a seat at ringside.

World Tag Team Championship: Rhodes and Holly vs. Carlito and Santino

Holly and Marella start up. Knock down by Holly, followed up by the best dropkick in the business and a kick to the gut. He tries for an Alabama Slam but Carlito sneaks in and hit a swinging neckbreaker for 2. Carlito connects with loose right hands before tagging out. Shoulder thrusts by Santino. Holly comes back with a clothesline but Carlito tags in and gets taken out with a side suplex. Rhodes and Marella in and Cody hits a springboard reverse crossbody. Cody hits a snap powerslam for a near fall. A takedown gets 2 but Santino comes back. He goes up top but is distracted by Piper. Rhodes surprised Santino with a DDT and it's over.

Winners: Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly
This was a rare tag match that had solid build and plenty of intrigue, but they blew it off in 4 minutes. It wasn't a bad match, but you can't have a good title match in that amount of time either. *

JR and King speculate whether or not Shawn Michaels was injured at Backlash and encourage the audience to text vote on it.

Mr. Kennedy is here. He says he has a big mouth but no one can shut it for him because he's Mr. Kennedy. Kennedy.

Mr. Kennedy vs. Snitsky

Wow, this could be bad. Kennedy tries a kick to the thigh but when that doesn't work, they lock up, go to the corner and break. Kennedy comes off the top but gets caught and beat down in the corner. Scoop slam by Snitsky connects, as does an elbow drop for 1. Snitsky locks in a bear hug, which Kennedy fights out off, only to run into another one. He breaks it again and runs into a shoulder tackle. Snitsky misses a leg drop and Kennedy dodges a clothesline to take out the knee. Dropkick to the knee by Kennedy, followed up by the facewash in the corner. Chop block now by Kennedy gets a long 2 count. Snitsky pulls Kennedy into a clothesline. He tries for the pumphandle slam, Kennedy slides out of it, kicks the knee and hits the Mic Check for 3!

Winner: Mr. Kennedy
Even though Snitsky got too much offence in for my liking, Kennedy looked good and most importantly, smart. A decent little showing for Kennedy in a match that could have been so much worse. *1/4

Tonight – John Cena vs. Randy Orton

Backstage, T-Grish is with Santino. Santino's going to hurt Piper. It's going to hurt worse than a coconut to the head.

Mickie James thanks John Cena. She says she's going out with her brother and his girlfriend after the show and asks Cena to tag along. He jokes around but eventually agrees. He says if you go out with him, it can get pretty wild. Mickie says she can do wild. She's in action next.

Melina and Beth Phoenix vs. Mickie James and Maria

Maria and Melina lock up and Maria hits a gutbuster early. Mickie in and they work a double splits/leg sweep. Mickie gets a 2 that Beth breaks up. Mickie sends Melina into Phoenix but Melina gets a jack-knife roll-up for 2. Melina wants a tag, but Beth is upset and leaves. Mickie hits a neckbreaker on Melina for 3.

Winners: Maria and Mickie James
Um, OK. They all looked hot, I guess. 3/4*

72% of fans think Shawn Michaels has been telling the truth about his knee injury.

Chris Jericho is here. He shows us footage of Michaels injuring his knee at Backlash against Batista. Jericho says he didn't buy it because he saw the look in Shawn's eyes at Backlash and has been telling everyone who will listen that Shawn's a fake. But last week, something happened that changed his mind. We see footage of last week's tag match. This time, he saw the pain on Shawn's face when he kicked John Morrison. He was wrong. He wants to tell Shawn he's sorry. Jericho would understand if Shawn wanted to call off their match at Judgment Day and says he should because Jericho doesn't want to face Shawn with a bad wheel. Shawn Michaels is out now, limping. Jericho won't let Michaels get a word in, so Shawn says he's not the one who needs to apologize. Shawn says for the first time in his career, he feigned an injury. He's not hurt. Jericho's not buying it. He thinks he's playing mind games. Shawn told everybody he would do whatever it takes to win, and Jericho was right; he's not hurt. Jericho says he's starting to insult his intelligence. Jericho knows that he's hurt and it doesn't matter what Shawn says, or what he does… SWEET CHIN MUSIC! "Trust me when I tell you; I'm not hurt."

"Take It All" by Zididada is the official Judgment Day theme song.

Jeff Hardy gets the biggest pop of the night so far! He's back. It feels good to be back. He never wanted to be a way, but he made a mistake and he paid for it. Now he's back, he has a lot of things to do. Like… his mic cuts off and William Regal is here. He says no one wants to hear him and he will be punished for his sins by facing this man…

Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga

Dropkick through the ropes is followed up by a plancha over the top and down goes Umaga. Thrust to the ribs of Jeff, followed up by Umaga launching him into the barricade. Back in and a hard Irish whip sends Jeff down. Massive uppercut by Umaga now. Umaga goes to the second rope and connects with a headbutt. Umaga beats Jeff down in the corner now and goes for the ASSALANCHE… but misses. WHISPER IN THE WIND~! It gets 3!

Winner: Jeff Hardy
It was short, and very, very sweet. These two still have great chemistry. **1/4

Cryme Tyme vs. Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch

JTG and Cade start off. JTG slides out to hang with the fans. Back in and Cade knocks JTG down. Murdoch in and it's clubberin' time. Murdoch runs into a boot and in comes Shad. He runs Murdoch over with a shoulder tackle, slams him and hits an elbow. Cade in and knocked out again by Shad. JTG comes over the top with a sunset flip for 2 but runs into a boot. Cade in now and boots JTG in the face. Murdoch back in but runs into a back elbow. Murdoch counters another sunset flip and gets 3!

Winners: Cade and Murdoch
>As has been the pattern tonight, nothing has time to get good. *

They hug in the ring and Cade has a mic. That's what he's talking about. Maybe Murdoch's singing has something to do with it. Murdoch sings their victory song. Cade nails Murdoch with a right hand! Murdoch is out. Cade leaves.

The SmackDown Rebound is Edge earning a title shot at Judgment Day in the Championship Chase.

Beth Phoenix thinks Melina cost her the title last week and tonight, she let her off easily. Melina attacks her, but Beth reverses and tosses Melina into some lockers. Referees pull Beth away.

Judgment Day;
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho
World Championship: Undertaker vs. Edge
JBL vs. John Cena
WWE Championship, Steel Cage Match: Triple H vs. Randy Orton

And although it's not mentioned…

WWE Tag Team Championship: John Morrison and The Miz vs. CM Punk and Kane

T-Grish is with Randy Orton. Orton asks who was victorious at WrestleMania, and who stood over the unconscious body of Triple H last week? Triple H had a lucky night at Backlash whereas he had 6 months of dominance. John Cena will learn what Triple H already knows; that he is not just the most athletically gifted person in the WWE, he's also the smartest.

Randy Orton w/ Swank new music vs. John Cena
If anyone interferes, they are suspended

They circle and stare down before eventually meeting in the middle of the ring. Cena forces Orton into the corner and Orton breaks but quickly applies a side headlock, takes Cena over, back up, and runs into a shoulder block. Rights now by Cena followed up by a bulldog for a brief 1 count. Cena hits a Fisherman's suplex for the first near fall of the match. Orton slows Cena down with a reverse elbow. Cena fights back with rights but falls victim to Orton's modified back breaker for 2. A big right hand sends Cena down again. Orton tries a stomp but it's blocked and Cena tosses Orton to the floor as we head to a commercial. We come back and Orton has a chinlock synched in. You're shocked. During the break, Orton hit a DDT. Cena powers out of the chinlock but gets caught in a snap powerslam for 2. Orton quickly goes back to the chinlock. Cena fights out again but gets taken down yet again by Orton. Ortion stalks Cena, looking for a RKJO, but Orton gets thrown off and Cena hits the throwback. Up top, and he connects with the top rope leg drop. Orton goes to the floor, and Mr. Regal has determined that we need a special guest referee… JBL. JBL has a referee's shirt, but Cena beats him out of the ring. Orton tries a sneak attack but he gets fought off. Cena tries for a FU, but JBL knocks Cena down and Orton gets a fast count win.

Winner: Randy Orton
Good stuff; pretty much what we've come to expect from these two. ***

The heels team up, and business picks up as Triple H is here. He takes down JBL then heads off Orton. Cena tosses JBL to the floor and they pair off in the crowd. Orton is hammering The Game inside the ring and a cage is being lowered! Orton tries to toss The Game into the cage but he hits a spinebuster. Orton gets launched into the cage wall and he falls underneath because it's not attached. Triple H scales the cage and Orton backs off as we fade.