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The fight continued on the floor near the production area before refs held Orton back. Fans chanted for them to keep fighting, so Orton tackled Kofi and knocked him down again. Kofi suddenly jumped over the refs and attacked Orton. Refs then held Kofi back, but Kofi chased Orton into the stands on the hard camera side. Kofi stomped away on Orton, who teetered over the edge of the stands before landing at the production area. Kofi then picked up the lid to a production trunk and smashed Orton over the face with the item. Orton had a cut on his forehead. Oops, we have blood. Kofi cradled Orton’s head to make sure the blood didn’t get on camera, then all the attention turned to Kofi, who put Orton on a gimmicked table. Kofi then went to the railing about five or six feet above the table and teased a dive, but refs held his feet and pulled him down. The fans booed, wanting to see the spot, but Kofi was dragged down the side stairs. Kofi then suddenly broke free and stormed up the stairs to the railing. Kofi then came off the top with a memorable Boom Boom leg drop onto Orton through the table. Huge crowd reaction with WWE capturing the moment with a slow-mo recap of Kofi getting major air, the crowd reactions, etc. After several replays, they cut back live to show Kofi standing tall on the railing above Orton’s lifeless body. JC: This could have been a totally botched segment after the botched Punt on Piper, but it turned into one of the best segments on WWE TV this year with a real star-making opportunity for Kofi, who delivered the goods here. Very memorable with WWE trying to make an “MSG moment” after talking about “MSG moments” all night.

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Orton said the three of them are nothing more than low-life street thugs. Orton said Henry stole a victory last week. He said MVP is the definition of a common criminal. Meanwhile, Kofi should be in jail for what he did to his car. Orton said that stock car was custom-made and the only reason why he hasn’t pressed charges is because he wants to embarrass Kofi at Survivor Series. Cody addressed Kofi that this isn’t very VIP hanging around with a disgruntled wrestler and an ex-con. DiBiase said it’s not very VIP with pleather couches and a $50 bottle of champagne. Orton said they were born in this industry while the only place Kofi, Henry, and MVP belong is the hood where they came from. Kofi took exception and stepped to Orton. He slapped him across the face, which drew oohs from the crowd. Orton did his “should I kill him, should I wait, should I keep teasing inner thoughts of confusion and torment?” stance before they suddenly cut to break.

Mark Henry (w/Kofi Kingston and MVP) vs. Randy Orton (w/Legacy)
Match started in progress with Henry squeezing Orton with a bear hug. Orton then blocked a corner attack and put Henry on the mat to begin the Orton Stomp attack. Henry got a second wind and sent Orton to the corner where he landed successive headbutts that wobbled Orton. MVP told Henry to finish him off, but Orton suddenly struck with the RKO out of nowhere for the pin and the win.

Post-match: Cody and Ted gleefully clapped it up while Kofi paced the sidelines with his hands on his hips. Kofi checked on Henry in the ring, then Orton snuck back into the ring. Orton slapped Kofi, but Kofi punched him right back and Orton rolled to the outside. Legacy held Orton back as Orton went IED wanting another piece of Kofi. Camera with heavy focus on Orton and Kofi, who told Orton to come get a piece of him. Orton just huffed and puffed on the outside.

Winner: Orton in 5:00. Right finish with Orton winning. Orton has consistently been in PPV main events for five years, so it wouldn’t make sense to knock him down a peg if they’re going to elevate Kofi in this program. Good focus in the post-match with Kofi and Orton on the back-and-forth camera shots.

I would love pictures from any of these shows so if you attended please, feel free to send in your photos!

November 4th Show (Dublin, Ireland)
Jack Swagger won a No. 1 Contender Battle Royal, last eliminating Mark Henry. Other participants included Randy Orton, Ted DiBiasie, Cody Rhodes, Kofi Kingston, MVP, Santino Marella, The Miz, Sheamus, Evan Bourne, Chris Masters & Chavo Guerrero.

Then later on in the night: Randy Orton defeated Kofi Kingston with the RKO

November 5th Show (Glasgow, Scotland)
John Cena, Triple H and Shawn Michaels beat Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes.
When the faces pinned the heels at the same time. Cena pinning Rhodes was the legal pinfall. DX and Cena got monster reactions. Glow sticks a plenty! Good main event with great heat all the way through. Legacy got the heat or Cena for the finish and Hornswoggle in DX gear made the save. After the match Cena, DX and Hornswoggle posed for the fans and did the crotch chop in unison.

November 6th Show (Newcastle, England)
John Cena, Triple H & Shawn Michaels b. Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes.
This was funny from the get go. DX came out everyone was on their feet. They did their are you ready bit. Then HHH ripped into the ring announcer for being ill all night on the way down to Newcastle and tells everyone to give him a smack in the head. His mic is still cutting out all the time. Before HBK could do his if your not down with that bit Cena’s music played and he came out. Cena was the big fan favourite of the little kids. The Ortons music starts to play. HHH gets the mic and tells Randy to stay in the back. He then starts ripping into the sound guy called Ralf, getting him to stand up, for making a mess of the intros and the mics and invites everyone to go a smack him in the head too. He then begs HBK to do the if your not down with that promo. Legacy comes out and they get in the ring and start talking and laughing with Cena and DX. The match gets under way. Not to bad a match and then you found out why they were laughing.HBK tries to roll up Ted Dibiase and pulls down his trunks shown his ass. Then Orton and Rhodes get in to help him and Cena and HHH do the same to them. Basically there were 3 guys running round the ring with their asses out and HHH, HBK and Cena laughing their heads off. Later the finish came with Legacy clearing the ring and Hornswoggle comes out of nowhere. He gives Orton Sweet Shin Music and Orton sells it like crazy. DX and Cena get in the ring and give Orton, DiBiase and Rhodes they’re own finishers saving Hornswoggle.

sources: wrestlezone.com & wrestlingnewsworld.com

I can only wish every man lived by the same saying Randy does: “Happy wife, happy life.” because it’s a good one! :p

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Backstage: Josh Mathews caught up to Randy Orton for an explanation. Orton said Kofi Kingston interfered in his match last night. He’s putting the blame on Kofi for losing last night. And he’s only just begun. Cody and Ted then interrupted Orton’s interview time. They want to show their support. Cody was more enthusiastic. Ted reluctantly went along with this. Legacy then walked Orton over to a brand-new NASCAR car with his face and likeness all over the hood and car. Orton paused and said this is incredible. Ted said it’s no price for the son of the million dollar man. Ted said they’ve had their issues recently, but Orton should consider this a token of their appreciation. Ted said they have another surprise for Orton. He said it’s only a matter of time before the WWE Title comes back to Legacy. Key word: Legacy. Orton was too enthralled with checking himself out on the car to notice what Ted said. Lawler said it was a little creepy. Orton continued to snake around the hood of the car before they cut away.

Post-match: Randy Orton slowly walked out on stage not looking very happy with things. He was selling a slight limp from the Iron Man match. Lawler said Orton really gave a strong effort in the match. Second tease for a babyface turn after Cena talked up Orton. Orton took the mic and said it appears Cena’s next opponent will not be him. He said he knows the terms of his agreement say no more title shots, but he has a guaranteed re-match clause. Suddenly, Kofi Kingston appeared on the video screen. He appeared to be ten feet tall with the camera angle. He told Orton no one cares what he has to say. Orton screamed at him to come to the ring and say it to his face. Kofi said that’s interesting. The camera panned down to show Kofi standing on Orton’s face on the NASCAR car. Orton screamed at him not to do anything. Kofi said the thing he loves about these cars is how durable they are. Kofi then rammed a trunk into the car. He said that didn’t do much, but this will. He then pulled out keys and started to key up the car. Kofi doesn’t have the track record of a Steve Austin to pull off these heel tactics, but he’s getting focus. Feels like Cena and Cryme Tyme spray-painting “poop” on JBL’s limo. Kofi then bashed the vehicle over and over trying to “kill a bug” he pretended that he saw on the hood. He sold that he realized he messed up the paint job, then took out a bucket of paint and splashed it over Orton’s face on the hood. “Ya know what, Randy, I don’t think you’ve ever looked better,” Kofi said. Kofi then slung the bucket of pain down on the hood and some of it splashed up on him. Kofi didn’t fall down, but he looked kind of silly with the paint splashing back up at him. They closed with Kofi standing tall and Orton selling frustration.

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Screen captures are now up!

WWE champion RANDY ORTON vs. JOHN CENA — 60-minute Iron Man match — WWE Title match — Anything goes
Cole asked Lawler to offer some insight into going 60 minutes. Lawler said he’s never been in an Iron Man match, but he’s been in some hour-long matches where conserving energy is key. Cena and Orton started with an early lock-up, then Cena hit the turnbuckles hard on a whip to the corner. Orton whipped Cena to the opposite corner and Cena came out looking for a bulldog, but Orton blocked and went back to work on Cena. Out of nowhere, Cena slapped on the STF and Orton quickly tapped out. Crowd popped for Cena’s quick win. Orton popped up and glared at Cena, who took a deep breath and understood the strategy of Orton trying to conserve and not take too much damage in the STF.

***Cena 1, Orton 0 at 3:55***

Orton gained the advantage after the first fall as the announcers discussed the Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart classic Iron Man match from WrestleMania 12. Meanwhile, Orton slapped on a reverse chinlock as Cena faded. Cena fought back to his feet and hit the running blockbuster before going up top. Cena wanted the top rope guillotine and connected. He then set up the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Orton suddenly snapped to his feet and nailed the RKO as Cena bounced off the ropes. Orton with the pin for the second fall at 9:00. And now a 30-second wait.

*** Cena 1, Orton 1 at 9:00***

After the pause, Orton rammed Cena off the apron into the guardrail on the floor. Orton followed to the floor and stared at the announce table. He turned his head and started clearing the table before grabbing a TV monitor. Orton blasted Cena over the top of the head with the point of the gimmicked monitor, then made a cover, but Cena kicked out. Apparently it’s Falls Count Anywhere too. Orton rolled Cena into the ring, then took a wireless mic and bopped Cena over the head with it. Orton made a cover, but Cena kicked out. Refs and medics then wanted to check on Cena, who sold injury. Cena suddenly stormed Orton in the corner with an explosion of energy before chucking Orton clear over the top rope to the floor. And we have blood with Cena bleeding from the head. Really does mean something since we haven’t seen blood on WWE TV in a while.

At the top of the third hour, Orton put a boot to Cena as Cena was face-first on the ring steps. Orton made a cover on the floor, but Cena kicked out. Back in the ring, Orton methodically began an attack on Cena with right hands to the source of blood. Orton then went down to the mat and pounded the mat with his fists before teasing the RKO. Cena ducked, though, and started his comeback routine. Cena then did the You Can’t See Me and connected with the Shuffle drop this time. Cena then wanted the FU and he connected. No wait, Orton apparently countered in mid-air with a reverse RKO. Both men were down and both men had an arm over each other. Ref counted a three count for each man at 17:00.

***Cena 2, Orton 2 at 17:00***

Medics hit the ring during the 30-second pause and checked on Cena. The 30-second interval expired and Orton missed with a running shoulder tackle when Cena moved. Medics apparently glued Cena’s head shut to close the wound and stop the bleeding. Cena then took Orton to the corner and wanted an FU from the second rope. He connected in a nice spot, but couldn’t make a cover. Cena then made a cover and scored the pin for another fall at 19:40.

***Cena 3, Orton 2 at 19:40***

During the 30-second pause, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes stormed the ring to beat up on Cena. Apparently DiBiase is on Orton’s side tonight…thus far. DiBiase gave Cena the Dream Street finisher. They put Orton on top of Cena and Orton scored a pin at 20:55.

***Cena 3, Orton 3 at 20:55***

After the fall, Kofi Kingston stormed the ring with chair in hand to chase away DiBiase and Rhodes. Crowd was hot for Kofi. Good incorporation of Kofi to give him a main event spotlight. After the next 30-second interval, both men came to their feet and started brawling. The brawl spilled to the floor and Cena rammed Orton into the guardrail. Kids were screaming as Cena continued to beat on Orton. Ref told one of the thousands of fans wearing Steelers jerseys in the arena to back off. Orton then reversed a whip into the rail and smashed Cena into the structure. He made a cover, but Cena kicked out. Announcers talked about the equipment being dangerous as they approached the stage area. High Voltage given a name-drop. Orton then smashed Cena’s head into the pyro machine and some pyro went off. Orton freaked out, then caught his breath. He threw Cena through the HD lighting grid and Cena ended up in the backstage area. Orton then dragged Cena back to the arena-side of the Titantron and made a cover for the pin.

***Orton 4, Cena 3 at 25:35***

Orton looked around contemplating his next move during the 30-second interval. He went over the pyro machine and started playing with the buttons like a crazy kid with a new set of toys. Orton figured out how the pyro works, then smashed Cena across the back with a chair. Orton then dragged Cena to the stage area where the pyro shoots off. Orton ran over to the pyro machine and shoved the man in charge away. Ref admonished Orton, who had his finger on the trigger as Cena went motionless. Orton punched the button, but it wouldn’t work. Suddenly, the pyro went off and Cena had enough time to roll out of the way. Cena still alive. Orton then checked on Cena and was so pissed that Cena was still alive. Orton went into a rage beating and pounding on Cena before taking him down to ringside. Announcers called Orton a psycho pyromaniac. They hit the 30-minute mark with Cena out cold on the floor as Orton contemplated his next move.

Orton began a methodical attack on Cena, including ring steps to the face and a chair to the back as Cena leaned against the ringpost. Orton made a cover on the floor, but Cena kicked out. “What more can Orton do, he already tried to blow the man up?” Lawler asked rhetorically. Back in the ring, Orton slowly lifted Cena to his feet and Cena suddenly executed a small package after playing opossum. Cena scored the pinfall at 33:00, then Orton went nuts until the ref pulled him away for the 30 seconds. “F—” Orton shouted twice on the floor.

***Orton 4, Cena 4 at 33:00***

The 30 seconds expired, but Orton waited before re-entering the ring. He then dragged Cena across the ring apron and stared a hole into Cena’s soul. He wanted the horizontal DDT from across the ring apron to the floor and he executed it with Cena going face-first into the floor padding. Orton then rolled Cena over and made the cover for the pin at 35:20.

***Orton 5, Cena 4 at 35:20***

Crowd was quiet as WWE replayed the DDT into the floor. Orton was shown slapping the mat on the way down to create the sound of Cena’s face hitting the floor. After the 30 second rest period, Orton rolled Cena back into the ring as the crowd came to life with a dueling chant of “Let’s go Cena” vs. “Let’s go Orton.” Orton began his Orton Stomp trying to take apart Cena’s entire body. Cena slowly made his way to his feet, but Orton knocked him right back down with a straight right hand to the face. Orton with a cover, but Cena kicked out. They zoomed in on an evil look on Orton’s face as Grisham said he could be the face of Raw for many months or years to come. He said it appears Cena is headed for Smackdown. Well, that means Cena is winning.

Orton continued to slowly stalk and attack Cena, who finally ducked a clothesline and staggered Orton to the floor. Cena then staggered around in the ring as the cut on top of his head started to bleed again. Orton collected himself on the floor and checked the scoreboard with 20 minutes left in the match. Announcers speculated whether he’ll play prevent defense with a fall advantage. Lawler said it might be too long to stall. Cena then jelly-legged walked up the ramp to Orton, who met him with kicks and stomps. Back in the ring, Orton wanted the horizontal DDT, but Cena countered with an FU tease. Orton escaped, though, with elbow strikes and ran right out of the ring to the floor. Orton tried to take off through the stands up into the arena seats, but Cena met him and blasted him with right hands. Orton started rolling down the arena steps with a one-fall advantage trying to run away from Cena, who chased him down in-between the floor seats and 100-level seats. And we hit the 45-minute mark with Cena measuring Orton for right hand blows on the floor.

Back on the floor outside of the ring, Cena continued to chase down Orton before blasting him into the ring steps. Cena made a cover, but Orton kicked out. Cena then whipped Cena hard through the barricade near the timekeeper’s table and Orton crashed hard through the gimmicked barrier. Cena then calmly picked up the ring steps and blasted Orton in the face with the steps. Cena triumphantly lifted the steps in the ring, then looked over some potential options for his next move. After his review, Cena scooped up Orton’s dead weight and slowly carried him up the ring steps to position him for an FU through the announce table. Orton did the Abyss Shake as if he took a bump through the tacks, then Cena dropped down and covered Orton to score a pinfall at 51:00 to even it up.

***Orton 5, Cena 5 at 51:00***

Cena waited for the 30-second interval, then he tried pinning Orton again, but Orton kicked out. Cena then went under the ring and grabbed a table. He set up the table in the ring while Orton slowly started to stir on the floor. After setting up the table in the ring, Cena carried Orton back into the ring. They approached the five-minute mark and Cole reminded us there will be overtime if this is tied. Cena placed Orton on the table and Orton sold near-death. Cena then went up top and thought about this move. He tried a top rope leg drop, but Orton rolled off the table and Cena ate wood. And they hit 55:00 with both men down and out on the mat.

Orton landed the first right hand from his knees. Cena responded in kind. Orton with a right. Cena with a right. Orton with a right. Cena with a right. Orton with a right hand. Cena with a haymaker. Orton with an uppercut. Cena with a punch. Orton with a punch. Now both men on their feet. Cena with a shot to the gut. Orton with a right to the face. Cena likewise. Orton with a haymaker. Cena staggered, then another to the gut. Orton to the top of the head. Again. Cena with two, then three, and four. Cena ducked a clothesline and hit a shoulder tackle. He then tried a second, but airballed and the ref ate the shoulder tackle. Orton then dropped Cena in mid-ring with the RKO, but the ref was out cold. Another ref stormed the ring and Cena kicked out before three. Nice sequence.

At 58:00, Orton was PO’ed and shoved down the replacement referee. Two refs down. Orton slowly walked around the ring as Cole talked overtime. Lawler said he wants to see OT. Orton’s eyes bulged out of his head as he thought things over. Orton was on the verge of a nervous break down, but then stopped when he had an idea. He then backed up and teased The Punt, but Cena moved and dropped Orton with the STF in center ring. Orton had nowhere to go. Crowd ready to explode like a fourth down play on the goalline. Cena twisted Orton’s neck with the STF as Orton tried to hang on for 20 more seconds. Orton wouldn’t tap, though. Fans counted it down. Nine, eight, seven… and Orton tapped out at 59:54 with the crowd exploding. The time then expired and Cena won back the WWE Title.

Post-match: Cena grabbed his title belt and held it up high in the air. Cole called it one of the greatest matches he’s ever seen. Announcers recapped the high points of the match, then they cut back to show Cena on the stage sweating and holding the title belt. Orton was selling mass pain to his shoulder back in the ring. Announcers then showed Orton’s visible three count with the score 5-5 around 58:00. Back live, Orton was shown collecting himself. Cole said it’s the end of the war between Orton and Cena. Orton grimaced to close the PPV.

WINNER: Cena 6, Orton 5 with a submission at 59:54; Cena wins the WWE Title at 60:00. Quite the war. Nothing else on this show was replay-worthy, but this was replay-worthy. WWE pulled out all the tricks, gimmicks, and other assorted items to tell a 60-minute story. Orton was the star of the match with his crazy facial expressions and psychotic behavior staying true to his character. Story at the end we’ll probably see play out on Raw was Orton unable to hold on for those last six seconds or Orton complaining that he had Cena pinned at 58:00. Hard to rate this on a traditional scale, but I believe this was one of the best stories WWE has told on PPV this year. HBK vs. Taker is another level and in its own category, but this was a different type of four-to-five-star level match.

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WWE champion Randy Orton then came out as the announcers talked about Orton having so many other things to worry about with Cena on Sunday in a 60-minute Iron Man match.

WWE champion RANDY ORTON vs. TED DIBIASE, JR
Bell sounded and Orton walked right up to DiBiase. Orton then kicked DiBiase in the gut to boos. DiBiase didn’t fight back and Orton landed an uppercut. Ted then had a look of disgust mixed with determination. Crowd with a mild chant for DiBiase. Orton then kicked DiBiase in the gut again. DiBiase shook like he was about to snap on Orton. Orton with another boot. DiBiase was shaking. “You want to hit me?! Do you want to hit me?!” Orton screamed at him. DiBiase slowly made it to his feet and stared back at Orton. Crowd came to life as DiBiase stared him down itching to get him. Orton piefaced DiBiase twice, then DiBiase got right in his face again. A third pieface. Crowd wanted it. Orton then shoved DiBiase in the chest and DiBiase fired off the ropes to shove Orton down. Big pop. DiBiase shook and was about to explode on Orton, but he held himself back. DiBiase’s leg was a shaking and a twitching. He calmed down, looked around the arena, then looked into Orton’s evil eyes. DiBiase lowered his eyes in shame, then Orton walked over to DiBiase and looked him in the eyes. Orton then delivered the RKO in cold blood before making the cover for the win. DiBiase was out cold on the mat, then Orton slowly raised his title belt in the air while standing over DiBiase.

WINNER: Orton at 4:22. Awesome, storyline-driven match. It took a while for the crowd to really buy into the storyline development, but DiBiase generated an authentic babyface pop for that one shove on Orton. DiBiase was borderline over-the-top with his “I’m going to rip your head off, but I’m so conflicted right now” expressions, but I thought he really handled that well. Good performances all-around and they reinforced Orton as the evil, sinister, snake-like heel. Excellent work.

JOHN CENA vs. TRIPLE H
They cut to a shot of Randy Orton watching with this awesome heel look and body language backstage. Orton is so great.

Post-match: They cut to a shot of Randy Orton watching intently on a monitor. Orton leaned in close to the monitor as if he was trying to smell Cena. Cena then did his salute back in the ring.

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Post-match: Orton had to keep Cody and Ted away from each other while Cena was all-smiles leaving the ring. Things were about to explode, but Nancy O’Dell appeared on the videotron to settle them down. She said since it’s obvious Cody and Ted aren’t getting along right now, let’s see how they really get along in a tag match later tonight. How about Cody & Ted against Orton…and John Cena. Cena went from all-smiles to his look of concern. Meanwhile, Orton tried to calm Ted and Cody down.

WINNER: Cody Rhodes at 13:20

Backstage: Cody and Ted were yelling at each other. DiBiase’s veins were about to explode out of his neck. Orton interrupted and told them he’s not going to let Nancy O’Dell tell them what to do. He said he’s going to turn this into a handicap match and not tag in. He told them to make sure they take care of Cena. Cody and Ted still weren’t on the same page, but Orton told them to think things over. Good follow-up segment to continue investing TV time in Cody and Ted.

WWE champion RANDY ORTON & JOHN CENA vs. TED DIBIASE, JR. & CODY RHODES
The bell sounded as Orton bailed to the floor to watch Cena start the match by himself. Cody and Ted couldn’t decide who should start, then DiBiase drew the shortest straw to start. Legacy worked over Cena early on as Orton pondered things from the ring apron just watching and plotting. Cena broke free of Cody, then Orton lost track of things for a second allowing Cena to make a blind-tag to Orton. Orton slowly walked into the ring after realizing his mistake. They locked up and Cody tried to pin Orton with a surprise pin attempt that drew hearty laughter from Cena on the floor. DiBiase then tagged in and nearly scored a pin. Orton then walked over to Cena and slap-tagged him back into the match. Cena and Orton grunted at each other and teased going after each other before Cena went after DiBiase. Cena did his usual routine and dropped the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Orton had blind-tagged into the match. Orton then blasted his tag partner, Cena, but DiBiase suddenly snuck up behind Orton and small package pinned Orton for the win. Cody was confused. Orton was livid. Orton then walked into Cena, who gave him an FU in center ring. Cole: “A terrible night for the WWE champion, Randy Orton.” Cena pounded his chest in the corner and celebrated in the ring to close the show.

WINNERS: DiBiase & Rhodes at 6:10.

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Cena said the rivalry between him and Orton is the one the fans know the result of the match will be amazing. Except when Orton gets himself DQ’d. Cena proposed one more match. An Iron-Man match. Please God, no. Cena said after this match, there will be no re-matches, no second chances. It’ll be that epic. Hypothetically, if Cena wins, Orton wouldn’t get a re-match Randy said, so why would he agree to that? Instead, Orton suggested a match on his terms. Cena wins, he gets the title, Orton wins, Cena is gone from Raw for good. Cena OK’d it. Orton continued with his terms: No-DQ, no count-out. Cena went into over-hype mode as Orton told him take it, or leave it. Cena still wanted 60 minutes, but agreed to the rest. They shook on it. Yeah, because that’s exactly what this feud needed: Not just another match, an hour-long match. At least they seemed to have an end-game for this feud in mind.

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Screen captures will be posted tomorrow, stay tuned!

By the time he got around to a follow-up move, a leaping kneedrop, Cena recovered enough to move. Cena applied an STF mid-ring. Orton crawled to the bottom rope. Cena dragged him back to the middle. Orton kicked Cena off of him, knocking Cena into the ref. Cena applied the STF again, but the ref was down as Orton tapped. Cena released the hold, apparently assuming Orton gave up and the match was over. He realized there was no ref in the ring and went to ringside to roll him back in. Orton recovered and surprised Cena with an RKO for a near fall. The crowd popped for the kickout. Lawler said Orton looked like he was going to cry. Cole said that may have been Orton’s last chance, although there’s no apparently reason why it would be (but it’s presumably what McMahon wanted Cole to say, so he said it).

Orton tied Cena up into the ropes and then applied a sleeper from behind. Cena appeared to be out cold. Orton released the hold and sat in the corner and pulled himself to his feet. He waited for the ref to release Cena. Cena fell face-first to the mat. Orton then waited for Cena to raise his head and then kicked him. And then he scored the three count.

WINNER: Orton in 21:00 to win the WWE Title.

STAR RATING: ***1/2 — They tell a good story and have chemistry with one another. No doubt about that. It’s just so familiar at this point that it’s like reading the same great book over and over, or a slightly different book with the same two main characters over and over. Fans are also expecting some blood in this type of intense rivalry. The Cell didn’t come much into play, either.

Backstage: Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase tried to celebrate with Orton, telling them that after they win, they’ll have a great night on the town. Orton said they are going to be in the Cell and win or lose they won’t just walk away. DiBiase said they’ve studied the Cell and spent time in it. He said they’re younger, stronger, and faster and have every right to be confident. Cody told Orton he’s starting to sound like his “old man.” Orton said they have no idea what they’re getting into. Orton stood and told Cody, “By the way, I’m not your old man. I’m the WWE Champion, and if I were you two, if I had something to say, I’d listen.” DiBiase said, “If I were you, I wouldn’t underestimate us.” The crowd oohhhed.

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Taker was in there with Rhodes out of break. He then tagged out to Hunter. Long standing vertical suplex, but not as long as Matt Morgan’s last night on Impact. DX continued to pwn Legacy in this match and as I type that, a flurry of rights from Rhodes put Michaels on the mat. Randy Orton and C.M. Punk made their first appearances of the match, one right after the other. Michaels and Orton both ended up on the mat- Cody tagged in and an enziguiri by Michaels gave him some time to tag, and he did, to Cena. Cena had to fight off both Legacy members, and put both of them on his back for an Attitude Adjustment. But Rhodes got down and the two heels gave him the Sweet ‘n’ Sour, which is at the point they took the final break.

Back with Punk and Cena engaged in battle. Orton came in and seemed to have his way with Cena, ‘til Cena got him in the Atttiude Adjustment out of nowhere, but couldn’t connect, as Orton DDT’d him. DiBiase made his presence known as the legal man with a kick to a seated Cena’s head. But Cena got the better of him and both men made tags, to Punk and Hunter. Patented spinebuster by The Game. Taker tagged in, but Punk dove to tag Orton. Snake Eyes, ironically, to the Viper Orton. Back-breaker by Orton, but he got caught in Hell’s Gate, only briefly, as DiBiase broke it up. Everybody started brawling at that point, as Michaels superkicked DiBiase and Hunter Pedigreed him. Cena got Punk up for the Attitude Adjustment and tossed him onto Legacy at ringside. All four faces were in the ring with the lone heel, Orton. Taker, the legal man, Tombstoned Orton. Mike Chioda didn’t seem worried that all four of the men were still in the ring while he made his count.

WINNERS: Taker, Hunter, HBK and Cena, at 21:39

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Backstage: They showed Jericho, Show, and Orton talking strategy in their locker room. Show said he’s got him

WWE champion JOHN CENA vs. RANDY ORTON & Unified tag champions CHRIS JERICHO & BIG SHOW — gauntlet non-title match
Orton’s music hit and he slowly made his way to the ring for the third part that never really started. Cena sold tremendous back pain as Orton was on his one-step-every-five-minutes pace. Orton stared into the ring as Cena tried to pull himself up by the ropes. Orton did his heelish slight turn of the head look as Cena told him to hurry up and come get some. Bell sounded and Cena seemed to be in a different state of mind. Orton slowly walked over to him, but Cena pointed to the top of the building and the Cell started to lower down. Orton looked around, then Cena tackled him. They wrestled around with The Viper trying to slither away, but Cena kept him inside the ring as the Cell slowly lowered down to the ring. Apparently all of the work from the tag champs meant nothing at this point. (Plausible explanation is that Orton took forever to get in the ring so Cena had time to recover.)

Orton finally escaped Cena, but he couldn’t make it out of the Cell in time. Orton turned back to look into the ring where Cena was preparing for a fight. Cena smiled and looked around and noticed the door was open over his shoulder. Cena rubbed his hands together, then Orton made a dash for the door. Orton side-stepped Cena and landed outside the Cell, but Cena grabbed him for an FU. Orton instead climbed onto the Cell walls and started climbing to the roof. Cena followed him up and they both found themselves on top of the Cell. Orton saw he was trapped, then Cena grappled him and landed an FU on top of the Cell. Cena stood tall over Orton, who remained motionless. Cena then fired himself up and celebrated in front of the crowd. They closed with an underneath shot of Orton sprawled like a CSI crime scene. Cena did one last celebration to close the show.

WINNER: No official announcement. Well, the work from Jericho and Show was pretty pointless since SuperCena just shook it all off. Orton didn’t have much credibility as a heel here. Jericho and Show did all the work, then he wasted it all away in the match storyline. Cena stood tall to close the show to give viewers a happy note. WWE took the “we’ll make them feel good about life and want to pay money to see Orton get even more of a beating on Sunday” route to sell the PPV main event along with a little involvement from the Cell as a selling point. We’ll see if it works.

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Lawler set up the Hell in a Cell match between Cena and Orton, then he brought out the challenger, Randy Orton. They replayed a clip from last week when Cena fed Orton to Batista to close Raw. Cole reminded us Batista is on Smackdown now. Orton sat down in his contract table chair, then Lawler paused and introduced WWE champion John Cena. Cena came out on stage to a hot, appreciative crowd. They’re in the South where it’s typically been 95 percent cheers for Cena. Orton lowered his eyes with anger written on his face as Cena hit the ring.

In-ring, Lawler said there’s a no physicality rule tonight. Who made that decision? Lawler said Trish Stratus booked a PPV title match between them last week, so here is the contract for the title match at Hell in a Cell. Orton quickly signed the document, then took the mic. He looked at Lawler and told him to get out of the ring. Lawler nodded and left. Orton turned his attention to Cena and said Cena thinks he’s got him all figured out, but he’s wrong. Orton stood up and said he’s more dangerous than ever. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get his title back. Orton said Cena’s never been in a Hell in a Cell match before, but he knows what to expect and knows what it takes to win. Orton told Cena he will never be the same.

Cena stood up to loud cheers and threw his hat into the crowd. He picked up his mic and went from super-serious to “Oh, I’m sorry, I really wasn’t listening” with a sarcastic smirk. Cena said the only thing he remembers is what Orton said at Breaking Point. Cena had a little compilation of Orton saying “I Quit” over and over and over again. Orton said this isn’t a joke. Cena said Orton already made this a joke. Cena said Orton’s predictable and everyone knows exactly what he’s going to do and say. He then mocked Orton’s faces before recapping the Orton-Cena story. Cena said Orton tortured him at Breaking Point, but he survived that one. He sarcastically said he must not have a chance in the world at Hell in a Cell. Cena mocked Orton, who began pacing around. Cena signed the document and said it’s now official that this match will happen. Cena told Orton if he doesn’t win, then it’s Orton’s last chance. No more re-matches. No more championships. He gets nothing. Cena said Orton will then be reduced to a dude in his underwear who hangs out with two other dudes in their underwear.

Cena cut the comedy crap and got serious. He looked into Orton’s eyes and said for all of Orton’s beatings, punishments, and schemes, he said he knows what Orton is capable of. Cena said Orton should be worried because he has no idea what he’s capable of. Cena did a mock “win one for the team voice” about not just fighting the good fight or giving it his best shot. He went back to a deep voice and said he will destroy Orton at the PPV. Orton shot back he would like to put Cena through this table with an RKO right now, but he can’t legally. Cena said Cena’s arrogance has caused people to hate him ever since he came into WWE. Orton said he found two individuals who would like nothing more than to put Cena through hell right now.

Cue up the Big Show and Chris Jericho theme music. Jericho and Show quickly marched down to the ring. Cena cleared the ring of everything except the contract table and stood his ground. Cena sold concern over being cornered, which was not believable after he mocked all of those elements in the promo. Big Show cleared the announce table, then Cena tried to go after Jericho and Show, but they attacked him and beat him down. Cena took a beating, but MVP and Mark Henry ran to the ring and made the save. Cedric then showed up on camera and told them to settle down. He said they just made this a lot easier for him. All of them in a six-man tag match tonight. Predictable, but effective for getting a lot of star power in one ring. Good set-up.

Chris Jericho, Big Show, and Randy Orton were already in the ring out of the break. Jericho said they dislike John Cena as much as he does, so they went to Cedric and said he needs to up the ante for the six-man tag. Jericho said if their team loses, then Orton has to face Cena, Henry, and MVP in a three-on-one gauntlet match. Orton flipped out, but Show calmed him down. Show said if they win, then Cena gets a three-on-one gauntlet against the three of them. Orton calmed down and Show said they just need to win tonight. John Cena’s music hit and Cena came out to ringside before they cut to another break.

Randy Orton, Chris Jericho & Big Show vs. John Cena & Mark Henry & MVP

Bell sounded back from break and Cena started things off. Orton came in, then slithered away from Cena. Cena chased Orton around the floor, but he stopped when he met Big Show. Show smiled, then Jericho jumped Cena from behind. Back in the ring, heels began working over Cena to put him in trouble. Heels very quick in and out since WWE’s short on time and they needed to accelerate the pace to build momentum for Cena’s comeback. Crowd went nuts as Cena teased a hot tag, then brought in MVP to clean house on Jericho. MVP landed a big clothesline, then he nailed that weak-looking jawbreaker across his knee before setting up the Ballin’ elbow drop. MVP made a cover, but Jericho kicked out. Show then cut off MVP in the corner from the apron behind the ref’s back and the heels went back to work on MVP. Crowd started an “MVP” chant to rally behind him. MVP teased a tag in his corner, but Orton cut him off. And they repeated it with MVP just a few inches closer as the hard camera shook from the crowd being into the action. Shaky hard camera really enhances a story. MVP then bumped into Henry for a tag and Henry cleaned house on the heels. “And it’s a big house,” Lawler said. Cena suddenly dumped Show over the top rope with a giant FU. Out of nowhere, Orton dropped Henry center ring with the RKO. He then fell on top of Henry and pinned him with Cena just a few moments too slow to break up the pin.

Post-match, Orton celebrated with Show and Jericho on the floor as Cena sold concern and disbelief in the ring. Cena gritted teeth and sold the serious nature of the moment faced with a three-on-one gauntlet match next week. They replayed the finish with Jericho chopblocking Henry to set up Orton for the RKO on Henry to win the match. Back live, Cole said Cena runs the gauntlet next week. Cena rubbed his head in disbelief as they closed the show with the heels standing tall on the outside.

Winners: Team Orton at 8:15.

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Batista said there’s two things really funny to him right now. One, Orton is very predictable. Two, Batista removed his Barry Bonds cast and blasted Orton with a big powerslam, then a running clothesline that took Orton out of the ring. Lawler said Batista suckered Orton out to the ring. Batista said he’s not here to announce his retirement, but that he’s going to Smackdown. Orton was like, “what?” The return of the Batista Formula match on Friday nights. Batista said he talked to the guest host tonight and she guaranteed him one more match on Raw. He said it’s No Holds Barred vs. Orton tonight. Orton freaked out on the outside, then Batista did his Ultimate Warrior celebration.
Randy Orton came to the ring first for the TV main event. They showed the opening segment with Batista pulled a trick on Orton, who sold frustration standing in the ring before Batista’s music hit. Batista then came out and did his machine gun entrance while pointing to his arm to say he’s all good. Batista’s entrance pushed the show to the top of the third hour, so you know this isn’t going long for Batista’s return match.

Batista vs. Randy Orton — No Holds Barred Match
Announcers said Batista will be on Raw this Monday. Bell sounded and Orton went to the floor looking for a chair. Batista chased him down, though, only to be set up for the Jake Roberts horizontal DDT. Batista avoided it, though, and landed trademark shoulder thrusts in the corner. Batista landed a clothesline and Orton went back under the ring, but Batista clotheslined him to the floor. Back in the ring, Orton dropped Batista with his fallaway backbreaker before going to work on Batista’s arm with the Orton Stomp. Orton tried to bring a chair into the proceedings, but Batista dropped him with a spear mid-ring. Orton again rolled to the floor and Batista followed up by chucking him across the announce table. Batista slowly brought Orton back into the ring and Orton teased the RKO, but Batista flung him away. Orton then went to the floor and stared to walk away, but John Cena’s music hit. Cena had Orton trapped, then Cena clotheslined Orton down to the ground. Apparently No Holds Barred also means No DQ. Cena then tossed Orton back into the ring where Batista delivered a spinebuster. Batista did the Thumbs up, Thumbs down before putting Orton in position to deliver the Batistabomb. Batista then made the cover for the win. Cole gave a warning to the Smackdown locker room to look out for Batista before adding that Orton’s downward spiral continues. They replayed the finish and showed Batista celebrating in the ring to close the show.

Winner: Batista at 5:01. Formula gimmick match between Batista and Orton. This week, Orton was back to that familiar position of not having much credibility being duped by Batista at the beginning and taking the loss in the main event. It’s been a PPV-to-PPV see-saw with his character lately. When he gets too hot, WWE cools him down just a little bit to even things out.

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Captures are now up!.

Randy Orton vs. John Cena — I Quit match for the WWE Championship
No contact in the first minute, then Cena took it to Orton with a forearm and fisherman suplex out of the corner. Cena landed a fist strike, then airballed with a flying shoulder tackle when Orton ducked down to the mat. Orton then bumped Cena off the apron into the Raw announce table on the floor. Ringside, Orton grabbed a TV monitor and directed a shot toward Cena, who got his hands up to absorb the blow. Cena sold it like a direct shot to the head, though. Back in the ring, Orton set up Cena across the middle rope for his patented Jake Roberts DDT. Announcers reminded us Cena suffered a head injury on Raw, which could affect him tonight. Nice piece of storytelling to stack the deck just a little bit more. Orton then grabbed a chair and set it up in the ring. He wanted to repeat the end of Raw with an RKO into the chair, but Cena blocked and made a classic comeback. He paused for the crowd to reach its peak before he delivered the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena then wanted an FU, but Orton grabbed the top rope and landed on the apron. He then yanked Cena’s shoulder/neck down hard across the top rope.

At 5:00, Orton saw Cena prone for The Punt, but Cena ducked and teased the STF. Orton slipped out of the ring, through, and lured Cena into a whip to the ring steps. Orton then grabbed the ring steps and blasted Cena in the face. Orton demanded Cena give it up, but Cena sternly said “no” a few times. Orton was angered by this development, so he lifted Cena and rolled him into the ring. He then grabbed a bag out from under the ring. Thumbtacks? No, it was a chain with a key on it and handcuffs. Orton put the chain around his neck, then put Cena in a handcuff. Orton stomped Cena down to the mat, then cuffed Cena to the top rope. Orton symbolically “held the key” to the match with it around his neck. Orton began attacking Cena, who refused to quit.

At 10:00, Orton took the mic and jammed it into Cena’s head. Orton then unhooked Cena and cuffed Cena’s hands together. Orton then dragged Cena up the ring steps and hung Cena over the top turnbuckle. Orton began assaulting Cena’s stomach with body blows, then he landed fist smashes one after another. Orton screamed at Cena that he’s not passing out on him, so he threw water at Cena, who then spit it back in Orton’s face. Orton was not pleased, so he grabbed the Singapore canes from the bowling shoe ugly match early. Orton then “tortured” Cena with multiple cane shots to the body. Orton then smashed him across the wrist as he continued to be hung up in the corner. Cena refused to quit. Orton then put the cane into Cena’s throat and Cena kicked him in the crotch. They didn’t show it, but Cena pulled himself down to the ground. Camera zoomed in on Cena having cut marks across his stomach. Cena slowly walked over to Orton, who had a chair in hand to surprise Cena with a chair shot to the head.

At 15:00, Orton uncuffed Cena, then he re-cuffed Cena around the ringpost with Cena on the ground facing the post. Lawler did the “babyface is about to lose, which means he’s not going to” line about Cena needing to think about living to fight another day. Cena then blasted Orton across the back with a chair shot and Cena shrieked. Cena refused to quit. Orton was about to lose it. At this point, you’re wondering where the gun is to shoot him. How much further can you go before the heel loses credibility for not killing the other guy? Anyways, Cena back dropped Orton to the mat, then he stole the key from Orton and uncuffed himself before cuffing them together. They transferred all the heat onto Cena, who then cuffed Orton and started going nuts on Orton. Cena exploded with body shots before taking Orton into the ring to land more body shots. Cena teased the FU, but Orton slipped out and nailed the RKO in center ring. Orton then tried to drag both of them toward the key across the ring, but Cena tugged him back to center ring and applied the STF. Cena wrapped the cuff around Orton’s throat, then Orton fought the hold before shouting “I quit, I quit” to give Cena the win.

After the post-match happenings for replays, recovery, etc., Cena took the mic and declared, “I did not quit.” They stayed with Cena’s post-match celebration for a while as Orton sold a shoulder injury on the way out. Cena then stood on the stage and lifted up the title belt to salute the crowd.

Winner: Cena at 19:45 to win the WWE Title.

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Backstage: The camera mysteriously showed Orton and Masters talking strategy off in the back. Orton was apparently telling him what’s going down against DX. Masters.

In-ring: The DX theme music hit and out came Triple H and Shawn Michaels. Cole with more empty descriptions, this time for the “legendary” Triple H and the “controversial” Shawn Michaels. Once they hit the ring, Michaels took the mic, then ran circles around Hunter, who politely requested the mic once HBK ran out of steam. Hunter waited out the loud crowd cheers before Hunter declared he loves this city. He asked Chicago if they’re ready, then finished the Michael Buffer routine. His pause this week was for Cody and Ted. “Because they are a great team. They are great partners (emphasis on partners).” Imagine that, Hunter with his weekly homophobic rhetoric. He continued: “They’re like WWE’s version of Siegfried and Roy. And boys, this Sunday, you’re looking at the two white tigers who are going to be hanging off your jugulars.” Hunter and HBK finished their routine, then Chris Masters came out to zero reaction. WWE champion Randy Orton came out last to finish the intros ten minutes before the top of the hour.

WWE champion RANDY ORTON & CHRIS MASTERS vs. DX (SHAWN MICHAELS & TRIPLE H)
Bell sounded and Michaels started with Masters. Michaels got in one move, Masters rolled to the floor to regroup, and they went to break 35 seconds into the match.

Back from break, Hunter was in control working over Orton. Hunter then teased the Pedigee, but Orton blocked and back dropped Hunter to the mat. Orton tried to follow with the RKO, but Hunter shoved him away and executed a suplex. He then delivered crotch chop into a knee drop for a two count. Michaels tagged in, but lost control for his team against Chris Masters. Masters vs. Michaels – flash back to that absurd program after Summerslam 2005. Orton tagged in and worked over Michaels, then Masters tagged back in. Heels tagged in and out leading to the top of the hour.

Orton slowly let Michaels get up, then he delivered a standing dropkick to knock Michaels right back down to the mat. Nice set-up for a nice move. Michaels finally escaped Orton’s attack, then Hunter fired up the crowd asking for a tag. Masters tagged in, then Michaels kipped up and tagged in Hunter. Hunter ran over Masters, then ducked an errant clothesline and hit a neckbreaker for a two count. Orton then stalked Hunter, who eyed Orton back to his corner and dropped Masters with a spinebuster. Michaels then tagged in and dropped a top rope elbow on Masters. Michaels then tuned up the band, but Orton distracted him. Hunter took out Orton on the floor, but back in the ring, Masters ducked Sweet Chin Music and slapped on the Masterlock center ring. Michaels faded, but Hunter re-entered and broke up the hold. Michaels then stunned Masters with the superkick as chaos broke out. Michaels then put Masters in the figure four while Hunter put Orton in the Sharpshooter for no reason whatsoever. So inorganic. Why would they ever use a submission in that spot other than six days before a submissions PPV? Masters flopped around like a fish in the figure four, then tapped out to Michaels.

WINNERS: DX at 14:10. WWE’s backwards booking on display trying to make the storylines fit the PPV concept instead of letting the storylines naturally flow into the PPV. Tag match was okay with Masters just there to bump around for DX, but not add much. Post-match immediately picked up…

Post-match: Cody and Ted dragged Orton out of the ring to high-tail it out of there. DX followed and a brawl was on leading to backstage. Orton held back, though, and was suddenly the only man left standing. Everyone else disappeared, then Orton crawled onto the stage. He thought he was all alone as the announcers talked up his smartness.

Back in the ring, Orton was all alone. Crowd booed when the camera focused on him. Orton said that was the look of disappointment on DX’s faces. He said Legacy is going to make DX submit on Sunday. And in the main event, he said he’s going to retain the WWE Title. He name-dropped John Cena and Cena’s music hit. Cena slowly came out on stage sporting his John Deere baseball cap. Cena took it off, then stormed the ring. Cena and Orton brawled in the ring, then the fight spilled to the floor. Orton ate the announce table, but suddenly sprung on Cena with the horizontal Jake Roberts DDT to leave Cena implanted on the mat. Orton’s IED kicked in, then he went to the floor and grabbed a chair. Kids and women screaming in horror as Orton teased a chair attack on Cena. Orton slowly picked up Cena, then his eyes bulged out of his head like an evil, demented individual. He teased the RKO and Cena didn’t block it, leaving Cena out cold after taking an RKO into the chair. Orton paced around the ring before standing over Cena’s fallen body to scream down at him that he will say I Quit on Sunday. The screams of the kids filled the air with Orton standing over Cena to close the show. Great intensity from Orton to close the show and try to sell the PPV on Sunday. Two straight weeks of great character display from Orton to close Raw.

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Cody Rhodes then came out and addressed Orton directly. He said this man happens to be his father. Cody said Dusty’s legacy in this industry runs much deeper than his or mine. He said he would like to think they are friends, but this is a golden opportunity and he will not pass it up. Cody said he intends to become the youngest WWE champion in history, just like Orton did. He said it’s not personal, just business. Orton paused to get this straight. He’s facing Cody. Dusty’s in the corner. Cena is the special referee. Big pop for the Cena name drop. Orton said the fix is obviously in. Dusty: “You betta believe it, Randy, the fix is in.” Cue up the Raw theme music and Orton bailed to the outside abruptly. He looked over his shoulder at Cody, who smirked and looked back to pops.

Backstage, Cody was lacing up his boots. Ted DiBiase, Jr. then walked up to him and asked if he’s ready. Cody said he’s ready for the spotlight just like Ted got when his dad was running the show. Randy Orton then walked up to him and made sure he wants to go through with this. Cody said he’s ready and it’s business, not personal. Orton said that’s good because he’s about business, nothing personal tonight. Orton let that sink in, then walked off. Cody sold deep thought. Orton has something up his sleeve.

In-ring, WWE champion Randy Orton came to the ring first for the title match main event. They cut backstage to show Dusty giving Cody a pep talk before the title match. One more shot of Orton in the ring before they cut to break. Cody Rhodes and Dusty Rhodes came out for the title match. Wonder if the Fingerpoke of Doom was foreshadowing. John Cena’s music then hit to bring out the champ as special ref. Before the bell sounded, Cena checked both men for illegal weapons. Orton wasn’t too fond of being checked that closely.

Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes — WWE Title match (John Cena special referee)
Before the match started, Dusty took the mic and said there’s nothing a father would do for his son. Suddenly, Orton and Cody jumped Cena. Dusty watched as Ted DiBiase then stormed the ring and took out Cena. Suddenly, DX’s music hit and Michaels and Hunter stormed the ring. Hunter teased the Pedigree on Cody, but Dusty took his boot to Hunter’s head. Legacy beat down Michaels, then Cody gave him Cross Rhodes in center ring. Heat was off the chars for this. Orton shook like the great evil character he is, then he put another boot to Cena’s head. Dusty stood tall with Rhodes, DiBiase, and Orton and they did a curtain call to big heat.

Dusty and Cody hugged, then Orton suddenly gave Dusty the RKO. Cody seethed and yelled at Orton. “Why, man, why?!” Cody thought it over as Orton turned and shot him this evil look. Cody fought the urge to fight for his dad or fall in line with Orton. Crowd yelled at Cody to do something. Credits came on as Cody stood next to Dusty’s boot. Orton’s mind control was taking over Cody as he thought things over. Crowd was chanting as the hard cam pulled away to reveal chaos in the ring with DiBiase in one corner and Orton standing across the ring from a contemplative Cody to close the show.

Winner: No match occurred. Deal had some gap holes in logic. Apparently Dusty was fighting for the honor of WCW by taking out DX, who ripped the promotion all throughout the show. Shockmaster was the straw that broke the camel’s back apparently. That aside, what an awesome, intense conclusion to the show. Flash back to the Raw before the Royal Rumble when Orton was red-hot as a heel. Orton’s mind games over Cody Rhodes to prevent him from defending his dad after Orton made it “business, nothing personal,” was great. This was Orton in his element as a top, credible heel. The whole bit made Cena look like a chump, though, for not being able to see through the plot. This after he was given 18 chances to win the WWE Title at Summerslam. WWE is giving him the Teflon treatment where they figure he can look silly every week and audiences will still go nuts for him and back him. At the end of the day, though, Legacy looked good with a beat down on the top babyfaces and Orton looked like that pre-Rumble monster he needs to be in order to be an effective heel champion.

Gallery Links:
- Fan Candids > 08/22/2009 – SummerSlam Fan Axxess (Vanessa’s Set)
- Fan Candids > 08/22/2009 – SummerSlam Fan Axxess (Suzanne’s Set)