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Randy Orton vs. Legacy (Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase)
Orton dominated early on as Lawler played with Cole about Orton’s strategy of not telling Legacy everything he knows. Legacy then used the numbers advantage with the ref distracted to begin double-teaming Orton to build sympathy on Orton. Orton then regained control and Legacy bailed to opposite ends of the ring as they cut to break. Back from break, Orton was going to town on Cody and Ted in the ring. I can’t believe they’re going with this match – with the awful storyline progression and no heat on Legacy – heading into the top of the hour. Anyways, Orton found himself on the floor and DiBiase landed a dropkick that put Orton on the floor. Back in the ring, DiBiase worked on Orton with a headlock before scoring a nearfall.

The match continued with Cody scoring a nearfall on Orton. Legacy continued to tag in and out working over Orton, who then ducked a clothesline and fired up a comeback using clotheslines and powerslams. Big pop for Orton’s babyface comeback. That was a weird sentence to write. Orton pounded on DiBiase, who then ran into a fallaway back snap. Orton then peered up at the WrestleMania banner and Cole filled in the blank that Legacy cost him his ticket to WrestleMania. Cody then distracted Orton as he was setting up the RKO and DiBiase dropped Orton with Dream Street for the pin and the win. Lawler sold shock, but reasoned the odds were stacked against Orton here. Cody then dropped Orton with Cross Rhodes to add insult to injury. They mocked Orton with his old-school ballerina pose before Legacy’s music hit. The announcers sold Legacy accomplishing their goals tonight.

Winners: Legacy at 11:45. Good heat at the end of the match to give Legacy a credible victory when they desperately needed a win, even if it was with a two-on-one advantage. Still no word on where this goes toward WrestleMania, but the announcers sold it as Legacy officially severing their ties with Orton. Interesting development.

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Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase
The bell sounded and they circled around the ring before DiBiase landed a kick to the gut, but Orton fired back with right hands. Lawler equated this to NXT with Orton mentoring DiBiase to where DiBiase thought he knew more than his mentor. Cole, defending the “Rookie” in the equation, said perhaps DiBiase got tired of Orton’s methods. So weird with Cole defending a “Rookie” on Monday nights and ripping them on Tuesdays. At 1:30, DiBiase chucked Orton to the floor and they brawled until Orton bounced DiBiase’s head off the ringpost. Orton returned to the ring and glared down at DiBiase as they cut to break.

Back from break, DiBiase was pounding on Orton in the ring. DiBiase landed right hand blows before ramming Orton head-first into the corner turnbuckle. Unfortunately, DiBiase hasn’t been built up as a heel, so the audience is silent for DiBiase’s heel work. They came to life when Orton kicked out of a close nearfall before DiBiase applied a modified Cobra Clutch. Orton fought out of the hold, then clotheslined Orton for a two count. They traded haymakers from a standing position, then Orton hit a powerslam off the ropes. Orton then began to stomp away on DiBiase before landing a big knee drop.

Orton began stalking DiBiase for the RKO as the crowd rallied behind him. The crowd popped for Cody Rhodes running down to the ring to distract Orton. Orton and DiBiase exchanged pin attempts, then Cody stormed the ring and attacked Orton, with the match thrown out. Both Ted and Cody beat down Orton, then Orton suddenly fought back against both of them. Orton landed a dropkick that cleared DiBiase, then Rhodes ate a fallaway backbreaker. Orton then tried a snap DDT, but DiBiase pulled Rhodes out of the way. Cue up Orton’s theme music with Orton standing tall in the ring.

Winner: No Contest at 9:01

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In-ring: Up next was the six-man tag match. Out first was the mid-card babyface trio of Yoshi Tatsu making his Raw debut coming over from the ECW brand, Evan Bourne, and Kofi Kingston, who was in a WWE Title match last night. Legacy then came out and the announcers talked up the Elimination Chamber damage. Lawler said Triple H is not here and Sheamus is out with a concussion.

Legacy (Randy Orton & Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes) vs. Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne & Yoshi Tatsu
Yoshi started things off and the announcers talked up Yoshi signing as a free agent. Bourne then tagged in and worked over Cody before setting up the Air Bourne. Cody crotched Bourne, though, and took Bourne off the top rope with the Alabama Slam for a two count. They cut to break with the action in the ring rather than on the floor.

Back from break, DiBiase was working over Bourne, who came back with a double knee smash on DiBiase to cut off Ted. Bourne sold crawling across the desert to his corner and he tagged in Kofi, who came in hot with flying offense on DiBiase. Kofi then tried to warm up the Boom Drop, but Orton distracted the ref and Cody smashed Kofi from behind on the ring apron.

The match continued with Orton entering the match and scoop-slamming Kofi three straight times. The dreaded scoop slam! Kofi battled back, but Orton cut him off with an uppercut. Orton then dropped a knee across the throat before settling in a classic reverse chinlock. Getting back to the basics here. Orton just started walking around the ring, then Cody blind-tagged himself into the match. Orton stared at Cody, then grabbed Cody as he was trying to enter the ring and hooked him for the classic horizontal spike DDT. Orton bailed from the ring, then DiBiase got in his face. “What was that all about? What’s your problem?! Tell me right now!” Orton then snapped and dropped Ted on the floor padding with the RKO. The crowd was hot for the latest from Orton. Back in the ring, Yoshi tagged in for Kofi and gave Cody a rolling snapmare into a kick. He then tagged in Bourne, who went up top and nailed Air Bourne on Cody, who folded his legs like a dead insect as Bourne pinned him for the win.

Post-match: They cut to a shot of Orton standing on the entranceramp glaring down into the ring as the announcers talked up Orton beating Legacy to the punch. They showed DiBiase collecting himself on the floor and Cody writhing in pain on the mat before plugging Batista vs. Cena tonight. Also, HBK explains himself tonight.

Winners: Bourne & Tatsu & Kofi at 9:50. Fine match for the storyline purpose of setting up the latest split tease with Legacy.

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The bell sounded and Matt Striker gave us the first piece of history on the night that the WWE Title last changed hands in St. Louis in 1998. Fact check: correct, as it was Survivor Series 1998 when The Rock won the title from Mankind. Sheamus dominated Kofi early on in the match as Randy Orton’s hometown crowd chanted, “RKO,” while Orton watched from inside a pod. Sheamus continued to hit a move, then play to the crowd. Kofi then came back with an enziguiri kick and a springboard splash for a two count. Sheamus shook off Kofi’s offense and regained control as they closed in on the five-minute mark.

At 5:00, the screen bounced from pod to pod before stopping on…Triple H. The spotlight focused on Hunter’s pod and he had a big smile on his face before turning serious and entering the Chamber to go nose-to-nose with Sheamus center ring. They picked up from the end of Raw, where Sheamus gave Hunter the running Outsider’s Edge, with Hunter in control giving Sheamus a beating using the cage as a weapon. Sheamus then tried to come back with the running Edge, but Hunter blocked and hit a DDT for a two count. Kofi, who was MIA for a few minutes, then came off the top with a splash that Hunter ducked and Sheamus ate. Kofi then stacked up Hunter and Sheamus in the corner before cat jumping Sheamus for some weak-looking right hand blows out of a corner mount before hitting a leaping clothesline. Kofi then followed with an innovative Boom Drop over the top rope onto Hunter, who was on the platform on the other side of the ring. Both men sold the effects here.

At 10:00, the spotlight went to Randy Orton, who exploded out of his pod and went right after Sheamus to take the fight to the champ. Orton then played pinball with Sheamus’s head to send him face-first into the structure walls over and over. Same with Triple H. Kofi then took out Orton, Hunter, and Sheamus on the platform before trying a springboard move onto Orton, only to have Orton counter in mid-air with a textbook dropkick. Hunter re-entered the action and Orton knocked him down before stalking him for the RKO. Orton wanted it, but Hunter shoved him away. Kofi, Hunter, and Orton danced before Orton back dropped Hunter over the top rope to the wire platform. Orton is the focal point here thus far. Suddenly, Sheamus rammed Orton into the ringpost and everyone was down and out.

At 15:00, the spotlight focused on DiBiase to bring in the fifth man of the match. DiBiase immediately started cleaning house as Cena waited for the final entry in the match. DiBiase then walked over to Orton and stared him down before extending a hand. DiBiase helped up Orton, then Legacy talked strategy. They targeted Hunter with kicks and stomps before targeting Sheamus to ram him shoulder-first into the ringpost. Legacy then took Kofi’s head and tried to ram him through one of the square bars. They eventually squeezed his head through the chamber wall and DiBiase put him in a Boston Crab. That was sick. Orton and DiBiase then took apart Hunter including the horizonal DDT off the middle rope onto the platform. Nice. This happened right in front of Cena’s pod. Orton and DiBiase stared down Cena as the countdown went on.

At 21:00, the door opened for Cena as the final entrant in the match. Cena came out fighting with right hands for both DiBiase and Cena to run wild on Legacy. Cena then hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Orton before teasing the Attitude Adjustment on DiBiase. DiBiase tried to hook the ropes to block, so Cena dumped him over the top rope onto the platform to hit the AA. Cena then applied the STF on DiBiase, but Orton broke it up. Remember that. Cody Rhodes then stormed the ringside area and slipped a pipe into the ring. He was yelling for Orton, but DiBiase took the pipe as Cena had Orton up in the air for the AA. DiBiase then blasted Orton with the pipe, followed by Cena. Cena and Orton were KO’ed on the mat, then DiBiase had to make a choice. He opted to cover Orton and score the pin for the first elimination.

Randy Orton eliminated at 24:00

After the elimination, Orton was escorted out of the Chamber, but he looked back to shoot DiBiase a look.

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WWE champion Sheamus vs. Randy Orton — non-title match
Orton was the default babyface here with the audience firmly behind him. Sheamus cut off Orton’s early advantage as they set a slow pace. Sheamus teased the bicycle kick, but Orton ducked and teased the RKO, but Sheamus ducked and rolled to the floor. Orton stood tall in the ring as they cut to a break.

They returned from break with Orton stomping on Sheamus’s body. Mild pop for the Orton Stomp. Ted DiBiase then walked out down the entranceramp. Cody Rhodes followed from a distance. Meanwhile, Sheamus attacked Orton from behind and executed a backbreaker to take control of the match. Orton quickly regained control with a textbook standing dropkick followed by multiple stomps to the mid-section. Orton then pounded the mat looking to set up the RKO, but Sheamus awkwardly blocked before awkwardly rolling to the outside. Orton then shoved Sheamus shoulder-first into the ringpost and rolled back into the ring. DiBiase tried to grab Sheamus, but Sheamus smashed him to the floor. Cody then grabbed Sheamus, which the ref saw and called for a DQ on Orton.

Post-match: DiBiase entered the ring and played the blame game pointing his finger at Cody. The fans chanted, “RKO,” as the pupils continued to argue with each other. Orton then dropped Cody with the RKO out of nowhere. Before DiBiase could react, Sheamus suddenly re-entered and dropped DiBiase with the bicycle kick. Seconds later, Orton dropped Sheamus with the RKO. The crowd popped big for Orton being the last man standing in the ring. Orton sold the crazed lunatic character as he contemplated what happened in the ring. Cue up his music as the announcers replayed the finish with the crowd still cheering Orton.

Winner: Sheamus via DQ at 8:34. Sheamus is officially a lameduck champion at this point, which puts his title in jeopardy on Sunday at the Elimination Chamber PPV. Orton’s teased babyface turn built some momentum this week. We’ll see where all this is going leading to the PPV with DiBiase also involved in the Chamber match.

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Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
The bell sounded and they came face-to-face. Orton teased Cody by slapping him. Cody then slapped back and followed with a high dropkick. They proceeded to engage in a standard wrestling match after deciding to find out who the better man is in the ring. Cody then missed with a top rope splash and Orton teased the RKO by going into his snake-like crouch. Suddenly, WWE champ Sheamus teased entering the ring, only to back off. Cody then took advantage of the distraction by hitting Cross Rhodes on Orton. Cody made the pin for the win and shouted toward Orton that he won the match.

Post-match: Sheamus hit his big bicycle kick to the face on Orton. He then wanted another impact move, but Cody shooed Sheamus away with a chair. Cody stood over Orton to protect him, which seemed to be a tease for Cody to turn on Orton, but they didn’t book that development. Sheamus then slowly walked away before they cut to the announcers. Lawler said the whole situation just has a weird smell.

Winner: Cody Rhodes at 2:45. Fine match with focus on the story to set up Orton for revenge on Sheamus at the Chamber. More Legacy tension potential with Cody scoring a win, then allowing Sheamus to get in a shot on Orton before making the save.

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Orton slowed things down with a focused attack as the announcers talked about both men being in a fragile state of mind. Orton then took Michaels up top, but Michaels knocked Orton off the top with forearm strikes before hitting a flying elbow drop. Michaels then went to the corner to tune up the band at 6:00, but Orton ducked and teased the RKO, only to have Michaels hit an atomic drop and chop combo twice. Michaels then flew off the ropes with a trademark flying elbow smash. He was about to do the classic kip up, but Orton grabbed him in mid-air and rolled up Michaels for the surprise pin and the win.

Post-match: Orton walked out of the ring pleased with himself in his own way while Michaels fought himself on screwing up again. Orton’s music stopped and Michaels walked around the ring in frustration. Michaels ripped off his wrist bands and stomped out of the ring muttering to himself. The announcers talked about it being a frustrating 24 hours as Michaels disappeared in the back.

Winner: Orton at 6:37 to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match. Only went seven minutes, but it felt like a longer match. Great storytelling from both men and a great finish with the flurry at the end before Orton made the big counter. If only someone would roll up Cena on the “You Can’t See Me” hand wave. Michaels’s post-match storytelling was well done to hook viewers on what’s next.

Backstage: Ted DiBiase stopped Randy Orton and congratulated him on the win before apologizing for what happened last night. He said he can’t speak for Cody, but he’s sorry. Orton then got in his face and simply glared at him without saying a word. Orton as the silent assassin is great. Orton walked off, then DiBiase made a pouty face to sell his confusion.

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Backstage: Randy Orton was walking down the hallway, then Ted DiBiase walked up to him and said he has his back. DiBiase said he can’t even talk to Cody right now. He said Cody’s been talking about winning the Rumble and facing Sheamus at Mania, even counting Orton out. Orton had enough of their games and said he’s going to win against Sheamus and he doesn’t want their help.

In-ring: WWE champ Sheamus came to the ring to near-unanimous boos. Randy Orton then came out to a smattering of cheers, but mainly boos as Cole made sure Orton was presented as a heel too. Lawler said it’s a battle of un-likeable wrestlers. Justin Roberts then handled the formal ring intros. Orton was about 90 percent cheered. He didn’t acknowledge, though. Sheamus was the clear heel with the crowd.

WWE champion SHEAMUS vs. RANDY ORTON — WWE Title match
The bell sounded and they faced off without locking up. A chant of “Randy, Randy” started the action before they came together and blocked each other’s shoulder tackle attempts. Orton then hit a standing dropkick and teased the RKO before slithering backward from a defensive Sheamus. Orton then nailed a standing uppercut and Sheamus came right back with a big Polish hammer blow to the face. Sheamus knocked Orton to the floor with a shoulder attack and followed on the floor with uppercuts. Orton returned to the ring holding his shoulder before luring Sheamus into an attack on the left knee. Orton dissected Sheamus’s leg and continued his attack with methodical work in the ring and on the ring apron. Striker explained to the audience the pro-Orton crowd by saying there is a certain respect and familiarity with Orton. Sheamus then found an opening in Orton’s methodical attack to go back to working the left shoulder looking for a submission. They came to their feet and began an exchange of standing right hand blows. After they threw bombs, Sheamus caught Orton off the ropes for a big swinging backbreaker across his knee for a close two count.

Just before 10:00, Sheamus pounded his chest and measured Orton for his finishing move. Sheamus wanted the running Outsider’s Edge, but Orton slipped out and kicked Sheamus out of the ring to the floor. Orton then grappled Sheamus back in the ring and held him across the middle rope for a spike DDT that the crowd popped for. Orton made a cover, but Sheamus grabbed the bottom rope for a two count. The crowd came to life as Orton stalked Sheamus before slowly backing away. He measured the champ for The Punt, but Sheamus rolled to the outside. Orton gave chase and landed a European uppercut. Sheamus then ran him into the ringpost, though, and smashed his shoulder into the post. Suddenly, Cody Rhodes jumped the security rail and blasted Sheamus from behind. The ref reprimanded Cody, but the match continued. Back in the ring, Orton hit the RKO on Sheamus. Ref Armstrong then casually walked over to the ring announcer and called for a DQ as Orton was making a cover.

Post-match: Sheamus was announced as the winner via DQ as Cody freaked out ringside afterhis mistake. Cody then entered the ring and tried to explain himself to Orton, who slowly, slowly, slowly absorbed the situation and stared down Cody. Orton then reached back and popped Cody in the face, which drew a crowd pop. Orton then punched Cody multiple times until Ted DiBiase stormed the ring. DiBiase tried to intervene, but Orton punched Ted down to the mat to another pop. Orton shouted, “You’re done, you screwed it up!” at both of them. Orton then got up and the crowd was yelling as Sheamus stood in the background. Orton then turned around and ate a running bicycle kick to the head from Sheamus. Smack. Sheamus picked up his WWE Title belt and walked out of the ring as Cody and Ted simply looked at Orton from the corner. Orton was KO’ed in the ring as Ted and Cody walked out unsure what to do or how to handle the situation. After the announcers narrated replays, they showed Orton checking his jaw in pain on the mat.

WINNER: Sheamus via DQ at 12:27.

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WWE champion SHEAMUS vs. JOHN CENA — non-title match
Cena hit a traditional Fisherman suplex at the top of the hour, but Sheamus cut him off with a clothesline mid-ring. Sheamus then slowly worked over Cena as the announcers talked about Sheamus backing up every word he’s said about taking out Cena. Sheamus knocked Cena off the ring apron with a big strike, then Cena slowly pulled himself back in the ring. He nearly tricked Sheamus into the Attitude Adjustment, but Sheamus slipped out and hit a nice DDT for a two count. Sheamus then hit a standing powerslam for a two count. Sheamus then took Cena to the outside and rammed her into the guardrail. He returned to the ring and told the ref to start counting out Cena. The kids ringside screamed in horror as Cena remained motionless before storming the ring just before ten. Sheamus then missed with an elbow drop and Cena fired off his big comeback. The crowd popped as Cena did his Shuffle routine. He wanted the AA, but Sheamus slipped under Cena and hit a backbreaker across his knee for a two count. Sheamus then stood over Cena and eyeballed Cena for something painful. He wanted the Bicycle Kick, but Cena ducked and rolled into an STF. Sheamus was too close to the ropes, though, and Sheamus escaped. Sheamus rolled to the outside and Cena followed, but Cena ate an emphatic bicycle kick on the floor that took the air out of the building.

Sheamus rolled back into the ring and demanded a count from the ref. Cena sold being KO’ed again, then out of nowhere, Randy Orton stormed the ring and hit the RKO on Sheamus from behind for a DQ. The crowd did a “shocked” reaction here. They didn’t buy Orton as a babyface with their reaction. Orton then pounded the mat and stared a hole into Sheamus, who remained out cold on the mat. Cena then tried to get into the ring, but Orton grabbed him and wanted the elevated DDT. Orton took too long, though, and Cena popped to his feet and dropped Orton with the AA. Cena’s music hit as both Sheamus and Orton were out cold on the mat with Cena celebrating. How often do both wrestlers in a WWE Title match end up face-down on the mat leading to a PPV title match? After they replayed the ending moments, Cena was shown standing tall in the ring looking down at the fallen Sheamus and Orton to close the show ten minutes past the top of the hour.

WINNER: Sheamus via DQ at 9:50. Strong TV main event to conclude the Rumble hype. Sheamus was presented very well here, as the only reason why he was face-down to close Raw was due to Orton’s sneak attack. Cena gave Sheamus a good amount of offense and Sheamus came across like a barbaric, effective heel capable of delivering a beating. Good piece of TV, although it was odd seeing both Orton and Sheamus face-down before their title match at the PPV. The one thing WWE didn’t establish was who to root for between Sheamus and Orton on Sunday, which will be rather interesting on the PPV.

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WINNER: Sheamus at 2:05. I don’t agree with throwing the champion in a segment without any hype and where he loses credibility points for nearly being pinned by someone who never wins matches on TV, even with Orton’s distraction. WWE needs to build up Sheamus right now, not put him in a position to look vulnerable every week. (n/a)

Post-match: Orton slowly walked into the ring as the announcers tried to cover for the match that could have ruined Sheamus’s credibility by saying Orton got in Sheamus’s head, which nearly cost Sheamus the win. Orton entered the ring and stared down Sheamus, who grabbed his WWE Title belt and held it up in the air to boos. A few fans chanted, “Randy, Randy” during this. Sheamus then left the ring without any further physicality.

In-ring: Randy Orton came to the ring for a match. He did the full ring intro and stared into the crowd before Chris Masters came out as the opponent. Virtually no reaction for Masters, who came out to that generic new rock music and Eve by his side.

RANDY ORTON vs. CHRIS MASTERS (w/Eve)
The bell sounded and Sheamus’s music hit to bring out the WWE champion for a closer look. Formula, but good stuff with Orton and Sheamus here. Masters and Orton locked up center ring and Masters landed a hard shoulder block. The crowd hasn’t heard Masters turned babyface. Masters tried the Masterlock, but Orton flung him away, only to take a powerslam for a two count. They showed Sheamus staring intently into the ring as Orton came back with a fallaway backbreaker. Orton then got down on the mat to set up the RKO, but Masters countered into the Masterlock. Orton tried to escape by grabbing the ropes and he started to fade, which drew Masters into a trap for Orton to grab the ropes for a break. Masters then approached Orton for follow-up offense, but Orton dropped him with the RKO out of nowhere. Orton made the pin for the win.

WINNER: Orton at 2:50. Really intriguing segment here. There was a babyface that Knoxville hadn’t heard turned babyface, a long-standing heel playing for sympathy, and the WWE champion. It was just different and in a good way. The post-match put good heat on Sheamus with WWE subtly making Orton the default babyface for the Rumble. WWE gets a B+ for developing the Orton-Sheamus program for the Rumble on this week’s show. (*)

Post-match: Orton sold neck pain, then suddenly turned around to find a bicycle kick to the face from Orton. One clean blow. Sheamus then put his boot on Orton’s head and declared himself the winner tonight. Sheamus slowly left the ring, leaving Orton out cold in the ring. Sheamus then lifted the WWE Title belt up in the air to close the segment.

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Orton took the mic and addressed Tyson first. He said he’s not interested in creating a SportsCenter moment like some people might be. He’s interested in the WWE Title. Orton said Sheamus doesn’t have an opponent for the Royal Rumble, so Tyson needs to make him #1 contender. Suddenly, John Cena’s music hit to a typically strong reaction to bring out Cena after a one-week absence for the Fiesta Bowl last Monday. Cole noted the “stars in the ring” at the start of Raw, apparently to counter TNA dropping stars on viewers last week.

Cena said hi to everyone and nearly blew his cheap pop saying, “The Packers…er…the Vikings are still in the Playoffs and the Packers are going home.” Sheamus said he doesn’t want to see Cena here because he gave him his last shot at the title. Cena said last time they fought, Sheamus l-o-s-t lost. Cena said he’s beaten Sheamus, Orton, and even Tyson. You could see it coming – Cena said it took virtually all of his youth, but he finally won Super Punch-Out. Cena told Tyson to look no further for a title shot than him.

Suddenly, Kofi Kingston’s music interrupted to bring out Kofi, who was looking very serious. Orton wanted to know what he’s doing here since he lost to him last week. Kofi said he’s right and he probably doesn’t have any business being out here except for Cena and Orton having already had numerous title matches while he’s never had one. Kofi said he’s not going to sit in the back and wait for his opportunity. Kofi made the mistake of pausing for a “Cena Sucks” chant, which Cena covered with a line about not paying attention to that anyways. Kofi said he wants a shot and he won’t take no for an answer. Sheamus then stepped in and addressed Tyson, saying he wants the Rumble off from having to defend the title. He told the other three that if they want a title match, then go to the Rumble and earn it like everyone else.

Tyson said he never ducked a fight in his life, so Sheamus is defending the title at the Rumble. He then stammered out a booking decision of a triple threat tonight with the winner facing Sheamus at the Rumble. Cena then translated for Tyson that it’s three of the Punch-Out stars vs. the lame Soda Popinski, Sheamus. Sheamus glared at Cena, then Tyson’s music hit to wrap the segment. PYB (3) 11:25. JC: Plenty of good star power, but Tyson was pretty awkward here. They limited his talking points effectively, though, to allow the wrestling stars to be seen on the same level as Tyson. I was disappointed in no punch, kick, or bite from Tyson, though. And it was pretty comical that Cena nearly blew the cheap-heat sports reference in Minnesota.

t the top of the hour, the announcers plugged Tyson & Jericho vs. DX in the main event. Randy Orton then came out first for the three-way #1 contender match. Kofi Kingston came out second as Cole said Kofi is stepping up looking for his shot. Lawler said he wants his shot too…but Kofi lost to Orton last week. Lawler dropping those hints of wanting a WrestleMania match. John Cena then came out and did his pre-match routine while staring down the opposition.

RANDY ORTON vs. KOFI KINGSTON vs. JOHN CENA — #1 contender match
The bell sounded and Orton kicked Cena in the gut. Kofi and Cena then double-teamed Orton and some awkward in-ring wrestling occurred. Orton tried to bail, but Cena threw Orton into the ring. Worth noting Orton is the heel here, but he’s getting double-teamed. Kofi then chucked Orton to the floor, leaving Cena and Kofi alone in the ring. Sheamus then came out on stage for a closer look. Cena told Sheamus to come on down, but then Orton caught both Cena and Kofi from behind to take control going to break. Poor first three minutes to start the match.

Back from break, Sheamus was still on the entranceramp and Orton was still in control. Orton then dropped Cena with his “vicious” horizontal DDT from the middle rope. Orton got up, but walked into a high cross-body splash from Kofi, who scored a two count. Orton came back with a fallaway backbreaker on Kofi, but Cena attacked Orton. Kofi then hit the SOS sweeping back drop on Orton for a two count. Kofi warmed up the Boom Drop on Orton, but Cena caught him with the STF in center ring. Kofi held on forever before Orton finally broke up the hold. Cena then fired up his usual routine on Orton before delivering the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena wanted to follow with the FU, but Kofi yanked Orton down and chopped Cena across the chest. Kofi followed with a dropkick and leaping clothesline before hitting the Boom Drop. Crowd seemed to die as Kofi took control here. Kofi then hit the Trouble in Paradise, but Cena rolled to the outside.

Kofi turned to Orton for ten punches in the corner, while, suddenly, Cody Rhodes showed up ringside to kick the ring steps into Cena. The ref reprimanded Cody while Kofi and Orton waited forever for DiBiase to show up and interfere on Orton’s behalf behind the ref’s back. Orton then stalked Kofi, who was on his feet at this point, and hit the RKO center ring. Orton sold frustration with the finish, then made the cover for the win. Post-match: Sheamus glared back at Orton, who stood tall in the ring with Legacy. Sheamus vs. Orton at the Rumble.

WINNER: Orton at 11:15.

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McMahon said he has his own security at his “beck and call.” McMahon tersely told Orton not to confront him ever again. He slammed the door in Orton’s face, then Orton walked down the hallway only to find DiBiase and Rhodes. Rhodes thanked Orton for threatening them last week; it really inspired them. DiBiase said they want to return the favor by sitting ringside when Orton faces Kofi. He said if Kofi doesn’t win, then it’s just like last week – they’re going to kick Orton out of the Legacy. “And then we’re going to beat the hell out of you,” Cody said. Orton glared at them before DiBiase and Rhodes walked off. Nice segment.
In-ring: Randy Orton’s music hit to bring out Orton with DiBiase and Rhodes already ringside. Cole plugged Steve Austin’s “Condemned” box-office bust movie airing after Raw tonight. (No, they didn’t actually mention it was a box-office bust.)

KOFI KINGSTON vs. RANDY ORTON
Kofi took it to Orton early on before dropkicking Orton through the ropes to the outside. Orton then kicked him away again and Orton stared at DiBiase and Rhodes, who stared at him to say, “Show us something.” Orton stumbled on the floor before they cut to break.

Back from break, Orton was in control as the announcers talked up Hart-McMahon to come. Orton continued to work over Kofi while they cut to shots of DiBiase and Rhodes sitting ringside watching intently. The announcers sold not knowing whether they want Orton to be successful or not. Kofi then made a comeback, but they collided mid-air. Both men came to their feet after a pause and Kofi hit a top-rope splash for a two count center ring. Kofi then tried the Trouble in Paradise, but Orton blocked and immediately dropped Kofi with the RKO for the pin and the win. After the bell sounded, DiBiase and Rhodes no-sold the victory. They remained in their seats with blank looks on their faces. Orton left the ring and turned back to look at DiBiase and Cody, who eventually stood up and folded their arms.

WINNER: Orton at 11:02. Okay match. Just didn’t move into a higher gear and Kofi seems to have lost some of his edge after peaking at MSG with the Boom Drop. The deal with DiBiase and Rhodes has potential for good follow-up next week, but this whole segment seemed to be “just there” this week.

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Randy Orton then came out to the ring ahead of the Legacy matches.
Randy Orton was watching his ring entrance back from break while seated ringside. Out came Ted DiBiase, Jr. for the first Legacy survival match. Cole gave a quick plug for the new movie coming out tomorrow as DiBiase completed his entrance. Lawler suggested Orton is jealous of DiBiase being a movie star. They cut to a video package of behind-the-scenes clips from the movie. Back live, DiBiase was staring down at Orton from inside the ring. Evan Bourne then came out to face DiBiase.

TED DIBIASE, JR. (w/Randy Orton neutral ringside) vs. EVAN BOURNE
It appears WWE has addressed the most-obvious criticism of the lack of promotion/marketing for the “Marine 2″ movie by finally incorporating the movie into a storyline – the announcers sold that perhaps Orton believes DiBiase has lost his focus on wrestling with the movie role. DiBiase was in control early on, but Bourne came back with a rapid-fire top rope huracanrana and a close two count. Bourne teased Air Bourne, but DiBiase blocked and dropped Bourne face-first on the mat in the corner. That looked off when it appeared DiBiase was going for a corner turnbuckle face-plant. DiBiase then followed up immediately with Dream Street for the pin and the win. Orton didn’t appear to be convinced while DiBiase simply paced the ring post-victory.

WINNER: DiBiase at 2:31

Randy Orton was still sitting ringside, this time in the dark. He was selling complete boredom. Cody Rhodes then came out and Orton focused back on the ring. Cody shot Orton a look, then Mark Henry came out a-smilin’ for the crowd. Announcers sold it as either Henry or Orton “beating the hell out of Cody” here.

CODY RHODES (w/Randy Orton neutral ringside) vs. MARK HENRY
The bell sounded and Henry tossed Cody clear across the ring before delivering a big shoulder tackle. Henry then teased a sit-out bomb, but Cody moved and kinda rolled across Henry’s stomach like a kid jumping on dad sitting around the Christmas tree. Henry then ran over Cody with clotheslines before nailing a headbutt. Henry followed with a running butt bomb to crunch Cody’s neck into the ropes. Henry slid through the ropes on the way down and started selling a knee injury. He slapped the mat in frustration to sell it some more. Back in the ring, Cody slipped out of a press slam and took out the knee. Cody then stomped Henry’s foot and delivered a DDT for the pin and the win.

Post-match: Orton just slumped down in his chair and let his body dangle in a mix of frustration and fake enthusiasm. Orton got up from his chair and shook hands with Cody before playfully slapping him on the head to escort him away from ringside. Cody left with Orton patting him on the back.

WINNER: Cody at 2:05.

U.S. champion THE MIZ vs. KOFI KINGSTON — U.S. Title match
The action was joined in progress coming back from break with Kofi in control with multiple nearfalls. Kofi then connected with a twisting Boom Drop. He did his multiple clap motion to warm up the TiP and he connected. Miz rolled to the ropes and the ref began a count, but Randy Orton stormed the ring and yanked Kofi out of the ring for the match to be thrown out. Orton assaulted Kofi before dropping him on the floor with the RKO. Orton stared down at Kofi and the camera stayed with Orton for a while as he simply stared down at Kofi.

WINNER: Kofi via DQ at 1:32; Miz retains the U.S. Title. Rough night for Miz, who had zero offense here. Good to see WWE resuming the Orton-Kofi feud with Orton back to his awesome heel ways as one of the top characters on the roster. Good focus on Orton here.

Backstage: Mathews caught up with Randy Orton for a word. Orton said the issue with him and Kofi isn’t over until he says it’s over. Orton said he can’t think of a better way to start the new year than by kicking somebody in the skull. Orton was apparently hinting at a singles match next week here.

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Randy Orton & Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase vs. Evan Bourne& Mark Henry & Kofi Kingston
Legacy took control early on and they quickly went to a commercial break.
Back from break, Bourne took a hot tag and cleaned house on Legacy. Bourne then hit a top rope Shooting Star Press on Rhodes and he had a pin, but DiBiase broke up the pin. The action broke down and Legacy took advantage in the confusion. Legacy began tagging in and out working over Bourne, but Kofi took a hot tag and cleaned house on Orton. Kofi flew off the second rope with a dropkick to the knees before connecting with the Boom Drop center ring. Kofi made a cover, but Rhodes broke it up. Henry then smashed Rhodes out of the ring. In the meanwhile, DiBiase tagged in and ate the Trouble in Paradise. Kofi then made the cover for the win as the announcers put over Kofi. Meanwhile, Orton sold disbelief on the outside.

Winners: Team Kofi at 10:23. Pretty good two-segment match. They went back to focusing on Kofi to set up another round of Orton vs. Kofi down the road. Evan Bourne also had a moment to shine coming out of the commercial. Fine match to re-establish Kofi.

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WINNER: Orton via countout in 3:00.

Afterward, Rhodes and DiBiase stomped away at Taker mid-ring. Taker sat up and grabbed their throats and shoved them over the top rope to the floor. He then chokeslammed Orton, giving the fans something to cheer about.

RANDY ORTON vs. JOHN CENA — Superstar of the Year Finals Match
The match moved to the floor early on where Orton took advantage before throwing Cena back into the ring to inflict more punishment. Orton proceeded to stomp and kick and punch away on Cena, who sold pain before making a comeback with a bulldog. Cena then went up top and hit the guillotine leg drop for a close two count. Cena tried to collect himself before going after Orton, but Orton caught him with a fallaway backbreaker for a two count. Orton landed a straight right hand, then Cena came back with a small package pin attempt, but Orton popped up and landed a hard clothesline for a two count. Announcers cast doubt over Cena’s chances tonight, which means he’s winning. Orton continued the beat down before airballing on a high knee drop. Cena then made his full comeback as the crowd popped for his You Can’t See Me routine. Cena then tried the Attitude Adjustment, but Orton blocked, and tried the RKO, but Cena countered into an STF attempt. Orton blocked, but Cena countered into an AA for a close two count when Orton grabbed the bottom rope just before three. Orton rolled to the outside to recover, then he caught Cena and implant DDT’ed right off the ring apron face-first into the padding. Orton then rolled Cena’s lifeless body back into the ring, but Cena kicked out at two. Orton, now beside himself, did his evil-eyes look as Cena stirred in the corner. Orton saw his chance and backed into the corner for The Punt, but Cena moved and hit the AA this time in center ring. SuperCena then made the cover for the win.

WINNER: Cena at 9:03 to become Superstar of the Year. Darn good main event. Great counters and reversals, but you could see the finish coming a mile away with a “reinvigorated and renewed” Cena being the focal point of the match.

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RANDY ORTON vs. KOFI KINGSTON
Orton got his obligatory side headlock out of the way very early, going to it immediately at the start of the match. After a powerslam at 1:00, he applied his obligatory chinlock. Kingston surprised Orton with a roll-up at 2:00. Kingston ran in place, drawing some boos, and signaled for his “Boom Boom” sequence. Orton rolled out of the ring. Kingston leaped off the top rope at Orton, but Orton caught him with a dropkick. Orton dominated offense methodically for several minutes in the ring. At 8:00 Kingston clotheslined Orton over the top rope to the floor and then dove at him at ringside, knocking him down with a shoulder tackle. Back in the ring Kingston scored a two count after a flying bodyblock. Orton fired back with a backbreaker. At 9:00 Kingston hit Trouble in Paradise for a near fall, stopped when Orton grabbed the bottom rope. Orton then gave Kingston an implant DDT off the second rope. Orton waited for Kingston to rise onto his knees. Orton went for the punt kick. Kingston blocked it with his arm, but then sold serious arm pain. Orton drove his arm into the mat DDT-style, then licked his lips and rolled his eyes back as if he really enjoyed that moment. He then pounded the mat and set up his RKO. Kingston went for Trouble in Paradise out of nowhere, but Orton ducked and hit the RKO for the clean win. There was a significant minority pop for Orton’s win.

WINNER: Orton in 13:00.

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Cuban added that Orton got lucky last week against Kofi Kingston because the WWE refs are worse than NBA refs and they didn’t stop the match when Legacy attacked Kingston. He said he knows Orton is a competitor, so here’s the deal: Orton vs. Kofi again tonight. But. But. He will be the referee. Cuban said he’s in charge and he’s the guest host, so deal with it. Cody Rhodes interrupted and said Orton isn’t Kenyon Martin or his mother because this man – Orton – can and actually will hurt him. Cody called out the Mavs for being all-talk. He asked them if they want to do something memorable in this arena other than losing in the Playoffs. Cuban told Cuban to take up his challenge from the Dallas Morning-News and fight him tonight. If Cody wins, Cuban lifts Orton’s ban. Cody left the ring and got right up to Mark to see what he has to say. Cuban proposed something to Cody that they take this up in June after the Mavericks win the NBA Title. Cuban told them to get lost, then there was a not-so-smooth transition to Evan Bourne’s music and out came Bourne and Primo to apparently face Legacy. PYB (3) talk time: 6:25. They were going for the cheap local heat dropping bombs on the Mavs and it worked pretty well to get the live crowd riled up.

Mark Cuban was shown wearing a referee shirt in-ring before Randy Orton came out for the top-of-the-hour main event. Out next was Kofi Kingston to be part of the match WWE hopes will get on ESPN.

RANDY ORTON vs. KOFI KINGSTON
Kofi and Orton locked up and Kofi drove Orton to the corner before clotheslining Orton over the top rope to the floor. Kofi then bounced off the opposite ropes and nailed a suicide dive through the ropes on the floor. Kofi rolled Orton back into the ring, but missed with a corner splash back in the ring. Orton then hit a knock-down clothesline to slow down Kofi and begin a methodical attack.

Orton slowly paced the ring to draw boos as Cuban stood back in the corner observing the proceedings. Orton landed a knee drop, then settled into a good old fashioned Orton reverse chinlock to wear down Kingston. Crowd rallied behind Kofi, then Orton started jawing with Cuban, who pointed to his referee t-shirt to remind Orton what’s up. Kofi made a comeback, then fired off a bunch of right hands and Cuban interjected to break up before a five count. Kofi then followed up with more right hands and European Uppercut. Kofi followed with the Boom Drop before beginning his hand clap motion to set up his finisher. Orton ducked Trouble in Paradise, then dropped Kofi with his fallaway backbreaker move. Orton shot Cuban a glare, then he pounded his fists on the mat to stalk Kofi for the RKO. Kofi blocked, though, and put Orton in the backslide pin where Cuban made the fastest three count ever to give Kofi the win.

Post-match: The crowd popped and Orton was seething in the ring after getting screwed by Cuban. Cuban told Orton he waited six years for payback and now he got him. Cuban then booked Orton vs. Kofi in the rubber match at TLC. Cole liked the sound of that and said each one has a win “albeit…under weird circumstances.” It was just funny how Cole emphasized “weird.” Cuban then celebrated with Kofi to close the segment.

WINNER: Kingston at 5:23. Fine, albeit short match between these two. WWE isn’t expecting the match-up to sell the PPV, so they’re obviously not too concerned about protecting the match-up for PPV. The chemistry between Kofi and Orton was good for five minutes.

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Kofi Kingston came to the ring for the unadvertised match against Randy Orton, but Cody Rhodes ambushed him before he could enter the ring. Cody left Kofi KO’ed on the floor, but Kofi slowly entered the ring and said he still wanted the match against Orton. Orton’s music hit, but Ted DiBiase ambushed Kofi from behind and attacked the leg. Cole said they were expecting Kingston vs. Orton tonight, but now it seems unlikely. Kofi sold a left knee injury as refs checked on him. Orton’s music hit a second time and Orton made record time hitting the ring.

RANDY ORTON vs. KOFI KINGSTON
The bell sounded after the ref checked with Kofi one more time, then Orton quickly went after the knee that was softened up by Legacy. The crowd tried to rally behind Kofi as Orton took apart the knee. Orton stalked Kofi then went back to attacking the knee. Ref threatened to DQ him, but he inexplicably didn’t DQ Orton. WWE is quite inconsistent with how much leeway referees are given to determine DQs. Orton backed away, then Kofi made a brief comeback, but Orton finished him off with the RKO for the pin and the win.

Post-match: Orton picked up Kingston and wanted to continue the attack. He put Kingston in the corner and executed his elevated DDT straight into the mat after a pause for added effect. Orton did his viper-like stalk to go with his evil-eyes facial expression to sell the attack. Crowd chanted, “Randy sucks” to help sell the angle. Orton’s music hit again as the announcers talked about Orton being a tortured soul and obsessed with revenge on Kingston, who seemingly pushed Orton too far.

WINNER: Orton at 3:08. The match outcome sets up Kingston for revenge at a later date, but why they went this route of Kingston taking a pinfall loss was questionable. Orton was at least awesome as the classic Orton heel getting his revenge on Kingston for the past few weeks. Good to see Orton strong again. Now they can set up a strong comeback from Kingston.

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Ventura turned and told Orton he won’t get a title shot. He said too many of the same people day in, day out, week after week have gotten the shot at the title. He said it’s time to change that. Orton interrupted and asked if Triple H would get a shot. Or Shawn Michaels or Chris Jericho. Ventura ruled them all out. He said there will be a series of matches to earn a title shot and the qualification is none can be former champions. Then the winners will participate in a Breakthrough Battle Royal, and the winner will be the no. 1 contender. Orton told Ventura he’s making a very, very big mistake. Ventura said he’s make plenty of mistakes before. “You can’t govern and not make mistakes,” he said, but then reiterated that what he says goes.

Ventura announced Cena would face Punk. He said they’ve never wrestled before. He announced DX vs. The Hart Dynasty, adding that they’ve never faces each other before. He then introduced the first match in the one-night top contender tournament. Kingston walked out to his ring intro as Orton walked toward the back. They exchanged a tense stare as they passed one another.

Orton approached Ventura backstage. He told Jesse that he’s the victim of a conspiracy as they don’t want him to be champion. Ventura seemed to sympathize with him, but he said he set the rules tonight and can’t make special exceptions for him. He said he’s all about revolution, and that means new, not old. He said he likes that he retires old guys who ought to be retired. Orton didn’t like what he heard, but didn’t protest any further.

Evan Bourne came out to face Primo Colon. Then Primo stepped onto the stage. Orton ambushed Primo and beat him down near the stage. Then he walked to the ring and told the ref he’s in the match now and ring the bell. Ventura appeared on the big screen and told them to shut things down out there. He addressed Orton and said he’s been on his case since he arrived tonight. He said because he’s been persistence, rules are made to be broken. He said he broke every rule when he wrestled and when he announced, and he can break his own rules. He said he’ll break a rule just for him. He said if he can beat Bourne, he will put him in the battle royal and get a chance at the World Title. “Persistency pays off,” he said. “I like your style.”

EVAN BOURNE vs.RANDY ORTON — Qualifying Match
Orton threw Bourne into the ringpost and scored an early two count. He quickly catapulted him into the bottom rope for another two count. Bourne made a brief comeback and hit a double flying knee drop onto Orton for a near fall. Orton turned a springboard bodyblock attempt by Bourne into a powerslam. Bourne then gave Orton an RKO for the win.
WINNER: Orton in 2:00.

BREAKTHROUGH BATTLE ROYAL — #1 contender match
Back from break, everyone was in the ring except for Randy Orton, who slowly walked out to the ring to get the match started. Sheamus stood out early on for just waiting back in the corner looking to pick his spot. McMahon with a quick unintentional plug for the new “Blind Side” movie, saying the key to a battle royal is to protect your blindside. Meanwhile, Orton slipped to the outside and waited for his moment. McMahon and Ventura traded barbs while the action slowed to a crawl. They followed with a debate on the WWE refs allowing Orton to stay on the outside. Ventura told McMahon to hire new refs, while McMahon shot back that Ventura has power. And so the dilemma of absolute power in the Raw storylines continues. And out went R-Truth via Sheamus at 2:55 for the first elimination. Batista doesn’t have to worry about anything tonight. Ventura said the only problem he has with Sheamus is he needs a suntan. MVP was then knocked out of the match. Henry teased eliminating Sheamus, but Legacy saved Sheamus.

At 4:00, Henry eliminated both members of Legacy. Sheamus then snuck up behind Henry to dump him out. So now it’s Orton, Sheamus, and Kofi. A graphic flashed “Voices of: Jesse Ventura, Vince McMahon.” Thanks for the heads up, WWE. Kofi and Orton paired off against each other, then Sheamus tried to get involved, but Orton dropped Sheamus with the fallaway backbreaker. Orton then tried to eliminate Kofi, but Kofi skinned the cat and eliminated Orton. Orton did the big bug eyes after being eliminated. WWE stayed with a camera shot of Kofi and Orton, then Sheamus came up from behind Kofi and eliminated him for the win.

WINNER: Sheamus at 6:23 to become #1 contender.

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In-ring: C.M. Punk came out first, followed by William Regal for Randy Orton’s heel team. Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase came out together next, followed by Randy Orton as the announcers talked about the problems for Orton’s team members as of late. Announcers then plugged the TLC PPV in three weeks from San Antonio. Reversing the intro pattern from the opening match, Kofi Kingston came out first for the babyface team. WWE cut to a video package from Raw of the Kingston-Orton brawl that led to Kofi’s “MSG moment” Boom Drop. After the video aired, MVP, then Mark Henry came to the ring. Out next was “the white guy” ECW champion Christian, followed by R-Truth. This announcing trio is not a good combination, by the way. It’s rather annoying Striker has to explain every multiple-syllable sentence.

TEAM KOFI (KOFI KINGSTON & MVP & MARK HENRY & R-TRUTH & ECW champion CHRISTIAN) vs. TEAM ORTON (RANDY ORTON & TED DIBIASE & CODY RHODES & WILLIAM REGAL & C.M. PUNK)
Henry and Orton started things off and Team Orton ran interference to distract the ref allowing Cody and Ted to take the knees out from under Henry. Orton then dropped Henry mid-ring with the RKO for an early pin before the first minute was up. After a pause to collect themselves, Team Kofi sent MVP into the ring, but MVP took a beating in the heel corner. Truth then tagged in and Team Orton also ran a distraction to set up Punk for the Go 2 Sleep on Truth. Punk with the pin on his new rival, Truth for another early pin. Christian entered for Team Kofi, but Team Orton went to work on him as well. Christian then blocked a corner attack by DiBiase and executed a sunset flip for a pin out of nowhere on DiBiase. After a few exchanges by multiple participants, Kofi scored a pin on Regal to even the sides at three apiece.

At 7:00, Christian and Cody battled before Cody locked his legs around Christian with a leg scissors to slow down the pace. MVP then tagged in and dropped a Ballin’ elbow drop on Rhodes with the announcers noting the local Wizards NBA team needing some help. Orton then distracted MVP, which gave Cody just the slightest opening to hit Cross Rhodes for the pin. Down to Kofi and Christian for the babyfaces. About a minute later, Christian entered and nailed the Killswitch on Cody for the pin.

At 12:00, it was two-on-two with Orton beginning an attack on Christian. Orton bumped Kofi off the apron for good measure, then walked over to Christian, who tried a surprise small package, but only scored a two count. Orton tried to follow with the RKO with a Punk distraction, but Christian hit the Killswitch. Crowd was hot for an apparent pin, but Punk broke up the pin. Christian cleared out Punk, but then Orton sprung with an RKO for the pin. So, we’re down to Kofi vs. Orton and Punk. Crowd hot for Kofi, who squared off with Orton, only to have Orton bail and tag in Punk. Announcers noted that Punk and Kofi are former tag champs. Boy, that seemed like a really, really long time ago. Kofi and Punk took their time talking out things, then they came to blows. Punk teased the G2S, but Kofi slipped out and missed the Trouble in Paradise. Both men squared off after the exchange and the crowd applauded.

At 16:00, Punk went to work on Kofi with a mat hold while the camera focused on Orton pacing ringside watching Punk do his dirty work. Kofi then broke free of the mat hold and went for a splash, only to have Punk knee him in the gut. Punk then measured Kofi for a running knee strike and he connected, but Kofi blocked the running bulldog part two. Kofi slowly went up top, but Punk crotched him and they battled up top. Kofi finally dropped Punk to the mat and came off the top with a high crossbody splash for a close two count.

At 20:00, Kofi made his fired-up comeback, but Orton distracted Kofi. Punk tried to roll up Kofi from behind, but Kofi rolled through into a pin for a three count. Orton tried to storm into the ring to follow up, but Kofi nailed him with the Trouble in Paradise kick for the pin and the win. Cole quickly drew attention to Kofi pinning two former World champs in a matter of six seconds. Eliminations: Henry by Orton at 0:51, Truth by Punk at 3:13, DiBiase by Christian at 5:10, Regal by Kofi at 6:50, MVP by Rhodes at 10:10, Cody by Christian at 11:34, Christian by Orton at 13:25, Punk by Kofi at 20:43, Orton by Kofi at 20:50.

WINNERS: Team Kofi