RAW Results

WASHINGTON D.C. – In the shadow of the breathtaking Washington Monument, Randy Orton made a few breathtaking monumental statements of his own. In the U.S. capital, The Viper countered the attacks of four Superstars with a flurry of RKOs.

Randy Orton def. Wade Barrett
Randy Orton seemed a man possessed. In the night’s main event match, The Viper faced off against Wade Barrett as WWE Champion Sheamus, Edge and John Cena looked on from ringside. And although the opponents appeared evenly matched, Orton slithered past his foe when the leader of The Nexus was haunted by a face from his past: Darren Young.

The banished Nexus member distracted Barrett long enough to allow The Viper to level him with an RKO and prevail in the match. Orton, however, was hardly content with a singular strike. He subsequently coiled around Young, Edge and Sheamus, leaving each incapacitated by an RKO.

Although Cena entered the ring as well, the two appeared justifiably cautious in the presence of one another, content to stare each other down until next week when they will happily settle any scores.

Edge def. The Great Khali
With his spot in the Six Pack Challenge hanging in the balance, Edge hoped to defeat his opponent, The Great Khali, by count-out. The victory, however, left Raw’s anonymous General Manager hungry for more. As a result, the GM announced that the match must end with a definitive conclusion and would be an Over-the-Top-Rope Challenge.

Since Khali captured the World Heavyweight Championship in a joust of this kind, the stipulation appeared to favor the Punjabi giant. The Ultimate Opportunist, however, wasn’t beaten yet. Despite the tremendous setback, Edge managed to depose his lofty adversary, sending him tumbling over the top rope and maintaining his slot in the Six Pack Challenge at Night of Champions.

John Cena will face winner of Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett match
Raw’s anonymous General Manager chimed in to inform the WWE Universe that the winner of the match pitting Randy Orton against Wade Barrett will be “rewarded” with a match against John Cena on next week’s Raw. Adding to the excitement of next week’s show, Raw Roulette returns! The high-stakes wheel promises to provide a series of unexpected and must-watch matches.

United States Champion The Miz accepted title match challenge from Daniel Bryan
The Miz has arrived. Despite his arrogance, the United States Champion does deserve some credit. After all, he did make it onto the cover of this month’s WWE Magazine. As Mr. Money in the Bank boasted about the honor, Daniel Bryan cut him short. Daniel Bryan respectfully asked for a title match against Miz at Night of Champions.

Miz accepted, so that, as he said, he might embarrass his nemesis. As the two Superstars shook on it, “The Cleveland Screamer” took a cheap shot. Daniel Bryan, however, flipped the script and locked Miz in the LeBell Lock. Just as it appeared Miz was prepared to tap out, his season two NXT Rookie Alex Riley charged the ring from the audience and rescued the United States Champion. Afterward, Miz allowed Riley to get locked into the LeBell Lock and suffer as he simply looked on. Once Daniel Bryan had released the hold, he then kicked over the poster-sized photo of the magazine cover Miz had so smugly displayed.

John Cena def. Justin Gabriel
John Cena wasn’t about to give Justin Gabriel the satisfaction. The South African had already hit Cena with three 450° Splashes over the past few months, including one the week before, after which Gabriel had pinned Cena.

This week would tell a far different story. Without his contingent of Nexus cronies to rely upon, Gabriel failed to notch a fourth devastating 450° Splash. In fact, he appeared to flail in the face of Cena’s strength and size advantage, finally succumbing to a vengeful Attitude Adjustment off the top rope to end the match.

Divas Champion Melina def. Alicia Fox
Invoking her rematch clause, former Divas Champion Alicia Fox challenged current champion Melina to a title match. Angered that she might be relegated to “lumberjill” status during the Divas and Women’s Championship Unification Lumberjill Match, Fox needed a win to recapture the spotlight. Alas, the towering Floridian came up short against Melina, who retained her title.

John Morrison def. Chris Jericho
After deserting their teammates in last week’s 5-on-5 Tag Team Elimination Match, Chris Jericho and Edge were informed by the Raw GM that they must win their singles matches tonight in order to maintain their slots in the Six Pack Challenge at Night of Champions.

An ill-tempered Jericho was none too happy, especially when his opponent was revealed to be The Guru of Greatness, John Morrison. Unfortunately for Jericho, his fury was only compounded when Morrison toppled Mr. Vocabulary, not only handing him a loss but, in essence, booting him from the Six Pack Challenge and snuffing out any hope he may have had of capturing the WWE Title.

Randy Orton confronted The Nexus; Raw GM arranged main events
Modest. Humble. Self-effacing. Three characteristics foreign to the arrogant Superstars of The Nexus. The five outlaws kicked off Raw by recapping last week’s episode, in which they ganged up on The Undertaker and punished The Phenom, and also prevailed in a 5-on-5 Tag Team Elimination Match after both Chris Jericho and Edge abandoned their squad.

When the five members took turns bragging, Randy Orton interrupted the self-righteous revelry. Just when the rhetoric between Wade Barrett and The Viper became overheated, Raw’s anonymous General Manager broke in to inform Nexus that while their collective effort may have been impressive, they would be put to the test as individuals tonight. First up, The Nexus’ leader Wade Barrett would face Orton, the man he pinned last week to win the main event match. Next, Justin Gabriel would battle the man he pinned the week before, John Cena. And neither Nexus member would enjoy the assistance of their fellow outlaws since The Nexus is banned from ringside during both bouts.