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Less than a week before WWE Champion CM Punk will defend his title against Daniel Bryan at WWE Over the Limit, the champion tangled with his foe in tag action. And it was The Straight Edge Superstar who captured victory for his team over Cody Rhodes with a GTS … all the while making sure Bryan kept close watch on his fast and furious offense against Rhodes.
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General Manager John Laurinaitis was ripped by WWE Champion CM Punk
Raw and SmackDown General Manager John Laurinaitis showed no remorse for his ruthless assault on John Cena at the end of last week’s Raw. The GM said he wasn’t punished by the Board of Directors for his actions, which he claimed was justified because The Cenation Leader tried to undermine his authority and ridicule his leadership skills. Laurinaitis mandated that Cena not appear live tonight and instead undergo rehabilitation so he doesn’t have an excuse why he will lose to him at WWE Over the Limit.
Laurinaitis then revealed that the reason his voice sounds so hoarse is because he was injured in a match against “Dr. Death” Steve Williams in Tokyo, Japan. Showing off images of his in-ring action on the TitanTron, Laurinaitis boasted that, when he performed in Japan, he was Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock, all rolled into one dominant competitor.
Before Laurinaitis could get any further, WWE Champion CM Punk came out to the ring to confront the cocky General Manager. Punk blasted Laurinaitis for losing touch with the people, despite all the GM’s bragging that he’s the brains behind “People Power.” The Straight Edge Superstar’s sharpest jab of all came when he told Laurinaitis the reason he went to Japan is because no one in America ever wanted to see him compete.
Angered by Punk’s verbal barbs, Laurinaitis made a big match for Raw SuperShow tonight, pitting the WWE Champion against the fearsome Lord Tensai.
Daniel Bryan and Lord Tensai def. WWE Champion CM Punk in a Non-Title Handicap Match
Before the main event, John Laurinaitis announced that the CM Punk vs. Lord Tensai contest was now a 2-on-1 Handicap Match, with Punk taking on both Tensai and Daniel Bryan.
The WWE Champion had his work cut out for him, as Tensai blasted and mangled Punk early with a series of power moves. Punk mounted a rally after Bryan missed with a flying headbutt off the top rope, but the strength in numbers would soon prove to be too much for The Straight Edge Superstar to overcome. As Punk went to the top turnbuckle, a lurking Bryan sent him flying with a shove, and Tensai took full advantage by squeezing The Second City Savior’s head like a vice with a green mist-filled claw.
Adding insult to injury, Bryan snapped the “Yes!” Lock onto Punk following the 2-on-1 victory and berated the helpless WWE Champion. If we’ve learned one major lesson from this Raw SuperShow, it’s that Laurinaitis is hell-bent on making Superstars pay dearly for crossing him.
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WWE Champion CM Punk received a liquor basket from Chris Jericho
CM Punk probably didn’t even have to open Chris Jericho’s gift to know what was inside. After receiving a basket full of liquor from his rival, The Straight Edge Superstar said he has a present for Jericho, too – the one he’s going to personally deliver in a Chicago Street Fight at Extreme Rules
Alex Riley told Chris Jericho that he saw CM Punk drinking liquor in the locker room
Alex Riley claimed to have seen CM Punk drinking out of one of the liquor bottles that Jericho gave the WWE Champion. Unconvinced, Jericho took a peek inside the locker room to see for himself and spotted Punk sipping out of a plastic cup while one of the liquor bottles appeared to be sitting half-empty nearby.
Chris Jericho told GM John Laurinaitis to strip CM Punk of the WWE Title
Chris Jericho pleaded with GM John Laurinaitis to strip CM Punk of his WWE Championship because he saw him drinking alcohol in the locker room. After Laurinaitis expressed some doubt that he has the power to do that, his new Executive Administrator, Eve, said Laurinaitis actually does have the right to strip him of the title if in fact Punk violated WWE policy, which states WWE Talent is not allowed to drink alcohol within 12 hours of a WWE Live Event. Laurinaitis agreed to set up a sobriety test to find out if there is credible proof that Punk drank alcohol in the locker room and violated the policy.
CM Punk passed a public field sobriety test, attacked Chris Jericho
With Teddy Long and Chris Jericho looking on, CM Punk took a public field sobriety test administered by two Detroit police officers. First, Punk was asked to recite the alphabet backwards but failed to do so, as the WWE Champion claimed that nobody knows how to do that even when they’re sober. Next, Punk was asked to walk a straight line in the ring, but failed to do that successfully as well. After the officers ruled that Punk failed the sobriety test, Long requested that Punk hand over his WWE Championship.
However, The Straight Edge Superstar was granted one more chance by Long to pass the public sobriety test, and proceeded to walk a straight line across the ring several times while reciting the alphabet backwards at the same time. Right after he reached “A” in the alphabet, the WWE Champion surprised Jericho with an attack that sprawled quickly to the arena floor.
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In their third meeting in as many weeks, WWE Champion CM Punk put his title on the line against Mark Henry in London in a No Count-Out, No Disqualification Match. With both Superstars taking full advantage of the match stipulation, they went to war.
At one point, Punk acquired a steel chair and blasted Henry with a thunderous shot to the mid section. But when The Straight Edge Superstar went for another shot, Henry countered with a big boot to the gut and smashed him with the chair. As their battle waged on, the champion avoided a World’s Strongest Slam with a kick to the head then a running high knee. But when Henry battled back and charged at Punk in the corner, he ran headfirst into a steel chair when Punk ducked out of the way. With The World’s Strongest Man down, Punk leaped from the top rope and bashed Henry with steel chair to retain his WWE Championship.
After CM Punk’s successful title defense against Mark Henry, Chris Jericho revealed the two would square off at Extreme Rules in a Chicago Street Fight. Jericho then accused Punk of drinking earlier in the day at a London pub . Punk vehemently denied Jericho’s claim and urged Jericho to come to ring and smell his breath. After calling Punk’s straight edge lifestyle a façade, Jericho declared that Punk is gong to lose his WWE Championship at Extreme Rules. Before Punk could respond, Jericho vanished from the arena screen
After two hotly contested title matches in as many weeks, WWE Champion CM Punk faces his toughest challenge yet against Mark Henry. When WWE Monday Night Raw emanates from London, England. This time, the champion must do battle against The World’s Strongest Man in a No Count-Out, No Disqualification Match. See it all at 9/8 CT on USA Network!
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Mark Henry def. WWE Champion CM Punk by Disqualification
Before the match, CM Punk defended his straight-edge lifestyle in an emotional address to the WWE Universe. Punk admitted that he felt violated by Chris Jericho’s disturbing act of drenching him with alcohol and smashing the bottle over his head on last week’s Raw. Before Punk could speak any further, though, Jericho interrupted on the TitanTron and mocked The Straight Edge Superstar for getting so emotional over experiencing his first “bender.” Punk fired back, saying Jericho can’t break him, and that he would only bring out the more dangerous side of the WWE Champion.
Punk’s match against Mark Henry was short-lived, as Punk grabbed a TV monitor and attacked The World’s Strongest Man, resulting in a victory for Henry via disqualification. Henry then exacted his revenge with a World’s Strongest Slam and Jericho seized the opportunity to ambush The Straight Edge Superstar by surprise – with six-packs of beer in hand.
Jericho broke open can after can of beer, and despite The Straight Edge Champion’s best efforts to stop him, Punk was soaked with the alcohol. All the while, Jericho continued to taunt Punk, urging him to “have some more,” before drilling him with a Codebreaker as he posed with the WWE Championship.
On next week’s Raw SuperShow, Punk will once again put his title on the line against Mark Henry. But this time, it will be in a No Count-Out, No Disqualification Match.
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After challenging the authority of new Raw and SmackDown General Manager John Laurinaitis at the start of the night, Punk was forced to defend his title against the formidable Mark Henry. In a dominant show of force, Henry took it to Punk as soon as the match began, and Punk found himself just trying to preserve his title for most of the bout. Each time Punk appeared to gain the upper hand, Henry would come right back.
In a promising display of offense, Punk delivered a series of blows and a kick to the head, then launched himself from the top rope onto Henry. But the risky move appeared to take its toll on Punk, who was then tossed from the ring and counted out of the contest. But Henry wasn’t done yet. With Punk down, Henry blasted him with a World’s Strongest Slam to the arena floor, leaving him writhing in pain.
After the brutality, Laurinaitis emerged to inform Punk that the WWE Universe wants to see him defend his title more often. “I see some dark clouds in your horizon,” he warned.
Adding insult to injury, Chris Jericho came to ringside to recall his WrestleMania Match with Punk. With The Straightedge Superstar still writhing in pain on the arena floor, Jericho hoisted a bottle of booze and proposed a toast. But instead of sharing a drink, Jericho poured the bottle’s contents all over the fallen champion. Next –while verbally assaulting Punk’s family – he warned him about drinking and proceeded to smash the glass bottle over his head!
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WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Christian ended in a No Contest
Just when you thought CM Punk’s rivalry with Chris Jericho couldn’t get any more personal, Jericho makes sure it does. Before Punk squared off with Christian, The Straight Edge Superstar got another heated video message from Jericho, who appeared live via satellite on the TitanTron. Jericho proceeded to make personal remarks about Punk’s birth, alleging that it occurred before his parents’ wedding date, and claiming that makes Punk “the legal definition of a bastard.”
Christian tried to make a surprise attack on Punk from behind, but it was the enraged WWE Champion who quickly took out his aggression on Captain Charisma. Punk had to be separated by WWE officials after he repeatedly smashed Christian into the announce table, then refused to let go of the painful Anaconda Vise. It’s become very apparent that Jericho has gotten inside Punk’s head. The question is whether or not it will work to Jericho’s benefit for their “Best in the World” clash at WrestleMania.
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Chris Jericho made a shocking claim about CM Punk’s sister
WWE Champion CM Punk opened the show and angrily called out Jericho for bringing up his father’s alcohol issues. Saying Jericho crossed the line, The Straight Edge Superstar went on to state the seriousness of alcoholism and why Jericho is really the “pathetic” one for making light of a grave condition.
Jericho didn’t heed Punk’s message, however, as he appeared on the TitanTron just as he did last week – this time making a stunning allegation that Punk’s sister had substance-abuse problems. Punk immediately told Jericho to shut up, called him a liar and vowed to beat the lies out of him at WrestleMania.
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WWE Champion CM Punk def. The Miz
Special guest ring announcer and Psych star James Roday gave The Miz a friendly introduction to his native Ohioans before a showdown with WWE Champion CM Punk. Despite the warm welcome, however, The Awesome One was anything but awesome in the ring as Punk made Miz tap with the Anaconda Vise.
Before The Straight Edge Superstar could finish celebrating his win, Chris Jericho appeared on the TitanTron and made things personal by telling the WWE Universe that the reason Punk embraces a straight-edge lifestyle is because of fears that he will end up like his alcoholic father. Jericho claimed he would leave Punk “a broken man” who would only be remembered as a “pathetic, damn drunk” after their WWE Championship Match at WrestleMania.
The crowd tried to lend their support to the emotionally wounded Punk, but there was no consoling The Second City Savior as he walked dejectedly back up the entrance ramp with his title in hand.
