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WWE Tag Team Champions Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov def. Husky Harris & Michael McGillicutty; Randy Orton attacked The New Nexus
After finishing a disappointing second in the Royal Rumble Match last night, Santino Marella needed a boost. The Italian and his fellow WWE Tag Team Champion, Vladimir Kozlov, walked with a bit more pep after defeating The New Nexus’ members Husky Harris & Michael McGillicutty in a title match.
After the bout, Randy Orton slithered in to add injury to insult. After The New Nexus had distracted him at Royal Rumble, costing him the WWE Title, The Viper sought retribution. He hammered McGillicutty before the Nexi could hobble from the ring. WWE’s Apex Predator then trained his fangs on Harris, dropping him with a thunderous RKO and angling to punt his skull. Moments before he could, however, New Nexus leader CM Punk warned that were Orton to follow through, he would face serious repercussions. Punk’s words only served to spur on The Viper, who kicked Harris with a sickening thud. Orton then escape.
Jerry “The King” Lawler won a Raw Rumble Match
Jerry “The King” Lawler has enjoyed quite a storied career, but he’s about to add yet another chapter. The WWE Hall of Famer prevailed in a seven-man Raw Rumble Match against John Cena, King Sheamus, John Morrison, R-Truth, Randy Orton and CM Punk.
The first man over the top rope was actually the leader of The New Nexus, quickly followed by The Viper. Third over the rope was the man who eliminated Orton, R-Truth. After a series of incredible athletic saves, The Prince of Parkour finally fell as well. Next to go, Cena got toppled over the top. And finally, Sheamus flipped over and out when he missed the Raw announcer with a Brogue Kick.
Lawler’s surprising success comes just three weeks before the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. As a result of the Raw announcer’s win, he will once again enter a title bout to face WWE Champion The Miz, who he nearly defeated in a TLC Match last month. As for his six fellow competitors, they too will compete at the pay-per-view. The sextet of Superstars, however, will be forced to square off inside Satan’s Structure with the winner earning the opportunity to challenge the WWE Champion at Wrestlemania.
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Alberto Del Rio won the 40-Man Royal Rumble Match
Before the match even began, No. 1 entrant CM Punk was ambushed by The Corre, resulting in a massive brawl between the SmackDown group and The New Nexus. When the smoke settled and the Rumble started proper, The Straight Edge Superstar survived long enough to be joined by his New Nexus cohorts and the sinister set proceeded to control the match for an extended period of time. That was until John Cena arrived.
Putting on one of the most impressive performances in Rumble history, the Legendary star was by far the most dominant man in the ring, dumping seven Superstars over the top rope, including every member of The New Nexus.
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The Corre confronted The New Nexus; Wade Barrett vs. CM Punk arranged
Wade Barrett isn’t going away – no matter how much we wish he would. The former leader of The Nexus confronted the man who replaced him, CM Punk, who had gleefully introduced his group’s newest member, Mason Ryan. This time, though, Barrett brought reinforcements – his new group, The Corre, including Ezekiel Jackson, Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel
Before the situation became too incendiary, Raw’s GM intervened to arrange a match pitting Barrett against Punk with one significant stipulation: The loser of the bout will see himself and his entire group exiled from the Royal Rumble Match. And the contest’s special guest referee? None other than John Cena!
CM Punk vs. Wade Barrett ended in Double Disqualification arranged
Trouble began brewing even before the bell rang. When CM Punk and Wade Barrett prepared to scuffle, they were backed up by those respective groups, The New Nexus and The Corre. Special guest referee John Cena, however, wasn’t taking any chances and decisively banned both factions from ringside.
Once the action kicked off, each Superstar fought as if their lives depended upon it. So intense was the skirmish, in fact, that the two appeared to disregard Cena’s instructions. As a result, the special guest referee had no choice but to disqualify each man, effectively banning both of their groups from the Royal Rumble.
Raw’s anonymous General Manager begged to differ. Instead, the GM reinstated both groups and demanded that Cena apologize to Punk and Barrett, or it would be he who would be banned from Rumble competition. Reluctantly, 2010’s WWE Superstar of the Year offered a contrite apology. He was then surrounded by members of both groups, who appeared eager to punish Cena. Before they could, however, Big Show and several members of the Raw roster emerged, resulting in one of the biggest, most brutal melees ever on Monday night – mere days before the biggest Rumble in history.
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John Cena returned to Raw, confronted WWE Champion The Miz and CM Punk; main event arranged
John Cena is back! After two weeks of rehabilitation due to an injury suffered at the hands of CM Punk and the “new” Nexus, Cena rocked the rafters with his homecoming as 2011’s WWE Superstar of the Year vowed to overcome his injuries to win Royal Rumble in two weeks and go on to win the WWE Title at WrestleMania. The current champion, The Miz, took issue. The “Cleveland Screamer” whined – again – about not being appreciated and informed Cena that the odds are against him winning the Rumble since there will now be 40 entrants as opposed to the usual 30.
Steepening the odds further, CM Punk approached to announce that he and the entire “new” Nexus will also participate in the Rumble and aim to secure the win for The Second City Savior. As if to demonstrate, Punk and his Nexus minions surrounded the ring. Before they could attack, however, WWE Tag Team Champions Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov joined forces with Cena. Retaliating for a Nexus ambush, Santino & Vlad were all too happy to stand with Cena. Before the situation could devolve further, the Raw General Manager altered the scheduled main event match pitting Cena against Punk, stipulating that if any Nexus members interfered, they would be eliminated from Rumble competition.
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CM Punk commenced "new" Nexus initiations
CM Punk continues to impose his self-righteous revolt upon the Raw roster. As the de facto leader of the "new" Nexus, The Second City Savior foiled a scheduled WWE Tag Team Title Match in order to satiate his ego.
Punk led the band of outlaws in an attack on current tag champions Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov. He then sprang a surprise on his own minions. Every Nexus member, including himself, must undergo an initiation ritual to prove themselves worthy of the yellow and black band.
To establish his devotion, Michael McGillicutty was forced to endure the finishing move of each of his cohorts. The third-generation competitor reluctantly agreed, and by the time Punk delivered the final punishing maneuver, a GTS, McGillicutty appeared to be slipping in and out of consciousness.
One down, five to go.
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Wade Barrett confronted CM Punk
Call it a case of too many chiefs, not enough idiots. Last week, CM Punk appeared to take the reins of the “new” Nexus. This week, though, The Second City Savior ran up against the group’s founder, Wade Barrett, who took issue with the power grab. The two even bickered over who could rightly claim credit for John Cena’s recent injury, which kept WWE’s 2010 Superstar of the Year out of action (he may return next week).
Before tensions could escalate, Raw’s anonymous General Manager announced that a Triple Threat Steel Cage Match would take place later in the evening in order to determine the No. 1 contender for the WWE Title. Upon hearing the news, Punk and Barrett agreed to a deal. Punk offered the Englishman his opportunity to compete in the match against King Sheamus and Randy Orton. Were Barrett to win, he would remain leader of The Nexus. However, were he to lose, he would be banished from the group forever.
Randy Orton def. Wade Barrett and King Sheamus in a No. 1 Contender’s Triple Threat Steel Cage Match
Wade Barrett lie on the canvas as still as a guard at Buckingham Palace. Just moments earlier, the incapacitated Englishman appeared well on his way to victory over King Sheamus and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat Steel Cage Match to determine the No. 1 contender for the WWE Title.
As he prepared to climb over the steel structure, however, his Nexus nemesis CM Punk offered to assist him. As Barrett took his hand, the Straight Edge Superstar ripped the Nexus armband from the Englishman and booted him down to the canvas. There, The Celtic Warrior greeted him with a Brogue Kick. Orton then leveled Sheamus with an RKO and slithered past his opponents and through the cage door to victory. As a result, Barrett will be forever banished from The Nexus while The Viper will face WWE Champion The Miz in a title match at Royal Rumble in four weeks.
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When it comes to snide, arrogant, Straight Edge weasels, John Cena’s not exactly a fan. And who could blame the guy? Last week, WWE’s 2010 Superstar of the Year appeared finally to be putting a tumultuous year behind him by besting Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler. As he reveled in the victory, however, CM Punk ambushed him and slammed a steel chair into his back. The Second City Savior then did the same, mere days later on SmackDown.
Soon after Cena called out the self-righteous Superstar, Punk defended The Nexus as well as SmackDown Official Consultant Vickie Guerrero and opined that WWE’s 2010 Superstar of the Year was nothing more than a bully. Perhaps the only thing the two were able to agree upon was that they would face off later in the evening.
Reports on the demise of The Nexus are premature. After decimating the ranks of the band of outlaws, John Cena may have thought he had rid WWE of them for good. Despite the humiliating beatdown he’s administered over the past several weeks, however, a new iteration of the group appears to have emerged.
Prior to his match against CM Punk, WWE’s 2010 Superstar of the Year was confronted by Nexus loyalist David Otunga, who suspiciously offered to bury the hatchet in the new year. He even proclaimed that Nexus was under new management, presumably having ousted Wade Barrett. After being rebuffed by a guarded Cena, Otunga and his Nexus cohorts attacked, leaving a Nexus armband in the ring.
After leaving their rival battered, Nexus exited and CM Punk, who had been trying to rally the Raw roster against Cena all evening, assumed their position. The Straightedge Superstar shrewdly nailed his opponent with a GTS, then slipped the Nexus armband on himself, signaling that perhaps Punk will be the new ringleader of the yellow-and-black brigade.
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Not happy just standing in the corner watching, Official SmackDown Consultant Vickie Guerrero had no problem joining the fray in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match. But when she meddled too much, Cena shocked the WWE Universe by planting a kiss on her! Next, Cena turned his attention to Ziggler, dropping him with an Attitude Adjustment for the pinfall. With Vickie livid at the loss, Cena was poised to dispatch of her with the same maneuver. However before he could, CM Punk rushed the ring and smashed the Raw Superstar in the gut with a steel chair then blasted him again for good measure. It was the second night in a row that Punk delivered such a dastardly deed.
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Fresh off their respective victories at WWE TLC, John Cena and Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler each wanted to say a few words to the WWE Universe. Unfortunately for WWE’s 2010 Superstar of the Year, Ziggler, accompanied by his mouthy girlfriend Vickie Guerrero, had no qualms about interrupting his fellow Superstar. Rather than listen to Ziggler’s noise, the Raw GM arranged a match pitting him against Cena.
A resurrected Cena proved too overpowering for his foe, who defeated the Intercontinental Champion in solid fashion. After the bout, however, CM Punk left the Raw announce table and ambushed Cena with a steel chair across the back.
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CM Punk won the Despicable Me Slammy Award
Kelly Kelly and Tyson Kidd were on hand to introduce the winner of the Despicable Me Slammy Award for the most treacherous act of 2010. Before revealing the winner, though, Kidd took a moment to introduce his mountainous bodyguard, Jackson Andrews. He then announced the recipient as CM Punk, for his harassment of Rey Mysterio’s family. Well deserved, if not incredibly vile.
