Event: WWE Monday Night RAW
Airdate: Monday, September 23rd, 2013 (USA Network)
Location: The Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL
Results by H. Winston
“Yes, sir, we promised you a great main event…”
We are live in Chicago, Illinois! The show starts with the people involved in the conclusion of last week’s show lined up at the top of the stage. Triple H and Stephanie come out. Triple H welcomes the crowd to Monday Night Raw. Triple H says that he has asked these superstars to come out so they could be thanked for stepping up to the plate and being real men. Triple H says that he knows that they weren’t doing what they were doing for Daniel Bryan. RVD chimes in to inform Triple H that they were in fact fighting for Daniel Bryan and what was right. Triple H seems puzzled that a WWE superstar would fight for the champion, rather than against him. Triple H and Stephanie ask the superstars why they shouldn’t be the face of the WWE. Triple H says that the reason is because of the Shield. Triple H seems confident that the superstars’ frustration is with the Shield, not Daniel Bryan. Triple H is going to give these superstars a chance to take out their frustration out tonight in an 11 on 3 elimination handicap match against the Shield. And they will have a partner, Daniel Bryan. The people will be able to decide who faces Randy Orton tonight: R Truth, Dolph Ziggler, or RVD. Voting is exclusive to the WWE App on your smartphone. Triple H reminds the crowd that what is best for the people is what is best for business.
Alberto Del Rio vs Kofi Kingston
Kofi hops over Del Rio a few times but gets caught the third. Del Rio pushes Kofi into the corner, but Kofi grabs Del Rio with his legs and throws him over the ropes. Kofi runs and flips over the ropes to land on Del Rio outside the ring. Kofi lands a series of fists on Del Rio in the corner. Del Rio regains control and hits a suplex after stomping on Kofi’s head as he was attempting to get to stand. Kofi begins fighting back, lifts Del Rio over the ropes but he lands on the apron. He grabs Kofi’s hair but Kofi fights out and dropkicks Del Rio to the outside of the ring. Kofi prepares to dive out but Del Rio retreats to the timekeeper’s table.
Back from commercial, Del Rio is in control, working on Kofi’s left arm. Kofi lifts Del Rio to the top rope, Del Rio catches Kofi’s arm in his legs and bends it over the ropes, but has to break the hold before the 5 count. Del Rio attempts to jump on Kofi from the top rope, but Kofi counters with a dropkick. Kofi hits a series of clotheslines, appears to be gaining momentum but is hit by a kick to the gut. Kofi hits S.O.S. out of nowhere but gets a 2-count. Kofi hits the boom drop and prepares for trouble in paradise. Del Rio counters and hits a german suplex. Del Rio preps for the armbar, Kofi pushes his way out and hits DDT, 2-count. Del Rio locks in the armbar and Kofi has to tap.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Backstage, Triple H asks Miz how he is feeling. He knows Miz wants to get his hands on Orton, but he can’t allow that with Miz’s current condition. Triple H believes in giving the people what they want, and Chicago wants their Miz TV. Miz’s guest will be Big Show.
Harper and Rowan Wyatt vs Primetime Players
Harper and Rowan dominate beginning of the match. Darren kicks away and tags Oneil, who comes in and cleans house. Darren Young clotheslines Rowan out of the ring. Oneil turns around to be clotheslined, hard, and is pinned for the 3-count.
Winner: Harper and Rowan Wyatt
Miz comes out and warns Orton that payback will be coming in the future before introducing his guest for Miz TV, the Big Show. Miz asks Big Show how he could do what he did last week to Dusty Rhodes. Big Show is stone-faced. Miz says we all know what would have happened if Big Show had not done what he did. But he tells Big Show that the powers that be are trying to break him, and it’s time for Big Show to step up along with the rest of the locker room.
Stephanie comes out after being called something along the lines of a witch. She says she will let most of it slide because she knows he likes to stir the pot. She says that Miz knows he’s not a top player anymore, and that there’s nothing worse than when a superstar peaks too early. Miz is what they call a utility guy: the guy they call when an interview is needed early in the morning, and other smaller tasks. Stephanie orders Big Show to knock Miz out, and he does, without hesitation.
Surprise, surprise! The fans have chosen RVD as Orton’s opponent.
Randy Orton vs Rob Van Dam
RVD punches and kicks Orton, leading up to a spinning kick to Orton’s head to send him to the mat. RVD hits rolling thunder to get a 2-count. RVD attempts his split-leg moonsault but misses as Orton rolls away. Orton hits his patented DDT through the ropes. Orton looks to be prepping for an RKO. He goes for it, but RVD counters with a kick to Orton’s face, 2-count. Van Dam propels off the second rope and kicks Orton in the face again. Van Dam goes up top for a frog splash, but Orton kicks his leg out to send Van Dam ringside. Orton follows out and throws Van Dam against tables and barricades. The match ends in countout as the two never get back into the ring. Orton continues assaulting Van Dam after the match, capping it off with a DDT from the top rope.
Orton approaches the Bellas backstage and tells Brie that he is what a real man looks like, the face of the WWE. Not the goat-faced troll that she dates. If she decides she wants a real man, Orton informs her that he is available.
Backstage, Stephanie gives AJ Triple H’s DVD so she can see what a real wedding looks like. AJ suggests that the total divas just take a hiatus with their reality show, and that she is not being treated well enough for a diva’s champion. Stephanie says that she will compete in tonight’s diva battle royal, or perhaps she will not be champion much longer.
Fandango vs Santino Marella
Fandango locks Santino in an abdominal stretch, while slapping Santino on his side. Santino breaks out and dodges Fandango’s clothesline with a split, followed by a clothesline of his own. Santino preps for the cobra, but is distracted by Summer Rae, resulting in Fandango hitting a leg drop from the top rope for the victory.
Winner: Fandango
CM Punk comes out to a huge ovation wearing a Chicago Blackhawks jersey. He says that the crowd ruined his perfect bad mood. Punk knows that he let everyone down at Night of Champions. It will go down in the books that Punk lost to Paul Heyman. Punk ponders if he is worthy enough to perform in front of the best crowd in the world. Punk speaks of how the Blackhawks came back from being down 3 to 1 to win the cup. Punk says that that is the Chicago way and the crowd loves it.
Heyman rolls out on his chair, singing. Heyman says that Punk shouldn’t feel at fault for his loss. It’s geography at fault. Punk is from Chicago, a city full of second-class people. Punk says he’s not stupid and he knows how it will go down when Punk goes after Heyman. Can Heyman’s two goons get to Punk faster than Punk can get to Heyman? Even if it’s two seconds, Punk says that is all he will need to rip Heyman’s face off. Heyman attempts to leave but his chair is not functioning. Punk realizes this and charges for Heyman, but is attacked by Axel and Ryback soon after. Punk gets in a few good shots but can’t keep them both down. Ryback overpowers Punk and throws him through a table.
Diva match
Every diva is in the ring. I’m not sure why, because only four of them were involved in the match. I’m also not even sure how the teams were divided. The match ended with Brie Bella hitting a facebuster on AJ Lee and getting the pinfall victory.
Winner: Brie Bella (and her team?)
Daniel Bryan comes out to the ring. Bryan says that he’s not the smartest person, but doesn’t think you need to fast count someone who is already knocked out. Bryan says he doesn’t know what happened Night of Champions and doesn’t care, because what is done is done. He doesn’t care whether nice Orton or the vicious Orton shows up at Battleground, because Bryan is going to get his title back either way. Bryan says that one word will be etched in the back of Orton’s head, and that word is this (can you guess?): YES
The Shield begin making their way to the ring. Just as they get over the barricade, they are attacked by two guys, revealed to be Cody Rhodes and Goldust, and are escorted out of the arena by security.
11 on 3 handicapped match vs The Shield
Jimmy Uso starts off vs Rollins, gets a few hits in then tags in Ziggler. Ziggler is driven into the corner of the Shield. The Shield alternate turns, wearing Ziggler down with a slow-paced offense. Ziggler hits a dropkick on Ambrose and tags in RVD. Van Dam goes for rolling thnder on Ambrose but Ambrose avoids it. Van Dam tries to bull rush Van Dam in the corner, Ambrose avoids it and scores a pinfall. Van Dam is eliminated. 10-3
Back from commercial, the Shield is working on Kofi. Ambrose scores a pinfall on Kofi. 9-3
Oneil enters the ring, Reigns is tagged in. There’s a bit of a staredown before Oneil is forced into the corner of the Shield. Oneil fights out of the corner, attempts to kick Reigns, Reigns ducks and hits a spear, 3-count. 8-3
Justin Gabriel enters the ring to be immediately speared, 3-count. 7-3.
Zack Ryder gets a little offense but is speared as well, 3-count. 6-3
Daniel Bryan enters the ring, kicking Reigns left and right. Bryan hits a double dropkick on Ambrose and Rollins in the corner, then a running dropkick on Reigns. An Uso is tagged in and lands a kick to the face of Reigns. The other Uso lands a frog splash, 3-count. 6-2
Back from commercial, the Shield is wearing down Darren Young. Darren Young attempts to pin Ambrose in a rollup but fails to notice that Ambrose tagged in Rollins. Rollins hits Young with a knee to the head from the top rope as Young was attempting to pin Ambrose. Rollins scores the pinfall, Young is eliminated. 5-2
Ziggler wins the battle against Ambrose with zig zag, 3-count. 5-1
Rollins is the last remaining Shield member. Rollins lifts Ziggler up for a slam but Ziggler counters it into a DDT. Truth enters the match for the first time and manages to get in some offense before having his head stomped to the ground by Rollins. Truth is eliminated. 4-1
Bryan organizes a team attack against Rollins. Ambrose tries to help but is taken out by Ziggler. Reigns runs out but is met by two simultaneous kicks from the Usos, sending him ringside. The Usos launch over the rope onto Ambrose and Reigns. Bryan has control of Rollins, hitting the running knee that took out Cena and Orton in their respective matches. Bryan scores the pinfall victory to close out the show.
Credit: H. Winston