Break a leg
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- With Judgment Day looming, the WWE Universe is crying out for Randy Orton and his Legacy to be held accountable for their actions. With the WWE Title firmly around his waist, "The Viper" and his associates, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase continue to terrorize the Raw roster, racking up victories at the expense of their opponents. The ring warrior who experienced the most acute loss however, was Shane McMahon, who had his ankle shattered by The Legacy on Raw.
Shane McMahon def. The Legacy in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match by disqualification after they shattered his ankle (PHOTOS | WATCH)
In the night's main event, Shane McMahon faced incredible odds, taking on not only Randy Orton, but also the WWE Champion's associates Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase, as determined by the Legacy members' wins earlier in the night. As decreed by Raw General Manager Vickie Guerrero, if Batista or United States Champion MVP were to become involved with the match, The Animal would lose his Judgment Day title opportunity against Orton and The Ballin' Superstar would be stripped of his U.S. Title.
Heeding Vickie's threats, Batista & MVP steered clear of the match as Shane O'Mac struggled to hold his own. Though not in a traditional manner, Legacy put a definitive end to the match when they attacked their opponent's leg using a steel chair and the ring steps, shattering Shane's ankle and causing the contest to end in a disqualification. Afterward, Batista ran out to the ring, but it was too late as Shane McMahon writhed in agony while being attended to by EMTs.
Unified WWE Tag Team Champion Carlito def. The Brian Kendrick (PHOTOS)
Unified WWE Tag Team Champion Carlito and The Brian Kendrick met for a match on Raw -- the first time the two faced off since being drafted to the brand. Kendrick is finding that victories are a little tougher to come by ever since being separated from his former associate, Ezekiel Jackson, as evidenced by his defeat at the hands of The Southpaw from San Juan.
Ted DiBiase def. Batista by disqualification, earning a spot in Raw's main event (PHOTOS | WATCH)
In the second match to determine the line-up of Raw's tag-team main event, Batista competed against Ted DiBiase. The third-generation Superstar held his own against The Animal, working his opponent's neck. But when DiBiase slapped Batista and attempted to kick him in the groin, it only enraged The Animal, invoking his primal rage. Batista went after DiBiase like a man possessed, and in his single-minded attempt to harm his opponent, caused himself to be disqualified. With The Animal's loss, Shane McMahon's odds in the main event got profoundly worse as Ted DiBiase joined WWE Champion Randy Orton & Cody Rhodes in the night's 3-on-1 Handicap Match.
Mickie James def. Divas Champion Maryse in a non-title match (PHOTOS | WATCH)
The next match saw a special announcer take to the ring: Jared from Subway. After Jared announced the competitors, Divas Champion Maryse and Mickie James squared off in a non-title match. Mickie gave the Divas Champion a Raw kind of welcome, as she defeated the French Canadian Diva with a well-placed DDT.
The Miz challenges John Cena to a match; Cena is attacked by Big Show (PHOTOS | WATCH)
After attacking Festus in the Superstar's most helpless state, The Miz turned his sights on another ring warrior not in the best condition to defend himself: The injured John Cena. For the second week in a row, the self-proclaimed "future World Champion" called out the former World Heavyweight Champion, all the time tossing out cruel insults. But this week, to Miz's surprise, Cena actually emerged, slowly making his way down the ramp to the ring. Before things could progress any further, however, Big Show made his entrance, attacking his Judgment Day opponent and locking him into a brutal submission maneuver, leaving the recuperating Superstar lying prone in the ring.
Festus def. Jillian in a singing contest; The Miz attacks Festus (PHOTOS | WATCH)
WWE Hall of Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler took to the ring on Raw to host a singing contest between Jillian and her hand-picked opponent, Festus. Raw's tone-deaf songstress started off the competition with her ear-shattering rendition of Britney Spears' "If You Seek Amy." Jillian expected an easy win as The Corn-fed Colossus stared in his default catatonic state, but the WWE Universe was shocked by what happened after Lawler rang a ring bell. Festus screamed and then broke out in a heart-warming rendition of "Tomorrow" from Annie.
As Jillian stood in shock and Festus went back to his vegetative baseline, the crowd in attendance went crazy for The Corn-Fed Colossus, who won the Singing Contest. One Superstar who wasn't impressed with the performance, however, was The Miz, who attacked Festus, ejecting him from the ring.
Cody Rhodes def. United States Champion MVP by count-out in a non-title match, earning a spot in Raw's main event (PHOTOS | WATCH)
In the first of two matches to determine the participants in Raw's tag team main event, Cody Rhodes took on United States Champion MVP. As William Regal assisted on commentary, The Ballin' Superstar and the Legacy member fought to earn a spot alongside Shane McMahon and Randy Orton, respectively. Though MVP put forth an impressive effort the Monday before against "The Viper," this week he was undone due to involvement from The British Brawler at ringside, who attacked The Franchise Playa' outside the ring, causing him to lose by count-out. With that, Rhodes earned a spot in the main event assisting Orton, ensuring that best-case scenario for Shane would be a two-on-two encounter.
Vickie Guerrero sets John Cena vs. Big Show for Judgment Day
As Raw General Manager Vickie Guerrero sat in her office she was interrupted by Big Show, who was furious about the events of the week before. On the last Raw, The World's Largest Athlete competed against Batista for the No. 1 contendership to the WWE Title. During the match, John Cena distracted Big Show, causing him to get counted out, and gaining some matter of retribution for the night before at Backlash, when The World's Largest Athlete chokeslammed him through a 7000-watt searchlight. Big Show wanted to be put in a match against Cena immediately, but due to internal injuries sustained during the 7-footer's attack, the former World Heavyweight Champion won't be cleared to compete for another two weeks. As a consolation, Vickie set a new match for Judgment Day: John Cena vs. Big Show.
Kofi Kingston def. Matt Hardy; Hardy attacked Kingston with his cast (PHOTOS)
For the second week in a row, Matt Hardy announced that due to his broken hand, he would be competing "under protest." The bitter Superstar's pessimistic attitude worked against him during his match as the highly athletic Kofi Kingston served him up a loss. But following the contest as The Jamaican Superstar celebrated, Hardy used his injury to his advantage by clobbering Kofi with his cast.
WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Shane McMahon ended in a no-contest (PHOTOS)
Starting off with a bang, Raw opened with a highly anticipated match, in which Shane McMahon hoped to exact vengeance from WWE Champion Randy Orton. Not surprisingly, it wasn't possible for this heated rivalry to come to a resolution just yet, as the match saw interference from both Orton's Legacy (Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase) and Batista & United States Champion MVP, interjecting on behalf of Shane O'Mac. With the contest ending in a complete and total donnybrook, Raw General Manager Vickie Guerrero emerged and set a new main event, making it possible for the match's interlopers to earn their way in. Later in the evening, Batista was set to face DiBiase, with MVP competing against Rhodes, with the winners joining either Shane or Orton.
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