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PHOTOS | VIDEO | RAW HIGHLIGHTS | RAW EXCLUSIVES | FULL SLAMMY WINNERS LIST | FULL SLAMMY PRESENTATION PHOTOS | SLAMMY WINNERS PLAYLIST
PHILADELPHIA — Team Rhodes Scholars may have punched their ticket to a Tag Team Title Match by defeating Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara in a Tables Match, but their rivalry with the masked luchador tandem was anything but tabled on Monday night. Riding the wave of victory in Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Barclays Center, Damien Sandow took to the ring against Rey Mysterio in a one-on-one reprise of the previous night’s contest. And despite the articulated assault of The Intellectual Savior of the Masses, this time it was Mysterio who stood tall at the final bell. The Ultimate Underdog withstood The Enlightened One’s onslaught, shaking off Sandow’s feral offense and using his own momentum against him, swinging to victory with a shattering 619 to Sandow’s cranium. As they say in Rey’s native tongue, “de nada.”
Booker T’s taste in suits, spectacles and (when necessary) kingly garments is unmatched. We all know this. But the SmackDown General Manager could probably do well for a refresher course in award co-presenters. Instead of someone like Halle Berry or J. Lo, Booker instead found himself saddled with the unrequested services of The Boogeyman to award the “Tell Me I Did Not Just See That” Moment of the Year Slammy. The spooky Superstar took to the stage with a mouthful of worms to help introduce the award, chowing down on them before taking his leave. Boogeyman’s departure allowed Booker to present the trophy to Kofi Kingston, who won for his highlight-reel worthy handstand walk during the 2012 Royal Rumble Match.
All this despite the pre-emptive presence of Brad Maddox, who thought he was a shoe-in to win the award for his low blow on Ryback. Better luck next year, we guess.
The sisterly love was not strong in Philly following the Slammy presentation, when Kaitlyn took on Eve, who cost her the No. 1 contender’s spot for the Divas Title by slapping her in the face during the WWE TLC Pre-Show Battle Royal. Frustration only fueled the beautiful brawler, though, as Kaitlyn ultimately notched a victory against the Divas Champion. Score one for Kaitlyn, but somehow we don’t believe this is truly the last we’ve heard of this rivalry.
The year 2012 was one of comebacks for several Superstars both inside and outside the ring, so who better to present the Comeback of the Year Slammy than the reunited New Age Outlaws? The five-time World Tag Team Champions (by which of course, we mean the five-time TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS OF THE WOOOOOOOORRRRRLLLLDDDD), no strangers to comebacks themselves, took to the stage to present the nominees. The Outlaws ultimately awarded the Slammy to Jerry Lawler, who defeated Brock Lesnar, D-Generation X and Chris Jericho for the honor. Boosted to victory by the same WWE Universe that supported him tirelessly following a near-fatal heart attack suffered at the announce booth on Sept. 10, Lawler accepted the award for his recovery. We’re down with that, fellas.
Comebacks were nowhere to be found for the towering Tensai, however, who faced Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston in a rematch of their contest from a few weeks earlier on Raw. Tensai nearly had The Dreadlocked Dynamo beaten during that bout, cutting off each of Kofi’s signature attacks mid-strike, but Kofi gained the upper hand quickly and did not relent. The champion unleashed “The Wildcat” on his monstrous foe, stoically toughing out Tensai’s offense and springing a surprise Trouble in Paradise to seal the deal.
Kofi wasn’t going to get out of Philly without a word in from Wade Barrett, though. The jilted challenger for Kofi’s title at WWE TLC made his presence known in a brutal way, knocking Kofi from the turnbuckle before unleashing the Bull Hammer elbow to deliver a vicious statement to the champion.
Let’s be real here: There was no way Vickie Guerrero presenting Kiss of the Year to AJ Lee — nominated four times alongside Daniel Bryan, Kane, CM Punk and eventual co-winner John Cena — wasn’t going to be good after what went down last night at WWE TLC. With AJ apparently shirking the romantic company of Cena for the bleach-blond charms of Dolph Ziggler, Vickie was a bit wounded given her on-and-off dalliances with The Showoff in the past couple of years. Still, the Managing Supervisor manned up and awarded the smooch statuette to AJ, though she wasn’t above demanding an explanation for the Brooklyn, N.Y., betrayal the night before. But instead of closure, Vickie was left with egg on her face when AJ sauntered out and — strike up the band and make the fireflies dance — planted a big old smooch on Ziggler’s face after The Showoff came out to try to keep the peace.
Pop quiz, hot shot: How much can a Harvard Law degree help a Superstar in a match against The Great Khali?
Answer: not a lot, as David Otunga found out to his detriment in Philadelphia. The stoic, juris doctor came into Philly looking for an upset win against The Punjabi Titan and put up a strong effort doing so, going to work on Khali’s legs in an attempt to ground his towering challenger. Otunga’s efforts were ultimately overruled by Khali when the former World Champion rallied, dismissing Otunga via a chop to the head. How does the saying go again? Oh yes. The defense rests.
Seriously, who else could it have been? Who else could have awarded the supreme Slammy for a tumultuous 2012 than the limousine-ridin’, jet-flyin’, kiss-stealin’, wheelin’, dealin’ son of a gun himself, Ric Flair? Flair returned to WWE after a lengthy hiatus and looked like he never missed a beat. And like everything he’s ever done, “The Nature Boy’s” return to WWE did not come to pass without a maelstrom of controversy after the two-time WWE Hall of Famer was awarded the Slammy by its voted recipient, John Cena. But before Flair could take the trophy in his perfectly manicured hands, WWE Champion CM Punk hobbled out to the stage to drop a “pipe bomb” on Flair, unleashing a tirade against “Naitch” and insisting he, not Flair or Cena, was the true Superstar of the Year.
So how does Ric Flair respond to such a thing? Why, he challenged Punk to a fight ( PHOTOS | VIDEO). The Second City Saint obliged, too, shattering one of his crutches over Flair’s back before The Dirtiest Player in the Game countered by poking Punk in the eye and wrenching Paul Heyman into the Figure-Four Leglock. With Punk and Heyman dispatched, Flair took to the mic to address the Philadelphia crowd ... until the crackling static of The Shield’s theme spelled doom for Flair. “Come on down, boys,” he said, clearly ready for more.
Justice, it appears, knows no boundaries, as The Shield showed no mercy in their beatdown of an outmatched Ric Flair moments after his return to WWE. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns had just begun to decimate the two-time WWE Hall of Famer when hellfire erupted and WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No thundered to “The Nature Boy’s” aid. Not even the demented duo of Kane & Daniel Bryan could save “Naitch” from the renegade trio, who prepared to unleash the triple powerbomb on Flair and send him through the announce table ...
Until, that is, feeding time started.
Showing no ill effects of The Shield’s handiwork the previous night at WWE TLC, Ryback stormed to the ring and laid waste to Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns one by one. His presence seemingly galvanized the Tag Team Champions, and the trio quickly beat The Shield back into the crowd before hoisting Flair into the lights for a well-earned welcome back moment. We missed you, Ric.
It was a banner night for JTG’s hometown of Brooklyn, which played host to its first WWE pay-per-view Sunday. The Kings County native didn’t fare so well against Brodus Clay a few miles down the turnpike, however, as The Funkasaurus made quick work of his opponent in the City of Brotherly Love. Brodus gave no quarter in his dismantling of the Brooklyn-bred Superstar, tossing JTG to and fro before unleashing his signature splash to send his opponent back to the showers.
The laughs just kept on coming during the presentation for LOL Moment of the Year, which honored the funniest moments of the year that was. Things started off promisingly with presenters Santino Marella and Tensai, who was still disoriented from his loss to Kofi Kingston and took an impromptu tumble on the stage en route to the podium (the Slammys: They make you humble). After a brief linguistics lesson (Tensai is Japanese for “Fat Albert,” apparently), the odd couple presented the Slammy to The Rock for his disposal of John Cena’s merchandise in the Boston Harbor earlier this year. And while The Great One could not accept his Slammy in person, there was one man who was around to comment on the WWE Universe’s selection: Daniel Bryan, who stormed onto the stage and screamed the Slammy should have been his, as Team Hell No were nominated for their anger management sessions. But as the submission technician inched precariously closer to a total meltdown, Kane came to the rescue, carrying Bryan literally kicking and screaming off the stage.
With Rey Mysterio having dispatched Damien Sandow earlier in the evening, Sin Cara stepped up to the plate in an attempt to emulate his amigo with a one-on-one bout against Cody Rhodes. The masked man was left wounded the previous evening at WWE TLC after having his leg mangled in the crook of the steel steps by the IQ-heavy tandem. Sin Cara wasted no time attempting to unman Rhodes in their grudge match in Philly. But despite The International Sensation’s unpredictable offense, Rhodes’ veteran wiles won out, catching Sin Cara mid-flight and pinning him with Cross Rhodes.
Not every Superstar gets to present an award for which he’s nominated … and alongside Layla, no less. So it’s safe to say Zack Ryder kind of hit the jackpot at the Slammys when he presented the Trending Moment of the Year, given to the best hashtag of 2012. Alas, The Ultimate Broski — nominated alongside Ryback (#FeedMeMore), John Laurinaitis (#PeoplePower) and R-Truth (#LittleJimmy) — missed out on the hat trick and was unable to capture the Slammy for his own #WWWYKI hashtag. Instead, the award went to Ryback for #FeedMeMore, and while a disappointed Ryder didn’t quite get the prize, he did get a “Woo Woo Woo!” from a grateful Philly crowd for good measure.
It takes a big man to swing a big chair, but it takes a bigger man to own up to his shortcomings. Despite his failure to reclaim the World Heavyweight Title at WWE TLC, Sheamus came to the stage at the Slammys to shake Big Show’s hand in congratulations for a hard-fought retention of his prize. But despite The Celtic Warrior’s good sportsmanship, The World’s Largest Athlete wasn’t feeling reciprocal in the slightest. “Now get to the back of the line, your potato-eating Irishman,” the giant sneered.
This was, perhaps, unwise.
Sheamus erupted in response, unleashing a world of hurt on the giant and lacing into Show with his own mammoth chair as payback for both the defeat and the remark, executing the Brogue Kick as a final exclamation point to send the champion into dreamland. With the giant prone and helpless, Dolph Ziggler ran out to cash in his Money in the Bank contract. But John Cena was lying in wait to pay The Showoff back for his ill-gotten victory the evening before. The Cenation leader did his work well, stopping Ziggler short of redeeming the coveted contract and keeping the World Heavyweight Championship out of his showoffish hands.
The hits just keep on coming for 3MB. One night after suffering a loss to The Miz, Alberto Del Rio & The Brooklyn Brawler, the wannabe rock gods found themselves coming up short again against Miz, Del Rio & a third mystery partner. This time, however, the third man wasn’t a Brooklyn native but the “heart and soul” of Philly’s own ECW ... Tommy Dreamer.
As a wave of “E-C-DUB!” chants echoed through the Wells Fargo Center, Dreamer took to the ring alongside the unlikely duo of Miz & Del Rio and proceeded to educate 3MB in the rough-and-tumble ways of ECW, lacing into the bandmates with hard right hands before climbing the turnbuckle and felling all three men with a flying axe handle. 3MB fought their way back to the upper hand but Miz and Del Rio evened the odds, beating back the bandmates and tipping the scales in their favor. Del Rio had Slater dead to rights and prone to the Cross Armbreaker when The Essence of Excellence suddenly pulled back and summoned Dreamer to finish the job. The ECW Original stormed into the ring with a vengeance, unleashing an old-school beatdown on the rockers before notching the three-count on Slater with a DDT. Take a bow, guys.
So what did the WWE Universe go to for its Newcomer of the Year Slammy Award? Intellectualism, Swiss superiority, funk or insatiable hunger?
Turns out hunger, as always, won out in the end, as the WWE Universe spoke and crowned Ryback the king of 2012’s newest competitors over Brodus Clay, Antonio Cesaro and Damien Sandow . The beast took to the stage and evoked the late, great Owen Hart and roared “enough is enough and it’s time for a change. I am that change!” before storming to the ring for his contest against one of his fellow nominees, the irate U.S. Champion Antonio Cesaro. And The Swiss Superman backed up his disparaging remarks against the ravenous Ryback with his signature strength in a brutal contest of power, nearly felling Ryback with his endless arsenal of power strikes. Ryback surged back, reversing Cesaro’s Neutralizer into a backdrop, but the champion had seen enough and vacated the ring, leaving Ryback to claim the win via count-out.
It’s tough to imagine anything announcing the most prestigious Slammy of the night other than the dulcet tones of “Mean” Gene Okerlund. The WWE Universe got two extra bangs for its buck, though, when Jim Ross and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat took to the stage in an effort to present the Match of the Year Slammy. And what else could it have been besides the epic confrontation between The Undertaker and Triple H at WrestleMania XXVIII — the “End of an Era” Match that took The Phenom to 20-0 on The Grandest Stage of Them All. The King of Kings accepted the award on behalf of both men, thanking the WWE Universe and issuing a jaw-dropping promise: “You have not seen the last of The Undertaker.”
First thing’s first: Why AJ, why?
“Everyone keeps asking me why,” AJ Lee told the assembled Philadelphia crowd from her perch atop a ladder. “I thought it would be obvious,” she cooed. But before AJ could reveal her motives, Vickie Guerrero made her way to the ring with John Cena and Dolph Ziggler following so the foursome’s Mixed Tag Match could begin in earnest. Ziggler began the match with a strut in his step (literally, he did Ric Flair’s strut) and went mano a mano against Cena with mat wrestling techniques, looping in and out of various holds before AJ tagged in and Vickie swarmed the former Raw General Manager in the ring. AJ vacated the contest following Vickie’s mauling, with the Managing Supervisor following suit and leaving Cena and Ziggler to their own devices. The two Superstars clashed mightily, with Ziggler nearly felling the Cenation leader until Cena turned the tables. But before Cena could force Ziggler to submit to the STF, AJ returned with a hulking accomplice: the monstrous Big E Langston, who sprinted to the ring and made quick work of Cena. The attack left the 10-time WWE Champion sprawled on the mat while the NXT strongman ( FULL PROFILE | NXT PHOTOS) stood tall and AJ skipped about, smiling like she knew the biggest secret in the world.
PHOTOS | VIDEO | RAW HIGHLIGHTS | RAW EXCLUSIVES | FULL SLAMMY WINNERS LIST | FULL SLAMMY PRESENTATION PHOTOS | SLAMMY WINNERS PLAYLIST
PHILADELPHIA — Team Rhodes Scholars may have punched their ticket to a Tag Team Title Match by defeating Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara in a Tables Match, but their rivalry with the masked luchador tandem was anything but tabled on Monday night. Riding the wave of victory in Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Barclays Center, Damien Sandow took to the ring against Rey Mysterio in a one-on-one reprise of the previous night’s contest. And despite the articulated assault of The Intellectual Savior of the Masses, this time it was Mysterio who stood tall at the final bell. The Ultimate Underdog withstood The Enlightened One’s onslaught, shaking off Sandow’s feral offense and using his own momentum against him, swinging to victory with a shattering 619 to Sandow’s cranium. As they say in Rey’s native tongue, “de nada.”
Booker T’s taste in suits, spectacles and (when necessary) kingly garments is unmatched. We all know this. But the SmackDown General Manager could probably do well for a refresher course in award co-presenters. Instead of someone like Halle Berry or J. Lo, Booker instead found himself saddled with the unrequested services of The Boogeyman to award the “Tell Me I Did Not Just See That” Moment of the Year Slammy. The spooky Superstar took to the stage with a mouthful of worms to help introduce the award, chowing down on them before taking his leave. Boogeyman’s departure allowed Booker to present the trophy to Kofi Kingston, who won for his highlight-reel worthy handstand walk during the 2012 Royal Rumble Match.
All this despite the pre-emptive presence of Brad Maddox, who thought he was a shoe-in to win the award for his low blow on Ryback. Better luck next year, we guess.
The sisterly love was not strong in Philly following the Slammy presentation, when Kaitlyn took on Eve, who cost her the No. 1 contender’s spot for the Divas Title by slapping her in the face during the WWE TLC Pre-Show Battle Royal. Frustration only fueled the beautiful brawler, though, as Kaitlyn ultimately notched a victory against the Divas Champion. Score one for Kaitlyn, but somehow we don’t believe this is truly the last we’ve heard of this rivalry.
The year 2012 was one of comebacks for several Superstars both inside and outside the ring, so who better to present the Comeback of the Year Slammy than the reunited New Age Outlaws? The five-time World Tag Team Champions (by which of course, we mean the five-time TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS OF THE WOOOOOOOORRRRRLLLLDDDD), no strangers to comebacks themselves, took to the stage to present the nominees. The Outlaws ultimately awarded the Slammy to Jerry Lawler, who defeated Brock Lesnar, D-Generation X and Chris Jericho for the honor. Boosted to victory by the same WWE Universe that supported him tirelessly following a near-fatal heart attack suffered at the announce booth on Sept. 10, Lawler accepted the award for his recovery. We’re down with that, fellas.
Comebacks were nowhere to be found for the towering Tensai, however, who faced Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston in a rematch of their contest from a few weeks earlier on Raw. Tensai nearly had The Dreadlocked Dynamo beaten during that bout, cutting off each of Kofi’s signature attacks mid-strike, but Kofi gained the upper hand quickly and did not relent. The champion unleashed “The Wildcat” on his monstrous foe, stoically toughing out Tensai’s offense and springing a surprise Trouble in Paradise to seal the deal.
Kofi wasn’t going to get out of Philly without a word in from Wade Barrett, though. The jilted challenger for Kofi’s title at WWE TLC made his presence known in a brutal way, knocking Kofi from the turnbuckle before unleashing the Bull Hammer elbow to deliver a vicious statement to the champion.
Let’s be real here: There was no way Vickie Guerrero presenting Kiss of the Year to AJ Lee — nominated four times alongside Daniel Bryan, Kane, CM Punk and eventual co-winner John Cena — wasn’t going to be good after what went down last night at WWE TLC. With AJ apparently shirking the romantic company of Cena for the bleach-blond charms of Dolph Ziggler, Vickie was a bit wounded given her on-and-off dalliances with The Showoff in the past couple of years. Still, the Managing Supervisor manned up and awarded the smooch statuette to AJ, though she wasn’t above demanding an explanation for the Brooklyn, N.Y., betrayal the night before. But instead of closure, Vickie was left with egg on her face when AJ sauntered out and — strike up the band and make the fireflies dance — planted a big old smooch on Ziggler’s face after The Showoff came out to try to keep the peace.
Pop quiz, hot shot: How much can a Harvard Law degree help a Superstar in a match against The Great Khali?
Answer: not a lot, as David Otunga found out to his detriment in Philadelphia. The stoic, juris doctor came into Philly looking for an upset win against The Punjabi Titan and put up a strong effort doing so, going to work on Khali’s legs in an attempt to ground his towering challenger. Otunga’s efforts were ultimately overruled by Khali when the former World Champion rallied, dismissing Otunga via a chop to the head. How does the saying go again? Oh yes. The defense rests.
Seriously, who else could it have been? Who else could have awarded the supreme Slammy for a tumultuous 2012 than the limousine-ridin’, jet-flyin’, kiss-stealin’, wheelin’, dealin’ son of a gun himself, Ric Flair? Flair returned to WWE after a lengthy hiatus and looked like he never missed a beat. And like everything he’s ever done, “The Nature Boy’s” return to WWE did not come to pass without a maelstrom of controversy after the two-time WWE Hall of Famer was awarded the Slammy by its voted recipient, John Cena. But before Flair could take the trophy in his perfectly manicured hands, WWE Champion CM Punk hobbled out to the stage to drop a “pipe bomb” on Flair, unleashing a tirade against “Naitch” and insisting he, not Flair or Cena, was the true Superstar of the Year.
So how does Ric Flair respond to such a thing? Why, he challenged Punk to a fight ( PHOTOS | VIDEO). The Second City Saint obliged, too, shattering one of his crutches over Flair’s back before The Dirtiest Player in the Game countered by poking Punk in the eye and wrenching Paul Heyman into the Figure-Four Leglock. With Punk and Heyman dispatched, Flair took to the mic to address the Philadelphia crowd ... until the crackling static of The Shield’s theme spelled doom for Flair. “Come on down, boys,” he said, clearly ready for more.
Justice, it appears, knows no boundaries, as The Shield showed no mercy in their beatdown of an outmatched Ric Flair moments after his return to WWE. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns had just begun to decimate the two-time WWE Hall of Famer when hellfire erupted and WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No thundered to “The Nature Boy’s” aid. Not even the demented duo of Kane & Daniel Bryan could save “Naitch” from the renegade trio, who prepared to unleash the triple powerbomb on Flair and send him through the announce table ...
Until, that is, feeding time started.
Showing no ill effects of The Shield’s handiwork the previous night at WWE TLC, Ryback stormed to the ring and laid waste to Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns one by one. His presence seemingly galvanized the Tag Team Champions, and the trio quickly beat The Shield back into the crowd before hoisting Flair into the lights for a well-earned welcome back moment. We missed you, Ric.
It was a banner night for JTG’s hometown of Brooklyn, which played host to its first WWE pay-per-view Sunday. The Kings County native didn’t fare so well against Brodus Clay a few miles down the turnpike, however, as The Funkasaurus made quick work of his opponent in the City of Brotherly Love. Brodus gave no quarter in his dismantling of the Brooklyn-bred Superstar, tossing JTG to and fro before unleashing his signature splash to send his opponent back to the showers.
The laughs just kept on coming during the presentation for LOL Moment of ...
It’s tough to imagine anything announcing the most prestigious Slammy of the night other than the dulcet tones of “Mean” Gene Okerlund. The WWE Universe got two extra bangs for its buck, though, when Jim Ross and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat took to the stage in an effort to present the Match of the Year Slammy. And what else could it have been besides the epic confrontation between The Undertaker and Triple H at WrestleMania XXVIII — the “End of an Era” Match that took The Phenom to 20-0 on The Grandest Stage of Them All. The King of Kings accepted the award on behalf of both men, thanking the WWE Universe and issuing a jaw-dropping promise: “You have not seen the last of The Undertaker.”
First thing’s first: Why AJ, why?
“Everyone keeps asking me why,” AJ Lee told the assembled Philadelphia crowd from her perch atop a ladder. “I thought it would be obvious,” she cooed. But before AJ could reveal her motives, Vickie Guerrero made her way to the ring with John Cena and Dolph Ziggler following so the foursome’s Mixed Tag Match could begin in earnest. Ziggler began the match with a strut in his step (literally, he did Ric Flair’s strut) and went mano a mano against Cena with mat wrestling techniques, looping in and out of various holds before AJ tagged in and Vickie swarmed the former Raw General Manager in the ring. AJ vacated the contest following Vickie’s mauling, with the Managing Supervisor following suit and leaving Cena and Ziggler to their own devices. The two Superstars clashed mightily, with Ziggler nearly felling the Cenation leader until Cena turned the tables. But before Cena could force Ziggler to submit to the STF, AJ returned with a hulking accomplice: the monstrous Big E Langston, who sprinted to the ring and made quick work of Cena. The attack left the 10-time WWE Champion sprawled on the mat while the NXT strongman ( FULL PROFILE | NXT PHOTOS) stood tall and AJ skipped about, smiling like she knew the biggest secret in the world.