Home / Results / Monday Night Raw / September 5, 2011

1. Non-title: Evan Bourne & Kofi Kingston def. Jinder Mahal & Great Khali when Bourne pinned Mahal.

2. Beth Phoenix def. Eve Torres.

3. CM Punk def. R-Truth.

4. Jerry Lawler & Zack Ryder def. David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty when Ryder pinned Otunga.

5. Non-title: Randy Orton def. Heath Slater.

6. John Cena, John Morrison, Alex Riley, & Sheamus def. Wade Barrett, Christian, Dolph Ziggler, & Jack Swagger, 4-3 in an elimination match. Cena made Swagger tap out in the last fall.

We open with a recap of the HHH/CM Punk/Kevin Nash storyline, repeated from Superstars. Punk is the first man out live.

He talks about being different from everyone else. At the same time, though, he wants Kevin Nash, and calls out the big man who has harrassed him the last three weeks. Nash is out, but only goes as far as the stage first. Punk again references Nash's past gimmicks, all except the Master Blaster. Instead of that, Punk brings up Super Shredder, Nash's 1st movie role ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II"). Nash comes about halfway down the ramp before Triple H comes out.

It turns out that the COO was made privy to some security tapes from Summerslam that revealed that Nash used the Cerebral Assassin's phone to text himself a message. More lies from Nash. The bottom line? Nash dares HHH to retaliate for the shove on Smackdown. HHH drops him with a punch, then lowers the boom by "firing" Nash, just a week after it'd been revealed that John Lauranitis had signed Nash two weeks prior.

Fittingly, then, after the break, Nash leaves with Lauranitis......!

1. Non-title: Evan Bourne & Kofi Kingston vs. Jinder Mahal & the Great Khali.

The Punjabi Nightmares have had their problems on Smackdown the last couple of weeks, and things only get worse. Heat on Bourne early, mostly with Mahal on offense. Hot tag to Kofi. Mahal makes one critical mistake, and that is setting up Kofi for a brain chop. Just as was the case when Mahal lost to Sheamus 6 nights ago, Khali chops Mahal instead, and Mahal rolls all the way across into position for Air Bourne after Kofi takes out Khali with a pendulum kick. Winners: Evan Bourne & Kofi Kingston.

2. #1 contender's match for the Divas title: Beth Phoenix vs. Eve Torres.

Kelly Kelly & Natalya Niedhart join the announcers, and the back & forth by-play between the chanpion and 1/2 of the Divas of Doom overshadows the match, and Michael Cole's commentary doesn't help matters at all, as he sides with Natalya. We've seen better from Beth & Eve, of course, and Cole's blathering does Beth no favors, IMPO. Beth ends this one with the Glam Slam, punching a ticket for a rematch in front of her hometown fans in Buffalo on Sept. 18. Winner: Beth Phoenix.

Post-match, as Kelly is on the floor, attending to Eve, Natalya gives her a cheap shot, leaving both faces lying.

3. R-Truth (w/The Miz) vs. CM Punk.

Truth & Miz did some comedy pre-match, as Truth apparently doesn't understand a lot of big words coming from Miz. They continue dumbing down Truth, and that hurts. What we do know is that Miz, who has held the tag titles with John Morrison & Big Show in the past, will team with Truth to challenge Bourne & Kingston at the PPV.

Miz got in a cheap shot early on, but the offense kept shifting back & forth between the competitors. Late in the match, Miz grabbed Punk's ankle and got caught. Punk kicked Miz through the ropes. When Miz tried to retaliate, he was ejected. Truth tried to come back, but Punk put him down with the GTS. Winner: CM Punk.

Post-match, Triple H returned, and made their match at Night of Champions a No-DQ affair. Punk talked him into giving up the COO's job if he loses, meaning that after 2 months, the Cerebral Assassin would be overthrown, and that actually plays right into Nash & Lauranitis' hands!

4. Jerry Lawler & Zack Ryder vs. David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty.

After Lawler cut down the former tag team champs in recent weeks, Otunga & McGillicutty confronted him last week, setting up this match, which really, in Lawler's mind, is all about the former champs' collective lack of personality, something Ryder has in spades. Ryder took the heat, setting up a hot tag to Lawler. Cole ragged on Lawler & Ryder throughout. His act is long since past stale. Lawler hit the fistdrop, but then tagged Ryder right back in so Zack can pick up another win on Raw. Ruff Ryder finishes off Otunga. Winners: Jerry Lawler & Zack Ryder.

5. Non-title: Randy Orton vs. Heath Slater.

Another protracted squash, as Slater, who has yet to pick up a singles win since the breakup of the Corre, got only minimal offense. Randy Knocks him Out with the RKO. Winner: Randy Orton.

All night long, Alberto Del Rio has been recruiting people to try to take out John Cena. First, it was Christian, then Wade Barrett, then Dolph Ziggler. Cena comes down to the ring and calls out Del Rio. He knows that Ricardo Rodriguez will come first, and the love child of Ricky Ricardo & Wayne Newton does just that. Del Rio claims he's trying to protect Cena. Yeah, right. Ziggler, Barrett, & Christian attack, along with Jack Swagger, but help arrives in the form of Sheamus, Alex Riley, & John Morrison. Smackdown GM Teddy Long makes our main event official.......

6. John Cena, John Morrison, Alex Riley, & Sheamus vs. Wade Barrett, Christian, Dolph Ziggler, & Jack Swagger.

With little time left in the actual block, this will go overtime in order to build the appropriate drama. The backdrop here isn't really the title picture, but the continuing soap involving Ziggler & Swagger and their mutual friend, Vickie Guerrero. Swagger scored the first two eliminations, both after blind tags while Ziggler was in the ring. Swagger made Morrison and Riley tap to the anklelock. Sheamus ended the string by pinning Barrett after a Brogue Kick. However, the Celtic Warrior chased Christian out of the arena to start a fresh program between them, leaving Cena all alone with Swagger and the US champ. Guerrero did exactly nothing. Cena ended the match in rapid succession, pinning Ziggler after the Attitude Adjustment, then countering the anklelock into the STF, and Swagger tapped to end it. Winners: John Cena, John Morrison, Alex Riley, & Sheamus.

Del Rio hit the ring, attempting another ambush, but Cena met him with the Attitude Adjustment to end the show.