WWE RAW 2/13/2012

Tonight, WWE Champion CM Punk meets the Miz in the main event. Shawn Michaels returns to RAW to confront HHH regarding a match against the Undertaker at WrestleMania. Plus, Kane continues to get John Cena to embrace the hate. All that plus a whole lot more on RAW!

World Wrestling Entertainment presents RAW
Date: 2/13/2012
From: San Diego, CA

The program starts off with Kane standing by an ambulance saying that John Cena will embrace the hate tonight and that somebody will be leaving the arena in an ambulance.

We got to the ring where Jerry Lawler is hanging out with WWE Champion CM Punk, Chris Jericho, R-Truth, The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston! This going to be a debate as all the men are standing behind a podium. Johnny Ace and David Otunga cut this off quickly. Ace just says he is happy to have his job and leaves. Punk says this will not end in a fight and gives props to Ace for somehow keeping his job. He also says that at the Elimination Chamber, he will win because he is the Best In The World. Vickie Guerrero says that Ziggler will win and take s a shot at R-Truth by saying they know what state they are currently in. Truth is treating this like an election by saying that if he gets elected he will trade Vickie and Ziggler for Hornswoggle and a box of spiders. Truth suggests that the word “what” be added to every single line of the Pledge. Miz mentions that he won the Elimination Chamber, and as per usual he insults his opponents. Kofi Kingston says that he should no longer be an afterthought because he could walk out as the champion at the Chamber. Jericho chimes in to say that he has been in more Chamber matches than anyone else and has eliminated more people than anyone else. In the end, Punk holds the championship up and Kofi hits Jericho with the Trouble In Paradise since they are wrestling… next!

Opening Contest: Chris Jericho vs. Kofi Kingston
Kingston stomps away on Jericho in the corner as soon as the bell sounds. Kingston absorbs a few strikes from Jericho and hammers away on Jericho before sending him over the top with a clothesline. Kingston hits a suicide dive on the floor! Kingston slams Jericho head first into the announcers table. Jericho powerbombs Kingston out of the corner. Jericho connects with a back suplex and senton splash for a two count. Jericho avoids a dropkick attempt by Kingston and gets a two count on another cover attempt.

Jericho chops Kingston in the corner but Kingston hits a cross body off the middle rope for a two count. Kingston dropkicks Jericho but is back dropped to the apron. Jericho catches Kingston a springboard dropkick attempt and locks in the Walls of Jericho but Kingston reaches the bottom rope. Kingston hits the Trouble In Paradise! Jericho gets his foot on the bottom rope to avoid a three count. Jericho pokes Kingston in the eyes and hits the Code Breaker to win the match.

Your Winner: Chris Jericho via pin fall
Match Rating: ***

Backstage, HHH gives Shawn Michaels a hug.

Backstage, John Cena asks why Zack Ryder is on RAW tonight. Ryder has flowers with him as he wants to give them to his girlfriend Eve. Cena wants Ryder to say in the locker room and he will bring Eve to him.

Backstage, David Otunga tells Johnny Ace that he has an idea to make him the general manger of RAW and Smackdown!

Second Contest: The Big Show vs. Randy Orton
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan is at ringside for the match. Show shoves Orton down but Orton gets up to deliver a few right hands. Show misses a chop in the corner and Orton hammers away on Show. Show chops Orton to the floor but Orton drops Show arm first across the top rope. Show hits a side slam but Orton kicks out at two. Show goes for the knockout punch, but Orton bails to the floor to avoid it as we go to commercial.

Orton has a sleeper hold on Show but Show is able to break free from the hold, eventually. Show snap mares Orton and clotheslines Orton a few times. Orton drops Show with a nice dropkick for a two count. Show slams Orton head first into the announcers table and he stares at Bryan. Orton dropkicks Show on the apron and plants Show with a elevated DDT from the top rope! Orton botches a RKO so they do it again. Well, Show goes for the choke slam and Orton hits the RKO. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan enters and nails Orton and Show with the championship.

Your Winner: Randy Orton via disqualification
Match Rating: **1/4

Shawn Michaels makes his way out and talks about how he was surprised that HHH didn’t accept the Undertaker’s challenge for WrestleMania. Michales believes that HHH is playing mind games and wants him to come out to the ring. HHH makes his way out and they do the DX signal. HHH tells Michales that he knows how to beat the Undertaker but he doesn’t want to be that guy. Michaels disagrees and believes HHH is that guy. Michaels thinks that HHH is a suit now and a corporate sellout. Michaels calls HHH a coward for not accepting the challenge! HHH is mad now and ends up telling Michaels that someday the WWE is going to be all his. He doesn’t consider Undertaker to be an opponent anymore, but rather he is a brand for the company. HHH thinks Michaels wants HHH to do something that he couldn’t do. HHH looks Michaels in the eye to assure him that he isn’t going to wrestle the Undertaker. We see a video package of the Undertaker asking for another match with HHH at WrestleMania.

Third Contest: Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth
Ziggler boots Truth in the gut and misses a clothesline. Truth spin kicks Ziggler but hits the ring post shoulder first. Ziggler rolls Truth up for a near fall before hitting a dropkick. Ziggler has a headlock on Truth and is doing a head stand. Ziggler delivers a neck breaker and drops an elbow before doing a few sit ups. Truth ends up rolling Ziggler up and wins the match.

Your Winner: R-Truth via pin fall
Match Rating: *1/4

Backstage, Santino Marella offers Zack Ryder some advice for Valentine’s Day. He gives Ryder some breath strips, which end up being garlic flavored.

Fourth Contest: Tamina vs. Brie Bella
As per usual, Tamina wins this one after hitting Brie with a top rope big splash. She stares at WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix after the match.

Backstage, Josh Matthews is with John Cena. There ends up being a woman heard screaming in the ambulance. Kane shuts the door but is attacked by Cena who wants Eve to unlock the door. Eve leaps out of the ambulance and Cena catches her. Eve ends up kissing Cena and we see a heartbroken Zack Ryder in his wheelchair flowers.

Backstage, Eve is with Zack Ryder. She tells him she didn’t think they were going to be together and thought they were just going to be friends. Obviously, that upset Ryder who just wheeled away.

Main Event: WWE Champion CM Punk vs. The Miz
Punk hip tosses Miz for a one count early on. Punk follows up with a snap suplex for another one count. Miz drops Punk’s arm across the top rope but runs into a boot from the champ. Miz sends Punk shoulder first into the top turnbuckle and hits a side Russian leg sweep. Punk counters a neck breaker with a kick to Miz’s head. Miz hammers away on Punk’s left arm. Punk nails Miz with a spin kick and a swinging neck breaker. Punk knee lifts Mis in the corner before hitting a running bulldog.

Miz gets out of the GTS by planting Punk with a DDT for a near fall. Miz clotheslines Punk in the corner. Punk snap power slams Miz after avoiding a top rope attack. Miz stops Punk on the top rope but Punk knocks him off the middle rope. Punk comes off the top and hits an elbow drop. Punk counters the Skull Crushing Finale and forces Miz to take to the Anaconda Vice!

Your Winner: CM Punk via submission
Match Rating: *1/2

John Cena makes his way down to the ring to a mixed reaction. Cena has tried to apologize to Ryder but Ryder will not listen to what he has to say. Cena believes this has been Kane’s plan from the start and it anybody else would embrace the hate, but Cena is not like everyone else. Cena assures everyone that he will rise above and he will put Kane in an ambulance at the Elimination Chamber. Zack Ryder comes out and ends up slapping Cena. Cena blocks a right hand but doesn’t hit Ryder. Ryder leaves the ring and goes up the ramp. Kane appears on the Titantron and believes that Cena has embraced the hate after he stole Ryder’s girl from him. Kane says that Cena will be leaving in an ambulance. Kane appears on the ramp and sends the wheelchair bound Ryder off the ramp and Ryder crashes down to the floor. Eve runs out to check on Ryder and Cena looks on frustrated as the show comes to an end.

Final Thoughts:
I thought this was a really good show. The wrestling matches all had top talents involved and for the most part they were either clean or had some angle advancements. So, in that regard I can’t complain. I can’t complain about the interview segments, either. The HHH/HBK segment was nicely done and the issues between Cena/Kane took an interesting turn this week. I’m figuring that Ryder might embrace the hate and turn heel. This was just a productive program and a fun two hours, I thought. Overall, I’m giving RAW a thumbs up for this week.

Thanks for reading.