WWE RAW 2/20/2012

Tonight, a ten man battle royal takes place to find out who will challenge WWE Champion CM Punk at WrestleMania. Also, the Undertaker and Triple H have a confrontation!

World Wrestling Entertainment presents RAW
Date: 2/20/2012
From: Minnesapolis, MN

Backstage, Eve Torres is talking to the Bella Twins. They tell Eve that Zack Ryder is a great guy and they hope he is okay after the attack from Kane. Eve surprsingly says that Ryder is a child and that he wouldn’t know what to do with a woman like her. She says that she was just using Ryder and now she is going to use the big fish, John Cena. Eve turns around and ends up seeing John Cena right behind her. Cena shakes his head in disgust and Eve knows she messed up big time.

John Cena makes his way to the ring and is soon followed by a crying Eve who is hoping that Cena will listen to her. Cena tells her that she has been sipping the skank juice and that Eve cost him a good friend in Zack Ryder. He has lost a broski for a hoski. Eve tries to tell Cena that she was just joking around but Cena tells her that she should try to hold out for a bigger fish like the Rock. Cena thinks they would be perfect together since they are both scandalous bitches. Eve cries on the mat and Cena tells her that he is disease free and is going to keep it that way. Officials come out to take care of Eve as Cena leaves the ring.

Opening Contest: Mark Henry vs. Sheamus
Henry backs Sheamus into a corner and works on him with few strikes and a headbutt. Sheamus ducks under a clothesline and chop blocks Henry’s knee. Sheamus comes off the top to hit a shouler block. Sheamus has Henry on the apron and delivers several clubbing blows, as per usual. Henry sends Sheamus into a corner and delivers a clothesline. Sheamus avoids Henry in the corner and clubs away on Henry with several strikes and stomps. Henry avoids the Brogue Kick and hits a clothesline. Henry follows up with a big splash and goes for the Worlds Strongest Slam. Sheamus gets out and hits the Brogue Kick to win the match.

Your Winner: Sheamus via pin fall
Match Rating: *

Backstage, Johnny Ace is with David Otunga in his office. Teddy Long walks into the office and says he is here for business. Ace says the idea to become general manager for both brands came from Otunga. Ace claims that he had no idea that Henry, Christian and Del Rio were going to support his efforts. Long believes the fans should choose the general manger. Anyway, Long decides to say that anyone on Smackdown could beat David Otunga, and that sets up a match for later on.

Second Contest: WWE World Tag Team Champions Epico & Primo vs. R-Truth & Kofi Kingston
Truth and Epico start off the contest with Truth deliverng a shoulder block and a clothesline in the early moments. Primo sneaks in a tag as Truth hits Epico with a spinning kick. Primo jumps on Truth’s back as he was hung over the middle rope. Primo knocks Kofi off the apron but runs inot a backdrop. Kofi tags in and hits a springboard clothesline on Primo. Kofi cleans house with a dropkick and another clothesline. Kofi hits the Boom Drop but is distracted by Rosa. Epico drops Kofi across the top rope but Truth knocks him out on the floor. Primo can’t hit the Back Stabber but Kofi hits the Trouble In Paradise to win the match.

Your Winners: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth via pin fall
Match Rating: *1/4

Ron Simmons is the next inductee for the 2012 Hall of Fame Class.

Backstage, Chris Jericho is interviewed by Josh Matthews. Jericho believes what happened last night is a travesty of justice. He was deemed unable to continue but wasn’t pinned or submitted. Jericho doesn’t believe that Punk has any conviction, heart and doesn’t believe in what he has to say. Tonight is the end as we know it, again. Jericho is going to win the battle royal tonight to meet Punk at Mania for the strap.

Third Contest: Ezekiel Jackson vs. David Otunga
Of all the guys that Teddy Long could’ve picked, he picked Jackson? He might as well have had picked Jinder Mahal who beat Jackson on the last Smackdown. Then again, Teddy has been known to manage losers. Jackson shoves Otunga down to the mat followed by a shoulder block and a few clubbing blows in the corner. Otunga comes out of the corner and connects with a clothesline. Jackson delivers a clothesline of his own after ducking another one from Otunga. Jackson works on Otunga in the corner with two short clothslines but misses a splash in the corner. Otunga plants Jackson with a spine buster and wins the match.

Your Winner: David Otunga via pin fall
Match Rating: 1/2*

The Undertaker makes his way down to the ring and says that for the last year he has replayed his match with HHH over and over again in his mind. He has challenged HHH to end his uncertainty. Taker wants HHH to come out and confront him. So, HHH makes his way out but Taker tell shut up as he tried to talk. Taker doesn’t need the pity. Taker is sick of all the excuses that HHH has told him. HHH tells Taker that his job is to keep the company going and not end an era. HHH considers it bad for the business if he were to extinguish the flame. Taker wonders if it would be bad for business if he or HHH would be gone from the company. HHH believes Taker is asking him for an end. HHH refuses to end the Undertaker. HHH tries leave the ring but once Taker calls him a coward, he returns to the ring. HHH assures Taker that it’s not going work as he knows that Taker is trying to do right now. HHH leaves again but Taker says that HHH knows he can’t do what HBK failed to do and that’s beat him. HHH returns to the ring minus some clothing and says he knows he can do it. HHH ends up accepting Taker’s challenge but under one condition. He wants the Undertaker inside Hell In A Cell! Taker pats HHH on the back and leaves the ring.

Fourth Contest: WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Santino Marella
Are they going to try and make Marella a credible guy, or still just a comedy character? Marella works on Bryan with a few punches to start but Bryan drops him with an uppercut. Marella hip tosses Bryan and goes for the Cobra but Bryan attacks Marella from behind. Bryan counters a rollup and locks in the LeBelle Lock to win the match.

Your Winner: Daniel Bryan via submission

Fifth Contest: The Bella Twins vs. Kelly Kelly & Aksana
Kelly and Aksana work on Nikki until Nikki is able to yank Aksana down by her hair. Brie enters and hits a face buster to win the match while the referee was distracted by Kelly.

Your Winners: The Bella Twins

John Cena is back in the ring where he says things are about to get hot again. Apparently, Cena was out earlier to talk about the Rock but Eve cut him off. Cena used to like the Rock, but he has changed into Dwayne. He doesn’t consider the Rock to be the People’s Champion anymore. He doesn’t respect him. Cena beef with Rock is the fact that he comes here on RAW, cuts a promo and then leaves to go right back to Hollywood. The only reason Rock came back was to plug his movie and Twitter account. Cena is fighting for everyone who wants to remain a WWE Superstar. He is fighting for people who want to be a professional wrestler. He promises to beat the Rock at WrestleMania to close the segment.

Main Event: #1 Contenders Match
10 Man Battle Royal
First Elimination: The Great Khali by everyone
Second Elimination: The Miz by R-Truth & Kofi Kingston
Third Elimination: Wade Barrett by Santino Marella
Fourth Elimination: R-Truth by Santino Marella
Fifth Elimination: Dolph Ziggler by Big Show
Sixth Elimination: Kofi Kingston by Chris Jericho
Seventh Elimination: Santino Marella by Cody Rhodes
Eighth Elimination: Cody Rhodes by Big Show
Ninth Elimination: Big Show by Chris Jericho and assitance by previously eliminated Cody Rhodes

Your Winner and the #1 Contender To The WWE Championship: Chris Jericho
Match Rating: **3/4

After the match, CM Punk enters the ring and wants to shake Jericho’s hand. However, Jericho instead backs away and leaves the ring while Punk’s music hits.

Final Thoughts:
I thought the show was a mixed bag of good and bad. From a wrestling match standpoint, the show didn’t deliver. However, when it came to promoting WrestleMania, I thought it was effective. While I don’t like the idea of HHH/Taker again at Mania, their segment was fine and the way Taker taunted HHH into the match was good. As a whole episode, it didn’t really hold my interest and I’d consider it to be medicore at best.

Thanks for reading.