John Cena, Paul Heyman and Cesaro Open Up RAW
This week’s edition of WWE RAW opens up with highlights of everything that went down between Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella on last week’s show, as well as the announcement of Brock Lesnar as John Cena’s title challenger at SummerSlam.
From there, we shoot live to the arena where we hear Michael Cole say, “welcome to Monday Night RAW,” as John Cena’s theme music hits. The WWE World Heavyweight Champion makes his way out to the top of the stage as the loud mixed reaction erupts from the fans in the building.
Justin Roberts introduces Cena as he sprints to the ring. Cole, meanwhile, informs everyone to use “#CenavsBrock” on Twitter tonight to chat about the big main event for this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.
The music fades, the loud mixed reaction, which is quickly turning to all-boo’s, increases, as Cena takes off his hat and wipes the sweat off of his head. He tells the fans in Houston that they’re a lively bunch. He then goes on to talk about Brock Lesnar being revealed as his next opponent. Cena sells the announcement with concern in his voice, as he clearly sounds nervous at the idea of facing Lesnar at SummerSlam.
Cena goes on to talk about how dangerous Brock Lesnar is, running down Lesnar’s many impressive accomplishments. He talks about how he knows he’s going to get his ass kicked at SummerSlam, which results in the Houston fans cheering loudly. He says, however, that even though he knows he’s getting his ass kicked, he’s not going to lay down. He says he’s going to SummerSlam to win.
He questions if The Authority knows what they’re doing by putting Lesnar in a position to win the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He says no one can stop Lesnar. Not the fans, not The Authority, not even Paul Heyman.
With that said, we hear “ladies and gentlemen.” Out walks Paul Heyman. He promises that Lesnar will “conquer” John Cena and take away the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam.
Heyman says Cena is brave to announce his awareness of what is going to happen to him at SummerSlam at the hands of Brock Lesnar. He says that Cena, however, may not realize what it’s like to be victimized by Lesnar. He tells him to ask Undertaker, but then remembers that he can’t because Lesnar beat Undertaker to the point that he’s no longer around. He tells Cena that all he’s going to be beaten, victimized and conquered.
Cena tells Heyman he’s sick of his crap. He wants to talk to Heyman about passion. Cena talks about the fans chanting “ECW.” He leads the fans in an “ECW” chant that doesn’t catch on at all. Cena says he and Heyman share passion. He says this is it for him, this is his “friggin'” life. He goes on to describe his passion for WWE and the fans before turning his attention again to what is awaiting him at SummerSlam. He says what separates him from Lesnar is heart. Cena promises to “walk out with this son of a bitch,” as he raises the WWE World Heavyweight Championship up high.
Then, out of the blue, Cesaro’s theme music hits. Cesaro comes out and takes the microphone from Heyman. Heyman looks confused. Cesaro says even though he and Heyman parted ways professionally, he won’t stand for someone talking to his friend like this.
Cesaro goes on to call Cena a muscled up billboard. He asks Cena where he got his sneakers and tells him you can’t wrestle in sneakers. Cena exits the rings and starts walking up the ramp. Cesaro tells Cena that “you can’t wrestle” and then challenges him to a match.
Heyman goes to try and hype up a Cesaro-Cena match as an unexpected bonus for the fans in Houston, but Cena cuts him off by saying, “shut up, Paul.” He tells Cesaro “this guy who can’t wrestle” is going to beat him up. He tells Cesaro to get in the ring. Cesaro’s music plays again as he heads to the ring. We head to our first commercial break of the evening.
John Cena vs. Cesaro
When we return from commercial, Cesaro and Cena are duking it out in the ring. Neither guy has established control of the offense yet it seems, as each guy is taking turns hitting a move or two. When the smoke finally clears, Cesaro is in control of the leader of the “Ce-Nation,” as the fans begin their dueling “let’s go Cena” and “Cena sucks” chants.
Cena tries fighting back, but Cesaro cuts him short with an impressive display of power and resumes beating down the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The fans, meanwhile, are still a lively bunch, as the anti-Cena chants continue to spread throughout Houston as Cesaro continues his beat down.
The WWE World Heavyweight Champion starts fighting back again, this time building a bit of momentum, however less than a minute later, Cesaro is back in control of the offense. On that note, we head to a mid-match commercial.
We’re back from the break and Cesaro is still firmly in control of the champ. As he goes for the Cesaro Swing, however, Cena escapes and begins to turn the offensive tide in the match to his favor. Cena is firing up now, hitting a series of moves on “The King of Swing” as the fans in Houston come alive.
Cesaro cuts Cena short moments later, hitting an incredible superplex type move, as from the middle rope he lifted Cena from the apron all the way over his head for a suplex. Seconds later, Cesaro secures Cena’s legs and begins swinging the champ. He swings him about ten times and then transitions into some type of leg submission.
Cena ends up escaping the submission and going for a reversal into an STFU, but Cesaro avoids that one. Cena knocks Cesaro down and hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cesaro fights back and goes to the top rope. He flies off, splashing onto Cena, but Cena rolls through and picks Cesaro up in one motion for an Attitude Adjustment.
Cesaro escapes Cena’s A.A. attempt and launches him in the air, blasting him on the way down with a huge European uppercut. Cesaro calls for The Neutralizer but Cena avoids it.
Both guys end up on the top rope. Cena grabs a hold of Cesaro and gets him across his shoulders. Cena jumps off the ropes, nailing Cesaro with a huge Attitude Adjustment on the way down. Cena covers Cesaro. 1-2-3. Cena wins. Great match to open tonight’s RAW.
Winner: John Cena
Backstage: Stephanie McMahon & Triple H
Backstage, we see Stephanie McMahon with Triple H. Stephanie is stressing out and talking about how she doesn’t want to see the disappointment in their daughter’s eyes again. She says “this had better work.” Triple H assures her that it will.