Raw 12/19/11:
-RAW GM Michael Cole opens the show. Cole announces that tonight will determine who will face WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio at the Royal Rumble. Cole says ten teams have been paired by random drawing, and will face-off in a series of 5 matches. The winners of the tag matches will then participate in a battle royale, with the winner receiving the championship opportunity. Cole notes that Del Rio is not here tonight, as he is recovering from the TLC match from last night. (NOTE: I really did randomly draw these teams.)
-Match 1: Kofi Kingston & Goldust VS WWE Tag Team Champion The Miz & Zack Ryder
-Miz is NOT thrilled with his partner. Decent reaction for the returning Goldust. Miz pins Goldust with the Skull Crushing Finale, however. (**3/4)
-CM Punk barges into Michael Cole's office. Punk is upset because he's not in the running for the title shot. Cole reminds him that last night was Punk's last chance at Del Rio. Punk says he wants Drew McIntyre then. Cole says he traded McIntyre to Smackdown, and per the order of Shane McMahon, RAW and Smackdown are to be kept separate. If any RAW superstar shows up on Smackdown without an invitation from the GM or vice versa, then they will be automatically suspended. Punk isn't happy with any of this, but says he'll just have to win the Royal Rumble then to get another shot at the WWE Championship.
-Match 2: Ezekial Jackson & Michael McGullicutty VS Jinder Mahal & John Cena
-Mahal is announced as the man Cole traded McIntyre for. Cena pins McGullicutty with the AA, with no help from Mahal. (**1/4)
-Match 3: Jack Swagger & David Otunga VS Kevin Nash & WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth
-Poor Swagger. Otunga gets alligator arms on a tag attempt from Swagger, allowing Nash to drop Swagger with a big boot, and Truth to finish with the Little Jimmy. (**1/2), but got the biggest crowd reaction so far.
-Backstage, United States Champion Dolph Ziggler mocks Swagger for losing that match, and their match last night. Ziggler says he will prove beyond any doubt that he is better than Swagger by carrying his partner to a win, no matter who it is.
-Match 4: United States Champion Dolph Ziggler & Santino Marella VS John Morrison & Evan Bourne
-Marella's screwing around cost his team the match. He was going for THE COBRA on Morrison, but he took too long, allowing Morrison to hit a kick to head, and Bourne followed up with Air Bourne for the pin. (**3/4)
-Ziggler is PISSED and lays Santino out with the Zig Zag, before adding some mounted punches. Jack Swagger rushes out to the ring to chase Ziggler away.
-Match 5: JTG & Alex Riley VS Big Show & Mason Ryan
-Match should have been an easy win for Show & Ryan, but they started arguing, and eventually started fighting amongst each other. Their fight went outside the ring, and they were counted out to give Riley & JTG the upset win. (*1/4)
-Match 6: 10 Man Battle Royale: The Miz VS Zack Ryder VS Jinder Mahal VS John Cena VS Kevin Nash VS R-Truth VS John Morrison VS Evan Bourne VS JTG VS Alex Riley
-Nash lawn darted poor Evan Bourne over the top and out. Morrison dumped Riley. Cena eliminated Mahal. Miz & Truth eliminated Ryder. Cena eliminated JTG. Morrison eliminated Truth. Miz & Nash eliminated Morrison. Cena eliminated Nash, then Miz to win it. (*)
-As Cena celebrates, Alberto Del Rio comes out of nowhere to attack him. Del Rio hits a belt shot and a running enziguiri before locking in the cross-arm breaker. Del Rio has to be pulled off Cena, and stands above him while holding the WWE title belt as the show ends.
Smackdown 12/23/11:
-Justin Gabriel opened the show, speaking about his win over Christian and his position as the #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. Gabriel is interupted by Mark Henry, who tells Gabriel that winning the match against Christian was both the best thing, and the worst thing to ever happen to Gabriel. The best, because Gabriel gets to main event the Royal Rumble for the World Heavyweight Championship. The worst, because he has to do it against Mark Henry. Henry looks like he's going to attack, but decides to simply smile and walk away. This segment did not go over well.
-Match 1: William Regal VS Drew McIntyre
-Drew's return to Smackdown. Booker T & Josh Matthews talk about Drew running away from RAW after his actions at TLC. Drew wins with a thumb to the eye and the Future Shock DDT. He adds a second Future Shock, just because he can. (***)
-McIntyre then got on the mic and kissed up to Shane McMahon, saying he share his father's brilliance for recognizing Drew's talent and making him the "Chosen One" once again.
-Match 2: Randy Orton VS Darren Young
-Orton squashes black John Cena in about two minutes with the RKO. (**1/2)
-As Orton is in the ring posing for the crowd, Wade Barrett appears on the TitanTron and says that Orton deserved what happened to him at TLC, because of what Orton did to Barrett a few weeks back. Despite getting physically involved at TLC and really wanting to get true revenge on Randy Orton, Barrett has not been cleared to compete. Barrett says he hopes to be cleared right round...the Royal Rumble.
-Divas Champion Beth Phoenix did an interview. She will be defending the Divas' title at the Royal Rumble against Layla, but is not concerned, because even though Layla is not blonde, she's still just a Barbie girl, and will pose little challenge.
-Match 3: Layla & AJ VS Tamina & Alicia Fox
-AJ takes punishment from the heels, but makes the hot tag, and Layla ends up pinning Tamina with the Lay Out. (1/2*)
-Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes did an interview. He said that now he has beaten Cody Rhodes and staked his claim as the greatest Intercontinental Champion in WWE history, it is time for him to move on to the World Heavyweight Championship. Tonight, Rhodes faces Daniel Bryan, and as always, Bryan's Money in the Bank briefcase is on the line. Rhodes says he'll beat Bryan, and cash in when it's most convenient.
-Match 4: Ted DiBiase VS Brodus Clay
-Pretty non-descript match. Clay wins clean with the Fall of Humanity. (**1/2)
-Match 5: Daniel Bryan VS Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes
-Decent main event, but I was hoping for better. Bryan fights out of Cross Rhodes and makes Cody tap to the LaBell Lock. (***1/2)
-After the match, Rhodes lays Bryan out, hits Cross Rhodes, and puts a paper bag on Bryan's head.
-MATCHES ANNOUNCED FOR THE ROYAL RUMBLE:
The Royal Rumble Match
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP: Alberto Del Rio [c] VS John Cena
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: Mark Henry [c] VS Justin Gabriel
WWE DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP: Beth Phoenix [c] VS Layla
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