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RAW 11-13-06
What a night for more than 15,000 WWE fans at the sold out Manchester News Arena in Manchester, England. Jeff Hardy became the new Intercontinental Champion and Rated-RKO – Randy Orton and Edge – became the World Tag Team Champions.

After delivering a Con-chair-to to “Rowdy” Roddy Piper before the match began, effectively knocking "Hot Rod" out of the competition, Ric Flair was left to defend the tag team gold on his own. Despite a valiant effort from Flair, Edge and Orton were simply too much to handle. (WATCH)

“I was the youngest World Heavyweight Champion and one of the longest Intercontinental Championship holders in history and now I’m a World Tag Team Champion,” said Orton after the match. Edge added, “What you’re looking at is the dawning of two new Legends in this industry – the Rated-R Superstar and the Legend Killer.”

RAW 10-30-06
Earlier in the show, McMahon, Coachman and Bischoff appeared on “The Cutting Edge” with birthday boy Edge and Randy Orton. The three men are your choices for special referee in the DX vs. Edge & Orton match at Cyber Sunday, and they all pled their case for selection. Orton also bragged about beating The Game last week (without mentioning how Triple H had beaten him the week before), so the Chairman then made the rubber match for RAW. But to emphasize how pivotal a guest referee can be, he appointed Edge as the official.

With Shawn Michaels not at RAW due to personal reasons, the odds seemed stacked even higher against The Game. However, he was ready, nailing Edge with a Pedigree before the match to take him out of his assignment. The Rated-R Superstar would later come back to interfere, and the bout was declared a No Contest. The action didn’t stop there, as Edge & Orton assaulted The Game, dominating him with a steel chair until Triple H found his trusty sledgehammer and sent his enemies packing.

The Game may have fought off the attack on RAW, but with Edge, Orton and most likely the guest referee all against them at Cyber Sunday, the end may be near for D-Generation X.

RAW 10-23-06
The team of Randy Orton & Edge proved they won’t coexist with DX anymore and got one step closer to making their pledge to destroy DX come true in Orton’s match with Triple H. In the end, HBK gave Coachman Sweet Chin Music when he tried to make a three count after Edge interfered. (Watch) Orton then got a steel chair from Bischoff and cracked Triple H in the head to get the pinfall.


RAW 10/16/06

While Cena was dropping Federline, Edge was itching to get to Mr. McMahon to congratulate him on the decision to let the fans decide on the Champion of Champions Match for Cyber Sunday. He approached the Chairman and put together a proposal to allow the fans to decide on the special guest referee for a match between DX and Orton & Edge on Nov. 5.

Mr. McMahon was receptive to Edge's idea, and now the fans will also be voting on who should officiate the DX vs. Edge and Orton match. Will it be Jonathan Coachman? Former RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff or Mr. McMahon? (Vote here)

Although Edge & Orton will go head to head with DX at Cyber Sunday, Triple H and Orton battled in a one-on-one match because of the disrespect the Legend Killer and the Rated-R Superstar showed Shawn Michaels and Triple H at the top of the broadcast when Orton and Edge displayed their contempt for their rivals when they parodied them. That show of disrespect didn't bode well for them later in the night, however.

The Game has been Orton’s target mainly because of Edge, who pointed out that Triple H was the one who destroyed Orton with Batista in his days with Evolution. After The Game’s so-called betrayal, The Legend Killer’s career hasn’t been the same, according to Edge.

In the match, DX simply outsmarted Edge and Orton at their own game. At one point, Edge tried to interfere on Orton’s behalf as Lita tossed a steel chair into the ring. The Rated- R Superstar delivered a low blow to Triple H, but HBK slipped into the ring and returned the low blow to Orton which allowed Triple H to use the chair and score the pinfall. DX may have won the first encounter, but it was clear that the war between these two teams has just begun


Checkmate
By Brett Hoffman
October 2, 2006

The match was every bit as competitive as the first 10 months of the rivalry, a back and forth chess match with each man utilizing their strengths and capitalizing on their opponent’s weaknesses in the struggle to gain the advantage.

The momentum changed hands on numerous occasions and each man made several attempts to climb out of the imposing structure. At one point, Edge attempted to climb out of the cage, but was stopped by Cena, who promptly suplexed him back first off the top rope to the mat below. The Chain Gang leader followed up with the signature Five-Knuckle Shuffle, and attempted to put Edge away with the F-U. However, after ten months of battle, Edge had the move scouted and countered with a modified backbreaker.

The change in momentum inspired Lita to get involved, but the fiery Diva never made it into the ring. Instead, ringside Referee Marty Rubalcaba blocked her entry and ejected the former Women’s Champion from the building, all as a dejected Edge looked on from the ring. During the commotion, a steel chair made its way into the ring, and that very chair would lead to Edge’s eventual downfall.

As the combatants battled for the chair, referee Jack Doan found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and took an inadvertent blow which rendered him temporarily unconscious.

Edge seized control of the chair and swung for the fences, but Cena ducked and grabbed the chair to deliver a knockout blow not seen since the days of Mike Tyson’s prime. Cena immediately locked in the STFU, but with the referee disabled, there was nobody left to ring the bell. Seconds later, Edge received temporary aid in the form of tag team specialists Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch. The cowboys hit the ring and took out Cena with the Sweet and Sour and proceeded to try and pull Edge out of the ring to victory… but D-Generation X had other plans.

Triple H and Shawn Michaels succeeded in evening the score. Michaels put the finishing touches on DX’s evening when he leveled Trevor Murdoch with Sweet Chin Music, propelling him towards the cage door, which in turn slammed right into Edge’s escaping cranium.

The jolt sent Edge back into the ring, where Cena was waiting for him with an explosive F-U and a three-count. Once again, Cena survived unbelievable odds to score an unlikely victory, all in proving himself to be the consummate fighting champion. RAW has seen its share of breath-taking matches in the past, but few have had as much emotion, or as much on the line as the battle endured by John Cena and Edge.


Winning the war
By Zack Zeigler
September 18, 2006

Edge may have won a battle over John Cena on RAW, but the WWE Champion got one up on the Rated-R Superstar in Montreal.

In the main event of RAW, D-Generation X teamed with new WWE Champion Cena to take on Edge, Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch. Unfortunately for DX and Cena, they were disqualified after HBK used a chair that Lita slid into the ring, but they didn’t spend any time wallowing. After blasting Cade & Murdoch with a chair and pummeling Edge, DX and Cena broke it down together as the new WWE Champion even joined Shawn Michaels and Triple H in their signature DX Crotch Chop.

The main event match itself was made earlier in the night. After a sore and bruised Cena came to the ring to finally shut the book on the historic Edge-Cena rivalry after their TLC Match at Unforgiven, he was interrupted by the still fuming Rated R Superstar. Edge didn’t like Cena announcing the end of their rivalry without consulting him.

“Your win last night [at Unforgiven] was like your entire career — a fluke. I got a rematch clause in my contract and when I use it, I’m going to reclaim the WWE Championship,” he grunted.

Cena wasn’t opposed to the idea of a rematch; in fact, he offered to have one right there in Montreal. His offer caused the Canadian crowd of 15,189 to finally warm up to the new champ… but it was Edge who declined the match. After telling Cena he wouldn’t have the match for the Montreal WWE fans – a city he insisted was like the red-headed step child of Canada – the crowd treated Edge like the turncoat he is. Like a true rogue, the Rated-R Superstar gave them the signal for Cade & Murdoch to ambush Cena from behind.

Edge informed Cena that he was using “the same sons of bitches that beat the hell out of DX.” Last week on RAW, Cade & Murdoch smashed Triple H’s head in a beating that was so severe it nearly left The Game unable to compete in his match with Mr. McMahon. Triple H did make it to the match, but was severely impaired from the beating he suffered.

Edge laughed at Cena for being outnumbered, but he wasn’t laughing for very long as DX hurried to the ring to get revenge on Cade & Murdoch. After the melee between all six men ceased, Mr. McMahon’s Executive Assistant Jonathan Coachman appeared. He announced that due to serious trauma that stemmed from last night’s outcome in the Hell in a Cell Match between DX and the McMahons, the Chairman and Shane McMahon were spending the night in a medical facility and that he was in charge of RAW. His first order of business: make a Six-Man Tag Team Match as the main event.

In the match, Edge, a self-proclaimed master tactician, knew that Cade & Murdoch were fresh and let them do most of the work in the ring. They didn’t compete in a TLC Match like Cena and Edge or a Hell in a Cell like DX, and judging by the effort they put in for the McMahons on DX last week, they were obviously anxious to prove that the main event is a place they’re comfortable competing in.

But while their performance was impressive and both Cade & Murdoch looked strong and versatile in the match, their aggressiveness wasn’t enough to score a pinfall over DX or Cena. In the end, all six men ended up in the ring, and Michaels used the chair to blast Cade & Murdoch causing the disqualification. Edge was left to take on the wrath of three of the most talented Superstars in WWE, and with nowhere for the Rated-R Superstar to run, HBK smacked him in the jaw with Sweet Chin Music before Triple H drove his face into the mat with a Pedigree. (Watch the end of the main event match)

Edge made the rematch clause in his contract public, but now, for the first time in a long time, Cena has the momentum and upper hand against his biggest enemy. That leaves one question: what’s Edge’s next move? For so long, Cena has had to try to keep up with the Rated R Superstar and attempt to get one-up on him. Now that the roles are reversed, does Edge have a plan in mind?

Raw 09-04-06
When RAW began, Edge arrogantly boasted from atop a ladder about his experience advantage when he faces John Cena in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match in his hometown of Toronto, Canada on Sept. 17 at Unforgiven. A win by the Rated R Superstar would send his most bitter rival to SmackDown for the next three years.

While Edge proclaimed himself the projected winner, citing he has the “skill, agility, speed and smarts” to prevail in the TLC Match, Cena decided to show the Rated R Superstar that he won’t sit idle and lose the match without putting up a fight. After Cena shook Edge from the ladder and gave him a thunderous FU through a table, he piled a ladder and chair over the top of the champion. The rage and fire burning in Cena’s eyes as he stared at the decimated champion were enough to keep Edge weary of the Doctor of Thuganomics during the Intergender Match later in the evening.

In the match, Edge did his best to steer clear of the fired-up Cena. When Cena took a tag, the WWE Champion cowered into the corner and tagged Lita. But, when mayhem broke loose and Edge had nowhere to run, Cena went to work on him while Carlito focused on Orton.


RAW 08-21-06

While Mr. McMahon can’t seem to get rid of DX, Edge also can’t seem to get rid of John Cena. After defeating the hometown hero at SummerSlam, the Rated R Superstar thought he had finally written the final chapter of the Edge vs. Cena story. To celebrate what he thought was his happy ending, Lita threw the WWE Championship, which had been originally custom-made for Cena after he won it at WrestleMania 21, into the Long Island Sound. After the crowd watched the gold thrown into the harbor, Edge’s new Championship belt descended from the rafters, complete with his Rated R logo in the center. Then, he challenged anyone in the back to step up and start the next chapter in the Rated R story, but he didn’t expect that it would be Jeff Hardy who would answer the call.

The daredevil returned and knocked Edge down with a reverse mule kick. Hardy then scaled the top rope like he had done so many times during his first run with WWE three years ago. But before the RAW fans could see a patented Swanton Bomb, Edge retreated and headed to the back. Furious at what had happened, Edge demanded that he get Hardy in a non-title match to teach him a lesson. Mr. McMahon’s Executive Assistant granted Edge his wish, but the Rated R Superstar had no idea what he was getting into.

This was Hardy’s first action in a WWE ring in three years, but his history with Edge, and especially Lita, goes back even further than that. Jeff and Lita, along with Jeff’s brother Matt, used to be known as Team Extreme and helped revolutionize the tag team division. Hardy showed no signs of ring rust as he was flying all over the ring, but Edge was able to stay right with him in the early goings. Hardy was able to hit the Twist of Fate and the Swanton Bomb, but as he went for the cover, Lita pulled Edge out from under the ring. With that, John Cena stormed the ring and attacked the WWE Champion.

Edge tried to retreat through the crowd, but Cena was in hot pursuit. The two battled through the back and out the door. The cameras picked them up by the harbor, around the same spot that Lita had earlier tossed the WWE Championship into the Long Island Sound. Cena tossed Edge around like rag doll. He threw him into a bulletin board, he threw him into some bushes, and like a man possessed, he threw him onto the pier. After trying to be separated by a couple of WWE officials, Cena clocked Edge and tossed him into the harbor, just like Lita had tossed the WWE Championship. Cena had clearly sent a message: “I ain’t goin nowhere!” It was later learned that the Harbor Patrol had rescued the WWE Champion from the water, but Cena made it clear that the final chapter in the Edge vs. Cena story had yet to be written.


Prior to their match at SummerSlam, WWE Champion Edge told WWE.com that he was a master tactician that played “chess inside the ring better than anyone else.” And when he left with the WWE Championship proudly around his waist after defeating challenger John Cena in his hometown of Boston, the Rated R Superstar lived up to his boast.

Even though the win stemmed from using a pair of brass knuckles, Edge solidified the legitimacy of his championship reign by defeating Cena. There’s no question about it now; while the Rated R Superstar and his girlfriend, Women’s Champion Lita, may be two of the most deplorable Superstars in WWE, their in-ring skills and ability to strategize are unparalleled in sports-entertainment.

WWE.com spoke with Edge following his match, where he commented on the feeling of beating his challenger in front of his hometown crowd.

“It feels exhilarating; it feels amazing; it feels stupendous; it feels spectacular…there’s only one thing that can match it, and I think you know what that is—me being the Rated R Superstar and all,” said the WWE Champion before declaring the interview was over.

For Cena, the motivation to defeat Edge at SummerSlam burned strongly even before the champion crossed the line by trespassing at Cena’s father’s house in West Newbury, Mass, where he attacked—or “bitch slapped,” as Edge put it—Mr. Cena. After that incident, something was triggered inside of the Doctor of Thuganomics that WWE fans and Superstars have never witnessed before.

In the match, Cena used that passion to unload a powerful assault of blows and slams on Edge. He unleashed a flurry of right and left hands and drove the champion into the mat with a ferocious belly-to-belly suplex. All the while, Cena kept his eye on the Women’s Champion as she circled ringside, watching the match intently.

When the Rated R Superstar was able to gain control, he tried to wear his challenger down with choke-holds and a thunderous top-rope clothesline. But, no matter how tight he squeezed his chokes or how hard the impact of the clothesline, Cena was somehow able to recover.

The challenger’s persistence obviously worried Lita, who tried to interfere on Edge’s behalf. But, perhaps for the first time since becoming a two-time champion, Edge didn’t want Lita getting involved. Don’t give the Edge too much credit, though; it wasn’t because he feared for her well being or that he didn’t want her to get in a rabid Cena’s path — it was because he knew that if he was disqualified he’d lose the WWE Championship.

When Lita tossed a chair into the ring attempting to help her man, the Rated R Superstar quickly tossed it out, which opened up the opportunity for Cena to take advantage and regain control of the match. With the fury and passion of his family's honor and the hometown crowd fueling his rage, Cena locked Edge in the STFU. Again, Lita tried to get involved, but Edge, even though he was writhing in pain from the submission hold, made it clear her services weren’t needed — yet.

Before Cena could get Edge to submit, the Rated R Superstar was able to inch his way over to the ropes. When the referee made Cena break the hold, Lita slid a pair of brass knuckles onto Edge’s hand. Even with all of Cena’s heart, drive and refusal to give up, one solid blast to the back of his head from a hard right hand with the brass knuckles left him utterly defenseless. The haymaker from the WWE Champion was enough to knock Cena unconscious long enough for Edge to get the pinfall.

After the match, a woozy Cena tried to regain his coherency as he stumbled against the ropes, trying to comprehend what had just happened. He was in control, in a position to get the victory and regain the championship he’s longed for since losing it at ECW One Night Stand…but, again, he was screwed — or outplayed — by Edge.

Regardless of the loss at SummerSlam, Cena’s drive to once again possess WWE gold will not allow him to stay down. When he finally does understand what happened, why he lost, and how he was screwed by Edge yet again, expect Cena to unleash hell. In the past, the Doctor of Thuganomics has shown he’ll go to extreme measures to regain what he insists rightfully belongs to him…but one has to wonder if he’ll ever be able to get one over on his nemesis.


Cena goes off
By Zack Zeigler
August 14, 2006

As RAW began, WWE Champion Edge and his girlfriend Lita had everything to smile about. He’d successfully lured the challenger to his championship, John Cena, out of the arena, and Lita defeated Mickie James to become the new Women’s Champion—making them the first couple in WWE history to possess double gold. Unfortunately for Edge, the night would quickly turn into a nightmare as an unexpected appearance by John Cena turned his giddiness into fear of Cena’s wrath.

The evening kicked off with Edge shedding light on the details that took place at the Cena residence in West Newbury, Mass. earlier in the day. WWE.com reported that an incident had occurred that was serious enough to cause Cena to leave the arena to head back to his father’s home. After Edge and Lita forced their way into the house and were asked to leave, he responded by slapping Cena’s father with enough force to knock him to the ground. Upon leaving, Edge laughed at Mr. Cena laying there in pain on his living room floor.

The laughs continued as the Rated R Superstar helped Lita get a victory over Women’s Champion Mickie James. He distracted the referee which allowed Lita to smash James in the head with the Women’s Championship belt to get the pinfall and her third championship. The two were all smiles as their momentum for the night seemed to be building. Trying to keep the momentum rolling in his non-title match with Carlito was another story, though.

Prior to the match, Carlito gave Trish a kiss to match the one she gave him last week on RAW. Each week we’ve seen their relationship grow, but what has it grown into? In the match, both Superstars landed high-risk moves and Carlito nearly had a pinfall, but Lita pulled Edge’s foot onto the rope. Stratus was at ringside to level out the playing ground by keeping Lita at bay—for the most part.

As the match continued, out of nowhere, an irate John Cena bum rushed the ring and clobbered the WWE Champion. The fire that burned in Cena was present in the fact that it took a half dozen security personnel to restrain him. As Edge fled to the locker room area to safety, one has to wonder what’s going through his head. With the rage and fury John Cena possessed for Edge involving his family, did the Champion make a huge mistake less than a week before SummerSlam? Can Cena bring that rage with him to SummerSlam? Was involving the Cena family a huge mistake for Edge?

Edge learned a harsh lesson that stepping over the line and involving the Cena family is potentially a horrible mistake.


RAW 08-07-06
Just as the bell sounded for the match to get underway, WWE Champion Edge interrupted to whine about his lack of presence in WWE.

“I am sick of getting no respect around here,” groaned the two-time Champion. “I’ve been bypassed [for the cover of the Aug. issue of WWE Magazine] by someone who hasn’t won a match in more than a year.”

His disrespect toward Trish for being chosen for the cover got Carlito’s attention. He rushed into the ring when Edge and Lita began to bully her, but both he and Trish got spears from the Rated R Superstar and Lita respectively. This set up a Mixed Tag Team Match between the two teams for later in the evening.

During the match, Edge aimed a spear at Carlito but missed and hit Trish, sending her crashing to the mat. It sure looked like an accident but the damage was done. Edge's spear enabled Lita to feast on Trish's broken body and pick up the win for her team. Afterwards, the Rated R Superstar and his girlfriend showed no remorse for their actions.

What’s Edge’s problem? He’s already achieved his lifelong dream of becoming the WWE Champion, yet the Rated R Superstar still has more to complain about. On RAW, the WWE fans let him hear about it with a barrage of boos, but they weren’t the only ones that noticed how crabby he was.

John Cena, the challenger for Edge’s WWE Championship at SummerSlam, also recognizes bellyaching when he hears it.

“You're the WWE Champioin, life isn't that bad,” he told Edge.

The display, said Cena, made him sick and he invited Edge out to the ring to prove he deserved the admiration he claimed he should get. That’s when Mr. McMahon’s Executive Assistant Jonathan Coachman strutted out and told Cena he did have a match…but it was against Viscera, not Edge.

RAW July 24, 2006
After being a victim last week on RAW by WWE Champion Edge, John Cena proved to the Rated R Superstar that he’s not going to give up until he’s had an opportunity to reclaim the Championship. Teaming with Ric Flair to take on Intercontinental Champion Johnny Nitro and Edge, Cena was able to lock in the STFU on Nitro for the submission. Edge was desperately trying to claw his way back into the ring to break the hold, but the “Nature Boy” latched onto The Rated R Superstar’s boot, keeping him from interfering.

After the match, Edge walked up the ramp, frazzled and incensed that his archrival had gotten the best of him, even though he wasn’t the one pinned by Cena. As much as Edge has had Cena’s number these past few weeks, The Dr. of Thuganomics proved yet again that nobody can keep him down, and that he’s up for any and all challenges that stand in his way to the WWE Championship.


RAW July 17, 2006
But Mr. McMahon wasn’t the only person looking for revenge on RAW. Many would argue that after Saturday Night’s Main Event John Cena should be the WWE Champion, but due to Lita’s interference the ref called for a DQ allowing Edge to retain the Championship. After the match, Cena lost control and drove Edge into the announcers’ table; demonstrating that he’s hell bent on reclaiming the WWE Championship at all costs.

Although Cena is intent on beating Edge for the WWE Championship, he had the unenviable task of facing the undefeated Umaga on RAW. During Cena’s contest with the Samoan Bulldozer, the Rated R Superstar strolled down to ringside distracting Cena and causing him to leave Umaga in the ring while he attacked Edge. Umaga took advantage by pounding Cena when his back was turned. Cena was able to take control and was about to deliver the Five Knuckle Shuffle when Edge entered the ring and tried to blindside the Dr. of Thugonomics. Turning towards Edge he was able to counter a spear attempt, but that’s when Umaga slammed Cena with the Samoan Spike, and covered him for the win. Umaga left the match undefeated, but Cena certainly put him to the test, nearly giving him his first taste of defeat.

Edge backpedaled up the ramp, laughing at Cena, knowing he got another one over on his nemesis. The Rated R Superstar once again proved to have Cena’s number. No matter what Cena does, Edge always seems to have an answer.


Service with a slam
By Ed Williams III
July 10, 2006
From the way Monday night’s RAW began, it looked like former WWE Champion John Cena was in for a night he’d rather soon forget. But when it was all said and done, Cena took matters into his own hands and invaded Edge’s hotel room and manhandled the WWE Champion just five days before their huge showdown at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

RAW kicked off with a highly competitive match between former Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin and Cena. To make matters even more interesting, though, Edge and Lita came to ringside and sat at their custom-made Rated R Superstar table and provided some commentary for the match. Benjamin used his unparalleled athleticism to push Cena to the limit, but in the end, the Dr. of Thuganmics was able to catch Benjamin with an FU and followed it up with an STFU for the win. As soon as the bell rang, Cena sprinted to the outside and leapt over the Rated R Superstar table and attacked Edge. It looked as though Cena was going to have his way with his arch nemesis, but before Cena could get back in the ring, Lita grabbed his leg, allowing her man Edge to recover. Edge dismantled Cena, and left him laying in the ring after the Edgecution and a spear. After the attack, Edge informed the crowd that he and Lita were leaving to watch the rest of the show “anywhere but here.”

Throughout the rest of the night, Edge and Lita were shown at their hotel. When Edge and Lita first got there, their hotel room wasn’t quite ready, so after berating the front desk clerk, the Rated R Superstar and his woman went to the bar to down several mimosas. After their room was finally ready, the happy, and seemingly intoxicated, couple ordered a room service spread that was big enough to serve 10, let alone just the two of them. But one key ingredient was missing – the champagne. A few minutes later, there was another knock on the door, but instead of the champagne, it was an enraged John Cena hell-bent on getting revenge. Cena ravaged Edge like a human tornado, thrashing him throughout his entire room. By the time Cena was done with Edge, there wasn’t a piece of furniture Edge hadn’t been bashed into or even broken with his own body. If that didn’t send a message that Cena is ready to win back his WWE Championship at Saturday Night’s Main Event, then nothing will. Will Edge be able to recover in time to successfully defend his WWE Championship, or will Cena end Edge’s second championship reign just like he did the first?

credit: wwe.com


Stolen Championship
By Ed Williams III
July 3, 2006


Ever since ECW One Night Stand, RAW has been without a WWE Champion, but after one wild night in the city of brotherly love, that is no longer the case. In a No Disqualificaion, No Count-out, Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship, John Cena looked to have everything wrapped up. Cena had laid out Van Dam with his patented FU, but right before he could make the cover, Edge came in from out of nowhere and leveled the Dr. of Thuganomics with the same Championship belt that they were both vying for. With that, the calculating Edge made the cover on the already fallen RVD and score the easy 1-2-3. Edge had stolen the WWE Championship from John Cena.

You can argue that Cena should have won. You can argue that Edge’s actions were somewhat underhanded. But one thing that you cannot argue is that the Rated R Superstar is the new WWE Champion, and the WWE Championship is back on RAW.

Any time the WWE Championship changes hands, it’s a huge deal, and any time it changes hands on RAW, it’s an extremely rare occurrence. But before RAW went on the air tonight, the Championship wasn’t even scheduled to be defended. The Triple Threat Match was supposed to take place at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and a Pick Your Partner Triple Threat Tag Team Match was supposed to take place on RAW at the Wachovia Center. But RVD changed all of that when he decided to prove that he was a fighting champion and defend the gold right then and there in Philadelphia. He did prove that he was a fighting champion, but he certainly didn’t prove that he was a smart one.

The result was the exact thing that ECW’s Paul Heyman was afraid of. Heyman tried to discourage RVD from going through with the match since it was in a WWE ring, with WWE referees and against both Edge and Cena. But RVD said that he believed in himself and he believed in ECW. Heyman wasn’t the only one who seemed to have some psychic powers on the night. Right before the Championship Match took place, Edge told Todd Grisham backstage, “Despite being completely unprepared for this match, I’ll walk out with something that this city hasn’t seen in 23 years – a champion.” And that’s exactly what he did.

What does this mean for Saturday Night’s Main Event? And how will Cena react to having the WWE Championship so close to his grasp that he could taste it, only to have it ripped away by his arch nemesis?


RAW 06-26-06
Moving onto less messy matters, the WWE Championship was on the line in the main event of RAW when Rob Van Dam defended his gold against John Cena. The match was made last night at Vengeance, and earlier in the night on RAW, Edge expressed his displeasure about Cena’s opportunity to regain the gold.

Interrupting Torrie Wilson’s WWE Summer Special Magazine cover unveiling, Edge said he was the MVP on RAW, and that he was the one who should be on magazine covers and receiving WWE Championship opportunities. Since he couldn’t get what he wanted however, he decided that he would “get the hell off of RAW.” Edge & Lita then left through the crowd and exited the arena, leaving behind the “joke” that was RAW. Unfortunately, the joke would end up being on Cena and Van Dam later in the night.

Cena and Van Dam threw everything they had at each other, and late in the match it looked like RVD was ready to put the challenger away. However, Cena rolled away from a Five Star Frog Splash attempt, and after blocking Rolling Thunder by using his knees, Cena looked poised to reclaim the gold. He nailed RVD with an FU and locked him in the STFU, but just as the champion looked to tap out, Edge ran in and attacked both men. After nailing Cena with the Edgecution DDT and spearing RVD, the Rated-R Superstar told the WWE Champion that he would “see him tomorrow night.” If what Edge meant what I think he did, that means that the Rated-R Superstar will be showing up on ECW on Sci Fi to confront the champion.

credit: wwe.com


ECW June 20, 2006

In the main event of the show, Edge & Randy Orton took on their respective Vengeance opponents, Rob Van Dam & Kurt Angle, in a tag team match. Before the bout began, Edge reminded the ECW fans what he thought about them, saying “I think that ECW sucks, and I think that all of you who love ECW suck too.”

Edge & Orton controlled most of the match; after Lita pulled the ropes down to send Van Dam crashing to the floor early on, the RAW duo isolated the WWE Champion in their half of the ring. Edge & Orton worked over Van Dam’s ribs, with the Rated-R Superstar obviously trying to soften him up before Sunday.

The advantage seemed to come to an end when RVD finally tagged Angle. The Wrestling Machine cleaned house and got the Ankle Lock on Orton, but Edge was able to pull his partner to the ropes. Orton then took a page from Angle’s playbook and went to work on the knee, but Angle was able to recover.

From there, all hell broke loose. Angle locked in his rear naked choke on Edge, but Lita ran in to claw at his eyes. Van Dam and Orton got involved and a melee ensued; Lita once again tried to get involved as Edge was in the Ankle Lock, but she got nailed with an Angle Slam instead. After an RKO took Angle and Orton out of the equation, Edge looked to finish the match and set Van Dam up for a spear.

Instead, the WWE Champion used the extreme rules to his advantage, clocking the Rated-R Superstar with the WWE Championship. He followed up with a Five-Star Frog Splash, and the ECW Rebels stole a victory from the RAW crusaders to give themselves momentum heading into Vengeance

credit: wwe.com


Raw 06-19-06 Edge Def. Ric Flair

Heyman negotiated with Coachman and got a match made for ECW on Sci Fi: Edge & Randy Orton vs. Rob Van Dam & Kurt Angle. He also managed to get a match between John Cena and Balls Mahoney made for RAW, and that’s where the hardcore group did their damage.

Cena naturally made short work of Balls, making him tap out to the STFU. But as Cena stalked Heyman, Sabu ran into the ring and tossed a chair at him. The crazed ECW star then slammed Cena into the announce table and set up a chair in the ring. With Cena prone, Sabu leaped and did a Triple Jump Legdrop onto the former WWE Champion, putting them both through the table. A bloodied Cena then had to be helped to the back as Sabu and Heyman ran out through the crowd.

That wasn’t ECW’s only appearance of the night. Edge took on Ric Flair later in the show, with Mick Foley doing commentary. In the end, Flair brought Lita into the ring, which distracted the referee; Foley jumped up on the apron and gave Flair a Mandible Claw, which led into Edge nailing a spear for the win. When it was over, however, WWE Champion Rob Van Dam ran into the ring and attacked Edge, nailing the No. 1 Contender with a Five-Star Frog Splash. Both RVD and Sabu left their Vengeance opponents beaten on RAW; will the same happen this Sunday night?

credit: wwe.com

Results for RAW 06-12-06
Cena def. Edge (DQ)
At the top of the show, Paul Heyman announced that despite all of the controversy swirling around One Night Stand, Rob Van Dam was the new WWE Champion. Because the match was an ECW Rules Match, everything that occurred in the match was legal. As reported earlier by WWE.com, Cena was already scheduled to face Edge in a one-on-one match. But upon hearing the news, Cena had even more reason to want to get his hands on the Rated R Superstar.

As soon as he hit the ring, however, Cena turned into a tornado of lefts and rights, backing Edge into a corner. Lita tried to break things up, but it only seemed to anger Cena more. Edge ran away through the crowd, but not everyone was safe. Stevie Richards, Balls Mahoney and Justin Credible of ECW were ringside to cheer on Edge, and they had nowhere to run. Cena pulled them out of their front row seats and over the guard rail and started swinging a steel chair like a man possessed. Taking a page out of his ECW enemies, Cena left all three members of the new brand laying motionless after the maniacal onslaught. Perhaps Cena put it best when he addressed the crowd after his own personal demolition derby.

credit: wwe.com

Referee: John Finnegan
Mick Foley, Edge and Lita vs. Tommy Dreamer, Terry Funk and Beulah McGillicutty
ECW One Night Stand 06-11-06
(edited version, for full result go to lordsofpain.net) ... Enough about him, they paid to see the co-holder of the Hardcore Title, Edge! Edge made his way down with Lita. Edge took the mic and laughed. He says that Foley doesn’t want to mess with these idiots, because this is their night, their Christmas, only their Santa is Jewish, fat and bald. Edge said these idiots will go home and text their imaginary girlfriends about how good this show was, and then they will get on the internet and pleasure themselves to pictures of his actual girlfriend. He called all the fans pathetic. Lita then took a mic and said speaking of pathetic; let’s talk about Funk and Dreamer, the Innovator of Silence. They think they have a chance at beating Edge and Foley, but it was just last week when a poor defenceless women sat on Dreamer’s face, she can guarantee you that it was more action in one night than all of them have in one year, and that skank Dreamer hangs around makes it a lot better for Dreamer than it was for her. Dreamer and Funk then made their way to the ring and Beulah is with them! Beulah has the mic and says to Lita that she never thought she’d see the day when the trash that comes out of her mouth is more disgusting than what she puts in it. She said we all know how they all live threesomes, so let’s make it three on three, because the bottom line is either put up or shut up, bitch! Lita slapped Beulah and then she went after Lita but was restrained.

The start:
Edge and Dreamer kicked things off and Dreamer grabbed a side headlock and then a shoulder block. Dreamer with a side headlock takedown but missed an elbow drop and then avoided an enziguri. Foley tagged in and he wants Funk. Funk slapped at Foley and Foley backed off and says this wasn’t a good idea and he doesn’t want to be here. Foley got on the apron but then grabbed Funk and took him to the outside. Dreamer tossed Edge to the outside and things are breaking down.

Mid-match notes:
... Dreamer spat beer all over Edge. Funk nailed Edge in the head with the trash can and then held it in front of Foley’s head and Dreamer hit a baseball slide into the can and Foley sending him outside. Edge was sent in to the ring post but then Edge came back with a shot to Dreamer with the street sign. ... We have a ladder in the ring and Edge nailed Dreamer in the head with it. Edge set the ladder up in the corner and sent for the spear on Dreamer, but Dreamer hit a hip toss on Edge into the ladder. ... Dreamer and Funk set up the ladder in the corner and Funk began to climb. Edge is back up and nailed Dreamer and then knocked over the ladder with Funk on it, sending him crashing to the mat.
Dreamer went for the Dreamer Driver on Edge but Lita came in and gave Dreamer a low blow. Edge and Foley looked under the ring and pulled out a sheet of ply wood covered in barbwire. They slid it into the ring and then slammed it right into Dreamer. They pulled it off and Dreamer’s ear is caught in the wire. They picked it up again but Funk grabbed their ankles and it fell on both Edge and Foley. ... Foley and Dreamer sent Foley face first into the barbwire but he puts the breaks on. Funk and Dreamer then nailed a series of right hands and then slammed him back first into the board and Foley’s all caught up in it. Edge gave Dreamer an atomic drop on the guardrail on the outside. ... Foley wraps it around his forearm and Funk is still all caught up in the barbwire as Foley hit a first drop on Funk with the barbwire. Funk is busted open. Foley sliced the barbwire into the forehead of Terry Funk and he is a crimson mask. A “you sick fuck” chant started up as Edge choked Funk in the corner. Funk is screaming about his eye as trainers came out to take him to the back. Edge nailed Dreamer and he is left all alone here.
... Lita is now in the ring and they held the bat over Dreamer’s balls and Lita hit a leg drop onto it. Beulah looks concerned on the apron. ...Foley pulled out socko. Foley rammed it down the gullet of Beulah! Dreamer came back with right hands on Foley to break it up but Edge nailed him from behind. Foley then locked in the Mandible Claw on Dreamer and Edge hit the spear. Foley told him to cover but Edge isn’t ready. They have Beulah trapped in the corner and Edge grabs her by the hair. Funk is coming back out bandaged up with a 2X4 covered in barbwire. Foley and Edge await him and then Dreamer comes from behind with two low blows. Funk gets in the ring as Beulah chases off Lita. Funk nails Foley with the 2X4 and then nailed Edge in the gut and back.

The Finish:
Funk then sets the damn thing on fire and nails Foley in the gut and back, and then off the apron through the barbwire board, and Foley is on fire! They extinguish Foley and then Edge knocks Funk off the apron onto the board. ... Dreamer wrapped Edge’s throat and head in barbwire and Lita comes in the for the save but Beulah tackles her down! Catfight! Dreamer grabs Lita and nails the Dreamer Driver. Edge is back up and hits the edgeomatic with the barbwire around the neck of Dreamer. Edge then nailed Beulah with a spear! Edge covered her for the win and pinned her as if he was nailing her.

Winners - Edge, Mick Foley and Lita

The Aftermath:
Edge and Lita pulled Foley off the barbwire on the outside. Dreamer checks on Beulah as Funk is a bloody mess in the barbwire on the outside. .. Funk is screaming to be cut out of the barbwire.