Raw Fusion: Old School Redemption
The 4th March 2013 “Old School” episode of Monday Night Raw starts with a gong sounding throughout the arena and The Undertaker’s music hitting as he makes his way out to stand on the ramp-way, where he raises his hands and the WrestleMania 29 logo appears on the titantron, clearly signifying that he will be there.
After rolling the “Old School”-inspired titles, CM Punk’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring with Paul Heyman, where he talks about not being the WWE Champion and not being at WrestleMania, something which he blames on the fans.
Punk says that the fans screwed themselves by screwing him, as he sees no point in appearing at WrestleMania if he isn’t going to be in it, but the events of moments ago has given him a purpose. He says that as the fans took from him, he will take from the fans, as he is going to face and defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania.
Randy Orton’s music hits and he makes his way out to the ring, where he expresses his own intention to be the one to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania instead. He says that he was a rookie when he faced The Undertaker at WrestleMania nine years ago, but that he is no rookie any more, but is instead the Apex Predator.
The Big Show’s music hitting and him making his way to the ring signifies that he doesn’t agree with Orton or Punk either, which is confirmed when he speaks. Show says that he also has faced The Undertaker at WrestleMania, but that he didn’t have the fist he does now – a fist that will knock out The Undertaker and end his streak.
Sheamus’ music hitting and him making his way out to the ring, where he says that he is the only one who has never faced The Undertaker and therefore has never lost to him. He says that at WrestleMania 29 with the Streak on the line, it will take more than a big fist, an RKO, or a GTS to take him down – perhaps a Brogue Kick.
Vickie Guerrero makes her way out to the stage and announces that there will be a Fatal Four-Way match later on in the episode between the men in the ring, and that the winner will be the one who will face The Undertaker at WrestleMania.
Next up, Antonio Cesaro takes on Ryback in a match which sees Ryback get the victory, when he counters Cesaro’s Neutralizer attempt into a Shell-Shock for the 3-count. Afterwards when Ryback leaves, Mark Henry’s music hits and a momentary stare-down occurs between the two, before Henry continues on to the ring for his upcoming match.
Now, Mark Henry is pitted against “Long Island Iced Z” Zack Ryder in a match which sees Henry get the victory, when he hits Ryder with the World’s Strongest Slam for the 3-count.
After a video hyping the DVD and Blu-Ray release of the “The Marine 3: Homefront” movie starring The Miz, Dolph Ziggler (accompanied by AJ Lee and Big E Langston) goes against The Miz (accompanied by “Nature Boy” Ric Flair) in a match which sees The Miz get the victory, when he applies the Figure-Four Leg Lock to Ziggler, forcing him to tap out.
Next, The Rock’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring where he talks about his trip to Raw and being a little over a month away from WrestleMania, but he is interrupted from talking further by John Cena’s music hitting and him making his way to the ring too.
John Cena talks about how The Rock has no idea about what it is like and how it feels to tell everyone that he will win at WrestleMania and fail, and about how the failure last year led his life to end up in a tailspin.
He talks about how although The Rock was responsible for his collapse, he is responsible for him turning his life back around since the Royal Rumble, as he has a chance at redemption and will not throw it away, so he is giving The Rock a 34-day warning.
The Rock says that he is happy to see the desire and fire in Cena, as he was the man that he wanted to face at WrestleMania, because he knows what it means to him and how nobody else has the passion and will to win like Cena does – except himself.
He says that as much as it matters to Cena, it matters so much more to himself as he connects to everyone in the arena and at home. The Rock says that in thirty-four days at WrestleMania, Cena is not getting redemption – he is getting his ass kicked.
Cena quotes Mike Tyson by saying “In order to beat everyone that has ever lived, you have to beat everyone living,” and that he has beaten everyone except The Rock, so at WrestleMania, The Rock’s time is up and Cena’s time is now.
The Rock disagrees, as he tells John Cena that his time is just starting, as he then quotes Lance Armstrong and proclaims that Armstrong was full of crap and so is Cena. Cena says that history will not repeat itself, but that he instead will make history and become the WWE Champion.
The Rock says that Cena has just crystallised the difference between the two of them – Cena thinks he can beat The Rock, but The Rock knows he can beat Cena. He says that at WrestleMania 29 in front of the world, he will beat Cena again.
Now, WWE Hall Of Famer “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan (accompanied by Sgt. Slaughter and “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes) takes on Jack Swagger (accompanied by Zeb Colter) in a match which sees Duggan get the victory as a result of a disqualification, when Swagger uses Duggan’s own 2-by-4 on him.
Afterwards, Swagger hits Slaughter and Rhodes with the wood too, after which he applies the Patriot Lock to a downed Duggan until the referee is able to separate them.
Next up, “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase watches at ringside as “Team Hell No” Kane and Daniel Bryan are pitted against “Prime Time Players” Titus O’Neil and Darren Young, in a match which sees Kane get the victory for his team when he hits Young with a chokeslam for the 3-count.
Afterwards, DiBiase takes out some money and shoves one of the notes into the mouth of the downed Young. He leaves with Kane and Daniel Bryan, but Bryan doubles back to the ring and retrieves the money from Young’s mouth, before leaving again.
Now, Tensai and “Funkasaurus” Brodus Clay (accompanied by Cameron and Naomi) go against “3MB” Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater (accompanied by third member, Jinder Mahal) in a Tag Team match.
Before the match takes place however, Honky Tonk Man is introduced by Justin Roberts and he makes his way to the ring, but before he can say anything, he is interrupted by Slater telling him that nobody came to see or hear him and that 3MB are the rock stars of the WWE, so Honky Tonk Man needs to go back to Las Vegas with all of the other Elvis impersonators.
The match sees Tensai get the victory for his team, when he rolls up McIntyre for the 3-count. Afterwards, Honky Tonk Man joins those in the ring to dance to his own music – until Slater attempts to interrupt, only to be taken out by Honky Tonk Man hitting him over the head with his guitar.
After a video recapping the World Première of the “Dead Man Down” movie starring Colin Farrell and featuring Wade Barrett, Kofi Kingston is set to face Fandango in the latter’s Monday Night Raw début.
Fandango’s response when he comes out however, is to say that he will not complete in a match until his name is said correctly. Justin Roberts seems to say it correctly like Fandango demands, but Fandango still isn’t happy with Roberts and refuses to stay and listen to him (as he claims) butcher his name.
After a video recapping the events of last week involving Vince McMahon, Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, and Triple H, Triple H makes his way to the ring and talks about how he has been doing his day job as the COO, but still training like he always did and waiting for a reason.
He says that he found that reason when he sat next to McMahon’s bedside after his hip surgery, so he was ready when Brock Lesnar came out last week. Triple H says that if Lesnar thinks that the two of them are still done, then he should feel the staples on the top of his head, so five weeks away from WrestleMania, he is calling him out.
Triple H challenges Lesnar to a match at WrestleMania, to finish what they started.
After a video recapping the events of Friday Night SmackDown involving The Shield, Sheamus, Randy Orton, and The Big Show, and a video of The Shield talking about how they have yet to be beaten and are watching everybody, Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter watch from the ramp-way as Alberto Del Rio takes on Wade Barrett in a match.
The match sees Del Rio get the victory, when he applies the cross-armbreaker to Barrett, forcing him to tap out.
Next, “New Age Outlaws” Road Dogg and Billy Gunn are pitted against Primo and Epico (accompanied by Rosa Mendes) in a Tag Team match which sees Gunn get the victory for his team, when he hits Primo with a Fame-Asser for the 3-count.
After showing Touts from fans, “Mean” Gene Okerlund introduces Mae Young who is honoured on her 90th birthday – until CM Punk’s music hits to interrupt it and he makes his way to the ring for the upcoming match.
CM Punk (accompanied by Paul Heyman), The Big Show, Randy Orton, and Sheamus go against each other in a Fatal Four-Way match which sees Punk get the victory to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania, when he hits Orton with a kick to the head and follows it up with a GTS for the 3-count.
The Undertaker’s gong sounds and his music then plays, while The Undertaker makes his way out to the ramp-way, where he stands and stares down Punk, who does the same from his position in the ring, as Raw goes off the air.