The 8^th October 2012 episode of Monday Night Raw starts with John Cena’s music hitting and him making his way to the ring, where he says that he missed the fans and that one week off felt like a year.

He says that it was only when he spent a week outside the ring that he could make sense of what is going on in the WWE, commenting on “Team Hell No” Daniel Bryan and Kane, Antonio Cesaro’s nipples, Eve Torres, Kaitlyn, Layla, and AJ, and then directing his attention at the camera to ask AJ out on a date.

Cena says that he doesn’t have a voice and neither do the fans, as the “Voice of the Voiceless” is now the “Voice of the Selfish”, and he says that every day that CM Punk has the WWE Championship, he garners respect. He says that however that the choice for Hell In A Cell is not Cena’s or the fans’, but the choice of Punk.

He says that if Punk is the WWE Champion for three hundred, one thousand, or two thousand days, if Punk is the Best In The World, he asks what it would matter if the world doesn’t want to watch. Cena says that for Punk’s entire reign, people remember moments like Money In The Bank and Night Of Champions, and he truly believes that John Cena vs. CM Punk at Hell In A Cell will be one of those moments.

Cena says that he doesn’t know if Punk can be swayed, but when Punk comes out, Cena hopes that the crowd will tell him how they feel. He says that he has already said that he will go to the Cell to fight for the championship because that is what he loves to do and what he wants to do.

He says that Punk thinks that some people are upset at him because he is a “Paul Heyman guy”, but that it is in fact because Punk is not a man. Cena tells Punk to be a man and agree to face him inside Hell In A Cell at the Pay-Per-View of the same name.

John Cena starts to leave, but at the ramp he is interrupted by Ryback’s music hitting and him making his way to the ring, though Cena does continue up the ramp after he and Ryback look at each other momentarily before passing each other.

After a video recapping the events of last week involving Ryback, Jim Ross, and CM Punk (with Paul Heyman), Ryback takes on Primo and Epico (accompanied by Rosa Mendes) in 2-on-1 Handicap match which sees Ryback get the victory, when he hits with a double Shell-Shock for the 3-count.

Next up, “Funkasaurus” Brodus Clay (accompanied by Cameron and Naomi) is set to face R-Truth, but Truth doesn’t want to fight and says that Little Jimmy (who he says is going through puberty) wants to dance, as those in the ring then do just that – until they are interrupted by Vince McMahon appearing on the Titantron and asking everyone in the ring to leave, as he says that it is time for his “State Of The WWE Address”.

Now, Vince McMahon makes his way to the ring, where he says that what there is a lot that the WWE has, but the most important thing is action, as the fans want to see the best against the best. McMahon is interrupted from talking further, as CM Punk’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring with Paul Heyman.

McMahon isn’t happy about Punk disrespecting him, but CM Punk says that disrespect is sitting in the back and hearing McMahon babble about what the fans want to see and how the fans want to see the best against the best, without mentioning his name, which he claims is a shot at him because he won’t step foot in the ring with Cena at Hell In A Cell.

CM Punk says that it is the General Manager picked by McMahon himself who has given Punk the choice who to face at Hell In A Cell, and he has given him shot after shot, with the last time being in Boston where Cena still couldn’t do it and Punk walked out as the champion.

He says that the people in the back don’t respect him and the fans don’t either, so he asks McMahon if he respects him. McMahon says that he respects the fact that he has been the champion for so many days, but he doesn’t respect the fact that he says that he is a “Paul Heyman kind of guy”, because McMahon isn’t a “CM Punk guy”.

Punk says that McMahon doesn’t get it as he is the Best In The World, and that last year he said that he was a “spoke on the wheel”, but now he is the “wheel”. He says that not only is he the greatest thing that happened to McMahon and the WWE, but he’s the best thing they’ve got right now.

He says that McMahon should be appreciating him, asking where his appreciation night is, suggesting that if he doesn’t get the respect he deserves, he may do what he did last year – namely hopping the rail and quitting – and McMahon could kiss his ass goodbye.

Vince McMahon clarifies that CM Punk sees himself as indispensable, to which Punk replies in the affirmative, but McMahon says that what makes the WWE a success is the WWE Universe. He says that he listens to the fans all of the time, and what they are saying right now is that Punk needs to shut his mouth.

He says that Punk is nowhere near the calibre of an Andre The Giant, Shawn Michaels, Triple H or Bret Hart, and he continues with Stone Cold Steve Austin, but Punk interrupts and agrees that he is nothing like Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Punk says that he made it to the top through hard work, perseverance, and never backing down from a challenge, but that Austin made it to the top by taking short-cuts, running away from fights, and being scared of people.

He says that what catapulted Austin to the top was beating up a clueless, inept millionaire, and he says that it is a good job that he did it back then, as now that millionaire is more clueless, more inept, and a senior citizen.

Punk asks if this upsets McMahon and he has got under his skin, as he states that McMahon knows how he feels. He says that it is a slap in his face when he walks out and the people treat him like they do, as is McMahon walking out and doing the same, as he says that McMahon has been slapping him in the face for years.

He slaps McMahon, knocking him down, as he then exits the ring and leaves up the ramp with Heyman. Vince McMahon stands back up and says that he ought to fire CM Punk, but that doing so would be too good for him, but that he will fire him if Punk doesn’t fight him in the ring later on in the spider.

Heyman tries to dissuade Punk, and McMahon says that Punk might beat his ass, but that by the end of the night Punk is going to learn something about respect. Ignoring Heyman’s plea not to do it, Punk agrees to the match.

After a video recapping Titus O’Neil and Darren Young’s attack on Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara three weeks ago, “Prime Time Players” Titus O’Neil and Darren Young are pitted against Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara in the first Semi Final match of the Number One Contender Tag Team Tournament, which sees Mysterio get the victory for his team to advance to the Final, when he hits Young with a 619 and follows it up with a diving splash for the 3-count.

After an interaction backstage involving CM Punk and Paul Heyman, and a video recapping Sheamus interrupting The Big Show’s match on SmackDown! (click here for our SmackDown! report), Wade Barrett goes against Sheamus in a match which sees The Big Show walk out to ringside during the match, and which also sees Sheamus get the victory as a result of a disqualification, when Tensai interrupts the match and attacks Sheamus.

Tensai’s attack continues with the help of Barrett, but after Sheamus fights them off, Show enters the ring, blocks Sheamus’ Brogue Kick attempt, and shoves Sheamus out of the ring, before then leaving again.

After an interaction backstage involving AJ and CM Punk, and a video recapping John Cena’s appearance on “Live With Kelly & Michael” earlier in the day, Antonio Cesaro takes on Tyson Kidd in a match which sees Cesaro get the victory, when he hits Kidd with the Neutralizer for the 3-count.

Next, Dolph Ziggler (accompanied by Vickie Guerrero) and Alberto Del Rio are pitted against “Team Hell No” Daniel Bryan and Kane in a match which sees Kane get the victory for his team, when when he hits Ziggler with a chokeslam for the 3-count.

After an interaction backstage involving Jim Ross and Vince McMahon, Larry King sits with his wife on the stage to introduce his guest who he is apparently set to interview, The Miz. The Miz’s music hits before he can fully do so however, and The Miz says that he doesn’t need to introduce him as he is the most must-see WWE Superstar on Monday Night Raw.

The Miz calls it an honour on the part of Larry King to be interviewing him, but he says that it is the greatest day of all days, as it is The Miz’s birthday. He says that he thinks that it is time for King and his wife to lead the entire audience in singing Happy Birthday to him.

Larry King says that has it on good authority that nobody cares that it is The Miz’s birthday, and another thing that he loves about the WWE is that he can do anything, so he decides to replace “a boring guest” with “a better guest”, as he then introduces Kofi Kingston.

The Miz isn’t very happy about this and says that he doesn’t know who is more irrelevant, a has-been talk show host, or a never-was Superstar. He says that if he wasn’t on the stage, it would be filled with amateurs.

He says that he has had more championships than Larry King has had wives and Kofi Kingston has had main events, and that it is time for Larry King to get his little show off The Miz’s stage, before he suffers another divorce – him divorcing King’s head from his body.

King’s wife rises and throws a glass of water at The Miz in response, and Kofi Kingston starts to attack The Miz, sending him off the stage and diving off it after him.

Now, “Long Island Iced Z” Zack Ryder and Santino Marella (“Team CoBro” according to Michael Cole) go against “Rhodes Scholars” Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow in the second Semi-Final match in the Number One Contender Tag Team Tournament, which sees Rhodes get the victory for his team to advance, when he hits Marella with the Disaster Kick for the 3-count.

Afterwards, Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, and Jinder Mahal hit the ring and attack Marella (as well as Ryder when he briefly appears again), before then celebrating.

After an interaction backstage involving Vince McMahon and Paul Heyman, Layla joins commentary as Eve Torres takes on Kaitlyn for the Divas Championship, in a match which sees Eve get the victory and retain her title, when she forces Kaitlyn to tap out to an ankle-lock.

Afterwards, Eve continues holding onto the submission until Layla enters the ring and Eve quickly backs off. Layla tends to Kaitlyn, and Eve then asks if she is okay, supposedly in concern, prompting Layla to push her away.

After Josh Mathews attempts to interview Alberto Del Rio about Randy Orton’s tweet that he will be at SmackDown!, only for Del Rio to talk away, an interaction backstage involving Larry King and his wife, Daniel Bryan, and Kane, in which Kane comments afterwards that he thought that King was Skeletor, and an interaction backstage involving CM Punk and Paul Heyman, Vince McMahon is pitted against CM Punk (accompanied by Paul Heyman).

Punk attacks McMahon during his entrance however, and the fight that it then turns into sees McMahon regain the upper-hand at points, throwing Punk into a ring post and then over the announce table, as well as McMahon taking a kendo stick from the ring and knocking Heyman down to tempt Punk back into the ring where McMahon has the WWE Championship belt.

Punk grabs a kendo stick of his own and he and McMahon hit each other with them until Punk’s is knocked out of his hand, but McMahon’s kendo stick attack is cut short by a low-blow from Punk, who then grabs both sticks and hits McMahon with them.

As Punk puts McMahon on his shoulders to hit the GTS, Ryback’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring, prompting Punk to change his plans and quickly bail out of it. Unfortunately for Punk however, John Cena appears and throws him back into the ring, where Ryback hits Punk with a clothesline.

Ryback sets CM Punk up for the Shell-Shock, but Punk manages to wriggle out of it, as he then bails out of the ring once again and high tails it through the crowd. Vince McMahon says that hopefully Punk learned something about respect, as it is decision time.

Vince McMahon says that CM Punk should choose whether to face Ryback or John Cena, because if he doesn’t by next week, he will make it up for him.

The men in the ring look towards a disbelieving-looking Punk in the crowd while he does the same in return, as Raw goes off the air.

During CM Punk’s time in the crowd, there was an incident involving Punk and some fans, which can be seen closer-up in a fan video by “DaJoel” on YouTube, and which WWE and Punk have addressed in an article on WWE.com.