Trumping the competition

Trumping the competition

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The special three-hour Raw 3-For-All began with no WWE Champion and questions regarding who would be running the show moving forward. By the end of the night, however, all of these issues were addressed as Donald Trump was revealed to be the new owner of Raw directly after Randy Orton recaptured the WWE Title. The Viper's first title defense will come sooner rather than later however, as he competes in a Last Man Standing Match against Triple H on the next Raw.

Triple H def. nine other Superstars in a 10-Man Battle Royal, earning the right to challenge WWE Champion Randy Orton at The Bash; New Raw owner Donald Trump announced that the WWE Title would be defended on Raw the next week as a Last Man Standing Match (PHOTOS | WATCH)
Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase competed in Raw's 10-Man Battle Royal with their primary goal being to prevent certain people from earning a WWE Title opportunity, one of which was no doubt their mentor Randy Orton's nemesis, Triple H. The Legacy members and The Game collided in Raw's main event along with John Cena, Kofi Kingston, MVP, Big Show, Matt Hardy, The Miz and William Regal.

With so many powerful ring warriors present, harboring so much ill will toward one another, the match could have gone anyone's way. However, Triple H was fighting not only for the WWE Title, but a chance to gain retribution for the torment Orton has wrought on him and his family. That added motivation, coupled with the amazing in-ring abilities of The Game was enough to ensure his victory, and his place at The Bash. 
Match preview

As Triple H celebrated and WWE Champion Randy Orton looked on nervously from the stage, the festivities were interrupted by Raw's new owner, Donald Trump. The billionaire celebrity congratulated The Game and then announced that the WWE Universe wouldn't need to wait until The Bash to see The Viper defend the WWE Title against The Cerebral Assassin, as the two would be facing off against one another on the next Raw in a Last Man Standing Match. This new stipulation no doubt caused Orton legitimate concern as the last time he faced Triple H in this type of match, it only ended after The Viper broke his collarbone and took a sledgehammer to the head.

Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo def. The Hart Dynasty by disqualification after being attacked by Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase (PHOTOS)
The Raw ring was inundated by multi-generational Superstars as Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo took on The Hart Dynasty with Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase observing from ringside. As the match got underway, it was revealed that The Legacy members would be cashing in their title opportunity at The Bash and competing for the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles. Match preview

Rhodes & DiBiase admitted that while the Colon brothers are second-generation Superstars, they aren't "Legacy material," and that they plan to outclass their opponents at The Bash. Giving the Tag Team Champions a taste of what's to come, Rhodes & DiBiase attacked Carlito & Primo in the midst of the match, allowing them to pick up a win by disqualification.

World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk def. Jeff Hardy and Edge in a Triple Threat Match; Punk will defend his title against Hardy again at The Bash (PHOTOS | WATCH)
Though Jeff Hardy and some members of the WWE Universe might think otherwise, World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk maintained that he did nothing wrong in cashing in his Money in the Bank on Hardy following his Ladder Match against Edge. On Raw, The Charismatic Enigma had an opportunity to win the World Heavyweight Title back from The Straightedge Champion, but with the added complication of The Rated-R Superstar's presence.

In the course of the match, Punk appeared to injure his leg after landing wrong on the ring steps, moving outside the ring for WWE's athletic trainers to attend to him. The World Heavyweight Champion made a miraculous recovery however, launching into action after Hardy hit Edge with a Swanton Bomb, pulling The Charismatic Enigma out of the ring and covering Edge to retain his championship gold. After the match, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long emerged, congratulating CM Punk and revealing that his next title defense would be against Jeff Hardy at The Bash.

The Miz attacks Goldust and Hornswoggle (PHOTOS)
As the strange duo of Goldust and Hornswoggle interacted with the fans in attendance at Raw, they were interrupted by The Miz. The self-professed "future world champion" addressed Donald Trump, claiming to be the new face of Raw, encouraging Raw's new owner to leave John Cena in the past. Goldust, however, took issue with Miz's taunting of Cena, declaring that it lacked imagination. By way of response, the self-proclaimed "chick magnet" told The Bizarre One that no one cared about him before attacking both Goldust and his little buddy, Hornswoggle.

Mickie James def. Rosa Mendes (PHOTOS)
Rosa Mendes has been studying hard under the tutelage of none other than Beth Phoenix. However, even with the in-ring know-how imparted upon her by The Glamazon, Rosa was unable to fight back the high-octane assault of the sexy, smart and powerful Mickie James. Following the fan-favorite Diva's win, Divas Champion Maryse taunted Mickie from the ring apron, but escaped before her rival could get to her.

Mr. McMahon introduced Raw's new owner: Donald Trump (PHOTOS | WATCH)
As promised earlier in the evening, Mr. McMahon appeared following the Fatal Four Way WWE Championship Match to announce to whom he had sold Monday Night Raw. While McMahon will still be the Chairman of WWE, Raw will be independently owned and run by this individual, with whom The Chairman has had a tempestuous relationship. McMahon then introduced the new owner, billionaire celebrity Donald Trump, who apparently issued The Chairman a once-in-a-lifetime offer for the show.

Delighting the WWE Universe, Trump then declared that the very next week, Raw would be airing completely commercial-free as he attended the show to run it exactly the way he wants. Following the shocking announcement, Mr. McMahon made his final act running Raw, setting a 10-Man Battle Royal for latter in the night, with the winner earning a WWE Title opportunity at The Bash.

Randy Orton def. Triple H, John Cena and Big Show in a Fatal Four Way to win the WWE Championship (PHOTOS | WATCH)
On the previous Raw, Batista opened the show proudly displaying his first-ever WWE Championship, which he won the night before at Extreme Rules. His reign would prove to be a short and painful one, however, as he was viciously attacked by Randy Orton and his Legacy. The assault seriously injured The Animal's left arm, resulting in the WWE Title being vacated. To determine a new champion, a Fatal Four Way took place between four of Raw's most dominant Superstars: Triple H, John Cena, Big Show and The Viper, Randy Orton himself. The Legend Killer showed the WWE Universe that he thrives in chaos by taking advantage of the hectic match to pin Big Show and regain the WWE Championship.

ECW Champion Tommy Dreamer def. Christian (PHOTOS | WATCH)
At Extreme Rules, Tommy Dreamer became the ECW Champion and extended his stay in the Land of the Extreme by pinning Jack Swagger in a Hardcore Rules Triple Threat Match. But being that Christian lost the ECW Title without being pinned, he had a chance to get back his championship gold on Raw. Even when facing Captain Charisma one-on-one, however, Dreamer proved why he's considered The Heart and Soul of ECW by pinning his opponent to retain the championship.

Mr. McMahon announced that he has sold Monday Night Raw
This week's Raw began with a lot of questions in the air, with the WWE Title vacated as a result of Randy Orton and The Legacy's attack on then-champion Batista, and no General Manager due to Vickie Guerrero's resignation. Mr. McMahon, however, appeared on the show and revealed that both problems would be corrected that very night. The Chairman revealed that he had sold the entire Raw brand to someone, and that starting the following week, they would be running the show. Who Raw's new owner would be, however, would have to wait until after the Fatal Four Way to determine a new WWE Champion.

Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho def. Rey Mysterio (PHOTOS | WATCH)
The special three-hour Raw 3-For-All opened with a bang as Chris Jericho defended his Intercontinental Title against Rey Mysterio. The Master of the 619 was hoping to exact vengeance for Jericho unmasking him and defeating him for the Intercontinental Championship at Extreme Rules. Unfortunately for The Ultimate Underdog, he was unable to overcome the nefarious Superstar, who attempted to remove Mysterio's mask once again, giving himself an opening to defeat his opponent and safeguard his ninth Intercontinental Title reign.

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