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With the Raw roster stuck in Europe they need to change things up. Daniel Bryan needs to win to show all his problems are based on the Miz.

We open up with Striker introducing the rookies who are in the ring. Random order. We’re down to three weeks befoe elimination.

The challenge this week is an American Gladiators thing where you have to knock the other guy off a platform with a pugil stick. They call it Rock Em Sock Em Rookies.

Slater and Otunga start. Slater wins with a jab to the chest. Skip Sheffield and Wade Barrett are next. They both go off because when Barrett falls he falls forward. Next two are Michael Tarver and Daniel Bryan. Tarver refuses to compete. He then shoves him. And Darren Young and Justin Garbriel last. Gabriel falls off fairly easily.

In the main event Heath Slater wrestles Chris Jericho.

We get some pros talking about Wade Barrett.

Our first match is David Otunga. He’s accompanied by R-Truth who looks to be in very good shape despite being blown up last night. The announcers are really pushing the A-List nickname.

His opponent is Justin Gabriel. Matt’s out with him and his arm isn’t taped.

Waistlock takedown hard by Otunga. Gabriel armdrags out of a second attempt. Kick to the gut and a headlock by Otunga. Shoulderblock. Slide under and Gabriel armdrafs him then dropkicks him.

Otunga crawls under the ropes and snaps one into Gabriel’s face. Neckvice. Discus punch attempt by Gabriel block, and spun into a neckbreaker. Reverse chinlock with knee in the back.

Gabriel avoids an elbow. Headscissors sends Otunga’s oput and a sommersault senton, which R-Truth enjoyed. Springbaord crossbody. Russian legsweep. Otunga avoids a 450 and then tosses him out. Gabriel leaps over the top into a sunset flip. Otunga wants R-Truth to grab his hands. Truth refuses and Gabriel gets the three count. Truth walks out post match. This follows up the announcers talking about Otunga not listening to Truth’s advice.

Semis of Rock Em Sock Em Rookies. Skip Sheffield advances over Heath Slater. Darren Young’s hair is even weirder this week, sweeping forward. He beats Bryan.

Michael Tarver apparently has a match. No, it’s an interview. He’s done being overlooked, and he doesn’t play by their rules. He has no intention to dance on a balloon like a monkey. He’s a bulldog off the leash. He issues and open challenge. Skip Sheffield comes out. Turn your upper lip south and shut your mouth. Here comes CM Punk and the Straight Edge Society. Punk says they aren’t the only ones looking for competition.

He shows Young’s match with Gallows and Punk raising his hand. Punk believes in the law of the jungle, of competition. He does this to keep them on their toes. He says this just became a Triple Threat.

Sheffield and Tarver target Young. Sheffield goes over the top. Tavrver ducks his head, eats a kick and gets clotheslined over the top.

Young is being double teamed with both of them stomping. Shoulders in the corner. Corner clothesline by Sheffield. Tarver with a snap suplex. Belly to Belly by Skip. They start breaking up pins. Young is sent hard into the ringpost.

Tarver and Sheffield fight. Corner clothesline, big splash. Young tosses Skip. TOrnado forearm and a flying shoulder by Young. Backdrop. He’s going up top. Gallows flips him off and attacks Skip. Tarver misses his knockout punch and Young finally gets to use his finisher, a dragon suplex into a face buster, for the win.

And now for the finals of Rock Em Sock Em Rookies. Skip won it, but it was close. No, actually it was to close so they’re doing a rematch. Sheffield gets it done decisively this time. He then quotes Keanu Reeves from the movie Hardball saying the most important part of life is showing up.

Time for the main event. Barrett accompanies Jericho.

Slater starts pounding away on Jericho but Jericho quickly takes over. Back suplex. Kick to the face. Back elbow. Catapult into the bottom rope. Snapmare, chinlock and half nelson. Slater fights out but gets a dropkick. Misses the Lionsault.

Clothesline. Running forearm in the corner. Ducks his head and gets a boot, but Slater avoids a clothesline and gets a eneckbreaker. Poke to the eye. Small package and he very cockily prepares for the Walls of Jericho and Slater scores the upset win. Jericho pitches a fit.

Once again an excellent show. I’m a little surpised Edge didn’t accompany Slater since he and Christian are old buddies. Of course not near as surprised as I am by the Slater victory.

Young looks to be primed for a rematch with Skip Sheffield next week, since they could easily have Gallows wondering if he just picked the wrong guy to help.

They tied the end of the Otunga match together with what the announcers had been talking about very well. I think that may have been the first time we’ve seen Gabriel without the 450.

They seem to be focusing less on Daniel Bryan these days. I suppose it’s to keep him from being to overexposed.

I was figuring on minor movement of the pros poll but it looks like they could change things a lot when they do it in a few weeks.

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