The show opens with CM Punk’s music and then Paul Heyman comes out. This is one way to turn the Chicago crowd against the WWE to start off the show – very dangerous move. The entire crowd is chanting for CM Punk and Heyman said that Punk deserves louder cheers than that and they get louder. Heyman then sits cross legged like Punk in the ring and said he is there to tell the story of a Paul Heyman Guy.
Heyman said the WWE felt that Punk was too small to main event Wrestlemania, looked to different, had too many tattoos and that the WWE does not want in the WWE and the crowd gets even louder. He also said Punk had the balls to say whatever he wanted to say no matter what anyone else thought. He then said this was his pipe bomb about CM Punk, who is not here this evening. This crowd is loud and Paul Heyman said no one is more upset than him that CM Punk, the best in the world, is gone.
Paul Heyman then says that the people to blame for CM Punk being gone are … the fans. Of course, he said the reason Punk is gone is because the fans took CM Punk away from Paul Heyman and Punk never recovered from that loss. Heyman then said he also blames The Undertaker, which is when the “downward spiral” for CM Punk began. This led him to say he wants to take away The Undertaker’s streak and Brock Lesnar will achieve that.
That brought out Brock Lesnar. The fans kept chanting for CM Punk, so Brock Lesnar took the mic and said “unlike some people, I don’t make claims I can’t back up.” He then said Undertaker is scared to death of him. He then counts down the men who couldn’t beat Undertaker like Triple H, Shawn Michaels and CM Punk, all failures. He then said he would end the streak.
As they were leaving, Mark Henry’s music started, and remember that Lesnar took out Mark Henry last time they faced. Lesnar tried the quick attack again but Henry caught him. However, Lesnar just took him out again, smashing him with the steel steps in the head. Lesnar then dropped Henry through the announcer’s table with the F5. The fans chanted CM Punk.
The first match is for the WWE tag team championship as The New Age Outlaws defend their titles against The Usos. Road Dogg refused to do his entrance spiel because he said Chicago is not worth it. That is smart, since the opening has been getting the fans behind the Outlaws instead of their opponents. The match started and the fans chanted CM Punk. The match ended with The Usos winning their first ever WWE world tag team titles when they pinned Billy Gunn.
The next match saw Big E take on Cesaro. This is a rematch – the last time they fought, Jack Swagger ran in and caused Cesaro to lose by disqualification. Cesaro hit 10 swings on Big E and Swagger ran in and hit the Swagger Bomb to cost Cesaro the match again – for no reason since Cesaro was winning. The two argued and Swagger left the ring. After that, Big E hit the Big Ending on Cesaro.
Up next is the huge rematch between The Shield and The Wyatt Family. Once again, the fans chanted THIS IS AWESOME before the match even started. They were right. This was a fantastic match and it ended with what looks like the beginning of the end of The Shield. Seth Rollins was left in the ring for awhile and twice when he tried to tag out, his partners were distracted. Finally Dean Ambrose got in the ring and when he needed to tag out, Seth Rollins walked off on him. Roman Reigns tried to stop Rollins but he said he wasn’t going to be the glue that holds them together anymore and they could try to win on their own. They almost did too and looked fantastic doing so, but Reigns ended up getting speared over the announcer’s table by Erick Rowan while Bray Wyatt hit Sister Abigail’s Kiss to pin Ambrose. Surprised it was Rollins to walk instead of Ambrose, and even more surprised to see Ambrose and Reigns still work so well as a team after that.
After the match, The Wyatt Family posed in the ring over Ambrose while Seth Rollins stood on the ramp looking angry.
Backstage Batista was interviewed and said he can’t believe the fans think someone like Daniel Bryan could even compare to someone like him and Bryan in no way can become a superhero.
The next match is a mixed tag team match between Emma and Santino against Summer Rae and Fandango. The crowd is chanting CM Punk. Once again Emma made Summer Rae tap out to the Emma Lock.
Sheamus vs. Christian is next. They put on a pretty decent match but the crowd didn’t care. Between chants of CM Punk were chants of “This is Awful.” Sheamus got the win with an impressive Brogue Kick from the ring apron to Christian, who was in the ring. After the match, Rene tried to interview Sheamus but Christian attacked him. He kept yelling out being overlooked and said he was not giving up his spot.
Aksana and Alicia Fox took on the Bella Twins in the next match. The Bella Twins won.
Daniel Bryan comes out to the ring next. He has a mic an said he won’t leave the ring until one of two things happens and the fans starts chanting CM Punk, which makes Bryan smile. He said he will only leave when Batista comes down to fight or Triple H comes down to answer his challenge. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon comes down to the ring and Stephanie patronizes him. Bryan said “anyway” and ignores her to call out Triple H for screwing him over and challenges him again. Triple H said that won’t happen because Bryan isn’t good enough. Bryan said they see through his lies and that is why they chant. He said the only way that people will see that Triple H cares about the WWE Universe is if he beats Triple H at Wrestlemania. Stephanie said that without her family, Bryan would have nothing and that they made Daniel Bryan. Triple H tells Bryan to get out of his ring, Bryan tells him to make him so Stephanie calls out Kane. Bryan beats the living hell out of Kane so Stephanie has security get Bryan out of the ring.
Alberto Del Rio came out next for a match with Dolph Ziggler. In a funny moment, Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul drove Dolph Ziggler into the arena in the last edition Shelby Mustang, much like Del Rio used to do with his cars. Paul joined the commentary. Paul stood on the announcer’s table and distracted Del Rio and Ziggler hit a beautiful Zig Zag on a reversal of the cross arm breaker.
Up next is the fourth member of the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame Paul Bearer.
Interestingly, Big E was back in action again and this time he faced off with Jack Swagger, who cost Cesaro the match earlier. As soon as the bell rang, Cesaro ran in and attacked Big E and hit the Neutralizer to cost Swagger the match. The two went face to face and then Cesaro knocked down Swagger and set up for the Big Swing but Zeb Colter convinced him to let go and then forced them to hug it out.
John Cena is out next for a promo. Chicago hates John Cena – it isn’t even split down the middle. Cena said he was hurt and won’t be able to wrestle tonight and the crowd chanted “YES YES YES.” The fans are chanting CM Punk again. Cena said that he understands the fans want change but change will have to go through him. The lights go out and The Wyatt Family are on the Titan Tron. Bray Wyatt compared Cena to a thoroughbred and he will put him down.
On Batista’s way to the ring for the next match, Randy Orton wished him the best luck in the world against Daniel Bryan.
Alexander Rusev is brought out next for the first time on WWE Monday Night Raw for really no reason but for him to say something.
Randy Orton comes out first before the main event between Batista and Daniel Bryan even starts. It is almost 10:00 CST, so there is really no time left for the main event. Batista comes out first. Batista is awesome as a jerk. Daniel Bryan is out next. The two wrestle and – amazingly – Daniel Bryan dominates the match and beats the hell out of Batista. However, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and Kane come down and Bryan is distracted long enough for Batista to attack. The end comes when Randy Orton runs in the ring and nails Bryan, causing Batista to lose but then sets up to RKO Batista. Batista pushes him off and Bryan hits him with the high knee. Kane tries to come in and Bryan kicks him in the face. Just as Bryan is about to fly out onto Triple H and Kane, Batista spears him.
Triple H comes in and says he is tired of Bryan’s fantasies and Bryan kicks him in the face. He gets up, but Batista is back and hits the Batista Bomb. Then Triple H hits a Pedigree while the fans chant CM Punk. The show ends with The Authority standing over an unconscious Daniel Bryan.
