Raw results: Heyman spoils Punk’s homecoming, Bryan makes history and the Rhodes brothers strike back

BY Anthony Benigno

September 23, 2013

World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio def. Kofi Kingston

Kofi Kingston’s unquestionable skill may yet make him the face of WWE per Triple H’s open challenge, but all the innate skill of The Boom Squad General wasn’t enough when faced with the gilded fury of Alberto Del Rio. With a rematch looming against Rob Van Dam at WWE Battleground, The Essence of Excellence needed a big win and had to fight for every inch of it after a leaping somersault-clothesline combo from Kofi left “Mexico’s Greatest Export” laid out at ringside.

Del Rio took control by targeting Kingston’s arm, ramming it into the ring post and barricade, yet Kofi bought some time by dropkicking the champion out of the sky when Del Rio went for a top-rope axe handle. The move turned to be little more than a temporary solution, though; despite Kofi’s DDT reversal of Del Rio’s tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, the champion capitalized on a missed cross body by ramming his foe arm-first into the turnbuckle and locking in the Cross Armbreaker until Kofi tapped out.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2013-09-23/wwe-raw-results-26150716/page-2

Raw results: Heyman spoils Punk’s homecoming, Bryan makes history and the Rhodes brothers strike back

BY Anthony Benigno

September 23, 2013

Randy Orton vs. Rob Van Dam went to a No-Contest

Apparently, Randy Orton still isn’t quite over his WWE Championship loss to Daniel Bryan two weeks ago, as The Viper faced off against Rob Van Dam in a WWE App Vote Match and fell victim to his own aggression when he decided he didn’t so much want to beat RVD as simply beat him up.

The signs of Orton’s outburst to come began early on, as The Viper ruthlessly dropped the World Title No. 1 contender onto the apron and seemed to immediately lose his cool in front of the WWE Universe. Mr. Monday Night turned the tables with a backdrop and Rolling Thunder, yet fell short of the Five Star Frog Splash when Orton tripped RVD up on the ropes and booted him in the head. The strike sent Van Dam tumbling to the outside, and as the referee reached a double count-out, Orton followed up with an extended attack on the former WWE Champion that culminated in a top-rope, hanging DDT that sent RVD tumbling into unconsciousness.

As it turned out, even the final bell didn’t bring relief for RVD, who was ambushed by Alberto Del Rio after Orton left for another round of punishment.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2013-09-23/wwe-raw-results-26150716/page-5