Extreme Rules (2011)
Encyclopedia
Extreme Rules was a professional wrestling
pay-per-view
(PPV) event produced by WWE, which took place on May 1, 2011 at the St. Pete Times Forum
in Tampa, Florida
. It was the third Extreme Rules
event.
The event received 209,000 pay-per-view
buys, up from last year's event
of 182,000.
that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines
which were played out on WWE's primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed villains
or heroes
as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
Edge was originally scheduled to defend his World Heavyweight Championship
against Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match. However, Edge announced that he is forced to retire on the April 11th episode of Raw due to being diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis
stemming from his neck injury. Edge vacated the World Heavyweight Championship on the April 15th episode of Smackdown and the match was scrapped. It was later announced the winner of a 20-man battle royal
would face Alberto in the ladder match; Edge's best friend in both the storyline and real life, Christian, won the right to face Del Rio for the title. In the interim, Del Rio was drafted to Raw in the 2011 WWE Draft
.
On the April 11th edition of Monday Night Raw there was a 5-man gauntlet match which would decide the number one contender to face The Miz for the WWE Championship
. This match featured John Cena
, Randy Orton
, John Morrison, R-Truth
and Dolph Ziggler. The last two men in the final round were John Cena and R-Truth. After an interference from The Miz and Alex Riley
the match was resulted in a double disqualification, which would then lead to the anonymous Raw general manager stating that both John Cena and R-Truth would compete for the WWE Championship against The Miz in a Triple Threat match. On the April 18 edition of Raw, John Morrison challenged R-Truth for Truth's spot in the match and won the opportunity, but Truth turned heel
and attacked Morrison after the match. Later in the night, it was revealed that the match would be contested inside a steel cage.
An ongoing feud involves Raw commentators Michael Cole
and Jerry Lawler
. At WrestleMania XXVII
, Lawler made Cole submit to the ankle lock, but the anonymous Raw General Manager reversed special guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin
's decision, thus making Cole the winner via disqualification. On the April 11 episode of Raw, Lawler defeated Cole's trainer, Jack Swagger, allowing him to announce that he would team up with his former broadcast partner, Jim Ross
, to face Cole and Swagger at Extreme Rules. Two weeks later, the Raw General Manager declared that the teams would face each other in a Country Whipping match.
Another feud from the SmackDown brand is between Layla
and Michelle McCool
, formerly known together as LayCool
. Dissension between the two divas started on the April 8 edition of SmackDown when McCool refused to tag Layla in a tag team match against Beth Phoenix
and Kelly Kelly. Also, tension grew since they failed to get back the WWE Divas Championship
several times and lost a six person tag-team match in WrestleMania XXVII
against Trish Stratus
, John Morrison, and Snooki
from Jersey Shore
. The following two weeks, the two attended couple's therapy sessions, but the latter session ended with McCool attacking Layla, solidifying their break up. During the 2011 WWE Draft
, after Layla lost her match against Eve
, she attacked McCool for distracting her. On the April 29 edition of SmackDown, after fighting to a double count-out in their match, Layla and McCool agreed to have a No Count-out, No Disqualification match at Extreme Rules with the loser leaving WWE.
Another feud between Raw and SmackDown is Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Cody Rhodes defeated Rey Mysterio by using Mysterio's knee brace, then the following Cross Rhodes. On the April 22 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, Rhodes and Mysterio would have a rematch; however, Mysterio defeated Rhodes. After the match, Rhodes attacked Mysterio from behind, performed a Cross Rhodes on a concrete floor, and puts a paper bag on Mysterio. It was announced that Mysterio would face Rhodes in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Extreme Rules. At the 2011 WWE Draft
, Mysterio would be drafted from SmackDown to Raw.
Two matches were added to the card during the event. SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long
added a bonus match between Sheamus and Kofi Kingston
for the WWE United States Championship
. Also a Lumberjack match featuring the WWE Tag Team Champions
, Big Show and Kane
against The Corre
(Wade Barrett
and Ezekiel Jackson) was added.
defeated Tyson Kidd after a moonsault side slam.
taking on Randy Orton
in a Last Man Standing Match. While Punk made his way to the ring with the members of The New Nexus
, the anonymous Raw general manager declared that the members of The New Nexus were banned from ringside. After a back and forth match for quite some time, Punk brought in kendo sticks and the two proceeded to beat one another with them. After both men abandoned the use of the kendo sticks, Punk threw Orton into the exposed metal turnbuckle. The match then spilled to the matted area around the ring where Orton delivered a PowerSlam. At approximately ten minutes into the match, Punk executed a GTS on Orton who barely managed to answer the referee's count. The match was moved back into the ring where Punk delivered a slam to Orton on top of a chair hoping to knock the man out and win the match to no such luck. Randy retaliated by hitting Punk with the RKO, but Punk managed to answer the ref's call. After going outside of the ring again, Punk put a chair around Orton's neck and drove him into the ring post. Orton then nailed Punk with an RKO on the announce table, with Punk again managing to get to his feet before the count of ten. Punk then hit Orton with a variation of the GTS on the steel steps. Back in the ring, Punk ascended to the top rope only to be caught by Orton, who repeatedly hit him with a kendo stick. After abandoning the kendo stick, Orton managed to hit Punk with a third and final RKO from the top rope. Punk could not answer the count following the blow, and the referee declared Orton the winner.
Before the second match, in a backstage segment, the general manager of SmackDown Theodore Long
informed Sheamus that he would be defending the WWE United States Championship
against Kofi Kingston
in a tables match. In the match, both Superstars managed to avoid hitting the tables for quite some time. Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick and Kingston nailed the Trouble in Paradise
(both moves being signature moves of each wrestler), but they both managed to not go through the tables. Kingston was finally successful in winning the United States Championship after putting Sheamus through a table with a Boom Drop off the top rope, winning his second United States Championship and taking the title back to Raw.
The following match was a tag team
Country Whipping match featuring Michael Cole
and Jack Swagger against WWE Hall of Fame
rs, Jerry Lawler
and Jim Ross
. Swagger and Cole dominated the match early on until Lawler made the hot tag to Ross. After taking Cole down, Ross locked in the AnCole lock in an attempt to make Cole tap out. However, Swagger entered the ring and pulled Ross off of Cole. Ross answered with a low blow on Swagger, but was then rolled up by Cole for the win.
The next match pitted Cody Rhodes and Rey Mysterio against one another in a Falls Count Anywhere match. The first big spot of this match was Mysterio running off the entrance ramp and executing a seated senton on Rhodes. The brawl then headed into the arena's concourse where Mysterio tackled Rhodes into a stand. After getting back inside the arena, Rhodes hip tossed Mysterio over a barricade onto the padded floor outside the ring. The finish came when Mysterio spit mist into Rhodes' face, followed by the 619 and a Springboard splash for the pin.
, Loser Leaves WWE match featuring Layla
and Michelle McCool
. The match started with McCool attacking Layla during her entrance routine. McCool was then able to hit the Faithbreaker, but her pin was reversed by Layla into a crucifix for the win. After the match, the debuting Kharma
attacked McCool, hitting her with an Implant Buster.
The next match was for the vacant World Heayweight Championship
featuring Christian and Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match
. The first big spot of the match came when Christian backdropped Del Rio onto a ladder. After a back and forth match, Del Rio was able to hit an enzuigiri on Christian, knocking him off the top rope. Del Rio then attempted to free the championship, but was unsuccessful. About sixteen minutes into the match, Christian used a spear on Del Rio as a tribute to his fellow wrestler and long time friend Edge who was recently forced to retire due to a spinal injury. After Christian was about to unhook the championship, Brodus Clay
ran down to ringside, preventing Christian from winning the match. Clay was busted open after taking a shot from a ladder and then thrown to the outside by Christian. After this, Del Rio applied the cross armbreaker on Christian and began scaling the ladder. However, Del Rio was distracted by a car horn coming from the retired Edge who was in a jeep. Christian took advantage of this and knocked Del Rio off the ladder onto Brodus Clay and Ricardo Rodriguez
at ringside. Christian went on to unhook the World Heavyweight Championship and become the eleventh Grand Slam Champion in WWE history. Edge then celebrated in the ring with Christian to congratulate him.
The next match was for the WWE Tag Team Championship
which featured The Corre
(Wade Barrett
and Ezekiel Jackson) against Kane
and Big Show in a lumberjack match. The finish came after Barrett tagged himself in once Jackson had Show down. After this, Barrett was caught by Big Show and then hit with a chokeslam
for the win.
The last match of the night was a steel cage triple threat match for the WWE Championship
featuring John Cena
, John Morrison and The Miz. The match started with Morrison and Cena teaming up against The Miz. Cena nailed a diving bulldog on the Miz from the top rope, while Morrison tried to escape the cage, only to be stopped by Cena. As Morrison made another attempt to escape, The Miz stopped him. Cena hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Morrison, but The Miz nailed John Cena with the Skull Crushing Finale. The Miz tried to climb the cage but was, again, teamed up on by Morrison and Cena as they hit The Miz with a double suplex from the top of the cage. Morrison then tried a variation of the flying chuck
using the cage wall instead of the ropes, aiming for Cena, but hit The Miz instead. Morrison hit a huge standing moonsault side slam on Cena, but after that was powerbomb
ed into the steel cage wall by The Miz. Cena then applied the STF on The Miz as he tried exiting the ring by the door, but Morrison climbed the cage and shut the door, which nailed The Miz on the head. Cena then pushed Morrison who landed on the door on his groin. Back in the ring, The Miz hit a Swift DDT on Cena, and hit a running boot as well. As Morrison tried to escape the cage, both Cena and The Miz tried to stop him, but Morrison hit the Starship Pain from the top of the cage. Later in the match, Morrison was about to escape the cage to win the WWE Championship, when R-Truth
came to ringside and took Morrison out with a running knee. He then took Morrison back into the ring and began repeatedly hitting him, finally ending the assault with the What's Up. Truth went on to deliver a Truth Axe on Cena before symbolically climbing over the cage. The match ended as Cena delivered a massive Attitude Adjustment on The Miz from the top rope for the pinfall victory, winning him his eighth WWE Championship (tying the record for most WWE Title wins with Triple H) and tenth world championship overall.
CM Punk and Randy Orton's opening Last Man Standing Match was deemed a very strong opening bout which swung each way several times. CM Punk was not shamed in defeat, being made to look Orton's equal for twenty minutes.
The Country Whipping match was described as "unsatisfying and slow" whilst Rey Mysterio vs Cody Rhodes was hailed as "a high quality wrestling match.... It felt fresh, and it helped that Rey certainly had his flying and bumping boots on. Also why Rhodes deserves to be in high profile matches."
Kharma's debut was heralded as a special moment sorely lacking from recent WWE PPVs. The Smackdown Ladder Match between Alberto Del Rio and Christian for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship was given praise, "The crowd's genuine elation and the celebration with his [Edge] former partner and best friend made it a very special moment. Both where great and Christian's title win was something that should have happened along time ago"
"After a quick and forgettable Smackdown main event lumberjack match in which Big Show and Kane defeated Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson, the main event saw The Miz defend his title against Cena and John Morrison in a steel cage. Cena prevailed after a top rope Attitude Adjustment to win his tenth world crown." John Morrison's performance was praised as "stunning". "The high-risk moves and Starship Pain of the top of the cage proves why Morrison is a future star in WWE."
"But the story was Christian's big win and the fact that WWE used the match stipulations — so often a restricting factor on their booking — to great effect."
The Sun gave praise in some matches calling them outstanding and "Extreme", McNichol said that the event lived up to its name, the Last Man Standing match was rated 9 out of 10, the World Championship Ladder match an 9.5 out of 10 and the WWE Championship Steel Cage was rated 9 out of 10, and rated the show 9.5 out of 10 overall.
had been killed by U.S. troops
. New WWE Champion John Cena addressed the live audience with a speech about American pride, then declared "The President has just announced that we have caught and compromised to a permanent end Osama bin Laden". Cena's comments and the announcement drew a massive response from the audience including many USA chants
.
Cena followed up on Twitter
moments after leaving the ring saying "CeNation. Proud day in the war on terror. Many brave soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice in hopes of what happened tonight. I am not certain if this conflict is over. But tonight was a very very proud moment for the good guys. God bless America." The internal public address
system of the St. Pete Times Forum
then proceeded to play "Stars and Stripes Forever." Cena's announcement was replayed the next evening on WWE Raw
, where Dwayne Johnson also addressed the issue prior to his birthday celebration and Lilian Garcia
performed the national anthem in the beginning of the show.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) event produced by WWE, which took place on May 1, 2011 at the St. Pete Times Forum
St. Pete Times Forum
The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....
in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. It was the third Extreme Rules
WWE Extreme Rules
Extreme Rules was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 7, 2009 at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the first event promoted under the Extreme Rules name and initially noted by WWE to be a direct...
event.
The event received 209,000 pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
buys, up from last year's event
Extreme Rules (2010)
Extreme Rules was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 25, 2010 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the second event promoted under the Extreme Rules name...
of 182,000.
Background
Extreme Rules featured professional wrestling matchesProfessional wrestling match types
Many types of matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, can be found in the form of performing art that is professional wrestling....
that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines
Narrative thread
A narrative thread, or plot thread , refers to particular elements and techniques of writing to center the story in the action or experience of characters rather than to relate a matter in a dry 'All knowing' sort of narration...
which were played out on WWE's primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed villains
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
or heroes
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
Edge was originally scheduled to defend his World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
against Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match. However, Edge announced that he is forced to retire on the April 11th episode of Raw due to being diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis
Cervical spinal stenosis
Cervical spinal stenosis is a bone disease involving the narrowing of the spinal canal at the level of the neck. It is frequently due to chronic degeneration, but may also be congenital. Treatment is frequently surgical....
stemming from his neck injury. Edge vacated the World Heavyweight Championship on the April 15th episode of Smackdown and the match was scrapped. It was later announced the winner of a 20-man battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
would face Alberto in the ladder match; Edge's best friend in both the storyline and real life, Christian, won the right to face Del Rio for the title. In the interim, Del Rio was drafted to Raw in the 2011 WWE Draft
2011 WWE Draft
The 2011 WWE Draft was the eighth annual draft held by WWE, which took place on April 25. With a core business of professional wrestling, the corporation held a draft to exchange personnel assigned to one of its two television programs that are independent brands that represent WWE...
.
On the April 11th edition of Monday Night Raw there was a 5-man gauntlet match which would decide the number one contender to face The Miz for the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. This match featured John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
, Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
, John Morrison, R-Truth
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
and Dolph Ziggler. The last two men in the final round were John Cena and R-Truth. After an interference from The Miz and Alex Riley
Alex Riley
Alex Riley is a TV and radio presenter.Born and brought up in Sheffield, Riley started performing with the city's Crucible Youth Theatre during which time he originated, and appeared in, dozens of sketches and devised pieces, as well as appearing in a number of plays and farces at the Library...
the match was resulted in a double disqualification, which would then lead to the anonymous Raw general manager stating that both John Cena and R-Truth would compete for the WWE Championship against The Miz in a Triple Threat match. On the April 18 edition of Raw, John Morrison challenged R-Truth for Truth's spot in the match and won the opportunity, but Truth turned heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
and attacked Morrison after the match. Later in the night, it was revealed that the match would be contested inside a steel cage.
An ongoing feud involves Raw commentators Michael Cole
Michael Cole
Michael Sean Coulthard , better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to WWE on both its Rawand SmackDown brands. Coulthard is a former news journalist....
and Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
. At WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII was the twenty-seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , held on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
, Lawler made Cole submit to the ankle lock, but the anonymous Raw General Manager reversed special guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
's decision, thus making Cole the winner via disqualification. On the April 11 episode of Raw, Lawler defeated Cole's trainer, Jack Swagger, allowing him to announce that he would team up with his former broadcast partner, Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
, to face Cole and Swagger at Extreme Rules. Two weeks later, the Raw General Manager declared that the teams would face each other in a Country Whipping match.
Another feud from the SmackDown brand is between Layla
Layla El
Layla El is an English dancer, model and professional wrestler of Moroccan and Spanish descent. She is employed by WWE as a WWE Diva and appears on the SmackDown brand as Layla...
and Michelle McCool
Michelle McCool
Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted...
, formerly known together as LayCool
LayCool
LayCool was a villainous professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Layla and Michelle McCool...
. Dissension between the two divas started on the April 8 edition of SmackDown when McCool refused to tag Layla in a tag team match against Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
and Kelly Kelly. Also, tension grew since they failed to get back the WWE Divas Championship
WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Diva's Championship is a unified professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is competed for by WWE Divas. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced in storyline by then-SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero as an alternative to Raw's Women's Championship...
several times and lost a six person tag-team match in WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII was the twenty-seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , held on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
against Trish Stratus
Trish Stratus
Patricia Anne Stratigias , better known by her ring name Trish Stratus, is a Canadian professional wrestler, actress and television personality currently signed with WWE. She is also a former fitness model....
, John Morrison, and Snooki
Nicole Polizzi
Nicole Elizabeth "Snooki" Polizzi is an American reality television personality who appeared on the MTV reality show Jersey Shore starting in 2009.- Early life :Polizzi was born in Santiago, Chile...
from Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore (TV series)
Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...
. The following two weeks, the two attended couple's therapy sessions, but the latter session ended with McCool attacking Layla, solidifying their break up. During the 2011 WWE Draft
2011 WWE Draft
The 2011 WWE Draft was the eighth annual draft held by WWE, which took place on April 25. With a core business of professional wrestling, the corporation held a draft to exchange personnel assigned to one of its two television programs that are independent brands that represent WWE...
, after Layla lost her match against Eve
Eve Torres
Eve Marie Torres is an American dancer, model, and professional wrestler. She is working for WWE on Raw brand. She is a two time WWE Divas Champion.Torres began her career as a model and dancer...
, she attacked McCool for distracting her. On the April 29 edition of SmackDown, after fighting to a double count-out in their match, Layla and McCool agreed to have a No Count-out, No Disqualification match at Extreme Rules with the loser leaving WWE.
Another feud between Raw and SmackDown is Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes. At WrestleMania XXVII, Cody Rhodes defeated Rey Mysterio by using Mysterio's knee brace, then the following Cross Rhodes. On the April 22 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, Rhodes and Mysterio would have a rematch; however, Mysterio defeated Rhodes. After the match, Rhodes attacked Mysterio from behind, performed a Cross Rhodes on a concrete floor, and puts a paper bag on Mysterio. It was announced that Mysterio would face Rhodes in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Extreme Rules. At the 2011 WWE Draft
2011 WWE Draft
The 2011 WWE Draft was the eighth annual draft held by WWE, which took place on April 25. With a core business of professional wrestling, the corporation held a draft to exchange personnel assigned to one of its two television programs that are independent brands that represent WWE...
, Mysterio would be drafted from SmackDown to Raw.
Two matches were added to the card during the event. SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
added a bonus match between Sheamus and Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
for the WWE United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
. Also a Lumberjack match featuring the WWE Tag Team Champions
WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
, Big Show and Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
against The Corre
The Corre
The Corre was a professional wrestling heel stable that performed on WWE's SmackDown brand in 2011. The stable was formed after Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater left the Nexus and allied with Ezekiel Jackson.-Formation:...
(Wade Barrett
Wade Barrett
Wade Barrett is a retired American soccer player. He is currently an assistant coach at Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo-College:...
and Ezekiel Jackson) was added.
Pre-show
Before the event aired, a dark match took place. In this non-televised match, Sin CaraMístico
Luis Ignascio Urive Alvirde is a Mexican luchador enmascarado, or masked professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE, working on its SmackDown brand under the name Sin Cara...
defeated Tyson Kidd after a moonsault side slam.
Preliminary matches
The first televised match of the night saw CM PunkCM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
taking on Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
in a Last Man Standing Match. While Punk made his way to the ring with the members of The New Nexus
Nexus (professional wrestling)
The Nexus was a villainous professional wrestling stable in the professional wrestling promotion, WWE, that competed on its Raw brand. The group originally consisted of all eight rookies of NXT season one and shifted their roster several times throughout their existence...
, the anonymous Raw general manager declared that the members of The New Nexus were banned from ringside. After a back and forth match for quite some time, Punk brought in kendo sticks and the two proceeded to beat one another with them. After both men abandoned the use of the kendo sticks, Punk threw Orton into the exposed metal turnbuckle. The match then spilled to the matted area around the ring where Orton delivered a PowerSlam. At approximately ten minutes into the match, Punk executed a GTS on Orton who barely managed to answer the referee's count. The match was moved back into the ring where Punk delivered a slam to Orton on top of a chair hoping to knock the man out and win the match to no such luck. Randy retaliated by hitting Punk with the RKO, but Punk managed to answer the ref's call. After going outside of the ring again, Punk put a chair around Orton's neck and drove him into the ring post. Orton then nailed Punk with an RKO on the announce table, with Punk again managing to get to his feet before the count of ten. Punk then hit Orton with a variation of the GTS on the steel steps. Back in the ring, Punk ascended to the top rope only to be caught by Orton, who repeatedly hit him with a kendo stick. After abandoning the kendo stick, Orton managed to hit Punk with a third and final RKO from the top rope. Punk could not answer the count following the blow, and the referee declared Orton the winner.
Before the second match, in a backstage segment, the general manager of SmackDown Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
informed Sheamus that he would be defending the WWE United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
against Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
in a tables match. In the match, both Superstars managed to avoid hitting the tables for quite some time. Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick and Kingston nailed the Trouble in Paradise
540 kick
In martial arts and tricking, the 540 kick, also known as inside turning kick, jump inside kick, tornado kick and Xuanfengjiao , is a jump kick move...
(both moves being signature moves of each wrestler), but they both managed to not go through the tables. Kingston was finally successful in winning the United States Championship after putting Sheamus through a table with a Boom Drop off the top rope, winning his second United States Championship and taking the title back to Raw.
The following match was a tag team
Professional wrestling tag team match types
Much like singles matches, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace...
Country Whipping match featuring Michael Cole
Michael Cole
Michael Sean Coulthard , better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to WWE on both its Rawand SmackDown brands. Coulthard is a former news journalist....
and Jack Swagger against WWE Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
rs, Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
and Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
. Swagger and Cole dominated the match early on until Lawler made the hot tag to Ross. After taking Cole down, Ross locked in the AnCole lock in an attempt to make Cole tap out. However, Swagger entered the ring and pulled Ross off of Cole. Ross answered with a low blow on Swagger, but was then rolled up by Cole for the win.
The next match pitted Cody Rhodes and Rey Mysterio against one another in a Falls Count Anywhere match. The first big spot of this match was Mysterio running off the entrance ramp and executing a seated senton on Rhodes. The brawl then headed into the arena's concourse where Mysterio tackled Rhodes into a stand. After getting back inside the arena, Rhodes hip tossed Mysterio over a barricade onto the padded floor outside the ring. The finish came when Mysterio spit mist into Rhodes' face, followed by the 619 and a Springboard splash for the pin.
Main event matches
The following match was a no disqualification, no countoutHardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
, Loser Leaves WWE match featuring Layla
Layla El
Layla El is an English dancer, model and professional wrestler of Moroccan and Spanish descent. She is employed by WWE as a WWE Diva and appears on the SmackDown brand as Layla...
and Michelle McCool
Michelle McCool
Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted...
. The match started with McCool attacking Layla during her entrance routine. McCool was then able to hit the Faithbreaker, but her pin was reversed by Layla into a crucifix for the win. After the match, the debuting Kharma
Kia Stevens
Kia Michelle Stevens , better known by her ring names Amazing Kong, Awesome Kong and Kharma. She is signed with WWE, but has been inactive since May 2011 due to pregnancy...
attacked McCool, hitting her with an Implant Buster.
The next match was for the vacant World Heayweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
featuring Christian and Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match
Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
. The first big spot of the match came when Christian backdropped Del Rio onto a ladder. After a back and forth match, Del Rio was able to hit an enzuigiri on Christian, knocking him off the top rope. Del Rio then attempted to free the championship, but was unsuccessful. About sixteen minutes into the match, Christian used a spear on Del Rio as a tribute to his fellow wrestler and long time friend Edge who was recently forced to retire due to a spinal injury. After Christian was about to unhook the championship, Brodus Clay
Brodus Clay
George Murdoch is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Brodus Clay. He is signed to WWE, where he wrestles on its Raw brand and its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling...
ran down to ringside, preventing Christian from winning the match. Clay was busted open after taking a shot from a ladder and then thrown to the outside by Christian. After this, Del Rio applied the cross armbreaker on Christian and began scaling the ladder. However, Del Rio was distracted by a car horn coming from the retired Edge who was in a jeep. Christian took advantage of this and knocked Del Rio off the ladder onto Brodus Clay and Ricardo Rodriguez
Ricardo Rodriguez (wrestler)
Jesús Rodríguez is a Mexican-American professional wrestler and ring announcer, currently signed to WWE, performing on its RAW brand under the ring name Ricardo Rodriguez as Alberto Del Rio's personal ring announcer and occasional wrestler.-Early career:Rodriguez formerly wrestled for promotions...
at ringside. Christian went on to unhook the World Heavyweight Championship and become the eleventh Grand Slam Champion in WWE history. Edge then celebrated in the ring with Christian to congratulate him.
The next match was for the WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
which featured The Corre
The Corre
The Corre was a professional wrestling heel stable that performed on WWE's SmackDown brand in 2011. The stable was formed after Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater left the Nexus and allied with Ezekiel Jackson.-Formation:...
(Wade Barrett
Wade Barrett
Wade Barrett is a retired American soccer player. He is currently an assistant coach at Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo-College:...
and Ezekiel Jackson) against Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
and Big Show in a lumberjack match. The finish came after Barrett tagged himself in once Jackson had Show down. After this, Barrett was caught by Big Show and then hit with a chokeslam
Chokeslam
A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...
for the win.
The last match of the night was a steel cage triple threat match for the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
featuring John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
, John Morrison and The Miz. The match started with Morrison and Cena teaming up against The Miz. Cena nailed a diving bulldog on the Miz from the top rope, while Morrison tried to escape the cage, only to be stopped by Cena. As Morrison made another attempt to escape, The Miz stopped him. Cena hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Morrison, but The Miz nailed John Cena with the Skull Crushing Finale. The Miz tried to climb the cage but was, again, teamed up on by Morrison and Cena as they hit The Miz with a double suplex from the top of the cage. Morrison then tried a variation of the flying chuck
Roundhouse kick
A roundhouse kick is a kick in which the attacker swings his leg around in a semicircular motion, striking with the front of the leg or foot. This type of kick is utilized in many different martial arts and is popular in both non-contact and full-contact martial arts competitions...
using the cage wall instead of the ropes, aiming for Cena, but hit The Miz instead. Morrison hit a huge standing moonsault side slam on Cena, but after that was powerbomb
Powerbomb
A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...
ed into the steel cage wall by The Miz. Cena then applied the STF on The Miz as he tried exiting the ring by the door, but Morrison climbed the cage and shut the door, which nailed The Miz on the head. Cena then pushed Morrison who landed on the door on his groin. Back in the ring, The Miz hit a Swift DDT on Cena, and hit a running boot as well. As Morrison tried to escape the cage, both Cena and The Miz tried to stop him, but Morrison hit the Starship Pain from the top of the cage. Later in the match, Morrison was about to escape the cage to win the WWE Championship, when R-Truth
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
came to ringside and took Morrison out with a running knee. He then took Morrison back into the ring and began repeatedly hitting him, finally ending the assault with the What's Up. Truth went on to deliver a Truth Axe on Cena before symbolically climbing over the cage. The match ended as Cena delivered a massive Attitude Adjustment on The Miz from the top rope for the pinfall victory, winning him his eighth WWE Championship (tying the record for most WWE Title wins with Triple H) and tenth world championship overall.
Reception
Extreme Rules 2011 received extremely positive reviews. In his review for The Sun, Rob McNichol reported that the event was "a stunning return to form by WWE."CM Punk and Randy Orton's opening Last Man Standing Match was deemed a very strong opening bout which swung each way several times. CM Punk was not shamed in defeat, being made to look Orton's equal for twenty minutes.
The Country Whipping match was described as "unsatisfying and slow" whilst Rey Mysterio vs Cody Rhodes was hailed as "a high quality wrestling match.... It felt fresh, and it helped that Rey certainly had his flying and bumping boots on. Also why Rhodes deserves to be in high profile matches."
Kharma's debut was heralded as a special moment sorely lacking from recent WWE PPVs. The Smackdown Ladder Match between Alberto Del Rio and Christian for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship was given praise, "The crowd's genuine elation and the celebration with his [Edge] former partner and best friend made it a very special moment. Both where great and Christian's title win was something that should have happened along time ago"
"After a quick and forgettable Smackdown main event lumberjack match in which Big Show and Kane defeated Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson, the main event saw The Miz defend his title against Cena and John Morrison in a steel cage. Cena prevailed after a top rope Attitude Adjustment to win his tenth world crown." John Morrison's performance was praised as "stunning". "The high-risk moves and Starship Pain of the top of the cage proves why Morrison is a future star in WWE."
"But the story was Christian's big win and the fact that WWE used the match stipulations — so often a restricting factor on their booking — to great effect."
The Sun gave praise in some matches calling them outstanding and "Extreme", McNichol said that the event lived up to its name, the Last Man Standing match was rated 9 out of 10, the World Championship Ladder match an 9.5 out of 10 and the WWE Championship Steel Cage was rated 9 out of 10, and rated the show 9.5 out of 10 overall.
Results
| # | Match | Stipulations | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark | Sin Cara Místico Luis Ignascio Urive Alvirde is a Mexican luchador enmascarado, or masked professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE, working on its SmackDown brand under the name Sin Cara... defeated Tyson Kidd |
Singles match | n/a |
| 1 | Randy Orton Randy Orton Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand... defeated CM Punk CM Punk Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion.... |
Last Man Standing match | 20:07 |
| 2 | Kofi Kingston Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom... defeated Sheamus (c) |
Tables match for the WWE United States Championship WWE United States Championship The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand.... |
09:11 |
| 3 | Michael Cole Michael Cole Michael Sean Coulthard , better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to WWE on both its Rawand SmackDown brands. Coulthard is a former news journalist.... and Jack Swagger defeated Jim Ross Jim Ross James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand... and Jerry Lawler Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional... |
Tag Team Professional wrestling tag team match types Much like singles matches, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace... Country Whipping match |
07:02 |
| 4 | Rey Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes | Falls Count Anywhere match | 11:43 |
| 5 | Layla Layla El Layla El is an English dancer, model and professional wrestler of Moroccan and Spanish descent. She is employed by WWE as a WWE Diva and appears on the SmackDown brand as Layla... defeated Michelle McCool Michelle McCool Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted... |
Extreme Rules match, Loser Leaves WWE match | 05:23 |
| 6 | Christian (with Edge) defeated Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez Ricardo Rodriguez (wrestler) Jesús Rodríguez is a Mexican-American professional wrestler and ring announcer, currently signed to WWE, performing on its RAW brand under the ring name Ricardo Rodriguez as Alberto Del Rio's personal ring announcer and occasional wrestler.-Early career:Rodriguez formerly wrestled for promotions... and Brodus Clay Brodus Clay George Murdoch is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Brodus Clay. He is signed to WWE, where he wrestles on its Raw brand and its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling... ) |
Ladder match Ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item... for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand... |
21:01 |
| 7 | The Corre The Corre The Corre was a professional wrestling heel stable that performed on WWE's SmackDown brand in 2011. The stable was formed after Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater left the Nexus and allied with Ezekiel Jackson.-Formation:... (Wade Barrett Wade Barrett Wade Barrett is a retired American soccer player. He is currently an assistant coach at Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo-College:... and Ezekiel Jackson) defeated Big Show and Kane Big Show and Kane Kane and Big Show are two professional wrestlers currently signed to WWE, who formed a tag team during three periods: 2001-2002, 2005-2006 and 2011... (c) |
Lumberjack match for the WWE Tag Team Championship WWE Tag Team Championship The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship... |
04:17 |
| 8 | John Cena John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand.... defeated The Miz (c) and John Morrison |
Triple Threat Steel Cage match for the WWE Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
19:53 |
- SmackDown General Manager, Theodore LongTheodore LongTheodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
added this as a bonus match during the pay-per view. - KharmaKia StevensKia Michelle Stevens , better known by her ring names Amazing Kong, Awesome Kong and Kharma. She is signed with WWE, but has been inactive since May 2011 due to pregnancy...
made her WWE debut by attacking Michelle McCool after the match. - Lumberjacks involved were the other members of The Corre (Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater), Evan Bourne, Johnny CurtisJohnny CurtisJonathan Curtis is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand under his ring name Johnny Curtis. He also performs in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling. He was the winner of the fourth season of NXT.- Early Career :Curtis...
, Trent Barreta, Tyler Reks, Santino Marella, PrimoEddie ColonEdwin "Eddie" Carlos Colón is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is currently signed by WWE wrestling on its Raw brand as Primo. He is the son of Carlos Colón, Sr. and the younger brother of wrestlers Stacy and Carly Colón, better known as Carlito in WWE...
, Yoshi Tatsu, Vladimir Kozlov, David Hart Smith, and the NXT Redemption Rookies (Byron Saxton, Conor O'Brian, Darren Young, Jacob NovakJacob NovakDrew Molzhon, better known by his stage name Jacob Novak is a Polish American professional wrestler best known for his time in WWE, wrestling in their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling, and appearing on the fourth and fifth seasons of WWE NXT.-Florida Championship Wrestling :In...
, Lucky Cannon, and Titus O'NeilThaddeus BullardThaddeus Michael Bullard is an American professional wrestler and former college and professional football player. Bullard played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally in the Arena Football League. Bullard is a professional wrestler, and is signed...
).
Announcement of Osama bin Laden's death
Following the conclusion of Extreme Rules, news was breaking worldwide that Osama bin LadenOsama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
had been killed by U.S. troops
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
. New WWE Champion John Cena addressed the live audience with a speech about American pride, then declared "The President has just announced that we have caught and compromised to a permanent end Osama bin Laden". Cena's comments and the announcement drew a massive response from the audience including many USA chants
U-S-A! cheer
U-S-A! is a chant that was first popularized after being yelled by fans during the 1980 Winter Olympics, held in Lake Placid, New York, USA, where the US men's ice hockey team defeated the Soviet Union in what became known as the "Miracle on Ice", later moving on to beat Finland for the gold...
.
Cena followed up on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
moments after leaving the ring saying "CeNation. Proud day in the war on terror. Many brave soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice in hopes of what happened tonight. I am not certain if this conflict is over. But tonight was a very very proud moment for the good guys. God bless America." The internal public address
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
system of the St. Pete Times Forum
St. Pete Times Forum
The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....
then proceeded to play "Stars and Stripes Forever." Cena's announcement was replayed the next evening on WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, where Dwayne Johnson also addressed the issue prior to his birthday celebration and Lilian Garcia
Lilian Garcia
Lilian Annette García , is a Spanish-American singer. She is best known as the former ring announcer for WWE's Raw brand. During her time in WWE, she became the first Diva to remain with the promotion for ten years.-Early life and career:...
performed the national anthem in the beginning of the show.