05-21 : WWE Monday Night RAW Results (The Night After Over The Limit)

The show opened with highlight shots from last night's Over the Limit main event, with Big Show interfering to help John Laurinaitis defeat Cena. Cena came to the ring to discuss how shocked he was at what happened last night with Big Show, and saying he had Laurinaitis beat. Eve came out, introduced Laurinaitis, who talked about all his injuries from the PPV. Then he introduced Cena's opponent for No Way Out - The Big Show. Show came out talking about how he loves the business more than anyone else and did what he had to do. He vowed to knock Cena out at No Way Out on June 17th.

John Cena defeated David Otunga via submission. Cena was able to win in about two minutes after chasing Otunga down and using Attitude Adjustment followed by STF to make Otunga tap. John Laurinaitis and Eve were shown watching from up on the ramp.

Post-match, Curt Hawkins, Tyler Reks, Darren Young and Titus O'Neil all rushed the ring to attack Cena. Sheamus rushed to the ring to intervene and make a save. Laurinaitis got on the mic saying he didn't give these guys permission to interfere, then sent them back to the showers. From there, JL booked Cena and Sheamus to fight in a 2-on-3 handicap lumberjack match later tonight.

Ricardo Rodriguez came out to introduce Alberto Del Rio. However, Santino Marella came out to say Ricardo knows nothing about the "art of introductioners." Santino and Ricardo did a battle of rolling R's, before Santino eventually brought out The Cobra and poked him in the neck. Santino introduced Del Rio, who made his way to the ring as they showed a WWE video package about Raw coming up on its 1,000th episode. Once Del Rio got to the ring, he chased Santino off.

Randy Orton defeated Alberto Del Rio due to disqualification. Late in the match, Orton had Del Rio down and started pounding the mat for the RKO. However, Chris Jericho rushed into the ring and attacked Orton, hitting the Codebreaker. He said on the mic multiple times how he's best in the world at what he does. Jericho hit two more Codebreakers before leaving the ring with Orton down.

Daniel Bryan came to the ring and demanded a rematch with WWE Champion CM Punk after making him tap out last night. Punk came out and reminded Bryan what he did to him on Smackdown, when Bryan smashed a steel chair on Kane, and then took off, leaving Kane to think Punk did it. Punk then introduced to Bryan his opponent for tonight - Kane.

Daniel Bryan defeated Kane due to disqualification. At one point, Kane was on the outside of the ring and Bryan dove out onto him crashing to the floor. Punk was on commentary and told Lawler/Cole to hang on, as he left, grabbed a chair and went towards Bryan. Punk teased that he was going to hit Kane, but then Bryan yanked the chair away. Punk backed off, and as Bryan turned, Kane saw him with the chair and attacked. From there, Kane repeatedly hit Bryan with the chair, then chokeslammed him twice in the ring. Post-match, Punk got in the ring pretending to check on Bryan, then locked him into the Anaconda Vise to make Bryan tap on his arm.

Backstage, CM Punk was walking when AJ came up to him. She told him she enjoyed seeing him beat up Daniel Bryan. Punk brought up how maybe she's not crazy, but sadistic. AJ started to break down in tears, and finally Punk hugged her to comfort her. After several moments of that, Punk told her "I kinda dig crazy chicks" and walked off. AJ started to act crazy, crying a bit again.

Cole and Lawler talked over the incident between Triple H and Paul Heyman last week where Heyman told HHH he'll see him in court for an assault and battery lawsuit. They said WWE.com has an exclusive report on the legal situation with Heyman, Lesnar and HHH.

Justin Roberts introduced the man who won the "People Power" Battle Royal and Intercontinental title last night. Cole and Lawler reviewed last night's win via still image pics. Jinder Mahal was shown putting his hat into a plastic or glass case at ringside area.

Christian defeated Jinder Mahal by pinfall. He hit the Killswitch late in the match, but added a huge frog splash off the corner to get the pinfall win.

Cole talked about some of the Twitter tweets from the WWE Universe about Big Show's actions last night. They reviewed a clip of Big Show promising to knock out Cena at No Way Out.

Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly by pinfall. Layla was shown watching backstage on a flatscreen monitor, shaking her head. Kelly had control late after hitting her tilt-a-whirl leg scissors spin to throw Beth into the corner. She went for her flip splash move towards Beth in the corner, but The Glamazon smashed her down from behind on her way there. Beth followed up with The Glam Slam to win it. Layla was shown backstage just shaking her head.

They showed John Laurinaitis riding on his scooter backstage with a big "People Power" logo cutout on front.

Sheamus was introduced, followed by John Cena for the 3-on-2 Handicap Tag Team Lumberjack match. Vickie Guerrero arrived out to the ramp and did her "Excuse Me" bit and then introduced Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler as two of their opponents. Justin Roberts then announced their tag team partner, and Lord Tensai arrived out after Sakimoto came to the stage and did his pre-match salt tossing on stage.


The lumberjacks included Reks, Hawkins, Otunga, Alberto Del Rio, Chris Jericho, Primo, Epico, Hunico, Camacho, Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal, Darren Young and Titus O'Neil. Lawler noted none of them appeared to be friends of Cena or Sheamus, with Cole joking maybe they don't have any. John Laurinaitis was shown up on stage with a crutch watching the match.

John Cena and Sheamus fought Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler and Lord Tensai to a no contest/DQ. At one point during the match, Sheamus was knocked to the outside by Tensai. Some of the lumberjacks attacked but Sheamus fought them off, then jumped off the steel steps to take out more lumberjacks on the other side of the ring. The heels worked to keep Sheamus worn down and away from tagging out. At another point in the match, Sheamus began fighting back, punching on Tensai. Tensai had blood on his forehead, but still kept Sheamus in the heels corner.

Finally, Sheamus broke away and made the hot tag. Cena came in on fire and took down Ziggler. He set up for the Five Knuckle but then saw Sheamus getting beat up on the outside by lumberjacks. Cena dove to the outside to try to help out. Cena and Sheamus appeared to be getting beat up, but then faces rushed to the ring including CM Punk, Great Khali, Christian, Brodus Clay and Santino.

Cena stormed off up the ramp from the ring and went backstage. The camera went backstage with Cena approaching Laurinaitis who was limping away on crutches. JL said he had no idea where Big Show was and reminded Cena if he touches him he gets fired. Laurinaitis hobbled away on his crutch with Cena looking angry. He stood there looking to the side for several moments with the camera close up. Then, just as Cena turned, a big fist came into the picture and knocked Cena out. Big Show was shown and walked over Cena's body, with Laurinaitis looking back from a distance as Show kept following to close out Raw.

WWE Over The Limit 2012 Results > John Cena Vs. John Lourinites (Photos)

Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and General Manager of Raw and SmackDown prepares to face John Cena.

If the man behind "People Power" loses, he will be terminated, per WWE's Board of Directors.

Nothing would make Cena happier than to see Laurinaitis out of WWE.

Cena immediately goes on the offensive and takes it to the executive.

The Cenation Leader brutalizes Big Johnny all around ringside.

Cena douses Laurinaitis with water ...

... and sprays him with a fire extinguisher.

Cena delivers a crushing elbow.

Cena locks Laurinaitis in the STF submission maneuver.

Laurinaitis attempts to escape through the crowd, but the recently fired Big Show is present to drag Johnny back to the ring.

Out of nowhere, Show nails Cena with the WMD, helping Laurinaitis get the pin.

The WWE Universe cannot believe Big Show's actions and Laurinaitis' shocking win over Cena.

WWE Over The Limit 2012 Results > John Laurinatis Vs. John Cena

RALEIGH, N.C. — John Laurinatis was done for.

Beaten and battered by an intensely focused John Cena in a match where the megalomaniacal General Manager’s career was on the line, Mr. Laurinaitis was only a three count away from finding himself on the unemployment line. And then something big happened.

Shocking the WWE fans crammed into Raleigh’s PNC Arena, the mighty Big Show stormed into the ring and aided the man who fired him on Monday night in a way the WWE Universe never expected to see.

Had The World’s Largest Athlete not changed the clear outcome of this bout, the landscape of WWE would look a lot different right now. A polarizing figure since he grasped complete power over both Raw and SmackDown, John Laurinaitis stirred up serious controversy when he reintroduced the unpredictable Brock Lesnar to WWE rings. Promoted as the new face of the company by the General Manager, the former MMA fighter went on to nearly end John Cena’s career at WWE Extreme Rules before quitting WWE and then threatening to sue for millions.

As if Mr. Laurinaitis hadn’t created enough of a quagmire, the executive then recruited the dangerous Lord Tensai and his follower, Sakamoto, to aid him in a vicious attack on Cena the night after the Superstar’s showdown with Lesnar. After ruthlessly targeting the Cenation’s leader’s injured arm, a crazed Laurinaitis announced that he would meet Cena one-on-one at WWE Over the Limit.

It may have been the most baffling managerial decision since Mr. McMahon orchestrated the kidnapping of his own daughter during WWE’s “Attitude Era.” A suit-and-tie guy willingly stepping into the ring with a former 10-time WWE Champion? It was madness. Laurinaitis may have once been a respected grappler in the hardnosed world of Japanese professional wrestling, but that was more than a decade ago. Did the executive really think he could hold his own against a man who just stood toe to toe with Brock Lesnar and won?

As it turns out, he did. Well, he did until WWE’s Board of Directors stepped in. Decreeing that not only would John Laurinaitis be fired if he lost the match, but any contracted Superstar who interfered in the bout would also be terminated, the committee stacked the deck against the already in-over-his-head GM.

Clearly lacking confidence after the Board rejected his last minute plea to reverse at least one of the stipulations, (FULL STORY) Laurinaitis sulked to the ring like a man headed down the green mile. If the self-proclaimed Mr. Excitement wasn’t such a conniving egomaniac, the WWE fans may have felt sorry for him. Instead, they cheered John Cena on as he picked apart Mr. Laurinaitis in a bout that resembled more of a televised mugging than a sports-entertainment showdown.

Cena took slow pleasure in manhandling the executive who orchestrated a vicious attack on him as he dumped a garbage can over Big Johnny’s head, doused him with a fire extinguisher, and locked him in the STF for 10-second bursts of brutality. When Laurinaitis briefly mounted a comeback by grabbing a steel chair, he paid the price when Cena drove the hunk of metal right into his red face.

The General Manager’s night only got worse when the man he fired on Monday night — Big Show — suddenly appeared among the WWE fans in the PNC Arena and dragged a retreating Laurinaitis back to the squared circle by his neck. Surrounded on both sides by the Cenation leader and The World’s Largest Athlete, the executive was clearly done for. And then it happened.

With Laurinaitis propped on Cena’s shoulders, only moments away from feeling the AA, Big Show drove his Thor’s hammer of a fist directly into Cena’s jaw. It was the last thing the WWE Universe expected to see from the giant who was humiliated by the GM, but there was no mistaking what had happened. The World’s Largest Athlete deliberately K.O.’d the Cenation leader and saved John Laurinaitis' career. And since Show wasn't a contracted Superstar, there was nothing WWE's Board of Directors could do about it.

Was the attack a gutsy move by Big Show, done deliberately to save his own career? Or was it part of a beautifully constructed plot, pieced together by Mr. Laurinaitis and his sharp advisers in David Otunga and Eve? Whatever it was, there will be hell to pay when John Cena arrives on Raw.

WWE Over The Limit 2012 Results > Intercontinental Championship > Christian Vs. Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes

RALEIGH, N.C. – After his shocking return and impressive victory in the "People Power" Battle Royal earlier in the night, Christian seemingly had his sights set on Santino Marella’s United States Championship. However, after catching Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes doing some good, old-fashioned trash talking backstage to Eve where the second generation Superstar said he would "embarrass" Christian if the two went head-to-head, Captain Charisma decided to throw a bit of a curveball and challenge Rhodes for his beloved title instead. (PHOTOS)

Rhodes, who has held the title since his Extreme Rules victory over former WWE Superstar Big Show, was cocky right up to the moment the bell rang on his unexpected title defense. When his entrance music played, Rhodes made a final statement before taking on Christian, saying he is a better man than his opponent.

Christian was unfazed, however, and his sights were set squarely on Rhodes and his Intercontinental Title.

The younger Rhodes got off to a fast start against Christian, whose stamina was called into question after his long layoff and a hard-fought Battle Royal victory earlier in the night. Rhodes was relentless, slamming his opponent into the steel stairs at ringside and then hammering away at the former champion.

But the wily veteran was able to mount a comeback and buy himself some recovery time by taking advantage of any opening Cody gave him. When Rhodes focused more on taunting his downed opponent than finishing him off, Christian was able to hit the Killswitch from out of nowhere and cover Rhodes for a shocking victory.

The match capped off an incredible night for Captain Charisma, whose ring return culminated in Intercontinental Championship gold for the fourth time in his career.

WWE Over The Limit 2012 Results > Ryback Vs. Camacho

RALEIGH, N.C. – Of all the Superstars who have made their debuts on both Raw and SmackDown over the last several months, none have made a thunderous impact quite like the authoritative Ryback. As soon as the WWE Universe hears his music, they know pure destruction is imminent.

Luckily for Raleigh, N.C., natives, Ryback has moved on from facing off with local athletes, and has graduated to crushing regular members of the WWE roster. At WWE Over the Limit, Ryback was beyond impressive, manhandling Camacho, while his opponent's ally, Hunico, looked on from ringside in awe. (PHOTOS)

The pair from south of the border arrived on their bicycle making a bold statement that they would have better luck than others against their foe. Perhaps Hunico and Camacho believed they had a numbers advantage over , but arithmetic means little to the undefeated man from Sin City. Like a couple of hapless gamblers, the rough pair played their hand, but quickly folded under the pure might of the near 300-pounder.

Ryback's appetite shows no signs of being satiated as he continues to devour the competition. Tonight, he annihilated Camacho, sending both he and Hunico back on their paper route. Feed him more.

WWE Over The Limit 2012 Results > WWE Championship Match > CM Punk (c) Vs. Daniel Bryan

RALEIGH, N.C.– Far from their humble beginnings competing inside state armories and high school gymnasiums, WWE Champion CM Punk and No. 1 contender Daniel Bryan battled in an instant classic that left the WWE Universe absolutely breathless and Bryan incredulous. When the smoke cleared and the chants of “This is awesome” quieted, Punk was left holding the WWE Title, although the pinfall he used to achieve that end has already been called into controversy. (PHOTOS)

From their many travels around the globe perfecting their craft, to their current statuses as two of the world’s premier talents, Punk and Bryan have been on parallel paths for most of their careers. (Punk & Bryan’s Long Road to the Top)

At WWE Over the Limit, those paths intersected.

With arguably WWE’s two most technically proficient grapplers clashing head-on, the match was projected from the outset to be a wrestling purist’s dream, and it more than lived up to those lofty expectations. Despite their obvious scientific wrestling prowess, neither the 6-foot-2 Punk nor the 5-foot-11 Bryan has ever been confused for anything resembling a WWE poster boy.

Instead of boasting larger-than-life chiseled physiques, Punk and Bryan have established themselves as ring generals, and at WWE Over the Limit, vindication for their hard work – in the form of the ultimate symbol of excellence in sports-entertainment, the WWE Championship – was up for grabs.

Although the title bout seemed forged by fate, it actually originated out of circumstance, when Bryan won a Beat the Clock Challenge on Raw SuperShow to claim his spot as the No. 1 contender. Since then, Bryan made every attempt to score an advantage on The Second City Saint. Bryan’s latest offense, an act of trickery that caused an irate Kane to brutalize Punk with a steel chair and two chokeslams following a match on SmackDown, appeared to have done the trick.

At the very least, Bryan’s dastardly tactic irritated Punk, who moments before the opening bell told Josh Mathews that even though their match should be seen as a “triumph” for himself and Bryan, the Yes!-man’s change of heart this past year has hampered the festivities. According to The Straight Edge Superstar, the bout would be much more than a five-star match – it’d be a “five-star beat down.”

Punk’s words, it turned out, would prove prescient.

At the sound of the opening bell, Punk and Bryan began the contest with a feeling-out process in which they peppered each other with sharp kicks. The Second City Saint quickly went on the offensive, using submission holds against the self-proclaimed “submission specialist.” Throughout the bout, Punk would return again and again to Bryan’s left leg.

After avoiding a Punk baseball slide, however, Bryan rammed the WWE Champion back-first into the ringside barrier, further weakening Punk’s ribs, which appeared to have not yet healed from Kane’s attack Friday.

From there, Bryan attacked with pit bull-like veracity. He kneed Punk’s midsection and used a torso-wrenching abdominal stretch to great effect.

Never one to be counted down, The Straight Edge Superstar would again turn the tables on his storied foe, reversing a Bryan kick into a dragon-screw leg whip before locking him into a seemingly inescapable figure-four – causing more damage to Bryan’s already smarting knee.

"How many near falls have there been in this match, not to mention the submission predicaments?" Jerry “The King” Lawler wondered aloud, as Punk and Bryan warred on to the sounds of the passionate WWE Universe vacillating between chants of “Daniel Bryan” and “CM Punk” (and, occasionally, “Yes!” and “No!).

Punk and Bryan’s intimate knowledge of each other's move sets was obvious, as they reversed signature holds and tried valiantly to check kicks. As Punk built momentum, he nailed his trademark high running knee in the corner.

Yet, as Punk then tried for the second half of his patented combo, the running bulldog, his effort was blocked by Bryan and reversed into a “Yes!" Lock.

Although the lock was clamped on for several moments, the WWE Champion nonetheless had the wherewithal to roll backward and turn the dangerous hold into a stunning pinfall. The win, however, was not without controversy, as immediately following the three-count, Punk was visibly tapping out.

With Punk barely able to hold his championship overhead in an exhausted celebration, Bryan – who clearly believed he was wronged – jawed angrily with the referee.

For once all the “Yes!” man could say was, “No! No! No!”

WWE Over The Limit 2012 Results > Brodus Clay Vs. The Miz

RALEIGH, N.C. – The undefeated Brodus Clay continued his funky roll at WWE Over the Limit, defeating his polar opposite, former WWE Champion The Miz at Raleigh, N.C.'s PNC Arena.

The bout was a rematch from earlier this month on Raw SuperShow, a contest which delivered The Funkasaurus his most arduous challenge to date (WATCH). After falling to the mighty Clay that night, The Awesome One came to Raleigh looking for a fight.

The brash loudmouth already had a busy evening, seeing action earlier as the runner-up in the "People Power" Battle Royal (FULL STORY), and approached ringside delivering one of his signature, unbecoming soliloquies. The Miz surprised no one when he arrogantly proclaimed himself to be a better dancer than the aforementioned man from Planet Funk. Proceeding to flaunt what he believed were his best moves to the unimpressed North Carolina crowd, Miz's claim was quickly put to rest by the fortunate sight of The Funkadactyls. The match itself was a back-and-forth affair, featuring the former WrestleMania main eventer's sly quickness and the undoubted power of The Funkasaurus. (PHOTOS)

The embattled "most must see WWE Champion in history" has struggled to regain his footing since losing the title more than one year ago. At Over the Limit, he was impressive, nailing his foe with a hard shot to the steel ring post and several boots to the face. But in the end, it was The Miz who needed to call his momma, succumbing to Clay's strength and What the Funk splash. The Awesome One retreated to the locker room licking his wounds while Brodus, Naomi, Cameron and young members of the WWE Universe celebrated with grooves of their own.

He had a reason to party. Match after match, The Funkasaurus continues to make his opponents extinct.

WWE Over The Limit 2012 Results > World Heavyweight Championship Fatal 4-Way Match > Sheamus (c) Vs. Chris Jericho Vs. Alberto Del Rio Vs. Randy Orton

RALEIGH, N.C. – In what was his greatest challenge as champion to date, Sheamus stood up to seemingly insurmountable odds in a brutal Fatal 4-Way Match on his way to retaining the World Heavyweight Title. It was certainly no easy feat, squaring off with three former multi-time World Champions – Alberto Del Rio, Chris Jericho and Randy Orton – but The Celtic Warrior’s triumph cements his rightful place as one of WWE’s most dominant Superstars. (PHOTOS)

The way in which The Great White picked up the victory was undoubtedly impressive – after all, he only had a one in four chance of leaving Raleigh, N.C., victorious. Fatal 4-Way Matches are especially treacherous for the defending champion as they can lose the title even if they don’t submit or succumb to pinfall. With that in mind, The Celtic Warrior’s victory leaves the WWE Universe wondering who could possibly dethrone the World Heavyweight Champion, and what the future holds for his challengers at WWE Over the Limit.

After ring announcer Lilian Garcia made each Superstar’s introduction, the opening bell sounded and each of the four gladiators immediately sized each other up. Clearly, there was a sense of trepidation among them over who to strike first. The free-for-all nature of the Fatal 4-Way leaves each competitor desperate to maintain momentum from the very beginning.

An all-out brawl erupted and Sheamus and Orton focused their attacks on Del Rio and Jericho, quickly removing them from the squared circle. The WWE Universe inside the PNC Arena rose to their feet at The Viper and The Great White sized each other up, ready to strike. The crowd waited with baited breath as the two Superstars taunted each other, only to be stopped by a returning Jericho and Del Rio.

Taking the battle to the outside of the ring, WWE’s Apex Predator and the World Heavyweight Champion once again left their opponents reeling and immediately returned to the ring to face off with one another. The WWE Universe watched anxiously as both Superstars challenged each other and finally went on the offensive.

Returning to the ring, Del Rio and Jericho formed an alliance to attack the venomous Viper and the World Champion. But as Fatal 4-Way Matches typically go, the cohesion between The Mexican Aristocrat and WWE’s first-ever Undisputed Champion was short-lived. As Del Rio and Jericho erupted, the true nature of the Fatal 4-Way was exposed, it was now every Superstar for himself.

When the dust settled, Jerry Lawler summed up the match perfectly by saying, “There was never a time that anyone had a clear advantage.” Momentum is key inside the squared circle, but it was never clearly in anyone’s grasp. The elite Superstars vying for the World Title knew that the only way to come out on top was to seize moments and opportunities. Jericho, fueled by his anger toward an article on WWE.com questioning whether he should have returned (FULL STORY), was the clear victor in terms of timing moments to take out his opponents with a Code Breaker or locking them in the devastating Walls of Jericho. There were many times when Jericho was half a count away from claiming the World Title.

However, to Jericho’s disadvantage, there were too many variables in the ring, including the most explosive, WWE’s Apex Predator. An impressive double DDT delivered to Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez delighted the WWE Universe in Raleigh, but not nearly as much as the flurry of high-impact RKOs that temporarily shifted momentum into The Viper’s corner.

As chaos erupted inside the squared circle, it would be a final opportunity seized by Sheamus that led to victory. With Del Rio reeling on the outside of the ring, The Celtic Warrior took out Orton with a Brogue Kick before delivering a crushing White Noise to Jericho to retain the World Title.

Since winning the 2012 Royal Rumble Match and defeating Daniel Bryan in a history-making 18 seconds for the World Heavyweight Championship, Sheamus’ momentum has made him nearly unstoppable. The Great White continued to build on his legacy after overcoming the odds inside Raleigh’s PNC Arena. Will Del Rio, Orton or Jericho continue to claim their place as No. 1 contender to the World Heavyweight Champion, or will a new challenger prove bold enough to challenge The Celtic Warrior? Stay tuned to WWE Raw SuperShow on USA and Friday Night SmackDown on Syfy to find out!

WWE Over The Limit 2012 Results > WWE Divas Championship Match > Layla (c) Vs. Beth Phoenix –

RALEIGH, N.C. – Former Divas Champion Beth Phoenix came to WWE Over the Limit looking to reestablish herself as the alpha female in WWE. Instead, she suffered a stinging defeat at the hands of the current titleholder, Layla. (PHOTOS)

It has been a precipitous decline for Phoenix, who just over a month ago complained to WWE.com that there were no worthy challengers to her title before predicting she would be a dominant champion forever.

How quickly things can change.

Phoenix lost the butterfly-emblazoned belt to Nikki Bella on the April 23 edition of Raw SuperShow after suffering a severely sprained ankle. Unable to compete at Extreme Rules, The Glamazon was replaced by a shocking last-minute alternate – Layla – who returned to WWE after a yearlong absence to astonishingly win the title.

With a fully healed ankle and a desire to regain her place at the summit of WWE’s Divas division, The Glamazon battled Layla at WWE Over the Limit for the title she once held for more than six months.

However, The Fabulous Firebird’s bid for a second Divas Championship was foiled by Layla. Surviving Phoenix’s trademark aggression and powerhouse attacks, the British-born beauty was able to use her speed and agility to mount her own offense. The Glamazon focused her attacks on Layla's injured right knee, but she was unable to keep the champion down. After narrowly avoiding a Glam Slam attempt, Layla nailed Phoenix with a Lay-out neckbreaker out of nowhere to get the pin for an impressive and emotional win.

Although Phoenix performed admirably and nearly recaptured the title, it’s back to the drawing board for the former titleholder. Meanwhile, the tough and gutsy Layla has another successful title defense under her belt, and there’s no telling what’s next for the surging Divas Champion.

WWE Over The Limit 2012 Results > WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth Vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger

RALEIGH, N.C. – Kofi Kingston & R-Truth retained the WWE Tag Team Championships at WWE Over the Limit with a strong victory over an alliance that appears to be growing weaker – Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger. (PHOTOS)

With “Little Jimmy” on their side, Kingston & Truth proved there’s a simple reason why they still hold the tag titles – teamwork. Joining together to outfight and outsmart The Show Off and The All-American American, the exciting duo continued to ride a wave of momentum with the WWE Universe cheering them on.

Ziggler & Swagger came close to victory in the highly competitive bout, but they were constantly one-upped by the Tag Champs. Not long after Kingston hit a ring-shuddering Boom Drop on Ziggler, he landed a perfect Trouble in Paradise on The Show Off for the victory.

While Ziggler & Swagger couldn’t get in sync at the close of the match, a distracted Vickie Guerrero could be partially to blame for their loss. Before the bout, she offered a hello to the WWE Board of Directors and presented herself as a possible candidate for John Laurinaitis’ General Manager job in the event that he was terminated. With her mind on other matters, Guerrero’s leadership may have failed her protégés.

The Show Off and The All-American American have been on a steady decline lately, and with each loss, they seem to grow farther apart as a tag team. Tensions ran high after their WWE Over the Limit match, as the blonds staggered up the ramp with an irate Guerrero. While Ziggler & Swagger’s dissention escalated, WWE Tag Team Champions Kingston & Truth reveled in another victory.