For WWE Champion John Cena, the main event on Raw at historic Madison Square Garden was like carrying a lit match through a fireworks factory. Something was likely going to explode in his face.
On one side, his SummerSlam opponent and No. 1 Contender to his WWE Championship, Randy Orton, was teaming up with dangerous Caribbean bad apple, Carlito -- both looking to weaken The Champ just 13 days before the Biggest Party of the Summer.
On the other side, his own partner was the Samoan Bulldozer and Intercontinental Champion, Umaga. Despite the fact that the duo both owned Raw’s top titles, they didn’t speak the same language, and the savage had no love for the Chain Gang commander. Umaga had pushed Cena to the limit in several wars earlier this year.
Despite the communication barrier and several very tense moments between the champions, the unlikely pair rose above the barriers and defeated Orton & Carlito under the famed arena lights of Madison Square Garden.
But Orton gave The Champ something to think about before he was able to celebrate his victory. The third-generation Superstar has had a penchant for headhunting, taking out Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Dusty Rhodes and Sgt. Slaughter with severe concussions. Tonight, he appeared to send a message to Cena, consistently targeting his head with repeated stomps.
Ultimately, a woozy Cena was able to tag Umaga. The Samoan Bulldozer helped rally his team until Cena delivered the FU to Carlito to earn the pinfall victory.