John Cena returned to Raw, confronted WWE Champion The Miz and CM Punk; main event arranged The current champion, The Miz, took issue. The "Cleveland Screamer" whined -- again -- about not being appreciated and informed Cena that the odds are against him winning the Rumble since there will now be 40 entrants as opposed to the usual 30.
Steepening the odds further, CM Punk approached to announce that he and the entire "new" Nexus will also participate in the Rumble and aim to secure the win for The Second City Savior. As if to demonstrate, Punk and his Nexus minions surrounded the ring. Before they could attack, however, WWE Tag Team Champions Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov joined forces with Cena. Retaliating for a Nexus ambush
WWE Tag Team Champions Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov def. The Uso
John Morrison def. U.S. Champion Daniel Bryan in a Non-Title Match Afterward, Morrison's rival, King Sheamus, emerged to bestow a royal proclamation upon the WWE Universe: Although Bryan, Morrison and he were all entrants in the Royal Rumble, it will be The Celtic Warrior who emerges victorious.
Randy Orton def. Dolph Ziggler (WATCH | PHOTOS) WWE Champion The Miz isn't taking any chances. Randy Orton and Dolph Ziggler, No. 1 contenders for the WWE Title and World Heavyweight Title respectively, clashed in an intense, rapid-fire contest that finally saw Orton prevail with an RKO. After, the WWE Champion and his lackey, Alex Riley, not only waylayed The Viper, they also attacked Miz critic and Raw announcer Jerry "The King" Lawler.
WWE Divas Champion Natalya def. Maryse (WATCH | PHOTOS) Natalya continues to steamroll the competition. This week, Maryse proved the latest to get flattened by the Divas Champion as Eve and Nattie's nemesis, Melina, observed from ringside. In the wake of her loss, Maryse demonstrated her frustration by pouting in a corner. She was soon joined by her boyfriend Ted DiBiase, who bore the brunt of her anger. After the bombastic blond blamed DiBiase's losing streak for her own poor performance, The "Fortunate Son" threw out an Over-the-Top Rope Challenge for any Superstar on the roster. Unfortunately for him, Mark Henry answered the call.
Mark Henry won an Over-the-Top Rope Challenge (WATCH) For the love of a good woman -- or in this case, a really bad one -- Ted DiBiase issued an Over-the-Top Rope Challenge. And Mark Henry was there to answer the call. In fact, during the contest, the two were joined by 10 other Superstars, including King Sheamus, R-Truth, David Hart Smith, Darren Young, Yoshi Tatsu, Zack Ryder, Primo, William Regal and Tyson Kidd. Despite the crowded field of fellow Rumble competitors, The World's Strongest Man flipped his final opponent over the top rope to claim victory.
CM Punk def. John Cena by Disqualification As a result, the leader of the "new" Nexus won the match by disqualification. When the remaining members of the group charged the ring, though, Punk waved them off. Instead, he pulled out a Nex
