WWE Raw 1/21/13: Beat the Clock Challenge - Wade Barrett vs Sheamus

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With 10:56 as the time to beat, Wade Barrett and Sheamus squared off in a hard-hitting yet ultimately unsuccessful effort to Beat the Clock and claim the entry spot of their choosing in the 2013 Royal Rumble Match. The shortcoming was through no fault of their own, though, as the brawling Europeans were in the middle of a mighty bout when Dolph Ziggler, AJ Lee and Big E Langston stormed the ring and interfered in the contest to keep The Showoff’s mark alive.

The contest was expectedly gritty for two Superstars whose backgrounds lie not in technical mastery but in knock-down grit, as Barrett and Sheamus traded blunt kicks and punches to kick things off. The Englishman had the match firmly in had at the five-minute mark, clobbering Sheamus with a kick to the gut that left The Celtic Warrior in a heap on the canvas. A pair of superkicks to Sheamus later and Barrett seemed the foregone winner, but Sheamus powered out of Wasteland and hit White Noise, flattening Barrett and setting him up for the Brogue Kick.

At that exact moment, AJ and Langston stormed the ring, distracting both men (though not laying a hand on either) and bleeding the clock down enough for Barrett to execute the Winds of Change on a preoccupied Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior managed to recover, but a last-minute Brogue Kick wasn’t fast enough to give him the fastest time.

WWE Raw 1/14/13: Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton

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In his biggest battle yet as Intercontinental Champion, Wade Barrett clashed with his longtime rival Randy Orton on Raw’s 20th anniversary and, to the shock of the WWE Universe, scored a ruthless win over a Superstar who’s been not only a nine-time World Champion but also Barrett’s own persistent, personal foil through the years. Orton drew on his pas t clashes with the Englishman for their bout in Houston’s Toyota Center, but Barrett had learned a thing or two as well in his past collisions with The Apex Predator. A strong opening sequence from Orton put the bout squarely in his control, but “The Prince,” as Barrett refers to himself on Twitter, showed why perseverance is essential to victory.

Barrett absorbed Orton’s blows and waited the contest out, choosing his moments carefully as he slowly, surgically reclaimed the momentum from The Apex Predator. Barrett ensnared Orton in the ropes and locked his foe in submission holds to slow Orton down. After a last-minute attempt at a rally from Orton, Barrett evaded the RKO and finally put The Viper down with a thunderous Bull Hammer to Orton’s cranium, notching the three-count and ensuring The Barrett Barrage will, indeed, live on.

Raw 1/7/13: Wade Barrett def. Santino Marella

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The Barrett Barrage rolled through its Italian opposition in the Tampa Bay Times Forum when Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett collided with Santino Marella in a grudge match that had come about following an unceremonious interaction between the two earlier in the locker room. Santino was fighting for the honor of Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, who Barrett had the temerity to insult backstage, but The Milan Miracle’s noble gesture ultimately fell short in the face of Barrett’s onslaught. With the WWE Hall of Famer at ringside, Santino seemed poised to pull off the upset for a brief period, but the champion rallied by dodging The Cobra and unleashing the Bull Hammer on an unsuspecting Santino. The strike put The Italian Stallion down for the count but stopping short of mixing it up with Steamboat himself.

WWE Raw 12/31/12: Your new Intercontinental Champion

Wade Barrett def. Kofi Kingston

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Old acquaintance was far from forgot on 2012’s final Raw when Kofi Kingston granted longtime rival Wade Barrett a rematch for the Intercontinental Title in the final Champion’s Choice bout of the evening. Although “The Wildcat” fended off the Englishman’s assault at WWE TLC, Barrett barreled his way to victory in Washington and brought his monthslong pursuit of Kofi’s title to fruition.

Kofi seemed to have Barrett’s number at first, dodging the Brit’s bruising strikes with his trademark agility and reversing Wade’s momentum into offense of his own. For the majority of the contest, Barrett seemed to have no answer for The Boom Squad General’s game plan, but the Englishman dug deep and tapped into his old-school fighting roots by targeting Kofi’s torso. Wade used his fists, feet, knees and even the ring posts as weapons in his dismantling of The Dreadlocked Dynamo, finally persevering through a late-game rally by the champion and felling him with the Bull Hammer elbow to claim his second Intercontinental Championship.

Wade Barrett wins the Intercontinental Championship

Wade Barrett won the Intercontinental Championship at tonight’s Raw taping, defeating Kofi Kingston at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. to capture the coveted title for the second time.

WWE Raw 12/24/12: The Miz and Kofi Kingston def. Wade Barrett and Antonio Cesaro

 

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Miz and Cesaro start things off and they lock up. Cesaro with a waist lock but Miz with a wrist lock. Cesaro with a waist lock take down and he slaps Miz in the head. Cesaro reminds Miz that he is a champion. Miz with a waist lock and side head lock but Cesaro escapes. Miz with a kick and running knee lift and he slaps Cesaro in the back of the head. Miz with a flapjack and kick to the head for a near fall.

RAW 12/17/12

Kofi wasn’t going to get out of Philly without a word in from Wade Barrett, though. The jilted challenger for Kofi’s title at WWE TLC made his presence known in a brutal way, knocking Kofi from the turnbuckle before unleashing the Bull Hammer elbow to deliver a vicious statement to the champion.