WWE ?RAW? Results: Punk Reaches Ropes, Kane And Bryan Retain Titles, Orton and Ziggler Both Win

Monday's "WWE RAW" was broadcast live from the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., and featured a controversial ending involving WWE Champion CM Punk. The Tag Team Champions Kane and Daniel Bryan retained their new titles in a Night of Champions rematch, and rivals Randy Orton and Dolph Ziggler both earned victories over their opponents.

One day after the questionable ending to the WWE Title match between John Cena and CM Punk in Boston, roles reversed on "RAW." After retaining his title in a draw, the current WWE Champion was pinned with his foot on the bottom rope.

When a body part touches the rope or the ring apron in a traditional match, any hold or pin is broken by the referee, but the unnamed official calling the match didn't see Punk's foot. The poor call caused CM Punk and his tag team partner Alberto Del Rio to lose the match against their respective Night of Champions opponents, Cena and Sheamus.

RAW General Manager AJ Lee set up the super main event involving two current and two former World Champions to determine who deserved a rematch following the Night of Champions outcomes. Though Punk left the arena in a fury over the referee's decision, the Cenation Leader is likely the man who will be getting a rematch for the WWE Championship at Hell in a Cell next month.

Alberto Del Rio has been trying to win the World Heavyweight Championship over the past three pay-per-views; three months of the same SmackDown main event is getting old. Sheamus needs someone to have a fresh feud with unless WWE plans to take the title off the Celtic Warrior.

Cena and the Second City Saint can have a rivalry for much longer than the average pair of wrestlers, with the 10-time WWE Champion's squeaky-clean personality working so well against CM Punks gritty character. Their Hell in a Cell match will be memorable, just like their match at Night of Champions on Sunday, and their match at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam in 2011.

Next up for the Sheamus's World Heavyweight Championship could be Randy Orton. Though the Viper is set to leave WWE within the next two weeks, Orton was victorious over the Money in the Bank winner Dolph Ziggler, which could put him in the no. 1 contender's spot.

The third-generation superstar was also victorious against Tensai in a singles match on RAW last night. An attempt at gaining the World Heavyweight Championship from Sheamus most likely won't go anywhere for Orton being that he's scheduled to film "12 Rounds: Reloaded" and will be off TV filming, according to NoDQ, the angle could ease Ziggler into the title picture.

Ziggler won his match last night as well, defeating Santino Marrella. The match had some balance, but mostly served to put Ziggler over, with Mr. Money in the Bank hitting two Zig Zags and even using the Cobra on the master of the Cobra Strike.

The main event of the evening was one of three tag team matches held on "RAW;" a sign that WWE is once again showing faith in its tag team division.

Newly crowned Tag Team Champions Kane and Daniel Bryan faced former champions Kofi Kingston and R-Truth in a Night of Champions rematch. The unusual pairing of the Big Red Monster and the Submission Specialist is working despite the two men's quarrels with one another, because they defeated the long-time team of Kingston and Truth once again.

The chemistry between Kane and Bryan is excellent, and brings a level of humor to the ring that doesn't take away from the performance at all. The arguing and hugging are worked into the action well, and when their reign ends it will renew their long running feud.

Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio are a more obvious match in a recently formed tag team. The lucha duo wrestled Primo and Epico in what was a fast paced and exciting match. The bout was the first match of the show, and set high for the rest of the night.

Both teams wrestle with similar styles and working against Primo and Epico looked more comfortable for Cara. The masked wrestler has a bad habit of botching spots throughout his performances, but does well when he faces wrestlers who fight with something of a luchador approach.

WWE's latest powerhouse Ryback could be entering into a legitimate feud against Intercontinental Champion The Miz after the undefeated superstar trashed the set of the new interview segment Miz TV. It is hard to tell where officials are going with the feud, being that they look to be building up the former WWE Champion as a credible talent after his long losing streak by giving him the IC Title, but they're also making Ryback out to be an unstoppable, Goldberg-esque performer.

Speaking of pushes, Damien Sandow continued his swift ascension to the top of the WWE by defeating former United States Champion Zack Ryder. Picking up the win over the Long Island Ice Z isn't an outstanding feat, but it is part of making Sandow into the superstar that WWE clearly wants him to be.

A returning Wade Barrett pinned former Nexus team mate Justin Gabriel after unleashing a brutal new finishing move: a devastating elbow to the face as he pulled Gabriel towards him. The former Nexus leader didn't squash Gabriel; the two men had an intense match with the Cape Town Werewolf putting up a fight for the better part of the bout.

Brodus Clay defeated Heath Slater in another squash match. The Funkasaurus has been performing on WWE TV and winning matches regularly throughout 2012, but Clay hasn't made many strides in the company.

His popularity is there, but the gimmick is getting tired. If WWE officials don't give him some kind of push towards legitimate competition soon, he could get stuck in the lower-mid card for his entire career.

The new Divas Champion Eve won her first match with the butterfly emblazed belt. Her opponent Beth Phoenix, a former Divas Champion, lost the match after a long back and forth led to Eve getting a rollup pin on the Glamazon.

WWE continued their campaign to spread breast cancer awareness with a pink middle rope on RAW. The company's partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure will have John Cena wearing pink throughout the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but there are no reports on whether the pink rope will also remain on the WWE ring all month, as reported earlier.