Raw Results (16 June 2014):

The Authority addressed the WWE roster

CLEVELAND, OH – For the first time since the great abeyance of 2013, the WWE Universe is without a champion. And with Daniel Bryan’s vacated WWE World Heavyweight Title on the line at Money in the Bank, The Authority took the time on Raw to address their subjects about the future of the supreme prize. The upshot of their address – minus a few zingers thrown in the recovering “B-plus player” Bryan’s direction – was that the final spots in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match would be determined later on Raw. The first, in a Battle Royal that would encompass the entire roster, minus the Superstars that had yet to “evolve” (translation: The rebellious John Cena and the remaining members of The Shield). And the second, in a Stretcher Match – the bout Bryan would have had at Money in the Bank – between Cena and the demon Kane.

John Cena def. Kane in a Stretcher Match to qualify for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match

John Cena has always been a vocal supporter of Daniel Bryan, and despite The Authority’s needling, the 14-time World Champion put his money where his mouth was on Raw. Cena went to win one for The Beard and, despite a cavalcade of interference, did just that, besting the Devil’s Favorite Demon in the very bout the “Yes!” Man was set to compete in at Money in the Bank before being stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Title.

The first Stretcher Match on Raw in nearly 10 years was appropriately brutal, with Cena and Kane ditching fists and maneuvers for chairs to the torso and, at one point, an Attitude Adjustment to Kane through the announce table. Seth Rollins and Randy Orton arrived to save the demon’s charred hide just as Cena was set to roll him across the finish line, though Dean Ambrose acted as an equalizer and allowed Cena to finish the job, AA’ing Kane atop the stretcher and giving him one final push. Next stop? Money in the Bank.