WWE begins a busy schedule tonight in Detroit and Chicago. CM Punk is off the house shows and is only scheduled for Saturday’s Raw TV taping. Also, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio are off the Smackdown house shows. While Orton is scheduled for TV, Mysterio is not. Advertised for Sunday’s final Raw show of the year is New Age Outlaws vs. Rhodes Scholars.
Wednesday, Dec. 26
* Raw (Detroit, Mich.): The tour kicks off at Joe Louis Arena with John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler (w/A.J. Lee and Big E. Langston). Plus, The Shield vs. Ryback & Team Hell No in a steel cage, Antonio Cesaro vs. The Miz for the U.S. Title, and appearances by the New Age Outlaws and Raw authority figure Vickie Guerrero.
* Smackdown (Chicago, Ill.): The scheduled main event is another round of World Hvt. champion Big Show vs. Sheamus. Curiously, WWE is listing the individual Shield members, Ryback, Kane, and Daniel Bryan on the roster page for this show despite all six wrestlers advertised for the Raw show.
Thursday, Dec. 27
* Raw (New York City at MSG): The final MSG show of the year features John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler in a steel cage, Ryback vs. Paul Heyman, and the New Age Outlaws returning to MSG.
* SD (Green Bay, Wis.): The advertised main event is Big Show vs. Sheamus in a steel cage for the World Title. Plus, Alberto Del Rio, IC champion Kofi Kingston, and Wade Barrett in action.
Friday, Dec. 28
* Raw (Long Island, N.Y.): Raw continues to Zack Ryder’s homebase with an advertised main event of John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler (w/A.J. Lee and Big E. Langston). Plus, the New Age Outlaws are scheduled.
* SD (Minneapolis, Minn.): The week of the NFL regular season finale between NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, Smackdown travels from Green Bay to Minneapolis for the final Smackdown house show of the year. The advertised main event is Big Show vs. Sheamus in a steel cage for the World Title.
Saturday, Dec. 29
* Raw/SD Supershow TV taping (Washington, D.C.): WWE tapes the New Year’s Eve Raw on Saturday night with final hype for the big January 7 live Raw. Advertised for the live crowd is John Cena & Sheamus vs. Big Show & Dolph Ziggler in tag action.
Sunday, Dec. 30
* SD TV taping (Richmond, Va.): With the Raw crew in North Carolina, WWE will heavily depend on Smackdown brand wrestlers to tape the first Smackdown of 2013. Advertised for the live crowd is a double main event of Big Show vs. Sheamus for the World Title and Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio.
* Raw (Raleigh, N.C.): The final Raw house show of 2012 has four matches advertised. Included is Cena vs. Ziggler, The Shield vs. Team Hell No & Ryback in a six-man steel cage match, Antonio Cesaro vs. Zack Ryder for the U.S. Title, and the New Age Outlaws vs. Rhodes Scholars.
