The WWE RAW Truth Review for 10/29/12

It is the RAW after Hell In A Cell. What will the fall out be? Will every referee have it out for Ryback now? I'm in Buffalo, and we are just starting to get the rain and wind here. Hopefully I can make it through RAW with no power problems.

Feed Ryback Socko!
C.M. Punk came out. He said he proved everyone wrong last night by showing that Ryback is beatable. Punk said he's been proving everyone wrong since Day One. C.M. Punk said he's defeated every one of the fan's heroes in the WWE. Punk said his victory is clouded in controversy and everyone is blaming it on him. Punk said he had nothing to do with what happened. Punk said the only thing he is guilty of is taking advantage of a situation presented to him by a rogue individual. Punk said Ryback is in his rear view mirror and there will not be a rematch.

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 10/22/12

RAW has some stiff competition tonight from baseball, football, and the Presidential debate. Good thing we have Kane vs Big Show to keep us entertained and not wanting to change the channel.

RAW Starting With Wrestling?
RAW started with the tag title tournament finals. The heels took control over Rey Mysterio. Rey fought back with a hurricarrana and the faces each hit dives to the outside. Rey held Sandow in the ropes and Sin Cara hit a springboard moonsault. Sandow ducked a Sin Cara dive and tagged in Cody. Rhodes hit a suplex. This time it was Sin Cara's turn to get worked over by the heels. Sin Cara caught Cody with a kick to the head into a commercial break. The heels continued to work over Cara back from break. Sandow hit his elbow drop. Sin Cara finally made the tag to Rey. He hit a seated senton and a tilt a whirl head scissors on Cody. Rey hit a double 619 on Cody and Sandow. Rey went to pin Cody but Sandow broke up the count by not allowing the ref's hand to hit the mat. Sin Cara took out Sandow, but this allowed Cody to hit CrossRhodes on Rey to pick up the win.

Where to Go With Ryback vs C.M. Punk at Hell In A Cell

So the WWE decided to pull the trigger. With John Cena apparently unable to go at Hell In A Cell, Ryback has been put in the main event of a WWE PPV. His huge push will continue and he will face C.M. Punk at Hell In A Cell. There are varying thoughts about this. To me, I'm open to it. We complain about the main event scene being the same all of the time. Having Ryback in the main event is definitely something different. Is he the best worker in the WWE? No. But he's over enough with the WWE audience that the match should at least have some heat to it.

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 10/15/12

Who will C.M. Punk choose to wrestler at Hell In A Cell? John Cena, Ryback or the fan he took out on Monday? Read on to find out.

How Many Other Things Has Big Show Done In 45 Seconds?
RAW started with the Big Show. He said the debate was an attempt to make him look foolish. Big Show said that Sheamus is trying to make him fear the Brogue Kick. But he doesn't, and they showed the replay of him blocking it last week. Show said Sheamus had the look of someone in over his head. Show then replayed the test from Smackdown. He said he is going to KO Sheamus at Hell In A Cell and become the longest reigning World Champion. Big Show said he will make people forget about his last Title reign of 45 seconds. He demanded Daniel Bryan come out. They showed Bryan backstage. He said he didn't know. A.J. came into the picture and said Big Show had a good idea and told him to get out there. He asked Kane if he had his back and he laughed.

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 10/1/12

There's a good chance John Cena won't be on this show. How will the WWE book a show without their top star? I guess we will have to tune in to find out.

More GM Power Struggles!
After recapping last week's events C.M. Punk and Paul Heyman came to the ring. He called Cena a coward for attacking him with a coward last week. Then he called Mick Foley a coward for supposedly mumbling something under his breath, hence the reason why he attacked him. Punk said he knows Mick Foley would never had said anything bad about The Rock, Steve Austin or John Cena. And that shows the lack of respect Foley has for him. Punk said that he will still not face John Cena at Hell In A Cell.

The RAW Truth Review for 2/20/12

Another week brings another LIVE RAW review. Already confirmed is The Undertaker calling out Triple H. Expect the full Wrestlemania hype to begin this week as well with new feuds beginning.

Women
After recapping last week's RAW happenings, they cut to Eve and the Bellas talking. The Bellas asked if Eve was upset over what happened to Zack Ryder last week. Eve laughed, and said that her and Ryder were just friends. Zack never even got to first base! Eve said she used Zack Ryder, and now she has the big fish on her hook. That's John Cena. She asked the Bellas to film her going into Cena's locker room. She turned around and Cena was right there. He shook his head and walked off.

The Downfall of the Gimmick Match in the WWE

Next Sunday, the WWE will bring us the Elimination Chamber PPV. Two Chamber matches in one show. The month after Wrestlemania, the WWE has Extreme Rules, where every match has a stipulation. In July? WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs. How about October? WWE Hell In A Cell. That's four PPVs that have their own specialty or gimmick matches.

This is something that I know has bothered a lot of fans for a long time. Over the last couple of years, the WWE has essentially killed the gimmick match concept. Do you remember a time when these matches actually meant something? The one that is the biggest problem to me is the Hell In A Cell PPV. To me, that match should be the end all be all of a feud. It is the match that eliminates pretty much all outside interference. It allows two wrestlers to go at it, one-on-one, and just absolutely destroy each other, with the winner finally being able to claim that he came out on top. Remember the first Hell In A Cell match with Undertaker and Shawn Michaels? That was a blood bath. It actually looked like hell. HBK was bleeding like a stuffed pig. It was brutal. Then there was Triple H/Cactus Jack at No Way Out 2000. Mick Foley took some brutal bumps in that match, just like the on he took against the Undertaker at King of the Ring 1998. The Undertaker has been in a handful of Hell In A Cell matches. He ended his feuds with Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton and Edge in all of those matches.

WWE Hell in A Cell Review

I stayed up late to watch this last night before it got taken down from somewhere. Wanted to get this review in just for you guys!

During Chrisitan's entrance, Miz & Truth were shown sitting in the front row. They were promptly thrown out by John Laurinaitis.

Sheamus defeated Christian: **1/2
Sheamus dominated the match early before Sheamus tried going to the top, only for Christian to push him off the top rope. Christian ended up slapping Sheamus around a bit, which pissed off Sheamus and got him fighting back. Back and forth action. Sheamus countered a Celtic Cross attempt. Christian hit a nice tornado DDT from the corner. Sheams recovered and hit a flying shoulder tackle. Sheamus went for the Broge Kick but Christian went outside the ring. Christian hit a Spear outside the ring, but Sheamus made it back in before the count of 10. Christian hit a Spear inside the ring for a two. Christian went for a high risk move but missed. Sheamus countered a Killswitch attempt. Christian went for the Spear but ate the ringpost, allowing Shemaus to connect with the Brogue Kick for the win. OK opening match. Sheamus works much better with the crowd behind him. Right man went over too, as I think they will transition Sheamus into a World Title feud with Mark Henry as Randy Orton will move onto Cody Rhodes.

Backstage, Mark Henry was interviewed by Matt Striker. Henry told Striker to shut up. Henry said he knew what Striker was going to ask him: about Mark Henry never being in a Hell in A Cell match. Henry said it didn't matter, because Randy Orton will join the Hall of Pain.

Good Sin Cara defeated EVILLLLL Sin Cara: *1/2
Quick counters early on by Good Sin Cara, frustrating EVILLLLL Sin Cara. Dueling head scissors by both men. Good Sin Cara hit a Swanton to the outside. He went for a moonsault but missed. EVILLLLL Sin Cara applied a sleeper in the ring. EVILLLLL Sin Cara remained in control inside the ring. Good Sin Cara countered a Razor's Edge then hit a flying crossbody on the outside. Good Sin Cara connected with an armdrag from the top rope. Good Sin Cara countered a powerbomb attempt into a roll up for the win. It was ok. Crowd wasn't into it. But there were some flashy spots that were good.

Backstage David Otunga approached C.M. Punk. Punk pretty much told him to get lost.

Air Boom (Kofi Kingston & Evan Bounre) defeated Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger to retain the World Tag Team Championships: **1/4
Bonus match here for the Tag Titles. After some early action between Kofi and Swagger the heels worked over Evan Bourne. Bourne made the hot tag to Kofi but Dolph and Swagger quickly regained some control with work behind the ref's back. Dolph and Swagger continued to make quick tags and worked over Kofi. Kofi finally hit a DDT on Swagger and tagged in Bourne. Bourne hit a handful of kicks on Dolph. Quick action. Swagger locked the ankle lock in on Bourne. Kofi broke it up. Dolph hit Kofi with the Zig Zag. Swagger tagged in. Swagger set Bourne up in the corner for a power bomb, but Bourne countered into a hurricarrana for the win, as Kofi grabbed Dolph's legs from the outside. Alright action. Crowd was more into this then Cara/Cara. Right team won. No reason for the Tag Champs to lose yet.

Mark Henry defeated Randy Orton to retain the World Heavyweight Championship: **1/2
Randy Orton took it to Mark Henry immediately. He countered a bulldog and pushed Henry into the Cell. Orton jumped from the apron, but Henry caught him and rammed him into two sides of the Cell and the ring post. Henry hit a powerslam in the ring, then another on the floor outside of the ring. Henry rammed Orton into the Cell again, then went to throw the steps into Orton against the Cell. Orton moved. Orton tried fighting back inside the ring, but Henry countered with a splash in the corner then a giant splash for a two count. Henry put Orton in a bear hug. Orton fought out but eventually found himself in another bear hug.

Henry went for the World's Strongest Slam on the steps, but Orton was able to counter by grabbing onto the Cell. Orton was then able to hit a DDT onto the steps on the outside. Back in the ring Orton hit a Lou Thesz press. Top rope drop kick into the second rope DDT by Orton. Orton set-up for and hit the RKO, but only got a 2. Orton lined up for the punt, but Henry immediately got up and hit the World's Strongest Slam for the win. After the match, Henry hit another World's Strongest Slam. He put a chair on Orton's ankle. Henry went for a splash but missed. Orton grabbed the chair and chased Henry up the ramp with it. Orton got some shots in before Henry ran off.

Nothing really too special with this Cell match. It really wasn't needed for this match, as it didn't do anything to settle the score between these two, as the Cell should. Henry retains, but Orton gets some of his heat back in the post match. I would expect another re-match at Vengeance, but Orton could use some time away from the Title scene after that. The actual match was ok. Nothing ground breaking. The basic match you would expect from Henry. But the match told a great story. It still established Henry as a monster.

Backstage, Alberto del Rio was interviewed. He said Cena and Punk don't know what they're getting into.

Cody Rhodes defeated John Morrison to retain the Intercontinental Championship: *3/4
Suddenly Cody Rhodes came out. He said people who didn't accept his paper bags should be figuratively euthanized. Cody then introduced the Classic IC Title belt. It was a bit different than the old one, but it was close enough. Cody said he would defend the Title night in and night out. John Laurinaitis interrupted. He said by orders of HHH, Cody had to defend the IC Title right now. John Morrison's music hit. Morrison went for a quick early pinfall. Cody escaped to the outside, but Morrison hit a drop kick through the ropes. Cody tried to hang on to the ringpost and get counted out, but Morrison kicked him in the back. Cody regained control inside the ring. Cody locked in a figure four a couple minutes later. Morrison fought back. He hit a reverse Rock Bottom for a two. Morrison went for Starship Pain but Cody grabbed his leg. Morrison went for a flying kick but missed, allowing Cody to roll him up for the win. OK stuff. Cody will hopefully continue to defend the Title. Morrison is stuck in jobber hell right now.

Backstage, John Laurinaitis told HHH that Miz & R-Truth were in the back. They were shown beating up Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne.

Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly to win the Divas Championship: *1/4
Kelly 'hit" a Lou Thesz Press early, but it was all Beth after. She bulldoged Kelly into the corner. Kelly surprised Beth with a quick roll-up, but only for two. Beth then went for a power bomb, but countered into a pinfall for two again. Couple more counters. Kelly hit Beth with a top rope bulldog for two. Natalya tried to interfere, Eve tried to stop her, but ate the guardrail instead. Beth put Kelly in her submission finisher but got to the ropes. Natalya hit Kelly with the mic, then Beth hit the GlamSlam for the win. This should have happened in Buffalo two weeks ago. There was almost no reaction to Beth's win. It also would have been nice to see a clean win for Beth. Why should Kelly be protected?

Alberto del Rio defeated John Cena and C.M. Punk to win the WWE Championship: ***
Cena and Punk took turn working over Del Rio early in the match. With ADR on the outside, it left Cena and Punk to go at it. Both men teased finishers before Cena went to the outside. ADR tried to intervene. Cena went for the AA, But Punk dove through the ropes. Punk got a chair on the outside. Cena threw Punk to the the steps but Punk jumped on them and taunted Cena, but ADR pushed Punk into the cell. In the ring, ADR set a chair up in between the ropes. ADR went for the cross arm breaker, but Punk stopped him, then hit a DDT on Cena and ADR at the same time. Punk set a table up on the outside. He kneed Cena, but Cena countered and threw Punk into the Cell.

In the ring, Alberto del Rio hit a backbreaker onto a chair set up in the ring. ADR set Cena up in the Tree of Woe in the corner. ADR charged but Cena moved. Cena went for his top rope leg drop, but Punk grabbed the ropes and Cena fell off. ADR had Punk in a side headlock, but Cena broke it up. Cena and Punk exchanged kicks before ADR came in with a chair and used it on Cena and Punk. ADR then hit a seated Senton on Punk and Cena with a chair in between them. Punk then tossed Cena over the turnbuckle onto the steps. Cena hit the AA on Punk but ADR broke up the count. ADR went for the cross armbreaker on Cena but Punk broke it up. Punk hit the GTS on Cena, but ADR pulled Punk out of the ring during the pin and tossed him into the cell. ADR through Punk into the steps.

Cena surprised ADR with an inside cradle in the ring for two. Del Rio took care of Cena on the outside. In ring Punk took control. He connected with the Macho Man Elbow Drop. Cena came back in. Punk went for the Elbow drop on Cena, but ADR pushed Punk off onto the table setup outside. Cena locked in the AA, but Ricardo knocked down the ref and unlocked the Cell. Cena stopped him, but ADR hit Cena with the lead pipe key, then locked him out of the Cell. Brilliant! Punk and Cena exchanged near falls in the ring. Punk finally regained control with some knees and kicks. Del Rio regained control and hit Punk with the lead pipe. Punk tried the GTS, but ADR connected with the lead pipe for the win.

After the match, Miz & R-Truth came from underneath the ring and attacked everyone. The Cell was lowered as the entire roster came out to try and get in. Eventually bolt cutters were used to unlock the Cell. Miz and R-Truth were arrested, but HHH got some shots in on them before the show went off the air.

I'm really up in the air about all of this. The actual match itself was good. Punk sold well for Del Rio, and the finish was very creative with Cena being locked out of the Cell. Del Rio looked like a bad ass with the pipe and it was nice to see him win the WWE Title back. But you have to wonder what the point of Cena winning the Title last month was. The Title could have been kept on Del Rio, even through a DQ finish. I'm assuming we're getting some kind of match again between these three at Vengeance.

I really liked the Miz/R-Truth stuff. It is a great way to push them as top level threats and anti-authority figures with the entire roster trying to get into the Cell to stop them. Of course the question remains about who lowered the Cell to allow Truth & Miz to do their damage. I thought it was a strong ending to a show that was just average up until the end.

OVERALL
While I liked the end to the PPV and most of the action was decent, I still think it was a PPV that did not need to happen. All of this could have happened in a week or two. The World Title Match told a great story about Henry's dominance. The WWE Title Match was a good match with a solid ending getting all players involved. It was almost a throwback to the Attitude Era with the cops showing up to arrest Miz and Truth. The Sheamus/Christian opener was fun. It was also GREAT to see Cody Rhodes bring back the old school Intercontinental Title Belt. I thought it was a good enough PPV justifying me staying up until 3 a.m. to finish this. I'm giving it a 6.5.

OVERALL PPV RANKINGS

1. Money in the Bank
2. SummerSlam
3. Elimination Chamber
4. Extreme Rules
5. Wrestlemania 27
6. Hell in A Cell
7. Night of Champions
8. Royal Rumble
9. Capitol Punishment
10. Over the Limit

With another PPV in three weeks, I would expect another handful of re-matches at Vengeance. Henry/Orton may be No DQ. A WWE Title rematch may be something with a stipulation as well.
 
That's all for this Review. RAW & NFL Review up tomorrow.
 
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka

WWE Hell in a Cell Preview

Sorry, but I am not using the John Cena poster for the main graphic. Too corny.
Hello everyone. After a couple of days off, it's time to jump back into everything with my Hell in a Cell Preview. It's the WWE's second PPV in the span of two weeks, which I still maintain is a dumb idea. You can't continue to charge $50 a PPV, have 3 in the span of 5 weeks, and think people will continue to buy them, especially with some of the stuff WWE has done in the last few weeks. I think the product has gone downhill a bit since before Night of Champions. Then, John Cena won and C.M. Punk lost. Back to status quo in the WWE.

Hell In A Cell doesn't have quite the buzz to it. Again, the Cell is being used just as a gimmick and not as a blow off to a hot feud like it should be. Sure the Cell might pop a few more buyrates, but it should be used as the final match to a long feud. Plus, just like SummerSlam, there are only 5 matches currently announced for the card. But unlike SummerSlam, there is no big time match that makes you want to buy this PPV. SummerSlam had Cena/Punk and Orton/Christian No Holds Barred. Those matches had some intrigue and were guaranteed to be good. Hell in a Cell doesn't have that added on to it. Plus, the WWE's top angle, their big Conspiracy Angle, is pretty much a non factor in this match. Although I guess it could play into the WWE Championship match.

But, with all of that being said, lets dive into the Preview for the show.

Divas Championship: Kelly Kelly (c) vs Beth Phoenix

So, is the third time the charm for Beth Phoenix? Beth failed to win the Title at SummerSlam, then failed again to win it in her hometown of Buffalo at Night of Champions. Now the WWE just seems to be spinning circles with Kelly/Eve and the Divas of Doom, or Destruction, or whatever they are being called now. The WWE apparently feels that Kelly is getting over as Champion, but that doesn't mean the WWE can't change things up every now and then. I really think Beth should have won the Title at NOC, but Kelly won the exact same way she did at SummerSlam, with a roll up during a GlamSlam attempt by  Beth. Kelly tries to do the same thing here, but Beth kicks out of it. Kelly goes for her finisher, but Beth counters into a GlamSlam and FINALLY wins the Divas Championship. If for some reason she doesn't, expect Natalya to get the next shot. But I think Beth finally wins here.

WINNER: Beth Phoenix

*Smackdown Spoiler ALERT!!!*


EVILLLLL Sin Cara vs GOOD Sin Cara

This is a battle over? Yeah your guess is as good as mine. There have been two Sin Caras for the last couple of weeks on WWE TV. The original Sin Cara was suspended, so the WWE got developmental talent Hunico to portray Sin Cara until the original Sin Cara came back. Now they are both around and like pointing at each other and try to get the crowd on their side. The good Sin Cara has a bleach blond mohawk sticking out of his mask. But now, as evident on Smackdown, EVILLLLL Sin Cara is now wearing all black, just to show that he is EVILLLLL. This feud can't go on much longer with the two men just pointing at each other and interrupting each other on a constant basis. Neither man can really speak English, especially GOOD Sin Cara. Everyone keeps talking about a potential Mask vs Mask match when the WWE hits up Mexico in October. I could see that happening. And if that is the case, i think EVILLLLL Sin Cara wins here. There'd be no reason for GOOD Sin Cara to win then decide to put his mask on the line.

WINNER: EVILLLLL Sin Cara

Sheamus vs Christian

There has been something brewing between these two for weeks now. Sheamus called out Christian a while ago for being a whiner and complainer. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm also starting to get bored with Christian as well. They need to move Christian away from the World Title picture for a bit. I think Christian getting involved with this potential new Lawsuit Angle is a good thing, especially if it A) Gets him away from the World Title picture and B) Exposes him more to the audience on RAW. Christian, just like EVERY wrestler (I'm looking at you John Cena), needs time away from the Title scene so when they get back into it they are fresh and not old and stale.

Who would have ever thought Sheamus would be this good as a face? I think this is some of his best work so far in his career. I liked his first WWE Title run, but this is probably right behind it. Sheamus seems to be enjoying himself more as a face as well. The crowd buys into him too, which is the most important thing. I think if the WWE wanted too, they could transition from Randy Orton to Sheamus in a  World Title program. There's still some unfinished business between the two. They put on two quality big man matches at SummerSlam and on Smackdown, and I think they could do the same on PPV. If they want to put Randy Orton on Rock/Cena's team at Survivor Series, they could do Sheamus/Mark Henry for the World Title. I'm giving Sheamus the win here because of that.

WINNER: Sheamus  

World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry (c) vs Randy Orton 

I was quite surprised the WWE decided to pull the trigger on Mark Henry's World Title win at Night of Champions. With so many PPVs in the coming weeks, I thought for sure they would hold off until here at Hell in A Cell to give Henry the win. I was expecting a DQ finish at NOC. But I was quite pleasantly surprised to see Henry win. The WWE had to pull the trigger on the Henry Title win otherwise it would have been a complete waste of the whole summer for Henry, who is easily doing the best work of his 15 year career right now. Now it is up to the WWE to show continued faith in Mark Henry and allow him to continue to do what he is doing as World Champion. If the WWE gives Henry a monster run with the World Title, then whoever takes it off of him will become an instant star in the eyes of the fans. Smackdown also had one of its highest ratings this past week in quite sometime, which can easily be attributed to the run Mark Henry has had.

Now I have to admit, Randy Orton has been no slouch these last couple of months either. He had a great series of matches with Christian, and his match with Mark Henry at Night of Champions, while not a technical master piece, was good and told a great story. I've always maintained that Orton is at his best as a face when he is chasing the Title. He was very good in the month after Money in the Bank when he lost the World Title to Christian, and he was good again last week on Smackdown during his attack on Cody Rhodes. Orton finally got the better of Mark Henry on Smackdown this week, connecting with an RKO. It gives Orton fans a glimmer of hope heading into Sunday. 

So who wins here? Mark Henry for multiple reasons. One: There is no reason for another quick Title change again. Two: A title loss here, even inside the Cell, would damage Mark Henry's push. Three: Just like Christian, Randy Orton could use some time away from the Title scene as well. I expect Orton to be involved with the Title match at Vengeance, but after that I would slowly transition Orton away from the Title scene, and put him in a program with Cody Rhodes, leading to their involvement with the  Rock/Cena Elimination Match at Survivor Series. So Henry wins here again, after a World's Strongest Slam onto the steel steps.

WINNER: Mark Henry

WWE Championship: C.M. Punk vs John Cena (c) vs Alberto del Rio

 

A triple threat match? Inside a hell in a cell? Oh my! Again, this match doesn't need the cell. I can't begin to explain how much the WWE has ruined gimmick matches over the last few years. But alas, these three men do battle inside the Cell this Sunday for the WWE Championship. The main issue here is really between John Cena and Alberto del Rio. C.M. Punk is pretty much the third wheel in this match. They tried to make him fit in this week on RAW, but I don't think they did a good job. The whole "Conspiracy Angle" still needs to be fully played out, and C.M. Punk will be a key part of that when it does. For this PPV, however, Punk needed a spot on the card and this seemed like the only logical place for him.

 

The WWE has really been all over the place the last couple of months. C.M. Punk was the guy in July and August. Alberto del Rio was the guy in late August to Night of Champions, and now the focus is back on John Cena. Vince just can't make up his mind about who to keep on top. The ratings weren't great with Del Rio on top, but that can't all be put on Del Rio's shoulders. The WWE has done a poor job of booking him as Champion. And Del Rio couldn't get over because of that. Del Rio seemed to be a product of the "anti-Cena crowd." People didn't like Del Rio, they hated Cena. So they cheered against Cena, not for Del Rio. The opposite would be said about C.M. Punk. People cheered him AND booed Cena.

 

So who walks out with the WWE Championship? I would take C.M. Punk out almost immediately. When he wins the WWE Title back, in needs to be a major happening. It shouldn't happen in a Triple Threat Match and on a secondary PPV. Alberto del Rio deserves another run with the WWE Title, but I don't think the Title changes hands here. Cena just won the Championship two weeks ago, he probably isn't losing it again this quickly. But I wouldn't put it out of the question to see Del Rio win the Title in Mexico in a few weeks. Something major needs to happen with Del Rio there. If you are not going to have him walk in with the Title, you should probably have him walk out with it. Plus Del Rio ended RAW on top, which more than likely means he isn't winning. The WWE needed to build him up as a credible threat for the match, and they did a good job of it. John Cena walks out with the WWE Title here. There's no reason for Cena to lose it quickly, and quick Title changes make the Title seem worthless.

 

WINNER: John Cena

 

Well there you have it. There's a rumor that another match may be added, possibly Air Boom vs Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger. I think Air Boom wins either way, causing more friction between Dolph & Swagger.

 

I won't be watching the PPV live. Blame work. I will try to watch it either late Sunday night or early Monday, then have a review up Monday afternoon.

 

NFL Picks Saturday morning.

 

Until next time,

Justin C

Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka

RAW Thoughts for 9/27/2011

$250,000 Fine? That's A Lot of Kool Aid
Triple H came out to start the show. HHH said Miz & Truth were fired because of the video they made after Night of Champions that showed them attacking officials and then their weak apology last week on RAW. HHH said Mark Henry is also fined $250,000 for putting his hands on Jim Ross and attacking Jerry Lawler. HHH said he would always do what is right for the WWE, but then Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler interrupted. Dolph complained about Hugh Jackman fracturing his jaw (which he really didn't). HHH said that maybe he will get some security for Dolph when the Muppets are here next month. Cody Rhodes came out and complained about Randy Orton's attack on him from Smackdown. HHH told Cody to man up.

Christian came out to complain about Sheamus costing him the World Title. HHH told him it was a Lumberjack match, that's what the lumberjacks do. Christian asked for one more match. HHH said that Christian will get one more match: against Sheamus at Hell in a Cell, Randy Orton on Smackdown, and John Cena tonight. HHH said Dolph Ziggler would face Zack Ryder for the U.S. Title. As Cody continued to run his mouth, HHH said Cody has to defend the Intercontinental Title in a 10 man over the top rope battle royal. I liked that opening. It gave a couple mid-card guys a chance to get themselves over with the help of HHH. I especially liked Dolph Ziggler there. Survey Says: 4/5

So Two Guys Dressed As Sin Cara Walk into the Room..
Drew McIntyre was eliminated quickly. EVIL Sin Cara came out and took out good Sin Cara, but EVIL Sin Cara was then eliminated by Daniel Bryan. Sheamus took out Alex Riley and Justin Gabriel. Ezekiel Jackson took out John Morrison and Daniel Bryan. Cody pushed Ted DiBiase over. Cody then pulled the top rope down on Big Zeke. Christian distracted Sheamus. He went for the Brogue Kick but missed. It looked like that should have been the end, but Sheamus got caught. Cody eliminated Sheamus by hitting him with his masks. Christian attacked Sheamus after. Good win for Cody on RAW. Battle royal was ok. Survey Says: 3/5

The announcers updated Jerry Lawler's injury. Michael Cole said he has bruised ribs, and anal bleeding. WTF? David Otunga was complaining to John Laurinaitis backstage. Afterwards Ace texted someone.

Divas on Repeat
A Divas Tag Rematch from last week after a Kelly Kelly video package and commercial break. Beth & Natalya finally picked up the win after a Glam Slam to Kelly. Survey Says: 1.5/5

Mark Henry came out before the break to take on The Great Khali. Before the match even started, Henry hit Khali with the World Title, then delivered a World's Strongest Slam.

C.M. Punk: Suit Up!
John Cena came out. He talked about how the WWE Title is surrounded with controversy ever since C.M. Punk walked out with the Title at Money in the Bank. Cena said he's been through hell before, and he's not afraid of Hell in A Cell. Alberto del Rio and C.M. Punk came out for commentary. Punk came out in a suitcoat he said he got off a bum earlier today. Christian and John Cena went for a couple of minutes. Cena threw Christian onto the announce table. Del Rio attacked Punk, then kicked Cena causing the DQ. Del Rio said that Sunday, they're all going to hell. But only he is coming back. Not much of a match. Just a way to get the three players involved in the WWE Title match to interact. OK. Survey Says: 2.5/5

Batista TWO Is Back!
U.S. Title match next. They recapped the Hugh Jackman stuff from last week. After Ryder gained the advantage, Vickie jumped on the top rope to distract the referee. Jack Swagger dropped Ryder on the rope, allowing Ziggler to hit the Zig Zag for the win. Ziggler and Swagger attacked Ryder after until Air Boom made the save. Teddy Long said that Vickie had 3 minutes to find a 3rd man for the 6 man tag that would be next. Back from break, Vickie hadn't found a partner so it was a handicap match. Swagger and Ziggler worked over Bourne. Bourne finally made the hot tag to Kofi. Vickie suddenly appeared with Mason Ryan. Swagger tagged in Ryan, who suddenly attacked Swagger and Ziggler. Ryder picked up the win. Good match. Don't get the Mason Ryan face turn. Weird. Survey Says: 3/5

They showed a video package of Hell in a Cell, then went over the card. Backstage, David Otunga along with Christian, Cody Rhodes, and Dolph Ziggler and Vickie apparently agreed to file a lawsuit against HHH for unsafe working conditions.

Main event time next: Punk vs Del Rio. They went to the outside quickly. Punk threw Del Rio to the barricade near where Cena was for commentary. Both men exchanged advantages in the ring until Del Rio hit Punk with a head kick, sending him to the outside and into a commercial break. Del Rio countered a GTS attempt into a DDT for 2. Punk went for a spear into the corner but Del Rio moved and Punk at the ring post. Del Rio continued to work over Punk's left arm. Punk fought back with a couple of kicks and a high knee lift. Del Rio was about to apply the cross armbreaker but Punk knocked out ADR with a kick to the head for the win. Good match.

Suddenly the Cell began to lower. Cena trapped Ricardo inside. Punk hit the GTS on Ricardo then Cena hit the AA. Punk went for the GTS on Cena but Del Rio attacked both men with a steel chair. The show closed with Del Rio standing tall while Punk and Cena laid on the ground. Del Rio looks strong as the show closes, which is good. The average viewer probably thought he had no chance whatsoever, but now they do. Survey Says: 4/5

OVERALL
I thought the positives outweighed the negatives on this show. There was a heavy focus on Hell in A Cell, which they need to do since this PPV is sandwiched between two others. Del Rio looked strong to close the show, which was good. The mid-card got some exposure early on the show with HHH. That was a plus. Not having Miz & R-Truth on was also a good way to sell the fact that they were fired, rather than having them on right away. I don't get the Mason Ryan turn at all. Plus, Ryder/Ziggler should have been saved for the PPV, instead of a 3 minute match on RAW. Plus there are only 4 matches announced for the PPV. I'm giving the show a 6.

That's all from me today. Hell in A Cell Preview Thursday or Friday.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka

The Monster Mark Henry: What Took So Long?

They say good things come to those who wait. Sometimes you have to wait a bit longer to get what you want. It takes a lot of patience, but in the end, if you work hard, you will ultimately get what you desire. Sometimes it takes months, or a few years. But for Mark Henry, it took 15 years for the WWE to finally realize how to properly use him. But for Henry now, that 15 year wait was worth it, as he is now the World Heavyweight Champion for the first time in his professional career.

Henry debuted in the WWE in 1996 after competing in the 96 Summer Olympics. His first match was against Jerry Lawler. Upon his debut, Henry was billed as "The World's Strongest Man." In his first two years in the WWE, Henry was basically squashing opponents because he wasn't ready to work regular matches in the ring. In 98, Henry turned heel and joined the Nation of Domination. After spending the early part of 1998 in the group, Henry eventually broke away. He was awarded the European Title by Jeff Jarrett after Henry helped him win that Title as well as the Intercontinental Title.

After his heel turn, Henry turned face and was given the infamous "Sexual Chocolate" gimmick. Looking back on it, it was one of the more embarrassing gimmicks the WWE ever did. Henry engaged in on air relationships with Chyna and Mae Young. He also was seduced by a transvestite. During his relationship with Young, the couple announced that Young was pregnant and expecting a child. In one of the most memorable moments in WWE history, Young gave birth to a full grown hand on TV. Sure, this gimmick fit the Attitude Era booking, but it was a demeaning gimmick that made Henry look like a fool. He left wrestling briefly after this to get more training and focus on his weight lifting.

Despite the smile, I'm sure Mark Henry didn't think this was one of his best moments

Henry returned in 2002 but was rarely used. In 2003, he had a short program with Goldberg as well as Shawn Michaels and Booker T. He tore his quadriceps in early 2004 and did not return to WWE TV until late 2005. Henry looked to finally be receiving a main event push in early 2006, as a program with World Champion Batista seemed on the horizon. Batista, however, was injured during a match with Henry. Henry fought Kurt Angle for the World Title at the Royal Rumble, losing. Henry went on to feud with The Undertaker leading to a casket match at Wrestlemania, which Henry also lost. Henry then went on his "Path of Destruction," which was very similar to what he is doing today. Henry caused injuries to the likes of Chris Benoit and Rey Mysterio. During this time, Batista returned and a big match between the two was imminent, but Henry suffered tore his patella tendon completely off the bone, putting him out of action for almost a year.

Henry returned in 2008 and eventually started his feud back up with The Undertaker. He then moved over to the ECW brand, where he won the ECW Title, his first Title win since being awarded the European Title in 1999. After losing the Title, Henry moved over to the RAW brand and turned face, forming tag teams with various partners for almost a whole year and a half. In my opinion, Henry never worked well as a face. sure, everyone loves a big lovable monster. But there's no money in that. Nobody wants to see the big giant good guy win the World Title. There's always more money in big men being pushed as monster heels. Henry as a face could have worked in only two scenarios. The first being if Henry was actually a very good wrestler for his size, which he wasn't. The second would have been if the WWE had taken Henry's story of being in the company for 10+ years and never winning the World Title and used it as a face. Crowds can get behind stories like that. The reason it didn't work for Rey Mysterio was because they were exploiting Eddie Guerrero's death with it as well. But while doing that as a face might have worked, what was in store for Henry in 2011 was much better.

In April 2011 Henry was drafted to the Smackdown brand. On his last night on RAW, Henry turned heel on his partners John Cena and Christian in a 6 man tag match. His first program at Smackdown was with the Big Show. Henry constantly attacked Show before and after matches. He performed the World's Strongest Slam on Show, putting him through a table. He also put Show through the side of a steel cage, knocking the cage side off completely. Henry beat Big Show at Money in the Bank, then storyline "snapped" his ankle after Henry jumped on a chair over Show's ankle. Henry also put Kane out of action. At SummerSlam, Henry beat Sheamus via countout after putting Sheamus through the ringside barrier. Henry then won a Battle Royal to become #1 Contender for the World Title.

Once Henry won the Battle Royal, it was make or break time for him. It was time to see just how serious the WWE was about this push. If it wasn't for the C.M. Punk, the story of Henry being pushed like he was would have been the talk of the WWE this past summer for many reasons. The first reason is because Henry had been around for 15 years, and the WWE had never gotten this serious about a Mark Henry push. They might have in 2006, but injuries derailed that opportunity. It was also a nice surprise to not see Henry get injured. Henry has had a string of bad luck with injuries throughout his career so to see him stay healthy for this extended period of time was great.

But perhaps the best thing about seeing Henry get the push that he is getting is the simple fact that the WWE rarely gets behind pushing a heel as a true monster anymore. When was the last time a heel has looked as dominant as Henry has? Henry seems to be right out of the late 80s/early 90s brand of heel. A monster who the faces know is a serious threat to them. There has not been one time in the last 6 months when Henry has looked weak. Even when Henry has lost or not gotten the best of his opponent, there was a good reason for it. I also love the fact that the announcers hype up Henry every time he is out there. They don't say he is lucky or make excuses for his opponents. They hype Henry up as a true monster and a serious threat to anyone he steps in the ring with.

So when Night of Champions came around, it was the first test to see how serious the WWE was about Mark Henry's push. With 3 PPVs in just over a month's time, even I thought having Henry win the World Title this early may have been a bit premature. I thought some kind of DQ or countout was coming. While I advocated for a long Mark Henry title reign, even I thought the WWE should wait to pull the trigger. But to my pleasant surprise, Henry continued his dominant push and won the World Heavyweight Title. The reason it was so surprising is because Henry beat Randy Orton clean. Orton rarely if ever loses cleanly. But that right there showed just how serious the WWE is about Mark Henry's push. The WWE didn't feel the need to protect Orton. They wanted to push Henry as such a serious threat that the WWE wasn't concerned about protecting Orton. The crowd, surprisingly, was also very receptive to Henry's win. Maybe they were happy to see Henry finally win the World Title? Maybe they were all just fans of Henry's push. But the WWE did the smart thing about having him attack Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler Monday. He has to stay a heel, that is what Henry is best at.

Now of course, everything I just said could mean nothing in a week's time. Henry could lose the World Title to Orton at Hell in A Cell and the push could be over. That would be stupid on multiple levels. First, it would kill Henry's momentum. Second it would be ANOTHER World Title change, which is just another one too many. But I honestly don't think that is happening any time soon. I really think this Henry push is for real. And it is well deserved. Sure, Henry hasn't put on 5 star wrestling classics, but all of his matches in the last few months have been watchable. They've been on the shorter side, and have shown off Henry's brute force type of offense that he is good at.

Mark Henry's impact moves are what he is best at, as evident at this past year's SummerSlam

So how do I want to end this piece? I guess by saying thanks. Thank you to the WWE for finally getting serious about pushing Mark Henry and doing it the right way. Thank You Vince McMahon for not changing your mind half way through this push. And thank you to Mark Henry. You've had some crap thrown at you throughout your career, but you surprisingly stuck with it and didn't quit. You waited your turn to get to the top and now you are there. You've been a refreshing change of pace in the WWE and I hope your monster push continues. From everything I've heard your a great guy backstage and one of the nicest people around. But your bad ass monster heel push has been great. Keep up the awesome work.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow me on Twitter @JCWonka

Night of Champions & RAW Thoughts for 9/19/2011

It's A Conspiracy Inside A Conspiracy Made by A Conspiracy
C.M. Punk talked about how the Cleveland building has never been the kindest to him. He agreed with R-Truth and Miz and said there was a conspiracy. He was to go on before HHH interrupted. HHH said they went through a war last night, but he's still COO of the WWE. HHH booked a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship at Hell in A Cell: Cena vs ADR vs Punk. HHH said that if Punk doesn't want to believe that he's had nothing to do with Punk getting screwed, then he had no problem going to war with him again. Punk said that he doesn't want to. Punk said there was a conspiracy, but it involved someone besides HHH. Someone higher up the ladder.

John Laurinaitis interrupted. Punk said he thought Ace thinks he should be COO. Johnny Ace said he agrees that HHH has lost control of the show, but it's because of Punk. Ace tried to fire Punk, but HHH said no. HHH said that he doesn't know what is going on, but he's going to figure it out, and by the end of the night, someone is going to get fired. An alright opening segment. It seems like they may be getting to the end of the conspiracy story here. An ok opener that left intrigue for the rest of the night. Survey Says: 3/5

Seven Decent Wrestlers and David Otunga
Eight man tag up next Air Boom/Sheamus/Justin Gabriel vs Otunga/McGillicutty/Christian/Wade Barrett. The heels worked over Bourne early before Bourne made the hot tag to Sheamus. All hell broke loose. Kofi hit his flying crossbody on Wade Barrett. Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick on Otunga, then the Celtic Cross for the win, all while looking at Christian. Too short to amount to anything, but ok for what it was. Survey Says: 2.5/5

John Morrison: A Once Promising Young Star Turned Jobber
Backstage, Alberto del Rio complained about his rematch being a Triple Threat and Hell in A Cell. HHH said he couyld make the rematch tonight if he wants, but ADR says he needs to rest. ADR said he prays Vince McMahon comes back. Then back from break, Alberto del Rio made quick work of John Morrison with the cross armbreaker. Del Rio looked intense and pissed, but it still doesn't hide the fact his WWE Title reign was too short and he did nothing of note during it. Survey Says: 2/5

Hugh Jackman came out and said some stuff. Vickie came out and hit on him. Dolph Ziggler said he doesn't want Hugh interrupting his time. Dolph made fun of the city of Cleveland. Hugh said he was going to go in the back and find the biggest underdog in the back to take on Dolph. A huge Ryder chant broke out, and Hugh grabbed a Ryder>Wolverine sign. Not going to rate this segment, but Hugh was pretty good out there.

Sin Cara came out to fight Cody Rhodes, but Sin Cara interrupted. The Sin Cara's fought a bit in the ring before one Sin Cara left. Eh. Crowd didn't even seem to care.

Backstage, R-Truth & Miz apologized to HHH. He accepted their apology, but fined them $250,000 and put them in a match against C.M. Punk & John Cena tonight.

OOO! AAHH! Mark Henry On the War Path!
Mark Henry was in the ring for his interview. J.R. asked Henry what he had to say to his detractors. Henry said while he's never been inside Hell in A Cell, he's going to do the same thing he did to Orton last night inside the Cell. Henry said he's never forgiving any of the fans. Henry told J.R. he will apologize for all the fans, then apologize himself. Henry said J.R. was never high on him. J.R. apologized, but Henry started choking him with his tie. Jerry Lawler stopped him, but ate a World's Strongest Slam in the ring than through the announce table. It wasn't necessary but it continued to put Henry over as a monster force. Survey Says: 3/5

Divas of Doom? At This Point They're More Like The Fabulous Diva Sisters
Divas of Doom vs Kelly Kelly and Eve next. Eve won with a roll up on Natalya. Why can't the Divas of Doom just win the Divas Title already? Geesh. Survey Says: 1/5

Wolverines Don't Normally Spike Their Hair
The crowd was really behind Ryder here. Back and forth action before a double clothesline. Vickie slapped Ryder, which got her thrown out. With the ref not looking, Hugh punched Dolph, which allowed Zack to hit the Rough Ryder for the win. OK use of Jackman. Maybe this leads to a push of Ryder? Doubt it. Survey Says: 2.5/5

A Jack Swagger video package was shown. Vickie watched it. Swagger came in asking about the managerial contract. Vickie said she couldn't think of anyone better to join Dolph in her stable.

Backstage John Cena and C.M. Punk talked about their match later tonight, and then Hell in A Cell.

Hey Hunter, You Need to Work on your "YOR FIIRRREEDD!"
Main event tag match next. Miz & Truth were in control leading into commercial and back from break. Cena tried fighting back but Miz hit his backbreaker/neckbreaker combo for a 2. Truth tagged in and put Cena in a sleeper hold. Miz tagged back in and continued to work over Cena. Cena was able to hit a pump handle slam but Miz tagged Truth in before Cena could get to Punk. Miz tagged back in. Punk distracted Miz, allowing Cena to hit an inverted atomic drop. Miz countered with a clothesline. Miz went for his clothesline in the corner and missed, allowing Cena to make the hot tag to Punk. Punk hit some running knees and kicks, then his flying clothesline. Punk went for the GTS but Miz countered. Punk shoved Miz into Truth, then hit the GTS on Miz for the win.

HHH came out afterwards. He told Punk nice match, and Miz & Truth, your fired. Scott Stanford attempted to get a word with HHH, but Miz & Truth jumped him from behind. The superstars watching backstage broke it up, and threw Truth & Miz out of the building. Strange developments to end the show. Expect HHH to explain his actions next week I guess. Tag match was decent. Survey Says: 3/5

OVERALL
I wasn't a big fan of this week's RAW. After NOC, I was afraid they would go to Punk/HHH possibly being allies. They showed signs of that here, but nothing was set in stone. With a PPV in 2 weeks and no other opponent for Punk, they had to throw him in the Hell in A Cell match for the WWE Title. With no HHH/Punk 2 on the horizon it is the only place to put him. Del Rio and Punk didn't gain too much steam back from their losses last night on PPV. The mid-card is still the blah mid-card it was before. Nothing is changing there. Hugh Jackman was actually decent in his role. The firing of Miz & Truth was interesting. Maybe HHH is scared they were close to discovering the truth? Who knows. That's why you tune in next week! I'm giving the show a 4.

My Night of Champions Thoughts
I was barely by a computer all day yesterday, so I really didn't have any time to write a full review for the PPV. But as probably all of you know by now, I was there in the arena so I will give you some of my thoughts on the show.

-The tag opener was fun. Definitely the right match to pick for the start of the show. The DQ ending fit the Miz/Truth storyline at the time of them getting frustrated with the authority figures in the WWE. **1/4

-Cody and Ted DiBiase Jr. was ok, but the crowd just wasn't buying it. They have no reason to cheer for DiBiase as a face yet. There were a couple "Boring" chants, as well as a "We Want Ryder" one. *1/2

-The Christian/Sheamus interaction was a nice filler and a decent way to expose both guys to the PPV crowd. Crowd was surprisingly behind Christian until Sheamus came out.

-I went to the bathroom during the beginning of the Fatal 4 Way. Caught the last couple minutes of it. Decent finishing sequence. Crowd was behind the potential Alex Riley win, but it was a good way to finish the match still creating tension between Dolph & Swagger. **

-The Mark Henry/Randy Orton match was exactly what it should have been. It was a decent match and didn't fell out of place being for the World Title. Henry continued his dominating performance and I really hope the WWE goes through with an extended Title reign for Henry. The man is doing the best work of his entire 15 year career. The crowd was surprisingly behind Henry after the win. **1/4

-Beth not winning the Divas Title in her hometown was very disappointing. I don't know what they are doing with the Divas of Doom at this point. Beth did hit a nice superplex though. *3/4

-I don't understand the logic of John Cena winning at all. Sure ratings haven't picked up, but that is not ADR's fault. Del Rio pretty much looked like a phony Champion now. What a worthless reign. And just when I thought things were looking up for him too. I don't think it is smart going into the WWE's first ever Mexico tour not having him WWE Champ. Plus the constant Title changes is just a dumb thing. The match itself was decent, they really picked up the pace in the last few minutes. Crowd was about 65/35 in favor of Cena. Not surprised, there were a lot of Cena shirts in the crowd. ***

-Punk/HHH was more of a brawl than an actual match, which is what it was suppose to be. Sure there were a lot of people involved; Miz, R-Truth, Johnny Ace and Nash, but the WWE can get away with it. Unlike TNA, they don't do this stuff every month so it's tolerable. But even with that being said, I still don't like how the match ended. Sure, it took 3 pedigrees and a powerbomb to beat Punk. But the average fan won't remember that. They will just remember Punk getting pinned. The brawl was fun though. Nice elbow drop by Punk through the announce table. ***1/2

My ratings of the PPV might be a bit skewed since I was there live, but I thought it was a middle of the road PPV. Nothing overly terrible, but nothing great either. I would give it a 6.

OVERALL PPV RANKINGS
1. Money in the Bank

2. SummerSlam
3. Elimination Chamber
4. Extreme Rules
5. Wrestlemania 27
6. Night of Champions
7. Royal Rumble
8. Capitol Punishment
9. Over the Limit

That's all from me wrestling wise today. NFL Week 2 Review up later.

Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka