Vince McMahon is appearing on RAW this Monday? That can mean only one thing: ratings are down, down, down. Vince has tried to cut down on his presence on TV in recent years. It is a smart move on his part. There is not a lot left to do with his character, so his appearance should be limited and sporadic. But almost all of Vince McMahon's appearance in recent years has been in response to a low rating on RAW the week before. So essentially, you could call Vince McMahon "Mr. Panic."
Once again, Vince McMahon will be around to deliver a "State of the WWE" Address. I'm sure Vince will brag about certain things like Twitter or Tout and some other non-sense that is good in the WWE. I'm sure there will be some attempt to start a major angle as well. But the problem is, you know the angle was hastily put together in the last week. That more than likely means the angle has very little, if any, direction and the WWE won't know where they are going with it.
Showing posts with label RAW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RAW. Show all posts
Monday, October 8, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
The C.M. Punk-Paul Heyman Alliance: What's Next?
Okay, be honest. How many people were shouting and wooting at your television at the end of RAW on Monday. In something that happened in only the most die hard Internet wrestling fan's dreams, RAW ended with C.M. Punk driving away from a beaten John Cena, with Paul Heyman the one driving the car. I can honestly say that I never expected to see those two united together on screen. Even when Paul Heyman returned to manage Brock Lesnar, and there was talk of the two doing some work together down the line, I still wasn't expecting anything to come from it.
But those expectations changed after RAW on Monday. First off, I must say it was a smart move on the WWE's part. Monday Night Football starts next week and the WWE needed to do something to keep viewers from tuning away next week, and they did just that with the end of RAW. I never thought I would give props to the WWE for something like that, but you know they planned that out in advance.
But those expectations changed after RAW on Monday. First off, I must say it was a smart move on the WWE's part. Monday Night Football starts next week and the WWE needed to do something to keep viewers from tuning away next week, and they did just that with the end of RAW. I never thought I would give props to the WWE for something like that, but you know they planned that out in advance.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Why The Rock's Response Is Important This Monday
This past Monday on RAW, something incredible happened. John Cena was on my TV, and I didn't want to turn it off. When Cena came out for the second time this past Monday, I was dreading the potential poopy jokes about Rock and the twelve year old jokes that were about to ensue. We've seen so much of that from John Cena in recent years that it is tough not to expect that. If you are a grown adult or lifelong wrestling fan, you normally get that dreaded feeling whenever Cena's music hit.
But to my amazement, Cena didn't bring any of that. He was dead serious with the mic. He went from calling Eve a hoeski to calling out The Rock. It is something I hadn't seen from Cena in years. Cena cut the crap. He didn't beat around the bush. He didn't call Rock a poo-head. He ended the ridiculousness of the Zack Ryder/Eve storyline and went right to business in selling his Wrestlemania match with The Rock. If you weren't excited for these two to tear each other apart on the mic, you are probably ready now.
But to my amazement, Cena didn't bring any of that. He was dead serious with the mic. He went from calling Eve a hoeski to calling out The Rock. It is something I hadn't seen from Cena in years. Cena cut the crap. He didn't beat around the bush. He didn't call Rock a poo-head. He ended the ridiculousness of the Zack Ryder/Eve storyline and went right to business in selling his Wrestlemania match with The Rock. If you weren't excited for these two to tear each other apart on the mic, you are probably ready now.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
The 2011 Top Rope Awards
You voted! (ok not may of you, but to those who did vote you know who you are) And now the results are in. It is time to look at the winners, or in some cases losers, in the 2nd annual 2011 Top Rope Awards. In addition to the awards I made public, I've also added some secondary awards to hand out.
2011 was a very up and down year for the WWE. It was up at the start and heading into Wrestlemania. It went back down until C.M. Punk began his main event push in the summer. Ever since SummerSlam it has been a very hot and cold time for the WWE. Hopefully the WWE can put together one solid year of booking, but that is about as likely as The Rock, Steve Austin, and Brock Lesnar all deciding at the same time that they want to come back to the WWE full time. There are some things I would like to see happen in the WWE in 2012, and that is something that can be saved for a later blog.
For now though, onto the Awards!
2011 was a very up and down year for the WWE. It was up at the start and heading into Wrestlemania. It went back down until C.M. Punk began his main event push in the summer. Ever since SummerSlam it has been a very hot and cold time for the WWE. Hopefully the WWE can put together one solid year of booking, but that is about as likely as The Rock, Steve Austin, and Brock Lesnar all deciding at the same time that they want to come back to the WWE full time. There are some things I would like to see happen in the WWE in 2012, and that is something that can be saved for a later blog.
For now though, onto the Awards!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
How Did I Ever Doubt C.M. Punk?
When C.M. Punk came back to the WWE in late July this summer, he promised change. Punk promised to bring a drastic overhaul to the WWE. He started that at Money in the Bank, when he "left" the WWE with the WWE Title. Now sure, he only left for a week, but during that time it pretty much brought an end to the Mr. McMahon character on television. Punk continued to say the reason he cameback was because he wanted to change things in the WWE. Punk's character was already breaking from the norm before he left, and he continued to do that upon his return.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Vote in the 2011 Top Rope Awards
It's time of year. Forget the Slammys, it is time for the Top Rope Awards. And I'm looking for your input in the award process. We want you to vote and help figure out who deserves the awards in various categories. From now until December 26th, I will have polls listed on the side of my blog and I want your help in deciding who gets each award. The winners of the fan vote and my vote will be revealed in my year end blog. There are a handful of awards to vote for, so lets get to it. I will give the nominees in each category with a quick write up about each. I will expand on the winner in my year end blog. This is strictly WWE, I don't watch enough TNA to include anything from there.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
How Close Is A John Cena Heel Turn?
So if you're like me, you have to be wondering: What has the WWE been doing with John Cena these last couple weeks? Two weeks ago, he appeared after Survivor Series just to talk about the crowd's reaction to him in MSG and to break-up Miz & R-Truth. Last week? He appeared on the opening segment of RAW with Roddy Piper. Piper basically called out Cena for not caring about some fan's negative responses to him. Piper slapped Cena and basically challenged him to stand up for himself. Instead? Cena "rose above hate" and walked away. The interesting thing is that after all of this, Cena did not appear on the rest of the show.
There have been a lot of people clamoring for a John Cena heel turn for a while now. Cena is arguably the most interesting character in WWE history when it comes to fan reactions. Ever since John Cena won the WWE Title at Wrestlemania 21, fans kept losing more and more interest in him. Cena's first reign lasted over a year, and by the end of it, fans were sick of seeing him come out on top every night. Not only that, but the WWE began to water down his hip hop character. They made him more of a kid friendly character. The WWE saw Cena as their future corner stone of the company, so they had to make his character suitable for that. It's a different era compared to when The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were on top. The WWE feels their target audience is the youth demographic, but that's something that can be argued every day. The 17 and under crowd isn't buying your PPVs.
There have been a lot of people clamoring for a John Cena heel turn for a while now. Cena is arguably the most interesting character in WWE history when it comes to fan reactions. Ever since John Cena won the WWE Title at Wrestlemania 21, fans kept losing more and more interest in him. Cena's first reign lasted over a year, and by the end of it, fans were sick of seeing him come out on top every night. Not only that, but the WWE began to water down his hip hop character. They made him more of a kid friendly character. The WWE saw Cena as their future corner stone of the company, so they had to make his character suitable for that. It's a different era compared to when The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were on top. The WWE feels their target audience is the youth demographic, but that's something that can be argued every day. The 17 and under crowd isn't buying your PPVs.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
What Might Wrestlemania 28 Look Like?
Well, we have almost reached the quarter pole in the build to Wrestlemania. We are just a little over 4 months away until the WWE invades Miami for Wrestlemania 28. Unlike any other Wrestlemania before, we actually know what the main event willl be with The Rock facing off against John Cena. I don't like what the WWE has done with the build so far. Granted, Rock has only been around for two live shows since the match announcement, but I think they could have done a bit better with the Rock/Cena interaction at Survivor Series. I don't think this match will be for the WWE Title, and that's a smart thing. Why waste the WWE Title in a match that doesn't need it?
The one positive about Rock/Cena is that it allows the WWE to take some risks in their other matches. Rock/Cena should get the Wrestlemania buy rate over 1 million, unless the WWE really screws it up. That means the WWE can take risks with the WWE and World Title matches. Now, we know that Daniel Bryan is suppose to cash in his Money in the Bank World Title opportunity at Wrestlemania. It will be a real stretch if actually keeps it that long. The WWE has just started building up Bryan, and I don't know if they can make him into a threat in time for Wrestlemania. But like I said, the WWE can take a chance like that.
Then of course their is The Undertaker. We haven't seen The Undertaker since Wrestlemania 27. He's had hip and back surgery during his break, but it is rumored that he is healthy and ready to go for Wrestlemania 28. That's another big match for Wrestlemania. The Undertaker is looking at 20-0 if he wins this year. My guess is that this could be his final Wrestlemania, so either Undertaker retires 20-0 or someone goes down in history as the man who ended the streak.
And finally, there is that whole "It Begins" YouTube video that hijacked the WWE Twitter pop-up on RAW this past Monday? Who's it for? No one really knows. It could be for The Undertaker again. It could be Chris Jericho. It could be someone we aren't even thinking about. Some people say Chris Jericho isn't coming back after a stall in contract negotiations. Others think that those are just rumors thrown out there to get people off the trail. There is no real hint in that video to give people an idea of who it is.
So, lets take a look at a possible Wrestlemania 28 Match Card.
Divas Championship: Beth Phoenix (c) vs Kharma
If I'm doing my math right, Kharma should be back right in time for Wrestlemania. There is no one else that would really interest me in a Divas contest at Wrestlemania. You could turn Natalya or Beth face, but it wouldn't do as much as having Kharma back would. Kharma and Beth could actually have a good Divas match and should keep the crowd entertained, unlike a Kelly Kelly or Eve match. This would probably be the best match possible, as it involves the two Divas fans would care most about in a match.
Sheamus vs Alberto del Rio- Winner Gets A World/WWE Title Shot at Extreme Rules
This is a simple case of two guys pretty much having nothing else going for them. Sheamus has been getting a monster push as a face, but the Smackdown main event already has two faces in it for me. Alberto del Rio, meanwhile, can't get an extended reign as WWE Champion. Del Rio can't get past the shadow of C.M. Punk or John Cena. It's almost like Del Rio has peaked as a character. The move from Smackdown to RAW really hurt ADR, while the move from RAW to Smackdown has helped Sheamus. It is a fresh match-up here as these two have never faced off one-on-one to my knowledge. I'm sure these two could put on a good match. The added stipulation makes fans care about the match more.
Intercontinental Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs Goldust: Title vs Career
This is a match that Goldust, aka Dustin Rhodes, has been campaigning for. Dustin wants to close this last chapter in his career and what better way for him to go out than on the big stage against his baby brother. Rhodes is a start on the rise in the WWE and he is trying to bring the IC Title back to respectability. Dustin Rhodes won the IC Title multiple times as Goldust in his WWE Career, so having him try to regain the Title while putting his career on the line would be something interesting. Now of course, Cody would win this match. He is suppose to feud with Booker T in the coming months, and of course Booker and Goldust have a history. Another situation of right place, right time for these two.
Shaquille O'Neal, Big Show, Zack Ryder vs The Miz, Christian, Jack Swagger
The WWE likes to have some kind of celebrity involvement every year at Wrestlemania. Rumor has it that they were pushing for NBA stars Dwayne Wade and Lebron James at one point, but NBA Labor talks are on-going again and there is hope that the season can be saved. That leaves limited options. Shaq is retired from the NBA, is a fan of the WWE, and is still in shape enough to move around in the ring. Throw in Big Show, and you have two of the tallest athletes in the world. Zack Ryder would be perfect to interact with Shaq as well. On the heel side, Miz can talk a big game and Christian can play the cocky heel well. Swagger gets added because of the Awesome Truth break-up, otherwise R-Truth would be here. Shaq would definitely get the WWE the positive PR they love.
World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry (c) vs Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton
Oh Randy Orton, you just love to find your way into our World Title matches. I had a tough time deciding what to do with Orton. At one point I had him up against Alberto del Rio. Then I had him against Brodus Clay before I decided to take Clay off the card. If Chris Jericho were coming back, I might have him against Orton because Orton is the one who put Jericho out of the WWE with his punt to the head. But I don't think Jericho is coming back, so I put Orton in the World Title match. Orton could fight Bryan for the right to be added to the World Title match at Wrestlemania. Despite the opportunity to take a risk leaving Bryan in this match one-on-one, I think Vince McMahon will like it better if Orton is in it as well to add to the star power of the match. I don't know if Bryan wins or not. He has the makings of the first MITB winner to cash in and lose. At this point, Henry would be considered dominant and losing the Title here would be a big story, but it would be bigger if it was Bryan winning.
WWE Championship: C.M. Punk (c) vs Wade Barrett
Yes, the Barrett Barrage is in full effect. If I were a betting man, I would put my money on Wade Barrett winning the 2012 Royal Rumble. It seems that the WWE is finally fully behind pushing Barrett as a future main eventer. What better way to complete than to have Barrett win the Royal Rumble and co-headline Wrestlemania? Again, it is a risk that the WWE can take with Rock/Cena already happening. Punk is winning over more fans as the days go on. Ideally, I would have hoped that the WWE would stretch Punk/HHH all the way out here, but they shot that storyline to hell. There's also a bit of history between Punk and Barrett, as Punk was the man who kicked Barrett out of the original Nexus. I've always been high on Barrett, and I think if the WWE keeps up this push of his, people would buy him as a main eventer come Wrestlemania. Punk is obviously a great worker and should get the best out of Barrett.
The Undertaker vs Dolph Ziggler
Sure, this probably sounds a bit nuts. Why would Undertaker return to take on Dolph Ziggler? Well, who else do you think Taker would face at this point. With HHH wrestling as much as he has, the mystique of a Taker/HHH rematch is gone. I thought of Alberto del Rio, but he is already an established main eventer that doesn't need the rub of facing Taker at Wrestlemania. I thought about Barrett and Cody Rhodes, but I think the matches I have them in make more sense. You would think Taker would want to face a big star, but there is no one left. C.M. Punk is a possibility I guess, but Punk is turning into a big babyface, and I think the fans would actually end up booing Taker in this instance. Then you look at Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler has pulled double duty the last two PPVs. He put on a great match with C.M. Punk this past Monday on RAW. You could argue that he is the second best worker in the WWE right now behind C.M. Punk. Ziggler has improved greatly on the mic as well. All Ziggler needs to do is come out and challenge Taker, do it for a couple weeks before Taker shows signs of being around. While Ziggler isn't a main eventer, he's a young guy who you might think could break the streak because he could use the rub to launch him into stardom. I'm sure the match itself would be just fine as Taker always brings his A game to Mania, and Dolph has been on fire in the ring lately. Do I think Dolph ends the streak? Probably not. I think the Streak is Taker's legacy, and it is never broken. But just facing Undertaker at Wrestlemania will do wonders for Dolph's career.
The Rock vs John Cena
Obviously this is happening. It is one of the few dream matches that has not happened yet but will on April 1, 2012 in Miami. I'm interested to see how often The Rock appears on WWE TV in the build to Wrestlemania. I think he would have to appear at least every other week in order for the build and match to be worth it. If Survivor Series is any indication, Cena will get booed out of the building in Miami. Survivor Series also showed that Rock still has it in the ring and that the match definitely will be fun to watch. I still give credit to Vince McMahon and whoever else it was that convinced The Rock to come back for this. The match will be good, and the atmosphere in Miami will be electric. It's the big type of match that warrants the main event of Wrestlemania label.
Couple of Notes
-I left HHH off because I don't think he's needed here, plus I couldn't think of anything for him at all.
-I don't know if Rey Mysterio will be back in time from his knee injury to take part in Mania this year.
-The person I'm disappointed I left off most was R-Truth, but again, I couldn't find anything for him.
That's all from me today.
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka
The one positive about Rock/Cena is that it allows the WWE to take some risks in their other matches. Rock/Cena should get the Wrestlemania buy rate over 1 million, unless the WWE really screws it up. That means the WWE can take risks with the WWE and World Title matches. Now, we know that Daniel Bryan is suppose to cash in his Money in the Bank World Title opportunity at Wrestlemania. It will be a real stretch if actually keeps it that long. The WWE has just started building up Bryan, and I don't know if they can make him into a threat in time for Wrestlemania. But like I said, the WWE can take a chance like that.
Then of course their is The Undertaker. We haven't seen The Undertaker since Wrestlemania 27. He's had hip and back surgery during his break, but it is rumored that he is healthy and ready to go for Wrestlemania 28. That's another big match for Wrestlemania. The Undertaker is looking at 20-0 if he wins this year. My guess is that this could be his final Wrestlemania, so either Undertaker retires 20-0 or someone goes down in history as the man who ended the streak.
And finally, there is that whole "It Begins" YouTube video that hijacked the WWE Twitter pop-up on RAW this past Monday? Who's it for? No one really knows. It could be for The Undertaker again. It could be Chris Jericho. It could be someone we aren't even thinking about. Some people say Chris Jericho isn't coming back after a stall in contract negotiations. Others think that those are just rumors thrown out there to get people off the trail. There is no real hint in that video to give people an idea of who it is.
So, lets take a look at a possible Wrestlemania 28 Match Card.
Divas Championship: Beth Phoenix (c) vs Kharma
If I'm doing my math right, Kharma should be back right in time for Wrestlemania. There is no one else that would really interest me in a Divas contest at Wrestlemania. You could turn Natalya or Beth face, but it wouldn't do as much as having Kharma back would. Kharma and Beth could actually have a good Divas match and should keep the crowd entertained, unlike a Kelly Kelly or Eve match. This would probably be the best match possible, as it involves the two Divas fans would care most about in a match.
Sheamus vs Alberto del Rio- Winner Gets A World/WWE Title Shot at Extreme Rules
This is a simple case of two guys pretty much having nothing else going for them. Sheamus has been getting a monster push as a face, but the Smackdown main event already has two faces in it for me. Alberto del Rio, meanwhile, can't get an extended reign as WWE Champion. Del Rio can't get past the shadow of C.M. Punk or John Cena. It's almost like Del Rio has peaked as a character. The move from Smackdown to RAW really hurt ADR, while the move from RAW to Smackdown has helped Sheamus. It is a fresh match-up here as these two have never faced off one-on-one to my knowledge. I'm sure these two could put on a good match. The added stipulation makes fans care about the match more.
Intercontinental Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs Goldust: Title vs Career
This is a match that Goldust, aka Dustin Rhodes, has been campaigning for. Dustin wants to close this last chapter in his career and what better way for him to go out than on the big stage against his baby brother. Rhodes is a start on the rise in the WWE and he is trying to bring the IC Title back to respectability. Dustin Rhodes won the IC Title multiple times as Goldust in his WWE Career, so having him try to regain the Title while putting his career on the line would be something interesting. Now of course, Cody would win this match. He is suppose to feud with Booker T in the coming months, and of course Booker and Goldust have a history. Another situation of right place, right time for these two.
Shaquille O'Neal, Big Show, Zack Ryder vs The Miz, Christian, Jack Swagger
The WWE likes to have some kind of celebrity involvement every year at Wrestlemania. Rumor has it that they were pushing for NBA stars Dwayne Wade and Lebron James at one point, but NBA Labor talks are on-going again and there is hope that the season can be saved. That leaves limited options. Shaq is retired from the NBA, is a fan of the WWE, and is still in shape enough to move around in the ring. Throw in Big Show, and you have two of the tallest athletes in the world. Zack Ryder would be perfect to interact with Shaq as well. On the heel side, Miz can talk a big game and Christian can play the cocky heel well. Swagger gets added because of the Awesome Truth break-up, otherwise R-Truth would be here. Shaq would definitely get the WWE the positive PR they love.
World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry (c) vs Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton
Oh Randy Orton, you just love to find your way into our World Title matches. I had a tough time deciding what to do with Orton. At one point I had him up against Alberto del Rio. Then I had him against Brodus Clay before I decided to take Clay off the card. If Chris Jericho were coming back, I might have him against Orton because Orton is the one who put Jericho out of the WWE with his punt to the head. But I don't think Jericho is coming back, so I put Orton in the World Title match. Orton could fight Bryan for the right to be added to the World Title match at Wrestlemania. Despite the opportunity to take a risk leaving Bryan in this match one-on-one, I think Vince McMahon will like it better if Orton is in it as well to add to the star power of the match. I don't know if Bryan wins or not. He has the makings of the first MITB winner to cash in and lose. At this point, Henry would be considered dominant and losing the Title here would be a big story, but it would be bigger if it was Bryan winning.
WWE Championship: C.M. Punk (c) vs Wade Barrett
Yes, the Barrett Barrage is in full effect. If I were a betting man, I would put my money on Wade Barrett winning the 2012 Royal Rumble. It seems that the WWE is finally fully behind pushing Barrett as a future main eventer. What better way to complete than to have Barrett win the Royal Rumble and co-headline Wrestlemania? Again, it is a risk that the WWE can take with Rock/Cena already happening. Punk is winning over more fans as the days go on. Ideally, I would have hoped that the WWE would stretch Punk/HHH all the way out here, but they shot that storyline to hell. There's also a bit of history between Punk and Barrett, as Punk was the man who kicked Barrett out of the original Nexus. I've always been high on Barrett, and I think if the WWE keeps up this push of his, people would buy him as a main eventer come Wrestlemania. Punk is obviously a great worker and should get the best out of Barrett.
The Undertaker vs Dolph Ziggler
Sure, this probably sounds a bit nuts. Why would Undertaker return to take on Dolph Ziggler? Well, who else do you think Taker would face at this point. With HHH wrestling as much as he has, the mystique of a Taker/HHH rematch is gone. I thought of Alberto del Rio, but he is already an established main eventer that doesn't need the rub of facing Taker at Wrestlemania. I thought about Barrett and Cody Rhodes, but I think the matches I have them in make more sense. You would think Taker would want to face a big star, but there is no one left. C.M. Punk is a possibility I guess, but Punk is turning into a big babyface, and I think the fans would actually end up booing Taker in this instance. Then you look at Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler has pulled double duty the last two PPVs. He put on a great match with C.M. Punk this past Monday on RAW. You could argue that he is the second best worker in the WWE right now behind C.M. Punk. Ziggler has improved greatly on the mic as well. All Ziggler needs to do is come out and challenge Taker, do it for a couple weeks before Taker shows signs of being around. While Ziggler isn't a main eventer, he's a young guy who you might think could break the streak because he could use the rub to launch him into stardom. I'm sure the match itself would be just fine as Taker always brings his A game to Mania, and Dolph has been on fire in the ring lately. Do I think Dolph ends the streak? Probably not. I think the Streak is Taker's legacy, and it is never broken. But just facing Undertaker at Wrestlemania will do wonders for Dolph's career.
The Rock vs John Cena
Obviously this is happening. It is one of the few dream matches that has not happened yet but will on April 1, 2012 in Miami. I'm interested to see how often The Rock appears on WWE TV in the build to Wrestlemania. I think he would have to appear at least every other week in order for the build and match to be worth it. If Survivor Series is any indication, Cena will get booed out of the building in Miami. Survivor Series also showed that Rock still has it in the ring and that the match definitely will be fun to watch. I still give credit to Vince McMahon and whoever else it was that convinced The Rock to come back for this. The match will be good, and the atmosphere in Miami will be electric. It's the big type of match that warrants the main event of Wrestlemania label.
Couple of Notes
-I left HHH off because I don't think he's needed here, plus I couldn't think of anything for him at all.
-I don't know if Rey Mysterio will be back in time from his knee injury to take part in Mania this year.
-The person I'm disappointed I left off most was R-Truth, but again, I couldn't find anything for him.
That's all from me today.
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka
Saturday, November 19, 2011
WWE Survivor Series Preview
Never before, never again. The Rock and John Cena team up for the first time ever this Sunday, and I don't even know if I care about it. I will explain that later in the match preview.
I think other than that, everything else has been built pretty well heading into the PPV. The WWE went full blown into the C.M. Punk/Alberto del Rio feud the last couple weeks. Thanks to the Super Show aspect to RAW, they have built the 5-on-5 match really well. Mark Henry and Big Show won't be able to top what happened at Vengeance, but at least there is intrigue to see if they can and what they will try. And of course there is the puzzling situation that is the U.S. Title match.
Survivor Series used to be fun because of the 5-on-5 matches, but those are a thing of the past. I would have much rather preferred three 4-on-4 elimination matches. More guys would get on the show and more solid action would take place. Three of those matches, a Divas match, and the WWE and World Title matches would be perfect. Hell, I think the Rock match could have been made a 4-on-4 match and it would have been built better. That way, you could get more people involved than just Cena, Miz, and R-Truth before having The Rock show up on the RAW before the PPV.
Lets get into the Preview!
Divas Championship: Beth Phoenix (c) vs Eve
A lot of this feud has been built through WWE.com. It is a smart idea for the WWE to get more attention to their web site, but I don't like the idea of doing it with the Divas. They don't attract that many viewers. But on the site, Beth and Natalya stole Eve's ring gear. But then Eve and Kelly Kelly, with the help of Alicia Fox, stole the Sister of Salvation's rental car. Isn't that grand theft auto? Shouldn't the three of them have been arrested? Eve won a Divas battle royal on Halloween to win this Title shot, I didn't even remember that until we were reminded on this past week's RAW. I don't think Eve is winning here. My guess is that Beth holds on to the Title until Kharma comes back. She might lose it once more for a month or so, but that won't happen here. Beth wins.
WINNER: Beth Phoenix
United States Championship: Dolph Ziggler (c) vs John Morrison
So where's Zack Ryder? Interim RAW GM John Laurinaitis, as stated exclusively on WWE.com, has not acknowledged Ryder's petition for a U.S. Title Shot yet and instead announced that John Morrison would be getting a shot at Dolph Ziggler this Sunday. Morrison had been on a long losing streak until he beat Ziggler two weeks ago on RAW. By WWE logic, that means he gets a United States Title shot. Now don't get me wrong, I think these two can put on a great match. Ziggler is becoming great in the ring and Morrison is full of flash and potential. Ziggler has improved by leaps and bounds the last two months. He's a future star for the WWE as long as they don't screw it up, like they did with John Morrison. Of course Ziggler doesn't have the backstage problems Morrison has as far as we know.
Then of course there is the case of Zack Ryder. With Survivor Series being held in New York City, not far from Ryder's home of Long Island, you can expect there to be loud and long chants for Ryder. How these two put on a match without that being a distraction is beyond me. I don't know what the WWE was thinking when they booked this match, unless they plan on putting Ryder in the match before hand. I think they will end up doing that if they are smart. More props to Ziggler for pulling double duty on PPV again. He's that good that it isn't a problem. Like I said, I think Ryder ends up getting put in the match and wins the Title.
WINNER: Zack Ryder
Team Orton vs Team Barrett: 5-on-5 Elimination Match
Lots of young potential in this match, a couple veterans, and Mason Ryan. Should be a good 5-on-5 match. Of course I'm sure Mason Ryan wouldn't be in this match if Evan Bourne was still around. Thanks a lot, Evan. On the face side, Sheamus continues to get a big push on Smackdown as he continues his dominating performances. Mason Ryan is getting a push on RAW despite not having a lick of talent to speak of. Ryan is just so bad and awkward in the ring that the fans really don't get behind him, and you can bet the Madison Square Garden crowd will let him know it. We will see how long it takes before Sin Cara botches something. Kofi Kingston is just waiting for Evan Bourne to comeback so he can be relevant again. And Randy Orton has been very good since shifting away from the World Title picture, having two good matches with Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett.
On the heel side, Hunico looks like a Mexican gangster straight out of a prison movie. But he also comes off as a night janitor to me too. Don't know why. You wouldn't even think Jack Swagger was a former World Champ with the way he jobs nowadays. Dolph Ziggler is one of the best workers in the WWE right now. Cody Rhodes lost his mask and his awesome music, but he is much more focused after the beatdown he received from Randy Orton. And Wade Barrett is finally getting a proper push after he beat Randy Orton and Sheamus in recent weeks, even if it was with the help of some of his fellow heels.
So who wins? The faces looked strong on RAW and Smackdown. That usually means the heels come out on top at the PPV, but does the WWE want Orton or Sheamus to take the pinfall? Wade Barrett has been getting a strong push as well, so does the WWE want him losing? There are lots of questions and moving parts in this match. Lets get the simple out of the way: Kofi, Sin Cara, and Mason Ryan won't survive. Neither will Jack Swagger or Hunico. That leaves us with Orton/Sheamus vs Barrett/Rhodes/Ziggler. Rhodes gets dumped with an RKO. Vickie distracts Sheamus long enough to let Barrett hit Wasteland to eliminate Sheamus. Ziggler eats an RKO, then Barrett catches Orton with a roll-up for the win.
WINNER: Team Barrett
World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry (c) vs Big Show
We all know what happened the last time these two guys faced each other. We've seen it on WWE TV numerous times by now. It was the WWE's way of protecting the Big Show and Mark Henry, even though I don't think Show needs to be protected at this point. No one will think less of Big Show if he loses a match. Henry refused to give Show a re-match at first, but Smackdown GM Teddy Long disagreed with Henry, and granted Show another World Title match.
These two have been exchanging promos and trash talking on Smackdowns in recent weeks. Mark Henry has pretty much had his way with Daniel Bryan over the last few weeks. I find it interesting that they are involving Bryan in this feud. I think they are trying to tease the idea of a Bryan cash in at Survivor Series with the New York crowd. I don't think it will happen, but it would not surprise me in the slightest if Bryan showed up at ringside during the match or after.
I think some of Mark Henry's mystique has vanished a bit in this program. Henry's dominant performances haven't seemed that good anymore. I really hope the WWE doesn't feel the need to protect Big Show again with some cop out finish. This match should end in one way and one way only. Mark Henry defeats Big Show after delivering his third World's Strongest Slam in the match and picks up the win. Henry moves on to a new opponent for TLC.
WINNER: Mark Henry
WWE Championship: Alberto del Rio (c) vs C.M. Punk
I think this is the best program the WWE has built heading into Sunday. They took something I wasn't really interested in at the start and made me actually care about it. So good job to them. The seeds for this feud were planted back at Survivor Series. After C.M. Punk won the WWE Championship, he was attacked by Kevin Nash. Alberto del Rio took advantage, cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, and won the WWE Title. Then at Hell in A Cell, Alberto del Rio attacked C.M. Punk with a lead pipe and pinned him to regain the WWE Title in a Triple Threat match that also involved John Cena.
On RAW a few weeks ago C.M. Punk told Del Rio that he never gave him his rematch for the WWE Title. After a couple of weeks of stalling by GM John Laurinaitis he finally told Punk he could hve his WWE Title match, if ADR agreed to it. After Punk slapped on the Anaconda Vice to ADR, he agreed. The next week saw Punk calling out ADR for being one dimensional. This lead to a couple of backstage beatdowns by ADR on Punk. Punk was pinned by ADR on RAW this past Monday.
Usually if someone takes the fall on the TV show before a PPV, that means he will win. But I don't necessarily know if that will be the case for Punk. The MSG crowd will definitely be behind Punk. He might get the second biggest pop of the night behind The Rock. The WWE seems poised to eventually give the Title to Punk as his merchandise sales are bringing in the WWE a pretty little penny. Punk's time will come, but I don't think the WWE will pull the trigger on him too quickly. Another Title change would just be meaningless. ADR has held the Title for barely over a month. He deserves an extended reign. C.M. Punk said his goal is to make the WWE Title mean something again. Punk can easily do that by not winning the Title and keep chasing after it, showing a desire to win it and bring it back to credibility. I think it would be great if the WWE could hold off until Wrestlemania for Punk's win, maybe even have him win the Royal Rumble. But I don't think they wait. But Punk doesn't win at Survivor Series. Del Rio retains with the help of some shenanigans by Ricardo Rodriguez and John Laurinaits.
WINNER: Alberto del Rio
John Cena & The Rock vs Miz & R-Truth
This is the selling point of the PPV. The Rock returns to action for the first time since 2004. It is also the same place where his last match took place, Madison Square Garden. And of course, The Rock is teaming with the one man that he can't stand. It is also the man he is facing at Wrestlemania 28, John Cena. RAW GM John Laurinaitis told Cena he could pick anyone to be his partner at Survivor Series, so Cena naturally decided to pick The Rock. Cena's logic for that is beyond stupid. He trusts the man he's facing at Wrestlemania next year? Dumb. The Rock accepted, saying that it is what the people want. Of course, it really has to do with the bling bling going into his pocket. But we can't mention that.
Everyone is talking about the dynamic of Cena and Rock teaming together. Can they co-exist? Will their egos get in each others way? Will one of them try to steal the spotlight? You could always throw out the possibility of a heel turn, but there's no way the MSG crowd boos Rock and cheers Cena. And Cena isn't turning heel. This past week's RAW ended with Rock getting the spotlight, hitting two successful Rock Bottoms before leaving the ring. Obviously, Cena would like to end the PPV on top. That "This Is Your Life" segment with Mick Foley was brutal and hard to watch. Not even Mick Foley could get the fans to cheer Cena. At this point I don't think Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera could get the MSG crowd to cheer Cena. It will be interesting to see how this dynamic duo performs.
Wait, what? You mean The Rock and John Cena are facing another tag team at Survivor Series? I thought they were just going to try and out perform each other with various flashy moves in the ring. You wouldn't know that the Miz and R-Truth are even involved in this match. Outside of one week, they have always ended up on their backs. John Cena did it single-handedly without The Rock, then The Rock did it with the help of John Cena. The WWE has completely screwed up the booking to this program. Miz and R-Truth should have gotten the better of Cena pretty much every week leading up to Survivor Series. Then, when The Rock showed up Monday, there should have been a mis-communication between Rock and Cena which caused Miz and R-Truth to gain the upper hand on them. That way, Miz and R-Truth look like threats heading into the PPV. But instead they are complete afterthoughts in the match, and pretty much have zero chance of winning. Why would fans care if they win? What would be the point now? Even if they won, they wouldn't "make a name for themselves" because they have already been booked so poorly.
This match ends simple. R-Truth eats an Attitude Adjustment from Cena after all four men enter end up in the ring at the same time. Rock connects with the People's Elbow then pins Truth for the win. After the match Miz tries to attack but meets the same fate. Then, Rock hits the Rock Bottom on John Cena, then another People' Elbow. The show ends with Rock standing tall in the ring, which is what the WWE exactly doesn't need at this point: someone who isn't a full time performer ending a PPV on top.
WINNERS: The Rock and John Cena
I will be watching the show at a Buffalo Wild Wings. No live Review for me, I probably will have a recap of the show up sometime Monday afternoon.
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka
Saturday, November 5, 2011
WWE Titles: Do They Even Mean Anything Anymore?
Remember back in the 1980s/1990s? When Hulk Hogan dominated the WWE Championship scene? Pretty much every single PPV involved Hulk Hogan either winning the WWE Title, retaining the WWE Title, or winning the WWE Title. After Hulk Hogan won the WWE Title in 1984, he held onto it until 1988. Hogan had two other long title reigns: 364 days between Wresltemania 5 and 6, and 248 days between Wrestlemania 7 and Survivor Series 1991. Even in the mid-1990s Kevin Nash, Bret Hart, and Shawn Michaels had Title reigns of 200+ days. Nash's was almost a year long.
Of course things were different back in the 80s and 90s. Wrestling was perceived differently and storylines were much simpler. People wanted to see the top babyface on top of the promotion. Nowadays, certain fans cringe at the idea of John Cena having an extended title reign. It's part of the reason fans turned on John Cena in 2006 and 2007. Between the years of 2005 and 2007 Cena had three different title reigns of the following lengths: 280 days, 133 days, and 380 days. And the only reason Cena lost the WWE Title during his third reign is because he tore his pectoral muscle. I'm actually surprised Super Cena didn't magically heal that injury. The problem with faces being on top for extended periods of time nowadays is that having them win all the time becomes stagnant and the same. Plus the heels looks weak. Dominant heels have been missing from the WWE the last couple years, which is why Mark Henry has been such a breath of fresh air.
Now while extended Title reigns aren't a necessity, the amount of Title changes that have taken place in the WWE in recent years is quite disturbing. 13 Title changes in the last 20 months. 32 in the last 5 years. That's an average of a title change every 2 months. Compare that to the early 1990s, when where there were 8 Title changes between Wrestlemania 6 and 9. WWE Title changes seemed a lot bigger back then, and the fewer amount of reigns were a big part of the reason for it. It probably was the reason the fans never turned on Hulk Hogan when he regained the WWE Title after long absences from the Title picture.
In this day in age in the WWE, it seems like the Title is nothing more than a prop to carry around. Hell, the Title has changed hands 6 times in the last three months, including twice in the last month alone. Alberto del Rio had a 5 week Title reign, Rey Mysterio has a 90 minute Title reign. Then at the end of that 90 minute Title reign there were 2 WWE Champions at the end of the show. And of course we can't forget the World Title, which has had 7 different reigns this year alone. Hopefully Mark Henry has a bit longer reign to establish some credibility to the World Title, which will then make whoever wins it off of him a big star and the Title change a big deal.
And lets not even get into the secondary titles known as the Intercontinental and United States Championships. Those have pretty much become non-existent. Until Cody Rhodes brought back the old school Intercontinental Title, I probably couldn't even have told you who the IC Champion was. it was that non-existent. Dolph Ziggler has had the United States Title for a while now, but it's not even like it is there half the time. Back in the day, being the IC Champ in the WWE or the US Champion in WCW often meant you were one of the best, sometimes the second best worker in the Company. Now? It means you either get pinned in a Tag Title match on PPV, or get pinned in non-title matches like Cody at Vengeance or Dolph on RAW against Zack Ryder. I'm not even going to get into the Tag Team Titles.
And of course, the booking of certain Champions has been highly questionable in recent years. Rey Mysterio and Jack Swagger were both booked terribly during their first reigns. Rey constantly lost matches as did Swagger. And this week on RAW, Alberto del Rio lost clean to Big Show. If you read my review of RAW, you know that pissed me off tremendously. How are people suppose to believe them as a credible Champion if they are losing non-Title matches cleanly? It's a joke. Who cares about Big Show's mystique? He can take a loss.
So what am I getting at with all of this? The WWE has done a poor job of booking their Champions over the last few years. The constant Title changes as well as questionable booking of champions pretty much just makes the title belts look like props at times. Aside from John Cena, nobody really gets a strong Title reign anymore. The Miz had a long reign, but look at his PPV matches:
TLC: Won a Tables Match against Randy Orton after Alex Riley interfered
Royal Rumble: Beat Randy Orton after interference from C.M. Punk/Nexus
Elimination Chamber: Beat Jerry Lawler
Wrestlemania: Beat John Cena after a restart and interference from The Rock
Sure The Miz can talk some heat back onto him, but it is tough to take him seriously as a fan if he can't beat anyone without help. Up until the current reign of Mark Henry, heels were basically booked as wimps as Champions. They rarely if ever won a match clean, and of course they could never beat John Cena clean one-on-one. Heels have taken a turn for the worse in booking over the last few years. Hopefully that's something Mark Henry can correct with a long World Title reign.
The one thing I want to make clear here is that, face or heel, the WWE needs to bring credibility back to their Championships. Extended title reigns have become a thing of the past, but they need to become a thing of the present. Not only extended Title reigns, but Champions need to be booked strongly too. You can't have Cody Rhodes lose a match on a PPV, then a match on RAW and expect fans to take him as Intercontinental Champion seriously. The WWE feels that having the top Titles on faces brings in more money and ratings, but having a strong heel could do the exact same thing. Adult males get sick of seeing John Cena on top because he always wins. Did the WWE ever think that if Cena lost a couple times to a credible, dominant heel THEN won the WWE Title that some fans might actually like him. I'm a firm believer that long run, their is more money in a face chasing a heel champion than random heels chasing a face champion.
The WWE is facing an important period of time ahead. The Rock is going to be on TV more frequently in the coming weeks and months, which means they will have more viewers tuning in. With Rock/Cena more than likely not being for the WWE Title, it's an opportunity for two other workers to wrestle for that Title and make the match seem like a big deal. Imagine if Alberto del Rio held onto the WWE Title until Wrestlemania. If he was facing an underdog face, it could make that face an instant star. Same goes with Mark Henry. The WWE needs to show the viewers tuning in during the next few months that their Championships are more than prop belts. They need to establish a meaning to each Title and make fans give a damn about their Champions.
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
Of course things were different back in the 80s and 90s. Wrestling was perceived differently and storylines were much simpler. People wanted to see the top babyface on top of the promotion. Nowadays, certain fans cringe at the idea of John Cena having an extended title reign. It's part of the reason fans turned on John Cena in 2006 and 2007. Between the years of 2005 and 2007 Cena had three different title reigns of the following lengths: 280 days, 133 days, and 380 days. And the only reason Cena lost the WWE Title during his third reign is because he tore his pectoral muscle. I'm actually surprised Super Cena didn't magically heal that injury. The problem with faces being on top for extended periods of time nowadays is that having them win all the time becomes stagnant and the same. Plus the heels looks weak. Dominant heels have been missing from the WWE the last couple years, which is why Mark Henry has been such a breath of fresh air.
Now while extended Title reigns aren't a necessity, the amount of Title changes that have taken place in the WWE in recent years is quite disturbing. 13 Title changes in the last 20 months. 32 in the last 5 years. That's an average of a title change every 2 months. Compare that to the early 1990s, when where there were 8 Title changes between Wrestlemania 6 and 9. WWE Title changes seemed a lot bigger back then, and the fewer amount of reigns were a big part of the reason for it. It probably was the reason the fans never turned on Hulk Hogan when he regained the WWE Title after long absences from the Title picture.
In this day in age in the WWE, it seems like the Title is nothing more than a prop to carry around. Hell, the Title has changed hands 6 times in the last three months, including twice in the last month alone. Alberto del Rio had a 5 week Title reign, Rey Mysterio has a 90 minute Title reign. Then at the end of that 90 minute Title reign there were 2 WWE Champions at the end of the show. And of course we can't forget the World Title, which has had 7 different reigns this year alone. Hopefully Mark Henry has a bit longer reign to establish some credibility to the World Title, which will then make whoever wins it off of him a big star and the Title change a big deal.
And lets not even get into the secondary titles known as the Intercontinental and United States Championships. Those have pretty much become non-existent. Until Cody Rhodes brought back the old school Intercontinental Title, I probably couldn't even have told you who the IC Champion was. it was that non-existent. Dolph Ziggler has had the United States Title for a while now, but it's not even like it is there half the time. Back in the day, being the IC Champ in the WWE or the US Champion in WCW often meant you were one of the best, sometimes the second best worker in the Company. Now? It means you either get pinned in a Tag Title match on PPV, or get pinned in non-title matches like Cody at Vengeance or Dolph on RAW against Zack Ryder. I'm not even going to get into the Tag Team Titles.
And of course, the booking of certain Champions has been highly questionable in recent years. Rey Mysterio and Jack Swagger were both booked terribly during their first reigns. Rey constantly lost matches as did Swagger. And this week on RAW, Alberto del Rio lost clean to Big Show. If you read my review of RAW, you know that pissed me off tremendously. How are people suppose to believe them as a credible Champion if they are losing non-Title matches cleanly? It's a joke. Who cares about Big Show's mystique? He can take a loss.
So what am I getting at with all of this? The WWE has done a poor job of booking their Champions over the last few years. The constant Title changes as well as questionable booking of champions pretty much just makes the title belts look like props at times. Aside from John Cena, nobody really gets a strong Title reign anymore. The Miz had a long reign, but look at his PPV matches:
TLC: Won a Tables Match against Randy Orton after Alex Riley interfered
Royal Rumble: Beat Randy Orton after interference from C.M. Punk/Nexus
Elimination Chamber: Beat Jerry Lawler
Wrestlemania: Beat John Cena after a restart and interference from The Rock
Sure The Miz can talk some heat back onto him, but it is tough to take him seriously as a fan if he can't beat anyone without help. Up until the current reign of Mark Henry, heels were basically booked as wimps as Champions. They rarely if ever won a match clean, and of course they could never beat John Cena clean one-on-one. Heels have taken a turn for the worse in booking over the last few years. Hopefully that's something Mark Henry can correct with a long World Title reign.
The one thing I want to make clear here is that, face or heel, the WWE needs to bring credibility back to their Championships. Extended title reigns have become a thing of the past, but they need to become a thing of the present. Not only extended Title reigns, but Champions need to be booked strongly too. You can't have Cody Rhodes lose a match on a PPV, then a match on RAW and expect fans to take him as Intercontinental Champion seriously. The WWE feels that having the top Titles on faces brings in more money and ratings, but having a strong heel could do the exact same thing. Adult males get sick of seeing John Cena on top because he always wins. Did the WWE ever think that if Cena lost a couple times to a credible, dominant heel THEN won the WWE Title that some fans might actually like him. I'm a firm believer that long run, their is more money in a face chasing a heel champion than random heels chasing a face champion.
The WWE is facing an important period of time ahead. The Rock is going to be on TV more frequently in the coming weeks and months, which means they will have more viewers tuning in. With Rock/Cena more than likely not being for the WWE Title, it's an opportunity for two other workers to wrestle for that Title and make the match seem like a big deal. Imagine if Alberto del Rio held onto the WWE Title until Wrestlemania. If he was facing an underdog face, it could make that face an instant star. Same goes with Mark Henry. The WWE needs to show the viewers tuning in during the next few months that their Championships are more than prop belts. They need to establish a meaning to each Title and make fans give a damn about their Champions.
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
Sunday, October 30, 2011
The WWE's "Youth Movement": 6 Months Later
So about 6 months ago I wrote a blog piece talking about the supposed youth movement that was happening in the WWE. During one of his conference calls, Vince McMahon said that the WWE was in a youth movement face and that they were going to focus on pushing the young talent that they had in the company. You can read that full piece here: http://jctopropereport.blogspot.com/2011/03/jcs-take-analyzing-wwes-youth-movement.html
Well, it's been a little over 6 months since I wrote that column, and to say things didn't exactly go as planned might be a little bit of an understatement. Lots of factors probably went into that. One: nobody saw C.M. Punk coming. He had been stagnant for years, and all of the sudden he just exploded onto the main event scene and looks to be there to stay. I didn't think it would ever happen. Another factor into all of this is the success that was The Rock's return. The Rock helped Wrestlemania top 1 million buys. Many people also didn't expect The Rock to agree to wrestle at Survivor Series, Wrestlemania, and whenever else he agrees to wrestle. Then of course there was the big Vince McMahon/HHH/CEO storyline that brought back Kevin Nash and basically needed to involve the veteran key players.
But with that being said lets take a look back, and a look forward, to see what is in these stars' futures.
Well, it's been a little over 6 months since I wrote that column, and to say things didn't exactly go as planned might be a little bit of an understatement. Lots of factors probably went into that. One: nobody saw C.M. Punk coming. He had been stagnant for years, and all of the sudden he just exploded onto the main event scene and looks to be there to stay. I didn't think it would ever happen. Another factor into all of this is the success that was The Rock's return. The Rock helped Wrestlemania top 1 million buys. Many people also didn't expect The Rock to agree to wrestle at Survivor Series, Wrestlemania, and whenever else he agrees to wrestle. Then of course there was the big Vince McMahon/HHH/CEO storyline that brought back Kevin Nash and basically needed to involve the veteran key players.
But with that being said lets take a look back, and a look forward, to see what is in these stars' futures.
JOHN MORRISON
What I Said 6 Months Ago
-After The Miz and Alberto del Rio, I think John Morrison would have to be considered the next breakout star in the WWE.
-Morrison's parkour style gives him a unique offensive move set that makes him different from any other star in the WWE.
-Many people are comparing John Morrison to Jeff Hardy. That is a fair comparison. Obviously Morrison has his personal life in better order than Hardy.
-So when does the WWE pull the trigger on John Morrison? If it was up to me, I'd say SummerSlam.
Morrison was the first name on my list, so that's why I start with him. To say things have taken a turn for the worse for Morrison is quite the understatement. Morrison appeared to still be in for some type of push after Wrestlemania, but his behavior during the lead up to Wrestlemania really effected all of that. Morrison apparently had problems with Trish Stratus being in his match rather than his real life girlfriend Melina. Melina was apparently in Morrison's ear, and because of that he gave the cold shoulder to Stratus. That's a big no-no for a young guy looking to breakout in the business. Morrison still was in the main event of the next PPV, Extreme Rules, but it never really amounted to anything. Morrison dealt with a neck injury that made him miss most of the summer. But after that? He's basically been a flashy jobber since his return.
John Morrison's backstage reputation has been nothing to write home about if you believe the stories you hear. He apparently did everything Melina asked him to do. Vince McMahon was also apparently never that high on Morrison, mostly because he didn't believe Morrison looked like a guy that could "win a real fight." It pretty much seems like Morrison's main event opportunity has come and gone. If he stays with the WWE and re-signs, I highly doubt he gets any closer to the main event than he was. I will firmly say this right now: John Morrison will never be WWE or World Champion.
Dolph Ziggler
What I Said 6 Months Ago
-I don't think I've been more impressed with the overall improvement of one wrestler in the ring like I have been with Dolph Ziggler in the last few months.
-When Dolph Ziggler first debuted with his new gimmick, I thought there'd be no way he would get to where he is today. "Hi, I'm Dolph Ziggler." just seemed very stale and bad. But to his credit, Dolph has done very well over the last couple months.
-I don't have an exact scenario to play out for Ziggler, but I do think he will have the World Title again before the end of 2011, with Survivor Series being my first guess as to when he will win it.
Well, obviously Dolph Ziggler won't be getting his next World Title reign at Survivor Series. I hate having to consider this Dolph's second reign, because his hour long reign on an episode of Smackdown meant so much. But that's not to say that Dolph won't be getting one in the near future. Dolph still has all the potential in the world. He's one of the WWE's best workers in the ring, probably in the Top 5. And in the past few weeks, Dolph has been given more time to talk on the mic. And you know what? He is doing a hell of a job coming off as a serious threat. Dolph is apparently getting praise backstage for carrying the bulk of his program with Mason Ryan. I'm sure the WWE brass actually sees potential in Ziggler.
I think Ziggler was hurt when he was forced to move to RAW. If Ziggler was on Smackdown right now he would probably have more of an opportunity to main event. But on RAW, he plays second fiddle to John Cena, C.M. Punk, Alberto del Rio, Miz and HHH. Ziggler has held onto the United States Championship for a while now, but sooner or later he has to lose it if the WWE gets serious about moving him up the card. With Rock/Cena headlining Wrestlemania, the WWE can take risks about who will appear in their World and WWE Title matches. Ziggler doesn't scream main event, but he's somebody the WWE could take a chance on in one of those spots. I would be very surprised if Ziggler hasn't had a World or WWE Title run by the summer of 2012. The guy definitely deserves it. A WWE Title program with C.M. Punk would be a great thing to watch.
SHEAMUS
What I Said 6 Months Ago
-Even though he won the King of the Ring Tournament, he hasn't done much with it. First of all, he looks like a goof wearing the king attire. Second of all, he hasn't done anything worthy since winning it
-I think the best thing that could happen for Sheamus right now would be a move to Smackdown. There is nothing left for him on RAW.
-Sheamus is the type of guy that if re-established properly can be a top wrestler in this company down the line. He has the ability to slide into the main event slot and hold his own with the top guys in the company. Sheamus is in the position where instead of worrying about his next title reign, he needs to worry about re-establishing himself as a threat in the eyes of fans who now look at him as an afterthought
I don't know if anyone I wrote about has gone through a bigger resurgence than Sheamus. When I wrote about Sheamus 6 months ago, he was on a big losing streak. HHH demolished him on RAW in minutes, and he wasn't even on Wrestlemania. He wrestled Daniel Bryan in a dark match on the show. Sheamus eventually got his much needed move to Smackdown. At the time I suggested feuds with Rey Mysterio, Edge, and The Undertaker. Well: Rey moved to RAW, Edge retired, and Taker disappeared after Mania. All hope seemed lost for Sheamus, but little did I know his Irish luck was about to change.
In July, Sheamus turned face when he challenged Mark Henry to a match at SummerSlam. It was as simple a face turn as you could imagine. All he did was go into the ring, look at Henry, and say "I'll fight him." And to my surprise, Sheamus has gotten over quite well as a face. His reactions from the crowd are great, and Sheamus has seemed to embrace his role as a face. You can tell he is enjoying himself in front of the crowd. Once Henry finishes up his program with the Big Show, I wouldn't be surprised if Henry revisits his feud with Sheamus. Sheamus is over and he seems like the next logical choice for Henry to move onto.
WADE BARRETT
What I Said 6 Months Ago
-It's a shame that it died the way it did. It would have been nice and refreshing to see a dominant heel faction on top of the WWE. But there is no denying that Barrett showed his worth to the WWE long term as a main event talent. He was outstanding on the mic while he was on top.
-If he can stay strong enough in the eyes of fans, I could see him as the leading candidate to win next year's Royal Rumble and headline Wrestlemania.
-Barrett needs to continue to improve in the ring. He already has the talent on the mic to be in the main event, now he just needs to add a bit more to his in ring work in order to maintain his status as a top guy now and down the line.
Wade Barrett has been very up and down this year. The Corre pretty much was a minuscule version of the Nexus. It never amounted to anything. Barrett won the Intercontinental Title but never really did much with it. He was jobbed out to Ezekiel Jackson and never really did much this summer. He did beat Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam. I thought Barrett might have been a prime candidate to win the Smackdown Money in the Bank but it didn't come to fruition. Now Wade Barrett is going through what he is calling his "Resurrection." Hopefully it leads to something. At this point, I will take an actual program with someone. I've seen house shows where Barrett is scheduled to face Randy Orton. That's a good start.
Hopefully this Resurrection does lead to something for Barrett. I really enjoyed his work as leader of Nexus. His mic skills haven't gone anywhere and he can still put on a good match with the right partner in the ring. A program with Randy Orton would do wonders for Barrett's ascent up the card. He may not win the program, but if he won a match or two over Orton, it would be great. Barrett's problem is that he has some competition on Smackdown for the next top spot with the next guy on my list. But if Barrett continues his "Resurrection," we may see him on top sooner than you think.
CODY RHODES
What I Said 6 Months Ago
-It will take some work, but Cody's gimmick is very much over as a heel right now.
-His mic work with this Dashing gimmick is very good. I didn't think the gimmick would last this long, but Cody is doing a tremendous job of making it work.
-Cody Rhodes is somebody I can see in the Spring or Summer of 2012 as a man ready to finally compete for a World Title, and ready to win it as well.
I think one could argue that Cody Rhodes is ahead of everyone else on this list. Rhodes continues to take his gimmick to the next level. He did a great thing in bringing back the old school Intercontinental Title. Rhodes has also looked very strong during his program with Randy Orton. Sure, he didn't win his match at Vengeance, but the program seems to be continuing on Smackdown. Rhodes has gone from a goofball gimmick to a gimmick that is a serious threat and one that the fans have to take seriously. Rhodes isn't going away anytime soon as he continues to fine tune his character.
The problem Rhodes is facing right now is that he is stuck behind Mark Henry on Smackdown. Rhodes is actually benefiting from all of the time he is getting on RAW. It is exposing him to the people who don't watch Smackdown. Rhodes might actually benefit from a permanent move to RAW. Programs with John Cena, C.M. Punk, and maybe even Zack Ryder all sound like good ideas. I thought Rhodes had a good shot of winning Money in the Bank this year, but obviously that didn't happen. Rhodes time will come. I would peg Rhodes and Barrett as two dark horse candidates to win the Royal Rumble. Even if he doesn't win the Royal Rumble, I think Rhodes is World Champion by the Summer of 2012.
DANIEL BRYAN
What I Said 6 Months Ago
-Daniel Bryan is a favorite amongst the "smart" wrestling fans. Bryan is everything they like. A good worker in the ring capable of putting on an entertaining match with anyone.
-From my standpoint, I think Daniel Bryan has the potential to be a main event guy. From a WRESTLING standpoint, he reminds me a lot of Chris Benoit. I know that's a name people hate to bring up, and I'm sure there will be people who hate me for using him to compare with Daniel Bryan, but they do have some similarities.
-I think Bryan is the type of guy who can main event Wrestlemania if built up like Benoit was during his run to the World Title at Wrestlemania XX. I would say to watch for the Summer of 2012 or maybe even as late as Wrestlemania 29 for Bryan's first main event title run.
Well, it looks like I was off by a full year with Daniel Bryan's push. Of course that is if the WWE decided to go through with Bryan's push. Daniel Bryan surprised everyone with his win of the Smackdown Money in the Bank briefcase. I didn't see it coming at all. There was no indication at all that Bryan even had a chance of winning. Not only did Bryan surprise with his MITB win, but he surprised many by actually announcing when he would cash in. Bryan said he believed surprise cash-ins on vulnerable opponents did nothing, so he decided to cash in his MITB Briefcase at Wrestlemania.
But since Bryan won the MITB Briefcase, he's gone on a bit of a losing streak. He hasn't had any set program for a while. Some people think a heel turn may be on the horizon, but Smackdown is already filled with young heels and Bryan doesn't need to fall behind them. While the WWE can take the risk of having Bryan in the World Title match at Wrestlemania, it also doesn't scream "World Title Match." Now of course, a David vs Goliath type match with Bryan taking on Henry could be quite interesting. I think Bryan needs to be built back up a bit more though before anything can happen. At this point, no one is buying him as a World Champion. Bryan needs a major face lift in the next couple of months.
That's all from me this week.
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Re-Booking the RAW Main Event Scene
Let me start of by saying one thing: Unlike a lot of people, I don't absolutely hate where this entire Triple H/COO/Walk Out storyline is at right now. The WWE could be in a lot worse shape right now. Some people hated the walk out. I didn't. It was something different. Some say the babyface wrestlers are made to look like wimps by doing this. I don't think that at all. To me, that is just marks over-analyzing things. If you don't like the place and/or environment you are working in, you do something about it. In this case, it was unified showing of no confidence in Triple H. I also like the uproar Miz and R-Truth are causing. Their arrest scene from Hell in A Cell is something that brought back shades of the Attitude Era with cops taking them off in handcuffs.
But, to say that the WWE didn't screw a few things up during these past few months would be wrong. For one, they brought back C.M. Punk too soon. They also hot shoted the WWE Title one too many times, which just makes the Title look like a toy prop rather than something with meaning too it. And while I'm still waiting to see where the walk out storyline is going, it could have been played out longer or been held off for a bit or not done at all. So, with that being said, I'm going to re-book the WWE, starting from after Money in the Bank. I would keep the ending of Money in the Bank exactly as it was, with C.M. Punk leaving as WWE Champion.
-After Money in the Bank, Vince McMahon announces a WWE Title Tournament to name a new Champion. Instead of having two rounds of matches in one night. The end of the night ends with Vince McMahon in the ring, about to fire John Cena. But Triple H comes out and announces that he is COO, and Vince has been relieved of his duties. The next week is the semi finals and finals of the WWE Championship Tournament. But instead of Rey Mysterio winning, it is Alberto del Rio. As Del Rio is celebrating his Title win, Triple H comes out at the end of the show to congratulate him. He also names ADR's opponent for SummerSlam, a man who was held out of the Tournament and has every right to have his re-match for the WWE Title. Obviously, that man is John Cena. Triple H, meanwhile, doesn't get too involved with things yer as COO. He just sits back for a while and makes some few minor changes.
-At SummerSlam, Del Rio and John Cena go one-on-one. I would book it very similar to their match at Night og Champions. In the end, however, Ricardo's interference backfires, and Del Rio eats an AA and John Cena picks up the win. The next night on RAW, Rey Mysterio has his match for the WWE Championship with John Cena. Cena wins, and at the end of the match, C.M. Punk returns and has his staredown with John Cena to close RAW. I know they wrote off Rey Mysterio with his match against Alberto del Rio, but you could do that the next week with Del Rio taking out Rey by a vicious attack. I would probably keep Del Rio off of RAW after SummerSlam then have him attack Rey the next week.
-Night of Champions arrives and we get Punk/Cena 2. Having this match here probably would have helped spike the buyrate a bit more than Punk/HHH did. HHH is still the special guest referee. During the build to NOC, Miz and R-Truth are still going on about their Conspiracy angle. During the match, Miz and R-Truth make their way down to the ring. HHH goes out to stop them. During this time, Cena gives Punk an AA and has him pinned, but HHH is distracted. After Cena pleads his case, Punk hits the GTS on Cena for the win. Miz & Truth go for a post match beatdown on Punk, but HHH, Punk, and Cena all fight them off. As Punk stands alone in the ring, Kevin Nash appears and Powerbombs Punk, allowing Del Rio to come out and cash in his Money in the Bank contract on Punk and regain the WWE Championship.
-With only two weeks to book Hell in A Cell, Triple H still announces the Triple Threat Match. Kevin Nash still states that he received a text message saying to take out the winner of the WWE Championship match, but instead of not saying who, Nash says it was John Laurinaitis. Laurinaitis denies it. HHH warns Nash to stay away from Hell in A Cell. On RAW, Miz & Truth attack Cena and Punk again. HHH suspends Miz & Truth for their actions at NOC and RAW. At Hell in A Cell, Del Rio retains the WWE Title just like he did at the PPV. With the Cell raised, Cena makes his way back in, but so do Miz, R-Truth, and Kevin Nash. WWE officials, security, and superstars try to get in to the Cell, but are unable to until the bolt cutters arrive. Nash, Truth, and Miz surrender and are arrested. Surprisingly, however, Del Rio is left untouched by the attack. But no one notices because of the chaos the three men caused.
-With Vengeance approaching in three weeks, it is still too short of a time to lead to something big. Some people begin to question whether or not HHH can be COO. HHH makes Cena/Del Rio at Vengeance, as well as Kevin Nash/C.M. Punk with two stipulations: If Nash wins, he gets a contract. If Punk wins, he gets a WWE Title shot at Survivor Series. Triple H warns Miz & Truth not to interfere or their indefinite suspension turns into a permanent firing. Punk defeats Nash. In the WWE Title match, two men in masks and hoodies jump Cena with the ref down, and put Del Rio on top of Cena for the win. Triple H rushes the ring to try to prove that it is Miz & R-Truth, but Truth and Miz come in through the crowd and stare down HHH as he watches on in shock not knowing what to think.
-With Survivor Series approaching, John Cena starts to interact with The Rock more. But he also has a problem with Miz & R-Truth. The Rock says that he agrees with Cena that Miz & R-Truth need to be stopped. The two men from Vengeance and Miz and R-Truth jump Rock and Cena in the ring. As the show ends, it is revealed that the two men are Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett. The next week on RAW, HHH announces that at Survivor Series it will be the team of Miz/R-Truth/Nash/Rhodes/Barrett against a team of Rock/Cena and whoever else they recruit to join their team. If Miz and Truth's team wins, they get their jobs back. Rock and Cena choose Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, and Zack Ryder. As HHH continues to point the finger at Laurinaitis, C.M. Punk begins to question whether HHH really is the one to look at here.
-Survivor Series arrives. During the WWE Title match, Punk hits the GTS on Del Rio for the apparent win, but the referee misses Del Rio's foot on the ropes. HHH comes out and points it out on a replay to the referee. He orders the match re-started, and Del Rio picks up the win with the cross arm breaker after Punk puts up a valiant fight to get out of it. The 5-on-5 match gets down to Rock/Cena against Miz/Truth/Nash. Nash gets eliminated after an AA/People's Elbow combo. All four men left are in the ring. Cena goes for a shoulder tackle to Miz but he ducks, and Cena takes out Rock instead. Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale and Rock is eliminated. Cena gets Truth to tap out to the STF. While it is down to Miz and Cena, the ref gets taken out by another missed Cena shoulder tackle. HHH comes out to get a better look. With both men down, HHH enters the ring. But instead of taking out Miz, HHH pedigrees Cena and throws Miz on top for the win. Punk comes out to take out HHH, but Del Rio attacks and the rest of Team Miz comes out. The show closes with HHH, Miz, R-Truth, Nash, Alberto del Rio, Cody Rhodes, and Wade Barrett standing in the ring, arms raised, as the New Corporation is formed. HHH fires Laurinaitis the next night as he wants total control over the WWE.
-At TLC, Punk upsets Del Rio in a Ladder Match to win the WWE Title. Despite HHH's best attempts, Punk retains the Title at the Royal Rumble before finally losing it to Del Rio at Elimination Chamber. Cena and Rock team again at the Royal Rumble to take on Miz and R-Truth, but this time it is Rock who accidentally takes out Cena and allows Miz and Truth to pick up the win. Of course during all of this Punk continues to go at HHH on the mic. Punk challenges HHH to a match at Wrestlemania, but HHH says he has to go through Miz, R-Truth, Cody Rhodes, and Wade Barrett to get to him. Punk does successfully, and we get the FIRST Punk/HHH match at Wrestlemania, with HHH's COO Title and Punk's job on the line. Del Rio takes on Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. Cody Rhodes & Wade Barrett team up to take on Sheamus & Sin Cara. And Miz? He challenges The Undertaker.
-So if I had booked the WWE, my Wrestlemania would look like this:
The Rock vs John Cena
C.M. Punk vs Triple H: IF Triple H loses, he is forced out as COO
WWE Championship: Alberto del Rio vs Randy Orton
World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry vs Daniel Bryan
The Undertaker vs The Miz w/R-Truth
Sheamus & Sin Cara vs Wade Barrett & Cody Rhodes
Throw in some mid-card and Divas matches, and there is your Wrestlemania. Again, this obviously won't happen because I didn't book the WWE this year. As stated earlier, I have no problem with the walk out angle. I just would have done things differently. I hope you enjoyed this piece. I had a fun time writing it.
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
But, to say that the WWE didn't screw a few things up during these past few months would be wrong. For one, they brought back C.M. Punk too soon. They also hot shoted the WWE Title one too many times, which just makes the Title look like a toy prop rather than something with meaning too it. And while I'm still waiting to see where the walk out storyline is going, it could have been played out longer or been held off for a bit or not done at all. So, with that being said, I'm going to re-book the WWE, starting from after Money in the Bank. I would keep the ending of Money in the Bank exactly as it was, with C.M. Punk leaving as WWE Champion.
-After Money in the Bank, Vince McMahon announces a WWE Title Tournament to name a new Champion. Instead of having two rounds of matches in one night. The end of the night ends with Vince McMahon in the ring, about to fire John Cena. But Triple H comes out and announces that he is COO, and Vince has been relieved of his duties. The next week is the semi finals and finals of the WWE Championship Tournament. But instead of Rey Mysterio winning, it is Alberto del Rio. As Del Rio is celebrating his Title win, Triple H comes out at the end of the show to congratulate him. He also names ADR's opponent for SummerSlam, a man who was held out of the Tournament and has every right to have his re-match for the WWE Title. Obviously, that man is John Cena. Triple H, meanwhile, doesn't get too involved with things yer as COO. He just sits back for a while and makes some few minor changes.
-At SummerSlam, Del Rio and John Cena go one-on-one. I would book it very similar to their match at Night og Champions. In the end, however, Ricardo's interference backfires, and Del Rio eats an AA and John Cena picks up the win. The next night on RAW, Rey Mysterio has his match for the WWE Championship with John Cena. Cena wins, and at the end of the match, C.M. Punk returns and has his staredown with John Cena to close RAW. I know they wrote off Rey Mysterio with his match against Alberto del Rio, but you could do that the next week with Del Rio taking out Rey by a vicious attack. I would probably keep Del Rio off of RAW after SummerSlam then have him attack Rey the next week.
-Night of Champions arrives and we get Punk/Cena 2. Having this match here probably would have helped spike the buyrate a bit more than Punk/HHH did. HHH is still the special guest referee. During the build to NOC, Miz and R-Truth are still going on about their Conspiracy angle. During the match, Miz and R-Truth make their way down to the ring. HHH goes out to stop them. During this time, Cena gives Punk an AA and has him pinned, but HHH is distracted. After Cena pleads his case, Punk hits the GTS on Cena for the win. Miz & Truth go for a post match beatdown on Punk, but HHH, Punk, and Cena all fight them off. As Punk stands alone in the ring, Kevin Nash appears and Powerbombs Punk, allowing Del Rio to come out and cash in his Money in the Bank contract on Punk and regain the WWE Championship.
-With only two weeks to book Hell in A Cell, Triple H still announces the Triple Threat Match. Kevin Nash still states that he received a text message saying to take out the winner of the WWE Championship match, but instead of not saying who, Nash says it was John Laurinaitis. Laurinaitis denies it. HHH warns Nash to stay away from Hell in A Cell. On RAW, Miz & Truth attack Cena and Punk again. HHH suspends Miz & Truth for their actions at NOC and RAW. At Hell in A Cell, Del Rio retains the WWE Title just like he did at the PPV. With the Cell raised, Cena makes his way back in, but so do Miz, R-Truth, and Kevin Nash. WWE officials, security, and superstars try to get in to the Cell, but are unable to until the bolt cutters arrive. Nash, Truth, and Miz surrender and are arrested. Surprisingly, however, Del Rio is left untouched by the attack. But no one notices because of the chaos the three men caused.
-With Vengeance approaching in three weeks, it is still too short of a time to lead to something big. Some people begin to question whether or not HHH can be COO. HHH makes Cena/Del Rio at Vengeance, as well as Kevin Nash/C.M. Punk with two stipulations: If Nash wins, he gets a contract. If Punk wins, he gets a WWE Title shot at Survivor Series. Triple H warns Miz & Truth not to interfere or their indefinite suspension turns into a permanent firing. Punk defeats Nash. In the WWE Title match, two men in masks and hoodies jump Cena with the ref down, and put Del Rio on top of Cena for the win. Triple H rushes the ring to try to prove that it is Miz & R-Truth, but Truth and Miz come in through the crowd and stare down HHH as he watches on in shock not knowing what to think.
-With Survivor Series approaching, John Cena starts to interact with The Rock more. But he also has a problem with Miz & R-Truth. The Rock says that he agrees with Cena that Miz & R-Truth need to be stopped. The two men from Vengeance and Miz and R-Truth jump Rock and Cena in the ring. As the show ends, it is revealed that the two men are Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett. The next week on RAW, HHH announces that at Survivor Series it will be the team of Miz/R-Truth/Nash/Rhodes/Barrett against a team of Rock/Cena and whoever else they recruit to join their team. If Miz and Truth's team wins, they get their jobs back. Rock and Cena choose Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, and Zack Ryder. As HHH continues to point the finger at Laurinaitis, C.M. Punk begins to question whether HHH really is the one to look at here.
-Survivor Series arrives. During the WWE Title match, Punk hits the GTS on Del Rio for the apparent win, but the referee misses Del Rio's foot on the ropes. HHH comes out and points it out on a replay to the referee. He orders the match re-started, and Del Rio picks up the win with the cross arm breaker after Punk puts up a valiant fight to get out of it. The 5-on-5 match gets down to Rock/Cena against Miz/Truth/Nash. Nash gets eliminated after an AA/People's Elbow combo. All four men left are in the ring. Cena goes for a shoulder tackle to Miz but he ducks, and Cena takes out Rock instead. Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale and Rock is eliminated. Cena gets Truth to tap out to the STF. While it is down to Miz and Cena, the ref gets taken out by another missed Cena shoulder tackle. HHH comes out to get a better look. With both men down, HHH enters the ring. But instead of taking out Miz, HHH pedigrees Cena and throws Miz on top for the win. Punk comes out to take out HHH, but Del Rio attacks and the rest of Team Miz comes out. The show closes with HHH, Miz, R-Truth, Nash, Alberto del Rio, Cody Rhodes, and Wade Barrett standing in the ring, arms raised, as the New Corporation is formed. HHH fires Laurinaitis the next night as he wants total control over the WWE.
-At TLC, Punk upsets Del Rio in a Ladder Match to win the WWE Title. Despite HHH's best attempts, Punk retains the Title at the Royal Rumble before finally losing it to Del Rio at Elimination Chamber. Cena and Rock team again at the Royal Rumble to take on Miz and R-Truth, but this time it is Rock who accidentally takes out Cena and allows Miz and Truth to pick up the win. Of course during all of this Punk continues to go at HHH on the mic. Punk challenges HHH to a match at Wrestlemania, but HHH says he has to go through Miz, R-Truth, Cody Rhodes, and Wade Barrett to get to him. Punk does successfully, and we get the FIRST Punk/HHH match at Wrestlemania, with HHH's COO Title and Punk's job on the line. Del Rio takes on Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. Cody Rhodes & Wade Barrett team up to take on Sheamus & Sin Cara. And Miz? He challenges The Undertaker.
-So if I had booked the WWE, my Wrestlemania would look like this:
The Rock vs John Cena
C.M. Punk vs Triple H: IF Triple H loses, he is forced out as COO
WWE Championship: Alberto del Rio vs Randy Orton
World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry vs Daniel Bryan
The Undertaker vs The Miz w/R-Truth
Sheamus & Sin Cara vs Wade Barrett & Cody Rhodes
Throw in some mid-card and Divas matches, and there is your Wrestlemania. Again, this obviously won't happen because I didn't book the WWE this year. As stated earlier, I have no problem with the walk out angle. I just would have done things differently. I hope you enjoyed this piece. I had a fun time writing it.
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
Monday, October 3, 2011
RAW Thoughts for 10/3/2011
RAW is Already Ripping Off Monday Night Football
RAW started with no pyro. Instead it started with a Randy Orton entrance, with Drew McIntyre already in the ring. Orton took the action outside and threw McIntyre into the barricade. McIntyre gained control with a good boot to Orton. Orton fought back and threw Drew into the corner, but McIntyre countered again with a boot to the face. McIntyre went for a splash from the top but Orton caught him with a boot to the face. Regular Orton offense. Bodyslams then middle rope DDT. An RKO finished Drew off. Drew stirred up after the match then ate another RKO.
After the match, Mark Henry came out and showed off the World Title. Orton and Henry started to brawl. Security and John Laurinaitis tried to break it up. The brawl didn't stop til Orton dumped Henry over the barricade. With so many guys in the main event, why not start with the main Smackdown feud. Just basic reinforcement of the Smackdown storyline. About average. Poor Drew is officially a jobber. Survey Says: 2.5/5
John Morrison: Welcome to Jobbersville
Mark Henry was in the ring waiting for an apparent match, with John Morrison. They advertised Big Show's return Friday on Smackdown. Henry dominated early. John Morrison countered a World Strongest Slam with kicks and Starship Pain, but only for two. Henry eventually hit a World's Strongest Slam for the win. He hit another Slam after the match. After the match, Henry said he was done with Randy Orton. He then told Big Show that he's not afraid of him, and he will be waiting on Smackdown. More continued dominance for Henry. Nothing should change anytime soon. Survey Says: 2/5
Backstage, Vickie Guerrero was with David Otunga, Cody Rhodes, Alberto del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, and Christian complained to John Laurinaitis about unsafe work conditions. They were going out to the ring to complain. Laurinaitis texted someone.
Someone Call Clarence Mason!
In ring, Del Rio complained about the shenanigans from Hell in A Cell. Christian complained about the unsafe working conditions. Cody said all of this was about HHH's enormous ego. Dolph said they were taking actions into their own hands. Swagger says his family and friends are concerned for him. Vickie said she felt vulnerable as a woman in these conditions. Otunga talked about taking action before HHH interrupted. He asked what happened to this place, when everyone used to fight like men. HHH said he didn't care about their lawsuit or Miz and Truth's, he just can't wait to see those heels in the ring against the faces they face later tonight. It got the point across about their being unrest in the locker room, but it could have been done better. Everything was just done too much in unison for my liking. Survey Says: 2/5
This Tag Match Again?
Kelly flipped shit on Beth on the outside, throwing her into the announce table. Whatever. Survey Says: 1/5
Johnny Ace apologized for not doing his job yesterday to HHH. He said HHH needed to ask the RAW Locker Room for a vote of No Confidence. HHH grabbed Laurinaitis by the tie and told him to bring the locker room to the ring later, and make sure he is there too.
They showed a deleted scene from Fast Five starring The Rock.
In ring, Jinder Mahal cut a promo in his native language. Santino interrupted, they spoke jibberish, then Santino won a short match with The Cobra. Nice to see Santino back for some comic relief.
A Brodus Clay video package aired, then they recapped the Miz/R-Truth attack from Hell in A Cell. A YouTube video of a Truth and Miz apology was shown. They complained about HHH's attack on them, and how they are getting attorneys involved.
I'm Starting to Think We're in the Wild West
Twelve man next. C.M. Punk came out selling the effects of Hell in A Cell. John Cena came out next, not selling the effects of Hell in A Cell. I was a bit distracted during this because of a very gruesome injury during the Monday night game. I came back to see a standoff then a commercial. Back from break Kofi and Cody were dueling in the ring. The heels took turns working over Kofi. Kofi finally made the hot tag to Evan Bourne. Bourne hit a knee then Air Bourne on Swagger. Vicki put Swagger's leg on the ropes, which the ref caught. He tossed Vickie.
Back from break, the heels were now working over Evan Bourne. Bourne eventually hit a DDT on Del Rio. Bourne then tagged in Cena, who hit his usual offense on Del Rio. Cena went for the AA, but Del Rio countered with a knee drop to the arm. Swagger tagged in and hit a Swagger Bomb on Cena for a two count. He went for another one but Cena moved. Swagger tagged in Dolph, Cena tagged in Sheamus. Del Rio knocked Sheamus off the apron. Ziggler hit the leg drop on Sheamus, but he kicked out. Everyone hit a move on someone before Sheamus connected with the Brogue Kick on Ziggler for the win. Even though I missed the first half, that was a fun match. It was nice to see Sheamus, not Cena, get the win for his team. I think Sheamus is in line for a big push as a face. It was also nice to see such a long match on RAW for a change. No one really looked bad, and they hid the two worst guys in the match, Otunga and Mason Ryan, really well. A nice change of pace. Survey Says: 4/5
The Cheese Stands Alone
Time for Triple H's Vote of Confidence. Triple H said the job was more difficult then he thought it would be. He was given it. He said Miz & Truth should apologize for being a bunch of babies. Triple H admitted to being old school. He likes seeing people beat the hell out of each other. Wade Barrett spoke first. He talked about how the chaos sucks. HHH said Barrett only hates the chaos because he isn't leading it. Mike Chioda talked up for the refs. Beth spoke up for the Divas and talked about how they are worried something could happen. Jerry Lawler said he did agree things were getting out of control. But it wasn't HHH's fault, it was somebody elses. Someone behind the scenes. Lawler said HHH is in charge, and he's the reason for all of this. Everyone voted No Confidence. Everyone walked out: faces, heels, divas, refs, announcers, cameramen. Jim Ross was the last one to leave. HHH stood alone in the ring when John Laurinaitis walked onto the stage, then promptly walked away. It was a different ending. Obviously there is now a power struggle being foreshadowed. Who is going to replace HHH? More questions remain. It was a unique ending to RAW. Survey Says: 3.5/5
OVERALL
The first hour of RAW was very underwhelming and not newsworthy at all. The 12 man tag was a nice change of pace from the norm on RAW as it went on for over 20 minutes. There was good action in it too, and it was nice to see Sheamus pick up the win for his team rather than John Cena. The HHH angle was a good way to end the show to leave viewers wanting to tune in next week. It was a nice touch seeing the faces debate whether to stay, and Jim Ross reluctantly leave as well. The fact that they left the viewers with a hook for next week is a good thing. But absolutely zero push for their PPV in 3 weeks wasn't good. The 12 man and the final segment alone give this show a 6.
That's all from me tonight. NFL Week 4 Review tomorrow.
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
RAW started with no pyro. Instead it started with a Randy Orton entrance, with Drew McIntyre already in the ring. Orton took the action outside and threw McIntyre into the barricade. McIntyre gained control with a good boot to Orton. Orton fought back and threw Drew into the corner, but McIntyre countered again with a boot to the face. McIntyre went for a splash from the top but Orton caught him with a boot to the face. Regular Orton offense. Bodyslams then middle rope DDT. An RKO finished Drew off. Drew stirred up after the match then ate another RKO.
After the match, Mark Henry came out and showed off the World Title. Orton and Henry started to brawl. Security and John Laurinaitis tried to break it up. The brawl didn't stop til Orton dumped Henry over the barricade. With so many guys in the main event, why not start with the main Smackdown feud. Just basic reinforcement of the Smackdown storyline. About average. Poor Drew is officially a jobber. Survey Says: 2.5/5
John Morrison: Welcome to Jobbersville
Mark Henry was in the ring waiting for an apparent match, with John Morrison. They advertised Big Show's return Friday on Smackdown. Henry dominated early. John Morrison countered a World Strongest Slam with kicks and Starship Pain, but only for two. Henry eventually hit a World's Strongest Slam for the win. He hit another Slam after the match. After the match, Henry said he was done with Randy Orton. He then told Big Show that he's not afraid of him, and he will be waiting on Smackdown. More continued dominance for Henry. Nothing should change anytime soon. Survey Says: 2/5
Backstage, Vickie Guerrero was with David Otunga, Cody Rhodes, Alberto del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, and Christian complained to John Laurinaitis about unsafe work conditions. They were going out to the ring to complain. Laurinaitis texted someone.
Someone Call Clarence Mason!
In ring, Del Rio complained about the shenanigans from Hell in A Cell. Christian complained about the unsafe working conditions. Cody said all of this was about HHH's enormous ego. Dolph said they were taking actions into their own hands. Swagger says his family and friends are concerned for him. Vickie said she felt vulnerable as a woman in these conditions. Otunga talked about taking action before HHH interrupted. He asked what happened to this place, when everyone used to fight like men. HHH said he didn't care about their lawsuit or Miz and Truth's, he just can't wait to see those heels in the ring against the faces they face later tonight. It got the point across about their being unrest in the locker room, but it could have been done better. Everything was just done too much in unison for my liking. Survey Says: 2/5
This Tag Match Again?
Kelly flipped shit on Beth on the outside, throwing her into the announce table. Whatever. Survey Says: 1/5
Johnny Ace apologized for not doing his job yesterday to HHH. He said HHH needed to ask the RAW Locker Room for a vote of No Confidence. HHH grabbed Laurinaitis by the tie and told him to bring the locker room to the ring later, and make sure he is there too.
They showed a deleted scene from Fast Five starring The Rock.
In ring, Jinder Mahal cut a promo in his native language. Santino interrupted, they spoke jibberish, then Santino won a short match with The Cobra. Nice to see Santino back for some comic relief.
A Brodus Clay video package aired, then they recapped the Miz/R-Truth attack from Hell in A Cell. A YouTube video of a Truth and Miz apology was shown. They complained about HHH's attack on them, and how they are getting attorneys involved.
I'm Starting to Think We're in the Wild West
Twelve man next. C.M. Punk came out selling the effects of Hell in A Cell. John Cena came out next, not selling the effects of Hell in A Cell. I was a bit distracted during this because of a very gruesome injury during the Monday night game. I came back to see a standoff then a commercial. Back from break Kofi and Cody were dueling in the ring. The heels took turns working over Kofi. Kofi finally made the hot tag to Evan Bourne. Bourne hit a knee then Air Bourne on Swagger. Vicki put Swagger's leg on the ropes, which the ref caught. He tossed Vickie.
Back from break, the heels were now working over Evan Bourne. Bourne eventually hit a DDT on Del Rio. Bourne then tagged in Cena, who hit his usual offense on Del Rio. Cena went for the AA, but Del Rio countered with a knee drop to the arm. Swagger tagged in and hit a Swagger Bomb on Cena for a two count. He went for another one but Cena moved. Swagger tagged in Dolph, Cena tagged in Sheamus. Del Rio knocked Sheamus off the apron. Ziggler hit the leg drop on Sheamus, but he kicked out. Everyone hit a move on someone before Sheamus connected with the Brogue Kick on Ziggler for the win. Even though I missed the first half, that was a fun match. It was nice to see Sheamus, not Cena, get the win for his team. I think Sheamus is in line for a big push as a face. It was also nice to see such a long match on RAW for a change. No one really looked bad, and they hid the two worst guys in the match, Otunga and Mason Ryan, really well. A nice change of pace. Survey Says: 4/5
The Cheese Stands Alone
Time for Triple H's Vote of Confidence. Triple H said the job was more difficult then he thought it would be. He was given it. He said Miz & Truth should apologize for being a bunch of babies. Triple H admitted to being old school. He likes seeing people beat the hell out of each other. Wade Barrett spoke first. He talked about how the chaos sucks. HHH said Barrett only hates the chaos because he isn't leading it. Mike Chioda talked up for the refs. Beth spoke up for the Divas and talked about how they are worried something could happen. Jerry Lawler said he did agree things were getting out of control. But it wasn't HHH's fault, it was somebody elses. Someone behind the scenes. Lawler said HHH is in charge, and he's the reason for all of this. Everyone voted No Confidence. Everyone walked out: faces, heels, divas, refs, announcers, cameramen. Jim Ross was the last one to leave. HHH stood alone in the ring when John Laurinaitis walked onto the stage, then promptly walked away. It was a different ending. Obviously there is now a power struggle being foreshadowed. Who is going to replace HHH? More questions remain. It was a unique ending to RAW. Survey Says: 3.5/5
OVERALL
The first hour of RAW was very underwhelming and not newsworthy at all. The 12 man tag was a nice change of pace from the norm on RAW as it went on for over 20 minutes. There was good action in it too, and it was nice to see Sheamus pick up the win for his team rather than John Cena. The HHH angle was a good way to end the show to leave viewers wanting to tune in next week. It was a nice touch seeing the faces debate whether to stay, and Jim Ross reluctantly leave as well. The fact that they left the viewers with a hook for next week is a good thing. But absolutely zero push for their PPV in 3 weeks wasn't good. The 12 man and the final segment alone give this show a 6.
That's all from me tonight. NFL Week 4 Review tomorrow.
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
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
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
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
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
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
Monday, September 12, 2011
RAW Thoughts 9/12/11
Corny Cena Phrase #32874247902: Jalapenos=Testicles
RAW started with Alberto del Rio in the ring. He said he could take the booing, but not being disrespected. ADR was not happy about being made fun of after getting AA'd by Cena last week. Del Rio listed off everything he's done so far and said he deserves credit and will not be made fun of.
Suddenly Bret Hart's music hit. Bret said he didn't come out to make fun of ADR, he came in to give him some advice. Bret said when he looks at ADR, he sees a man that doesn't know how to be a WWE Champion. Bret says a real champ busts his butt in the ring every night, and that ADR is a long way away from that. ADR said Bret looked like one of the illegal aliens he hired to clean his house. ADR said he was gonna make an example out of Bret. John Cena interrupted. Cena said ADR must have finally grown a sit of jalapenos. Cena told him to go back to Mexico. Cena said ADR is Champ for only 6 more days, because he's beating ADR at Night of Champions. ADR said why wait? Lets give everybody the match they want to see tonight: Cena vs Ricardo. Cena retorted with this idea: ADR vs Bret for the WWE Title. John Laurinaitis interrupted. He came up with the idea of a tag match. OK opening. Nothing too strong, nothing too horrible. Trying to add more heat to Cena/ADR. Survey Says: 3/5
So Much Potential, Not Given Time
Jack Swagger/Dolph Ziggler vs John Morrison/Alex Riley. Dolph & Morrison start. Bot men make quick tags. Riley hit a spinebuster on Swagger before throwing Dolph to the floor. Riley hit a reverse F-5 on Swagger for the win. Ziggler could have broken the count out but didn't. Too short for anything. Survey Says: 2/5
COO-COO for R-Truth
Josh Matthews asked R-Truth & Miz if there feelings have changed after HHH granted them a tag match. Miz complained about everyone talking about the Punk/HHH stand off. Miz said Punk should change the C.M. in his name to B.S. Truth said he thought HHH made a good decision. Miz asked really? Truth said Ninja please. They walked to the ring. Truth said HHH is COO, that spells COO. If you say it twice, that spells COO-COO. Truth said Miz and him should be in every main event. The two said each other's phrases. Miz/Kofi up next.
The two exchanged offense before going to the outside and leading to another commercial. Back from break Miz had Kofi in a headlock. Kofi fought back with some kicks then hit his springboard crossbody. Miz struck back with a boot to the face. Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale for the win. Truth & Miz's mic work made the entire segment overall average, otherwise it'd be below average. Survey Says: 3/5
Jerry Lawler Shouldn't Teach People About Personality
Michael McGillicutty asked Jerry Lawler if he knew who his dad was. Lawler said he did, and he doesn't have the same amount of personality his father does. Lawler introduced his partner: Sheamus. Sheamus took out McGillicutty with some chops then a knee lift. Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick, knocking Otunga to the outside, then another Brogue Kick on McGillicutty then a Celtic Cross for the win. Is this going anywhere? At least they're getting Sheamus over. Survey Says: 2/5
Is Bret Just Doing This for the $$$ Now?
ADR/Ricardo vs Cena/Bret. Ricardo tried to fight Cena but failed. He tagged in ADR. Cena went for the AA but Ricardo saved him. ADR tagged Ricardo in as ADR watched on. Cena hit his normal offense before tagging in Bret, who locked in the Sharpshooter for the win. Cena told ADR to keep running all the way to NOC, because at NOC, the Champ is Here! YAWN. Not even a good way to use Bret. Survey Says: 1.5/5
An unnecessarily long 9/11 package narrated by John Cena aired.
Divas. Yawn.
No entrance for Vickie. Kelly hit a Lou Thesz press then spanked her. Stinkface for Vickie. Swagger came out and decked Ziggler, distracting Vickie. Kelly rolled up Vickie for the win. Beth tried to attack Kelly afterwards but got kicked for her efforts. Another yawner. Survey Says: 1/5
An HHH video package was shown.
Mark Henry was interviewed he complained about being looked over for 15 years. He promised Orton would enter his Hall of Pain Sunday.
Mark Henry: The REAL Predator
Orton worked over Cody early. Mark Henry sat on the ramp. Orton walked out to him. Cody hit Orton with a kick to the face into a commercial. Cody had Orton in a chin lock back from break. Orton regained control as Henry walked to the ring. Cody went for CrossRhodes but Orton countered into his mid-air DDT. Henry distracted Orton and the ref, allowing Rhodes to take off his mask to hit Orton with it. Rhodes ht CrossRhodes for the win. Afterwards Henry hit Orton with a chair and raised the World Title in the air. Nice to see Cody pick up the win. Henry continues to look dominant. Survey Says: 2.5/5
Who Bought The Crappy Pipe Bomb?
Punk wanted to start the face off. Punk said he respects HHH, especially for firing Nash. But he doesn't like HHH. Punk said initially HHH only saw Punk as the "Internet Darling" who couldn't hang with Punk. HHH said that changed a little bit. Punk says that guys that only fit HHH's image get along with HHH. HHH said that not just "bodybuilders" don't get over in the WWE. HHH said if Punk wants to use that as an excuse to go ahead. HHH said that when you get the audience on your side, then you matter. Not through whining or complaining.
Punk told the story about how he grabbed his 1st imaginary brass ring. It was when he was cheered in a Survivor Series tag over DX. Punk would rather be hated for what he was then cheered for what he wasn't. HHH reverted back to Punk's Cena story. He said Cena sells out buildings and won over the audience. Sure. HHH said sometimes he's right, sometimes wrong with his opinion. HHH said people weren't chanting Punk's name last year. HHH said you have to bust your ass to get over in this business. But it isn't business anymore, it's personal. HHH is kicking Punk's ass at NOC. Punk said he's going to kick HHH's ass too. Punk used his real name then HHH's real name, and said the reason kicking HHH's ass was gonna be good was, but then his mic was cut off. Another was too. Punk decked HHH with the mic as the show signed off. Lots of stuff being thrown around. Some probably went over people's heads. It was a lot to take in. They tried too hard to sell a personal backstory. The crowd seemed more behind Punk. Survey Says: 3/5
OVERALL
If they were trying to use this show to sell Night of Champions, they did a bad job, especially with Cena/Del Rio. There's zero interest in that match. HHH/Punk is losing intrigue. Usually whoever ends up on their back on RAW wins at the PPV. That's not a good sign for Punk. The mid-card is still below potential, and I don't care about the Divas or Jerry Lawler stuff. Miz, R-Truth, and Punk got this show a 3.
No update to the storyline tracker, because nothing significantly changed tonight.
That's all from me. NFL Week 1 Review tomorrow. Night of Champions Predictions Thursday night.
Also, I will be doing LIVE updates from inside First Niagara Center in Buffalo during Night of Champions. You can check those out exclusively at CreativelyEndeavored.com.
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
RAW started with Alberto del Rio in the ring. He said he could take the booing, but not being disrespected. ADR was not happy about being made fun of after getting AA'd by Cena last week. Del Rio listed off everything he's done so far and said he deserves credit and will not be made fun of.
Suddenly Bret Hart's music hit. Bret said he didn't come out to make fun of ADR, he came in to give him some advice. Bret said when he looks at ADR, he sees a man that doesn't know how to be a WWE Champion. Bret says a real champ busts his butt in the ring every night, and that ADR is a long way away from that. ADR said Bret looked like one of the illegal aliens he hired to clean his house. ADR said he was gonna make an example out of Bret. John Cena interrupted. Cena said ADR must have finally grown a sit of jalapenos. Cena told him to go back to Mexico. Cena said ADR is Champ for only 6 more days, because he's beating ADR at Night of Champions. ADR said why wait? Lets give everybody the match they want to see tonight: Cena vs Ricardo. Cena retorted with this idea: ADR vs Bret for the WWE Title. John Laurinaitis interrupted. He came up with the idea of a tag match. OK opening. Nothing too strong, nothing too horrible. Trying to add more heat to Cena/ADR. Survey Says: 3/5
So Much Potential, Not Given Time
Jack Swagger/Dolph Ziggler vs John Morrison/Alex Riley. Dolph & Morrison start. Bot men make quick tags. Riley hit a spinebuster on Swagger before throwing Dolph to the floor. Riley hit a reverse F-5 on Swagger for the win. Ziggler could have broken the count out but didn't. Too short for anything. Survey Says: 2/5
COO-COO for R-Truth
Josh Matthews asked R-Truth & Miz if there feelings have changed after HHH granted them a tag match. Miz complained about everyone talking about the Punk/HHH stand off. Miz said Punk should change the C.M. in his name to B.S. Truth said he thought HHH made a good decision. Miz asked really? Truth said Ninja please. They walked to the ring. Truth said HHH is COO, that spells COO. If you say it twice, that spells COO-COO. Truth said Miz and him should be in every main event. The two said each other's phrases. Miz/Kofi up next.
The two exchanged offense before going to the outside and leading to another commercial. Back from break Miz had Kofi in a headlock. Kofi fought back with some kicks then hit his springboard crossbody. Miz struck back with a boot to the face. Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale for the win. Truth & Miz's mic work made the entire segment overall average, otherwise it'd be below average. Survey Says: 3/5
Jerry Lawler Shouldn't Teach People About Personality
Michael McGillicutty asked Jerry Lawler if he knew who his dad was. Lawler said he did, and he doesn't have the same amount of personality his father does. Lawler introduced his partner: Sheamus. Sheamus took out McGillicutty with some chops then a knee lift. Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick, knocking Otunga to the outside, then another Brogue Kick on McGillicutty then a Celtic Cross for the win. Is this going anywhere? At least they're getting Sheamus over. Survey Says: 2/5
Is Bret Just Doing This for the $$$ Now?
ADR/Ricardo vs Cena/Bret. Ricardo tried to fight Cena but failed. He tagged in ADR. Cena went for the AA but Ricardo saved him. ADR tagged Ricardo in as ADR watched on. Cena hit his normal offense before tagging in Bret, who locked in the Sharpshooter for the win. Cena told ADR to keep running all the way to NOC, because at NOC, the Champ is Here! YAWN. Not even a good way to use Bret. Survey Says: 1.5/5
An unnecessarily long 9/11 package narrated by John Cena aired.
Divas. Yawn.
No entrance for Vickie. Kelly hit a Lou Thesz press then spanked her. Stinkface for Vickie. Swagger came out and decked Ziggler, distracting Vickie. Kelly rolled up Vickie for the win. Beth tried to attack Kelly afterwards but got kicked for her efforts. Another yawner. Survey Says: 1/5
An HHH video package was shown.
Mark Henry was interviewed he complained about being looked over for 15 years. He promised Orton would enter his Hall of Pain Sunday.
Mark Henry: The REAL Predator
Orton worked over Cody early. Mark Henry sat on the ramp. Orton walked out to him. Cody hit Orton with a kick to the face into a commercial. Cody had Orton in a chin lock back from break. Orton regained control as Henry walked to the ring. Cody went for CrossRhodes but Orton countered into his mid-air DDT. Henry distracted Orton and the ref, allowing Rhodes to take off his mask to hit Orton with it. Rhodes ht CrossRhodes for the win. Afterwards Henry hit Orton with a chair and raised the World Title in the air. Nice to see Cody pick up the win. Henry continues to look dominant. Survey Says: 2.5/5
Who Bought The Crappy Pipe Bomb?
Punk wanted to start the face off. Punk said he respects HHH, especially for firing Nash. But he doesn't like HHH. Punk said initially HHH only saw Punk as the "Internet Darling" who couldn't hang with Punk. HHH said that changed a little bit. Punk says that guys that only fit HHH's image get along with HHH. HHH said that not just "bodybuilders" don't get over in the WWE. HHH said if Punk wants to use that as an excuse to go ahead. HHH said that when you get the audience on your side, then you matter. Not through whining or complaining.
Punk told the story about how he grabbed his 1st imaginary brass ring. It was when he was cheered in a Survivor Series tag over DX. Punk would rather be hated for what he was then cheered for what he wasn't. HHH reverted back to Punk's Cena story. He said Cena sells out buildings and won over the audience. Sure. HHH said sometimes he's right, sometimes wrong with his opinion. HHH said people weren't chanting Punk's name last year. HHH said you have to bust your ass to get over in this business. But it isn't business anymore, it's personal. HHH is kicking Punk's ass at NOC. Punk said he's going to kick HHH's ass too. Punk used his real name then HHH's real name, and said the reason kicking HHH's ass was gonna be good was, but then his mic was cut off. Another was too. Punk decked HHH with the mic as the show signed off. Lots of stuff being thrown around. Some probably went over people's heads. It was a lot to take in. They tried too hard to sell a personal backstory. The crowd seemed more behind Punk. Survey Says: 3/5
OVERALL
If they were trying to use this show to sell Night of Champions, they did a bad job, especially with Cena/Del Rio. There's zero interest in that match. HHH/Punk is losing intrigue. Usually whoever ends up on their back on RAW wins at the PPV. That's not a good sign for Punk. The mid-card is still below potential, and I don't care about the Divas or Jerry Lawler stuff. Miz, R-Truth, and Punk got this show a 3.
No update to the storyline tracker, because nothing significantly changed tonight.
That's all from me. NFL Week 1 Review tomorrow. Night of Champions Predictions Thursday night.
Also, I will be doing LIVE updates from inside First Niagara Center in Buffalo during Night of Champions. You can check those out exclusively at CreativelyEndeavored.com.
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
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