WWE Elimination Chamber Review

We are less than one hour away from the WWE Elimination Chamber on PPV. I'm expecting a good show, at least from a wrestling standpoint. We should also get a clearer look at the Road to Wrestlemania after tonight's show. Follow along!

The Rhodes Scholars vs Brodus Clay and Tensai
After a brief exchange between Sandw and Clay, Rhodes and Tensai came in. Cody caught Brodus with a Goldust upper cut and tagged in Sandow. After Sandow worked him over Cody caught Tensai with a Disaster Kick. The heels took turns working over Tensai until he began coming back. Tensai tagged in Brodus. He hit a splash on Cody but Sandow stopped a suplex with a dropkick. Tensai came in to even the odds. They hit double splashes, with Clay pinning Cody to pick up the win.

WINNERS: Brodus Clay and Tensai

After the traditional opening video package, the World Title Match was announced to start the show.

World Heavyweight Championship: Alberto del Rio (c) vs Big Show
After both men got in some quick offense, Big Show got a couple of chest slaps in. Show hit a bodyslam then another slap in the corner. Del Rio ducked a Show charge in the corner, then grabbed Show's leg and hit it with a kick. Del Rio hit a kick to the head for two. Show countered an early cross armbreaker attempt and hit a Spear on Del Rio for two. Del Rio tried fighting back but walked right into a Big Show boot. Big Show hit a Vader Bomb. Show took his time getting to Del Rio, allowing Del Rio to apply  the cross armbreaker. Show was able to get his foot on the ropes.

WWE Elimination Chamber Preview

This Sunday the WWE brings us the Elimination Chamber PPV. It is the final gear change before we go "Full Throttle" into Wrestlemania season. There's only been three weeks in between the Rumble and this PPV. That has definitely affected the build to the show. It also doesn't help when the WWE Champion isn't on one of the RAWs leading up to the show. But again, that's another story to talk about at another time.

Looking at the PPV card as a whole, it has the potential to be a good show. The wrestling should be good. The WWE usually does a good job with their Chamber matches, and with the people involved in this one I think it should be a good match. I kind of wish there were two matches like normal, but I get the idea of having a second Rock/Punk rematch. I like the idea of the Elimination Chamber being the last chance for a wrestler to sacrifice it all for a chance to fight for a Title at Wrestlemania.

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 2/11/13

We are headed into the last RAW before the Elimination Chamber. And rumors of a possible return tonight? stay tuned. I'm doing this Review less than two hours after getting a tooth pulled. The least you could do is follow along.

HUG IT OUT
RAW started with Paul Heyman. He said tonight is the last time you will ever see him. He said he will never play the victim in his entire life. He sacrificed everything in his personal life to bring us ECW. When he came to the WWE, he put all of his effort into bringing us Brock Lesnar. Then he saw a man he thought could eclipse Bruno Sammartino, main event Wrestlemania and who should still be WWE Champion today, C.M. Punk. Heyman said he can see into the future, and something really bad is going to happen. He said he has become a distraction, and the sins of him will come down on C.M. Punk. Heyman said you would think there wouldn't be a dry eye in the house, but there isn't. He said he won't miss the WWE Universe. Heyman said good bye and looked up.

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 1/7/13

It is the first RAW of the new year, and it is definitely a big one. C.M. Punk takes on Ryback in a TLC Match, and the Rock returns to start the build to his WWE Title Match at the Royal Rumble. The WWE promises to have everyone talking after this show. Will they deliver?

Is This RAW or Grade School All Over Again?
After the beginning promo, John Cena came out. He said it was a special night for everbody here with the TLC Match and Rock being there. He said they were on the Road to Wrestlemania and started talking about the Royal Rumble when Dolph Ziggler, A.J. and Big E Langston interrupted. Ziggler said people will remember him after tonight. A.J. asked Cena if this is what helped him sleep at night. A.J. called him a small man, a very small man. John Cena congratulated A.J. for making her first sixth grade penis joke. He got the crowd to start the wave. Dolph interrupted again and said he is entering the Royal Rumble too, with his primary goal of not letting Cena win. Cena said that's great, but he wants to fight right now. Big E. Langston took the mic and said its on. Ziggler and Langston talked and started walking to the ring.

The RAW Truth Review for 12/17/12

Tonight is the Slammy Awards Edition of RAW. It is usually one of the worst RAWs of the year. I bet you can't wait!

Gotta Get That Win Back!
Rey Mysterio vs Damien Sandow started the show. Sandow sent Rey to the outside then tossed him into the ringpost. Sandow hit a side Russian leg sweep and then the elbow of disdain for a two count. Rey fought out of an armbar but took him to the corner with some shots to the gut. Rey pushed Sandow off the top rope and hit a seated senton then a hurricarrana and a dropkick for two. Sandow caught Rey with a kick then a neckbreaker. Rey regained control then hit a 619 and a splash for the win.

Match Analysis: Barely a five minute match that didn't amount to anything. Why not make the tag champs look strong instead of giving Rey his win back from last night? I don't get it. Survey Says: 2/5

WWE TLC Results

Keep it here for my LIVE TLC Results tonight. I'm expecting an average show at best. Hopefully, they do something big to get people talking.

#1 Contenders Tables Match: Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara vs The Rhodes Scholars
The faces started by tossing both heels out of the ring. They grabbed a table and brought it into the ring and took out Cody. Sandow ducked the table but ate a dropkick from both. They set Sandow up on the table but Rey was sent to the outside and Cody took out Sin Cara on the top rope. The heels went to front suplex Sin Cara through the table, but Cara countered out. Sandow went flying to the outside but Cody caught Sin Cara with a disaster kick. The heels dominated on the outside. Sandow tossed Rey into the apron. Sin Cara got his leg smashed in between the steps and ring post. The heels set both men up on tables on the outside. Cody went off the ropes but Rey took out Sandow's legs. Rey hit a seated Senton. Sin Cara took out Sandow on the outside. In ring, Rey hit Cody with a 619 and Cody fell on a table. Rey went to the top but Sandow knocked him off. Sin Cara came in and hit kicks to the head on both men. He went to springboard off the top rope but Sandow pushed him into the tables on the outside for the win.

WWE TLC Preview

This Sunday is the final PPV of 2012 for the WWE. And it's a bonus because we get tables, ladders and chairs! But yet again, the WWE has booked themselves into a corner with these gimmick PPVs. The main event was suppose to be C.M. Punk vs Ryback in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match. But Punk is hurt and the match has been changes to Ryback, Daniel Bryan and Kane vs The Shield in a TLC Match where you can win by pinfall or submission. How much sense does that make? It is once again why I don't like these gimmick PPVs. It waters down the match type. Look at Hell In A Cell. It doesn't have the same luster it once had five years ago. But the WWE has to rely on gimmicks because they don't know how to properly build up a PPV.

I wasn't a fan of the build up to the PPV on RAW. Mostly, I hated the lazy "mad chaos' ending that finished the show, putting all wrestlers involved in the top three matches in the ring brawling to end the show. I would much rather be focused on one match to close the show. Put each match into its own spotlight while the show goes on. And they have three hours to do that now! That is just how I personally prefer to do it. To each their own.

The RAW Truth Review for 12/10/12

C.M. Punk is injured. Which means he will probably cut a good promo from either a wheelchair or on crutches. Enjoy.

Promos On A Ladder Rarely End Well
Dolph Ziggler gave a promo from on top of the ladder. He said it won't be a merry Christmas this Sunday for John Cena. He said he will be the coal in Cena's stocking and shut Cena up. And then he is going to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and win the World Title. Sheamus came out and said he won't be cashing in his MITB contract against Big Show. It'll be against him. And he thinks Ziggler is going to lose to Cena. So somewhere down the line it will be Sheamus vs Cena. Big Show came out and said "BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH." Show dared Ziggler to try and cash in tonight. Show said he couldn't decide if he was going to KO Sheamus or knock his pasty white skin off him. Sheamus made a bad joke about Big Show's XMas spirit, then said just because he can't have contact with Big Show, doesn't mean he can't have contact with someone else. Sheamus pushed over the ladder and Ziggler crotched himself.

Segment Analysis: I liked Ziggler's part of the promo enough. And Big Show was funny when he first came out. But Sheamus was just beyond awful yet again on the mic. And did you hear the lukewarm reaction to a possible Cena/Sheamus bout. Yeah, no one wants to see that. Okay opening. Survey Says: 2.5/5

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 12/3/12

What will RAW bring us tonight? More Ryback promos? Will he give us his thoughts on the fiscal crisis the U.S. is facing? Tune in to find out.

Where Is IronMan To Aid The Shield?
Team Hell No came out as The Shield was seen in a box in the arena. Kane challenged them to come down to fight but they stayed where they were. The Prime Time Players came out for a match. After Kane clotheslined O'Neil out of the ring Bryan and Young came in. Bryan hit some kicks on Young. Bryan tagged in Kane who hit a drop kick. Kane worked over the arm of Young. Bryan came in and hit an axe handle on Young's arm off the top. Kane came back in and missed an elbow. Young tagged in O'Neil, who was immediately taken out by Bryan. All members of The Shield slowly started making their way to the ring going into commercial.

The WWE Needs To Change Its Booking Philosophy

For the most part, I enjoyed RAW this past Monday. Anytime there are a couple of good wrestling matches on the show, I feel like it is a decent one. How often do you see two long matches like Cena/Ziggler and Sheamus/Cesaro, to go along with Mysterio/Bryan and Punk/Kane. Those are four very solid matches that each delivered, for the most part, in their own way. And actually, out of all those matches, I enjoyed Antonio Cesaro vs Sheamus the most. Cesaro did not look a step out of place in his match against Sheamus. The guy is definitely a future star for the WWE. I love the way he delivers his upper cut. Cesaro definitely has a lot of potential.

But the key word in that whole paragraph is the one I finished it with: potential. There are a handful of guys on the current WWE roster that have so much potential to be future stars. Antonio Cesaro is just one of them. You also have Dolph Ziggler, Wade Barrett, Damien Sandow, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes and you can even include Ryback in that mix if you really want to. Obviously he doesn't have the in ring talent the others have but his character has at least some potential. A lot of those guys are heels, and that is a problem down the line. But there is no reason a face turn isn't possible for someone in that group. Wade Barrett would be my first choice. I think he could pull off a face turn. But what that list of wrestlers says is that there is some talent on the WWE roster that, if given a true opportunity, could turn into future stars.