5 Surprisingly Good Wrestlemania Matches

Hello everyone. It is time for another Top 5 list!

Today, I look at five surprisingly good matches from past Wrestlemanias. What do I mean by surprisingly good? Matches that many people probably didn't expect to be good but turned out to be rather entertaining. So this isn't a list that is going to include the likes of Shawn Michaels, Randy Savage or Bret Hart. It is a list full of wrestlers that aren't known for their in ring work, or weren't expected to put on a good match. But on the big stage of the WWE, they delivered a good match.

This isn't a list of the best Wrestlemania matches. It is a list of matches that exceeded expectations and should be given credit for it.

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 2/25/13

Tonight's RAW has a lot of hype around it. We get C.M. Punk vs John Cena, Vince McMahon vs Paul Heyman, and the fallout from the Jack Swagger/Zeb Colter/Glenn Beck happenings. Expect the course for Wrestlemania to be set after tonight.

WE'RE GONNA FIGHT!!!
Vince McMahon walked to the ring on crutches. Vince said he likes to do things big, so why not start RAW with a fight. Paul Heyman came down the ramp. He said he's waited his entire life for this fight. Vince has always thought of Heyman as a wuss, but Heyman said he is all man. He said Vince has as much a chance of beating him as Tony Romo does the Super Bowl. Heyman asked Vince if he was sure he wanted to do this. But before Vince could answer, Heyman hit him with a Spear and then a crutch to the leg. Vince blocked another crutch shot and hit Heyman with it. Brock Lesnar suddenly came out. Before Brock could attack Vince, HHH came out. Hunter and Lesnar brawled on the outside. HHH threw Brock into the post and Brock got busted open hardway. HHH clotheslined Brock over the barricade. Lesnar came back and threw HHH on the announce table. HHH came back with a chair shot in the ring as Lesnar retreated,

The RAW Truth Review for 2/4/13

Our WWE Champion may not be on the show tonight. That doesn't help Rock's popularity backstage or with the fans. Does it affect your thoughts on him?

The Real People's Champion
C.M. Punk came out and brought Justin Roberts into the ring with him. He had Roberts call him "The People's Champion." Punk said he didn't overreact last week, because no one has held anything as important as the WWE Championship. Punk said he acted like a normal person would act because he was screwed. The WWE Title was stolen from him by someone who doesn't deserve it. And now Punk said he is getting questions after last week's video of Paul Heyman. Punk asked some fans and Michael Cole if they saw him in the video last week. Cole said he wasn't. Punk said if Paul Heyman says it wasn't him then it wasn't him. Punk said Vince has the cash to hire actors to make it a fake. Vince has the money to hire actors and make a video to his liking. Punk said Vince getting his hip broke is exactly what he deserved. Punk said in two weeks he gets back what Rock stole from him, the physical belt that Rock carries around while he continues day 442 of his WWE Title reign.

Booker T came out. He stumbled over his lines. He said the WWE Universe will decide who C.M. Punk faces tonight from his past Wrestlemania opponents: Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton or Chris Jericho.

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 1/28/13

We are one hour away from RAW. Vince McMahon is giving Paul Heyman a "performance review" tonight. Why? Does Heyman answer to Vince? Who knows.

Vickie introduced the RAW Roulette wheels. There are 3. The first result: Antonio Cesaro vs Randy Orton with a special guest referee.

Hey Look, Someone Cares About Losing A Match
C.M. Punk came out in a rage. Punk said this was day 435 of his WWE Title reign. He beat The Rock and is the People's Champion. Punk asked if they really wanted to support someone who couldn't pin him without someone's help. He never needed anyone to restart a match. He called last night the Phoenix Screwjob. Punk said he is here to crash the party. Vince McMahon came out. Vince said he has tape from an anonymous source that he is complicit with Paul Heyman that they are involved with The Shield. Vince said Heyman is do for a performance review that could result in his job termination.

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 RAW Truth Review for 10/15/12

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

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

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 10/8/12

It is another edition of RAW, but this time Vince McMahon is on to help bring up the ratings. Will it actually help, or will more people want to see Mark Sanchez crash and burn? Guess it is time to see if Vince is a bigger deal than the Sanchize.

Is That Cena or HHH?
John Cena came out to start the show. Cena said one week off felt like a year. He made fun of the tag champs and Antonio Cesaro, then asked A.J. out on a date. All really corny. Cena said that C.M. Punk stole the voice of the WWE. He said what does it matter how long Punk's reign is if nobody wants to watch. Cena told Punk to be a man and face him at Hell In A Cell.

Segment Analysis: So Cena came out there to bury the entire roster? Geez, great start. Survey Says: 1/5

What Tag Team Division?
As Cena left the ring, Ryback came out. They exchanged looks. Ryback is facing Primo and Epico. Primo drop kicked Ryback in the knee and Epico took him out with a splash. Primo back dropped Epico onto Ryback. Ryback fought out of a Primo head lock and hit multiple clotheslines. Ryback hit the Shell Shock on both men for the win.

Match Analysis: Primo and Epico have gone from Tag Champs to jobbers. I know they are at the bottom of the chain in the tag division, but it would be nice to not job them out completely. Survey Says: 1.5/5

What Vince McMahon Won't Tell You On RAW

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.

A Look Ahead to the 1000th Episode of RAW

Hey, did you guys now that episode of 1000 of RAW is tomorrow night? You think the WWE would do a better job of promoting it. How will they expect people to know the show starts at 8, or that all the big stars from the past will be on? Or that the WWE Title will be defended? What is the WWE thinking?

All sarcasm aside, tomorrow is the first time in a very long time that I can say I am looking forward to watching RAW. More than likely, it will be one of the few times I look forward to writing about these three hour RAWs. The WWE will pull out all the stops tomorrow night. They know they will have a large viewing audience, bigger than normal. That means the WWE has a big opportunity ahead of them. Not only to give the fans a treat with the stars of the past, but also to keep new viewers around by showcasing the stars of today. I would like to see some actual wrestling on the show. Give your current stars an opportunity to show what they got.

The RAW Truth Review for 6/18/12

After last night's abysmal PPV, what could the WWE do to make it better? Well, who really knows. Your guess is as good as mine.

Have A Nice Day!
Mick Foley of all people came out to start the show. Foley said that as the Board of Directors looks for a new permanent GM, they would be reaching out to past GMs for the time being. Foley said he will be GM of both RAW and Smackdown this week. He made a tag team match for later: C.M. Punk and Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan and Kane. He then welcomed John Laurinaitis to give his farewell address. Laurinaitis came out in a neckbrace, arm sling and crutch. The crowd chanted "YOU GOT FIRED." Laurinaitis tried to quiet the crowd to no avail. He then asked Mick Foley to quiet them down. Laurinaitis said they were being rude. He said before he was fired, he made a handicap match: Big Show, David Otunga and Himself vs John Cena. Laurinaitis told Foley to have a nice day and left.

WWE No Way Out Review

Keep it here for my LIVE on going updates for WWE No Way Out.

There's apparently been a new match added. A Fatal 4 Way match to determine the #1 Contenders for the WWE Tag Team Titles: The Usos vs Primo and Epico vs Titus O'Neil and Darren Young vs Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd.

Brodus Clay vs David Otunga
Clay beat down Otunga in the corner until Otunga took out Clay's injured knee and started to work it over. Brodus started to mount some offense and knocked Otunga to the outside. Otunga refused to get back in the ring and was intentionally counted out. Otunga looked like he had something in mind.

WINNER: Brodus Clay

WWE No Way Out Preview

Hello everyone. There's a PPV this Sunday. But if I was a betting man, I would think this will be the lowest bought PPV of the year. I'm pretty sure I said the same thing about Over the Limit, but at least that show had C.M. Punk/Daniel Bryan to gain a few buys. This one has almost nothing. Are people really going to buy the PPV just to see Triple H cut a promo? I don't think so. Oh the job of John Laurinaitis is on the line as well? That's new and original.

The RAW Truth Review for 6/11/12

I guess I can consider this good prep in anticipation for 3 hour RAWs come July. But we get Vince McMahon on this week's show. My guess? Vince is about to fire John Laurinaitis, then a shadowy figure descends from the ceiling and swoops Vince away, and we get a "Who Kidnapped Vince" angle for the summer.

Did You Really Think This Would Get Settled in the Opening?
John Laurinaitis came out on his scooter. Before Laurinaitis could say anything Vince McMahon came out to a big pop. Laurinaitis offered his hand, but Vince said that he didn't know where that hand has been. Vince asked Laurinaitis why he should not fire him right now. Laurinaitis said its because "People Power" has become one of the biggest phenomena in WWE history, and people love him for it. Laurinaitis said both him and Vince are visionaries and great businessmen. Vince blamed Laurinaitis for the Brock Lesnar situation. Vince then ripped him for signing the Big Show to an Iron Clad contract and said Show hasn't done anything relevant since 1999. Laurianitis said Vince is bias because D-X shoved his head up Show's butt a few years back. Laurinaitis said everyone looks up to him as their friend.

A Look at This Week's WWE News 6/4/12-6/9/12

It is that time of the week again. Time to look back at this week's news in the WWE. You can expect to see these kinds of postings on a semi regular basis. Or if I don't have an idea for an original column due to writer's block. On PPV weekends you'll get a Preview and that's all. Or on weeks like this one. I started a new job this week and am still working part time at my previous job, so my postings may come at various times throughout the summer. Expect my PPV Preview to come out around Thursday next week. I will be busy almost all weekend next week from Friday through Sunday evening. But I will more than likely be covering No Way Out live next Sunday.

So with all that in mind, lets take a look at some of the WWE's happenings this week, with some of my insight added at the end.

The RAW Truth Review for 6/4/12

Hello everyone. Are you ready for the two hour "John Cena Variety Show?" After last week's rating, I fully expect it.

RAW started with a recap of Big Show's path of destruction last week set to the ever dramatic music that the WWE finds. I guess it makes it more serious.

I Thought They Wanted People to Keep Watching the Show?
Michael Cole was in the ring and introduced John Cena. Cena came out his usual smiling self, like nothing happened two weeks ago. Cole ran down the victims of Big Show's carnage last week and blamed it all on John Cena. Cole said it was more important for Cena to be a comedian than support his friend the Big Show. Cole asked if Cena was proud of himself. Cena said Cole still has a collection of My Little Ponies so he is proud of himself. Cena called Laurinaitis power hungry and said his goal was to get rid of Laurinaitis and then a new GM would rehire Big Show. Cole said that was no guarantee, and Big Show did what he had to do to get his job back. Cole said Big Show will prove he is the better man at No Way Out. Cena called Big Show money hungry. Cole said Cena was jealous of Big Show and his Wrestlemania win, and at least Show wasn't a punching bag for Brock Lesnar. Cole called Cena over-rated and belittled Cena some more.

The Decline of the Authority Figure

As wrestling fans, it is our due diligence to always complain about wanting to go back to the Attitude Era. It was a great time to be fan. Wrestling was the most popular it had been since the 1980s. Wrestling was also considered cool at that point in time. You weren't made fun of for being a wrestling fan. Today people look at you with blank stares when you say you're a wrestling fan. During the Attitude Era, you could almost say it was uncool to NOT be a wrestling fan. Wresting was very racy, raunchy, violent and full of foul language. How could you not love Stone Cold flipping off his boss and drinking beer, and The Rock coming up with a new catch phrase to insult someone every week. It was definitely a fun time.

RAW Thoughts for 10/10/2011

Maybe We Can Get 2 Hours of Campfire Stories
After a recap of last week's events, RAW opened with an empty announce table, then a shot to a vacant backstage area. Then HHH appeared. He walked out to the ring. HHH said everyone walked out last week not on him, but on all of you. He ripped on the Solidarity Rally by all the walk-outs. Triple H said he won't quit. Triple H went off. He said if he had to, he would wrestler a broom stick for two hurs. He said the broom stick might give him a better match then some of the guys protesting.

John Cena's music interrupted. Cena said everyone protesting personally contacted him to join the rally, and HHH never did. But Cena said he is staying, because he loves RAW and his loyalty lies with everyone who loves RAW. Sheamus came out. Sheamus talked about how two years ago he took out HHH with a lea pipe, and instead of taking legal action, HHH came back and gave him the biggest ass kicking of his life. Sheamus said he respects HHH now. Sheamus said he didn't travel all the way from Ireland to protest, he came to be a part of RAW. C.M. Punk came out. He said he couldn't help but feel responsible for starting all of this. But he was making a point to a company, not one man. Punk said he deals with everyone personally. HHH said that as long as everyone is in agreement, Sheamus would fight John Cena next, HHH would ref, and C.M. Punk would do commentary.

Back from break the match was in full gear until Vince McMahon interrupted. He said he needed to have a word with his son-in-law. Vince said he believes in HHH, and loves how he is running RAW. But Vince said HHH also has detractors, not only the protesters in the back, but also the Board of Directors. Vince said the Board fears what could happen. Vince told HHH his services are no longer required as COO, and Vince said the Board has named an interim General Manager, John Laurinaitis. Well, they settled all of the loopholes from last week's show for the most part. Pretty much everyone who didn't walk out, sans Randy Orton, said why they stayed. HHH was relieved as his duties as COO. Vince McMahon returned. It wasn't bad. Survey Says: 3.5/5

Back from break, John Laurinaitis welcomed all the talent back. John Morrison said he should have been careful what he wished for, because while HHH may be a narcissist, John Laurinaitis flat out sucks. Johnny Ace told him he had a match next. Christian said the Board made the right decision. Ace asked him if he would face Morrison next, and he agreed. After the announcers returned, the match started. Christian made quick work of Morrison. Afterward Jack Swagger, Cody Rhodes, and Dolph Ziggler all took out Morrison.

I'm Starting to Prefer Paper Over Plastic
Backstage, HHH asked John Laurinaitis if he ever picked up his teeth with broken fingers. In ring, Mark Henry recapped the happenings from Smackdown Friday with the Big Show. Henry said at Vengeance, vengeance would be his. Orton interrupted on the mic, saying vengeance would be his. Back from commercial, Henry was dominating Orton. Orton fought back, middle rope DDT. Cody Rhodes distracted Orton. Henry went for the World's Strongest Slam, but Orton hit an RKO. Cody broke up the pin. Orton went for an RKO on Cody, but Cody shoved him into a WSS. Orton ate another one. After Henry left, Cody hit Cross Rhodes on Orton, then put a bag on his head. Cody said cut the head of a viper, and all the venom goes with it. Strong way to put Cody over, presumably leading to a match at Vengeance. Not much of a match, but strong angle. Survey Says: 3/5

Kelly and Eve beat Rosa and Tamina. I'm not grading this.

Johnny Ace appeared! He asked for some respect. Johnny Ace made Cena vs Del Rio at Vengeance. Ace said that tonight, he was going to do an ethical thing and a moral thing. He invited Jim Ross to the ring. Ace said that last week JR walked out on the company, and the entire state of Oklahoma. Ace fired JR. Cole reacted like he had just lost his virginity.

Mason Ryan: A Face You Cannot Be
Six man tag next. Mason Ryan & Air Boom vs Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, and David Otunga. Bourne took out Ziggler on the outside going into a commercial. The heels took turns working over Kofi. Mason Ryan eventually got the win for his team. It was alright in terms of action. I don't like Mason Ryan going over Dolph Ziggler though. He's terrible as a face. Survey Says: 2.5/5

A Brodus Clay promo, then an ad for John Cena's new movie. Fast forward button.

Unlikely Allies: Double Time
Main event time. C.M. Punk had the early advantage on Alberto del Rio. He went for the knee in the corner but missed. John Laurinaitis came out and stopped the match. He said Punk and Del Rio will now be partners against two men he just reinstated, The Miz and R-Truth. Punk & Del Rio worked over Miz, then R-Truth. Del Rio later sold a "knee injury" and walked to the back, leaving Punk to fight for himself against Miz and Truth. They took turns working over Punk before he fought back. Punk hit the Macho Man Elbow on Miz. He went for the GTS before R-Truth stopped it. The two men beat down Punk causing a DQ. Eventually, HHH made the save. HHH and Punk stood tall to close the show. In the back, Laurinaitis made HHH/Punk vs Miz/R-Truth at Vengeance. Alright ending to the show. I don't like all the recent heat between Punk and HHH being gone all of the sudden. It was a waster of two months of storyline. Now they are "Unlikely allies." The action was middle of the road at best. Survey Says: 2.5/5

OVERALL
This was a show that seemed like they fit two weeks worth of stuff into one. With RAW being in Mexico next week, they couldn't really do all of that live talking and keep the crowd's interest. There is so much stuff flying around right now that it is hard to keep track of everything. Ace is GM, but is HHH now back on the active roster? Why did Vince randomly show up? Barely any John Cena was weird. The opening was good and a bit funny, and the Cody Rhodes/Randy Orton/Mark Henry segment was great. Everything else was just there, and Punk/HHH now being allies seems like a waste of the last two months of storyline between the two. I'm giving the show a 3.

That's all from me. NFL Week 5 Review up later today.

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

So C.M. Punk is Back Already. Now What?

Well, that happened much quicker than I expected.

Monday on RAW, John Cena won the "WWE Championship" from Rey Mysterio, the same "Championship" Rey won just two hours earlier. After the match, C.M. Punk came out and had a stare down with John Cena to close RAW. Punk came out to "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour. It's a great song and fits perfectly for everything Punk stands for now. It was also his theme during his "Summer of Punk" run in Ring of Honor. Again, as I said in my last piece, it is a great hook to attract viewers again next week.

First let me say that while it is great to see Punk back on TV, I do think it happened a tad bit too soon. I thought about him being off long term til Wrestlemania time, but that might have killed all the heat on Punk's character. I would have held him off til SummerSlam at least. I would have extended the Tournament over the course of last week and this week, then have the Finals at SummerSlam. Or, since John Cena didn't have a shot in the Tournament, have the winner be crowned "Champion" then face Cena at SummerSlam. While it may not have been an interesting match-up to the adults, John Cena vs Rey Mysterio would have drawn some interest and would be a fresh match-up. They had a good match on RAW, right at the *** level, and could have been better if given another 5 minutes. As far as Punk, you could simply have Triple H invite him to SummerSlam and there you have the intrigue of Punk showing up. Punk comes out after Cena wins with the belt, then you have Cena vs Punk at Night of Champions Now I will admit I would be a bit biased their because Night of Champions is in Buffalo, and I would get to see Punk/Cena 2 live in person. But I also think it would fit the storyline better.

But nonetheless, C.M. Punk appears back now and it looks like we are getting Punk/Cena 2 at SummerSlam. It seems a bit rushed yes, but it is the biggest $$$ match the WWE has right now. Like I said Cena/Rey might draw well on PPV but I don't think it would draw as much as a Cena/Punk rematch would. Those two put on a classic at Money in the Bank and people are interested to see what the two can do again. There's obviously also more backstory and a better storyline in place. Rey/Cena would have been nothing more than good guy vs good guy. In THAT story, no one would turn heel. But we'll get back to that later.

So now the question becomes: Where does this go next? I don't think any of us expected this story to unfold this quickly. We thought the WWE would crown a new "Champion" and that this guy would walk around with the Title until Punk returns in a few months. But everything has been accelerated. Why? Again, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe the WWE has panicked due to the low ratings these past two weeks, and want to get Punk done ASAP. I really don't think that's the case, but we have to think about it. Vince is a stickler for the ratings and he may want to change things up again. Who knows. I think what is more likely is that the WWE realizes what a hot commodity Punk is right now. Punk is the hottest character they have had in years. He's being cheered heavily by the adult males in the audience, and he's even winning over some of the other demographics like the woman and teen audience. He clearly got a much louder reaction than Cena on RAW. And it just wasn't the adult males cheering. If Punk was off of TV for too long, he would lose some momentum. Sure he could get it back quickly, but that reaction was pretty strong last night. I don't know if it would have been the same two, three, or six months from now.

C.M. Punk is exactly what the WWE has been missing for quite sometime: An anti-authority figure who is not afraid to speak his mind and believe that what he is doing is right. Sure the Nexus was anti-authority, but they weren't great all-around performers like Punk was. Punk speaks his mind brilliantly on the mic and backs up his talk with his great performances in the ring. Punk is what his shirt says he is, "The Best in the World." I would be hard pressed to find someone better right now. In the WWE, there is absolutely nobody. Punk connects with the adult fanbase who is been craving for an anti-authority figure for years. John Cena doesn't do it for them. They're sick of the same old crap from the WWE night in and night out. Finally, it seems like we may be going down that path. One can hope. You have to be cautiously optimistic with the WWE, as they have a reputation for dropping the ball in the past. That's why we have to examine every scenario here.

All signs point to a John Cena vs C.M. Punk match at SummerSlam. Or so we think. At this point, we don't even know why C.M. Punk is back. You would assume he is re-signed, but we don't know that officially. Punk/Cena 2 is the biggest $$$ match the WWE can do right now, and it fits perfectly with the 2nd biggest PPV of the year. Can these two repeat the same magic they had at MITB? Probably not. The Chicago crowd helped that match a bit, I don't think the Los Angeles crowd will be as hot. But there's no reason they can't put on another **** match. They're quite capable of that.

You would also have to assume that if Punk is re-signed, Triple H had something to do with it. But Punk can't immediately side with him. The best part about Punk's character is that he is anti-authority. You don't want him joining up with the "Doofus Son-in-Law." Maybe in the beginning they could be buddy-buddy, but there needs to be a growing tension between the two building up. A Punk/HHH match also has the potential to be  very good. If anything, have Triple H say the only reason he re-signed Punk was to get the WWE Title back, and when he does Punk is gone. Then when it seems like no one can do it, Triple H decides to return himself to try and take out Punk. It'd be a great clash with Triple H weilding all his power to try and get the Title off of Punk. It could probably build to a boiling point at Royal Rumble perhaps. Then, if you really want to make things interesting, have HHH lose. Then, he says he has to bring back a guy he lost to last year but knows can get the job done, and that is The Undertaker. Then you have Punk/Taker at Wrestlemania. I don't think that part will actually happen, but it is fun to think about.

Then there's that other guy in the room: John Cena. I will be the first person to give Cena some credit. He's busted his ass the last two months, put on two really good matches (with Punk & Rey Mysterio), cut some good promos, and his facial reactions and expressions have been spot on, especially this week. Some people will tell you that they would like to see Cena turn heel. I'd be all for a heel turn, but at this point, what is the point. He's getting booed by a strong portion of the audience. That portion of the audience would probably cheer a Cena heel turn. The only way, in my opinion, they could pull a Cena heel turn off effectively is if they went the Stone Cold route a la Wrestlemania 17. Cena needs to be WWE Champ so badly that he resorts to everything possible to become Champ. Then finally, he sells out and sides with HHH, who helps him win the WWE Title back. It makes Punk stronger as well because now he has even more of a gripe about losing the WWE Title. Cena can than say that he gets booed yet guys who leave and comeback like Punk and The Rock get cheered, but he busts his ass in the ring night in and night out for nothing. That's the only way a Cena heel turn works.

Anyone who is bashing this angle right now is just too damn impatient. Do I think Punk was brought back a bit too soon? Absolutely. But we have NO IDEA where this angle is going. The same people who are bashing this now would be the same people 2 months from now who would be saying "WWE SUCKS WHERE IS C.M. PUNK?" The question you have to ask yourself is this: Would you rather have C.M. Punk on TV or not? I think everyone would gladly welcome Punk back with open arms. You also have to think that Punk wouldn't agree to come back unless they have something big in store for him. For Punk to go to wanting time off to what looks like back on the road full time means it will all be worth his while in the end. It looks like Punk will have his Indy buddies, most notably Colt Cabana, back on the road with him which will help. Punk knows the business and knows what is good for him, and he wouldn't have agreed to comeback if things didn't look bright down the line.

C.M. Punk just did a podcast with ESPN writer Bill Simmons. Hitting a couple of bulletpoints, Punk said that he re-signed the day of the Money in the Bank PPV. I find that a bit hard to believe. I would love to take Punk at his word, but all of this playing out as it has doesn't make me think that. This kind of stuff should be played out long term, not in the span of one week. Punk said he wants to make wrestling big time and cool again. It will be a tough climb to do that. Can he? It's possible. Punk comes off as genuine and sincere and sounds like he believes what he is saying. He's not corporate or dumb-downed for the TV audience. He's as real as they come. While Punk isn't a corporate, media friendly type, he can still be an attraction and draw money. Stone Cold wasn't the biggest media guy, but he was one of the biggest draws in WWE history.

I threw out a lot of ideas here and a lot of random thoughts. There really was only one central focus of this piece, and that is C.M. Punk. Punk has a lot of expectations to live up to. He's the hottest and most talked about wrestler in years. He has such a high ceiling. We know how great he is in the ring and on the mic, but now he has to be even better. I'm sure Vince and Company have put a lot of pressure on Punk to succeed. He needs to become a major draw the likes of which WWE hasn't seen in years. He needs to be the anti-authority figure John Cena isn't. He needs to continue to be himself, speak his mind, and kick ass.

I don't know where this angle is going. It's all about the unpredictability. All I know is C.M. Punk has given the WWE  a kick in the ass that it has badly needed for a year now. The more I see of C.M. Punk, the better it will be. I have faith, now I hope I'm not let down. But one thing is for sure: With C.M. Punk leading the charge, it is bound to be one hell of a ride.

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

The Unpredictability Is Finally Back

It has been a long time since I said this, but this is a fun time to be a wrestling fan. This last month of WWE TV has been the best string of TV shows put together in a very long time. There are a lot of contributing factors to this. The majority of the greatness has come from C.M. Punk. Punk proved how valuable of an asset he can be to a wrestling company in the last month. He was under-utilized as a performer for the strong majority of his run, and now the possibilities are endless with Punk when he returns.

Then there is the "end" of the Vince McMahon character on television. Sure this has happened before. Remember when he was fired in 1999 after Undertaker lost the First Blood End of An Era Match to Stone Cold Steve Austin at Fully Loaded? Yeah, me neither. Triple H now transitions into the role of on-screen WWE Figure Head. It is again something new and not expected to happen. I don't think anyone ever expected to see Triple H on TV as an On-Screen Authority Figure.

Oh, and how about Daniel Bryan winning the Smackdown MITB Match? Did anyone really see that happening? Cody Rhodes, Sheamus, hell even Sin Cara were all put in much better positions to win that match compared to Bryan. Bryan is the classic underdog story. The hard-working guy who busts his butt in the ring every night no matter if he is wrestling in front of 70,000 or 700 people. He's a guy the fans can adopt to and respect because of his hard-working attitude.

So what am I getting at with all of this? I feel that, for the first time in years, I have my unpredictability in wrestling back. It's a great feeling to have, tuning in every week not knowing what to expect on TV. For the 3 RAWs leading into MITB, it was the feeling that you didn't know what the hell C.M. Punk was going to say with a live microphone. His worked shoot promo generated so much buzz. It had everyone talking.

Unpredictability is something that we love as wrestling fans. We get tired of night in and night out seeing John Cena go "Super Cena" on us and overcome the odds every week. The WWE can argue that it is appealing to their target demographic, but so what? You can appeal to your target demographic and still make Cena look vulnerable every once in a while. If your branding yourself as an entertainment show, you need to switch it up every once in a while, just like other TV shows do. The key with the unpredictability is to leave a hook for your viewers to tune in either the next night or the next PPV. WWE has done an effective job in doing that this week. After MITB, you wanted to tune in the next night to see what the hell was going to happen with C.M. Punk, John Cena, Vince McMahon, and the entire WWE Title situation. Now, after RAW this week, you want to tune in next week to see what Triple H has in store as the new man in charge. Any good TV entertainment show leaves you wanting more, and the WWE has done that this week.

The best part about this unpredictability is that I can't pin point one thing about where all of this is going next. This is essentially broken down into 2 major storylines: The rebel C.M. Punk & the WWE Championship, and the new on-screen leader of the WWE Triple H & departure of Vince McMahon. I don't even have a best guess scenario. One would have to assume that C.M. Punk will eventually come back, whether it is in a couple of weeks or somewhere down the line, to challenge the new WWE Champion. With Daniel Bryan already saying he will fight the World Champ with his MITB Briefcase at Wrestlemania, it might be tough to pull off the WWE Champ vs WWE Champ match at Wrestlemania. It would make the Royal Rumble useless. Maybe have Punk try to come back, and be forced to compete in the Rumble to earn his job back? But that would make Punk look weak. You want the WWE begging Punk to come back, not have Punk come crawling back. More unpredictability.

All of the same can be said for the Triple H/Vince McMahon stuff. It was a bombshell dropped on us this past Monday. Nobody saw it coming. I'm sure there wasn't a person out there that expected Triple H to come out, and in a suit nonetheless. Will Triple H just run the show permanently? Will he make a few changes and fade into the background? Will he be a fan favorite or slowly turn evil? Will Vince attempt to regain control of his company? There are so many questions left unanswered by all of this.

As I said in the very beginning, it's finally fun to be a wrestling fan again. At least for now, unpredictability is back. It almost feels like the Attitude Era again, not knowing what to expect every week. But just like every great story, follow-up is key. The WWE can't drop the ball on this. They did it last year with the Nexus angle. Vince and Co. can't allow that to happen again. People are expecting a big payoff in the end. Maybe HHH vs Punk at some point. Or Punk vs Taker at Wrestlemania. There are way too many possibilities to speak of.

Hey WWE, you finally have a good amount of people interested in wrestling again. Don't screw it up.

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

WWE Money in the Bank Review

WOW. What an electric night. That was the best PPV the WWE has done in years. Everything about Money in the Bank was great. Top to bottom, this show was great. Even the stuff that you would normally consider bad was ok. Just an all around great show that words cannot do justice for. I recommend people go out of the way to watch this show. This will probably be the first PPV I buy on DVD that isn't Wrestlemania since One Night Stand 2006. I might as well get right into my review of the show. Top to bottom, solid all around.

Daniel Bryan Wins the Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match: ****
A big surprise right off the bat. Bryan had an argument to be called the #2 face on Smackdown, and winning here catapulted him into that position. The WWE needed to elevate someone into that position and they did that with Bryan winning here. It could have been Sin Cara, but they chose to go with Bryan instead. Obviously now, it is because Cara has been suspended for violating the WWE Wellness Policy. What a disappointing start for Sin Cara's career. Rey Mysterio rebounded from being suspended, hopefully Sin Cara can as well. He's just too talented to fail in my opinion.

Back to the actual match, this was the better of the two ladder matches. Not a lot of sloppy spots, but also a good amount of creative ones. Sheamus powerbomb of Sin Cara onto the ladder was a good spot. Justin Gabriel also stood out in the match. That 450 splash he did off of the ladder was much harder than it looked. The ladder was moving and as you could tell, Gabriel had to balance himself before doing the spin. Near the end I thought Barrett had the briefcase. Sheamus, even in losing, might have looked the best in the match. He cleaned house at one point. I still think there is potential in Sheamus as a main event draw. They are doing a good job on Smackdown building him back up as a huge force. They planted the seeds for a Barrett/Sheamus feud on Smackdown this past Friday. They could turn one of them face and make a program out of it. They would probably turn Sheamus, but I would rather turn Barrett. But this was just a fun match that got the crowd into it right off the bat. Great performances by all involved.

So where do they go from here with Daniel Bryan? Bryan is the Internet fans' darling. He's a great in ring worker. He busts his ass every week. I always hate bringing his name up, but he reminds me a lot of Chris Benoit the wrestler. Not the best on the mic, but a great in ring worker. As I said in my preview piece, Survivor Series is in NYC this year. Benoit won his first World Title there and the crowd popped huge, why not do it with Bryan too. I also think that Bryan may build towards a traditional program a la RVD than a normal MITB cash in. There's also the risk Bryan is the first to cash in and lose, I say there is a 30% chance of that happening.

They showed a clip earlier of Vince McMahon, Director of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis, and an "attorney" arriving backstage.

Kelly Kelly defeated Brie Bella to retain the Divas Championship: *
Basic Divas match. Nothing terrible, nothing outstanding. The best thing of everything was Nikki saying, "Look at her, she doesn't even eat. You can't beat that?" Kelly wins, probably moves on to someone else now with the Bellas out of sight.

Mark Henry defeated Big Show: **
The match was short. It wasn't a two star level match, but I bumped it up a 1/2 star for the whole post match beatdown and angle. Henry and Show did do a good job in the ring. They did their best. Henry worked over Show's still hurt knee during the match. He hit the World's Strongest Slam but Show kicked out. Henry hit a second one then two splashes for the win. Afterward, Henry put a chair on Show's ankle and jumped on it from the second rope. Show sold a broken ankle as Henry walked to the back.

Mark Henry's mega push continues. I think it says something that they gave Mark Henry a clean win over the Big Show when they didn't even do it for Alberto del Rio. Henry's monster push continues. Orton/Christian isn't done yet, so I'm not quite sure what happens with Henry. Maybe he goes back to Kane for a bit. Maybe a brief program with Ezekiel Jackson. I think Henry is next in line for Orton after the program with Christian. Fine for what it was, but made better by the entire build and post match angle.

Josh Matthews interviewed Vince McMahon backstage. He said he hasn't re-signed Punk. He told C.M. Punk fans that he did everything he could, but Punk refused to sign. Vince blamed John Cena for everything that happened, and said "May god have mercy on John Cena's soul," if Punk won the WWE title tonight.

Alberto del Rio won the RAW Money in the Bank Ladder Match: ***1/2
I don't have a problem with Del Rio winning. I just thought it was too obvious to happen. I didn't think Del Rio needed this to be elevated to the main event. But that is partially because I didn't have everything from tonight playing out as it did.

I thought this match was a bit underwhelming. The beginning with everyone bringing a ladder into the ring was a nice touch. There were a few more sloppy moments and dangerous spots in this one. Everyone attacked Del Rio with the ladder and threw them on him on the outside. Everyone then hit a bunch of flying spots onto the outside. R-Truth, then Kofi and Rey, then Bourne hit an amazing Shooting Star Press off the top of the ladder on the outside. Highlight spot of both ladder matches. I still would have rather had Ziggler in the match, but that was a cool spot.

In ring, Miz and Bourne battled on the ladder before Del Rio knocked both of them off. Miz fell from the ladder and sold a serious knee injury as he was helped to the back. Another decent spot where Rey Mysterio and Bourne hit double hurricaranas. All seven men remaining ended up on ladders in the ring before they all started falling one by one. Kofi Kingston was the last one left and tried to grab the briefcase, but Swagger pulled him off. Suddenly, Miz came limping back to the ring and appeared to be in line for getting the case again. Rey Mysterio stopped him and knocked him off. Rey was booed pretty heavily. Del Rio then got to the top of the ladder. Both men battled on the top of the ladder before Del Rio yanked Rey's mask off and shoved him to another ladder. Both men's ladders fell in a spot that didn't look planned. Del Rio grabbed the briefcase for the win.

As I said, still entertaining but a bit sloppy. The end was off, Truth missed a spot earlier with Swagger that had to be redone. It was curious to see what they did with Miz. He got a huge pop from the live crowd. Are they going to turn Miz face? It's been talked about for a while now. I was disappointed Alex Riley didn't standout more than he did. Unlike Smackdown where everyone had at least one standout moment, there were a few guys that didn't stand out here, notably Riley, Jack Swagger, and R-Truth. It will be interesting to see where they go with Del Rio here. I won't say anything more until I get to the end of the review.

Backstage, Del Rio told Josh Matthews he should have been in the WWE Championship match tonight, and he was going to prove to everyone how great he really is and fulfill his destiny of becoming WWE Champion.

Christian defeated Randy Orton via Disqualification to win the World Heavyweight Title: ***3/4
Another solid match between the two. This was a match again bumped up because of the whole angle and the post match as well. Christian threw a chair into the ring early to tease Orton with a DQ. Back and forth action throughout the entire match before Christian countered an RKO into an Unprettier. Orton kicked out at two and sold frustration. Orton recovered and hit a shoulder neckbreaker on Christian for only a two count. Orton thought about the punt but Christian moved. Orton hit a powerslam and elevated rope DDT. He went for an RKO but Christian bailed to the corner. Christian then spit in Orton's face with caused him to snap. Orton went nuts and eventually low blow kicked Christian causing a DQ, which meant Christian won the World Heavyweight Title. After the match, Orton snapped and threw Christian to the outside. He RKO'd Christian on the Spanish announce table, but it didn't break. He left but came back and did it again. Orton was really good here. His facial expressions were top notch. He really sold that he snapped and completely lost it. Orton can be good under the right circumstance and he was here.

I was surprised Daniel Bryan didn't come out and cash in. But they still need to build up Bryan a bit more in my opinion. Christian was carried to the back afterward. Like I said, another good match between these two and continues their program heading into SummerSlam. I'm assuming some type of gimmick is added to the match this time. Maybe, as some people have already suggested, Edge returns as special guest referee. He will already be in Los Angeles for SummerSlam. I was surprised as well to see how much the crowd was into Randy Orton. I thought for sure Chicago would be more into Christian than Orton. Hopefully Christian gets a proper one month reign with the Title, and not lose it again on Smackdown right away. Even though this program has been going now for 3 months, there is now a new wrinkle thrown into it with Christian now Champ, and Orton now in full blown psychotic snap mode. Solid "2nd main event" before the match everyone was waiting for.

C.M. Punk defeated John Cena to win the WWE Championship: *****
I'll try, but words cannot do this one justice. This match was just on another level. Punk came out to a huge reaction from his hometown Chicago. Cena came out and just walked to the ring, now salute or run to the ring.

Basic wrestling work in the first half of the match. Slow rest holds, but they all played into the build of the match later. Cena hit his traditional offense. About 12 minutes into the match Cena sold a knee injury and backed away into the corner. Punk went to suplex Cena back into the ring, but Cena suplexed him to the outside onto the mat in a rough looking spot. Back in the ring, Cena and Punk went at each other with a back and forth that got "BOOS" for Cena and "YAHS" for Punk. Cena eventually gained control and went for the five knuckle shuffle, but Punk kneed Cena in the head when he went for the "You Can't See Me." Punk kneed Cena to the floor and then hit a dive to the outside. Back in the ring, Punk went for a dive and missed. Cena connected on the Five Knuckle Shuffle this time. Cena then went for the Attitude Adjustment, but Punk countered. Punk went for the GTS, but Cena countered. Cena took a pretty stiff knee to the jaw.

After some Punk kicks, Cena countered and locked in the STF. Punk was able to crawl towards the ropes and grab it before tapping out. Punk went to the top and went for a splash, but Cena countered into an AA attempt. Punk countered into a GTS attempt. Cena countered that into another STF. Punk crawled towards the rope again but Cena dragged him back mid-ring. Out of nowhere, Punk was able to escape and lock in his signature submission, the Anaconda Vice. Cena countered out of that into an AA, but only got a two count out of it. Punk countered Cena's top rope leg drop into a sitdown powerbomb. Punk went for the GTS but Cena got out of it. This time he hit the leg drop. Cena hit another AA but Punk kicked out again. Cena sold disbelief to the ref.

Cena went for a top rope AA, but Punk elbowed out of it. He hit a top rope huracanrana. Punk then hit the GTS on Cena, but Cena fell to the outside. Punk rolled Cena back into the ring. Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis walked down the entrance. Punk caught them out of the corner of his eye. Punk entered the ring, but the distraction allowed Cena to lock in the STF. Vince told Laurinaitis to go ring the bell, but Cena unlocked the hold and decked him. Cena then went to Vince and told him "Not like this," implying he didn't want the match to end in the screwjob format. Cena went back into the ring, but Punk hit the GTS and scored the three count for the win.

Vince sold disbelief and shock. As Punk celebrated in the ring, Vince walked to the announce table and told them to cut Punk's music. He asked for Del Rio to come out and cash in his contract. Del Rio ran out but Punk kneed him in the head. Punk then left the ring, blew a kiss to McMahon, and escaped through the crowd. The show ended with Punk walking in the arena concourse and McMahon fuming on the ring apron.

As I said in the beginning, just WOW. That match was on a whole nother level. Punk was excellent there playing to the crowd and of course proving once again that he is the best wrestler in the WWE today. As much as I don't like the guy as a character, Cena brought his A game tonight as well. He showed that he is more than capable of carrying his end of a big time match. The crowd was great as well. Everything put together just gave this match a big time feel that might not be topped for years to come. Everybody played their parts perfectly. Punk and Cena were great in the ring, Vince was great as the owner who didn't want to see his prized possession leave, and even John Laurinaitis was good as the company stooge. It is what you ask for in a wrestling match. Good action in the ring, compelling drama, and an excellent story told from start to finish. You can't ask for anything else.

Just like before the PPV, I have no idea where this story is going. This is the one finish I didn't see happening. Does Punk really leave with the WWE Title? If so, do we go that long without the WWE Title? Does Vince introduce a new Title belt? Is Dolph Ziggler the new top dog on the show with the United States Championship? Does Punk actually stick around for a bit? Does he show up in the crowd with the title? Or go to Ring Of Honor? Is Cena actually fired? That's a lot of questions there. This ending was the best possible hook to gain viewers for RAW tonight. The one thing the WWE can't do is have Punk show up tonight, then just lose the title back to Cena. It kills any momentum from the PPV and will lose more people in the long haul rather than gain more. But from start to finish in this whole program, for now, the WWE has done everything right and not screwed anything up. Kudos to them so far.

OVERALL
Easily the best PPV of the year so far. Everything was good to great, not counting the Divas match. I just can't describe enough how much I enjoyed this show. I'm giving it a solid 9. I'm taking off one point for an underwhelming RAW MITB match. Had that match been slightly better, this show would have been a ten But there was enough mis-cues in that match to drop the show a point. It doesn't take away from anything on the show overall, but I felt it affected the match quality just a bit. So obviously, this show is now #1 on the WWE PPV list for 2011.

1. Money in the Bank
2. Elimination Chamber

3. Extreme Rules
4. Wrestlemania 27
5. Royal Rumble
6. Capitol Punishment
7. Over the Limit

3 Stars of the Night
1. C.M. Punk: No doubt in my mind.
2. John Cena: He brought his A game tonight and showed he can work a big time match
3. Randy Orton: He brought his A game as well and sold some great expressions post match

Where Do We Go From Here?
I honestly have no idea, at least on the RAW side. There are just so many answers left unquestioned. My guess is that Punk stays gone for at least a few months, leading to a tournament to declare a new WWE Champion. They hold a 16 man tournament headed into SummerSlam. On Smackdown, Orton and Christian will continue their program with either Edge as Special Referee, or some type of gimmick or both. So for now, lets say SummerSlam looks like this:

Tournament Final for the WWE Championship: John Cena vs Alberto del Rio
World Heavyweight Championship; Tables, Ladders, & Chairs: Christian vs Randy Orton
United States Championship: Dolph Ziggler vs Alex Riley
Intercontinental Championship: Ezekiel Jackson vs Cody Rhodes
Sheamus vs Wade Barrett
Rey Mysterio vs Miz
Daniel Bryan vs Mark Henry
John Morrison vs R-Truth

I will close this review by saying if you were on the edge of watching this and didn't, go out of your way to order the replay. It was just a great display of wrestling ability from everyone involved on the show. It can hook you back in as a wrestling fan. It was just a great atmosphere. It's shows like these why we stay wrestling fans. Here's a goodbye kiss from C.M. Punk.

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