The RAW Truth Review for 4/1/13

It's the last RAW before Wrestlemania. All of the big stars are there. And the regular roster too. Expect a promo heavy show. One last hard sell job for Wrestlemania.

MY EYES! AND EARS!
RAW started with John Cena in his way too bright yellow shirt. Cena took in all the boos. He said he stands in the middle of a house divided, full of Cenacrats and Rockpublicans. He said it is no secret him and Rock don't like each other, but he respects him for being a global superstar. Last year he would have questioned Rock's allegiance to the WWE, and then Rock would crap on him and his personal life. But those childish games are over. The Rock has done every single thing he said he was going to do. This Sunday he steps into the ring with who he believes is the greatest WWE Champion of all time. The Rock is the great one but he will fall. Rock's time is up and his time is now. Cena said he had to deal with his Wrestlemania loss for a year. He watched Rock usher in a new era with a new WWE Title. Cena said at Wrestlemania he will end The Rock's era. Rock will experience failure and have to deal with the fact that the Title made for him will be defended by Cena. Boring chants broke out in the crowd. Cena said holding that Title will show that he is better than The Rock. Cena ended by saying "The Champ is here."

The RAW Truth Review for 3/25/13

We have two RAWs left before Wrestlemania, and the WWE really has to step up their game. The Rock will be there tonight, so I would expect the Rock/Cena program to get the majority of the attention tonight. Sit back and enjoy!

Heyman to Punk: TOUCHDOWN
CM Punk came out with Paul Heyman carrying the urn. Heyman threw a pass with the urn to Punk in the ring from the apron. Punk said everyone says the Undertaker can't be beaten at Wrestlemania. They say no one can stop the Deadman. But Punk said "they" don't know what they are talking about. But they are irrelevant. Punk said everything should have ended at last year's Wrestlemania, with Undertaker, HHH and Shawn Michaels walking into the sunset. But Taker had to come out on Punk's show and point at his sign. Punk said the urn means nothing to him and threw it on the ground. He said he knows he will beat The Streak and he has something Taker wants. And Taker is at a psychological disadvantage. Punk said Taker could have fought any other man and had his Streak continue, but he had to choose Punk. And Punk is the one to end the Streak. Punk said at Wrestlemania, the Undertaker's perfect record will Rest in Peace.

Suddenly the lights went out and Taker went to town on Punk, landing multiple punches in the corner before Punk escaped with the urn.

The WWE RAW Truth Review for 3/18/13

Tonight, Triple H responds to Brock Lesnar's challenge. We also see the continuation of the Undertaker/CM Punk feud. Will Undertaker actually say something tonight? Read along to find out!

Apparently, the Prime Time Players Should Be Main Eventing Wrestlemania
RAW started with John Cena in a new obnoxiously bright yellow shirt. Cena said the crowd seems like there are some Rock fans and Cena fans in the crowd. Cena said once again, that "Our Time is Now." Cena said he is more focused than ever. Randomly, Darren Young and Titus O'Neil came out. O'Neil was in an afro and cover alls. O'Neil said his name is Rufus Pancake Patterson, and they call him that because he flattens fools. Cena said he thinks O'Neil needs some medication. O'Neil said the only medication needed is the Prime Time Players. O'Neil said no one wants to see Cena at Wrestlemania, they want to see the Prime Time Players. O'Neil said he would have no problem tearing Cena limb from limb, but his gout is flaring up. Darren Young, however, would have no problem doing that. Young said after the match, Cena would be crying on the ramp just like at last year's Wrestlemania. Cena got serious and said he will show Young that he is ready for Wrestlemania.

The RAW Truth Review for 3/11/13

After attending last week's show, I'm back this week to give a live review. Brock Lesnar will answer Triple H's challlenge. And our WWE Champ The Rock? He isn't around to build up to the main event of the biggest show of the year. Talk about a great build!

#HEEL
RAW started with a nice Paul Bearer tribute video. After that, Undertaker came down to the ring where an urn was placed. Taker kneeled down and did his pose, but CM Punk interrupted. Punk said he came out here to extend his condolences for Taker's loss, at Wrestlemania. Punk said that to Paul Bearer, Taker will always be perfect. But in four weeks, he will be 20-1. And the night after Wrestlemania, they will be playing a video about him. And 20 years from now, everyone's children and grandchildren will be asking where they were when Punk beat The Streak. Punk walked away as Taker watched on.

Is CM Punk the Man to End The Streak?

It's Wrestlemania season. That means it is time for our once a year Undertaker appearance. While the Undertaker's career is not necessarily all about his Wrestlemania Streak, he has had a great overall career no doubt, his Wrestlemania Undefeated Streak is his crowning achievement. The last few years of his career have been all about The Streak, mainly because he doesn't appear on WWE TV outside of Wrestlemania season anymore. I really don't have too much of a problem with it. Taker is up there in years and his body can't handle a weekly schedule anymore.

But with The Undertaker's career more than likely coming to an end sooner rather than later, and with it again being Wrestlemania season, it is time to bring up whether or not The Streak should be ended. People will argue their point for each side. For those who want The Streak to stay intact, they say it is something special and unique to the character of The Undertaker. There really is nothing else like it in the history of the WWE. It's different. In the past few years, it has made The Undertaker's match at Wrestlemania almost seem like a co-main event. I would argue that in the last few years that Undertaker's match at Wrestlemania has been better than the actual main event on the show. A lot of that, of course, has to do with the opponent Taker has faced and the story told in the match. But if The Streak was not intact during those matches, they would not have felt as special.

Yes, I'm Talking About A John Cena Heel Turn

It is the age old question brought up by wrestling fans. I'm pretty sure it is brought up every month and about 30 times a year by wrestling fans. It is the one thing we would love to see in the WWE, but it never seems to happen. And of course, that question is: Will John Cena Turn Heel?

There are pros and cons to this argument. Lets look at the pros first. Obviously, it would bring a new dimension to John Cena's character. Cena has been stale for about the last five years. He hasn't changed anything with his character. He has the same offensive move set he's had. He's added the hurricarrana to his move set, but he can barely pull it off. I'm not saying he would all of the sudden become a better wrestler by turning heel. But heel's can work differently in the ring compared to faces.

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,

Thoughts on Jack Swagger

Unless you've been away from your phone, computer, Twitter etc. in the last few hours, you probably know by now that Jack Swagger was arrested last night after the Smackdown taping in Mississippi. He was arrested for DUI and marijuana possession. It should be noted that Swagger was under the influence of marijuana, not alcohol. That doesn't change the fact that what Swagger did was absolutely stupid for somebody in his position.

Swagger was put in possibly the biggest position of his WWE career. He had just won the Elimination Chamber match on Sunday to earn a World Title shot at Wrestlemania. To me, that is bigger than him winning the World Title in 2010. Swagger gets the chance to be in a Title match at Wrestlemania. If you would have told me Jack Swagger was going to be in a Title match at Mania two months ago, I would've assumed you were talking about the United States Title. I would have never guessed that Swagger was going to receive the push that he did.

The RAW Truth Review for 2/18/2013

We are officially full speed on the Road to Wrestlemania. Expect the path to it to get a lot clearer after tonight. My guess is that you will get an idea of what the majority of the matches will be after tonight.

Lose To The Shield? Who Cares, KEEP SMILING!
John Cena came out, smiling and happy as ever after losing to The Shield. John Cena said Wrestlemania is taking shape after last night. C.M. Punk came out. Punk said fighting The Rock at Wrestlemania was the easy way out. Punk said Rock beat him fair and square, despite having Rock down for an 18 count and striking a WWE official. Punk said Cena has never beat him. Cena said he wasn't talking about wins and losses, he was talking about Wrestlemania. Cena said sorry but this one isn't about him, so Punk will have to sit this one out. Punk said he was Champ for 434 days. He called Cena lucky for winning the Rumble. Punk said Rock/Cena was a rerun. Cena asked Punk what he wants to do. Punk said walk away. Cena said he isn't going to hand away a golden ticket to the main event of Wrestlemania. Cena said Punk does have a point. He hasn't beaten Rock or Punk. And he wants to silence those critics. Cena challenged Punk to a match. If Cena wins, Punk shuts up. If Punk wins, he gets to go to the main event of Wrestlemania. Punk said they will do it, next week. Cena agreed.

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, Wrestlemania, and the Need To Look At The Long Term

Well, it looks like my post from about a month ago will have some weight to it after all. The results of the Royal Rumble all but guarantee us a Rock/Cena rematch for Wrestlemania 29. As I stated earlier, the match does nothing for me. I just don't care about seeing it again.

The WWE will tell us all that the short term results from this will be great. Wrestlemania 29 will be a huge revenue gainer for the WWE. Most people believe that it will be the highest grossing gate Mania of all time. That is fine and dandy. I still don't buy the idea that this Wrestlemania will have the most PPV buys of all time. There are a lot of people just like me who do not want to see Wrestlemania headlined by two PPV matches that have taken place in the last year. Wrestlemania is suppose to be about big, new matches that haven't taken place before. Instead, the WWE has decided to take the safe route and book matches that have already succeeded for them. It is lazy booking at its finest. Why try something new when you can go with something that has already done well?

Rock-Cena 2: What Does It Do For You?

While nothing is confirmed at all, and plans can always change due to a number of circumstances, the rumored working plan for the WWE is to have The Rock face John Cena at Wrestlemania 29. This time the match is suppose to be for the WWE Title. But as I usually like to say when it comes to most things WWE, I ask why this needs to happen. Mainly, I like to ask what exactly it does to spark more interest in the product and what it accomplishes for me as a fan.

Lets start with the main reason I hate having this match again: This is Wrestlemania. Very rarely do you have rematches at Wrestlemania. HBK-Taker is one exception where it happened and worked. But the rematch obviously had more at stake in it. And before you even think about, neither the Rock or John Cena are putting their careers on the line in this match. So you can cross that off. And besides, we all know when John Cena is forced to leave the WWE he just appears more often on TV then he did before. (see: John Cena-Nexus) But it's the same reason I have a problem with the rumored Brock Lesnar-HHH rematch at Mania. I want to see new, big time match-ups at Wrestlemania. I don't want to see the second or third match between two guys that have already fought in the Wrestlemania calendar year.

MY Final Wrestlemania 29 Card

We're about one month away from the start of Wrestlemania season. Usually you could say that Wrestlemania season starts with the Royal Rumble. I'm saying it starts in January this year because one of the key players in this year's Wrestlemania, The Rock, will be around in January to build to his WWE Title Match at the Royal Rumble with C.M. Punk.

If you ask me, this is a critical Wrestlemania season for the WWE. The Rock and Brock Lesnar, two stars known outside of just the world of wrestling, will be back and should bring in some more viewers. With ratings down, that could be huge. That also means it is a time for the WWE to try and make some new stars that appeal to the viewers who come back during Wrestlemania season. Make guys like Kofi Kingston, Wade Barrett and Dolph Ziggler more appealing to the casual viewer. Make them seem like interesting guys that you want to watch. That's something the WWE has never done well during Wrestlemania season. Ok, you want your top stars in the big matches. I get it. But make the undercard seem important as well.

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.

5 Things To Look For By The End of 2012

There is just a little over 2 months left in the calendar year. While some might say that the build to Wrestlemania doesn't really start to around the Royal Rumble, I beg to differ. While you don't need to have your Wrestlemania plans set in stone at this point, you usually have a general idea of where you want things to go. That is why it is important to start getting there right around now. If done right, you can tell a great story over the span of a couple of months.

If you ask me, this is a big Wrestlemania season for the WWE. We know The Rock will be there, as well as Brock Lesnar. By the way, good job keeping up with storylines WWE. Brock Lesnar quite. Why is he on the Wrestlemania poster? There's some doubt, but I really can't see The Undertaker missing Wrestlemania. It wouldn't seem like Wrestlemania without him. Triple H could be there too. Stone Cold? I wouldn't rule it out, by I would make him the least likely to appear. I know his name has been dropped a lot on WWE TV lately, but he's rehabbing a bad knee. Add all those guys with the likes of C.M. Punk, John Cena and Randy Orton, and the WWE should have a star studded line-up. With the fans that always come back for Wrestlemania, it will be important for the WWE to try and keep those fans around after Mania.

Looking Ahead To Wrestlemania 29

Yes, it is still 7 months away. But I always love looking ahead to try and figure out next year's Wrestlemania card. And you know that the WWE is already planning ahead to the event as well. But of course, the WWE changes things almost hourly, so anything they would do know is more than likely going to be scrapped anyways. It is always good to have an initial idea and try to figure out how to get there, however. The WWE's problem is that they always lose faith in someone so quickly that they feel the need to make things change because of it.

Now if it were up to me, as you know, I would have booked this Brock Lesnar angle completely differently. My main event matches would have been The Rock vs C.M. Punk and Brock Lesnar vs John Cena for the WWE Championship. But since Lesnar/Cena is not happening, we have to go with something else. Because this year's show is in the backdrop of New York City, the WWE will want to have as many big name matches as possible.

Re-Booking Brock Lesnar

Remember back in April when rumors started to surface of a Brock Lesnar return to the WWE? The internet was a buzz with talk of Lesnar coming back. People were excited about the possible matches he would have with John Cena, C.M. Punk, Undertaker, and hell, even Triple H. Many thought Lesnar would be a boost to WWE TV and get former fans who left for UFC back into the product. With the $5 million dollar contract the WWE gave Lesnar, even they were expecting big things from him.

But be honest, how many people are actually satisfied with what Lesnar has done so far? The intrigue was there with Cena, but his feud with HHH just didn't click at all. And what is the worst part? We will more than likely be getting another rematch. But not before weeks of "speculation" on whether Triple H will retire or not. But the Triple H debacle is another story. The fact is, Lesnar's limited dates are affecting his perception among WWE fans. We get that he doesn't want to be around every week. And I agree with that. If you want to make Lesnar a big deal and a money draw for you, you don't have him appear every week. But they should have tried to get a few more dates out of him.

Best In The World: Looking At The Year of C.M. Punk

Whenever you start a job, there's one constant everyone will tell you. Your boss, your wife, your parents. Anyone. "Hard work pays off." Most of the time, people just aren't handed things on a silver platter. You have to bust your butt to get somewhere in today's world. It may take a long time, but if you stick to it you will get the recognition you deserve. You can't let people get you down. You screw up once? So what. Build on that mistake and let it help you in the future. People don't like quitters. They like hard workers.

When it comes to hard workers in the wrestling business, I can't think of anyone else that works harder than C.M. Punk. C.M. Punk fits the mold of everything I described in the first paragraph. He's a hard worker, He's busted his butt for years to get to the top spot in the WWE. Punk has had numerous detractors and people who said he could never be a main event talent, and he's proven each one of them wrong. It may have taken a long time, but C.M. Punk is finally one of the top stars in the wrestling industry. He's the perfect combination of everything you want in a wrestler. He can work in the ring and he can talk on the mic. And he loves the wrestling business. What else can you ask for?

A Look at This Week's WWE News

Rather than my normal column on one specific piece of wrestling, I decided to take a look at all the on goings that have taken place in the WWE in the last week. There have been some newsworthy topics to talk about, so lets get right to it.

Chris Jericho Suspended 30 Days for Kicking Brazil Flag
This story is a little over a week old but I never really touched on it. Chris Jericho was suspended after kicking the Brazil flag on a recent tour of South America last weekend. Nobody knew the incident was illegal, so there really is no one to blame here. It is a traditional heel move by a wrestler so you can't fault Jericho. There were apparently police officers waiting to arrest Jericho after the match. I understand that each country has its own set of laws, but they do know that the WWE is only entertainment right? Jericho wasn't trying to make a political statement. It sucks that Jericho is gone now, especially with the way the roster is, but I understand why the WWE suspended Jericho from a P.R. standpoint. Especially with Linda McMahon running for Senate. We still don't exactly know when Jericho is leaving. I believe Jericho is advertised for live events through SummerSlam. That would be a good exit for him on the second biggest PPV of the year.

The Brock Lesnar Fallout: One Week Later

The majority of the time, I try to keep my cool while writing. I don't like to over react to any one event. It's bad and makes me come off as rash and hostile, at least in my opinion. As a writer one needs to stay objective and observe things from the big picture rather than giving a split second reaction. Any time a writer reacts quickly and negatively it can come off as rash and unprofessional.

All of that is what I did last week after Brock Lesnar lost at Extreme Rules to John Cena. At the time, I was pissed and confused at the same time. Here is the guy you brought in to make you money. He was here to go up against the top guys and improve your ratings and PPV buys. And what happens in his first match back? He loses top John Cena. I was furious. What I thought had been a great PPV up until that point went down in my eyes after this result. I let it drag down my review of the show at the end. It went from being a 9 to a 7.