Showing posts with label John Cena. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Cena. Show all posts
Monday, August 27, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
What Makes a Great Worker?
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The Raw Review 8/6/2012
WWE Monday Night RAW 8/6/2012
The AT&T Center San Antonio, Texas
The CM Punk / AJ Lee summit
Punk's slow build into a heel continued to take shape here, and it was fantastic. Like any great villain, Punk felt his actions the last two weeks were justified.
Punk tries to get the Triple Threat Match at Summerslam called off, but AJ has none of it.
I like that the Punk/AJ dynamic has flipped in the last month. I was dreading the mere thought of Punk and AJ becoming an on screen couple, so this was good stuff if you ask me.
Out comes Cena to throw stones at Punk's "new attitude".
What pissed me off about this was Cena even suggesting that Punk has earned respect over the last 261 days of his WWE Titles reign. If I'm not mistaken, Punk has done nothing but earn everything he's gotten since Survivor Series. Sure, I might sound like a Mark by saying that, but Punk has brought prestige back to the belt, that was diminished while it was held by guys like John Cena over the last 8 years.
AJ then sticks Punk into a 'Raw Active' Match. The fans on twitter have Kane, The Miz, and Rey Mysterio to choose from. There is no way that it wont be Rey.
SURVEY SAYS....
Non-Title: CM Punk vs Rey Mysterio
These two have had better matches, but this was a great TV bout. I would've liked more time, but they made the most of what they were given, and that's all I can ask.
Finish: Rey came off the top attempting a big splash, but Punk managed to get his knees up just in time. Punk then finished off Rey with a GTS to pick up the win.
Winner: CM Punk
Wade Barrett return vignette
This was AWESOME!! I've missed Wade. He was finally getting a chance to showcase what makes him so great before he went down with an elbow injury. WWE has been pushing younger stars up the card, so having him back on the roster is a huge win.
Christian vs Alberto Del Rio
This one was OK, but the finish was too close to the previous match if you ask me.
Finish: Christian goes up top, but Ricardo distracts him which allows Alberto to nail Captain Charisma with a boot to knock him onto the mat. He then slaps on the Cross Armbreaker to make Christian tap out.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Post Match: Sheamus steals Alberto's car, and I could care less.
Randy Orton vs The Big Show
This one was better than I anticipated. It was far from being the snore-fest that I thought it would be going in. They both were on their game, and put on a pretty good match. The only thing I had a problem with was the ending.
Finish: Both men brawl to the outside and get counted out.
Winner: Double Count out.
Post Match: Big Show tosses Orton back into the ring and goes for the WMD, but it's countered with an RKO out of nowhere.
Ryback vs Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks
Ryback got fed, thats all I have to say about this one.
Finish: Ryback hits the Marching Fishermens Buster on Reks to get the pin.
Winner: Ryback
The Primetime Players vs Epico & Primo
I spent more time listening to AW to try and pick on up any new rape jokes, then I did paying attention to the match. And you could tell that he's been neutered because of his Kobe Bryant comment from last week, which is a shame. It was the first entertaining thing to come out of his mouth.
Finish: The Primetime Players try to bail on the match, but Kofi and Truth cut them off at the ramp. They toss the heels back in, and Young gets hit with the backstabber to eat a loss for his team.
Winners: Epico & Primo
Damien Sandow vs Brodus Clay
Sandow attacks Clay on the stage before the match can even get started.
I love the intensity that Damien Sandow has been showing lately, And I'm actually becoming a fan of his. This is just another case of WWE doing a great job creating new stars, which has needed to happen for some time.
Winner: No Contest.
Kelly Kelly vs Eve
I guess going 3 hours means that even the Diva's are getting more time. Getting three minutes is almost like an Iron-Diva match when compared to what they're used to.
Finish: Hurricanrana by Kelly Kelly into the roll-up for the win.
Winner: Kelly Kelly
Shawn Michaels chimes in on Lesnar/Triple H
Another missed opportunity to build heat by having Lesnar take out Michaels, and I was pissed when Hunter came down to protect him. I do like that Shawn will be in Hunter's corner at Summerslam though, so that's something. But mark my words, Lesnar will get his hands on HBK before the Pay Per View.
Dolph Ziggler vs Alex Riley
Jericho joins us for commentary which was great. I cannot wait for his match with Ziggler at Summerslam, they will steal the show for sure in two weeks.
Finish: Jericho stands on the Commentary table to record a Tout of Ziggler standing in the ring badmouthing Y2J. While distracted Riley rolls up Dolph and gets a big upset on Raw, and I think his first victory on the brand in over a year.
Winner: Alex Reily
Non-Title: Kane vs The Miz
Why was it necessary to have the Intercontinental Champion job to Kane? They've been pushing The Miz since his return too which makes this more puzzling for me. Couldn't they find anyone else to get beaten by Kane? WWE Y U BOOK SO FUNNY?!!
Finish: Chokeslam by Kane finishes off The Miz
Winner: Kane
Sheamus returns with Del Rio's car in shambles
This was corny as my shit after a Southern BBQ. I tuned out all of the Tout's from Sheamus throughout the night, because I have no fucks to give. I'm sure they will have a pretty good match at Summerslam, but this is not the kind of thing that gets me into a wrestling feud.
John Cena vs Daniel Bryan
Flashback Match: John Cena vs Daniel Bryan from 2003
This was far from being like the match they had on Velocity in 2003. Both men have grown into themselves as performers. While obviously Bryan is by far the better wrestler of the two, they showed great chemistry in this match. I wouldn't mind seeing a program between these guys. I'm sure that D-Bry could pull some awesome matches out of Cena, much like Punk did last year at Money in the Bank.
Finish: Cena breaks out of The No Lock, then muscles Bryan off of the mat and onto his shoulders to deliver the Attitude Adjustment for the win.
Winner: John Cena
Post Match: As Cena celebrates out comes CM Punk. They stare each other down, then Big Show waddles down to the ring. Cena shoves Punk to the canvas and starts throwing punches at Show, before setting up for the AA. Punk then nails both men to put them down.
Punk leaves the ring and grabs a headset from the announce booth. He says that maybe it's his fault that it is a triple threat at Summerslam. Maybe he has let people disrespect him. He kissed babies, shook hands and kissed ass, but look now, he does what he does best. Raw ends with CM Punk, standing tall with the WWE Champion. Because he is the best in the world, and if anyone stands in his way, he will leave them laying on the mat like Cena and Show.
He gets back in the ring and goes to kick The Big Show, but it gets blocked and Punk gets knocked out by a WMD. Show then gives Cena a little of the same, before standing tall in the ring with the WWE Title on his shoulder to end the night.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
The Raw Review 7/30/2012
WWE Monday Night RAW 7/30/2012
The U.S. Bank Arena Cincinnati, OH
The roof is on fire.
Tonight's Raw was in question due to a fire on the Raw set. Thankfully, they were able to get it under control in time to get the fans back into the arena before the show started. I am under the assumption that Vince McMahon paid high dollar to the Fire Marshall to OK the show to go on. And to that I say, THANK YOU VINCE'S WALLET!!!!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The Raw Review 7/16/2012
WWE Monday Night RAW 7/16/2012
The Mandalay Bay Events Center Las Vegas, NV
CM Punk opens the show after retaining the Title last night, and Big Show crashes his moment.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Disenchanted: The highs and lows of being a wrestling fan.
Sorry about the lack of a review last week. I was so irritated with the show that I just didn't think it was worth wasting my time to write. There is no way to sugar coat it, that show was an ABORTION. And as a wrestling fan, I feel insulted by what was presented to us. I will get to more into that later.
I became a wrestling fan on April 5th, 1992 when a friend had me over to watch Wrestlemania 8 at his Dad's house. I fell in love with the athleticism and over the top showmanship of it all. It just connected with me right away. And on that day I also became a die-hard Bret Hart fan during his blood filled match with Roddy Piper. Some kids had Michael Jordan as their childhood hero, I had "The Hitman".
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
The Raw Review 7/2/2012
WWE Monday Night RAW 7/2/2012
The Laredo Energy Arena Laredo, TX
This review is once again brought to you by Vodka, helping me forget shitty wrestling shows since I was a teenager.
All the Raw Main Eventers verbally spar to open the show
If they want to begin Raw with a bunch of talking, this is how you do it. We had Punk, Cena, Bryan, Jericho, and Kane all trading insults. Usually we only get two guys in the ring talking back and forth, by adding more personalities to the mix it was far more entertaining than the days of Cena and Orton boring the crowd in the first 10 minutes of the show. I refer to those days as the "Dark Ages". Big Show then comes out and we have a brawl on our hands. Big Show ends up standing tall like a good heel should.
Am I the only one who already knows that Cena is going to win MITB and cash it in for a match with Punk at Summerslam? Not only would it be face vs face, but it would be a rematch of last years SS main event. And could this possibly be where Cena finally turns heel? Just think about it, Cena becomes the first man to not successfully cash in the breifcase and snaps on Punk.
I doubt they will do this, but how awesome would it be? Cena is beyond stale and the hardcore audience has been begging for him to 'Go to the Darkside' for years. Time to pull the trigger in my book.
I enjoyed the shit out of this segment. Just a really good way to open the show.
Eight Man Tag: Christian, Santino, Kofi Kingston, and R-Truth vs The Primetime Players, Cody Rhodes, and David Otunga
It's good to see R-Truth back from his injury. I was starting to think they were just going to go back to ignoring the Tag Division. Glad that's not the case, but I still see "Trouble in Little Jimmy's Paradise" dropping the belts to The Primetime Players, probably at the Pay Per View in an unadvertised match. Dark Ages indeed...
Finish: The Primetime Players and Rhodes both leave Otunga during the match (Can you blame them?). Then out comes Brodus Clay to make sure Otunga doesn't take off too. Otunga then suffers the Cobra to end it.
Winners: Christian, Santino, Kofi, and Truth
Post Match: Christian hits Otunga with the Killswitch, followed by a Big Splash from Clay. They then dance with a bunch of kids '95 Shawn Michales style. I hate children.
Alberto Del Rio vs Sin Cara
Del Rio destoyed Sin Cara before the match could begin. Can you say burial?
Winner: No Contest
Paul Heyman responds to Triple H's challenge
So Brock will be at the 1000th Raw (AKA 999th episode in reality) to give Triple H his answer.
This is pretty much non-news. I figured that is when Lesnar would make his return. But in order to get some heat back on this feud they need to have Lesnar make it personal. And I think the perfect way to do this is to have Brock destroy Shawn Michaels. And if not HBK, then another one of Hunter's Klique buddies.
The issue between these two has been deflating ever since Brock broke Triple H's arm. They need to go big, and go big soon. And if they are holding off until July 23rd to have Lesnar back on TV, there won't be much time to get it done. And just imagine the sympathy that a guy like Michales could invoke by being taken out by Lesnar. Or even Sean Waltman for that matter. We will just have to wait and see.
Dolph Ziggler & Vickie Guererro vs Sheamus & AJ
AJ is looking good tonight, or is it just that she looks good in comparison to Vickie? I know that Guererro gives my buddy Chris Berg huge boners, but he's gay so what does he know? #Burn
As for the match, it was just a collection of Ziggler selling dirt to the homeless. What's new?
Finish: Ziggler takes a Brogue Kick to the outside, and AJ hits Vickie with a Shining Wizard to get the win.
Winners: Sheamus & AJ
Heath Slater vs Doink The Clown
I don't remember Doink ever wrestling in Walmart sneakers. I guess you learn something new everyday.
Finish: Slater with a Neckbreaker gets the duke.
Winner: Heath Slater
Post Match: Out comes Diamond Dallas Page!! He throws up the Diamond sign with Slater before hitting him with the Diamond Cutter.
Page still looks great considering he was already in his fourties when he was on top in WCW. I wouldn't mind seeing him have one more run, unless he plans on putting over David Arquette again. In that case he can die in a fire. #FuckYouBealer
No Disqualifacations: The Big Show vs Kane
Where have I seen this before? Oh yeah, at least three times a year since 1998. Silly me.
Finish: Show Chokeslams Kane onto a chair to get the win.
Winner: The Big Show
Remember when Kane returned as a monster heel and was terrorizing everyone in sight? Yeah, I don't either.
Tyson Kidd vs Tensai
Finish: Tyson Kidd with the quick roll up.
Winner: Tyson Kidd
Post Match: Tensai smacks around his follower.
This wasn't much of a match, but the fact that they're building Tyson Kidd has me thrilled. They guy is a fantastic wrestler who should've been pushed two years ago when they split up The Hart Dynasty. They had a chance to build up both him and DH Smith back then, but ended up releasing Smith and sticking Tyson on Superstars. They had something with both guys, and I don't know WWE has waited this long to capitalize on Kidd.
Back from the break Tensai destroys Kidd in the lockroom
How long has it been since we saw a good old locker room beat down? Too long is the answer. It seemed fresh and I have to say I liked it. It reminded me of back in 1988 when Randy Savage attacked Hulk Hogan in the lead up to wrestlemania 5. We need more segments like this, I am so tired of seeing the grey hallways in the backstage areas.
CM Punk & John Cena vs Chris Jericho & Daniel Bryan
Great match to end Raw, and when is the last time I said that? I mean go figure, you put a great match at the end of Raw and people respond, it's not rocket surgery. I hope with Raw going three hours in two weeks that they will remember this. I am so worried that WWE is going to stuff those shows with so much filler that is will ruin the pacing of the show. Whenever they've done three hour shows in the past they've done just that.
But I can't praise this match enough. It was a far cry from being Cena vs Cole II.
Finish: Cena & Jericho brawl to the back apparently to watch an advance screening of No Hold Barred on Blu Ray. This leaves Punk & Bryan to fight it out in the ring. Before long, out comes AJ who searches out, and sets up a table. She then procedes to threaten to commit tablecide, as she climbs the ropes and stares down at the table below. Daniel Bryan then tries to talk her down, followed by Punk. AJ then plants a wet one on Punk, before pushing him off the apron into Bryan, causing both men to go through the table. AJ looks to be happy with her actions as the show goes off the air.
Winners: No Contest
Final Verdict: This was a pretty damn good episode of Raw. I can't really complain too much about any segment on this show. I was entertained throughout, and that's all we can ask for, right?
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The Raw Review 6/25/2012
WWE Monday Night RAW 6/25/2012
The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Fort Wayne, IN.
AJ is one CRAZY BITCH!!
AJ is just really good at playing the insane scorned lover. Every week I wait for the moment when she boils Daniel Bryan's bunny. And since he is a PETA supporter, I'm sure they could work that one in somehow.
Daniel Bryan vs CM Punk vs Kane
We get a Pay Per View rematch right out of the gate tonight. Not that I'm complaining, but shouldn't they have promoted this throughout the night as their Main Event? Or even a week in advance? That's why these fast paced builds towards PPV's suck. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would've anticipated seeing this one, and they could have used it to draw in viewers as the show went on.
This was a pretty good match, and was given a decent amount of TV time. I have nothing bad to say about this, other than it should have been the main event.
Finish: AJ comes out and does her skipping routine. This gives Punk an opportunity to hit Kane with the GTS. Punk goes for the pin, but he is kicked hard in the head by Daniel Bryan leading to the WWE Champion eating a loss to a fellow Vegan.
Update: Later in the show it is announced that a Punk/Bryan WWE Title match will happen at Money in the Bank.
I could not be happier. I had figured that the WWE brass was against having these guys go at it again on a Pay Per View, this is one time that I am glad to be wrong. Now if only they would make it a Submission Match. #BuyRate
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Big Show vs Brodus Clay
Well, WWE sacrificed Clay's win streak to the fucking Big Show. How is this a good thing? Show didn't need to beat him. They could have used Clay's streak to put over an up and coming talent, but instead they wasted it on someone who doesn't need the added exposure. This is just stupid. Guess Ryback is the only guy in WWE allowed to have any kind of streak...Has someone informed The Undertaker of this?
Finish: Clay tries for a Bodyslam but the weight of Show causes his injured knee to buckle. Show falls on top of the Funkasaurus and he scores the pin.
Winner: The Big Show
Post Match: Show hits the WMD on Brodus Clay to further bury him.
I guess Clay can join Tensai in the soon to be unemployed line.
Kane tells AJ that she is too crazy for him...She laughs.
: o
United States Title: Santino© vs Jack Swagger
What a waste of TV time!! I'm no Swagger fan, but having someone other than a comedy character as US Champion would've been great.
Finish: Cobra...Fin.
Winner: Santino©
John Cena's "historical" announcement.
I dug the Star Wars references. That was cool as far this this nerd is concerned, but what happened to the "Historical Announcement" part? Was he going to add himself to MITB? The world may never know because...
BREAK THE WALLS DOWN!!!!!
Jericho returns after a 30 day hiatus for some flag related shenanigans.
Throwing Jericho at Cena first thing, only makes Y2J a babyface as far as I'm concerned. ..
Excuse Me!!! Enter tonight's GM Vickie Guerrero. She says only former WWE Champions are eligible to be in Money in the Bank. She announces Kane, Big Show, Cena, and Chris Jericho as participants at the Pay Per View. And tonight we get Jericho vs Cena for the first time in years.
I hate the idea of only former champs being involved. Money in the Bank has always been about getting new stars into the WWE Title/World Title picture, so this is counter productive.
Everyone who has ever won MITB has cashed in the briefcase to win the top prize of their respective show, So what is the point? No matter who wins, we have already seen it. Out of the people announced for the match, Chris Jericho is the only guy I wouldn't mind seeing take the title. But the Punk/Jericho ship has sailed. If they were going to have the title switch, Wrestlemania was the time to do it.
With the news coming out this week that the idea is to have a Cena vs Punk WWE Title Match at Summerslam, I would bet anything that Cena will go over. And are we really surprised? I mean it will most likely be the main event after all. We all know that WWE wouldn't keep their golden boy away from the top of the card.
Sycho Sid vs Heath Slater
Sid returns to a major company for the first time since his accident at WCW's Sin PPV.
It was great seeing Sid after all these years. He didn't waste any time in destroying Slater in this match. And I will say, Slater is a great job guy for these legend returns. And I would hope WWE rewards him with some kind of push. What? He's going to end up in the Clay/Tensai camp during the next roster cuts? Well that sucks.
Finish: Powerbomb from the master and the ruler of the world to end it.
Winner: SID!!!
Contract on a Pole: Dolph Ziggler vs Alberto Del Rio
I'm not huge on Pole Matches, but when is the last time we saw one in the WWE? And at least there isn't a bottle of Viagra at stake. God damn you WCW!!
These Heel vs Heel matches usually mean the crowd doesn't care either way, not in this one for the most part. I would say almost half of the audience was solidly behind Ziggler. And how could they not be?
Finish: After a mad scramble for the fallen contract, Sheamus comes out and calls for a No Contest. Both men will now face The Great White for the Title this week on Smackdown.
Winner: No Contest
Diva's Battle Royal
I threw up in my mouth at seeing Guerrero's attempt at looking HAWT. I mean for fuck sake, that was so gross. If I wanted to make out with an old lady, I would seek out Bret Bealer's Mom. #InsideJoke #BURN!!!!
Finish: AJ tosses out Vickie Guerrero to win, but nobody really cares about Diva Battle Royals.
Winner: AJ
Chris Jericho vs John Cena
This wasn't bad while it lasted. While not given a whole lot of time, They still managed to get some kind of momentum...until The Big Show's music hits and fucks all of that up.
Finish: Jericho has Cena trapped in the Walls of Jericho, Show enters the ring and drops a leg on Cena to cause a DQ.
Winner: John Cena
Post Match: Jericho question's Big Show's involvement, but decides not to press the issue with the incensed big man. Big Show then destroys Cena with a Chokeslam and continues to pummel him to end this episode.
Why do we still need to continue this feud? I mean what did we as wrestling fans do to deserve this? Oh brother, I think we have a long Summer ahead of us.
Final Verdict: Besides the actions of The Big Show, this wasn't that bad of a bad show. First off, I don't like that they served up the first loss of Brodus Clay to the proven veteran known as The Big Show. Why not continue to build up Clay and have him lose to the next big breakout heel? Maybe Dean Ambrose would have filled that role and used it to start a reign of terror. Guess we will never know. And after that Show interrupts what could have been a good closing match. There must be some kind of rule in the WWE that decisive endings to Raw are a no-go in 2012. Wish I would've gotten the memo, I could have been ending my reviews about fifteen minutes early.
I will also put the "only former champs qualify for Money in the Bank" crap into the negative pile this week. That is just a dumb move in my opinion, that does no good. But I'm guessing that WWE is probably going to have that match main event the PPV, so they want it full of top stars.
Sorry Punk, looks like you will be in the middle of the card yet again. And does this rule apply to the World Heavyweight Title Money in the Bank Match? Guess we will have to watch Smackdown to be sure.
Either way, this was a much better offering than previous weeks, and I'm looking forward to the Money in the Bank PPV slightly more than I was earlier today. At least they didn't throw some random drug addict out there in the closing segment. I'm looking at you TNA!!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
WWE No Way Out 2012 Review
World Heavyweight Title: Sheamus© vs Dolph Ziggler
I thought this was a pretty good match. Ziggler sold like only he does, and Sheamus kept up with Dolph for the most part. There were a few messed up spots in the middle, and you could tell that it was because Sheamus was getting a little winded. But still, both guys put on a great Pay Per View opening match. I would have had Ziggles win the title, but did anyone really expect him to take home the gold? Sheamus is in for a long run with the belt, but if this match proved one thing it's that these two would have a great feud for the belt.
Also, I have to mention how awesome the crowd was. Dolph Ziggler was over HUGE with the audience. It's always nice when WWE stops in a city full of smart wrestling fans.
Tuxedo Match: Santino vs Ricardo
What can I say? I love me some Ricardo!! The guy is so good at his role, he really is similar to Santino in that fact.
As for the "match"..It was what it was. Santino won and we found out he has a Cobra for a foot, and Ricardo wears Del Rio underwear. So yeah...
Intercontinental Title: Christian© vs Cody Rhodes
Great match from two guys I am more than ready to see moved into the main event. This match had great psychology and they executed on it perfectly. I did have a hard time getting into it at first coming off of the Tuxedo Match, but they quickly got me involved.
Cody Rhodes is going to be a star one day. In the past his size would limit him, but this is 2012. Our WWE Champion is barley over 200 lbs, so I'm sure Cody will be a player one day soon.
Fatal Four Way: #1 contenders for the Tag Team Titles: Epico & Primo vs Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd vs The Prime Time Players vs The Usos
What the hell was with The Uso's entrance? It was different...
I'm not a big fan of Four Way Tag matches, and this one was a good example of why I don't. They are always clusterfucks. The last few spots were good, but overall this match lacked direction.
As much as I hate the guy, I liked the AW swerve at the end. I could care less about The Prime Time Players. They suck. But that is why having Abraham Washington as their manager is a good thing. They need all the help they can get. I only question why they didn't hold this over till Smackdown? They don't deserve title shots this early. I was hoping that Kidd & Gabriel were going to win it. Hell, any team other than The Prime Time Players would've been a good choice.
Triple H challenges Brock Lesnar to a fight at Summerslam
As we already knew, these two will headline the Summer Time spectacular. And it's probably a safe bet that Triple H will win it.
I like that they are setting up the match two months in advance. It gives them time to build on the story going in. Just a nice old school touch. Remember when there was only a handful of PPVs a year? They had to take their time building up matches, and they were made to seem more important because of it. Yet another reason to cut the number of Pay Per Views they put on every year. Plus my wallet will thank them.
Diva's Championship: Layla© vs Beth Phoenix
I am now a fan of Layla's. Her little routine after taking Beth's headband at the beginning of the match was hilarious. And she isn't bad in the ring either. I was never a fan of hers back in the LayCool days, but that probably had more to do with all of the focus being put on Michelle McCool. She proved herself to me in this match.
I had predicted that Beth Phoenix would walk away with the title, and I also thought that Kharma would make her return. Neither happened. But what I did get was a damn good match by Diva standards.
Sin Cara vs Hunico
During this entire match I kept thinking to myself, "Why isn't Hunico being pushed yet". He is a damn good wrestler, much better than Sin Cara if you ask me. And the guy wrestles in Converse high tops. So I gotta like him.
Hunico carried the entire match. The best I can say about Sin Cara is that he didn't fuck up this time. But of course that is enough for WWE to continue shoving him down our throats.
WWE Title: CM Punk© vs Daniel Bryan vs Kane
The show isn't over and I already know that this was the match of the night. The addition of Kane both helped and hurt this WWE Title match. It was good in that it gave us something different, and bad because throughout the match I kept wish that I was watching another Punk/Bryan singles classic.
Punk added another great match to the list of ones he has had since winning the title in November. And you can tell that WWE is finally firmly behind Punk as the champion by how many times the announcers put over how great his title reign has been so far.
Great work by all involved. And the AJ story continues for better or worse. But I expect that it will be strictly a Punk/Kane issue going forward. Where that leaves Bryan is anyones guess.
Ryback vs Jobbers 'R Us
Squash. 'Nuff said.
Cage Match: John Cena vs The Big Show
This. Match. Was. BORING!
I understand WWE wanting to keep Cash Cow Cena in their PPV main events, but this match had no business closing this show. A Raw Main Event, sure. But not a show that people paid money to see. It's kind of sad that the opening match of the show out performed the finale in every way. I even enjoyed the Diva's Title match more. Not even joking. You would think that after last months Cena/Laurinaitis debacle they would want to give the fans something more for the biggest match on the card. Guess not.
Who would've guessed that Brodus Clay and his Mid-card mafia coming out to aid Cena would be the highlight of the match? So now Big Johnny is 'fired', but this is the WWE so we all know that we haven't seen the end of "People Power".
Final Verdict: I am going to give this show a B-. All the title matches were good, everything else not so much. That alone wouldn't have been too terrible if the Main Event hadn't sucked so bad and pulled the grade down under the weight of it's own failure. I am happy that I didn't pay to see this one.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The Raw Review 6/11/2012
WWE Monday Night RAW 6/11/2012
The XL Center Hartford, CT.
Vince McMahon's job performance review of John Lauriniatis.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Raw Review 6/4/2012
WWE Monday Night RAW 6/4/2012
The BI-LO Center Greenville, SC
Michael Cole interviews John Cena.
Just when we thought that WWE was toning down Michael Cole's heel persona, they swerved us all. Cole starts right out the gate with his angry face on and spends the first few minutes throwing everything that the Big Show has done in Cena's lap. It was almost like we had travelled back in time one year when Cole was the biggest heel in the company due to his overbearing commentary. I think this is a bad thing. What we don't need is Cole back on the headset burying talent when we are on the cusp of a major youth movement. Bad thing indeed.
John Cena defends himself, and they go back and forth. This brings out Big Johnny who gives Cena the chance to pick his opponent for tonight like Big Show did last week. Cena picks Michael Cole.
Great. I guess it wasn't enough that I paid $45 to see a Pay Per View headlined by that Cena/Laurinaitis abortion. But now the main event for tonight's show could very well top that as the years worst match. And I decided not to drink tonight, what was I thinking?
Non-Title: Sheamus© vs Dolph Ziggler
Ziggler started out on fire tonight. Watching this match made me think that Ziggles took the advice that Paul Heyman gave to all the young talent on Twitter last week. He said the up and coming talent needs to “Step Up, Stand Up and Get Noticed.” It's all about maximizing your opportunities in this business and Ziggler is doing just that.
As for Sheamus, he is doing great with what he has been given. You have to respect the guy for everything he is doing on Smackdown. Randy Orton getting Suspended, and a very shallow talent roster has put a huge strain on "The Great White" to carry "The B Show", but I have faith that "The Milky One" can do it.
Finish: Ziggler eats a Brogue Kick and sells it like a shotgun blast to the chest. Fin.
Winner: Sheamus©
Post Match: Del Rio attacks Sheamus on the ramp and puts him in the cross armbreaker while Sheamus' body hangs off the stage.
Nice touch that has me wanting to see their match at No Way Out a lot more than I did before.
David Otunga lets Big Johnny know that Vince McMahon will be giving Laurinaitis a job performance review next week.
So the most evil man in WWE history will be giving Big Johnny a progress report? That should be interesting...
Sin Cara vs Hunico
This was Sin Cara's first match back on RAW since he got injured. I missed his return on Smackdown this week, but he looked good tonight. A little sloppy, but I think that the terrible lighting they use for his matches, combined with working under a mask has a lot to do with the mistakes he makes in the ring. So I tend to cut the guy some slack.
Finish: Head Scissors into a face plant on Hunico sets up the three count.
Winner: Sin Cara
Ryback vs Arthur Rosenburg and Stan Stanski
The jobbers take the mic and give us one of the worst promos/poems of all time as they speak the entire thing in unison. And yes, one of the guy's name is Stan Stanski. Unbelievable. Ryback continues the Goldberg routine and this was another squash as expected.
Finish: Ryback picks up both guys and delivers a Samoan Drop. He then stacks them in the ring and pins them both.
Winner: Ryback
Non-Title: CM Punk© vs Kane: There Must Be A Winner
Before the match Daniel Bryan comes out to do commentary. He then does a little Q&A with himself.
Daniel Bryan: "Has AJ gone nuts? YES! Will Kane destroy CM Punk? YES! Will Daniel Bryan become WWE Champion at No Way Out? YES! YES! YES!"
Simply awesome.
Bryan has taken this role and ran hard with it. And I would not mind it if he won the title at the PPV. At the same time I really would like to see Punk continue his reign. It's been a long time since I have witnessed as a fan, a feud in which I cared about both guys in it as much as I do Punk/Bryan. Then there is the addition of Kane. I think he equally adds to, and takes away from the appeal of the match at No Way Out. I like that Punk and Bryan have been playing Kane against each other, but I would much rather see another classic one-on-one bout from these guys. Have Kane destroy Santino or something and keep him away from these types of matches, I say.
As for the match itself, I was able to catch their bout from Smackdown last week, and I thought tonight's was the better of the two matches. The crowd was really into it as well which is always good. Punk really works well as the underdog, which WWE has to see. That being said, I really do think we will be seeing a Punk/Lesnar match for the WWE Title this year. Just think about the sympathy Punk could get from the crowd if that match is to happen.
Finish: Bryan gets involved and Punk responds by attacking him at ringside. When Punk gets back in the ring he gets caught by Kane and Chokeslammed. Kane then pins the WWE Champion.
Moment of the Night: Kane is staring down AJ who is cowering in the corner. AJ then stands up and flashes Kane her "Crazy bitch smile". The Big Red Monster then backs away and walks off rather than deal with her craziness. This was so awesome. Unless this means that they are planning a swerve, and she will join up with Kane. That I really don't want to see. I would much rather they kept her where she is in this feud, and have her join back up with Bryan.
Non-Title: R-Truth & Kofi Kingston© vs. Tyler Reks & Curt Hawkins
The match starts in progress which always sucks and I wish WWE wouldn't do this kind of thing. But the good news is Reks and Hawkins get a match on RAW against the Tag Champs. I've been talking these two guys up to anyone that will listen for a while now. I think that if they are pushed right, they can become legit stars. I don't think that it's a huge secret that WWE needs more Tag Teams, so why not give these guys a shot. They are both decent in the ring and work really well together. But what do I know? I'm just a wrestling fan.
And I will say that this makes two weeks in a row that we are given three different non-title matches. Why couldn't this one have been for the titles? It's not like there is any other teams out there working their way up to a title shot. And having Kofi & Truth defend the belts makes them look like fighting champions. What does WWE have to lose in that equation?
Finish: Kofi hits Hawkins with Trouble in Paradise to pick up another win for the tag champs.
Winners: Trouble in Little Jimmy's Paradise©
Before the next match Big Johnny tells John Cena that before he gets his hands on Michael Cole, he must go through...Tensai.
John Cena vs Tensai
As much as I complained earlier about having Michael Cole as an overbearing heel on commentary, I thought he was hilarious during this match. The guy got me to laugh through this suck fest, and for that I thank him.
Finish: Cena hits the five moves of dooms leading to a pinfall.
Winner: John Cena
John Cena vs Michael Cole
This was all too reminiscent of the Cena/Big Johnny debacle. First Cole tried to escape through the crowd and Cena chased him down only to give him a noogie and toss him into the ring. Cole then begs for his life, before growing a set of balls and stepping up to Cena.
Cena responds by ripping his clothes off and stomping him in the testicles. You know, like Lou Thesz would've done. He then chops him in the chest so hard it echoed in the arena.
Cena then puts Cole in a chin lock and makes him apologize to Jerry Lawler for everything he did last year, and to Jim Ross for driving him out of WWE. He even gets an edorsement for JR's BBQ sauce out of him, before dumping the sauce all over him. Make it stop.
During all of this, Tensai gets back in the ring and delivers one of the best Baldo Bombs in wrestling history. Cole however is only able to get a 2 count.
Finish: Cena recovers to nail Cole with an Attitude Adjustment to pick up the win.
Winner: John Cena
Final Verdict: This was not a great show by any means. There was a few bright spots but that ending pulled the show down several points as far as I'm concerned. What was the point of it all anyway? We started off the show, and ended it with Cena and Michael Cole taking up TV time. And for what? Logic would have suggested they were building toward a continuation of the Cena/Big Show story. But not only was Show not used tonight, if I were a casual fan tuning in for the first time in a while, I would think that Cena was feuding with Michael Cole. And that is not a good thing.
Punk vs Kane, Sheamus vs Ziggler, and Reks & Hawkins getting TV time were really the only good things to come out of this episode. And that is not enough to pull this show out of the fail pile.
Monday, June 4, 2012
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