WWE Monday Night Raw on Labor Day came to us from Des Moines, Iowa. Another solid episode that featured good solid matches, someone getting fired, Big Show being forced to take on Daniel Bryan in the main event and more storyline building with Bryan and the Corporation.
The show opens up with Triple H in the ring and The Shield at ringside for protection. Randy Orton comes out to cut a promo and he talks about what he did on Friday Night Smackdown where he spray painted 'No' on Bryan's chest following another beating. Orton talks about how Bryan should give up his opportunity against him at Night of Champions and Triple H backs it up by saying that he needs to protect the health of the WWE superstars. HHH talks about what is best for business and compares Bryan to Doink the Clown, he continues on to talk about bringing back the Cruiserweight Championship or the European Championship. This draws Bryan out to cut his own promo bashing both Triple H and Orton even throwing Stephanie McMahon in there. Bryan discusses how he was not given anything and how Orton has been handed everything. Triple H then books a match between Bryan and Big Show in the main event.
My analysis: This was more of a storyline builder between Bryan and 'The Corporation,' as we get closer and closer to Night of Champions. I love this story and I hope that it continues with Bryan reigning supreme at one of the upcoming pay-per-views which I am guessing will not be NOC because that would seem too quick to end this storyline.
Triple H and Orton are shown walking backstage and they run into Cody Rhodes where Rhodes tells Triple H that Orton vs. Bryan is what is 'best for business.' Triple H talks about how he and Orton did not receive an invitation to Rhodes' upcoming wedding. Triple H then books a match between Orton and Rhodes and if Rhodes loses then he will be fired.
My analysis: This came out of left field honestly. I did not expect a match between Orton and Rhodes especially since Rhodes and Damien Sandow have been feuding lately. Also, I had no idea that Rhodes was getting married (just a side note). Orton and Triple H have been on a serious abuse of power streak, I like Rhodes and hated the result that came later in the evening although I do not think it is for real.
The first match of the evening is between The Miz and Fandango which continues their little feud that they have had lately. Miz locks in the figure four leg lock and Fandango taps out almost instantly.
My analysis: I am not sure where Miz is headed right now, he has been in a little feud with Fandango and he has also been involved in the whole 'Corporation' vs Bryan angle as well so it will be interesting to see where this goes. My choice will be he will join forces with Bryan and fight back against Triple H/Orton/The Shield.
The next segment is between Bryan and Booker T (who has been off TV for a while), and Booker tells Bryan that he should maybe think about giving up his title match at Night of Champions. Booker says that he could get hurt and he needs to think about this match upcoming if he so chooses to keep it instead of giving it up.
My analysis: Bryan will not give up his match at Night of Champions unless he decides to team up with others such as Big Show, Dolph Ziggler, Miz and take on The Shield/Orton/Triple H in a big match which may end up happening at Survivor Series. I would love to see a team led by Orton vs. a team led by Bryan.
Dolph Ziggler is out next for a mystery opponent which ends up being Ryback, but Dean Ambrose comes out to attack Ziggler prior to the match. Ryback was on offense the majority of the match with a small dose of offense from Ziggler. Ryback hits the Shell Shock finisher to pick up the victory.
My analysis: This was more punishment being dished out against Ziggler, but the attack by Ambrose prior to the match could lead to a match at Night of Champions between Ziggler and Ambrose with the United States Championship on the line which is my prediction. I honestly feel bad for Ziggler, just a short time ago he was World Heavyweight Champion and now he is relegated to the mid-card.
A promo for Los Matadores is shown which is clearly a redone Epico and Primo. They will be coming soon and I'm guessing that their first match will be against 3MB who have been involved in numerous squash matches. Stephanie McMahon comes out and has a conversation with Big Show and it gets incredibly personal where McMahon talks about Show being broke and needing this job and needing to fight Bryan after he clearly did not want to. I feel bad for Show who has been basically treated like a child in on every Raw/Smackdown lately. Then another promo is shown, this time it is for Edge who is returning next week for one night only. I am extremely happy to see Edge coming back and sad at the same time to see that it is for one night only.
3MB are in the next match against the surging Primetime Players. The PTP get another victory after Titus O'Neill planted Jinder Mahal out of nowhere for the win.
My analysis: A squash match for the PTP, ever since Darren Young came out as the first openly gay WWE superstar, the WWE has been giving the Primetime Players a serious push. I believe that this will lead to a match down the road with The Shield for the tag titles. This match will have to wait until at least Night of Champions because at this point, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins do not have any opponents yet for the pay-per-view.
Paul Heyman and Brad Maddox are in the back talking about the match at Night of Champions between CM Punk and Curtis Axel/Paul Heyman. Triple H intervenes and talks about how the match is best for business, which is an ongoing theme for the evening. Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt family are shown on the jumbotron cutting a promo about Kane and where he is which we still don't know that answer. I honestly do not like the Wyatt Family, the character aspect is cool, but I want to see more than squash matches against Tons of Funk. The Kane story was cool, but now we have not heard or seen Kane since SummerSlam. I am hoping that Kane comes back to attack the Wyatt Family instead of joining them which has been a rumor I have heard as well.
Cody Rhodes is out for his match against Randy Orton with Rhodes' job on the line. This match featured some solid back and forth wrestling between these two men. Rhodes seemed to have the match won after he he hit a disaster kick and then Cross Roads on Orton for near falls. Orton then takes advantage after Rhodes tweaks his knee in the match and hits an RKO for the win. Triple H comes out and ultimately fires Rhodes after talking about how he liked him personally.
My analysis: There is no way that Rhodes is getting fired I think. I think it's strange that Rhodes went from a feud with Sandow to being fired and off of television. I feel that this is a way to write Rhodes off of television to enjoy his wedding and honeymoon with his fiance. Once Rhodes comes back though I think he will receive a big push right to the top of the food chain.
CM Punk comes out and cuts a promo about Paul Heyman and Curtis Axel which I am surprised did not bring out Heyman and or Axel. Punk stands with a kendo stick in hand and promises to break Heyman's face at the upcoming Night of Champions. This was a cool promo from Punk and I am hoping that he defeats Axel and Heyman at NOC. Daniel Bryan is shown talking with Big Show backstage and Show talks about the fact that things need to change especially after what happened to Cody Rhodes. Bryan then says that he is going to beat Show later on in the evening.
The divas match featured Natalya going against Brie Bella and Naomi in a triple threat match to determine the number one contender for AJ Lee's Divas Championship. Lee gets involved and causes a disqualification and gets beaten down by all three competitors. Later it was announced that AJ would defend the gold against Brie Bella, Natalya and Naomi in a fatal four way at Night of Champions.
My analysis: I would like to see Natalya with the belt around her waist as she has been around for quite a while and I believe she deserves it. I just like the fact that someone new is facing AJ instead of Kaitlyn constantly. New life could be breathed into the Divas Championship scene if the title changes hands at Night of Champions.
Damien Sandow takes on Rob Van Dam in the next match, honestly I did not care for this match too much as it just seemed that Sandow and RVD lacked chemistry. Alberto Del Rio comes out to make an appearance and stands at the top of the ramp to watch the match from afar. RVD gets the victory over Sandow with a five star frog splash. RVD and Ricardo Rodriguez celebrate following the victory.
My analysis: I think this is the end of Del Rio's title reign at Night of Champions. RVD will hold the gold for one final time before he calls it a career. I personally feel that Del Rio has been a boring champion and would like the World Heavyweight Championship scene to be revamped. The Heavyweight title scene has been dry lately and needs something to spice it up. Hopefully, Van Dam gets the W at Night of Champions.
Cody Rhodes is seen leaving the arena and answers a few questions from Josh Matthews and Rhodes goes off and I loved every minute of it. He will be pushed upon his return and I hope to see him back quickly.
The main event is up and Daniel Bryan comes out with the entire WWE locker room on the stage. Big Show is reluctant to even get in the ring and tries to leave until Triple H and The Shield come out to attempt to get Show back in the ring, Show comes back in the ring after The Shield start beating down Bryan. Show watches as The Shield triple powerbomb Bryan to the mat. Triple H wants Big Show to knock out Bryan, but Show leaves the ring again until Stephanie McMahon comes out to bring Show back in and that is where Show attempts to punch Triple H, but Stephanie stops him and Show is forced to KO Bryan which he does. Show then leaves the ring and Randy Orton comes out to stand over Bryan to end the show.
My analysis: I honestly feel awful for Big Show, he has been crying on live TV lately and I hope and pray this leads to a match against Triple H in the future. Big Show should be in a match against Reigns and Rollins at Night of Champions, but with the recent push of the Primetime Players that may not happen anymore. This was another great episode of Monday Night Raw and this storyline keeps on building. One day Daniel Bryan will prevail, he will just have to wait a while until at least after Night of Champions.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
WWE Monday Night Raw Review 8-19-13
The August 19 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw came to us from Anaheim, Calif., and was the day after the second biggest pay-per-view of the year, Summerslam. I did not personally watch Summerslam, but it appears from many reviews that it was a great show. Now on to Raw..
The show opened up with the former WWE Champion, John Cena cutting a promo about his match against Daniel Bryan at Summerslam and also about how his blown up left elbow is going to cause him to get surgery and be out for four to six months. Cena calls out Bryan, but before he could say a word Stephanie McMahon comes out to interrupt. McMahon talks about how sorry she is for Bryan having his dream snatched away from him and discusses how her husband Triple H did what was best for business (having Randy Orton win the WWE Championship). Eventually, after a terrific segment McMahon calls out security and has Bryan escorted out of the arena.
My analysis: First off, the news about Cena is huge because now the WWE will be without its top star until 2014 likely. I would guess that the WWE will bring back Cena as soon as they can, maybe not to wrestle but to at least make an appearance, if Cena does take extended time off then I could see him coming back around the Royal Rumble. Now both Cena and Sheamus will be missing extended time due to significant injuries. Now with Cena gone someone has to step up and be the 'face' of the WWE and that may definitely be Bryan, especially how over he is with the crowd. I like what the WWE is doing here with Orton as the 'corporate champion' and have the underdog, Bryan, fighting to get back at the McMahon's, Orton and Triple H.
The first match of the evening was a rematch from Summerslam between Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow. This feud continued on since the Money in the Bank pay-per-view where Sandow cost Rhodes the briefcase and grabbed it for himself. The match goes on for about 10 minutes and ends with Rhodes rolling up Sandow for the victory. This was the second straight win for Rhodes over Sandow.
My analysis: This feud will continue on until at least the next pay-per-view, Night of Champions, where I believe Sandow will put the Money in the bank briefcase on the line against Rhodes.
Paul Heyman cuts a promo where he discusses how he still loves CM Punk and will accept him back into the fold if he apologizes to Heyman. Now that Brock Lesnar is gone for quite a while, his contract is only good for three pay-per-views so Wrestlemania will probably be the third and final.
My analysis: Heyman and Punk will not reconcile their differences here, at least not yet. This feud between Punk and Lesnar/Heyman/Curtis Axel is definitely not over. It appears from later in the show that Punk and Axel will face off at Night of Champions and will begin their own feud.
The only divas match of the evening was between the Funkadactyles (Cameron and Naomi) and Divas champion, AJ Lee, and Layla. The quick match ends up with Naomi rolling up Layla for the three count and yet another loss for AJ Lee.
My analysis: I would like to know who is going to challenge AJ Lee for the Divas Championship. I am hoping that the feud between Kaitlyn is over for now at least so someone new can step up.
The next match was a three-on-one handicap match between The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) against Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler received punishment for his comments against Triple H and his actions at Summerslam. After a valiant effort by Ziggler, Reigns caught Ziggler in mid-air with a spear and the ensuing three count for the win. After the match, Ziggler was triple power-bombed by The Shield.
My analysis: I am biased here because I like The Shield very much so, but this was great to see. The Shield should be facing the top dogs of the WWE and Ziggler is definitely a top star in the company. I am interested to see where Ziggler goes from here and The Shield appear to be involved in the whole Triple H/Randy Orton saga so maybe they stay there or they continue on with their own feuds.
Alberto Del Rio against Sin Cara was the next match and the match ended after Sin Cara hurt his hand following a dive out of the ring. The referee had to call for the bell and end the match right there. Following the match, Ricardo Rodriguez makes his return and is now aligned himself with Rob Van Dam. It appears that Van Dam will be the new number one contender for Del Rio's World Heavyweight Championship.
My analysis: It is good to see Rodriguez back and aligned with someone other than Del Rio. The Rodriguez/Van Dam union is interesting and breathes new life into the World Heavyweight Championship. I believe that Van Dam will face Del Rio at Night of Champions and Van Dam will walk away wearing the gold following some sort of interference from Rodriguez.
The Real Americans take on the Primetime Players in the next match and the match ends with Darren Young hitting the gut check finisher on Antonio Cesaro for the victory. This was a great victory for the Primetime Players as it appears they will receive a push now after Young came out as openly gay in an interview with TMZ.
My analysis: The Primetime Players will probably receive a push now and they should after they have not really received anything in quite a while. Hopefully, this pushes the PTP towards the top of the food chain in becoming the new number one contender for the tag team titles.
The Shield have to wrestle another match, this time a three-on-one match against the Big Show. The Shield got to have all three members in the ring at the same time in this match though. After another valiant effort, The Shield hit the triple powerbomb and they all jumped on Big Show to get the pin.
My analysis: Another big win for The Shield, this time over Big Show. Show announced that he and Mark Henry will team up to challenge Reigns and Rollins for the tag team titles. I would really like to see a fatal four way or something for the tag titles at Night of Champions. The tag team division needs to be revitalized ASAP.
CM Punk came out next to cut a promo responding to Heyman, Punk ends up cutting a terrific promo, boy that guy has no filter which is great. This brings out Heyman and Axel and eventually Axel heads to the ring for an all out brawl with Punk. The fight ends with Punk hitting a GTS on Axel on the steps.
My analysis: With Lesnar gone for a while, this opens the door for Axel to swoop in and this feud will lead to a match at Night of Champions between Punk and Axel.
Bray Wyatt competes in a match against R-Truth and Wyatt gets a quick match victory with his weird finisher on Truth.
My analysis: An obvious squash match for Wyatt. I really do not know who Wyatt will target next for a feud, but I can tell already that I am not a fan of this group. To me, they are not as popular as The Shield was when they debuted at Survivor Series. We will see what happens in the future, I hope this leads to Kane and The Undertaker reuniting to battle the Wyatt Family at an upcoming pay-per-view.
The Uso's battled 3MB in a tag team battle in the next match which ended with the Uso's hitting the splash off the top rope onto Jinder Mahal and the three count victory. Another team that can be added to the aforementioned fatal four way could be the Uso's. They have faced The Shield before and have tested them previously so they could be a welcomed addition to the feud. How about The Shield vs. The Primetime Players vs. The Uso's vs. Mark Henry and Big Show?
Wade Barrett faced The Miz and the match ended with interference from Fandango when he hit his big leg drop off the top rope onto Miz. This feud will continue between Miz and Fandango going forward. Fandango and Summer Rae had a nice dance to end the segment.
My analysis: Well obviously this leads to a feud between Miz and Fandango, I would like to know what happens to Wade Barrett following this match. He seems to have lost direction, I wish he was in line for a mid-card championship or a world title, but it appears that is not happening at this time.
Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon and Randy Orton cut a long promo on why they screwed Daniel Bryan out of the WWE title. They all said that this was the right choice for business and discuss how Orton is the future and the face of the WWE now. The entire Raw locker room is out on the stage and The Shield stood at ringside to defend the ring. After a while, Triple H asks for Bryan to come out and Bryan eventually does, but is assaulted by The Shield. After Bryan gets in the ring, Orton hits an RKO and the new 'corporate champion' and the McMahon's/Triple H celebrate.
My analysis: This is just pure gold here, Bryan will probably get some backup here in his quest to take down the corporation and become the WWE Champion once again. There will be a match at Night of Champions between Bryan and Orton with the title on the line. Eventually, Bryan will get his revenge and he will defeat Orton for the gold. It is only a matter of time before Bryan wins the title back. Just stay tuned, because this storyline is fantastic.
The show opened up with the former WWE Champion, John Cena cutting a promo about his match against Daniel Bryan at Summerslam and also about how his blown up left elbow is going to cause him to get surgery and be out for four to six months. Cena calls out Bryan, but before he could say a word Stephanie McMahon comes out to interrupt. McMahon talks about how sorry she is for Bryan having his dream snatched away from him and discusses how her husband Triple H did what was best for business (having Randy Orton win the WWE Championship). Eventually, after a terrific segment McMahon calls out security and has Bryan escorted out of the arena.
My analysis: First off, the news about Cena is huge because now the WWE will be without its top star until 2014 likely. I would guess that the WWE will bring back Cena as soon as they can, maybe not to wrestle but to at least make an appearance, if Cena does take extended time off then I could see him coming back around the Royal Rumble. Now both Cena and Sheamus will be missing extended time due to significant injuries. Now with Cena gone someone has to step up and be the 'face' of the WWE and that may definitely be Bryan, especially how over he is with the crowd. I like what the WWE is doing here with Orton as the 'corporate champion' and have the underdog, Bryan, fighting to get back at the McMahon's, Orton and Triple H.
The first match of the evening was a rematch from Summerslam between Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow. This feud continued on since the Money in the Bank pay-per-view where Sandow cost Rhodes the briefcase and grabbed it for himself. The match goes on for about 10 minutes and ends with Rhodes rolling up Sandow for the victory. This was the second straight win for Rhodes over Sandow.
My analysis: This feud will continue on until at least the next pay-per-view, Night of Champions, where I believe Sandow will put the Money in the bank briefcase on the line against Rhodes.
Paul Heyman cuts a promo where he discusses how he still loves CM Punk and will accept him back into the fold if he apologizes to Heyman. Now that Brock Lesnar is gone for quite a while, his contract is only good for three pay-per-views so Wrestlemania will probably be the third and final.
My analysis: Heyman and Punk will not reconcile their differences here, at least not yet. This feud between Punk and Lesnar/Heyman/Curtis Axel is definitely not over. It appears from later in the show that Punk and Axel will face off at Night of Champions and will begin their own feud.
The only divas match of the evening was between the Funkadactyles (Cameron and Naomi) and Divas champion, AJ Lee, and Layla. The quick match ends up with Naomi rolling up Layla for the three count and yet another loss for AJ Lee.
My analysis: I would like to know who is going to challenge AJ Lee for the Divas Championship. I am hoping that the feud between Kaitlyn is over for now at least so someone new can step up.
The next match was a three-on-one handicap match between The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) against Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler received punishment for his comments against Triple H and his actions at Summerslam. After a valiant effort by Ziggler, Reigns caught Ziggler in mid-air with a spear and the ensuing three count for the win. After the match, Ziggler was triple power-bombed by The Shield.
My analysis: I am biased here because I like The Shield very much so, but this was great to see. The Shield should be facing the top dogs of the WWE and Ziggler is definitely a top star in the company. I am interested to see where Ziggler goes from here and The Shield appear to be involved in the whole Triple H/Randy Orton saga so maybe they stay there or they continue on with their own feuds.
Alberto Del Rio against Sin Cara was the next match and the match ended after Sin Cara hurt his hand following a dive out of the ring. The referee had to call for the bell and end the match right there. Following the match, Ricardo Rodriguez makes his return and is now aligned himself with Rob Van Dam. It appears that Van Dam will be the new number one contender for Del Rio's World Heavyweight Championship.
My analysis: It is good to see Rodriguez back and aligned with someone other than Del Rio. The Rodriguez/Van Dam union is interesting and breathes new life into the World Heavyweight Championship. I believe that Van Dam will face Del Rio at Night of Champions and Van Dam will walk away wearing the gold following some sort of interference from Rodriguez.
The Real Americans take on the Primetime Players in the next match and the match ends with Darren Young hitting the gut check finisher on Antonio Cesaro for the victory. This was a great victory for the Primetime Players as it appears they will receive a push now after Young came out as openly gay in an interview with TMZ.
My analysis: The Primetime Players will probably receive a push now and they should after they have not really received anything in quite a while. Hopefully, this pushes the PTP towards the top of the food chain in becoming the new number one contender for the tag team titles.
The Shield have to wrestle another match, this time a three-on-one match against the Big Show. The Shield got to have all three members in the ring at the same time in this match though. After another valiant effort, The Shield hit the triple powerbomb and they all jumped on Big Show to get the pin.
My analysis: Another big win for The Shield, this time over Big Show. Show announced that he and Mark Henry will team up to challenge Reigns and Rollins for the tag team titles. I would really like to see a fatal four way or something for the tag titles at Night of Champions. The tag team division needs to be revitalized ASAP.
CM Punk came out next to cut a promo responding to Heyman, Punk ends up cutting a terrific promo, boy that guy has no filter which is great. This brings out Heyman and Axel and eventually Axel heads to the ring for an all out brawl with Punk. The fight ends with Punk hitting a GTS on Axel on the steps.
My analysis: With Lesnar gone for a while, this opens the door for Axel to swoop in and this feud will lead to a match at Night of Champions between Punk and Axel.
Bray Wyatt competes in a match against R-Truth and Wyatt gets a quick match victory with his weird finisher on Truth.
My analysis: An obvious squash match for Wyatt. I really do not know who Wyatt will target next for a feud, but I can tell already that I am not a fan of this group. To me, they are not as popular as The Shield was when they debuted at Survivor Series. We will see what happens in the future, I hope this leads to Kane and The Undertaker reuniting to battle the Wyatt Family at an upcoming pay-per-view.
The Uso's battled 3MB in a tag team battle in the next match which ended with the Uso's hitting the splash off the top rope onto Jinder Mahal and the three count victory. Another team that can be added to the aforementioned fatal four way could be the Uso's. They have faced The Shield before and have tested them previously so they could be a welcomed addition to the feud. How about The Shield vs. The Primetime Players vs. The Uso's vs. Mark Henry and Big Show?
Wade Barrett faced The Miz and the match ended with interference from Fandango when he hit his big leg drop off the top rope onto Miz. This feud will continue between Miz and Fandango going forward. Fandango and Summer Rae had a nice dance to end the segment.
My analysis: Well obviously this leads to a feud between Miz and Fandango, I would like to know what happens to Wade Barrett following this match. He seems to have lost direction, I wish he was in line for a mid-card championship or a world title, but it appears that is not happening at this time.
Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon and Randy Orton cut a long promo on why they screwed Daniel Bryan out of the WWE title. They all said that this was the right choice for business and discuss how Orton is the future and the face of the WWE now. The entire Raw locker room is out on the stage and The Shield stood at ringside to defend the ring. After a while, Triple H asks for Bryan to come out and Bryan eventually does, but is assaulted by The Shield. After Bryan gets in the ring, Orton hits an RKO and the new 'corporate champion' and the McMahon's/Triple H celebrate.
My analysis: This is just pure gold here, Bryan will probably get some backup here in his quest to take down the corporation and become the WWE Champion once again. There will be a match at Night of Champions between Bryan and Orton with the title on the line. Eventually, Bryan will get his revenge and he will defeat Orton for the gold. It is only a matter of time before Bryan wins the title back. Just stay tuned, because this storyline is fantastic.
Meeting Dennis Gentry (85 Chicago Bears)
This past Saturday (August 17) I went to Steven's Collectibles in Countryside, Ill., to meet 85 Bear Dennis Gentry. Gentry was a backup running back on the team behind the legendary Walter Payton. The signing took place from 12 until 2 p.m. Upon arriving at Steven's, I realized that this place was packed to the max. I had to park further away than any other signing that I have been to there which included Jimmy Hayes, Brandon Bollig and Dave Kingman among others. I went inside and picked up my ticket which was number 177 so I knew I would be waiting a while especially since they were only on 1-20 when I got there. I got this ticket for free through my membership with CSAC (csac.biz) which is a website that lists all of the autograph signings going on in the state of Illinois and some in Indiana/Wisconsin. I waited for about an hour or so before my number was called. Throughout my time waiting I looked at what everyone else had and people were bringing in artwork, helmets, books, pictures, footballs, etc. I have always wanted to get a full size helmet signed by someone, but have yet to get that done. I had my 85 Bear ball signed by Gentry and once I got inside the line moved extremely fast. It was quite deceiving since I was number 177, because many people had multiple tickets (some people had 10-15 items to get signed), so there really was not 176 people ahead of me. At $15 an autograph that place had to have made some solid cash from this signing. I got my ball signed and I took off and headed home. Another great signing that I have been to and another 85 Bear to add to my collection.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
WWE Raw Review 8/12/13
I know this one is late, but here is my review of Monday Night Raw from August 12, 2013. This week's Raw came to us from Sacramento, Calif., and we kicked things off with a rematch from Smackdown between Wade Barrett and Daniel Bryan.
Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett kicked things off on Raw and Raw GM Brad Maddox was named the special referee for the match. The match ended with Barrett rolling up Bryan and the 3-count (albeit extremely fast count by Maddox), Bryan was upset after the match and went after Maddox, but Maddox rolled out of the ring and exited to the back.
My analysis: First off it's still strange to see Barrett with no facial hair after Bryan shaved part of it and Barrett finished the job. The quick count by Maddox was expected because there is no reason he should have been referee if it was not for some sort of story-line. Triple H was later named the special referee for the match at Summerslam between John Cena and Bryan for the WWE Championship.
Match two was another rematch between Randy Orton and Damien Sandow this time with Cody Rhodes on commentary. The match went on for quite a while and ended with Rhodes causing a distraction and costing Sandow the match. Orton moved in for a quick RKO and pinned Sandow, afterwards Orton celebrated and made the championship motion along his waist which could signify what will happen at Summerslam.
My analysis: This was more of a story-line builder here with Rhodes and Sandow and then of course to add to Orton's push to become the next WWE Champion. It seems pretty apparent that they are pushing Orton to become champ at Summerslam.
The Shield cut a promo and Seth Rollins talked about how they are the future and how there are guys who need to go that are living off of their reputation. Roman Reigns set a challenge out for anyone to face them for the tag team titles at Summerslam. Dean Ambrose then talks about how he is so good and how he is unbeatable.
My analysis: The Shield are just great! One of two things is happening either Ambrose is going to be put over by Rob Van Dam (who wins the Battle Royale later in the show to be the number one contender) and Big Show/Mark Henry will put over Reigns and Rollins if the match does come to fruition which I hope it does. Or The Shield will lose all of the gold and maybe the team splits up which I would absolutely hate to see. I'm predicting that The Shield keep all of their gold at Summerslam.
The next match up was between Big E Langston/AJ Lee and The Great Khali/Natalya. I'm not sure what this match did exactly because Lee ended up tapping out twice to Natalya's sharpshooter submission move.
My analysis: I would have thought this would have been a match to build Lee and Langston's chance of beating Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn at Summerslam, but instead Natalya and Great Khali got a win....finally.
Vince McMahon comes out to discuss the special referee job for Summerslam for the match between Cena and Bryan, but Triple H comes out and hits a pedigree on Maddox and says that he should be the ref for that match which he is now.
My analysis: This match takes yet another twist. Triple H added to this match adds the possibility that he turns heel and costs Bryan the match or maybe he is there to ensure that Bryan wins. If Bryan wins, does Orton cash in? It seems to me that Bryan will win the match and Orton will cash in and win the WWE Championship.
Kane vs. Titus O'Neill of the Primetime Players is the next match and Kane wins a quick match with a chokeslam. The Wyatt Family come out after the match, but Kane escapes out of the ring and stands at the top of the ramp behind everyone.
My analysis: I am definitely looking forward to this match at Summerslam between Kane and Wyatt inside a ring of fire. We have not seen one of those matches in quite some time and this match should be great as Bray Wyatt competes in his first WWE singles match against Kane.
Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston was the next match and this match was used to build up Del Rio a little more for his match against Christian at Summerslam. Del Rio defeated Kingston via arm bar submission.
My analysis: Exactly what I said in the previous paragraph, this was a match used to build up Del Rio for his match against Christian at Summerslam.
The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger) take on the Usos in the next match with the Usos winning the rubber match after each team won one previous match against each other. The Usos won this match and propel themselves back towards the top of the tag team division.
My analysis: It appears that neither one of these teams have anything going on for Summerslam, it'll be interesting to see if the get a match added at the last minute or if they are left off the card. I wish there would be a battle royale to decide the next number one contender for the tag titles following Summerslam.
"Miz TV" is the next segment with both Cena and Bryan as guests on the show. They talk up their match at Summerslam and Cena ends up slapping Bryan in the face which brings out Triple H to calm things down and Orton comes out as well just to raise his Money in the Bank briefcase to show that he is there and is the next champion.
My analysis: It seems just too obvious that Orton will cash in at Summerslam, so I don't know what to believe at this point either he will or won't cash in. The WWE likes to make swerves at the last minute and change things up, who knows what will happen I guess we all have to tune in on Sunday to find out.
R-Truth has a dance off with Fandango which ends up turning into Truth and Fandango battling it out and Truth got the upper hand knocking Fandango out of the ring.
My analysis: I really do not know what was the purpose of this match unless this is a future feud between the two of them.
The battle royale to determine the number one contender for the United States championship comes up and RVD ends up throwing Mark Henry out of the ring to become the new number one contender. Henry comes back in the ring to give RVD some "knucks" and a congratulations. The Shield's music hits and Henry elects to stay in the ring, RVD and Henry stand guard until Big Show returns and The Shield escape through the crowd.
My analysis: I am assuming that Big Show and Mark Henry are the team that will challenge The Shield at Summerslam. I dislike heavily that RVD is facing Ambrose on the pre-show of Summerslam, because that match should be on the main card!
CM Punk vs. Paul Heyman is the main event and Heyman brings out Brock Lesnar, but Punk comes from behind to attack Lesnar with a camera and turn his attention to Heyman, but Heyman runs to the back. Curtis Axel comes out and Punk hits him with a GTS and the show ends with Punk standing tall and Lesnar looking defeated on the ground.
My analysis: I can't imagine Punk losing at Summerslam, this match to me is a match to put Punk over with a big win over "The Beast," Lesnar. Sooner or later Punk will hit a GTS on Heyman and everyone will go home happy. Summerslam will be a great show, I am looking forward to it.
Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett kicked things off on Raw and Raw GM Brad Maddox was named the special referee for the match. The match ended with Barrett rolling up Bryan and the 3-count (albeit extremely fast count by Maddox), Bryan was upset after the match and went after Maddox, but Maddox rolled out of the ring and exited to the back.
My analysis: First off it's still strange to see Barrett with no facial hair after Bryan shaved part of it and Barrett finished the job. The quick count by Maddox was expected because there is no reason he should have been referee if it was not for some sort of story-line. Triple H was later named the special referee for the match at Summerslam between John Cena and Bryan for the WWE Championship.
Match two was another rematch between Randy Orton and Damien Sandow this time with Cody Rhodes on commentary. The match went on for quite a while and ended with Rhodes causing a distraction and costing Sandow the match. Orton moved in for a quick RKO and pinned Sandow, afterwards Orton celebrated and made the championship motion along his waist which could signify what will happen at Summerslam.
My analysis: This was more of a story-line builder here with Rhodes and Sandow and then of course to add to Orton's push to become the next WWE Champion. It seems pretty apparent that they are pushing Orton to become champ at Summerslam.
The Shield cut a promo and Seth Rollins talked about how they are the future and how there are guys who need to go that are living off of their reputation. Roman Reigns set a challenge out for anyone to face them for the tag team titles at Summerslam. Dean Ambrose then talks about how he is so good and how he is unbeatable.
My analysis: The Shield are just great! One of two things is happening either Ambrose is going to be put over by Rob Van Dam (who wins the Battle Royale later in the show to be the number one contender) and Big Show/Mark Henry will put over Reigns and Rollins if the match does come to fruition which I hope it does. Or The Shield will lose all of the gold and maybe the team splits up which I would absolutely hate to see. I'm predicting that The Shield keep all of their gold at Summerslam.
The next match up was between Big E Langston/AJ Lee and The Great Khali/Natalya. I'm not sure what this match did exactly because Lee ended up tapping out twice to Natalya's sharpshooter submission move.
My analysis: I would have thought this would have been a match to build Lee and Langston's chance of beating Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn at Summerslam, but instead Natalya and Great Khali got a win....finally.
Vince McMahon comes out to discuss the special referee job for Summerslam for the match between Cena and Bryan, but Triple H comes out and hits a pedigree on Maddox and says that he should be the ref for that match which he is now.
My analysis: This match takes yet another twist. Triple H added to this match adds the possibility that he turns heel and costs Bryan the match or maybe he is there to ensure that Bryan wins. If Bryan wins, does Orton cash in? It seems to me that Bryan will win the match and Orton will cash in and win the WWE Championship.
Kane vs. Titus O'Neill of the Primetime Players is the next match and Kane wins a quick match with a chokeslam. The Wyatt Family come out after the match, but Kane escapes out of the ring and stands at the top of the ramp behind everyone.
My analysis: I am definitely looking forward to this match at Summerslam between Kane and Wyatt inside a ring of fire. We have not seen one of those matches in quite some time and this match should be great as Bray Wyatt competes in his first WWE singles match against Kane.
Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston was the next match and this match was used to build up Del Rio a little more for his match against Christian at Summerslam. Del Rio defeated Kingston via arm bar submission.
My analysis: Exactly what I said in the previous paragraph, this was a match used to build up Del Rio for his match against Christian at Summerslam.
The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger) take on the Usos in the next match with the Usos winning the rubber match after each team won one previous match against each other. The Usos won this match and propel themselves back towards the top of the tag team division.
My analysis: It appears that neither one of these teams have anything going on for Summerslam, it'll be interesting to see if the get a match added at the last minute or if they are left off the card. I wish there would be a battle royale to decide the next number one contender for the tag titles following Summerslam.
"Miz TV" is the next segment with both Cena and Bryan as guests on the show. They talk up their match at Summerslam and Cena ends up slapping Bryan in the face which brings out Triple H to calm things down and Orton comes out as well just to raise his Money in the Bank briefcase to show that he is there and is the next champion.
My analysis: It seems just too obvious that Orton will cash in at Summerslam, so I don't know what to believe at this point either he will or won't cash in. The WWE likes to make swerves at the last minute and change things up, who knows what will happen I guess we all have to tune in on Sunday to find out.
R-Truth has a dance off with Fandango which ends up turning into Truth and Fandango battling it out and Truth got the upper hand knocking Fandango out of the ring.
My analysis: I really do not know what was the purpose of this match unless this is a future feud between the two of them.
The battle royale to determine the number one contender for the United States championship comes up and RVD ends up throwing Mark Henry out of the ring to become the new number one contender. Henry comes back in the ring to give RVD some "knucks" and a congratulations. The Shield's music hits and Henry elects to stay in the ring, RVD and Henry stand guard until Big Show returns and The Shield escape through the crowd.
My analysis: I am assuming that Big Show and Mark Henry are the team that will challenge The Shield at Summerslam. I dislike heavily that RVD is facing Ambrose on the pre-show of Summerslam, because that match should be on the main card!
CM Punk vs. Paul Heyman is the main event and Heyman brings out Brock Lesnar, but Punk comes from behind to attack Lesnar with a camera and turn his attention to Heyman, but Heyman runs to the back. Curtis Axel comes out and Punk hits him with a GTS and the show ends with Punk standing tall and Lesnar looking defeated on the ground.
My analysis: I can't imagine Punk losing at Summerslam, this match to me is a match to put Punk over with a big win over "The Beast," Lesnar. Sooner or later Punk will hit a GTS on Heyman and everyone will go home happy. Summerslam will be a great show, I am looking forward to it.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
2013 Wizard World Chicago Comic Con Convention
The 2013 Wizard World Chicago Comic Con ran from Thursday, August 8 through Sunday, August 11. This year's Comic Con was tremendous and thousands of fans turned out once again to meet their favorite actors, actresses, wrestlers, legends and celebrities. My experience at this year's convention was just as good as last year when I met the likes of John Cena and CM Punk among other wrestlers that attended the event. This year I went to meet WWE Superstars, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Lee, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and The Shield which consists of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. I also met NBA Hall of Famer Dennis "The Worm" Rodman who was a great guy to meet as well as Franky G who played Xavier in Saw II and Norman Reedus who plays Daryl Dixon in the wildly popular TV show, "The Walking Dead." I went both Saturday and Sunday, of course the two busiest days I'm sure, and for the first time I got the VIP passes which cost a good chunk of change, but was well worth it. My girlfriend and myself got to skip all of the general admission folks and get in front of the line for entry along with the autograph lines and photo opportunity lines for the people we met and had a VIP for. I had a VIP ticket for the Shield and my girlfriend had one for Dolph Ziggler and we got in and out of each line quickly due to the VIP badges we had.
The convention was on both the upper and lower levels of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., whereas last year it was just on the lower level. The upper level had all booths where you can purchase your favorite comic books along with other memorabilia. The lower level is where all of the artists were and the autographs and photo ops took place.
On the first day of the event for us is when we met The Shield, who I went there for, and Dennis Rodman. We waited in line for Rodman and at about 12:20 he showed up and began signing autographs for people. He got to me and shook my hand extremely hard, probably the strongest handshake I have ever received, and signed my ball and inscribed it Hall of Fame 2011 which I was thrilled about. After that, we walked around for a while and looked at all of the various vendors and all of the items that they were selling. I found a Saw II movie poster and was extremely excited because I am a huge fan of the Saw series. I know what you're thinking, Saw is disgusting and extremely grotesque, but I am a fan of movies with a good plot and that is exactly what Saw has, a great plot which I love. Back on track now, I purchased the movie poster because I knew there was a guy who played in that movie signing autographs at the convention for free. After searching for what felt like forever I found the booth where the guy was supposed to be and he had already left for the day which made me quite sad, but I did not let it get to me because I knew he would be back the next day. We then went and got in the photo op line for The Shield and let me tell you those guys are huge! They all wore their ring gear and brought all of their championships (tag titles and US Championship) which is always a plus. I am about 5'11" and those guys seemed to tower over me and my girlfriend felt extremely short because she is only about 5'3" and Rollins actually called her small which went right over my head because I was so happy to meet them. Following the photo op we went and got in their autograph line and got to skip all of the general admission people which made me feel a little special since I got to the front of the line. We had Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins each sign the photo that we took with them that day and we got to shake their hands which always adds to the experience as a fan. When you are a fan of something or someone it is always special to meet them and shake hands and get a photo or autograph from them. I love getting autographs, because I can always say to someone that yeah I met that guy or I met that girl, it's great! Following a long day and fighting the crowds we decided to call it a day around 5 p.m. and head home just to do it all over again the next day.
On Sunday, we met everyone else that I previously mentioned. My girlfriend had the VIP for Ziggler and we were both excited for that one. I walked around and found the guy from Saw II that I tried to meet the day before and I told him how much I loved the movie and he signed my poster I bought the day before along with a poster he had on his table which was super cool. He took a picture with us and he was a genuinely nice guy and I was such a happy guy, because of how much I love the movie Saw. I walked around and found someone else selling posters and I found all of the other Saw movie posters that I did not have and I immediately had to have them for my collection. I got all of the posters hanging in my basement now which makes me feel great! Now I just have to get them all signed by the cast of the movies which will be quite difficult since there is so many. I did not realize that right across the street was another horror film convention that had two others from Saw (Danny Glover and Betsy Russell) who I would have loved to have met. Now that I know it's there, I will be attending that convention as well. Back to the convention, we purchased autograph tickets for both AJ Lee and Ricky Steamboat and then got in line for the Ziggler photo op and we were first in line! We got the photo with Ziggler and jumped in the line to get autographs. All of them (Steamboat, Ziggler and Lee) were all very nice and signed anything you wanted them to which is great. I love the WWE and meeting the superstars is always a memorable experience. Following all of this we wanted to get an autograph from Norman Reedus who plays Daryl Dixon on the super popular TV show "The Walking Dead." They had cut the line off, but a very helpful employee took our photo and had it signed for us by him and Reedus even personalized it to us which was amazing. This was the icing on the cake as both my girlfriend and myself love "The Walking Dead." This convention was great and yet another fantastic memory of mine. I cannot wait until next year and I already know the dates next year, August 21 - August 24. I can't wait to see who comes next year, thanks for reading and be sure to follow for more great stories!
The convention was on both the upper and lower levels of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., whereas last year it was just on the lower level. The upper level had all booths where you can purchase your favorite comic books along with other memorabilia. The lower level is where all of the artists were and the autographs and photo ops took place.
On the first day of the event for us is when we met The Shield, who I went there for, and Dennis Rodman. We waited in line for Rodman and at about 12:20 he showed up and began signing autographs for people. He got to me and shook my hand extremely hard, probably the strongest handshake I have ever received, and signed my ball and inscribed it Hall of Fame 2011 which I was thrilled about. After that, we walked around for a while and looked at all of the various vendors and all of the items that they were selling. I found a Saw II movie poster and was extremely excited because I am a huge fan of the Saw series. I know what you're thinking, Saw is disgusting and extremely grotesque, but I am a fan of movies with a good plot and that is exactly what Saw has, a great plot which I love. Back on track now, I purchased the movie poster because I knew there was a guy who played in that movie signing autographs at the convention for free. After searching for what felt like forever I found the booth where the guy was supposed to be and he had already left for the day which made me quite sad, but I did not let it get to me because I knew he would be back the next day. We then went and got in the photo op line for The Shield and let me tell you those guys are huge! They all wore their ring gear and brought all of their championships (tag titles and US Championship) which is always a plus. I am about 5'11" and those guys seemed to tower over me and my girlfriend felt extremely short because she is only about 5'3" and Rollins actually called her small which went right over my head because I was so happy to meet them. Following the photo op we went and got in their autograph line and got to skip all of the general admission people which made me feel a little special since I got to the front of the line. We had Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins each sign the photo that we took with them that day and we got to shake their hands which always adds to the experience as a fan. When you are a fan of something or someone it is always special to meet them and shake hands and get a photo or autograph from them. I love getting autographs, because I can always say to someone that yeah I met that guy or I met that girl, it's great! Following a long day and fighting the crowds we decided to call it a day around 5 p.m. and head home just to do it all over again the next day.
On Sunday, we met everyone else that I previously mentioned. My girlfriend had the VIP for Ziggler and we were both excited for that one. I walked around and found the guy from Saw II that I tried to meet the day before and I told him how much I loved the movie and he signed my poster I bought the day before along with a poster he had on his table which was super cool. He took a picture with us and he was a genuinely nice guy and I was such a happy guy, because of how much I love the movie Saw. I walked around and found someone else selling posters and I found all of the other Saw movie posters that I did not have and I immediately had to have them for my collection. I got all of the posters hanging in my basement now which makes me feel great! Now I just have to get them all signed by the cast of the movies which will be quite difficult since there is so many. I did not realize that right across the street was another horror film convention that had two others from Saw (Danny Glover and Betsy Russell) who I would have loved to have met. Now that I know it's there, I will be attending that convention as well. Back to the convention, we purchased autograph tickets for both AJ Lee and Ricky Steamboat and then got in line for the Ziggler photo op and we were first in line! We got the photo with Ziggler and jumped in the line to get autographs. All of them (Steamboat, Ziggler and Lee) were all very nice and signed anything you wanted them to which is great. I love the WWE and meeting the superstars is always a memorable experience. Following all of this we wanted to get an autograph from Norman Reedus who plays Daryl Dixon on the super popular TV show "The Walking Dead." They had cut the line off, but a very helpful employee took our photo and had it signed for us by him and Reedus even personalized it to us which was amazing. This was the icing on the cake as both my girlfriend and myself love "The Walking Dead." This convention was great and yet another fantastic memory of mine. I cannot wait until next year and I already know the dates next year, August 21 - August 24. I can't wait to see who comes next year, thanks for reading and be sure to follow for more great stories!
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
WWE Monday Night Raw Review 8/5/13
WWE Monday Night Raw on August 5, came to us from Green Bay, Wis. This show was filled with many great moments as we head towards "The Biggest Party of the Summer," which is WWE's second biggest pay-per-view of the year in Los Angeles, Calif., known as Summerslam on August 18. The pay-per-view is shaping up to be a fantastic show and there was one match added on Monday's Raw that I am looking forward to more than some of the top matches.
The show started off with Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon and Daniel Bryan as the boss is looking have Bryan go through a 'corporate makeover' which included getting a tailored suit, a facial, manicure and a nice steak meal. Vince McMahon called out Wade Barrett to try and hold down Bryan to shave his beard, but Bryan had none of it and attacked Barrett and actually began shaving Barrett's beard instead. Bryan said he will not change and he will become WWE Champion, in the end Bryan debuted a new t-shirt that reads, "The Beard is Here" with an arrow up.
My analysis- Obviously this continues the feud between Vince McMahon and Triple H/Stephanie McMahon going towards the pay-per-view. I predict that Bryan will defeat John Cena for the championship and Randy Orton will cash in his Money in the Bank contract right after the match. Orton will walk out of the Staples Center a 10-time World Champion.
The second match was between RVD and Alberto Del Rio who was accompanied to the ring by Ricardo Rodriguez who has been missing for a month following a suspension. Justin Roberts announced that Rodriguez was returning after a serious injury which is a cover up for the suspension for 'fat burners' apparently from what I have read. In the end, Rodriguez cost Del Rio the match after he put his bucket in the corner and wanted Del Rio to smash RVD into it which was turned into Del Rio going into the bucket that led to a roll up by Van Dam and the victory. Following the match, Del Rio assaulted Rodriguez and tossed him out of the ring and kicked the steps into Rodriguez's head which leads me to believe that Rodriguez will be missing in action for a while longer and further propels Del Rio into being a heel.
My analysis- I am hoping that Rodriguez isn't out for that long and returns at Summerslam potentially costing Del Rio the championship and having Christian become champ once again. Also, with Van Dam winning the match it puts him at the top of the list to be the new number one contender following Summerslam.
Cody Rhodes comes out with a box that apparently has the Money in the Bank contract in it from the Gulf of Mexico (after Rhodes threw it in there during a Friday Night Smackdown taping). Damien Sandow came down looking for his briefcase and after a brief exit from the ring by Rhodes, Cody came storming back in to attack Sandow and further the feud between these two.
My analysis- The match has been set between these two at Summerslam, but I am hoping that a stipulation gets added where the Money in the Bank briefcase is on the line to make it a little more exciting.
Ryback vs. Mark Henry was next and the match never finished as Ryback left the ring. The Wrestlemania rematch looks like it'll need another rematch after Ryback walked out.
My analysis- It'll be interesting to see if they continue this feud going forward as neither Ryback or Henry have an opponent for Summerslam.
John Cena came out next and cut a promo which brought Randy Orton out to discuss how he will be the champion. The Shield's music hit and Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins came down to the ring and surrounded it as they usually do, but Daniel Bryan hit the ring to even up the odds and Brad Maddox emerged to announce that the night's main event would be The Shield vs. Cena, Bryan and Orton.
My analysis- It is great to see The Shield going against the top dogs of the WWE like when they first started out. It appears that The Shield's feud with the Uso's is no longer going on. I am definitely interested in seeing who The Shield take on at Summerslam or if they interfere in any of the matches.
Up next was the Wyatt Family against Tons of Funk once again which ended quickly as the Wyatt's continued their dominance. After the match, Bray Wyatt hit his finisher on Brodus Clay and cut a promo about Kane. Kane's fire went off and Kane appeared on the titantron to cut a promo and announced that Kane will face Wyatt at Summerslam inside a ring of fire.
My analysis- This part honestly gave me goosebumps, I felt at first that Kane would want to join the Wyatt Family, but to hear that they are going to have a match inside a 'ring of fire' brings back old memories and I hope and pray that this 'ring of fire' is what I think it is where the outside of the ring is on fire for the whole match. That would be great and I would love to see that match between the two of them.
The one divas match of the evening was between Kaitlyn and her former friend Layla who recently turned heel. After a distraction by AJ Lee, Layla was able to land a big kick to Kaitlyn and pick up the upset victory. After the match, Lee and Layla skipped around the ring and went to the back.
My analysis- Obviously the Kaitlyn/AJ feud is not over and now Layla is added into the mix. I believe that Kaitlyn will face AJ Lee for the Divas Championship at Summerslam once again.
Christian took on Heath Slater of 3MB in an obvious squash match. I feel bad for 3MB as they have not won on any occasion I have seen recently.
My analysis- Not much analysis here as this was an obvious squash to further Christian's momentum heading towards his World Heavyweight championship match at Summerslam.
The next match was between CM Punk and Curtis Axel in a non-title match. This match was great and the crowd even chanted "This is awesome," towards the ending. In the end, Punk went after Paul Heyman which led to a disqualification and an appearance from Brock Lesnar. Axel tried to get back into it, but Punk hit him with a GTS and the brawl ensued from there between Lesnar and Punk. Punk got a chair shot in on Lesnar, but Punk went after Heyman and that allowed Lesnar to get up and hit another F-5 on Punk.
My analysis- A great match between Punk and Axel which furthers this feud between Punk and Axel/Lesnar/Heyman. Heyman announced after the match that he wants a match with Punk next week on Raw. The match between Lesnar and Punk at Summerslam is going to be a great match and the additions of Heyman and Axel in this feud leads to an unpredictable outcome in the match.
Fandango took on a returning Kofi Kingston in the next match and Kingston was able to hit trouble in paradise to pick up the victory over Fandango who has been in a slump lately and 'jobbed' to many superstars recently.
My analysis- This could lead to a potential added match to Summerslam between these two men or these two could be added to a potential midcard championship match for the Intercontinental or United States Championship.
The next match was between the Uso's and the Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro). After a distraction by Zeb Colter led to a neutralizer by Cesaro and the victory for the Real Americans.
My analysis- I wish both Cesaro and Swagger would be in the tag team title mix, but it does not look that way currently as the tag team division is in flux. I do not know who The Shield will take on at Summerslam, but the Uso's and the Real Americans should be in the mix. I wish there would be a fatal four way for the tag titles at Summerslam between The Shield, Real Americans, Uso's and maybe the Prime Time Players/another team.
Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston was the last match of the evening before the main event and after a distraction by Katilyn going after AJ Lee, Big E was able to take advantage and hit the 'Big Ending' on Ziggler and pick up the victory.
My analysis- One of two things is happening at Summerslam, either Dolph and Kaitlyn will compete in singles matches against Big E and AJ or there will be a mixed tag team match between the four of them.
The main event pitted John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton against The Shield. The Shield was disqualified at then end of the match and led to an attack by Randy Orton on both Bryan and Cena. Orton was tempted to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, but The Shield stormed the ring again and attacked Bryan as Orton stood at the top of the ramp and looked on to end the show.
My analysis- First off, it was great to see The Shield back in the main event match and taking on the 'big dogs' of the WWE. Next, it furthers my prediction that Orton will cash in on Bryan following the Summerslam match where I believe Bryan will win and Orton will cash in and defeat Bryan. After Orton RKO'ed both Cena and Bryan and watched as The Shield assaulted Bryan leads me to believe that Orton will indeed turn heel at Summerslam as many people expect.
The show started off with Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon and Daniel Bryan as the boss is looking have Bryan go through a 'corporate makeover' which included getting a tailored suit, a facial, manicure and a nice steak meal. Vince McMahon called out Wade Barrett to try and hold down Bryan to shave his beard, but Bryan had none of it and attacked Barrett and actually began shaving Barrett's beard instead. Bryan said he will not change and he will become WWE Champion, in the end Bryan debuted a new t-shirt that reads, "The Beard is Here" with an arrow up.
My analysis- Obviously this continues the feud between Vince McMahon and Triple H/Stephanie McMahon going towards the pay-per-view. I predict that Bryan will defeat John Cena for the championship and Randy Orton will cash in his Money in the Bank contract right after the match. Orton will walk out of the Staples Center a 10-time World Champion.
The second match was between RVD and Alberto Del Rio who was accompanied to the ring by Ricardo Rodriguez who has been missing for a month following a suspension. Justin Roberts announced that Rodriguez was returning after a serious injury which is a cover up for the suspension for 'fat burners' apparently from what I have read. In the end, Rodriguez cost Del Rio the match after he put his bucket in the corner and wanted Del Rio to smash RVD into it which was turned into Del Rio going into the bucket that led to a roll up by Van Dam and the victory. Following the match, Del Rio assaulted Rodriguez and tossed him out of the ring and kicked the steps into Rodriguez's head which leads me to believe that Rodriguez will be missing in action for a while longer and further propels Del Rio into being a heel.
My analysis- I am hoping that Rodriguez isn't out for that long and returns at Summerslam potentially costing Del Rio the championship and having Christian become champ once again. Also, with Van Dam winning the match it puts him at the top of the list to be the new number one contender following Summerslam.
Cody Rhodes comes out with a box that apparently has the Money in the Bank contract in it from the Gulf of Mexico (after Rhodes threw it in there during a Friday Night Smackdown taping). Damien Sandow came down looking for his briefcase and after a brief exit from the ring by Rhodes, Cody came storming back in to attack Sandow and further the feud between these two.
My analysis- The match has been set between these two at Summerslam, but I am hoping that a stipulation gets added where the Money in the Bank briefcase is on the line to make it a little more exciting.
Ryback vs. Mark Henry was next and the match never finished as Ryback left the ring. The Wrestlemania rematch looks like it'll need another rematch after Ryback walked out.
My analysis- It'll be interesting to see if they continue this feud going forward as neither Ryback or Henry have an opponent for Summerslam.
John Cena came out next and cut a promo which brought Randy Orton out to discuss how he will be the champion. The Shield's music hit and Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins came down to the ring and surrounded it as they usually do, but Daniel Bryan hit the ring to even up the odds and Brad Maddox emerged to announce that the night's main event would be The Shield vs. Cena, Bryan and Orton.
My analysis- It is great to see The Shield going against the top dogs of the WWE like when they first started out. It appears that The Shield's feud with the Uso's is no longer going on. I am definitely interested in seeing who The Shield take on at Summerslam or if they interfere in any of the matches.
Up next was the Wyatt Family against Tons of Funk once again which ended quickly as the Wyatt's continued their dominance. After the match, Bray Wyatt hit his finisher on Brodus Clay and cut a promo about Kane. Kane's fire went off and Kane appeared on the titantron to cut a promo and announced that Kane will face Wyatt at Summerslam inside a ring of fire.
My analysis- This part honestly gave me goosebumps, I felt at first that Kane would want to join the Wyatt Family, but to hear that they are going to have a match inside a 'ring of fire' brings back old memories and I hope and pray that this 'ring of fire' is what I think it is where the outside of the ring is on fire for the whole match. That would be great and I would love to see that match between the two of them.
The one divas match of the evening was between Kaitlyn and her former friend Layla who recently turned heel. After a distraction by AJ Lee, Layla was able to land a big kick to Kaitlyn and pick up the upset victory. After the match, Lee and Layla skipped around the ring and went to the back.
My analysis- Obviously the Kaitlyn/AJ feud is not over and now Layla is added into the mix. I believe that Kaitlyn will face AJ Lee for the Divas Championship at Summerslam once again.
Christian took on Heath Slater of 3MB in an obvious squash match. I feel bad for 3MB as they have not won on any occasion I have seen recently.
My analysis- Not much analysis here as this was an obvious squash to further Christian's momentum heading towards his World Heavyweight championship match at Summerslam.
The next match was between CM Punk and Curtis Axel in a non-title match. This match was great and the crowd even chanted "This is awesome," towards the ending. In the end, Punk went after Paul Heyman which led to a disqualification and an appearance from Brock Lesnar. Axel tried to get back into it, but Punk hit him with a GTS and the brawl ensued from there between Lesnar and Punk. Punk got a chair shot in on Lesnar, but Punk went after Heyman and that allowed Lesnar to get up and hit another F-5 on Punk.
My analysis- A great match between Punk and Axel which furthers this feud between Punk and Axel/Lesnar/Heyman. Heyman announced after the match that he wants a match with Punk next week on Raw. The match between Lesnar and Punk at Summerslam is going to be a great match and the additions of Heyman and Axel in this feud leads to an unpredictable outcome in the match.
Fandango took on a returning Kofi Kingston in the next match and Kingston was able to hit trouble in paradise to pick up the victory over Fandango who has been in a slump lately and 'jobbed' to many superstars recently.
My analysis- This could lead to a potential added match to Summerslam between these two men or these two could be added to a potential midcard championship match for the Intercontinental or United States Championship.
The next match was between the Uso's and the Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro). After a distraction by Zeb Colter led to a neutralizer by Cesaro and the victory for the Real Americans.
My analysis- I wish both Cesaro and Swagger would be in the tag team title mix, but it does not look that way currently as the tag team division is in flux. I do not know who The Shield will take on at Summerslam, but the Uso's and the Real Americans should be in the mix. I wish there would be a fatal four way for the tag titles at Summerslam between The Shield, Real Americans, Uso's and maybe the Prime Time Players/another team.
Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston was the last match of the evening before the main event and after a distraction by Katilyn going after AJ Lee, Big E was able to take advantage and hit the 'Big Ending' on Ziggler and pick up the victory.
My analysis- One of two things is happening at Summerslam, either Dolph and Kaitlyn will compete in singles matches against Big E and AJ or there will be a mixed tag team match between the four of them.
The main event pitted John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton against The Shield. The Shield was disqualified at then end of the match and led to an attack by Randy Orton on both Bryan and Cena. Orton was tempted to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, but The Shield stormed the ring again and attacked Bryan as Orton stood at the top of the ramp and looked on to end the show.
My analysis- First off, it was great to see The Shield back in the main event match and taking on the 'big dogs' of the WWE. Next, it furthers my prediction that Orton will cash in on Bryan following the Summerslam match where I believe Bryan will win and Orton will cash in and defeat Bryan. After Orton RKO'ed both Cena and Bryan and watched as The Shield assaulted Bryan leads me to believe that Orton will indeed turn heel at Summerslam as many people expect.
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