It’s probably worth mentioning, I have begun a podcast reviewing Raw (and various other happenings in WWE) with Denny Lugz. You can subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/doing-the-job/id553234010 or with any other pod-catcher http://doingthejob.podomatic.com/rss2.xml.
Opening Segment – CM Punk starts off the show, which was the right move. Everyone is tuning in to follow up on how last week ended. He explained simply, that he can’t make a change from the outside and needs to be on the inside to do that. Funny, this was pretty much the concluding thought of SLC Punk. Punk made sure to mention the fans and thank them – to me, that makes him a full-blown babyface. Triple H comes out. These two had a great back and forth, Punk is really coming through on speaking the minds of the fans. Punk noted that Triple H had a reputation for holding guys down and even being over-rated himself. I was worried when Triple H told Punk to explain why he really came back. Luckily this was just Triple H trying to be standoffish. This block ended with Triple H saying that he would take care of the dual champions situation later in the night.
All in all, a good promo spot.
Diva’s Battle Royal – I felt like this was a waste. I was anticipating either Beth Phoenix or Eve winning. I wanted Phoenix to win, which she did. Then she turned heel. It was needed and expected, but somehow felt kind of forced. I guess she’s taking over for Kharma – she’ll play the role of the monster diva, until Kharma returns next year to dethrone her. Is there really any other diva on the roster that poses a believable threat to Kharma?
The Miz and R-Truth Segment – The WWE is dangerously close to making R-Truth a face. He seems more over now than when he was a face. Maybe it’s just me.
Miz & R-Truth Vs Rey Mysterio & John Morrison – I suppose it was necessary to have this match in order to let these guys all have an appearance, but I really didn’t care. This match really didn’t do much for me, nor did it advance any stories. At least Miz & Truth won and looked dominant at the end.
Triple H Interview – Josh Mathews interviews Triple H. After what could maybe be considered a hard-hitting question, Triple H asks Mathews if he shaved that day. Trips told him he better get on that… Did I miss something? It made Triple H look kind of like the bully Punk accused him of being. Other than that, he just repeated what he said earlier.
Dolph Ziggler Out – While putting himself over, he’s interrupted by Alex Riley. I actually am ok with this. Riley is over, although I think the title should stay on Ziggler for now, this feud should be used to make Riley really good.
Ryder & Santino Vs Otunga & McGillicutty – At least we’re getting more Zack Ryder on Raw, it’s really about time. The tag division could not be any more lacking though. Throwing teams together to fight the champions who also have nothing going for them really isn’t doing much. I hope the Kings of Wrestling arrive soon. Also important to note, I love Santino’s new Cobra arm cover, AKA Socko 2000. Also – why were the heels facing the hard camera? It’s supposed to be the other way around. I guess it helped the successfully retain their titles.
CM Punk Interview – Again, kind of a lackluster interview, just repeating things that have happpened. I remember there was a Cena interview somewhere before this also, but again, not much in the way of story progression.
Alberto Del Rio Vs Evan Bourne – These two wrestled solidly, but the match was really lackluster. Del Rio basically dominated. Toward the end Bourne made a quick recovery, but didn’t hit the shooting star press and then the match was over via tap out. Winner – Del Rio
On another note: I really hate that Del Rio has the money in the bank. He really doesn’t need it. That could have better served another superstar.
We’re told to vote on WWE.com for who the universe thinks the rightful champion is, Cena or Punk?
Promo for Smackdown – Sheamus Vs. Mark Henry. I, for one, am thrilled that Sheamus is a face. I think he could be an excellent face. I’ve thought for a long time now, he and Swagger should be faces. One down, one to go. Also we got the Miz 7-Eleven commercials tonight. Looks like there’s quite a lot of collector cups now. Does CM Punk have one?
We return and see the poll results – John Cena gets 54% and CM Punk gets 46%. Not a bad split, although I expected Punk to be the favorite.
Triple H comes out, ready to address the problem of having two champions. The obvious way this is going to go is a Summerslam match, but we have to pretend that isn’t a given. John Laurinaitis is the first interruption. Anyone hear the fan yell “Push Zack Ryder!?” Triple H isn’t happy to see him. He suggests Cena be stripped, because that’s what Vince would want. I first wondered why he’d say that since Vince would have a greater issue with Punk, then I remembered why and Cena reminded us. Cena came out got in Laurinaitis’s face – said that he must want Cena stripped because Cena decked him at MITB. After Laurinaitis tried to get tough, Cena said he was going to deck him again. Laurinaitis quickly bailed. CM Punk came out and basically, both guys wined rather than letting Triple H speak. Finally, Triple H announced the match at Summerslam. Both guys took turns showing off their titles and the music switched back and forth.
Ok Raw, but didn’t compel me to watch next week as much as the previous Raws have done lately. Zack Ryder needs to wear that Internet Championship on TV.
Micael Cole needs to know when to shut up sometimes. Burying the announcers during a match is just annoying. Maybe we’ll get the John Cena heel turn we’ve all waited for at Summerslam?
Thinking about how wrestling changes so much in four years made me realize how much life in general changes every four years.
1993 – Lex Luger was the All American Hero, fighting the evil Yokozuna, who was the champion. Yokozuna had just defeated Hulk Hogan, the most famous hero of wrestling, for the championship and Hogan vanished from the industry. Bret Hart shared the spotlight as the top guy in the WWF. There was some little company called WCW also on the map, but barely. I was 11 years old, between grade school and middle school. I had my first crush on a girl. My parents owned a ski shop in Windham, NY.
1997 – The number one wrestling company was WCW, Lex Luger was their champion for a brief title reign, but it was lost to Hulk Hogan, the leader of the nWo and top villain. In the WWF, Yokozuna had also vanished. Bret Hart was a despised villain, feuding with Stone Cold Steve Austin, a beer-drinking foul mouthed redneck. Steve Austin was the top guy in the company. I was a sophomore in high school. I was now 15 and living in New York City, coming off the heels of my parents divorcing. I was listening to a lot of Spice Girls and thrilled because Thundercats had returned to TV on the Cartoon Network.
2001 – WCW completely fell, the company was absorbed by the triumphant WWF. Bret Hart suffered a career-ending concussion a few month before and no longer could wrestle. Steve Austin lost some of his momentum, sharing the stage with The Rock, the most electrifying man in sports entertainment. The two seemed to feud on and off for years. After a long battle back and forth between the members of WCW and the WWF, the championships are all merged and Chris Jericho becomes the undisputed champion. I had just completed my first year in college and dealt with my first bout of heartbreak, boo hoo. I also worked my first 9-5er.
2005 – The WWF was now WWE. There was also a WWE Hall of Fame, which Hulk Hogan was inducted into. He had returned to the WWF briefly and had an electrifying match with The Rock. Meanwhile, the titles had been split once again, and the two big names in the industry were Batista and John Cena, each a champion. I was now working at J&R, top salesman, as far as I am concerned. I stopped going to school and worked, while now living by myself.
2009 – John Cena is still the man on top, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels are the veterans who have the show-stealing match. Steve Austin is inducted into the Hall of Fame. I find myself in Texas, at WrestleMania, seeing all of this go down. I managed to find myself unemployed, but returning to school. My cat Beeky, whom I had for 18 years died. I wonder what 2013 is going to be like?
What’s funny is, skipping spaces of four years, I managed to miss Bill Goldberg, and Brock Lesnar.
9:03 – We lost, but it doesn’t matter. Roar!
9:04 – I hope there’s a lot of focus on Bryan tonight. It doesn’t make a great deal of sense why he had beef with the Nexus, but I don’t care, I marked out anyway and I’m thrilled he’s back.
9:08 – This Raw is starting off fun. I hope that the GM doesn’t interrupt and ruin everything.
9:09 – Can we get some progression now, reveal the GM or the higher power? Maybe they’re the same guy?
9:10 – Is the guy in the white shirt behind the announcers’ table the “hot” werewolf from this season of True Blood?
9:13 – I hope tonight is action packed and since Team WWE is competing, we better see Bryan and even Bret having a win would be nice.
9:18 – Ok, Wade Barrett Vs. Chris Jericho. Let’s go! Barrett losing would be awesome, someone could step in to the role of leader… someone we aren’t expecting.
9:24 – Wade Barrett over Jericho. 6 more to go?
9:33 – What is the point of guest hosts? They don’t even plug their stuff, they just walk out do something dumb and leave.
9:34 – FINALLY! They’re actually stopping this silly Unified titles thing. I was actually just wondering when they were going to do that. Then again, I wonder that every time that I see them. Maybe they’ll defend on Smackdown once in a while?
9:35 – Maybe after Justin Gabriel loses this match, he’ll eventually become a face and he and Evan Bourne can be a tag team with sick high flying combinations and it can propel them both a bit.
9:40 – Tarver Vs. Bryan? I hope Bryan wins!
9:43 – I guess that was necessary, but I don’t aprove. Tarver over by roll-up due to distraction by The Miz.
9:45 – Nice, Bret returns to the ring after a whole 24 hours of not being in the ring.
9:58 – Justin Gabriel Vs. Bret Hart isn’t happening. Way to false advertise. Well, Gabriel should be out of the Nexus in… say 6 minutes?
10:02 – Oh, Orton’s going to lose via count out.
10:03 – Ok, so most likely there will be one member of Nexus that will get tossed tonight. Maybe Young, since he’s taking on Cena, who can only lose if he’s shot in the heart.
10:06 – I’m almost positive that is Joe Manganiello in the audience.
10:11 – Skip and David against Morrison and K-Kwik? They can’t 86 2 members of Nexus in one shot… can they?
10:16 – Nope. So, Slater Vs. Edge?
10:17 – Divas tag! Nap time!
10:26 – Lawl “Memory Lane is closed, don’t go there.”
10:33 – Not thrilled that the Miz and Sheamus really aren’t used all that much. They’re champions. Come to think of it, all that Hart Dynasty did was swap belts. Champs aren’t important.
10:34 – I just heard a fan yelling about “…The Brood, we remember!”
10:38 – The Nexus wins are kinda cheaping out a bit. Oh well, Young’s going to lose. Slater over via count out.
10:53 – I wonder how this will play out? Will Cena win, Nexus turn on Young and beat him up, then Cena will help him in a show of compassion?
10:54 – John Cena vs. Darren Young.
11:02 – Cena wins via tap out. Let’s see what the future holds for Young…
11:04 – Anyone notice Jerry Lawler call Darren Young “Daniel Bryan” just now?
11:06 – So young got beaten up, predictable. Not a horrible Raw to follow Summer Slam.
Rating: 
9:00 – So, the Raw before Summer Slam. We need to see Bret Hart. We need some more matches announced. We need to establish that there’s some more camaraderie between the members of team WWE, or get new members. We have a lot of stuff to do in two hours, let’s get cracking and now show movie trailers or promos over and over again.
9:03 – Look at that group in the middle seats against the guard rail, they have a lot of replica belts. It’s quite eye-catching.
9:05 – Edge and Chris Jericho face to face with Bret Hart? I like it!
9:06 – Edge didn’t show up. I guess we need some one on one time. I mean, it’s Bret!
9:07 – Bret is really sweaty. I hope he isn’t doing steroids to prepare for Summer Slam.
9:10 – Jericho doesn’t want back in on the team. Now we get Edge.
9:11 – I can’t wait until Edge turns putting Bret over into a heel promo somehow…
9:13 – It sucks that the Nexus just beat up the Hart Dynasty, but, they aren’t in the Summer Slam match, they aren’t doing much of anything, so why do I care? Answer: I don’t.
9:19 – Evan Bourne Vs the Miz! I’m psyched!!
9:20 – The crowd is chanting “Miz Is Awe-some!” That’s MY chant for the Miz!
9:21 – The Miz needs a name for that turnbuckle clothesline. Maybe the Mizline?
9:24 – Good match, textbook finish. Only 5 minutes though. Not exactly enough to be a show stealer.
9:30 – So this Raw has been pretty good, but still 5 minutes of wrestling for the first half hour. SIGH This recap means more meaningless divas action.
9:32 – Is this a title match between Melina and Alicia Fox? Summer Slam is this weekend …could be a good place for a divas’ title match.
9:35 – I couldn’t quite get what the crowd was saying just now. I think this match is boring everyone. These two don’t work well together. Their chemistry is lousy.
9:37 – Ok, so she won, but it wasn’t a title match. So…. Summer Slam? What’s happening?
9:38 – Josh Mathews stopped with his bad haircut. I had no idea who Khali challenged until Mathews translated.
9:42 – Alright, Melina got the title shot at least. Wade Barrett and Khali tonight as well.
9:45 – These backstage statements are fun, Morrison’s beard is not growing on me, no pun intended.
9:50 – Mark Henry Vs. Ted Dibiase. Oh more not wrestling matches. Maybe this will progress Summer Slam a bit more.
9:52 – So an attack on Mark Henry by the Nexus. Now what? Oh Sheamus on his way to the ring. At least we get Orton and Sheamus face to face.
9:59 – Sheamus talkin’, is “arse” PG?
10:01 – Will this exchange between Orton and Sheamus end with a brawl? If so, who will win?
10:06 – The GM is encouraging a brawl? These stipulations about interference are interesting, but kind of silly. Here’s the brawl…
10:09 – Do we predict Sheamus retaining at Summer Slam since Orton won the exchange?
10:14 – NXT? I’ll be in the other room.
10:18 – Sheamus kicking some arse! Is someone going into the GM stand?
10:20 – So Morrison and K-Kwik against….
10:25 – Zack Ryder and Regal…great.
10:27 – Ryder’s trunks make this match worth watching. I hope Zack Ryder pins Morrison.
10:30 – So the opposite of what I wanted happened. It had to though.
10:37 – 5 and a half hot girls in the ring, and the crowd is chanting for Santino. I think that says it all.
10:41 – Again, Santino finds romance.
10:43 – Yay! Khali was attacked! No Khali match.
10:50 – “We’re the Nexus. Only some of us have charism.”
10:52 – I love that the Miz made a Kerrigan reference.
10:53 – I’d like to see Bret in wrestling gear again. I guess Batman tshirts will have to do.
10:56 – Justin Long is the guest host, and the GM is a MacBook, it works perfectly!
10:59 – Edge grew up watching wrestling at a time where guys like Hogan and Hart were the best of the best. Now here he is, in 2010, he’s been co-holder of the tag team championship with Hulk Hogan and is wrestling Bret Hart. Wow
11:04 – I wonder if Bret can handle a “hot tag” at this point in his life.
11:06 – I love and hate watching Bret wrestle nowadays.
11:07 – So the band is back together again, a? I’d love to see the Miz join in there in Khali’s place. Because he’s the Miz, and he’s AWESOME!!
Rating:
9:00 – Ok, we really need a good Raw tonight, last week was utter garbage. TNA Impact was better on Thursday. TNA!
9:03 – 3 minute opening? That’s a bad sign if they’re starting off with filler. Hopefully they won’t pull what they did last week and show the same promo in the middle again.
Ooh, Miz Vs Orton, good! Uh oh, Cena movie trailer, more filler!
9:10 – This promo is boring me. Why would R-Truth even care if Edge wanted to face Wade Barrett? Does anyone notice each week that Michael Cole announces that he has an email from the GM, he does it slower and slower, almost as if he’s trying to be as annoying as possible.
9:21 – At least this has been a relatively solid match thus far. I find it hard to believe Edge will go over. It wouldn’t make the Nexus look good.
9:22 – Just when I thought the match was gonna start really getting interesting… sigh…
9:25 – So far, in 26 minutes, we’ve had 6 minutes of wrestling. R-Truth and Edge had way too much time to not put either of them over or progress anything – which led to a match where nothing ultimately happened.
9:28 – So a half hour of nonsense to get to the point of Edge quitting the team. That could have been set up in the first 3 minutes. This sucks. At least they’re about to show a recap of Bret Vs Perfect from Summer Slam 1991.
9:31 – It’s probably a mistake to show one of the best matches of all time, ever, during a Raw that is just not cutting it.
9:33 – Teasing a Khali Nexus switch – I’d prefer he be where I am the night of Sumer Slam, sitting at home watching it on TV, because he really doesn’t belong in this match at all anyway. I’d almost rather see him turn on team WWE. When he was a heel, he was world champion. Now hes’s a face, he kisses old women and always loses.
9:36 – Oh Jesus, a divas’ tag match? Here’s a list of what this will do for any of them:
…this concludes the list of things this match will do for any of them. Where’s Milena been?
9:38 – Alicia Fox sure is sexy.
9:39 – Gail Kim sure is sexy.
9:40 – The wise thing to do here would be to somehow work Alicia Fox and Tamina. That would be the wise thing.
9:41 – Nope, the match is over. This match did nothing for anyone. Uh oh, Fox is bragging. She just said there wasn’t a diva that she hadn’t beaten… TAMINA right there! Oh well, I had a feeling this was just cannon fodder for Milena to come back. I knew she was over an injury and was waiting to come back. I was just hoping we’d get something new.
9:48 – So 10 minutes of wrestling in 48 minutes. Yeah, I’m keepin’ track. Do us a favor and DON’T tease the Miz cashing in this week. It will get old. Now, who’s jobbing to Sheamus?
9:49 – At least Goldust is getting a pay day! At least Goldust handed him his first loss! Of course, they don’t want us to remember that. Hey, I am pretty sure I was at the event last year when they met. Sheamus said after the match, something like, “I came in search of gold, but all I got was gold dust.”
9:52 – This isn’t only a job, this is a squash.
9:53 – About 13 minutes of wrestling so far.
9:55 – Ok, so we have Jericho Vs. Cena, DiBiase Vs Khali and Orton Vs. Miz tonight. Hopefully we’ll have some more action in this hour.
10:00 – I can’t really predict the outcome of this one. Jericho has never beat Cena, so that seems unlikely, but both outcomes would make the Summer Slam match interesting. This is a tough one. Of course, there’s no guarantee that this match will have a definitive outcome…
10:04 – The Cena waiting until a nine count and tearing ass back into the ring is getting old.
10:07 – I feel like this is the first match of the evening.
10:10 – I wonder if Jericho will go for the liontamer and miss it in this match.
10:13 – Huh? He did the lionsault, but it … either missed, or Cena didn’t get out of the way on time, or just sloppy selling on Cena’s part.
10:16 – Again, why would Jericho fight that entire match trying to win, and tap immediately before the STF was even locked in?
10:19 – Alright, so no more Jericho, no more Edge. Khali will probably be replaced by DiBiase tonight… is Bret going to re-assemble everyone next week or something?
10:27 – I like Edge and Jericho smoothing things over. What’s with this ridiculous match next week? Is the Nexus going to attack the WWE superstars and they’ll have to fight side by side anyway?
10:40 – YAWN Khali wins. Miz main eventing??
10:44 – WTF is this?? What is this, Entertainment Tonight?
10:46- Thank God, I waited an hour and forty-seven minutes to see the Miz.
10:52 – It just dawned on me, The Nexus really hasn’t done very much tonight. Are we about due?
10:59 – Michael Cole being into the Miz is so weird. Just turn him into the heel commentator, we don’t need no ‘tweeners.
11:04 – Match of the night. Still a weak Raw.
Rating:
9:00 – Let’s rock and roll! Obligatory recap of last week, oh criminy, is there a guest host tonight?
9:03 – Cena starting off the show. This promo is going to be kind of useless until someone joins in. I guess I’ll just have to grit and bare it.
9:07 – Hey an interruption! Welcome, Jericho!
Wouldn’t it be amazing if one of these guys defected AT Summer Slam?
9:09 – Wow, the crowd’s really popping for Y2J
9:13 – Cena does well going from comedy to drama quickly. Jericho being difficult, as always, is working well also.
9:16 – Did anyone thinking Summer Slam WOULDN’T be an elimination match? Oh good, we’ve resumed the using catch phrases of past superstars.
Well that segment was ok, the faces and the heels are going to have beef being on the same side. Sounds about right…
9:20 – I hope this isn’t going to be Miz Vs. R Truth, this feud is worn out.
9:23 – Why doesn’t Orton wear any wrist tape? It just looks weird. Who is Orton squashing this week. I take that back, who is he going to have a brief match with and then Sheamus will interfere?
9:26 – I feel like Vince McMahon has given me a very limited education about Samoans. Basically, they’re kind of black, they have big asses, and like to head-butt people.
9:27 – So Sheamus waited until after the match…
9:28 – Miz with another cash-in tease?
I still dislike very much that on a wrestling show, we’ve had only 4 minutes of wrestling in a half hour. That’s not a good ratio.
9:31 – I wouldn’t mind not having the Khali in the Summer Slam match. I don’t much care for him. He can’t bump and he always loses anyway.
9:36 – Wow, they just showed the boat ride I went on in San Antonio. Hard to believe I was there. Ooh, Miz and Sheamus!! Michael Cole has received another manager…
9:38 – OMG They’re gonna show the Warrior!! Since Hulk Hogan went over to TNA, Vince doesn’t seem to hate Macho Man or the Warrior as much anymore.
9:39 – “I heard what you said about Khali earlier” – how about it was on NATIONAL LIVE TV!? Does anyone want to see Khali go over?
9:46 – Well the Nexus just saved us from this match.
9:48 – Edge Vs Khali + Nexus = no match and a waste of our time. That wasn’t even a match. We’ve still only had 4 minutes of action.
9:52 – This match will eat up some time if it’s elimination, unless the Nexus dominates, which isn’t impossible.
9:53 – Michael Cole announcing by himself makes me feel like I’m being punished. Well, Yoshi just went to waste, I remember when he was on ECW and he actually got used and won matches.
9:58 – So Lawler is gone.
9:59 – Um, is Slater using the Zig Zag? Doesn’t someone else have dibs on that move?
10:03 – I’m gonna go raid my fridge. I’ll be back after Kidd is eliminated and then Bourne has the big display of heart and still loses.
10:06 – I just got my hands on some chocolate and peanut butter in the kitchen. Now that I’m in the living room again, it looks as though Evan Bourne is being brutalized. Does that mean I was right?
10:13 – I love the Miz. That is all.
10:17 – A Bella is wrestling?? That doesn’t happen. I guess that means one of them is getting squashed?
10:21 – Vegetable of the day… squash.
10:26 – You know what would be awesome? If the reason R-Truth is at ringside for this Morrison/DiBiase match is because he’s going to turn on Morrison and take up DiBiase’s offer to be the new Virgil. He really needs something to do.
10:28 – I love Maryse. That is all.
10:30 – Well at least there’s a conflict. I was hoping for that. It will make the dynamic of the Raw team at Summer Slam even more hostile.
10:37 – Are they showing us the same recap as the beginning of the show? FILLER! Can’t we get Zack Ryder in a match or something?
10:40 – Typical Orton promo, he’s better when he’s sharing interview time with an opponent. Looks like our main event is getting ready.
10:48 – I Just realized that I hadn’t written anything in a while and then realized, that’s because nothing has happened. Basically, nothing happened for the last 18 minutes in this show. This Raw isn’t so hot.
10:51 – This crowd seems to be pro-Y2J. I wonder if they’re going to throw us any double teams between Cena and Jericho, such as the famed FURKO Cena did with Orton.
10:54 – Oooh, an attitude adjustment into a code-breaker could work really well.
10:56 – Jericho totally did a babyface showboat after drop-kicking Sheamus off the apron.
11:00 – Sheamus totally stole Jericho’s “ask him” just now.
11:02 – Stupid ending. Why would Jericho make an effort to win the match that whole time JUST to turn on Cena? Lousy ending to the match.
11:04 – Ok, the whole team is a mess. 86 the entire team and get some guys that actually get along. There’s a month until Summer Slam. Oh well, crappy Raw overall.
Rating:
I’ve decided to make an attempt at playing the role of an analyst for WWE programming. After last night’s solid ‘Money in the Bank’ payperview, I’m going to begin with the following Raw.
9:00 – The show opens up with a triple threat match to determine who will challenge for the WWE Championship at Summer Slam in a month. Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, then Edge make their way to the ring. These three guys are fully capable of main eventing. This seems out of place for a show opener. Perhaps we will have a swerve?
9:15 – As expected, these three are performing solidly, after a commercial break, we return very methodically paced action. If this match is really going to determine the next challenger, it’s hard to believe Jericho or Edge will win, with Orton being the white hot babyface. Edge Vs. Sheamus or Jericho Vs. Sheamus, although would be excellent matches with great promos to boot, probably would fail to draw as much as Orton Vs. Sheamus.
On a side note, these three guys were part of the Money in the Bank main match last night and all lost, as did Bourne, Morrison, DiBiase and Mark Henry. What makes them eligible to compete for the number one contender’s spot? A fresh face maybe nice to see. Come on WWE, these guys have all be World Champions or WWE Champion before.
9:20 – Does Jericho ever hit the lionsault anymore?
9:21 – Well, Orton was the victor. DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING!
9:27 – Edge calling Jericho to the ring… what could this be? Career-ending match? Truce? Loser leaves Raw?
9:28 – The “this thing between us has been going on for 11 years” thing is such retrofitting nonsense.
9:31 – So now with the Nexus turns on Jericho next? Seems right…
9:33 – I’m just waiting for a Cena run-in, followed by emails from the G.M.
9:39 – Sheamus is flirting with the enemy, seems interesting. I don’t know about Mathews calling the Nexus the most powerful group in WWE history… seems like we’re forgetting DX, Hart Foundation, Los Boricuas … ok scatch that last one. John Cena asking for a face to face? Teasing a turn? I’d say that means it isn’t going to happen. Why are we having a Henry Vs. Barrett match? Is it to tell the audience what a powerful force Henry is only to job him to Barrett? I guess that could work.
9:48 – Eve Torres to face Maryse (accompanied by Ted Dibiase). Anyone notice the black and gold coat Maryse was wearing? Shades of the Million Dollar Man! Maryse is going over, by hook or by crook.
9:51 – I’m shocked, both that I was wrong and that… the face has a tainted victory. When does the heel ever lose by the ref not seeing the foot on the rope?? Well at least John Morrison did that move that looks great, but never hits the mark. That whole segment was actually pointless.
9:57 – Sheamus out … he’ll probably talk for a few minutes, then we’ll get either Barrett or Orton (or both out) for an eye to eye. At least I hope so. We don’t have a lot of time to build this castle we call “Summer Slam 2010.”
10:01 – Yay, my favorite wrestler and the best wrestler in the world right now, The Miz, has just came to make this promo … awesome!
I really hope The Miz isn’t the first guy to ever cash in his Money in the Bank and lose. I’d be really unhappy. He needs to be the champion for a long, long time.
10:05 – G.M. email, Sheamus Vs. Evan Bourne, I had a feeling they’d announce him. I don’t expect him to win or deal that much damage to Sheamus. The Miz being the guy stalking his prey, waiting to pounce is an excellent device that I know he’ll utilize to the fullest.
10:19 – I didn’t think they were going to waste a Money in the Bank right away. I figured when The Miz cashed in and Sheamus was not responding, something would happen and The Miz would retreat with the MITB still in tact. The crowd was loving it though. The Miz is over, even being a heel.
10:25 – Great promo by The Miz, of course, what promo of his isn’t great? Summer Slam promo, showing us the 1998, featuring Jim Ross saying it was the “tenth annual Summer Slam.” It was actually the 11th, but who is counting. Oh yeah, me. Finally, our face to face with Orton and Sheamus. I think we get it, the champion has a target/bullseye on his back.
10:32 – Santino and Kozlov – time for our comic relief for the evening. Zack Ryder and William Regal?? Why is Zack Ryder being wasted like this? How many weeks in a row do we have to see Regal, Kozlov and Santino doing this tired routine? Maybe they’ll swerve us and Zack Ryder will pull off a win and throw some “L I” hand signals around. …I can dream, can’t I?
10:36 – Oh look, Santino and Kozlov won, maybe they’ll challenge the Harts next week?
10:40 – Wade Barrett out to face Mark Henry. I guess this is the last match, before our main event… which will be John Cena not joining the Nexus? Hmm, Sheamus is up against Orton for Summer Slam, Cena doesn’t have much to do, a Cena/Nexus program for Summer Slam seems in order. Could it just be Cena Vs. Barrett though? I feel like a big tag team match, or something else would need to be in order. Barrett and Cena wouldn’t exactly be a draw. Maybe some more of their master plan will be revealed. Maybe it will involve this anonymous G.M.?
10:45 – Barrett almost killed himself, but he pulled it off, he did his fireman’s carry into a slam maneuver. It’s only 10:45 though, we have a lot of time for stuff to happen. Poor Barrett is still holding his back… Hope he didn’t hurt himself too much.
10:53 – “Nexus Sucks More Than Texas” sign in the audience. I dunno if I agree with that, the Nexus angle is pretty good so far, where Texas… well it’s Texas… Oh Cena’s finally out. Let’s see where this goes, or doesn’t go.
10:57 – Are they trying to replicate Hogan joining the Outsiders? I can’t really imagine Cena joining the group of noobs, it wouldn’t turn Cena heel, he’d just be a reluctant participant. Who would he feud with? Would he turn his back on his “friend” Mark Henry?
11:00 – I’m waiting for the swerve…
11:02 – 7 on 7 at Summer Slam? That’ll be interesting. I would like to see one superstar defect to the Nexus, but this could draw some buys. So it’s Edge, R-Truth, Morrison, Khali, Jericho, Cena, and BRET?!? Ok, didn’t see that coming! Interesting dynamic.
Overall, not a bad show! We didn’t hear too much from the G.M. though. That’s probably a good thing. Maybe I’ll chime in for one of these other shows this week, Smackdown, NXT, Impact! (barf). We’ll see…
The good guy doesn’t always win.
Even at your dream job, you may get stuck with an asshole boss.
I learned words like, “tenacity” and “fortitude,” some other greats; prowess, acumen, reign…
I learned a lot of anatomy too; solar plexus, carotid artery, meniscus, clavicle – as well as slang terms, like “bread basket.”
Everybody has a price, everybody.
A good entrance is always a huge plus.
Your most beloved heroes can really disappoint you.
Your most hated nemesis can suddenly see the error of their ways.
Speaking your mind is usually the best course of action. If people dislike you because of your stance, that’s their choice, at least they know who you are.
Charisma is a must in life.
Be careful of people who are just using your to get to the next level (or what they think is the next level).
Some people change by pretending to be someone else, but some people change because they stop pretending.
Always part on good terms, if possible.
Unified Tag Team Championships: The Miz & Big Show defeated John Morrison & R-Truth
Horrible, quick, waste of time – these teams both are thrown together. Miz and Morrison were the champs last year. Now after all that has happened since last April 5th, we find them both having made a move which is not only lateral, but arguably regressive. This match was quick and did nothing more than get these guys onto the card, maybe that was the only point.
Randy Orton defeated Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes
Randy Orton was part of the main event last year, DiBiase and Rhodes were not even on the card. Clearly they have pulled him down a few notches on their way up. Randy is gaining a face push though and this match was (theoretically) the end of this feud and all parties involved can move on.
Jack Swagger defeated Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin, Drew McIntyre, Christian, Montel Vontavious Porter, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston and Kane in the Money in the Bank match
Not a particularly great MITB match, the end was broken, sadly, with Swagger struggling to get the briefcase off of the hook. At least this win breathes some life into Swagger.
Triple H defeated Sheamus
“But, daaaaaaaaad…” Well, this is great, Sheamus needed this win, badly, in order to give his character any credibility, jobbed to Triple H. Again, Triple H has to be ‘the man’ and crush the competition. Triple H didn’t need to win this match, Sheamus did. As usual, Triple H ruins wrestling.
Rey Mysterio defeated CM Punk
Ok, Rey is the face and Punk is the heel, but this feud just began. Now that the face is victorious, what is the motivation to carry on this feud? Punk should have won.
Bret Hart defeated Vince McMahon
If Bret didn’t win this match, it would have been lunacy. Vince took his beating like a man for what happened in Montreal in 1997. The swerve at the end was an afterthought, clearly, but it was entertaining to watch.
Chris Jericho (c) defeated Edge
Unexpected – and welcomed. Edge was looking like he was gonna roll right over Jericho and make his triumphant claim of the championship after winning the Royal Rumble. Now this feud and continue and these two can do some more business.
Michelle McCool, Layla, Maryse, Alicia Fox and Vickie Guerrero defeated Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Eve Torres, Gail Kim and Beth Phoenix
This match was stupid and I didn’t respect it. Some divas can wrestle, some are just pretty faces. Vickie doing the frog splash was acceptable, but she botched the ending as well. Great that we have two women’s championships and neither is on the line at Wrestlemania. Eh, this match was what it was, bathroom break for the attendees.
John Cena defeated Batista (c)
I thought John Cena was the right guy to go over, but wasn’t sure if it would go that way. Batista was quite the heel going into this and in typical WrestleMania fashion, the good guy is supposed to triumph over evil. Cena posing with the “anti-Cena mob” after the match was awesome. Well played John Cena!
The Undertaker defeated Shawn Michaels
Wisely, this was saved for the main event. Last year, these two tied it up, but after they put on what was (arguably) one of the best matches of all time, it wasn’t the main event. Following these two is next to impossible. Although I think last year had the better bout, this year was still excellent, and the tear-jerking ending was Sean Michaels losing and exiting the arena to no music, shelving his career permanently.
Tell me this, why was there not one single interview segment on this show? Really not ok. Santino’s elongated Slim James (Slim Jim) commercial spot doesn’t count.
All in all, not a great show. Maybe next year…