8-1-11 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the August 1, 2011 episode of Raw

The show starts with CM punk coming out and posing on the stage with the Title. Great stuff! Punk gets the mic and says, “The champ is here!” and holds up the belt. He then sits in the middle of the ring and says he spoke his mind and that caused a little bit of change when Vince was “relieved” of his duties. He tells the fans that for far too long they haven’t been getting what they want, but now he will make it fun for everybody. He says that he made the phone call to return and his timing couldn’t be better because once John Cena is parading around as WWE Champion. He says that what Cena has is a belt, but what he has is a championship title! He says that it doesn’t matter who WWE crowned as Champion because he is the real champion and the best in the world. Triple H’s music plays and he comes out. Punk says it’s time to play the game. Punk is really awesome!! Triple H then mentions that he resigned Punk because it was good for business and that the fans wanted him back. He says that the fans asked for Punk and he put his personal feelings aside and gave the fans what they wanted. Punk wants to know what H’s personal feeling toward him are. H says that he thinks he is a guy who is overrated, smug and puts too much stock in his own hype. Punk says that’s like looking in the mirror for H. He then rags on Vince and his “yes men” for screwing up and letting major talent go/walk out like Jericho, Lesnar and Batista. Punk then says that H couldn’t afford for Punk to be else ware. H then says that Punk resigned for himself and that he needed WWE because without it he’d be nothing. Punk says that he is the WWE Champion and H tells that him that Cena is also. H’s music plays and Punk has it cut and says that his pipe bomb is about to go off. He says that resigning doesn’t mean he’s going to shut up and then mentions H hogging the spotlight many times over people who deserved it more. He cuts a great promo here saying that H is a bully who likes to push people around and that if he pushes Punk, Punk likes to push back. H admits that he has a massive ego and that ego is telling him to slap his tattoos off him, but he won’t because he took the job as COO for the fans. He says he might not like the rules that go with the job, but he respects them and won’t break them and tells Punk not to break them either. Punk then asks if H is going to fight, or does he have to get his wife’s permission first. Punk then walks out holding up the Title. This was a really outstanding opening segment!!

They show Rey Mysterio and John Morrison getting set for their tag team match with R-Truth and Miz.

Divas Battle Royal for a Divas Title match at SummerSlam. Beth Phoenix wins. Kelly then gets in the ring to congratulate Beth and Beth attacks her. She then gets the mic and says that her days as the perky cute little blond bimbo are officially over. Hopefully this is the start of a push for Beth.

Miz and R-Truth are backstage they talk about what huge mistake triple H being in charge is and Truth says it’s a conspiracy. Truth says if H was bringing Punk back all along then why were they in a Championship tournament. This was a good back and forth promo.

Josh Matthews interviews John Cena. Cena says that H has a major decision to make, and that is to decide to the WWE Champion is.

John Morrison & Rey Mysterio vs. R-Truth & The Miz. Truth & Miz win when Truth pins Morrison. This was a good match, but I don’t know why they had Morrison lose again. After the match Miz gives Morrison the Skull Crushing Finale. Mix then picks him up and Truth hits him with a water bottle.

Josh Mathews interviews Triple H. H mentions how Punk ragging on Stephanie doesn’t bother him because it’s been done before. He then says that both Cena and Punk can come out. He says that if he were Cena he would keep it strictly business. Not a bad promo.

Dolph Ziggler & Vickie Guerrero come out. Vickie gets the mic and says that while everyone talks about the controversy of having 2 WWE Champions, Dolph has shown that he is better than Cena and Punk. Dolph says that after his match last week he said, “follow that” meaning that no one will have his skills or charisma and is more of a man than anyone in the back. Alex Riley comes out and asks why he hides behind Vickie. Vickie says that thanks to her Dolph is a former World and Intercontinental Champion and is the current U.S. Champion. Alex says that Dolph has had a good run, then asks when the last time was that he accomplished something on his own. He says that Miz hid behind him and Dolph is hiding behind Vickie. Riley then asks if Dolph is afraid to drop Vickie because the fans will realize that he is a bleach blond fraud. Dolph then takes his jacket off and un does his tie then he and Vickie walk out.

Santino Marella & Zack Ryder vs. WWE Tag Team Champions David Otunga & Michael McGuillicutty. The champs win when Otunga pins Ryder. This was a decent short match.

They reshow the Triple H-CM Punk promo from the start of the show.

Josh Mathews interviews CM Punk. Punk says that he’s waiting to see what Triple H’s decision will be and that he was testing H before. Then he mentions how he beat Cena at MITB to win the Title and that the champ is here and now the champ’s walking out. Good promo from Punk.

Evan Bourne vs. Alberto Del Rio. Alberto wins by submission. This was a good match. Del Rio locks the arm bar on Bourne after the match and Kofi Kingston comes out to make the save.

Triple H comes out to decide what to about the WWE Title(s). He is about to say what he will do when Johnny Ace comes out. He mentions that he is executive VP of talent relations and that replaced JR. H asks what he wants. Ace says that Hunter should strip John Cena of the Title because that is what Vince would want him to do. Cena then comes out and says that Ace has been Vince’s right hand man for 10 years because he is one of Vince’s yes men. He then mentions that he punched Ace at MITB. He says that he won’t have the Title taken from because some goon in a suit who used to carry a surf board doesn’t like him. Ace says he made his decision because Punk beat him. Cena then says that was a great show and that his favorite moment when he punched Ace and that he should do it again. H says he doesn’t have a problem with that and then Ace walks out. Cena then asks what H is going to do and H says he is a legitimate WWE Champion. He mentioned that he hadn’t spoken to Punk till the Comic Con and that Punk came in with a signed contract and that he is a legitimate WWE Champion also. CM Punk then comes out and says that now that he’s back full time if he’s going to strip him of the Title and that everything will go back to the same old. Hunter says that neither guy will be stripped of the Title and at SummerSlam it will be Cena vs. Punk to determine the undisputed WWE Champion. Cena and Punk then have a stare down and Punk holds up his Title, then Cena holds up his. Punk gets on the turnbuckle and holds up his Title again, then Cena does the same. They go back and forth with both guy’s theme music during this. They each hold up their Title on the turnbuckles to end the show. This was a good segment too and the playing both guy’s theme music when they held up their belts was well done.

I thought this was a good show overall. There wasn’t as much wrestling as other weeks but the Cena-Punk-WWE Title bit was really good. The opening promo, the Morrison & Mysterio-Truth Miz match and the closing promo were the highlights of this week’s show in my opinion.