2-27-12 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the February 27, 2012 episode of Raw

They start the show replaying Cena’s promo from last Monday, which was a really good promo.

CM Punk comes to the ring for his rematch with Daniel Bryan and they replay bits of the match from Smackdown. Then Chris Jericho’s music hits and he comes out and asks if he was expecting somebody else. He says that he thinks Punk a very good performer but no as good as he is. He says Punk isn’t the best in the world at everything he does and he knows it. Then Jericho says that he never had to tell anyone that he is the best in the world and says that he is part of dying breed who cared more about having the best match on the show and not where they were on the card. He says that he developed an attitude because he knew he was the best. Then he says that Punk is like him because he wants to be Jericho. He says that Punk ripped him off. Punk then says that he knows how good Jericho is and so do the fans. His problem is Jericho saying that he stole his gimmick from Jericho. Punk says that he fought for everything he got. Then he mentions Bret Hart and brings up his catchphrase. Then he asks Jericho if he invented that. Then Jericho says that Punk needs to take him seriously. He says that for 22 years he has proven that he is the best in the world and that he has faced every legend and Hall of Famer and beat them all. He then mentions how he’s headlined WrestleMania and that he is the best in the world at everything he does. Punk asks if Jericho is trying to prove to him, the fans, or to himself that he is the best. Then Punk says that Jericho envies Punk because he surpassed what Jericho’s done. He says that Jericho was never really the man like he is and that bothers Jericho. Punk says that he is the best wrestler in the world and that is who he and what he does while Jericho chose to leave and write books and be a rock star. Punk then says that he’s always been on top while Jericho was on Dancing with the stars. Jericho says that while he was doing that he was thinking about how Punk ripped him off and that he returned to beat Punk for the WWE Title at WrestleMania and show that he is the best in the world. Punk says that Jericho could have just challenged him to a match rather than jumping him. He says that they don’t need pyro to let everyone know how awesome they are and on April 1 they will find out who the best in the world is. He then says that after WrestleMania it won’t be the end of the world, but it will be the end of Jericho’s. Then Daniel Bryan’s music hits and he, AJ, Johnny Ace & David Otunga come out. Bryan attacks Punk while he is distracted with Ace but Punk clotheslines him out of the ring. This was a good segment to start the show. Both guys cut really good promos as usual.

Teddy Long & Johnny Ace are on commentary for the Punk-Bryan match. Santino Marella & David Otunga are also at ringside.

WWE Champion CM Punk vs. World Champion Daniel Bryan. Bryan wins by DQ when Sheamus throws Bryan back in the ring. Otunga got on the apron, Punk nailed him. Then Otunga got on the ring apron again and Santino stopped him. Then Santino & Long bickered with Otunga & Ace. While all that was happening Bryan tried to bail but Sheamus came in and threw him back in the ring. Then Punk hit the GTS and covered Bryan but Ace told the referee to call for the bell. Then Long shoves Ace to the mat and they were set to go at it but Santino & Otunga hold them back. Punk walks up the ramp and poses and then Jericho attacks him from behind and slams Punk on the stage. Then he locks Punk in the Walls of Jericho and then taunts Punk and holds up the WWE Title. Then Jericho throws the belt on Punk’s chest and tells him to enjoy it while he can. This was a mixed bag. The match was good for what it was but it was more of continuing the storyline. The Long-Ace stuff was crap but the Punk-Jericho part was good.

Josh Matthews is backstage and says that Punk was helped into the trainer’s room but he’s more angry than hurt.

They show a video package recapping the Undertaker-Triple H WrestleMania match from last year. There were also comments from some of the talent. This was really well done.

Kelly Kelly vs. Nikki Bella. Kelly gets the pin. This was a short match but was ok.

John Cena’s music hits and he comes out to the typical mixed reaction. Then The Miz comes out with a mic and says that he worked too hard to be treated the way he is. He says that no one has worked harder than he has, not even Cena. Then he talks about all the talk shows he’s been on and that his name has yet to be called upon for WrestleMania (he main evented it last year!) Then he rags on the fans and he says that he will prove to everybody that he is WrestleMania worthy and that he will start be beating the guy he beat in the main event at last year’s WrestleMania. I’m not sure what he meant by being called upon for WrestleMania when he ended the show last year.

John Cena vs. The Miz. Cena wins by submission. This was ok. Cena pretty much dominated Miz here. Miz has really been de-pushed in the last year. Then they show The Rock in his dressing room watching on a monitor and he does a slow mo you can’t see me gesture. Then they go back to Cena and he walks up the ramp slapping the fans’ hands.    

R-Truth & Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler & U.S. Champion Jack Swagger vs. WWE Tag Team Champions Epico & Primo for the Titles. Epico & Primo win to retain the Titles when Epico pins Swagger. This was a good match. Afterwards Kane’s pyro hits and the lights go out. Then his music plays and he comes out and lays out Primo and double choke slams Dolph & Epico. Truth gets some offense in but Kane choke slams him too. Then Kane’s pyro hits again and he walks up the ramp.

Johnny Ace & David Otunga are in Ace’s office and then Teddy Long comes in and Ace tells him to get out. Then Long says that Ace might not be running Raw next week. Then Ace says that Long will need to buy a ticket to Smackdown cause he’s been sacked as GM. Then Long calls Ace a horse’s ass and walks out. This was idiotic.

They recap the whole Eve-Cena-Ryder crap.

Eve Torres comes to the ring and says that the fans can judge her if they want. She says that she’s a woman living in a man’s world and there isn’t a guy who wouldn’t want to be used by her. She says that easily seduces the guys and that the guy fans shouldn’t blame her for her natural strengths but they should blame themselves for their weaknesses. This was terrible. Eve is a crappy actor and I could care less about where her character is headed. Thankfully this was short! Then they show her backstage and Kelly asks what’s gotten into her lately. Eve laughs it off and walks out. Then Alicia Fox comes in and doesn’t do anything while Kelly has this pissed off look on her face. This whole bit was lousy.

They show a trailer for a new Edge movie, “Bending The Rules.” Looks like a lousy movie.

Before the next match Cody gets the mic and says that some guy will face Floyd Maywhether. He then talks about the match he had with Show at WrestleMania 24 and they show clips of the match.

Big Show & Sheamus vs. Mark Henry & Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes. Show & Sheamus win when Sheamus pins Henry. This was short and pointless. I don’t know why they continue to job out Henry. Cody walked up the ramp before the match ended.

The replay the Cena promo from last week.

They announce that Shawn Michaels will be at Raw next week.

After a bit they cue The Rock’s music and he comes out and does his usual posing. The fans chant his name and then he gets a mic, but he soaks in the fans’ reactions a bit more. Then he says that he is covered in goose bumps because this feels so damn good. The fans chant his name again and chant boots 2 asses too. Then he says that they will into some chance all night. Then he says that he isn’t here every single week. He says that for years he was and that he was born and created in the WWE. He also says that if it weren’t for WWE and the fans The Rock would never exist. He says that when he said that he came back and was never going away he meant it. He said that didn’t mean he would be on Raw every week. He says that if a certain someone wants to take that literally what can he do. He says that he respects the fans’ intelligence because they know that his heart is in this business and that he loves the WWE and that he will always be a part of WWE and WWE will always be a part of him. Then he says for years he used to think that Cena was a phony but then he realized that he really is that guy who ran him down with all that anger saying that he couldn’t directly speak to him and Rock says that Cena has his number. Then he says that he doesn’t want to talk to Cena and would rather slap him with a Kung Pao chicken. He says that Cena’s not a phony or a bad guy but he is a Kung Pao b**ch. Then the fans chant that. Then he says that Cena said last week that on April 1 he was going to fight for every wrestler in the back. Rock then talks about how he grew up in the wrestling business and that no one fought for him when he started out. He says that while Cena fights for the other wrestlers, Rock fights for the fans. He mentions that the fans are tired of having Cena shoved down their throat every night. He says that the fans are tired of Cena but aren’t tired of being Entertained and that’s what he lives to do. He mentions how he and the people innovate and make new ground. He says that when returned last year and says that Cena looked like Fruity Pebbles the fans started chanting that and then Cena wound up on Fruity Pebble box. Then he mentions the other stuff that he said and how the fans chanted them all. The fans chant his name again and they also chant lady parts. Then he says that the fans should chant lady parts and they do. Then he says they can chant his name and they do. Rock then says that the most innovative thing Cena’s done is change his jean shorts to camouflage shorts. Then Cena’s music plays and he comes out and says that he wasn’t gonna miss this fun. He then says that he is that guy that runs Rock down when he isn’t there but also when he is. Then he mentions that that he was a Rock fan till he met him. He then calls him a self centered SOB who wouldn’t care if the company closed tomorrow. Then he says that on April 1 he will be looking into Dwayne’s eyes and says that he will beat the hell out of him. Then he tells Rock to carry on and continue trending and then he walks to the back. Rock says that it doesn’t surprise him that Cena came out and ragged on him and then left. He then says that The Rock and Dwayne Johnson is the same guy. He then says that Cena runs his mouth about being tough but he isn’t. Then he says that at WrestleMania he will kick Cena’s candy ass all over WrestleMania. “If ya smell what the Rock is cookin’.” Then Rock poses on the turnbuckle to end the show. This was a typical Rock promo with him getting all his catch phrases in there and getting the fans to chant them. I liked that he mentioned that he grew up in the wrestling business.

They certainly did a lot to hype up WrestleMania this week, which they should be doing. There were quite a few long promos on this show. The Punk-Jericho was good and I thought The Rock’s was too. I thought they both went a bit long though. The matches this week weren’t memorable. The Punk-Bryan match had the Long-Ace crap surrounding it so that took from the match. This whole bit with Long & Ace feuding over who will run both Raw & Smackdown is idiotic. The Eve promo was lousy too but was mercifully short. The 3 way tag match was good but I don’t know why they had Kane flatten them all afterwards. The Show & Sheamus-Henry & Cody match was too short and Mark Henry got jobbed out again. The Cena-Miz match wasn’t much either. Cena pretty much dominated The Miz. So overall I thought that this week’s episode was good in terms of hyping up Rock-Cena and Punk-Jericho and the video packages were good too but the rest of the show wasn’t too memorable. It was all about the build to WrestleMania which is ok with me since it is their “Super Bowl” of the year.