4-29-13 Raw results and thoughts

        Coverage and thoughts on the April 29, 2013 episode of Raw  

  The show starts with Alberto Del Rio & Ricardo Rodriguez coming to the ring. Zeb Coulter & Big E Langston are already in the ring. They will be in a 3 way and the winner will pick the stipulation for the Del Rio-Swagger-Ziggler title match at Extreme Rules. I like that they’re starting the show with a match but I don’t know why it’s with these 3.

Ricardo Rodriguez vs. Zeb Coulter vs. Big E Langston. Ricardo wins when he pins Zeb. This was a comedy match. There was a lot of shenanigans here. Ricardo hit Big E with the bucket. Then Big E was going after Ricardo and then Del Rio came in & gave Big E an enziguri. Then Dolph came in drop kicked Del Rio out of the ring. Then Swagger chucked out Dolph and then Big E clotheslined Swagger over the top & also went over the top himself. Then Zeb had Ricardo pinned but before the referee could count to 3 AJ came in. Then Ricardo rolled up Zeb for the pin.

They show the video of John Cena visiting the 8 year old boy. I applaud Cena for granting all these wishes! I really admire & respect that about him!!

John Cena & 3 Make a Wish kids come out on the stage. Cena says today’s World Wish Day. This is a special Raw. We have Jacob, Nick & Logan. Their wish was to experience Raw live. Make a wish grants wishes like this everyday but can’t do it without the people’s help. Tonight they’re making a special moment even more special because these 3 are now honorary WWE super stars. Jacob says his super star name is The Eliminator. Nick’s is Nick the Stitch and Logan’s is Lightening Logan. Cena says these kids were granted 1 wish. Their wish was to come & be at Raw. They chose a great night & Cena says he has a feeling the fans can get loud. He tells the fans to show the kids what it’s like to be part of Raw & the fans give the kids a well deserved ovation. Cena thanks everyone from the bottom of his heart & hopes they enjoy the rest of the show. That was really classy! This was a great segment!

Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes. Orton gets the pin. This was a great back & forth match. Orton went for the RKO but Cody turned it into Cross Rhodes for a near fall. Then Cody went for Beautiful Disaster but Orton pulled out the RKO & got the pin.

Then Striker gets in the ring and says it’s been 3 weeks since Big Show turned on him. Does Orton still feel haunted by that? Orton has never been so focused & extreme. Then Cody sneaks up from behind but Orton gave him another RKO.

The Bellas are backstage. They talk about last week’s Diva battle royal for a bit and then they plug WWE’s new reality show. They mention that they’ve walked on the red carpet. That is something that the other Divas won’t get to do or whatever. This was meaningless.

Time for a look at Total Divas.

Naomi vs. Brie Bella. Naomi wins by reverse decision DQ. Nikki came in & pinned Naomi. Then Cameron told the referee what happened & the referee said that Naomi wins by DQ. Then the Bellas get in the ring & they go at it with Naomi & Cameron. They toss Naomi out of the ring & beat down Cameron. This was weak. The twin magic was predictable & having Naomi win by reverse decision DQ was lame. The post match beat down from The Bellas was ok for what it was.

The Shield comes out through the crowed. Ambrose says when they arrived in WWE they said they were going to bring justice to an unjust world & that’s what they’ve done. Rollins says that brick by brick they’ve torn down the wall of injustice. From the moment they started their crusade at Survivor Series till now no one has managed to stop them. They changed the course of history when they stopped Ryback from becoming WWE Champion. Reigns says that’s just the start. No one can stop the hounds of justice. Not the great one. Rollins says not a giant, Reigns says not a warrior and Ambrose says not even the champ. Ambrose says those guys were mortal. Last week they looked immortality in the face & served justice to Taker. For too long Taker has been justice in WWE but The Shield bows down to no one. Reigns says rest in piece. Then they show The Shield lying out Taker from Smackdown. Then Ambrose says justice doesn’t care who you are. When your number gets called justice strikes without warning or mercy. Rollins says justice hasn’t forgotten about Cena or Ryback. Then out come 3MB Slater says The Shield have some unfinished business with 3MB. Drew asks who they think they are. They were gonna show HHH how to rock & Roll but The Shield crashed their party. Then Jinder says now they will crash The Shield’s & Rock & Roll all over their faces. 3MB gets in the ring & The Shield beats them down. Then out come Kane & Daniel Bryan. They get in the ring & The Shield bails. Then Kane & Daniel beat on 3MB. Drew & Jinder get tossed out of the ring and then Kane choke slams Slater. This was a solid segment. The Shield promo was good & I was fine with 3MB coming out too. I’m glad they remembered that The Shield had unfinished business with 3MB. Kane & Daniel coming out was ok too & having The Shield bail wasn’t surprising & neither was Kane & Daniel flattening 3MB, but it was a solid bit.

Backstage we see Cena’s ankle getting taped up. Ryback comes in. Ryback says that Cena can wrap his ankle up all he wants, but he’s still hurt. Cena says that he has been more effective on 1 leg than Ryback has on 2. Ryback can’t take that chance. This was ok.

U.S. Champion Kofi Kingston vs. World Champion Dolph Ziggler. This was a really good back & forth match. It was cool to see these 2 in a match that was given a good amount of time. Then Big E gives Kofi the Big Ending. Then a second 1.

Dolph, Big E & AJ are backstage. Dolph says he stole the show. Then they bump into Natalya & Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn says AJ beat her a couple times last year because she held back because she didn’t want to hurt her best friend. Now she isn’t going to hold back. If AJ wants the Divas Title she will have to take it. Then a delivery guy comes in & AJ thinks it’s for her but it’s for Kaitlyn. Dolph, Big E & AJ walk off. Then Kaitlyn takes a spiked hat out of the box. Then she finds a letter too & reads that. This was lame.

Time for a look back at the Triple H-Paul Heyman segment from last Monday.  

Vickie & Brad are in the GM office and in comes Ryback. Ryback says Cena’s left him to face The Shield alone for the last time. Vickie says tonight it will be a 6 man tag. The Shield will face Ryback, Kane & Daniel. Ryback rules, been there, done that. He doesn’t trust those guys & says no and then walks out. Then Brad asks Vickie what Ryback meant by no. Thankfully this was short.

Jack Swagger & Zeb Coulter come to the ring. Then Ryder comes out. He says for those who missed Zeb in action earlier tonight, let’s take a look. They re show Ricardo pinning Zeb. Ryder says “Here is your winner Ricardo Rodriguez. Woo woo woo. You know it.”

Zack Ryder vs. Jack Swagger. Swagger wins by submission. Ryder got some offense in but this was mostly a squash. Then Swagger holds Ryder by the ropes & Zeb punches Ryder in the head.

They show during the commercial break Striker was looking for words from Ryback & Ryback walked out.

Mark Henry is in the ring with a giant rope. He says for those of us who don’t know who he is, he is Mark Henry the world’s strongest man. He came out here to prove that. He asked Vickie for 2 opponents & she said it would happen. Out comes Tensai.

Tensai vs. Mark Henry in a tug of war. Henry wins. 

Then out comes Brodus Clay.

Brodus Clay vs. Mark Henry in a tug of war. Henry wins.

Then out comes Sheamus. He says that was impressive & offers to be a third opponent for Mark Henry. Sheamus asks if Henry is afraid. Henry tells him to come in & Sheamus says lets get it on.

Sheamus vs. Mark Henry in a tug of war. Sheamus lets go of the rope & Henry falls down. Then Sheamus gives Henry a Brogue Kick. This was pointless.

Backstage Brad Maddox tells Kane & Daniel Ryback has left the building. Kane says they’re better off without Ryback. Kane tells Vickie they’re back to a handicap match. He wants to get his hands on The Shield for lying out The Undertaker. Daniel says they want this match no matter what. Vickie says they got it. Kane & Daniel leave and then Vickie Brad there’s 1 more that she needs him to do. This was alright.

Backstage we see Brad Maddox come into Cena’s locker room. Cena calls him Braden Walker & bad mattress. Cena then tells Brad to tell Vickie that she has a main event tonight. He won’t let Kane & Daniel face The Shield without a partner. Brad says Cena’s hurt bad. Cena says he’s hurt & Brad will be hurt bad if Brad doesn’t let him wrestle tonight. This was ok.

Ricardo Rodriguez brings out Alberto Del Rio. Antonio Cesaro is already in the ring.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Antonio Cesaro. Del Rio wins by submission. This was a solid back & forth match. I’m glad Cesaro wasn’t squashed here.

Then Del Rio says thanks to Ricardo he can pick the stipulation for the world title match at Extreme Rules. Del Rio says that it will be a ladder match. 

Out comes Fandango. Great Khali is already in the ring & so is Jerry Lawler. King says Khali & Fandango will compete in a dance off. He asks Khali if he has any ball room dancing experience. Khali says he has. King asks how Khali thought Jericho was on Dancing with the Starts. Khali says he’s better than Jericho is. Then Khali & Natalya dance. King then asks Fandango how he thinks Jericho was on Dancing with the Stars. Fandango says he clumsy. Then Fandango & Summer Ray do the Fandango dance bit. Then King says the fans it’s time for the fans to decide. Naturally they cheer for Khali & King says that Khali wins. Then Fandango gives Khali a Russian Leg Sweep. Then he gives him a top rope leg drop. Then Fandango says his name. This was stupid. The fans were singing Fandango’s theme & I think his music is catchy and all but this gimmick is lame.

Time for a look back at The Shield lying out Undertaker from Smackdown.

WWE Champion John Cena and WWE Champions Kane & Daniel Bryan vs. The Shield. The Shield wins when Reigns pins Cena. This was a really good match & I was surprised Cena got pinned. Then Ryback comes out & stands on the stage. Ryback stares at Cena as Medics check on Cena’s injured ankle to end the show.

I thought this was a solid show overall. Orton-Cody was great, the 6 man tag was really good & Kofi-Dolph was too. It was nice to see all these matches get a good amount of TV time. Ryder-Swagger was mostly a squash but Ryder got a bit of offense in. Del Rio-Cesaro was solid & I was glad that Cesaro didn’t get squashed. I also liked that Del Rio picked a ladder match for Extreme Rules. That could be good. The bits with Vickie & Brad were alright. Ryback was decent in his backstage bit with those 2 and Kane & Daniel were good in their backstage bit. The Cena-Brad backstage bit was ok. The Kaitlyn-AJ backstage bit was idiotic, the tug of war segment was pointless, Naomi-Brie wasn’t much & the Khali-Fandango bit was stupid. I liked The Shield’s promo & I was ok with 3MB coming out. Kane & Daniel Bryan coming out was ok too & I wasn’t surprised that The Shield retreated and that Kane & Daniel flattened 3MB. Cena on the stage with the Make a Wish kids was really classy! So on the whole I thought this was a solid show.

4-26-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

   Coverage and thoughts on the April 26, 2013 episode of Smackdown  

  The show starts with Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger in a No DQ match. Swagger gets the pin. This was a really good back & forth plunder match.

Layla vs. Aksana. Layla gets the pin. This was ok & Layla pulled out a nice impressive roll up for the pin.

Time for a look at Total Divas. I doubt I’ll be watching this.

Now time for a look back at the finish of the awesome 6 man tag from Monday.

Next we get a Shield promo. Ambrose says that Monday night they stood face to face with the tag champions Kane & Daniel Bryan & The Undertaker. Rollins says that what happened on Monday is what always happens. Justice prevailed & The Shield was victorious. Reigns says they broke the unbreakable. It’s an injustice that Kane & Daniel are still holding the tag titles. Rollins says not for long and then he says that the true injustice is that Taker escaped Raw with his soul still in tact. Ambrose says not for long & they did what they said they were going to do Monday, but it still feels like something is missing. Ambrose doesn’t feel total satisfaction. He thinks it’s because the dead man is still walking & still breathing. Tonight Ambrose faces Taker in singles action & Ambrose has an itch that needs scratching. He is going to do what no one has been able to do in 21 WrestleManias. Tonight he will beat The Undertaker & when he says that you better believe that if it’s the last thing that he does. He is going to beat Taker tonight. Then he says that Justice will be immortal, not Taker. Then Rollins says that at the hands of The Shield Taker will not rest in piece. Then Reigns says that Taker will believe in The Shield. This was the usual good promo from The Shield.   

Justin Gabriel vs. Fandango. Fandango gets the pin. This was a solid match. Then Fandango says his name.

Sheamus vs. Big Show. Big Show gets the pin. Sheamus was on the top rope and then Mark Henry came out & distracted him. Then Big Show KO punched Sheamus off the top rope & got the win. This was a really good match too & I was cool with the finish.  

Wade Barrett comes out and says Regal is about to get sent back to where he came at the hands of the Barrett Barrage. 

William Regal vs. Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett. Barrett gets the pin. This was a really short match.

Time for a look back at the Triple H-Paul Heyman segment from Monday.

Randy Orton vs. Mark Henry. Henry wins by DQ when Sheamus comes in & Brogue Kicks Henry. Afterwards Orton then gives Henry an RKO. The match was good but I wasn’t into both Orton & Sheamus lying out Henry.

Time for a look back at the end of Raw.

Undertaker vs. Dean Ambrose. Taker wins by submission. Afterwards Rollins & Reigns hit the ring & The Shield beats on Taker. They take the fight outside the ring & Taker throws Reigns into the barricade. Then he beats down Rollins & throws him over the barricade into the front row. Then Taker gets a chair & hit Ambrose with it. Then Rollins stands on the barricade and then Taker grabs him by the throat but then Reigns spears him through the barricade. Then Ambrose hits Taker in the back with a chair twice and then The Shield triple power bombs Taker through the announce table. They stand over the fallen Taker to end the show. I liked both the match and the post match beat down. I thought having The Shield lay out Taker was another good step in putting them over.

I thought this was a good show overall. I enjoyed the Del Rio-Swagger match. There was a lot of good back and forth action there. Taker-Ambrose was good too & I also liked The Shield power bombing Taker at the end. Layla-Aksana was ok too & I liked the finish. Justin Gabriel-Fandango was also solid. Regal-Barrett was too short. Sheamus-Big Show was also a good match & I was fine with Mark Henry coming in & causing Sheamus to lose. The Orton-Henry match was also good but I didn’t care for Orton & Sheamus lying out Henry afterwards. I also really liked The Shield promo & thankfully there were no Booker T-Teddy Long or any other backstage segments. This was mostly 1 match after another. So overall I enjoyed this week’s show.

4-25-13 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the April 25, 2013 episode of Impact  

The show starts with Aces & 8s coming into the building but security stops them. Ray tells them to get out of their way or Mr. A—hole will let them have it. Security lets them through. I’m not sure why they had security preventing Aces & 8s from entering the building and then they let them go in.

James Storm comes to the ring. He says last week he fought AJ and AJ brought the fight. AJ is in the crowed & Storm points him out. Storm says AJ’s new submission move hurt and AJ was the better man last week. What Storm didn’t sign up for was the Aces & idiots that jumped him from behind. If they wanted a fight all they had to do was ask. Then he looks at Taz. Storm says that if he calls 1 of them out they’ll all show up. That’s fine with Storm; he will take them all out. Then out come Daniels & Kazarian. Daniels says before Storm challenges anyone, Bad Influence was also a victim of the Aces & 8s. Hulk doesn’t have the answer to the problem, but they do. Aces & 8s have been playing the numbers game and the magic number TNA needs is 4, as in Fortune. Kazarian says AJ’s brooding looking like a Twilight vampire but Kazarian & Daniels forgive AJ for giving them cheap shots. Then Kaz says that AJ needs to get in the ring with his boys to reform Fortune because that’s the right thing to do. Storm says the fans wanna see Kaz & Daniels to shut up. Kaz says the people don’t concern him or Daniels. Then he says that Storm is irrelevant just like the fans. Then Storm goes after them but they get the upper hand. Then out come Aces & 8s. Anderson has Storm set for a power bomb & the rest of the group gets a table in the ring. Then Joseph Park comes out and lays out Wes & Garrett. Then the rest of the clan attacks him too. Then Doc & Knox were going to choke slam Park through the table but Ray tells them to back off. Then Ray & Devon give Park a 3D through the table. This was a good segment. Storm, Daniels & Kazarian were all great on the mic and I liked The former Dudley Boys pulling out the 3D.

Back to the show and Park is getting stretchered out. Ray says Aces & 8s weren’t screwing around. Do we know who they are? They’re the guys responsible for the carnage in TNA and the guys responsible for taking out all the heroes. The fans have no heroes left. No Samoa Joe, no Magnus, no James Storm, no Joseph Park, nobody. Last week Ray called out 1 guy, Hulk Hogan. He tells “Dear old dad” that he has till the end of the show to answer his challenge. When you ride with Aces & 8s you never walk alone. Great promo from Ray.

Time for a video package recapping the Mickie James-Brooke Tessmacher match from last week.

Backstage we see Hulk Hogan. Camera guy mentions that Hulk was there and then left. He asks what happened. Hulk doesn’t say anything. As he’s walking camera guy follows him and keeps bugging him. Hulk tells him to let it go. This was terrible.

Taryn Terrell vs. Tara. Taryn gets the pin. Tara dominated most of the match, showboated and then Taryn got the win with a roll up. This was decent.

Backstage we see Robbie E. He asks Jessie if he will take care of Rob Terry. Robbie says he showed that he is more of a bro that Terry, now Jessie will show that he is a better dude than Terry. Robbie then says that Terry used to say he was afraid of Jessie and that Jessie has bigger arms than Terry. After Jessie beats Terry tonight Jessie will be on the bro level of George Washington Al Bundy & Oprah Winfrey. Then Jessie flexes. This was stupid.

Robbie E comes out and introduces the guy who will beat Rob Terry bro. A real Hollywood super star unlike the people in the crowed. Mr. Pectacular, Jessie Godderz bro.

Rob Terry vs. Jessie Godderz. Rob Terry gets the pin. This was weak. Big Rob power slammed Jessie and covered him but Robbie E pulled the referee’s ankle to stop the count. Then Big Rob went after Robbie. Jessie tried to get Big Rob from behind but he threw Jessie into Robbie. Then Terry hit a spine buster for the pin.

Backstage Daniels & Kazarian come into Roode’s locker room. Kaz & Daniels tell Roode about wanting to reform Fortune, but without James Storm. Daniels knows AJ better than anybody and he says if they stand together there’s no way AJ can say no. They walk out and then we see Aries was watching from another door. This was good.  

They show a video package on Chris Sabin. He will be returning next week. This was well put together and it will be great to finally see Sabin back.

Backstage we see Aries & Roode. Aries mentions that he overheard Kaz & Daniels talking to Roode about reuniting Fortune. If Roode wants to reunite Fortune that’s his business. Aries says he & Roode aren’t best friends. They’re 2 dominant world champions. If Kaz & Daniels are such great wrestlers how come Aries beat him for the world title? Aries says that he is looking to win back the tag titles, but if Roode screws Aries he will also be screwing himself.  

Daniels & Kazarian are at the announce table for the next match & Daniels is on commentary replacing Mike Tenay.

TNA World Tag Team Champions Chavo Guerrero, Jr. & Hernandez vs. Austin Aries & Bobby Roode for the Titles. Chavo & Hernandez win when Chavo pins Roode. This was a solid match. Kazarian got up on the apron & distracted the referee and then Daniels came in & went after Hernandez. Then Daniels went to clothesline Hernandez but he got out of the way & Daniels hit Roode. Then Hernandez chucked Daniels out of the ring and then Chavo hit the frog splash on Bobby for the pin.

Backstage Matt Morgan says hiding from camera guy doesn’t work. Then he says that if Hulk calls out Ray this will be the biggest mistake Hulk’s made. Morgan is headed to the ring right now because he has a solution. This was a good promo.

Time for a look back at Bully Ray turning heel and Hulk blaming it on Sting. They also show Matt Morgan telling Hulk that his mistakes will come crashing down on him.

Matt Morgan comes to the ring. He says over the last year his issues with Impact have centered around mistakes made by Hulk. It all started when Hulk took Sting’s advice and made Ray the number 1 contender for the world title. We all know how that turned out. Ray became champion and Aces & 8s have been dominating. Since then Impact has been imploding around Hulk. Then he says no one has heard from Sting since Hulk kicked him out. Then he mentions that Jeff Hardy got stretchered out by Aces & 8s when he tried to regain the title. Before Hulk comes out & goes face to face with Ray, Morgan wants to present Hulk a solution. He tells Hulk to come on out. Cue Hulk’s music & out he comes. The fans chant Hogan. Morgan says he called out Hulk because Hulk has no more back up. If he goes face to face with Ray he will inevitably be taken out by Aces & 8s. Morgan offers his services as the solution. No one on this roster has been begging & waiting for this chance more than Matt Morgan. He is the 7 foot knight in shining armor and if given the chance he will carbon foot print Ray’s head into the fifth row…for a small price. Morgan says he’s all Hulk’s got. Morgan will handle Hulk’s problem with Ray if Hulk gives Morgan a world title match at Slammivesary. Hulk says Morgan brought him right up to the edge and Morgan has the good to get the job done. Morgan probably could get the job done but Hulk was hoping Morgan would do the right thing. Hulk mention Morgan taking his old cape. Hulk was hoping Morgan would be the second coming of the “Mania”. Hulk says if he handed this to Morgan it would be a bigger mistake than Ray. Hulk says he will step in the ring with Ray even if he isn’t capable, and take what needs to be taken even if it has to do it by himself. Then he says that he never heard Andre the Giant come out & whine like a little b***ch. Than Hulk walks out. This was a typical Hogan bit. Morgan was ok here but Hulk was his usual hokey self & I didn’t go for him mentioning Andre. However, I liked that he finally remembered that Morgan took his old cape.

We see Aces & 8s in the clubhouse. Ray says he almost felt bad for Joseph Park and that it had been 2 years since they gave someone a 3D through a table. Then Ray says Hulk’s all stitched & glued from all the knee surgeries he’s had. He tells Aces & 8s not to come to the ring because he wants to handle this situation with “dad” by himself.

Knockouts Champion Velvet Sky vs. Mickie James for the Title. Velvet gets the pin with a small package. This was solid too. Velvet sold the knee injury throughout the match and I thought they did a good job here.

Backstage we see Ray & Devon. Ray says that Devon can have Brooke. They were the most successful team that ever existed. Devon’s the TV Champion & Ray’s the World Champion. They lead a pack of wolves that no one can stop & in a bit he will go out to that ring and be the guy that puts the final nail in the coffin of Hulkamania.

Cut to Hulk & Brooke. Brooke says she messed up, but Hulk says Ray screwed over their family & the business and it’s up to Hulk to fix it. Brooke says Hulk just had knee replacement. Hulk is going to prove that he is a good man & Brooke can’t stop him. Brooke tells him to be careful. Then Brooke walks out & Hulk asks himself what he’s doing. This was a typical Hogan backstage bit. The acting from Brooke was the usual crap we get from her.       

Bully Ray comes to the ring. He has a list with the names of Sting, Magnus, Jeff Hardy, Joseph Park, James Storm, Eric Young, Kurt Angle & The Pope. He says those names are all victims of Aces & 8s. There’s only 1 victim left & he tells Hulk to come out right now. Out comes Hulk. Ray screams for Hulk’s music to be shut off. Then he asks “dad” how his knee is. Ray says Hulk is raring to go. Hulk probably can’t wait to hit Ray with the big boot and drop the big Hulk Hogan leg. That won’t happen. Hulk can get in the ring & try to fool the fans but he will never fool Ray. As he looks into Hulk’s eyes he sees fear. Hulk fears Ray. He fears Ray because Ray reminds Hulk of himself. Ray is the last of dying breed, Hulk’s breed. Did Hulk ever think Ray would be standing here? He’s the president of Aces & 8s, the world champion, Hulk’s “son in law” & the guy who will put an end to Hulkamania. Hulk says Ray can’t put an end to Hulkamania because it will never die brother. Ray spits in Hulk’s face. Then Hulk tears his shirt and does the old finger point. Then Ray points to him and then Hulk punches Ray & then send him off the ropes for the big boot but Ray bails. Then the rest of the Aces & 8s guys come out & Ray tells them to surround him. Then the lights go out & when they come back on Sting is in the ring & points his bat to Hulk’s chest. Then Sting turns to Ray & then Sting & Hulk take out Aces & 8s. Then Sting points the bat to Hulk again but then retracts it. Sting goes to the back as Hulk stands in the ring looking puzzled to end the show. This was stupid I thought! Sting being in the ring when the lights came back on was predictable & so was him cornering Hulk only for him & Hulk to take out Aces & 8s. They had Sting & Hulk; the older guys take out this group of guys. They also completely forgot about AJ Styles making his decision. He wasn’t even mentioned!

I thought this week’s show was decent overall but I really wish that they would quit starting & ending the shows with these in ring talking segments (The same goes for WWE). This has just gotten way too predicable! The opening segment with the former Fortune guys at the start was solid & I thought Storm, Daniels & Kazarian were all great on the mic. I also like seeing Ray & Devon pull out the 3D. The end was a mixed bag. Ray was great with his promo like usual but I thought having Sting & Hulk clean house on Aces & 8s was kind of lame. Rob Terry-Jessie wasn’t much. The tag title match was solid and I was fine with the finish. I liked that they had the tension with Aries & Roode too. The Taryn-Tara was solid too and I thought the Knockouts Title match was decent. The bit with Aces & 8s in the clubhouse was ok and I liked the backstage bit with Ray & Devon. The Hulk & Brooke bit that followed that however, I wasn’t a fan of. The Hulk-Morgan segment was a mixed bag. I thought Morgan was decent on the mic here but Hulk was his usual hokey self. I liked the Chris Sabin video package & I’m looking forward to his return next week. So overall I thought this was a decent show.

4-22-13 Raw results and thoughts

 Coverage and thoughts on the April 22, 2013 episode of Raw  

The show starts with Paul Heyman in the ring. He says who he is and the fans boo. He’s here as the advocate for Brock Lesnar. He’s sure it’s been the global community buzz about when Brock went extreme on 3MB. Then he says that it’s also been the global community buzz when they challenged HHH. To refresh the fans’ memories we take a look back at this segment from last week. Heyman says here is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. We will hear Triple H’s answer, except Triple H isn’t there. Like the fans Heyman has been let down by HHH. Heyman knows he has a reputation as a liar, but he got an e-mail from HHH that he wants to read. It says that Triple H will give his answer next week.  Heyman offered to stand in this ring, look HHH in the eye, shake his hand and tell him that he respects and admires him, but HHH didn’t have the manhood to show up. Cue time to play the game and out comes HHH. Heyman applauds HHH for getting the better of him. HHH says that in the e-mail he lied. HHH wants Heyman to tell Brock he accepts. Then he gives Heyman a pedigree. This was a solid way to start the show. Heyman was great on the mic as usual & HHH was good here too.

R-Truth comes to the ring and does his bit. Then out comes Cesaro and he tells Truth how it’s done. Then he yodels. What is with this stupid yodeling bit?

R-Truth vs. Antonio Cesaro. Truth gets the pin. This was a short match. I have no idea why they’re burying Cesaro.

They show a helicopter landing and out come The Shield. They get into a jeep and are on their way to the arena. I liked this.

Brodus Clay vs. Damien Sandow. Sandow gets the pin. This was a decent match.

Backstage we see Dolph Ziggler staring at his title saying how beautiful it is. AJ comes in and asks if he’s trying to make her jealous. He says the world title would hot around AJ’s waist & says that she should be a champion. Then they kiss. Then the camera pans to Big E. Dolph tells him this is Ziggy-AJ time. Big E walks off and Dolph & AJ kiss some more. Then Vickie & Brad come by and Vickie tells Dolph that if he loses to Jericho tonight then Jericho will be added to the Extreme Rules title match. This was kinda lame.

Time for a look back at CM Punk’s promo from last week followed by him walking out.

Backstage we see The Shield. Rollins says they went to great lengths to be there. Ambrose says for 20 years Taker would decide who is guilty and send his victims to rest in piece. He doesn’t know who gave him that right. Rollins says that no one has managed to stop Taker. Then Reigns says till now. Ambrose says these days The Shield is the law. Rollins says The Shield owns this night. Ambrose says for the first time in his life Taker will know what justice tastes like. Reigns says believe in the shield. This was a good Shield promo.

Chris Jericho vs. World Champion Dolph Ziggler. Dolph gets the pin. Jericho had Dolph locked in the walls and then Fandango’s music played. That distracted Jericho for some reason and then Dolph gave Jericho the Zig Zag for the pin. This was a great back and forth match but the finish was a bit weak.

Time for a look back at the Cena-Ryback face off followed by The Shield beat down on Cena.

Josh Mathews is with Mick Foley. Josh congratulates Mick on his new DVD. Mick is thankful for all the feedback he’s getting. Josh asks him how today’s WWE is different from the attitude Era. Foley says it’s not in man’s nature to blame himself for his own short comings. Ryback has the potential to become WWE Champion and he’s looking forward to seeing that match at his favorite PPV Extreme Rules. Have a nice day. This was decent.

Tensai vs. Cody Rhodes. Tensai gets the pin. This match was all Tensai. Cody took a pounding here.

Backstage we see Kane & Daniel Bryan. Daniel asks where Taker is. Kane says they will know when Taker is there. Daniel says that they have to go over strategy. Kane says Daniel doesn’t have to worry about the brothers of destruction. Daniel says he is worried and they need to be on the same page. Then he tells Kane to call Taker. Kane says Taker doesn’t have a cell phone. Daniel says he will start the match. Kane says Taker doesn’t take orders. Daniel has some diagrams and Kane tells Daniel when Taker gets there not to show him the diagrams or try to hug him. Then The Shield comes in & they lay out Kane & Daniel. This was a good backstage bit. Kane & Daniel were good here like usual & The Shield lying them out solid too.

Time for a look back at the Orton & Sheamus vs. Big Show & Henry match from Smackdown. This is the first Smackdown rebound in years.

Josh Mathews says at Extreme Rules Cena will defend the title against his guest Ryback. Josh ask Ryback to explain his actions. Ryback says he’s been attacked by The Shield many times and Cena was never there, but he was always there for Cena every time The Shield attacked him. He wanted Cena to know what it was like to be on his own. Ryback enjoyed seeing The Shield beat down Cena. Then he says that he looks at himself and sees the next WWE Champion. He tells Mick Foley to face him in the ring tonight (Not for a match). When they do Foley won’t be looking in a mirror, he will be looking at Ryback. Ryback rules. This was a decent promo.

Zack Ryder vs. Big E Langston. Langston gets the pin. Ryder got a bit of offense in but this was mostly a squash.

The Undertaker comes to the ring. Then The Shield. They surround Taker and then get in the ring and beat him down for a bit but then Kane & Daniel come out and we get a pre match brawl.

Undertaker and WWE Tag Team Champions Kane & Daniel Bryan vs. The Shield. The Shield win when Ambrose pins Daniel. Daniel went for a top rope head butt, but missed & Ambrose rolled him up for the pin. This was a great match.

Backstage Mick Foley tells Cena he knows what he’s doing. Cena says no one will question Foley’s toughness but there’s a difference between being smart and being brave. Cena will face Ryback at Extreme Rules. He says that Mick going out there to face Ryback is a mistake. Foley says it’s his mistake to make and asks Cena to respect his decision. Cena gives Foley a chair and tells him to bring that to the ring with him.

Fandango comes out and the fans start the Fandango sing along. Then out comes William Regal to a hometown pop.

William Regal vs. Fandango. Fandango gets the pin. This was a decent match. Afterwards Fandango says his name. Then as Fandango & his chick back up the stage Jericho comes out and throws Fandango off the stage. Then Jericho looks over at Fandango’s chick and he dances with her as Fandango’s music plays. This was kinda funny.

Kaitlyn is on commentary for the next match

AJ, Aksana, Naomi, Tamina & Layla in a Divas Battle Royal to see who will challenge for the Divas Title. AJ Wins. * Layla eliminates Aksana * Tamina eliminates Naomi * Layla eliminates Tamina * AJ eliminates Layla. This wasn’t much. AJ faked being out cold after being kicked by Tamina. Then Layla was dragged AJ to the ropes and then AJ “came to” and eliminated Layla. Afterwards Kaitlyn & AJ have a quick stare down.

Mick Foley comes to the ring. He says that he did not come out with the intent of having a confrontation yet here he is in London, England about to enter 1. Ryback said if Foley had something should say then he should say it face to face. He’s standing in the ring and the only thing missing from this equation is Ryback. Ryback comes out. Ryback asks how does Cena giving Foley a chair help Foley out. Foley says when Cena gave him the chair he felt offended. He’s the hardcore legend and a Hall of Famer. In his day he took on the toughest this business had to give. He didn’t always win but he found a way to get back up. If Ryback decides to unleash his best on Foley he will go down and probably won’t get up. Foley has something to say to Ryback but first he wants him to take a look at the end of last week’s Raw. Ryback knows what he did and he loved it. Mick asks what happened to the guy who entered WWE last year and took it by storm with 3 simple words? The guy who stacked the world on his shoulders and said feed me more. Ryback tells Foley to be careful what he wishes for because he just might get it. Foley asks if Ryback has any idea how often he was beat down. Foley says he doesn’t remember because it doesn’t matter. We haven’t seen the best Ryback has to offer. Ryback will be WWE Champion some day. He has all the physical tools to dominate, but does he want to become champion by watching Cena get destroyed by The Shield. Extreme Rules is coming and Ryback needs to wake up. Ryback says that Foley comes out and talks about his glory days, but for what? To sell more DVDs? Ryback knows what he is doing. He gets what he wants. He wanted to send a message to Super Cena and he sent it. He wanted a WWE Title match and he got that. He wants to be WWE Champion and at Extreme Rules he will be. If the fans have a problem with that he doesn’t care. Ryback asks Foley again how does Cena giving Foley a chair help him standing in the ring with Ryback? Foley says you tell me. Ryback says to look into his eyes and then he throws the chair out of the ring. Then out comes Cena. Foley leaves the ring. Then Cena & Ryback go face to face but then The Shield’s music hits and they come back out. Cena gets on the ring apron and then walks out. Ryback is in the ring & The Shield stalk him as Cena watches. The Shield gets in the ring and they go after Ryback. Then Cena comes in and hits The Shield guys with the chair and runs them off. Then Cena gets back in the ring and drops the chair. Then he gives Ryback the AA. Cena stands on the stage and does the you can’t see me gesture to Ryback to end the show. I wasn’t a fan of this closing segment. Foley’s promo was good but Cena running off The Shield made The Shield look a bit weak. I also detested that they had Cena give Ryback an AA right in the center of the ring! This is why a lot of fan dislike Cena, because he gets over on everybody all the time!! He laid out the guy that he will face at Extreme Rules so why should we want to see this match on PPV?     

I thought this was a solid show overall. The Triple H-Paul Heyman segment at the start was good. I wasn’t a fan of the closing segment though. Having Cena run off The Shield and then give Ryback an AA was idiotic. Jericho-Ziggler was great but I thought the finish was kinda weak. I enjoyed the 6 man tag. That was the highlight of this week’s Raw. The Divas Battle Royal wasn’t much. It was a typical Divas match. Regal-Fandango was decent too. I liked Jericho throwing Fandango off the stage and I thought that Jericho dancing with Fandango’s chick while Fandango’s music played was comical. Ryder-Big E was mostly a squash, Truth-Cesaro was kind of short and I have no idea why Cesaro is getting de pushed. Brodus-Sandow was decent & Tensai-Cody was mostly Tensai pounding the crap out of Cody. I liked The Shield showing up in a helicopter & I thought their promo was good also. The Kane-Daniel Bryan backstage segment was decent too. They were both funny here and I was ok with The Shield attacking them. The Foley-Cena backstage segment was ok but nothing great, but overall I thought this was a solid show.  

4-19-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the April 19, 2013 episode of Smackdown  

The show starts with Fandango coming to the ring. He flirts with Lillian and tells that she is looking excellent tonight. Then he asks if Lillian has ever been “dipped” before. Has she ever made moves on anyone before? Then he asks if she has ever Faandanngoed before. He says it feels real good. She goes to leave the ring but he holds onto her hand and “Fandangos” her into his arms. Then he dances with Lillian and hits on her. Then he tells Lillian that was absolutely terrible and then drops her to the mat. He then tells Lillian that she is a beautiful woman but there is nothing beautiful with the way she dances. Then Lillian leaves the ring. Then Fandango says that Lillian is just like these people who butcher his name & mock his dance. Then he asks Lillian if she can at least say his name right. Then he starts to say his name but then Santino Marella’s music hits & he comes out. He says that “Fandingel” has a very insulting way about him. Fandango’s a very rude person. The way he talks to the fans & what he just did to Lillian, then he says hello to Lillian. Then he says Fandango that he’s a real son of a gun. Then Santino says that it pains him to admit it but Fandango has good moves. Then Santino gets in the ring and says that dance looks like so much fun and he was into the way the cheerleaders did it on youtube. Santino hopes the fans don’t if he does his rendition of the “Fandingel.” First Santino wants to introduce his dance partner. He’s mean and green and he loves to bite. He wants to “Fandingel” all through the night. Then he gets his sock cobra. Santino & the cobra are gonna do a 2 step all over Fandango’s face. Then they play Fandango’s music & Santino dances. Lillian finds this comical (I sure don’t). Then Fandango charges at Santino but Santino yanks down the tope rope & Fandango falls out of the ring (Man this is stupid). This was idiotic! The Fandango character is awful & having Santino come out and be the not funny man made this even more idiotic!

Santino Marella vs. Fandango. Fandango gets the pin. This was a really short match. Then he gets the mic and his chick comes in & split legs over Santino and Fandango says his name. This was lame.

Backstage we see Booker T & Teddy Long in the GM office. Booker tells Long that things are different in his administration. Long never consulted with Booker when he made the match Dolph-Swagger match for Raw. Long was just trying to help Booker out. Booker then says that Long needs to…Then in comes Big Show. Booker asks Big Show if he can help him. Big Show actually wants to thank Teddy Long for actually giving him a tag team partner for his match with Orton & Sheamus. Unlike some people (Booker T) that put him in a handicapped match where he could be injured Long had the foresight to actually protect 1 of his top super stars & he wants to say thank you to Long. They fist pump each other and Long says you’re welcome. Then Big Show walks out. Long has a grin on his face while Booker has a scowl on his. Booker takes his glasses off and glares at Long and then Long tells Big Show to hold up & Long walks out. Booker looks like he’s gonna blow a gasket. This was a short segment & better than the usual segments we get with Booker & Long. 

U.S. Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett in a champion vs. champion non title match. Kofi gets the pin. This was a good match but having the 2 champions be in a non title match is stupid. They really should unify these 2 titles.

Time for a look back at Mark Henry flattening Sheamus from last week on Smackdown & Monday on Raw.

Mark Henry is walking backstage and then Renee Young comes by. She says that recently on 2 separate occasions Henry’s attacked Sheamus. She asks him why. Henry says because he can & that’s just what he does. Then Sheamus storms in & spears Henry to the floor. Then he tells Henry that’s what he does Fella. This was a good backstage bit. It looks like they’re gonna have these 2 face each other at Extreme Rules. I’m hoping that’s what they do anyway.

Time for a look back at the Del Rio-Swagger-Dolph bit from Raw that was followed by Swagger pinning Dolph in a non title match. 

Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger. Del Rio gets the pin. This was a good back and forth match.

Time for a look back at Cena-Ryback bit from Monday.

Time for a promo from The Shield. Ambrose snaps his fingers and says attention. He says that on Monday night they made a Raw moment that no one will forget anytime soon, especially Cena. Then Rollins says you can’t see me and does the hand gesture. Reigns doesn’t think that works anymore because they see him just fine on his back & under their boots. Then Rollins says that Ryback also saw Cena flat on his back. Ryback watches as they dropped Cena from the sky. A lot of people are probably wondering why Ryback didn’t do anything. Ryback figured it out & knows how justice feels. Ambrose says that it self preservation. Ryback doesn’t want anymore trouble from The Shield. He doesn’t wanna feel their justice anymore. Then Ambrose says that the look on Ryback’s face on Monday was the same look that they saw on The Undertaker’s face. Ambrose says no one can fool them. 2 weeks ago when Taker was surrounded by The Shield Ambrose was standing 3 feet from Taker & he looked right into his eyes & he knows what he saw. They all saw the look of fear on Taker’s face. Taker was afraid. He was terrified. Taker was surrounded by The Shield & was scared to death. Taker was never so relieved & happy to see Kane and his little buddy. Taker might be a legend to some. He might be undefeated at WrestleMania but The Shield is undefeated period. Taker’s not immortal & this Monday on Raw they prove that. Then Rollins says that for 20 years Taker has run this place but there comes a time for even legends to be pushed aside. Taker’s time is up. Then Reigns says that the hounds of justice run this yard now. Believe in The Shield. Then Ambrose says believe that dead man. This was the usual good promo we get from The Shield.

They show a clip from earlier in the day. Hornswoggle, Khali & Natalya were in the parking garage and then Primo, Epico & Rosa took their spot. Then Natalya tells Rosa they stole their spot. Rosa doesn’t think so “Chica” There’s no sign there that says “Freaks Only.” Then Natalya says that she would rather be called a freak and a winner than a loser and whatever they call themselves. Then Khali does loser symbol. This was stupid.

Great Khali, Hornswoggle & Natalya vs. Primo, Epico & Rosa Mendes. Khali, Hornswoggle & Natalya win when Khali pins Epico. This was a meaningless comedy match.

Time for a look back at the CM Punk promo from Monday.

Then they reshow Brock Lesnar laying out 3MB and him Paul Heyman challenging Triple to face Brock in a steel cage at Extreme Rules.

Randy Orton & Sheamus vs. Big Show & Mark Henry. Big Show & Mark Henry win when Big Show pins Orton. This was a good match. Then Mark Henry & Big Show celebrate on the stage to end the show.

I thought this was a solid show on the whole. I wasn’t a fan of the Fandango bit with Lillian at the start and the Santino-Fandango match was weak but I liked most of this episode. Kofi-Barrett, Del Rio-Swagger & the main event tag were all good matches. I was even ok with the Booker T-Teddy Long-Big Show segment. Sheamus spearing Mark Henry was good too. The 6 person tag was a meaningless comedy match, but overall I thought this was a decent show.

4-18-13 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the April 18, 2013 episode of Impact  

    

Before the show begins they have a graphic on the screen sending their thoughts to everyone in Boston. That was very classy.

The show starts with a video of Jeff Hardy being stretchered out from last week after Impact went off the air. Hulk is so sorry.

Backstage we see Aces & 8s. Devon asks Wes & Garrett if they’re ready for Kurt Angle. They say they can handle it. Devon tells them to take care of business the way Aces & 8s would do it. He tells them to make sure it gets done. Not a bad segment but why start the show with this?

Time for a look at the Kurt Angle vs. Wes Briscoe & Garrett Bischoff storyline before the handicapped match.

Kurt Angle vs. Wes Briscoe & Garrett Bischoff. Wes & Garrett win after Aces & 8s come in. Angle had Wes in the ankle lock but Aces & 8s came out & distracted the referee. Then Garrett hit Angle in the back of the head with a chain and got the pin. This was a solid match. Afterward Wes & Garrett double power bomb Angle. Then Mr. Anderson says this is how things will go down from now on. Sting left Hogan’s side and hasn’t been seen since, Jeff Hardy was decimated and the Olympic gold medalist lies in the ring in a shambles. Then he says they’re rooting for AJ Styles.

We hear from Petey Williams talking about the 3 way X Division title match for tonight. He hopes to pull out the Canadian Destroyer. Then Zima Ion mentions that he wants the X Division Title back.

Petey Williams vs. Zima Ion vs. X Division Champion Kenny King for the Title. Kenny wins when he pins Ion. This was a good match. So now Ion is out of the X Division Title hunt.

Backstage camera guy mentions that Magnus has a match with Devon for the TV Title. Magnus says Aces & 8s say they’ll take everyone one out & cause chaos but Magnus will be doing the taking when he takes the TV Title. Thankfully this was short & I thought Magnus was good here.

They show an earlier in the day bit with Christie Hemme & Brooke Hogan. The new TNA Knockouts website will be up on April 25. Then Brooke has Tessmacher & Mickie come in. She says they’ve been showing some great heart and she wishes them luck. Mickie leaves and then Tessmacher says that she and all the knockouts are there for Brooke. Then they hug. This was idiotic.

Up next was going to be Magnus vs. Devon for the TV Title but when Magnus came out on the stage the other Doc & Knox come out & beat him down. Devon hits him with a chain. Then Doc & Knox double choke slam Magnus on the ramp. Then out comes Samoa Joe. He & referees check on Magnus as Devon, Doc & Knox pose. This was decent but how come Samoa Joe came out after Magnus got double choke slammed?

Backstage Samoa Joe says Aces & 8s are cowards & Punks. They say they’re the best but they pull what they just pulled with Magnus. Joe says the powers granted Joe what he wants. Tonight Joe comes to collect. So Joe will challenge Devon for the TV Title later.

Time to once again have another at the AJ Styles video package.

They show Gail Kim power bombing Velvet from 2 weeks ago where Velvet hurt her ankle. Then they show her with a trainer. She says that she clutched at her ankle when Gail power bombed her & she mentions that her leg feels numb.  

Mickie James vs. Brooke Tessmacher. Mickie gets the pin for a Knockouts title match. This was a solid match too. ODB was the referee again. So she apparently is the new referee for the Knockouts matches.    

Backstage we AJ Styles. Daniels & Kazarian are also there. AJ walks off. Then Daniels says the band is back together. Kazarian says they’re the 3 best friends.

We see Joseph Park in the bathroom on his phone. Devon comes in and tells him to stay out of family business. Then Ray comes in & knocks Park down. He says he’s Brooke’s husband and he knows what’s best for Brooke. Then Devon chokes Park with a chain & Ray tells him to stay out of family business. Then they throw Park under the shower & the water comes down on him. This was ok for what it was.

Mickie James says it feels good to be number 1 contender. She’s glad to be back. Tonight is just the start. She wants the belt. She feels bad for Velvet but you have fight through injuries. Mickie is tired of being over looked. It’s Mickie’s time to shine. This was decent.

Backstage camera guy asks James Storm about AJ. Storm says he’s tried talking to AJ but now it’s time to this the cowboy way. By kicking the crap out of him. This was good & short.

Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian come to the ring. Daniels says they year of bad influence continues. It is great to be them. The fans love them (And of course the fans boo), they got these new shirts and the Bad Influence movie is in production. Morgan Freeman will be playing Dixie Carter. Then he says they’re this close to getting AJ to be back with the band. Then Kaz says they got AJ a Rocky like t-shirt. Then Kazarian mentions Chavo & Hernandez. If the champs have the “huevos” to give them a title match they will be tag team champions of the world again. Then out come Bobby Roode & Austin Aries. Roode tells Daniels & Kazarian they’re not the number 1 contenders for the tag titles. Last week Chavo & Hernandez beat A Double and the It Factor in a fluke. Daniels says Roode’s opinion would have more behind it if he wasn’t Canadian. Aries says Daniels & Kaz have had a more successful tag team career. If he & Bobby spent some time together maybe they’d be a well oiled machine. Then they bicker and go back and forth on the mic. As they argue Hernandez & Chavo come in. Daniels & Kazarian retreat.  Then Chavo & Hernandez make quick work of Aries & Roode. Then Chavo says the tag titles are why he & Hernandez are better. This was decent segment. Daniels & Kazarian were their usual comical selves. Daniels saying that Morgan Freeman will play Dixie Carter in the Bad Influence “movie” was a funny line. I thought Aries & Roode were good here too. The 4 of them bickering was kinda funny too. Then Chavo & Hernandez showed up and they thankfully didn’t do much. 

Kenny King says Aces & 8s are taking everyone out and they have no respect for anyone. Gail Kim says what Aces & 8s are doing is disappointing. Roode says Aces & 8s might have full control right now. They showed Jeff Hardy being placed in the ambulance as the 3 gave their comments. This was ok.

Backstage we see Matt Morgan. He says Hulk’s first mistake was not having him be the number 1 contender at Lockdown. Mistake 2, he picked Bully Ray and then Ray wound up marrying Brooke and that screwed up everything. Mistake 3 Hulk turned his back on Sting & Sting hasn’t been around. Mistake 4 Jeff Hardy got taken out by Aces & 8s. Morgan says this would have been a lot easier if Hulk had done the right thing. This was a good promo.

Samoa Joe vs. TV Champion Devon for the Title. Devon gets the pin when Ken Anderson comes in. Wes & Garrett came out & distracted the referee. Joe had Devon up for the muscle buster and then Anderson came in & hit Joe with brass knuckles. Then Devon got the pin. Then Devon holds Joe & Anderson punches him in the nose with the brass knuckles. This was a decent match.

James Storm vs. AJ Styles. AJ wins by submission. Before the match AJ tried to walk out but Storm went after him and they fought on the ramp for a bit. Then Daniels & Kazarian came out to watch & cheered on AJ. The finish came when Storm went for the super kick but AJ turned it into a leg lock & Storm tapped out. Afterwards Daniels & Kazarian come in the ring & try to celebrate with AJ. They raise his arms and then he lays them out. Then Aces & 8s come out and they beat down Storm, Daniels & Kazarian. AJ walks out. The beat down continues and then Ray gets the mic. He asks if we know who he is and if we know who they are. They’re Aces & 8s. The men responsible for destroying all of the heroes. Ray’s the guy responsible for beating & taking out Jeff Hardy. His brothers are the guys responsible for taking out these 3 pieces of trash. There’re no more heroes left. All of the heroes are now just victims and there’s 1 man you can blame this on. Hulk Hogan. Hulk is the reason why all the heroes are just another victim. “Right Taz?” Ray says that next week he is calling Hulk out. He wants to look him in the eye and stare deep into his soul. He wants to tell Hulk to his face that he is the reason why all the heroes are nothing but victims of Aces & 8s. When you ride with Aces & 8s you never walk alone. Aces & 8s pose in the ring to end the show. The match was good and I liked the post match stuff too. AJ taking out Daniels & Kazarian and then walking out as Aces & 8s beat down the 3 guys was a good touch too. I also popped for Ray saying Taz’s old line. Ray of course was great on the mic on the mic as usual.

I thought this was a solid show overall. The handicap match and the 3 way X Division Title match were both solid and I thought the Storm-AJ match was good. I also liked the closing of the show. Ray was great with his promo as usual. Mickie-Tessmacher was solid also. There might’ve been a few botched spots but I thought they worked hard. I think they should’ve has Tessmacher win though. Joe-Devon was a decent match too. I wasn’t a fan of the “Earlier in the day” Knockouts segment with Brooke Hogan & Christie and then Brooke, Mickie & Tessmacher. Ray & Devon beating on Joseph Park on the bathroom was ok for what it was. The Daniels & Kazarian – Aries & Roode segment was also solid. All 4 guys were good here. Chavo & Hernandez coming out of course made sense since the other 4 guys were bickering over which team is next in line for t a tag title match. Matt Morgan cut a good promo backstage too. I was ok with Aces & 8s attacking Magnus and then having Joe come out, but Joe should’ve come out before Magnus got double choke slammed. The Joe-Devon match was decent too & I was ok with the post match Aces & 8s attack. I was also ok with Kenny, Gail & Roode commenting on Aces & 8s taking everyone out as they showed Jeff Hardy being placed in the ambulance. Overall I thought this week’s show was a solid one.    

4-15-13 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the April 15, 2013 episode of Raw  

The show starts with Randy Orton coming to the ring for a handicapped match. He will once again be teaming with Sheamus and they will face Big Show again. We just had this match on Smackdown! Why have it again tonight? I like that they’re starting Raw off with a match but why a rematch from 3 nights ago?

Randy Orton & Sheamus vs. Big Show. Orton & Sheamus win when Orton pins Show. This was a decent match. Show had Orton by the throat and then Sheamus came in & gave Show a Brogue Kick. Then Orton gave Show an RKO & got the pin.

Josh Mathews is with 3MB. Slater says they’re going to call out The Shield right now. This was mercifully short.

3MB are in the ring. Slater says last week on Smackdown the greatest rock band in WWE history was gonna make an example out of HHH but that cover band The Shield had to come out and try to steel their spot light. Jinder says they’re the only 3 man band. Drew suggest The Shield comes out and give them a hand written apology right now. Cue Brock Lesnar’s music and out comes the beast. Brock throws Slater over the top rope. Drew & Jinder go after him but they too get flattened. Brock gives Drew an F5. Then he clotheslines Slater outside the ring. Then he gives Slater an F5 on the barricade. Then he picks Slater up and gives him a second F5 on the barricade. Then Paul Heyman comes out and tries to get Brock to back off. The fans chant one more time but Heyman talks him out of it. Then Brock & Heyman get in the ring. Then Heyman says that he told us last week Brock is ready for a fight and the fight that he wants is against HHH. On Sunday HHH did something no other man in WWE history or on the face of the planet could do. Triple H knocked out Brock. Heyman says that makes HHH a fighter and a warrior worthy of admiration. If HHH were here tonight Heyman would look him in the eye, shake his hand and say that he respects him for what he did at WrestleMania. Heyman knows the fans feel the same way that he does but Brock doesn’t. So now there’s a problem. Triple H’s win only evens up the score because they’re now 1-1. There can only be one alpha male in WWE. How do they solve this problem? Heyman says it’s time to get barbaric. Time for a match where a career can end in a nano second. It’s time to get uncensored, ruthless & raw. It is time to get Extreme. Heyman then says that HHH vs. Brock Lesnar in a steel cage match for Extreme Rules. Since he knows HHH will be down with that they have 2 words for him. Challenge issued. This was good. I liked that they had Lesnar lay out 3MB to continue getting him over as a beast and Heyman’s promo was awesome as usual.

Before the next match Antonio Cesaro comes out and yodels. What is with this?

Kofi Kingston vs. U.S. Champion Antonio Cesaro for the Title. Kofi gets the pin to win the title. This was a really good back and forth match.

Afterwards Josh Mathews gets in the ring & congratulates Kofi. Then he asks him what he has to say. Kofi says he just brought the U.S. Title back home.

Time for a look back at Dolph Ziggler cashing in money in the bank and beating Del Rio for the World Title. 

Dolph Ziggler, Big E Langston & AJ Lee come to the ring. Dolph says last week he successfully cashed in MITB and became the new world champion. It was the single greatest moment in Raw history and it was all because of him. How can he top himself? There has never been a world champion as charismatic or athletic as he is. He is just too good. Some of the might boo but he doesn’t care. He says showing off is what you do when you’re better than everyone and he backs it up every single night. When you’re as good as he is perks come with the job, fans want an autograph and this. Then he kisses AJ. Dolph says no one will take the title off him. Then out come Del Rio & Ricardo. Del Rio says last week he congratulated Dolph and told Dolph when the time was right he would invoke his rematch clause and that’s what he’s doing. Del Rio wants his rematch right now. Dolph blows it off and talks a bit and then out comes Vickie Guerrero. She says hurt or not Del Rio wants a rematch and he gets one. And it starts right now. Before that can happen out come Jack Swagger & Zeb Coulter. Zeb wants to get something straight. There wouldn’t be an MITB cash in and Dolph wouldn’t be champion if it weren’t for Swagger. Dolph doesn’t deserve to be champion and Del Rio doesn’t deserve another shot. Then Swagger gets in the ring. Del Rio pounds on Swagger for a bit & clotheslines him out of the ring. Then Del Rio stares down Big E. Then Swagger rams Del Rio’s leg into the turnbuckle and then gives him the ankle lock outside the ring. This was a solid segment. I thought Dolph cut a decent promo and I liked Del Rio coming out and wanting his title rematch. Jack & Zeb however, I’m tired of. Will they have Dolph face both Del Rio & Swagger at Extreme Rules?

Backstage we see Del Rio’s leg being checked out by a medic.

They announce that Kane, Daniel Bryan & Undertaker will face The Shield next week.

WWE Tag Team Champions Kane & Daniel Bryan vs. The Primetime Players. Kane & Daniel win when Daniel pins Darren. This was a decent match but how often are they going to have Kane & Daniel Bryan face & beat these 2?

Backstage we see Ryback. He says April 7, 2013 WrestleMania was the greatest night of Cena’s career and the worst night of his. Cena beat Rock and won the WWE Title. Cena was on top while Ryback was on the bottom. There’s Only 1 place for them to go. Ryback up, Cena down. There must so many questions going through Cena’s head. Like why? After everything Ryback’s been through to find himself after Mania staring at the bottom of the ladder wasn’t gonna happen. Cena reached out to him when he came to WWE. Ryback remembers Cena giving him his own title shot. Cena made him feel like he belonged but a friendship with Cena is nothing but being in Cena’s shadow. If your Superman say hello to kryptonite. How often did Cena leave Ryback to fend for himself? Where was Cena when he was so close to the WWE Title that he can taste it? Ryback was attacked by The Shield 6 times but where was Cena? The 3 times Cena was attacked Ryback was there every time. Ryback says Cena was focused on regaining the WWE Title. Cena got lucky when he won the rumble. Then at the Elimination Chamber Cena left him to face The Shield by himself again. Cena saw the golden prize and did what he set out to do. Last week when Cena made his jokes Ryback watched and felt like he didn’t exist and that the belt didn’t belong to him. Cena tried to keep Ryback in his shadow but Ryback’s stepping out of it. Ryback is the biggest threat ever to Cena’s title. Ryback rules. This was good. I liked the intensity from Ryback and everything he said made sense. I also liked that they showed the clips of everything that had happened over the past few months that lead to Ryback’s turn.

R-Truth vs. Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett. Truth gets the pin. This was a solid match but I was surprised Truth won.

Backstage we see Brad & Vickie. Brad says Del Rio can’t compete. Then Teddy Long comes in. He has a solution. Tonight Swagger will face Dolph. Long spoke to Swagger and gave him some extra incentive. Vickie likes it but does Booker know? Long doesn’t say. Brad likes the idea too. Vickie tells Brad to tell someone. This was weak. I’m not a fan of the GMs and it looks like Long is turning heel.

Out come Great Khali, Natalya & Hornswoggle. Khali will be teaming with Santino Marella.

Then Rhodes Scholars come out. Sandow says a famed philosopher once said we are but dwarves on the shoulders of giants. Cody says that they will be like those proverbial dwarves on the shoulders of giants as they advance the cause of decency for all. Sandow says even in South Carolina. “You’re welcome.”

Great Khali & Santino Marella vs. Rhodes Scholars. Rhodes Scholars win when Sandow pins Santino. This was a pointless comedy match. Santino gave Sandow the cobra. Then he hinted at going for Cody but Hornswoggle pulled out a cobra. Cody grabbed Hornswoggle and that distracted Santino and then Sandow rolled Santino up for the win.

Jerry Lawler is in the ring. He says there’s only been 1 time when a WWE superstar debuted at WrestleMania and won. He mentions that Fandango beat the first Undisputed Champion, Chris Jericho. Since last week there’s been a lot of fandangoing. Then they show the fans singing Fandango’s theme from last week. They also show that it’s gotten some media pub. Lawler hopes he says his name right. Out come Fandango & his chick. Lawler asks Fandango if he ever thought….Fandango asks Jerry how his hips feel. King says they’re still there. Fandango asks Jerry if he can move his hips. King says it’s time to move his hips back to the announce table. Then Fandango asks if the fans wanna go fandangoing. They of course cheer. Before that happens he needs the fans to do 1 thing. Pronounce his name correctly. “It goes like this.” Then he starts to say his name but the fans aren’t saying it right. He tells the fans to breath in the A’s. Then he says his name. Then the fans sing his theme music. He says it’s obvious the fans can’t say his name right, so they can go faaandannngo themselves. This was average. I like his theme music but this segment just didn’t click. I gotta say though, I never thought this gimmick would get over. It just seemed to have wrestle crap written all over it but it’s somehow caught on to the point where it got media attention. 

Backstage Matt Striker is with John Cena. Cena says Ryback has a problem with him. Cena’s not hard to find if Ryback wants to fight him. He will go to the ring and even wear his yellow shirt & face Ryback man to man.

World Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger. Swagger gets the pin. This was good but Dolph cleanly lost a non title match. Then as Swagger poses on the stage Del Rio comes out and attacks him. Del Rio kicks him off the stage and then locks Swagger in the cross arm breaker. Then referees come in to pull Del Rio off. This was solid. It looks they’re building to a 3 way at Extreme Rules.

Backstage Matt Striker is with Sheamus. Before they can say anything Mark Henry storms in and lays out Sheamus just like on Smackdown. Henry screams that’s what he does. Referees check on Sheamus. This was good. It looks like we’ll be getting Sheamus-Mark Henry at Extreme Rules.

CM Punk & Paul Heyman come to the ring. The fans chant CM Punk. Punk says for 434 days as WWE Champion he couldn’t enjoy the ride because he was always looking around the corner to see what was next. The WWE Title meant everything to him. He found his next challenge in The Rock. He still wanted to know what the next hurdle in his career was gonna be. After being champion for 434 days, and facing Rock where do you go? Punk looked to the 1 thing that would be bigger than being champion and facing Rock and that was facing Taker at Mania. He pushed Taker to the limit. Then the fans start a dueling Undertaker-CM Punk chant. Then Punk hugs Heyman, gives Heyman the mic and then walks out. Heyman looks on in shock. This was good too. Punk cut a great promo as usual and his reaction to losing to Taker and to the fans was well done also. I liked that they had Punk feeling unsure of what to do next.

Backstage Booker tells Long that he is overstepping his boundaries. Long says he knows what Booker’s thinking. Booker says Long doesn’t know what he’s thinking “dawg.”. Long says Swagger is the number 1 contender. Booker says Swagger & Del Rio will get their title match when Dolph defends his title against both guys. I knew that’s what they were leading to.

Divas Champion Kaitlyn vs. Nikki Bella. Nikki wins when Brie gets the pin after some twin magic. This wasn’t much.

They announce that Randy Orton & Sheamus will face Mark Henry & Big Show this week on Smackdown.

John Cena comes to the ring. He says the champ is here and the Ryback is there. The champ has a little business with the Ryback. He tells “The” Ryback to get to the ring right now. Cue Ryback’s music and out he comes. The fans chant feed me more. Cena says the fans see what he sees. 290 lbs he has destroyed everyone in his path and when they hear feed me more someone’s about to get hurt. Cena says Ryback showed him what kind of guy he is last week. Cena made an open challenge to anyone who could earn a title shot but Ryback waited till Cena’s back was turned to knock him down. The fans chant boring. Cena then says that tonight Ryback made the fans sit through a boring highlight reel. Then Cena mentions everything Ryback said before. Then Cena says Ryback knocked him down once but does Ryback no who he’s dealing with? Cena’s been to war with Orton, HHH & Michaels and they’re his friends. He says the WWE Title is everything. He gets what Ryback did last wee. He just doesn’t like how he did it. Ryback lacks the space between his ears and the piece between his legs to be WWE Champion (That was lame). After Ryback attacked him he held on to the title for a bit. Then Cena says tonight they do this differently. He takes his dog tag & shirt off and tells Ryback to make a move and see if he has what it takes to earn a WWE Title match. Cena & Ryback have a stare down and then Ryback walks out. Cue The Shield’s music and they show up in the crowed. Then they hop over the guard rail. Cena waits in the ring while Ryback waits by the entrance ramp. The Shield get in the ring. Cena goes after them but they get the upper hand. They beat down Cena as Ryback watches (Which I knew was going to happen). The Shield continues to pound Cena. Then Ryback walks up the ramp to the stage. Then The Shield gives Cena the triple power bomb. The Shield stand over Cena & look over at Ryback for a bit. Then the fans chant one more time. Ryback walks to the back as The Shield stand over Cena to end the show. This was good too. Cena was a bit corny like usual but I liked The Shield coming in & lying out Cena. I also knew that Ryback wasn’t going to do anything when The Shield beat on Cena.

I thought this was a solid show overall. The Orton & Sheamus vs. Big Show match was decent but I’m not sure why they had this match on Smackdown too. The Cena-Ryback-Shield segment was good too. Cena was a bit corny but for the most his promo was ok. I liked The Shield coming out and flattening Cena & I knew they would attack while Ryback just watched. Dolph-Swagger was good but Dolph cleanly lost a non title match. The backstage bits with Long, Brad & Vickie and Booker-Long were weak. I knew they were going to set up a 3 way for the World Title. I’m tired of the GMs & this whole bit with Long hinting at a heel turn doesn’t work for me. I was fine with the Dolph-Swagger-Coulter-Del Rio segment. Dolph’s promo was good but I’m tired of Jack & Zeb. I thought Del Rio attacking Swagger on the stage was good though. The Fandango bit also didn’t really work for me but I’m amazed at how over the Fandango character is. Ryback showed a lot of intensity in his promo and I thought he did a good job. The Kofi-Cesaro match was good too and I liked that the put the U.S. Title on Kofi. The R-Truth-Wade Barrett match was decent too but I was surprised that they had R-Truth win. Kane & Daniel Bryan vs. The Primetime Players was decent but we’ve seen this match a lot of times. I liked Mark Henry lying out Sheamus backstage too. It looks like they’re setting up a match with those 2 at Extreme Rules. The Punk-Heyman segment was good too. Punk was really good on the mic as usual and I liked that they had him pondering as to what he will do next. Brock Lesnar flattening 3MB continued to get Brock over as a beast & Heyman’s promo was great too. Kaitlyn-Nikki Bella wasn’t much & I knew they were gonna do the twin magic bit. Khali & Santino vs. Rhodes Scholars was pointless comedy. Sandow & Cody deserve better. On the whole though I thought this was a solid show.