5-31-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the May 31, 2013 episode of Smackdown

The show starts with Kane vs. WWE Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins. Kane gets the pin. This was a solid match & I liked that they started Smackdown with a match rather than the usual 15-20 minute promo. Reigns got on the apron but Kane grabbed his throat & shoved him off. The referee was distracted with Reigns & as Rollins went to the top rope Daniel shoved him off. Then Kane choke slammed Rollins for the win.

Rollins & Reigns complain to the referee about what happened. Then they go right to the next match. This is good. They started with a match & they’re going right to the next 1.

Daniel Bryan vs. WWE Tag Team Champion Roman Reigns. Reigns wins by DQ when Kane got involved. Daniel had Reigns in the no lock & Rollins helped Reigns get to the rope. Then Kane gave Rollins a big boot. Daniel breaks the hold & then Reigns shoves Kane in the face, which the referee missed because he was distracted with Daniel. Then Kane decked Reigns, the referee saw that & called for the bell. Afterwards Kane & Daniel bicker & Daniel pokes Kane’s chest. Kane leaves the ring & Daniel follows him up the saying he can do this on his own. The match was solid & I was ok with the Kane-Daniel quarrel afterwards.

Damien Sandow is in the ring. Last week he attempted to teach Sheamus as well as all the unwashed masses a lesson. He tells the fans to listen, he will speak slowly. That lesson was that physical strength is not now or ever will be superior to mental strength. This of course left the Irish brute dumb founded. Much like all the fans 25 years ago when they gave away Wayne Gretzky for nothing. Then he says that when it comes to intelligence he is the great one. Then he demands silence. To further illustrate his point he has devised this simple challenge. There’s a table in the ring again. This time the challenge is what the Ancient Greeks referred to as thimblerig. However the fans may know this as the shell game. He says that there’re 3 cups on the table & in his hand he has a ball. He says how this game is played & says that anyone with common sense can find the ball. However, here in the WWE he is surrounded by simple minds. Which is exactly why he…Cue Sheamus’ music & he comes out. He says that Sandow couldn’t leave well enough alone. Last week he tricked Sheamus with the knot puzzle & Sandow should’ve just walked away. But now Sandow is out here playing with his cups & his tiny balls (That was idiotic). Then Sheamus says that Sandow is just annoying everybody including him. Sheamus is prepared to put an end to this charade once & for all & beat Sandow at his own game. Sandow places the ball under a cup & then shuffles them around. Sandow finds the ball after every shuffle. Then after 1 more shuffle he tells Sheamus to pick which cup the ball is under & to chose wisely. Sandow taunts Sheamus and then Sheamus picks a cup & it’s the wrong one. Sandow asks if someone can tell him why he’s not surprised. Sheamus’ idiot license is good for another year but just because he likes Sheamus he is going to do what is called “dimwitify” this game. There’re 2 cups & 1 ball. Sandow tells him to make a choice. Sheamus picks 1 up & the ball is not there. Then Sandow says that Sheamus has once again proven himself to be incompetent. This concludes this evening’s challenge. Until next time this is your…Then Sheamus says that Sandow beat him at this little game but Sheamus won’t be happy till Sandow shows him the red ball under the remaining cup. Sandow says that Sheamus is a very simple man. Sheamus tells Sandow to take his hand off the cup. Sandow says that Sheamus will further embarrass himself in front of everybody. Sheamus has embarrassed himself quite a number of times but he won’t be satisfied & he is sure that the fans won’t be either. Sandow says that everybody here does not count. Then Sheamus screams silence at Sandow. Sheamus again tells Sandow to lift his hand off the cup. Sheamus yanks the cup & the ball is nowhere to be found. Sandow asks Sheamus if he really wants to do this as the fans chant show your ball(s). Sheamus doesn’t think anyone wants to see that. Sandow then asks if there is 1 adult in the crowed. Sandow reminds Sheamus that he is on TV & doesn’t wanna embarrass himself. Sheamus says that he knows. Sandow says that this is Sheamus’ last chance. Sheamus looks inside the cup & there’s no ball there. Then Sandow says that something about being a magician & there is no one close to his talent or some crap like that. Then Sheamus says that if Sandow truly is the intellectual savior of the unwashed masses how is it that he got caught cheating? Sheamus says that Sandow is so proud & so quick & is a perfect target for a Brogue Kick. Then he throws the cups at Sandow & then gives him a Brogue Kick. Then Sheamus kneels over Sandow and says you’re welcome. This segment was just as long & just as pointless as last week’s!     

Curtis Axel & Paul Heyman come out. Heyman says there are those in WWE that will dare to insinuate that the way to see if he is lying is to check if his lips are moving. He says there’re a bunch of comedic geniuses in WWE. The fact is when Heyman speaks about his clients he always tells the truth. For example the fact that what Curtis Axel has accomplished in his first 2 weeks as a Paul Heyman guy is unprecedented in WWE history. But since the Smackdown fans have no appreciation for Heyman’s integrity he will allow Curtis to pontificate about his accomplishments himself. Curtis then says that Triple H & John Cena have a combined 26 championships, but against him they’re 0-2. He beat Triple H up so bad that he refused to continue, which technically counts as a submission. Cena was so afraid to fight him that he ran out of the ring intentionally getting himself counted out instead of fighting him. No one in WWE history has made the type of impact that he has. When you’re a Paul Heyman guy life is…PERFECT. This was good. Both guys cut good heel promos.    

Sin Cara vs. Curtis Axel. Curtis gets the pin with the Perfectplex. This was a short but decent match.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Big E Langston. Big E gets the pin with some help from AJ. This was also a solid match.

Time for a look back at the Cena-Ryback promo followed by Paul Heyman & Curtis Axel from Monday. Then they show the Cena-Curtis match from the end of Raw.

An Ambulance pulls into the arena & out of the back of it comes Ryback.

Kofi Kingston vs. Ryback. Ryback gets the pin. This was actually longer than I expected it would be. Kofi got a lot of offense in here. Then Ryback gets a table from under the ring & power bombs Kofi through it. Then Ryback gets a second table out from under the ring & power bombs Kofi through that too. Then Ryback gets a third table & yep he power bombs Kofi through it. This was overkill with the tables.   

Time for a look back at the highlight reel from Monday.

Backstage Renee Young interviews Chris Jericho. She says that Heyman accepted Jericho’s challenge to face Punk at Payback. What are Jericho’s thoughts? Jericho says some old saying that if you sleep with dogs you’re gonna get flees. Unfortunately for Punk when you associate yourself with a dog like Paul Heyman you not only get flees. You get ticks, bight, mites, tape worm, ring worm, blood worm, etc. To paraphrase his “evil nemesis” Bob Barker, at Payback he will make sure that Punk gets spade & something I couldn’t make out. This was a bit lame.

Chris Jericho vs. Cody Rhodes. Jericho wins by submission. This was a solid match but I knew Jericho was winning.

Time for the Wyatt family vignette. This was actually pretty good. The gimmick looks creepy & I really hope WWE doesn’t botch it with these guys.

Randy Orton vs. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose. Orton wins by DQ when Rollins & Reigns come in. This match was also solid & I knew the other Shield guys would come in. Afterwards Orton pounds on Rollins but then Reigns attacks Orton & The Shield beat down begins. Then Kane & Daniel Bryan come out to even the odds. Daniel gives Rollins an over head German suplex & then he drop kicks Ambrose in the corner. Then he does the same to Rollins. Then he hits a slide kick on Reigns & then gives Reigns a running knee off the apron to the floor. Then he gives Ambrose a top rope drop kick. Then he does a suicide dive onto Ambrose & Rollins. Then Daniel & the fans start the yes chant. Kane, Daniel & Orton celebrate in the ring as the yes chant from the fans continues. This ends the show. I liked that they had Daniel really get intense here.

This week’s show was solid for the most part. I liked that they started the show with a match and then went right into the next match. Both Kane-Rollins & Daniel-Reigns were solid matches too & I was ok with the Kane-Daniel dissention afterwards. Orton-Ambrose was solid too & I liked the post match brawl. Daniel showed a lot of intensity here & he did a great job. The Paul Heyman-Curtis Axel promo was solid too. Both guys cut good heel promos. The Sheamus-Sandow segment was long & pointless. I have no idea why they have these bits with these 2. Del Rio-Langston was solid too. Kofi-Ryback was longer than I expected. Kofi got some offense in before losing. The bit with the tables was overkill though. The Cara-Curtis match was short but decent & Jericho-Cody was solid too but I knew Jericho would win. I liked the Wyatt family vignette too. That gimmick has potential. Let’s hope WWE realizes this too. So overall I thought this was a solid show.

5-30-13 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the May 30, 2013 episode of Impact

The show starts with Aces & 8s backstage. Ray says the club business tonight is AJ Styles. D’Lo tells Anderson he thought AJ was gonna join the club. D’Lo’s sorry it didn’t work out. The Aces & 8s guys leave & Anderson lays out D’Lo. This was kinda weak.

Bully Ray & Devon come to the ring. Ray says it’s 3 days till Slammiversary. In 3 days Devon takes out Joseph Park for good. Also in 3 days in the main event live on PPV the Icon Sting vs. the world champion, Bully Ray. Ray says Sting wanted no holds barred & Ray gave it to him. Did Sting really give it thought? He’s not taking anything from Sting. To be an icon he must have accomplished something in this business. Sting beat Flair & Ray’s “father in law” Hulk Hogan. Sting also beat Kurt Angle. Not everyone can beat an Olympic gold medalist & Sting beat him for the world title. Then Ray mentions how everyone loves Jeff Hardy & Sting beat him to become world champion. Ray beat Jeff too but he also put him on the shelf. Ray can’t wait to make sure Sting never gets to wrestle for the world title again. Tonight right now it will be him & Devon against Sting & Park. Ray says, “come on out & lets fight.” Out come Joseph Park & Sting. This was the usual great promo we get from Ray.

Joseph Park & Sting vs. TNA World Champion Bully Ray & TV Champion Devon. Park & Sting win when Sting pins Devon. Abyss’ music played & that distracted Ray & Devon allowing Sting to hit the Scorpion Death Drop for the pin. The brawl at the start was good & the match itself was solid but how come whenever someone’s music plays somebody has to get distracted by it?  

Backstage Kurt Angle says that it’s good that AJ decided not to be part of Aces & 8s but AJ has also done unforgivable stuff to him. They have a lot of history together. Tonight Angle will literally be watching his match very closely.

Dixie Carter comes to the ring. She says this Sunday’s a special night. At Slammiversary TNA will be celebrating 11 years of being in business. She thanks the fans & says the most amazing talent have been in this ring. This Sunday they will announce the next TNA Hall of Fame inductee. It was Sting last year & this year Sting’s challenging Ray for the Title. She wishes & Sting luck & says that everybody’s pulling for him. Out come Doc, Wes Briscoe & Garrett Bischoff. Garrett asks where the love for Aces & 8s is. He knows she’s excited about their celebration at the PPV but it will feel more like a funeral. They corner Dixie & then out come Magnus & Samoa Joe. Doc, Wes & Garrett retreat. Joe says he sat at home for a month waiting to get his hands on Aces & 8s. Tonight that wait is over. Joe doesn’t know who gave Garrett permission to speak & he gets real lippy when it comes to women. How about Garrett faces Joe right now & see how lippy Garrett really is. This was actually better than I thought it would be. I wasn’t a fan of Dixie being in the ring but at least it wound up leading to a match.

Samoa Joe vs. Garrett Bischoff. The match ends in a no finish when the 3 guys beat down Magnus. Then Joe dives onto the 3. This wasn’t much of a match. Joe calls them cowards. Joe has back up plans for cowards. He realized this might happen, so this Sunday it will be Wes, Garrett & the big shaved ape Doc against Magnus, Joe & they’ll be bringing Jeff Hardy. Joe’s promo was decent but why mention Jeff Hardy’s return on the go home show before the PPV? No build at all there!

Backstage they show James Storm & Gunner. Storm says that everyone has asked him why Gunner. Storm says that Gunner is a beast. Gunner has served his country overseas and has killed people (did they have to have him say that) & Storm wants someone who will kill in the ring also. That is why Storm chose him to be his partner. Gunner says that if the other teams want a war, they will get one. This was ok. I get that they wanna put Gunner over as being a beast as Storm said, but did they have to mention that Gunner has killed people? They could have just said that he served overseas.

Now we see Hulk & Brooke backstage. Hulk asks Brooke what happened out there with Ray last week. He saw the look in her eye. Brooke says it isn’t easy hearing Ray say that he loves her & he is technically still her husband. Hulk says Ray’s saying that to mess with her head. Brooke thought she knew a good guy but she was wrong. Brooke can’t focus on the Knockouts. Hulk believes in Sting. Brooke questions if Sting can get the job done. Whatever! This was a typical painful & idiotic Hogan(s) bit.

TNA World Tag Team Champions Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez and James Storm & Gunner vs. Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Austin Aries & Bobby Roode. Chavo, Hernandez, Gunner & Storm win when Gunner makes Aries submit to the torture rack. This was a solid match.   

AJ Styles rides into the arena.

Back at Aces & 8s clubhouse. Rays says TNA doesn’t have them where they want them like they think they do. Anderson needs to take care of AJ. Devon says he will take care of Park Sunday & if Abyss shows up he will take care of him too. Ray says that he put Jeff Hardy out & now he’s coming back. He tells Wes, Garrett & Doc to take care of Magnus, Joe & Jeff. Then he tells Knox that he’s got a job for him. Knox is psyched. Then Ray says that Hulk always talks about there being a war. Tonight Aces & 8s declares war & Ray wants victims laid out. If not then 1 of all of them even Devon might end up like D’Lo. This was a decent backstage segment.

They show a Bound for Glory video package. How come they’re promoting that PPV when Slammiversary hasn’t even happened yet?

Mickie James comes to the ring. She says it feels good to be champ. She wanted to thank the fans who have supported her. This has been a crazy year for her. First the release of her album & now she’s the Knockouts Champion. It’s been almost 2 years since she’s held that belt. She loves all the fans that stood beside her, but there have been a small handful of people who have doubted how she won the title. She wants to address that right now & asks Velvet Sky to come to the ring. Out comes Velvet Sky. Mickie says there has been some negativity & Mickie has found hit a bit hurtful. She asked Velvet last week if she was ready & was willing to hold off on the match. Mickie says Velvet has guts & hearts. It’s a shame Velvet’s knee gave out & Mickie became champion. She says how great a Knockouts champion Velvet WAS. Velvet says she wants her rematch. Mickie says she can have it when her knee’s ready. Velvet wants the rematch Sunday. Mickie would love to but Brooke Hogan said that she already has Taryn vs. Gail set for Sunday. Then out comes Gail Kim. Gail appreciates the love but lets get 1 thing straight. Gail says Mickie wouldn’t have won the title without Gail’s help. Gail softened up Velvet & destroyed her leg. Gail has been so frustrated to the point where she took out her own partner Tara & Taryn Terrell. Sunday Gail will take care of Taryn and then go for the title. Velvet says she’s first in line for a title match. Then Gail kicks Velvet’s knee. Then she was going for the turnbuckle figure 4 but Taryn comes out & Gail backs off. Then out comes Kenny King. Sabin & Taryn will face Kenny & Gail next. This was mediocre. Mickie turning heel was predictable & I thought that Velvet & Gail were ok on the mic but nothing too memorable. I’m not sure why they don’t have Velvet vs. Mickie in a rematch this Sunday.  

   

Chris Sabin & Taryn Terrell vs. X Division Champion Kenny King & Gail Kim. Sabin & Taryn win when Sabin pins Kenny. This was a solid match too.

Then Sabin says this Sunday after 2 years of physical therapy he will get redemption & become X Division Champion. Then Kenny goes after Sabin & puts him on his shoulders but then Suicide hits the ring to make the save. He gives Kenny a double chicken wing into a lung blower. Then he picks up the X Title at Suicide & Sabin stare at each other.

Time for a Sting video package. He talks about winning his first world title from Ric Flair. Flair was the first guy he beat for the title. His feud with Hulk was a big time feud too. Angle took him to his limit. Jeff Jarrett was the very first guy with TNA. This match with Ray is about more than the title. This is about taking the power from Ray. This was a decent video.

AJ Styles vs. Ken Anderson. AJ wins by DQ when Kurt Angle comes in & goes after AJ. Angle & AJ go at it. Then Aces & 8s hit the ring but out come Sting, Joe, Park & Magnus & then the brawl starts. Angle & AJ continue to go at it. Then Sting & Ray face off & they exchange punches. Then Sting gets Ray in the Scorpion but Devon hits Sting from behind. Then they give Sting the 3D. Aces & 8s stand tall to end the show. The match was solid & I liked the brawl afterwards too. Angle & AJ battling it out was also solid & I liked the Sting-Ray exchange. Having Aces & 8s stand tall at the end made sense since this was the go home show before the PPV.

This week’s show felt like it was just kinda there & for a go home episode before a PPV that isn’t good. The final hype to Sunday wasn’t really much. Ray’s promo at the start of the show was good & Sting & Park vs. the former Dudley Boys was a solid match. AJ-Anderson was solid too & I was ok with the mini brawl. Angle & AJ going at it was decent too. Sting & Ray going at it was solid also & it made sense to have Aces & 8s stand tall at the end. The 8 man tag was also a solid match but I’m not sure why this was here since these 4 teams will face each other Sunday. The Dixie-Wes-Garrett-Doc-Magnus-Joe bit was ok, The Joe-Garrett match was barely a match at all & I have no idea why they waited till now to mention that Jeff Hardy will be back Sunday. The Hulk-Brooke backstage segment was terrible. I’m sick of the Hogans! The bit with the Knockouts was a bit too long I thought. It was very predictable that Mickie would cut a heel promo & I thought Velvet & Gail were decent here but there wasn’t anything that memorable. The mixed tag was also solid & I was ok with Suicide coming out & saving Sabin from a Kenny King beat down. The backstage bits with Aces & 8s were ok too and I liked the Sting video package. Overall though I felt that they really didn’t do much to hype the PPV for their go home show. These taped episodes really feel like filler to me.

5-27-13 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the May 27, 2013 Memorial Day episode of Raw

They start the show with a video package dedicated to the solders. Very classy.

Then actual show starts with John Cena coming to the ring & is all smiles (UGH)! No neck brace either from what happened at Extreme Rules! He says there’s a lot of unrest in the building. Maybe some anger too. He gets why. Over a week ago there was a last man standing match for the WWE Title that evolved destruction but the match is more remembered for the controversial finish. Both guys feel they should be champion. There’s Cena who has the title & there’s Ryback who feels he deserves the title. After Extreme Rules Ryback came out on Raw last week & challenged Cena to an ambulance match. Then the fans chant we want Bret & Cena acknowledges that they wanna pay homage to their hero. That time will come but there is a controversy to solve. Ryback thinks things through to fast. Cena says payback should be delivered, definitive & should be hell. At Payback the title will on the line in a 3 stages of hell match. There’ve only been 3 of those in WW history. Cena says that a 3 stages match is a 2 out of 3 falls match where each rule has a stipulation. The first fall will be a lumber jack match. Then he says that he is familiar with the chant we want tables & he gets the fans to chant that, so the 2^nd fall will be a tables match. The third fall will obviously be the ambulance match. He knows fans are thinking what happens when he wins the first 2 falls, what about the ambulance? After Cena beats him in the first 2 falls he will throw Ryback in the ambulance & Ryback will be driven to the hospital. Out comes Ryback. He agrees that payback should be hell, which is what he tried to do Cena at Extreme Rules. He tried taking him to hell. Say hello to Ryback. Ryback leaves & out comes Paul Heyman. He wants Cena to say hello to a man who last week during his Raw debut beat HHH so convincingly we won’t be seeing HHH around here anymore. Out comes Curtis Axel. Heyman says he & Curtis were just watching Cena. It’s 1 thing to challenge Ryback, but it’s another to challenge him to a 3 stages of hell match. Cena’s a fighting champion, so Heyman knows Cena won’t back down from a match with Curtis. Cena says he saw Curtis last week. He tells Curtis to say away from Heyman. Curtis says they never asked for Cena’s opinion. They asked if he was looking for a fight. Cena says that Curtis got lucky last week but is already acting like he’s the big dog in the yard. Cena accepts his challenge. Tonight we will see Cena vs. Curtis. This was a typical long winded 20 minute segment that the shows always start with. Cena coming out all smiles & with no neck brace like nothing happened to him at Extreme Rules was idiotic & so was his promo (but his promos usually are). Ryback’s promo was terrible too! It got a little better when Heyman came out just because it was Heyman. He of course was good on the mic like always. Curtis was ok here too but I’m not sure if this new gimmick is gonna get over given the way WWE books talent. The fans chanting that they wanted Bret was cool too.

 Alberto Del Rio vs. Big E Langston. Del Rio gets the pin. This was a decent match. AJ exposed a turnbuckle but Big E wound up going face first into it. Afterwards Langston glares at AJ & she says she was trying to help him.

Backstage we see Kane & Daniel Bryan. Daniel’s pacing and mumbling. Kane says the only 1 who associates Daniel with being the weak link is Daniel. If they’re gonna regain the tag titles Daniel will have to pull himself together. Daniel says that Kane thinks he is the weak link. They do the yes-no bit and then the camera pans to Brat Hart. He says they’re 1 of the best teams he’s ever scene. Tension like this destroys a team. They’re better than this. Then Daniel thanks Bret and then asks Bret if he was thought of as the weak link. Bret says size doesn’t matter because of their toughness. Kane then asks Daniel how come he listens to Bret but not him. Daniel says because that was Bret Hart, the best there is, the best there was & the best there ever will be & he’s just Kane. This was a decent backstage bit. Kane & Daniel are good together & it was cool to see Bret here too.

Kofi Kingston vs. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose for the Title. Ambrose gets the pin. This was a solid back & forth match.

Then Rollins & Reigns pose with Ambrose. Then Kane’s pyro goes off & he & Daniel Bryan come out. They go right after The Shield & The Shield retreats to the floor. The tag title match is next. I like that they’re going right into the tag match. I thought this was good.

Kane & Daniel Bryan vs. WWE Tag Team Champions Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins for the Titles. Reigns & Rollins win when Rollins pins Kane. This was a really good back & forth match. Daniel was on a rampage here. That wound up distracting Kane & then Rollins kneed Kane in the head for the win.

Time for a HHH update. Michael Cole says there wasn’t any further damage in his match last week. He’s been told to rest at home.

Out comes The Miz. The fans can vote on the app for Miz to be the ring announcer, commentator or referee for the Wade Barrett-Fandango match. Miz gets his own entrance for that? Really? As he would say. Break time.

Back from break & King gets the mic. Time to find out what Miz will be doing for this match. The fans voted for him to be the guest referee (No surprise there).

Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett vs. Fandango. Fandango gets the pin. Barrett beat Fandango while Fandango was in the ropes. Miz got in there & checked on Fandango. Then Barrett threw down Miz and then Miz gave Barrett the Skull Crushing Finale. Then Fandango covered Barrett & Miz counted 3. Then Miz dips with Summer Rae. Then he kicks Fandango & Summer Rae fell on top of Fandango & Miz made a 3 count. This was cheesy & the match wasn’t much.

Backstage we hear a very familiar voice asking wants to do this. The camera shows it’s Shawn Michaels. Cena doesn’t back down from challenges. HBK says Cena & HHH both never listen to him because he is the voice of reason. I heard the fans chanting you screwed Bret here. Thankfully this was short. This was ok.

Tons of Funk and Naomi & Cameron are in the ring along with Khali & Natalya doing & doing the Tons of Funk bit. Khali & Tons of Funk will face 3MB next.

They show some segment backstage. Hornswoggle has a cake. 3MB wants a piece. Khali, Kaitlyn & Natalya were there too. The Slater throws the cake in Hornswoggle’s face. This was pointless.

Tons of Funk & Great Khali vs. 3MB. Tons of Funk & Khali win when Brodus pins Slater. This was a comedy match. Then Brodus says tonight is a special night. Tonight is Natalya’s birthday. To lead everyone in singing happy birthday is of course Khali. Khali sings happy birthday & it was your typical Khali not funny comedy moment. Hey remember when Jinder was Khali’s brother in law? WWE sure doesn’t.

They show a video package of John Cena with him talking about how he has visited members of the Armed Forces. He thanks them for their bravery.

Chris Jericho comes to the ring for the Highlight Reel. Jericho says hello Calgary & welcomes everyone to Raw is Jericho. Tonight his guest is 1 of the most controversial & annoying performers in WWE history. Paul Heyman. Heyman comes to the ring. Jericho says Heyman has been called many things throughout his career from a genius to a walrus. He says Paul has always had a knack for aligning himself with tremendous talent. Heyman says that he discovers & develops great talent. Like Jericho. Heyman developed Jericho & gave him his very first big break. Jericho says that’s true & that Heyman still owes him money. Heyman says that Curtis Axel took care of Triple H last week & will take care of John Cena tonight. Jericho’s been a fan of Axel’s but he wants to talk about Heyman’s other client. Heyman thinks it’s Lesnar & he mentions all of Brock’s accomplishments. Jericho says the Heyman guy that he wants to talk about is CM Punk. Punk hasn’t been around for 6 weeks, but last time he was on Raw he said this. They replay Punk’s promo from Raw last month. Jericho says what he noticed in that clip is that Heyman had the same suit & look on his face. Jericho says that Punk surprised Heyman. Paul says this is his favorite suit & wore it because he is honored to be on the highlight reel. He tells Jericho to show him respect. Then Paul says Punk was the longest champion in 25 years. He didn’t have to say he was the best there is, was or ever will be. He is the best in the world. Jericho throws out a few blahs & asks where Punk is. Heyman says Punk & Heyman will have an announcement soon regarding the return of the best in the world. Jericho says Punk can’t be at home for 6 weeks & be called the best in the world. Heyman has a client who would disagree. Then Jericho looks at the camera & says hey to Punk. Jericho says if Punk thinks he can sit at home after losing the title and then to taker and still call himself the best in the world after going home he’s crazy. Jericho was about to say he is the best but Heyman says he gets emotional about that & tells Jericho night to say it. Jericho hints at saying it but Heyman says it’s not Jericho’s to say. Jericho says Punk can’t be the best in the world unless he faces Jericho at Payback. Heyman says Jericho doesn’t dictate terms to him & Punk. Jericho says that he is the best in the world at what he does. Heyman says that was called pulling his Punk card. Jericho wants a match with Punk in Chicago, Punk’s home town at Payback. On behalf of Punk Heyman accepts. Jericho says he will see him in Chicago. Then Jericho tells Heyman to tell Punk that after Payback Punk will never ever be the same again. This was really good. Both guys were great on the mic here & it looks like Punk will be back sooner than we thought he would be.

Divas Champion Kaitlyn & Natalya vs. The Bellas. The Bellas win when Brie pins Natalya. Kaitlyn was going to spear Brie but Brie got out of the way & Kaitlyn wound up spearing Natalya. Then Brie got the pin. Afterwards The Bellas sang happy birthday & called Natalya a loser. This was a typical Divas match & I wasn’t surprised that they had Natalya do the job in Calgary on her birthday.

Backstage Bret Hart comes into Curtis Axel’s Dressing room. Bret tells him that he looks like his dad. Bret talks about the classic matches he & Curt Hennig had (Their matches were great). Curtis asks Bret if he saw what he did to Triple H last week. Bret says Curtis should get rid of Heyman. Just because Bret knew Curtis’ dad doesn’t mean he knows him. Before he took out HHH no one gave him the time of day except for Heyman. Heyman believed in him. Curtis tells Bret to enjoy his appreciation night. Curtis is going to beat the WWE Champion. This was good. I liked that they these 2 in a segment. Bret was good here & I liked Curtis saying that Heyman believed in him.  

They show a vignette on some hillbilly type characters who will be debuting at some point. This felt like 1 of those vignettes from 94-95. Note: I found out that these 3 guys are Bray Wyatt (The former Husky Harris) Luke Harper (The former Brodie Lee) & Erick Rowan.

Randy Orton & Sheamus vs. Rhodes Scholars. Orton & Sheamus win when Sheamus pins Sandow. This was a solid back & forth match but I knew Orton & Sheamus would win.

Randy Orton will face Dean Ambrose on Smackdown this week.

WWE Champion John Cena vs. Curtis Axel. An ambulance comes into the arena & Cena goes over to it & he gets counted out. Cena opens the doors looking for Ryback but then Ryback attacks Cena from behind. Then Ryback throws Cena on the stage. He waits for Cena to get up so he can put him through the Tron wall, but Cena gets out of the way. Then Cena sets Ryback up for the AA but Ryback throws him off the stage. Heyman & Axel celebrate in the ring to end the show. This match was solid & I had knew Ryback would distract Cena somehow & that Cena would get counted out. Curtis pulled the Perfect Plex too, which I popped for!

I thought this was a solid to good show this week. The Cena-Ryback promo at the start was lousy but it got better when Heyman & Curtis came out. The Cena-Curtis match was solid & I wasn’t surprised that Ryback caused Cena to get distracted & that Curtis would get the count out win from it. I like that they’ve actually had Curtis Axel technically win his first 2 matches since he started this new gimmick. I also liked that Curtis used the Perfect Plex! I’m really hoping they push him. I liked the backstage bit with Curtis & Bret too. I liked Bret bringing up his matches with Mr. Perfect & Curtis saying that Heyman was the only guy who believed in him was good too. I also liked the Kane-Daniel-Bret backstage segment. Kane & Daniel are good together & Bret was good here too giving Daniel a pep talk. Kofi-Ambrose was solid also & I liked that they went to the tag title match right after. That match was really good. Orton & Sheamus vs. Sandow & Cody was solid too but it was no surprise Orton & Sheamus won. The 6 man tag was your basic not funny comedy match & Khali singing happy birthday to Natalya was cheesy. The divas tag match wasn’t much & I wasn’t surprised that Natalya got pinned. The Bellas singing “happy birthday’ was lame but it looks like we might be getting Kaitlyn vs. Natalya. I enjoyed the highlight reel segment. Jericho & Heyman were great here & it looks like Punk will be back sooner than expected. The Cena-Michaels backstage bit was ok too & I could hear the fans chanting you screwed Bret to Michaels. The Vignette for Husky Harris & company felt like 1 of those old WWF vignettes from the mid 90s. We’ll see how this gimmick does on the main roster. Wade Barrett-Fandango wasn’t much. Having Miz be the referee & then laying out both guys followed by him making Summer Rae fall on Fandango was corny. Del Rio-Langston was decent too & it looks like they might be starting a face turn for Langston. Overall I thought this was a solid to good show.

5-24-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

       Coverage and thoughts on the May 24, 2013 episode of Smackdown

The show starts with Miz TV (Again). He welcomes everyone to Miz TV. Tonight he is not just hosting Miz TV but soon he will win back the IC Title. But first his guest tonight has danced his way up the ladder in WWE. He beat Jericho in his WrestleMania debut & has a dance named after him called Fandangoing. Out come Fandango & Summer Rae. Miz says that last Monday Fandango…Then Fandango cuts him off & tells Miz that he is no different than anyone else. Let’s get this right. Then Fandango says his name “correctly.” Miz says really & Fandango says yes. They go back & forth with that for a bit. Then Miz says that whichever way Fandango pronounced his name, last Monday on Raw Fandango did something in a tag team match that no one has ever done in WWE history. They show Fandango dancing during the tag match from Raw (Man was that idiotic). Miz mentions that Summer Rae looked stupid after Jericho gave her the brush. Miz then says that Fandango left Wade Barrett high & dry. While Barrett was getting his but kicked in the ring Fandango was dancing with Summer Rae at ringside. Miz says that Fandango’s ego is more obnoxious than his name. What kind of self absorbed narcissist is Fandango? Then Fandango says that if anyone gets close to Summer again he will dance all over their face. Miz wants to talk to him about egos? Miz says he knows that he himself has a big ego but he knows the balance between sports & entertainment. Miz knows that when the bell rings it’s all about business. He doesn’t stand outside & look like a bag of Skittles dancing. Then the fans chant bag of skittles (Maybe that was dubbed in. I hope it was because I’d hate to think that the fans actually chanted that). Miz says that Fandango is the new Fruity Pebbles. Fandango tells Miz that his lecture bores him. Miz bores him (This segment bores me). Miz is just angry that he didn’t think of doing that first. Miz claims…Cue Wade Barrett’s new music & out he comes (Why do they keep giving him different theme songs?). Barrett wants a word with Fandango & Miz. But he will start off with the ballerina. Barrett doesn’t think that he’s ever encountered a more pathetic disrespectful waste of skin in his entire life. Then Barrett gets in the ring & says that the only reason that He & Fandango lost Monday is because Fandango would rather tip toe through the tulips than fight like a real man. If Fandango ever crosses Barrett’s path again he will smash every tooth in his head. And then he will make sure that the whole world forgets about the name Fandango (I’d love to forget about that name). Then Fandango says how his name is pronounced (That bit is beyond old). Miz says if you wanna talk about disrespectful, he reminds Barrett that he will defend that Intercontinental Title tonight against him. Then he reminds Barrett that he beat him for that title at WrestleMania (That match was on the pre show & Miz only held it for 1 day). Then Miz reminds Barrett that on Monday he tapped Barrett out. Barrett reminds Miz how this feels. Then he decks Miz, but Miz takes him down & they go at it. The Miz-Barrett IC Title match will happen next. This was the usual “Start Smackdown with a promo” bit but at least it wasn’t as long as these opening promos usually are. I also like that the match came right after it.

Fandango is on commentary.

The Miz vs. Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett for the Title. Miz wins by DQ. During the match Fandango’s music played as he & Summer Rae dance at ringside again as the match continued (This is terrible. I really hope this doesn’t become a recurring gag). Miz baseball slide kicked Fandango & they shut his theme music off (Yay). Then Fandango kicked Miz in the head & that led to the DQ. Then Fandango gets in the ring & kicks away on Miz. Barrett does too. Then Fandango punches Miz in the head a few times. Then Barrett gives Fandango the bull hammer. This was lame. The match was ok but this whole bit with Fandango dancing at ringside during a match is stupid!

Backstage we see Daniel Bryan looking pissed off again. Then Kane comes in & Daniel asks him what he wants. Kane knows that Daniel is upset but they’re still a team. THEY lost the tag team titles & he tells Daniel to deal with it. Kane says that HE himself lost Monday night. Daniel sees what Kane is implying. He says Kane is implying that he lost because Daniel wasn’t there. Daniel knows what Kane & everyone is thinking. Daniel is not the weak link. Daniel then walks off & Kane looks puzzled. This was decent. These 2 are good together.

Daniel Bryan vs. Jack Swagger. Daniel wins by submission. This match was solid. Then Daniel puts Swagger back in the no lock & Kane pulls Daniel off. Then Daniel backs up the ramp & does the yes chant. Then he says that he is not the weak link. This was decent too.

Time for a look back at the start of Raw when Ryback cut a promo standing on thee ambulance (And boy was that a weak promo) & then Ryback flattening Zack Ryder.

Matt Striker & Damien Sandow are in the ring & a table is there too for some reason. Sandow says that for the last several weeks he has sat & watched as 2 troglodytes disguised as WWE super stars engaged in a series of contests each more half witted & embarrassing than the last. A tug of war, arm wrestling & a truck pull. The only thing worse than that is that the fans seemed to be amused by it. He wants the fans to pay close attention. This is something that he calls appealing to the lowest common denominator. He demands silence. Then he says he doubts that there are any “mathletes” in the crowed this evening but he is going to say this. The true measure of a man is not in his physical strength, but his ability to deal with mental challenges. Then he says he is going to explain the detail of the Gordian knot. The camera shows there’s a knotted rope on the table. In ancient times there was a peasant farmer named Gordian who tied his ox to a tree. He used a knot that was so complicated it was said no man could untie it. A prophecy clearly states that any man who is able to untie the Gordian knot would rule all of Asia. Then Sandow mentions that Striker is a former educator/teacher, albeit a substitute. Barring Striker’s short comings Sandow proposes that Striker accepts the challenge & attempt to untie the Gordian knot. Striker picks up the knot but doesn’t attempt to untie it. Sandow asks if he can’t do it. Striker says he can’t. Sandow then says that Striker just renewed his idiot license & he was just embarrassed the entire Substitute Teacher’s Union of America. Then Sandow says to call Washington. He just found the problem in the educational system. Sandow then says to take man like himself, a man of superior intellect…then Sheamus’ music hits & he comes out. He says that from 1 man to another Sheamus finds it quite troubling that Sandow spends his time playing with knots. Sandow needs to get a girlfriend. Sandow tells Sheamus to leave his personal life out of this. Sheamus says he doesn’t wanna know what Sandow does in his spare time. Then Sheamus says that as a kid he played with rubics cubes & broke a few. Then he says that since Sandow is calling him a troglodyte he would like to prove Sandow wrong by solving the puzzle of the Gordian knot. Sandow says if Sheamus thinks that his troubled childhood gives him the credentials to solve the riddle of the Gordian knot so be it. Sheamus attempts to untie the knot, but Sandow tries to take it out of his hands. Then Sheamus tells Sandow that he has to give him time. Sheamus tries to untie the knot but Sandow yanks it out of his hands. Then Sandow says “allow me”. Sandow’s here to help. He tells Sheamus to sit back, watch & learn. Sandow again demands silence. Then Sandow gets a set of bolt cutters from under the table & cuts the rope open. Then he says you’re welcome. Then Sheamus says that Sandow got him & Striker. Sheamus says how smart that was. Then he says that he will be the bigger man here. He says that Sandow is the better man. So saying that he thinks that he should congratulate Sandow right now. Then he goes to give Sandow the Brogue Kick but Sandow bails. Then Sandow says he knew that Sheamus would resort to brute force when he couldn’t meet the mental challenge. Every single time Sheamus can’t handle a mental challenge he resorts to brute force & Sheamus could never ever beat Sandow’s mental challenge. But considering that Sheamus is out there in front of the fans at least he is not alone. Sheamus then says to Striker that Sandow taught them a thing or 2. Sheamus is always open to learning new things. That’s how we progress in life. So how about Sheamus returns the favor & teaches Sandow a little something about Newton’s Law. Sandow says he knows Newton’s Law. Then Sheamus chucks Striker out of the ring onto Sandow. Then Sheamus says here’s a law for ya. Gravity. What goes up must come down. This was a really long & pointless segment!      

Chris Jericho vs. Big Show. Jericho wins by count out.  They fought on the outside & Jericho gave Big Show a code breaker, causing Big Show to fall over the time keeper barrier. Then Jericho got back in the ring & beat the count. Afterwards Big Show gets a steel chair but Jericho slide kicks the chair into Big Show’s side. Then Jericho takes the chair & hits Big Show in the back. Then Big Show heads up the ramp as Jericho poses in the ring with the chair. This was a solid match & the post match bit with the chair was decent.  

Time for a look back at Paul Heyman announcing Curtis Axel as his new client & Triple H getting woozy in his match with Curtis.

Curtis Axel & Paul Heyman come to the ring. Heyman says who he is & he serves as the humble visionary known around the world as Brock’s advocate. He is also rightfully credited for bringing in CM Punk & being behind the greatest WWE Title reign. Heyman is the most exclusive manager in history. He managed 2 of the 3 main events at this years Mania. So when he points his finger at someone & says that’s the next Mania main eventer you can invest your money in that stock. Heyman has invested his money in the stock that is known as Curtis Axel. The reason the fans boo him is because of what he did to HHH. He doesn’t wanna be the guy to brag about that, so he will let Curtis say it himself. Curtis says his name & says that in 1 day he accomplished more than his dad & grandfather have done combined. He took a shot at HHH & left him dazed & confused. So he was the winner of that match. Heyman applauds. Curtis says that was just day 1. This was a solid promo.  

Sin Cara vs. Curtis Axel. Curtis gets the pin. This was mostly a squash.

Kofi Kingston vs. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose for the Title. Kofi wins by DQ when Rollins & Reigns attack Kofi. Then Orton’s music plays & he hits the ring (Why do they play the guy’s theme music when someone comes out for a run in)? He goes after The Shield but the get the upper hand. Then cue Sheamus’ music & he storms the ring. He goes after Ambrose and he & Orton clean house on The Shield. Then out comes Teddy Long. He says that this show is not going to end like that. Since all 6 guys are already out there we’re going to have a 6 man tag right now. The match was really short but I was ok with the brawl that led to the 6 man tag.

Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton & Sheamus vs. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose and WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns. The Shield wins when Ambrose pins Kofi. This was a good match. The Shield poses in the ring with the gold to end the show.

I thought this was a mediocre show at best this week. The Miz TV segment was weak, The Miz-Barrett match was decent but having Fandango dancing & his music playing during the match was stupid. The post match with Fandango & Barrett double stomping Miz & then Barrett giving Fandango the bull hammer was decent though. Kofi-Ambrose was short & a way to set up the 6 man tag. The 6 man tag main event was good. The Shield is easily the best group of heels in WWE. The Kane-Daniel backstage segment was decent too & the Daniel-Swagger match was solid. Jericho-Big Show was solid too & Jericho running Big Show off with the chair that Big Show tried to use was also decent. The Sheamus-Sandow segment was way too long & totally pointless. The Heyman-Curtis promo was solid. Heyman was good on the mike as usual & Curtis was ok too. The Cara-Curtis match was mostly a squash however. I’m really hoping that they do more with Joe Hennig now that Heyman is his manager. Overall I thought this week’s show was hit & miss.

5-23-13 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the May 23, 2013 episode of Impact

The show starts with Hulk Hogan coming to the ring (This is really getting old. Why does Hogan have to start Impact every week?). He says it’s great to be home in Tampa, FL brother. He knew it would be special because last night word was on the street it would be heavy in the Sun Dome tonight. Then he saw Shark Boy sitting in a bar & they had a drink. Everyone here makes Hulk feel like family. This is his home & the fans are his family. The TNA roster is also his family & AJ Styles has decided to side with Aces & 8s. Hulk’s not gonna dwell on that. One of his brothers that’s been with him since day 1 is on his, that being Sting. He tells Sting to come out. Sting comes to the ring. Hulk tells Sting he’s gotta let him know he appreciates what Sting’s doing but the “never wrestling for the title” bit doesn’t have to happen. Ray’s not in charge, Hulk is. Sting wants Hulk to keep it the way it is. He knows he needs to take the world title & power from Ray. Sting only needs 1 chance & then he flubs his lines. Then he says if he can’t take the title off Ray he doesn’t deserve to be champion again. Hulk says Sting doesn’t have to put that stipulation on the line. Hulk’s running the show, not Ray. Out comes Brooke Hogan. She says she doesn’t wanna see them taking the blame for being dumb enough to fall for Ray. She drove the wedge between Hulk & Sting and between Hulk & herself. She was the catalyst for TNA going up in smoke & she’s tired of Hulk taking the blame. She says how the Knockouts division has grown but she feels like she’s ruined everything, so she wants to resign as Knockouts GM. Hulk tells Brooke to take care of business & handle Ray. Then out comes Bully Ray. He asks why these 3 are sitting out here taking the blame for everything. It’s not Hulk’s, Sting’s or Brooke’s fault. When it comes to whose fault it is, it’s Ray’s fault. It is his fault Hulk doesn’t know how to run this company, his fault that he stabbed Hulk in the back & Ray is the man who turned this company upside down. There’s 1 person in that ring he does blame & that’s Brooke. He blames her for making him fall for her. Every time he wakes up & goes to bed he thinks of Brooke. They have a connection. She knows Ray still loves her & he always will. That is why he will never take his wedding ring off. This was a typical opening Impact segment. It was weak. Hulk & Sting coming out at the start of the shows every week really has that old Nitro feel to it (and that isn’t good). Brooke was horrendous here too. I’m not sure if she remembers but when her dad & Sting were in WCW THEY WERE FEUDING! Ray was the only good part of this whole segment. His promo was good as usual.   

They show they Suicide returning video package.

Kenny King is on commentary.

Suicide vs. Petey Williams vs. Petey Williams. Suicide wins when he pins Ryan. This is was solid match but these 3 Way X Division matches aren’t doing the X Division any favors.

Backstage Chris Sabin comes into James Storm’s dressing room. Sabin says MCMG & Beer Money are 2 of the greatest tag teams in TNA history. He offers to be Storm’s partner. Storm says Sabin has a chance to become X Division Champion & then he might have a chance to cash that in to become world champion (They’re gonna be doing that with the X Title this year too?). Storm doesn’t wanna hold Sabin back & they wish each other luck. This was a decent backstage segment.

Backstage Brooke asks Bully Ray what he meant when he said he still loves her. He asks what it sounds like it means. He still loves her. This wasn’t great but Ray was decent here.

Then we see Velvet & Mickie. Velvet is taping up her ankle. Mickie asks if Velvet’s ready & then she offers to ask Brooke Hogan to call of their match. Velvet says what a good friend Mickie is but Velvet doesn’t want to give Gail Kim the satisfaction of watching Velvet sit this out. Mickie asks Velvet again if she will be ok. Then they hug & tell each other how good of a friend they are to the other. This was lame.

Sam Shaw comes to the ring for his match. Alex Silva’s music plays but he doesn’t come out. Then Aces & 8s music hit & Wes Briscoe, Garrett Bischoff & Doc show up. Wes Briscoe says Shaw should be thanking Wes because he left Silva lying in the parking lot. Wes then says that he deserves to be in this gut check tournament. Then Wes, Garrett & Doc beat down Shaw for a bit and then Magnus comes out & Aces & 8s bail. Magnus says there’s something about what Wes said that doesn’t sit well with him. Aces & 8s wanna gang attack Shaw. Magnus has known him since they trained at Harley Race’s camp & Shaw is Magnus’ friend. Then Magnus talks about how Aces & 8s took him out 2 weeks ago. Wes isn’t in this tournament because he doesn’t deserve to be. What he does deserve is to get his teeth knocked down his throat right now.

Magnus vs. Wes Briscoe. Magnus wins by DQ when Garrett & Doc come in. Then Samoa Joe comes to the ring to make the save. The match was decent & it was cool to see Joe back.

Backstage we see Aces & 8s. Ray doesn’t wanna talk about Brooke. Then he says after tonight Magnus will remember Wes Briscoe’s name. Anderson asks when AJ is coming. Ray says AJ will be there. Despite some disappointments in the club AJ won’t let them down.

They show a video package of Kurt Angle at Grand Central Station in NYC. He’s there to make sure wrestling remains in the Olympics. This was kinda cool.

Kurt Angle & Ken Anderson come out for their match. Break time.

Back from break & AJ Styles comes in the building on his bike.

Kurt Angle vs. Ken Anderson. Anderson gets the pin. AJ came out during the match & Taz hugs him. This distracted Angle & then Anderson hit Angle low & got the win. This was a good back & forth match & I thought the finish made sense.

Backstage camera guy asks Gail Kim about her match at the PPV. Gail mentions all the Knockouts she took out. She should be getting the Knockouts Title match, not Mickie James. Gail’s the greatest knockout that ever existed. Then Taryn Terrell come in & attacks Gail Kim. This was decent. Gail’s promo was good & Taryn coming in & attacking was ok too.

Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez are at the announce table. Chavo is on commentary.

James Storm comes to the ring. He says last week he was given the chance to wrestle at Slammiversary with a partner of his choosing. He’s been 1 half of 2 of the greatest tag teams in TNA history. AMW & Beer Money. & he has decided to do it again because women love a good tag team wrestler. Then out come Austin Aries & Bobby Roode. Roode says Storm wants to talk about the glory days & tag team wrestling. Roode is the king of tag team wrestling. Roode says the 4 years of Beer Money were the worst 4 years of his life. Storm says it’s not his problem Roode can’t hang drinking with the cowboy. Roode says the night he hit Storm with the bottle & became world champion he was the happiest guy on the planet. Then Roode asks what joke of a partner Storm will have at the PPV. Then out come Daniels & Kazarian. Daniel says he tell a joke. 2 weeks ago they proved the dirty heels couldn’t beat them and Chavo & Hernandez have been the huskiest tag team in all of Mexico. Kaz says that Storm turned down their offer to reunite. Kaz then says whoever Storm picks will not live up to the standards of the best tag team in the business. Storm tells the guys to shut up so he can say who his partner is. Then out comes Shark Boy. Shark Boy says a little fishy told him James Storm needed a tag team partner. Storm & Shark Boy have a lot in common. They both love fishing, drinking cold beer & kicking some bass. If we the cowboy should team with the Shark Boy give him a shell yeah. Then out comes Robbie E. E tells Shark Boy that Storm doesn’t wanna team with a loser, he wants to team with someone who will help make him a champion. That someone is Robbie E. E carried Rob Terry for 2 years & he can carry Storm. The south can meet the north. He has a list of team names. Beer Bro, America’s Most Bro, Gym tan beer Bro, 2 Bros & a baby and then hairspray & drink all day. That can be their theme song. Then Gunner comes out through the crowed, slides in the ring & then takes out both Shark Boy & Robbie E. Then he puts E in the Torture Rack. Storm & Gunner face off & Storm says he will see Gunner at Slammiversary. This was a bit too long. Storm’s promo was solid, Roode was good here too and Daniels & Kazarian were solid on the mic. I’m not sure why they had Shark Boy & Robbie E in this segment. Shark Boy doing the Stone Cold bit is hokey & Robbie E reading off the list of team names was terrible.

Backstage Joseph Park wants advice from Sting about his TV Title match with Devon. He heard about getting the strap. He’s not sure if he wants that. Sting tells him that getting the strap means getting the belt. Park hopes Sting beats Ray. Sting says that next week he will team with someone to face Ray & Devon. Sting wants to team with Abyss. Joseph says he’s not sure if that can happen. Sting asks if Joseph is gonna kayfabe him. Sting then says he wants to team with Joseph because how else will justice be served. This was a weak segment & I’m sick of having Sting explain the “in words” to Park.

Knockouts Champion Velvet Sky vs. Mickie James for the Title. Mickie gets the pin to regain the title. This was a solid match.

Time for an AJ Styles video package.

Backstage we see Aces & 8s. Ray rags on D’Lo. Then Ray toast Ken Anderson for beating Angle. Then they have another toast to the guy they’re about to patch in, AJ Styles. This was ok.

Aces & 8s come to the ring. Ray asks if we know who they are. Everyone knows they’re Aces & 8s. They do what they want when they want. No one member of this club is more important than the other. They’re equals & they run TNA. When somebody in the club screws up they pay for it. D’Lo was a disappointment but there was 1 guy who proved himself, took the world by the you know what & crushed them. That’s Ken Anderson. Ray’s proud Anderson wears their colors. But tonight is about the guy they’re about to bring into their brother hood. Ray tells AJ to get in this ring right now. Out comes AJ. Ray says this a big night for AJ & the club. Everyone wanted AJ but AJ knows where the power lies. Ray wants AJ to do something he probably never expected. He knows AJ doesn’t drink but he wants AJ to drink with him. AJ can give his heart to Jesus but his soul belongs to the club. They toast & AJ chugs down the beer. Now for the important part. Ray tells Anderson to give AJ his colors. Anderson gives AJ an Aces & 8s vest. Ray tells him to put it on & tells Anderson to hold it open for him. Ray announces AJ as the newest Aces & 8s guy and then Kurt Angle comes out. He knew this day would come but he had to see it with his own eyes. AJ’s legacy just went down the crapper. Angle says that AJ disgusts him and then he tell AJ to be a part of this scumbag group. He will se AJ at the PPV anyway. Angle asks if this is what AJ wants. Ray says it is. Angle says he was talking to AJ. Ray says that he’s talking to a fellow club guy. Then AJ dawns the vest & hugs Devon. Then Angle gets in the ring and Doc & Knox beat him down a bit. Then Ray gives AJ a hammer & AJ hits Angle with it. They all raise their arms & celebrate and then AJ takes out a couple of Aces & 8s guys with the hammer and then he walks out. This ends the show. This was a solid segment but it was very predictable. Ray was great on the mic as always & I was ok with Angle coming out & ragging on AJ. The outcome though was never in doubt. They’re having AJ be the guy who walks alone & while it could be good, we have seen it before with Sting in WCW.

This was a mixed bag of a show. The opening segment was the predictable bit always starts the show off. I wish they’d ditch the old Hulk Hogan-Sting 15-20 minute promos. They’re just like how Nitro used to be. The closing segment was solid but it was very obvious that AJ wasn’t going to be in Aces & 8s. The segment with the tag teams was a bit too long. I thought that Storm, Roode, Daniels & Kazarian were all decent to solid on the mic here but having Shark Boy & Robbie in this segment was pointless. I was also surprised that Gunner returned to team with James Storm. The last time we saw Gunner he was a heel. How come the out of nowhere face turn? Velvet-Mickie was solid too & I was a bit surprised they put the title back on Mickie. Gail Kim’s promo backstage was solid also & Taryn Terrell storming in & attacking Gail was also decent. The Aces & 8s backstage segments were ok too, but that’s because they were mercifully short. I wasn’t into the Velvet-Mickie segment backstage. I thought it was weak & I also wasn’t into the Joseph Park-Sting backstage segment. I don’t get why they still have this dumb gag where Sting explains the “in words” to Joseph. Angle-Anderson good & AJ coming & having that distract Angle was decent. Wes, Garrett & Doc beating down Sam Shaw followed by Magnus coming in for the save was ok & I thought Magnus cut a decent promo here. The Magnus-Wes Briscoe match was also decent & I liked Samoa Joe coming out for the save to help out Magnus. I liked the backstage segment with James Storm & Chris Sabin too. The Ray-Brooke segment wasn’t the greatest but Ray was good. The 3 Way X Division match was solid but I’m not sure why they’re having all X Division matches be 3 Ways. So overall I thought this week’s show wasn’t great but it wasn’t terrible either.

5-20-13 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the May 20, 2013 episode of Raw

The show starts with an ambulance coming into the arena. Ryback comes out of it. He stands on top of it and says the official decision last night was no decision, so there was no real winner. Cena might’ve walked away with the title, but he didn’t walk away. He was carried away. They show the “exclusive” of Cena getting off the stretcher. Ryback says Cena refused to be put in an ambulance but he guarantees the next time Cena won’t be able to refuse. He challenges Cena to an ambulance match at Payback (are they kidding)? He says that he will take Cena to the medical facility. Then he says that a lot of the fans will skip the facility & go right to the morgue because they’re all fat pathetic weak people of society. They don’t know what it’s like waking up every day wanting to be the best. They’re all lost souls, yet they wanna be like Cena. That’s pathetic because none of them are like Cena. They don’t know anything about nutrition, education or hard work. At Payback he takes Cena to a medical facility & to the morgue & he will take the fans to the morgue too. There’s only 1 rule in life. Ryback rules. This was weak. I’m not into this feud at all. They had a great match last night, but they ruined it with the no finish. Then having Cena get off the stretcher on the post show made the whole match totally meaningless!

Chris Jericho & The Miz vs. Fandango & Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett. During the match Fandango gets the mic & says his name. Then his music plays & he Summer Rae dance in front of the announce table (what the F is this!?). Then Jericho gives Barrett a lion Sault & a code breaker. Then Miz gets Barrett in the figure 4 & Barrett taps. WINNERS- CHRIS JERICHO & THE MIZ. This is f’n stupid! Fandango’s music played throughout a good chunk of the match. Then Jericho & Miz approach Fandango but fandango bails & leaves Summer Rae on her own. Then she dance with Jericho for a bit & then waves her off whatever. WIF!? This was really idiotic! They had Fandango & Summer Rae dance at ringside & Fandango’s music played as the match was still going on! Vince has lost his mind and has no idea what the fans want! I’ll tell you what we don’t want, THIS IDIODIC CRAP!!!

This show’s only been on a half hour and it’s ALREADY MAKING MY BRAIN SPIN!!

Out comes Vickie Guerrero. As the managing supervisor of Raw she has decided that Swagger will be in a match tonight & the fans can decide who he will face by voting on the app. The choices are Khali, R-Truth & Orton (Gee I wonder who’s winning that poll). Polls open later. This was pointless too.

Backstage we see Daniel Bryan looking pissed and then Kane comes in and asks if Daniel’s ready. Daniel says it finally hit him that he is not the tag team champions. Kane is not the tag team champions. They’re not the tag champions. Kane says that Daniel’s negativity is not working & Daniel says that’s coming from the guy who said to embrace the hate. He feels naked without the titles. Kane says Daniel’s not wearing a shirt or pants. Daniel asks how Kane can make jokes. Kane says because he is confident. They get a rematch but they can’t show weakness because The Shield preys on vulnerability. Daniels asks Kane if he’s saying he’s the weak link on the team, he has a match later. Then they go back and forth for a bit and then Kofi comes in. Daniel leaves. This was a bit weak. I liked Daniel asking Kane how he can make jokes after The Shield beat them for the titles though. Kane making the jokes & telling Daniel to suppress the hate or whatever was very un Kane like.

They show Mark Henry on last night’s post show walking out of the trainer’s room. Josh asks him where he’s going. Henry says that he’s going home. Is Mark going to be taking some time off too?

Sheamus vs. Titus O’Neil. Sheamus gets the pin. During the match Darren Young went after Sheamus but Sheamus sent him into the barricade. Then Titus clotheslined Sheamus. Later on in the match Sheamus went for a springboard but Darren tripped him. Then Sheamus gave Titus White Noise & got all pumped, pounded his chest & then gave Titus the Brogue Kick for the pin. This was longer than I thought it would be & I was surprised that Titus got any offense in. However, there was never any doubt that Sheamus was winning this. WINNER –SHEAMUS.

This has been a terrible show so far!

Paul Heyman comes to the ring. (I really hope this is gonna be good)! He says when it’s a eyman guy who exposes the heroes he gets booed by the fans. He tells them Hey HHeyman guy who exposes the heroes the fans boo him. He tells them to get it out of their system & boo him all they want. Heyman says Brock beat HHH in a cage last night. History will show that Brock was victorious & that HHH will go down in history against Lesnar as the loser. Tonight Lesnar is enjoying the spoils of war & HHH had to tuck his sledge hammer between his legs & go home. It takes a desperate man to bring a sledge hammer into a cage match against Lesnar. What will Heyman do now that Lesnar has fulfilled his contractual obligation? Then he says it’s time for something different. It’s time to give the fans a moment in time that they will look back on in 10 years. The fans are there tonight live to witness history. Now is the time to hit record because he gives to us the newest Paul Heyman guy. It’s Michael McGuillicutty (I gotta admit I wasn’t expecting this. I really hope they start pushing him now)! He gets in the ring & hugs Heyman. Heyman thanks the fans & says they’ve proven him right again. He warned his client about the reaction he would get. They gave Heyman the same reaction they gave him in 2002 when he first introduced Brock. This is the same reaction he got in 2006 when he presented CM Punk back in the WWE version of ECW. Everyone is saying Michael has such a pedigree going for him. Heyman asks why he isn’t a main event super start already. He says it’s because in WWE a legacy is not something that gives you nepotistic opportunities. It’s an albatross that hangs around your neck. Michael is a third generation superstar & wants to make his own name in WWE. So they have bestowed upon him a new name & brand that will be known around the world as Curtis Axel. He says the fans weren’t paying attention so he says his name again. Then out comes HHH. Hunter says Heyman can really whip up a batch of Kool-Aid. He tells Curtis the adults are talking. HHH says Heyman can put whatever spin he wants on last night, but he isn’t embarrassed about what happened last night. He went to war with Brock & Brock beat him just like he beat Brock at WrestleMania. But Brock didn’t walk away from the battle, he limped away from it. Then HHH says it would make him happy to beat the living crap out of Heyman just because he can. Joe Hennig takes the mic & says HHH doesn’t understand. The game around here has changed. Hennig tells HHH if he wants to talk Heyman, he should talk to him first. HHH slaps him. HHH just changed his mind. First he will have a match tonight with Joe. Then when he gets done kicking his ass he will kick Heyman’s. This was easily the best part of the show so far! Heyman was great on the mic as usual. I was really shocked that Joe Hennig was the new Paul Heyman guy & I’m really hoping they start giving him a push now! HHH was good here too. I also liked Curtis (As he’s now being called) coming out to a rendition of his dad’s old theme music. Heyman said a lot here and it was really hard to keep up with everything. My apologies.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Big E Langston. Langston gets the pin. This was a decent match &  I was surprised Langston won. I’m not sure why they had him beat the number 1 contender for the world title.

Layla vs. AJ Lee. AJ wins by submission. This was a typical Divas match. Not much to this. I like that AJ uses the octopus submission as her finisher though.

Zack Ryder vs. Cody Rhodes. Cody gets the pin. This was short but decent match. Then out comes Ryback. Cody bails, Ryback then gets in the ring & walks around Ryder. Then Ryder gets to his knees & Ryback clotheslines him & then gives him a power bomb. Then he picks up Ryder & gives him the marching muscle buster/shellshock. Then he chucks Ryder out of the ring. Then he picks Ryder up again & carries him all the way to the ambulance & then throws Ryder in the back of it. Then they ambulance rides out of the arena. Ok so Ryback beat the crap out of Ryder. Who doesn’t these days? I get that they’re trying to make Ryback credible for his next match with Cena but it doesn’t work for me.

The Shield comes out through the crowed. Reigns & Rollins say their names & Ambrose says they’re the tag champions. He says his name & that he is the U.S. Champion. Last night they brought power back to these titles. They’re the reason why Rock lost at Mania & he had to get surgery. Taker didn’t believe & they took him out too. They also broke  Ryback to the point that Ryback felt betrayed & turned on Cena. They were the reason that Cena was almost taken out in an ambulance. All the heroes will go down 1 by 1 by the swift hand of justice. Rollins says he heard that justice is blind but after what they did last night justice can see just fine & the fans can see what a cohesive unit looks like. They can also see the meaning of unbreakable. You can see the future. The scary part is this is just beginning. Reigns says the ending stays the same. You put anyone in front of them they take them out. The hounds of justice run this yard & they have the gold to back it up. Ambrose says the fire of justice is burning bright & they are the flames. Believe in The Shield. Then out come Kane & Daniel Bryan. The Shield will face Kane, Daniel & Kofi in a 6 man tag next. This was a good promo from The Shield.

Kofi Kingston, Kane & Daniel Bryan vs. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose and WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns. The Shield wins when Reigns pins Kane. This was a really good back & forth match & just as good as the Heyman-Curtis-HHH segment.

Backstage we see HHH taping up his hands. Then a medic comes in & tells him the Doc said HHH can’t compete tonight. HHH tells the guy (Whose name is Larry) to tell the doc that if he doesn’t want him to get in the ring then he can seek employment elsewhere. This was a decent & short backstage segment.

Backstage we Kaitlyn & Natalya. Kaitlyn now has a cell number from the admirer. Natalya says Khali can find out who it is. Then Cody comes by & Kaitlyn grabs his phone to see if it’s him. He asks what her problem is. She says she’s glad it’s not him. This was pointless. This angle is terrible.

Jack Swagger & Zeb Coulter come to the ring & we’ll find out who the fans picked to wrestle Swagger next. King gets the mic & says that over 150,000 votes were cast to find out who will face Swagger. Who’d they vote for? No surprise Randy Orton.

Randy Orton vs. Jack Swagger. Orton gets the pin. This was a good match too but I wasn’t surprised Orton won.

Triple H vs. Curtis Axel. Triple H got woozy during the match & threw water on his face, but he sat back in the chair as the medics checked on him. He goes to get back up but he falls. The fans chant Triple H. Medics & the referee help out Triple H & 1 of the medics tells Triple H that he has to listen to his Dr. This ends the show. I get that they had Triple H sell the beating that he took from Brock last night, but at the same time they really didn’t focus on Curtis Axel that much. They give they guy a new name & Heyman as his manager & all the focus was on HHH. This wasn’t bad but it could’ve been better.  

This week’s show had its ups & downs for sure. The Ryback promo at the start of the show was weak & the Cena-Ryback feud hasn’t been clicking for me. The HHH-Curtis Axel match at the end wasn’t really much of a match. This was more about HHH selling the beating that he took from Lesnar. I get that they wanted to do that but why have Joe Hennig return with a new name & Heyman as his manager and then not have much camera time at the end of the show. They could’ve had Curtis go after HHH outside the ring & ended the show with Curtis beating down HHH. That would’ve gotten Curtis Axel over. That said I did like the Heyman-Curtis-HHH segment from earlier in the show. Heyman was great on the mic as usual & HHH was good here too. I also liked that Curtis got in Triple H’s face. I’m really hoping that this new gimmick for Joe Hennig will lead to a push. The Shield promo was also good & I really enjoyed the 6 man tag. Orton-Swagger was good too but it wasn’t surprising to me that Orton won. Del Rio-Langston was decent, the Jericho & Miz vs. Fandango & Wade Barrett match was awful. Having Fandango & Summer Rae dance during the match was really idiotic! Then Jericho dancing with Rae & then telling her to talk to the hand was stupid too. Sheamus-Titus was longer than I thought it would be but there was no doubt that Sheamus was winning there. The Kaitlyn-Natalya-Cody bit backstage was pointless. That whole unknown admirer angle is lame. Layla-AJ wasn’t much but I like that AJ uses the Octopus as her finisher. Ryder-Cody was decent but I knew Cody was winning since Ryder never does. I wasn’t into Ryback flattening Ryder & throwing him in the ambulance. I wasn’t really into the Kane-Daniel Bryan-Kofi Kingston backstage bit either. Having Kane tell Daniel that the negativity wasn’t working wasn’t Kane like. I liked the short backstage bit where HHH told the medic that he was gonna wrestle no matter what the doc said. Overall though I thought this was a very hit & miss show.

5-17-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the May 17, 2013 episode of Smackdown

The show starts with Miz TV. He welcomes everyone to the return of the most must see talk show in WWE history. Tonight his 2 guests are bitter rivals that will go 1 on 1 this Sunday at Extreme Rules. Extreme Rules will be very memorable but Miz wants to make tonight memorable too. Miz brings out Orton first and then Big Show. Miz says Orton & Big Show will collide in an extreme rules match, which means anything goes (Duh). Miz says that Orton & Big Show have had issues since WrestleMania and that makes this match 1 of the most anticipated at Extreme Rules. Big Show beat Tensai last week but right after that the viper struck. They reshow Big Show giving Tensai the KO punch that was followed by Orton coming in & giving Big Show an RKO. Then Miz tells Big Show that Orton left him lying in the middle of the ring from an RKO. Is this a preview of what’s going to happen at Extreme Rules? Big Show says that he would expect a weasel like Miz to make a statement like that. The only way that Orton was able to hit him with an RKO was from behind like the snake in the grass that Orton is. He attacked Big Show at WrestleMania & he attacked Big Show in his match against Tensai. At Extreme Rules there are no rules. Big Show can use anything that he wants to to rip Orton apart. Big Show doesn’t need weapons like Orton does. He has his weapons attached to the ends of his wrists. So in Orton’s home town St. Louis the last thing that people are gonna remember is that rather than an RKO there will be a TKO. Orton says that’s a very interesting & entertaining story. There’s 1 thing though, the ending is inaccurate. This Sunday Extreme Rules does take place in St. Louis, Orton’s home town. If Big Show thinks for 1 second that Orton will let him beat him in his home town, let Show knock him out in front of his friends, family & his city, not a chance. Orton then says that the reason why he & Big Show are at each other’s throats is because Orton made the mistake of trusting him. Big Show tells Orton to trust when he says that the only thing anyone will remember about Sunday in his home town is how the viper struck down the giant. If Big Show isn’t careful he just might not get back up. Out come Jack Swagger & Zeb Coulter. Zeb says, “Excuse me for breaking up this little therapy session” & says that Orton & Big Show both have it wrong. Zeb agrees that Sunday night will be a memorable night but it won’t be because of anything Orton & Show do. It will be because Jack Swagger is gonna make Alberto Del Rio say 2 words, I quit. If Del Rio prefers then he can say it in his native tongue. Then Zeb says there will be no more sneaking from behind to attack Jack Swagger. Sunday night people are gonna remember that will be the night that Jack Swagger’s America becomes a reality & he emerges as the number 1 contender for the world title. If you listen closely you’re gonna thousands of real Americans rising to their feet & saying in unison, “We the People.” Then out come Del Rio & Ricardo. Del Rio tells Zeb to shut up. Everyone’s tired of hearing Zeb talk, so Del Rio will make this clear to him & everyone. The only thing people will remember this Sunday is, then Ricardo says, “Alberto Del Rio” and then Del Rio says becoming the number 1 contender because this Sunday he will make Swagger say I quit. As for Zeb, Del Rio will make sure that he goes back to wherever he came from so that he never ever sneaks into Del Rio’s business again. Then out comes Mark Henry. Henry hears them all taking about what’s gonna be remembered on Sunday. What will be remembered is Mark Henry the World’s strongest man setting records by pulling semis. What people will also remember is Henry throwing, dragging & beating Sheamus like no one who has ever beaten him in his life. Then Henry gets in the ring & says that what people will remember is that he is the strongest man in the world because that’s what he does. Then out comes Sheamus. He says that everyone is talking about how their matches at Extreme Rules will be the most memorable. Then Sheamus tells “lumpy” that their match at Extreme rules will easily be the most memorable, especially when he leaves Henry’s giant carcass battered & bruised with welts & marks in the middle of that ring. Then of course Sheamus says why wait till Sunday to create a memory? He takes out a strap & says they can show a preview of their match right now. Sheamus gets in the ring & clears the ring of the heels with his strap. This was the same long winded segment that Smackdown always starts with except that this time Teddy Long didn’t come out & say that the faces will meet the heels in a 6 man tag in tonight’s main event, but you know that’s going to happen anyway.

Back to the show & Teddy Long comes out. He doesn’t know about all the fans but after what he saw just happen he is ready for Extreme Rules. So in tonight’s main event Big Show will team up with Jack Swagger & Mark Henry & they will face Del Rio, Orton & Sheamus. There it is. I knew Long was gonna make a 6 man since that’s what always happens every time Smackdown starts with a long winded promo with a number of guys in the ring. Only this time Long came out after the segment to announce the match.

The Shield come out through the crowed. Rollins & Reigns will be in a tag match next. They’ll be facing The Usos.

The Usos vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns. Rollins & Reigns win when Reigns pins Jimmy. This was a short but decent match & it was no surprise that Rollins & Reigns won. Afterwards The Shield stomps on Jimmy but then Kofi Kingston comes out. Of course The Shield get the upper hand & toss Kofi out of the ring. Then as The Shield were going to give Jimmy (I think that’s who it was) the triple power bomb, Kofi gets back in the ring with a chair & runs The Shield off. I have mixed feeling about this. I liked that Kofi was intense here but having The Shield run off made them look a bit weak.

Backstage Teddy Long tells The Miz that Miz sure knows how to stir the pot & most of all they got themselves 1 heck of a main event. He welcomes Miz back to Smackdown & says he’s been missed. Miz thanks Teddy and then says that the way things broke down out there Miz feels like he never left. Then Damien Sandow comes in. He has a thought. He says that we would all be better off if Miz had never returned, so that this way we can all bask in the glory of a host with a sense of taste & direction as opposed to a card carrying ignoramus who’s actions incited a near riot this evening. He proposes this to Theodore, The Damien Sandow Show. Miz says really. Then Sandow says that in his benevolence he has decided to give Long the first opportunity to help him produce it. “You’re welcome.” Long will take that under consideration but as for tonight Sandow need to show Long what he can do out there in that ring against The Miz. Then Long throws out a you’re welcome. Sandow walks out in disgust. This was a decent backstage segment.

Time for a look back at The Shield giving Cena the triple power bomb followed by Ryback hitting Cena in the injured ankle with a chair.

Tons of Funks vs. The Primetime Players. Tons of Funk win when Brodus pins Darren. This was mostly a squash.

Chris Jericho vs. Antonio Cesaro. Jericho wins by submission. This was a really good back & forth match and easily the best Cesaro’s had in a while. Afterwards Fandango’s music plays & Summer Rae comes out on the stage and then Fandango comes in the ring & goes after Jericho from behind but Jericho catches him & pounds on him. Then Cesaro gets up but Jericho knocks him back down & Fandango bails. Then Jericho gives Cesaro a code breaker. Who’d Cesaro piss off to get the jobber treatment!?

Cody Rhodes is on commentary.

The Miz vs. Damien Sandow. Miz wins by submission. During the match Cody took the mic told the fans that they need to stand up & show some respect for Sandow. Then Cody got on the apron but Miz punched him off. Then Sandow went for a back drop but Miz rolled out of that and then got Sandow in the figure 4 for the win. This was a solid match but Sandow is also being booked as a jobber. He deserves better.

They show a backstage bit with Natalya & Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn says that Naomi & Cameron think this admirer bit is creepy. Natalya doesn’t think so, she thinks it’s romantic & sweet. Then some guy comes win with flowers & a set of gloves for Kaitlyn. Natalya mentions how gorgeous the flowers are while Kaitlyn digs the gloves. This whole unknown admirer story is meaningless.

Divas Champion Kaitlyn vs. Aksana. Kaitlyn gets the pin. This was ok. It was a typical Divas match. Not much to it.

Time for a video package on the Triple H-Brock Lesnar feud. Then we have a look back at the Triple H-Brock Lesnar segment from the end of Raw.

Alberto Del Rio, Randy Orton & Sheamus vs. Jack Swagger, Big Show & Mark Henry. Del Rio, Orton & Sheamus win when Orton pins Swagger. This was a good match. The faces pose in the ring to end the show.

I thought this was a decent show overall. The opening Miz TV segment was the usual long winded promo segment that usually starts Smackdown & Teddy Long announcing the 6 man tag was predictable. I did like the 6 man tag however. I thought there was a lot of back & forth action here. Jericho-Cesaro was really good but it’s such a shame that Cesaro is being buried. Fandango sneaking up on Jericho only for Jericho to get the upper hand was ok too. The Long-Miz-Sandow backstage segment was ok too. I thought Sandow mentioning having his own talk show was kinda comical. The Miz-Sandow match was solid also but like Cesaro he too is being buried. I have no idea why. I thought Cody getting on the mic & telling the fans to show respect for Sandow was good too. Kaitlyn-Aksana was your typical Divas match, there wasn’t much to it. The Kaitlyn-Natalya bit was weak too. This whole angle with Kaitlyn having an unknown admirer is meaningless. Tons of Funk-Prime Time Players was mostly a squash, The Usos vs. Rollins & Reigns was short but decent & it was no surprise that Reigns & Rollins won. So on the whole I was ok with this week’s show & they did an ok job with final build to the Extreme Rules PPV.