11-25-13 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the November 25, 2013 Raw

The show starts with Randy Orton coming to the ring. He thinks he is owed an apology from all the doubting fans who thought he wouldn’t still be champion. HHH & Stephanie will join him & he tells everyone to welcome them. Out come HHH & Stephanie. HHH congratulates Orton, he & Stephanie couldn’t be more pleased with Orton’s win. When HHH picked Orton to be the future 10 years ago he knew he had the potential. Stephanie says they gave him motivation. They planted seeds of doubt & Orton reached down inside & won. Plus it’s always nice when she & HHH are right. Orton says Stephanie made this about herself. He didn’t need their help to prove he’s the face of WWE but they came out when it looked like he was about to lose. HHH says they didn’t interfere physically. They came to ringside because it looked like there would be a new champion. Orton says he can take care of himself. He took everything Show had unlike someone else he knows. Orton got the job done & slayed the giant because he is the face of WWE. He’s the greatest star in the 50 years of WWE & no one can take that from him. Out comes John Cena. Cena says he’s the world champion & Orton’s the guy who slayed the giant & the guy who looks like a giant…Then Stephanie cuts him off & asks Cena what he wants. He wants them to listen to the fans. He says they chant for Daniel Bryan because they’re sick of guys like Orton being confused little boys. Then Cena asks who is champion. The way he sees it there are 2 champions. Time to cut through the administrative B.S. & there should only be 1 champion. Orton protest but Cena cuts him off & says this is about the 2 of them. This is a match 11 years in the making. Cena challenges Orton 2 a title unification match.  Stephanie says they’ve been talking about that for a while. Orton then accuses HHH & Stephanie of plotting against him. HHH tells Orton to grow up. Then HHH says that at TLC the World Title & the WWE Title will both be hung above the ring. History will be made when Orton faces Cena in a TLC match. I’m all for unifying the 2 world titles but we’ve seen Cena vs. Orton God knows how often! Come on WWE give us a different match! I’m kinda surprised they’re having this match at TLC, but HHH never actually said this would be a title unification match. If it isn’t then hanging the belts above the ring will be pointless.

WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes and Rey Mysterio vs. The Shield. The Shield wins when Ambrose pins Cody. This was a solid match.

Tonight the fans can pick the stip for a Dolph-Sandow rematch. A Strong Island street fight, a Long Island Lumber jack match or a Hampton Hardcore match. Why are these 2 gonna be a pointless gimmick match again?

The Miz is in the ring for Miz TV. UGH! Tonight his guest is a super bowl champion & is 1 of New York’s most beloved & accomplished athletes, etc. He introduces Michael somebody but out comes Titus O’Neill dressed like this guy. Miz says the guy never looked so good. Then Titus talks like this guy saying how much of an honor it is to be on Raw & in the ring with a Mania main eventer. This is entirely pointless. Miz rags on whoever this guy is; asking what’s with the gap between his teeth, who cares, this is stupid! “Michael O’Neil” says there’s 1 guy who has a lot of personality & charisma, he’s talking about Titus O’Neill. Then out comes the real guy. Michael thanks Titus & Miz. They were “great” but their jokes were weak (That’s a mild way of saying it). Michael rags on Titus for a bit. WWE is all about fun (which I’m not having recapping this). The guy thanks WWE for letting him be the guest host. Tonight there will be a “double team, tag team main event.” Orton & Del Rio will face Big Show & John Cena. (That was predictable). Miz says this guy’s a great host. Miz is also a host & he also performs in this ring every week. Can Michael “Hack it” against Miz? Michael says Kelly Rippa is tougher than Miz. Miz is the most must see WWE guy. There’s a lot of pointless yapping here! Then Titus tells Michael if Miz gives him a simple move he might not make it to Kelly Rippa. Miz asks if Michael can handle a hip toss. Michael’s all for it. Titus says he’s available to be on with Kelly if Michael isn’t available. They tackle or something. Then Titus takes his jacket off & Miz asks the fans if they think Titus can hip toss Michael. Michael attempts a hip toss but Titus doesn’t move. They say more pointless crap & Michael hip tosses Miz. Then Michael & Titus do the millions of dollars dance & then Michael hip tosses Titus. Then all 3 guys to the millions dance. WHAT WAS THIS!? I thought Miz was a heel again! This segment was beyond idiotic! I have no idea who this football player is, I have no idea why Titus came out dressed like him & I have no idea why they had this idiotic segment on this show! TERRIBLE!!!!

Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston & Mark Henry vs. Curtis Axel & Ryback. Big E & Henry win when Henry pins Axel. This wasn’t much. I have no idea why they had this match. They took the 2 singles matches from last night & made a tag match! WHY?

There’s also gonna be a 7 on 7 Divas elimination rematch from last night too. WHAT!?

WHAT IS WITH THIS PLACE!? THEY TAKE 4 SINGLES MATCHES FROM LAST NIGHT & MAKE THEM 2 TAG MATCHES TONIGHT & THEY’RE HAVING THAT DIVAS ELIMINATION MATCH AGAIN!? I’m running out of things to say about the insanity that goes on in this company. What’s the point of the PPVs if you’re gonna have the same matches on Raw the next night?

Time for the Total Divas vs. Regular Divas elimination match. * Brie pins Aksana * Nikki pins Rosa *Tamina pins Naomi * Tamina pins Cameron * Jo Jo pins Tamina (Are they kidding) * Alicia pins Jo Jo * Eva Marie pins Alicia * Natalya makes Kaitlin tap * AJ pins Natalya * Brie pins AJ * Nikki pins Summer Rae. WINNERS – EVA MARIE & THE BELLAS. This match was totally pointless! Why’d they have the same match that they had on a PPV last night?

Time for a video package on the Dolph-Sandow Broadway Brawl. Why are they reminding us of this? Anyway, their rematch is next. Yay.

Damien Sandow & Jerry Lawler are in the ring. King says we’re about to find out what the fans picked. Then Sandow says that he is above this. He shouldn’t be forced to be in a circus like condition match that’s decided by the halfwit fans. You’re welcome. Time to find what the fans picked. Hampton Hardcore. Dolph comes out along with production guys who are carrying “weapons.” This is gonna be just as weird as last week.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow in a Hampton Hardcore match. Sandow gets the pin. This was just as pointless as last week’s gimmick brawl. I hope they don’t have a tie breaker next week.

Time for a sneak peak at the movie The Miz is in, Christmas Bounty. Then they show a female costar in the front row.

Backstage we see Santino & the football player doing idiotic comedy stuff. Then in comes Erik Rowan. He gives Michael a sheep mask & Michael puts it on. He & Rowan then stare at each other through the sheep masks. Rowan leaves, Santino asks Michael if Rowan is gone. Then Santino gives Michael another sheep mask & says more idiotic stuff about Thanksgiving & turkey. This was terrible! Why is a member of The Wyatt Family in a comedy bit? This was pointless.

Renee Young is in the ring. She brings out CM Punk & Daniel Bryan. Renee congratulates them on their win. She also wants their thoughts on their handicap match later. Punk asks if they survived last night. Daniel says yes. Punk asks if the deck is stacked against them because they have to face all 3 members of The Wyatt family. Daniel says yes. Then Punk asks if the silver lining in this is that they get to face Bray. Daniel again says yes. Then Punk asks if their name should be Greatest of all time (G.O.A.T) or the beard & the best. Daniel then says that’s not a yes or no question (That was funny. Then Punk asks was if it was weird that Renee had a mic but wasn’t saying anything (That was funny too). Tonight they have a handicap match with The Wyatt family. Handicap matches seem to be the authority’s way of fixing things. You can put any body against the beard & the best. The Bushwhackers, The Rock N’ Roll Express, Midnight Express, Colt Cabana, etc. It doesn’t matter how many people you put in front of them because they’ll take them all out. Then Daniels says that Bray isn’t gonna stop with his mind games till he has finished him & Punk but they won’t let that happen. There’s only 1 question left. What time is it? Punk says it’s clobbering time. Then The Wyatt Family Tron comes on & they come out. Break time. This was a good in ring promo. Punk & Daniel were entertaining here. Punk said a lot & it was hard to keep up with everything he said!

Back from break & it is time for the handicap match.

Daniel Bryan & CM Punk vs. The Wyatt Family. Daniel & Punk win by DQ when the referee calls for the bell after The Wyatt Family kept attacking Daniel & Punk.

Then Bray & Rowan pull Daniel out of the ring & Harper clotheslines Punk. Then they send Daniel into the ring barrier. Then Rowan picks up Daniel & The Wyatt Family walks up the ramp. Then Punk comes to but then out of nowhere Reigns comes in & spears him. Then The Shield stands over Punk. Then they throw him back in the ring & give him the triple power bomb. This was good. I wasn’t too into The Wyatt Family taking Daniel but I liked having The Shield come out of nowhere & attack Punk. It looks like Daniel Punk will be feuding with 2 trio factions.

Backstage we see The Miz & his female costar. She asks if he’s ready for his match tonight. He’s ready. Whatever. This was pointless.

Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz. Miz gets the pin. This was solid but what was the point of having Miz cleanly pin Kofi 2 nights in a row?

Mick Foley plugs WWE merchandise. He plugged this as himself, Dude Love & Mankind. What no Cactus Jack? This was pretty funny though.

Jerry Lawler interviews a guy in the front row. The guy says his wrestling name would be The Kosher Butcher & his finisher would be the circumcision. They also had a Kosher Butcher t-shirt. This was weird.

R-Truth’s in the ring. He says he & Brodus had a talk. They came up with something to give a brother a chance. Tonight courtesy of Brodus Clay & himself, accompanied by Naomi & Cameron he gives us Xavier Woods. Now Naomi & Cameron are seconding Truth & Woods. Who’d Brodus & Tensai tick off?

Xavier Woods vs. Heath Slater. Woods gets the pin. This was ok.

They show a video package on Saturday Night’s Main Event as part of the 50 years of WWE DVD. This was when the product was good.

Backstage we see the football player with The Bella Twins. He signs a couple of footballs for them. The leave & then in come Naomi & Cameron. He signs their footballs too. They leave & then in comes Eva Marie. She asks if he’s watched “her show” Total Divas. She leaves & then Goldust comes in & does a bit of his shtick. This was pointless too.

They plug 2k14.

Then we see Michael the football player being all buddy-buddy with Cena.

World Champion John Cena & Big Show vs. WWE Champion Randy Orton & Alberto Del Rio. Cena & Show win when Cena makes Del Rio tap. Big Show is all loopy & a Dr. comes in to check on him. Then Show makes a slight come back before Orton gives him a DDT. Then Show tags in Cena. Then Cena gets Del Rio in the STF & Del Rio taps. WINNERS – JOHN CENA & BIG SHOW.

Then Del Rio kicks away on Cena. Then Del Rio was going for the arm breaker but Cena got Del Rio up on his shoulders & then Orton hits Cena with the WWE belt. Then Orton grabs both titles, gets in the ring, stands over Cena & holds both belts up to end the show. The match was ok but Del Rio got to be the job guy here.

I felt like this week’s show was bad on purpose. There was a lot of pointless idiocy on this show plus the matches were either different variations of last night’s PPV matches or actual rematches from the PPV. The Daniel & Punk promo was good. Daniel & Punk were great like usual. The handicap match they had with The Wyatt Family was also good. I’m not sure what they’re gonna have The Wyatt Family do with Daniel. I also liked that The Shield came out of nowhere & attacked Punk. That was easily the best part of this week’s show. The rest of it was terrible for the most part. That’s all I got to say about this week’s show.

11-22-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the November 22, 2013 Smackdown

The show starts with WWE tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. The Real Americans for the Titles. Goldust & Cody win when Goldust pins Swagger. This match was awesome & a great way to kick off Smackdown!

Ryback is in the ring. He says that being a bully is not a bad thing. He’s been one all his life & he enjoys being a bully. He enjoys pushing people around. When he looks at all the average “feed me morons” fans he can push them around & there’s nothing any of them can do about it. That’s not a bad thing for Ryback the human wrecking ball. He’s issuing an open challenge to anyone who is man enough. Out comes Khali.  

Great Khali vs. Ryback. Ryback gets the pin. This was the kinda match you’d expect from these 2.

Backstage they show Tamina & AJ. AJ talks about how she will be Divas Champion forever. Then Vickie Guerrero comes by. She tells AJ that she apologized to HHH & Stephanie for what happened on Raw. Everyone knows this was all Brad’s fault. But AJ was only ding what HHH & Stephanie asked her to do. Vickie is just a GM & was easy to beat. Then Vickie brings up the 7 on 7 tag team elimination Divas match for Survivor Series & how huge this is (That match will be painful). AJ’s team is represented by women that are not on Total Divas. AJ needs to show her team mates what kind of a fierce leader she is. So tonight Vickie is having AJ face Naomi & Cameron in a handicap match. AJ says that she’s not medically cleared to compete her ankle was injured, etc. Vickie talked to the Dr. & he doesn’t get where her ankle wasn’t injured. So per doctor’s orders AJ is medically cleared. Then AJ asks if Vickie is trying to punish her. Then AJ calls Vickie spiteful, ungrateful & vindictive. Vickie then says that she isn’t trying to punish AJ. She is just doing what’s best for business. Tamina & AJ walk off as Vickie laughs. This was lame. Monday AJ was the baby face against Vickie & now she is back to being the heel tonight.

They show a video of John Cena visiting Oxford University.

Naomi & Cameron vs. Divas Champion AJ Lee. Naomi & Cameron win when Naomi gets the pin. This wasn’t much. Tamina got involved & took out Cameron, so this was mostly Naomi vs. AJ.

Backstage we see The Wyatt Family. Bray says that what happened to him was real. He felt it. Now when he closes his eyes he sees memories that aren’t his own, but it made him understand that the world needs less revolutionaries & more revolutions. How can anyone possibly understand this? People like Punk & Daniel can walk into a building anywhere & people’s eyes light up as if they’re watching some mythological beast walking into a room. They say things like, “Can you believe this? It’s CM Punk & Daniel Bryan. They’re right here before us, etc.” Punk & Daniel are men who bleed the same way everyone does yet the fans treat them both as so much more. Like they have the power to lead the world on some mystical revolution, some wonderful promise land that doesn’t exist. Bray’s dad told him when he was a kid that the meek shall inherit the Earth 1 day. They’re the reapers walking upright & they are guided by “her” hand. Follow the Buzzards. This was a good promo but I couldn’t hear some of what Bray was saying.

Rey Mysterio & The Usos vs. The Shield. Mysterio & The Usos win when Mysterio pins Ambrose. This was a solid match.

Big Show is in the ring. He says that despite what HHH & Stephanie would say; that he came back for a paycheck, that’s not true. He came back to make HHH & Stephanie’s lives a living hell. The best way that he can do that is to rearrange the face of WWE & become the new WWE Champion. It’s been almost 10 years since Big Show has been WWE Champion. This could be his last opportunity. This Sunday when Big Show steps in that ring at Survivor Series he is laying it all on the line. He’s bringing every choke slam…Then Randy Orton’s music hits & out comes the champion. Orton says there are no maybes about it. Big Show’s finished. Big Show had a good career & will be a first ballot Hall of Famer but he is all washed up. The only reason that Big Show got his job back & is facing Orton for the title is because he filed a law suit like some kind of coward. Then Orton says that Big Show thought that he got 1 over on HHH & Stephanie but he didn’t. The only reason they brought Big Show back was to punish him. This Sunday Orton will punish Big Show. Then Big Show says that Orton’s real tough talking 50 yards away. Why doesn’t Orton get in the ring, get all up in Big Show’s face just like he did to HHH &Stephanie this past Monday. Then they reshow the Orton-HHH-Stephanie backstage office bits from Raw. Then Big Show says that it looks like someone went to mom & dad 1 too many times. Then Big Show says that Randy Orton has all the talent in the world & should be a locker room leader. Orton should be the face of WWE & it should’ve happened years ago. All Orton’s ever done is what is best of Randy Orton. Orton bid his time & waited till somebody handed him the WWE Title. Now Orton’s all alone. When Big Show gets his hands on him this Sunday no one’s coming to save Orton. No one will be his rescue. The sad truth is that Orton isn’t the face of WWE. He is just a spoiled brat. Orton says that he is not a spoiled brat & can beat Big Show by himself. He will beat Big Show without anybody’s help. Big Show figured that Orton might say that so let’s what’s happened every time the 2 of them are alone. Then they show a video package of Big Show choke slamming Orton through the announce table. Then Big Show tells Orton to hold onto that championship real tight. That title is the only thing that defines him as a man. This Sunday Big Show will take what Orton covets most. This Sunday Big Show is taking that WWE Title. This was solid but I thought it was a bit long. Big Show cut a good promo. He showed intensity but Orton’s promo was a bit weak.

Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston & Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow & Curtis Axel. Big E & Dolph win when Big E pins Sandow. This was solid but kind of on the short side.

Then Axel gets the IC belt & goes to hit Big E with it but Big E ducks & Axel rolls out of the ring.   

They reshow the video package of fans getting WrestleMania 30 tickets.

Backstage Renee Young interviews Alberto Del Rio. Renee would like to take this opportunity to remind the fans what has happened between Del Rio & Cena these past few weeks. They reshow Del Rio attacking Cena’s arm from Raw 2 weeks ago & then they reshow him putting Cena through the arm wrestling table from last week’s Smackdown. Then Renee says that Del Rio wasn’t the only 1 to get the upper hand. This past Monday Cena drew Del Rio into the ring. Then they reshow the Cena-Del Rio segment from Raw. Then Del Rio says that he wasn’t ready. He never saw that coming, but if he wanted to hurt Cena he could have. Del Rio’s done enough to that perro. Cena stole his world title. If Cena wants to say that his arm is ok that’s good. He tells Cena to enjoy his moment from Raw but hiding behind a sling won’t help Cena this Sunday. At Survivor Series there’re no more fun & games. Del Rio will hurt Cena & he will hurt him bad. In 2 days Cena is tapping out. Del Rio will take back what is his, that being the World Title. This was a solid Del Rio promo. He was a lot more subdued than usual.

Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper. Daniel gets the pin. This was a solid match. Daniel was outside the ring, Bray & Rowan were standing over him. Then Punk’s music played & he came out. He had a stare down with Harper. Then Daniel rolled up Harper for the pin.

Then Harper gives Daniel the big boot. Rowan goes to clothesline Punk, but Punk ducks & goes after Bray. Then Rowan grabs Punk from behind & Bray punches him. Then Rowan throws Punk in the ring & Harper clotheslines Punk. Then Rowan gets in the ring & splashes Daniel in the corner. Then Bray gets in the ring. Harper & Rowan hold up Daniel & then Bray gives him Sister Abigail. Then Bray kneels over Daniel & Punk & says follow the buzzards. This ends the show. This was good. They actually did a solid job in the final build to this match.

Before I get into my overall thoughts there was a match where the Primetime Players beat 2 of the 3MB guys that they apparently decided to cut out. 3MB were also dressed like the Freebirds.    

I thought this was a solid show overall. I loved the tag title match! That was easily my favorite part of the show. Bray’s promo was the usual weird & creepy kinda promo that we get from him & that was solid also. I also liked the Daniel-Harper match & the post-match attack by The Wyatts to Punk & Daniel at the end. Alberto Del Rio’s backstage promo was solid also. He was more subdued here than he usually is & I thought that made the promo better. The Naomi & Cameron vs. AJ match was short & what you’d expect from a divas match. The same for Khali-Ryback. The Big Show-Randy Orton promo was solid but I thought it was a bit too long. Big Show cut a good promo, showing a lot of intensity but Orton’s promo didn’t do it for me. Big E & Dolph vs. Axel & Sandow was solid too & of course Sandow lost cleanly. Mysterio & The Usos vs. The Shield was solid too. Overall I thought they did a bit more to interest fans in wanting to see Survivor Series. They actually did more than just mention that it’s this Sunday. I thought they did a solid job building to the Punk & Bryan vs. Rowan Harper & the traditional Survivor Series 10 man tag.

11-21-13 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the November 21, 2013 Turning Point episode of Impact

The show starts with Mike Tenay mentioning that James Storm attacked by Bobby Roode at a bar “last night.” Then they show the video. Tenay says they’ll stay on top of this story. “Turning Point starts right now.”

Then they a show a video package hyping tonight’s show.

Backstage Dixie comes up to Samoa Joe. She watched last week’s show over & over. She does that to be the best she can be & give the fan everything they could want. Her performance was great but if Joe talks to Dixie the way he did last week he will pretty much be in the same spot as AJ. If Joe wins the title he’d better get the thought of a title unification match with AJ out of his head. AJ’s not returning & isn’t the champion. She says the fans would rather see her first than Joe & she makes her way to the ring. This was terrible. Dixie’s heel character just doesn’t do it for me.

Dixie comes to the ring. The fans boo. She talks about Sports Illustrated publishing some article on her called Dixie Land. Now she has to publically address AJ. Since AJ decided not to be on team Dixie he’s been wrestling all over the world for peanuts. She says that he took her intellectual property, but she has lawyers ready to shut him down & not 1 more company is gonna make any money off of her. Then out comes James Storm. He talks about Roode attacking him at the bar. Roode wants to jump him & try to cost Storm his chances in the title tournament. Storm has a bull rope & says that rope isn’t enough. He wants to be able to use chairs, tables, barbed wire, etc. Since they’re back in Orlando he wants a Florida death match. Dixie doesn’t care about Storm’s bar room escapades. The Wheel of Dixie has spun & she can’t & won’t change it. Storm then says that the cops asked him if he wanted to have Roode arrested. He said no. That’s what an ordinary guy does. Storm tells Dixie to grant him the match or he will call the cops & there will be no match. Dixie does her heel bit saying she doesn’t like Storm’s tone. Storm then asks Dixie if she will please give him this match. It will benefit them both & make the cops go away. Dixie says the match will happen only because Storm asked so nicely &if he calls the cops & tells them there’re no problems on her show. Storm asks if he’s got the match & Dixie says that he does. This was a hit & miss promo. Dixie was her usual terrible heel self but Storm was good with his promo.

Magnus comes to the ring. Then Joe shows up on the Tron & tells Magnus to come get some. Magnus heads to the back. Break time.

Back from break & the match is in progress.

TNA World Title Tournament – first round: Samoa Joe vs. Magnus in a falls count anywhere match. Magnus gets the pin. This was a really good back & forth match.

Backstage Joseph Park says he can’t believe he did it, but tonight is the night he ends all of the speculation. He will face Abyss.

Bad Influence come to the ring. Kaz says in a few moments, Joe Park will face his “brother” Abyss. So they will sit at ringside to enjoy this. They give the fans permission to worship them now. Then out comes Joseph Park. Park heard what Kaz & Daniels had to say. He tells them to sit & shut up. For 18 months Park’s been looking for Abyss & now he goes 1 on 1 with his brother tonight. He’s doing this for himself. He will prove he isn’t a loser. If it means getting whipped by his “brother” then so be it. Then he tells Christie, “Let’s do it.” Then she announce Abyss. The Abyss music plays but of course he doesn’t come out. Kaz asks where Abyss is. These people came to be entertained so Park better start entertaining. Then Daniels says usually the story of man who trains to become a TNA wrestler would be an inspiration, but not when it comes to Park. That’s because Park isn’t a man. The fans are booing him because he’s a loser, Abyss isn’t coming out because Park’s a failure & the reason the rest of the Park family isn’t there is because he’s an embarrassment. Daniels taunt Park some more & knows that a little blood sets Park off. Then Kaz dumps fake blood on Park. Daniels then asks where the monster is. He’s not there because Park is a waste of space. Park doesn’t deserve to be in the same ring, state or planet as Daniels. Daniels screams at Park to get out of his ring. Park leaves & Daniels tells him to get out of their lives. Park walks up the ramp. Daniels tell him the “blood” isn’t ketchup & tells him not to eat it. Daniels tells Park to get out of their business. This was a solid in ring segment. Daniels & Kazarian were good here like usual. Park was decent here too & I was ok with the bucket of fake blood. Daniels & Kazarian both said a lot here & it was really hard to keep up with everything, but they were entertaining.

Gail Kim & Tapa are in the ring. It’s week 2 of Gail’s open challenge. If anyone thinks they can beat the greatest knockout in TNA history, come on down. Out comes some chick I never heard of.

Candice LeRae vs. Knockouts Champion Gail Kim. Gail gets the pin. This was ok but short.

Backstage we see James Storm getting weapons for his match with Bobby Roode. That match is next.

Time for a video message paid for by the friends of AJ Styles. They show clips of his title match in Wrestle 1.

Backstage JB says tonight will be a turning point for Anderson or Ray. Anderson comes in. JB says this could be the last we see of Anderson. Anderson says that’s not gonna happen. Ray tried taking his career & his kids. Anderson is gonna do the taking tonight. Aces & 8s will be done.

Backstage Gunner tells Storm he doesn’t need all these weapons. Storm says what he needs & wants are 2 different things. Storm appreciates Gunner for being there for him as a partner & a friend, unlike Roode. Gunner has Storm’s back.

They show a video package recapping the James Storm-Bobby Roode feud.

TNA World Title Tournament – first round: James Storm vs. Bobby Roode in a Florida death match. Roode wins after Gunner throws in the towel. Roode was about to slam Storm onto a barbed wire bored. Then Gunner came out, threw in the towel & the referee called for the bell. WINNER – BOBBY ROODE. Then Gunner checks on Storm. Break time. This was a really good brawl. It had that old school wrestling feel of the 2 enemies beating the crap out of each other.

Back from break & Storm flips out on Gunner for throwing in the towel & costing him a chance to become world champion. Gunner says he’s looking out for Storm. It looks like they’re splitting this team up & it seems that James Storm will be the heel.

They show a video of Christie Hemmie interviewing Sam Shaw at his house or somewhere. He wants to be called Samuel now. He shows her some art book that has some of his drawings. The camera man then says cut but the cameras keep rolling. Then Shaw asks Christie out to dinner. She gives him his number. This was weird.

Backstage we see Norm Ferguson & Dewey Barnes. Then EC3 comes in. He says that he flew them there just to tell them that he is done with them. Tonight he will face somebody who helped build this company. He’s a Carter & the world need them. Whatever. This was entirely pointless.

Backstage JB was gonna interview Bully Ray but Knox tells him to leave. So Brooke interviews Ray. Ray says he’s never met anybody as ungrateful as Anderson. Just a year ago TNA turned their back on him. Ray’s the guy who breathed life back into him. He brought Anderson in. Tonight he pile drives him through that stage. Then he says that he will take care of Anderson’s pregnant wife. This was a good heel promo.

Kurt Angle says Magnus is 1 of the best wrestlers today. He talks about what Magnus did in the BFG Series & mentions that Magnus will be facing him in the next round of the tournament. Then some guy comes by & tells Angle that Dixie wants to see him.

EC3 comes to the ring. He says it’s time he raises his competition level. Tonight he faces a returning TNA legend. Out comes Shark Boy.

Shark Boy vs. EC3. EC3 gets the pin. This was ok but it was no surprise that EC3 was winning this.

Then he gets the mic & says he’s EC3. He’s a Carter; the world needs “us.” I’m tired of this.

Time for a video package recapping Anderson being named Aces & 8s VP followed by the tension that followed. Then they show Anderson costing Ray the world title match with AJ.

Backstage we see Angle & Roode arguing. Then Dixie comes in. She congratulates them on making it to the final 4 of the tournament. Then she says that both guys will face each other next week in an 8 man tag team elimination match.

After Anderson & Ray come out for the main event. Then Joe, Gunner, Angle, Magnus, Daniels & Kazarian come out on the stage to make sure Aces & 8s doesn’t get involved.

JB does the big fight intro, but only gets to announce Ray because Anderson goes after Ray. Then Anderson does his own introduction. He also hits Ray in the groin with the mic.

Ken Anderson vs. Bully Ray. Anderson gets the pin. Knox attacked Anderson but Anderson sent him into the steel steps. Then he pile drove Knox on the concrete floor & then takes Knox’s vest off. Then Brooke heads to the announce table & Taz gives her a hammer. Brooke threw it into the ring but wound up over shooting the throw & Anderson got it. Then he hit Ray with the hammer for the pin. WINNER – KEN ANDERSON

Then Kurt Angle makes Taz take his vest off. Angle then throws it to Anderson. Anderson stands in the ring posing with the vests to end the show. This was a good brawl & I’m glad they finally did away with Aces & 8s.

This was a good show overall. The Storm-Dixie promo at the start was a mixed bag. Dixie’s backstage bit with Joe was lame too. I did enjoy the Joe-Magnus, Storm-Roode & Anderson-Ray matches. They were all great brawls! I liked that they finally ended Aces & 8s too. That “club” got old. The backstage bit with EC3 ragging on Norm & Dewey was pointless. His match with Shark Boy was pretty decent though, but I’m tired of this whole “I’m a Carter & the world needs us” gimmick. The Joseph Park-Daniels & Kazarian in ring segment was solid too. Daniels & Kazarian were their entertaining selves like usual & I thought Joseph was decent here too. The Candice-Gail match was ok but short. Anderson & Ray both cut good backstage promos before their match too. The Angle-Roode-Dixie bit in the office was weak but at least it set up a “Thanksgiving tradition” 8 man tag elimination match next week. The Christie-Sam Shaw video was weird & pointless. It looks like Shaw is a heel now since he’s going by Samuel now. I also liked that Storm got upset with Gunner for throwing in the towel during the Storm-Roode match. Gunner saying he did that because he was looking out for Storm made sense since they are a team. It does look like that team will be splitting up though & Storm might be turning heel. So for the most part I thought this was a good show.

11-18-13 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the November 18, 2013 episode of Raw

The show starts with HHH & Stephanie coming to the ring (I knew they’d start the show this way! UGH! This is going to be the typical painful promo we get from these 2). HHH says it’s good to be back (It isn’t good to have ya back). Despite everybody’s accusations about their alleged abuse of power, last week was a prime of example of how vital they are to the show. Without them chaos rules & that’s what happened last week. HHH & Stephanie are disappointed. Brad, Kane & Vickie will be dealt with. Then Stephanie says they’re rested, back & ready & this Sunday is Survivor Series. Then out comes Randy Orton. He says HHH & Stephanie wanna blame everyone but themselves but Orton blames them both. They’re the ones he holds responsible for all the chaos. He’s the face of WWE. Not Show, Cena, Daniel, or Punk. Orton feels they should be protecting their asset more than they are. Stephanie says Orton’s probably right. Orton flips & says he probably won’t beat Show. HHH asks who Orton thinks he is. Orton says he’s the WWE Champion & the face of the company. HHH says that Orton’s the face of “their company”. Things get tense for a bit. Then out come Brad & Vickie. Brad says that everything that happened last week was Vickie’s fault. HHH says it doesn’t matter whose fault it is they all have to pay tonight. Stephanie says that with the handicap matches Brad & Vickie booked that they have become dicenseitsed to the damage those matches can cause. So tonight Brad & Vickie swill both be in singles action. Vickie will face AJ. Then HHH tells Brad that he will have his match right now with Orton. To make it fair, HHH makes it a no DQ match. Then Kane comes out to prevent Brad from leaving. King of Kings plays as HHH & Stephanie walk up the ramp & stare down the others. This was just as terrible as I expected it to be!! This is the go home show before Survivor Series & they predictably start aw with this crap that no one cares about!!!  There was too much yapping & I couldn’t recap everything, but let’s face it, it’s not worth it!

WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Brad Maddox in a no DQ match. Brad slides out of the ring & tries to escape but Orton gets him. But Brad hits Orton with a mic & then sends him into the ring post. Then back in the ring Brad gives Orton a DDT & gets a 2 count. Then Orton chucks Brad out of the ring & throws him over the announce table & then pounds away on Brad outside the ring. Then he gives Brad the IE DDT from the ring barrier. Then Orton picks up the mic, throws Brad back in the ring hits Brad in the head with the mic a few times. Brad is out cold & the referee calls for the bell. WINNER BY REFEREE STOPPAGE – RANDY ORTON. This was pointless. Having Orton pound the crap out of a non-wrestler was a waste in my mind.

They show that during the break Brad was carted out on a stretcher.

Then backstage they show Brad being wheeled away & Vickie watches.

Big E Langston vs. Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel for the Title. Big E gets the pin to win the title. This was a good match. Nice to see Big E win the IC Title.

Backstage we see Orton & The Shield. Orton complains about Big E being the new IC champion. He hopes there won’t be a new WWE Champion. Orton talked to HHH & Stephanie & The Shield will need to watch Orton’s back. Then Reigns says that if that is what “the authority” wants they’ll watch his back but he has to watch their backs too.

Jerry Lawler is in the ring along with a lot of the Divas. They’re gonna have a Divas musical chairs! ARE THEY KIDDING!? Lawler says we got the Total Divas & the non-Total Divas. Then he plugs Total Divas & then says that the music will be by some country band called Florida Georgia line. Who cares? Natalya is eliminated first, then Alicia Fox. Then a brawl starts. This was terrible! Why have this idiotic crap on the go home Raw before Survivor Series!?  JBL said this is 1 of the dumbest things he’s ever seen. I can’t argue with that! This was 1 of those “This is so bad that even the commentators have to admit how bad it is” segments.

Big Show vs. Ryback. Big Show gets the pin. This was a decent big man match.

Then Orton comes in but Big Show spears him & the champ rolls out of the ring. Big Show stares down Orton as Orton hold his ribs, selling the spear.

Backstage Zack Ryder is with Florida Georgia Line. Then 3MB come in dressed in cowboy gear. This week they’re the rhinestone cowboys. Drew says that he hopes FGL can follow them tonight. This was lame.

Backstage Orton gets an icepack for his ribs. He flips & asks where The Shield & the authority were. He thought they were on the same page. Orton then kicks out the trainer & continues to flip.

The Real Americans are in the ring. Zeb tells everyone to say We the People. Thankfully there was no promo from Zeb.

Kofi Kingston & The Miz vs. The Real Americans. The Real Americans win when Swagger makes Kofi tap. This was solid. Kofi was going for the tag but Miz jumped off the apron. Then Swagger locked Kofi in the ankle lock for the win. WINNERS – THE REAL AMERICANS.

I kinda like that they turned Miz heel since he wasn’t really believable as a baby face. Plus they’ve had Kofi vs. Miz on house shows & Miz was the heel in those.

Backstage Vickie goes by the trainer room door & fakes being injured. She shouts for help & the trainer comes out & checks on her. Break time.

Back from break & Vickie is on a stretcher. Stephanie says she should be taken to the hospital after they take to the ring.

Vickie is wheeled to the ring & she of course is screaming like crazy. Then after AJ comes out, they roll Vickie in the ring & Vickie “passes out” again. The referee says that Vickie needs water. She has some water & wets her face. Then the bell rings.

Divas Champion AJ Lee vs. Vickie Guerrero. Vickie looks to escape but Tamina blocks her. Vickie “passes out” again. Then Vickie winds up walking up the ramp but AJ throws her back in the ring. Then after a bit more goofiness AJ locks Vickie in the black widow for the submission win. WINNER BY SUBMISSION – AJ LEE. Then Vickie “passes out” again on the floor. This was beyond terrible!

They announce that there will be a 14 Diva elimination tag match at Survivor Series. It will be the Total Divas vs. The Non-Total Divas.

Backstage HHH tells Sandow & Dolph that they’ll get to resolve their issues. Tonight they will be in a Broadway brawl. He knows they’ll make it entertaining. Whatever. This was lame too but thankfully it was short.

The ring is all set up with guitars, drums & a base for the Broadway brawl. This is really stupid!

Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow in a Broadway brawl. Dolph gets the pin. I have no idea what I just watched. This brawl was meaningless & the country music theme was hokey.

Backstage we see HHH & Stephanie. Then Orton storms in & asks where The Shield was. Orton wants to know if he has HHH & Stephanie’s confidence as the face of WWE. Stephanie tells him they need to think about that. This was more idiocy!

John Cena welcomes the country duo to Raw. He apologizes about 3MB. Then Cena says that he, the roster & the fans are excited to see them rock. No we aren’t. I have no idea who these guys are & I’m not interested in seeing a musical performance!

If you’re not a regular WWE watcher & watched this show, you’d have NO IDEA that there’s a PPV Sunday! I watch this every week & I barely remember!

John Cena comes to the ring. He has his left arm in a sling. He thanks the Nashville fans for that “wonderful reception.” He’s had some bad luck lately. Then they reshow Del Rio attacking Cena’s arm from last week. Then he says as world champion he didn’t wanna give up so he showed up on Smackdown. Then they reshow the “arm wrestling” match & Del Rio putting Cena through a table. Cena’s had to watch that everyday & he’s not in the best of moods, so he thanks the fans for their excitement. It’s fans like this that made him wanna come back ASAP when he tore his triceps, but maybe he came back too soon. Maybe he was trying to be a super hero. Maybe he shouldn’t be world champion. Then he looks at the fans & says that he should be world champion. A Champion is made of toughness. He’s not saying Del Rio has no heart but in 6 days he won’t know who he’s stepping in the ring with. Cena then mentions that he will get to defend the title in front of his family. When Survivor Series is done he will hold the belt proudly & say THE CHAMP IS HERE! Then out comes Del Rio. He says Cena’s so good he almost made him cry. Cena says Sunday he will make Del Rio tap. Del Rio tells Cena to show everyone that he can hold up the title right now & hold it with the arm that’s in a sling. Cena says in 6 days he will be ready. Del Rio says Cena will be ready to be humiliated in front of his parents & family. A real champion takes advantage of every opportunity. Then Del Rio gets in the ring. Then he says that in this moment he sees a great opportunity in front of him. Cena says that a champion does take advantage of an opportunity. Then he takes his arm out of the sling & gets Del Rio up on his shoulders but Del Rio slides out of the ring & heads up the ramp. Then Cena stands on the turnbuckle & holds up the title. This was better than most of this show. Thankfully Cena’s promo wasn’t the usual kid like promo we get from him & Del Rio was good here too.

The Rhinestone Cowboys come to the ring. Then out come R-Truth & Xavier Woods (That was kinda surprising). Truth introduces everyone to his new partner.

R-Truth & Xavier Woods vs. Drew McIntyre & Jinder Mahal. Truth & Woods win when Woods pins Drew. This was ok but for a go home show before Survivor Series, it was pointless. I would have had Xavier Woods debut next week, the night after the PPV.

Backstage Stephanie says that she & HHH have confidence in Orton as the face of WWE. Then HHH tells Orton that The Shield will not be involved in the match. If Orton has the confidence then he can beat Big Show on his own. If he does then he proves (again) that he is the “face of WWE.” Orton will show them confidence. This was more of the same HHH-Stephanie-Orton dreck.

The Rhodes Brothers will defend the tag titles against The Real Americans on Smackdown this week.

Then they show a video of fans in New Orleans getting tickets for WrestleMania 30.

Florida Georgia Line are on the stage & they sing some song! Whatever! This is pointless! Why is this on the final Raw before a PPV?

Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes and The Usos vs. The Wyatt Family & The Shield. Punk, Daniel, Goldust, Cody & The Usos win when Punk pins Ambrose. This was a really entertaining match.

Then out come The Real Americans & they along with The Wyatts & The Shield beat down Punk & Daniel. Then Rey Mysterio makes his return & ranas Cesaro & Rowan out of the ring. Then he gives a double 619 to Harper & Swagger. Then Punk gives Harper a GTS & Daniel hits harper with a knee. The 7 baby faces & the fans all do the yes chant to end the show. This was easily the best part of the show!

This week’s show was terrible overall! The only 2 good parts were Big vs. Axel & the 12 man tag. The rest of this show was totally pointless & having this be “Raw Country” on the final Raw before the Survivor Series really emphasized that this or any PPV have little to no meaning! I’m way past tired of HHH & Stephanie running the show. The opening promo with those 2 was painful! Orton-Maddox was pointless & it was mostly Orton pounding the crap out of Brad. Vickie pretending to lose consciousness was idiotic & her “match” with AJ was pointless too! Speaking of pointless that really describes the Divas musical chairs segment! What w waste that was! The Dolph-Sandow match was good as far as a brawl goes but at the same time it made no sense for them to have a brawl & having instruments used as weapons was idiotic. It was nice to see Big E win the IC Title & I liked Mysterio return at the end. It was cool to see Xavier Woods make his debut on the main roster but since this was the final Raw before a PPV I would’ve waited till next week to have him debut. The Truth & Woods vs. Drew & Jinder match was ok but for a go home show it was pointless. Big Show-Ryback was a decent big man match but I knew Big Show was winning since he is challenging Orton for the WWE Title. The Cena-Del Rio segment was ok & I was glad Cena cut a regular promo. Kofi & Miz vs. The Real Americans was ok too & I liked that they turned Miz heel since that’s what his character is. Overall I thought this was a really painful show & for a go home show before a PPV it was a total waste! The Raw Country theme was idiotic & they didn’t even try to get fans to wanna see Survivor Series!

11-11-13 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the November 11, 2013 episode of Raw

They start the show with a video package recapping the end of last week’s show.

Then Michael Cole announces that HHH & Stephanie aren’t there because they’re “on vacation”.  As long as we don’t see them this week that’s ok with me.

The actual show starts with Randy Orton coming to the ring. He says it looks like Big Show got his job back & blackmailed his way into a title match with him at Survivor Series. Then he talks about the beating he & he Shield gave Show last week. He says he will retain the WWE Title & remain the face of WWE. While HHH & Stephanie are away, Orton’s in charge tonight. Then out comes Brad Maddox. He appreciates Orton trying to help out but he’s the GM. Brad has the authority to be in charge of Raw. Then out comes Kane. He says last week HHH & Stephanie made him director of operations, or whatever title he has. He says that he’s in charge tonight. Brad’s had this gig for a while & tells Kane to follow his lead. Brad then says that Orton will face Cody Rhodes. Then Kane says it will be Orton facing Goldust. Brad & Kane bicker for a bit. Then Orton tells them to make up their mind. He can’t fight them both. Then out comes Vickie. She wishes HHH & Stephanie a wonderful vacation. Then she says that she has complete confidence in Orton’s in ring skills. So as the former Raw GM & the current Smackdown GM she’s the voice of reason. If the authority were to say what’s “best for business” they’d agree with Orton. Vickie then says that Orton will face Goldust & Cody tonight in a handicap match. Then out come The Rhodes Brothers. This was stupid! HHH & Stephanie aren’t there & we have 4 heels wanting to be in charge! I don't get why 1 of them didn't say that before HHH & Stephanie went away they left that person in charge! This whole bit with these 4 heels arguing over who’s in charge was painful! I guess it’s Vickie since she announced the handicap match & that’s next.

WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. WWE Champion Randy Orton. Goldust & Cody win by count out after Orton was sent out of the ring & he didn’t bother getting back in. Then Big Show comes out. He pounds on Orton & puts Orton, sends him shoulder first into the steel steps & clotheslines him. Then Show takes apart the announce table & drags the steel steps next to it. Then he picks up Orton by the throat, walks up the steel steps & choke slams Orton through the table. The match was good but I wasn’t into Orton taking the count out loss. I was ok with Big Show choke slamming Orton through the table but why did they have to play his music when he came out? Can’t they have anybody just come out without their entrance theme?

They show that during the break Big Show got into a cab & took off.

Santino Marella & Los Matadores vs. 3MB (They’re calling themselves The Union Jacks tonight since they’re in England). Santino & Los Matadores win when Santino pins Jinder. This was a comedy match.

Backstage Orton has an ice pack on his shoulder. Brad comes in & is sorry for what happened. Vickie comes in & does the same. He tells them to save their apologies for next week. Then Kane comes in. Orton doesn’t wanna listen. Kane says he’d better listen. He’s the director of operations & if Orton messes with him Big show won’t be his only problem. The trainer tells Kane, Brad & Vickie that he needs to look at Orton’s shoulder & they walk out. This was awful. Kane tells Orton to listen up & then doesn’t really say anything except that if Orton yells at him Show won’t be the only guy worry about.  Brad & Vickie were also they’re usual suck up selves. They should get rid of the GMs. They mean nothing with HHH & Stephanie being the on air couple in charge.

Kofi Kingston vs. Damien Sandow. Sandow gets the pin. This was a decent match.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel for the Title. Axel gets the pin. This was a really, really good back & forth match.

Backstage Kane & Brad are bickering over who is in charge. Brad then says they have to get on the same page about something. Maybe Vickie was onto something with the handicap match. Then he says that The Real Americans will face Cena. Kane then says Punk & Daniel will face The Shield in a handicap tag match. This was more of the same. I’m tired of having the heels argue over who is “running the show”.

Zack Ryder plugs the WWE merchandise.

Nikki Bella vs. Tamina Snuka. Tamina gets the pin. This was ok. AJ got involved when the referee wasn’t looking. Brie & AJ then went at it a bit on the outside. Then after the match Brie spears AJ. Tamina then picks up Brie for a power slam but Brie escapes & kicks Tamina to the floor.

The commentators plug 2K14.

They reshow Big Show choke slamming Orton through the table.

Backstage the trainer’s still looking at Orton’s arm. Then in comes The Shield. Orton asks where they were when Big Show flattened him. They beat his ass last week & now this week Orton got choke slammed through a table. Ambrose says that where they were isn’t Orton’s business. Then Rollins says that they don’t work for Vickie, Brad or Kane. Then Reigns says that they damn sure don’t work for Orton. This was ok. I kind of liked that The Shield stood up to Orton.

Tyson Kidd vs. Fandango. Fandango gets the pin. This was a decent back & forth match but the wrong guy won.

Before the next match. Zeb says as Real Americans, today is Veterans Day. The 3 of them know they’re standing in a foreign land tonight that’s full of soccer thugs, monarchs & people who found Mr. Bean funny. Then he rags on the British fans. We the people. This gimmick is old.

World Champion John Cena vs. The Real Americans. Cena wins he makes Swagger tap. During the match Del Rio’s music plays & he comes out. Why do they always have to have a guy’s music play & have someone in the match get distracted by that?  

After the match Cesaro goes after Cena. Cena fights back & clotheslines Cesaro over the top. Then Del Rio comes in & hits Cena in the back with a chair. Then he sets the chair in Cena’s arm, stomps on it & then locks Cena in the arm breaker. Then out comes Big E Langston & he pulls Del Rio off Cena & chucks him out of the ring. The match was good & the post-match stuff was a mix. Of course Cena had to win & then make quick work of Cesaro afterwards but I was alright with Del Rio putting Cena’s arm in the chair & then locking Cena in the arm breaker. I liked that they had Big E Langston come in & help out Cena too.

They show a Divas tag match from 2 weeks ago on Smackdown where Natalya made AJ tap. Natalya will face AJ for the Divas Title on Main Event Wednesday.

Backstage we see Kane, Brad & Vickie. Kane says that Cena had it coming. Then Del Rio comes in & asks if they saw what he just did to Cena. Brad says that’s what’s best for business & there will be a new champion at Survivor Series. Del Rio then says that he will beat Cena in his home town of Boston in front of his friends & family. Then Del Rio tells Vickie to tell Big E to keep out of his business. Then Kane tells Del Rio to let Big E know how he feels.

R-Truth vs. Ryback. Truth gets the pin. This was a decent match & I was kind of surprised that Truth won.

In case you forgot this, they once again show Big Show choke slamming Orton. Why do they feel like they have to reshow what happened at the starts of Raw twice!? The fans aren’t that stupid!?

Big E Langston vs. Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio wins by submission. This was a solid match. For some reason the fans did the wave during this. Then they chanted “We are awesome.” I’m not sure why some crowds chant that.

Michael Cole thanks the veterans for their service.

Then they show a video package that was narrated by Cena thanking the troops. This was classy.

John Cena will face Del Rio in an arm wrestling contest on Smackdown.

Paul Heyman & Curtis Axel are in the ring. Heyman’s in a wheel chair, has on a neck brace & has a crutch. He says this was done to him by the fans’ hero CM Punk. The fans chant CM Punk. Heyman says that Punk couldn’t have done this to him by himself. Punk was never a match for Heyman. Punk had a lot of help. Like that big ugly dummy Ryback. Heyman took Ryback under his wing & offered him to be a Heyman guy & Ryback never accepted the offer. He rags on Ryback & says that Ryback bit off more than he could chew. Heyman also blames the fans for what happened. They’re the ones that encouraged Punk to climb to the top of the cell & cheered Punk to give him that beating. Heyman says that he came tonight because he needs a room full of witnesses who can testify that he went public with his intentions. That being that he will return with a vengeance & drive the blade of his sword through the heart…Then Punk comes out. Axel goes outside the ring & goes after Punk. Then Punk sends Axel into the barrier & then gives him the GTS. Then Heyman says that Punk has done enough damage. Punk gets in the ring with a Singapore cane. Then he spins Heyman around in the wheel chair. Heyman falls out of the chair. Then Punk hits him back with the cane. This was a good in ring segment. Heyman was good on the mic as usual. I was a bit surprised that he ragged on Ryback though. Will they turn Ryback face again? It looks like the Punk-Heyman angle will continue.

Then out comes Daniel Bryan. Break time.

Back from break & it is time for the main event

CM Punk & Daniel Bryan vs. The Shield. Punk has Ambrose in the Anaconda vice. Then out go the lights. When they come back on The Wyatt family is there. Harper & Rowan are in the ring. Punk & Daniel retreat. Then The Shield gets in Harper & Rowan’s faces. Then Ambrose & Rollins brawl with Harper & Rowan while Bray & Reigns go at it on the outside. Then all 6 guys are in the ring & both trios regroup. Bray dares The Shield to attack. Punk & Daniel are still at ringside. The heels go outside the ring & then Punk & Daniel go back in the ring. The heels surround Punk & Daniel & the brawl resumes. Then out come The Usos & The Rhodes Brothers to help out Punk & Daniel. The faces clean house on the heels. The heels stand at ringside as the faces stand in the ring to end the show. This was really well done. I liked the match & the 12 man brawl at the end was great! It looks like we might get Punk, Daniel, The Usos & The Rhodes Brothers vs. The Wyatts & the Shield at Survivor Series. That would be really awesome.

I thought this was a decent show overall. I wasn’t a fan of the opening in ring segment with Orton, Kane, Brad & Vickie & the other backstage segments with Kane & the 2 GMs were lame but I was ok with Big Show choke slamming Orton. The backstage bit with Kane, Brad & Vickie was lame too but the bit with him & The Shield was a little bit better. The handicap tag match main event was well done & I loved the 12 man brawl that closed the show. Paul Heyman also cut a great promo like usual. Punk coming out & spinning Heyman around in the wheelchair before hitting him with the cane was good too. Tyson Kidd vs. Fandango was decent but I didn’t like that they had Tyson lose. Santino & Los Matadores vs. 3MB was your typical not funny comedy we always get from these guys. Big E vs. Del Rio was solid & Kofi vs. Sandow was decent. I really enjoyed the Dolph vs. Axel IC Title match. Cena vs. The Real Americans was good too but of course Cena had to win. I did like that they had Del Rio get the upper hand on Cena here & that Big E came to the ring to help out Cena. I also liked the video package on the troops. That’s always a classy touch. So overall I thought this was a decent show.

11-8-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the November 8, 2013 episode of Smackdown

They kick off the show with a video package on The Wyatt family attacking CM Punk & Daniel Bryan.

The actual show starts with CM Punk coming to the ring. He says that the phrase best in the world seems to mean a lot of different things to different people. To The Wyatt family best in the world means a 3 on 1 beat down. The Wyatts have a problem & that problem is the best in the world. Punk doesn’t know why they decided to attack him & no one is brave to get that close to them to ask. Punk doesn’t care what the reason is, he’s here to fight. Punk’s used to being outnumbered, but when he is he is never out gunned. He squashed the biggest rat the WWE has ever seen & that was Paul Heyman. If it’s a fight The Wyatts want Punk says why not right here right now ON SMACKDOWN. Face to face, no back jumping. Punk is here & is here all night long. He isn’t going anywhere till they show & he can kick them in their faces. Then out comes Curtis Axel. He says that Punk needs to shut his mouth. Axel doesn’t care about The Wyatts. They can wait in line. Punk & Axel have some unfinished business. Because of Punk, Axel’s mentor/father figure Paul Heyman is in a hospital bed in Europe. But Axel will make Heyman proud. Axel talked to Vickie & she granted him a match with Punk & that match is right now. This was a good opening promo. Punk & Axel were both good on the mic here & it led right to their match.

CM Punk vs. Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel. Punk gets the pin. During this Punk was on the top rope going for an elbow. Then out go the lights & The Wyatt Family Tron shows up. The lights come back on & no one’s there. Axel then gets Punk in the Perfectplex but Punk kicks out at 2. Then a bit later Punk hits Axel with the GTS for the pin. WINNER – CM PUNK. This was a good match. The only downer here was that Axel got Punk in the Perfectplex & Punk kicked out. When Curt Hennig used that move you knew the match was over. Now Axel uses the same maneuver & everybody kicks out of it.

Then we hear Bray Wyatt’s laugh over the sound system. Then the lights go out again & Bray shows up on the Tron. He stares into the camera & then blows out his lantern. This was good too. I like that they’re having Bray play mind games with Punk & hinting that the might attack. Good stuff.

The Usos & R-Truth vs. 3MB. The Usos & R-Truth win when Truth pins Jinder. This was a solid match.

In the Goldman Box AJ plugs the return of Total Divas. Then she says let’s focus on who really matters. That being the Divas Champion. This was a decent promo.

Naomi & Cameron vs. Tamina Snuka & Divas Champion AJ Lee. Tamina & AJ win when AJ makes Cameron tap. This was a decent match.

Alberto Del Rio comes to the ring. He says that he is more than just a world class athlete. He is a Mexican world class athlete. That makes him better than the rest of the world. It also makes him better than any of the gringo fans. Del Rio should still be World Champion but the title was stolen from him by John Cena. The fans cheer for Cena because they don’t know what’s good for them. If the fans were smart they’d see Cena for what he really is, a thief. Cena is walking around with something that he doesn’t deserve. The gringo/American fans don’t know this, but at the cell PPV Del Rio was sick. He had a fever, his knee, elbow & neck were all hurting & he had to be the doctors to let him compete that night. Any of the lazy American fans would’ve called in sick but not Del Rio because he is Mexican & he has pride. After his rematch with Cena he will tell every gringo the champ is here. Then out comes Cena. Normally Cena gets excited when he’s lout here (Just like he is right now) but today’s a little different. We just heard that Del Rio is “sick” & we’ve done nothing for him. Cena feels bad & will fix this. He tells Michael Cole to write down what he’s gonna say. Then he pretty much says that he will send Del Rio a get well fruit basket & a get well card that plays music when you open it (Man this is terrible. Why does Cena always have to cut these kinds of promos?) Then he will write him a message. “Dear Alberto, sorry you weren’t feeling well, sorry you’re not the world champ. Get well soon bro. Your friend John Cena. P.S. watch the JBL & Cole show.” Del Rio says that everything is a joke to Cena (That is pretty much true. His character does make jokes of everything!). Del Rio then says that this is not funny & that Cena is acting like a stupid little kid (That says it all right there). Del Rio wants Cena to leave his show right now. Then Cena says this is where it gets good (It is?). If Del Rio wants Cena to leave how about Del Rio makes him? The World Champion is 2 feet away from Del Rio. Cena isn’t calling in sick & he’s not taking the night off. Cena says that Del Rio has his rematch & says this week’s Smackdown should be a championship addition (That really doesn’t make sense since the champions are on the shows all the time) & Del Rio has his World Title rematch tonight. Del Rio says that’s exactly why he is here. Del Rio wants a referee out here right now. He wants a doctor too because Cena is going back to the hospital. Del Rio is going to take back his title & he will break Cena’s arm tonight. Then out comes Vickie Guerrero. She is in charge & the World Title rematch will not happen tonight. That will take place at Survivor Series because that is what’s “best for business.” (I’m tired of that phrase too)! Then Cena says that Vickie is “sick too.” She has diarrhea of the mouth (Man can someone tell Cena that these promos are why a lot of fans boo him?) Then Cena says that Vickie has done 2 things since she came to WWE that have been “best for business.” Those were when she got canned as GM & whenever she shuts up or some idiotic crap like that. Del Rio never thought that he would say this but “Little Juanito” is right. Cena agrees. Then Vickie says that she has already picked opponents for Cena & Del Rio to face tonight. Later tonight Cena will face Ryback & since Del Rio is just as disrespectful as Cena he will face this monster right now. Out comes Khali. This was terrible. Del Rio cut a decent promo but then when Cena came out it went south. The only part that was true was when Del Rio said that Cena makes everything a joke & acts like a stupid kid. That was it. The rest of this was a waste. I’m also beyond tired of Vickie too!

Great Khali vs. Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio wins by submission. This was your typical Khali match.

Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper. Daniel wins by DQ when Rowan comes in. This was a solid to good match. Daniel gets the yes lock on Harper & Rowan comes in to break it up, leading to the DQ.

Then Harper & Rowan pound on Daniel & then hold him as Bray gets on the ring apron & taunts Daniel. Then CM Punk storms the ring & goes after Harper. Punk kicks Harper out of the ring was Daniel does the same to Rowan. Then Punk & Daniel stare down Bray. Bray has this sadistic smile & does the maniacal laugh as the family heads up the ramp. This was good. I’m liking this angle. It’s a shame Daniel is out of the WWE Title picture but having him be in a program with The Wyatt family has been good. Daniel & Punk are a good team & this angle has been good so far.  

Time for a look back at the Big Show-WWE law suit & the retched ending to Raw.

Then they show more Michael Cole’s interview with HHH from wwe.com. This time Cole brings up Kane being in a suit. HHH says that some people thought that was odd, but Kane asked for a chance. Kane is now the “director of operations.” What will Kane’s responsibilities be as director of operations? HHH says, “You will see.” Cole asks if HHH trusts Kane. HHH says absolutely. Cole asks how HHH can say that after what Kane’s done to his family (What I’d like to know is how can Kane trust HHH after that dreaded storyline from the fall of 02?). HHH says that all we need to know is that he trusts Kane & that is all that should matter. Then Michael mentions that fans were interested in seeing Kane dressed up (I wasn’t) & that cooperate Kane was trending on Twitter. Then Cole reads a Tweet from Kane that says he’s always watching. HHH tells Cole not to judge a book by its cover. Kane is a complex guy. HHH has known him for 17 years (The Kane character has been around for 16 years but WWE was never the greatest with numbers). If Cole was any kind of a journalist he would know that Kane is not just a 1 dimensional monster & the world will see that in time. Then Cole mentions that 2 weeks ago Kane was in the ring addressing Stephanie & he said that HHH & Stephanie are on a power trip, they’ve abused authority & ruined lives but it was “best for business.” Then Kane said that the monster is there’s to unleash (Like it wasn’t unleashed before. This doesn’t make sense but nothing in WWE does). Then HHH says, “Yes he is.” I’ve had enough of these interviews. This whole angle with HHH & Stephanie being the heels running the shows is stale & I’m really hoping that someone realizes that this angle isn’t what’s “best for business.”

World Champion John Cena vs. Ryback. Cena gets the pin. This was a good match.

Then Del Rio comes in & goes after Cena. He rams Cena’s injured arm into the post & then kicks it. Then Del Rio gets in the ring & Cena gets a few punches in, eventually sending Del Rio out of the ring. Del Rio looks to get back in but Cena holds him off. Del Rio retreats as Cena stands in the ring to end the show. They had Cena get the upper hand once again! Why would anyone wanna see this match at Survivor Series when Cena managed to run Del Rio off here!? They should’ve had Del Rio lock Cena in the arm breaker & then standing tall holding the title, but no. Cena always has to come out on top! This is why fans aren’t into him. Because they know he will never lose!

I thought this was a mixed bag show overall. The Punk promo at the start was good & I liked Curtis Axel’s promo too. The Punk-Axel match was also good. Cena-Ryback was good too but having Del Rio come out only for Cena to run him off made Del Rio look weak. The Cena-Del Rio promo was terrible. Del Rio cut a good promo but then when Cena came out it went south. Del Rio saying that Cena makes everything a joke & always acts like a dumb kid was the truth about Cena’s character. Daniel-Harper was good too & I liked the post-match stuff with Rowan & Punk coming in. I’m tired of the HHH interview. I can care less about what Kane’s new role is. The 6 man tag was solid & the Divas tag match was decent too. I liked AJ’s Goldman box promo about she matters more than Total Divas too. So on the whole I thought this week’s show had its good & bad spots.