12-16-13 Raw results and thoughts

 Coverage and thoughts on the December 16, 2013 Raw

The show starts with the whole roster on the stage & HHH & Stephanie are in the ring. Stephanie welcomes everyone to this historic Raw. Time for everyone around the world, the superstars & divas from the past & present to honor 1 guy. HHH says last night the dawning of a new era took place as the WWE & World Titles were unified. A champion of champions was crowned & they’re here to pay honor to the new WWE World Champion Randy Orton. Orton comes out, stares at Cena & holds up the belts & then takes his sweet time getting in the ring. Then Orton says it’s a nice feeling when your faith is rewarded but the fans never had faith Orton would the “most important” match in WWE history. We all bought into the lie he was handed everything but he showed that wasn’t true. He earned what he took last night & made the 2 titles 1. Last week Orton stood in the ring with former champions & none of them have accomplished what he has. He says that he is better than everyone on the stage. He’s the most powerful guy in the ring. He’s the WWE World Champion. His reign will…Cena cuts him off & calls him an idiot. Orton doesn’t want Cena to ruin his moment. Cena just finishes whatever Orton was gonna say & throws in the handcuffs that were used. Then he congratulates Orton. Orton was the better champion & he earned it. Then Cena reminds us that Stonecold says that title forces you to put up or shut up. Orton tells Cena he won’t get his rematch tonight. Cena wasn’t talking about himself. Cena wants to be champion but last week he told a guy that if he won he’d give him a title match. He said that because unlike Orton he listens to the fans. Cena is talking about Orton facing “him.” Cena points to Daniel Bryan. Orton doesn’t care what anyone thinks. Cena says this would a great way to prove his legacy by defending the titles against Daniel. Orton doesn’t have to listen to Cena, Daniel, the idiot fans; he doesn’t have to listen to anybody. Then Stephanie says, “Except us.” Orton says that giving Daniel a title match tonight can’t be best for business. HHH agrees with Orton that Daniel doesn’t deserve a title match. Stephanie says that for reasons she can’t understand the fans voted for Daniel as superstar of the star. HHH says he & Stephanie always listen to the fans (Bull). Orton says that he was in a TLC match last night & went through a war. HHH can’t think of a better way to kick off the champion of champions era then for Orton to face the guy everyone says he can’t beat, Daniel Bryan. This was a mixed bag opening in ring promo. Orton was his usual boring, slow talking self, Cena’s promo was good & I liked he put Daniel over again. HHH & Stephanie were they’re usual selves.

The fans can vote for which team they wanna see The Rhodes Brothers face tonight. The Real Americans, Ryback & Curtis Axel or Big Show & Rey Mysterio. All 3 teams that they beat last night. I knew they were gonna give us some version of a rematch from the PPV.  

Goldust & Cody are in the ring. Time to find out who they will face next. No App plugging this time. They just play Mysterio’s music & he comes out. Then out comes Big Show.

WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show & Rey Mysterio. Big Show & Mysterio win when Rey pins Goldust. This was a good match. It looks like Rey & Big Show will be getting a tag title match again. Afterwards Big Show & Cody pick up Goldust.

During this Lawler took pictures of himself, JBL & Michael Cole on his phone. Why’d the do that during this match? Then JBL tells Cole to call the match. UGH!    

Michael Cole says that on the App fans can vote for whole Punk will team with tonight to face The Shield. The Usos, Los Matadores or The Primetime Players. Another version of a PPV rematch & Punk has a choice of 3 mid card teams to team up with.

Time for Bad News Barrett. He says over half a billion dollars is at steak this weak in the lottery. He’s got bad news. None of them will win the jackpot. They’ll have to return to their homes & continue to live their boring life styles. Who cares? This gimmick is crap.

Michael Cole mentions that they’re auctioning a Slammy on wwe.com. WHAT!? Who would want that!?

Backstage we see HHH, Stephanie & Kane. Orton comes in & flips out for having to face Daniel later tonight. Stephanie says that last night Daniel was almost decimated by the Wyatts. They value Orton as their champion & their friend. Orton is the “first” Undisputed champion. Now Orton has to face double the competition. HHH tells Orton everyone is gunning for him. Orton has to show why he’s champion every single night. They got his back. Orton storms out. This was your typical McMahons-Orton backstage bit.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Fandango. Dolph gets the pin. This was a decent match.

Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston & Mark Henry vs. The Real Americans. Big E & Henry win when Big E pins Cesaro. This was a good match & I like the Big E-Mark Henry team.

Backstage we see Sandow dressed as Santa & AJ Lee & Tamina are his helpers. He asks some little girl what she wants. Then he says it doesn’t matter, they have stupid lighting & Sandow says Christmas is canceled. Then we find out that Mark Henry will face Damien Sandow in a battle of the Santas next week.

R-Truth & Xavier Woods are on commentary.

Ryback & Curtis Axel are in the ring.

Then out come Brodus Clay, Tensai, Naomi & Cameron. I thought Brodus turned heel.

Tons of Funk vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel. Ryback & Axel win when Ryback pins Tensai. This wasn’t much.

Afterwards Brodus splashes Tensai twice. Then Truth & Woods hit the ring & they double dropkick Brodus out of the ring.

Then Truth says Naomi & Cameron haven’t had a lot to dance to lately. Woods says they’re all dressed to dance so they should come on in & do a little dancing. Naomi & Cameron get in the ring & the 4 of them dance. This was terrible.

CM Punk comes to the ring. He says that he was saying how The Shield would take him down. He thought for sure he they would, but last night not only did he not get taken out he beat the entire Shield. They’ll make excuses as to why they lost & this is far from over. The fans chant CM Punk. Then Punk says this isn’t about The Shield. The “Authority” doesn’t wanna admit they send The Shield after him. Punk feels like someone is trying to sweep him under the rug. Punk isn’t that great with authority. He showed that when he punched HHH in his mouth. Then Punk says before HHH puts him in a 16 on handicap match, why doesn’t HHH come out now & they can settle their problems face to face. Unless HHH is afraid of what Punk ca do to him with the mic. He asks the Dallas fans if he should give HHH a couple more seconds. Punk figured he wouldn’t come out. Cue Shawn Michaels’ music & he comes to the ring. Punk tells Shawn he wasn’t finished. Then he says whenever HHH or Stephanie wanna talk he’s waiting. Shawn gets Punk’s obsession with the authority & not liking Hunter. Then the fans give Shawn a you sold out chant. Then Shawn rags on the fans. He then says that Punk has to get over this obsession. Punk’s issue shouldn’t be with HHH. I should be with Shawn since he kicked him. Punk wants to talk about that. Punk respects Shawn. Everybody does, but if he tries to kick Punk again Punk will kick him back. Shawn’s always liked Punk & what Shawn did last week pained him more than it pained Punk. Also what he’s about to do now will pain him more than Punk. Shawn brings out The Shield. This was a solid in ring promo. Punk was great as usual & Shawn was solid on the mic too. It looks like Michaels is the tweener in this storyline. Are they possibly setting up a Punk-Michaels match? That would be interesting to watch.

Time to find out who the fans picked to be Punk’s partners. It will be The Usos (Not surprising since The Usos have had issues with The Shield in the past).

CM Punk & The Usos vs. The Shield. The Shield wins when Reigns pins Punk. This was a really good match.

Next we see the Wyatt family backstage. Bray says Daniel is a coward & a liar. He held Daniel in his arms & told him he could take the pain away. Bray’s sorry for doubting Abigail. Bray now knows what he must do. If Daniel refuses to walk with the reapers than he will burn with the Saints. Then they show Bray’s rocking chair. This was the usual creepy promo we get from Bray.

Natalya & The Bellas vs. Divas Champion AJ Lee, Tamina Snuka & Alicia Fox. AJ, Tamina & Alicia win when AJ pins Nikki. This was ok.

Backstage we see Mark Henry dressed as Santa. The Bellas are his helpers & Hornswoggle’s there too. A little boy comes in & says he heard a bad Santa was cancelling Christmas. Henry is the good Santa & this will be the Merriest Christmas of them all, because that’s what Santa Henry does. This was ok too.

Backstage Renee Young interviews Orton. Orton complains about having to face Daniel. How many times does he have to beat Daniel. Orton knows what’s truly best for business & that’s if everyone bends over & kisses his ass. Thankfully this was short.

The Rhodes Brothers will face Luke Harper & Erik Rowan this week on Smackdown.

Daniel Bryan vs. WWE World Champion Randy Orton. Daniel wins by DQ when Orton punches Daniel in the groin. This was a really good back & forth match & I expected there wouldn’t be a clean finish.

Then John Cena storms to the ring, takes down Orton & then throws him out of the ring. Cena checks on Daniel. Then Orton gets back in the ring & gives Cena an RKO. Then Orton holds both titles over his head & stands over the fallen Cena & Daniel to end the show.

I thought this was a solid show for the most part. The opening in ring promo was a mixed bag. Cena was good but Orton was dull and HHH & Stephanie were their usual irritating selves. I enjoyed the Daniel-Orton match at the end & I knew there wouldn’t be a clean finish but I was ok with that. I liked Cena coming out afterwards too & taking out Orton only for Orton to RKO Cena & stand tall over Daniel & Cena. I also liked the Punk-Michaels promo. Punk was great as usual & Michaels was good here too. If they have a Punk-Michaels match that would be interesting. The 6 man tag was also really good. I knew The Usos would be teaming with Punk since they’ve had Shield issues too. The Santa Sandow bit was lame but the Santa Henry bit was ok. The 6 Divas tag was ok too. Ziggler-Fandango was decent but it was a rematch from last night. The Rhodes Brothers-Big Show & Rey Mysterio match was also solid. Bray Wyatt’s promo was the usual creepiness we get from him. Tons of Funk vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel wasn’t much & I wasn’t into the post-match stuff either. I think they could’ve done a better job with the Brodus heel turn. Mark Henry & Big E vs. The Real Americans was good too. I like the Big E-Mark Henry tag team. The backstage bit where Orton flipped out on HHH &Stephanie was your typical McMahons-Orton segment. Orton’s interview with Renee Young later on was solid though. Overall I thought this was a solid show.

12-9-13 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the December 9, 2013 Raw – The Slammy Awards

They start the show with a video package plugging tonight’s Slammys. This is gonna be terrible!

Then Michael Cole tells everyone how to download the App. I’m tired of this!

Daniel Bryan vs. Fandango. Daniel gets the pin. This match was longer than I expected & Daniel dominated most of this.

Then out go the lights & Bray Wyatt shows up on the Tron. He says Daniel’s unwillingness to comply is testing his patience. He doesn’t want Daniel to suffer, but in his world there are no happy endings. This story will end in destruction just like all the others. He wants to prove Daniel’s a monster just like he is, etc. This was the usual kinda promo Bray gives us. Then the lights come back & Daniel & the fans chant no.

Jerry Lawler & Booker T come out on the stage. They’re hosting the Slammys. King says they’re a lot of super stars in the back on pins & needles hoping to win 1 of these. Booker is excited that the fans’ voiced will be heard. Then Booker brings out The New Age Outlaws, who will be presenting the LOL award of the year.

Road Dogg does his old shtick. They came to present the slammy award for the lol moment of the year. Billy asks if Road Dogg won’t let him talk. Road Dogg says Gunn only said 2 words & Gunn would screw it up anyway. Gunn’s got 2 for us. Road Dogg says they can’t say that, etc. Anyway the nominees are Stephanie firing Vickie (That wasn’t funny), Titus O’Neil hurling (That was just stupid), Khali & Jinder snake charming the cobra (That was beyond idiotic) & The Rock’s concert (This wasn’t 1 of Rock’s funnier moments). The fans can vote on the App & we’ll find out later who gets this award. UGH!

Santino Marella comes to the ring. Break time.

Back from break & we go back to Road Dogg & Billy Gunn. The winner of the LOL moment is The Rock concert. Rock’s music plays but out comes Vickie. She wants to say to The Rock this award represent her beauty. Whatever. I knew Rock wasn’t gonna be there.

Big E Langston is on commentary.

Santino Marella vs. Damien Sandow. Sandow gets the pin. This was ok but I knew Sandow would win.

Then Big E gets in the ring. He & Sandow have a stare down & then holds up the IC Title.

Out come The Shield to present the double cross of the year award. Ambrose says they have won 2 awards but this is 1 award they know nothing about. Rollins says 2013 is the year of The Shield. Reigns says if you’re thinking about double crossing them, think again. Ok, the nominees are, Mark Henry’s “retirement” speech that lead to him giving Cena the World’s Strongest Slam (That wasn’t a double cross), Shawn Michaels super kicking Daniel Bryan at HIAC, Heyman turning on Punk at MITB & HHH giving Daniel Bryan a pedigree at SummerSlam.

Kofi Kingston comes to the ring. Break time.

Back from break & the double cross award goes to Shawn Michaels. His music plays & he comes out. He has a lot on his mind but he’s been told he can’t talk to long. He’s been fortunate enough to win a few Slammys over the years, but never a double cross 1. He’s been double crossing people for years & getting the award now is an injustice. A fan says that Shawn sold out. Shawn says that he sold out a long time ago, which is why he is still here. He thanks the fans. This was pointless.

Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz. Miz gets the pin. This was decent but way too short.

Then Kofi gives Miz Trouble in Paradise.   

Eve Torres returns to present the Diva of the year award. It’s her pleasure to return to present this Slammy. The Divas had 1 heck of an exciting year (Yeah right). The nominees are, The Bellas, Naomi & Cameron, Kaitlyn, Natalya, Eva Marie (NO WAY) & AJ Lee.

Rey Mysterio comes to the ring for an 8 man tag. Break time.

This seems to be how they’re handling this week’s show. Have a match, then have the award presenter come out, show videos of the nominees, have a guy come out for the next match, go to break, have the award winner come out, then have the next guy come out for a match & go to break.

Back from break & Michael Cole tells us that 20 superstars who were WWE or World Champions will be in the ring later tonight for an ascension ceremony. This will be the last time we see 2 World Titles. I really doubt that!

Ok, so the Diva of the year award goes to The Bella Twins. They come out & hug Eve. They’re so honored. They thank the fans. They’re shocked. Seattle is too good to them. 2014 will be another year for The Bellas. This was awful.

Rey Mysterio, Big Show and WWE Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. The Real Americans, Ryback & Curtis Axel. Rey, Show, Cody & Goldust win when Rey pins Axel. This was a solid match & the best part of this week’s show so far.

Michael Cole tells everyone how to download the App again.

Back to Lawler & Booker. King says that everyone wants to make an unforgettable presence & be superstar of the year. Then Booker brings out Shawn Michaels to present the super star of the year award. He mentions he already won a Slammy tonight. So he can also be called Mr. Slammy. The next award goes to the guy who has entertained the fans & has given them nothing short of an A + performance. Does that remind us of anybody? Shawn then says this award should be called the HB shizzle. The nominees are, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Big Show, Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, & John Cena (Of course).

Sin Cara (Now played by Hunico) comes to the ring. Break time.

They have a graphic in Memory on Nelson Mandela. That was classy.

Back from break & the superstar of the year is Daniel Bryan (I knew it). Shawn doesn’t let go of the trophy right away. They have a stare down & then Shawn heads to the back. Then Daniel thanks Shawn for the HB Shizzle award. If it weren’t for Shawn he wouldn’t be in WWE but also if it weren’t for Shawn he would be WWE Champion right now. He’s not angry about it. The authority don’t want him to be superstar of the year. The fans voted for him. If you thought 2013 was a good year, 2014 will be even better. Then he says go Seahawks. This was a solid promo. I was a bit surprised that they didn’t do much with these 2 but thankfully Daniel hasn’t gotten the WWE hometown treatment. Yet.

In the Goldman box Alberto Del Rio says that he has been WWE & World Champion & Sin Cara hasn’t done anything.

Sin Cara vs. Alberto Del Rio. Cara gets the pin. This was a solid match but they gotta get rid of that lighting.

The Primetime Players come out to present the fan participation award. Titus says a live WWE event is a place that the fans can let their voices be heard or something along those lines. Darren says they’re presenting the award & weren’t nominated. The give themselves an honorable mention since the fans cheered them on. Then they do the millions of dollars dance. The nominees are, Fandango-ing, Yes, Let’s go Cena/Cena sucks & What’s up. Break time.

Back from break & we find out that the TLC kickoff match will be Dolph Ziggler vs. Fandango.

Anyway the fan participation award goes to Daniel Bryan/Yes. Daniel comes back out. He’s at a loss for words so all there is to say is YES! YES! He got 2 awards & the hometown custom hasn’t happened. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen later.

Tons of Funk, Naomi & Cameron come to the ring. Brodus Clay will be in action next. Break time.

Back from break & we got Brodus Clay vs. Xavier Woods. Brodus gets the pin. This was a squash.

Then Brodus continues to splash Woods. Truth & Tensai eventually pull him off. Truth checks on Woods. Tensai & Brodus have words & Brodus leaves. He says he’s a main event player.

The Miz comes out to present the insult of the year award. The nominees are, AJ Lee ragging on the “Total Divas”, Zeb Coulter ragging on the fans, Paul Heyman calling Punk a loser & Stephanie calling Big Show worthless.

CM Punk comes to the ring. Break time.

Back from break & The Shield makes their way to ringside through the crowed.

The insult award goes to Stephanie. She comes out. She says what some consider an insult she considers a compliment because the fans have realized what is best for business. Thankfully this was really short.

CM Punk vs. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose. Punk gets the pin. This was a really good back & forth match.

Then Reigns spears Punk & he Rollins help Ambrose over the barrier. Rollins & Reigns were at ringside of course. Ambrose kept telling them he had this. There was some Shield tension and Rollins & Reigns were gonna head to the back.

They show the video on past WWWF/WWF/WWE & NWA/WCW/World Champions that they showed on Smackdown.

Back to Lawler & Booker. Lawler says there have been a lot of extreme moments on Raw. Booker says there’s only 1 guy who can present this award. He brings out Mick Foley to present the most extreme moment of the year award. Mick says that being a WWE superstar means giving your all to the fans, especially those fans right here in Seattle, WA. Being a WWE superstar also means giving the fans an extreme moment they can remember forever. The nominees are, The Shield taking out Undertaker, Ryback putting Cena through the stage lighting wall, CM Punk hitting Heyman with the Singapore Cane on top of the cell & The Wyatt Family taking out Kane.

The Usos come to the ring. Break time.

Back from break & Bray Wyatt is sitting in his rocking chair and Harper & Rowan are in the ring.

The extreme moment award goes to CM Punk. Punk comes out. He feels strange accepting an award & not wearing pants. He thanks everyone who voted for him. If you thought what he did to Heyman was extreme wait till you see what he does to The Shield this Sunday.

The Usos vs. Luke Harper & Erik Rowan. Harper & Rowan win when Harper gets the pin. This was a good match.

Back to Lawler & Booker. King says the fans have done a great job voting. But this is where it gets difficult. Time to pick the match of the year. Booker T brings out Bret Hart to present this award. Bret comes out. Bret says they’re thousands of matches in WWE every year & it is hard to have the best match night after night. A good match can captivate an audience & change a night but a great match can change WWE history. Bret’s gotten many awards throughout his career but match of the year is the award that he cherishes the most. The nominees are, Undertaker vs. Punk from WrestleMania 29 (That was the greatest match on this year’s Mania), Cody & Goldust vs. Rollins & Reigns from Battleground (That was the best match on that show), HHH vs. Brock Lesnar in a cage from Extreme Rules & Rock vs. Cena from WrestleMania 29 (This match was awful).

Natalya comes out & hugs Bret. Then she heads to the ring. Break time.

Back from break & AJ & Tamina are in the ring.

The match of the year award goes to Rock vs. Cena (FIX)! Cena comes out. WrestleMania 29 was a “great” match & a “great” night. Some fans might disagree but he thanks the fans who voted for that match. It’s a match he won’t forget & it looks the fans feel the same way. I’m glad that all of these speeches have been short. Rock-Cena was NOT the match of the year in my opinion! I had a feeling they’d give this award to that match but it doesn’t deserve it.

Natalya vs. Tamina Snuka. Natalya wins by submission. This was really short.

HHH & Stephanie come to the ring (They saved the worst for last). Break time.

Back from break & 20 former champions are in the ring along with HHH & Stephanie. Stephanie says they’re joined here tonight by some of the greatest champions ever. At the pinnacle of that list is HHH. So it’s fitting that he handles this ceremony. HHH says all these guys know what it takes to be a champion. Some have been World Champion, some have been WWE Champion & a select few have been both. But they’ve all etched their place in history, etc. The fans loudly chant Daniel Bryan. Tonight all the champions are here to see a game changing moment in time. The loud Daniel Bryan chant continues. Mark Henry raises Daniel’s hand. Then the fans chant yes. (Are you listening to the fans Vince)? HHH says Daniel has a lot of family for 1 building. He should’ve known a lot of them look like him. They’re all here to witness a game changing moment in history. Sunday both titles will hanging above the ring. 2 champions will compete but 1 man will leave champion of champions. Then HHH brings out Randy Orton. Then Stephanie brings out Cena. HHH asks both guys 2 hand over their titles. They’re gonna hang them above the ring now for some reason. This could be the final time we see both titles. Orton says that he knows better than anyone what Cena’s capable of. He also knows what Cena isn’t capable of. Cena said he had ruthless aggression but he doesn’t have it now. If he did he would’ve put Orton in the hospital. Orton then says that he didn’t get lazy. When you’re that much better than everyone you get complacent but he has all the motivation to beat Cena. Orton says that Cena saying that he doesn’t care about being the face of WWE is a lie. Cena will be the guy that loses the biggest match in WWE history. Orton’s the greatest superstar of this or any other generation. He took years off of Mick’s career. He’s embarrasses Shawn a lot of times. There wouldn’t have had to have been a Montreal screw job because he would have left Bret laying unconscious. Orton tells Cena that everything that Cena’s worked for will come crashing down all around him. Cena then says he noticed Orton said the word work. Then Cena goes over to Daniel. Daniel says who he is & the fans cheer. He’s from Abrindieen, WA. Cena asks if his mom or dad were a WWE superstar. Nope. So since Daniel’s been there he’s had to work for everything he’s got. Daniel says yes. Cena says the reason the fans cheer for Daniel is because he works & earns it. Orton has been handed everything. Ever since Orton came to the training center he was untouchable. Nothing’s changed. All Orton does is his behind HHHH & Stephanie. Orton says that he’s bigger than everybody? Orton’s always blamed others for his flaws. Their match at TLC is the biggest match in WWE history. Orton wants the titles because he is selfish. Maybe if Orton wins he can say that he finally is what he should’ve been 10 years ago. Cena says that every time he’s been champion it’s always been the same. You want some come get some. Cena mentions no one gave Dolph a chance. They didn’t wanna give Punk 1 either. The only legit title match Daniel had was against Cena & Daniel won. Cena tells Daniel that if he wins he looks forward to facing Daniel in a fair rematch. Cena tells Orton that when the chips are down he can be just as brutal as Orton. This Sunday will be brutal & Cena will be at his very best. He hopes Orton is too because the last thing anyone’s gonna wanna hear is another Orton excuse. He wishes Orton luck & tells him he will need it. They shake hands & then the pull apart brawl starts. Orton winds up shoving Punk & Punk goes after Orton. Then HHH shoves Punk down. Then Punk takes down HHH & then Shawn gives Punk a super kick. Then Daniel takes down Michaels. Orton was going for an RKO on Daniel but he shoves Orton into Stephanie. Then HHH pedigrees Orton. The fans chant Daniel Bryan. Then HHH’s music plays as he, Stephanie, Kane & Cena stand in the ring. Orton sells the pedigree in the corner to end the show. This was good. I liked Cena’s promo & I liked that they acknowledged the really loud Daniel Bryan chants. I also liked that Cena put Daniel over & hopefully Daniel will end up back in the title picture again. The pull apart brawl was good too. Punk taking down HHH was good too. HHH giving Orton the pedigree was kind of expected since there’s been tension between the 2. I wasn’t really sure what to make of Cena standing in the ring with Kane, HHH & Stephanie though. They really hyped up this match as one for the ages. I think the match will be good but it won’t the greatest ever & I still have this feeling that they’re gonna give us a no finish.

This was a pretty lackluster show overall. I don’t get why they had the Slammy Awards on the final Raw before TLC. Thankfully the acceptance speeches were kept to a minimum. There were some good matches on this show. Punk-Ambrose was great, the 8 man tag was solid & The Usos vs. Rowan & Harper was good too. Daniel vs. Fandango was decent too. Fandango got some offense in but Daniel was in control for most of this. Santino-Sandow, Kofi-Miz & Natalya-AJ were all really too short. Bray’s promo on the Tron was the usual kinda promo we get from Bray. The closing segment was good too. I liked that Cena put over Daniel Bryan & acknowledged that the fans like to cheer for him. Overall I thought they didn’t really to a lot to hype TLC except for the title for title match. The whole Slammy gimmick is pointless but thankfully they didn’t go too overboard this year.

12-2-13 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the December 2, 2013 Raw

The show starts with CM Punk coming to the ring. He says that for a week he’s been trying to figure out why The Shield attacked him. Now a week later he knows why. It was because he criticized HHH last week. Now he finds himself in denial & hoping it’s a coincidence. If it isn’t he doesn’t wanna have anything to do with “the authority”.  HHH can’t be that dense as to pick a fight with a guy who prides himself on being anti-authority. If he’s right then HHH & company are the sorriest bunch of ignorant douchebags he’s had to deal with. Then out comes Stephanie. She hopes Punk & everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Punk says she doesn’t care about that. She says there couldn’t be bigger advocates of free speech than her family. Sending The Shield after Punk is beneath them. She & HHH were just as upset as Punk when The Shield attacked him last week. Then she mentions the contract signing for the WWE-World Title match. If Punk has anything more to say he can ask Kane. Then Kane comes out. He says it’s his job to handle day to day issues & to make sure WWE runs smoothly. The authority had nothing to do with The Shield’s attack, this issue is resolved. Does Punk have any questions? Punk asks when Kane became the big red ass kisser. Kane says they’re not his enemy. Punk says since Kane sold out by hanging up his mask for a cheap suit, Kane can get knocked out or Punk can make him go to sleep. Cue The Shield’s music & out they come through the crowed. Punk gets a chair as they head to the ring. Stephanie tells The Shield to stop. She won’t have a repeat of last week. Punk is to be respected & admired. Kane then says that Punk also deserves to be challenged. Then he says that at TLC Punk will face all 3 Shield guys in a handicap match. This was a mixed bag opening segment. Punk was good on the mic like usual, Stephanie was ok & Kane talking like he was reading off a cue card was weak. I also knew that once Kane added challenged to respected & admired that they were gonna have Punk face The Shield.

They mention that the fans can vote on what the unified title will be called. The Undisputed WWE Title, The Undisputed World Title or the Unified Title. That makes no sense.

Damien Sandow is in the ring. He says he will beat Dolph tonight & then beat Big E for the IC Title. You’re welcome. Then out comes Dolph. Big E is also on commentary. They didn’t even have Sandow’s entire promo on the show.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow to see who will challenge for the IC Title. Sandow gets the pin. This was a decent match & thank God they didn’t have another meaningless brawl.

Natalya & The Bella Twins vs. Divas Champion AJ Lee, Tamina Snuka & Summer Rae. Natalya & The Bellas win when Natalya pins AJ. This was ok. Then AJ skips up the ramp.

Next week is the Raw Slammy Awards. I’m dreading that!

Justin Roberts introduces “Bad news Barrett”. Wade’s in a suit, & standing in front a podium that’s next to the announce table. Barrett has good news & bad news. The good news is that they’re live on Raw. The bad news is they’re stuck in an arena full of hillbillies who had to name their city after their state so they can remember it. This is how they have Wade Barrett return to TV? Who came up with Bad News Barrett? Terrible.

Backstage we see Orton & Brad. Orton’s glad Brad’s back. He apologizes for not being sympathetic about Brad’s injuries. Then he says that he needs Brad to tell HHH & Stephanie that they need to recognize him as the greatest WWE Champion ever. He is the face of WWE & his name is more well-known & respected than Cena’s or anybody’s. He also tells Brad to tell HHH & Stephanie that he’s bigger than the WWE itself. This was weak.

Daniel Bryan comes to the ring for his match with Erik Rowan. Daniel was kidnapped last week & comes to the ring tonight doing the yes chant like nothing ever happened. Break time.

Back from break & out go the lights. They come back on and Harper & Rowan are in the ring.

Then they reshow The Wyatts Daniel from last week. Then they show Bray’s promo from Smackdown.

Daniel Bryan vs. Erik Rowan. Daniel gets the pin. This was a good match.

Then out go the lights again & Bray is on the stage. He tells Harper & Rowan to stand down. He tells Daniel they won’t hurt him unless he tells them to. Since Bray’s been on this Earth he’s done a lot of horrible things to a lot of good people. He is man enough to admit when he was wrong. He was wrong about Daniel. He saw Daniel as this miniscule little creature climbing up a hill. He saw Daniel chasing his girlfriend around. How long till “they” discover that Daniel’s dirty feet soil that red carpet? Bray sees Daniel for what he really is but “they” see him as a circus clown. “They” can’t love him like Bray can. Together Daniel & Bray can break down the walls of this place. This was the usual cryptic promo that we get from Bray.

Backstage we see Daniel & he bumps into Kane. Kane congratulates Daniel on his win. Then Kane says that since Daniel & Punk are friends Daniel should also be in a handicap match. At TLC Daniel will face The Wyatts.  This was ok but I don’t know why they’re having two 3 on 1 matches on a PPV.

R-Truth & Xavier Woods vs. Tons of Funk. Truth & Woods win when Woods pins Brodus. This was a decent match too.

Sin Cara makes his return. Then out comes Del Rio. He says Cara represents all the other peasants while trying to cross the border. Tonight he will beat down Cara & send Cara back to the other side of the border. I’m not sure why Del Rio cut a Zeb Coulter like promo.

Sin Cara vs. Alberto Del Rio. Cara gets the pin. This was a solid match & I was surprised that Cara won. I do wish they’d get rid of the yellow & blue lighting during Cara’s matches though.

They show Orton punting Cena’s dad in the head from August 2007. Man they’re really hyping this up. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they do a screwy finish at TLC.

Backstage Renee Young interviews Cena. He has a historic match coming up at TLC. If he becomes undisputed champion, what does that mean to him? Cena says there has been a debate for 5 decades over which title has more meaning. If you lived in the south the World (NWA/WCW) Title was the main belt. If you lived in the North the WWE Title was. He’s been WWE Champion & is proud to be World Champion, but WWE deserves to have 1 champion. Being the undisputed champion means everything to him. This was a decent Cena promo. I liked that he put over how much both titles mean & have meant in the past.

Cut to The Shield. Ambrose says Punk can’t beat them at TLC. Rollins says Punk wouldn’t last 5 minutes. Reigns tells Punk to stay away from them. Then Ambrose says to Believe in The Shield.

WWE Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes & Goldust and Big Show vs. The Shield. The Shield wins when Rollins pins Goldust. This was a really good back & forth match. The finish came when Goldust superplexed Ambrose from the top rope & then Rollins rolled up Goldust for the pin.

They show highlights of the Cena-Orton match from Breaking point back in September 2009.

Backstage Renee Young wants Punk’s thoughts about facing The Shield at TLC. Punk wants to thank the “creative genius” who came up with this “never before seen” match. He starts to sing. Then he says he knows he’s going down, but the question is how many Shield guys will he take with him. This was a good promo. Punk was great like usual.

Back to Bad News Barrett. He’s got bad news. This past Thursday was Thanksgiving. Everyone ate Turkey, stuffing, gravy & pumpkin pie. As a result the fans all have clogged arteries, they sweat when they eat & they’re all constipated. This was meaningless.

Backstage we see that Kofi & Miz have buried the hatchet for now. They’ll face Ryback & Curtis Axel tonight. That doesn’t really make any sense.

Kofi Kingston & The Miz vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel. Ryback & Axel win when Ryback pins Kofi. This was alright.

Then Miz helps Kofi up & then slaps him. Miz then walks up the ramp. So Miz is going to be a heel it looks like.

Los Matadores & El Torito plug WWE merchandise.

Mark Henry vs. Fandango. Henry gets the pin. This was a decent & short match. It did go longer than I expected though. I thought this was gonna be a squash.

They have a video package on the Titus-Cesaro match from Smackdown, followed by Titus barfing in JBL’s hat. Why did they reshow this?

The Primetime Players are in the ring. Then out come The Real Americans. Zeb asks what kind of man likes to puke another man? That guy is standing in the ring. Titus gives new meaning to PTP. Now it means primetime pukers. That wouldn’t be tolerated in Zeb’s America or whatever. We the people.

The Primetime Players vs. The Real Americans. The Real Americans win when Cesaro pins Darren. This was decent. Titus hinted at hurling again after Cesaro gave him the big swing.

Lawler gets the mic & it’s time to find out what the fans want the unified title to be called. They picked Unified Champion.

Time for the title unification contract signing as HHH & Stephanie come to the ring. They have tables, ladders & chairs in the ring & on the stage. HHH says in 2 weeks at TLC the WWE & World Titles will be hanging above the ring. Cena & Orton will compete in a Tables Ladders & Chairs match & the winner will walk out as THE champion. Stephanie says there will be 1 winner, 1 undisputed champion. Then Stephanie brings out Orton. Then she brings out Cena. HHH thanks them for coming out. Stephanie then says that they got his message that he’s bigger than WWE. Then HHH says that Orton holds a title with a great history that’s been held by all the greats. Then he says that Cena is the World Title. That’s a title with a longer linage. HHH mentions all the guys who’ve held both titles & Stephanie mentions that HHH held them both. HHH says this isn’t a spur of the moment decision. They’ve thought about it for a while. Before they could commit they needed to know if they can be the face of WWE. Both guys have earned their place there & now they have a chance to cement their legacy forever. They’ve both looked over the contract, now it’s time to make it “official.” Orton signs first & then Cena does. Then Stephanie says they both have a chance to speak about this once in a life time match. The floor is Orton’s. Orton says that some of the biggest names in the industry have held these titles. Orton says that he’s better then all of them including HHH. But that is why HHH chose him to be the face of WWE. Orton’s the only 1 capable of beating Cena & he will in 2 weeks & walk out with both titles. Cena says that he & Orton have had tons of matches. Orton says he knows who Cena is. They have history. He kicked Cena’s dad in the head. Since then he’s made a career of destroying dreams & that’s what he will do to Cena. Despite Cena accomplishments the only reason he’s on this Earth…Cena cuts him off. Then Cena says 10 years ago HHH taught Orton how to be a success in WWE but Orton never lived up to his potential. HHH saw what we all saw. Orton makes everything in this ring look easy, but he has a bad attitude & he got lazy. HHH gave Orton Hall of Famers to learn from & pretty much Orton didn’t take advantage, etc. Orton thinks he should be given chances because of his dad. Cena earned the World Title. They have a historic match at TLC & anything Orton takes from Cena he will earn. Cena then says Orton can leave or he can make a move. Then Cena says that if Orton makes 1 single move to him right now the fans will be reminded of what a TLC match really is. Cena will bend a chair over his back; he will hit him with a ladder & put him through a table. Will Orton step up or will he step aside? Orton flips over the table & the predictable brawl starts. Cena hits Orton a ladder. They go at it on the floor & Orton sends Cena into the post. Then Orton takes apart the announce table but Cena hits him with a ladder. Then he hits Orton with a chair. Then he hits Orton with the mic. Then he rams Orton face first into the steel steps. Then he rolls Orton back in the ring but Orton topples a ladder down on Cena. Then Orton hits Cena with a chair. Then Orton throws the desk chair out of the ring. Then he sets up a table in the ring but Cena fights back & sends Orton through a table in the corner. Then he gives Orton the AA through the other table. Then Cena holds up both titles over his head & does the you can’t see me gesture to the unconscious Orton to end the show. This actually was a pretty decent segment. HHH & Stephanie didn’t really go too overboard here except for when Stephanie said that HHH held both titles. Orton & Cena both cut good solid promos & the brawl was good.    

I thought this week’s show was better than the last 2 weeks were but some of it seemed to drag. The opening segment with Punk, Kane & Stephanie was a mixed bag. Punk was good & Stephanie wasn’t as over the top usual. Kane’s promo was weak though. The contract signing/Cena-Orton brawl was pretty decent. They did a good job in building this up as a big time match but I still have this feeling that the match will end in a no finish. It certainly won’t be the greatest match in history. I have no idea why they had the fans vote on what they want the unified title to be called. The Primetime Players-Real Americans match was decent but I could’ve done without the hinting of Titus hurling again. The Kofi & Miz vs. Ryback & Axel match was alright. Nothing memorable. It looks like Miz is a heel since he slapped Kofi afterwards.  I liked the 6 man tag. That was the highlight of this week’s show. Mark Henry-Fandango was decent & wasn’t the squash I was expecting it to be. The 6 Divas tag was ok, the Bad News Barrett segments were meaningless, the Bryan-Rowan was good & Bray’s promo was the usual cryptic kind of promo that we get from him. I have no idea why they’re having two 3 on 1 matches at the PPV though. That doesn’t really sound appealing. Dolph-Sandow was decent & thankfully this match wasn’t a gimmick brawl. Big E vs. Sandow for the IC Title should be interesting. I don’t get why they’re having the slammy awards on the go home episode before the PPV. Punk’s backstage promo was good too. Punk is a great promo guy. Truth & Woods vs. Tons of Funk was decent & it looks like Brodus will be turning heel. The Sin Cara-Del Rio match was solid & I was surprised that Cara won. They do need to get rid of that lighting that the use for his matches though. Cena’s backstage promo putting over the titles was good too. For the most part I thought this week’s show was a mixed bag but it was better than the last 2 weeks. Overall I thought it was average.

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.

11-18-13 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!