12-3-12 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the December 3, 2012 episode of Raw

The show starts with WWE Tag Team Champions Kane & Daniel Bryan coming out for a match. The Shield is watching from the sky box. Kane says the Shield is real tough way up there. They claim to fight against injustice. Why don’t they come to the ring right now and Kane & Daniel will give them something to fight about. Then out come The Primetime Players. This was decent.

WWE Tag Team Champions Kane & Daniel Bryan vs. The Primetime Players. Kane & Daniel win when Daniel pins Darren. During the match Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns walked to the lower levels. Rollins wasn’t there. After the match Reigns & Ambrose attack Kane while Daniel is ambushed by Rollins & Daniel. Reigns & Ambrose trap Kane’s arm against the steel steps. Then they give Daniel the triple power bomb. This was more about The Shield coming in than the match but I thought this was decent. They’re continuing to get The Shield over.

Sheamus thanks Cena for being on Smackdown. Cena said it was a win-win for him because he got to beat up Dolph. Cena mentions Big Show breaking the chair last week. Tonight they have a tag match with Dolph & Show and the need to focus on the match. Sheamus says what he will do later translates into any language. This was weak. They have Cena & Sheamus being the usual hokey baby faces making stupid jokes and then Cena says they need to be focused? Also the “combine 2 PPV matches into a tag match” is very predictable.

AJ Lee vs. Tamina Snuka. AJ gets the pin. This was ok. Tamina dominated here and then AJ got the roll up for the win.

CM Punk & Paul Heyman come to the ring. Break time. Back from break. Heyman says that he was leaving home to fly to Greensboro and he noticed that his kids were reading the WWE Encyclopedia. Heyman’s not out here to plug the book. He doesn’t like it because there isn’t enough info about Punk in it. There was something in there that he & Punk had too busy to notice. Today is day 379 for Punk as WWE Champion. Heyman says tonight at midnight Punk will tie and tomorrow night at midnight Punk will surpass Cena as longest reigning champion of the modern era. Punk is the longest WWE Champion of the past 25 years, which means the fans will have to agree with him when he says that there is no argument against the fact that Punk should be on Mt. Rushmore. Punk says he stands before the fans unfairly persecuted. He has proven for 1 year that he is the best in the world. That isn’t a slogan, it’s a fact. If there was a WWE Mt. Rushmore his face would be over Hogan’s, Taker’s Austin’s & Cena’s. He beat Ryback at hell in a cell. He beat Ryback & Cena at Survivor Series. He asks why he has to defend his title in a TLC match against Ryback. It’s because of all the fans that turned their backs on him and ignored his accomplishments. People who can’t hold onto a job for a year or have a long lasting marriage. Punk says first it was Heyman, then it was Maddox and now it’s The Shield. He says it’s a lie that if it weren’t for The Shield he wouldn’t be champion. Punk says if it weren’t for him no one would be here now. He is the reason the fans bought tickets to be at Raw. If it weren’t for Punk the fans wouldn’t have anything to look forward to on these dismal 3 hour episodes of Raw (They have been terrible). He had nothing to do Maddox or The Shield but he has everything to do with being the hottest thing in WWE today. If the fans can’t accept that they can change the channel or leave the arena. Then out comes The Miz. He tells the fans to enjoy themselves. Miz says no one believes Punk. Miz says that Punk talks about all these lies but everyone knows the truth. Punk asks Miz who he thinks he is to cast judgment on him. Miz is the guy who took short cuts when he was champion but he can admit it. Everyone knows Maddox was in Punk’s pocket. Everyone knows The Shield helped him at Survivor Series. If it weren’t for The Shield coming out last week Ryback would have fed himself some Punk. Miz says they can fight or wrestle anytime. Tonight he wants Punk to be on Miz TV so that he can take a lie detector test. Heyman wants to make sure that he follows what Miz is saying. Then Heyman reminds Miz about how Punk feels about him behind the scenes. Heyman says that Miz wants to subject Punk to his 3 ring circus. Miz calls Heyman a walrus and then the fans chant that. Punk says he isn’t going to stand for that. Miz apologizes that Heyman is a really big walrus. Miz wants Punk with a live mic on Miz TV and to bring his best pipe bomb. Miz says he’s giving Punk a chance to clear his name and show that he is the best in the world. Unless Punk is afraid of the truth and would rather have an asterisk next to everything he’s done, including 379 days as WWE Champion. Punk says he will take Miz’s stupid test. Punk will prove that he is the best in the world and everyone will have to admit it. This was a solid segment, but a lie detector test? Really (as Miz would say)? I thought all 3 guys were really good on the mic here. There was a lot said here and was very hard to catch up with.

John Cena & Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler & World Champion Big Show. Cena & Sheamus win when Cena pins Dolph. This was solid but they had the face beat the heels cleanly again! Cena gave Dolph the AA at the same time Sheamus gave Big Show the White Noise. Then Cena pinned Dolph. Super Cena wins again.

Damien Sandow comes out. He says for what has felt like an eternity he has attempted to help all the fans. An attempt that has been futile but he will not abandon the fans. Tonight he has decided to give a fan a chance to become his apprentice. Her looks over the crowed and picks a “fan” with a Little Jimmy Shirt. Sandow tells the guy to hurry because he’s already losing points. The “fan” gets in the ring. Sandow tells him he has to answer 3 questions. First, H20 is the chemical composition of what? The fan answers water. Second, who was the first U.S. President? The guy says George Washington. The third was a quote from English poetry. The fan doesn’t know. Sandow then tells him that ignorance is curable but stupid is forever. Then he tells the guy that he should be exiled from the country. “You’re Welcome.” Then out comes Santino Marella. Santino says he’s going ask a question for Sandow. How many seashells does she sell by the shore? Sandow rags on Santino. Then he says what the most common type of shell would be. Santino says Sandow’s wrong. The answer is the conch shell. Then Sandow punches Santino. Santino retaliates and Sandow retreats. It looks like Santino will face Sandow next. This was a mixed bag. Sandow was really good here as usual. I wasn’t into Santino’s part of this. Him having difficulty getting that tongue twister out was lame.

Santino Marella vs. Damien Sandow. Sandow gets the pin. This was alright.

Dolph & Vickie are backstage. Dolph says Show is the worst tag team partner ever. Dolph says he can beat Cena and look good in the process. Dolph says that he is a star. Vickie is starting to lose faith in Dolph. He asks Vickie to give him a rematch with Cena at TLC. She grants him the match & Dolph thanks her. Then Dolph goes to kiss Vickie but Vickie stopped him and looked to make sure no one was watching (even though there is a camera right there)! Then Vickie goes into her office. It’s Brad Maddox. Vickie asks what he’s doing there. He’s there to make sure no one forgets his name. They also had a guy filming him. This was idiotic! They’ve made Dolph look like a real loser and I found the bit with Maddox being filmed insulting because they showed a guy filming him! Having Vickie looking around when Dolph went to plant one on her was just as insulting!

Back to the show and Vickie asks Maddox why she should give him a contract. Maddox says that Punk had nothing to do with what happened at the cell PPV. He says she is one of the most influential and powerful women in WWE history and she’s proven that with her eye for talent and entertainment. Maddox says if you put him on TV then TV goes from being good to being great. Vickie gives him a match. If he wins he will get a contract. Maddox asks who he will be facing. Vickie says he will find out later and she tells him that it will be great. He knows it will be because he will be on TV. This sucked! They’re having Maddox wrestle for a contract again? That’s the same crappy bit as when he faced Ryback.

Sin Cara vs. Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio wins by submission. This was a really good match.

Vince McMahon is backstage. He tells some guy to tell Vickie that he’d like to talk to her in the ring now. The guy says ok. Vince asks him to respond again. The guy says yes sir. This was weak. This next in ring segment is going to be painful!

Vickie Guerrero comes to the ring for her yapping segment with Vince. She asks everyone to welcome the chairman, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Vinnie Mac power walks to the ring. She says Vince looks handsome. She has the best match for TLC. Cena vs. Dolph. If she wants to make it epic they should have a big stip in there. She says a No DQ match. Vince tells her to try harder. This is tables ladders and chair not the no DQ PPV (even though the gimmick matches are NO DQ anyway). Then Vickie says a ladder match. She says that seems impossible because neither guy is a champion. Vince then says that the match will be for the MITB briefcase (I was so afraid they were going to do this)! Vickie says that Cena could gain everything and Dolph could lose everything. Vickie says it’s not fair. Vince says what she & Dolph have been doing to Cena & AJ is unfair. He tells Vickie to make the match official and she does. Vickie yaps some more but Vince cuts her off. Then he brings up the lie detector segment. What if Punk is lying about everything he said? Vince says Punk should be punished and no one likes a liar (He really said that). Vickie says that if Punk is guilty then next week there will be a Ryback vs. Paul Heyman match. This was just as painful as I knew it would be! I had a terrifying feeling they would have Cena-Dolph for the MITB case. I really hope they don’t have Cena win! Vince ragged on Heyman because that what he likes to do and his “no one likes a liar” line was idiotic too.

Time for Brad Maddox’s match. He will be facing Randy Orton.

Randy Orton vs. Brad Maddox. Orton gets the pin. This was a squash. Afterwards The Shield comes out and they pound on Orton. Then they give him the triple power bomb. I’m hoping Maddox having a match for a contract and then getting creamed isn’t going to be a recurring bit. I liked The Shield attacking Orton though. I’m hoping they have them go after Cena next. That would get them over huge.

Vickie Guerrero is screaming at Charles Robinson. Then Dolph comes in and complains about having to defend the MITB case at TLC. Then he brings up when AJ made him defend the case against Jericho. Vickie says Vince was standing right there. Dolph says that is becoming like AJ and then he walks off. Then in comes Paul Heyman. He & Vickie intently stare at each other. Vickie hopes for Heyman’s sake, he better hope that Punk is telling the truth. Then in comes Cena. Cena says she made a great match. He thanks Vickie. Cena says he is the only guy to cash in the MITB case & not win the title. When he wins this case, he will cash in and become champion. Vickie says that AJ’s locker was being cleaned out and they found bow ties with Cena’s pic on them. Cena says Vickie can’t leave well enough alone. Vickie says history keeps repeating itself. This was terrible too. Cena of course was his usual hokey cartoon self and the Vickie character is getting stale. I’m tired of this Cena-AJ crap. Whatever they do, please don’t have Cena win the MITB case!!

Next was supposed to be Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston & R-Truth vs. U.S. Champion Antonio Cesaro & Wade Barrett. Then out comes Teddy Long. He says since Vickie is having problems and since Booker T isn’t there and since Vince is looking to spice things up this match will be a fatal 4 way match for either the Intercontinental or U.S. Title. That will be decided by the fans votes. Turning the tag match into a 4 way was predictable and didn’t really spice up anything. This match should be solid though.

Time to find which secondary title will be defended. It will be the U.S. Title.

Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston vs. R-Truth vs. Wade Barrett vs. U.S. Champion Antonio Cesaro for the U.S. Title. Cesaro wins when he pins Kofi. This was a really good match too.

Time for Miz TV. Miz welcomes everyone. He has some guy there from the Sheriff’s department. Miz talks about Punk denying having anything to do with Maddox or The Shield. Tonight we will get answers through a lie detector test. Miz asks everyone to welcome CM Punk. Out come Punk & Heyman. Miz welcomes Punk to Miz TV. Miz says the lie detector test is simple by nature. Punk says he knows how it works. He says Miz is just like everyone else. Miz’s title reign so he’s trying to bring Punk down to his level. Punk says everyone wishes they could be him. Miz says he wasn’t paying attention. Punk says Miz wasn’t paying attention in wrestling school either. Miz says if Punk’s caught lying Heyman will have to face Ryback. Miz asks Punk what his name is. Punk says his name. Has Punk been champion for 379 days? Yep. Did Rey Mysterio shave his head bald? Punk reluctantly says yes. The year Miz main evented WrestleMania did Punk lose to Orton? Punk says he doesn’t have to deal with. Miz tells him to answer it. Punk says yes, but Miz won because Rock attacked Cena. Punk says everyone wishes they could forget Miz main evented WrestleMania. Miz then asks Punk if he thinks he can beat Ryback by himself. Punk says yes. The detector on the Tron shows that might not be true. Punk says that’s an opinion. Miz asks if Punk worked with Maddox & The Shield to win at the last 2 PPVs. Then out comes The Shield and the go after Miz. Then they destroy the Miz TV set. Then they continue to pound on Miz. Then they give Miz the triple power bomb. Then Kane & Daniel Bryan hit the ring and they go after The Shield. The Shield gets the upper hand. Cue feed me more and out comes Ryback. He cleans house on The Shield. Then Ryback throws Ambrose over the guardrail and pounds on him. Kane & Daniel brawl with Rollins & Reigns. Kane & Reigns brawl into the crowed too. Then Punk stomps on Miz and kicks him out of the ring. Punk poses and then Ryback comes back in and gives Punk Shell Shock. Then Ryback gets a chair from under the ring. Then he gets a ladder. Ryback hits Punk with the ladder. Then he picks up the chair and hit Punk in the back. Then Ryback gets a table out from under the ring. Ryback sets the table up in the ring and power bombs Punk through it. Then Ryback has his foot on Punk’s chest and does the feed me more chant. Ryback leads the fans in the feed me more chant to end the show. This was a mixed bag segment. I wasn’t into the lie detector part of this. I also thought it was too soon to have The Shield get neutralized. I was ok with Ryback pounding on Punk.

I wasn’t into this week’s show too much. The opening with The Shield watching from the sky box was decent. Kane & Daniel Bryan vs. The Primetime Players was ok too. I liked The Shield attacking the tag champs. The Miz TV segment was mediocre at best. Punk was great on the mic as usual but I thought it was too soon for The Shield to get beaten. The Miz-Punk segment from earlier in the show was good. Both guys were good on the mic. Sin Cara-Del Rio & the 4 Way for U.S. Title were both really good. Orton-Maddox was a squash. I’m hoping this doesn’t become a regular bit for Maddox. The Vince-Vickie segment was terrible. So were all the other Vickie segments. I had a bad feeling they’d book Cena-Dolph for the MITB case at TLC! I really hope they have Dolph win! He could really use a win over Super Cena. Cena & Sheamus vs. Dolph & Big Show was alright too but of course the baby faces had to win. Overall I thought this was a lousy show.