Coverage and thoughts on the February 11, 2013 episode of Raw
The show starts with Paul Heyman in the ring. He says this isn’t how he saw things going down, but this something he is compelled to do. Tonight is the last night we will see Heyman. That might make a lot of fans happy. He might be a lot of things but he will not play the victim. Everything he has done he has done with passion and that usually winds up betraying him. For 7 & ½ years he sacrificed everything to give the most entertaining form of wrestling, that being ECW. He came to WWE & he saw the most physically gifted rookie in the industry and he turned him into the next big thin, a man the fans know as Brock Lesnar. Then he met a guy he figured was the epitome of everything that the WWE fans would support. He saw a guy that he knew could eclipse even Bruno Samatino’s title reign. He saw a guy that would carry WWE into the long term future. That man should still be WWE Champion, CM Punk. You don’t have to be Nostrodomus to see into the future. Heyman can see into the future and he says that something bad is going to happen. It won’t just come down on him but on everyone who is around him, which means it will come down on Punk. He says Punk will be champion again. Heyman says that he has become a distraction. He says that the sins of the mentor will fall upon his protégé and he won’t let that happen. Tonight he is resigning. As he stands there and pours his heart out all he sees is cold hearted callousness and he has as much compassion for the fans’ lives as they do for him. He won’t miss the fans. He asks the fans if they’re proud of themselves. Punk needs to be focused on becoming champion and he won’t stand in his way. He regrets that he can’t stand out there tonight with Punk to celebrate day 455 as champion when he beats The Rock. Heyman says goodbye. Cue Punk’s music and out he comes. Punk asks Heyman what he’s doing. Heyman says he’s in Punk’s way. Vince thinks Heyman arranged for The Shield & Brad Maddox to get paid off. He didn’t but that’s Vince’s perception. Vince also thinks that Heyman had something to do with Brock Lesnar. Heyman didn’t but that is also Vince’s perception. Punk says Heyman is way too important to him and the company as a whole. He says the fans admire and look up to Heyman just like Punk does. There’re a lot of Heyman guys out there. Heyman says in the land of the McMahons, perception is reality. If Punk thought what Vince did to him at the rumble was screwing him, wait to see what he will do next. Punk says this Sunday, this bad dream they’re living in goes back to normal. It will be day 455 of his historic title reign. Punk will beat Rock and when he does Heyman will be in his corner. Heyman says Punk’s right and he will be there Sunday to witness greatness happen. This Sunday Punk will be the reigning, defending WWE Champion. Then he hugs Punk and tells him he is the best in the world. This was a really awesome promo from Heyman and Punk was good here too. Great way to start the show.
Great Khali vs. Mark Henry. Henry gets the pin. Thankfully this was short. Henry leaves the ring but then goes back in. He grabs Hornswoggle and gives him the world’s strongest slam.
Backstage Teddy Long & Booker T are talking about Orton & Mark Henry being in the chamber. Then Jericho Jericho Jericho Jericho Jericho
Heyman comes into Vickie’s office. He wants her to ad a stipulation to the WWE Title match this Sunday. She won’t without Vince’s ok. Heyman says Vickie is the boss while Vince is out. Vickie’s phone ring and it is Vince. She puts her cell on speaker. Heyman says he’s sorry for what happened and Vince tells him to shut up. Heyman says Rock will lose by DQ or count out to hold on to the title. Heyman wants Vince to make it that if Rock loses by DQ or count out Punk regains the title. Vince grants it. Heyman says he’s always thought of Vince as a father figure and then Vince hangs up. This was alright.
WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Chris Jericho. Jericho
John Cena, Ryback & Sheamus vs. 3MB. Cena, Ryback & Sheamus win when Cena pins Jinder. This was a squash. Cena gave Jinder the AA as Ryback gave Slater the Shellshock & Sheamus gave McIntyre White Noise. Then Ryback says this Sunday is the day he will feast on The Shield. Sheamus says for the past couple months he’s been hearing believe in the shield. He believes there is no reason why they don’t get their own justice tonight. Then Cena says The Shield will be here tonight. Why would they come out to the ring and leave themselves vulnerable. He says it’s a bolt choice but it’s also a bad one. Tonight The Shield meats the sword. If they want some, come get some. This was good. All 3 guys cut good short promos.
They reshow Del Rio
Backstage Yoshi Tatsu & Alex Riley are talking about what happened to Big Show. Then Big Show comes in and punches them both. I’m not sure what the point of this was. They had Big Show KO 2 guys that haven’t been on TV months.
Big Show comes to the ring. Matt Striker asks him if he feels…then Big Show knocks him out with the KO. Then he stands in the ring looking really pissed off as the fans boo him. Then he drops the mic and walks up the ramp. This was decent. Matt Striker was apparently there just so Big Show can knock him out too. I thought Big Show was good here and he didn’t have to say a word. His enraged look was really good.
They reshow the Bruno Sammartino Hall of Fame video package.
Zack Ryder vs. Jack Swagger (With some guy named Zeb Coulter). Swagger wins by submission. This was a squash. Ryder took a beating here. Then Swagger introduces his friend. A great American named Zeb Coulter. Coulter asks what is wrong with America
Backstage Booker says Swagger has been unstoppable. Long agrees. Booker says Swagger’s in the chamber. Then Dolph comes by and complains about that. Booker says Dolph pulled out. AJ mentions Dolph has a future title match. Dolph says he always steals the show and Jericho Jericho Jericho
The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes. Miz wins by DQ when Cesaro attacks him. Cesaro was on commentary and was going to attack Miz but Miz kicked him. Then Cesaro shoved Miz into the turnbuckle, leading to the DQ. Then Cesaro swings Miz around into the ring barrier. The match wasn’t much but Cesaro swinging Miz into the ring barrier was solid. I have no idea why the split up Rhodes Scholars. They’ve made Cody a singles jobber. I don’t get it.
Brodus Clay & Tensai vs. Primo & Epico. Brodus & Tensai win when Tensai pins Epico. This was a squash too and really idiotic. Then Rosa comes in the ring but she gets tossed her over the top and then Cameron kicks baseball slide kicks Rosa . This was terrible! I have no idea why they made Brodus & Tensai a make shift comedy team.
The Shield comes out through the crowd. Ambrose says who they are. He says they stand united for justice. He mentions that Cena threatened them. Rollins says the heroes think they’ll accomplish something by threatening The Shield. When The Shield wants to deliver a message they do it with action. Reigns says, “If you want us, come and get us!” Ambrose says that Cena, Ryback & Sheamus are typical empty threats for 3 morally empty individuals. Reigns says they couldn’t get the job done with the whole roster. The whole world can come out and still be here. Rollins says Cena fails everyday when he gets up and exists. This Sunday at the chamber will be no different. Cena will fail again at the hands of The Shield. Ambrose calls Cena a failure. Ambrose says there are no consequences in Cena’s world and that’s what they call the John Cena problem. Reigns says Cena’s been the problem for the past decade and they’re the solution. Rollins says Cena laid the groundwork for a generation of fans to believe in the system. This Sunday they have a chance to rectify a decade of injustice in 1 fell swoop. Ambrose says The Shield will drown them this Sunday. Ambrose says they’re not going anywhere. They wait for Cena, Ryback & Sheamus. Then the lights go out. When they come back on, Cena, Sheamus & Ryback are there and they clean house. The Shield retreats but they go after them and the brawl continues in the crowd. The Shield eventually retreats. This was really good. The Shield cut a good promo and I liked the brawl in the crowd. The match this Sunday should be really good too & I’m hoping they make it a war games chamber match.
Damien Sandow comes out. He says with the shame of last night’s Grammy awards behind us; WWE sadly finds itself in Nashville
World Champion Alberto Del Rio Del Rio
Then Del Rio Del Rio Mexico Del Rio
Wade Barrett is backstage, headed for the ring and then Bo Dallas attacks him from behind. This was good too.
Kofi Kingston comes to the ring. He was supposed to face Wade Barrett, but it doesn’t look like that will happen. Barrett’s music hits and he actually comes out. So the match will happen.
Kofi Kingston vs. Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett. Barrett gets the pin. This was a solid but relatively short match.
Kane vs. Dolph Ziggler for a spot in the elimination chamber. Kane gets the pin. This was a solid match. Kane got on the top rope and then AJ got on the apron. Dolph ducked Kane’s top rope clothesline but as he bounced off the ropes he sent AJ off the apron and Langston caught her. Then Kane hit the choke slam and got the pin.
Time for a video package on the elimination chamber.
The Rock comes to the ring. He says this is a very special night. Not only are they sold out but The Rock has been waiting a very long time to say this. “Finally The Rock has come back to Nashville Nashville Nashville 2 am , ditch it in a Burger King parking lot and walked backed to some lounge. There are 2 take always from this story. First if you buy a car, never buy 1 from a crack head and second be more like Rock at 25. When he was 25 he had his first match and dreamed of becoming WWE Champion. After this Sunday he will still be champion. Out come CM Punk & Paul Heyman. Rock says how Punk & Heyman reenacted a scene from Twilight. Rock talks about the deck being stacked against him. Rock tells Punk he will be his punk ass this Sunday and if he walks down that ramp rock will kick his punk ass all over Nashville
I thought this was a solid show overall. The Punk-Heyman promo at the start was really good and I liked Rock’s promo at the end. The content of his promo was weird but it was done in true Rock form. Having Rock & Punk going at it was good also and I liked that they had Punk give Rock the GTS and take the title. I also liked The Shield promo & the brawl they had with Cena, Ryback & Sheamus. Bo Dallas attacking Wade Barrett backstage was good too. The Kofi-Barrett match was short but solid. Khali-Henry was a squash. Del Rio-Sandow was mostly a squash too. Sandow got a bit of offense in but it was mostly Del Rio
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