Official Raw/Smackdown Aftermath, Ratings and Review Thread

[metalbass]

Very entertaining RAW this week. It seems like the WWE is starting to edge towards what made them entertaining to begin with.

Highlights: Ziggler, Truth/Barrett and CM Punk's mic work was amazing tonight. You could also throw Daniel Bryan in there too.

Jericho's "angle": What is really going on with him? I love how they're dragging this out and doing their best to keep it fresh every week.

The 'storytelling' in most matches today was spot on. Everything made logical sense from a WWE standpoint.

The evolution of Cena's hate being fueled might just save him from his stale, boring self.

Mick Foley showing up was a great surprise!!! He didn't try to be funny and I hope he does get a spot in the Royal Rumble.

Lowlights: Perez Hilton: Need I say more?

Kofi/Bourne vs. Epico/Primo: Even though Jack Hammer thought they were crisp, to me it looked like Evan and Kofi were wrestling with sand in their boots. Also if they want to legitimize the tag team belts they really need to give more time to these matches.

Zack Ryder losing his belt in the manner he did: It wasn't the match itself I didn't like. Ryder looked like a fighting champion in a squash match that had him take 3 gutwrench power bombs (Swagger's finishing move) to get a pin on apparently a hurt back and ribs. This actually helps him gain credibility in my view. It was the announcement that JL made afterwards about him not being medically cleared to wrestle. WTF??? That match should be null and void and Ryder should have 30 days to defend the title (Royal Rumble perhaps?). Maybe he'll pull some double duty in 2 weeks.

Overall this show deserves a B and I'm looking forward to next week.

 

[AustinHartLesnarHBKTaz80]

ziggler SHINED on the mic in the opening segment on raw. he nailed all his points and got massive HEAT from the crowd.

i was marking out during this. while the audience were 'booing' his solid points about foley not belonging in the rumble, being 'washed up' and a 'glorified stuntman' (awesome line by the way), i was really rooting for the guy to NAIL it and he really did. every thing he said was very TRUE, made sense, and WITY. he showed great emotion and anger. and to top it off, the crowd ate it up.

awesome promo, awesome crowd reaction. BEST PROMO he ever delivered.

we want MORE ziggler and LESS ryder please...hehe

also, in the main event, ziggler and punk delivered an outstanding performance, great intensity between these two . i like ziggler's multiple neck breaker spot and each move by these two was done with EXTRA viciousness. these guys can WORK. i look forward to their match at the rumble

to all the ziggler haters out there, DOLPH ZIGGLER is the REAL DEAL and he will be a future WWE champ in 2012!!

what you guys think?

 

[XXJJ]

I thought Raw was entertaining for the most part tonight.

-Foley was a nice surprise. I thought Ziggler did a nice job on the mic. I wouldn't mind seeing Ziggler vs Foley at WM. Mick would do a good job putting over Dolph.

-Jericho was awesome. His trolling stole the show in the main event.

-I thought the Barrett/R-Truth promo was great. R-truth was legitimately funny during that segment. I think it worked out so great because how different they are.

-Fans seems to be getting into Brodus Clay. Which is good news.

-I didn't like Ryder with a bad back, kicking out of Swagger gutwrench powerbomb twice. Isn't that suppose to be his finisher?

-I'm not really into the crappy Punk/Laurinaitis feud. The whole thing seems a little corny and forced to me.

 

[Ellye]

Eh, that promo felt very forced, for me.

I really like Ziggler, but that promo in particular felt like he had just read a script and was repeating it word by word.

It wasn't bad by any means, but I believe he can still improve a lot. And I think I might have seem better from him already, mainly in shorter promos.

 

[XXJJ]

Calling Foley a "stuntman" and saying he's "washed up" isn't really original. Its been said plenty of times before. But I did think he did a nice job.

Call me crazy but I thought his promo with Hugh Jackman was his best.

He is doing a great job with his showoff gimmick. He has seperated himself from the other midcarders. No doubt he is going to be WWE champ at some point this year.

 

[akrassikauda]

That was not his best promo yet. His best promo work was on Zack Ryder's youtube show, those were the best promos not seen on tv. With those promos Ziggler was fast and witty basically beng himself. Last night he was unoriginal in look and speech, calling Foley a glorified stunt man where oh where have we heard that from before (Ric Flair) his look was blah. Only a duche bag would put a scrunchy in his hair with a little to no pony tail. Telling Punk and Foley that they got their clothes from a homeless guy,yeah that was pretty original.

The good news is that Ziggler did most of the talking not Vickie but for him to get to the next level he needs to go off the cuff and give the public the style he used on Ryder's show.

Later Marks!

 

[Qwake]

I've liked him since his "Hi, I'm Dolph Ziggler" days lol its nice to see he's getting some good TV time and he is showing improvement. Great in ring too, can't watch for Dolph Vs Punk at the Rumble.

 

[mr.wrestling iv]

Nope. Was not his best promo.

He wasn't even in character last night. His whole gimmick is predicated on him being a "show off." That characteristic alone is what defines him. That was a glorified "I am the biggest douche on the planet" promo. Ziggles is cocky. Arrogant. Prides himself on stealing the show. He didn't do that last night. The was generic jerk promo 101. Heck. Cody Rhodes cut a similar promo on Booker T the week before their second IC Championship match.

And what did Ziggler promote? A potential Ziggler/Foley match? He ran Foley into the ground last night. He made himself out to be an overwhelming superior. He made it appear that Foley doesn't belong in the same ring with him. At least when he was cutting promos against or about Ryder he put him over as a man who works extremely hard (thinking about the WWE Exclusive interview after he beat Ryder the first time). So, he in essence buried Mick. Why should I care about a match in which wrestler a doesn't even think a potential Wrestlemania with Mick is worth his time? Lazy booking is, insert Mick Foley in their, the match will sell itself because its Mick. If they are going this route, at the very least Ziggler needs to at some extent make a potential match between him and Mick mean something to him.

So no. This was not his best promo yet. He broke character. He didn't sell a potential match between him and Mick being a big deal.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Agreed. It was his best promo. Somebody's been teaching him how to make better use of his mic time. I was told he had more inflection in his voice than the usual monotone, and I could read his body language for myself; he was far more animated than I've ever seen him, using his body motion to drive home the points he was making to Foley.

Maybe there is hope for Dolph yet in the main event scene. Until last night, I saw him only as a good mid-carder because his great work in the ring was never accompanied by a forceful personality. After all this time, I figured he didn't have it in him.....but it seems he does.

Keep it going, Dolph.

 

[HoHo]

What did I think of the show, hmmm..First of all, seeing Foley...went nuts, as I would love to see Foley at the Royal Rumble maybe even in match at WM, maybe Wrestling Ziggler in a Hardcore Match kinda putting him over like he did with Edge? Oh my Latino Freebirds vs Air Boom, good match, as I wonder why aren't the Usos getting involved? Ryder vs Swagger, ok match not shocked Swagger won, as he needs it to be relevant especially how Ziggler is getting a WWE Title shot in Vickie's Stable.Hey way to greatness, join Vickie he has the right voice and you have great Wrestling ability=greatness.Divas tag team match meh, but my Bella twins need another color outfit to match their booties.Clay vs JTG, put him in the Ring with someone like Henry then I might want to go all in with him.I can see this character of his to really get over, World Champion over we will see.Over the top challenge, must of missed it somewhere, turn Raw back on seeing Truth smiling in the Ring.Somebody call my momma, Cena is turning heel, he is embracing the hate..haha! Maybe he loses at the RR, and attacks the winner..or something like that.The Main Event and segment again perfect Punk with his words, he is obviously reading my promos I have sent to him.Overall 8 out of 10

 

[Johnny Scumm]

There is no doubt at all that last night's episode of RAW was the finest in a long while. Here's my review, plus some notes.

Opener - Mick Foley/Ziggler/CM Punk/Johnny Ace

The first man out tonight is Mick Foley, much to my and quite a few others surprise. After a lengthy enough speech from Mick, he says that he wants his two youngest kids to see him in the ring, so he wants to be a participant in the Royal Rumble this month. He says he may win it and headline Wrestlemania, or he may not, he just wants his kids to see him in the ring. Cue Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero, who come out and put down Foley. First point of my own to make. Ziggler WAS entertaining in his promo. The little bit where he talks about Foley entering the Rumble and "Oh, there you go over the top rope" had me cracking up. Ziggler played the part perfectly tonight and it worked very well in my eyes. Ziggler plays up on himself and says that he made Cena run away and he's beat CM Punk twice now. After telling Foley to go away, CM Punk interrupts and comes down to the ring. Punk picks out the similarities between himself and Foley and talks about retaining his WWE Title. Out comes the RAW EVP, John Laurinaitis, who tells Foley "No" to him being in the Rumble, then walking away. Vickie Guerrero laughs in the face of Foley, who just seems dumbfounded as the promo ends.

Rating: 4/5 - This was the perfect start to RAW and had put my expectations up high already.

Epico & Primo w/ Rosa vs Air Boom - Tag Team Title Match

Epico punches Bourne then gets taken down with a pin attempt and hurricanrana, but Epico knocks down Bourne and double teams him in the corner. Primo holds him but Bourne elbows him and hurricanranas Epico off the middle rope, then Bourne dives and makes the tag to Kofi. He hits a few kicks and catches Primo with the Boom Drop, then sets up for Trouble In Paradise but Epico distracts him and Kofi ends up with Primo on the floor. Primo throws him into the ringpost and knocks Bourne off of the top turnbuckle, then Epico jumps up and hits the Backstabber to retain the titles.

Rating: 3/5 - It was a good match, that didn't disappoint. Worked out perfectly, although with news just in of Evan Bourne being suspended, I doubt Air Boom will ever been in the Title picture again.

John Laurinaitis/David Otunga/(?) Backstage Promo

John tells David Otunga that "You know who" is outside and says that he should get him to come in. Otunga had an envelope for JL, but never handed it to him. It was a health update on Zack Ryder, saying he was not clear to wrestle, however without this news, Ryder was forced to fight. Anyways, "You know who" comes into the office, but off camera. John Laurinaitis tells him that instead of the scheduled tag match, the Main Event will now be a SIX-Man Tag. It will be David Otunga, Mark Henry & Dolph Ziggler vs. CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and "You". The camera zooms out to reveal Chris Jericho who doesn't speak, only turns off the lights and turns on his jacket, to flash about the room.

Rating: 3/5 - Cutesy little promo, nothing more, but also advancing the Ryder storyline.

Jack Swagger vs Zack Ryder (c) - United States Championship Match

Swagger takes Zack down with a waistlock then punches his injured ribs, and follows it with an Irish whip into the corner. He hits Zack a few times then Zack gets his knees up and jumps off the middle rope, but Swagger catches him and slams him then hits a Swagger Bomb for two. Swagger comes back with a gutwrench bomb for another near fall, then lifts Zack up for a second one and hits it but Zack kicks out again. Swagger slaps him in the back of the head then lifts him and hits a third gutwrench, and rolls over and makes a cover to win the title.

Rating: 2/5 - Strange really, as my sig would beg to differ, but I really liked Swagger in his WHC reign, so I'm looking forward to his US Title reign, could be interesting, he could lose it very soon. Also, with JL apologising to Ryder backstage post-match, I say a rematch could be up soon.

Kelly Kelly & Alicia Fox vs The Bella's w/ Special Guest Announcer Perez Hilton

Kelly gets slammed on the mat then gets shoved in the corner and kicked by Brie, then counters with a bulldog for two but Nikki breaks it up. They try to switch spots and use twin magic, but guest announcer Perez Hilton pulls Nikki out of the ring and yells at her for cheating while Kelly rolls up Brie for the win. The Bellas get mad at Perez and shove him while Alicia and Kelly are celebrating on the turnbuckles, but Kelly and Alicia turn around and run them off.

Rating: 1.5/5 - It wasn't terrible, it done what it was meant to do and that's that.

R-Truth & Wade Barrett Promo

Seriously, if there's one guys promo's I love week in and week out, it's R-Truth's. This week was no exception and I really believe R-Truth has what it takes to be a face WWE Champion this year. Before Truth can start talking, Barrett interrupts and says he's glad Foley isn't in the Rumble, but he is. Truth goes all British, calling Barrett "Guv'nor" etc. R-Truth then goes onto talk about his recent trip to Disneyland and how much he enjoyed it. Showing Wade some photos from his "Trip", he gets to a photo of himself and Pinocchio, who said that "Wade Barrett is gonna win the Rumble", but then his nose grew, which led to Truth's line of the night; "I don't even think that's PG!". It was pure comedy gold from Truth. Truth then admits he doesn't think that Barrett will win the Rumble, but Miz comes out and attacks him, along with Wade Barrett. However, Sheamus comes to the aid of Truth, leading to Teddy Long coming and creating...not a Tag Match, but an Over The Top Rope Challenge.

Rating: 4/5 - I'm rating the promo & match separately because up until the attack, the Promo was actually brilliant on the part of R-Truth.

Sheamus vs R-Truth vs Wade Barrett vs The Miz - Over The Top Rope Challenge

Miz and Wade attack the other two in the corner, but Sheamus comes back and he and Truth try to eliminate Wade, then get help from Miz and they throw him out. Sheamus kicks Miz in the corner then goes after Truth, but Truth counters with a jumping heel kick then Miz hits him from behind and throws him over the rope. Truth lands on the apron as Miz gets clotheslined, then Sheamus ties him in the ropes and clubs him and hits a clothesline. Sheamus calls for a Brogue Kick, but Miz ducks and pulls the rope down then tries to send Sheamus to the floor but he gets blocked. Sheamus comes back in and tries to bodyslam Miz to the floor but Truth runs in and dumps then over the top rope to win the match, and Sheamus gets pissed and Brogue Kicks Miz on the floor.

Rating: 3/5 - I'm glad Truth won, but the match wasn't as enjoyable as the brilliant promo previous.

Jack Swagger vs John Cena

A match made suddenly after Cena believe that JL screwed Ryder out of his US Title. Cena runs to the ring and pounds on Swagger in the corner, then whips him off the ropes and hits a clothesline then throws him out of the ring. He throws Swagger into the ringpost, then slams his head off the announcer's table and punches him in the head and dares the ref to get involved. Cena chokes him on the table then winds up and hits him in the jaw, then pulls him up and whips Swagger straight into the ring steps. Swagger tries to crawl away but Cena takes apart the steps and repeatedly slams his head on the bottom, then lifts the other part up to hit Swagger but Kane's music interrupts him. Kane says he is impressed, but he hopes Cena will fully embrace the hate by the Royal Rumble then sets his pyro off in the ring as Cena looks around for him.

Rating: 2/5 - Not really a match, but it's Cena looking very edgy. I liked it.

Brodus Clay vs JTG

Brodus ducks under JTG and shakes his hips then points with his right hand and hits him with his left hand, then calls out for a suplex. He tosses JTG across the ring, then JTG stands up in the corner, but Brodus hits a running splash and a diving crossbody for the win.

Rating: NA - Another squash for the Funkasaurus. Nothing more.

Bryan Promo & Bryan/Punk/Jericho vs Ziggler/Henry/Otunga

Daniel Bryan comes to the stage and says most people think Big Show is a loveable and gentle giant, but he knows he is an uncaring freak of nature. Bryan says AJ is traumatized and will never be the same, and Show could have stopped but he tried to go after Bryan because he wants Bryan's title. He says Show never apologized and his tears were fake, so he should never show his face again but if he does Bryan will make him pay. Bryan says he has a match against Mark Henry this Friday, and he is dedicating the match to his girlfriend because she told him that she loved him, and he is going to show her how much he cares about her.

Punk bodyslams Dolph then picks him up and chops him, then follows it with a suplex and makes the tag to Bryan. He comes in and gets whipped off the ropes, then tries to leapfrog Dolph but gets his legs sweeped and Dolph attacks his leg. Otunga tags in and continues to work on the leg, and they use quicktags to keep Bryan grounded. Dolph shoves him in the corner and leaps at him but Bryan ducks and makes the tag, and Punk knocks him down and puts him in a side headlock. Punk shoves him off the ropes but Otunga kicks him in the chest and tags Dolph, and he kicks Punk a few times then drops him with a neckbreaker. Punk knees Dolph in the head and crawls for the tag but Dolph cuts him off and tags Otunga, then he clotheslines Punk in the corner and sets him on the top rope. Punk punches him a few times then headbutts him down to the mat, then hits a flying elbow drop and looks to make the tag. Jericho gets in and fires up the crowd and starts a dueling cheer, then tags an unsuspecting Bryan and leaves and goes backstage as we go to a commercial.

When we return, Dolph has Bryan in a body scissors but Bryan counters and stands up and kicks Dolph in the head, then Bryan dives and tags out. Punk jumps in and hits a corner knee smash and a running bulldog, then goes up top and hits an elbow drop but Henry gets in and breaks up the pin. Bryan attacks Henry and Henry throws him to the apron and takes a punch from Henry and asks if that is all he has and scares Bryan off. Bryan runs backstage but Henry catches him and they fight near the ramp as Mick Foley runs out and says he is on the team now. Dolph gets a near fall on Punk then punches him in the head and hits two neckbreakers, but Punk kicks out and lays out Dolph with a kick to the head. Foley gets the tag and unloads on Otunga, then sends him into the corner and hits a running knee and a DDT, then he pulls out Socko and applies the Mandible Claw to the win the match.

Rating: 4.5/5 - Beautiful match, Jericho plays the heel part perfectly, especially as we see him getting involved with MCR/A7X at ringside, only for him to get everyone happy & just fuck off afterwards. Foley coming out I didn't actually see coming, but it then led to Promo of the night.

Mick Foley/CM Punk/John Laurinaitis

John Laurinaitis comes out and says he never gave Foley permission to be in the match, so he needs to reverse the decision and award the match to the other team. Punk takes the mic from him and says he might not like what he just did but he knows John won't do anything about it. He says Foley has nothing to do with their issue, and he knows it all boils down to John being nothing in the ring when his brother was one of the Road Warriors. Punk says he had the look but he was boring, so he traded in his tights in for a suit and he hates that Punk achieved more this year than he ever did. He says better men have tried to screw him over and they failed, and the fans will talk about John if he screws Punk because he will kick his pathetic ass.

Punk takes a swing at John but holds back as John ducks, then calls him pathetic and leaves as Foley gives him a thumbs up. John picks up a microphone and says his job title, then says he is not pathetic and he won't be intimidated, but Foley tells him to admit that he will screw Punk over. He says John is a kiss ass, and John asks him who the hell he thinks is, then says he absolutely will screw Punk over because he is tired of disrespect. John says he works hard to put on a great show and can't take it any more, then turns around and hits Foley in the head with a mic and leaves while Foley struggles to get back up.

Rating: 5/5 - Just beautiful. I'm gonna talk about this a bit more in my next part, "Heroes of the night".

Heroes Of Raw

1) R-Truth. First off, his Promo was definitely the funniest thing that I've seen in a while. Absolutely brilliant.

2) Chris Jericho - His heel tendencies of late are just brilliant. Riling up the crowd, being in his wrestling gear, actually convinced me he was going to fight. But he didn't and I was slandering him for the next few minutes. He's great, able to draw these boos without throwing a punch or even saying a word.

3) CM Punk - His promo last night in front of JL was his second best after his Shoot.

4) John Laurinaitis - Just pure gold from Johnny Ace last night. Admitting in public that he wants to screw CM Punk out his title, shouting the house down at Mick Foley, then turning and smacking him square in the head with the Microphone was beautiful. I'm interested in him more than I ever have been and I have always liked him, not as much as I do now though.

Overall Raw Rating: 4/5

 

[HEEL JERICHO]

THE BEST RAW IN MONTHS ziggler realy put foley in his place hes defo getin better on mic cena ryder segments were good loved the jericho bit in the main event u could see what was gonna happen then when it did i couldnt stop laughing so funny he treated those fans like mugs punks promo on laringitas was good but punk can only do great promos when he does stuff like last nite and his shoot promo not as good when just doing normal mic stuff is nt funny and so on larinaitus on foley was great smack of the head hopfully raw will continue to be this good

 

[LSN80]

Hits and Misses for 1/16/2012​

Raw Hits:​

Opening Segment: First ioff, it was nice to see Mick Foley reintroduced to the audience in a meaningful way. Dolph Ziggler continues to improve on the Mic each time he speaks, and last night was no different. I question part of the promo, as he showed some face tendencies by questioning why Foley deserved a spot over men who had worked all year long, but the delivery was excellent. Could this possibly lead to a match between Foley and Ziggler in the future, especially with how Vickie laughed in his face? I'd love to see Foley give Ziggler the rub. Punk was solid as usual with his rebuttal towards Ziggler, and Laurinitis foreshadowed his promo to close the show with how he strongly rebuffed Foley.

Jack Swagger vs Zach Ryder: Some may see this as a squash of Ryder, but this was anything but. While he got no offense in, he kicked out of the Vader Bomb, and two Gutwrench Powerbombs. I question the booking of having Ryder losing in his first title defense, but he looked like a strong, sympathetic babyface with alot of heart in how he refused to stay down. *1/2

John Cena and Kane: I'm quite excited to see their match at the Rumble, as it should be an absolute brawl. It almost seemed as if WWE is ignoring that Cena has shown plenty of rage and viciousness in the past, but this worked within the context. Cena's reaction to Kane's praise for how he has begun to "embrace the hate" was an excellent mix of confliction and shades of anger. I look forward to their Rumble match.

R-Truth vs Miz vs Wade Barrett vs Sheamus: I questioned last night why this was given the the top of the hour segment, but I think it was wise in retrospect, as it promoted the Royal Rumble, which received little attention or hype until tonight. It also did a nice job of incorporating two feuds into one before the match started, then emphasized the way the Rumble works with the every man for himself mentality. The Barrett/Truth exchange to open was awkward, but it served it's purpose. *3/4

Daniel Bryan He doesn't come off as someone who could "take care of" Big Show if he showed up on Smackdown, but doggone it if his delivery didn't make you believe. Bryan was reigned down with bos, which shows me that his heel turn was the right move and is being effective. Although no rumors have suggested so, it's interesting to note that both Mark Henry and Bryan have essentially told Big Show to not show up on Smackdown, insinuating he should retire. This could be coincidence, but I'm invested in how this plays out nonetheless.

Brodus Clay: Kudos to the man for taking a gimmick that shouldn't work in this day and age and making it do just that. Brodus seems fully invested in this gimmick, which is impressive considering how they built him up in his vignettes. Nothing special in terms of match quality, but I look forward to him moving on to higher caliber opponents.

Chris Jericho, CM Punk, and Daniel Bryan vs Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, and David Otunga: Do many of you recall Jericho saying that he would return only if he could take his character in a different direction? Well, he's done so brilliantly. It was absolutely hilarious to see him tag in, pander to the crowsd for a huge reaction, only to tag right back out.

The match quality itself was above average. The match really clicked when Punk and Ziggler were in there together, in what was a little preview of what to expect for the Rumble. The match breaking down was mo surprise as it furthered feuds, and Foley's involvement was foreshadowed earlier in the show. He looked good on offense when he was in the ring, and it was nice to see him use the double arm DDT and the Mandible Claw on Otunga. An enjoyable main event. **3/4

Closing Segment: Simply an outstanding segment to close the show. This was one of Punk's best promos in some time, as he pointed out the weaknesses in John Laurinitis, especially in comparing him to his Hall of Fame brother, and how Punk will actually make him relevant when he beats him up after the WWE Title match at the Rumble. Laurinitis himself was fantastic as his character actually showed passion and emotion, espcially with his vow to screw Punk over at the Rumble. Foley played his part well, and I expect to see him involved in some way in the Punk/Ziiggler match after Lauritintis clocked him with the microphone. Outstanding work by all parties involved to close the show.

Raw Misses:​

Kelly and Alicia vs The Bella Twins with Peris Hilton: In case it wasn't obvious before, WWE's obsession with social media has gone way too far. They used a match to promote Hilton's fitness blog, with Hilton himself getting booed out of the building. Every time the division shows any promise whatsoever, it's sabotaged in some way, and last night was no different. 1/4*

Air Boom vs Epico and Primo: First off, the announcement that Epico and Primo won the titles at a House Show was made to seem like it was no big deal. Anytime a title changes hands, it should feel special, especially in the rare occasion it's done at a non-televised event. There was quality in this match for the time it was given, but it was far too short and failed to tell any reasonable story that should make me care about the division in general. Bourne has really screwed over himself, Kofi, and the tag team division itself through his second suspension, but there's no reason this match shouldn't have been given more time. *1/2

Final Thoughts:​

By no means was this a great Raw, but it was the best we've gotten in some time. With Cena's limited involvement on the show, it truly appears as if they're further testing the waters to see if Punk can be "the guy" should anything happen to Cena. Ratings be damned, Punk was phenomenal last night, both in the ring and on the mic. Mick Foley added alot to the segments he was apart of, and I can't wait to see where he goes from here. This was also the best John Laurinitis has ever been on the microphone, and he drew tremendous heat. My big complaint was that aside from the main event, we got about ten minutes of wrestling otherwise. The main event was a solid match, and WWE is being wise not giving anything away with Jericho, especially considering he''s likely Punk's next challenger. Ryder looked like an incredibly sympathetic and strong babyface in his loss. The Rumble was finally hyped on this show, and the brief interaction between Kane and Cena setting up their match at the Rumble was solid as well. This was a very good show that set up both Smackdown's main event, but what should be a very intriguing Raw next week. A-

 

[workhorse]

Monday Night RAW - 16/1/2012 Review


Opening Segment - Mick Foley, Dolph Ziggler and CM Punk in the ring.
What I liked -
A different way to start off RAW. Foley's appearance was an unexpected surprise but worked well. Dolph's mic work was excellent he really attacked Foley and looked confident. CM Punk was solid as always and held up the high standard that Ziggler and Foley had set. We got good progression in the Ziggler/Punk feud as well as something to build on with Foley. Maybe a Foley/Punk vs Ziggler/Laurinaitis type setup.

What I disliked -
Not a lot here. It was a solid segment. Definitely didn't beat the doors down but enough was done. I wouldn't mind seeing more back forth mic work between Dolph and Punk as well, it was pretty much Punk ripping on Ziggler then Vickie responding.

Grade - A-

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WWE Tag Team Championships - Epico and Primo (c) vs Air Boom
What I liked -
I don't mind the fact that they have the rematch on RAW the night after the titles changed hands but it was a no-brianer as to who was going to win. The match was decent enough as both teams got some offence in. We got to see the new tag champs show off and Epico and Primo looked strong, furthering their development as the #1 Tag Team.

What I disliked -
Why so short? This match told no real story and was a real let down in my opinion. Even though Epico and Primo were never going to lose, they could've at least had a longer match. Also, it's disappointing that Air Boom will most likely be ended as it really lowers the standard of the tag team division.

Grade - C+

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United States Championship - Zack Ryder (c) vs Jack Swagger
What I liked -
Swagger looked strong winning the match but Ryder did not look weak. As mentioned earlier, we now get the image of Ryder being a sympathetic face. I like that they are making Swagger relevant again as I believe he is a fantastic in-ring competitor.

What I disliked -
Why have another title match tonight. I feel like they should've had Swagger say attack Ryder after a match was booked for next week so that Ryder still can't compete on next weeks show. I feel that this match had no real build and was quite random. The match itself was okay, not going to be overly fantastic when you have Ryder selling a big injury but was a little disinteresting for me.

Grade - C+

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Divas Tag Team Match
What I liked -
Seeing different Divas wasn't a bad thing. The girls looked good as always.

What I disliked -
What was the point of this match. We're are Beth and Eve? If the Divas are only going to get 5 minutes of TV time on RAW, it has to contain the Divas Champion in some form. The match was way too short and really meant nothing and built nothing.

Grade - D

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R-Truth and Barrett Promo/Over the top rope challenge
What I liked -
R-Truth's promo was excellent. Humorous as ever and Wade chimed in nicely. We got some significant build towards the rumble with 4 legitimate guys fighting it out. I like that it wasn't made a tag team match and we got a feel for the Rumble. It is also very likely that those guys may be the final 4 or thereabouts.

What I disliked -
The only thing that annoyed me slightly was the irrelevance of The Miz. He seems to be fading away and he really didn't do a lot tonight. I'd rather see him cut a promo before the match as well.

Grade - B+

----------------------------------------------

John Cena vs Jack Swagger
What I liked -
Ooohhh Cena is embracing the hate. Cena looked very aggressive and this new side of him is definitely refreshing. The storyline has progressed nicely and I'm looking forward to the match at the Rumble. Kane's promo at the end was a nice touch and it wasn't the usual attack which was a good change up.

What I disliked -
It made Swagger look weak even though he had just won the US title. Apart from that this segment achieved what it needed to, I would've preferred to see someone else get beaten down but I understand why they chose Swagger.

Grade - B+

----------------------------------------------

Brodus Clay vs JTG
What I liked -
Hmmm, we get to see Brodus which is good.

What I disliked -
Still not sold on his 'gimmick'. I really believe they dropped the ball on Brodus. The match was another ridiculous squash. I just hope they can give him a legitimate opponent in the next few weeks or build him towards the rumble. Let him get on the mic! Something other then squash matches.

Grade - D+

----------------------------------------------

6-man Tag Team Match/Laurinaitis & Punk promo
What I liked -
The right guys were in the mainevent. Ziggler and Punk really carried the match and put on a great show early on. Ahah! The Jeritroll strikes again! I actually enjoy what they're doing with him it's funny as well as annoying so kudos WWE. We got a little bit of build towards the Bryan/Henry match on Smackdown. Foley's appearance was a nice touch and was relevant to what had happened earlier on. Now the after match happenings, boy did I enjoy it. Punk rips Johnny Ace a new ******** and was delivered so perfectly. Johnny finally shows some emotion and passion and cracks it. I loved his promo and in fact found myself rooting for him. Foley pisses him off more and gets dropped. Great finish to the show!

What I disliked -
Nothing

Grade - A+

----------------------------------------------

Overall, this show was very solid but by no means the best show in 12 months. The opening and ending segments were outstanding as well as some solid segments from R-Truth/Cena/Kane etc. The rest was a a bit of a letdown and didn't quite deliver. None the less, this show was very good and was indeed one of the best in recent history.

Overall Grade - B+

 

[SD619]

RAW Thoughts:

Foley/Ziggler/Punk segment: Nice segment. Foley wanting to be a part of the Rumble was logical and something that a lot of people would love to see. Ziggler has really improved on the mic and this was probably his best promo yet. The crowd was hot for the whole segment and both guys promoted the Rumble well. Punk was entertaining as usual on the mic. Laurinitis refusing a spot in the Rumble was a good way to give him heat.

Epico/Primo vs Air Boom: Why did the champions not get an intro? Nice fast-paced match. Epico/Primo were impressive and seem to have good chemistry. Hopefully they hold onto the titles for atleast a few months.

Swagger vs Ryder: Ryder sold the injury really well. Good to see that Ryder kicked out of two Gutwrench power bombs and a Swagger bomb. Ryder will probably sell his injury for a few more weeks and get a rematch soon.

Kelly Kelly/Alicia vs Bellas: I had no idea who Perez Hilton was before this week. He was unsurprisingly booed. The match was just the run-of-the-mill Divas match.

Truth/ Wade Barrett segment: Another segment hyping the Rumble. Truth was funny as usual and Barrett too was good. Teddy Long announced the next match which was surprisingly not a tag team match.

Truth vs Miz vs Barrett vs Sheamus: Surprising to see that Barrett was the first to be eliminated. The match was just a preview to the Rumble. Good to see that Sheamus was finally in a match that lasted longer than 2 minutes.

Cena vs Swagger: Cena completely dominated Swagger here. Cena showed more aggression than he has for some time. Weird booking by the WWE. Swagger won the US title earlier and immediately goes back to jobbing to the stars. I don’t see Kane’s point that Cena ‘embraced the hate’.

Brodus Clay vs JTG: Another squash by the Funkasaurus. Brodus really seems to be enjoying this gimmick. His dancers are HOT.

Bryan promo: Bryan continues to show more and more heel-like behaviour. A basic but effective promo by Bryan.

Bryan/Punk/Jericho vs Ziggler/Henry/Otunga: Jericho continues to run around the ring and do nothing else. Should be interesting to see where they go with this angle. The match was a good way to focus on the title matches at the Rumble. Otunga was completely outclassed by the other men in the match. Foley getting involved in the match was surprising and will probably lead to a power struggle between Foley and Laurinitis. The ending was fine as it didn’t involve any of the title match participants.

Laurinitis/Punk promo: Punk standing up against authority and cutting a cocky shoot-style promo is what he does best. JL’s response was just . I was surprised at the emotion that he showed in the promo.

Overall Grade: B+

 

[SD619]

SmackDown(20-01-12) thoughts:

Daniel Bryan promo: Bryan is good as a heel when it comes to cutting promos. The taped heat for Bryan was a bit too much. Bryan continues his heel actions, at which he seems to be better than being a face.

Cody Rhodes vs Justin Gabriel: Thankfully it wasn’t Hornswaggle in a match. Good to see Gabriel in a match. Good match with Cody justifiably picking the match.

Epico/Primo vs Usos: I like tornado matches. Both teams got a chance to showcase their tag team skills. Ending was a bit too abrupt for this match to have much of an impact.

Funkasaurus vs Vickie: Lilian couldn’t hold her laughter while introducing the Funkasaurus, neither could I. Funny segment. Vickie dancing was almost as bad as Cole’s. Brodus dances well for a guy his size. The hot girls did help. Regal was great too.

Barrett vs Sheamus: Finally these two have a singles match. Good match with these two having good chemistry. Match was at a faster pace than I expected. Barrett getting a cheap victory was understandable as WWE is saving a feud between these two for later (perhaps ‘Mania). I really hope that WWE does something other with Mahal other than having him getting his head kicked by Sheamus twice a week.

Ted DeBiase vs Hunico: Decent match. Could have been better if Booker and Cole were not discussing DeBiase and Hunico’s childhood.

Drew Mcintyre vs Santino: What was the point of this? Mcintyre was squashed again, this time in a blindfold.

Bryan vs Henry: Nice way to get all the guys on TV. Daniel Bryan played the heel bit well. Henry is still probably injured and the lumberjacks did a good job of concealing it. The chaotic bit with everyone fighting in the ring hyped the Rumble as well as gave Bryan a chance to escape in a cowardly manner once more. Excellent ending as they killed two birds with one stone.

Overall Grade: B

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Raw Supershow - January 23, 2012

Opening Segment - Strong opening promo segment featuring Punk, Cena & Big Johnny. Punk started things out with his usual charismatic self and I was a little surprised to see Cena come out. Cena came out in ultra serious mode, which I definitely prefer at this point in time, and threw his weight around a little by threatening JL a bit and demanding that he give Zack Ryder a rematch for the United States Championship. I'm also glad that they kept the tension between Punk & Cena. They're not friends and it's good that WWE hasn't gone the route of trying to make them seem like buddies just because they both happen to be top babyfaces. Big Johnny drew massive heat and kept the momentum going from last week's ending and refused to be cowed by Cena. JL puts Ryder in a Falls Count Anywhere match against Kane and says that he'll never get his rematch for the US title if Cena interferes. This put even more heat on JL and added another level of frustration for Cena. He then put Punk & Cena in a tag match against Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger. Both of them talked briefly before the match, Ziggler came off as very confident and I like that they used his previous wins over Punk and Swagger was more intense than I've seen in a while. Thumbs Up

1. CM Punk & John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger - Fun opening tag match that featured good action coupled with some good storytelling and the proper outcome. Punk & Ziggler looked so crisp against each other and should have at the Rumble. Everyone got some time inside the ring and it was refreshing to see that Cena wasn't the "hero" of the match. He took most of the punishment for his team and Punk making the hot tag got a great response from an already hot crowd. The action eventually broke down with Cena & Swagger going out onto the floor, with Cena locking in the STF. At the same time, Punk is climbing the ropes about to go for his elbow drop when JL jumps up on the apron. Punk hops down and grabs at JL, providing a distraction for Ziggler to come up from behind with a roll up for the pinfall a little past the 11 minute mark. Afterward, Punk gets on the mic & vents his frustration against JL and challenges him to a match for later in the show. After a few taunts, JL finally accepts. Overall, an enjoyable tag match with the proper booking and an ending that could lead to some interesting developments. **3/4

Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel - In my view, this was another great segment for Jericho. The booking with Jericho's return has been fantastic in my view and has kept people guessing and waiting with near breathless anticipation to see what Jericho is up to or will say. Jericho once again got a huge response from the crowd and his teasing only further amped them up. The Highlight Reel consisted of a brief but cool video collection of some of Jericho's biggest moments in the WWE. Jericho finally spoke a little on the show: "This Sunday at the Royal Rumble, it's going to be the end of the world as you know it." A few choice words that will probably lead to more speculation that he'll win the Rumble match. For weeks he's left people wanting more and, if anything, he only increased that want by giving people just a taste. I'm looking forward to this Sunday and seeing where this winds up. Thumbs Up

Royal Rumble Video Presentation - These are always fun to watch. I enjoy hearing about all the various stats that are mentioned in these each year while set to the background of some of the best Rumble moments. Some have complained that the Rumble match itself hasn't gotten enough hype, but I don't agree because the Rumble match sells itself. It doesn't really need hyping or plugging every 5 minutes. It's the Royal Rumble. Everyone knows the stakes, everyone knows there'll probably be a few unexpected surprises popping up, everyone knows that the match delivers excitement. That's all you really need. Just let the history of the match hype itself as this year's Rumble has possibly the strongest undercard we've seen at a Rumble in many years. Thumbs Up

Zack Ryder, Eve & John Cena - This was a good, brief backstage segment with Ryder selling his injuries. The WWE has been building Ryder as someone that's tougher and more courageous than he's been portrayed and I think that's the best way to go for Ryder in the long run. Keep the fun loving aspect of the guy, but also show that he's got guts. Eve did an ok job of expressing concern for Ryder and I liked the subtle tension between Ryder & Cena when Cena said he had Ryder's back. From Ryder's tone, it just seemed to suggest that Ryder partially blamed Cena for getting him into this mess with Kane in the first place. After all, Ryder's friendship with Cena did make him a target for Kane. It's not exactly Cena's fault, but Ryder is hurt and maybe a little afraid, which means you're not always thinking clearly. Cena is a convenient target for Ryder to blame if things keep going badly for him, which could push Cena further down the road. Thumbs Up

2. Zack Ryder vs. Kane in a Falls Count Anywhere match - I enjoyed this match mostly because of the story that it told, which was damn good. The majority of the match was Kane beating the piss out of Ryder by focusing mostly on his injured ribs & back. The crowd was hot for this match and were consistently behind Ryder. Ryder would occassionaly hit a brief spurt of offense before immediately being shot down by Kane. Ryder showed guts again by trying to fight back against Kane while hurt and kicking out of pin attempts. It eventually moved up onto the entrance stage in which Kane ultimately chokeslams Ryder onto part of the stage, which collapses under Ryder about the 11.5 minute mark. Medical personnel came out and went down into the hole where Ryder lay prone & unmoving. Eve shows concern and Kane spots her, stalking her down to the ringside area. Kane moves off into the crowd after Cena comes out. He & Eve stare down at Ryder, looking horrified and it would've been perfect of Eve had actually cried. She should've used some glisterin drops or something to at least make it look like she'd been crying. They picked things up after the commercial break with the EMTs loading Ryder onto a backboard and a stretcher. As they were wheeling him out, Cena was saying words of encouragement. As they were about to leave, Eve kind of lashes out at Cena and blames him for what happened to Ryder. Again, this was ok but it would've had more meaning if she looked like she'd been crying. Good storytelling all around, however, and the match ultimately accomplished exaclty what it needed to. **3/4

3. Sheamus vs. Jinder Mahal - Pretty much more of the same here. A decent, physical match for the time it was given. Wade Barrett was out doing guest commentary and did a solid job of hyping himself as a potential winner of the Rumble this Sunday. Sheamus winds up getting the win a bit past the 3 minute mark after hitting the Brogue Kick. He & Barrett then taunt each other a bit, talking some smack before Sheamus gets on the mic and declares that he'll win the 2012 Royal Rumble match. *1/2

The Miz & R-Truth - Some good intensity here from Miz and Truth continues to crack me up. He's funny and, in my view, he does it without coming across as overly ridiculous. He & Truth go back & forth a bit before Big Johnny comes out, frustrated at everything that's gone on this night. He takes it out on Miz & Truth a little by saying that the loser of their match would automatically be entered into the Rumble at #1. Thumbs Up

4. Brodus Clay vs. Heath Slater - Another 1 minute squash match but, again, the centerpiece was Brodus Clay himself. I have to admit that I'm starting to really like the guy's character. It's just fun seeing him out there doing his thing and really putting his all into it. Maybe it's not what he himself might prefer but he's really putting everything he has into it like a real pro, so I definitely give him props for it. If he hates his gimmick, he does a great job of hiding it. William Regal was doing guest commentary and said a few funny lines. I'm assuming this means the start of a feud between the two. Clay will win, of course, but it'll be nice seeing Regal back on television and Clay will have an opportunity to learn a lot from a guy with real knowledge. N/A

4. R-Truth vs. The Miz - Good solid action from Miz & R-Truth. The live crowd wasn't especially hot for the match, but both guys put forth a good effort and delivered an overall solid back & forth match. R-Truth ultimately gets the win by hitting his finisher to score the clean win. So Miz is now the #1 entrant in the Rumble this Sunday. **1/2

CM Punk & Big Johnny - Prior to this, JL was backstage getting ready when Otunga delivered a fax to him. After he eventually comes out to massive boos from the crowd, he gets into the ring with David Otunga and winds up weaseling out of the match. He has Otunga read the fax, which is from the WWE Board of Directors, that says that they're concerned with JL's actions as of late, such as saying that he intends to screw Punk at the Rumble. It goes on to say that next week, JL will be under a job evaluation and the one conducting it will be Triple H. Nice extra hook to get people interested for next week's Raw. JL then apologizes and declares that he said what he said out of anger and that he had no real intention of screwing Punk. This adds a new twist to the match as we'll be wondering if JL will screw Punk, or will try to do so while making it look like an innocent accident. JL says that his match with Punk is off and he then substitutes Otunga for him. Otunga jumps Punk and has the upper hand initially before Punk rebounds, eventually putting Otunga in the Anaconda Vice. JL, afterward, extends his hand to Punk as a sign of friendship. Punk grabs it and pulls him up into a Fireman's Carry position before landing the GTS to a massive pop. Punk celebrates over a prone JL as Ziggler comes up from behind Punk and hits him with the Zig Zag. Ziggler then stands over Punk with an intense look on his face to close the show. Great final build for the WWE Championship match at the Rumble. Thumbs Up

Final Thoughts - From top to bottom, I thought Raw was a fantastic show last night. Everything that happened on the show flowed smoothy and had a purpose, except maybe for Sheamus vs. Mahal. Much like last week's Raw, there was great storyline progression and great storytelling all around, though there was overall much better wrestling action this week rather than last week. Easily the overall best Raw of the year thus far and one of the best go home Raw's I've seen in a really long time.

Grade: A-

 

[Mustang Sally]

So Miz is now the #1 entrant in the Rumble this Sunday.

Yes, and just the fact that he is probably means they intend to do something with it. Why have a match with that stipulation in the first place unless they intend something significant to come out of it?

Here's my guess: Miz goes into the Rumble first and lasts until the end, when he's eliminated by Chris Jericho.......an unexpected clash of bad guys that results in Miz turning face.

I think it's logical because Miz needs something new to stimulate his career. Whether he can succeed as a good guy is anyone's guess. But this result at the Rumble kills two birds with one stone: establishing new directions for both Jericho and Miz.

 

[SD619]

RAW (23/01/12) thoughts:

Punk/Cena promo: Nice way to start RAW and to promote the WWE title match for the Royal Rumble. Punk continues to rip into Laurinitis and hype their rivalry. Cena coming out was quite a surprise. These two have good chemistry between them. Laurinitis got quite a reaction. Crowd was really hot for the entire segment.

Cena/Punk vs Ziggler/Swagger: Nice way to advance storylines. This match really showed how much Ziggler/Swagger have come along in the past few months. If this match was held a couple of months ago, it would lasted as long as a Divas match, whereas it lasted much longer than I expected. Laurinitis finally getting off his mobile and distracting Punk to cause the match was again to hype the title match without any of the involved guys looking weak. Punk challenging Laurinitis and him accepting the match was a nice surprise and pretty much what the crowd wanted.

Jericho’s Highlight Reel: Jericho continues to play the crowd. Shooting T-Shirts.. Really?? Him pointing to segments of the crowd to make them react is amazing. The highlight segment was good and surprisingly showed most of his actions as a heel (perhaps alluding to a heel turn). HE SPOKE!!! Quite a pop for that.

Kane vs Ryder: Good to see that Ryder showed some aggression, though that was short-lived. As a Kane fan, it was good to see that Kane is back to his destructive ways. Ryder sold the beating really well. A great way to show Kane as a monster, but I’m not sure that Ryder was the best possible opponent. The injury segment with Cena/Ryder/Eve would have better if Eve could act more convincingly.

Sheamus vs Mahal: The POP that Sheamus got was incredible. This was the same match that Sheamus has been having after SummerSlam. The only good thing that was interesting about the match was Barrett’s commentary. And again Mahal gets his head kicked off by Sheamus. Probably, come Rumble, Sheamus (and hopefully Mahal) will be in some decent storyline.

Miz/Truth promo: Truth was funny as usual. Good to see that he is still crazy and has not gone back to rapping. Laurinitis continues to show emotion and announced that the loser of their match will be #1 in the Rumble.

Brodus Clay vs Heath Slater: Regal’s commentary is awesome.The match could be described as: the latest guy to be on a squashing spree against the WWE’s favourite jobber.

Miz vs R-Truth: Two guys who are at best average in the ring. It was intended to be an angle more than a match. The few near falls near the ending saved the match.

Punk vs Laurinitis: So apparently Laurintis will be evaluated by HHH next week. INTERESTING. Foley is going to be in the Rumble. Punk’s impression of Vince was lame. Otunga getting a beatdown by Punk was expected. The GTS to Laurinitis was surprising. And again Ziggler gets the upper hand on Punk. I think that it is quite obvious that Punk is winning at the Rumble considering that Ziggler (the heel) has been getting the better of Punk (the face) for weeks.

Overall Grade: B

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I don't know what the original plan was for the ending of Smackdown! last night before Mark Henry got hurt, but I think I'd prefer the alternate ending anyways. It kept Henry from picking a side (not that he probably would've anyways) because he should stay heel. I think he'll completely lose all steam if he goes back face. Also, finally Bryan's heel turn is complete. He could do a little more to solidify it, like blatantly cheat to win, but it's pretty clear cut now.

 

[XXJJ]

Just caught up with Smackdown. A couple of quick thoughts...

- They had too many quick squash type of matches this week. Henry got hurt so the main event was bad. But the ending with Daniel Bryan and Big Show was good.

- They didn't put much emphasis on the actual Rumble. I wish they had multiple wrestlers cut promos about winning the rumble.

- I would of had Orton make his comback at the rumble.

- I thought Big Show was great. He made himself look vulnerable in the opening segment, and made it easy for Daniel Bryan. IMO DB promos are a lot better when he is confronting another wrestler. Its been a very good feud.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Friday Night Smackdown
Tucson, AZ -- 01/27/12

Smackdown kicks off with a heart-felt promo by the Big Show, wherein he questions whether he has the heart to continue with his career. World Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Bryan comes to the ring and runs down the Big Show, telling him he should retire from the WWE. Big Show gets in Bryan's face, and throws him across the ring as Mark Henry makes his way out. Henry reminds the two that it's a Triple Threat match at the Rumble, and basically says that he's going to destroy both men to win the title. Tedd Long announces Big Show vs. Mark Henry for later tonight.

If we're going to start a broadcast with a lengthy in-ring promo, this is the way to go about it. Big Show has gotten extremely convincing in the delivery of his promos lately, and Bryan has eased into the heel role with some success. He still hasn't done anything big to warrant the full heel turn, but that may or may not be the direction they want to go with him. Bryan was always the more subtle heel during his run in Ring of Honor as well, so it may be a character I'm just going to have to adjust to. Mark Henry showed up and cut the best promo of the night, by far. My favorite line was about tearing off DBD's skin "on principle. It's good to see that despite losing the World title, Henry is still on fire!

Cody Rhodes def. Justin Gabriel with CrossRhodes in a two-minute match.

Cody has fallen off the radar for me so far in 2012. Late last year we were all raving about him, and while he's still great in the ring and pulling off his gimmick quite nicely, he's fallen behind with all the other exciting things going on. Bring him back to Raw on occasion, let me actually wrestle some high profile matches, and he'll get his heat right back. He's a great talent that they shouldn't under-use, but you also don't want to overextend him before he's ready for that kind of spotlight. Short match, but it really didn't need to take up any more time than it did.

Santino proposes an Extreme Loser Leaves town match involving monkeys, rockets, and blasting off into space. Yoshi Tatsu says "it's out of this world". The two argue about the name of their tag team being Santoshi or Yoshitino when Drew McIntyre. After begging for another shot, Teddy Long gives McIntyre yet another chance to keep his job.

Pretty fun comedy segment, as per usual with Santino. How many chances is McIntyre going to get? I believe this is either the 4th or 5th time that he should have been fired, but was given ANOTHER chance. I don't believe he's actually going anywhere, because he's acting out this gimmick quite nicely, and it's only a matter of time before he snaps and gets himself back on the Smackdown scene. But seriously...stop booking the same thing every week and hoping that the fans don't pick up on it.

Sheamus def. Drew McIntyre with the Brogue Kick in a three-minute match.

Another short match that spells doom for McIntyre. It's funny that last year around this time Sheamus was the one being over-pushed, while people were going crazy with McIntyre-fever. Just like Rhodes, Sheamus has been stuck jobbing out under-card stars with no real direction. That may change with a big Rumble win this Sunday, but I'm thinking that at most he'll just LOOK really good in the match... This guy really needs a feud going into WrestleMania, and an opponent with more worth than Jinder Mahal would be nice.

Epico & Primo def. Santino & Yoshi Tatsu in a two-minute match.

"Santoshi" is a brilliant idea. Don't make them a long-term championship team, but have them around for awhile and insert them into random matches to make things a bit more fun. They also got a great pop from the crowd, which is nice. I am so incredibly pissed off at Evan Bourne... Not because he screwed over his entire career yet AGAIN, but because his ass-hat-ery is forcing me to watching Epico and Primo compete every single week. Don't get me wrong, they are solid in-ring competitors. But everyone wrestles two-minute matches these days, so eventually you're going to have to come up with a better argument than that... The crowd doesn't care, the announcers don't care...I don't care.

Backstage Daniel Bryan talks up Mark Henry and encourages him to end Big Show's career in their match later on.

Henry and Show are carrying DBD through this feud with their promo work. I hate to say it, because I love Bryan as an athlete, but Henry is just nailing all of his segments, and has been for months. Bryan is good, but not exactly at the level you want a guy when he's the champion of your brand.

In the ring, Wade Barrett cuts a promo on crushing Randy Orton, and said spiritually his soul was broken. He claimed that Orton wasn't going to show up, but Orton's music hit and he made his way to the ring looking even more pissed off than usual. The two brawled and referees tried to break them up. Teddy Long came out on the ramp and brought out several Superstars to restrain the two. Barrett escaped and ran to the back. Orton looked to calm down, but hit RKO's on all FIVE men in the ring to end this segment.

Fantastic promo by Barrett, as usual. Killer intensity from Orton, as usual. AND back-aswards booking from creative...as usual! This was advertised as a MATCH, and yet when the two started brawling, the ref never rang the bell and everyone was sent to break them up? They didn't break a ten-count, nobody did anything worthy of a DQ... why advertise this as the main event if they're just going to end up scrapping it and letting them fight? They could have simply said "confrontation" rather than match, and saved us the trouble of scratching our heads... Still, Orton did RKO five people, which looks pretty damn good going into the Royal RUmble match. If only that also didn't show me exact how much Rekks, Hawkins, and the Usos mean to management...

Backstage Daniel Bryan got Kaitlyn to talk to Big Show about his match later on.

Still the intrigue here of what will play out between Bryan and AJ. When Henry and/or Show is out of the picture, Bryan may need something legitimate to give him heat. Turning on AJ and revealing that he never actually loved her may be enough to milk two or three episodes of heat out of it... Why the hell not?

Hunico def. Ted DiBiase w/ what looked like a modified Olympic Slam, in just over one minute. After the match Hunico and his manager (Kamacho?) attacked DiBiase and worked over his "broken arm".

Oh hey, another match that lasted a minute. And two more guys that I could care less about. Why the hell would you ever name a wrestler Kamacho?

Backstage Teddy Long booked Aksana vs. Natalya for later on. Natalya said her usual "make you cry" line, before some pre-recorded fart noise went off... Natalya ran out of the room, and the other two made grossed-out faces. Santino then walked in and started gagging. Yeah. Seriously.

I love Santino. His 2 seconds in this segment was better than the other two minutes put together. I would love it if they stopped wasting my time, and stopped making Natalya look incredibly weak.

"The Funkasaurus" Brodus Clay def. Alex Riley with "What the Funk?" in about thirty seconds.

Gosh this guy is over! And why do I love him so much!? Every part of me should hate create for this, and Brodus for not simply walking away and saying "give me something else". But no, I don't. At all... In fact, it's regularly one of the highlights of the night. By the way, ANOTHER match that ended in a minute. Actually, this one had about 20 seconds of actual "action" in it...

Raw Rewind highlighting Kane destroying Zack Ryder

No joke, this segment was longer than all of the previous matches of the night put together.

Aksana def. Natalya with a roll-up in five seconds. Natalya goes on the attack after the match, but Tamina makes the save and hits the Superfly Splash off the top rope.

.......

Big Show def. Mark Henry via count-out during the commercial break. This was an odd segment that was done on the fly, because Henry overextended his knee in the first minute of the match. After the match was over, Bryan attempted to attack the Big Show with a steel chair. He even put him in the LaBell Lock, but Show came back and hit the chokeslam to end the night.

Meh. I don't credit WWE for what happened here. It was a little frustrating, just because of the poor quality of matches from the night, but sometimes spontaneous injuries happen, and there's nothing you can do about it. Bryan did well making up that finish on the fly, and Big Show did well selling it. The only thing, and they really couldn't have avoided this so it's not a huge deal, is that with Henry leaving he didn't get the rub going into their title match at the Rumble. It's a shame because he's one of the stronger parts keeping this feud running at the level it has.

Overall Smackdown has highly entertaining, but plagued by a LOT of really short matches and a few eye-roller segments. I don't have to have 15-minute matches every week - that's what the PPV is for. I also don't belong to the current generation of instant-gratification fans, that expect everything now. You don't give away long, well-built matches on free TV. And even at the PPVs, only the feuds that are a big deal should be of decent length. If you don't believe me, go back and watch the first...I'd say ten WrestleMania's, and tell me how long each match was. As long as they are moving storylines and doing everything in an entertaining way, that is what the WWE does! It's sports entertainment...

I'm actually quite surprised that they have managed to keep the ball rolling without Randy Orton in the main event, or even in the title picture. Same goes for Sheamus! The fact that the current World championship picture only involves Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry, and Big Show and has maintained their average ratings, built up a solid match going into the Royal Rumble, and kept the product entertaining...it kind of blows my mind. Last year at this time I probably wouldn't have ever watched Smackdown if you read me the card for the night! My hat is off to those two, who did a good job selling the Rumble match despite an injury. The rest of the card needs work, but there's a lot of hope there. Lots of untapped talent and good ring workers for sure. It just needs to be fine-tuned and turned into gold!

Rating: B-

 

[The Eighties]

Apart from the ending I thought this was an excellent Raw.

The opening segment was strong with everyone getting their bit in and I thought Sheamus really projected himself well as the actors say.

Match quality was way up, Ziggler vs Orton, Bryan vs Punk and Kofi vs Miz were all good to great. Ziggler doing the job yet again instead of Barrett getting involved was a bit of a shame but looks like Dolph is going to have to grin and bear it for now.

Jericho's run in on Punk was just filled with nothingness, but I guess it sets the wheels in motion for the feud that'll be very much in the back seat going into the big show.

The Cena stuff was odd, was the goofy smile meant to be him cracking a bit? The brawl with him and Kane was solid though.

Ace played his part well throughout the show and the stuff with him and Triple H was pretty funny. I have zero interest in Taker vs Triple H so the ending was a dissapointment as I was still holding out hope for a swerfve setting up Punk vs Triple H after the EC.

 

[Mr. HD]

So, let me get to it before anybody else. RAW was very, VERY good tonight. They always seem to turn it up during WrestleMania season and this was a great show. I'll just give some candid comments on each segment.

- I like the opening segment of Johnny Ace shaking everybody's hands and sorta like the last Hoorah. Even Punk coming and starting that chant made everything funny. Then we have D-Bry. I must say, I've like how they build up Bryan since he won the Title. A lot of people said it couldn't be done, but by God WWE has done it. Sheamus adding to the segment made it even better claiming who he might challenge. Good opening segment.

- Orton vs Ziggler was a great TV Match to kick off RAW. I just feel like Barrett should've been at the Announce Table doing commentary rather than lounging a press box, but w/e. Orton gets the win and makes him look strong heading into his showdown with Barrett to continue his feud.

- Next up is The Funkasaurus Brodus Clay and I like the little Disco Ball they added to further his character. Nice little Homage to the Disco Inferno IMO Clay is becoming one of my favorite parts of RAW.

- The Punk/Bryan segment....Vegan vs StraightEdge LOL

- Now, Punk vs Bryan. A Great Match. It wasn't given 30 minutes like most people would've loved to see, but they had enough time to really showcase some of their stuff and show them what Wrestling is all about. A Well Done match put on my both men. Good stuff. Too bad it didn't end clean. Out comes Chris Jericho to attack CM Punk and just like THAT, we have liftoff to Punk vs Jericho for WM 28. I can't wait to see how they further this feud.

- Mike Tyson in the WWE Hall of Fame.....I guess. I mean he was there for the Beginning of the Austin Era I guess.

- The Miz vs Kofi Kingston is next and it was a short, solid, fun little match and Truth on Commentary was ok. The Comedy was ehh. But I was surprised at Kofi getting the win here. I guess they want to make him look legit heading into the EC. Good win, but this also tells me that Truth/Miz isn't over by a long shot.

- Eve got squashed. Big Deal. Now, here's where Kane comes out. He doesn't think Cena embraced the hate yet and wants to make an example out of Eve. And just like a Hero does, Cena's music hits and he comes out to the rescue LOL. Cena starts hammering away on Kane until he runs away. This reminds me an AWFUL lot of The Kane/Jericho Feud back in 2000. Except Kane wants to tear apart Cena for different reasons and Cena seems to be going through the same transformation Jericho did for his feud with Kane. Next stop, I'm gonna say a Last Man Standing match at EC. I don't think Cena will find tons of Barrels to dump on Kane tho.

- Now for the BIG one. Johnny Ace. I must say, thanks to The Game, Ace got the biggest chorus of boos I think I ever heard. And when HHH mentioned the Kiss My Ass Club and Ace pulled out the Chapstick?!?! Wow! Haha! And just when HHH was about to Fire Him.....GONG! Holy Crap! Undertaker! He pulls the same shtick as last year, but HHH isn't buying it and he pats him on the back like he's saying, "Sorry Old man, not this year." I think HHH is either saying, "You don't have it anymore", or "I can't do it this year Deadman" What will Undertaker try to do to make HHH accept this match?

I give this RAW a Solid A-

- We get the Punk/Jericho feud started, Great matches, Cena entertains and Undertaker Returns! A Great RAW to kick start the Road to WrestleMania. This is what RAW has been missing. The factor to make you wanna tune in to see what happens next week and that's what I'm going to do....tune in to RAW next week.

 

[XXJJ]

I thought Raw was great. You had a couple of really good tv matches (DB/Punk & Orton/Ziggler). Kofi vs Miz was solid. I thought most of their segments were good too. They set up Barrett vs Orton on Smackdown. Cena and Kane are continuing their feud. They started the Jericho Punk feud. And Undertaker returning was a nice surprise at the end. A great way to avoid Triple H firing JL too.