Big shock, no McIntyre. What was the sense of moving him to RAW if he's only gonna stay buried or appear on Superstars? RAW has plenty of heels at the moment, while Smackdown could use a couple. If they didn't foolishly draft him to Monday night, he could be working some higher profile matches Friday nights. VKM is supposedly so high on the guy, why the Hell aren't they using him? Chosen alright, chosen to jerk the curtain, jeez... He's got ring skills, a good look, and he's not bad with his promos (certainly better than a lot of main event superstars), is it really that far fetched to at least expect some mid card gold on this guy?
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Wade's Public Transit Bomb
Championship Contender
Raw was what it was..
- I thought that opening segment was a total mess. Del Rio got LESS heat than the Divas match that followed. Rey shouldn't be any where near a mic. And to cap it off, the Miz displayed one of the weakest promo>brawl performances I've seen in some time. Maybe it wouldn't been better if the crowd was into it.. But that whole 20 minutes just felt like they were trying to make it seem like a big moment and the crowd just couldn't give two damns. It was like "Damn.. THESE guys are the focus of the show?" I will agree with those who said Truth was the only redeeming quality to it. I love crazy black man Truth.
- I thought the Bellas did good. I just found it so funny that they ran away holding each other's hands. haha They looked really good too. Kelly was just slower than molasses and I am over the Kharma thing. Oddly enough, the least over diva now that Michelle is gone is what got Kharma best reaction. Who would of thunk it?
- I like reading Punk fans whine over how he isn't being used. I really do.
- Santino was the jobber in a "who cares?" match with a guy that looks so generic. Total head scratcher.
- Cena worked his Bostonian balls off to make Riley look good. Still not caring about the butt hurt between Riley and Miz, tho.
- How much time does a guy need to get over the fact that he is an asshole? Cole is shouting all Raw about how everything but him sucks. Cole does the same thing on SD. Then he gets 15 minutes every Raw to get more heat. It would be one thing if they could get something out of him that didn't involve him just getting his ass kicked or if the feud HASN'T been going on since only Gawd knows how long now.
- Swaggie vs Kofi? I thought they were on a different show now. lol For some reason the match felt long and it was average.
- That main event blew. From the slower than Kelly pace to all of the completely contrived set spots, it was just blah. The crowd not caring was the cherry on the cake. They killed the crowd in the opening segment and did it again in the main event. I think the guys knew that the crowd didn't care because it got really "high flyer" near the end to wake the crowd up.
- Cena in another I Quit match? Yes please.. Tho, his work with the Miz really just feels like Cena is going out of his way to make Miz look like a big deal as oppose to Cena vs Miz being a big deal.
- I thought that opening segment was a total mess. Del Rio got LESS heat than the Divas match that followed. Rey shouldn't be any where near a mic. And to cap it off, the Miz displayed one of the weakest promo>brawl performances I've seen in some time. Maybe it wouldn't been better if the crowd was into it.. But that whole 20 minutes just felt like they were trying to make it seem like a big moment and the crowd just couldn't give two damns. It was like "Damn.. THESE guys are the focus of the show?" I will agree with those who said Truth was the only redeeming quality to it. I love crazy black man Truth.
- I thought the Bellas did good. I just found it so funny that they ran away holding each other's hands. haha They looked really good too. Kelly was just slower than molasses and I am over the Kharma thing. Oddly enough, the least over diva now that Michelle is gone is what got Kharma best reaction. Who would of thunk it?
- I like reading Punk fans whine over how he isn't being used. I really do.
- Santino was the jobber in a "who cares?" match with a guy that looks so generic. Total head scratcher.
- Cena worked his Bostonian balls off to make Riley look good. Still not caring about the butt hurt between Riley and Miz, tho.
- How much time does a guy need to get over the fact that he is an asshole? Cole is shouting all Raw about how everything but him sucks. Cole does the same thing on SD. Then he gets 15 minutes every Raw to get more heat. It would be one thing if they could get something out of him that didn't involve him just getting his ass kicked or if the feud HASN'T been going on since only Gawd knows how long now.
- Swaggie vs Kofi? I thought they were on a different show now. lol For some reason the match felt long and it was average.
- That main event blew. From the slower than Kelly pace to all of the completely contrived set spots, it was just blah. The crowd not caring was the cherry on the cake. They killed the crowd in the opening segment and did it again in the main event. I think the guys knew that the crowd didn't care because it got really "high flyer" near the end to wake the crowd up.
- Cena in another I Quit match? Yes please.. Tho, his work with the Miz really just feels like Cena is going out of his way to make Miz look like a big deal as oppose to Cena vs Miz being a big deal.
akrassikauda
#Evil Empire
Last nights Raw had a better 20 minute opening than last weeks Crocks bday celebration. Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez worked the crowd real good. Then Rey and Miz come down but the highlight was R-Truth "When an angry black man is talking ya'll need to shut it" and calling Cena lilly white not getting another title shot. Ricardo Rodriguez interrupting the Miz and the text book drop kick he gave Reilly.
The divas match we all knew Kharma was coming out but the Bellas sneaking out hand in hand and Kelly Kelly leaving Eve to fend for herself another good segment.
The backstage interview with Truth was good he has to be loving his heel turn because he just got better on the mic overnight. Now we come back to Cole and Lawler again. The second we heard Mothers Day we all knew where this was going. The conclusion was Lawler getting his hands on Cole's tie and slamming his head onto the glass and choking him out.
So my question to you is which segment was the best what is your rating for last nights RAW
My favorite segment was the first 20 minutes everyone had a chance to shine on the mic did it get a little racial from Truth and Miz yeah but they didn't fully cross the line I give RAW a 7.5
P.S. Broskette Of The Week
The divas match we all knew Kharma was coming out but the Bellas sneaking out hand in hand and Kelly Kelly leaving Eve to fend for herself another good segment.
The backstage interview with Truth was good he has to be loving his heel turn because he just got better on the mic overnight. Now we come back to Cole and Lawler again. The second we heard Mothers Day we all knew where this was going. The conclusion was Lawler getting his hands on Cole's tie and slamming his head onto the glass and choking him out.
So my question to you is which segment was the best what is your rating for last nights RAW
My favorite segment was the first 20 minutes everyone had a chance to shine on the mic did it get a little racial from Truth and Miz yeah but they didn't fully cross the line I give RAW a 7.5
P.S. Broskette Of The Week
I thought R-Truth's entrance with no music, then Alex Riley's walk across the arena in virtual silence were so incredibly awkward! Very strange for Raw, when you generally have music and commentators over everything, for those segments the commentators were quiet and no music...just strange. The opening segment was good, the match at the end was probably my favorite though. It was a fun TV match with 3 guys that can work.
Yeah, I agree. The first segment was a good. It gave a couple of well rounded vets to showcase their mic skills. I'm not usually a fan of all the talking. They should use the time to show matches featuring guys like Zach Ryder and Evan Bourne,(what's up with Zach's 40 sec fist pumping to John Cena). I typically don't care for racism in wrestling or anywhere for that matter. Truth and Miz could have kept their racist comments to theirselves (Miz usually makes slick under the radar race comments I don't care for). But with that being said I enjoyed Del Rio and Richardo Rodriques on the mic, and Rey Mysterio showed he can ramble a little too. I also noticed that even though Cena is champ, he wasn't a focal point of the show at all. The triple threat match at the end was an instant classic! Lawler bashing Coles face was also great!
The Hardcore Kid
WHAT?!
All in all, great episode of RAW imo. Zack Ryder teaching the Champ how to fist pump was obvz the best part. WWWYKI.
Yesiamaduck
Pre-Show Stalwart
I was surprised to see some people hating on the opening promo, and all I can say is thank God for the comments the guys exchanged between each other.... it felt like the was legitimate heat between R-Truth & the entire roster, which is good as I'm sick of all this kindergarten poopy pants stuff that has dominated the main event recently. R-Truth shined all night if I'm honest, his gimmick is brilliantly psychotic... as opposed to snapping and just being an ******** like so many do he is talking to himself and seems to be totally out of sorts about what he should do and it's brilliant, the is an air of unpredictability to R-Truth now & he's quickly becoming one of my favorites on the roster (shocking considering I was calling for the pink slip not long ago). Sure R-Truth stole the segment but the other contributed well also, especially the continued improvement of Ricardo and Del Rios promos, bouncing off each other more then ever.
Diva Match:
Kelly Kelly & Eve Torress Vs The Bella Twins
-> Kelly Kelly is improving in the ring but for some reason appeared really slow tonight, I don't know if it's to do with the quality of her opponents in this one or not but she seemed to falling into old ways, lacking emotion and urgency. The match was the usual nothing diva match and Kelly Kelly wins with the schoolgirl. Kharma comes out to take out Eve Torress but it seems she had her eyes set on Kelly Kelly, first feud against Kelly Kelly anyone? 1/4*
Singles Match:
Mason Ryan W/CM Punk Vs Kane W/Big Show
-> Right, first things first, this maybe a pedantic complaint but why is Kane active in Raw competition and Big Show is active in Smackdown competition? I'm not talking tag matches... but nevermind. The standard power match & it wasn't bad for what it was, both men showed their power and Mason Ryan despite being incredibly Green showed some potential. Kane gets the upper hand, Show knocks out CM Punk which prompts the Nexus to come out & they get destroyed.... Mason Ryan gets double chokeslammed by Kane & Show. Now some people are going to moan about Ryan being buried but lets look back it this for a second, it took BOTH Kane & Show to take out Mason Ryan but Kane & Show single handedly took out a stable, this makes both vocal points of this feud look incredibly strong if you ask me which is essential for all 3 guys. I'm glad they aren't making Kane & Show a jobber team yet, it makes the tag champs credible for the first time in God knows how long and when they eventually do the job it will be more impressive. 3/4*
R-Truth cuts another impressive promo backstage with Scott, a real nice uneasy heel promo attacking the kids and parents. He promises revenge on his own terms.
Single Match:
Dolph Ziggler Vs Santino Marella
-> I really don't care for Dolphs current look, I preferred the old Ziggler, he showed way more emotion and charecter in the ring... this version is just bland. The match wasn't anything special and I know longer feel high on Ziggler I'm afraid, his character is loosing it for me. 3/4*
Zack Ryder gets air time with Cena, always a thumbs up, even if it's for 8 seconds. Riley and Miz are talking with tension in their relationship, Riley goes out and challenges Cena to a match. Like the way Riley actually looked like he showed anger for a change, throwing the mic down to the floor.
Singles Match:
John Cena Vs Alex Riley
-> These matches should stop happening, they never enhance Alex Riley as he always jobs out with little fight and it does nothing to add to Cena, Riley (a rookie) is jobbing to an 8 time WWE Champion... it does NOTHING for either men and it's happened so many times that it's no longer of use to progress story or keep to keep me caring. 3/4*
Smackdown vignette makes the show look more important and adds importance to the WHC and keeps me hope for a killer storyline over it.
Michale Cole & Jerry Lawler segment:
Throw this promo at me before Wrestlemania and I would of loved it, it was personal and as usual they both put in an emotional performance... but do I care anymore? FUCK NO! This feud has been going on way too long, I applauded the way creative made an announcer feud interesting but it's just gone on too long.
US Title Match:
Jack Swagger Vs Kofi Kingston (c)
-> Very good chemistry by these to and enjoyed this match whilst it lasted. Both men put on a good performance with psychology and story telling present within the match. King comes back out after being beaten and distracts Swagger allowing Kingston to hit Trouble in Paradise to retain. ***
King & Cole/Swagger Segment Pt2:
I like the aggression King showed by throwing the chair into the colemine and the comical camera shot of coles face. I didn't like Swagger accepting the match on coles behalf (he's not his manager) but I did like Coles reaction to this. I hope this is the last match between these 2.... oh my GOD how I hope.
Triple Threat No.1 Contenders Match:
Rey Mysterio Vs The Miz Vs Del Rio
-> These 3 put in a strong showing, I liked the way each guy go their moment to shine, Del Rios expressions in the ring as usual were brilliant and added to the match. The were some good spots, some contrived ones that had clearly been set up which took from the believability of the match but yeah, for a televised match it was pretty damned good. The ending I could of done without, I would of liked to have seen Del Rio or Miz getting the clean victory but ya know. ***1/2
John Cena announces the stipulation for the Miz Vs Cena with be an 'I Quit' match, this is a feud ender which makes me happy & after they pulled their best match out of the bag on Raw last week I wouldn't mind watching it again... but please no more Miz Vs Cena for a while WWE.
R-Truth attacks Rey Mysterio setting up a new feud in replacement of the injured John Morrison, happy about the fact WWE aren't going to stop R-Truth whilst hes on a role by giving him a high profile feud to work with.
Overall: It was a decent show, decent number of matches with the last 2 being really enjoying to watch. The opening segment is one of the better ones I've seen on Raw in recent weeks & R-Truth is continuing to win me over with his psychotic gimmick. 7/10
Diva Match:
Kelly Kelly & Eve Torress Vs The Bella Twins
-> Kelly Kelly is improving in the ring but for some reason appeared really slow tonight, I don't know if it's to do with the quality of her opponents in this one or not but she seemed to falling into old ways, lacking emotion and urgency. The match was the usual nothing diva match and Kelly Kelly wins with the schoolgirl. Kharma comes out to take out Eve Torress but it seems she had her eyes set on Kelly Kelly, first feud against Kelly Kelly anyone? 1/4*
Singles Match:
Mason Ryan W/CM Punk Vs Kane W/Big Show
-> Right, first things first, this maybe a pedantic complaint but why is Kane active in Raw competition and Big Show is active in Smackdown competition? I'm not talking tag matches... but nevermind. The standard power match & it wasn't bad for what it was, both men showed their power and Mason Ryan despite being incredibly Green showed some potential. Kane gets the upper hand, Show knocks out CM Punk which prompts the Nexus to come out & they get destroyed.... Mason Ryan gets double chokeslammed by Kane & Show. Now some people are going to moan about Ryan being buried but lets look back it this for a second, it took BOTH Kane & Show to take out Mason Ryan but Kane & Show single handedly took out a stable, this makes both vocal points of this feud look incredibly strong if you ask me which is essential for all 3 guys. I'm glad they aren't making Kane & Show a jobber team yet, it makes the tag champs credible for the first time in God knows how long and when they eventually do the job it will be more impressive. 3/4*
R-Truth cuts another impressive promo backstage with Scott, a real nice uneasy heel promo attacking the kids and parents. He promises revenge on his own terms.
Single Match:
Dolph Ziggler Vs Santino Marella
-> I really don't care for Dolphs current look, I preferred the old Ziggler, he showed way more emotion and charecter in the ring... this version is just bland. The match wasn't anything special and I know longer feel high on Ziggler I'm afraid, his character is loosing it for me. 3/4*
Zack Ryder gets air time with Cena, always a thumbs up, even if it's for 8 seconds. Riley and Miz are talking with tension in their relationship, Riley goes out and challenges Cena to a match. Like the way Riley actually looked like he showed anger for a change, throwing the mic down to the floor.
Singles Match:
John Cena Vs Alex Riley
-> These matches should stop happening, they never enhance Alex Riley as he always jobs out with little fight and it does nothing to add to Cena, Riley (a rookie) is jobbing to an 8 time WWE Champion... it does NOTHING for either men and it's happened so many times that it's no longer of use to progress story or keep to keep me caring. 3/4*
Smackdown vignette makes the show look more important and adds importance to the WHC and keeps me hope for a killer storyline over it.
Michale Cole & Jerry Lawler segment:
Throw this promo at me before Wrestlemania and I would of loved it, it was personal and as usual they both put in an emotional performance... but do I care anymore? FUCK NO! This feud has been going on way too long, I applauded the way creative made an announcer feud interesting but it's just gone on too long.
US Title Match:
Jack Swagger Vs Kofi Kingston (c)
-> Very good chemistry by these to and enjoyed this match whilst it lasted. Both men put on a good performance with psychology and story telling present within the match. King comes back out after being beaten and distracts Swagger allowing Kingston to hit Trouble in Paradise to retain. ***
King & Cole/Swagger Segment Pt2:
I like the aggression King showed by throwing the chair into the colemine and the comical camera shot of coles face. I didn't like Swagger accepting the match on coles behalf (he's not his manager) but I did like Coles reaction to this. I hope this is the last match between these 2.... oh my GOD how I hope.
Triple Threat No.1 Contenders Match:
Rey Mysterio Vs The Miz Vs Del Rio
-> These 3 put in a strong showing, I liked the way each guy go their moment to shine, Del Rios expressions in the ring as usual were brilliant and added to the match. The were some good spots, some contrived ones that had clearly been set up which took from the believability of the match but yeah, for a televised match it was pretty damned good. The ending I could of done without, I would of liked to have seen Del Rio or Miz getting the clean victory but ya know. ***1/2
John Cena announces the stipulation for the Miz Vs Cena with be an 'I Quit' match, this is a feud ender which makes me happy & after they pulled their best match out of the bag on Raw last week I wouldn't mind watching it again... but please no more Miz Vs Cena for a while WWE.
R-Truth attacks Rey Mysterio setting up a new feud in replacement of the injured John Morrison, happy about the fact WWE aren't going to stop R-Truth whilst hes on a role by giving him a high profile feud to work with.
Overall: It was a decent show, decent number of matches with the last 2 being really enjoying to watch. The opening segment is one of the better ones I've seen on Raw in recent weeks & R-Truth is continuing to win me over with his psychotic gimmick. 7/10
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]WWE RAW 5/9/11
May 9th, 2011
Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
Attendance: ???
[/FONT]
May 9th, 2011
Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
Attendance: ???
[/FONT]
Your hosts are Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and Josh Matthews
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]We open the show with Alberto Del Rio making his entrance to the ring with the full get-up this time, Rolls Royce and all. He calls out John Cena for a title shot, but instead Rey Mysterio comes out and challenges Del Rio to a number one contender's match tonight. Before Del Rio can muster much of a response The Miz's music plays and he and Alex Riley hit the ring. Miz is here to reclaim his title but Del Rio tells him he had his chance and he couldn't get the job done. Miz blames Riley for his loss, even though he used the belt himself. Miz wants a legitimate rematch with Cena, but suddenly R-Truth walks out and says he hates hospital food and segues into how John Morrison is eating alot of hospital food because of the attack from R-Truth last week. It's a shame that JoMo had to get his neck surgery now, he was getting ever-so-close to that main event push and the program he was working with Truth was was atleast interesting until he had to go under the knife. Truth threatens to send everyone in the ring to the hospital and then says, and this is a direct quote, "When an angry black man is talking, ya'll need to shut it up". For some reason that just cracks me up. Truth says [/FONT] he's[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif] going to be facing Cena for the title, but the Anonymous RAW GM sends an e-mail at that moment, which Michael Cole reads. The e-mail sets up a triple threat match between The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, and Rey Mysterio with the winner getting a title shot against Cena at the next PPV (Over the Limit) for our main event. This does not please Truth to say the least, so he gets up in Mysterio's face and Mysterio says he agrees with the GM's decision. The Miz tries to do his "Awesome" catch phrase but Ricardo Rodriguez steals the limelight and yells Alberto's name loudly. All of them wind up brawling and fighting to finish the segment. Decent opening segment to start the build for the next title match.
Brie Bella/Nikki Bella vs. Eve Torres/Kelly Kelly[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]I'm guessing this will just be an excuse to bring Kharma out. The Bellas, give them credit, atleast have attempted to change their mannerisms and work for their out-of-nowhere heel turn. They're still terrible for the most part in the ring though. Kelly hits a handspring back elbow on one of the Bellas and then rolls her up for the awkward pinfall at 1:24[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]. And as soon as the babyfaces start celebrating, Kharma's music hits and out comes the former Awesome Kong. Yes, they actually refer to her as a "diva" here. Eve tries to attack Kharma from behind when she hits the ring but she gets squashed anyways. Kelly Kelly and the Bellas run for their lives while Kharma delivers the Implant Buster to Eve back in the ring. As a match, this was obviously nothing, but as a segment it's always entertaining to see Kharma destroy bitches.[/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif] ¼*[/FONT]
Mason Ryan vs. Kane[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]CM Punk comes to the ring with Ryan while the Big Show comes out to be in Kane's corner. Kane gets shot into the corner and works his way out with punches, backing Ryan into the corner. Ryan counters with a clothesline and then slams Kane's head against the turnbuckle while delivering a running powerslam. Kane retreats to the ring apron and CM Punk kicks him in the shin while he's getting back into the ring. Show knocks out Punk while Kane sends Ryan to the floor, and then the Nexus run down to the ring for the beatdown and the DQ at[/FONT] 2:16[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]. This continues the feud between the Nexus and the tag champs, but the problem is I'm not sure anyone wants to watch that feud. Match was decent while it lasted. [FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]¾*[/FONT]
Dolph Ziggler vs. Santino Marella[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]Oh Dolph, from former "World champ" to wrestling Santino, my how you've fallen down the card. Ziggler is all over Santino to start, but Santino quickly responds with a hip-toss and sets up for the Cobra, but Ziggler just nails him right in his face with a nasty dropkick. Ziggler finishes with the Zig Zag at 1:42[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]. Just a squash match for Dolph, but a useful one. Santino is always over with the fans so having Dolph destroy him in less than two minutes should give him some of that heat he desperately needs back. [/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]*[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]When we return from the commercial break we get...the Smackdown Rebound? I guess the WWE is really serious about making Smackdown the Randy Orton show, as they usually don't use up time on RAW with this but now that Orton is on Smackdown it suddenly gets a segment, revolving entirely around him of course. Afterwards Josh Matthews says he doesn't think it was fair for Christian to defend the title only five days after he won it while Lawler congratulates Orton.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]Backstage R-Truth is listening to his headphones when Scott Stanford (who I will continue to pimp out as the next great play-by-play man in waiting for the WWE) walks up to him to get a word with him. Truth talks about parents writing letters to him to return to his old happy-go-lucky singing and dancing self. Truth then forces Stanford to say "What's Up" and runs off. [/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]Elsewhere backstage Zack Ryder appears to be teaching John Cena the finer points fist-pumping. Somebody in creative find a use for Ryder, please, he's just sitting there.[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]After another commercial break we cut to The Miz and Alex Riley backstage. Riley tries to convince Miz that it wasn't his fault that he lost last week, but Miz isn't buying any of that. He can't decide whether Riley is an amoeba, troglodyte, or an orangutang. Riley promises to make it up to him and the camera follows him as he walks through the halls and then comes out to the ring, getting some serious heat while he's at it. I'm not sure if that's just the crowd being so impatient tonight and wanting to boo someone, or if Riley is really that hated. Riley grabs a mic and challenges John Cena, demanding he come out and eventually Cena does just that, and we have an impromptu match on our hands...[/FONT]
John Cena vs. Alex Riley
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]Not a bad use of Cena on the card, and the crowd is hugely behind him. Not many "Cena haters" in the house tonight it seems. Cena blocks a boot from Riley and hip-tosses him, but Riley avoids a running tackle and clotheslines him for a near fall. Riley hits a nice back suplex for another two count, and then he slaps on a sleeper. Cena fights it off though and goes to his standard stuff. Cena hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle while The Miz begins walking down to ringside and Cena delivers not one, but two Attitude Adjustment's to Riley before locking in the STF for the submission victory at [/FONT] 3:13[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif] right in front of The Miz. Not much of a match obviously, just a squash. They've got to figure out what they're doing with Riley though because there's only so many times you can job him out before the fans stop giving a shit. [FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]*[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]Michael Cole hops in the ring when we return from commercial and he claims that there's nothing left for him to accomplish in the ring, so he's going to retire. He says he wants to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as both an in-ring competitor and commentator, but The King has had enough and he hops in the ring to remind Cole of the beatdown he took from The Rock last week. (Minor note: Rock's "Go Heat, bitch" quip isn't censored this time like it was last week). The King challenges Cole to [/FONT][/FONT] another[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif] match and says this time if Cole beats him, he'll give him his Hall of Fame ring and induct Cole into the Hall of Fame himself, but Cole refuses and retreats back into his Cole Mine, talking trash about Tennessee all the way. Cole gets into the mother talk again just to remind us that the King's mother died last February. King flips out and tries to attack Cole in his booth, but Jack Swagger runs down and makes the save.
United States Title Match
Kofi Kingston[/FONT] © vs. Jack Swagger
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]When we return from the break we segue right into this match. Both men try to end it quickly by going to their finishers but neither man can connect with it. They trade head and waist locks while Cole won't stop yapping about Jerry Lawler on commentary, leaving us with no one actually calling the action in the ring (which is one of my pet peeves). Kingston hits Swagger with a clothesline that sends him to the floor and then he sets up for a slingshot splash, but Swagger moves and Kofi eats a boot on the apron, sending him crashing to the floor as we take a commercial break. When we return Kofi fights off a submission attempt but gets thrown into the corner. Kofi blocks the Swagger Bomb attempt, and the crowd doesn't seem to be particularly interested here which is unusual for a Kofi Kingston match. He misses the Trouble in Paradise again but hits a big cross-body block off the top rope that brings the crowd back to life. Swagger tries tossing Kofi over the top rope but Kofi skins the cat only for Swagger to just grab his ankle and apply the ankle lock while Kingston's in the ropes. Swagger works away on Kofi's ankle until Kingston counters with a tornado DDT attempt, but Swagger blocks it and Kingston lands on his feet, but he immediately crumbles to the mat under his ankle as if he just rolled it in a basketball game. Suddenly Jerry Lawler comes walking down the aisle and that distracts Swagger long enough for Kofi to nail him with the Trouble in Paradise (with the good ankle/leg mind you, not the one that had been worked over) to retain at [/FONT] 5:11[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif] (shown). After the match the King grabs Cole's tie through one of the open slots in his Cole Mine and slams his head repeatedly into the booth in cartoonish fashion. The look on Cole's face as it's squashed up against the glass is priceless. Average match and I can appreciate the attempts at limb psychology, but it didn't really play into the finish so it was all for naught really. [FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]**¼[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]After everything settles down a bit Swagger grabs a mic and proclaims that Lawler is now fired because he touched Cole. Well, not really you see he only touc---HOLY SHIT IT'S LITTLE GUIDO! I had no idea James Maritato was working as a referee for the WWE now. You learn something new everyday, huh. Now please, finish up this Cole/Lawler feud at Over the Limit and be done with it, forevermore. [/FONT][/FONT]
Number One Contendership to the WWE Title Match
The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]This had better be one hell of a main event after the sub-par show they've presented thus far. This is just your basic formula triple threat stuff here with two men going at it in the ring while the third man lays on the floor in pain. Rey almost hits a double 619 early, but it gets broken up and Rey gets sent out of the ring. Mysterio hops right back in though and gets a tilt-a-whirl sunset flip for a two count. Rey sets up Miz for the 619 but Del Rio trips him up from behind. Del Rio tosses Rey out and then he and Miz trade cradle near falls and then knock heads with each other as we take a commercial break. When we return Del Rio is working a lazy camel clutch on Mysterio. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gets Del Rio a two count on Mysterio, so he rolls out of the ring and tosses The Miz into the turnbuckle. Del Rio and Rey go at it for a bit until The Miz low-bridges Del Rio and hops in the ring to take on Mysterio. Slingshot legdrop gets Mysterio a two count and the crowd wakes up again. Miz misses a clothesline on Rey in the corner so Del Rio drags him out to the floor and gives him a clothesline, only to turn around and take a seated senton from Mysterio. Mysterio hits another seated senton back in the ring and a springboard cross-body block gets him a close two. The Miz climbs to the top turnbuckle but gets crotched as Rey rolls up Del Rio for another near fall. Mysterio delivers the Frankensteiner to Miz but Del Rio is waiting for him a big cross armbreaker. Del Rio applies his armbar submission on Rey until Miz jumps back in the ring and Del Rio just rolls him up for a near fall as well. That was a nifty sequence. Miz goes for the Skull-Crushing Finale on Rey but he gets sent to the floor instead and [/FONT] Alex Riley [FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]decides to make an appearance, limping down the aisle to help The Miz get back into it. Mysterio counters a Del Rio powerbomb with a headscissors that knocks Alex Riley right off the apron which gives Rey enough time to deliver the 619 to Del Rio! Miz tries to get back on the apron but Rey dropkicks him off and splashes Alberto from the top rope, but Riley pulls Del Rio out of the ring at the count of two and Miz sneaks up from behind and rolls Rey up for the win and the title shot at 10:50[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif] (shown). This started off rocky with no real flow at all between the "toss one out, fight the other" sequence, but it slowly picked up steam and escalated all the way up to the hot finish. Very good formula stuff. [/FONT][FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]***[/FONT]
[FONT=trebuchet ms,sans-serif]After the match John Cena comes out and says that the Miz's title match with him at Over the Limit will be an I Quit Match. Should be a good match, but there's no way I see Cena losing that one. Meanwhile back in the ring R-Truth hops out from the crowd and attacks Rey Mysterio in the ring as we go off the air.
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Bottom Line: I was just not feeling this show at all for the first hour. Way too short matches, heavy on the Cole/Lawler segments and just generally boring. Luckily the second hour was much better and concluded with a rather good main event for television these days. The main event is worth checking out, but aside from that, there really isn't anything must-see on this show, just the WWE laying the basic foundations for the build for the next PPV, Over the Limit. I hate to be so indecisive, but I'm going with Thumbs in the Middle here, leaning up, meaning it's a slight recommendation if you've got some time to kill, but otherwise don't bother.
Score: 6/10
Score: 6/10
Wade's Public Transit Bomb
Championship Contender
I am eating a little crow over here because SD finally feels like everything is connected instead of random segments that fill 2 hours. Tonight was actually engaging for the most.
- The more I see Christian's promos, the more I don't need to see anymore. He just ramblings on about the peeps and how the peeps and what the peeps or whatever peeps. Hello? Those same peeps wanted you to face Orton last week in a match you lost. I am not hinting a heel turn or anything, but please stop pandering to the fucking peeps when you aren't the most people guy on the show.
- Sheamus and Mark Henry saved that opening segment from Christian and his fucking peeps.
- I am over the New Mexican Jumping Bean. I've seen less movezier TNA X-Division matches than this shitty match. I normally don't care much for DB, but I thought he was the only thing about this match to take note of. Whenever Sin Cara would try to do a bunch of moves, DB always had a move that made him slow down.
- I love Layla. I think she is gorgeous and charismatic and very, very, good in the ring and on the mic. But that was one boring promo. I don't know the validity of that knee injury she was talking about, but sucks for the divas if it is true. She is one of the few good divas they have.
- Wade's promo before the match.. I thought he sounded a little weird like his voice was lighter or something, but I loved that five seconds of him just smiling bashfully at the crowd..
- I really, really, enjoyed the Wade Barrett vs Kane match. I've said in some other posts, but I really am digging the new layout Wade is using. He is mostly punching and booting people. I loved the Black Hole Slam spot in the match and I thought it was smart to have Wade focus on something other than the back. Kane has looked VERY motivated since he started fighting Wade/The Corre a few months back. Man, he was really laying it in with those uppercuts.. Which I like because it shows that Wade isn't a powerhouse like most guys his size, but rather he is one tough son of a gun.
- Zeke still looks like a drunk gorilla when he moves to me.
- Like most people prolly did, I fast forward though the Khali segment. That new guy looks like Matt Striker, so I hate him already.
- I also skipped the Cody vs Teddy Jr. match. Nothing interesting here.
- Sheamus is the best ass kicker in the company. I don't know why they just won't turn him already.
- The more I see Christian's promos, the more I don't need to see anymore. He just ramblings on about the peeps and how the peeps and what the peeps or whatever peeps. Hello? Those same peeps wanted you to face Orton last week in a match you lost. I am not hinting a heel turn or anything, but please stop pandering to the fucking peeps when you aren't the most people guy on the show.
- Sheamus and Mark Henry saved that opening segment from Christian and his fucking peeps.
- I am over the New Mexican Jumping Bean. I've seen less movezier TNA X-Division matches than this shitty match. I normally don't care much for DB, but I thought he was the only thing about this match to take note of. Whenever Sin Cara would try to do a bunch of moves, DB always had a move that made him slow down.
- I love Layla. I think she is gorgeous and charismatic and very, very, good in the ring and on the mic. But that was one boring promo. I don't know the validity of that knee injury she was talking about, but sucks for the divas if it is true. She is one of the few good divas they have.
- Wade's promo before the match.. I thought he sounded a little weird like his voice was lighter or something, but I loved that five seconds of him just smiling bashfully at the crowd..
- I really, really, enjoyed the Wade Barrett vs Kane match. I've said in some other posts, but I really am digging the new layout Wade is using. He is mostly punching and booting people. I loved the Black Hole Slam spot in the match and I thought it was smart to have Wade focus on something other than the back. Kane has looked VERY motivated since he started fighting Wade/The Corre a few months back. Man, he was really laying it in with those uppercuts.. Which I like because it shows that Wade isn't a powerhouse like most guys his size, but rather he is one tough son of a gun.
- Zeke still looks like a drunk gorilla when he moves to me.
- Like most people prolly did, I fast forward though the Khali segment. That new guy looks like Matt Striker, so I hate him already.
- I also skipped the Cody vs Teddy Jr. match. Nothing interesting here.
- Sheamus is the best ass kicker in the company. I don't know why they just won't turn him already.
Yesiamaduck
Pre-Show Stalwart
Smackdown REEEEEVIEW
Opening segment: Christian/Mark Henry/Sheamus/Randy Orton
Christian comes out and cuts an incredibly average and predictable promo, going on about the peeps.... I really don't care. Then out comes Sheamus, I suddenly care, Sheamus and cuts an okay promo. Out comes Mark Henry who cuts a decent promo, Sheamus and Henry work well together on the mic and help elevate the segment. They tease 3 matches before attacking Christian before Randy Orton comes out to SAVVVE THE DAYYYY. Teddy long announces tag team match, formulaic as shit as this happens every week on Smackdown to set up the main event but for what it was it was okay and didn't outstay it's welcome.
Singles Match: Daniel Bryan Vs Sin Cara
I still don't understand the lights, I think it's to help get Sin Cara over and for it's worth I do like it... I'm just a little confused. This match was pretty long for a tv Match at around 10minutes (shown). This was a good tv match, back and forth action. I was far more interested in what Bryan was doing in the ring as opposed to Cara though, Bryan looked incredibly aggressive in parts. Sin Cara sold well and even did some grapperling early on in the match which is nice, Sin Cara won with that flippy move off the top rope which Bryan took on the back which always looks more impressive and it doesn't just look like he's moonsaulted. Chavo Guerrero had cost Bryan the match, Sin Cara found out and is upset with Guerrero. Has to be noted that they mentioned manager a lot during this match which hints at their full time return along with Michael Hayes showing up with Tyson Kidd on Superstars. *** 1/2
Segment: Layla, Michael Cole & Kharma
Layla tells about her injured knee, don't know how legit it is. The promo wasn't that compelling but I appriciate it was just to set up Michael Cole burying the divas division, which he does. He enters the ring and bad talks Tennease, promotes the Over The Limit match and trashes the divas saying the shouldn't be a divas division.... cue Kharma. Kharma comes to the ring, Layla tries to run away but cole trips her, she gets hits with the implant buster and sells it well (laying on her back made the move seem much more devastating), Kharma then heads for Michael Cole who sells this AMAZINGLY, I don't like Cole but he did good hear, he made a b-line for the colemine where he avoided Kharma for now. Good segment on the whole but I don't care about King/Cole anymore
Singles Match: Wade Barrett W/The Corre Vs Kane
This was a decent match, the 2 work well together in the big man brawler type match. Both exchange blows with Kane playing the powerhouse role and Barrett playing the tough guy role, it's mainly a series of punches and kicks with the odd slam, Kanes uppercuts look really nice as usual.. best at throwing punches in the WWE at the moment. Kane gets the upperhand before The Corre attack Kane and give him beats before Barrett hits Kane with the wasteland. Zeke comes down to save Kane and gets the upperhand before The Corre regroup and lay out big Zeke again. 2 MID CARD FEUDS IN THIS WWE! I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY! Not only is Zeke getting his chance solo but The Corre once again look like a reputable force and for those 2 reasons alone I really like this whole feud ** 1/2
Kiss Cam Segment: The Great Khali, Ghinda Mahaul (sp)
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah KISS CAM blah blah blah then Mahaul comes out, yells something in ponjabi to Kahli then slaps him twice. Khali looks very mad but does nothing, Mahaul leaves the ring.... THREE Mid Card feuds! :O Meh didn't care for this segment but the ending was good and its carrying on the arch of the story that Mahaul is embarrassed by what Khali is doing. Is this going to lead to the monster Khali coming back? Time will only tell.
Singles Match: Cody Rhodes Vs Ted Dibiase
So is DiBiase face now? Or did Rhodes just make him face by default? Either way Ted gets a nice pop when his name is announced, Rhodes comes down critiquing the crowd and with the paper bags. When he tells the crowd to shut up I get goosepimples as he does it with such conviction. He comes down and says everyone deserves a paper bag.... even 'priceless friends' (referring to DiBiase) which I like as it makes reference to Legacy. The match was decent it was back n forth but of course Dibiase did the job allowing Rhodes to get the win. **
Randy Orton & Christian Vs Mark Henry & Sheamus
The main event tag team match was decent but noting special, I feel like Mark Henry really dragged this one down. The isn't too much of note other then Sheamus and Henry dominate early on, Orton gets the upper hand on Sheamus, the finish was kind of neat but it wasn't anything special, every time Henry entered the ring I got incredibly bored. ** 1/4
Over The Limit Matches Set Up:
Christian Vs Randy Orton - World Heavyweight Championship Match
Wade Barrett Vs Ezikiel Jackson - Intercontinental Championship Match
Overall:
This smackdown was structured very well, it seemed like it had a purpose and it achieved quite a lot. It established/built on 3 feuds: Ezikiel Jackson Vs The Corre, Chavo Guerrero Vs Sin Cara & Khali Vs Ghinda Mahaul which are all mid card feuds, which is a nice change of pace for the WWE at the moment. The matches where all decent and the segments where all strong. I didn't like the way the IC title is being treated literally as an after though (in the promo it really was... 'you should make it for the IC barrett Barrett: OH YEA) but yeah I couldn't really fault this show... apart from Booker T's commentary which was AWFUL! The guy has really fallen off since Extreme Rules.
7.5/10
Opening segment: Christian/Mark Henry/Sheamus/Randy Orton
Christian comes out and cuts an incredibly average and predictable promo, going on about the peeps.... I really don't care. Then out comes Sheamus, I suddenly care, Sheamus and cuts an okay promo. Out comes Mark Henry who cuts a decent promo, Sheamus and Henry work well together on the mic and help elevate the segment. They tease 3 matches before attacking Christian before Randy Orton comes out to SAVVVE THE DAYYYY. Teddy long announces tag team match, formulaic as shit as this happens every week on Smackdown to set up the main event but for what it was it was okay and didn't outstay it's welcome.
Singles Match: Daniel Bryan Vs Sin Cara
I still don't understand the lights, I think it's to help get Sin Cara over and for it's worth I do like it... I'm just a little confused. This match was pretty long for a tv Match at around 10minutes (shown). This was a good tv match, back and forth action. I was far more interested in what Bryan was doing in the ring as opposed to Cara though, Bryan looked incredibly aggressive in parts. Sin Cara sold well and even did some grapperling early on in the match which is nice, Sin Cara won with that flippy move off the top rope which Bryan took on the back which always looks more impressive and it doesn't just look like he's moonsaulted. Chavo Guerrero had cost Bryan the match, Sin Cara found out and is upset with Guerrero. Has to be noted that they mentioned manager a lot during this match which hints at their full time return along with Michael Hayes showing up with Tyson Kidd on Superstars. *** 1/2
Segment: Layla, Michael Cole & Kharma
Layla tells about her injured knee, don't know how legit it is. The promo wasn't that compelling but I appriciate it was just to set up Michael Cole burying the divas division, which he does. He enters the ring and bad talks Tennease, promotes the Over The Limit match and trashes the divas saying the shouldn't be a divas division.... cue Kharma. Kharma comes to the ring, Layla tries to run away but cole trips her, she gets hits with the implant buster and sells it well (laying on her back made the move seem much more devastating), Kharma then heads for Michael Cole who sells this AMAZINGLY, I don't like Cole but he did good hear, he made a b-line for the colemine where he avoided Kharma for now. Good segment on the whole but I don't care about King/Cole anymore
Singles Match: Wade Barrett W/The Corre Vs Kane
This was a decent match, the 2 work well together in the big man brawler type match. Both exchange blows with Kane playing the powerhouse role and Barrett playing the tough guy role, it's mainly a series of punches and kicks with the odd slam, Kanes uppercuts look really nice as usual.. best at throwing punches in the WWE at the moment. Kane gets the upperhand before The Corre attack Kane and give him beats before Barrett hits Kane with the wasteland. Zeke comes down to save Kane and gets the upperhand before The Corre regroup and lay out big Zeke again. 2 MID CARD FEUDS IN THIS WWE! I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY! Not only is Zeke getting his chance solo but The Corre once again look like a reputable force and for those 2 reasons alone I really like this whole feud ** 1/2
Kiss Cam Segment: The Great Khali, Ghinda Mahaul (sp)
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah KISS CAM blah blah blah then Mahaul comes out, yells something in ponjabi to Kahli then slaps him twice. Khali looks very mad but does nothing, Mahaul leaves the ring.... THREE Mid Card feuds! :O Meh didn't care for this segment but the ending was good and its carrying on the arch of the story that Mahaul is embarrassed by what Khali is doing. Is this going to lead to the monster Khali coming back? Time will only tell.
Singles Match: Cody Rhodes Vs Ted Dibiase
So is DiBiase face now? Or did Rhodes just make him face by default? Either way Ted gets a nice pop when his name is announced, Rhodes comes down critiquing the crowd and with the paper bags. When he tells the crowd to shut up I get goosepimples as he does it with such conviction. He comes down and says everyone deserves a paper bag.... even 'priceless friends' (referring to DiBiase) which I like as it makes reference to Legacy. The match was decent it was back n forth but of course Dibiase did the job allowing Rhodes to get the win. **
Randy Orton & Christian Vs Mark Henry & Sheamus
The main event tag team match was decent but noting special, I feel like Mark Henry really dragged this one down. The isn't too much of note other then Sheamus and Henry dominate early on, Orton gets the upper hand on Sheamus, the finish was kind of neat but it wasn't anything special, every time Henry entered the ring I got incredibly bored. ** 1/4
Over The Limit Matches Set Up:
Christian Vs Randy Orton - World Heavyweight Championship Match
Wade Barrett Vs Ezikiel Jackson - Intercontinental Championship Match
Overall:
This smackdown was structured very well, it seemed like it had a purpose and it achieved quite a lot. It established/built on 3 feuds: Ezikiel Jackson Vs The Corre, Chavo Guerrero Vs Sin Cara & Khali Vs Ghinda Mahaul which are all mid card feuds, which is a nice change of pace for the WWE at the moment. The matches where all decent and the segments where all strong. I didn't like the way the IC title is being treated literally as an after though (in the promo it really was... 'you should make it for the IC barrett Barrett: OH YEA) but yeah I couldn't really fault this show... apart from Booker T's commentary which was AWFUL! The guy has really fallen off since Extreme Rules.
7.5/10
I really enjoyed the show.
The segment to start the show was pretty good. It was just right in length and set-up the main event. That's all you want from an opening promo.
Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan was awesome. If it had gone on for a bit longer it would be a TV match of the year candidate. Chavo's involvement hopefully means that we see a re-match next week.
Layla seemed to be struggling in her segment. But Michael Cole's intervention gave her a bit of a rub. It nicely advances the Lawler-Cole feud and builds Kharma some more. I don't think that you could ask for anything else.
Kane vs Wade Barrett was the only dud match of the night. I don't really like to very big guys in a match. It was just a bit boring, slow and repetitive. We've seen Kane vs. The Corre far too many times. Just end it already.
I despair with the Great Khali. So dull. Hopefully the addition of the very talented Jinder Mahal can help. I see a heel turn by Khali, to be honest. The way he took the slaps, I was expecting him to turn around and smack his brother. Wait, he is his brother, right?
Ted DiBiase impressed me in his match with Cody Rhodes. He may be dull but the guy can work. I would have liked them to go on longer than three minutes but it was still a good match. He also looked to be the face next to Cody which could be an interesting direction for him to go in. Oh, and Cody Rhodes was awesome. As usual.
The main event tag team match was OK. Just OK. It had two people I don't care about. One that I think is alright. And one that I'm a big fan of. I'll give you a hint as to who they are - Sheamus and Mark Henry do not interest me. Christian does somewhat. I'm a big fan of Randy Orton. Hint got? Good. It was a pretty average match and it set up the Over The Limit match in a pretty average way.
Overall, it was a very good show. I'll go with a 7.5 out of 10. Check out the Sin Cara/Daniel Bryan match if you haven't. It's well worth a watch.
The segment to start the show was pretty good. It was just right in length and set-up the main event. That's all you want from an opening promo.
Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan was awesome. If it had gone on for a bit longer it would be a TV match of the year candidate. Chavo's involvement hopefully means that we see a re-match next week.
Layla seemed to be struggling in her segment. But Michael Cole's intervention gave her a bit of a rub. It nicely advances the Lawler-Cole feud and builds Kharma some more. I don't think that you could ask for anything else.
Kane vs Wade Barrett was the only dud match of the night. I don't really like to very big guys in a match. It was just a bit boring, slow and repetitive. We've seen Kane vs. The Corre far too many times. Just end it already.
I despair with the Great Khali. So dull. Hopefully the addition of the very talented Jinder Mahal can help. I see a heel turn by Khali, to be honest. The way he took the slaps, I was expecting him to turn around and smack his brother. Wait, he is his brother, right?
Ted DiBiase impressed me in his match with Cody Rhodes. He may be dull but the guy can work. I would have liked them to go on longer than three minutes but it was still a good match. He also looked to be the face next to Cody which could be an interesting direction for him to go in. Oh, and Cody Rhodes was awesome. As usual.
The main event tag team match was OK. Just OK. It had two people I don't care about. One that I think is alright. And one that I'm a big fan of. I'll give you a hint as to who they are - Sheamus and Mark Henry do not interest me. Christian does somewhat. I'm a big fan of Randy Orton. Hint got? Good. It was a pretty average match and it set up the Over The Limit match in a pretty average way.
Overall, it was a very good show. I'll go with a 7.5 out of 10. Check out the Sin Cara/Daniel Bryan match if you haven't. It's well worth a watch.
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
WWE Friday Night SmackDown! - May 13, 2011
Opening Segment - I thought the opener last night was fairly decent though it was one of the weaker openers I've seen in a while. It did set things in motion as far as the next step in the Christian/WHC situation goes. Christian being the "gracious loser" gives me the feeling that we're going to see a hot heel turn from him in the near future. Sheamus comes out and does some classic heel stuff by basically saying that Christian's dream being shattered gave him pleasure. Mark Henry comes out sort of does the same thing. Henry was decent and contributed here, he's not setting the world on fire but Henry does seem to be more interesting than he's ever been lately. He seems to be doing the cocky, swaggering monster heel bit pretty well. Both guys beat on Christian & Orton makes the save. As I said, decent opening but it felt kinda weak like something was missing. It set up the night's main event and everyone at least contributed to the segment. Thumbs In The Middle
Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan - I thought these two put on a damn good match. Bryan seemed to be more aggressive here than in anything I've seen in WWE. The kicks he delivered were nice and stiff and the crowd was eating it up. I thought it was also a great mesh of styles with Sin Cara doing his flashy Lucha Libre offense against Bryan's overall fun offense of submission wrestling coupled with stiff martial arts kicks and just enough high spots. Chavo Guerrero was a bit over the top on commentary but hitching his wagon to Sin Cara could eventually lead into something down the line. The only problem is I'm having trouble getting over the business with Hornswoggle and the fact that Chavo has been a jobber for sooooo long. Both Bryan & Cara looked strong with some great back and forth stuff, it was almost a shame that somebody had to lose. Chavo interferes in the match when Bryan seems to have the upper hand by pulling him off the ropes, before being kicked away, and giving Cara enough time to recover. Cara stuns Bryan with a kick and then hits that moonsault slam of his for the win about the 12 minute mark. Chavo jumps in to celebrate with Cara but Cara pushes him down after they keep replaying the part where Chavo interferes to help Sin Cara get the win. Even though Bryan has lost both of his SD! matches so far, he's been made to look quite strong both times and both matches have been great. Just a very entertaining match. I think these two would really let it all hang out if they had a ppv match. (Hint hint Vince, hint hint) ***1/2
Layla, Michael Cole & Kharma - Layla's in the ring talking about her knee for some reason, though she looks damn good in those Daisy Dukes and that skin tight t-shirt. Nobody really cares because I think everyone knew that Kharma would be out. Michael Cole comes in and does his thing where he insults the Divas in general before hyping his match with Jerry Lawler at Over The Limit. Kharma's music hits and she gets a great reaction. As she's about to enter the ring, Layla tries to make a run for it only for Cole to reach out and trip her, which I thought was kinda funny. Kharma picks Layla up and hits the Implant Buster, which I've always thought was an awesome looking finisher. Cole is laughing at the whole thing before Kharma turns on him. Cole scrambles out of the ring and locks himself in his little Fortress of Solitude box. Great facial expressions from Cole as he sold his fear of Kharma. One thing I noticed is that, throughout the night, Cole never said a single negative thing about Kharma. It was a great, subtle way to to put Kharma over as someone he fears more than anyone. He's been picked on by John Cena, The Rock and has always sorta talked shit about them afterward but he didn't with Kharma. Thumbs Up
Kane vs. Wade Barrett - Surprisingly, this was a pretty decent match in my opinion. I thought we'd be treated to about 90 seconds of Kane beating up on Barrett before Slater & Gabriel jumped in to help him. I'm glad that the two actually worked a surprisingly good 9 minute match before any of that happened. It was fun seeing Kane & Barrett work a match that was more than just the high impact stuff. Early on in the match, Kane hit a nice succession of old school wrestling offense, which is something both also used at various points during the match. Kane hit most of his signature spots in the match and Barrett putting Kane up in the Bossman side slam looked impressive. Slater & Gabriel did interfere when Kane had his hand around Barrett's throat but I never really got the sense that Barrett was in any danger. Both of them beat down on Kane for a while with Barrett eventually hitting Wasteland. Ezekiel Jackson's music hits after they beat on Kane's ass and Big Zeke got himself a pretty good face pop. He comes in and holds his own against The Coore for a little bit before the numbers eventually get him. Slater hits his reverse DDT finisher before Gabriel hits the 450 splash. The Corre actually looked collectively strong tonight and I enjoyed the match. **1/2
Khali Kiss Cam - I almost turned the channel here. I don't read spoilers so I had no clue what was happening. I don't know why but something kept me from changing it. Maybe it was the fact that we hadn't seen this in so long that I was morbidly curious. I didn't care for all the stuff but it was harmless fun for the most part. That Indian guy that's been shown a few times backstage, I can't think of his name right off, comes out. He's a pretty big guy himself and he says something to Khali that I couldn't understant. He slaps Khali and continues his verbal assault, I'm guessing that this is leading up to where this guy thinks Khali is making himself look foolish, which he kinda is, and that he has no pride in himself. They'll either have a feud or form a tag team at some point, in my opinion, ultimately resulting in Khali going heel. I've never particularly cared about Khali but I am a bit curious to see where this goes. The ending made it passable. Thumbs In The Middle
Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase - Rhodes delivers a promo before the match and, in my opinion, continues to carry himself like someone who's going to be a top heel on SD! before too long. The match was short, about 3.5 minutes but I thought it was alright for what it was. DiBiase is a guy that's just there, doesn't really fit in as a heel or face at the moment and is mostly fodder. Rhodes eventually hits Cross Rhodes for the win. I wouldn't call this a squash match as DiBiase did get in a decent amount of offense. Good little filler/showcase match for Rhodes until they find something for him. **
Randy Orton & Christian vs. Sheamus & Mark Henry - Fun main event here in which everybody gets a chance to shine. I love Sheamus' intense style & offense. Some of his moves just look stiff as shit, which some probably are. Mark Henry looked like a formidable force in the match, though I wish they'd cut out some of the cliche` big man screw ups such as Henry missing a splash in which he has virtually no elevation. Both Christian & Orton were smooth and crisp in the ring and the commentators did a good job of selling the viewers on the tension between the two. Part of me was waiting to see if Christian backstabbed Orton but I'm glad it didn't happen here. Let this continue to build up and either pull the trigger at OTL or maybe even after. Christian & Orton get the win at the 15 minute mark when Christian hits the Killswitch on Sheamus. Simultaneously, Orton hits the RKO on Henry and it just looked really smooth as both guys hit their impact finishers almost the same time. ***
Overall Show - Overall, I thought SmackDown! was another entertaining 2 hours. The opening was decent, though far from stellar. Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan was an awesome match in which both of them looked strong and looked as though it could have gone either way. Kharma delivers another fun segment of decimating one of the Divas and scaring the shit outta Michael Cole. Kane vs. Wade Barrett was a very solid tv match that was considerably better than I thought it was going to be. Cody Rhodes had a solid night and I'm enjoying his character right now. The main event was fun, energetic and told a good story while making all the participants look good.
Grade: B+
Opening Segment - I thought the opener last night was fairly decent though it was one of the weaker openers I've seen in a while. It did set things in motion as far as the next step in the Christian/WHC situation goes. Christian being the "gracious loser" gives me the feeling that we're going to see a hot heel turn from him in the near future. Sheamus comes out and does some classic heel stuff by basically saying that Christian's dream being shattered gave him pleasure. Mark Henry comes out sort of does the same thing. Henry was decent and contributed here, he's not setting the world on fire but Henry does seem to be more interesting than he's ever been lately. He seems to be doing the cocky, swaggering monster heel bit pretty well. Both guys beat on Christian & Orton makes the save. As I said, decent opening but it felt kinda weak like something was missing. It set up the night's main event and everyone at least contributed to the segment. Thumbs In The Middle
Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan - I thought these two put on a damn good match. Bryan seemed to be more aggressive here than in anything I've seen in WWE. The kicks he delivered were nice and stiff and the crowd was eating it up. I thought it was also a great mesh of styles with Sin Cara doing his flashy Lucha Libre offense against Bryan's overall fun offense of submission wrestling coupled with stiff martial arts kicks and just enough high spots. Chavo Guerrero was a bit over the top on commentary but hitching his wagon to Sin Cara could eventually lead into something down the line. The only problem is I'm having trouble getting over the business with Hornswoggle and the fact that Chavo has been a jobber for sooooo long. Both Bryan & Cara looked strong with some great back and forth stuff, it was almost a shame that somebody had to lose. Chavo interferes in the match when Bryan seems to have the upper hand by pulling him off the ropes, before being kicked away, and giving Cara enough time to recover. Cara stuns Bryan with a kick and then hits that moonsault slam of his for the win about the 12 minute mark. Chavo jumps in to celebrate with Cara but Cara pushes him down after they keep replaying the part where Chavo interferes to help Sin Cara get the win. Even though Bryan has lost both of his SD! matches so far, he's been made to look quite strong both times and both matches have been great. Just a very entertaining match. I think these two would really let it all hang out if they had a ppv match. (Hint hint Vince, hint hint) ***1/2
Layla, Michael Cole & Kharma - Layla's in the ring talking about her knee for some reason, though she looks damn good in those Daisy Dukes and that skin tight t-shirt. Nobody really cares because I think everyone knew that Kharma would be out. Michael Cole comes in and does his thing where he insults the Divas in general before hyping his match with Jerry Lawler at Over The Limit. Kharma's music hits and she gets a great reaction. As she's about to enter the ring, Layla tries to make a run for it only for Cole to reach out and trip her, which I thought was kinda funny. Kharma picks Layla up and hits the Implant Buster, which I've always thought was an awesome looking finisher. Cole is laughing at the whole thing before Kharma turns on him. Cole scrambles out of the ring and locks himself in his little Fortress of Solitude box. Great facial expressions from Cole as he sold his fear of Kharma. One thing I noticed is that, throughout the night, Cole never said a single negative thing about Kharma. It was a great, subtle way to to put Kharma over as someone he fears more than anyone. He's been picked on by John Cena, The Rock and has always sorta talked shit about them afterward but he didn't with Kharma. Thumbs Up
Kane vs. Wade Barrett - Surprisingly, this was a pretty decent match in my opinion. I thought we'd be treated to about 90 seconds of Kane beating up on Barrett before Slater & Gabriel jumped in to help him. I'm glad that the two actually worked a surprisingly good 9 minute match before any of that happened. It was fun seeing Kane & Barrett work a match that was more than just the high impact stuff. Early on in the match, Kane hit a nice succession of old school wrestling offense, which is something both also used at various points during the match. Kane hit most of his signature spots in the match and Barrett putting Kane up in the Bossman side slam looked impressive. Slater & Gabriel did interfere when Kane had his hand around Barrett's throat but I never really got the sense that Barrett was in any danger. Both of them beat down on Kane for a while with Barrett eventually hitting Wasteland. Ezekiel Jackson's music hits after they beat on Kane's ass and Big Zeke got himself a pretty good face pop. He comes in and holds his own against The Coore for a little bit before the numbers eventually get him. Slater hits his reverse DDT finisher before Gabriel hits the 450 splash. The Corre actually looked collectively strong tonight and I enjoyed the match. **1/2
Khali Kiss Cam - I almost turned the channel here. I don't read spoilers so I had no clue what was happening. I don't know why but something kept me from changing it. Maybe it was the fact that we hadn't seen this in so long that I was morbidly curious. I didn't care for all the stuff but it was harmless fun for the most part. That Indian guy that's been shown a few times backstage, I can't think of his name right off, comes out. He's a pretty big guy himself and he says something to Khali that I couldn't understant. He slaps Khali and continues his verbal assault, I'm guessing that this is leading up to where this guy thinks Khali is making himself look foolish, which he kinda is, and that he has no pride in himself. They'll either have a feud or form a tag team at some point, in my opinion, ultimately resulting in Khali going heel. I've never particularly cared about Khali but I am a bit curious to see where this goes. The ending made it passable. Thumbs In The Middle
Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase - Rhodes delivers a promo before the match and, in my opinion, continues to carry himself like someone who's going to be a top heel on SD! before too long. The match was short, about 3.5 minutes but I thought it was alright for what it was. DiBiase is a guy that's just there, doesn't really fit in as a heel or face at the moment and is mostly fodder. Rhodes eventually hits Cross Rhodes for the win. I wouldn't call this a squash match as DiBiase did get in a decent amount of offense. Good little filler/showcase match for Rhodes until they find something for him. **
Randy Orton & Christian vs. Sheamus & Mark Henry - Fun main event here in which everybody gets a chance to shine. I love Sheamus' intense style & offense. Some of his moves just look stiff as shit, which some probably are. Mark Henry looked like a formidable force in the match, though I wish they'd cut out some of the cliche` big man screw ups such as Henry missing a splash in which he has virtually no elevation. Both Christian & Orton were smooth and crisp in the ring and the commentators did a good job of selling the viewers on the tension between the two. Part of me was waiting to see if Christian backstabbed Orton but I'm glad it didn't happen here. Let this continue to build up and either pull the trigger at OTL or maybe even after. Christian & Orton get the win at the 15 minute mark when Christian hits the Killswitch on Sheamus. Simultaneously, Orton hits the RKO on Henry and it just looked really smooth as both guys hit their impact finishers almost the same time. ***
Overall Show - Overall, I thought SmackDown! was another entertaining 2 hours. The opening was decent, though far from stellar. Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan was an awesome match in which both of them looked strong and looked as though it could have gone either way. Kharma delivers another fun segment of decimating one of the Divas and scaring the shit outta Michael Cole. Kane vs. Wade Barrett was a very solid tv match that was considerably better than I thought it was going to be. Cody Rhodes had a solid night and I'm enjoying his character right now. The main event was fun, energetic and told a good story while making all the participants look good.
Grade: B+
MrHashasheen
Enjoying Wrestling
May 13, 2011
Opening - Really decent promo to start. The crowd didn't exactly jump on his every word, but it was a good promo from Christian, being all gracious and respecting (totally expecting heel turn now). Sheamus and Henry come out, and after some postering, attack Christian to bring out Orton to turn the tides. Long then makes a tag-team main event as Orton explains why he rescued Orton. B-/C+ for the promo segments between everyone and for the fight segments respectively.
Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan - Really good match. Chavo's part in this feud with Sin Cara is interesting, but he needs to stop repeating the same points and instead get into more detail about the moves to make it seem more legitimate. B for the entire match.
Layla, Michael Cole & Kharma - Meh. Layla looks great, Cole is a funny douche, and Kharma's an intimidating behemoth. And damn, Lawler still gets a pop in his home-stateC+.
Kane vs. Wade Barrett - A decent match. C+ for the match, plus a C- for the interference to make it a combined C.
Khali Kiss Cam - Khali tries to be funny, Mahal tells him to stop being a ****** and man up, and I'm just waiting for them to turn Khali heel and team him with Mahal. F+
Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase - An all right match, the promo beforehand was much better. C- for what is obviously a filler match with no story behind it, but a B- for the promo.
Randy Orton & Christian vs. Sheamus & Mark Henry - A nice TV main event. Sheamus continues to make a fan out of me as Christian and Orton elevate the match to another level as Mark Henry gets himself booked as formidable. No backstabbing from Christian, but it'll probably happen at OTL or after. C+/B- for the match as it ends with Christian and Orton hitting their finishers.
Overall - I'd give it a grade of a B. Little to no nonsense, Cole was highly grating at times but made up for it by his promo in the ring/tripping up Layla. Commentary was as confusing as always, which probably bumped it down just a tad.
Opening - Really decent promo to start. The crowd didn't exactly jump on his every word, but it was a good promo from Christian, being all gracious and respecting (totally expecting heel turn now). Sheamus and Henry come out, and after some postering, attack Christian to bring out Orton to turn the tides. Long then makes a tag-team main event as Orton explains why he rescued Orton. B-/C+ for the promo segments between everyone and for the fight segments respectively.
Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan - Really good match. Chavo's part in this feud with Sin Cara is interesting, but he needs to stop repeating the same points and instead get into more detail about the moves to make it seem more legitimate. B for the entire match.
Layla, Michael Cole & Kharma - Meh. Layla looks great, Cole is a funny douche, and Kharma's an intimidating behemoth. And damn, Lawler still gets a pop in his home-stateC+.
Kane vs. Wade Barrett - A decent match. C+ for the match, plus a C- for the interference to make it a combined C.
Khali Kiss Cam - Khali tries to be funny, Mahal tells him to stop being a ****** and man up, and I'm just waiting for them to turn Khali heel and team him with Mahal. F+
Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase - An all right match, the promo beforehand was much better. C- for what is obviously a filler match with no story behind it, but a B- for the promo.
Randy Orton & Christian vs. Sheamus & Mark Henry - A nice TV main event. Sheamus continues to make a fan out of me as Christian and Orton elevate the match to another level as Mark Henry gets himself booked as formidable. No backstabbing from Christian, but it'll probably happen at OTL or after. C+/B- for the match as it ends with Christian and Orton hitting their finishers.
Overall - I'd give it a grade of a B. Little to no nonsense, Cole was highly grating at times but made up for it by his promo in the ring/tripping up Layla. Commentary was as confusing as always, which probably bumped it down just a tad.
WWEIsLife2
Championship Contender
Plenty of WRESTLING tonight on RAW and Hot crowd in San Antonio. Cena/Swagger was good,those two have good chemistry as usual. Also liked the CM Punk/Kofi Match and Kane/Show vs Nexus too. The Cole/King stuff was good I thought and Cole has to lose now on Sunday. Rey/ADR had another good one and looking forward to Rey/Truth at OTL.
Wade's Public Transit Bomb
Championship Contender
I thought the opening segment was uninspiring. Several months after Miz's title win and they are STILL trying to make him look like a big deal. We get it. No one thought he would succeed; No one thinks he should be there. Like I said in the PPV forum thread, try to force someone to change their opinion never works.
Punk vs Kofi was eh. I was really turned off with the commentators talking about Punk as some religious figure.. In serious manner. I don't think that kind of stuff should be on a pro wrestling tv considering the touchy nature of it.
I thought Brie made Kelly look good. I was more entertained by the Bellas stomping on Kelly than I was Kharma squashing Nikki. It would be one thing if it was just on one brand, but to have her do the same thing over and over and over on both brands is getting really boring.
I was more turned off by Rey and Del Rio's segment than I was the Punk thing. Sorry, but if some non-American viewers can get pissy over the America-Fest a couple of weeks back, then I think Americans can get pissy over pandering to an international market.
I was embarrassed watching Truth because I have at least 10 family members like him. Oy. But if you would've told me that he would be the most entertaining guy on the show a few months ago I would told you were as high as a kite on a windy day. I love crazy, black man Truth. haha
I was seriously thinking of ordering the PPV, but the Cole/Lawler segment made my decision for me. They totally killed Swaggie in that segment.
Otunga and Lil Hennig had a match. When was the last time that happened? haha
I think picking Swaggie for the main event slot was a bad idea. They totally killed any interest the crowd MIGHT have with who the mystery guy would be with how bad they killed Swaggie. I was actually thinking it would be Drew just because he was the only guy not shown tonight.. This is why I don't do prediction games. haha
Punk vs Kofi was eh. I was really turned off with the commentators talking about Punk as some religious figure.. In serious manner. I don't think that kind of stuff should be on a pro wrestling tv considering the touchy nature of it.
I thought Brie made Kelly look good. I was more entertained by the Bellas stomping on Kelly than I was Kharma squashing Nikki. It would be one thing if it was just on one brand, but to have her do the same thing over and over and over on both brands is getting really boring.
I was more turned off by Rey and Del Rio's segment than I was the Punk thing. Sorry, but if some non-American viewers can get pissy over the America-Fest a couple of weeks back, then I think Americans can get pissy over pandering to an international market.
I was embarrassed watching Truth because I have at least 10 family members like him. Oy. But if you would've told me that he would be the most entertaining guy on the show a few months ago I would told you were as high as a kite on a windy day. I love crazy, black man Truth. haha
I was seriously thinking of ordering the PPV, but the Cole/Lawler segment made my decision for me. They totally killed Swaggie in that segment.
Otunga and Lil Hennig had a match. When was the last time that happened? haha
I think picking Swaggie for the main event slot was a bad idea. They totally killed any interest the crowd MIGHT have with who the mystery guy would be with how bad they killed Swaggie. I was actually thinking it would be Drew just because he was the only guy not shown tonight.. This is why I don't do prediction games. haha
The title explains itself, out of a 10, how would you rate this weeks raw. Think about it carefully and consider storylines, matches and promos, my opinion I'd give it a 4, nothing great about it, some good matches from kofi, punk, new nexus, Kane and show, but cena cutting a promo at the beginning of the show made me wanna record wrestling rather watch it, then lawler and cole, kiss my feet match? Seriously? Who would pay to see another lawler vs Cole match let alone a kiss my feet match. And finally R-Truth, I get that there trying to make him a legit heel but he keeps attacking people week after week so my question is what are they doing with him? Is his character just a guy who's pissed of running around attacking people because he didn't get his way, cmon now.
itssoeasy123
Championship Contender
RAW was very good tonight I think.
The matches were good and the segment's were good.
Del Rio vs. Mysterio was great.
The matches were good and the segment's were good.
Del Rio vs. Mysterio was great.
tommy2shts
Dark Match Jobber
5/10 your right nothing big same old same for past 3 weeks
R-truth pissed off,cena,miz and a rod trying to
Push another cena and miz title match
Lawler and cole 20 mins last week 12 mins this
Week come on!!! They should of made the kane & show vs nexus
A title match let nexus win titles so at over the limit it would be nexus vs nexus
Split them up kofi vs cm punk was good see cm punk by himself works a didn't lyk the ses
And don't lyk the new nexus but in a way a want bigshow to lose his tag title so he can vs
Cena for wwe title
R-truth pissed off,cena,miz and a rod trying to
Push another cena and miz title match
Lawler and cole 20 mins last week 12 mins this
Week come on!!! They should of made the kane & show vs nexus
A title match let nexus win titles so at over the limit it would be nexus vs nexus
Split them up kofi vs cm punk was good see cm punk by himself works a didn't lyk the ses
And don't lyk the new nexus but in a way a want bigshow to lose his tag title so he can vs
Cena for wwe title
7/10.
Considering Cena limited in-ring ability, he actually gave us a better match than he usually did. He let Swagger in with the attack, and when the time comes to end the match, he turns it around and finish it with his trademark moves.
The Michael, Jerry Lawler segment is also neat and clean. Instead of the usual quarrels, tiffs, and fights, they lay out what they were going to do at Over the Limit. The Swagger part came a bit as a surprise. I actually like this segment, and how submissive Michael Cole became after that.
Although I've been a fan of R-Truth's heel turn, he did a terrible job this week. When he was stooping over Rey Mysterio, screaming at him, he seemed to be lost for words. That looked really awkward.
The matches were all good. The best one for me is the Rey vs. Alberto Del Rio match.
On the whole, it was good.
Considering Cena limited in-ring ability, he actually gave us a better match than he usually did. He let Swagger in with the attack, and when the time comes to end the match, he turns it around and finish it with his trademark moves.
The Michael, Jerry Lawler segment is also neat and clean. Instead of the usual quarrels, tiffs, and fights, they lay out what they were going to do at Over the Limit. The Swagger part came a bit as a surprise. I actually like this segment, and how submissive Michael Cole became after that.
Although I've been a fan of R-Truth's heel turn, he did a terrible job this week. When he was stooping over Rey Mysterio, screaming at him, he seemed to be lost for words. That looked really awkward.
The matches were all good. The best one for me is the Rey vs. Alberto Del Rio match.
On the whole, it was good.
MinistryofDeath89
CM Perfection
I would give it a 3/10 nothing great at all. The R-Truth promo was good but other then that it's just a boring crap PG rating's show. At least Tough Enough is entertaining thank god for that.
akrassikauda
#Evil Empire
6.5 RAW A little lackluster at times thank god family guy was on I had something to switch to. Rey and Del Rio had another good match. Didn't like the promo before it's like guys speak english only thing I understood was La Raza.
The opening promo was quick thank you. As soon as the Divas match began we knew what the ending was going to be because there was no Eve to take her 6th beating from Kharma in a week.
The Cole/Lawler segment was again ill. Like what the fuck is that shit on his foot. Cole said it was athletes foot again ill. The setup with Swagger was good the look on his face after Cole said he was his sidekick and nobody remembers his title reign (true) was priceless and once again Lawler only touched his tie. The redt of the night Lawler telling Cole to shut up each time he tried to talk was it's about time.
Hey another Zach Ryder sighting. The main event I truely thought Miz was going to pick Truth and Rey was going to get his before the PPV revenge but Swagger. We're getting ready for this guy to turn face and he faces Cena. A problem with Miz at the end of the match. Him and A Ry beat Cena with a led pipe I get Cena battling back he's built like a truck and that's his character. A Ry sells the Cena comeback attack but not Miz.
Middle of the road show
The opening promo was quick thank you. As soon as the Divas match began we knew what the ending was going to be because there was no Eve to take her 6th beating from Kharma in a week.
The Cole/Lawler segment was again ill. Like what the fuck is that shit on his foot. Cole said it was athletes foot again ill. The setup with Swagger was good the look on his face after Cole said he was his sidekick and nobody remembers his title reign (true) was priceless and once again Lawler only touched his tie. The redt of the night Lawler telling Cole to shut up each time he tried to talk was it's about time.
Hey another Zach Ryder sighting. The main event I truely thought Miz was going to pick Truth and Rey was going to get his before the PPV revenge but Swagger. We're getting ready for this guy to turn face and he faces Cena. A problem with Miz at the end of the match. Him and A Ry beat Cena with a led pipe I get Cena battling back he's built like a truck and that's his character. A Ry sells the Cena comeback attack but not Miz.
Middle of the road show
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
WWE Monday Night Raw - May 16, 2011
Opening Segment - I thought Raw opened solidly last night. Nothing overly dramatic or spectacular happened, but everyone played their part well. The segment was pretty short, painless and to the point. Riley was solid on the mic and I thought he did a good job of putting over how Miz is legitimately underestimated and/or not given enough credit. Cena was in serious mode last night and I like him that way much more than when he's trying to play this happy go lucky guy that cracks corny jokes. He did crack a couple but they were aimed towards questioning Miz's manhood. The Raw GM chimes in and gives Miz the ability to decide Cena's opponent for the night and the kind of match they'll have. I liked that he didn't decide right away and we had to wait the length of the show to find out. Thumbs Up
Kofi Kingston vs. CM Punk - Solid 4 minute match though it's certainly far below what these two are capable of pulling off. Good chemistry between them and the action picked up to a quicker pace the second half. Kofi hit most of his signature moves but I was a little surprised to see Punk get the clean win with the GTS. There'll no doubt be tons of speculation that Punk has resigned with the WWE, which beating the reigning US champ cleanly rather than jobbing to Santino on Superstars is a positive sign. Punk cuts a short promo last night in which he basically said that Punk is getting Nexus back on track. **
Kelly Kelly vs. Brie Bella - Pretty standard Divas match these days: 2 minutes & pretty decent while it lasted. Kelly Kelly is much better in the ring than she used to be and both Bellas have shown definite improvement as well. Kelly gets the win with a modified roll up for the win before Kharma's music hits. Kharma comes out to a good pop from the San Antonio crowd and makes her way to the ring. One of the Bellas decide to attack her as Kharma slowly makes her way towards Kelly, as she's standing in the corner doing another really good job of selling her fear. Kharma slams one of the Bellas, can't remember which, then hits her with the Implant Buster. She then walks over to Kelly, grabs her by the chin and helps her to stand up in the corner before she flicks her in the forehead like she was shown to do with the dolls in the vignettes. Once again, Kelly Kelly impressed me by looking genuinely afraid and, again, she didn't try to go over the top with it. The match was, as I said, ok for what it was but anything with the Divas is just a set up for Kharma these days, which is fine by me because seeing Kharma annihilate the Divas is entertaining. 1/2*
Rey Mysterio & Alberto Del Rio - I enjoyed this segment and I like that Del Rio & Rey made things slightly controversial. Initially, we thought R-Truth was gonna be out as Rey called him out. Rey said Truth is someone that has no place in the main event on any show and challenged him to come out. Del Rio referring to himself as a full blooded Mexican while, for all intents and purposes, calling Rey a half breed is just enough to make people a little uncomfortable without going over the line. The San Antonio crowd was hot for the segment especially and while I usually hate when wrestlers speak in Spanish during the promos, it didn't bother me much here because I was able to get the idea of what they were saying based upon what they'd already said and my awareness of the meaning of a few words here and there. Rey challenged Del Rio to a match afterward. Thumbs Up
Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio - Mysterio & Del Rio have always had good quality matches against each other and this one was no different. Both of them were more aggressive than usual here and the added intensity only made the previous promo segment seem a bit more meaningful. Del Rio spent much of the match working on Rey's left arm with Rey doing his ultimate underdog bit. There was some good back and forth going on with Rey hitting most of his signature moves. As with the promo, the crowd was really hot for the match. Late in the match, R-Truth is on the mic up in the stands screaming for people to call the police on Rey and that Rey is a thief for stealing his spot. The match resumed for a while after that until Rey looks as though he's going to hit the 619. Ricardo Rodriguez jumps up onto the apron and grabs Rey's legs before he can connect, ending the match around the 9.5 minute mark. Rey wins by DQ and manages to fight off Del Rio before R-Truth jumps him from behind. Truth screamed at Rey for stealing his spot while beating on him before hitting his finisher. He kneels down beside Rey afterward and asks Rey what he's doing and who does he think that he is ot challenge him. Truth tells Rey that he's "gonna get got" this Sunday before punching him a few more times. Great intensity here from Truth and I like this much better than him screaming about a conspiracy. Fun match and good stuff from Truth afterward. **3/4
Contract Signing - This segment was ok though, like everyone else, I'm hoping and praying that this feud between Lawler & Cole comes to an end this Sunday. Cole says he'll sign the contract but makes the match a Kiss My Foot match. I like that Cole showed the video of Bret Hart & Jerry Lawler in this match back in 1995 with Lawler having to kiss Bret's foot, having it shoved in his mouth, etc. Cole keeps on doing his thing and accidentally insults Swagger by saying nobody remembers him as a World Champion, that he's his "sidekick" and that Cole is the best thing to happen to his career. Cole realizes his mistake and tries to apologize before Swagger tells him good luck this Sunday. Cole tries to weasel out of it only for Lawler to pull in across the table by the tie before turning the table over on top of him. Lawler & Cole have both done really good jobs with this feud but it's time to end it. Let Cole get what he's got coming to him this Sunday and move on. Thumbs Up
Kane & Big Show vs. David Otunga & Michael McGuillicutty - Decent 5 minute match here and a little better than I was expecting. Otunga & McGuillicutty spent much of the match making quick tags and working on Big Show's leg. Kane gets the hot tag and starts doing his thing for a bit. Mason Ryan jumps in the ring momentarily and distracts the ref. He doesn't hit Kane, merely slides on out. With the ref's back turned, Punk hits Kane in the back of the head, allowing McGuillicutty to hit his neckbreaker finish for the win. *1/4
John Cena vs. Jack Swagger - The Miz comes out before Cena does and announces that the match will be No Holds Barred. As Cena is on his way to the ring, he's jumped from behind by Jack Swagger. Swagger beats him up around the ringside area for a few minutes before the match officially starts. Overall, a solid match though and it's kinda nice to see Swagger finally get put into a match with some relevance. Swagger looked pretty strong throughout and got in a lot of offense on Cena, including a couple of chairshots to the back and doing his springboard splash from the second rope onto Cena with a chair between them. Cena, as predicted, eventually made his comeback and locked Swagger into the STFU, forcing him to tap at the 11.5 minute mark. Pretty good tv main event, not nearly as good as last week, but a fun match all the same. **3/4
Closing Segment - After the match, Miz slowly makes his way down to the ring while applauding Cena in his heelish way. As he does, he tells Cena of all the ways that he could beat him this Sunday, such as talking about ramming him into the steel railing over and over or steel steps, etc. He tells Riley to look under the ring for "something useful". Riley hands Miz a steel pipe. Miz says that these sorts of things are obvious and that he's not going to use them this Sunday. Miz goes on to tell Cena that there are a million ways he can make him say I Quit at the ppv. Miz explains that he has no problem using the pipe on Cena tonight, however. Riley attacks Cena and allows Miz to hit Cena in the stomach and across the back with the pipe. Cena is eventually able to recover and fight Miz off. A fired up Cena then gets on the mic and screams that Miz better bring all one million of those ways plus a million more. He roars at Miz that Miz will be the one to say I Quit. Strong promo segment to close the show with. Thumbs Up
Overall Show - For me, the one word that describes the entire show last night would be solid. There wasn't anything spectacular or special going on, it didn't have the heat of some go home shows but everything that did happen was pretty entertaining. The opening segment worked to set the tone for the night. Kofi vs. Punk was solid, Kharma's destruction of the Divas is still entertaining, Mysterio & Del Rio pulled out a fun match, R-Truth was very good and intense on the mic, the tag match was ok for what it was, the contract signing went better than I expected & some energy was injected into this thing with the knowlede that it looks likely to come to an end this sunday, the main event was a fun match and the closing promo was a strong finish. I don't know how well Over The Limit will do as far as ppv buys goes, but I think the WWE managed to get me just interested enough to see what Miz might come up with at the match this Sunday. We're all expecting John Cena to win but what if he doesn't? I would have liked it better if they'd booked Miz against Cena in a No Holds Barred match with Miz getting a clean win over Cena, making him look even more formidable going into a similar type of match this Sunday. Still, a pretty enetertaing show overall.
Grade: B-
Opening Segment - I thought Raw opened solidly last night. Nothing overly dramatic or spectacular happened, but everyone played their part well. The segment was pretty short, painless and to the point. Riley was solid on the mic and I thought he did a good job of putting over how Miz is legitimately underestimated and/or not given enough credit. Cena was in serious mode last night and I like him that way much more than when he's trying to play this happy go lucky guy that cracks corny jokes. He did crack a couple but they were aimed towards questioning Miz's manhood. The Raw GM chimes in and gives Miz the ability to decide Cena's opponent for the night and the kind of match they'll have. I liked that he didn't decide right away and we had to wait the length of the show to find out. Thumbs Up
Kofi Kingston vs. CM Punk - Solid 4 minute match though it's certainly far below what these two are capable of pulling off. Good chemistry between them and the action picked up to a quicker pace the second half. Kofi hit most of his signature moves but I was a little surprised to see Punk get the clean win with the GTS. There'll no doubt be tons of speculation that Punk has resigned with the WWE, which beating the reigning US champ cleanly rather than jobbing to Santino on Superstars is a positive sign. Punk cuts a short promo last night in which he basically said that Punk is getting Nexus back on track. **
Kelly Kelly vs. Brie Bella - Pretty standard Divas match these days: 2 minutes & pretty decent while it lasted. Kelly Kelly is much better in the ring than she used to be and both Bellas have shown definite improvement as well. Kelly gets the win with a modified roll up for the win before Kharma's music hits. Kharma comes out to a good pop from the San Antonio crowd and makes her way to the ring. One of the Bellas decide to attack her as Kharma slowly makes her way towards Kelly, as she's standing in the corner doing another really good job of selling her fear. Kharma slams one of the Bellas, can't remember which, then hits her with the Implant Buster. She then walks over to Kelly, grabs her by the chin and helps her to stand up in the corner before she flicks her in the forehead like she was shown to do with the dolls in the vignettes. Once again, Kelly Kelly impressed me by looking genuinely afraid and, again, she didn't try to go over the top with it. The match was, as I said, ok for what it was but anything with the Divas is just a set up for Kharma these days, which is fine by me because seeing Kharma annihilate the Divas is entertaining. 1/2*
Rey Mysterio & Alberto Del Rio - I enjoyed this segment and I like that Del Rio & Rey made things slightly controversial. Initially, we thought R-Truth was gonna be out as Rey called him out. Rey said Truth is someone that has no place in the main event on any show and challenged him to come out. Del Rio referring to himself as a full blooded Mexican while, for all intents and purposes, calling Rey a half breed is just enough to make people a little uncomfortable without going over the line. The San Antonio crowd was hot for the segment especially and while I usually hate when wrestlers speak in Spanish during the promos, it didn't bother me much here because I was able to get the idea of what they were saying based upon what they'd already said and my awareness of the meaning of a few words here and there. Rey challenged Del Rio to a match afterward. Thumbs Up
Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio - Mysterio & Del Rio have always had good quality matches against each other and this one was no different. Both of them were more aggressive than usual here and the added intensity only made the previous promo segment seem a bit more meaningful. Del Rio spent much of the match working on Rey's left arm with Rey doing his ultimate underdog bit. There was some good back and forth going on with Rey hitting most of his signature moves. As with the promo, the crowd was really hot for the match. Late in the match, R-Truth is on the mic up in the stands screaming for people to call the police on Rey and that Rey is a thief for stealing his spot. The match resumed for a while after that until Rey looks as though he's going to hit the 619. Ricardo Rodriguez jumps up onto the apron and grabs Rey's legs before he can connect, ending the match around the 9.5 minute mark. Rey wins by DQ and manages to fight off Del Rio before R-Truth jumps him from behind. Truth screamed at Rey for stealing his spot while beating on him before hitting his finisher. He kneels down beside Rey afterward and asks Rey what he's doing and who does he think that he is ot challenge him. Truth tells Rey that he's "gonna get got" this Sunday before punching him a few more times. Great intensity here from Truth and I like this much better than him screaming about a conspiracy. Fun match and good stuff from Truth afterward. **3/4
Contract Signing - This segment was ok though, like everyone else, I'm hoping and praying that this feud between Lawler & Cole comes to an end this Sunday. Cole says he'll sign the contract but makes the match a Kiss My Foot match. I like that Cole showed the video of Bret Hart & Jerry Lawler in this match back in 1995 with Lawler having to kiss Bret's foot, having it shoved in his mouth, etc. Cole keeps on doing his thing and accidentally insults Swagger by saying nobody remembers him as a World Champion, that he's his "sidekick" and that Cole is the best thing to happen to his career. Cole realizes his mistake and tries to apologize before Swagger tells him good luck this Sunday. Cole tries to weasel out of it only for Lawler to pull in across the table by the tie before turning the table over on top of him. Lawler & Cole have both done really good jobs with this feud but it's time to end it. Let Cole get what he's got coming to him this Sunday and move on. Thumbs Up
Kane & Big Show vs. David Otunga & Michael McGuillicutty - Decent 5 minute match here and a little better than I was expecting. Otunga & McGuillicutty spent much of the match making quick tags and working on Big Show's leg. Kane gets the hot tag and starts doing his thing for a bit. Mason Ryan jumps in the ring momentarily and distracts the ref. He doesn't hit Kane, merely slides on out. With the ref's back turned, Punk hits Kane in the back of the head, allowing McGuillicutty to hit his neckbreaker finish for the win. *1/4
John Cena vs. Jack Swagger - The Miz comes out before Cena does and announces that the match will be No Holds Barred. As Cena is on his way to the ring, he's jumped from behind by Jack Swagger. Swagger beats him up around the ringside area for a few minutes before the match officially starts. Overall, a solid match though and it's kinda nice to see Swagger finally get put into a match with some relevance. Swagger looked pretty strong throughout and got in a lot of offense on Cena, including a couple of chairshots to the back and doing his springboard splash from the second rope onto Cena with a chair between them. Cena, as predicted, eventually made his comeback and locked Swagger into the STFU, forcing him to tap at the 11.5 minute mark. Pretty good tv main event, not nearly as good as last week, but a fun match all the same. **3/4
Closing Segment - After the match, Miz slowly makes his way down to the ring while applauding Cena in his heelish way. As he does, he tells Cena of all the ways that he could beat him this Sunday, such as talking about ramming him into the steel railing over and over or steel steps, etc. He tells Riley to look under the ring for "something useful". Riley hands Miz a steel pipe. Miz says that these sorts of things are obvious and that he's not going to use them this Sunday. Miz goes on to tell Cena that there are a million ways he can make him say I Quit at the ppv. Miz explains that he has no problem using the pipe on Cena tonight, however. Riley attacks Cena and allows Miz to hit Cena in the stomach and across the back with the pipe. Cena is eventually able to recover and fight Miz off. A fired up Cena then gets on the mic and screams that Miz better bring all one million of those ways plus a million more. He roars at Miz that Miz will be the one to say I Quit. Strong promo segment to close the show with. Thumbs Up
Overall Show - For me, the one word that describes the entire show last night would be solid. There wasn't anything spectacular or special going on, it didn't have the heat of some go home shows but everything that did happen was pretty entertaining. The opening segment worked to set the tone for the night. Kofi vs. Punk was solid, Kharma's destruction of the Divas is still entertaining, Mysterio & Del Rio pulled out a fun match, R-Truth was very good and intense on the mic, the tag match was ok for what it was, the contract signing went better than I expected & some energy was injected into this thing with the knowlede that it looks likely to come to an end this sunday, the main event was a fun match and the closing promo was a strong finish. I don't know how well Over The Limit will do as far as ppv buys goes, but I think the WWE managed to get me just interested enough to see what Miz might come up with at the match this Sunday. We're all expecting John Cena to win but what if he doesn't? I would have liked it better if they'd booked Miz against Cena in a No Holds Barred match with Miz getting a clean win over Cena, making him look even more formidable going into a similar type of match this Sunday. Still, a pretty enetertaing show overall.
Grade: B-
Yesiamaduck
Pre-Show Stalwart
I enjoyed tonight show, plenty of entertaining matches, ryder sighting and R-Truth is still being kept in good hands with this storyline, seriously entertaining stuff as far as he is concerned. The end of the cole/lawler feud appears apparent and cole is more reserved again (at last) & the Nexus finally got some decent momentum. the only thing that ruined this show for me was Cena's no selling at the end. I mean for ffs hold a rib or something you jacked up piece of shit. Though he did a good closing promo with actual passion for a change.
Overall: 7.5/10
Overall: 7.5/10
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