My WWE Raw, 29th April 2013 Recap

Reigns tears through Cena for the winning pinfall. Photo credit: WWE.com

Ricardo Rodriguez bested Zeb Colter and Big E Langston in a surprisingly enjoyable Triple Threat bout. Granted the action itself wasn't anything remarkable, but fortunately the amusing moments from Ricardo and distractions from Alberto Del Rio, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler helped keep the interest up. As a result of the win Ricardo was allowed to pick the stipulation for the World Heavyweight Title match at Extreme Rules. 

As a part of World Wish Day, Make a Wish regular John Cena granted three wishes and made three young boys WWE Superstars for the day. 

Randy Orton pinned Cody Rhodes in a decent effort by both men. Fortunately (and surprisingly) Rhodes was made to look quite competitive against Orton here, which made a nice change for the moustached one. Towards the end Cody applied the Cross Rhodes for an effective near fall, but Orton managed to get in a nice RKO as Rhodes came in for a Disaster Kick. 

Naomi won via disqualification versus Nikki Bella in a forgettable outing. As usual Nikki switched with her sister Brie who gained the winning pinfall towards the end. But this time Cameron informed the referee who then called for the DQ. Apparently no one's ever thought of doing that in the many, many times the Bellas have switched.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) came to the ring and spoke about all the wrestlers they'd taken out since Survivor Series last November. But as they were talking about their unfinished business with The Undertaker, 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) interrupted them, wanting some retribution. 

This didn't last long however as Shield soon beat down the band. Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) then chased off the trio and decided to let out their frustration on 3MB by taking them out.   

Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston in a stellar contest. Both men gave a high standard of display here, providing exciting action with Kofi especially giving one of finest performances in a long while. Afterwards Big E Langston then applied a Big Ending on the US Champion for the exclamation point. 

Jack Swagger beat Zack Ryder in a pedestrian match dominated by the 'All American American'. You could skip this one and not miss much to be honest, there was nothing exceptional to be found during it.

Mark Henry bested Tensai and Brodus Clay each in a tug of war contest. Sheamus then joined Henry and goaded him into a tug of war contest also, which he lost after letting go of the rope and Brogue Kicking the 'World's Strongest Man'.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Antonio Cesaro in a solid back and fourth affair. As usual Cesaro proved that he could hang with (and is this case surpass) the main eventers of the company, I still have faith that he'll get there given time. Afterwards Del Rio then announced that the Triple Threat World Title match at Extreme Rules will be a Ladder match. Well I'm happy with that, I always look forward to those. 

The Great Khali and Natalya won a drab dance contest against Fandango and Summer Rae. The fans booed both parties as host Jerry Lawler determined the winners, but to be fair I wouldn't call anyone a winner here. An upset Fandango then took down Khali and applied his signature flying leg drop.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) toppled Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) and John Cena in a largely exciting six-man tag main event. Each man delivered a worthy showing, bar Cena but he has an exaggerated leg injury so it's understandable. In a surprise ending Reigns speared a struggling Cena for the one-two-three, an extremely rare sight on Raw seeing Cena being pinned. Good result here that only enhances Shield.

Afterwards Ryback then turned up after appearing to leave the arena earlier in the show (he'd refused to take Cena's place with Hell No in the main event) and looked on at the WWE Champion. I'm not expecting much from their title clash but hopefully I'm proven wrong and they plan out a bout that works to their strengths. 

Overall it was a fair Raw this week, with Orton versus Rhodes, Kofi versus Ziggler, Cesaro versus Del Rio and the enjoyable main event being the highlights. Unfortunately there weren't any promos or segments that were particularly memorable at all, but the aforementioned matches were decent watches and made up for it. The lack of Lesnar, Heyman or Triple H was also a little bit of a letdown for me. 

My WWE SmackDown, 26th April 2013 Recap

Jack Swagger pinned Alberto Del Rio in a No Disqualification match. It was enjoyable for the most part, and definitely the best match in their series, with the weapons adding some much needed interest and excitement. Swagger also needed to redeem himself with a win here, which he gained after a Gutwrench Powerbomb onto a ladder.

Layla bested Aksana in a passable Divas outing. To be fair to her, Aksana did give a better display than normal, which isn't saying much I know.

Fandango toppled Justin Gabriel in a pretty forgettable affair. The wrestling was okay, nothing special. The London fans in attendance were at least still 'Fandangoing'.

Wade Barrett pinned William Regal in a disappointedly short and average match up. As a Regal fan (not just because I'm English) I was hoping for his televised bouts to last a little longer this week. Ah well.

Big Show beat Sheamus in a fair bout. Both men put in worthy efforts, but the match just failed to grab me like their great PPV ones last year. Show grabbed the win after Henry distracted the Irishman, allowing him to KO Sheamus with a trademark punch.

Mark Henry won via disqualification versus Randy Orton in a decent enough encounter after Sheamus gained some retribution by Brogue Kicking Henry. It was never anything remarkable but it wasn't bad.

The Undertaker defeated Dean Ambrose in a mostly stellar main event. Undertaker did seem a bit limited here but nonetheless both men delivered a good watch, with decent action throughout. 'Taker won via his Hells Gate (triangle choke) submission hold. Afterwards Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns then attacked the 'Dead Man' and put him through the announcer's table with the trio's signature triple powerbomb. Good decision here, leaving Shield to go out on a strong note.

Overall it was rather pedestrian SmackDown, containing matches that were decent enough but never must see. The only real highlight I'd recommend to people would be the main event, which was a good watch. And where was Ziggler? The World Champion was absent for the second week in a row on the blue brand, which is just baffling to me. 

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 25th April 2013 Recap

James Storm started things off by admitting that AJ Styles brought the fight to him in their bout last week, and then went on to call out Aces & 8s after they attacked him after the aforementioned match up. But instead Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels & Kazarian) joined 'The Cowboy' and  suggested that the answer to the Aces problem was teaming up to reform Fortune to counter the numbers.

After some heated words Bad Influence then double teamed on Storm and left him lying in the ring for Aces & 8s to finish off. This cued Joseph Parks to race out to his aid, but the numbers soon caught up to him and eventually Bully Ray and Devon went old school as they 3D'd Parks through a table. Bully then took to the mic and claimed that his gang had taken out every "hero" in the company. He also added that Father in law Hogan had until the end of the show to answer his call. 

Taryn Terrell pinned Tara in a fair outing that was hindered by it's duration. While the wrestling was largely stellar from Tara, I could only take so much of watching her dominate Taryn before it became dull. The bout would've benefited by being about half the length it was. 

Rob Terry beat Jesse in an unremarkable affair. Was you expecting anything else from these two? I at least found Jesse quite amusing with his segments with Tara, but he can't really pull it off solo.

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez (c) defeated Austin Aries and Bobby Roode to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles in a solid and enjoyable bout from the opening bell. All four men gave worthy displays here, as standard for both teams when they meet.

After Bad influence tried to convince Roode to join up to bring back Fortune prior to the match, Daniels attempted to help Roode but instead struck him by accident and inadvertently aided the champs in retaining the straps. Whoops.

Matt Morgan came to the ring and listed off all the mistakes Hogan had made involving Aces & 8s and then called out the man himself. So sure enough Hogan came out and faced Morgan, who stated that 'The Hulkster' had no heroes left to take down the gang and claimed that he should pick him to face Bully for the World Title at  Slammiversary.

But Hogan refused to give Morgan anything and said that he had to confront the World Champion on his own man to man, although he gave no reason as to why. It was an odd segment, that didn't really achieve anything at all and gave us no answers. 

Velvet Sky (c) bested Mickie James to retain the Knockouts Championship in a passable outing. Certainly not Jame's finest performance, but she worked well here with a limited Sky, who picked up a (story line) knee injury early on.

Mickie's characteristics were quite heelish I felt, as she had no hesitation in going for Sky's injury and smiled as she went for certain attacks, I almost thought she was going to turn after Sky picked up the one-two-three with a quick roll up pin, but she didn't.

Finally Bully and Hogan faced off the ring after the champ had listed off all the men him and his gang had taken out. Ray then told Hogan that he'd finally killed Hulkamania, to which Hogan retorted that it can never die. So in the ultimate sign of disrespect Bully spat in his Father in law's face, which caused Hulk to (slowly) attack the champ and send him packing. 

As various Aces members then surrounded the ring, Sting made his return after turning out the lights. Just as it looked as though the 'Stinger' was going to attack Hogan, he predictably teamed with him to take out and chase off Aces. It was cringe-worthy watching the two older men slowly and completely unconvincingly take the fight to the younger, bigger and stronger wrestlers. But of course Hogan must have his way. It was a poor end to an average show.

Overall it was a largely forgettable and unremarkable Impact, with only one stand out match worth checking out (that being the tag bout) and nothing to get me excited for future storylines. The return of Sting has happened so often that I just have no interest in it at all by this point, and as I've said before (with no disrespect) his retirement should've come a long while ago. A big step down from last week's effort, but at least we have Chris Sabin to look forward to next week.

My WWE Raw, 22nd April 2013 Recap

The Dead Man takes it to Reigns. Photo credit: WWE.com

Paul Heyman kicked things off by revealing that after his client Brock Lesnar challenged Triple H on last week's Raw to a Steel Cage match, he'd since received an email from 'The Game' that explained that he'd answer the challenge on next week's show.

Heyman went on to call the COO gutless for not being in attendance for the show in London, but Triple H proved him wrong and joined him in the ring. After accepting Brock's offer for Extreme Rules, Triple H then pedigreed his manager, much to the excitement of the goofy Lawler on commentary. 

R-Truth pinned Antonio Cesaro in a decent enough contest. While quite short they both made the most of their time and gave worthy efforts. I'm still worried by this slump Cesaro has taken as of late, loosing to the likes of Kofi and Truth is never a good sign. Why did his push suddenly suddenly come to a halt? He has the look and ability to make it in WWE.

Damien Sandow bested Brodus Clay in a pedestrian match up. It wasn't awful on any level, but there was just nothing particularly engaging about the action. The fans got so bored they began to entertain themselves with various chants during it, although they were pleased with the victor.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Chris Jericho in a largely stellar outing. While most of the wrestling was exciting and engaging, there were a few slightly sloppy moments here and there that let it down a bit, but I think that's probably just me being a bit picky. A good watch on the whole. The biggest reaction from the crowd (who did a few of the chants and Mexican waves that the New Jersey fans did a couple of weeks ago throughout) actually came when Fandango's music hit, which caused Y2J to become distracted and Zig Zagged by Ziggler for the one-two-three.

Tensai beat Cody Rhodes in a fair, if forgettable bout. To be honest I wasn't engaged by this tag feud to start with, and that hasn't changed.

In an amusing background segment Daniel Bryan tried to convince Kane to go over some plans for their match with 'Taker against Shield later on, which included diagrams and everything! So Kane explained that his brother would arrive when he arrived, and didn't take orders from anyone. The Shield then attacked the tag champs, although you never saw their faces. 

Big E Langston toppled Zack Ryder in a brief squash match. Ryder managed to get in a bit of offense, but it was for nought. Obviously someone in the back is keen on Langston, which isn't shocking considering his look and build. I just hope he can improve himself in the ring a bit, although I'm not holding my breath. 

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) bested The Undertaker, Kane and Daniel Bryan in a terrific six-man tag bout. From the opening bell it was a gripping contest containing a high standard of wrestling, with Rollins and Bryan being the top two performers for me. Here's hoping this isn't the last time we see these six lock horns. 

Fandango pinned William Regal in a short but fun outing while it lasted. Regal understandably (and deservedly) received a tremendous ovation in London, England (I love our fans here) and gave a decent showing. Unfortunately the bout was kept brief and Fandango gained the winning pin with a swinging reverse STO. Afterwards Jericho then gained some payback by throwing Fandango off of the stage and dancing with his dance partner (who's now Summer Rae from NXT).   

AJ Lee outdid Layla, Aksana, Tamina and Naomi in a Divas Battle Royal to become number one contender to the Divas Title. As tradition for these it was a forgettable match with mediocre wrestling, but it also showed off how awfully thin the roster of semi-capable female performers there are on the main roster, they seriously need to bring up more talent from developmental and NXT (such as Paige, who as a Diva that really stands out I could see becoming a big name).  

Mick Foley called out Ryback and asked him what had changed so that he'd walk away and refuse to help Cena last week. Ryback retorted by stating that he loved watching Shield attack Cena last week, and called Foley a "pathetic" excuse of a man who just keeps coming back to plug something and shouldn't be around anymore. As he then went face to face with the Hall of Famer, Cena ran out and confronted his Extreme Rules foe.

The Shield then made their way out so Cena left Ryback to it as retribution for last Monday, but soon returned with a steel chair and chased off the trio (who bested 'Taker, Bryan and Kane earlier, remember?) and also AA'd Ryback for good measure. The Foley and Ryback segment was nicely executed, with some good intensity towards the end, but after that it felt a bit too familiar and hardly advanced anything in this feud.

Overall it was a decent Raw this week, with the Foley Ryback segment, crowd enthusiasm, Regal appearance, Ziggler versus Jericho and the great six-man bout being the highlights. Other than that it ranged from fair to average, which I can forgive for the stronger parts. 

My WWE SmackDown, 19th April 2013 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

Fandango kicked things off by dancing/flirting with Lilian Garcia, but soon dropped her and claimed how bad her dance skills were. His opponent Santino Marella then joined him and and made a few lame jokes then danced to Fandango's theme. It wasn't a great opening to the show.

Fandango pinned Santino Marella in an average outing. Unlike his dancing Fandango showed little flair in the ring and both men gave rather pedestrian displays.

Kofi Kingston bested Wade Barrett in a largely pedestrian contest. There were a few decent moments but to be honest the match ups between these two tend to start to blur together for me, there's never anything remarkable or that exciting that seems to occur when they lock up. Plus the amount of times Kofi's had a push killed off has almost numbed me to him getting a win because I just don't see it leading to anything significant. 

Backstage Sheamus gained some payback on Mark Henry when he barged him through a railing during an interview. Just before that when quizzed as to why he'd been attacking Sheamus as of late, Henry replied with "Because it's what I do" well at least that's all cleared up then. What a nonsensical feud. 

Alberto Del Rio beat Jack Swagger in a decent enough encounter. As with each of their contests there is solid wrestling but just a lack of real interest there. Swagger's lost momentum fast since Elimination Chamber and Del Rio has a lack of any character, and it's hard to invest in a match when you have little interest in the participants themselves.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) appeared on the big screen and  claimed that Ryback looking on at them taking out Cena on this week's Raw was evidence that he realised they were delivering real justice. They also said that while The Undertaker has an unbeaten streak at WrestleMania, they have an unbeaten streak period and that his  time "is up" come next Monday when they face him and Team Hell No in a six-man tag bout. I'm very much looking forward to that one.

The Great Khali, Hornswaggle and Natalya bested Epico, Primo and Rosa Mendes in an average mixed tag match. The quality of the bout was hardly a surprise, I mean Epico and Primo could only do so much with the limited Khali and Hornswaggle. 

Big Show and Mark Henry toppled Randy Orton and Sheamus in a pretty unremarkable tag bout for the most part. There were fair periods but unfortunately they were overrun by pedestrian action and dull submission holds. Afterwards Show and Henry celebrated together and seemed pretty close-knit, could they be forming a new team? The tag division could use more relevant teams right now.

Overall it was a mediocre and forgettable show for the majority, with only the Shield promo and Del Rio versus Swagger encounter bordering above average, and even they weren't anything that special. Poor offering form the blue brand this week, and that's saying something. 

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 18th April 2013 Recap

Styles looking more serious then ever. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com 

Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff defeated Kurt Angle in a decent Handicap match. There were drab periods when Wes and Garett were in control, but once Kurt got going the action stepped up in quality and excitement. Kurt was pinned after Garett managed to crack him on the back with a chain handed to him by D'Lo Brown while the referee was distracted by Anderson at ringside.

Afterwards Wes and Garett double powerbombed Angle, with Anderson then speaking about how the company was deteriorating while Aces & 8s were on the rise, then wished AJ Styles luck for his match later on.  

Kenny King (c) bested Petey Williams and Zema Ion to retain the X Division Title in an entertaining Triple Threat contest. All three men looked stellar here, especially Williams who upped the overall standard of the bout with a great display.

Backstage Brooke Hogan spoke down to Mickie James and Brooke Tessmacher by claiming that she saw something "special" in them and  that was why she'd booked them in a number one contenders match for the Knockouts Championship. I mean, what has Brooke ever done in professional wrestling to give her the right to talk to female performers like that? How condescending, especially for someone of Mickie's talent and experience.

Before the Television Title match could begin, Aces & 8s members attacked Magnus, eventually double chokeslamming him onto the ramp. Devon was about to orchestrate more damage until Samoa Joe ran out to his ex-tag partner's aid.

Mickie James pinned Brooke Tessmacher in a good effort to earn a Knockouts Title shot in the near future. As usual James was on solid form, and Brooke also worked well here. My only slight gripe was the amount of disagreements each competitor had with the ref ODB, they're all faces so why would they need to add this to the bout?

Backstage Devon and Bully Ray attacked Joseph Parks with a chain after he once again brought up a rightful divorce between Brooke and Bully. In the end they left him in the shower with water pouring down on him, teasing him to cry. It was as if they were in school, not hardened gang members. 

Bad influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) came out and bragged about their new tees, being close to convincing AJ Styles to join the team and a fictional film based on them (amusingly claiming that Morgan Freeman was going to portray Dixie Carter) almost entering production.

As they were also announcing their claim to a tag team title shot Austin Aries and Bobby Roode then interrupted them and announced that they were next in line for a title shot. After some hilarious back and fourth mocking (it really is worth a watch) the actual tag champs Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez walked in and attacked Roode and Aries, sending both teams packing.

Devon (c) beat Samoa Joe to retain the TNA Television Title in a short and pretty unremarkable title clash. The wrestling was competent enough but it lacked any real excitement. Devon grabbed the winning pinfall after Anderson snuck in (Earl Hebner was distracted by Wes Brisco at ringside) and struck Joe with a chain.

AJ Styles defeated James Storm in a solid main event. Both performers gave worthy efforts and as standard for them provided a match worth checking out, with smooth back and fourth wrestling. Styles grabbed the submission win with a leg lock after Storm had picked up a knock earlier in the bout, it was a nice logical finish. 

Afterwards Bad Influence celebrated with Styles, only for him to then take out the tag team and walk away as Aces & 8s attacked the duo and Storm. Bully Ray then took to the mic and stated that he'd taken out all of TNA's heroes because of Hulk Hogan, and demanded that he face him in the ring next week. He really is the last remaining endearing thing about Aces & 8s.

Overall it was a solid show for the majority, with most matches being above average for televised bouts with stellar action. My highlights were James versus Tessmacher, the Bad Influence segment with Aries and Roode, the X Division Triple Threat and the main event. Other than that it was still a fair Impact, with only the Brooke Hogan and dull Aces & 8s segments letting it down. 

My WWE Raw, 15th April 2013 Recap

 Lesnar decimates 3MB. Photo credit: WWE.com

Randy Orton and Sheamus bested Big Show in a Handicap match that ranged from fair to decent. All three men gave worthy enough efforts and provided a better contest than I was expecting. Granted it wasn't anything outstanding but it was still worth a watch.

After they were taken out by The Shield on last week's SmackDown, 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) demanded that the trio come out and apologise for what they did. But instead Brock Lesnar joined them and dominantly beat down the 'Three Man Band', including a couple of nice F5's for Slater onto the barricade. 

Paul Heyman then rushed out and convinced his client to calm down and leave them. Once they entered the ring Heyman revealed that Lesnar wanted a rematch against Triple H after he knocked him out at WrestleMania, but not just any rematch, a rematch inside of a Steel Cage at Extreme Rules. I'd certainly be all for that. As usual Heyman was on terrific form on the mic and actually made Extreme Rules sound, well, extreme. Lesnar also gave a convincing beat down here, so overall a strong segment. 

Kofi Kingston pinned Antonio Cesaro (c) to obtain the United States Championship in a largely enjoyable contest. While the commentators may have exaggerated the quality of the back and fourth action, both men did provide stellar displays. I just hope Cesaro dropping the strap could mean he moves onto a feud with a wrestler higher up the ladder, but I'm not holding my breath.

World Champion Dolph Ziggler came out and explained that people like himself showed off because they're superior to everyone else and it's just what they do. Alberto Del Rio then hobbled down and claimed that he wanted his rematch right there and then, so Vickie Guerrero made the match official. Zeb Colter, accompanying Jack Swagger, then told both men that neither deserved the strap. Swagger decided to also take action and attacked Del Rio's injured leg, leaving him to be taken away.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) defeated the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) in a rather pedestrian tag bout. These two teams have faced each other so often it's all starting to blur together a bit, and you can't help but loose interest. At least the tag champs will be facing Shield next week with The Undertaker, now that'll be worth watching.

In a VT Ryback explained that he'd attacked Cena last week because he'd felt that he'd turned his back on him and no longer aided him in attacks from The Shield after he'd helped Cena out last year. He also added that he was the biggest threat to his WWE Title, and had enough of failing where Cena was succeeding. 

R-Truth beat Wade Barrett in an average affair. It's results like this that have me fail to get behind people like Barrett (and Cesaro earlier) they start to get some momentum going and then fall to a mid-carder. I can't imagine Wade ever getting a significant push in the company. 

Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) bested Santino Marella and The Great Khali in a forgettable and mediocre tag match.

Jerry Lawler presented a VT of all different examples of 'Fandogoing' (singing and dancing to Fandango's theme) which still puts a smile on my face, just before Fandango himself came out and asked the fans if they wanted to "go Fandogoing" but only if they pronounced his name correctly, which they did not, so he told them all to go "Fandango themselves."   

Jack Swagger pinned Dolph Ziggler in a largely decent outing. While the action was pretty unremarkable for the majority, it still had its moments and was better than most else on the show. Although I still have a gripe with the result, I don't see the need to involve Swagger back into the title picture and Ziggler needs all the encouragement he can get.

Backstage Mark Henry once again attacked Sheamus for an unknown reason. 

CM Punk (who received a healthy reception) said that he's always looking for the next challenge and trying to excel himself, and after The Rock that challenge was 'Taker at WrestleMania. An uncharacteristically solemn and reserved Punk then hugged Heyman and walked away. Don't expect to see hm on TV for a while.

Backstage an angry Booker T warned Teddy Long about making decisions without his say so (Long earlier on booked the Swagger versus Ziggler match up) and decided that Ziggler will defend his World Title in a Triple Threat in the near future against Swagger and Del Rio. 

Nikki Bella bested Kaitlyn in a mediocre affair. I can't call the wrestling bad but there was nothing really worth checking out here, you can skip this one. Brie grabbed the winning pinfall after swapping with her sister.

Ryback confronted Cena in the ring, who reminded him that he waited to attack him when his back was turned last week and not face to face. The champ also called his series of "excuses" shown earlier boring, which was rich coming from Cena. He then went on to challenge Ryback to make a move and earn a title shot, but he instead walked away. The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) decided to make their move and came down to the ring and  took out Cena as Ryback looked on.

Overall it was a pretty average Raw this week, with the majority of it feeling uneventful. My highlights were CM Punk's appearance, Ziggler versus Swagger (even with the daft result) the encouragement of Fandango, Cesaro versus Kofi and Lesnar's attack. Outside of those the show was quite pedestrian, but hopefully next week with the always enthusiastic London crowd and rare Undertaker appearance it should be a step up.   

My WWE Raw, 8th April 2013 Recap

About time, right? Photo credit: WWE.com

The brand new WWE Champion John Cena started things off by giving a strange and nonsensical promo on the fans booing him because they were upset that WrestleMania was now over, and then started to dance (badly) to try and cheer them up. The fans responded with appropriate chants of "Boring" and "Same old shit."

Fortunately Mark Henry then interrupted Cena after he announced that he'll defend the title that very night, and challenged him to defend it against himself. Cena, after making some lame jokes at Henry's expense as he always does (but at least he did amusingly address the "Sexual chocolate" chants) accepted the match. But GM Booker T then joned them and stated the Cena couldn't just make title matches and that due to The Rock being the next in line for a shot (but being injured) Henry would have to beat him that night to earn one. The crowd were certainly behind Henry here and gave no sympathy to Rocky when he was mentioned.

Big E Langston pinned Daniel Bryan in a pedestrian outing. Langston was pretty unremarkable in the ring, and Bryan did okay with the short time allocated to them. Towards the end Langston threw Bryan onto Kane on the outside, who'd been distracted by Dolph Ziggler, then applied a Big Ending for the one-two-three.

Wade Barrett defeated The Miz (c) to obtain the Intercontinental Title in an entertaining contest. Both men gave worthy efforts here and provided engaging action in a far superior bout to their one in the 'Mania pre-show. The crowd were also firmly behind Barrett throughout and very pleased with the result. 

Alberto Del Rio bested Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter in a two on one Handicap match. The bout itself was fair, much like their one at WrestleMania it had decent enough wrestling but nothing to get you that excited or into it. Colter didn't even enter the fray so I'm not sure what the point of making it a Handicap match was. Once again the fans also lost interest in these two and began chanting for Ziggler multiple times, and speaking of the 'Show Off'...

The arena then erupted as Dolph Ziggler walked down and finally cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, and after a dramatic few minutes where Del Rio managed to get in an arm breaker and an enzuigiri for some edge of your near finishes, Ziggler applied a Zig Zag for the winning pinfall and the World Title. The jubilant fans were all on their feet and applauding the new champ, quite a contrast to Cena at 'Mania. An emotional Dolph celebrated with AJ Lee and Big E, and it was quite a touching moment, his hard work had finally paid off! Let's just hope the reign lasts.

The Undertaker then came out to a terrific reception, and as he was talking about dedicating his win the previous night to Paul Bearer, The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) came down and were about to face the 'Dead Man' when Team Hell No raced into the ring to his aid, which sent the trio packing. It was a nice segment, and very well received by the crowd. Could we be seeing a six-man tag bout including 'Taker at Extreme Rules perhaps? I'd be all for it.

Santino Marella, Zack Ryder and R-Truth beat 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in a largely average six-man tag. Ryder gave a passable display, and Santino gave us his usual comedy routine towards the end when he managed to strike Slater with the Cobra for the win.   

In the ring Randy Orton and Sheamus argued over who gets to face Big Show that night after he'd KO'd both men at 'Mania after their contest versus The Shield. So Booker T and Vickie Guerrero came out and announced that both men will face each other to see who will face Big Show at a later date.

Randy Orton versus Sheamus ended as a No Contest after Big Show came down and took both men out. The match itself had been very pedestrian and drab, but luckily the fans in attendance in New Jersey saved the day and provided plenty of enthusiasm with non-stop chants throughout, such as "JBL" "Michael Cole" "ECW" "We want Big Show" "We are awesome!" (my personal favourite) and many more. Oh, and also quite a few Mexican waves. This all bemused Sheamus and Orton a bit, but to be fair this saved the match and actually provided the most entertainment of the show. 

Once Big Show had walked down he continued to throw Sheamus and KO punch and spear Orton to chants of "Thank you Big Show!" 

Kofi Kingston versus Fandango ended abruptly when Chris Jericho ran in and attacked his 'Mania foe, throwing him around the outside (where he amusingly attempted to place JBL's misplaced hat back on his head) and then applying the Walls of Jericho and a Codebreaker to finish him off. The crowd very much appreciated Jericho's appearance, and hilariously sung Fandango's theme during the bout while dancing.

Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai) and the Funkadactyls (Naomi and Cameron) beat team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) and the Bella Twins in an eight-person mixed tag match. As expected it was largely forgettable and felt like it was just there to take up some time and make up for its absence the night before. Fortunately the fans were still on form and carried on humming Fandango's theme and dancing.

John Cena won via count out versus Mark Henry in a pretty mediocre main event. It's hardly a surprise but the action here was nothing exceptional or particularly engaging at all, but at least it wasn't too long. After the lame finish, where Henry was chucked into the ringpost and failed to make the ten count, the 'World's Strongest Man' made a comeback to beat down Cena in the ring.

This prompted Ryback to come down and after a brief exchange then spinebuster Henry to send him packing. After then helping up Cena he turned and clotheslined him and applied a Shell Shock. The fans were into the turn, and Ryback then stood tall over Cena with his WWE Title belt.

Overall it was a very memorable Raw, with two titles changing hands (including the World Championship with Dolph finally cashing in) a tremendous crowd and a heel turn from Ryback. My personal highlights were Ziggler cashing in, the fans and the entertaining IC Title match.  Unfortunately on the negative side the aforementioned bout was the only one on the show really worth watching, the rest were average for the most part. As for Ryback's turn I'm not sure how much good this will do him, and I can't say I'm too excited by it.

But on the whole I'd call the show a success, and plus Ziggler is champ! 

My WrestleMania XXIX Recap

The Undertaker rises from the dead. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Miz bested Wade Barrett (c) to obtain the Intercontinental Title in a fair pre-show match up. To be fair it slotted nicely into the pre-show slot, with decent enough efforts from both men and a title change to get people interested, although a Cesaro bout would've still been far more appreciated.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) defeated Sheamus, Randy Orton and Big Show in an enjoyable six-man tag bout. Smart choice for the opener, with nice sequences and displays throughout. Once again Shield delivered a largely rewarding match, granted it wasn't as good as their previous outings but still a fun watch.

Towards the end Orton decided to cut into a potential tag to Show and get himself into the match, but things didn't end too well as he soon got speared and pinned as an angry Big Show looked on. After arguing Show then KO'd both his partners. Looks like we'll be getting a Triple Threat or Orton versus Show at Extreme Rules next month. 

Mark Henry toppled Ryback in an average affair. As expected it was the typical powerhouse versus powerhouse match up, so tests of strength and pedestrian action for the most part. For the flat finish (pun not intended) Henry fell onto Ryback as he attempted a Shell Shock, allowing him to gain the one-two-three. But afterwards Ryback got some payback by successfully applying an impressive Shell Shock to Henry.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) beat Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The match itself was decent, but nothing outstanding. I can't fault any man's efforts, they all delivered but unfortunately it was just lacking that little something for me. 

Fandango pinned Chris Jericho in a passable encounter with a few sloppy moments that let it down. Fortunately the in-form Jericho managed to provide some entertaining moments, and while Fandango had a few nice maneuvers in him (such as a swift kick as Y2J went for his signature springboard dropkick) he still looked out of depth here. For the finish Fandango was positioned too near the ropes as Jericho went for a Lionsault, which he blocked as Y2J then went for the Walls which was turned into the winning roll up pin. It was a poor ending sequence to the contest. 

Before the World Title match, Zeb Colter once again claimed that all real Americans felt the same as he and Swagger regarding immigrants in the US, but were too afraid to take a stand like they do. As usual most fans weren't too fussed by what he had to say.

Alberto Del Rio (c) defeated Jack Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Title in a mixed bag of an outing. While the action was stellar for the majority, there was little to really get me engaged and a lack of genuine excitement, which is not good enough for a World Championship match. Remember the quality of bouts when Edge and 'Taker and Batista and 'Taker would face each other on the grand stage for the same strap? We haven't had that at 'Mania for a while.

The Undertaker pinned CM Punk in the very memorable and thrilling match of the night. I was expecting this to be a great collision, but it succeeded even my estimations. Both men gave superb displays and provided an awesome encounter filled with effective near falls and dramatic action. This was everything you expect and should receive from a big WrestleMania match up. I also want to mention Paul Heyman at ringside, who's stellar managerial work cannot be understated and really added that bit extra to the match. Was this 'Taker's last match though? I'm personally hoping for one more from the 'Dead Man'. 

Triple H pinned Brock Lesnar in a No Holds Barred contest. Now after reading a fair bit of feedback I can tell that this one split quite a lot of fans, but as for myself I enjoyed it. I felt it told a good story and was well planned out, with solid wrestling from both men. My only gripe was that certain periods did feel like they were played out longer than than necessary, such as Triple H's multiple kimura attempts on the steel steps, which just seemed a bit daft after a while when you figure Lesnar had to simply roll away to avoid it.

Admittedly the crowd did loose interest here, but in my opinion that was more due to following the outstanding 'Taker versus Punk match, I mean one upping that was going to be a major challenge for any pair of wrestlers. So yes, there have been far better 'Mania matches in this spot, but i feel it's harsh to call it poor on any level and I personally still look forward to seeing either man in the ring again.

John Cena bested The Rock (c) to obtain the WWE Championship in an uneven main event. For the most part the wrestling was pretty unremarkable, with average moves being exchanged for far too long. Plus the fact both men were also visibly and clearly calling the next spots more than a few times also took away from loosing yourself in the action. But on the plus side (yes, there were some) the crowd were thoroughly into it, with each red hot near fall towards the end having everyone on their feet. And I have to admit I started to get towards the edge of my seat at the end too.

For me the rematch was superior to last year's effort with a more exciting finale, which admittedly was just filled with finishing move attempts which we've seen plenty of times, but unfortunately like last year's bout it was also very average for the most part when you pull away all the build up and crowd reactions. And one big positive is that hopefully this should be the end of Cena versus Rock, and we can move on to two more deserving wrestlers (here's pulling for Punk) to wrestle in the 'Mania main event spot.

Overall WrestleMania was very much a mixed bag of a show, with the Triple H versus Lesnar, the six-man tag bout and especially Undertaker versus CM Punk being the highlights for me. Unfortunately the rest failed to grab me like 'Mania matches should, and didn't live up to the calibre you've come to expect over the years.

Granted it's unrealistic to believe that any WrestleMania will provide a card largely filled with top bouts, with the exception of the revered X-Seven or XXIV (one of my personal favourites) but I guess at least we can take away a few memorable matches that I know I'll probably watch again in the future. It certainly wasn't one of more successful WrestleMania's, but it also wasn't one of the worst. Here's to next years! 

My WrestleMania XXIX Predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

Pre-Show Intercontinental Championship Match - Wade Barrett (c) versus The Miz:

I'm not expecting anything outstanding here but these two should provide an enjoyable pre-opener to get things going, with respective efforts from each man. Like most I feel pushing this to the pre-show position was an unfair choice, especially considering the mixed tag made it onto the card, these two deserved to be on the main show and the IC Title could certainly use the attention. But as for the winner I'm going with Miz, he's fallen short too often over the last few months involving the IC and US straps and a title change will grab people's attention just before the event kicks off.

Winner: The Miz

8-Person Mixed Tag Team Match - Tons of Funk and The Funkadactyls (Brodus Clay, Tensai, Cameron and Naomi) versus Team Rhodes Scholars and The Bella Twins (Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, Nikki Bella and Brie Bella):

Oh boy, I'm trying to stay neutral and optimistic here so let me just say that considering some of the talent here this might not be so terrible, in fact it might actually be a fairly fun watch, but don't quote me on that. This is meant to be a feel good outing just for some laughs so I expect Tons of Funk to win and give us a little dance afterwards, and a toilet break too.

Winners: Tons of Funk and The Funkadactyls

Mark Henry versus Ryback:

Should be a typical big man versus big man encounter, in other words drab. Sorry but I'm struggling to find any interest in this bout at all, my prediction for worst match of the night. I'm going with Ryback for the victory due to his string of losses on pay-per-view lately.

Winner: Ryback

Chris Jericho versus Fandango:

I'm actually quite looking forward to this one, Vince is obviously high on Mr. Fan...dan...goooo (I had to) and I don't see past him winning on his in-ring debut, a loss would be senseless to me. Should have some good action too. 

Winner: Fandango

WWE Tag Team Championships Match - Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) versus Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston:

I think this one could succeed expectations and be a highly enjoyable tag contest, looking at the talent involved it's hard to imagine this won't be entertaining, and I'm actually quite relieved that the tag titles are being defended on the grand stage. I'm going with Team Hell No to retain simply due to my suspicions that Ziggler will cash in his Money in the Bank contract very soon (but just not tonight like most are anticipating) and it'd be a waste having him hold the tag strap also.  

Winners: Team Hell No

6-Man Tag Team Match - Sheamus, Randy Orton and The Big Show versus The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose):

To be honest I've found the build up to this one pretty tiresome, we all knew Big Show would eventually join Orton and Sheamus, and we've just seen Shield doing the same things over and over. But forgetting the poor build up I optimistic about the quality of the bout, especially considering Shield's stellar outings so far. I'm also going with the same trio to come out victorious, I see no reason for them to loose their unbeaten streak here against a make shift unit.

Winners: The Shield

World Heavyweight Championship Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) versus Jack Swagger:

I'm predicting a solid title clash, but nothing out of this world. I've actually very much enjoyed the build up to it too, granted it's lost steam but I'm still grateful for Swagger's push. As for the winner I'm going with Del Rio. To be fair it could go either way and I'm still not sure as I'm even typing this, but Del Rio would make more sense if Ziggler is going to cash in in the near future.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio 

No Holds Barred Match - Brock Lesnar versus Triple H:

Lesnar's had some terrific matches since returning and I expect no less tonight in what should be an extremely dramatic and intense affair. Adding the no holds barred stipulation was a smart move and these two should excel with it. I can't see past Triple H to win here, with his career on the line and to even the odds with his rival, but I also can't help but see a twist happening here tonight, we'll see. I would give this my prediction for match of the night if it wasn't for the next contest...

Winner: Triple H 

The Undertaker versus CM Punk:

Here we go! Now I'm not going to beat around the bush, Taker's going to win here, so that's that. But this should be a great contest nonetheless, with an intriguing and top build up leading into the event. Expect good things. 

Winner: The Undertaker

WWE Championship Match - The Rock (c) versus John Cena:

And then there's the main event, 'Twice in a lifetime' as it were, the rematch not many fans were even interested in. But looking past that I think it should be a fair main event, and although I can see it being superior to their effort last year I don't see it being worthy of it's spot and build up. But hopefully I'm proven wrong. Oh, and Cena to even the odds and obtain the title to lead into a rematch at Extreme Rules.

Winner: John Cena

Well hopefully you all enjoy the show, granted the build up hasn't been outstanding but looking at the majority of the card I think it should be a strong and memorable 'Mania on the whole. I just hope Cesaro turns up on the way. 

My WWE Raw, 1st April 2013 Recap

CM Punk poses over the fallen 'Dead Man'. I'm looking forward to this one! Photo credit: WWE.com

John Cena kicked off the pre-WrestleMania XXIX Raw by claiming that his rivalry with The Rock was far more serious then last year, due to the WWE Championship being on the line. He went on to also warn Rocky that after having to stand by and watch him unveil a brand new title belt and "usher in a new era" (really?) he will strive to reclaim the strap and prove that he is superior to 'The Great One'. Cena was greeted with chants of "Boring" afterwards, granted it was an unremarkable promo but that was a little harsh I felt.

Big Show, Randy Orton and Sheamus bested 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in an average and at times sloppy six-man tag bout. At least it was kept brief. Afterwards The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) warned the their 'Mania opponents that come Sunday they won't be celebrating after they beat them, and also added that they weren't fooling them by pretending to be a cohesive unit like themselves.   

We were presented with a VT featuring Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter in Washington DC, talking about the change that Swagger will bring come this Sunday when he obtains the World Title, calling their fellow Americans weak in this day and age due to them accepting all the immigrants that had entered the US over the years.

In response Alberto Del Rio admitted that Swagger was free to say whatever he pleased with the freedom of speech, but that didn't mean he had to like it and would at least get a chance to gain some retribution in their title clash.

Dolph Ziggler pinned Daniel Bryan in a solid back and fourth encounter. These two worked hard and provided an enjoyable bout from the get go with crisp action. During the match AJ Lee distracted Kane, allowing Big E Langston to tear through him with a mean-looking clothesline. Ziggler then took advantage of Bryan kicking Big E through the ropes and gained the one-two-three with a quick roll up. 

Shawn Michaels made a special Raw appearance and warned Triple H that while he was retired by 'Taker at WrestleMania, they still held the upmost respect for each other and he never bragged about ending HBK's career, unlike Brock Lesnar who would relish it. Michaels went on to admit that he wasn't in Washington to talk his good friend out of his match on the grand stage, but order him to "kick Brock Lesnar's ass!"

Lesnar, along with Paul Heyman then made his way out. Heyman went on to list all the people that Triple H will disappoint after his client defeats him, and claimed that he wasn't "man enough" to beat Lesnar. As usual Heyman was on top form on the mic.

Wade Barrett beat Zack Ryder in a passable outing. While most of the match was fairly pedestrian, there were some engaging moments to be found, and it wasn't a bad effort by either man.

Mark Henry flattened Santino Marella in a short squash match. Santino was booked against Henry after playing an April Fools prank on Vickie Guerrero and Brad Maddox. An angry Ryback then made his way out to confront Henry, who smugly reminded him that they had a no contact clause to their contract. So to get around this Ryback decided to hurl Santino at his 'Mania foe to take him down.

As Alberto Del Rio's match with Zeb Colter begun, he was soon distracted by Swagger at ringside who'd begun attacking Ricardo Rodriguez, this then allowed Colter to start smacking the champion with one of Ricardo's crutches. Swagger soon joined his accomplice and together they took down Del Rio.

The WWE Champion The Rock said that his match with Cena wasn't about retribution for him, but the "the will of the people" and his connection with the fans. He also reminded us that at every turn he'd topped Cena, and it would be no different in their contest for the championship. It was a decent enough promo from Rock, with the crowd in the palm of his hand, which was a stark contrast to Cena earlier. 

Chris Jericho defeated Antonio Cesaro in a decent contest. For the most part it was a fun watch and the wrestling was stellar, but I couldn't help but feel a little underwhelmed, maybe I was expecting more form these two talents facing off. During the match Fandango appeared and began judging Jericho's moves out of ten with scorecards. After Y2J had forced Cesaro to tap to the Walls of Jericho, Fandango ran in and after beating down his rival then landed a couple of flying leg drops. I'm definitely intrigued by their WrestleMania match.

The Bella Twins beat Naomi and Cameron in a fair Divas tag match. I was actually pleasantly surprised here, there were some nice moments of action to be found amongst most of the pedestrian wrestling. 

The Undertaker warned CM Punk that the pain he's going to put on him will "last an eternity" after the disrespect he's shown to Paul Bearer. A line up of druids then appeared, along with Paul Heyman dressed as Bearer. As a furious 'Taker marched down he began to take out some of the druids, only for CM Punk to reveal himself as one of them and take out 'The Dead Man' with Bearer's urn.

But then the gripping moment came as Punk poured the ashes of Bearer over Undertaker and on himself. While many will find this segment extremely disrespectful of Moody (which I get) I couldn't help but be completely engaged by it. Punk has really thrown himself into this feud and clearly has no restraints with the material he's used. For me this has been the strongest segment leading into WrestleMania.

Overall Raw was a fair show for the most part, more memorable than most as of late. Ziggler versus Bryan, Jericho versus Cesaro, the Heyman promo and especially the closing segment were my highlights. Outside of them it was pretty pedestrian for me, with a lot of material and bouts feeling a bit too familiar. Still, despite the disappointing build up to 'Mania this year I'm still looking forward to the big event, with more than a few matches that should be very entertaining I reckon.