My WWE Battleground Predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

WWE Championship Match - Randy Orton versus Daniel Bryan:

Much like their previous PPV clash I'm not expecting anything but a solid outing, although I feel the build up has been fairly weak compared. Bryan winning the vacant strap seems like the more interesting choice, but I just can't help but see 'The Viper' win via suspicious circumstances, although I admittedly thought the same thing last month so I could be way off.   

Winner: Randy Orton

World Heavyweight Championship Battleground Hardcore Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) versus Rob Van Dam:

I'm relieved that they added the Hardcore stipulation here, this match needed that extra intriguing factor for me. I enjoy both men in the ring and they shouldn't have any excuses not to deliver an exciting bout here, not the least with my predictive victor RVD obtaining the title. But if he does then I wouldn't be shocked to see Mr. Sandow cashing in his MITB contract, it'd be the perfect way to gain him some heat.   

Winner: Rob Van Dam

CM Punk versus Ryback:

Unfortunately even against a superior talent I don't envisage this outing topping the great ones Ryback had with Cena over the WWE Title. This could be fun and should be enjoyable but nothing outstanding, hopefully I'm proven wrong. Will this be the end of Punk's feud with Heyman? I'm starting to hope things wind down now between them so they can move on to fresh foes. Punk to win and finally get some retribution on Heyman but not enough to end the rivalry just yet. 

Winner: CM Punk

WWE Divas Title Match - AJ Lee (c) versus Brie Bella:

Like any Bella-involved bout I don't hold high expectations, and certainly don't expect anything close to AJ's matches with Kaitlyn over the belt. That being said sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised (with Taryn Terrell's entertaining contests with Gail Kim being a prime example), but I doubt it tonight with this one. And I reckon AJ to retain, I don't see any reason for her to drop the strap just yet, recently bringing in Tamina as her new body guard would make it a strange choice too.

Winner: AJ Lee

Cody Rhodes and Goldust versus The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns):

For me this bout has had the best build up out of any on the card tonight, and I'm very interested in the outcome so job well done there. Should be a dramatic one. I'm going with The Shield to somehow come out with a dubious win here, adding another twist to the Rhodes storyline.

Winners: The Shield

Intercontinental Title Match - Curtis Axel (c) versus R-Truth:

Could be a decent match up, and both men should make the most from being on the main card of a PPV tonight. Can't see beyond Axel winning here after Truth's definitive loss to Ryback on SmackDown.

Winner: Curtis Axel

Bray Wyatt versus Kofi Kingston:

Bit of a strange one I thought when this was put together, considering the more interesting possibilities for Wyatt to face off with. Nothing against Kofi but after all his failed pushes I just struggle to invest in them anymore. Should be a fair match up. Wyatt to win considering his current momentum.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Santino Marella versus The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger):

How this found it's way onto a PPV card ahead of Ziggler and the Money in the Bank holder I'm still trying to understand, oh well. I'm just hoping for Cesaro to swing around Khali to deliver something memorable, it's up to the stellar Antonio to make this match worth watching at all I reckon. The Real Americans in the long run seem like the more sensible choice to put over here, but I can see Santino and Khali walking away the winners.

Winners: Santino Marella and The Great Khali.

Battleground Kickoff Match - Dolph Ziggler versus Damien Sandow:

At first I wasn't too sure about this thrown together bout, but Ziggler is such a consistent performer that I'm expecting an enjoyable contest against the MITB Contract holder. But despite Sandow holding the briefcase I see Dolph gaining the one-two-three.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

My WWE SmackDown, 30th August 2013 Recap

The Miz brought out his latest 'Miz TV' guests, Big Show and Dolph Ziggler and brought up the fact that they and many other wrestlers had to witness the beat down of Daniel Bryan at the hands of the COO, The Shield and Orton on this Monday's Raw. But when asked to comment on it Show and Ziggler struggled in fear of their punishment from management, so as Miz was about to discuss it Triple H interrupted him.

'The Game' once again questioned why the situation with Bryan was being taken so personally, and claimed that making Orton the face of the company was better for business and therefore better for them. He then booked Miz against Orton and Ziggler in a Handicap Match versus The Shield. But when it came to Show he ordered the clearly infuriated giant to sit at ringside for the night. As usual Trips was stellar on the mic, but he's been even better and convincing as of late back in the heel role.

Randy Orton pinned The Miz in a decent effort. There were some fairly drab periods but it was a watchable encounter on the whole. The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) made their way out midway in the match and stood at the front of the ring. After the champ pinned Miz with an RKO he had the trio join him in beating on Miz until Daniel Bryan raced down and chased them off with a steel chair in hand. 

An upset Vickie Guerrero (who's now suddenly turned heel again over the last couple of weeks for some unexplained reason) accused Bryan of being a bully and as punishment booked him against Ryback. 

Rob Van Dam defeated Damien Sandow in a short but entertaining outing. RVD hit some fine form again with his trademark lively offence after a shaky match against Del Rio last Monday. The only downfall here was yet another clean pinfall on the Money in the Bank holder Sandow, for me he still needs work in the ring and some serious building up if he's going to hold the World Title. Alberto Del Rio came out afterwards and after calling Ricardo Rodriguez a traitor claimed that while RVD had his rolling thunder he was going to rain on his parade at Night of Champions.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Dolph Ziggler in a solid Handicap Match. It wasn't as exciting as the last three on one bout these four had but the action was stellar and there were no dull moments to be had. The trio further assaulted 'The Show Off' after and finally triple powerbombed him to tease Big Show.

Paul Heyman explained that his beating on CM Punk on this past Raw was a result of being forced into a corner by the fans online vote putting him in the ring with his former client. He also went on to admit that he was afraid regarding his and Curtis Axel's match at Night of Champions versus Punk because it guaranteed that he'll have to face his adversary in the ring like a man. But he also claimed that his actions against Punk have been a result of his Fatherly love, so imagine what he'll do against him when backed into a corner, finally adding that at NOC he and Axel "will own CM Punk."

Luke Harper and Erick Rowan bested Tons of Funk (Tensai and Brodus Clay) in an average tag bout. Fortunately it was kept short as the wrestling was pretty uninspiring from the get go. Bray Wyatt entered the ring after to hit Tensai with the Sister Abigail.

Daniel Bryan won via disqualification versus Ryback after Orton ran in while he had Ryback latched in a Yes Lock and was caught himself in the submission hold until Shield once again helped him out in clobbering the number on contender to the WWE Title. The match of the night itself had been an engaging one, with good displays from both men as they battled back and fourth.

Big Show finally had enough and entered the ring to Bryan's protection as the four men continued to beat on him. But an angry Triple H demanded him to leave, so he did. The show ended with Orton spray painting 'No' on Bryan's chest as he had done on his car last Monday night. 

Overall it was a satisfying show, with the majority of it worth checking out. My highlights were RVD versus Sandow, the opening segment, The Shield versus Ziggler, Heyman's promo and the main event. Unfortunately outside of them it was quite forgettable and probably not worth your time. 

My WWE Raw, 19th August 2013 Recap

The new champion and his supporters. Photo credit: WWE.com

John Cena started things off by admitting that Bryan was the better man at SummerSlam in their title clash and announced how disgusted he was with Triple H's actions the previous night when he Pedigreed the WWE Champion Bryan which allowed Orton to easily cash in his MITB contract and obtain the strap. Before introducing Daniel Bryan Cena also informed everyone that due to his elbow injury he was going to be out for 4-6 months. 

Before Bryan could even utter a word Stephanie McMahon joined him and explained that her husband's actions were "best for business" and that Bryan simply didn't have the right image to represent the company. An upset Bryan claimed that he wouldn't have been surprised if it'd been her or Vince that had screwed him and also added that  "When you lye down with trash, sooner or later you start to stink." 

As Stephanie tried to calm down Bryan he warned her that he didn't care if he was fired and would do something to Triple H or Orton to at least earn his termination. Finally Stephanie had security come out to escort the former champ out of the building. It was a strong segment to start the show.

Cody Rhodes pinned Damien Sandow in a decent outing. Much like the night before both men delivered fine efforts, with Cody especially on good form. Cody grabbed the one-two-three with a quick roll up from the corner. Afterwards the victor told JBL that he should have a shot at the World Title. That's a match I definitely wouldn't mind seeing. 

Raw GM Brad Maddox booked Dolph Ziggler in a three on one match with The Shield later on that night, saying that it wasn't due to his remarks online claiming that he never trusted Triple H, but rather because he's the 'Show Off' and should be given the chance to prove it.

Paul Heyman came out and first conceded that CM Punk gave Brock Lesnar all he could handle at SummerSlam in their superb match up. He also went on to forgive Punk for his actions and asked him to join him again, where together they'll regain the WWE Title and go on to main event WrestleMania. 

The Funkadactyls (Naomi and Cameron) bested Layla and AJ Lee in a fair, but pretty unremarkable tag bout. There weren't any poor performances, in fact Cameron didn't even enter the ring (which is probably for the best) but you wouldn't miss much by skipping this.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Dolph Ziggler in a Handicap Match. It was a solid affair from the get go, with Ziggler managing to hold his own and even come close to outdoing the trio until Reigns struck with an awesome spear for the win. Afterwards the victors triple powerbombed Ziggler for good measure. 

Alberto Del Rio won via referee stoppage versus Sin Cara. The stoppage occurred when Sin Cara injured (for real) his wrist after he went flying with a suicide dive. Afterwards the World Champion once again called himself a hero to the Latino community, someone for them to look up to since they have no one else.

Del Rio's former announcer Ricardo Rodriguez then made his return after his beating from the champ and informed him that he was now representing Rob Van Dam instead. RVD and Del Rio soon tangled in the ring, with Van Dam almost going for the Five Star Frog Splash before Del Rio made his getaway.

The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) defeated The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger) in a passable tag match. While the wrestling was always decent it was fairly drab for the most part, although the finish after Young came in from a hot tag was fast paced and fun. Credit to Cesaro and Young for the best displays here. Young was clearly very up for it after all his support from fans and colleagues for bravely coming out last week. 

Backstage Ryback had one of his signature segments where he bullies some spineless goon into doing whatever he tells them. This time he ordered a guy to open up his bag in the showers and fill it up with water. These scenes are just annoying, as if by that point you would still just be standing there and taking it? Even if Ryback is that large everyone has a limit.

The Shield beat Big Show in an enjoyable Handicap Match. Much like Ziggler earlier, Show was booked against the trio after making unflattering comments about Triple H. The giant was in control for the majority, but sure enough the 'Hounds of Justice' made their comeback and finally speared and triple powerbombed Show for the hard victory.  

CM Punk hobbled out and before responding to Heyman's comments earlier dared a tubbier member of the crowd who decided to boo him to enter the ring and take him on, warning him that he'll make him "toothless." Punk then asked Heyman to come out (which he did, along with Curtis Axel) and said that he was sorry that he hadn't exacted more retribution and dealt more damage on him the night before. Punk also dared Heyman to enter the ring with him.

Heyman responded by asking his client Axel to tape up and finish off what Lesnar had started the night before, warning Punk that he'd pushed him too far. So the IC Champion made his way out again and began brawling with Punk, with the latter viciously attacking him around the ring, including some strikes with the ring bell.

Axel managed to target Punk's hurt leg and had the upper hand for a while until Punk avoided a top rope attack and finally GTS'd Heyman's client onto some steel steps. It was an engaging segment, with stellar mic work and an intense fight. I can only presume that Punk and Axel will have a stipulation match over the Intercontinental Title at Night of Champions to keep the feud going.

Bray Wyatt pinned R-Truth in a brief encounter which the winner dominated for the most part. There wasn't anything that remarkable to see here really, both wrestlers did fine.

We witnessed a VT for a brand new tag team of matadors simply called Los Matadores, of course. I'm not sure about everyone else but I'm looking forward to seeing them, look like fun. 

The Usos bested 3MB (Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal) in a lively tag match once it got going. Technically it wasn't great but you could switch off a bit and just enjoy it.

The Miz won via disqualification versus Wade Barrett after Fandango hit him with a flying leg drop as retribution for punching him at SummerSlam. The bout itself had been reasonable enough, much like a lot of these men's contests you get the impression you'll probably have forgotten about it come next month.  

Vince McMahon congratulated Triple H on ensuring that Orton won the WWE Title at SummerSlam, declaring that he would be a champion everyone could be proud of. Triple H then took to the mic and said that he took action for all the fans and everyone in the company so that the WWE will still exist long into the future, explaining that Bryan wasn't the face for the company. 

'The Game' the introduced the brand new WWE Champion for his coronation, Randy Orton, who shook hands with Vince and Triple H and even hugged Stephanie. Orton thanked Triple H for all he had done for him. The COO then asked Bryan to come out and vent his frustrations, asking no one to touch him. This was of course all a ruse as Bryan was attacked by The Shield on the way to the ring and then RKO'd by the champion after Triple H casually asked the trio to stop their assault.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole segment, it had an old school feel to it with a strong face in Bryan trying to overcome the odds of the McMahons. It's also a much needed revitalisation for Orton too. 

Overall it was an entertaining show for the most part, with the red hot Bryan's screw job getting more and more interesting. Plus Triple H and Orton turning adds that bit more intrigue as to what's going to happen next. This is already looking to be one of the best pro wrestling storylines of the year I reckon. My highlights were the opening, CM Punk, Heyman and Axel's portion, both of The Shield's handicap contests and of course the ending. A memorable show that has me wanting more, keep it coming! 

My WWE Raw, 29th July 2013 Recap

Bryan proving his popularity with the fans. Photo credit: WWE.com

Vince McMahon, accompanied by Raw GM Brad Maddox, kicked off the show by admitting that Maddox might've been onto something last week when he referred to Bryan as a "troll." Daniel Bryan himself then came out and accused Maddox of simply following orders from McMahon and repeating his own words. The COO retorted by claiming that Cena only chose to face Bryan at SummerSlam because he saw him as an easy challenger to the WWE Title, and that he'd manipulated him and all the fans.

McMahon went on to state that there was no way he could dethrone Cena and that it would be an embarrassment to the company if he did, but he'd also had enough of the champ who he felt walked around like he owned the place. Bryan responded by using McMahon's own words and telling him that it didn't matter what he thought but instead what the fans thought, who he received a resounding "Yes!" chant from when he asked if they wanted to see a new WWE Champion. It was an entertaining segment to open Raw.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) defeated The Usos and Mark Henry in an enjoyable enough six-man tag contest. Like the majority of Shield matches it was worth a watch (although far from their best) with fair displays from all involved. Afterwards Henry continued to assault his new foes and threw the trio out of the ring.

We witnessed footage from earlier in the day where Ryback began picking on an unknown member of staff as they were grabbing some food, claiming that they looked like they were about to say something and slapping some food into their face. Ryback eventually put them through a table, hyping up his Tables Match with Cena later on. 

Rob Van Dam won via count out versus Fandango in a fun outing. RVD was on good form once again, and Fandango hit a few nicely executed moves himself too. The count out occurred after Fandango had enough and decided the match wasn't worth it and walked off with Summer Rae. 

Kaitlyn pinned AJ Lee in a pretty average bout that went on a bit longer than necessary. Most of the match was fine, if unremarkable, but unfortunately the final third of it began to drag, with the fans pretty indifferent to the whole thing. Kaitlyn gained the one-two-three after applying an uncharacteristically clumsy spear. Dolph Ziggler then joined them, congratulating AJ on her loss and challenging Big E Langston to a match right there and then.

Dolph Ziggler won via disqualification versus Big E Langston in a rather forgettable affair. Both men looked all right, nothing special to be fair. Unfortunately the match up just never engaged me. The DQ happened when AJ ran into the ring and began viciously clawing at her ex Ziggler. 

Christian bested Alberto Del Rio in a stellar contest for the most part. There were a few slight hiccups that let it down a bit but not enough to really spoil it for me. These two talents as usual delivered worthy displays in-between the ropes, with Christian finally catching the World Champion out with a quick roll up for the winning pinfall. 

Cody Rhodes beat Wade Barrett in a largely lacklustre outing. Neither wrestler gave a bad performance, but the match up never gave us much excitement until the final few minutes when Cody struck with a moonsault and nicely reversed a pumphandle slam attempt into a Cross Rhodes for the victory. 

Damien Sandow then stormed out and berated Rhodes for chucking his Money in the Bank briefcase into the Gulf of Mexico on last week's SmackDown, and went on to call his former tag partner's family a bunch of clowns, saying that "carnie folk are beneath my constitution."

Daniel Bryan defeated Kane in a decent back and fourth effort. It's worth a watch, just don't expect anything too incredible here. Bryan managed to reverse a Chokeslam to catch Kane in the winning small package. A furious Kane Chokeslammed Bryan after, and was shortly joined by Bray Wyatt and his 'family' Luke Harper and Erick Rowan who once again took him out.

Brie Bella pinned Natalya in a mediocre and unmemorable bout. Natalya did quite well considering what she had to work with. During the match Nikki Bella came out and distracted Natalya by making duck noises (backstage earlier they'd referred to her as an "ugly duckling") which of course cost her the match as Brie managed to grab the win with a roll up.

Curtis Axel versus R-Truth ended in a no contest after CM Punk came racing down and began attacking the IC Champion. Punk then turned his attention to his real target Paul Heyman, who managed to make a getaway after his client held off Punk long enough. The match itself was short, but was enjoyable enough while it lasted.

John Cena beat Ryback in a Tables Match. It was an entertaining main event. As standard when these two meet it was fun, just don't expect anything technically amazing. Cena managed to AA Ryback through a table propped up in the corner for the win. Bryan then came down and was about to hand over the WWE Title belt but instead teased him with it until an angry Cena snatched it back. There was a nice intense moment between the two, and I'm still just as excited about their title match next month. 

Overall it was a pretty average Raw, with most matches failing to be anything more than fair. The opening segment, RVD versus Fandango, Christian versus Del Rio, Bryan versus Kane and the main event were my highlights. Unfortunately there were also no more matches announced for SummerSlam, I can only presume that McMahon and Triple will have some kind of match (or representatives) with their positions on the line or something like that. 

My WWE SmackDown, 26th July 2013 Recap

Apparently he can't swim. Photo credit: WWE.com

Randy Orton pinned Damien Sandow in a fair outing. Both Money in the Bank holders gave worthy enough efforts, but I failed to engage in the match and find any excitement. Orton applied the RKO for the one-two-three after Cody Rhodes walked down and walked off with Sandow's MITB briefcase, distracting the 'Intellectual Saviour'. 

CM Punk came out and confirmed for us again that he will indeed face Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam in a few weeks. He went on to also claim that Lesnar's biggest weakness was once his own, his trust in Paul Heyman, and Heyman's was and always has been his ego.

He also added that he will take everything away from Heyman when he stands up from Lesnar's attack and continuously kicks him in the head until he's unrecognisable. I'm a big Punk fan but I just struggle to believe it when he states he'll do this kind of thing to someone much larger and muscular in Lesnar. Amusingly Fandango then interrupted Punk and came out for some unknown reason, which prompted him to crack the dancer with his microphone and some punches before hitting him with the GTS. The segment was entertaining and Punk is always a welcome return on the blue brand for me. 

Mark Henry and The Usos bested the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) and Wade Barrett in a passable six-man tag bout. It had decent moments, but was pretty forgettable to be honest. The winning teams upcoming match with The Shield should be far better.

Alberto Del Rio beat Rob Van Dam in a match that was far, far too brief. The World Champion managed to quickly pin RVD after a swift superkick after distracting the referee in the corner. I can only imagine (and sincerely hope) that they're planning to have these two face off for the strap at SummerSlam. That could be a terrific title match.

AJ Lee, accompanied by Big E Langston, explained that despite being dumped by Ziggler and loosing her best friend Kaitlyn she would be fine due to still being the Divas Champion and "saviour" of the division. She then revealed Dolph's keys to his house that he'd given her and claimed that she was ready to move on and get rid of them.

Dolph Ziggler then joined them and told his ex that he'd passed around plenty of sets of keys to girls and changed the locks just to be safe anyway, and also told Lee and Langston that they were both replaceable too, much like all his belongings in his suitcase which AJ began to destroy in the ring. As a furious Divas Champion left the ring Kailyn hit her with a spear, and Dolph took out Langston with a fameasser. Looks like we'll be having a mixed tag match with this lot at SummerSlam. It was an enjoyable segment, mainly due to Ziggler's great work on the mic which was possibly his strongest to date. His face turn has been very successful so far.

Luke Harper and Erick Rowan defeated Tons of Funk (Tensai and Brodus Clay) in a short squash tag contest. After watching the 'Wyatt family' for a while now on NXT their performance was pretty standard for them, they're never the most exciting but they do their job well enough. Afterwards Bray Wyatt said that he was welcoming Kane's return next Monday, seemingly having no fear over the possible ramifications of their beat down on him a few weeks ago.

Christian pinned Jack Swagger in a solid encounter and best one of the night. In one of Swagger's finest match ups since his return earlier in the year we received good displays from both men, with Christian especially on stellar form as usually expected from him. 

Damien Sandow stormed out after the main event and demanded that Rhodes return his MITB briefcase and that Vickie Guerrero fire him immediately. Cody then appeared on the big screen and revealed that he was right by the Gulf of Mexico with the briefcase in hand, telling Damien that all he had to do was come and get it.

So a frantic Sandow raced across the street, begging Cody not to chuck it into the river and complimenting him in almost every department. But that wasn't enough for Rhodes who tossed it in anyway. Sandow attempted to retrieve it but failed as he admitted that he couldn't actually swim. It was a fun end to the show. 

Overall it was a mixed bag of a SmackDown, with most of it being pretty unmemorable but a few entertaining offerings still to be had. My highlights were Punk's promo, the Ziggler and AJ segment, Christian versus Swagger and Sandow and Rhodes visit to the Gulf of Mexico. Outside of those parts it was unremarkable or fairly drab for myself.  

My WWE Raw, 22nd July 2013 Recap

The red hot Bryan strikes with a mean kick. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Raw GM Brad Maddox opened the show by bringing out John Cena for his WWE Championship match contract signing for SummerSlam. Maddox questioned Cena's choice and asked him why he chose Bryan out of all the possible wrestlers to challenge for his strap. Before the champ could answer Daniel Bryan joined them, to a very healthy response from the fans.

Cena then mocked Maddox and claimed that the size of a wrestler doesn't determine their worth, but their talent and heart. Cena even called some of the people in the back idiots for sometimes not seeing the level of talent in front of them. I really struggled to buy into any of this speech, Cena has had the power and influence in the company for years to put over many up and coming pro wrestlers (most smaller than him) but has rarely ever done so. But Cena also went on to warn Bryan that while he's great, that won't be enough to beat him.

As Bryan was about to respond after signing the contract, Maddox interrupted him, so an angry Bryan warned him that he'd been waiting a long time for this moment and he wouldn't let him ruin it. The GM retorted by booking the number one contender against some unknown opponents to prove his worth later that night.

Alberto Del Rio pinned Sheamus in a fair outing. I can't really fault either man's performance here, but it still felt like the match was lacking in excitement. Del Rio managed to hook up Sheamus' still injured leg from Money in the Bank for the winning pinfall.

Christian defeated Titus O'Neil in a decent contest. Both men delivered worthy efforts, with Christian as usual on solid form. O'Neil once again proved he's got character here, especially when he began amusingly blowing a whistle as he kicked Christian in the corner.

Mark Henry came to the ring and stated that he was proud of his efforts against Cena at MITB, and also announced that he was ready to deliver a "whoopin'" to The Shield after their beat down of him last week. So sure enough The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) came down and began clobbering on Henry, that was until The Usos raced out and helped him chase off the trio. 

Dolph Ziggler bested Darren Young in a passable encounter. It wasn't anything that remarkable, but there were some nice moments of wrestling here and there. Afterwards Big E Langston, accompanied by AJ Lee, entered the ring and attempted to attack Ziggler but was outmanoeuvred by 'The Show Off' who managed a quick getaway. 

The Miz announced himself as the upcoming host of SummerSlam and introduced all the main Divas appearing in the new reality show (although I'm certain it'll be largely scripted) Total Divas, including two new faces in Eva Marie and Jo-Jo. Miz asked Jerry Lawler to join him in the ring, so after 'King' introduced himself to the two new Divas, Marie claimed she wanted to make an impression and slapped Lawler, sending him back to his seat. I can't say any of this got me interested in the upcoming show.  

Cody Rhodes pinned Fandango in a pretty forgettable bout. I just failed to find the interest here to be honest, not to say either wrestler looked bad on any level but they didn't deliver great displays either. For the finish Damien Sandow (who'd provided guest commentary) distracted Cody, but was then charged off of the apron when Rhodes managed to dodge an attack from Fandango and apply a Disaster Kick to them both, then hitting a Cross Rhodes for the one-two-three.

CM Punk admitted that last week Brock Lesnar man handled him, claiming that his biggest weapon has always been "fear," but he was not afraid of Heyman's monster and he was still able to stand after Lesnar's brutal attack last week. Punk also went on to warn Heyman once again that he will make him pay for his double cross, and challenged his client to a match at SummerSlam. Paul Heyman then appeared on the big screen and reminded Punk of how beat up he still was and how foolish the challenge was, but nonetheless accepted on Brock's behalf. As usual a segment involving these two was one of the highlights of the broadcast.

Rob Van Dam beat Wade Barrett in an entertaining affair. Much like his previous few match ups since returning to the company, RVD looked to be on fine form and is still receiving terrific responses from the fans. I know he's facing Del Rio on SmackDown this week but I was personally hoping he'd have a shot at the World Title at SummerSlam to add a bit more interest to the strap.

Daniel Bryan forced Jack Swagger to submit in an enjoyable first match in the series. Given more time they could've made even more of it, but it was fun as it was. 

Next up Bryan pinned Antonio Cesaro in a tremendous back and fourth contest. From the very start you were hooked here, with such high quality wrestling from two top talents in probably Cesaro's finest outing in WWE to date. Bryan finally caught Cesaro with an impressive small package as the Swiss attempted a European uppercut in the air. A great end to a great bout.

Finally Daniel Bryan won via disqualification versus Ryback in a satisfying match up for the most part. Granted it was always going to be tricky for them to outdo that previous outing, but they both did decent jobs and had a solid final third to the match after a little bit of a drab period of Ryback dominating. The DQ came after Ryback powerbombed Bryan through a table he'd pulled out from under the ring earlier on. Cena then came racing out to chase off Ryback and challenged him to a Tables Match next week, which Ryback agreed to.

Backstage Vince McMahon then convinced Maddox to book Bryan against his former tag partner Kane for next Monday's Raw, as part of his ruse to take out Bryan as he doesn't deem him the right type to be WWE Champion.

Overall it was a pretty fair Raw for the majority, with the CM Punk/Heyman segment, RVD versus Barrett and Bryan's three match ups (especially the superb one against Cesaro) being my highlights. I agree with JR's recent assessment that with his talent Bryan would've shone in any era of the business. Outside of those the show wasn't anything that remarkable, although to be fair we had some more advancements on feuds leading into SummerSlam at least. And what happened to the return of Big Show? Guess that's been moved on.  

My WWE SmackDown, 19th July 2013 Recap

Teddy Long started things off by announcing that he would receive a job evaluation that very night, potentially earning the spot of SmackDown General Manager. But current GM Booker T then made his return, shortly followed by Vince McMahon who asked each man to book a match for the show to test them and see who deserves the position. Brad Maddox also joined them and tried to convince McMahon that he should have the job.

After contemplating it for a few seconds, Mr. McMahon announced Vickie Guerrero as the new GM for the blue brand, who first thanked him for appointing her and then screamed at the fans that she hated them. Did the fact that she lost her job on Raw due to the fans dislike of her not sink in? I'm still struggling to see the advantage of her back in a management position so soon, although it makes sense regarding how upset Vince was when she was terminated to bring her back so fast. Well it could've been worse, we could have had Laurinaitis back.    

Dolph Ziggler pinned Jack Swagger in a short but fair contest. Given a bit more time they could've had a far more remarkable encounter, as it was they both delivered passable performances. Ziggler grabbed the one-two-three after hitting Swagger with a Zig Zag after an ankle lock attempt. Afterwards Dolph said he was "sorry" to his ex AJ Lee, sorry for not dumping her sooner that is. Backstage a furious AJ began throwing a tantrum until Big E Langston consoled her, almost leaning in for a kiss but instead just pecking her on the forehead. 

Before their match could get underway The Usos and The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) began to brawl in the ring, with the Usos eventually being sent out. But then an angry Mark Henry marched down and helped Jimmy and Jey even the odds and send the trio on their way.

Daniel Bryan forced Wade Barrett to submit in an enjoyable enough outing. Again, like the Swagger versus Ziggler bout this was a bit brief for my liking, but Bryan as standard for him lately was on great form and made the most of the time allocated.

The Miz deemed his guest on the latest 'Miz TV' too contemptible to even question, so instead he simply allowed him to say whatever he wanted. Heyman warned CM Punk to "stay down," claiming that he still had love in his heart for him and knew it would be best for his well being, otherwise he will feel the wrath of his client Brock Lesnar once again. Miz was so disgusted with Heyman's double cross, and even more so with the fact that he swore on his children's lives while lying to Punk, that he had to leave. It was a decent segment, you can't really go wrong when Heyman has a mic in hand.

Curtis Axel (c) defeated Chris Jericho to retain the intercontinental Title in an engaging affair. Once again these two put on a stellar bout, each giving displays to be proud of as they went back and fourth. Afterwards Ryback decided to come on down and after Y2J clobbered him with a few strikes, managed to Shell Shock his Money in the Bank opponent and kick him in the gut for good measure. 

'Mr. Money in the Bank' Damien Sandow claimed that he did no wrong at Money in the Bank when he tossed former tag partner Rhodes from the ladder and grabbed the briefcase for himself, reminding everyone that it was every man for himself in that environment. He went on to ask Cody to join him so they could settle things in an orderly fashion.

Once Cody came out, Sandow forgave him for attacking him on Raw an offered him a consolation in the form of becoming the 'honorary' Money in the Bank briefcase protector. After feigning appreciation for this opportunity, Cody thrust the briefcase into Sandow's face and then began beating on him, eventually chasing him out of the ring. Hopefully this face turn will be just what Cody needs to get back on track, he's been a punching bag for too long now.  

Rob Van Dam beat Darren Young in an entertaining match up, largely thanks to the efforts of RVD. It wasn't an exceptional contest by any means, but you couldn't help but have fun watching Van Dam do what he does best.

Randy Orton bested Alberto Del Rio in a solid main event. I'll admit neither has the most exciting persona nowadays, but in-between the ropes they're two of the most consistent in the company next to the likes of Bryan, Ziggler and Christian. A clean pinfall over the World Champion must surely earn 'The Viper' a title shot in the near future? If he was to obtain the strap that could make a potential cash in on the WWE Title extremely interesting...

Overall it was a pretty satisfying show for the most part, with no bad match ups and some entertaining promos. My highlights were Axel versus Jericho, the 'Miz TV' segment and the main event. My only issue with the show was Vickie Guerrero brought back as the GM, I just see this as a step back, there's nothing more we can get from her in that position. Why not just have her return as Ryback's manager or something along those lines? 

My WWE Raw, 15th July 2013 Recap

Bryan a little happy at Cena's decision. Photo credit: WWE.com

Raw GM Brad Maddox kicked off the show by boasting that the Brooklyn fans will one day be able to tell their grandkids that they were there to witness the start of the "Brad Maddox era." WWE Champion John Cena soon interrupted him and admitted that he deserved a chance to prove himself as GM before he judged him. Maddox then informed Cena that he will get to pick his own opponent to defend the title against at SummerSlam.

Money in the Bank winner Randy Orton decided to join them both and warned Cena that when he cashes in he won't squander the opportunity like the champ did last year. If I hadn't watched the product in a while I would've sworn that Orton was a heel the way he put down Cena. Fandango then made his way out to a terrific reaction and claimed that the challenger the fans would like to see Cena face was himself. It was a hilariously delivered promo. Things soon turned physical however when Orton and Fandango began brawling in the ring, so Maddox booked them both in a match there and then. It was an entertaining start to the show.

Randy Orton pinned Fandango in a decent outing. There were worthy efforts provided by both men here, with this probably being Fandango's finest singles match to date. It may have started fairly slow but things soon picked up. Like many fans I'll admit that Orton's persona has grown a bit stale, but he's still one of the most consistent performers in the company for me and it's rare he doesn't deliver in the ring. 

Backstage Dolph Ziggler told AJ Lee that he was ending things between them. AJ was understandably distraught, but we'll get to more of that later...

Mark Henry came to the ring and admitted that Cena was the better man the previous night in their title clash, and asked that he gave him one more chance at SummerSlam for the strap. The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) then walked out and after being repelled by the beastly Henry, managed to wear down the 'World's Strongest Man' and triple powerbomb him. So it looks like Henry's turning face, which could work.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler in an intense back and fourth affair. Once again these two delivered a terrific match up, with engaging action throughout and top displays from each of them. The finish came after the upset AJ Lee rang the ringside bell, causing Ziggler to become distracted and Del Rio to hit a swift kick to the head and gain the one-two-three.

As the former couple argued in the ring, Big E Langston snuck in and ran Ziggler over with a mean clothesline and applied a Big Ending. Guess we know who 'The Show Off' is facing at SummerSlam. 

Before their match could begin, Bray Wyatt's 'family' took out a surprised R-Truth. Wyatt then gave a cryptic promo on how heroes no longer existed and that people can no longer trust even their own flesh and blood, but he was still trustworthy. Truth then entered the ring again with a steel chair in hand, but was soon caught out and beaten up by Bray and his associates. Well Wyatt is certainly one of the freshest and most interesting acts in the company right now.

The Usos bested The Real Americans in a fair tag bout. The match was fun while it lasted, it's just a shame they weren't allocated a bit more time to really excel, especially after The Usos's solid Tag Team Title match the night before. 

Christian pinned Damien Sandow in an enjoyable enough encounter. Much like the previous match they weren't given too much time, but they made the most of it. Christian catching MITB victor Sandow with a pinfall win seemed like odd booking though, but this failed to phase him as he still announced himself as the "Intellectual Saviour of Money in the Bank" afterwards.

An enraged Cody Rhodes then began clobbering his former tag partner who stabbed him in the bank the night before, with Sandow managing a quick escape after some security held Rhodes back.  

Naomi beat Brie Bella in an unremarkable affair. To be fair it was okay compared to the usual standard of match they deliver, but it still wasn't anything to shout about. Naomi gained the winning pin after applying a cross body from the top rope.

A stern CM Punk demanded that Heyman and Lesnar, who he was aware were in the building, enter the ring with him. So Paul Heyman made his way out, claiming that he now fails to exist in his eyes and was no longer the best in the World since dumping him as his associate, which was also the reason that he double crossed him by manipulating him and at Money in the Bank when he slammed a ladder into him multiple times. He also added that his children made it all clear when they asked why Punk didn't follow his orders like Lesnar did, who he also stated Punk could not beat.

Punk retorted by warning Heyman that he will gain retribution on everyone associated with the double cross, leaving him for last so he can witness it all. A confident Heyman then brought out his client Brock Lesnar who began brawling with Punk. While Punk managed brief comeback strikes, he was overpowered by Brock at every turn and eventually F5'd onto the announce desk. It was an enthralling segment from start to finish, with tremendous mic work from Heyman and an entertaining scrap.

Rob Van Dam defeated Chris Jericho in an engaging contest. They've certainly had superior match ups in the past, but that's not to take away from this one which had a few slightly sloppy moments but was enjoyable on the whole and well received by the fans in Brooklyn. 

After asking for the crowds opinion on who he should face at SummerSlam for the championship, John Cena finally announced the hottest wrestler in the company today as his challenger, Daniel Bryan. The fans gave a very healthy response to that pick, and it should be an interesting match next month.

Overall it was a solid show, with some good storyline developments and most match ups and promos worth checking out. My highlights were RVD versus Jericho, Del Rio versus Ziggler and the Punk, Heyman and Lesnar segment. Good start to the road to SummerSlam, let's hope they keep up the momentum.  

My WWE Money in the Bank 2013 Recap

All six men go tumbling off of the ladders, crazy! Photo credit: WWE.com

The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) (c) defeated Jimmy and Jey Uso to retain the WWE Tag Team Title in a solid pre-show bout. Surpassing my prediction of a decent tag match, this was a really fun watch with innovative action (which I would like to see more of from the WWE tag division) and a fast pace to keep you engaged. All four men deserve credit.

Damien Sandow bested Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Fandango, Dean Ambrose, Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger in the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match. In this exciting and highly entertaining opener every man gave us a memorable moment, whether it was Ambrose flipping from under a ladder to on top of it and then being chucked out of the ring by Cesaro and Swagger who were holding it, to Cody muscle busting Cesaro onto a ladder in the corner. I was expecting good things here but it definitely exceeded my expectations.

For the finish Ambrose was thrown from the top of the ladder onto everyone outside the ring by Rhodes (including his Shield teammates who had run down to help him but were soon attacked by the Usos and most of the other participants) but unfortunately for Cody as he climbed the ladder he was thrown off by his tag partner and 'best friend' Sandow, who had been hiding on the outside of the ring awaiting his chance to pounce and indeed did here as he managed to unhook the briefcase.

It was a surprising win which I did envisage happening in this MITB match, and a very nice set up into a Rhodes and Sandow feud. Cody had been a force towards the end of the match and had the fans behind him, acting every bit the face. I still don't think Sandow is quite ready to be World Champion but hopefully by the time he cashes in he will have improved in the ring.

The brand new Raw GM Brad Maddox came to the ring and first thanked Vince McMahon for appointing him as the General Manager and then Vickie Guerrero (who was up with the rest of the MITB panel in a box) for everything she'd done during her time in the WWE and presented a highlight package of her time there, which mainly included her falling over, screaming and generally embarrassing herself. It was a bit of a strange segment, but fortunately Maddoxs' charisma managed to save it.

Curtis Axel (c) pinned The Miz to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a largely stellar encounter. Both men were on good form here as they went back and fourth, providing well executed sequences and effective near falls and submission attempts, namely a Figure Four Leg Lock that was turned over a couple of times towards the end. Miz also managed to get Paul Heyman evicted from ringside early in the bout after falsely accusing him of striking him outside the ring to the referee. The fans in Philly were not amused by that.

AJ Lee (c) forced Kaitlyn to submit to retain the Divas Championship in a passable contest. Much like their title clash last month this was decent at parts but it was still lacking a bit for me. My favourite part was actually the nice selling of a shoulder injury from Kaitlyn, which was logically used  when she failed to reach the champ for a pin attempt after hitting a spear and in order for her to have to tap out once AJ latched on her Black Widow submission hold.

Ryback beat Chris Jericho in a decent enough affair. Both men gave fine displays, and while it will admittedly never go down as one of either's greatest matches it was enjoyable enough. Ryback caught Jericho after a Lionsault attempt with a quick roll up for the one-two-three.  

Alberto Del Rio (c) won via disqualification versus Dolph Ziggler, thereby retaining the World Heavyweight Championship. What a tremendous title match this was, and for me the finest bout these two have ever had. Both men were on top form as they went back and fourth, with smooth wrestling and edge of your seat action as the near falls kept on coming.

The DQ occurred when Ziggler's partner AJ came down to the ring and ignored his cries to go to the back and ended up racing into the ring and cracking Del Rio with her title belt as he was preparing for a Zig Zag. An understandably frustrated Dolph had to leave her after a heated argument.

John Cena (c) defeated Mark Henry to retain the WWE Championship in a match that took a while to get interesting but finished nicely. Henry dominated for the most part, with the majority of fans firmly behind him as he manhandled the champ. Of course Cena made his comeback as any good title holder does and he managed to finally catch Henry in an STF for the submission victory. While the match had satisfying parts, I can't say a rematch would have me all that excited unless it was under the right stipulations.

Randy Orton bested Rob Van Dam, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Christian and CM Punk to obtain the WWE Championship Money in the Bank contract in an enthralling main event Ladder Match. This one had my firm attention from start to finish, with sterling performances from all involved. As with any previous MITB Ladder Match there were more than your fair share of impressive spots, although not as mental as the one earlier in the night.

We also had another betrayal much like the earlier MITB contest when Paul Heyman smashed a ladder into Punk's back multiple times as he was clear to grab the briefcase. This happened after Axel had run down and taken out Bryan as he was close to winning, but an unhappy Punk GTS'd the IC Champion for interfering, with Heyman also acting angry at his client. Many fans (and myself) were hoping that this was going to instigate an appearance from Lesnar, but that wasn't to be. This left things open for Orton to unhook the case and walk away with a guaranteed WWE Title match at any time he pleases. Hopefully this could be the start of the long rumoured heel turn for 'The Viper', we shall see.

Overall it was a solid and very fun event, with some memorable match ups and nice developments to take away from it. Heyman and Sandows' betrayals make things interesting going forward into SummerSlam next month, and a face turn for Rhodes can only be a good thing for him at this point really. Looking at the actual matches on the card I can't say there were any bad ones at all, and we had three high quality bouts in the two MITB Ladder Matches and the World Heavyweight Title contest, so I'd definitely put this PPV down as a big success and one of the best of the year so far. Just a shame there was no Bray Wyatt, but we only have to wait until tonight... 

My WWE Money in the Bank 2013 predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

WWE Championship Match - John Cena (c) versus Mark Henry:

While this feud started off strongly, with Henry delivering the promo of his career, I've started to loose interest fairly quickly since. I feel like we've received the same old template speeches from both men in the two weeks leading up to this. But putting that all aside I'm expecting a passable title contest, nothing that spectacular but fun enough. I also see Cena retaining, I just can't imagine Henry taking the belt from him tonight.

Winner: John Cena

WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match - CM Punk versus Rob Van Dam versus Daniel Bryan versus Sheamus versus Randy Orton versus Christian versus ?:

My prediction for match of the night, and looking at the solid line up potentially one of the finest MITB match ups we've ever seen (although it'll take some to outdo my personal favourite at WrestleMania XXIV). As for the man to unhook the coveted briefcase, I have to go with the wrestler with the most momentum and that's Bryan. With his significant wins as of late and terrific reactions from the fans, it all seems to be building to him obtaining the contract and cashing in on Cena in the near future, well that's what I reckon anyway. And plus we also have that mystery guest spot. Some have mentioned Bray Wyatt taking it, but I'm not so sure, it's intriguing though...

Winner: Daniel Bryan

World Heavyweight Championship Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) versus Dolph Ziggler:

While the action should be stellar here, I'm just really tired of this feud now and hope it nears its end tonight, mainly due to my lack of interest in Del Rio and his rather drab persona. I'm still torn between who I see coming away with the strap, so I'm just going with Ziggler for now as he's the wrestler I feel has a much more potentially interesting reign ahead.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match - Wade Barrett versus Damien Sandow versus Antonio Cesaro versus Cody Rhodes versus Jack Swagger versus Dean Ambrose versus Fandango:

While the line up here is a bit of a mixed bag, this should still be an exciting match with the younger wrestlers itching to leave an impression in this environment. This is also a tricky one to call. While you can almost rule out Rhodes and Sandow winning here, you never know if WWE fancy surprising the fans with a shock victory. Who can forget Bryan grabbing the briefcase a couple of years back at this event? Now who honestly expected that? But I'm going with who seems the most likely and logical, and that's Ambrose. He's been on very good form and clearly impressing the right people in the back, plus it would be the next step up for The Shield. I mean where do they go from their current position? But as I said there could well be a shock win so I could be way off.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Chris Jericho versus Ryback:

This could potentially be a very enjoyable outing, although with Ryback it can be tricky to tell. Jericho's been on solid form since returning at the Royal Rumble and I'm sure we'll get a fine performance from him, but while Ryback's been involved in some very entertaining encounters (his series with Cena, the tremendous TLC match versus Shield with Team Hell No) he's not consistent. Considering Y2J will be leaving on tour fairly soon it would seem foolish to have him victorious here, and Ryback really needs a significant PPV win.

Winner: Ryback 

Intercontinental Championship Match - Curtis Axel (c) versus The Miz:

I'm not anticipating anything extraordinary with this contest, but it should be decent enough and Axel has looked very good in-between the ropes lately, plus Miz almost always gives a worthy effort. Although Axel lost to Y2J on SmackDown this week (loosing his temper afterwards) I imagine he'll retain the belt here, I wouldn't see the point of him dropping it just yet to Miz.

Winner: Curtis Axel

Divas Championship Match - AJ Lee (c) versus Kaitlyn:

The contract signing segment on SmackDown got me interested in this feud again a bit, but I'm going to be realistic and admit that this will most likely be another fair and unremarkable bout between the two. It's a relief to see WWE investing time and actually building a relevant feud in the Divas division, but they really still need to invest in some female talent with experience and that are much more capable and exciting in the ring. Oh, and AJ to retain, seems most likely.

Winner: AJ Lee

Pre-Show WWE Tag Team Championships Match - The Shield (c) (Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) versus Jimmy and Jey Uso:

Good choice to have in the pre-show slot, should be a lively affair to get the Philly crowd going, plus with the titles on the line it adds that bit more significance. While Usos have been on a fair push as of late, I struggle to see them outdoing Shield tonight.

Winners: The Shield