My WWE Raw, 22nd October 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

Team Rhodes Scholars defeated Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara to earn a tag team title shot at Hell in a Cell. The match was enjoyable for the most part, with a few sloppy moments here and there but not enough to spoil it. The finish was very nicely executed too, with Mysterio almost grabbing the winning pin after a top rope body splash onto Rhodes. Throughout the crowd seemed split with their loyalty for both teams. 

Afterwards Daniel Bryan and Kane congratulated Sandow and Rhodes, but also warned them that they had no chance in beating them this Sunday. As far as their usual promos go, this was sub par for the charismatic duo.

Kofi Kingston beat Michael McGillicutty in a fair bout. It's a nice change seeing McGillicutty on Raw, I really think he has more to offer if given the chance. The action throughout was hard to fault to be honest, unfortunately you could only see one outcome so the excitement was drained a bit.

John Cena came out and once again promoted the number one contender to the WWE Championship Ryback in a attempt to help win him over with the fans. As he went on to claim that at HIAC the face of the WWE will change, CM Punk joined Cena. The champ claimed that Cena's speech was predictable, and named him the personal cheerleader for Ryback. Cena responded by announcing that he was now medically cleared and challenged Punk to a fight, so he came to the ring, but as any typical heel does he soon turned around and left. Cena's dancing around the ring and fake shadow boxing looked embarrassing. It wasn't the best segment considering the roll CM Punk's been on recently.

Justin Gabriel bested Antonio Cesaro in a worthy enough effort from both men. The action was passable as it played before an indifferent crowd, where some of the minority chanted "Boring" and "We want Ryder" which I felt was unfair treatment for these two and the bout. The ending was the only big downfall as they had to sloppily recover the ending sequence from the top rope. Michael Cole rightfully rammed down out ears how important a win this was for Gabriel, which it was.

Vince McMahon accompanied Raw GM AJ Lee out to the ring, where she announced that due to allegations of her fraternising with a certain talent she was forced to resign as General Manager. The fans in New York weren't happy with the decision. She went on to give an emotional speech on how she grew up with hard beginnings, and managed to become the boss of Raw, and thanked the fans for accepting her.

Paul Heyman then joined her and Vince, and suggested to the Chairman of the Board that he be the new General Manager. The fans liked the offer, and so did I, but unfortunately McMahon turned him down and named Vickie Guerrero the new  managing supervisor of Raw, not the permanent GM. Heyman attempted to persuade Vickie to reverse the decision McMahon made last week when he chose CM Punk's opponent for HIAC, but she wasn't having any of it and waved him off. She then went on to book Sheamus versus CM Punk in the main event. Heyman threw a hissy fit and left. 

Guerrero then turned her attention to AJ, and explained why she is superior to her. She also then claimed that AJ had an affair with an unnamed talent according to the allegation from the Board of Directors. In response AJ attacked Vickie in an awful looking brawl that went on for too long. It wasn't a bad segment, Heyman was the clear highlight on the mic, which is hardly a surprise.

Ryback defeated The Miz in an average contest. It was just pretty unmemorable and sub par as Ryback dominated Miz for the most part, who certainly didn't look like a former WrestleMania main eventer here. 

Backstage Kaitlyn confronted Eve regarding a mysterious email she had on her iPad that's linked to her attack from behind at Night of Champions. Eve retorted with a slap to Kaitlyn's face and the two began brawling until Layla forced Kaitlyn away, only to be pushed by Eve so she began also attack the Divas Champion. I'm just hoping they get this storyline over soon, it's dragging now.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Daniel Bryan in the brilliant match of the night. Both men put in terrific displays as they battled back and fourth, with exciting and crisp action. I was expecting an enjoyable bout here, but it was better than I'd predicted. During the contest Kane came down to support his tag partner by getting some "Yes!" chants going, but this annoyed Bryan who as then caught out with a Zig Zag by Ziggler from the second rope for the winning pinfall. On his way out Bryan also received the biggest ovation of the show.

Afterwards the Tag Team Champions argued, until Matt Stryker joined them and announced on behalf of Vickie Guerrero that both men will compete in a therapeutic game show against Team Rhodes Scholars. Unfortunately Rhodes and Sandow refused to compete in something so beneath them, and left. Amusingly Daniel Bryan happily celebrated a win via forfeit. A smug Stryker then left the ring, and once within a safe distance claimed that he hopes Team Hell No loose on Sunday. But Big Show didn't care, and tossed Stryker across the stage with ease on the way to his match with Kane. Bryan and Kane were once again on good form here during the segment. 

Big Show beat Kane in a rather pedestrian bout. It was just fairly drab and unmemorable really. During the match Sandow and Rhodes came out, distracting Kane and costing him the match as Big Show WMD'd him, they then took out Bryan and stood tall in the ring. While the match was quit slow paced and run of the mill as far the wrestling went, it at least elevated Show and the Team Hell No and Rhodes Scholars feud, so it was a success as far as that goes I guess.    

As Cena said goodbye to AJ Lee, she admitted to him that he was the man she was accused of having an affair with. She also accused Guerrero of being the one to fabricate the story. 

Alberto Del Rio bested Zack Ryder in a standard outing. Del Rio made fairly quick work of Ryder as he forced him to tap to the arm breaker. It wasn't anything special, and like the previous match you could skip it and not miss much. 

As Cena stormed into Vickie Guerreo's office to confront her she reminded him that he publicly asked AJ out on Raw and claimed that they'd been on a date, therefore costing her the role of GM.

CM Punk defeated Sheamus in a solid main event Lumberjack match. The intense contest kept me engaged from start to finish, with a nice pace and worthy displays from both men. In the superior bout to their one on Main Event a few weeks ago (which was a decent watch) 'The Great White' was thrown into the heels at ringside on a few occasions, and as any good face he fought back to take on the WWE Champion. But in the end it wasn't to be for the Irishman as he was Chokeslammed at ringside by Big Show and pinned by Punk.

As the WWE Champion celebrated Ryback made his way out and attacked him each time he was thrown back into his clutches by the lumberjacks. This included a very impressive and effective looking powerbomb, and a throw onto all the heel lumberjacks. 

Overall it was a mixed bag of a show. The main event, Team Hell No game show segment and especially Ziggler versus Bryan were the highlights. I'm hoping Ziggler and Guerreros separation is permanent, Dolph will go further without her in my opinion. CM Punk and Ryback's feud progressed well enough, although it still seems a little daft to me having Cena promoting the number one contender rather than the man himself. But I guess Ryback needs the extra support. Other than that there wasn't an awful lot that was memorable to take away from Raw. 

My WWE SmackDown, 10th August 2012 Recap

General Manager Booker T kicked things off by asking World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus to come out and apologise for driving Del Rio's car, so 'The Great White' joined the GM and admitted that as much fun as he had in the Ferrari, he had to do the right thing and apologised. But this wasn't good enough for Alberto Del Rio, who marched out and demanded Sheamus be punished further. So the champ offered Del Rio a World title match that very night as consolation, and the frustrated Del Rio accepted. 

Sin Cara defeated Cody Rhodes in a fair to average match up. Pretty skippable really. I'm hoping Rhode's career begins to pick up again soon.

The always entertaining Daniel Bryan came out to complain about being left out of the WWE title match at SummerSlam and having to face Kane instead. Kane then decided to join his future opponent, shortly followed by the Raw GM AJ, who explained that she was there to warn Bryan and Kane to calm things down. She went on to ask Bryan to shake hands with Kane to prove he was mentally stable and a good sportsman. So Bryan extended his hand only to be attacked and chased off by the 'Big Red Monster' while AJ maniacally laughed. It was a strange segment, and brought AJ over as more of a heel in my opinion.

Jinder Mahal won a Handicap match versus two rookies. It was a very brief squash match, with Mahal forcing one of the opponents to tap to his signature Camel Clutch. Afterwards Ryback came out seeking vengeance, but Mahal quickly made his way out of the ring, so Ryback instead decided to also take out Mahal's two former opponents. At least this is making Mahal more interesting and building him up a bit, I think he already has the ability in the ring.

Chris Jericho prepared to interview Dolph Ziggler on his Highlight Reel, but instead received Vickie Guerrero as his guest on her client's behalf. After some mickey taking Vickie threatened to leave the show, only to be brought back by Jericho. Vickie then went on to reiterate Ziggler's words that Jericho had lost it, and was not the wrestler he used to be. Jericho claimed that maybe she was right, and that he has had to think some things over but now "Y2J" was back. Dolph himself then came running in and after a distraction from his manager Zig Zagged Jericho and struck him with his Money in the Bank briefcase in the head.

With Jericho's contract with WWE running out very soon before his new tour with band Fozzy I'm guessing that he'll put Ziggler over at SummerSlam (Jericho has always come across to me as someone who puts up and coming talent ahead of his own ego, unlike some) and then quietly disappear again. With a possible return around December or at the Royal Rumble perhaps. That's just my guess anyway.   

Titus O'Neil and Darren Young beat Primo and Epico via disqualification to become number one contenders to the Tag Team titles. The match didn't really have enough time to get going or produce anything of any substance. The DQ came when Young and O'Neils manager AW threw water at Kofi Kingston and R-Truth (who'd been on guest commentary) causing the duo to enter the ring and begin attacking AW and his team. Oddly enough Rosa Mendes was absent from this bout, strange.

Christian defeated Antonio Cesaro in a very enjoyable contest. In Cesaro's best match since joining the main roster both men put on solid displays. It may have started off a little slow but once it picked up it was a lot of fun to watch. Afterwards Cesaro continued the assault as he threw Christian from the top rope to the outside and barged him into the barricade. Looks like Antonio's taking a step up on the roster.

Rey Mysterio beat The Miz in a decent match up. As usual the consistent Mysterio managed to bring out the best in his opponent in the ring and provided an exciting bout. Mysterio grabbed the one-two-three with a quick roll up, and hands Miz two losse in one week. I just hope they're not giving him another awful loosing streak storyline, it did absolutely nothing for him before.

Before Sheamus and Del Rio's World title match could begin a group of police officers surrounded the ring and Del Rio cancelled the bout, and it was then revealed that the group of men were in fact hired guns for Del Rio. The group and Del Rio then went on to take out the World Champion, with the show ending with the Mexican standing over his fallen SummerSlam opposition. It was a strong finish to the show and gave this feud some much needed energy and interest. Unfortunately I'm still waiting for that to happen to the WWE title bout.  

My WWE SmackDown, 20th July 2012 Recap

Rey Mysterio came out and spoke about how good it felt to be back after his year long absence due to injury but was soon interrupted by Alberto Del Rio, the man he attacked on Monday's Raw. Del Rio warned Mysterio that he made a mistake going after him and ordered him to leave the ring. Mysterio naturally refused. Dolph Ziggler also joined them both and claimed that Del Rio had ruined his chance of cashing in on the World Heavyweight title at Money in the Bank with his won contract.

After Ziggler and Del Rio exchanged some more words, they then turned on Mysterio only to have World Champion Sheamus come out to predictably even the odds and help chase off the two heels. Not a bad starting segment for the show, it makes a nice and much needed change for the blue brand to have Mysterio back.

Darren Young, Titus O'Neil, Hunico and Camacho defeated Primo, Epico, R-Truth and Kofi Kingston in an fair tag match. The display of the underrated Primo especially stood out for me. Afterwards Big Show came out and took out all men involved in the bout (bar O'Neil and Young).

Damien Sandow beat Zack Ryder in a fair contest that was maybe a bit too brief to show off what they could really do together in the ring.

Daniel Bryan and AJ joined Christian as his guests on the Peep Show and first presented a amusingly sickly VT of their wedding shopping for next weeks 1000th Raw. After the happy couple confirmed to Christian that they were doing the right thing, he asked the audience in San Diego who seemed to disagree. After an aggravated AJ slapped Christian, 'Captain Charisma' informed Bryan that he would next be facing an ex of his fiancee, Kane. My bets on Bryan dumping AJ as they're about to be wed next week.

Kane won via disqualification versus Daniel Bryan in an enjoyable bout. As usual with these two they performed well together, putting in worthy efforts. The DQ came when AJ leaped on Kane in defense of her partner. As Kane turned her around there was a brief moment where they looked as though they were about to kiss, but AJ left with Bryan.

Heath Slater lost to Legion of Doom's Animal in one his usual novelty squash matches in the lead up to the 1000th Raw.

Sheamus and Rey Mysterio won via DQ versus Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler in a good main event tag bout. Mysterio looked in great form as he tangled with Ziggler and Del Rio, I wouldn't have guessed he'd just returned from injury. To be fair all four wrestlers looked decent. The disqualification came after Ricardo Rodriguez grabbed Sheamus' leg as he prepared for the Brogue Kick. As the World Champion lay on the ground after a swift kick from Del Rio, Ziggler once again teased a possible Money in the Bank cash in until Mysterio helped take him out. 

So who else is ready for the 1000th Raw? Should be a good'n.

My WWE Raw, 16th July 2012 Recap

WWE Champion CM Punk started off the show by reminding the fans in Las Vegas that it was in that very city last year on June 27th on Raw that he gave that momentous promo where he simply spoke his mind that changed his career. He also reminded us that it has now been eighth months since he became WWE Champion, which is really quite incredible considering how long title reigns tend to last in pro wrestling nowadays. It certainly makes a refreshing change to have a World title holder with a significantly long and meaningful reign. 

Big Show then interrupted Punk and warned him that if he'd won the Money in the Bank contract the following night he would've cashed it in already and won the title. But Punk told Show that he'll always come close but loose out like he always does. Show retorted by cautioning the WWE Champion that Cena could very well cash in his MITB contract after their match later on, which pretty much confirmed that Cena would not be cashing in that night. It was quite an average segment to start the show.

Kofi Kingston and R-Truth (c) defeated Titus O'Neil and Darren Young to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The bout ranged from fair to quite drab, with a result that wasn't exactly shocking considering O'Neil and Young weren't even allowed to beat Primo and Epico at Money in the Bank.

Alberto Del Rio beat Zack Ryder in a short squash match. As Del Rio continued the attack on Ryder after the bell had rung Rey Mysterio made his return and applied the 619 to his rival. It's good to see the consistent performer Mysterio back.

Heath Slater once again challenged, and lost to, a famous face from Raw's past. This week it was Rikishi. Afterwards Rikishi danced similar to his Too Cool days with his two sons Jimmy and Jay Uso. The crowd seemed to appreciate the nostalgia act.

AJ and Daniel Bryan defeated Eve and The Miz in a decent enough mixed tag contest. AJ's time with Eve was fortunately kept rather brief in the ring, I'm enjoying her character but she still has some work to do in between the ropes. Daniel Bryan told AJ after that he loved her and then proposed. She answered "Yes".

Before Ryback versus Jack Swagger could even begin Swagger started the attack on his opponent, until Ryback made a comeback and powerbombed Swagger three times in a row. Ryback received more positive reaction here from the fans than I've ever heard, with them even chanting along to his "Feed me more!". Good sign for him. 

MITB winner Dolph Ziggler came out and stated that he will be the next and greatest World Heavyweight Champion of all-time. Chris Jericho then joined him, so Ziggler asked Jericho when the last time was that he actually won anything and called him a loser. Ziggler went on to call Y2J "all hype," claiming that he'd been coasting along for so long now that he had everybody fooled. It was brilliant mic work from the MITB winner. Jericho retaliated by applying a Codebreaker to 'The Show Off'. It was a great segment, with great work from Ziggler and Jericho receiving a better reaction then he has since his return last year. I'm definitely all for a rivalry between these two.

Brodus Clay beat JTG in a pretty nothing contest. Where can they go with Clay now? I'm just growing tired of the persona to be honest, I'd love to see a heel turn out of him in the near future.

CM Punk won via disqualification versus Big Show in a decent main event. The first third of the bout was a bit slow and did drag a little as Show had most of the offense. But when Punk started to make a comeback the match gained a bit of life back and the fans started to get into it. After refusing to halt an attack on the WWE Champion in the corner and pushing the referee aside, Big Show was DQ'd. John Cena's music then hit and Show backed off as it looked as though Cena might cash in his MITB contract, but it was just too obvious to happen.

Show tried to convince Cena to cash in now while Punk was down, but Cena instead announced that he would cash in the MITB next week on the 1000th Raw. Should be a decent title match, and a great show.

My WWE Raw, 9th July 2012 Recap

AJ stated things off by admitting that the thought of being the special guest referee at this Sunday's WWE Championship match at Money in the Bank was "overwhelming" and then welcomed out WWE Champion CM Punk. AJ claimed to Punk that she was mentally stable despite his accusations last week, and also went on to admit that the champ turns her on. She then got down on one knee and proposed to Punk, which provoked quite a reaction from the fans.

This cued Daniel Bryan to come racing down to the ring and warning AJ that this was a huge mistake as CM Punk doesn't care about her, but he still did, and got down on one knee and also proposed. Punk called Bryan's bluff and exposed him for a fraud and a liar in regards to really caring about AJ. Then came a familiar tone, the one of the Anonymous Raw General Manager making their return via laptop to Michael Cole once again after a pleasant absence. The GM booked a mixed tag match pitting Bryan and Eve versus AJ and CM Punk, much to Bryan's dismay. AJ simply said before leaving that she predicts that she will be leaving the arena that night with her future husband. It was a fairly decent segment to start the show once AJ's proposal came out.

Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger in a brief squash match. Alberto Del Rio then congratulated 'The Great White' via the big screen and also warned him that he will defeat him on Sunday for the World Heavyweight Championship. I still see Sheamus grabbing the win at MITB.

Lord Tensai and Dolph Ziggler defeated Tyson Kidd and Christian in a fair tag match. It was solid enough but deserved to have been allocated some more time for me considering the talent involved. Afterwards Vickie Guerrero looked impressed at the actions of Tensai as he further attacked Tyson Kidd after the bell had rung. Possible new client for her in the future?

Cole refused to read an announcement from the Anonymous GM after he'd accidentally spilt a drink on Jerry Lawler. So Lawler stepped up and revealed that the GM had booked himself versus Cole in a WrestleMania rematch. After a dispute from Cole, the GM announced that there'd be a poll online to determine if the match would happen or not. Like it wasn't bad enough we had to endure this awful in ring feud years ago for far too long, we have to witness it again and take time away from the real talent? 

Brodus Clay defeated Drew McIntyre in a worthless squash match.

John Cena came to the ring and actually did a good job in promoting the Money in the Bank pay-per-view by drumming in how important the "must see event" was with two MITB contracts up for grabs that have always rewarded the holder with a World title. He didn't tell any childish jokes or kiss up to the fans, he just gave a decent promo like we all know he's capable of.

John Cena and Kane versus Big Show and Chris Jericho ended in a no contest. The bout itself was average for the most part, with the periods between Jericho and Kane salvaging it a bit, but Big Show and Cena's interactions just being quite poor. The bell was oddly rung after Show had pulled Cena out of the ring as he went to pin Jericho. Big Show then attacked Jericho and Kane with a ladder, but Cena managed to make a comeback and charge Show out of the ring with a ladder of his own. I'm hoping there will be more participants added to the WWE Championship MITB on Sunday such as the rumoured Rey Mysterio and Miz, I think the bout is going to need it.

Sin Cara defeated Heath Slater to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship MITB match. It was a passable contest, if not very memorable. Afterwards Slater complained about how unfair it was that he wasn't in the MITB match and challenged any former champion from the back. So Bob Backlund joined Slater and managed to lock in his signature Cross-Face Chicken Wing and force him to tap.

Jerry Lawler defeated Michael Cole in a predictable waste of time after the fans (for some reason) voted in favour of the contest happening on WWE.com. The only positive is that we at least didn't have Lawler on commentary for a while. The Anonymous GM then revealed that he was reversing the decision after Booker T had thrown Cole back into the ring during the bout.

Santino Marella, who'd been investigating the mystery of who the Anonymous Raw GM was all night, then joined them and concluded that they must be hiding under the ring. And sure enough Hornswaggle emerged from the ring and was revealed to have his own laptop with the 'Raw GM' sticker on. He then attacked Lawler, Santino and Cole before running off. The whole segment felt like a waste of time.  

AJ and CM Punk defeated Eve and Daniel Bryan in a mediocre main event. Unfortunately while the interest in AJ has risen, her in ring skills are still catching up. AJ grabbed the win with a roll up pin after Daniel Bryan refused to tag with Eve to prove how much he cared for AJ. Afterwards Bryan asked AJ to leave with him and get married that night, while CM Punk admitted to AJ that he wasn't going to marry her. In response AJ slapped both men and smiled as she left. Well, I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how things play out on Sunday! 

My WWE SmackDown Great American Bash, 3rd July 2012 Recap

The show kicked off with the scene of a big barbecue outside the arena with various wrestlers and divas celebrating Independence Day, with Kane himself igniting the BBQ with his signature entrance taunt. 

Alberto Del Rio came to the ring and bragged about receiving his World title match at Money in the Bank against Sheamus and how he's going to beat him. He then went on to accuse the fans in Texas of entering America illegally and began harassing an obviously planted member of the crowd until Sheamus made his way out and they began brawling. As the World Champion was taking it to Del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez helped his boss gain the upper hand and Alberto attacked 'The Great White' using the bot of his car. They even showed Sheamus bleeding from the attack after the break, guess they have no problem with using blood at all now. Used correctly it can add a lot of drama and excitement to a match.

Layla and The Great Khali defeated Aksana and Antonio Cesaro in a mediocre tag team match. Cesaro wasn't really given much chance to shine against Khali and Layla looked okay against the untalented Aksana. I just really cannot understand why Aksana is still in the company, she can't wrestle and has no acting skills. I hope the talented Cesaro can move on from this quickly.

Backstage Cody Rodes informed guest GM Teddy Long that he had been granted another qualifying match for the MITB by the Board of Directors, and in turn Long informed Rhodes that he had chosen Christian as his opponent in said match.

Cody Rhodes defeated Christian to qualify for the Money in the Bank match. It was a very enjoyable contest, with both men putting in solid efforts from start to finish. 

Dolph Ziggler defeated Alex Riley to qualify for the MITB Match. It was another good qualifying bout for the night, with Riley and Ziggler both looking decent. I'd be putting my money on Dolph winning the MITB match too.

Shortly into an interview Michael Cole was conducting with AJ he asked her "What the hell were you thinking?" regarding pushing CM Punk into Daniel Bryan and a table on this weeks Raw. He then went onto call her a "troubled little girl" and shouldn't be the guest referee for a WWE Championship match. He then cringe worthily asked AJ if she instead would want to be with a "real man" such as himself instead of Punk or Bryan.

Daniel Bryan himself then fortunately interrupted Cole and called him a sexist bully, he also accused the commentator of making up stories like the rest of the media. After Bryan complimented AJ for a while, WWE Champ CM Punk joined them all and told Cole to get out of the ring. Punk went on to tell AJ that he's not going to suck up to her like Bryan, but instead seriously advised her to seek medical help. Bryan called Punk a liar and then received a snog from AJ, who left the ring to also kiss Punk and then skipped off. Her character is definitely one of the more interesting things in the company right now.

Santino Marella, Jim Duggan and Sgt Slaughter defeated Hunico, Camacho and Drew McIntyre in a tag match. It was passable for what it was, a novelty bout. It's quite funny, as Santino was celebrating with Duggan and Slaughter I could imagine him in twenty years time in the same position. 

Back at the party Damien Sandow attempted to halt proceedings, only to began brawling with Zack Ryder. In retaliation Ryder then attempted to throw a bowl of punch at Sandow only to miss and soak Eve instead, much to everyone's delight.

Ryback defeated Curt Hawkings in a squash match. At least it was a bit more interesting than Ryback's usual routine, and with more relevant competition he's taking a step up finally. Unfortunately the crowd weren't really getting into it as they began entertaining themselves with chants of "Goldberg" once again.

Zack Ryder won the Great American Bash Battle Royal to earn the right to be the General Manager of SmackDown next week. The match itself  (which included the likes of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, John Cena and Big Show) wasn't bad, just the usual you expect from a battle royal. Zack Ryder last eliminated Kane as he pulled the ropes down to win the bout. The result was well received by the fans and hopefully this could be the revival Ryder has desperately needed since the awful Cena and Kane rivalry and his involvement in it.

My WWE Raw, 3rd July 2012 Recap

John Cena came out and compared the unpredictably of the Money in the bank match to the attack he received from Big Show last week during his bout with Jericho. He received a mixed reaction from the crowd, and it wasn't a particularly great promo. Daniel Bryan then joined Cena and claimed that if Cena wins the MITB and cashes it in on him after he beats CM Punk than he will be the fist man to cash in the contract and loose. WWE Champion CM Punk also came out and had almost everyone agree with him that he will be victorious against Bryan, using his signature "Yes!" chant. 

Chris Jericho also made his inevitable appearance and once again accused everyone of imitating him. He also gave Bryan some advice to create new catchphrases so people don't steal them and reeled off a collection of his classic ones, which was a nice trip down memory lane and the crowd enjoyed it. Kane was then next out, shortly followed by Big Show. Everyone then began brawling in the ring until Big Show managed to take them out. 

Santino Marella, Christian, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeated David Otunga, Titus O'Neil, Darren Young and Cody Rhodes in a mediocre tag team match. About half way in Young and O'Neil decided they'd had enough and decided to leave, shortly followed by Rhodes. Which left Otunga to be picked off by the opposing team and then received his comeuppance in the form of Brodus Clay attacking him afterwards.

Live via satellite Paul Heyman warned Triple H that if Brock Lesnar accepts his challenge of a match at SummerSlam on the 1000th Raw then he will end 'The Game's' in-ring career. As usual it was a brilliant delivery from Heyman.

AJ and Sheamus defeated Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler in a fair tag team contest. Dolph and Sheamus' time in the ring was as usual solid between them, and fortunately the interaction between Vickie and AJ was kept short. After the bout AJ asked Punk what he thought of the match, only to hear that he was on the phone the whole time and didn't realise it was even happening. This didn't please the unpredictable AJ. 

Heath Slater once again complained about being embarrassed by past wrestlers week after week on Raw, and was then joined by his competitor Doink the Clown.

Heath Slater defeated Doink the Clown to a mostly indifferent crowd in a brief match. DDP also made an appearance (and received a much better reaction than Doink, which was hardly shocking) and took out the 'One Man Band' with a Diamond Cutter. 

Big Show defeated Kane in an average No Disqualification bout. It wasn't as drab as I was expecting to be fair, although they could've used weapons a little more. But just before Money in the Bank I suppose they wouldn't want to go overkill which makes sense. Show pinned Kane after Choke Slamming him onto a steel chair.

Tyson Kidd defeated Lord Tensai in a very brief match up. In the surprise victory Kidd managed to quickly roll up Tensai for the one-two-three. Afterwards Tensai attacked his associate. With this result and getting into the MITB match things are finally looking positive for the future of the talented Tyson Kidd. 

In a funny backstage segment Jericho and Bryan argued over who's leather jacket was better and then had a screaming contest with each other's catchphrases. I'm enjoying the chemistry between these two. Lord Tensai also attacked Tyson Kidd in the locker room backstage during an interview. 

CM Punk and John Cena versus Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho ended in a no contest. The match itself had been a bit of a mixed bag, most of it was very enjoyable, it's just a shame Cena put in a poor performance to bring the quality down a bit. During the bout Jericho and Cena ended up fighting all the way to the back and never seen again, this provided the best part of the match with the back and fourth action between Punk and Bryan.

AJ then came down to the ring and at first became distraught that neither Punk nor Bryan were paying attention to her, then decided to set up a table and climb to the top rope. Punk and Bryan pleaded with her not to jump, so she then kissed Punk and threw him through Bryan and into the table. I honestly can't figure out where they're going with the AJ character, I'm not sure even the writers know. 

Overall Raw was okay, not a particularly outstanding show by any means. Once again the actual action in the ring was largely under par, which isn't good enough for the flagship broadcast of the company.

My WWE SmackDown, 29th June 2012 Recap

Layla defeated AJ in a fair match up. I wasn't expecting much here but AJ looked very competent in the ring. She's certainly come a long way this year, not just with her unpredictable character but in between the ropes too. During the bout AJ's ex Daniel Bryan amusingly raced around the ring screaming "Yes!" much like AJ has done during his matches as of late, causing her to be distracted and pinned by Layla. After the loss AJ began viciously attacking the Divas Champion.

Daniel Bryan explained to AJ that it was a bit of payback for her distracting him, and also called out guest GM Vickie Guerrero. After shouting "Yes!" at each other throughout the commercial break, Vickie eventually joined them both in the ring. After much kissing up to the GM, Bryan asked her to have AJ banned from his title match with CM Punk at Money in the Bank. Unfortunately for Bryan, Vickie revealed a poll from WWE.com asking what role AJ should play in the said WWE title match, and the fans voted for AJ to be the special guest referee. It was a good start to the show, with AJ and Bryan's characters on top form at the moment.

Damien Sandow defeated Zach Ryder in a Money in the Bank qualifying match. It was a good effort by both men, and a solid overall match. This is a very big step forward for Sandow too, let's hope the momentum keeps on going.

Tyson Kidd defeated Jack Swagger to qualify for the Money in the Bank match. It was an enjoyable enough contest between the two, with Kidd on his usual good form in the ring. Glad to finally see the talented Tyson Kidd also get rewarded with a PPV spot for his hard and consistent work.

Christian and Santino Marella defeated Cody Rhodes and David Otunga to qualify for the Money in the Bank match. It was a passable bout, the best part being the time between the two best performers in the match Christian and Cody.

Ryback defeated two rookies in a Handicap match. What else is there to say here that hasn't already?

Lord Tensai defeated Justin Gabriel to qualify for the Money in the Bank match. Not a shocking result. The bout itself was decent enough, not particularly outstanding but both men put on a solid display. During the match we were also informed that Cody Rhodes will be putting in a formal protest since it was his tag partner Otunga who was pinned not him, I can see Rhodes getting into the MITB match and winning it.

Sheamus (c) defeated Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in an enthralling Triple Threat match. The action rarely let up as all three wrestlers gave a great effort throughout, for me it was a PPV quality match up. I'm not sure who the next challenger for 'The Great White' (and I emphasise the 'Great' there, he has been on terrific form this year) is but I wouldn't object to a rematch of that Triple Threat at MITB. 

My WWE Raw, 25th June 2012 Recap

AJ opened up the show by talking to Daniel Bryan, Kane and CM Punk, or so we were led to believe. As she described her feelings towards each the camera panned around to reveal that she was talking into a mirror.

Guest GM Vickie Guerrero came out and bragged about her managerial abilities and how on the 1000th Raw she wouldn't be surprised if she was named permanent General Manager. She also announced an Elimination Three Way bout as the first match.

Daniel Bryan defeated CM Punk and Kane in the Elimination Three Way match up. It was a solid enough bout, although not as entertaining as their previous efforts together. Kane was first eliminated after AJ once again skipped around the ring, causing him to have a GTS applied by Punk for a three-count. Straight after Bryan then kicked Punk in the head for the one-two-three. 

Big Show defeated Brodus Clay in a slow and largely average contest. Not much else to say, just a match that was pretty unmemorable really. As Clay was being assisted to the back afterwards Big Show gave him a knockout out punch for good measure.

Backstage Kane explained to AJ that he couldn't afford to have feelings for her as it's a weakness for him and amusingly claimed that even he finds her "mentally unstable." He also asked that they just stay out of each others way from now on.

Santino Marella (c) defeated Jack Swagger to retain the United States Championship in a mediocre title bout. It wasn't bad, just quite flat for a title match. Santino can be entertaining at times but I don't agree with him holding a singles title, he's not really doing anything for it like Christian is with the Intercontinental Championship.

John Cena came out and began comparing the downfall of John Laurinaitis to the Star Wars trilogy. It was his usual silly, childish stuff but it got the crowd going. As he was about to then make a big announcement Chris Jericho made his return and interrupted him. Y2J told Cena to hurry up with his announcement and get out of the ring. So Cena did, and announced that for the first time he would be participating in a Money in the Bank match for the WWE Championship contract.

Jericho mocked Cena's childish attitude and arrogance that he just expects to win the MITB match. He also then announced himself for the MITB match. Vickie Guerrero joined them both and informed that it will only be former WWE Champions that will participate in the MITB match (so no younger up and comers getting into the main event scene there? Great) including Jericho and Cena. She also booked Cena versus Jericho for the main event.   

Heath Slater interrupted a mystery introduction by Lilian Garcia and claimed that he didn't care about being embarrassed by various wrestlers of the past in celebration of the 1000th Raw because (according to him) he's the greatest wrestler on the roster. His opponent was then revealed as Sycho Sid. Sid predictably beat Slater rather easily in a novelty match.

Dolph Ziggler versus Alberto Del Rio in a Contract on a Pole match (or whatever it was called) ended in a draw after neither man had a complete hold of the number one contendership contract. It started off quite well, with both men working nicely together as they went back and fourth. But the ending just felt a little silly and lost the crowds interest a bit as both men scrambled around for the contract. It was just a bit confusing. Up until that point the fans had been really into it, with much more backing for Ziggler than Del Rio. I reckon the bookers were trying to test out the potential of a face turn for Dolph here myself.

World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus then came out and informed both men that they will be involved in a Triple Threat for the World title instead on this Fridays SmackDown. Should be a good match.

AJ won the Divas Summertime Battle Royal. It was about as crappy as you're imaging right now, except getting to see Layla in that bikini. AJ was the logical choice as winner, considering her status and receptions at the moment. She last chased off Vickie Guerrero to win the match.

John Cena won via disqualification versus Chris Jericho in a passable, if unexceptional contest. The DQ came after Big Show attacked Cena during the match. Show then went on to latch on a Camel Clutch onto Cena for a while. It was a disappointing end to a match I was quite looking forward to.

It was also announced during the show that it will be Daniel Bryan versus CM Punk for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank and that Brock Lesnar will return to Raw next week to answer Triple H's challenge of a match at SummerSlam. Both announcements which I'm very much looking forward to.

My WWE SmackDown, 22nd June 2012 Recap

Teddy Long informed everyone once again that John Laurinaitis had been fired and was then interrupted by Big Show, who came to the ring and claimed that he didn't care about Laurinaitis being terminated or the fans. He also called John Cena lucky after beating him in a Cage match at No Way Out. Show then threw his hat into the upcoming Money in the Bank match, stating that no amount of men could beat him, even though he's never won any MITB matches that he's participated in. Brodus Clay then interrupted him and began exacting some revenge until he was attacked from behind by David Otunga. This allowed Show to slowly beat down Clay.

Otunga then mocked 'The Funkasaurus' and his dance moves. It wasn't a bad start to the show, Big Show's promos are definitely a lot more interesting than they have been for years, just a shame his ring work hasn't improved.

Ryback defeated a couple more rookies in a Handicap match. I like him but I am just starting to grow tired of these now.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Christian in a great back and fourth contest. It's no shock that these two solid wrestlers put on a very good match up. Afterwards Cody Rhodes attacked Christian's already damaged arm.

Kane defeated Daniel Bryan in a surprisingly good bout. Don't get me wrong I was expecting an enjoyable match here, it just exceeded my expectations and is probably the best one on one match Kane's been involved in since his return. These two have put on solid bouts whenever they've worked together. Kane Choke Slammed Bryan for the winning pin after guest time keeper AJ rang the bell early, distracting Bryan.  

Guest GM Mick Foley began thanking the fans until he was shortly interrupted by Heath Slater, who warned that he was going to protest after his embarrassment on Monday's Raw. Foley then introduced his opponent for the night, Zach Ryder.

Zach Ryder defeated Heath Slater in a fair but short match up. Like I've said Slater has grown on me over the last couple of months, I just can't see him ever rising above his current position on the roster. But you never know.

Titus O'Neil and Darren Young defeated The Usos in an enjoyable tag team bout. It's great to see the tag team division get this brief revival, let's just hope Vince doesn't get bored with it like he normally tends to. Afterwards backstage Epico and Primo attacked the winning tag team.

United States Champion Santino Marella came out and thanked all the fans who had made and brought their own signs, asking the cameraman to highlight them. He then asked one female fan (obviously fake) holding a 'I heart Santino' sign to join him in the ring, she did, then snogged his face off. It was an odd segment, if a little amusing.  

Sheamus defeated Dolph Ziggler in a solid main event. I'm almost tiring of writing compliments for these two now ha ha, but they have just been putting in tremendous efforts over the last year with consistent performances. People have been asking and begging for a Ziggler push and even though he's been loosing to 'The Great White' he's getting into that main event scene and getting that deserved push. And with Vickie Guerrero as guest GM next week you can bet on Ziggler getting a World title match on Raw or SmackDown. I can't see him winning it just yet, but keep patient.

Overall it was a very good SmackDown in-ring wise with some great bouts, a big step up from last week. Outside the matches it wasn't so interesting, as a big fan of Foley's I was quite disappointed with his contributions and Big Show just repeated himself again really. Still, probably the best wrestling show of the week for me.

My WWE Raw, 18th June 2012 Recap

Mick Foley started things off by announcing that he will be hosting both Raw and SmackDown this week after John Laurinaitis' firing. He also introduced the former GM to say his farewells. Laurinaitis called the fans in Long Island rude after a frosty reception, and booked John Cena in a Handicap match as his final move as a General Manager.   

Sheamus and CM Punk defeated Daniel Bryan and Kane in a decent tag team match. It wasn't a match that was going to set the World alight but it had good efforts from all four men involved. During the bout AJ came skipping around the ring in a fairly close replica of Kane's attire, complete with the mask. As Kane was distracted by this Punk and Sheamus grabbed the win over a solo Daniel Bryan. I'm quite enjoying the strange activities of AJ as of late, she's definitely become more interesting.

Backstage Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler argued with each other over who was better and who deserved the management of Vickie Guerrero, who then informed both wrestlers that they'll be facing each other to determine who deserves her services.  

Dolph Ziggler defeated Jack Swagger in a fair, if a bit drab at times contest. It was slow paced bout where Swagger was allowed to dominate the majority, working on Ziggler's leg that he'd injured and forcing the Ankle Lock on him. Ziggler managed to grab the winning pin after escaping the submission hold and quickly applying a Zig Zag.  Him and Vickie shared a prolonged kiss afterwards.

Paul Heyman came out as Brock Lesnar's representative and informed Triple H that both him and Lesnar will not drop their lawsuits and that Lesnar will not face 'The Game' at SummerSlam. Triple H himself then joined Heyman and told him that he will only accept an answer from Lesnar in person and then presented a prototype for a SummerSlam poster featuring Lesnar, telling Heyman that he'll give the 'War Machine' what he wants in the form of the face of the big event. Heyman simply told the COO to go back to his "ivory tower" where everyone caters to him and stop pretending to be the ass-kicker he used to be.

Heyman also warned Triple H that he's always one step ahead of him and that the 'Cerebral Assassin' has met his match, so 'The Game' retorted with a punch to Heyman's face. It was a great segment between the two and the best part of the show, Heyman has certainly not lost his touch and is still one of the best on the mic.     

Layla introduced Cyndi Lauper and Wendi Richter as part of the 1000th episode of Raw celebration. The fans in attendance were about as into it as I was as they began chanting for Zach Ryder. Heath Slater then interrupted proceedings and asked the three ladies to leave the ring and began to sing. There were yet more chants for Ryder. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper then came out to a great reception and asked Slater to leave the ring. An slightly emotional 'Hot Rod' also presented Lauper with framed copy of a gold record. Slater amusingly told them all to get over it and then had the record smashed over his head by Lauper herself. I was just watching this segment waiting for it to end really. 

Primo and Epico defeated Darren Young and Titus O'Neil via count out in a passable tag team match. The crowd once again lost interest.

John Laurinaitis complained about what happened at No Way Out, resulting in him loosing his job. He also called the fans losers since they won't get to see him anymore. Big Show and David Otunga joined their former boss and Show also complained about the events from the previous night. Big Show went on to then tell both his partners that they were on their own against Cena as he didn't have to answer to anyone now.   

John Cena defeated John Laurinaitis and David Otunga in a Handicap match. It was predictably mediocre, but was successful in its own right of giving the fans and Cena their last bit of retribution against the former GM. As Big Johnny tagged in he revealed that his crutch and neck brace were all part of a ruse as he wasn't actually injured at all. This rubbed his partner Otunga the wrong way as he refused to then tag back in and help his former boss, much to the crowds delight. Cena went on to AA Laurinaitis a few times before he pinned him.

My No Way Out 2012 Recap

Sheamus (c) defeated Dolph Ziggler to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a solid enough opener to the show. As predicted both men who have been mostly consistent with the good quality of their matches over the last year provided yet another compelling bout from start to finish. There were a few slightly sloppy moments I'll admit but on the whole this was a good opener and certainly entertained me and the fans who were on their feet in the arena. Most of whom were cheering on Ziggler despite what the dopey Jerry Lawler claimed (he stated that the chants were all for Sheamus). 

Santino Marella defeated Ricardo Rodriguez in a Tuxedo match. It was just a lame comedy match up, even the crowd grew tired of it and began chanting "Boring." Which I concur. We should've had a real wrestling match here.

Christian (c) defeated Cody Rhodes to retain the Intercontinental title in a crisp and very enjoyable contest. Both Christian (in my opinion the most underrated performer in WWE) and Rhodes put in great efforts and were practically flawless with the action they provided here and they went back and fourth. The crowd maybe didn't quite get into as much as the opener but that's understandable I guess, the final few minutes had them going though.

Darren Young and Titus O'Neil defeated Primo and Epico, Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel and The Usos in a Fatal Four Way tag team bout to become number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championship. It was a fast paced and for the most part entertaining tag match, with Epico and Kidd giving the best performances for me. The best moment was clearly a hurricanrana that Kidd applied to Epico from the top rope to the outside on top of most of the participants, causing chants of "Holy Shit!" Manager AW also swerved on Primo and Epico as he helped O'Neil and Young get the win over them. Washington managing them does make more sense I think, better suited characters. It's also a big relief to see the tag team division represented on pay-per-view again, this should be a regular occurrence.   

Triple H came to the ring and challenged Brock Lesnar to a match at SummerSlam (not directly SummerSlam, but he hinted at it). It wasn't his greatest ever promo but the message was clear, he wanted to put aside all the law suits and just fight man to man in the ring. 

Layla (c) defeated Beth Phoenix to retain the WWE Divas Championship in an average bout. There were a few good moments here and there from both women, the match just didn't feel particularly remarkable on the whole though. Layla showed a bit more character, dancing around and teasing Phoenix with her tiara. Although you maybe felt that she was trying a bit too hard, still an improvement though.

Backstage throughout the night AJ had been wishing all three men involved in the WWE Championship match good luck. But when it came to Kane and she gave him a peck on the cheek, he held her arm and they then kissed properly once again. This provoked a decent reaction from the crowd too.

Sin Cara defeated Hunico in a fair, if unmemorable match up. Unfortunately for the two wrestlers the crowd soon lost interest and began chanting for Zach Ryder. Is it too late for Sin Cara to ever win over the fans now?

CM Punk (c) defeated Kane and Daniel Bryan to retain the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match. It was a solid World title bout and exceeded my expectations. I mean I was expecting a decent match but it was more exciting and fast paced than I was predicting. The crowd were superb during it too. For the finish CM Punk accidentally threw Kane into AJ on the apron, chucking her off of the apron. As Kane went to check on her Punk applied a GTS for the one-two-three. So AJ's allegiances are still unknown, although you have to guess that it's Kane she'll end up with.

Ryback once again took out a couple of nobodies in a squash match. He claimed that he wanted three men instead next time during the match itself. I don't mind Ryback but I'd rather have seen the charismatic Damien Sandow here instead. 

John Cena defeated Big Show in the predictably mediocre Cage match. Up until the final five minutes or so the match just dragged, the action was slow and drab really. Who'd expect that from a Big Show match, right? Towards the end a few wrestlers who'd been on the end of a Big Show attack recently came down to halt the giant's chances of escaping the cage, Zach Ryder received the biggest pop for appearing here. Brodus Clay then grabbed John Laurinaitis as Cena managed to climb over the cage and escape before Show did. As per the stipulation Vince McMahon then uttered those trademark two words of his to Laurinaitis "You're fired!"

It wasn't a great bout and it should certainly not have been the main event, but the result was definitely the more interesting one. I mean, the firing stipulation has never effected Cena anyway so we knew even if Show won he wouldn't have been terminated anyway. This also begs the question of who takes over as GM now? Hopefully someone more capable on the mic and with more charisma, though that shouldn't be hard to find.    

My WWE Raw, 11th June 2012 Recap

John Laurinaitis came to the ring, but was soon interrupted by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, who received a very nice response. Laurinaitis pleaded with McMahon to let him keep his job. The Chairman then ripped apart many of the GM's decisions over his tenure, calling bringing back Big Show as "a horrible investment," amen to that.

Sheamus then also joined them and called Johnny the "worst general manger in WWE history." An angered Laurinaitis stated that he'd make the Irishman pay by booking him in a match against a mystery opponent. McMahon then warned Johnny before he left that if the show isn't good enough then at the end of the night he'll be fired.  

Sheamus defeated Lord Tensai in a fair match up. It dragged a little bit at the start but gradually picked up in quality towards the second half of the bout. Things aren't looking great for Tensai at the moment. Afterwards he took out his worshipper to a largely indifferent crowd. 

As R-Truth was giving an interview backstage, Big Show knocked him out with a punch.

Beth Phoenix and Ricardo Rodriguez defeated Layla and Santino Marella in a comedy tag team match. Afterwards Santino ripped open the always amusing Ricardo's shirt to reveal a Justin Bieber T-Shirt. 

Daniel Bryan came to the ring and bragged about he's going to win the WWE Championship at No Way Out on Sunday. The current title holder CM Punk also came out and claimed that outside the ring AJ is out of Bryan's league, and inside the ring he's out of Punk's league. Bryan told Punk how he's lost respect for him since he'd supposedly sold out after pandering to the fans. The WWE Champion stated that since his classic promo last year on the June 27th Raw, he hasn't changed at all. He rose to the top on his own terms, but claimed Bryan had drastically changed since shattering the glass roof.

Kane then joined them both and warned that his pipe bombs are actual pipe bombs after reminding us of what evil deeds he's performed in the past. AJ also came to the ring and said that when she looked into Kane's eyes last week she saw a heart. She also claimed that she wasn't totally over Bryan and that Punk was the coolest guy she's ever met. I couldn't tell if it was on purpose but she seemed really awkward on the mic here. Laurinaitis then booked Kane and Bryan against Punk and AJ in a tag team match.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Christian, Jack Swagger and The Great Khali in an Elimination Fatal Four Way match to become number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. The bout started off quite slow and dull, with Khali having most of the offense until he was eliminated. Fortunately it then picked up in pace and excitement as Swagger and Christian went toe to toe until Ziggler eliminated Swagger. The crowd then came alive for the final third of the match between Ziggler and Christian, with probably more chants for Ziggler oddly enough. It was a great ending to a highly enjoyable match for the most part, with Ziggler pinning the Intercontinental Champ.  

Ryback defeated another couple of nobodies in an okay squash match. Hopefully after No Way Out he'll move onto some real competition.  

Big Show defeated Kofi Kingston in an average Cage match. Show predictably dominated most of the match, slowly taking out Kingston, it was pretty drab. Towards the end Kofi mounted a short lived comeback where a win for him was taunted as he leapt to the top of the cage and then in an impressive spot jumped over Big Show. It was the only really decent and exciting part of the bout. I can't imagine that the Cage match this Sunday is going to be anything special either. 

Sin Cara defeated Curt Hawkings in an passable contest. Sin Cara just seems like another wrestler on the roster who's stuck in the same routine each week. 

Surprise guest Vader defeated Heath Slater in an average match. Although it wasn't anything outstanding it was a decent novelty act and a feel good moment for the fans.  

CM Punk and AJ defeated Daniel Bryan and Kane in a bit of a strange tag team bout. The action was quite good for the most part, with interactions between Punk and his two foes solid enough. But when AJ was inadvertently tagged in with Kane, she skipped around and then jumped around the 'Big Red Monster's' waist and snogged him. It was  an odd moment, but one that makes things a bit more interesting. Nice work by AJ here. Punk then got the winning pin on Bryan after applying a Macho Man Elbow Drop from the top rope.   

John Laurinaitis joined Vince McMahon in the ring and pleaded to him to "do the right thing" and not fire him. As Vince was about to utter those trademark two words of his, Big Show came to the ring and explained that if he was also terminated then he would have to be paid millions of dollars a year for doing nothing. Show went on to blame Vince for treating him as a joke for years, having to entertain people rather than being a "giant" like he truly is and can be now. I don't recall him ever entertaining anyone? 

John Cena then interrupted Big Show with a big goofy grin and lame childish jokes galore, which were totally out of place considering he's meant to be taking this wrestler he's facing on Sunday who's be tearing through everyone seriously. Wisely Cena then described Show as a dominant force who's the favourite for their match, but also asked him how he's going to react if he looses at No Way Out? Stating that he now has everything in his favour and no excuses for not succeeding.

Vince McMahon answered that question by announcing that if Big Show looses on Sunday than Big Johnny will be fired there and then. Cena and Show then began brawling until Big Show accidentally KO'd McMahon with a punch that looked so, so fake.  

My WWE SmackDown, 8th June 2012 Recap

Alberto Del Rio bragged about his attack on Sheamus on this weeks Raw and had Ricardo Rodriguez come out dressed as the World Heavyweight Champion, mocking his trademark beating chest and roaring taunt. Soon the real Sheamus came out and began attacking both men, eventually leading to the stage where Ricardo helped Del Rio gain the upper hand on his opponent at No Way Out. Teddy Long then made an appearance where he announced on behalf of the absent Laurinatis, Kane versus Sheamus and Del Rio versus The Great Khali for that night.

Alberto Del Rio defeated The Great Khali in a dull and unmemorable match up. Del Rio logically targeted Khali's arm and legs during the bout, which is about the only thing I can credit the match with doing well. Del Rio tried, but Khali is just far too limited in the ring.

Backstage Teddy Long informed Brodus Clay that he'd been drafted to SmackDown for his own safety from Big Show, according to Laurinaitis. Don't expect Clay's career to sky rocket anytime soon. 

Brodus Clay defeated Derrick Bateman in a squash match. Clay looked much more aggressive than normal here, which was a smart move considering his frustration from the attack from Big Show. This was something that suited Clay more too in my opinion, someone that big should be taken more seriously. Unfortunately afterwards that was all washed away after he started his regular routine of dancing with young members of the audience in the ring, which just ruined what he'd achieved in the match for me.

Sin Cara defeated Drew McIntyre in a fair contest. It wasn't anything outstanding but watchable. I've never been a big supporter of McIntyre, but even I have to say that he should be being better utilised than he has been. 

This might seem odd but for me when they have the two rookies that are about to face Ryback talk trash on the mic, I really enjoy it. They're just so awful (which I'm sure has to be intentional) that I find it hilarious. It's one of favourite parts of the show. Nonetheless Ryback sure enough defeated both of them in a squash match. 

As Christian's 'Peep Show' was being set up, Cody Rhodes came to the ring and started trashing the set. He claimed that Christian is the one who should be answering to him. not the other way round. The Intercontinental Champion soon enough joined Rhodes, and explained to him that his change in attitude since his return occurred after he inducted Edge into the Hall of Fame. He realised that his career could end in an instant and he didn't want to be remembered as a whiny guy always asking for "One more match." Cody called him a liar and bragged that he's going to win the title back at No Way Out, the Intercontinental Champion then understandably just told him to "shut up!"   

Christian defeated Dolph Ziggler in a highly enjoyable bout from start to finish. I never had any doubt that these two would provide in the ring and they certainly did. I'm just a little confused as to where they're going with Ziggler at the moment. After his split from Swagger and Vickie Guerrero I really thought a deserved push was in order for him, I guess not.

Hornswaggle came out dressed as JR and mocked Michael Cole after his comedy (I use the term lightly here) match with Cena on Raw. Fortunately the entertaining Damien Sandow came out and saved the woeful segment. He rightfully called the whole thing stupid and stated that he was once again saving us the masses, which was true. Tyson Kidd then ran out to Hornswaggle's aid and chased off Sandow, until he turned his back and Sandow took Kidd out.

Antonio Cesaro defeated Jimmy Uso in a brief match up. Once again Cesaro looked solid in between the ropes. I'd be surprised if this guy doesn't do very well for himself in WWE, he has the look and the skills in the ring.   

Sheamus won via disqualification versus Kane in a contest that ranged from decent to fairly drab. It was watchable, just not the most exciting thing in the World. The DQ came after Ricardo Rodriguez ran in and attempted to attack Sheamus, which the World Champion thwarted, only to then be struck by Kane. 'The Big Red Monster' was then distracted by the strange AJ, who once again shared a flirtatious look with him. This caused Kane to be distracted long enough to be Brogue Kicked by Sheamus. But 'The Great White' wasn't done, he also Brogue Kicked Ricardo as Del Rio watched.

Overall SmackDown had it's ups and downs. The positives for me mainly being the Christian versus Ziggler bout and the up and coming prospects Cesaro, Ryback and Sandow. They all look like they're on their way to bigger and better things over the next year, hopefully. The lack of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk was disappointing but at least this meant we had more attention focused on the Del Rio Sheamus feud, which certainly helps them out.