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, 17th May 2013 Recap

Orton clobbers Swagger in the solid main event. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Miz kicked things off with his show 'Miz TV', where he brought out his guests Randy Orton and Big Show. After showing footage from last Friday's SmackDown, the two Extreme Rules opponents each spoke about how they were going to win their match of the same name on Sunday, with Show talking about how the only weapon he required was his fist and Orton claiming that he refused to loose in his hometown of St Louis.  

Jack Swagger (or rather Zeb Colter), Mark Henry and Alberto Del Rio then each came out and stated how they would be victorious this Sunday in their respective match ups. It was all a bit drab. Sheamus then arrived and finally suggested that rather than talking, he fancied a fight instead and everyone began to brawl in the ring, with Orton, Sheamus and Del Rio chasing off their rivals. Teddy Long then (of course) strolled out and booked them all in a six-man tag main event. 

The Shield (Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) bested Jimmy and Jay Uso in a fair tag contest. Everyone involved looked decent, but there was nothing exceptional about the match. Afterwards Kofi Kingston raced in to help the Usos as The Shield were about to finish them off, but was quickly tossed out of the ring. But the US Champion wasn't done as he then chased off the trio (including his opponent on Sunday, Dean Ambrose) with a steel chair in hand. 

Tons of Funk (Tensai and Brodus Clay) beat Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) in a pretty pedestrian and forgettable tag bout, much like their one on this Monday's Raw. I just can't really find the interest for either team. 

Chris Jericho defeated Antonio Cesaro in a largely stellar effort from both men. While it maybe didn't quite live up to my expectations (as a big fan of both talents, although I think that's just me being picky) it was an enjoyable back and fourth affair. After the bell rung Fandango attempted to attack Jericho from behind but was thwarted when Y2J saw him coming and beat him out of the ring. Jericho also applied a Codebreaker to Cesaro after he tried to attack him too.

The Miz bested Damien Sandow in a decent outing. I wasn't expecting much here so it was a pleasant surprise at what a fun watch it was, with a worthy display from both men. Cody Rhode's guest commentary was also a good listen at times.

Kaitlyn pinned Aksana in a drab encounter for the most part. The wrestling was unremarkable throughout, which wasn't a major shocker considering who's involved. Watching the female talent on NXT is a pretty big contrast, they actually look like they've got something to prove and want to impress. The most entertaining thing about the match was actually JBL and Michael Cole teasing Josh Matthews about being Kaitlyn's secret admirer on commentary, very funny.  

Randy Orton, Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio beat Jack Swagger, Big Show and Mark Henry in an entertaining six-man tag main event. From the opening bell we had solid action, with every man using their time in the ring effectively. Orton managed to eventually gain the one-two-three after RKOing Swagger as he applied a Patriot Lock on Del Rio. Good end to the show, although nothing on the finale to this week's Raw.

Overall it was an unremarkable show for the majority, like most of the time with the blue brand this year there was nothing you could imagine yourself still thinking of a few months from now, with no inspiring feuds or storylines at all on the show at the moment. The highlights for me were Jericho versus Cesaro and the main event. Now onto Extreme Rules! Which I'm actually fairly optimistic about, should be decent. 

My WWE Raw, 13th May 2013 Recap

Triple H and Lesnar battle it out in the cage. Should be a great one on Sunday. Photo credit: WWE.com

Jerry Lawler kicked things off by bringing out Fandango and Chris Jericho for a dance off. But as Fandango got started his partner Summer Rae accidentally tripped and couldn't continue. A furious Fandango then decided to abandon his dance partner, but made a quick return to cheap shot Jericho, eventually taking him out of the ring and cracking a bit of the flooring from their contest into Y2J's head. It was then revealed that it was all a ruse as Summer jumped up and danced away with Fandango.  

Ryback pinned Zack Ryder in a brief and forgettable squash match. Nothing much to see here.

Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) bested Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai) in a short and average tag bout. It was passable, but there were no remarkable performances to be found. O'Neil grabbed the winning schoolboy pin after Young had struck Clay in the throat. I can't say a feud between these two teams will exactly set my World alight.  

Teddy Long announced that due to Dolph Ziggler's injury (he suffered a concussion during last week's SmackDown taping) he would not be able to defend the World Championship at Extreme Rules, so instead there would be a number one contenders match for the title pitting Del Rio against Swagger in an I Quit match. The announcement was met with indifference and boos, fans grew tired of seeing these two face each other a long while ago. 

Kofi Kingston defeated Damien Sandow in a fair encounter. I'd personally like to see the US Champion do well, but he's had pushes stopped and started so often it's hard to invest in him, nevertheless he's on good form at the moment. 

After a brief interview, Mark Henry used Josh Matthews as an example of how to win a Strap match after pushing him over and dragging him around the ring, then letting him go. Henry then asked Sheamus to join him in the ring to get an taste of what's to come this Sunday, which the 'Celtic Warrior' did, but not before grabbing his own strap and managing to whip Henry out of the ring. 

Randy Orton beat Antonio Cesaro in a decent outing. Both men looked solid in the ring, with crisp action as expected from these two talents. It just needed a bit more time to make more of a lasting impression.

Absurdly during the match we had Michael Cole urging us to get the WWE app so we could see a live interview with Big Show, amongst other things while the show's going on. Where's the sense in having other segments happening at the same time match ups are taking place? Just daft.

The Miz beat Heath Slater in a passable contest. Miz gave a decent effort here, and Slater looked okay, but the wrestling never reached a particularly high standard. Miz gained the submission victory after applying the Figure Four Leglock. I don't mind him using the move like a lot of fans, but I'd like to see him break down the legs of his opponent a bit more beforehand.   

John Cena and Team Hell no (Daniel Bryan and Kane) won via disqualification versus The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) in a stellar six-man elimination tag match. The contest contained plenty of exciting action and some terrific displays, especially from Bryan, Ambrose and Rollins.

Kane was first eliminated via DQ after he assaulted Ambrose on the outside with the covering for the announce desk. An angered 'Big Red Machine' ran rampant through the trio just before he was sent to the back. Next his Team Hell No teammate Daniel Bryan was eliminated after being pinned by Ambrose. Rollins was then pinned after a poorly executed AA from Cena, and Reigns next DQ'd for shoving the referee.

As Cena then looked to make Ambrose tap with the STFU, the other two Shield members ran in to attack the WWE Champion and Triple Powerbomb him, causing the ref to ring the bell for another disqualification and end the bout. Ryback then marched out and looked to leave Cena alone, but decided otherwise and then smashed a steel chair onto his injured ankle.

Jack Swagger won via count out versus Big E Langston in a pretty pedestrian encounter. Swagger was selected over Del Rio to face Big E via a vote on the WWE app, which did surprise me a little. To be fair the match was certainly watchable, which exceeded my expectations, and Big E looked like he'd improved a bit in the ring, although he still has a fair way to go. As Big E dominated on the outside he was caught out by the wily Swagger, who managed to get back into the ring before the ten count. 

Alberto Del Rio then ran out and after tussling with Big E and Swagger, managed to lock on his signature armbreaker on the 'All American'. To be honest Del Rio's actions were more heel-like here than anything.

AJ Lee bested Natalya in a drab affair up until the very end when AJ pulled out a nice submission for the win as Natalya went for a sidewalk slam.

Rightfully Divas Champion Kaitlyn asked on commentary during the bout why Nikki and Brie Bella were even out there. They have nothing to do with the current title picture and it did seem quite odd, plus it overshadows AJ and Kaitlyn's feud. Add all that to the Divas champ receiving another gift from her secret admirer during all this and it seemed overkill.   

Triple H stood in a steel cage and stated that earlier in his pro wrestling career he was advised to "hate" in order to succeed and advance himself, and had learnt to hate and damage people because of it, which he claimed he would do at Extreme Rules. He then dared Lesnar to join him in the cage right there and then, Paul Heyman then came out with Brock Lesnar and urged his client not be lured by 'The Game'.

Heyman went on to state that "hate" was an appropriate word for the COO's situation, since he would hate facing all his loved ones after loosing to Lesnar this Sunday and failing them. Triple H had enough and claimed that Heyman was holding Lesnar back because he was his meal ticket and he couldn't afford for him to loose his mystic by falling to him once again, and finally asked if Lesnar was the beast, or if he was "Brock Lesnar, the bitch." This was enough excuse for Lesnar to storm down to the ring, where the two had a heated brawl until Triple H managed to send Lesnar through the cage door and into Heyman. It was a strong end to the show, with the fans well into it.

Overall it was a decent enough show, and above average for this year. The highlights were the entertaining six-man tag, Orton versus Cesaro and the heated battle between Lesnar and Triple H, now that is how you end a Raw heading into a PPV. The only poor periods for me were the divas match (with way too much going on), the Prime Time Players versus Tons of Funk and the constant mention of the WWE app. That kind of thing doesn't normally bother me, but when they're telling you to check out what's happening backstage when a match is actually taking place it's just ridiculous. 

My WWE SmackDown, 22nd March 2013 Recap

The Miz's own 'Miz TV' kicked things off, with guests Randy Orton and Sheamus disputing over having Big Show as their partner against The Shield at WrestleMania. 'The Viper' did, but the Irishman didn't. Big Show then joined them and after some heated words with Sheamus was calmed down by Orton who stated that they needed to "work together." GM Booker T then decided to test out their teamwork ability by booking them in a six-man tag match that night.

Mark Henry pinned Zack Ryder in a brief squash match. Afterwards Henry then applied a few more World's Strongest Slams for good measure. Remember when Ryder actually had some momentum? I know, hard to believe now. Ryback then stormed out and managed to successfully clothesline Henry off his feet after an intense face off. I can't say I'm particularly hyped for their upcoming bout.

Dolph Ziggler bested Kofi Kingston in an enjoyable outing. Both men provided fine displays here, and even though they've fought a fair bit recently they managed to still keep things interesting. Towards the end Kofi decided he'd had enough and body splashed Big E Langston on the outside, this then allowed Ziggler to take advantage and Zig Zag him back in the ring for the one-two-three. AJ Lee also provided amusing guest commentary.

Zeb Colter, accompanying Jack Swagger, claimed that while the attack on Ricardo Rodriguez and Del Rio by Swagger on this past Raw was unfortunate, he was willing to do anything to claim the World Title. He also added that those actions should serve as a warning to everyone, including his following opponent Chris Jericho.

Jack Swagger defeated Chris Jericho in a decent back and fourth contest. It was never particularly exciting but it was a fun watch for the majority, with worthy enough efforts. During the bout Fandango appeared and kicked Y2J as he went for a Lionsault, allowing Swagger to apply a Swagger Bomb for the winning pin. This was retribution for Jericho mocking Fandango's name this past Monday on Raw. I wouldn't mind seeing a match between them at 'Mania.

Brodus Clay and Tensai versus Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes) ended as a No Contest after the Bella Twins and Naomi and Cameron got into a scuffle outside the ring. Can't say I was too fussed that the match ended abruptly to be honest, it was all right.

The Miz beat Antonio Cesaro in a rather forgettable affair. The wrestling wasn't bad, just uninspiring for the most part with little interest to be found until the finish when Miz forced Cesaro to tap to the Figure Four. Did Antonio upset someone in the back? Since when is he being forced to tap to Miz after beating him multiple times only a month ago over the US strap? He deserves better than this.

Sheamus, Big Show and Randy Orton toppled 3MB (Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre) in an enjoyable six-man tag main event. For the most part it was the winning side dominating, and although it wasn't the most technical wrestling it was still entertaining. Afterwards The Shield (Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns) made their way down to the ring, meanwhile the other three were beginning to argue amongst themselves, but they managed to sort themselves out and The Shield backed off this time. 

Overall it was a fair SmackDown, nothing outstanding but it was never bad at any point. The highlights were Ziggler versus Kofi and the main event. Still disappointed in this years run up to WrestleMania so far, I know it'll be an enjoyable event but the hype hasn't set in just yet.

My WWE Raw, 11th March 2013 Recap

The Undertaker pays respect to the late William Moody. Photo credit: WWE.com

The show started with a nice tribute to  William 'Paul Bearer' Moody, with The Undertaker coming out afterwards and doing his trademark routine in the ring with Moody's urn. CM Punk then interrupted things, which understandably generated some real heat for him from the fans. Punk claimed that while to Bearer will always have known the perfect 20-0 WrestleMania streak, everyone else will know the 20-1 record after he defeats him on the grand stage. It was an interesting start to the show.

During the break a furious Kane then attempted to chokeslam Punk off of the stage, but Punk managed to escape and legged it.  

Big Show versus Seth Rollins soon ended in a disqualification when Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns helped out their Shield teammate by beating down Show, who managed to make a brief comeback but was then taken down by a spear by Reigns and a triple powerbomb.  

An upset CM Punk stormed into Vickie Guerrero's office and demanded something be done about Kane's actions, so she decided to put him in a No Disqualification match against the 'Big Red Monster'. Punk was not amused.

Dolph Ziggler pinned Daniel Bryan in a solid encounter. As expected, these two wrestlers who clearly take pride in their work both gave great efforts here, providing an exciting match with nicely executed back and fourth action. For the finish Bryan had the No Lock on Ziggler, but a distraction from AJ Lee and Big E Langston pulling Ziggler towards the ropes soon put an end to that. Ziggler then countered another No Lock and quickly applied a Zig Zag for the one-two-three.

In his trademark segment, Fandango once again refuse to compete due to his name being pronounced to a poor standard. He also called Brodus Clay and Tensai an "abomination" with their poor dancing skills. 

Team Rhodes Scholars performed their own amusing rendition of the New Age Outlaws intro promo, which was actually well executed by both men. Road Dogg and Billy Gunn then joined them and did the original version before their following match up. But as the tag bout begun Brock Lesnar, accompanied by Paul Heyman, walked out and took out Triple H's fellow DX members with an F5 a piece.

Paul Heyman went on to explain that Lesnar could do whatever he pleased, evidenced by him breaking Shawn Michael's arm and breaking Vince McMahon's hip. He also added that Lesnar accepted Triple H's challenge for a match at WrestleMania, but only if they got to name the stipulations after the COO had signed the contract.

Mark Henry beat Kofi Kingston in a fair outing. Rather than the usual squash matches involving Henry, we at least got a bit of offense from Kofi here to make it a bit more engaging. 

Ryback bested Heath Slater in a brief squash match. Afterwards fellow 3MB member Drew McIntyre tried his luck to take out Ryback, but failed miserably. Henry watched on from the stage, then marched to the ring and had a contest with Ryaback on who could dish out more damage to the fallen McIntyre.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Antonio Cesaro in a highly enjoyable contest. Two of WWE's most consistent performers once again delivered here, each giving worthy efforts and providing stellar wrestling.

We were then shown a nicely produced Rock versus Cena promo for 'Mania, and as someone that has little interest in their rematch even I have to admit that it peaked my interest.

Sheamus and Randy Orton beat Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes) in a decent enough tag bout. While there was nothing particularly exceptional I can't fault the displays of any of the four men, they put on a largely fun match to watch. Afterwards The Shield appeared and attacked Sheamus and Orton.

Wade Barrett soon interrupted Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel with special guest The Miz, and stated that his latest starring role in 'The Marine 3' was nothing compared to his in 'Dead Man Down'. After some more bickering between him and Miz (it really wasn't great) Y2J interjected and warned Barrett that he might have to take the Intercontinental Title from him.

Brad Maddox then joined them and booked Jericho versus Miz to determine the number one contender to the IC strap. The segment was quite painful to watch, even Jericho wasn't on great form. I also couldn't quite tell if Maddox was purposely being awkward here or not, I'm hoping he was because I'm a fan, he's got plenty of charisma and is always one of my highlights of a show when providing guest commentary. 

Chris Jericho versus The Miz ended in a DQ after Barrett started brawling with both men. The contest itself had been quite pedestrian, and certainly not up to the quality of Jericho's more recent outings since returning. After attacking them, Y2J and Miz then turned things around and took out Barrett.

Jack Swagger bested Sin Cara in a passable match up. While the action was decent enough, it wasn't the most remarkable or memorable affair. Afterwards Del Rio ran down to stop Swagger as he refused to let go of the Patriot Lock on Sin Cara and chased him off. 

Kane pinned CM Punk in the No Disqualification main event. It was an enjoyable enough match, both men looked good. It just failed to really get me excited at any point, but I can't fault the displays given. I did however have a big gripe with Kane winning, Punk has lost recently to The Rock and Cena so WWE should be doing everything they can to make him a more believable contender to 'Taker's streak. Kane gained the victory after applying a chokeslam when Undertaker's bong hit and distracted Punk.

Afterwards as Kane and 'Taker both posed with respect to Paul Bearer, CM Punk cracked Kane multiple times with Bearer's urn and made a quick getaway when 'The Deadman' made his way to the ring, mocking The Undertaker's pose on the stage. I'm hoping we get a bit more of the down to earth, 'Bad Ass' 'Taker in the lead up to their match to add a bit more depth to the feud.

Overall it was a fair, if unremarkable Raw. The highlights for me were the Ziggler versus Bryan and Cesaro versus Del Rio bouts, which were both very solid, the Heyman and Lesnar segment and the nice William Moody tribute package. The main event was also a decent enough watch, and The Rock versus Cena VT was well executed. Unfortunately the rest of the show failed to engage me much at all. 

My WWE Raw, 18th February 2013 Recap

Behold the brand new WWE Championship belt. About damn time! Photo credit: WWE.com

John Cena started things off by talking about how WrestleMania XXVIIII was now taking shape, with him versus The Rock and Swagger versus Del Rio now official after the Elimination Chamber. CM Punk then joined Cena and reminded him that he has never beaten him and claimed that it was luck that he won the Royal Rumble and didn't deserve the spot at 'Mania. He also added that he couldn't win the big one against Rocky.

To settle things and shut Punk up, Cena then challenged him to a match to prove he was superior, with the winner going on to face The Rock for the title on the big stage. Punk agreed, but wanted to postpone it until next week when he was more prepared.

During an interview Sheamus and Ryback began arguing over their loss to The Shield the previous night until Chris Jericho then split them up and reminded them that it wasn't each other that they were really mad at. Y2J also suggested a six-man match that night pitting them three against Shield, which they were all for.

Mark Henry pinned Sin Cara in a brief and forgettable bout, with fair action but nothing special. As Henry continued the attack after the bell rung, The Great Khali made his way down, only for Henry to leave the ring and walk away. I'm praying they don't book a match between the two at 'Mania, please!

The Miz defeated Antonio Cesaro in a No Disqualification match. It was a fair effort from both men, but a little disappointing considering how rarely we get No DQ match ups on television, I would've thought they'd make more of the opportunity and we'd maybe get a bit more excitement.  

In a VT Zeb Colter spoke about how letting in too many people outside of the US into the country has drained it. Jack Swagger was also there, reminding us of their slogan "We, the people." As I've already said I'm intrigued with this storyline, it's something a bit edgier and sets up Swagger's feud with Del Rio perfectly. 

Backstage Daniel Bryan informed tag partner Kane that he didn't feel comfortable teaming with him soon after attacking him in the Elimination Chamber, and asked that he doen't accompany him to his singles match later. Randy Orton then also appeared and told Kane that since going to group therapy and hugging it out with people he wasn't so intimidating and compared him to Barney the Dinosaur.  

Alberto Del Rio bested Dolph Ziggler in a solid outing. Both men as standard for them looked good in the ring and put in more than worthy displays, with stellar wrestling throughout.

Afterwards Ziggler's associate Big E Langston clobbered Del Rio and applied a Big Ending. Dolph then decided to cash in his MITB contract, but Ricardo Rodriguez had other ideas and legged it with the briefcase, accidentally dropping it on the ramp as he did so. As the 'Show Off' then retrieved the contract Del Rio recovered and cracked him with an enzuigiri.

Wade Barrett announced that he will be starring in the new WWE produced film Dead Man Down, then presented the trailer. Afterwards Sheamus appeared on the big screen and mocked Barrett for barely having a role in the film at all. Wade was not amused that Sheamus had cut his time short.

Brodus Clay, Tensai and Naomi beat Epico, Primo and Rosa Mendes in a fun enough mixed-tag contest. This was wisely kept short, which certainly benefitted all involved and kept the pace and interest up, any longer and it would've dragged.

In a State of the Union Address, Zeb Colter thanked the founding fathers for creating the bill of rights, allowing him to voice his opinions freely. He then continued to bash the illegal immigrants in America that use the medical care, education and take their jobs. He also added that at WrestleMania Swagger will defeat Del Rio to capture the World Title and help reclaim America, claiming that the champion was only in the USA to reap the rewards. 

Jack Swagger bested Daniel Bryan in an enjoyable encounter. Both men gave fine efforts as they went move for move, counter for counter. As part of his new signature routine, Swagger worked on Bryan's leg until eventually latching on the Patriot Lock for the submission victory.

Vickie Guerrero, with Paul Heyman in the ring, announced Brad Maddox as her new assistant. As Heyman was about to leave Vince McMahon then appeared on the big screen and reminded him that last week he'd agreed to do anything to add the certain stipulations to The Rock versus CM Punk match at EC. McMahon went on to inform Heyman that he would be returning that favour next week when they "are gonna have a fight."

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Ryback, Sheamus and Chris Jericho in a largely entertaining six-man tag bout. While not as exciting as their previous six-man match the night before, it was still a lively encounter and yet another very good display from The Shield trio.

Damien Sandow spoke about how dear President's Day was to him, claiming that his ancestors had been aiding them for many years. As he then aggressively started his following bout with Kofi Kingston, R-Truth made his return and took him out. I can't say I'm that bothered by his return.

Randy Orton pinned Kane in a passable affair. Unfortunately while the wrestling was solid enough, I just failed to get interested here and found the match quite drab on the whole. Orton managed to get in an RKO for the one-two-three after Daniel Bryan once again distracted his tag partner and cost him the match.

The Rock came out to an entrance preceded by an impressive marching band performance as part of his celebration. He then went on to admit that eight years ago the spinning WWE Championship title belt may have worked, but he personally felt that a prestigious strap shouldn't look like a toy and then introduced the brand new WWE Championship belt. While it looks more professional, it also looks a bit plain for my liking, but that's just my opinion.

As the WWE Champion was about to then admit who he'd rather face at 'Mania, John Cena came out and stood cockily on the stage, but shortly after CM Punk then took him out with the old WWE Title strap and threw it away, stating that he was after the brand new one. 

Overall I felt it was a decent enough Raw, with the final segment, Shield six-man tag bout, Del Rio versus Ziggler, and anything involving Swagger being the highlights. Not the best offering from the red brand as of late but it still made nice strides towards WrestleMania, with the next couple of weeks most likely settling the card for the supershow in April.  

My WWE SmackDown, 8th February 2013 Recap

Big Show started things off by complaining about his treatment in the company, claiming that it was unjust that he had to put his World Title on the line last month against Del Rio unprepared. But on a happier note for Show he reminded us that he'd signed a contract and would have another shot at the strap at Elimination Chamber next Sunday.

He also went on to blame General Manager Booker T for the unfortunate series of events he's endured recently, stating that he was jealous that he was still active in the ring and he wasn't. So the GM himself confronted the giant and told him that he treated all wrestlers on the roster equally. But this didn't ease Show who demanded to know how Del Rio found his hotel room on this Monday's Raw, and called him "incompetent" for informing him about a match he had that night against Kane with such short notice. I can see all this leading to a bout between Show and Booker at 'Mania, maybe even with Booker's job on the line?

Cody Rhodes pinned Kofi Kingston in a decent enough contest. Both men gave fine displays, and although it wasn't the most exciting bout it was certainly watchable and worth a look. Rhodes winning was the right choice too, he has far more chance of moving up than Kofi, although I'm not holding my breath after his treatment form Cena last week on Raw.

Khali beat Titus O'Neil in a worthless and short match up. As usual Khali just swung his arms about and made the winning pin. Mark Henry then made his way down and swatted away O'Neil before engaging in an awkward looking scrap with Khali, eventually applying an impressive looking World's Strongest Slam on him.

Henry then announced that the "Hall of pain was now open," and went on to claim that his attacks since returning have been a result of Booker T not asking him to be in the Elimination Chamber match, and demanded that the GM come out and explain why. Boy, everyone's after Booker at the moment!

So the GM came out and warned Henry that his actions have been unacceptable, but the 'World's Strongest Man' didn't back down and threatened to take out every other man in the EC to make room for himself. To reason with Henry, Booker granted him a match against Orton which if won would earn him a spot in the Chamber match. I'm not a big fan of Henry's but this was a nice segment and promo from him, his threats were delivered very well and were believable. 

After ordering his coach driver around, an angry Big Show made his way to the ring for his bout, not realising that the suspended Alberto Del Rio was keeping a close eye on him in the parking lot.

Big Show bested Kane in a short and forgettable bout. To be fair I wasn't expecting much here anyway, and least it wasn't dragged on. Afterwards Del Rio appeared on the big screen and revealed that he'd been having a chat with Show's mistreated coach driver. After rushing outside an upset Big Show discovered that Del Rio had his wheels removed from the coach and then poured orange paint all over him. 

Jack Swagger defeated Justin Gabriel in a fair encounter. While unremarkable the match was solid enough, with decent displays from both men. Rather than just a squash match Gabriel was at least given some offense to add a little something. I'm really hoping this push for Swagger isn't dropped anytime soon, as I said last week he has the ability to make it into the main event scene, and they could definitely use more fresh faces there. 

Tensai won via DQ versus Drew McIntyre in a mediocre match up. it really was just a few minutes filler and an excuse for him and Clay's partnership to develop. The disqualification came after the rest of 3MB (Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal) ran in and began attacking Tensai as he was going for a pin. Brodus Clay then ran down and helped chase off the trio before encouraging Tensai to once again dance.

Antonio Cesaro pinned Sin Cara in an exciting outing. Sin Cara and Cesaro worked well together here, and when Sin Cara finds someone he's actually compatible with then it's worth watching. It was fairly short I'll admit but they made the most of their time.

During a backstage interview Cesaro interrupted The Miz and told him to stop whining about his attack from Lesnar on Raw, so Miz responded by brawling with the US Champion.

Mark Henry beat Randy Orton in a decent main event. Both men as usual worked well together and gave good enough efforts, each sharing periods of dominance. But it was Henry who would eventually gain the one-two-three after applying a World's Strongest Slam.

Overall it was a fair show, not one of the strongest as of late but watchable. The main event, Henry's promo and Sin Cara versus Cesaro were the highlights for me, Kofi versus Rhodes was also a fun watch. Unfortunately the rest of the show wasn't anything that special, Del Rio getting his own back at least advanced their feud.

My WWE Raw, 28th January 2013 Recap

The beast looks over his work. Photo credit: WWE.com

Vickie Guerrero kicked off the themed Raw Roulette night in Las Vegas by spinning the wheel and revealing that Randy Orton versus Antonio Cesaro later on would be a Special Guest Referee match.

A furious CM Punk rushed out, pushing over officials and telling the cameraman to get out of his way. He claimed that he got "screwed" the previous night at the Royal Rumble against The Rock, calling him a cheat for needing outside help and berating Vince McMahon for trying to screw him over.

McMahon himself then joined Punk and revealed that he had video footage supposedly proving the former-champ's involvement  with The Shield, warning Heyman that he'll be seeing him later on for a "performance review."

Randy Orton defeated Antonio Cesaro with The Miz as the special guest referee in what was a solid encounter. Both men gave stellar displays and rarely (if ever, actually) put a foot wrong. My only slight gripe with the bout (and I feel picky typing it considering the efforts they put in) was that I reckon a heel referee should've been picked (Brad Maddox would've made sense considering his involvement with Orton in the past) to aid Cesaro in a win here, he would've benefitted more from one. 

For the finish Miz and Cesaro predictably began having an argument after the US Champion out his hands on the ref, which gave Orton a chance to then sneak up from behind and apply an RKO for the one-two-three. For good measure Miz then attacked cesaro with a Skull Crushing Finale.

After another spin of the wheel, Ryback had to face the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) in a 'Make Me Laugh Challenge'. After a lame joke from the PTP, Ryback had enough and chased off Young before Shell-Shocking O'Neil. The crowd seemed to enjoy it, and Matt Stryker too who awarded Ryback the win. So as a sign of gratitude Ryback then also Shell-Shocked Stryker, which went down very well with the commentators. 

Wade Barrett received the 'Player's Choice' from the roulette wheel, which meant he could choose any opponent he wanted, so he chose NXT wrestler Bo Dallas who eliminated him in the Royal Rumble match.

Bo Dallas pinned Wade Barrett in an average bout. Barrett dominated for the most part, until Dallas managed to turn a Bull Hammer Elbow attempt into the winning pinfall through a slam. Dallas wouldn't have been the talent from NXT I would've personally picked to move up, but it's a positive sign that they're taking chances on these up and coming talents. 

John Cena beat Cody Rhodes in a worthless squash match. This did absolutely nothing for Rhodes except bury him, and all we got from Cena was his usual old routine. They could've at least used a more lower down talent such as Slater to take the fall here. Rhodes got Cena after picking him via the roulette wheel.

Afterwards Cena debated whether or not to choose the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship to challenge for at WrestleMania after winning the Rumble match. He then pretty much buried the World Championship by foolishly claiming that he would have better odds at winning that than the WWE Title, which just damages the image of that strap that Del Rio holds. Finally he stated that on April 7th at 'Mania he will challenge either CM Punk or The rock for the WWE Championship.

Cena was then taken out by The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns). Ryback and Sheamus attempted to help out but both fell victims to the trio who managed to keep them all down. Smart move here I thought, keeps the three looking strong. Although I'm dreading a potential match with Cena which could only damage their image.

In a bizarre segment, Brodus Clay and Tensai competed in a Dance Off. Unfortunately for Tensai he wasn't informed that the challenge had changed from a Lingerie Pillow Fight, so he was still wearing some unsuitable ladies garments under his robe. After being convinced from Lawler and Clay, he decided to give the dance contest a go anyway and got into it, with the fans also enjoying it. Ron Simmons was then shown watching this all backstage, with his extremely appropriate "Damn." I have to be honest, I did have to chuckle a bit at this, and who knows? Maybe Tensai has a future as a face and in a possible team with Clay? That could help rejuvenate both of their careers.  

In what was meant to be a Body Slam Challenge between Big Show and Alberto Del Rio turned into a beat down from Show as he taped up Del Rio's hand to the rope and slowly took out his ring announcer and friend Ricardo Rodriguez in front of him. Eventually the giant then took out the World Champion with a KO punch.

Kaitlyn versus Tamina in a Lumberjill match ended in a no contest after all the lumberjills ran in and began brawling. It was pretty much a waste of time from start to finish. It failed to enhance any Divas or provide any remore entertainment. Pure filler just for the sake of using the Divas Champion.

The new WWE Champion The Rock came out and thanked the fans for their support, and claimed that the "crap days" of Punk's title reign were finally over. Soon CM Punk joined 'The Great One' and stated that Rock was handed the title like everything else in his life and demanded that he hand it back to him, the rightful title holder before he tarnishes it anymore.

Punk then said he'd grant Rock their championship rematch and began to list off dates of various live shows he has over the next week, clearly taking a personal jab at the 'People's Champion' for his part-time appearance schedule compared to how many hours Punk puts in. There have been various rumours of CM Punk's bitterness towards dropping the strap to Johnson considering how hard he's worked in comparison to him over the last year (and plus) for WWE. But in the end the former champ decided on Elimination Chamber in a few weeks time for their rematch, walking away before The Rock had even finished up. Real emotions in a feud always make it that bit more interesting.

Sheamus bested Damien Sandow in a Tables match. It was a fair outing, with worthy if unspectacular efforts from both men. It's certainly watchable anyway and worth checking out, but just don't expect too much. Sheamus drove Sandow into a table with a nice White Noise for the win.

As The Great Khali got underway in a karaoke contest with Zack Ryder, trying his best at Shawn Michaels' theme song (it was bad, on every level) 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) interrupted and claimed to be the real rockstars of the WWE. Khali and Ryder responded by taking out the trio.

Chris Jericho came out to a healthy response and thanked his fans for their great reaction when he made his surprise entrance in the Royal Rumble the previous night. Dolph Ziggler, as usual accompanied by AJ Lee and Big E Langston, then joined Y2J and asked him what he was doing on the show, reminding him that he was the one that got him fired in a match last year on Raw. Vickie Guerrero answered that on the big screen by informing 'Ziggy' that she'd signed him back, then spun the roulette wheel to reveal that they'd have to compete in a Strange Bedfellows match, where they'd have to team together.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) beat Dolph Ziggler and Chris Jericho in a disappointing tag bout. Considering the talent I was expecting a far more exciting contest. Unfortunately they didn't have enough time allocated, which seems absurd considering the time they'd wasted on other segments during the show, and with both teams arguing with each other we didn't get enough decent action. Kane chokeslammed Ziggler for the winning pin after Jericho had slapped Kane on the back and snuck away. 

Trish Stratus was then announced as the next inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame. As my personal favourite ever female performer I was obviously a big fan of this announcement. Along with Foley I'm very much looking forward to the HOF Ceremony this year at Madison Square Garden.

Vince McMahon called out Paul Heyman, informing him that CM Punk had been escorted from the building so he was on his own. The Chairman asked Heyman once again if he had been involved with The Shield or Brad Maddox, and Heyman simply answered "No." But he did admit that he had lied plenty during his life as a promotor.

McMahon then presented some backstage footage secretly filmed a few weeks ago of Heyman talking to Brad Maddox about paying him and The Shield to help out Punk in various title defenses. With him eventually having Shield attack Maddox after all his pestering. Heyman tried to convince Vince that it was an impersonator in the video, but he wasn't having any of it and was about to fire Heyman when Brock Lesnar made his return.

Lesnar slowly made his way to the ring where he warned a hysterical Heyman back and went face to face with McMahon, finally F5'ing the Chairman. I wasn't expecting Brock back just yet but I'll take it, his segments and matches since coming back last year have been superb. I'm guessing this will be the start of his much rumoured rematch with Triple H.

It was a real mixed bag of a show this week, with a fair few memorable moments which is always a good sign. Unfortunately most match ups were unremarkable and a waste of time, especially Cena versus Rhodes and the Divas contest, plus the karaoke and dance off challenges should've been cut in favour of something half decent. Jericho and Ziggler's tag match with Team Hell No was also disappointing.

On the plus side the CM Punk and Rock promos were stellar, we finally had the Maddox and Shield involvement with Punk and Heyman brought out in the open, Stratus announced as a HOF inductee was a nice announcement, Tensai showed promise as a face and of course we had the momentous return of Brock Lesnar. The road to WrestleMania is really underway now. 

My WWE SmackDown, 18th January 2013 Recap

The show kicked off with Alberto Del Rio's very own fiesta celebrating his World Title win last week. Shortly into it however, Dolph Ziggler (accompanied by Big E Langston and AJ Lee) interrupted the champ and warned him that the strap over his shoulder was nothing more than a target as he owned the Money in the Bank contract. An upset Big Show then also joined everyone, not saying a single word.

As things looked bad for Del Rio, Sheamus also arrived and put his differences aside and congratulated the champ on his title victory last week over Show and shook hands. In a SmackDown tradition GM Booker T then came out and and calmed things down by booking a tag team match for the main event between Ziggler, Show, Sheamus and Del Rio. After AJ, Ziggler, Langston and Show left the party started up again, with Booker and even Sheamus getting in some dancing. It felt a bit goofy but harmless enough.

Antonio Cesaro defeated Kofi Kingston in a decent encounter. While it was never exactly edge of your seat stuff, it contained solid action and a good effort from both men. The highlight was the impressive ending when Cesaro caught Kofi as he came off the top rope and turned it into a Neutralizer for the one-two-three. 

The Great Khali bested Tensai in a brief, drab and worthless match up. The only solace was that it was kept short.

Backstage Kane hinted at the poor state of Bryan's beard, which of course led to an argument before Orton turned up. Bryan advised 'The Viper' to control his anger like he and Kane had, telling him to take it one step at a time and even include a group hug. Randy naturally refused. It was an okay segment, not one of Hell No's best.

Randy Orton and Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) beat Wade Barrett and Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) in an enjoyable six-man tag bout. It was simply a fun watch, with each man doing well enough with their limited time in the ring. Orton grabbed the win after applying an RKO to Sandow. Afterwards Bryan and Kane amusingly had a group hug with Orton, I couldn't help but smile at Bryan's priceless face.

The Miz beat Primo in a passable contest. Their displays were okay, but I just failed to find the interest. It never engaged me at any point. Miz won via submission after paying tribute to Ric Flair by applying a Figure Four.

Kailyn bested Aksana in a pretty mediocre and forgettable clash. It just felt like filler really, an excuse to use the new Divas Champion. They desperately need to bring up some of their developmental female talent to freshen things up and bring some much needed life to the division.

We were then shown another VT from The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) where they explained why they've attacked and targeted Sheamus, Orton, Ryback and Mick Foley (on this week's Raw) ending the footage by simply warning them "Believe in The Shield." 

It was especially funny hearing Ambrose bringing up his reasons for the attempted Foley take down, considering the reality and controversy behind it and the stir it made last year when he called out the 'Hardcore Legend' in his FCW days. For those that are unaware of what happened (really? I'll let it go this time, okay?) Ambrose called out Mick, accusing his hardcore style of wrestling and stunts he performed a bad influence on younger talent, forcing them to up their game and go one step further, causing severe injuries and ending careers. There's an argument to made for both sides so I won't be getting into it just now, maybe another time.

Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio defeated Big Show and Dolph Ziggler in a stellar tag bout. The top period was between Ziggler and Del Rio, but to be fair I had fun watching the whole match so it doesn't really matter. Granted, it isn't going to be the greatest tag match you've ever seen, but you should be able to sit back and simply enjoy it, with solid action from all four men and a bit of a different finish. As Show was about to reenter the ring, Del Rio pulled out a bucket of water (unknown at the time) that Ricardo Rodriguez had brought down to and threw it over the giant. A stunned Big Show just stood there, then decided the embarrassment was the last straw and left, being counted out. 

Overall it was a pretty fair SmackDown compared to its usual standard (that normally meaning a few decent enough matches but nothing that eventful happening). Both tag outings were the highlights, providing good quality match ups, and the Kofi versus Cesaro bout is worth a watch too. Outside of them there wasn't anything that entertaining really, except for The Shield VT perhaps. 

My WWE SmackDown, 4th January 2013 Recap

Randy Orton kicked things off by announcing that he had his sights set on the World Championship and that he would be entering the 2013 Royal Rumble match. Sheamus then joined 'The Viper' and also announced that he'll be participating in the same match. After some fairly heated words between the two, World champion Big Show also came out and boasted that it doesn't matter who challenges him for the title, since he'll be victorious anyway. US Title holder Antonio Cesaro as usual then berated Americans for their obesity rate. In Teddy Long-like fashion Booker T then booked all four men in a tag match for later on. 

The Miz bested Heath Slater in a fair outing. They both put in decent enough efforts, with Slater especially looking like he was trying to up his game. It wasn't anything outstanding or that exciting, but no aspect of it was bad. During the bout fellow 3MB members Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal were asked to leave by the referee.

The Great Khali, Natalya and Hornswaggle beat Rosa Mendes, Epico and Primo in a largely worthless tag bout. Epico and Primo ate talents who deserve far better than 'comedy' routines with Hornswaggle and trying to get something out of the rigid Khali.

Wade Barrett (c) defeated Kofi Kingston to retain the Intercontinental Title in an enjoyable enough contest. A bit more fun then their previous effort this past Monday, but still lacking that little something for me. On the whole a worthy title display form both men, worth a watch.

Tamina beat Layla in a passable Divas outing. Pretty run of the mill match up in front of an indifferent crowd, but no clear mistakes so I'll take that from the current Divas division.

Sheamus and Randy Orton defeated Antonio Cesaro and Big Show in a solid main event tag bout. The strongest period of this enjoyable (and intriguing, but I'll get to that in a bit...) contest was the first third with the always stellar Cesaro tangling with Sheamus and Orton. As Josh Matthews noted on commentary the US Champion didn't look out of place at all with the former World Title holders. Show also looked okay here, and put in a passable effort.  

For the finish Sheamus tagged himself in, which upset Orton and encouraged him to RKO Cesaro as the Irishman was about to Brogue Kick him. It was an interesting end to the match because I reckon this is the slow start in the heel turn we've heard rumours of for 'The Viper'. And he really needs it, his character has to freshen things up and it's probably the best way to do it.

Overall it was a decent show, although there was a large amount of content that was quite forgettable. The main event and the IC Title clash were the highlights for me, both decent, especially the tag match. As I said though there was just too much time spent on mediocre or drab matches and promos, typical for the blue brand I guess.  

My WWE SmackDown, 28th December 2012 Recap

Sheamus first said he hoped everyone had had a merry Christmas, adding that his was a lot of fun. He then challenged Big Show to a World Title match for that very night after beating him in a Lumberjack match on this weeks Raw. Big Show of course refused, calling his victory over him a "fluke." GM Booker T then soon joined them and informed Show that he'll pick a random name from a tumbler (filled with all the wrestlers from the back and Sheamus) and that wrestler will receive a World Championship match against the giant that night.

After some arguing between Eve and Teddy Long, Booker picked out Santino Marrella's name from the tumbler. Joy from the Italian soon turned to horror as Big Show approached him and he realised what he'll be up against later on.

Brodus Clay bested Primo in an average bout. At least this unmemorable outing was kept short. Afterwards Rosa Mendes had a few choice words for Clay, but was cut short by Naomi and Cameron as they double suplexed her.

Wade Barrett and Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) beat Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) and Kofi Kingston in a fair six-man tag bout. The action was a bit disappointing considering the talent involved but it wasn't bad by any means. Barrett grabbed the one-two-three on Kofi after applying a Bull Hammer.

Booker informed Big Show backstage that after Santino had pulled a hamstring earlier when training with Sheamus a substitute had to be picked, and it turned out to be Ricardo Rodriguez. Show laughed at the nervous number one contender, then knocked him out and called him a joke to his title.  

Antonio Cesaro defeated Zack Ryder in an enjoyable enough encounter. As usual Cesaro was on stellar form, providing faultless maneuvers. Ryder played his part well too, although he was pretty limited offensively anyway. 

Dolph Ziggler beat The Miz in the match of the night. Both men put in worthy efforts as they went back and fourth, with Ziggler as standard working hard. Dolph gained the win after bodyguard Big E Langston distracted Miz. After Miz mocked AJ Lee afterwards, Langston and Dolph decided to further beat him down. 

Sheamus beat Brad Maddox in a rather pedestrian match up. Maddox was allowed a fair bit of offense so at least he wasn't completely destroyed here, the action was just passable for the majority.

Backstage Booker agreed to give Alberto Del Rio the spot in the World Title match after Big Show took out his good friend and personal ring announcer Rodriguez.

Big Show (c) won via disqualification versus Alberto Del Rio, therefore retaining the World Heavyweight Championship. The match itself contained decent enough action, although it wasn't anything that memorable or exciting, a big step down from any of Sheamus and Show's efforts on PPV. The DQ came after Sheamus ran out and attacked Show, along with a large portion of the roster who didn't appreciate Show's harsh words towards them earlier. I'm guessing a possible Triple Threat will occur at the Royal Rumble between Sheamus, Del Rio and the champ.

My WWE SmackDown, 18th December 2012 Recap

CM Punk addresses the fans in the highlight of the night. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Miz introduced his guests for 'Miz TV' Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee, who were accompanied by Big E Langston. When asked why she screwed over Cena, AJ claimed that it was due to him toying with her emotions and stringing her along. Ziggler also added that it didn't matter that Cena won 'Superstar of the year' the previous night, because he'd stolen the show and his girlfriend anyway.

As Miz mocked the couple some more, Big E Langston decided enough was enough and clobbered the host. I really like the look of this new trio of Ziggler, AJ and Langston. Hopefully this is the start of Dolph moving to that next level and earning the World Title.

Teddy Long convinced Booker T backstage to give Brad Maddox a chance at earning a WWE contract against an unknown opponent.

Damien Sandow defeated Sin Cara in a fair bout. It wasn't anything exceptional but it was a worthy enough display from both men. During the match The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) made their way down and threw the absent Rey Mysterio's mask into the ring, distracting a concerned Sin Cara and allowing Sandow to apply his signature Terminus for the one-two-three.

Kofi Kingston and Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) bested The Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus O'Neil) and Wade Barrett in a solid six-man tag contest. From the opening bell it was an enjoyable match up, with good displays (and acceptable ones from Young and O'Neil) from most men involved as everyone got a chance to have a go at the action in the ring.

WWE Champion CM Punk, accompanied by Paul Heyman, came to the ring and once again complained that the fans couldn't put their biased feelings aside and rightfully vote for him as 'Superstar of the year' at the Slammys. He also went on to state that he is the rightful WWE Champion and far superior to Cena, and had a go at him for giving  away what he felt was his award to Ric Flair the previous night on Raw, also truthfully (in a lot of cases) criticising the older wrestlers that make appearance to hog the spotlight for themselves and away from the younger wrestlers.

The champ also added that this time next year Heyman will still be holding his title belt high above his head because no one is able to beat him for it. Ryback then joined them both and warned that he had his sights set on Punk's championship on the first Raw of the new year when he'll be medically cleared.

Ryback beat Antonio Cesaro in a passable outing. It wasn't a bad bout by any means, Cesaro worked well here and Ryback looked okay, there was just nothing special about it. Pretty run of the mill for the most part. 

Kaitlyn won via DQ versus Eve (c) with the Divas Title on the line, therefore Eve retained. Like most Divas match ups it was a largely pedestrian encounter, with nothing that engaging about it at all. The disqualification came after Eve refused to let go of the referees leg.

Brodus Clay bested Brad Maddox in a drab affair. For the most part Clay dominated the attention-seeking Maddox, but at least this time in his try out match Maddox was allowed some offense. Afterwards The Shield came out and took out Clay, much like they did to Orton after he faced Maddox.

John Cena and Sheamus won via disqualification versus Dolph Ziggler and Big Show after Big E Langston once again ran in and attacked Cena. It was a very average main event, with nothing exceptional or original about it at all. Dolph was decent but that was about it. Even after everything he's been through over the last week Cena was still all smiles, he really cannot sell for his life.

Overall it was a largely mediocre show, with the highlights being the CM Punk promo and six-man tag match, but that was about it. One other positive to take away is the new trio of Langston, Ziggler and AJ, I personally really like the partnership and hope it helps boost Dolph.