My WWE SummerSlam 2013 Recap

Rob Van Dam won via disqualification versus Dean Ambrose (c), thereby Ambrose retained the United States Title. It was a stellar pre-show contest, with both talents delivering more than worthy displays. The quality found here was hardly a surprise, but the added factor of Big Show and Mark Henry coming out and supporting RVD with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns also at ringside added some more interest. The DQ occurred after Van Dam hit the most likely match-winning Five Star Frog Splash and Reigns struck with a spear as the challenger was about to cover Ambrose. Show and Henry were too late into the ring and The Shield made their getaway.   

Bray Wyatt defeated Kane in a Ring of Fire Match. It was an entertaining outing for myself, the spectacle of it alone engaged me, I can't imagine how great that must've been for the fans in attendance. Technically it wasn't anything much to look at, but I still had fun watching it and both men did their jobs well. For the finish the 'Wyatt Family' Luke Harper and Erick Rowan managed to cover part of the fire with a protective blanket and make their way into the ring to help Bray after receiving a few ChokeSlams to eventually apply a Sister Abigail on Kane for the one-two-three. Afterwards the victor had his 'brothers' drag the 'Big Red Monster' onto some steel steps and crack some more steps on his head.

Before their following match up, Damien Sandow compared Team Rhodes Scholars to some of the all-time famous duos, claiming that much like in all of them there was the inferior "lackey" in the pairing, that being Cody Rhodes. He also stated that he would send Cody back to his 'carnie' family.

Cody Rhodes pinned Damien Sandow and had the last laugh in a decent affair. I'll admit I was expecting something fair here but nothing much, and it certainly exceeded that. Cody especially did well, and I'm relieved to see him back on the right track with his recent wins and elevated status. 

Alberto Del Rio (c) forced Christian to submit in order to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a gripping back and fourth bout. In their greatest match yet both wrestlers were technically tremendous, crafting some superb sequences with effective near falls. Del Rio managed to latch on his trademark arm breaker for the victory after Christian hit a spear using the shoulder he'd injured earlier in the title clash, it was a logical end and it was refreshing to see an injury being sold so well. 

Natalya beat Brie Bella in a largely uninspiring match. To be fair Brie looked better than normal, although that still isn't saying much. Cameron and Naomi  began inevitably tangling with Eva Marie and Nikki Bella at ringside to spur on more of the fake feud started in the Total Divas 'reality' show. Fans soon lost interest and began chanting such things as the commentators names and "We want tables!" to entertain themselves. Natalya caught Brie with a Sharpshooter for the win. 

Brock Lesnar bested CM Punk in a No Disqualification Match. I believe awesome is probably the most suitable word to describe this special outing. Much like any Lesnar bout since his return you were hooked from the start (at least for me anyway) with both men battling (and I mean battling) with edge of your seat submission attempts and near falls, the drama truly never let up as both wrestlers travelled in and around the ring. Of course Paul Heyman played his part brilliantly too, halting Punk's oh so close efforts to win and finally leading his former associate and best friend into the winning F5 from 'The Beast'. 

Punk has once again been involved in one of the match of the year contenders (the other one was against a certain 'Dead Man') and I cannot urge you enough to watch this enthralling fight, although if you're reading this I doubt I even have to right?

Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn defeated Big E Langston and AJ Lee in an enjoyable mixed tag bout. The match wasn't too long but I felt that only benefited it really, Kaitlyn and AJ did well with their time and Big E is probably better suited to short and powerful bursts in the ring. Plus if it'd been allocated more time it might've gotten fairly tiresome. In the end Kaitlyn took out AJ with a spear on the outside and Ziggler managed to escape a Big Ending and strike with a Zig Zag for the win.

Backstage the SummerSlam host The Miz was interrupted by Fandango and his dancing partner Summer Rae, as he had been all night. So a frustrated Miz simply clocked Fandango with a swift punch to finally stop him.

Daniel Bryan pinned John Cena (c) to obtain the WWE Championship with Triple H as special guest referee in an exciting and highly memorable main event. The fans were electric, there were plenty of suspenseful moments and you will remember this and the events afterwards for a long time, all that adds up to a great main event. Granted it wasn't perfect or the match of the night, there were a few slight mistakes here and there but that's probably just me being a bit picky. Both men were battered and exhausted as the final few minutes rolled in, with Bryan attacking with a vicious knee to Cena's head for the most important three count of his career so far. But the night wasn't over yet.

Randy Orton then made his way casually down the ramp, with Bryan daring him to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, but 'The Viper' instead walked away. That was until Triple H suddenly Pedigreed Bryan and Orton cashed in, winning the WWE Title. It was a shocking way to end a successful event, and one that will have plenty of fans wanting answers the next night on Raw. So a smart finale then.

Overall it was a strong show, with the push of up and coming talent and most matches being decent and three being exceptional. And for me any event with at least three strong bouts is a triumphant one. My highlights were Christian versus Del Rio, CM Punk versus Lesnar, the cash in and the main event. I was very much looking forward to SummerSlam and it didn't disappoint. 

My WWE Raw, 12th August 2013 Recap

Cena and Bryan get intense in a great segment. Photo credit: WWE.com

Wade Barrett pinned Daniel Bryan in a pretty enjoyable opener. Bryan was on good form while Barrett did well enough. It was fun for the most part but there were a few slightly sloppy moments (Wade didn't receive some of Bryan's moves so well). Barrett gained the one-two-three with a schoolboy as special referee Brad Maddox made a dubiously fast count. Bryan was about to exact some revenge after but the Raw GM managed to escape the ring first.

Randy Orton beat Damien Sandow in a fair outing. The first half was fairly drab to be honest, but things picked up towards the end and it became a decent watch. Orton RKO'd his fellow Money in the Bank holder for the win after Cody Rhodes (who'd provided guest commentary) distracted Sandow at ringside by trying to take his briefcase which was handcuffed to a ring post.  

Natalya and The Great Khali bested AJ Lee and Big E Langston in a strange mixed tag bout. The wrestling itself wasn't anything remarkable, and we only got to see AJ and Natalya tangle during the actual mach up. Natalya scored the win by forcing AJ to tap to the sharpshooter not once, but twice. The first time apparently didn't count so they carried on and Natalya just applied the submission hold again.

Afterwards Big E attempted to attack Khali but failed miserably and was instead chopped down by the giant. Why have the two wrestlers going into the bigger match at SummerSlam treated in this fashion? I've always been indifferent to the Total Divas show, but when it starts to affect the product as negatively as it has then it begins to get on my nerves (Natalya later challenged Brie Bella to a bout this Sunday as a continuation of their feud from the 'reality' show).  

Vince McMahon brought out Brad Maddox and questioned him over his fast count in the earlier Bryan versus Barrett match. Maddox claimed that he was maybe a little overexcited and admitted to making a mistake.

The GM then requested that he make amends by refereeing the WWE Title match at SummerSlam, so as McMahon was about to officially announce this his son in law Triple H joined them and agreed that they should allocate a special referee to take order this Sunday, but that it should be him instead. To really make Vince livid 'The Game' then pedigreed Maddox. 

Kane pinned Titus O'Neil in a short squash match. Bray Wyatt and his 'family' Luke Harper and Erick Rowan then attempted to perform their trademark attack after turning out the lights, but Kane had the upper hand this time as he'd already made his way down the ramp.

Alberto Del Rio forced Kofi Kingston to submit in a passable encounter. There were some solid parts and effective near falls, but on the whole it wasn't a very memorable bout. Kofi's return has been quite disappointing too, they could've really freshened his persona up a bit or even turn him heel with his latest comeback. It's a shame really.

The Usos defeated The Ream Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger) in a decent tag match. It wasn't anything amazing but still lively for the most part so you were never bored.

The Miz introduced his guests for the latest instalment of 'Miz TV' John Cena and Daniel Bryan, who both agreed with Triple H as the referee for their title clash. As things got a bit more heated Bryan stated that it was because of people like Cena, who are more "style than substance" and just in it for the fame that he doesn't watch TV.

Cena retorted by claiming that he doesn't wrestle to impress him, but for the fans that remain loyal to him. That included a young child from Make a Wish that he visited that afternoon, which rightfully received a standing ovation form the fans. He also spoke about receiving the same criticisms for years, and that he hopes Bryan underestimates and treats him as a parody come Sunday. It was strong promo from the champ, one of the strongest he's ever delivered for me.

Bryan then explained a Japanese custom where a wrestler would slap another wrestler to get them fired up, but he didn't believe that Cena deserved it as he wasn't a real wrestler. An aggravated champ slapped his future challenger in the face, but Bryan failed to take the bait and refused to slap him back. Triple H then hurried out and managed to settle things just before Orton also walked out calmly and held up his MITB briefcase as a clear message to champion and challenger. It was a great segment, in fact the best since their feud begun, with terrific mic work from both men.

Fandango and R-Truth had a brief dance off, although that may be the wrong word for what they did. Things soon turned uglier however as Fandango clobbered Truth from behind, only to have him turn things around quickly and send the ballroom dancer out of the ring. It was a nothing segment.

Rob Van Dam won a Battle Royal to earn a United States Championship shot at SummerSlam. Once the match dwindled down it became an entertaining watch, with Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry and RVD being my standout performers. Speaking of the last two, they delivered an exciting end to the contest as the final two men.

Henry congratulated the victor after, and then stood by him as The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) made their way out. As the trio were about to enter the ring, Big Show made his return and helped scare them off. I was starting to wonder if they were going to save Show's comeback for after SummerSlam. So it would seem that him and Henry will team up to face Rollins and Reigns for the tag title, which could be interesting. 

Before their match up Paul Heyman claimed that Punk's need for the fans adoration instead of his since their split was going to be his downfall, and that he planned to take that away from him with a trap he'd set up with the man he next introduced, Brock Lesnar. The trap was simple, either Punk comes out as the hero and faces both Heyman and Lesnar, or he leaves the arena and lets all the fans down.

But CM Punk had a plan of his own and snuck in from behind and cracked Brock a few times with a camera he stole from a cameraman at ringside and hit a suicide dive. He then gave chase to Heyman, but Curtis Axel slowed him down enough for him to escape. Punk took Axel down with a few chair shots and applied a GTS to end the show, and a solid way it was to end it too.

Overall it was an entertaining show for the most part, with only a few unmemorable or mediocre bouts and a dance off letting it down. My highlights were the final segment, the Battle Royal, Bryan versus Barrett and the tremendous 'Miz TV' segment. It was a strong way to go into SummerSlam I felt, with stellar build ups for the high profile match ups, just the way it should be.  

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 Raw, 15th July 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE Raw, 17th June 2013 recap

Henry delivers a WSS after a superbly delivered turn. Photo credit: WWE.com

The new World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio started things off by questioning the fans poor reaction to him winning the title after beating down an already hurt Ziggler at Payback the previous night, reminding them that 'The Show Off' did the same when cashing in his MITB contract a while back on him. His temperament soon turned to anger when Del Rio  berated the fans for supporting a "coward" like Ziggler. 

As Del Rio was going to give the fans another chance to show him some respect, CM Punk joined him (to a very healthy response from the crowd) and despite advise from his manager Paul Heyman, challenged the World Champion to a match that night. Vickie Guerrero liked the idea and came out to make it official. 

Backstage CM Punk warned Heyman about interfering in his affairs, including the previous night where he almost cost him the match against Jericho, and asked him to stay out of his business from here on out.  

Instead of receiving his Intercontinental Title rematch, Vickie Guerrero informed Wade Barrett that he'll be facing the returning Christian. As a big fan of 'Captain Charisma' I was very pleased to see him finally back. 

Christian pinned Wade Barrett in a decent encounter. As standard for him Christian looked stellar in the ring, and Wade looked okay when he managed to get in a little bit of offense. I'd personally love to see Christian victorious in one of the Money in the Bank matches next month.

Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) defeated Sheamus in an average Handicap match. The action was fair at best to be honest, and not very memorable. Sandow grabbed the winning pin with a quick roll up, so in retaliation an annoyed Sheamus Brogue Kicked Rhodes.

Randy Orton won via referee stoppage after Daniel Bryan could not continue in a No Disqualification match. Up until Bryan picked up the injury it'd been a solid affair, with well executed back and fourth wrestling from both men.

The new Divas Champion AJ Lee bragged about breaking Kaitlyn's spirit and toppling her for the strap at Payback. She also went on to claim that she was the strongest and most courageous woman in the whole arena and the locker room. This cued Stephanie McMahon to come out and first congratulate AJ on overcoming a lot in her life and finally becoming the champion, but also added that what she did to Kaitlyn was degrading to women everywhere.

After a few more heated words were exchanged, Kaitlyn came out, accompanied by a few fellow divas and after being warned by Stephanie not to ever interrupt her again, warned AJ that she was going to break her too and began brawling with her former friend. Big E Langston eventually got AJ out of the ring and carried her off. It was a fun segment, and interesting to see Steph interact with AJ a bit. As I've already said it's also nice to see the Divas division get some much needed attention, most likely due to their new reality show coming out soon I'd imagine. 

Kane won via DQ versus Dean Ambrose after Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns ran and beat down the 'Big Red Monster', eventually triple powerbombing him. The match hadn't really been given time to make an impression. Backstage as Vickie was about to reprimand the trio under Triple H's earlier orders, Vince McMahon came along and congratulated The Shield on their success and even said their ruthlessness and aggression reminded him of himself. 

Zeb Colter once again drivelled on about the state of the US and the immigrant situation, then introduced Antonio Cesaro as the newest member to his cause.

Antonio Cesaro beat William Regal in a brief squash match. The action was decent, but it's a shame these two weren't given more time to really deliver a top class contest. 

WWE Champion John Cena came out and thanked all the fans for their support for the company, and admitted his respect for the one that jeer him for their honesty. It was all pretty drab until Mark Henry joined him and asked him to stay for his speech. An emotional Henry went on to thank the fans and his family and announced his retirement. 

It was a touching moment, and delivered so convincingly that what came next was a genuine shock. As Henry went in to hug Cena he then turned it into a World's Strongest Slam, much to the delight and surprise of the fans in attendance, and myself. Backstage afterwards he officially challenged Cena to a championship match. It was without a doubt the finest promo of Henry's career, and my personal favourite moment of his ever. I'm admittedly not a massive fan of his but even I'm interested in a title match between him and Cena now.

Chris Jericho pinned Heath Slater in an enjoyable enough bout. In probably Slater's finest singles match to date, both men gave worthy displays and delivered a fun watch. Afterwards fellow 3MB members Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal attempted to take out Y2J but quickly failed and were chucked out of the ring.

Curtis Axel bested Sin Cara in a fair, if forgettable outing. The bout was never terrible by any means but you wouldn't miss a great deal by skipping it. Axel as usual looked good in the ring, gaining the one-two-three after applying a modified DDT.

CM Punk won via count out versus Alberto Del Rio in an exciting main event. From the opening bell the fans delivered a great atmosphere, and the wrestling itself was thoroughly entertaining. Both men gave PPV-level efforts here as they effectively and smoothly went move for move. It's not quite up there with the best televised bouts of the year, most including The Shield and Bryan, but it was a solid outing.

Afterwards an enraged Dolph Ziggler brutally attacked Del Rio from behind before giving chase to the champ behind the stage. I can envisage Ziggler being a very effective face. Then Brock Lesnar strolled out, smiled a little at Punk and applied a well executed (almost realistic) F5. It was a strong end to a strong show on the whole.

This was one of the best Raws of the year for me, with mostly enjoyable match ups and very memorable segments. Plus there were new and interesting feuds being kicked off and a nice development with Ziggler and Del Rio's (who was actually engaging, who'd have thought?). My highlights were the main event, Henry's promo and turn (superb), the opening and closing segments and the return of Christian. How can next week live up to this I wonder? 

My WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Recap

The Shield celebrate with the gold. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Miz beat Cody Rhodes in a rather lacklustre and sloppy pre-show bout. Miz looked a bit out of sorts here and made more than a few errors, while Cody gave a pretty unremarkable showing too. 

Chris Jericho pinned Fandango in a fair encounter. Much like their WrestleMania match Jericho did most of the hard work, while Fandango looked alright, but still has some work to do in the ring. Jericho gained the one-two-three after applying a nicely executed Codebreaker as Fandango came off the top rope in the highlight of the match.

Dean Ambrose defeated Kofi Kingston (c) to obtain the United States Championship in a solid contest. Both men gave worthy efforts, albeit a few slightly sloppy moments but that wasn't enough to spoil an otherwise enjoyable match up. Afterwards the new champ's Shield teammates joined him to celebrate. 

Sheamus bested Mark Henry in a Strap match. Perhaps not the most exciting match of this kind but it was decent enough for the most part, with both men giving passable displays. 

Before Swagger versus Del Rio kicked off, Zeb Colter started blaming the government and the people for the state of America in this day and age, confusingly then bringing up the poor showings from St. Louis' baseball teams. The promo felt like a waste of time and dragged on far too long, I'm hoping this whole gimmick is killed off soon.

Alberto Del Rio beat Jack Swagger in an I Quit match, thereby becoming number one contender to the World Title. The action was decent enough, although it lacked that extra drama that you normally get from far superior I Quit bouts from the past. The referee had to restart the match after discovering that Colter framed Ricardo Rodriguez for throwing in the towel for Del Rio, so a struggling Del Rio heroically managed to apply his signature armbreaker to force Swagger to scream "I quit!"  

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns defeated Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) (c) to obtain the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Tornado Tag contest. Wisely the match wasn't kept too long, which kept the action exciting and at a fast pace throughout. A fun watch, and nice work from every wrestler involved. Afterwards Ambrose joined his teammates and the trio posed with their new gold, I'm so glad the WWE have kept the momentum going for this great young act.

Randy Orton pinned Big Show in an Extreme Rules match. It was fair enough for the majority, although I was personally expecting a bit more excitement from it. Neither man did a poor job on any level but for an Extreme Rules match it didn't really live up to the name, Big Show's body splash onto a ladder balanced on two chairs was the only remotely 'Extreme' thing that happened. I can't help feel two other wrestlers would've made more from this stipulation. Orton finished off Show with a punt kick, which was a nice touch.

John Cena (c) versus Ryback in a Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship ended in a No Contest after Ryback forced the champ through part of the stage display. The fans in attendance booed the unresolved ending to the bout. The match itself had been a dramatic and engaging one, with both men playing to their strengths and utilising weapons and the outside ring environment to keep the interest going.

For me this was a much more entertaining WWE Title clash than the one at WrestleMania last month, and definitely exceeded my expectations. The ending did feel like a bit of a cop out, but it was a fair way of preserving both men's status and keeping the feud going into Payback next month.  

Brock Lesnar defeated Triple H in a Steel Cage match. As expected it was an intense and drama-filled main event, filled with effective near falls and battling till the bitter end. I know there are many fans out there who weren't particularly into Lesnar versus Triple H at 'Mania, but I was, so it's hardly a surprise that I ate this up and enjoyed it from the opening bell when 'The Game' skipped his entrance altogether and attacked his rival from behind.  

Paul Heyman of course also played his part as manager superbly, low blowing Triple H and taking a Pedigree along the way and keeping the support for his client going vocally throughout. For me he's certainly the finest manager I've ever seen in pro wrestling. Going into this I already knew I was going to enjoy it, and it didn't disappoint. I can understand people's issues with Triple H and his style of matches he plans out, but there's always excitement and there's always a story to be told, which is more than can be said for most bouts you'll see on a Raw or SmackDown. Lesnar grabbed the winning pinfall after cracking Trip's sledgehammer into his head and then applying an F5.  

Overall it was an enjoyable card for the majority, with a few dips along the way. My highlights were Ambrose versus Kofi, The Shield versus Team Hell No, the WWE Title match and the main event. The last two bouts mentioned especially salvaged the event for me, giving it some much needed drama and excitement. But the biggest thing I'm probably taking away from Extreme Rules is the continued push of The Shield, it's a relief that the most exciting young act in the company is still getting the attention they deserve.    

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 Raw, 6th May 2013 Recap

Lesnar and Heyman during their 'invasion'. Photo credit: WWE.com

WWE Champion John Cena kicked things off by stating that he will be able to defend his title at Extreme Rules against Ryback, he also made a series of lame jokes, with Lawler as usual cackling from the desk. Finally Cena got serious again towards the end of his speech when Vickie Guerrero joined him and called out Ryback to determine the kind of match they'll have over the WWE Title. 

Unfortunately the champ then resorted to going back to making childish and unfunny jokes regarding Ryback's voice and Vickie wearing "Grandma pants" even though she'd just given him a fair chance to choose what kind of bout he'll have. Ryback retorted by claiming that he knew that despite his injured ankle, Cena's ego would cause him to still defend the title, and then logically chose a Last Man Standing match for Extreme Rules. It was a pretty weak start to the show.  

Randy Orton pinned Damien Sandow in a fair outing. As with their match on last Friday's SmackDown, the wrestling from both men was solid enough but the bout was just lacking in excitement. The most entertaining thing about this was actually Sandow's very funny version of Orton's theme he sung on the way to the ring (check out an edited version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kgWUlU6N7f0). Afterwards Big Show then KO'd Orton with a punch as he was about to enter the back. 

Chris Jericho brought out Tons of Funk (Tensai and Brodus Clay) to help critique the performance of Fandango in his following match up.

R-Truth won via count out versus Fandango after he'd had enough and decided to leave with his dance partner. The match itself wasn't anything special, and the judging didn't really add anything to it either. In fact, you can safely skip all of this. Before the match Michael Cole gushed that Truth is a man that "can sing and dance!" Clearly Cole has some hearing and seeing difficulties. 

Alberto Del Rio won via disqualification versus Dolph Ziggler in an exciting back and fourth contest. Both men gave great displays, despite a few minor mistakes. The DQ came after Big E Langston dragged Del Rio out of the ring and threw him into Swagger (who'd come down during the bout with Zeb Colter who provided guest commentary). 

Swagger then exacted his revenge by taking out Langston by forcing him into a ringpost, then Ricardo Rodriguez, Del Rio and Ziggler with a ladder. This was by far the strongest segment (including the bout) promoting the Triple Threat Ladder match at Extreme Rules so far.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) bested Kofi Kingston and Jimmy and Jay Uso in a decent six-man tag bout. Certainly far from their most exciting match, The Shield still delivered here with worthy efforts, as did their three opponents. Worth a watch.

Antonio Cesaro pinned Zack Ryder in a match the Swiss dominated. The action wasn't anything outstanding, but Cesaro as usual looked stellar. Afterwards Antonio questioned the level of competition he was receiving, and added that no one in the WWE could touch him when it came to ability in the ring. It was very well delivered, and you could believe each word he was saying. Now WWE should build on this and have him beat Orton on Main Event on Wednesday, maybe with Big Show making an appearance.  

Via satellite Paul Heyman presented his self-recorded footage of his client Brock Lesnar's little trip to WWE's Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, where he made his way up to COO Triple H's office and trashed it. It was a fun watch, and witnessing Lesnar intimidate the employees and destroy Trip's belongings didn't get old. There was also an interesting moment where Brock paused to observe a poster featuring The Rock for the Royal Rumble, a feud with those two could be potentially interesting if Rocky returns.

Heyman then explained that after being Pedigreed on last week's Raw he was now going to stop holding back and instead encourage Lesnar in his attacks, and especially in maiming 'The Game' in their Steel Cage match. Triple H then came out and accused Heyman of knowing full well that he wouldn't be in his office that day, and called the ring his other office and dared Lesnar to enter it with him and try and do what he did to his other one in Stamford. It was a strong segment on the whole, from Heyman's superb promo work to Lesnar just being Lesnar.

Kaitlyn, Cameron and Naomi beat AJ Lee and the Bella twins in a mediocre and forgettable tag match. There was just no interest to be found here, plus couple that with some of the clumsy wrestling and you get the idea of the quality of this affair.

Mark Henry presented footage of his attacks on Sheamus over the last month and then challenged him to a match at Extreme Rules, so the Irishman joined him and also showed footage of his attacks on Henry recently and decided to challenge him right there and then to a fight. The two were about to square off until Wade Barrett made his way out for his scheduled contest with Sheamus.

Sheamus pinned Wade Barrett in a largely pedestrian encounter. I feel a lesser wrestler than Barrett would've been a better choice for this match, it did no favours to the IC Champion (almost forgot about that, didn't you?) that he was overshadowed by the feud with Henry and fairly easily beaten here. The bout wasn't terrible but there was nothing remarkable about it.

Afterwards Henry gave a convincing beat down on Sheamus after the 'Celtic Warrior' had taunted him by pretending he was going to chuck Barrett into him during their bout. Henry had grabbed a leather belt from an official at ringside and began whipping Sheamus, finally finishing him off by World's Strongest Slamming him. 

Ryback beat Kane in a rather average main event. It may have just been me but Kane looked like he was struggling a little at parts here. I wasn't expecting much here and didn't receive it, both men did okay but I just failed to engage in it at all. The match came about after Ryback refused a match with Daniel Bryan due to his attack from The Shield, so Kane stepped up to take his tag partner's place.

After the main event The Shield made an appearance, so Daniel Bryan and John Cena raced out to repel them. As Ryback looked as though he was then helping, he attacked the WWE Champion with a few chair shots to end the show. Maybe that'll stop Cena's lame jokes about him.

Overall it was a passable Raw for the majority, with Del Rio versus Ziggler (plus the subsequent attack), The Shield's six-man tag bout and Lesnar's invasion of the WWE Headquarters being the highlights and helping make the show worth watching. The other match ups were average or forgettable for the most part, and I'm still not that interested in the Cena and Ryback feud. But at least Extreme Rules is looking to be an enjoyable event. 

My WWE Raw, 15th April 2013 Recap

 Lesnar decimates 3MB. Photo credit: WWE.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WrestleMania XXIX Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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