My WWE SmackDown, 21st September 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com 

WWE Hall of Famer Edge kicked off the show by explaining that he now watches the WWE product as a fan, not a performer. He then showed a VT of Kane and Daniel Bryan hugging it out and then arguing on last Monday's Raw. 'The Rated R Superstar' said that he'd never seen anything like it and was perplexed by it all. Daniel Bryan himself then came out and claimed that Doctor Shelby had helped him find inner peace, this was short live though as Edge began having fun by winding him up with chants of "Yes!" and "No!" Kane then also joined them and began arguing with his tag partner.

A confused and frustrated Edge then began screaming at Kane, asking what had happened to the once 'Big Red Machine', also reminding him of all that they'd put each other through. Kane amusingly offered Edge a hug to make amends, so he accepted and even offered a left out Bryan a chance to get in on it. But instead Damien Sandow interrupted them and claimed that this kind of behaviour was ruining the company. Edge decided to settle things by setting up a match (that GM Booker T agreed to) between Sandow and Kane. It was one of the best opening segments to a pro wrestling show I've seen in a while. All four men were on form, especially the three in the ring. Bryan and Kane are the most consistently entertaining act in WWE right now for me.  

Damien Sandow defeated Kane in a fair match up that never really went beyond decent. Sandow is competent in the ring but he's still not quite there yet and has work to do. 'The Intellectual Saviour' picked up the one-two-three after Bryan distracted his tag partner at ringside, allowing Sandow to apply a Straight Jacket Neckbreaker. It's a big win for Sandow pinning Kane like that, a good sign for him.

Backstage an angered Kane hunted down Bryan, but instead came across Doctor Shelby. Bryan shortly popped up from a bin behind (which looked hilarious) and after both Tag Team Champions were calmed down by Shelby they agreed to make amends. Doctor Shelby also suggested getting Bryan a match to make up for causing Kane to loose, which he liked. It was another superb segment between them.   

Sheamus and Randy Orton beat Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio in an enjoyable tag team bout. All four men put in standard solid displays (typical for all of them really) and provided an entertaining contest, superior to the average tag team ones we get in WWE and the rather lacklustre main event of this weeks Raw.   

Cody Rhodes defeated Daniel Bryan in a passable match that never got the chance to get going. It's a shame it wasn't allocated a bit more time, could've been much better I reckon. Rhodes grabbed the winning pin after Kane had a little payback and distracted Bryan with his pyros, giving Rhodes the chance to apply the Cross Rhodes for the victory.

Backstage after the tag champs once again argued over who was better, but soon noticed Sandow and Rhodes laughing at them. Rhodes stated that they were a "spectacle" and a poor unit. Kane and Bryan defended themselves by challenging both men to a tag team match, causing them to walk away in separate directions.     

Brodus Clay won via disqualification versus Heath Slater in a rather nothing bout. The actual wrestling wasn't anything special, it was what happened after that was interesting. As the match was taking place Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal ran in and helped take out Clay with Slater. Hopefully this is the start of a new faction that are tired of being underutilised in the company and are taking action, giving these talents some much needed relevance and creating a hopefully interesting group. I'll be very disappointed if they drop the ball with this one.

Santino Marella beat Antonio Cesaro in comedy match for the most part, it was quite mediocre to be honest. Marella's cobra was once again distracted by Aksana, but this time she was accidentally pulled into the ring and damaged her foot. This caused the referee to be distracted and Marella to grab a quick pinfall win. Afterwards an angered Cesaro dumped the hurt Aksana. Hopefully this means the end of the awful acting skills of Aksana on our screens.  

Daniel Bryan and Kane won via DQ versus Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow in a fair tag contest. The match never really excelled at anything, but the entertaining part came after the bell rung. Bryan came to his partner's aid by snatching the steel chair that Rhodes had used on Kane (which caused the DQ) and him and his tag partner began taking out their opponents and various other teams that had been watching the bout, all the while with big smiles on their faces. It was a glorious end to the show as both men stood tall over the seas of bodies.

Overall it was a very enjoyable show, thanks mainly to the inspired duo of Kane and Daniel Bryan. Edge's surprise appearance was a pleasant surprise too and his segment with the tag champs was fun. We also had a solid outing involving Sheamus, Orton, Del Rio and Ziggler. Compared to most SmackDown's recently I'd call it a big success.    

My WWE Raw, 25th June 2012 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE SmackDown, 8th June 2012 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE Raw, May 14th 2012 Recap

John Laurinaitis stopped Triple H backstage and claimed that he was just as surprised as everyone else that Brock Lesnar attacked him a few weeks back, the COO just wished Johnny luck with his match with Cena on Sunday.

Triple H came to the ring and said that he was offended by Lesnar's claim that he was going to bring legitimacy back to the company, I don't blame him. While I understand why Lesnar said it, it was basically a stab at every wrestler who has performed for the WWE. 'The Game' went on to state that every time anything gets tough for Lesnar, from his time in the UFC to his latest run in WWE, he gives up and quits.

Paul Heyman then joined the COO and handed him a lawsuit straight from Brock himself, asking for the millions he's supposedly owed. After some berating from Heyman Triple H had enough and grabbed him with his one good arm, telling him "You tell Brock Lesnar, he's going to get everything he deserves." But before leaving Heyman then warned that he was now also going to sue for assault. It was a nice start to the show, with an as always strong showing from Heyman on the mic and an interesting way forward into the Triple H Lesnar feud.

CM Punk and Santino Marella defeated Cody Rhodes and Daniel Bryan in a fair tag team match that only really got going once Punk was tagged in. It achieved its goal of promoting the Punk and Bryan match at Over The Limit anyway, although I would personally still like to see a promo between the two, could be brilliant.  

Beth Phoenix defeated Alicia Fox in a short and passable bout. As Beth grabbed Fox afterwards the Divas Champion Layla came to her aid and chased Phoenix away. I'm expecting an okay match between Layla and Phoenix on Sunday for the title, nothing spectacular. 

Kane defeated Big Show in a slow paced and largely drab contest. For the finish Kane managed to choke slam Show as Laurinaitis (who'd been observing from ringside) demanded an apology from him during the bout. Afterwards the GM again demanded an apology, Big Show spoke about his time in the company and asked Laurinaitis not to fire him and take away something that he loves for the sake of something petty (that benig Show making fun of Laurinaitis' voice last week).

Big Show then apologised, but that wasn't good enough for Johnny as he demanded Show beg for his job on his knees. An emotional Big Show begged for his job, but didn't get on his knees. Laurinaitis was about to fire him, but Show did as he said and went down on his knees. Unfortunately this wasn't good enough for Laurinaitis, who fired him anyway. It was a surprisingly great segment, with Show showing real emotion that you could genuinely buy into. I'd have to say it was one of the best firings I've ever seen in WWE.  

Brodus Clay, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeated The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger in a bit of a messy and just slightly too busy six man tag match up. Not only were there three other people outside the ring, but we were also shown AW and his newest clients Epico, Primo and Mason Ryan in a box in the arena. The action was never really given a chance to flow, if it'd been allocated a bit more time then it probably would've been quite entertaining. As it was I just couldn't get into it.   

Chris Jericho won via disqualification versus Randy Orton in a bout that was enjoyable enough, if a little brief. Sheamus attacked Jericho for the DQ after Y2J had thrown Orton into the World Champion, who was doing some guest commentating. A frustrated Orton then confronted 'The Great White' after as they squared off in the ring, only to be separated by officials from the back. Eve tweeted (WWE and Twitter? Couldn't imagine that) that on SmackDown the two will face each other one on one.        

John Laurinaitis called all Cena's fans "loosers," claiming that Cena was a looser himself, just before John Cena himself interrupted him. Cena childishly mocked the GM, also calling him a "looser" after failing in most of his endeavors. It was silly, but a little amusing, even Johnny was trying not to laugh at some points. He went on to claim that Laurinaitis has no concept of reality, that his 'People Power' slogan should be "person power" instead.

After some more exchanged words, Eve made her way out and passed Big Johnny a letter from the WWE Board of Directors which Cena snatched and revealed read that their match will be a one on one match, have no special guest referees, no one at ringside and if anyone interferes then they will be fired. It also revealed that if Laurinaitis looses then he will be "officially terminated." Much to the delight of the fans in attendance. Just before the GM left, he slapped Cena in the face, switching the jokey Cena's expression to a stern one instead. I can just imagine Laurinaitis is going to somehow manage a win on Sunday, should be interesting anyway.    

My WWE SmackDown, May 11th 2012 Recap

Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio versus Sheamus and Randy Orton ended in a no contest after all four men started to brawl in and outside the ring during the bout. Up until that point it had been a so so tag team match, pretty flat for the majority of it to be honest. During the break after Eve announced on Twitter that Orton will face Del Rio and Jericho will face Sheamus on the same show later on.

AJ defeated former friend Kaitlyn in a short and scrappy bout. After a series of scratching and clawing AJ struck Kaitlyn with a shining wizard for the one-two-three. Afterwards her former boyfriend Daniel Bryan informed her how impressed he was at her aggression, stating he had no idea she could be so "ruthless."

He carried on as if he was considering taking her back, but turned the tables and admitted his interest was actually with Kaitlyn. An angry and upset AJ shook in the ring in front of him as he mocked and laughed at her. It was a great moment as she teased an attack on the hurtful Bryan, but instead she walked away. For me it was a tremendous segment, as most with these two. I'm loving the fact that they're slowly building up to AJ's inevitable moment of vengeance on her ex, which should provoke a huge pop when it comes.

Daniel Bryan defeated Big Show via submission after John Laurinaitis had the bell rung, without any sign of Show tapping out. The actual match, although brief, had been pretty good. I would've liked to have seen more to be honest, and I don't say that much for anything involving Big Show.

Laurinaitis forced Show to apologise to him afterwards, also calling him a "freak" like Eve had on Raw. The GM also informed Show that he will have to apologise to him once again on next Monday's Raw, and mean it. Well it's certainly gaining Johnny more heat, so these interactions with Show are working.

Ryback defeated Heath Slater in an average squash match. I think Ryback needs to add a little more to his move set, I'm sure he's capable of some more impressive power offense.

Antonio Cesaro defeated Alex Riley in another nice showing from Cesaro. I give it a year before he's challenging for a World title, if WWE push him like he deserves anyway. Unfortunately the only downside to Cesaro is that we have to endure the untalented Aksana still. I can't believe she's even on a paycheck there. 

Randy Orton won via disqualification versus Alberto Del Rio after Ricardo Rodriguez attempted a cross body on 'The Viper, only to receive an RKO. The bout had been a solid one, as usual with Orton. Afterwards Del Rio applied his trademark armbar on Orton.

R-Truth defeated Jack Swagger in an enjoyable contest. It was a good outing for both wrestlers, and better then the average match they usually have. It's also great to see some much needed attention being given back to the tag team division with Ziggler and Swagger challenging the new champions Kingston and Truth on PPV at Over The Limit. It looks like the company are promoting a few new teams too, with Marella and Ryder, O'Neil and Young and also Hawkings and Rex.

Titus O'Neil and Darren Young defeated Zach Ryder and Santino Marella in a big win for O'Neil and Young, considering they were on NXT not too long ago. Overall it was a decent enough tag team match up, I'm not a huge fan of O'Neil and Young but at least they act and look like a real unit. Afterwards the victors mocked the crowd and called themselves the next WWE Tag Team Champions.

Brodus Clay defeated Hunico in a routine squash match. Before the bout Hunico and accomplice Camacho attacked 'The Funkasaurus', but of course it wasn't enough to keep him down and he made a Cena-like recovery to destroy Hunico. 

Chris Jericho won via DQ versus Sheamus after Del Rio raced in and threw him into the steel steps, he then turned his attention to the World champion and applied the armbar. The actual bout had been a good main event, with both men going back and fourth. Orton then predictably entered the ring and attacked Del Rio. Jericho, Orton and Sheamus then finally each received their own retribution on Del Rio as they all applied their respective finishers on him.  

My WWE SmackDown, April 20th 2012 Recap

Daniel Bryan berated Sheamus for his recent aggressive actions against referee Jack Patton, himself and others. He went on to reveal that he plans on once again "shocking the World" in the city of Chicago (where he won the Money in the Bank match) by defeating Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship. The crowd were mostly behind Bryan with chants of "Yes!"

Bryan's ex AJ then made her way down, to boos funnily enough, and once again asked him to take her back, which he refused. But he also went one step further this time and claimed that he wish he'd never gone out with her and harshly stated that "I wish you were never even born." Ouch. It was another strong promo between the two, and more effective then any Bryan's had with his future opponent Sheamus.

Natalya won via disqualification after a distraught AJ snapped and began veraciously mauling her opposition. Upset she then immediately left afterwards. It was some nice acting on AJ's part and a logical step in the storyline for her to act this way.

Brodus Clay defeated Hunico in one of his routine squash matches. I was personally hoping he'd moved beyond these after WrestleMania but I guess not. This time 'The Funkasaurus' was accompanied by Hornswaggle, who tadpole splashed Hunico after the bout.

Titus 'O Neil and Darren Young defeated The Usos in a fair to average tag team contest. Although I'll give 'O Neil credit for gaining a bit more charisma since turning heel on NXT, I still find both him and Young quite average talents overall, I definitely believe there are more deserving talents for their spot on SmackDown e.g Tyson Kidd.  

Alberto Del Rio defeated Big Show in an average and forgettable match up after Cody Rhodes Disaster Kicked Show when the referee wasn't looking, helping Del Rio gain the one-two-three. I'm surprised Del Rio is still floating about like this since his return, he should have been put into a feud straight away.    

Ryback defeated nobody Danny Lerman in another of his squash matches. He keeps screaming after his bouts that he wants more, I'd like to see him finally get a real opponent.

Before the main event six-man tag team match Cody Rhodes took out The Great Khali by attacking his knee on the apron, so instead of replacing him with an up and coming talent who could use the exposure they chose Big Show to take his place.

Randy Orton, Big Show and Sheamus defeated Mark Henry, Cody Rhodes and Daniel Bryan in an enjoyable and largely solid main event. Fortunately the less mobile Show and Henry were utilised well here and given limited time in the ring to make an impact or the role of making the hot tag after being beaten down. 

Overall it was another mostly lackluster SmackDown, with only the Bryan AJ segment and main event saving it. I really think Ryback could add more to the show if given a real opponent to play with in the ring.  

My WWE Raw, April 16th 2012 Recap

CM Punk (c) defeated Mark Henry in a no disqualification and no count out match to retain the WWE Championship. The bout itself was fair enough, Punk worked hard, but then he had to considering what he had to work with. The use of the steel chair was also welcomed as they needed to add some kind of variety to the match considering they've tussled for the last two weeks straight.  

Afterwards Chris Jericho appeared on the big screen (as he does) and congratulated the champ on retaining. He also went on to announce that at Extreme Rules they will compete in a Chicago Street Fight for the WWE Championship. Punk claimed he was relishing the chance to kick Jericho's "ass" in front of his family and friends in his hometown. Jericho then showed footage of Punk walking into a pub earlier in the day, the champion explained that he was just meeting a friend in there. Y2J went on to call Punk's straight edge lifestyle a "facade" as he claimed he was getting closer to alcoholism like his father. The segment between them was decent enough, just felt quite similar to past material though.

Santino Marella (c) defeated David Otunga to retain the United States Championship in a clumsy and forgettable title match. Why out of all the up and coming talent do we have to endure Otunga being pushed? 

Brock Lesnar gave a candid and entertaining interview where he spoke of his past accomplishments, including winning the UFC Heavyweight title (complete with images, surprisingly enough). He also added that unlike Cena he wasn't fake, he was a genuine "ass kicker" who didn't come back to the WWE for the fans or anyone else but himself.   

Before Zach Ryder versus Kane could even begin Kane took out Ryder, thereby making the already weakened Ryder character look even more pathetic after being duped by Eve and loosing consecutively over the last few weeks. Kane then grabbed a mic and bragged about taking out Randy Orton and his father Bob Orton on last weeks SmackDown.

Backstage Daniel Bryan interrupted AJ and Kofi Kingston as they were talking and announced that he was formally changing the name of the LeBell lock to the Yes lock, as he claims he's better then Gene LeBell ever was. The crowd in England were thoroughly behind Bryan with strong chants of "Yes!" to go along with his own. 

John Cena stated on the mic that after a year of "catchphrases" and "wanting to put on a good show" (talking about The Rock obviously) Lesnar has come back and "simply stands for destruction." He went on to claim that when he faces Lesnar he will prepared for a fight. John Laurinaitis then booked Cena in a Extreme Rules match for that night.    

Daniel Bryan defeated Kofi Kingston in a solid enough match up. Considering the talent involved I was maybe expecting a little more, but it was entertaining don't get me wrong and definitely match of the night. The crowd were also thoroughly behind Bryan throughout the contest, which made it even more entertaining. After the bout Bryan locked on the Yes Lock (which had won him the match) until Sheamus raced down and chased him off.

Brodus Clay won via disqualification versus Dolph Ziggler after Jack Swagger entered the ring, only to be taken out by 'The Funkasaurus'. Ziggler deserves better treatment than this, he should be in a high profile match heading into Extreme rules after his showings earlier in the year. 

Big Show and The Great Khali defeated Primo and Epico in a worthless match that did nothing at all for the talented tag team champions and promoted the out of shape and barely talented duo of Big Show and Khali. The only reason I can imagine for this burying was Vince still being annoyed over Primo rightfully saying that he and Epico deserved a higher spot in the company as the champions on Twitter.  

Lord Tensai defeated John Cena in an Extreme Rules match. The bout itself ranged from average to pretty enjoyable, with interferences from both David Otunga and Tensai's assistant, or whatever he is. Although there were obstacles in Cena's way, the face that Tensai was allowed to pin Cena like this is a good sign for his future. 

My WWE Raw, April 9th 2012 Recap

John Laurinaitis started off the show by introducing the "new face of the WWE" Brock Lesnar. The reaction for Brock, who thanked Laurinaitis so is clearly a heel, was mixed. John Cena soon joined them both and slapped Lesnar in the face. Obviously this didn't go down so well and they began to brawl in the ring until a large group of the locker room and officials separated them. Lesnar even caused Cena to bleed from the mouth somehow, possibly a broken tooth which only added to the drama. Not a bad way to start the show.

Brodus Clay and Santino Marella defeated Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger in a fair enough tag team match. Clay was finally forced to be more competitive and has also finally been put into a real feud which has already made him a bit more interesting again, which I've been begging for for months now. My only gripe with the bout was that Clay pinned Ziggler, I would've had him pin the man without a major future in the company, Swagger. This didn't do any favours for Dolph who was on a great roll earlier in the year.  

Backstage John Cena confronted an angered Laurinaitis, who wanted an explanation for slapping Lesnar, and warned him that he's not afraid to get his hands dirty and would happily face any opponent that night. The fact that the blood was still on Cena's face was a nice touch and added more belief to his statement.  

R-Truth defeated Cody Rhodes in a very short bout after Big Show once again distracted Cody. This isn't really doing anything at all for Rhodes, who I hope will be put into a new rivalry soon.

Lord Tensai defeated Yoshi Tatsu in a squash match. Tensai looked solid enough here, although he's still not getting a major reaction from the crowd. 

CM Punk defended his choice of choosing a straight edge lifestyle, stating it was never something he thought would make him "cool" or help get him over in the company, but a personal choice of life he wanted to live. He went on to accuse Chris Jericho of taking things "one step too far" after smashing a bottle of Jack Daniels over his head on last weeks Raw, he claimed the smell from the alcohol reminded him of his father.

Chris Jericho appeared on the big screen and claimed Punk was looking a little hungover, and stated that the fans were now witnessing Punk as a "looser." The WWE Champion said that he planned on using the dark place Jericho had put him in and warned Y2J that this rivalry between them was no longer about who the best in the world was, but about "kicking your ass!" It was another brilliant segment between the two, especially Punk's display on the mic which was damn near perfect with its aggression.        

Mark Henry won via disqualification versus CM Punk (c) with the WWE Championship on the line. The match was kept brief (which is always good with the dull Henry involved) as the irate Punk snapped and attacked Henry with a television monitor from the announce desk. Jericho then made his way out, distracting Punk and allowing Henry to then get his own back on the champ with some World Strongest Slams. Y2J Codebreakered Punk and once again poured alcohol all over him.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Zach Ryder in a decent enough effort from both men. Unfortunately this was also another nail in the coffin of the supposed 'Ryder Revolution' from last year. It's so disappointing to see WWE drop the ball so badly with the once over and seriously popular Ryder, a man who managed the near impossible and made the United States Championship relevant again.

The celebrity guests the Three Stooges performed a boring and forgettable skit where Curly morphed into Hulk Hogan. The fans reacted in the right way by either booing or just sitting in silence. When will Vince realise that wrestling fans don't tune into Raw to see celebrities shamelessly promote their products in boring segments? Fortunately Kane came out and chokeslammed Curly.

In a backstage interview Brock Lesnar spoke about how proud he was of everything he's accomplished, and was even allowed to mention winning the UFC Heavyweight title and (rightfully) claiming that Cena could "never hold my jockstrap in a million years," both of which provoked a good reaction. He also conformed that he is what we have been needing in WWE as of late, an "ass kicker" and a bad ass. 

John Cena defeated David Otunga in a mediocre match up, which was better then I was expecting from Otunga vs Cena to be honest. In between Otunga's powerful moves he stopped to flex his muscles for added heat.

Afterwards the 'War Machine' Lesnar low blowed and F5'd Cena. Laughing as he left the victor in a heap.  

Overall it was a decent enough Raw, although there unfortunately weren't any particularly outstanding matches. CM Punk and Jericho's segment was without a doubt the highlight for me, this feud could certainly last a little while yet.

My WWE SmackDown, January 27th 2012 Recap

Big Show started off SmackDown and apologised publicly for accidentally barging through AJ a couple of weeks ago on the show. He stated that AJ had forgiven him but was having trouble forgiving himself. He also told us how he'd always felt like an outcast, a "freak" until he'd found a home in WWE. But after the incident with AJ he admitted that he wasn't sure that he had the heart to carry on his career there. Daniel Bryan then joined Show and said that as a kid he believed that the WWE was a place for "athletes, not genetic freaks" and added that Big Show's remorse was false. That he had fooled everyone into believing how sorry he was. He then charged at him with a barrage of insults which eventually ended in him slapping Big Show. After which he screamed at him "You're not a man, you're a monster!" That was the boiling point for Show who then charged at the World Heavyweight Champion and gave him a stern warning before tossing him aside. 
This was then the cue for Mark Henry to arrive, who wanted to remind both men that at the Royal Rumble he was also joining them in the Steel Cage match for the World Heavyweight Title. He also got straight to the point and added that he didn't care about Big Show's hurt feelings or a "95 pound girl in a training bra," just the World Title. Teddy Long then informed them that Big Show would face Mark Henry on the show later on, much to Bryan's delight. It was a pretty decent start to the show,Daniel Bryan's heel promos are still being delivered very solidly.     
Cody Rhodes defeated Justin Gabriel in quite an entertaining match up. The only thing I would say is that it would have benefitted with maybe a little more time allocated. Rhodes has been mentioned as a possible victor of the Royal Rumble match, but I'm predicting that he'll face his brother Dustin Rhodes at WrestleMania instead.    
Sheamus defeated Drew McIntyre in a very enjoyable bout with both wrestlers putting in a good effort. I'm certainly not McIntyre's biggest fan, nor have I ever been but I have to admit that he looked pretty good here. I can see this storyline possibly leading to Drew getting a very big win fairly soon, and maybe turn face in the process.
Epico and Primo defeated Santino Marella and Yoshi Tatsu in a short but adequate tag team match. It was nice to see Yoshi appear on the blue brand for a change.    
Backstage Daniel Bryan advised Mark Henry to seriously hurt Big Show in his match before the Royal Rumble on Sunday. He used the times that Big Show had injured Henry and AJ to try and convince him.
Wade Barret spoke before his match with the returning Randy Orton and claimed that he had it on very good authority that Orton had "allowed his ego to get the best of him." That Orton was returning too soon form his injury and that his spirit had been broken by Wade himself. Then 'The Viper's' music hit and we saw Orton make his way from the backstage area (nice touch I thought) and race to meet Barrett on the ramp where they began exchanging punches before the bell had even rung.
The fighting continued with Orton gaining the upper hand, but for some strange reason they never commenced the match. Instead they had referees and then other wrestlers come down under Teddy Long's order and try to separate the two men. During this Barrett managed to escape, but Randy wasn't done as he then RKO'd all the wrestlers surrounding him. It was a nice return for Orton, and very well received by the crowd in attendance. It's also very well received by myself, who felt that Orton was one of the most consistent performers in the company last year. And someone who was also involved in the best in-ring feud of last year with Christian.      
Hunico defeated Ted DiBiasse in a fast paced and nicely executed bout. I've fast become a big fan of DiBiasse's work in the ring over the last few months. For me he's earned a push on SmackDown (along with the talented Hunico) possibly a feud with a top level heel?  And some more time on the mic wouldn't hurt either.  
After the match Hunico stomped on the injured hand of DiBiasse while his bodyguard Camacho held him down. An excuse for the time off Ted's most likely going to have now for the legit injury. 
Brodus Clay defeated Alex Riley in a squash match with his What The Funk finisher. The uber charismatic 'Funkasaurus' Clay had a little moment with Riley before the match where they compared dance moves, until he had enough and suplexed Riley. Boy has Riley's career gone downhill, he was the same guy that cleanly defeated former WWE Champion The Miz on pay-per-view last year, right?    
Aksana defeated Natalya with a quick roll up pin after Natalya went to the ropes to call out for Tamina. Afterwards Natalya applied the Sharpshooter on her until Tamina came to Aksana's rescue and then Superfly Splashed Natalya. Well at least Tamina's certainly gotten more interesting, even if that means ripping off her Dad's old gimmick.   
Big Show defeated Mark Henry via count out in a nothing match. Mark Henry collapsed during the bout and couldn't make it back to the ring in time. It's thought that as Henry swung for a punch he actually hyper-extended his knee at the taping, so they had to quickly finish the match up. 
Afterwards Daniel Bryan ran in and attacked Big Show with a steel chair. Unfazed by this, Show gave chase until Bryan managed to dropkick him in the knee and continue the attack with the chair. Once back in the ring, Bryan applied the LeBell Lock until Big Show powered out of it. Show then Chokeslammed the World Champion, leaving a warning sign for the triple threat on Sunday at the Rumble.  
Overall, yet again, it was an enjoyable show for the most part. SmackDown unlike Raw right now gives us a healthy dose of enjoyable and solid match ups. Plus the rivalry between Henry, Show and Bryan has progressed brilliantly. With the storyline making sense and not being rushed like most have over the last year. I'm sure the Cage match won't be any classic but it should have it's entertaining moments considering what Bryan's been able to do with Henry and Big Show in the ring so far.
Next up people: The Royal Rumble!  

My WWE Raw, January 23rd 2012 Recap

CM Punk started off the show by talking about his upcoming opponent at the Royal Rumble Dolph Ziggler, and the special guest referee for the WWE Championship match John Laurinaitis, who he called a "failure." A failure as a former pro wrestler, at life and at his current job. Punk also presented the footage from last weeks Raw where Laurinaitis admitted to Mick Foley that he will screw over Punk for the title as referee. CM Punk then invited Laurinaitis out to say that to his face in the ring. But instead of the interim Raw GM making an appearance, John Cena joined Punk. The WWE Champ explained that it wasn't this John he was after, to which Cena retorted with "Sorry, I was sick of hearing you ramble." Was that Cena with some attitude? Nice change. Cena also demanded that Laurinaits come out, plus give Zach Ryder his United States Championship rematch and also resign as General Manager.
John Laurinaitis claimed that he stood by what he had said the week before and that he wasn't going to be intimated by either of them. He also announced a Falls Count Anywhere match for later on between Zach Ryder and Kane, and warned that if Cena gets involved at all then Ryder will never get a Unites States Championship rematch again. Laurinaitis then also booked a tag team match for right then and there with Cena and Punk versus Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger.
Dolph Ziggler warned CM Punk before their match that it doesn't matter that Laurinaitis will be in his corner, because he's going to beat him anyway. Jack Swagger also threatened that Cena was "dead meat" after his attack on the United States Champion last week. It felt like an average way to start the show after last weeks strong finish. I don't think there was any need for Ziggler and Swagger to talk too, that could have been cut for how irrelevant it was.    
Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger defeated CM Punk and John Cena in an average tag team bout that at least picked up in quality once the bumbling Cena tagged in Punk. Ziggler managed to score a roll up pin on CM Punk after John Laurinaitis distracted the WWE Champion on the apron.
Afterwards CM Punk then once again challenged the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Raw to a match. Laurinaitis, then to the surprise and delight of the crowd in attendance accepted the match. 
Chris Jericho then appeared for the return of his Highlight Reel (without uttering a word of course) but quickly left to go grab a T-Shirt gun. After teasing shooting off a T-shirt into the crowd he instead then grabbed a camera from a nearby cameraman and began mucking about with it. After dropping that he then urged the audience to hush and played a VT of some of his greatest moments. Then, in a shocking moment that provoked a big reaction, he finally spoke since his return. Saying that "This Sunday at the Royal Rumble, it's going to be the end of the World as you know it." I certainly applaude the direction Jericho and the backstage team have gone in for this current storyline of his. Makes a nice change of pace that we're having something play out slowly rather then be rushed out like most story lines have been in WWE over the last year. 
Kane versus Zach Ryder in a Falls Count Anywhere match ended in a no contest.The bout itself that Kane largely dominated wasn't bad but also wasn't anything spectacular, it served its purpose of advancing the John Cena and Kane rivalry so it did its job. Ryder and Kane during the match ended up going through the crowd and eventually onto the stage where Kane Chokeslammed Ryder through the floor. Afterwards Cena joined Eve who had been ringside for most of the bout as Ryder was stretchered away into an ambulance. Just before they drove him away Eve told Cena that it was all his fault. 
Sheamus defeated Jinder Mahal in a fairly brief but entertaining match up. Sheamus has even added a standing rolling fireman's carry slam to his move repertoire, nice addition there. Wade Barrett had been on commentary during the bout, mainly to plug the Royal Rumble and the return of Randy Orton to SmackDown this Friday. After the match Sheamus warned Barrett, who had threatened to enter the ring but instead backed off, that he should get used to the sight of a victorious 'Great White' as he was going to win the Royal Rumble match on Sunday. Chris Jericho is still my current favourite to win it.
Backstage, in a bit of an amusing segment R-Truth (pretending to be a market researcher) began to antagonise The Miz  by calling him the number one "whiner" and such. An angered John Laurinaitis then interrupted them, saying that he couldn't even think with all the noise they were making. So he added a stipulation to their match stating that whoever lost would be the number one entrant in the Royal Rumble match.  
Brodus Clay defeated Heath Slater in another one of his squatch matches. I'm hoping after the Royal Rumble that Clay's put into a real feud with someone in the lead up to WrestleMania.
R-Truth defeated The Miz in a solid encounter between the two. I wasn't expecting a classic but these two certainly delivered in my opinion. Although after the way their feud has been building up it felt a little anticlimactic that it should end on a one on one televised match. Miz should be an interesting number one entrant into the Rumble match though.
Before CM Punk versus John Laurinaitis could commence, David Otunga was asked to read out a fax that had been sent to the Interim Raw GM. It stated that due to his recent actions, his status was under review and that next week on Raw it would be determined whether or not he stays on as General Manager. And the review will be conducted by COO, Triple H. Well that should prove interesting then, eh?
Laurinaitis called this a "wake up call" and formally apologised to CM Punk and all the fans. He also admitted to making a mistake last week and announced Mick Foley's entrance into the Royal Rumble match. CM Punk stated that he hopes that if Triple H has inherited anything from Vince McMahon, it's his trademark "You're fired!" 
Laurinaitis also announced that David Otunga would be stepping in for him as a substitute in their match up. CM Punk made quick work of Otunga and forced him to submit to the Anaconda Vice. Afterwards he gave Otunga a couple of kicks and applied the Go To Sleep to Mr. Laurinaitis. Ziggler then snuck in and not wasting any time Zig Zagged the WWE Champion for the final image of the show.
Overall Raw was more an advancement show for current rivalries and story lines. No matches were particularly outstanding, although they weren't bad. This is the edge SmackDown currently has over Raw right now, they're pulling off these solid story lines (such as the Bryan, Big Show and Henry triangle) and providing us with entertaining matches each week. I just hope they start to give a little more attention to the actual action in the ring after the Rumble on Sunday.

My WWE Raw, January 9th 2012 Recap

Kane started things off by accusing all of the fans of living lives that they really "hate"and despise. With families and jobs that they really cannot stand. He also then claimed that when the fans look at John Cena they see "hope" and "success," when really they should be viewing what they'll never achieve, and what's out of their grasp. Kane always reminded us of how close he was to dragging Ryder down with him on last weeks Raw and warned that "I always get what I want, and what I want are consequences! Consequences for refusing to embrace hate."    
Before the 'Big Red Monster' finished his sentence John Cena's music hit and he raced out to brawl with Kane. The fight ended up going backstage, and then moved on to the parking lot. After a big uppercut slap from Kane which sent Cena into a pile of boxes, he soon recovered only to discover that Kane had disappeared.     
Santino Marella and Sheamus defeated Wade Barrett and Jinder Mahal in an average tag match that picked up a bit once Sheamus entered the fray. Just when I think Mahal is making some progress he goes and gets pinned by Santino's Cobra finisher, that's never a good sign for a wrestler. 
Edge was then announced as a more then deserving inductee into the WWE 2012 Hall Of Fame. I can't help but still feel so disappointed that one of the most all-rounded talented wrestlers I've ever seen was forced to retire earlier then expected. But of course it was clearly for the best and the most intelligent move on Adam Copeland's part. Once again, thank you Edge.
Daniel Bryan defeated Kofi Kingston in a brief but entertaining bout that really deserved some more time I feel. Bryan won after making Kingston tap to his signature LeBell Lock.
After the match Big Show made his way out to confront Bryan. Before Big Show could finish a sentence the World Champion cut him off and admitted that he already knew what Show was thinking, that "I hated how that World Title match ended." He also added that he was a fighting champion and claimed that "I will give you a World Title match whenever you want." Big Show informed Bryan that Teddy Long agreed with him and that on this weeks SmackDown he would be defending the championship against him in a No Disqualification, No Count Out Match.  
Then, after weeks and weeks of anticipation, Brodus Clay finally made his Raw debut as the 'Funkasaurus' Brodus Clay. Yes, you read that right. He arrived with two dancers and a 70s disco theme to his entrance. I don't believe anyone was expecting this.
Brodus Clay briefly defeated Curt Hawkings. The bout was brief but not bad, this wasn't just because of Clay and Hawking's efforts but also due to the random remarks 'The Funkasaurus' made during the match. Such as "My bad!" after he knocked over Hawkings. Certainly an interesting direction for Clay that's for sure, and I can't deny that he was entertaining.
CM Punk defeated Jack Swagger a pretty solid encounter between the two. Just before the bell had rung John Laurinaitis, to prove that he'll be impartial as the special guest referee in the WWE Championship match between Punk and Dolph Ziggler at the Royal Rumble, announced that if Punk won then Vickie Guerrero and Jack Swagger would be banned from ringside for that match. 
Backstage The Miz threatened that he would add Ricardo Rodriguez to the injured list if he didn't go out to the ring and say something offensive about R-Truth to draw him out, so Rodriguez left to make his way out.
Then the next inductees into the WWE 2012 Hall Of Fame was announced, The Four Horsemen. Does this mean we'll be seeing Ric Flair at the induction then? 
A very nervous Ricardo Rodriguez then began (mildly, but quite amusingly) insulting R-Truth, which successfully drew him out. Truth said that Ricardo had him all wrong, and that he was now a "goood R-Truth." The deranged Truth then asked if Rodriguez would "sing me and Little Jimmy a song?" So Ricardo agreed and began to sing, and even remix at one point, a song for Truth. Much to the crowds delight, it was pretty entertaining actually. I can definitely see a successful face turn in the future for him. After R-Truth asked him to sing again, Rodriguez accidentally knocked the mic out of his hand causing Truth to apply a  What's Up? to Rodriguez. Afterwards The Miz arrived and began assaulting Truth, until he turned it around and chased Miz off into the crowd.    
Chris Jericho then made his way out and began to celebrate in the same fashion as he had done last week on his return. As his music stopped and he held a mic on his hand, he then began to look emotional and overwhelmed by the reaction. This carried on until he once again left the arena without uttering a single word. I'm not sure about everyone else but I'm really enjoying these new segments involving Jericho. It's certainly a bit different and intriguing, and it's got everyone guessing as to what he's really up to.
As Eve Torres awaited Beth Phoenix's arrival for a one on one match, Kane's music hit so Zach Ryder raced out to save her. They both left the building but discovered that a tyre on Ryder's car had been let down so he began replacing it.
John cena versus Dolph Ziggler ended in a no contest after Cena left the match to help Ryder. The bout up until that point had been fairly decent, Ziggler had actually been given the majority of the offence to help build him up for the title match at Royal Rumbe. As the match proceeded, footage on the tron showed Kane attacking Ryder from behind by the car. He then Chokeslammed him onto the ground a few feet below. Cena abandoned the match and raced out to help the United States Champion, but was ambushed by 'The Big Red Monster' and once again choked out.    
Overall Raw felt like a pretty average show to me considering the in ring action, but it was more of a broadcast to help build up certain storylines and feuds.   

News on the debut of Brodus Clay

Source: PWInsider.com

"PWInsider.com is reporting that WWE keeps on postponing Brodus Clay's Raw debut simply because the recent episodes of Raw have been getting re-written and Clay's debut just isn't being written into the formats. WWE apparently wants to "wait for the right time" for Brodus to make his debut."

Really? So they have time for Cole's worthless challenge and the awful 'This is Your Life' segment with Foley and Cena and yet they can't fit in a wrestler with a potential future's debut? It's like they've almost forgotten how to make future big names anymore.