My WWE Raw, 26th August 2013 Recap

The champ looks on at his handiwork. Photo credit: WWE.com 

Triple H kicked things off by reminding us of his actions towards Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam and on last week's Raw, explaining that what he did at SS was for "business" but the beat down he orchestrated on the former champ last Monday was "personal" after the way he'd spoken about his family. 'The Game' then claimed that the ratings and social media scoring were through the roof last week due to their new WWE Champion that he brought out, Randy Orton.

The COO rewarded Orton for grabbing the brass ring and running with it (in his words) by gifting him a brand new Cadillac payed for out of his own pocket. Daniel Bryan then also came out and first thanked all the fans for supporting him, John Cena for giving him the title match at SummerSlam and finally Triple H for revealing his true self when he Pedigreed him at the aforementioned event. He also added that he'll most certainly be recapturing the WWE Title come Night of Champions. 

Trips retorted by claiming that in the real world dreams don't always come true and then booked Bryan in a Gauntlet Match against The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) who'd also been guarding the ring during the enjoyable opening segment.  

Cody Rhodes pinned Fandango in a brief and unremarkable encounter that existed only to lead on to another match up afterwards. Rhodes caught Fandango in a roll up for the one-two-three after the ballroom dancer was distracted by The Miz reenacting/mocking his entrance. 

Damien Sandow (who'd provided guest commentary) took this chance to attack his rival Rhodes along with Fandango, so Miz saved Cody from the double team attack and helped send them packing. Raw GM Brad Maddox then predictably booked all four men in a tag team match, amusingly even mentioning that fans should see what's coming here. 

Cody Rhodes and The Miz bested Damien Sandow and Fandango in an average to fair tag bout. The wrestlers did fine, but you wouldn't miss a great deal by fast forwarding through this one. Miz gave the only real worthwhile performance, and also gained the win with a Skull Crushing Finale on Sandow after Fandango had abandoned his partner and walked up the ramp.

CM Punk defeated Curtis Axel in a stellar back and fourth contest. As usual these two delivered top displays in the ring, never putting a foot wrong. As per the stipulation (as voted for online by the fans) Paul Heyman had to then enter the ring with Punk, at first he tried to run away but he was then dragged into the ring by officials much to Punk's delight. 

But as the victor was about to get his hands on his former mentor, Axel popped up with a low blow and handcuffed him. Punk made a brief comeback and got in a few kicks on Heyman and the IC Champion but once again Curtis came to the rescue of his manager and cracked him with a steel chair. Heyman then received a kendo stick and began viciously beating on Punk in and outside the ring to end the dramatic segment, screaming that he once loved him and he broke his heart.

Brie Bella beat Natalya in a forgettable outing. Natalya did the best she could but unfortunately some sloppiness and instructions clearly being told by Brie spoilt it a bit. Much like their last match their fellow Total Divas counterparts tangled outside the ring.

Divas Champion AJ Lee then addressed the divas and their 'reality' show, receiving support from the fans for putting down the show that's been rammed down our throats every week, thereby encouraging more Bellas in the ring unfortunately. She added that all they were to her were "cheap, interchangeable, expendable, useless women," which for all of them bar Natalya, I agree with. She went on to claim that she'd done more in a year than all of them in their collective careers, which again is true for most of them. It was the strongest promo AJ's ever given, and I agreed with every single word of it. It was funny to see the sour reactions from the rest of the female wrestlers too.

Rob Van Dam pinned Alberto Del Rio in a passable, if a bit of a disappointing affair. I was personally expecting a bit more here from these two talents. Don't get me wrong it wasn't bad but there were a few botched moments and I never really got into it like I did with the far superior bouts the World Champion has had with Christian recently. I can see Ricardo Rodriguez turning on RVD come Night of Champions in the title match which Van Dam earned with the win here. 

During an interview Ryback grabbed Josh Matthews by the head and chucked him to the ground after being questioned about his bullying antics backstage as of late. 

Randy Orton beat Christian in an entertaining effort. Much like the brilliant series they had back in 2011 both men worked very well together. Granted there were a few off moments, but the tight wrestling and effective near falls more than made up for it. Orton gained the win after poking Christian in the eye unknown to the referee, then struck with an RKO. Afterwards Bryan appeared on the big screen and sarcastically congratulated him on the win, then revealed that he'd spray painted 'Yes' all over his brand new Cadillac.

Triple H ordered Brad Maddox to bring out every WWE wrestler to the stage and watch Bryan's match later on as a lesson, and if any of them interfere they're immediately fired.

Titus O'Neil bested Jack Swagger in a fair but unmemorable bout. It was watchable, but there was nothing remarkable about it. It felt more like filler than anything, although I understand utilising Darren Young with his current popularity.

Backstage a furious Punk demanded a match with Heyman from Brad Maddox. So the GM booked him in an elimination handicap one against Heyman and Axel at Night of Champions, and if Heyman tries to get out of it he'll never be seen again.

Before the main event Renee Young tried to interview Big Show, Dolph Ziggler and The Miz on the Handicap Match they were about to witness and the current situation with Triple H, but they refused to answer in fear of loosing their jobs. 

Daniel Bryan won the Gauntlet Match versus The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose). Daniel Bryan first defeated Seth Rollins in a superb contest. It was gripping stuff from the opening bell, and the best one on one match Rollins has had on the main roster. Both men deserve credit for top efforts here.

Bryan went on to win via disqualification versus Rollins and Ambrose after each of them would break up his Yes Lock attempts on the other Shield member. The trio continued to assault Bryan after, spearing him and then triple powerbombing him with the nod from Triple H. The COO looked on at the wrestlers on the stage, checking if anyone wanted to say something, but no one did. Orton also came out and RKO'd Bryan for good measure. Big Show looked desperate to do something but refused to, which struck me as odd considering he has an iron clad contract anyway, he couldn't have gotten fired? 

Overall it was an enjoyable Raw, with a few solid and above average bouts for TV and significant progress in the bigger storylines. Plus that tremendous (and truthful) promo from AJ. Admittedly it wasn't as strong as last week's show, but that was pretty exceptional. my highlights were CM Punk versus Axel, Christian versus Orton, AJ Lee's speech and the lively Gauntlet Match.    

My WWE SmackDown, 23rd August 2013 Recap

Bryan explodes with a knee on his way to the win. Photo credit: WWE.com

Vickie Guerrero started things off by introducing the WWE Champion Randy Orton, who claimed that he wanted to be a champion the fans could look up to, a role model. He went on to say that while he appreciated The Shield, Triple H and the McMahons help on Monday's Raw, he didn't need it. 'The Viper' also once again reiterated Vince's words that he was now the "face of the WWE."

Daniel Bryan then joined Orton and first thanked Cena for the chance to challenge for the title at SummerSlam. He then turned his attention to the champ, who he admitted was prettier, taller and more chiselled than he was, but he also reminded him that he had to earn every single thing in the pro wrestling business while Orton had it handed to him by WWE.

Bryan also added  that he had a rematch clause due for the strap and wanted to have it that night. Unfortunately Orton told Bryan that he'd have to wait until Night of Champions. As 'The Viper' was leaving he tried  a sneaky RKO but Bryan got the best of him and reversed it and dropkicked him out of the ring. It was a stellar start to the show, with both men on great form right now.

Curtis Axel defeated Cody Rhodes in a decent outing. Both wrestlers gave worthy efforts here, adding another enjoyable match up to Rhode's current streak. Axel delivered a hangman's facebuster (cool name for a finisher) for the win after Paul Heyman distracted Cody from the outside. Afterwards Heyman took to the mic and accused CM Punk of causing him emotional distress following his recent actions, stating that he was on a downward spiral since he left him and his actions on the past Raw were "befitting a mad man." 

Axel claimed that Punk didn't deserve a IC Title shot and added that he had a brighter future than him and the advantage of Heyman in his corner, then challenged him to a match next Monday night. It's good to see Axel back in the spotlight.

Dolph Ziggler pinned Big E Langston in a fair contest. As standard Ziggler was on solid form, making the best from the more limited Langston. There were some nice moments but it was rather forgettable on the whole.

Alberto Del Rio forced Christian to submit in a great back and fourth encounter. I know these two have faced off a lot recently, but when the quality of matches is this high I struggle to get tired of it. Both men are two of the most consistent in ring performers in the company today.

Afterwards Del Rio bragged that there was only one of him, and that his Latino fan base couldn't live up to his standard due to being "peasants." But he asked them to still follow him to greatness. The champ's former announcer Ricardo Rodriguez then came out and told Del Rio that he and the rest of the Latinos didn't want to follow him, but would rather follow his new associate Rob Van Dam, who hit Del Rio with a rolling thunder after Christian struck with a missile dropkick as retribution for ADR refusing to let go of his signature arm breaker after he'd already won the bout. I look forward to the inevitable title clash between RVD and Del Rio at Night of Champions. 

Big Show and Mark Henry beat 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in a passable Handicap squash match. Henry was down for a short time, but he and Show dominated for the most part. It was never great but it was watchable.

Afterwards the tag champs Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins appeared on the big screen and sarcastically applauded their win, then stating that while Show and Henry were an intimidating unit they weren't good enough to beat them.

Darren Young bested Antonio Cesaro in a competent contest. I understand Young's recent push, but it still frustrates me to see Cesaro relegated to this spot he's in at the moment. The sooner he ditches the drab Zeb Colter and Swagger the better.

Backstage Ryback lost his patience with a Dad getting his autograph for his son when he revealed he didn't even know who Ryback was. In response the obnoxious Ryback, who was actually very amusing here, tore up the autograph.

Daniel Bryan defeated Wade Barrett in an entertaining Steel Cage Match. I was expecting a fun main event but this exceeded that, with solid wrestling and exciting moments in the best televised match these two have had to date. Afterwards as Bryan celebrated Orton snuck up and applied an RKO, standing tall with his strap as the show ended.

Overall it was a decent show, most matches were watchable but two were above average for televised contests. It was also nice to see some progression in the interesting Bryan Orton feud, with hopefully some more inclusion from Triple H and the McMahons next Monday night. My highlights were the main event, Axel versus Rhodes and Christian versus Del Rio. 

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 SmackDown, 9th August 2013 Recap

Randy Orton pinned Rob Van Dam in a great opener to the show. It's hardly a shock considering they're two of the most consistent performers in the company but both men delivered solid displays here as they went back and fourth. The match had gripping sequences and terrific action, with a nice finish too as Orton RKO'd RVD after a Frog Splash attempt for the one-two-three.

The Miz brought out his latest guests for 'Miz TV' AJ Lee and Big E Langston, and quizzed them on their relationship status to which AJ explained Big E was her "best friend." When then asked about her previous relationships in WWE, AJ claimed that all the men involved used and abandoned her, and that her Divas Title was the only thing left that wouldn't leave her.

Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn then joined the show and stated that they were over them and didn't understand AJ's obsession still. To settle things (for a moment at least) Miz then booked all four in a mixed tag match for SummerSlam, apparently being host gives you that power? Inevitably all four then began scrapping with each other, with Ziggler and Kaitlyn finally sending their rivals packing by each hitting their respective finishers. 

Fandango beat Kofi Kingston in a passable encounter. It was pretty unremarkable for the most part, with fair wrestling. For the finish Summer Rae feigned an ankle injury after having to dodge out of the way of an aerial attack from Kofi, so Fandango managed to throw a concerned Kingston into a ring post and apply his signature flying leg drop for the win.

Daniel Bryan forced Wade Barrett to submit in a fine contest. It's a shame it wasn't allocated a bit more time but it was entertaining enough while it lasted, with worthy efforts from both wrestlers.

Kane beat 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in a Handicap Match. This squash match didn't last too long, with Kane dominating bar one kick from McIntyre. Afterwards Bray Wyatt appeared on the big screen and gave one of his cryptic speeches regarding their Inferno Match at SummerSlam (although they've failed to refer to it as an Inferno Match for some reason) claiming that the fire couldn't stop his brothers and that he was "already dead." This guy is always worth watching.

We were shown a VT of an interview with Brock Lesnar, who explained that he had a dislike for CM Punk long before he dropped Paul Heyman as his manager, due to his undeserved arrogant attitude. He also added that at SummerSlam Punk will know what it's like to "truly be victimised by Brock Lesnar."

Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio in an engaging main event. As usual these two terrific in-ring talents provided stellar showings in this enjoyable bout. It's a rare occasion that either of these men don't deliver to be honest. Christian once again caught the World Champion in a quick roll up pin for the victory. A sour Del Rio attempted to take out his frustration on Christian but 'Captain Charisma' managed to strike with a Killswitch first.

This prompted Damien Sandow to race down and almost cash in his Money in the Bank contract (in a fancy new briefcase) until Cody Rhodes intervened and attacked Sandow, finally hitting the Cross Rhodes to end the show.

Overall it was a decent show, with most matches above the average standard (two of which were very good) and some significant advancements for SummerSlam. Unfortunately most of the interviews and promos weren't must see and quite forgettable, bar Wyatt's and Lesnar's which I enjoyed. My highlights were Orton versus RVD, Lesnar's interview VT, Bryan versus Barrett and the main event.

My WWE SmackDown, 2nd August 2013 Recap

RVD wallops Christian with a nice kick. Photo credit: WWE.com

World Champion Alberto Del Rio started things off by thanking the fans, for nothing that is, reminding them that they turned on him when he was trying to be their champion. Which was true, but a lack of character will have that effect. He also sincerely thanked SmackDown GM Vickie Guerrero for allowing him to choose his own opponent for SummerSlam, just like John Cena. So after mentioning a few possible options, Del Rio revealed his personal announcer Ricardo Rodriguez as his hand picked challenger.

An upset Vickie Guerrero then stormed out and expressed her disappointment in Del Rio's choice so instead booked a Triple Threat between Christian, Rob Van Dam and Randy Orton to determine his opponent for the big event. I was most happy with that match line up, and they duly delivered, but I'll get to that later...

Cody Rhodes pinned Jack Swagger in a fair, if unmemorable bout. Both men looked okay in the ring, nothing that significant or remarkable to take away from it though. During an interview afterwards Damien Sandow attacked Rhodes from behind, eventually taking him out by slamming his head into a nearby container. 

Big E Langston beat Sin Cara in a pedestrian outing. Big E understandably dominated for the most part, with Sin Cara managing a few offensive moments in there. Unfortunately the whole thing lacked in excitement or interest.

CM Punk forced Fandango to submit in a decent contest. Both men gave stellar showings and delivered a match that exceeded my expectations. In a nice finish Punk rolled over after applying a superplex on his opponent and latched on an Anaconda Vice for the win. It's always a treat to see his signature submission move make a return.

AJ Lee (c) defeated Kaitlyn to retain the Divas Title in passable encounter. It wasn't a great bout by any means, but it was wisely kept short and at least had a twist (which you could admittedly see coming a bit) when Layla betrayed Kaitlyn by preventing a spear on the outside and revealing how friendly she was with the Divas Champion afterwards.  

Christian bested Randy Orton and Rob Van Dam in a Triple Threat to become number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. And what a tremendous main event this was, with engaging action and superb displays from the opening. Every man put in a great effort here, which is hardly a surprise considering the talent involved. For the finish Orton attempted to hit Christian with an RKO after taking out RVD with one, but failed when 'Captain Charisma' reversed it into a backslide pin for the one-two-three. As a sentimental favourite of mine I was very happy with Christian winning.

The victor shook hands with both of his competitors after, only to then be attacked by Del Rio and finally kicked in the head by the World Champion. 

Overall it was a mixed bag of a show, with a few fairly average match ups that felt more like filler and a couple of enjoyable ones, including the terrific main event. My highlights were CM Punk versus Fandango and (take a wild guess) the Triple Threat.   

My WWE Raw, 29th July 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE SmackDown, 26th July 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE Raw, 22nd July 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE Money in the Bank 2013 predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

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

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

Winner: John Cena

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

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

Winner: Daniel Bryan

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

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

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

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

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

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Chris Jericho versus Ryback:

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

Winner: Ryback 

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

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

Winner: Curtis Axel

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

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

Winner: AJ Lee

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

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

Winners: The Shield

My WWE SmackDown, 12th July 2013 Recap

Daniel Bryan forced Christian to submit with the Yes Lock in a terrific back and fourth opener and match of the night. Both men as usual provided stellar showings here, with great sequences and smooth wrestling.

Seth Rollins pinned Jay Uso in a decent enough contest. Like I normally do with both Usos I found Jay competent enough in the ring, but I still feel like there's something lacking there that fails to grab me and get me really engaged in the match up. Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso also attacked each other outside the ring as the bout took place. These four should put on a fun tag match at Money in the Bank I reckon, with Shield most likely retaining. 

Chris Jericho won via count out versus Curtis Axel in a solid affair. Like Monday night these two worked well together, with Axel starting to look very impressive in the ring and certainly not out of place against someone of Jericho's experience and talent. The count out occurred after Jericho Codebreakered Axel as he was about to reenter the ring. Afterwards an upset Axel began to throw a tantrum and chuck around various ringside items until manager Paul Heyman calmed him down.

Ryback beat The Miz in a fair, if unremarkable encounter. Miz gave a decent enough effort here, and Ryback looked all right but the match lacked in excitement and was pretty forgettable. Ryback clobbered Miz with a meat hook clothesline and hit him with the Shell Shock for the one-two-three after exaggerating a knee injury and almost having the ref end the bout.

Before they each signed the contract for the Divas Title match on Sunday, AJ Lee boated to Kaitlyn how since she won the strap from her people cared about the Divas division again (not really) and how she was going to beat her once again at MITB. Fortunately Teddy Long did us a favour and told AJ to hurry things along and just sign the contract.

After Kaitlyn also signed it, AJ revealed some private texts of Kaitlyn's from the time she believed to have a secret admirer. Eventually a fuming Kaitlyn claimed that she'd had enough and would regain her title on Sunday and then pushed AJ (and the table and chair from the set that the champ was still on) into the corner and began beating on her until Big E Langston grabbed her, so she responded by slapping him and then applying an awesome spear on AJ that sent her spinning. The segment ended strongly, although I'm still not expecting much from their title clash. 

Fandango bested Wade Barrett in an average bout that only existed to remind us of the World Title Money in the Bank Ladder match. The match had too many outside distractions and not enough time to really make any kind of impression. Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) came out to confront Zeb Colter (who'd unfortunately provided guest commentary), Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger after their argument on Raw this week. 

As Alberto Del Rio was preparing to face Sin Cara, the masked wrestler was instead replaced by Dolph Ziggler wearing his attire who aggressively beat on the World Champion and struck him with a Zig Zag before leaving. Vickie Guerrero then appeared from the crowd and screamed that she'd been unfairly treated since being fired on Monday night and demanded that Teddy Long be fired for being a liar, lying about what exactly? So Long came out and had security escort Vickie out of the building. 

Randy Orton versus Sheamus ended in a no contest after Daniel Bryan ran down and rammed both men with a ladder from under the ring. As he attempted to climb the ladder and grab the MITB briefcase above the ring, Christian and Sheamus also each battled to grab it, with Orton finally unhooking it after RKO'ing Bryan. The actual main event had been fairly forgettable. Don't get me wrong, both wrestlers gave good performances but I just felt like I'd seen the same match a ton of times before and struggled to find the interest.

Overall it was a passable show, with Bryan versus Christian and Axel versus Jericho being my highlights. Outside of those there was nothing that memorable or special to speak of, although the ending of the Divas Title contract signing was nicely executed. While I'm still looking forward to Money in the Bank, which tends to be one of the better pay-per-views of the year, this SmackDown heading into it didn't really promote the event as strongly as it maybe could have. An appearance (even briefly at the end) from Punk once again on the blue brand might've been a nice touch, or another attack from the Wyatt family would have been interesting.

My WWE Raw, 8th July 2013 Recap

The Wyatt family have arrived on Raw. Photo credit: WWE.com

Vickie Guerrero, accompanied by assistant Brad Maddox, climbed up a ladder placed in the ring with a Money in the Bank briefcase above it, talking about how it represented her proverbial climb up the ladder each year she's been in the company. 

Jerry Lawler then interrupted the Managing Supervisor and revealed that there would be an online poll for the fans to determine whether she's passed or failed in her role, with the McMahons job evaluation of Vickie later on that night. After then sucking up to the fans, Vickie announced the matches that night involving all the participants in the All-Star MITB match this Sunday. It was a pretty drab start to the show. 

Daniel Bryan pinned Sheamus in an enjoyable back and fourth contest. Both men gave worthy efforts, with effective near falls, submission attempts and exciting action for the most part. Bryan grabbed the one-two-three with a quick roll up on the Irishman.

The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai) in a largely average and unmemorable tag bout. The match was given too much time and began to drag for me, with uninspiring wrestling for the most part. But fortunately there was a strong finish as Rollins applied a nice enzuigiri to Tensai, then tagged in Reigns before performing a diving flip to the outside onto Clay, allowing his tag partner to spear Tensai for the win.

WWE Champion John Cena came out and was soon joined by his MITB opponent Mark Henry, who explained just how desperate he was to take the strap from him, even willing to sell out his own family as he did a few weeks back when he feigned his retirement. Cena retorted be claiming that if Henry looses on Sunday then he'll loose the respect of the fans and it would've been "seventeen years for nothing" for him. Does Henry's World Title reign not count for anything then?

After a few more exchanged words Cena challenged Henry to cross the line, but he refused, that was until Cena went to grab his belt and he clobbered him with a clothesline. Cena made a brief comeback as he attempted an AA, but Henry's weight was too much and he fell on top of him and then applied a World's Strongest Slam to the champ. It was a pretty poor segment to be honest, neither man was great on the mic and the action was quite awkward (which doesn't bode well for their title clash). It's a shame really considering how strong the feud started.  

Chris Jericho defeated Curtis Axel in a solid outing. Each wrestler looked good here as they provided fine displays. It may not have been as exciting as the earlier Bryan versus Sheamus encounter but it's worth checking out. Jericho grabbed the victory with a Codebreaker after Miz (who'd provided guest commentary) had distracted Axel at ringside.

Alberto Del Rio versus Sin Cara ended in a no contest after Dolph Ziggler (who'd come down to mock the World Champion during the match up) and him began brawling until Sin Cara applied a flying cross body from the top rope onto Del Rio. The bout itself had been fair, nothing that special about it. 

Vickie Guerrero pleaded her case to Triple H, Stephanie and Vince McMahon as to why she deserves to keep her spot on Raw. Unfortunately for her while Vince supported her work, Triple H did not, with 'The Game' stating that the fans deserved better. So the final decision fell to Stephanie, who decided to make things fair by deciding Vickie's fate with the online fans poll, who voted seventy five percent in favour of Vickie failing as the Managing Supervisor, so Stephanie fired her.

A furious Vickie threw a temper tantrum in the ring, while Vince consoled her and announced Brad Maddox as the new GM of Raw. As Maddox thanked Vince backstage, an upset Vickie began attacking him. I'm definitely in favour of this, Maddox has shown plenty of charisma and personality on commentary and in various segments, more than most regulars in WWE today.

Kane pinned Christian in a decent effort. As usual the two professionals gave stellar showings, although the match was lacking a little excitement. But the big story from the match came afterwards when Bray Wyatt and his 'family' finally made their Raw debut and beat down Kane. The eery entrance was particularly nice as Bray slowly walked down the ramp in darkness as his two associates followed behind him in goat masks with only Wyatt's lantern lighting the way. 

Kaitlyn and Layla versus Alicia Fox and AJ Lee ended in a no contest after Kaitlyn as the illegal participant refused to stop attacking AJ, with Fox and Layla having to separate them. But Kaitlyn wasn't done as she then speared AJ on the outside. The bout itself had been a uninspiring one, with average action. The Bella twins boated on commentary how dull the match was and how the ratings had gone up since they returned. Yes, the same Bellas who have been dire for the most part since returning and added nothing to the struggling Divas division. 

CM Punk defeated Randy Orton in an entertaining main event. The wrestling was well executed throughout, with nice sequences and a good pace. Punk gained the winning pinfall after applying a GTS to Orton. Afterwards Bryan then ran down and took out both men, charging into 'The Viper' with a ladder from under the ring and then climbing up it to unhook the Money in the Bank briefcase. Could we be seeing that same scene on Sunday? I wouldn't be surprised with his current form.

Overall it was a fair show, with more than a few unremarkable segments and matches. My highlights were Bryan versus Sheamus, Jericho versus Axel, Vickie's job evaluation (mainly due to Maddox stepping into the GM position), the Wyatt family's debut and the main event. For myself it was a disappointing way to head into the PPV, but despite that most of the card looks promising and it should be a fun show.