My WWE Raw, 1st July 2013 recap

The all-star lineup for the WWE Title Money in the Bank match. Bar RVD of course. Photo credit: WWE.com

Daniel Bryan came to the ring and spoke about finally proving people wrong by forcing Orton to submit on last Monday's show, and said that he planned on carrying that momentum on into Money in the Bank where he intends to earn a place with the greats such as Austin and Sammartino and win the WWE Championship contract and the strap itself. Sheamus and Randy Orton then joined him and each spoke about how desperate they were to be a champion again after a long absence without a title belt around their waist.

Kane also came out and began bickering with Bryan over who was going to win the MITB match after he reminded him that partners didn't exist in the aforementioned match and it was anyone for themselves. Christian and CM Punk also entered the proceedings and reminded everyone of their impressive records when it came to Ladder matches.

As Punk was then talking about the strengths of each man in the ring (and RVD) Bryan interrupted him and threatened to make him tap faster than Orton. This ticked off 'The Viper' who RKO'd Kane as he went to protect his former Team Hell No tag partner, causing everyone to disband from the gathering. It was an entertaining segment to start the show, with Punk, Bryan and Christian especially on good form on the mic.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) defeated Christian and The Usos in a solid six-man tag bout. The length was just right and the action was kept at a fast pace throughout, with solid displays all round.  

Dolph Ziggler pinned Jinder Mahal in a passable contest. Unfortunately it was too brief to really make a lasting impression, although both men looked decent enough. Afterwards the rest of 3MB, Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre, attempted to attack Ziggler but failed as 'The Show Off' managed to thwart them and take them both out. 

Kane pinned Randy Orton after a restart by special guest referee Daniel Bryan. Bryan restarted the match after initially disqualifying Orton for pushing him, but changed his mind after Kane and Orton argued with him.

The winning pin after a big boot from Kane was also very quickly counted, causing the upset victor to grab Bryan by the throat, but instead decide to walk away. However Orton wasn't quite so calm and RKO'd Bryan for screwing him over. The match itself had been fair, nothing particularly special and not as entertaining as their encounter on SmackDown last week.

Sheamus won via count out versus Fandango in a forgettable outing. Both men gave competent displays and never looked bad by any means, but it lacked excitement and I just failed to find the interest. The count out occurred after Fandango had enough of Sheamus' beating and decided to leave. 

The Miz beat Ryback after Ryback informed the referee that he couldn't continue due to a leg injury. The match itself had been pretty average, which was hardly a shock. Jericho (who'd provided okay guest commentary) crept in afterwards and Codebreakered Ryback, which seemed a bit heelish to me.

Mark Henry gave a speech that started fairly drab when he spoke about paying his dues for years and "doing the right thing for the business" which got him nowhere but earned him the right to be World Champion. But it picked up a bit when Henry claimed that he'd been held back by jealous wrestlers in the back and finally warned Cena that at Money in the Bank he was "gonna beat your ass!"

Curtis Axel and CM Punk bested the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) in an enjoyable tag team affair. I'll admit that it won't blow you away on any level but it was a fun watch mainly due to the friction between Axel and Punk after Heyman's client tagged himself in at the start and refused to tag Punk back in, and then tagged himself back in at the end again to gain the winning pinfall after Punk had applied the GTS to Young. Paul Heyman tried to convince Punk to celebrate with them afterwards but instead he justifiably stormed off.

Kaitlyn pinned Alicia Fox in an unremarkable outing. The wrestling was competent enough, but failed to hold the crowds attention who quickly lost interest and began to entertain themselves. AJ Lee then came out and once again called her rival "trash" and presented a bizarre image of an obese Kaitlyn. Much like last Monday's segment involving AJ it just failed to entertain me at all, it wasn't amusing and it felt like a lot of recycled material on her part. This feud had quickly lost steam since Payback. 

Backstage Stephanie McMahon reminded Vickie that she'd warned her to stop AJ's antics, and after sympathising with her tough spot having to choose between Triple H and Vince McMahon's directions for the show Stephanie informed the Managing Supervisor that next week she'll have a public job evaluation. I've personally grown a little tired of this storyline, and struggling to see the actual point of it all? It's not exactly riveting to watch Vickie being told what to do.

Before Cesaro's following match, Zeb Colter introduced the returning Jack Swagger after drivelling on about the state of the US again. I'm going to be down on the product again here but I'm looking forward to seing the back of Colter, he doesn't add anything of value to the shows or his accomplices for me.

Antonio Cesaro defeated Cody Rhodes in a good effort by both wrestlers. My only issue was the time allocated, if this bout had been given a bit more we could've had a far better match up that would've given both men more of a chance to show what they can do. Damien Sandow looked completely confused by the loss, could this be the beginning of the end of Rhodes Scholars? Cody's become the WWE's punching bag over the last few months so I wouldn't mind seeing him turn face in the near future, I could see him pulling it off.

John Cena beat Alberto Del Rio in a mixed bag of a main event. There were periods of stellar action (largely thanks to the work of del Rio) and effective near falls and submission attempts, but unfortunately the start was a bit slow and there were a few sloppy moments which spoilt it a bit. Throughout the night we'd seen highlights of various World Heavyweight and WWF/E Champions leading up to the match, which was a nice touch I felt and added something extra to it, it's just a shame the contest didn't live up to the build up.  

During the match up Henry walked out and stood by the ring, distracting Cena while he had Del Rio in an STF. Ziggler also made an appearance later on and distracted Del Rio from the top rope, allowing the WWE Champion to apply an AA for the one-two-three. Afterwards Henry then strolled into the ring afterwards with the WWE Title, chucking the belt over to the champ and taunting him before walking away.

Overall it was a fair show, nothing that special or memorable to take away from it. My highlights were the opening segment, The Shield versus Christian and The Usos, Punk and Axel versus the Prime Time Players and most of the main event. 

My WWE SmackDown, 28th June 2013 recap

Christian with the winning spear. Photo credit: WWE.com

Sheamus pinned Damien Sandow in a enjoyable enough Dublin Street Fight. It was a worthy effort from both men, although there was nothing particularly original or outstanding about it. Sheamus grabbed the one-two-three after Brogue Kicking Sandow while he was sitting on a couple of steel chairs. This feud has given Sandow some relevance but I'm still disappointed that he hasn't been granted a significant one on one win against Sheamus, and I think this match would've been ideal for it. 

The Miz quizzed his 'Miz TV' guest Paul Heyman on matters involving CM Punk, but Heyman refused to delve into his personal life and brought out his client Curtis Axel. Miz went on to accuse Heyman of being involved in Lesnar attacking Punk, so after a few more heated exchanges between the three Miz finally challenged Axel to an Intercontinental match right there and then, but Heyman refused on his client's behalf. It was a decent enough segment.

Before AJ Lee's match, Kaitlyn came out dressed as her rival (as AJ did to her on this week's Raw) and accused her of being intimate with various ringside officials, including the physician who had a hilariously stern reaction to that. It wasn't great by any means, and only a bit of an improvement on AJ's lame impersonation segment that we had to endure.   

Natalya beat AJ Lee in a very brief and forgettable affair. Natalya won with a quick roll up after Kaitlyn skipped around the ring in typical AJ fashion. Kaitlyn also hit the Divas Champion with a nice spear afterwards.

Backstage Teddy Long informed Vince McMahon that he was entering Wade Barrett, Antonio Cesaro, Jack Swagger, Fandango, Dean Ambrose, Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow into the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder match next month. I imagine Swagger and Ambrose as the most likely to win here, and given the choice I wouldn't mind Ambrose or Cesaro coming away with the briefcase.

Randy Orton defeated Kane in a decent back and fourth contest. Maybe I enjoyed it more since I wasn't really expecting much here, but it had some stellar action for the most part and fine displays from both wrestlers. Orton managed to catch Kane in an RKO for the win after Bryan pushed his former Team Hell No partner into the ring, seemingly encouraging him but also smirking at Kane failing to do what he did on Raw this week against Orton as he went down the ramp.

Ryback beat Justin Gabriel in a short and unremarkable outing where he managed to Shell Shock him for the win after having his leg damaged. Ryback's MITB opponent Chris Jericho then came out and mocked him for almost being brought to tears over the slight injury and called him "Cryback." Y2J went on to then run down and began brawling with Ryback, almost catching him in the Walls of Jericho before he managed to escape the ring.

Christian and Jimmy & Jay Uso defeated The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) in an exciting six-man tag bout. As standard for most of Shield's match ups, this contained solid wrestling throughout and the fast pace made sure you never lost interest. While everyone provided worthy efforts, I'd have to mention Christian as the standout performer for me, who also managed to grab the win with a spear to Ambrose. 

World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio held a fiesta for himself, celebrating his fourth World Title win at Payback. After giving a speech in Spanish, he went on to bash in a pinata with Ziggler's face on it and then dared the man himself to come out. So Dolph Ziggler made his way to the ring where he managed to scare off Del Rio after applying a Zig Zag and threw Ricardo Rodriguez threw a table and smashed a guitar across his face. A much happier Ziggler then ended the show by singing along with the mariachi band.  

Overall it was a decent enough show, with only a couple of the match ups letting it down a bit. My highlights were Orton versus Kane, Sheamus versus Sandow and the entertaining six-man tag contest. The Miz TV and Del Rio Fiesta segments were also decent enough. 

My WWE Payback predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

Three Stages Of Hell WWE Championship Match:

Stage 1 - Lumberjack Match; Stage 2 - Tables Match; Stage 3 - Ambulance Match: John Cena (c) versus Ryback:

I'm quite optimistic about this one, especially after their entertaining outing at Extreme Rules last month. Considering the limitations of these two talents the bookers made a smart move by having them compete in stipulation bouts, with plenty of distractions and weapons to keep things interesting for the viewers. I've been going back and fourth but I can actually see an upset here and Ryback taking the title, to shake things up a bit and get people checking out Raw Monday night. If not then at least it's a suitable way to finalise their feud.

Winner: Ryback

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

I can't see this being anything but stellar in the ring, but to be honest I've grown tired of their feud and Del Rio in general as of late so I can't say I'm too hyped for this one. But at least this should mean that Ziggler moves on to a more engaging and exciting rivalry over the World Title next. 

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Best In The World Match - Chris Jericho versus CM Punk:

The match me and I presume the majority fans are mostly anticipating tonight, not only is it the return of one of the companies top overall talents but it should be a terrific contest. I personally very much enjoyed their previous two pay-per-view encounters, so I'll be shocked if I fail to enjoy this one. I know some fans have predicted that Punk will fail to turn up, but I just can't see it. This is one of the big attractions of the event (well the biggest attraction of it) and I can't imagine that WWE would be foolish enough to short change all the many fans who are paying for the main reason of seeing the return of CM Punk. 

Oh, and the returning Punk to win, always bet on the returning wrestler, always.

Winner: CM Punk

Tag Team Championships Match - The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) (c) versus Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton:

Well when you consider the fantastic form that these four men have been in as of late in match ups together, it's hard to imagine this match being anything but entertaining. Despite The Shield's first six-man loss on SmackDown last Friday, I can't see them dropping the tag straps just yet. Plus I see the slow burning Bryan and Orton feud developing with a big argument after their loss.

Winners: Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns

Triple Threat Intercontinental Championship Match - Wade Barrett (c) versus The Miz versus Curtis Axel:

Should be a decent enough match here, but nothing that special I reckon. With his recent run it's hardly a shock that I'm picking Axel to pick up his first singles strap, hopefully he'll add some much needed relevance to it.

Winner: Curtis Axel

United States Championship Match - Dean Ambrose (c) versus Kane:

My prediction to open the event. Quality-wise I expect this to be an enjoyable affair, not either man's finest but something worth checking out. As I typed earlier I can't see The Shield dropping any titles yet, and I think it'd be a daft move if they did. They still have quite a few significant feuds in them for a while to come and their strong booking needs to keep up.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

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

I'm not expecting a great match here at all to be honest, but I am grateful for the thought that has actually gone into this rivalry, it's a lot more than any other Divas feud has received in a long time. I also see AJ picking up the belt, based on her current string of wins and Kaitlyn loosing her mind a bit. 

Winner: AJ Lee

Pre-Show - Sheamus versus Damien Sandow:

Should be okay to get the crowd going, but I don't foresee a technical marvel by any stretch of the imagination between these two. It would seem like a waste of their feud for me if Sheamus won, I have nothing against him but imagine the faith lost in any future Sandow push if he were to loose cleanly here in their first PPV outing. Plus Sheamus could quickly recover from a loss here. So considering all that I can see Sandow grabbing a cheeky win in a heel-like fashion somehow.

Winner: Damien Sandow 

My WWE SmackDown, 14th June 2013 Recap

The three men that finally defeated The Shield. Photo credit: WWE.com

The always entertaining Daniel Bryan kicked off the show by first amusingly boasting about his accomplishments in the WWE and how he wasn't surprised he'd achieved them, and then called out his soon to be ex-tag partner Kane. After reminding him that at Payback he'll be challenging for the tag title with Orton, Bryan officially ended Team Hell No and broke up with Kane.

Bryan also went on to claim that he believes he and Orton could do what Team Hell No couldn't in beating The Shield, insinuating that Kane was the "weak link" of their unit. As an upset Kane grabbed his former tag partner by the throat, Randy Orton warned Kane that he couldn't stand back and let him attack his tag partner.

As arguments ensued between the three men, their rivals The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) appeared on the big screen and expressed their amusement at the their frustration and anger, putting it down to them maybe finally realising that after months of defeating various teams The Shield are an unstoppable force in WWE. They also claimed that that night was going to be like every other in that they'll fall to them in the ring. It was one of the best openings to a SmackDown in a long, long time, with strong mic work from all involved, and it was simply fun and engaging to watch.  

Sheamus pinned Antonio Cesaro in a decent back and fourth contest. Both participants gave solid efforts here, and it was enjoyable enough. Unfortunately for me I felt it was lacking that little bit of extra excitement to make it a memorable or great match up.

Before the match Sheamus' Payback Kickoff opponent Damien Sandow bragged about outdoing the Irishman both mentally and physically in the recent weeks, and claimed that he will do the same Sunday. After the bout Sandow also blindsided Sheamus from behind. It's nice to see the 'Intellectual Saviour' with a more substantial feud, and hopefully he'll gain the much needed win at Payback, he could use it a lot more than the 'Celtic Warrior'.

Heath Slater bested The Great Khali in a mediocre outing. The wrestling was average, which tends to be the trend with the very limited Khali. 

Alberto Del Rio and Chris Jericho defeated Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston in an enjoyable tag bout. Admittedly it didn't contain any of the four men's finest ever performance, or even great ones, but it was still entertaining for the most part. 

Kaitlyn versus Aksana ended in a no contest after the enraged Divas Champion slapped the referee and chased away her opponent after mauling her. Kaitlyn was still reeling from her humiliating set up by AJ Lee on this week's Raw when she duped her into believing that Big E was her secret admirer. I'm not expecting anything special in their title match but I can appreciate some thought finally going into a Divas feud, it's been a long time.

Before their following match up, Wade Barrett tried to convince Curtis Axel to cancel their bout and reduce the risk of picking up an injury before their Triple Threat this Sunday for the Intercontinental Title. But the third man involved in said contest The Miz reminded the two that the fans came to see a fight, which convinced them to carry on. 

Curtis Axel pinned Wade Barrett in a brief and forgettable affair. Both men looked decent, but they didn't have enough time to make a real impression, which was unfortunate. During the encounter Axel accidentally struck Miz at ringside, so afterwards he applied a Skull Crushing Finale on Curtis as retribution. 

Daniel Bryan, Kane and Randy Orton defeated The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) in a thrilling six-man tag main event. The first two thirds of the contest were stellar, with worthy efforts from ever man, but it was the final few blistering minutes that really turned it up and delivered a memorable end to the show, The Shield had finally lost a six-man tag team match.

The fast pace only heightened the intensity at the end as Kane managed to take out both Ambrose and Reigns on the outside, allowing him to then deliver Rollins into Orton for an RKO and then into No lock by Bryan where he tapped out. Terrific televised outing, and one that adds intrigue to the two title bouts that Shield will compete in at Payback, are they so unstoppable now? I still see them retaining but it does add a little question mark.

Overall it was an enjoyable show for the most part, and above the usual standard for the blue brand this year. My highlights were the opening segment, Del Rio and Jericho versus Ziggler and Big E and the exciting main event. I almost feel worried that I may start taking The Shield and Bryan for granted with the standard of matches they deliver every week. Like Raw the show also delivered a strong ending to go into Payback with, which isn't always the case with WWE with shows before pay-per-views. 

My WWE SmackDown, 7th June 2013 Recap

Bryan takes it to Reigns and Rollins. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Miz brought out Randy Orton and Team Hell No for his latest edition of 'Miz TV', where he started with Daniel Bryan who apologised to Kane and Orton for his argumentative attitude during this week's Raw.

But things soon turned ugly when Miz stirred the pot and Bryan once again expressed his insecurities about being seen as the "weak link" and him and Kane began a heated argument, ending with the 'Big Red Monster' having enough and storming off. The always unwanted Teddy Long (for me anyway) then popped out to book Orton and Bryan against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins for later on. It was a decent segment to start the show, with Bryan on possibly his strongest form since joining WWE.

Curtis Axel pinned Chris Jericho in a decent outing. Both men looked good, with nice flowing action throughout. Axel managed to roll up Y2J for the one-two-three after Heyman had Jericho's Payback opponent CM Punk's theme music play and distract him. A furious Jericho then raced back into the ring afterwards and began beating and eventually applying a Codebreaker on Axel.

Before their following match could get started, 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) attacked Alberto Del Rio, but their beat down was short lived as Del Rio managed to make a fairly quick comeback and send them on their way, but not before his ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez helped out by launching himself to the outside of the ring from the top rope. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse for 3MB. Dolph Ziggler then appeared on the tron and informed the number one contender to his World Title that he'll be making his return next monday on Raw. 

Kane won via disqualification versus Ryback after he was sent through a table. The match itself had been quite decent actually, I wasn't expecting much here but it was a pretty fun watch. The wrestling was never great but it was fine, and I'll take that. I also have to admit that the quality of Ryback's match ups have certainly improved lately, his clash with Cena at Extreme Rules and his recent outings with the outstanding Bryan as prime examples. Let's hope it continues.

Damien Sandow bragged about outwitting Sheamus over the last couple of weeks and after also boasting about how much smarter he was than all the fans in attendance, moved his attention to the super computer Deep Blue. As Sandow began a chess game against the computer, Sheamus came out and claimed that he could defeat DB in one move, which was of course a Brogue Kick.

An enraged Sandow lept on the 'Celtic Warrior' and after clubbing him with punches then smacked his head repeatedly on a table. Hopefully this will be a turning point for the 'Intelectual Saviour' and he'll become more competitive in the ring against wrestlers with higher status. 

Fandango pinned Zack Ryder in a worthy effort by both men. Much like the earlier Kane versus Ryback affair I wasn't expecting much here, but largely thanks to Ryder's display it was actually quite entertaining at parts.

Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton won via DQ versus The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) after Dean Ambrose ran in and attacked Bryan. The match itself had been an engaging one, with stellar back and fourth wrestling throughout. But once again the top performer was Bryan, I feel like that's my catchphrase now.

Towards the end Bryan accidentally struck Orton with a dropkick in the corner as Reigns moved out of the way, so this prompted 'The Viper' to RKO his teammate after Bryan had gotten rid of The Shield. Could this be the start of Orton's heel turn? 

Overall it was a decent enough show with no bad matches or promos to speak of but none that were particularly memorable, with the exception of the solid main event and quite amusing Sandow and Sheamus segment. It's worth a watch but don't expect anything to rave about. 

My WWE Raw, 3rd June 2013 Recap

Bryan out to prove he's not the weak link. Photo credit: WWE.com

Stephanie McMahon started the show off by announcing that she was cancelling her husband Triple H's booked match against Curtis Axel that night due to concerns over his health issues after he suffered a storyline concussion a couple of weeks back. She also asked that the fans not be so "selfish" and understand her point of view. 

Vince McMahon then joined his daughter and concurred her feelings, berating the fans for wanting to see 'The Game' pushed too far and suffer even more. Could either of these two have possibly drugged Triple H before his match with Axel in an attempt to stop him from competing further? it's a possibility, but I'd rather it was someone with an in-ring future in the company and something more to gain from the storyline. 

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) defeated Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan & Kane) and Randy Orton in a solid six-man tag bout. As usual Shield were involved in a highly enjoyable match up, with consistently stellar wrestling from every man involved. Daniel Bryan was the top performer though, as has been the case with every tag match he's been involved in over the last few weeks.

Backstage an intense and upset Bryan argued with Orton and Kane, screaming that they both believed that he was the weak link and that he was going to find an opponent and earn their respect. 

Triple H stormed into his Father-in-law's office and told Vince and Stephanie that he would be proceeding with his match that night, no matter what. After a face off with Vince, who urged 'The Game' to think things through, he was then left with his wife.

Jimmy and Jay Uso bested The Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus O'Neil) in a rather pedestrian tag contest. There was nothing memorable to take away from this to be honest, while none of the action was bad it was all just pretty unremarkable.

Alberto Del Rio pinned Big E Langston in a fair encounter. It was enjoyable at parts, but I won't be in a rush to watch it again. Hopefully now after a fifth straight televised match these two will get a break from each other for a bit.

Sheamus beat Cody Rhodes in a decent outing. Both men gave worthy efforts here, providing a fun watch as they went back and fourth.  Afterwards Sheamus extended his hand to Damien Sandow (who'd provided guest commentary) but the 'Intellectual Saviour' refused to shake it, so the Irishman responded by slapping him in the head.

An irate Triple H decided to leave the arena, due to his urge to want to take on his Father-in-law. But he informed Stephanie that he'll be on Raw next week and he'll be in the ring facing Axel.

Daniel Bryan came across Ryback backstage, and challenged him to a match after Ryback mocked his size and bragged about taking out Kofi Kingston on last week's SmackDown. 

The Great Khali beat Fandango via count out after the ballroom dancer decided he'd had enough and left. But as he made his way down the ramp The Miz blocked his path, only to then receive a Bull Hammer to the face by a lurking Wade Barrett. I was quite relieved when Fandango left actually, the match had been very mediocre.

The Miz defeated Wade Barrett in a passable, if unremarkable affair. As usual both men were capable enough in the ring, but I failed to find the interest. Miz caught Barrett in a figure four leglock after Fandango distracted the Intercontinental Champion by making his way out again.

Jerry Lawler introduced both Chris Jericho and Paul Heyman for the Payback contract signing for CM Punk versus Jericho. After signing for his client, Heyman asked y2J if he was really ready to face the 'Best in the World' in his hometown of Chicago next Sunday, reminding him of his huge hometown advantage and list of accomplishments. So Jericho responded by mockingly suggesting other places to hold the match, then just signed anyway, claiming that it didn't matter where their bout took place Punk would still be a "jackass." 

Jericho then rolled up the contract and asked Heyman to stand up, placing it in his pants before leaving. Like last week it was another entertaining segment between these two, with strong mic skills as expected. 

Kaitlyn, Naomi and Cameron bested AJ Lee, Nikki and Brie Bella in a largely average tag bout. To be fair it was passable for the current standard of the Divas division of today.

Daniel Bryan won via disqualification versus Ryback in an exciting contest once it got going. Once again Bryan managed to help the limited Ryback to one of his most enjoyable one on one matches so far. The start was fairly drab really, but when Bryan picked up the pace the intensity grew and it was very engaging as he put everything into trying to take down the beast.

The DQ came when Ryback decided enough was enough and put Bryan through a table to send a message to John Cena, who then came running out to prevent Ryback from putting him through a second one.

Curtis Axel won via count out versus John Cena in a No Disqualification match after Ryback came back out and charged the champ through a table on the outside. The match itself was a bit of a mixed bag, there were some nice periods involving Axel's offense (especially a nice running one-armed swinging neckbreaker onto a chair) but unfortunately we had to also suffer the usual standard of selling from Cena e.g. being cracked on the head with a tablet a few times but then immediately hoisting Axel up for an AA. To be honest it wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either, and at least Axel gained the win.

Overall it was a fair Raw, with the six-man tag bout, Sheamus versus Rhodes, Bryan versus Ryback and the Heyman and Jericho contract signing segment being my highlights. Outside of those moments it was pretty unremarkable, with match ups ranging from average to passable. At least the Triple H concussion storyline advanced a little too, although now I'm worried it'll turn out to be Stephanie and Vince who drugged him, which I don't really see the point or advantage of. 

My WWE SmackDown, 31st May 2013 Recap

Orton and Kane celebrate with an explosive Bryan. Photo credit: WWE.com

Kane pinned Seth Rollins in a fine effort by both men. Granted, it won't be a match you'll be looking up a year from now, but it was still enjoyable and the best contest these two have put on together so far. 

Roman Reigns won via disqualification versus Daniel Bryan after Kane was provoked into slapping Reigns in the face, this caused the former tag champs to argue all the way down the ramp. The match itself had been a stellar one, largely thanks to the hard work of the superb Bryan.

Roman also played his part well here, although I worry when he eventually goes on his own his shortcomings will be more visible, but hopefully I'm proven wrong and he's more capable by then. And I do appreciate what he's done so far, but he still has a bit of work to do in the ring.

Damien Sandow reminded us all of Sheamus' brutish actions last week when he attempted to untie the Gordian knot, and then revealed his latest challenge in the form of the shell game. Soon Sheamus came out and decided to try the game so he could hurry and get Sandow out of the ring and shut him up, so the 'Intellectual Saviour' accepted.

Unfortunately for "Damo" (as Sheamus calls him) he was caught cheating the 'Celtic Warrior' as he had removed the ball he had to find under the cup, so Sheamus responded with a Brogue Kick. Much like their segment last week I enjoyed it, it was a bit of simple fun and Sandow is always entertaining on the mic. Hopefully the feud can develop and deliver Damien a much needed win against the Irishman on PPV.

Before his following match Curtis Axel bragged about his wins against Cena and Triple H, claiming that no one had made an impact like him in such a short time in WWE (we're obviously meant to forget his first few years there, right?). Axel was solid on the mic, and is definitely showing more charisma than when he was first introduced by Heyman.   

Curtis Axel beat Sin Cara in a fair encounter. It was a fun enough watch, although nothing outstanding about it. Hopefully Axel moves on to defeat more varied opponents on the blue brand in the near future. I also hope he brings back his running swinging neckbreaker finisher as apposed to the bridging cradle suplex he's adopted from his dad, he's his own man and should have a more unique finisher like the neckbreaker.

Big E Langston pinned Alberto Del Rio in a worthy enough effort from both men. For me this was the best bout in their series so far, and surprisingly enjoyable, maybe that's just because I wasn't expecting much from it. For the finish AJ Lee attacked the eyes of Del Rio, allowing Big E to ram him skull first into a ringpost and apply the Big Ending for the big (no pun intended) win.

Ryback beat Kofi Kingston in an uninspiring and pretty forgettable match up. Kofi as usual was decent enough, but the match just felt flat for me. Afterwards Ryback decided to send a message to Cena and put Kofi through not one, not two, but three tables. Now that was memorable. Maybe WWE could make the most from this for Kofi and actually reinvent him or turn him heel after he makes his return, he really needs something to change.

Chris Jericho defeated Cody Rhodes in a passable contest. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed here, as a fan of both men and their talents I was expecting a bit more but it never seemed to going, with the sequences feeling too forced and unnatural. Maybe I'm being more critical than normal, but I just didn't really get into to be honest.

Randy Orton won via DQ versus Dean Ambrose in a solid main event and match of the night. Both men gave worthy efforts here and worked well together, with the US Champion more than holding his own against 'The Viper' as they battled back and fourth.

The disqualification occurred when Rollins and Reigns ran down and attacked Orton. This cued Team Hell No to also come out and help take out The Shield trio, with Bryan becoming a one-man tank as he tore through all three men in a ferocious fashion, it was awesome. And the fans loved it too as they almost all chanted along with his signature "Yes!" chants. I'm really liking this new aggressive direction Bryan is taking as of late, and hoping it'll bring him a World strap again at some point. 

Overall it was a pretty unremarkable show for the most part, but fortunately Orton versus Ambrose, the Sandow and Sheamus segment and anything involving the very much in-form Bryan made it worth watching. And to be fair there weren't any terrible matches outside of the ones mentioned, so I'll take that for a SmackDown. 

My WWE Raw, 20th May 2013 Recap

Apparently Kane enjoyed that missile dropkick. Photo credit: WWE.com

Ryback kicked things off by arriving in the back of an ambulance, challenging Cena to an Ambulance match at Payback next month after the champion had refused to enter one the previous night after Extreme Rules. He went on to then call all the fans "weak" and "pathetic," living their lives with no direction or purpose. 

Chris Jericho and The Miz beat Fandango and Wade Barrett in an amusing tag bout. The action was okay, but it was Fandango that made the match memorable by leaving his partner Barrett halfway through the match and dancing with his usual dance partner Summer Rae. Afterwards Jericho and Miz then chased off Fandango, leaving Y2J to dance a little with Summer and get some retribution by putting his hand in her face and embarrassing her. 

Sheamus pinned Titus O'Neil in a fair outing. There were some drab periods but on the whole it was a watchable match up, with O'Neil being made to look very competitive against the Irishman.

Paul Heyman came to the ring and boasted about his client Brock Lesnar being remembered forever as a beast, while Triple H a "looser" after their Steel Cage match the previous night. He then revealed his brand new client Curt Axel (formerly Michael Mcgillicutty) and claimed that he hadn't already earned a main event spot because his families legacy, saying that management in the back didn't appreciate it. 

Triple H then joined them and stated that he wasn't embarrassed by his loss to Lesnar, that he was proud that he took the fight to and went to war with him. Axel then fronted 'The Game', warning him that things had changed, so Trips responded with a punch and announced that he'll face him in a match that very night.

Heyman's terrific mic work would normally be my highlight for most segments involving him, but to be honest this time it was just the fact that a young talent (and one that's proven to be more than capable in the ring) received a worthwhile spotlight. A rare thing in WWE as of late.

Big E Langston bested Alberto Del Rio in a largely pedestrian contest. There were a few decent moments but it was never any remarkable. Langston grabbed the win after AJ Lee had distracted the referee, allowing him to thumb Del Rio in the eye and apply a Big End.

AJ Lee beat Layla in an average and forgettable affair. Neither lady gave a display to boast about, which was a bit disappointing for Layla who's never outstanding but reliable. AJ grabbed the submission victory with her Black Widow octopus hold. 

Cody Rhodes pinned Zack Ryder in a filler match up. Neither man gave a bad display but they didn't exactly go out there to set the world alight either. Afterwards Ryback stormed out and attacked Ryder further, eventually Shell Shocking him and putting him into the parked ambulance which drove away. 

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) came out and bragged about taking out The Rock, The Undertaker and pushing Ryback so far he snapped, and added that the fans had no choice but to believe in them now after obtaining the WWE Tag Team and US Titles at Extreme Rules. For me they're the most entertaining act in the company right now.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) defeated Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) and Kofi Kingston in an enthralling six-man tag bout, and probably the best Raw match of the year so far. The action in the second half was blistering, especially from a superb Bryan, with an exhilarating final sequence. For me it's one of The Shield's top outings to date. I can't really recommend this match much more, just do yourself a favour and watch it.

Randy Orton beat Jack Swagger in a decent enough outing. Both men provided stellar wrestling, but there was a lack of drama or excitement and I was struggling to find the interest to be honest. Orton grabbed the one-two-three after applying an RKO. Looks like Swagger's hopes of gaining the World Title anytime soon are quickly vanishing. 

Triple H versus Curtis Axel ended as a No Contest after Triple H seemed to apparently suffer a concussion and have to be dragged away. Up until that point the match had been okay, with 'The Game' dominating for the most part and Axel getting in a fair bit of offense. I think a win over a suffering Triple H would've been the way to go for Axel myself, even a cheap win would've helped him out that bit more.

Overall it was a pedestrian show for the most part, but fortunately Heyman's Curtis Axel announcement and the terrific Shield versus Kofi and Team Hell No contest made it worth watching. Plus Triple H's concussion gave us an intriguing ending, was he drugged by Heyman perhaps? Here's also hoping Axel gets the same dedication as The Shield from the booking team, although I would've loved Cesaro to have been in that spot too, but Axel is capable.  

My WWE SmackDown, 3rd May 2013 Recap

The Shield victorious once again. Photo credit: WWE.com

Ryback pinned Daniel Bryan in an enjoyable opener, largely thanks to the hard work of Bryan who really can bring out the best in any wrestler. In Ryback's finest ever singles match both men played their part well as they battled back and fourth, each giving worthy efforts. It was also nice to see Bryan made to look very competitive here too, he deserves another World Title run somewhere down the line.

Fandango beat Zack Ryder in a rather forgettable contest. Neither man looked terrible by any means, but they failed to really engage me at all. Fandango gained the winning pinfall after applying his signature flying leg drop.

Ricardo Rodriguez versus Zeb Colter ended in a disqualification after Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio ran in and began attacking each other and their rival's allies. This cued Teddy Long (who was in charge for the night) to play a classic Long move and put the four into a tag match. But once again the tag bout ended in a DQ after Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston ran in and began beating on the World Champion's rivals, so Long once again booked another tag match, but this time a three way one. It was all a bit overkill I felt.

Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez bested Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter and Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston in a decent enough three way tag bout. Del Rio and Ziggler were the two standout performers here, each giving fine displays. The match on the whole was quite enjoyable, with a fast pace and effective short bursts from most involved. I'd have much rather had more of this match than the waste of time that was the two previous ones, just strange booking.

After a message from The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) from backstage regarding The Undertaker and Kane, it was revealed that they'd taken out Daniel Bryan as he lied beaten on the floor. Not very nice, eh?

Randy Orton defeated Damien Sandow in a fair encounter. The wrestling was stellar enough, but nothing exceptional. After the win Big Show accused Orton's selfishness and ego of costing them the match against The Shield at WrestleMania. This then gave Sandow the chance to apply a Terminus, which Show found very amusing, but warned 'The Viper' that at Extreme Rules things won't be so funny.  

Mark Henry beat Sheamus in an arm wrestling contest, so the Irishman goaded Henry into doing another one with the left arm. But once again this was a ploy by Sheamus, much like in the tug of war on Monday night, and he punched Henry and applied a Brogue Kick to topple the 'World's Strongest Man'. Much like the tug of war segment on Raw it was also a bit drab.

Dean Ambrose pinned Kane in a solid main event. Both men worked well here and sold like pros, which is a rarity for most matches in WWE nowadays where the majority of wrestlers seem to recover a bit too quickly from attacks.

Kane getting some retribution on Reigns and Rollins at ringside also added some excitement to the bout, but the numbers caught up to him as the Shield members distracted Kane towards the end which allowed Ambrose to apply a headlock driver for the one-two-three. The trio then beat down 'The Big Red Monster' and triple powerbombed him before taking the tag team title belts and posing with them over the fallen champion.

Overall it was a fair SmackDown, with a mixed bag as far as match quality goes. The highlights were the triple threat tag team match, Bryan versus Ryback and the main event. The rest of the contests were pretty unremarkable to be honest, and there was a lack of any substantial promos or segments. Fortunately the most promising young act in WWE today The Shield are still looking strong and providing solid matches.    

My WWE Raw, 29th April 2013 Recap

Reigns tears through Cena for the winning pinfall. Photo credit: WWE.com

Ricardo Rodriguez bested Zeb Colter and Big E Langston in a surprisingly enjoyable Triple Threat bout. Granted the action itself wasn't anything remarkable, but fortunately the amusing moments from Ricardo and distractions from Alberto Del Rio, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler helped keep the interest up. As a result of the win Ricardo was allowed to pick the stipulation for the World Heavyweight Title match at Extreme Rules. 

As a part of World Wish Day, Make a Wish regular John Cena granted three wishes and made three young boys WWE Superstars for the day. 

Randy Orton pinned Cody Rhodes in a decent effort by both men. Fortunately (and surprisingly) Rhodes was made to look quite competitive against Orton here, which made a nice change for the moustached one. Towards the end Cody applied the Cross Rhodes for an effective near fall, but Orton managed to get in a nice RKO as Rhodes came in for a Disaster Kick. 

Naomi won via disqualification versus Nikki Bella in a forgettable outing. As usual Nikki switched with her sister Brie who gained the winning pinfall towards the end. But this time Cameron informed the referee who then called for the DQ. Apparently no one's ever thought of doing that in the many, many times the Bellas have switched.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) came to the ring and spoke about all the wrestlers they'd taken out since Survivor Series last November. But as they were talking about their unfinished business with The Undertaker, 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) interrupted them, wanting some retribution. 

This didn't last long however as Shield soon beat down the band. Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) then chased off the trio and decided to let out their frustration on 3MB by taking them out.   

Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston in a stellar contest. Both men gave a high standard of display here, providing exciting action with Kofi especially giving one of finest performances in a long while. Afterwards Big E Langston then applied a Big Ending on the US Champion for the exclamation point. 

Jack Swagger beat Zack Ryder in a pedestrian match dominated by the 'All American American'. You could skip this one and not miss much to be honest, there was nothing exceptional to be found during it.

Mark Henry bested Tensai and Brodus Clay each in a tug of war contest. Sheamus then joined Henry and goaded him into a tug of war contest also, which he lost after letting go of the rope and Brogue Kicking the 'World's Strongest Man'.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Antonio Cesaro in a solid back and fourth affair. As usual Cesaro proved that he could hang with (and is this case surpass) the main eventers of the company, I still have faith that he'll get there given time. Afterwards Del Rio then announced that the Triple Threat World Title match at Extreme Rules will be a Ladder match. Well I'm happy with that, I always look forward to those. 

The Great Khali and Natalya won a drab dance contest against Fandango and Summer Rae. The fans booed both parties as host Jerry Lawler determined the winners, but to be fair I wouldn't call anyone a winner here. An upset Fandango then took down Khali and applied his signature flying leg drop.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) toppled Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) and John Cena in a largely exciting six-man tag main event. Each man delivered a worthy showing, bar Cena but he has an exaggerated leg injury so it's understandable. In a surprise ending Reigns speared a struggling Cena for the one-two-three, an extremely rare sight on Raw seeing Cena being pinned. Good result here that only enhances Shield.

Afterwards Ryback then turned up after appearing to leave the arena earlier in the show (he'd refused to take Cena's place with Hell No in the main event) and looked on at the WWE Champion. I'm not expecting much from their title clash but hopefully I'm proven wrong and they plan out a bout that works to their strengths. 

Overall it was a fair Raw this week, with Orton versus Rhodes, Kofi versus Ziggler, Cesaro versus Del Rio and the enjoyable main event being the highlights. Unfortunately there weren't any promos or segments that were particularly memorable at all, but the aforementioned matches were decent watches and made up for it. The lack of Lesnar, Heyman or Triple H was also a little bit of a letdown for me. 

My WWE Raw, 22nd April 2013 Recap

The Dead Man takes it to Reigns. Photo credit: WWE.com

Paul Heyman kicked things off by revealing that after his client Brock Lesnar challenged Triple H on last week's Raw to a Steel Cage match, he'd since received an email from 'The Game' that explained that he'd answer the challenge on next week's show.

Heyman went on to call the COO gutless for not being in attendance for the show in London, but Triple H proved him wrong and joined him in the ring. After accepting Brock's offer for Extreme Rules, Triple H then pedigreed his manager, much to the excitement of the goofy Lawler on commentary. 

R-Truth pinned Antonio Cesaro in a decent enough contest. While quite short they both made the most of their time and gave worthy efforts. I'm still worried by this slump Cesaro has taken as of late, loosing to the likes of Kofi and Truth is never a good sign. Why did his push suddenly suddenly come to a halt? He has the look and ability to make it in WWE.

Damien Sandow bested Brodus Clay in a pedestrian match up. It wasn't awful on any level, but there was just nothing particularly engaging about the action. The fans got so bored they began to entertain themselves with various chants during it, although they were pleased with the victor.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Chris Jericho in a largely stellar outing. While most of the wrestling was exciting and engaging, there were a few slightly sloppy moments here and there that let it down a bit, but I think that's probably just me being a bit picky. A good watch on the whole. The biggest reaction from the crowd (who did a few of the chants and Mexican waves that the New Jersey fans did a couple of weeks ago throughout) actually came when Fandango's music hit, which caused Y2J to become distracted and Zig Zagged by Ziggler for the one-two-three.

Tensai beat Cody Rhodes in a fair, if forgettable bout. To be honest I wasn't engaged by this tag feud to start with, and that hasn't changed.

In an amusing background segment Daniel Bryan tried to convince Kane to go over some plans for their match with 'Taker against Shield later on, which included diagrams and everything! So Kane explained that his brother would arrive when he arrived, and didn't take orders from anyone. The Shield then attacked the tag champs, although you never saw their faces. 

Big E Langston toppled Zack Ryder in a brief squash match. Ryder managed to get in a bit of offense, but it was for nought. Obviously someone in the back is keen on Langston, which isn't shocking considering his look and build. I just hope he can improve himself in the ring a bit, although I'm not holding my breath. 

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) bested The Undertaker, Kane and Daniel Bryan in a terrific six-man tag bout. From the opening bell it was a gripping contest containing a high standard of wrestling, with Rollins and Bryan being the top two performers for me. Here's hoping this isn't the last time we see these six lock horns. 

Fandango pinned William Regal in a short but fun outing while it lasted. Regal understandably (and deservedly) received a tremendous ovation in London, England (I love our fans here) and gave a decent showing. Unfortunately the bout was kept brief and Fandango gained the winning pin with a swinging reverse STO. Afterwards Jericho then gained some payback by throwing Fandango off of the stage and dancing with his dance partner (who's now Summer Rae from NXT).   

AJ Lee outdid Layla, Aksana, Tamina and Naomi in a Divas Battle Royal to become number one contender to the Divas Title. As tradition for these it was a forgettable match with mediocre wrestling, but it also showed off how awfully thin the roster of semi-capable female performers there are on the main roster, they seriously need to bring up more talent from developmental and NXT (such as Paige, who as a Diva that really stands out I could see becoming a big name).  

Mick Foley called out Ryback and asked him what had changed so that he'd walk away and refuse to help Cena last week. Ryback retorted by stating that he loved watching Shield attack Cena last week, and called Foley a "pathetic" excuse of a man who just keeps coming back to plug something and shouldn't be around anymore. As he then went face to face with the Hall of Famer, Cena ran out and confronted his Extreme Rules foe.

The Shield then made their way out so Cena left Ryback to it as retribution for last Monday, but soon returned with a steel chair and chased off the trio (who bested 'Taker, Bryan and Kane earlier, remember?) and also AA'd Ryback for good measure. The Foley and Ryback segment was nicely executed, with some good intensity towards the end, but after that it felt a bit too familiar and hardly advanced anything in this feud.

Overall it was a decent Raw this week, with the Foley Ryback segment, crowd enthusiasm, Regal appearance, Ziggler versus Jericho and the great six-man bout being the highlights. Other than that it ranged from fair to average, which I can forgive for the stronger parts.