My WWE SmackDown, 24th May 2013 Recap

Ambrose plants Kofi en route to the win. Photo credit: WWE.com

'Miz TV' kicked things off, with The Miz introducing guests Fandango and Summer Rae, and quizzed them about abandoning Fandango's tag partner Wade Barrett on Monday's Raw. But Fandango simply corrected Miz's pronunciation of his name and claimed that he bored him. Wade Barrett then came out and warned Fandango that if their paths cross again he'll be sorry, and after some heated words with Miz began brawling with his upcoming opponent. It was an average start to the show.    

Wade Barrett (c) versus The Miz for the Intercontinental Title ended in a no contest after Fandango attacked Miz. Previous to that Miz had kicked Fandango due to him inappropriately dancing during their contest. Barrett also received some retribution on Fandango by applying a Bull Hammer to the dancer. The actual match itself was pretty average, with unremarkable wrestling from both men.  

Daniel Bryan defeated Jack Swagger in a decent outing. Both men gave stellar showings, especially Bryan who's on great form at the moment. A crazed Bryan forced Swagger to tap via the No Lock after a few vicious kicks to the head, then applied the hold again after the bell had rung until Kane and the referee forced him off. I'm predicting the first in a series of matches between the Team Hell No members at Payback next month. 

Damien Sandow  berated Mark Henry and Sheamus for their test of strengths in recent weeks, stating that the test of a real man was with his intelligence. He then challenged Matt Stryker to untie a Gordian knot, which he failed to do, so Sheamus then joined them and asked if he could have a go. After the 'Celtic Warrior' also failed, Sandow untied the knot by cutting it open.

Sheamus admitted he'd outsmarted him, and went for a Brogue Kick but the 'Intellectual Saviour' saw it coming and got out of the ring. So as an example of Newton's law of gravity Sheamus threw Stryker at Sandow. It was an enjoyable segment, with Sandow on strong form on the mic as usual. Hopefully he can get into a proper feud with Sheamus and elevate himself a bit.

Chris Jericho won via count out versus Big Show after applying a Codebreaker and sending the giant over the barricade. A seething Big Show then stormed to the ring with a steel chair, but Y2J kicked it out of his hand and smacked him with it, sending Show packing. The bout itself had been a solid one, with worthy efforts and nice back and fourth action.

Paul Heyman, accompanied by his latest client Curtis Axel, came to the ring and listed off his respectful accomplishments as a manager, proving that when he calls Axel the next "A lister" in the company, he knows what he's talking about. Axel then claimed that last Monday he accomplished more than his father and grandfather combined when he defeated Triple H.

Curtis Axel pinned Sin Cara in a fair encounter. I can't complain it was a decent enough showing, but it was also quite forgettable and uninspiring. But Axel is certainly capable in the ring and I have faith in a successful run from him.

Dean Ambrose (c) versus Kofi Kingston for the United States Championship ended in a DQ after Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins ran in and attacked the challenger. But Randy Orton and Sheamus then came to Kofi's aid, so Teddy Long booked a six-man tag between them all. It'd been an entertaining contest before the DQ, I wouldn't mind seeing them face off one on one again in the near future.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) bested Sheamus, Randy Orton and Kofi Kingston in a great six-man main event. Much like their terrific (admittedly superior) tag bout on this week's Raw, the action came fast and each man deserves credit for a stellar display. I'd say that it's like Shield can do no wrong but I'm scared I my jinx it. 

Unfortunately the only issue with the match was Reigns appearing to pick up some kind of knee injury half way through when Superman punching Orton. He had to apparently be helped away before the dark match after the main event. Fortunately he was able to finish the tag match so hopefully it's not too bad, this would be a devastating time for him to be out injured. 

Overall it was an enjoyable show for the most part, and above average for the blue brand. My highlights were Bryan versus Swagger, Damien Sandow's Gordian knot segment, Jericho versus Big Show, Heyman's mic work and the exciting main event. Outside of that it was okay, not terrible, so I'll take that for a 2013 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 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 SmackDown, 4th January 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE SmackDown, 18th December 2012 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE SmackDown, 14th December 2012 Recap

Big Show beat R-Truth in a largely drab match up. The bout didn't really get interesting until the final few minutes, and it wasn't a great effort by either man. During the match Sheamus pushed over Antonio Cesaro (they both provided guest commentary) as he was about to strike Truth, so after the bell rang Cesaro barged the Irishman into Show, causing the World Champion to complain to Booker T backstage that Sheamus had broken the no contact clause of their TLC contract. But the GM was having none of it and accused Show of being scared of 'The Great White'.

Damien Sandow announced that he was ending his search for an apprentice since his friend Cody Rhodes was back from injury, then reintroduced his Team Rhodes Scholars partner. I'm quite disappointed, I really enjoyed his apprentice search segments. The Usos then interrupted Rhodes speech for their upcoming tag bout.

Team Rhodes Scholars defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso in a fair tag team contest. The wrestling was solid throughout, there was just a lack of genuine interest in the match.

Big Show enlisted the legal advice of David Otunga and came to the ring to dispute Booker's decision in not cancelling the World Title match this Sunday, with Otunga threatening to take it to the WWE Board of Directors. Booker soon came out and told them to go right ahead and waste the Board of Director's time with the issue. Sheamus also stormed on out to the ring with a steel chair in hand and was ready to strike a startled Big Show, who suddenly decided to then change his mind and take back his charges. A happy Sheamus then decided to Brogue Kick Otunga for good measure. 

Backstage we witnessed The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) take out Randy Orton before a scheduled interview. I guess this gives them an excuse for Orton to be off the TLC card.

Kaitlyn bested Aksana in a forgettable and mediocre bout. The crowd were indifferent to it, as were the commentary team of JBL and Josh Matthews as they bickered throughout the match.

The Miz introduced his guests for the latest installment of 'Miz TV', Team Hell No, with both Kane and Daniel Bryan promising to deliver retribution in their TLC match against The Shield this Sunday. The duo wer then interrupted by another message from The Shield on the big screen. Once again Ambrose and Rollins delivered well here, but Reigns still seems a bit stiff. Kane eventually challenged the trio to come to the ring right there and then, so they accepted, but as they made their way down Ryback appeared, which scared them off.

Tyson Kidd, Just Gabriel, Hornswaggle and The Great Khali beat Epico, Primo, Titus O'Neil and Darren Young in a pedestrian eight-man tag match. Kidd, Epico and Primo were about the only decent performers in the ring here, with some worthless comedy sequences involving Hornswaggle and awful action as usual from Khali. Afterwards the victors managed to clear the ring of their opponents. 

Kofi Kingston defeated Alberto Del Rio in a solid encounter. Both men gave worthy displays here and worked hard to provide a very enjoyable bout, pulling out moves you don't tend to see often from them too. It was the best match of the night, although that wasn't that hard an achievement. Afterwards Wade Barrett attempted to clothesline Kofi, but the IC Champion instead ducked and applied a Trouble in Paradise to his TLC opponent. 

Antonio Cesaro won via count out versus Sheamus in a fair main event. The match itself had been a fun watch for the most part, much like the last time they fought it contained solid action and nice exchanges. The only downside was the contest being cut short when Big Show beat down Sheamus' good friend William Regal with a chair on the stage, causing 'The Great White' to leave the ring to check on him and be counted out.

Just before this they repeated the whole of Sheamus' match with Ziggler from this weeks Raw. Don't get me wrong, it was an entertaining match, but why not instead give Sheamus and Cesaro more deserved time and have Show beat down Regal later on? Strange.

Overall it was a pretty lacklustre show, which is extremely poor considering you're heading into a PPV two days later. The only matches worth noting are Kingston vs Del Rio and Team Rhodes Scholars vs The Usos, apart from them, the very end and the 'Miz TV' segment it was a very forgettable broadcast. I feel like I've been saying that far too much about the blue brand lately.

My WWE Raw, 19th November 2012 Recap

A proud CM Punk looks upon the fallen Ryback. Photo credit: WWE.com

A furious Ryback demanded that CM Punk and his three attackers from Survivor Series come out so he could exact his revenge, or else he'd tear the place apart. Vickie Guerrero instead came out and warned Ryback that if he destroyed anything or attacked Punk then he'd be fined or suspended, but admitted her admiration of his destruction in the ring so booked him against Tensai. Ryback did okay on the mic here, he needs to start evolving his persona and that's the way to do it.

Ryback beat Tensai in a passable, if pretty unmemorable a match. Both men looked okay, it was just quite average for the most part with nothing exceptional about the bout.

Wade Barrett defeated Kofi Kingston in a largely solid contest, with worthy efforts from both men. For a refreshing change an eye injury that Barrett caused Kofi earlier in the match up actually stuck through most of it, and came back into play at the end when Wade rubbed the IC Champion's face on the top rope and applied the Bull Hammer for the one-two-three.

Kaitlyn bested Aksana in a mediocre bout. Just average displays from both participants.

Antonio Cesaro defeated Brodus Clay in a mostly pedestrian and forgettable match  up. Fortunately Cesaro applied a nicely executed uppercut to Clay and a Neutralizer for a decent looking finish. 

Vickie Guerrero presented two eye witnesses who had apparently seen Cena and AJ acting rather intimately together at a restaurant and spending a prolonged amount of time together in a parked car. AJ Lee herself then interrupted them and accused the man and woman of being frauds, and told Vickie to "shut the hell up" or fire her. As Vickie then went to present apparent photos of them in the car together, John Cena came out and told Guerrero to stop and gave her something for people to talk about as he then kissed AJ. This gave Dolph Ziggler a chance to attack Cena form behind, but this was short lived as Cena soon chased him off. Hopefully this is the end of the awful scandal storyline. 

Randy Orton bested Alberto Del Rio in a two out of three falls match. Both men put on a great contest here, with solid action throughout and a well told story. Just goes to prove that there's no excuse not to regularly have high quality match ups on television. Orton grabbed the first fall via DQ after Del Rio refused to stop attacking his arm in the corner, then Del Rio grabbed the second fall via submission from his signature cross armbreaker and finally Orton grabbed the winning pinfall after applying an RKO.  

The Great Khali beat Epico and Primo in a nothing Handicap match. During which Hornswaggle made an unwelcome return and pretended to give flowers to Rosa Mendes but instead squirted water from them. Do the writers of this material really believe that it's entertaining in any way? 

The Miz defeated David Otunga in a bit of a drab contest. In a strange booking decision Otunga was also made to control most of the match up. Surely as a newly turned face Miz should be made to look as strong as possible right now?  

Sheamus spoke about how Big Show had made their rivalry personal after attacking William Regal and then pulling the referee in front of him to aid his victory at Survivor Series against the Irishman. 'The Great White' then stated that his usual smile had disappeared, and challenged the World Champion to come out and face him. Big Show sure enough came out, but called Sheamus "barbaric" after his attack with a steel chair the previous night on him and claimed that he doesn't deserve to be World Champion. As Sheamus went to respond, his opponent for the night Damien Sandow joined him. This segment had some terrific mic work from Big Show.

Sheamus beat Damien Sandow in a decent enough bout. While it wasn't the most engaging fight, it was fun enough to watch.

Backstage an an upset AJ Lee asked Vickie Guerrero what she was going to do about Cena's injury after Ziggler's attack, to which the managing supervisor of Raw replied "nothing." So AJ took matters into her own hands and barged into the WWE locker room and confronted Dolph herself. But the 'Show Off' had a few choice words for her, as he called her pathetic for latching onto anyone that gives her even the slightest bit of attention, and girls like her are "a dime a dozen." It was a very nicely executed promo from Ziggler, one of his finest I'd say.

So AJ responded with a series of slaps until Cena pulled her away, which gave Dolph the chance to once again attack Cena's injured leg, and then tackled him through a toilet cubicle. It was a nice spot, and one that should certainly elevate Dolph. It's not often someone gets to take out Cena like that.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) versus Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio ended in a no contest after Titus O'Neil and Darren Young (who'd provided so bad it was funny commentary at ringside, so much so that King and Cole felt compelled to amusingly mock them for it) ran in and attacked them, although this didn't last long as the opposing two teams then took out the Prime Time Players. The actual match itself had been an enjoyable one for the majority, with decent displays from all four men.

Paul Heyman came out to start the celebration for CM Punk's momentous year-long title reign, but first accused the fans that cry out for the Attitude Era again that it's not really what they want after all the complaints about his and Punk's (highly entertaining)  promo on Jerry Lawler last week. Soon enough Heyman then introduced the man of the hour (or rather whole company) CM Punk. Punk went on to present a nice VT of highlights from his lengthy title run, with Heyman then listing off some of the all-time greats of the business and claiming that they would be unable to defeated Punk on their very best day.

Ryback decided to then crash the celebration, but was stopped once again by the trio of Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. The three also once more planted Ryback through the announce table. A confused looking CM Punk then approached the fallen Ryback, and proudly stood tall over him with the title held high. I'm a little disappointed we didn't get an explanation of any kind from the attackers, but hopefully we will next week.

For the most part it was a pretty average Raw, with most bouts being average at best. But fortunately the locker room segment involving Ziggler, AJ and Cena, the celebration at the end, the Sheamus Big Show confrontation and the Orton versus Del Rio contest helped make it a show worth watching. So overall I felt it was a decent enough broadcast. 

My WWE SmackDown, 16th November 2012 Recap

The Miz opened up the show with 'Miz TV', and received a healthy reaction from the fans in his hometown of Cleveland. Miz soon introduced his guest Mick Foley, who asked whether he would get the former WWE Champion Miz or the movie star bragging Miz at Survivor Series for his team. Miz assured Foley that he didn't even need to ask that question. Foley also went on to bring out the rest of the team for a meeting, which didn't go well as all of the members began arguing and admitting their dislike for each other. 

Dolph Ziggler and his SS team then also came out, and after bragging about their unity the 'Show Off' began arguing with Alberto Del Rio, who believed that he should be the captain of the team instead. Foley then interrupted them and under a agreement with Ziggler and the GM Booker T, booked three matches for the night pitting members of each team against each other. It was an enjoyable segment to start the show, with Daniel Bryan and Kane's interactions being the highlight.

Damien Sandow defeated Kofi Kingston in a decent enough contest. Not the greatest match you'll see by any means but there were worthy efforts on both parts. Certainly watchable.

Kaitlyn, Layla and Natalya beat Alicia Fox, Eve and Aksana in a passable Divas tag bout. I wasn't expecting much here to be honest, but it was okay at times.

As Sheamus awaited Big Show's arrival in the parking lot Booker T, warned him to wait until Survivor Series to get his hands on him, or there would be serious repercussions. Sheamus agreed and left.

The Miz and Randy Orton bested Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler in a solid tag match. From start to finish the action was well executed from all four wrestlers, and overall it was simply a fun watch. Miz made a cheeky tag near the end to apply a Skull Crushing Finale to Del Rio to obtain the one-two-three for himself. This didn't best please Orton who in turn applied an RKO to Miz.

The Miz also received a strong reaction from the fans here, granted it was in his hometown but I'm still quite surprised at how quickly his face turn has been well received by fans. And he's already more interesting than he was a month ago, seems like they made a smart choice with the turn.

Sheamus called Big Show out to the ring for a straight up fight after he'd attacked both himself and William Regal from behind recently. Big Show sure enough came out, but refused a brawl due to his concern for 'The Great White's' well being if they did tangle. As an angered Sheamus made his way towards his future opponent Booker T stopped him and ordered that he leave the building before things escalated. Shortly after Booker also informed a happy Show backstage that he'll be in the main event against an unknown foe. 

Shortly into the Wade Barrett versus Kane bout, other members of Ziggler's team joined the Englishman in taking out 'The Big Red Monster'. But the attack was short lived as Foley's team (bar Miz) managed to take out and chase away their Survivor Series opposition. The Miz then made an appearance and simply glared at Orton, will he be on his side come Sunday? Probably, but I'm guessing the team will implode somehow and Ziggler's unit will be victorious. 

Antonio Cesar defeated Sin Cara in an enjoyable match up. In one of his finest performances I can remember Sin Cara looked crisp and worked well with Cesaro here. This bout really was a pleasant surprise, I thought it'd be okay but both men gave very good displays here.

Big Show bested The Great Khali in a mediocre main event, which was understandably slow paced. At least on the plus side it was kept brief, and for Khali's standards he sold the KO punch well enough. 

Afterwards Sheamus' music hit but there was no sign of the former World champ, so a cautious Big Show left for the parking lot. Of course Sheamus was waiting for him and pounced on the giant as he entered his coach. They then had a nice brawl across the parking lot, with a few broken car windows along the way. Eventually the Irishman got the upper hand as he continuously slammed the champ's head against a bonnet until security pulled him back. It was a strong ending to the show and a nice set up for the pay-per-view on Sunday.

Overall I thought it was an enjoyable enough show for the most part. Most matches were worthy efforts (bar the main event and the Kane Barrett encounter, but that's obviously excusable) and the bouts for Survivor Series were built up nicely. And most importantly for a show just before a PPV it had a strong ending. Not many fans seem that hyped for Survivor Series, but I think it could be a pretty enjoyable show myself, we shall see.

My WWE SmackDown, 6th November 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

Michael Cole brought out Sheamus to start the show and presented footage filmed from a phone of the former World Champ and William Regal in a pub in England where Big Show would attack both men from behind, taking them out. An angered Sheamus called Show out, but instead the World Title holder appeared on the big screen and bragged that he didn't harm Sheamus as much as he could have. He also added that at Survivor Series he's going to finish the job and permanently take out 'The Great White'. 

Sheamus decided to challenge Show to come out and face him, but the champ declined. Instead Wade Barrett came out and questioned the sanity of the Irishman challenging Big Show before their match the next night on Main Event. This prompted Sheamus to once again challenge for a fight, but once more his foe declined and Barrett left. Backstage Booker T then told Barrett that he'd booked a tag match with him and Big Show versus Sheamus and William Regal. Wade thanked him for it.

Kofi Kingston (c) defeated The Miz to retain the Intercontinental Title in an enjoyable back and fourth match up. Both men gave a solid effort here and clearly wanted to give people a good showing. I've personally been a fan of their run of matches together recently. Afterwards Miz extended his hand to Kofi, only for him to instead dropkick the 'Must See Superstar'. I don't think this did Kofi any favours, it just made him look like the heel here. I could see a potential face turn for Miz approaching soon, with him filling the final space in Foley's Survivor Series team.

Prime Time Player (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) beat Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara in a passable tab bout. The action was good enough, but they've had better before. Mysterio as usual managed to up the quality once he entered the fray. Afterwards O'Neil and Young began their signature dance and bragged about the win, even including Matt Stryker briefly before sending him away. The crowd were indifferent to the segment.

Big Show and Wade Barrett bested William Regal and Sheamus in a solid enough tag contest. Maybe it was more nostalgia seeing Regal back in action but the match had a bit of a different feel to it, which I enjoyed. A fun watch.

Randy Orton beat Alberto Del Rio in an entertaining Falls Count Anywhere bout. It started off a little slow and drab, but once they left the ring things became interesting and the fans began to get into it. The strongest period came as both men made their way back to the ring and Orton applied an RKO onto steel steps for the one-two-three. I'm hoping Survivor Series will be the finale of their feud, while it hasn't been bad I feel both men need stronger characters to work with to make things more engaging.

Overall it wasn't a bad show. Most matches were decent enough and a fun watch. A step up from recent weeks efforts, and for the most part superior to this weeks Raw too. 

My WWE Raw, 5th November 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

The Miz informed Paul Heyman that he was quitting CM Punk's Survivor Series team after the WWE Champion had abandoned his team mates on last weeks Raw when Ryback chased him off.

R-Truth, Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio defeated Antonio Cesaro and the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) in a decent enough tag contest. Most of the action was okay but nothing that exceptional. Fortunately Mysterio and Cesaro's nice exchanges brought up the quality of the bout, a singles match between them could be superb.

Vickie Guerrero gave the same speech she's already given reviewing all of the evidence in the Cena AJ Lee scandal. John Cena then came out and things didn't improve. He openly admitted to never learning another wrestling move (way to do your profession proud John) and listed off all the dubious things Vickie has done in her career.

Guerrero then presented new footage of AJ leaving a hotel room and entering another in a dressing gown, then another video of Cena putting a do not disturb sign on his door in a towel. Cena explained that the footage was form two clearly different angles and meant nothing. As Cena and Vickie then urged AJ Lee herself to come out, she appeared on the big screen and said that she wouldn't because she would have to put her hands on Vickie which would result in her loosing her job. Dolph Ziggler then also appeared next to AJ and put his arm around her. This forced Cena to go running after her. It really wasn't a great segment at all, and this storyline is just getting tiring now. The only thing that saved it were the crowd in Birmingham (get in my fellow English fans!), they were enthusiastic throughout.

Paul Heyman urged Wade Barrett to join Punk's SS team, but Barrett refused due to his distrust of Heyman. Wade then had a change of heart and agreed to join, but only on the condition that Heyman owes him one. I'm personally quite glad at the switch between Miz and Barrett, he needs some decent PPV time.

Cody Rhodes bested Daniel Bryan in a far too brief match up. Considering the talent involved I was hoping for them to be allocated more time, but unfortunately not. The action itself was okay, if a little sloppy at moments. Rhodes grabbed the win after Bryan had attacked his tag partner Sandow at ringside with his signature diving attack as retribution for Sandow striking Kane. Rhodes afterwards boasted that his Rhodes Scholars partner could just as easily defeated Kane, so the match was instantly booked for there and then.

Kane beat Damien Sandow in a largely average and unmemorable bout. Again there wasn't so much time for actual wrestling here, as during the match Daniel Bryan and Rhodes began fighting again and were both told to leave by the official. Kane finished off Sandow shortly after with a Choke Slam. Considering it's a three hour show you'd think they wouldn't rush the wrestling so much.

Michael Cole brought out former referee Brad Maddox and asked him why he attacked Ryback at Hell in a Cell and aided CM Punk's title defense. Maddox revealed that he wanted to make a name for himself after years of rejection from trying to make it as a pro wrestler in WWE. So he took out his frustration on Ryback, the typical big guy who he felt had prevented smaller guys like him from making it. It wasn't a bad promo actually, and made sense.

Vince McMahon then also came out and claimed that he felt Maddox was lying and that he was involved with Punk or Heyman somehow. But he agreed to give him a chance at a WWE contract in a match against Ryback on next weeks show. McMahon then also called out Vickie Guerrero and convinced her to change the match already set for Survivor Series and book a Triple Threat between CM Punk, Ryback and Cena for the WWE Title instead. The fans weren't pleased to hear Cena's involvement in the bout, and neither was I. 

I've just grown tired of the stale Cena persona, and he very rarely brings real interest to anything nowadays. And what's happened to his feud with Ziggler now? Although that's actually one plus to take from this, a programme with Cena would've only damaged Ziggler's reputation even more.  

Sheamus beat The Miz in a decent, if slightly pedestrian at times match up. The action was fine, but there was just that level of interest lacking from the contest. Fair efforts from both men.

Backstage Vickie revealed to Ziggler that he would now be heading Punk's former team at Survivor Series. An angered CM Punk overheard the news, and complained that this was just McMahon getting his own back on him. To try and calm him down Guerrero revealed that she'd also booked him and Ziggler against Ryback and Cena that night. This didn't go down well.

Kaitlyn and Layla defeated Eve and Aksana in a mediocre tag match. The whole contest just felt sub par and pretty drab really, with no outstanding efforts from any of the wrestlers. This was also the first time in the night that the crowd was mostly quiet, and that's with the English Layla involved. Aksana and Kaitlyn also looked quite inexperienced out there, especially Aksana. I know I've asked it before but how is she still under contract?  

Kofi Kingston bested Alberto Del Rio in an enjoyable enough outing. Both men went back and fourth and gave worthy displays here. Kofi grabbed a quick roll up pin for the victory after Orton's music had hit which distracted Del Rio. Randy Orton then actually appeared to apply a quick RKO to Alberto. With Kingston's current run and latest push he had to win somehow, it would've been a foolish choice to have him loose.

Santino Marella and Zack Ryder beat Primo and Epico in a fun tag bout. From start to finish I enjoyed this match, especially the solid displays from the underrated Primo and Epico. Nice easy watch.

Wade Barrett defeated Brodus Clay in a passable, if drab at times match up. The action was nothing special to be honest, but I wasn't expecting much here. The fans were happy enough to see one of their own get the win anyway so they weren't too fussed. 

Heath Slater beat Jimmy Uso in an average contest. Their efforts weren't bad by any means, but it wasn't a match that'll really draw you in or get you excited. Amusingly there were chants for 3MB during it. I see there are others out there liking this new trio too.

Before the main event CM Punk complained about the Triple Threat Title defense he'll have to enter at Survivor Series, and bragged about being better than everybody else. He also added that he will defende his championship successfully anyway and prove once again that he is indeed "the best in the World!" It was the best promo of the night, although that isn't saying much.

Ryback and John Cena defeated Dolph Ziggler and CM Punk in a solid and entertaining main event, and match of the night. Once again the fans were booing Cena and cheering on his opponents. This was until Ryback entered the match for the final few minutes where he ran through Ziggler and Punk, eventually applying a Shell Shock to pin the WWE Title holder. While there were a few hiccups on Cena's part it was a fun watch and mostly good work from all four men. Afterwards Ryback and Cena stared off for the first time, with the former beginning chants of "Feed me more" to end the show. 

Overall it was a pretty average show for me. Most matches were standars but nothing special bar the main event which I liked. The Kingston Del Rio encounter and first match of the night were also enjoyable enough. The only decent promo of the night came from Punk before the main event. The Vince McMahon segment with Vickie (and subsequently the whole AJ Lee/Cena scandal) didn't add anything to the show for me, except frustration that they're not putting together a half decent storyline here instead. At least there was an excited crowd in Birmingham to liven the show. 

My WWE SmackDown, 2nd November 2012 Recap

The show opened to 'Miz TV' where The Miz introduced his guest Sheamus and asked him what it felt like to be a "looser" after loosing the World Championship at HIAC, so 'The Great White asked him the same question back after Miz lost his IC Title match on the same card. Miz retorted by stating that he'll win back his Intercontinental Title in the future. This cued the current IC Strap holder Kofi Kingston to join them and tell The Miz that he's delusional.

Big Show also then came out and asked Miz why he was interviewing the former World Champion and not the current one. After some more bickering between Sheamus and Show, 'The Great White' challenged his Survivor Series opponent to a match that night, to which Big Show declined. Backstage afterwards however, Booker T booked a tag match between all four men for the main event. It was a fair opening segment, nothing that exciting or as strong as Sheamus' and Big Show's on Raw this week.

Darren Young defeated Sin Cara in a passable, if unmemorable match up. It wasn't a bad watch, just not that engaging to be honest. And neither talent looked that special. Afterwards Titus O'Neil challenged Rey Mysterio to a bout, which he gladly accepted. 

Rey Mysterio beat Titus O'Neil in a fair contest. There was at least some more interest with this match, and Mysterio looked decent, not his best but decent. O'Neil was his standard self, competent enough but nothing that exciting from him.

Before his match could even start, Randy Orton was jumped from behind by Alberto Del Rio (who was on guest commentary) and assistant Ricardo Rodriguez. Del Rio was eventually escorted away by officials.

Wade Barrett bested Randy Orton in a solid enough encounter. While there wasn't as much heat as some of their previous bouts I can't fault either man's efforts here. Another worthy match between them. Barrett grabbed the winning roll up pin after Del Rio and Rodriguez came out and distracted 'The Viper'. Barrett may have won but he should be beyond television programmes with Sheamus and Orton by now, I feel he deserves a real feud on PPV.

As retribution Orton caught up with Del Rio backstage and began scrapping with him, which led to Orton throwing a pot of hot liquid at Rodriguez as Del Rio got out of the way. Eventually 'The Viper' threw Del Rio through a table, but the Mexican then managed to make his escape shortly after. The goofy Matt Stryker then asked Orton on his thoughts, so Orton shoved his head into a cake. Well deserved. 

The Great Khali beat David Otunga in a predictably drab and sub par match up. It's a real shame Khali's back on our screens. 

R-Truth bested Justin Gabriel in a fair to standard match up. I'd have personally rather have seen Gabriel win here, which could have possibly led on to the start of a heel turn for Truth. His persona as a heel was just far more interesting for me. The efforts by both men was okay, but not their best.

The Miz and Big Show defeated Kofi Kingston and Sheamus in a largely average main event. The action throughout was pretty standard and never went beyond that unfortunately. Big Show caught Kofi with a KO punch from the outside, allowing Miz to gain the winning pinfall. A furious Sheamus just looked on at his future SS foe. 

My WWE Hell in a Cell 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

Randy Orton defeated Alberto Del Rio in an enjoyable opener to the show. Smart choice to get the event going with with this largely solid match up. As standard Del Rio targeted Orton's left arm for most of the bout, but 'The Viper' managed to battle back and applied an impressive RKO as Del Rio came over the ropes after his signature head kick for the one-two-three. Unfortunately there were a few sloppy moments here and there but on the whole I enjoyed the match.

Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow) won via disqualification versus Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan & Kane) (c) with the WWE Tag Team Titles on the line in a decent tag bout. I was expecting more here to be honest, with the nice build up and talent involved. I'm certainly not saying it was bad by any means, just not outstanding. All four men gave worthy displays throughout. The DQ came when Kane refused to stop beating on Sandow and Rhodes after he lost his temper with his team mate Bryan when he accidentally applied a flying knee to him on the outside. Bit of a poor ending, and the crowd in Atlanta agreed.

Kofi Kingston (c) bested The Miz to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a fair contest, with decent efforts from both men. Kofi was the right choice to win here, loosing the strap that quickly would've set him back big time. Although it wasn't as exciting as their title bout on Main Event it's still worth a watch.

Antonio Cesaro (c) best Justin Gabriel to retain the United States Championship in a passable match up. Unfortunately just like on Raw the fans in attendance seemed to be largely indifferent to the two wrestler's efforts here. I felt this was harsh treatment as Gabriel and especially Cesaro looked solid here, the US strap holder has been on great consistent form lately.

Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara defeated The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) in a mostly solid tag contest. If I'm honest I wasn't going into this one expecting anything that special, but once it got past the first initial few minutes it was actually quite fun to watch. Sin Cara and Mysterio gave good efforts (Sin Cara has proven to be better suited to a tag team environment for me) while Young and O'Neil were okay, you don't normally get much more than pedestrian displays from them anyway. Pleasant surprise.

Big Show defeated Sheamus (c) to obtain the World Heavyweight Title in a match that started off quite slow but had an edge of your seat ending. Show dominated for the majority of the contest, slowly taking the Irishman out and even hurling him over the announce desk. Of course as any good face does Sheamus managed to battled back, and in the final few minutes both men exchanged their signature finishers for great near falls. But it wasn't to be for 'The Great White' as Big Show applied a nice looking WMD as he came running in for a second Brogue Kick for the winning pinfall. Well this certainly turned out better than I'd predicted, with respective efforts from both men. 

Eve (c) bested Layla and Kaitlyn to retain the WWE Divas Title in a surprisingly okay Triple Threat contest. Compared to most women's bouts we witness in WWE this one was above standard, with some real effort by the competitors to make it feel a bit different. Kaitlyn also gave her best performance to date here (although she still needs work) and pleasantly surprised me with some of her work. Eve grabbed the win after an overhit swanton onto Layla and Kaitlyn. Eve was the top choice to win here as the most interesting female performer in the company right now.

CM Punk (c) defeated Ryback to retain the WWE Championship in a Hell in a Cell match. The bout itself was dramatic and enjoyable at parts, and I'd say successful and memorable on the whole. As expected Ryback used his strength for some nice moments, especially after the match (but we'll get to that soon) and Punk worked hard as usual as he attempted to thwart his dominant foe. For the surprise finish, which certainly got a healthy response from the fans, the referee low blowed Ryback as he attempted a Shell Shock on Punk and then made a very fast three count. 

As CM Punk and the referee attempted to make a quick getaway Ryback managed to recover and began taking out his frustration on the crooked official, which included a very nice military press slam from inside the ring into the outside cage. It looked awesome. The champ almost made it out but Ryback pounced on him too, which led to a chase up to the top of the cell structure. Once at the top Ryback applied a Shell Shock to Punk as rightful retribution. It was an exciting end to the event, and one I won't forget anytime soon. The end of the match also makes sense for their feud (give me a chance) people will still claim that Punk has to prove himself and Ryback will surely receive a rematch of some kind at next month's Survivor Series. 

Overall it was a decent pay-per-view, with most matches above average and providing worthy action, although unfortunately the crowd in attendance were apparently asleep for most of the night. The World Heavyweight Championship contest was pleasantly better than expected, with an exciting and well executed finishing sequence. The HIAC match was also enjoyable enough, with Punk's hard work and playing to Ryback's strengths. Still split on the finish but it at least makes sense for the Ryback/Punk feud to continue. Now on to Raw tomorrow, wooo... 

My WWE Hell in a Cell Predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

Randy Orton versus Alberto Del Rio:

My prediction for the opening match of the night, and one that should be pretty solid. I can't really see past Orton here, I reckon 'The Viper' has the win in the bag. Considering they're also both booked in a tag match on Main Event next week I can see an attack from Del Rio afterwards to extend their feud. Hopefully it doesn't go on too much longer though, I'm already tiring of Del Rio's same old lame promos on Orton every week.

Winner: Randy Orton

Triple Threat Divas Championship Match - Eve Torres (c) versus Layla versus Kaitlyn:

Not expecting anything that special here. Eve to grab a cheeky win over Kaitlyn somehow I'm guessing.

Winner: Eve

Intercontinental Championship Match - Kofi Kingston (c) versus The Miz:

I'd personally be disappointed to see Kofi's title reign end already, and I can't see that happening tonight. I'm expecting a good match here, hopefully it'll be up to the standard of their very entertaining title bout on Main Event. Kofi to retain cleanly.

Winner: Kofi Kingston

Tag Team Championship Match - Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) (c) versus Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes):

In one of the most well built up pay-per-view tag team matches in a long, long time in WWE I'm expecting good things. Both teams have been working well together and I hope stick around for a while to come. With the exceptional roll they're on I expect Team Hell No to retain, with Bryan grabbing the win to shut up his nay sayers. I'm the tag team champions!

Winners: Team Hell No

World Heavyweight Championship Match - Sheamus (c) versus The Big Show

As I said with the Divas contest, I'm not expecting much here to be honest. I have failed to be drawn into their feud at all, and although I don't normally like too many gimmick matches on a card, I feel this would have really benefitted from being another Hell in a Cell match to gain some much needed interest. While I've been quite split on who I think will win, I'm going with Sheamus to retain with a Brogue Kick after bringing the giant to his knees. I originally also thought that Dolph Ziggler would cash in here, but after clearly announcing it on more than one occasion I predict that he'll attempt to but somehow fail. Which would be a shame because the World Heavyweight Championship scene really needs a shake up at the moment. I think a WrestleMania cash in would be a nice move for 'The Show Off'.

Winner: Sheamus

WWE Championship Hell in a Cell Match - CM Punk (c) VS Ryback

And finally the main event of the evening. And what a lot of interest this bout has been building up, eh? More evidence that the Cena character has grown stale, since Extreme Rules when has one of his PPV matches built up intrigue like this? I've seen a lot of fans split on the possible result here, but personally I can only see CM Punk retaining his title. I actually think this will be an entertaining HIAC contest, remember they'll be very carefully planning it out considering Ryback's limitations (I'm not having a dig at him, it's true). I also believe we're going to see someone come to Punk's aid and help take out the always-hungry Ryback. And I wouldn't rule out Lesnar being that very man. How exciting would that be? Either way I'm looking forward to this.

Winner: CM Punk 

My WWE SmackDown, 12th October 2012 Recap

Booker T hosted a contest between Sheamus and Big Show to determine which was more powerful between the Brogue Kick and the WMD. Their respective finishers were counted on an arcade like machine, being measured in force per square inch. Sheamus stepped up first and got a score of 1322. Big Show was at first reluctant, thinking he'd be made a fool of, but after 'The Great White' once again made fun of his forty-five second World title reign of last year he punched the machine and scored 1809. As Sheamus was left to reflect the score, Tensai attacked him from behind, causing Booker to make a match between them.

Sheamus defeated Tensai in an passable, if a bit drab of a match up. There wasn't really anything that special about it to be honest, like most of Tensai's outings.

Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal all revealed that they'd teamed up to form a band, since their solo careers were "out of tune" (yes, they really used that line) and began performing air guitar in the ring. I was hoping these three were going to take a more serious route together and revive their status a bit, but I guess not.  

Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal beat Zack Ryder and Santino Marella in a pretty pedestrian tag bout. The only really engaging part for myself was when Ryder was on the offense, but that was about it. I've grown tired of Santino's comedy routine to be honest.

Kane won via disqualification versus Dolph Ziggler in a fair outing. The action was decent enough, and it was a worthy effort by both men but it just felt like it was lacking that little excitement. The DQ came after Ziggler struck Kane with his Money in the Bank briefcase. As Kane managed to turn things around and chase off Dolph, his tag partner Daniel Bryan ran out and claimed that he saved him.

The obnoxious Matt Stryker then asked what Bryan thought to claims that he was the weak link in Team Hell No, so Bryan responded by locking on the No Lock on the commentator. Kane soon stopped Bryan, only so he could then Choke Slam Stryker himself. It's always fun seeing the annoying Stryker taken out, and the crowd were once again loving a Team Hell No segment, same here.

Big Show bested Kofi Kingston in a brief and rather pedestrian contest. Kingston managed to have a little bit of offense going, but was no real threat to the giant who landed a WMD for the winning pin. Kofi seemed like a daft pick to loose here considering he's going into a Intercontinental title match next week, speaking of which The Miz himself (who'd provided guest commentary) rubbed in Kingston's loss in the ring and bragged that he will defend his title successfully on WWE Main Event. I'm hoping he does too, Kofi hasn't ever exactly set the World alight as US or IC champion in the past, he has the talent in the ring but is just missing that extra depth to his persona.  

Sin Cara defeated Damien Sandow in a bout that ranged from passable to average. No man really excelled to be honest, it was a run of the mill display from both.

Alberto Del Rio beat Daniel Bryan in an entertaining main event, with a good showing from both participants. As expected both men attempted various submissions, with Del Rio managing to logically weaken down Bryan's shoulder on the outside barricade, ring ropes and ringpost to eventually force him to tap to his signature arm breaker.

Afterwards Del Rio gave one of his mediocre promos where he bragged about taking out Orton two weeks ago and claimed that he didn't have the guts to turn up on the show, because if he did then he'd "give you a piece of your own medicine." Of course Randy Orton then turned up and gave a beating to Del Rio, who eventually managed to escape. But Ricardo Rodriguez was still there, so 'The Viper' decided to make do and RKO'd him through the commentator's table.    

Overall it was a pretty mediocre SmackDown for me, especially after a brilliant Raw, with mostly average matches and no major progression in any storylines that have me really interested for more. Considering Sheamus and Big Show are heading into a Hell in a Cell match together I expected more for their build up. Fortunately the main event managed to save a largely pedestrian show.