My WWE Raw, 9th July 2012 Recap

AJ stated things off by admitting that the thought of being the special guest referee at this Sunday's WWE Championship match at Money in the Bank was "overwhelming" and then welcomed out WWE Champion CM Punk. AJ claimed to Punk that she was mentally stable despite his accusations last week, and also went on to admit that the champ turns her on. She then got down on one knee and proposed to Punk, which provoked quite a reaction from the fans.

This cued Daniel Bryan to come racing down to the ring and warning AJ that this was a huge mistake as CM Punk doesn't care about her, but he still did, and got down on one knee and also proposed. Punk called Bryan's bluff and exposed him for a fraud and a liar in regards to really caring about AJ. Then came a familiar tone, the one of the Anonymous Raw General Manager making their return via laptop to Michael Cole once again after a pleasant absence. The GM booked a mixed tag match pitting Bryan and Eve versus AJ and CM Punk, much to Bryan's dismay. AJ simply said before leaving that she predicts that she will be leaving the arena that night with her future husband. It was a fairly decent segment to start the show once AJ's proposal came out.

Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger in a brief squash match. Alberto Del Rio then congratulated 'The Great White' via the big screen and also warned him that he will defeat him on Sunday for the World Heavyweight Championship. I still see Sheamus grabbing the win at MITB.

Lord Tensai and Dolph Ziggler defeated Tyson Kidd and Christian in a fair tag match. It was solid enough but deserved to have been allocated some more time for me considering the talent involved. Afterwards Vickie Guerrero looked impressed at the actions of Tensai as he further attacked Tyson Kidd after the bell had rung. Possible new client for her in the future?

Cole refused to read an announcement from the Anonymous GM after he'd accidentally spilt a drink on Jerry Lawler. So Lawler stepped up and revealed that the GM had booked himself versus Cole in a WrestleMania rematch. After a dispute from Cole, the GM announced that there'd be a poll online to determine if the match would happen or not. Like it wasn't bad enough we had to endure this awful in ring feud years ago for far too long, we have to witness it again and take time away from the real talent? 

Brodus Clay defeated Drew McIntyre in a worthless squash match.

John Cena came to the ring and actually did a good job in promoting the Money in the Bank pay-per-view by drumming in how important the "must see event" was with two MITB contracts up for grabs that have always rewarded the holder with a World title. He didn't tell any childish jokes or kiss up to the fans, he just gave a decent promo like we all know he's capable of.

John Cena and Kane versus Big Show and Chris Jericho ended in a no contest. The bout itself was average for the most part, with the periods between Jericho and Kane salvaging it a bit, but Big Show and Cena's interactions just being quite poor. The bell was oddly rung after Show had pulled Cena out of the ring as he went to pin Jericho. Big Show then attacked Jericho and Kane with a ladder, but Cena managed to make a comeback and charge Show out of the ring with a ladder of his own. I'm hoping there will be more participants added to the WWE Championship MITB on Sunday such as the rumoured Rey Mysterio and Miz, I think the bout is going to need it.

Sin Cara defeated Heath Slater to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship MITB match. It was a passable contest, if not very memorable. Afterwards Slater complained about how unfair it was that he wasn't in the MITB match and challenged any former champion from the back. So Bob Backlund joined Slater and managed to lock in his signature Cross-Face Chicken Wing and force him to tap.

Jerry Lawler defeated Michael Cole in a predictable waste of time after the fans (for some reason) voted in favour of the contest happening on WWE.com. The only positive is that we at least didn't have Lawler on commentary for a while. The Anonymous GM then revealed that he was reversing the decision after Booker T had thrown Cole back into the ring during the bout.

Santino Marella, who'd been investigating the mystery of who the Anonymous Raw GM was all night, then joined them and concluded that they must be hiding under the ring. And sure enough Hornswaggle emerged from the ring and was revealed to have his own laptop with the 'Raw GM' sticker on. He then attacked Lawler, Santino and Cole before running off. The whole segment felt like a waste of time.  

AJ and CM Punk defeated Eve and Daniel Bryan in a mediocre main event. Unfortunately while the interest in AJ has risen, her in ring skills are still catching up. AJ grabbed the win with a roll up pin after Daniel Bryan refused to tag with Eve to prove how much he cared for AJ. Afterwards Bryan asked AJ to leave with him and get married that night, while CM Punk admitted to AJ that he wasn't going to marry her. In response AJ slapped both men and smiled as she left. Well, I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how things play out on Sunday! 

My WWE SmackDown, 29th June 2012 Recap

Layla defeated AJ in a fair match up. I wasn't expecting much here but AJ looked very competent in the ring. She's certainly come a long way this year, not just with her unpredictable character but in between the ropes too. During the bout AJ's ex Daniel Bryan amusingly raced around the ring screaming "Yes!" much like AJ has done during his matches as of late, causing her to be distracted and pinned by Layla. After the loss AJ began viciously attacking the Divas Champion.

Daniel Bryan explained to AJ that it was a bit of payback for her distracting him, and also called out guest GM Vickie Guerrero. After shouting "Yes!" at each other throughout the commercial break, Vickie eventually joined them both in the ring. After much kissing up to the GM, Bryan asked her to have AJ banned from his title match with CM Punk at Money in the Bank. Unfortunately for Bryan, Vickie revealed a poll from WWE.com asking what role AJ should play in the said WWE title match, and the fans voted for AJ to be the special guest referee. It was a good start to the show, with AJ and Bryan's characters on top form at the moment.

Damien Sandow defeated Zach Ryder in a Money in the Bank qualifying match. It was a good effort by both men, and a solid overall match. This is a very big step forward for Sandow too, let's hope the momentum keeps on going.

Tyson Kidd defeated Jack Swagger to qualify for the Money in the Bank match. It was an enjoyable enough contest between the two, with Kidd on his usual good form in the ring. Glad to finally see the talented Tyson Kidd also get rewarded with a PPV spot for his hard and consistent work.

Christian and Santino Marella defeated Cody Rhodes and David Otunga to qualify for the Money in the Bank match. It was a passable bout, the best part being the time between the two best performers in the match Christian and Cody.

Ryback defeated two rookies in a Handicap match. What else is there to say here that hasn't already?

Lord Tensai defeated Justin Gabriel to qualify for the Money in the Bank match. Not a shocking result. The bout itself was decent enough, not particularly outstanding but both men put on a solid display. During the match we were also informed that Cody Rhodes will be putting in a formal protest since it was his tag partner Otunga who was pinned not him, I can see Rhodes getting into the MITB match and winning it.

Sheamus (c) defeated Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in an enthralling Triple Threat match. The action rarely let up as all three wrestlers gave a great effort throughout, for me it was a PPV quality match up. I'm not sure who the next challenger for 'The Great White' (and I emphasise the 'Great' there, he has been on terrific form this year) is but I wouldn't object to a rematch of that Triple Threat at MITB. 

My WWE Raw, 4th June 2012 Recap

Michael Cole accused John Cena of being the one responsible for Big Show's attacks as of late due to him not standing up and trying to get his job back when he was fired. Cole went on to call Cena egocentric and too self centred to care about anyone else, which is all true when it comes to the Cena character. Cena defended himself by stating that Big Show turned his back on him and the fans, not the other way round.

Cole then claimed that Cena was possibly jealous of Big Show (yes, really) and called him "overrated," going on to say that he hoped Show would put an end to his and the audiences misery of having to sit through Cena's matches and take him out. This got a bit of a cheer from a section of the crowd. John Laurinaitis then came out on his hilarious scooter and informed Cena that he had the chance to pick his opponent for the night, so he picked Michael Cole. It was an all right start to the show.

Sheamus defeated Dolph Ziggler in a very enjoyable bout. From start to finish the action rarely let up and both men put in a solid performance. For the most part these two have been really consistent in the ring over the last few months. Afterwards Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez attacked the World Champion from behind, applying an armbar as Sheamus was draped over the stage.      

Sin Cara defeated Hunico in a passable match up. There were a few hiccups here and there for Sin Cara (shocker, right?) but he looked okay. Hunico did a decent job here, I wouldn't mind seeing more from him.

Ryback defeated nobodies Stansky and Rosenburg in one of his routine squash matches.

Before CM Punk versus Kane, Daniel Bryan came out and claimed that AJ had gone insane since he dumped her and bragged that he will win the WWE Championship at No Way Out.

Kane defeated CM Punk in an entertaining contest. Punk had the majority of the offense, which was a smart move since this meant we had much more entertaining attacks happening in and outside the ring. Unlike their match on last weeks SmackDown (which was good don't get me wrong) there was never a dull moment for me here. For the finish Punk attacked Daniel Bryan with a dive to the outside of the ring while he was arguing with AJ who'd apparently come to support Punk, Kane then Choke Slammed the WWE Champion for the win.

Afterwards AJ shared an affectionate look with Kane before checking on CM Punk's condition. When quizzed about it by Josh Matthews after, a slightly deranged AJ just informed him that she enjoys the attention from men. This was probably one of the best promos I've ever seen from AJ, she pulled it off well I thought.         

We were then presented with a VT mixing an interview with Big Show talking about finally letting go and just going into business for himself with clips of his latest attacks and past acts of being goofy. It was almost all material we've heard already, but well put together.

Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeated Curt Hawkings and Tyler Reks in a fun tag team match. Kofi delivered most of the goods after he made the tag in and gave us a standard fast paced and enjoyable performance. Although this didn't look particularly good for Hawkings and Reks loosing to a slightly injured team (who both had strapping still on which was a nice touch) at least they're getting time on Raw which is definitely a step in the right direction.

Before the main event between Michael Cole and John Cena, Laurinaitis announced that it would become a No Disqualification match if Cena could defeat Lord Tensai, much to Cole's obvious delight.

John Cena defeated Lord Tensai in a match that ranged from mediocre to fair. Tensai put in a good effort here with moves that were crisp and believable, unlike his opponent. Unfortunately the ending was weak as it was the usual Cena comeback routine I was hoping he'd left behind. After Cena chased after a fleeing Cole and brought him back to the ring for their match.

Cole at first begged for forgiveness from Cena, then started to berate him and asked how embarrassing it'll be when he beats him. Cena then just played with the announcer for a while, forcing him to apologise to Jerry Lawler and JR and pouring barbecue sauce all over him. Tensai then attacked Cena briefly for a tease of Cole defeating him, but of course Cena came back and AA'd Cole for the one-two-three. 

My WWE Raw, May 23rd 2012 Recap

A stern faced John Cena came out and asked "What the hell?!" after Big Show aided Laurinaitis in defeated him last night at Over The Limit. He went on to further mock Big Johnny and state his complete bemusement at Show helping him him win. The GM then made his way out on a small motorised vehicle usual used for OAP's and complained about all his supposed injuries from last night, he also added that if anyone touches him then they will be terminated. Laurinaitis also introduced Big Show, Cena's future opponent at No Way Out. Wow, that should be a great match (yes that was sarcasm). 

Show stated that no one was entitled to a explanation for his actions last night. He also reminded us all of his begging for his job on last weeks Raw before he was fired and claimed that he received no sympathy from the fans, even though he had, and added that he's going to knock out Cena in their match. The overall opening to the show was all quite predictable really, no shocks or believable explanations.

John Cena defeated David Otunga in a predictably mediocre bout. Afterwards Curt Hawkings, Tyler Reks, Darren Young and Titus O'Neil attacked Cena until Sheamus barged Laurinaitis and came to his aid. The GM then booked both Cena and the World Heavyweight Champion in a Three On Two Lumberjack Handicap match. 

In a random, but quite amusing segment, Santino Marella and Ricardo Rodriguez contested in the ring over who was a better announcer. Marella in the end applied the Cobra to Rodriguez and announced Alberto Del Rio.

Randy Orton won via disqualification versus Alberto Del Rio in a bit of a drab contest that never quite got going. The DQ came after Chris Jericho Codebreakered Orton. An irate Jericho then said how he was the "best in the World" and applied a further two Codebreakers to Orton.

Daniel Bryan proclaimed that he should be the new WWE Champion after making CM Punk tap at Over The Limit, even though it was clearly after the three count. CM Punk joined Bryan and confirmed that he clearly pinned him. He also introduced Bryan's opponent for the evening, Kane, after showing footage from last week's SmackDown where Bryan had smacked 'The Big Red Monster' in the back with a chair.

Daniel Bryan won via DQ after Kane decided to exact some revenge and cracked him over the back with a steel chair. CM Punk, who'd been on commentary, attempted to hit Kane with the chair but was thwarted by Bryan, who was then spotted by his opponent with chair in hand. Afterwards Kane decided to also apply a couple of Choke Slams to Bryan for good measure. The WWE Champion entered the ring to check on Bryan, and to also apply the Anaconda Vice. I look forward to their rematch, although it looks like Kane may be entered in to make it a Triple Threat I'm guessing.

Christian defeated Jinder Mahal in a fair effort by both men. This was probably one of the better performances I've seen from Mahal, but then Christian does normally have that effect on opponents. It's great to have him back. 

Beth Phoenix defeated Kelly Kelly in an average and forgettable match up. Not really any more to add to be honest.

John Cena and Sheamus versus Lord Tensai, Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger ended in a no contest after the lumberjacks at ringside erupted into the ring to help take out Cena and Sheamus. The actual match had been better then I'd expected and the crowd were thoroughly into it, creating a huge pop when 'The Great White' made a hot tag to Cena towards the end. The action was solid enough, and although it wasn't a classic by any means it was still an entertaining and eventful main event. 

Shortly after the face side of the locker room made their way out to help Cena and Sheamus. Cena then went out back in search of Big Show, but was instead greeted with another knockout punch from him. 

My WWE Raw, May 7th 2012 Recap

John Laurinaitis explained that his attack on Cena last week was due to him questioning his authority as GM, and when he gets mad then he goes into a "fit of destruction that no one, no one can withstand," thanks for the warning. He also warned Cena that at Over The Limit he will witness first hand his 'skills' in the ring. Big Johnny also lubriciously stated that he became the biggest star in Japanese wrestling history and presented a showreel of photos of his time there. It was actually a pretty decent promo from Laurinaitis I thought, he looked more confident than usual.

WWE Champion CM Punk then joined the GM and stated that the fans, who Laurinaitis claims to understand with his 'People Power' movement, don't want to see Johnny every week. Punk also went on to claim that the real reason Cena was attacked last week was because Laurinaitis put all his chips on Lesnar, only for Cena to then beat him at Extreme Rules. So he took out his frustration on him the next night. The champ also added that the only reason Big Johnny went to Japan was because no territory in the US had any interest in booking him. After berating the GM some more, Punk was then booked in a match with Lord Tensai that night.

Backstage Eve overheard Big Show making fun of Laurinaitis' voice after he'd bumped into the back of him.

Big Show won via count out versus Cody Rhodes (c) in an Intercontinental Championship match. It didn't last very long before Rhodes decided he'd had enough. Afterwards Eve came out and demanded Show apologise for making fun of Laurinaitis, so he did. 

Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston in a fair if short contest. Looks like we'll see Swagger and Ziggler getting involved with the Tag Team Champions then, still believe Ziggler should be much higher up the ladder right now.

During Michael Cole's interview with John Cena he stated that although he is medically cleared he still needs the fluid in his arm drained twice a day. Cena also said that despite the doctor's warnings he will compete against Laurinaitis at Over The Limit, he also added that the WWE Board Of Directors had contacted him but he asked them to hold off any reprimanding for the GM until after their match up. Cole finally queried Cena to if he was scared of facing Johnny or not, Cena just smiled and denied this.     

Layla and Kelly Kelly defeated Maxine and Natalya in a short and forgettable tag bout. Beth Phoenix was on commentary where she confirmed that she'll be facing Layla for the Divas title at Over The Limit. Good to hear Beth's injury wasn't too bad.

Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio defeated Sheamus and Randy Orton in a tag team match that ranged from average to decent. There were also a few sloppy moments here and there, considering the calibre in the bout I was expecting more to be honest. For the finish Sheamus accidentally Brogue Kicked his partner Orton, allowing Jericho to apply a Codebreaker on the World Champion for the one-two-three.

After the match Orton RKO'd Sheamus in retaliation. Then in Laurinaitis' office all four began to fight until they were separated and Laurinaitis informed Sheamus that it will be a Fatal Four Way for his title at Over The Limit.  

Before his match with Brodus Clay, The Miz ridiculed the 'Funkasaurus' and stated that it's ridiculous he has to face this calibre of competition now. I do agree that it's absurd that Miz isn't doing more then this right now, but like many talents in the company he's being underutilised severely.

Brodus Clay defeated The Miz in an average bout. Despite the solid effort of Miz the match just wasn't anything special, not bad, just nothing memorable.  

Brock Lesnar's music hit as Cole and Lawler were discussing Triple H's condition, but instead Paul Heyman came out as Lesnar's representative. He claimed that since day one the WWE audiences have under appreciated Brock and his abilities. He went on to say that the 'War Machine' felt betrayed that his contract with Laurinaitis was made void.   Heyman finally read a letter from Lesnar himself where he stated that he has quit the WWE. It was a predictably solid promo from Heyman, who was always superb on the mic. 

Before Punk's match with Lord Tensai, Laurinaitis informed him that it he was now in a Handicap match against Tensai and Daniel Bryan.

Lord Tensai and Daniel Bryan defeated CM Punk in a solid enough main event. Punk worked well here and sold Tensai's offense nicely and also made a believable comeback against Bryan later on. Afterwards Bryan applied the Yes Lock to Punk, screaming "Yes!" as he did so, adding to his brilliant heel persona. 

My WWE Raw, April 30th 2012 Recap

John Laurinaitis claimed that Brock Lesnar in one night turned the WWE on its head by proving that John Cena is still a "mere mortal," even though he lost. He then introduced Brock Lesnar who bragged about his treatment of Cena at Extreme Rules, but was soon interrupted by COO Triple H. 'The Game' stated that the new contract with many privileges that Lesnar signed last week was void and tore it up, saying that Laurinaitis never had the authority to offer a new contract in the first place. 

Triple H went on to say that he wanted Lesnar in the company still, that he relished the possible future competition he could have, but it would be under his original deal that he signed. Laurinaitis interrupted a few times, whining that it wasn't fair to put Brock in this position, so eventually an annoyed Triple H told him to "shut up." Lesnar then leaped on the COO, beating him down and then damaging his arm in a submission hold until various wrestlers from the back came out to chase him off. It was certainly a strong start to the show.

Eve announced that the new number one contender to the WWE Championship will be determined by a Beat The Clock Challenge series of matches. 

The Miz defeated Santino Marella in 4:18. It was a fair enough bout, albeit pretty forgettable really. At least Miz gained the win here.

Layla (c) defeated Nikki and Brie Bella in a Triple Threat to retain the WWE Divas Championship. The contest didn't last long as Layla dropkicked the arguing Bellas, causing one to tumble outside the ring and applying a roll up pin to the other for the one-two-three. Like at Extreme Rules Layla didn't really receive a huge reaction from the fans here.  

Chris Jericho won via count out versus Big Show in just over 4:18. The match had actually been better than I was expecting and was quite entertaining for the most part. Jericho put in a good effort here.

Brodus Clay defeated JTG in one of his usual squash matches, I'm sure like most I've been growing tired of this act for a while now.

Randy Orton defeated Jack Swagger in 4:16 to gain the lead in the Beat The Clock Challenge. It was a solid, if brief contest between the two.

Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeated Primo and Epico (c) to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fun bout that picked up a bit once Kofi entered the fray. The title change was met with an enthusiastic reaction from the fans, probably in the hope that Kofi and Truth can bring a bit more interest to the tag team division.

Kane versus The Great Khali ended in a draw after the time had ran out. It was a predictably slow and drab affair, afterwards Kane choke slammed Khali.

Daniel Bryan defeated Jerry Lawler in an average match up to win the Beat The Clock Challenge. I cannot wait to see Bryan take on CM Punk at Over The Limit for the title, should be a superb match. The WWE Champion came out after to congratulate the victor on the stage.

John Cena came out and confirmed that he hadn't injured himself in the match with Lesnar, but was still wearing a sling and was feeling pretty sore. John Laurinaitis then joined him and claimed that bringing in Lesnar was his attempt at motivating Cena, sure Johnny, sure. Cena gave a solid promo where he berated Laurinaitis and his management of the show and treatment of himself. Lord Tensai then made his way out, as Cena went to defend himself Laurinaitis cracked him over the head from behind with a mic and  announced himself as Cena's opponent for Over The Limit. 

Johnny, along with Tensai and his associate began to attack Cena's already damaged arm, dragging him out of the ring and using a steel chair to strike it. Well I wasn't expecting that, so WWE managed to surprise me I guess. Not too sure where they're heading with this Laurinaitis Cena feud though.

My WWE Raw, April 16th 2012 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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