My WWE Money in the Bank 2013 Recap

All six men go tumbling off of the ladders, crazy! Photo credit: WWE.com

The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) (c) defeated Jimmy and Jey Uso to retain the WWE Tag Team Title in a solid pre-show bout. Surpassing my prediction of a decent tag match, this was a really fun watch with innovative action (which I would like to see more of from the WWE tag division) and a fast pace to keep you engaged. All four men deserve credit.

Damien Sandow bested Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Fandango, Dean Ambrose, Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger in the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match. In this exciting and highly entertaining opener every man gave us a memorable moment, whether it was Ambrose flipping from under a ladder to on top of it and then being chucked out of the ring by Cesaro and Swagger who were holding it, to Cody muscle busting Cesaro onto a ladder in the corner. I was expecting good things here but it definitely exceeded my expectations.

For the finish Ambrose was thrown from the top of the ladder onto everyone outside the ring by Rhodes (including his Shield teammates who had run down to help him but were soon attacked by the Usos and most of the other participants) but unfortunately for Cody as he climbed the ladder he was thrown off by his tag partner and 'best friend' Sandow, who had been hiding on the outside of the ring awaiting his chance to pounce and indeed did here as he managed to unhook the briefcase.

It was a surprising win which I did envisage happening in this MITB match, and a very nice set up into a Rhodes and Sandow feud. Cody had been a force towards the end of the match and had the fans behind him, acting every bit the face. I still don't think Sandow is quite ready to be World Champion but hopefully by the time he cashes in he will have improved in the ring.

The brand new Raw GM Brad Maddox came to the ring and first thanked Vince McMahon for appointing him as the General Manager and then Vickie Guerrero (who was up with the rest of the MITB panel in a box) for everything she'd done during her time in the WWE and presented a highlight package of her time there, which mainly included her falling over, screaming and generally embarrassing herself. It was a bit of a strange segment, but fortunately Maddoxs' charisma managed to save it.

Curtis Axel (c) pinned The Miz to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a largely stellar encounter. Both men were on good form here as they went back and fourth, providing well executed sequences and effective near falls and submission attempts, namely a Figure Four Leg Lock that was turned over a couple of times towards the end. Miz also managed to get Paul Heyman evicted from ringside early in the bout after falsely accusing him of striking him outside the ring to the referee. The fans in Philly were not amused by that.

AJ Lee (c) forced Kaitlyn to submit to retain the Divas Championship in a passable contest. Much like their title clash last month this was decent at parts but it was still lacking a bit for me. My favourite part was actually the nice selling of a shoulder injury from Kaitlyn, which was logically used  when she failed to reach the champ for a pin attempt after hitting a spear and in order for her to have to tap out once AJ latched on her Black Widow submission hold.

Ryback beat Chris Jericho in a decent enough affair. Both men gave fine displays, and while it will admittedly never go down as one of either's greatest matches it was enjoyable enough. Ryback caught Jericho after a Lionsault attempt with a quick roll up for the one-two-three.  

Alberto Del Rio (c) won via disqualification versus Dolph Ziggler, thereby retaining the World Heavyweight Championship. What a tremendous title match this was, and for me the finest bout these two have ever had. Both men were on top form as they went back and fourth, with smooth wrestling and edge of your seat action as the near falls kept on coming.

The DQ occurred when Ziggler's partner AJ came down to the ring and ignored his cries to go to the back and ended up racing into the ring and cracking Del Rio with her title belt as he was preparing for a Zig Zag. An understandably frustrated Dolph had to leave her after a heated argument.

John Cena (c) defeated Mark Henry to retain the WWE Championship in a match that took a while to get interesting but finished nicely. Henry dominated for the most part, with the majority of fans firmly behind him as he manhandled the champ. Of course Cena made his comeback as any good title holder does and he managed to finally catch Henry in an STF for the submission victory. While the match had satisfying parts, I can't say a rematch would have me all that excited unless it was under the right stipulations.

Randy Orton bested Rob Van Dam, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Christian and CM Punk to obtain the WWE Championship Money in the Bank contract in an enthralling main event Ladder Match. This one had my firm attention from start to finish, with sterling performances from all involved. As with any previous MITB Ladder Match there were more than your fair share of impressive spots, although not as mental as the one earlier in the night.

We also had another betrayal much like the earlier MITB contest when Paul Heyman smashed a ladder into Punk's back multiple times as he was clear to grab the briefcase. This happened after Axel had run down and taken out Bryan as he was close to winning, but an unhappy Punk GTS'd the IC Champion for interfering, with Heyman also acting angry at his client. Many fans (and myself) were hoping that this was going to instigate an appearance from Lesnar, but that wasn't to be. This left things open for Orton to unhook the case and walk away with a guaranteed WWE Title match at any time he pleases. Hopefully this could be the start of the long rumoured heel turn for 'The Viper', we shall see.

Overall it was a solid and very fun event, with some memorable match ups and nice developments to take away from it. Heyman and Sandows' betrayals make things interesting going forward into SummerSlam next month, and a face turn for Rhodes can only be a good thing for him at this point really. Looking at the actual matches on the card I can't say there were any bad ones at all, and we had three high quality bouts in the two MITB Ladder Matches and the World Heavyweight Title contest, so I'd definitely put this PPV down as a big success and one of the best of the year so far. Just a shame there was no Bray Wyatt, but we only have to wait until tonight... 

My WWE Money in the Bank 2013 predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

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

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

Winner: John Cena

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

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

Winner: Daniel Bryan

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

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

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

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

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

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Chris Jericho versus Ryback:

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

Winner: Ryback 

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

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

Winner: Curtis Axel

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

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

Winner: AJ Lee

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

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

Winners: The Shield

My WWE SmackDown, 12th July 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE Raw, 8th July 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE SmackDown, 5th July 2013 Recap

CM Punk kicked things off by explaining what the fourth of July meant to him personally, that being independence which was something he strongly lived by. He also added that his current two goals were to get his hands on Brock Lesnar after he F5'd him a few weeks back and to win the WWE Championship contract at Money in the Bank next week. World Champion Alberto Del Rio then joined him and claimed that Americans squandered their freedom by scanning the internet and sitting around watching TV.

After a few more heated words were exchanged (including Punk pointing out how daft it was that Del Rio was no suddenly berating Americans, although to be fair Del Rio explained that it was due to them turning on him in his bout against Ziggler on Raw a while back) Teddy Long predictably booked them in the main event against each other. Backstage Paul Heyman tried to convince Punk to get out of the match with MITB only next week, but he refused.

The Usos defeated Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) in a fair tag bout with a nice finish where the Usos double body splashed Sandow from the top rope. The match was kept short but the action was decent enough, nothing outstanding. Afterwards The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) appeared on the big screen and warned the Usos that at Money in the Bank they'll need more than luck and momentum to take the tag titles from them. Ambrose also added that he's going to obtain the World Title MITB at the event too.

Alicia Fox pinned Kaitlyn in an average outing. During the contest AJ Lee skipped around the ring and distracted Kaitlyn, allowing Fox to catch her in a quick roll up for the one-two-three. Lee then hurried out of the arena, convincing Big E Langston to escort her away and abandon her boyfriend Ziggler.  

Randy Orton bested Christian in a stellar back and fourth affair. The high standard of the bout was hardly a surprise considering how solid their feud was back in 2011, which was massively underrated in my opinion. I couldn't ever get tired of watching these two lock horns.

Before his following match up Dolph Ziggler spoke about the great feeling he had when he cashed in and obtained the World Title, and the gutting feeling when he lost it after suffering a concussion and Del Rio targeted his head. But he finally claimed that he will win back the strap next Sunday in his rematch. It was a fair promo, nothing tremendous.

Dolph Ziggler pinned Drew McIntyre in a passable encounter. Both men looked fine, but I just struggled to really find the interest, it felt like it was lacking something. Afterwards the 'Show Off' taunted 3MB (who attempted to beat hin down after he'd picked up the winning pin with a Zig Zag) by racing into the ring and out again, swerving the trio's attempts at catching him.

Fandango beat Justin Gabriel in a forgettable and brief contest. I can't say either wrestler looked bad, but they failed to leave a lasting impression here, maybe it was due more to their time allocated, but saying that it's hard to think of a time Fandango has ever actually really impressed in-between the ropes.

CM Punk versus Alberto Del Rio ended in a no contest after both men were counted out. The count out occurred after Del Rio punched Heyman at ringside (who'd provided guest commentary) so a furious Punk began pounding on his opponent and eventually GTS'd him in the ring after the bell had rung. The match itself had been a very enjoyable one, with solid displays from both men.  

Overall it was an average show for the most part with a lot of run of the mill match ups that failed to grab my attention, with the exception of Christian versus Orton and Punk versus Del Rio which managed to salvage the show and make it worth watching. 

My WWE Raw, 1st July 2013 recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE SmackDown, 28th June 2013 recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE Raw, 24th June 2013 Recap

Priceless faces. Photo credit: WWE.com

Daniel Bryan started things off by talking about having to deal with his treatment as a smaller man (being asked if he was in The Hobbit, being accused of having little man syndrome, etc) and people not believing in his ability because of his image since he debuted in WWE, but he was still confident in what he could do and wanted to defeat Orton definitively and not by count out (which happened on last week's SmackDown). 

Randy Orton then joined him and told him to shut up and the two began their match. Unfortunately their bout was short lived and soon ended in a double disqualification after Bryan collided with the referee and the two continued to brawl on the outside of the ring. The match was exciting and heated while it lasted. A furious Bryan stormed into Vickie Guerrero's office and demanded a rematch with Orton, or else he'd face her assistant Brad Maddox. So she agreed to the match up.

Sheamus and Christian defeated Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) in an enjoyable tag bout. While not as technically impressive as the tag outings involving The Shield recently, this was still a fun watch with fine displays from every man. 

Kaitlyn pinned Aksana in a forgettable contest with average action. During the bout AJ Lee came out dressed up as Kaitlyn and along with Big E Langston mocked the former Divas champion when she was duped by believing that Big E was her secret admirer. It was a very lame skit that lacked any entertainment for me. I've quite liked their feud so far but this was just poor all round.

Chris Jericho won via DQ versus Alberto Del Rio in a solid and engaging back and fourth encounter. The wrestling was stellar for the majority (there were a few slightly off moments, but that's probably just me being picky) and I wouldn't mind another rematch, which is always a good sign.

The DQ came after Ricardo Rodriguez attacked Y2J with his trademark bucket as he'd latched the World Champion into the Walls of Jericho. Dolph Ziggler then once again raced out and began attacking Del Rio until he managed to get away, he also Zig Zagged Jericho after a face off between the two (Ziggler cost him a match against Del Rio on last week's SmackDown so Jericho Codebreakered him).

After Vickie and Brad Maddox introduced their attempts the new WWE 2K14 cover, Jerry Lawler finally presented the real one with The Rock on the cover. A wrestler we're going to barely see over the year is on the cover, I'd have even taken Cena over Rocky to be honest, he'd be more deserving.

Ryback beat The Great Khali in a mediocre affair. It was slow, drab, and had nothing eventful about it bar Ryback's Shell Shock on Khali for the one-two-three, but that wasn't enough to salvage it.

WWE Champion John Cena spoke about how the chase of the WWE Title can drive men to all sorts, including Henry's fake retirement speech last week. He then expressed how infuriated it made him and how he'd made a mockery of men that had given genuine retirement speeches such as HBK, Edge, and Ric Flair (although his wasn't genuine either). But he warned Henry that at Money in the Bank he still had to go through him to win the strap and he wouldn't go down easily. it was better than most of Cena's promos, since he was serious and didn't have to include any childish jokes.

The Usos bested Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai) and 3MB (Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in passable three-way tag contest to earn number one contendership for the WWE Tag Team Title. The wrestling was fairly drab for the most part, but it wasn't a terrible match. Afterwards The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) appeared in the crowd and stared down their future opponents.

Paul Heyman came out and asked CM Punk to join him so they could publicly discuss Brock Lesnar's attack on him last week, so Punk did just that. After retelling their history in the company together dating back to 2005 when their relationship began in OVW, Punk asked Heyman to be honest with him despite his reputation and asked him if he had anything to do with Lesnar's actions last Monday night.

Heyman swore on his children's life that he had nothing to do with it and that he loved Punk as a friend and believed that one day he would walk him down to the ring once again. Punk apologised for doubting him and they hugged. It was terrific mic work from both men, plus material (or in this case most likely truth) taken from real events always heighten the interest and drama.

CM Punk pinned Darren Young in a fair match up. While the action was okay, it wasn't the most memorable or engaging outing. Afterwards Young's tag partner Titus O'Neil joined him to begin clobbering Punk, that was until Heyman's latest client Curtis Axel ran down to help chase them off. A confused Punk was told by Heyman that he had no choice but to send Axel out.

Stephanie McMahon announced that CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, Kane, Sheamus, Christian and the returning Rob Van Dam will be participating in the WWE Championship Money in the Bank match. That's a very impressive lineup, I'm leaning towards Bryan or RVD to take it at the moment.

Backstage Ryback and Chris Jericho staked their claims for participating in the WWE Title match and WWE Title MITB match respectively, so after arguing with each other Vickie decided to settle things by booking them in a match at Money in the Bank next month. 

Mark Henry boasted about fooling all the fans last week when he claimed that he was retiring, adding that since then he's been offered various roles from famous directors. He stated that he wouldn't apologise to anyone because he'd spent most of his life being told what to do and was sick of it. Henry then turned his attention to Money in the Bank where he promised that he'd be coming home with the WWE strap after beating Cena.

Daniel Byan forced Randy Orton to submit in an engaging Street Fight main event. The action was stellar throughout, and above average for a televised main event. A submission win like this for Bryan against Orton is a big victory too, and a sign that WWE are paying attention to his contributions and reactions from the fans he's been receiving over the last few months. Afterwards both men shook hands, although 'The Viper' had a stern look on his face as he walked down the ramp.

Overall it was a decent enough Raw, a step down from last week's great offering but it had it's entertaining moments. Unfortunately more than a few average promos and match ups let it down. My highlights were Heyman and Punk's segment, Jericho versus Del Rio and both outings between Orton and Bryan. 

My WWE Money in the Bank 2012 Recap

Dolph Ziggler won the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank match, beating Christian, Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, Lord Tensai, Tyson Kidd, Santino Marella and Sin Cara. It was an exciting and fast paced contest for the most part, with an unfortunate amount of sloppy moments that spoilt it a little bit from the likes of Tensai and Sin Cara. Otherwise it was a good opener, with solid efforts from most of the men involved. Hopefully this also won't be the last we'll see of Sandow and Kidd on PPV, they both did well considering it was their first match of this kind.

The result also pleased the fans in attendance, at last Ziggler won what he'd worked so hard this year to achieve. I have to also give the victor credit for taking possibly the most insane bumps during the match, he really didn't hold back.

The Miz came out to a positive reception, sporting a new hairstyle and stylish suit. He announced that he would be the fifth man in the WWE Championship Money in the Bank match later on. As I said before I was really hoping the likes of the Miz or Mysterio would be added to the match, it just needed someone else to freshen it up a bit in my opinion. His announcement went down well and the crowd, and I was just relieved to see him back. Hopefully this is the start of a deserved revival of his career.   

Sheamus (c) defeated Alberto Del Rio to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. It was a solid bout, with both wrestlers putting on a good display as they went back and fourth throughout. As usual Del Rio logically targeted the arm of 'The Great White' in an effort to weaken him down and force him to tap with his signature arm breaker (although strangely we didn't see him actually apply the submission), which is something I always appreciate in his match ups. I thought this would be a decent contest with these two and I'm glad it lived up to it.

Afterwards Ziggler came down and was about to cash in his MITB contract until Sheamus Brogue Kicked him before the bell even rang. Nice little tease there.

Primo and Epico defeated Titus O'Neil and Darren Young. It was a fair tag team match up, mainly thanks to the work of the talented Primo and Epico which helped keep it interesting. The bout quickly lost the crowds interest, but managed to get it back a bit when Abraham Washington amusingly began taunting Rosa Mendes at ringside. It's not a good sign when the manager is getting more of a reaction than the action inside the ring, not to take away from AW's good work lately.

CM Punk (c) defeated Daniel Bryan to retain the WWE Championship. And what a terrific title match this was. From start to finish both proud wrestlers put on superb performances as they went toe to toe in this physical encounter. From kendo stick shots to chair attacks these two really didn't let up here and provided a dramatic and engrossing bout, not to take anything away from special guest referee AJ either.

She did a good job as the unpredictable Diva forced the two to scramble over weapons and smiled in the face of both wrestlers as they went through plenty of pain. The finish was nice too, as Punk backdropped Bryan through a table he'd set up for the one-two-three. I honestly can't think of any major criticisms for this contest, they told a great story in the ring and kept you glued throughout. Great work.

Ryback defeated Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkings in an average Handicap match. At least Ryback was made to look a bit more vulnerable and human here. 

Layla, Kaitlyn and Tamina defeated Beth Phoenix, Natalya and Eve in a passable Divas tag bout. For the most part it was fair, although there were the periods of mediocrity as expected with Divas matches. 

John Cena won the WWE Championship Money in the Bank match, beating Chris Jericho, Kane, Big Show and The Miz. It was a largely stellar bout, exceeding the World Heavyweight MITB match from earlier. The contest was well timed and the sequences well executed, it just came across as a lot more professional than the other MITB. Jericho for me was the stand out performer, providing the most entertaining moments, including a moment with him swinging on the actual briefcase itself in mid air. Another highlight came when Cena applied an impressive Attitude Adjustment on Show through an announce table, which cued the other competitors to then pile on a load of ladders onto the fallen giant.

Although I'm disappointed with the victor (Cena really didn't need this win at all, Miz could've used it a lot more) I'm even more disappointed that Cena was the main event ahead of a WWE Championship match once again. It's a joke. The CM Punk and Daniel Bryan bout had a good build up and was the most important match heading into the event, so why was it undeservedly pushed back? I honestly don't get it.

Overall I enjoyed the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Most of the bouts were solid (bar the Ryback and Divas ones, although they weren't terrible) and the results, except the main event, made sense. Ziggler's win was the highlight of the night for me. He's really been a standout performer this year and has worked damn hard for this chance to become World Champion. 

My WWE SmackDown, 13th July 2012 Recap

Zack Ryder, the guest General Manager of SmackDown for the week, came out and boldly claimed that it would be the greatest broadcast of the show ever. He was soon interrupted by Alberto Del Rio, who called Ryder running the show a joke. So in retaliation Ryder announced that Del Rio would be facing the man he attacked on Raw a couple of weeks ago, Sin Cara, right there and then.  

Alberto Del Rio defeated Sin Cara via submission in a decent enough opener. Both men put on a fair performance, although there were a few hiccups here and there as expected with a match involving Sin Cara. When Sin Cara is pitted against wrestlers of a certain style (Del Rio, Tyson Kidd, etc) he can put on a good bout, he's just not very compatible with most of the roster and that's a big issue.

Primo defeated Darren Young in a passable match up. Primo looked solid as usual, Young to me still looks like he could be on NXT still, although putting him in a team with Titus O'Neil was certainly a smart move for them both. Their manager Abraham Washington was also barking orders to Young on a headset during the bout, which added a nice Jimmy Hart-esque touch I thought.

Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes defeated Santino Marella and Christian in an enjoyable tag team contest. All four men (yes, even Santino) were entertaining in the ring and put in decent efforts. The World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank ladder match could be the most exciting match on the card on Sunday, although considering CM Punk and Daniel Bryan's bouts in the past it's hard to look past them for match of the night. 

Big Show beat The Great Khali in a drab and missable match that was fortunately kept short.

Ryback defeated Tyler Reks in an average but brief bout. At least Ryback's competing in more competitive match ups, he really needed to.

Damien Sandow beat Justin Gabriel in a good showing from the 'Intellectual Saviour'. Sandow has fast become one the highlights of the week for me as far as wrestling is concerned, with his charisma and ability in the ring. It's hopefully a good sign for his future that he's appearing on pay-per-view at Money in the Bank this week.

Sheamus defeated Chris Jericho in a solid main event. Both men were on great form as they went back and fourth, with Jericho edging the offense towards the end only to be caught out with a Brogue Kick by 'The Great White' for the one-two-three. Afterwards Del Rio kicked Sheamus in the head and locked on his signature arm breaker on the stage as a warning for their MITB contest. 

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 Great American Bash, 3rd July 2012 Recap

The show kicked off with the scene of a big barbecue outside the arena with various wrestlers and divas celebrating Independence Day, with Kane himself igniting the BBQ with his signature entrance taunt. 

Alberto Del Rio came to the ring and bragged about receiving his World title match at Money in the Bank against Sheamus and how he's going to beat him. He then went on to accuse the fans in Texas of entering America illegally and began harassing an obviously planted member of the crowd until Sheamus made his way out and they began brawling. As the World Champion was taking it to Del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez helped his boss gain the upper hand and Alberto attacked 'The Great White' using the bot of his car. They even showed Sheamus bleeding from the attack after the break, guess they have no problem with using blood at all now. Used correctly it can add a lot of drama and excitement to a match.

Layla and The Great Khali defeated Aksana and Antonio Cesaro in a mediocre tag team match. Cesaro wasn't really given much chance to shine against Khali and Layla looked okay against the untalented Aksana. I just really cannot understand why Aksana is still in the company, she can't wrestle and has no acting skills. I hope the talented Cesaro can move on from this quickly.

Backstage Cody Rodes informed guest GM Teddy Long that he had been granted another qualifying match for the MITB by the Board of Directors, and in turn Long informed Rhodes that he had chosen Christian as his opponent in said match.

Cody Rhodes defeated Christian to qualify for the Money in the Bank match. It was a very enjoyable contest, with both men putting in solid efforts from start to finish. 

Dolph Ziggler defeated Alex Riley to qualify for the MITB Match. It was another good qualifying bout for the night, with Riley and Ziggler both looking decent. I'd be putting my money on Dolph winning the MITB match too.

Shortly into an interview Michael Cole was conducting with AJ he asked her "What the hell were you thinking?" regarding pushing CM Punk into Daniel Bryan and a table on this weeks Raw. He then went onto call her a "troubled little girl" and shouldn't be the guest referee for a WWE Championship match. He then cringe worthily asked AJ if she instead would want to be with a "real man" such as himself instead of Punk or Bryan.

Daniel Bryan himself then fortunately interrupted Cole and called him a sexist bully, he also accused the commentator of making up stories like the rest of the media. After Bryan complimented AJ for a while, WWE Champ CM Punk joined them all and told Cole to get out of the ring. Punk went on to tell AJ that he's not going to suck up to her like Bryan, but instead seriously advised her to seek medical help. Bryan called Punk a liar and then received a snog from AJ, who left the ring to also kiss Punk and then skipped off. Her character is definitely one of the more interesting things in the company right now.

Santino Marella, Jim Duggan and Sgt Slaughter defeated Hunico, Camacho and Drew McIntyre in a tag match. It was passable for what it was, a novelty bout. It's quite funny, as Santino was celebrating with Duggan and Slaughter I could imagine him in twenty years time in the same position. 

Back at the party Damien Sandow attempted to halt proceedings, only to began brawling with Zack Ryder. In retaliation Ryder then attempted to throw a bowl of punch at Sandow only to miss and soak Eve instead, much to everyone's delight.

Ryback defeated Curt Hawkings in a squash match. At least it was a bit more interesting than Ryback's usual routine, and with more relevant competition he's taking a step up finally. Unfortunately the crowd weren't really getting into it as they began entertaining themselves with chants of "Goldberg" once again.

Zack Ryder won the Great American Bash Battle Royal to earn the right to be the General Manager of SmackDown next week. The match itself  (which included the likes of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, John Cena and Big Show) wasn't bad, just the usual you expect from a battle royal. Zack Ryder last eliminated Kane as he pulled the ropes down to win the bout. The result was well received by the fans and hopefully this could be the revival Ryder has desperately needed since the awful Cena and Kane rivalry and his involvement in it.