My WWE Raw, 30th September 2013 Recap

It was a priceless moment. Photo credit: WWE.com

CM Punk kicked off the show (to a very healthy response) by stating that he contributes to the unpredictability of the show when he comes out but claimed that Heyman was predictable last week when he orchestrated the beat down of Punk in his hometown of Chicago. He want on to add that he will end the story when he takes out Ryback, whether it be on a Raw leading up to Battleground or at the event itself, and while Heyman may have pinned him on the mat at Payback he will get his revenge and put him out of his misery. 

Raw GM Brad Maddox then joined Punk and cautioned him about taking on Ryback before their PPV clash, saying that it would simply be "bad for business," of course. But Maddox did agree to grant Punk a match that night to let out some aggression, this cued Big E Langston to come out and kick start their impromptu match by clobbering Punk.

CM Punk pinned Big E Langston after hitting a GTS in a fair encounter. Much like Ziggler in his series with Big E, Punk deserves credit here for what he was able to accomplish against the limited Langston.

Kofi Kingston beat Fandango in a passable, if fairly forgettable match up. Kofi did a decent job here and managed to add a few parts worth a watch, and eventually applied a Trouble in Paradise kick for the one-two-three. Bray Wyatt then delivered one of his mysterious promos on the ramp where he described his hard life and finally claimed that "one by one, they must all fall down."

Backstage Randy Orton warned Brie Bella to schedule her wedding to Daniel Bryan before their title match on Sunday, as he might not be fit for it afterwards, 

Los Matadores (Fernando and Diego, formerly Epico and Primo) bested 3MB (Jinder Mahal and Heath Slater) in an enjoyable tag bout. Both members of the winning duo looked solid here, and had a fun entrance which included their own little bull called El Torito. Admittedly the crowd reaction wasn't anything outstanding for the team's debut but hopefully that will come, I personally enjoyed them and look forward to more. 

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon invited out Cody, Dustin and Dusty Rhodes and asked why they were so mad at them considering the apparent 'chances' they'd given them to get their jobs back. The COO then revealed the reason he'd held the family summit and offered the chance for Cody and Dustin to face the tag champions Rollins and Reigns at Battleground and if they win they get their jobs backs in WWE, but if they fail then none of the three will ever work for the company again. The Rhodes accepted the challenge. 

Dusty then got in Triple H's face in the most intense part of the summit and claimed that he would be there in his sons corner. Shortly after Stephanie and 'The Game' left the ring The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) battered Cody, Dustin and Dusty, finally Triple Powerbombing Cody to end the entertaining segment.

R-Truth pinned Curtis Axel in a brief and average contest after CM Punk's theme music hit and distracted the IC Champion, allowing Truth to strike with a Lie Detector for the victory. The wrestling was kept at a decent enough standard, but I just failed to find the interest. 

Brie Bella defeated Alicia Fox in a passable Divas match up. While it was never anything special, it was certainly above average for a bout involving a Bella. Unfortunately for the competitors the crowd in attendance were pretty indifferent to the whole thing, you could actually hear a pin drop. 

During an interview an enraged Big Show admitted that he couldn't take any more of the sick and twisted orders he's been receiving from Triple H and Stephanie and stormed towards the COO's office to knock him out.

Alberto Del Rio forced Zack Ryder to submit via arm breaker in a satisfying outing. Surprisingly Ryder was made to look competitive against the World Champion here as he controlled the start of their match up and briefly came back towards the end. Del Rio as standard was on solid form in the ring.

Paul Heyman, accompanied by Ryback, came to the ring and declared that he had to have CM Punk beaten up by his two associates in his home town last week. Ryback then took the mic and called Punk ungrateful for all that Heyman had done for him, claiming that Paul was a genius and that "there's nothing I wouldn't do for" him. 

Heyman went on to say that since Ryback had saved him he had a spring in his step and the World seemed like a better place. Paul continued to brilliantly lead us down the path of believing that he was about to propose marriage to Ryback, it was superb work on his part and I'll admit I was hoping he would for the sheer shock and impact, but of course his proposal was for Ryback to be his latest client instead.

CM Punk then attempted a sneak attack from behind but tripped over the barricade and feigned an obviously fake knee injury, only to suddenly chase off Heyman and Ryback with a few kendo stick strikes and attack Axel, who he GTS'd to finish off.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Dolph Ziggler and The Usos in a six-man tag bout. It was a stellar affair for the majority, with fine displays from ever man involved.

The police arrived to confront the pacing Big Show who was still awaiting Triple H's arrival, and as they were about to arrest him for threatening the COO Stephanie stepped in and once again aired Show's dirty laundry to help explain his stress and claimed that she would vouch for him, so they let him off.

Santino Marella pinned Antonio Cesaro in a fun outing for the most part. As usual Marella performed his usual comedy routing, while Cesaro delivered a worthy effort. Marella caught Cesaro with a quick pinfall for the win.

Jerry Lawler brought out Battleground competitors Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton for their 'Face Off' in the ring. After being asked on his thoughts on Bryan being stripped of the WWE Title Orton explained that not directly receiving the strap back motivated him to become the real 'Apex Predator' once again. He also added that he was genetically superior to the smaller Bryan.

Bryan retorted by complimenting Orton talking a good game, albeit being a little monotone. He also claimed that he believed that Triple H had to motivate Orton in order for him to reach his full potential, but he didn't need any motivation. Finally Bryan lost his patience and began striking Orton when 'The Viper' asked why his fiancee Brie Bella would settle for him. 

Orton eventually gained control and performed his signature DDT off the apron onto the mat in front of a begging Brie Bella, and then RKO'd his rival through the announce table. It was a strong end to the show, and an ideal way to head into their title clash on Sunday.

Overall it was a fair Raw, unfortunately most contests were pretty uninspiring but there were more than a few segments that made it worth watching. My highlights were The Shield versus The Usos and Ziggler, Los Matadores entertaining debut, Heyman and Ryback's segment, the Rhodes family summit and the finale. 

My WWE Raw, 24th September 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

Paul Heyman, on behalf of WWE Champion CM Punk (who was also in the ring) demanded that referee Brad Maddox (what kind of fake name is that?) come out and apologise for making the wrong call last after missing Punk's leg on the ropes and counting his shoulders down for the three count. Brad sure enough came out and apologised for making the error, but refused to resign. A furious CM Punk finally leapt out of his chair and berated the official for making the wrong call. Soon GM AJ Lee then also joined them and said that Maddox could leave.   

AJ asked Heyman and Punk who they thought they were after holding the show hostage until they get their way. CM Punk claimed that the reason AJ was so hostile towards him was because he turned down her proposal of marriage two months ago. He went on to threaten to reveal all the text messages and voicemails that AJ had left him "that are not fit to air here on the USA Network" and how "intimate we were behind closed doors." Mocking the GM even further, Heyman went down on one knee and proposed to her. AJ answered back with a simple slap to the face. It was a solid segment to start the show, with good mic work all round.

Backstage a deranged AJ warned Maddox that if he screws up again, she will personally see to it that he never works in the business again after embarrassing her. 

After taunting the imaginary 'Little Jimmy', Vickie Guerrero accidentally had some drink poured on her by R-Truth. As the argument escalated the referee banned both from ringside for the following bout.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston in a decent match up. Both men put in fair efforts, and made up for an average first half (a few sloppy moments marred it a bit) with a solid and exciting second. Ziggler was the only choice to win here, but he still needs bigger victories to make him a believable contender to the World title, which I can see him cashing in on at Hell in a Cell.

In another priceless segment involving the Tag Team Champions, Kane posed in a diner as a waiter named 'Gerald' and had to take Daniel Bryan's order as part of an exercise by Doctor Shelby to help them both bond. Bryan taunted his partner, and Kane in turn threatened Bryan by claiming that he would throw his 'Goat face' into the deep fat fryer and serve the remains of his beard on all the food he served, which understandably disturbed the customers. I just can't get enough of these two, it's like they can do no wrong. 

Titus O'Neil and Darren Young beat Santino Marella and Zack Ryder in an average and quite forgettable tab contest. The period between Young and Ryder was okay, Marella just performed his usual routine. To be honest they didn't have enough time to really produce anything of any worth here.

Special guest Mick Foley questioned what change CM Punk had really brought since his classic June 27th promo of last year. Punk soon joined Foley and mocked him for possible trying to flog another book and called the 'Hardcore Legend' no longer relevant. Foley reminded the champ of the fact that he text him back last year after he memorably won the World title at Money in the Bank, even though he probably received tons of congratulatory messages, so he must mean something to him.

He continued to warn Punk that as one of the best talkers the business has ever seen, he doesn't need Paul Heyman as a talking mouth piece to steer him in the wrong direction. After claiming that he should face Cena in a HIAC match, Punk told Foley that it was all just the same speech that he's heard recently from Bret Hart and Cena himself, and said that he won't attack Foley because he is "beneath me." Foley retorted that stating that in years gone by fans don't remember statistics such as how long Punk's been champion, but moments like when he fell off the Hell in a Cell fourteen years ago (I know, it was that long ago). On behalf of the GM he also informed CM Punk that he would have the choice if he wanted to face Cena at HIAC for the title. It was a highly engaging segment, with both men on tremendous form and one of he best promos I've seen from Foley in a long time.

Ryback defeated The Miz in a largely mediocre bout. The action was okay, but never gripped you at any point. Unfortunately the most interesting part came when some idiot fan came running into the ring, which caused a lot of the crowd to turn and check that out rather than the match itself.

In a replication of the famous cafe scene from When Harry Met Sally, Daniel Bryan and Kane excitedly spoke about their destruction of other tag teams on last weeks SmackDown, with Hall of Famer Mae Young asking to "have what they're having."

In a rather big mood swing from earlier, AJ informed the referees in her office that they all make mistakes and to have a great show. She also told Alberto Del Rio, Otunga and Ricardo Rodriguez that they'll be in a Six-Man Tag match that night. Ricardo's positive attitude to this news was brilliant, he really is an underrated talent for me.  

Wade Barrett defeated Tyson Kidd in a surprisingly fair match up. I wasn't really expecting much here, but thanks to Kidd being allowed a decent amount of offense it turned out to be a rather enjoyable outing and a good display from both men.

Live via satellite Jerry Lawler received an expectantly warm reception from the fans in attendance. Lawler recalled the events just before and after the heart attack he suffered two weeks ago, and thanked all the people who'd sent him well wishes since. When asked when he might be returning 'The King' said it was up to his doctors. You can bet he'll receive an even bigger ovation when he does.

Sin Cara, Rey Mysterio and Sheamus defeated Ricardo Rodriguez, Alberto Del Rio and David Otunga in a match that ranged from solid to sub par. The periods involving Mysterio were the high point, with a very good display from him. However some parts just felt too busy for me and spoilt it a bit, that and Otunga and Sin Cara's average contributions. Ricardo performed his comedy part well enough and was predictably the fall guy for his team. Given the choice I'd rather have just seen Sheamus and Mysterio versis Ricardo and Del Rio to be honest.   

Back at the diner, Doctor Shelby asked both Bryan and Kane to taste each other's dishes to experience what it's like to be the other one. After trying Bryan's salad Kane burped at Shelby, whilst after trying Kane's meatballs (not a euphemism, grow up!) Bryan threw up on the doctor. 'The Big Red Monster' ended the segment by asking for the cheque. 

Via a poll on Twitter, it was revealed that Bryan and Kane's tag team name would be 'Team Hell No'. After hearing this Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes jumped the champions from behind and revealed that they had formed an alliance known as 'Rhodes Scholars'. This is a very smart move, as entertaining as Kane and Bryan are they still need real competition to keep them interesting in the ring and on pay-per-views in title defences. Rhodes Scholars could be an interesting duo.

Eve and Beth Phoenix beat Alicia Fox and Layla in a drab match, you won't miss much by skipping it. Afterwards the injured Kaitlyn revealed that she was attacked at Night of Champions by a masked woman with blonde hair. After believing it to be Phoenix, Eve took out 'The Glamazon'. Boy she must be glad she's leaving this sinking ship of a Divas division. My guess is either it was Kelly Kelly who's turned heel (which could actually work) or most likely Eve was wearing a blonde wig.

Brodus Clay versus Tensai was fortunately ended early as Big Show made his return to a fair reception and KO'd both big men with his WMD punch. Jim Ross' (who'd been providing guest commentary for the night) feigned awe at Big Show's first punch was pretty terrible.

John Cena came out and first thanked all the WWE fans for their overwhelming support for the Cure charity he's been highlighting on his latest attire. Unfortunately there was still some unnecessary booing from scattered fans at Cena. Really? Even when he's promoting a worthwhile charity cause? Anyway, he went on to also state that whatever happens, despite his arm injury he will be walking into Hell in a Cell to challenge CM Punk for the title.

The WWE Champion himself, along with Heyman, then joined Cena and claimed that he's not only refusing to face Cena at HIAC because he receives a far too generous amount of title shots over deserving talent in the back (which I completely agree with) but also because Cena won't be medically cleared anyway. Punk also called into question Cena's intelligence for threatening the most "dangerous man" in the company and gave him till the count of five to leave his ring while his back was turned. As Punk turned around he discovered Cena had been concealing a led pipe, which he used to strike the champ in the stomach with, causing CM Punk to leave.      

Backstage a frustrated Punk kicked Foley in the gut, taking him out. As he then turned around he had a look of fear on his face, and as the camera panned around it was revealed to be Ryback causing the fear. Could Ryback be next in line to challenge Punk if Cena's not fit for HIAC? I personally feel there are other far more suitable choices, but at least WWE seem to be building up an up and coming talent. I'm also suspecting that Foley could well be a special guest referee for the WWE Championship match. We shall see.

Overall I enjoyed the majority of the show, with all of CM Punk's and the Tag Team Champion's segments being highly enjoyable, especially Foley and Punk's. Unfortunately the action in the ring was yet again just too inconsistent on the red brand, with no particularly outstanding matches to speak of. 

My Impact Wrestling, 20th September 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com 

Before the show had begun Shaquille O'Neil informed Hulk Hogan that he would be near the arena if he needed him and had his back regarding Aces & Eights. That was the only appearance he made.

As part of the Open Fight Night Kurt Angle and AJ Styles challenged Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez to a match to determine who deserves the next shot at the TNA Tag titles.  Angle and Styles predictably received a good reception.

Kurt Angle and AJ Styles versus Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez ended in a no contest as Christopher Daniels and Kazarian ran in and attacked Chavo and Styles. The match itself had been an entertaining one, with all four men providing good displays throughout with solid back and fourth action. 

Douglas Williams beat Gut Check challenger Evan Markopoulus in a pretty average bout. Williams as usual was on good technical form as he largely dominated Markopoulus. Unfortunately Evan didn't really look like anything special, but saying that I wouldn't have minded seeing a bit more offense from the rookie to get a better idea of what he's capable of. I can't see him being kept on.

James Storm called out Roode for a straight up fight, stating that their feud had moved beyond personal and now he just wanted to see him hurt. Bobby Roode came out and announced that he wouldn't fight 'The Cowboy' as he was superior to Storm and that as long as he was around he wouldn't become World Champion again, and left. But unfortunately for Roode Hogan warned him backstage that if he refuses the match (as part of the Open Fight Night you must accept any challenge) then he'll be fired, so the 'It Factor' made his way out gingerly to face Storm. 

James Storm versus Bobby Roode ended in a no contest (two in one night? Is Russo back?) after the referee Brian Hebner realised that he couldn't control the two wrestlers. It wasn't so much a wrestling match as a brawl outside the ring for the majority of the fight, which was enjoyable enough and made sense considering their personal rivalry. The crowd seemed to also be up for it and were firmly lending their support to Storm. The battle continued through the fans and into the back.

Austin Aries explained to Jeff Hardy backstage that although Hardy was after his World title at Bound for Glory he was also after Hardy's admiration and respect that he gets from his fans, along with all his accomplished in his career so far and the only way to get that is by defeating him at BFG. Aries once again came off quit heelish here as he called Hardy's fans "mindless sheep." Not really appropriate for one of the top faces in TNA right now.

Tara claimed that the reason she turned on Tessmacher last week was because she was tired of being all pally pally with her and was reminded from her new, apparently top Hollywood star boyfriend that she is the top female wrestler in the World. She also accused the fans of just chanting for her for her looks. Tara went on to challenge announcer Christy Hemme to a match up. As Tara began getting physical with Hemme, Brooke Tessmacher raced to her aid and chased off her former mentor.

Hulk Hogan decided to make a deal with Aces & Eights that they let the kidnapped Joseph Parks go and he'll go into their clubhouse. The gang's leader appeared on screen and agreed to the deal, he also had a fellow member of the group destroy Park's laptop and crack the lawyer in the head with a hammer. The 'Hulkster' did not look amused.

After a video package for Jeff Hardy played, Aries thanked the producers for playing it right before he made his way out sarcastically, explaining that that kind of attention Hardy receives is exactly what he's after. He also claimed Hardy wasn't the hunter but "the hunted" and wanted to prove that whatever Jeff could do he could do better and called out Bully Ray for a match. Bully said that AA had a lot of nerve calling him out, but was eventually cut off as the World Champion came flying over the top rope at him to start the bout in an impressive fashion.

Bully Ray defeated Austin Aries in a decent enough main event. Bully dominated for the most part, with Aries making a brief comeback towards the end. It wasn't a particularly memorable contest but it was watchable, and both men put in fair efforts. After referee Earl Hebner was struck accidentally, Bully took full advantage and walloped AA with his signature chains to score the winning pin. Afterwards Bully wanted to finish the job and attack Aries with his own title belt, but was chased off as Hardy came to his aid. Could they maybe be setting up a Triple Threat for the World title at BFG?

Overall it felt like a mostly average show, nothing that special to speak of really. Which is disappointing considering the quality of most Impacts recently. 

My Impact Wrestling, 13th September 2012 Recap

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries started the show off by explaining just how important his World title was, and how it's significance is why he was targeted by Aces & Eights recently. He added that although they came after him he managed to take out one of their members at No Surrender. He then called out his opponent at Bound for Glory, Jeff Hardy. AA first congratulated his future opponent for getting through both Samoa Joe and Bully Ray in one night, and with a storyline shoulder injury.

Bully Ray shortly interrupted Aries and called both men lucky. AA because he won't have to face him at BFG and Hardy because he supposedly only won because Bully felt sorry for him. The World Champion decided to make Ray put his money where his mouth is and challenged him to face Hardy that night, but Bully backed out.

Zema Ion (c) defeated Sonjay Dutt to retain the X Division title in an enjoyable enough bout. Dutt was once again on solid form with his crisp and impressive maneuvers, unfortunately Ion looked quite average again. I was hoping Ion would grow into the role of the X strap holder and up his game when given the chance, but it just hasn't really happened. I hope I'm proven wrong and that he does improve in the future, he has shown glimpses of becoming more engrossing. Zema retained after grabbing the ropes for a cheeky pinfall win.     

Bobby Roode came out and explained that he smashed a beer bottle over Storm's head at No Surrender (thereby costing him the match in the BFG Series) because he felt that 'The Cowboy', who he accused of riding his coattails when they were a tag team, didn't deserve a chance at the World title that he'd once held. James Storm inevitably came out and the two once again began brawling, with Storm gaining the upper hand and dragging Roode outside.   

AJ Styles beat Kazarian in an decent, if a little disjointed at times match up. While the action came fast and for the most part well, there were a few little mistakes here and there. But like I said they were only little and it failed to really spoil the contest. The crowd were also really into and thoroughly behind the face Styles. As per the stipulation put in by Hulk Hogan, AJ and Kurt Angle will receive a shot at the TNA Tag Team titles sometime in the future as a result of Style's win.  

Joseph Parks informed Hulk Hogan in his office that he was very close to "one key piece of evidence" regarding the Aces & Eights case that will be revealed on next weeks Impact. I'm liking Parks in this role, he suits it.

Bully Ray challenged Hardy backstage to put his spot as number one contender at BFG on the line in their match later on, claiming that he didn't have the "balls" to do it. Hardy accepted, as all good guys should.

Hogan stated that the Impact Zone would always be in lockdown mode from here on out  to help capture Aces & Eights. Right on cue members of the gang itself appeared on the big screen and warned Hogan that he'd now locked in all the members with him and he has no way of knowing who they are backstage. 'The Hulkster' looked rather concerned at his plan backfiring.   

Chavo Guerrero defeated Christopher Daniels in a great contest. In Chavo's best match since joining TNA so far both men went back and fourth with perfectly executed moves and at a nice pace. For the finish Guerrero managed to avoid an attempt from Daniels to strike him with his title belt and applied his signature Three Amigos and Frog Splash to have his hand raised.

Tara wanted to officially congratulate her good friend Brooke Tessmacher on toppling her last Sunday and offered to present the Knockouts Championship to her to signify that she was now the top woman in TNA. The divvy Taz piped in with an inappropriate "What are we watching Oprah here?" Granted it maybe was a little too sweet for pro wrestling but he should've just kept quiet, like most of the time. After wrapping the belt on the champ, Tara predictably turned on her and took her out with a Widows Peak. The attack pleased the crowd. It was just a bit too obvious, I personally think the heel turn should've happened slowly in the build up to BFG and then occurred there.

Jeff Hardy beat Bully Ray in an intense main event to retain his place as number one contender. In a bout superior to their outing last Sunday, both men gave a solid effort to be proud of and had an electric crowd behind them. It was an enjoyable match from start to finish and a good way to end the show. Although I'm not sure where any of this leaves Bully as far as BFG goes?

Overall it was a solid show with matches that were at the worst decent, which is always a good sign. The advancements in the storylines also made sense (still feel Tara's heel turn was a little early but still) and didn't feel rushed or over the top. TNA is on form right now, I recommend checking it out if you don't normally.

My WWE Raw, 10th September 2012 Recap

Bret Hart kicked off the show with a heroes welcome in Montreal Canada. Once he finally got a chance to talk he thanked all the Canadian fans for their support over the years and for helping him through his darker days. WWE Champion CM Punk then joined 'The Hitman' and explained that if he would be "egotistical" enough to write an autobiography then he'd call it "What if?" As in what if he'd faced Bret Hart back at the '97 Survivor Series, where he claims he would've beaten Bret without Vince McMahon's help. Therefore killing the attitude era (and WWE) and jumping ship to WCW.

After going over what happened last week when Punk attacked Cena and left with Paul Heyman, the champ claimed that when he beats Cena at Night of Champions he will solidify himself as the greatest WWE Champion ever. He also claimed that as champion he should receive an ovation like Bret's the World over and that like his future opponent on Sunday, Hart is overhyped and overrated. It was a solid enough start to the show, with nice mic work by Punk.

Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeated Antonio Cesaro and The Miz in a fair tag team match. It wasn't anything outstanding or memorable to be honest, but passable for most of WWE's current tag division. I was really hoping that I'd eventually take to Kingston and Truth as a team but I just can't, I'd much rather see them loose the titles and go back into singles action. Or better yet have Truth turn on Kofi, he was a lot more effective as a deranged heel.

We then witnessed the recorded court deposition between Sheamus and Ricardo Rodriguez and his lawyer David Otunga. Rodriguez was attempting to take legal action and ban the Brogue Kick after the World Champion had struck him with it on last weeks Raw. After a series of questions from Otunga, Sheamus had enough and decided to show off the power of his Brogue Kick and smash the camera. It was a decent enough segment, with a few amusing parts from 'The Great White'. 

Eve, Layla and Kaitlyn beat Alicia Fox, Natalya and Beth Phoenix in a largely lacklustre tag bout. I wouldn't blame you if you skipped this to be honest, you won't miss much. Eve grabbed the one-two-three after tagging herself in and stealing the win from Layla. It achieved its goals in building up Eve as an obviously fake face, but did nothing at all to hype the actual Divas title match between Layla and Kaitlyn on Sunday.

Randy Orton won via disqualification versus CM Punk in a solid enough contest. Both men put in a good display as they battled back and fourth, the fans in attendance were also certainly into it as their loud support was split. The DQ came when Dolph Ziggler ran in to attack Orton, so as both he and Punk began taking 'The Viper' out Jerry Lawler ran in to his aid which led to an impromptu tag team match. 

Orton was voted in to face Punk as part of the regular Tweet polling online, and we're lucky he was considering it was between 'The Viper', Jerry Lawler and Brodus Clay. Hopefully Clay's low vote count (he came last with 12 per cent) and the lack of reaction from crowds will convince the writers to do something new with his persona, he really needs it.  

Randy Orton and Jerry Lawler defeated Dolph Ziggler and CM Punk in a pedestrian tag match. There really wasn't anything that special about the actual wrestling itself, but it at least got a bit interesting when Paul Heyman walked out and began talking to Punk and they both walked away as the match finished up. Afterwards the goofy Matt Striker asked what the working relationship between the two was, so the WWE Champion simply answered "I'm a Paul Heyman guy." The possibilities of these two working together is tremendous. I can't wait.

Backstage AJ informed Daniel Bryan and Kane that she'd asked their former anger management teacher Doctor Shelby to come in to help them finally make amends. I'm still loving these segments with Kane and Bryan, they have great chemistry.

Ryback beat Heath Slater in an average bout. While Slater managed to get in a little bit of offense, he was no match for Ryback who dominated most of the short match up. 

Daniel Bryan and Kane defeated the Prime Time Players to become number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team titles at Night of Champions. The match itself was passable, although for the most part it was just playing on the uneasy alliance between Kane and Bryan understandably. For the finish an aggravated Kane Choke Slammed Bryan onto Darren Young, which led to an inadvertent pinfall victory.

I'm personally quite pleased with the result. The combination of Kane and Bryan is a lot more interesting and entertaining than Titus O'Neil and Young. I can see them winning on Sunday too.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Tyson Kidd in an enjoyable enough contest. As usual both men looked solid in the ring and Kidd was even made to look fairly competitive as he locked on the popular Sharpshooter for a short while until Del Rio reached the ropes. Del Rio won via his signature arm breaker and bragged after the match that Sheamus has already lost the Brogue Kick and will loose the World title to him at NOC.   

A distraught Michael Cole informed us that Jerry Lawler had collapsed and had to be stretchered out back. He went on to confirm that it was not a part of the nights entertainment and was unfortunately very real. 

Sheamus beat David Otunga in a rather brief squash match. Afterwards 'The Great White' decided to apply the Brogue Kick for good measure. SmackDown GM Booker T then came out and warned the World Champion that if he uses the kick again then he'll be stripped of his title. 

Backstage Doctor Shelby congratulated Kane and Daniel Bryan on their win and on working together. Of course a nice moment once again turned into an argument between the two tag partners.

Cody Rhodes defeated Rey Mysterio in a decent bout. As usual the consistent Mysterio managed to bring the best out of his opponent and both guys put in a worthy effort. Rhodes picked up the win after The Miz distracted Mysterio at ringside and he applied the Cross Rhodes. As Miz went to further attack Rey, Cody also latched on his finisher to the Intercontinental Champion to presumably set up a Triple Threat or Fatal Four Way (with Sin Cara) for the title at NOC.

Bret Hart began interviewing John Cena and compared his rivalry with Punk to his and Shawn Michaels many years ago. The unpopular Cena was honoured to even be mentioned in the same category, but honestly said that he had much work to do before he reaches their level. CM Punk also joined them, stating that he'd come out to stop the besmirching of his name. He went on to claim that he was superior to Hart, HBK, The Rock and Steve Austin.

Cena had soon had enough and called Punk a fraud after claiming last year in his classic June 27th promo that he wanted change, but all he really wanted was for himself to be the star. He carried on to also put CM Punk down in French (which went down very well) and rather out of character called him an "ignorant son of a bitch!" It was a strong promo from both men, and even got a lot of the Canadian fans on Cena's side it was so effective. It has also certainly gotten me more interested in their title bout on Sunday. A stunned WWE Champion attempted to punch Bret Hart but was halted by Cena and then punched and scared out of the ring by 'The Hitman' himself. It was a solid end to the show.  

Michael Cole then informed us that Lawler was stable and that they'd have updates on the site. It has since been revealed that Lawler suffered a heart attack, although I'm too sure of his condition right now. Now I know I've bashed Lawler's commentary a fair bit, but it's obviously never been personal and I hope he recovers fully soon.

My WWE SmackDown, 7th September 2012 Recap

Alberto Del Rio, accompanied by the injured Ricardo Rodriguez and his attorney David Otunga started off the show by claiming that Sheamus' Brogue Kick is far too dangerous ('The Great White' accidentally injured Rodriguez with it) and should be illegal. An angered General Manager Booker T soon joined them and warned that their meeting about the Brogue Kick before the show was meant to be kept confidential. But since they decided to bring it to the people, Booker asked the fans what they thought and decided to not ban the Brogue Kick maneuver. 

Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara defeated The Miz and Cody Rhodes in a decent tag match. The action remained solid throughout and I can't fault the efforts of any of the wrestlers involved, although it wasn't the greatest tag team bout you're ever going to see. It felt like it was lacking that little something. I actually wouldn't mind seeing a Fatal Four Way between these men for the Intercontinental title at Night of Champions, would be a good match I reckon.

Zack Ryder won versus Daniel Bryan after the decision was reversed by the referee when Bryan refused to let go of his No Lock after forcing Ryder to tap. The actual bout itself had been fair, nothing special. Once again Bryan was thrown into a rage and started kicking off. Not too sure where they're headed with his anger issues now, I can't see what else they could do with it that'll enhance the brilliant Bryan character.

Before his following match Damien Sandow complained that he had been given insufficient time to prepare. He also went on to have a go at social media sites and the abuse he receives on them, stating that their users should do some more reading rather then going online. Which I actually agree with. Randy Orton then joined Sandow, informing him that through Booker T he'd decided to swap his original opponent for the night with Sandow.   

Randy Orton won via count out versus Damien Sandow in a mostly enjoyable contest. Both men put in fair efforts, although the charismatic Sandow still has to advance and become a little more interesting between the ropes. For the second week in row Sandow decided he'd had enough and legged it to the back. As Ziggler mocked Orton at ringside (as he had been on guest commentary also) Orton threw him into the ring and prepared for the RKO until Sandow made a return so he RKO'd him instead, allowing Ziggler to make a getaway. 

Titus O'Neil and Darren Young defeated The Usos and Epico and Primo in a Triple Threat tag match to become number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team titles. I was expecting a decent enough match here, but it turned out a lot better than I predicted. The pace was nice and quick and there was exciting action for the majority. The Usos especially looked good here I thought, it's about time they took that next step up. Solid tag contest.

Wade Barrett beat Yoshi Tatsu in a fairly short squash match. He appears to have adopted more of the 'Fight Club' style from the vignettes that promoted his return with his fighting style in the ring. After the bout he stated that he was tired of meaningless matches like this and declared himself "open for business." Not sure why he worded it like that but I definitely welcome his return, his new look and theme music also suit his slight change in persona.

Sheamus defeated David Otunga in an average main event. To be fair it was passable for a match involving Otunga, the action was satisfactory at least. As the World Champion set up the Brogue Kick Booker T informed him that he's decided to not risk having a lawsuit on his hands and banned the finisher. Why would he have told him during the match and not before? Pro wrestling logic I guess. So instead 'The Great White' forced Otunga to tap to the Texas Cloverleaf as Del Rio watched on from ringside.  

My WWE Raw, 3rd September 2012 Recap

Before the show had even got going we were shown footage from moments before with CM Punk and Jerry Lawler battling backstage, with Punk eventually gaining the upper hand. I would've thought they could have saved Lawler's return one more week to sell his attack from last week a bit more.

World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus began talking about how much he enjoyed Chicago before he was shortly interrupted by the hometown hero himself CM Punk, who received a terrific reception. Punk went over what happened last week and the accusations from Cena and Lawler of the WWE Champion turning his back on the fans. So he asked the fans in attendance if that was the case and they disagreed.

Sheamus decided he'd had enough and challenged Punk to join him in the ring after interrupting him. The WWE Champion claimed that in the pecking order as World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus was behind him and should therefore not interrupt him again. General Manager AJ then joined them and announced that the two World title holders will face each other later on, along with Del Rio versus Cena.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Randy Orton in a solid enough contest. While the action was decent as usual with these two working together, I'm just struggling to find the interest after seeing this match up what feels like a ton of times over the last year. It doesn't help that this feud hasn't really got any meat behind it. One big plus is Ziggler gaining the one-two-three (even with a sneaky roll up while holding onto the trunks) he needs it a lot more than Orton right now as the Money in the Bank holder. 

Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio beat Lord Tensai and Cody Rhodes in a largely average tag match. The excitement and interest didn't really pick up until Mysterio entered the fray and gave an entertaining display. I still think Sin Cara is better suited to a team scenario, with little bursts of action.

In another couple of brilliant and genuinely funny segments we once again witnessed Daniel Bryan and Kane as they sat through another anger managent session. On the rare occasion that WWE actually do something funny that works, it really does work well. As it looked like the two were about to make up they began arguing over who was better instead.

Before their scheduled match, CM Punk explained to Sheamus that because the people of his hometown Chicago "Get me" then they'll understand that he deserves to be higher up on the card and that a match between them two was too good for a Raw so he decided to take a personal day and left the arena. A panicked AJ had to quickly find an opponent for 'The Great White' backstage.

Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger in a lackluster match up. It just never really got going. Afterwards Alberto Del Rio (who'd been at ringside) went to pounce on the Irishman, but it backfired as Sheamus turned it around and accidentally hit Ricardo Rodriguez with a Brogue Kick. Swagger also informed AJ backstage after that he would be taking some time off to get his act together after yet another loss. Swagger desperately needs an overhaul of some kind.

Eve beat Kaitlyn in a pedestrian outing. Nothing special to report here really, both women looked capable but didn't seem to want to impress anyone that much. It felt like the same thing we see almost every week from the Divas. The supposedly reformed Eve also shook hands with Divas Champion Layla  (who'd provided guest commentary) after, it's only a matter of time before she turns again.

Ryback defeated Jinder Mahal in a passable, if fairly drab contest. Ryback dominated for the most part with his usual routine. The crowd were indifferent for the majority, until the final few minutes where they were firmly behind Ryback. I wouldn't mind seeing him go up against The Miz next for the Intercontinental title possibly. 

After an online vote via Twitter revealed that Kane and Daniel Bryan must hug and make up we had a few awkward, albeit humorous minutes of the two attempting to hug, with the crowd even chanting "Hug it out!" When have you ever heard that from pro wrestling fans? Only from the typically awesome audience in Chicago. Eventually the two men hugged, but things turned ugly as they escalated into a brawl in and around the ring. As Kane attempted to attack Bryan with a chair Daniel turned it around and hurtled it at him instead before legging it. 

Antonio Cesaro (c) beat Santino Marella to retain the United States Championship in another average bout for the night. Cesaro looked solid enough as usual, meanwhile Marella was performing a 'comedy' routine of desperately trying to reach for his cobra sock puppet. I'm confused as to why they had this match on television when Night of Champions is next week where every title is on the line? Bit strange that.

Zack Ryder defeated Heath Slater in a surprisingly decent contest. I really wasn't expecting much here, and maybe that's why I actually found it a lot of fun. Ryder as usual had the fans firmly behind him.

Vickie Guerrero reminded everyone about the attack from GM AJ last week and mickey took Clint Eastwood by pretending to have a conversation with  an invisible AJ on an empty chair. The GM then joined Guerrero and revealed that she is now no longer allowed to put her hands on any talent ever again and was forced to apologise to Vickie via orders from the WWE Board of Directors. Since AJ couldn't touch her Vickie took advantage of this and slapped AJ twice in the face. I'm sorry but that's aggravated assault, AJ could've retaliated there.

Alberto Del Rio beat John Cena in a Falls Count Anywhere Match. It was an enjoyable main event, with both men taking full advantage of the stipulation and ending up backstage. The action started off fairly drab but soon picked up when Cena and Del Rio began travelling outside the ring, making use of the barricade, announcers desk, etc. Del Rio grabbed the win after CM Punk made his surprise return and clocked Cena with a kick to the head and dragged Alberto onto him. He also GTS'd his future opponent onto the bonnet of his car nearby. But the best was yet to come as Paul Heyman then popped his head out of said vehicle that Punk left in. I don't think I have to tell you how mind blowingly incredible a partnership between CM Punk and Heyman could be. Cannot wait to see where this now leads.

The main event, anger management segments, ending and opening helped salvage an otherwise lacklustre show, with pretty average matches filling up the broadcast. I didn't think I'd be saying this but Impact Wrestling is currently trumping any WWE televised show for substance in-between the ropes.