My WWE SummerSlam 2013 Recap

Rob Van Dam won via disqualification versus Dean Ambrose (c), thereby Ambrose retained the United States Title. It was a stellar pre-show contest, with both talents delivering more than worthy displays. The quality found here was hardly a surprise, but the added factor of Big Show and Mark Henry coming out and supporting RVD with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns also at ringside added some more interest. The DQ occurred after Van Dam hit the most likely match-winning Five Star Frog Splash and Reigns struck with a spear as the challenger was about to cover Ambrose. Show and Henry were too late into the ring and The Shield made their getaway.   

Bray Wyatt defeated Kane in a Ring of Fire Match. It was an entertaining outing for myself, the spectacle of it alone engaged me, I can't imagine how great that must've been for the fans in attendance. Technically it wasn't anything much to look at, but I still had fun watching it and both men did their jobs well. For the finish the 'Wyatt Family' Luke Harper and Erick Rowan managed to cover part of the fire with a protective blanket and make their way into the ring to help Bray after receiving a few ChokeSlams to eventually apply a Sister Abigail on Kane for the one-two-three. Afterwards the victor had his 'brothers' drag the 'Big Red Monster' onto some steel steps and crack some more steps on his head.

Before their following match up, Damien Sandow compared Team Rhodes Scholars to some of the all-time famous duos, claiming that much like in all of them there was the inferior "lackey" in the pairing, that being Cody Rhodes. He also stated that he would send Cody back to his 'carnie' family.

Cody Rhodes pinned Damien Sandow and had the last laugh in a decent affair. I'll admit I was expecting something fair here but nothing much, and it certainly exceeded that. Cody especially did well, and I'm relieved to see him back on the right track with his recent wins and elevated status. 

Alberto Del Rio (c) forced Christian to submit in order to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a gripping back and fourth bout. In their greatest match yet both wrestlers were technically tremendous, crafting some superb sequences with effective near falls. Del Rio managed to latch on his trademark arm breaker for the victory after Christian hit a spear using the shoulder he'd injured earlier in the title clash, it was a logical end and it was refreshing to see an injury being sold so well. 

Natalya beat Brie Bella in a largely uninspiring match. To be fair Brie looked better than normal, although that still isn't saying much. Cameron and Naomi  began inevitably tangling with Eva Marie and Nikki Bella at ringside to spur on more of the fake feud started in the Total Divas 'reality' show. Fans soon lost interest and began chanting such things as the commentators names and "We want tables!" to entertain themselves. Natalya caught Brie with a Sharpshooter for the win. 

Brock Lesnar bested CM Punk in a No Disqualification Match. I believe awesome is probably the most suitable word to describe this special outing. Much like any Lesnar bout since his return you were hooked from the start (at least for me anyway) with both men battling (and I mean battling) with edge of your seat submission attempts and near falls, the drama truly never let up as both wrestlers travelled in and around the ring. Of course Paul Heyman played his part brilliantly too, halting Punk's oh so close efforts to win and finally leading his former associate and best friend into the winning F5 from 'The Beast'. 

Punk has once again been involved in one of the match of the year contenders (the other one was against a certain 'Dead Man') and I cannot urge you enough to watch this enthralling fight, although if you're reading this I doubt I even have to right?

Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn defeated Big E Langston and AJ Lee in an enjoyable mixed tag bout. The match wasn't too long but I felt that only benefited it really, Kaitlyn and AJ did well with their time and Big E is probably better suited to short and powerful bursts in the ring. Plus if it'd been allocated more time it might've gotten fairly tiresome. In the end Kaitlyn took out AJ with a spear on the outside and Ziggler managed to escape a Big Ending and strike with a Zig Zag for the win.

Backstage the SummerSlam host The Miz was interrupted by Fandango and his dancing partner Summer Rae, as he had been all night. So a frustrated Miz simply clocked Fandango with a swift punch to finally stop him.

Daniel Bryan pinned John Cena (c) to obtain the WWE Championship with Triple H as special guest referee in an exciting and highly memorable main event. The fans were electric, there were plenty of suspenseful moments and you will remember this and the events afterwards for a long time, all that adds up to a great main event. Granted it wasn't perfect or the match of the night, there were a few slight mistakes here and there but that's probably just me being a bit picky. Both men were battered and exhausted as the final few minutes rolled in, with Bryan attacking with a vicious knee to Cena's head for the most important three count of his career so far. But the night wasn't over yet.

Randy Orton then made his way casually down the ramp, with Bryan daring him to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, but 'The Viper' instead walked away. That was until Triple H suddenly Pedigreed Bryan and Orton cashed in, winning the WWE Title. It was a shocking way to end a successful event, and one that will have plenty of fans wanting answers the next night on Raw. So a smart finale then.

Overall it was a strong show, with the push of up and coming talent and most matches being decent and three being exceptional. And for me any event with at least three strong bouts is a triumphant one. My highlights were Christian versus Del Rio, CM Punk versus Lesnar, the cash in and the main event. I was very much looking forward to SummerSlam and it didn't disappoint. 

My WWE SmackDown, 15th August 2013 Recap

Bray Wyatt, accompanied by his 'brothers' Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, gave another intriguing promo where he spoke about the apparent life of a young Kane who was bullied at school for being different. He then turned his attention to their Ring of Fire match at SummerSlam, stating that he looked forward to it. 

Kane himself then snuck up on the trio after tricking them with his trademark entrance fire and began to tangle with Wyatt after chucking his associates out of the ring. But the numbers soon caught up to 'The Big Red Machine' who was eventually taken out by the Wyatt family, with Bray finally hitting him with the Sister Abigail (love the mysterious name of that finisher). It was a decent segment to kick things off, with Wyatt still as entertaining as ever. 

Christian pinned Damien Sandow in a fair outing. Unfortunately they weren't given enough time to really leave their mark, but it was enjoyable enough. Afterwards Christian thwarted an attack from an upset Sandow with a spear, and then did the same to Alberto Del Rio as he reversed an arm breaker attempt into a Killswitch. 

AJ Lee and Layla bested Kaitlyn and Natalya in a passable tag bout. To be fair it was certainly above average for most Diva contests you receive nowadays, with good efforts especially from Natalya and Kaitlyn. For the finish Layla kicked Kaitlyn's leg before leaving the ring, allowing AJ to apply a Shining Wizard for the victory.

Rob Van Dam, Big Show and Mark Henry defeated The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) in a solid six-man tag encounter. It was one of the better six-man matches The Shield have had since around WrestleMania time, with every wrestler putting in a good display.  

The Miz beat Jack Swagger in a pretty unremarkable affair. Both men did fine, the match was just lacking in any real excitement or interest. Miz rolled up a distracted Swagger for the winning pinfall after the referee had told Zeb Colter and Antonio Cesaro to leave ringside.

Curtis Axel pinned Zack Ryder in a fine contest. There was nothing outstanding to be found here but it was a fun watch still, worth a look. Afterwards Axel's manager Paul Heyman grabbed a mic and admitted that CM Punk outsmarted himself and Brock Lesnar on this past Monday's Raw, but he'd have his revenge in the form of Lesnar beating him this Sunday.

Daniel Bryan defeated Wade Barrett in a No Disqualification Match. And what a lively main event this was. As Bryan had Barrett on the ropes (not literally) Vince McMahon strolled on down and distracted Bryan, allowing Barrett to get back into the match.

McMahon also decided to drag the referee out of the ring when Bryan latched on the Yes Lock on his foe, and then called down Brad Maddox to officiate the bout instead. But Maddox's time was fairly short lived as he was accidentally struck by Barrett later on. Towards the end Triple H marched down and counted Bryan's winning pin after striking with a diving headbutt before McMahon was about to enter the ring with a ref's top himself. It was a stellar end to the show I felt, with a memorable finale and an exciting match up. Good way to enter SummerSlam.

Overall it was a fun show for the most part, with a couple of strong match ups and the rest being decent enough, but nothing bad to speak of. My highlights were Wyatt's promo, the six-man tag bout and the main event. Now onto SummerSlam! Which has a pretty strong card, should be good.

My WWE Raw, 12th August 2013 Recap

Cena and Bryan get intense in a great segment. Photo credit: WWE.com

Wade Barrett pinned Daniel Bryan in a pretty enjoyable opener. Bryan was on good form while Barrett did well enough. It was fun for the most part but there were a few slightly sloppy moments (Wade didn't receive some of Bryan's moves so well). Barrett gained the one-two-three with a schoolboy as special referee Brad Maddox made a dubiously fast count. Bryan was about to exact some revenge after but the Raw GM managed to escape the ring first.

Randy Orton beat Damien Sandow in a fair outing. The first half was fairly drab to be honest, but things picked up towards the end and it became a decent watch. Orton RKO'd his fellow Money in the Bank holder for the win after Cody Rhodes (who'd provided guest commentary) distracted Sandow at ringside by trying to take his briefcase which was handcuffed to a ring post.  

Natalya and The Great Khali bested AJ Lee and Big E Langston in a strange mixed tag bout. The wrestling itself wasn't anything remarkable, and we only got to see AJ and Natalya tangle during the actual mach up. Natalya scored the win by forcing AJ to tap to the sharpshooter not once, but twice. The first time apparently didn't count so they carried on and Natalya just applied the submission hold again.

Afterwards Big E attempted to attack Khali but failed miserably and was instead chopped down by the giant. Why have the two wrestlers going into the bigger match at SummerSlam treated in this fashion? I've always been indifferent to the Total Divas show, but when it starts to affect the product as negatively as it has then it begins to get on my nerves (Natalya later challenged Brie Bella to a bout this Sunday as a continuation of their feud from the 'reality' show).  

Vince McMahon brought out Brad Maddox and questioned him over his fast count in the earlier Bryan versus Barrett match. Maddox claimed that he was maybe a little overexcited and admitted to making a mistake.

The GM then requested that he make amends by refereeing the WWE Title match at SummerSlam, so as McMahon was about to officially announce this his son in law Triple H joined them and agreed that they should allocate a special referee to take order this Sunday, but that it should be him instead. To really make Vince livid 'The Game' then pedigreed Maddox. 

Kane pinned Titus O'Neil in a short squash match. Bray Wyatt and his 'family' Luke Harper and Erick Rowan then attempted to perform their trademark attack after turning out the lights, but Kane had the upper hand this time as he'd already made his way down the ramp.

Alberto Del Rio forced Kofi Kingston to submit in a passable encounter. There were some solid parts and effective near falls, but on the whole it wasn't a very memorable bout. Kofi's return has been quite disappointing too, they could've really freshened his persona up a bit or even turn him heel with his latest comeback. It's a shame really.

The Usos defeated The Ream Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger) in a decent tag match. It wasn't anything amazing but still lively for the most part so you were never bored.

The Miz introduced his guests for the latest instalment of 'Miz TV' John Cena and Daniel Bryan, who both agreed with Triple H as the referee for their title clash. As things got a bit more heated Bryan stated that it was because of people like Cena, who are more "style than substance" and just in it for the fame that he doesn't watch TV.

Cena retorted by claiming that he doesn't wrestle to impress him, but for the fans that remain loyal to him. That included a young child from Make a Wish that he visited that afternoon, which rightfully received a standing ovation form the fans. He also spoke about receiving the same criticisms for years, and that he hopes Bryan underestimates and treats him as a parody come Sunday. It was strong promo from the champ, one of the strongest he's ever delivered for me.

Bryan then explained a Japanese custom where a wrestler would slap another wrestler to get them fired up, but he didn't believe that Cena deserved it as he wasn't a real wrestler. An aggravated champ slapped his future challenger in the face, but Bryan failed to take the bait and refused to slap him back. Triple H then hurried out and managed to settle things just before Orton also walked out calmly and held up his MITB briefcase as a clear message to champion and challenger. It was a great segment, in fact the best since their feud begun, with terrific mic work from both men.

Fandango and R-Truth had a brief dance off, although that may be the wrong word for what they did. Things soon turned uglier however as Fandango clobbered Truth from behind, only to have him turn things around quickly and send the ballroom dancer out of the ring. It was a nothing segment.

Rob Van Dam won a Battle Royal to earn a United States Championship shot at SummerSlam. Once the match dwindled down it became an entertaining watch, with Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry and RVD being my standout performers. Speaking of the last two, they delivered an exciting end to the contest as the final two men.

Henry congratulated the victor after, and then stood by him as The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) made their way out. As the trio were about to enter the ring, Big Show made his return and helped scare them off. I was starting to wonder if they were going to save Show's comeback for after SummerSlam. So it would seem that him and Henry will team up to face Rollins and Reigns for the tag title, which could be interesting. 

Before their match up Paul Heyman claimed that Punk's need for the fans adoration instead of his since their split was going to be his downfall, and that he planned to take that away from him with a trap he'd set up with the man he next introduced, Brock Lesnar. The trap was simple, either Punk comes out as the hero and faces both Heyman and Lesnar, or he leaves the arena and lets all the fans down.

But CM Punk had a plan of his own and snuck in from behind and cracked Brock a few times with a camera he stole from a cameraman at ringside and hit a suicide dive. He then gave chase to Heyman, but Curtis Axel slowed him down enough for him to escape. Punk took Axel down with a few chair shots and applied a GTS to end the show, and a solid way it was to end it too.

Overall it was an entertaining show for the most part, with only a few unmemorable or mediocre bouts and a dance off letting it down. My highlights were the final segment, the Battle Royal, Bryan versus Barrett and the tremendous 'Miz TV' segment. It was a strong way to go into SummerSlam I felt, with stellar build ups for the high profile match ups, just the way it should be.  

My WWE SmackDown, 9th August 2013 Recap

Randy Orton pinned Rob Van Dam in a great opener to the show. It's hardly a shock considering they're two of the most consistent performers in the company but both men delivered solid displays here as they went back and fourth. The match had gripping sequences and terrific action, with a nice finish too as Orton RKO'd RVD after a Frog Splash attempt for the one-two-three.

The Miz brought out his latest guests for 'Miz TV' AJ Lee and Big E Langston, and quizzed them on their relationship status to which AJ explained Big E was her "best friend." When then asked about her previous relationships in WWE, AJ claimed that all the men involved used and abandoned her, and that her Divas Title was the only thing left that wouldn't leave her.

Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn then joined the show and stated that they were over them and didn't understand AJ's obsession still. To settle things (for a moment at least) Miz then booked all four in a mixed tag match for SummerSlam, apparently being host gives you that power? Inevitably all four then began scrapping with each other, with Ziggler and Kaitlyn finally sending their rivals packing by each hitting their respective finishers. 

Fandango beat Kofi Kingston in a passable encounter. It was pretty unremarkable for the most part, with fair wrestling. For the finish Summer Rae feigned an ankle injury after having to dodge out of the way of an aerial attack from Kofi, so Fandango managed to throw a concerned Kingston into a ring post and apply his signature flying leg drop for the win.

Daniel Bryan forced Wade Barrett to submit in a fine contest. It's a shame it wasn't allocated a bit more time but it was entertaining enough while it lasted, with worthy efforts from both wrestlers.

Kane beat 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in a Handicap Match. This squash match didn't last too long, with Kane dominating bar one kick from McIntyre. Afterwards Bray Wyatt appeared on the big screen and gave one of his cryptic speeches regarding their Inferno Match at SummerSlam (although they've failed to refer to it as an Inferno Match for some reason) claiming that the fire couldn't stop his brothers and that he was "already dead." This guy is always worth watching.

We were shown a VT of an interview with Brock Lesnar, who explained that he had a dislike for CM Punk long before he dropped Paul Heyman as his manager, due to his undeserved arrogant attitude. He also added that at SummerSlam Punk will know what it's like to "truly be victimised by Brock Lesnar."

Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio in an engaging main event. As usual these two terrific in-ring talents provided stellar showings in this enjoyable bout. It's a rare occasion that either of these men don't deliver to be honest. Christian once again caught the World Champion in a quick roll up pin for the victory. A sour Del Rio attempted to take out his frustration on Christian but 'Captain Charisma' managed to strike with a Killswitch first.

This prompted Damien Sandow to race down and almost cash in his Money in the Bank contract (in a fancy new briefcase) until Cody Rhodes intervened and attacked Sandow, finally hitting the Cross Rhodes to end the show.

Overall it was a decent show, with most matches above the average standard (two of which were very good) and some significant advancements for SummerSlam. Unfortunately most of the interviews and promos weren't must see and quite forgettable, bar Wyatt's and Lesnar's which I enjoyed. My highlights were Orton versus RVD, Lesnar's interview VT, Bryan versus Barrett and the main event.

My WWE SmackDown, 2nd August 2013 Recap

RVD wallops Christian with a nice kick. Photo credit: WWE.com

World Champion Alberto Del Rio started things off by thanking the fans, for nothing that is, reminding them that they turned on him when he was trying to be their champion. Which was true, but a lack of character will have that effect. He also sincerely thanked SmackDown GM Vickie Guerrero for allowing him to choose his own opponent for SummerSlam, just like John Cena. So after mentioning a few possible options, Del Rio revealed his personal announcer Ricardo Rodriguez as his hand picked challenger.

An upset Vickie Guerrero then stormed out and expressed her disappointment in Del Rio's choice so instead booked a Triple Threat between Christian, Rob Van Dam and Randy Orton to determine his opponent for the big event. I was most happy with that match line up, and they duly delivered, but I'll get to that later...

Cody Rhodes pinned Jack Swagger in a fair, if unmemorable bout. Both men looked okay in the ring, nothing that significant or remarkable to take away from it though. During an interview afterwards Damien Sandow attacked Rhodes from behind, eventually taking him out by slamming his head into a nearby container. 

Big E Langston beat Sin Cara in a pedestrian outing. Big E understandably dominated for the most part, with Sin Cara managing a few offensive moments in there. Unfortunately the whole thing lacked in excitement or interest.

CM Punk forced Fandango to submit in a decent contest. Both men gave stellar showings and delivered a match that exceeded my expectations. In a nice finish Punk rolled over after applying a superplex on his opponent and latched on an Anaconda Vice for the win. It's always a treat to see his signature submission move make a return.

AJ Lee (c) defeated Kaitlyn to retain the Divas Title in passable encounter. It wasn't a great bout by any means, but it was wisely kept short and at least had a twist (which you could admittedly see coming a bit) when Layla betrayed Kaitlyn by preventing a spear on the outside and revealing how friendly she was with the Divas Champion afterwards.  

Christian bested Randy Orton and Rob Van Dam in a Triple Threat to become number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. And what a tremendous main event this was, with engaging action and superb displays from the opening. Every man put in a great effort here, which is hardly a surprise considering the talent involved. For the finish Orton attempted to hit Christian with an RKO after taking out RVD with one, but failed when 'Captain Charisma' reversed it into a backslide pin for the one-two-three. As a sentimental favourite of mine I was very happy with Christian winning.

The victor shook hands with both of his competitors after, only to then be attacked by Del Rio and finally kicked in the head by the World Champion. 

Overall it was a mixed bag of a show, with a few fairly average match ups that felt more like filler and a couple of enjoyable ones, including the terrific main event. My highlights were CM Punk versus Fandango and (take a wild guess) the Triple Threat.   

My WWE Raw, 29th July 2013 Recap

Bryan proving his popularity with the fans. Photo credit: WWE.com

Vince McMahon, accompanied by Raw GM Brad Maddox, kicked off the show by admitting that Maddox might've been onto something last week when he referred to Bryan as a "troll." Daniel Bryan himself then came out and accused Maddox of simply following orders from McMahon and repeating his own words. The COO retorted by claiming that Cena only chose to face Bryan at SummerSlam because he saw him as an easy challenger to the WWE Title, and that he'd manipulated him and all the fans.

McMahon went on to state that there was no way he could dethrone Cena and that it would be an embarrassment to the company if he did, but he'd also had enough of the champ who he felt walked around like he owned the place. Bryan responded by using McMahon's own words and telling him that it didn't matter what he thought but instead what the fans thought, who he received a resounding "Yes!" chant from when he asked if they wanted to see a new WWE Champion. It was an entertaining segment to open Raw.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) defeated The Usos and Mark Henry in an enjoyable enough six-man tag contest. Like the majority of Shield matches it was worth a watch (although far from their best) with fair displays from all involved. Afterwards Henry continued to assault his new foes and threw the trio out of the ring.

We witnessed footage from earlier in the day where Ryback began picking on an unknown member of staff as they were grabbing some food, claiming that they looked like they were about to say something and slapping some food into their face. Ryback eventually put them through a table, hyping up his Tables Match with Cena later on. 

Rob Van Dam won via count out versus Fandango in a fun outing. RVD was on good form once again, and Fandango hit a few nicely executed moves himself too. The count out occurred after Fandango had enough and decided the match wasn't worth it and walked off with Summer Rae. 

Kaitlyn pinned AJ Lee in a pretty average bout that went on a bit longer than necessary. Most of the match was fine, if unremarkable, but unfortunately the final third of it began to drag, with the fans pretty indifferent to the whole thing. Kaitlyn gained the one-two-three after applying an uncharacteristically clumsy spear. Dolph Ziggler then joined them, congratulating AJ on her loss and challenging Big E Langston to a match right there and then.

Dolph Ziggler won via disqualification versus Big E Langston in a rather forgettable affair. Both men looked all right, nothing special to be fair. Unfortunately the match up just never engaged me. The DQ happened when AJ ran into the ring and began viciously clawing at her ex Ziggler. 

Christian bested Alberto Del Rio in a stellar contest for the most part. There were a few slight hiccups that let it down a bit but not enough to really spoil it for me. These two talents as usual delivered worthy displays in-between the ropes, with Christian finally catching the World Champion out with a quick roll up for the winning pinfall. 

Cody Rhodes beat Wade Barrett in a largely lacklustre outing. Neither wrestler gave a bad performance, but the match up never gave us much excitement until the final few minutes when Cody struck with a moonsault and nicely reversed a pumphandle slam attempt into a Cross Rhodes for the victory. 

Damien Sandow then stormed out and berated Rhodes for chucking his Money in the Bank briefcase into the Gulf of Mexico on last week's SmackDown, and went on to call his former tag partner's family a bunch of clowns, saying that "carnie folk are beneath my constitution."

Daniel Bryan defeated Kane in a decent back and fourth effort. It's worth a watch, just don't expect anything too incredible here. Bryan managed to reverse a Chokeslam to catch Kane in the winning small package. A furious Kane Chokeslammed Bryan after, and was shortly joined by Bray Wyatt and his 'family' Luke Harper and Erick Rowan who once again took him out.

Brie Bella pinned Natalya in a mediocre and unmemorable bout. Natalya did quite well considering what she had to work with. During the match Nikki Bella came out and distracted Natalya by making duck noises (backstage earlier they'd referred to her as an "ugly duckling") which of course cost her the match as Brie managed to grab the win with a roll up.

Curtis Axel versus R-Truth ended in a no contest after CM Punk came racing down and began attacking the IC Champion. Punk then turned his attention to his real target Paul Heyman, who managed to make a getaway after his client held off Punk long enough. The match itself was short, but was enjoyable enough while it lasted.

John Cena beat Ryback in a Tables Match. It was an entertaining main event. As standard when these two meet it was fun, just don't expect anything technically amazing. Cena managed to AA Ryback through a table propped up in the corner for the win. Bryan then came down and was about to hand over the WWE Title belt but instead teased him with it until an angry Cena snatched it back. There was a nice intense moment between the two, and I'm still just as excited about their title match next month. 

Overall it was a pretty average Raw, with most matches failing to be anything more than fair. The opening segment, RVD versus Fandango, Christian versus Del Rio, Bryan versus Kane and the main event were my highlights. Unfortunately there were also no more matches announced for SummerSlam, I can only presume that McMahon and Triple will have some kind of match (or representatives) with their positions on the line or something like that. 

My WWE SmackDown, 26th July 2013 Recap

Apparently he can't swim. Photo credit: WWE.com

Randy Orton pinned Damien Sandow in a fair outing. Both Money in the Bank holders gave worthy enough efforts, but I failed to engage in the match and find any excitement. Orton applied the RKO for the one-two-three after Cody Rhodes walked down and walked off with Sandow's MITB briefcase, distracting the 'Intellectual Saviour'. 

CM Punk came out and confirmed for us again that he will indeed face Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam in a few weeks. He went on to also claim that Lesnar's biggest weakness was once his own, his trust in Paul Heyman, and Heyman's was and always has been his ego.

He also added that he will take everything away from Heyman when he stands up from Lesnar's attack and continuously kicks him in the head until he's unrecognisable. I'm a big Punk fan but I just struggle to believe it when he states he'll do this kind of thing to someone much larger and muscular in Lesnar. Amusingly Fandango then interrupted Punk and came out for some unknown reason, which prompted him to crack the dancer with his microphone and some punches before hitting him with the GTS. The segment was entertaining and Punk is always a welcome return on the blue brand for me. 

Mark Henry and The Usos bested the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) and Wade Barrett in a passable six-man tag bout. It had decent moments, but was pretty forgettable to be honest. The winning teams upcoming match with The Shield should be far better.

Alberto Del Rio beat Rob Van Dam in a match that was far, far too brief. The World Champion managed to quickly pin RVD after a swift superkick after distracting the referee in the corner. I can only imagine (and sincerely hope) that they're planning to have these two face off for the strap at SummerSlam. That could be a terrific title match.

AJ Lee, accompanied by Big E Langston, explained that despite being dumped by Ziggler and loosing her best friend Kaitlyn she would be fine due to still being the Divas Champion and "saviour" of the division. She then revealed Dolph's keys to his house that he'd given her and claimed that she was ready to move on and get rid of them.

Dolph Ziggler then joined them and told his ex that he'd passed around plenty of sets of keys to girls and changed the locks just to be safe anyway, and also told Lee and Langston that they were both replaceable too, much like all his belongings in his suitcase which AJ began to destroy in the ring. As a furious Divas Champion left the ring Kailyn hit her with a spear, and Dolph took out Langston with a fameasser. Looks like we'll be having a mixed tag match with this lot at SummerSlam. It was an enjoyable segment, mainly due to Ziggler's great work on the mic which was possibly his strongest to date. His face turn has been very successful so far.

Luke Harper and Erick Rowan defeated Tons of Funk (Tensai and Brodus Clay) in a short squash tag contest. After watching the 'Wyatt family' for a while now on NXT their performance was pretty standard for them, they're never the most exciting but they do their job well enough. Afterwards Bray Wyatt said that he was welcoming Kane's return next Monday, seemingly having no fear over the possible ramifications of their beat down on him a few weeks ago.

Christian pinned Jack Swagger in a solid encounter and best one of the night. In one of Swagger's finest match ups since his return earlier in the year we received good displays from both men, with Christian especially on stellar form as usually expected from him. 

Damien Sandow stormed out after the main event and demanded that Rhodes return his MITB briefcase and that Vickie Guerrero fire him immediately. Cody then appeared on the big screen and revealed that he was right by the Gulf of Mexico with the briefcase in hand, telling Damien that all he had to do was come and get it.

So a frantic Sandow raced across the street, begging Cody not to chuck it into the river and complimenting him in almost every department. But that wasn't enough for Rhodes who tossed it in anyway. Sandow attempted to retrieve it but failed as he admitted that he couldn't actually swim. It was a fun end to the show. 

Overall it was a mixed bag of a SmackDown, with most of it being pretty unmemorable but a few entertaining offerings still to be had. My highlights were Punk's promo, the Ziggler and AJ segment, Christian versus Swagger and Sandow and Rhodes visit to the Gulf of Mexico. Outside of those parts it was unremarkable or fairly drab for myself.  

My WWE Raw, 22nd July 2013 Recap

The red hot Bryan strikes with a mean kick. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Raw GM Brad Maddox opened the show by bringing out John Cena for his WWE Championship match contract signing for SummerSlam. Maddox questioned Cena's choice and asked him why he chose Bryan out of all the possible wrestlers to challenge for his strap. Before the champ could answer Daniel Bryan joined them, to a very healthy response from the fans.

Cena then mocked Maddox and claimed that the size of a wrestler doesn't determine their worth, but their talent and heart. Cena even called some of the people in the back idiots for sometimes not seeing the level of talent in front of them. I really struggled to buy into any of this speech, Cena has had the power and influence in the company for years to put over many up and coming pro wrestlers (most smaller than him) but has rarely ever done so. But Cena also went on to warn Bryan that while he's great, that won't be enough to beat him.

As Bryan was about to respond after signing the contract, Maddox interrupted him, so an angry Bryan warned him that he'd been waiting a long time for this moment and he wouldn't let him ruin it. The GM retorted by booking the number one contender against some unknown opponents to prove his worth later that night.

Alberto Del Rio pinned Sheamus in a fair outing. I can't really fault either man's performance here, but it still felt like the match was lacking in excitement. Del Rio managed to hook up Sheamus' still injured leg from Money in the Bank for the winning pinfall.

Christian defeated Titus O'Neil in a decent contest. Both men delivered worthy efforts, with Christian as usual on solid form. O'Neil once again proved he's got character here, especially when he began amusingly blowing a whistle as he kicked Christian in the corner.

Mark Henry came to the ring and stated that he was proud of his efforts against Cena at MITB, and also announced that he was ready to deliver a "whoopin'" to The Shield after their beat down of him last week. So sure enough The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) came down and began clobbering on Henry, that was until The Usos raced out and helped him chase off the trio. 

Dolph Ziggler bested Darren Young in a passable encounter. It wasn't anything that remarkable, but there were some nice moments of wrestling here and there. Afterwards Big E Langston, accompanied by AJ Lee, entered the ring and attempted to attack Ziggler but was outmanoeuvred by 'The Show Off' who managed a quick getaway. 

The Miz announced himself as the upcoming host of SummerSlam and introduced all the main Divas appearing in the new reality show (although I'm certain it'll be largely scripted) Total Divas, including two new faces in Eva Marie and Jo-Jo. Miz asked Jerry Lawler to join him in the ring, so after 'King' introduced himself to the two new Divas, Marie claimed she wanted to make an impression and slapped Lawler, sending him back to his seat. I can't say any of this got me interested in the upcoming show.  

Cody Rhodes pinned Fandango in a pretty forgettable bout. I just failed to find the interest here to be honest, not to say either wrestler looked bad on any level but they didn't deliver great displays either. For the finish Damien Sandow (who'd provided guest commentary) distracted Cody, but was then charged off of the apron when Rhodes managed to dodge an attack from Fandango and apply a Disaster Kick to them both, then hitting a Cross Rhodes for the one-two-three.

CM Punk admitted that last week Brock Lesnar man handled him, claiming that his biggest weapon has always been "fear," but he was not afraid of Heyman's monster and he was still able to stand after Lesnar's brutal attack last week. Punk also went on to warn Heyman once again that he will make him pay for his double cross, and challenged his client to a match at SummerSlam. Paul Heyman then appeared on the big screen and reminded Punk of how beat up he still was and how foolish the challenge was, but nonetheless accepted on Brock's behalf. As usual a segment involving these two was one of the highlights of the broadcast.

Rob Van Dam beat Wade Barrett in an entertaining affair. Much like his previous few match ups since returning to the company, RVD looked to be on fine form and is still receiving terrific responses from the fans. I know he's facing Del Rio on SmackDown this week but I was personally hoping he'd have a shot at the World Title at SummerSlam to add a bit more interest to the strap.

Daniel Bryan forced Jack Swagger to submit in an enjoyable first match in the series. Given more time they could've made even more of it, but it was fun as it was. 

Next up Bryan pinned Antonio Cesaro in a tremendous back and fourth contest. From the very start you were hooked here, with such high quality wrestling from two top talents in probably Cesaro's finest outing in WWE to date. Bryan finally caught Cesaro with an impressive small package as the Swiss attempted a European uppercut in the air. A great end to a great bout.

Finally Daniel Bryan won via disqualification versus Ryback in a satisfying match up for the most part. Granted it was always going to be tricky for them to outdo that previous outing, but they both did decent jobs and had a solid final third to the match after a little bit of a drab period of Ryback dominating. The DQ came after Ryback powerbombed Bryan through a table he'd pulled out from under the ring earlier on. Cena then came racing out to chase off Ryback and challenged him to a Tables Match next week, which Ryback agreed to.

Backstage Vince McMahon then convinced Maddox to book Bryan against his former tag partner Kane for next Monday's Raw, as part of his ruse to take out Bryan as he doesn't deem him the right type to be WWE Champion.

Overall it was a pretty fair Raw for the majority, with the CM Punk/Heyman segment, RVD versus Barrett and Bryan's three match ups (especially the superb one against Cesaro) being my highlights. I agree with JR's recent assessment that with his talent Bryan would've shone in any era of the business. Outside of those the show wasn't anything that remarkable, although to be fair we had some more advancements on feuds leading into SummerSlam at least. And what happened to the return of Big Show? Guess that's been moved on.  

My WWE Raw, 15th July 2013 Recap

Bryan a little happy at Cena's decision. Photo credit: WWE.com

Raw GM Brad Maddox kicked off the show by boasting that the Brooklyn fans will one day be able to tell their grandkids that they were there to witness the start of the "Brad Maddox era." WWE Champion John Cena soon interrupted him and admitted that he deserved a chance to prove himself as GM before he judged him. Maddox then informed Cena that he will get to pick his own opponent to defend the title against at SummerSlam.

Money in the Bank winner Randy Orton decided to join them both and warned Cena that when he cashes in he won't squander the opportunity like the champ did last year. If I hadn't watched the product in a while I would've sworn that Orton was a heel the way he put down Cena. Fandango then made his way out to a terrific reaction and claimed that the challenger the fans would like to see Cena face was himself. It was a hilariously delivered promo. Things soon turned physical however when Orton and Fandango began brawling in the ring, so Maddox booked them both in a match there and then. It was an entertaining start to the show.

Randy Orton pinned Fandango in a decent outing. There were worthy efforts provided by both men here, with this probably being Fandango's finest singles match to date. It may have started fairly slow but things soon picked up. Like many fans I'll admit that Orton's persona has grown a bit stale, but he's still one of the most consistent performers in the company for me and it's rare he doesn't deliver in the ring. 

Backstage Dolph Ziggler told AJ Lee that he was ending things between them. AJ was understandably distraught, but we'll get to more of that later...

Mark Henry came to the ring and admitted that Cena was the better man the previous night in their title clash, and asked that he gave him one more chance at SummerSlam for the strap. The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) then walked out and after being repelled by the beastly Henry, managed to wear down the 'World's Strongest Man' and triple powerbomb him. So it looks like Henry's turning face, which could work.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler in an intense back and fourth affair. Once again these two delivered a terrific match up, with engaging action throughout and top displays from each of them. The finish came after the upset AJ Lee rang the ringside bell, causing Ziggler to become distracted and Del Rio to hit a swift kick to the head and gain the one-two-three.

As the former couple argued in the ring, Big E Langston snuck in and ran Ziggler over with a mean clothesline and applied a Big Ending. Guess we know who 'The Show Off' is facing at SummerSlam. 

Before their match could begin, Bray Wyatt's 'family' took out a surprised R-Truth. Wyatt then gave a cryptic promo on how heroes no longer existed and that people can no longer trust even their own flesh and blood, but he was still trustworthy. Truth then entered the ring again with a steel chair in hand, but was soon caught out and beaten up by Bray and his associates. Well Wyatt is certainly one of the freshest and most interesting acts in the company right now.

The Usos bested The Real Americans in a fair tag bout. The match was fun while it lasted, it's just a shame they weren't allocated a bit more time to really excel, especially after The Usos's solid Tag Team Title match the night before. 

Christian pinned Damien Sandow in an enjoyable enough encounter. Much like the previous match they weren't given too much time, but they made the most of it. Christian catching MITB victor Sandow with a pinfall win seemed like odd booking though, but this failed to phase him as he still announced himself as the "Intellectual Saviour of Money in the Bank" afterwards.

An enraged Cody Rhodes then began clobbering his former tag partner who stabbed him in the bank the night before, with Sandow managing a quick escape after some security held Rhodes back.  

Naomi beat Brie Bella in an unremarkable affair. To be fair it was okay compared to the usual standard of match they deliver, but it still wasn't anything to shout about. Naomi gained the winning pin after applying a cross body from the top rope.

A stern CM Punk demanded that Heyman and Lesnar, who he was aware were in the building, enter the ring with him. So Paul Heyman made his way out, claiming that he now fails to exist in his eyes and was no longer the best in the World since dumping him as his associate, which was also the reason that he double crossed him by manipulating him and at Money in the Bank when he slammed a ladder into him multiple times. He also added that his children made it all clear when they asked why Punk didn't follow his orders like Lesnar did, who he also stated Punk could not beat.

Punk retorted by warning Heyman that he will gain retribution on everyone associated with the double cross, leaving him for last so he can witness it all. A confident Heyman then brought out his client Brock Lesnar who began brawling with Punk. While Punk managed brief comeback strikes, he was overpowered by Brock at every turn and eventually F5'd onto the announce desk. It was an enthralling segment from start to finish, with tremendous mic work from Heyman and an entertaining scrap.

Rob Van Dam defeated Chris Jericho in an engaging contest. They've certainly had superior match ups in the past, but that's not to take away from this one which had a few slightly sloppy moments but was enjoyable on the whole and well received by the fans in Brooklyn. 

After asking for the crowds opinion on who he should face at SummerSlam for the championship, John Cena finally announced the hottest wrestler in the company today as his challenger, Daniel Bryan. The fans gave a very healthy response to that pick, and it should be an interesting match next month.

Overall it was a solid show, with some good storyline developments and most match ups and promos worth checking out. My highlights were RVD versus Jericho, Del Rio versus Ziggler and the Punk, Heyman and Lesnar segment. Good start to the road to SummerSlam, let's hope they keep up the momentum.  

My WWE Raw, 20th August 2012 Recap

Paul Heyman, accompanied by his client Brock Lesnar, opened up the show by bragging about how Lesnar was able to force Triple H, the same man that he had witnessed first hand tear a quadricep years ago and finished the match, tap out to a submission hold the previous night at SummerSlam. He went on to state that 'The Game' by accepting the match and loosing in such a fashion had let all of his friends, fans and family down.

He then called out referee Scott Armstrong who had officiated the bout so Lesnar could congratulate him on a "Good job" after Armstrong had been told by Triple H before the match up to regard it as a No Disqualification and No Count Out contest, thereby allowing Lesnar to destroy 'The Game'. Heyman then went on to announce his client as "The conquerer of the WWE" after defeating the COO, quite a cool title, and it was a solid promo to start the show. 

Sin Cara, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeated Cody Rhodes, Darren Young and Titus O'Neil in an average six man tag match. The action was okay, just a bit bland for the most part. Sin Cara and Kofi managed to fortunately liven it up a bit.

Ryback won via disqualification versus two rookies in a routine squash match. The DQ came after Jinder Mahal ran in and began attacking Ryback, but he managed to mount a comeback and scare off Mahal.

Backstage Dolph Ziggler demanded a rematch with Chris Jericho to prove he's the better man. So General Manager AJ granted the rematch, but with the stipulations that if Jericho wins then he obtains Ziggler's Money in the Bank contract, and if Ziggler is victorious then Y2J's contract with WWE will be terminated.

Alberto Del Rio complained about how he should be World Champion after his foot was under the rope when the referee counted Sheamus' winning pin against him the night before in their title match. As he demanded a rematch right there and then, GM AJ informed him that the World title scene was Booker T's deal over on SmackDown, but while he was able to compete on Raw she booked him against Randy Orton.  

Randy Orton beat Alberto Del Rio in a solid contest. Both men put in a good effort and provided a very enjoyable bout as they went back and fourth. Del Rio almost had the win but World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus (who's provided decent guest commentary) alerted the referee to Orton's foot being on the bottom rope. As a furious Del Rio had a go at 'The Great White' he was caught out with an RKO. Well it looks like they're setting up these three for a Triple Threat for the title at Night of Champions, should be a good match up.

Damien Sandow defeated Brodus Clay in a passable to drab match up. Clay dominated for the most part, with Sandow managing to grab the one-two-three with a quick roll up pin.  

When interviewed live via satellite, Shawn Michaels spoke about the possible retirement of Triple H and how there's no way to really prepare for it even when you know it's coming. An emotional Michaels also said how his long-time friend has nothing to be ashamed of, and how he and the fans will always love him and respect what he's accomplished. It was a nice segment and actually quite touching at times, it made a nice change of pace.

Big Show beat David Otunga in a fairly brief squash match. I'm guessing this wasn't the return Otunga was hoping for.

Daniel Bryan and The Miz versus Kane and Zack Ryder ended in a no contest after Bryan and Miz decided to leg it away from the deranged Kane. The actual match itself was solid enough, with the always entertaining Bryan on his usual good form.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Chris Jericho in a match that ranged from exciting to slightly sloppy here and there. But on the whole it was a worthy effort from both wrestlers. As per the stipulations this meant that Jericho was officially fired. A disgruntled Y2J then went to hand over Ziggler's Money in the Bank briefcase as a sign of good sportsmanship, but decided to instead attack the arrogant Ziggler with it and Codebreakered him before leaving.

Kaitlyn won a messy and quite forgettable Divas Battle Royal to earn a title shot against Layla. Looking at some of the talent in there it's hardly surprising that there's barely any attention on the Divas division anymore. Some of the others in the match include Eve, Natalya and Tamina.  

WWE Champion CM Punk came out to officially announce the next number one contender to his title, when he noticed Jerry Lawler at ringside and asked him to apologise for claiming that he had turned his back on the fans on the 1000th Raw when he attacked The Rock. But before Lawler could John Cena came out, so Punk reprimanded him by claiming that he couldn't have waited and just had to hog the spotlight.

CM Punk also brought up the fact that he's always asked by fans why it is that although he's WWE Champion he's not normally in the main event of PPV's. He explained that he hadn't minded because for him it was about respect and  wherever he was on a card that was the real main event anyway. Punk went on to tell Cena that a title match at Night of Champions was his if he can admit that Punk is the "best in the world". Cena retorted by claiming that his relationship with the fans wasn't built on holding a championship, but on respect. Something which Punk is so desperate to attain as the title holder.

Cena went on to inform Punk that he'll not call him the best in the world even if it means loosing out on a title shot, as he believes that each wrestler has to believe that they are the best to succeed. After he left CM Punk called Lawler into the ring to once again apologise, so Lawler did. But the champ wasn't done, as he also asked Jerry to call him the best in the world. Lawler proclaimed that he couldn't do that, and as he went to leave he was met with a kick to the head by Punk. It was an entertaining segment, with solid mic work from all the men involved. The more serious Cena is always much more engaging then the childish, jokey one we normally get.   

My WWE SummerSlam 2012 Recap

Chris Jericho defeated Dolph Ziggler in a decent and enjoyable enough opener. The match up picked up in quality as it went on and the final third had some very effective near falls and sequences. A good choice to start off the show and get the crowd going, with the fans in the arena also split with their support for each man.

Daniel Bryan beat Kane in a solid contest. I wasn't expecting anything special here but it was a good effort from both men and a fun match to watch. Bryan scored the one-two-three with a quick roll up pin which caught Kane out. 

The Miz (c) defeated Rey Mysterio to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a well executed match up. In one of the finest one on one performances I've seen from Miz both men put in a terrific effort and pulled off a very engaging title bout, they honestly didn't go a step wrong and had the crowd interested throughout. As usual Mysterio manages to bring the best out of his opponent. 

Michael Cole also mentioned during the match regarding the champion "That's what you have to do for longevity in WWE, evolve." If only he would pass that on to his commentary partner Lawler. 

Sheamus (c) defeated Alberto Del Rio to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. It was a fair bout, with a confusing finish. Don't get me wrong it wasn't a bad match, just a bit disappointing for me. Considering the build up and the two men involved I was expecting a bit more here, although there were a few exciting near falls and submission attempts here and there.

During the final few minutes Ricardo Rodriguez managed to throw his shoe without the referee seeing into the ring, but unfortunately for him it ended up with the champ who walloped Del Rio in the head with it. As Sheamus then went for the winning pin his opponent managed to get his foot on the rope but the ref didn't see. Could the Irishman who's been very well built up as a babyface for over a year now have had a more heelish finish? It certainly doesn't do any favours for his character in my mind.

R-Truth and Kofi Kingston (c) defeated Darren Young and Titus O'Neil to retain the WWE Tag Team titles. It was a passable contest, not particularly outstanding but not awful.

CM Punk (c) beat Big Show and John Cena in a Triple Threat to retain the WWE Championship. The match itself ranged from quite average to decent. Big Show managed to have most of the offense and dominate both Punk and Cena for the first third of the contest, which shortly grew quite drab. Fortunately the champ and Cena then made comebacks and the match started to liven up a bit, with the two causing a double tap out on Show as they both applied submission holds onto the giant. Raw General Manager AJ joined them and had the match restarted. For the finish Punk threw Cena out of the ring after he'd AA'd Big Show and grabbed the one-two-three.

It was another nice touch to the slightly more heelish mannerisms that CM Punk's adopted as of late since attacking The Rock at the 1000th Raw. I'd prefer it if they just kept him like this, in between face and heel like he was around Money in the Bank last year.

We then had Kevin Rudolf perform the theme song for the pay-per-view 'Don't Give Up'. As with most musical performances on a pro wrestling event they just feel out and place and are often skipped by me. 

Brock Lesnar defeated Triple H in a terrific main event. As expected there was plenty of drama and intensity and these two went back and fourth in a battle that fortunately lived up to the hype. Lesnar and Triple H logically targeted their foes weak points during the match and broke them down, that being Lesnar's stomach and 'The Game's' previously broken arm, and sold it well. And while it wasn't understandably fast paced, it was an exciting and engaging bout. Lesnar won after forcing Triple H to tap to his signature armlock. Afterwards Triple H slowly made his way out of the ring on his own, and acted as if he was saying goodbye to the fans. He'll be back...

Overall SummerSlam was a pretty solid event, with most of the matches being entertaining enough and a only a few that maybe weren't quite up to standard but not bad by any means. The two world title matches didn't quite live up to the hype for me unfortunately, which was fairly disappointing but they're certainly watchable.

My WWE SmackDown, 17th August 2012 Recap

An upset Alberto Del Rio demanded that his World title match with Sheamus be reinstated since General Manager Booker T cancelled it after Del Rio and his hired muscle attacked the World Heavyweight Champion on last week's show. Booker T joined Del Rio and explained that he'd crossed a boundary and had to be punished. Surprisingly Chris Jericho then came out and mocked Del Rio in both English and Spanish amusingly.

Y2J also proposed that after he is victorious against Ziggler at SummerSlam he should take his spot in the World title match. Instead Booker announced that since Sheamus won't be able to compete this Sunday then Jericho and Del Rio will face each other for the first time on the show that night.      

Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara defeated Cody Rhodes and The Miz in an enjoyable enough tag contest. Sin Cara suited the role of the limited tag team partner well, just pulling off a few exciting moves in short bursts now and then. 

Curt Hawkings and Tyler Reks beat a couple of rookies in a squash tag team match. Before the bell rung Hawkings and Reks performed a strip routine down to their new attire which looks like underpants. It was a strange routine but it should get them some attention I guess. 

Before Eve's match she was wished luck from William Regal, who in a funny segment reminisced about the time he was GM of Raw and the power that came with it before he was then ordered to take out the rubbish. He really deserves a more prominent role in WWE.

Eve defeated Kaitlyn to become Booker T's assistant in an average and forgettable bout. They looked capable enough, it was just a pretty skippable match up.

Randy Orton defeated Daniel Bryan in a solid encounter. Although maybe not the most exciting match ever it was a good display from both men and worth a watch. Orton managed to RKO Bryan for the win after Kane had his signature flames light up the ring posts to distract his foe on Sunday.

Antonio Cesaro beat Zack Ryder in a rather brief contest. Ryder managed to get in a bit of offense but not enough to see off the number one contender to the US title. Speaking of which, the US Champion himself Santino Marella provided guest commentary and unfortunately for him also got flung across the announce table by Cesaro after his victory. 

As Jericho was making his way out for the main event he was blindsided by Dolph Ziggler and taken out, then warned him that he is far too good to be overlooked. A very pleased Del Rio had his announcer Ricardo Rodriguez announce him the winner, but it was premature as Jericho's music hit and a battered Y2J came to the ring for his match.  

Alberto Del Rio defeated Chris Jericho in a fair main event bout. The efforts from both participants was up to standard and the action was solid enough too. Ziggler managed to assist Del Rio from ringside as he pulled down the ropes causing Jericho to tumble to the outside, helping Alberto to then grab the one-two-three with a swift kick to the head.

As Del Rio then applied the arm breaker after the match Sheamus made his way out and scared him and Dolph off. A concerned Booker T then asked 'The Great White' why he was already back from injury so soon. Sheamus just demanded that his match with Del Rio be booked once again so he could exact vengeance, and Booker complied and reinstated the World title match for Sunday. 

My WWE Raw, 13th August 2012 Recap

CM Punk defeated Big Show via disqualification after an irate Daniel Bryan had ran in and applied the No Lock onto Punk to prove that he deserved to be in the WWE Championship match at SummerSlam. The actual bout itself had been quite fair, with CM Punk putting in a decent effort against the limited Big Show.

As both Show and Bryan carried on attacking the champion John Cena came racing in to his aid and fought off both men with his trademark comically awful offense. Predictably General Manager AJ then booked a tag match between the four men for later on that night. Does it bug anyone else when Cole and Lawler act so over the top excited when obvious announcments like this are made?

Ryback defeated JTG in a squash match.

R-Truth beat Heath Slater in a brief and passable, if unmemorable, bout. Afterwards Darren Young and Titus O'Neil decided to make the most of Kingston's absence and took out Truth. I for one will miss AW's involvement with the team. 

In a WWE.com exclusive SmackDown GM Booker T announced that after Del Rio's attack on Sheamus with his group of hired muscle on last weeks show their World title match at SummerSlam was off.

Sin Cara defeated Lord Tensai in a fair contest. It wasn't anything particularly special, but watchable. Afterwards Tensai once again took out his frustrations on his worshipper Sakumoto.

Chris Jericho was voted as the special guest for Roddy Piper's Piper's Pit by the fans on Twitter. The two reminisced about the last time they were together in a ring at WrestleMania 25, and also spoke about how the fans were now behind Y2J like they had been for Piper when he took on Mr. T many years ago. It just felt like a strange segment and not that entertaining for me to be honest.

Jericho's foe on Sunday Dolph Ziggler then joined them and stated how tired he was of seeing Piper's same old routine over and over. Ziggler also warned Jericho that in many years time he'll be the deranged retired wrestler in Roddy's place, and reiterated his words before that Jericho is past it and can no longer win the big one. Y2J naturally disagreed with his opinion. Intercontinental Champion The Miz also came out and informed everyone that he was taking over the show and ordered Jericho and Piper to leave. This instigated a brawl between everyone, ending with Jericho chucking Ziggler and Miz out of the ring. Over the break AJ announced via Twitter (of course) that they would now be participating in a Triple Threat.

Dolph Ziggler beat Chris Jericho and The Miz in an entertaining Triple Threat match. The action was mostly solid with an exciting finish as Ziggler managed to sneak in a Zig Zag on Jericho as he had the Walls of Jericho applied on Miz for the three count. I'm predicting a Ziggler win on Sunday.

Kaitlyn and Layla defeated Beth Phoenix and Eve in a mediocre tag bout. The action was just lacklustre for the majority, you wouldn't be missing anything by skipping it. Unfortunately after the departures of Kharma and Sofia Cortez this year it doesn't look like the Divas division is heading in any positive directions, which is a shame considering how enjoyable it could be with the right talent and writing.

John Cena and CM Punk beat Daniel Bryan and Big Show in a decent tag team contest. The match was understandably built around the uneasy alliance between Cena and Punk, with each stealing each others signature maneuvers and taunts. Bryan and Big Show also had an unstable affair as they would tag themselves in. For the finish Punk decided he'd had enough and left for the ramp, leaving Cena to almost be caught out with a roll up pin by Bryan but instead managing to getting in an AA for the one-two-three. 

Afterwards the WWE Champion ran in and struck Show with his title belt as he was about to attack Cena. Punk then extended his arm for a handshake, but an unsure Cena refused the offer. Maybe this storyline does have some interest in it, I know it finally has for me now.

Damien Sandow defeated Christian in a surprise result, but surely a big step up on the ladder for Sandow. The bout itself was solid enough with a good showing from both competitors. Brodus Clay also made his return after being injured by Sandow last week, a return that was maybe a bit premature in my mind. I think Christian also needs something new to freshen up his persona, he just isn't getting as much enthusiasm from the fans as he deserves at the moment. 

Paul Heyman and his client Brock Lesnar made their way out for the contract signing, with Heyman explaining how desperate Triple H was for the upcoming match up. How his pride and status within the company will be on the line against 'The War Machine'. He also went on to challenge Shawn Michaels to come out and challenge his opinion that Lesnar will destroy his long time friend on Sunday, so HBK accepted the challenge and joined them, shortly followed by Triple H himself. 'The Game' and Lesnar didn't say anything at all they just signed their contracts, with Lesnar throwing his at Triple H before leaving.

We then saw Shawn in the parking lot as he went to leave the building, with Heyman having blocked him off. Lesnar then appeared and dragged HBK out of his car as the camera stopped picking up a picture after Brock accidentally went into it. A worried Triple H then gave chase as Lesnar dragged Michaels into the ring, applying the same arm lock that he'd used to break Triple H's arm. Heyman warned 'The Game' not to take another step, but Lesnar went ahead and broke the arm of Michael's anyway and made his escape. A nice dramatic finale before their big clash at SummerSlam, just as it should be.