My WWE Survivor Series 2012 Recap

Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns make their mark. Photo credit: WWE.com  

Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara, Justin Gabriel, Tyson Kidd and Brodus Clay defeated the Prime Time Players, Epico, Primo and Tensai in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match. It was an enjoyable start to the show, with largely decent action to get the crowd going. Unfortunately the period between Tensai and Clay was rather sloppy, but the other members of the teams involved gave worthy efforts, especially Kidd and Mysterio. 

The eliminations went as follows: Brodus Clay was first taken out by Tensai, then Tensai by Justin Gabriel with a quick roll up, next was Titus O'Neil by Tyson Kidd, Epico by Kidd via submission from the sharpshooter, Primo by Mysterio, and finally Darren Young by Mysterio after the remaining four members of his team all applied high flying moves for an exciting finish. 

On the way out to her match backstage, Kaitlyn was attacked by a hooded assailant  just like at Night of Champions. only this time she discovered that it was Aksana wearing a fake blonde wig. Eve quickly ran up to her and feigned concern, but the challenger to her title was onto her.

Eve (c) bested Kaitlyn to retain the Divas Championship in a fair effort by both women. As expected it wasn't anything terrific or that exciting, but it wasn't bad and I'll take that from the current Divas division. And as the current top talent in said division Eve was the right person to win here.

Antonio Cesaro (c) beat R-Truth to retain the United States Title in a decent contest.  Cesaro was on his usual solid form, with Truth also providing a worthy display. Not necessarily the most gripping bout but still a fun watch. Giving Cesaro the US strap was certainly the right move, it hasn't been this relevant or entertaining since the (then) red hot Ryder won it last year.

AJ Lee came out and presented a series of fake images to Vickie Guerrero with her on various dates with JR, Ricardo Rodriguez and Brodus Clay as payback for the treatment she's received from the managing supervisor of Raw every week in their tedious scandal storyline. She also revealed that the WWE Board of Directors will fire Vickie if she lays a finger on her. Tamina then ran in and took out AJ for Guerrero, applying a Superfly Splash to finish her off. It wasn't a great segment, and like I've already typed I hope this feud between Vickie and AJ is resolved soon.

Sheamus won via disqualification versus Big Show (c), therefore Show retained the World Heavyweight Title. Once again these two put on an intense World Championship battle, with plenty of exciting moments. 'The Great White' dominated the start, but Show soon took over after applying a spear as Sheamus came off the top rope. The Irishman later on applied an impressive electric chair drop to the champ to even the odds. For the finish Big Show pulled the referee into the way of an oncoming Brogue Kick, then applied a KO punch for the on-two-three when Sheamus was distracted by the condition of the official.

But after reviewing the footage the referee in charge then disqualified Show for pulling the official in the way. As the furious champion argued over the decision, Sheamus came to and began attacking him with a steel chair to presumably set up some kind of stipulation match for TLC next month. Show begged for forgiveness after many strikes, but instead Sheamus applied a Brogue Kick to the giant and left. It was a nice way to prolong their feud. And I have to admit when I'm wrong, I didn't think their rivalry would be worthwhile, but it's actually provided some engaging contests and had decent build ups and segments. I'm quite looking forward their next match at TLC.

Team Ziggler (Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Wade Barrett, Damien Sandow and David Otunga) defeated Team Foley (Randy Orton, The Miz, Daniel Bryan, Kane and Kofi Kingston) in a tradition Survivor Series elimination match. And this was yet another fine team match for the night. Every man put in a good display (bar Otunga, who looked rather ropey as usual) and the pace was kept nice and fast to keep the fans engaged and the excitement going.

It's hard to pick out any particular performances to mention, like I said it was a solid effort by most involved, but if I had to I'd say Ziggler and Orton. For the finish Orton went a little old-school as he attempted a punt kick on Ziggler, but failed as Dolph managed to get in a nice superkick for the winning pin. The exact right man was the sole survivor here, Ziggler needed this win in a big way. I wouldn't mind seeing him now feud with Foley if the rumours are true about Mick jumping into the ring again for TLC. 

The eliminations went as follows: Damien Sandow by Kane after a Choke Slam, Kane quickly followed by Ziggler after arguing with (who else?) Bryan, Otunga via submission via the No Lock by Bryan, Kingston by Barrett, Bryan by Del Rio (which the fans were not pleased with), Barrett by Miz, Miz by Del Rio, Del Rio by Orton and finally Orton by Ziggler.

CM Punk (c) bested John Cena and Ryback in a Triple Threat to retain the WWE Championship, and it was an...interesting main event. The match itself varied in quality, and on the whole was decent enough but nothing spectacular. Not up to the quality you expect for a WWE Title bout anyway.

But fortunately a very nice twist at the end turned the match into something far more interesting, and has got many fans already buzzing. During the end as Ryback went to pin Cena after applying a Shell Shock, three men posing as workers at ringside dragged him out of the ring and powerbombed him through the Spanish announce table, allowing Punk to cover Cena and retain his strap.

These three men were Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins of NXT. If you haven't heard of Rollins or Ambrose (and really, you should have) then look them up, because if WWE book this angle correctly they should become big names and fast in the company. I'm certainly excited by the ending, with the current ratings drop for Raw they knew they had to bring in some fresh talent and they made some smart choices. And most importantly this actually has me greatly anticipating Raw tomorrow night.

Overall Survivor Series was a pretty successful pay-per-view, with no bad matches on the card and a very strong ending. The Team Foley versus Team Ziggler match and World Heavyweight Championship collision were the highlights for me, and of course the debut of Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns. My only real gripe with the event was the main event, while it wasn't bad by any means it wasn't that strong and certainly not up to the standard of a main event of one of the big four PPV's. Otherwise I quite enjoyed it. 

My WWE Survivor Series 2012 Predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

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

Hopefully this will end their feud, and Eve can move on to more interesting (although not better in the ring) competition in AJ Lee. Should be a pretty average contest, as with most Diva ones right now. Trust me, I don't enjoy ripping on the division but it really does need a serious shake up.

Winner: Eve

United States Championship Match - Antonio Cesaro (c) versus R-Truth:

My prediction for opener of the event. Should be a decent enough encounter, not expecting anything that spectacular. Cesaro to retain cleanly.

Winner: Antonio Cesaro

Survivor Series Match - Team Foley (The Miz, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton) versus Team Ziggler (Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Wade Barrett, Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes):

I'm quite optimistic about this bout, the talent is there and they have no excuses not to provide a solid traditional Survivor Series team match. With Team Hell No and Ziggler especially (who are all on good form at the moment) I'm looking forward to it. Ziggler needs the win here far more than anyone else (I feel like I've been saying that a lot over the last few months) so I'm hoping he gets the win for his team after an implosion of some kind from Team Foley.

Winner: Team Ziggler

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

With their surprisingly decent World Title match from HIAC I'm expecting an enjoyable rematch here. I also feel that their match has had the best build up out of the entire card tonight, so hopefully it lives up to it. I'm expecting Big Show to retain, but after dubious circumstances of some kind (maybe involving the ref?) to set up a stipulation rematch of some kind for TLC next month.

Winner: Big Show

WWE Championship Triple Threat Match - CM Punk (c) versus John Cena versus Ryback: 

In all honesty I'm really split on the quality of this match and how it'll turn out. While I think it will be fairly exciting, with the first ever physical confrontation between Cena and Ryback and Punk on brilliant form, I can't see it being a tremendous main event. Hopefully I'm wrong and it turns out well. Oh, and CM Punk to retain and hold onto the title for a whole year, he deserves it as the most entertaining thing about the company today.

Winner: CM Punk 

My WWE SmackDown, 16th November 2012 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE Raw, 12th November 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler in a passable, if unmemorable match up. The action was solid enough, just not up to the standard we've had form these two together before. For the finish Alberto Del Rio distracted Orton at ringside, which gave Ziggler the upper hand for a few seconds until 'The Viper' managed to get in a quick roll up for the one-two-three. Considering Ziggler is actually the captain of his Survivor Series team and the fact that Del Rio distracted Orton, he really should've gotten the win here instead. He had more to gain and desperately needs it at the moment. 

Afterwards Del Rio and Ziggler continued the attack on Orton until Kofi kingston came racing out to his SS teammate's aid. This prompted Teddy Long to book a tag team match between them under orders from Booker T.

Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler beat Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton in a mostly decent tag bout. Again the wrestling can't really be faulted, but the match just wasn't that memorable. It felt like most tag bouts featuring Del Rio and Orton together. Del Rio grabbed the win after applying an step up enzuigiri to Kofi on the corner ropes. 

Ziggler tediously presented all of the evidence we've had to watch for the last two weeks straight involved in the Cena and AJ scandal. Vickie Guerrero then asked AJ Lee to come out and have one last chance to explain herself. So AJ joined them, and after being pushed by Vickie she once again admitted the fact that her and Cena were just friends, no more. She also went on to claim that all of this was retribution from Guerrero for her receiving the role of General Manager at Raw 1000 from Vince McMahon personally over her.

Vickie in response played some voice mail messages with AJ's voice, with her supposedly admitting her feelings for Cena. A confused AJ asked Vickie how she'd faked the messages, claiming that she'd never said those things. As Ziggler then pushed AJ a little further, John Cena came out and punched Ziggler, along with a slap from AJ for 'The Show Off'. AJ's work on the mic here was solid enough, but that was about it. This storyline is just getting tiresome and needs to be resolved fast or have a half decent advancement.    

Big Show bested William Regal in an average and pretty drab outing. Big Show predictably dominated for the most part, while Regal managed to get in a few minor shots. 

Kaitlyn beat Layla in a sub par contest. I can't honestly say that I was ever that engaged or excited at all during the match up, and the action was average for the most part. Kaitlyn will go on to face Eve for the Divas Title at Survivor Series, not expecting much from that bout either really. I'm starting to feel a little bad bashing the female wrestlers in WWE week in and week out, but the fact is that the division seriously needs a big shake up and an injection of new and actually interesting blood. 

Michael Cole and JR introduced the returning Jerry Lawler. It was a genuinely touching moment seeing the emotional King make his way into the ring and embrace the two men, and as expected the response was tremendous from the fans. Lawler went on to compare his life over the last month to the film 'That's a wonderful life', claiming that he had no idea how many fans he had out there until he saw the response after his heart attack.

WWE Champion CM Punk then interrupted Lawler, and warned him that he's lucky he left the ring when he did because "I would've beat you to death." He then went on to talk about the disrespect shown from King after he tried to step into the ring months ago and compete with the 'Best in the World'. But he also added that he's glad he's back to commentate on his title match on Sunday, but told him to try "not to croak" before then. Lawler retorted by claiming that his title run will be over that night. 

Paul Heyman then faked a heart attack in the ring, laughing with CM Punk afterwards at the prank. This cued Mick Foley to come out and announce that he would be letting the fans decide the final member for his Survivor Series team, then told Punk to "Shut up!" and admitted his annoyance when he was told that it would no longer be his team versus Punk's, since he was looking forward to teaching the champ a lesson in respect. But luckily for Foley he informed Punk that he would be the special enforcer for his tangle with Cena later that night. As usual it was brilliant promo work from the WWE Champion, and an entertaining segment. 

Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara, Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd defeated Darren Young, Titus O'Neil, Epico and Primo in an exciting tag bout. In the match of the night at that point all eight men put in worthy performances, especially the consistent Mysterio. The blistering finishing sequence was also very well executed. Definitely worth a watch this one.

Backstage Ziggler asked The Miz if he wants to be on his team since he knew he'd come begging eventually. Miz turned down the offer, reminding Ziggler of his loss to Orton earlier in the show. Foley then also turned up and challenged Ziggler to a match pitting four of their team members against each other in a tag match, so 'The Show Off' accepted. Miz then asked Foley to be a part of his team to get pay back on Ziggler, so Mick agreed to put him in the online poll for a chance. 

Before R-Truth's match up, US Champion Antonio Cesaro claimed that his opponent at SS has an imaginary friend because he's become a joke and a shadow of his prouder self, much like the US itself. 

R-Truth beat Tensai in a fair effort. I can't complain about the match, it wasn't anything that special but it was definitely watchable. 

Before Brad Maddox's confrontation with Ryback, an ambulance amusingly pulled up on his way out, along with a few EMT's with a stretcher. I thought this was a nice touch.

Ryback beat Brad Maddox in a passable squash match. I was actually surprised at the result here. I figured it was too obvious, and with Maddox earlier in the night talking to Heyman backstage I thought that he'd have some outside help to get a lucky win and the million dollar contract. Ryback also wasn't done after the bout, as he continued to assault Maddox and literally threw him into the ambulance. 

Sheamus defeated David Otunga in a brief one-sided match. Sheamus didn't waste any time as he took out Otunga in an average affair. Afterwards 'The Great White' warned Big Show that he's going to apply the match-finishing Brogue Kick to him come Sunday in their World Title clash. In response Show applied a KO punch to Regal, also warning Sheamus that he's going to end the match with his finishing maneuver. 

In another one of their entertaining segments, Daniel Bryan told Kane how upset he was that he was teaming with somebody else instead of him, and that if it'd been the other way around he would've refused. But by the end of the speech Kane had already had enough and left. It was then revealed that Miz had won the online vote and would be a part of Team Foley at Survivor Series.

Kane and The Miz bested Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow) in an enjoyable tag contest. The Miz received a healthy response from the fans after his new face turn, and I agree with the decision. Miz's persona needed a bit of revitalising and I think he can pull it off. The wrestling itself was also solid enough for the most part. A jealous Bryan during the bout attempted to attack Miz but missed, he also went to celebrate with Kane and Miz afterwards but had his loyalty questioned.    

John Cena defeated CM Punk in a largely solid and fun main event, and match of the night. Both wrestlers gave  good displays here and as usual worked well together. During the contest Punk had enough and attempted to leave, but Ryback was blocking his path so Cena dragged him back to the ring and applied an Attitude Adjustment for the winning pinfall. So at least the champ didn't loose fairly.

After the bell had rung Cena and Ryback once again faced off as they both picked up Punk's WWE Title belt. I'm expecting a fairly decent Triple Threat come Sunday, but hopefully it'll be better than I'm predicting. We'll see.

Overall it was a fair show, with a few enjoyable match ups including a solid eight-man tag and main event. CM Punk's promo on Lawler was the highlight for me, superb work as usual on the mic there. Unfortunately the flawed scandal storyline is still being rammed down our throats, hopefully it'll conclude soon enough.  

My WWE SmackDown, 6th November 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE Raw, 5th November 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE SmackDown, 2nd November 2012 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE Raw, 29th October 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

A clearly struggling CM Punk made his way out and called all the fans in attendance "wrong" for incorrectly predicting his loss the previous night at Hell in a Cell. He went on to then list off all of the men he's defeated in the company, and also claimed that he had nothing to do with the referee aiding his win against Ryback after they low blowed him and made a very fast three-count.

Mick Foley then made a surprise appearance to a healthy reception from the crowd and stated that Punk had embarrassed himself at HIAC and tarnished the tradition of the match. In response the WWE Champion suggested a traditional Survivor Series match between Team Foley and his own team to settle things between them. Just after Foley accepted the challenge, an angered Ryback made his way out and scared CM Punk into the crowd. It was a decent start to the show, although nothing on Foley's previous promo with Punk but this was obviously just to set up their SS match up. The crowd in Carolina had already been louder and more responsive than the one in Atlanta the previous night.

Ryback defeated JTG in a mediocre squash match.

Randy Orton beat Wade Barrett in a solid enough bout. Although not as engaging as some of their previous efforts you can't fault the displays of both men.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) bested the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) in a enjoyable enough tag contest. Although it wasn't anything outstanding it was still fun to watch, with the chemistry between Team Hell No still going strong. For the finish Kane Chokeslammed Young, only to be tagged out by Bryan who locked on the No Lock for the victory via submission. 

Vickie Guerrero brought out John Cena, the man behind the apparent affair scandal with AJ Lee that she brought to the WWE Board of Directors. Vickie presented footage from previous Raws (which proved nothing) of the two and of someone filming them entering an elevator in a hotel. Cena stated that all he did was walk her to her door and that was it, but of course Guerrero wasn't convinced.

Dolph Ziggler then came out and also claimed that the 'affair' was obvious to everyone, so in response Cena grabbed him and warned 'The Show Off' never to mention their names in the same sentence again and left. I really don't believe a feud with Cena will do Dolph any favours at all. If he wasn't allowed to defeat Orton convincingly (as he should have done on PPV) then what chance has he got against Cena? Cena has never enhanced anyone, just buried potential talent. 

Kofi Kingston won via disqualification versus Antonio Cesaro after The Miz attacked him at ringside. The bout itself had been pretty pedestrian, nothing that special. Given more time I'm sure they'd put on something worth a watch. Miz went for Kofi after he'd hurled Cesaro into him at the commentator's desk. As both men attacked the IC Champion R-Truth raced out to his former tag partner's aid and chased them off. 

After refusing to give up her dignity for the sake of getting her job back by admitting anything happened with Cena, Vickie agreed to hire AJ back anyway under the condition that she couldn't lay a finger on her. The acting really wasn't good during the segment.  

In an amusing VT we went behind the scenes with 3MB (Slater, Mahal and McIntyre) as they discussed their band and what they represent, making no sense at all. I'm liking the new group, even Mahal had charisma here.

3MB (Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal) beat Santino Marella and Zack Ryder in a largely average tag bout. The match just felt pretty run of the mill really, no exceptional performances. At least Slater showed some character in the ring.

AJ Lee defeated Beth Phoenix in a brief match where she managed to catch Phoenix out with a quick inside cradle, which the referee oddly counted at a slow pace. Vickie Guerrero announced after that AJ's performance wasn't good enough and demanded that the match be restarted. So Beth Glam Slammed AJ for the one-two-three.

Former World Champ Sheamus came out and admitted that Big Show was the better man in their HIAC match. But he also went on to claim that the war was "far from over" and he couldn't wait for their rematch. Big Show predictably joined 'The Great White' and stated that behind Sheamus' smile he was afraid of the fact that he brought everyone he could against the giant and still couldn't win, and never will. So Sheamus retorted with a White Noise, and left with a smile.

Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) beat Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara in an enjoyable tag match. The pace was kept nice and fast to keep things interesting, and all four men gave decent efforts. Successful bout.

John Cena, along with a selection of the WWE roster on the stage, revealed a one-million dollar cheque for the Susan G. Komen for the cure breast cancer charity from the WWE. Both representatives for the organisation seemed overwhelmed with the amount. 

Alberto Del Rio defeated Justin Gabriel in a fair outing, if rather unmemorable. I can't fault the displays of either wrestler, they both looked decent but the match was just lacking heat and real interest. Once again Gabriel was also involved in a match that played before an indifferent crowd, I'm surprised he's not getting a reaction with his style in the ring.

Paul Heyman revealed that he'd recruited Team Rhodes Scholars, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio (would've much rather seen Barrett in his place) for CM Punk's Survivor Series team. Punk revealed that it would be a celebration at SS, and a chance to cut Foley's attempt at the spotlight short. Mick of course joined the champ and questioned his manhood as of late, and his tactics in recruiting a crooked referee at HIAC. Foley then went on to announce Orton, Kingston and Team Hell No as part of his SS team.

He also turned things around on Punk as he revealed that  he wasn't actually a part of the team but just managing it, and out came Ryback as the final member. This then instigated a brawl between the teams, with the horrified WWE Champion making a quick getaway. 

Overall it was an average show, and pretty underwhelming. By the end I was hoping for a Ric Flair appearance, that's how much interest I was loosing. Most matches were okay but no outstanding or must-see like you should really have on every show. Other than that the CM Punk material was solid enough as usual, although I was a little disappointed with Foley's contributions compared to his superb promo on his last Raw appearance, but oh well. The first official Survivor Series match should be a good'n anyway I reckon. 

My Survivor Series 2011 Recap

Dolph Ziggler (c) defeated John Morrison to retain the United States championshipin a good effort by both men and a solid opener. The match was filled with nice near-falls and also had strong chants of "We want Ryder" and "Woo woo woo" throughout. It may have started a little slow but the ending was strong and made even the chants for Ryder die down.
Afterwards Ziggler explained how he may be a show off and brag a lot but he backs up everything he says. Zach Ryder then raced out and delivered a Rough Ryder to the champ. I honestly cannot thing of any reason at all why they didn't have Ryder face Ziggler one on one for the title at the pay per view? It had the perfect setting, the fans would've been solidly behind it. It baffles me.
Beth Phoenix (c) defeated Eve Torres to retain her Divas championship in a Lumberjill match. The bout itself was a pretty average divas one but with a nicely executed finish where Beth Glamslammed Eve off of the top rope. As for Beth's possible next contender it could well be Natalya I predict, there have been plenty of rumours about WWE turning her face lately and Phoenix has gone as far as she really can with Eve and Kelly in my opinion.
Backstage David Otunga visited CM Punk and passed on a message from John Laurinaitis that Michael Cole could sue Punk for putting his hands on him or Punk could go out and publicly apologise for what he did. Punk said he'd think about it.
The Rock then gave an (you guessed it!) electrifying promo on his history in the company form his debut at Survivor Series 96 with "the worst haircut known to mankind." He even at one point did a rendition of "New York, New York" along with the crowd in attendance when talking about how special the city truly is. 
Team Barrett defeated Team Orton in the traditional five on five Survivor Series match. Dolph Ziggler was the first eliminated after an RKO from Orton early on, while it was disappointing to see him go it made sense after him already having competed in a competitive match earlier on in the night. There were yet more chants of "we want Ryder" emitting from the crowd when things quieted down during the match up as they checked on the injured Sin Cara, who had to be next eliminated from the match due to an apparent hyperextended knee from a simultaneous flip dive with Kofi Kingston to the outside. Mason Ryan was next eliminated by Cody Rhodes after a Cross Rhodes. Ryan had mostly played out to boos for the majority of his time in the bout due to his lack of character and ability in the ring, I don't blame them. Rhodes, who had gotten the biggest cheer during the entrances and during the actual match got a nice ovation after eliminating Mason. Kingston next went after a Wasteland from Barrett. Sheamus was disqualified after ignoring the referee's five count when kneeing Swagger on the ropes, but he left a parting gift as he Bro Kicked Jack Swagger. Leaving Orton free to get the one-two-three and eliminate him form the match. Orton, now on his own, then RKO'd Hunico as he made a springboard dive from the ropes and pinned him. As Rhodes distracted Randy, Barrett managed to apply his Wsteland to him to win the match for his team.
The match up itself was entertaining enough, I wouldn't have minded seeing a little more offence from Hunico perhaps. Good choice picking Barrett as the one to win the match and pin 'The Viper' also. Him and Rhodes had a lot more to gain by being the sole survivors in the traditional Survivor Series match, now's the time to start building them up as future World champions. Lord knows SmackDown needs it with Henry as their premier heel, that says it all on how desperate they are for fresh faces in the main event scene.
Before the Big Show versus Mark Henry match we saw the ring being reinforced before the two fat men came out, just incase they destroyed it again like at Vengeance. Am I the only one sick of them going on about it like it was a once in a lifetime thing? It wasn't even original, they did the exact same thing back in 2003. What, that's been erased form history now?  
Big Show won via disqualification against Mark Henry (c) after Henry low blowed him in front of the ref. The match was as I predicted, mostly a bore. The crowd even lost interest as chants of "boring," "Undertaker" and "Daniel Bryan" began to fill Madison Square Garden. In the most exciting part Big Show did a diving elbow drop from the top rope onto Henry. Although it did take him a while to get his balance up there.
After the match Henry attempted a dive onto Big Show's leg which had been wrapped with a steel chair but Show managed to avoid it and knocked Henry out with a punch. He then leg dropped Henry's legs which had also been wrapped with the steel chair as retribution. 
In a hilarious moment just before the VT for the CM Punk versus Del Rio match we heard the useless and bumbling King say "And it all started at Survivor Series" and Cole had to correct him and say "SummerSlam." Why do they have Lawler on commentary still? The man is worthless.
Also before the match began Punk had his own ring announcer in Hall of Famer Howard Finkel. The reaction overwhelmed Finkel as he began to well up which made the announcement go on long a little longer then expected as Punk amusingly signaled to a fake watch as he saw Finkel on his way out.
CM Punk defeated Alberto Del Rio (c) to win the WWE Championship in a solid World title match. The bout started off a little slowly but the ending really brought the excitement with near falls and submission attempts. The crowd was (predictably) firmly behind the challenger throughout. Punk got the win by forcing Del Rio to tap to the Anaconda Vice and as a bonus 'The Fink' announced his title victory.
Although I felt Del Rio needed a win here to solidify himself as a credible main eventer, I can't help but be relieved that his rather dull title reign has come to an end. Del Rio is just too one dimensional as a character right now. And with his time on the mic it was if he just didn't listen to anyone he was interacting with, he just keeps spouting out the same old cliche heel bragging. I really hope he develops further as he clearly has the ability in the ring.   
The Rock and John Cena defeated R-Truth and The Miz in an exciting and thoroughly enjoyable tag team match. The Rock started off the bout and looked good as he didn't miss a single beat. The crowd was even more hostile towards Cena then I had anticipated as they booed him throughout and even when Miz signalled to Rock to tag him in. Like others I wasn't sure how damaging this match would be to Awesome Truth but they were smartly made to look competitive against The Rock and Cena and came out undamaged in my opinion. As usual the Madison Square Garden crowd in NYC were awesome all night but especially in the main event as they just didn't seem to let up at all. It was the most crowd excitement I've witnessed in WWE since Money In The Bank for CM Punk. 
Overall Survivor Series had it's dips here and there (mainly Big Show versus Henry and the Divas bout wasn't outstanding) but I enjoyed the majority. Anyone else getting a little excited for WrestleMania yet?

My SmackDown, November 18th Recap

The show kicked off with Mark Henry attacking Daniel Bryan backstage. He then took it to the ring and World Strongest Slammed Bryan a couple of times until the referees came out to his aid. Henry grabbed a mic and gave another boring speech on how much pain he delivers and how Big Show is going to be carried out after their match at Survivor Series. He brings across this intensity for sure but I just can't find Henry as a character or an in ring competitor that interesting.
Dolph Ziggler defeated Sin Cara in a decent enough match up. Ziggler got the win after grabbing Sin Cara's tights during a roll up pin. Ziggler's looking good overall lately, on the mic and in between the ropes. I just hope he gets the elevation he deserves though. Afterwards Swagger raced out to help Dolph who was getting beaten by an unhappy Sin Cara and they took him out. Then Mason Ryan also joined them and took out Ziggler just before his match against Swagger.
Mason Ryan defeated Jack Swagger in an average bout. No doubt Ryan has the perfect look for the company but I just can't really get behind him, he's nothing special in the ring and he's not really bringing across much character either. Plus Swagger deserves to be in a much better position then he's been in for the last year, I thought he made a decent World Heavyweight champion myself and had some good title matches.
The injured Christian came out and blamed the aggravating Teddy Long for his injury after putting him in a match against Sheamus when he claimed he was already injured. He also said he was still going to help inspire team Barrett to victory at Survivor Series.
Ted DiBiase defeated NXT's Derek Bateman in an average bout, although probably one of Bateman's better ones to date. It's a good sign for him that he's getting appearances on the blue brand too. Speaking of NXT I cannot wait for them to finally finish off this latest season already. The only decent parts have been Tyson Kidd and Yoshi Tatsu's feud on it. I think Johnny Curtis is doing a decent job as the conniving heel too.
Big Show came out and threatened the World champion Mark Henry. He also claimed that he was going to make Henry pay for all his atrocities. I've said it before but I'm just so looking forward to this feud between these two ending and Henry moving on to finally loose his title to someone who's actually worthy of it. 
Kofi Kingston defeated Hunico in a good match up between the two and probably Hunico's best singles match to date in the company. He showed off some exciting moves from his arsenal, let's hope he gets his chance at Survivor Series too and doesn't get eliminated too early on. As another bonus it seems Kingston may well be out of WWE's dog house after what's happened with Bourne over the last fortnight. I hope so, he doesn't deserve that treatment.  
Beth Phoenix and Natalya defeated AJ and Kaitlyn in a match that was actually better then I was expecting. Natalya made AJ tap with the Sharpshooter after bending back the flexible AJ as far as she could for an effective-looking finish. Kaitlyn seemed distant and disappointed with her partner and the result which would seem to hint at a heel turn in her future which I'm all for. With Kaitlyn's image and build she could easily join up with Phoenix and Natalya's Pin Up Strong movement which could only benefit her for the future. Plus she'd get a lot more exposure on both brands.  
Randy Orton and Sheamus won via disqualification against Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett in an exciting main event. The DQ came after the injured Christian struck Sheamus in the throat with one of his crutches. Cody and Barrett then began to beat down Sheamus and Orton until they turned the tables and each took out Rhodes and Wade with an RKO and Celtic Cross respectively. 
Well next up is Survivor Series folks! I'm personally really looking forward to the event, the card is looking mostly solid (bar certain matches like Henry versus Big Show) and although some people have complained about how overpowering the Rock is and how much attention he's received, can you blame WWE? He's a major name and there's a reason he's created so much buzz since his return, and I for one can't wait to see him in action on Sunday.

My Raw, November 14th Recap

The show opened with the Michael Cole challenge, which was predictably a waste of time for the most part. There were three challenges and if JR won them all he would replace Cole on commentary on Raw. The first challenge was an arm wrestling contest, which JR won. Then there was a dance competition between the two which provided the only entertaining part as Jim Ross really got into it, which was a nice surprise and pretty damn awesome to be honest. Then the final challenge where the conniving Cole revealed it to be a weigh in where the lighter person would win.

After Michael Cole began to celebrate his cheap victory, CM Punk thankfully interrupted him and made the segment remotely interesting. “Your time is up Michael Cole,” Punk informed as he honestly revealed how bad the whole challenge had been and how it was a “colossal waste of time.” Cole eventually asked Punk to apologise for his remarks. Punk decided to go a different route and head butt Cole, followed by applying the Anaconda Vice.

Matt Striker backstage revealed how the time had finally come as a limo pulled up behind him where out stepped Mick Foley to a huge pop from the crowd in attendance.

Cody Rhodes and Hunico defeated Kofi Kingston and Sin Cara in a pretty flawed tag team match. It had decent moments but also it’s fair share of mistakes by all the wrestlers involved. Rhodes has now also gotten rid of his mask and has new music to help take him more seriously. I think this is definitely a step in the right direction for Cody who in my opinion should be seriously challenging for a World title over the next six months if WWE keep this push of his up.

Vickie Guerrero informed everyone about Christian’s unfortunate injury during the recent WWE European tour. I was gutted to hear about this, for me Christian has been the most consistent performer in WWE this year. She also revealed that Dolph Ziggler had taken his place on Wade Barret’s team at Survivor Series. Which makes sense, although I was really hoping for a Ryder versus Ziggler match up at the pay per view for the United States title.

Mason Ryan defeated Dolph Ziggler via disqualification when Vickie Guerrero slapped him on the apron. I was just grateful that a Mason Ryan match was cut short, apart from his build he hasn’t really shown me much to prove he’s the next Batista. After the bout John Morrison threw Ziggler back into the ring for Ryan to finish off.

Mick Foley called out John Cena and explained that he wanted to help him and The Rock coincide together a team. Mick Foley then presented a ‘This is Your Life’ for John Cena which was a largely disappointing segment and not particularly entertaining I found. Foley brought out guests Bull Buchanan, Cena’s old little league coach and Cena’s father John Cena SR, who actually told all the fans that chant “Cena sucks!” that “you suck,”I’m sure that’ll get them on his side. The Rock then mercifully came out and Rock Bottomed Foley to finally end the segment. Not a great start for Foley’s return is it?

Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger in a decent enough match. To be honest at this point in the show it was just a relief to have some action in the ring rather then talking, it was almost like an episode of iMPACT.

Kelly Kelly defeated Natalya with a quick roll up pin to add another loss to Natalya’s current poor record in a quick and forgettable bout. I can see all these losses building up to Beth Phoenix dumping Natalya and having her turn face and challenging for the title.

Mark Henry and Alberto Del Rio defeated Big and CM Punk after Henry World Strongest Slammed Punk and Del Rio raced in to grab the pin. The match was average for the most part, the parts with Show and Henry facing off were just dull, which doesn’t bode well for their most likely also dull match on Sunday for the title.

Santino Marella claimed to everyone in Boston that it was the place where his career got back on the right track once again. But he spoke too soon, as Kevin Nash (slowly) made his way out and reveled he was a big fan of Marellas and asked Santino to do his trombone routine. As he did Nash big booted and then Jacknife Powerbombed Marella.

Randy Orton versus Wade Barrett ended in DQ after all their respective team members raced into the ring and began to brawl until Orton’s team threw out all of Barrett’s squad. The actual match didn’t really last long and made more sense to finish this way to help build up their match at Survivor Series.

The Rock then revealed how ready he was for his Survivor Series match but wasn’t willing to wait another six days as he called out Awesome Truth to the ring. Miz and R-Truth joined him but explained that he was going to have to wait until Survivor Series to lay his hands on them. As they were about to leave Cena predictable made an appearance and him and The Rock exchanged some amusing words, such as Rock claiming Cena has “lady parts.” The Miz and R-Truth exclaimed how sick they were of Cena and The Rock’s ongoing feud and went to leave, that was until The Rock decided to put “boots to asses,” as he and Cena then beat on them both and he Rock Bottomed Awesome Truth and left.

To be honest it felt like a mostly average Raw considering it was a special three-hour event. But there were still some entertaining parts but just no particularly outstanding matches to be honest. But I still can’t help but look forward to Survivor Series this Sunday.

My SmackDown, November 11th Recap

Randy Orton kicked off things by talking about captaining his team against Barrett’s at Survivor Series next Sunday, and admitted that he doesn’t “play well with others,” but that he is certainly no “follower,” and had accepted the role happily. Wade Barrett joined him and explained why his team will win instead. Christian also made his way out and gave Barrett his full endorsement as captain of their team, as they both began to attack Orton, Sheamus raced out to his aid and they both left in a hurry. Teddy Long (guy still bugs me) announced that it would be Sheamus versus Christian and Orton against Wade Barrett in the main event.

Sheamus defeated Christian in yet another entertaining one on one match between the two men. For me Christian is my personal wrestler of the year, the guy has been so consistent and solid in the ring and on the mic.

Ted DiBiase defeated Jinder Mahal in a short but decent enough effort by both wrestlers. I’m really not sure what they’re planning for Jinder Mahal, one week it seems the booking team has given up on him and the next it seems they’re getting him ready for a push in the mid card. I personally think he has some potential.

Mark Henry defeated Daniel Bryan in an average bout that wasn’t quite as entertaining as last weeks between the two. They didn’t really let Bryan look as competitive, although he did manage to lock on his LeBell lock at one point briefly until Henry lifted him up and slammed him on his back. After the bout Henry carried on the attack and World Strongest smalled Bryan, along with a chair shot too until Big Show came to Bryan’s aid and Henry decided to leave. It’s almost like they’ve taken a step back with Bryan after the progress they made with him last week by having him annihilated by Henry. I would’ve at least had Bryan get in a few more chair shots on Henry to bring him down a bit more.

Big Show defeated three random opponents in a handicap match. After the bout Henry declared that at Survivor Series he would leave Big Show with a “lasting impression,” I’m sure he will with us fans watching too, mainly boredom.

Alicia Fox defeated Tamina in an average divas bout by their usual standard. Natalya was also on commentary during it and was actually pretty lame to be honest, and that’s coming from a fan.

Hunico and Epico defeated the Usos in a decent enough tag team match. I’m liking the addition of this team, and the general attention that’s finally been given to the tag team division over the last four or five months in the company. I also love the fact that they’ve added Primo to their team too, the guy is too talented not to be used regularly on television. Afterwards the three wrestlers beat on the Usos some more like a usual heel team.

Wade Barrett defeated Randy Orton in a big win for the fellow Englishman. He got the pin after poking Randy in the eyes in what was an okay main event, not as good as the Christian versus Sheamus match from earlier on in the night. But it’s certainly a very positive sign for Barrett to get a rare pinfall victory over ‘the viper’. Let’s just hope WWE don’t ruin the momentum and build up a much needed new main event talent for the blue brand. Let’s be honest, we desperately need more heel main eventers to take over from the rather dull Mark Henry.