My WrestleMania XXIX Recap

The Undertaker rises from the dead. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Miz bested Wade Barrett (c) to obtain the Intercontinental Title in a fair pre-show match up. To be fair it slotted nicely into the pre-show slot, with decent enough efforts from both men and a title change to get people interested, although a Cesaro bout would've still been far more appreciated.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) defeated Sheamus, Randy Orton and Big Show in an enjoyable six-man tag bout. Smart choice for the opener, with nice sequences and displays throughout. Once again Shield delivered a largely rewarding match, granted it wasn't as good as their previous outings but still a fun watch.

Towards the end Orton decided to cut into a potential tag to Show and get himself into the match, but things didn't end too well as he soon got speared and pinned as an angry Big Show looked on. After arguing Show then KO'd both his partners. Looks like we'll be getting a Triple Threat or Orton versus Show at Extreme Rules next month. 

Mark Henry toppled Ryback in an average affair. As expected it was the typical powerhouse versus powerhouse match up, so tests of strength and pedestrian action for the most part. For the flat finish (pun not intended) Henry fell onto Ryback as he attempted a Shell Shock, allowing him to gain the one-two-three. But afterwards Ryback got some payback by successfully applying an impressive Shell Shock to Henry.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) beat Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The match itself was decent, but nothing outstanding. I can't fault any man's efforts, they all delivered but unfortunately it was just lacking that little something for me. 

Fandango pinned Chris Jericho in a passable encounter with a few sloppy moments that let it down. Fortunately the in-form Jericho managed to provide some entertaining moments, and while Fandango had a few nice maneuvers in him (such as a swift kick as Y2J went for his signature springboard dropkick) he still looked out of depth here. For the finish Fandango was positioned too near the ropes as Jericho went for a Lionsault, which he blocked as Y2J then went for the Walls which was turned into the winning roll up pin. It was a poor ending sequence to the contest. 

Before the World Title match, Zeb Colter once again claimed that all real Americans felt the same as he and Swagger regarding immigrants in the US, but were too afraid to take a stand like they do. As usual most fans weren't too fussed by what he had to say.

Alberto Del Rio (c) defeated Jack Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Title in a mixed bag of an outing. While the action was stellar for the majority, there was little to really get me engaged and a lack of genuine excitement, which is not good enough for a World Championship match. Remember the quality of bouts when Edge and 'Taker and Batista and 'Taker would face each other on the grand stage for the same strap? We haven't had that at 'Mania for a while.

The Undertaker pinned CM Punk in the very memorable and thrilling match of the night. I was expecting this to be a great collision, but it succeeded even my estimations. Both men gave superb displays and provided an awesome encounter filled with effective near falls and dramatic action. This was everything you expect and should receive from a big WrestleMania match up. I also want to mention Paul Heyman at ringside, who's stellar managerial work cannot be understated and really added that bit extra to the match. Was this 'Taker's last match though? I'm personally hoping for one more from the 'Dead Man'. 

Triple H pinned Brock Lesnar in a No Holds Barred contest. Now after reading a fair bit of feedback I can tell that this one split quite a lot of fans, but as for myself I enjoyed it. I felt it told a good story and was well planned out, with solid wrestling from both men. My only gripe was that certain periods did feel like they were played out longer than than necessary, such as Triple H's multiple kimura attempts on the steel steps, which just seemed a bit daft after a while when you figure Lesnar had to simply roll away to avoid it.

Admittedly the crowd did loose interest here, but in my opinion that was more due to following the outstanding 'Taker versus Punk match, I mean one upping that was going to be a major challenge for any pair of wrestlers. So yes, there have been far better 'Mania matches in this spot, but i feel it's harsh to call it poor on any level and I personally still look forward to seeing either man in the ring again.

John Cena bested The Rock (c) to obtain the WWE Championship in an uneven main event. For the most part the wrestling was pretty unremarkable, with average moves being exchanged for far too long. Plus the fact both men were also visibly and clearly calling the next spots more than a few times also took away from loosing yourself in the action. But on the plus side (yes, there were some) the crowd were thoroughly into it, with each red hot near fall towards the end having everyone on their feet. And I have to admit I started to get towards the edge of my seat at the end too.

For me the rematch was superior to last year's effort with a more exciting finale, which admittedly was just filled with finishing move attempts which we've seen plenty of times, but unfortunately like last year's bout it was also very average for the most part when you pull away all the build up and crowd reactions. And one big positive is that hopefully this should be the end of Cena versus Rock, and we can move on to two more deserving wrestlers (here's pulling for Punk) to wrestle in the 'Mania main event spot.

Overall WrestleMania was very much a mixed bag of a show, with the Triple H versus Lesnar, the six-man tag bout and especially Undertaker versus CM Punk being the highlights for me. Unfortunately the rest failed to grab me like 'Mania matches should, and didn't live up to the calibre you've come to expect over the years.

Granted it's unrealistic to believe that any WrestleMania will provide a card largely filled with top bouts, with the exception of the revered X-Seven or XXIV (one of my personal favourites) but I guess at least we can take away a few memorable matches that I know I'll probably watch again in the future. It certainly wasn't one of more successful WrestleMania's, but it also wasn't one of the worst. Here's to next years! 

My WrestleMania XXIX Predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

Pre-Show Intercontinental Championship Match - Wade Barrett (c) versus The Miz:

I'm not expecting anything outstanding here but these two should provide an enjoyable pre-opener to get things going, with respective efforts from each man. Like most I feel pushing this to the pre-show position was an unfair choice, especially considering the mixed tag made it onto the card, these two deserved to be on the main show and the IC Title could certainly use the attention. But as for the winner I'm going with Miz, he's fallen short too often over the last few months involving the IC and US straps and a title change will grab people's attention just before the event kicks off.

Winner: The Miz

8-Person Mixed Tag Team Match - Tons of Funk and The Funkadactyls (Brodus Clay, Tensai, Cameron and Naomi) versus Team Rhodes Scholars and The Bella Twins (Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, Nikki Bella and Brie Bella):

Oh boy, I'm trying to stay neutral and optimistic here so let me just say that considering some of the talent here this might not be so terrible, in fact it might actually be a fairly fun watch, but don't quote me on that. This is meant to be a feel good outing just for some laughs so I expect Tons of Funk to win and give us a little dance afterwards, and a toilet break too.

Winners: Tons of Funk and The Funkadactyls

Mark Henry versus Ryback:

Should be a typical big man versus big man encounter, in other words drab. Sorry but I'm struggling to find any interest in this bout at all, my prediction for worst match of the night. I'm going with Ryback for the victory due to his string of losses on pay-per-view lately.

Winner: Ryback

Chris Jericho versus Fandango:

I'm actually quite looking forward to this one, Vince is obviously high on Mr. Fan...dan...goooo (I had to) and I don't see past him winning on his in-ring debut, a loss would be senseless to me. Should have some good action too. 

Winner: Fandango

WWE Tag Team Championships Match - Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) versus Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston:

I think this one could succeed expectations and be a highly enjoyable tag contest, looking at the talent involved it's hard to imagine this won't be entertaining, and I'm actually quite relieved that the tag titles are being defended on the grand stage. I'm going with Team Hell No to retain simply due to my suspicions that Ziggler will cash in his Money in the Bank contract very soon (but just not tonight like most are anticipating) and it'd be a waste having him hold the tag strap also.  

Winners: Team Hell No

6-Man Tag Team Match - Sheamus, Randy Orton and The Big Show versus The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose):

To be honest I've found the build up to this one pretty tiresome, we all knew Big Show would eventually join Orton and Sheamus, and we've just seen Shield doing the same things over and over. But forgetting the poor build up I optimistic about the quality of the bout, especially considering Shield's stellar outings so far. I'm also going with the same trio to come out victorious, I see no reason for them to loose their unbeaten streak here against a make shift unit.

Winners: The Shield

World Heavyweight Championship Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) versus Jack Swagger:

I'm predicting a solid title clash, but nothing out of this world. I've actually very much enjoyed the build up to it too, granted it's lost steam but I'm still grateful for Swagger's push. As for the winner I'm going with Del Rio. To be fair it could go either way and I'm still not sure as I'm even typing this, but Del Rio would make more sense if Ziggler is going to cash in in the near future.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio 

No Holds Barred Match - Brock Lesnar versus Triple H:

Lesnar's had some terrific matches since returning and I expect no less tonight in what should be an extremely dramatic and intense affair. Adding the no holds barred stipulation was a smart move and these two should excel with it. I can't see past Triple H to win here, with his career on the line and to even the odds with his rival, but I also can't help but see a twist happening here tonight, we'll see. I would give this my prediction for match of the night if it wasn't for the next contest...

Winner: Triple H 

The Undertaker versus CM Punk:

Here we go! Now I'm not going to beat around the bush, Taker's going to win here, so that's that. But this should be a great contest nonetheless, with an intriguing and top build up leading into the event. Expect good things. 

Winner: The Undertaker

WWE Championship Match - The Rock (c) versus John Cena:

And then there's the main event, 'Twice in a lifetime' as it were, the rematch not many fans were even interested in. But looking past that I think it should be a fair main event, and although I can see it being superior to their effort last year I don't see it being worthy of it's spot and build up. But hopefully I'm proven wrong. Oh, and Cena to even the odds and obtain the title to lead into a rematch at Extreme Rules.

Winner: John Cena

Well hopefully you all enjoy the show, granted the build up hasn't been outstanding but looking at the majority of the card I think it should be a strong and memorable 'Mania on the whole. I just hope Cesaro turns up on the way. 

My WWE Raw, 1st April 2013 Recap

CM Punk poses over the fallen 'Dead Man'. I'm looking forward to this one! Photo credit: WWE.com

John Cena kicked off the pre-WrestleMania XXIX Raw by claiming that his rivalry with The Rock was far more serious then last year, due to the WWE Championship being on the line. He went on to also warn Rocky that after having to stand by and watch him unveil a brand new title belt and "usher in a new era" (really?) he will strive to reclaim the strap and prove that he is superior to 'The Great One'. Cena was greeted with chants of "Boring" afterwards, granted it was an unremarkable promo but that was a little harsh I felt.

Big Show, Randy Orton and Sheamus bested 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in an average and at times sloppy six-man tag bout. At least it was kept brief. Afterwards The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) warned the their 'Mania opponents that come Sunday they won't be celebrating after they beat them, and also added that they weren't fooling them by pretending to be a cohesive unit like themselves.   

We were presented with a VT featuring Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter in Washington DC, talking about the change that Swagger will bring come this Sunday when he obtains the World Title, calling their fellow Americans weak in this day and age due to them accepting all the immigrants that had entered the US over the years.

In response Alberto Del Rio admitted that Swagger was free to say whatever he pleased with the freedom of speech, but that didn't mean he had to like it and would at least get a chance to gain some retribution in their title clash.

Dolph Ziggler pinned Daniel Bryan in a solid back and fourth encounter. These two worked hard and provided an enjoyable bout from the get go with crisp action. During the match AJ Lee distracted Kane, allowing Big E Langston to tear through him with a mean-looking clothesline. Ziggler then took advantage of Bryan kicking Big E through the ropes and gained the one-two-three with a quick roll up. 

Shawn Michaels made a special Raw appearance and warned Triple H that while he was retired by 'Taker at WrestleMania, they still held the upmost respect for each other and he never bragged about ending HBK's career, unlike Brock Lesnar who would relish it. Michaels went on to admit that he wasn't in Washington to talk his good friend out of his match on the grand stage, but order him to "kick Brock Lesnar's ass!"

Lesnar, along with Paul Heyman then made his way out. Heyman went on to list all the people that Triple H will disappoint after his client defeats him, and claimed that he wasn't "man enough" to beat Lesnar. As usual Heyman was on top form on the mic.

Wade Barrett beat Zack Ryder in a passable outing. While most of the match was fairly pedestrian, there were some engaging moments to be found, and it wasn't a bad effort by either man.

Mark Henry flattened Santino Marella in a short squash match. Santino was booked against Henry after playing an April Fools prank on Vickie Guerrero and Brad Maddox. An angry Ryback then made his way out to confront Henry, who smugly reminded him that they had a no contact clause to their contract. So to get around this Ryback decided to hurl Santino at his 'Mania foe to take him down.

As Alberto Del Rio's match with Zeb Colter begun, he was soon distracted by Swagger at ringside who'd begun attacking Ricardo Rodriguez, this then allowed Colter to start smacking the champion with one of Ricardo's crutches. Swagger soon joined his accomplice and together they took down Del Rio.

The WWE Champion The Rock said that his match with Cena wasn't about retribution for him, but the "the will of the people" and his connection with the fans. He also reminded us that at every turn he'd topped Cena, and it would be no different in their contest for the championship. It was a decent enough promo from Rock, with the crowd in the palm of his hand, which was a stark contrast to Cena earlier. 

Chris Jericho defeated Antonio Cesaro in a decent contest. For the most part it was a fun watch and the wrestling was stellar, but I couldn't help but feel a little underwhelmed, maybe I was expecting more form these two talents facing off. During the match Fandango appeared and began judging Jericho's moves out of ten with scorecards. After Y2J had forced Cesaro to tap to the Walls of Jericho, Fandango ran in and after beating down his rival then landed a couple of flying leg drops. I'm definitely intrigued by their WrestleMania match.

The Bella Twins beat Naomi and Cameron in a fair Divas tag match. I was actually pleasantly surprised here, there were some nice moments of action to be found amongst most of the pedestrian wrestling. 

The Undertaker warned CM Punk that the pain he's going to put on him will "last an eternity" after the disrespect he's shown to Paul Bearer. A line up of druids then appeared, along with Paul Heyman dressed as Bearer. As a furious 'Taker marched down he began to take out some of the druids, only for CM Punk to reveal himself as one of them and take out 'The Dead Man' with Bearer's urn.

But then the gripping moment came as Punk poured the ashes of Bearer over Undertaker and on himself. While many will find this segment extremely disrespectful of Moody (which I get) I couldn't help but be completely engaged by it. Punk has really thrown himself into this feud and clearly has no restraints with the material he's used. For me this has been the strongest segment leading into WrestleMania.

Overall Raw was a fair show for the most part, more memorable than most as of late. Ziggler versus Bryan, Jericho versus Cesaro, the Heyman promo and especially the closing segment were my highlights. Outside of them it was pretty pedestrian for me, with a lot of material and bouts feeling a bit too familiar. Still, despite the disappointing build up to 'Mania this year I'm still looking forward to the big event, with more than a few matches that should be very entertaining I reckon.  

My WWE Raw, 25th March 2013

The Rock delivers the final blow of the show. Photo credit: WWE.com

CM Punk kicked things off by claiming that it's only his opinion that matters, and not those of people who believe in Undertaker's mystic powers and such. He also went on to state that 'The Dead Man' should've retired last year after going 20-0 at WrestleMania but now he's pushed his luck because he is taking on someone that will not loose on the grand stage.

After emulating 'Taker's trademark pose with Bearer's urn, The Undertaker himself then appeared and got a few strikes in on Punk before he managed to escape. This for me was the strongest segment for this feud yet, and the fans understandably went wild for 'Taker's appearance. 

As Fandango was announcing himself, Chris Jericho raced out and got some retribution in the form of some strikes after Fandango's attack on Y2J on last week's SmackDown. It was nicely executed.

Chris Jericho defeated Dolph Ziggler in an enjoyable encounter. It's hardly a shock that these two talents provided worthy efforts here, not their finest one on one match but a stellar one nonetheless. Y2J won via the Walls of Jericho. Afterwards Big E Langston applied a Big Ending to Jericho, leaving him to receive a beating from Fandango, who also landed a diving leg drop to finish him off. 

During an interview backstage The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) attacked Sheamus, but Randy Orton and Big Show came to the Irishman's aid and chased them off.

Mark Henry bested Jimmy and Jay Uso in a fair Handicap match. Nothing outstanding to be found here but it was fun for the most part. Afterwards Henry continued the assault on the two brothers.

Antonio Cesaro won via count out versus Alberto Del Rio in a contest that unfortunately wasn't given enough time to really get going. The action was solid while it lasted, until Jack Swagger made his way out and began once again attacking the leg of Ricardo Rodriguez.

This soon prompted Del Rio to run out and eventually chase off his WrestleMania opponent, but also costing him the match after being counted out. As Cesaro then celebrated, the World Champion decided to finish him off and applied his signature arm breaker for good measure. 

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) toppled the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) in a passable tag bout. While the action was always decent enough, it was just pretty pedestrian and unmemorable on the whole, like most match ups involving Young and O'Neil.

Triple H explained that while his career was on the line at WrestleMania XXIX versus Brock Lesnar, it made no difference since he'd always wrestled as if it was anyway. He also added that he wasn't planning to simply fight Lesnar, but kick his "ass." On his way out Wade Barett told him to hurry up, so 'The Game' retorted with a swift kick to the nether regions.

The Miz beat Wade Barett in a match that started off quite average, but had an entertaining finish. Once the two managed to hit their stride after an uninspiring beginning, we got some decent displays from them and the crowd begun to get into a bit more. Miz won via the figure four leglock.

Backstage Kaitlyn interrupted Bryan and Kane when arguing over who gets distracted more by AJ, unknown to them AJ Lee then overheard the Divas Champion talking about how unstable she was. This caused AJ to snap and attack her former friend until the Tag Team champions dragged her away.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) defeated Justin Gabriel, Zack Ryder and The Great Khali in quite an enjoyable six-man tag bout, mainly due to the efforts of Rollins and Ambrose. Afterwards Orton, Sheamus and Big Show joined them and managed to send the trio packing. Should be an entertaining six-man between them all at 'Mania.

Jericho revealed backstage that Vickie Guerrero had granted him a match with Fandango on the grand stage next month.

Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) bested Brodus Clay and Tensai in largely mediocre tag contest. The wrestling was just average for the majority to be honest, nothing special. During the bout the Bella Twins and Naomi and Cameron also got into a scuffle on the outside.

Ryback toppled 3MB (Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre) in a Handicap match with some fun moments here and there. It was the usual routine from Ryback, but I'll admit that he and his three opponents did provide some nice moments of action. 

AJ Lee won via count out versus Kaitlyn after the Divas champ accidentally landed a hard spear into the barricade. That was about the only interesting moment of the match up, outside of that it was Kaitlyn dominating for a minute or so.

Jerry Lawler hosted a WWE Hall of Fame panel of Mick Foley, Bret Hart, Booker T and Dusty Rhodes, who each got to ask The Rock and John Cena a question each, such as what they wanted from their WWE Title match at 'Mania and how they'd deal with a loss on the grand stage. After things got a bit more heated in Philly, Rocky asked Cena to bring it right there and then, so after a little tussle Rock managed to apply a Rock Bottom and flatten his future challenger. It was a strong segment to end the show on, and the best since the revival of their feud I felt.

Overall it was a mixed bag of a show, with some decent moments mixed in with more than a few forgettable ones. My highlights were Jericho versus Ziggler, the Shield six-man encounter and the Hall of Fame panel segment. Unfortunately as I said most of the show was fair if average, but at least this week's Raw was an improvement on the last couple. 

My WWE Raw, 25th March 2013

The Rock delivers the final blow of the show. Photo credit: WWE.com

CM Punk kicked things off by claiming that it's only his opinion that matters, and not those of people who believe in Undertaker's mystic powers and such. He also went on to state that 'The Dead Man' should've retired last year after going 20-0 at WrestleMania but now he's pushed his luck because he is taking on someone that will not loose on the grand stage.

After emulating 'Taker's trademark pose with Bearer's urn, The Undertaker himself then appeared and got a few strikes in on Punk before he managed to escape. This for me was the strongest segment for this feud yet, and the fans understandably went wild for 'Taker's appearance. 

As Fandango was announcing himself, Chris Jericho raced out and got some retribution in the form of some strikes after Fandango's attack on Y2J on last week's SmackDown. It was nicely executed.

Chris Jericho defeated Dolph Ziggler in an enjoyable encounter. It's hardly a shock that these two talents provided worthy efforts here, not their finest one on one match but a stellar one nonetheless. Y2J won via the Walls of Jericho. Afterwards Big E Langston applied a Big Ending to Jericho, leaving him to receive a beating from Fandango, who also landed a diving leg drop to finish him off. 

During an interview backstage The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) attacked Sheamus, but Randy Orton and Big Show came to the Irishman's aid and chased them off.

Mark Henry bested Jimmy and Jay Uso in a fair Handicap match. Nothing outstanding to be found here but it was fun for the most part. Afterwards Henry continued the assault on the two brothers.

Antonio Cesaro won via count out versus Alberto Del Rio in a contest that unfortunately wasn't given enough time to really get going. The action was solid while it lasted, until Jack Swagger made his way out and began once again attacking the leg of Ricardo Rodriguez.

This soon prompted Del Rio to run out and eventually chase off his WrestleMania opponent, but also costing him the match after being counted out. As Cesaro then celebrated, the World Champion decided to finish him off and applied his signature arm breaker for good measure. 

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) toppled the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) in a passable tag bout. While the action was always decent enough, it was just pretty pedestrian and unmemorable on the whole, like most match ups involving Young and O'Neil.

Triple H explained that while his career was on the line at WrestleMania XXIX versus Brock Lesnar, it made no difference since he'd always wrestled as if it was anyway. He also added that he wasn't planning to simply fight Lesnar, but kick his "ass." On his way out Wade Barett told him to hurry up, so 'The Game' retorted with a swift kick to the nether regions.

The Miz beat Wade Barett in a match that started off quite average, but had an entertaining finish. Once the two managed to hit their stride after an uninspiring beginning, we got some decent displays from them and the crowd begun to get into a bit more. Miz won via the figure four leglock.

Backstage Kaitlyn interrupted Bryan and Kane when arguing over who gets distracted more by AJ, unknown to them AJ Lee then overheard the Divas Champion talking about how unstable she was. This caused AJ to snap and attack her former friend until the Tag Team champions dragged her away.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) defeated Justin Gabriel, Zack Ryder and The Great Khali in quite an enjoyable six-man tag bout, mainly due to the efforts of Rollins and Ambrose. Afterwards Orton, Sheamus and Big Show joined them and managed to send the trio packing. Should be an entertaining six-man between them all at 'Mania.

Jericho revealed backstage that Vickie Guerrero had granted him a match with Fandango on the grand stage next month.

Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) bested Brodus Clay and Tensai in largely mediocre tag contest. The wrestling was just average for the majority to be honest, nothing special. During the bout the Bella Twins and Naomi and Cameron also got into a scuffle on the outside.

Ryback toppled 3MB (Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre) in a Handicap match with some fun moments here and there. It was the usual routine from Ryback, but I'll admit that he and his three opponents did provide some nice moments of action. 

AJ Lee won via count out versus Kaitlyn after the Divas champ accidentally landed a hard spear into the barricade. That was about the only interesting moment of the match up, outside of that it was Kaitlyn dominating for a minute or so.

Jerry Lawler hosted a WWE Hall of Fame panel of Mick Foley, Bret Hart, Booker T and Dusty Rhodes, who each got to ask The Rock and John Cena a question each, such as what they wanted from their WWE Title match at 'Mania and how they'd deal with a loss on the grand stage. After things got a bit more heated in Philly, Rocky asked Cena to bring it right there and then, so after a little tussle Rock managed to apply a Rock Bottom and flatten his future challenger. It was a strong segment to end the show on, and the best since the revival of their feud I felt.

Overall it was a mixed bag of a show, with some decent moments mixed in with more than a few forgettable ones. My highlights were Jericho versus Ziggler, the Shield six-man encounter and the Hall of Fame panel segment. Unfortunately as I said most of the show was fair if average, but at least this week's Raw was an improvement on the last couple. 

My WWE Raw, 25th March 2013

The Rock delivers the final blow of the show. Photo credit: WWE.com

CM Punk kicked things off by claiming that it's only his opinion that matters, and not those of people who believe in Undertaker's mystic powers and such. He also went on to state that 'The Dead Man' should've retired last year after going 20-0 at WrestleMania but now he's pushed his luck because he is taking on someone that will not loose on the grand stage.

After emulating 'Taker's trademark pose with Bearer's urn, The Undertaker himself then appeared and got a few strikes in on Punk before he managed to escape. This for me was the strongest segment for this feud yet, and the fans understandably went wild for 'Taker's appearance. 

As Fandango was announcing himself, Chris Jericho raced out and got some retribution in the form of some strikes after Fandango's attack on Y2J on last week's SmackDown. It was nicely executed.

Chris Jericho defeated Dolph Ziggler in an enjoyable encounter. It's hardly a shock that these two talents provided worthy efforts here, not their finest one on one match but a stellar one nonetheless. Y2J won via the Walls of Jericho. Afterwards Big E Langston applied a Big Ending to Jericho, leaving him to receive a beating from Fandango, who also landed a diving leg drop to finish him off. 

During an interview backstage The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) attacked Sheamus, but Randy Orton and Big Show came to the Irishman's aid and chased them off.

Mark Henry bested Jimmy and Jay Uso in a fair Handicap match. Nothing outstanding to be found here but it was fun for the most part. Afterwards Henry continued the assault on the two brothers.

Antonio Cesaro won via count out versus Alberto Del Rio in a contest that unfortunately wasn't given enough time to really get going. The action was solid while it lasted, until Jack Swagger made his way out and began once again attacking the leg of Ricardo Rodriguez.

This soon prompted Del Rio to run out and eventually chase off his WrestleMania opponent, but also costing him the match after being counted out. As Cesaro then celebrated, the World Champion decided to finish him off and applied his signature arm breaker for good measure. 

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) toppled the Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) in a passable tag bout. While the action was always decent enough, it was just pretty pedestrian and unmemorable on the whole, like most match ups involving Young and O'Neil.

Triple H explained that while his career was on the line at WrestleMania XXIX versus Brock Lesnar, it made no difference since he'd always wrestled as if it was anyway. He also added that he wasn't planning to simply fight Lesnar, but kick his "ass." On his way out Wade Barett told him to hurry up, so 'The Game' retorted with a swift kick to the nether regions.

The Miz beat Wade Barett in a match that started off quite average, but had an entertaining finish. Once the two managed to hit their stride after an uninspiring beginning, we got some decent displays from them and the crowd begun to get into a bit more. Miz won via the figure four leglock.

Backstage Kaitlyn interrupted Bryan and Kane when arguing over who gets distracted more by AJ, unknown to them AJ Lee then overheard the Divas Champion talking about how unstable she was. This caused AJ to snap and attack her former friend until the Tag Team champions dragged her away.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) defeated Justin Gabriel, Zack Ryder and The Great Khali in quite an enjoyable six-man tag bout, mainly due to the efforts of Rollins and Ambrose. Afterwards Orton, Sheamus and Big Show joined them and managed to send the trio packing. Should be an entertaining six-man between them all at 'Mania.

Jericho revealed backstage that Vickie Guerrero had granted him a match with Fandango on the grand stage next month.

Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) bested Brodus Clay and Tensai in largely mediocre tag contest. The wrestling was just average for the majority to be honest, nothing special. During the bout the Bella Twins and Naomi and Cameron also got into a scuffle on the outside.

Ryback toppled 3MB (Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre) in a Handicap match with some fun moments here and there. It was the usual routine from Ryback, but I'll admit that he and his three opponents did provide some nice moments of action. 

AJ Lee won via count out versus Kaitlyn after the Divas champ accidentally landed a hard spear into the barricade. That was about the only interesting moment of the match up, outside of that it was Kaitlyn dominating for a minute or so.

Jerry Lawler hosted a WWE Hall of Fame panel of Mick Foley, Bret Hart, Booker T and Dusty Rhodes, who each got to ask The Rock and John Cena a question each, such as what they wanted from their WWE Title match at 'Mania and how they'd deal with a loss on the grand stage. After things got a bit more heated in Philly, Rocky asked Cena to bring it right there and then, so after a little tussle Rock managed to apply a Rock Bottom and flatten his future challenger. It was a strong segment to end the show on, and the best since the revival of their feud I felt.

Overall it was a mixed bag of a show, with some decent moments mixed in with more than a few forgettable ones. My highlights were Jericho versus Ziggler, the Shield six-man encounter and the Hall of Fame panel segment. Unfortunately as I said most of the show was fair if average, but at least this week's Raw was an improvement on the last couple. 

My WWE Raw, 4th March 2013 Recap

The Deadman stares off with his future 'Mania opponent. Photo credit: WWE.com

The special edition 'Old School' Raw started off with The Undertaker himself walking out and simply raising his arms in front of the WrestleMania XXIX logo, looks like we'll be seeing him in five weeks time at the big event then.

CM Punk, accompanied by Paul Heyman, came out and blamed the fans for him not main eventing WrestleMania and claimed that there was no point even attending the event if he wasn't in the top spot on the card. But he then went on to challenge 'Taker to a match on said event to end his streak and take it away from all the fans in spite.

Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show then joined Punk and each staked their claim to face 'The Deadman' on the big stage. So to settle things Vickie Guerrero announced a Fatal Four Way between them all to determine who'll face 'Taker next month. It was a decent enough start to the show.  

Ryback pinned Antonio Cesaro in a passable outing. It was certainly watchable, with standard stellar work from Cesaro and a fair display from Ryback. Afterwards Mark Henry and Ryback stared off as he came out for his following match up. Guess we'll be seeing these two face off at 'Mania then, can't say I'm too hyped for that one myself.

Mark Henry beat Zack Ryder in a brief squash match. Not much more to add here to be honest.

Before his bout The Miz introduced Ric Flair, who was joining him in his corner. 'Naitch' predictably received a healthy reaction from the fans.

The Miz defeated Dolph Ziggler in a worthy enough effort from both men. Not either man's finest contest but it wasn't bad, a fun enough watch. Flair attempted to take out big E Langston at ringside after striking Miz, but failed as the big man simply stood there, which I was personally quite relieved at since it would've looked foolish having the far older Flair take out a much younger, bigger and tougher man.

Miz won via submission using the Figure Four Leglock (what else?), what has happened for Ziggler to deserve this? I've said it before but he should be having everything done to elevate him and make him a believable World Champion when he finally cashes in, but tapping out to Miz (who's lost numerous times to Cesaro as of late on PPV) is just making things worse for the 'Show Off'. Ziggler deserves far better treatment.

John Cena shortly interrupted The Rock's promo on arriving in Buffalo and his excitement for WrestleMania, and spoke about how worthless he felt after loosing to Rocky last year after claiming to everyone that he was going to be victorious. He also added that their WWE Championship match was his chance at redemption after all that.

'The People's Champ' told Cena that he wanted to face him because he knew how much it all meant to him, how much drive he had, but claimed that his own determination succeeded that. Cena retorted by explaining how he'd accomplished everything in WWE, except beat The Rock, who amusingly gave us a Lance Armstrong quote and told Cena that he was "full of crap" just like him. For me that was his best line since his return. I enjoyed the segment myself, it made a refreshing change having Cena take it seriously rather than with a goofy grin as he did with quite a few of their promos last year, it added to the intensity. 

Less than a minute into his match with Jim Duggan, Jack Swagger took him out with his own two by four, along with Sgt Slaughter and Dusty Rhodes. I was just relieved we didn't have to endure an actual match involving Duggan.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan & Kane) bested the Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus O'Neil) in a largely enjoyable tag bout. All four men gave decent displays and provided a fun watch. Afterwards the 'Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase stuck a one-hundred dollar bill down Young's mouth, which Bryan snuck back to take for himself.

Tensai and Brodus Clay beat 3MB (Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater) in an extremely brief contest with Tensai applying a quick roll up pin for the one-two-three. Afterwards the Honky Tonk Man began to celebrate with the victors but was interrupted by Slater, so he decided to crack his guitar over his head.

Fandango once again refused to make his in-ring debut against Kofi Kingston after announcer Justin Roberts didn't manage to announce his name to his high standards.

Triple H explained that after supposedly retiring from the ring last year, he still kept up his training in the gym every day and was just waiting secretly for an excuse to get back into the squared circle, and Brock Lesnar gave it to him when he took out his Father-in-law Vince McMahon a few weeks ago. He went on to then challenge Lesnar to an official fight at 'Mania. I'm personally quite looking forward to their match myself, should be a dramatic one.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Wade Barrett in an enjoyable encounter. Del Rio is on great form at the moment for me, and he carried it on here with a solid performance. Barrett also worked well and gave a worthy display. Not an outstanding match by any means but still above average.  

The New Age Outlaws, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg beat Epico and Primo in a largely average tag contest. The action was never great but fortunately the nostalgic element and passable work from the NAO was enough to make it worth a watch if you're a fan.

Just before the main event Mae Young celebrated her incredible 90th birthday, but it was soon spoilt when CM Punk and Heyman walked through and straight to the ring. What a git, eh? 

CM Punk bested Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show in a solid enough Fatal Four Way main event to earn a match with The Undertaker at WrestleMania. All four men used their time well here and predictably managed to each get in their signature maneuvers in turn. While not as exciting as I was maybe hoping for, I can't fault any of their displays. Afterwards 'Taker made an appearance and faced Punk from the stage. It's on! I'm expecting a very high standard from their encounter on the grand stage.

While most of the show was decent enough, there was no one part that was exceptional or that exciting for me, which was quite disappointing. My highlights were the Cena Rock promo, main event and Triple H segment. On the whole a watchable Raw with nice progressions for WrestleMania, but nothing special. 

My WWE Raw, 18th February 2013 Recap

Behold the brand new WWE Championship belt. About damn time! Photo credit: WWE.com

John Cena started things off by talking about how WrestleMania XXVIIII was now taking shape, with him versus The Rock and Swagger versus Del Rio now official after the Elimination Chamber. CM Punk then joined Cena and reminded him that he has never beaten him and claimed that it was luck that he won the Royal Rumble and didn't deserve the spot at 'Mania. He also added that he couldn't win the big one against Rocky.

To settle things and shut Punk up, Cena then challenged him to a match to prove he was superior, with the winner going on to face The Rock for the title on the big stage. Punk agreed, but wanted to postpone it until next week when he was more prepared.

During an interview Sheamus and Ryback began arguing over their loss to The Shield the previous night until Chris Jericho then split them up and reminded them that it wasn't each other that they were really mad at. Y2J also suggested a six-man match that night pitting them three against Shield, which they were all for.

Mark Henry pinned Sin Cara in a brief and forgettable bout, with fair action but nothing special. As Henry continued the attack after the bell rung, The Great Khali made his way down, only for Henry to leave the ring and walk away. I'm praying they don't book a match between the two at 'Mania, please!

The Miz defeated Antonio Cesaro in a No Disqualification match. It was a fair effort from both men, but a little disappointing considering how rarely we get No DQ match ups on television, I would've thought they'd make more of the opportunity and we'd maybe get a bit more excitement.  

In a VT Zeb Colter spoke about how letting in too many people outside of the US into the country has drained it. Jack Swagger was also there, reminding us of their slogan "We, the people." As I've already said I'm intrigued with this storyline, it's something a bit edgier and sets up Swagger's feud with Del Rio perfectly. 

Backstage Daniel Bryan informed tag partner Kane that he didn't feel comfortable teaming with him soon after attacking him in the Elimination Chamber, and asked that he doen't accompany him to his singles match later. Randy Orton then also appeared and told Kane that since going to group therapy and hugging it out with people he wasn't so intimidating and compared him to Barney the Dinosaur.  

Alberto Del Rio bested Dolph Ziggler in a solid outing. Both men as standard for them looked good in the ring and put in more than worthy displays, with stellar wrestling throughout.

Afterwards Ziggler's associate Big E Langston clobbered Del Rio and applied a Big Ending. Dolph then decided to cash in his MITB contract, but Ricardo Rodriguez had other ideas and legged it with the briefcase, accidentally dropping it on the ramp as he did so. As the 'Show Off' then retrieved the contract Del Rio recovered and cracked him with an enzuigiri.

Wade Barrett announced that he will be starring in the new WWE produced film Dead Man Down, then presented the trailer. Afterwards Sheamus appeared on the big screen and mocked Barrett for barely having a role in the film at all. Wade was not amused that Sheamus had cut his time short.

Brodus Clay, Tensai and Naomi beat Epico, Primo and Rosa Mendes in a fun enough mixed-tag contest. This was wisely kept short, which certainly benefitted all involved and kept the pace and interest up, any longer and it would've dragged.

In a State of the Union Address, Zeb Colter thanked the founding fathers for creating the bill of rights, allowing him to voice his opinions freely. He then continued to bash the illegal immigrants in America that use the medical care, education and take their jobs. He also added that at WrestleMania Swagger will defeat Del Rio to capture the World Title and help reclaim America, claiming that the champion was only in the USA to reap the rewards. 

Jack Swagger bested Daniel Bryan in an enjoyable encounter. Both men gave fine efforts as they went move for move, counter for counter. As part of his new signature routine, Swagger worked on Bryan's leg until eventually latching on the Patriot Lock for the submission victory.

Vickie Guerrero, with Paul Heyman in the ring, announced Brad Maddox as her new assistant. As Heyman was about to leave Vince McMahon then appeared on the big screen and reminded him that last week he'd agreed to do anything to add the certain stipulations to The Rock versus CM Punk match at EC. McMahon went on to inform Heyman that he would be returning that favour next week when they "are gonna have a fight."

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Ryback, Sheamus and Chris Jericho in a largely entertaining six-man tag bout. While not as exciting as their previous six-man match the night before, it was still a lively encounter and yet another very good display from The Shield trio.

Damien Sandow spoke about how dear President's Day was to him, claiming that his ancestors had been aiding them for many years. As he then aggressively started his following bout with Kofi Kingston, R-Truth made his return and took him out. I can't say I'm that bothered by his return.

Randy Orton pinned Kane in a passable affair. Unfortunately while the wrestling was solid enough, I just failed to get interested here and found the match quite drab on the whole. Orton managed to get in an RKO for the one-two-three after Daniel Bryan once again distracted his tag partner and cost him the match.

The Rock came out to an entrance preceded by an impressive marching band performance as part of his celebration. He then went on to admit that eight years ago the spinning WWE Championship title belt may have worked, but he personally felt that a prestigious strap shouldn't look like a toy and then introduced the brand new WWE Championship belt. While it looks more professional, it also looks a bit plain for my liking, but that's just my opinion.

As the WWE Champion was about to then admit who he'd rather face at 'Mania, John Cena came out and stood cockily on the stage, but shortly after CM Punk then took him out with the old WWE Title strap and threw it away, stating that he was after the brand new one. 

Overall I felt it was a decent enough Raw, with the final segment, Shield six-man tag bout, Del Rio versus Ziggler, and anything involving Swagger being the highlights. Not the best offering from the red brand as of late but it still made nice strides towards WrestleMania, with the next couple of weeks most likely settling the card for the supershow in April.  

My WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 Recap

The Chamber is lowered and prepared for a tremendous match. Photo credit: WWE.com

Alberto Del Rio (c) defeated Big Show to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a stellar contest. Yet again these two provided a great back and fourth match up, with more than worthy efforts. Not quite as gripping as their Last Man Standing encounters but I feel picky saying that, a good match overall and a smart choice to start the show.

For the finish Del Rio enzuigiri kicked a bucket that Show was holding into his head (although he had to do it twice after missing the first time, which was a bit awkward) which eventually led to his signature arm breaker for the submission victory. 

Antonio Cesaro (c) won via disqualification versus The Miz, thereby retaining the United States Championship. In another fine title clash between these two (that actually succeeded their last one I felt) both men played out a logical match that was heavily based on specific injuries they'd sustained. The Miz with his injured shoulder after the attack by Cesaro on last week's Raw, and Cesaro's leg which Miz damaged by whipping him into steel steps and then chop blocking and targeting. Both men barely went a foot wrong too, with each looking crisp with their wrestling here. The DQ came after the champ knocked Miz's leg, causing him to fall knee-first into his groin therefore forcing the referee to call for a low blow. Afterwards a frustrated Miz gave Cesaro a big kick in the crotch for a low blow that he did mean to cause.

Before the Elimination Chamber begun, Jack Swagger claimed that when he held the microphone he had the power and spoke only the truth. His accomplice Zeb Colter then stated how ashamed the founding fathers would now be of America, with all the "panderers and excuse makers." He also went on to say how Swagger will win the Chamber match and start setting things right in the USA. I'm still into this new storyline with these two trying to 'cleanse' their country as they'd put it.

Jack Swagger bested Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Mark Henry, Daniel Bryan and Kane in an Elimination Chamber match to earn a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity at WrestleMania XXVIIII. And what a tremendous Chamber match. From the opening I found it a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging affair, with a great display from each and every man. But the edge of your seat period came at the very end when it was only Jericho, Orton and Swagger left.

I also have to give WWE credit for the result, they gave us a surprise victor in Swagger. The biggest complaint from the Royal Rumble was the predictable results, and lets be honest, who saw the 'All American American' winning here? I for one think him and Del Rio could have a very interesting feud, and a solid bout on the big stage. Plus I've felt Swagger has been underutilised for a long while now, so colour me happy.

Daniel Bryan was first eliminated by a rampaging Mark Henry, same as Kane, then Henry himself was pinned by Orton after Swagger, Jericho and him teamed up to take him out. But the 'World's Strongest Man' would have his revenge as he then applied a World's Strongest Slam to each of the three men before he left. In a gripping final sequence Orton managed to block a Lionsault attempt from Y2J and then RKO him for a one-two-three, but then in a shocking result Swagger managed to score a quick roll up pin for the win and a World Title opportunity at 'Mania. A satisfying match on the whole.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Ryback, Sheamus and John Cena in an exciting six-man tag bout. I was expecting a decent outing here, but it certainly exceeded that. Each member of The Shield gave worthy performances, with Sheamus also looking good, I can't really fault Cena or Ryback either but they weren't exactly outstanding compared to their usual standard. The result also keeps Shield's momentum going, which is rare when pitted against Cena. I expect another solid six-man contest with them at WrestleMania.

Although it wasn't as bracing as the trio's TLC match from December (it was never going to be) they yet again contributed to a fun six-man match that kept you interested throughout. The best period came at the end when Reigns speared Sheamus through the barricade (almost hitting poor Lillian Garcia) and after what appeared to be a comeback from Cena's unit, Reigns also then speared Ryback as he was going for a Shell Shock on Rollins, who pinned him as Cena was preoccupied. Cena feigned shock afterwards as best he could, with an upset Ryback storming off, failing to get his retribution once again.

Dolph Ziggler, accompanied by Big E Langston and AJ Lee, complained about being left out of the card and warned Swagger that only he was guaranteed the World Championship with his MITB contract. GM Booker T then joined him and introduced Ziggler's opponent right there and then, Kofi Kingston.

Dolph Ziggler pinned Kofi Kingston in a decent contest. As usual both men looked largely impressive in the ring with their unique styles, and most importantly they gave us a lively encounter to enjoy. Afterwards Big E continued the assault on Kofi after he'd accidentally flown into him on the outside during the bout.

Kaitlyn (c) beat Tamina Snuka to retain the Divas Title in an average and forgettable outing. Neither performer looked bad, there was just nothing exceptional or particularly engaging about the match at all. For the finish Tamina went for the Superfly Splash but missed, receiving a spear from the champ for the winning pin. The most entertaining part of this was a male fan in the front row who began dancing to Kaitlyn's theme after she'd won, trust me go back and watch it.

The Rock (c) pinned CM Punk to retain the WWE Championship in an exciting main event. As expected this surpassed their clash at the Royal Rumble, going back and fourth with solid sequences and a well planned out match on the whole. My only issue was an extra referee bump that felt unnecessary at the end, caused by Punk accidentally rolling over his ankle. The original official was taken out shortly before that by Punk irish whipping The Rock into him and landing on the outside.

As Punk then went to take advantage of the lack of refs and clobber Rocky with the title belt, 'The People's Champ' ducked and Punk instead struck his associate Heyman, much to the delight of the lame and awful Lawler on commentary, who'd been bashing him much of the match. The champ then applied his second Rock Bottom of the bout for the one-two-three. It was then confirmed, the match tag lined as 'Once In a Lifetime' is going to happen again, the rematch no fan seems to want is main eventing 'Mania in April, Cena versus The Rock.

Overall I felt Elimination Chamber was a very solid show, with every match, bar the Divas outing, being of a high or at least decent quality. The highlights for me were the six-man tag match, main event and superb Chamber match. And we also had a nice surprise with Swagger's victory, for everyone complaining of the predictable nature of WWE nowadays I guess they can still pull it off now and then. Although on the downside, we will unfortunately get the rematch nobody seems to want in Rock versus Cena, ah well, can't always win.