My WWE SmackDown, 26th April 2013 Recap

Jack Swagger pinned Alberto Del Rio in a No Disqualification match. It was enjoyable for the most part, and definitely the best match in their series, with the weapons adding some much needed interest and excitement. Swagger also needed to redeem himself with a win here, which he gained after a Gutwrench Powerbomb onto a ladder.

Layla bested Aksana in a passable Divas outing. To be fair to her, Aksana did give a better display than normal, which isn't saying much I know.

Fandango toppled Justin Gabriel in a pretty forgettable affair. The wrestling was okay, nothing special. The London fans in attendance were at least still 'Fandangoing'.

Wade Barrett pinned William Regal in a disappointedly short and average match up. As a Regal fan (not just because I'm English) I was hoping for his televised bouts to last a little longer this week. Ah well.

Big Show beat Sheamus in a fair bout. Both men put in worthy efforts, but the match just failed to grab me like their great PPV ones last year. Show grabbed the win after Henry distracted the Irishman, allowing him to KO Sheamus with a trademark punch.

Mark Henry won via disqualification versus Randy Orton in a decent enough encounter after Sheamus gained some retribution by Brogue Kicking Henry. It was never anything remarkable but it wasn't bad.

The Undertaker defeated Dean Ambrose in a mostly stellar main event. Undertaker did seem a bit limited here but nonetheless both men delivered a good watch, with decent action throughout. 'Taker won via his Hells Gate (triangle choke) submission hold. Afterwards Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns then attacked the 'Dead Man' and put him through the announcer's table with the trio's signature triple powerbomb. Good decision here, leaving Shield to go out on a strong note.

Overall it was rather pedestrian SmackDown, containing matches that were decent enough but never must see. The only real highlight I'd recommend to people would be the main event, which was a good watch. And where was Ziggler? The World Champion was absent for the second week in a row on the blue brand, which is just baffling to me. 

My WWE Raw, 22nd April 2013 Recap

The Dead Man takes it to Reigns. Photo credit: WWE.com

Paul Heyman kicked things off by revealing that after his client Brock Lesnar challenged Triple H on last week's Raw to a Steel Cage match, he'd since received an email from 'The Game' that explained that he'd answer the challenge on next week's show.

Heyman went on to call the COO gutless for not being in attendance for the show in London, but Triple H proved him wrong and joined him in the ring. After accepting Brock's offer for Extreme Rules, Triple H then pedigreed his manager, much to the excitement of the goofy Lawler on commentary. 

R-Truth pinned Antonio Cesaro in a decent enough contest. While quite short they both made the most of their time and gave worthy efforts. I'm still worried by this slump Cesaro has taken as of late, loosing to the likes of Kofi and Truth is never a good sign. Why did his push suddenly suddenly come to a halt? He has the look and ability to make it in WWE.

Damien Sandow bested Brodus Clay in a pedestrian match up. It wasn't awful on any level, but there was just nothing particularly engaging about the action. The fans got so bored they began to entertain themselves with various chants during it, although they were pleased with the victor.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Chris Jericho in a largely stellar outing. While most of the wrestling was exciting and engaging, there were a few slightly sloppy moments here and there that let it down a bit, but I think that's probably just me being a bit picky. A good watch on the whole. The biggest reaction from the crowd (who did a few of the chants and Mexican waves that the New Jersey fans did a couple of weeks ago throughout) actually came when Fandango's music hit, which caused Y2J to become distracted and Zig Zagged by Ziggler for the one-two-three.

Tensai beat Cody Rhodes in a fair, if forgettable bout. To be honest I wasn't engaged by this tag feud to start with, and that hasn't changed.

In an amusing background segment Daniel Bryan tried to convince Kane to go over some plans for their match with 'Taker against Shield later on, which included diagrams and everything! So Kane explained that his brother would arrive when he arrived, and didn't take orders from anyone. The Shield then attacked the tag champs, although you never saw their faces. 

Big E Langston toppled Zack Ryder in a brief squash match. Ryder managed to get in a bit of offense, but it was for nought. Obviously someone in the back is keen on Langston, which isn't shocking considering his look and build. I just hope he can improve himself in the ring a bit, although I'm not holding my breath. 

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) bested The Undertaker, Kane and Daniel Bryan in a terrific six-man tag bout. From the opening bell it was a gripping contest containing a high standard of wrestling, with Rollins and Bryan being the top two performers for me. Here's hoping this isn't the last time we see these six lock horns. 

Fandango pinned William Regal in a short but fun outing while it lasted. Regal understandably (and deservedly) received a tremendous ovation in London, England (I love our fans here) and gave a decent showing. Unfortunately the bout was kept brief and Fandango gained the winning pin with a swinging reverse STO. Afterwards Jericho then gained some payback by throwing Fandango off of the stage and dancing with his dance partner (who's now Summer Rae from NXT).   

AJ Lee outdid Layla, Aksana, Tamina and Naomi in a Divas Battle Royal to become number one contender to the Divas Title. As tradition for these it was a forgettable match with mediocre wrestling, but it also showed off how awfully thin the roster of semi-capable female performers there are on the main roster, they seriously need to bring up more talent from developmental and NXT (such as Paige, who as a Diva that really stands out I could see becoming a big name).  

Mick Foley called out Ryback and asked him what had changed so that he'd walk away and refuse to help Cena last week. Ryback retorted by stating that he loved watching Shield attack Cena last week, and called Foley a "pathetic" excuse of a man who just keeps coming back to plug something and shouldn't be around anymore. As he then went face to face with the Hall of Famer, Cena ran out and confronted his Extreme Rules foe.

The Shield then made their way out so Cena left Ryback to it as retribution for last Monday, but soon returned with a steel chair and chased off the trio (who bested 'Taker, Bryan and Kane earlier, remember?) and also AA'd Ryback for good measure. The Foley and Ryback segment was nicely executed, with some good intensity towards the end, but after that it felt a bit too familiar and hardly advanced anything in this feud.

Overall it was a decent Raw this week, with the Foley Ryback segment, crowd enthusiasm, Regal appearance, Ziggler versus Jericho and the great six-man bout being the highlights. Other than that it ranged from fair to average, which I can forgive for the stronger parts. 

My WWE Raw, 8th April 2013 Recap

About time, right? Photo credit: WWE.com

The brand new WWE Champion John Cena started things off by giving a strange and nonsensical promo on the fans booing him because they were upset that WrestleMania was now over, and then started to dance (badly) to try and cheer them up. The fans responded with appropriate chants of "Boring" and "Same old shit."

Fortunately Mark Henry then interrupted Cena after he announced that he'll defend the title that very night, and challenged him to defend it against himself. Cena, after making some lame jokes at Henry's expense as he always does (but at least he did amusingly address the "Sexual chocolate" chants) accepted the match. But GM Booker T then joned them and stated the Cena couldn't just make title matches and that due to The Rock being the next in line for a shot (but being injured) Henry would have to beat him that night to earn one. The crowd were certainly behind Henry here and gave no sympathy to Rocky when he was mentioned.

Big E Langston pinned Daniel Bryan in a pedestrian outing. Langston was pretty unremarkable in the ring, and Bryan did okay with the short time allocated to them. Towards the end Langston threw Bryan onto Kane on the outside, who'd been distracted by Dolph Ziggler, then applied a Big Ending for the one-two-three.

Wade Barrett defeated The Miz (c) to obtain the Intercontinental Title in an entertaining contest. Both men gave worthy efforts here and provided engaging action in a far superior bout to their one in the 'Mania pre-show. The crowd were also firmly behind Barrett throughout and very pleased with the result. 

Alberto Del Rio bested Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter in a two on one Handicap match. The bout itself was fair, much like their one at WrestleMania it had decent enough wrestling but nothing to get you that excited or into it. Colter didn't even enter the fray so I'm not sure what the point of making it a Handicap match was. Once again the fans also lost interest in these two and began chanting for Ziggler multiple times, and speaking of the 'Show Off'...

The arena then erupted as Dolph Ziggler walked down and finally cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, and after a dramatic few minutes where Del Rio managed to get in an arm breaker and an enzuigiri for some edge of your near finishes, Ziggler applied a Zig Zag for the winning pinfall and the World Title. The jubilant fans were all on their feet and applauding the new champ, quite a contrast to Cena at 'Mania. An emotional Dolph celebrated with AJ Lee and Big E, and it was quite a touching moment, his hard work had finally paid off! Let's just hope the reign lasts.

The Undertaker then came out to a terrific reception, and as he was talking about dedicating his win the previous night to Paul Bearer, The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) came down and were about to face the 'Dead Man' when Team Hell No raced into the ring to his aid, which sent the trio packing. It was a nice segment, and very well received by the crowd. Could we be seeing a six-man tag bout including 'Taker at Extreme Rules perhaps? I'd be all for it.

Santino Marella, Zack Ryder and R-Truth beat 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in a largely average six-man tag. Ryder gave a passable display, and Santino gave us his usual comedy routine towards the end when he managed to strike Slater with the Cobra for the win.   

In the ring Randy Orton and Sheamus argued over who gets to face Big Show that night after he'd KO'd both men at 'Mania after their contest versus The Shield. So Booker T and Vickie Guerrero came out and announced that both men will face each other to see who will face Big Show at a later date.

Randy Orton versus Sheamus ended as a No Contest after Big Show came down and took both men out. The match itself had been very pedestrian and drab, but luckily the fans in attendance in New Jersey saved the day and provided plenty of enthusiasm with non-stop chants throughout, such as "JBL" "Michael Cole" "ECW" "We want Big Show" "We are awesome!" (my personal favourite) and many more. Oh, and also quite a few Mexican waves. This all bemused Sheamus and Orton a bit, but to be fair this saved the match and actually provided the most entertainment of the show. 

Once Big Show had walked down he continued to throw Sheamus and KO punch and spear Orton to chants of "Thank you Big Show!" 

Kofi Kingston versus Fandango ended abruptly when Chris Jericho ran in and attacked his 'Mania foe, throwing him around the outside (where he amusingly attempted to place JBL's misplaced hat back on his head) and then applying the Walls of Jericho and a Codebreaker to finish him off. The crowd very much appreciated Jericho's appearance, and hilariously sung Fandango's theme during the bout while dancing.

Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai) and the Funkadactyls (Naomi and Cameron) beat team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) and the Bella Twins in an eight-person mixed tag match. As expected it was largely forgettable and felt like it was just there to take up some time and make up for its absence the night before. Fortunately the fans were still on form and carried on humming Fandango's theme and dancing.

John Cena won via count out versus Mark Henry in a pretty mediocre main event. It's hardly a surprise but the action here was nothing exceptional or particularly engaging at all, but at least it wasn't too long. After the lame finish, where Henry was chucked into the ringpost and failed to make the ten count, the 'World's Strongest Man' made a comeback to beat down Cena in the ring.

This prompted Ryback to come down and after a brief exchange then spinebuster Henry to send him packing. After then helping up Cena he turned and clotheslined him and applied a Shell Shock. The fans were into the turn, and Ryback then stood tall over Cena with his WWE Title belt.

Overall it was a very memorable Raw, with two titles changing hands (including the World Championship with Dolph finally cashing in) a tremendous crowd and a heel turn from Ryback. My personal highlights were Ziggler cashing in, the fans and the entertaining IC Title match.  Unfortunately on the negative side the aforementioned bout was the only one on the show really worth watching, the rest were average for the most part. As for Ryback's turn I'm not sure how much good this will do him, and I can't say I'm too excited by it.

But on the whole I'd call the show a success, and plus Ziggler is champ! 

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, 18th March 2013 Recap

Heyman reveals the stipulation for Lesnar versus Triple H on the grand stage. Photo credit: WWE.com

John Cena started things off in his new bright yellow top (about as appealing as it sounds) and claimed that in the build up to his match with The Rock at WrestleMania XXIX this time he will not promise victory, but instead warn him and his fans that his time is now.

The Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus O'Neil, who was dressed as his uncle Rufus 'Pancake' Patterson for some reason...) then interrupted Cena and told him that no one wanted to see him on the grand stage and challenged him to a one on one match with Young, so Cena accepted.

John Cena pinned Darren Young in a brief squash match. I guess this helped build up Cena (not that he needs it) for 'Mania but I can't help but feel the start of the show was a waste of time.

Ryback beat David Otunga in another squash match. And much like the previous one you wouldn't miss much by skipping it. Afterwards the victor warned Henry that their paths will cross again after the 'World's Strongest Man' attacked Ryback on last week's SmackDown. Mark Henry then came out but was soon halted by Teddy Long and Vickie Guerrero, who announced that Ryback would no longer be facing The Shield at 'Mania, but Henry instead. 

Fandango made his full entrance this week, but made a quick getaway after Natalya failed to pronounce his name properly. I'm quite liking the persona myself, he certainly stands out.

R-Truth won via count out versus Damien Sandow in a largely average and forgettable outing. There were a few nice moments here and there and it wasn't bad by any means, but it just failed to ever create some real excitement.

The Undertaker warned CM Punk that after what he did last week involving Paul Bearer's urn and the disrespect shown, he's going to "hurt you bad." He also demanded the urn be returned back. CM Punk then appeared on the big screen, mocking Bearer and claiming that while 'Taker is the best at WrestleMania, he's the best all year round and is the only one that can carry the burden of ending the 20-0 streak.

All the while Punk was also throwing around Bearer's urn, dropping it at one point. I haven't minded this feud so far, but I'm not blown away by it. It certainly hasn't lived up to the build ups between Taker and Triple H and Michaels over the last few years.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan & Kane) bested Epico and Primo in a decent enough tag bout. All four men provided fine displays, with only a bit of a botched chokeslam at the end looking sloppy. During the match AJ Lee ran out and skipped around the ring, but this failed to distract the tag champions enough as they still gained the win. 

Alberto Del Rio defeated Cody Rhodes in a solid contest, and top match of the night. It contained well executed back and fourth action, with worthy efforts from both men. Del Rio really is on great form this year. Afterwards Jack Swagger began attacking Del Rio from behind, with the World Champion briefly making a comeback until Zeb Colter caught his attention, which allowed Swagger to once again take out his 'Mania opponent. Swagger also damaged the ankle of Ricardo Rodriguez after being instructed by Colter to do so. It was a decent segment.

Booker T was announced as the next inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2013. I have absolutely no quarrels at all with him being inducted, he more than deserves it, but I feel he could've gotten a fairer spot in a not so busy year of high class inductees.

Randy Orton and Sheamus toppled 3MB (Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre) in a fun enough tag match. Not the greatest bout you'll witness but it had some entertaining moments, and there's no doubting the crowds support for the team of Orton and Sheamus. Afterwards The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) made their way to the ring, but soon backed up and left after Big Show came out and joined Orton and Sheamus. Show pointed towards the WrestleMania sign as a clear hint that he should be a part of their unit on the big stage before leaving.

Dolph Ziggler pinned Kofi Kingston in a fair bout. These two always deliver stellar displays against each other but unfortunately I feel like I've seen their encounters a hundred times now, and after a while you can't help but start to find them unmemorable and a bit dull to be honest. Nothing against either wrestler of course. 

Afterwards Team Hell No challenged Ziggler and Big E Langston to a tag match, so AJ accepted on their behalf, but only if the tag team titles were on the line and it took place at WrestleMania, which they agreed to. Should be a decent match.

Wade Barrett (c) bested The Miz and Chris Jericho to retain the Intercontinental Title in a Triple Threat match. The contest was entertaining for the majority, with nice sequences and plenty of effective near falls. Jericho was definitely the top performer here, with the fans firmly behind him. Barrett grabbed the win by applying a schoolboy for the one-two-three after Miz had flattened Y2J with a Skull Crushing Finale.

Paul Heyman, along with his own security, joined Triple H in the ring and once again reiterated that he won't reveal the stipulation of his match with Brock Lesnar until after 'The Game' had signed the contract. After Heyman had winded Triple H up, including bring Stephanie into things, he had enough and took out the three security guards, then began beating down and slapping around Lesnar's manager.

After the 'Cerebral Assassin' had signed the contract, Brock Lesnar himself appeared and circled the ring, but decided after some convincing from Heyman to leave things for now and walked back down the ramp. Heyman then officially announced that at WrestleMania it will be a No Holds Barred match between the two, with Triple H's career on the line. It was a strong end to the show, and felt like a WrestleMania build up.

Overall it was a largely pedestrian show, with a few solid matches and promos that managed to save it a bit. The highlights were Triple Threat for the IC Title, Del Rio versus Rhodes and the final segment. Other than that it was pretty unmemorable, but at least they made a few matches official for the grand stage.