My WWE SmackDown, 23rd August 2013 Recap

Bryan explodes with a knee on his way to the win. Photo credit: WWE.com

Vickie Guerrero started things off by introducing the WWE Champion Randy Orton, who claimed that he wanted to be a champion the fans could look up to, a role model. He went on to say that while he appreciated The Shield, Triple H and the McMahons help on Monday's Raw, he didn't need it. 'The Viper' also once again reiterated Vince's words that he was now the "face of the WWE."

Daniel Bryan then joined Orton and first thanked Cena for the chance to challenge for the title at SummerSlam. He then turned his attention to the champ, who he admitted was prettier, taller and more chiselled than he was, but he also reminded him that he had to earn every single thing in the pro wrestling business while Orton had it handed to him by WWE.

Bryan also added  that he had a rematch clause due for the strap and wanted to have it that night. Unfortunately Orton told Bryan that he'd have to wait until Night of Champions. As 'The Viper' was leaving he tried  a sneaky RKO but Bryan got the best of him and reversed it and dropkicked him out of the ring. It was a stellar start to the show, with both men on great form right now.

Curtis Axel defeated Cody Rhodes in a decent outing. Both wrestlers gave worthy efforts here, adding another enjoyable match up to Rhode's current streak. Axel delivered a hangman's facebuster (cool name for a finisher) for the win after Paul Heyman distracted Cody from the outside. Afterwards Heyman took to the mic and accused CM Punk of causing him emotional distress following his recent actions, stating that he was on a downward spiral since he left him and his actions on the past Raw were "befitting a mad man." 

Axel claimed that Punk didn't deserve a IC Title shot and added that he had a brighter future than him and the advantage of Heyman in his corner, then challenged him to a match next Monday night. It's good to see Axel back in the spotlight.

Dolph Ziggler pinned Big E Langston in a fair contest. As standard Ziggler was on solid form, making the best from the more limited Langston. There were some nice moments but it was rather forgettable on the whole.

Alberto Del Rio forced Christian to submit in a great back and fourth encounter. I know these two have faced off a lot recently, but when the quality of matches is this high I struggle to get tired of it. Both men are two of the most consistent in ring performers in the company today.

Afterwards Del Rio bragged that there was only one of him, and that his Latino fan base couldn't live up to his standard due to being "peasants." But he asked them to still follow him to greatness. The champ's former announcer Ricardo Rodriguez then came out and told Del Rio that he and the rest of the Latinos didn't want to follow him, but would rather follow his new associate Rob Van Dam, who hit Del Rio with a rolling thunder after Christian struck with a missile dropkick as retribution for ADR refusing to let go of his signature arm breaker after he'd already won the bout. I look forward to the inevitable title clash between RVD and Del Rio at Night of Champions. 

Big Show and Mark Henry beat 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in a passable Handicap squash match. Henry was down for a short time, but he and Show dominated for the most part. It was never great but it was watchable.

Afterwards the tag champs Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins appeared on the big screen and sarcastically applauded their win, then stating that while Show and Henry were an intimidating unit they weren't good enough to beat them.

Darren Young bested Antonio Cesaro in a competent contest. I understand Young's recent push, but it still frustrates me to see Cesaro relegated to this spot he's in at the moment. The sooner he ditches the drab Zeb Colter and Swagger the better.

Backstage Ryback lost his patience with a Dad getting his autograph for his son when he revealed he didn't even know who Ryback was. In response the obnoxious Ryback, who was actually very amusing here, tore up the autograph.

Daniel Bryan defeated Wade Barrett in an entertaining Steel Cage Match. I was expecting a fun main event but this exceeded that, with solid wrestling and exciting moments in the best televised match these two have had to date. Afterwards as Bryan celebrated Orton snuck up and applied an RKO, standing tall with his strap as the show ended.

Overall it was a decent show, most matches were watchable but two were above average for televised contests. It was also nice to see some progression in the interesting Bryan Orton feud, with hopefully some more inclusion from Triple H and the McMahons next Monday night. My highlights were the main event, Axel versus Rhodes and Christian versus Del Rio. 

My WWE SmackDown, 15th August 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE SmackDown, 9th August 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My WWE SmackDown, 21st June 2013 recap

Bryan goes flying towards Orton in a great pic. Photo credit: WWE.com

Daniel Bryan kicked things off by accusing the officials and medical staff (who stopped his match on Raw due to an injury on his behalf) of only ending his bout with Orton because they saw him as the "weak link." He also claimed that Orton's pat on his back was patronising. So Randy came out and explained that it was out of respect, but Bryan wasn't having any of it and called him a liar. A frustrated Orton retorted by saying that Bryan was loosing it and had enough of him before storming away. 

Sheamus beat Cody Rhodes in a passable, if forgettable outing. Both men were competent in the ring, but it lacked any real excitement or interest for me. Boy, hasn't Cody become a real punching bag over the last year? Afterwards Damien Sandow ran in and savagely clobbered his rival Sheamus.

Curtis Axel (c) pinned Wade Barrett to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a decent back and fourth encounter. Once again Axel looked solid here, and Barrett also gave a respectable display. Afterwards The Miz (who'd provided guest commentary) had a brief face off with the champ until his manager Paul Heyman convinced him to back off.

AJ Lee bested Natalya in a fair Divas bout, largely thanks to the effort of Natalya. AJ looked okay here, but pretty unremarkable as usual.  Backstage Aksana called Kaitlyn "trash" so the former Divas Champion launched herself at Aksana. It was atrocious acting all round as they were eventually split up.

Alberto Del Rio won via disqualification versus Chris Jericho in a solid contest. As expected both wrestlers were on stellar form, with nicely executed action from the opening bell. The DQ occurred when an enraged Dolph Ziggler ran in to attack Del Rio.

After the World Champion managed to escape the ring, an upset Jericho Codebreakered Ziggler for costing him the match. Del Rio then snuck back into the ring to swiftly kick Ziggler in the head, as he had done to finish him off at last Sunday's Payback event to win the title.

Christian defeated Drew McIntyre in a brief match up. The wrestling was fine, but unfortunately they didn't have enough time to make a real impact. That being said I'm still just grateful we have Christian back, he's one of the most consistent performers in the company. As 'Captain Charisma' was talking about how glad he was to be back in the ring, The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) came down the ramp (rather than through the crowd, which looked odd) and attacked Christian, finally finishing him off with a triple powerbomb.  

Daniel Bryan won via count out versus Randy Orton in an engaging main event. The count out occurred after Bryan struck Orton with a suicide dive to the outside, however an irate Bryan refused to let the match end that way and demanded that the bout be restarted so he could beat Orton definitively, but the referee refused. The match of the night had been very entertaining, with top wrestling from both men and plenty of excitement. 

Overall it was a decent show, with most matches being enjoyable enough. However after a great Raw you couldn't help but feel a bit deflated after the momentum had dropped, but that's often the case with the blue brand this year. My highlights were Axel versus Barrett, Del Rio versus Jericho and the great main event. 

My WWE SmackDown, 14th June 2013 Recap

The three men that finally defeated The Shield. Photo credit: WWE.com

The always entertaining Daniel Bryan kicked off the show by first amusingly boasting about his accomplishments in the WWE and how he wasn't surprised he'd achieved them, and then called out his soon to be ex-tag partner Kane. After reminding him that at Payback he'll be challenging for the tag title with Orton, Bryan officially ended Team Hell No and broke up with Kane.

Bryan also went on to claim that he believes he and Orton could do what Team Hell No couldn't in beating The Shield, insinuating that Kane was the "weak link" of their unit. As an upset Kane grabbed his former tag partner by the throat, Randy Orton warned Kane that he couldn't stand back and let him attack his tag partner.

As arguments ensued between the three men, their rivals The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) appeared on the big screen and expressed their amusement at the their frustration and anger, putting it down to them maybe finally realising that after months of defeating various teams The Shield are an unstoppable force in WWE. They also claimed that that night was going to be like every other in that they'll fall to them in the ring. It was one of the best openings to a SmackDown in a long, long time, with strong mic work from all involved, and it was simply fun and engaging to watch.  

Sheamus pinned Antonio Cesaro in a decent back and fourth contest. Both participants gave solid efforts here, and it was enjoyable enough. Unfortunately for me I felt it was lacking that little bit of extra excitement to make it a memorable or great match up.

Before the match Sheamus' Payback Kickoff opponent Damien Sandow bragged about outdoing the Irishman both mentally and physically in the recent weeks, and claimed that he will do the same Sunday. After the bout Sandow also blindsided Sheamus from behind. It's nice to see the 'Intellectual Saviour' with a more substantial feud, and hopefully he'll gain the much needed win at Payback, he could use it a lot more than the 'Celtic Warrior'.

Heath Slater bested The Great Khali in a mediocre outing. The wrestling was average, which tends to be the trend with the very limited Khali. 

Alberto Del Rio and Chris Jericho defeated Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston in an enjoyable tag bout. Admittedly it didn't contain any of the four men's finest ever performance, or even great ones, but it was still entertaining for the most part. 

Kaitlyn versus Aksana ended in a no contest after the enraged Divas Champion slapped the referee and chased away her opponent after mauling her. Kaitlyn was still reeling from her humiliating set up by AJ Lee on this week's Raw when she duped her into believing that Big E was her secret admirer. I'm not expecting anything special in their title match but I can appreciate some thought finally going into a Divas feud, it's been a long time.

Before their following match up, Wade Barrett tried to convince Curtis Axel to cancel their bout and reduce the risk of picking up an injury before their Triple Threat this Sunday for the Intercontinental Title. But the third man involved in said contest The Miz reminded the two that the fans came to see a fight, which convinced them to carry on. 

Curtis Axel pinned Wade Barrett in a brief and forgettable affair. Both men looked decent, but they didn't have enough time to make a real impression, which was unfortunate. During the encounter Axel accidentally struck Miz at ringside, so afterwards he applied a Skull Crushing Finale on Curtis as retribution. 

Daniel Bryan, Kane and Randy Orton defeated The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) in a thrilling six-man tag main event. The first two thirds of the contest were stellar, with worthy efforts from ever man, but it was the final few blistering minutes that really turned it up and delivered a memorable end to the show, The Shield had finally lost a six-man tag team match.

The fast pace only heightened the intensity at the end as Kane managed to take out both Ambrose and Reigns on the outside, allowing him to then deliver Rollins into Orton for an RKO and then into No lock by Bryan where he tapped out. Terrific televised outing, and one that adds intrigue to the two title bouts that Shield will compete in at Payback, are they so unstoppable now? I still see them retaining but it does add a little question mark.

Overall it was an enjoyable show for the most part, and above the usual standard for the blue brand this year. My highlights were the opening segment, Del Rio and Jericho versus Ziggler and Big E and the exciting main event. I almost feel worried that I may start taking The Shield and Bryan for granted with the standard of matches they deliver every week. Like Raw the show also delivered a strong ending to go into Payback with, which isn't always the case with WWE with shows before pay-per-views. 

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, 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 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. 

My WWE SmackDown, 22nd February 2013 Recap

Del Rio strikes with a nice aerial kick. Photo credit: WWE.com

World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio kicked off the show by responding to his WrestleMania opponent Jack Swagger's claims that immigrants like himself are ruining the USA, and reminded him that it was also immigrants that helped build the country in the first place. He also went on to challenge Swagger to come out and face him man to man.

But instead Randy Orton joined him and accused Swagger of taking away his chance at main eventing 'Mania in the Elimination Chamber match last Sunday, going on to state that he wanted some retribution. So GM Booker T granted 'The Viper' his match with Swagger and also booked Del Rio versus Barrett for that night.

Sheamus pinned Damien Sandow in a decent outing. Both men gave worthy efforts here and provided solid wrestling throughout, nothing spectacular but it made for a fun watch.

Before her following match, Kaitlyn complimented Cody Rhode's moustache backstage, which he graciously accepted. Could a face turn be in Cody's near future?

Kaitlyn and Layla bested Tamina and Aksana in a mediocre tag bout. Layla was the only standout performer here for me, the rest of the match was quite messy and average.

Backstage Zeb Colter, accompanying Swagger, warned Wade Barrett to stay out of their way and do them a favour by going back to England, classing him as another immigrant taking a job from an American.

Jack Swagger defeated Randy Orton in a mostly stellar contest. While not exactly an edge of your seat bout, it still has solid action from both men who looked crisp in the ring.

Swagger gained the win after catching Orton with a thumb to the eye and applying a quick roll up pin for the one-two-three, much like the one he used on 'The Viper' to win the Elimination Chamber. Considering he's going to WrestleMania to contest for the World Title I would've thought Swagger might have beaten Orton cleanly here. 'The Viper' looked frustrated afterwards, here's hoping his rumoured heel turn is coming up soon.

The Miz beat Cody Rhodes in a fair match up. In keeping with the trend of the previous singles bouts of the show, the wrestling was solid enough but not necessarily that exciting. Quite a forgettable one this really. Miz forced Rhodes to tap to the Figure Four Leglock for the win. 

Alberto Del Rio defeated Wade Barrett in an enjoyable main event. Definitely the top match of the night, with nice displays from both men and finally something a bit livelier on an otherwise unremarkable show. Swagger viewed the match from the stage and made his way down to face off with Del Rio from the outside of the ring afterwards. They of course did the obligatory pointing and staring at the WrestleMania sign looming over them.

Overall it was a pretty pedestrian show for the majority. Most bouts were fine but not massively engaging, much like the only promo we received at the start. Fortunately the livelier main event redeemed it a bit, but this was still a poor offering for a show in the WrestleMania season. Rather than repeating two ten-minute segments from Raw they could've added in some Mark Henry, Jericho, Team Hell No or Big Show at least, just something to add some interest (that's not a dig at any of those talents either). 

My WWE 20th Anniversary Raw, 14th January 2013 Recap

Big E attempts to help out his pal Ziggler. Unsuccessfully. Photo credit: WWE.com

Vince McMahon appropriately kicked off the 20th anniversary of Raw, and thanked himself for the success of the show, proclaiming to be a "certifiable, iconic genius" (he hasn't mellowed with old age, eh?) and also thanked the fans. Big Show then joined the Chairman and asked him to address the "travesty" that occurred on SmackDown last week, that being Del Rio beating him for the World Title in a great Last Man Standing match. He asked that the new champion be stripped of the strap after accusing GM Booker T of being biased against him. 

Alberto Del Rio then of course joined them and called Show a baby after the way he was complaining, and challenged him to a Title match that night to settle things. But the giant refused, instead choosing the Royal Rumble as a more suitable battleground. After some more banter Big Show then went for Ricardo Rodriguez, so Del Rio intervened and applied a hurricanrana and enzuigiri to send his future opponent packing. It was a fun segment to get the show started, and so far Del Rio's face turn has worked out nicely, he really needed a shake up with his previously stale persona.

Wade Barrett defeated Randy Orton in a decent contest. The action was largely solid, albeit a bit familiar perhaps. With these two having faced each other so many times the excitement and interest has been watered down, but it was still a worthy display from both men and worth a watch. The biggest note from the bout was the fact that Barrett beat Orton cleanly, yes you read that right. This is a very good sign for the fellow Brit, could he be a contender to win the Rumble match?

Before their check up with Doctor Shelby, Daniel Bryan and Kane agreed to just pretend that their anger management issues were behind them to pass the test. After answering a couple of questions, Shelby asked in Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow to try and antagonise the Tag Team Champions. After criticising his technique and ability, Shelby had enough of Team Rhodes Scholars and Bryan and Kane threw them out. It was as usual an amusing segment from Hell No, much like their earlier days.

Kane beat Damien Sandow in a quite forgettable and average affair. The wrestling was never bad, it was just too brief and uneventful to leave a lasting impression.

Mick Foley came out after being announced as the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame 2013, but shortly into his speech The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) made their way out to the ring. This then prompted Ryback, Sheamus and Orton to race out and gain some payback on the trio. I'm predicting a six-man between them all at the Royal Rumble, which should be quite enjoyable I think. Ryback then promised in an interview with Josh Matthews that he will have retribution on Shield after all they've taken from him.

Kaitlyn bested Eve (c) to obtain the Divas Title in a fair bout. I'll give them both credit, they put in pretty worthy efforts and tried to actually give us a decent and engaging Divas match up. Unfortunately it wasn't that special but certainly watchable, and it's a suitable time for Kaitlyn to win the strap I reckon.

CM Punk defeated Brodus Clay in a passable contest. Clay was a bit sluggish at parts, while Punk worked hard and pulled out a good display to up the overall quality of the bout. Afterwards the WWE Champion stated that it was "fact" that he was the "best in the world" and once again reiterated that he will topple The Rock at the Royal Rumble. 

3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) bested Sheamus in a three on one over the tope rope challenge. It was about as entertaining as you'd expect, so not very. It wasn't terrible to be fair, but it just felt pretty worthless. I can't help but think something much more worthy could've had the spot. Slater managed to last eliminate Sheamus with the help of his two team mates who'd already been thrown out, so as payback the Irishman took out the entire band.

The Miz introduced Ric Flair as his special guest on 'Miz TV' and asked 'The Nature Boy' what his favourite ever memory of Raw was, so  Flair said the night after he'd retired, which was an extremely memorable and fitting send off to the Hall of Famer (at the time). After a VT of famous catchphrases over the years, Flair was tearing into his classic one but Antonio Cesaro then interrupted him and accused 'Naitch' of spending so much money to keep up an illusion of a time long gone. In retaliation Flair and Miz then took out the US Champion, finishing up with Miz applying a Figure Four. 

Daniel Bryan beat Cody Rhodes in a brief outing. Why couldn't they have cut the Sheamus 3MB match and allocated more time to these two talents? They could've had a much more worthwhile match. The action itself was decent enough, Bryan caught the win with his signature No Lock. 

We were then shown footage from the WWE Active App where Eve announced that she'd had enough of the company and her poor treatment and quit. So now there's even less female talent on the main roster, time for the likes of Paige and others to enter the fray and freshen up the division I think.

John Cena defeated Dolph Ziggler in a Steel Cage match. It was the top match of the night (which doesn't say much I'll admit) and best televised bout of the year so far. The action was highly enjoyable from start to finish, with exciting moves from Ziggler and dramatic escape attempts. It's probably the best match these two men have had with each other.

For the finish AJ Lee started to climb the cage, allowing Big E Langston to enter the steel structure and be accidentally cracked in the head by Dolph with his Money in the Bank briefcase, with Cena then applying an AA for the one-two-three. The ending made Ziggler look goofy and stupid, just what you want for your MITB holder right? No. But aside from that my only major gripe with the match was with the victor, with the help of Big E Langston (who thwarted a few escape attempts by Cena) a win for Dolph here would not have hurt Cena, and he needed it a lot more. The day Cena retires will be a very positive one for any up and coming talent.

The Rock performed a rare Rock Concert for the fans in Texas. His first song was dedicated to Paul Heyman, mocking his weight and small, well, manhood. He then asked Vickie Guerrero to come on out and dedicated a cover to Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' to her, or as he put it "No be-atch, you look horrible tonight." As childish as it was, I have to admit it was quite amusing.

After Vickie stormed off Rocky turned more serious and called out CM Punk, warning him that despite his promo last week he is not god and that he will take the title from him on the 27th. Punk then sprinted towards the ring and the two collided in a brawl until they were split up. It was a nicely executed and heated scrap between the two, and a nice progression seeing them get physical like that. Strong end to the show I thought.

For the most part it was an enjoyable Raw, with Barrett versus Orton, Team Hell No segment, promos from Punk and Rock and especially the cage match being the highlights. Unfortunately the rest of the bouts were quite forgettable and felt more like filler, which is poor enough for a normal broadcast never mind an anniversary show. I would've like to have seen some time cut from certain clips and contests and added to other areas (such as the Bryan versus Rhodes encounter). I don't want to complain too much though, overall a fun show. 

My WWE SmackDown, 4th January 2013 Recap

Randy Orton kicked things off by announcing that he had his sights set on the World Championship and that he would be entering the 2013 Royal Rumble match. Sheamus then joined 'The Viper' and also announced that he'll be participating in the same match. After some fairly heated words between the two, World champion Big Show also came out and boasted that it doesn't matter who challenges him for the title, since he'll be victorious anyway. US Title holder Antonio Cesaro as usual then berated Americans for their obesity rate. In Teddy Long-like fashion Booker T then booked all four men in a tag match for later on. 

The Miz bested Heath Slater in a fair outing. They both put in decent enough efforts, with Slater especially looking like he was trying to up his game. It wasn't anything outstanding or that exciting, but no aspect of it was bad. During the bout fellow 3MB members Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal were asked to leave by the referee.

The Great Khali, Natalya and Hornswaggle beat Rosa Mendes, Epico and Primo in a largely worthless tag bout. Epico and Primo ate talents who deserve far better than 'comedy' routines with Hornswaggle and trying to get something out of the rigid Khali.

Wade Barrett (c) defeated Kofi Kingston to retain the Intercontinental Title in an enjoyable enough contest. A bit more fun then their previous effort this past Monday, but still lacking that little something for me. On the whole a worthy title display form both men, worth a watch.

Tamina beat Layla in a passable Divas outing. Pretty run of the mill match up in front of an indifferent crowd, but no clear mistakes so I'll take that from the current Divas division.

Sheamus and Randy Orton defeated Antonio Cesaro and Big Show in a solid main event tag bout. The strongest period of this enjoyable (and intriguing, but I'll get to that in a bit...) contest was the first third with the always stellar Cesaro tangling with Sheamus and Orton. As Josh Matthews noted on commentary the US Champion didn't look out of place at all with the former World Title holders. Show also looked okay here, and put in a passable effort.  

For the finish Sheamus tagged himself in, which upset Orton and encouraged him to RKO Cesaro as the Irishman was about to Brogue Kick him. It was an interesting end to the match because I reckon this is the slow start in the heel turn we've heard rumours of for 'The Viper'. And he really needs it, his character has to freshen things up and it's probably the best way to do it.

Overall it was a decent show, although there was a large amount of content that was quite forgettable. The main event and the IC Title clash were the highlights for me, both decent, especially the tag match. As I said though there was just too much time spent on mediocre or drab matches and promos, typical for the blue brand I guess.  

My WWE SmackDown, 18th December 2012 Recap

CM Punk addresses the fans in the highlight of the night. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Miz introduced his guests for 'Miz TV' Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee, who were accompanied by Big E Langston. When asked why she screwed over Cena, AJ claimed that it was due to him toying with her emotions and stringing her along. Ziggler also added that it didn't matter that Cena won 'Superstar of the year' the previous night, because he'd stolen the show and his girlfriend anyway.

As Miz mocked the couple some more, Big E Langston decided enough was enough and clobbered the host. I really like the look of this new trio of Ziggler, AJ and Langston. Hopefully this is the start of Dolph moving to that next level and earning the World Title.

Teddy Long convinced Booker T backstage to give Brad Maddox a chance at earning a WWE contract against an unknown opponent.

Damien Sandow defeated Sin Cara in a fair bout. It wasn't anything exceptional but it was a worthy enough display from both men. During the match The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) made their way down and threw the absent Rey Mysterio's mask into the ring, distracting a concerned Sin Cara and allowing Sandow to apply his signature Terminus for the one-two-three.

Kofi Kingston and Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) bested The Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus O'Neil) and Wade Barrett in a solid six-man tag contest. From the opening bell it was an enjoyable match up, with good displays (and acceptable ones from Young and O'Neil) from most men involved as everyone got a chance to have a go at the action in the ring.

WWE Champion CM Punk, accompanied by Paul Heyman, came to the ring and once again complained that the fans couldn't put their biased feelings aside and rightfully vote for him as 'Superstar of the year' at the Slammys. He also went on to state that he is the rightful WWE Champion and far superior to Cena, and had a go at him for giving  away what he felt was his award to Ric Flair the previous night on Raw, also truthfully (in a lot of cases) criticising the older wrestlers that make appearance to hog the spotlight for themselves and away from the younger wrestlers.

The champ also added that this time next year Heyman will still be holding his title belt high above his head because no one is able to beat him for it. Ryback then joined them both and warned that he had his sights set on Punk's championship on the first Raw of the new year when he'll be medically cleared.

Ryback beat Antonio Cesaro in a passable outing. It wasn't a bad bout by any means, Cesaro worked well here and Ryback looked okay, there was just nothing special about it. Pretty run of the mill for the most part. 

Kaitlyn won via DQ versus Eve (c) with the Divas Title on the line, therefore Eve retained. Like most Divas match ups it was a largely pedestrian encounter, with nothing that engaging about it at all. The disqualification came after Eve refused to let go of the referees leg.

Brodus Clay bested Brad Maddox in a drab affair. For the most part Clay dominated the attention-seeking Maddox, but at least this time in his try out match Maddox was allowed some offense. Afterwards The Shield came out and took out Clay, much like they did to Orton after he faced Maddox.

John Cena and Sheamus won via disqualification versus Dolph Ziggler and Big Show after Big E Langston once again ran in and attacked Cena. It was a very average main event, with nothing exceptional or original about it at all. Dolph was decent but that was about it. Even after everything he's been through over the last week Cena was still all smiles, he really cannot sell for his life.

Overall it was a largely mediocre show, with the highlights being the CM Punk promo and six-man tag match, but that was about it. One other positive to take away is the new trio of Langston, Ziggler and AJ, I personally really like the partnership and hope it helps boost Dolph. 

My WWE SmackDown, 7th December 2012 Recap

SmackDown GM Booker T announced that due to the aggressive nature of Big Show and Sheamus' feud he has placed a no contact rule in their World Championship match contract for TLC. He then brought out both Big Show and Sheamus to sign their contracts for next Sunday's clash. Show warned Sheamus that the Chairs match was going to be the worst thing to ever happen to him, and promised that it will "change you forever."

After some more heated exchanges Big Show threw the table into Sheamus and quickly signed the contract, preventing 'The Great White' from touching him. Amusingly Show then did a little attempt at an Irish jig in delight at his sneaky tactic. Booker T then calmed Sheamus down by booking him in a match with Del Rio later on, and Big Show against Daniel Bryan next. It was an enjoyable segment to start the show. This feud has pleasantly surprised me a great deal, I can't remember the last time Show was this entertaining.  

Big Show defeated Daniel Bryan in a mostly solid match up. As usual these two worked well together and put in fine displays, the bout peaked towards the end as Bryan started to mount a comeback. Unfortunately the comeback was short lived as The Shield made their way down to the ring, distracting Bryan and allowing Show to choke slam him from the top rope for the one-two-three.

Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns then predictably began taking out Bryan after Big Show had left. Kane then made his way out shortly to help out his tag partner, but once again the trio managed to overpower him and eventually powerbombed 'The Big Red Monster' through the announce desk. It made a nice change seeing The Shield on the blue brand too, and I'm personally looking forward to their six-man TLC match against Ryback and Team Hell No next Sunday.

Damien Sandow once again challenged a member of the audience to three questions, and if answered correctly (which they were not on this occasion) then said fan would become his apprentice. As standard Sandow was amusing and charismatic in the challenge, which I look forward to every week now. The Miz then joined Sandow and mocked the 'Intellectual Saviour of the masses', leaving him speechless. Miz is continuing to be a successful face so far.

3MB (Drew McIntyre, Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal) beat Jimmy & Jay Uso and Brodus Clay in an unremarkable tag bout. For the most part it was pretty run of the mill really, until the final minute when one of the Usos went flying to the outside. McIntyre then scored the win after applying a Future Shock DDT. 

Randy Orton bested Wade Barrett in a decent encounter. Although they've had better match ups it still contained good action, and I can't fault their efforts here. As I've said before I feel a heel turn for Orton is really needed for his growingly stale persona as of late, and I'm sure many fans out there feel the same.

The Great Khali and Hornswaggle beat Epico and Primo in a poor comedy tag match. For me personally these matches and segments involving Khali and Hornswaggle provide no form of entertainment, and are taking away time from real potential talent. The underutilised talents of Epico and Primo deserve better than this kind of treatment too.

Antonio Cesaro as standard ran down America in the ring, this time mocking an image of Dusty Rhodes back in his prime. Future challenger to his title R-Truth then interrupted him and gave a speech on how he was proud of all the hard working people of the US, his promo wasn't anything special but the patriotic pandering pleased the crowd. In retaliation Cesaro called Truth "delusional" for thinking that he'll defeat him for the US Championship at TLC. This then resulted in Truth beating on Cesaro and chasing him away.

Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio in a very enjoyable main event. Both men put in worthy efforts and provided a match that exceeded my expectations and was plenty of fun to watch, which is the main thing right? Del Rio even pulled out a couple of nicely executed moonsaults for good measure, CM Punk should take note. During the bout Big Show made his way out and then afterwards attempted to bait 'The Great White' into striking him, but Sheamus wasn't to be fooled as he instead threw Ricardo Rodriguez into Show's crotch, thereby not breaking the conditions of the no contact clause. Big Show's grimacing face was great.

Overall I found it to be an enjoyable and largely solid show, with the main event, Sandow challenge and Big Show vs Bryan bout being the highlights. Unfortunately the Khali & Hornswaggle versus Epico & Primo match, which was a waste of time, and the 3MB tag match which was pretty forgettable, let the show down a bit. Otherwise I liked it, and am still enjoying the Big Show and Sheamus feud.