So a quick word. Why is this going up the morning after and not at my usual right after the show? Well, on Saturday night, I tripped while holding my laptop and it caused a cable to come loose. I figured, no problem, it's a quick turnaround, so I sent it to Best Buy's Geek Squad to get fixed. Well, everyone else felt the same way, and it's still there in the queue to get repaired. However, I am nothing if not resourceful, so I figured I could connect to the PlayStation Network and post from there. Unfortunately, the "New Post" screen couldn't load. Option C was to email the rant to Scott, but for reasons I can't fathom, PSN has a character limit on each text box. The end result was that I took notes on index cards, transcribed them to text blurbs I saved on Yahoo Notepad, and pasted them all together here. This should not be a problem next week, because if my computer's still in the shop, I will probably be suffering from withdrawal symptoms anyway. On with the show...
When last we left our heroes, they were the tag team champions. The Rhodes Brothers knocked off Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns with help from the Big Show, who despite being broke and/or fired can still travel the country. With HHH promising to be more evil, what does he have in mind coming forward for Hell in a Cell on Sunday?
The pre-match commercial features the Contract Signing and words on both the Rhodeses and Big Show from HHH.
- The PG-Era Rant for Monday Night Raw, October 21, 2013.
- Live from Memphis.
- Your hosts are Cole, JBL, and some guy from Memphis.
- We review the main event from last week.
- And as promised, here are HHH and Stephanie. We first flash back to show the KO Punch Brad Maddox took, and he sold it LIKE A BOSS. Anyway, he's not here tonight. Stephanie opens by going over the four known matches for Hell in a Cell: AJ/Brie, Cena/ADR, Punk/Ryback, and of course Bryan/Orton with HBK as the special referee. HHH is not worried about this, as he (much like the fans) respects and trusts Shawn Michaels. He's a trusting guy, don't ya know. Big Show appears from an undisclosed location to rebut that statement. Show says HHH treats everyone poorly, but HHH would like to let us know it's just Show. (Sidenote: during this time, we see Stephanie jump out of the ring and yell at production, demanding answers.) HHH says there will be no free ride anymore. Show reveals he's suing HHH for slander and unlawful termination, and wonders if HHH got up on the wrong side of the bed. "Then again, given who you sleep with, I guess every side's the wrong side." Chris Jericho, somewhere, approves. Stephanie and Show yell at each other to shut up before the feed is cut off. HHH says that's the last we've seen of Show and introduces Dean Ambrose for our first match... except Daniel Bryan comes out first instead. C'mon, Hunter, you know the champ always enters last! Bryan does laps around the ring leading a YES chant as HHH fumes. This doesn't bode well in the future.
- Daniel Bryan v. Dean Ambrose. This is a follow-on from the six-man main event on SmackDown as it appears linear booking is making a comeback. Both men try to work the arm to start, with Bryan earning the takedown. Ambrose comes back with a kick and chops, but Bryan kicks away at the knees. A whip-in knee gets one before Bryan goes back to the arm. He works a funky submission into a pinning predicament for two before doing a standard hammerlock. Dropkick gets two. Bryan kicks the arm and does his over-the-shoulder arm smash. More work on the arm follows, but a dropkick misses and Ambrose gets the Power Drive Elbow for one. Ambrose with stomps to the gut and a short-arm clotheslines for one before he fires punches at Bryan's temple. Suplex gets two. Something happens while I'm looking down to write notes and Bryan takes over with kicks in the corner. Ram Jam try, but Ambrose rolls to the outside. Bryan with a baseball slide, but his apron knee misses and Ambrose clotheslines him as we go to break. We return with a sleeper on Bryan, who elbows out before being caught with a knee. Bryan seems to call a spot here, so Ambrose ties him up and gets a dropkick for two. Maffew, check the tape. During an armhold by Ambrose, Lawler turns JBL's "Bryan is a bad face of the company" argument on its head by pointing out Ambrose's well-worn mug. Ambrose gets a back suplex for two and goes to the leg-scissors. Bryan reverses beautifully into a bow-and-arrow with chinlock, and Ambrose is forced to rake the eyes to break it. Ambrose kicks Bryan's head, but Bryan's able to fight back and goes up. Ambrose catches him with a butterfly superplex for two before going to the sleeper again. Rude Awakening try is turned to a backslide by Bryan for two. Bodies collide for a double KO. Bryan starts his comeback here, getting a cross-corner dropkick and Frankensteiner for two. A charge misses, but Ambrose gets a spinebuster for two. Bryan sends Ambrose packing and follows with the Flying Goat. A missile dropkick leads to a kip-up and the YES Kicks, but the final one misses (again). Ambrose tries to cradle but gets caught in the Yes Lock for the tapout at 16:21. Great opener, but I question the sanity of jobbing Ambrose. ***1/2
- CM Punk is here to remind us he has a match on Sunday. He said the Cell defines legacies, and his will be defined by how badly Paul Heyman is hurt. He knows Heyman is counting on Ryback to bail him out, but Punk is the devil who will do anything to get the job done. No, Heyman will not be pinned or submitted quickly, because Punk wants to make Heyman hurt. So Ryback will be asleep, Heyman cornered, and the pain brought. Three men enter, one man leaves!
- HHH and Stephanie are backstage with Vickie Guerrero to put her in charge tonight. Stephanie is on the phone with security, telling them to do a better job. They enter the office... and Shawn's there! Shawn compliments Hunter's power look and says he's heard what HHH has been saying about Daniel Bryan. Michaels notes that everything Big Show is doing, DX used to do. Stephanie: "Things have changed around here." Shawn: "I noticed." The tone in his voice really sells that line -- disappointment at HHH's new outlook on life.
- Santino Marella v. Heath Slater. THE GREAT KHALI HAS AN ELVIS WIG. YOUR ARGUMENT IS INVALID. We open with a karate dance-off and some judo chops by Santino, then a Cobra threat as Slater bails. Slater interrupts Santino's power walk with a knee, then works Santino's midsection over in the corner, getting two. A waistlock follows as commentary notes Santino's Elvis outfit is complete with Blue Suede Shoes. A blind charge misses as Marella begins his comeback and unveils the Cobra. And yes, the Cobra has an Elvis wig, why do you ask? Slater cuts off an attack and goes up, but dives right into the Cobra for the pin at 3:27. Eh, it's a comedy match. *1/4 Post-match, Santino and Lawler do some Elvis dancing to pop the Memphis crowd.
- Here's Taker/Punk highlights as done in WWE 2K14, as it appears Paul Heyman is also an NPC alongside Heenan and Elizabeth.
- Question: why would the Authority allow the opening segment to be replayed if Big Show had no right to hijack the satellite feed?
- Dolph Ziggler v. Randy Orton. They start with a LONG lockup, and Orton bails as the crowd chants for both men. Orton pounds on Ziggler and dumps him, throwing him into the barricades. Back in, it gets two. Draping DDT try off the apron is stopped when Ziggler sends Orton into a wall. The attack on the outside ends when Orton sends Ziggler into the post. Back in, Orton works the arm. Ziggler escapes with a flurry into the 10-punch countalong, getting a clothesline for two. Orton with his back-to-backbreaker for two, and he works an armbar into a chinlock. Ziggler with a jawbreaker to break, then a jumping lariat, neckbreaker, and elbow for two. Rocker Dropper misses, Draping DDT is escaped, Rocker Dropper gets two. Stinger Splash by Ziggler is caught into a T-Bone Suplex. Draping DDT (and Orton's beautifully evil smile) sets up an RKO try, but he takes too long and gets dropkicked for two. ZigZag is blocked, and the RKO connects to win at 7:48. **1/4
- After a replay of the Cena video from last week, the announce team debates a pertinent point: John Cena's arm will be the target of Del Rio's finisher. Is Cena coming back too soon?
- AJ Lee and Tamina Snuka v. Bella Twins. Remember what I said earlier about linear booking? Here you go. Snuka with Brie to start -- thankfully Brie has extra designs on her boots so I can tell them apart -- and a set of throws leads to a hammerlock with hairpull for Snuka. Bellas come back with a double dropkick, getting Nikki one. Leaping snapmare follows, but Snuka dumps Nikki. She lifts her back in by the hair and suplexes her for two before getting a cravate. Nikkis stomps out, but Snuka pulls the hair to maintain control. Slams follow. A hairpull throw, and AJ covers for two. AJ with a sleeper, but she gets thrown into the corner only to block a charge with a dropkick. She stomps a mudhole in Nikki, but a blind charge misses and Brie gets the hot tag. Dropkicks abound, including one from the second rope for two. AJ stops it with a spinning back kick, but Brie gets the Maple Leaf crab, with Snuka saving. Snuka takes the running knee from Brie, but the facejam ends anyway at 5:05. Snuka carries AJ out of the ring. *
- Later tonight, the de facto #1 Contenders the Usos face the former champions Rollins and Reigns to figure out which one gets first dibs at the PPV against the Rhodeses.
- Renee Young interviews Paul Heyman about Sunday (as we see Big E Langston's actions on SmackDown). Heyman goes into some rather histrionic hyperbole about volcanoes regarding Punk that I don't quite follow, but all the emotion was just for show. Heyman is in control of everything, and Punk will not be able to lay a hand on Heyman because Ryback will destroy him. Big E shows up and looks menacing, and when Axel calls him a rookie, Langston lays down the challenge. Heyman restrains Axel as we end that segment.
- A look at Shawn's training of a young Daniel Bryan.
- Erick Rowan and Luke Harper v. The Miz and Kofi Kingston. That reminds me, why are they surprised Big Show can hijack the feed into the arena when Bray Wyatt manages to do it before every appearance? Rowan shoves Miz around to start, but he's low bridged out. Miz baseball slides Rowan, but Wyatt distracts him and Rowan lands a Northern Lariat. Harper in, and the Family do T&A's old corner double-team for two. Harper sends Miz into the ropes with a Vader bump, then a catapult guillotine for two. Rowan lands an elbow and cradle backbreaker for two. Harper back in with a boot, elbow, and rolling front chancery. He transitions to a headlock, then cuts off a comeback try with a headbutt and sitout slam for two. Miz gets a jawbreaker and the hot tag to Kofi, who has his dropkick caught but still manages to keep momentum with a crossbody for one before Rowan saves. He's dumped, and a rollup in the ring gets two. Rowan is nailed with Trouble in Paradise, but Harper with a Clothesline from Hell for the pin at 4:52. I can safely say Harper's the talented one, even before knowing his indy background. *1/2 The Family disposes of Kofi and pounds Miz into a gooey paste for trying to save him. Miz is forced Clockwork Orange style to look at Wyatt while he lectures. Wyatt says he "knows" Miz and asks if Miz believes in God, Heaven, or Hell. Not that it matters, because Wyatt will take Miz to the gates of Hell. Is Wyatt healthy? Because I'm getting a PPV impromptu match vibe here.
- Curtis Axel v. Big E Langston. Sadly, no replay of their NXT match as Ryback attacks before the bell and the double-team is on. The crowd knows the next move and chants for CM Punk. While Langston does get the occasional offense, the double-team continues on the outside. Even Heyman adds a kendo stick shot, though it's no-sold. Finally, after Ryback bowls Langston over, Punk makes the save and Vickie Guerrero makes the inevitable. HOLLA! (takes drink)
- CM Punk and Big E Langston v. The Dangerous Alliance. And to think I thought Langston was going to be a Paul Heyman Guy. Joined in progress as Langston traps Axel in the corner, allowing Punk the Flip Flop and Fly off the second rope. A double hiptoss gets one. Punk with a Battering Ram, but he puts his head down and Axel blocks it. Ryback in now, lifting Punk up for the corner-to-corner slam and Hammer Throw. Legdrop gets one. A slam follows, and Axel in with an axhandle for one. He HITS THE CHINLOCK as this "face of the WWE" commentary at ringside is getting really annoying. Axel stops a comeback but eats Punk's crossbody for two (mirroring Kofi's earlier). Axel gets a clothesline and steps on Punk's face. Ryback continues the punishment with a big splash for two. He keeps clubbing away, but a suplex try is reversed to a small package by Punk for two. Ryback floors Punk for two and works the midsection. Punk elbows out, but Ryback gets a knee and tries a slam. Punk fights out with a high kick, hot tag Langston. He flapjacks Axel and adds the Ultimate Splash. THE STRAPS ARE DOWN (hey, it's Memphis, why not?), but Ryback stops it and it's BONZO GONZO! Big Ending ends Axel at 6:37 shown. If they plan to use Axel just to protect Ryback, get the belt off of him now. ** Punk chases Heyman away through the crowd and celebrates with fans, remembering not to punch any of them this time.
- R-Truth does a crazy sales job of WWE Shop. Mildly entertaining, which is more than it had a right to be.
- Meanwhile, your Main Event main event is Goldust v. Seth Rollins.
- Tons of Funk v. We the People. Yes, again. We review SmackDown and Los Matadores antagonizing Zeb Colter as the word "buttgore" gets used more often than it ever should. El Torito has a promo (yes, really) in the picture-in-picture and make out the words "This Sunday", so keep that in mind. Swagger starts but misses a blind charge, allowing Tensai to take over in the corner and get a monkey flip. Cesaro stops it with a dropkick for two. Swagger gets a foot DDT and hamstring kick as Tensai is gaijin-in-peril. Back suplex follows. Vaderbomb and leapfrog stomp get two. Cesaro applies a sleeper as I try to block Colter and JBL tag-teaming my eardrums on commentary. Colter's really only fun in small doses. Tensai flips out Cesaro to break and gets the hot tag, allowing Brodus clotheslines. Swagger is blocked, but Cesaro gets the giant swing. Only 4.5 rotations, so no OF DOOM. Patriot Lock finishes Clay at 3:34. SWAGGER WINS A MATCH! Ahem. Total squash. 1/2* Post-match, Colter unveils a bullwhip and gives the pledge.
- Your pre-show match is Axel/Langston for the Intercontinental Title. Good.
- Cena career retrospective. As long as those happen, Kurt Angle will have a place in WWE Lore. This is followed by showing Alberto Del Rio attack Josh Mathews on SmackDown.
- On SmackDown, MizTV will feature Randy Orton.
- #1 Contendership Match: Shield v. Usos. Cody Rhodes and Goldust are on commentary now, and I have to say I'm not liking their mashup. Although, really, if anyone deserves to have "smoke and mirrors" as their theme, it's Goldust. It fits his gimmick better than it does Cody's. Jimmy and Rollins start, and Jimmy gets some quick rollups as JBL berates Cody for giving neutral answers to Cole's questions. Rollins does somthing (can't even read my own handwriting -- this is why I type this up) and gets dumped, with Jimmy flying out to follow. Back in, it gets two. Jimmy is quickly isolated, allowing Reigns in with a back elbow for two. Elbowdrop misses, and Jey enters with a leapfrog forearm. Snapmare and low clothesline get one. Jimmy returns and works the arm, but Reigns corners him only to have Jimmy fight out. He airballs a dive, however, getting Rollins two. Rollins stomps away, and Reigns adds a Hotshot for two. Reigns adds a front chancery as Cody says he and Goldust are among the best brother teams ever, claiming to be "better than the Briscoes". Jack and Jerry or Jay and Mark? Jimmy headbutts Reigns from the apron (since the only thing that can hurt a Samoan skull is another Samoan skull), but Reigns sends Jimmy FLYING into the announcer table as we go to break. We return as Rollins cuts off a tag attempt and the Shield wishbone Jimmy. Reigns with a suplex for two. I need to present the following from commentary, because it amused me: Cody mentions that tag teams can't have dysfunction in them. JBL points out Dustin is dressed in a gold body suit and face paint. Dustin: "Yeah? So?" Cole agrees with him. Meanwhile, there's a chinlock on Jimmy, along with a knee to stop a tag. Samoan Drop is blocked into a DDT, but Rollins clotheslines Jimmy to keep control. He stomps away, but Jimmy gives him the HBK Bump... only Reigns is tagged in. Jimmy gives Reigns the Dragon Whip and it's a hot tag to Jey, who gets a crossbody for two. Throat thrusts follow on both men as Rollins is dumped. Shoulderblock to Reigns, but the hip check is met by a big lariat and Jimmy saves. Jey and Reigns get a Double KO, and as they get up, Jey with a thrust kick, but the Superfly Splash hits the knees. Meanwhile, on the outside, Dean Ambrose says one too many things to Cody, and the Rhodeses attack Ambrose. Rollins jumps into the pile, the Usos follow, and the whole match is abandoned at 14:14. *** Shield triple-team Goldust, but the faces clean house and have an uneasy alliance.
- During the break, the inevitable triple threat match is made.
- Main Event Contract Signing. Orton is introduced as the "Face of the WWE". During Bryan's entrance, it occurs to me that this Dusty/Flair homage of an angle basically HAD to end in a cage match, didn't it? HHH says Shawn Michaels needs no introduction, "but I'll give one anyway". At least he's honest. HBK hams it up in the ring and gets a chant as the dust settles. Orton gets to speak first. He's impressed with how Bryan keeps getting back up after being knocked down, but that ends on Sunday. Orton says he's faced Undertaker, Sheamus, and Cena inside the Cell, so he knows about it in a way Bryan can't possibly comprehend. Bryan's first Cell match will be his last. Orton signs, and it's Bryan's turn. Bryan expects the threats from Orton, but wants to remind everyone that he would be champion entering this match if not for HHH and the Authority. Big Show gets a free pass? He can't wait to smash in Orton's face and has two words for ya... no, not THOSE two words. His are: thank you. Thank you for making Bryan up his game, for showing his true colors as the Viper, and for proving that HHH and Stephanie are spoiled brats who will do anything to get only what they want. Bryan signs, but HHH wants the last word. He compares Bryan to Chris Jericho, Edge, and Rob Van Dam -- people who were great, sure, but not franchise player great. He states that WCW would have won the Monday Night Wars with them on top. Bottom line, Bryan's not ready for the Cell, and HHH knows it. Bryan then quixotically challenges HHH to step into the ring, which allows HHH to say Bryan's not good enough for a HHH comeback match. Stars fight other stars, and no star would lower himself to fighting Bryan (which is news to John Cena and CM Punk if you ask me). HHH then says Shawn should not have wasted his time training Bryan, which gets an objection from Shawn himself. He knows Bryan is good enough, but he has another issue: whatever happened to the DX-ified Hunter? The one who broke all the rules and didn't care what The Man thought of him? Anyway, HBK isn't the referee to do what HHH wants, or for that matter what Bryan wants. He's there to ensure there will be a new champ. Orton's none too happy with that pronouncement, as he still smells a rat. HHH assures Orton (while glaring right at Shawn) that Shawn will do the right thing. Shawn agrees: he'll do what right for "the business I love" and the one the fans love. Shawn, however, is curious: what does HHH have against Bryan anyway? Is it his small size or his epic beard? Can't be, Shawn figures, since both of those apply to Shawn himself right now. He figures it's because Bryan has proven HHH's assessment was woefully inaccurate. Orton finally ends the DX commentary and tells Bryan point-blank: Bryan cannot possibly win on Sunday. Then, everyone gets distracted by the Tron, as we see a big rig barelling through backstage. Big Show is clearly driving it (JBL: "You know any other 7-foot truck drivers?"). He parks the rig in the entranceway and climbs out (with some difficulty as he parked a little too close to the barricade). Show motions to Orton to turn around... and Orton does, getting smacked with Bryan's running knee. YES chants take us out.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This was totally a hard sell for the Hell in a Cell PPV, and more power to them. I like that they added matches during the night, as the card was looking a tad bit threadbare entering the show with only four matches. Two more were added, but with one bumped to the Pre-Show, there's bound to be a lot of surprises throughout the night. I'll try my best to figure out what goes where.
The Big Show hangs over the main event like a giant cloud, and I'm worried they'll have him be the determining factor in the outcome. Worried mostly because Bryan deserves a chance to be champion, but also worried because HHH will ignore the "no-DQ" precedent that is Hell in a Cell and overturn that decision. I'm also a little pessimistic about Shawn's appearance as referee -- if he turns on Bryan and goes heel, it will infuriate me. Basically, HHH always seems to hold all the cards, and that gets tiring after a while. It needs to stop here, or at least needs to be proven once and for all that the system HHH has can be beaten. Otherwise, why even watch when you know the bad guy's going to render anything you like null and void?
HOW I'D BOOK IT:
Okay, I did this last time, let's do it again.
0] Big E Langston defeats Curtis Axel to become the new Intercontinental Champion.
1] Los Matadores defeat We The People when Swagger gets pinned. Cesaro threatens to swing El Torito, but that gets cut off.
2] Brie Bella defeats AJ Lee to win the Divas' Title.
3] Cody Rhoes and Goldust retain the WWE Tag Team Titles when Cody pins Jey. However, a Shield beatdown after the match sets up a possible Survivor Series team.
4] Ryback and Paul Heyman beat CM Punk when Punk gets so obsessed with murdering Heyman that Ryback recovers from GTS and gets the pin.
5] Either Bray Wyatt or, if Wyatt isn't ready, Luke Harper defeates the Miz.
6] John Cena barely defeats Alberto Del Rio to win the World Title; however, after the match, Del Rio keeps attacking Cena's injured arm, which means...
7] Damien Sandow cashes in on John Cena and becomes the new World Heavyweight Champion.
8] The main event gets its own paragraph.
What I would do here is have Bryan win the WWE Title. It doesn't even have to be clean: my ideal finish is a callback to the first ever Cell match, with Big Show ripping the door off of its hinges to stop Orton from winning. You could even have the Shield hiding under the ring before it begins to justify his run-in. However, look at the sides: Orton and the Shield are on one side; on the other are Bryan, Cody, Goldust, Jimmy, and Jey. It's 4 on 5. With Survivor Series coming up, the heels need someone to join them. We know that HHH not arresting Big Show is a plot hole, since they mentioned it 100 times tonight. We also know a lot of the story those two have is off-camera and "take our word for it". There's the matter of Show still being able to afford tickets everywhere. And finally, Show and HHH are both Attitude Era guys who represent the old guard refusing to relinquish their spot.
If it happens, you heard it here first.
STATS:
MATCH TIME: 61:58 over eight matches
BEST MATCH: Bryan/Ambrose
WORST MATCH: The WTP/TOF squash
NIGHT MVP: Big E Langston
FINAL SCORE: 5.5. It's hard to rate a hard-sell Raw in terms of entertainment and excitement, but it did what it was supposed to do, so I'll go with a neutral score this time. Do try to check out the wrestling, which was just fine, but hard sells rarely interest me personally.
That's all I have to say. I apologize for the 12-hour or so delay this is on, and ask you to tune in again Friday as Tommy Hall wraps up the big push with a SmackDown. I'll do my PG PostGame on Hell in a Cell on Sunday and be back for more Raw. In the meantime, reporting from my PS3, this is Andy PG, signing off.
When last we left our heroes, they were the tag team champions. The Rhodes Brothers knocked off Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns with help from the Big Show, who despite being broke and/or fired can still travel the country. With HHH promising to be more evil, what does he have in mind coming forward for Hell in a Cell on Sunday?
The pre-match commercial features the Contract Signing and words on both the Rhodeses and Big Show from HHH.
- The PG-Era Rant for Monday Night Raw, October 21, 2013.
- Live from Memphis.
- Your hosts are Cole, JBL, and some guy from Memphis.
- We review the main event from last week.
- And as promised, here are HHH and Stephanie. We first flash back to show the KO Punch Brad Maddox took, and he sold it LIKE A BOSS. Anyway, he's not here tonight. Stephanie opens by going over the four known matches for Hell in a Cell: AJ/Brie, Cena/ADR, Punk/Ryback, and of course Bryan/Orton with HBK as the special referee. HHH is not worried about this, as he (much like the fans) respects and trusts Shawn Michaels. He's a trusting guy, don't ya know. Big Show appears from an undisclosed location to rebut that statement. Show says HHH treats everyone poorly, but HHH would like to let us know it's just Show. (Sidenote: during this time, we see Stephanie jump out of the ring and yell at production, demanding answers.) HHH says there will be no free ride anymore. Show reveals he's suing HHH for slander and unlawful termination, and wonders if HHH got up on the wrong side of the bed. "Then again, given who you sleep with, I guess every side's the wrong side." Chris Jericho, somewhere, approves. Stephanie and Show yell at each other to shut up before the feed is cut off. HHH says that's the last we've seen of Show and introduces Dean Ambrose for our first match... except Daniel Bryan comes out first instead. C'mon, Hunter, you know the champ always enters last! Bryan does laps around the ring leading a YES chant as HHH fumes. This doesn't bode well in the future.
- Daniel Bryan v. Dean Ambrose. This is a follow-on from the six-man main event on SmackDown as it appears linear booking is making a comeback. Both men try to work the arm to start, with Bryan earning the takedown. Ambrose comes back with a kick and chops, but Bryan kicks away at the knees. A whip-in knee gets one before Bryan goes back to the arm. He works a funky submission into a pinning predicament for two before doing a standard hammerlock. Dropkick gets two. Bryan kicks the arm and does his over-the-shoulder arm smash. More work on the arm follows, but a dropkick misses and Ambrose gets the Power Drive Elbow for one. Ambrose with stomps to the gut and a short-arm clotheslines for one before he fires punches at Bryan's temple. Suplex gets two. Something happens while I'm looking down to write notes and Bryan takes over with kicks in the corner. Ram Jam try, but Ambrose rolls to the outside. Bryan with a baseball slide, but his apron knee misses and Ambrose clotheslines him as we go to break. We return with a sleeper on Bryan, who elbows out before being caught with a knee. Bryan seems to call a spot here, so Ambrose ties him up and gets a dropkick for two. Maffew, check the tape. During an armhold by Ambrose, Lawler turns JBL's "Bryan is a bad face of the company" argument on its head by pointing out Ambrose's well-worn mug. Ambrose gets a back suplex for two and goes to the leg-scissors. Bryan reverses beautifully into a bow-and-arrow with chinlock, and Ambrose is forced to rake the eyes to break it. Ambrose kicks Bryan's head, but Bryan's able to fight back and goes up. Ambrose catches him with a butterfly superplex for two before going to the sleeper again. Rude Awakening try is turned to a backslide by Bryan for two. Bodies collide for a double KO. Bryan starts his comeback here, getting a cross-corner dropkick and Frankensteiner for two. A charge misses, but Ambrose gets a spinebuster for two. Bryan sends Ambrose packing and follows with the Flying Goat. A missile dropkick leads to a kip-up and the YES Kicks, but the final one misses (again). Ambrose tries to cradle but gets caught in the Yes Lock for the tapout at 16:21. Great opener, but I question the sanity of jobbing Ambrose. ***1/2
- CM Punk is here to remind us he has a match on Sunday. He said the Cell defines legacies, and his will be defined by how badly Paul Heyman is hurt. He knows Heyman is counting on Ryback to bail him out, but Punk is the devil who will do anything to get the job done. No, Heyman will not be pinned or submitted quickly, because Punk wants to make Heyman hurt. So Ryback will be asleep, Heyman cornered, and the pain brought. Three men enter, one man leaves!
- HHH and Stephanie are backstage with Vickie Guerrero to put her in charge tonight. Stephanie is on the phone with security, telling them to do a better job. They enter the office... and Shawn's there! Shawn compliments Hunter's power look and says he's heard what HHH has been saying about Daniel Bryan. Michaels notes that everything Big Show is doing, DX used to do. Stephanie: "Things have changed around here." Shawn: "I noticed." The tone in his voice really sells that line -- disappointment at HHH's new outlook on life.
- Santino Marella v. Heath Slater. THE GREAT KHALI HAS AN ELVIS WIG. YOUR ARGUMENT IS INVALID. We open with a karate dance-off and some judo chops by Santino, then a Cobra threat as Slater bails. Slater interrupts Santino's power walk with a knee, then works Santino's midsection over in the corner, getting two. A waistlock follows as commentary notes Santino's Elvis outfit is complete with Blue Suede Shoes. A blind charge misses as Marella begins his comeback and unveils the Cobra. And yes, the Cobra has an Elvis wig, why do you ask? Slater cuts off an attack and goes up, but dives right into the Cobra for the pin at 3:27. Eh, it's a comedy match. *1/4 Post-match, Santino and Lawler do some Elvis dancing to pop the Memphis crowd.
- Here's Taker/Punk highlights as done in WWE 2K14, as it appears Paul Heyman is also an NPC alongside Heenan and Elizabeth.
- Question: why would the Authority allow the opening segment to be replayed if Big Show had no right to hijack the satellite feed?
- Dolph Ziggler v. Randy Orton. They start with a LONG lockup, and Orton bails as the crowd chants for both men. Orton pounds on Ziggler and dumps him, throwing him into the barricades. Back in, it gets two. Draping DDT try off the apron is stopped when Ziggler sends Orton into a wall. The attack on the outside ends when Orton sends Ziggler into the post. Back in, Orton works the arm. Ziggler escapes with a flurry into the 10-punch countalong, getting a clothesline for two. Orton with his back-to-backbreaker for two, and he works an armbar into a chinlock. Ziggler with a jawbreaker to break, then a jumping lariat, neckbreaker, and elbow for two. Rocker Dropper misses, Draping DDT is escaped, Rocker Dropper gets two. Stinger Splash by Ziggler is caught into a T-Bone Suplex. Draping DDT (and Orton's beautifully evil smile) sets up an RKO try, but he takes too long and gets dropkicked for two. ZigZag is blocked, and the RKO connects to win at 7:48. **1/4
- After a replay of the Cena video from last week, the announce team debates a pertinent point: John Cena's arm will be the target of Del Rio's finisher. Is Cena coming back too soon?
- AJ Lee and Tamina Snuka v. Bella Twins. Remember what I said earlier about linear booking? Here you go. Snuka with Brie to start -- thankfully Brie has extra designs on her boots so I can tell them apart -- and a set of throws leads to a hammerlock with hairpull for Snuka. Bellas come back with a double dropkick, getting Nikki one. Leaping snapmare follows, but Snuka dumps Nikki. She lifts her back in by the hair and suplexes her for two before getting a cravate. Nikkis stomps out, but Snuka pulls the hair to maintain control. Slams follow. A hairpull throw, and AJ covers for two. AJ with a sleeper, but she gets thrown into the corner only to block a charge with a dropkick. She stomps a mudhole in Nikki, but a blind charge misses and Brie gets the hot tag. Dropkicks abound, including one from the second rope for two. AJ stops it with a spinning back kick, but Brie gets the Maple Leaf crab, with Snuka saving. Snuka takes the running knee from Brie, but the facejam ends anyway at 5:05. Snuka carries AJ out of the ring. *
- Later tonight, the de facto #1 Contenders the Usos face the former champions Rollins and Reigns to figure out which one gets first dibs at the PPV against the Rhodeses.
- Renee Young interviews Paul Heyman about Sunday (as we see Big E Langston's actions on SmackDown). Heyman goes into some rather histrionic hyperbole about volcanoes regarding Punk that I don't quite follow, but all the emotion was just for show. Heyman is in control of everything, and Punk will not be able to lay a hand on Heyman because Ryback will destroy him. Big E shows up and looks menacing, and when Axel calls him a rookie, Langston lays down the challenge. Heyman restrains Axel as we end that segment.
- A look at Shawn's training of a young Daniel Bryan.
- Erick Rowan and Luke Harper v. The Miz and Kofi Kingston. That reminds me, why are they surprised Big Show can hijack the feed into the arena when Bray Wyatt manages to do it before every appearance? Rowan shoves Miz around to start, but he's low bridged out. Miz baseball slides Rowan, but Wyatt distracts him and Rowan lands a Northern Lariat. Harper in, and the Family do T&A's old corner double-team for two. Harper sends Miz into the ropes with a Vader bump, then a catapult guillotine for two. Rowan lands an elbow and cradle backbreaker for two. Harper back in with a boot, elbow, and rolling front chancery. He transitions to a headlock, then cuts off a comeback try with a headbutt and sitout slam for two. Miz gets a jawbreaker and the hot tag to Kofi, who has his dropkick caught but still manages to keep momentum with a crossbody for one before Rowan saves. He's dumped, and a rollup in the ring gets two. Rowan is nailed with Trouble in Paradise, but Harper with a Clothesline from Hell for the pin at 4:52. I can safely say Harper's the talented one, even before knowing his indy background. *1/2 The Family disposes of Kofi and pounds Miz into a gooey paste for trying to save him. Miz is forced Clockwork Orange style to look at Wyatt while he lectures. Wyatt says he "knows" Miz and asks if Miz believes in God, Heaven, or Hell. Not that it matters, because Wyatt will take Miz to the gates of Hell. Is Wyatt healthy? Because I'm getting a PPV impromptu match vibe here.
- Curtis Axel v. Big E Langston. Sadly, no replay of their NXT match as Ryback attacks before the bell and the double-team is on. The crowd knows the next move and chants for CM Punk. While Langston does get the occasional offense, the double-team continues on the outside. Even Heyman adds a kendo stick shot, though it's no-sold. Finally, after Ryback bowls Langston over, Punk makes the save and Vickie Guerrero makes the inevitable. HOLLA! (takes drink)
- CM Punk and Big E Langston v. The Dangerous Alliance. And to think I thought Langston was going to be a Paul Heyman Guy. Joined in progress as Langston traps Axel in the corner, allowing Punk the Flip Flop and Fly off the second rope. A double hiptoss gets one. Punk with a Battering Ram, but he puts his head down and Axel blocks it. Ryback in now, lifting Punk up for the corner-to-corner slam and Hammer Throw. Legdrop gets one. A slam follows, and Axel in with an axhandle for one. He HITS THE CHINLOCK as this "face of the WWE" commentary at ringside is getting really annoying. Axel stops a comeback but eats Punk's crossbody for two (mirroring Kofi's earlier). Axel gets a clothesline and steps on Punk's face. Ryback continues the punishment with a big splash for two. He keeps clubbing away, but a suplex try is reversed to a small package by Punk for two. Ryback floors Punk for two and works the midsection. Punk elbows out, but Ryback gets a knee and tries a slam. Punk fights out with a high kick, hot tag Langston. He flapjacks Axel and adds the Ultimate Splash. THE STRAPS ARE DOWN (hey, it's Memphis, why not?), but Ryback stops it and it's BONZO GONZO! Big Ending ends Axel at 6:37 shown. If they plan to use Axel just to protect Ryback, get the belt off of him now. ** Punk chases Heyman away through the crowd and celebrates with fans, remembering not to punch any of them this time.
- R-Truth does a crazy sales job of WWE Shop. Mildly entertaining, which is more than it had a right to be.
- Meanwhile, your Main Event main event is Goldust v. Seth Rollins.
- Tons of Funk v. We the People. Yes, again. We review SmackDown and Los Matadores antagonizing Zeb Colter as the word "buttgore" gets used more often than it ever should. El Torito has a promo (yes, really) in the picture-in-picture and make out the words "This Sunday", so keep that in mind. Swagger starts but misses a blind charge, allowing Tensai to take over in the corner and get a monkey flip. Cesaro stops it with a dropkick for two. Swagger gets a foot DDT and hamstring kick as Tensai is gaijin-in-peril. Back suplex follows. Vaderbomb and leapfrog stomp get two. Cesaro applies a sleeper as I try to block Colter and JBL tag-teaming my eardrums on commentary. Colter's really only fun in small doses. Tensai flips out Cesaro to break and gets the hot tag, allowing Brodus clotheslines. Swagger is blocked, but Cesaro gets the giant swing. Only 4.5 rotations, so no OF DOOM. Patriot Lock finishes Clay at 3:34. SWAGGER WINS A MATCH! Ahem. Total squash. 1/2* Post-match, Colter unveils a bullwhip and gives the pledge.
- Your pre-show match is Axel/Langston for the Intercontinental Title. Good.
- Cena career retrospective. As long as those happen, Kurt Angle will have a place in WWE Lore. This is followed by showing Alberto Del Rio attack Josh Mathews on SmackDown.
- On SmackDown, MizTV will feature Randy Orton.
- #1 Contendership Match: Shield v. Usos. Cody Rhodes and Goldust are on commentary now, and I have to say I'm not liking their mashup. Although, really, if anyone deserves to have "smoke and mirrors" as their theme, it's Goldust. It fits his gimmick better than it does Cody's. Jimmy and Rollins start, and Jimmy gets some quick rollups as JBL berates Cody for giving neutral answers to Cole's questions. Rollins does somthing (can't even read my own handwriting -- this is why I type this up) and gets dumped, with Jimmy flying out to follow. Back in, it gets two. Jimmy is quickly isolated, allowing Reigns in with a back elbow for two. Elbowdrop misses, and Jey enters with a leapfrog forearm. Snapmare and low clothesline get one. Jimmy returns and works the arm, but Reigns corners him only to have Jimmy fight out. He airballs a dive, however, getting Rollins two. Rollins stomps away, and Reigns adds a Hotshot for two. Reigns adds a front chancery as Cody says he and Goldust are among the best brother teams ever, claiming to be "better than the Briscoes". Jack and Jerry or Jay and Mark? Jimmy headbutts Reigns from the apron (since the only thing that can hurt a Samoan skull is another Samoan skull), but Reigns sends Jimmy FLYING into the announcer table as we go to break. We return as Rollins cuts off a tag attempt and the Shield wishbone Jimmy. Reigns with a suplex for two. I need to present the following from commentary, because it amused me: Cody mentions that tag teams can't have dysfunction in them. JBL points out Dustin is dressed in a gold body suit and face paint. Dustin: "Yeah? So?" Cole agrees with him. Meanwhile, there's a chinlock on Jimmy, along with a knee to stop a tag. Samoan Drop is blocked into a DDT, but Rollins clotheslines Jimmy to keep control. He stomps away, but Jimmy gives him the HBK Bump... only Reigns is tagged in. Jimmy gives Reigns the Dragon Whip and it's a hot tag to Jey, who gets a crossbody for two. Throat thrusts follow on both men as Rollins is dumped. Shoulderblock to Reigns, but the hip check is met by a big lariat and Jimmy saves. Jey and Reigns get a Double KO, and as they get up, Jey with a thrust kick, but the Superfly Splash hits the knees. Meanwhile, on the outside, Dean Ambrose says one too many things to Cody, and the Rhodeses attack Ambrose. Rollins jumps into the pile, the Usos follow, and the whole match is abandoned at 14:14. *** Shield triple-team Goldust, but the faces clean house and have an uneasy alliance.
- During the break, the inevitable triple threat match is made.
- Main Event Contract Signing. Orton is introduced as the "Face of the WWE". During Bryan's entrance, it occurs to me that this Dusty/Flair homage of an angle basically HAD to end in a cage match, didn't it? HHH says Shawn Michaels needs no introduction, "but I'll give one anyway". At least he's honest. HBK hams it up in the ring and gets a chant as the dust settles. Orton gets to speak first. He's impressed with how Bryan keeps getting back up after being knocked down, but that ends on Sunday. Orton says he's faced Undertaker, Sheamus, and Cena inside the Cell, so he knows about it in a way Bryan can't possibly comprehend. Bryan's first Cell match will be his last. Orton signs, and it's Bryan's turn. Bryan expects the threats from Orton, but wants to remind everyone that he would be champion entering this match if not for HHH and the Authority. Big Show gets a free pass? He can't wait to smash in Orton's face and has two words for ya... no, not THOSE two words. His are: thank you. Thank you for making Bryan up his game, for showing his true colors as the Viper, and for proving that HHH and Stephanie are spoiled brats who will do anything to get only what they want. Bryan signs, but HHH wants the last word. He compares Bryan to Chris Jericho, Edge, and Rob Van Dam -- people who were great, sure, but not franchise player great. He states that WCW would have won the Monday Night Wars with them on top. Bottom line, Bryan's not ready for the Cell, and HHH knows it. Bryan then quixotically challenges HHH to step into the ring, which allows HHH to say Bryan's not good enough for a HHH comeback match. Stars fight other stars, and no star would lower himself to fighting Bryan (which is news to John Cena and CM Punk if you ask me). HHH then says Shawn should not have wasted his time training Bryan, which gets an objection from Shawn himself. He knows Bryan is good enough, but he has another issue: whatever happened to the DX-ified Hunter? The one who broke all the rules and didn't care what The Man thought of him? Anyway, HBK isn't the referee to do what HHH wants, or for that matter what Bryan wants. He's there to ensure there will be a new champ. Orton's none too happy with that pronouncement, as he still smells a rat. HHH assures Orton (while glaring right at Shawn) that Shawn will do the right thing. Shawn agrees: he'll do what right for "the business I love" and the one the fans love. Shawn, however, is curious: what does HHH have against Bryan anyway? Is it his small size or his epic beard? Can't be, Shawn figures, since both of those apply to Shawn himself right now. He figures it's because Bryan has proven HHH's assessment was woefully inaccurate. Orton finally ends the DX commentary and tells Bryan point-blank: Bryan cannot possibly win on Sunday. Then, everyone gets distracted by the Tron, as we see a big rig barelling through backstage. Big Show is clearly driving it (JBL: "You know any other 7-foot truck drivers?"). He parks the rig in the entranceway and climbs out (with some difficulty as he parked a little too close to the barricade). Show motions to Orton to turn around... and Orton does, getting smacked with Bryan's running knee. YES chants take us out.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This was totally a hard sell for the Hell in a Cell PPV, and more power to them. I like that they added matches during the night, as the card was looking a tad bit threadbare entering the show with only four matches. Two more were added, but with one bumped to the Pre-Show, there's bound to be a lot of surprises throughout the night. I'll try my best to figure out what goes where.
The Big Show hangs over the main event like a giant cloud, and I'm worried they'll have him be the determining factor in the outcome. Worried mostly because Bryan deserves a chance to be champion, but also worried because HHH will ignore the "no-DQ" precedent that is Hell in a Cell and overturn that decision. I'm also a little pessimistic about Shawn's appearance as referee -- if he turns on Bryan and goes heel, it will infuriate me. Basically, HHH always seems to hold all the cards, and that gets tiring after a while. It needs to stop here, or at least needs to be proven once and for all that the system HHH has can be beaten. Otherwise, why even watch when you know the bad guy's going to render anything you like null and void?
HOW I'D BOOK IT:
Okay, I did this last time, let's do it again.
0] Big E Langston defeats Curtis Axel to become the new Intercontinental Champion.
1] Los Matadores defeat We The People when Swagger gets pinned. Cesaro threatens to swing El Torito, but that gets cut off.
2] Brie Bella defeats AJ Lee to win the Divas' Title.
3] Cody Rhoes and Goldust retain the WWE Tag Team Titles when Cody pins Jey. However, a Shield beatdown after the match sets up a possible Survivor Series team.
4] Ryback and Paul Heyman beat CM Punk when Punk gets so obsessed with murdering Heyman that Ryback recovers from GTS and gets the pin.
5] Either Bray Wyatt or, if Wyatt isn't ready, Luke Harper defeates the Miz.
6] John Cena barely defeats Alberto Del Rio to win the World Title; however, after the match, Del Rio keeps attacking Cena's injured arm, which means...
7] Damien Sandow cashes in on John Cena and becomes the new World Heavyweight Champion.
8] The main event gets its own paragraph.
What I would do here is have Bryan win the WWE Title. It doesn't even have to be clean: my ideal finish is a callback to the first ever Cell match, with Big Show ripping the door off of its hinges to stop Orton from winning. You could even have the Shield hiding under the ring before it begins to justify his run-in. However, look at the sides: Orton and the Shield are on one side; on the other are Bryan, Cody, Goldust, Jimmy, and Jey. It's 4 on 5. With Survivor Series coming up, the heels need someone to join them. We know that HHH not arresting Big Show is a plot hole, since they mentioned it 100 times tonight. We also know a lot of the story those two have is off-camera and "take our word for it". There's the matter of Show still being able to afford tickets everywhere. And finally, Show and HHH are both Attitude Era guys who represent the old guard refusing to relinquish their spot.
If it happens, you heard it here first.
STATS:
MATCH TIME: 61:58 over eight matches
BEST MATCH: Bryan/Ambrose
WORST MATCH: The WTP/TOF squash
NIGHT MVP: Big E Langston
FINAL SCORE: 5.5. It's hard to rate a hard-sell Raw in terms of entertainment and excitement, but it did what it was supposed to do, so I'll go with a neutral score this time. Do try to check out the wrestling, which was just fine, but hard sells rarely interest me personally.
That's all I have to say. I apologize for the 12-hour or so delay this is on, and ask you to tune in again Friday as Tommy Hall wraps up the big push with a SmackDown. I'll do my PG PostGame on Hell in a Cell on Sunday and be back for more Raw. In the meantime, reporting from my PS3, this is Andy PG, signing off.
"THE GREAT KHALI HAS AN ELVIS WIG. YOUR ARGUMENT IS INVALID."
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
I only went Thursday night and Friday late morning, early afternoon. I, too, had a press pass (no one checks if you write anything afterwards, by the way, I know this from experience...). I spent most of my time on the show floor, scoping out deals. My photographer begged me to pick him up some old "Sad Sack" comics that he used to love as a kid, one frigging issue set me back $25 - and that was the cheapest one there! For Sad Sack!
ReplyDeleteI say this every year after the show, that I probably won't go back next year, but as long as Reed Expos wants to let me in for free, I'll probably go, especially since the 7 train should run right to the Javits next year.
Gotta love HHH, he means every word he says.
ReplyDeleteAhh this is going to be fun....I love watching The King of Kings cut a heel promo then sitting back and watching the smark boys lose their shit. Good times indeed :)
ReplyDeleteGreat opener, but I question the sanity of jobbing Ambrose.
ReplyDeleteYou'd prefer they job Bryan?
I actually think that contract signing segment finally pulled this angle together in a way that Triple H and Bryan just haven't been able to yet. Maybe it was HBK's inclusion and picking up some slack for Bryan on the mic, but they finally laid the basic format of the story out plainly: Triple H doesn't like Bryan because of the way he looks, wants Orton to be the champ, but Bryan BEATS Orton at every turn...and becomes the most over guy in the company as a result. Between that and the recent run of the faces coming out on top, it won't really bother me that much if Orton leaves Hell in a Cell with the title, just so long as they give us some sort of conclusive ending that moves the story along and don't do another form of "Bryan wins but Triple H overturns it on a technicality."
ReplyDeleteWow, dude, that is some dedication in posting this recap. I truly appreciate it as I now just read the PG recap plus Scott's rant and skip the show altogether. Thank you for posting this!
ReplyDeleteMeh...so so raw for a go home show. I didn't even bother watching anything after the uso's match. I've seen hhh cut that same promo 5,000 times....oh wow, you listed off guys you booked yourself to fake pin, and less people paid to see it than would have if you weren't involved *yawn*
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I made sure to read every word this week based on his intro. Least I could do
ReplyDeleteOr they could just not have these two fight is what he's getting at.
ReplyDeleteWell, once he did Toy Story, all other cartoons are fair game, I guess.
ReplyDeleteDude. The women.
ReplyDeletedownvotes....yes yes.
ReplyDeleteRemember HHH is Stan Hanson and his haters are the Teeeny Wangs. Their not even worth it.
ReplyDeleteDid he ever beat Barry Horowitz? Just wondering.
ReplyDeleteWell, thanks, guys; but just so you know, that wasn't meant to be a sob story or anything. Just was my way of saying, "Sorry for the delay."
ReplyDeleteRemember that Raw when the WWE empowered the fans and let John Cena "choose" his SummerSlam opponent? And the crowd was hip to the room, chanted YES at the top of their lungs for 10 minutes?
ReplyDeleteHow the f--k did we go from that to Triple H cutting the SAME DAMN PROMO for the 1,000,000th time about "this business" in less than 3 months?
Instead of Bryan/Orton, it feels like they're building to HHH/HBK part 2307
Apparently Jericho didn't appreciate it too much aka always working
ReplyDeleteYou asked whether Andy would prefer jobbing Ambrose. I'm assuming it was a snarky and rhetorical comment, but I was clarifying my interpretation of what the dude might have meant.
ReplyDeleteCena got hurt for starters...
ReplyDeleteYeah, having a good match and jobbing to the top guy in the company at the moment is going to hurt Ambrose at all at this point. They probably could have stood to do a Shield or Orton run-in attack to sell a "softening Bryan up" angle to the match or something, but it's not a big deal either way.
ReplyDeleteI have zero idea on how to feel about that final segment. It made me REALLY want to see HHH/Bryan, unfortunately theyte selling us Orton/Bryan. Is it setting up a HBK heel turn? If it is, does that mean they'll set up HBK/Bryan and just let HHH bury Bryan with no repercussions? The way to salvage thia is for Bryan to go over at HIAC, HHH challenge him since "Im the only man who can beat Bryan once and for all" and then have Bryan go over. Unfortunately, I dont see any of that happening.
ReplyDeleteThere was a lot of foreshadowing of Bryan/HHH last night, from H standing in the ring fuming when Bryan came out for the first match, to HBK's comments, to Bryan all but forgetting about Orton to trade words with HHH. There's potential here for a pretty damn good Wrestlemania payoff between the two, but it's still Trips, so who can really tell.
ReplyDeleteDon't feed the trolls please
ReplyDeleteBut The King of Kings still turns heel right? All good then :)
ReplyDeleteYea, I agree. I think/hope theyre transitioning to Bryan/HHH after HIAC.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird but there's so few of us on the boards and we all post so often, that it's sort of like a community. Therefor I don't see certain people as trolls. More just like. My uncle who rails on about Obama being a secret Muslim. He's not really a troll. Just a different part of the communal spectrum.
ReplyDeletehttp://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv7aWcuyXbc&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DDv7aWcuyXbc
ReplyDeleteEveryone that doesn't agree with me is a troll!
ReplyDeleteWell played...well played. Now show me video of HHH beating Bodydonna Skip.
ReplyDeleteNope. Just you.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry opinions upset you so much. Maybe you need a nap?
ReplyDeletere: your Survivor Series match reference... Maybe Triple H just steps in to lead the heel side and round out the fivesome? Gives us a taste of Bryan vs. HHH without actually doing the match yet. Or maybe just do 4-on-4: Bryan/Show/Cody/Dustin vs. Orton/Reigns/Rollins/Ambrose?
ReplyDeleteDougie really put me in my place by copying and pasting this post to npp. Has hhh had a good match since bush got reelected? Has he put a new guy over since Batista (who has been out of wrestling for 3 years, nice choice hhh)? Does he do-any other type of promo? But I guess why debate these points when you can just circle jerk about irrational hhh hate with your other user accounts.
ReplyDelete:: Keeps respondingto you so you'll be fulfilled ::
ReplyDeleteWhy do they need to job a guy with a belt when there's 60 guys on the roster?
ReplyDeleteSo you'd prefer they not have good matches on Raw? Would you prefer that DB beat Mahal? Because the would've meant something.
ReplyDeleteI can only speak for myself when I say
ReplyDeletePost count padding>feeding trolls>doing work at my job
Stick to telling stories about Mrs. Parallax.
ReplyDeletesaid nobody.
ReplyDeleteCannon fodder=being in the main event of almost every raw and smackdown, winning at wm, being the only guy other than hbk or hhh to work with taker since 2010, going over cena/sheamus/d bry/big show/mark Henry/ etc etc?
ReplyDeleteDougie you know he's positioned above ryback. Its obvious to anyone who watches the shows.
I can't see how jobbing-but-looking good against the top babyface on the roster hurts Ambrose in the slightest, but this is asinine. Ryback is a secondary actor in his own program that no one gives a shit about right now, while Ambrose/The Shield are the top heels below Orton/HHH.
ReplyDeleteChalk Ambrose under CM Punk as guys Dougie hates for some reason.
ReplyDeletePopular in the iwc so its great troll fodder I figure
ReplyDeleteHoly shit that place is creepy.
ReplyDeleteEspecially Dougie just randomly posting things from here.
The way they went from the Usos being the number one contenders to the Rhodes brothers taking the tag titles certainly suggests that.
ReplyDeleteShe's also in a coma. :(
ReplyDeleteSo that's why she didn't move around a lot.
ReplyDeleteSeems logical.
ReplyDeleteCamacho
ReplyDeleteCurt Hawkins
Tyler Reks
That's if you're counting PPV victories. The full list of heels that weren't local jobbers that have been defeated by Ryback on Pay Per View