2012/11/06

Raw 11-5-12 Review








Sorry for the delay on this.  I was out last night much longer then I had anticipated and then this cold I've been fighting decided to go into full effect.  I will be back for Smackdown on time though folks!

Raw comes on the air with Miz and Paul Heyman talking in the back and Miz walks off team Punk!  Interesting considering Miz is on the Survivor Series poster.  A face turn for Miz?

We start of with a six man match as the Masked Duo (Rey Misterio/Sin Cara) and R-Truth, neither of the them getting introductions, as they take on Antonio Cesaro and the Primetime Players (Titus O'Neil/Darren Young).  Cesaro and Truth have traded touts about each other.  So Truth goes from disappearing for a few months to a US Title feud, that makes perfect sense.  Not sure about Cesaro as they haven’t given me a reason to car.  I notice that the Masked Duo are wearing the half masks again, half for each man.  So far this has been a basic six man and nothing special.  Of course it is the biggest of the heel time, Titus O’Neil that gets into trouble against men half his size.  I do not like Sin Cara, I just don’t.  I don’t like most luchadors, way too sloppy in the ring.  Cesaro just made a nice tag and throwing around Rey which I like.  I like the heel team together and they could have some interesting interactions as they are different characters.  I’d like to see the PTP win the titles and form a trio of champions.  Took all three faces to set up the pinfall on Cesaro so he still looks strong on this pinfall.  It also builds the Truth and Cesaro feud.  Its too bad Justin Gabriel was sent out so quickly.

They recap Jerry Lawler’s heart attack and that he’ll be returning soon.  Then we get a recap of the stupid AJ Lee, Vicki Guerrero and John Cena storyline….twice now.  The fans are nearly drowning Vicki out with a “quiet” chant.  Here come Cena and he has the luck of the Irish with him clad in his all green gear.  I guess it was a “Who are you” not quiet.  Cena insults Vicki with some British slang.  Unsolicited someone sent security footage of AJ in a bathroom leaving her room and going to someone else’s room looking around as she does it.   Now a different camera shows Cena with a towel around his waist putting the do not disturb sign up.  I can’t believe someone thought this was worthwhile.  Personally Cena getting it on with AJ makes him a good guy.  The fans chant “We want AJ” but only get her on the titantron.  AJ isn’t coming to the ring because she will give Vicki the beating of a lifetime and she’ll be fired.  Dolph shows up and makes it sound like AJ loves to do it….you know do it…a wink is as good as a nod to a blind bat.  Cena charges to the back and thankfully it is over.

We come back and Paul E. is talking to someone off camera and we find out it is Wade Barrett.  That makes more sense than Miz.  We come to find out that Paul asked last week and Barrett said no then and now.  Barrett reconsiders and says Heyman owes him…and he wants it in writing.  I see Punk vs. Barrett in the future.

Out comes the best act on WWE TV right now, Team Hell No.  I guess this will be one on one as Daniel Bryan takes on Cody Rhodes who doesn’t get an entrance because 3 hours isn’t enough to get everyone’s entrance in.  Sandow and Kane fight on the floor.   Cody with a Disaster Kick off the apron and he hits CrossRhodes for the win.   Bryan hasn’t got a singles win in months.  The last time I remember was when he beat CM Punk and I may be making that up!  Cody says Damien Sandow could beat Kane just as easy as he beat Bryan.  Kane of course pulls Sandow into the ring and we have our next match I think. 

Yes we do have our next match of Damien Sandow and Kane.  Typical Kane match to start off with, lots of power moves.  Sandow tries to do the same and it doesn’t work out.  Bryan and Rhodes get into it and the ref throws both men out.  I miss the American Psycho Cody Rhodes character.  I am a huge fan of Sandows and I think he is a future World Champ if given the chance.  Sadly he was completely buried here by Kane.  This furthers the Kane is better than Daniel and that Daniel is the weak link of the Team Hell No.  It also continues the trend that they bury the young up and comers.

We come back and it is Michael Cole in the ring to interview Brad Maddox.  As I said last week I’ve seen him in the ring back in FCW and he isn’t a bad in ring competitor and back I FCW wasn’t bad on the mic either.  It’ll be interesting to see how he does here.  When asked he if he was working with Heyman and Punk he says no.  It was all him.  He says all his life he wanted to be a WWE Superstars and is interrupted by “FEED ME MORE” Chants and then “WHAT” chants.  Really?  When will those stop.  That was over 10 years ago.  Maddox talks about trying to get a job and everyone slammed the door in his face.  He once paid $2000 dollars for a try out.  He got a development contract but he still wasn’t given a chance because he wasn’t big enough or a mask or do a bunch of flippy floppy moves.  The crowd chants “you can’t wrestle”.  So far I like the interview, minus the damn crowd, as it feels real.  His weird movements in the ring make it feel real.  Now he is saying he is famous and it is more like a scripted promo.  He wants a match with Ryback and a contract!  What?  That doesn’t make sense but here comes Mr. McMahon’s Ass (points to anyone who gets that reference) and Mr. McMahon as well.  Maddox will get a million dollar contract next week if he can beat Ryback.  McMahon is back out suddenly with Vicki Guerrero.  McMahon is leading Guerrero around and is asking why Punk isn’t defending his championship.  It is going to be CM Punk taking on Ryback and John Cena?!?!  Really?  Vince screwed up his line of Vicki not always making the popular decision but she sometimes makes the right one. 

I don’t like this.  After a hot angle, atleast I thought so, of Punk and Foley we get this, a stupid triple threat.  Not a fan at all!

After the break it is Sheamus and The Miz, gee I wonder who is going to win this match.  Poor Miz does so much for this match and gets buried constantly and here comes The Big Show!  Show argues at ringside with Michael Cole and Jim Ross about his match with Sheamus at Survivor Series.  In the ring good work but nothing great.  Surprise surprise dueling chants from a crowd trying to be part of the show.  What I mean is that wasn’t spontaneous where they like both guys it was just to chant and that bugs me.   Show messes with Cole at ringside wanting to show him how big his fist is.  Miz has looked really good while on the offense.  This has been a much better match then I thought and they are letting Miz have a lot of offense to make him look strong.  May be they aren’t going to bury Miz like I thought.  Miz dodged the Brogue Kick which is rare but moments later it was White Noise and then a Brogue Kick for the expected outcome.  Here is hoping that they can build on this momentum as Miz looked strong in this lost in my opinion.

In the back Dolph Ziggler is outside McMahon’s office and Vicki comes out to say that it is now Team Ziggler instead of Punk.  Punk is not happy and calls Vince a “Cranky Old Bastard”.  They are having Punk and Ziggler taking on Ryback and John Cena.  Neither man is happy about this at all while Punk just keeps asking “What is wrong with her”.  Haven’t these two walked out on each other several times?  What a stupid match!

We now get a Fandangoo promo.  Yeah that is what is going to get Johnny Curtis over.  WILLIAM REGAL IS ON TV!  Sheamus is thanking him for his help, sadly that is all that will get him on TV and they are going out for a pint. 

Ugg they are already recapping the AJ Lee crap.  Poor AJ, I’m sorry…I’m so so sorry.

Now it is Eve Torres and Askana taking on Layla and Kaitlyn.  Boy this is an important match.  I feel so sorry for the divas.  Layla is looking really good and Eve looks like she has clown makeup on.  Sorry but she doesn’t look good, atleast in the one opening shot of her.  So far we have a spanking and a butt bump.  I don’t know why people don’t take the divas seriously.  No Kharma or Beth Phoenix or Kelly Kelly and not taking Natalya seriously makes this division a joke.  I really want to fast forward through this match.   Wow Eve’s makeup is horrible!  The action is a little better now that Eve is in the ring instead of Aksana.  Kaitlyn with a Scropion Death Drop for the surprising win.  I like Kaitlyn as she is different.

Alberto Del Rio is complaining about not being captain and runs into Rosa Mendes in a pointless segment other than laying the seeds that they will hook up and if Alberto doesn’t he is stupid.

Alberto takes on Kofi next.  Right before the break they talked about WWE.com having an article about the six things you didn’t know about the Survivor Series.  All but one are pretty well known.  The one I didn’t know about is that John Cena is 7-0 at the event.  Will HIS streak continue against Punk and Ryback?  That’ll be interesting.

They recap Smackdown’s brawl between Alberto and Randy Orton even though Ricardo doesn’t show any evidence of the hot coffee. 

This match has been an okay match.  We’ve seen this several times and there isn’t anything new here so far.  The announcers talk about how Kofi has added more than just the kicks and high flying to his matches and it is true.  Alberto has looked good and actually applies the cross armbreaker over the ropes, which the refs miss.  The fans are not into Kofi at all.  He does the stupid set up for the Trouble in Paradise where he slaps his arms around and doesn’t really sell the hurt arm sadly.  Alberto is signaling for the Cross Armbreaker when Orton’s music hits and the distraction allows Kofi to roll up Alberto for the win.  The IC Champ should get the win here actually so I like it.  Orton hits the ring behind Alberto and hits the RKO to lay out Del Rio.

Next is Team Co-Bro, Zach Ryder and Santino Marella, taking on Primo and Epico.  I can see why this match is in the last hour of the show.  I really hate Santino big time.  He annoys me more than just about any superstar ever.  I don’t know why but he does annoy me big time.  Uggg, Santino is now power walking the ropes and Primo is just watching and the fans are chanting “We Want Ryder WOO WOO WOO” like it was a year ago when he mattered.  He hasn’t mattered for 10 months and never will again I believe.  My goodness Rosa is smoking hot jumping around yelling stuff in Spanish.  Michael Cole no longer being the heel announce makes the announcing 100% better.  Cole is really good when just being an announcer instead of a character.  This match has not been real good.  I won’t say sloppy but not crisp.  The winners are Team Co-Bro in an unmemorable match.

Here comes Brodus Clay, another guy buried because they stopped believing him for some reason.  His entrance music is still my ringtone, just to keep you up to date, because I like to get FUNKY!  Sadly he is about to get a Souvenir courtesy of Wade Barrett.  No question in the outcome here unless they bury him like they do JR when he is home but I doubt it.  Wow Barrett just hit the Winds of Change (Boss Man Slam or Blackhole Slam) which was amazing to see.  I am not sure about Barrett yet.  I really liked him leading Nexus but that was ended too quickly.  His injury hurt his momentum.  Brodus had his push cut out from under him, again because Vince suddenly soured on him.  Clay has looked good but misses and avalanche and he gets a Souvenir to bring back to America.  Wednesday on the Main Event it’ll be Barrett and Sheamus which should be a slobberknocker to quote JR. 

Thus far it hasn’t be a bad show but nothing must see.  Jerry"The King" Lawler returns next week which is good. 

Oh good grief, the Three Man Band, or 3MB, is coming out, well two members at least.  They have Jinder Mahal in his turban (may be that isn’t the right name) while “playing” the air guitar.  That makes me sad.  Tonight it’ll be Heath Slater and Jay Uso.  I really, REALLY, hate 3MB.  Not the performs but the idea of it.  What is worse is down on NXT (Click on the link to last weeks review) you have Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal are going to fight this week.  Continuity is your friend WWE!  To the match it is just there like most of the matches.  Slater got his knees up on a Superfly Splash and Slater hits the Smash Hit, an elevated DDT, for the win. 

Punk cuts a promo that is good because it was Punk but nothing major.  I find it interesting that there is only 10 minutes left for the main event.  I also don’t like that we don’t know all of Team Foley less than two weeks away from the event.  Cena has carried his team and even dominated a few moments.  Still no Ryback and Cena still carrying his team.  They are doing an amazing job of protecting Ryback and I like, it makes sense.  Finally the hot tag and it is feeding time!  Ryback is destroying both men and I have no problem with it.  Ryback and Punk are left in the ring and a “Meat hook clothesline” sets up for Shell Shock and once again the WWE CHAMPION is left laying to end Raw.  They had one of the hottest starts in recent years in Punk and have made him not matter in less than a year.  Punk is out on the floor and we have a stare down between Cena and Ryback to end the show, with Ryback and the crowd chanting Feed Me More.

Thoughts:

Okay show here.  Nothing major in ring wise, Sheamus and Miz being the best match and the Diva’s match was the worst.  I really liked the Brad Maddox interview personally as well.  Check that out, the Miz match and the Hell No/Rhodes Scholars matches were okay as well.  Tonight is a special “Live” Smackdown so I’ll be back in a few hours.



Results:

R-Truth/Rey Misterio/Sin Cara defeated Titus O’Neil/Darren Young/Antonio Cesaro
Cody Rhodes defeated Daniel Bryan
Kane defeated Damien Sandow
Sheamus defeated the Miz
Layla/Kaitlyn defeated Eve/Aksana
Kofi Kingston defeated Alberto Del Rio
Team Co-Bro defeated Epico and Primo
Wade Barrett defeated Brodus Clay
Heath Slater defeated Jay Uso
Ryback/John Cena defeated CM Punk/Dolph Ziggler


No comments: