+WWE RawUniverse : John cena vs CM punk winner goes WRESTLEMANIA
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+John Cena and +CM Punk are at it again, and this time the Cenation leader's WrestleMania match is at stake. Also, with Mr. McMahon set to duke it out with Paul Heyman in an unsanctioned fight, is there any hope for the mad scientist? john cena puts his wrestlemania ticket on the line....
The PPV
started with +Alberto Del Rio defending his World Heavyweight Championship
against +Big Show Big Show in a Last Man Standing Match. Yes, we just saw this match a
few weeks ago for free on +Friday Night SmackDown The good news is Del Rio and Show was able
to incorporate new stuff to make the match interesting, and even better. There
was a cool spot where Big Show climbed up on the set and brought Del Rio with
him, then tossed Del Rio off the beam through a table. Alberto kept it
suspenseful by waiting until the nine count to get up before falling back over.
The ending came when Alberto had Big Show in the armbar and Roberto duck taped
Big Show’s feet to the bottom rope, making him unable to stand up. I guess Del
Rio is taking up the Guerrero mantra of “if you’re not cheating, you’re not
trying.” It was a good match.
Next, the Tag Team Championship
was on the line and it was a pretty standard tag team match between these two
teams (Team Hell No and Team Rhodes Scholars). I’m a big fan of both teams, but
I was rooting for Team Rhodes Scholars. I don’t want to see either team break
up, but I would like to see Bryan and Kane fighting to reclaim the titles.
Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen anytime soon since Team Hell Now
retained the titles. Another good match, although it did feel like a match we’d
see on free TV.
And then there was the Royal
Rumble, which isn’t worthy of the main-event when The Rock is on the card. At
this point, I really started to worry that the two things I didn’t want to see
happen were going to happen.
I want to begin here by saying
that the Rumble match itself was pretty good, although it certainly wasn’t
close to being the best Rumble match. The two spoilers we posted that came from
PWInsider weren’t in the match, which was disappointing since I’m a fan of both
guys. Fortunately though, the Rumble match did have some big surprises, and
none more than Chris Jericho who came in at number two. That was a great
surprise and he lasted a long time, but thankfully he didn’t win it. In
addition to Jericho, we also saw Goldust and The Godfather return (that’s three
former Intercontinental Champions).
Bo Dallas, the +wwe nxt tournament
winner, lasted over 10 minutes and looked good. He eliminated +Wade Barret , and
of course +WWE did what they do every year and had someone (Dallas in this case)
be pulled over the top rope by someone has already been eliminated (Barrett).
It’s beyond stupid that they do this every year; that kind of thing just
shouldn’t count as an elimination.
+DOLP ZIGGLER olph Ziggler entered first and
lasted until the final six. He looked great, but of course WWE again pulled the
rug out from underneath him. Who is going to ever buy Ziggler as anything more
than a joke when every time he guarantees victory right before a big match, he
loses? I’m so tired of the way WWE treats him, and others, in favor of their
golden boy John Cena. And I’m not even a Cena hater; I’ve defended Cena in the
past. I’m way past that point though. There was no reason for Cena to win this
Royal Rumble match.
WWE’s problem is that they are
afraid to move past +John Cena , despite the fact that he’s been the top guy for
almost a decade. Super Cena can’t lose; not even the powerful +ryback wweraw (who came
in from #30) can withstand the might of John Cena. Cena winning the Rumble
match just totally ruined the whole thing for me (and yes, I was rooting for
Ziggler but I would have been satisfied with anyone BUT John Cena).
Unfortunately, it got even worse.
+Best In The World CM Punk Punk, WWE Champion for 434
days, put his title on the line against +The Rock WWE in his first match since
+wrestlemania . I’m not taking anything away from the work of both men, as it was
an entertaining match, but it had an absolutely horrible finish. The lights
went out, and The Shield put The Rock through the announce table. Because the
lights were out the entire time, the referee didn’t see it, and Punk went out
there and brought Rock back in the ring and pinned him. ocQEvhaptba3EIy1xo4hby bghossThen +Vince McMahon came down
and started to strip Punk of the title, but Rocky couldn’t have that. So the
match was restarted, and just a couple of minutes later, Punk’s title reign came
to an end courtesy of a People’s Elbow.
WWE.Royal.Rumble.27th.Jan.2013_clip9by Don_priyankThat’s right; the WWE Champion
of 434 days couldn’t kick out of a standing elbow drop. What a disgrace.
WWE.Royal.Rumble.27th.Jan.2013_clip10by Don_priyank
Rock
is able to walk in off the street and take the WWE Championship from the
longest reigning champion in over a quarter of a century.
WWE.Royal.Rumble.27th.Jan.2013_clip5by Don_priyankIt’s so very nice of
Vince McMahon to send the message to everyone that the current crop of WWE
stars simply aren’t as good as those from the Attitude Era. Oh sure, it’s all
so John Cena can finally get his win over Rock at WresteMania and become WWE
Champion again…
+WWERaw Review (1/21/13): Rock and CM Punk Face Off Early
watch wwe RAW full show here (21/1/13)
-After last week’s dud of an episode, +WWE has one last chance to finish their
build for the Royal Rumble. Then, the Road toWrestleManiabegins and lots of people start
pointing to a sign in the rafters.
-A nice Martin Luther King Jr. tribute video to start us off.
- +Vickie Guerrero and +Paul Heymanhit the ring to show unity against the +Dwayne Johnson parody songs…”Weird” Al better watch out. Vickie has banned the Rock
from the arena in retaliation and the police have blocked Rocky in the parking
lot. So the Rock tries to enter anyways and lays some verbal abuse on Vickie,
CM Punk, and PaulHeymanbut is still unable to enter.
-Also,
tonight we will be having a Beat the Clock Challenge where whoever wins their
match the fastest gets to pick their entry number in the Royal Rumble.Wouldn’t it
automatically be #30? I always like these clock challenges though because it
actually makes the matches on Raw MEAN something, instead of it just being
pointless match after pointless match.
Beat the Clock Challenge Antonio Cesaro vs.+Randy Orton
Cesaro goes for a quickrollupand Orton returns the favor but Cesaro
works a headlock. Cesaro keeps going for quickpinfallattempts which of course makes sense
in the scheme of the match. Orton comes back with aTheszPress for two and tries asuplexbut gets caught in a small package for
two. Dropkick gets two for Orton and Cesaro powders out, where Orton hits a
clothesline and gets two.
We
take a commercial break and return with Cesaro trying for asuperplexat 7:00. Orton punches out but Cesaro
dumps him to the floor. Cesaro impressivelydeadliftsOrton and
carries him around the ring before hitting agutwrenchsuplexfor two. Orton fights out of a sleeper
but falls victim to apowerslamand a double stomp for two.
Orton
counters with a clothesline though and mounts his comeback with apowerslamof his own.
The draping DDT though is nicely countered by a jackknife cover from Cesaro for
two and he follows with the Very European Uppercut for another near fall.
We
hit 11:00 and Orton’s shoulder hits the post as he tumbles to the floor. Cesaro
tosses Orton back inside but turns his head for a second to check the clock and
Orton surprises him with theRKOfor the win at 11:36. Winner: Randy Orton
-Cesaro came out of this match looking strong even with taking
the loss, so really no big deal at all. It was a pretty good TV match as well
**1/2.
-Another really nice tribute video, this time for Mick Foley and
his induction into the Hall of Fame.
-The Shield cut a cool promo promising they are just getting
started.
+Big Show vs. Zack Ryder
I really don’t like Ryder’s chances here. Brad Maddox jumps into the announce
position from the crowd as Big Show destroys Ryder with the KO Punch in about
20 seconds. Winner: Big Show
-I think it’s time for Zack to find another line of work. DUD.
-After
a break, Brad Maddox meets PaulHeymanbackstage andHeymanpromises to make him famous. IsHeymanchanneling 2003 Undertaker now?
Rybackvs. Heath Slater
Slater tries to use his quickness but gets flattened and hit with aspinebuster. The
CLOTHESLINE OF DEATH floors Slater andRybacktakes out the rest of 3MB. Shell Shock
hits and the pin is academic after that. Winner:Ryback
-A second DUD in a row considering this was a squash-o-rama.
-Meanwhile,
the Rock tries to convince the police to let him in the arena. He finds out one
of the police officers has a ticket but Vickie interrupts and demands an apology
for her to lift the ban. The Rock obviouslydoesn’t respond well to
that and plots with the police after chasing Vickie away.
-Well,
the first hourwasn’t exactly must-see
television, but hopefully things will pick up.
-CM
Punk hits the ring and I forget how long he has been champion but I have a
feeling he’s going to remind me very soon. Ah, there we go. Anyways, Punk says
the world title is his life’s work and the Rockisn’t allowed to take
it from him. The Rock is here to tell jokes while CM Punk is here to hurt
people and keep his title. A great promo follows from Punk as he gives an
ultra-serious talk about earning the title and what being a champion means.
Awesome promo.
Beat the Clock Challenge DolphZigglervs. +The Miz 'Awesome'
If theMizstarts using the figure-four as a
finisher, I’m going to be really upset.Mizhits a quick dropkick for two and gets
a few more quick two counts before Dolph slows things down with a headlock.
Elbow off the ropes gets two forMizand they go into a nicepinfallreversal sequence that ended with a
crisp dropkick byZigglerfor two.
Neckbreakergets two for Dolph and he works a rearchinlockbutMizfights out and hits achopblockon Dolph’s knee to start setting up
for the figure four. Of course, he applies it to the wrong leg but Dolph dumps
him anyways for Big E Langston to add some punishment. Dolph gets two off of
that and we take a break.
We
return with 3:45 left and Dolph trying for anotherneckbreakerbut getting taken over with a
backslide for two. More quick action leads to aMizboot for two and he goes nuts in the
corner, hammering away and hitting his clothesline.
Mizcomes off the top with a double axe handle for two as the crowd
starts to get into it. Skull Crushing Finale is countered and they hit anotherpinfallreversal spot and Dolph ends it with a
jumping DDT for two.
Under
two minutes left and Dolph tries for a dropkick butMizcatches him in the figure four. AJ distracts
the referee so Langston can drag Dolph to the ropes for a break. Nice spot.
Under
a minute left andMiztries arollupbut gets distracted by Langston, and
Dolph hits theZigZagwith 30 seconds left to get the win
and set a new time. Winner: DolphZiggler
-See
why this Beat the Clock stuff is good for Raw? It gives the matches a sense of
drama and the crowd starts feeling the urgency as the clock ticks down.
Anyways, this was a really good match between these two asMizseemed ultra-motivated and really hung
withZigglerduring the fast-paced spots ***.
Anger Management Graduation
Yep, it’s time for more Dr. Shelby and the Team Hell No Comedy Hour, which is
fine by me. Bryan and+WWE KANEhead
out wearing graduation gowns and Daniel has even slicked his hair back. Kane
and Daniel argue over who the Valedictorian is so neither have to give a
speech, and that somehow leads to everyone at ringside hugging. Well, that was
certainly an odd segment.
-Recap
of Eve quittingWWElast week…my God, what a loss to the
roster.
Alicia Fox vs. Kaitlyn
I had no idea Alicia was even still on the roster. Alicia runs Kaitlyn into the
corner and tumbles to the floor in a sloppy spot. Scary spot as Kaitlyn dives
off the apron, slamming Fox’s head into the floor by landing with her full body
weight on Fox’s chest.
Back
inside, Alicia tosses Kaitlyn around by her hair and hits a clothesline for
two. Fox whiffs on a kick and Kaitlyn hits an ugly spear for the pin. Winner: Kaitlyn
-Well, that stunk. 1/2* for the outfits and cleavage.
-So
CM Punk takes a seat in a luxury box as PaulHeymanhits the ring to mock the crowd and
promote Punk. I can summarize his promo very simply: The Rock is stupid and so
are the people. The Rock has gotten hold of a ticket, though, a ticket which
apparently gives him access to the entrance ramp. I need to buy one of those
next timeWWErolls through Pittsburgh.
Heymanimmediately points this out, of course, but gets interrupted and
tossed out of the ring. Rock busts out one of his trademark coked up promos
where he promises to end the title reign of Punk once and for all.
However,
the lights shut off at the end of the promo and the Shield attacks in the
darkness. Triplepowerbomblays out the People’s Champion and the
Rock is left laying as Punk brags from the luxury box. Good booking there as
you tease Shield’s involvement in the title match on Sunday.
Beat the Clock Challenge Match Sheamusvs. Wade Barrett Sheamusquickly floors Wade as King and Cole
relay the rules of the Royal Rumble to a presumably stupid wrestling audience.
Slow start as Wade hammers away in the corner with no sense of urgency butSheamusfires back and hits the Celtic Cross
for two. Barrett responds with a clothesline over the top and that takes us to
our mid-match commercial break.
We
return with Barrett getting a two count with 5:00 left and Wade works a Fujiwaraarmbar. In real life,
that’s an automatic submission but, since this is wrestling, it’s aresthold.Sheamuscomes back with the Irish Hammer andSheamusthrows his forearms in the ropes with
three and a half minutes to go.
Asuplexgets two forSheamusbut Barrett dodges a Brogue kick and
hits a big kick to the face for two. Flying elbow off the second rope also gets
two as we go under 2:00. Barrett looks for Wasteland butSheamusfights out and hits White Noise with a
minute and a half left.
Sheamuslooks to finish but Dolph, AJ, and Langston run out for a
distraction allowing Barrett to hit Winds of Change for two. Thirty seconds
left and both guys are out butSheamusrecovers first and hits the Brogue
kick. Unfortunately, the clock runs out beforeSheamuscan
get the cover, allowing Dolph to pick his number at the Rumble.
No Contest
-Pretty
good booking there as Dolphdidn’t care who won,
just as long as itdidn’t beat his time.
This match started slow but turned into a decent, hard-hitting match **1/4.
-After
a break, Dolph and AJ gloat in front of Vickie Guerrero but she reveals thatZigglerdoesn’t get to pick ANY
number, he just gets to choose between #1 or #2. Well, that’s a really
disappointing payoff to the show’s angle.
-Meanwhile,
CM Punk and PaulHeymanrun intoVince McMahonbackstage
and deny any involvement with the Shield. Vinnie Mac promise to strip Punk of
the world title if the Shield interferes in the Punk’s match on Sunday.
Alberto Del Rio vs.Tensai
If they were smart, they would run a translation of Ricardo’s introduction on
theTitanTronor something like that.Tensaiattacks quickly and hits a pair of
pump splashes for a two count but Alberto comes back with flyingheadscissorsoff the second rope.
Del
Rio impressively hits a Germansuplexand hits a second-ropemoonsault(which actually missed) for the win. Winner: Alberto Del Rio
-I’m
actually surprised at how over Del Rio has gotten as ababyface, so hopefully
they can maintain his momentum. Match was a total squash and had nothing much
going for it. 1/2*. Alberto has the crowd count to 10 in Spanish which means
they are still ripping offECW13 years later.
-The
second member of the 2013 Hall of Fame Class is BobBacklund…no problem
with that whatsoever.
Main Event Interview
So JohnCenahits the ring and launches into
another goofy interview by making Black Ops 2 jokes to an elementary school kid
in the front row. Seriously, I don’t get the point of these promos at all.
Then, after making stupid jokes for five minutes, he just simply says he’s
going to win the Royal Rumble…whatever.
SheamusinterruptsCena’s exit, though,
and promises to win the Rumble until the Prime Time Players and Randy Orton make
their presence known as well. TheMizthrows his hat in
the ring as well and so does Team Hell No.
We get a little further down the card now as Antonio Cesaro and
3MB run their mouths for a bit followed by the rest of the locker room. Of
course, a big pier-six brawl breaks out to surprisingly very little crowd
reaction. People start getting tossed over the top and we fade to black.
Final Word
This was actually a pretty strong episode of Raw outside of a few minor
annoyances. The Beat the Clock matches were well-booked and well-worked while
CM Punk and the Rock brought the awesome with their promos for the title match.
The
JohnCenapromo was pointless and stupid, but
that’s becoming a weekly thing with that guy, so what do you expect? Anyways,
if you can fast-forward through the commercials and theCenastuff, these three hours actually went
pretty quick and that’s all I ask for.
