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RAW - One Hour Longer! Because we couldn’t fit enough commercials into a two-hour show.[/caption]
RAW happened again last night. Â The third installment of three hour shows. Â I’m still not sure if I like the extra hour or not, considering we’ve had all of three shows to try it out so far.
Show #1,000 was good, show #1,001 was barely better than awful, and show #1,002 was, well pretty good to be quite honest. Â I still found things that irritated the living piss out of me, but that’s to be expected when you have 17 monkeys with typewriters creating your scripts.
It was also supposed to be HBK Appreciation Night in San Antonio, but to the WWE’s credit, they saved most of the self-fellating for after the show went off the air. Â I mean, we still had to endure an HBK segment in the ring where he’s just so honored and so thrilled and so taken aback and so gracious you guys! Â But in the end, it wasn’t a show killer.
You see, the way I rate these shows is by how much of it I actually enjoyed compared to how much of it tried to give me brain hemorrhoids. Â Surprisingly enough, and much to my chagrin, there were only a handful of things that really irked me, and the rest of the show was of good enough quality that I could over look them. Â That doesn’t mean I’m not about to be an asshole anyways.
Let’s get started.
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I really don’t care if the theme ISN’T dubstep, that’s what I’m calling it.[/caption]
So, we’ve managed to get rid of Nickelback, but now we’ve got something more akin to Dubsteb as an opening song. Â Why is this so hard? Â Get a song that’s more like stadium rock and less like Bieber Gone Wild. Â Can we do that?
And the show opens up with AJ being welcomed by the Universe. Â AJ, in turn, welcomes the Universe to the show. Â Everyone’s feeling pretty welcomed about now. Â And she’s announcing matches for the evening:
- Randy Orton to face Big Show
- Daniel Bryan to face John Cena
- and then Punk comes out to demand respeck!
And they have this back and forth thing where Punk isn’t sorry for anything he’s done. Â If he’s sorry for anything he’s done it’s that he hasn’t done anything sooner. Â I really don’t know what the hell he said, it was all stupid to me. Â All I know is that he:
- Wants Respect
- Deserves Respect
- Will forcefully take Respect
- Respects the Pouch
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CM Punk and Aretha Franklin Together for the First Time, At Last![/caption]
As much as I like Punk and as good as he can be on the microphone, I just want him to wrestle. Â That’s what he’s best at and that’s what you should do with him. Â A lot of people will disagree with me, but I can’t help it if they’re wrong. Â Punk trying to be an angry whiny heel now just seems disingenuous to me.
So anyhow, Cena comes out. Â Crowd chants their Cena chant and goes into preachifying Cena mode. Â And then Big Show. Â But AJ puts the brakes on this shit quick. Â No fighting at her wrestling show!
So, because we haven’t heard Twitter or Tout or Myspace yet, we have a Universe Twitter-vote as to who Punk should face, after the commercial break. Should it be:
- #PunkMiz  (The Miz if you couldn’t figure that out)
- #PunkKane  (Kane, they mean Kane)
- #PunkRey  (That’s Rey Mysterio you guys.  Not some future laser weapon that attacks greaseballs)
Now’s your chance to TWEET before they wait 3 minutes and take a 3 minute commercial break. Â We literally watched the arena crowd for 3 minutes before we went to commercial. Â I guess they really wanted to see you guys do some Tweeting. Â I hope you all voted for #PunkDoink instead.
Lawler about ruined his shorts with his Tweet enthusiasms. Â He had a Tweetgasm.
Commercials
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NO SOLDIER LEFT BEHIND![/caption]
So, did you guess who Punk would be facing? Â Do you think it matters what you Tweeted? Â It was Rey Mysterio even before they put the options up there. Â You’re not going to have your newly turned heel face another heel champion, so Miz was out right away. Â And Punk/Kane has been done, with Kane wanting to be an Anger Management Coach (CHARLIE SHEEN YOU GUYS) to Daniel Bryan.
And it was a match. Â I mean, they’re both good and they worked their asses off for our enjoyment, but I feel like there was no reason for it other than to put the good Mexican luchador in the ring in San Antonio. Â You know? Â Match quality was very good, match purpose? Â Not so much.
At one point Lawler mentions this nugget about Rey Mysterio. Â 37 year old Rey Mysterio.
There has never been a more popular star than this young man.
No? Â Well you’re the expert. And young? Â Maybe it’s relative, Lawler’s got to be turning at least 300.
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Yeah, Jerry, you’re right. There’s never been a more popular superstar than Rey Mysterio.[/caption]
So as this match goes on, they set up their commercial break by having Rey do the flying dick to the face seated senton to Punk outside the ring. Â We come back and they’re still going at it. Â Jerry Lawler is still calling Rey and incredible young man.
Jerry? Â Have you been watching the show over the last, oh, decade or so? Â You should KNOW Rey Mysterio. Â Maybe they were dubbing his lines, and he was really saying “This damned wetback” the whole time. Â Seems more in line with Lawler’s way of thinking if you ask me.
So anyways, Punk wins this thing and we see Alberto Del Rio pulling up backstage in his fancy shmancy sports car worth lots and lots of monies.
Another commercial hits
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Product Placement you guys.[/caption]
As we return, AJ is staring at a pair of Black Converse Allstar Wrestling Boots. Â I’m not up on my wrestling fashion accessories, so I don’t understand the relevance of that. Â I’m assuming Hipsters are invading?
Alberto comes in to talk to AJ about his not wanting to compete anymore until Summerslam.  She agrees with him, and he says “Good because that would be crazy if I had to compete.”  Uh oh.  He said the secret word!  AJ flips out and puts him in a match.  When does it take place?  NEXT!
And they do another commercial. Â This is the shit that truly irritates me. Â We come back for a 3 minute segment that does nothing but establish that the crazy chick is crazy. Â That’s like telling us that water is wet.
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Truly an epic matchup with absolutely ZERO implications for either man.[/caption]
Coming back, it’s going to be Christian facing Alberto. Â And this is another solid match. Â One that doesn’t really further any stories or build any interest for either guy, but as pure wrestling entertainment goes? Â Good stuff to watch.
Alberto even gets more heelish in this match by hitting Christian with his wrestling boot and applying the cross armbreaker to win. Â Why don’t they give that a cool, ADR inspired name already? Â Cross Armbreaker is generic. Â Why now the Royal Enchilada or something good and raycess for people to get upset about?
And now, Sheamus is on screen standing next to the car that ADR didn’t bother driving into the arena for some reason. Â He calls ADR “Berty” Â and decides to borrow his car for a joy ride around San Antonio tonight. Â This becomes a sticking point for Cole and Lawler for the rest of the show.
Literally, they spend more time debating if the car was “stolen” or simply “borrowed” than they do calling the matches in the ring. Â Seriously? Â F*CK YOU.
Commercials
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I’m gonna hug him and squeeze him and pat him and call him George![/caption]
Big Show and Orton are up now.
Lawler takes the time to remind us:
In case you missed it, RAW starts an hour early every week now!
If it starts an hour early every week, in about 4 months, you will be starting the show on Sunday night, Jerry. Â How about you say: Â ”RAW’s new start time is 8pm eastern” Â Or, you know, just let people figure it out for themselves. Â You’re really not helping anyone here.
As Big Show is wont to do, he slung Orton up on his shoulder, intending to ram him into the ring post. Â As everyone Show ever tries this with is wont to do, Orton slid down off his shoulder and shoved Show face first into that same ring post.
It’s like Swagger trying a Swagger-bomb. Â It NEVER WORKS FOR YOU STOP DOING THAT!
And we have a double countout. Â Big show is pissed, Orton is pissed, they get back in the ring where Orton can at least hit the RKO to make the crowd happy. Â Um, Big Show? Â Let me ask you a question here, stay with me.
If you just signed an “iron-clad, big-money, guaranteed payment” contract with the WWE, why do you even bother wrestling? Â Simply show up, when the bell rings, walk away. Â EASY MONEY and instant HEEL HEAT! Â Quit being a tough-guy, and be a dick.
Commercial
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The Top of the Food Chain is still hungry. FEED HIM MORE![/caption]
It’s RYBACK vs Hawkins and Rex in a handicap tag team match. Â Why is Ryback’s left eye all bloody? Â Anyone? Â Anyone at all? Â Well, anyways, they do a little screen in screen promo for Ryback where he explains “Feed Me More”
Basically he says, welcome to the foodchain, feed me more. Â I hope that cleared it all up for you.
Hawkins and Rex give Ryback some competition for this one. Â It’s good to see he’s not just steamrolling his opposition each and every match now. Â It’s also good to see he’s still as goddamn brutal no matter what.
Hawkins gets decapitated and pinned for the loss. Â Ryback kicks all the ass. Â I’d tune in for 3 hours of Ryback squash matches every day.
And they go to commercial AGAIN. Â Seriously, there’s more commercials in this now than the Superbowl.
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Nuh uh. Nope, no way. Not buying it. Don’t want it, don’t need it, won’t have it.[/caption]
SHIT. Â AW and the Primetime Players are here to face Primo and Epico. Â They start after each other before the bell, but then the bell rings and they decide to fight in the ring.
All bullshit aside, this match was bullshit. Â NOBODY CARES ABOUT ANY OF THESE GUYS! Â This is the WWE’s new “piss-break” match, since they’ve been real light on Diva’s matches lately.
As PTP does, they tried to walk out of the match before it was over, only this time Kofi and R-Truth came out in suits to make sure that didn’t happen. Â Darren Young gets killed in the ring for the loss. Â Again, NOBODY CARES ABOUT THESE PEOPLE KEEP IT ON SUPERSTARS DAMMIT!
Backstage, Ace Reporter Josh Mathews asks Damien Sandow to explain his actions last week in beating down the Funkasaurus. Â Sandow says that dancing is for fools and women. Â Uses big words and says You’re Welcome.
Commercials. Â JEEEEEEEEEEEEZUS CHRIST.
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Just hold still, I’ll untie your shoe if you’d just hold still.[/caption]
The Funkasaurus is coming out! Â YES! Â But he never clears the stage, hell, he didn’t even have time to call his momma. Â Sandow attacks from behind and gives him an incredibly brutal looking beatdown on and off the stage, trying to shatter his knees.
I’m hoping this sets up a feud between these two. Â I think it would work and Funkasaurus needs something more substantial than JTG every week.
Back stage, AJ’s thinking. Â Daniel Bryan shows up. Â ANGER MANAGEMENT (CHARLIE SHEEN YOU GUYS) is mentions. Â It will be Daniel Bryan vs. Kane at Summerslam. Â I guess Charlie Sheen backed out or sobered up and forgot. Â But still, ANGER MANAGEMENT YOU GUYS!
Commercials
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Seriously, Kelly Kelly?[/caption]
Oh boy! Â Kelly Kelly is back and Lawler is dry humping the announce table. Â She faces the only other active Diva on the roster, Eve. Â And Kelly wins. Â And nobody really gives two shits.
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Seriously, Touting?[/caption]
Somehow or another, we’re more worried about ADR’s car and Sheamus having borrowed/stolen/leased it from him without permission. Â Sheamus, we’re informed, will be TOUTING on his tour of San Antonio later tonight. Â I don’t give a f*ck. Â QUIT TOUTING!
Commercials and we’re back to HBK in the ring.
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Seriously, HBK Appreciation Night?[/caption]
HBK says HBK things and is joined by Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. Â They jaw about who’s going to win at Summerslam, Brock even speaks a little and everyone immediately wishes he wouldn’t. Â Then HHH comes out and Brock leaves.
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Seriously?[/caption]
Now Sheamus is still driving that stolen car and TOUTING apparently. And he touted us a goddamn song from the Alamo. Â Sheamus, I love you guy, but please don’t feed into this Tout bullshit. Â BA STAR and just say no to TOUT.
Commercials.
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Bright Eyes is the prettiest pony! NO, Flitter Flutter is the pretties pony![/caption]
Chris Jericho is at the announce table wearing a Dolph Ziggler shirt that he claims to have in the trash. Â Makes sense, doesn’t everyone just wear clothes they find in trash cans?
Dolph Ziggler will be facing Alex Riley. Â A-Ry needs to get back on TV and be a thing again. Â He’s a good guy, fun to watch with plenty of charisma. Â In fact, I’ll take A-Ry and you take the Divas, the Prime Time Players, AW and Primo and Epico in return.
And they have a match, a really good match to be honest, though you wouldn’t know it from commentary. Â They’re more interested in taunting Jericho or talking about social media.
Jericho decides to TOUT the match, and distracts Ziggler long enough for A-Ry to get the roll up victory. Â Dolph isn’t pleased with losing via Tout. Â That’s worse than losing to a midget while being dressed as a turkey. Â Right Chavo?
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Seriously?[/caption]
Oh, in case you thought they were done Social Media Whoring, they remind us that AJ used Twitter to set up the next match: Â Kane vs. The Miz. Â Seriously, social media can go straight to hell.
Commercials
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Seriously?[/caption]
Sheamus TOUTS fella! And the match between Kane and the Miz gets underway. Â Apparently Kane is bidirectional in his allegiances. Â He’s been a bad guy for six months straight, now he’s a good guy? Â WTF?
This match was good but Miz lost anyways. Â To what end? Â Who does that help in any way, shape or form.? Â Your new IC champion losing to someone that’s not even in the title picture? Â Who’s decision was this and why aren’t they being fired?
Another commercial break. Â This is really sickening. Â I started watching this thing on DVR an hour after it started and by skipping commercial breaks and “RAW REBOUNDS”, I’ve caught up to real time with over half an hour left in the show.
They actually returned from commercial to show us Sheamus returning the car in horrible condition and apparently sporting a newly baked loaf of Sheamus-Shit in the passenger seat. Â It smells, fella!
And we get to the main event! Â Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena!
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Seriously?[/caption]
Wait no, more shit with that car. Â ADR is mad you guys. Â He’s angry.
Now Commercials AGAIN
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YES YES YES! Kick, and turn and KICK and turn![/caption]
Cena finally makes it to the ring and the Cena chants start. Â DB loses his shit and starts arguing NO NO NO! Â Cena is tossed out of the ring and ignored while DB argues with the crowd about YES vs. NO.
And they literally took another commercial break.
We return to Cena dying a thousand deaths, but still having the energy to pull off the five moves of doom! Â Now an interesting sequence takes place:
Cena applies the STF which is reversed into a “NO”Lock which is transitioned into an Attitude Adjustment. Â And Cena wins, after being clinically dead at least twice in this match.
Overall? Â A very very fun match, DB is always great and Cena sold for him most of the match until it was comeback time. Â If you didn’t enjoy that match there’s something wrong in your head.
So, it’s over! Â G’nite everyone, thanks for coming!
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R-E-S-P-E-C-T Find out what it means to me![/caption]
SHIT. Â Nope, here’s Punk. Â Cena pushes him aside to attack a raging Big Show. Â He gets Big Show up for the AA only to be foiled by Punk once more. Â Punk then addresses Jerry Lawler telling him how truly awful and horrible he is as a human being and a commentator. Â No arguments from me, Punk!
And then Punk kicks Big Show and Cena. Â G’nite kids! Â Sweet dreams! Â B.A. Star and all that! Â Tout Tout Twitter Twitter!
Again, this was a great show for the most part. Â Some of the matches just didn’t make sense from a story point of view and Lawler is getting increasingly bad on commentary. Â Otherwise, I had a hard time hating this one. Â Oh and Social Media needs to die.
Original Article