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Hello everyone, and welcome to our live review of Monday Night RAW!
RAW kicks off with Daniel Bryan coming out to a huge ovation! Bryan takes the mic and tells the people how others took him to be the weak link, and explains how he wants to beat Orton via pinfall or submission. The crowd loves Bryan, and Orton’s music hit as he makes his way out. We’re kicking things off with a match, which is a good sign.
Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan
A fast paced action to kick things off as Orton and Bryan exchanged blows. The action spills out of the ring and the referee can’t control it. Charles Robinson calls for the bell as Bryan and Orton duke it out and the match ends in a no contest. Other refs come out to separate the two, as the match ended within a minute. A good brawl to start RAW, but we still don’t have a decisive winner.
Winner: No Contest
Rating: *
Vickie and Brad are interrupted backstage by Bryan. Bryan gets the rematch against Orton, but Vince shows up and says Bryan is an ‘embarrassment’. Vince ‘belittles’ Bryan, no pun intended.
Sheamus and Christian vs Team Rhodes Scholars
Christian in action? Yes! Christian starts things off with Cody, but Cody and Sandow double team Christian as the crowd chants ‘Let’s go Christian!’ Sheamus gets the hot tag and dominates both the opponents and gets in the Brogue Kick on Cody for the pin and the win after 5 minutes.
Winner (s): Sheamus and Christian
Rating: * ½
Backstage, Vickie tells Punk he’s in a match later on in the evening, and Punk tells her to let him know when Heyman/Lesnar show up.
Kaitlyn vs Aksana
Kaitlyn starts things off, but is interrupted by her music, as AJ dressed like Kaitlyn shows up on the ramp. Aksana tries to take advantage, but Kaitlyn spears her to pick up the victory in a minute.
Winner: Kaitlyn
Rating: ½*
Post match, AJ cuts a promo mocking Kaitlyn, as she enacts Big E’s proposal to Kaitlyn and how he fooled her. I’m glad that’s the last we’ll see of the divas for the evening. Yes, it’s that bad.
Another vignette airs about the Wyatt Family. I can’t wait to see how they’re booked, as they can make the show a whole lot interesting.
Chris Jericho vs Alberto Del Rio (With Ricardo)
Ziggler vs ADR has been made official for Money in the Bank PPV for the World Heavyweight championship. Jericho goes for the offence early on, but ADR fights back to gain the upper hand. Good back and forth action here, as ADR fights Jericho off and throws him around ringside as we go to commercial. Back from commercial and Jericho hits ADR with an enziguri. 8 minutes into the match and Jericho nearly gets counted out. Del Rio continues dominating the match as the crowd chants for Jericho. A great belly to back suplex with a bridge by Jericho for a near fall!
ADR comes back with a standing side – kick to the head for another 2 count. ADR slaps the cross arm breaker, but Jericho converts it into the walls of Jericho. Ricardo interferes and hits Jericho to cause the DQ after 15 minutes. That was a solid TV match, and post match, Ziggler runs down to make the save, as Jericho hits Ricardo with a codebreaker, while Ziggler puts ADR down with a Zig Zag! Jericho and Ziggler come face to face, and Ziggler drops Jericho with another Zig Zag. That was a great segment!
Winner: By DQ – Chris Jericho
Rating: ***
Backstage, Triple H confronts Vickie about her plans to cancel Bryan’s match. Triple H tells Vickie that the WWE Universe will pick the stipulation for the match, and she agrees that it’s a great idea! Didn’t they do that last week? Maybe I shouldn’t remember that.
Time to unveil the WWE 2K14 cover, and apparently, the fans will have the opportunity to design the back cover for the game! Lawler is in the ring along with Vickie and Brad. Vickie cuts Lawler off, as the crowd boos her. She announces the options for the Bryan vs Orton match. Lawler finally unveils the cover for the game with Rock on it! Hey, here’s an idea. How about putting an active performer? Or I might be asking too much.
Ryback vs The Great Khali (With Natalya and Hornswoggle)
Khali on the offensive early on, as Ryback tries to fight out. Huge clothesline by Khali, as he dominates the early part of the match. Ryback lifts Khali for the shell shocked and picks up the victory after 2 minutes. Ryback returns to RAW with a huge victory, literally.
Winner: Ryback
Rating: ½*
Cena comes out to a mixed reception and cuts a promo about being the WWE champion, and how so many performers tried to get their hands on the title. He says Henry cheated his family and the WWE Universe, and says he understands why Henry did what he did. He says Henry can’t win the WWE title, and at Money in the Bank PPV, Cena would knock Henry’s teeth down his throat. Cena ends the promo saying his time is now and ‘The champ is here!’ Is it just me or was it almost the same promo Cena cut last week? A pretty average segment by the champ.
Another vignette airs for the return of RVD in 3 weeks at Money in the Bank PPV! I’m excited for it.
Tons of Funk (With Funkadactyles) vs 3MB (With Slater) vs The Uso in a triple threat match to find the number 1 contenders for the WWE tag team championships
One of the Usos starts things off with McIntyre, and takes control of the match. Sweet T comes in and gets a near fall, and all the participants get in the ring, but 3MB are thrown out and Usos double team Sweet T with a Samoan drop and a huge splash to pick up the victory in 2 minutes.
Winner: The Usos
Rating: *
Post match, Shield’s music hits as they lock eyes with Usos.
Heyman comes out to explain Lesnar’s attack on Punk. Heyman calls Punk out and Punk obliges. Punk recalls his history with Heyman, about how Heyman had Punk’s back in ’05 when all the higher ups, including Vince McMahon told Heyman to fire Punk. Punk told Heyman to tell his ‘client’ Lesnar that he was coming for him. Punk asks Heyman to tell him the truth, and Heyman says he had nothing to do with Lesnar attacking Punk.
Another outstanding promo by both the individuals, as Punk believed Heyman, and ended the segment by hugging him. You wonder why these two are the very best on the mic? This segment will answer that. Heyman might end up manipulating Punk, and we have to wait to find out what happens next.
Darren Young (With Titus O’Neil) vs CM Punk
Punk dominates in the early going, but Young plays possum and takes advantage of the situation. Young goes for a great belly to back throw for a near fall. 5 minutes into the match and Punk comes down with a huge spring board clothesline and grabs his knee! Young comes back with a double knee to the gut, but Punk catches him with the anaconda vice at the 6 minute mark to pick up the victory.
Post match, Titus and Young attack Punk, but Axel comes down and evens the odds! Punk with a huge round house kick to send Titus and Young to the back! Punk argues with Heyman and Axel to end the segment. That just made this story all the more interesting!
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: **
Stephanie McMahon comes out and announces the participants for the MitB Ladder match for the WWE championship and they are CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Randy Orton, Christian, Kane and RVD!
Backstage, Vickie announced Jericho vs Ryback for the Money in the Bank PPV. How did Jericho go from feuding with Punk to Ziggler/ADR to Ryback in about one and a half weeks? WWE logic!
Next week, it is Prime Time Players vs Curtis Axel and CM Punk! The focus of this show has been on Punk and Heyman for an hour, which honestly made the episode much more interesting.
Out comes Mark Henry and starts cutting a promo about how he fooled everyone of us. Henry says he deserved an Academy award for his acting, and says people are mad at him for using his family and friends. Henry says he won’t apologize to anyone. He says at Money in the Bank PPV, a lying, cheating, no – good Mark Henry will show up. Henry says he’s coming home as the new WWE Champion. A good intense segment by Henry. Cena needs to take some lessons on how to sound sincere while cutting a promo instead of saying the same thing again and again.
Another vignette aired for the debut of the Wyatt Family. As always, WWE did a fantastic job with the vignette.
Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton in a Street Fight
A fast paced action takes place once again as Bryan gets the upper hand, but Orton comes back with a thumb to the eye. Bryan tried to go for a Suicide dive but Orton nails him with a steel chair! Orton tries to put Bryan through a table, but Bryan comes back with his offence. Bryan powerbombs Orton through the table on the floor. Bryan goes for a kendo stick and connects with kicks and kendo shots, but Orton throws Bryan with a fall away slam through the table! Bryan goes for the yes lock, but Orton escapes and hits the double rope DDT. Orton goes for an RKO, but Bryan counters into a yes lock, and Orton taps out after 15 minutes! What a great TV match! Post match, Orton shakes Bryan’s hand, as RAW fades with Bryan celebrating in the ring.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: *** ½
RAW Rating: *** ¼
Another solid show, and this week’s RAW was mostly about Punk and Heyman as it should be. Although certain things could have been done better, all in all, it was yet another entertaining show with two solid TV matches. Is it a surprise that the main event delivered? Bryan picked up a hard fought victory, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. That’s it from us for now, and join us next week for yet another live review of Monday Night RAW.
