My WWE Raw, 30th July 2012 Recap

WWE Champion CM Punk kicked off the show by confronting Jerry Lawler regarding his statement as last weeks 1000th Raw went off the air after Punk had just GTS'd The Rock, when he said that the WWE Champion had turned his back on the WWE Universe. Punk explained that The Rock had earlier in that show shown him as champion a lack of respect by first ignoring him to mock Daniel Bryan, then by acting as if he's going to just take the WWE title from whoever's holding it at the Royal Rumble and then trying to steal the show by attacking Big Show later on. It was a good promo, and all true really.

Big Show then came out and tried to claim that the ending of last weeks show was focused mainly on him, it never is Show. He also took credit for CM Punk still holding the WWE title after interfering in his title match with Cena. Speak of the devil, John Cena then came out and started attacking Big Show with his trademark awful and fake looking offense. The new Raw General Manager AJ then joined them all and announced Cena versus Show in a WWE Championship number one contenders match.

Alberto Del Rio defeated Santino Marella in an average to fair match up. Marella was surprisingly given more offense against Del Rio than I was expecting. Afterwards Del Rio told the fans that he will not compete unless it is a World title match.

Vickie Guerrero interrupted Brodus Clay's entrance to perform a purposely awful dance routine. Fortunately the charismatic Damien Sandow halted it and after playing the VT of his attack from DX last week began pommeling Clay. It's a good sign for Sandow seeing him regularly on Raw, hopefully it keeps up.

Daniel Bryan stormed into AJ's office and confronted her about leaving him at the altar last week. She retorted by claiming that she saw men from a mental institute last week and realised that Bryan wanted to marry her so she could be legally committed. She also informed him that he'll be facing Sheamus later on.

Sheamus beat Daniel Bryan in a Street Fight. It was an enjoyable bout, with solid enough action and not an overkill use of weapons but enough to give it a different feel from the rest of the shows card. After the bell had rung Bryan refused to leave the ring until he saw a doctor so Kofi Kingston and R-Truth came out and asked him to leave. Bryan responded by pretending to kick the imaginary Little Jimmy and calling out his group of mental health workers to take Truth away. But instead AJ told them to take away Bryan instead. It was a bit of a bizarre segment and I'm not sure what it achieved exactly. The loss would've been enough to add to Bryan's recent woes.

Titus O'Neil defeated Kofi Kingston in an average and quite forgettable contest. Once again O'Neil and Young's manager Abraham Washington was one of the more entertaining things about the match with his ringside pep talk. 

Heath Slater, after being embarrassed by past WWE wrestlers for weeks, decided to instead challenge any current member of the roster. So the returning Randy Orton answered his call and beat Slater in a rather quick match. I wonder who he'll face at SummerSlam?

Chris Jericho and Christian defeated The Miz and Dolph Ziggler in an largely entertaining tag bout. All four men put in good efforts and provided the best match of the night. I'm very much looking forward to the forthcoming Jericho vs Ziggler match up, should be great.

Tyson Kidd won via disqualification versus Lord Tensai in a squash match for the most part. Tensai took out Kidd for the majority of the contest, eventually pinning him. But as he continued the assault after the bell had rung the referee decided to reverse the decision and award Tyson the win. This infuriated Tensai, who decided to take out his anger on his assistant? Protege? Who is that guy that follows him around again? 

After a series of short segments with Daniel Bryan being evaluated by a doctor, with a few amusing parts here and there, the doctor deemed Bryan mentally healthy. But things once again went against Bryan as Kane then attacked him.

John Cena versus Big Show ended in a double DQ. The bout had been quite fair up until then which was far better then what I was expecting from the match, with the crowd largely behind Cena throughout. Although my personal favourite part came when CM Punk (who'd been on guest commentary) rightfully called Jerry Lawler "rubbish" at commentary, which is so, so true. Towards the end Big Show avoided an attack from Cena on the outside which led to him flying into CM Punk at the commentary desk. This caused Punk to take out both men in the ring and bring on the disqualification. 

Punk then grabbed a mic and called both wrestlers "losers" before leaving. AJ also predictably announced that at SummerSlam it will be a Triple Threat between Big Show, Cena and CM Punk for the WWE Championship, which angered the WWE Champion.

My WWE SmackDown, 27th July 2012 Recap

The new Intercontinental Champion The Miz started off the show by thanking the fans who voted for Christian to defend his title on the 1000th Raw against him. 'Captain Charisma' himself then came out and informed the champ that he's invoking his rematch clause right there and then. 

The Miz (c) defeated Christian to retain the Intercontinental Championship. It was a great start to the show and a solid title match, one that was far superior to their encounter on this weeks Raw. Both men went back and fourth, exchanging counter after counter. For me this is one of the finest single bouts I've ever seen Miz compete in. Giving him the IC title is a smart move I reckon.

Ryback won via count out versus Jinder Mahal in a fair bout. Mahal was allowed to perhaps have the most offense I've seen anyone have against Ryback in a televised match, but decided he'd had enough as he left to take the count out. At least Ryback's getting more interesting matches and competition. 

Sheamus beat Cody Rhodes in an enjoyable contest from start to finish. I know I've already said it before but this year the quality of Sheamus' matches have been so consistent, I think he's made a very good World Champion. Afterwards Dolph Ziggler (who'd been at ringside for the match) teased cashing in his Money in the Bank contract, but decided to wait. He was then thrust back into the ring by Chris Jericho to be Brogue Kicked and Codebreakered by both men. I'm enjoying this face turn of Y2J and feud between him and Ziggler. I think he needed to change something up a bit.

Antonio Cesaro defeated Santino Marella in an okay match up. Cesaro was on his usual good form. Hopefully this'll also mean a future US Title run and moving up from Superstars and NXT for Cesaro.

Alberto Del Rio beat Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio and Kane in a Fatal Four Way to become number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. It was a great main event, with action that rarely ever let due to the tremendous lay out. Each man was given a period to shine (as they should) and a close near fall or teased a submission victory. Eventually Del Rio won when he pinned Bryan after Mysterio had applied a 619 to him. 

Overall it was a very successful SmackDown I thought, with the best in ring action in any American wrestling show this week. Certainly out shined the 1000th Raw wrestling wise.

My Impact Wrestling, 26th July 2012 Recap

Sting started the show off by announcing that he was the substitute General Manager while Hogan was out injured and his first order of business was calling out Aces & Eights, the group that had attacked both himself and injured Hogan. But instead World Champion Austin Aries and Kurt Angle joined him to also exact revenge after beatings from Aces & Eights. Bobby Roode also came out and accused James Storm of being the man behind the new group. 'The Cowboy' didn't take too kindly to the accusation and began brawling with Roode in and outside the ring until they were separated.  

Madison Rayne and Gail Kim defeated Mickie James and Tara in an average tag bout. The action from James and Kim was solid enough, it's just the set up of the match felt a bit messy to me. Rayne grabbed the win as both her and James had each others shoulders down on the mat but Earl Hebner (who Rayne had snogged previously) made the call to go with Madison. Wonder why?

Douglas Williams beat Gut Check Contender Sam Shaw in an enjoyable enough match. Shaw seemed to get the fans behind him fairly quickly and looked quite decent, if a bit unpolished, in the ring. Unfortunately for Sam he was caught off guard during the match after former Gut Check Contender Joey Ryan once again came through the crowd and punched Al Snow before legging it. I'm quite liking the run ins from Ryan, not particularly original but fun.

Chavo Guerrero made his TNA debut to a warm reception and explained that he had joined the company to beat the "best" and have a Guerrero become a TNA champion for the first time. Kid Kash and Gunner then came out and mocked the Guerrero family, asking where they all were now. Chavo eventually had enough and began brawling with them both, with Hernandez also racing out to help out him.  

AJ Styles versus James Storm ended in a disqualification. It was an intense contest, with both experienced wrestlers putting in very solid efforts. The DQ came after Aces & Eights ran in and attacked Styles, the referee and security but ominously left out Storm. 

Sam Shaw was voted two to one in favour of obtaining a TNA contract by the Gut Check Judges (Bruce Pritchard, Taz and Al Snow). I didn't think he would myself. 

Zema Ion (c) beat Kenny King to retain the X Division title in an entertaining and fast paced bout. Both guys looked competent and charismatic in the ring as they exchanged moves. Roode aided Ion in his win after attacking King from behind (due to Aries being the one who chose King to get the title match under Sting's authority) as the ref was distracted, allowing Ion to easily finish him off and gain the one-two-three. 

Kurt Angle defeated Bully Ray in a Bound For Glory Series match up. It was a terrific main event as both great workers put on displays they can be very proud of. With plenty of nice near falls and counters it certainly kept you engaged. After the bell rang Aces & Eights once again began to take out everyone (bar Bully Ray who managed to sneak away) but this time Sting, Aries, Storm and Angle managed to mount a comeback and scare them away. Aries began to briefly question Storm before the show finished. 

Overall the show was entertaining enough with the in ring action, not outstanding but I can't complain about many of the matches being mediocre. Thankfully we also didn't have to endure any more of the awful AJ Styles and Clair Lynch storyline, smart move on the writers part. 

My WWE 1000th Raw, 23rd June 2012 Recap

Vince McMahon kicked of the monumental 1000th episode of Raw by thanking the fans and then introducing D-Generation X. As Triple H and Shawn Michaels performed their signature DX entrance, complete with new memorabilia which Triple H amusingly joked about wearing to sell more of, 'The Game' then asked "Didn't there used to be more of us?" Which cued the entrance of past DX members Road Dogg, Billy Gunn and X-Pac. It was a nice moment seeing them all reunite in the ring and you could see all the genuine fun they were having together. 

But Damien Sandow then surprisingly interrupted them, so HBK decided to hear him out on how they could improve since they were all a bit "scuzzy". After some DX huddling, they then super kicked and Pedigreed the 'Intellectual Saviour'. While this didn't look great for Sandow, his inclusion in this segment would've really boosted his profile. It was an enjoyable start to the show, and the right one to get the crowd energised. Plus seeing them all together again (bar Chyna) was a feel good moment. 

Sheamus, Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara defeated Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio in a fair tag team match. A match with this talent involved deserved more time for me, it probably would've been better suited to a regular Raw or SmackDown, but it made a nice change of pace from any nostalgia acts that were sure to come. Jericho was pinned by Sheamus after his own partner Ziggler punched him on the apron, further building on their feud which could be a very entertaining one. 

Brodus Clay came out and introduced one of Mick Foley's old alternate personas Dude Love before quickly beating Jack Swagger in a squash match (he was a World Champion once, right?). After the bout Dude Love and Clay danced together in the ring, it was a lamer segment of the night.

As AJ and Daniel Bryan prepared to be wed, with the old and very funny (to the point where AJ couldn't help herself but laugh) wrestling manager Slick performing the ceremony, AJ halted the proceedings and revealed that she had received another proposal from someone else earlier that day. Vince McMahon then joined them and revealed that the proposal was for her to take the position of GM of Raw, which she accepted before leaving Bryan at the altar. AJ as GM is either a genius move on WWE's part or one that just won't work out, I can't see there being a middle ground.

A furious Daniel Bryan the proceeded to tear down the wedding set, until WWE Champion CM Punk came out and rubbed in the fact that he'd just been dumped. Bryan retorted by calling himself the "greatest superstar of all-time" just before The Rock's music hit and 'The Great One' came out to a superb reception.

The Rock told Bryan that it isn't up to him to determine the greatest of all-time, but the fans. He also informed CM Punk that whoever is WWE Champion at the Royal Rumble next year he will be facing for the title. Punk said that he hoped a match between them was even sooner so he could beat Rocky. Bryan then chimed back in and told The Rock that he will somehow become WWE Champ so he could face him and become the face of the company. 'The People's Champ' decided to the give bryan his wedding gift in the form of a Rock Bottom before leaving. It was an enjoyable segment, although I was maybe expecting more from the first CM Punk and Rock face to face encounter. I'm hoping they'll face each other at the Royal Rumble, the lead up would be brilliant.

Bret Hart came out to the ring and introduced Christian and The Miz for their Intercontinental title match.

The Miz defeated Christian (c) to win the Intercontinental Championship in an average to decent title bout. It wasn't a bad match, just a bit disappointing for a Christian involved one. 

A more serious Triple H came out and asked Brock Lesnar to answer his challenge of a match at SummerSlam. Instead Lesnar's representative Paul Heyman joined 'The Game' once again and informed him that Lesnar's answer was no. Triple H began to then call Lesnar a coward and a fake. Heyman ridiculed him for name calling and questioned his parenting skills which touched a nerve with 'The Game' and his wife Stephanie McMahon who joined them both. She claimed that Heyman's kids will grow up being ashamed of him, calling him a business failure and "a professional parasite" and slapped him. 

That was enough for Heyman, who accepted the SummerSlam match on Lesnar's behalf. Brock Lesnar himself then came out and began brawling with Triple H until 'The Game' threw him out of the ring. It was a solid segment, it's always great seeing Heyman on the mic and seeing Stephanie back was a bonus too.

Heath Slater set an open challenge to any legend in attendance to a No Disqualification match, so out stepped the high flyer Lita to accept, who revealed that she'd hired the APA for protection. As Slater tried to backpedal he was forced back to the ring by all the former legends he'd encountered over the last few weeks and had a Twist of Fate and Moonsault applied by Lita for the win. 

Before Kane's match Jinder Mahal (joined by Drew McIntyre, Hunico, Camacho, Curt Hawkings and Tyler Reks) complained that they had been underutilised and surrounded the ring. Then those famous bells sounded and The Undertaker made his return to join forces with his brother to take out the group of wrestlers. The Brothers of Destruction eventually finished them off by applying a Choke Slam and Tombstone Piledriver to Hunico and Curt Hawkings. Taker's return was obviously met with a very enthusiastic response form the fans.

John Cena beat CM Punk (c) via disqualification, with CM Punk therefore retaining the WWE Championship. The bout had been fairly average really, with both men trading moves for a while until the referee was inadvertently knocked out. This cued Big Show to come out and punch Cena with a knockout blow. A conflicted Punk helped the referee back into the ring and attempt a cover on Cena, with him kicking out. Show once again interfered by attacking Cena, this time causing the DQ finish. Punk watched on as Show continued the assault on Cena, simply leaving the ring as The Rock raced out to Cena's aid. As Rock set up Big Show for a People's Elbow the WWE Champion ran back in and struck 'The Great One', then applied a GTS. Punk looked on blankly as he then picked up his title and left.

Although the ending wasn't as striking as The Nexus attack a couple of years ago or CM Punk's promo from last June as promised from various sources, it was certainly a very interesting one. My prediction is that Punk has finally had enough of playing second best on PPV's and shows to Cena, The Rock and the like. He feels he deserves better treatment as WWE Champion and with his talents, which is actually true. Hopefully we'll get a more mixed Punk like we had leading up to last years Money in the Bank event and not a flat out face Punk. Nevertheless we should all look forward to an intriguing promo from CM Punk next week I reckon.

My WWE SmackDown, 20th July 2012 Recap

Rey Mysterio came out and spoke about how good it felt to be back after his year long absence due to injury but was soon interrupted by Alberto Del Rio, the man he attacked on Monday's Raw. Del Rio warned Mysterio that he made a mistake going after him and ordered him to leave the ring. Mysterio naturally refused. Dolph Ziggler also joined them both and claimed that Del Rio had ruined his chance of cashing in on the World Heavyweight title at Money in the Bank with his won contract.

After Ziggler and Del Rio exchanged some more words, they then turned on Mysterio only to have World Champion Sheamus come out to predictably even the odds and help chase off the two heels. Not a bad starting segment for the show, it makes a nice and much needed change for the blue brand to have Mysterio back.

Darren Young, Titus O'Neil, Hunico and Camacho defeated Primo, Epico, R-Truth and Kofi Kingston in an fair tag match. The display of the underrated Primo especially stood out for me. Afterwards Big Show came out and took out all men involved in the bout (bar O'Neil and Young).

Damien Sandow beat Zack Ryder in a fair contest that was maybe a bit too brief to show off what they could really do together in the ring.

Daniel Bryan and AJ joined Christian as his guests on the Peep Show and first presented a amusingly sickly VT of their wedding shopping for next weeks 1000th Raw. After the happy couple confirmed to Christian that they were doing the right thing, he asked the audience in San Diego who seemed to disagree. After an aggravated AJ slapped Christian, 'Captain Charisma' informed Bryan that he would next be facing an ex of his fiancee, Kane. My bets on Bryan dumping AJ as they're about to be wed next week.

Kane won via disqualification versus Daniel Bryan in an enjoyable bout. As usual with these two they performed well together, putting in worthy efforts. The DQ came when AJ leaped on Kane in defense of her partner. As Kane turned her around there was a brief moment where they looked as though they were about to kiss, but AJ left with Bryan.

Heath Slater lost to Legion of Doom's Animal in one his usual novelty squash matches in the lead up to the 1000th Raw.

Sheamus and Rey Mysterio won via DQ versus Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler in a good main event tag bout. Mysterio looked in great form as he tangled with Ziggler and Del Rio, I wouldn't have guessed he'd just returned from injury. To be fair all four wrestlers looked decent. The disqualification came after Ricardo Rodriguez grabbed Sheamus' leg as he prepared for the Brogue Kick. As the World Champion lay on the ground after a swift kick from Del Rio, Ziggler once again teased a possible Money in the Bank cash in until Mysterio helped take him out. 

So who else is ready for the 1000th Raw? Should be a good'n.

My Impact Wrestling, 19th July 2012 Recap

After their attacks last week we were told that Sting and Hulk Hogan would not be appearing on the show this week, so a good start. 

James Storm then came out and challenged Kurt Angle as part of the Open Fight Night episode of Impact, where when challenged a wrestler must accept the match. After Angle's music played a few times, we were shown him being attacked by the same group of masked assailants (who we learned were called the 'Aces & Eights') from last week. Of course even though they caught them on camera live no group of wrestlers from the back bothered to stop them or call the police. Really? 

Samoa Joe sent out a challenge to 'The Pope' D'Angelo Dinero as part of the Bound For Glory Series. 

Samoa Joe defeated D'Angelo Dinero in an average bout, with nothing particularly special about it. In usual ridiculous TNA fashion, we were told by Don West to stop watching the match taking place right there and then and check Dixie Carter's Twitter profile to see who the companies new signing was. Do they have no common sense there? 

Jeff Hardy was about to issue an Open Fight Night challenge but was then interrupted by Robbie E who instead challenged Hardy.

Robbie E won via count out versus Jeff Hardy in a mediocre and forgettable match up where Robbie's bodyguard Robbie T distracted Hardy long enough for him to be counted out.

As Gut Check contestant Sam Shaw was about to talk on the mic he fell victim to another attack from the Aces & Eights. The TNA writers seem to be following the same lines as the WWE NXT Invasion storyline from Summer 2010 with this group. 

Mr. Anderson beat AJ Styles after challenging him to a BFG Series match. it was a pretty fair contest, nothing major. Unfortunately a few slip ups hindered it a bit.

Afterwards Claire Lynch (you know, the character portrayed by the awful actress who's claiming AJ is the father of her unborn baby?) decided to talk to Styles in public since he wasn't returning her calls and revealed a series of photographs of them in bed as supposed proof. I can't believe this joke of a storyline is still carrying on. Actually, considering it's TNA I probably can. Someone of AJ's talents deserves far better than to be dragged into this. It's not doing him any favours.

Christopher Daniels defeated Rob Van Dam after he challenged him to a BFG Series bout. It was quite average unfortunately, which is disappointing considering the talent. But as usual with most of RVD's matches in TNA you can't help but get the impression that he's just there for his paycheck and phoning it in a bit. 

Bully Ray beat Magnus in an enjoyable BFG Series match up. Magnus has really come a long way over the last couple of years for me in the ring, here's hoping he keeps on improving.

Bobby Roode versus Austin Aries ended in a disqualification after Aces & Eights attacked both men during it. Up until then the match had been a solid one, with both men putting in a good effort. It wasn't as good as their title match at Destination X, but that wasn't expected.

My WWE Raw, 16th July 2012 Recap

WWE Champion CM Punk started off the show by reminding the fans in Las Vegas that it was in that very city last year on June 27th on Raw that he gave that momentous promo where he simply spoke his mind that changed his career. He also reminded us that it has now been eighth months since he became WWE Champion, which is really quite incredible considering how long title reigns tend to last in pro wrestling nowadays. It certainly makes a refreshing change to have a World title holder with a significantly long and meaningful reign. 

Big Show then interrupted Punk and warned him that if he'd won the Money in the Bank contract the following night he would've cashed it in already and won the title. But Punk told Show that he'll always come close but loose out like he always does. Show retorted by cautioning the WWE Champion that Cena could very well cash in his MITB contract after their match later on, which pretty much confirmed that Cena would not be cashing in that night. It was quite an average segment to start the show.

Kofi Kingston and R-Truth (c) defeated Titus O'Neil and Darren Young to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. The bout ranged from fair to quite drab, with a result that wasn't exactly shocking considering O'Neil and Young weren't even allowed to beat Primo and Epico at Money in the Bank.

Alberto Del Rio beat Zack Ryder in a short squash match. As Del Rio continued the attack on Ryder after the bell had rung Rey Mysterio made his return and applied the 619 to his rival. It's good to see the consistent performer Mysterio back.

Heath Slater once again challenged, and lost to, a famous face from Raw's past. This week it was Rikishi. Afterwards Rikishi danced similar to his Too Cool days with his two sons Jimmy and Jay Uso. The crowd seemed to appreciate the nostalgia act.

AJ and Daniel Bryan defeated Eve and The Miz in a decent enough mixed tag contest. AJ's time with Eve was fortunately kept rather brief in the ring, I'm enjoying her character but she still has some work to do in between the ropes. Daniel Bryan told AJ after that he loved her and then proposed. She answered "Yes".

Before Ryback versus Jack Swagger could even begin Swagger started the attack on his opponent, until Ryback made a comeback and powerbombed Swagger three times in a row. Ryback received more positive reaction here from the fans than I've ever heard, with them even chanting along to his "Feed me more!". Good sign for him. 

MITB winner Dolph Ziggler came out and stated that he will be the next and greatest World Heavyweight Champion of all-time. Chris Jericho then joined him, so Ziggler asked Jericho when the last time was that he actually won anything and called him a loser. Ziggler went on to call Y2J "all hype," claiming that he'd been coasting along for so long now that he had everybody fooled. It was brilliant mic work from the MITB winner. Jericho retaliated by applying a Codebreaker to 'The Show Off'. It was a great segment, with great work from Ziggler and Jericho receiving a better reaction then he has since his return last year. I'm definitely all for a rivalry between these two.

Brodus Clay beat JTG in a pretty nothing contest. Where can they go with Clay now? I'm just growing tired of the persona to be honest, I'd love to see a heel turn out of him in the near future.

CM Punk won via disqualification versus Big Show in a decent main event. The first third of the bout was a bit slow and did drag a little as Show had most of the offense. But when Punk started to make a comeback the match gained a bit of life back and the fans started to get into it. After refusing to halt an attack on the WWE Champion in the corner and pushing the referee aside, Big Show was DQ'd. John Cena's music then hit and Show backed off as it looked as though Cena might cash in his MITB contract, but it was just too obvious to happen.

Show tried to convince Cena to cash in now while Punk was down, but Cena instead announced that he would cash in the MITB next week on the 1000th Raw. Should be a decent title match, and a great show.

My WWE Money in the Bank 2012 Recap

Dolph Ziggler won the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank match, beating Christian, Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, Lord Tensai, Tyson Kidd, Santino Marella and Sin Cara. It was an exciting and fast paced contest for the most part, with an unfortunate amount of sloppy moments that spoilt it a little bit from the likes of Tensai and Sin Cara. Otherwise it was a good opener, with solid efforts from most of the men involved. Hopefully this also won't be the last we'll see of Sandow and Kidd on PPV, they both did well considering it was their first match of this kind.

The result also pleased the fans in attendance, at last Ziggler won what he'd worked so hard this year to achieve. I have to also give the victor credit for taking possibly the most insane bumps during the match, he really didn't hold back.

The Miz came out to a positive reception, sporting a new hairstyle and stylish suit. He announced that he would be the fifth man in the WWE Championship Money in the Bank match later on. As I said before I was really hoping the likes of the Miz or Mysterio would be added to the match, it just needed someone else to freshen it up a bit in my opinion. His announcement went down well and the crowd, and I was just relieved to see him back. Hopefully this is the start of a deserved revival of his career.   

Sheamus (c) defeated Alberto Del Rio to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. It was a solid bout, with both wrestlers putting on a good display as they went back and fourth throughout. As usual Del Rio logically targeted the arm of 'The Great White' in an effort to weaken him down and force him to tap with his signature arm breaker (although strangely we didn't see him actually apply the submission), which is something I always appreciate in his match ups. I thought this would be a decent contest with these two and I'm glad it lived up to it.

Afterwards Ziggler came down and was about to cash in his MITB contract until Sheamus Brogue Kicked him before the bell even rang. Nice little tease there.

Primo and Epico defeated Titus O'Neil and Darren Young. It was a fair tag team match up, mainly thanks to the work of the talented Primo and Epico which helped keep it interesting. The bout quickly lost the crowds interest, but managed to get it back a bit when Abraham Washington amusingly began taunting Rosa Mendes at ringside. It's not a good sign when the manager is getting more of a reaction than the action inside the ring, not to take away from AW's good work lately.

CM Punk (c) defeated Daniel Bryan to retain the WWE Championship. And what a terrific title match this was. From start to finish both proud wrestlers put on superb performances as they went toe to toe in this physical encounter. From kendo stick shots to chair attacks these two really didn't let up here and provided a dramatic and engrossing bout, not to take anything away from special guest referee AJ either.

She did a good job as the unpredictable Diva forced the two to scramble over weapons and smiled in the face of both wrestlers as they went through plenty of pain. The finish was nice too, as Punk backdropped Bryan through a table he'd set up for the one-two-three. I honestly can't think of any major criticisms for this contest, they told a great story in the ring and kept you glued throughout. Great work.

Ryback defeated Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkings in an average Handicap match. At least Ryback was made to look a bit more vulnerable and human here. 

Layla, Kaitlyn and Tamina defeated Beth Phoenix, Natalya and Eve in a passable Divas tag bout. For the most part it was fair, although there were the periods of mediocrity as expected with Divas matches. 

John Cena won the WWE Championship Money in the Bank match, beating Chris Jericho, Kane, Big Show and The Miz. It was a largely stellar bout, exceeding the World Heavyweight MITB match from earlier. The contest was well timed and the sequences well executed, it just came across as a lot more professional than the other MITB. Jericho for me was the stand out performer, providing the most entertaining moments, including a moment with him swinging on the actual briefcase itself in mid air. Another highlight came when Cena applied an impressive Attitude Adjustment on Show through an announce table, which cued the other competitors to then pile on a load of ladders onto the fallen giant.

Although I'm disappointed with the victor (Cena really didn't need this win at all, Miz could've used it a lot more) I'm even more disappointed that Cena was the main event ahead of a WWE Championship match once again. It's a joke. The CM Punk and Daniel Bryan bout had a good build up and was the most important match heading into the event, so why was it undeservedly pushed back? I honestly don't get it.

Overall I enjoyed the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Most of the bouts were solid (bar the Ryback and Divas ones, although they weren't terrible) and the results, except the main event, made sense. Ziggler's win was the highlight of the night for me. He's really been a standout performer this year and has worked damn hard for this chance to become World Champion. 

My WWE SmackDown, 13th July 2012 Recap

Zack Ryder, the guest General Manager of SmackDown for the week, came out and boldly claimed that it would be the greatest broadcast of the show ever. He was soon interrupted by Alberto Del Rio, who called Ryder running the show a joke. So in retaliation Ryder announced that Del Rio would be facing the man he attacked on Raw a couple of weeks ago, Sin Cara, right there and then.  

Alberto Del Rio defeated Sin Cara via submission in a decent enough opener. Both men put on a fair performance, although there were a few hiccups here and there as expected with a match involving Sin Cara. When Sin Cara is pitted against wrestlers of a certain style (Del Rio, Tyson Kidd, etc) he can put on a good bout, he's just not very compatible with most of the roster and that's a big issue.

Primo defeated Darren Young in a passable match up. Primo looked solid as usual, Young to me still looks like he could be on NXT still, although putting him in a team with Titus O'Neil was certainly a smart move for them both. Their manager Abraham Washington was also barking orders to Young on a headset during the bout, which added a nice Jimmy Hart-esque touch I thought.

Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes defeated Santino Marella and Christian in an enjoyable tag team contest. All four men (yes, even Santino) were entertaining in the ring and put in decent efforts. The World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank ladder match could be the most exciting match on the card on Sunday, although considering CM Punk and Daniel Bryan's bouts in the past it's hard to look past them for match of the night. 

Big Show beat The Great Khali in a drab and missable match that was fortunately kept short.

Ryback defeated Tyler Reks in an average but brief bout. At least Ryback's competing in more competitive match ups, he really needed to.

Damien Sandow beat Justin Gabriel in a good showing from the 'Intellectual Saviour'. Sandow has fast become one the highlights of the week for me as far as wrestling is concerned, with his charisma and ability in the ring. It's hopefully a good sign for his future that he's appearing on pay-per-view at Money in the Bank this week.

Sheamus defeated Chris Jericho in a solid main event. Both men were on great form as they went back and fourth, with Jericho edging the offense towards the end only to be caught out with a Brogue Kick by 'The Great White' for the one-two-three. Afterwards Del Rio kicked Sheamus in the head and locked on his signature arm breaker on the stage as a warning for their MITB contest. 

My Impact Wrestling, 12th July 2012 Recap

Bully Ray defeated Joseph Parks in an average No Disqualification match, which included thumbtacks, garbage cans, steel chairs and such. It's always going to be hard to put on a decent bout when Joseph Parks (a Lawyer in the storyline who's only ever had one fight in his life) is understandably meant to be purposely bad in the ring. But the match wasn't awful for what it was, just nothing special. Afterwards Parks looked down at his bloody hands and then Black Hole Slammed Bully, much to his own shock. 

Rob Van Dam defeated Samoa Joe in a Bound For Glory Series bout. It was a pretty fair match up, mainly thanks to the efforts of Joe (RVD wasn't terrible by any means, just wasn't exactly on his best form).

Kazarian, accompanied by Christopher Daniels, congratulated AJ Styles on a hard fought victory at Destination X in his superb Last Man Standing match with Daniels. But he also warned him that the situation with Claire Lynch wasn't over, and they brought out Claire herself. As Daniels questioned Claire they were soon interrupted by AJ Styles, who told Claire that she didn't have to explain anything to them. But claire did, as she revealed that AJ was the father of her unborn baby. This whole storyline is about as bad as Claire Lynche's acting skills, I really cannot be asked with it anymore. The sooner it ends the better.

Zema Ion defeated Dakota Darsow in a decent contest. Afterwards the new X Division Champion Ion locked in a submission hold on Darsow's arm, and reminded Jesse Sorensen of how dangerous he was. Hopefully there'll be a few wrestlers who appeared at Destination X signed to TNA contracts.  

The new TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries said what a great week he'd had and what a great moment it was him winning the World title not just for himself or the company, but for the professional wrestling business. He also went on to talk about all the congratulations he received and how TNA is the top wrestling company going today, before former champ Bobby Roode came out. The distraught Roode could barely talk, but managed to call Aries' win a "fluke." AA simply smiled, held up his title belt and said "New. World. Champ."

Brooke Tessmacher (c) defeated Gail Kim to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship. It was a passable title bout, with Kim on her usual solid form. Unfortunately, while she's showed signs of improvement Tessmacher still doesn't look totally convincing to me in between the ropes just yet, definitely not enough to be Knockouts Champion anyway.   

Kurt Angle defeated Mr. Anderson in a BFG Series contest. It was an enjoyable enough match for the most part, although nothing on Angle's intense bout with Samoa Joe last Sunday.   Anderson looked his usual standard self in the ring, nothing spectacular but worked fairly hard.

Backstage Roode demanded that Hulk Hogan give him his rematch against Aries as soon as possible. So Hogan convinced him to call out AA in a match for next weeks Open Fight Night Impact in a non-title bout to prove he's the better man before his World title rematch at Hardcore Justice.

Sting came to the ring and called out Hogan to join him, but Hogan never showed. It was then revealed that Hogan had been taken out in his office by the same men that had attacked Sting last month. As 'The Stinger' went to check on Hogan he was also taken out by the masked attackers. Just who are they, eh? And just how can we thank them for taking out the older, past it wrestlers? Thank you heroes!

My WWE Raw, 9th July 2012 Recap

AJ stated things off by admitting that the thought of being the special guest referee at this Sunday's WWE Championship match at Money in the Bank was "overwhelming" and then welcomed out WWE Champion CM Punk. AJ claimed to Punk that she was mentally stable despite his accusations last week, and also went on to admit that the champ turns her on. She then got down on one knee and proposed to Punk, which provoked quite a reaction from the fans.

This cued Daniel Bryan to come racing down to the ring and warning AJ that this was a huge mistake as CM Punk doesn't care about her, but he still did, and got down on one knee and also proposed. Punk called Bryan's bluff and exposed him for a fraud and a liar in regards to really caring about AJ. Then came a familiar tone, the one of the Anonymous Raw General Manager making their return via laptop to Michael Cole once again after a pleasant absence. The GM booked a mixed tag match pitting Bryan and Eve versus AJ and CM Punk, much to Bryan's dismay. AJ simply said before leaving that she predicts that she will be leaving the arena that night with her future husband. It was a fairly decent segment to start the show once AJ's proposal came out.

Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger in a brief squash match. Alberto Del Rio then congratulated 'The Great White' via the big screen and also warned him that he will defeat him on Sunday for the World Heavyweight Championship. I still see Sheamus grabbing the win at MITB.

Lord Tensai and Dolph Ziggler defeated Tyson Kidd and Christian in a fair tag match. It was solid enough but deserved to have been allocated some more time for me considering the talent involved. Afterwards Vickie Guerrero looked impressed at the actions of Tensai as he further attacked Tyson Kidd after the bell had rung. Possible new client for her in the future?

Cole refused to read an announcement from the Anonymous GM after he'd accidentally spilt a drink on Jerry Lawler. So Lawler stepped up and revealed that the GM had booked himself versus Cole in a WrestleMania rematch. After a dispute from Cole, the GM announced that there'd be a poll online to determine if the match would happen or not. Like it wasn't bad enough we had to endure this awful in ring feud years ago for far too long, we have to witness it again and take time away from the real talent? 

Brodus Clay defeated Drew McIntyre in a worthless squash match.

John Cena came to the ring and actually did a good job in promoting the Money in the Bank pay-per-view by drumming in how important the "must see event" was with two MITB contracts up for grabs that have always rewarded the holder with a World title. He didn't tell any childish jokes or kiss up to the fans, he just gave a decent promo like we all know he's capable of.

John Cena and Kane versus Big Show and Chris Jericho ended in a no contest. The bout itself was average for the most part, with the periods between Jericho and Kane salvaging it a bit, but Big Show and Cena's interactions just being quite poor. The bell was oddly rung after Show had pulled Cena out of the ring as he went to pin Jericho. Big Show then attacked Jericho and Kane with a ladder, but Cena managed to make a comeback and charge Show out of the ring with a ladder of his own. I'm hoping there will be more participants added to the WWE Championship MITB on Sunday such as the rumoured Rey Mysterio and Miz, I think the bout is going to need it.

Sin Cara defeated Heath Slater to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship MITB match. It was a passable contest, if not very memorable. Afterwards Slater complained about how unfair it was that he wasn't in the MITB match and challenged any former champion from the back. So Bob Backlund joined Slater and managed to lock in his signature Cross-Face Chicken Wing and force him to tap.

Jerry Lawler defeated Michael Cole in a predictable waste of time after the fans (for some reason) voted in favour of the contest happening on WWE.com. The only positive is that we at least didn't have Lawler on commentary for a while. The Anonymous GM then revealed that he was reversing the decision after Booker T had thrown Cole back into the ring during the bout.

Santino Marella, who'd been investigating the mystery of who the Anonymous Raw GM was all night, then joined them and concluded that they must be hiding under the ring. And sure enough Hornswaggle emerged from the ring and was revealed to have his own laptop with the 'Raw GM' sticker on. He then attacked Lawler, Santino and Cole before running off. The whole segment felt like a waste of time.  

AJ and CM Punk defeated Eve and Daniel Bryan in a mediocre main event. Unfortunately while the interest in AJ has risen, her in ring skills are still catching up. AJ grabbed the win with a roll up pin after Daniel Bryan refused to tag with Eve to prove how much he cared for AJ. Afterwards Bryan asked AJ to leave with him and get married that night, while CM Punk admitted to AJ that he wasn't going to marry her. In response AJ slapped both men and smiled as she left. Well, I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how things play out on Sunday! 

My TNA Destination X 2012 Recap

Mason Andrews defeated Lars Only, Rubix and Dakota Darsow in a Fatal Four Way to qualify for the X Division title tournament. It was a blistering match for the most part until the final few minutes. Unfortunately because of the sheer pace they all impressively kept up there were a few mistake here and there, but on the whole I very much enjoyed the opener. Exciting way to start the show and get the crowd going.

Mason Andrews defeated Kid Kash in an X Division title tournament match up. It was a decent if fairly unmemorable bout, with both wrestlers looking solid enough. As the typical heel Kash had the majority of the offense as Andrews made his heroic comeback towards the end, applying a quick roll up for the one-two-three.

Kenny King defeated Doug Williams to qualify for the X Division title Ultimate X match. It was an enjoyable contest, with both men giving a solid effort in the deliberately slow paced match up. It made a nice change from most X Division bouts with the more technically based wrestling from the talented Doug Williams too. King received a good backing from the fans.

Sonjay Dutt defeated Rashad Cameron to qualify for the X Division title Ultimate X match. Again it was another good display from both participants involved. Both Dutt and Cameron rarely let up at all in this red hot contest, with Dutt eventually gaining the winning pin after a brilliant twisting two footed stomp from the top rope onto Cameron's torso.

We were shown a VT displaying the awful injury that Jesse Sorensen suffered to his neck months ago and his progress to the present. Jesse himself then came out to the ring and stated that it was the fans support that motivated him to come back and do what he believes he was meant to do and wrestle. He also warned Zema Ion that he hopes he wins the X Division title so he can take it from him when he returns, then cash in the title at next years Destination X and become World Champion.

Zema Ion defeated Flip Cassanova to qualify for the X Division title Ultimate X match. Flip looked a lot more competent and less reckless here then he did on last weeks Impact in my opinion. It was a good bout, with the charismatic Ion being the predictable victor.

Samoa Joe defeated Kurt Angle via referee stoppage in a Bound For Glory Series match. It was, as expected, a superb and thrilling contest. Angle (for my money the top talent in the company) and Joe once again put on a display that brought the divided fans to their feet in respect and captivation of the action happening in front of them. The referee called for the bell after Angle had failed to move for a while while in the Cocina Clutch.

AJ Styles defeated Christopher Daniels in a Last Man Standing match. And what a match this was. Both AJ and Daniels majorly surpassed my expectations here (and I had high hopes) and put on the match of the night and one of the finest and dramatic PPV bouts of the year so far. It was truly a war as both men bled, threw each other onto the ramp, stage and through a table for an epic finish as AJ used the Styles Clash on Daniels to put him through it. Kazarian also attempted to help out 'The Fallen Angel' but failed as he was taken out by Styles. Honestly, if you weren't planning on checking out this event then at least do yourself a favour and watch this one match.

Zema Ion defeated Sonjay Dutt, Kenny King and Mason Andrews to win the X Division Championship in an Ultimate X match. While for the majority of the bout it was entertaining enough, it also felt fairly disappointing considering the huge build up and quality of matches leading into it. For me it certainly isn't up there with the top Ultimate X matches of the past. I do whole heartily agree with the victor and new champion though, Ion has shown his charisma and skill in the ring and proven his worth as the successor to Aries as the top X Division wrestler. I'm personally also really hoping that Sonjay Dutt sticks around.

Austin Aries defeated Bobby Roode (c) to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in an extremely feel good main event. The first half of the contest was admittedly quite drab for me, the action was slow and there were a few sloppy moments. But fortunately the second half of the bout really started to gain some steam as the intensity increased and both men had some very effective near falls, including one after Roode had struck AA with the title belt. Aries then managed to apply his signature Brainbuster for the one-two-three, causing the fans to jump up in excitement as it settled in that Aries had really just toppled the seven month long reign of Roode and won a World Championship after all his hard work and dedication to professional wrestling. 

As Aries stood there with his newly won title, confetti falling around him, it really was the perfect ending to yet another solid pay-per-view from TNA. From start to finish this was a show worth watching (with some very rare exceptions) and proof that the company, its roster and its bookers can do it right and pull it off when they really want to. Perhaps the future, like the new World Champion's, is bright for TNA after all?

My Impact Wrestling, 5th July 2012 Recap

Bully Ray announced that he was officially going live on Twitter. He also demanded that Joseph Parks come out so he could answer his challenge of a match. Joseph sure enough came out and had his match accepted by Bully for next week. A furious Parks once again let rip on Ray as he told him how sick he was of his bullying and attitude. Bully then revealed a restraining order against Park's brother Abyss, claiming that if he gets anywhere near him during their match he will be sent to jail. 

Devon (c) defeated Crimson to retain the TNA Television title in a pretty mediocre title bout. It wasn't bad, just unmemorable really. Afterwards Madison Rayne came out and looked to approach Devon but instead kissed referee Earl Hebner to reveal him as her secret crush.

I'm sorry but any storyline involving a referee in the past hasn't garnered up much interest and I don't see this being any different. Who is this going to get over? An elderly ref or an average female wrestler? Either way it already feels like a waste of time. I was hoping these lame storylines (including the current AJ Styles and Dixie Carter one) would stop after Russo's exit but I guess not.

Chris Sabin came to the ring on crutches and revealed that after discussing his latest injury with his loved ones and doctor they urged him to retire from the ring. World Champion Bobby Roode then joined him and called Sabin "pathetic" for "moaning" about his injuries like the rest of the X Division and then attacked Sabin's injured knee until Austin Aries chased Roode off. On a serious note this injury must have been a crushing blow to the talented Sabin who'd only just recently returned to action. I hope he recovers well and to see him back in the ring again some day.

Flip Cassanova defeated Dakota Darsow to qualify for the X Division title tournament. The bout had it's exciting moments, but was definitely not up to par with the other recent X Division qualifying matches on Impact. Cassanova to me just looked too reckless, he even broke Darsow's nose during the match with a corkscrew to the outside. Now I like wrestlers that are fast and agile, but for me Cassanova looked like he belonged on the indie scene more than a televised wrestling show.  

Brooke Tessmacher and Tara defeated Madison Rayne and Gail Kim in a mostly sloppy tag match. With the exception of Gail you would not have guessed that these female wrestlers have had years of experience in pro wrestling if you hadn't seen them before, it wasn't great to watch.

AJ Styles came out to talk about the allegations of him being the father to Claire Lynche's unborn baby and was soon interrupted by Christopher Daniels and Kazarian, who once again accused AJ of covering things up. Styles then stated that this was nothing to do with Carter or Claire, but to do with him and Daniels and his jealousy of his success.

Kenny King defeated Lars Only to qualify for the X Division title tournament. It was a great, red hot contest from start to finish (bar one slip up from Lars as he went for a Russian Leg Sweep kind of maneuver) and possibly the best qualifying match they've had. Both men also looked more solid and crisper than the two X Division wrestlers we witnessed earlier.   

Jeff Hardy defeated James Storm in a Bound For Glory Series match up. It was a superb main event, with intense action throughout. The fans were also loving it as the bout heated up and piled on the excitement towards the end.

Samoa Joe versus Kurt Angle in a BFG Series match was announced for this Sunday's Destination X, which should be a brilliant contest. 

Hulk Hogan called out Austin Aries to hand over the X Division title but was soon interrupted by Bobby Roode, who told Hogan to shut up and listen to him. The World Champ went on to claim that Hogan had given Aries and fans false hope by saying that AA could be the next TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Aries of course showed up and warned Roode that he would be the next World Champ at Destination X. After the two champions fronted each other up, Aries avoided a cheap shot from Roode and cracked him in the head with the X Division title belt.

I enjoyed the show ending segment, and have quite enjoyed the rivalry between Roode and Aries throughout really. They should have a very enjoyable title bout on Sunday.

My WWE SmackDown Great American Bash, 3rd July 2012 Recap

The show kicked off with the scene of a big barbecue outside the arena with various wrestlers and divas celebrating Independence Day, with Kane himself igniting the BBQ with his signature entrance taunt. 

Alberto Del Rio came to the ring and bragged about receiving his World title match at Money in the Bank against Sheamus and how he's going to beat him. He then went on to accuse the fans in Texas of entering America illegally and began harassing an obviously planted member of the crowd until Sheamus made his way out and they began brawling. As the World Champion was taking it to Del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez helped his boss gain the upper hand and Alberto attacked 'The Great White' using the bot of his car. They even showed Sheamus bleeding from the attack after the break, guess they have no problem with using blood at all now. Used correctly it can add a lot of drama and excitement to a match.

Layla and The Great Khali defeated Aksana and Antonio Cesaro in a mediocre tag team match. Cesaro wasn't really given much chance to shine against Khali and Layla looked okay against the untalented Aksana. I just really cannot understand why Aksana is still in the company, she can't wrestle and has no acting skills. I hope the talented Cesaro can move on from this quickly.

Backstage Cody Rodes informed guest GM Teddy Long that he had been granted another qualifying match for the MITB by the Board of Directors, and in turn Long informed Rhodes that he had chosen Christian as his opponent in said match.

Cody Rhodes defeated Christian to qualify for the Money in the Bank match. It was a very enjoyable contest, with both men putting in solid efforts from start to finish. 

Dolph Ziggler defeated Alex Riley to qualify for the MITB Match. It was another good qualifying bout for the night, with Riley and Ziggler both looking decent. I'd be putting my money on Dolph winning the MITB match too.

Shortly into an interview Michael Cole was conducting with AJ he asked her "What the hell were you thinking?" regarding pushing CM Punk into Daniel Bryan and a table on this weeks Raw. He then went onto call her a "troubled little girl" and shouldn't be the guest referee for a WWE Championship match. He then cringe worthily asked AJ if she instead would want to be with a "real man" such as himself instead of Punk or Bryan.

Daniel Bryan himself then fortunately interrupted Cole and called him a sexist bully, he also accused the commentator of making up stories like the rest of the media. After Bryan complimented AJ for a while, WWE Champ CM Punk joined them all and told Cole to get out of the ring. Punk went on to tell AJ that he's not going to suck up to her like Bryan, but instead seriously advised her to seek medical help. Bryan called Punk a liar and then received a snog from AJ, who left the ring to also kiss Punk and then skipped off. Her character is definitely one of the more interesting things in the company right now.

Santino Marella, Jim Duggan and Sgt Slaughter defeated Hunico, Camacho and Drew McIntyre in a tag match. It was passable for what it was, a novelty bout. It's quite funny, as Santino was celebrating with Duggan and Slaughter I could imagine him in twenty years time in the same position. 

Back at the party Damien Sandow attempted to halt proceedings, only to began brawling with Zack Ryder. In retaliation Ryder then attempted to throw a bowl of punch at Sandow only to miss and soak Eve instead, much to everyone's delight.

Ryback defeated Curt Hawkings in a squash match. At least it was a bit more interesting than Ryback's usual routine, and with more relevant competition he's taking a step up finally. Unfortunately the crowd weren't really getting into it as they began entertaining themselves with chants of "Goldberg" once again.

Zack Ryder won the Great American Bash Battle Royal to earn the right to be the General Manager of SmackDown next week. The match itself  (which included the likes of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, John Cena and Big Show) wasn't bad, just the usual you expect from a battle royal. Zack Ryder last eliminated Kane as he pulled the ropes down to win the bout. The result was well received by the fans and hopefully this could be the revival Ryder has desperately needed since the awful Cena and Kane rivalry and his involvement in it.

My WWE Raw, 3rd July 2012 Recap

John Cena came out and compared the unpredictably of the Money in the bank match to the attack he received from Big Show last week during his bout with Jericho. He received a mixed reaction from the crowd, and it wasn't a particularly great promo. Daniel Bryan then joined Cena and claimed that if Cena wins the MITB and cashes it in on him after he beats CM Punk than he will be the fist man to cash in the contract and loose. WWE Champion CM Punk also came out and had almost everyone agree with him that he will be victorious against Bryan, using his signature "Yes!" chant. 

Chris Jericho also made his inevitable appearance and once again accused everyone of imitating him. He also gave Bryan some advice to create new catchphrases so people don't steal them and reeled off a collection of his classic ones, which was a nice trip down memory lane and the crowd enjoyed it. Kane was then next out, shortly followed by Big Show. Everyone then began brawling in the ring until Big Show managed to take them out. 

Santino Marella, Christian, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeated David Otunga, Titus O'Neil, Darren Young and Cody Rhodes in a mediocre tag team match. About half way in Young and O'Neil decided they'd had enough and decided to leave, shortly followed by Rhodes. Which left Otunga to be picked off by the opposing team and then received his comeuppance in the form of Brodus Clay attacking him afterwards.

Live via satellite Paul Heyman warned Triple H that if Brock Lesnar accepts his challenge of a match at SummerSlam on the 1000th Raw then he will end 'The Game's' in-ring career. As usual it was a brilliant delivery from Heyman.

AJ and Sheamus defeated Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler in a fair tag team contest. Dolph and Sheamus' time in the ring was as usual solid between them, and fortunately the interaction between Vickie and AJ was kept short. After the bout AJ asked Punk what he thought of the match, only to hear that he was on the phone the whole time and didn't realise it was even happening. This didn't please the unpredictable AJ. 

Heath Slater once again complained about being embarrassed by past wrestlers week after week on Raw, and was then joined by his competitor Doink the Clown.

Heath Slater defeated Doink the Clown to a mostly indifferent crowd in a brief match. DDP also made an appearance (and received a much better reaction than Doink, which was hardly shocking) and took out the 'One Man Band' with a Diamond Cutter. 

Big Show defeated Kane in an average No Disqualification bout. It wasn't as drab as I was expecting to be fair, although they could've used weapons a little more. But just before Money in the Bank I suppose they wouldn't want to go overkill which makes sense. Show pinned Kane after Choke Slamming him onto a steel chair.

Tyson Kidd defeated Lord Tensai in a very brief match up. In the surprise victory Kidd managed to quickly roll up Tensai for the one-two-three. Afterwards Tensai attacked his associate. With this result and getting into the MITB match things are finally looking positive for the future of the talented Tyson Kidd. 

In a funny backstage segment Jericho and Bryan argued over who's leather jacket was better and then had a screaming contest with each other's catchphrases. I'm enjoying the chemistry between these two. Lord Tensai also attacked Tyson Kidd in the locker room backstage during an interview. 

CM Punk and John Cena versus Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho ended in a no contest. The match itself had been a bit of a mixed bag, most of it was very enjoyable, it's just a shame Cena put in a poor performance to bring the quality down a bit. During the bout Jericho and Cena ended up fighting all the way to the back and never seen again, this provided the best part of the match with the back and fourth action between Punk and Bryan.

AJ then came down to the ring and at first became distraught that neither Punk nor Bryan were paying attention to her, then decided to set up a table and climb to the top rope. Punk and Bryan pleaded with her not to jump, so she then kissed Punk and threw him through Bryan and into the table. I honestly can't figure out where they're going with the AJ character, I'm not sure even the writers know. 

Overall Raw was okay, not a particularly outstanding show by any means. Once again the actual action in the ring was largely under par, which isn't good enough for the flagship broadcast of the company.