My WWE Battleground 2013 Recap

Now this was a feel good moment. Photo credit: WWE.com

Dolph Ziggler pinned Damien Sandow in a decent pre-show bout. I was expecting a passable kick off match here but it exceeded that for me, with worthy efforts from both wrestlers, especially the always reliable Ziggler. It was by no means the best pre-show bout I've seen but it was enjoyable enough.

Alberto Del Rio (c) forced Rob Van Dam to submit in a Battleground Hardcore Match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. In their finest singles contest to date both men delivered stellar performances, utilising steel chairs, a trashcan and a ladder (although unfortunately no table which the fans, and myself, seemed keen for). Ricardo Rodriguez also played his part as he attacked the champ with a bucket to halt an armbreaker attempt, only to soon fall victim to a vicious kick to the head by his former boss on the outside, thereby taking him out of the match. Del Rio's submission win came after he latched on his armbreaker while RVD's arm was wrapped in a steel chair. 

While it was a fun watch, I still couldn't help but feel a bit deflated at the result. I just feel Del Rio as champion has worn thin by this point and RVD would be the ideal wrestler to bring interest back to the title again.

The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger) defeated The Great Khali and Santino Marella in an uninspiring tag bout up until the finish when Cesaro applied an impressive giant swing on Khali for the winning pinfall. Most of the match was pretty drab to be honest, with most men bar Antonio giving average showings.

Curtis Axel (c) pinned R-Truth to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a fair outing. Both wrestlers were competent and delivered worthy efforts but I simply struggled to get engaged, much like the fans in attendance who soon lost interest. Not a bad match by any means but not one I'd recommend. 

AJ Lee (c) bested Brie Bella to retain the WWE Divas Title in a passable affair. For some reason they had AJ target Brie's arm early on, which had no effect later as Brie seemed to use said arm with no problem as she made a comeback. The match could've been allocated a little less time too, it began to drag as the charismatic champion dominated. That all being said the bout was better than I'd predicted, but still nothing that special.  

Cody Rhodes and Goldust bested The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) in a dramatic tag contest to gain back their jobs in WWE. As expected it was an exciting ride, with effective near falls and solid wrestling to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout, and an electric crowd too.

Of course the legendary Dusty Rhodes also played his part as he blasted Dean Ambrose with a bionic elbow and distracted Reigns so son Dustin could take him out, leaving Cody to hit the Cross Rhodes on Rollins for the vital one-two-three. As a nice touch various members of the locker room came out to celebrate (including 'Fit' Finlay and Arn Anderson).

Bray Wyatt pinned Kofi Kingston in a decent enough match up. Much like the earlier IC Title contest we received admirable displays from each wrestler but it felt like it was lacking a bit. 

CM Punk beat Ryback in a match with a drab first half but satisfying second. While Ryback dominated the bout became rather tedious, but Punk (who delivered a worthy performance) as any good face does made a comeback and brought some much needed excitement back.

For the finish Punk managed to low blow Ryback with a swift back kick for the winning pinfall as the referee was distracted by Paul Heyman at ringside, who was about to strike his former protege with a kendo stick. 

Randy Orton versus Daniel Bryan for the vacant WWE Championship ended in a no contest after Big Show came down and KO'd two referees (the first one when Bryan locked on a Yes Lock and the second being the returning Scott Armstrong who ran down after the first ref was taken out), Bryan and finally Orton. It was a strange and anti climatic end to the event, and one that made the already fairly weak build up to the title clash seem worthless.

The actual match itself had been solid for the most part, with stellar wrestling on both men's behalf and exciting near falls and submission attempt. The fans in New York also provided a terrific atmosphere for the top contest of the night, being thoroughly behind Bryan.

Overall it was a rather forgettable pay-per-view for the most part, with most bouts ranging from fair to average. That being said my highlights were RVD versus Del Rio, Cody and Goldust versus The Shield (at least we got a feel good moment from that) the second half to Punk versus Ryback and the majority of the main event.  

My WWE Battleground Predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

WWE Championship Match - Randy Orton versus Daniel Bryan:

Much like their previous PPV clash I'm not expecting anything but a solid outing, although I feel the build up has been fairly weak compared. Bryan winning the vacant strap seems like the more interesting choice, but I just can't help but see 'The Viper' win via suspicious circumstances, although I admittedly thought the same thing last month so I could be way off.   

Winner: Randy Orton

World Heavyweight Championship Battleground Hardcore Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) versus Rob Van Dam:

I'm relieved that they added the Hardcore stipulation here, this match needed that extra intriguing factor for me. I enjoy both men in the ring and they shouldn't have any excuses not to deliver an exciting bout here, not the least with my predictive victor RVD obtaining the title. But if he does then I wouldn't be shocked to see Mr. Sandow cashing in his MITB contract, it'd be the perfect way to gain him some heat.   

Winner: Rob Van Dam

CM Punk versus Ryback:

Unfortunately even against a superior talent I don't envisage this outing topping the great ones Ryback had with Cena over the WWE Title. This could be fun and should be enjoyable but nothing outstanding, hopefully I'm proven wrong. Will this be the end of Punk's feud with Heyman? I'm starting to hope things wind down now between them so they can move on to fresh foes. Punk to win and finally get some retribution on Heyman but not enough to end the rivalry just yet. 

Winner: CM Punk

WWE Divas Title Match - AJ Lee (c) versus Brie Bella:

Like any Bella-involved bout I don't hold high expectations, and certainly don't expect anything close to AJ's matches with Kaitlyn over the belt. That being said sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised (with Taryn Terrell's entertaining contests with Gail Kim being a prime example), but I doubt it tonight with this one. And I reckon AJ to retain, I don't see any reason for her to drop the strap just yet, recently bringing in Tamina as her new body guard would make it a strange choice too.

Winner: AJ Lee

Cody Rhodes and Goldust versus The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns):

For me this bout has had the best build up out of any on the card tonight, and I'm very interested in the outcome so job well done there. Should be a dramatic one. I'm going with The Shield to somehow come out with a dubious win here, adding another twist to the Rhodes storyline.

Winners: The Shield

Intercontinental Title Match - Curtis Axel (c) versus R-Truth:

Could be a decent match up, and both men should make the most from being on the main card of a PPV tonight. Can't see beyond Axel winning here after Truth's definitive loss to Ryback on SmackDown.

Winner: Curtis Axel

Bray Wyatt versus Kofi Kingston:

Bit of a strange one I thought when this was put together, considering the more interesting possibilities for Wyatt to face off with. Nothing against Kofi but after all his failed pushes I just struggle to invest in them anymore. Should be a fair match up. Wyatt to win considering his current momentum.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Santino Marella versus The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger):

How this found it's way onto a PPV card ahead of Ziggler and the Money in the Bank holder I'm still trying to understand, oh well. I'm just hoping for Cesaro to swing around Khali to deliver something memorable, it's up to the stellar Antonio to make this match worth watching at all I reckon. The Real Americans in the long run seem like the more sensible choice to put over here, but I can see Santino and Khali walking away the winners.

Winners: Santino Marella and The Great Khali.

Battleground Kickoff Match - Dolph Ziggler versus Damien Sandow:

At first I wasn't too sure about this thrown together bout, but Ziggler is such a consistent performer that I'm expecting an enjoyable contest against the MITB Contract holder. But despite Sandow holding the briefcase I see Dolph gaining the one-two-three.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

My WWE Raw, 30th September 2013 Recap

It was a priceless moment. Photo credit: WWE.com

CM Punk kicked off the show (to a very healthy response) by stating that he contributes to the unpredictability of the show when he comes out but claimed that Heyman was predictable last week when he orchestrated the beat down of Punk in his hometown of Chicago. He want on to add that he will end the story when he takes out Ryback, whether it be on a Raw leading up to Battleground or at the event itself, and while Heyman may have pinned him on the mat at Payback he will get his revenge and put him out of his misery. 

Raw GM Brad Maddox then joined Punk and cautioned him about taking on Ryback before their PPV clash, saying that it would simply be "bad for business," of course. But Maddox did agree to grant Punk a match that night to let out some aggression, this cued Big E Langston to come out and kick start their impromptu match by clobbering Punk.

CM Punk pinned Big E Langston after hitting a GTS in a fair encounter. Much like Ziggler in his series with Big E, Punk deserves credit here for what he was able to accomplish against the limited Langston.

Kofi Kingston beat Fandango in a passable, if fairly forgettable match up. Kofi did a decent job here and managed to add a few parts worth a watch, and eventually applied a Trouble in Paradise kick for the one-two-three. Bray Wyatt then delivered one of his mysterious promos on the ramp where he described his hard life and finally claimed that "one by one, they must all fall down."

Backstage Randy Orton warned Brie Bella to schedule her wedding to Daniel Bryan before their title match on Sunday, as he might not be fit for it afterwards, 

Los Matadores (Fernando and Diego, formerly Epico and Primo) bested 3MB (Jinder Mahal and Heath Slater) in an enjoyable tag bout. Both members of the winning duo looked solid here, and had a fun entrance which included their own little bull called El Torito. Admittedly the crowd reaction wasn't anything outstanding for the team's debut but hopefully that will come, I personally enjoyed them and look forward to more. 

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon invited out Cody, Dustin and Dusty Rhodes and asked why they were so mad at them considering the apparent 'chances' they'd given them to get their jobs back. The COO then revealed the reason he'd held the family summit and offered the chance for Cody and Dustin to face the tag champions Rollins and Reigns at Battleground and if they win they get their jobs backs in WWE, but if they fail then none of the three will ever work for the company again. The Rhodes accepted the challenge. 

Dusty then got in Triple H's face in the most intense part of the summit and claimed that he would be there in his sons corner. Shortly after Stephanie and 'The Game' left the ring The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) battered Cody, Dustin and Dusty, finally Triple Powerbombing Cody to end the entertaining segment.

R-Truth pinned Curtis Axel in a brief and average contest after CM Punk's theme music hit and distracted the IC Champion, allowing Truth to strike with a Lie Detector for the victory. The wrestling was kept at a decent enough standard, but I just failed to find the interest. 

Brie Bella defeated Alicia Fox in a passable Divas match up. While it was never anything special, it was certainly above average for a bout involving a Bella. Unfortunately for the competitors the crowd in attendance were pretty indifferent to the whole thing, you could actually hear a pin drop. 

During an interview an enraged Big Show admitted that he couldn't take any more of the sick and twisted orders he's been receiving from Triple H and Stephanie and stormed towards the COO's office to knock him out.

Alberto Del Rio forced Zack Ryder to submit via arm breaker in a satisfying outing. Surprisingly Ryder was made to look competitive against the World Champion here as he controlled the start of their match up and briefly came back towards the end. Del Rio as standard was on solid form in the ring.

Paul Heyman, accompanied by Ryback, came to the ring and declared that he had to have CM Punk beaten up by his two associates in his home town last week. Ryback then took the mic and called Punk ungrateful for all that Heyman had done for him, claiming that Paul was a genius and that "there's nothing I wouldn't do for" him. 

Heyman went on to say that since Ryback had saved him he had a spring in his step and the World seemed like a better place. Paul continued to brilliantly lead us down the path of believing that he was about to propose marriage to Ryback, it was superb work on his part and I'll admit I was hoping he would for the sheer shock and impact, but of course his proposal was for Ryback to be his latest client instead.

CM Punk then attempted a sneak attack from behind but tripped over the barricade and feigned an obviously fake knee injury, only to suddenly chase off Heyman and Ryback with a few kendo stick strikes and attack Axel, who he GTS'd to finish off.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Dolph Ziggler and The Usos in a six-man tag bout. It was a stellar affair for the majority, with fine displays from ever man involved.

The police arrived to confront the pacing Big Show who was still awaiting Triple H's arrival, and as they were about to arrest him for threatening the COO Stephanie stepped in and once again aired Show's dirty laundry to help explain his stress and claimed that she would vouch for him, so they let him off.

Santino Marella pinned Antonio Cesaro in a fun outing for the most part. As usual Marella performed his usual comedy routing, while Cesaro delivered a worthy effort. Marella caught Cesaro with a quick pinfall for the win.

Jerry Lawler brought out Battleground competitors Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton for their 'Face Off' in the ring. After being asked on his thoughts on Bryan being stripped of the WWE Title Orton explained that not directly receiving the strap back motivated him to become the real 'Apex Predator' once again. He also added that he was genetically superior to the smaller Bryan.

Bryan retorted by complimenting Orton talking a good game, albeit being a little monotone. He also claimed that he believed that Triple H had to motivate Orton in order for him to reach his full potential, but he didn't need any motivation. Finally Bryan lost his patience and began striking Orton when 'The Viper' asked why his fiancee Brie Bella would settle for him. 

Orton eventually gained control and performed his signature DDT off the apron onto the mat in front of a begging Brie Bella, and then RKO'd his rival through the announce table. It was a strong end to the show, and an ideal way to head into their title clash on Sunday.

Overall it was a fair Raw, unfortunately most contests were pretty uninspiring but there were more than a few segments that made it worth watching. My highlights were The Shield versus The Usos and Ziggler, Los Matadores entertaining debut, Heyman and Ryback's segment, the Rhodes family summit and the finale. 

My WWE SmackDown, 30th August 2013 Recap

The Miz brought out his latest 'Miz TV' guests, Big Show and Dolph Ziggler and brought up the fact that they and many other wrestlers had to witness the beat down of Daniel Bryan at the hands of the COO, The Shield and Orton on this Monday's Raw. But when asked to comment on it Show and Ziggler struggled in fear of their punishment from management, so as Miz was about to discuss it Triple H interrupted him.

'The Game' once again questioned why the situation with Bryan was being taken so personally, and claimed that making Orton the face of the company was better for business and therefore better for them. He then booked Miz against Orton and Ziggler in a Handicap Match versus The Shield. But when it came to Show he ordered the clearly infuriated giant to sit at ringside for the night. As usual Trips was stellar on the mic, but he's been even better and convincing as of late back in the heel role.

Randy Orton pinned The Miz in a decent effort. There were some fairly drab periods but it was a watchable encounter on the whole. The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) made their way out midway in the match and stood at the front of the ring. After the champ pinned Miz with an RKO he had the trio join him in beating on Miz until Daniel Bryan raced down and chased them off with a steel chair in hand. 

An upset Vickie Guerrero (who's now suddenly turned heel again over the last couple of weeks for some unexplained reason) accused Bryan of being a bully and as punishment booked him against Ryback. 

Rob Van Dam defeated Damien Sandow in a short but entertaining outing. RVD hit some fine form again with his trademark lively offence after a shaky match against Del Rio last Monday. The only downfall here was yet another clean pinfall on the Money in the Bank holder Sandow, for me he still needs work in the ring and some serious building up if he's going to hold the World Title. Alberto Del Rio came out afterwards and after calling Ricardo Rodriguez a traitor claimed that while RVD had his rolling thunder he was going to rain on his parade at Night of Champions.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Dolph Ziggler in a solid Handicap Match. It wasn't as exciting as the last three on one bout these four had but the action was stellar and there were no dull moments to be had. The trio further assaulted 'The Show Off' after and finally triple powerbombed him to tease Big Show.

Paul Heyman explained that his beating on CM Punk on this past Raw was a result of being forced into a corner by the fans online vote putting him in the ring with his former client. He also went on to admit that he was afraid regarding his and Curtis Axel's match at Night of Champions versus Punk because it guaranteed that he'll have to face his adversary in the ring like a man. But he also claimed that his actions against Punk have been a result of his Fatherly love, so imagine what he'll do against him when backed into a corner, finally adding that at NOC he and Axel "will own CM Punk."

Luke Harper and Erick Rowan bested Tons of Funk (Tensai and Brodus Clay) in an average tag bout. Fortunately it was kept short as the wrestling was pretty uninspiring from the get go. Bray Wyatt entered the ring after to hit Tensai with the Sister Abigail.

Daniel Bryan won via disqualification versus Ryback after Orton ran in while he had Ryback latched in a Yes Lock and was caught himself in the submission hold until Shield once again helped him out in clobbering the number on contender to the WWE Title. The match of the night itself had been an engaging one, with good displays from both men as they battled back and fourth.

Big Show finally had enough and entered the ring to Bryan's protection as the four men continued to beat on him. But an angry Triple H demanded him to leave, so he did. The show ended with Orton spray painting 'No' on Bryan's chest as he had done on his car last Monday night. 

Overall it was a satisfying show, with the majority of it worth checking out. My highlights were RVD versus Sandow, the opening segment, The Shield versus Ziggler, Heyman's promo and the main event. Unfortunately outside of them it was quite forgettable and probably not worth your time. 

My WWE Raw, 26th August 2013 Recap

The champ looks on at his handiwork. Photo credit: WWE.com 

Triple H kicked things off by reminding us of his actions towards Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam and on last week's Raw, explaining that what he did at SS was for "business" but the beat down he orchestrated on the former champ last Monday was "personal" after the way he'd spoken about his family. 'The Game' then claimed that the ratings and social media scoring were through the roof last week due to their new WWE Champion that he brought out, Randy Orton.

The COO rewarded Orton for grabbing the brass ring and running with it (in his words) by gifting him a brand new Cadillac payed for out of his own pocket. Daniel Bryan then also came out and first thanked all the fans for supporting him, John Cena for giving him the title match at SummerSlam and finally Triple H for revealing his true self when he Pedigreed him at the aforementioned event. He also added that he'll most certainly be recapturing the WWE Title come Night of Champions. 

Trips retorted by claiming that in the real world dreams don't always come true and then booked Bryan in a Gauntlet Match against The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) who'd also been guarding the ring during the enjoyable opening segment.  

Cody Rhodes pinned Fandango in a brief and unremarkable encounter that existed only to lead on to another match up afterwards. Rhodes caught Fandango in a roll up for the one-two-three after the ballroom dancer was distracted by The Miz reenacting/mocking his entrance. 

Damien Sandow (who'd provided guest commentary) took this chance to attack his rival Rhodes along with Fandango, so Miz saved Cody from the double team attack and helped send them packing. Raw GM Brad Maddox then predictably booked all four men in a tag team match, amusingly even mentioning that fans should see what's coming here. 

Cody Rhodes and The Miz bested Damien Sandow and Fandango in an average to fair tag bout. The wrestlers did fine, but you wouldn't miss a great deal by fast forwarding through this one. Miz gave the only real worthwhile performance, and also gained the win with a Skull Crushing Finale on Sandow after Fandango had abandoned his partner and walked up the ramp.

CM Punk defeated Curtis Axel in a stellar back and fourth contest. As usual these two delivered top displays in the ring, never putting a foot wrong. As per the stipulation (as voted for online by the fans) Paul Heyman had to then enter the ring with Punk, at first he tried to run away but he was then dragged into the ring by officials much to Punk's delight. 

But as the victor was about to get his hands on his former mentor, Axel popped up with a low blow and handcuffed him. Punk made a brief comeback and got in a few kicks on Heyman and the IC Champion but once again Curtis came to the rescue of his manager and cracked him with a steel chair. Heyman then received a kendo stick and began viciously beating on Punk in and outside the ring to end the dramatic segment, screaming that he once loved him and he broke his heart.

Brie Bella beat Natalya in a forgettable outing. Natalya did the best she could but unfortunately some sloppiness and instructions clearly being told by Brie spoilt it a bit. Much like their last match their fellow Total Divas counterparts tangled outside the ring.

Divas Champion AJ Lee then addressed the divas and their 'reality' show, receiving support from the fans for putting down the show that's been rammed down our throats every week, thereby encouraging more Bellas in the ring unfortunately. She added that all they were to her were "cheap, interchangeable, expendable, useless women," which for all of them bar Natalya, I agree with. She went on to claim that she'd done more in a year than all of them in their collective careers, which again is true for most of them. It was the strongest promo AJ's ever given, and I agreed with every single word of it. It was funny to see the sour reactions from the rest of the female wrestlers too.

Rob Van Dam pinned Alberto Del Rio in a passable, if a bit of a disappointing affair. I was personally expecting a bit more here from these two talents. Don't get me wrong it wasn't bad but there were a few botched moments and I never really got into it like I did with the far superior bouts the World Champion has had with Christian recently. I can see Ricardo Rodriguez turning on RVD come Night of Champions in the title match which Van Dam earned with the win here. 

During an interview Ryback grabbed Josh Matthews by the head and chucked him to the ground after being questioned about his bullying antics backstage as of late. 

Randy Orton beat Christian in an entertaining effort. Much like the brilliant series they had back in 2011 both men worked very well together. Granted there were a few off moments, but the tight wrestling and effective near falls more than made up for it. Orton gained the win after poking Christian in the eye unknown to the referee, then struck with an RKO. Afterwards Bryan appeared on the big screen and sarcastically congratulated him on the win, then revealed that he'd spray painted 'Yes' all over his brand new Cadillac.

Triple H ordered Brad Maddox to bring out every WWE wrestler to the stage and watch Bryan's match later on as a lesson, and if any of them interfere they're immediately fired.

Titus O'Neil bested Jack Swagger in a fair but unmemorable bout. It was watchable, but there was nothing remarkable about it. It felt more like filler than anything, although I understand utilising Darren Young with his current popularity.

Backstage a furious Punk demanded a match with Heyman from Brad Maddox. So the GM booked him in an elimination handicap one against Heyman and Axel at Night of Champions, and if Heyman tries to get out of it he'll never be seen again.

Before the main event Renee Young tried to interview Big Show, Dolph Ziggler and The Miz on the Handicap Match they were about to witness and the current situation with Triple H, but they refused to answer in fear of loosing their jobs. 

Daniel Bryan won the Gauntlet Match versus The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose). Daniel Bryan first defeated Seth Rollins in a superb contest. It was gripping stuff from the opening bell, and the best one on one match Rollins has had on the main roster. Both men deserve credit for top efforts here.

Bryan went on to win via disqualification versus Rollins and Ambrose after each of them would break up his Yes Lock attempts on the other Shield member. The trio continued to assault Bryan after, spearing him and then triple powerbombing him with the nod from Triple H. The COO looked on at the wrestlers on the stage, checking if anyone wanted to say something, but no one did. Orton also came out and RKO'd Bryan for good measure. Big Show looked desperate to do something but refused to, which struck me as odd considering he has an iron clad contract anyway, he couldn't have gotten fired? 

Overall it was an enjoyable Raw, with a few solid and above average bouts for TV and significant progress in the bigger storylines. Plus that tremendous (and truthful) promo from AJ. Admittedly it wasn't as strong as last week's show, but that was pretty exceptional. my highlights were CM Punk versus Axel, Christian versus Orton, AJ Lee's speech and the lively Gauntlet Match.    

My WWE SmackDown, 23rd August 2013 Recap

Bryan explodes with a knee on his way to the win. Photo credit: WWE.com

Vickie Guerrero started things off by introducing the WWE Champion Randy Orton, who claimed that he wanted to be a champion the fans could look up to, a role model. He went on to say that while he appreciated The Shield, Triple H and the McMahons help on Monday's Raw, he didn't need it. 'The Viper' also once again reiterated Vince's words that he was now the "face of the WWE."

Daniel Bryan then joined Orton and first thanked Cena for the chance to challenge for the title at SummerSlam. He then turned his attention to the champ, who he admitted was prettier, taller and more chiselled than he was, but he also reminded him that he had to earn every single thing in the pro wrestling business while Orton had it handed to him by WWE.

Bryan also added  that he had a rematch clause due for the strap and wanted to have it that night. Unfortunately Orton told Bryan that he'd have to wait until Night of Champions. As 'The Viper' was leaving he tried  a sneaky RKO but Bryan got the best of him and reversed it and dropkicked him out of the ring. It was a stellar start to the show, with both men on great form right now.

Curtis Axel defeated Cody Rhodes in a decent outing. Both wrestlers gave worthy efforts here, adding another enjoyable match up to Rhode's current streak. Axel delivered a hangman's facebuster (cool name for a finisher) for the win after Paul Heyman distracted Cody from the outside. Afterwards Heyman took to the mic and accused CM Punk of causing him emotional distress following his recent actions, stating that he was on a downward spiral since he left him and his actions on the past Raw were "befitting a mad man." 

Axel claimed that Punk didn't deserve a IC Title shot and added that he had a brighter future than him and the advantage of Heyman in his corner, then challenged him to a match next Monday night. It's good to see Axel back in the spotlight.

Dolph Ziggler pinned Big E Langston in a fair contest. As standard Ziggler was on solid form, making the best from the more limited Langston. There were some nice moments but it was rather forgettable on the whole.

Alberto Del Rio forced Christian to submit in a great back and fourth encounter. I know these two have faced off a lot recently, but when the quality of matches is this high I struggle to get tired of it. Both men are two of the most consistent in ring performers in the company today.

Afterwards Del Rio bragged that there was only one of him, and that his Latino fan base couldn't live up to his standard due to being "peasants." But he asked them to still follow him to greatness. The champ's former announcer Ricardo Rodriguez then came out and told Del Rio that he and the rest of the Latinos didn't want to follow him, but would rather follow his new associate Rob Van Dam, who hit Del Rio with a rolling thunder after Christian struck with a missile dropkick as retribution for ADR refusing to let go of his signature arm breaker after he'd already won the bout. I look forward to the inevitable title clash between RVD and Del Rio at Night of Champions. 

Big Show and Mark Henry beat 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in a passable Handicap squash match. Henry was down for a short time, but he and Show dominated for the most part. It was never great but it was watchable.

Afterwards the tag champs Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins appeared on the big screen and sarcastically applauded their win, then stating that while Show and Henry were an intimidating unit they weren't good enough to beat them.

Darren Young bested Antonio Cesaro in a competent contest. I understand Young's recent push, but it still frustrates me to see Cesaro relegated to this spot he's in at the moment. The sooner he ditches the drab Zeb Colter and Swagger the better.

Backstage Ryback lost his patience with a Dad getting his autograph for his son when he revealed he didn't even know who Ryback was. In response the obnoxious Ryback, who was actually very amusing here, tore up the autograph.

Daniel Bryan defeated Wade Barrett in an entertaining Steel Cage Match. I was expecting a fun main event but this exceeded that, with solid wrestling and exciting moments in the best televised match these two have had to date. Afterwards as Bryan celebrated Orton snuck up and applied an RKO, standing tall with his strap as the show ended.

Overall it was a decent show, most matches were watchable but two were above average for televised contests. It was also nice to see some progression in the interesting Bryan Orton feud, with hopefully some more inclusion from Triple H and the McMahons next Monday night. My highlights were the main event, Axel versus Rhodes and Christian versus Del Rio. 

My TNA Hardcore Justice, 22nd August 2013 Recap

The reformed AJ Styles leaps at the now fired Devon. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Bully Ray and Mr. Anderson exchanged a few concerned words backstage, with the former asking why he wasn't informed about Tito Ortiz joining Aces & 8s and why the World Champion hadn't been returning his texts or phone calls. The Aces leader responded by telling Anderson to worry more about getting his own business in order.

Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian (or the Extraordinary Gentlemen's Organisation as they're now called) came out and first congratulated Bully on obtaining the World Title last week, but also warned him that he has a target on his chest and one of them will be facing him come Bound for Glory as they've intelligently teamed up to help each other in the BFG Series. 

Just as Roode then asked Austin Aries to also team with them (which would be another great acquisition) the tag champs James Storm and Gunner joined them. 'The Cowboy' warned Daniels and Kaz not to trust Roode as he'll turn on them as soon as they've played their part just like he did with him. 'The It Factor' claimed that Storm was just jealous, which he denied and then challenged them to a match right there and then and with the help of Gunner sent them out of the ring to get things kicked off.

Bobby Roode and Kazarian defeated James Storm and Gunner in a solid tag bout. It wasn't too long but maybe that was a positive since you were constantly engaged by what was happening. It was simply a fun watch and a lively start to the show. 

Manic pinned Sonjay Dutt in a decent encounter. Both men delivered fine efforts, but I admittedly found the match lacking a little something. Maybe that's just me being fussy. I am relieved to see they've switched X Division back to one on one bouts too, it never made any sense to me having three-ways all the time, it grew tiresome.

Joseph Parks bested Jay Bradley, Christopher Daniels and Hernandez in a Bound for Glory Series Street Fight. It was an entertaining outing on the whole, and I'm very thankful for the Street Fight stipulation as it would've probably been fairly pedestrian otherwise. Austin Aries appeared to have joined the Extraordinary Gentlemen's Organisation as he high fived the trio, but then quickly turned and brainbustered Daniels before leaving.

Parks gained the victory after having one of his aggressive turns after seeing his own blood, Black Hole Slamming Bradley for the one-two-three.

New TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bully Ray came to the ring to boast that after winning back the strap and having Tito Ortiz by his side everything was now right again in TNA. He went on to also bring out his partner Brooke, but it turned out not to be Brooke Hogan (who has now been let go from the company) as we were led to believe, but Brooke Tessmacher, or "hot Brooke" as Bully referred to her. Just before the champ had Tessmacher suck his wedding ring from his finger he asked "does anybody doubt that Bully Ray can ever be stopped?"

Gail Kim beat ODB in a fair contest. The action was pretty stellar for the majority, and although it wasn't up to the standard of recent matches involving James, Kim and Terrell it was still superior to anything you'll get from the female talent on the main WWE roster right now. 

Before the main event, where the man pinned or submitted is fired from TNA, Mr. Anderson offered the one-man short Main Event Mafia the chance to pick someone to lay down and be terminated. Of course the Mafia flat out refused. AJ Styles then strolled out, only to have his older music hit and revert back to his 'Phenomenal One' persona and join the MEM. It was a cool moment and he received a healthy pop for it. 

Main Event Mafia (Sting, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Magnus and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson) defeated Aces & 8s (Devon, Mr. Anderson, Garett Bischoff, Wes Brisco and Knox) in a five on five tag bout, and as a result of being pinned by Styles, Devon was fired from TNA. 

It was a pretty enjoyable main event, with constant action in and around the ring to keep you interested. The only let down were the displays of the more limited wrestlers involved, such as Bishcoff and Brisco. There were certain periods that were a little more drab too but on the whole it was a watchable affair.

Overall it was a decent enough show, it wasn't as exciting or memorable as last week's other special Hardcore Justice edition of Impact but it wasn't a bad show by any means. There were no bouts that fell below average and we had some nice progression in storylines with Brooke Tessmacher joining up with Bully and Devon being terminated (although does anyone really care too much about that?). My highlights were the main event, the street fight and Storm and Gunner versus Roode and Kazarian. 

My WWE Raw, 19th August 2013 Recap

The new champion and his supporters. Photo credit: WWE.com

John Cena started things off by admitting that Bryan was the better man at SummerSlam in their title clash and announced how disgusted he was with Triple H's actions the previous night when he Pedigreed the WWE Champion Bryan which allowed Orton to easily cash in his MITB contract and obtain the strap. Before introducing Daniel Bryan Cena also informed everyone that due to his elbow injury he was going to be out for 4-6 months. 

Before Bryan could even utter a word Stephanie McMahon joined him and explained that her husband's actions were "best for business" and that Bryan simply didn't have the right image to represent the company. An upset Bryan claimed that he wouldn't have been surprised if it'd been her or Vince that had screwed him and also added that  "When you lye down with trash, sooner or later you start to stink." 

As Stephanie tried to calm down Bryan he warned her that he didn't care if he was fired and would do something to Triple H or Orton to at least earn his termination. Finally Stephanie had security come out to escort the former champ out of the building. It was a strong segment to start the show.

Cody Rhodes pinned Damien Sandow in a decent outing. Much like the night before both men delivered fine efforts, with Cody especially on good form. Cody grabbed the one-two-three with a quick roll up from the corner. Afterwards the victor told JBL that he should have a shot at the World Title. That's a match I definitely wouldn't mind seeing. 

Raw GM Brad Maddox booked Dolph Ziggler in a three on one match with The Shield later on that night, saying that it wasn't due to his remarks online claiming that he never trusted Triple H, but rather because he's the 'Show Off' and should be given the chance to prove it.

Paul Heyman came out and first conceded that CM Punk gave Brock Lesnar all he could handle at SummerSlam in their superb match up. He also went on to forgive Punk for his actions and asked him to join him again, where together they'll regain the WWE Title and go on to main event WrestleMania. 

The Funkadactyls (Naomi and Cameron) bested Layla and AJ Lee in a fair, but pretty unremarkable tag bout. There weren't any poor performances, in fact Cameron didn't even enter the ring (which is probably for the best) but you wouldn't miss much by skipping this.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Dolph Ziggler in a Handicap Match. It was a solid affair from the get go, with Ziggler managing to hold his own and even come close to outdoing the trio until Reigns struck with an awesome spear for the win. Afterwards the victors triple powerbombed Ziggler for good measure. 

Alberto Del Rio won via referee stoppage versus Sin Cara. The stoppage occurred when Sin Cara injured (for real) his wrist after he went flying with a suicide dive. Afterwards the World Champion once again called himself a hero to the Latino community, someone for them to look up to since they have no one else.

Del Rio's former announcer Ricardo Rodriguez then made his return after his beating from the champ and informed him that he was now representing Rob Van Dam instead. RVD and Del Rio soon tangled in the ring, with Van Dam almost going for the Five Star Frog Splash before Del Rio made his getaway.

The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) defeated The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger) in a passable tag match. While the wrestling was always decent it was fairly drab for the most part, although the finish after Young came in from a hot tag was fast paced and fun. Credit to Cesaro and Young for the best displays here. Young was clearly very up for it after all his support from fans and colleagues for bravely coming out last week. 

Backstage Ryback had one of his signature segments where he bullies some spineless goon into doing whatever he tells them. This time he ordered a guy to open up his bag in the showers and fill it up with water. These scenes are just annoying, as if by that point you would still just be standing there and taking it? Even if Ryback is that large everyone has a limit.

The Shield beat Big Show in an enjoyable Handicap Match. Much like Ziggler earlier, Show was booked against the trio after making unflattering comments about Triple H. The giant was in control for the majority, but sure enough the 'Hounds of Justice' made their comeback and finally speared and triple powerbombed Show for the hard victory.  

CM Punk hobbled out and before responding to Heyman's comments earlier dared a tubbier member of the crowd who decided to boo him to enter the ring and take him on, warning him that he'll make him "toothless." Punk then asked Heyman to come out (which he did, along with Curtis Axel) and said that he was sorry that he hadn't exacted more retribution and dealt more damage on him the night before. Punk also dared Heyman to enter the ring with him.

Heyman responded by asking his client Axel to tape up and finish off what Lesnar had started the night before, warning Punk that he'd pushed him too far. So the IC Champion made his way out again and began brawling with Punk, with the latter viciously attacking him around the ring, including some strikes with the ring bell.

Axel managed to target Punk's hurt leg and had the upper hand for a while until Punk avoided a top rope attack and finally GTS'd Heyman's client onto some steel steps. It was an engaging segment, with stellar mic work and an intense fight. I can only presume that Punk and Axel will have a stipulation match over the Intercontinental Title at Night of Champions to keep the feud going.

Bray Wyatt pinned R-Truth in a brief encounter which the winner dominated for the most part. There wasn't anything that remarkable to see here really, both wrestlers did fine.

We witnessed a VT for a brand new tag team of matadors simply called Los Matadores, of course. I'm not sure about everyone else but I'm looking forward to seeing them, look like fun. 

The Usos bested 3MB (Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal) in a lively tag match once it got going. Technically it wasn't great but you could switch off a bit and just enjoy it.

The Miz won via disqualification versus Wade Barrett after Fandango hit him with a flying leg drop as retribution for punching him at SummerSlam. The bout itself had been reasonable enough, much like a lot of these men's contests you get the impression you'll probably have forgotten about it come next month.  

Vince McMahon congratulated Triple H on ensuring that Orton won the WWE Title at SummerSlam, declaring that he would be a champion everyone could be proud of. Triple H then took to the mic and said that he took action for all the fans and everyone in the company so that the WWE will still exist long into the future, explaining that Bryan wasn't the face for the company. 

'The Game' the introduced the brand new WWE Champion for his coronation, Randy Orton, who shook hands with Vince and Triple H and even hugged Stephanie. Orton thanked Triple H for all he had done for him. The COO then asked Bryan to come out and vent his frustrations, asking no one to touch him. This was of course all a ruse as Bryan was attacked by The Shield on the way to the ring and then RKO'd by the champion after Triple H casually asked the trio to stop their assault.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole segment, it had an old school feel to it with a strong face in Bryan trying to overcome the odds of the McMahons. It's also a much needed revitalisation for Orton too. 

Overall it was an entertaining show for the most part, with the red hot Bryan's screw job getting more and more interesting. Plus Triple H and Orton turning adds that bit more intrigue as to what's going to happen next. This is already looking to be one of the best pro wrestling storylines of the year I reckon. My highlights were the opening, CM Punk, Heyman and Axel's portion, both of The Shield's handicap contests and of course the ending. A memorable show that has me wanting more, keep it coming! 

My WWE SummerSlam 2013 Recap

Rob Van Dam won via disqualification versus Dean Ambrose (c), thereby Ambrose retained the United States Title. It was a stellar pre-show contest, with both talents delivering more than worthy displays. The quality found here was hardly a surprise, but the added factor of Big Show and Mark Henry coming out and supporting RVD with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns also at ringside added some more interest. The DQ occurred after Van Dam hit the most likely match-winning Five Star Frog Splash and Reigns struck with a spear as the challenger was about to cover Ambrose. Show and Henry were too late into the ring and The Shield made their getaway.   

Bray Wyatt defeated Kane in a Ring of Fire Match. It was an entertaining outing for myself, the spectacle of it alone engaged me, I can't imagine how great that must've been for the fans in attendance. Technically it wasn't anything much to look at, but I still had fun watching it and both men did their jobs well. For the finish the 'Wyatt Family' Luke Harper and Erick Rowan managed to cover part of the fire with a protective blanket and make their way into the ring to help Bray after receiving a few ChokeSlams to eventually apply a Sister Abigail on Kane for the one-two-three. Afterwards the victor had his 'brothers' drag the 'Big Red Monster' onto some steel steps and crack some more steps on his head.

Before their following match up, Damien Sandow compared Team Rhodes Scholars to some of the all-time famous duos, claiming that much like in all of them there was the inferior "lackey" in the pairing, that being Cody Rhodes. He also stated that he would send Cody back to his 'carnie' family.

Cody Rhodes pinned Damien Sandow and had the last laugh in a decent affair. I'll admit I was expecting something fair here but nothing much, and it certainly exceeded that. Cody especially did well, and I'm relieved to see him back on the right track with his recent wins and elevated status. 

Alberto Del Rio (c) forced Christian to submit in order to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a gripping back and fourth bout. In their greatest match yet both wrestlers were technically tremendous, crafting some superb sequences with effective near falls. Del Rio managed to latch on his trademark arm breaker for the victory after Christian hit a spear using the shoulder he'd injured earlier in the title clash, it was a logical end and it was refreshing to see an injury being sold so well. 

Natalya beat Brie Bella in a largely uninspiring match. To be fair Brie looked better than normal, although that still isn't saying much. Cameron and Naomi  began inevitably tangling with Eva Marie and Nikki Bella at ringside to spur on more of the fake feud started in the Total Divas 'reality' show. Fans soon lost interest and began chanting such things as the commentators names and "We want tables!" to entertain themselves. Natalya caught Brie with a Sharpshooter for the win. 

Brock Lesnar bested CM Punk in a No Disqualification Match. I believe awesome is probably the most suitable word to describe this special outing. Much like any Lesnar bout since his return you were hooked from the start (at least for me anyway) with both men battling (and I mean battling) with edge of your seat submission attempts and near falls, the drama truly never let up as both wrestlers travelled in and around the ring. Of course Paul Heyman played his part brilliantly too, halting Punk's oh so close efforts to win and finally leading his former associate and best friend into the winning F5 from 'The Beast'. 

Punk has once again been involved in one of the match of the year contenders (the other one was against a certain 'Dead Man') and I cannot urge you enough to watch this enthralling fight, although if you're reading this I doubt I even have to right?

Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn defeated Big E Langston and AJ Lee in an enjoyable mixed tag bout. The match wasn't too long but I felt that only benefited it really, Kaitlyn and AJ did well with their time and Big E is probably better suited to short and powerful bursts in the ring. Plus if it'd been allocated more time it might've gotten fairly tiresome. In the end Kaitlyn took out AJ with a spear on the outside and Ziggler managed to escape a Big Ending and strike with a Zig Zag for the win.

Backstage the SummerSlam host The Miz was interrupted by Fandango and his dancing partner Summer Rae, as he had been all night. So a frustrated Miz simply clocked Fandango with a swift punch to finally stop him.

Daniel Bryan pinned John Cena (c) to obtain the WWE Championship with Triple H as special guest referee in an exciting and highly memorable main event. The fans were electric, there were plenty of suspenseful moments and you will remember this and the events afterwards for a long time, all that adds up to a great main event. Granted it wasn't perfect or the match of the night, there were a few slight mistakes here and there but that's probably just me being a bit picky. Both men were battered and exhausted as the final few minutes rolled in, with Bryan attacking with a vicious knee to Cena's head for the most important three count of his career so far. But the night wasn't over yet.

Randy Orton then made his way casually down the ramp, with Bryan daring him to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, but 'The Viper' instead walked away. That was until Triple H suddenly Pedigreed Bryan and Orton cashed in, winning the WWE Title. It was a shocking way to end a successful event, and one that will have plenty of fans wanting answers the next night on Raw. So a smart finale then.

Overall it was a strong show, with the push of up and coming talent and most matches being decent and three being exceptional. And for me any event with at least three strong bouts is a triumphant one. My highlights were Christian versus Del Rio, CM Punk versus Lesnar, the cash in and the main event. I was very much looking forward to SummerSlam and it didn't disappoint. 

My WWE SmackDown, 15th August 2013 Recap

Bray Wyatt, accompanied by his 'brothers' Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, gave another intriguing promo where he spoke about the apparent life of a young Kane who was bullied at school for being different. He then turned his attention to their Ring of Fire match at SummerSlam, stating that he looked forward to it. 

Kane himself then snuck up on the trio after tricking them with his trademark entrance fire and began to tangle with Wyatt after chucking his associates out of the ring. But the numbers soon caught up to 'The Big Red Machine' who was eventually taken out by the Wyatt family, with Bray finally hitting him with the Sister Abigail (love the mysterious name of that finisher). It was a decent segment to kick things off, with Wyatt still as entertaining as ever. 

Christian pinned Damien Sandow in a fair outing. Unfortunately they weren't given enough time to really leave their mark, but it was enjoyable enough. Afterwards Christian thwarted an attack from an upset Sandow with a spear, and then did the same to Alberto Del Rio as he reversed an arm breaker attempt into a Killswitch. 

AJ Lee and Layla bested Kaitlyn and Natalya in a passable tag bout. To be fair it was certainly above average for most Diva contests you receive nowadays, with good efforts especially from Natalya and Kaitlyn. For the finish Layla kicked Kaitlyn's leg before leaving the ring, allowing AJ to apply a Shining Wizard for the victory.

Rob Van Dam, Big Show and Mark Henry defeated The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) in a solid six-man tag encounter. It was one of the better six-man matches The Shield have had since around WrestleMania time, with every wrestler putting in a good display.  

The Miz beat Jack Swagger in a pretty unremarkable affair. Both men did fine, the match was just lacking in any real excitement or interest. Miz rolled up a distracted Swagger for the winning pinfall after the referee had told Zeb Colter and Antonio Cesaro to leave ringside.

Curtis Axel pinned Zack Ryder in a fine contest. There was nothing outstanding to be found here but it was a fun watch still, worth a look. Afterwards Axel's manager Paul Heyman grabbed a mic and admitted that CM Punk outsmarted himself and Brock Lesnar on this past Monday's Raw, but he'd have his revenge in the form of Lesnar beating him this Sunday.

Daniel Bryan defeated Wade Barrett in a No Disqualification Match. And what a lively main event this was. As Bryan had Barrett on the ropes (not literally) Vince McMahon strolled on down and distracted Bryan, allowing Barrett to get back into the match.

McMahon also decided to drag the referee out of the ring when Bryan latched on the Yes Lock on his foe, and then called down Brad Maddox to officiate the bout instead. But Maddox's time was fairly short lived as he was accidentally struck by Barrett later on. Towards the end Triple H marched down and counted Bryan's winning pin after striking with a diving headbutt before McMahon was about to enter the ring with a ref's top himself. It was a stellar end to the show I felt, with a memorable finale and an exciting match up. Good way to enter SummerSlam.

Overall it was a fun show for the most part, with a couple of strong match ups and the rest being decent enough, but nothing bad to speak of. My highlights were Wyatt's promo, the six-man tag bout and the main event. Now onto SummerSlam! Which has a pretty strong card, should be good.

My TNA Hardcore Justice, 15th August 2013 Recap

Kazarian bested Jeff Hardy, Austin Aries and AJ Styles to win a four-way Bound for Glory Series Ladder Match. It was an entertaining start to the special edition of Impact, and a smart choice to get the crowd going with exciting action from the get go. Every wrestler delivered here, but if I had to pick a standout performer I'd go with Aries.

Kaz managed to grab the twenty points with the help of his associates Bobby Roode and Christopher Daniels, with the former handing him an appletini to throw in Hardy's face on the way up the ladder and Roode preventing Hardy from climbing up moments before. 

Dixie Carter, accompanied by the Main Event Mafia (Sting, Samoa Joe, Magnus and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson) expressed her and the other men in the rings support for Kurt Angle, who after another drink driving incident recently has wisely entered into rehab.

Some members of Aces & 8s then joined the MEM, with Mr. Anderson cockily reminding them that they're currently a man down for their five on five contest next week, with whoever's pinned or submitted being terminated from TNA. Magus retorted by claiming that they won't struggle to find a replacement for Angle. Things inevitably turned ugly as Aces then beat down the Mafia unit, standing tall in the ring.

ODB beat Gail Kim and Mickie James (c) in a Hardcore Three Way to obtain the Knockouts Championship. The bout had enjoyable moments, and it was lively for the majority but it admittedly failed to leave the same impression as Kim and Terrell's stipulation match ups in the past. 

'Rampage' Jackson, along with Samoa Joe, came out and admitted that he was sad at the reaction of some of the MMA fans when he came to TNA, reminding them that he started out wrestling in high school and has always been a pro wrestling fan. He then went on to call out his future opponent in Bellator (which they mentioned more than once) Tito Ortiz and asked him to join the MEM. He was forced to do so after Sting failed to convince Aries to join them earlier.

But before Tito could answer Bully Ray marched out and boasted that if he didn't have a title match later he would've "beaten the piss" out of them. Bully's promo was the only entertaining part of the segment.  

Bobby Roode outdid Magnus, Samoa Joe and Mr. Anderson in a BFG Series Tables Match. It was a solid affair, with worthy efforts all round. It may not have been as enthralling as the opener but it was more well planned out and didn't feel so rushed. Much like the aforementioned match up the victor had some outside help in the form of Daniels and Kazarian, who aided Roode in powerbombing Magnus through a table.

Bully Ray pinned Chris Sabin (c) to obtain the TNA World Heavyweight Title in a Steel Cage Match. It was an engaging main event and superior to their first title clash, although unfortunately much like their last encounter it also had a finish that wasn't particularly satisfying at all. Mr. Anderson blocked off Sabin as he was about to escape through the door, so 'Rampage' and Ortiz came out to move the Aces VP along, only for Tito to then crack Jackson with a hammer. Bully then powerbombed his rival for the one-two-three and the strap.

I'm struggling to see the point of Sabin's title reign at all to be honest. It's always nice to see the hard working, talented wrestlers given their due, but his rise was not strong enough (unlike Aries' one last year) and his reign lasting less than a month isn't going to fill fans with real belief in him. But putting all that aside both men did a fine job in the main event.

Overall it was an eventful and fun show for the most part, despite an iffy end for myself. My highlights were the main event, Bully's mic work and the Ladder and Tables matches.