WWE Monday Night RAW 08/19/13

First off this show comes on the heels of one of the most important PPV's of the year. SummerSlam saw Daniel Bryan pin John Cena clean in the middle of the ring in a ****1/2 technical wrestling clinic, however Triple H turned on Bryan and allowed Randy Orton to cash in the Money in the Bank contract to win the title. This was a well thought out, well planned angle that will give Daniel Bryan a lot of motivation to chase Orton and his title. I have high hopes the WWE does right with this angle, but I had high hopes for "The Summer of Punk" in 2011 and they dropped the ball with it. Speaking of Punk he lost an incredible ****3/4 match to Brock Lesnar due to his inability to keep his focus off of Paul Heyman. This could prove to be an important episode of RAW, though we will see if the events of last night give the company some new legs.

Live from Anaheim, CA

-John Cena comes out for some mic time basically giving a farewell to the fans while putting over Daniel Bryan as the better man. He shows the massive ball of fluid on his elbow, which is the result of a torn tricep and it looked disgusting, and will keep out 4-6 months. In an odd moment Cena calls out Bryan only to shake his hand, give him the mic and leave. No banter no nothing, which is unlike Cena. I guess he said his peace and is gone until he heals. Stephanie McMahon comes out to put the corporate spin on recent events. Daniel Bryan says that no one can take his passion away and if he is going to be fired he is going to go out with a bang. Stephanie comes back saying they don't want to fire him but not everyone is championship material and calls him a B+. This obviously pisses Bryan off and he knocks the mic from her hand and out of the ring. She grabs another from ringside and starts talking down to Bryan almost like a child and calls security to haul him away. Stephanie was awesome here as the bitchy executive. When Bryan turned around after being lead away to lead a No chant as an act of defiance, she gave an awesome facial. This entire thing was amazing.

Damien Sandow vs Cody Rhodes

These two proceed to have a match. I like Sandow better than Rhodes but neither are lighting the world on fire. Sandow blocked the Cross Rhodes that beat him last night but lost to, of all things, a sunset flip. I guess the story is that Rhodes has Sandow's number. After the match Rhodes claims he should be the #1 Contender because he beat a Money in the Bank holder twice, which is rediculous on a number of levels. First Rhodes is still not over enough to challenge for the title, he really needs more grooming. Second, when does beating the MITB holder make you a contender? Ziggler lost all the time while holding the case and no one got a title shot as a result. This claim was absurd.

-Brad Maddox was sheepishly smiling backstage and announced that due to Dolph Ziggler's tweet where he criticized HHH, Ziggler will be wrestling a 3 on 1 handicap match against The Shield tonight. One interesting part of this show will be who aligns themselves with whom. So far Maddox is in the HHH camp to keep his GM job, and obviously Stephanie sides with her husband. On the other side we have Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler. At this point I am not sure if The Shield sides with HHH or are just pawns in the story.

-Paul Hayman is in the ring as we come back from break. He cuts a disingenuous promo about forgiving Punk and wanting to be the best in the world with him. He wants to end the family feud and help Punk gets to the main event of Wrestlemania. If only Punk apologizes to him.

-The Bellas tell the Funkadaktles they hope their match is more interesting then their involvement on Total Divas. Cameron completely annoys me.

The Funkadaklyles vs Layla & AJ Lee

AJ and Naomi have an okay match then Layla tags in and immediately gets rolled up for the pin. Then gives the worst shocked face I have ever seen. Just bad, I expect better from Layla.

Dolph Ziggler vs The Shield

We get a more competitive match than this had any right to be considering the odds. Ziggler was overwhelmed and lost to an awesome Reins spear. After the match all three dismantle Ziggler and do a triple powerbomb which might have been a good strategy during the match to end it faster. All's well that ends well for The Shield I guess.

Alberto Del Rio vs Sin Cara

This was complete angle and didn't last more than a minute. Sin Cara went for a dive and "landed on his wrist". In the replay he does not land in such a way to hurt anything. As soon as he landed he signaled to the ref for help. Just an odd waste of time. After the match he cuts another promo about being the representative for the Latino community. He actually gets cheers for this even though it seems very backhanded and halfhearted. Ricardo comes out to a nice pop and says Del Rio is a hero to no one. Ricardo is still a manager now managing Rob Van Dam. RVD sprints in and destroys the World Champion and is in position for the 5-star frog splash when Del Rio bails. RVD and Ricardo are an odd paring but I like Ricardo so more Ricardo is good.

The Real Americans vs Prime Time Players

Zeb Colter's pre-match promo included saying the best thing about America is seeing LAX fade away from the plane. We The People is the most over heel catchphrase in the company. The Prime Time Players picked up a huge win that may give them a shot at the tag titles. Darrin Young got the pin with a gut buster named (of all things) The Gut Check. Take that TNA! Match was pretty good as any match with the Real Americans would be. 

-Big show is interviewed backstage, and confirms he and Mark Henry will go after the tag titles. Sleezy Brad Maddox interrupts as apparently Big Show made some Negative remarks about the COO Triple H and Show will be wrestling The Shield in a handicap match with all three members of The Shield being legal. Show awesomely states "Are you sure you want to do that to The Shield". This confirms that The Shield lies on the corporate end of things. Big Show and by proxy Mark Henry are on the face side. So far this angle is building well.

-To show just how far Zack Ryder and Justin Gabriel have fallen their involvement on this show consists of listening to a Foot Locker rep explain the rules of a contest and then leave. Fandango dances in asks about dancing in sneakers. He says "I like this Foot Locker" then dances away. He SO sounded like Steven Segal here.

-The great bully Ryback proceeds to tell a jobber to do something then ask him why he is doing that. The jobbers bag ends up in the shower where he slaps the hell out of him before making him flood his bag. I actually want to see Ryback get killed for these segments, so I assume they work.

Big Show vs The Shield

As far as handicap matches go, this was pretty good. The Shield needed teamwork to get the win due to Show's size. Seth Rollins looked to have hurt his knee as he held it several times during the match. Reins got a nice spear on Showand the triple powerbomb finished Show off. I am dissapointed that Big Show didn't try to knock some one or two of The Shield out. You would think that would be a great strategy but the WMD was never used.

-CM Punk comes out to respond to Heyman and it was golden. After last night Punk has a major badass rep that the WWE is apparently,wetting run wild. Very very early in the promo one guy dares to boo Punk and gets kitty up verbally from him. Punk was starting up a slower methodic promo when this guy started booing. His boos could be heard on television and Punk's response to "the fat guy in the front row" really put over how pissed off Punk is and how much little things get to him moreso now than ever before. No idea if this was a shoot or work but it included Punk saying balls and bitch which were edited for TV but got MAJOR pops. Punk wants the Wrestlemania main event and the title then Heyman comes out with Curtis Axel. Punk wishes he could have taken Heyman's arm home with him. Heyman responded with appologizing for what is about to happen to Punk. Axel is going to fight Punk after the commercial break. This segment was amazing......just amazing

CM Punk vs Curtis Axel - Unsanctioned Street Fight

This was a good fight. JBL put over how hurt Punk is from last night and shouldn't be wrestling at all. Punk kept going towards Heyman but never paid for it like he did in the last month. Axel hurts Punks leg and almost Pillmanizes him. Punk gets the "win" after a GTS using the stairs instead of his knee.

Bray Wyatt vs R-Truth

This was a complete squash to show off Wyatt to the RAW audience. Nothing of note happens but Wyatt finishes Truth off with his finisher.

The Usos vs 3MB

These two teams wrestled a good match. The Usos got the win after a top rope splash. This match includes a tag from a plancha and an awesome one legged hoping enzaguri. 3MB even got a chant from the crowd. Was not sure if this was from boredom (which it shouldn't have been) or that maybe 3MB has gotten over with a segment of the crowd. It was a true dueling Usos/3MB chant.

The Miz vs Wade Barrett

Poor Barrett is in a bad spot as he seemingly jobs for everyone. Losing to Daniel Bryan in a great Smackdown match was one thing but losing to Tbe Miz is a different animal. This is a needless match with 15 minutes left in the show's timeslot. A pointless match that Fandango interferes in to get Barrett disqualified. No point.

-Backstage Maddox informs Stephanie that security has informed him that Daniel Bryan is back in the building which got a monster pop.

-Stephanie and Vince are in the ring when we come back and every WWE superstar is on the stage, with TripleH coming down the aisle. Triple H's promo was a little rambling but the gist is that HHH didn't want to do the turn last night but it was good for business and ensuring the legacy of the WEE for generations to come. An overachieving B+ Bryan was not as good a champion as A+ Orton. HHH described Orton as a lump of coal turned into a diamond. I should note that The Shield was standing ringside guarding the aisle way. Orton hugs the McMahons and thanks them. HHH invites Bryan to come down. The Shield attacks Bryan as he comes down. HHH lets Bryan crawl into the ring, even mentioning Fighting Spirit, and as he gets in Orton RKO's Bryan. 

RAW was good and the WWE is building something great but they certainly did not give Bryan a platform at the end. He was utterly dominated by the numbers (8-1) and never had a chance. The WWE has a direction that feels fresh with Cena on the sidelines and Bryan/Punk taking over the too two spots while going in completely different directions. It is nice to be excited about the WWE product again.

Why I Love Professional Wrestling 4

Eddie Gilbert & Tommy Rich: The Tag Team of the Year (Memphis 1984)

We get a great capsule of The Eddie Gilbert and Tommy Rich feud. First we see the ceremony for Rich and Gilbert to receive the Tag Team of the Year award, sadly the team is no more and they have a bloody brawl in the studio after Gilbert is too good for the local Memohis fans after he has won the International title and is elsewhere defending it. After the initial brawl Gilbert makes up with Rich then attacks him. Just a crazy angle not to be repeated in today's wrestling environment. Next we get a clip of Gilbert running in to cost Rich a match behind the referee's back. This looked like a crazy feud that I wish I was able to see the blowoff of. It is stuff like this that made Memphis so awesome.

Sergio El Hermoso, Bello Greco & Rudy Reyna vs Solar I, Ultraman, Super Astros (UWA 2/84)

I can't say I know much about Lucha Libre, fact is it usually confuses me to the point of giving up on it completely. I have done enough research to understand The different components of Lucha but can never seem to put it together when watching matches. The wrestlers in this match give a fantastic performance while delivering a good story. Los Exoticos (El Hermoso/Greco/Reyna) are extremely flamboyant characters facing lichadors, who are the embodiment of everything good in Mexico. This match has everything from great ground grappling to comedy to dives into the crowd. The Luchadors win in an extremely entertaining match that has me wanting to watch more Lucha.

Jerry Blackwell vs Blackjack Mulligan (JCP 1978)

Though I have seen very little of either of these wrestlers, I know Jerry Blackwell is a big fat monster and Mulligan is a big Texan. Jerry Blackwell breaks the boring slow big man stereotype by going out and dominating Mulligan with interesting offense. Blackwell threw some stiff forearms to take a quick advantage. Jerry's greatest offensive weapon is his size which he used for a bulk of the match, he even broke out a splash from the bottom rope. Mulligan got the win with his great claw finisher that just wore down and finally outlasted Blackwell. This was a fantastic television match.

Roddy Piper Interviews (Al Tomko's All-Star Wrestling 1979?)

This was four interviews Piper had in the Vancouver and, as expected, all are top notch but I was to focus in on the last interview. Piper is hyping a future cage match between he and Rick Martel against the Sheephearders. To hype the match he takes an unopened beer bottle and smashes it over his head then gives an emotion driven promo while blood and beer roll down his face. His line about the $45,000 difference between winning and losing was a highlight. Piper is much more than what we got in WWF and WCW and his 70s and early 80s stuff is worth tracking down.

Why I Love Professional Wrestling 3

Buddy Landel: Smooth Operator (JCP 1985)

If this isn't a reason to love pro wrestling, nothing is. The segment is about JJ Dillon prepping Buddy Landel for his match with Ric Flair by analyzing tape on Flair. JJ even says "He is not infallible", Landel shrugs all of it off in his overconfidence. This is when the awesomeness explodes. Smooth Operator starts playing, and much to JJ's dismay, Landell goes on the town with two ladies. JJ follows him and just shakes his head. It is a harmless fun segment that I wish were still around in wrestling today. I do not know where this was leading but based on the time period I wonder if this leads to JJ turning on Landel to manage Flair and start The Four Horsemen. However, that is just speculation on my part.

The Year That Was 1996 - Part 4

Please note that with this part I will start rating all matches shown in full.

Tommy Rich & Doug Gilbert + PG-13 Feud Recap (USWA 1/6/96)
We start with clips of PG-13 winning a Texas Death Match with The Rock and Roll Express. Jessie James Armstrong. and Tracy Smothers attack PG-13 after the match. Tommy Rich and Doug Gilbert have words with PG-13 after Rich was inadvertently punched by Wolfie D and this brings about some wild southern brawling. The USWA sets up a round robin tag tournament with the winner facing WWF Tag champs The Smoking Gunns. There is also some prior history between Rich/Gilbert and PG-13. This involves the teams trading wins (Rich/Gilbert through cheating and PG-13 stealing a win with a schoolboy rollup), in the rubber match Rich and Gilbert cheat to win the tag belts. I must mention these two teams had a great brawl all over the studio, something that is missing in today's wrestling. Rich/Gilbert spray a chemical in Wolfie D's eye and PG-13 retaliates by hitting Rich's left arm with a baseball bat. There is so much here, what a feud they have built. There's more, Rich beats Wolfie D in a hair vs hair match by having Gilbert run in with an ether soaked towel to know out D. Wolfie D does a complete Jimmy Valiant with his facial expressions during the shaving. PG-13 them win the tag titles from Gilbert and Rich in a cage match only to be piledriven through a table. I will also mention that the cage they had this match in surrounds the ringside area ala Hell in a Cell, Vince steals ideas from everyone. Fast forward to the current date and they confront each other over their past and another wild brawl ensues.

Tommy Rich & Eddie Gilbert vs. PG-13 - USWA Tag Team Championship (USWA 1/6/96) [**3/4]
We get a good TV match that had a good flow but lacked the psychology I love. There wasn't a lot of wrestling here but more along the lines of southern brawling. PG-13 wins the titles after Gilbert mistimes a punch with a chain wrapped fist and nails his partner. The story got across that Doug Gilbert isn't all in with Rich and there is some developing friction between the two.

HBK Press Conference (RAW 1/8/96)
Against doctors orders Shawn declares his intent to enter the Royal Rumble. He claims he will win the title at Wrestlemania and be the champion to being the WWF into the new millennium. How wrong he would be as he would be temporarily out of wrestling in a little over 2 years. Scheme Gene says that he has another name entering the Rumble but you will have to call the hotline to find out who it is. Jim Ross goads the information out of him and Gene says its Vader Time. The Scheme Gene stuff was actually good here, not as offensive as it would later become.

Brother Love Show: Steve Austin & Ted DiBiase (RAW 1/8/96)
This was the Ringmaster, where he states his intentions to win the Rumble, and go on to win the title. The gimmick isn't horrible but it is not suited for Austin. He is pretty much in Stunning form here as opposed to the Stone Cold he would be by May. Besides being officially crowned the million dollar champion, there wasn't much of substance here.

Billionaire Ted Skit (RAW 1/8/96)
This is where we start really getting some underhandedness from these skits. What is inferred here is that the WCW wrestlers do not undergo drug tests and are roided freaks. They attack WCW's brad of wrastlin' as not believable and these skits are horrible on many levels.