SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following was published in PWTorch.com five years ago this week…
KELLER’S WWE RAW REPORT
FEBRUARY 18, 2013
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
[Q1]
-The show opened with a video package on big happenings at Elimination Chamber including Jack Swagger winning the EC and The Rock retaining the WWE Title. The narrator said, “A lot can happen in one night.”
-John Cena made his full ring entrance as Michael Cole alongside Jerry Lawler introduced the show. He said a year ago they announced WrestleMania 29 would be in the shadows of New York City at Met Life Stadium. He said now it’s about more than the name of the event and city; now it’s about a line-up that has taken shape. He said they now know Alberto Del Rio will defend against Jack Swagger and The Rock will defend the WWE Title against him.
Punk didn’t like that. His music interrupted and he walked out with Paul Heyman. He asked Cena if he was sure that’s what going to happen at WrestleMania. He said that’s the easy way out, but he expects nothing less than him taking the easy way out. Punk said The Rock beat him last night fair and square “if you want to ignore the fact that I had him pinned for an 18 count and that right before then he struck a WWE official.” He said Rock should have been DQ’d and lost his title per the match stops.
Punk said when it comes to wins and losses, Cena has never defeated Punk. Cena said he’s not talking about wins and losses, he’s talking about WrestleMania. He said he earned that spot, so for once it’s not about Punk he’ll have to sit this one out. Punk asked, “What about me!”
(WK Reax: “What about me!” – Copyright Raven.)
Punk said Cena earned his WrestleMania trip by winning a circus match like the Rumble. “What, you strolled in around 25 and threw a couple ham and eggers over the top rope. “That is the biggest luck of the draw match I have ever heard of,” he said.
(WK Reax: “Ham and eggers” – Copyright Bobby Heenan.)
Punk said Rock vs. Cena is a re-run, and everyone knows the outcome – Rock beats Cena, because Cena can’t win the big one. Cena listened and then said it’s just like him to come out and air his grievances. He asked him what he wants him to do. Punk told him to just walk away. He said he has something that doesn’t belong to him, so turn around and leave WWE and get out of his life.
The crowd chanted “Cena! Cena!” Cena teased walking out of the ring, then walked back toward Punk and said, “No.” He said he admires his honesty. “You have a hell of a set of stones, and I bet if you sift through all the excuses and the b.s., there’s a half-way decent human being under there.” He said he has to be smart enough to know he won’t just hand over the golden ticket to WrestleMania.
He told Punk his points have some merit, though, because he hasn’t defeated him or The Rock. He said he understands why he has critics. He said they have a problem. Cena said Punk wants to go to WrestleMania, while he wants to shut up the critics. He said he has a solution. He won’t give him the golden ticket, but he’ll let him earn it. He said Cena vs. Punk and if he wins, Punk shuts up, but if Punk wins, then he’s right and he doesn’t deserve to be in the WM29 main event.
“You beat me in a match right here, right now, and I will give you my WrestleMania title shot… You talk business, I handle business. I say we do this right here, right now, and see who is traveling the road to WrestleMania!” Lawler said, “Oh my gosh” as Punk talked it over with Heyman.
Punk then told Cena he just made the stupidest decision of his life. He said he won’t do it here, though. The crowd booed. Punk said he’s going to do it on his terms. He said after he got screwed last night, he shouldn’t even be in this position, they’ll do it next week instead. He left the ring. Heyman smiled broadly and high-fived Punk, then said, “We got him!”
Cena said it’s official, next week they’re on. Cena said if he wants a week to rest, take it. He said next week he will beat him and at WrestleMania 29 he will beat The Rock and everyone will know “The Champ is Here!” Cole called it a gutsy move. Lawler said he thinks Cena may have lost his marbles.
(WK Reax: I’m a little shocked, but obviously pleased, that WWE has announced a major match for Raw a week ahead of time, something TNA had been good about for several weeks until last week’s show.)
-Lawler plugged a Rock title celebration later. Cole talked about the World’s Strongest Slams at the PPV and said Mark Henry was up next.
(WK Reax: I said one key thing missing after Rock won the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble was a title celebration of some sort. With his first successful title defense behind him, this is a good time to make up for that.)
[Q2] [c]
-The screen showed Thomas Jefferson with a quote that said, “One man with courage is a majority.”
-They went to Cole and Lawler at ringside. Cole mentioned Jefferson being famous for the Louisiana Purchase, and said they’re in the heart of cajun country tonight. Lawler said he doesn’t think anyone in the WWE Universe expected the Shield to win. Cole called it “a fervent, fierce, swarming assault by the Shield.”
(WK Reax: You gotta love when WWE writers go nuts with the prepared series of adjectives like that.)
-Backstage Matt Striker asked Sheamus about losing to Shield. Sheamus said they wanted to get revenge, but now he feels they let everyone down. Ryback paced in front of them. Sheamus was distracted and said he feels they let everybody down. He said they both lost that match and they have to adapt and overcome. He said Ryback is supposed to be a machine, “or are you just like everyone else says; are you a mindless neanderthal.” Ryback grabbed Sheamus and didn’t like that. A little boy walked up and stepped between them and told them to stop it. Oh, that’s Chris Jericho. He chopped their chests and said getting in each other’s faces doesn’t help matters. He said “we” have to do what it takes to save the company.
Jericho said he loves WWE and he’s never worked anywhere else since he first stepped into WWE’s doors in 1999 and he’ll never work anywhere else again. He said they have to stop the Shield and it has to start tonight. He said Vickie Guerrero brought him back to Raw because she knows what he brings to the table. He said she has to know the box office appeal of Sheamus & Ryback & Jericho vs. The Shield. He said if he talks to her, he can make it happen tonight. Sheamus said if he can make it happen, it’s a deal. Ryback said, “Done!” Sheamus and Ryback got in each other’s face. Ryback snorted and said, “Feed me Shield.” Sheamus got bug-eyed and smiled in approval. [c]
-Clips aired of Henry beating up Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio two weeks ago on Raw and then Great Khali last week on Raw. Cole talked about how Henry showed no remorse to anyone.
(1) Mark Henry beat Sin Cara in 2:00. Henry tossed Sin Cara to the mat and then stood on him. Lawler said this wasn’t a good time for anyone to be facing Henry. After smashing Sin Cara into the corner, Henry yelled, “That’s what I do!” Cole said Henry spent more than six months foaming at the mouth, frustrated, anticipating returning to WWE rings. Sin Cara recovered enough to surprise Henry with a kick to the head. He played to the crowd and threw another kick, but Henry caught him and gave him a running powerslam. Henry then gave Sin Cara the World’s Strongest Powerslam for the win.
-Henry shoved his hand over Sin Cara’s face afterward, then set up another World’s Strongest Slam. Great Khali’s music played and he marched to the ring, coming to Sin Cara’s defense. Cole said: “It’s the Mastodon meeting the Mammoth.” When Khali entered the ring, Henry bailed out. He smiled and said, “I had all of you I wanted.” He walked away. Khali danced a little to taunt him.
(Quotebook – Mark Henry: “If I wanted to dance, I’d get a date. That’s all you’re good for anyway, dancin’!”)
(WK Reax: I hope they have something better for Henry planned at WrestleMania than The Great Khali.)
-Lawler plugged a Cesaro vs. Miz title rematch, but with a no DQ stip added. Cole then broke news that Vickie did book the six-man tag Jericho asked for. [c…]
[Q3] […c]
-Another Fandango vignette aired. No camera bodyscans this week.
(2) The Miz beat Antonio Cesaro via tap out in a no-DQ match in 5:00. Miz tackled Cesaro when the bell rang, then clotheslined Cesaro over the top rope to the floor. Cole said Miz was DQ’d for a low blow that appeared to be accidental. He didn’t mention the “not accidental” low-blow that he delivered after being DQ’d. Cole said Cesaro believes Miz delivered the low blow on purpose and it was a sign of weakness in Miz. Cesaro reversed Miz into the ringside barrier, then rammed him shoulder-first into the ringpost.
Cesaro brought a chair into the ring and used it as leverage when applying an armbar. Lawler noted that Miz is left-handed and his left shoulder is hurt, so it’s all the more inhibiting for him. Cesaro then rammed Miz shoulder-first into a chair wedged in the corner. Cesaro yelled at Miz, then charged him in the corner. Miz caught him a boot to the chin, then via drop toe hold sent him into the chair, then applied the figure-four. Cesaro tapped out. It was a non-title match.
-They went to Cole and Lawler who talked about Swagger winning the Chamber. Lawler said with Zeb Colter by his side, Del Rio will have his hands full. Cole threw to a YouTube propaganda video by Zeb and Swagger available at www.YouTube.com/wethepeoplezeb
-The video played of Zeb saying somewhere along the way the land of opportunity has turned into a desert of despair. He said they’ve allowed greedy, selfish, criminal delinquents to cross the border and rob the great country of all its wealth. He said they drive across the border with 20 kids hanging out the windows and move into a single apartment and look for a handout, preying on the hospitality of Americans. He said it’s drained the country of its resources and productivity. Swagger said, “No more.” Zeb said if people want a handout, it’ll be a one-way ticket back to wherever they came from (i.e. either Mexico to Canada, the two countries you can drive from to enter the U.S.)
(WK Reax: The use of a high-def camera actually took away from the authenticity of the video.) [c]
-They showed a picture of Abraham Lincoln with a quote underneath: “You can fool all of the people some of the time…”
(WK Reax: I so hope later in the show they include President George W. Bush’s hilarious attempt to repeat that line.)
-Backstage Daniel Bryan walked up to Kane, who asked him “What?” Bryan said he doesn’t know if he feels comfortable teaming up with him after he punched him last night in the Chamber. He said he’s got a singles match later against Jack Swagger, and he doesn’t want him coming out with him. Kane said maybe he’ll go to Vickie and request a singles match of his own and he doesn’t want him coming out with him. Kane said he better be a man of his word because he doesn’t deal well with snakes.
Orton, who happened to be standing behind Kane, asked if someone was talking about him. Kane said they slither around on the ground and can’t be trusted, and if one gets too close, he stomps on them with his boot. Orton said Kane a lot less intimidating now that he’s traded in his piledrivers and chokeslams for group therapy sessions and hugs. He said he’s not the Big Red Monster anymore, he more like Barney the Dinosaur. Bryan laughed and said, “That’s really funny!”
[Q4]
-Vickie was on the phone talking to someone who said there are big surprises planned for her show. She said “thank you” a few times and seemed delighted. Heyman walked up and asked if she summoned him. She said those stips Heyman came up with last week were so good Rock beat Punk and retained his title. Vickie said she has great news that will dramatically affect his whole career. Vickie said she will tell him in the ring. Heyman said, “Oh, how I like overdramatic women. Vickie, I don’t like surprises.” She giggled and said, “I know.”
-Dolph Ziggler, Big E. Langston, and A.J. Lee made their ring entrance. [c]
-Ricardo Rodrigues introduced Alberto Del Rio, bragging up his win at Elimination Chamber.
(WK Reax: This match deserved some hype ahead of time. Any time the World Champion is scheduled to wrestle, the announcers should make a big deal out of it ahead of time just out of reverence for the title belt. But Del Rio vs. Ziggler is a big match to put on TV.)
(3) Alberto Del Rio (w/Ricardo Rodrigues) beat Dolph Ziggler (w/Big E. Langston, A.J. Lee) in 10:00.
Ziggler opened with a nice standing dropkick. Del Rio came back with an enzuigiri. They cut to a very early break at 1:00.
(WK Reax: They went to the early break here to avoid being at commercial at the start of the second hour since they were cutting it close.) [c]
Ziggler was in control after the break. Big E. took a cheapshot at Del Rio which led to a two count. They showed Swagger and Zeb watching the match on a monitor backstage, standing to the side of the monitor looking at it from a 90 degree angle like all people do when watching TV.
(WK Reax: The effect would be better if they showed them watching TV like people actually watch TV – straight on. Just film them from an angle or even behind. It would feel more authentic and everyone would still get what’s going on. It’s so cheesy the way they do that.)
[Q5]
Del Rio superplex Ziggler off the top rope, but Ziggler was facing the opposite direction as usual so he landed on the front of his body instead of the back. He then took Ziggler down with two clotheslines and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Then he hit a super kick when Ziggler was on his knees. Ziggler kicked out at two-and-a-half. Del Rio dropkicked Big E. off the ring apron, then Ziggler tried to attack Del Rio from behind. Del Rio countered with a sudden cross armbreaker for the tap out win.
(WK Reax: Good match-up to make Del Rio look good, because Ziggler specializes in making his opponents look two levels better than other opponents do.)
Afterward Big E. gave Del Rio his finisher. Then he yelled, “It’s over for you! It’s over for you!” Ziggler looked around and saw Del Rio was KO’d in the ring. He grabbed his briefcase and told the ref he was going to cash it in, but Ricardo yanked it away from him and ran to the back. That gave Del Rio time to recover. Big E. chased Ricardo to the back, and Ricardo dropped the briefcase on the ramp. A.J. ran it back to Ziggler. Del Rio then kicked Ziggler in the side of the head and kicked the briefcase out of the ring. Del Rio celebrated, holding his title high in the ring.
-Cole plugged Rock’s title celebration was coming up later. Lawler plugged Kane vs. Orton had been booked for tonight. [c]
-WWE Fact: WWE Smackdown has aired more original episodes than CSI: Miami and CSI: New York combined. (Torch Fact: The PWTorch Newsletter has published more weekly newsletters than Smackdown, CSI: Miami, and CSI: New York combined.)
-Wade Barrett stood mid-ring and plugged his role in a new movie, “Dead Man Down,” coming out next month. He said he’s about to conquer Hollywood.
(WK Reax: It’s one of those trailers where by the time it’s over, you feel like you’ve seen the movie.)
Sheamus jumped in afterward and asked what the story is. He said Barrett obviously isn’t the star of that movie, his friend Colin Farrell is. He said it’s a brilliant film, mainly because he doesn’t speak a word in it. Sheamus said they were now out of time. Barrett whined that Shemaus ruined his special moment.
(WK Reax: That was awkward. I was expecting Barrett to throw a fit because the trailer didn’t show him at all, and instead he was all smiles and seemed okay with it. The Sheamus humor, as often is the case, fell flat.)
-They went to Cole and Lawler who played with new action figures that move and fight each other.
[Q6]
(4) Brodus Clay & Tensai & Naomi (w/Cameron) beat Epico & Primo & Rosa Mendez in 2:00. Primo and Epico’s music interrupted Clay and Tensai dancing their way to the ring. Tensai and Clay double splashed Primo for a quick and easy win.
(Quotebook – Jerry Lawler: “You know what kind of music Tensai likes to listen to, don’t you? Wok & Roll!”)
Tensai and Clay then danced. Cole called them the “Dancing Bears.” Lawler asked the WWE Universe to Tweet what that looks like to them.
-Cole and Lawler threw to the press conference earlier in the day where WWE announced that the SuperDome in New Orleans, La. will host WrestleMania 30 on Apr. 6, 2014. Vince McMahon was present and said there is no town that represents a celebration like New Orleans. They showed Stephanie, The Rock, and Cena speaking about it. Cena promised a celebration “worthy of this great city.” [c]
-A commercial for Smackdown advertised that they’d reveal who won the World Title match.
(WK Reax: Oh man, they’re making us all wait until Friday to find out!?) [c]
-They showed a picture of Harry S. Truman and the quote: “The Buck Stops Here.”
-Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter stood in the ring behind a podium. Swagger said last night is what happens when you live with dignity, respect, and patriotism. He said last night he not only conquered the Elimination Chamber, but put the weight of the nation on his and Zeb’s shoulders. They showed Ricardo and Del Rio watching on a monitor backstage. Swagger said tonight is about the State of the Union, and only one man is wise and brave and honest enough to deliver it, Zeb Colter, a great man and a great American.
(WK Reax: Zeb is hitting the right tone with this gimmick, whether you like it or not. He totally fits the part he’s playing.)
Zeb said the people may not like his opinion, but exercising their First Amendment Rights is what Real Americans do. He said, “The state of our union is pathetic.” He then blamed the millions of people living in the U.S. illegally. He said the World Title match at WrestleMania is more than a title match, it’s a battle for the heart and soul of this country. “On one side you have a patriot, a real American by the name of Jack Swagger.” He then made fun of Del Rio’s name and said he only came to this country to “reap the rewards of our mother land.” He predicted that Swagger will accomplish two goals – win the World Hvt. Title and reclaim America. Swagger closed by yelling over and over “We the People! We the People!”
Then Bryan’s entrance began. Lawler said those are pretty inflammatory remarks disguised as a state of the union address. Cole said they were using their First Amendment Rights to their fullest tonight.
[Q7] [c]
(5) Jack Swagger (w/Zeb Colter) beat Daniel Bryan in 9:00. They joined the match in progress after the break. Cole and Lawler joked about who was sending fan mail to Zeb and Swagger. Lawler said Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. Cole said Alex Jones.
(WK Reax: I’m still trying to figure out what Vince McMahon is up to here. As a Republican supporter, is he trying to take out his frustration with the party as it relates to supporting his wife for her Senate campaign by making fun of the bigger figures who say similar things as Zeb? Is he trying to help the Republican party by portraying the “far right” as “nut jobs” who are worthy of booing? Is he trying to attract fans to come out and cheer Zeb, going against the announcers reacting to them as extremists. I’m not sure at all right now.)
At 6:00 Bryan dove through the ropes at Swagger. Lawler called it a “goat-like headbutt.” Then he landed a top rope dropkick for a near fall. Bryan threw a series of roundkicks, but Swagger eventually blocked one and powerslammed him on his taped ribs. Bryan went for a sudden No Lock. Swagger put his foot over the bottom rope to force a break. Bryan charged the corner, but Swagger moved. Swagger then worked on Bryan’s leg and then applied the Patriot Lock for the win.
-They showed Heyman sauntering toward the entrance tunnel to find out Vickie’s surprise. [c]
[Q8]
-The WrestleMania 29 video aired. It’s 48 days away.
-Vickie stood in the ring with Heyman pacing behind her. She said, of course, “Excuse me! Excuse me!” She said her announcement could change his career and his life. He said, “Then get to it.” She said she would be naming a new assistant for herself. She announced that the assistant to the managing supervisor of Monday Night Raw is Brad Maddox. He walked out and said this is a reward for his loyalty and services to the company. As Vickie and Maddox tried to get their titles for him to match precisely, Heyman asked, “Is this my cue to vomit. I mean, come on!” Heyman said he doesn’t care what either of them have to say. As he was about to leave, Vince McMahon appeared on the TitanTron.
McMahon said that’s not Heyman’s surprise. Heyman said, “And what a pleasant surprise it is.” He then said McMahon looks fantastic. McMahon told him to close his mouth because when it’s open, he’s lying. McMahon asked him about the agreement they made last week regarding a special added stip for Punk’s rematch against Rock. Heyman said out of the goodness of his heart, he granted them the special stip. McMahon told Heyman everyone knows he doesn’t have a heart, but if he did it would be black and cold.
A replay aired of Heyman saying he’d give anything if he granted him his stipulation. Heyman said when he’s confronted with the videotape, of course he’ll tell the truth. McMahon said he’s incapable of telling the truth. McMahon said he could fire him right now. He said firing him is too good for him. He said he’s only two weeks removed from hip surgery thanks to him and Lesnar. As Heyman began to stammer, McMahon told him, “Shut your mouth.” McMahon said next week he’ll walk to the ring on crutches and they will have a fight. Heyman dropped the mic in fear. McMahon leaned into the camera lens as Heyman rubbed his face with concern. Lawler said Heyman shouldn’t look so scared because it really will be a handicapped fight since McMahon is only three weeks removed from hip surgery.
-Lawler plugged the six-man tag main event. [c]
-WWE Fact: WWE Raw last Monday was watched by more viewers than both College Basketball games on ESPN combined. (PWTorch Fact: More people will listen to Jason Powell and me discuss Raw on the Tuesday PWTorch Livecast than attended Raw in person this week.)
-They replayed Cena challenging Punk to a match this week, and Punk punting to next week.
[Q9]
(6) The Shield beat Ryback & Sheamus & Chris Jericho in 15:00. Ryback opened the match and was uncontrollable as he threw Seth Rollins into the corner and charged shoulder-first into him over and over as the ref warned him to back off. Jericho told Ryback, “You gotta follow the rules, man.” Jericho tagged in against Dean Ambrose next. Cole said Ambrose is slightly off, fearless, and unpredictable. Ambrose caught Jericho with a knee to the gut and then slapped him. Jericho fought back and then tagged in Sheamus. Ambrose rolled to his corner and tagged in Roman Reigns. Sheamus got the better of Reigns including delivering White Noise, then set up a Brogue Kick at 4:00. As he pounded his chest, Rollins yanked Reigns to the floor. So Sheamus knocked Ambrose off the ring apron with a Brogue Kick. They cut to a break as The Shield regrouped at ringside. [c]
Back live The Shield had regained control, with Reigns having Sheamus grounded. Rollins tagged in and they picked up the pace of their offense, with Cole noting the frantic action. At 9:00 Sheamus kicked Reigns and took him down with a clothesline. He then crawled to his corner and tagged Ryback. Ryback charged in and intensely went after Rollins. A loud “Feed me more!” chant broke out. Ryback gave him a Meat Hook, then lifted him for Shell Shock. As Ambrose and Jericho distracted the ref, Reigns charged in and speared Ryback. Rollins landed on top of Ryback. Ryback kicked out with such force, Rollins flew into the ref as he was counting.
[Q10]
Lawler said the way the Shield wrestle, it’s like there’s three of them in the ring at one time. Ryback took a beating for a few minutes, but then hot-tagged Jericho at 14:00. Jericho and Ambrose battled back and forth at a high pace as Reigns and Ryback brawled at ringside. Jericho put the Walls of Jericho on Ambrose. Sheamus cut off Reigns as he tried to interfere. Rollins, though, leaped off the top rope with a flying knee to Jericho’s skull. Ambrose made the cover and the ref counted to three. Cole wondered if there was any way to stop them. [c]
-They showed a portrait of President Kennedy with his quote underneath: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
-Damien Sandow walked to the ring and lectured the fans about Presidents Day. He said it is common knowledge that several members of the Sandow family served as personal advisors to the President. He said one came up with the concept of the New Deal which propelled President Roosevelt to greatness. He asked the nitwits in the crowd to remain silent and allow him to save them from the doldrums of their won self-imposed ignorance. “You’re welcome,” he concluded.
(7) Damien Sandow vs. Kofi Kingston. Sandow jumped Kofi before the bell and before he took his robe off. Sandow beat and stomped on Kingston, then threw him into the ringpost. As he drove knee after knee into Kofi’s chin, R-Truth charged out and made the save. Truth clotheslined Sandow over the top rope. Sandow retreated as Kofi thanked Truth in the ring.
-Josh Mathews interviewed Rock’s co-stars in the latest G.I. Joe movie, D.J. Cotrona and Adrianne Palicki. Josh then threw to brief highlights from the movie.
[Q7] [c]
-A Fandango vignette aired.
-As Orton made his entrance, Cole plugged tickets going on sale for Extreme Rules. Lawler said he can’t wait for Fandango to get to WWE. Cole said maybe he can get some dancing lessons because his wife is always upset that he doesn’t dance well.
(8) Randy Orton pinned Kane in 8:00. At 1:00 Kane knocked Orton off the top rope with an uppercut, then they cut to a very early break. [c]
They fought back and forth after the break. Kane blocked a second rope DDT at 8:00. Kane signaled for the chokeslam, but Bryan walked out and distracted him. Orton then hit the RKO for the win. Lawler said Bryan came out to distract his partner.
[Q12] [c]
-They had a marching band on the stage from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. As they played, Lawler chuckled and said, “What in the world?” They marched down the ramp and lined up on either side of it. Then Rock’s music kicked in and the band played along to his song. He carried the gaudy spinner belt (not spinning anymore) with him.
After soaking up some “Rocky!” chants, Rock took the mic and addressed Punk immediately. He said when Punk spit in his face, he showed the world what a walking piece of human garbage he is. He said two PPVs in a row, he beat his ass 1-2-3. He then went into his schtick and said, “Finally, the Rock has come back to Lafayette!” More “Rocky!” chants.
He said he’s going to WrestleMania as WWE Champion, but he’s not going with “this.” He held out the WWE belt. He said he was born in this business and has deep respect for the WWE Championship. He said when that title belt was unveiled eight years ago by “a certain WWE Superstar, one of the greatest of all-time,” he said it worked. He said some people thought the title was cool. He said there were also some people who believe in Bigfoot. He said the bottom line, to him, the WWE Title should “never look like a toy” and it should “never, ever spin.” He handed it to a worker at ringside and told him to bring it to the back and make sure it goes to the Hall of Fame.
He said when you see the WWE Title, whether you’re a fan watching for the first time or a Superstar competing for it, it should inspire you and it should be worthy to be worn around the waste of the great men who wore in the past who paved the way. He mentioned Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
(WK Reax: Each wrestler got a bigger pop than the previous name. Bret getting a bigger pop than Hulk will be something he will make note of. Hogan will be bothered by that, too, I suspect.)
He then unveiled the new WWE Championship which was under a red cloth on a table mid-ring. It was still pretty bling-y with a big “W” logo in the middle and “Champion” written underneath it. The side panels had Brahma Bulls. He said he wanted to create something that was timeless, prestigious, and “beyond all else, we have to make something that’s just flat out badass.” He put the belt over his shoulder.
(WK Reax: Thumbs up overall, but the Brahma Bull on the side makes it “Rock’s Belt” instead of “WWE’s Belt.” I can understand a nameplate, which is easily and clearly something that can be interchanged, but the Brahma Bull on the side panels doesn’t make that belt seem “timeless” at all. Let’s get one belt that looks great, truly is timeless, and one generation after another can have as a representation of the current top champion. And then in 15 years the champion will be wearing the same belt Rock was wearing and Cena wore and Punk wore, etc.)
[Q13]
He asked the crowd whom they think he will face at WrestleMania – Punk or Cena. He said there is one man who brings out the very best in The Rock. He said for professional and personal reasons, that man is… and before he could say it, John Cena’s music interrupted.
Cena walked onto the stage. Before he could say anything, Punk hit him from behind with the old spinner belt (that feels good to type). With Cena down, Punk just stared at Rock. Rock stared back. Punk walked away. The show ended there.
NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS 5 YEARS AGO FLASHBACK: 10 YRS AGO – WWE in Los Angeles, Calif. (2-16-08): Michaels & Triple H in main event against team you’d never guess, plus Jericho, Cody, Hardy, Flair, Mickie, Orton, Snitsky
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