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The following report originally published 10 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
KELLER’S WWE RAW REPORT
JULY 21, 2014
MIAMI, FLA.
LIVE ON USA NETWORK
[Hour One]
-They opened with Michael Cole introducing the show as Triple H made his way to the ring. Cole said John Cena retained his WWE World Title last night in “an awesome Fatal Four-way.” They went to Cole, JBL, and Jerry Lawler at ringside. Cole said Triple H will reveal Cena’s SummerSlam opponent later in the show.
Triple H said from center-ring that all day he’s been walking around backstage and no one wants to look him in the eye, scared that he might blow a gasket over last night’s happenings. He admitted that he’s very mad, but he has options on how he handles it. He said he’s going to Tweet his displeasure. The crowd laughed. He said he’s going to Tweet about it until his fingers bleed “and I might even send an Instagram or a Vine.” He said he is going to threaten that if he doesn’t get what he wants, he’s going to riot, and if that doesn’t work, “then by god, me and my friend Mark are going to stop watching.”
(WK Reax: What was that about? Is he mocking fans upset with the lack of an official Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose match the night before, expressing themselves on social media?)
He said in reality, he will do what he always does – win. He said he doesn’t mind waiting four weeks, and he can guarantee that in four weeks, Cena will no longer be the World Hvt. Champion. He said the question is who gets the opportunity. Out walked Randy Orton, who asked, “Are we really talking about this? What about me and my rematch?” He said he’s owed a one-on-one rematch since WrestleMania. He said it’s “damn true” and he’s owed it. He rolled through his lines super-fast as if he was being timed. He said he’ll beat Cena at SummerSlam. Triple H said he appreciates his confidence and he makes a good argument. He said he’s the front-runner, but he hasn’t made up his mind. He said the entire roster has the opportunity to convince him. He said he wants somebody to impress him and go the extra mile.
Orton said if Kane had done his duty last night, he’d be standing in the ring before him with those titles around his waist. “Surely, you’re not considering Kane?” he said, at which point the pyro blasted and out walked Kane. Kane entered the ring and said he hopes he is being considered because he knows he can beat Cena so long as he’s not acting as Orton’s protector. “I am tired of babysitting,” he said.
Then out came Roman Reigns through the crowd. Cole said Reigns said after last night’s match that he’s going to begin a new gameplan now. Reigns stood on the ring apron and said if there’s going to be a conversation about the WWE World Hvt. Championship contendership , his name belongs in it. He said last time he checked, nobody wants to see Cena vs. Kane and “don’t nobody want to see Randy Orton against John Cena again.” He said it seems to him everyone wants to see Cena face him.
(WK Reax: Why would Reigns be scripted to make his argument about deserving a title shot based on what fans think is the most “entertaining” or “novel” or “cool” match-up? Isn’t the presupposition that the whole pro wrestling narrative depends on as its foundation that wrestlers win matches and earn title shots based on being most likely to win, not because the most people want to see them fight the champion? It’s just so screwy that WWE’s top people can’t keep a straight sensible narrative going within a show.)
Reigns walked into the ring, said “Believe that,” and then took Kane down with a Superman punch. Orton bailed out. Triple H ordered Reigns vs. Kane & Orton right now. [c]
(1) ROMAN REIGNS vs. KANE & RANDY ORTON
Reigns opened up against Orton. Orton tagged out to Kane a minute in. JBL claimed that if Reigns impressed Triple H, he’s a fair man and he’d give Reigns the title shot. He said if Zack Ryder impressed him, he’d give him a title shot. Lawler said: “Reigns could walk on water and all Triple H would say is, “Look, Reigns can’t swim.’” At ringside at 3:00 Reigns reversed Kane into the ringside steps. They cut to a break. [c]
Back from the break, Reigns was elbowing his way out of an Orton side headlock. Cole said, “The numbers game starting to wear down the juggernaut.” So Reigns’s official Corporate Nickname is now “The Juggernaut” (a la Orton being “The Viper” Kane being “The Big Red Monster”). Cole said a hashtag was going around on Twitter saying #RomanEmpireHasBegun. Kane managed to drop Reigns with a boot to the face, then he reached for a tag to Orton. Orton pulled his arm away. Kane grabbed Orton by the throat. Reigns surprised Kane with a Superman punch and then a spear for the pin.
WINNER: Reigns at 12:22.
-Afterward Orton teased re-entering the ring to fight Reigns, but then he backed down and returned to the back.
(WK Reax: That was a clever and logical way to book Triple H into a corner since he cannot really justify giving the title match to Orton or Kane since they couldn’t even beat Reigns in a two-on-one match. It creates a storyline reason for Triple H to go in a different direction, plus has the added side effect of giving Reigns a significant TV win. Reigns was good here. He’s not ready to be the top star right now, but if his character and in-ring work progresses, he can probably get there “in time.”)
-Backstage Stephanie McMahon talked smugly with a group of Divas – Eva Marie, Alicia Fox, Cameron, and Rosa Mendez that tonight not only will her husband announce who will face Cena at Summerslam, but the four of them will annihilate Nikki Bella to teach her sister Brie a lesson. They all cheered and smiled. [c]
-WWE Fact: Last night WWE Battleground was the most socially active show on TV by three times.
-They replayed Brie Bella slapping Stephanie. Cole said because of that, Steph has been obsessed ever since in making life miserable for Nikki.
-When Nikki came to ringside for her match, she hugged Brie Bella at ringside as she had apparently bought a front row seat. There was a guy next to Brie at ringside who was glowing with excitement as he looked up at Brie.
Steph walked out and said she liked how Nikki feigned surprise at seeing Brie in the crowd. Steph walked up to Brie and said it’s fitting she went from being a star to being “just another face in the crowd.” She said she sacrificed it all for her husband, Daniel Bryan, “the B+ player.” Steph said what she’s about to watch happen to Nikki is all because of her. Brie yelled, “You’re such a bitch!” It was off-mic, but clearly audible. That guy next to Brie totally popped. He was hilarious. Brie showed her ticket to Steph. Steph told her to take her seat because she’s blocking people. Brie yanked the mic from Steph and asked what kind of human being she is. She said she’s a vindictive bitch. Steph slapped her. When Brie leaped back at her, security pulled her away. That fan was bug-eyed and jaw-dropped at what just happened in front of him. Steph said that should be a lesson to all of them.
(WK Reax: Steph and Brie are both thoroughly believable in their roles here and that match at Summerslam will sell some tickets. That fan at ringside to the left of Brie is one of the greatest of all time to be captured on TV.)
(2) NIKKI BELLA vs. ALICIA FOX & EVA MARIE & CAMERON & ROSA MENDEZ – Four-on-One Match
The four heels attacked Nikki and stomped her down, and then after a scissors kick by Alicia to Nikki’s back, she scored the quick pin.
WINNERS: Fox & Marie & Cameron & Mendez at 1:05.
-The screen went blank briefly as Steph talked to Brie at ringside. The picture came back on and Steph said she’s going to make Nikki quit, just as Brie did.
-Cole hyped Triple H’s decision, with a graphic on the screen of Hunter front and center with the title belt next to him and then pretty much the entire roster collaged behind him. Lawler hyped Flo Rida was coming up.
-A WWE Network ad pushed the Saturday Night’s Main Event 1980s episodes showing images of the stars of that area. [c]
-They replayed the Steph-Brie angle, but this time bleeped “bitch.”
-You knew it was coming – Damien Sandow walked out in a Lebron James Miami Heat jersey with an “X” with athletic tape over “Miami.” He told Bo that if he’s smart, he’ll do what he did and leave Miami.
(3) DAMIEN SANDOW vs. BO DALLAS
JBL asked, “Who would choose to go to Clevelend? Was Biloxi busy?” Lawler said Cleveland is Lebron’s home. Bo cleared the ring of Sandow and then over-celebrated. Sandow came back and took Bo down. The fans had no idea whom to cheer or boo here. A “Let’s Go Heat!” chant broke out. When Sandow was on offense, JBL said, “It’s a good thing it’s Bo and not Tim Duncan.” Lawler said he’s not sure who to cheer in this match, acknowledging the obvious. Sandow set up his elbow and shouted, “Cleveland, I’m coming home!” Bo countered with the running Bo-Dog for the win. JBL said, “The greatest streak in sports entertainment lives!”
WINNER: Bo Dallas at 2:33.
(WK Reax: I cannot fathom at this point the rationale for matching those two on Raw. That said, I would have been disappointed if Sandow didn’t mock Lebron.) [c]
-The announcers, who had conspicuously said earlier that Chris Jericho was *scheduled* to interview Bray Wyatt on the Highlight Reel, revealed to TV viewers that on the second screen experience on the WWE App that the Wyatt Family attacked Jericho backstage.
-The Wyatt Family made their way to the ring. Bray laughed and asked, “Where is Chris Jericho? Where oh where could he be?” They threw to a clip of the attack. The crowd laughed at interviewer Tom Philips bolting when the Wyatt Family showed up. Bray gave Jericho a Sister Abigail into the locker room wall. Bray said that sooner or later, they all fall down. He hummed “He’s got the whole world” and walked away.
Back live in the ring, Bray asked where Jericho, the fans’ savior, is? He said Jericho is not there for them, but he is there for them. He said fans may believe that Jericho is a better man than him because he beat him last night. He asked, “Do you really think I would burden myself with such petty, squeamish things? A loss in the battle means nothing to me because I know it is the war that counts, and a war, that’s my game, man. I created war.”
(WK Reax: I never crazy about a wrestler blowing off losing as if it doesn’t matter. The whole selling point of a wrestling match is the babyface humiliating the heel and putting a dent in his ego by beating him, but if the heel says losing means nothing to him, there’s no satisfaction in seeing the face win.)
Bray said they have brought so-called heroes to their knees since their arrival to WWE not long ago. He asked Jericho who in the hell he thinks he’s dealing with. He said he is every bit the monster they all think he is. He said you cannot measure him like you measure a normal man. He said Abigail used to say to him, “Be careful going out and chasing vengeance, Bray, because if you do, you’ll need to dig two graves – one for your enemy and one for yourself. Unfortunately for you, Chris Jericho, I am forever.”
(WK Reax: That’s a lot of verbiage, as they say, but it’s like the nonsense at the start of TNA PPVs over the years. A lot of big words and philosophical phrasing, but in the end I’m still not even close to sure what it is about Jericho that made Bray target him. There’s a bunch of non sequiturs in there, too. Ultimately the effect is still there – Bray seems creepy and egotistical and on some sort of a mission.)
-They went backstage where a medic was looking at Jericho’s bleeding ear. It’s bleeding again?! R-Truth asked Jericho what happened. You mean he doesn’t watch the second screen experience on the WWE App?
-They went to the announcers at ringside reacting to the Bray-Jericho stuff.
-They showed Flo Rida backstage. Lawler touted that he’s sold 75 million records worldwide.
-Miz was very proud of his shiny newly won WWE Intercontinental Title belt as he walked out for his match. [c]
-The announcers recapped how Miz won the IC Title the night before, including freeze-frames of the battle royal.
(4) THE MIZ vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER – Non-Title Match
Miz covered his face when Ziggler did his rapid-fire ten elbow sequence. JBL said he is a smart man, protecting the money-maker. They fought on the ring apron and Miz sent Ziggler head-first into the ringpost. Ziggler fell to the floor and they cut to a break. [c]
When Miz put Ziggler in a chinlock, the camera at ringside zoomed in and you could tell Ziggler was calling the next spot, although it wasn’t Ziggler’s fault because he did everything possible to cover it up, but the mic is so strong and camera was so close. JBL said Miz should replace Lebron as a hero in Miami.
(WK Reax: That wouldn’t be a bad gimmick – Miz declared he’s now transplanted from is real-life hometown of Cleveland to South Beach to fill the void left by Lebron.)
Lawler said about Miz: “He’s so big-headed, he has to wash his hair at Niagara Falls.” Back and forth action with counter moves and near falls. Miz put Ziggler in the figure-four mid-ring and Ziggler screamed like Anderson Silva after his leg snapped on Chris Weidman’s shin. Ziggler reached the bottom rope to force a break. He then made a comeback and landed the Fameasser for a near fall. With both men slow to get up, a “This is awesome!” chant broke out. Ziggler went for a Zig Zag, but Miz held onto the ropes and then went for the Skull Crushing Finale. Ziggler then did hit the Zig Zag for the win. He clutched his left knee afterward in pain, perhaps selling the figure-four.
WINNER: Ziggler at 13:58.
(WK Reax: Multiple instances of hearing spots being called. They need to change the balance of the sound so the in-ring stuff isn’t as audible.)
-Triple H told Seth Rollins there’s no reason for him to face Cena at Summerslam because he has the Money in the Bank briefcase and there’s no reason to put all their cards on the table all at once. Seth said he gets all that. He asked what the point is because every time he puts a hand together and tries to play it, Dean Ambrose screws it up. He said they need to shut him down for good. Cesaro then walked in and said if anyone should face Cena, it’s him. He said he’s like a walking Money in the Bank contract. He said he’ll get the job done. He said as of right now he is no longer a Heyman Guy. “I want to be your guy,” he said. Seth stepped up and said he’s already Triple H’s guy. Hunter suggested Cesaro finish off Ambrose in a match because that would impress him. Cesaro said, “Consider it done.” They shook on it. Hunter told Seth they’ll see what he can do.
-They showed A.J. Lee backstage. [c]
-A sponsored clip aired of A.J. beating Paige.
(5) A.J. LEE & PAIGE vs. NATALYA & EMMA
A couple minutes in Natalya applied the sharpshooter, but Paige managed to blind tag in A.J. who gave Natalya a legal Shining Wizard to break the hold. Then she applied the Black Widow mid-ring and got Natalya to tap out.
WINNERS: A.J. & Paige at 2:30.
-Paige over-celebrated with A.J., encouraging her to get into the ring to hug. Then Paige yanked A.J. down by her hair and viciously rammed her head into the mat and threw her out of the ring. The crowd really reacted the intended way by booing Paige and acted shocked. Not sure how they could be shocked. Paige threw A.J. into the ringpost and yelled, “This is my house!” She threw A.J. onto and over the announce table.
(WK Reax: We knew it was coming, but it worked. They gave the angle ample time and attention to set up the feud. Interesting double-turn.)
-The announcers hyped Triple H’s Decision and Flo Rida. [c]
(6) FANDANGO vs. ZACK RYDER (w/Summer Rae, Layla)
Fandango gyrated in the ring as he wrapped up his dance entrance after returning from the break. When Zack came out, he was joined by surprise guests Layla and Summer Rae. They teased kissing each other, and Zack got pretty eager to see it happen up close. Cole said Summer and Layla are referring to themselves as Slayers. Ryder landed the Rough Rider near the ropes. Fandango put his leg over the bottom rope, but Layla pushed it off and the ref didn’t see it, and Zack got the win. Fandango couldn’t believe it. Cole touted that Zack has 1.6 million followers on Twitter.
WINNER: Ryder at 1:45.
-They went to the announcers at ringside. They threw to a recap of the Steph-Bella Twins storyline.
-Rene Young interviewed Flo Rida backstage. He soft-talked how happy he was to be back at a WWE event. He joked that Triple H might be so impressed with his performance, maybe he will give him the title match at Summerslam. Health Slater interrupted and said he wants revenge for him putting his hands on him at WrestleMania 28. He shoved Rida. Rida shoved him back even harder and sent him backward into apparatus. [c]
-Cole hyped that Sheamus would face Rusev tomorrow night on WWE Main Event.
-Stephanie stood in the ring and introduced Flo Rida. Flo Rida and his supporting cast performed.
[Hour Three]
-They went to the announcers at ringside. Cole asked JBL to predict who Triple H would pick. Then they were distracted by Stephanie being arrested at ringside by two plain-clothed officers for hitting civilian Brie Bella. The crowd began to realize what was happening and the big screen showed Steph getting bug-eyed and reacting with dismay. She said, “I understand my rights. As a citizen, I understand this is my building and I understand this is Monday Night Raw.” Hilarious. The cops asked her to come with them for a talk. She said, “About what?” The cop explained she struck Brie. Steph said Brie struck her previously. She admitted she slapped her, but only because she slapped her first. They arrested her for battery. “I’m going to prison!?” she gasped. As she was taken away in handcuffs, the crowd celebrated as she said, “You didn’t have to do this in front of all these people. I am not going to jail!” She said she’ll have their badges and they’ll find out how much power she has in this city.
They went to the announcers who reacted briefly, but then they cut to backstage where Triple H protested. Steph said, “This cannot be happening. This cannot be real. Hunter, please help me! What about my rights to self-defense?” She was crying at this point. She weeped and said she is scared to death of jail. Hunter told the cops, “These are called career decisions!” He even found time to make fun of them for driving a hybrid.
(WK Reax: Stephanie was great here. It was an extended segment for her to either overact or just hit the notes right in the WWE environment and she hit the notes just right. This was a great scene of an arrogant power-hungry character totally getting humbled and humiliated.) [c]
-Hunter was about to leave to be with Steph, but Joey Matthews told him he hesitated to bring it up, but what about his Cena opponent announcement. Hunter said family comes first and he was about to leave. He paused, then asked, “She has to get processed first, right?” Matthews said it will take a while. Triple H told Matthews to tell them to put the car in standby and he’ll be there in no time.
-They went back to the announcers. JBL said Hunter has a show to run a decision to make.
(7) BIG E & KOFI KINGSTON vs. RYBACK & CURTIS AXEL
Ryback suplexed Big E onto his head and the announcers didn’t call it and instead were talking about the Steph arrest. They need to call the big moves if they expect fans to care about matches and what goes on in them. They finally called Kofi’s hot tag in leading to an SOS for a near fall which Ryback broke up. Big E clotheslined an interfering Axel out of the ring, and then Kofi hit a crossbody. Ryback, though, rolled through and scored the pin.
WINNERS: Rybaxel at 3:21.
-Afterward, Big E confronted Kofi about the loss. He seemed let down by Kofi and frustrated in general. Then out walked Xavier Woods. He was in a white suit with a loud red shirt. He told Kofi and Big E they can’t move ahead by always doing what they’re told and being a puppet. He said this is their time to find focus and order. He said they don’t ask anymore, they take. Kofi and Big E. seemed receptive and nodded.
-Triple H was on the phone explaining, presumably to Vince McMahon, what happened to Stephanie. [c]
-WWE Fact: Last Friday, Smackdown was the no. 1 show on cable TV.
-The announcers threw to a video recap of the Bray-Jericho angle.
(8) RUSEV (w/Lana) vs. THE GREAT KHALI
The entrance video for Rusev still showed Vladimir Putin. As Lana was about to do her pre-match mic work, Khali’s music interrupted. Khali looks like he can barely keep his balance on those legs. He did hit hard chop which Cole sold effectively. He did some corner chops. Rusev came back and eventually kicked Khali in the face and applied the Accolade mid-ring. Khali held on for a while, then tapped. Rusev was slow to break, waiting for Lana to give the order.
WINNER: Rusev via tapout at 2:25.
(WK Reax: This match could have felt like a bigger deal if WWE saw fit to give it five seconds of hype at the start of the show. But not hyping it, it defines it down as something less than it could have been.)
-They showed a clip of Sheamus’s guest appearance on “Royal Pains” on USA Network on Tuesday night.
-A Goldust/Stardust segment aired backstage. They acted bizarre. Goldust said “it needs us and will soon call our names.” [c]
-The announcers threw to another recap of the Brie-Stephanie angle.
-Renee Young from backstage said she can report that Steph will be arraigned tonight and might face an additional charge of resisting arrest.
(9) DEAN AMBROSE vs. CESARO
Ambrose aggressively beat on Cesaro in the opening minutes. They showed Orton, Rollins, and Triple H watching the match backstage. Hunter was still on his phone.
Cesaro settled into an armbar. Ambrose fought back and slingshot himself toward Cesaro at ringside, but Cesaro hit him with an uppercut. They went to a break. [c]
Cesaro had Ambrose in an armbar after the break. Ambrose dove through the ropes and nailed Cesaro at ringside with a flying forearm. Back in the ring Cesaro knocked Ambrose off balance on the top rope and then hung him upside down. Ambrose reversed Cesaro shoulder-first into the ringpost. Then he grabbed a chair from ringside and bashed Cesaro with it, and thus was DQ’d.
WINNER: Cesaro via DQ at 12:30.
(WK Reax: Good match. I liked the contrast in styles here. Glad they protected Cesaro by not having him job to Ambrose.)
-Backstage Renee approached Hunter as he left his office. He said he was on his way to announce the Cena opponent. She said perhaps he should be with his wife instead right now. He gave her a death-glare and walked away.
(WK Reax: Is this just possibly a tease of an eventual split between the Authority?) [c]
-The announcers hyped Reigns vs. Alberto Del Rio for Smackdown on Friday.
-Triple H stood in the ring and got right to it. He introduced Cena’s opponent at Summerslam. Orton’s music played. Lawler said JBL was right. JBL said it’s a great choice and he deserves it. The crowd didn’t react much. As Orton got to ringside, Reigns attacked Orton and threw him into the crowd. That seemed a bit unsportsmanlike. What did Orton do to deserve that? Hunter looked frustrated in the ring.
[Overrun]
Paul Heyman walked onto the stage and got a nice pop. He said, “Umm, Mr. COO, you know how much respect I have for you, and I hate to point out the obvious, but Plan A isn’t working.” He said Plan B, Seth Rollins, is good, but Ambrose messes that up. He said The Authority ought to agree with him and “make the dangerous choice of implementing Plan C.” Out walked Brock Lesnar, the conquerer of The Streak. His new t-shirt: “Eat, Sleep, Break the Streak.” Heyman and Lesnar walked to the ring and the announcers talked about how dangerous Lesnar is. JBL endorsed Heyman’s idea. Hunter walked over and shook Lesnar’s hand. Heyman wore a sinister grin.
Heyman then said, “Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman, and my client, Brock Lesnar, conquered the Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania.” He said that is why his client now officially announces his intention to conquer John Cena and take the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Summerslam. Heyman said the WWE Universe is split between people in green t-shirts and those whose mama’s don’t still tuck them in at night. He said his client doesn’t care which side of the fence they want to ride on, but the Doctor of Thug-o-nomics is in for a beating of a lifetime.
Heyman said he’s not into spewing hyperbole, but he does exploit historical facts to shove his points down their throats. Great use of language. He reminded them what happened last time Lesnar zeroed in on someone and decided to deliver a beating. They showed highlights of Lesnar beating Taker. Great video package. Heyman talked about Vince McMahon riding in the ambulance with Taker to the hospital because he was concerned for a Dead Man’s well-being and life. He said that same beating awaits Cena. Heyman said Lesnar is not the type of villain who offers him the chance to lay the title belts at his feet. He said Cena cannot avoid this beating. He said he will mangle Cena.
Heyman looked at Lesnar and said: “Fifteen World Titles in ten years. Now that sounds like something worth conquering. I pledge allegiance to the greatness of the conquerer who stands before me, and to his dominance for which I stand, One C-Nation, under John, not divisible, with no more Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect for all.” F’n brilliant. He added he is the one behind the one at 21-and-1.
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Bobby Lashley and MVP’s contracts with WWE reportedly expire soon
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