SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 10 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
KELLER’S WWE RAW REPORT
APRIL 13, 2015
TAPED IN LONDON, ENGLAND AT O2 ARENA
AIRED ON TAPE DELAY ON USA NETWORK
[HOUR ONE]
-Michael Cole introduced the show as the camera panned the crowd. He announced a rowdy and rockus crowd of 16,750 fans.
-John Cena’s music played and walked out to a loud, loud chorus of “John Cena sucks!” to the beat of his intro music. He cupped his ear and smiled, thinking about his net worth and next paycheck. They cut to ringside with JBL, Booker T, and Cole. JBL asked Cole about his neck. Cole said he’s feeling okay and they’ll get to that later, but then shifted to talking about Raw being in London.
Cena told fans not to adjust their TV sets because “Raw is live from London, and London is loud.” He listened to the crowd try to start a “Let’s Go Cena / Cena sucks” battle chant. It never got rolling. Cena said he and London don’t always get along, but he noted the sellout crowd. He then smooched the crowd, saying London has more excitement and energy than any crowd they perform in front of. The crowd began a “Yes!” chant. He said, “I think London deserves WrestleMania. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me I’m wrong!”
(WK Reax: With the WWE Network, WWE could afford to do that more than in the past because they could air the event live at a non-traditional afternoon time in the U.S. without it being a big hit in “PPV orders.”)
Cena said the U.S. Title Open Challenge Series continues tonight. Wade Barrett’s music played and he got a nice pop.
(1) JOHN CENA vs. WADE BARRETT – U.S. Title match
Barrett stood on the stage with a mic in hand. A loud “Bad News Barrett” chant started. He thanked the crowd, but said he hadn’t done anything yet. He said he’s about to. Then came formal ring introductions for the title match. Then they cut to a break. [c]
Cole noted the “shiner” underneath Cena’s eye, saying it’s a reminder of the battles he’s been through in recent weeks. The Cena battle chant was going. Cena shoulder-blocked Barrett to the mat and scored a one count, then applied a side headlock. Barrett threw Cena off of him and kicked him in the chin on the rebound off the ropes. Cena retreated to ringside and Barrett played to the cheering crowd. Barrett kneed Cena in the head over and over while Cena was caught up in the ropes. The ref made Barrett cut before five, but Barrett would break and then return to more knees. He eventually kicked Cena to the floor. Then he stood on the ring apron, and in a tribute to Cactus Jack (not acknowledged by the announcers), yelled “Bang! Bang!” and landed a running elbow off the apron. Cena made a comeback with a dropkick seconds later inside the ring.
Cena climbed to the top rope and took Barrett down with a body block for a two count. JBL said Cena is showing he can “pull out all the stops as well.” I suspect Booker T glared at JBL for stealing his cliche gimmick. When the action spilled to the floor, Barrett whipped Cena into the ringside steps, then scored a two count inside the ring. Great pace to the match from the start. Barrett went for a top rope elbow, but Cena moved and then side slammed Barrett. Cena dropped his fist and set up an AA. Barrett escaped and gave Cena his Winds of Change for a near fall. JBL said the arena would explode if Barrett won the title tonight. Cena fought back with punches. Barrett suplexed Cena for a two count. Cena surprised Barrett with an STF out of nowhere. Barrett was near the ropes and reached the bottom rope to force a break.
At 6:00 the crowd cheered/booed the punch exchanges between Cena and Barrett. Booker said, “I love this crowd.” Barrett gave Cena his Wasteland finisher for a near fall. Barrett went for a Bull Hammer, but Cena ducked and hit the AA for a convincing near fall. The crowd popped for the kickout. Barrett surprised Cena with a Bull Hammer seconds later. The crowd exploded with hope. Cena kicked out right before three. The crowd booed. “Tell me I did not just see that!” said Booker. They replayed the Bull Hammer in slow-mo. The crowd chanted “This is awesome!” Barrett went for another Bull Hammer. Cena ducked and then springboard off the middle rope with a flying stunner and then an AA for the win. Cole called it a “flying stunner.” JBL called it a “springboard flying stunner.”
WINNER: Cena at 9:51.
(WK Reax: Really good opening TV match. The crowd ate it up, and that helped. This was a strong Cena performance, and an audition by Barrett to move up the card and not be stuck in the second tier any longer. Really good main event level performances.)
-As Cena celebrated, Rusev’s music interrupted. Lana walked onto the stage and began talking. Rusev surprised Cena from behind and KO’d Cena with a chain-wrapped fist. Lana said The Authority has granted them their request, and their U.S. Title match at Extreme Rules will be a Russian Chain Match. Rusev yelled at Cena while gripping his chain in both hands. He then picked up the U.S. Title belt and held it in the air and roared.
-They went to ringside to the announcers reacting. JBL told Cole to tell everyone about his lawsuit he has against Brock Lesnar. Cole said it’s a private matter that he’s keeping to himself for now. They showed Cena just regaining his senses in the ring. They threw to clips from last week’s Raw of Randy Orton beating Ryback and Roman Reigns to earn the World Title shot against Seth Rollins at Extreme Rules. They also focused on Big Show giving a KO punch to Reigns before the finish. Cole said Orton and Rollins will wrestle later, and whomever wins their respective match will determine the stipulation at Extreme Rules. He announced that Orton would face Cesaro, while Seth would face Dolph Ziggler.
-Out walked the Bella Twins to their music. Cole said they’d be on commentary for the Divas Battle Royal next. [c]
-Cole said next week Triple H would have a big announcement about Tough Enough coming to WWE Network this summer.
(2) DIVAS BATTLE ROYAL
They joined Natalya’s ring entrance in progress, with the several women already in the ring: Naomi, Emma, Rosa Mendes, Summer Rae, Alicia Fox, and Cameron. Paige then got her full ring entrance and a big ovation. Cole welcomed the Bellas to the announce desk. When Cole noted that Naomi has pinned Nikki a couple times recently, Nikki had a great comeback: “Yeah, but do you know how many awards I won in high school? I was voted Most Athletic my senior year.” It quickly came down to Paige, Naomi, Fox, and Cameron. Booker noted things were moving quickly as Cole and the Bellas chatted amongst themselves. Paige took a beating and was tossed over the top rope, but she held onto the bottom rope while on the ring apron. Naomi gave Cameron and Fox the Rear View. Nikki said she’s taken that before and it doesn’t feel good. She added, “Or smell good.” It came down to Paige and Naomi. Nikki said she’s defeated both of them before so she’s not scared. Cole noted they both have defeated her, too. After a couple minutes of action, Paige kicked Naomi under the bottom rope and to the floor for the win. The crowd popped.
WINNER: Paige at 3:56 to earn the Divas Title match at Extreme Rules.
-Cole hyped Reigns would speak later live for the first time since WrestleMania about his match against Brock Lesnar. [c]
-A commercial aired focused on Daniel Bryan’s open invite to challengers for his Intercontinental Title which would take place on Smackdown.
-Byron Saxton interviewed Paige in the ring. She celebrated her win, then reminded everyone she won the Divas Title on her first night in WWE. She said she just won her first WrestleMania match. She said what feels best is walking into her home country and winning the battle royal. She said she started there in carnivals and high school gyms. She said she was paid $5 per match just to make it to WWE. She pointed out her dad and brothers. She said, “This is my house!” Naomi then attacked Paige and tackled her out of the ring. The crowd booed as Naomi whipped Paige aggressively into the ringside barrier three times. Naomi took issue with Paige saying this is her house. Cole said it seemed out of character for those who have known her for so long.
-A Bray Wyatt vignette aired. He said love can be blinding and cloud your judgement and consume you and cost you everything you worked so hard for. He said sooner or later you’ll have to watch everything you love fade away. He said he is “doing you a favor.” He laughed and said, “Behold the new face of fear.”
(WK Reax: I wish there was a track record of these vignettes consistently making sense in retrospect, and viewers being rewarded for paying close attention to what he is saying and trying to decode it. This is a good time to start by having these vignettes actually lead somewhere more tangible as events play out.) [c]
(3) THE LUCHA DRAGONS vs. THE ASCENSION
The Dragons leaped into the ring and then chanted “Lu-cha!” The Ascension were already in the ring. They showed Fernando Costilla and Hector del Mar on commentary at the Spanish announce desk. After a little offense early by the Ascension, the Dragons dazzled the crowd with highspots and Sin Cara pinned Viktor after a Swanton Bomb.
WINNERS: Lucha Dragons at 2:14.
-The announcers hyped the free month of April for new subscribers. JBL talked about 1.3 million subscribers. Booker said it’s getting bigger and bigger, so don’t miss it. Cole hyped the Reigns interview up next. [c]
-Booker stood in the ring and introduced Reigns. Cole and JBL talked about how Reigns might have beat Brock Lesnar if not for Seth Rollins’s interference. JBL talked about Reigns being part of the Samoan dynasty. He said he weathered the storm and was making a comeback against Lesnar when Seth cashed in the MITB briefcase.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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[HOUR TWO]
-When he entered the ring, Reigns smiled and received a mix of cheers and boos. Booker said Reigns earned the opportunity to face Lesnar, but it was ripped away from him. Booker asked what his mental state is right now. “As you can see, I’m mentally strong for a reason,” he said. The crowd chanted “Suplex City” at him. Reigns said he went there and woke up the next day. He said it hurt and didn’t feel good, and he can still feel it physically. He said, “We didn’t lie to you. We told you we were gonna give you a brutal fight. Do you like brutal fights?” He said he told the world he was going to hit the Beast and make him taste his own blood. “I made Brock Lesnar look different.” He said he was close to beating him. “I had punches to throw left,” he said. But then Seth came out and did what he was supposed to do. “He capitalized on the moment.” He said he has defeated Seth before, which means he will become WWE World Hvt. Champion. Booker said he believes that.
Reigns said, “Big Show screwed me and I wish I could give him all the credit in the world! He’s done great things, but lately he just seems to be Seth’s giant bitch. Am I right?” The crowd cheered. Big Show interrupted on the big screen. He said he wants to cut him off before he says something really dumb. He said Reigns failed at WrestleMania, and a lot of people are happy about it. He said while Reigns was losing the biggest match of his life, he was winning the Andre the Giant Battle Royal, proving he is the greatest giant in history. He said his mission, goal, and pleasure is making him the most epic failure in WWE history. He said when he’s done with him, he won’t ever be able to even smell the WWE Championship. He said he’s going to knock him out every time he tries to get up. The crowd chanted “Boring!” at Show. Reigns said Show is a “jumbo tron giant.” He said there are two types of Superstars – those who fight and kick ass and prove themselves every week, and then you have guys like Show who is either too lazy or doesn’t have the balls to say what he has to say to his face. “Believe me, I didn’t forget you screwed me, but I think I punched you in the mouth enough times to call it even.” He said if he continues to stick his nose in his business, he’s going to take that giant trophy and shove it down his throat and he’ll retire him. “And you can believe that.”
(WK Reax: One of Reigns’s better promos. That was several steps in the right direction. I will say, though, he has to watch out for hypocrisy, because if anyone has been hiding behind the jumbo-torn, it’s Mr. Pre-taped Promo himself, Roman Reigns. The crowd didn’t seem to mind, though, as his delivery was confident and cool in this promo. Show is an effective heel personality for Reigns to play off of.)
-They went to the announcers at ringside reviewing the exchange between Reigns and Show. They cut to the stage where Reigns was departing. Big Show attacked him. He threw him into the LED board and then he dented the English taxi cab they brought onto the stage as part of the UK Raw set. The crowd chanted “You sold out!” at Show. Show soaked up a crowd chant for nearly a minute, then lifted Reigns onto the roof of the taxi. He set up a chokeslam as Cole began to stammer and stutter. Show then chokeslammed Reigns onto the roof of the taxi and dented it. The crowd chanted “Holy sh—.” Then “You sold out!” again. [c]
-Highlights aired of Show’s attack on Reigns as the announcers reacted. Cole said during the break, Reigns refused medical attention and “pried himself off the roof” and left on his own. JBL said he’s pretending he’s not hurt, but he is.
(4) RANDY ORTON vs. CESARO (w/Tyson Kidd, Natalya)
JBL said it’s a big advantage to choose the stipulation you want for a title match, so Orton has big incentive to win. Cesaro grounded Orton with a chinlock at 1:00. A minute later, Kidd yanked Orton off the ring apron by his leg. The ref DQ’d Cesaro as a result. The wind went out of the crowd when that happened, as they were hoping for more of a match.
WINNER: Orton via DQ at 2:18.
-Kane walked out and said The Authority’s vacation is over, but that doesn’t overcome their desire not to come to London, England. He said that leaves him in charge. He said he is fair and impartial. He said given the stipulation for Extreme Rules, he cannot allow the match to end via DQ. He said since he clearly wants retribution against Kidd, so he’s going to restart the match with Orton vs. Cesaro & Kidd.
(WK Reax: It’s always fun when a heel acts like he’s doing a babyface a favor in the course of setting up a handicapped match where he’s the solo wrestler in the match.)
(4B) RANDY ORTON vs. CESARO & TYSON KIDD (w/Natalya)
Cole wondered how Orton would survive alone against the tag champs. They cut to a very early break. [c]
Cesaro was stomping on Orton in the corner after the break. Booker said he disagrees with Kane’s “judgment call,” but he’s not in charge. Kidd went for a springboard neck breaker to break up Orton’s DDT off the second rope on Cesaro. He slipped, though, and just did a standard neck breaker, which didn’t look all that crisp. The crowd chanted “You f—ed up.”
(WK Reax: That chant always feels so disrespectful. Wrestlers do so much that is so difficult, it’s just natural that on occasion something won’t go smoothly. It’s a testament to the difficulty level of what they do pull off regularly.)
Kidd eventually took a DDT off the middle rope. When Orton pursued him at ringside, Cesaro jumped Orton. That gave Kidd an advantage in the ring. However, Orton gave Kidd an RKO out of nowhere as Kidd dove off the ropes at him, getting the win. Cole said Orton now gets to pick his stipulation. It was confusing because Seth hadn’t wrestled yet. Cole then added Orton picks the stip “unless Seth can win later.”
WINNER: Orton at 6:46.
-Backstage Seth Rollins, J&J Security, and Kane were watching on a monitor. Seth asked Kane if he has any more bright ideas. Kane said if Seth wins later, then both he and Orton can pick stips. Seth said he has a better idea. He said he won’t be facing Ziggler later tonight. He said instead he wants to face Jamie Noble. “Jamie’s going to lie down for me, aren’t you, Jamie?” Seth said as he patted him on the back. Jamie asked why he should have to lie down for him when it was Kane who made a Triple Threat match last week, and it was Kane who gave Orton the option to pick the stipulation. Kane said: “I’m having a better idea, one that involves a car battery and your testicles!” Seth said Jamie has a point. “This is all on you,” Seth said. Kane said he’ll be watching Seth and protecting him as he always does. He asked if he’s really afraid of Ziggler. Seth cackled and said of course he’s not. He said they can’t take any chances, though. He said he needs Kane to change his opponent to someone he can beat with his eyes closed. “Someone who knows what’s best for business,” he said. Kane asked if he was implying he just lie down for him and let him pin him. Seth said their no. 1 priority within The Authority is to protect him and his title. He said maybe Kane is the man for the job, or else they could get Triple H on the phone to see what he has to say. Kane didn’t like that idea, and just walked away. Seth smiled with smug self-satisfaction. [c]
(5) DEAN AMBROSE vs. ADAM ROSE (w/The Rosebuds)
The end of Rose’s ring entrance took place. Then Dean’s full ring entrance. They replayed a slo-mo of Luke Harper powerbombing Ambrose over the top rope through the bridged ladder at ringside at WrestleMania followed by Harper powerbombing him through the announce table on Smackdown. Cole said doctors ordered Ambrose to take a break for a while. Booker said he likes Ambrose’s work ethic, but he wonders how long he’ll be around. Ambrose dove through the ropes and tackled Rose at ringside, then threw him right back into the ring. Rose kicked Ambrose, but Ambrose bounced off the middle rope and nailed his signature clothesline. Then he gave him the Dirty Deeds impact DDT for the win.
WINNER: Ambrose at 2:11.
-Backstage Kane was on his cell phone leaving a voice message for Hunter to call him. Big Show walked up to Kane and asked if he remembers when he knocked out Cena at Survivor Series. He said he did what he had to do to be part of the winning team. He said The Authority is the winning side, and they both made a commitment to Stephanie and Hunter. He said they strive to protect WWE and they both know that Seth losing tonight will put him at a disadvantage, and that’s not best for business. He told him he feels for him, but we don’t always get to do what we want to do and sometimes we have to do what we need to do. He asked him to do what needs to be done for all of their sakes. Kane exhaled and said he will wrestle Seth later and he will do what is best for business. Show patted him on the back.
(WK Reax: I was thinking Kane was going to switch the match to Seth vs. Big Show, so Show could take the bullet for The Authority and prove he’s not all talk when it comes to sacrificing for the team.) [c]
-WWE Fact: The free WWE App has been downloaded over 18 million times.
(6) STARDUST vs. FANDANGO (w/Rosa Mendez)
Some fans tried to taunt Stardust with a “Cody!” chant. Cody won quickly, squash style. Fandango landed one kick to the chest, but then missed his top rope legdrop. Stardust followed with a kick to the face for the win.
WINNER: Stardust at 1:07.
-After the loss, Fandango said he finally realized what the problem is. He said it’s sharing his gift of dance with Rosa when he should be sharing it with the entire world. He stood on the announce desk and began dancing on his own. The crowd joined in as Rosa protested in the ring. The announcers celebrated the return of Fandango’s catchy song. JBL said it’s awesome.
-Backstage Kane rubbed his hands together. Daniel Bryan walked up to him and asked what he was doing. Kane said he’s doing his job and he asked him to go away. He said please. Bryan asked what happened to him. Bryan asked if he’s really going to lay down for Seth.
(WK Reax: Grammar award goes to the heels, because they said “lie down,” which is correct, and Bryan said “lay down,” which is incorrect, although more commonly said.)
Bryan said that type of move is what put WCW out of business, so it’s hardly best for business. Bryan said the Kane he knew would tombstone Seth on the steel steps and damn near end his career. Bryan said he’s not even angry, he just feels sorry for him. Kane yelled, “Leave!” Bryan said if he has any ounce of pride, don’t be a stooge, be a man. Kane was practically hyperventilating. [c]
-They showed London Tower Bridge as Cole said WWE is in the midst of a two week tour of Europe.
-Cole talked about the Russian Chain Match scheduled between Cena and Rusev. He said they’ve done some research and the most famous Russian Chain Match was between Bruno Sammartino and Ivan Koloff back in the 1970s.
(WK Reax: So his research couldn’t narrow it down to a precise year within the broad framework of “the 1970s”?)
They updated Cena’s condition. Cole said his “bell was rung” but he’s going to be okay. Cole said Cena will be at Smackdown on Thursday and address that, plus face another U.S Title open challenge. JBL said he’s a fighting champion.
(7) SETH ROLLINS (w/J&J Security) vs. KANE
After the ref signaled for the bell to ring, Kane took his time taking off his suit jacket, tie, and white shirt. Seth told him he doesn’t have to bother with that. When Kane continued to undress, Seth got a quizzical, concerned look. He tiled his head.
[HOUR THREE]
Kane stepped up and got in Seth’s space. Seth looked worried, but smiled hopefully. He said they should just get it over with because it’s best for business even if it’s not fun for him. Kane dropped to a knee. Cole said he couldn’t believe it. Kane laid on his back. Seth made the cover. Kane powered out. The crowd cheered. Cole yelled, “Wait a minute!” Noble and Mercury entered and tried to talk some sense into Kane. Kane grabbed them by their throats and shoved them down. Seth got up and yelled at Kane. “This is my WWE. You listen to me! You lay down. Are you even listening to me?” When he yanked on Kane’s shoulder to turn him around, Kane slapped him. Kane signaled for a chokeslam. Seth backed up and told him to think about his job and his future. He yelled at him again to “lay down, all the way down,” taking a step back in his grammar once he wasn’t reciting a script, apparently. Kane instead chokeslammed Seth. Instead of following up, though, he froze and then laid down next to Seth and draped Seth’s arm over his chest. The ref counted to three. JBL said he lost all respect for Kane. Kane left, clearly upset. Seth sat up and began laughing with glee.
WINNER: Seth at 4:33.
-They went to the announcers at ringside. JBL said he is disgusted. Cole said Kane seems disgusted with himself. JBL said they each get to add a stip. Cole said they’d announce it tonight on Raw. [c]
-WWE replayed Damien Mizdow forcing himself uninvited onto Summer Rae with a kiss on Smackdown last Thursday. Unlike in the real world, instead of slapping him and getting him fired for sexual assault and perhaps calling the police, Summer Rae realized how she always wanted it and was just too shy to ask and smiled.
(8) THE MIZ vs. DAMIEN SANDOW (w/Summer Rae)
Miz was upset that Mizdow came out with Summer Rae. JBL called Mizdow a stalker and called Summer a gold digger. He said Mizdow should be arrested for impersonating Miz. When Cole said Miz never paid Mizdow to be his assistant, then JBL chuckled and said that Mizdow is the gold digger by going after Summer Rae. Miz postured for the crowd; he was booed. Mizdow postured for the crowd; he was cheered. Miz jumped Mizdow. The announcers discussed whether the bell had rung to officially start the match. Cole thought it didn’t, but Booker and JBL said they heard it a long time ago. Mizdow made a comeback quickly and went for a Skull Crushing Finale. Miz escaped, but then Mizdow schoolboyed Miz for the leverage pin.
WINNER: Mizdow at 2:01.
-A promo aired with the Prime Time Players. They showed off Los Matadors masks. Well, red rags cut to sorta of look like them. Then Darren Young produced a red cape. Titus O’Neal produced a rainbow colored bear. Young said that’s not El Torito, but at least “rainbow is my favorite color.” The crowd gave that line a knowing chuckle. Titus said they lost their minds the minute they put those costumes on. Young made a joke about Los Matadors being Puerto Rican. Titus said, “Who ever heard of a Puerto Rican bull fighter, anyway?”
(WK Reax: They’re just a jumbled mess on the mic doing these bits. If WWE is going to do the El Matador gimmick, why expose to the masses of fans they’re targeting that they’re not really from Mexico? I suppose with the Lucha Dragons on the main roster, Los Matadores are expendable at this point anyway, maybe go heel for being phony Mexicans.) [c]
(9) RYBACK vs. LUKE HARPER
Ryback shoved Harper into the corner at the start and punched away at him. Harper kneed his way out of the corner and then super kicked Ryback for a near fall. Ryback came back with a sidewalk slam. He grunted and groaned and then signaled for the Meat Hook. Harper bailed out to ringside and then hit Ryback with the lid of the announce table. The ref DQ’d Harper.
WINNER: Ryback via DQ at 1:46.
-Afterward, Ambrose charged out to his music and went after Harper. He tackled Harper with a Thesz Press. Harper fled the ring and into the crowd. Ambrose yelled at him from the ring.
-A replay aired of Naomi attacking Paige. Cole said Naomi snapped. He said Paige is still being evaluated by medical personnel. He sent viewers to WWE.com for further updates.
-Saxton interviewed Naomi regarding her attacking Paige earlier, asking how she could do that, especially in her home country. Naomi pretended to be remorseful and disappointed in herself, but then laughed and sarcastically said, “Yeah, right.” Her laugh sounded like the opening to Trish Stratus’s entrance music. She said she “could care less” and asked Saxton if he’s an idiot like everyone else. You don’t get to call someone else an idiot right after saying you “could care less” when you really mean the complete opposite, that you “couldn’t care less.” Anyway, she said this isn’t about Paige or the country they’re in. She said it’s about herself. She asked why they needed to have a Divas battle royal considering she was the rightful no. 1 contender. “It’s ridiculous. It blows my mind. Do wins and losses mean anything around here?” She said she was in the same season of NXT as A.J. “and I was good.” She said A.J. is gone after getting so many opportunities, and now A.J. is retired and everyone is calling her legend. “How much do you think a person can take?” she asked. She said people have mistaken her kindness for weakness.
(WK Reax: Really good delivery. Her argument might have been a little too logical, though, and actually built a little sympathy. The key was for Cole and Booker to condemn her for lashing out against Paige instead of those at fault for what she feels is injustice. Instead, JBL said he didn’t blame her and that was it. Again, the announcing is far and away the top weakness is WWE getting across heel and babyface storylines.)
-Dolph Ziggler’s ring entrance took place. Cole then put a pizza sponsor trivia question up: Which wrestler is a cousin to the Hart Family: Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, or Pat Patterson. [c]
-Cole revealed the answer: Piper.
-Ziggler stood in the ring and told his adoring fans “they hear you back there.” He said Kane might want to consider changing his name to “the Devil’s favorite dumbass.” He then congratulated himself for his relatively lame one-liner by saying, “Yeah, I went there.” Where? He said he lives to compete in the ring every single night. He issued an open challenge, saying he’s taking a page out of Cena’s book. Neville answered the challenge.
(10) DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. NEVILLE
JBL said if viewers hadn’t seen Neville, get ready. Cole said Neville grew up in Newcastle, three hours away from London, and he wanted to be a soccer player for the Newcastle United, but became a WWE Superstar instead. A “Let’s Go Neville” chant broke out early. Ziggler took Neville down with a dropkick and then applied an armbar. Neville did a gymnastic style backflip into the corner, then a standing splash for a two count. He settled into a headlock. Cole said, “John, you and I have had the opportunity to watch a lot of Neville in NXT.”
(WK Reax: Wait, doesn’t Booker T have that opportunity, too, or is he not a WWE Network subscriber? Shouldn’t part of Booker T’s job be to not only watch NXT, but catch up on what he’s missed so he can be a more informed commentator, or at least not be caught flat-footed on commentary where fans know more about new main roster arrivals than he does?)
Ziggler caught Neville with a DDT for a near fall. They cut to a break at 3:00. [c]
You won’t believe this, but Ziggler had Neville grounded with an armbar as they came back from the break. Neville made a comeback and clotheslined Ziggler over the top rope. Then he backflipped off the top rope and landed on Ziggler at ringside. Booker complimented Neville’s “precise timing.” JBL touted Neville being the longest reigning NXT Champion. Neville walked the edge of the ringside barricade and then did a gymnastics style one-and-a-quarter flip splash onto Ziggler. The announcers marveled. In the ring, Ziggler elbowed out of a back suplex attempt by Neville, then caught Neville with is super kick for a believable near fall. The slo-mo of the move looked great. “This is awesome!” chanted the fans. Neville avoided a corner splash by Ziggler, then set up the Red Arrow. Ziggler moved, and Neville landed on his feet. Ziggler then threw Neville shoulder-first into the ringpost and quickly hit the Zig Zag for the win.
WINNER: Ziggler at 9:08.
(WK Reax: Good action. Even in losing, Neville looked like a star. Will fans, though, begin to see him as a flashy mid-carder who’s too small to win against top tier wrestlers, though? Then again, that’s probably where he’s going to be slotted anyway.)
-As Ziggler went to congratulate Neville on a good match, Sheamus entered the ring and attacked him. Then at ringside Sheamus rammed Ziggler into the ringpost and delivered a Brogue Kick. Sheamus stood on the announce desk and pounded his chest. [c]
-An ad aired for the new WWE Network shows.
-A commercial aired hyping a “First Look” at WWE’s newest DVD release on Ultimate Warrior.
(WK Reax: I wonder if this inspirational story will include his vile, hateful comments on the Internet and during college speeches during the 2000s? Or was that just an awkward phase he went through in his 30s and 40s before he became “inspirational”? Considering Warrior’s real track record, the continued hype of his story – a year later – as some sort heroic inspirational figure is feeling more like an exploitative cash-in based on selective history and a lot of black-lining things he said over the years. I was fine with looking at the bright side of who he was right after his death, but this is getting to be a little much a year later.)
-Seth sat in the ring in a black leather recliner with Noble and Mercury lounging on either side. He said the fans can boo him all they want, but that doesn’t change that he is the future of WWE and the greatest WWE World Hvt. Champion of all time. Noble and Mercury stood and applauded his declaration. He bragged about beating Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns in the same night, “just like earlier tonight when I defeated Kane.” That’s hilarious. He said a real man knows when to lie down and when to put the team before himself. He said now he gets to choose a stipulation. He called Orton to the ring so he can deliver the news to his face.
Orton looked at Seth and said, “This is one hell of a set-up. Are you comfy?” Seth said, “Quite.” Seth is so unapologetically great at being a heel. Orton suggested they clear out the furniture and fight for the right to issue the sole stip for Extreme Rules. Seth said: “Simple is so boring. I like complicated, because complicated creates opportunities, and opportunities is where I thrive.” He said that’s how he won MITB, how he won the title, and how he’ll beat Orton at Extreme Rules. He pointed at the belt and said, “This is what power looks like.” Seth stood up and said at Extreme Rules, his stip is going to be eliminate his greatest weapon. He said without it, he doesn’t stand a chance. He barred the RKO. JBL called Seth brilliant.
(WK Reax: If Seth was brilliant, he would have banned all offensive moves by Orton and made him wrestle with his legs and hands tied together, while also having to stuff his mouth with marshmallows the whole match.)
Orton said Seth’s greatest weapon is his connection with The Authority. He said if The Authority couldn’t get to him, what would that mean to him? Orton said at Extreme Rules, his stip is a cage match. Cole called it brilliant.
(WK Reax: Okay, this would be fine if WWE hadn’t established that climbing in and out of the cage is quite easy and common.)
[OVERRUN]
Seth said that doesn’t scare him. He said he’s the WWE World Hvt. Champion. He asked who Orton is without the RKO. He said he’s just his first victim. Orton said since the RKO is banned, he will give the people their money’s worth right now. He tipped over Seth’s chair, then went after J&J. After J&J were down, he punched away at Seth. J&J jumped Orton. Orton again knocked them out of the ring. Then he gave Seth a powerslam and set up a DDT off the middle rope. Mercury intervened. Orton gave him an RKO as Seth fled the scene.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a slightly above-average Raw, with a good Cena-Barrett match at the start and a good Neville-Ziggler match at the end, and some solid promos in the middle.
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