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The following report originally published 10 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
KELLER’S WWE RAW REPORT
OCTOBER 13, 2014
ATLANTA, GA.
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
[Hour One]
-The show opened with a video package on the John Cena-Dean Ambrose storylines last week with the Hell in a Cell match announcement. The narrator asked who would get the upper-hand this week on Raw. There was no context to how someone would get an upper hand.
-Michael Cole introduced the show as the camera panned the docile crowd. Then Ambrose’s music played and he walked to the ring. His black t-shirt says “Dean” and “Ambrose” in white boxes with “Unstable” in white letters in between. Jerry Lawler talked about the new Contract on a Pole stipulation added to the Cena-Ambrose match.
As Ambrose danced in the ring, JBL said the reason the Authority made the match is so Seth Rollins can pick the bones of whatever is left of the winner of the Cena-Ambrose match. Ambrose said he’d love to be locked inside the Devil’s Playground with Rollins one-on-one, nowhere for Rollins to run. He said there’s something else pissing him off – Cena, the “face of WWE.” He vowed to beat Cena senseless with the contract after pulling it off the pole. Then he vowed to bounce Rollins’s head all over the Cell “like it’s a basketball.” He was done with his planned lines, so he paced for a second in awkward silence before Cena’s music started.
Cena walked out and played to the docile crowd. He entered the ring and said, “So this is why they call it Hot-lanta,” an attempt at a self-fulfilling prophesy by pretending they were a hot crowd to try to make them a hot crowd. He told Ambrose he needs to calm down. He said he was going to give Ambrose some veteran advice. He said he’s got the match of his life coming up at Hell in a Cell in two weeks, so “shut up and instead of coming out here and acting all crazy, use your two weeks to get ready for the biggest match of your career because I’m gonna bring it at Hell in a Cell.”
Ambrose told him not to act like he gives a damn about him. Cena said his instability will ruin his opportunity. He dared him to throw it all away and lose his temper, and then he’ll see why he’s been to the mountain top 15 times. He said he will realize he is way out of his league and in way over his head. He told him to pipe down and use his time to get ready. Triple H’s music then played.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon strutted onto the stage full of smugness. Stephanie is clearly having so much *fun* being a heel. They plugged WWE Network’s $9.99 price tag when pushing Hell in a Cell. Steph suggested teaming Cena and Ambrose later. Hunter said they can’t get along more than five minutes without tearing each other apart. Steph said she thinks it’s all talk and they are afraid to fight each other, quite frankly. Hunter bet that they’d rip each other apart. They shook on it and agreed to their “standard bet.” Steph then made it a Triple Threat tag match with the Usos and Goldust & Stardust. Out came Goldust & Stardust and then the Usos. [c]
(1) JOHN CENA & DEAN AMBROSE vs. THE USOS vs. GOLDUST & STARDUST
A “Let’s Go Cena! / Cena sucks!” chant broke out. It echoed like the building was only one-third full, though. Early on Cena and Ambrose got along and tagged in and out. Lawler said they were a well-oiled machine. Cody yanked Uso to ringside and threw him over the ringside barrier into the “time keeper” area. [c]
Back live Cody continued to battle Uso. The announcers wondered what a “standard bet” is between Steph and Hunter. Cena tagged in and rallied against Stardust. On a suplex, Stardust landed on his feet and gloated. The Usos entered and cleared the ring, then dove onto both Goldust and Stardust at ringside. Cena then dove off the top rope onto all four. Ambrose then leaped onto all five. Ambrose gave Goldust his Dirty Deeds finisher just as Cena gave Stardust the AA. Cena and Stardust were legal, so the ref counted the pin. JBL said he couldn’t believe their egos got along.
WINNERS: Cena & Ambrose in 14:30.
-Hunter and Steph walked out. Hunter gave Steph $1. He said he hates to lose bets. He said maybe they need a spark. He announced that the Contract on a Pole match would happen tonight. JBL said, “They just threw away a pay-per-view main event.” Why would Hunter take away Seth’s advantage at the PPV by having Cena or Ambrose enter the PPV match against him fresh?
-They went to Michael Cole, JBL, and Jerry Lawler at ringside. Then they hyped Big Show vs. Rusev later. Lawler said Show has successfully completed sensitivity training for ripping down the Russian flag.
-A.J. Lee made her ring entrance. Cole teased A.J. had a mystery partner. [c]
-A vignette aired with A.J. telling Layla hesitantly that they can maybe get along for just one night. They had a weak, tentative hug.
(2) A.J. LEE & LAYLA vs. ALICIA FOX & PAIGE
When A.J. reached to tag in Layla, Layla jumped to the floor and walked away. Nevertheless, Lee avoided a Fox sunset flip and then struck with a Shining Wizard for the win.
WINNERS: Lee & Layla at 1:46.
-A.J. attacked Layla on the ramp afterward.
-The announcers hyped the two announced main events. [c]
-Randy Orton walked up to Triple H and Stephanie as Steph was fixing his tie and complimenting his clothes. It’s a good thing Orton walked in because it looked like they were getting turned on. Orton said he’s okay with Rollins being the future of the company as long as he doesn’t mess with his spotlight in the present. Orton said neither Ambrose nor Cena can beat him. He said he wants a match at HIAC too. He asked for the “other guy.” He avoided very carefully saying he wanted the “loser.” Hunter and Steph liked his idea.
-The announcers also avoided saying the “loser” gets Orton. Cole said the winner gets Rollins and the “other man” gets Orton inside the HIAC. A vignette on Erick Rowan interrupted. Bray Wyatt said he fixed him. Then they finished with the shot of the pregnant woman’s belly.
-Dolph Ziggler’s ring entrance began. [c]
-Cole touted that Forbes rated WrestleMania “more popular” than a bunch of other signature sporting events. He bragged up some stats for WrestleMania.
[Hour Two]
(3) DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. RANDY ORTON
Cesaro joined the announcers on commentary. At 5:00 Orton reverse-whipped Ziggler into the ringpost and then played to the crowd. A minute later Ziggler dropkicked Orton off the ring apron. Cole said Ziggler is proving Orton wrong when he said no one can hang with him. Rollins walked out with the briefcase. They cut to a break. [c]
After the break, Orton had Ziggler in a headlock. They showed a clip of Orton suplexing Ziggler onto the announce table during the break. Once the clip ended, Ziggler stood up and escaped the headlock. Funny how that worked out so well. Orton top rope superplexed Ziggler at 13:00. Cesaro said it was impressive. They continued to show Rollins watching from the aisle 20 feet from ringside. At 16:00 Ziggler countered an RKO with a schoolboy for a near fall. Orton sidestepped a Fameasser and then superkicked Orton on the chin leading to a near fall. Cole called it an awesome match. The crowd then chanted “This is awesome!” Lawler said the WWE Universe appreciates a match like this. JBL said so do they. Orton finally landed an RKO after tossing Ziggler high into the air. That did it. Great finish.
WINNER: Orton at 18:22.
(WK Analysis: Excellent match. One of the better TV matches in a while for WWE. Considerably better, given my tastes, than last week’s Impact “Full Metal Mayhem” ladders and tables spottiest, although that was very good for that style match, too.)
-After the match Rollins gave Ziggler a Curb Stomp as the crowd chanted “You sold out!” [c]
-They replayed Rollins giving Ziggler the Curb Stomp. Loved Rollins’s facial expression after he did it. He’s such a good heel.
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Raw: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
(4) JACK SWAGGER (w/Zeb Colter) vs. SETH ROLLINS
At 4:00 Orton strolled out to watch, just as Rollins did during his match. Rollins dove onto Swagger at ringside seconds later and then mouthed off to Orton a little. Orton shrugged and asked what he could possibly be upset about. At 13:00 Swagger went for the Patriot Lock, but Rollins quickly powered out. Then he kicked Swagger in the face. Swagger ducked a charging Rollins and again applied a Patriot Lock. Rollins grabbed the ropes quickly. Rollins surprised Swagger with a victory roll with a yank of the tights for the pin.
WINNER: Rollins at 15:12. Another very good match.
-Right afterward Orton gave Swagger an RKO as Swagger was complaining to the ref about the yank on his tights. Rollins got right in Orton’s face. Rollins bailed out to ringside and pointed at his Money in the Bank briefcase and asked Orton if he knows what that means.
(WK Reax: Orton is good at trash talking off-script. He shows so much more emotion and range when he’s not reciting memorized lines. This seems headed toward an Orton babyface turn.)
-Cole plugged the Cena-Ambrose main event. [c]
-The announcers hyped the WWE Network including the premiere of Biggest Trash Talkers the next night.
-Renee Young interviewed Dean Ambrose backstage regarding his match against Cena. Ambrose said he won’t be a nice guy because he’s not a nice guy. He vowed to win. He said Cena and Rollins are on the highway to hell.
(WK Reax: Ambrose channeled Michael Hayes’s promo style in the mid-1980s right there. That’s a good thing.)
-Tom Phillips interviewed Big Show. Phillips was like two feet shorter than Show here, so Show was obviously standing on a platform. Show said he proved that Rusev is not unbeatable because he has a glass jaw. He said he’ll show Rusev exactly what he learned in sensitivity training.
-Rusev’s ring entrance took place. [c]
-Lana made fun of fans celebrating Columbus Day. She said Columbus discovered “this pathetic” country. She called him “an egomaniac who simply got lost.” She also pointed out he wasn’t very nice to the Indians. She parlayed that into a dig at the Atlanta Braves. Those were apparently fighting words as the crowd was in an uproar over that. Rusev yelled at the fans in Russian. Then he said Show will be crushed.
-Big Show’s ring entrance then took place.
[Hour Three]
(5) BIG SHOW vs. RUSEV (w/Lana)
Show lifted his boot as Rusev charged at him at the start. Show clobbered him in the ring, and then at ringside. Cole said Rusev has never been manhandled like this. Cole reset the show for those tuning in at the top of the hour. The crowd chanted “Let’s Go, Big Show!” At 4:00 Rusev dropkicked Show. The announcers gasped. Rusev absorbed a Show comeback attempt and clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor. They cut to a break as JBL said, “Don’t embarrass us, Big Show! Don’t let down America!” [c]
Cole touted Raw as the longest running episodic TV show in history. When Big Show was on one knee during a Rusev headlock, Show looked nearly as tall as Rusev. It’s one of the dangers of Show vs. Rusev. It really makes Rusev seem short and stocky and less of a “foreign monster.” When Rusev locked on the Accolade, Mark Henry walked to the ringside to cheer on Show. Cole said he was there to provide inspiration. Henry stepped onto the ring apron. Rusev broke his Accolade and punched Henry, then reapplied the hold. Henry then attacked Rusev with a clothesline, prompting the ref to DQ Show.
WINNER: Rusev via DQ at 14:08.
(WK Reax: Was this a babyface turn for Rusev? I can’t really see where he did anything wrong in this match. He had Show nearly beat and Henry cheated and interfered. Bad bad booking, but they didn’t know how else to get out of this match, apparently, since they weren’t willing to sacrifice either of them. I can think of better finishes, though.)
-Afterward Show and Henry surrounded Rusev. Rusev charged at Henry. They exchanged punches. Show then gave Rusev a KO punch. Rusev went down hard. The announcers were clearly in a tough position because nothing about Show and Henry’s actions was sportsmanlike or honorable. The slo-mo replay showed a real impact by Show’s fist on Rusev’s face. It’s sacrifices like that by Rusev that makes Stephanie bragging every chance she gets how much she enjoys pretending to be a heel all the more insulting to the roster and counter-productive to business.
-The announcers pushed Cena-Ambrose.
-Renee caught up to Sheamus backstage regarding getting another shot at Miz. “There’s only one thing worse than Miz. That’s two Mizes,” he said. “They’re like a bad rash that won’t go away.” He said the cure is two Brogue kicks and call him in the morning.
(WK Reax: I’m digging the backstage promos by wrestlers talking about their matches. It’s so easy and not done often enough.) [c]
-After Sheamus’s ring entrance, Tom Philips interviewed Todd Chrisley with his two sons in the front row about the season premiere of his USA Network reality show that follows Raw every week.
(6) SHEAMUS vs. MIZ (w/”Mizdow” Damien Sandow)
Sheamus threw Miz through the ropes into Mizdow at ringside early in the match. Miz eventually settled into a chinlock. The crowd chanted “We Want Sandow.” When Lawler referenced being on Steve Austin’s podcast, Cole said unlike Lawler, he doesn’t turn down podcast requests. When Miz sold a knee injury at ringside, Mizdow ran up next to him and sold his same knee in the same way. Both tried to crawl under the ring to hide, but Sheamus ran up and grabbed their feet. Sandow escaped on one side of the ring and charged at Sheamus. Miz, meanwhile, snuck into the ring and won by countout.
WINNER: Miz via countout at 5:12.
(WK Reax: This was a better finish than Rusev-Show. Although Miz outsmarted Sheamus to win, his obnoxious gloating in the end made him seem like a heel at least.)
-Backstage some babyface Divas ran into reality show cast member NeNe Leakes. Some heel Divas, led by Cameron, walked up to the face Divas. Cameron and Leakes exchanged words, then Cameron left. The babyface Divas told Leakes they have to deal them all the time. [c]
(7) NIKKI BELLA & CAMERON & SUMMER RAE vs. BRIE BELLA & NAOMI & NATALYA (w/NeNe Leakes, Rosa Mendez)
In the end, Brie face-planted Nikki and got the win. The announcers talked about it being the first time Brie pinned her sister. Cole said, “How special it is for Brie Bella tonight.”
WINNERS: Team Brie at 3:34.
(WK Reax: I’m surprised they’d slip Brie pinning Nikki into a random Divas tag match like this. Given how much TV time Brie and Nikki get, you’d expect that type of finish to be part of something given more hype and that felt more meaningful.) [c]
-Cole hyped Miz & Stardust & Goldust vs. Sheamus & The Usos on Smackdown on Friday.
-Renee interviewed Cena backstage who was in preacher mode hyping his main event match against Ambrose. Cena said Ambrose is the only man with the guts to stand opposite of him in the ring. He said tonight guts won’t be enough, though. He said it’s about toughness and brains, too. He said it’s not about hot dog carts, Miz TV, one dollar bets, and his name ain’t Billy Ray Valentine. He called Ambrose WWE’s brightest young star, but he’s about to face the man who runs the place.
-A new Wyatt vignette aired. He spoke of “she” who whispered in his ear and said he was special. “The spirit that represents what you truly are as you walk alone on your journey, all that you shall leave behind is smoke, desolation, damnation. It’s coming.” The Wyatt barn/shed filled with fog and then the rocking chair sat empty and rocked.
-Triple H and Stephanie McMahon walked toward the ring as they cut to a break. [c]
-A plug aired for Raw in 1999 when Steve Austin sprayed Vince McMahon with beer. Vince seems to have aged a lot more than just 15 years in that time.
[Overrun]
(8) JOHN CENA vs. DEAN AMBROSE – Contract on a Pole match
Lawler asked Cole to explain the stips. Cole did. Justin Roberts did formal ring introductions. Ambrose was aggressively on offense at the start. A Cena battle-chant started in the crowd. A minute in Ambrose threw Cena to ringside, but rather than climb the pole, he went after Cena at ringside. JBL said, “Climb the pole!” Ambrose eventually ran back to the ring and climbed the pole. Cena ran behind him and yanked him to the mat. Rollins laughed at ringside. He’s so good at his role. Kane smirked a little. They cut to Steph and Hunter who were all smiles. At 5:00 the action went to ringside. Orton told Ambrose to climb the pole. Ambrose hit Orton. Cena then hit Ambrose from behind. Cena whipped Ambrose into Orton, Kane, and Rollins, then moved toward the pole. Orton attacked Cena, though. Ambrose dove at Orton. Rollins and Kane joined in. JBL said the match has to continue until someone gets that contract. Cena gave Kane an AA just as Kane was about to chokeslam Ambrose. Bad strategy. Ambrose climbed up and grabbed the contract, taunting Cena as he yanked it down. Cena applauded Ambrose’s opportunistic win.
WINNER: Ambrose at 6:28.
-Afterward Cena and Ambrose stood in the ring as Orton teased entering the ring and Rollins yelled at Ambrose from the stage.
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