The Darewolf

Justin Gabriel's out. 'Darewolf' PJ Black is in.

It's not exactly breaking news that the artist formerly known as Justin Gabriel has been released by WWE. Apparently frustrated with his lack of direction and the nonchalant way his TV appearances were being handled Gabriel left the January 19 RAW and informed the company he wanted to be released from his contract. His status as a free agent was confirmed on January 25 when WWE announced he'd been released.

Pointing to the sky shows you mean business.

It's hardly surprising the man born Paul Lloyd Jr wanted out of WWE. He rarely got to appear on the promotion's more important broadcasts. When he did it was usually in a short match which he lost. His appearances on NXT were more promising. He didn't win much but he did get to wrestle lengthier matches in a less restrictive environment. A regular slot on that show would have been a good fit for him, allowing him creative freedom while providing the show with a reliable performer who could guarantee a good outing while putting over the hot prospects. Unfortunately for him Tyson Kidd got the main roster veteran in residence spot. NXT only needs one.

It's hard to imagine many people being happy to work hard to get to WWE's main roster only to be content with an enhancement role. His request was and is understandable. The last time he verged on relevance was when he was a tag team champion with Heath Slater in 2011. That Slater has to be mentioned there should tell you all you need to know about how well Gabriel was truly doing.

I think WWE could have done more with 'The Werewolf of Cape Town'. From what we were shown he could have turned in some belters opposite the likes of Cesaro, Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler. His on-off team with Tyson Kidd had potential too, but the writers never seemed overly interested in it. An injury to Kidd didn't help matters either, to be fair. Given time to develop, and used as part of a proper, actual tag team division Gabriel and Kidd could have been great. Matches with the Usos, the Wyatt Family, and even The Shield could have been excellent.

Gabriel wasn't necessarily a natural headliner or even an upper mid-carder, but he was capable of more than we saw. Which is what I think we'll see from him in his matches for the WWN over WrestleMania weekend. Gabe Sapolsky was quick to sign him for the group's shows, which speaks of the faith an experienced booker and promoter has in him. As does Black's announced matches against EVOLVE champion Drew Galloway and former Open the Freedom Gate champion Ricochet. They're not just some of the best wrestlers Sapolsky has available to him, they're some of the top names of the WWN. Black wouldn't be wrestling them on such major shows if there was any doubt in his ability.

If only he'd only a better nickname than 'Darewolf' I could get really into his new found freedom.

SmackTalk 06.09.13

This week’s SmackDown was a great demonstration of how to do the show right. Feuds and storylines saw advancement and the emphasis was placed on wrestling. RAW is better suited to the big, shocking developments. The blue show is better suited to embellishing on those developments and enhancing the smaller feuds.

This week those smaller feuds included the Usos dispute with The Real Americans. There was no pre-match promo from Zebedee this week, his role was reduced to a mere utterance of “We the people!” before the match. That allowed the focus to be firmly on the wrestling between the four men. Predictably, considering Cesaro’s involvement, it was a worthwhile match. The feud’s not going to be remembered as anyone’s favourite but it’s giving Jimmy and Jey something to do, rehabilitating Swagger, and keeping Cesaro simmering away before the inevitable push up the card comes his way.

 

The obvious question is why such a clearly nationalist team don't wear red, white and blue ring gear

 

The other undercard performers dealt some time were the Divas. A backstage segment showed AJ Lee rallying fellow non-Total Divas Layla, Alicia and Aksana to her cause. Later she led them to the ring to interfere in a Brie Bella v Naomi the Funkadactyl match. The point here seemed to be that the ladies excluded from the Total Divas cast want to reclaim the spotlight and the division from those who have.

Bringing Layla and company into the programme as AJ’s allies (perhaps lackeys would be a better term) is a good move. It’s created two broad factions that can be pitted against each other in a wide variety of singles, tag and six (wo)man outings. The majority of the matches on offer will be basic but the factions will allow for other women to be installed at ringside, providing distractions and generally helping to cover up the fact that the matches aren’t especially great. It’s a promising sign.

A vignette featuring Bray Wyatt existed to remind us that Kane is still missing (he’s off filming sure-to-be-smash-hit See No Evil 2) and that the Wyatt Family are responsible. I’m a little disappointed their role has been diminished so soon after their debut. They had been doing incredibly well. They should be moved into a meaningful rivalry as soon as possible. The Prime Time Players would be good candidates.

A good job was done of continuing the Heyman and CM Punk dispute, surprising when you consider that Punk wasn’t on the show. Axel was placed into a non-title match with Kofi Kingston and they were given time to construct a fun match. The contribution to the Punk feud came in Axel taking a loss. That’s nothing new for mid-card champions in WWE but here it came from a rollup and was played as something that could happen at Night of Champions, which would lead to ‘The Second City Saint’ getting his hands on Heyman. For once a champ losing a non-title match made sense!

 

Looks like Kofi's about to hit some trouble

 

The other three matches that took place all came from the opening segment. Triple H addressed the entire roster (minus those who were off at a RAW show). Worth noting was that Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler were stood right next to each other and showed no signs of animosity despite having been in a heated rivalry less than two months before.

This scene differed from others in having an open mic for the roster to get involved. ‘The Game’ encouraged the employees to open up to him and tell him how they were feeling so that he could perform his job better (he’s head of talent relations, ‘member?). After Damien Sandow had piped up in favour of the Cody Rhodes firing Rob Van Dam and Kofi Kingston both spoke about the negative feeling hanging over the locker-room. Heath Slater and Ryback both joined in, the former speaking out against Big Show’s sombre attitude and allegedly unpredictability and the latter saying he was tired of being called a bully.

From all of this H Treble dished out the Kingston v Axel match, a Big Show v 3MB handicap affair, Ryback v Dolph Ziggler, and Rob Van Dam v Randy Orton (begging the question about how he was planning to fill air time before this segment). He also announced Daniel Bryan would be allowed to wrestle any member of The Shield (who were performing their now standard duty of standing in the aisle) he wished. Bryan would end up passing the decision on who’d face him over to ‘The Hounds of Justice’.

Orty dropped RVD following his vintage DDT from the apron to the floor and an RKO back in the ring. Alberto Del Rio then jumped ‘The Whole F’n Show’ and applied the cross arm breaker. ‘The Big Guy’ beat Ziggler after Dean Ambrose provided a distraction. Big Show mauled 3MB, to the surprise of nobody.

 

'The Big Guy' takes a Fameasser

 

In the main event Daniel Bryan faced Seth Rollins. The bout saw plenty of outside interference from the other ‘Hounds of Justice’ and was as good as you’d expect. There’s a reason Rollins tends to be the man selected to work opposite Bryan: the two have years of experience working against one another and have a very good rapport. The idea was once again to show that Bryan won’t back down or give up and can overcome long odds. He obtained the victory with his new running knee finisher.

Following the match Bryan yessed himself senseless on the entrance ramp and hit in the back of the head by Randall Keith Orton, world champion and Face of WWE. That got some heat and the show went off the air with the crowd chanting that the champ sucks. That no crowd sweetening effects had to be used during the closing seconds of the show (which has been the norm on SmackDown for years) should be taken as a sign that WWE is doing a good job establishing Bryan as a top guy and that audiences have taken to ‘The Viper’ as lead villain.

SmackTalk 04.01.13

While Friday’s SmackDown was not recorded in 2013 it was the first meaningful WWE broadcast of the year. Well, if the blue show can be considered meaningful anymore. It arguably can’t be. And if it can’t be then the first meaningful WWE show of 2013 will be Monday evening’s RAW. With that show featuring the first appearance of The Rock in six months and a TLC match for the WWE championship between Ryback and champion CM Punk it’s probably preferable to think of RAW as the first WWE show of the year.

I’ve digressed a bit. SmackDown, by whatever criteria you choose to employ was a horrendously disappointing slice of television. That’s why I made a point of mentioning it was WWE’s first meaningful broadcast of the year. That they couldn’t cobble anything impressive together, or even bother to try, is a perfect example of why the company has struggled with ratings over the last year.

Of the five matches that took place one was good, one was passable, and three were atrocious pieces of filler. The opening segment was uninspiring too. While it was nice to see Antonio Cesaro rubbing shoulders with headliners Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show it was clear from the start that he would be looking at the lights in the inevitable tag team main event.

What was surprising about the segment was how ham-fisted WWE was at foreshadowing Orton’s impending heel turn. The tension between he and Sheamus came from nowhere and was based around the age old concept of both men wanting to win the Rumble. Surely WWE could have come up with something more special for two of their bigger names?

Maybe it was deliberately shoddy. Perhaps ‘The Viper’ will stay a good guy and it will be Sheamus that turns. ‘Great White’ could do with a refresh too, but we’d still be watching the same two men feuding. It wouldn’t be that revolutionary.

Thankfully Wade Barrett and Kofi Kingston were on hand to provide us with a fun Intercontinental title bout. While it slowed down in places the action was always crisp and there were some excellent false finishes. There was a great near fall sequence around two minutes before the match finished that was the highlight of the entire show. It felt entirely possible that Kofi would regain the gold. SmackDown, and RAW for that matter, needs matches like this on a far more frequent basis.

Opening video

Tweet 1: Let us SmackDown.

Tweet 2: Andre being the second guy in the montage, after Cena, always strikes me as bizarre.
Tweet 3: Are they doing ADR v Big Show at the Rumble? That's not a worthwhile undercard for a Rock v Punk main event.
Tweet 4: Also, that video seemed to be hinting that Orton will be the leader of The Shield. Or was that just me...?

Randy Orton promo, featuring Sheamus, Big Show, Antonio Cesaro and Booker T

Tweet 5: Garcia's mic is house show quality poor. This is meant to be a TV show, WWE. Get your act together.

Tweet 6: Is this the long-awaited Orton heel turn? On a taped episode of Friday Night SmackDown? I hope so.
Tweet 7: "Not too long ago SmackDown was my show" - Randy Orton, talking about a period that occurred eighteen months ago
Tweet 8: Orton and Cena in the Rumble! Shocking stuff!
Tweet 9: T’under. #Sheamussayswords
Tweet 10: This is probably the most unsubtle heel turn tease in WWE history.
Tweet 11: "I'll be happy to step on the snake" - Big Show with a possible euphemism
Tweet 12: Antonio Ceasro!! Heeeey!!
Tweet 13: Cesaro is brilliant. Well done for putting him out there with three main event guys, writing team.
Tweet 14: I think Booker T's shrinking.
Tweet 15: Wade Barrett is the new Intercontinental champion. Why do a title change on a pay-per-view when you have a perfectly good taped TV show?

The Miz v Heath Slater

Tweet 16: SLATER COWBELL!!

Tweet 17: Drew McIntyre's performance here is irritating.
Tweet 18: Slater v Miz is happening because 3MB interrupted Miz TV at TLC. That was three weeks ago. So PPVs are setting up TV now, is that it?
Tweet 19: The one "great thing" JBL mentions from WrestleMania's near three decade history is Hogan slamming Andre. Maybe mention something recent...
Tweet 20: Miz is displaying some impressive crowd working skills.
Tweet 21: 'Party Starter' Slater.
Tweet 22: I am astonished at how long this match is getting.
Tweet 23: It feels like it's been going for two hours.
Tweet 24: Miz grabs the predictable win via an SCF.

Matt Striker interviews Wade Barrett

Tweet 25: I like the fact that Barrett beat Kingston clean for the IC gold. Heels don't win clean often enough in WWE.

Tweet 26: "I don't care where you wanna take me to, Matt" - Wade Barrett, apparently giving Matt Striker a signal

Great Khali, Hornswoggle and Natalya v Epico, Primo and Rosa Mendes

Tweet 27: Oh Christ, it's the Great Khali...

Tweet 28: Khali can't even walk convincingly!
Tweet 29: Khali thinking he's a plane there.
Tweet 30: "Tag! Khali in!" - The referee, debuting a completely pointless gimmick
Tweet 31: Why are we getting so many lengthy matches featuring comedy performers on this show?
Tweet 32: Khali is, at best, ECW entourage material. He has no place being a regular wrestler.

Matt Striker interviews Kofi Kingston

Tweet 33: Oh good. More Matt Striker.

Tweet 34: Kofi is coming across as a sore loser. You lost the belt clean, mate. Get over it.
Tweet 35: Crisp and clear, if insubstantial, promo from Kofi. As reliable as he is he doesn't get pushed heavily because he's not a good enough talker.

Intercontinental championship – Wade Barrett (c) v Kofi Kingston

Tweet 36: BARRETT RING COAT ALERT!!

Tweet 37: This match is being shortchanged by the fans. It's the best thing on the programme so far and they're not reacting to it.
Tweet 38: Barrett may have started elbowing people but he doesn't have Mitsuhara Misawa's elbow pad.
Tweet 39: "He reminds me of Stan Hansen" - JBL on Wade Barrett
Tweet 40: That near fall sequence was the highlight of the match so far. I doubt they'll better it.
Tweet 41: That was a solid encounter. SmackDown should be like that more often.

Tamina Snuka v Kaitlyn

Tweet 42: Tamina Snuka is from the Pacific Islands. She is also a "big challenge" and a "test". Solid insight from Josh Mathews.

Tweet 43: Tamina has abandoned the leopard print outfit. She's forgotten her roots.
Tweet 44: I hate this match. I hate the women for being involved in it. I hate WWE for booking it.
Tweet 45: Kaitlyn's STILL the number one contender?

Big Show and Antonio Cesaro v Sheamus and Randy Orton

Tweet 46: Show has stopped wearing his hoodie. I miss it.

Tweet 47: Something tells me Orton and Sheamus won't get on during this match...
Tweet 48: I've predicted that they'll clash at WrestleMania, perhaps for the World title. The feud is just getting started.
Tweet 49: One way of looking at this match is two bald guys against two guys with ridiculous facial hair.
Tweet 50: When Randy Orton hits 40 I think the best word to describe how he looks will be "distinguished".
Tweet 51: Cesaro's stream of tips is amusing.
Tweet 52: Sheamus happily buries designated jobber Cesaro by waiting far too long before covering him.
Tweet 53: It was from an RKO I suppose, and established finishing move, so it's not too bad.
Tweet 54: The starting point of the Orton v Sheamus rivalry is a blind tag during a tag match. Not an awe-inspiring start, is it?

SmackTalk 12.10.12

Every week I write a SmackTalk article and try providing both a summary of the episode and a selection of high and low points. This week I thought I’d try something different and make some predictions about where some of WWE’s current storylines (featured on the show) are heading.

First of all there’s the Big Show and Sheamus feud. ‘Great White’ will defend his World Heavyweight championship against ‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ at Hell in a Cell. At this point no extra stipulations have been announced and it seems fairly likely they’ll clash in a regular bout.

The Hell in a Cell would be overkill this early in their programme but that doesn’t mean WWE wouldn’t have them wrestle in the cage if they had no other choice. Should CM Punk end up facing Ryback, for example, then Sheamus and Show would be the natural bout to be bumped up to Hell in a Cell status. With the pay-per-view called Hell in a Cell WWE have to feature the gimmick on the show.

Their rivalry hasn’t produced any enjoyable matches or segments so far and I can’t see that changing before October 28^th. I expect them to see more segments similar to this week’s test of strength over the next few weeks. I think they will all be similarly tiresome. At this point nothing has happened to make me think Show will win the WHC and the story seems as though it’s going to be ‘The Celtic Warrior’ gradually coming to the realisation that Show is a threat to his reign.

Another Hell in a Cell prediction is that we’ll see the Rhodes Scholars entering as number one contenders. Sandow’s loss to Sin Cara on SmackDown was designed to make people think that the Scholars will lose the tournament finals on Monday night. They are by far the best candidates to square off with Kane and Bryan for the gold.

I’m hoping that Mysterio and Sin Cara are kept together as a unit for a while longer. Their planned split and ensuing dispute will mean more if they’ve been together longer.

One of the biggest slices of soap opera drama to grace SmackDown over the last month has been the ongoing question of who attacked Kaitlyn at Night of Champions. As Eve Torres benefitted most from the assault, being booked as Kaitlyn’s replacement and defeating Layla for the Divas gold, she is naturally the favourite to be revealed as the assailant.

While having a division’s lead feud hinge on something that happened backstage always strikes me as annoying I do think this is a positive direction. Ignore the talk of a blonde wig and you have a solid title feud situation: Layla wasn’t prepeared for a title defence against Eve, which gives her just cause for a rematch; Kaitlyn has proven that she can best Eve in a match, meaning that if she got a title match there would be no clear favourite (at least in theory); and Eve has risen to the top by being in the right place at the right time instead of earning championship matches, which is the right way to book a heel.

There are enough options to keep a three-way programme bubbling away until Survivor Series. The stuff with Eve riling Teddy Long and Booker increasingly favouring his PA over his senior adviser could also turn into something interesting too, though at the moment it’s pretty boring because WWE don’t seem to have decided where they want to go with it.

Finally, I think the decision to put Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater together as a unit is a good move. I want them to be used as a strong upper mid-card heel outfit and prepped for a title feud, using the Freebird Rule, for later in the year. It’s the best way to use ‘The Chosen One’ and ‘The Punjabi Nightmare’, and it’s something that allows ‘The One Man Rock Band’ to be ridiculous.

True that’s not a prediction but I thought I’d include it anyway.

KO Punch v Brogue Kick challenge, featuring Booker T, Sheamus and Big Show

Tweet 1: SmackDown tweet time! BAM!

Tweet 2: SmackDown is Friday night's hottest show. #vintageJosh
Tweet 3: KO Punch versus Brogue Kick challenge will start SmackDown. That seems a stupid idea. It certainly doesn't make this Friday's hottest show.
Tweet 4: #Bookergrammar
Tweet 5: JBL and Josh on commentary with no Cole is probably the best decision the company's made all year.
Tweet 6: "Tonight is all about the Big Show and Sheamus" - Booker T, subtly letting us know the rest of the show is irrelevant
Tweet 7: Boxing statistics. This is going to get the ratings up.
Tweet 8: "Don't boo me. Don't boo me!" Y'all should be booing yourselves!
Tweet 9: This is ridiculous. Kicks are generally much more powerful than punches. That's why they're so popular in MMA. #stupidsegment
Tweet 10: Can Sheamus kick high enough to reach Show's chin?
Tweet 11: What we've learned here is that Show is strong enough to punch a mountain in two while Sheamus is only strong enough to make a cow explode.
Tweet 12: Tensai there, getting a push. It's too little too late.

Segments like this are what makes SmackDown Friday's hottest show

Sheamus v Tensai

Tweet 13: Tensai has the best entrance music in WWE. #fact #somefactsmaybefalse

Tweet 14: "He's a legend in Japan right now" - JBL on, um, Tensai
Tweet 15: I still think that if WWE had gotten behind Tensai make in April and May he could have been a headliner by now.
Tweet 16: JBL just referenced NOAH and NJPW. Is this an alternate reality?
Tweet 17: Sheamus picks Tensai up for White Noise with ease. Ryback could learn a thing or two from him...

Ricardo Rodriguez and Alberto Del Rio backstage

Tweet 18: SmackDown is being held at the HP Pavillion. Modern arena names make me sad.

Tweet 19: Here's a good segment idea: have ADR talk about how unafraid of Randall Orton he is.
Tweet 20: Top that segment off with Ricardo being given a show-long mission to hunt down 'The Viper'. It's a surefire ratings smash hit!
Tweet 21: So Ricardo hears what is meant to be a snake noise and is worried it's Randy Orton? Yeah, because Orton's famed for his snake impressions.
Tweet 22: Oh wait. It's just Santino. #hilarity

Team CoBro v Jinder Mahal and Heath Slater

Tweet 23: SLATER COWBELL!

Tweet 24: I like Slater's new tights. It'll be another year and a half before he wears something else...
Tweet 25: Slater promos = ratings
Tweet 26: Team CoBro. #scans
Tweet 27: I love the paper, rock, scissors gimmick to decide which member of a tag team starts a match. Very New Age Outlaws. #Billyalwayswon
Tweet 28: The Slater Freebirds need matching gear.
Tweet 29: Slater's weird cutter-DDT finisher should be called the Cowbell Buster.

I think we all know the highlight here is Jinder Mahal's expression

Dolph Ziggler v Kane

Tweet 30: Ziggler takes to Tout to challenge Kane to a match. Remember a time when that would've happened in a backstage interview?

Tweet 31: Ziggler v Kane. I'd rather see Ziggler v Bryan. #bestintheworld
Tweet 32: I preferred Ziggler's pink T-shirt. It featured the colour teal. #isthatateal
Tweet 33: Ziggler's getting the ridiculous bumps in early. He just flew across the ring after being punched.
Tweet 34: Ziggler skinning the cat needs to be done at least half a dozen times in next year's Rumble. At least.
Tweet 35: FAMEASSER!! #BadAssBillyZiggler
Tweet 36: That was a decent match. Ziggler getting DQed is rare. He's usually just jobbed out. Maybe that title win's getting close...

Daniel Bryan and Kane confrontation, featuring Matt Striker

Tweet 37: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

Tweet 38: Guess who's in the ring...
Tweet 39: "I saved you!" - Daniel Bryan to Kane
Tweet 40: No Lock to Striker!! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Tweet 41: "I never liked Matt Striker" - JBL, with a comment which is probably true
Tweet 42: "That's not an announcer, that's Matt Striker" – JBL

Ricardo Rodriguez continues hunting for Randy Orton

Tweet 43: Why is Ricardo asking people questions in Spanish when it's been confirmed he speaks English?

Tweet 44: "I'm coiled... to strike!" - a Randy Orton toy

Big Show v Kofi Kingston

Tweet 45: Miz and Kofi are feuding for the IC title? Good move, writing team!

Tweet 46: Big Show v Kofi Kingston. Something tells me this match will be less than thrilling.
Tweet 47: Why doesn't Show use the choke slam anymore?
Tweet 48: Also, where's Ryback?
Tweet 49: How long until Main Event becomes a Superstars level job show?

Daniel Bryan talks to Alberto Del Rio

Tweet 50: I hope this vignette is setting up a Bryan v ADR bout. Bryan has some slick verbal skills.

Layla, Kaitlyn, Eve, Booker T and Teddy Long backstage

Tweet 51: Layla and Kaitlyn are STILL wittering on about the injustice of Kaitlyn not having the Divas title match she deserved.

Tweet 52: And here's Eve. Lovely Eve. I can't wait until Teddy gets written out of storylines.
Tweet 53: Layla needs to keep her mouth shut. She sounds like an East End fishwife.

Damien Sandow v Sin Cara

Tweet 54: SANDOW POP!!

Tweet 55: Sin Cara is wearing that white outfit he got injured in last year. But never mind that, here's his special lighting effect!
Tweet 56: 'The Sovereign of Civility' is probably the greatest new moniker of 2012.
Tweet 57: Cody Rhodes is sent backstage. Ringside gets a little less dashing.
Tweet 58: Sin Cara just beat Damien Sandow, a decision designed to make us think the Rhodes Scholars will lose on Monday. I think they'll win.

Alberto Del Rio v Daniel Bryan

Tweet 59: Albertooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Delllllllllllllllll Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooooooooo!!

Tweet 60: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Tweet 61: YEEEEEEEEES!!
Tweet 62: Loving Bryan destroying signs. #niceSandmanTshirtasshole

Daniel Bryan is the tag team champions!

Tweet 63: I want Dr Shelby to be used more often.
Tweet 64: This is the best Del Rio match I've seen for months. Thank you, Daniel Bryan.
Tweet 65: Randy Orton hasn't been sighted yet. Guess that means he's on run-in duty.
Tweet 66: Cross arm breaker in the ropes is a great little spot. That needs to be booked more often. It could be like Tajiri's Tarantula, y'know?
Tweet 67: ADR wins via submission. Nah, don't book one of your most over babyfaces strong. Why on Earth would you want to do that.
Tweet 68: "Randy Orton will not show up tonight" - Alberto Del Rio, moments before a Randy Orton appearance
Tweet 69: Orton just appeared lying down in the ring. #unintentionalLOLfactor
Tweet 70: ADR's taking a table bump is he?
Tweet 71: Ah, Ricardo interfered to help Del Rio escap. So RR is taking a table bump. Should be a highlight of the show. Ricardo takes great bumps.
Tweet 72: Table didn't break. Rodriguez now has a broken neck and a job with no pension. Thanks, Randy. #Thandy

The Odd Couple

What started life as a fairly bland mid-card feud that felt like a waste of one of WWE's hottest acts has morphed into one of wrestling's most entertaining tag teams. Kane and Daniel Bryan are easily the best pairing currently at WWE's disposal and are the right choice to spearhead what appears to be a resurgence in the league's dismal doubles scene.
 
I've written about the state of tag team wrestling in WWE several times before. I've even been caught out and heralded a bright new dawn that's turned to be an overcast dusk at least once. The reason I think things may be different this time is that Bryan and Kane (dubbed Team Hell No on Monday's RAW) have not been picked out by the writers as the new lead team. They've been picked out by the fans.

The two have quickly developed an easy and entertaining rapport that's just as enjoyable in their backstage anger management skits as it is when they're bickering in the ring. Their cries of "I'm the tag team champions", while grammatically incorrect, make them perfectly suited to interacting with audiences. The same is true of the various cries of "Yes!" and "No!" directed at 'D-Bryan'.

One of these guys is the tag team champions... But which?

 
It's not just Team Hell No that has created hope for the WWE tag straps. The pairing of Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on last Friday's SmackDown originally appeared to be a one night storyline designed to give the champs some heel opponents. Monday's RAW revealed that the two will work as a tag team for the foreseeable future. After attacking the champions Rhodes revealed he and Sandow will be known as the Rhodes Scholars. WWE wouldn't have bothered concocting a team name for them if they had no intention of keeping them paired up.
 
The creation of the Rhodes Scholars is a good move. 'The Intellectual Saviour of the Masses' has gotten over to a far greater extent than the company originally expected. With nothing in the works for him as a singles competitor putting him into a tag team means he will still be kept relevancy but means there is no need to elevate him immediately. It's good for the former 'Dashing One' too: he'd been floundering since losing the Intercontinental title to Christian at Over The Limit. Both should benefit from working with the popular and talented tag champions.
 
Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara have been put together as a unit in recent weeks. Apparently the long term plan is to have one turn on the other in time for a match at WrestleMania XXIX. Until a few weeks ago they looked like the favourites to defeat the Prime Time Players for the tag gold, who in turn seemed like the favourites to topple Kofi Kingston and R-Truth. Both the masked pair and the PTPs could be considered threats to the current strap holders, with Young and O'Neil being particularly notable due to the fact that WWE have been pushing them steadily up the card for months.
 
There are a very healthy number of entertaining units elsewhere on the roster. The Usos and Epico and Primo (who really need some sort of collective noun) are both very good teams while the combo of Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd could produce some electric matches if given the chance.

Hunico and Camacho could be given more screen time to fatten up the doubles ranks and The Ascension are more than ready to be called up from NXT. Finally, the recently formed group consisting of Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre could be an interesting factor in tag team competition if they're kept together long enough.
 
Bryan and Kane are not a team that will sit on top of the company's tag team division for years. They should be good for a few months though. If WWE are smart they'll use this time to get some successors established for the inevitable Team Hell No split. For now the future looks bright, and unpredictable for WWE's tag team division. That, to quote Diamond Dallas Page, is a good thing.

SmackTalk 21.09.12

Any show that sees Bryan 'Daniel Bryan' Danielson wrestle twice can't be all bad. This week's SmackDown saw just that happen, with Bryan tackling Cody Rhodes in a singles match before teaming up with tag team championship partner Kane to face Rhodes and Damien Sandow.
 
Predictably both matches were very good although they suffered from mildly disappointing finishes. Kane's pyro distracted 'Goatface' while he was trying to apply the No Lock, allowing Dusty junior to recover and connect with the match-winning Cross Rhodes. This was done to even the score after Bryan had cost Kane his show-opening singles clash with 'The Intellectual Saviour of the Masses'.
 
The main event tag battle saw Bryan and Kane survive the (non-title) challenge of the heels with the Usos, Gabriel and Kidd, and the Prime Time Players stationed at ringside as lumberjacks. Post-match the champs obliterated the four other tandems. This shouldn't have done WWE's pedestrian doubles division any but somehow it did. By having Kane and Bryan bicker throughout the show they were shown to have vulnerability as a unit, while their battering of the other teams gives a clear motivation for rematches in the near future.
 
I was surprised Epico and Primo we're excused from lumberjack duty. Perhaps Rosa Mendes was unavailable for the taping. Omitting former champions R-Truth and Kofi Kingston was a smart move though. They need to be kept strong in case fans sour on the Bryan and Kane act and the titles need to be switched in a hurry.
 
The Divas division was given a glimmer of hope when an actual, proper feud was hinted at. New champion Eve was stationed at ringside for the (frankly embarrassing) match between Natalya and Layla, with the previous champion clearly not being ready to overlook her "shocking" loss of the title.
 
While Layla has been an utter bore since returning from injury in April Eve has proven to be one of the best female performers at WWE's disposal. I'm convinced that she could create interest in a programme with anyone on the roster, even someone as tedious as the former LayCool member. The prospect of a series between Eve and Kaitlyn, a woman with solid ring skills, a fair amount of personality, and a proven ability to connect with fans, is something I'm looking forward to also.
 
Unfortunately I can't say I hold the same amount if hope for the split between Antonio Cesaro and Aksana. Pairing 'The Swiss Superman' with her helped him to stand out as a heel act and also have the limited Diva something to do. I'll reserve full judgement until we see where it's going but right now it feels like a mistake. It's entirely possible they will reunite in the near future.
 
Something that raised my interest, and provided a genuine surprise (rare in 2012 WWE) was the beatdown of Brodus Clay by Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal. Teaming three dregs such as these is likely an experiment. It'll be interesting to see whether they're given a genuine chance to succeed. I believe that factions are a good way of using lower-card guys such as these so I hope this proves a success. If it leads to 'The Funkasaurus' recruiting a gang of his own (perhaps Zack Ryder and Santino) then so much the better. 'The One Man Rock Band' in particular deserves a higher spot on the card.

Why didn't Cameron and Naomi make the save?

 
Amazingly the show featured yet another clash between Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio. Their bout at Night of Champions, which saw 'The Celtic Warrior' down 'The Essence of Excellence’ for the third pay-per-view in a row, felt like the natural end to their programme. You know, that programme that hasn't delivered any memorable matches and has been going since April. Their tag outing alongside Dolph Ziggler and Randy Orton was decent enough but it was a far cry from feeling fresh. WWE desperately needs to elevate some new acts to avoid these constant reruns.
 
I assume the ADR and 'Great White' will clash again at Hell in a Cell. I've been advocating new opponents for both men for months now but at least a Hell in a Cell clash would provide a fitting end to their lengthy run together. I always feel the super cage is best employed to end lengthy rivalries, which is certainly what the WHC combatants have had.
 
Finally, it was great to see Edge again. While his appearance didn't achieve a great deal and didn't appear to happen for any particular reason it was nice to see him. His interactions with both Kane and Daniel Bryan got the show-long storyline off to a nice start. It did make me wish we'd seen a series between Bryan and 'The Rated R Superstar'. Sadly, we never will.

Edge promo, featuring Daniel Bryan, Kane and Damien Sandow

Tweet 1: Josh Mathews provides us with a particularly banal opening statement. I can't even be bothered to type it for you all.

Tweet 2: Take my word for it. It was bad.
Tweet 3: Nice to see Edge. One of my favourite wrestlers ever. That said I have realistic expectations for this opening promo.

No gimmick shirt for Edge. He wears his own gear

Tweet 4: Bryan and Kane are a great act. Good use of a long running act and a nice way of keepign Bryan hot without a world title.
Tweet 5: Bryan and Edge promo time. They could have had a GREAT series of matches if Edge hadn't had to retire.
Tweet 6: Daniel Bryan: fan of pronouns.
Tweet 7: Rare acknowledgement of an old storyline there.
Tweet 8: They've not explained why Edge is on the show. It doesn't matter. Anything makes a change from the regular opening Sheamus promo.
Tweet 9: I remember all of those Edge v Kane feuds. None were good.
Tweet 10: #threewayhug
Tweet 11: Sandow is another nice deviation from the norm.
Tweet 12: "I am a thinking man, I do not resort to measures of physical means, thank you" - Damien Sandow

Kane v Damien Sandow

Tweet 13: And now the show (or serial as Sandow refers to it) has morphed into a match between Sandow and Kane. How exciting!

Tweet 14: Damien Sandow is clearly a fan of the Russian dissident look.
Tweet 15: Sandow has pinned Kane, but in such a way that he is not really elevated. Good work, writing team!
Tweet 16: As wrestling monikers go 'Mexican Aristocrat' leaves a lot to be desired.

Kane, Daniel Bryan and Dr Shelby backstage

Tweet 17: Dr Shelby! Awesomes.

Tweet 18: They might as well stop this vignette. Bryan hiding in a bin cannot be topped.
Tweet 19: Cole and Mathews have matching hair. How sweet.
Tweet 20: The Del Rio v Sheamus feud is STILL rumbling on? Please stop it. Please.

Layla v Natalya

Tweet 21: The Divas title being on Eve is promising. She's one of the few women on the roster with an actual character.

Tweet 22: Layla's reign, which lasted around five months, is completely unmemorable.
Tweet 23: "Nice shoulders" - Michael Cole, perhaps waking from an Alan Partridge-esque daydream

Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler v Sheamus and Randy Orton

Tweet 24: Ricardo Rodriguez, not satisfied with stealing Joel Gertner's personal ring announcer gimmick, has also taken to wearing a neck brace.

Tweet 25: Albertoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Delllllllllll Riiiiiiiiiooooooooooooo!!
Tweet 26: Those red leggings aren't doing Vickie any favours are they?
Tweet 27: The kid in the (dated) CM Punk T-shirt is not a fan of Dolph Ziggler. That 'The Show Off' doesn't appeal to kids makes me a bigger fan.
Tweet 28: Orton is standing on the pink rope. In a way he is standing on WWE's efforts to fight cancer.
Tweet 29: FELLAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!
Tweet 30: When did the tag rope become a regular feature of WWE matches? I don't like them. It wasn't used rigidly when I first started watching.
Tweet 31: Orton gets tagged in and immediately gets his team back on track. If WWE wants to get Sheamus over as lead face the roles should be reversed.
Tweet 32: Ah, here we are. The heels are in charge again. Orton will eventually make the hot tag to 'Great White'.
Tweet 33: Orton and Sheamus victory, now with added post-match hug.

Cody Rhodes v Daniel Bryan

Tweet 34: No... No... No... No... No... No...

Tweet 35: Cody is looking particularly orange this week.
Tweet 36: Bryan's being booked as a face now. I like that. Should have happened months ago. The next step is for him to embrace the "Yes!" chants.
Tweet 37: Kane looks like Al Bundy.

Not a happy camper...

Kane, Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow backstage

Tweet 38: "You belong in a petting zoo!" - Kane to Daniel Bryan

Tweet 39: I wonder what Sandow and Rhodes were discussing. Tanning tips? Ring robes? Pros and cons of facial hair for wrestlers? Endless possibilities.

Heath Slater v Brodus Clay

Tweet 40: How is this gimmick not stale yet?

Tweet 41: Heath Slater is a 21st century version of the Honky Tonk Man. They should bring Honky in as his manager.
Tweet 42: Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal have interfered in the match, perhaps hinting at a new incarnation of the JOB Squad.
Tweet 43: "I didn't know they knew each other" - Michael Cole on three men who share a locker room
Tweet 44: Was this premeditated, Michael? Clearly it was. Your questions are stupid.

Antonio Cesaro v Santino

Tweet 45: Antonio Cesaro... Heeeey!!

Tweet 46: Cesaro's "new" entrance music has grown on me. It suits him better than his old track did.
Tweet 47: Cole seems to think Cesaro visting all fifty states as US champion is likely. When was the last time WWE put on a show in Alaska?
Tweet 48: Q: How does losing to Santino help Cesaro? A: It doesn't.
Tweet 49: Cesaro has rid himself of the dead wood that is Aksana. Maybe he'll bring in Sara Del Rey in her place.

Kane and Daniel Bryan v Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes

Tweet 50: WWE are trying to fool us into thinking they have a tag team division by placing three units at ringside. LOL much?

Tweet 51: Why aren't Kofi Kingston and R-Truth lumberjacks?
Tweet 52: Epico and Primo have been snubbed too. It would have been nice to see them... Mainly for Rosa Mendes I admit.
Tweet 53: Chair one-upmanship is soooooooo PG.
Tweet 54: Bryan and Kane just jobbed out three other tag teams. WWE will probably book a four-way between them all at Hell in a Cell.

That 1000th RAW Recap 23.07.12

There was a lot of hype to meet with the thousandth episode of Monday Night RAW. Did WWE’s booking team manage to meet expectations or was the first regular three hour show a washout? I’m pleased to say that for the most part RAW 1000 was a very enjoyable episode.

Vince McMahon hit the ring to kick things off. It was nice to see him. Unusually he didn’t take up much time. He thanked the audience for their support, dusted off his trademark RAW intro and then brought out D-Generation X.

The DX reunion was a perfect example of how to book a nostalgia act well. The gang ran through all their old catchphrases, made people laugh and then interacted with a current star. That star was Damien Sandow. ‘The Self Proclaimed Intellectual Saviour of the Masses’ appeared to attempt to save DX from themselves (or something). He took Sweet Chin Music and a Pedigree for his trouble.

Triple H doesn't look happy being at the back does he?

As a big fan of the New Age Outlaws it was great to see both ‘Bad Ass’ Billy Gunn and Road Dogg again. Road Dogg is still great with a microphone and Gunn looked to be in great shape. A gimmick match between them and a heel combo sometime in the not too distant future would be very welcome.

X Pac was also present.

The reunion was followed by a six man tag team match, for which Jim Ross joined Michael Cole and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler at the commentary desk. Sheamus, Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio beat Chris Jericho, Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler when ‘The Show Off’ lamped ‘Y2J’, allowing ‘Great White’ to hit a Brogue Kick for the victory.

As six man tags go it was a decent affair. More importantly it advanced the Ziggler v Jericho rivalry that was started on show 999. A match between the two is expected at SummerSlam. It has the potential to be a highlight of the event.

Next up was a backstage segment that existed to get some faces in front of the cameras. Divas champion Layla (who didn’t have her belt and wasn’t acknowledged as the champ) was hanging out with bride to be AJ and discussing the upcoming wedding. As they did this Jim Duggan, R-Truth, Roddy Piper, Little Jimmy, Mae Young and a man in a hand suit (a gag for long-time fans) appeared in a corridor.

Young’s son aside it was not a good vignette.

JR had vanished from commentary for the next match, a squash battle pitting ‘The Funkasaurus’ against Jack Swagger. Dude Love was introduced to stand in Clay’s corner, and danced in the ring after ‘The All American American’ had been defeated. Foley looked appalling and his dancing was embarrassing. That he was given more air time than Swagger is not a good sign for the former World Heavyweight champion’s future prospects (or should that be future endeavours…?).

A brief shot of Daniel Bryan backstage was shown, talking to several men in white coats. This was a swerve designed to make viewers think that Bryan was going to have AJ committed during the ceremony. Instead we got a fairly standard exchange of vows (presided over by Slick) that ended with AJ yelling “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

She interrupted Slick just before he could proclaim the two man and wife, telling him that she hadn’t been saying yes to Bryan but to another man who’d made her an offer earlier in the day. Vinnie Mac then put in his second appearance of the evening and revealed that he had hired AJ as the new General Manager.

This should ensure AJ’s push continues, which is a good thing for her and viewers. It will be interesting to see how she’s booked in the role. I’m also keen to find out why accepting the role of GM meant she was unable to marry Bryan. Surely the two aren’t mutually exclusive? I bet we never find out.

AJ skipped backstage and left Bryan to destroy the wedding set. This he did with surprising speed and efficiency. If ever he gets bored of wrestling he’d make a great stagehand.

After a break CM Punk came out to taunt Bryan. ‘The Voice of the Voiceless’ basically said Bryan had gotten everything he deserved for treating AJ so poorly over the last several months. Bryan responded by screaming that he was the greatest WWE superstar of all time, which brought The Rock out to the ring.

Rock disagreed with Bryan’s lofty opinion of himself. He told Bryan that the people get to decide who the greatest ever is, then told him he looks like the offspring of an oompa loompa and a homeless lumberjack. ‘The Great One’ then revealed that he will challenge for the WWE championship on January 27^th at the Royal Rumble, no matter who holds the gold. The scene ended with Bryan taking a Rock Bottom.

The announcement that ‘The People’s Champion’ will face the WWE champion at the Royal Rumble is big news. It will become more relevant as the event draws near but it’s clear from this that WWE will be making use of The Rock throughout WrestleMania season next year. He was present on several shows this year but I’d expect his presence to be greater for the build to ‘Mania XXIX. The Rock appearing at the Rumble should ensure a high buy rate and will allow his match for the extravaganza in New Jersey to be setup with a large audience watching.

The third match of the night finally rolled around after another break. Introduced by Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart it saw Christian defend his Intercontinental strap against The Miz. I’d predicted a title change based on the fact that WWE would want to switch a belt on the landmark episode. I wasn’t wrong. ‘The Awesome One’ dropped ‘Captain Charisma’ clean with a Skull Crushing Finale.

An awesome new Intercontinental champion

I could go off on a tangent and talk about how disappointing it is that yet another former world champion has been given a mid-card belt. But I won’t. At this point I’m just happy Miz has been given something to do and has the chance to reinvigorate the IC gold (something which nobody on the roster seems capable of doing).

Triple H opted not to change into his usual business attire for his showdown with Brock Lesnar. Instead he went to the ring in his DX camouflage gear. He could not have looked less like a COO.

Paul Heyman came out in place of ‘The Pain’. After teasing that he would be accepting ‘The Game’s’ challenge he announced that the SummerSlam match would not take place. The two men started insulting one another’s kids, which brought out Stephanie McMahon, who coerced Heyman into agreeing to the match in an exchange that didn’t quite work. She didn’t say anything that her husband hadn’t said but for some reason hearing it from her pushed Heyman’s buttons.

Wanting to get in a final shot Heyman once again targeted the McMahon-Helmsley kids, prompting a slap from Steph. As the two rolled around on the mat (prompting memories of Beulah McGillicutty’s battle with Bill Alfonso) Lesnar’s music played and the former UFC champion marched down to the ring. He and Triple H slugged it out before ‘The Game’ clotheslined him to the outside. The heels retreated backstage as Triple H ripped his shirt off and posed in the ring.

The Triple H v Brock Lesnar match is official for SummerSlam. If the company keeps doing a good job with the storyline it should help the show draw a high number.

Heath Slater’s legends storyline did not get the satisfying ending it deserved. Lita answered ‘The One Man Rock Band’s’ challenge for a legend to battle him in a no disqualification, anything goes encounter. She revealed that she’d hired some protection for the evening and brought out the APA. She didn’t say why she’d felt the need to hire them. Perhaps she was expected some trouble from Matt Hardy.

Slater tried to make an escape but was cut off by all the legends that he’s faced over the last month. He was sent back into the ring to eat a Clothesline From Hell from JBL and a moonsault from Lita.

While this may seem an anti-climax at least we know that Slater can shine when allowed to play a comedic loser. As I’ve written before WWE should keep him in a similar role now that the legends angle has played out. It’s how he can be of most value to the promotion.

John Cena, Zack Ryder and Gene Okerlund got some airtime backstage. ‘Long Island Iced Z’ was sharing his theory that ‘Mean’ Gene was behind GTV back in the late 90s. Gene denied it. Thankfully The Rock showed up to put an end to the nonsense. He wished Cena luck in his title match against Punk (as he had done with the champion earlier) and said he’d like the two to have a rematch at the Royal Rumble. I am indifferent to the suggestion.

Kane came to the ring, presumably for a match. I say presumably as his opponent was never officially introduced thanks to Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre, Hunico, Camacho and the MidCard Mafia coming to the ring to complain about their lack of opportunities. The Undertaker came out to join his storyline sibling and the two hit their signature moves on the job squad. It was nothing more than an excuse to include the Brothers of Destruction on the show.

Finally it was time for the main event: John Cena cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase for a shot at the WWE championship held by CM Punk. I was surprised to hear that it was only the 57^th defence of the belt on Monday Night RAW. I would have guessed far higher than that.

The match itself was decent, though not a patch on their encounter at last year’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. At around the halfway mark the ref took a bump and Cena caught Punk with an AA. With the official still unconscious Big Show lumbered out to the ring and hit Cena with a spear. Punk sat watching skittishly from the corner as the challenger pulled himself back to his feet. Cena was then KO’d by a WMD punch.

‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ vacated the ring, leaving Punk to look torn between waking John Cena and the unconscious official. Wake Cena and he would be giving his opponent the fair chance he himself had been extended the week before. Wake the referee and he would be that much likelier to retain the championship.

Punk opted to revive the ref. Having dragged him back into the ring the champ went for a cover only for the challenger to kick out at two. Punk then went for a GTS but Cena countered into the STF. Show then waddled back out and broke the hold, causing a DQ victory for Cena.

Yes, Cena became the first man to ash in the Money in the Bank briefcase and lose.

The giant stomped away at ‘The Leader of the CeNation’ as Punk turned his back and hung his head. Previously he had looked torn. At this point he looked dejected. He exited the ring, title belt in hand, just as The Rock’s music hit and ‘The Great One’ flew to the ring to make the save. Rock gave Show a number of punches then planted him in the centre of the ring with a spinebuster. After the traditional pose ‘The Brahama Bull’ went sailing off the ropes for a People’s Elbow.

That People’s Elbow never connected because CM Punk slid back into the ring and nailed Rocky with a perfectly timed clothesline. As ‘The Great One’ sold on the mat the champion mocked him by emulating the moves he makes before going for a Rock Bottom. When Rock finally made it back to his feet he turned around into a GTS. The show went off the air with Punk slowly heading backstage clutching his precious WWE championship.

Looks like The Rock has a new feud

So… thoughts on the show closing angle? A CM Punk heel turn is not what I‘d expected but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. He works better as a bad guy and has faced most of the top heels on the roster during his seven month title reign. After a year spent as one of the promotion’s top babyfaces Punk will be refreshed by the chance to portray a villainous character again.

It seems a safe bet that CM Punk’s reasoning for attacking The Rock will be jealousy. Rock turns up every few months and gets the biggest cheers of the night, while Punk is at every show with the gold and is seen as second best to the Rocks and Cenas of the world.

RAW 1000 seemed to indicate that The Rock v CM Punk is going to be the match we get at the Royal Rumble. If Punk keeps winning and is allowed to give credible reasons for his actions then I think he could be a massive heel by then. With the right hype that match could attract some monster numbers.