That RAW Recap 19.10.15

This week's RAW featured a few key moments.

You just had to know where to look for them. Here's a hint: they weren't in the Nikki Bella and Alicia Fox v Naomi and Sasha Banks match, or the throwaway Bad News Barrett, Sheamus and Rusev versus Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro and Adrian Neville six man. Nor were they in Kevin Owens versus ark Henry. Although, for the record all three good for what they were. Nikki over as the serious title contender she should be considering her tenure and status as longest reigning Divas champ ever. The six man was a fun match which got some over lads on the show and gave them time to do their thing. And Owens v Henry featured Owens hitting his pop-up power bomb on 'The World's Strongest Man', establishing that he's strong enough to hit Ryback (his HIAC opponent) with it should the opportunity arise.

But, as I say, these things weren't anything noteworthy. The big segments from this week's RAW were the Undertaker and Lesnar confrontation, a dressing down of WWE champ Seth Rollins by Shawn Michaels, and an impromptu Shield reunion and match opposite their old foes the Wyatt Family.

This was fun to see but what an unbelievable waste.

The Shield reunion wasn't. It was Rollins agreeing to team up with Ambrose and Reigns to demonstrate to Shawn Michaels that he could "stop the show" then turning on them at the end of the match. Because the whole point of Rollins' character is that he's a dick who deserves a slap. In theory this worked but in practice it was incredibly wasteful. The first teaming of 'The Hounds of Justice' since their split in the summer of last year should have been a huge deal.

Instead it was a transparent attempt to increase ratings and it didn't even get that right. The least WWE should have done if this was their plan was to announce the match a week in advance and plug it non-stop to get people watching next week. Okay, that may have made some people think it was a full-time reunion but the answer to that would have been simple: have Rollins give a promo about not needing Ambrose and Reigns and Ambrose and Reigns say they don't trust Rollins but need him for this one match. It would have made time for word to spread and people to get excited about the match, increasing the chance of a larger viewing figure.

But it was more than that. The Shield shouldn't be something tossed out as a ratings grab. It will devalue their inevitable full-time (until the equally inevitable second split at least) reunion whenever it comes. The three men, though particularly Rollins and Reigns, are all clearly going to be big parts of the WWE landscape for years. They should be protected. And that means planning things like a reunion far in advance, working towards it and getting it right when it happens, not giving it away on free TV with only an hour's build-up.

On top of that things just felt off. Erick Rowan returning to the fold is fine. It actually helps get across Wyatt's cult leader deal because he slotted in with new lad Braun Strowman beautifuly. But Luke Harper not being involved was wrong. He and Wyatt are more over than Rowan and Strowman by a significant margin. He clearly should have been in the match yet he wasn't even at ringside. Rowan and 'The Black Sheep' are both very good in their roles but they can't hold a candle to Harper's ring skills and compelling weirdness.

Strong mic work from HBShizzle here.

HBK dressing down Rollins worked. The gist of Michaels' argument was that 'The Future' is content with the accolade of being the new Shawn Michaels when he should be concentrating on making his own name mean more and creating a legacy for himself. Which is hard to argue against (although it's worth noting that comparisons between Rollins and Michaels haven't been as frequent as this segment would suggest). Not to say that Rollins' doesn't have name value of his own, he clearly does, but he seems content to accept mediocre booking in exchange for getting to be world champ. Stories of 'The Heartbreak Kid' from the 90s make it hard to imagine him standing for this sort of booking.

Of course WWE now is different to the WWF then. And, perhaps more importantly, Vince McMahon has some bizarre attitudes towards the "millennials" that make up the bulk of his roster. That he was about as close to a Michaels mark as he could be in the 90s is a factor here too. Vince was less inclined to knock 'The Heartbreak Kid' than he is his current stars. But these political undertones, Michaels acting as Vince's mouthpiece, just added another layer of enjoyment to the situation.

It worked on the intended level of a respected veteran returning and condemning the current champion and as an insight into the backstage manoeuvrings of the promotion. Michaels and Rollins were both excellent. Particularly 'The Showstopper'. The only bad thing about it is that it made people (by which I mean me) want a Rollins v Michaels match that will never happen.

The showdown between Undertaker and Brock Lesnar was good because of how everything was slotted together. Despite having basically become a guy obsessed with avenging the loss of his WrestleMania Streak and being willing to make cheap shots to do it 'The Dead Man' was presented as the face here. The reason for that is that he was introduced by 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin (hey, he was there anyway, I've been saying since the podcast specials started that I think it makes sense to put him on RAW) and they were in Texas. Despite being announced from Death Valley he's a Texan and this audience was not going to boo him.

In Your House: Mind Games.

'Taker was basically there to remind anyone who's forgotten what is motivation is and to react to Brock Lesnar's advocate Paul Heyman. He gave 'The Last Outlaw' plenty to react to, explaining the story of the rivalry one final time, making clear what both men stand to gain from a win, and, of course, hammering home that his client, Brock Lesnar, conquered The Streak. 'Taker tried goading Lesnar into leaving the ramp and getting into the ring to fight. Hothead Lesnar was ready to accept this challenge before being convinced to hold off by Heyman. This framed 'The Beast' as a coward to the live crowd but the wider point was that Heyman knew 'Taker was trying to get inside Lesnar's head to gain an advantage going into their match, another cheap move by 'The Phenom' (although not one out of character, to be fair). The segment worked as a hype job for the Hell in a Cell main event and left the two men ready to take their correct roles: Lesnar the monster face and 'Taker the subtle heel desired desperate to win at any cost.

It wasn't the most exciting episode of RAW ever. But it was memorable and significant because of and for these segments. With such a clear unwillingness from WWE to formulate a long term creative plan, alter the way they present their performers, or do something different to what they've been doing for the last fifteen years, that's the most that we can realistically hope for on a Monday night.

The Steve Austin Show

For a long time after retiring from in-ring activity 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin struggled to find a new calling. He hung around in WWE for a few years in a variety of authority figure roles but it never felt quite right. As a wrestler one of his defining characteristics had been his anti-authority bent. Seeing him laying down the law felt odd. On top of that it was clear that Austin missed actually wrestling. He was fun in these roles but they were never truly Steve Austin.

Eventually he left those roles behind in favour of chasing acting work in Hollywood. The high point of that endeavour was his appearances as lead goon Paine in The Expendables. When it became clear that acting wasn't going to pan out for him as it did The Rock (or even Hulk Hogan), Austin took a sidestep into hosting. Specifically he headed up WWE's initial, pre-Network, revival of Tough Enough and Country Music Television's Redneck Island. When those were received well he launched a podcast and got himself another TV show, Broken Skull Challenge¹.

Austin looking massively unimpressed there. Great stuff.

A combination of Austin being a likeable host and having a mostly sensible, respectable view on the wrestling business made his podcast a success. That in turn lead to WWE offering Austin a slot on the Network to interview Vince McMahon on 1 December 2014. No official ratings are available for the Network but it's hard to imagine this didn't do well: it was Vince's first appearance on a podcast answering questions from someone he'd had a close working relationship with for a number of years. It clearly did well enough to make someone in WWE decide that it should be a frequent thing as Austin has since returned to interview Triple H, Paul Heyman, Paige, and Edge and Christian.

It's possible that reading that list one name stands out over the others. Paige is not the first person who springs to mind when you think of potential interviewees for 'The Rattlesnake'. The common belief is that she was an emergency replacement for Hulk Hogan, who had been revealed as a bit of a racist a week or so earlier. If we assume that Hogan was the initially scheduled guest² we end up with a list of top level talent who would have worked with Austin during his run as an active wrestler (with all but Heyman being around him at his peak).

With an impressive pedigree established for Austin's Network shows it will be interesting to see who else gets lined up as a guest. There are a number of names I'd like to see, with Eric Bischoff being at the top of the list. They have an interesting history together. An injured Austin was released from his WCW contract by a cost-cutting Bischoff and he went on, via some angry anti-WCW promos in ECW, to be the biggest star in wrestling. When Bischoff rocked up in WWE years later he would end up working closely with Austin. Any heat between them will have long since been resolved but it still be interesting to see the pair discuss Austin's WCW firing and their later working relationship.

Both Mick Foley and The Rock would also be good guests. They worked with Austin at his hottest. Foley was his first feud after winning the WWF championship at WrestleMania XIV and would go on to work as a transitional champion getting the strap from Austin to Triple H in summer 1999. These periods of work, along with the fact that Foley has known Austin since the early nineties, give Foley an insight into Austin's journey to the top and his behaviour while he was there that few others could have. It's unlikely Ausitn would bring up his difficult behaviour once he was established as a top star on his own show but Foley could allude to it. Even if he didn't they're two of the biggest stars of the Attitude Era who respect one another's work and it would be nice to see them reminiscing about their time on top.

This is podcast material right here.

The appeal with The Rock is slightly different. Both he and Austin have mentioned over the years that they didn't get on when they first met but they went on to have the defining rivalry of wrestling's hottest period. If their secret handshake-heavy appearances in recent years (see WrestleMania XXX) are anything to go by they're very good pals now. As with Foley a large part of the appeal is seeing the pair chatting about their work together, although it feels like there's more chance of Austin acknowledging his early dislike of 'The Great One' than of his '99 paranoia.

The Undertaker was also around Austin at the same time as Foley and Rock but as he's had a WWE career that's lasted for well over two decades it's safe to assume that, rather than his late nineties dealing with Austin, would be the focus. Austin's mentioned on previous shows, as well as his regular podcast, that he was unhappy that The Streak ended. Seeing him discuss that topic with 'The Phenom' could fill a substantial amount of time by itself, especially if they looked back on The Streak as a whole. Even leaving The Streak aside 'Taker's worked with such a wide variety of WWE names and had so many bizarre periods of his career (who doesn't want to see Austin discuss Ministry of Darkness era 'Taker or 'Big Evil' era 'Taker?) that he'd be a natural choice for guest. Though somehow I don't think we'll see this happen until 'The Dead Man' is ready to call it a day on his career. WWE are, rightfully, protective of the character's mystique and appearing on a podcast would be damaging to that.

As the breakout star of the last year or so Seth Rollins would be a cool interview. Even though he's only been on the main roster for less than three years 'The Future' has accomplished a lot. He participated in a revival of trios matches (which I'm convinced would prompt Austin to drop a Freebirds reference), had a cracking singles feud with Dean Ambrose in which they headlined a PPV over John Cena, and he won the WWE championship in a WrestleMania main event. He'll be on top of WWE for years to come and I'd like to see Austin passing on some pointers with that in mind.

Talk, Owens, talk.

A breakout star of lesser status right now is Kevin Owens. I think he'd be a good addition to the show's line-up because he's such a fan of Austin. He's spoken before about happening to run into Austin at an airport when he was first starting out as a wrestler, where Austin told him to never stop running his mouth. Anyone who's seen Owens wrestle knows that's advice he took on board and it's likely advice that ultimately helped him to get signed by WWE. Seeing the pair discuss that aspect of KO's act would be fun, as would Austin delving into Owens' other career influences and his status as one of WWE's hottest heels, and one of the few to have motives beyond being bad because they're bad. I'd also like to see Austin speak to someone who's been in NXT since it became the "hot brand" it currently is, and Owens fits the bill perfectly.

Perhaps a slightly odd choice would be Cesaro. Not because he doesn't have anything interesting to say (he does) but because he's not the big name that everyone else on this list is. Austin is an outspoken fan of 'The King of Swing' so it's easy to imagine him wanting to have him on the show to give him a platform to promote himself. On top of that Cesaro's had an interesting journey to WWE, winning a green card lottery and all, and always comes across as an affable, humble lad in interviews.

Finally, there's John Cena. He's one of only a handful of men to have ever been positioned as the centrepiece of WWE. Austin is one of the others. He's one of the few people who can understand the pressure of Cena's spot. He's a fan of Cena's work too, which seems to be the case for a lot of WWE veterans. I'd like to see him discuss Cena's ring work with Cena to see if his claims are genuine and, if they are, what it is he specifically enjoys. Plus the subject of the springboard Stunner could be fun.

***

¹ This sounds less painful than it is. Though, to be clear, it is still a very painful show for those who appear on it.

² For the record I think it's a real shame Hogan is now unlikely to ever appear on Austin's Network show. It would have been fascinating to see Austin and Hogan discuss Hogan's WCW politicking (which Austin believes held him down there), Austin's ECW parodies of Hogan, and which of them is the bigger, more important name in WWE history.

Another Level

I think we can all agree that Kazucika Okada is a pretty talented dude. You don't make it to the top of a company like New Japan if you're not, especially when they're on the sort of hot streak they've been on for the last few years. He is easily amongst the best wrestlers in the world today, being capable of putting of good matches with lesser performers and having classics with great ones, possesses that all important star look, and (from what I can make out from his confidence and body language) he's a pretty solid promo.

As good as he is I've been wondering recently how far he'd make it outside of the confines of NJPW. In other words I've wondered how much of his success is down to him being booked well and how much is down to his own innate ability and work ethic. Not in a disparaging way, more idly thinking about whether he could succeed elsewhere without his formidable 'Rainmaker' gimmick.

Much of his success since returning to New Japan from TNA can be attributed to the way he's been presented. This goes beyond the way his matches are booked and how he's presented. No wrestler, no matter how good they are, is going to make it to the top if they're not given the time to compete in good matches or showcase a compelling character. I'm thinking more specifically about the character redesign Okada got when he returned.

He wasn't booked like this in TNA.

It's all about that 'Rainmaker' gimmick I described as formidable two paragraphs ago. It's one of the best in wrestling today. A great look was put together for it, one that makes the most of Okada's statuesque physique and good looks, but it's the basic premise that really sets it apart. The idea that Okada is so great, so valuable and talented, that he adds lustre to New Japan just by being on the roster is a perfect fit for wrestling. It's something incredibly simple that does loads for the man it's attached to and plays into the fact that he's a young lad who has really good matches on a regular basis.

But without this gimmick what would Okada have? For argument's sake let's say he signed for WWE. He wouldn't have the 'Rainmaker' name. That belongs to NJPW. He could do a version of the gimmick but part of the reason it works is the name. He wouldn't necessarily receive the focused booking and various protection methods he's been afforded in New Japan. He definitely wouldn't have Gedo with him, and that counts for a lot as by all accounts Gedo is not only his on-screen manager but his off-screen mentor. Their relationship seems to be pretty similar to the one Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman share. It seems fair to assume that Gedo has helped Okada progress as a performer. He's definitely been the one booking him strongly for the past several years.

A move to WWE would leave Okada reliant on his own showmanship abilities and, well, they don't seem to be all that strong. His most prominent work outside of NJPW was in TNA. Okay, nobody truly succeeds in TNA and Okada was booked as a low card afterthought while he was there but he showed no aptitude for making himself stand out. His run there ended with him playing Samoa Joe's Green Hornet-inspired sidekick, and that was awful, but he had time before being lumbered with that gimmick to change up his look. That he didn't indicates that presentation is an aspect of the wrestling business lost on him. That would be a massive hindrance in WWE, who want guys who know how to get themselves over before being given any sort of significant push. That and guys who look like Roman Reigns.

All of which is fair enough. Nobody's good at everything. Okada doesn't have much flamboyance to him. That doesn't matter right now. He has a gimmick that allows his lack of emotion to be interpreted as him thinking himself above everyone else because of how talented and inherantly valuable he is. He has a manager who can help with this too. And a flashy entrance outfit. He has everything he needs for the spot he's in. And really that's all that matters.

The Manager of Champions

It’s looking like Brock Lesnar may soon be losing the WWE championship. Whether he loses the prize to Roman Reigns in the WrestleMania main event, to a Money in the Bank contract cash-in from Seth Rollins or via some other, as yet unknown, means, the likelihood is that he won’t be champion come Tuesday March 31. In fact that day may see him start preparing for his return to MMA. Which would put an end to his relationship with advocate extraordinaire, Paul Heyman.

Well, probably. There’s nothing to say the Heyman-Lesnar partnership won’t transfer over to UFC, Bellator or wherever Lesnar goes (assuming he goes at all). But it’s not likely. Heyman’s brand of obnoxious, bragging hype is well-suited to wrestling. Elements of it would work in an MMA environment but what makes him so good in pro wrestling is the predetermined nature of the sport. He can seed things in before a loss or make proclamations based on already made booking decisions. That’s something he obviously wouldn’t be able to do elsewhere.

There’s also the question of money. Who would pay Heyman for his time promoting Lesnar and his fighting prowess? Lesnar himself? Maybe, but I think giving Heyman a cut of his wages would be a rude awakening for Lesnar, who’s used to having someone else foot the bill for Heyman’s services as his mouthpiece. Then again, it’s not like Lesnar is or would be hard up and he clearly respects Heyman and understands how talented he is at what he does. Perhaps he would be willing to take him with him.

Heyman trying to telepathically communicate with Lesnar.

But I can’t imagine WWE letting Heyman go without a fight. He’s one of the company’s most valuable performers. His promo ability elevates those he’s associated with. This includes guys who are pitted against his clients. One of the saving graces of the upcoming Reigns-Lesnar programme, for example, is the fact that Heyman’s around to talk at length on ‘The Beast’s’ behalf and set up Reigns to reply with monosyllabic grunts that seem apt instead of embarrassing. He understands how to make those around him look good. Plus, there’s the fact that his last couple of years as an agent have basically established Heyman as one of the most effective men to ever work in the role. Any wrestler associated with him after his partnership with Lesnar ends would gain a huge credibility boost.

Should Lesnar leave I’d like to see Heyman stick around in WWE and be given someone else to manage, long-term. It’s unlikely any new agent-client relationship would surpass the one he has with Lesnar, if for no other reason that they have been linked since 2002. But that wouldn’t have to be the goal. Putting Heyman with someone new could elevate that new person and make them a bigger star for the future, after Heyman’s moved on, retired or turned on them.

The obvious person to point to is Roman Reigns. He’s a worse talker than Heyman’s current client Lesnar. At least ‘The Beast’ can make a pre-taped or studio-bound segment work. Heyman would cover Reigns’ obvious deficiency and enhance his already established status as the next main guy in WWE. The only downside is that Heyman is going to spend the next two months cutting promos against Reigns before he challenges Lesnar at WrestleMania. Heyman turning on Lesnar would feel wrong at this point. A segment could be broadcast in which Heyman, after Lesnar’s gone, offers his services to Reigns and convinces him that the fans will never take to him, but I can’t see WWE going with something like that. Although having said this the January 26 RAW featured interplay between Heyman and Reigns that could be read as the agent trying to court the Rumble winner for a business partnership.

The guy I’d really like to see Heyman put with in the absence of Lesnar is Seth Rollins. He’s one of the company’s best workers, he’s proven he can make it to the top, and Heyman has already acknowledged that he’s talented. Again there’s the awkward situation of Rollins having a briefcase that he needs to cash-in, but that’s not quite as tough to write around as the Reigns and Lesnar stuff. They could simply reveal that Heyman and Rollins agreed that Heyman would help to distract Reigns for Rollins should Reigns defeat Lesnar. It would be a logical progression and set up a new partnership for Heyman without writing off the one he has with Lesnar.

Whether he remains at Lesnar’s side or gets a new client I’d like to see Heyman stick with WWE. He’s too good a manager for them to lose.

That RAW Recap 26.01.15

For most people extreme snowstorms are life-threatening ordeals. I imagine WWE management felt differently on Monday night. The severe weather that hit the north-eastern United States caused the governor of Connecticut to announce a travel ban, effectively cancelling RAW. That effectively granted WWE a reprieve, something they were much in need of after the hostile evening they’d experienced at Royal Rumble the night before.

They made the most of the opportunity, doing some expert damage control on the standing of Rumble victor Roman Reigns. The show was constructed around five sit-down interview segments and a couple of announcements for Fast Lane. They were interspersed with links from Michael Cole, JBL and Booker T. It was a smart approach that made the most of what the company had at its disposal. If only that were true of their booking approach in general.

Slightly more questionably the decision was also made to air the two biggest matches from the previous night’s Rumble. That means that people tuning into RAW were treated to the triple threat WWE championship match and the Rumble itself for free. Monday saw WWE finally hit their goal of one million subscribers for the WWE Network so I’m sure they’re pleased with the decision to air those matches. The likelihood is that they convinced a number of people that the Network was worth a look. But it wasn’t the greatest idea with regard to customer satisfaction: everyone else had had to pay $9.99 for the event. Or £9.99 if in Britain. Or a staggering $54.99 to watch on regular pay-per-view. I’m sure refund requests have been sailing WWE’s way since Monday night.

The state of your briefcase, mate.

The first of the interviews was with Seth Rollins. He told Michael Cole that he thought his Rumble performance spoke for itself. He felt he deserved to be in match and that he did everything he could to win and become champion. I agree with him. Rollins did deserve to be in the match and he made the most of the opportunity. He took the pinfall but that didn’t matter. ‘The Future’ left the show looking like he belonged at the top.

The interview was brought to a close with Rollins being asked about what would happen in a Lesnar v Rollins singles match. Avoiding a direct answer Rollins admitted that he’d underestimated Lesnar but that Lesnar had also underestimated him and added that he had and has what Lesnar doesn’t: the Money in the Bank briefcase.

When Cole plugged the Lesnar interview that was to follow Rollins declared that he wouldn’t leave, Lesnar would have to kick him off his chair. This bravado turned out to be true when the show returned from a break. Rollins was still sitting on his chair, although he was looking less smug and more wary.  

Lesnar wandered up and, fairly politely, said to Rollins "I believe you're in my seat." Rollins got up, brushed the chair and then knocked it over. Lesnar laughed as Seth walked off and a stagehand appeared to sort out the seating situation. It was a good bit of character development for both wrestlers. Rollins was shown to be the coward who was all mouth until he had to back up his words in a fair fight. Lesnar was the intimidating monster who picks his fights with care.

Paul Heyman was on board for this interview but Lesnar did speak for himself at the start. As usual it was short and sweet. He acknowledged his broken rib but said it didn’t matter: when it comes to match time he makes sure to win.

Heyman was more talkative (obviously). He explained that Lesnar and The Authority have a symbiotic relationship. Lesnar's in WWE because The Authority needs a box office attraction. He’s also useful for taking care of problematic guys like Sting, The Undertaker and John Cena (although he failed to explain why The Authority finds these men so problematic in the first place). While they're paying what Lesnar's worth he's for hire. Mention of negotiations was made, which was pretty clearly included to weave in the thread of Lesnar potentially leaving after WrestleMania.

After a video package reminding us that Brock Lesnar ended The Streak at ‘Mania XXX Cole asked how Lesnar overcame ‘The Dead Man’s’ “psychological warfare”. ‘The Beast’ said he did it the same way he’s done everything else in his life: he didn’t respect Undertaker. Heyman interjected to ask why people were so surprised by the WM30 result or the previous night’s result. Nobody has Lesnar’s credentials and he’s a true once in a lifetime talent.

Cole said he meant no disrespect and brought up Reigns. Lesnar looked bored during the apology but smirked at the mention of Reigns. Being rather blasé, Lesnar said he was happy for Reigns and hoped that he was up to the challenge. Then he threw out a “baby” and called himself a steamroller.

When Cole asked if Reigns could stop his client Heyman said “No.” The interview ended with Cole telling them he’d be interviewing Reigns later in the show and Lesnar saying he’d stick around to meet him. It was a great exchange that would have acted as a great introduction to the Lesnar character. It gave you everything you needed to know: he mentioned his amateur wrestling credentials and his UFC title win and Heyman made him out to be the biggest draw in wrestling. It left you with no doubt that he’s a bad, intimidating dude, albeit one who has inexplicably started calling people “baby”.

Byron Saxton was given the Roman Reigns interview. Reigns talked about his Rumble win being incredible, mentioned his family (who I won’t list here: if you’re interested check out that oracle of the modern age, Wikipedia) and admitted he’s not the most experienced wrestler on the roster but that he’s willing to get thrown in at the deep end and seize opportunities when they come his way. He also stole Cena’s line about how good, honest, hard-working punters are entitled to react however they like at WWE shows. Reigns is happy simply being allowed to perform.

Dishy, no?

When asked if he’d been hand-picked for success by WWE higher ups Reigns didn’t actually refute the suggestion. He simply said if he had been he’d have to thank them and explained that if it were true he’d still need to perform at a high level in order to continue getting opportunities. It seemed like an exchange designed to tease the idea that Reigns may be cool with the idea of getting a bit of preferential treatment.

A few minutes later a replay of the Rumble Fallout show was introduced. I’d highly recommend watching it in its entirety. It’s heavy on Reigns giddily marking out during Rock promos designed to get him over as a badass. But that wasn’t the focus here. What we were shown was Rusev interrupting John Cena’s dejected mutterings about not winning his sixteenth world title. We were told The Authority had “planned” Cena v Rusev for WrestleMania but had brought it forward to Fast Lane, presumably because Cena and Rusev had already put themselves on a collision course. Amusingly JBL ventured the thought that Cena might be the guy to best Rusev as though it would in some way come across as a controversial opinion.

In more Fast Lane news we were informed that Triple H had issued a challenged to Sting to meet him face-to-face at the show. Something tells me that challenge will be accepted.

A shot of Dean Ambrose arriving at HQ was shown. After a break Byron Saxton caught up with him and asked how he got there. Ambrose said he walked from Hartford to Stamford.Then he told a story about hitchhiking his way there. Both stories can’t be true, so what this told us is that Ambrose is a liar. But hey, ‘Lunatic Fringe’! Am I right?!

Ambrose said he’d turned up to prove a point: he's going to make it to WrestleMania. That was literally all the reasoning that was given for a man walking through a blizzard wearing nothing but jeans, a leather jacket and a T-shirt with his own name on it. It was an embarrassing, hard to watch segment. Ambrose is over based on his ability to connect with a crowd. He's a good promo guy but nobody could have turned what he was given here, which was essentially nothing, into something worthwhile. This is what Vince thinks a loose cannon is and it's awful. It could not be more obvious that nobody in WWE understands the Ambrose character or has any idea what to do with him.

Bryan's a Reigns fan. Who knew? Probably not even Bryan until he got the script.

Interview number five saw Renee Young maxing and relaxing with Daniel Bryan, who she described one of the most "newsworthy superstars to come out of last night's Royal Rumble". Just stop and think about that description for a few seconds and you, like me, will realise that it is meaningless. They started out talking about Bryan’s 2014, how elated he was to make it to ‘Mania based on the support of the fans and how difficult it was to find out he’d suffered a potentially career-ending injury. They ended nattering about Bryan’s casket match collision with Kane, which D-Bry vowed to win because he wants to move on from ‘The Big Red Machine’. But it was the stuff that sat in the middle of the interview that was most interesting.

Bryan said he’s disappointed Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble. Not because it was Reigns but because it wasn't him. He outlined the David v Goliath scenario that could have been his match with Brock Lesnar but said that the loss was ultimately his failure. It's on him. Reigns took the opportunity of being in the Rumble and used it to win. He did, however, mention that he didn't have The Rock helping him or WWE feeding him when he was a kid. Bryan’s final Reigns related comments were that he has no doubt that Reigns can make the same sacrifices as himself and Ziggler and Ambrose and put on a great show against Lesnar.

On the one hand Bryan’s words were very clearly designed to endorse Reigns. Bryan said he had the chance to win the Rumble, unlike last year, and he didn’t. He wasn’t being held down, he just didn’t deliver the win when it counted. But on the other hand that dig about Reigns getting help from The Rock wasn’t exactly subtle. Although the framing of him as currently being inferior to Bryan, Ziggler and Ambrose was. I expect in a few months times we’ll be able to look back and point to this interview as the first sign of a Reigns v Bryan rivalry.

The main event (I use that term loosely) saw Lesnar and Reigns sit down with Cole. Although that didn’t last. Heyman immediately interrupted to shake Reigns’ hand and congratulate him on his win. When Reigns said he wouldn’t mind Heyman asking the questions (actually, his exact response was “I’ve got nothing to hide”, which is neither a yes or a no) Heyman put on his journalist hat and replaced Michael Cole.

Heyman said that he’s known Reigns’s family longer than Reigns himself. He told stories about meeting various family members (again, consult Wikipedia) during his time working as a photographer, promoter and manager earlier in his career. He acknowledged that he’d first met Reigns when Reigns was a kid and said he’s proud of him and respects him. It was interesting stuff because it was so obviously real.

Wall-to-wall promos. It's what WWE's always wanted.

The Rock was the last name he mentioned. The Rock knows Brock Lesnar. In 2002 Rock was the champ, the top guy. He lost the title to Lesnar and never asked for rematch. One match with Lesnar was all ‘The Brahma Bull’ could handle. What was interesting in that was that Heyman drew parallels between Reigns and the young Lesnar: he said that Rock came up against a new guy, like Reigns is the new guy, and stated his belief that Reigns is ‘The Next Big Thing’. It was almost like Heyman was courting Reigns as a client or hinting that he’d be willing to double cross Lesnar if Reigns were willing to take him on as an agent.

Heyman said he gets it: Reigns is the one to beat the one in 21-1. He told Reigns he wouldn’t be able to beat Lesnar and asked him how he’d cope with disappointing his family like that.

Reigns squeaked his chair around to face the champion. He told Lesnar he knows who and what he is and what he’s signed up for, but he doesn’t think Lesnar knows what he’s in for. He said he’d beat him and take the championship and that they both knew it. Lesnar’s response was to shoot to his feet and offer a good, old fashioned test of strength handshake. At that point Lesnar told Reigns that he’s not like Heyman, he doesn’t respect him.

"But you will" was Reigns’ action movie response. A smirk from Reigns would have been better there. It would have seemed more confident, like he doesn’t need to try convincing Lesnar or anyone else.

Michael Cole described the Reigns-Lesnar confrontation as “powerful and emotional”, before he, Booker T and JBL started shilling the WrestleMania 31 main event. Naturally they all agreed it was going to be amazing.

And that was RAW. Considering the limitations they were under I think it was a great show. They got Reigns’ push on track, acknowledged the disappointment people feel at Daniel Bryan not losing, set some stuff up for Fast Lane, covered the Lesnar, Ambrose and Rollins characters, and started working on the main event for their biggest show of the year. In fact it as so smooth that I can’t help but think WWE would rather present shows like this than bother with arenas and all that bothersome non-pay-per-view wrestling.

The Global Announce Team

A few weeks ago Jeff Jarrett announced that his e-fed would be airing New Japan's Wrestle Kingdom 9 on pay-per-view in the US and Canada. It was a significant announcement followed up by instructions for people to stay tuned for news. 'Double J' has to promise news instead of providing it because he doesn't have a promotion of his own and is reliant on New Japan making decisions before he can release information. It’s a less than ideal way to run a business.

But a week ago Jarrett struck a deal that will see Jim Ross provide English language play-by-play commentary for the show, something he was able to tell the world himself. It was presented as big news when announced on November 11. And it is.

Slobberknocker! Sauce it! Bah GOD! Stone Cold! Stone Cold! Stone Cold!!

As the voice of WWE when it was at its hottest Ross is a known quantity to many lapsed and casual fans, a market Jarrett is probably interested in attracting. He's also an experienced wrestling commentator, with a solid knowledge of moves, an understanding of how to convey a match's story to an audience, and an unparalleled level of passion¹. He was the best choice to lead an English language broadcast and, considering his promotion's completely hypothetical status at the moment, Jarrett was lucky to get him.

But 'Good Old JR' is not flawless. Even at his late 90s-slash-early 00s peak he was prone to frequent minor mistakes. This usually took the form of confusing names of guys he was less familiar with who kind of but not really looked alike. Hardly the worst thing in the world but it presents an obvious problem for WK9. NJPW's roster is almost entirely new to Ross, and a lot of the guys he's already familiar with will be using different names.

Obviously there's ample time for Ross to familiarise himself with the roster. And being a professional I'm sure he will. While he's in prep mode it may be a good idea for someone to warn him about the flagrant anti-psychology that plagues Young Bucks matches. Better than him finding out on the air.

The other issue with JR is that he does his best work when being needled by an antagonistic colour commentator². His work alongside Paul Heyman in 2001 and Jerry Lawler in the years before (but not really after) that was so good because both Lawler and Heyman knew how to interact with Ross's on-air personality to get the best out of him. They knew to prick his ego every so often and provide him with anti-babyface material to get riled about. Basically, they knew how to be very good heel commentators and Ross knew how to be a very good babyface one.

It's not that JR's commentary will be bad without a good heel colour commentator with him but it’s likely he'll be better with one. Thinking of suggestions for the role is pretty much a waste of time because there's no defined Global Force roster in existence to draw names from. The only realistic suggestion to make is Jarrett. He's been established as a heel within New Japan storylines and would be easy enough to accept in the role for an English language audience. I've never heard him on commentary but Ross could coach him and help him prepare. Plus he's already going to be in Tokyo for the show and it would cut down on costs. I’m sure that’s a factor for an imaginary company like Global Force.

Whether they go for Jarrett or a more left field but probably better choice like Colt Cabana or Chris Hero (I would be astounded if they got CM Punk³) I hope the pairing gets adequate time to prepare. If English language commentary is to become a thing⁴ for NJPW (and less importantly if GFW is to succeed) Wrestle Kingdom 9 needs to be a success in North America. And rightly or wrongly a lot of that is on the shoulders of Jim Ross.

***

¹ I’m particularly looking forward to him shouting “Okada! Okada! Okada!!”

² Ideally with that colour commentator being fed digs by Vince McMahon over a headset, not that that's an option here⁵.

³ Though he'd be ideal, obviously. He knows the product and Ross and has a fair amount of commentary experience. Plus he's a big enough name to generate some US interest in the pay-per-view, New Japan, and GFW. But it won’t happen.

⁴ I hope English language commentary catches on because the lack of it is the biggest barrier for plenty of people (including myself) following New Japan more closely.

⁵ Although if Vince were to ever to get involved with production of a rival promotion's commentary I'm sure it would be solely to take shots at Jim Ross.

Expanding NXT

On Friday the official WWE Twitter account sent out a message saying that people had waited long enough and that ‘The Next Generation’ should be prepared for. That was followed by the (Americanised) abbreviated date for Monday. While this could be a deliberately misleading way of saying that there’s a video game announcement coming (something they’ve done before with a Sting video) it seems more likely that it will have something to do with NXT stars appearing on RAW again. Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn versus Tyson Kidd and Tyler Breeze took place on the September 1 RAW and The Ascension debuted in the main event of… erm… Main Event , while Triple H has announced a desire to grow the NXT brand into something akin to WCW. Assuming Neville and the gang have a presence on Monday’s RAW it looks like NXT’s expansion is something WWE are serious about.

What seems likeliest to me is that Neville, Breeze, Zayn and Kidd, or a combination from that group, will be put out in front of the RAW crowd in the usually uneventful second hour. That’s generally where the lengthier, more enjoyable matches with no particular storyline motive for happening get put. The audience have been sitting around for a while by that point and need to be perked up to stop them from dying a death before the final, action-packed hour of John Cena, Authority and-or Paul Heyman plus hatever the main event is.

Is this guy coming to a RAW near you?

Any combo from amongst that four can have a great match and would fit snugly into the hour two approach. The Ascension could have a good showing too, either against a pairing of Neville and Zayn or an established jobber tandem from the big boy roster. The NXT guys actually have storylines to develop, carried over from NXT, which gives them an edge on the likes of Kofi Kingston, Fandango and Slater Gator. Given a backstage interview segment and-or a brief in-ring promo and they could actually make people care about their match and encourage interest in their brand.

The decision to give a batch of guys a call-up, instead of bringing them up individually over a course of months, is a nice change of pace from WWE. Four of the six guys come in with a readymade feud while The Ascension have an easy to understand gimmick and a rough ‘n’ ready style that isn’t especially common in WWE and will help them stand out. The influx of new talent will highlight to people unaware of NXT that it’s worth watching for quality wrestling and engaging, uncomplicated plots. That in turn may convince a few people to sign up to the Network to check the show out, which I’m sure is one of WWE’s reasons for taking this approach.

But the talk of making NXT the next WCW feels a step too far. It implies a level of expansion that could remove what makes NXT so enjoyable: specifically touring and an extended running time. Right now NXT runs live events in small venues around the state of Florida and returns to Full Sail University to tape television every four weeks or so, with a pattern of two hour live supershows every three months having emerged since the launch of the WWE Network. It’s a pace that works very well for the smaller, more wrestling-focused league and one WWE should be wary of tampering with too much.

An expanded touring schedule would be nice to see (especially an overseas one taking in small venues in southern England – just saying) but tapings outside of Full Sail would run the risk of robbing the televised product of a crowd familiar with and passionate about the entire roster. That’s a problem that could be overcome by finding another town that consistently attracts a similarly enthusiastic and positive crowd. But that shouldn’t be rushed into, especially with the regular NXT audience being so good.

The prospect of NXT gaining more TV time is more of a concern. A large part of why it’s as enjoyable as it is is its one hour running time, perfected over the last two years to the point where the writing team understand how to best use the minutes they have to expose the key members of their roster on a mostly weekly basis while integrating lesser acts at suitable intervals. Going to two hours would require an alternate approach, immediately ruining part of the existing appeal and risking the show feeling bloated. With the NXT TV show less is certainly more.

This said it is positive that Triple H is so passionate about the developmental show. And the talk of it becoming its own brand is nice to hear. It’s just the idea of expanding it beyond its means that concerns me. Had he stopped at drawing a parallel with ECW I’d feel far more confident, because ECW operated on a scale more in line with NXT than did WCW. Also, ECW primarily went out of business because of one man’s inability to manage finances whilst WCW went out of business because it became a toxic brand nobody with money wanted to associate with.

Back to NXT. Breeze, Neville, and Zayn (and maybe The Ascension) getting regular exposure on RAW while still being officially assigned to NXT is interesting and something I think will work well. Viewers can get used to the new guys gradually, rather than being expected to take them as they’re thrust into a feud with a longstanding mid-card no-hoper nobody has any reason to care about. But expanding NXT as a whole is something WWE shouldn’t rush into. And the WCW comparisons should definitely be avoided in future.

The Reign of 'The Beast'

So Brock Lesnar's WWE championship reign has begun. I think most of us saw it coming. With Daniel Bryan leaving WrestleMania XXX with the belts and Lesnar ending Undertaker's Streak a showdown between the two seemed natural. Then D-Bry got injured, forcing WWE to shift their focus over to the ever reliable Jonn Felix Anthony Cena. That produced an enjoyable one-sided trouncing that also served as a sequel to their collision at Extreme Rules 2012.

But what's next for 'The Pain'? Who on the current roster is in a position to challenge him for the title and not look out of place? Or out of their depth?

The obvious answer is Cena. Which is what's happening, of course. The pair will have a rematch at Night of Champions. I can't think of a reason for Lesnar not to win that. It likely won't be as dominant a performance as we saw at SummerSlam but switching the title again would serve no purpose. WWE have worked to build Lesnar up as an unstoppable monster, for the purpose of establishing a new star.

Cena is not a new star. He doesn't need to beat Lesnar. He doesn't need to be champion. Their NOC bout will serve as a nice, unplanned, third encounter between the two. Having Lesnar take the deciding match will reinforce his status. Taking the title off him after a month would do more harm than good.

At first I didn't think there was much for Lesnar to do after that. After Cena the list of established names at the top of WWE appears anorexically thin. But there are three other established names Lesnar could work a fresh match with. That’s comforting for anyone expectign his reign to be packed with rematches.

First there’s Randy Orton. Yeah, they’re both technically heels but I’m confident that if the match happened Brock would get cheers even if Randy had been turned face. Getting an audience reaction wouldn’t be a problem. If Orton was having an on night and felt motivated to actually try having a good match I think they could do something compelling together (I’ve mentioned before, several times, that the F5 being reversed into an RKO would be a great spot). Sadly, Orton’s dedication to effort is notoriously spotty.

The match is unlikely to happen anyway. They’re both heels in the minds of the WWE creative department. Plus Orton always comes across as being a bit, well, precious. I can’t imagine him taking well to being placed in a match against the uber-physical Lesnar, or WWE wanting to risk him getting injured.

Next there’s Batista. Lesnar versus Batista would be awful. I know that. You know that. People at the top of WWE know that. But I think the match is likelier than Orton v Lesnar. If ‘The Animal’ returns to WWE before the end of 2014, which he well might, what will there be for him to do besides challenge Lesnar? He could be used to elevate some new names but that goes against the current WWE operating system. They aren’t interested in using people of Batista’s standing to help others get to the top.

A movie star challenging a former MMA champ for WWE's top prize?
Vince McMahon would mark for that.

A Lesnar v Batista match would be a perfectly adequate main event for a WWE pay-per-view, although there would need to be some good, solid wrestling underneath to stop fans reacting badly to it (or more badly than they would anyway). It’s the sort of match WWE likes: two guys who have reached the top of their company and have also achieved things elsewhere. The former UFC champ versus Drax the Destroyer is the kind of thing WWE is all about, whether it should be or not.

There’s Daniel Bryan too, of course. The man who would have faced Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam had he not had to have neck surgery. In a way this has worked out better for WWE. D-Bry’s injury allowed them to do an impromptu three match series with Cena (one that started in 2012 admittedly), although I suspect they’ll ruin it and do a fourth match between the pair at Hell in a Cell. Bryan being on the sidelines means WWE is guaranteed a hot match in Bryan v Lesnar whenever Bryan’s medically cleared to return.

With or without the title that match would be excellent and a fitting PPV topper. But in truth it’s a match that really deserves to be for the championship. There’s a natural story to it. Bryan, the people’s chosen champion and the man who never lost the title, returning to regain the gold from the man who’s dominated the company in his absence and who terminated The Streak. I could imagine some spirited promos from Heyman begging Bryan not to pursue Lesnar for the good of his health. It’s a match I think should happen at the 2015 Royal Rumble. A big return and a big title match for the second biggest WWE card of the year.

I naturally tend to rule out non-former Intercontinental champions because, well, I always like a guy to have held the once prestigious mid-card name-maker before progressing to the world title. But that's not the 2014 WWE model. And when I keep that in mind the options open up considerably.

First of all there's Cesaro. Had ‘The King of Swing’ stayed linked to Paul Heyman a Cesato v Lesnar bout would have made far more sense. It could have come about with Cesaro telling Heyman he wants to challenge Brock and Heyman, as his advisor and friend, trying to talk Cesaro out of it before flat out telling him he wouldn’t stand a chance with the champ. Maybe Cesaro could have interrupted a Lesnar and Heyman promo to set things up: the unruly undercard guy refusing to accept “his place” and insisting on challenging the unbeatable machine.

They could still do this. Even though Cesaro and Heyman were split out of the blue and with no on-screen explanation it’s been established that they’re still pals. It just would have made more sense to have two guys with the same manager (advocate, whatever) facing one another. It’s easy to imagine Cesaro v Lesnar being great, filled with suplexes and uppercuts. With the right story it could enhance Cesaro even in defeat.

An argument could be made for Chris Jericho too. To be honest I’d be perfectly happy if he only came back for one more run culminating in a Hall of Fame induction and a retirement match but most people feel differently. ‘Y2J’ gets very strong reactions and can work a competent match. He botches a lot, but that wouldn’t really be an issue in a Lesnar match: I can’t imagine ‘The Highlight of the Night’ having much offence to botch and if he messed up taking a move Lesnar would soon follow up with something that left no doubt Jericho was in pain.

I think the most interesting rising star Lesnar could face is Bray Wyatt. The crowd reactions alone would be marvellous. The pre-match promos could be great too. Heyman could get Wyatt over as a challenger with minimal effort. For his part Wyatt could revert to his pre-Money in the Bank model and refer to the WWE championship being a talisman of power. As a character he’s expressed an interest in the title before and it would be interesting to see him operating opposite a man who wouldn’t sell intimidation of his mind games shtick.

The match itself is easy to write off as something that wouldn’t be good. I think there are ways Lesnar v Wyatt could work. Involving Luke Harper and Erick Rowan would make the match unlike any Lesnar has wrestled since his return, simply because he hasn’t had to deal with outside interference. Having ‘The Eater of Worlds’ go back to singing mid-match would be something different for Lesnar too. Getting both men to play to their strengths and ignoring who’s a good guy and who’s a bad guy could make Lesnar v Wyatt excellent. But, again, this is a match we probably won’t see happen.

The one most people are expecting is Brock Lesnar versus Roman Reigns. It’s a natural collision. Lesnar can hang on to the belt for a while and continue looking like an unstoppable mound of muscle. Reigns can burgeon into the great new babyface WWE are clearly desperate for him to be. Then they can face off at WrestleMania 31, Reigns being the man to finally end Lesnar’s reign with either a Superman punch or a spear… before losing the title to a cashing-in Seth Rollins.

Can his Superman punch defeat Lesnar?

Reigns v Lesnar could probably work now. But doing it this early would be a counterproductive waste. Reigns isn’t ready and fans haven’t been conditioned to want to see him as champion with a tale of adversity and struggle. Holding off gives WWE a solid WrestleMania main event and gives Reigns a much ballyhooed ‘Mania Moment™.

Speaking of next year, it will be interesting to see whether Lesnar makes the now traditional defence of his prize in an Elimination Chamber come February. Anyone on this list could help to put on a compelling Chamber collision with Lesnar as champion, but it’s possible WWE won’t want to burn through Lesnar appearance dates in the run-up to the more important card the following month.

With Lesnar unlikely to work every pay-per-view between now and WM31 (which is when I’m convinced he’ll be losing the title) there are more than enough challengers for WWE to pit against him. I suspect that after Cena the likeliest foe for him is Cesaro. That’s no bad thing. Nor is the prospect of Lesnar facing anybody else on this list. Expect Jericho, obviously.

That RAW Recap 18.08.14

I wrote in my SummerSlam review (read that here) that the show was possibly the best WWE had put on this year. So the following evening’s RAW had a lot to live up to. An average show wasn’t going to cut it. It had to be memorable, building on the successes of the bigger show.

I’m pleased to say it did.

The show began with Daniel Bryan’s music playing. Elated, the audience burst into a “Yes!” chant. They were left disappointed when Stephanie McMahon came out (dressed down in her own Bryan-esque T-shirt and a pair of jeans). She mocked Bryan’s entrance. The crowd booed her at first and then became bored.

After trolling on about the Network and reminding us she’d won a match at SummerSlam Steph brought out Nikki Bella. Nikki  revealed she'd turned on Brie because she was tired of Brie's selfishness. Brie, she claimed, had been jealous of her since they were kids and had raced her to the alter.

Brie came out to refute this and did the betrayed babyface “Why, Nikki, why?” routine. Nikki slapped her to the mat and pouted. Steph laughed. Brie left the ring looking teary-eyed. The whole thing could have been worse but it also could have been significantly better. Nikki’s explanation speech was horribly overacted. It did at least make sense. That was something.

The first match saw the tandem of Mark Henry and Big Show defeat the Wyatt Family. That was disappointing, considering how over the Wyatts are as a team. It’s made worse by the fact that WWE almost certainly have no long term plans for the big lad team.

After that Seth Rollins was attacked by Dean Ambrose backstage. Complaining to Triple H he was told that he’d have a match with Ambrose later in the show, the idea being to get rid of ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ for good. The WWE App hosted a poll to decide the stipulation for Rollins v Ambrose. The choices were no holds barred, falls count anywhere and no disqualification. The commentators did a great job Filing to acknowledge that those gimmicks are all basically the same.

Match two saw Paige pinned by Natalya (non-title, natch). The reason ‘The Anti-Diva’ lost was AJ Lee. She skipped to the ring and distracted the champ. To be honest they should both be used to his sort of thing by now. Paige had said she still loved AJ and was dedicating the match to her before the bell rang. AJ said she loved Paige and was dedicating her life to her. Their rivalry is clearly going to continue.

Hour two opened with The Authority. Stephanie had changed into a dress. She couldn't embarrass Tripper by not being well turned out, could she? 'The Game' said Cena and Lesnar’s SummerSlam match had been an instant classic that represents the future of the company. They then unveiled "the symbol of that future," the new WWE championship belt. It was sat on a table underneath a red cloth. There were scattered boos for it. JBL said "That is a championship belt." I suspect that was some sort of in-joke or rib knowing Layfield.

Not enough wrestlers pose for pictures during promos.

Lesnar was then introduced. He, Heyman and The Authority pair posed with the belt to all four sides of the ring. A photo op for the audience. Generous, no? This was booed at first, then a Lesnar chant broke out. That’s what happens when you give someone a strong push while most of the rest of the roster stagnates: people are drawn to the proven winner.

Triple H and Stephanie headed backstage, leaving Paul Heyman to gloat. Naturally this took the form of talking about Lesnar ending The Streak, winning the championship, and giving Cena such a beating that he couldn't physically be there. Heyman did a tremendous job of putting Cena over, emphasising how long he'd been on top compared to Rock and Austin and reminding us (as if it were needed) that Cena had been a near constant WrestleMania headliner for ten years. The former champ earned his respect by adhering to his slogan and not giving up, to the extent that Heyman said if he had time he'd take Cena on as a client.

Why did he do this? Because it makes ‘The Beast’s’ accomplishment far greater, of course. Heyman also talked up Lesnar and his reign. He's more than a man and anybody stepping into the ring will have to deal with that, basically. Nothing was said about when Lesnar will defend his title, or who he’ll face. My assumption is he’ll work a rematch with Cena at Night of Champions and then work most, not necessarily all, pay-per-views until he loses the championship, which will probably be at WrestleMania.

After that Dolph Ziggler beat The Miz in a rematch from the previous night. It was good stuff. So was Jack Swagger v Cesaro. 'The Swiss Superman' won with a Neutralizer and then Swagger was told to Bo-lieve by Bo Dallas. Rob Van Dam, Sheamus and Roman Reigns v Randy Orton and RybAxel was also enjoyable enough. RVD won that for his team when he pinned Axel after a Five Star frog splash. Reigns wiped ‘The Viper’ out with a spear. Goldust and Stardust then defeated the Usos following a sunset flip. JBL called them the Dust Brusters. WWE needs to get their tag division back on track. They’ve got some popular, talented teams, but they don’t seem interested in penning storylines for them.

A Rusev and Lana promo was interrupted by Mark Henry. ‘The World’s Strongest Man’ said he doesn't usually have a problem with people and their countries but he does have a problem with Rusev. The Russian flag being raised at SummerSlam made him sick so called Rusev boy and announced he was going to induct him into the Hall of Pain. They exchanged punches then Rusev hurt his foot (injured the previous evening) kicking Henners. A World's Strongest Slam and a splash followed. That's Rusev's next conquest sorted then.

Crazy ol' Dean Ambrose.

Jerry Lawler announced that a falls count anywhere stip had won the Ambrose v Rollins vote. The pair quickly brawled through the crowd and up onto the stage where Rollins took a suplex. After the obligatory foray they headed back to the ring where Ambrose brought a chair into the match, body slamming and elbow dropping 'Mr Money in the Bank' with and on it. Seth took control when he ran Ambrose headfirst into a chair then grabbed a cane. When Ambrose eventually got his turn with the cane he really walloped Seth and exhumed Sandman's ECW Singapore cane leg sweep spot.

Ambrose survived a power bomb onto a pile of chairs as Kane showed up at ringside. Rollins set up a table in the ring. His attempt to Curb Stomp Ambrose through a table backfired when Ambrose intercepted him and suplexed him through it. They diverted out to ringside so Ambrose could lay out Kane with a suicide dive, then returned to the ring for a rebound lariat and Dirty Deeds. People were convinced that would be the finish, but Kane pulled Ambrose out of the ring to make sure it wasn't. Deano dropped Kane onto ring steps and back dropped Rollins into the crowd.

An announce desk was cleared and Ambrose went for Dirty Deeds again but Kane intercepted him with a choke slam. The table didn't break. It withstood a Curb Stomp too.

Things got a bit silly at that point. Kane moved a table aside to reveal a stack of cinder blocks. Kane held Ambrose in place as Rollins Curb Stomped his enemy through the blocks. Yes, through them. Because concrete really would crumble against the of mighty bone and flesh. Ambrose did a stretcher job as Kane and Rollins raised their arms and nodded. Meanwhile Jerry Lawler predicted we would never see Dean Ambrose again. Oh, 'King'. Will you never learn?

Overbooked finish aside the main event was very enjoyable. In an ideal world Ambrose would sit out for a month to sell the injury and Rollins would challenge Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental championship at Night of Champions. Ambrose could come back and cost him the gold or, better yet, attack him straight after he’d won it. Involving the IC strap in such a high profile feud would give it a much-needed boost and Ziggler v Rollins on a pay-per-view could be great.

That RAW Recap 11.08.14

This week's RAW was final stop before SummerSlam 2014. WWE's final chance to persuade people that the card they've put together is not just worth their time but worth shelling out pay-per-view or Network money for. SummerSlam looks like a good show and WWE needed to do it justice here.

The programme kicked off with the obligatory welcome from the regular commentary team trio and a lurid graphic telling anyone who'd somehow dodged the social media blitz and news site spoilers that the show would feature a birthday celebration for Hulk Hogan. To that end presents, all wrapped in 'Hulkster' red and yellow, were heaped at the top of the entrance ramp. I'll put you out of your misery now and confirm that, sadly, Hogan did not open any of them. At least not on TV.

Lovely new T-shirt on Lesnar there.

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman took the opening segment, a promo designed to sell the Lesnar v Cena match to "the CeNation." Lesnar had requested Heyman make this pitch apparently, although I find it tough to imagine a string of monosyllabic grunts intelligibly making the request. Heyman showed stills of Lesnar defeating The Streak (there was a pretty decent pop when Shocked Undertaker Guy was shown) and reminded everyone that as a rookie Lesnar had trounced both The Rock and Hulk Hogan, both of whom had disappeared after their respective losses. Heyman claimed that after SummerSlam Cena would be disappearing too, blissfully skipping over the fact that Rock disappeared to make a film and Hogan disappeared due to one of his many contract disputes. Amusingly Hogan's name got a mixed reaction, making him officially less popular than Shocked Undertaker Guy. And on his birthday, no less!

I was surprised when they acknowledged the Extreme Rules 2012 match between Lesnar and Cena. Heyman claimed that Lesnar had lost that match but won the fight, whatever that means. He also claimed that Lesnar was still suffering from diverticulitis (which he suffered from for years without realising it, and it really did end his UFC career) at the time but at this year's SummerSlam he'll be one hundred per cent. My favourite line of this rant was that the beating Cena will receive will be that of a Shakespearean tragedy, because there aren't anywhere near enough allusions to Shakespeare in wrestling.

Heyman finished up with an entertaining rap, playing off of Cena's old gimmick. Then he said the ring was Brock Lesnar's house and announced they were going out for dinner (yes, really) with a promise that they'd be back.

Flo Rida and Weird Al Yankovic wished Hogan a happy birthday via videos. Later in the show we were treated to similarly vapid messages from Drew Brees, AJ Hawk, Aaron Rodgers, Florida Georgia Line, and Larry King. I'd heard of precisely three of these people.

After a break Roman Reigns entered the arena for the first match of the show. Before that took place Kane strolled out in a suit and announced he'd been made Director of Operations again. Amusingly, he referred to himself in the third person when talking about the previous week's Reigns v Kane bout and also botched his lines when he said "six weeks" instead of "six days." I've missed Corporate Kane.

Reigns' opponents were RybAxel in a handicap match. The former Shield boy won by disqualification when Ryback and Axel wouldn't stop battering him at ringside. He gave both a Superman punch afterwards, with 'The Big Guy' also getting a spear. That was followed by a formulaic babyface promo most notable for once again demonstrating that trying to get Reigns to be funny helps nobody.

A clip for a Dean Ambrose DVD compilation in ten years time.

Rollins defeated RVD via curb stomp in the second match of the night. Afterwards Dean Ambrose exploded out of a large Hogan present and attacked him. Rollins ran off through the crowd. Ambrose reminded everyone about the lumberjack match against his former teammate and sarcastically plugged the WWE Network. It was funny, because Ambrose has the personality to pull off something that ridiculous, but it's not something WWE should make a habit of.

A Stephanie McMahon promo followed that. She brought Megan Miller, physical therapist to Daniel Bryan, into the ring. Coaxed by Steph, Megan claimed that she'd been having an affair with D-Bry. That brought out an angry Brie Bella-Bryan (Triple B?) to give Megan a slap and spear Stephanie. For good measure she put a Yes Lock on the boss before Finlay and Mr Jamie Noble arrived to pry her off. Stephanie said they'd finish things later on in the show. I'd be amazed if anyone in the building genuinely believed a SummerSlam match was being moved, unadvertised, to the pre-'Slam RAW.

After that Jack Swagger defeated Cesaro with the Patriot Lock. That was followed by a short, casual racism-stuffed promo from Zeb Colter. Rusev and Lana came out during their "We the people!" shtick. Flag waving ensued.

Next up was a sitdown interview with Bray Wyatt and Chris Jericho, taped earlier in the day. Michael Cole was meant to host it but he was dismissed within the first ten seconds by 'The Eater of Worlds'. Bray's opening gambit was to say that 'Y2J' is a disappointment to his father (a retired NHL player named Ted Irvine, for anyone who cares and doesn't already know). Of himself Wyatt said he wants to help people but that he's never claimed to be a saviour. I'm pretty sure he's claimed exactly that but his character isn't exactly meant to be trustworthy or entirely lucid so I suppose the lie can be overlooked. Then he descended into the normal Wyatt speak of monsters and heaven and hell and bubbling nonsense (there's a pale horse on the horizon apparently). Jericho said he's a survivor and promised he'll shut Wyatt up.

It wasn't the best segment. Wyatt functions far better when he has a live crowd to read. Jericho fell into the trap many long serving WWE stars seem to be falling into lately of referring to unlocking different levels if sadism within themselves. It's boring and illogical, particularly for a guy like Jericho who is still generally thought of as a technical wrestler, albeit one who's experienced a wide variety of gimmick matches. On top of that they appeared to be discussing which of the pair of them was and was not a saviour. Not exactly riveting stuff, is it?

Match number four saw Eva Marie pin AJ Lee off a rollup after Paige had skipped around the ring. The Divas champ is easily distracted. 'The Anti-Diva' then recited a poem. AJ then threw Eva into a crowd barrier. That was probably designed to illustrate how dangerous she is.

As much as Cena's current title reign does nothing for me
I do like the way he wears the belts.

WWE champion John Cena was up next, sporting a new red and yellow themed shirt no doubt inspired by the Hulk Hogan birthday bash. He mimicked Paul Heyman's style of delivery to begin with, which was a nice touch. He called Lesnar an arrogant bully who only cares about himself and said he'd never lie down for him, because he doesn't like him. Maybe he's been hanging out with Shawn Michaels. Acknowledging he's not unbeatable Cena said he would lose the title(s) one day but he'd make sure it wasn't to 'The Beast'. And speaking of that particular Lesnar nickname, Cena said he'd become a beast to fight one. So there you go.

Cena called Lesnar out. There was no response. So Cena spouted his catchphrases and left. It was an effective enough piece of work from Cena, although he veered to close to his comedy routine for my liking.

The payoff to the earlier Stephanie and Brie angle was next. Steph revealed Megan Miller was pressing charges against Brie for her assault. JBL called it "brilliant", which made it even harder to take as anything but a wrestling angle. Stephanie gloated.

Dolph Ziggler v Heath Slater ended with Slater winning by count out after 'The Show Off' was distracted by Miz (who'd been on commentary) and chased him around ringside. Ziggler gave 'The One Man Band' a post-match Zig Zag to make sure there was no confusion about who the real star was.

The evening's final match saw Randy Orton defeat Sheamus. The match itself was perfectly fine. They both did all their signature spots and seemed happy to leave it at that. The finish was above average though: Sheamus leapt off the top rope and got caught with an RKO.

Finally there was Hulk Hogan's birthday bash. The birthday boy passed the entire roster assembled at the top of the ramp and joined Gene Okerlund and Jimmy Hart in the ring. 'Mean' Gene then cued up a video package looking back at Hogan’s life, wisely focusing mostly on his original 80s run. It was a good piece of work. Hogan talked about getting presents from everyone, including a wonderfully fictitious anecdote about Vince McMahon giving him a birthday card with $9.99 in it so that he could subscribe to the Network (which told us months ago, multiple times, he'd already signed up for). They were then joined by Ric Flair, Paul Orndorf, Roddy Piper, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. The Outsiders encouraged 'The Hulkster' to tear off the red and yellow and don the nWo black and white. Hogan ripped off his shirt, revealing that he just so happened to be wearing the appropriate old WCW merch. Nash capped off the nonsense by starting to sing happy birthday. He was cut off by Brock Lesnar's music.

Lesnar just wanted a party of his own.

'The Pain' got in Hogan's face before Cena ran down to the ring to intervene. The SummerSlam opponents stared at one another for a moment before Lesnar stepped out of the ring and sauntered into the aisle. The final shot of the show was Brock shouting "I am a mercenary!"

The show achieved everything it needed to. Every segment was designed to highlight a SummerSlam match. Some matches may have benefited from a little more build (Ambrose v Rollins in particular) but on the whole everything seemed well judged. I don't think WWE could have done much better writing a RAW to create interest in this particular SummerSlam match. I'm that regard it was mission: accomplished. Hopefully they pull out all the stops and make SummerSlam a show to remember.