Tomorrow, WWE Superstars and Divas will start a very hectic 11 day tour of Europe which will see them perform in 19 live events across 9 different countries.
The tour kicks off on November 6, at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland and then they move to Dublin, Ireland, at the O2 Arena on November 7.
There are two shows on November 8, with one group at the Braehead Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, and the other at the Forest National in Brussels, Belgium.
Another double header is on November 9, with a show at the Olympiahalle in Munich, Germany, and another one at the LG Arena in Birmingham, England.
On November 10 it’s one show at the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales, and another show at the Braehead Arena in Glasgow, Scotland.
Monday Night RAW will be taped on November 11 from the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, England, and Smackdown will also be taped from the same arena the next day on November 12. Another show on November 12 will take place at the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England.
On November 13 there’s one show at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England, and another in Zurich, Switzerland, at the Hallenstadion.
Two shows on November 14 will see the WWE crew at the Leeds Arena in Leeds, England, and at the Kinderarena in Rouen, France.
The last two days of the tour will feature four shows, two on November 15, one at the O2 Arena in London, England, and the other at Le Dome in Marseille, France. The other two are at the Butlins Arena in Minehead, England, and at the Wiener Stadthalle Halle D, Vienna, Austria, on November 16.
AskMen.com today published the results of their 8th annual Top 49 Most Influential Men, a list compiled by over 100,000 voters.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made it to the list coming in at number 45 and was listed under his WWE name. The list was topped by Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and co-founder of Tesla Motors and PayPal.
One of the main events for the Survivor Series was announced yesterday night on RAW with the WWE title match being the first bout on the card.
Current WWE champion Randy Orton will be taking on the Big Show for the WWE title after Show was reinstated by Stephanie McMahon during the last segment on the show.
The Big Show was then attacked by The Shield and Randy Orton with a little help from Kane, who came out in a suit looking all corporate! Show got attacked with chairs and then was triple power bombed through the announcers table.
WWE has signed U.S. Olympic wrestler Chas Betts to a developmental contract and he will be starting training at the WWE Performance Center today. The Minnesota native was part of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.
“For those that have known me a long time, you know being a pro-wrestler has been a dream of mine since I was 11 or 12 years old,” Betts said on his Facebook, adding that he was proud to have signed with the WWE.
“I’m honored and humbled by the opportunity. I am extremely lucky to have a wife and family that has supported me in every dream I’ve chosen to chase, however unlikely it may be. Never underestimate the power of a good support system, people!”
Brandi Runnels, the 30 year old wife of Cody Rhodes, begins training at the WWE Performance Center in Florida today according to a tweet she sent out over the weekend.
“Surprise rookie gift from @CodyRhodesWWE. Guess I traded heels for boots. TRAINING begins Monday @WWE @WWEPerformCtr,” she wrote, posting a photo of wrestling boots to accompany her text.
Brandi is no stranger to WWE as in March 2011 she signed a developmental deal with the company where she was assigned to FCW in Tampa. In July of that year she was rebranded as Eden Stiles and was the NXT ring announcer and appeared once on Smackdown and also did announcing on the WWE Superstars TV show.
She left the company in December of the same year and will now be back under the name of Brandi Rhodes. If you can’t recall who she is, here are some photos of Brandi to jog your memory below.
WWE Studios and Film Roman announced today that they have entered into a co-financing and co-production agreement to produce up to thirteen, three-minute webisodes of a new animated series entitled Camp WWE. Mike Benson of Entourage and The Bernie Mac Show will script the series.
Film Roman, the animation studio behind The Simpsons and King of the Hill, will be behind the adult comedy series about what the WWE Superstars were like as kids.
“Proving to be a nightmare for teachers and other kids, their exhausted parents pack-up their future WWE Superstars with their masks, chains, kneepads and security blankets and send them off to Camp WWE, to be transformed into model citizens by the most terrifying counselor who ever lived, Mr. McMahon,” says the synopsis.
“Film Roman has been involved with some of the most well-known and humorous animated series,” said Michael Luisi, President WWE Studios. “They are the perfect partners for WWE Studios to capture our Superstars in a truly unique and fun way.”
Dana Booton, General Manager for Film Roman said that they hope that this will begin a mutually beneficial, long-term business relationship with WWE.
“With a combination of their unique personalities, distinctive characteristics and huge built-in loyal fan base, WWE Superstars make for ideal animation subjects in CAMP WWE,” Booton said.
John Cena sent Boston Red Sox World Series MVP David Ortiz a replica of the WWE Heavyweight title to sport during the rolling rally that was held yesterday to celebrate Boston’s World Series win.
“@davidortiz, be on the look-out for @WWE bling just in time for the WS parade. Hope to see you at #SurvivorSeries @tdgarden on Sun, Nov 24,” Cena tweeted a couple of days ago.
And the current World Heavyweight champion kept his bling promise as “Papi” came out wearing the WWE title wrapped around his waist.
You can see the photo of Ortiz with the WWE title during the celebrations which aired on the local FOX affiliate at
TNA’s comeback at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, will begin on November 21 with a live Impact taping and obviously free admission to those who are in the park.
The company has been assigned a different sound stage from their previous one, and now they will be taping their Impact shows from Sound Stage 19 and not 21 as they have done in the past.
Sound Stage 19 is the biggest among the six stages at Universal Orlando, with an area of 16,500 square feet. It’s also equipped with fiber and satellite transmissions which is most likely why they have been relocated to that sound stage.
It is unlikely that TNA will use the whole area as the sound stage is shaped as a rectangle rather than square so it looks like they will use half of it.
Currently Fox Sports Florida operates from Sound Stage 19.
According to the latest filings with the SEC, WWE entered into a new three year agreement with Stephanie McMahon where she is referred to as a wrestler with a salary of $325,000 per year plus added bonuses.
She is also entitled to royalties from product sales which will obviously add to the $325,000 figure every year.
The contract – which is published in full – is a performer/wrestler contract which means that McMahon will not vanish from your television screens anytime soon. The contract was signed on October 18 with Jane Geddes, Senior Vice President of Talent Relations and Development, representing WWE. McMahon signed the contract using her full name of Stephanie McMahon Levesque.
PWInsider.com is reporting that Janice Carter, Dixie Carter’s mother and one of the bosses and owners at TNA’s parent company Panda Energy, has issued an internal memo to address the rumors of TNA being for sale.
The memo states that any rumors of Panda Energy attempting to offload their stake in the company are completely false and that they are committed to continue their operations with TNA.
Janice Carter has lately taken over roles within the organization from her husband Robert Carter.
During last night’s Impact, TNA President Dixie Carter announced an eight-men tournament to crown the new TNA World champion. The matches will take over the course of the next few weeks.
The brackets announced are Jeff Hardy vs Chris Sabin and Bobby Roode vs James Storm with the winners of each match facing each other in a semi-final match.
On the other side there is Kurt Angle vs Austin Aries and Magnus vs Samoa Joe with the winners of those two matches facing off each other in the second semi-final match.
The first match takes place next week with Jeff Hardy vs Chris Sabin in a full metal mayhem match.
Despite the not-so-great financial results today, Wall Street was feeling some love for WWE as stocks hit a 52-week high of $13.14 and then eventually closing the day at $12.95.
The $12.95 closing represented a 9.38% – or $1.11 – increase over yesterday’s closing which was $11.84.
The second half of season one of Total Divas will return on E! on Sunday, November 10, as it has been moved one week ahead of schedule.
The move came so the show can benefit from the Keeping Up with the Kardashians finale, which will serve as the lead-in for Total Divas. Total Divas kicks off at 10PM EST. Total Divas pulled in better ratings when it benefitted from first-run episodes of the Kardashians show.
The first half of the season ran for eight episodes, and six more were recorded for the second half. The show will start off with the SummerSlam weekend and will feature the same cast – Bella Twins, Natalya, Eva Marie, JoJo, and The Funkadactyls.
Out of the ten major departments that bring in revenue for WWE, six of them decreased when compared to the same quarter last year while four performed better.
Those who registered a decrease were venue merchandise down 11% to $4 million, PPV was down 10% to %14.6 million, licensing slid 24% to $5.7 million, home entertainment decreased 15% to $5.2 million, magazine publishing and WWE Studios decreased by $100,000 each to $1.5 million and $1.8 million respectively.
The four departments which registered a plus included live events which went up 10% to $25 million, TV increased 30% to $44.1 million, WWE.COM was up 19% to $5.7 million, and WWEShop increased 11% to $2.9 million.
The three WWE pay-per-views that took place in the third quarter of 2013 didn’t fare that well, especially SummerSlam, which is considered one of the big four WWE pay-per-views of the year.
Money In The Bank in July did 199,000 buys, an increase from the 188,000 the show did last year. SummerSlam was down considerably to 296,000 buys from 358,000 buys that the 2012 version did, and Night of Champions also did less than last year’s show with 175,000 versus the 189,000 buys from last year.
WWE today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2013. Revenues increased $9.1 million or 9%, to $113.3 million from $104.2 million in the prior year quarter. Operating income decreased 36% to $3.2 million as compared to $5.0 million in the prior year quarter. Net income was $2.4 million, or $0.03 per share, as compared to $3.5 million, or $0.05 per share, in the prior year quarter.
“During the third quarter, our achievements were highlighted by the production and monetization of new content, including the original series, Total Divas, the expansion of pay-per-view distribution on the Sony PlayStation 3 platform, and the formation of new partnerships with blue-chip sponsors such as General Mills and Kraft,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
“These accomplishments reflect the strength of our brands, including a national television audience that exceeds the annual reach of most other sports and entertainment programs. This strength provides a solid foundation for the renegotiation of our TV contracts and the potential launch of a WWE network. Based on our ability to create powerful, entertaining content and to expand distribution, we strongly believe that we are poised to transform our business.”
You can read the full press release in PDF format here.
Almost a month after his TNA contract expired, TNA Wrestling have finally decided to take Hulk Hogan off the ImpactWrestling.com roster page.
Hulk Hogan is only seen on the website in past article entries on the website which can be found using the search function.
The Hulkster has been teasing a return to WWE and Triple H has told him that the door is always open for him to “come home” after the two ran into each other at a charity event.
Just this week Hogan posted a photo of himself holding the new WWE title on Facebook.
TNA President Dixie Carter took it to Twitter to acknowledge the rumors about her family looking into selling TNA after several financial problems have hit the company.
“Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed” Erica Jong #BlessYourHearts,” Carter wrote, quoting the 71 year old American poet.
The Carters hold around 70% stake in TNA with Jeff Jarrett owning the remaining shares of the company. TNA has been pretty much bleeding money (even more) since they moved Impacts on the road and will now be taping more of their flagship show at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
This week’s RAW with the fallout from Hell In A Cell drew a 2.98 rating with a total of 4,155,000 viewers, up 340,000 from last week’s show.
The first hour did 4,315,000 viewers followed by 4,185,000 in the second and then dropping to 3,965,000 in the third hour. (Ratings compiled by Nielsen Media Research and put online by PWInsider.com)
We are just under 24 hours removed from Hell In A Cell and wondering (for those like me who haven’t read/watched yet) who has survived harsh pay-per-view? Did Daniel Bryan finally put The Authority and Randy Orton to rest by winning the WWE Championship, or was it “The Viper” who claimed the prize and is the “face of the WWE?”
Was Alberto Del Rio able to fend off a returning John Cena and hold on to his World Heavyweight Championship?
If he could, how did C.M. Punk get his hands on Paul Heyman? Or was the sly manager able to escape yet again?
Were The Rhodes Brothers capable of keeping their freshly-won Tag Team Titles?
Could Brie Bella wrestle-away (yes, pun intended!) the Divas Championship from A.J. Lee?
Read on to find out all that went down last night!
Monday Night Raw T.V. Report for October 28th, 2013 – “To Hell (In A Cell) And Back”
Introduction Segment: Photo Recap
Stills review two main Hell In A Cell matches, with C.M. Punk picking up the win over Ryback and finally beating down Paul Heyman; then Randy Orton has become the new WWE Champion after Shawn Michaels super-kicked Daniel Bryan!
It is announced that Shawn Michaels will give in a explanation for his actions later tonight, as well a WWE Championship celebration for Randy Orton, and Ryback will take on C.M. Punk in a fans-choose-the-stipulation bout. (How about not at all, feud should’ve ended last night since Punk got his revenge!)
Segment #1: Arena Promo
Justin Roberts welcomes the NEW World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena! (Okay, there goes that upset call I had from last week.) Cena gets in the ring and teases with the crowd about their usual mixed reactions to him. He then thanks John Bradshaw Layfield, for giving him the umph to come back, as week-after-week, he speculated that Cena would only last for the one bout then get re-injured again.
The World Heavyweight Champion goes on to talk about the WWE Champion and his party later, then tells Alberto Del Rio, “you want some? Come get some,” since Del Rio has his rematch clause.
Before Cena walks away, another contender for his championship walks out. Damien Sandow walks out with his Money In The Bank briefcase. He accuses Cena of not being fully healed, and also being “afraid that I will cash in on you.” Sandow teases John on cashing in now, then goes to leave. Suddenly, Sandow nails Cena with the briefcase and hammers away on his arm. “The Intellectual Saviour of the Unwashed Masses” decimates Cena, ramming his arm against the ring post, then throwing him from barricade to steel steps. He grabs a steel chair and smashes it over Cena’s elbow, while it was placed on the steel steps.
Roberts announces that Sandow has intentions to cash in and Marty the referee runs down!
Commercials.
Match #1: Single for the World Heavyweight Championship – “The Intellectual Saviour Of The Unwashed Masses/Mr. Money In The Bank” Damien Sandow (Challenger) VS. John Cena (Champion)
Cena tries to fight back with his right hand, but Sandow soon capitalizes and clamps him in an armbar. Sandow really focuses in on the appendage, giving Cena an armbar and dropping his knee on it. Cena battles back with a boot and backdrop, then collapses.
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Cena is still slugging it out with Damien, then flies off the ropes with a shoulder block. He catches him in a spin-out backdrop, and musters the strength to try for the 5-Knuckle Shuffle fistdrop, but Sandow counters. 1 – 2 – Cena kicks out! Damien whips John hard into the corner, but Cena tosses him high up in the air with a modified-A.A. Sandow falls out of the ring, and Dr. Gerry Sampson checks on an injured Cena. John waves him off and then goes to collect Sandow.
Sandow tries a full-nelson (there’s a move I haven’t seen in a while), but Cena slips out and brings him down with another backdrop. He covers but only gets two! Sandow locks in a Crossface, but Cena wrestles out of it. Damien plants Cena with the “You’re Welcome” (yes, I just typed that horrible name!) full nelson slam! 1 – 2 – Cena still kicks out!
Cena ascends the turnbuckle and soars off the top with a crossbody. Damien ducks and Cena lands on his elbow and knee. Sandow picks him up and positions for a piledriver, but Cena reverses into the Attitude Adjustment for the hard-fought and tough victory!
Winner via Pin Fall and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: John Cena
Segment #2: Backstage Promo
United States Champion Dean Ambrose talks about his upcoming match with Big E. Langston. Ambrose tells Langston that it was a privilege for him to be in the ring with Dean, and Seth Rollins says they will “rectify that mistake.” Roman Reigns tells us to “believe in The Shield.”
Commercials.
Match #2: Single for the United States Championship – Dean Ambrose (Champion) (with The Shield members, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) VS. Big E. Langston (Challenger)
It’s a brawl and quick punches and kicks from Dean to begin. Fast-paced action (overused cliche, yes, but it really was!) with Ambrose in control. Langston comes back with a clothesline and belly-to-belly suplex, but is yanked out of the ring by Roman Reigns, which causes a dq.
Winner via Disqualification: Big E. Langston (Ambrose keeps his United States Championship)
Post-match, as The Shield beat on Langston, The Usos run out and save the big man. Raw General Manager Brad Maddox comes out and makes this the predictable 6-Man Tag, next.
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Match #3: 6-Man Tag-Team – The Shield (United States Champion Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns) VS. Big E. Langston and The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) (Non-Title)
Pick this up with Jimmy and Dena going at it, as Ambrose charges at Jimmy against the ropes. He locks on a rear chinlock, but Jimmy reverses with a jawbreaker then high-kick! He drives Roman with a DDT, as both sides beg for the hot-tag. They are made, and Jey flies off the top! He catches Rollins off the ropes with a spinebuster for two, and this bout breaks down. Langston takes out Ambrose, as Jey is perched on the top turnbuckle by Rollins.
He counters and pushes Seth face-first onto the mat. Rollins gets his knees up as Jey flew off with a splash. Reigns is in and gets Rollins to help him double-suplex Jey. Jimmy comes in and grabs his brother to prevent the suplex, then they both super-kick Reigns. They put Rollins to the outside, but turn around and get double-speared for the 1 – 2 – 3 by Reigns!
Winners via Pin Fall: The Shield (United States Champion Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns)
Commercials.
Segment #3: Arena Promo
“The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels is out now to talk about why he super-kicked Daniel Bryan at Hell In A Cell. He asks Bryan to come out and face off with him to talk about the end result. Daniel walks out with a fierce look on his face and stares down Michaels intently. Shawn claims he still called the match down-the-middle, but because Triple H is his absolute best-friend, everything else will take a back-seat to their friendship. Huge “you sold out” chants ring out, as Shawn tells him that “in this snake pit, you don’t trust anybody.”
Michaels wants him to shake his hand, but both the fans and Bryan refuse. Shawn gets in his face, calling him a “self-righteous little puke,” then orders Bryan to shake his hand because he is “Shawn Michaels!” Bryan grabs his arm and bring shim down in the Yes Lock Crossface! Michaels screams and taps out repeatedly until referees run out and pull Daniel off. He walks back to stage, shaking his head “no.”
Later tonight, it will be the celebration of Randy Orton’s WWE Title win; plus Kane returns after coming back at Hell In A Cell!
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Segment #4: Backstage Promo
Rene Young is with Daniel Bryan and speculates on his attitude with everything that has happened. She suddenly backs away as The Wyatt Family attacks him. After an assault by Luke Harper and Erik Rowan, Bray Wyatt proclaims “the devil made me do it,” then runs an equipment box into a fallen Daniel’s head.
Match #4: Los Matadores (Fernando and Diego) (with El Torito) VS. 3.M.B. (Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal, and Heath Slater)
3.M.B. dominate a Matadores for a bit between single and double-team moves. Matadore counters and tags in his partner, who comes in and takes out McIntyre. On the outside, Slater gives chase with a huge fishing next to El Torito. It backfires on Slater, who is blinded with a fire extinguisher then runs into Heath with a gore. In the ring, Los Matadores double-team McIntyre, who eats the pin and loses for his team.
Winners via Pin Fall: Los Matadores (Fernando and Diego) (with El Torito)
Post-match, Los Matadores and El Torito use the fish next to capture Slater, then beat up on him and celebrate.
Commercials.
Match #5: Tag-Team – Tamina Snuka and Divas Champion A.J. Lee VS. The Bella Twins (Nikki and Brie) (Non-Title)
A recap of The Wyatt Family’s attack on Daniel Bryan is shown again, to add sympathy for Brie, who is engaged to Bryan (for real.) A.J. takes control immediately over Brie, kicking her down. She tags in Tamina, who continues the domination, as A.J. rests on the ropes, smiling. (Nice touch!) Snuka headbutts Brie three times and gets a near fall.
Brie counters and tags in her sister, who comes in with dropkicks. She runs with a Lou Thesz press, but is caught off the ropes in a fall-away slam position. Tamina batters Brie with Nikki, then plants Nikki with a Samoan drop. She tags in A.J., who forces Nikki to tap out to the Black Widow Octopus Stretch!
Winner via Submission: Tamina Snuka and Divas Champion A.J. Lee
up next, Kane comes back!
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Match #6: Single – Kane VS. The Miz
Kane dominates the bout overall, finishing this one quickly with a Chokeslam!
Winner via Pin Fall: Kane
Post-match, Kane orders Stephanie McMahon to come out as he wants to have a talk. She obliges, but keeps her distance, staying on the stage. “You have been on a power-trip, you have been manipulative, you have abused your power, you have ruined lives. But, these days, it is what’s best for business. ‘The Monster’ is yours to unleash.” Kane walks up to her and removes his mask (you didn’t see his face), handing it over to McMahon. He walks off and she holds it high, first contemplating then smiling.
Commercials.
Segment #5: Arena Promo
C.M. Punk is out now, as always to a loud ovation. He relishes in his beating on Paul Heyman, and declares that Heyman is gone! He moves on to Ryback, declaring “I beat you based on how these people want me to beat you. I promise!”
Match #7: Single – C.M. Punk VS. Ryback
Stipulation: Street Fight
Even though Punk is hyped-up, it is Ryback who controls Punk early in the corner. C.M. fires back with a springboard crossbody, but is rammed into the ring post and the barricade by Ryback. He takes a table from under the ring, but Punk retaliates some kendo stick shots. Ryback returns with a spinebuster, and shoves him with a powerbomb against the turnbuckle, and is set atop.
Punk counters and kicks Ryback onto the table (which my Dad said was “pretty lame” the way he got on). “The Straight-Edge Superstar” soars off the top with an elbow to Ryback through the table, then clamps on the Anaconda Vice to get the tap-out.
Winner via Submission: C.M. Punk
Post-match, surprisingly, The Wyatt Family saunters out. Bray sits in his rocking hair, as Luke Harper and Erik Rowan surround the ring. Both pound away and crocodile wrestles C.M. Punk. Bray comes in and hits the Sister Abigail, then once again proclaims “the devil made me do it.”
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Match #8: Tag-Team – The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger (with Zeb Colter) VS. Tag-Team Champions The Rhodes Brothers (Goldust and Cody Rhodes) (Non-Title)
Goldust and Cesaro begin, with Goldust in control. He arm-drags Swagger and drops knees on him. Antonio is tagged back in and gets a springboard-elbow to the chest. Cody switches with his brother out wrestles him. He counters a wristlock and plants Cesaro with a front-suplex. Cody bounces off the top rope with a front dropkick and clotheslines Antonio out of the ring.
Commercials.
Returning, The Real Americans have taken control, with Cesaro all over Cody. Swagger is back in and locks on a front-face hold, then uses the corner for the Swaggerbomb splash. 1 – 2 – kickout by Cody! He gets tossed up and brought down with an uppercut by Cesaro, until Goldust comes in and helps his brother.
The referee breaks it up and Cesaro goes back to work on Cody. Goldust soon gets the hot-tag, giving Swagger 10-punches in the corner and a powerslam! Cody nails Cesaro with the Disaster Kick, as Goldust springs off the top with a crossbody! Antonio breaks up a roll-up, and as Cody takes him out, Swagger catches Goldust in the Patriot Lock Ankle Lock and forces him to submit!
Winners via Submission: The Real Americans (Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger) (with Zeb Colter)
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Segment #6: Arena Promo
Alberto Del Rio walks out to the stage. He says he has no bother with Damien Sandow, because his only want is John Cena and the World Heavyweight Championship. He wants his rematch, and to get there, he will target Cena’s arm and “break it over and over again.”
Summer Rae and Fandango make their way to the ring for her match, next!
Match #9: Single – Summer Rae (with Fandango) VS. Natalya (with Hornswoggle and The Great Khali)
Rae catches a kick from Natalya, but Neidhart flips her over and puts her in a leglock. Some great back-and-forth wrestling and counter moves, including a jackknife pin by Rae and backslide from Natalya. Summer chokes Natalya in the corner with a boot, then snapmares her over. Rae puts her in a stump-puller stretch (there’s old school terms, for ya!). Summer splashes on Natalya’s knee, then slams her head against the mat repeatedly. Natalya tries to fight back but her knee gives and Summer takes back control.
Summer goes over to talk to Fandango, but Hornswoggle yanks him off the apron. Fandango throws him to the ramp, but is subsequently chopped down by The Great Khali. Summer turns around and gets locked in the Sharpshooter and taps out!
Winner via Submission: Natalya (with Hornswoggle and The Great Khali)
Up next, WWE Champion Randy Orton’s celebration.
Commercials.
Segment #7: Arena Promo
The roster is standing on stage, with The Shield by the ring. The squared circle is decked out in a red carpet, and The Authority are out first; The Shield enter the ring with them. Triple H has the microphone, saying that he was the one who predicted Randy Orton becoming “the face of the WWE.” He gives us the “A+ Player,” “The Viper” Randy Orton. The WWE Champion walks out slowly, soaking in the moment. He embraces both HHH and Stephanie with a hug. McMahon then calls Randy “everyone’s champion,” saying he symbolizes all of the roster, what they “inspire to be.” She wants them to “show the respect he so richly deserves.”
Orton takes the mike, and says he is “better than you,” all because he has the WWE Championship. “You’re either born a success or you’re not. Make no mistake, I’m a success.” He calls himself “superior,” but is suddenly interrupted by The Big Show! The 7-Footer barrels down to the ring, and along with The Usos and The Rhodes Brothers, eliminate The Shield. Show eyes down The Authority and Randy, then charges the ring. They all hide by the announce table while Show goes into an angry tirade. “You can’t expect me to sit by and let all this turn my stomach!”
Big informs them his lawsuit will cost them tons of money. “I don’t care, I have nothing to lose Hunter!” Orton suddenly nails him from behind with the WWE Title, but gets knocked out when he goes for a second shot! Both Stephanie and Triple H look on in disbelief and horror, as Show is fired up.
Triple H removes his jacket and gets ready, but backs off the apron to a loud chorus of boos. Stephanie pushes HHH back as Show yells at them. Trips approaches again but circles the ring and glares at the giant. Show exists the ring and back up the ramp, while Triple H and Stephanie furiously look on to close the show.
End Of Raw.
Reporter’s Rumblings – By Moe Tapp
I thought this was a strong show coming out of the pay-per-view. (Didn’t see or read about it [as usual, wanted to be surprised], so not sure if Hell In A Cell was strong or not.) Again, both the beginning and ending were exciting and left you wanting more. There were a ton of matches too, so that is always great! Onto the analysis:
Excellence: Opening promo and subsequent actual match between Cena & Sandow. I loved the psychological story behind the bout, and I think that this is the most vicious I’ve seen Damien, going straight for the previously injured arm of the World Heavyweight Champion.
While the 6-Man with The Shield and Langston/Usos ended up being predictable, always do like these guys matching-up together. They have great chemistry, and with Big E. in the mix of being a brawler/power-type, he fits right in there with Roman Reigns and the toughness of U.S. Champ Ambrose.
Fantastic promo by Shawn Michaels. I had a good feeling, and obviously predicted right, that Randy Orton would be the WWE Champ after H.I.A.C. with help from The Authority, Michaels, or Big Show. Michaels’ reasoning’s were great, because he looks at it (and I think rightfully so), that while he did train Daniel Bryan, that’s all he did. Bryan was then on his own after leaving Shawn’s academy, where as “H.B.K.” and Triple H have stuck by together for almost 20 years. The explanation makes good sense. Loved Daniel’s silent reaction and then just tearing apart Shawn in the Crossface out of nowhere. Honestly, if creative wants this to lead to a match between the two, I just might be ok with that, depending on the build and the circumstances. I know it would be beautiful match!
Great matches with the two Divas bouts and Rhodes Brothers/Real Americans. Was really surprised by Summer Rae’s performance and how well she stepped up. Also like how Cesaro/Swagger got the win, beacuse it poses them to be legit challengers for Goldust & Cody’s championships. (Granted, I do hope The Rhodes Brothers have a long-deserved reign.) Happy that C.M. Punk defeated Ryback soundly in the tables match, and while I was genuinely surprised that he actually got to beat down Paul Heyman at H.I.A.C., I’m cool with it and think this feud should be done with. Time for “The Second City Saint” to move on.
With The Wyatt Family taking out both C.M. Punk and Daniel Bryan, interesting to see if they are helping The Authority by taking out the most popular wrestlers, and ones that would go against “powers-that-be.”
Kane’s turn was also another shock and super surprised he took off his mask and handed to Stephanie. Very, very intrigued to see where this is going.
Again, loved Big Show’s reactions to WWE Champ Orton and The Authority. Love the sincere emotion that he propels in his tirades, and it is going to lead to either him VS. Triple H or him VS. Randy. Either one, or both, I’m cool with.
Bogus: While I did like the physicality in the bout between Cena and Sandow, I don’t like the fact that they just wasted it on T.V. I really think they should’ve had Damien tease his cash-in for a while, and then do it out of no where or announce one night that he will cash in later in that show. Play some head games at first, like Sandow can be awesome at with his oratory skills.
Los Matadores/3.M.B. – enough of these guys, move on!
Minor details count, and with Big Show, if he’s “fired,” why did his theme music play and he walked through the set like every other wrestler? Going through the crowd and driving the truck made some sense, but this was unbelievable for someone who is “no longer employed.”
Raw definitely set up some new and appealing feuds/storylines, while the current ones keep getting more curious as to where they’re headed. Way to go and hopefully they keep it up! Until next week, as always, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Readers and Wrestling Fans!
