OPENING SEGMENT
John Laurinaitis came out and greeted the fans. He talked a little about his upcoming job review and announced the RAW Elimination Chamber match (more on that later). He also announced the matches for the night, including CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan. Punk interrupted and had the whole "Na na na, hey hey goodbye" stuff going. Punk runs some cheap smack talk until Daniel Bryan interrupts. Bryan talks about his successful WHC defense and how he's a role-model for being a vegan. Punk tries to joke about that, and Bryan tells him he'll shove Punk's "pipe bomb" down his throat if he keeps it up. Out of nowhere, we're greeted by the Royal Rumble winner, Sheamus. Sheamus talks about how both Punk and Bryan still have to defend their titles at the Elimination Chamber, but that as the Rumble winner, he will be challenging for one of the titles. Sheamus also takes a shot at Johnny Ace, saying he hopes Triple H fires him.
This segment was okay. I saw it got a lot of mixed reactions on Twitter. I liked the back and forth with Bryan and Punk. I wasn't keen on Sheamus' interruption. I get the dynamic of interjecting Sheamus while both world champions were in the ring due to his Rumble win, I just don't think Sheamus was given his just attention considering he shockingly won the Rumble just 24 hours earlier. I felt he should've gotten more spotlight on RAW instead of this brief appearance. Perhaps SmackDown will make up for that.
RANDY ORTON VS. DOLPH ZIGGLER (w/ Vickie Guerrero)
King and Cole made sure to sell the fact that this was Orton's first match on RAW in several weeks (as if that's an unbearable amount of time). The fun dynamic of this match was that Wade Barrett was a spectator from a skybox at the top of the arena. Josh Matthews was with him and occasionally the commentary would stop so that Matthews could ask Barrett a question. It was like special guest commentary and a backstage interview wrapped into one. The match was good. It was a lot like other matches Ziggler and Orton have had over previous months. Orton went over clean by hitting an RKO after his signature taunting motion, rather than an "RKO out of nowhere."
I enjoyed the match. Not crazy about Orton being back so suddenly, but he and Ziggler typically put on good shows. I really enjoyed the Barrett skybox commentary. This also set up some excitement for the continuance of Orton and Barrett's rivalry on SmackDown.
BRODUS CLAY VS. TYLER REKS
Yes, Tyler Reks was on RAW. Brodus Clay's feud with the Jobber Mafia continues. Same Funkasaurus match as they've all been. Clay hit the "Funk It"/"What the Funk" for the win. They really need to decide on a name for that thing.
I was fine with the quick squash. Moving on...
DANIEL BRYAN VS. CM PUNK
Incredible match. I can't really put it into words how fun this was to watch. If you by chance missed it, do yourself a favor and search YouTube, wait for WWE Ram A.M. on Saturday, or watch the spanish Telemundo broadcast if you have to. The only thing that was wrong is that there was no clean finish (which is understandable with two world champs). I think the fans are perfectly fine with that. The man who interfered was none other than Chris Jericho! Jericho grabs Bryan from outside the ring and slams him into the outside barrier, causing a disqualification (Bryan victory). Afterwards, Jericho slides into the ring and hits Punk with the Code Breaker. Bryan regains his composure and does his signature "YES! YES! YES!" celebration after he is announced the winner. Jericho retreats to the top of the ramp and looks back at Punk. Punk eventually recovers and has a look on his face that gives the appearance that he doesn't know what just hit him... And that's it. Cole and King sort of no-sell this by saying their unsure of what Jericho could be doing and how he's been hard to follow since his return. The segment ends abruptly and King and Cole start talking about Mike Tyson being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
This was a good segment, overall. The match was incredible, regardless of the DQ finish. Jericho interrupting and attacking Punk blew Twitter up. Unfortunately, that's where things ended. A lot of people are jumping to conclusions as to what it means, but it's hard to say. WWE clearly designed this to leave us with even more questions than answers yet again. I wish the announcing would've sold Jericho's actions a bit harder though. That was a big deal. I get being confused as to Y2J's motives, but to not even have a commercial after that and instantly segue into something as trivial as Mike Tyson's announcement simply felt awkward.
KOFI KINGSTON VS. THE MIZ
Before the match, R-Truth came out to do guest commentary. Kingston entered and then the Miz, who brought a mic with him. He talked about how he lasted for over 45 minutes in the Royal Rumble and how Kingston's handstand save was menial compared to what he did. The match that followed was average. Truth was underwhelming on commentary. I was excited to see him out there, but he felt like a completely different character at the table. Although, I will say a few of his shots at Michael Cole were amusing. To my own surprise, Kofi won cleanly via the Trouble in Paradise.
As I said the match was average and the special guest commentary was for the most part underwhelming. I was fine with the result, however. Kingston is one of the six competitors to be in RAW's Elimination Chamber, so going over cleanly on the Miz gave some credibility going forward as a singles competitor.
DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: BETH PHOENIX (c) VS. EVE TORRES
The match was a non-factor. Beth won in probably less than a minute via the Glam Slam.
What was important was Kane confronting Eve after the match. He appeared on the tron and talked about how it was John Cena's fault that Zack Ryder was being assaulted. He said that until Cena learned to embrace the hate, Kane would continue to make Ryder suffer. Then he said he was going to use Eve to send a message. Kane's pyro went off at the ramp, but he instead appeared a few seconds later on the ring apron behind Eve. She screamed in fright until Cena came to the rescue and a brawl ensued. Eventually, Cena got the upper-hand by taking Kane out with the steel steps. The process repeated a few times and Cena yelled he'd keep hitting him as long as he got up. Cena then grabbed a microphone and yelled that they're going to have a party, or some such. Eventually, he got around to tearing apart the announcers' table and set up Kane for the Attitude Adjustment. Kane fought out of it and hightailed it out of there through the crowd.
This segment was a little annoying. First of all, this was the last match of the night and it was a divas match squash. Second, Cena was insufferable. I didn't mind Cena returning the favor and getting the best of Kane on this occasion, it was just done so poorly. Him grabbing a mic and saying "we're going to have a party," or whatever, was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. Ladies and gentlemen, that was Exhibit A as to why people don't like John Cena. Then you have Kane run away? What would've been so bad about Cena delivering the AA? I get the idea was to show that Cena still has a vicious side (aka SUPERCENA). I thought he could've finished the job though - just as Kane has Choke Slammed Cena on occasion. Kane still could've shortly recovered after Cena walked away and looked respectable. I just don't get it.
FINAL SEGMENT
Laurinaitis comes to the ring and says that he's not nervous about his performance review. John sort of talks about how well RAW is doing in ratings and how he believes himself to be a great GM - giving himself all sorts of favorable grades. Triple H finally interrupts. Hunter talks about he's been watching closely and is surprised that Johnny Ace didn't turn out better. He said that John, just like himself and Vince McMahon, has let personal feelings cloud his judgement when it came to running the show. He then hints that, just like himself and Vince, it's time for Laurinaitis to be replaced.
John pleads for him to not do it and says he'll do anything to keep his job. Triple H teases a little bit and tells Laurinaitis to apologize to the fans. Laurinaitis does so and is greeted with heavy heat. Hunter says it obviously wasn't good enough. He jokes about possibly putting John into a gauntlet match (just as John did CM Punk) and giving the entire locker room a shot at him. He then says John may have to show his loyalty and alludes to something Vince used to do; making people join a certain club (the VKM Kiss My Ass Club).
Laurinaitis puts on some chap stick, gets on his knees and puckers up before Triple H starts laughing in the disbelief that John was actually going to do it. Triple H cuts to the point and says now that personal feelings are no longer in the way, the board of directors have informed him that he is free to take the reigns over on RAW whenever he feels like it. Just as a Triple H is about to wish John Laurinaitis well in his future endeavors....
BONG
Triple H's expression grows dead serious as the Undertaker makes his signature entrance to the ring. Taker confronts Hunter in the ring. He looks up at the Wrestlemania sign and then does his famous throat slash. Triple H stares at him, pats him on the shoulder and leaves. No words were spoken. That is the end of the show.
"OH SHIT!" was my exact reaction when that oh-so-familiar bell tolled. First off, the majority of the back and forth Ace and Triple H was good. I enjoyed it. It was funny and I think the audience agreed. It's now apparent that because of the Undertaker's interruption, John Laurinaitis is still technically the interim GM on RAW.
As for the stare down... You tell me. What do you make of it? I'm on the side of saying that Triple H declined the challenge by the Deadman, based on those actions. It's highly interesting. I know these two are legendary mega-stars in WWE and would put on a great match for a second year in a row, but I can't say I'm too disappointed if it's not going to happen. I'd like to see someone new challenge Taker. I feel like the match quality will be excellent regardless of the challenger because WWE always goes all out for Taker's 'Mania matches anyway. That said, I seriously doubt the exchange between Taker and Triple H is over. They'll probably meet again next week. It'll be interesting to see if Taker plans to somehow get him to agree. I wouldn't mind seeing a different match, but even after last night, I still wouldn't be surprised to see the same match still happen.
(Rest... In...) Peace,
Daniel
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Rumor: Christian was ready to return, WWE keeps him out of Rumble
You read that correctly. There's a report circling that not only was Christian actually at the site of the Royal Rumble yesterday, he was also ready and expecting to enter the match.
WWE had other plans and intentionally kept him out of the Royal Rumble.
As someone who had their hopes up for Captain Charisma's surprise Rumble entry, this is highly frustrating. If this rumor is true, then the truth is that I'm officially flat out pissed off right now.
With that said, I know it's too early to deem final judgement. I'm a peep and I know how any peep would feel in light of this story. I get it completely. However, we have no clue what WWE plans to do with him once he returns. Chances are Christian was never going to win the Rumble, although it would've been a great spot for him to return for all of his fans.
I'm frustrated, but I know good things could be in his near future despite not returning at the Royal Rumble. Does that mean he'll definitely get a major role when he returns? Not at all. I'm hopeful, that's all. I think Sheamus entering the main event picture on SmackDown (finally) opens a door of possibility for Christian, especially with the Elimination Chamber looming. I'm going to swallow this pill for now and remain hopeful that Christian is back on television very, very soon. Maybe even tonight.
Peace,
Daniel
WWE had other plans and intentionally kept him out of the Royal Rumble.
As someone who had their hopes up for Captain Charisma's surprise Rumble entry, this is highly frustrating. If this rumor is true, then the truth is that I'm officially flat out pissed off right now.
With that said, I know it's too early to deem final judgement. I'm a peep and I know how any peep would feel in light of this story. I get it completely. However, we have no clue what WWE plans to do with him once he returns. Chances are Christian was never going to win the Rumble, although it would've been a great spot for him to return for all of his fans.
I'm frustrated, but I know good things could be in his near future despite not returning at the Royal Rumble. Does that mean he'll definitely get a major role when he returns? Not at all. I'm hopeful, that's all. I think Sheamus entering the main event picture on SmackDown (finally) opens a door of possibility for Christian, especially with the Elimination Chamber looming. I'm going to swallow this pill for now and remain hopeful that Christian is back on television very, very soon. Maybe even tonight.
Peace,
Daniel
Royal Rumble Reaction
THE ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH
Let's get straight into it. Your Royal Rumble winner is Sheamus. I'm not going to lie. I was pretty stunned. I know I had Sheamus as my no. 4 competitor to win, but when it came down to he and Chris Jericho, I felt pretty confident that my prediction of Y2J would come true. Nevertheless, Sheamus prevented the end of the world as we know it and eliminated Jericho to go over and earn his choice of a world championship match at Wrestlemania.
I'm bittersweet on the this conclusion. I do greatly appreciate the element of surprise. Like I said in my predictions, I was fine with Jericho being in a title match at Wrestlemania and even winning the Rumble, but it felt too obvious after his overly-ominous promo on RAW last week. Seeing Sheamus go over him restored a lot of the unpredictability that people love about the Rumble.
On the other hand, I know full well that this cemented Sheamus' incredibly vanilla push (no pun intended to Sheamus' incredible white-ness). I've been the first to voice displeasure over Sheamus constantly winning two squash matches a week over (mostly) jobbers over the past several months. The good news is that the squash matches hopefully end and we can finally see Sheamus do something useful.
I'll have more on the Celtic Warrior later this week.
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
About what was expected. Another incredible match between Ziggler and Punk with added interjection by John Laurinaitis. Punk manages to retain over several bouts of arguing with Johnny Ace. It wasn't a very creative finish given the circumstances, but the match was rock solid so it's easily excusable.
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Exactly as expected. The focus was heavier on Show and Bryan than it was on Henry - although keep in mind that Henry allegedly hyper extended a knee at the most recent SmackDown taping. A lot of people said this was a weak match. What did you expect? Two oversized big men and Daniel Bryan. Daniel's a great wrestler, no doubt, but this was his first time ever working a key match at a PPV (and he wasn't given many favors in booking). After a back and forth that almost resulted in Show picking up a pin fall over Henry, Bryan manages to escape and, as I predicted, somehow retains his championship.
JOHN CENA VS. KANE
I had Cena going over here, but that obviously did not happen. The match resulted in a double count out. I know what I picked, but I honestly thought this was a strong possibility as well. I thought the prospect of a no contest was much higher than Kane simply winning.
After the match, there was a brawl that ended up with Kane finding an injured Zack Ryder backstage and knocking him out. He then brought him to the ring and, despite Eve's crying, Tombstone Piledrivered him (awesome spot!). Before Kane can get his hands on Eve, Cena reappears to make the save. Too bad for him, all he got for it was a choke slam. The match was a no contest, but Kane obviously came out on the better end. As Kane leaves and the paramedics come to aid Ryder, Cena recovers and watches on helplessly. The crowd erupts into chants of, "CENA SUCKS!"
This is by far the most interesting part of the show - at least when the shock of Sheamus eliminating Jericho wore off. I'm actually most looking forward to the fallout of this match tonight on RAW compared to the Punk/Laurinaitis angle.
THE REST OF THE SHOW
I predicted we'd see either a tag match or a divas match added to the show. We ended up getting both wrapped up into one: An 8-(wo)man tag match. Beth Phoenix ended up winning the match for her, Natalya, and the Bella Twins. Very uneventful.
The other match added was also uneventful. Actually it was more uneventful. It turns out that Brodus Clay squash matches extend to pay-per-views. Luckily, available for Brodus was the king of being buried over the last month: Drew McIntyre. Carbon copy of all of Clay's matches.
1) Arrive
2) Funk It
3) Dance
4) Leave
Poor Drew.
I like the Funkasaurus personally, but... Let's just say that including SmackDown quality squash matches on a $50 pay-per-view is not a good way to please your fans, WWE.
There was also a crazy amount of promotions during show - particularly about Wrestlemania. I don't think that went over too well either. Again WWE, people are paying for that stuff.
OTHER STUFF THAT HAPPENED DURING THE RUMBLE
I might as well come out and say it. Christian was not in the Rumble and I was one of many peeps to be highly disappointed. Were the reports of him being in St. Louis incorrect? Possibly, but the more logical explanation is that he was still not medically cleared to compete. I still expect he'll be back within the next couple of weeks (if not couple of days). I'd also like to go on record and say had Christian been healthy, his spot would've been where Jimmy Uso entered. Anyone find it odd that only one of the two Usos was in the match? That's a "place holder" entry if I've ever seen one.
The Rumble, I thought, provided for two truly surprising returns. Let it be known, I don't count legends and novelties in that count. I mean true "returns." One was the Great Khali, who I mistakingly thought was through with the WWE. The second was Kharma! I realize that it hasn't been nine months since Kharma left due to pregnancy. I'm just addressing the elephant in the room here. Perhaps it was a premature birth or she had been pregnant for several weeks prior to here being written off of television. I don't know, but I'm sure the IWC has buzzed about it. I don't want to get into it past that. I'll just say welcome back and PLEASE make the divas division respectable.
I'm highly disappointed Kane was not in this match. It seems WWE is bent on making sure he retires without breaking Shawn Michaels' elimination record. Shame on you, WWE. The man has TWO world championships reigns over several years (one of which lasted a grand total of 24 hours). Let Kane have something for once.
That Kofi Kingston hand save. Enough said.
The Rumble provided a lot of laughs and interesting spots. I can't say it was packed with star power, however. The ending was okay. Unfortunately, I don't see the memory of this one surviving the test of time.
Peace,
Daniel
Let's get straight into it. Your Royal Rumble winner is Sheamus. I'm not going to lie. I was pretty stunned. I know I had Sheamus as my no. 4 competitor to win, but when it came down to he and Chris Jericho, I felt pretty confident that my prediction of Y2J would come true. Nevertheless, Sheamus prevented the end of the world as we know it and eliminated Jericho to go over and earn his choice of a world championship match at Wrestlemania.
I'm bittersweet on the this conclusion. I do greatly appreciate the element of surprise. Like I said in my predictions, I was fine with Jericho being in a title match at Wrestlemania and even winning the Rumble, but it felt too obvious after his overly-ominous promo on RAW last week. Seeing Sheamus go over him restored a lot of the unpredictability that people love about the Rumble.
On the other hand, I know full well that this cemented Sheamus' incredibly vanilla push (no pun intended to Sheamus' incredible white-ness). I've been the first to voice displeasure over Sheamus constantly winning two squash matches a week over (mostly) jobbers over the past several months. The good news is that the squash matches hopefully end and we can finally see Sheamus do something useful.
I'll have more on the Celtic Warrior later this week.
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
About what was expected. Another incredible match between Ziggler and Punk with added interjection by John Laurinaitis. Punk manages to retain over several bouts of arguing with Johnny Ace. It wasn't a very creative finish given the circumstances, but the match was rock solid so it's easily excusable.
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Exactly as expected. The focus was heavier on Show and Bryan than it was on Henry - although keep in mind that Henry allegedly hyper extended a knee at the most recent SmackDown taping. A lot of people said this was a weak match. What did you expect? Two oversized big men and Daniel Bryan. Daniel's a great wrestler, no doubt, but this was his first time ever working a key match at a PPV (and he wasn't given many favors in booking). After a back and forth that almost resulted in Show picking up a pin fall over Henry, Bryan manages to escape and, as I predicted, somehow retains his championship.
JOHN CENA VS. KANE
I had Cena going over here, but that obviously did not happen. The match resulted in a double count out. I know what I picked, but I honestly thought this was a strong possibility as well. I thought the prospect of a no contest was much higher than Kane simply winning.
After the match, there was a brawl that ended up with Kane finding an injured Zack Ryder backstage and knocking him out. He then brought him to the ring and, despite Eve's crying, Tombstone Piledrivered him (awesome spot!). Before Kane can get his hands on Eve, Cena reappears to make the save. Too bad for him, all he got for it was a choke slam. The match was a no contest, but Kane obviously came out on the better end. As Kane leaves and the paramedics come to aid Ryder, Cena recovers and watches on helplessly. The crowd erupts into chants of, "CENA SUCKS!"
This is by far the most interesting part of the show - at least when the shock of Sheamus eliminating Jericho wore off. I'm actually most looking forward to the fallout of this match tonight on RAW compared to the Punk/Laurinaitis angle.
THE REST OF THE SHOW
I predicted we'd see either a tag match or a divas match added to the show. We ended up getting both wrapped up into one: An 8-(wo)man tag match. Beth Phoenix ended up winning the match for her, Natalya, and the Bella Twins. Very uneventful.
The other match added was also uneventful. Actually it was more uneventful. It turns out that Brodus Clay squash matches extend to pay-per-views. Luckily, available for Brodus was the king of being buried over the last month: Drew McIntyre. Carbon copy of all of Clay's matches.
1) Arrive
2) Funk It
3) Dance
4) Leave
Poor Drew.
I like the Funkasaurus personally, but... Let's just say that including SmackDown quality squash matches on a $50 pay-per-view is not a good way to please your fans, WWE.
There was also a crazy amount of promotions during show - particularly about Wrestlemania. I don't think that went over too well either. Again WWE, people are paying for that stuff.
OTHER STUFF THAT HAPPENED DURING THE RUMBLE
I might as well come out and say it. Christian was not in the Rumble and I was one of many peeps to be highly disappointed. Were the reports of him being in St. Louis incorrect? Possibly, but the more logical explanation is that he was still not medically cleared to compete. I still expect he'll be back within the next couple of weeks (if not couple of days). I'd also like to go on record and say had Christian been healthy, his spot would've been where Jimmy Uso entered. Anyone find it odd that only one of the two Usos was in the match? That's a "place holder" entry if I've ever seen one.
The Rumble, I thought, provided for two truly surprising returns. Let it be known, I don't count legends and novelties in that count. I mean true "returns." One was the Great Khali, who I mistakingly thought was through with the WWE. The second was Kharma! I realize that it hasn't been nine months since Kharma left due to pregnancy. I'm just addressing the elephant in the room here. Perhaps it was a premature birth or she had been pregnant for several weeks prior to here being written off of television. I don't know, but I'm sure the IWC has buzzed about it. I don't want to get into it past that. I'll just say welcome back and PLEASE make the divas division respectable.
I'm highly disappointed Kane was not in this match. It seems WWE is bent on making sure he retires without breaking Shawn Michaels' elimination record. Shame on you, WWE. The man has TWO world championships reigns over several years (one of which lasted a grand total of 24 hours). Let Kane have something for once.
That Kofi Kingston hand save. Enough said.
The Rumble provided a lot of laughs and interesting spots. I can't say it was packed with star power, however. The ending was okay. Unfortunately, I don't see the memory of this one surviving the test of time.
Peace,
Daniel
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Royal Rumble Predictions
I've always wanted to do this. And by "this" I mean go on record to what's going to happen at a pay-per-view and either look a genius or a complete idiot the next day.
Unfortunately, my first prediction isn't going to be on what could be considered a "stacked" card. There are only four known matches for the Royal Rumble. Granted, the Rumble match itself is one of them and will surely take up a lot of time, but the card still feels bare. There will likely be another addition, such as a tag team or divas match. Nonetheless, I'll just have to work with what I have.
John Cena vs. Kane
This feels odd to say, but out of the three non-Rumble matches, I actually find this one the most intriguing. I feel like I know the result, I just don't know how it will be done. Seeing John Cena lose this match would be highly unusual. The Road to Wrestlemania starts here and as we all know, several weeks of Rock vs. Cena hype is sure to ensue shortly. For that reason, it makes no sense to have Kane go over here. The question is, will Cena overcome and "rise above" the hate to defeat Kane and quell his inner demons? Or will Cena give in and use said hate to just beat the ever living dog piss out of the Big Red Machine? It's hard to really make a prediction on that, but knowing the Cena we've known for several years, the latter would be shocking to say the least.
Prediction: John Cena
World Heavyweight Championship: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Mark Henry vs. Big Show (Steel Cage Match)
The match for the World Heavyweight Championship feels much less predictable than usual. At the end of the day, I truly see this as only a two-man match: Bryan and Show. Again, maybe I'm going to look like a complete idiot tomorrow when Mark Henry is a two-time world champion, but I just don't see it happening. On one hand, it feels odd that Daniel Bryan's project as World Heavyweight Champion may be coming to end so suddenly and that Big Show would even need the strap on the Road to Wrestlemania. On the other hand, WWE has done almost nothing to give the sense that Bryan can win this match. I'm truly torn on what to decide, which is shocking considering I've found this entire quasi-feud on SmackDown to be very underwhelming. I honestly don't know how, but I think Daniel Bryan will be world champion until Elimination Chamber.
Prediction: Daniel Bryan
WWE Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler (John Laurinaitis as special guest referee)
The Royal Rumble itself always creates excitement, but if you're looking for good technical wrestling, this match is sure to be the show stealer for you. Ziggler and Punk have had matches together or RAW over the past month and a half, and each time they were excellent. If that trend continues, there's no way you can complain regardless of the result. Let me preface my prediction by saying that by no means would I be disappointed to see Dolph Ziggler become WWE Champion. I'm a fan of Dolph's, personally. However, I just don't think it would be a good idea right now, nor do I actually think it will happen. Once again, my line of reasoning comes back to the "Road to Wrestlemania." Logic stands to reason that it would make more sense to have Punk, one of the faces of the company, to hold the championship while WWE begins to sell its biggest pay-per-view of the year. You also have to take into account the rumored impending feud that will take place between Punk and Chris Jericho. Because of this, I don't see Punk dropping the strap. If he does (and I think that's a big "if"), it won't be much longer than a day. I could see Laurinaitis screwing Punk, only for Triple H to fire Laurinaitis on RAW tomorrow, give Punk his rematch, and Punk win back the title. That's a scenario, but I'm sticking with Punk simply winning tonight. I'm sure something crazy and innovative will happen with Laurinaitis and Punk somehow overcomes the odds. I could even see the old "knock out the ref and forcibly move his arm to do the three-count" trick. You get the idea. Something along those lines.
Prediction: CM Punk
The Royal Rumble Match
It would be boring to simply predict the winner, so before I do so, I'll make a few predictions on what else will happen in the Royal Rumble.
Unfortunately, my first prediction isn't going to be on what could be considered a "stacked" card. There are only four known matches for the Royal Rumble. Granted, the Rumble match itself is one of them and will surely take up a lot of time, but the card still feels bare. There will likely be another addition, such as a tag team or divas match. Nonetheless, I'll just have to work with what I have.
John Cena vs. Kane
This feels odd to say, but out of the three non-Rumble matches, I actually find this one the most intriguing. I feel like I know the result, I just don't know how it will be done. Seeing John Cena lose this match would be highly unusual. The Road to Wrestlemania starts here and as we all know, several weeks of Rock vs. Cena hype is sure to ensue shortly. For that reason, it makes no sense to have Kane go over here. The question is, will Cena overcome and "rise above" the hate to defeat Kane and quell his inner demons? Or will Cena give in and use said hate to just beat the ever living dog piss out of the Big Red Machine? It's hard to really make a prediction on that, but knowing the Cena we've known for several years, the latter would be shocking to say the least.
Prediction: John Cena
World Heavyweight Championship: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Mark Henry vs. Big Show (Steel Cage Match)
The match for the World Heavyweight Championship feels much less predictable than usual. At the end of the day, I truly see this as only a two-man match: Bryan and Show. Again, maybe I'm going to look like a complete idiot tomorrow when Mark Henry is a two-time world champion, but I just don't see it happening. On one hand, it feels odd that Daniel Bryan's project as World Heavyweight Champion may be coming to end so suddenly and that Big Show would even need the strap on the Road to Wrestlemania. On the other hand, WWE has done almost nothing to give the sense that Bryan can win this match. I'm truly torn on what to decide, which is shocking considering I've found this entire quasi-feud on SmackDown to be very underwhelming. I honestly don't know how, but I think Daniel Bryan will be world champion until Elimination Chamber.
Prediction: Daniel Bryan
WWE Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler (John Laurinaitis as special guest referee)
The Royal Rumble itself always creates excitement, but if you're looking for good technical wrestling, this match is sure to be the show stealer for you. Ziggler and Punk have had matches together or RAW over the past month and a half, and each time they were excellent. If that trend continues, there's no way you can complain regardless of the result. Let me preface my prediction by saying that by no means would I be disappointed to see Dolph Ziggler become WWE Champion. I'm a fan of Dolph's, personally. However, I just don't think it would be a good idea right now, nor do I actually think it will happen. Once again, my line of reasoning comes back to the "Road to Wrestlemania." Logic stands to reason that it would make more sense to have Punk, one of the faces of the company, to hold the championship while WWE begins to sell its biggest pay-per-view of the year. You also have to take into account the rumored impending feud that will take place between Punk and Chris Jericho. Because of this, I don't see Punk dropping the strap. If he does (and I think that's a big "if"), it won't be much longer than a day. I could see Laurinaitis screwing Punk, only for Triple H to fire Laurinaitis on RAW tomorrow, give Punk his rematch, and Punk win back the title. That's a scenario, but I'm sticking with Punk simply winning tonight. I'm sure something crazy and innovative will happen with Laurinaitis and Punk somehow overcomes the odds. I could even see the old "knock out the ref and forcibly move his arm to do the three-count" trick. You get the idea. Something along those lines.
Prediction: CM Punk
The Royal Rumble Match
It would be boring to simply predict the winner, so before I do so, I'll make a few predictions on what else will happen in the Royal Rumble.
- Christian WILL return.
- Rey Mysterio will NOT return.
- We'll see no less than three returning former superstars/legends.
- The Undertaker will NOT be seen.
- Brock Lesnar will NOT be seen.
Let me get my prediction on Christian out of the way first. As you can see, I am buying that he will enter the Rumble tonight. Unfortunately, I do not think he will win. I believe Christian is in the Rumble for one reason and one reason only: Eliminate Sheamus. In Christian's advertised SmackDown shows for February, he's booked against Sheamus. Assuming that holds true, it means the Christian-Sheamus feud will resume where it left off in November. It's also worth noting that in Christian's second appearance on WWE television during his injury (The Tribute to the Troops), his short promo was interrupted by none other than the Great White. It seems there is still unfinished business between the two. I think Sheamus will enter somewhere in the teens and start cleaning house. I expect no less than five eliminations. Christian will enter somewhere between 20 and 30 and out of nowhere, eliminate Sheamus. After the Great While tumbles down to the floor on the outside, Captain Charisma will look down on him from the ring with his signature smug, smarmy smile.
With that out of the way, let me say that the Rumble is a great place to continue longstanding or budding rivalries. That's why I think The Miz (who enters first) will at least last long enough for he and R-Truth to cross paths. I also would not be the least bit shocked if Cody Rhodes' hopes were dashed by none other than his brother, Dustin Rhodes (under the persona of Goldust of course!). It will also be interesting to see if any of the participants in the night's other matches are seen. The video previews certainly make it seem that way, but I'm not necessarily counting on it. Even if any of them are in the match, I don't like their odds.
I'm expecting a big showdown in the final five competitors between Wade Barrett and hometown favorite, Randy Orton. If you're a Twitter follower, you know I've been quite high on Orton's Rumble chances since his minor injury (if it was even that) in late December. Believe it or not, having Orton return to television prior to the Rumble actually quelled my confidence somewhat. If the plan was to have Orton win, returning him on SmackDown doesn't really make sense. Wouldn't it have been better to have Orton be a surprise entrant between 27 and 30 with Barrett still in the ring? That's just my opinion. I still like Orton's odds a lot, but I'm not so sure he's going to win any more.
Finally: Chris Jericho.
Jericho vowed that the Royal Rumble would mark the end of the world as we know it. Just what does that mean? Is that statement connected to the Rumble match itself? Or will something else happen during the three hours of show that reveals the meaning of that statement? No one knows. In fact, it isn't even a guarantee that he's in the match (although it is highly probable).
So here's where I stand. Seven days ago, I would have undoubtedly said Orton. Two major things happen this past week.
A) Jericho's promo
B) Orton returns prematurely at SmackDown
Those two instances have completely turned the tables for me. I'm officially changing my initial prediction of Randy Orton and making my final prediction Chris Jericho. The sad part about this is, it feels too obvious. The thing I love about the Rumble is unpredictability. Yet, unfortunately, the Rumble has been predictable in the past. Don't get me wrong, I really do like the idea of Chris Jericho being in a world title match at Wrestlemania XXVIII. But if it is indeed going to happen via him winning the Rumble, it sort of feels like WWE spoiled their own product over the last week. I hope I am wrong. Jericho can still be in a title match without winning the Rumble.
Prediction: Chris Jericho
Here's how I would put the favorites in order:
1. Chris Jericho
2. Randy Orton
3. Wade Barrett
4. Sheamus
5. Christian
Peace,
Daniel
Christian Spotted in St. Louis!
The odds have gone up.
According to Wrestlezone.com, injured WWE Superstar, Christian, has been spotted in St. Louis, Missouri - the site of today's Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
This is huge news. Will Christian be making his return tonight in the main event? Possibly. Nothing is guaranteed. In fact, I can't promise he'll even appear on camera. He may just be in town as spectator being loyal to his company. But I will say this...
Things are looking good. Very good.
Peace,
Daniel
According to Wrestlezone.com, injured WWE Superstar, Christian, has been spotted in St. Louis, Missouri - the site of today's Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
This is huge news. Will Christian be making his return tonight in the main event? Possibly. Nothing is guaranteed. In fact, I can't promise he'll even appear on camera. He may just be in town as spectator being loyal to his company. But I will say this...
Things are looking good. Very good.
Peace,
Daniel
Saturday, January 28, 2012
What ARE Christian's odds in the Royal Rumble?
The January Classic is only one day away, so let's examine the final odds of our favorite Superstar, Captain Charisma, winning the Royal Rumble.
Speaking realistically, Christian's odds are slim to none.
That's simply because we still do not know if Christian will even compete in the Rumble. Jay "Christian" Reso has been inactive since mid November with a severe high ankle sprain. The good news is that Christian is booked for SmackDown live shows in early to mid February. This fact has been known for weeks and has led to internet speculation that Christian will in fact be making his official return tomorrow at the Royal Rumble.
Unfortunately, there are also developments that may signal less current Superstars making surprise entrees into Sunday's main event. According to Wrestlezone.com, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Road Dogg Jesse James, and Road Warrior Animal are three former WWE Superstars that could make surprise returns at the Rumble. What does mean for Christian? Well, if WWE is reaching to bring in off-roster talent (who are there as novelties, not competitors), it makes you wonder if they're having trouble filling out the entire Rumble card. That could mean the chances are grim for injured stars such as Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, and Christian to make their own surprise returns.
Of course, we can also go back to a January 17th update from PWInsider.com that stated WWE officials were "hopeful" that Christian would be medically cleared to compete in the Rumble. That reassures us that a Rumble return has always been in the works, and that the only thing that could truly prevent it was Christian's own ankle and not necessarily writing by design. However, the lack of buzz in the last two weeks since that report certainly casts a shade of doubt. This is just my opinion, but had things become growingly apparent that Christian would in fact be a surprise entrant, wouldn't word had easily spread to the "dirtsheet" sites that typically report those kind of rumors? Is the lack of rumors being reported a bad sign? Possibly, but who's to say?
Let us make a leap of faith and say that Christian does return on Sunday. If that is the case, then what are his odds? Better than they are now, that's for sure.
Christian certainly wouldn't be a favorite, but I think he may be the ultimate dark-horse if his music does hit and he enters the match at any number between 20 and 30. The thing that makes him a candidate, in my mind, is his reliability. Due to Wrestlemania XXVIII's stacked card, the World Heavyweight Championship match doesn't necessarily need to sell half or even one third of the entire pay-per-view. We already know about Rock vs. Cena. It is highly possible that the WWE Championship match could be CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho. If it's anything like the last several years, there will be an Undertaker match as well. All the WHC match needs to do is provide entertainment and believable competitors. After Christian's two WHC victories in 2011 and his summer-long feud with Randy Orton, I think Christian can be a viable Wrestlemania contender for SmackDown's strap depending on who his opponent is (like Orton, for example).
There's also Christian's gimmick, which people tend to overlook recently. Christian lost the World Heavyweight Championship for a second time in August. After that, he entered a side program with Sheamus, but his character did not change much. He became known for his insistent whining over wanting, "One more match," for the World Heavyweight Championship even when he dropped out of SmackDown's main event. Christian even brought up, "One more match," in one of his two appearances since being injured: The 2011 Slammy Awards.
So think about it. What's the point of having a gimmick that is completely obsessed with the World Heavyweight Championship to the point that every time he speaks, he brings it up?
Christian : One More Match
as
John Cena : Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect
What is the point? Unless of course, it's completely possible that there were always plans for Christian to re-enter the World Heavyweight Championship picture, if not win it for a third time. In fact, there were rumors of Christian getting another push after his program with Sheamus (prior to his injury, of course).
What better way for Captain Charisma to take the initiative in his, "One more match," campaign, than by taking that match by force via winning the Royal Rumble? When you put it in context to his gimmick, winning the Royal Rumble makes more sense for Christian than most wrestling fans realize.
Of course, this is just one man's opinion (a biased man at that). As I've already said, I think his odds are slim to none due to the injury. However, if he is going to enter, the moment he does, he instantly becomes the match's most dangerous dark horse, in my opinion.
Peace,
Daniel
Speaking realistically, Christian's odds are slim to none.
That's simply because we still do not know if Christian will even compete in the Rumble. Jay "Christian" Reso has been inactive since mid November with a severe high ankle sprain. The good news is that Christian is booked for SmackDown live shows in early to mid February. This fact has been known for weeks and has led to internet speculation that Christian will in fact be making his official return tomorrow at the Royal Rumble.
Unfortunately, there are also developments that may signal less current Superstars making surprise entrees into Sunday's main event. According to Wrestlezone.com, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Road Dogg Jesse James, and Road Warrior Animal are three former WWE Superstars that could make surprise returns at the Rumble. What does mean for Christian? Well, if WWE is reaching to bring in off-roster talent (who are there as novelties, not competitors), it makes you wonder if they're having trouble filling out the entire Rumble card. That could mean the chances are grim for injured stars such as Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, and Christian to make their own surprise returns.
Of course, we can also go back to a January 17th update from PWInsider.com that stated WWE officials were "hopeful" that Christian would be medically cleared to compete in the Rumble. That reassures us that a Rumble return has always been in the works, and that the only thing that could truly prevent it was Christian's own ankle and not necessarily writing by design. However, the lack of buzz in the last two weeks since that report certainly casts a shade of doubt. This is just my opinion, but had things become growingly apparent that Christian would in fact be a surprise entrant, wouldn't word had easily spread to the "dirtsheet" sites that typically report those kind of rumors? Is the lack of rumors being reported a bad sign? Possibly, but who's to say?
Let us make a leap of faith and say that Christian does return on Sunday. If that is the case, then what are his odds? Better than they are now, that's for sure.
Christian certainly wouldn't be a favorite, but I think he may be the ultimate dark-horse if his music does hit and he enters the match at any number between 20 and 30. The thing that makes him a candidate, in my mind, is his reliability. Due to Wrestlemania XXVIII's stacked card, the World Heavyweight Championship match doesn't necessarily need to sell half or even one third of the entire pay-per-view. We already know about Rock vs. Cena. It is highly possible that the WWE Championship match could be CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho. If it's anything like the last several years, there will be an Undertaker match as well. All the WHC match needs to do is provide entertainment and believable competitors. After Christian's two WHC victories in 2011 and his summer-long feud with Randy Orton, I think Christian can be a viable Wrestlemania contender for SmackDown's strap depending on who his opponent is (like Orton, for example).
There's also Christian's gimmick, which people tend to overlook recently. Christian lost the World Heavyweight Championship for a second time in August. After that, he entered a side program with Sheamus, but his character did not change much. He became known for his insistent whining over wanting, "One more match," for the World Heavyweight Championship even when he dropped out of SmackDown's main event. Christian even brought up, "One more match," in one of his two appearances since being injured: The 2011 Slammy Awards.
So think about it. What's the point of having a gimmick that is completely obsessed with the World Heavyweight Championship to the point that every time he speaks, he brings it up?
Christian : One More Match
as
John Cena : Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect
What is the point? Unless of course, it's completely possible that there were always plans for Christian to re-enter the World Heavyweight Championship picture, if not win it for a third time. In fact, there were rumors of Christian getting another push after his program with Sheamus (prior to his injury, of course).
What better way for Captain Charisma to take the initiative in his, "One more match," campaign, than by taking that match by force via winning the Royal Rumble? When you put it in context to his gimmick, winning the Royal Rumble makes more sense for Christian than most wrestling fans realize.
Of course, this is just one man's opinion (a biased man at that). As I've already said, I think his odds are slim to none due to the injury. However, if he is going to enter, the moment he does, he instantly becomes the match's most dangerous dark horse, in my opinion.
Peace,
Daniel
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
RAW - 1/23/12
SEGMENT #1
The show starts off with CM Punk cutting a promo. He addresses the end of last week's show where Interim RAW General Manager and Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis, admitted his intentions to, "screw over," Punk at the Royal Rumble. Punk asks Laurinaitis to come down to the ring and admit the truth to him face-to-face. John Cena comes to the ring. Cena tells Punk he is in the ring for business and would also like John Laurinaitis to grant Zack Ryder a rematch for the United States Championship and resign from his duties as RAW GM. Laurinaitis appears at the top of the ramp and lets Punk and Cena know that he is not intimidated by either of them and is standing by his words from last week. He says the Zack Ryder is scheduled for a falls count anywhere match against Kane and if Cena interferes, Ryder will lose his opportunity at a rematch for the US title. Laurinaitis then continues to make an impromptu tag team match with Punk and Cena versus Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler, Swagger, and Vickie Guerrero appear. Swagger and Ziggler have a few choice words before heading to the ring.
Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero vs. CM Punk & John Cena
Back and forth match with an adequate number of spots. The finale came as CM Punk climbed the top rope, only to be told to get down by Laurinaitis. As Punk comes down to the mat, he gets into a war of words with Laurinaitis and shoves him off of the apron. Dolph Ziggler rolls Punk up from behind, successfully getting the three-count by grabbing Punk's tights.
Winners: Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero.
After the match, Punk grabs a microphone and informs John Laurinaitis, who's now retreated to atop the ramp, that nothing has changed between them and Punk still plans to, "beat the hell," out of him. Punk challenges Laurinaitis to a one-on-one match later in the show. After some hesitation, Laurinaitis accepts.
My grade: A-
I liked CM Punk to start the show and the general direction of his promo. I could have done without John Cena interrupting him. Seeing as Punk and Cena hadn't really been involved with one another since October, the segment felt highly awkward. I did like Laurinaitis' part of the promo. I especially enjoyed that he owned up to his actions the week before and did not back down. The tag match was also a nice surprise. It's not often that a match with that much quality is a curtain jerker for RAW. The dirty finish was appropriate and understandable. The post-match promo also delivered by creating anticipation throughout the rest of the show. Overall, this was a very good start.
SEGMENT #2
The second part of the show is Chris Jericho hosting his famous Highlight Reel. Jericho makes his entrance and continues to act similarly to how he has the past several weeks. He smiles, he panders, and he riles the crowd up. He then exists the ring and tells them to "hold on." He returns with a T-shirt cannon and points at the crowd, although never actually firing it. Like previous weeks, he grabs the camera from a cameraman and points it at the crowd as they go crazy to be on T.V. He returns the camera and tells the crowd to hush. He then points to the, "Jeritron," as a clip begins to play. The video is a career highlight of sorts, beginning with Jericho's debut in WWE and running up to his return earlier in the month. Once the video ends, he brings the microphone up and speaks for the first time since his return.
"This Sunday at the Royal Rumble, it will be the end of the world as you know it."
The lights go out and his music hits. All the crowd can see is the blue lights from his jacket flashing in the darkness as he walks away...
Grade: A
Personally, I've been a fan of Jericho's antics since his return on January 2nd. Those who haven't been likely found this segment to be underwhelming. The beginning with his continued pandering was irrelevant. What I cared about was his video and one spoken sentence. If you take those two things in context with his entire return in January, you can see that they were very powerful. To not speak at all for three weeks and then say, "it will be the end of the world as you know it," reaffirms that Jericho's return is meant to be taken very seriously. That message was sent though the numerous ominous vignettes that aired on RAW and on YouTube before January 2nd, however, the casual fan may have moved on from them since Jericho's actual arrival. Even those who had grown tired of Jericho over the past three weeks certainly have regained their interest now.
SEGMENT #3
Zack Ryder and Eve are shown backstage having a conversation about Zack's upcoming match with Kane. Mick Foley walks up and warns Ryder of Kane, citing his own personal crossings with the Big Red Machine. Despite being medically cleared, Eve continues to plead with Zack to forfeit the match. John Cena enters and reassures Ryder that despite Laurinaitis' warning earlier, that he would have his back. Zack asks Cena to stop, saying that he wanted to make sure he would get his United States Championship rematch and then proceeds out to the ring.
Kane vs. Zack Ryder; Falls Count Anywhere
This was a pretty sloppy match, overall. That's to be expected when you have Kane in a no-disqualification match. The two fought in the ring, at ring side, in the crowd and, finally, on top of the ramp. The match finally ended when Kane chokeslammed Ryder through the very top of the stage. At this point, the referee and Eve ran to check on Ryder. Kane ends up scaring Eve off and slowly chasing her back to the ring before John Cena appears, causing Kane to exit through the crowd.
Result: No contest
Ryder is put on a stretcher and carried to the back where there is an ambulance waiting for him. As he is loaded in, Cena tells Ryder to, "hang in there." Eve tells John that he's done enough and that's she's going with Zack. As the ambulance tails off, Josh Matthews approaches Cena to ask him how he feels after what just happened. After a long pause, Cena slaps the microphone out of Matthews' hand and turns to face the camera with an enraged look on his face.
Grade: B
This entire segment had a lot of ups and downs. It did not start strongly at all. I wasn't very entertained by the pre-match backstage part. The match itself was okay. Again, it wasn't exactly technically proficient, but you don't expect a falls count anywhere match to be anyway. Given the fact it was falls count anywhere, all I wanted to see is some good brawling outside of the ring (especially in the crowd) and this match delivered. The finish was both good and bad. The no contest doesn't bother me in the least. What does bother me is how injured Ryder is sold as. Although it is not said until later in the show, Ryder is announced to have suffered a broken back. That is a very serious injury in real life. One that took Shawn Michaels years to recover from. If you're going to give a wrestler a kayfabe injury, this seems like an odd route to go.
It also makes you wonder whether or not Ryder is being written off, for just how long, and why. If he isn't legitimately injured (which I fully believe) and hasn't been suspended (possible, but that hasn't been announced), it seems very odd to write him off with something as serious as a broken back. Perhaps he'll still appear on air but will be packaged as unable to compete. The best example I can give: Like The Miz on WWE '12 in "Road to Wrestlemania" when he was the GM on SmackDown. I even made a joke on Twitter about Ryder being a kayfabe paraplegic. Who knows? But right now, my instinct is to question the reasoning behind selling Ryder as seriously injured.
The final thing to look at in this segment is Cena's reaction - particularly him looking really pissed off at the end. As we all know, Kane has been goading Cena for a month to, "embrace the hate." He also vowed that Cena would do so by the time they met at the Royal Rumble. With this latest altercation and how John Cena was last shown, it makes you wonder if he truly has been pushed too far and just how it will affect him on Sunday and beyond. There's no way to really know right now, so I'll just say that it has my interest. This fact is also the biggest redeeming quality about the entire segment.
SEGMENT #4
Jinder Mahal vs. Sheamus
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I'm not a big Sheamus fan as of late. Not because I dislike the man or because of his feud with Christian. I simply don't enjoy how he's been booked over the last several months. Needless to say, seeing him in yet another pointless match with "Jobber" Mahal (on RAW, no less) didn't exactly make me excited.
The good thing: We were joined at commentary by none other than Wade Barrett.
The match itself was as dull as dirt. Typical Sheamus squash match. Several right hands and a Brogue Kick later, Sheamus wrapped up the easy victory.
Winner: Sheamus
Barrett leaves ringside with his large trench coat in hand and proceeds back up the ramp. Sheamus grabs a mic and runs some smack talk. I didn't really listen closely, but do recall him telling Wade to take a good look. Just as Sheamus was alone in the ring at the moment, he proclaimed that's how it would be at the end of Sunday when he wins the 2012 Royal Rumble.
Grade: C
Another boring Sheamus match. The only thing I really enjoyed about this segment was getting to hear Barrett on commentary, and even that didn't last long due to Sheamus quickly finishing off Mahal. I will say that I'm curious as to whether or not Sheamus and Barrett will have a program together past this Sunday. I'd like to see the two of them get into a serious feud and maybe even have a match at Wrestlemania. Something about an Irishman and an Englishman feud just has a nice ring to it. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see Barrett's feud with Randy Orton resume starting this Friday and Sheamus possibly re-engage a returning Christian in the near future.
SEGMENT #5
Miz is having a backstage interview with Josh Matthews (who's microphone evidently did not break when Cena slapped it to the ground). Matthews asks how Miz feels now that he and his former parter, R-Truth, are finally going to have a one-on-one match. Miz goes on a rant about how all his former partners (John Morrison, The Big Show, Alex Riley) have all gone on to be either fired, hurt, or just had career problems in general. He continues to talk about how profound he is before R-Truth finally interrupts. They have a loud argument back and forth until John Laurinaitis intervenes saying that he's had enough of their loud bickering. Laurinaitis announces that the loser of their match will be the first entrant into Sunday's Royal Rumble.
Brodus Clay vs. Heath Slater
Before Truth and Miz have their match, we're given another Funkasaurus segment. Also of note: William Regal was on commentary for this one after his dance segment with Clay during last Friday's SmackDown. That's two English guest commentators in a row for those of you counting at home. Regal mainly insulted Brodus and detested his appearance. It was a good listen, however short it may have been.
Much like Clay's first few matches, this one ended very quickly. That said, I do believe Slater was the first opponent to get any sort of offense in on Clay (a measly drop kick). Brodus used his finishing maneuver, the "Funk It" (cross body) to get the win.
Winner: Brodus Clay
The Miz vs. R-Truth
This match ended up being rather short and uneventful. That was disappointing seeing as these two have been feuding for weeks and this felt more like a pay-per-view match. Truth landed the "What's Up" out of nowhere to get a surprise win. The Miz will be your first entrant in the Royal Rumble on Sunday, greatly reducing his odds of winning the January Classic.
Winner: R-Truth
Grade: B-
Given the backstage segment and both matches, this part of the show wasn't terrible. I didn't mind the back and forth bantering by Miz and Truth before the match. I really like the added stipulation of the loser drawing no. 1 in the rumble. It reminded me of the good old days where much more was made on the television shows about who got which number in the Rumble, whereas today it's completely random and not even brought up until the night of the event.
As for the Clay-Slater match: I'm on the side of the line doesn't mind Brodus Clay at all. I've enjoyed "The Funkasaurus" since his debut, quite honestly. I know a lot of people think it's ridiculous and just punishment to Clay for when he spoiled an angle on Twitter before his debut. All I know is this: It's a lot more fun and creative than just making another monster heel, so I'm for it. I also HATE Heath Slater (again, you know that if you're a follower). Despite not liking it when he's on my screen, I did enjoy seeing him job to Brodus "The Funkasaurus" Clay.
The Truth-Miz match was as I said, underwhelming. Obviously, there's no room on a Royal Rumble card to have a match on Sunday so they were kind enough to put it on RAW. Since this is not even a singles match we would've seen on cable television otherwise, I don't want to complain too much. I just hope this isn't the end for these two. It can't be, right?
SEGMENT #6
John Laurinaitis is shown warming up for his match against CM Punk in his office in what looks like either a futuristic Santa Claus costume or a red velvet Snuggie©. My favorite part about this was the Johnny Ace skateboard added subtly to the background. Tip of the hat to whichever writer made sure to include that! David Otunga enters and hands Laurinaitis what seems to be a very important fax.
CM Punk heads to the ring, expecting to face Laurinaitis. After a brief delay, Laurinaitis and Otunga make their way to the ring. Laurinaitis tells Punk there is news that must be shared. Otunga reads the fax, stating that the WWE Board of Directors has found John Laurinaitis' recent actions to be questionable and that he can't compete with CM Punk. It also says that Laurinaitis will be given a job evaluation next week on RAW by none other than Chief Operating Officer, Triple H.
Laurinaitis tries to explain further, but Punk interrupts him. Punk basically says that everyone knows what it means. If he tries to screw him on Sunday, not only will Punk, "kick his ass," but Laurinaitis will also be fired. John tries to apologize and acts as though he was always going to call the match straight down the middle. Punk compares him to a spoiled little girl on Christmas. He then says that he hopes Triple H will tell him straight to his face that, "You're fired!" in a Vince McMahon fashion.
John responds by saying that although their match won't take place, he has found a suitable replacement. Otunga then takes a cheap-shot at Punk and proceeds to beat him down. Punk eventually turns the tables in the brawl and locks Otunga into the Anaconda Vise, knocking him out. Punk gets up to face Laurinaitis who offers to shake his hand. Punk does so, but then pulls John in and gives him his finishing maneuver, the "Go To Sleep." Punk then celebrates and pounds his chest as his music hits. Out of nowhere, Dolph Ziggler emerges from behind and nails Punk with the, "Zig Zag." Ziggler then stands over Punk and stares him down as the show ends.
Grade: A
I loved the end of the show. As fun as a match between Punk and Johnny Ace would've been, I never actually thought it was going to happen. Having the announcement about Laurinaitis' job now being on the line was exciting, especially to know Triple H would be confronting him next week. It's not that I dislike Laurinaitis as a heel GM, I'm just glad to see the feud between he and CM Punk is really coming to a head. The fight between Punk and Otunga was also amusing, especially with Punk using the Anaconda Vise. Seeing Punk deliver the GTS on Johnny Ace was probably the highlight of the night, if not year thus far. Finally, I thought having Ziggler get the last laugh was a good idea. I'm sure there are a lot of Ziggler supporters out there that may not respect how he's been pushed to the back burner in this whole ordeal. It may not have been much, but him at least getting the Zig Zag at the end gives the aura of him being a legit threat to the WWE Championship. Again, it wasn't perfect, but it was better than him being completely ignored.
AVERAGE SHOW GRADE: B+
That grade itself is a little misleading. The unimportant parts of the show were not given good grades, however, the key parts did very well. On a curve, I give the show an A. Strong beginning, the best Jericho segment we've seen thus far, and a very strong end. Other than a boring match or two, this was a good RAW.
The show starts off with CM Punk cutting a promo. He addresses the end of last week's show where Interim RAW General Manager and Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis, admitted his intentions to, "screw over," Punk at the Royal Rumble. Punk asks Laurinaitis to come down to the ring and admit the truth to him face-to-face. John Cena comes to the ring. Cena tells Punk he is in the ring for business and would also like John Laurinaitis to grant Zack Ryder a rematch for the United States Championship and resign from his duties as RAW GM. Laurinaitis appears at the top of the ramp and lets Punk and Cena know that he is not intimidated by either of them and is standing by his words from last week. He says the Zack Ryder is scheduled for a falls count anywhere match against Kane and if Cena interferes, Ryder will lose his opportunity at a rematch for the US title. Laurinaitis then continues to make an impromptu tag team match with Punk and Cena versus Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler, Swagger, and Vickie Guerrero appear. Swagger and Ziggler have a few choice words before heading to the ring.
Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero vs. CM Punk & John Cena
Back and forth match with an adequate number of spots. The finale came as CM Punk climbed the top rope, only to be told to get down by Laurinaitis. As Punk comes down to the mat, he gets into a war of words with Laurinaitis and shoves him off of the apron. Dolph Ziggler rolls Punk up from behind, successfully getting the three-count by grabbing Punk's tights.
Winners: Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero.
After the match, Punk grabs a microphone and informs John Laurinaitis, who's now retreated to atop the ramp, that nothing has changed between them and Punk still plans to, "beat the hell," out of him. Punk challenges Laurinaitis to a one-on-one match later in the show. After some hesitation, Laurinaitis accepts.
My grade: A-
I liked CM Punk to start the show and the general direction of his promo. I could have done without John Cena interrupting him. Seeing as Punk and Cena hadn't really been involved with one another since October, the segment felt highly awkward. I did like Laurinaitis' part of the promo. I especially enjoyed that he owned up to his actions the week before and did not back down. The tag match was also a nice surprise. It's not often that a match with that much quality is a curtain jerker for RAW. The dirty finish was appropriate and understandable. The post-match promo also delivered by creating anticipation throughout the rest of the show. Overall, this was a very good start.
SEGMENT #2
The second part of the show is Chris Jericho hosting his famous Highlight Reel. Jericho makes his entrance and continues to act similarly to how he has the past several weeks. He smiles, he panders, and he riles the crowd up. He then exists the ring and tells them to "hold on." He returns with a T-shirt cannon and points at the crowd, although never actually firing it. Like previous weeks, he grabs the camera from a cameraman and points it at the crowd as they go crazy to be on T.V. He returns the camera and tells the crowd to hush. He then points to the, "Jeritron," as a clip begins to play. The video is a career highlight of sorts, beginning with Jericho's debut in WWE and running up to his return earlier in the month. Once the video ends, he brings the microphone up and speaks for the first time since his return.
"This Sunday at the Royal Rumble, it will be the end of the world as you know it."
The lights go out and his music hits. All the crowd can see is the blue lights from his jacket flashing in the darkness as he walks away...
Grade: A
Personally, I've been a fan of Jericho's antics since his return on January 2nd. Those who haven't been likely found this segment to be underwhelming. The beginning with his continued pandering was irrelevant. What I cared about was his video and one spoken sentence. If you take those two things in context with his entire return in January, you can see that they were very powerful. To not speak at all for three weeks and then say, "it will be the end of the world as you know it," reaffirms that Jericho's return is meant to be taken very seriously. That message was sent though the numerous ominous vignettes that aired on RAW and on YouTube before January 2nd, however, the casual fan may have moved on from them since Jericho's actual arrival. Even those who had grown tired of Jericho over the past three weeks certainly have regained their interest now.
SEGMENT #3
Zack Ryder and Eve are shown backstage having a conversation about Zack's upcoming match with Kane. Mick Foley walks up and warns Ryder of Kane, citing his own personal crossings with the Big Red Machine. Despite being medically cleared, Eve continues to plead with Zack to forfeit the match. John Cena enters and reassures Ryder that despite Laurinaitis' warning earlier, that he would have his back. Zack asks Cena to stop, saying that he wanted to make sure he would get his United States Championship rematch and then proceeds out to the ring.
Kane vs. Zack Ryder; Falls Count Anywhere
This was a pretty sloppy match, overall. That's to be expected when you have Kane in a no-disqualification match. The two fought in the ring, at ring side, in the crowd and, finally, on top of the ramp. The match finally ended when Kane chokeslammed Ryder through the very top of the stage. At this point, the referee and Eve ran to check on Ryder. Kane ends up scaring Eve off and slowly chasing her back to the ring before John Cena appears, causing Kane to exit through the crowd.
Result: No contest
Ryder is put on a stretcher and carried to the back where there is an ambulance waiting for him. As he is loaded in, Cena tells Ryder to, "hang in there." Eve tells John that he's done enough and that's she's going with Zack. As the ambulance tails off, Josh Matthews approaches Cena to ask him how he feels after what just happened. After a long pause, Cena slaps the microphone out of Matthews' hand and turns to face the camera with an enraged look on his face.
Grade: B
This entire segment had a lot of ups and downs. It did not start strongly at all. I wasn't very entertained by the pre-match backstage part. The match itself was okay. Again, it wasn't exactly technically proficient, but you don't expect a falls count anywhere match to be anyway. Given the fact it was falls count anywhere, all I wanted to see is some good brawling outside of the ring (especially in the crowd) and this match delivered. The finish was both good and bad. The no contest doesn't bother me in the least. What does bother me is how injured Ryder is sold as. Although it is not said until later in the show, Ryder is announced to have suffered a broken back. That is a very serious injury in real life. One that took Shawn Michaels years to recover from. If you're going to give a wrestler a kayfabe injury, this seems like an odd route to go.
It also makes you wonder whether or not Ryder is being written off, for just how long, and why. If he isn't legitimately injured (which I fully believe) and hasn't been suspended (possible, but that hasn't been announced), it seems very odd to write him off with something as serious as a broken back. Perhaps he'll still appear on air but will be packaged as unable to compete. The best example I can give: Like The Miz on WWE '12 in "Road to Wrestlemania" when he was the GM on SmackDown. I even made a joke on Twitter about Ryder being a kayfabe paraplegic. Who knows? But right now, my instinct is to question the reasoning behind selling Ryder as seriously injured.
The final thing to look at in this segment is Cena's reaction - particularly him looking really pissed off at the end. As we all know, Kane has been goading Cena for a month to, "embrace the hate." He also vowed that Cena would do so by the time they met at the Royal Rumble. With this latest altercation and how John Cena was last shown, it makes you wonder if he truly has been pushed too far and just how it will affect him on Sunday and beyond. There's no way to really know right now, so I'll just say that it has my interest. This fact is also the biggest redeeming quality about the entire segment.
SEGMENT #4
Jinder Mahal vs. Sheamus
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I'm not a big Sheamus fan as of late. Not because I dislike the man or because of his feud with Christian. I simply don't enjoy how he's been booked over the last several months. Needless to say, seeing him in yet another pointless match with "Jobber" Mahal (on RAW, no less) didn't exactly make me excited.
The good thing: We were joined at commentary by none other than Wade Barrett.
The match itself was as dull as dirt. Typical Sheamus squash match. Several right hands and a Brogue Kick later, Sheamus wrapped up the easy victory.
Winner: Sheamus
Barrett leaves ringside with his large trench coat in hand and proceeds back up the ramp. Sheamus grabs a mic and runs some smack talk. I didn't really listen closely, but do recall him telling Wade to take a good look. Just as Sheamus was alone in the ring at the moment, he proclaimed that's how it would be at the end of Sunday when he wins the 2012 Royal Rumble.
Grade: C
Another boring Sheamus match. The only thing I really enjoyed about this segment was getting to hear Barrett on commentary, and even that didn't last long due to Sheamus quickly finishing off Mahal. I will say that I'm curious as to whether or not Sheamus and Barrett will have a program together past this Sunday. I'd like to see the two of them get into a serious feud and maybe even have a match at Wrestlemania. Something about an Irishman and an Englishman feud just has a nice ring to it. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see Barrett's feud with Randy Orton resume starting this Friday and Sheamus possibly re-engage a returning Christian in the near future.
SEGMENT #5
Miz is having a backstage interview with Josh Matthews (who's microphone evidently did not break when Cena slapped it to the ground). Matthews asks how Miz feels now that he and his former parter, R-Truth, are finally going to have a one-on-one match. Miz goes on a rant about how all his former partners (John Morrison, The Big Show, Alex Riley) have all gone on to be either fired, hurt, or just had career problems in general. He continues to talk about how profound he is before R-Truth finally interrupts. They have a loud argument back and forth until John Laurinaitis intervenes saying that he's had enough of their loud bickering. Laurinaitis announces that the loser of their match will be the first entrant into Sunday's Royal Rumble.
Brodus Clay vs. Heath Slater
Before Truth and Miz have their match, we're given another Funkasaurus segment. Also of note: William Regal was on commentary for this one after his dance segment with Clay during last Friday's SmackDown. That's two English guest commentators in a row for those of you counting at home. Regal mainly insulted Brodus and detested his appearance. It was a good listen, however short it may have been.
Much like Clay's first few matches, this one ended very quickly. That said, I do believe Slater was the first opponent to get any sort of offense in on Clay (a measly drop kick). Brodus used his finishing maneuver, the "Funk It" (cross body) to get the win.
Winner: Brodus Clay
The Miz vs. R-Truth
This match ended up being rather short and uneventful. That was disappointing seeing as these two have been feuding for weeks and this felt more like a pay-per-view match. Truth landed the "What's Up" out of nowhere to get a surprise win. The Miz will be your first entrant in the Royal Rumble on Sunday, greatly reducing his odds of winning the January Classic.
Winner: R-Truth
Grade: B-
Given the backstage segment and both matches, this part of the show wasn't terrible. I didn't mind the back and forth bantering by Miz and Truth before the match. I really like the added stipulation of the loser drawing no. 1 in the rumble. It reminded me of the good old days where much more was made on the television shows about who got which number in the Rumble, whereas today it's completely random and not even brought up until the night of the event.
As for the Clay-Slater match: I'm on the side of the line doesn't mind Brodus Clay at all. I've enjoyed "The Funkasaurus" since his debut, quite honestly. I know a lot of people think it's ridiculous and just punishment to Clay for when he spoiled an angle on Twitter before his debut. All I know is this: It's a lot more fun and creative than just making another monster heel, so I'm for it. I also HATE Heath Slater (again, you know that if you're a follower). Despite not liking it when he's on my screen, I did enjoy seeing him job to Brodus "The Funkasaurus" Clay.
The Truth-Miz match was as I said, underwhelming. Obviously, there's no room on a Royal Rumble card to have a match on Sunday so they were kind enough to put it on RAW. Since this is not even a singles match we would've seen on cable television otherwise, I don't want to complain too much. I just hope this isn't the end for these two. It can't be, right?
SEGMENT #6
John Laurinaitis is shown warming up for his match against CM Punk in his office in what looks like either a futuristic Santa Claus costume or a red velvet Snuggie©. My favorite part about this was the Johnny Ace skateboard added subtly to the background. Tip of the hat to whichever writer made sure to include that! David Otunga enters and hands Laurinaitis what seems to be a very important fax.
CM Punk heads to the ring, expecting to face Laurinaitis. After a brief delay, Laurinaitis and Otunga make their way to the ring. Laurinaitis tells Punk there is news that must be shared. Otunga reads the fax, stating that the WWE Board of Directors has found John Laurinaitis' recent actions to be questionable and that he can't compete with CM Punk. It also says that Laurinaitis will be given a job evaluation next week on RAW by none other than Chief Operating Officer, Triple H.
Laurinaitis tries to explain further, but Punk interrupts him. Punk basically says that everyone knows what it means. If he tries to screw him on Sunday, not only will Punk, "kick his ass," but Laurinaitis will also be fired. John tries to apologize and acts as though he was always going to call the match straight down the middle. Punk compares him to a spoiled little girl on Christmas. He then says that he hopes Triple H will tell him straight to his face that, "You're fired!" in a Vince McMahon fashion.
John responds by saying that although their match won't take place, he has found a suitable replacement. Otunga then takes a cheap-shot at Punk and proceeds to beat him down. Punk eventually turns the tables in the brawl and locks Otunga into the Anaconda Vise, knocking him out. Punk gets up to face Laurinaitis who offers to shake his hand. Punk does so, but then pulls John in and gives him his finishing maneuver, the "Go To Sleep." Punk then celebrates and pounds his chest as his music hits. Out of nowhere, Dolph Ziggler emerges from behind and nails Punk with the, "Zig Zag." Ziggler then stands over Punk and stares him down as the show ends.
Grade: A
I loved the end of the show. As fun as a match between Punk and Johnny Ace would've been, I never actually thought it was going to happen. Having the announcement about Laurinaitis' job now being on the line was exciting, especially to know Triple H would be confronting him next week. It's not that I dislike Laurinaitis as a heel GM, I'm just glad to see the feud between he and CM Punk is really coming to a head. The fight between Punk and Otunga was also amusing, especially with Punk using the Anaconda Vise. Seeing Punk deliver the GTS on Johnny Ace was probably the highlight of the night, if not year thus far. Finally, I thought having Ziggler get the last laugh was a good idea. I'm sure there are a lot of Ziggler supporters out there that may not respect how he's been pushed to the back burner in this whole ordeal. It may not have been much, but him at least getting the Zig Zag at the end gives the aura of him being a legit threat to the WWE Championship. Again, it wasn't perfect, but it was better than him being completely ignored.
AVERAGE SHOW GRADE: B+
That grade itself is a little misleading. The unimportant parts of the show were not given good grades, however, the key parts did very well. On a curve, I give the show an A. Strong beginning, the best Jericho segment we've seen thus far, and a very strong end. Other than a boring match or two, this was a good RAW.
First Post
Before I get down to business and creating regular posts, I wanted to make my first more of an introduction. I'm not going to bore you with the semantics of my biography. If you want to read that kind of thing, it should be on the right side of the page.
I'll keep it short and sweet: I'm an anonymous Christian mark. If you want you can call me @Tweet4Christian (my twitter handle), or just Daniel - put I probably won't get too much more personal than that publicly (although I could, privately).
In addition to being a Christian mark, I'm a wrestling fan in general. I'm going to use this blog to post serious evaluations and opinions about weekly episodes of RAW and SmackDown, as well as the monthly pay-per-views (srs bsns). Don't expect updates on Superstars or NXT, though. I rarely watch Superstars and haven't bothered with NXT since the first couple of weeks of season two. As for TNA, ROH, or anything else... Don't expect much. I'll watch iMPACT maybe once or twice a month but won't even watch the full two hours. I read more about ROH than I actually see, so that won't work. You get the idea...
As for Christian himself, I'll do plenty of coverage on him when I can. As I write this, Christian is currently out of action with a high ankle sprain, although his return seems imminent. When he returns, anything he does in a show will probably get its own post. If you're a peep, you'll enjoy that. If you're not, you don't have to read it. I'll keep my objective opinions on shows and my bias towards Christian separate.
Between the regular synopses of the WWE shows and PPVs, I'll make less serious posts that are more like my tweets for anyone that enjoys a good chuckle. Or maybe I'll pick one topic a week to harp on... I really haven't decided. All I know is that they'll be less formal and serious than the summaries.
The last things I want to say is that:
A) This is my first blog of any sorts. I've always viewed blogs as a silly way for people to promote the self-importance of their own lives and ideas. Despite now creating one myself, I do still hold that opinion. However, I think creating and maintaining one about a subject I greatly enjoy will be good for me. I want to do this as a way to take stress off of myself and create an escape. I don't necessarily expect to pick up a lot of readers. If other people enjoy it, than that's nice too, but I won't get caught up in how many people read and comment, etc. I'll still link new posts to Twitter and whatnot, but I won't pester anyone on Twitter or elsewhere about reading the blog. If they want to, they will. If they don't, that's cool.
B) The other reason why I wanted my own place to post about wrestling was because Twitter obviously doesn't allow for long, thought out ideas and the people that run most wrestling forums are self-righteous jerks. Not all of them are. There are some really good fan sites out there. But most places where it's a neutral site for everyone to post in a traditional message board format tend to suck. The moderation is too strict and the smarks are... Too smarky. I like being in control of my own domain. I can post what I want, when I want. It can be long and informative. It can be eloquent. It can even be vulgar and downright hilarious. Best of all: I don't have to worry about someone else deleting it. Moderation sucks. I'm not going to be a strict mod to anyone who wants to post. Pretty much the one thing I don't like is cut and dry trolling. I'm sure I'll have to deal with it eventually. I won't define what I considering to be trolling. I really don't know how. All I know is when I see it, I know what it is.
That's all. This post ended up being a little bit longer than I thought it would be. If you read it all, I hope it didn't bore you and apologize if it did. If you skimmed: Good for you brother. We already have something in common.
Peace,
Daniel
I'll keep it short and sweet: I'm an anonymous Christian mark. If you want you can call me @Tweet4Christian (my twitter handle), or just Daniel - put I probably won't get too much more personal than that publicly (although I could, privately).
In addition to being a Christian mark, I'm a wrestling fan in general. I'm going to use this blog to post serious evaluations and opinions about weekly episodes of RAW and SmackDown, as well as the monthly pay-per-views (srs bsns). Don't expect updates on Superstars or NXT, though. I rarely watch Superstars and haven't bothered with NXT since the first couple of weeks of season two. As for TNA, ROH, or anything else... Don't expect much. I'll watch iMPACT maybe once or twice a month but won't even watch the full two hours. I read more about ROH than I actually see, so that won't work. You get the idea...
As for Christian himself, I'll do plenty of coverage on him when I can. As I write this, Christian is currently out of action with a high ankle sprain, although his return seems imminent. When he returns, anything he does in a show will probably get its own post. If you're a peep, you'll enjoy that. If you're not, you don't have to read it. I'll keep my objective opinions on shows and my bias towards Christian separate.
Between the regular synopses of the WWE shows and PPVs, I'll make less serious posts that are more like my tweets for anyone that enjoys a good chuckle. Or maybe I'll pick one topic a week to harp on... I really haven't decided. All I know is that they'll be less formal and serious than the summaries.
The last things I want to say is that:
A) This is my first blog of any sorts. I've always viewed blogs as a silly way for people to promote the self-importance of their own lives and ideas. Despite now creating one myself, I do still hold that opinion. However, I think creating and maintaining one about a subject I greatly enjoy will be good for me. I want to do this as a way to take stress off of myself and create an escape. I don't necessarily expect to pick up a lot of readers. If other people enjoy it, than that's nice too, but I won't get caught up in how many people read and comment, etc. I'll still link new posts to Twitter and whatnot, but I won't pester anyone on Twitter or elsewhere about reading the blog. If they want to, they will. If they don't, that's cool.
B) The other reason why I wanted my own place to post about wrestling was because Twitter obviously doesn't allow for long, thought out ideas and the people that run most wrestling forums are self-righteous jerks. Not all of them are. There are some really good fan sites out there. But most places where it's a neutral site for everyone to post in a traditional message board format tend to suck. The moderation is too strict and the smarks are... Too smarky. I like being in control of my own domain. I can post what I want, when I want. It can be long and informative. It can be eloquent. It can even be vulgar and downright hilarious. Best of all: I don't have to worry about someone else deleting it. Moderation sucks. I'm not going to be a strict mod to anyone who wants to post. Pretty much the one thing I don't like is cut and dry trolling. I'm sure I'll have to deal with it eventually. I won't define what I considering to be trolling. I really don't know how. All I know is when I see it, I know what it is.
That's all. This post ended up being a little bit longer than I thought it would be. If you read it all, I hope it didn't bore you and apologize if it did. If you skimmed: Good for you brother. We already have something in common.
Peace,
Daniel
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