Sheamus takes Alberto Del Rio down with a headlock. Decent segment featuring Teddy Long and John Laurinaitis to kick off the show. Nothing here was necessarily bad, but this whole story-line with Laurinaitis holding something over Long to keep him employed has been done so many times before that it just feels repetitive at this point. Do all angles in wrestling these days have to include families? Quick handicap match with Mark Henry and David Otunga defeating R-Truth. This bout didn't accomplish much, unless it was foreshadowing a Henry face turn which would be an extremely bad move right now. On a lighter note, I'm glad to see Otunga improving each week and I wouldn't mind to see him eventually win the United States Championship. Entertaining No Disqualification match between Randy Orton and Kane. As seen last Sunday, these two work very well together and made great use of the environment around them. However, my main issue with this match is that we saw an even better match on this show than we did at WrestleMania 28 five days ago, which isn't a smart booking decision. While we'll probably see the rubber match between Orton and Kane at Extreme Rules in a few weeks, there's no reason they couldn't have waited for this contest to take place then instead. Additionally, it was this same exact stipulation (No Holds Barred) that ignited this feud in the first place eight months ago, so I'm not too sure we saw the apparent pay-off on free television. Impressive debut from Ryback. Being the huge Skip Sheffield fan that I am, I am absolutely thrilled he has finally returned to television looking better than ever. He made short work of his enhancement talent opponent and turned a few heads in the process. From the looks of it, he'll be a face going forward, but at least he will maintain his intense persona. But why were those lower mid-card talent laughing backstage during the course of this bout? Strong promo from Daniel Bryan and AJ. Bryan showed pure fire in his words here, while AJ played her role very well and came off sympathetic, despite the live crowd not treating her as such. The dynamic between AJ and Bryan has been very enjoyable thus far, so I hope this isn't the end. Having Bryan shrug off the crowd's "YES!" chants and turn them against him was brilliant. Needless to say, this was the best promo we've seen from Bryan in his WWE career.
0 Comments
A returning Brock Lesnar delivers an F5 to John Cena. Brilliant promo from The Rock to kick off the show. I believe this is the first time Rock came out at the top of the hour since returning, and it couldn't have happened at a better time. Rock was certainly at his best here and it clearly showed. After much speculation that this would be the last of Rocky we'd be seeing for the time being, his tease for chasing the WWE Champion was well delivered. That story of Rock reclaiming the title could be excellent if booked correctly. Fun match with Santino Marella successfully defending his United States Championship against Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger in a Triple Threat match. Ziggler took some quality bumps here which are always nice touches during his matches. I like the dissension between Ziggler and Swagger throughout the bout, making it more than the predictable handicap match. As much as don't like Santino as champion, at least he gets an above par reaction from the crowd. I'm very glad to see Brodus Clay finally being entered into an angle that doesn't include him squashes every week. Given the comedy factor from both Clay and Santino, forming a team with the two would make perfect sense. Typical squash match with Lord Tensai dominating Alex Riley. It was a good debut for Tensai and helped establish him as a force to be reckoned with. I was surprised to hear the commentators refer to him as a former WWE Superstar (A-Train), so I'm glad they acknowledged that fact. I felt like a bigger move was coming from Tensai to impress the crowd, but it ended via referee stoppage. Nonetheless, he got a good reaction and hope to see him continue his menacing streak as time progresses. Strong title match between WWE Champion CM Punk and Mark Henry. The belt being on the line was unnecessary since Henry could have earned a championship match, but it didn't hinder the bout whatsoever. Henry was more dominant than he's been in months, while Punk played the vulnerable underdog extremely well. The count-out ending protects both Henry and Punk and saves the clean finish for another day. The crowd made this match even more intriguing than it originally seemed to be, so I hope a feud between the two is in the cards for the very near future. Chris Jericho's ambush on Punk following the contest was logical, but it was a smart move to regain the heat he might have lost following his submission loss to the Straightedge Savior at WrestleMania 28. Sure, the bottle breaking prematurely was a bit obvious, but it was still a cool visual. Decent promo featuring new World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and the returning Alberto Del Rio. I was hoping for more from Del Rio than the usual mic skills, but it was passable given the fact we haven't heard it in months. With the crowd hot as ever for Daniel Bryan, it's a shame that Sheamus had to get the mixed reaction that he did the night after winning the golden prize. Regardless, this was a nice set-up for their upcoming match on this week's SmackDown. The Rock finally squares off with his rival John Cena. Disappointing World Heavyweight Championship match to kick off WrestleMaina 28. Despite the lackluster build-up to this match, I was highly anticipating what they'd deliver in the ring. The result could have gone either way, so cutting it short with Sheamus quickly winning the World title didn't feel special, even if the Royal Rumble winner curse was finally broken. Worse yet is that they were ten seconds short of breaking the shortest Mania match in history. Then again, not many cared for the rivalry anyway, so it's nothing to groan over. Only can hope we see the tremendous match we all know Daniel Bryan and Sheamus can provide in the near future. Good match between Randy Orton and Kane that was certainly better than originally expected with that face that their feud seemed random to begin with. They worked hard in the 10 minute duration they were given and had some good action throughout. I was pleasantly surprised that Kane defeated Orton in a clean finish, so this must mean the feud continues on to the Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Decent match between Cody Rhodes and Big Show that saw Show win his first Intercontinental Championship. That result was predictable given the way they've built this feud around Show getting his Mania moment, but I had a feeling going into the event that Rhodes would somehow be able to maintain possession of his strap one way or another. I'm disappointed that Rhodes' eight-month reign as champ end in this fashion, but if nothing else, the World's Largest Athlete made history by becoming the only man in WWE history to hold every active title in the company today. The question that needs to be asked is who can possibly beat Show for that title? This can help elevate Rhodes to the main event, while also give Show a short title reign before he retires soon. Throwaway Divas tag team match with Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos defeating Divas Champion Beth Phoenix and Eve. The match wasn't all that terrible, but it was obvious right from the get-go what the result would be. Since Menuonus pinned Phoenix at last year's Tribute to the Troops event, I was hoping the Glamazon would gain her measure of revenge here, but apparently it was not meant to be. I do give Menounos pops, though, for continuing to wrestle with two broken ribs. Kelly got the Mania moment she was looking for, so fingers crossed she can finally stop complaining. Kharma's return would have been a nice touch, but hopefully it occurs sooner rather than later. Classic match between Undertaker and Triple H that certainly lived up to the hype. The use of weapons throughout the match was a very nice touch, as was the unintentional blood from both men. Adding Jim Ross onto commentary was a very smart move that enhanced the match immensely. Sure, the Hell in a Cell didn't play that much of a factor throughout the bout, but it was a very cool visual and provided for an incredible atmosphere. Let's not forget the brilliant work done by Shawn Michaels, who provided enough swerve to both men that had the finish in doubt on more than one occasion. Everything about this match was absolutely perfect, as was the sign of respect from all three veterans after the awe-inspiring c |
Categories
All
Archives
May 2024
|