Summerslam Live Notes

00.58am
Summerslam is upon us folks. We're in LA. Glitz, glamour, razzmatazz.........and Khali v Kane

01.01am
Many will fart all over that opening, but it was original as hell. Mind you, Shawn saying he could fix the camera.....he should have superkicked it.

01.04am
Straight in with Rey and the IC strap. Poor Rey has to go so early on PPVs. I wonder if it is because WWE are thinking of his fan base being kids and putting him on before they have to go to bed. Anyway, he's out here to face Dolph Ziggler. I wonder if Mum, before she puts little Frankie to bed after this match answers his question.
"Mum, why is that guy called Dolph Ziggler?"
"Well, there's this film called Boogie Nights....."

01.10am
Only a minute or two in, but two stunning moments. Rey hits a phenomenal moonsault after a balancing act on the top rope that needed to be seen to be believed. Then, a diving huracanrana to the floor which catapulted Ziggler into the barricade and the cameraman, making Ziggler look like he was falling into your living room (well, I'm in my office, but you take my point.)

01.11am (Nelson)
This match is the best advert for 7-11, since they seem to spend the whole time showing replays because of various spots.

01.12am
JR bigs up Kane v Khali?! Only an idiot would mentioned this match firs......oh wait....my bad.

01.22am
Now that was very, very good. Everyone on top of their game here. The fans in LA, presumably with a large hispanic portion cheering on Rey all the harder were loud as anything; JR and Todd were excited and incisive in the right moments; most importantly, though, Mysterio and Ziggler were on fire.

That was a really sound match. Fast, exciting, told a reasonable story, and I think had the right outcome. To me, Ziggler didn't lose anything by, well, losing. He gained status, I think. You don't always have to win to get over. Terrific start to the show.

01.25am
MVP and Swagger next. Nice backstage promo by both men - can't help but think it would have been better on Raw, and cut out 90 seconds of Hornswoggle and Chavo playing the fool.

01.33am
Can't say that one really clicked. It was ok, there was nothing wrong with it, and it probably suffered mainly from having to follow Rey and Ziggler. I'm mainly disappointed with the result, because it seemed more apt for Swagger to win for me, but I'm happy for MVP, who is a solid hand too.

01.39am
Coincidence that the Tag Champs emerge after all the talk about Guest Hosts? I think not. Second title encounter up next. Nice remix of Show and Jericho's themes, by the way.

01.54am
I probably shouldn't have built my hopes for Shaq. That was a very average tag match, with very little going on outside of traditional two-on-two action.

01.57am
Pretty interesting, I think, that CM Punk's promo is one I completely agree with. More to the point, it'll convince a lot of people who needed convincing to boo him. Good stuff.

01.58am
Kane v Khali now. This is almost a lost cause, so it will be very interesting how they pick the pace up afterwards. An awesome start to Summerslam, almost too good, and a gradual deterioration since.

Maybe these two will surprise me........

02.06am
Reasonable enough. I'm glad Kane won, since to me he is worth far more than Khali in my mind.

DX next, apparantly. So no main event for them. C'mon Shawn, chin him. Drop Hunter like he was Chyna and you were doing the boss's daughter. OK, that was a little cheap, but if Hunter insists with the shoot comments every week. I'm sure he'd dig that.

02.21am
Tanks huh? Quite the entrance. I guess the tanks were there to remind us of the PPV buyrate which has been tanking for the past couple of years. OOOOH, have that one. There's just something about Triple H that drags these comments out of me. And I actually like the guy.

02.41am
I guess the key is to be patient, am I right? It'll be fun to someday see HBK turn on Triple H, but I have to concede that it's probably more in WWE's short term interest to have DX as a united force for a bit. Never mind.

Good match though. Basic tag team match which then developed and grew an extra seven or eight minutes. Legacy got to go for a long time on an even keel. I definitely think we'll get a rematch with a stip at Breaking Point.

02.47am
While I was typing that last entry the ECW title match came and went. Here's what pisses me off. Actually two things. Firstly that pathetic little two minute segment with a seven second match was immediately succeeded by a video package hyping how awesome WWE are. Don't get me wrong, I think the stuff WWE does for their fans and most importantly for charities is genuniely awesome. I'm serious here, not joking. WWE's work in charitable fields is amazing and is genuinely good hearted.

But, that section was longer than an actual match I wanted to see. They could show that clip of charity and Axxess on Raw to a larger audience. In fact, they'll probably show it again then anyway. I was looking forward to Regal and Christian, but I got duped. So Christian got slammed by Zeke and Vlad. Big deal.

Did we have to have Kane and Khali go six minutes and that match get nothing. What about that pointless shit with Nancy someone and Freddie Prinze junior speaking but saying nothing. I'll actually let the tanks and stuff go because you need spectacles like that. The live crowd deserve something to differentiate their experience, and I remember the entrances of HBK, Taker and Cena from Wrestlemania very vividly. It was awesome to be there and see great matches, but those entrances remind you that this is special.

Seven second matches do not, especially when those involved are people I want to see wrestle. Really disappointed.

03.11am
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Poor Lillian. And in her last week. Called the "I have just heard word...." then said "NEW Champion" as a giveaway that Cena will win, and finally mumbled her way through saying that Mr McMahon has ordered the match to start again. The second "I just heard word..." was just sad.

03.16am
A count-out, reversal of decision, feet on the ropes, pin, reversal of decision........the sign says "This is why I watch Smackdown" Ahem.

03.18am
Seriously, what the f... is going on? Was that a real intruder from the crowd? I guess it was. But wasn't Cena winning and Orton tapping before that guy came in? So was that scripted? That was seriously bloody weird. Maybe they called it on the fly. I have no idea at all.

I tell you what, say what you like about the quality of the match, that was damn sure memorable. I can only think that the guy that ran in - who is a grade A moron, by the way, if a real intruder. An epic, f'n idiot- wasn't part of the plan.

I know that more than once announcers have pretended like it's shoot and then it turns out otherwise, but that felt eerie. When they cut to the guy being dragged backstage I thought for sure he had to be kayfabe, because why show him. But if it was planned, it would be in the replay package, right?

Jesus that was strange. Newsworthy and remarkable, but not in a good way, really.

03.26am
Now JR's headset isn't working. What the hell is going on here? I reckon Vince might be hyperventilating right now. JR calls Punk the Second City Saint, which is a really cool callback to an old alliance with Cabana (and Ace Steel) but I am fairly certain there is deeper irony here.

Chicago (remember I'm English, so I'm nto certain about this) used to be the Second City of America, and cultivated this as an image. When I was in Chicago for Bound For Glory I even went to the Second City Comedy venue. I think that Chicago no longer has this title, and it is now.......LA. I may be wrong, though. Sorry for wasting your time whichever way is true. Back to the car crash that is Summerfestslamtime.

03.55am
Sorry for the lack of quick updates in that last half-hour. I'm just a bit shell-shocked with all that's gone on.

Punk v Hardy is over, and Punk has the belt back. It was a good but not great match. I am glad they ended with this, and you can see why after the chaos of Orton/Cena and also the post match activity.

Before we get to that, though, it has to be noted that it was the best ending for Jeff. It'll be interesting to see if they acknowledge his disappearance for a bit, either by saying he's off or by faking an injury. I wondered if they were just going to wheel him out on that stretcher for a bit, and not bring him back, allowing Punk to climb the ladder unopposed. That would have been creative, but Punk deserves to win and claim a legit title reign after sneaky MITB wins. How ironic he should now reign after a clean win as a heel, while his earlier sneaky ones were as a face.

Post match, there was a brief light flicker, which Punk sold but the announcers didn't, which I initially thought was going to be one of many for a long while. Not to be though, as a gong soon sounded. Taker was beneath Punk when the lights came back on in one of the more creative visual effects I've seen in a while. I spotted it was Taker when they cut to a wide shot, but many won't have. Cleve booking to push Punk straight into a programme with Taker and let everyone forget about Jeff Hardy.

Overall, an odd show.

Great opener, really good DX tag match and pretty good closing bout. Jericho/Show v Cryme Tyme average, same for MVP/Swagger. Kane v Khali and ECW matches a joke for different reasons. Orton v Cena is one of the strangest matches I have seen, for about twenty of the oddest minutes I have ever lived. Just crazy. Bizarrely it actually helped the finale of the night.

Two Brief Summerslam Build-up notes

Two things I wanted to bring to your attention:

1) Various reports are suggesting that DX v Legacy will headline tonights Summerslam, perhaps because they don't want the sour note of Punk going over Hardy.

But how about my suggestion that HBK turns on Triple H? (Read more in the preview below) If you follow that logic and they end with the most newsworthy item on the agenda, that may be a big hook for Raw. Add in Mayweather hosting and Vegas and then could post a big number tomorrow night for the Red Brand.

2) The WWE.com site has a caption talking about a wrestler by the name of Christ Masters.

Please select your punchline. Is it:
a) fans see him emerging and say "Oh, Christ.....masters."
or perhaps
b)We should bring back Carlito's old bodyguard and team him with Masters. "Ladies and Gentleman, weighing in at a combined weight of 627lbs, JESUS CHRIST".

They make a startling babyface in peril comeback, but it takes three days.

SummerFest Preview

The Hottest Night of the Summer is upon us, so are you feeling like this is the little brother of Wrestlemania?

WWE have shown indications that they want the August PPV to become second only to their flagship event, but this is hardly a stellar card that makes you salivate and feel excited in a way that Wrestlemania does, that usually the Royal Rumble does, and even events with a hook like the Elimination Chamber do.

For this reason, I’d like to stipulate at this point that this predictions piece will be littered with elements of hope – suggestions of turns of events that may occur in the Staples Center this evening that will give this ordinary looking show a degree of excitement to match it’s alleged billing.

Before the predictions start, let me remind you that I’ll be doing my usual live notes blog tonight during the PPV, so be sure to stop by and keep refreshing your page to see what I’m making of what’s unfolding at Summerslam.


MVP v Jack Swagger
To be honest, when you look at this feud, it begins to explain to you a few things that don’t make sense......I was going to say in WWE, but mainly on Raw.

It is Raw that has the depth problem, and Raw that has three guys on top we are al bored of. Therefore, exceptional effort ought to be going into these two getting over. However, since one face-off on the VIP Lounge which was captivating, this feud has been stop start. It looked like it was ending, with speculation that Swagger would be Jericho’s mystery partner, but has been resurrected. Even then, they had about thirty seconds on Raw to wrestle to a DQ, “setting up” this match.

To me, the logical man to be progressing is Jack Swagger. I think his presence in the ring – both as a talent and a character – is very good. You really feel he can handle himself, and although he has an element of cowardly heel about him, he has won enough matches cleanly to be taken seriously.

There is also the match he had with John Cena in March/April time to take into consideration. I personally remember not caring for the match too much, but I will bow to a) the majority who did and more importantly b) those in the business (including John Cena when I spoke to him) who were mightily impressed with Swagger. I get the feeling that Cena could do a lot more for Swagger, seen as a legit athlete, than he did for The Miz, whose strengths lie in a similar area to that of Cena. Swagger would be able to dominate Cena in a wrestling sense, definitely helping his cause.

Whether this feud is Cena v Swagger for the title or simply as a semi-main, I think it ought to happen. For this reason, I’ll take, and I want Jack Swagger to win this one.

Prediction – Swagger.


The Great Khali v Kane
A match we’ve seen before, but with roles reversed (a theme I will come back to later). We all know roughly what we are getting here. I think they’ll know well enough to not let this go too long, and just have a couple of the usual big man face-off spots.

I hope they let Kane get a clean victory. I don’t really see the value of Khali winning this, because they surely realise that his value is not as a serious contender, whereas Kane, while I’m not saying he ought to be world champion, is more suited to a spell near the top of the card in proper feuds.

Prediction (although it’s hope as much as anything): Kane


ECW Title – Christian v William Regal
I think this could be a little hidden gem on the card. You have a couple of wrestlers who, while neither has been hugely critically acclaimed, rarely have a bad match.

I wouldn’t think this will be one for the ages. They’ll likely be given a nothing spot on the card and no exciting plot twist, but I would expect a well crafted ten-minuter with some nice chain wrestling and decent psychology, culminating in Christian getting the better of the man from Blackpool.

The contrary argument, of course, is that Regal now has a couple of big dudes in tow, and there is an out for having Christian drop the title due to interference and then have him chase again. But I’ll stick my original thought.

Prediction – A solid, if unspectacular event. And Christian to win it.


Intercontinental Title - Rey Mysterio v Dolph Ziggler
It seems rather odd to book this twice in successive PPVs only to have Dolph lose again, so it’s easy to simply say he’ll win this time. However, we mustn’t forget that in WWE’s eye simply being in the ring with established superstars is enough of a rub, and in reality what Ziggler needs is to give Mysterio a close match. If he looks like he might win, it’ll help him. That was the old Flair philosophy.

Maria is a major factor to bring into play, here. She is, I guess, Dolph Ziggler’s girlfriend, but she is still ostensibly a babyface. Maria has been in WWE for over five years, and although she has largely dropped the ditzy gimmick of asking stupid questions, she is still essentially the wide eyed, innocent, good girl next door. It might be fun to see her be the bad girl. That was one of the great attributes, among many, that Trish Stratus had. She was a easy to get behind (steady...) as a babyface, but also a really believable, sexy heel.

They may well be feeling that this is a time for Maria to make this transition. I can see her being the story of the match. Perhaps appearing to rebel against Dolph, making taking a bump which draws Rey’s attention to see if she is okay, and then Ziggler nailing him while his guard is down. Maria then celebrates, showing it was all a ruse, while Grisham plays along like a chump.

Or, Mysterio will win in seven minutes.

Prediction – Rey Mysterio. I think they’ll simply have Rey win. But all that speculation on Maria and Dolph’s win was fun.


Tag Titles - Chris Jericho and Big Show v Cryme Tyme
(I’m sick of saying Undisputed Tag Titles, so to me this is just the Tag Team Championships now. )

I can’t help but feel a little sorry for the participants in this match, because the underlying seam of gold under this match’s surface is Mr Shaquille O’Neal. Rumours of Show v Shaq have refused to go away, and with this show taking place in the Staples Center, home of the LA Lakers, O’Neal’s former team, it would make for an enormous news story if he were to emerge and get involved.

I want to believe something like this will happen. It would be a major fillip for the show, and for the audience. It isn’t by any means certain though, so we need to look at how things may pan out either way.

If Shaq does appear, it may be to cost Show and Jericho the belts, but I’m not sure that would be wise. For one it would mean that if they did look for a Show v Shaq showdown at any point the mainstream build wouldn’t feature a belt. That means a lot when you are trying to attract a non-traditional wrestling audience. Secondly one of the benefits of having undisputed champions is that they can appear on two shows. Think of Miz and Morrison’s versatility, The Colons wrestling prowess, and then the star power of Jericho/Edge/Show and what that gives all brands that use them. Would all brands really benefit that greatly from having Cryme Tyme on the show? I don’t think so.

Maybe Show and Jericho win, beat Cryme Tyme down afterwards and Shaq comes out to save. But why? If he has travelled to the show, wouldn’t he help before this stage? He could be in the crowd I guess, and then be invited in. There are multiple ways of doing it. I just hope they use one.

If there is no Shaq, it seems pointless having the match at all, but assuming he isn’t there, you just can’t see Cryme Tyme winning. Therefore.....

Prediction – To make it simple, Big Show and Jericho to win. And then we hope Shaq gets involved, not because a Show v Shaq will rule, but because there are multiple benefits including the spectacle and simply the element of something different.


Legacy v DX
Here we go, this is my almost monthly major PPV theory, and it has to be said these are normally absolutely miles off the mark. The best one I had, in terms of it playing out in reality, was Matt Hardy, not Christian, being Jeff’s attacked, but I wanted Edge and Matt to be in cahoots and for Christian to help Jeff, mixing up the old E&C v Hardys battles.

Since then, I’ve periodically come up with a big idea ranging from Christian as Jericho’s partner to JBL buying Raw. All have come to naught. Now, though, this really will be it.

Essentially, what I’d like to happen is for HBK, at a crucial point, to Superkick Triple H’s face off. Not because I have the bizarre hatred for Triple H that most of the net does, but because if Michaels really is going to call it a day soon then I think he ought to have one more go round with Triple H at the top of the card, and for HBK to be the heel and Triple H the babyface has not been done, to the best of my knowledge.

The turn could occur in many ways. We could simply have a regular match for while before Michaels simply kicks him. He could do the old Owen Hart at the Calgary Stampede injury and disappear for ten minutes before emerging to help Trips, although that would mean the same old handicap match we’ve already seen.

Perhaps Triple H could be seen on camera wondering where his partner is, because he is late. He then arrives mid-match to cost Hunter the bout. He might get ‘injured’ backstage then emerge midway through, selling an injury, before BOOM! A little chin music.

Whichever way it occurs, I think it would awesome. Yes we’ve seen these two wrestle before, but I’d seen Jericho wrestle Mysterio plenty of times, it was still brilliant when they did again.

Of course, this may not happen. If it does not, then I would anticipate DX winning. I don’t see that as an overly negative thing, as long as Legacy are allowed to wrestle an even fight, and not just roll over.

Interestingly, the UK tour later in the year is called the DX Reunion Tour. It would be really interesting if they were battling each other on that trip.

Prediction – Yeah, what the hell! HBK turns, and Legacy win.


WWE Title - John Cena v Randy Orton
It is hardly a new observation to say that these two wrestling again is the same old stuff. I will offer a slight counter-argument that they have often had very good contests, so let’s hope that they can really raise it tonight.

It’s worth having a look at who these men may move on to feud with after tonight, if indeed this is a one-shot deal. If you assume that even if DX don’t split they carry on battling Rhodes and DiBiase, then Cena v Swagger becomes the possibility mentioned earlier. That leaves Randy Orton with several options. He could assist Legacy in a battle with and we get a three-on-two handicap match, maybe in a Cell or something. He could battle a stepping-up Mark Henry or MVP, with the former being more likely in my eyes. Or, if DX are a-feudin’, then they may push the button on the Legacy break up and have Orton v DiBiase sooner than we thought.

I think that the better option of the two is to keep the belt on Orton. As maligned as Mark Henry has been over the years by critics, including me, his babyface turn has been reasonable, and he would be a legitimate contender for Orton. It would also be a welcome chance for Orton to win a title match cleanly. I don’t see Swagger v Cena being as good a prospect for title bout as Orton v Henry.

Prediction – Via that blatantly flawed and questionable process of logic, it’s Orton to win. Presumably by foul means.


World Title - Jeff Hardy v CM Punk – TLC Match
This ought to be the main event really. It’s certainly the one most people will be excited about, certainly above Cena and Orton. The main talking point, as it has been for a couple of months, is the imminent disappearing act of Jeffrey Nero Hardy. He’s the champ going in, with CM Punk chasing his former possession, the Big Gold Belt.

Firstly, you feel this ought to be a cracker. These two have been tremendous in their programme, some great matches, solid promos and an effective turn by CM Punk. The blowoff match, with two passionate an innovative competitors, ought to top it all off.

Logic would dictate Punk winning. They may well try and throw things up in the air by having a surprise win, but it does seem more likely that Punk will take it, and quite possibly via a rather sizable fareweel bump by Jeff.

If Hardy does indeed do a runner after this, then it will help Punk immensely. They could make Punk an enormous star in the next two months if they choose. They have him go over Jeff, the gloat at getting rid of him. “I’m the man who retired Jeff Hardy,” he’ll say, and talk of his pride of being the clean-living Straightedge guy prevailing over the flawed hero. Punk has the ability to be very self-righteous and smug, and this will definitely help his cause as a major heel.

So who to face Punk? Well how about him being forced to have a title defence, maybe against Matt Hardy or John Morrison, in which he prevails. Then, at the height of his gloating.........BONG! Back comes Taker in due time to scare the living daylights out of Punk, and if they feel like it Punk can get the better of Taker. He’d be the biggest star in the company.

Leave the title on Punk for the foreseeable, and then when the time is right, from the perspective of both parties, get Jeff Hardy back to take the title back from Punk, maybe at the Royal Rumble.

Prediction – CM Punk. Tonight, and hopefully for the future.


Well, I’m looking forward to this slightly more now. Hope you enjoy it, and don’t forget to join me just before the show starts, and I’ll be providing you with my thoughts live.

Raw Thoughts - August 17

· When WWE has these odd little fetishes about using certain words (i.e Skull not head and so forth) you wonder why. They now seem to be all over the word “group” Orton says it for Legacy, and now they are taking about DX being the most controversial “group” ever. I understand them not using ‘stable’ but why not faction or something? Group sounds so weak.
· Awesome to see Santino back doing what he does best. So, so funny. I loved it when he told Lillian not to laugh because Terrorism was very serious. Nice, fun, relaxed opening. That was really cool.
· I like the Orton thing too. I like it when incidents happen that make you go ‘wow’ and then wonder how it will be resolved. Admittedly it will probably end in Prinze putting himself in the tag match at the end somehow and more ordinary folk pretend to be wrestlers, but it was a cool spot, to be fair.
· I like how Jerry Lawler went to check on the Guest Host. Kind of like the King checking on the Prinze.
· There’s another one – Medical facility, not hospital. Who is in charge then, if Prinze is out of here?
· While we’re on it, I heard Goldust quite fancied the guest host. Dustin for Prinze?
· Good, solid match between Kofi and Carlito. A decent enough length. I like both of these guys, but I’m sure they would look any better in a longer effort. That said, good set of false finishes, even if Lawler and Cole did ruin one, after a neckbreaker by Carlito, by giving it the old “that must do it....” Whenever they exclaim that a match is surely over, then it surely isn’t.
· Shouldn’t the Miz have to be the Calgary Kid, since that is what it would say on the contract?
· Shame that Bourne had to lose in his home town (in fact, shame he lost, in general) but it made sense to lose to Miz, who deserves a run, and it was another good match. Huge thumbs up for Raw thus far.
· That being said, very little has been said about either Orton or the state of the temporary GM. I might have kept updating that.
· They’ve managed the DX deal well tonight. Two good video packages – the first a good look back on stuff they’ve done, and then a set of clips that actually made the chef skit from last week look good, which it most certainly was not.
· I love Jillian, she’s so over-the-top she’s hilarious, and that was a fun little walk through the back. I am really, really enjoying this show so far.
· That’s good booking with Legacy and DX. Tease the reunion and the usual antics, only to have the heels beat them down. Straightforward wrestling booking. Make the heels nasty, evil bastards who spoil the fun. Then hope people pay to see the babyfaces kick their arse all over SummerFestSlam
· Wow, I wasn’t expecting to see Mickie v Kim this quick. It strikes me they could have saved this for a future PPV. Maybe they’ll start a build with this.
· That was a decent divas match until what looked very like a botched finish. Real shame. The other note from this is that the crowd was dead, and the wrestling was very, very good for much of it. These are as good as women wrestlers get on this scale, and nothing. I hope no-one in the back holds this against Gail and Mickie too much, because the crowd are dead due to them having nothing to care about. Build up a several week programme between them, which they did very effectively with Mickie and Maryse, and the crowd will care.
· I don’t care for that kind of Cena promo. Too stupid and too reliant on ‘poop’ jokes and that old standard of Big Show eating somebody. But if that is what we get rather than Hornswoggle and Chavo being ridiculous, that’s not too bad. A little Jericho saved the seg.
· Strikes me that there isn’t enough mention of Cryme Tyme challenging Jericho and Big Show for the titles. I don’t think it’s been mentioned.
· I don’t mind Swagger and MVP only going seconds before the DQ, but I’d had have them fight to the back.
· Spoke too soon on Horny and Chavo, then.
· You could have had them run under the ring, the ref follow, and count the three. It says anywhere.
· Horny wins. He beats Chavo. He wouldn’t have beaten Joe Pesci though.
· I swear I wrote that before I saw.......Macauley Culkin! That was a fantastic cameo. Really, really funny.
· Speaking of Joe Pesci, his children stopped Freddie Prinze doing a Scoopy Doo follow up. If it wasn’t for those Pesci kids........
· Wasn’t a bad main event, but a bit muddled at times. It was too hard to work out who was face and heel, so the crowd didn’t know who to cheer.
· I didn’t really care for the end. Cena did for Jericho and Show a little too quickly and easily for my liking. I thought the RKO out of the celebrations was terrific, but Cena getting up soon after to rid the ring of Jericho and Show didn’t sell the big RKO spot whatsoever.
· Enjoyed the show overall, Prinze undersold the role really, but worked in context.

Raw Thoughts - August 10

· After Orton said “You people”, “Skull” and “Each and every one”, followed by Cena confronting him, including the head to head touching, I thought it was a formulaic opening to the show. However, thank goodness for the Unified tag champs, and the always hot Canadian crowds.
· King said early on that this is Bizzaroland, since in Canada they have a tendency to cheer for heels, particularly in Alberta, Bret Hart country.
· Jericho v Cena is a great booking as a main event – the crowd reactions will be amazing - but the trouble is I can’t see anything but a ‘schmozz’ ending.
· At least Jericho and Show making those challenges shook it up. I like that.
· Look for a Jericho Sharpshooter on Cena for cheers, or maybe Cena Sharpshooter to get heat.
· Hey, did they just mention Savage on Raw? Cool.
· Did Lillian say Alicia Keys?
· Gail looked amazing in that match. They can’t turn her heel, because she wouldn’t be able to do all that high flying stuff and not get cheered.
· Sarge heel turn!! Awesome. I love it.
· That’s a really good, tight little match by Swagger and Bourne, but it’s just too short. If that’s a serious rubber match, they have to be given longer.
· “The Search for Shawn Michaels”? Even just hearing that you have to think that it will be ridiculous and not at all a serious look at the guy who is perhaps the most respected performer in the industry, and who had one of the greatest matches of all time with perhaps the other candidate for most respected performer in the industry.
· Nope, as I thought. It’s complete nonsense. Vaguely funny gay joke, and then Michaels violently overacting as a chef. Just.......what?
· I am not down with this, and I have three words for you........”Lost in Cleveland”
· Hey, Eugene’s back. No entrance for him. Calgary Kid? I was sort of expecting Miz there, but it doesn’t look like him.
· Oh. Ok. It’s him. Hell, how gullible was I there?
· Did you expect Show and Orton to go any other way?
· The Tater Tot throwing girl’s timing was off. Too big a pause. Mind you Shawn sold the snack’s blow really well.
· How many more ticks in the ‘con’ column do you need? Why would Shawn, who was nearly penniless some months back, drop his high-paying wrestling job for one in a kitchen? How come he didn’t have anyone else working with him in his kitchen? How come he could chat to Hunter at lunch time? Isn’t he in breach of his WWE contract?
· Most importantly, why hasn’t there been a wrestling chef before? I can’t remember one, anyway. I would have thought that during the mid 90s there ought to have been one.
· Was that UFC.com on that list of sites WWE.com has beaten? Wow, UFC and Savage mentioned on the same show?
· I’ll give you the SummerFest and Hickenbottom lines. They were pretty funny. But overall that was horrific. Thank God they did it in one week.
· Do you reckon that was in the cafeteria at Titan Towers and the extras were all WWE staff?
· Fair enough, the MVP/Masters/Swagger stuff. Gotta find something for these guys, and for Raw week-to-week.
· The Duggan/Hart thing was unnecessary. Shouldn’t have played Bret’s music.
· I’m not sure I’d have done that Jericho swerve. Didn’t have a great deal of effect. In fact if anything it numbed the crowd a little, as those that were not going to cheer for Cena still didn’t, they just didn’t cheer for Jericho either.
· Ending to the main event was terrible. The timing during the match was a little off, too. Tag team announcement for next week made sense. The RKO on Jericho looked amazing, but Jericho’s legs went really high. Hopefully he’s ok.
· Barely a whisper about Show and Shaq this week, by the way. Little bit at the start with Cena, but not much from commentators.

Raw Thoughts

· I don’t profess to know either the American audience or the younger demographic. I thought that was the worst opening segment I have seen in many a year. I have no idea who either Jeremy Piven or Dr Ken are (although I have heard of Entourage) and between Piven’s smug attitude (should have been a heel GM) and the annoying little shit he had with him, I wanted to crawl into a hole.
· Cena burying Miz was completely unnecessary. Just telling the audience he is not very good is ridiculous. Just moronic. And then to cap off this most ludicrous of Raw openings, the all-knowing GM says that if Miz doesn’t beat Cena tonight, he is banned from “Summerfest”. Good save by Cena admittedly, but that was so embarrassing.
· At this point, what hook do you have to keep watching. A match which Cena noted that we saw last week and lasted two minutes, and have seen three times previous to that, and another Triple H Handicap match, this time with Rhodes and DiBiase. If I wasn’t working, I’d switch this show off.
· Hmm, did Swagger really need to dominate Bourne so badly, and completely negate the win last week.
· Too much Shaq in this Show to be coincidence – you’d think a match might be on down the line. When does the NBA season finish, because I’d surprised if they let Shaq do anything while he has to compete.
· Show given a US title match. Putting another belt on him to make him a champion and therefore a more mainstream commodity? Advertise on ESPN Shaq v US Champion Big Show?
· Decent divas match there. Beth, Mickie and Gail might well be the best three workers in the company, and Jillian is ok, without being spectacular. She is actually a very good bumper and seller.
· Decent enough handicap match, with the right result, and a setup for HBK’s return.
· I would dearly, dearly love HBK to return in time for Summerslam, and announce that he’ll team with Triple H to take on Legacy. They would then have a decent ten minutes or so again Orton’s duo, before Michaels turns round and Superkicks Triple H.
· Shawn v Hunter has been done before, but not for a long time, and never with Trips as babyface and Shawn as the heel.
· I think Primo v Carlito might have been a nice hook for Superstars. They could have a decent amount of time to wrestle, and it may have drawn a fan or two extra.
· Mind you, that said, the crowd were dead for this one.
· Didn’t seem worth breaking them up for a nothing feud that ends in this manner. I’m guessing the reason is to build Carlito up a bit, since he had a decent enough bout with Henry last week.
· I don’t think they’ve even mentioned Randy Orton yet, have they? Isn’t he the, erm.....what do call him.....oh yeah CHAMPION!
· Chavo, Hornswoggle blah blah. I’ll let them off this as the live crowd and kids lap it up. It’s inoffensive, really, I guess.
· Boring Show stuff to put him over as a monster Shaq has to conquer.
· Interesting Trips phone call – why did he get a phone plugged in the locker room and not use his mobile/cellphone? Obviously the intimation is that he is speaking to Shawn Michaels, and “I thought you didn’t do jobs” is another of those classic moments of Triple H (Or Shawn, for that matter) using insider terminology where others wouldn’t dare. I’m guessing we have a couple of weeks of Trips chasing Shawn, before he finally decides to come back. I just hope that, as I said before, Shawn swerves and has a lovely drawn out battle with his old pal.
· NICE!! Quality swerve by Piven and his pal, backing up Orton
· Very ordinary win for Cena in the end. Would have been a good opportunity to have a heel ending to one of these guest GMs.
· As annoying as he was throughout, Dr Ken trying to be friends with Cena and shouting “we did it” was pretty funny.
· Weak ending, when it had potential to be otherwise.
· Looking forward to seeing Sarge next week. Can’t have celebs every week.

Raw Thoughts - July 27

· Blimey, that Shaq is a big lad isn’t he?
· Shaq shows more charisma and ability to cut a promo in his first sentence than ZZ Top did all last week.
· Would Shaq O’Neal really book a “beat the Clock challenge?” Really? It’s one thing having guest hosts and pretending they are booking, but it’s quite another booking the same old concepts and attributing them to NBA stars.
· Loved the face off with Big Show. Made sense to do it, and Jericho was priceless refusing to fight Shaq when he hadn’t been challenged.
· Good opening seg. Don’t like the beat the clock idea, but Shaq was very at home on the mic, did some decent babyface schtick.
· Part of me wonders if Henry might win this. The way things have gone lately, it would make sense to have him face Orton at Summerslam while Trips and Cena sort themselves out. I’m not saying I want to see that, but that’s the corner they’ve booked themselves into.
· Massive flaw in the Beat the Clock format. Shouldn’t you put 10 men in the game, rather than five. You are simply telling everybody that Henry, Triple H, Cena, MVP and Swagger will win. You could book the same matches, but just say whomever wins get to post the time.
· Love the Ludvig Borga sign. There should be more obscure 90s wrestler signs.
· That was as good a Mark Henry match as I’ve seen in a long time.
· I’ll give them this about the beat the clock concept. We might be getting a fair amount of wrestling. That went nearly seven minutes, which despite not being an Iron Man match was longer than most Raw matches. We could end up with significantly more wrestling than usual this week.
· Better than average women’s match, probably because they gave Mickie, Gail and Beth plenty of time in the ring. Subtle annoyance from Mickie that Gail tagged herself in. Seems Gail v Mickie for Summerslam?
· I spoke too soon. Perhaps it’s not to be all predictable as to who wins. MVP draws with the returning Chris Masters, whose modified music made me think it was Goldust at first.
· Poor old Kendrick. He could be used as a talented jobber getting ten minute matches out of people, but nope, simply a comedy act getting beaten in seconds.
· I loved the attack on Triple H. Not because it might have put the kibosh on his chances, but it was unexpected and a bit different. I might have actually gone a little further and had DiBiase run away and not talk to Trips, with the camera only getting a sleeting glimpse, so you weren’t sure if it was him or not.
· Really enjoyed that Triple H v Cody Rhodes match. Not catch-as-catch-can classic but it was full of psychology. They injured the leg, and Cody continued to use LOGIC and follow it through. Triple H was chasing the win and clock, and the heels got the job done. That is really, really solid booking. Not writing, BOOKING.
· “How did you get some many ‘z’s?” is one of the greatest lines I’ve heard in ages. Santino was BACK this week.
· Actually popped a little bit when Bourne won. Not that I dislike Swagger, but because that was a legit shock, legit surprise and a really nice feelgood moment. I take back everything I said about the ‘stupid’ system of Beat the Clock, as it is actually proving rather effective thus far. This is a high quality Raw.
· Great Miz promo before the match, having a go at the crowd but linking to the match itself. He just has a great manner that makes you want to see him get his backside handed to him. Vince even got a little shot in Obama, which I’m sure he was delighted about.
· Actually, what I am I saying, of course it doesn’t absolve the Beat the Clock system. Why doesn’t Evan Bourne now have the fastest time? What kind of loopy system gives the opportunity for a man to beat Miz or Carltio to get a title shot, but beating Swagger doesn’t do anything for Bourne.
· I can’t believe I was actually hoping for a comprehensive Mark Henry win, but it would have preferable, at least so that someone different got a run at Orton. It would have done so much good. Someone fresh(ish) at the top, a new babyface promoted, and Orton could have beaten him clean and looked strong again, rather than Triple H and Cena’s bitch, which is all he has become.
· A just there main event, really, with the excuse of putting Shaq into that face-to-face situation with Show, with the hope for WWE that it’ll be on Sportscenter. Bit different from the face off with Mayweather, eh Paul?
· Plot holes abound and a frustrating booking trick for Summerslam, but otherwise an enjoyable Raw. Shaq was a very good guest host.

Night of Champions Live Blog

00.58am
I'll admit to you now, I'm ill prepared for tonight. I haven't got my normal PPV gear on (Tracksuit bottoms and WWE T-shirt) and I've forgotten to stock up with masses of Junk Food. I'll struggle on though.

01.00am
Short intro promo, and I think I saw a clip of Orton, Cena and Trips from back at last year's Mania, not even a current one. You can tell by the t-shirts.

01.02am
Oh for goodness sakes. This is the one match I was looking forward to. And it's on first?? That doesn't bode well for the level of the surprise does it? Jericho is on his was to face Legacy. Does Jericho have a curfew on a Sunday or something. His matches with Mysterio went on second or third, and now he jerks a curtain despite the build up for this. This basically rules out Christian, Ziggler or anyone else not on the show already, doesn't it?

01.06am
Jericho with the mic. And its..........Edge explaining why he got hurt.

01.07am
Small pop for the video, more bad words for Edge and its.........

01.08am
THE BIG SHOW???? OH COME ON! I don't mean to swear, but the fucking Big Show?

Seriously, who thinks this is a good idea? Anybody? Big Show hasn't had an entertaining match in five years. Jericho has been providing gold at every turn, and now he has this big lummox to deal with.

What does this achieve? What in the hell does it achieve? It makes matches worse; it lets down people expecting an exciting mystery partner; it drags Jericho down; it elevates no-one. Absolute bullshit.

01.15am
Crowd are basically dead. Imagine how they would be if this was Christian.

A small chant for Y2J. He is the best heel in the business, and yet people are chanting for him. That's not because the rest are great heels, its that Jericho is the only one over.

This is a heel v heel match. I can't believe the amount of idiocy involved in this booking.

01.17am
A couple of move notes - Legacy did the old Cade and Murdoch high-lo move, and Cody just broke out a gorgeous moonsault to a standing Jericho. And Teddy hit a powerslam, not as good as his old man's. And Cole called it a scoop slam. Because he is an idiot. Or because he told in his ear to be one.

01.20am
I have to be fair, the crowd popped nicely for the finale. They got into to it as it went along. It wasn't a bad match by any means. But it will not be remembered for very long.

01.28am
Top promo by Punk (except the single parent line, which was uncalled for). Remember the theory about the heel believing what he says, or at leats feeling it could be true. Everything Punk says could make sense. He delivers it tremendously. This is a proper heel turn. Don't turn on another midcarder no-one cares about, call the fans on their love for a top star. This live crowd will be hugely behind Hardy in the title match.

I wonder if they did that because Punk has been mega over in Philly before, and since they are a notoriously raucous crowd, his pious promo would turn them completely against him.

01.29am
ECW now. This could be fun. Dreamer back in Philly, we could get quite the split crowd here.

01.30am
OK, that was a pretty cool pop for Christian. Maybe he's the favourite.

01.41am
I quite enjoyed that. Hard to get a face v face match going after a heel v heel one, but it was done reasonably. Crowd were slightly in favour of Christian, but it was tapered because of their liking for Dreamer.

As an aside, I really enjoy listening to Striker. He is a great analyst. He'll not go much highly up the ladder, because he isn't a big enough name, but he adds far more to an individual match than King does. Matt actually talks abouot why moves happen, and what effect they have. King can do this, because he used to. He should be allowed to do it more. I miss the (even vaguely) heel colour commentator.

01.46am
Six pack challenge next. I wish they'd get Sean Waltman to at least make a cameo.

Swagger out first, followed by Carlito and a pretty decent reception for Miz, I think. I've predicted Kofi, but I'd love to see Miz win this by sneaky, foul means.

Primo out next, so he's replacing The Big Letdown. Then MVP and.........my TV has just gone black..........

01.49am
Shit, I've just realised what I typed. I didn't mean that to sound bad. My TV genuinely lost signal, and came back just as Kofi entered the ring. Please don't think I've started talking like Bill Watts or something.

01.55am
This one is like a TNA X-Div opener. You can decide for yourself if that is a positive.

01.57am
Great exchange of nearfalls with Kofi, Carltio and Primo. Well deserved round of applause.

01.58am
I quite enjoyed that. I always think each PPV should act like the old circus theory. You know, if you don't like the clown, you might like the juggler. (I don't mean 'insane clown' and 'juggalo') I mean that it might not all be for you, but something will be. And you need variety. Three hours of the same stuff gets boring. I see no problem with throwing out six guys and having some fun.

No-one looked weak. Swagger got some good dominant spots in. MVP build the crowd up some. Miz was sneaky. Carlito backstabbed his bro. Kofi looked athletic. All fine by me.

02.04am
I am not a Michelle McCool fan. I was not looking forward to the McCool v Perez match.

But that opening spot was f'n awesome. Great stuff.

02.12am
I tell you what, I'll give them credit for that. I enjoyed that match. It was way better than I expected - far exceeding my expectations. I didn't care for a touch of Melina overselling (noise) and then underselling (taking a DDT on the barricade then fighting back seconds later) but it was creative, it was intense, featured some innovative spots.

I am very pleased to be wrong. Very well done, ladies.

Favourite part of the match, though, was Todd forgetting the divas marketing slogan "Smart, sexy and.....whatever the other word is." Unintentionally hilarious - but I think he might get a little telling off for that.

Four matches, one title switch so far. How many more?

02.13am
Triple threat next. Interesting positioning. Cole says it all started a few short weeks ago. No it didn't, it started years ago, and hasn't bloody changed. That's the problem.

02.49am
I may sound like Mr Predictable, but I'm afraid I didn't care for most of that.

I'll start with some postives. I liked the opening where Cena and Triple H worked together to get to Orton. I liked the fact that they addressed the double tap-out and the ref didn;t know what to do. I like the creative RKO to finish.

BUT......

I didn't like Orton winning but Triple H and Cena having claims at the title still - suggests we won't get rid of them yet.

I didn't like the double run in prompting a comment that it was no DQ. If it is no-DQ why don't they use low blows and weapons and all kinds of shit?

I didn't like the pace of the match. It was very slow, featured little or no creativity, and had the standard one man outside, two men in format.

I didn't like the hokey Cena fightback. That legdrop/leaping fameasser move is horrible.

I didn't like the length it was given to achieve very little indeed.

Apart from that it was fine.

02.53am
Nice backstage seg with Maryse and Miz. I like the fact they are developing this relationship in a slightly different manner to the usual wrestling romances. Miz actually showed a small element of babyface in his comeback to the French Canadian. Maybe he'll start to court another diva, with Maryse getting jealous?

03.04am
That would be title switch number two tonight, then, as The Divas Title joins the ECW Championship in jumping to the challenger.

Mickie James being champ is fine. I like Mickie, and I would like to see her be given enough time to work with Gail Kim. That would be great. Also a possibility that they may look at the stupidity of having two female titles and unify them, especially now that both champs have been Diva's and Women's champions, for what that is worth.

The match itself was ok. Maybe. It certainly wasn't as good as Michelle v Melina, which I'm surprised about, but I have to go with the evidence of my eyes. To me, this was the match the girls should be allowed to have on Raw from time to time rather than their crappy little three minute tag matches.

03.28am
Really, really good match. Best on the show by a country mile, and without a doubt Ziggler's most impressive outing to date. It has to be. Massive credit to Mysterio, who is a terrific seller, especially given the fact that he cannot use facial expression to help him.

I thought the outcome was correct. Mysterio is over with the kids and having a belt helps his image. It also helps the IC strap, because it needs star power and stability. The result is also the right one, because it underlines my point that I made last month (about Miz and Cena) that you don't have win to be put over, and you don't always get over if you win.

Ziggler will have gone up in many folks (on sofas and backstage) estimations, and will come back again. Great job.

03.30am
Interesting promo for the Tag Team DVD. Billy and Chuck getting a viewing was incredible, and interesting that Championship wrestling from Florida and WCCW got mentions, but ECW didn't. No Public Enemy?

03.33am
One to go then, and just two title changes thus far. I think we'll get one here though.

03.53am
Did JR just call Jeff Hardy a "High risk junkie"? Ouch. Shouldn't have said that, Jim.

Anyway, the aforementioned Jeffrey Nero Hardy is the World Champion. The ending was a little anti-climactic. I thought Punk deserved a little more than a rather limp finish where he was dragged back to the ring and beaten.

The match in general was good. It wasn't spectacular, but it was plenty solid, and I would suggest this issue may not be finished. I still spy a gimmick match blow off for these two at Summerslam.

Credit to Punk here, I think, for his facial expressions, really helping to convey emotions and his character. Credit also to the cameramen and directors for picking this up. Not easy, that.

Overall, that's an ok show. A couple of missteps, but mostly a parade of stuff which was a touch above average. Three title changes is a reasonable amount, and plenty of viewers, especially the young, will go home/switch off happy with Rey and Jeff picking up wins in the last two matches.

Night of Champions Preview

Every title on the line in one night. What a fantastic opportunity to explain to the entire “WWE Universe” (yes I used that sarcastically) that the company has too many titles and too many title holders that don’t hold the public attention.

You can see why they turned me down for that marketing job with WWE can’t you?

By the way, if you go to the WWE website and get asked to do a survey, it’s all about Gillette. I just went there and expected to be asked searching questions about their TV shows and storylines, but instead it asked me about my Razor.

“What do you think about the Razor?” it said.

“He was awesome in his ladder matches with Shawn, but I didn’t care for the Goldust programme” I replied.

Anyway, it is Night of Champions tonight, where there is a possibility that I have opened up the prospect of looking forward to something which will likely be a massive letdown. The old mystery partner thing. More on that later. Let us now run down the card.


Michelle McCool v Melina (Divas championship, I think) (Frankly, Who cares?)
Oh dear God I have to sit through another Michelle McCool PPV match. When you have about 12 divas in the company, and about 4 of them can actually work, it is so pathetic having two title. Have a unified one like the tag titles, and let one of the talented girls work all brands.

Melina is the kind of worker who can add to a match with a talented worker. In fact, her matches with Beth Phoenix have been some of the best women’s matches of recent times. McCool, though, is torture to watch. I hate saying things like this sometimes, because she may well be a very nice person, and I’m sat behind a computer screen slagging her off. Well, I’m a jolly nice chap, and she may hate my writing style. I don’t care. Her prerogative.

Anyway, this match is not going to be the highlight of my evening. I think they’ll spin Maryse v Mickie out for another month (I’m giving away my future predictions here, aren’t I?) with a Maryse win, so I’ll take Melina to have this one to balance things out.

Prediction – Melina



Maryse v Mickie James (the other female title, probable the Women’s one)
Err, I’ve already said, haven’t I?

To be fair, this has been a tidy little programme, at least giving the impression they’ve given some thought into it. I still want to see heel Mickie again, because she was really awesome, but I’m glad that her babyface character is back in high profile again. Lord knows what Beth has done to piss someone off.

I’ll take Maryse to win by foul means, foot on the ropes or something similar.

Prediction – Maryse

And another thing.......All participants in female matches at Night of Champions have names beginning with M. And I believe they are all their real names. There you, hard hitting wrestling journalism at its very best.



Christian v Tommy Dreamer (ECW Title)
I’ll have to view this as though my theory that Christian could be Chris Jericho’s mystery partner is incorrect, I guess, because it is admittedly unlikely.

The thing to look at with this match is really how long they want to run with Dreamer as champion. Fair enough that they didn’t get rid of him as champ straight away, because they needed to give the run a bit of credence, but if they have him as the top man for too long, the pudgy fellow who has been a jobber for about five years will start to make the rest of the roster look bad.

In multi-man match it makes sense to have Dreamer go over, but in a one-on-one, it just makes no sense to have Dreamer best Christian.

But then, am I seriously thinking that Christian will be looked after by WWE?

Perhaps I’m being naive, who knows? It just seems highly unlikely to me that Dreamer would be booked to cleanly defeat Christian. I hope that is the case, anyway.

Prediction – Christian



Rey Mysterio v Dolph Ziggler
And here is another candidate for the Jericho partner. No, no, silly, not Rey Mysterio, but Mr Ziggler.

Ziggler has rather suddenly been given a sizable push, but could be really be put over Rey Mysterio? I wouldn’t think so, but I am suddenly looking forward to this match, so credit to WWE for positioning Ziggler as a genuine threat. After all, that is actually what wrestling is supposed to be about. Not Leprechaun embarrassing Mexicans, but two WRESTLERS competing and the audience having an interest in who wins.

I think that Ziggler is more likely to be given the spot as Jericho’s number two than the IC Champ, however. I just hope that this match is a good one, because it has the potential to be.

Prediction- Rey Mysterio



Kofi Kingston v Big Show v Miz v Carlito v Jack Swagger v MVP – US Title, six pack challenge
Firstly, apologies for calling Kofi the IC champ and not US champ this week.

But will he still be champ after tonight. I think he probably will, because I don’t see a lot of value in swapping a title in a match like this. To me, a wrestler should win a title to either underline his dominance, or to add value to his character. If the former, then you don’t really want to show how rubbish the opponents are.

To me, the only man who can win to show dominance is Big Show, and since a) no one wants to see that and b) it would ruin the rest of them it would be a pointless step.

Anyone else wins they are basically getting a bit lucky, due to the nature of the contest. You have four wrestlers in the match who you could make by giving them a title. Miz, Swagger, Carlito and MVP (especially the first two) would all benefit from a title win, but surely winning it in a straightforward one-on-one contest would hold more sway, and give them a better rub.

Anyway, that’s a convoluted way of saying that I don’t think they’ll switch the title. I can see the finish being Big Show destroying Swagger, Miz, MVP and Carlito, and then walking into a spinning Kofi Kick (I always forget its name – is it trouble in paradise?)

Prediction – Kofi Kingston to retain.



Tag Team title match – Chris Jericho and his mystery pal v Legacy

I’m not going through a big long look at the possible partners again, but realistically it’s Swagger, Christian, Miz or Ziggler, I would think. Somebody suggested Punk, but I don’t buy that. Can’t see it being Kendrick after his squash by the King.

A returnee? Chris Masters perhaps? Or Eugene? That second one is a joke, but surely Masters could be possible.

After that, it’s left field stuff, including Rick Steamboat and Shawn Michaels. I’m not saying they are likely, but they are possible.

These, though, would need a leap of faith that Jericho would turn face again, and this make so little sense it is untrue. Having lost Edge as a top heel, Jericho has to keep him place I would think. Even more so with the promise of Edge to come back as a babyface to feud with Jericho, possibly to Wrestlemania.

I think the most likely candidate, realistically, is Swagger. He has the smart-ass persona that would ingratiate himself to Jericho. I don’t see why they blew off the MVP feud as quickly as they did unless Swagger was lined up for something else. Perhaps even the Swagger Raw debut was with this in mind (although that probably falls down, since I think it was before Edge got injured). Character-wise Swagger simply compliments Jericho the best, and the fact that he is an up-and-comer who will benefit from the association would be even more reason to give him the gig.

Miz is possible, and I wouldn’t complain. It’d be entertaining. I hope it’s not Ziggler. I don’t see him as deserving as the last two mentioned. I’d love to see it be Christian, but I’m not overly hopeful. Not as much as I was when I tipped him nearly two weeks ago.

Oh fuck it, it’ll probably be bloody Great Khali, won’t it?

As for the match, I would assume that Jericho and partner win. Makes no sense otherwise.

This may well lead to Legacy being rebuked by Orton, and a further DiBiase babyface turn tease.

Prediction – Jericho and Swagger to win


World Heavyweight Title – Jeff Hardy v CM Punk
I thought there might have been a stipulation attached to this one, following on from the match last time. Because if CM Punk wants to get DQ-ed again, what is stopping him?

Here’s what I forsee happening. I will take Jeff Hardy to win the World Heavyweight Title this very evening, and he will do so after another restarted match.

This time, as opposed to Hardy defeating Punk only to see his foot under the ropes, we’ll get CM Punk once again getting disqualified, but since Teddy Long is still trying to impress Vinny Mac, he’ll controversially restart the match, saying to Punk that he doesn’t away that easy. Hardy hits a Swanton, new champion.

We then get Punk bitching about the decision on Smackdown and telling Long and Hardy what a cheap way to win a title that was, with the obvious irony being that he won it cheaply in the first place.

We then book Hardy v Punk III, perhaps in a cage or simply no DQ, for Summerslam.

This would tick all boxes. You’d have a victory and a title run for Hardy before he has a hiatus. You have Punk getting a couple of comeuppances, but still maintaining his stance of doing nothing wrong.

Prediction – Hardy to win, eventually


Randy Orton v Triple H v John Cena

I’ll give you the prediction I’ve had in my head for ages, but I’ll temper it at the end with a new thought.

I’ll go with Cena to win the title here. The fact that Triple H said that as long as Orton loses he’ll be happy might have been more important than we initially realised. I’d say Cena wins and becomes champ, opens Raw, and is cut off by Triple H, demanding a shot at him. This would eventually lead to Game v Cena at Summerslam. It’s been brewing, and although we’ve been there before, I actually think it would work right now.

To add a little bit of spice, I’d have a guest host (Maybe Shaq tomorrow) book Orton v Cena in Randy’s mandatory rematch on Raw to have a hot main event on TV. Cena can win this reasonably clean, after DiBiase screws up a run in, and then Randy has no logical claim to have number one contendership.

That’s how I projected things last week, but suddenly I realise that leaves nothing for Orton at Summerslam. He is too big a name to leave off the card, but has no logical opponent. You can’t suddenly have him wrestling MVP for no reason, and they best not pull out DiBiase v Orton now and have a Lergacy break up. They could roll this all the way to Survivor Series or even beyond.

Perhaps it makes more sense for Orton to retain, and Cena v Triple H to just be a grudge match. Orton could then face a new challenger for the belt (Oh God it would be Mark Henry, wouldn’t it?) with less need for a backstory for the match.

I wouldn’t like to see Orton win, mainly because it would mean the same winner that came from the Wrestlemania 24 match between this trio. WWE are getting enough grief (some of it from me) for rehashing the same old stuff, they need to make sure they don’t tread even closer to the line they have already drawn.

Prediction – John Cena.......I think

Enjoy the show folks, I’ll be back with my patented Live Blog for this one.



LATE UPDATE – I’ve seen on Chris Jericho’s Twtter page that he says his partner will be EVIL. That hints towards Kane.........or Taka Michinoku.

Raw Thoughts - July 21

· Funny how these guest hosts keep booking main events which are exactly how WWE normally books things.
· Haha, I love Cena saying several things which make the crowd cheer, then says that the title match at Night of Champions will be one of the greatest of all time – silence!
· Good use of history, though, explaining that the three-way happened at Wrestlemania and Orton boasting that he won.
· Orlando must be pissed off. Hottest crowd in ages last week on Raw, and now Cena is buttering up this crowd saying how awesome they are. They may well be, but no love for Orlando. Poor souls.
· Cena and Triple H are getting more and more pally. I spy the old “I respect you” thing before one turns on the other and they wrestle at Summerslam
· Ridiculous – absolutely ludicrous – promo by Triple H, saying he doesn’t really care about the belt. The Hobbit exchange with Cena was reasonably funny, but to say he doesn’t want the belt, when he has spent ten almost solid years chasing it, is so daft. So that’s Jarrett in TNA and Triple H in WWE who don’t want the belt. Aren’t these people meant to be running things?
· Six man match for the IC title should be fun. The tag setup made perfect sense.
· And, to be honest, that was a very good six-man tag. Interesting, though, that a man not in the match got the pinfall
· That’s two ZZ Top segments now, and even Chris Jericho couldn’t save that one. Doesn’t that say something to you? That even Jericho didn’t make a segment interesting. Turns out he’s wrestling Mark Henry tonight, and no mention of his mystery partner.
· So what did that achieve? Lawler beats Kendrick, who presumably is either about to be canned, or has annoyed someone backstage about something.....again.
· Ooh, waitress at a Waffle House – is that a thinly veiled pop at a certain former superstar who ended up flipping waffles.
· The WWE Players recreate Jake Roberts and Rick Martel for your viewing pleasure. Maryse v Mickie in a blindfold match??
· Oh dear, Lillian, spit it out. Nope, not good enough. Best resign.........
· Dear God, somebody save Chavo from this pain. And us, the viewers, for that matter.
· Triple H and Cena are being way too pally. There has to be a destruction from this, possibly tonight.
· So......is that Jericho turning face again? Or is it just for the bit against Legacy. Nice feel to that three-man exchange, though.
· Couldn’t be Steamboat as Jericho’s partner, could it?
· Shaq – nice coup, should get some good mainstream sports publicity. But surely more wrestling legends would bolster the audience for ratings purposes?
· Ordinary main event – just the same as last week, really, except the match ended in a pin and not a DQ.
· Another nothing Raw. Very little to right home about in terms of action or storyline. ZZ Top’s involvement corny, and they are in danger of watering down the guest host concept if the host just books the same old matches we see every week.