Quick Hits: WWE Raw 10.7.13 (w/MJH)

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Raw 10.8.13 (2)

Stephanie McMahon/Big Show Segment

<- Since he stopped crying, I’m not minding the Big Show story as much as I did. I still feel like someone else would have been better and benefited more form this angle though.

<- Stephanie has so much more personality when she’s a straight up heel compared to when she tries to play the patronizing “best for business” character. I honestly wouldn’t mind if Triple H went away for a little while & have Stephanie let all of the power go to her head.

Dolph Ziggler vs Damien Sandow

<- THIS is a good Damien Sandow. Less cartoon and more athlete.

<- Thought this was a much better match than the one from the PPV Kick Off. It looks like they might be setting these two up for World Championship feud whenever Sandow cashes in and if he does successfully.

<- Why the hell would a Bruno Sammartino appearance be featured only on the app and not promoted throughout tonight’s show!? I might be mistaken but wasn’t that also his first ever appearance on Raw?

Alicia Fox, Rosa Mendes & Aksana vs Natalya, JoJo & Eva Marie

<- Oh God… the “Total Divas” are getting in the ring. And again, why couldn’t they have cut one of these entrances for the Bruno segment?

<- When Aksana is looking better than you, maybe you should get out of the ring Eva.

<- It’s amazing how much Natalya stands out among these women. I wish she was around in a better era for the Divas division.

Brad Maddox Promo

<- Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan inside of the Hell in a Cell. Shocking…

<- The special referee twist is a nice touch. I wonder who the next person is to be bought off by the McMahons.

<- Well Booker just eliminated himself by saying he’ll do what’s “right for business.”

3MB vs Los Matadores

<- So much for repackaging Drew McIntyre.

<- The first El Torito action figure is going to be a huge seller.

<- Kudos to Heath Slater for selling that hurricanrana fantastically.

Paul Heyman Segment

<- Heyman’s the only man on the face of the planet that can claim that he beat CM Punk with both hands tied behind his back? I can CLAIM that too. I can also CLAIM that I dated Kate Upton.

<- Ahhh, just for the hell of it:

Kate Upton

<- Did Ryback just say “bull with my right now”?

<- I never thought I’d hear R-Truth’s music interrupt CM Punk.

<- I guess their obliged to give R-Truth a bit of the spotlight since they used him for all of the Hell In The Cell promotional items.

<- Watching that match made me want to see CM Punk in a regular tag team. Maybe not with R-Truth but Punk getting the hot tag was damn fun!

Bob Backlund Promo

<- Hmm, Booker T says he’ll do what’s best for business and now Bob Backlund says something… similar…. I think. I wonder if the third choice will be a major fan favorite. Mick Foley maybe?

<- Annnnnnnd Bob Backlund just exited the stage off the side that’s a straight drop. That’s the unexplained wonderfulness that is Bob Backlund.

Randy Orton vs Kofi Kingston

<- Remember when Kofi Kingston was feuding with Randy Orton in an upper mid-card feud? Don’t worry, most people don’t.

<- Being an athletic babyface is almost a death sentence nowadays. Two nights in a row, Kofi Kingston’s been used has enhancement talent just because he agile & knows how to sell. It really is a no-win situation.

<- Randy Orton may have been in the WWE main event for over 10 years but he’s still one of the quickest and most fluid guys in the ring when he wants to be.

<- A LOT more offense for Kingston before the typical Orton beatdown lately. After the PPV, I expected another segment where Orton just destroys his opponent but at least we got a match tonight.

<- Wow, that crowd was completely dead until Daniel Bryan entered the ring. It truly is incredible how over Bryan has become in the “land of the giants”.

Shawn Michaels Promo

<- Shawn Michaels is the third entrant? Is there really any reason for a vote now?!

<- I was curious when HBK would be worked into this angle considering his history with Triple H and the fact that he trained Daniel Bryan early on.

<- I’m a little surprised Michaels just dropped the fact that he trained Bryan so nonchalantly. It should add a great wrinkle to the Bryan/Authority feud.

World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio vs Richardo Rodriguez

<- What the hell?! That’s how you announce the return of your biggest star?? Are they really that desperate for ratings or are they turning Vickie Guerrero babyface? Knowing Cena, I had predicted he’d be back for Survivor Series but I guess Hell In A Cell is just a few weeks sooner. His triceps injury must not have been as bad as they originally thought.

<- That’s one way to write Richardo off of TV for a while. Again. They really need a direction for this character if they want to continue with it.

<- I’m still baffled. No surprise return. No weeks of hype videos. Just a random announcement by the heel General Manager of SMACKDOWN that Cena will return to challenge for the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP. There are so many confusing elements of this situation…

Fandango vs Zack Ryder

<- Fandango wins again with the always impressive (but dangerous) top-rope legdrop. I’m still surprised he’s not feuding with a newly crowned R-Truth over the Intercontinental Championship.

<- Shawn Michaels is the special referee at Hell In A Cell. What a shock. At least Booker T has that “Greatest World Heavyweight Champion of All-Time” poll he won…

The Real Americans vs Santino Marella & The Great Khali

<- Let’s just get to the Cesaro Swing and be done with this match.

<- Thank you. Now get Khali off of my TV.

<- Santino Marella should be booed out of the building for breaking up any game of Midget Tossing!

MizTV with The Miz

<- OK, maybe the Miz’s guest isn’t The Miz. Imagine if Bray Wyatt showed up on a show like Conan in character. That would be incredible.

<- Wait a second, the Miz just got away from all three members of the Wyatt Family? They need lessons on gang attacks from The Shield.

The Shield vs Cody Rhodes, Goldust & Daniel Bryan

<- I’m still hoping for a tag team program between The Shield & The Rhodes Brothers before Cody splits off on his own.

<- Goldust really is moving better in the ring than I’ve seen him in a long, long time.

<- Cody Rhodes vs Dean Ambrose for the US Championship could be a fun feud. Rhodes has always worked better with someone who can put together a good, story-driven match & Ambrose could be one of those guys.

<- Great run-in by Randy Orton that even confused Kevin Dunn calling the camera angles. For the first time, that RKO really did kind of “come out of nowhere”.

<- That was a short but damn fun 6-man match.

The Shield/Triple H/Big Show Segment

<- It’s nice that the sound guy likes The Big Show enough to cue his music even though Show’s been “fired”.

<- Damn that was pop that I didn’t expect for the knockout punch! One, I didn’t think Big Show was that over with the majority of the crowd and two, I thought most people expected it once Big Show’s music hit.

<- Anyone else wonder if Daniel Bryan thought of “choking” Triple H with his own tie when Bryan bent down to fix it?

<- Overall, an OK Raw after a terrible PPV. The Shawn Michaels return and John Cena announcement came out of left field while the rest of the night seemed to pieced together as the show went on. At this point, I honestly don’t even care who wins the WWE title. Just put the belt on someone and let’s move on.

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