10 Thoughts: WWE Raw 10.28.13 (Daniel Bryan, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, The Wyatt Family)

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Raw (Hartford 2013)

1. It’s been a LONG time since the World Heavyweight Championship was featured as a major championship on Raw and SmackDown. As a matter of fact, the last person I remember doing it was Triple H… It even looks like John Cena received a brand new belt to go along with his win over Alberto Del Rio at Hell In A Cell. It looks a little too shiny and the leather a little too stiff to be the one Del Rio was carrying. I have to say, it’s a nice career highlight for me to say the same day I had the privilege of interviewing “Mr. Money In The Bank” Damien Sandow, he cashes in his briefcase on John Cena. While he failed to win the championship, that might have been the best match of his career and I now completely understand why Sandow sounded so down when I was speaking with him Monday morning. The attack before the match made Sandow finally look like a vicious heel though and he convinced me that he could be a main eventer. Now if only his promos weren’t so gimmicky, I wouldn’t have any reservations in saying he could main event SmackDown. I do see him taking over the top spot that Del Rio currently holds as it seems the WWE has soured on the “Mexican aristocrat”, at least for the time being.

2. Another good match from The Shield and the Usos & (insert singles’ wrestler here). The Usos continue to demonstrate how over they are considering they never really win & definitely aren’t handed a microphone. I’m surprised The Shield picked up the win here since they teased tension in the ranks when Dean Ambrose referred to himself as the only champion left in the group, drawing looks from both Rollins and Reigns. The group is obviously going to split relatively soon but it’s looking more like Reigns & Rollins may drop Ambrose from the group & turn babyface in the process.

3. Damn that was a fun promo from Shawn Michaels. And that was 1997 & a sincerely motivated Shawn Michaels and it made for a great segment. I would love to call it a “money promo” but the one man in the wrestling business that has ever retired that I thought would stay retired is Shawn Michaels. So, in theory, there isn’t any money to be made off of Michaels versus Daniel Bryan as much as I think the world would clamor to see that match. All this did was give the audience a reason as to why Michaels cost Bryan the WWE Championship at Hell In A Cell and establish that Michaels is backing The Authority, whether Triple H is right or wrong, because they’re friends. It’s tough when one of your most compelling performers & one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time isn’t an active wrestler anymore. You WANT to see him on TV but they can never be a pay off if he doesn’t wrestle.

4. The Wyatt attacks and the “Devil made me do it” line seem entirely out of left field. Sure, CM Punk has no one to face right now so a program with Bray Wyatt isn’t too crazy but an attack on Daniel Bryan too? I’m assuming this leads to a Survivor Series match with Punk & Bryan teaming with 2 others (The Miz & Ziggler maybe) to face the Wyatt Family & a new recruit? Or maybe “the Devil”? This is definitely a story that needs to be flushed out more in order to really understand the point of tonight’s show but one thing’s certain, Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt Family are moving on up the card.

5. Kane is probably the only character in wrestling history who takes OFF his mask to become a bad guy. Realistically, I’m guessing this was done because “Jacob Goodnight” doesn’t wear a Kane mask in “See No Evil”. The pairing with The Authority bothers me almost as much The Big Show being such a focal point in the main event storyline. Why not give ANYONE who isn’t over the age of 40 a rub by pairing them with Stephanie McMahon or Triple H? Kane and Big Show have had their time & have had fantastic careers. But they are nowhere near the prime of their respective careers and should be used to build up younger stars in a strong mid-card.

6. Thank God the Ryback/CM Punk feud is dead.

7. Wait, The Real Americans just defeated the World Tag Team Champions cleanly?! Didn’t they just lose to two “matadors” and a midget dressed in a bull costume?! When did they become a serious threat to the tag champs? It always seemed pretty obvious to those who don’t work for the WWE that two guys with the size & talent of Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger (well, Cesaro anyway) shouldn’t be booked as a comedy act! I guess someone finally realized what was staring them in the face.

8. That promo from Alberto Del Rio was a glaring example of why he lost the World Heavyweight Champion and why his luster is all but gone. Play that promo side by side with one from when he debuted in 2010 and I doubt you’d see much growth.

9. Is anyone else confused as to why Natalya continues to come to the ring with Hornswoggle and The Great Khali when they JUST showed her wedding to Tyson Kidd on television? I swear, Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella getting engaged was the worst possible thing for Natalya’s career. At least she got a win on TV for once. Even if it was part of a comedy segment.

10. I wonder how this storyline would have played out if Bob Backlund won the fan vote to referee the WWE Championship match. Same old closing segment we’ve been seeing – Randy Orton & The Authority gloating about ruling the world, Big Show somehow gets into the arena & knocks someone out and Triple H looks mad. I’m scared because this is obviously leading to a match between Show & HHH and maybe even Show versus Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. And to think just a few months ago there was a youth revolution of Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, The Shield and Daniel Bryan. Now we’re going to get a match between two of the three men that main evented Survivor Series in 1999…

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