1. I’m surprised they’re going again with the “entertainer vs wrestler” angle but I guess if it worked for John Cena & CM Punk, it should work for Cena versus Daniel Bryan. The makeover angle wasn’t as nearly as good as Stone Cold Steve Austin’s but it was entertaining to a degree. I think we all expected a lot more out of it because of the way it was hyped and it just didn’t live up to expectations. Bringing in Wade Barrett was an odd choice but I have a feeling he was the first guy in the back to raise his hand when asked who wanted to get shaved on Raw. They didn’t even have a match afterwards, that’s how random the selection was. Oh and Bryan’s new t-shirt is a home run. With so much more interaction between Cena and Bryan thanks to the Total Divas show to go along with the SummerSlam hype, this was a perfect addition for Daniel Bryan fans and anti-John Cena fans alike.
2. FINALLY the WWE did what was right for Alberto Del Rio! I’ve said for weeks that Richardo Rodriguez’s return would only hurt Del Rio’s new vicious side and the momentum he’s gained from it. This angle on the other hand just bolstered it immensely. Now Del Rio can be a straight up “bad guy” without the gimmicky ring announcer who can very easily be assigned to a new Superstar who will then immediately have a built-in story to feud with Del Rio.
3. I’m happy that Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow are getting legitimate TV time now instead of just getting the general heat-inducing promo before getting squashed. I know Cody’s new thing is the mustache but that’s definitely something meant for a heel and not an emerging babyface – unless he was going by the name Ron Swanson. And the whole “stealing the briefcase” story is pretty hard to get into, even for the casual fan. Everyone knows that there’s just not ONE blue briefcase and if the Superstar loses it or the contract gets damaged, the WWE isn’t just going to ignore the fact that he won the ladder match. Rhodes and Sandow had enough to go on with Damien costing Cody the Money In The Bank match, I just don’t think the stealing of the case story was really needed.
4. The Shield vs Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton and John Cena – That could be pretty damn good.
5. I know why they keep booking the Wyatt Family vs Tons of Funk & it’s because it IS impressive that they can destroy guys of that size so easily. But imagine what kind of match they could have with a team like The Usos. And if I’m interpreting this correctly, Bray Wyatt versus Kane in an Inferno Match at SummerSlam would be a GREAT addition to a pretty stacked card. Plus if you’re going to SummerSlam, it would be a perfect place to debut this.
6. Very slick new CM Punk hoodie. I guess the WWE got sick of Punk wearing his “Gracie Dojo” hoodie on their TV shows. I know the PERFECT shirt to go with that hoodie too here! Anyway, remember when we hoped that Curtis Axel wouldn’t be used as the usual jobber fodder in the CM Punk/Brock Lesnar feud? I guess someone has to make the sacrifice. It’s just too bad it’s the Intercontinental Champion again. Oh and Triple H must be pissed about the intensity of the Punk/Lesnar feud. Their striking & brawls are so realistic that you know that’s what Triple H always wanted to accomplish in his feud with Lesnar.
7. “Paul, now say something stupid.” – That Brock Lesnar promo reminded of some of the classic Sycho Sid promos.
8. After watching Total Divas, I have a new-found respect for Summer Rae’s dancing. I also learned tonight that I didn’t miss Kofi Kingston at all.
9. Did anyone else feel like Triple H just said everything he’s wanted to shout for the last 5 years or so? Good thing it was all “in character” and not a “shoot”.
10. Well that STARTED to be a good Raw main event and then it just seemed like they gave up. The post-match stuff though was great. The crowd got really into the potential cash-in, especially when they’ve built John Cena vs Daniel Bryan for so long. It would have sucked for everyone looking forward to their match at SummerSlam but a quick cash-in right before a big, already advertised main event would do a lot for the legitimacy of the Money In The Bank briefcase going forward. They are doing a better job of keeping the Money In The Bank winners relevant this year though. I feel like that had a good amount of ground to make up for after last year’s John Cena failed cash-in and how long it took Dolph Ziggler to cash-in. They needed to re-establish not only the unpredictability of a cash-in but also the almost guarantee that the person holding the briefcase will be the new champion. They’ve done that pretty well on the Raw side of things & on the SmackDown side, they’ve at least given Damien Sandow a lot of spotlight even if he isn’t threatening Alberto Del Rio.
