Welcome to another live RAW Report! The only advertised match is Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt vs The Usos. Credit to the WWE for actually advertising the match on commercials too. Randy Orton also is going to give The Authority a piece of his mind. What will he say? Follow along to find out!
Not A Much Better Start To This Angle In Week 2
RAW started with The Usos vs Bryan and Bray. Jey started with an uppercut to Bryan but Bryan came right back with a running knee. Bryan landed some kicks in the corner then tagged in Bray. Bray continued to work over Jey in the corner before tagging Bryan back in. Bryan hit a leg drop on Jey in the apron. Bray came back in and hit a splash in the corner. Bray made another quick tag to Bryan. He landed a couple kicks to the chest followed by one to the head. Jey fought out of a headlock and caught Bryan with a kick to the head. Jimmy Uso got the hot tag. He hit a clothesline followed by a Samoan Drop. He hit the Rikishi butt splash in the corner but Bray broke up the pin. Both Bryan and Bray were tossed to the outside and The Usos hit duel dives over the top. Both Usos went to the top and went for a splash off the top, but Rowan and Harper knocked them off, causing a DQ. The Usos escaped before they suffered any real damage.
After the match, Bray yelled at Bryan to get on his feet. Bray whispered something into Bryan’s ear and he got down on his knees. Bray pulled Bryan up and hit Sister Abigail on Bryan. Bray said he does this to everyone and they all walked up the ramp after.
Will Sandow Finally Get His Revenge?
It’s Damien Sandow vs John Cena. Sandow started with a headlock but Cena escaped and went into the armdrag/armbar takedown. Cena went into a headlock of his own. Sandow went for an armdrag but Cena blocked it and hit a hip toss. Sandow caught Cena with a kick then hit a few more in the corner. Sandow landed a few headbutts then a bodyslam into commercial.
Sandow had control back from break. But Cena quickly went into CENA MODE with the shoulder tackles and Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena went for the AA but Sandow escaped with a neckbreaker for two. Cena recovered and went for the STF but Sandow escaped and kicked Cena in the knee. Sandow applied the Royal Arch but Cena escaped. Cena did a full nelson toss into a neckbreaker for two. Cena went to the top but Sandow tried stopping him. Cena caught him with a kick and hit a tornado DDT for two. Cena went for the AA but Sandow escaped again with a pin attempt for two. Sandown hit a modified facebuster for two. Cena escpaed the You’re Welcome and applied the STF but Sandow got to the ropes. Sandow applied a crossface but Cena was able to stand up with Sandown on his back and hit the AA for the win.
A WWE Network promo aired.
Backstage, Brad Maddox mocked Kane for the start of the show. Kane told Maddox to enforce the rules then. He made The Usos vs Bryan and Bray again in a steel cage. Kane said that was a good idea, but he suggested the cage door should be locked and only he would have the key.
Big Show Squashes Tag Team: Check
Big Show vs Jack Swagger. Show landed a slap to the chest of Swagger then tossed him into the corner. Swagger caught him with a boot, but Show came right back with a shoulder tackle and a couple clotheslines. Show hit a back splash in the corner followed by another shoulder tackle. Show hit a chokeslam for the win. Show chased Cesaro away then went into the ring and grabbed Zeb. Show teased the KO Punch on Zeb for a bit before finally doing it.
The Obligatory Smackdown Rematch On RAW
The Shield vs CM Punk and The New Age Outlaws. Billy Gunn took down Ambrose with a headlock. Ambrose recovered and caught Gunn with an elbow. Rollins came in and walked right into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Road Dogg came in but Rollins caught him with a punch. Road Dogg caught him with a kick and hit a knee drop. Road Dogg went to an armbar and tagged in Punk. Punk went back and forth between turnbuckle and rammed Ambrose’s head into them. Punk landed some elbows but ran right into a kick from Ambrose. Ambrose escaped a GTS and Rollins came in, who also escaped a quick GTS attempt. Reigns tagged in. Both men exchanged punches until Reigns took him down with a clothesline. Punk reversed Reigns and tossed him to the outside, then hit a dive to the outside into commercial.
Back from break Punk took out Rollins with a spinning elbow followed by a neckbreaker. Rollins dropped Punk on the ropes and tagged in Reigns, who hit a running dropkick onto Punk on the outside. Nice move. Ambrose came in and went to a headlock. Ambrose hit an elbow and tagged in Rollins. Rollins hit a splash in the corner and tagged Ambrose back in. Ambrose worked Punk over for a bit before tossing him to the outside. Punk, however, reversed Ambrose and tossed him into the steps. Reigns tossed Ambrose back into the ring so Rollins could tag in. Rollins missed a clothesline off the top and hit a kick to the face. Reigns came in and stopped a tag but Punk took him out with a kick. He went to make the tag but the Outlaws jumped off the apron and walked to the bag. Punk tried fighting The Shield off but eventually caught a spear from Reigns to give The Shield the win. The Shield hit a triple powerbomb after the match.
The Wyatts cut a promo talking about finding redemption and a solution in the cage match tonight.
AJ and Tamina beat the Funkadactyls after AJ hit the Shining Wizard on Cameron. Naomi took out both heels after the match.
Randy Orton complained to Kane backstage about The Authority putting him in a match against Cena at the Rumble. Kane told him to take his frustration out on Kofi Kingston tonight.
The Ultimate Warrior was announced as the first inductee into this year’s Hall of Fame class.
Paul Heyman said that his client was not impressed with Big Show and Lesnar is still the obvious #1 Contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Odds Orton Yells STUPID Tonight?
Randy Orton vs Kofi Kingston. Orton tossed Kofi to the outside and hit an uppercut. Orton tossed Kofi into the barricade then got a two count back in the ring. Kofi caught Orton with a kick in the corner and landed a handful of kicks to the gut. Orton reversed Kofi and caught him with a clothesline. Orton dropped Kofi on the top rope. Kofi fought back on the outside but Orton slammed his head into the announce table. Back in the ring, Orton hit a superplex off the top rope for two. Orton went into his version of the Garvin Stomp. Kofi tried fighting back. He tossed Orton to the outside and went for a baseball slide but Orton moved. Orton caught him with an uppercut but Kofi blocked his attempt to slam him into the steps and Kofi slammed Orton’s head into the steps into commercial.
Orton had regained control back from break. Kofi was able to escape a headlock with a backdrop. Kofi landed some punches and kicks but caught himself in the ropes before Kofi could hit Trouble in Paradise, then he tossed Kofi to the outside. Orton tossed Kofi into both sets of steps. Orton went back to a headlock in the ring. Kofi fought out and tried starting a comeback but Orton moved out of the way of a dropkick. Orton went for an uppercut but Kofi went for a backslide and got two. Orton connected on an uppercut and went back to another headlock.
Kofi escaped and started a comeback. He went for the Boom Drop but Orton moved. Orton caught Kofi with a kick and went for the middle rope DDT, but Kofi escaped and hit the SOS for THE WIN. WOW.
Orton flipped out after the match and eventually worked his way over to Cena’s dad, who is sitting front row, and landed a handful of punches on him. Cena came out and chased Orton away and went over to check on his dad.
Back from commercial Cena’s dad was on a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance. Cena went along with him.
Anyone Else Enjoying All This Wrestling?
The Rhodes Brothers vs Rybaxel. Goldust caught Axel with a quick uppercut and Axel tagged in Ryback. Goldust tossed Ryback into a Cody Rhodes boot in the corner, then Cody hit a moonsault on Ryback. Goldust came back in and Ryback made a blind tag, allowing Axel to come in and hit an elbow. Axel landed a couple of knees to the gut. Axel and Ryback hit a double team move with Axel landed an elbow then Ryback a clothesline in the corner. Ryback hit a press slam for two. Goldust caught a charging Ryback with a boot and running bulldog. Cody got the hot tag and went to work on Axel. Cody caught Axel with a kick to the gut followed by a springboard dropkick for two. Cody caught Ryback with a Disaster Kick then Goldust knocked him off the apron with a boot to the face. Axel went for a quick schoolboy but only got two. Cody was able to recover and hit Cross Rhodes for the win.
Wait. You Mean Del Rio Can Fight Someone Other Than Sin Cara?
Rey Mysterio vs Alberto del Rio. Rey went for a quick 619 but Del Rio bailed to the outside. Rey instead hit a seated senton to the outside. Back in the ring, Rey hit another seated senton then caught Rey with a kick to the head for two. Del Rio countered Rey and hit a dropdown armbar. Del Rio went to another armbar, then a tlit-a-whirl backbreaker. Del Rio tossed Rey into the corner, but Rey moved and Del Rio went right into the post then the outside. Rey caught Del Rio with a boot to the face. Del Rio caught him in the corner, but Rey countered with a hurricarrana followed by a 619. Del Rio knocked Rey off the apron and caught him with a kick to the head. Del Rio applied the cross armbreaker for the win.
After the match, Del Rio said Batista would meet the same fate if he showed up next week. And he will toss Batista out of the Royal Rumble too.
Backstage, CM Punk asked Kane where The Authority was. Kane said they weren’t there. Punk said he was done dealing with Triple H’s lackeys. Kane said he did just find out Punk was in the Royal Rumble. Punk said he had no problem with that, but did have a problem with him.
Curtian Jerk and Main Event In The Same Show
Main Event Time. The Usos took control early with a kick to the gut and dropkick on Bray. Daniel Bryan took out one of the Usos and Bray tossed the other into the cage. Bray and Bryan regained the upperhand. One Uso was catapulted into the cage. Bryan and the other exchanged punches on top of the cage. Bray came up and landed some punches of his own. Bray was pulled off the cage. One of the Usos hit a russian leg sweep off the top rope to the mat. (I apologize for not referring to each Uso by name. But if the announcers aren’t going to tell me which one is which, I have no clue.)
Bryan and Bray had control back from break. One Uso hit a Whisper in the Wind off the top rope for two. Bryan landed some kicks on the other Uso in the corner then a running dropkick. Bryan tried escaping but the Usos hit a double backdrop off the top. Bray took out one Uso and went to hit Sister Abigail, but the other Uso caught Bray with a kick to the face. Both Usos tried escaping but Bray and Bryan stopped them. They brawled, but one Uso headbutted Bryan and he fell into Bray, who was crotched on the rope. One Uso hit a dive onto Erik Rowan and the other escaped as well, giving the Usos the win.
After the match, Bryan fell to his knees again and Bray went for Sister Abigail, but Bryan shoved him away. Bray challenged Bryan and called him a coward. Bryan stood motionless as Bray charged at him and Bryan moved. He hit kicks in the corner followed by a running dropkick. Bryan hit more kicks to the chest followed by a kick to the head. Rowan and Harper tried climbing the cage but Bryan tossed Bray into that side of the cage. A great visual of the entire arena chanting YES as Bryan hit the running knee on Bray. Bryan celebrated on top of the cage to end the show.
WHAT I LIKED
The End Of RAW: It may have been a bit rushed, but the ending to RAW was great. How the WWE sees an ENTIRE CROWD chanting YES and not give Bryan the proper push is beyond me. Bryan continues to remain over despite their terrible booking of him. And don’t forget, Kane added the stip with the door being locked. Maybe this is all a plan thought of by Kane and Bryan to get some revenge?
Cena/Sandow: This was almost the same match they had in October, but the Money in the Bank stipulation wasn’t involved this time. I would still like to see Cena lose here and there but this was a good match despite the ending.
Six Man Tag: Eventually you knew the Outlaws were going to turn on Punk to build into the HHH story, presumably leading to their match at Wrestlemania. The action here was once again good as well. I’ll be interested to see the Outlaws explanation for their actions and whether they admit they were doing it for HHH.
Kofi Defeating Orton: I have no problem with the WWE Champion losing here. Mostly because it plays into Orton being paranoid and worried about The Authority not having his back.
A Solid Show Of Wrestling: There were no in ring promos on RAW tonight. It was dominated by wrestling, which is something that never happens nowadays.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Big Show/Real Americans: First off, Big Show doesn’t need to squash them. Second, why is it acceptable for face Big Show to attack helpless Zeb in the ring? Where is Jesse Ventura to call him out!
Kofi/Orton, The Match: I may not have had a problem with the ending, but the match itself just dragged and went way longer than it needed to. And I’ve liked Orton’s work lately, but these two are better than what they showed.
I thought this was a very good episode of RAW. As I said, it was dominated by wrestling and that is never a bad thing. There was some solid storyline development on the show and the ending was a great showcase of Daniel Bryan. Lots to like all around. Even the filler matches weren’t as bad as past RAWs. I’m giving this show an 7.
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka
