michael dworkis wants to feed me more…
Raw comes to us live from Newark, New Jersey! No, I am not there live, but I am watching it live to catch you all up to the events leading into this Sunday’s Pay-per-view, Tables Ladders and Chairs!
The big news is that CM Punk is out with an injury, and he will not defend the WWE Title against Ryback at TLC. Instead, we get Team Hell No teaming up with Ryback to face the new trio of The Shield. We start the show with an interesting promo from The Shield, promising to avenge more injustice in WWE.
Announced for next week… the return of… The Slammy Awards!!
We begin with a talk fest between Ziggler, Sheamus and Big Show. Tonight we will have Big Show vs. John Cena, and Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler sits on top of a ladder with his Money in the Bank case, and gloats how he will be World Champion after beating Cena in a ladder match at TLC. Sheamus comes out and talks about beating Big Show, and decides to push the ladder, sending Ziggler CRASHING to the arena floor. Ouch.
Vince McMahon comes out and challenges Vickie Guerrero to come with something big, and as Vickie tries to put AJ Lee in a handicap match, Vince winds up putting Vickie in the match. Uh, oh, trouble for camp Guerrero tonight.
R-Truth vs. Wade Barrett
Truth has been really impressing me as of late. I was once a big detractor, as I felt he did not contribute much to the show. After he made his heel turn into some crazy loon, he finally showed me some personality and entertaining skills to win me over. Thankfully, now back as a face and still displaying that talent, and he even stepped it up in the ring. Barrett goes to what he knows, brawling tactics to wear down the challenger to the United States Title. However, Barrett goes to the cellar one-too-many times and Truth counters into a quick roll-up for the pinfall victory
Winner by pin: R-Truth
To note, Kofi Kingston was also at ringside with Antonio Cesaro as this Sunday, Cesaro defends the U.S. Title against Truth, and Kofi defends the Intercontinental Title against Barrett.
Backstage: AJ is hugging everyone that she finally gets a match with Vickie. She barges into the men’s locker room to embrace with John Cena. Oy.
Fatal-Four Elimination Tag Team Match: The Primetime Players vs. The Usos vs. The Colons. Vs. Team Rhodes Scholars
Cody Rhodes is back after being out for a month with a bad injury. Sandow and Rhodes are a perfect team. The winners of this match will face Rey and Sin Cara in a tables match at TLC to determine the number one contender’s to the Tag Team Championship. The Usos and Colons start the match, and the Usos quickly dominate and eliminate the Colons with fast high flying moves. The celebration was premature as Jimmy (I think) Uso gets his clock cleaned by a running clothesline by Titus O’Neal. Unfortunately, we do not see much of the Primetime players as we cut to commercial, only to find out when we come back the ‘Players are eliminated in similar fashion by the Usos with a top rope frog splash. Down to Usos and Rhodes Scholars, the match is slowed down as Jimmy and Jay Uso dominate the match until Sandow takes control.
Unfortunately, my cable goes down, only to return to show Rhodes and Sandow victorious. I imagine that Sandow used his intellectual prowess to daze and confuse the Usos, allowing Rhodes to score with the Disaster Kick followed by Cross-Rhodes to gain the win.
Winners and Advancing to TLC: Team Rhodes Scholars
While the match itself was not long, we got to see Team Rhodes Scholars back in action. I really do not mine seeing Sandow go at it solo for a while, I really think he could be a future singles’ titleholder.
Alicia Fox vs. Eve Torres (non-title)
Before the match started, tonight’s Social Media Ambassador, Miss Piggy of The Muppets said she wants to greet Eve in person with a folding chair. Huh. Funny. No. Anyway, Eve is doing a prissy “I’m better than everyone” gimmick now, and frankly, it works for her. She has beaten everyone and she is still the Diva’s champion. With the departure of Beth Phoenix and Natalya involved in gimmick with The Great Khali, I see Eve as the best on the women’s roster right now. Alicia manages to take control of the match, even planting Eve with a bridging Northern-Lights Suplex for a close two-count. Eve inevitably gets an open window, cracks her challenger with a neckbreaker, and get the win.
Winner via Pinfall: Eve Torres
Backstage: CM Punk with Paul Heyman in tow, makes their way to the ring. Punk, hobbling on crutches was injured after Ryback powerbombed him through a table, will not compete at TLC.
Punk does not even make it to the ring, stopping on the entrance-way to speak. Punk says that he has heard people think his injury is fake, and the surgery never happened. Punk assures the crowd it is real, despite what anyone says, and to go look it up on the internet. Clips roll of Ryback destroying Punk with chairs, ladders, and finally plowing Punk through a table. Heyman takes the mic, and even says Punk is better than The Rock, again, with Punk now having the longest title reign in the past two-decades. Punk says he will not be stripped of the title, and he will defend the WWE Title against The Rock at the Royal Rumble in January. As for TLC, Punk says he will be there and watching The Shield take out Ryback.
Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler
Recap of Sheamus hurling Ziggler to the ringside floor via ladder. Whether anyone likes him or hates him, it has to be recognized that Dolph Ziggler will be World Champion in 2013. He is probably the hottest commodity they have right now. Yes, he is the next Shawn Michaels, and yes, maybe the next Triple H. Bold words from lowly me, but mark those words, Dolph Ziggler is the future, and the future is now. To the match, Sheamus clobbering the Show Off from the opening bell, bouncing him all over the ring. Ziggler can certainly take a hit. Geez. As Raw goes to commercial, Ziggler is hurled into the ringpost. Back from commercial, Ziggler has a reverse chinlock applied to The Great White, as during commercial Ziggler took control of the match. Ziggler and Sheamus are back and forth, clothelines, dropkicks, kneelift, they are throwing it all out at each other. Ziggler off the top rope, is caught by Sheamus, crushed with a backbreaker and then thrown across the ring with a fallaway slam. Sheamus scores a vertical suplex and he goes to the top, but Ziggler now tries to grab the Irishman, but Sheamus fights him down. Ziggler then rushes up the corner and plants Sheamus with top rope facebuster! Wow! The crowd jumped and so did I!! Ziggler covers, and one, two… NO! Sheamus hits the Irish Curse Backbreaker, and he only gets a two count! Sheamus calls for the Brough Kick! Sheamus charges but Ziggler rolls outside! Sheamus does not wait, he runs after him and gets clobbered by a chair! Ziggler whacks Sheamus again, and the ref calls for the bell! Ziggler sets up in the ring, but Sheamus leaps with the Brough Kick, knocking the chair out of the hands of Mr. Money in the Bank, who scurries away before any further damage can be done.
Winner by DQ: Sheamus
This was a PPV-quality match. Good lord. I wish this was a title match because I would not have been able to call who would have walked away with the belt. Ziggler has come a long way since his “Hi, I’m Dolph Ziggler” and the goofy handshake days. Remember the Spirit Squad. Yeah, he was one of those goofs too. Michaels started out as a Rocker, and Triple H was a blueblooded snob. They all have come a long way. Ziggler is next, mark my words.
Backstage: Vickie is having trouble stretching for her match with AJ. Hornswoggle and The Great Khali arrive to help, only to be caught in a very compromising position by Vince McMahon who remarks that he “is trying to put on a family show.”
Clips of The Shield run again, how they are working for no one but themselves. They plan on leaving TLC victorious as proof that their brand of justice will reign in WWE.
Alberto del Rio vs. Zack Ryder
Kaaaaaay. Unsure the point of this match, but it turns out to be a good one. Ryder really got a lot of time to shine here, nearly pinning the Mexican Aristocrat on numerous occasions. Ryder had a lot of incredible offense, but ultimately paid the price by taking too long to capitalize and wound up getting caught in the cross-armbreaker and was forced to tap-out.
Winner via Submission: Alberto del Rio
Not a bad match at all, perhaps Ryder is going to get some more air time again?
Vickie defeated AJ
I am not bothering with this. The set up for this match was great, but then we notice no ref in the ring… Enter Brad Maddox the guy who screws people over. He helps Vickie get the cheap win. Post-match, AJ goes crazy and tears up the ringside area.
Antonio Cesaro vs. Kofi Kingston
Wow. Cesaro continues to improve every week. You know, I think the biggest problem he had was the fact he was not on Raw. “Wildcat” Kofi Kingston used his numerous high flying assault tactics proved successful, until abruptly, Cesaro grabbed Kofi in mid-air and cracked him in half with a backbreaker. Kofi, reeling was easy prey for the U.S. titleholder and fell victim to the Neutralizer.
Winner in a great match: Antonio Cesaro
Cesaro is really bringing respect back to the United States title, and Kofi as IC champion is perfectly fitting.
Miz TV with Rhodes Scholars
Miz wasted no time to poke fun at Sandow and Rhodes. Miz made fun of Rhodes and his odd-shaped mustache, while Sandow used his wit and pomposity to retaliate and ignore the jibes. The interview segment did not last long, as Rhodes grew tired of The Miz and his antics.
Big Show vs. John Cena
This match was surprisingly good. Cena and Show brawled from the start, but of course, only a matter of time until Show just mauled Cena and dominated the rest of the bout. Every moment Cena came back, Show would regain control. Show floored Cena with a huge chokeslam, but Cena kicked out at two. When all seemed hopeless, Cena scored with the Attitude Adjustment, but then The Shield charged the ring, and assaulted Cena. Sheamus ran in to make the save, but Dolph Ziggler, sitting at ringside was waiting and pounced on the Celtic Warrior. Kane and Daniel Bryan then rushed the ring, but Rollins, Ambrose, and Reigns were waiting for them as Big Show continued his beat down on Cena. When it seemed that The Shield would completely dominate, Ryback then roared down to the ring, crowd chanting Feed Me More, and he unloaded on all three men.
Match Result: No Contest
Raw closes with an all-out brawl, as next stop is Main Event, then SmackDown, ending this trip to one place, TLC.
Overall, a very good Raw to lead to the PPV. I predict that… that… You know something, I am speechless right now. After tonight, everyone looked so good and dominant, that it is hard for me to say who will come out survivors at Tables Ladders and Chairs. Of course, I cannot cop out that way, so here are some predictions.
*Ziggler defeats Cena in the Ladder Match
*Ryback, Kane, and Daniel Bryan defeat The Shield, but it will not be a clean win. Punk will somehow get involved.
*Team Rhodes Scholars defeat Rey and Sin Cara
*Wade Barrett will win the Intercontinental Title from Kofi Kingston
*Antonio Cesaro will retain the United States Championship against R-Truth
*The Big Show will retain the World Heavyweight Title against Sheamus
*Dolph Ziggler will cash in the MITB and win the World Heavyweight Title.
Yes. This time he will cash in.
