‘WWE RAW’ Results & Review (14.10.13)

Welcome to this mid-October results and review write-up of WWE RAW. Let’s jump right into things, shall we?

Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and JBL welcome us to the show, live from St Louis, Missouri, and Shawn Michaels is introduced. He comes to the ring to a loud pop and hasn’t lost a step as “HBK”. He poses, old school, and takes the microphone. For those who don’t know, Shawn will be the special referee in the main event at “Hell in a Cell” in the cell match between Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton. The “Heartbreak Middle-Aged Man” talks about being the referee, he refers to himself as “H.B.Shizzle” again, silly show-stopper. Shawn talks about his hand in training Daniel Bryan. He “guarantees” that one man will leave the pay-per view as the new WWE champion. Randy Orton comes out, in front of his hometown crowd, and talks about how his hometown is full of people who “aren’t that bright”. He gets heat for this, obviously. Randy talks about being greater than Shawn ever was and calls Shawn out for being jealous. Shawn mocks Orton and tells him to worry about Daniel Bryan instead. Orton says he will win at “Hell in a Cell” and that Michaels will have to “raise his hand” in victory. Orton gets in Shawn’s face and threatens him, Orton tries to hit HBK with an “RKO” but Shawn pushes him away. The Miz comes out and attacks Orton as referees run to ringside to separate the two rivals.

We return from commercial break and we have a one-on-one match between the former WWE champions, The Miz and Randy Orton. These two men have had a mini-feud going on in recent weeks and this is apparently the “blow-off” match of the feud between the two. Orton gets the majority of the cheers here, more proof that it’s time to “call it a day” on The Miz’s babyface run. Miz gets some positive reactions from the fans but only slightly. The match is the usual Orton match, with Randy being in control for most of the contest, hitting Miz with the usual Orton offence. The Miz builds up some spurts of momentum and hits some signature spots, including the corner clothesline and diving axe-handle. Fans boo a lot of Miz’s offence here. The Miz attempts to get Orton in the figure-four leg lock but The Wyatt Family comes out and stares at Miz from the stage, distracting Miz and allowing Orton to hit the RKO and pick up the win. This “officially” begins the Miz/Wyatt’s feud then, maybe they’ll team Miz and Kofi together to feud with Rowan and Harper for the pay-per view. Bray Wyatt cuts a promo about The Miz’s obsession with “fame”.

Fandango and Summer Rae dance in the ring as we return from another break, and Michael Cole promotes the “Rise above Cancer” stuff. Santino is out next, and he does what Santino always does. I would hate to sound like a broken record, but I hate this character and feel like is a total embarrassment now. Santino does the “cobra” stuff, pretending his right arm is a snake for a while. Fandango swivels his hips. It’s all typically what you’d expect it to be. Summer Rae distracts Santino and Fandango scores the win with a roll up. Summer Rae was the best bit about this match, and she didn’t do much at all. At least it was short.

Paul Heyman and Brad Maddox are talking backstage. Heyman asks Maddox if he can pick the stipulation for “Hell in a Cell” and asks for a handicap match with Axel and Ryback taking on CM Punk at the pay-per view. Maddox says that Ryback will face R Truth and CM Punk will face Axel, and whoever wins their match the fastest will be able to choose the stipulation of their match at Hell in a Cell.

They play a Cena-centric promo, hyping John Cena’s upcoming return and how he is a man fuelled by desire and passion. They show clips of him weight-training and “wrestling”. It’s all been done before numerous times and I cant help but feel like this whole return is super disappointing considering we were supposed to have a Cena-free WWE until March/April of next year.

Los Matadores are out next with their bull mascot, El Torito, to a decent cheer from the St Louis fans. JBL screams “fear the bull” a few hundred times again. El Torito is very over at the moment. The commentary is very annoying tonight for some reason. More than usual. 3MB are in the ring to face the new bull fighting tandem. Drew is better than this and could be a big player if they repackaged him and put some force behind him, he’s improved over the years and has the look that WWE always looks for. The match is the same as every Los Matadores match has been so far, with it being more or less a “show and tell” of what they can do in the ring. It isn’t bad, or good, it’s just an exhibition. Los Matadores get the victory after hitting their double-team finisher. El Torito does some high flying stuff on Mahal after the bell. The fans pop for this.

We get a long video package about Big Show’s recent storyline, including him “knocking out” Triple H last week on RAW.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon (Helmsley?) are out next, holding hands in their business suits. Stephanie talks first, speaking about how Big Show abused their good nature. The fans chant “you got knocked out”. Stephanie says that they were disrespected by Big Show. Big Show is being treated to another major push and storyline here, and after his mediocre run in WWE for the past 14 years I think this should have been given to someone else, someone younger. It’s a shame. Steph talks about Show being fired. She says that her husband is a thirteen time champion, a man who ruled the attitude era and the ruler of WWE. She passes the mic to her husband. Triple H talks about how “nobody likes the boss” and how he has reached his breaking point after Big Show and the fans showed him so much disrespect to him last week. The fans chant “yes” at an angry “Game”. Hunter says that him and Stephanie are the villains now, and he is going to “be the bad guy” now. He threatens the superstars backstage who are thinking of “defying” them. Daniel Bryan comes out and chants “yes” on the stage along with the fans. Hunter and Stephanie look upset in the ring. Alberto Del Rio comes out and attacks Bryan from behind as Steph and Hunter smile. ADR nails Bryan with a kick to the head. Stephanie mocks Bryan and announces that ADR will be Bryan’s opponent later tonight. Triple H ends the segment by chanting “yes” as the fans reply with chants of “no, no, no”.

R Truth is in the ring as we return from break for a “beat the clock” challenge match with Ryback. Ryback has to try to win the match as quickly as possible to compete with CM Punk’s “beat the clock” match later in the night. We hear “Goldberg” chants early on. R Truth runs away from Ryback and tries to delay the match. Ryback gets frustrated. Heyman gets angry too. Strangely, Ryback doesn’t make it look like he’s trying to win the match quickly here, making the whole idea seem a bit daft. Ryback wins the match at 5:44 after hitting the “shellshock”. CM Punk now has to win his match faster than that.

Stephanie runs into the Bella’s backstage and makes a match with Brie against Tamina for later in the night.

Michael Cole promotes the upcoming WWE 2K14 video game that is coming out in the next couple of months, and show the new “streak mode” that is a new addition to this year’s game.

Tons of Funk comes out to a mixture of silence and a few boo’s, it’s time this team became a monster tandem of heelish brawlers now, they’re wasted here. Their opponents are The Real Americans, who come out with Zeb Coulter, to a pop. The heels being cheered and faces being booed, it’s too common nowadays. Tensai and Cesaro have a nice chemistry and are both really strong guys. The match is a back and forth one that sees the faces getting booed when they hit offence. Cesaro hits his finisher on Clay for the win. Cesaro does the “giant swing” after the bell on Tensai, the fans cheer loudly for this.

Tamina Snuka is in action next, with the Divas Champion, AJ Lee, in her corner, against Brie Bella. Daniel Bryan’s fiancée takes control for the first moments of the match with kicks and a diving Thesz-press from the apron. Tamina fights back with some power moves and strikes. Brie does a messy “roll-over half-crab” on Tamina that looks sloppy but shows how she is trying to improve. Tamina throws Brie around a little as AJ looks on. Tamina hits a big-boot on Brie for the victory. Standard divas match here. Tamina hits Brie with a Samoan drop, shoulder breaker and a top rope splash after the match. A lot of post-match attacks tonight. AJ then locks in the “black widow” submission on Brie before laughing and holding the Divas title in Brie’s face.

Daniel Bryan is yelling at Maddox and Stephanie backstage, saying that he is worried about his fiancée and its Steph’s fault that the previous attack happened. Stephanie tells Bryan to go take care of his partner.

CM Punk makes his way to the ring next. The crowd seems rather subdued tonight, no one has really got a big reaction, but Punk’s has been the best of them. This is Punk’s “beat the clock” match, and his opponent is the Intercontinental Champion, Curtis Axel, who has Paul Heyman with him as always. The match begins and the two men lock-up. Punk nails Axel with forearms and chops in the corner, and Axel reverses fortune and does the same to Punk. Axel hits a Bret Hart like falling-elbow on Punk, Punk retaliates with a cross-body and a clothesline. It’s a tidy match with nice back and forth interactions from the two. Punk hits the Randy Savage Elbow, with two minutes left on the clock, for a near-fall. The fans chant “CM Punk”. Axel hits the fisherman suplex for a two-count. Punk hits a boot to Axel and nails the GTS for the match victory with only twelve seconds remaining. CM Punk now has the opportunity to choose the stipulation for the match at “Hell in a Cell”. Heyman is livid as Punk smiles in the ring. Punk takes the microphone and announces that the stipulation at “Hell in a Cell” will be that Punk will face both Ryback and Paul Heyman and the match will be held inside the Hell in a Cell cage. Fans cheer this stipulation. Heyman looks frightened.

We come back from commercial break and Daniel Bryan is waiting in the ring for his opponent, Alberto Del Rio, who makes his way to the ring with his World Title around his waist. This match is a good technical display-case from both men. We see plenty of submission holds, chain wrestling and technical exchanges, not to mention kicks galore from the two. These two men have had numerous great matches in the last couple of years and this one is another addition to that list. Both men look strong and have smooth and exact exchanges. It’s quite a lengthy match too, but isn’t boring at any point. The fans pop loud for Bryan’s signature spots, including the flying clothesline, the corner dropkicks and the chest-kicks. Randy Orton interrupts the match on the screen, showing himself going into the Bella’s locker room as we hear screams from inside. Bryan attempts to leave but ADR attacks him and tries to lock in the cross-arm breaker but Bryan reverses it and runs to the backstage area. He reaches the locker room but is attacked by Orton. Referees try to break them up, the Bella’s act poorly in the background. Bryan loses the match, by the way, via count-out. ADR wins.

The Shield are backstage with Triple H. Triple H tells The Shield that “the gloves are off” and to “finish it”. Triple H and Stephanie kiss as The Shield leave the backstage area for their match with Cody and Goldust.

We see another bloody Cena video. Who cares?

Goldust and Cody Rhodes make their way out next, separately, and to nice pops from the fans. I love that these two brothers are being allowed to team together for a while, its nice and makes for an interesting story. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins are out next, putting their Tag Team Championships on the line against the Rhodes Brothers. Ambrose is at ringside too. The match, like the one last week, is top notch. Cody has had a new lease of life in this babyface character since he returned and his in-ring work is on point. Goldust is in tremendous condition, best I’ve seen him in since the mid-90’s perhaps. Reigns and Rollins are great too, selling well and hitting their spots brilliantly. Cody even does a Goldust spot at one point which is very cool. Cody hits a beautiful moonsault cross-body from the top and a disaster-kick, before hitting Reigns with a springboard dropkick for a two count. Cody is brilliant tonight. Ambrose gets into the ring and helps out, attacking Cody. It’s no-disqualification though, so the match continues. Goldust clears the ring with a steel chair and Jerry Lawler references TNA signed MMA fighter Tito Ortiz. Weird. Suddenly, Big Show makes his way to ringside and nails Reigns with the KO punch, allowing Cody to pick up the win and become, along with his brother, the new WWE Tag Team Champions. Triple H makes his way out and looks angry. Big Show stands in the crowd chanting “yes” with the fans and the show goes off the air with Cody and Goldust holding their titles in the air.

This week’s RAW was solid, some of the matches were great in the ring, but it felt so similar to last week’s show, and the week prior. It’s all very similar at the moment, each week repeating the same matches. I hope they try to change things up on a more regular basis soon.

RAW: Best of the Night (In-ring): Daniel Bryan/Cody Rhodes

RAW: Best of the Night (On-mic): Triple H

RAW: Dud of the Night: Santino

RAW: Honourable Mentions: Reigns, Rollins, Goldust, Cody.