Spoilers follow for the June 9th episode of Raw.
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Earlier in the day, Triple H tweeted that an important announcement would open up Raw. And, true to his tweet, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon come out to open up the broadcast. It's time for a "blockbuster" announcement. They bring up a video of the doctor who did the surgery on Daniel Bryan's neck. Bryan will not be ready for Money in the Bank. His title will be stripped. The main event of that PPV will be for the title. There will be more qualifying matches to determine who will get to compete in that match. Triple H enters Randy Orton into the match just because. We then get a flashback to last week, when The Shield broke up. Shield/Wyatt Family is announced for later, and Triple H thinks it'll be a handicap match because The Shield angered a lot of the locker room. We'll see.
<color=Red>World Heavyweight Championship Qualifying Match: Sheamus vs. Bad News Barrett
A physical, brutal, back-and-forth, and highly entertaining match opens Raw. Thank goodness this is the Sheamus we're getting right now. He's found a really good match with Barrett, and it's a shame the two are currently both champions; if they weren't, they could feud for one of the belts. Still, you're not going to find many better TV matches than this one, and it was a great first match for Raw. The wrong winner picked up the pinfall, though, as Sheamus hits the Brogue Kick for the victory.
Match Rating: ***1/2
A Wyatt promo is up next. Didn't do anything, told us nothing, but it was good, simply because it was a Wyatt promo.
Zack Ryder vs. Rusev (with Lana)
So, WWE booked Rusev poorly off the bat and now they're giving him a cheap heat patriotic gimmick? Hooray. Also, having him come out to squash someone is a great way to kill any and all momentum that Sheamus and Barrett built up.
Rusev dominates Ryder in about 90 seconds. Continue doing nothing with him, WWE. That'll work.
Match Rating: *
RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) vs. Goldust and R-Truth
R-Truth is Goldust's partner for the night. Cody Rhodes looks on from backstage. Prediction: Goldust and Truth lose, with Goldust taking the pin.
That's exactly what happens. A short, not terribly interesting match ends with Goldust being rolled up for the loss. Goldust continues to look distraught in the ring. Can we just do the Goldust/Rhodes feud already?
Match Rating: **
Summer Rae attacks Layla with beauty products backstage. Because they're feuding. In case you forgot.
3MB is in the ring next, but The Shield interrupts them. And then The Shield beats up 3MB, because that is a joke team. The editing room missed the biggest spot. The Shield gets on the mic afterward to talk down Seth Rollins. Ambrose got so intense that he dropped the mic, forgetting that Reigns also had to have his say. It's a shame, too, because Ambrose is just so much better on the mic than Reigns. It's not even close.
The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) vs. Fandango (with Layla) vs. Damien Sandow
Sandow comes out as an interpretive dancer, because he's changing costumes every week, and is somehow over. Perhaps it's because he's just so committed to whatever he's forced to do. "Let's go Sandow" chants throughout the "match," which had barely any wrestling at all. Sandow eats a super kick and a splash to take the loss. Sigh.
Match Rating: *1/2
Xavier Woods vs. Bo Dallas
Remember when Xavier Woods was supposed to be a star? Yeah, me neither. He's jobbing again, this time to Bo Dallas. We saw hints of a darker side to Dallas the last time out, which is what we need to see more of. Woods gets in some offense, perhaps more than any other of Dallas' opponents, but he still loses after eating a Running BoDog.
Match Rating: *1/2
Paul Heyman in the ring after the commercial, doing his usual thing. He taunts that Lesnar will be coming out, but it's actually Cesaro. Cesaro is about to face Rob Van Dam.
<color=Red>World Heavyweight Championship Qualifying Match: Cesaro (with Paul Heyman) vs. Rob Van Dam
I feel like we've seen this match a dozen times over the last couple of months, but it hasn't been that often, surely. Cesaro should be the clear favorite here, although RVD in a ladder match is always a good thing. Cesaro and RVD can't do a whole lot more than we've already seen from them, and the match isn't so good that it overcomes this. It's just kind of boring at this point, even if we haven't seen the match quite as often as it might feel. Cesaro wins with the Neutralizer.
Match Rating: **1/2
Michael Cole gets to interview Seth Rollins next, whom we've been promised will reveal all tonight. Why did he turn on his Shield brothers? Seth Rollins says this was best for business -- his business, specifically. He created The Shield, and he had the right to destroy his own creation. Ambrose and Reigns were business partners, not brothers, to him.
Then Ambrose and Reigns come out. Then the Wyatt Family comes out. A brawl happens. Cena comes out. Reigns and Ambrose have a partner for the main event now, I suppose. Shocking.
Paige vs. Alicia Fox (with Aksana)
Fox dominates, Paige does her underdog thing, and eventually Paige wins with the PTO. Alicia taps out. To be fair, the match was fine and was longer than I thought it'd be. It just wasn't particularly involving. Paige did better in her first month than at any point after. She's biding her time for AJ's return.
Match Rating: **
After the match, Alicia freaks out on Aksana and then acts crazy, because that's her deal now. Fine.
Jack Swagger (with Zeb Colter) vs. Santino Marella
Colter holds up a sign that says "Deport Santino," because Swagger can't get lower than he is now. Well, okay, he could, but not much lower. JBL mentions Funaki, which was awesome. Swagger gets motivated by Colter and then basically dominates Santino for the rest of the match. Yawn.
Match Rating: *1/2
Backstage, Cody Rhodes promises that he's found a fantastic partner for his brother next week. Gee, because I didn't expect that they'd continue that storyline. That's followed with a flashback to earlier tonight, when we heard Daniel Bryan's doctor, as well as The Authority, talk about the title situation. Another backstage segment has a Vicke Guererro cameo, just to remind us that she's still around, I guess.
The Shield (Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns) and John Cena vs. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan)
Cena's out here to draw the audience's attention away from good in-ring work, apparently. Seriously, Cena doesn't even get into the match until midway through (and then stays in for far too long), and he's the only one who gets chanted at all. It just shows how much of a mega star he truly is.
Anyway, Ambrose and Reigns (mostly Ambrose) put on a good match against Wyatt, Harper, and Rowan (mostly Harper and Wyatt, in that order). Not a great one, not anywhere close to some of the better matches between the Wyatt Family and The Shield, but a good match. Cena seems unnecessary; a handicap match might have been just as good. It slows down once Cena gets in and gets beaten up a whole bunch. Wyatt and Cena seem to have almost no animosity toward one another, which makes no sense. It feels like this match was hastily put together, and it just isn't great. It started out good with Ambrose getting to do a lot of the work, but it eventually degenerates into something not really worth watching. As a main event, it's unspectacular. Reigns spears Harper for the win, which closes out a pretty lackluster Raw.
Match Rating: **1/2
The Good: Opening promo. Sheamus/Bad News Barrett.
The Bad: Rusev squash. Swagger/Santino. Woods/Dallas.
Match of the Night:Sheamus vs. Bad News Barrett.
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http://i55.servimg.com/u/f55/16/09/70/40/raw_lo10.png
Earlier in the day, Triple H tweeted that an important announcement would open up Raw. And, true to his tweet, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon come out to open up the broadcast. It's time for a "blockbuster" announcement. They bring up a video of the doctor who did the surgery on Daniel Bryan's neck. Bryan will not be ready for Money in the Bank. His title will be stripped. The main event of that PPV will be for the title. There will be more qualifying matches to determine who will get to compete in that match. Triple H enters Randy Orton into the match just because. We then get a flashback to last week, when The Shield broke up. Shield/Wyatt Family is announced for later, and Triple H thinks it'll be a handicap match because The Shield angered a lot of the locker room. We'll see.
<color=Red>World Heavyweight Championship Qualifying Match: Sheamus vs. Bad News Barrett
A physical, brutal, back-and-forth, and highly entertaining match opens Raw. Thank goodness this is the Sheamus we're getting right now. He's found a really good match with Barrett, and it's a shame the two are currently both champions; if they weren't, they could feud for one of the belts. Still, you're not going to find many better TV matches than this one, and it was a great first match for Raw. The wrong winner picked up the pinfall, though, as Sheamus hits the Brogue Kick for the victory.
Match Rating: ***1/2
A Wyatt promo is up next. Didn't do anything, told us nothing, but it was good, simply because it was a Wyatt promo.
Zack Ryder vs. Rusev (with Lana)
So, WWE booked Rusev poorly off the bat and now they're giving him a cheap heat patriotic gimmick? Hooray. Also, having him come out to squash someone is a great way to kill any and all momentum that Sheamus and Barrett built up.
Rusev dominates Ryder in about 90 seconds. Continue doing nothing with him, WWE. That'll work.
Match Rating: *
RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) vs. Goldust and R-Truth
R-Truth is Goldust's partner for the night. Cody Rhodes looks on from backstage. Prediction: Goldust and Truth lose, with Goldust taking the pin.
That's exactly what happens. A short, not terribly interesting match ends with Goldust being rolled up for the loss. Goldust continues to look distraught in the ring. Can we just do the Goldust/Rhodes feud already?
Match Rating: **
Summer Rae attacks Layla with beauty products backstage. Because they're feuding. In case you forgot.
3MB is in the ring next, but The Shield interrupts them. And then The Shield beats up 3MB, because that is a joke team. The editing room missed the biggest spot. The Shield gets on the mic afterward to talk down Seth Rollins. Ambrose got so intense that he dropped the mic, forgetting that Reigns also had to have his say. It's a shame, too, because Ambrose is just so much better on the mic than Reigns. It's not even close.
The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) vs. Fandango (with Layla) vs. Damien Sandow
Sandow comes out as an interpretive dancer, because he's changing costumes every week, and is somehow over. Perhaps it's because he's just so committed to whatever he's forced to do. "Let's go Sandow" chants throughout the "match," which had barely any wrestling at all. Sandow eats a super kick and a splash to take the loss. Sigh.
Match Rating: *1/2
Xavier Woods vs. Bo Dallas
Remember when Xavier Woods was supposed to be a star? Yeah, me neither. He's jobbing again, this time to Bo Dallas. We saw hints of a darker side to Dallas the last time out, which is what we need to see more of. Woods gets in some offense, perhaps more than any other of Dallas' opponents, but he still loses after eating a Running BoDog.
Match Rating: *1/2
Paul Heyman in the ring after the commercial, doing his usual thing. He taunts that Lesnar will be coming out, but it's actually Cesaro. Cesaro is about to face Rob Van Dam.
<color=Red>World Heavyweight Championship Qualifying Match: Cesaro (with Paul Heyman) vs. Rob Van Dam
I feel like we've seen this match a dozen times over the last couple of months, but it hasn't been that often, surely. Cesaro should be the clear favorite here, although RVD in a ladder match is always a good thing. Cesaro and RVD can't do a whole lot more than we've already seen from them, and the match isn't so good that it overcomes this. It's just kind of boring at this point, even if we haven't seen the match quite as often as it might feel. Cesaro wins with the Neutralizer.
Match Rating: **1/2
Michael Cole gets to interview Seth Rollins next, whom we've been promised will reveal all tonight. Why did he turn on his Shield brothers? Seth Rollins says this was best for business -- his business, specifically. He created The Shield, and he had the right to destroy his own creation. Ambrose and Reigns were business partners, not brothers, to him.
Then Ambrose and Reigns come out. Then the Wyatt Family comes out. A brawl happens. Cena comes out. Reigns and Ambrose have a partner for the main event now, I suppose. Shocking.
Paige vs. Alicia Fox (with Aksana)
Fox dominates, Paige does her underdog thing, and eventually Paige wins with the PTO. Alicia taps out. To be fair, the match was fine and was longer than I thought it'd be. It just wasn't particularly involving. Paige did better in her first month than at any point after. She's biding her time for AJ's return.
Match Rating: **
After the match, Alicia freaks out on Aksana and then acts crazy, because that's her deal now. Fine.
Jack Swagger (with Zeb Colter) vs. Santino Marella
Colter holds up a sign that says "Deport Santino," because Swagger can't get lower than he is now. Well, okay, he could, but not much lower. JBL mentions Funaki, which was awesome. Swagger gets motivated by Colter and then basically dominates Santino for the rest of the match. Yawn.
Match Rating: *1/2
Backstage, Cody Rhodes promises that he's found a fantastic partner for his brother next week. Gee, because I didn't expect that they'd continue that storyline. That's followed with a flashback to earlier tonight, when we heard Daniel Bryan's doctor, as well as The Authority, talk about the title situation. Another backstage segment has a Vicke Guererro cameo, just to remind us that she's still around, I guess.
The Shield (Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns) and John Cena vs. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan)
Cena's out here to draw the audience's attention away from good in-ring work, apparently. Seriously, Cena doesn't even get into the match until midway through (and then stays in for far too long), and he's the only one who gets chanted at all. It just shows how much of a mega star he truly is.
Anyway, Ambrose and Reigns (mostly Ambrose) put on a good match against Wyatt, Harper, and Rowan (mostly Harper and Wyatt, in that order). Not a great one, not anywhere close to some of the better matches between the Wyatt Family and The Shield, but a good match. Cena seems unnecessary; a handicap match might have been just as good. It slows down once Cena gets in and gets beaten up a whole bunch. Wyatt and Cena seem to have almost no animosity toward one another, which makes no sense. It feels like this match was hastily put together, and it just isn't great. It started out good with Ambrose getting to do a lot of the work, but it eventually degenerates into something not really worth watching. As a main event, it's unspectacular. Reigns spears Harper for the win, which closes out a pretty lackluster Raw.
Match Rating: **1/2
The Good: Opening promo. Sheamus/Bad News Barrett.
The Bad: Rusev squash. Swagger/Santino. Woods/Dallas.
Match of the Night:Sheamus vs. Bad News Barrett.
<color=D6D9DA>_________________________________________________________________________________
If you wish to be notified whenever I post something new, please join this <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/2-50-Reviews>user group.
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Talk to me on the Twitter, <url=https://twitter.com/martertweet>@martertweet.