Dolph Ziggler has a big mouth. Sheamus has an enormous foot.
Makes sense that they’d eventually square off on RAW.
With Vince McMahon continuing to stir the pot, better matchups have been consistently made on Monday Night RAW as of late.
However, away from the matches this week, there was little storyline development. It was weird considering how every angle could have used a bit more drama.
Aside from John Cena’s “coldness†with AJ, there was nothing else of note away from the ring.
With CM Punk’s knee injury last week, things have changed dramatically. Punk looked more to the future, as he focused more on The Rock during his promo this week than Ryback. For the time being, it appears The Shield will be in an angle with the rookie beast for the time being. The modified TLC Main Event of The Shield vs. Hell No and Ryback will be fun and a step in the right direction for all the youngsters involved, but it won’t be the most dramatic.
In the end, this is a RAW that’ll be remembered for the bouts and not the storyline.
Matches:
Wade Barrett vs. R. Truth: A quick match the ended when Truth countered Barrett with a rollup. There was nothing special before the three-count, just a few strikes. Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston and United States Champion Antonio Cesaro were ringside for the match and got involved after.
Fatal Four-Way Elimination Tag Team Match: Usos vs. Rhodes Scholars vs. The Prime Time Players vs. Primo and Epico w/ Rosa Mendez: Cody Rhodes, armed with a new mustache, had his first match since he suffered a concussion a month ago. Primo and Epico were in charge through the early going, but every team had their moments for quick tags and offensive flurries. The Usos eliminated the Prime Time Players and Primo and Epico with top rope splashes, leaving Damien Sandow and Rhodes left. After the Usos went for the third straight pinfall with the top rope splash, Rhodes countered and nailed his Crossroads finisher for the win.
Divas Champion Eve Torrez vs. Alicia Foxx: Torrez won in spite of an early flurry Tilt a Whirl Backbreaker and Northern Lights Suplex combo from Foxx. Torrez, as expected, won with her neckbreaker.
Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler: These guys always have a good match and this was another solid one. They traded offense in and out of the ring for a good 15-minutes and broke a sweat. Ziggler resorted to heel tactics and Sheamus answered back with plenty of power moves. Ziggler nearly won the match with a top-rope X-Factor, but Sheamus miraculously kicked out. Soon enough, the Celtic Warrior went for the Brogue Kick, but Ziggler answered back with a steel chair to earn the DQ. Sheamus somehow still managed to get the Brogue Kick in on Ziggler after the bell.
Alberto Del Rio w/ Ricardo Rodriguez vs. Zack Ryder: Del Rio was the typical heel and Ryder was the area face. Del Rio was the man in the driver’s seat throughout, hitting his kicks at will and high impact moves like German Suplexes. Ryder continued to kick out, but after a while, Ryder tapped out to the arm-breaker.
AJ Lee vs. Vikki Guerrero, Brad Maddox special guest referee: Maddox made an impact when he fast counted for Guerrero so she could earn the win over Lee.
Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston vs. United States Champion Antonio Cesaro: These guys delivered some fast-paced action, but the match dragged. Kingston took a ton of punishment. Cesaro turned a top rope splash into a Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker and then added the Neutralizer for the win.
World Heavyweight Champion Big Show vs. John Cena: We’ve seen this match before. Countless times probably. Aside from a second rope splash from Show, this match was pretty routine. Even after a Show Chokeslam, Cena made his typical comeback. Thankfully, after he caught Show with the Attitude Adjustment, The Shield hit the ring and took out Cena.
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