WWE RAW Coverage: The Yes Movement on Hold?

The neck injury of WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan couldn’t have come at a better time.

While Bryan is easily the most over WWE talent in a decade, the guy has no one to square off against.

More Kane vs. Daniel Bryan?

Lets try that again.

With Bryan on the sidelines for the next few weeks and possibly not on the card for Payback, the WWE will have to develop other story lines.

That’s good news for the youngsters of the company the likes of Alexander Rusev, The Usos, The Shield and The Wyatt Family, who will now get more time than ever at peak times of the show.

Without Bryan to top the card, this week’s RAW was a decent compilation of drama and matches, with little away from the Evolution and Shield feud to garner too much excitement.

When an appearance from Hacksaw Jim Duggan is more than a smile worthy moment- and a clear highlight of the show, you know the same was thin.

Simply put, the time Bryan has off needs to be a time to establish a real heel, one not named Kane, Randy Orton, Batista or Triple H- one that goes against everything Bryan stands for, but someone Bryan respects.

It’s quite possible that man does not exist in the company right now.

Matches:

Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Swagger w/Zeb Colter: Before the bell, Adam Rose and his band of misfits hit the ring and distracted Swagger. As soon as “The Real American” turned around, RVD nailed him with a Superkick and finished him off with the Five-Star Frog Splash for the win.

WWE Divas Champion Paige vs. Alicia Fox: Paige got the beating of her early WWE career as Fox worked her over with strikes and a Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker. Fox almost got the victory a few seconds later with a Northern Lights Suplex, but Paige continued to hold on. Fox then hit another Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker, but showboated too long to get the pin fall. After Foxx applied a version of the Mexican Surfboard and put Paige in a Headlock, Paige countered the submission into her Paige Turner for the surprise win. After the bell, Fox flipped her lid by the announce table and took JBL’s trademark hat.

John Cena and WWE Tag Team Champions Jimmy and Jey Uso vs. Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan: Wyatt and his buddies beat over the Usos for most of the match and of course, Cena changed that once he got in the match. With his trademark Shoulder Block, Belly-to-Back Suplex combo, Cena, alongside some Super Kicks from the Usos, got the upper hand and kept it. After The Usos took out Wyatt and Harper on the outside, Cena finished off Rowan with the Attitude Adjustment.

Natalya Neidhart vs. Nikki Bella: With the rest of the “Total Divas” cast outside the ring, Bella and Neidhart traded strikes and near-falls. Bella eventually got the Rollup win and after the bell, seemed to wear-out her welcome with the rest of the cast.

WWE United States Champion Sheamus vs. Curtis Axel w/Ryback: Axel was surprisingly solid and used Dropkicks, strikes and a unique top rope Backbreaker to gain control. However, Sheamus fought back quickly and got the win with the Cloverleaf. After the bell, Ryback attacked Sheamus. Soon enough, another match was underway.

Ryback vs. United States Champion Sheamus: This match was all high impact offense. Ryback scored a few near-falls with a modified Jaw Breaker and a Spinebuster, but Sheamus fought back with the Running Powerslam and eventually the Brogue Kick, despite interference from Axel, for the win.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Fandango w/Layla: These two definitely have chemistry. This could easily be a match for the Intercontinental title in the near future. After the match went back and forth for a few minutes, Layla’s interference backfired and Fandango walked into a Ziggler Zig-Zag for the loss. After the match, Fandango told Layla he loves her and again, the two engaged in some tonsil hockey.

Damien Sandow vs. Cody Rhodes w/Goldust: A tale of two struggling superstars, Rhodes used the Eye Rake to set up the Disaster Kick and a win in an otherwise quick and uneventful match.

Batista w/Triple H and Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns W/Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins: A decent match until the referee threw out the match after the rest of Evolution and The Shield got involved. Stephanie McMahon eventually summoned every heel on the roster to beat on The Shield, but after Ambrose and Rollins got chairs, the Shield cleared the ring and ended the night standing taller than ever before.