Monday Night Raw
May 12, 2014
Greenville, South Carolina
We go back to last week when Dean Ambrose lost the US Title in a battle royal, eventually won by Sheamus. Then the Shield is beaten down by the Wyatts and Evolution. We now head live into the building and the Shield is in the ring. Ambrose says last week was something you never saw, nor will you never see again. They want Evolution. Rollins says they are not running from, but running to, Evolution. The Shield wants a rematch. Rollins says Evolution WAS good, but they don’t have what it takes now. Reigns is a bit jumpy. He gets a big pop and says a week ago his brothers were ambushed. He was given all the finishers and he’s still standing. We look up at the Titantron and a limo pulls up. Of course out comes Evolution and the Shield run to the back. Evolution starts walking and the Shield attacks them. Referees and officials break them up. Jump in there IRS!
John Cena teams with the Tag Team Champion Usos to face the Wyatt Family later on.
MATCH: Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Swagger
The commercial returns to Zeb Colter in mid-sentence. He adds Adam Rose to his deportation list. He calls his partygoers “Hippies” and “rejects”. As the match starts, out comes the band of miscreants led by their Pied Piper Adam Rose. Swagger is distracted, which gives RVD a chance to kick Swagger in the face and hit a Froggie for a quick win. RVD is still sporting the black eye. WINNER: Rob Van Dam
We get an inside look at Paige.
MATCH: Alicia Fox vs. Paige
Fox says the entire locker room hates her. I’m enjoying the storyline where no one believes the Brit is legit. Alicia is pretty physical so far. Paige wins with a reversal of a head lock and a spin slam. WINNER: Paige
Alicia Fox throws a temper tantrum, chucks stuff around ringside and steals JBL’s hat.
We go back to last week and the Daniel Bryan/Kane stuff. Back from break and the WWE World Heavyweight Champion comes out. Daniel thanks the WWE Universe because it’s been a long road to get here. He says since SummerSlam the road has been harder than he expected. He talks about the beatings he taken at the hands of Kane. Daniel Bryan announces that he has to have neck surgery. He says his career could be over, but it won’t be over. He asks the WWE Universe if he will come back, and we get a rousing YES YES YES. This is a big deal because he is the most over guy in the company and there’s no babyfaces on the roster (except Cena) that can match the heels.
We look back at the issues at Extreme Rules and last week’s Raw involving Cena and the Wyatts.
MATCH: John Cena & Usos vs. Wyatt Family
John Cena’s getting a rub from the tag team champions? How cool! These matches really are made to continue enhancing Harper & Rowan’s work. Harper in particular. We get an extended segment where the Wyatts work one of the Usos over. I think its Jimmy. Eventually Cena gets the hot tag and cleans house. Fun match tonight. Cena pins Rowan for the win. WINNERS: John Cena & Usos
Bray Wyatt takes the mic and says thank you to Cena for helping him realize what he must now do.
Back from break and out comes Evolution. Randy Orton says its time to take the gloves off and to put the hounds of justice to sleep. Triple H knows how good they are. He coddled them and they got too big for their britches. Triple H says there will be a rematch at Payback and calls out Roman Reigns in particular. Triple H is talking but the Shield jumps them in mid-sentence. They chase Evolution out of the ring. So we have a six-man tag rematch at Payback. Batista grabs the mic and challenges Reigns to a match tonight.
Back from break and the Total Divas cast are around the ring, holding cards with numbers. What waste of time is this?
MATCH: Nikki Bella vs. Natalya
This is based on a Total Divas storyline where Nattie can’t paint? Good grief. Nikki wins. WINNER: Nikki Bella
There’s pushing and shoving, and Natalya is embarrassed. YAWN.
MATCH: Curtis Axel vs. Sheamus
This is a fresh combination, but sadly the match isn’t nearly as long as it should be. Sheamus wins with the Clover Leaf. WINNER: Sheamus
Ryback attacks him after the match. So…guess what that means?
MATCH: Sheamus vs. Ryback
This match is actually a little better with two power guys going at it. Big time power moves and back and forth action. Sheamus Brogue’s it for the win. WINNER: Sheamus
Back from break and out comes Stephanie McMahon to likely strip Daniel Bryan of the Title. It’s not Kane, it’s the DEMON KANE. She says her journey is over. She says because of his injury, he’s just not an A+ player. She calls Daniel Bryan out because she needs to say something to him face to face. Instead Kane’s music hits and out comes the DEMON KANE dragging Daniel Bryan on the ground. The Champ is all bloodied and beaten. Paramedics come out and put him on a stretcher as Brie comes out too. Stephanie comes up the ramp also. This must be how to get him off TV until things are decided in terms of his time off. This really hits the roster hard. There really isn’t another babyface (again, besides Cena) that can carry any main event stuff. Not even Sheamus.
Back from break and Daniel Bryan is being put into an ambulance. Brie gets in Stephanie’s face and tells her to stay away.
MATCH: Dolph Ziggler vs. Fandango
We get clips from Total Divas of Fandango making out with Summer Rae a month ago, and now he is making out with Layla. We have a heel miscommunication in a good match and a Zig Zag wins it for Dolph. WINNER: Dolph Ziggler
Fandango bloviates over Layla and he tells her he loves her. Awwwwwwwww. More making out. They must be actually together.
Back from break and…oh sweet Christ. Out comes Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Wait…hold on! Is this what I think this is? Wow he’s uglier than usual. I can’t understand him because he’s a drooling idiot. This isn’t the Legends House Duggan that I actually like. He gets interrupted by the gorgeous Lana. Which means I know what’s coming. She talks about China and the crappy USA and the usual stuff. I love when they show the Putin picture. Duggan starts a USA chant. Out comes the massive Rusev. Oh please let this drag out long and slow. Duggan tries to start another chant and Rusev snaps the 2×4. I smile. Oh crap! Big E comes in to ruin my fun. Rusev tosses him out of the ring. I don’t get a complete beatdown? Well that was a downer.
Damien Sandow comes out and talks about something…not sure where he was going with that.
MATCH: Damien Sandow vs. Cody Rhodes
A revival of a 2013 feud. Decent enough match and the streak is over. WINNER: Cody Rhodes
We had two “Bolieve” vignettes. I’ll keep saying it. I don’t think this gimmick will fly on the big roster. The little confines of NXT? Yes, but not up here.
We get a Wyatt Family promo. Bray talks about Cena again. He says all humans are flawed. He’s got the whole world…in his hands.
MATCH: Roman Reigns vs. Batista
Cena will answer Wyatt Friday on SmackDown. I love how they bounce Cena around on the other shows in an attempt to give them a spike. I love when Reigns hits that flying legdrop. This feud has done nothing but good things for the Shield. The brawl outside gets crazy and the referee decides to ring the bell after about five minutes. WINNER: No Contest
Shield surrounds the beaten down Evolution until Stephanie comes out and all the heels come down to beat the Shield down. Clearly the centerpiece of this feud is Reigns who is getting pummeled in the ring alone. Triple H goes for a chair shot but Reigns spears him. Rollins and Ambrose come in with steel chairs and start swinging. The Shield stands tall in the ring while Evolution is on the ramp. With that we’re out.
SCOTT’S TAKE: Not a bad show, although the bad news with Daniel Bryan does cause some flux within the roster. We’ve got a little time before Payback. One guy always looking for Payback is Graham Cawthon, the purveyor of thehistoryofwwe.com. Follow him on Twitter @thehistoryofwwe. Here’s Graham’s Raw Tweet of the night!
WHO BOOKED THIS SHOW?!?!?!
I love simple and to the point, Graham.
