Matches of the Week: 22/08-28/08

Wrestling fans were treated  to a mouthwatering weekend of action this past week. ROH, NXT and WWE all presented strong cards and didn't disappoint; ROH, with the addition of some of the finest Japanese talent, put on two excellent shows in Philadelphia and New York, NXT, for the first time in their history, outgrew their Full Sail roots and headed to the Barclays Centre, NYC and ,despite low expectations, Summerslam delivered one of their better PPV's this year.

This week's matches of the week begins with the biggest event of the summer, Summerslam.

Seth Rollins vs John Cena 

Title for title match

Available to watch here.

Since being crowned WWE World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania XXXI, Seth Rollins has proven exactly why he is the future of the business. Rollins' weasely, cowardly antics have generated considerable heat thus making him the perfect antagonist to carrythe show. Since being crowned US Champion at WrestleMania XXXI, John Cena has been putting on some of the best matches of his career against the likes of Ambrose, Stardust, Kevin Owens, Neville and Cesaro regardless of the remarkably similar match formula. Seemingly, Cena and Rollins were on a collision course and after Cena submitted the WWE World Heavyweight Champion post a broken nose, the match was booked for Summerslam; if Rollins won he wins Cena's US Championship, If Cena won he wins Rollins' WWE WHC.

The initial exchange of holds is broken as Cena successfully lands a side headlock take down which is greeted with vociferous boos. After being encouraged by the crowd, Rollins escapes and connects with a drop kick before mocking Cena's trademark U CNT C ME. Again, Cena applies a headlock after a belly to belly suplex grounds Rollins and again, with the encouragement of the crowd, escapes before Rollins delivers a knee to the spine that sends Cena reeling to the outside. Rollins harkens back to his Shield days as he connects with consecutive tope suicidas followed by a tope con hilo as a "lets go, Rollins" chant breaks out. Rollins, after returning Cena to the ring, attempts a running cross body- Cena reverses but can't apply the STF before Rollins reaches the ropes. A sloppy springboard stunner inevitably "barely caught" results in Cena successfully connecting with the 5 knuckle shuffle. Cena, with a growing advantage, positions Rollins up top before Rollins lands several blows that temporarily halt Cena- Rollins connects with a meteora followed by a beautiful standing shooting star press for a near fall.

After positioning Cena in the tree of woe, Rollins delivers a fierce double foot stomp from the top rope for another close fall. Rollins, frustrated by a perceived slow count by the referee, trash talks Cena before Cena pops up and delivers an AA- Rollins kicks out at 2. Both men return to their feet before rading blows- an attempted Pedigree is reversed by Cena into a slingshot but Rollins lands on the ropes. Cena, the wily veteran, follows Rollins before connecting with an electric chair drop/face buster combination. After Cena connects with a leg drop from the top rope, Rollins reverses the Super AA into a buckle bomb. Rollins, in homage to Eddie Guerrero, heads up to the top rope to soar through the sky to deliver a frog splash- Cena rolls through and attempts a second AA- Rollins lands on his feet before connecting with an enziguri. A rebounding Cena attempts a cross body but it is Rollins this time that rolls through before delivering an AA...1...2... Cena kicks out to avoid the humiliation of being pinned by his own shitty finisher. Rollins, again, heads up top- John Cena avoids a Phoenix Splash, Rollins lands on his feet but Cena grounds Rollins temporarily with a drop toe hold- Rollins connects with an enziguri before Cena attempts another AA- Rollins reverses, looks for the pedigree but that too is reversed this time into a Figure 4 Leg Lock in dedication of Ric Flair. Cheers once again encourage Rollins to reverse the hold- which he does before Cena reaches the ropes.

A huge forearm knocks Rollins down as Cena heads up top again- Rollins, returning to his feet, incapacitates Cena who remains on the top rope. Rollins connects with the superplex/falcon arrow combination...1...2... Cena kicks out again. Rollins, with increased urgency, positions Cena for the Phoenix Splash but eats a face full of canvas- Cena, on his feet, delivers a second AA but concurrently knocks down the referee. Cena, unaware of the referee's demise, hooks the leg....1....2...3...4...5...6...7.. but no one makes the count. Cena, realising this, calls for another referee to emerge but Rollins delivers a knee to the face of Cena that sends him crashing to the mat. Jon Stewart, host of SummerSlam, heads down to the ring accompanied by a steel chair. Caught between a man who has tormented him since prior to WrestleMania and a man who could equal his idol, Ric Flair's, number of title reigns, Stewart drives the chair into the stomach of Cena before sliding the chair to Rollins. Ever the opportunist, Rollins delivers a pedigree on the steel chair before the referee slides back into the ring to make the three count as the Brooklyn crowd comes unglued.

Rollins wins the US States Championship for the first time.

Many will suggest that this brilliant match was marred by a questionable finish. Whilst that may be true, the match should not be discarded like a Jack Swagger vs Heath Slater match from Main Event. This was one of the best WWE matches of the year that marked Rollins arrival as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Encouraged by the crowd throughout, Rollins unquestionably played the face for the majority of the match. For fans who haven't seen his independent work as Tyler Black, many would be surprised as to some of the athletic/high flying moves he performed. Rollins worked a move set closer to his ROH as he had the crowd in the palm of his hand; if the match proves one thing, Seth Rollins is the future of the WWE.

Sasha Banks vs Bayley

NXT Women's Championship

Available to watch here.

This Saturday's NXT: Takeover Brooklyn boasted two main events. Both Balor/Owens and Banks/Bayley co main evented the Brooklyn special but there is no question which match stole the show. Over the past year, NXT has been the host of a legitimate, competitive women's division for the first time in WWE history. After Stephanie McMahon reminded all the audience it was her that orchestrated the "diva's revolution", McMahon introduced both Sasha and Bayley to raucous ovations.

Before the match begins, Sasha calls Bayley pathetic before Bayley connects with several forearm strikes. Sasha reverses a clothesline attempt before sending Bayley crashing into the turn buckle. Bayley dodges a vicious chop in the corner before connecting with a springboard elbow drop for a close fall. Sasha  grounds Bayley upon returning to her feet- Sasha lifts Bayley to the top rope but an attempted superplex is blocked. Sasha rags Bayley down from the top before talking a little more trash- after slapping Bayley, Sasha applies a japanese choke hold as the crowd wills Bayley on. After escaping the hold, Bayley is sent into the turnbuckle- Sasha positions Bayley on the top rope before connecting with a double knee drop- only two.

Again, Sasha informs Bayley how much better she is than her- this time Bayley puts a stop to the trash talking with a kick to the face followed by a drop toe hold that sends Sasha crashing into the turnbuckle. Sasha reverses a second drop toe hold attempt before wrenching the injured left arm of Bayley on the rope.  Sasha Sabre Jr. goes to work on the left wrist of Bayley outside of the ring after removing the protective brace- as the referee approaches the ten count, Sasha rolls Bayley back into the ring before rolling her back out again to continue working over the left wrist. After completely exposing Bayley's wrist, Sasha Banks begins to stomp on it- once again, the referee approaches ten before Sasha returns to the ring before a tope con hilo sends her crashing into Bayley.

Back in the ring, Sasha slaps Bayley to her feet once again. Sasha and Bayley trade blows in the centre of the ring before several double axe handles allow Bayley to gain some control- a suplex into the corner is followed by a Bayley splash. An attempted Bayley to Belly is reversed as Sasha Banks as she expertly locks in the Bank Statement submission. Bayley desperately scrambles towards the ropes but Sasha stomps her hand further- eventually, Bayley successfully claws her way to the ropes. After the referee breaks the hold, Bayley delivers a Bayley to Belly to surprise Sasha. Sensing her opportunity to finally win the big one, Bayley positions Sasha for the Bayley-canrana but Sasha blocks and sends Bayley crashing to the mat. From the second rope, Sasha connects with a meteora..1...2... Bayley kicks out. Sasha, perhaps looking for the superplex, lifts Bayley to the top but it is Bayley that temporarily incapacitates Sasha- Bayley spikes Sasha with the Bayley-canrana before connecting with a second Bayley to Belly...1...2...3! Bayley is the next NXT Women's Champion.

After the match, the "four horse women" of NXT hugged it out in a fitting ending to their time in NXT.

Straight up, this was the best women's wrestling match in the history of WWE. Sasha Banks is a consummate in ring technician and is closer to a Daniel Bryan than a Nikki Bella. Banks transcends the often derogatory term 'diva'. She is a wrestler first and foremost. Bayley, too, played her part and has the innate ability to connect with fans both young and old, male or female. Inconsistent selling by Bayley limits this match to a **** 1/2 stars. Regardless of minor quibbles, this match told a fantastic story although remarkably similar to Sami Zayn's road to redemption. However, sometimes the simplest stories in wrestling are often the best and this match testifies to that.

Kazuchika Okada vs Roderick Strong

Non Title Match

Available to watch here.

Few can argue Roderick Strong is not having the best year of his career so far. Over the past year, Roddy Strong has transferred seamlessly between heel PWG World Champion and the face of ROH. Excellent matches against Trevor Lee, 'Speedball' Mike Bailey, Moose, Michael Elgin, Chris Hero and Cage alongside match of the year contenders against the likes of Zack Sabre Jr, Jay Lethal and Shinsuke Nakamura have firmly established Roddy as a strong contender for wrestler of the year. Over in Japan, Kazuchika Okada has featured in some match of the year contenders himself; at WK9, Okada excelled in a losing effort against Tanahashi. More recently, at Dominion 7.5., Okada defeated AJ Styles for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in one of the finest matches of 2015 before an excellent showing in the G1 Climax tournament as IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

Roderick Strong receives a warm welcome from the ROH fans. Okada dollars and streamers fall from the sky as Okada makes his way to the ring. After an initial exchange of holds, Okada delivers a dropkick to Strong before applying an abdominal stretch. Strong breaks the hold before Strong delivers a dropkick of his own in a game of one-upmanship- Strong follows up with a series of devastating chops in the corner underscored by the woos of the crowd. After a vertical suplex, Strong applies a rear chin lock as he begins work on the neck and back of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Okada momentarily escapes before Strong once again corners him with several chops before reapplying the rear chin lock. Okada, after reaching the ropes, trades blows with Mr ROH  before Roddy sends him to the outside. Sensing his opportunity, Strong takes advantage by suplexing Okada into the crowd followed by two more on the barriers.

Unwisely, Strong allows Okada to return to the ring on his own accord before the twenty count.A slip behind neck breaker followed by a ddt allows Okada to build some momentum before Strong pulls him down from the rope. Strong, uncharacteristically, heads to the top rope but a beautifully executed dropkick sends Strong to the outside. Roddy Strong regains the advantage with a back suplex on the apron but quickly loses it as they return to the ring as Okada hits the neck breaker to the knee. Both men return to their feet at the same time before trading vicious blows in the centre- Strong with the chops, Okada with the uppercuts. Strong emerges victorious from the battle after an olympic slam- Strong lifts Okada up looking for the superplex before Okada pushes him off only for Strong to connect with an enziguri to unbalance Okada. Strong finally delivers a superplex before applying the Strong hold- Okada successfully claws his way to the ropes. Strong looks to drive home his advantage- attempted End of Heartache blocked by Okada, attempted Rainmaker blocked by Strong with three consecutive jumping knees. Strong connects with the double knees to the gut before delivering a thunderous sick kick...1...2... Okada kicks out. Somehow, upon both men returning to their feet, Okada delivers a Tombstone piledriver- Strong kicks out at 2. Okada plants Strong again with a Tombstone before lifting him up for the Rainmaker- again Strong blocks before attempting a jumping knee but this time Okada catches him to deliver a german suplex- Okada keeps hold before delivering the Rainmaker to pick up the victory.

This is exactly the type of match you would expect from these two. Arguably, both are enjoying the best run of their careers so far and that was reflected in this encounter. Roddy Strong and Okada continue to perform in some of the best matches in the world of wrestling today with an excellent match here.

Hirooki Goto vs Michael Elgin

None Title Match

Available to watch here.

Fresh off a career defining G1 Climax tournament in which he proved many of his critics wrong, Michael Elgin returned to ROH duty this past weekend at Field of Honour 2015. His opponent, also fresh off an impressive G1 Climax tournament, made not only his ROH debut but his U.S debut. Hirooki Goto, IWGP Intercontinental Champion, once again comes up against Elgin, a man he defeated in the G1 Climax tournament.

Both competitors adhere to the code of honour before proceedings get under way. As expected, the match begins with Elgin and Goto trading fierce blows before Elgin grounds the taller but lighter Goto with a shoulder block take down. Goto, returning to his feet, attempts a clothesline but it doesn't make an impression on Big Mike. A second clothesline successfully grounds Elgin as both men lock up once again- Elgin delivers a big lariat to send Goto to the outside. Elgin, in control, delivers several chops around the baseball field before connecting with a huge lariat that sends Goto into the crowd. After returning Goto to the ring, Elgin performed a 33 second long suspended vertical suplex- a suplex which wowed the Japanese crowds.

Elgin, going up top, lands a corkscrew senton before Goto connects with a lariat to halt Elgin's momentum. Returning to their feet, Goto and Elgin trade blows in the centre of the ring before a standing enziguri by Elgin allows him to capitalise with successive german suplexes- Goto blocks the third but an okada roll enables Elgin to land a third. Again, Elgin returned to a move that brought him a lot of success in Japan- Elgin lands the falcon arrow...1...2... kick out by Goto. Elgin, looking to stake his claim for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, attempts a buckle bomb but it is blocked by Goto- Goto lifts Elgin to the top, after incapacitating Big Mike with several headbutts, before delivering a canadian destroyer from the top rope....1...2... Unbreakable Michael Elgin kicks out. After a neck breaker on the knee, Goto looks to finish the match with the Ura Shouten but Elgin blocks. An attempted sunset flip is blocked by Goto before Goto successfully lifts Elgin for the Ura Shouten to pick up the victory in his ROH debut.

The match, whilst lacking the intensity of their G1 Climax meeting, still delivered one of the best matches on a stacked Field of Honour card. Throughout the match, both Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino, in my eyes the best commentary team in the business, did a good job of highlighting Big Mike's achievements in Japan whilst suggesting he will be returning in the near future. Details of ROH's partnership with NJPW surfaced this past week detailing plans for ROH stars to head to Japan in a similar manner to how NJPW stars often wrestle with ROH. Initial rumours indicate a potential ROH World Championship match between Jay Lethal and Michael Elgin at the Tokyo Dome for Wrestle Kingdom 10. Regardless of rumours, if Elgin continues to perform how he has been doing for both ROH and NJPW he will cement himself as one of the best hoss gaijins in Japanese wrestling history with the likes of Stan Hansen and Vader.

IRN JEW vs The GZRS

The team of Sebastian and Tom Irvine,  or The GZRS as they prefer to be known, have been making quite a name for themselves as of late. Consistently hilarious performances in Progress, PCW and IPW have helped The GZRS quickly gain a reputation as a must see act in professional wrestling. Tonight, they meet the international dream team of Colt Cabana and Grado, IRN JEW, in a dream match up for fans of comedy wrestling. 

The GZRS arrive to the ring first; Sebastian in his faux Real Madrid kit, Tom Irvine in his trunks, both with a can of beer in their hand, make their way to the ring for their ICW debut. Next, IRN JEW make their way to the ring, matching jackets and all, to a huge ovation before American indie wrestling icon Colt Cabana chases Grado around the ring with a towel. Tom Irvine grabs the mic whilst Grado catches his breath. Before the match has chance to get under way, Tom Irvine challenges IRN JEW for their number one contendership- Colt Cabana agrees. As the match gets under way, Grado, much to the annoyance of Colt Cabana, tries to get a sip of Sebastian's beer. Cabana tries to stop Grado but evidently underestimated the Scotsman's need for alcoholic refreshment.

It is Irvine and Cabana that get things under way whilst Grado and Sebastian share a couple of beers in the corner. Confusion ensues as Grado tags Tom Irvine to enter the match- Grado and Colt Cabana square off in the centre of the ring- but what's this... Grado points the finger at Colt Cabana who goes crashing down to the mat. Grado hits the finger poke of doom! Tom Irvine sneaks in to try and pin Cabana but Grado pulls him off before connecting with a devastating belly bump as chants of belly echo around the arena. Grado, driving home the advantage, connects with a sunset flip whilst concurrently pulling down the trunks of Diamond Geezer, Tom Irvine, before driving him shoulder first into the ring post after a short bdsm session with IRN JEW. Sebastian rushes into save his fellow GEEZR- Grado reverses with a drop toe hold as Sebastian precariously hangs mere centimetres away from Irvine's marmite motorway before Cabana pushes his face into Irvine's back passage. 

Colt Cabana, distracted by Grado's antics, receives an arm wrench by Sebastian- Cabana demonstrates his technical acumen with an impressive roll up before Grado informs Cabana he has a new move. Cabana, curious as everyone in the building, tags in Grado. In one of the more impressive sights in wrestling, Grado performs a cartwheel into a head scissor take down that sends Sebastian reeling to the outside. Aided by Colt Cabana, Grado heads up to the top rope, perhaps looking for the best moonsault ever- Irvine spots the attempt before delivering a hugely traumatic thumb up the bum! Sebastian joins in the debauchery as a drop toe hold positions Grado in-between the second and top rope- Sebastian delivers a ferocious kick to the ass to ensure Grado will not be sitting down any time soon.

Tom Irvine returns to a tactic that has brought The GZRS a lot of success in the match- once again, Irvine attempts the thumb up the bum but this time Grado reverses by sending Irvine's thumb into his mouth. Grado, after severe punishment to the ass, tags in Cabana who connects with the flying ass on Sebastian before Sebastian reverses with an S.T.O. Irvine heads up to the top rope before delivering a head butt to the groin of Cabana a la Dudley Boys. The two GZRS stand facing each other in the ring- they know what time it is. Sebastian calls for the slip n slide! 

Professional wrestling has seen it all; an immortal necromancer that works as an undertaker, a midget confused about his species orientation, an insensitive portrayal of the mentally handicapped, hell that doesn't even begin to cover Big Dick Johnson. Never before have I seen a slip n side. 

The GZRS attempt to send Colt Cabana down the slip n slide and crashing into the ring post but Sebastian slips in the process resulting in him being sent down the treacherous slip n slide. Cabana and Grado send Irvine crashing head first into the nether regions of Sebastian who must be lamenting the decision to bring the slip n slide out. Grado connects with the Roll n Slice before Sebastian attempts to get to his feet but keeps slipping over- Cabana picks him up to deliver the Get Tae Bed/Wee Boot combination to pick up the win and remain number one contenders to Polo Promotions ICW Tag Team Championship.

This match is an absolute must see for fans of comedy wrestling. Hell, everyone should see this match. Anyone who gets a slip n slide out mid match is 

SummerSlam Preview

SummerSlam 2015

Oh, boy, NJPW really spoiled this one. Coming live from Brooklyn, NYC, it is the most 'epic' SummerSlam in the history of history. Due to excessive levels of epicness, for the first time in history, the biggest party of the summer will run for four hours in a show that features the resurrection of the undead deadman, a nose more discussed than the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, a bromance that appears to have run its course and a romance that is enough to make even the most ardent romantic feel nauseous.

WWE has pulled out all the stops to bill the 28th annual SummerSlam as the biggest in the company's history. Will SummerSlam live up to the immense hype of WWE's marketing machine? That remains to be seen. But for now, here is my preview of the biggest biggest event of the summer.

Sheamus vs Randy Orton

Straight from bottom of the barrel, with more side headlocks than fans paying attention it is Randy Orton vs Sheamus. Again. In a rivalry no one realised they wanted to see continue, Mr Money in the Bank, Sheamus, faces Randy Orton for what seems like the 4647252 time. Sheamus will be looking to exact his revenge after Orton denied the Celtic Warrior the opportunity to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase on RAW a couple of weeks back.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of both Sheamus and Randy Orton but the continuation of this rivalry does neither man any favours. So many opportunities lay wasted whilst this rivalry chugs along in second gear with no end in sight. Why has Orton, who was nowhere to be seen when Sheamus unhooked the case, taken umbrage with Sheamus? It was Neville who Sheamus unceremoniously dispatched before unhooking the case. A Neville/Sheamus rivalry would have surely been more logical but logic, like wrestling, is a dirty word around WWE.

Sure, these two will probably have a solid match but I really feel Sheamus and Orton need to move on from this rivalry in order to inject a new lease of life into their currently stale characters. A return to hoss Sheamus tossing smaller men around (Ziggler in particular), please.

Hopefully a stipulation is attached to this match before SummerSlam starts to save the match from heading towards Groundhog Day territory- maybe a street fight, maybe Sheamus' case will be on the line or maybe even a Kiss me Arse match. Just something... anything to distinguish this match from the previous ones they have had.

Prediction: Sheamus

Rusev (w/ Hot Summer) vs Dolph Ziggler (w/ Lana)

The hypocritical fallacy that is the diva's "revolution" will once again be exposed by Lana who will play the damsel in distress in this despicable morality play. This is a perfect example of WWE's retrospectively rewriting their own history to suit current story lines. Twelve months ago, Lana instructed Rusev when to crush his opponents even encouraging Rusev to adopt her home country of Russia. Now, WWE has rewritten Lana's narrative so she is the object of sympathy in her, allegedly, tortuous relationship with Rusev. What was one of the few powerful, strong female characters in WWE is now a doughy eyed sap every time Dog sorry Dolph Ziggler looks at her. After receiving the kayfabe injury to film WWE's latest straight to the bargain bucket DVD, Ziggler returned last Monday on RAW to a thunderous ovation to make the run in and save his damsel in distress.

During his absence, Ziggler kayfabed his twitter account by sending various emetic tweets to Lana who returned the favour with her own stomach turning responses. If this feud is supposed to make me dislike Ziggler, it is certainly succeeding; at this stage, there is nothing more I want to see than Rusev superkicking that shit eating grin off Ziggler's face back to Hollywood.

Since finishing with Lana, Rusev has taken up with Summer Rae. Inevitably, this rivalry appears to be heading in the direction of a mixed gender tag match at Night of Champions in September. Rusev deserves  the victory here purely based on the fact that he has consistently turned this shit into gold (see Rusev's gifts to Hot Summer , Rusev throws a fish at Lana). 

Without the women present, this has the potential to be one of the matches of the night. However, the women will be a major part of this match.Women, can't love 'em, can't crush 'em, ammirite Rusev?

Prediction: Rusev

King Barrett & Stardust vs Neville & Stephen Amell

I'm not even going to pretend I know who or what a StephenAmellGreenArrow is or even begin to try and comprehend why he is scheduled in a wrestling match at SummerSlam. That being said, a couple of weeks ago on RAW, Amell navigated the ropes with the expertise of a ten year veteran. Sure, the match will be constructed around Amell's limited wrestling ability to ensure he spends as little time as possible in the ring. Much of the in ring duties, I imagine, will be performed by Neville. As of late, random title match with Rollins aside, Neville has been languishing in the black hole that is WWE's mid-card. This match provides Neville with the opportunity to impress a casual audience. In this comic book world of heroes and villains, Neville will be a hero in possession of a flippyshit super power to combat the villains. 

The villains, on the other hand, well they are not doing so well at the moment. Well, one of them isn't.

Has anyone received worse booking since winning King of the Ring than King Barrett? First, the interminable feud with R Truth consigned to the pre-show now this thinly veiled attempted to appeal to the greater populace.  Barrett really must have pissed someone off as he has been doing more jobs than a Polish immigrant. It is a damn shame, too. Barrett is in possession of all the attributes required to take him to the top but WWE seem to have placed him in the midcard 4 life club with Ziggler, Swagger and a man he will be teaming up with.

WWE achieved new levels of meta a couple of weeks ago with Stardust, Barrett's partner and instigator of the feud, when Michael Cole spoke extensively on how Stardust can not distinguish between Stephen Amell the actor and Green Arrow the fictional character before drawing the parallel with Stardust, who can't distinguish that he is Cody Rhodes and not the fictional character Stardust. Stardust's quest for identity could be one of the more highbrow angles WWE has ran for a while. If handled correctly, there is big potential for a Cody Rhodes face return after all this. 

The way things have gone for King Barrett since winning the King of the Ring tournament, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Amell pinned Barrett.

Prediction: Neville & Amell

Los Matadores vs Lucha Dragons vs New Day vs Prime Time Players (C)

For the WWE Tag Team Championships

Wow. I don't even know where to start with this one. At this stage, the WWE Tag Team Titles have as much value as a victory over Zack Ryder on Superstars.

Teams such as reDRagon, The Young Bucks, RPG Vice, The Addiction, Sumerian Death Squad, The Hunter Brothers and the Wolves have revitalised the concept of tag team wrestling over the past few years with fun, entertaining matches. Don't expect anything like that here, though. The New Day are sooooooooo far ahead of anyone else in the division it is unfair to put all these teams in the ring together as it only serves to highlight the incompetence of the other teams:

Lucha Dragons: haven't said a word apart from "Lucha" since arriving on the roster (unsure whether they can speak at all never mind speak English)

Los Matadores: laughing stock of the division since 2013, don't say anything apart from "ole" (again, unsure if they have a deaf mute gimmick)

Prime Time Players: Titus O' Neill is the Danny Welbeck of professional wrestling- every time he gets in the ring, he looks as though he will fuck up. Darren Young is okay, I guess.

New Day: the Paul Heyman of the division.

It was a mistake to take the titles from the New Day at Money in the Bank and WWE will surely rectify their mistake this Sunday. The best we can hope for is a giant clusterfuck spotfest.

Prediction: New Day

The Wyatt Family vs Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose

Some night clubs water down their alcohol. WWE water down their rivalries. In The Wyatt Family vs Shield redux, Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper team up to face Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose- who are best friends, in fact like brothers if you missed it. After Wyatt reconciled with Luke Harper at Battleground, Roman recruited the help of long time friend and part time cheer leader, Dean Ambrose, to over come The Wyatt Family because apparently one versus all isn't a thing any more. 

Since reuniting with Luke Harper, Bray Wyatt has quietly gone about his business. I say this every week but the fans are ready to get behind The Wyatt Family; it is an exciting concept that could carry WWE in a fascinating direction. Thus far, The Wyatt Family haven't had the requisite support from creative to help them reach the next level. But that will come with time, beginning here.

Unfortunately for the ever noble Roman, I think that Dean Ambrose, Roman's brother and only friend wink wink, will do the dirty on him at SummerSlam to finally dissolve the Shield once and for all. WWE's penchant for pegging 6 ft 4'+, 270 pound athletes as underdogs will continue here as the odds will be firmly stacked against Roman in the coming months. Additionally, Dean Ambrose turning his back on Roman gives credence to The Wyatt Family mystique and psychological warfare they so often indulge in. Although Reigns turning his back on his brother would make more sense and re-legitimise the Wyatt's as a psychological threat, WWE is intent on Roman being the next top babyface and I don't expect that to change any time soon.

Prediction: The Wyatt Family

PCB vs Team B.A.D. vs Team Bella

Many fans have suggested this match is scheduled in order to protect Nikki Bella's title thus ensuring she will beat AJ Lee's longest ever reign with the Diva's title. I, too, agree with the theory as with each week that passes the Diva's Revolution is shown to be a distraction, albeit a poor one, from the fact Nikki will pass AJ's longest reign a week before Night of Champions.

At SummerSlam, we have the three diva's factions face off; Pakistan Cricket Board face Team Ethnic and Team Confused Motivations in an elimination tag match because apparently women like to hang around in groups for no particular reason. Seriously, why are these teams together? They share no common purpose, goals or motivations other than the fact Stephanie arbitrarily grouped them all together. 

Anyway, it is what it is and Paige, Charlotte, Becky Lynch team up to face the teams of Sasha Banks, Tamina, Naomi and Nikki, Brie and Alicia Fox. Hopefully this match begins the dissolution of these "factions" thus giving the women a platform to showcase their skills on an individual basis and increase competition for Nikki's title. This probably wont be the case as a couple of weeks ago rumours surfaced that WWE was planning on introducing a Diva's Tag Team Championship. Clearly, someone backstage believes the endless stream of bullshit propaganda spewing from Michael Cole's mouth.

The "Diva's Revolution" is nothing more than savvy branding and a marketing slogan. If you need evidence of this statement, listen to what Jerry "The King" Lawler has to say about the match.

Winner: PCB

Ryback (C) vs The Miz vs Big Show

For the Intercontinental Championship

Sometimes I forget who he Intercontinental Champion is before realising that it is not important anyway. True story: I had to ask Google just exactly who the Intercontinental Champion is. The answer, apparently, is Ryback whose championship reign has been less than memorable.

But, the people seem to like Ryback for some reason as he returned to a good reaction as the camera panned to various fully grown men in the audience wearing Ryback shirts- a fact that is astounding in itself. Ryback's injury has significantly halted his momentum after winning the title at Elimination Chamber (again, I had to Google that). The Big Guy makes his first Intercontinental Championship defence The Miz and Big Show in what seems like an active attempt by WWE to encourage viewers to change the channel.

People often talk of their dream matches in wrestling that never happened; The Undertaker vs Sting, The Rock vs Shawn Michaels, CM Punk vs Stone Cold Steve Austin but this is a nightmare match that is happening. I would be hard pressed to pick three wrestlers I would rather see in a match less than these three. I hope this match receives the ol' diva's division treatment- a two minute match conveniently placed in the middle of the show to coincide with my bladder. 

Prediction: Ryback

Kevin Owens vs Cesaro

After a barrage of fat jokes over the past few weeks, Kevin Owens heads into the SummerSlam weekend with arguably the two most anticipated matches. On Saturday, Owens invokes his rematch clause for the NXT Championship in a ladder match against Finn Balor. On Sunday, Owens meets another man who has been on a role as of late, the Swiss Superman Cesaro. 

In spite of some questionable booking and underhanded comments regarding Owen's weight, this match has the potential, if given ample time, combined with the Brooklyn crowd, to be match of the night and possibly even a match of the year contender. Unfortunately, this match should be for the US Championship- instead, Cena will pointlessly be defending the title in a match that will, in all likelihood, end in a no contest.

Minor quibbles aside, this is the match that i'm looking forward to most on the card. Given enough time, these two, as evidenced by their previous matches in the indies, will tear the house down in a match that will showcase both men's ability and help get them both over in the long run.

This is a tough one to call but I believe Cesaro will pick up the victory in what is hopefully the first match of an extended rivalry.

Prediction: Cesaro

John Cena (US Champ) vs Seth Rollins (WWE WHC)

Winner Takes Both Championships

Over the past few weeks, in big match John's absence, WWE have pushed his broken nose harder than the exceptionally low price of the network. Of course, who could forget, it was Seth Rollins, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, that delivered the infamous strike that i have seen more times than Randy Orton vs Sheamus and goddamn i have seen that match a lot. The following week, Rollins emerged wearing one of the more creative parodies of John Cena's t shirts. 

Enough preamble. This match has serious potential to be a match of the year contender. As previously demonstrated, Seth Rollins and John Cena have excellent chemistry together and have proven in the past that they are capable of putting on high quality matches. However, my opinion of this match, and I'm sure many others will echo similar sentiments, will be determined by the result. WWE consider that being in the ring with John Cena raises the profile of who ever his opponent may be. There are certain exceptions, mainly CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, but as a general rule, Cena has dispatched many of his opponents back into the midcard after defeating them. 

John Cena really has an opportunity to inject impetuous into Rollins' WWE World Heavyweight Championship which, quite frankly, has been a mere after thought over the past couple of months. John Cena can achieve this with an excellent match followed by him taking the loss. Clean, dirty, whatever, it doesn't matter. Sure, Rollins doesn't need the US Title as well as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship but a John Cena victory sends a resounding message to talent; no matter how well you perform, no matter the reaction you solicit from the crowd, no matter how much you improve you are not immune to Mr Make a Wish coming to steal your thunder. 

No one gets the divisive reaction like Cena- as Cena pointed out on RAW, the crowd chants "lets go Cena/Cena sucks"- nothing to do with Rollins. Being in a high profile feud with Cena does elevate his opponent but losing to Cena and then floundering in the midcard does not. For the first time in Rollins' WWE World Heavyweight Championship run I am doubting Rollins will walk out as champion. I guess that is a good thing.

However, my faith in WWE has not completely dissipated despite the constant flow of bullshit and dissatisfaction. I can't see Cena being victorious here. In fact, I can't see anyone being victorious here and leaving with both the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the US Championship. Rollins has been far too good to just get LOLCENAWINS'd and I don't think he will be.

Prediction: No Contest/Double Pin/Everything remains the same

Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker

You know you're in trouble when Heyman can't sell you on a match when the guy could sell you a holiday to Tunisia.

Admittedly, WWE is not always about the wrestling. Sometimes, the spectacle and the story triumphs over athletic feats or mat wrestling. But what if the story tells of an embittered 50 something year old man constantly blindisding the sympathetic would be champion with low blows because he can't beat him fair and square? 

Despite the years and years of entertainment, memories and thrills the Undertaker has provided this match should not be happening. Either Lesnar loses his mystique or Undertaker does and it must be Undertaker considering his age.

As with any match, there are three options.

1. Lesnar defeats Undertaker- What was the point of Undertaker returning?
2. Undertaker defeats Lesnar- What was the point of Lesnar defeating the streak? In fact, what would be the point of the last 15 months?
3. The match ends in a no contest- What was the point of any of this? Please, not another bullshit ending to avoid Lesnar losing or beating anyone. Surely they can't keep using Lesnar this way.

All three options are less than appealing and no amount of Paul Heyman's genius, brawls across the arena, smoke and mirrors will change that. The concept of this rematch being "too big for WrestleMania" is astounding and only confirms that if you lock WWE creative in a room they won't produce the works of Shakespeare but instead this type of non-statement that concurrently undermines the biggest event in wrestling as well as diminishing the importance of WrestleMania 30. 

What route WWE goes remains to be seen but either Brock Lesnar conquered the streak for nothing or Undertaker started something he couldn't finish to borrow a line from Morrissey. This match seems to be a desperate attempt to attract former fans to a currently stale product- this match was headlining PPV's in 2002!

As painful as it is to say, Brock Lesnar must retire Undertaker by not only defeating him but brutally victimising him. Will this happen? I think that that outcome is the least likely of three. I feel like Undertaker gets the win here before things finish where the legacy of Undertaker began, WrestleMania.

Prediction: Undertaker

RAW Review 17/08/2015

Appearances from The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and John Cena ensured RAW had ample star power to carry the show in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the final destination on WWE's road to the "most epic SummerSlam in history". The show began with HHH and Stephanie putting aside their authoritarian personae in order to proceed into a desperate 15 minute advert for SummerSlam. For some reason, WWE believes that a longer show equates to a better quality programme. Evidently, HHH is a big fan of the movie Ben Hur. In other segments, Ryback defeated one of the men involved in the Intercontinental championship triple threat match, all of the tag division engaged in an insipid eight man tag match that lasted a whole two minutes and, once again, a tag match shoe horned two rivalries together. The show concluded after The Undertaker, post a 15 minute promo detailing how beloved 'Taker is, interrupted a Paul Heyman promo to perform yet another sneak attack/ low blow on Brock Lesnar which was rightfully booed by the crowd.

All in all, many inexplicable events occurred on RAW ranging from the mildly irritating to the wildly infuriating in a show that unenthusiastically chugged on towards SummerSlam.

Here is my three point RAW review.

The Diva's Revolution: a hypocritical fallacy 

Revolution: A forcible overthrow of a  social order, in favour of a new system

OED

Since beginning this blog, I have dedicated very few lines to women's wrestling. But El Specifico, I hear you cry, you started the blog the same time as the "Diva's Revolution". Yes, whilst that is true, I have very little interest in women's wrestling. Actually, I have very little interest in women's wrestling in the WWE and that has not changed since the "revolution" in women, sorry, diva's wrestling.

Five weeks ago, Stephanie McMahon, for inexplicable reasons, decided to tap herself on the back before introducing the women of NXT under the epithet "Diva's Revolution" to increase competition in the division. Ever since then, WWE have confirmed that the Diva's Revolution is no more than excellent branding and good ol' fashioned circle jerkery. The only noticeable changes are that matches are now slightly longer and now there are two diva's matches instead of one. Apart from those two points, it is a struggle to identify any thing else that has been revolutionised in the diva's division.

Lots of issues still remain in the presentation of women's wresting that are unresolved despite continual reminder that this is a revolution.

• For a start, diva is not a good word and may as well be used as a synonym for spoilt bitch. Why the title is not named the Women's Championship is beyond my powers of comprehension.
• Characters need motivations for their actions. As things stand, the Bella's flip flop between heel and face without any motivations for doing so. In fact, this is a much broader point that extends well beyond the Women's division (see HHH, Stephanie McMahon, Big Show, Mark Henry).
• The women wrestlers rarely get time on the mic- for so long, WWE has driven home the point of the importance of connecting with the audience (see Vince McMahon's comments on Cesaro, HHH's comments to CM Punk) and extended time on the mic is the way to achieve this. Yet the women are barely given a chance to connect with the fans outside their matches.
• The character of Lana reeks of double standards; the revolution line states that the female performers should be taken seriously due to their ability. This is not the case for Lana, she can tweet/instagram about her "legacy" as much as she likes but the fact remains she is only their due to her appearance and it stinks of hypocricy to concurrently push women for their atheltic prowess yet push Lana solely on her appearance.  
• The commentary team only appears to be hyping how they are impressive because they are female. If a true revolution were to take place, the athletes should be hyped on their athletic ability regardless of their gender. There is a big difference between the two.
• Another point regarding commentary: Jerry 'the King' Lawler either needs to stop with the perverted comments or stop doing commentary. If WWE wants to re-brand how their female athletes are considered, which they evidently do, The King can not sit on commentary passing comments like "you know what makes these Diva's matches better, I pretend they are fighting over me".

Despite the endless talk of revolution, the fact remains; WWE's attitude towards women's wrestling remains remarkably similar to a past they are desperately attempting to separate themselves from. 

WWE Word Heavyweight Championship and United States Championship Contract Signing

WWE refrained from using the traditional contract signing tropes wrestling fans are so accustomed to; this time, no one was sent crashing though the table and, quite frankly, the segment was better for it.

HHH and Stephanie McMahon returned to their role as The Authority to introduce the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins. Rollins first offered congratulations to HHH and Stephanie for assembling an "epic" four hour SummerSlam before congratulating the fans who will witness history being made as Rollins becomes the first person ever to hold both WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the United States Championship. Rollins proceeded to quote Bob Dylan to inform fans that the times are a changing and the WWE Universe will no longer be held hostage by John Cena.

John Cena arrives after missing the previous two weeks of RAW with a broken nose. Despite the injury, his nose still doesn't look as crooked as HHH's. John Cena, sarcastically, joked how Rollins is so original in his t-shirts/actions in mocking him before claiming Rollins is an imitation of himself... Before leaving, Cena stated that he will be getting payback on Seth Rollins not by injuring him but by defeating him to become a 16 time World Champion.

Cena has a real chance to elevate Rollins and his title without actually winning it. No one gets a reaction out of every single person in the crowd like John Cena and by having him in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship picture once again does re-establish the title's importance that, lets be honest, has been considered an after thought for the past five weeks. With Cena's presence, the stakes are certainly raised. However, I'm surprised that the winner will take both titles. Considering the match is not scheduled as the main event, to me, that suggests that their won't be a winner in this match. Instead, i expect something especially funky in all likelihood involving Sheamus and his briefcase.

Brothers in Arms

Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns are brothers. Brothers that go out and drink beer together. Family that sticks together, through thick and thin. Brothers that would take a bullet for one another. Brothers that stick together through the tough times.Brothers that will ALWAYS (Hint hint, wink wink) have each other's backs.

Do you get the point?

Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns are brothers- so much so, in fact, that Dean Ambrose continued to fulfil his role of personal cheer leader to Roman Reigns during his match with Luke Harper on Monday night Raw.

Dean Ambrose took up a position on commentary to watch a solid match between Roman Reigns and Luke Harper. Harper is one of the few people on the roster that has good chemistry with Reigns and whenever these two meet they usually produce a hard hitting encounter and this one was further improved by Ambrose's commentary. Roman Reigns picked up the win after connecting with a spear. After the match, Wyatt pensively looked on from ringside whilst Reigns and Ambrose celebrated in the ring.

With foreshadowing as subtle as John Cena's new Gatorade t shirt, at this stage it would be more surprising if Dean Ambrose or Roman Reigns didn't turn on their former Shield brethren on Sunday. My money is on Dean Ambrose to do the dirty on Roman due to WWE's unwavering desire to push Roman Reigns as the next top babyface regardless of how fans continue to gravitate towards other wrestlers. A turn either way would be a good move as it would finally dissolve the Shield for good thus allowing the triple threat match between Ambrose, Reigns and Rollins to finally take place. Will WWE have the cojones to execute the turn in front of a hostile Brooklyn crowd that will, in all likely hood, produce cheers from the smarky crowd? That remains to be seen.

I don't know if it is testament to how much Roman Reigns has improved other the past eight months or testament to how underwhelming the final RAW before SummerSlam was but this was the best segment of the night despite retaining the same old Roman Reigns match formula.

RAW Review 10/08/2015

In the absence of The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, WWE resolved many of the questions surrounding the under card matches at SummerSlam; in total, three new matches were announced for the biggest event of the summer including a four corner survival tag match, a three team diva's elimination tag match and the debut of actor Stephen Amell, aka the Green Arrow, as he teams up with the Red Arrow, Neville, to take on the team of Stardust and King Barrett, for some reason.

This week's RAW review begins with the WWE World Heavyweight Champion:

Seth Rollins, the luckiest man on the planet

If one thing has defined Rollins' reign as champion it has been luck. At Money in The Bank, luck determined it would be Rollins left clutching the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after he and Dean Ambrose came crashing to the mat. At Battleground, luck determined that The Undertaker chose the second before Lesnar was about to pin Rollins to return and exact his revenge on Lesnar. Just last week, Neville accidentally overhooked Rollins' legs to cause a rope break after delivering the Red Arrow. This week was no different as luck saved the WWE World Heavyweight Champion again.

Confident, assured and soaking wet, Rollins began the show with a remainder, in case anyone had forgot, that it was he who delivered the blow to break the face that runs the pace, John Cena, as the fans still chant "you sold out at" at the champion. The WWE World Heavyweight Champion continues to remind the audience that John Cena is yet to respond to his title for title match offer at SummerSlam. Cesaro interrupts the champion and makes his way to the ring to state that he deserves a shot at the WWE WHC. Another former ROH star, Kevin Owens, makes his way to the ring to stake his claim to the WWE WHC. After making a cheap fat joke about Owens, Randy Orton enters the ring to state how he deserves a shot at the title. Out comes HHH to inform the fans that, currently, John Cena is only 50/50 for SummerSlam before scheduling a tripe threat match between Orton, Cesaro and Owens to determine who will face Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the night's main event.

After a solid triple threat match that succeeded in showcasing all three men's strengths, it was Randy Orton who would emerge victorious and go on to face Seth Rollins in the night's main event much to the disappointment of many who wished to see a fresh face in the title picture. The match concluded as Kevin Owens attempted a Pop Up Powerbomb on Cesaro, who jumped over the shoulders of Owens, before Randy Orton delivered a devastating RKO first to Owens then to Cesaro before pinning the Swiss Superman.

For the second time in two weeks, Seth Rollins put his WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line against a man he has had many encounters with in the past, the Viper Randy Orton. In a match that was destined to end in a no contest, it was Sheamus who did the honours of breaking up the pin attempt after Orton hit an RKO  as the champ attempted the diving nothing from the top rope- a move that has been around for a while, but in recent times has been perfected by Joey Mercury. After the bell rang, Sheamus tossed Orton ringside before delivering a Brogue Kick to Seth Rollins. Sheamus told the referee that he wishes to cash in his Money in the Bank contest before Orton this time came to the aid of Rollins by delivering an RKO to the Celtic Warrior to stand tall to end the show.

Evidently, the reason why Cesaro and Kevin Owens were unsuccessful earlier in the night was due to the fact WWE wanted to further discredit Seth Rollins as champion as Orton had him all but beat before Sheamus cost him the match. The attempted cash in by Sheamus may suggest he might put his briefcase on the line in a match with Orton at SummerSlam- a match that Sheamus should win.

As for Rollins, once again he proves to be the luckiest man in the WWE by first having Sheamus stopping Orton from defeating him before Orton stopped Sheamus from defeating him. Many commentators believe that Rollins' chicken shit shtick has run its course but the fact that Rollins still receives boos for selling out his former Shield brethren is testament to how good he has been over the past year. However, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion remains without an official match at SummerSlam but expect Cena to be at RAW next week to accept Rollins title for title match. I still maintain Rollins will defeat John Cena at SummerSlam but you can never be too sure when the odds are seemingly stacked against Mr Make a Wish.

Four Corner Survival Tag Match announced for SummerSlam

Moments after defeating Los Matadores, The New Day ran in to Renee Young backstage who informed them that they would be facing Prime Time Players at SummerSlam... along with Los Matadores... and Lucha Dragons in a four way tag match. Much to the disappointment of New Day, who asked Renee who will be added to the match next, Doom? Harlem Heat? Xavier Woods managed to put a positive slant on things, claiming that it is just more hands and voices to witness New Day become two time Tag Team Champions.

As anticipated, at SummerSlam all of the teams in the division barring The Ascension will do battle in a fatal four way. Usually multi-man tag matches produce fun, entertaining matches and this shouldn't be any different with an exciting combination of speed and strength. Hopefully, WWE will correct the mistake they made at Money in the Bank when New Day lost the titles. For the first time in a long time, the New Day have made the tag division, severely hampered by injuries, semi-enjoyable through their antics in and out of the ring.

WWE must return the Tag Team titles to their rightful owners at SummerSlam and I fully expect them do so. But they won't pin Prime Time Players. More than likely, I expect that they will pin one of the masked teams in order to continue their feud with Prime Time Players as it appears WWE must want PTP around the titles.

Ryback returns and, unfortunately, the triple threat between Ryback, The Miz and Big Show is still on

This week, Daniel Bryan made his return to Miz TV as Miz reminds everyone how he plucked Bryan from obscurity, WWE's epithet for any other wrestling promotion (see Sting), and mentored him to greatness. Daniel Bryan's music interrupts The Miz' diatribe to the sound of deafening cheers from his home state of Washington- no one on the WWE roster is anywhere near as over as Daniel Bryan is, a fact that was made painfully clear again last night. After Bryan chats about his literary success, The Miz' attention turns to the Intercontinental Champion, Ryback. The Miz comments on how he helped cultivate the attitude of a champion in Daniel Bryan and how Ryback should do the same and surrender his Intercontinental Championship and give it to him. Big Show arrives and cracks babyface jokes before the "please retire" chants kick in. After weeks off with a staph infection in the knee, Ryback made his return to a good reception from the Washington fans. The Big Guy squared up to Big Show before Daniel Bryan tosses Miz back in to the ring. The three men brawl in the ring before Ryback hits two Meat Hook Clotheslines to take down both The Miz and Big Show to stand tall and soak in the Yes chants with Daniel Bryan.

An old adage in wrestling states that, if a wrestler is considered to have mastered the art form, he is so good he could put on a good match with a broomstick. The SummerSlam match between Ryback, The Miz and Big Show is a match between three broomsticks. Despite my personal opinion on Ryback, it is good to see him and, by association the Intercontinental Championship, back on TV after almost a month on the side lines. Although the Intercontinental Championship match at SummerSlam is far from an enthralling prospect, it is good to see the championship back on television.

Stardust? Cody Rhodes? A Crisis of Identity

Just a quick note on Stardust- WWE achieved entirely new levels of meta this week when Michael Cole and the commentary team spoke extensively on how Stardust can not understand that Stephen Amell is an actor on television just like Stardust does not understand he is Cody Rhodes. Of course, the intriguing aspect of this rivalry is the fact that Cody Rhodes, too, is a character played on television.

I anticipate that Amell and Neville will pick up the victory in a match worked around Amell's limited wrestling ability. Will this put an end to Stardust's crisis of identity and see a return of Cody Rhodes? I have absolutely no idea WWE and sometimes that is for the best.

Also, it is truly astounding how Barrett is currently being used. Never before in the history of WWE have they given someone the opportunity to win King of the Ring only to be, a couple of months later, losing in under two minutes.

Current SummerSlam match card:

The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar

Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper

Team B.A.D vs PCB vs Team Bella

Ryback (C) vs The Miz vs Big Show for The Intercontinental Championship

Los Matadores vs The New Day vs Lucha Dragons vs Prime Time Players (C) for the Tag Team Championships

Neville and Green Arrow vs Stardust and King Barrett

In all likelihood, John Cena will appear on RAW next week to accept Seth Rollins' challenge and, after the main event of this week's RAW, it looks like Sheamus and Randy Orton are set to continue their feud so expect a match between these two to be announced with a stipulation. Hopefully, Cesaro/Owens will be added to complete the card in what is lining up to be a fun PPV.

RAW Review 03/08/2015

Amidst the heart-felt tributes to Roddy Piper, the incessant talk about Ronda Rousey and JBL's new tactic of holding cards up with the price of the network on as saying it repeatedly is apparently not to enough, a pretty good RAW occurred in San Jose, CA. The WWE World Heavyweight Champion threw down an open challenge in the absence of John Cena which resulted in the match of the night, Miz ran a fun Miz TV dedicated to Roddy Piper, Cesaro's fans made their support known with whole sections of the arena dubbing themselves the 'C Section', Paul Heyman further sold the WrestleMania rematch too big for WrestleMania between Lesnar/Undertaker at SummerSlam and Brock Lesnar got paid a shit load of money to stand silently on top of some steel steps.

Here is my three point RAW review:

Seth Rollins challenges John Cena at SummerSlam 

The WWE World Heavyweight Champion made his way to the ring to open the show. Wearing a fantastic new t shirt, Seth Rollins told the fans it is his fault Cena is absent to which they responded with a "thank you, Rollins" chant before Rollins began lamenting how he is too sympathetic for his own good. Last week, Rollins wanted the match with John Cena to end due to Cena's broken nose but the referee officiating the match did not share the same humanitarian beliefs as the champion thus forcing him to tap out for the sake of Cena's well being. Rollins proposes that he and John Cena meet again at SummerSlam in a title for title match, winner takes all scenario before offering an open challenge for the WWE WHC with two caveats; firstly, the opponent must be under 6ft and secondly the opponent must be under 200 pounds.

The man that gravity  creative forgot answered the open challenge much to the disappointment of Seth Rollins who seemed to have his hopes set on El Torito. Instead, the first ever NXT Champion Seth Rollins faces the first WWE Network NXT Champion Neville for the richest prize in sports entertainment. As expected, the match did not fail to deliver. Both men worked a fast pace more associated with PWG than WWE with Neville delivering a hurricanrana to the champion followed by a springboard corkscrew moonsault to the outside. Rollins regained control only for a few seconds before Neville hit a beautiful reverse frankensteiner to turn the tide followed by a dead lift German. Neville positions himself to deliver the Red Arrow but the champ rolls out of the way before hitting a huge lariat that sends Neville spinning. A pedigree attempt by the champion is reversed into a roll up for a 2.999999 count. Rollins heads to the top but Neville sends him back to the ground with a hurricanrana. Neville heads to the top rope again and successfully lands the Red Arrow for what should have been the match but, in his excitement , the challenger over hooks Rollins' leg placing them on the ropes causing a rope break before the referee reaches three. Animated by the fan's encouragement, Neville heads to the top rope to attempt a Red Arrow again-this time Rollins rolls out the way before taking advantage of Neville's momentary loss of balance to hit the Pedigree to pick up the three count.

This was a really fun match to begin RAW which showcased a side to Rollins we don't get to see too often and probably should have closed the show instead of the insipid six man tag match. Rollins cowardice is an easy way to solicit boos from the crowd but last night Rollins was booked a lot stronger against the smaller man. What was most impressive in this match, a match everyone was expecting Rollins to win, was that Neville and Rollins contrived such a close pin fall attempt after Neville hit Rollins with the Red Arrow only for the challenger to accidentally hook the champion's leg on the rope for a rope break.

In a more surprising move, it was the cowardly champion who challenged John Cena to a match at SummerSlam despite the only victory he holds over Cena coming from Brock Lesnar interfering in a cage match. As I have previously stated, I don't think Cena will beat Rollins to hold both the US Title and WWE WHC. Conversely, I can't see Rollins holding both titles and besides, as great as Rollins has been, he should not win the US Title as other people need the rub much more than he does. Unfortunately, this leaves us with shenanigans, a recurring motif through Rollins' reign, as the only option. Perhaps Sheamus tries and fails to cash in a la Seth Rollins at Night of Champions last year, i just don't see WWE unifying both championships so soon after they unified the World Heavyweight Championship and the WWE Championship.

WWE continue to push John Cena's broken nose pretty hard in his absence. Perhaps this is Vince McMahon's response to UFC boss Dana White's "fake" comments regarding WWE or perhaps it is just a reminder of how great John Cena really is. Either way, I'm still confident Rollins wins and leaves SummerSlam still WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Lesnar gets paid a lot for doing very little

Paul Heyman did what Paul Heyman does best by delivering a scathing promo on The Undertaker. Heyman reminds fans it is The Undertaker who picked a fight with Lesnar by costing him the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Battleground. Heyman claims that The Undertaker is desperate, as evidenced by the low blow at Battleground, to defeat Lesnar, a man he has never been able to defeat in his accomplished career. The Undertaker, Heyman continues, will never rest in peace until he beats Lesnar and that will never happen because every time The Undertaker faces Brock Lesnar 'Taker acts like a little bitch.

Out comes the magician's assistant Lesnar who, on his last visit to this stadium, ended up wrecking the place before delivering an F5 to Michael Cole. Alas, there was no such luck tonight as Lesnar's night's work consisted of throwing the steel steps into the ring and looking menacing. According to Heyman, The Undertaker, after suffering defeat at WrestleMania XXX by the hands of Brock Lesnar, called Vince McMahon and begged for a rematch against Lesnar the following year which McMahon declined. After exhausting all his options, Heyman continues, Taker had to force the matter by costing Brock Lesnar the title at Battleground. In a rematch apparently too big for WrestleMania, Paul Heyman promises that The Undertaker will be taking a vacation to Suplex City where he will rest in pieces.

Paul Heyman's presence on RAW is always appreciated as it guarantees at least one good segment and tonight was no different. I'm certain Paul Heyman could sell you on unanesthetized open heart surgery performed by Brock Lesnar if he so desired and he certainly further sold the prospect of Lesnar vs The Undertaker II. My head says Lesnar will win to not waste the streak but the 10 year old in me that fell in love with the necromancing undead dead man says The Undertaker will pick up the win. Whatever happens, I don't think that SummerSlam will resolve the issues between Lesnar/The Undertaker and the rivalry will, more than likely, be resolved at WrestleMania, the place where it all began.

More three on three tag team action

In the night's main event, Sheamus teamed up with Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper to take on Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Randy Orton once again confirming logic is unimportant in a throw away six man tag main event. Now Orton is a good guy, he can inexplicably act like friends with other good guys despite the fact that the first clip in his titantron is of him delivering an RKO to Dean Ambrose.

Logic is not defeated by the reasons for Sheamus' temporary alliance with the Wyatt Family with Wyatt simply stating that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". Reigniting a rivalry that culminated in a hardcore match at Extreme Rules, Ambrose and Harper get things under way in the ring as Ambrose sends Harper to the outside before heading to the top rope to drop a big elbow to the outside of the ring which takes out Harper, Wyatt and Sheamus. Ambrose tags in Roman but Wyatt does not want to get in the ring with Roman Reigns. To be fair, he has good reasons not too. I don't think anyone can argue Roman works best in multi-man tag matches in which he can remain anonymous until close to the end where he can come in, hits his big power moves and saves the day.

As the match progresses, the Wyatt Family and Sheamus are firmly in control, working over the arms Dean Ambrose before he makes a tag to Randy Orton. Harper tags in Wyatt at the same time but Orton has the momentum delivering a powerslam followed by a back beaker. Michael Cole reminds everyone it is "vintage Orton" as he hits the assisted ddt. Orton looks to be setting Wyatt up for an RKO but Harper lands a big boot to send Orton to the mat. Ambrose comes in to make the save, sending Harper to the outside of the ring before Harper connects with a big knee to the face after Ambrose dives to the outside. Roman Reigns flies through the air to hit a huge clothesline taking Harper down before following it up by delivering the drive by to Sheamus and Wyatt. Reigns and Sheamus, the two legal men, trade blows in the centre of the ring as Reigns spots Wyatt's attempted interference and stops it with a superman punch then follows it up with one for Sheamus too. Ambrose takes care of Harper hitting a suicide dive to the outskirts, Wyatt looks to help Sheamus but Randy Orton delivers a huge RKO to Wyatt. Sheamus attempts a Brogue Kick on Orton but misses before Roman Reigns delivers a spear to Sheamus for the three count.

Reigns looked comfortable in a return to the role he had in The Shield; a hot tag guy that spends the majority of the match encouraging his team mates before coming in to pick up the victory at the end. With all the rumours circulating that a Wyatt, Harper and a third member vs Reigns, Ambrose and a third member is being considered for SummerSlam, I was a little surprised to  see a match so similar take place on TV a couple of weeks before hand. Having said that, WWE loves their three on three main events that ostensibly serve to shoehorn two feuds together in one match but really is just lazy writing. Considering WWE's formula for these matches, it looks like the Sheamus/ Randy Orton feud is going to be continuing for literally no reason which will probably culminate in another match at SummerSlam. Where does this match leave the Wyatt/Reigns feud? Who knows but it would certainly help if Heyman was selling this rematch.

.

RAW Review 27/07

RAW Three Point Review

Emanating from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, The Authority introduced the latest edition of Monday Night RAW as a night of firsts. For the first time in SummerSlam's history the show will be four hours long, for the first time  Dean Ambrose, would face the  Big Show, for the first time NXT Women's champion, Sasha Banks, faced off against Paige, for the first time The Viper, Randy Orton, squared off against Kevin Owens and for what must be the 291st time, John Cena delivered an emphatic fuck you to smarks worldwide. Without the crutch of Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker to carry the show , RAW stuttered and started whilst confirming many fan's fears; John Cena is back in the main event just when we thought he had gone away. 

Here is my three point review:

1. In WWE's contrived 'Universe' that never acknowledges the real world, John Cena is the man. A squeaky clean, social justice warrior driven by his motivation to restore order  and implement justice in a universe governed by a seemingly never ending list of bad guys to defeat. Over the past five months, since defeating Rusev at WrestleMania for the US Title, fans have warmed to John Cena as he suspended his pursuit of bad guys to focus on putting excellent matches with members of the mid-card in his US Title Open Challenge. For weeks now, Mr Make a Wish has consistently featured in the match of the night even putting on a couple of match of the year contenders with Kevin Owens and Cesaro.

Despite John Cena's vastly improved match quality over the past few months, the matches have retained the same template of multiple finishers followed by close falls followed by John Cena picking up the victory. Regardless of this minor criticism, The US Open Challenge has been the best part of RAW for weeks whilst elevating a previously dead title to new levels.

So we arrive at last night's RAW and many fan's worst fears were confirmed when John Cena interrupted an Authority promo, inserting himself back into the main event picture cashing in his annual John Cena in the Bank to the dismay of Seth Rollins and the IWC alike, challenging Rollins for the title in the night's main event. That's right, just when you thought WWE was departing from LOLCENAWINS to an exciting new future with healthy competition, high stakes and unpredictability WWE return to a familiar face, albeit slightly mangled by Rollins. Last night, WWE used its annual reset to default by opting for Cena as Rollins' next challenger as opposed to a fresher face, once again highlighting WWE's inability to establish new faces. HHH did not allow Cena to challenge for the title on RAW as requested, he instead set the night's main event as Seth Rollins vs John Cena for the US Title.

These two men, arguably in the form of their career, stole the show with a match lasting just over 15 minutes. Rollins and Cena, as demonstrated in their previous encounters, have great chemistry together and will always produce high quality matches. This match was no different, Rollins' athleticism compliments Cena's strength perfectly and the two combined always make for a good match. Throughout the match, the commentary team made it clear that if Cena wins he is next in line for a shot at Seth Rollins' WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Not even a broken nose inflated to twice its usual size could stop Hustle, Loyalty, Respect as he made the WWE WHC tap clean in the centre of the ring to a very shoddily applied STF proving that even if you're the WWE WHC you're still not as good as Cena with a mid-card belt.

John Cena resurfacing in the main event is not what is best for business. I refuse to believe that Seth Rollins title reign will succumb to "Big Match John" over coming the odds and delivering the bad guy his comeuppance once again. Surely Rollins' title reign hasn't been just more odds to overcome. What keeps my faith unwavering in the face of so much evidence pointing to the contrary, you may ask. Well, a John Cena victory over Seth Rollins brings into question what exactly WWE is trying to achieve with NXT. I do not believe that Cena can continually keep beating top NXT talent the WWE is billing as the future of the industry. Is the future of WWE reaching the top only to be dethroned by Cena? Surely not.

Unquestionably, Cena is one of the most popular wrestlers on the roster at the moment but I would argue the main reason for that popularity is the fact he hasn't been in the main event since the Royal Rumble PPV in January. This new found respect of John Cena stems directly from the fact that he has been a mid-card champion, putting on great matches with members of the mid-card that have been overlooked for years and not going over main event heels all the time, telling the same story again and again. If Rollins/Cena does go ahead at SummerSlam, I expect the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins, to arrive in a big way, stealing the show in a winning effort against John Cena, finally proving himself a worthy champion. Lets just hope the match showcases Seth Rollins' ability not "John Cena had it won if it wasn't for [insert bullshit reason why John Cena didn't win]".

2. If there is one word to summarise the tag division in WWE it is disarray. Last week, Los Matadores should have been crowned number one contenders to Prime Time Players' World Tag Team Championships according to WWE's championship rules that stipulate if you earn a pinfall or submission victory over the champion(s) you earn the right to a shot at the title the champion you defeat holds. These are the very rules that will secure John Cena his match against Seth Rollins at SummerSlam on next week's RAW.

These rules do not, however, apply to the tag team division. This week, Lucha Dragons were resurrected by creative for a match against Los Matadores, the rightful number one contenders. A fun match ended with Lucha Dragons picking up the victory off a roll up by Kalisto after New Day caused the distraction. It appears New Day's feud with Prime Time Players is set to continue whilst Lucha Dragons and Los Matadores get shoehorned into the one tag team feud creative are able to write at any one time.

What is most frustrating, as a big fan of tag team wrestling, is that the division seemingly had a direction whilst New Day held the gold whilst improving the match quality in a division that has sorely lacked it, putting on some fun matches with Cesaro and Kidd. Sure, injuries to Tyson Kidd and Eric Rowan have likely forced a rethinking of plans but the division is currently aimless, propped up by champions that have as much momentum as a King Barrett's promised push after winning KOTR.

Over the next couple of weeks, expect Los Matadores, Lucha Dragons and New Day to find themselves in contention for the Tag Titles culminating in a four corner tag match at SummerSlam which will probably be featured on preshow.

3. Luke Harper renewed his vows to Bray Wyatt last night after months in the wilderness of the lower mid-card. Harper re-committed to Wyatt in a ceremony that was both moving and touching. Wyatt began by offering an analogy; when he was younger he had a pet, which he loved dearly before releasing it into the wild. One day, the pet returned, although something was different. The pet returned with a scar over his eye. The pet had learnt a valuable lesson: the world has teeth and it bites. This lesson fixed his pet. This lesson also fixed Luke Harper who took the opportunity to explain why he has realigned with Bray, stating that Wyatt showed him the truth before pledging allegiance to Wyatt for a second time.

It is great to see Harper back with Wyatt. The reasons for the Wyatt family break up made as little sense as having Big Show defeat Dean Ambrose via count out (Something that also happened on RAW). Despite the numerous holes in the logic of a break up only to get back together, WWE and Wyatt have come up with a fantastic analogy that actually makes sense and explains the reasons for Harper leaving in the first place! Harper went away to find his own way in the world, but returned to his master with his tail tucked firmly between his legs looking for guidance once again.

All that is missing is one final piece of The Wyatt Family jigsaw. Many names have been banded around in contention to be the final member of the Wyatt family; Jack Swagger, Bo Dallas, The Ascension and a reincarnated Adam Rose have been suggested to fill the role left by Eric Rowan. WWE needs a strong Wyatt Family faction to bring an element of psychology to the table in a roster crammed full of technical wrestling ability. Fans are just waiting to get behind The Wyatt Family and having Luke Harper recommit his vows is the first step in the rebuilding process.

General Comments

This week's RAW was a bad one for former Shield members; Dean Ambrose, inexplicably, lost to the Big Show via count out after he flew into a KO punch ringside, Seth Rollins tapped out to John Cena and Roman Reigns did not make an appearance on the show. Considering that The Shield, together, constitute WWE's most heavily pushed group in history, the current working environment in WWE appears toxic to young talent, suggesting that no matter how over you get, no matter how many good matches you put on, no matter how entertaining you prove, you are always a second in the list of priorities.

For the second week in a row, WWE looked to the past instead of the future.