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Raw Pre-Show 6/23/14 from Washington D.C.
– Our panel this week is Josh Matthews, Booker T, Alex Riley, and Santino Marella…
– Announced for tonight is Stephanie McMahon addressing Vickie Guerrero, plus an “exciting” rematch from SmackDown with John Cena, Roman Reigns and Sheamus vs. Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, Alberto Del Rio and Randy Orton. Really creative booking there…. That’s why they pay the writers big money….
– We get a promo video for Money In the Bank… The panel discusses who they think will win… Santino rambles with the accent but trying to be serious… Hard to take it seriously…
– Adam Rose over Heath Slater with the Party Foul on Superstars…. Rose takes his talents to Superstars in quick fashion…
– Shameless shilling of WWE merchandise… Buy one shirt, get one free, right now on WWEShop… Alex Riley isn’t very good at this sales thing, where’s Barry Didinski when you need him… Who caught that reference? 😉
– They talk about the announcement of a second MITB match at the PPV…
– Renee Young stops Vickie Guerrero backstage in the hallway and wants her reaction to the fact that Stephanie will be addressing Vickie tonight… Guerrero seems disturbed and walks off…
– We take a look at Dolph Ziggler’s win over IC Champion Barrett from Raw… A rematch is slated for tonight on Raw, but this time the title is on the line…
– Out come the announcers and we’re ready to roll for Raw…
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WWE Raw 6/23/14 from the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.
– This is episode 1,100 of Raw… Stephanie McMahon is on her way out first… Stephanie wants Vickie Guerrero out to face her consequences for last week’s coffee incident and allowing Reigns into the Battle Royal… Vickie hesitantly walks to the ring and kisses Stephanie’s butt, not literally, this isn’t Vince… Stephanie gives her crap for last week, Vickie says it won’t happen again… Stephanie says she’s right it won’t happen again, then says Vickie has been riding Eddy Guerrero’s coattails for 9 years… Stephanie trashes Vickie’s history with the company. Vickie offers to beg. Stephanie makes her get down and beg, then tells her to get back up because she sucks at it. Stephanie calls Vickie a Twinkie because she never expires… Stephanie says Vickie can have a job as SD GM if she can win a match here tonight against….. Stephanie McMahon!!! It’s beat Stephanie or be fired…
Stephanie thinks Vickie won’t accept, but Vickie does, and then EXCUUUUSES herself from the ring to a decent pop… Stephanie smiles with her tight dress homage to the Hart Foundation…
– Tonight HHH will announce the second MITB match for a contract… Looks like only SIX men in that one…
-Commercial Break-
The Usos are out for action… Rowan and Harper enter next to a Harmonica version of “Whole World In His Hands”… Terrible, and the crowd made no response…. I hope to never hear that again…
1. Jimmy Uso (w/Jey) vs. Luke Harper (w/Rowan). Harper gets the upper hand, Uso takes over and sends him outside. Rowan distracts Jimmy, Jey attacks Rowan on the floor, Jimmy turns around into a spinning clothesline from Harper for the win in 1:00… Yeah, 1:00…
And MORE Harmonica music… Dear Lord, why do they need their own theme, and if so, why this???
Jey Uso stops the Wyatts, and challenges Rowan to a match. Jey then dives out onto the Wyatts… Apparently it’s Jey vs. Rowan next…
-Commercial Break-
2. Jey Uso (w/Jimmy) vs. Erick Rowan (w/Harper). Match in progress, Rowan tosses Jey with a fall away slam. Rowan on top but misses a shoulder charge into the corner when Jey slides outside… Jey dropkicks Rowan’s head into the ring post, nice spot… Jimmy attacks Harper to prevent interference on the floor, and Jey hits the flying splash off the top for the win, 1:30 shown on TV….
The two teams brawl after the match, but the Wyatts absolutely just demolish the Usos inside and outside the ring… The Wyatts stand with the belts in the ring, the lights go out and Bray Wyatt appears on the big screen… Bray says he is proud of his men, then does some of his usual preaching… Follow the Buzzards…
-Commercial Break-
– Apparently there’s no match on MITB preshow, but rather Daniel Bryan makes an interview appearance.
– Rusev and Lana promo from in front of the White House… Out government sucks… That’s supposed to be news? Am I supposed to argue that? Apparently Putin is great and we should worship him… They stand there while the Russian Anthem plays….
– WWE Divas Champion Paige joins commentary for a Divas match.
3. Naomi (w/Cameron) vs. Alicia Fox. Cameron joins commentary as well and acts as a complete heel, even claiming that Naomi isn’t a threat to Paige, but she is… Someone needs to teach Cameron how to play subtle heel here, as she trashes Naomi repeatedly after coming out with her… Oh yeah, there’s a match too, Fox beats down Naomi outside and then hits a backbreaker for 2… Really nice Northern Lights Suplex by Fox for another near fall… Michael Cole shoots on Cameron about her ego on and off Total Divas and how she has no friends… Fox dumps Naomi again, but Cameron doesn’t want to go check on her… Naomi returns to the ring and counters Fox with an inverted DDT of sorts for the win in 5:00…
Paige looks forward for a Naomi challenge, she says Naomi deserves it… Cameron acts upset that Naomi won…
Paige holds up the Divas Championship but shakes the hand of Naomi… Cameron yawns… This girl is a natural heel, she’s ghetto-rific in the “character”…
– Backstage segment with Sheamus and Roman Reigns… Sheamus doubts Reigns due to his past, Roman doesn’t care. Reigns says if he wanted to take Sheamus out he would have already done it… Sheamus says he will be WWE champion, Roman says something similar… They’re teaming tonight you know, just ignore that they already teamed last week…
-Commercial Break-
– We’re reminded of Titus’ 2 losses to Adam Rose on Smackdown.
4. Titus O’Neil vs. Bo Dallas. Bo is proud of Titus for falling off his horse and getting back on, even if he fell off again… Titus on Bo immediately, but a Bo-Dog follows and this match is over in 30 to 45 seconds, tops…
Dallas says he is 9 and B0. Titus smacks the microphone from the ring… Bo is extra funny tonight, calling himself Mr. Butterfingers…
Four matches tonight so far, the three men’s matches equal 3 minutes in length….
-Commercial Break-
– Hour 2 begins with HHH on his way out to announce the MITB Contract Match… The image shows six wrestlers, so I assume that’s what we’re getting… HHH has selected the men involved, he says it is absolutely favoritism and these names are Best for Business…. The names include… Seth Rollins, Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger??? Jack Swagger??? Really??? HHH acknowledges the fans thinking he doesn’t appreciate Dolph Ziggler, but he does, because he’s in this match too… Rob Van Dam and Bad News Barrett also added… Maybe we are getting seven, because Dean Ambrose isn’t named… Must be an angle coming… HHH brings out his favorite to win, Seth Rollins.
Fans chant “you sold out” but Seth says he has moves on, unlike the fans… Rollins takes credit for all of the Shield’s success. RVD comes out, Rollins says he didn’t know it was 2005… The two verbally joust which leads to…..
5. Rob Van Dam vs. Seth Rollins. Quick action to start, RVD takes Rollins outside and we head to commercial a minute in…
Back from break, Michael Cole says Rollins has just taken control… Seth with some nice moves, using the float around clothesline he recycled from JTG… Seth with a chinlock and bodyscissors. RVD fights his way out, ends up on the apron, but hits a slingshot into a tornado DDT… Nice spot by Rob, something new for once… RVD misses the Frog Splash however, and Seth attacks…. Rollins hits the Powerbomb in the corner and the Curb Stump… GREAT BUMP by RVD on his head… Rollins covers, but DEAN AMBROSE ATTACKS!!!!!
The two brawl around ringside… Ambrose teases leaving, but runs across the announce table and pounces Rollins again for more beating… Seth finally escapes and runs off… I guess Rollins will win the match by DQ in 9:30…
– Dean Ambrose gets on the microphone and says they might as well add him to MITB now, or he’s going to interfere in the match, take the briefcase, screw up the entire PPV… Ambrose PROMISES to be a part of MITB…
– We see Vickie backstage stretching for her match with Stephanie…
-Commercial Break-
– Backstage, Seth Rollins pleads with HHH to add Dean Ambrose to the MITB match so that he can control him and keep him from interfering. It takes some convincing, but HHH agrees… HHH also tells Seth if it blows up in his face, it’s on him…
6. IC Champion Bad News Barrett vs. Dolph Ziggler. Barrett has bad news, Dolph is a loser, just like Washington’s “Racist” NFL team… Ouch… Barrett on Dolph to start, but Ziggler comes back after a big dropkick… It’s short-lived, Barrett knocks Ziggler to the floor and goes on the offense… And 30 seconds later we’re right back to Dolph in control with a stretch of his token offense… Barrett responds with the Winds of Change for 2… Dolph counters Wasteland with the Zigzag!!! But Dolph is down and Barrett rolls to the floor to prevent being pinned… Raw goes to commercial…
Back from break, Ziggler hits the 10 elbows of Jerry Lawler’s death for 2… Barrett ends up tossing Ziggler to the floor and hitting the Cactus Jack Elbow off the apron, which they completely ignore and call “The Barrett Elbow”… The Cactus elbow gets 2… Chinlock by Barrett, Dolpg gets free, but Wade catches him with a boot to the face in the corner for 2…
Barrett goes to the top, but Dolph with a FACE BUSTER OFF THE TOP, for a near fall only…. Back and forth fighting, Barrett tosses Dolph up and down onto his stomach… WASTELAND gets a near fall!!! Barrett misses the BULL HAMMER, and Ziggler hits the FAMOUSER for 2!!!!! Both men down.
Barrett blocks a sleeper but Ziggler counters into a CRUCIFIX for another close fall… Ziggler charges Wade in the corner, but flies right into a BULL HAMMER ELBOW for the win in 11:30.
– Renee Young interviews Vickie Guerrero backstage. Vickie says no matter what happens she has no regrets… Randy Orton interrupts, he says Vickie will get what she deserves tonight, and she deserves it because of letting Roman Reigns into the MITB match… Orton says he would be lying if he said it was nice knowing her… That match is next….
-Commercial Break-
7. Vickie Guerrero vs. Stephanie McMahon. Vickie enters to Eddy’s theme… Old school… What a shocker, Stephanie is out in her dress and announces that their match isn’t going to take place in the ring, but rather near the ramp next to a pool of something… Stephanie says she doesn’t even know what’s in the pool and apparently it smells… Stephanie sicks Alicia Fox, Rosa Mendes, and Layla to attack Guerrero… Vickie runs from the ring and up the ramp… The girls stalk Vickie up the ramp and pick her up to dump her in the pool, but Vickie breaks free and tosses all three women in the pool instead… Vickie celebrates momentarily with YES chants, but Stephanie sneaks up and shoves her in the pool…. End of “match”
Stephanie then fires Vickie Guerrero and sings Goodbye to her and dance…
Vickie starts to walk off, but stops and turns to Steph… McMahon stops singing and realizes she’s by the pool… McMahon starts to plead, but Vickie tosses her into the mess, face first… Vickie gets a better sendoff than most, thanking Eddy in the sky with Eddy’s music playing her out… The announcers wish Vickie a goodbye…
Stephanie oversells the mud as she repeatedly “slips” in it before leaving and screaming at the fans…
-Commercial Break-
– Byron Saxton is backstage with Goldust and…. Stardust…. Stardust sings “When you wish upon a star”… It gives Goldust Tourette’s… Goldust says now he is the normal one…
8. Kofi Kingston vs. Jack Swagger (w/Zeb Colter). Kofi with some kicks early, but Swagger grounds things… Kofi finally gets things going, knocking Swagger to the apron, then to the floor, then a sweet dive out onto Jack… Crowd is sort of flat though… Kofi with a high cross body in the ring, but Swagger catches, but Kingston turns it into as Victory roll for 2… Swagger locks on the Ankle Lock, Kofi holds on for a whole, almost making the ropes before Jack pills him back and gets the win via tap out in 4:00…
– Paige vs. Naomi is added to MITB.
– Renee Young with Alberto Del Rio. ADR is going to win MITB, but he’s interrupted by Cesaro and Paul Heyman. Brock Lesnar talk follows… Heyman says Cesaro will win, no shocker there… Words are exchanged and tension builds… Cesaro says he speaks 5 languages but doesn’t speak “Loser”.
-Commercial Break-
– Damien Sandow is in the ring dressed as Abraham Lincoln… Sandow says he was told the fans didn’t find him entertaining… And look at him now… Sandow says the fans won’t dictate what he does anymore, but he’s cut off by Big E….
9. Big E vs. Damien Sandow. Sandow wrestles in the Lincoln suit… and hat… That doesn’t last long, Big E hits his spots and the Big Ending for a SQUASH in 45 seconds… RIDICULOUS… Even my 6 year old wants to know what’s going on with this jobber crap…
– Big E plays Mr. America, talking like Dr. Martin Luther King on the microphone, putting over America… Lana interrupts… But Rusev comes in from behind and mauls Big E… And the Accolade for good measure as the fans chant “USA”…
-Commercial Break-
– Renee Young interviews John Cena in between some breaks, then there’s all the entrances…. You know how it goes… Oh, and Cena said nothing of importance… He plans to win MITB… You surprised???
10. John Cena, Sheamus & Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Alberto Del Rio & Cesaro. Handicap rematch from SD… Cena and Orton start off… Cena and Sheamus tag back and forth, they don’t tag Reigns just like on SD… Cena spends the majority of the time in the ring and ends up taking the heat… Bray Wyatt is dominating John as we take a break…
Back from the final break, Del Rio drops Cena with a DDT for 2… Cena finally manages a hot tag to Reigns… Again, just like SD… Reigns taking everyone out, just like SD…. Dropkick onto the apron on ADR, just like on SD… Superman punch to Cesaro, and one to Orton, but ADR hits a Back Stabber on Roman to slow him down… Bray tags himself in and hits Reigns with a body attack for 2… And then Cesaro with the gut wrench for 2… Orton gets his licks in… But Roman eventually gets a hot tag to Sheamus….
Sheamus clears the heels out of the ring and hits Cesaro with like 15 forearm clubs, and a powerslam… Orton hits Sheamus with the backbeaker, Cena with the AA on Orton, Cena with the AA on ADR, Cesaro with a European Uppercut on Cena, but Cesaro turns into the BROGUE KICK and Sheamus gets the pin in 16:00….
Immediately after the match, Kane comes out and destroys everyone involved in the match except Orton… HHH then announces Kane has been added to MITB WWE Title match… Kane’s music starts to play but ROMAN REIGNS SPEARS KANE!!!!!
Reigns stares down HHH and Orton to end the show…
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WWE Raw “Backstage Pass” Post Show
– First thing I notice is, there’s still action going on in the ring… Not sure what’s happening but Cena is involved and his music plays when all is said and done…
– Panel is of course discussing the WWE Title MITB match, and the handicap match from tonight with Kane thrown into the mix…
– Renee Young with Roman Reigns, who sent a message to HHH… Reigns isn’t worried about Kane being added… Not one bit!
– MITB Contract Ladder match discussion is next…
– We go back to relive the Stephanie/Vickie “showdown” from earlier… The panel puts over Vickie to give her a sendoff… Booker T randomly channels Bill Cosby and says “Jell-O Pudding”… Awesome…
That’s it for this week… Bye, Bye, Vickie…
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