August 06, 2012|By Adam Testa
- Randy Orton and Big Show were actually having an entertaining match when it ended via countout. As I mentioned in the Smackdown recap Friday, it seems WWE is intent on protecting Orton, so this ending makes sense. After the match, though, Orton hit an RKO on Show, which is questionable, as Show is the one with an upcoming WWE Championship match while Orton is in flux.
- Alex Riley scored a huge win over Dolph Ziggler, courtesy of a distraction by Chris Jericho, who was on commentary for the match. The match was a showcase for Ziggler, but his cockiness got the best of him and allowed Riley to capitalize on his opponent's misplaced attention. This was a good way to build the Jericho-Ziggler feud while keeping them physically apart.
- A vignette hyping the return of Wade Barrett aired, showing footage based around a bare-knuckle fighting scene. This was an extremely well done hype video, and it appears Barrett will have a new look and a new character when he returns. I'm personally excited to see what's in store, as Barrett never got a chance to fulfill his potential before being injured.
- As Brodus Clay made his way to the ring for a match, he was jumped and assaulted by Damien Sandow. I really like the direction these two are heading, and I hope their eventual match is something meaningful, and not just a squash victory for Clay. Both men have practically begging to do something significant, and it seems they're on the right track now.
- Kane defeated Intercontinental Champion The Miz in a short, serviceable bout. There really wasn't anything special or offensive about this contest; it was just there. Though it is a shame to see The Miz losing cleanly while he holds the Intercontinental Championship. Let's hope this is an isolated incident and not the beginning of a trend.
- AJ Lee (who has acquired a last name since assuming the Raw general manager position) seems a lot more stable and less "crazy" than she has for the past few months. Maybe this is why she and CM Punk aren't getting along any more. He doesn't dig sane chicks.
- The divas emerged from their week-long stint in purgatory as the returning Kelly Kelly defeated Eve in a decent divas match. Nice to see the divas at least some time on the show again. Now let's just get a legitimate challenger for Layla's title.
- Bryan will officially face Kane at SummerSlam. There goes the teased match with Charlie Sheen, but the "winning" actor could still appear in the Big Red Machine's corner, if WWE chooses to go that route.
- Ryback has gone from non-clean finishes with Jinder Mahal back to handicap matches against Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks. Le sigh. Is there nothing better to fill three hours of weekly TV with?
Match Rundown
CM Punk d. Rey Mysterio
Alberto Del Rio d. Christian
Big Show vs. Randy Orton ended in double countout
Ryback d. Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks
Primo and Epico d. Titus O'Neil and Darren Young
Kelly Kelly d. Eve
Alex Riley d. Dolph Ziggler
Kane d. The Miz
John Cena d. Daniel Bryan
My Take
There was a lot of wrestling on tonight's episode of Raw - nine matches worth. That's what fans have been clamoring for, and that's what they got. And on top of that, most of it was quality wrestling, too. Plus, there was story development that made sense! Overall, Raw has to be considered a success. On a personal note, though, I found it hard to stay fully invested, especially near the middle of the show. It was nothing to do with the quality of the programming but rather just dealing with a three-hour show. WWE delivered a strong show tonight, but the nature of their extended broadcast may be playing against the short attention spans of people like me.
Ring Posts’ Adam Testa has teamed up with My 1-2-3 Cents and All American Pro Wrestling to bring you From the Rafters Radio, a weekly pro wrestling talk radio show airing from 8-10 EST every Thursday on Monster Radio 1150 AM in Southern Illinois and streaming worldwide on wggh.net .
