Dolph Ziggler

A "go home" Raw (the last episode before a pay-per-view event) is always watched with extra attention, mostly because critics have the same question -- did this particular show do anything to increase my interest in buying the pay-per-view on Sunday? Lately, many of these critics have answered no. Many people feel that Raw last night was no different -- that it was flat, lacked spark and didn't do very much to push the figurative "buy rate" needle. These, of course, are criticisms that always arise for this particular (mostly monthly)

A "go home" Raw (the last episode before a pay-per-view event) is always watched with extra attention, mostly because critics have the same question -- did this particular show do anything to increase my interest in buying the pay-per-view on Sunday? Lately, many of these critics have answered no. Many people feel that Raw last night was no different -- that it was flat, lacked spark and didn't do very much to push the figurative "buy rate" needle. These, of course, are criticisms that always arise for this particular (mostly monthly)

There are still many unanswered questions following Raw, 24 hours removed from the Survivor Series pay-per-view event. Once again, the 3 NXT alums dressed in black attacked Ryback and put him through a table, with no explanation of who, what or why. At this point, building intrigue through mystery is a great strategy, which is why I'm looking forward to the eventual "explanation" even more. CM Punk celebrated one full fiscal year as WWE champion with great work on the microphone. It was preceded with a mini "pipe bomb" by Paul Heyman, who called out members of the WWE Universe who criticized his and CM Punk's mocking of Jerry Lawler's heart attack, essentially saying that the same fans who clamor for the "good ol' days" of the Attitude Era, complain and are offended when an event that was inspired by that era is seen in WWE today.

What a difference a week makes. It's not like the members of The Shield weren't already on an upward trajectory to main event status. But, when you get to interact with The Undertaker to the degree the trio did last week in WWE, that's a game changer. On Raw last week, The Shield beat The Undertaker, Kane and Daniel Bryan. On Smackdown, The Undertaker beat Dean Ambrose, but then The Shield left the Dead Man laying and vulnerable. This week, The Shield was victorious again, against the team of Team Hell No and John Cena.

The Royal Rumble has long been recognized as one of the premier American wrestling events of the year, coming in second to only WrestleMania. This year's event featured a number of surprises, both in the 30-man Rumble match itself and on the rest of the card. Both the WWE and World Heavyweight champions retained their titles, two unannounced matches were showcased and a number of WWE veterans and superstars returned to the ring. I had a bird's eye seat for the spectacle, as I sat two rows removed from the floor-seat section of the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

Ever since the day after WrestleMania, when "Fandangoing" became a thing, we knew that when WWE returned to the United Kingdom just weeks later, that it would all resume. Sure, the Fandango theme singing craze took a dip in between, but it's genesis was truly fans in the United Kingdom who made the trip to WrestleMania. So it comes as no surprise that the singing and dancing was out in full force on WWE Raw. I think WWE did a great job with the trend and weaving it into the show -- from using the theme song as a distraction for Chris Jericho in his match against Dolph Ziggler to having Fandango match up against William Regal (perhaps one of the only guys on the roster who could shift the crowd's attention)

Everything that Wrestlemania wasn't, for the hardcore WWE fan, Raw was. It had twists, it had turns, and most of all, it had chants. Lots of chants. Chants never heard at a WWE event before. In fact, for much of Raw, the fans hijacked the show. It started with Dolph Ziggler. Fans were chanting for him throughout the show, until he appeared to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, and the place went wild. Nobody sat down during the 2-3 minute match where Ziggler finally won the World Heavyweight title, with most fans in the audience having the opinion that he more than deserved it. It was a surreal moment ... a "WrestleMania moment," just the following day. Once fans got what they asked for with Ziggler, they turned their attention elsewhere.

It looks like Wrestlemania-quality matches have come six weeks early. In a stellar half-hour main event match, John Cena defeated CM Punk and will (still) go to Wrestlemania and face The Rock in a rematch, this time with the WWE title on the line. The match had everything -- great storytelling, athleticism, the crowd was loud and invested, both men painted a great picture with false finishes. We even saw John Cena deliver what was once known as a "Batista Bomb" and CM Punk deliver a pile driver (a move thought to be banned by WWE but smartly used in the match in the place of a "signature" move)

Yes, you read that headline correctly. Kofi Kingston, a WWE Superstar who was hard-pressed to find a win on television in 2013, defeated a man in Antonio Cesaro who, weeks earlier, was taking on several challengers, showing impressive feats of strength. Then, Cesaro seemed to fall off the face of the earth around WrestleMania time. He didn't appear at WrestleMania. He didn't appear on Raw the next night. Then, he starts yodeling and loses the U.S. title. Is Antonio Cesaro in the dog house?

Don't believe everything you read on the internet. In fact, don't believe much of what you read on the internet, as it pertains to pro wrestling. At least take it with a grain of salt. Before this week's edition of Raw, there were rumors circling the internet and the internet wrestling websites that this week's episode of Raw would be a "throwaway" episode, with not much plot advancement leading to Wrestlemania. Pretty much the opposite happened. This episode of Raw saw The Undertaker return and receive a Wrestlemania opponent -- CM Punk.

Ever since the day after WrestleMania, when "Fandangoing" became a thing, we knew that when WWE returned to the United Kingdom just weeks later, that it would all resume. Sure, the Fandango theme singing craze took a dip in between, but it's genesis was truly fans in the United Kingdom who made the trip to WrestleMania. So it comes as no surprise that the singing and dancing was out in full force on WWE Raw. I think WWE did a great job with the trend and weaving it into the show -- from using the theme song as a distraction for Chris Jericho in his match against Dolph Ziggler to having Fandango match up against William Regal (perhaps one of the only guys on the roster who could shift the crowd's attention)

Yes, you read that headline correctly. Kofi Kingston, a WWE Superstar who was hard-pressed to find a win on television in 2013, defeated a man in Antonio Cesaro who, weeks earlier, was taking on several challengers, showing impressive feats of strength. Then, Cesaro seemed to fall off the face of the earth around WrestleMania time. He didn't appear at WrestleMania. He didn't appear on Raw the next night. Then, he starts yodeling and loses the U.S. title. Is Antonio Cesaro in the dog house?

Everything that Wrestlemania wasn't, for the hardcore WWE fan, Raw was. It had twists, it had turns, and most of all, it had chants. Lots of chants. Chants never heard at a WWE event before. In fact, for much of Raw, the fans hijacked the show. It started with Dolph Ziggler. Fans were chanting for him throughout the show, until he appeared to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, and the place went wild. Nobody sat down during the 2-3 minute match where Ziggler finally won the World Heavyweight title, with most fans in the audience having the opinion that he more than deserved it. It was a surreal moment ... a "WrestleMania moment," just the following day. Once fans got what they asked for with Ziggler, they turned their attention elsewhere.

JOHN CENA VS. THE ROCK The hardcore wrestling fan may not be looking forward to this match. Some of them think the "Once in a Lifetime" tagline at Wrestlemania 28 was a farce, while others believe the build-up has been nowhere near the interest from last year (in fairness, how could it be with a year to build?). The match itself won't be stellar, but The Rock has just enough mystique and allure left to make the fans invested. John Cena wins the WWE championship and The Rock moves on to Brock Lesnar for Wrestlemania 30. What I would LOVE to see after the match is Cena and Rock sharing a "Wrestlemania handshake," Rock walking away and Dolph Ziggler attacking Cena by surprise (no theme music)

Brock Lesnar and Triple H officially sealed the deal on Raw and will meet at Wrestlemania. The two stipulations are that it will be No Holds Barred (similar to their match at Summerslam 2012) and that Triple H's career will be on the line. This, of course, is met with the same questions and concerns from longtime WWE fans whenever a career is on the line. Is it really on the line? From a performer standpoint, Triple H is in terrific shape. You could absolutely see him being able to handle several big matches a year.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet. In fact, don't believe much of what you read on the internet, as it pertains to pro wrestling. At least take it with a grain of salt. Before this week's edition of Raw, there were rumors circling the internet and the internet wrestling websites that this week's episode of Raw would be a "throwaway" episode, with not much plot advancement leading to Wrestlemania. Pretty much the opposite happened. This episode of Raw saw The Undertaker return and receive a Wrestlemania opponent -- CM Punk.

What a difference a week makes. It's not like the members of The Shield weren't already on an upward trajectory to main event status. But, when you get to interact with The Undertaker to the degree the trio did last week in WWE, that's a game changer. On Raw last week, The Shield beat The Undertaker, Kane and Daniel Bryan. On Smackdown, The Undertaker beat Dean Ambrose, but then The Shield left the Dead Man laying and vulnerable. This week, The Shield was victorious again, against the team of Team Hell No and John Cena.

This one wasn't even close. CM Punk delivered another "pipe bomb" in the final segment on Monday Night Raw -- another blend of honesty and little lines that put smiles on hardcore fans' faces. This one had a more heel-ish twist, as expected given CM Punk's character on TV for the past several months. Then, after CM Punk got the crowd in a frenzy for several minutes, out came The Rock ... and again we saw that familiar Rock "Big Mac Formula" -- Catchphrase (bun), plot point (meat)

It looks like Wrestlemania-quality matches have come six weeks early. In a stellar half-hour main event match, John Cena defeated CM Punk and will (still) go to Wrestlemania and face The Rock in a rematch, this time with the WWE title on the line. The match had everything -- great storytelling, athleticism, the crowd was loud and invested, both men painted a great picture with false finishes. We even saw John Cena deliver what was once known as a "Batista Bomb" and CM Punk deliver a pile driver (a move thought to be banned by WWE but smartly used in the match in the place of a "signature" move)

For those who watch WWE on a regular basis, this headline might be confusing. After all, John Cena won the Royal Rumble and earned the right to face the top champion of his choice at WrestleMania. He chose the WWE champion, who is The Rock. At TLC, it was Cena who benefitted from a one-sided stipulation match against Dolph Ziggler, but next week on Raw it will be Cena who will put up a one-sided stake. It will be Cena vs. CM Punk, and the winner goes to WrestleMania to face The Rock.