wwe raw spoilers

Tonight's WWE RAW Pre-show kicks off with fans piling into the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Byron Saxton is hosting the panel. He's joined by Booker T and Alex Riley. They're actually filming from WWE studios in Connecticut, which Riley says is their new home. They talk about tonight's show and the mystery former WWE Champion that is returning. Saxton shows us footage from Money In the Bank and talks about John Cena winning the WWE World Heavyweight Title.

- We go back to the panel with footage from the Money In the Bank ladder match, including Dean Ambrose beating up Seth Rollins with a chair. We see Rollins talking to Tom Phillips after the pay-per-view about getting the job done. Riley talks about Rollins needing The Authority to get the win. We go to Network promos and get a look at The Usos defeating Luke Harper and Erick Rowan at Money In the Bank.

- Riley and Booker predict many title reigns to come for The Usos. They also agree that Rowan and Harper have a bright future. We go back to the arena. Renee Young is with The Usos. Jimmy Uso gets emotional talking about their win last night. Jey reveals they're teaming with Sheamus tonight. We go to the panel and more Network commercials. Saxton shows us footage from the Daniel Bryan and Bo Dallas segment last night. We get more talk from the panel and that's it for the pre-show.

- Tonight's WWE RAW opens up with a video package with highlights from last night's Money In the Bank pay-per-view. We go to the ring and out comes Triple H with Stephanie McMahon as Michael Cole welcomes us. He's joined by JBL and Jerry Lawler. They are all smiles as they take the mic but get some boos. Stephanie calls it an amazing homecoming. She says she was born in the city of Hartford and gets a pop. She says she knows they all feel privileged. A CM Punk chant starts up. Stephanie talks about Daniel Bryan's recovery taking longer than originally thought. She talks about Seth Rollins making history last night. Triple H calls Rollins the future of WWE. He then talks about John Cena winning the WWE World Heavyweight Title. Triple H says he and Stephanie have always known Cena was an A+ player. Triple H calls Cena out to the ring and he gets another mixed reaction.

Cena has both belts draped around his neck. Stephanie goes to speak but Cena cuts her off. Cena brings up Daniel Bryan saying he'll be back better than ever. Cena says The Authority won't give him a title shot but Cena will. Cena starts a "yes!" chant and says he hopes to see Bryan soon. Stephanie reveals Cena is on the WWE 2K15 cover to commemorate his 15th title reign. He thanks them and says it's cool but not needed. He thinks they're up to something and says they are being too nice too quick. Triple H and Cena have words. Triple H mocks the rapper Cena and how he talks. Triple H announces Cena vs. Roman Reigns vs. Kane vs. Randy Orton in a Fatal 4 Way for Battleground. It will be Reigns and Cena vs. Kane and Orton later tonight. Cena leaves and out comes Seth Rollins on the ramp with his briefcase. Triple H says there's a plan B if Cena wins at Battleground somehow. We go to commercial.

Seth Rollins vs. Rob Van Dam

Back from the break and Seth Rollins waits in the ring as Rob Van Dam makes his way out. They go at it and Rollins nails a shoulder. A big ECW chant starts. RVD sends Rollins to the floor. Rollins comes back in and they go at it. Rollins tries for a submission but RVD kicks him off. Rollins goes back to the floor for a breather. Rollins comes back in and they trade kicks. RVD nails a big enziguri. RVD with forearms in the corner now. RVD with shoulder thrusts to the back. RVD nails a spin kick in the corner and a standing moonsault for a 2 count. RVD with more offense in the corners. Rollins catches RVD but RVD turns it into an abdominal stretch. RVD turns that it into a 2 count and a leg hold. Rollins turns it around and sends RVD to the floor as we go to commercial.

Back from the break and Rollins has RVD down on the mat. RVD turns it around with a kick to the face and strikes. Rollins with a leg takedown into a half crab in the middle of the ring. RVD makes it to the bottom rope but Rollins pulls him back. RVD kicks Rollins away. Rollins catches a kick and ducks an enziguri but RVD rolls him up for a 2 count. RVD with clotheslines and a big shot to the jaw now. RVD nails Rolling Thunder for a 2 count. RVD with a backbreaker. RVD nails the split-legged moonsault for another 2 count. Rollins turns it around and takes RVD's leg out. RVD blocks a powerbomb but Rollins beats him down. RVD turns another powerbomb attempt into a hurricanrana into the turnbuckles. RVD goes for the Five Star Frogsplash but Rollins rolls out of the ring. RVD leaps to the floor and nails a crossbody instead. RVD brings it back in the ring but Rollins grabs his leg again. Fans chant "this is awesome" now. Rollins whips the leg again and RVD goes down hard. Rollins nails the curb stomp for the win.

Winner: Seth Rollins

- After the match, Rollins poses with his briefcase as we go to replays. Renee Young goes to interview Rollins in the ring and he cuts her off. He wants her to introduce him as Mr. Money In the Bank. Rollins says it's not arrogance if you can back it up. He says everyone is just bitter that he was right and we were wrong. Rollins says this is his golden ticket to the WWE World Heavyweight Title. Dean Ambrose appears on the big screen. Ambrose says from one scumbag to another, this isn't over. Ambrose says Rollins didn't win last night, his daddy Triple H had to bail him out by sending Uncle Kane out. Ambrose says every time Rollins thinks about cashing in, he's going to be there. Ambrose says the briefcase doesn't have a contract inside, it's filled with TNT and will explode every time Rollins tries to cash it in. Ambrose tells Rollins to believe that.

- Still to come, Sheamus and The Usos vs. The Wyatt Family. Also, Cena and Reigns vs. Kane and Orton. We go to commercial.

- Back from the break and out comes Lana with Rusev. Lana says Rusev's last opponent was a failure but that's OK because America is used to failure. Fans boo her and start a "USA" chant. Lana mocks them and yells to shut up. She goes on and gets more boos by showing Vladimir Putin on the big screen. She says no one can stop the onslaught of Russia and the onslaught of Rusev. She asks who will be America's next failure to compete against Rusev. Rusev says some words and gets the "what?" treatment. A big "USA" chant starts up. Jack Swagger's music hits and out he comes with Zeb Colter to a pop. Fans chant "USA" as they march to the ring. Zeb says he's tired of Lana coming out here week after week and slamming America. He tells her to shut the hell up. He says she's allowed to do that because of something we have called Freedom of Speech. Zeb knocks Russia. He says Lana said something that caught their attention - when she said nothing can stop the Rusev Crush. Zeb thinks a Real American stop it. He thinks Jack Swagger can stop it. Zeb tells Lana and Rusev to listen to the sound of a Real America crashing on their heads. Zeb gets the crowd to do the "we the people" and it's a loud one. Rusev hulks up and fans chant "USA" as Swagger stares him down. Lana gets in front of Rusev and backs him off. Fans chant for Swagger now. Rusev charges and Swagger nails two arm drags, sending Rusev out of the ring. Lana holds him back but he's going nuts. Swagger is also ready to fight and fans are into it. Swagger's music hits and we go to commercial with Rusev throwing a fit.

The Usos and Sheamus vs. The Wyatt Family

Back from the break and out come WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos. WWE United States Champion Sheamus is also out. Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan and Luke Harper are out next as the arena lights up with cell phones. Jey Uso starts off with Rowan and they go at it. The Usos and Sheamus clear the ring early on and we go to commercial not long after the match begins.

Back from the break and Rowan has Jimmy Uso down in the ring. Uso fights back but Rowan slams him down by his hair. Rowan with big right hands and a rake to the face. Bray Wyatt tags in and they double team Uso. Bray stomps and tags in Luke Harper for some more double teaming. Harper runs into an elbow and a big kick. Uso goes to the top with a corkscrew takedown. Rowan and Sheamus tag in. Sheamus unloads and decks Harper off the apron. Sheamus with a high knee on Rowan. Sheamus tosses Rowan to the apron and nails the forearms to the chest. Harper pulls Rowan to safety. Sheamus ends up diving out and taking them out. He brings Rowan back in and ducks a clothesline. Sheamus slams Rowan. Bray gets on the apron and ducks Sheamus. Rowan nails Sheamus from behind and sends him out to the floor. Harper tags in and runs over Sheamus with a huge boot to the jaw on the floor. Wyatt tags in and splashes Sheamus for a 2 count. The Wyatts keep control of Sheamus. Bray ends up knocking Sheamus off the apron with a big right hand and the crowd sings "the whole world" with him. Harper tags in and works Sheamus over on top of the announcers table. Sheamus fights back but Harper rams him into the apron and kicks him. Harper brings him back in and fans start a "JBL" chant. Sheamus struggles but Harper drops him with a superkick for a 2 count. Harper knocks one of the Usos off the apron but turns around to a backbreaker from Sheamus. Jey Uso finally tags in and unloads on Harper, sending him to the floor. Uso leaps out and takes him down. They come back in and Uso nails a big superkick for a 2 count as Rowan makes the save. Sheamus sends Rowan out with a Brogue Kick. Uso leaps out onto Rowan on the floor. Wyatt slams Sheamus. Bray ducks an Uso kick and escapes to the floor. Harper floors Uso with a huge clothesline for the win.

Winners: The Wyatt Family

- Tom Phillips is backstage with Nikki Bella. He asks about Brie Bella being escorted out of the arena at Money In the Bank. Nikki said she honestly didn't think it was a mistake to invite her. Stephanie McMahon appears and says The Bella Twins have a match against Cameron and Naomi. Stephanie remembers Brie abandoned Nikki so she will have to wrestle a handicap match now.

- We see a limousine arrive in the back. It's the returning former WWE Champion. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and out comes Bo Dallas. He asks us for 60 seconds of silence for two Superstars who can't compete right now - Bad News Barrett and Daniel Bryan. Bo drops to one knee for the moment of silence and it goes a lot longer than 60 seconds. Bo says he was the voice of inspiration for Bryan at Money In the Bank and was also the bigger man. Bo shows us a replay from the pre-show segment last night.

We come back to the stage and Bo tells us to don't stop Bo-lieving and that's it. Nikki Bella's music almost cuts him off and out she comes.

Handicap Match: Nikki Bella vs. Cameron and Naomi

Nikki makes her way to the ring and out comes Cameron and Naomi next.

Cameron works Nikki over and slams her by her hair a few times. Cameron with a 2 count. Nikki fights back but gets whipped into the corner. Cameron runs into a big elbow. Nikki with a jawbreaker and a 2 count. Nikki with another takedown. She goes for the legs but Cameron kicks her away. Naomi tags herself in and decks Nikki with a forearm. Naomi goes up top and hits a crossbody next. Naomi drops Nikki for the easy win.

Winners: Cameron and Naomi

- After the match, Cameron comes in and is upset about not getting the pin. They have words and shove each other. The referee gets between them and breaks it up. Cameron leaves and walks off by herself as some fans boo.

- Still to come, an update on Bad News Barrett. Back to commercial.

- Back from the break and we see some of the CT Special Olympic athletes sitting at ringside showing off their medals.

- We see Jack Swagger's attack on Bad News Barrett at last week. They announce that he will be out of action for several months and the Intercontinental title is now vacant. There will be a battle royal at Battleground to crown a new champion.

Cesaro vs. Kofi Kingston

Paul Heyman comes out and says it's good news that the IC Title is now vacant before introducing Cesaro. Kofi Kingston is out next and he's also in the battle royal. Lots of back and forth to start the match. Kofi blocks a hip toss and sends Cesaro out tot he floor. Kofi leaps over the top and nails Cesaro as Heyman looks on. Kofi brings it back in the ring for a pin attempt. Kofi springboards in but Cesaro catches him with a nice backbreaker. Cesaro takes control now and works Kofi over in the corner. Cesaro with a headlock now. Cesaro with more offense and another 2 count. Cesaro stomps on Kofi's chest and kicks him around. More back and forth with Kofi getting a close roll-up. Cesaro nails a big shot in the corner. Fans chant for CM Punk as Kofi rolls out to the floor in pain and we go to commercial.

We come back and the match is over. Kofi won.

Winner: Kofi Kingston

- Cole says the ending can be seen exclusively on the WWE App. We come in on the post-match beatdown as Cesaro sends Kofi to the floor and nails a huge uppercut. Cesaro throws Kofi into the steel steps and over the announcers table. He tosses Kofi back over the table, lifts him in the air, runs and tosses Kofi over the fan barrier and Kofi flies several feet. Apparently Cole got hurt during all of this. Cesaro continues the assault on Kofi and rams him into the ring post several times. Cesaro hits a massive clothesline as referees come to back him to the back. We see the end of the match when Kofi got a roll-up for the win out of nowhere. Cesaro flipped out after that and destroyed Kofi.

- We see Santino Marella backstage talking to his Cobra about how nobody showed up to his summer party. Adam Rose appears and pours some Twisted Tea in Santino's cup. The Rosebuds appear and now Santino has a party.

- We come back and Cole appears to be fine but he's selling. He says he's never seen Cesaro like that. We see Hulk Hogan's congratulatory tweet to John Cena. Still to come, Cena and Reigns vs. Orton and Kane. We go to commercial.

- Back from the break and Vince McMahon's music hits to a big pop from WWE's home state crowd. Instead, Damien Sandow comes out and he's dressed as Vince McMahon. Sandow welcomes us to RAW like Vince would. Sandow does a great promo and says he's built a sports entertainment because he sees talents like Hulk Hogan, Triple H, Steve Austin and a man who is the most talented to ever step foot in the ring, a man who everyone is too ignorant to appreciate, Damien Sandow. He enters himself into the Battleground Battle Royal. If anyone has a problem with that, they're fired. Stephanie appears on the big screen and asks Sandow who the hell he thinks he is. She's upset and goes off on Sandow. She says Vince built this business by toppling giants so tonight, Sandow will have the same opportunity. His match is now and it's against another battle royal participant.

The Great Khali vs. Damien "McMahondow" Sandow

The Great Khali makes his return to WWE TV. He nails one single blow to the head and covers Sandow for the win.

Winner: The Great Khali

- We see the door of the limousine open up out back before going to commercial.

- We come back and Justin Roberts introduces the returning former WWE Champion and out comes... The Miz. He takes the mic and says he's back, asking if fans missed him. The reaction is mixed. He says he's the multi-talented Superstar that's been teased. He's been in Hollywood shooting The Marine 4 and was tempted to stay in Hollywood. He says producers and agents were calling him with lots of offers. He says they told him he was better than WWE and could be Hollywood's biggest star. He says he's back because of the fans. Because the WWE Universe doesn't see him as an A-list talent. He says fans see him as a fluke and take him for granted. Miz says they're all wrong and goes on bragging. He says he won't leave WWE until he's once again main eventing WrestleMania and gets the respect he deserves. He's not leaving until fans are on their knees begging him not to go. The pyro goes off and out comes Chris Jericho to a huge pop. The music stops and a big chant for Jericho breaks out. Miz asks if Jericho has something to say and disses his last return. The Miz says he's important, he's an actor, he's a box office draw, he's a... Jericho lays him out with a Codebreaker. Fans chant for Jericho again. Jericho takes the mic and says damn that felt good. He's been waiting a long time to say these words. RAW Is... the lights go out and The Wyatt Family graphic appears. The lights come back on and Jericho is surrounded in the ring. Bray attacks first and they beat him down. Bray nails Sister Abigail and The Wyatt Family poses over Jericho as fans boo.

- Back from the break and we get a replay of what just happened to Jericho.

Fandango vs. Dolph Ziggler

Fandango and Layla dance their way out. Dolph Ziggler is out next to a big pop. Ziggler strikes first with a dropkick. Cole reveals that on the WWE App, Summer Rae extended a truce to Layla and she accepted it. Back and forth in the ring now. Fandango slams Ziggler face first and covers for a 2 count. Fandango kisses Layla and it costs him as Ziggler makes a comeback. Fans chant for Ziggler as he mounts Fandango with right hands in the corner. Ziggler nails a neckbreaker and drops a big elbow. Summer Rae comes in the ring out of nowhere and flirts with Ziggler. She grabs him and kisses him as fans cheer and Fandango looks on upset. Ziggler grabs Summer and kisses her now. Fandango asks Summer what's going on and she leaves. Ziggler nails a Zig Zag from behind for the win.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

- After the match, Ziggler looks back at Summer Rae and it looks like there's something brewing there.

- Still to come, Cena and Reigns vs. Orton and Kane. Back to commercial.

- Back from the break and we get a look at Vickie Guerrero's exit last week.

Stardust and Goldust vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel

We go to the ring and Ryback is out with Curtis Axel. Stardust and Goldust are out next for a Money In the Bank rematch. Ryback and Axel strike first, sending Stardust off the apron They go to work on Goldust now. He goes back and forth with Axel. Ryback comes in and hits Goldust from behind, taking control with stomps. Fans chant for Goldberg. Ryback nails a suplex for a 2 count. Ryback with a headlock now, keeping Goldust down on the mat. Ryback ducks a clothesline and catches a crossbody before tossing Goldust across the ring. Ryback readies for the Meathook clothesline as fans start a "feed me more" chant. Ryback runs into a big spinebuster. Axel and Stardust tag in. Stardust unloads on Axel. Axel misses a big splash in the corner. Stardust with a big shot off the top rope. Ryback runs in but Goldust takes hi out. Stardust with a springboard clothesline on Ryback. Axel grabs Stardust for his finisher but it's blocked. Stardust slams Axel on his face for the win.

Winners: Stardust and Goldust

- Still to come, Cena and Reigns vs. Orton and Kane. We see Paige heading to the ring. Back to commercial.

Paige comes out and says she usually lets her actions talk, but some people think she isn't a champion and should go back to NXT. She says she thinks they are wrong, and she proved she should stay, then AJ Lee cuts her off and skips down to the ring, and Paige looks rattled. AJ says Paige is right, and Paige proved her wrong, because she thought she was untouchable and rubbed it in people's face. She says Paige slapped some reality into her, and she just wanted to thank her, but Paige says she doesn't buy it and AJ is playing games. Paige says she won't make the same mistake AJ did, and won't defend her title, but AJ polls the fans and asks for a match tonight. Paige says fine and a ref enters the ring, then he rings the bell and this is official.

WWE Divas Title Match: AJ Lee vs. Paige

The bell rings and AJ attacks. Paige fights her off and nails a kick. Paige with headbutts now. AJ fights back out of the corner but Paige nails a clothesline. Paige with a 2 count. AJ ends up getting the win with a roll up and the crowd goes nuts.

Winner and New WWE Divas Champion: AJ Lee

- We come back from commercial and Triple H is watching this one from ringside.

Roman Reigns and John Cena vs. Kane and Randy Orton

Kane and Orton are out first followed by new WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena and Roman Reigns last. Orton and Cena start things off and we get dueling chants from the crowd. Reigns ends up tagging in and facing off with Orton. Orton doesn't want any of it and tags in Kane. Kane and Reigns trade shots in the middle of the ring. Reigns sends Kane to the floor and he regroups with Orton and Triple H as we go to commercial.

We come back with Orton and Kane taking turns on Reigns. Reigns finally fights back and takes out Orton. He drops Kane on the floor with a big shot into the barrier but turns around to a clothesline from Orton. Orton rolls Reigns back in the ring and tags in Kane for some double teaming. Cena reaches for a tag and says all he needs is a chance. Kane with another pin attempt on Reigns as Triple H looks on. Reigns finally nails a boot to Kane's face. Kane grabs him for a chokeslam but Reigns powers out. Kane comes right back with a right hand. Reigns nails a Samoan Drop. Cena tags in and unloads on Orton with his usual moves. Cena drops a Five Knuckle Shuffle. He goes for the Attitude Adjustment but it's blocked. Kane tags back in but Cena slams him. Cena hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Kane next. Orton comes in and nails Cena with a RKO. Reigns throws Orton out of the ring and hits a Superman punch on Kane. Reigns fights Orton up the ramp now.

Reigns and Orton brawl to the back as Kane throws Cena into the steel steps. Kane rams the steps into Cena's head for the disqualification.

Winners by DQ: John Cena and Roman Reigns

- After the match, Triple H tells Kane to finish Cena. Kane takes him back in the ring and calls for a Tombstone piledriver. Kane nails it in the middle of the ring as Triple H looks on and smiles. Fans chant "one more time" as Cena is laid out. A referee calls for the doctor to come in and check on Cena. Triple H comes in the ring and shakes Cena's arm. Triple H motions his hand and out comes Seth Rollins to cash in. Rollins hits the ring with a referee and wants to cash in but the referee says Cena is out. Triple H forces the referee to go to the timekeeper and start the match. While they're arguing, Dean Ambrose runs in the ring and attacks Rollins. Ambrose fights him to the floor and clotheslines him into the crowd. Ambrose chases Rollins through the crowd and he never officially cashed in. Triple H calls the referee an idiot. Kane grabs a steel chair and comes back in the ring. Reigns runs back out and spears Kane to a huge pop. Triple H and Reigns have a staredown. Fans chant "yes" as they look about ready to fight each other. Triple H points at Reigns and continues to stare him down as a huge "this is awesome" chant starts up. Triple H finally drops off the apron as the crowd boos and Reigns' music hits. Triple H circles the ring and continues staring Reigns down before heading to the back. RAW goes off the air.

Kane, Orton AND Reigns?

Man, the odds sure are stacked against John Cena at Battleground.

Who cares about the now worthless title, Jericho is back and feuding with Bray. Can't wait to see it, could be amazing.

I cant help but notice the racial undertones with the Rusev thing. The proud Black American cant get the job done but heres the White REAL American. Hmm.

I dont like The Miz, I want him to go away already. Was genuinely surprised to see Jericho back, not sure about a fued with Wyatt though.

I was sure Rollins was going to cash in, it was acted out really well. Ambrose vs Rollins at Battleground.

Forget the racial tones (although, now you mention it) Rusev isn't even Russian...

What's the running bet his eventual face turn revolves around... Putin and the emancipation of Bulgaria

GSC wrote:Kane, Orton AND Reigns?

Man, the odds sure are stacked against John Cena at Battleground.

So stacked that the summerslam poster has him and Bork laser on it

Are you implying John Cena, WWE World Heavyweight Champion, will overcome the odds Tooze?

Cena was the most obvious choice as the Champion but he feels more like a transitional Champ than a guy they're prepared to build the house around now, anyone beating Cena for the title means more than taking it off a Kane or Orton amd definitely Del Rio and you dont want Reigns or Cesaro winning their firat title in a multi-man match like that.

Jericho/Bray could be good, it moves Bray on from Cena and Jericho is a completely different style physically and vocally, Bray's ring psychology can be fine tuned here.

Ambrose/Rollins is the hottest thing they've got at the moment, I'm enjoying that

the Main Event scene is a bit of a mess though, Cena won his first World Title in 05, Orton in 04 and Kane in 1998, do they really need to be making up 75% of the Main Event.

The announcement of the Battle Royal is interesting, think Ziggler could really do well with the belt, he needs something, I feel if he could get a bit of obvious recognition it could kick start him.

Heyman bores the absolute crap out of me

Kay Fabe wrote: Heyman bores the absolute crap out of me

Hush thou noise peasant, for this is blasphemy. You make ones eyes bleed, please return to your cave.

There were parts of it that were crud, as usual, but parts of it were brilliant.

The Shield remain electric. They are all being managed wonderfully too. Ambrose's role is something the internet has constantly floated as an idea when someone has the case, shadow him so he can't cash in. They played the drama perfect last night, taking as much time as they could.

The AJ return was really good. Think they quickly painted AJ as face and Paige as heel, which is probably the right call. I hope they give that feud a real run though, not just neatly done with the "poetic justice".

I think the Miz's role is one that suits him perfectly. He carries a promo well and is remarkably easy to hate, so why not make him play a repugnant role?

Didn't expect Y2J which meant I actually enjoyed his comeback. He's only going to put over Bray, but because it was part of that segment Bray's "attack" was also a shock so made very good viewing.

All in all, the important things have been done well, the next bits on the card were also done well. I think they've got a few good PPVs coming up with the talent they've got and SummerSlam could end up with Cena/Lesnar, Reigns/Orton, Rollins/Ambrose. Can't complain!

Great to see Khali back too, we'd all missed him

Mr H wrote:

Kay Fabe wrote: Heyman bores the absolute crap out of me

Hush thou noise peasant, for this is blasphemy. You make ones eyes bleed, please return to your cave.

Been feeling it for a while now squire, same thing over and over

I partially blame him for Punk downing tools in 2012 and not gwtting back to the standard, he's done jack for Cesaro, the big mans character has disintegrated since aligning with him.

He's only on TV to keep Lesnar at the forefront of our minds IMO

Thought there was a lot of positives on Raw last night. Ambrose is as hot as hell, and his feud with Rollins is the best thing in the WWE at the moment.

I like that Cesaro is being booked properly as a heel at last, and is getting heat without Heyman repeating the Undertaker shtick. Him teasing the swing, and being a poor loser makes him look like a proper villain.

With the IC title being vacant, Jericho/Wyatt, Rusev/Swagger, and to a lesser extent Ziggler/Fandango, there's a decent amount of focus on the mid card.

I wasn't a fan of the execution of the AJ/Paige angle, mainly due to Paige being really uncomfortable on the mic again. They'll be wise to keep her away from the live mic for a while.

My favourite part of Raw was seeing Stephanie McMahon dance sarcastically to Cena's theme music.

They played the Cena bit wrong, unsurprisingly. Made him seem a heel, then made him look more stale than ever with the "we knew you'd take the hard way" before HHH ripped his speech apart like no heel is allowed to do.

Kay Fabe wrote:

Mr H wrote:

Kay Fabe wrote: Heyman bores the absolute crap out of me

Hush thou noise peasant, for this is blasphemy. You make ones eyes bleed, please return to your cave.

Been feeling it for a while now squire, same thing over and over

I partially blame him for Punk downing tools in 2012 and not gwtting back to the standard, he's done jack for Cesaro, the big mans character has disintegrated since aligning with him.

He's only on TV to keep Lesnar at the forefront of our minds IMO

Why I disagree is because I think he's had to play lame schtick to stop getting cheers. And even more so because the heel thing hasnt worked for Cesaro yet so he needs to make sure he isnt popular for someone elses sake too.

I think long term it'll pay off for Cesaro, but short term WWE havent known how to handle him and havent booked him great.

Your point about Lesnar is right though, to some extent, in my opinion. I think he needs to be around at the moment because of Lesnar not being here. Both for the streak stuff, and for any future Cesaro/Lesnar feud.

Jericho's pattern is to come back, get beat and disappear. I think he should have at least got a PPV win over the Miz (okay, it's only the Miz) to give him a bit of credibility before losing to Bray.

In my opinion, Bray should have helped the Family beat the Usos at Battleground for the titles, before attacking Jericho after a match with Miz, setting up Bray vs Jericho at Summerslam and putting the belts on the Family to make them look stronger.

Ambrose was always destined to be as hot as he is now, granted, I thought it would be with him as the heel but this story is the only thing that is keeping me entertained in the WWE at the moment.

As for the Summerslam card, I reckon we get;

John Cena v Brock Lesnar - WWE Championship

Roman Reigns v Triple H

Dean Ambrose v Seth Rollins or Randy Orton

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:

Kay Fabe wrote:

Mr H wrote:

Kay Fabe wrote: Heyman bores the absolute crap out of me

Hush thou noise peasant, for this is blasphemy. You make ones eyes bleed, please return to your cave.

Been feeling it for a while now squire, same thing over and over

I partially blame him for Punk downing tools in 2012 and not gwtting back to the standard, he's done jack for Cesaro, the big mans character has disintegrated since aligning with him.

He's only on TV to keep Lesnar at the forefront of our minds IMO

Why I disagree is because I think he's had to play lame schtick to stop getting cheers. And even more so because the heel thing hasnt worked for Cesaro yet so he needs to make sure he isnt popular for someone elses sake too.

I think long term it'll pay off for Cesaro, but short term WWE havent known how to handle him and havent booked him great.

Your point about Lesnar is right though, to some extent, in my opinion. I think he needs to be around at the moment because of Lesnar not being here. Both for the streak stuff, and for any future Cesaro/Lesnar feud.

Yeah, I know why they've got Heyman doing the same old same old, thought that'd have been obvious, I agree with you but that doesn't mean I should like it, I cant stand it, I fast forward his promos now, thats the polar opposite of the effect it should have, I'm probably in a minority.

its the very same with The Miz, some people say he's a good heel because he is very unlikeable, I don't agree with that, he is unlikeable but just being a jackass isn't enough for me, I'd not buy a PPV to watch someone like Miz get his ass kicked, his match regardless of where on the card he is would have no effect on me buying the PPV - a good heel will draw you in not make you fast forward the segments

Also, I'd agree with you to an extent on Cesaro, I think they are trying to get him over as a heel, its a pretty stupid move though, if the guy is naturally over then the best thing to do is to run with it, if you want to make him hated after that then allow the fans to buy into him then have him screw them over down the line, he should have been eyeing a main event run at some point this year due to his reactions pre Mania and his big Andrè the Giant Battle Royal win but he has hit a brick wall since being lumbered with Heyman, he is getting very little out of this deal, managers are meant to put the sole focus onto their acts but Cesaro is just a guy they've threw Heyman with to keep Lesnar relevant, they've IMO strategically placed Heyman with Cesaro because Cesaro is viewed by fans as a legit strong man, someone befitting Brock Lesnar's sidekick, I'm not convinced they paired them up for Cesaro's short or long term benefit, it was simply to keep Heyman relevant with an act the fans actually buy into instead of curtain jerkers like Curtis Axel.

As discussed on last nights podcast, my thoughts on the not so grand feuds of raw:

Santino is feeling depressed as he has no friends. What's the best thing to give someone who is depressed? According to wwe it's alcoholic iced tea. Every single rosebud looked like they were forced to be in that segment. It looked like they needed iced tea themselves. Worst segment EVER.

All American big e couldn't beat the Russian/ Bulgaria.  But now the REAL American can! Wayhay - racism is a face in wwe land!

Sandow gets beat by khali. That is all.

Not that I disagree (except on the Miz who I genuinely think is a better pure heel than the majority of WWE's heels) I think it's WWE's fault Heyman and Cesaro have both been a bit flat. Neither of them has a real feud to get into. Saying that, role reversals for Sheamus and Cesaro would have been the better call after Mania. Cesaro's mic skills would have been covered by the fact people like him.

In the end though, this may all be a while to get the best impact out of Cesaro going face. After all, a face turn on Jack Swagger is slightly less interesting than breaking away from Paul Heyman and in turn Brock.

Miz WWE Champ run was very good. He plays the brash, cocky and annoying heel role very well (probably because he is those things).

You can get hung up on the racism if you want but WWE played the crowd to perfection. I think that angle will run pretty hot and i expect some good matches from them.

Ché Guerrero wrote:You can get hung up on the racism if you want but WWE played the crowd to perfection. I think that angle will run pretty hot and i expect some good matches from them.

They played the crowd, I agree but that doesn't change the fact that the act was perceived as a racist one.

They could have aged this exact storyline (and crowd) by having swagger/coulter come out and verbally defend big e as a real American, this turning them face and moving away from the racial undertones in swoop.

But they didn't- they are making out that only a real American can take out russev

I'm not sure, I think its even worse if you have the white man come take over for his weak black friend.

I think im looking too far into it, but the fact Rusev has had 3 PPV's since his full debut and killed 3 black guys (2 in the same match, handily) doesnt help.

Following on from his weird promo a week ago, Big E has carried that style forward on Main Event. To go along with his southern preacher type schtick, he also claimed to have been away from the "path of righteousness". I think Reverend Big E might become a gimmick.

I've looked at the Rusev/Swagger promo again, and feel the same way as when I first saw it. There's absolutely no racial connotations there. I do have a question for people who keep bringing up Rusev's PPVwins over Big E, Truth & Kingston. Would you be bringing up race as an issue if say Rusev had gone over, for example Ziggler & Zack Ryder/Justin Gabriel?

Not really because thats a white guy going over other white guys. Its no secret racism was a major problem in the territory days. Plus theres never been a fully black WWE Champion. Like I said we're probably looking too much into it, but it is pretty coincidental.

I think i read into the storyline a bit differently. Zeb's character has always been portrayed as a xenophobic heelbut who at the same time held onto the basic ideals that many of the American audience are brought up believing in. Now with Lana representing Putin's evil regime Zeb and Swagger were actually the perfect opponents for Rusev as it utilised the 'necessary unity against a greater evil' idea that is such a common narrative.

It is certainly unfortunate that Zeb has been sold as a racist and is tackling a guy that just squashed three black guys in a row but it doesnt change the fact the angle makes a lot of sense.

I thought it was a decent Raw

Good Things

The main event. Great match. Then the chaos after was brilliant. Ambrose is the best thing in WWE atm. 

Y2J returning. Never saw it coming. The Wyatt attack was good as well. Has the potential to be a superb feud.

AJ Lee returning was refreshing. Diva's division is nothing without her.

Swagger turning face was surprisingly brilliant. The crowd were buzzing about it. 

Seth Rollins vs RVD and The 6 man tag match, good matches.

Poor Things

Paige on the Mic
The opening segment.
Bad News Barrett out for 2 months.

Didnt mind the opening segment really Cena handled it better than i thought he would. I feared they were going down the Cena won't sell out route (whilst wearing a feck load of merchandise) but thankfully they steered clear

Yeah I definitely think people are reading too much into the Jack Swagger / Rusev / Big E thing. Lets be honest, Rusev is gonna go over Swagger too. I cant believe Swagger is face now though for what must be the first time in his career.

Bray Wyatt v Chris Jericho is best for business.

Is Jericho really such a credible opponent for Wyatt though? He put over Fandango FFS. Sure, the promos will be entertaining but Cannon Fodder Chris will do what he always does.

And I CANT WAIT for Jericho and THE USOS to team up to take on the Wyatts. Jee Whizz.

I think Jericho is a good go to guy for Wyatt, Wyatt lost his feud with Cena so he does need to win a big feud against a name, Jericho is a name, I think thats the type of feud Jericho should be in, he shouldn't be facing guys at the top of the tree because he just isn't credible but for someone like Wyatt who is just climbing the tree then I feel its more than fine.

I just find it hard to believe that a guy who in his last run lost to Fandango and Curtis Axel can be seen as any sort of threat to Bray Wyatt, but I do agree that for name value alone he is just what Wyatt needs. I'll just have to take it for what it is - one of those predictable but entertaining fueds.

Totally agree with you, he ruined his ability to truly put people over when he jobbed out to everyone,  how many people has Jericho put over in the last 4 years and they've truly benefitted from it? Dont think there will be many.

On paper though I think it could be just what Bray needs

Yeah, its hard to give it any credibility when Jericho comes back, jobs and leaves every 6 months.

He had a half decent feud with Ziggler but contributed little in his recent spells. I think they'd even let Sandow beat him in a feud nowadays.

But people do eat it up when hes around, he is a bit of a legend in some regards and its a decent enough holdover feud. I'd like Jericho to beat Miz at Battleground first then lose to Wyatt at SummerSlam

What did it do for Ziggler though? It didn't push Ziggler on, infact did he not  end his losing streak against Ziggles, I didn't really enjoy the feud either, it felt forced

Having Jericho go over Miz or someone like that would be better before going on to Wyatt but I think beating up Miz was just the 2014 version of what he did to Santino on his return in 2007

having said that, he'd probably get more from beating me at Battleground than Miz

True, he didnt do much for him but keep him busy, but the matches were good and the feud itself was entertaining enough.

I don't in any way disagree with you, as my Sandow comment attests, but the benefits will come with the more indulgent crowd. And its better than Wyatt floundering