BRM Reviews the 7/8/2013 Raw

[Big Red Machine]

Before the opening theme and video, we get the Wyatt Family video package. They are really pushing this hard.

VICKIE PROMO- I liked how she sucked up to Hunter by mentioning his supposed prowess in ladder matches. Vickie climbs up a ladder and tells the crowd that she will hold them responsible… so o course the crowd is chanting “FALL! FALL! FALL!” at her and asking for the refs to “TILT THE LADDER!” *clap* *clap* *clap**clap**clap*
For tonight, Vickie announces Kane vs. Christian, Dragon vs. Sheamus, and Punk vs. Orton.

DANIEL BRYAN vs. SHEAMUS- 7.5/10
Well… that was kind of awesome.

WWE’S REPORTER LOOKS FOR THE WYATT FAMILY- the fact that they are doing this but not showing us who the reporter is means it could be someone who matters.

BIG E., AJ, & ZIGGLER BACKSTAGE-
The little segment between Big E. and AJ was good. Then Ziggler says that he and AJ had a pact to be champions together. Yeah, I’m calling idea-stealing here. AJ & her romantic interest want wanting to hold the Divas’ Title and the World Title together… that sounds familiar (#BRM booked it first). I did like that Dolph could be his heel self heel while feeling completely within his new babyface-ish character.

SETH ROLLINS & ROMAN REIGNS vs. TONS OF FUNK (w/the Funkadactyls)-4/10

JOHN CENA & MARK HENRY SEGMENT- Good, although I’m not sure how Henry mentioning how sad his daughter gets when he has to leave on a road trip means he has sold his family out, or whatever. I loved Henry laughing while Cena gave his big speech. I loved Henry just destroying Cena here. Definitely the best way to build to the match this Sunday.

ORTON PROMO- good

CHRIS JERICHO vs. CURTIS AXEL (w/Paul Heyman)- 6.5/10
Heyman and Axel both cut decent promos before the match. I hated the finish, though. Yeah, Miz cost him the match, but I think it would have done a lot more for Axel to have him beat Jericho cleanly that it will do for this feud to have Miz cost Axel a match. All the build you need for your IC Title match is that Axel stole win from Miz at the last PPV.

JOSH MATTHEWS INTERVIEWS RHODES SCHOLARS- good. I liked Coulter showing up before Cody could get angry at him. Oh. Apparently this is a segment with everyone in the World Heavyweight Title MITB match. This sucked. I did pop when Barrett knocked Fandango’s pathetic ass out.

WWE.COM’S REPORTER INSIDER THE WYATT FAMILY COMPOUND-
SOOO F*CKING CREEPY! This is awesome!

ALBERTO DEL RIO vs. SIN CARA- 3.75/10
BOOKING FAIL!
Jerry Lawler- “I’m not sure that the official has any idea what to do here. I don’t.”
Well… one guy who isn’t part of the match just attacked one of the participants in the match. I would think that someone with King’s vast wrestling experience would know that this results in a f*cking DQ! Then again, I would also expect a trained referee to know this, but the ref never called for the bell for some reason.
Anyway, they guys brawl AGAIN, like they have pretty much every show for the past month, and then, for some inexplicable reason, the person who puts Del Rio down is not the #1 Contender Dolph Ziggler, but rather SIN CARA with a totally random dive, butting in on other people’s business.

VICKIE’S JOB EVALUATION- dull segment, but at least Vickie is gone. Aside from being boring, I just couldn’t take Vince constantly insisting that firing Vickie would be a mistake because Vickie is entertaining, because, quite simply, she isn’t. Not even close to it. Brad Maddox will be a MUCH more entertaining GM.

KANE vs. CHRISTIAN- 5.75/10

THE WYATT FAMILY DEBUTS- EXCELLENT (though if they are going to go after Kane a I think it might have been better to save this for next week. Also, where did Wyatt get that rocking chair from?
LOL at the “HUSKY HARRIS!” chants.

RYBACK HUGS VICKIE- WHAT THE F*CK?! That was so pointlessly out of character

KAITLYN & LAYLA vs. ALICIA FOX & AJ LEE (w/Big E. Langston)- no rating. Good segment. I actually really enjoyed this match while it was going on. The fact that WWE won’t let a man hit a woman makes Big E. a horribly ineffective bodyguard for AJ. They should consider replacing him with a suitably large and scary woman. I’m not sure what is up with the Bellas, but I like it. It shows that WWE realizes that, as Gabe often repeated in his first Guest Booker appearance, “there is life after the PPV.”

CM PUNK PROMO- okay

RANDY ORTON vs. CM PUNK- 7/10
Another great match.

WHOA! I guess Dragon is back to being a heel now. Wow. Color me surprised. I was sure one of the other guys in the match would show up and shove Dragon off of the ladder.

Overall, a great episode of Raw, especially in the ring. The RVD hype video packages were a great way to show anyone who has started watching wrestling in the past six years and only watches WWE exactly WHY RVD is such a big deal. As a go-home show, though, this wasn’t very good. I am super-excited for the WWE Title MITB and the build for both the WWE Title and Divas’ Title matches were good. On the other end of the spectrum, of course, is the World Heavyweight Title MITB match, which got one sh*tty segment, the tag title match, for which all we saw was the champs beating jobbers with the challengers nowhere to be seen, and Ryback vs. Jericho, which wasn’t even mentioned.

[cero2k]

VICKIE’S JOB EVALUATION- dull segment, but at least Vickie is gone. Aside from being boring, I just couldn’t take Vince constantly insisting that firing Vickie would be a mistake because Vickie is entertaining, because, quite simply, she isn’t. Not even close to it. Brad Maddox will be a MUCH more entertaining GM.

you fail to see that this wasn't about Vickie, it was about breaking apart the McMahon family. It's Triple H vs Vince with Steph in the middle. Entertainment vs Business! I was marking out during this segment just because of how awesome they were shooting at each other

THE WYATT FAMILY DEBUTS- EXCELLENT (though if they are going to go after Kane a I think it might have been better to save this for next week. Also, where did Wyatt get that rocking chair from?
LOL at the “HUSKY HARRIS!” chants.

I hate that about the fans, they think they're so smart and know inside information for calling out Bray by his last gimmick, it's just fucking stupid, just sit and enjoy the show. Same thing with Axel really.

WHOA! I guess Dragon is back to being a heel now. Wow. Color me surprised. I was sure one of the other guys in the match would show up and shove Dragon off of the ladder.

nah, it's MITB season, everyone is out there for themselves. no heel turn here

[DevilWithin]

Yea, that man was just makin a huge statement and continuously goin over his opponents.

[Big Red Machine]

VICKIE’S JOB EVALUATION- dull segment, but at least Vickie is gone. Aside from being boring, I just couldn’t take Vince constantly insisting that firing Vickie would be a mistake because Vickie is entertaining, because, quite simply, she isn’t. Not even close to it. Brad Maddox will be a MUCH more entertaining GM.

you fail to see that this wasn't about Vickie, it was about breaking apart the McMahon family. It's Triple H vs Vince with Steph in the middle. Entertainment vs Business! I was marking out during this segment just because of how awesome they were shooting at each other

THE WYATT FAMILY DEBUTS- EXCELLENT (though if they are going to go after Kane a I think it might have been better to save this for next week. Also, where did Wyatt get that rocking chair from?
LOL at the “HUSKY HARRIS!” chants.

I hate that about the fans, they think they're so smart and know inside information for calling out Bray by his last gimmick, it's just f***ing stupid, just sit and enjoy the show. Same thing with Axel really.

WHOA! I guess Dragon is back to being a heel now. Wow. Color me surprised. I was sure one of the other guys in the match would show up and shove Dragon off of the ladder.

nah, it's MITB season, everyone is out there for themselves. no heel turn here

1. On the McMahons, it didn't seem to me like they were "shooting" at all. Vince said he thought Vickie was entertaining, Hunter said he thought she was bad at her job, then they both made jokes about being related to Steph. Hardly "shooting."
2. I still think of him as "Husky Harris" in my head, the same way I think of Cesaro as Claudio. I agree that it is dumb and smarky, but it's nice to know that I'm not alone.

[cero2k]

1. On the McMahons, it didn't seem to me like they were "shooting" at all. Vince said he thought Vickie was entertaining, Hunter said he thought she was bad at her job, then they both made jokes about being related to Steph. Hardly "shooting."
2. I still think of him as "Husky Harris" in my head, the same way I think of Cesaro as Claudio. I agree that it is dumb and smarky, but it's nice to know that I'm not alone.

1. not at all, look the segment again, Vince calls Hunter short-sighted or something like that, then Hunter kinda shoots back. There is fire brewing.

2. fair enough.

[DevilWithin]

Sure, I certainly called em Harris when I seen him too. I mean it's not like it didn't come into my mind. "Ol' Harris there."