BRM Reviews the 4/22/2013 Raw (TAKER!)

[Big Red Machine]

OPENING SEGMENT- My issues with them going to a cage match in this feud still stand, but otherwise a decent segment. I’m not thrilled at Heyman getting laid out here, but the heat has more been on Brock and Punk than on Paul, so I’m fine with it.

R-TRUTH vs. ANTONIO CESARO-
So not only did they take the title off of Cesaro (a few days before embarking on a European tour, no less), but now his main gimmick is yodeling? Are they trying to make people stop taking him seriously?

THE SHIELD LAND IN A HELICOPTER, THEN GET INTO A HUMMER- why did we need to see this? I hopre you’re happy with all of the money you wasted renting the helicopter, guys.lAnd why are the Shield allowed to be so late to the show?

DAMIEN SANDOW (w/Cody Rhodes) vs. BRODUS CLAY (w/Tensai and the Funkadactyls)- 4.25/10
SANDOW WON! WHOO-HOO!
Also, the Fandango-ing has started.

ZIGGLER, AJ, & OTHERS BACKSTAGE- I popped huge for AJ calling Dolph “Ziggley-puff! The stuff with Big E. seems like it could be the beginning of a face turn for him, but I would have preferred it if they hadn’t had him look dumb by awkwardly standing around when Dolph and AJ were making. I also popped for Vickie pretty much shouting “excuse me” in Dolph’s ear to break up their make-out session. I like the build-up for an AJ vs. Kaitlyn title match.

SHIELD PROMO- not as good as the one on Smackdown, but still good.

IF JERICHO WINS, HE WILL BE ADDED TO THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH AT EXTREME RULES: Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler (w/AJ Lee and Big E. Langston)- 7.75/10
I was hoping for a clean win for Ziggler, but I’ll take a distraction and an awesome TV match instead.
I will be interesting to see if AJ’s creepy hugging of the World Heavyweight Title will lead to anything.

JOSH MATTHEWS INTERVIEWS MICK FOLEY PROMO- wow. Foley just plain didn’t answer Josh’s question and decided to talk about Ryback instead. I really didn’t like the promo, though. It’s not like Ryback is lying about having been screwed out of the WWE Title.

CODY RHODES (w/Damien Sandow) vs. TENSAI (w/Brodus Clay & the Funkadactyls)- 4/10
BOOO! Why did they have Cody lose? That just takes away the heat that Sandow got earlier in the show! When Tensai started going towards the ropes to hit is finisher, I marked out because I thought he was about to start doing The Worm again. Oh well.

DRAGON & KANE BACKSTAGE- HILARIOUS!
GRRR! The Shield attack them from behind like cowards! I hate those damn heels!

JOSH MATTHEWS INTERVIEWS RYBACK- Is Matthews stupid or something? Did he just plain not understand Ryback’s big expository promo last week at all?

BIG E. LANGSTON vs. ZACK RYDER- good squash

Wait… ONE CHAIRSHOT knocks both Kane and Dragon out for this long?
THE SHIELD vs. THE BROTHERS OF DESTRUCTION & DANIEL BRYAN- 7.5/10
(Although I admit that I might be overrating this a little bit because my three all-time favorite wrestlers CAN’T… TYPE! MARKING OUT TOO HARD!

FOLEY & CENA BACKSTAGE- eh.

FANDANGO vs. WILLIAM REGAL- GRRRR!
Did they really just have Regal lose in his home country after taking just two moves?
After the match Jericho throws Fandango off the stage, then dances with Summer Rae.

BATTLE ROYALE TO DETERMINE THE #1 CONTENDER TO THE WWE DIVAS TITLE: Layla vs. Naomi vs. AJ Lee vs. Aksana vs. Tamina Snuka- 1/10
Layla is in her home country, dressed in the flag, and eliminates the big monster heel from a battle royale… and barely gets a pop.

CLOSING SEGMENT- not good. The stuff with Foley was okay, but the real meat of this was Cena helping Ryback against the Shield, then coming out on top in the end. I think Cena coming out on top in the end was a mistake. If I were booking this, during the course of the fight, I would have had Ryback also grab a chair, then, after the Shield has been chased off, I would have had Ryback and Cena celebrate together like they are friends again… until Cena turns his back and Ryback blasts him with a chair.

Overall, a very good episode of Raw.

[cero2k]

THE SHIELD LAND IN A HELICOPTER, THEN GET INTO A HUMMER- why did we need to see this? I hopre you’re happy with all of the money you wasted renting the helicopter, guys.lAnd why are the Shield allowed to be so late to the show?

Shield are not contracted to RAW, they shouldn't even be there, but those damn scoundrels always find a way in!!

BTW, this report is floating around

"The segment on RAW last night where The Shield arrived in a helicopter was real footage as they had to fly from the SmackDown live event in Cardiff, Wales to make it to RAW. Fandango and Summer Rae were also on the helicopter but obviously not shown. To get Fandango and The Shield to RAW in time, they worked the first and second matches at the SmackDown live event. The Shield lost to Sheamus and The New Age Outlaws while Fandango defeated Ted DiBiase. "

that should have been their WM entrance, zip-line included

[Big Red Machine]

The Shield lost to Sheamus and The New Age Outlaws

WTF?! If you are going to say someone is undefeated, you can't have them lose on house shows!

[cero2k]

The Shield lost to Sheamus and The New Age Outlaws

WTF?! If you are going to say someone is undefeated, you can't have them lose on house shows!

they're undefeated by pin or submission, the finish they've been doing for house shows is that Rollins gets DQ'd by hitting someone with a chair

[Big Red Machine]

The Shield lost to Sheamus and The New Age Outlaws

WTF?! If you are going to say someone is undefeated, you can't have them lose on house shows!

they're undefeated by pin or submission, the finish they've been doing for house shows is that Rollins gets DQ'd by hitting someone with a chair

It still shouldn't be done.