Welcome to A RAW Opinion, now that things are back to normal here on the LI, A RAW Opinion is back, tonights Raw will be in Columbus, Ohio. WWE sent out a text message earlier this afternoon, they have announced that tonights main event will see CM Punk go one on one with John Cena. But the big news tonight, the return of Jerry “The King” Lawler about 9 weeks after suffering a near fatal heart attack live on the air.
We start the show off this week with a video package for Veterans Day, being narrated by John Cena. WWE always does great video packages, no different tonight.
We go live to the arena and Randy Orton is headed to the ring, he has a match against Dolph Ziggler, awesome. Dolph Ziggler gets to job to Orton again tonight. And despite interference by Alberto Del Rio, Blandy Boreton picks up the win. Afterward Alberto went to attack Orton again but Kofi came out, this brings out Teddy Long, he says Vickie is busy with the AJ scandal and because this is a super show, he’s going to do something SUPER! We got us a tag team match playa! Ziggler and Alberto VS Kofi and Orton. Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio get the win after Ricardo distracted Kofi as he went for Trouble in Paradise.
Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero are in the ring. We start back with this terrible storyline with AJ/Vickie/Cena. Apparently Vickie has evidence that AJ “can’t talk her way out of” and she calls AJ to the ring. They made it seem like AJ was going to admit to an “affair” with Cena but she said they were just friends. Vickie played “voice mails” from AJ to Cena. This is borderline unwatchable. John Cena comes out after a bit. AJ slaps Dolph and then Cena sends him from the ring, brutal segment, I love AJ but this was, ugh.
William Regal in a match! His opponent is Big Show. Thanks for comin, Regal. After the match, Big Show was looking to hit the WMD on Regal until Sheamus came out for the save.
Kaitlyn Vs Layla up next to determine who becomes #1 contender for the divas title this Sunday at Survivor Series. Kaitlyn gets the quick win tonight.
WWE airing a video of 9 weeks ago when Jerry Lawler had a heart attack on the air, why they would wanna show the man damn near dying on TV is beyond me. But up next Jerry Lawler is back!
Michael Cole and Jim Ross are in the ring, Cole says talks about what happened 9 weeks ago, JR finally introduced Jerry Lawler to a HUGE ovation. Lawler gives a speech until CM Punk interrupts, Punk says Lawler is lucky he left the ring when he did or he would have beaten him to death “again” Punk talks about Lawler being an old man and wanting to step in the ring with the champion, Punk says the person responsible for Lawlers heart attack is Jerry Lawler. They went too far at the end of it with Heyman faking a heart attack. Mick Foley came out and went crazy on Punk, he announced that tonight he’s going to be special enforcer for Punk VS Cena tonight.
Up next, Sin Cara, Rey Mysterio, Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kid take on Prime Time Players and Epico and Primo in an 8 man tag match, I didn’t get a Rosa Mendes entrance, I am not pleased. Ricardo came out and handed something to Rosa which caused a slight distraction, Gabriel, Kidd, Mysterio and Sin Cara get the win, damn good match, but Michael Cole sounded like Mike Tenay, overselling everything.
Tensai taking on R Truth next, Antonio Cesaro is at ringside for commentary. R Truth gets the win, Tensai has really fallen off.
Brad Maddox VS Ryback is up next. Squash match went WAY to long, Ryback wins.
Sheamus VS David Otunga. Thanks for comin, Otunga.
Team Rhodes Scholars take on Kane and the new member of Team Foley as voted by the WWE Universe… THE MIZ. Miz and Kane get the win after Bryan went to attack Miz, Miz sent Daniel into Cody and then Miz rolled Cody into the ring to take a choke slam from Kane.
CM Punk VS John Cena is up next, Mick Foley is the special guest enforcer for this match. Paul Heyman went to distract Cena but Foley pulled him out of the ring, Punk went for a GTS but Cena reversed it and locked in an STF. Punk was able to reach the ropes, Punk left the ring and was about to leave, Ryback came out, Punk tried leaving through the crowd but Cena grabbed him and sent him in the ring, Punk went for a GTS again, Cena countered into the Attitude Adjustment, Ryback got in the ring, Cena and Ryback had a stare down and both men picked up the WWE Title as Punk tried to get it back, the show ends with Ryback and Cena both holding an end of the title.
Overall, decent show, it seems like this weeks show was a bit edgier, I wonder if it has anything to do with Linda losing the election for Senate last week.
AJ Lee/Vickie/Cena is absolutely brutal, I can’t believe this is WORSE then the Claire Lynch thing in TNA.
I could have done without the whole Heyman faking a heart attack thing, that went too far I think.
Brad Maddox losing didn’t make sense, they could have had Maddox get a win with help, and then have Ryback destroy Maddox afterward. Side note, I don’t see HOW Ryback is over, he’s AWFUL.
I can see why the third hour always draws dismal ratings, aside from the main event, the third hour was awful.
I give this episode a 2.5/5, watchable, but just barely.
Thanks for reading the column, I hope you enjoyed it, leave a comment and let us know what you thought of the show tonight.
How much has it changed in the past couple weeks after Sandy?
LikeLike
Pretty crazy, there are still over 50,000 homes without power, some peoples houses are even too bad to live in, we got lucky where I am.
LikeLike
Not to mention we got slammed with a Nor’easter a week after the Hurricane hit.
LikeLike
Yeah, I heard about that. I did see Robin Williams on tv talking about how “Sandy” is such a nice name; that it would be like a Hurricane Timmy.
LikeLike
Damn, I didn’t realize there is still so much damage after it. Hope you’re doing well and hanging in there!
LikeLike
I heard 50 Billion dollars worth.
LikeLike
Ouch
LikeLike
Regal as a face? What?!?!?
LikeLike
At this point in his career, I don’t think it really matters.
LikeLike
I know, but DAMN!
LikeLike
Damn. I know it went far, but Jerry is a showman.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on MMA, Wrestling, Comic and Gaming News.
LikeLike
Loved Truth’s Knock Knock joke!
LikeLike
I had Braden Walker flashbacks lol.
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
I want the new NWO DVD
LikeLike
Ryback’s offense is just BRUTAL!
LikeLike
Because it looks (and probably is) reckless.
LikeLike
Perfect for wrestling. lol
LikeLike
Another good match with Cena/Punk.
LikeLike
They work very well together.
LikeLike
Did I miss what happened with Paul Heyman and Brad Maddox? I saw Heyman talk to Maddox and it didn’t lead to anything.
And it pisses me off that Punk was pinned CLEANLY two weeks in a row. No respect for the WWE Champion. Del Rio can’t get pinned cleanly once when he’s in a feud, but the WWE Champion can get pinned cleanly two weeks in a row? WTF and why the hell did CM Punk approve the heel turn if it makes him look like a piece of shit who is lucky to still be champion?
LikeLike
Maddox is supposed to stay off tv for a while to sell the beating he got and come back early next year.
As far as Punk getting pinned cleanly goes, the first time was done to put Ryback over(and it wasn’t one-on-one), while the second time was done to have Cena get his first one-on-one clean pin of Punk in this feud. I look at it as Punk not looking like a chump, but Phil Brooks being secure enough in his spot to allow it to happen.
LikeLike
The champion should never be pinned cleanly two weeks in a row. I can’t remember the last time I saw Cena get pinned cleanly and I definitely can’t remember it ever happening two weeks in a row.
LikeLike
It’s booking 101. One guy(in a triple threat) pins the champ 2 weeks before the PPV. Another guy pins the champ the next week. The champ retains(?) at the PPV.
LikeLike
He better retain at the PPV. But I’m started to get more interested in the quality of his title reign and not the quantity. Stone Cold and Rock never had year long reigns and their careers were legendary.
LikeLike
If there was one thing I didn’t like about the Attitude Era, it was WWE playing Hot Potato with the belt. lol
LikeLike
It was a solid show. Punk/Cena was a good main event. I don’t understand the Brad Maddox thing either, its was just a waste of time. The best part of the show was Punk’s promo. Sure they went too far with Heyman’s fake heart attack but I have no problem with it. I’m sure they cleared it with Lawler before they did it.
LikeLike
I guess it was a waste of time but it was funny to watch. I guess it was just a filler more than anything else. And just as I said below, of course they cleared it with Lawler. If he’s okay with it, then why aren’t others?
LikeLike
Some people are too sensitive.
LikeLike
I read they lost 800,000 viewers by the end of Punk’s segment.
LikeLike
It’s annoying how so many fans want WWE to return to the days of the Attitude Era, and when they do finally do something a little edgy (mocking Lawler’s heart attack), people say they went too far. If he had died, then it’d (obviously) be too far, but he came back in nine weeks! Not only did he come back, but he made jokes about it himself. These people complaining aren’t critics, they’re hypocrites.
Nothing but PC crap!
LikeLike
I don’t think it’s “pc”, but more of an unspoken rule by some that you don’t do that.
I read a comment that last night that made me think about the whole situation as I’ve never done before. They were talking about how many tv shows use real life situations for their own storylines and that this was like that.
LikeLike
Sounds interesting, what’s the link?
LikeLike
There are over a hundred comments. I’m “KipSmithers”, so look for that to find the original comment.
http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/262491/Click-HERE-to-Join-411s-LIVE-WWE-Raw-Coverage!.htm
LikeLike
I’ll read through it when I get home! Looks interesting.
LikeLike
No hurry.
LikeLike
I find the 3 hours still too long, though this Raw was okay.
The part with Lawler and Punk was a bit hmmm. In regards to the comment above I don’t recall them mocking people who’d almost died?
Liked the end, even with Punk and Cena, Ryback just seemed like a beast
LikeLike
Probably not but it’s a TV show. Worse things have happened.
Here in Ireland there is a program called ”Love/Hate” and just last week a character from it got raped, in the show. Point is, it’s a TV show. They were just trying to draw more heat on Punk and it sort of worked, not as good as they hoped though. (I imagine)
LikeLike
Paul and Punk mocked it.
LikeLike
Controversy seems to be building around the Lawler/Punk angle. All I can say is, it’s television, entertainment…a wrestling angle. It’s not how Punk really feels and obviously it got the approval of Lawler before hand. They didn’t just go out there and surprise Lawler with this, it was approved by him. It’s gotta be. People are looking into this too much.
LikeLike
I didn’t mind anything Punk said, but Heyman mocking it like that I didn’t care for, I don’t mind the PG Rating, because It’s not the rating that makes the show bad, It’s the writers, when I was a kid in the 80’s, wrestling was PG and it had some of the GREATEST matches and stories in wrestling history, then the Attitude Era came and it was memorable because it had shock value.
LikeLike
The IWC didn’t exist either. It’s changed the way we view, think about, and discuss wrestling.
LikeLike
I agree fully but at the end of the day, it’s still a tv show. I guess a heart attack segment is obviously sensitive as so many people have them or know someone who had.
LikeLike
Heck, even Austin didn’t like it.
LikeLike
Yeah I saw that the other day. But Jericho didn’t knock it.
LikeLike
Yeah, I think it’s an unspoken rule for some people.
LikeLike
Just went to the NXT taping last night and EVERYONE needs to watch the Rollins/Mahal match…it was awesome. The next title match will be even BETTER, Rollins vs Corey Graves
LikeLike
Somebody at 411mania gave it a 3.5 out of 10.
You’re lucky to see this the way I got to see Cena(no pun intended), Orton, Punk, Batista, etc.
LikeLike
Opinions like that are why I stay away from 411mania. lol
LikeLike
But the new comment section can be fun!
LikeLike
I hope they will show the full match, sometimes they cut it for TV purposes.
LikeLike
I thought NXT is not televised anywhere or online. So how can I see it?
LikeLike
Hulu
LikeLike
I watch it on here – http://wmr-sports.net/view.php?pg=page They upload everything. It’s so handy. Account is free to sign up.
LikeLike