Welcome once again to another edition of A RAW Opinion, This is the last Raw before Royal Rumble, and unfortunately, in my opinion, the last Raw telecast with CM Punk as WWE Champion. We are 6 days away until the Royal Rumble and tonights show hopefully won’t suck like last weeks.
We start things off with Vickie Guerrero and Paul Heyman walking to the ring, Vickie with microphone in hand. Vickie and Heyman talk about the concert from last week, showing clips about what he said about Heyman and Vickie. Vickie says she has banned him from the building, we cut outside the arena and Dwayne is told he can’t get inside or he will be arrested. Lame jokes about Vickie and Heyman come.
They announce a beat the clock challenge, the winner gets to determine what number he gets in the Royal Rumble.
Randy Orton VS Antonio Cesaro in a Beat The Clock match. Randy Orton gets the win at 11:36 after taking a beating all match. Very good match, stupid ending.
Big Show VS Zack Ryder. Brad Maddox on commentary, the announcers not even caring about the match, Big Show wins in maybe 2 minutes? Garbage.
Heath Slater VS Ryback next. Ryback wins, next…
CM Punk is out next to address the fans. Great promo talking about his match against Dwayne on Sunday. He didn’t make dumb, lame jokes, he actually focused on the match.
Dolph Ziggler VS The Miz in another Beat The Clock match. Dolph Ziggler gets the win after help from Big E. He beat Randys time and is in the lead.
Kane and Daniel Bryan graduate anger management! Hilarious. Segment ends with Kane, Daniel and Dr. Shelby in a group hug, after Kane and Daniel had people in the crowd, Cole and Lawler and Justin Roberts and the WWE doctor all hug.
Kaitlyn VS Alicia Fox up next in a non title match. Kaitlyn gets the win after a spear. I guess that’s her new finisher. Better then her old one. Decent divas match.
Paul Heyman is in the ring, CM Punk is in a sky box. Dwayne comes out and flashes a ticket. Apparently a ticket now entitles you to not only backstage access, but an entrance and microphone time as well, maybe I’ll try that one day. Dwayne finishes talking, lights go out! The Shield is in the ring! They beat Dwayne down and leave him laying after a Roman Reigns power bomb.
Sheamus VS Wade Barrett in the final Beat The Clock challenge. Dolph Ziggler currently holds the time with 10:56. Dolph Ziggler beats the clock! The timer ran out after AJ, Dolph and Langston ran out and interrupted the match. Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick on Wade but wasn’t able to get the win as time ran out. I will say, I do like how this series wasn’t predictable, I would have predicted Orton or Sheamus to win this challenge.
Alberto Del Rio VS Tensai. Let me get this straight… Big Show squashes Zack Ryder in SECONDS and Del Rio gets Tensai. Del Rio gets the win after a moonsault from the second rope.
Second inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame, BOB BACKLUND! Well earned.
John Cena out next to address the crowd. He spend about 5 minutes or so talking about how certain people probably spend their Sunday, except for this Sunday, Cena says he’s winning the Royal Rumble. Sheamus comes out and says he is, Prime Time Players out next saying they are, Orton next, Kane and Daniel Bryan, 3MB, and then all of a sudden everyone in the rumble match is in the ring brawling, this is the annual before Royal Rumble in ring battle royal. Show goes off the air as the brawl continues.
Overall, decent show, much better then last week. I’ll give this weeks episode a 2.5/5. Aside from Ryders burial, again. It was a solid show, hopefully this time next week, CM Punk is still the WWE Champion.
Ringsidehustle.com 
I think CM Punk will be champion until WrestleMania. I think it’s the best thing to do. Not that I don’t want the Rock as WWE champion but I love Punk and, I think he can be considered one of the all time greats if he holds it until at least WM. Better yet, he deserves to end the show. For WWE that is the ethical thing they can do. For respect to Punk and for him being there on call for the past 7 years of his life. He DESERVES it. Every year Cena/Taker/Rock closes WM. Why can’t it be CM Punk this year?
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I hope I’m wrong, I really do. but I just don’t see him putting Punk over.
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I hope it’s Paul that costs him.
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The ending of Punk/Rock is unpredictable which was the important thing to come from Raw last night.
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It’s a shame we didn’t get more Rock/Eddie bits.
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Punk looked like Marty Feldman with that hood on.
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“He didn’t make dumb, lame jokes, he actually focused on the match.” Yeah, jokes so lame, they get laughs from the crowd.
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That would be fine, if what he said was funny.
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Comedy is subjective.
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I just feel there’s a HUGE double standard. If John Cena had gone out there and did the exact same routine, he’d be shit all over, people would say how awful and lame it was. And I am not a Cena fan, but It’s the truth, apparently no matter what Dwayne does, It’s gold.
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It’s odd, because I find both to be funny. I enjoy Rock’s random nature in his insults while I like how Cena will name drop obscure wrestlers from the past and make fun of himself.
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Good point. I guess it’s the way Rock presents his usual jokes compared to Cena. Like Punk said months back, ”It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it”.
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Kinda like how Punk “speaks the truth”. It’s the d-bag way he says it.
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BLOODSPIT!!!
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Del Rio with the En-Si-giri Kick?
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Gotta love those chaos-filled RAW endings!
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annual pre royal rumble cluster fuck lol.
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Wouldn’t be Rumble without it!
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Average show was average. Keep following the blueprint into oblivion, WWE.
Highlight for me was the “Dr. Shelby” chant.
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The only thing I dislike about Shelby is not Shelby himself but I can see WWE introducing more characters like him to the show.
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If it makes for good entertainment, I’m all for it. It’s when they bring in useless muppets that pisses me off lol.
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BOO!!!
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Cool Article, I enjoyed reading it!
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Thank you. Glad you liked it.
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Generic Raw closing moments for the Rumble.
Did Cena actually reference an 18 rated game to some 10 year old kid? The face sign guys in the front row we funny, although I think they must have gotten confiscated pretty soon.
Also, don’t all the guys being beaten down by the SHIELD have some connection with Brad Maddox? (Bar the Rock, although Heyman did say he could help him out) Each star has either beaten up or had some verbal confrontation with Maddox… Meaning Maddox is the (sort of) leader…
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Good to see you on here again 😀
Yeah it was a weird/generic ending to Raw, very unusual promo from Cena. I never noticed that trend, Andy. Good spotting. But tbh I doubt it’ll mean anything. Maddox is doing fine on his own, he doesn’t need to be in a stable IMO.
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I’ll say this for Cena’s promo; that kid must’ve had a great day at school.
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If Maddox is the leader that would be the biggest shitty letdown since Taz joined Aces and Eights lmao.
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Haha, by the time I’ve watched Raw and come in here the conversations usually over!
This whole Punk, Shield, Maddox situation… I’m hoping they come up with a good old Skool reveal…
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