R Truth def. Dolph Ziggler:
What I Liked:
A short match with not much to gain out of it. Truth's victory was surprising, as i felt everyone expected Ziggler to win. The victory was not cheap, but effective to the point where it does not absolutely kill Ziggler.
What I Disliked:
All they get is a few minutes to wrestle? Come on, this could have been a very interesting and different match. Athleticism in two different ways, Truth and Ziggler can work together. They were given nothing to work with here. I really was disappointed to see this match go this way, with a lack of booking, timing, and creativity. Give the main players 3 more minutes, is that too much to ask for?
Grade: C-
Ryder gets a breath strip from Santino. (This completely missed the mark on being funny.)
Tamina def. Brie Bella:
What I Liked:
Story line wise, this was a smart call. You spotlight the number one contender to Beth as she watches. I really like Tamina's work in the ring, even though we only got a few minutes. Did you expect any different? Smart move to put her last name on her now, especially if you want to make her relevant .The real fans will begin to appreciate her because of the name recognition. Maybe they will do that for others as well.
What I Disliked:
Not really a good match, as it lasted only 2 minutes or so. There was no build, no really artistry in the ring. Tamina hits her splash, which the crowd enjoys, but there was nothing else to talk about. A letdown to me. Maybe they need to bump Raw to 3 hours to give me the wrestling I want.
Grade: C-
John Cena is backstage and hears Eve scream. He runs over to find out where she is at, and it is in an ambulance as Kane is trying to get away. Cena attacks Kane and throws him off. Eve is in the ambulance, but as Kane tries to drive away, she jumps out and into the arms of Cena. She kisses Cena passionately, but Zack Ryder is right there watching. Cena and Eve say sorry, and Eve goes over to him. She says she saw them as friends, and Ryder wheels off pissed. I will talk more about this in depth at the end of the article.
CM Punk def. The Miz:
What I Liked/Disliked:
These two guys deserve about ten to fifteen minutes of ring work to showcase how unique and solid each man is. They got 5 minutes instead, in a rushed and unfocused match. Punk makes Miz tap out, so how weak does that make him look? Miz beat in five minutes is really showing he is in the dog house. This time a few months ago, he would go the limit and either get DQ'ed or come very close to winning. I cannot fathom the reason why they were given such short time here, especially with the PPV coming up. This is the main event, not Cena and Kane. They have dominated the TV time, so this should have been something suspenseful to end the show. Instead, we got a quick and ineffective 5 minute match with an ending that does nothing for me.
Grade: C-
Cena comes out to address what happened. Ryder did not accept his apology. Cena says this is Kane's plan all along, but he will not embrace the hate. Cena says he will put Kane in an ambulance on Sunday, and has a message for The Rock. Ryder comes out, slowly gets into the ring and is upset. Ryder yells at Cena and slaps him. Cena takes his shirt off, looks to attack, but stops. He blocks Ryder's punch and pushes him down. Ryder leaves and goes up stage. Kane comes out and throws Ryder off the stage and onto the ground. Cena and Eve look on.
Okay, so this angle is completely different for John Cena compared to his usual chase for the championshuip. Do I love the angle? No, but at least we are not being thrown the same garbage with him. You can see his characteristics change each week with the given events. My biggest concern is what is the payoff? I cannot buy Kane vs. Ryder, cannot buy Ryder as a heel, so the last option is Cena turning heel. He turns and faces the Rock, but when Rock leaves again, where does Cena go? I just worry this very creative idea is going to be wasted, much like Nexus was. I am not saying Cena is similar to Nexus, I am just saying that it is very likely they do not have an end game and the flaws of week to week booking will be seen in the near future.
Grade: B
Raw Grade: C+
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