I've been under the weather lately, so maybe I wasn't quite of sound mind, but I thought RAW was pretty interesting last night. I missed some of the early stuff, but the only thing I saw that I wasn't crazy about was the six-man main event -- and I can almost forgive that for the potential drama in the Danielson/Cena/Orton triangle. (It really was a very poor excuse for a headliner with top names in it, though. I've questioned The Shield's relevance & motivation for a long time and it's only getting worse, but I digress).

I really liked the flow of the show. Again, I'm doubting myself as I write this, because I'm not sure the components were all that different. It might just be their arrangement and the tone of the beats that felt a little less like the high spec, overlit vacuous "entertainment" we usually see on Monday, and a bit more like a wrestling show building toward a PPV.

Maybe being a few weeks out from Summerslam was to the benefit of the show. It's fitting to talk about this on a Mortal Kombat site. We should know all about material that succeeds by being inconclusive. Just like MK's plot and characters have always been well served when they're communicated through a list of notes -- this episode was particularly good for alluding to things that should happen. It was a lot of First and Second Act storytelling.

If the ball gets dropped over the next couple of weeks, or these match-ups never materialize on RAW, or Summerslam, then it's going to retroactively raise questions about tonight's RAW. In isolation, however, I'm gonna maintain that it felt like a good spread. I might even like it better if some of this stuff doesn't make it to PPV -- being a big believer in the notion that they need to restore a divide that lets some guys spend their time exclusively on TV. If something's going to brew between Kofi and Fandango, I'd like to see that develop as a TV feud, for example.

I loved the Layla promo during the entrances for her match with Kaitlyn and I was pretty surprised by the quality of the match, too. It was customarily short, but it was also sweet. Sandow & Rhodes are simmering along nicely. Kane's return to a more threatening presence is long overdue and I hope it's perpetuated by the Wyatt Clan feud -- particularly if his "ring of fire" results in something as shocking as a Summerslam inferno match! I can't honestly believe it's going there, but if it happens, that's a spectacle I'd like to see return.

The Usos and The Real Americans was pleasing. Again, it wasn't a main event marathon, but it's great to see a bog standard tag team encounter. A match that saw the heels get a win back. I hope they keep going! Through TV or onto PPV! The obvious thought is to slingshot The Usos into another title match with The Shield, but if The Shield are to be occupied elsewhere, then an on-going tag team feud built on competition is perhaps even better than a title bout! TV matches that are about nothing more than wrestling competition! I love it!

The on-going Punk/Lesnar/Heyman situation speaks for itself. I liked its position on the card and how it played out. It's disappointing Lesnar can't be counted on for a more regular routine because it really works. Of course, not expecting him to burn an appearance on this week helped make it sweeter. Call me a sadist, but I got a bit of a kick out of Punk busting his chin, too. I don't want guys to get hurt - being busted like that sucks, I know from experience. But when they're able to work through it, it's impressive and adds some true grit to the feud.

Any way, maybe I was a little bit woozy on Monday, but I'm throwing it out there -- I think it was a marked improvement. I'm not accustomed to feeling positive after watching [almost] a full episode of RAW. I don't really expect them to keep it up. But I was glad it happened.

Wrestling Observer Live reporting SHAMOUS has torn his labia. 3-4 mons.

Alright, I read this about eight times before I responded... Labrum

Sad to see anybody get put on the shelf, but I gotta admit, I'm not the guys biggest fan. Especially with the whole super positive, Irish cena thing he's got going on. Time for somebody to step up!

"This shirt is a parody of you, because I think you are a parody of wrestling."

Good lord, a tear dropped from my eye.

Bryan vs. Cena for the WWE title this Sunday. Arguably the most relevant match in the WWE since Rock vs. Cena 1.

Summerslam picks:

Dean Ambrose
Bray Wyatt
CM Punk
Damien Sandow
Big E & AJ
Natalya
Christian
Daniel Bryan, but Randy Orton cashes in and wins the WWE title.

I don't know that I put that much importance on it, but I'm still a bit bummed about Triple H nosing his way into it. I'd definitely have enjoyed more of a big match, man-on-man, prestige of the championship and the challenger feel.

Not sure how many of you guys know this already, but if you didn't, here you go:

Oh my, he's gay?

Thought you guys could enjoy a wrestling article.

Saw the video earlier. I think it's great that he came out.

Haha, bravo.

And good for Darren Young. I do have an issue with that article though..."Darren Young's star is rising"...what program have they been watching?

You'd be gay too if you had millions of dollars, millions of dollars!

Last Minute Summerslam Predictions:

- Bryan Danielson (New WWE Champ)
- Brock Lesnar (via DQ?)
- Alberto Del Rio (World Champ)
- Cody Rhodes
- Bray Wyatt (presumably no human torches)
- Big E Langston & AJ Lee
- Brie Bella
- Dean Ambrose (US Champ)
- Curtis Axel (Impromptu IC defense?)
- Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (Tag Team defense?)

this, but i predict Orton cashes in and wins, much to my dismay.

The ending was terrible. Can't wait to be lectured on why it was good by people though.

The rest of the PPV was enjoyable as was the match itself between Cena and Bryan. I let my puppy out during the Ziggler match though and only caught the very end of it.


Lesnar Vs Punk was awesome.

It was a great ending because it pissed off millions of fans while still making Daniel Bryan one of the top guys in pro wrestling today, AND created a new top heel in Randy Orton.
Pro wrestling angles aren't supposed to be all happy and fair. You're supposed to get riled up so you will pay money to see Bryan win back the title.

Daniel Bryan has pinned John Cena, clean, in the center of the ring. Randy freaking Orton required Triple H to stab Bryan in the back and give him a pedigree to take the belt from him. Wow.

Bryan is now as legit as any other star in WWE today, from Lesnar to CM Punk. He's one of the VERY few men to pin Cena clean ever since Cena became WWE Champion. Really, who else has done it? The Rock. And that's all the names I can remember. Oh, and now Bryan is on that list as well.

Daniel Bryan is now a major, legit, believable star, and Orton's a hated heel. Lets see where it goes from here.

All true...it still hurts

The difference is that it would have been "a great ending" had the heat been "Oh how could randy orton do this. He is so sneaky and mean. He is a heel and I shouldn't like him".

Instead it was this.... "Wow the WWE product is really bad and I am mad at the ending not because of what happened but because the predictability decreased drastically and so did the quality of the overall product."

Randy Orton did not "require Triple H". He had the MITB briefcase which is to be used at a time like that. Randy Orton has defeated Daniel Bryan before. Had it been Hornswoggle cashing in on Brock Lesnar than sure what you say could be true but it isn't the case (see what I did there?).

Bryan was a believable star from the minute the crowd got behind him as much as they did. Some could say it was after WM28 when the Yes! chants took off but if you want to just consider 2013, he was a legit star once his momentum really got rolling a while before his match with Cena.

Again, the heat is really on Triple H if anyone. Orton took advantage of an opportunity like the briefcase was meant to do. Anyone who doesn't realize that should open their eyes. Yes, Orton could be hated by the younger crowd but anyone with half a brain will realize that Orton is better in a heel role (even if his current heat should not be his) and that an Orton/Bryan feud for the title with Orton as a heel along with Bryan's current momentum will be ok.

I'm not mad Orton cashed in. I'm not mad he was successful at cashing in. I am not mad he cashed in after a 5 minute title reign by the superstar with the greatest amount of momentum behind him right now. I am mad because the act of him cashing in was so boring and predictable even with Triple H being a part of it because the reason of Triple H being the ref was to kickstart the Mcmahon angle that is being lined up for WM30. Triple H turning did just that. It wasn't even something that a casual fan could be surprised about because it was so obvious that it would happen. Yes Daniel Bryan beat Cena clean but everyone knew that the ending of the night would not be clean with about 10-15 minutes left in the PPV and Triple H as guest ref.

Sure Cena hasn't lost cleanly often but that is usually because heels are not supposed to win clean. The Rock and Daniel Bryan have done it because neither of them were heels and faces ARE supposed to win clean. I didn't think it was that hard to put together.

I missed Kane/Wyatt. But am I alone in thinking: "I just watched a PPV with no bad matches?"

Not saying they were all amazing. But certainly nothing awful and a super hot crowd. Although fuck them for the "We want Sable" chant during the divas match. Seriously. Brie Bella was watchable.

Gotta love Brock Lesnar. its like he lands on his neck/face to protect his tattoos.

One thing that you forgot to mention is that whenever the McMahon's are the central focus or the main feud, whatever you want to call it, the quality of the product drops significantly.

Didn't enjoy Summerslam, in the end. Good on paper, not very interesting in execution. None of the matches felt very satisfying to me, but that's how I feel about most WWE matches of the last few years. Suffice it to say, the good feelings toward RAW a couple of weeks ago weren't followed up in ways I thought were satisfying.

I loathe Money in the Bank as a concept. I think it massively cheapens the goal to which all are committed. As an existing method to steal Danielson's moment and shift it to Orton, I at least get it. I don't particularly want it, but I think the idea has merit.

It's in no way enough to say 'it's good because it pissed people off.' That's easy to do and in no way the goal. The goal is to tell interesting stories that provoke a reaction that reflects an investment in the story. Simply annoying people who're habitually inclined to stick with the product isn't enough and is arguably why there's documented erosion in business. That said, I think there are two ways to look at this, and as always, it really depends on how they follow through on what they've started.

Personally, I wanted a competitive contest. I miss the spirit of competition that was strong in matches by Benoit, Guerrero, Angle, Lesnar, and their contemporaries of 2002, in particular. "Sports entertainment" doesn't mean the absence of sport. That's why sport is in the name. The sports portion hasn't been well served and I think Summerslam -- even with John Cena in that main event -- was the time to do it.

We don't really need to see Bryan Danielson come up short, be denied his opportunity, or be made the fool. We can already conceive of that. He doesn't just play the role of an underdog - he's completely unconventional for a WWE Champion. So there's no joy or intrigue in seeing him miss out. The spectacle of Summerslam arguably should have been a clear contest: A conclusion of Bryanson's storyline as a man who has to prove himself in the ring. A main event that showcased his ability and confirmed his arrival.

It's not all doom and gloom. It's easy to compare the finish to Survivor Series 1998 and the game changing rise of The Rock as Corporate Champion and Mankind as the ultimate challenging underdog. If they play their cards right, they really could have themselves a compelling, self-sustaining sequence of events. Playing the cards right is vital. Anyone who lived through the Corporation through to the Corporate-Ministry knows how fatiguing it is to interest when one idea encompasses too much time. On the plus side -- the McMahons aren't likely to be appearing in matches.

If I had my way, Danielson would've had his moment in the sun and we would've started the train of contenders lining up. There are other names in desperate need of attention and opportunities for some great match-ups. I would've liked to see CM Punk find his way back to the title, I would've welcome Randy Orton as lurking challenger, I'd personally enjoy seeing Alberto Del Rio lock-up with Bryanson, a successful defense against SHAMOUS would've been fun to see. A way forward built on competition would've suited me perfecto. Maybe that'll come down the line, or maybe we'll get some excitement out of the thrill of the chase.

I'm not gonna write-off the potential of Orton and a 2013 Corporation (or Corp lite). [Lord knows it'd give The Shield something credible to do.]

I am pretty happy to say Summerslam was thoroughly unremarkable, though. Typical for the period. Great shiny big bright set. Not a lot of shining in the ring. Haven't really found a WWE PPV satisfying since maybe Royal Rumble 2011 and it was slim pickings for many years before that. I don't expect a radical change any time soon. Fingers crossed something changes. They show glimpses, every so often. (The women showed improvement! Brie Bella did a sweet leg drop. Natalya should've had more than a one-move offense, though.)

Even on Raw all of the heat was directed towards Triple H from everyone except Michael Cole.

That would be the correct answer to support your point... If it were true. It isn't true (fortunately) because you are going to continue to watch the TV shows and the PPVs. You DO want to see what they're going to do next and you are interested in seeing Bryan's rise to the top.
This is what the wrestling business is all about. Tricking the fans into getting emotional over angles. Before, fans would get angry that Ric Flair cheated to retain the world title over their hometown hero. Obviously the fans wouldn't go home and think "damn Flair got me pissed off, but that was an awesome product! Can't wait for the next show!". They'd do the same as you and complain that the quality of the product decreased drastically - even if deep down, they had loved it for the emotions it brought out and can't wait to see the next show.

Wrestling fans have become smarter, the works have changed to adapt. This angle has REAL heat, which is rare these days.