WrestleWeek: Edition 1

Image: WWE.com

It was an incredible week of wrestling last week. Randy Orton and Damien Sandow secured Golden opportunities winning the Money in the Bank Ladder matches; Rob van Dam and Chris Jericho put on an extraordinary match; The Shield attacked Mark Henry, but he and The Usos got revenge on SmackDown; Brock Lesnar and CM Punk engaged in a compelling brawl; John Cena picked Daniel Bryan as his SummerSlam opponent; Chris Sabin was crowned the new TNA World Champion at Destination X; Vince McMahon announced Vickie Guerrero as SmackDown General Manager and much more. What a week for wrestling fans.

Jericho hiatus

So long to @WWE for now…2013 was one of my favorite in ring yrs ever! Thx for always sticking w Y2J & see u on the road soon w @FOZZYROCK!
— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) July 17, 2013

It was a great year in-ring for Chris Jericho, and many in the WWE Universe seem certain of his return, even though it will catch us by surprise. After shocking the WWE Universe with an appearance at the Royal Rumble, he has went on to have some great matches, and his best was undoubtedly with Rob van Dam on RAW. Catch him on the road with Fozzy very soon!

WWE Monday Night RAW - 22nd July 2013 (Episode 1052)

Opening the show LIVE from Austin, Texas was newly-appointed RAW General Manager Brad Maddox. He overlooked the contract signing for SummerSlam's main event match-up between Daniel Bryan and John Cena for the WWE Championship.

Brad Maddox questioned John Cena's decision to pick Daniel Bryan as his opponent, hinting that he was not really worthy of a title shot. This set up for the interruption of Bryan himself, who had the WWE Universe in the Frank Erwin Events Center in a YES! YES! YES! frenzy, before Bryan confronted Maddox.

Image: WWE.com

When Cena was involved again, he said to Bryan, "You are the best competition in this company & I will prove at SummerSlam that even the best isn't good enough." Cena stated that Bryan deserved the shot, but he would not go easy on him.

And then it became official, the contract was signed and they were ready to collide at SummerSlam. But before they did engage in the SummerSlam showdown, the General Manager announced that Daniel Bryan would compete in "multiple matches" on the night's RAW. 

Quite an off-key start to RAW that had some interest but was not executed perfectly. Still, this has some excitement for Daniel Bryan running the gauntlet, plus hopefully as this builds things will get more intense between Daniel Bryan and John Cena. Brad Maddox may not be needed between these two, he just seems irrelevant.

It was a rivalry renewed as Sheamus battled Alberto Del Rio in Singles Competition. The two had previously battled over the World Heavyweight Championship from May to September 2012. This time it was the other way round as Alberto Del Rio was World Heavyweight Champion.

Image: WWE.com

Sheamus was back in action following Money in the Bank where he picked up a nasty leg injury and it showed with a huge bruise on his left leg. Del Rio would exploit this by constantly damaging the injured leg. It was quite an action-packed match and a gutsy display by Sheamus, but Del Rio's presence of mind allowed him to capitalize when Sheamus' leg buckled when attempting White Noise, and went for the roll-up pin to score the victory over a previous foe.

At first when we found out about this match I was not pleased. But it was a decent contest and Del Rio may gain a lot with a win over Sheamus. Meanwhile Sheamus could get some time off with that nasty injury.

Del Rio beats Sheamus CLEAN! Wow! Nice win! #Raw
— Graham Mirmina (@SAVE_US_GSM) July 23, 2013

Captain Charisma Christian took to the ring next as he faced Titus O' Neil from the Prime Time Players. Despite being the recipient of a physical onslaught by O' Neil, Christian was able to win via the Killswitch, continuing a great run of form, as he looks for One More Match...

Opinion: Good showcase of talent but I hope WWE will utilize the Prime Time Players better soon rather than just losing matches. Maybe their good showings in matches will be something of more to come in the future. Decent match but maybe too formulaic for one's liking.

Mark Henry was in the middle of the ring and he was present to address The Shield. Mark Henry got straight down to business and called out The Shield, he was ready to fight. The three men made their entrance to the ring, and surrounded to attack Mark Henry. 

Henry did well to fight them off for a few seconds before the numbers game caught up and Mark Henry was in trouble. But to even the odds, The Usos made an entrance, reminiscent to that on SmackDown, by helping out Mark Henry to fight off The Shield, who retreated. We all know however though, that the fight has only just begun.

Opinion: I think this is a nicely developing rivalry. Many see this leading up to a six-man tag team match at SummerSlam,  and that would be a great contest. Mark Henry and The Usos find deserving relevance on the cards with a rivalry with The Shield, good stuff.

Image: WWE.com

The Show-Off Dolph Ziggler stepped into the ring as he battled Darren Young. Ziggler and the Prime Time Players were fresh of recent run-ins and were to put on a good match. Ziggler picked up the victory but his celebration was short-lived, as Big E Langston and AJ interrupted. Big E Langston went to attack Ziggler, but Ziggler was able to outwit Langston with his speed and prevail with the last laugh... for now.

Dolph Ziggler helped Darren Young to put on a good showing in the contest, and the Prime Time Players are getting more TV time which is a good thing. Langston and Ziggler's feud is developing steadily.

The Miz hosted Miz TV with the Total Diva's Cast and after introducing them, he handed it over to Jerry Lawler to host Miz TV, but as he welcomed himself to Eva Marie, who slapped Jerry Lawler! Miz felt the need to finish Miz TV off there with a final plug to promote Total Divas, but to spare you of telling you again, I need not tell you when it airs...

Fandango took on Cody Rhodes whilst Damien Sandow observed ringside. The two showed great talents in the ring to put on an entertaining match. Sandow was almost successful in his attempt to cause Cody Rhodes the loss but this was thwarted and backfired, with Cody Rhodes picking up the win. As Sandow looked on at the ramp clutching his Money in the Bank briefcase, Cody Rhodes was fired up.

Great booking of both Fandango and Rhodes, an interesting match-up to watch. Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes is a great rivalry and I hope this leads to a match for the briefcase at SummerSlam.


After the brawl that ensued last week between CM Punk and Brock Lesnar, CM Punk was in the ring and he had some choice words for both Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. He talked about how Lesnar may be the "Beast", but he is the "Best", and he laid out the challenge for a blockbuster match for SummerSlam.

He told the World, "I am not afraid of Brock Lesnar" and then Heyman appeared via Satelite and eventually accepted the challenge. There you have it, The Best vs. The Beast, it is official, what a match we will have at SummerSlam.

Opinion: Excellent promo by CM Punk as always and this seemed even more meaningful which sets up this match really well. Cannot wait for Lesnar vs. Punk at SummerSlam!

Rob Van Dam continued his roll in the WWE with a win over Wade Barrett. The Bullhammer Elbow was not enough to ground Rob van Dam but it was an interesting matchup and a good showing by both competitors.

Decent effort by Barrett, I hope to see more of him on RAW. Meanwhile Rob Van Dam is on a roll, and I am waiting to see which rivalry it will land him in heading towards SummerSlam.

It was then time for Daniel Bryan to run the Gauntlet. He had a message to prove and to show that he deserves to be the WWE Championship challenger and SummerSlam. And no doubt he did by putting on a superb performance in his three matches, but it was an unfortunate ending.

Jack Swagger took on Daniel Bryan first and gave Bryan a tough challenge, but he managed to pull through and make Swagger tap out.

Then, it was a clash of former Ring of Honor Champions as Antonio Cesaro battled Daniel Bryan. As expected, it was an amazing match with both technically sound competitors, but Bryan would manage to prevail following a classic contest.

Me when Daniel Bryan goes into beast mode #Raw pic.twitter.com/3WtV5SeVw8
— Ziggler-holic c: (@AlishaWWEDiva) July 23, 2013

It seemed all odds were against Daniel Bryan as his final opponent was Ryback. Daniel Bryan put on another great match with Ryback but physicality was key with Bryan fatigued and Ryback capitalizing on this. Bryan did not give up, he continued to go but Ryback then introduced the table, and managed to dodge Bryan outside the ring and powerbomb him through a table and Bryan won via Disqualification. 

The assault was poised to continue, but John Cena came to Bryan's aid and fought off Ryback before challenging him to a tables match. This match was scheduled as next week's Main Event by General Manager Brad Maddox, and then McMahon prompted the inclusion of Daniel Bryan, who was announced to face Kane next week too - a double main event on the cards for next week.

Bryan finished in the ring with the Texan crowd chanting "YES! YES! YES! and Bryan continues to be on top again.

One year ago on #Raw, Daniel Bryan was a laughing stock, He was marrying AJ. One year later, He closes Raw with three awesome matches.
— Team John Cena™ (@OfficialCenafan) July 23, 2013

Daniel Bryan could very well be the next WWE Champion. His wrestling excellence culminates another fine edition of RAW, it may have had its low and poor points, but strong segments including the CM Punk promo and Daniel Bryan's gauntlet kept it going. Enjoyable as we move forward to SummerSlam.

WWE Main Event - 24th July 2013 (Episode 43)

Jack Swagger and Sheamus engaged in a brutal contest in the featured match. Sheamus' leg injury was still a factor throughout and Swagger played this to his advantage by focusing numerous attacks on the injured leg. But the Celtic Warrior was able to fight back and put up an impressive stand against the Real American, and following an enthralling brawl he put things away with a Brogue Kick to secure the victory.

Meanwhile, the other contests on the night featured Sin Cara in action as he defeated Drew McIntyre whilst throwing off other members of 3MB, and Mr Money in the Bank Damien Sandow was able to ground Justin Gabriel just enough to pick up another win and garner further momentum.

Wrestling news from around the web

We pick some of the biggest wrestling news from around the web this week.

• Update on Big Show's Nixed Return via WrestlingInc.com
• World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio injured at RAW Tapings via Bleacher Report 
• Backstage Heat on Del Rio and Sheamus via WrestleZone.com 
• Chris Sabin Not Worried About TNAs Situation via NoDQ.com 
• TNA President Dixie Carter has message for TNA Fans via IMPACTWRESTLING.com 
• Update on The Shield's backstage heat, possible argument with Orton via Bleacher Report

TNA Impact Wrestling - 25th July 2013 (Episode 480)

The Main Event Mafia were standing by to kick off yet another excellent edition of Impact Live. They were in the ring to congratulate newly crowned TNA World Heavyweight Champion Chris Sabin who captured the Gold on the previous week at Destination X. Kurt Angle then welcomed Sabin to the ring who thanked the Main Event Mafia for eradicating the threat of the Aces & 8s, but his address to the TNA fans present was cut short when Bully Ray - former World Champion - made an appearance flanked by his attorney. A bombshell was dropped, as his attorney announced that Bully Ray was unfairly lost of the title and it must be given back to him by the end of the show, or action would be taken.

Manik prevailed in a three-way Ultimate X match to be crowned the new X Division Champion. It was a fantastic contest to watch, which saw all superstars shine and show the quality of the X Division. Many thought it was over for Manik when he crashed his head of the steel following a huge move by Greg Marisciulo. Meanwhile, Marisciulo and Sonjay Dutt had IMPACT fans on edge as they battled on top of the structure, but Manik was able to recover and capture the Gold after throwing Marisciulo to the ground whilst Dutt was stuck in the structure. Manik was able to retrieve the title belt and become the X Division Champion.

Mr. Anderson picked up more points in the Bound For Glory series following a victory over Hernandez. Mr. Anderson was under pressure from Aces & 8s president Bully Ray to get the win and he picked up the win managing to outwit the power game from Hernandez to solidify more points in the Bound For Glory series.

The Knockouts Championship was on the line as Mickie James defended against Gail Kim. Gail Kim indeed brought the fight to James, but when tensions neared an epitome with referee ODB and Gail Kim, Mickie James managed to take advantage by getting the roll up pin to win the match and retain the title. After her loss, Kim was irate with the referee and just as things would develop into a possible brawl, Knockouts commissioner Brooke Hogan reminded Gail Kim that ODB was an active wrestler, and then Gail Kim retreated to avoid further confrontation.

More vital Bound For Glory Series points were up for grabs when two TNA veterans in Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels took to the ring. Both competitors know each other well, and it showed. But this contest would not end cleanly - when Samoa Joe went for the Muscle Buster, Mr. Anderson came up to the apron and had Joe distracted. He went to fight him but Daniels got him from behind and had to hit the BME twice to defeat Samoa Joe and take 7 points.

A long anticipated match between AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy did indeed deliver in the Bound For Glory Series. It was a compelling contest and both Styles and Hardy threw all they had at each other, an excellent match. Jeff Hardy came close to ending it with the Twist of Fate, but AJ Styles got out of it and hit the Pele spot on the head of Jeff Hardy. Hardy was slow to get back up to his feet and Styles capitalized to apply the Calf Submission Hold to submit Jeff Hardy. Styles picks up a big victory and a big 10 points, great match. 

Finally, it was decision time. Bully Ray was confident that Chris Sabin would have to relinquish his Championship or Bully Ray would sue the company. Hulk Hogan was to enforce his power however, and as the GM of IMPACT, he was to counter the accusation and rip up the contract. Chris Sabin would remain Champion, for now. But as fair is fair, Hulk Hogan stated that on August 15 at Hardcore Justice in a Steel Cage match without the involvement of the Main Event Mafia or the Aces & 8s. Hulk Hogan had resolved the situation, but Bully Ray was in despair and yelled "I hate you!" at Hulk Hogan as he closed a fine edition of IMPACT. 

WWE Friday Night SmackDown! - 26th July 2013 (Episode 727)

SmackDown was taped from Corpus Christi, TX and it opening things off to an outstanding ovation was Randy Orton. The Viper was in action against Damien Sandow, in a match where both Money in the Bank winners squared off. Had this been given a few months, it could indeed be a Champion vs. Champion match. 

Damien Sandow showed his aggression throughout the bout, meanwhile The Viper fired back on numerous occasions with lethal strikes. When Damien Sandow seemed to have attained some control on the match, Cody Rhodes made an appearance and took the Money in the Bank briefcase which was situated ringside. Sandow was completely distracted, and The Viper seized on the opportunity to deliver an RKO and win the match, kicking off SmackDown in emphatic fashion.

The Best in the World, CM Punk would be up next to address the crowd present, and the issue surrounding the SummerSlam showdown between himself and Brock Lesnar. The Straight Edge Savior stated that he knew Lesnar's weakness, and that was trusting Paul Heyman. However he did acknowledge Heyman's aid to his career, but was prepared for SummerSlam and he told the World that he would leave Brock Lesnar an unrecognizable mess after he is done with him. Cue Fandango, who danced around and then jumped into the ring and CM Punk attacked him immediately before delivering a GTS and putting him out cold. That's how its done.

 After they threw off The Shield on RAW, the team of Mark Henry and The Usos were in action as they took to the ring to face Wade Barrett and the Prime Time Players. It was a superb showing by The Usos and Mark Henry as they dominated. Mark Henry was tagged in after The Usos battled the Prime Time Players and he took out Titus O'Neil but interferences from Barrett and Young were dealt with by two sweet superkicks from The Usos before Mark Henry defeated Titus O'Neil with a World's Strongest Slam, sending a strong message to The Shield in the process.

Rob Van Dam squared off with World Champion Alberto Del Rio, but the WWE Universe would not witness a lot of action. Only moments into the match, Alberto Del Rio escaped Rob Van Dam's flurry of offense, and repeated this two more times before trying to catch Del Rio off guard, but Van Dam reversed with a superb kick. He then bombarded Del Rio in the corner, but Del Rio played to the referee as if he was hurt, and as the referee looked to aid him, he hit Van Dam with a kick to the face to get a quick pin and then leave the ring, leaving Van Dam in despair.

Making their in-ring debut, the Wyatt Family completely dismantled Tons of Funk. A brawl ensued between the huge competitors but the Wyatts would defeat Tons of Funk, but it would not be over there. Bray Wyatt would then further damage Tensai before delivering a message to Kane. They are waiting for Kane and told him to 'Follow The Buzzards'.

Christian and Jack Swagger were in Singles Competition, following a back and forth contest Christian would prevail and defeat Swagger, before Sandow rushed out to the ring and he addressed the situation of Cody Rhodes stealing his briefcase.

Rhodes appeared on the titantron and he was near the Gulf of Mexico, and he told Sandow to come and get the briefcase from him. Sandow made his way to the Gulf, but just as he did, Rhodes threw the briefcase into the water and Sandow was left distraught as SmackDown drew to a close.