Raw is Johnmeode 02/04/11

Hello World,

Welcome to Raw Is Johnmeode.

Again guys I apologise if this is shorter than normal, my life is manic at present. I am committed to write regularly and I shall do so. Hopefully things will calm down soon and I can get some good pieces done. Right let’s get to it.

This week we started with an excellent video package (aren’t they always!) of the events around September 11^th 2001. This was done because Bin Laden has been killed finally. Then we had the beautiful Lillian Garcia sing the National Anthem. She was great as always and it was good to see her back. I have to say something about Americans. You guys must be the most patriotic people on earth. I wish people were more like this in the UK. I am very proud to be British and would happily shout it from the rooftops, however it is almost considered politically incorrect to do so. America is our cousin across the sea and we are damn proud to be your cousin.

The Announcers are Josh Matthews, Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole. First up we get the Rock, out to a massive pop as always. We are celebrating his birthday tonight. This guy has done so much for the WWE, I am a big fan. A top promo from him as usual, he is the best talker the industry has ever seen in my opinion. He says thanks to the forces and recites the pledge of allegiance with the crowd. He gets in to a promo about being proud to be home in Miami and talked about growing up and his life including his college football career. The GM piped in and Cole looking smug as always, tried to read it but the rock interrupted and dared him to read it in the ring to his face. He eventually did after showing a Boston Celtics Jersey which got a lot of heel heat. I guess they are playing Miami in the playoffs (I don’t follow NBA). The GM wanted an apology from the rock for embarrassing him at Mania and Cole wanted one for the way The Rock had treated him over the years. The Rock said he was sorry; he shook Cole’s hand then said Go Heat Bitch and gave him the Rock Bottom to a big pop and then the People’s Elbow. We then had Mr 305 Pitbull come out to sing for the rock with the Miami Heat cheerleaders. Long opening segment, I am expecting a lot of the Rock tonight, not that this is a bad thing.

Next up we what was supposed to be R truth vs. John Morrison, but as Morrison made his entrance, Truth attacked him from behind hitting Paydirt first on the outside of the ring then on the ramp. Morrison sold an Arm/neck injury. Truth is drawing a lot of heat; his heel turn has been very well done. Jim Ross is now at ringside announcing, the best in the business still.

Throughout the night they had Celebrities say happy birthday to the Rock. I didn’t recognise many of them being British an all and not watching American TV. Some I knew like Steve Carrell and Samuel L Jackson.

Next up another non match between Kelly Kelly and Maryse. They had barely got started when Kharma’s music hit and again she came down very slowly. Kelly looking frozen with fear and maryse down after selling a bulldog for what felt like an eternity. Kharma looked as if she was going to attack Kelly but turned around and went after Maryse, hitting the Implant buster. She stared at Kelly then just turned and went back up the ramp, Kelly still shitting herself. I like how they are building Kharma so far. I imagine she will be a face judging on who she has gone after so far.

Next were a couple of backstage segments sandwiched between commercials. First it was The Miz complaining to Alex Riley that he didn’t help last night at extreme rules and that he was late. Miz said he would win his rematch later tonight and after that nobody would be talking about the Rock. The next was a backstage skit with the Rock. Kozlov said he had a movie script so out come Santino as Vin Diesel, Hornswoggle as The Scorpion King and Khali as the Tooth Fairy. Not even the Rock could save this segment. Rock said he knew the perfect person to describe it. Out came Ron Simmons with a DAMN.

We are now at the hour mark and we are about to get our first proper match.

John Cena Beat The Miz via Disqualification. This was a good match, a lot better than I expected it to be. It went about 13 minutes when the Miz hit Cena with the title belt while Alex Riley had the Ref distracted and got the count of 3. The ref then saw that the title belt and reversed his decision, awarding the match to Cena via Disqualification. As I said it was a good match for free TV, Miz had kicked out of an Attitude Adjustment and Cena out of the Skull Crushing Finale. Match Rating 6.5/10

I have to give props to the Miz. He has had two very good matches in two days; he took some big bumps at Extreme Rules and still put on a performance like that the next day. My hat is off to you Miz. I expect him to get another shot at Over the Limit.

After the match Super Cena no sold everything and gave Miz and Riley an AA. I hate how he is booked to do that.

They then showed footage of Cena announcing to the crowd at Extreme Rules that Bin Laden had been taken down, the crowd went nuts.

Next we had Alberto Del Rio come out to announce on the next match which would feature new Raw draftee’s.

Rey Mysterio & Kofi Kingston beat Drew McIntyre & Jack Swagger via pinfall after Mysterio pinned McIntyre. Decent TV tag match, Mysterio got the hot tag and hit the 619 and his splash for the victory after about 7 minutes. After the match Del Rio tried to get to Mysterio but Rey dropkicked him off the apron. Del Rio talked on commentary about he should be the only Mexican on Raw, so I imagine that these two will feud again. Match rating 3/10

Next we had a promo video of an Anti Bullying Campaign featuring Triple H, Stephanie and some celebrities talking about the new movie starring Randy Orton.

After Commercial we had another backstage segment from the Rock’s Birthday Party. Firstly he congratulated Christian on his World Title Win (sigh). Then we got Vickie and Dolph present Rock with a huge Cake that Mae Young came out of (remember when she gave birth to a hand after being in a relationship with Mark Henry – great stuff that Vince!). Vickie and Dolph laughed at Mae. Rock told Vickie no matter how much weight you lose she will never be as beautiful as Mae and told Dolph he gets me pie in one night that Dolph does in a lifetime. I bet I get more pie than the rock, although that is actual pie. He then turned around and bumped into Cena. Cena said he had a present, the WWE title and he would keep it until Mania so that the biggest match of all time just got bigger. Rock Said Just Bring It.

Next up we got another non match that I’m not gonna rate. It was Kane Vs Mason Ryan. Ryan was accompanied to the ring by Punk. Ryan showed his power by throwing Kane around the ring, Punk interfered and Kane went to chokeslam Ryan but he powered out and hit his modified Rock Bottom finisher and the rest of the nexus came down to put the boots to Kane. Out came Big Show, who took out Mcgillicuty, Otunga and Punk, Ryan hit a huge spear on Show that took him out. Ryan was seething and Punk tried to calm him down but he just walked up the ramp ignoring Punk with the rest of the nexus guys looking on in awe. I guess they are trying to build Ryan for a push, he does have a great look but I don’t think he is the best in ring yet.

Next after commercial we got the Rock again out to the ring. He wanted to thank everyone for coming including his family who they showed at ringside. He promised that next year’s Wrestlemania in Miami would be the best Mania of all time. We then got Vince McMahon on the ramp. He thanked the Rock for all he has done including coming to him years ago and asking for an opportunity to grab the brass ring and taking it to heights never before seen. He thanked him for just being the Rock. They then showed another video package highlighting the rocks life and career which was extremely well done that had the Rock choking up. Then we had the singer Mya sing happy birthday to the Rock. He closed the show thanking everyone for a great night and balloons streamers came down and pyro’s went off as the Rock’s music played.

I thought that this was a good Raw. In terms of wrestling matches there wasn’t much although Cena and Miz put on a good one. Besides we were spoiled for good matches on Extreme Rules. A good Raw in my opinion is one that keeps my attention all the way through and this did that. I am also pleased that the Rock had this night, he certainly deserves it.

As always I welcome any feedback you may have so get involved. Follow me on:

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Keep checking back to this Blog for more from me in the next week.

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JM

JM's World: Extreme Rules Review

Hello World,

This is a brief look back and review of Extreme Rules. I would have liked to write a longer piece but I am very busy at present. I am on the verge of starting a new job and am in the process of moving house. Let’s get to it.

The Announcers are Josh Matthews, Booker T and Jerry Lawler. This made me think that Cole would be winning in the match later and then doing commentary as that’s how it’s normally booked.

Randy Orton Beat CM Punk after being the last man standing. I thought this was the best match these two have had and a fitting way to end the feud. I did predict that Punk wins here but it makes sense for Orton to get the victory going to Smackdown. The Finish has Orton RKOing Punk from the top rope. The match went around 20 Minutes and was an excellent back and forth match. Match Rating 7.5/10.

Next was Teddy Long telling Sheamus he had to defend the US title tonight versus Kofi Kingston in a tables match. Predictable outcome as soon as this was announced.

Kofi Kingston Beat Sheamus to win the US Title after putting Sheamus through a table. This was a decent 9 minute match that saw Kofi hit the boom drop from the top rope to Sheamus, who was on a table on the outside. Good finish to the match. This made sense to bring the US Title back to Raw. Match Rating 4.5/10

Next saw Todd Grisham interviewing R Truth. Again it was a good promo from Truth. His heel turn is the best thing that could have happened to his character.

Michael Cole & Jack Swagger beat Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross after Cole pinned JR in a country whippin match. Not a good match but I didn’t expect it to be. This feud needs to end!!!! Turned out JR worked with a broken hand so props to him for that, but he doesn’t need to be in the ring, get him back on announce permanently please. Cole pinned JR with a role up. Match Rating 0.5/10

Cena was interviewed next saying he hasn’t held the WWE title for nearly a year and the champ would be here after tonight.

Rey Mysterio Beat Cody Rhodes via pinfall in a falls count anywhere match. Again it was a good match, but not as good as I thought it could be. They basically brawled all around the arena yet the finish was predictably in the middle of the ring. Rey hit the 619 and his splash for the victory. I don’t understand why Rey wins this feud, he didn’t need to, yet a win for Cody Rhodes could only have helped him. The match got around 13 minutes. Match Rating 5.5/10

So far I am 0 for 3 on my predictions I made on my Preview! Before the next match Layla apologised to the some of the diva’s if she has ever done anything to hurt them. Kelly wished her luck saying they disliked McTaker more than her.

Layla Beat Michelle McCool by pinfall in a no DQ loser leaves WWE match. Rumours had McCool taking time off so this was on obvious result. It was an ok diva’s match. Layla is my favourite Diva looks wise so it’s always worth watching a match with her in it. The finish saw McTaker hit the styles clash which layla counted the pin and got the 3. She played it like she was happy she won yet sad that McCool would have to leave. Match Rating 2/10

After the match McCool was upset in the ring when Kharma (Kong) made her debut. She walked slowly to the ring and hit the implant buster on McCool. All the time laughing hysterically then suddenly looking serious. It seems they are going for a bit of a psycho character for her. I like how she was presented.

Christian beat Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Yes!! A superb match that went over 20 minutes. Both guys impressed me in this match. Christian because he always impresses me and Del Rio impressed me for his in ring skill and bump taking. There were some top spots in this match. Del Rio coming off the top through a ladder to the outside was crazy; I didn’t think he would take bumps like that. The finish saw Christian distracted by Brodus Clay (who got proper busted wide open) and as Del Rio was climbing the ladder Edge came out in a 4x4 sounding his horn. This distracted Del Rio who was thrown from the ladder to the outside. Christian then climbed the ladder and unhooked the belt to become the new World Heavyweight Champion much to Edge’s delight. You could see how much this meant to Christian winning the title finally after all these years. I don’t think there is a current WWE superstar who deserves this as much as Christian. Match Rating 8.5/10

This match should have been the Main Event in my opinion as it is tough to follow.

The Big Red Show (see what I did there) beat Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson via pinfall in a Lumberjack match for the Tag Team Titles. I don’t think this match was announced before hand or if it was I don’t recall it. This was a like a TV match that went around 5/6 mins. The lumberjacks were the WWE Job Squad. Show pinned Barrett after a choke slam. Barrett had tagged himself in after Zeke had cleaned house. There was tension between the Corre at the end of the match. I don’t get the way the corre and the nexus are booked. You want us to think they are dominant groups? Let them win matches occasionally! Match rating 2/10

Next we have the main event.

John Cena Beat The Miz and John Morrison in a steal cage match via pinfall to become the new WWE Champion. This was a good match with JoMo doing his usual high flying risk taking moves inc Starship Pain from the top of the cage. The Miz also took some big bumps including a double suplex from the top rope where he landed on his neck. The finish saw Cena Hit the Attitude Adjustment on Miz from the top rope and get the 3. Truth had earlier come down and attacked Morrison so he was out. This again went around 20 minutes. I was hoping the Miz would keep the title a while longer but hey ho super Cena strikes again. It wouldn’t surprise me if he kept it until Wrestlemania next year. Match rating 7/10.

Overall I enjoyed this PPV. I went 2/6 in my predictions and some of the results did surprise me. Christian winning his first Major title was obviously the highlight as it was so thoroughly deserved. I have read Smackdown spoilers and I won’t spoil anything for the rest of you but Damn. Kingston winning made sense and we can hardly be surprised that Cena won can we. Some good wrestling (yes I dare) matches on this show and I hope that continues going forward. The Christian Del Rio match was one of the best of the year.

As always I appreciate any feedback or comments whether positive or negative, get involved.

Email: johnmeode@live.co.uk

Twitter: @mrjohnmeode

Facebook.com/johnmeode

I’ll be back later with Raw is Johnmeode.

TTFN

JM

JM's World: WWE Extreme Rules Preview

Hello World,

Welcome to my Preview of the WWE extreme rules PPV this Sunday 1^st May. I will run through the matches and give my predictions on what I think may happen. As this is Extreme Rules, all matches will have no disqualifications. So far there are 6 matches announced plus another one rumoured (Sheamus Vs Kofi Kingston – US Title) however, I’ll just preview the confirmed matches. Let’s get straight to it.

Rey Mysterio Vs Cody Rhodes (Falls Count Anywhere Match)

I expect this match to open the show. These two have had some decent matches so far and like Wrestlemania, they have the potential to steal the show, I doubt they will get the time though. I think this feud ends tonight as Rey will now be on Raw and I think Cody is in line for a main event push, perhaps feuding with Randy Orton. I pick Cody to win here it makes more sense that way, he is on the way up and it doesn’t hurt Rey to lose this Feud. My Pick Cody Rhodes.

Michelle McTaker Vs Layla (No DQ, No Countout, Loser Leaves WWE Match)

Again it’s a Diva’s match not featuring any of the top talent the WWE have at their disposal, I’d love to see a Beth/Natalya feud, Wake up Writers! This feud has had quite a quick build and if rumours are true, Michelle McCool is leaving the WWE. Therefore I can only predict one winner here. Layla wins and the rest of the diva’s come out to wave off McTaker. Not sure what the future holds for Layla, she isn’t the best technically (getting better though), however is Smoking Hot (The best looking Diva in my opinion), she should be ok. My Pick Layla.

Jerry Lawler & Jim Ross Vs Michael Cole & Jack Swagger (Country Whippin Match)

I am very bored of this feud; I’m hoping it ends here. Vince probably believes this feud is gold. I’ll give Cole his due, he has garnered a lot of heat during this run. I predict that this will be a quick match (JR has in injured hand) with Swagger and Lawler doing most of the work. I think Swagger Turns face here (well that’s how Id book it). He turns on Cole, allowing Lawler and JR to put the beat down with the whips on Cole. I think Cole will stay as heel but will tone it down a few notches. It would also be nice if he stuck to Smackdown and they got JR back on Raw permanently (I can hope can’t I). My Pick Lawler & Ross.

Randy Orton Vs CM Punk (Last Man Standing Match)

This is another match that has show-stealing potential and is another one where the feud finishes tonight. I think Randy will go on to Feud with Cody Rhodes, where as Punk and the Nexus goes after The Miz and the Title. I imagine they will get decent time and lots of 8 & 9 counts. I actually think Punk wins here and the finish will have Punk keeping Orton down for the Ten by tying him down or something silly like that. I have enjoyed this feud, however I think it could have been better. My Pick CM Punk.

Christian Vs Alberto Del Rio (Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Championship)

I am looking forward to this match more than any other, it could be a classic. They are fighting over the title vacated after Edge retired. Christian is a veteran of the ladder match and I’m hoping for him to pull out all the stops. Del Rio is a good worker too but I’m going for a Christian win. It makes sense as Del Rio is now on Raw, that doesn’t stop the WWE finding some way to have both titles on one show for a while though. I think after many near attempts at grabbing the belt, he finally does it and maybe Edge comes out to raise his hand. Nobody deserves to be a world champ more than Christian in my opinion. I hate to say it but I see Christian/Mark Henry feud on the horizon however! My Pick Christian.

John Cena Vs John Morrison Vs The Miz (champ) (Triple Threat Steal Cage Match for the WWE Championship)

This has the potential to be a good match; I think it would be a better match if there was only one way to win. I’d have it that you had to escape the cage and not by using the door. I think Miz wins here by pinning John Morrison after R truth somehow gets his self involved and attacks Morrison. I imagine they will have him pin Morrison just as Cena is escaping the cage. Can’t have Cena lose clean (god forbid!). I think Cena will Feud with Alberto del Rio, Miz with Punk and Morrison continues with R Truth going forward. My Pick The Miz

I am looking forward to this PPV, mainly because I think we get to see Christian crowned World Champion. I think a lot of feuds end tonight either because they have dragged on too long or because of the draft. Well that’s at least what I’m hoping for! Also a Chris Jericho return would go down well, I’d be surprised if that happens so soon after DWTS though.

I’ll be back on Monday or Tuesday with my review of the PPV and Tuesday or Wednesday for Raw is Johnmeode. Enjoy your Weekend people.

As always I welcome your thoughts and Feedback, what are your predictions?

Contact me on

Email; johnmeode@live.co.uk

Twitter; @mrjohnmeode

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JM

JM's World Opinion: The WWE Draft

Hello World,

The WWE held its supplemental draft yesterday and I will cover what happened and my take on how it will affect the brands going forward.

First who moved where?

To Raw; Rey Mysterio, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio (all drafted during Raw) Chris Masters, Curt Hawkins, Drew McIntyre, Jack Swagger, JTG, Kofi Kingston, Tyler Reks, Beth Phoenix and Kelly Kelly.

To Smackdown; Randy Orton, Mark Henry, Sin Cara (all drafted during Raw) Alex Riley, Daniel Bryan, Jimmy & Jey Uso, The Great Khali & Ranjin Singh, Sheamus, Ted DiBiase, Tyson Kidd, Yoshi Tatsu, William Regal, Alicia Fox, Natalya and Tamina.

So Smackdown got 17 new Superstars and Diva’s and Raw got 12. That’s probably about right as Raw was stacked where as Smackdown needed a few extra bodies as their roster was on the thin side. Now let’s weigh up who were the big winners here and what we can expect going forward.

Firstly on Raw, in my opinion the top 5 babyfaces now are; John Cena, John Morrison, Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston and Big Show. That is assuming that Triple H doesn’t come back regularly. The top 5 heels are; The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, R Truth and Jack Swagger. There is not a good balance there, the Heels are loaded with top talent while other than Cena, the face side is weak. They need a top heel to turn face in my opinion, and I believe it needs to be Swagger or Miz. I think Swagger would make a good fit; he could turn on Cole to a huge pop helping a fellow Oklahoman in the process. I think a gimmick similar to Kurt Angle’s Face run would work. He could have good matches with the likes of Alberto Del Rio; perhaps a whole “America against Mexico” thing could work for them and would get Swagger over. Another guy who could move up the card as a face I believe is Zack Ryder, I’m not saying he will be a main event level talent yet but he is already over with Internet fans and there are more and more signs in the crowd relating to Ryder. Push him already Woo Woo Woo You Know It.

As for Smackdown, I believe the top 5 faces are; Randy Orton, Christian, Sin Cara, Kane and Daniel Bryan. Again assuming The Undertaker doesn’t wrestle regularly. The top 5 heels are; Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Sheamus, Mark Henry and Ezekiel Jackson. The heel side of Smackdown is very weak in my opinion, although there are a lot of guys with potential to be a top heel, like Cody, Barrett and Ted DiBiase. I think that Cody will be elevated to the main event pretty quickly and we know that Sheamus can headline PPV’s. There are a lot of potentially very good superstars on Smackdown and it will be interesting how they progress. I’m hoping for a Daniel Bryan push as well as a Justin Gabriel one, as I believe these two have masses of potential and could have some superb matches, maybe over the Intercontinental Title. Speaking of which, I’m interested in seeing how they go about having both the Intercontinental and US titles on the same show. I’m assuming that they either merge the two or find a way to get one back on Raw, as having them both on one show doesn’t make much sense.

As for the draft, I felt some of it made sense other parts didn’t. For example, moving Drew McIntyre to Raw is a mistake, he has the potential to be a main event heel and would have had more chance of that on Smackdown. Instead he is not even in the top 5 heels on Raw in my opinion. Moving Randy Orton to Smackdown made lots of sense, they were missing that top babyface since Edge retired and I believe that Orton is the right guy for the job.

All in all I don’t believe there is a big winner here, however Smackdown needed a new top face and got one. And Raw got stacked with top Heels. Over the next few weeks and months I am expecting pushes for some of the mid-card talent to try and get to the main event level. It could be exciting times in the WWE. Well let’s hope so at least.

I’ll be back later in the week with a preview to Extreme Rules.

As always I welcome all feedback on my writing whether positive or negative so get involved.

Follow me on;

Twitter @mrjohnmeode

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JM

Raw Is JohnMeode 25/04/11

Hello World,

Welcome to Raw Is Johnmeode.

This week Raw is brought to you from Raleigh, North Carolina. The announcers are Josh Matthews, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler. This week it is the annual WWE Draft, where we will have matches between Raw and Smackdown superstars, with the winners getting draft picks for their respective brands.

First off we jump straight in to a huge battle royal to determine the first draft pick, the superstars are all wearing T-shirts representing their brands colours. I’m not sure just how many superstars started the match but it is fast paced as usual in these battle royals.

Team Smackdown won with Big Show and Kofi Kingston last men standing. The final four guys were Big Show and Kofi from Smackdown and Mason Ryan and Evan Bourne from Raw. Some great athleticism from Kofi and Evan during this match, id say they were the stand out performers during the Battle royal. Big show Eliminated Mason Ryan last to win the match for Smackdown after 13 minutes. Match Rating 4/10

It was a decent TV Battle Royal, with mainly mid-carders appearing. And the first draft Pick is................. John Cena to Smackdown. Wow, I’m quite surprised by this, Raw is the number one brand and it doesn’t make much sense to have Cena on Smackdown. They showed the reaction from the locker room with the raw guys looking lost, which I found quite funny.

Next Cena was interviewed by Todd Grisham and claimed it was the biggest draft pick in WWE history, Miz showed up and said after Extreme Rules, his catchphrase was right as he wouldn’t see him.

Next they recapped R Truth’s Heel turn from last week and he was introduced to cut a promo from the stage. His promo basically blamed the WWE Universe for wanting him to accept JoMo’s challenge last week. He said from now on he is fighting for himself and after the beat down on Morrison the Truth has set him free. Morrison then came down and attacked Truth from behind until the referees broke it up. I am assuming that these two will feud and that Truth will cost Morrison in the title match at Extreme Rules.  I thought this was the best promo I have heard Truth cut. He drew heat and it felt more natural to what he did last week as a face. I am really looking to see how this develops.

After commercial they showed another Kong vignette, confirming her name as Kharma. We then had a diva’s match for one draft pick. It was Layla vs Eve, before the match they replayed the counselling session from Smackdown where Michelle McTaker attacked Layla.

Eve Torres Pinned Layla with a roll up after around a minute in what cannot really be described as a match. Layla was distracted by McTaker at ringside. Michael Cole interrupted during the match to talk about how he was going to the back to warm up and how he would beat JR in a match later. After the match Layla attacked Mctaker at ringside including throwing her over the announce table. Layla was crying during the beatdown. At the moment the diva division sucks soooo bad, they have some very talented diva‘s and they don’t utilise them. I don’t get it. Match Rating 0.5/10

The second Draft pick is....................... Rey Mysterio to Raw. I’m now assuming that Sin Cara gets drafted to Smackdown either tonight or during the supplemental draft as it doesn’t make much sense to have them both on the same show just yet. I also noticed that Cena’s face is shown as a possible mover to Raw. Hmmm

Cody Rhodes is interviewed next and cut a good promo about how he will give Mysterio a going away present from smackdown at ER, a new mask, as he will need surgery after their falls count anywhere match. I expect Cody to be moved up the card after Extreme Rules, a feud with Christian would be good.

Next up we have Kofi Vs. Sheamus for one draft pick, these two were both in the battle royal earlier.

Kofi Pinned Sheamus after hitting Trouble in Paradise after barely 3 minutes. Kofi has been booked strong tonight. This was on ok match, typical TV match if you like, but 3 minutes?? Come on. I don’t expect much quality or quantity in terms of actual wrestling tonight. Match rating 2.5/10

The third draft pick is..................... Randy Orton to Smackdown. This one makes sense way more than moving Cena. Randy is more than capable of being the top babyface on Smackdown. They showed the locker room reaction again and Santino’s face is brilliant, almost like he is going to break down at the news.

Next up is Michael Cole vs. Jim Ross. I am getting very bored of this feud. I’m praying it ends at extreme rules.

JR beat Michael Cole via disqualification. Again this wasn’t really a match, more just an angle that went on for about ten minutes. Around ten minutes too long. JR bloodied Cole’s lip and in the process cut his own hand (I believe he legit injured it). Swagger interfered and Cole started hitting JR with his belt until Jerry made the save, taking out Swagger and Cole. The ARGM (anonymous Raw General Manager) piped in to say this match will now be a tag team country whipping match at ER. Match Rating 1/10

Next up the Miz was interviewed saying nobody’s talking about him, they are talking about the draft and The Rock’s birthday bash on Raw next week. He said WWE and USA management better pray that he doesn’t get drafted tonight or within a month Raw will be cancelled.

After commercial we get Randy Orton (now representing Smackdown) vs. The new look Dolph Ziggler for two draft picks.

Randy Orton Pinned Dolph Ziggler after hitting the RKO in around 4 minutes. Decent back and forth TV Match. What’s happened to Dolph, he seemed to be getting a decent push and it’s like he has just been forgotten. Match Rating 3/10

Before we get the next two draft picks, CM Punk comes out to cut a promo about how he will destroy Orton with a variety of weapons. Orton answers by saying that punk won’t be rambling on anymore after ER as he will be in a permanent unconscious sleep. Good promo by both guys as usual. I’m sure Randy will be the top guy on Smackdown, as they will find away to get Cena back on Raw. He will probably get drafted back at some point tonight or traded back in the next couple of weeks.

And the next draft picks are...................... Mark Henry to Smackdown and Sin Cara to Smackdown. Sin Cara makes sense as I mentioned earlier, and Henry, unless they are gonna push him again (which I doubt) will probably do the same job on smackdown as he does on raw; Jobs to top talent.

Next up another match worth two draft picks as Wade Barrett goes up against Rey Mysterio (now representing Raw).

Rey Pinned Barrett after hitting the 619 and splash after barely 3 minutes. Way to book the Intercontinental Champ! This was very predictable though as smackdown has already had 4 picks and Raw just the 1. I wish the matches would get more time, though I understand they are concentrating on the draft rather than quality matches. Match Rating 2/10

And the next draft picks are........................ Big Show to Raw and Alberto Del Rio to Raw. Again unless they push the Big show he will prob just be there to make the top guys look good. And Alberto is a good choice, though this makes me think Christian will win on Sunday. At the moment Raw has 3 top heels in Punk, Miz and Del Rio and no top babyfaces unless you count Morrison and Mysterio, which I don’t.

Next up they ran through the card for extreme rules, ill preview that later in the week. We then got Teddy Long who announced the Main Event as The Miz, CM Punk and Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian, Mark Henry and John Cena for the last draft pick of the night. There will be the supplemental draft on WWE.com tomorrow. Why is Mark Henry in the main event, he doesn’t fit, unless he is getting that push I just said he wouldn’t get.

The Miz, CM Punk and Alberto Del Rio beat Christian, Mark Henry and John Cena after The Miz pinned John Cena after hitting the Skull Crushing Finale. Mark Henry turned heel during the match, he clotheslined Cena allowing Miz to hit his finisher. He then took out Christian by throwing him into the steps. It was a decent tag match with Christian taking the beating from the heels until he got the hot tag to Cena, the match went around 12 minutes with a commercial included. Match Rating 4/10

And the last draft pick of the night is........................ John Cena back to Raw. Wow that wasn’t at all obvious! Super Cena then completely no sold his beating just a moment ago and attacked all 3 heels and stood tall in the ring wearing his red Raw T-shirt.

This was an ok Raw; there was not a lot of in ring action as they were concentrating on the draft. The whole Cena being drafted between shows was pointless and it made the ending obvious. They mentioned Extreme Rules more than last week but still not as much as usual. It seems that they aren’t hopeful for big numbers on this PPV.

I’ll be back later in the week with an Extreme Rules Preview and may put up a post on the Supplemental draft, so keep checking back to JM’s world

TTFN

JM

JM's World Update

Hello World,

Hey guys just wanted to say sorry for the lack of posts in the last few days. I had to go out of town due to a family emergency. I recorded Raw last night so I’m gonna get to that this afternoon and write “Raw Is Johnmeode” later today and get that posted either later this evening or tomorrow. I will also be previewing Extreme Rules this week, as well as my first soccer post so keep checking this site as posts will be coming thick and fast!

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JM

JM's World Opinion: Why I think the WWE should bring back the Cruiserweight Championship

Hello world,

Welcome to the first “JM’s World Opinion”. I will do these opinion pieces regularly, although not at set intervals. I might do a couple or three in a week or I may not do any for a couple of weeks, depends on what’s happening and how busy I am.

Let’s get to it, and as you can see from the above title this piece is on the Cruiserweight Championship. Now I know that the cruiserweight belt was originally on WCW, where as the WWE had the light Heavyweight Championship, however I am now classing these as the same title, the Cruiserweight Championship, after these were merged back in 2001.

It is my opinion that this title should be brought back and here is why, and how I would do it:

Why? This title is a great starting point for the “smaller” wrestler. The likes of Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Christian and Matt Hardy all held this belt early in their careers and it brought them on as wrestlers in leaps and bounds. I remember a period in 97/98 in WCW when there were some very good matches between Jericho, Eddie and Rey Mysterio, 3 future Heavyweight Champions.

It gets these young guys with big potential to start realising that potential, it lets them work on their in ring skills, mic skills and gives them good airtime to try and get them over with the fans as performers. It also gives them the opportunity to really find their character, what works and what doesn’t work.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that if this title was brought back, some of the younger guys would immediately get over and go on to become legends. What I am saying is that it gives them an opportunity, an opportunity that I don’t believe they have at the moment.

I,  like most fans at the moment, don’t believe that they are utilising the US or Intercontinental titles at all well. These belts should also be used to get talent over, ready for a main event push. Personally I would merge the two belts and try and get a little bit of prestige back in to them. One idea would be to get a someone like a Chris Jericho go after the title, cutting promos on how prestigious the title is and how he has held the title more times than anyone. We all know he can have great matches with most guys and he could really put over some of the talent and the belt at the same time.

Back to the cruiserweight championship, here is how I would go about it bringing it back:

Originally the weight limit for this title has hovered between 215 and 220 pounds. I would set this at 225, which is just over 100 KG. On the current roster there are 14 Superstars that are 225lbs and under, these are; Chavo Guerrero, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Evan Bourne, Hornswoggle, John Morrison, Justin Gabriel, Kofi Kingston, Primo, Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara, Tyson Kidd, Yoshi Tatsu and Zack Ryder. I would also bring in to the mix Santino Marella and Trent Barretta, these guys are slightly over the weight limit, but hey it’s the WWE, they can mysteriously lose a few pounds.

That would make it 16 superstars; I think it is a great mix, some good young guys, some good mid carders, some comedic characters and some excellent veterans. Looking at these sixteen guys, there are some potentially superb matches here.

I would announce a 16 man tournament bringing back the Cruiserweight title, with the final to be held at the Over the Limit PPV at the end of May. The WWE could produce one of their excellent video packages highlighting all the great previous champions and how much the title means. I would have some of the more over guys, like Rey and Morrison cut promos about how bad they want to win the tournament. We could then start the tournament on Raw and Smackdown and give most of them 10 minute matches at least.

Now before I get ribbed, I said most of the matches to get time, I have no interest in watching Hornswoggle compete in a ten minute match, nor do I think do his own mum and dad for that matter, however for storylines sake let him compete in it, seeing how he was the last holder of the title (hurts my head just thinking about it). I would put him out in the first round to get a heel over, someone like Tyson Kidd.

I would book the winner to be someone like Justin Gabriel or Zack Ryder and have them beat Rey Mysterio clean in the final. That would add credibility to the belt and get the winner over as a genuine contender for bigger and better things. They could then defend the title against any of the 16 guys on a regular basis putting on some great matches is in the process. It would get a lot of these younger guys some good airtime, and the chance to perform on PPV’s. This can only help with talent development.

A lot of people complain now that the younger up and coming guys are not getting to that main event level and it’s the same guys at the top year after year. In my eyes there are two main reasons for this. Firstly, wrestlers used to have a lot more experience before they arrived in the WWE, they had perhaps been wrestling in local promotions and territories for a few years to hone their skills and personas. This meant that when they arrived on the big stage they were ready and in some cases were already known by the audience. These promotions and territories don’t exist as much as they used too, so unless they are a natural they find it hard to jump straight in to the big time. Secondly, the WWE builds stars up to fast at present. They see a talented guy and try to elevate him quickly and most of the time it doesn’t work. It would work better in my opinion if they had a slow build, use the Cruiserweight title, use the Intercontinental title, and use the Tag titles.

I’ll try and give you an example of what I’m talking about. Edge, whom is now regarded as a certain Hall of Famer (and rightly so) started his career in the WWE in 1998, he won his first WWE Heavyweight Championship in 2006. It took him 8 years to get there, I’m not saying that it should take all the superstars that long to reach the top, but when he got there he was more than ready. Sheamus on the over hand, debuted on ECW in June of 2009 and he won the WWE Heavyweight Championship in December of the same year. He had got to the same point that edge had got to in just 7 months. It was too fast and although he held the title again in 2010, his career has since gone backwards in the WWE. They are now trying to build him up again however.

Bringing back the Cruiserweight Belt would help slow build these guys, but not just the Cruiserweight title, the Intercontinental title and Tag Team Titles should be used better. I believe the point of these titles is to try and get talent over to the fans, at present they are just not doing that. The WWE like to freshen things up so are often bringing in new characters and getting rid of some, so I understand that what I am proposing is not going to work for everyone. However the WWE could let some future Gems go just because they don’t get the opportunity, bringing back the cruiserweight title is just one of these opportunities.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject or any other subject I write about and I welcome all feedback, whether positive or negative.

Contact me:

Mail: johnmeode@live.co.uk

Twitter: @mrjohnmeode

Facebook.com/johnmeode

Keep checking out JM’s world for more interesting pieces on the WWE and much more.

Thanks for reading

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JM