RKO’s Raw Review – July 6th

[Luke Flywalker]

Opening Segment – Guest Host Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase with Priceless, Edge & Jericho

MDM comes out with HIS Million Dollar Belt lookin’ badass as ever! Ted looks at home with his father, great to have Ted in the ring, good ovation. He starts off with his “everybody’s got a price†name. He said he wrote a check to run Raw tonight. Dude’s still great on the mic ! He reminds everyone of the greatness in the ring, talking about Priceless and their incredible potential. Crazy heat now. He’s been informed there are no title defenses before NOC, and says at NOC, Edge & Jericho will defend against Priceless. As for tonight, Cody says Mark Henry needs to be made to suffer. Henry vs. Cody Rhodes. Then tells Ted that he’s the future and Randy knows Ted is more valuable, and tonight he’ll have a match that’ll open eyes and change careers… Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase! HELLYES! Ted doesn’t want to face Randy, but MDM tells Ted he’s going to beat Randy. What the fuck is going on now? Then Edge comes out (isn’t he injured!?) He’s walking fine, Jericho at his side.

Segment Rating: ***
He said he wanted to make an impact, and I’ll be damned if he didn’t. Good announcements. Looking forward to these matches.



Edge & Chris Jericho vs. The Colons
Winner: Edge & Jericho

Edge and Carlito start it off, Carlito a bit more dominant. I don’t see a limp from Edge. Where did the reports come from? Then Edge hit a huge big boot with nearfall, walking and standing fine. Tags in Jericho who amps the intensity. Tags Edge back in, doubleteam, Carlito fighting back. Edge with a drop-toe-hold. Dirty doubleteam. They’re cutting the ring in half real well, working with some quick tags. Chinlock by Jericho. Carlito fighting back. Springboard elbow. Both tag out. Primo using his speed, cross body springboard. He goes for another springboard and Edge shoves him guillotined on the ropes, ties him, then goes for a spear and bumps Carlito. Rollup, nearfall, Carlito getting kicked out. Jericho with Codebreaker on Primo followed up by a Spear and pin.

Match Rating: **
Some good action, nothing wowing of it. Carlito attacks Primo (way to ruin the tag division). He’s brutalizing Primo. Back to the match, I didn’t notice any signs of injury.



Backstage Segment – Legacy

Randy asks Ted what he’s gonna do, and Ted says he doesn’t know what to do. Randy tells him to lay down and Ted asks if he thinks he can’t beat him. He says MDM >>> Cowboy, and then says he’s going to face and beat Randy.

Segment Rating: **½
Got it’s point across, but I really don’t want to see Ted go face, or separate from Legacy. This faction is too young with too much potential to be split already . But Ted is looking like he’s ready to break out Dillinger-style.



Divas Tag – Alicia Fox & Maryse vs. Mickie James & Gail Kim
Winner: Mickie James & Gail Kim

Mickie and Maryse start off, Maryse trying her hardest to stay away. Mickie with a hot cartwheel reversal attempt. Alicia in, Mickie is dominating, then knocks Maryse out and hits a dropkick on Alicia. Kim in with a bit of a pop. She’s dominating Fox with some great in-ring moves and a sick seated guillotine somethin’-or-other. Maryse with a cheapshot on Gail. Nearfall. Maryse in, controlling the match. Nice backbreaker. Knocks out Mickie before the tag. Gail with a sick move, not sure what it’s called, but, it was awesome. Gail pins Maryse.

Match Rating: **½
This might have been the best Diva’s match in months. Definitely worth watching.



Backstage Segment – Million Dollar Man & Cody Rhodes

Cody comes in trying to bribe MDM to take him out of fighting Mark Henry. MDM tells him it’s not enough money and tells Cody that he despises The American Dream and tells Cody he’s got no choice but the face Mark Henry. Then Cody leaves… and MDM escapes a couple hundred dollars richer, hahahahaha!

Segment Rating: **
Man it’s great having MDM on. But I didn’t expect him to play this role. This is shocking. But a good shocking. Kinda upset that it looks like it might lead to the breakup of Legacy… but at the same time, I can’t judge until we have the final product here tonight. Something tells me the Legend might be in for a surprise .



Cody Rhodes vs. Mark Henry
Winner: Mark Henry via Countout

Cody comes out with the Legacy theme (still before the group together!). Mark Henry comes out with a pretty big pop! Henry dominating as expected. Powerful, but kinda active. Rhodes with a reversal, cross body attempt, caught for World’s Strongest Slam (that might have been one of the most powerful ever). Cody is leaving with major heat. Mark is pissed off.

Match Rating: *½
I gotta give it a little bit because people are taking to Mark Henry in a surprising fashion and he’s getting some pretty good support from the crowd. I like seeing him as a face that’s not involved in some sex-story with a 9327 year old woman.



Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase
Winner: Randy Orton

Ted looks pissed, Orton looks like he’s looking at a man who is ready to grow but still needs to be taught a lesson. Intense staredown, and they go at it. Orton looking more experienced and schooling Ted early on. Good counters. Orton mushes Ted, who drops him with a right. Ted getting the better of Randy. Ted is aggressive, and looking intense. Orton looks like he’s ready to take Ted a bit more serious. *Commercial * Come back and Orton is in control with a chinlock. They show him slamming Ted into the steps during the break. Orton picking Ted apart with strikes and stomps. Misses the kneedrop, rollup, nearfall. Small package, nearfall. Orton with a brutal clothesline. Orton kicks then pulls Ted through the ropes for the elevated DDT, and drops Ted hard. Ted kicks out, and again. Orton mounted punching. He’s pissed. Hits the knee this time. Another pin attempt and kickout. Orton with another chinlock, back body drop out of it. Fighting back. Diving elbow from second rope. Nearfall. Huge rights by Ted. Orton with the backbreaker, sick! Stalking... reversal to backslide. Orton with kick, Ted with powerslam. Nearfall! SHIT! Match is getting intense. Ted going for Dream Street, awesome counter… then an ABSOLUTELY SICK RKO. Pin. Orton looks IMPRESSED by DiBiase, and I’m very impressed. Orton looks like he’s happy and tips is hat to Ted.

Match Rating: ***½
I’m glad they went through with it, and though the match was slow and methodical at times… that’s what these two are. Very good display, especially when they picked up the pace. They went a bit further than typical with each other, some of the strikes were pretty solid, and a lot of high-impact. Ted’s great fighting main eventers, and the Legacy storyline is going to be exciting if Ted stays with, especially with Orton looking like he’s going to give Ted respect and the freedom to make his own decisions.



VIP Lounge – MVP (obviously) & Jack Swagger

MVP asks him to sit and he says he’s good standing. MVP asks him what it felt like to make his debut, and Jack cuts him off, and MVP cuts him back off. He asks how it felt to make his debut as a Raw superstar and expose himself as a fraud by getting counted out. Swagger plugs his credentials. Swagger calls MVP a con talking about his time behind bars, and says only thing he’s ever been MVP of is a prison basketball league, and says he’s the only MVP on Raw. MVP talks about is past and how he made bad decisions and got caught up and how he’s influential now. Swagger says he’s not a man. MVP gets his shirt off and Swagger asks him “whatchu doin’ dawg?†LOL. MVP says he’s never been afraid of a fight. Crowd chantin’ MVP like a muhfucka! Hellyeah! Swagger backin’ off, and says he doesn’t fight criminals. MVP says Swagger doesn’t fight at all, and says if he wants to be a man, he can find him whenever.

Segment Rating: **
This should be a good feud. Swagger played a bit of a bitch, he’s still got to work on his mic skills. But I like that it got a bit personal to add some intensity. I’d like to see this matchup happen, really anticipating it.



Backstage – DiBiases

Ted says he was set up to lose and how MDM stole the spotlight and this is his time. Then Ted slaps him! HOLY SHIT! MDM looks upset.

Segment Rating: ***
I had to give it an extra star for the strength of that fuckin’ slap. Ted is conflicted (this is good for his character because he can still be molded by Randy, and stays faithful to him, but is still given his opportunity to craft himself at the same time, if WWE’s smart, that is). Really like that they’re defining his character now.



Kofi Kingston vs. Evan Bourne
Winner: Evan Bourne

Evan with the early advantage and good leaping by Kofi. Couple of rollups. Backslide by Bourne. Attempts an enziguiri and Kofi ducks, and locks in a Half Boston Crab, rope break. Couple reversals. More chain wrestling. Kingston with Cross Body off 2nd turnbuckle and dropkick and big splash. Bourne blocks second attempt with high knee, then hits Air Bourne for the win.

Match Rating: **½
A lot of action, really fast-paced, good mat wrestling and chain wrestling. Big Show coming out. Show kicks Kofi and starts beating him down, then tosses Bourne with one arm. Bourne dropkick then choke toss. Continues beating Kofi down and spears Bourne to Hell lmfao! Now punching Kofi. Then locks in the Camel Clutch. This one bumps the rating up a ½*.



NOC Tournament Finals – Triple H vs. John Cena
Winner: Double Disqualification

Staredown. Cena gets booed. Is tonight hip-toss to headscissors to nip up night? Every match has started this way, or had it. Another staredown, and lockup, and the same. Triple H with some big punches, Cena fighting back. Shoulder block by Cena. High Knee by Trips. Cena tosses Trips to corner and flips outside. Triple H reverses AA by shoving Cena into post. *Commercial* Back and Triple H dominating, Cena comes back with hip toss and his Fisherman Suplex. Backbreaker by Triple H, and again. Nearfall on Cena. Snap suplex by Triple H. Big elbow working Cena’s back, pushing him off the ropes and forearm to lower back. Right hands to Cena, followed by a knee drop with a nearfall. More right hands, Cena fighting back again. Going back and forth. Cena working, Triple H with a knee. Moves of Doom. 5 Knuckle Shuffle. Goes for AA, Triple H punches his way out. Running Knee Hook, Cena big boot in corner, runs out to Arn Anderson Spinebuster. Pedigree attempt, back body drop reversal. Triple H locks in a sleeper hold. Cena down, getting up, breaks out. Locks in sleeper of his own. Trips down to a knee, back up, back out. Getting up, steroids flowing. Backdrop out. Cena up before 10 count. Exchanging punches playing to the pops and heat of the crowd. Triple H getting consecutive punches, Cena kicks, hits the ropes, Throwback. Goes up top, misses the super fameasser as Triple H steps back. Goes for Pedigree, Cena sweeps his legs, flip-through pin attempt. AA reverses into schoolboy. Cena locks in STF, rope break. Cena yanks him off, small package, nearfall. Another Pedigree attempt, reversed into slingshot in corner. AA, Trips holds ropes. Double clothesline. Priceless run out and jump ‘em both. Orton announces it’s a Double DQ, no winner… MDM comes out. He says neither man lost. He says at NOC, Orton defends in a triple threat against Triple H and Cena.

Match Rating: ***
Lost a star by not having a winner, very good match. But set up now to have someone to keep the match interesting with Triple H and Orton… throwing Cena in can help. Loved the match though. These guys really tried to one up each other and played to the crowd very well.



Segment of the Night: Opening Segment
Kicked the show off with a bang, and proved to be a very wise choice to play it out the way they did. MDM had a real good impact, and I’d hate to not see more of him in the future.

Match of the Night: Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase
The match displayed the potential for Ted, and showed us that he does have a future. It built a bit of character for him, and we saw a side of Orton we haven’t seen recently. A bit more aggressive, but in the end, showing pure respect to Ted and what he could be in the ring, and in the business itself.

Show Rating: ***½
I’m still being just a bit lenient, but even if I wasn’t, the show was good tonight, even the Divas. Still confused about Edge. Really enjoyed the Legacy storyline twists/development, and MDM still has it. Like I said, I’d like to see him more in the future. More wrestling oriented yet again (funny how they do this without a GM and with guest hosts, maybe better idea than we gave credit for).

 

[DENNIN]

I still refuse to believe "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase would ever play a face. Oh as for Edge this was taped before his injury. There are like two to three shows that they taped before he suffered his torn tendon. So until those shows air the WWE ain't going to announce his injury.

 

[The Rated R CMStar]

This entire week of shows was taped prior Edge got injured, so we still have 7 days of Rated R greatness before he has to be taken off.

 

[Soulpower]

This entire week of shows was taped prior Edge got injured, so we still have 7 days of Rated R greatness before he has to be taken off.

THIS!

Last night's RAW was taped on the same night as last week's show.

By the way, how could you not rate Cena vs HHH as a ********* Match? :shifty:

Gail with a sick move, not sure what it’s called, but, it was awesome.

Sole Food.

 

[Luke Flywalker]

Ahh, alright. I swore they said that ECW & SmackDown were taped last week. Alright... well... FUCK!

And cool @ name.

And because Cena and Triple H could have been better.

 

[Klide]

Thanks man no e reviews these aremsking me catch up for sure and ted vs orton match I'm pissed I missed it

 

[seX-Power]

Please don't bump again, I thought it was this week. >_>