We are one day removed from SummerSlam 2012!  Can WWE give us 6 entertaining hours of wrestling in slightly over 24 hours?  Lets find out!

This week we have the match times from our good friend Solace Winter!

The show opens as we should expect after last night’s events – with the beast monster, or whatever the hell they called him, Brock Lesnar coming to the ring.  Alongside Paul Heyman.  Brock’s new graphic includes all of Heyman’s online links.  Brock no Tweet?  Paul is glorious on the mic once again.  Mentions when he was an announcer for WWE and watched first hand as Triple H tore his quad and finished the match.  Excellent use of history.   Excellent use of not mentioning who else was in that match too.  COUGH*Benoit*COUGH.

Heyman cuts a great promo about Triple H being a quitter.  Fantastic job in putting over Brock but also gaining heel heat over Triple H.  Paul then brings out the referee of last night’s match, Scott Armstrong.  Scott tries to not shit his pants on the way down.  Brock slowly gets in his face and … just says “good job”.  That may have been creepier than if he actually did attack Armstrong.  Paul adds more titles to Brock Lesnar’s name than Kim Jong Il.  The King of Kings, the master of the Brock-tagon, the ruler of time and space, the greatest Pope in the Holy roman Empire, things like that.  Then they walk off, so who knows what the hell is coming next from the most powerful mind and body team in all of wrestling.

Brock Lesnar/Paul Heyman Segment – 10:52

Holy crap.  10 minutes to hype up someone who wont be on camera for months after this?  Seems like a huge waste of the first segment.  And I say that as someone who liked the segment.  Too long and in the wrong point of the show.

Poor CM Punk has to Tout to the Raw GM.  There should really be a suggestion box on the office door.

This is why we really want a tag team title change.  Kofi and Truth come out with the newest WWE product, Brawlin Buddies.  Its kind of like the old classic wrestling buddies, but these ones have sound chips in them.  No toys for Little Jimmy though.  “That was an absolute waste of Gatorade.”  We are not starting this show out well.

Kofi Kingston and R-Truth (WWE tag team champions) and Sin Cara vs. The Prime Time Players and Cody Rhodes.

Cody is having another mask feud?  Unless you’re wrestling in Mexico, one mask feud is enough in an American career.  I enjoy them sure, but there’s only so much that can be done.  And having one guy in that angle twice at least, can destroy characters.

Damn, PTP have gotten good.  No, WWE doesn’t always get it right.  But every guy has to be given a chance.  No one could have expected Darren Young and Titus O’Neil to gel like this.  They are great at cutting off the ring and wearing down an opponent.  They add little touches to their work.  Did you see Darren walk right over Truth before the double team?  Little things like this add so much to the team.  Its been awhile since we’ve seen a cocky team like this.

The two tag teams take each other out and this match becomes Sin Cara vs Cody.  Rhodes goes for the mask and that’s all it takes for Sin Cara to take advantage of his distracted opponent.  One flip later and Cody is pinned.

R-Truth & Kofi Kingston & Sin Cara vs. Cody Rhodes & Prime Time Players – 6:44

They got the job done and got over two stories in about 7 minutes.  I’ll call this match a win.

Matt Striker attempts to interview AJ, but the returning David Otunga… um… returns!  Otunga offers his legal knowledge for AJ.  David has lost his facial hair and loses his spot in the GM office but AJ tosses him a match tonight.  AJ approves a CM Punk hand picked opponent for tonight too.  This could be interesting.

Ryback is getting over his “feed me more” line enough to earn some expensive pyro.  He’s about to destroy two local enhancement talents.  “Ryback reads one to two books a month.”  That is not a large amount Michael Cole, especially for someone who lives his life on the road and in theory has nothing but time to read.  Ryback is about to destroy the two random guys when Jinder Mahal appears out of no where and attacks Ryback!  Jinder locks on a camel clutch but Ryback powers out.  Mahal runs away and Ryback takes out the two original opponents just for fun.

Ryback vs. Local Jobbers – 1:29

That is some fast food!  Because Ryback says feed me more.  Get it?  Ah, nevermind!

Dolph Ziggler looks like the show off but Chris Jericho looks like a young father who just woke up after not nearly enough sleep.  Jericho beat Ziggler last night and apparently beating a non champion is equal to winning the big one.  Even though Jericho has won, what, over twenty titles in WWE and double that for his career?  Anyways, AJ comes skipping through and makes a high stakes match.  If Jericho loses, he leaves WWE.  If Dolph loses, he also loses the Money in the Bank briefcase.  Interesting….

Alberto Del Rio comes out and complains about SummerSlam.  Del Rio had his foot on the rope, legitimate gripe even for a heel.  AJ comes out and informs us that she cant do anything about the World title match but hell Del Rio is here why not have some fun?

Alberto Del Rio vs. Randy Orton.

Sheamus comes down to sit with the announcers.  Its an average match but not too much of interest.  It has that feel of a match that isn’t taking place to actually wrestle, but one that is to set up something else.  So lets skip ahead.  Sheamus scares off Ricardo just as Del Rio is about to win the match.  Sheamus points out that Randy’s foot is on the ropes.  The count stops, Del Rio gets pissed, and that’s all it takes for Orton to sneak in an RKO for the pin.  Looks like Sheamus vs Del Rio again on the next PPV.  What is the next PPV?  Is it Night of Champions?

Alberto Del Rio vs. Randy Orton – 8:32

This is far from a compliment.  But I’ll say that the match didn’t feel like it took almost 9 minutes.  As someone who is not a fan of either man I feel this is praise of a sort.

 

The terribledactyls come out to dance.  Short shorts this week.  Someone got new ring gear!

Brodus Clay vs Damien Sandow.

Brodus controls much more of this match than expected.  Maybe the best way to do it.  Damien is going over for his skill and intelligence.  It would be wrong for him to show off any power.  At least not at this point.  Damien out smarts Brodus and gets a quick roll up plus hooks the tights.  He must have gotten the idea from Brodus’s theme music.  Pin Funky with a roll.  Okay, bad joke.  Brodus gets mad and beats up Sandow after the match.  Perfect gimmick.  Big guy, not the best wrestlers, just goes out there to have fun and win or lose is still over.

Brodus Clay vs. Damien Sandow – 2:44

I’ll watch Damien wrestle in much longer matches and enjoy the hell out of them when they come.  This is probably the extent of time for Clay though.

 

Ugh.  Shawn Michaels is live via satellite and talks about Triple H and Brock Lesnar and broken arms and all this crap.  This is overly long, under emotional and absolutely killing any momentum the show may have had.  This needs better editing or maybe to just not have happened.  Also, if Brock is part time and Hunter is part time and Shawn is retired why are we dedicating so much of Raw to this?

David Otunga vs. The Big Show.

Welcome back David!  Show didn’t have a good night last night, so it should be expected that he will be a bit more violent than usual tonight.  Is there really any question here?  Show destroys Otunga and then finally hits the knockout punch for the win.  Pretty quick match.

David Otunga vs. Big Show – 2:08

Wow I just cannot tell time.  I would have guessed this took a minute or less.

We then see the WWE.com exclusive video of Big Show after his title match at SummerSlam.  Not much more than a commercial for us to watch these extra videos on YouTube.

Kane and Zack Ryder vs Daniel Bryan and The Miz (IC champ).

Remember the friends and enemies tag team match from Survivor Series many many years back?  Man that was good.  This is reminding me of that.  Wrestlers who don’t get along, forced to team up.  The announcers even do something good and mention the history that Miz and Daniel Bryan have going back to NXT.  History!  Daniel and a fan exchanging Yes and No chants is something that just doesn’t happen on WWE TV.  Nice touch.

Some great storytelling in this match.  Tags take place or are avoided based on who else is around.  Kane only tags in because at that moment he hates Bryan more than Ryder.  Miz abandons his partner.  There are so many little touches and its a pretty fun match too.  Lot of good ring work.  Kane beats up a tech guy then turns his focus on his own tag team partner and Ryder gets a Tombstone.  The match has been pretty much thrown out due to the other team just abandoning ringside.  Fun match though.

Kane & Zack Ryder vs. Daniel Bryan & The Miz – 6:18

Only 6 minutes with all of these former champions in the ring?  Shocking how much they got done and accomplished in here.  While I would prefer longer matches it seems like 6-8 minutes is becoming a good amount of time.  Enough time to tell a story, get some people over, and yet still stay within TV time.

John Cena is interviewed and the interviewer seems to want Cena to admit that CM Punk is the best in the world.  Then there is a CM Punk promo in which he kisses AJ’s ass and says he’s beaten everyone in WWE.  Time killer.

Divas Battle Royal for the #1 Contender spot:

Sure, don’t have any of them on TV for so long that we forget there is a title or a Divas division.  Then lets just throw everyone out there at once.  Natalya and Tamina looked great.  Which really is to be expected.  Once the eliminations start they come fast.  Kaitlyn wins and absolutely every person seems shocked.  Like, she wasn’t supposed to win level of shock.  Best of luck to her at the “future date”.

Divas Battle Royal – 4:15

Four minutes is no where near enough time to help any of these women.  They all have good qualities and talents but are horribly misused.  If used at all.  Sure Kaitlyn got over in those four minutes, but it did nothing for anyone else in the match.

Another Barrett barrage commercial.  Still looking forward to his return, but I really want it to happen sooner than later.

Vickie Guerrero is freaking out on Dolph.  Vickie wants a world champion.  Vickie also apparently wants to wear the same top we all know and love from Weird Science.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho. Contract vs Contract.

All this match did was make me want to watch their SummerSlam match when they were given MUCH more time.  Its a three hour show, I want matches of length and quality.  Is that so wrong?  Anyways, for those of you who were shocked when Jericho won last night, tonight is your reason why.  Jericho gets a good PPV win and a nice way out. Dolph gets the win tonight and thus still looks strong.  Jericho leaves to tour and has a ready made feud for when he returns.  He may even have a feud with the world title on the line upon his return, should everything come up Ziggler.

Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler – 6:50

How long was last night’s match?  Had to be longer than this right?  This is on the bad end of that 6, 7, or 8 minute window I offered up earlier.  For some wrestlers it would have been fine.  However, for a multiple time world champion about to make his last appearance in awhile and for a soon to be world champion under 7 minutes is just not enough time.  They are main event level guys, they deserve some main event time.  Especially on a three hour show.  I feel I’m saying that each and every week but with constant recaps that are ultimately unnecessary more time should be given to the matches.

CM Punk and John Cena have an interesting exchange.  Punk says Cena can have the next title shot, if John says that CM Punk is the Best in the World.  John refuses to say that but goes after Punk’s ego as the best.   If he wants to be the best than he has to beat the best and he’s only avoiding that if he does not go up against Cena.  Actually good points.  Far too long of a promo though.  Cena needs to spice up his mic work.  There is a danger of it falling into A to B to C scripts.

Punk calls Jerry Lawler into the ring and demands to be called the Best.  Everyone taking Punk as a heel is still strange.  He is the champ and wants respect.  What is there to boo?  Well I guess that’s why Punk attacks the King.  To get him over as a heel.  Hey it worked so well for Tazz right?!  Punk kicks Lawler upside the head and I guess that makes him a full heel now.  Rather weak.  Also, why does no one come out to help King?  Maybe Punk is the Best in the World and they don’t want to mess with him?  Yeah, probably not that.

John Cena/CM Punk – Didn’t time this segment, as I write this, 20 minutes long

20 minutes for this?!  That’s the problem with Cena promos, and because its Cena then who ever is opposite him must have long winded promos as well.  It was a show book ended with promos and really while there was some good stuff said, neither made me want to buy Night of Champions or even guarantee I’ll tune in to Raw next week.