Raw April 14th

Jester252

The WWE Universe entered a new and exciting era last Monday night with debuting Superstars, returning icons and new titleholders basking in the afterglow of one of the greatest WrestleManias of all time. As the landscape of WWE undergoes a seismic shift — and The Shield continues to combat The Authority — what lies ahead this week in Birmingham, Ala.?


Playing The Game

Social media nearly imploded last Monday night when The Shield saved WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan from a 4-on-1 attack, helping The “Yes!” Man send Triple H, Batista, Randy Orton and Kane running for the hills (or at least up the entrance ramp). When SmackDown’s Six-Man Tag Team Match pitting Bryan & WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos against The Viper, The Animal & WWE’s Director of Operations similarly devolved into chaos, The Hounds of Justice once again aligned with the leader of the "Yes" Movement before dropping Kane with a massive Triple Powerbomb.

In light of the defiance shown by both The Shield and the just-married Champion of Champions, how will the COO punish these King of Kings contrarians?


The Diva of Tomorrow … today!

Who saw that coming? Last week, NXT Women’s Champion Paige made her Raw debut to congratulate AJ Lee on her unprecedented 295-day Divas Title reign, not knowing that just a few moments later, the British-born grappler would be the one to dethrone the ever-arrogant AJ and start a reign of her own. Goaded into a match by the cocky champion, the newcomer hit AJ with the Paige Turner to score the pinfall and the butterfly-emblazoned prize.

Although “The Diva of Tomorrow” celebrated with her fellow Divas in an emotional post-match WWE.com Exclusive, Paige’s resolve will continue to be put to the test as an entire division — including a bitter and vengeful AJ — will be looking to wrest her newly-won championship from her grasp.


Where does RVD go from here?

When Rob Van Dam returned to WWE after a six-year absence at WWE Money in the Bank last July, his goal was clear: to outlast five other Money in the Bank “All Stars” and earn a guaranteed opportunity for the WWE Championship. Despite strong efforts in the months that followed, “The Whole Dam Show” never attained the championship glory he had once enjoyed, though his first match back from a six-month hiatus last Monday showed the former WWE Champion to be more than re-energized. On a roll since his high-flying re-emergence, RVD has picked up two substantial victories over Damien Sandow, but where will this former WWE Champion ride this wave of momentum?


The next “Next Big Thing”

As if Cesaro hadn’t already cemented himself as a major player in WWE with a huge victory in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 30, “The King of Swing” was officially anointed as a Paul Heyman Guy the following night. When you’re aligned with the man who masterminded the end of The Undertaker’s vaunted Streak at The Show of Shows, you’re destined to, as Heyman himself puts it, become “the next great commodity in sports-entertainment.”

In a Hulk Hogan-esque feat of strength on SmackDown, Cesaro manhandled the 425-pound Big Show to stun the giant with his signature Neutralizer, though his former allies Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter continue to meddle in the former U.S. Champion’s affairs. Moving forward, how will the powerful Swiss Superman benefit from the tutelage of one of the most calculating minds in WWE history?


Wyatt’s war rages on

John Cena might have overcome his fear of the twisted Wyatt Family with a triumphant victory at WrestleMania, but “The Eater of Worlds” has continued to feast on the Cenation leader’s psyche. On SmackDown, Bray Wyatt vowed to go “to new extremes” in his quest to bring out the monster he claims lies beneath Cena’s virtuous exterior. Might “The Man of 1,000 Truths” have been alluding to a potential encounter at Extreme Rules on May 4?

Perhaps most troubling is the trio’s bizarre connection with many members of the WWE Universe who, as evidenced by several haunting crowd chants last week, have fallen under the sway of the silver-tongued patriarch. Can the Cenation leader somehow combat the eerie allure of The Wyatt Family?


I'm excited about all the talk of a new era and before anyone asks, Raw starts at 1 a.m tonight.

gnfnrhead

What time is it on at? :pac:

D.Q

Whoever does those blurbs needs to chill out a bit.

Jester252

Will Cesaro have a new theme tonight?

gerrybbadd

Jester252 wrote: »

Will Cesaro have a new theme tonight?

Ya, he could do with it. He's not a Real American any more!

JP Liz V1

I assume Vince or HHH will open the show remembering The Ultimate Warrior

krudler

Jester252 wrote: »

Will Cesaro have a new theme tonight?

Probably, pity though I like his theme, even though it's Swaggers one.

Hashtag_HEEL

krudler wrote: »

Probably, pity though I like his theme, even though it's Swaggers one.

That's the theme of a champion. Therefore Swagger shouldn't have it.

krudler

Hashtag_HEEL wrote: »

That's the theme of a champion. Therefore Swagger shouldn't have it.

Whatever happened with him anyway, just didn't step up? they were really high on him at one stage. Cesaro is the best thing on Raw right now for me

gnfnrhead

krudler wrote: »

Whatever happened with him anyway, just didn't step up? they were really high on him at one stage. Cesaro is the best thing on Raw right now for me

A run in with the police. Add in he wasnt getting much reaction and they threw him into a filler tag team that ended up taking off.

the groutch

His motto was "Weed The People"

Jester252

the groutch wrote: »

His motto was "Weed The People"

When did RVD join Swagger?

Moneymaker

Jester252 wrote: »

When did RVD join Swagger?

Swagger was busted for pot around the time he won EC last year.

Anyway, I hope the rumours about War Games are true and it actually happens for Extreme Rules. Maybe Hunter has finally convinced Vince to do it.

gnfnrhead

Moneymaker wrote: »

Swagger was busted for pot around the time he won EC last year.

Anyway, I hope the rumours about War Games are true and it actually happens for Extreme Rules. Maybe Hunter has finally convinced Vince to do it.

No way would Vince lose out on the crowd space they would have to sacrifice for the second ring.

Ape Lincoln

gnfnrhead wrote: »

No way would Vince lose out on the crowd space they would have to sacrifice for the second ring.

Seriously this ^

krudler

gnfnrhead wrote: »

No way would Vince lose out on the crowd space they would have to sacrifice for the second ring.

Would they really lose that much though? there'd be plenty of space in the entranceway for another ring the ringside area is huge

Moneymaker

gnfnrhead wrote: »

No way would Vince lose out on the crowd space they would have to sacrifice for the second ring.

That's one reason not to do it, there's a load of reasons to do it;

Fans have wanted it for years.
HHH has always wanted it.
There's a WcW dvd coming out shortly, with a War Games match on it.
War Games content on the Network
Fits with the "Extreme Rules" PPV theme

And if they can fit the EC into an arena without compromising crowd space, they can surely do this match.

Ape Lincoln

Elimination Chamber is hung above the ring and is dropped down for he match a la cage/cell matches. War Games requires two rings if you do it NWA/WCW style. You would be burning a few dozen seats in floor space to setup an extra ring and it'd just be sitting there taking up space. My guess is Vince and Kevin Dunn would think it looks bad on TV.

They could do a war games style team match using a the cell or chamber mind.

Jester252

They could shorten the ramp, granted if they are doing war games they are more than likely hiring people to solve the minor problem than listening to what people post online.

Moneymaker

It's all just rumours and fantasy anyway! It will probably end up being a 6/8 man tag match at ER.

gnfnrhead

Moneymaker wrote: »

That's one reason not to do it, there's a load of reasons to do it;

Fans have wanted it for years.
HHH has always wanted it.
There's a WcW dvd coming out shortly, with a War Games match on it.
War Games content on the Network
Fits with the "Extreme Rules" PPV theme

And if they can fit the EC into an arena without compromising crowd space, they can surely do this match.

As said, the Chamber does be hanging above the ring and out of sight for the most part. A second ring would be rather obvious and considering how anal they are about how everything looks on TV, it would give them nightmares. That's a fairly big reason not to do it. The negatives likely outweigh the positives when they could just stick the old stuff on the network and be done with it.

No reason they cant use the regular HIAC or something though.

Omackeral

krudler wrote: »

Whatever happened with him anyway, just didn't step up? they were really high on him at one stage.

No, it was the other way around. It was him who was really high.

Moneymaker

Tournament tonight to see who's No.1 contender for the IC title apparently.

No mention of a similar tournament for the US title, naturally :pac::pac::pac:

Jester252

Its going to be odd with the thread being much quieter tonight.

Moneymaker

Not gonna lie, have something in my eye watching that video package and during the 10 bells.

Duff

D2D

Man, that tribute video was just something else

John Cherry

John Cherry

The HOF ceremony part they showed with his daughters was heartbreaking.

Jester252

nice touch with the Usos face paint

DwightSchrute1

I am close to being a blubbering mess after that tribute!

Jester252

Looking at that card, WWE wants to bring up the IC tilte to the upper card.

bradlente

Eww,sad.:(

RollieFingers

Fitting tribute to a legend, was emotional watching that video!

princemuzzy

heartbreaking that i loved him as a kid i can't believe how much that has actually got to me

bigron2109

Doesn't seem real at times, especially after seen the HOF clip and then seeing the Raw clip too.

bradlente

Jester252 wrote: »

Looking at that card, WWE wants to bring up the IC tilte to the upper card.

Maybe the final will be a 20 second squash job in tribute to the man himself:pac:

andyman

Again another IC title match for Big E with no storyline. How is Big E supposed to stake his claim as a potential top guy when Creative give him nothing to work with?

We all know what happens next. Cesaro will win and Big E becomes a jobber. Disgusting waste of talent.

Andersonisgod

Alberto, say hello to the jobber entrance, you may have quite some time to acquaint yourselves.

Jester252

I like how Warrior's Raw is based around the IC title

Agent Coulson

WWE really do know how to do a tribute video.

Jester252

Who will people cheer for in the Ziggler vs. Barrett match?

Ape Lincoln

Jester252 wrote: »

Who will people cheer for in the Ziggler vs. Barrett match?

Ziggler. Barrett's pop was a one off last week due to the English heavy crowd.

Rjd2

Jester252 wrote: »

Who will people cheer for in the Ziggler vs. Barrett match?

Ziggler is still a face isn't he? Wade is still a heel despite the British and smarks been all over Wade last Raw, so Mr Ziggles it is.

RollieFingers

Jester252 wrote: »

Who will people cheer for in the Ziggler vs. Barrett match?

Has to be the bearer of bad news, Mr Barrett!

Jester252

Ape Lincoln wrote: »

Ziggler. Barrett's pop was a one off last week due to the English heavy crowd.

Barrett has been getting pops with his Bad news gimmick regardless of the nationality of the crowd. I also doubt that English people made up such a large audience at last weeks Raw to force the pop

jonnybadd

It looks like it could be Sheamo vs Cesaro in the final. Potentially an absolute stormer of a match

Jester252

I see Swagger costing Cesaro and Cesaro repaying Swagger later on. The two are already in a program with each other.

Donegal Dan

Damn, missed the Warrior tribute as just tuning in now.

IC Title to be raised by up to its glory days? Hopefully. Then unify it with the US title and unify the two Heavyweight belts.


Less is more

Jester252

Del Rio needs to stay away from the top rope, he never looks good coming off the top.

RollieFingers

jonnybadd wrote: »

It looks like it could be Sheamo vs Cesaro in the final. Potentially an absolute stormer of a match

Cesaro vs Ziggler for me, either way we should be in for a quality match!