Monday Night Raw 26-5-14

Lithium93_

We’re less than one week away from WWE Payback, but we might very well be heading into the anticipated special event without a WWE World Heavyweight Champion. As the WWE Universe waits to see whether the leader of the “Yes!” Movement will indeed relinquish his hard-earned title, what will transpire when a special Memorial Day edition of Monday night’s hottest show emanates from Knoxville, Tenn.

1. Not-so-sweet surrender Although their hero underwent successful neck surgery and is fortunately on the mend, the “Yes!” Movement has been in turmoil since The Authority demanded that Daniel Bryan personally surrender the WWE World Heavyweight Championship this Monday on Raw. As argued by Stephanie McMahon last week on Raw, the WWE Universe needs an active champion, and since Bryan is currently unable to compete while in recovery, giving up his title is “best for business.”

WWE COO Triple H addressed the matter further last Wednesday on WWE.com in an exclusive interview with Michael Cole, suggesting that perhaps Bryan’s “not tough enough to be able to handle the gig” and that the fan-favorite Superstar will do the right thing by relinquishing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. If Bryan doesn’t, we can only assume that the consequences will be dire.

2. Fox hunt Okay, we’ve all watched (and re-watched) the footage of Alicia Fox going bonkers and dumping a WWE fan’s soda all over herself last Monday night, but let’s not forget the reason for the bizarre celebration: Alicia pinned Divas Champion Paige, giving the 21-year-old her first defeat since her Raw debut the night after WrestleMania.Even though Fox has seemingly come unhinged in recent weeks, her new and slightly tilted outlook on life is already reaping huge benefits. With a victory over the reigning titleholder, has Alicia secured herself a Divas Championship Match in the near future? Hold on to your cups.

3. Process of elimination Last week, The Authority banned all “non-official” WWE personnel from ringside during Seth Rollins’ clash with Batista, which resulted in Triple H trying his hand at ring announcing and Randy Orton serving as a special timekeeper for the wild encounter. Because that’s totally fair, right?

However, Raw General Manager Brad Maddox leveled the playing field for The Shield by allowing Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns to serve as guest commentators for the bout, ensuring that if either The Game or The Animal tried to intervene on their Evolution cohort’s behalf, The Hounds of Justice would be ready to strike. As expected, the combustible elements in and around the ring sparked an all-out melee between the embattled groups, with Evolution ultimately retreating up the entrance ramp from the fired-up Shield. That encounter has only raised the ire of the WWE COO, who has since vowed to “eliminate The Shield one-by-one.”

Will Maddox be punished by The Authority for his apparent act of defiance? And with tensions between The Shield and Evolution at an all-time high, will these two warring factions tear each other apart before their No Holds Barred Elimination Match at WWE Payback?

4. Kiss and yell How’s Fandango going to dance his way out of this one? Last week, the sashaying Superstar was in for a shock when Summer Rae — who he dumped via Twitter, by the way — returned to Raw and planted a kiss on her former dance partner. Layla was incensed by Summer “cutting in” on her all-too-public relationship with Fandango, and found herself in a wild brawl with the blonde beauty that ended in a relative stalemate.Now that there are two women in Fandango’s life, the fleet-footed master of the ballroom might be having second thoughts about scorning Summer Rae. Will the sequins fly again if Summer and Layla cross paths on Raw?

5. The final countdown It was like the most disturbing episode of “Sesame Street” ever last Monday night when Luke Harper stood over an incapacitated John Cena and slowly counted to 10 — a sinister look at what could be the Cenation leader’s fate at WWE Payback when he collides with Bray Wyatt in a Last Man Standing Match. Cena has made a career of standing firm in the face of adversity, but as “The Man of 1,000 Truths” continues to assert his control over the hearts and minds of the WWE Universe, the 14-time World Champion might be facing a battle that he simply cannot win.

Will Cena be able to dull the “scorpion’s tail” that is Wyatt’s tongue on Raw, or will the backwoods preacher stride to WWE Payback with “the whole world in his hands”?

rovert

Plus Becky and the Rosebuds

CastorTroy

rovert wrote: »

Plus Becky and the Rosebuds

Great band name. Maybe they can feud with 3.5MB

rovert

As I posted in the Video thread they are kind of a band.

They are fairly funny on Twitter. Pranking each other when one falls asleep.

Interesting week for young Becky with Raw, Smackdown, NXT Takeover and NXT TV tapings. Expect the Becky and Bailey team on the NXT TV tapings.

I expect Bryan to keep the belt. Sheamus vs Cesaro is the only feud I care about these days. Best use of Sheamus in maybe forever.

Moneymaker

I wonder if they might consider an interim champion or someone to fight on DBs behalf.

Writes itself to have CM Punk fight for DB at Payback. :pac:

Lithium93_

Can see Bryan showing up on Raw tonight, titles in hand about to surrender what he's worked so hard for since Summerslam 2013, then Cult Of Personality kicks in and after 4 months CM Punk returns completely unannounced


(Italicized part is just fantasy booking)

rovert

This show is going to be a load of balls:

Current Creative Malaise x knackered Wrestlers from a Transaltantic flight from a long European tour x Memorial Day so the writers won't try as the ratings will be low

CSF

This is gonna be terrible. I can feel it.

rovert

CSF wrote: »

This is gonna be terrible. I can feel it.

Hoping Lana's promo is really tasteless.

Moneymaker

We're all looking forward to it so?

:pac:

Deadlie

rovert wrote: »

Hoping Lana's promo is really tasteless.

Wonder how long this gimmick has left with sh*t really heating up in Ukraine today.

andyman

Lithium93_ wrote: »

Can see Bryan showing up on Raw tonight, titles in hand about to surrender what he's worked so hard for since Summerslam 2013, then Cult Of Personality kicks in and after 4 months CM Punk returns completely unannounced


(Italicized part is just fantasy booking)

That'd be class. Punk defends on Bryan's behalf at Payback. If he wins he becomes #1 contender.

JP Liz V1

Lithium93_ wrote: »

Can see Bryan showing up on Raw tonight, titles in hand about to surrender what he's worked so hard for since Summerslam 2013, then Cult Of Personality kicks in and after 4 months CM Punk returns completely unannounced


(Italicized part is just fantasy booking)

And joins in beating up Bryan

J. Marston

Lithium93_ wrote: »

Can see Bryan showing up on Raw tonight, titles in hand about to surrender what he's worked so hard for since Summerslam 2013, then Cult Of Personality My Time Is Now kicks in and John Cena begins his 47th title reign.


(Italicized part is just fantasy booking)

Fixed :pac:.

rovert

Expected more talk about this exciting news:

Announced for tonight's Raw is a contract signing between Evolution and The Shield for the WWE Payback PPV.

Scruffy19

Wonder who goes through the table after the contract signing?

J. Marston

Ah, leave Braddox alone.

Angron

For a second I though HHH was going to hold hands with Kane too.

Jerichoholic

I'm afraid I've got some bad theme music.

paconnors

I'm afraid I got a bad headache

Ape Lincoln

RVD is wrestling BNB yet he just lost to Cesari via interference. Hardly makes it look like Rob is in with any sort of a shout at the IC title.

J. Marston

Textbook rollup by Eva.

Moneymaker

Hope Cody gets another push.

Angron

Heh, skinny jeans sellout.

"You've got big legs."

brianregan09

wtf is with the midgets O_O

Angron

I just wish they'd stop talking about Torito like he's actually a bull.

TGJD

that tail thing and ensuing commentary was just... I don;t even know what to call it. ffs.

TGJD

well they are going with it.

Rjd2

TGJD wrote: »

that tail thing and ensuing commentary was just... I don;t even know what to call it. ffs.

It should make us all proud to be watching wrestling at 2am on a tuesday morning:P

thebostoncrab

Angron wrote: »

I just wish they'd stop talking about Torito like he's actually a bull.

You mean he's not!?!?

Professional Griefer

This singing is unbearable, I wish they'd stop.

Rjd2

Stop singing that ****ing song, it would be much more authentic and formidable if it was not so bloody forced.:mad:

Ugh, how long's this gonna be going on?

Angron

They've basically run that song into the ground at this point.

Jerichoholic

You're the King of this, You're the King of that...

TGJD

decent delivery from cena but that speech was terribly written.

TGJD

american flag? I wonder who ryder is facing

Moneymaker

Ryder seems to have forgotten his bunny costume.

J. Marston

Ryder gets on Raw.

Edit: and is probably going to be crushed.

andyman

Those legs...

paconnors

Game over for Ryder

J. Marston

Good hustle, Zack

Good hustle.

TGJD

Ryder just clearly doesn't bolieve enough.

martingriff

I know I am not the only one but I thought that the whole point (there is one right) of the Cena/Wyatt feud was Cena would be going heel but it seems they are making him (as much as they can) a favorite unless its a ploy and cena turns by attacking Lawlor on the PPV

seandotcomm

Cena will never be heel

Professional Griefer

Its Hunchio. :pac:

Scruffy19

Bo Dallas sounds like a wee squeaky toy..

Moneymaker

You can really tell he's Bray Wyatts brother.

J. Marston

This crowd is so crap.

Bo has quite the paunch.

TGJD

I'm a boliever. Seriously though I really want to see this character take off on Raw. He is very entertaining and it's a clever gimmick.

seandotcomm

Well that was an awful segment. Gee I can't wait til Payback to find out if Brie Bella is FIIIIIIIRRRRRRED or not.....