SmackDown 8/8/14

1. Dean Ambrose comes out. "You can't plan for Dean Ambrose." He's so much fun on the microphone. "We could have a 'Loser Washes Triple H's Car' match, but I'm pretty sure Seth Rollins already does that." Good stuff!
2. Seth Rollins comes out to gripe at Ambrose. He gives Ambrose credit for being clever on Raw. He demands that Ambrose name the stipulation for the match.
3. Great interplay between Rollins and Ambrose. I don't know if people thought Ambrose would be the kind of star he's becoming. Ambrose names his stipulation: a Lumberjack match. "August 17 is the day 'Mr. Money in the Bank' goes broke." Awesome. Seth responds that he gets to choose Ambrose's opponent for tonight and books Ambrose v. Randy Orton.
4. Mark Henry and Big Show v. AxleBack. Is the ring going to hold all that? I'm picking the World's Biggest Athlete and the World's Strongest Man to beat the meatheads in the World's Slowest Match. Good to have Show back in action.
5. Nice to see that Ryback stopped wearing that scary Orange singlet that made him look naked.
6. A quick slow match, to be sure. It ends with Henry hitting Axle with the World's Strongest Slam as Big Show chokeslammed Ryback for the pinfall victory. Show held Ryback up for a good five seconds before he threw him down. Not unimpressive.
7. Ziggler mocks the Rollins briefcase--"it looks like a movie theatre's floor"--and Rollins decides to challenge Ziggler to a match. That should be excellent.
8. Sin Cara v. "United States Border Patrol officer" Damien Sandow. How sad that Sandow is about to get his tuchus handed to him again. *sigh* He deserves better.
9. Sandow got in a little offense, but Hunico--er, Sin Cara, that is--takes Sandow down within about three minutes.
10. The lengthy video segment on Cena/Lesnar again. *sigh*
11. Ziggler v. Rollins. Please let this be a long match. Rollins will win, but it will be a good match if they're allowed time to shine.
12. Rollins hits the Three Amigos. Not going to make you very popular in Texas, gringo.
13. No one does a drop kick as pretty as Dolph Ziggler.
14. FAMOUSER!!! And Rollins kicks out.
15. Rollins throws Ziggler into the ring post and then the steps. Curb Stomp, and Rollins gets the pinfall victory. Not as exciting a match as I thought it would be, though it had its moments.
16. Wake me up when Orton is done talking. The voices in your head need new writers, Randy.
17. Natalya v. Paige. Paige should win. Will it be a good match? It should be. These are two of the best performers in the Divas division.
18. Sharpshooter about 30 seconds in. Paige reaches the ropes quickly. *sigh* I hope it's not going to be one of those matches.
19. Paige Tap Out (scorpion lock) forces Natty to tap. Much too quick a match. The PTO looks legitimately painful.
20. Rusev v. Big E. We've seen this before, and I wasn't too excited then. Rusev's run of destruction continues.
21. Rusev beats up Big E quickly. Ho hum.
22. Review of Brie/Steffi from RAW. Zzzzz...
23. Main Event: Ambrose v. Orton. Whether or not he wins, Ambrose is going to take a beating after the match.
24. Not a lot of  stuff until Ambrose hits a tornado DDT. Orton kicks out at 2.
25. Orton throws Ambrose into the steel steps twice. Goes for the second-rope DDT but Ambrose throws him over the ropes.
26. Rollins comes to ringside. Ambrose knocks him off the apron. Orton goes for the RKO, but Ambrose reverses and hits Dirty Deeds. He goes for the pin, but Rollins pulls him out and hits him. The ref calls for the bell. The two-on-one eventually overcomes Ambrose. Rollins pours pop over him and continues taunting him.Filly he hits Curb Stomp.

Not a terribly exciting episode. Of course, my internet was being uncooperative, so that didn't help, but the show had too many quick matches.

RAW 8/4/14 (Hulu Edition)

1. The Authority (Hunter, Steffi, Orton, Kane) comes out. They just happen to mention that Summer Slam is coming, and that it will be on the WWE Network, which is available for only $9.99. Yeah, they just happen to mention it...about ten times. On the bright side, at least they got the crowd involved. Actually, it was sort of cute. All they needed was HBK to come out to shill like he and Hunter used to do in DX.

2. They also announce a "Beat the Clock" challenge where either Dean Ambrose (facing Alberto del Rio) or Seth Rollins (facing Rob Van Dam who, I believe, is injured) will be able to name the stipulation for their match at Summer Slam. (With whom will they replace RVD?)

3. Orton starts to blab about destroying Roman Reigns and how the Viper is back, when Roman's music hits and he comes into the crowd. He's got a great deal for Hunter: he'll destroy Orton tonight for free. Instead, Hunter makes Reigns v. Kane for tonight. And Hunter expects to see the demon. It will be a Last Man Standing match.

4. Kane v. Reigns in a Last Man Standing match. Expect brutality. Expect destruction. Expect Reigns to pull out the win in what will be a very slow match.

5. Barricades, steps, kendo sticks. Reigns gets busted open. Steel chair. Chokeslam through a table. And Reigns barely beats the count.

6. Kane goes for the Tombstone, but Reigns escapes and hits a DDT on a chair. Superman punch! Kane goes for the chokeslam. Reversal. SPEAR! And Kane is out for the ten-count.

7. Hype for Cena v. Lesnar at Summer Slam with a video segment. Ten minutes? I don't know, but it seemed like it took forever. Lesnar promises blood, urine, and vomit. Not a great delivery from him, but he sounds so much like a psychopath that it doesn't matter.

8. Hogan will be on next week! NWO Reunion?

9. Dean Ambrose v. AdR in a "Beat the Clock" match. Expect Ambrose to win, but it's not going to be quick.

10. AdR has had the upper hand for the first couple minutes, but Ambrose makes a short comeback before AdR throws him into the barricade. AdR is keeping him grounded.

11. Small package! And AdR kicks out and clotheslines Ambrose. AdR back in control. Ambrose into the ringpost.

12. Another ringpost for Ambrose. Ambrose makes a comeback. AdR blocks a Tornado DDT, kicks Ambrose in the head. (Commercial time.)

13. Superplex? and Ambrose kicks out. Ambrose rolls him up, and AdR kicks out. AdR puts him in the CrossArmbreaker in the ropes, breaks before the 5-count. DIRTY DEEDS OUT OF NOWHERE! Ambrose wins! Time to beat is 15:42. 

14. Review of the Brie Bella/Steffi McMahon mishegas. More to come later. *sigh*

15. Rusev v. Sin Cara began during the commercial, and Rusev ended it so fast that all we saw was the celebration. Lana then gives a promo comparing Putin and Obama. (Please don't do that. He looks bad enough on his own.) Lana sang "Happy Birthday" to Obama in Russian. (Do they have to pay for that?) And Zeb and Swagger come out. Nice promo from Zeb. Rusev moves to leave the ring, but he attacks Swagger with the Russian flag and beats him down and knocks him out of the ring. Rusev and Lana stare down Zeb, but Lana calls Rusev off before he can attack.

16. Kane comes into the Authority's office, hands Steffi his mask, and walks out, his face unseen. No words are spoken. What does this mean? Is Kane done? (Is this because Hunter expected the demon from Kane and Kane lost?)

17. Chris Jericho v. Luke Harper. If Jericho wins, Harper will be banned from ringside at Summer Slam. I expect Jericho to win, but he'll pay a price for it tonight. Rowan comes down to the ring with Harper. I'd like to see a lengthy match. I love Harper's move set.

18. Powerbomb from Harper! Jericho kicks out. Jericho kicks Rowan off the apron. Jericho goes for Walls of Jericho and locks it in! Lights go out and Bray is at ringside. Rowan tries to attack from behind, and Jericho hits Codebreaker. Then he hits Harper with Codebreaker. Bray attacks from behind. DQ win for Jericho, but he's paying for it. Bray hits Sister Abigail. FOLLOW...THE BUZZARDS!!!

19. Quick promo from Orton threatening to kick off Roman's head.

20. RVD v. Seth Rollins in a "Beat the Clock" challenge, and the time to beat is 15:42. RVD is in the ring, but the announcement is made that RVD is being replaced with Heath Slater. Unsurprising. RVD hasn't been in a match in a while, and I thought he was injured. I can't imagine Slater wins, but something weird is going to happen. (Why are they still using "Three Man Band" for Slater when the other two are no longer with the company?)

21. Rollins offers to let Slater walk out and just be counted out of the match. Slater hits him. Slater looked a bit like a ginger Drew McIntyre there for a minute. Rollins doesn't react well.

22. Dean Ambrose comes out to ringside. Slater hits a neckbreaker, but Rollins kicks out. Ambrose begins to toy with the MitB briefcase as the match continues. Ambrose rips up the contract as Rollins looks on. Slater hits a kick, Rollins kicks out. Rollins goes on the attack...while Ambrose pours a drink in the briefcase and then a bucket of popcorn. And there goes JBL's ten-gallon hat! *laugh* Ambrose holds up the briefcase and it leaks over the announcers.

23. Slater rolls up Rollins! THREE COUNT! SLATER WINS!!! HA! Rollins blames the announce crew and then opens the disgusting briefcase. THAT was quality television!

24. Promo from Bray. His brothers won't be with him at Summer Slam, but he's never alone. Creepy stuff.

25. Brie/Steffi contract signing. This won't end well for Brie. Or Nikki for that matter. Hunter calls Steffi an icon. Steffi makes fun of Brie because her husband Daniel Bryan isn't there. Brie brings up Steffi's arrest. She says she's fighting for all the superstars Steffi has abused over the years. (CM PUNK chant!) Contracts are signed. Steffi Pedigrees Nikki while Hunter traps Brie in the corner with the table. Brie slaps the ever-loving hell out of Hunter, and Steffi slams Brie's head into a table and nails her with a Pedigree. Steffi mocks the yes chant as the show ends. Honestly, I don't think Brie has the star power to close Raw, whether she's wrestling or not.

Not on Hulu:

1. No Damien Sandow v. Mark Henry. Like we need to see another Sandow squash.

2. No Cesaro v. Ziggler. If this had been a long match, I'd have been ticked, as they could put on a clinic. Apparently it was a very quick match, though, so it's probably for the best.

3. No Paige segment.

4. No AxelBack v. the Dusts. We're missing a lot of build for Goldust and Stardust here.

5. No Fandango v. Diego, which is fine by me.

6. No Bo(bo the Clown) Dallas v. R-Truth. Thank you.

Pretty good show. No great matches, but the Summer Slam build was worthwhile.

SmackDown 8/1/14

1. WE...THE PEOPLE!!! Swagger v. Cesaro. They changed the siren in Cesaro's music to make it even more annoying. Cesaro can't catch a break lately, so Swagger wins what should be a good match between former partners.
2. Gutwrench Suplex by Cesaro. His brute strength is impressive.
3. Cesaro's uppercuts always look deadly. Ouch!
4. Underhook Powerbomb! Beautiful!
5. Patriot Lock! Cesaro taps to give Swagger the submission victory. Not a great match, but it was a nice showcase of Cesaro's ability.
6. Rusev comes out during Swagger's celebration, and Lana extends the challenge to Swagger to have a flag match at Summer Slam. Zeb accepts!
7. Orton whines about Roman Reigns and his attacks. He challenges Reigns to a match at Summer Slam. At least it was a quick segment.
8. R-Truth v Bo(gus) Dallas. Apparently he lost on RAW and wants a rematch. Does the losing streak continue? I hope so. Otherwise this match is as appealing as a kick in the knee.
9. Bo gets DQed quickly when he won't release Truth in the ropes. Maybe this will be good for him. Now if he'll just stop saying BOlieve. *sigh*
10. AJ v. Rosa Mendes. At least there should be a Paige appearance. AJ should make quick work of Rosa. Rosa is saying she deserves a title shot.
11. Extremely quick Black Widow for the submission win. So much for Rosa getting a title shot. AJ skips up the ramp, and Paige blindsides her off the stage.
12. Solid quick promo from Dean Ambrose.
13. AJ is wheeled out of the arena. I hope she and Paige have a great Summer Slam match.
14. Ambrose v. Kane and Seth Rollins. Isn't it time for Kane to turn on the Authority? Probably not.
15. Quite vicious all around. Ambrose gets DQed when he hits Kane and Rollins with a chair. Ambrose hits Kane with a DDT on the chair while Rollins runs away. More chair shots on Kane. Would have liked more action.
16. Fandango v. Diego. Diego will win (and I hope it will be quick) after the ladies distract Fandango.
17. The ladies tango with Torito, and Diego hits the distracted Fandango with a backstabber.
18. AdR v. Dolph Ziggler with Miz at ringside. I expect AdR will get the win. Will Miz distract during the match, force a DQ, or attack after the match? I don't like AdR, but it should be a good match until the end.
19. Miz stands up to make a speech. Dolph is distracted, but AdR misses. Dolph hits Famouser. Miz keeps yakking and Dolph attack him. AdR attacks Ziggler on the apron and then locks in the Armbreaker for the submission win. *sigh*
20. Fozzy is providing one of the theme songs for Summer Slam. Jericho actually sounds pretty good.
21. Replay of the Steffi/Brie confrontation on RAW.
22. Bray delivers another creepy promo.
23. Main Event: Eric Rowan v. Chris Jericho with the stipulation that Rowan will be banned from ringside at SummerSlam if he loses. I think Jericho wins the match, but it might cost him after.
24. Harper gets tossed from ringside after he messes with Jericho.
25. I don't know what kind of mic skill Rowan has, but physically he's impressive. Quite a move set he has.
26. Lionsault! Rowan kicks out at 2.
27. Jericho blocks a Super-Fireman Toss. Kick to the head, and Jericho kicks out at 2.
28. Codebreaker! Pinfall victory for Jericho! Rowan won't be at ringside for Summer Slam!

Better build for Summer Slam this week. No stand-out matches except the main event--in fact, most of them were too short--but I liked the promos.

RAW 7/28/14 (Hulu edition)

1. Video recap of last Monday's events.
2. John Cena comes out to a mixed reaction. He ain't looking happy about Plan C. Excellent promo: not his usual jokes, no rhymes, just a lot of truth.
3. And out comes Heyman. Even better than Cena's promo.
4. Excellent response from Cena.
5. Cesaro comes out and hugs Heyman. Nice response from Cesaro, calling Cena a walking billboard who can't wrestle.
6. Cena v. Cesaro. They had a great match before, and I hope this one is just as good. Cena will win, of course, but Cesaro will bring out the best in him.
7. Not Cena's best Hurricanrana.
8. Cesaro Swing! They let him do it! They haven't let him do it in a while. And then an ankle lock. Cena counters and tries the STF, but Cesaro gets away. Going for the five moves of doom, but Cesaro gets out.
9. Cross-body from Cesaro, Cena catches him and rolls through. AA, but Cesaro lands on his feet! FLYING UPPERCUT! And Cena gets his shoulders up at 2.
10. Neutralizer, bit Cena counters. Head kicks from Cesaro and Cena both.
11. Super AA! Cena gets the pinfall victory in an excellent match. (I missed the superplex earlier, dammit!)
12. Paige! Hi, Paige! Please don't just make her into another lunatic. She was good on the mic.
13. AJ comes out and has a nice response. Paige calls AJ "crazy," and AJ doesn't take it very well. Nice! AJ goes on the attack! I love the interplay between the two. This should be a great matchup at Summer Slam.
14. Hunter and Steffi come out. Steffi looks freaked. Hunter vents his displeasure at the WWE Universe. "JAILBIRD! JAILBIRD! JAILBIRD!" Why don't you just go whine online, Hunter? Maybe you should take your tights and go home. I love how the crowd is chanting "Yes!" as he's talking about them laughing at Steffi's arrest last week. Steffi invites Brie to come out.
15. Jericho comes out instead. He starts singing the "Cops" theme song! The crowd picks up on it. AWESOME!!! This is great TV!
16. Seth Rollins comes out to attack Jericho from behind. Hunter makes Rollins v. Jericho for tonight.
17. Lana really need something beside that bunhead. But that was a solid promo. Swagger and Zeb Colter come out, and Colter gives her whatfor! WE...THE PEOPLE!!! Rusev and Swagger go at it at ringside. Rusev gets the upper hand, but Swagger avoids the accolade. Swagger goes for the Patriot Lock, but Rusev gets out of the ring and flees up the ramp as Swagger and Zeb wave the flag in the ring.
18. Kane v. Roman Reigns. I'd like to see Kane win, but he'll do what he's there to do: put over the younger talent. Prediction: Reigns wins a physical bout.
19. Reigns is attacked by Orton before Reigns can reach the barricade. Reigns is attacking both Orton and Kane. Reigns hits Superman on Orton, but Kane hits the Chokeslam on Reigns. Kane leaves the ring, and Orton continues to attack Reigns. Reigns thrown into the steps, hit with the Orton DDT. RKO on the announce table. Another one, this time through the announce table. Orton poses over him.
20. Jericho v. Rollins. Rollins gets the win, but it should be a fun match to watch.
21. A lot of activity in this match. The powerbomb into the turnbuckles from Rollins particularly nasty.
22. Rollins misses Curb Stomp. Jericho goes for the Walls, but Rollins reaches the ropes.
23. Rollins leaps, but Jericho hits him with the Codebreaker. The lights go out immediately, and the Junior Wyatts are in the ring when they come back on. They beat Jericho down, and then Bray hits him with Sister Abigail.
24. Steffi comes to the ring, and Steffi expresses how her life has changed since her arrest last week, how no one can look her in the eye. She's scarred for life.
25. Brie comes out (they don't hit her music until she's almost at ringside), and she tells Steffi to get to the point. Steffi asks her to drop the charges, that no one deserves this. Brie says Steffi deserves to go to hell for how she's treated the Bellas. Steffi says Nikki will get a raise. Brie says that's okay, but Brie has demands. Brie wants her job back. Steffi says one Bella in WWE is enough. Brie says, "See you in court." Brie agrees to drop all charges...if Steffi faces her at Summer Slam. Steffi says it's been 10 years since she's wrestled, that she's a career woman, a wife, mom now. Brie won't agree. Steffi finally agrees, but then she slaps Brie and says that she's going to make Brie her bitch. They brawl, and Hunter and other backstage agents (Jamie Noble, Fit Finlay, and Joey Mercury) break them up as they go off the air.

Not on Hulu:
1. Miz and AxleBack v. Ziggler and the Usos. I would have enjoyed that. The Usos have been stealing the show all the time lately.
2. R-Truth v. Bo Dallas. Zzzzzzzz...
3. Sandow v. Rose. Probably for the best. I'm tired of seeing this match, especially since Rose keeps winning.
4. No Fandango v. Diego. No skin off my teeth.
5. No Natty and Naomi v. Cameron and Alicia Fox. Again, not disappointed.

I really enjoyed the show. They spent a little too much time on Steffi/Brie throughout, which meant no Usos/Dolph v. Miz/AxleBack, but what they showed was a lot of fun to watch. They Cena/Heyman segment was excellent, as was the Cena/Cesaro match.

SmackDown 7/25/14

1. We see a replay of Hunter announcing Brock Lesnar as John Cena's opponent at Summer Slam, including parts of a great promo by Paul Heyman.
2. First match is the Usos v. Axelback. The announcers have been talking up the meatheads, so it wouldn't surprise me to see them win over the tag champs. Still, I think there's steam remaining in the Usos/Junior Wyatts feud. The Usos will win a physical, hotly-contested match.
2. Good match to this point, but someone really needs to lend Curtis Axle some personality. He doesn't even have 1% of the charisma of his dad.
3. Twin magic! The Usos pull the switcheroo and get the small-package pinfall on Axle. I guess they decided that, if their opponents get to pin the wrong twin, then they should be able to have the wrong twin get the pin. Good match. The Usos just can't miss lately.
4. Here comes the Miz. *sigh* And he's going to talk. *double-sigh*
5. I loved that Miz's mom said Roman Reigns was her favorite WWE superstar.
6. And the crap just keeps on coming. Here's Bo Dallas. *triple-sigh* Can we get a Ziggler appearance here at least?
7. YES!!! Here comes Ziggler to a big pop. Dolph takes a swing at Miz and Bo hits Ziggler from behind.
8. We come back to a match between Bo and Ziggler. I assume Bo wins somehow, probably with interference from Miz.
9. Loved the DDT from Ziggler. FAMOUSER!!! And Bo kicks out.
10. Yep. Miz tries to interfere. Bo grabs the tights and rolls up Ziggler for the win. Ugh. Ziggler nails Bo, and then Miz pushes Ziggler into the ring post.
11. Backstage interview from Renee Young with Roman Reigns. That was a better interview than we've seen from him in the past.
12. Dean Ambrose v. Cesaro in a no-DQ match! This should be awesome! Cesaro can't beat anyone lately, so the only way he'll get the win is if someone else pitches in and attacks Ambrose. But it should be a fun match, but I don't think the ringside accoutrements will make the match more interesting.
13. RING BELL!!! (Is it just me, or does Cesaro remind anyone else of a smaller, unbearded Bill Goldberg?)
14. Cesaro has been brutalizing Ambrose with the kendo stick.
15. Nasty suplex to Cesaro onto a chair. Wow.
16. And Rollins comes out to attack Ambrose. Surprising, right?
17. CESARO WITH THE SUPERPLEX ONTO THE CHAIRS!!! I love when he does the superplex without any leverage.
18. Small package! Ambrose wins! And of course Rollins attacks right away. Cesaro joins in. Neutralizer. Curb Stomp.
19. Naomi v. Paige. Paige's shtick reminds me of how Mickie James used to mess with Trish Stratus.
20. Cameron's music distracts Naomi. Paige attacks from behind, hits RamPaige and then locks in the Scorpion Crosslock for the submission win.
21. Cameron then attacks Naomi. Naomi tries to fight back, but Cameron gets the upper hand.
22. Goldust and Stardust promo!!! This is so awesomely creepy!
23. R-Truth v. Bray Wyatt. Bray should easily win and then deliver another creepy promo.
24. Bray does the Spider to creep out Truth (and everyone else). And that shiner Bray has from Flair just makes him look more creepy!
25. Sister Abigail for the pinfall victory. "Save us, Jericho!"
26. Roman Reigns v. AdR in the main event. How does AdR merit main event time? Reigns should win.
27. AdR goes for the cross armbreaker early, but Reigns counters and sends him out of the ring.
28. Reigns countered the cross armbreaker in the ropes and then knocks AdR onto the floor. Wow. Even if the armbreaker is fake, the strength to lift a 200lb man from a disadvantageous position is impressively real.
29. Superman punch! Spear! Reigns with the pinfall victory to close the show.

Average show. Not a lot of excitement, a number of matches unrelated to the build for Summer Slam.

RAW 7/21/14 (Hulu edition)

1. Hunter comes out to bitch and moan about Cena retaining the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and then he takes a mocking shot at the fans who complain online and threaten to stop watching if they don't get what they want. He then begins to talk about what his next move is to bring the belt back to the Authority. He says Cena won't leave Summer Slam with the title. Orton comes out to make his case to face Cena, blaming Kane for not watching his back. Kane comes out to put his name in the hat. Reigns comes out and says no one wants to see Kane or Orton face Cena again, and he asserts that everyone wants to see Reigns v. Cena. Hunter decides to make Kane and Orton v. Reigns today, and he will make the decision some time during the show.
2. Orton & Kane v. Reigns. My prediction: Orton plays the spoiled brat and refuses to work with Kane. Reigns wins.
3. The match is pretty slow, but it's vicious. Superman punches, Somoan drops, throwing people into the steps, haymakers...
4. Reigns is taking it to Kane. Orton tries to intervene, and Reigns knocks him off the apron. Kane momentarily gets the upper hand and tries to tag Orton, but Orton refuses the tag. Kane goes to chokeslam Orton, but Reigns hits the Superman punch on Kane, hits him with a Spear, and pins him for the win. Orton is walking away while Reigns celebrates in the ring. Orton fakes a return to the ring, but he backs off again. I don't like how Kane gets made to look like the whipping boy, but it was a good match.
5. Alicia Fox, Cameron, Rosa Mendes, and Eva Marie v. Nikki Bella. Brie is in the crowd as a paying customer. Steffi comes out to make fun of Brie for "quitting" WWE for the sake of her husband. Brie steals the mic and calls her a bitch. Steffi takes the mic back and slaps Brie and has security take her out. (That's going to come back to bite her in the tuchus, I'm sure.)
6. The mob beats on Nikki and Alicia pins her for the quick win. Steffi stands over her and tells her that Nikki will quit like Brie did..
7. The Wyatts come out to host Jericho's Highlight Reel. Bray was supposed to be the guest, but the Wyatts assaulted Jericho during a backstage interview. Bray delivers more spoken gold, asserting that Chris Jericho isn't there for the WWE Universe, but Bray is. "Society is my plaything." Nice!
8. I'm glad the feud isn't over between Jericho and Bray. I didn't think they'd leave it at that, but one never knows with the WWE these days.
9. Great. Flo Rida is coming. *sigh* Do we have to see that?
10. Intercontinental Champion Miz v. Dolph Zigger in a non-title match. I'd like to think Ziggler wins, setting up a match at Summer Slam.
11. Hey Miz? Any blow to your face is an improvement.
12. Nice back and forth, decent pace to the match to start with. Miz goes after Ziggler's legs to prep for the Figure Four.
13. Miz locks in the Figure Four, but Ziggler reaches the ropes. Miz tries to get it again, but Ziggler hits the Famouser! Miz kicks out at 2.
14. Miz blocks the Zig Zag. Dolph blocks the Skull Crusing Finale. Miz worries about his "moneymaker" when ZIGGLER HITS ZIG ZAG FOR THE WIN!
15. And CESARO PUTS HIS NAME IN THE HAT!!! Oh, that would be awesome. He and Cena had one of the matches of the year. Cesaro is no longer a Heyman guy; he wants to be Hunter's guy. Hunter makes Cesaro v. Ambrose to give Cesaro a chance to impress him.
16. Paige and AJ v. Natty and Emma! The four most talented Divas on the roster in one match! It will probably be only two minutes before Paige and AJ get the win, and Paige is going to turn on AJ after, but for two minutes, it should be a good match.
17. Nice back and forth between AJ and Emma. Paige and Emma get a turn. Emma locks in her rope hold, and tags Natty when she's forced to break. Natty and Paige, and Natty throws Paige and then locks in the Sharpshooter. Paige is about to reach the ropes when AJ tags herself in and hits Natty with the Shining Wizard and locks in the Black Widow for the submission win. Nice match, way too quick.
18. AJ goes skipping outside to celebrate. When she comes back in, AJ and Paige hug, only for Paige to pull her down by her hair and headbutt the heck out of AJ. She throws AJ out of the ring and into a barricade and then the steel ring post. She throws AJ over the announce table! HEEL TURN!!! W00t! And the frenemies are just enemies now! ANd Paige skips out! GREAT STUFF!!!
19. Steffi comes into announce Flo Rida. Ugh. I guess we do have to see this. But that's what the mute button is for!
20. Steffi sends Flo off with more applause. But here come the cops! HA! I KNEW IT!!! Steffi's in trouble for assaulting Brie. Will they take her out in cuffs? And where's Hunter?
21. There's the cuffs! HA! And Brie's there to rub it in. (Those cuffs are awful loose.) Steffi threatens the officers. Hunter stops the cops, but he backs off when he sees the badge. They go to drive off, and Hunter says he'll be right behind her. Now *that* was funny!
22. "Family always comes first...but I have a little time, so..." And Hunter decides to wait until he announces his decision.
23. Cesaro v. Ambrose. Ambrose will win somehow, because they have to be building for Cena/Lesnar at Summer Slam, but it should be a fun match to watch.
24. Cesaro throws Ambrose into a ring post. And, wow, a back suplex off the ring and onto the floor. He's so convincingly brutal. Is he going to DQ himself?
25. No! Ambrose DQs himself! Steel chair!
26. Hunter comes out to announce the Number One contender. Orton's music hits. He comes out, but Reigns ambushes him. Hunter stands there confused when Heyman comes out and tells him he needs Plan C. And out comes Lesnar. And they shake hands on it, and Hunter runs off to get Steffi out of jail. Heyman proceeds to deliver a fantastic promo. (I mean it. Go back and watch it.)

Not on hulu:
1. No Bo(gus) Dallas v. Damien Sandow. Good. I'm tired of seeing Sandow job to idiots.
2. No Fandango v. Zack Ryder. I hear Zack even won! Would have been nice to see that. Oh well.
3. No Axelback v. Kofi Kingston and Big E. We didn't get to see the birth of the new Nation of Domination.
4. No Rusev v. Khali. Good. That ship has sailed, and I wish it would take Khali with it.

Overall this was a good show. The diva tag match could have been longer, and I could have done without Flo Rida. Otherwise, I enjoyed the matches, and even the diva beatdown was worth it to see Steffi arrested. Yeah, it was that funny!

Battleground 7/20/14

Apparently I missed Adam Rose v. Fandango in a pre-show match. Thanks be to God. (Rose won. Surprise, surprise.)

1. Pre-show match: Cameron v. Naomi. I chose Naomi, since the idea of Cameron winning any matches in WWE is beyond all reasonable thought, and doing so against Naomi, who is one of the four most talented divas on the roster, is utter idiocy.
2. Cameron gets the roll-up win? *sigh* I know they're building for Total Divas, but that's just preposterous. I almost don't want to watch the rest of the show. Ugh.
3. The opening match is Luke Rowan and Eric Harper challenging the Usos in a best two-falls out of three match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. I'm picking the Junior Wyatts to win in three, though I won't be disappointed if I'm wrong.. This should be an excellent match. They've been setting the night on fire almost every time they've had matches together, and this should be no different.
4. The Junior Wyatts take the first fall. Impressive showing. Jey looks like he's really out. (The Usos have always been good at selling what their opponents do.
5. The Usos tie things up with a surprise roll-up pin!
6. Despite that, the Junior Wyatts have been brutalizing the Usos. This is ugly!
7. And a big turn-around! The Usos are suddenly blazing trails! I really like this. The crowd is right: THIS IS AWESOME!!!
8. THE USOS GET DOUBLE-SUPLEXED!!!!! HOLY...WOW!!! And Jimmy kicks out!!!
9. DOUBLE SPLASH!!! THE USOS RETAIN!!!!! GREAT MATCH!!! AND YES, I'M SHOUTING!!! I was wrong, but I'm happy to be wrong in this case. This was an awesome match, one of the best of the year!
10. Ambrose attacks Rollins backstage! Hunter is in a tizzy! Neener neener neener! Hunter kicks Ambrose out of the building. So much for their match. More Authority crap. *snore*
11. Apparently the next match will be Paige v. AJ Lee for the Diva's Championship. I picked AJ, and I hope that, regardless of the result, they get some time to showcase what they can do. This is the two best divas on the roster right now, and this could light up the night...or steal the stars from the sky. Some people are thinking there will be a Paige heel turn after this match, regardless of the result. Either performer has the chops to be a solid heel. We've already seen it from AJ, and we've seen flashes of it from Paige.
12. AJ with a nice tilt-a-whirl DDT. And Paige seems to be using some heel tactics, such as throwing AJ into the barrier and talking trash.
13. AJ LOCKS IN THE BLACK WIDOW! PAIGE ESCAPES! PAIGE TURNER! AND AJ KICKS OUT!!!!
14. SHINING WIZARD!!! AJ retians! Not as long a match as I'd have liked, but it was a very good match. AJ celebrates, and Paige claps as she walks up the ramp.
15. Kane: "Being the Devil's Favorite Demon means never having to say 'sorry.'" AWESOME!!!
16. Wow. That's some promo by Lana. I didn't think Vince would let her run with this gimmick tonight.
17. Rusev v. Swagger in an international grudge match! I picked Rusev, but I'd like to see Swagger pick up this win. Maybe at Summer Slam...
18. Physical match so far. Nice to see someone making Rusev work for it.
19. PATRIOT LOCK!!! Rusev eventually makes it to the rope. Rusev knocks Swagger out with the ringpost, and Rusev barely beats the 10-count. Rusev wins. At least he looked mortal for once. Then Rusev puts Swagger in the Accolade. *sigh* Oh well. And it would have been nice if Rusev had been consistent in selling the damage from the Patriot Lock.
20. Bizarre promo from Stardust and Goldust! So much fun!
21. Rollins comes out for a non-match, since apparently Ambrose isn't allowed back in the building. Is there going to be some sort of cheesy 10-count? Or is this just a promo?
22. Rollins wants his forfeit victory announced. That was a waste of bandwidth.
23. And then Ambrose attacks Rollins as he's on his way to the back. Security eventualy pulls him off and takes him away. Again. And he breaks away and attacks again! Hunter comes out to personally yell Ambrose out of the building. Rollins attacks a restrained Ambrose, and they have to be pulled apart. Honestly, I now think this is more convincing than a match would have been.
24. Bray Wyatt v. Chris Jericho is next. I picked Bray Wyatt, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Jericho win one and then lose the rematch at Summer Slam. This should be a great match.
25. It still feel odd to me to see Jericho back again. I'm glad, as he always works a good program, but it's still too new for me to grasp. And he'll be gone just as quick.
26. Jericho takes out the whole Wyatt Family over the top rope! And the ref kicks the Junior Wyatts out of the arena after Harper grabs Jericho! And then Bray takes it out on Jericho outside of the ring.
27. Wyatt shoulder-blocks the ringpost! Jericho on the warpath! Or not. Wyatt with a couple Knee-Drop Gutbusters.
28. Bray hits Jericho with some sort of neck-breaker while Jericho's feet are on the top turnbuckle. Jericho kicks out. That was ugly.
29. Jericho tries the lionsault, only to land on Bray's knees. And Bray does the creepy spider-walk! CREEPY BRAY IS CREEPY!!!
30. Bray goes for Sister Abigail! Jericho sneaks out and goes for Walls of Jericho! Bray counters! Nice back and forth. JERICHO HITS THE CODEBREAKER FOR THE PINFALL VICTORY!!! Wow. THAT was unexpected.
31. Ambrose ambushes Rollins from a car trunk! Rollins escapes and drives off! (Now I'm *sure* he cashes in and wins Money in the Bank tonight. Either that, or Brock Lesnar comes back and Hunter gives him a championship match after the Fatal Four-Way tonight.)
32. Battle Royal for the Vacant Intercontinental Championship. I picked Cesaro--wishful thinking mostly, since I have a sinking feeling that Bo(ring) Dallas is going to win.
33. Zack Ryder! WOO WOO WOO! YOU KNOW IT!!! Nice to see him, even if he'll be gone in twenty seconds.
34. BAD NEWS BARRETT HAS SOME BAD NEWS!!! I hope they don't hold him back when he returns from injury.
35. I was right about Ryder. *sigh* And there's Miz sneaking on the floor. Dammit, he's gonna win, isn't he? *sigh*
36. Cesaro gives Kofi his awesome moment!!!
37. Ziggler ZIG ZAGS AdR OUT!!! AWESOME!!!
38. AND ANOTHER AWESOME KOFI/CESARO MOMENT!!!!! AND ANOTHER!!! And then Cesaro eliminates him! And then Slater eliminates Cesaro! DARNITALL!!!
39. The last two seem to be Sheamus and Ziggler (unless Miz wasn't actually eliminated--I don't remember, too much going on)!!! AWESOME!!! LET IT BE ZIGGLER!!! PLEASE!!!
40. That was an ugly bump. Ooh, and another. I hope Sheamus is okay.
41. ZIGGLER ELIMINATES SHEAMUS!!! IS IT--NO!!! MIZ ELIMINATES ZIGGLER. I KNEW IT. (Where's my JR voice? "He stole it! He stole it! You bastard!") As soon as I saw him on the floor in the first few minutes, I knew Miz would win again. *sigh* Miz is the new Intercontinental Champion. Ugh. I would have liked this with Face Miz--the underdog face makes good--but Heel Miz isn't strong enough to be favored.
42. Fatal Four-Way for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Orton v. Reigns v. Kane v. Cena. I picked Kane to win, only for Rollins to cash in. I also think there might be a swerve. Brock Lesnar returns, Hunter gives him an immediate match against the winner, and Lesnar becomes the Champion.
43. Orton and Kane seem to be playing nice early, with Kane deferring to Orton.
44. Cena has already used his five moves. What will he do now?
45. Kane went for a pin! Randy ain't happy! Business is about to pick up! Kane and Orton are going at it! GO KANE!!!
46. Kane broke up an Orton pinfall! HA!
47. Orton with a half-crab? And then Reigns counters and does the same? And then Cena does the STF while Reigns has the half-crab? And Kane breaks it all up.
48. Another STF, this time solo on Orton. Reigns won't let Orton tap!
49. Cena and Reigns have faced off before, but now they're getting their chance to go at it! Reigns eventually gets the upper hand. Misses Superman! Cena goes for five-knuckle, only to get hit with Superman! SPEAR!!! Kane breaks up the pinfall predicament!
50. Superman on Kane! High kicks on Cena, Orton, and Kane! And then Reigns spears Orton through the barricade!
51. Kane is being used as cannon fodder.
52. Kane with chokeslams on Cena and Reigns! Reigns rolls out at 2.
53. Reigns spears Kane! Orton RKO's Kane! Cena with the AA to Orton on Kane! Cena pins Kane to retain. Darn. I *really* wanted Kane to win.

54. Still 10 minutes left. Is it Rollins or Lesnar?
55. Apparently it's neither. They're ending 8 minutes early--the only twist I didn't expect.

A very good PPV. The match of the night was really the Tag Team Championship match between the Junior Wyatts and the Usos. No doubt. But the Jericho/Wyatt match, the IC Battle Royal, the WWEWHC match, and even Paige/AJ delivered. And Rusev/Swagger was solid. Definitely worth the price of admission. Disappointing endings to the IC Battle Royal and the WHC match, but the matches were good nonetheless. Good job, Vince et al. That being said, my predictions were absolutely horrific.