RAW Retort – WWE brings back the Inferno match?

Well, the WWE really seems to have decided on a direction with certain wrestlers and they’re running with it. I cannot get over how great Bryan, Orton and Cena have been pushing in their specific directions on this episode of RAW, and how it seems as though Triple H, McMahon and Stephanie are falling into their specific roles. I see some great things coming for all six of these men, and they’ve been building well for them all summer.

I think SummerSlam will throw a swerve of some sort into the six of them, but I also see serious alignments forming that night. Hopefully HBK and his serious beard will be showing up to back his boy Bryan. Either way, that core six worked the mic and the ring beautifully and almost carried this episode of RAW.

The only negative moment I saw for any of them was the fans chanting at Cena that he was boring, but I think that’s because the fans are so hot for Bryan. I know there’s people who really didn’t like how the main event ended, questioning why Orton attacked both Cena and Bryan, but Orton is in the middle of a slow heel turn, and as Mr. MITB, he has to solidify his direction before he’s pigeonholed into being too wishy-washy to do anything with the case – the way Ziggler was for way too long.

I didn’t like that The Shield took out both Cena and Bryan in the end, but I guess it could show that no matter who you are, even the Champ or the most beloved #1 contender, you’re still human and can be brought down by the right foes.

RVD facing ADR in the ring felt like the battle of the triple initials, and ADR was left looking the fool. I don’t know how the WWE can have their World Heavyweight Champion look so weak and pathetic, but that’s how they seem to be booking ADR at every turn. There were a couple of issues in this match because ADR was off his mark, but luckily he was completely on when he worked against Ricardo, because that could have been really bad. Those were some serious blows, and then the ending blow could have been dangerous if ADR had fluffed it off the way he does most things in the ring.

I want so much for Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow to really shine, but they aren’t. I don’t know if the writing is wrong, the characters are wrong for them – though it doesn’t feel that way for Sandow – but things just aren’t feeling right for them in this feud. Cody feels plastic, Sandow feels like he stretching in a direction that feels wrong for him, and the whole story seems blah. I hope things pick up, and they’re not going to be pushed aside again with so many other big storylines going on right now.

Even worse than Sandow and Rhodes right now is anything to do with Ryback. I’m hard on Henry most of the time, but he was the glorious light in this match. If nothing else, Henry is a rock. Not The Rock, but a rock for all that’s going on around him in the ring and on mic. I guess he’s had his one moment of glory, and if he’s okay not being a top guy, he could really add a lot to the WWE moving forward. Not sure I can say the same for Ryback after seeing his craptastic ring and mic work, and how the fans really seem to loath him, and not the way you’re supposed to loath a heel.

Christian versus Slater was a more questionable booking on this episode of RAW. Why would they want to put their #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship against a jobber like Slater? You could argue that Christian was working against horrible odds with McIntyre and Mahal ringside, and that he did a great job of handling them all, and he did, but I still think the whole plan was questionable.

Further, heading toward SummerSlam where ADR is looking weak and Christian is looking strong could mean that ADR will retain, but I’m going to keep my hopes up that after ADR’s attack on Ricardo, El Local might show up and cost ADR the World Heavyweight Championship Match.

And an even further questionable booking was putting Fandango in the ring with Kofi. The ring work was solid, but not exactly what I had been expecting from Fandango. I’ve been hoping that we’d be seeing Fandango face RVD at SummerSlam, but without any interaction between them during this episode of RAW, I’m wondering if it will really happen.

On the upswing, I really enjoyed seeing the Usos face someone other than The Shield. They’re really stepping things up in the ring, and continued to show that against The Real Americans. Swagger was a bit floppy in the ring, but Cesaro was tight and on point, as usual. Cesaro is a star, he just needs to get over with the fans, something that seems to be happening more now that he’s running with Zeb, and showing up Swagger. The Usos are also doing a great job of stepping up their ring work, and the reaction they’re getting from the fans.

Speaking of not on point, Layla really screwed up her finishing kick on Kaitlyn. In fact, Layla looked quite off during most of her match with Kaitlyn. I don’t know if it was working the ring on TV again, or that she was having a bad night, but she looked really bad in there. Not the best time for her to drop the ball when the Divas are getting such a huge push with Total Divas.

And further not on point, Big E seemed really off in his match with Ziggler. It seemed as if he was half a beat off from where Ziggler was, but Ziggler looked to be on his mark. Ziggler’s famouser didn’t even touch Big E, though it didn’t appear to be Ziggler who was in the wrong spot. Who knows, maybe another off night, just sucked that there were two in a row.

Tons of Funk have gone from being really strong and over to being bumped from WrestleMania and destroyed by almost everyone they face. It makes sense that The Wyatt Family would take them out, and they did a solid job of it, though I’m still not sure of the strength of Rowan and Harper as wrestlers, but only time (and going back to watch them on NXT) will tell. What I’m really thrilled with is Kane coming back at them, and how Bray is handling it all. I love every word, facial expression and movement from Bray, and I know this is a character that fits this man like a glove. The thought of a possible Inferno match makes me giddy!

Other than Bryan, Cena and Orton, the shining players of the night were Punk, Axel, Heyman and Brock. I’m not a fan of Brock, though I was, in his first time in the WWE. Now he’s too rough, reckless, and not caring about the welfare of those he’s faced in the ring. But if anyone can handle him, I think it’s Punk.

That Punk is reaching out to Brock, trying to get to know who he is outside the ring, so they can give the fans more in the ring, shows just how dedicated Punk is, and hopefully will help Brock actually care about not injuring him. Axel might be a ‘bit player’ in this feud, but he’s doing a solid job of it, and his time will come before long.

Axel is his father’s son, and he proves that each time he’s out there – so much better than when he was running around as Michael McGillicutty! Probably the best part of this feud for me is how they’re throwing in a lot of real moments, showing bits of their real relationships. Brock telling Heyman to say something stupid when they were being interviewed backstage just showed that their relationship hasn’t improved in any way.

I want to end this with something that’s not strictly WWE, but about a former WWE Superstar we all hold dear. This past week, on Thursday, after the live TNA Impact, Kurt Angle was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. According to Dixie Carter, the head of TNA, Angle has entered rehab today.

It just goes to show you that someone can appear to have everything going for them, but they’re still dealing with some very serious demons in their lives. I wish Angle the best, and I know everyone is hoping he comes out of the other side of this better, stronger, and someone his children and fans can look up to and appreciate in the future.