RAW Retort – Daniel Bryan loses the title, but gains support

Miz’s parents watch in horror!

Randy Orton

Stephanie and Trip wanted Orton to be the nasty, evil, unstoppable Orton? Well, it looks as though the hometown boy got the worst of it. I will say that Orton really took it to Miz, but at certain times he seemed to be working too stiff, as Miz came out of that with quite the welt on his back, and then at the end, Orton really botched the final move. You might say that Orton was protecting Miz, but I’ve seen that move hit and look so much better than that – so I call it a botch. So in trying to get over, Orton worked both too stiff and botched the ending. To me that’s a rough night, but I still think he has it in him to really be the top heel, under Trip and Stephanie, in the WWE right now.

Heyman kissed Ryback!

There’s not much I can say about Heyman kissing Ryback for rescuing him. In reality, it’s Heyman who is trying to rescue Ryback. If Heyman can’t rescue Ryback, then he has no chance to be a top competitor in the WWE, or even an upper mid-card wrestler. I’ll be shocked if this works for Ryback, because I really think he’s beyond help.

Usos prove themselves to be top tag team – below the Champs!

The fans in the arena didn’t seem overly impressed with this match, but I sure was. Unlike a lot of people watching at home, I don’t have a problem with with the fans entertaining themselves by chanting for random announcers and wrestlers who are not in the matches, but why is that so different from the wildness of the Attitude Era? The people who are complaining about these chants are just cranky because they’re not in the arena having that fun along with them.

But I thought the Funkasaurus and Cesaro looked solid in this match. Sweet T looked better thank I remember seeing him in months, or longer. He really put it out there and sold it well, but it was the Usos who shone the most in that match. The Usos continue to step things up each time we see them. They continue on this track and they’re going to be right up there with the rest of their family, the Anoa’i wrestlers.

Bryan gets Brie love!

I loved that the face wrestlers cheered Bryan on as he headed for the ring, but it was the quick hug from Brie that really made this little segment believable. I have never been a big fan of the Bellas, but if Bryan loved Brie that much, she must really be a good girl. The same can be said for Nikki. If John Cena loves her that much, she must be a good girl. Bryan and Cena are great guys, so they must see something very special in the Bellas.

Locker room clears for Bryan!

I honestly was not expecting Reigns to work that strongly in the ring. He didn’t need Bryan to carry him, because he was solid in his own right. This match was great to watch, and not just because of Bryan. I cringed when Rollins was slammed back into the announce table. I worry that he might have a concussion. That being said, he worked hard through the post-match as if he wasn’t hurting – mostly.

When Orton came out, I knew the end of the match was going to be a mess, but clearing the locker room wasn’t something I expected. I thought it would be at least another month or two before that happened, but I was thrilled when I saw it happen. The wrestlers who came out to the ring were obviously specifically picked, and their lives are going to be getting a lot harder on RAW and Smackdown, but that’s only going to make it all that much more interesting. I cannot wait to see where they go from here, and so thrilled that they’re working such a huge storyline again after so many years.