^Triple H just proved once again why he is one of the best promo guys of all time. He is so well spoken compared to the majority of the younger roster and can captivate an audience throughout his entire speech. The creepy Undertaker video? I loved it. It gives you that old school dead man feel that has been seen by WWE fans for over two decades. Yes, it might be the last run for The Undertaker, but it's great to see that he plans to go out as strong as he came in. Nobody can compare to what he has done over the years.

The Big Show is out for a match with Daniel Bryan. Have we seen this before? Daniel Bryan brings AJ to the ring with him. Show and Bryan give us a decent back and forth contest. Bryan goes up top but sees Show get up. Bryan jumps down to the ring apron and Show kicks him to the floor. Bryan acts as though he has injured his knee. AJ blocks Bryan as Show goes for him. Show goes to walk off but Bryan hits his knee from behind. Show charges Bryan but Bryan moves and Show stops just short of running into AJ. Bryan takes AJ and walks up the ramp to lose the match via countout. Bryan grabs the mic after the match and says Show just proved that the first time he ran through AJ was on purpose because of how easily he pulled up this time. Bryan continues to taunt Big Show and says he will still be WHC after the Elimination Chamber.

^Bryan is incredible as the WHC. Can't say enough for everything that Bryan has accomplished as a heel and how nicely he carries himself as the major star of the Smackdown brand. It just works for this guy. The fact that he can wrestle a great match every time he sets foot in the ring is a huge plus for a World Champion(especially one of his size).

We learn from a taped promo last week that John Cena will be waving the green flag to start the Daytona 500 on February 26. I can hardly wait.

Back from commercial and David Otunga is in the ring. Otunga puts over JL as a great GM. Wonder what show he's watching. Otunga asks the fans to pray with him for JL's job security. Justin Roberts announces that Triple H has ordered David Otunga to compete in a match right now. Out comes Sheamus to a nice reaction from the crowd. Sheamus makes quick work of Otunga.

^Nice to see Sheamus continue to dominate as we move towards the Elimination Chamber and get one step closer to the announcement that Sheamus will face Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania. It's going to be a terrific match.

Chris Jericho is out to speak. Jericho says he spells the end of the garbage on Monday Night Raw. He says he has made every other performer in this company obsolete just by appearing on Raw. He says they are all Chris Jericho wannabes. He says the fans are the same way. He points out that the Miz stole his gimmick. He claims he did things in the ring that had never been seen before before Kofi, walked to the ring with Stephanie McMahon before Dolph ever had Vickie, and then there is CM Punk. Punk stole his best in the world saying and that he is nothing more than a Jericho wannabe. Jericho talks about all of his accomplishments and how he earned the right to be called the best in the world. He says this is the end of the world because he is coming back to reclaim what is his. CM Punk interrupts. Punk walks to the ring with a microphone and drops it. He holds up the WWE Title and the crowd cheers. Punk turns his backand waits for the Jericho attack. Jericho doesn't touch him and Punk walks away. Jericho calls him a wannabe and asks him if he is going to say anything. Punk just leaves.

^Brilliant. This is the sort of buildup that these two need to create a monster rivalry for their match at WrestleMania 28. My question here is whether or not you think Chris Jericho will call Punk a copycat for coming to the ring without saying a word. I'm excited for the match that these two are going to produce. It will steal the show and really shouldn't be on the card with Rock/Cena if they want Rock/Cena to be the main event. The three matches alone that are in the planning stages make this potentially the most exciting WrestleMania I've ever seen.

Wade Barrett and Cody Rhodes take on Randy Orton and the Great Khali. This is a good match all around. Khali slaps Orton in the back and tags himself in. He hits Rhodes in the head with a huge chop to pick up the victory. Ortons gets in Khali's face after the match and Khali grabs Orton by the throat. He pushes Orton who ducks the big chop and Orton hits the RKO on the Indian giant.

^Wow! I thought for a minute Khali was actually going to appear dominant on Orton. I'm glad WWE used smart thinking to have Orton be the last one standing here. He needs the momentum heading towards WrestleMania for whatever match he ends up in. When's Christian supposed to be coming back? Might make for a decent rivalry for Orton.

Next we have an eight diva tag team match with Tamina, Eve, Alicia Fox, and Kelly Kelly taking on Beth, Natalya, and the Bellas. This one is over fast as Tamina pins one of the Bellas with the superfly splash. Not much to say about this one. You got eight divas(half of which can wrestle) and you barely showcase any of the actual talent. I've begged for either legitimate wrestling that lasts longer than two minutes or for WWE to just scrap the division altogether. One or the other, please!

Hunter is backstage on the phone and is interrupted by JL himself. JL tells Triple H that Shawn Michaels is going to be on Raw next week. JL tells Hunter that he suggested Cena take on Kane in an ambulance match at the Elimination Chamber to the board of directors. Hunter says it is a good idea and then threatens JL unless he leaves his office.

^Shawn Michaels being pulled in for the storyline with Triple H and The Undertaker? I like it, as long as the guest ref rumors remain just that, rumors. If Triple H and Undertaker want to deliver the epic part three, then it needs to be without the distraction of HBK as the official in the match. I still think Laurinaitis will have his job through WrestleMania. Any idea if Mick Foley is going to get involved soon to work a rivalry for Mania also? Dolph Ziggler would be a great opponent for him. Getting back on track now...

Backstage interview with John Laurinaitis. Josh Matthews asks JL what he thinks the board's decision will be tomorrow. JL says the board is looking for someone with integrity and someone who can admits to mistakes and learns from them. He insults Triple H and points out that he is cowardly for refusing to face The Undertaker.

^Looks like my idea for JL to run Raw through Mania will go through after all. Like I said, JL was starting to grow on me.

It's time for the six pack challenge main event that will determine the final entrant in the Raw Elimination Chamber match! The participants are R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, the Miz, CM Punk, and Chris Jericho. The battle begins. Jericho appears to be missing from the ring. He is then shown laying outside the ring. Smart move by Y2J. The match ends when Punk hits a GTS on Ziggler and is pulled out of the ring by Jericho. Jericho tosses Punk over the announce table and steals the pinfall on Ziggler! Jericho will enter the Elimination Chamber match last! Punk stands up and sees Chris Jericho sitting in the ring CM Punk style with the WWE Title on his shoulder. Jericho stands up as Punk looks on in disgust.

^Making everyone think Jericho now has the advantage to win the title at the Elimination Chamber? I think it's a good idea. I'm not sure how the booking will go, but either Punk or Jericho will be the victor in that match. The chemistry between these two is going to lead to an incredible match in Miami on April 1st. Great main event for Raw with the showcasing of all the top guys!

Kane is backstage yelling at Eve. He says Cena is starting to embrace the hate, but that he is not all the way there yet. He says if Cena doesn't get there soon, he is afraid for Eve, for Cena, and for anyone who gets in his path. Kane says for the first time in his life, he is afraid of himself. Raw goes off the air.

^No mention of Kane all night, and we get the creepy promo on Eve that lasts under a minute? I'll take it. Creepy Kane promos are a thousand times better than typical Kane matches(try arguing with that one). I expect Cena to do the "un-cena like" thing that I predicted he would do at the Rumble at the Elimination Chamber during their ambulance match. Can't go too far with predictions right now though; that column will be for next week. I'm a bit surprised there was no Cena run in save during the segment with Eve. Just a creepy way to end the show I suppose.

Overall, another really good Monday Night Raw was delivered to us tonight. You had some decent matches across the board and some major storyline developments as we build to the big event on April 1st. I hope we get more than just one or two appearances from The Rock given that he is supposed to be headlining the main event of WrestleMania. Someone should call him out on this. Oh wait...they have. It's good to see Jericho both speaking and competing on the same show; it seems to make for better television. I'll be back with Smackdown on Friday and maybe a little something in between as we move towards the Elimination Chamber. Until next time, you've been ThunderStruck!

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I want to talk about the streak. Raw on Monday saw the return of The Undertaker. As a huge fan of this guy(like a lot of you out there), I can honestly say it's always great to watch the dead man come down the aisle after hiatus. His staredown with Triple H at the end of Raw leads you to believe that the two will indeed face off once again at WrestleMania 28. After watching their first match from WM 17 and their match from WM 27, I can honestly say that I can't wait for this to happen. Are they both a little more worn down than they were a year ago? Of course they are. However, let's not forget who we are talking about here.

Last year's WrestleMania had Cody Rhodes take on Rey Mysterio in a terrific match. It also saw CM Punk and Randy Orton give us one helluva show(yeah, they did better at Extreme Rules but Mania was still pretty damn good). Cena and the Miz wrestled a short match that was screwed up by The Rock being in the spotlight. But what about Triple H and the dead man? Oh that's right, they stole the show. Two veterans with a combined age greater than all the other singles competitors facing off on the show, wrestled the best match on the card. If you watched the "World Premier of WrestleMania" special on NBC, you'd know that the only thing on the program was The Undertaker/Triple H match. The match, much like Taker/HBK the prior two years, told a story. Telling a story is what it's about when it comes to any classic encounter. Can you really be naive enough to believe that Taker/HHH 3 won't be an amazing contest? One year doesn't change things that much, and it certainly won't in this case. The match will be epic; I guarantee it.

Should the streak end? Mike Lightning and I had this debate quite a few times. It's been argued that it would be fitting for the dead man to pass the torch to a younger guy by losing to him at WrestleMania. I don't agree with this argument. Why? Because this isn't about passing the torch. This is about one of the most, if not the most, impressive record in WWE history. It's about the streak. It's about the dominance of one man during his long tenure in WWE. Shawn Michaels ended his career with a loss to the dead man. Ric Flair(if he had stayed out of the ring) ended his career(in WWE at least) by losing to Shawn Michaels. Hulk Hogan, who recently said he will never wrestle another match, ended his career with a loss to Sting. If the streak was going to end, I would expect that it would signal the end of the dead man's career and that he would want it to be ended by another experienced veteran. It only makes sense.

My only reason for thinking that the streak will stay intact is actually because of what I said before. It's the streak. You can't destroy it. The Undertaker came into the WWE with a lot of dominance and maintained it throughout his entire career. What sense would make for his character to go out with a loss? It doesn't fit for the dead man at all. 19-0 looks very messy. 19-1 looks even worse. 20-0 is what it needs to be. He needs to defeat Triple H in an epic encounter that surpasses the quality of their previous two WM contests, and they should give him the proper retirement sendoff on Raw the following night. That's my ideal booking, anyway.

So what will happen with the streak? It remains to be seen. No matter how the match goes down at WrestleMania 28, you can be fairly confident that it will the dead man's last time inside the squared circle. His time in WWE will finally end after 21 1/2 years of magic inside the ring. You can easily expect the dead man to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the near future. So there you have it. These were just a few things floating around in my brain that I wanted to put into writing. I'll have my Raw column out sometime late tonight/early Tuesday. Until next time, thanks for reading!

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Henry has words with Long after letting him go from his grasp and Sheamus hits the brogue kick on Henry. Sheamus tells Long he hasn't made his decision about who he will face at WrestleMania. He says he will do what he does best week in and week out rather than just cut promos. He is interrupted by Cody Rhodes

Rhodes talks about winning at the Elimination Chamber and being the first IC Champ and World Champ since the Ultimate Warrior. Rhodes continues to insult Sheamus. Long books Rhodes in a one on one match with Sheamus right now.

^Good way to take Henry off tv to heal up whatever injuries might be nagging him at the moment. I like seeing Cody Rhodes being booked in the World Title scene; it's what he deserves for his high level of improvement over the last year. I like seeing Sheamus being apart of the opening of both Raw and Smackdown after wnning the Royal Rumble. With Sheamus not officially picking his opponent at Mania, creative can book him into several different angles.

Sheamus goes one on one with Rhodes and this match goes for under five minutes. The match ends with Sheamus picking up the victory with a new fireman's carry slam on Rhodes. Impressive win for Sheamus as he heads towards WrestleMania. How great would it be to see Cody Rhodes as duel champion after winning at the Elimination Chamber pay per view? I would be excited to see Rhodes head into WrestleMania defending his title against Sheamus. These guys could really steal the show working together.

Justin Gabriel is out next to face Hunico who comes to the ring with Camacho. Rhodes, who was still at ringside from losing his match with Sheamus, attacks Justin Gabriel with the help of Hunico and Camacho. As they gang up on Gabriel, out comes the Great Khali to make the save. Khali cleans house and takes everybody out.

Backstage segment #1: Drew McIntyre is pleading his case with Teddy Long yet again. Long tells Drew to find another way to impress him and be glad he still has a job. Santino comes in the office and announces that he has a new tag team partner; Jim Duggan walks into the office chanting USA. Santino and Duggan are booked to face Primo and Epico. Long shakes his head as they leave and Aksana comes in. Aksana points out the 2x4 on the floor that Duggan forgot and refers to it as a massive piece of wood. Couldn't see that coming from a mile away or something. Undertones getting old here for anybody else?

Duggan and Santino take on Primo and Epico. The match ends quickly after Santino is distracted by Rosa when he goes to use the cobra. Primo hits the backstabber and picks up the pinfall. ANOTHER new partner for Santino next week? I'm thinking yes. Maybe they'll bring back Kozlov(that was a joke, for those who are wondering). I love Santino comedy, and I'll say it every single week. Push this guy please!

Daniel Bryan is in the ring for an interview with Michael Cole. Cole said he thought Cole was a nerd who would never make it in the WWE. Cole says Bryan proved something at the Royal Rumble by winning the steel cage match. Cole said it wasn't a dominant victory and that Bryan was lucky. Cole says he is man enough to admit that he was wrong about Bryan, however. Cole extends for a handshake but Bryan takes the microphone from him. Bryan says this interview is not about Cole, but about Bryan himself. Bryan has something he needs to say. He says he succeeded in defeating two monsters inside a steel cage. Bryan rambles on about injustices that he has to endure as champion and whines about the Elimination Chamber. Bryan is absolute money on the mic. He goes on to insult the Big Show and says he should not be in a championship match. Bryan says he will take his case to the WWE board of directors if Long doesn't remove the Big Show from the Elimination Chamber match. Big Show's music hits.

Big Show gets a lot of cheers from the crowd. Big fan following here in Nebraska for Show. Show talks about Bryan not being a role model and not setting any example. Show goes on to insult Bryan for being pompous, arrogant, and lucky. Show says Bryan won't be champion after the Elimination Chamber match. Bryan says Show will not win the title and will lose like he has over and over. Show attacks Bryan and beats him around the ring. Show chokeslams Daniel Bryan and AJ climbs into the ring. Bryan goes to attack Show but Show grabs Bryan by the throat. He goes to punch Bryan but AJ grabs his hand and stops him. Bryan runs out of the ring and AJ leaves the ring. She hugs Bryan on the outside.

^I have to hand it to the Smackdown writers on this one. I didn't expect Daniel Bryan and the Big Show to have an interesting feud to last this long. You have to wonder if the storyline is going to be booked as AJ being manipulative and helping Bryan, or if she is an innocent pawn that doesn't realize Bryan's true personality. I'm curious to see what direction WWE goes with this one(yes, I actually care about a relationship storyline affecting the WHC, shocker).

Backstage segment #2: Natalya and Beth are shown doing squats in the back and Natalya passes gas twice before running off. Santino walks into the scene and gets sick in the trash can before running off.

^Are you serious? I wonder what Anvil did to piss off Vince. This is ridiculous. Without Santino making it funny with his sick impressions, this whole thing would be horrendous. Mind you, it's pretty bad as it is. Someone as talented as Natalya should walk out on whatever contract she has and go compete wherever she will be appreciated. What a joke.

Aksana and Tamina are out next to take on Beth and Natalya. This one is over quick as Beth tags herself in and hits the glam slam on Aksana for the pinfall. Natalya goes after Aksana after the match but is once again attacked by Tamina. Tamina hits the superfly splash yet again.

^So, let me get this straight. Natalya is the joke, and Beth continues to dominate? You know a Tamina/Beth showdown is in the cards for the near future. It's sad if this is the best WWE wants to book for the divas.

It's announced that the Great Khali is Mark Henry's replacement in the Elimination Chamber match. Does this actually mean the Great Khali has a chance to be World Champion again? Has WWE forgotten how awful that angle was the first time around?

Backstage segment #3: Matt Striker interviews Randy Orton. Striker asks Orton if his approach with Barrett will be conservative tonight. Orton says he has no problem with what Barrett did to him because he would have done the same. Orton says his career is not over and that he is more venomous than he has ever been. He says he will be World Champion after the Elimination Chamber.

^I love intense Randy Orton. Say what you want about his repetitive moveset, but the guy has charisma. He belongs as World Champion on Smackdown because there isn't anyone that can have as good a match(outside of Christian) on the Smackdown roster with anybody as Orton can.

Wade Barrett comes to the ring for his match with Randy Orton. Teddy Long, AJ, and Daniel Bryan are shown backstage talking. Bryan says AJ is scared of Show. Long says for them to watch the match with him and they can discuss it. Orton and Barrett give us a brutal no dq match. This thing goes all over ringside. Barrett brings a chair into the ring and goes on the offense on Orton by hitting him repeatedly. Barrett goes for Wasteland but Orton powers out and hits his three clotheslines and signature scoop slam. Orton grabs the chair and hits Barrett repeatedly(three times in the back, once in the gut). Orton sets up the chair in the corner of the ring. He whips Barrett headfirst into the chair. HD shows Orton's spit coming out of his mouth just before he hits a standing dropkick. Orton tosses Barrett over the announce table and then back into the ring for his on the ropes DDT. Orton goes for the RKO but Barrett blocks it and hits the big side slam. Orton gets his foot on the rope at the two count. Orton grabs another chair and hits Orton in the back with it. Barrett goes for a pumphandle slam but Orton counters out and hits an RKO. Orton hits another RKO on the steel chair and picks up the three count victory!

^Okay, so Orton and Barrett have put on main event matches over and over. However, I could see it being a main event on WrestleMania and still enjoying whatever these two throw at us. It's good wrestling and these two have insanely good chemistry that never fails to tell a story for the audience. I love watching these two go head to head.

Backstage segment #4: Long tells Bryan that he won't have to worry about the Big Show next week as he will go one on one with Randy Orton. Bryan tells AJ to stay in Long's office and watch this. Daniel Bryan comes down to ringside jumping around with his title on his waste. Orton turns around from the turnbuckle and looks pissed. Bryan continues to jump around and leaves the ring as the show comes to a close.

^Bryan and Orton have the potential to put on amazing matches. I'm hoping the finish is ruined early in the match next week because it should really be saved for the main event of a pay per view. Bryan's role as the ultimate heel is going over flawlessly. I honestly didn't realize he would be this good as a heel; it's beyond impressive.

Overall, Smackdown was solid. The divas were a waste of time as usual, but you know Beth/Tamina will be a good match when it finally does take place. A little more in ring action would've boosted the show, but it wasn't overall terrible. I'm hoping Khali being back in the main event picture doesn't mean he'll actually have more than one title shot. Raw column will be up on Tuesday at some point. Until next time, you've been ThunderStruck.

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Welcome to Canton’s Corner. It was a good week of wrestling on TV this week. I thought Raw was excellent while both Smackdown and TNA Impact Wrestling were above average this week too. I’ll cover all three of those, plus the usual polls, video, Melo Out and other things you’ve come to expect from Canton’s Corner. It’s the Super Bowl on Sunday. If you follow me on Twitter you know I’m a huge NFL fan, even more than I am a wrestling fan. Before I get to the wrestling part of the column, I need to share my pick.

I think the Giants will win. I like their defense to slow the Pats down just like they did in the regular season. The Ravens and Steelers did it too. All similar kinds of defense. If you get in their face, be physical and get some shots in on Brady he softens up. They showed that in the Super Bowl four years ago and when they played this year. Four years ago I picked the Pats because I thought their offense was too explosive. Now it’s different. They use the TEs instead of stretching the field with Moss. Brady almost never throws deep anymore. So the key will be can the Giants cover their TEs enough? I think so. They can rush four, get a lot of pressure and drop 7 in coverage. The teams that could give the Giants problem are the 4 or 5 wide teams like the Packers, but the GMen overcame them with the pressure. On the other side of the ball, I think Eli will have a huge game. It’s important to use the run game too, but I think he’s going to throw for 300 yards and 2-3 TDs. It will be difficult for the Pats to handle Cruz, Nicks & Manningham plus a solid Giants run game. I’m not disrespecting the Pats or anything like that. I respect them enough that I’m likely not betting on the Giants. If I was that confident I would bet. I will probably just stick to prop bets. Since I have to pick one team I’ll go GMen. Giants 31-21.

Moving on, I need to talk about my special series of columns where I am recapping all 27 WrestleMania events between February 1st and this year’s WrestleMania. I am posting the recaps exclusively on thejohnreport.net every Monday, Wednesday & Friday and sometimes I will post them on a Sunday as well when I need to. The recap to WrestleMania 1 is here while WrestleMania 2 is here. These weren’t great shows, but they were important in terms of setting the stage for what WrestleMania would ultimately become. I’ve been getting tremendous feedback on them. Let me know what you think, please. I’m sure that as we get further along to the more recent shows there will be a lot of reflecting on what happened, which is what I want.

Last Week’s Poll Results
The poll question was: Are you a fan of Brodus Clay’s “Funkasaurus” character? The results after 2,000+ votes:

Yes – 60.44%
Too early to tell – 18.39%
No – 12.37%
I just like the song – 8.8%

I voted yes. I didn’t know what to expect with the results, but assumed most people liked the gimmick. I think Brodus is going to need a real feud sooner rather than later because if not the character is going to get stale very quick.

This Week’s Poll Question: Will CM Punk & Daniel Bryan walk into WrestleMania 28 as the WWE & World Champions?
This one is interesting. Both CM Punk and Daniel Bryan are defending their respective titles at February’s Elimination Chamber PPV where odds are against both of them leaving that event holding their titles. The question is, will they still be holding their titles going into WrestleMania 28 on April 1st?

Will CM Punk & Daniel Bryan walk into WrestleMania 28 as the WWE & World Champions?

I voted for both. That’s my hope and my belief. I think Punk vs. Jericho for the WWE Title at WrestleMania is very likely. For the World Title, I think Daniel Bryan defending against Sheamus & Randy Orton is a strong possibility. Perhaps a fourth man could be involved. I’m not sure. I just hope that Bryan walks in with the title because he deserves it.

I wrote about Raw live on Monday, so here are some more thoughts.

An excellent edition of Raw
I loved Raw this week. I gave it a 9/10, which is a very high score by my standards. There weren’t a whole lot of wasted moments on the show. That’s all we ask. Make every segment count, or at least try to limit the bad ones. If that can happen on a consistent basis then Raw will be a better television show. The last three Raw episodes earned ratings of 7, 7 and 9. Most years the shows are better from January through March because they have a better idea of where things are going.

CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan
A fantastic match. Surprised? Of course not. These are two of my favorite performers doing the thing that made me fall in love with the business in the first place: WRESTLING! Yep, I busted out the caps for that one. I was okay with the non finish because if you book either guy to lose it would make them look too weak heading into the Elimination Chamber match. Plus, it’s the start of the Jericho/Punk program that I’ve been looking forward to so much. Let’s hope this week’s Raw starts off with a Jericho/Punk promo. That could be great.

The Undertaker returns and Hunter walks away
I did not expect to see The Undertaker back on Raw this week. I was pleasantly surprised. He walked out, looked at the WrestleMania sign, looked at Triple H and expected a similar reaction from Hunter. Instead, Hunter patted him on the shoulder as if to say: “I don’t blame you for coming back because your wife has an annoying voice, but I’m just not that interested.” That’s how I interpreted it anyway. I’d anticipate the Hunter/Undertaker match to happen at WrestleMania with Shawn Michaels as referee as rumored, but there’s no rush in terms of when they announce it. Tell a story. Make it interesting. That’s what wrestling is all about.

The other point worth making regarding Undertaker is that after Raw was over, instead of writing me about how great the show was most people were commenting about Undertaker’s obvious wig. Pics of him last summer circulated the net and what was interesting is that his head was shaved. Between then and now, maybe he kept a short haircut. Maybe he’s growing it out and it will be ready by the time he has to wrestle on April 1. I have no idea. I guess it says a lot about the man that when he returns after being gone for 10 months a lot of people wonder about what his hair might be like. That’s respect…I think.

John Cena to enter WrestleMania 28 with the song “Invincible”
The song is by the artist Machine Gun Kelly. It’s one of the theme songs of WrestleMania 28. You will hear it approximately 847 times between now and April 1st. It was announced this week that Cena would also enter to the song Invincible, which I assume will be performed live in Miami. What caught my eye was this statement by Machine Gun Kelly: “John Cena and myself are both underdogs and the song is about struggle. I think it’s so cool they chose it.” John Cena is an underdog? Clearly MGK has never seen WWE in the last 9 years. What kind of drugs is he on? By the way I don’t hate the song…yet.

Other thoughts:

- Regarding the Royal Rumble, I’m not a fan of changing the finish from Jericho to Sheamus just because people online expected it to be Jericho. I think TJR writer Mike Aires nailed it in his column on Friday. You shouldn’t change plans because of what people think is going to happen. You should do what you think is best. Why let others dictate what you do? Go with what you believe is best.

- Is John Laurinaitis still the interim Raw GM? I’m not sure. The comments on Smackdown make it seem like he got removed from the role, but I think it’s an unresolved issue at this time. It’s a good way to keep people tuned in week after week to see where this story is going.

- We found out that Kharma had her baby on December 31. She returned at the Royal Rumble on January 29th. I’m not sure when she’ll be back as a full time performer, but the sooner the better. The divas division needs her.

A few likes and dislikes from this week’s Smackdown. You can read about the ups and downs of Smackdown by TJR’s Andrew Johnson. It’s always an entertaining read.

LIKE – Daniel Bryan’s “I’m a vegan” speech
The World Champion Daniel Bryan was set to be interviewed by Michael Cole, but then he told him to leave. Bryan went on to rant about how wrong people were for eating meat and for how right he was for being a vegan. It’s an idea that they did two years ago with CM Punk doing his Straight Edge Society gimmick. It’s not the message that is drawing the heat. It’s how Bryan (and Punk in the past) says the message that is drawing the heat. Nobody likes a preacher. Nobody likes a guy that is going to say I’m better than you and then list reasons why. With the push he’s received, Bryan’s confidence has gone up and it showed during this promo. By the way, the “We Love Bacon” chant by the crowd was hilarious.

DISLIKE – Mark Henry suspended for barely doing anything
When Teddy Long announced the participants for the Elimination Chamber, Mark Henry was one of them. He complained about it saying he wanted a World Title match that night instead. Teddy said no. Mark put his hands on him barely, so Teddy suspended him. In reality, Henry’s got a knee injury and he’s been given a few weeks off, but couldn’t they have done a better job with this. He barely did anything to get suspended. I have more sympathy for Henry than I do for Long, which isn’t the intent unless of course this is leading to Long being ousted as Smackdown GM. It’s time for Teddy to go. I feel like I’ve been writing that for years now.

LIKE – Randy Orton handles his business against Wade Barrett in a No DQ Match
It appears as though the Orton/Barrett feud is finally over with that clean & decisive win by Randy Orton. The announcers did a good job of trying to say that Barrett has been elevated due to this feud, but I’m not sure if the audience will see it that way. It depends on how he’s booked going forward. As for the match, it got about ***1/4, you knew Barrett has no chance of winning and I liked how Orton won in an emphatic way with the RKO on the steel chair.

By the way, I miss Wade Barrett’s previous theme song. It was one of my favorites.

DISLIKE – Natalya has a farting problem
Why are they doing this angle? Last week Natalya farted during a backstage segment with Teddy Long and this week she farted during a stretching routine with Beth Phoenix. I understand that Vince McMahon loves poop and fart jokes for whatever reason, but to give that to a diva as a gimmick to somehow get them over? That’s silly. The only good thing I saw out of this was that Beth tagged Natalya in, got the win for her team and then walked away. Looks like they’re doing the angle where Beth is becoming an egomaniac, so Natalya could go face out of it. I’d love a Beth vs. Natalya feud.

DISLIKE – Great Khali in the Elimination Chamber match
Mark Henry is hurt. He needs to heal up. Fine. I get that. Of all the people on the roster you could pick to replace him, the choice is The Great Khali? Why? Nobody wants to see the guy wrestle. Every time he walks it looks like he might tip over and break one of his kneecaps. He can barely take a bump at this point of his life. Why not Christian? I know he had an ankle injury, but as far as I know he’s over it now. He’d do a much better job (FYI I actually typed in “jobber” there) in the match and frankly I miss the guy. One…more…match.

Just because I had two likes and three dislikes doesn’t mean I thought Smackdown was bad. I thought it was a 6/10 kind of show. I just write what I feel is worth sharing.

Other thoughts:
- Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton is announced for next week in a non-title match. I thought this would be the WrestleMania match although with Sheamus winning that changes things. It should be great although I don’t expect a clean finish. If they get 15+ minutes they could come close to what Bryan & Punk did on Raw this week.

- Sheamus won his match with a “new” move. The announcers acted as if they had never seen the move before. They are idiots. Finlay used to do it all the time. Here’s video proof. I don’t ask that the announcers be really smart. Just don’t be really stupid. Find some middle ground.

I’ll bring the Twitter Ten back for Tuesday’s Raw Deal. On Monday, if you’re following me on Twitter, I’ll ask for questions.

Some likes and dislikes regarding TNA’s Impact Wrestling.

LIKE – The atmosphere of the show being taped in London, England
It was so refreshing to not only see them out of the Impact Zone, but also in front of 7,000 fans that were actually making noise. The noise was genuine for most of it, except when Garett Bischoff spoke and they had to pipe in cheers because nobody really cares about the guy. If you follow TNA wrestlers like I do (some of em anyway), you could see how excited they were wrestling in front of that crowd. It’s a shame that there are no more road tapings scheduled any time son except for the Lockdown PPV in April, which is taking place in Nashville.

DISLIKE – Anything with Hogan & Bischoff
Enough already! Look, I understand they wanted to put Hogan on the screen in England because he hadn’t been there in over a decade, but having him endorse Garett Bischoff is nauseating. Fans don’t want to cheer Garett. I had dozens of people that were at the show tell me he was booed loudly, but on the broadcast they edited that out. I’m tired of Hulk Hogan and I’m even more tired of Eric Bischoff. They represent the past of a failed company known as WCW. They haven’t meant a thing for TV ratings in the past and Impact was becoming a better TV show without Hulk. Now he’s back spouting off the same “TNA is on the brink of something big” speech he has said for over two years. Yawn.

LIKE – James Storm wrestles twice
First he wrestled Bobby Roode, which is not something I would give away on free TV, but I understand why it was done since there was no Jeff Hardy on the program. Then Storm wrestled Bully Ray in the main event. I thought both matches were very solid, in the three star range, and did a good job of building up the PPV title match featuring those three along with Hardy. Storm is killing it right now. That means he’s doing well, for those not down with the lingo. You’re welcome.

DISLIKE – Crimson’s undefeated streak is over…right?
The tag team scene has featured some weird booking. Last month Morgan & Crimson beat Joe & Magnus. In the weeks that followed, Morgan & Crimson beat each Joe & Magnus in singles matches, yet they got attacked post match. On this week’s show, the Magnus & Joe team won a match where both guys were in the ring at the same time while the Morgan & Crimson duo had to tag in and out. Morgan got pinned to take the loss for his team. Since his team lost, that means Crimson is no longer undefeated right? My guess is they won’t go by that logic. This is TNA, where logic is optional.

LIKE – Austin Aries vs. Mark Haskins
They had an entertaining four minute match, which isn’t a surprise because Aries is arguably the best performer in all of TNA. Haskins actually ended up receiving a concussion during the match because of his botched Shooting Star Press, but they still put on a good show. Even though it was only a five minute match, it was still nice to see an X-Division match worked at such a fast pace.

Other thoughts:
- Impact has been a better show in the last two months. I don’t dislike things that much when I watch it. It’s a welcome change.

- The Tara/Gail match was fine. I’m tired of the finishes with a second heel knockout getting involved because it’s a trend that has been happening for far too long in TNA, but I guess I’ll take what I can get. These are two women that know what they’re doing in the ring. More of that please.

- On a final TNA related note, at TJR we have coverage of their new Ring Ka King promotion and our writer is from India, so he’s been able to provide some perspective on some of the things they’re doing on the show that may be tough to understand. I know reading through it helped me understand it even more. To read Siddhartha’s recaps of the first two episodes click here. I thought they were solid as debut shows. It will be interesting to see how the stories progress. I’ve heard enough good things about it to keep watching, though.

Random Clip of the Week
For this I’m going with my favorite February match in WWE history. A lot of people write lists about favorite WrestleMania, Summerslam or Royal Rumble matches, but what about matches from a particular month? If I wrote a listing of best February matches this would be at the very top. It’s Steve Austin vs. Triple H at No Way Out 2001 in a Three Stages of Hell Match. I have plenty of thoughts below, but first here’s the match.

I wrote about this back in 2004 in my top 50 matches from 2000 to 2004 (that’s five years) column that some of you may remember. I rated the match five stars (out of five) meaning it is the epitome of an excellent wrestling match. Here was my analysis of that match:

This was a big match in many ways, especially for Austin. Just four months before this match he came back from neck surgery and we didn’t really know what kind of shape he’d be in. He had some really good TV matches, and some okay PPV ones, but nothing to really tell us what we’d get from him here. What we ended up with was one of the finest brawls ever. The action did not stop here. Sure, at times they moved slower to sell the beatdowns and there’s a good chance Austin was legit tired, but it didn’t hurt the match one bit. What I liked the best about this match was it was booked so evenly. Neither guy was on the receiving end of punishment more than the other one. It was about as even a brawl as you could get, and obviously that was the goal of both guys once you saw the ending, which was also very even. I can’t praise it enough. This was two guys at the top of their game in an element they had perfected. It doesn’t get much better than this.

I remember at the time of match that I was upset with HHH going over here. While they made it clear that Austin wouldn’t lose his Mania main event slot, I was surprised that he lost. Then when I mulled it over a bit more, I realized it was done with a hint toward the future, for that future Austin/HHH match later in the year where HHH would point out that he beat Austin earlier. If Hunter didn’t tear his quad a few months after this, I’d assume that’s where they were going with this. Austin didn’t have to win here, so the booking did make sense after all. Austin was my wrestler of the year in 2001 while HHH was my wrestler of the year in 2000. While this match was exceptional, there was the sense that there’d be more from Austin and Hunter in the future. Sadly, there wasn’t another match and that’s okay because this match will stand on its own in my memory for as long as I live. Simply awesome.

Eleven years later, I still love it including the build up to the match. I bet if it took place at a WrestleMania more people would talk about how great it is. Another February match that I highly recommend is Angle vs. Undertaker from No Way Out 2006. That’s a classic too. Obviously a lot of the Elimination Chamber matches are good and the Guerrero vs. Lesnar match from No Way Out 2004 is a favorite of a lot of people too. If you think about it, February’s one of the better months in WWE history for having great matches.

Melo Out with Steve Melo

What the crack lads? I will probably be saying that a lot now that Sheamus shocked the crap out of me by winning the 2012 Royal Rumble. I was so sure that Jericho was taking it and it would have been the end of the world as we knew it, but here we are.

I watched the Royal Rumble pay per view on Sunday. I actually paid for it. “Are you not entertained?” as Maximus would say. I was actually. I’ve read and heard mixed reactions but I was indeed entertained. Am I not merciful you busy little bees? Sorry, I just recently saw the movie Gladiator again and I’ve been quoting it nonstop in everyday conversations. Where was I? Oh ya…Royal Rumble. I enjoyed it even though the comedy spots were pretty predictable and I was left with more questions than I cared to answer after the fact. Thankfully I got most of my answers on Monday night RAW, which was the best episode this year so far. Hands down. I could talk about the great wrestling that was featured on the show, but I want to talk about what happened at the very end. I want to talk about the return of The Undertaker.

Before his return, I was already reading that a lot of people did not want to see Triple H face Undertaker for the third time at Wrestlemania 28. I can’t say I agree. Personally I want to see it because it is the third time and quite frankly, third time is the charm as the saying goes. It makes it more believable that the streak could actually end, that instead of going 20-0 that Undertaker could in fact end his career 19-1. I have also read rumors that they may bring in HBK as a special guest referee. That to me makes the story going into this even more interesting and I am hoping they do. Sure they could have picked a new challenger, a younger opponent to help elevate, but it’s not about that to me. It’s about the streak. Besides, who else on the roster would you actually believe could end the streak? I would say Cena, but he is tied up with Rock so scratch him off the list. Also, will WWE acknowledge the fact that it is the third encounter between HHH & Taker? They didn’t last year but I could see them doing it now play up more on the fact that Triple H just can’t get it done. It could go many ways but I for one am very interested to see where this goes. Sure an opponent like Barrett or even Sheamus had he not won the Rumble would have been new and fresh, but would you believe either of them to be the one to end the streak? Not me. I was actually hoping instead of Sheamus choosing to challenge either champion that he would announce he wanted the streak. Don’t see that happening now.

Until next week, Melo out & shut your mouth! (See what I did there?)

Steve “The Melo Man” Melo
Facebook: MeloOutTJR
Twitter: @MeloOutTJR

—————

That’s a wrap for this week. My Writing-fest continues with WrestleMania 3 going up on TJR on Monday, the Raw Deal on Tuesday, WrestleMania 4 on Wednesday, WrestleMania 5 on Friday and probably Canton’s Corner a week from today. I may give myself a Canton’s Corner break one of these weeks because I’m going to lose my mind sooner than I’d like if I don’t. We’ll see how it goes.

Have a great week. Enjoy the Super Bowl. Remember Giants 31-21. You’re welcome.

John Canton – john@thejohnreport.net
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This Road is Paved With…

It has now been over 24 hours since the end of the Royal Rumble, and we’ve just witnessed the first Raw on the Road to Wrestlemania. Some things are going as expected, while some are not. WWE always ramps up their production this time of year. I see some things to be excited about, while others have me scratching my head…

Sheamus Winning the Royal Rumble

Few of us saw this coming. I’m pretty sure that like me, most of you were puzzled by this. All signs were pointing to Chris Jericho winning the Rumble. Instead, we’re thrown a swerve by the victory of the Celtic Warrior.

I’ll give credit where credit is due. Sheamus has developed quite a fan base in the WWE Universe. Despite lingering in the mid-card on Smackdown, the cheers have only been getting louder. I just don’t think it’s enough to justify a Rumble win.

I also don’t really have the desire to see Bryan vs. Sheamus at Mania. Many have pointed out the irony that a US title match between these two was booked at last year’s event. Only to be bumped of the card at the last minute. The match happened, but it was a dark match that became a battle royal. Secondly, how many times have we seen Daniel Bryan get destroyed by Sheamus when they were in reverse heel/face roles?

I see so much more potential in a Bryan vs. Orton match. I know I’m getting ahead of myself. Bryan still needs to defend the title at Elimination Chamber. He’s on a roll right now in his heel role. I don’t see anyone else being champion going into the big one. I see this being a great match that can stand up alongside Punk/Jericho (more on that later). Sheamus/Bryan doesn’t do it for me.

In my perfect world, I would have Sheamus ask to use his Wrestlemania opportunity to face The Undertaker. He could say that if he were to break the streak, it would be bigger than any championship. Sheamus could be seen as a legitimate threat. He’s been built up enough over the years to be a credible main eventer. He has the look, personality, and he’s good enough in the ring to get buy. And he’s been improving.

I’ve always seen Sheamus and Barrett as the only two newer stars that I could ever see breaking the streak. Clearly, this is happening (more on that later). I’ll see how it plays out. Nothing is set in stone and there may be a new WHC after EC.

Mick Foley in a match at WrestleMania

There have been rumors going around that Mick Foley may be looking to get in “ring shape” for a match at Mania. It looks like they may have been planting a few seeds for Ziggler/Foley a few weeks ago. My suggestion. Wait till next year.

I’m not saying that he doesn’t deserve another match. I understand that he wants his youngest kids to see him perform. The thing that bothers me is that we’re already going to see Taker/HHH (possibly HBK) and The Rock taking up spots for the biggest payday of the year. That goes without mentioning any legends that may make appearances following the Hall of Fame. Foley competing in a match cranks the nostalgia up to 11. It’s a bit too much.

Triple H vs. Undertaker III at WrestleMania

No, no, no. As we saw on Raw tonight, this looks to be where we’re heading. Sure, HHH is gonna say he won’t let personal issues get in the way of business matters. He’ll go on for a few weeks. Maybe even a month. Eventually he’ll accept. They may throw in a wrench with a Career vs. Streak match, or the often rumored HBK as special guest referee scenario.

As mentioned earlier, I’d rather see Taker go against Sheamus. A short list otherwise: Barrett, McIntyre, Ziggler, anyone but HHH for a third time. I just don’t care. If this is Taker’s last match, why give us something we’ve seen twice already?

Punk/Jericho: It Begins

This feud basically wrote itself the moment Punk started calling himself “the best wrestler in the world”. Most of us saw it coming, and got goosebumps thinking of the potential. Great talkers, older style workers, and two of the best of their generations. They’re both also known to be hands- on creatively. I feel they could potentially match/outdo the golden 2008 Jericho/HBK story arc.

The “end of the world as we know it” did not happen on Sunday. Where do we go from here?
Apparently, the first shot in this feud went off tonight. Late into a great first time (in WWE) match between Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, Chris Jericho interfered. He looked determined to make a statement as he tossed the WHC out of his way. A Codebreaker left the Straight Edge Superstar laid out in the ring. Jericho simply started and left. No words, nothing.

I assume we’ll see a follow-up next week, as the reasons for Jericho’s return and action become more clear. I’d like to know the relevance of his return promos. They were too cryptic to not mean more than a simple return.

Timing of the Elimination Chamber PPV

I wrote about this a few years ago, and feel obligated to mention it briefly. I wish the EC PPV was after Mania. It mixes up 10 guys in two matches. For three weeks storylines are overlapping and jumbled. This time of year isn’t the right time. I hate that someone who won the title a month earlier can walk into Mania with it. It devalues the titles a little big, when they should mean the most.

Brodus Clay

I have yet to chime in on my thoughts on the “Funkasaurus”. His shtick was fun the first few times, but I’m already getting to the point of boredom. I see him eventually breaking out of the gimmick and being the monster he should be. He won’t go further than the Godfather in this role. He’s embraced the character and is doing a fine job with the cards he was dealt. Its commendable, but he won’t be taken seriously as a main-event star.

Hope you enjoyed the read. I’m open to any feedback, so take minute to send me your thoughts…

email: bswithkj@comcast.net
Twitter: @KemperJones #BlowinSmoke
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Live from Kansas City, Missouri this is the Raw Deal…

The show started with the Nickelback song and then the pyros hit, so I guess we have pyro this week. Ring announcer Justin Roberts introduced interim Raw GM John Laurinaitis, who is having his job evaluation tonight. He goes around the ring shaking hands with some of the fans. Big smile on his face. Cole plugged that Royal Rumble winner Sheamus will be there later.

Laurinaitis said he’s done a good job and that everybody makes mistakes, but it’s important to not make the same mistake twice. He said his review would be done by a Triple H, who he sucked up to. Laurinaitis said he did a fair job at the Rumble. He announced the six man WWE Title match for Elimination Chamber, which he called Elimination (forgetting Chamber) the first time he said it.

The WWE Title match at Elimination Chamber is CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz vs. R-Truth vs. Chris Jericho. No tall guys. All of them around the same size. It will be a great match. I’m pumped for it.

He announced matches for tonight: Beth Phoenix vs. Eve, Kofi Kingston vs. Miz, Dolph Ziggler vs. Randy Orton and a first time ever match (in WWE at least) CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan. Oh yeah that’s a great match although I wouldn’t give that away on free TV. It’s non-title of course. CM Punk’s music hit.

CM Punk walked out singing the “na-na-na-na-nah-hey hey hey goodbye” song along with the crowd. He put the microphone on Jerry Lawler & Justin Roberts to sing the “goodbye” part when he got there. Then he got in the ring to confront JL. Laurinaitis said he is owed an apology because he did a great job at the Rumble. Punk said he walked out there to see him one last time. He said he enjoys seeing him stumble over words and is amazed at how Laurinaitis can manage to suck and blow at the same time. That’s a famous line, but he did it well. He can’t wait for Triple H to kick his carcass out the front door. Isn’t he still the VP of Talent Relations? JL said he’s honest and the Board of Directors knows that. He wants to start new. He wanted to shake his hand. Punk threatened him saying that the only reason he should extend his hand is if he wanted to go to sleep. There is Daniel Bryan’s music.

The World Champ walks out to the ring. “Hey everyone it’s me the World Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Bryan!” He says nobody cares about their petty personal problems. He said while they were having their issues, he beat Show & Henry in a cage match. He said Punk isn’t much of a challenge compared to what he went through last night. Punk says: “You’re right. All I am is the best wrestler in the world.” Bryan says that’s great, but he’s more than just a wrestler. Bryan: “I’m a role model. I’m a vegan. I don’t even eat meat!” Punk asks him what does he eat? Bryan says if he makes jokes he’ll take his pipe bomb and stick it where the sun don’t shine. Punk says “clown shoes” Laurinaitis just wants to create something. Punk says what they should do is give Kansas City the best wrestling match in the world. Crowd cheered. I did too.

The music of Sheamus hit. He reminded us that he won the Royal Rumble. He also told Punk & Bryan they’re defending their titles at the Elimination Chamber. He also reminded JL he could get fired and that he’ll be in the main event of WrestleMania. Not really the main event, but it’s fun to say. He wished both champions good luck. No choice it. “May HHH kick you in the arse so hard that you’ll be throwing up in your undies.” Something like that. Then he left.

The segment ended with Punk and Bryan staring eachother down. They shook hands. Oh hell yeah this is the match I want to see.

Orton vs. Ziggler after the break.

It was an entertaining opening that took nearly 20 minutes. They announced a lot of matches, we saw both major champions and the winner of the Rumble match, so they covered a lot in that one segment. Punk’s confidence would suggest that Laurinaitis will remain in the role although that’s just a guess on my part. I assume we’ll find out Sheamus’ decision after the Elimination Chamber PPV. He mentioned both titles being on the line at that PPV, so it would make sense if they did that.

(Commercial)

Back from break, Josh Mathews was in the luxury skybox of Wade Barrett, who had a vested interest in this match. Orton’s music hit. They announced Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett on Smackdown. Barrett said he’d finish the job for good on Smackdown this week. Dolph Ziggler walked out next with Vickie Guerrero.

Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler
These two had an incredible match on Raw a couple of months ago that made me want to see more. Here’s hoping they get a lot of time. They talked to Barrett while the match was going on, which was a little distracting although it did mean less Cole & Lawler talking so I guess that’s okay. Orton dominated the action early, but Dolph came back with a sweet dropkick to the back of the head. They went to break about 3 minutes into the match.

(Commercial)

When they returned from break, Orton was making a comeback. Ziggler managed to slow it down with a neckbreaker. Ziggler followed it with situps to taunt Orton, which fits into his “show off” gimmick. Ziggler went to the top, but Orton tripped him up. Vickie screamed at ringside. Orton hit his top rope superplex. How is that bad back doing? That earns a two count for Orton. Orton hit the spinning powerslam. He went for his DDT off the ropes, but Dolph fought out of it and gave Orton the sleeper. Randy threw him off and hit a beautiful cradle for two. Ziggler came back with the Fameasser/Rocker Dropper for a great nearfall of his own. They need to give that name a move for Ziggler. Orton blocked a Zig Zag and clotheslined Zigger over the top rope. He whipped Ziggler into the boards and followed that up with the DDT off the ropes. RKO. That’s it for the victory at the 11 minute mark.
Winner: Randy Orton

Analysis: *** That was fun. I’m not sure if it’s a great idea to have Ziggler lose clean two nights in a row, but obviously Orton is a top guy that they are going to put over others more often than not. They did an excellent job of building up the believable nearfalls too. I like their chemistry. It would be nice to see them in a feud that leads to a longer match down the road.

They plugged CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan for later.

They also promoted the next WWE Hall of Fame announcement. We already know it’s Mike Tyson. They mentioned it on Twitter. It’s on ESPN. Tyson was the one that broke the news early this morning.

(Commercial)

We return with the WrestleMania 28 video package. The song is called “Invincible” in case you’re looking for it. WrestleMania 28 is 62 days away. I’ll be there.

The announcers narrated the Cena/Kane match from the Rumble. Summary: Kane beat everybody up. Eve cried. Here’s my Royal Rumble recap.

Back from break, Laurinaitis shook hands with Regal. He’s trying to be nice to everybody. He asked Regal about his sons, but William told him they were daughters. In other words, JL really doesn’t care. Regal said they were conjoined twins that he keeps up in the attic. A little bit funny, but lame too. Why not just put Regal at the announce desk? He’s great at it. Then Laurinaitis saw Curt Hawkins, said hi to him and we went to a break.

Not a lot of “action” before that break. Weak segment.

(Commercial)

They returned to tell us that the Royal Rumble was the most socially active show on television. That’s nice.

It’s Funkasaurus time with Brodus Clay. There’s a disco ball above the ring now. Brodus does his dance at the top of the ramp with the girls. If you’re surprised that he wasn’t in the Rumble all I can say is they probably didn’t want to have him get thrown out the match. No weaknesses for Brodus. They are only focusing on his dance. Of course Cole & Lawler overreact to this as if it’s the greatest thing ever. The crowd enjoyed it after the pyro went off.

Brodus Clay vs. Tyler Reks
Lawler said this was a Funkasaurus vs. T-Rex (or Reks) and that this was straight out of Jurassic Park. Brutal joke. Reks hit a dropkick, knocking Brodus to a knee. Brodus hit a belly to belly suplex and a punch to the back of the head. He finished it off with the What The Funk finisher. Match went about a minute.
Winner: Brodus Clay

Analysis: NR It’s the same thing they’ve done since he debuted. One of these weeks they’ll have to give him a storyline. Not this week apparently.

They promoted the “Will HHH fire Laurinaitis?” story for later. I assume that’s going on last.

Backstage, Bryan talked to Punk in the locker room. He told Punk that eating meat is like putting poison in your body. Punk told him he doesn’t drink alcohol or do drugs and he doesn’t claim to be a role model like Bryan. “I’m just the best wrestler in the world.” That was a segment to get over their beliefs more than anything. I’m sure Vince McMahon finds the whole vegan thing to be bizarre, so that’s why he likes to make it into a bad thing.

The Punk vs. Bryan match is up next. And the collective Internet Wrestling Community is having a joygasm in anticipation.

(Commercial)

They came back from break plugging the Royal Rumble from last night.

We’re at the top of hour two now. Punk entered the ring first. Bryan next. It’s odd that they’re doing WWE Champ vs. World Champ without much hype, but it is a non-title match done for the sake of putting on a good matchup. I understand if people are going to complain about them doing it. However, my opinion is this is going to be a great f’n match and I’m going to enjoy it.

CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan
They started with a handshake. It was a nice ode to their Ring of Honor heritage. Bryan got the control early, trying to weaken Punk by working on his upper body. Meanwhile, the announcers were talking about how Cole is starting to get respect for Bryan. Bryan charged into Punk, who countered with a back body drop over the top to the floor. They exchanged uppercuts on the floor. Bryan won that battle and whipped Punk into the boards. Bryan went back in the ring, proud of his work. Punk got back in the ring before the count of ten. They noted that “Champion vs. Champion” is trending. Punk came back with a backbreaker for two. Bryan whipped him into the corner, he went for his dropkick and Punk avoided it. He covered Bryan for two. They each ran the ropes and collided with a double crossbody block. They went to break at the six minute mark with both guys down.

(Commercial)

Back from break, they showed Bryan hitting a dropkick to the arm of Punk. He continued to focus on the left arm and shoulder of Punk, which of course sets up his LeBell Lock finisher. Bryan went to the top, Punk blocked it with a kick and hit a hurricanrana off the top rope. As he did the move, he yelled “BEST IN THE WORLD” in Bryan’s face. That was good. Punk hit a dropkick, clothesline and a spinning neckbreaker. The running knee in the corner and the bulldog followed. He signaled for the GTS, Bryan got out of there and bailed to the floor. Punk with a baseball slide. He went for a dive to the floor but Bryan crushed him with a forearm smash to the face. Missile dropkick by Bryan for two. Awesome match. They exchanged holds at such a fast pace that it’s hard to cover everything. Bryan got a hurricanrana for two after a couple of nearfalls. Bryan hit a hard kick to the face. Punk gets his shoulder up. Best nearfall of the match so far as we hit the 13 minute mark.

Bryan takes Punk over to the corner for a superplex. Punk fights it off and hits a headbutt to knock Bryan down. He looks into the crowd. Top rope elbow time. He hits it for a count of two. Punk goes for the GTS, but Punk countered into a pin attempt for two. Bryan went for a LeBell Lock. Punk fought off, slingshot into the corner and a kick to the head. Bryan was on the apron. Out of nowhere, Chris Jericho attacked him, throwing him into the boards. Match went about 15 minutes.
Winner: Daniel Bryan via DQ

After he threw Bryan away from the ring, Chris Jericho went in the ring and hit a Codebreaker on Punk. Jericho left. Bryan celebrated the win in a hilarious manner.

Analysis: **** It gets four stars out of five for me. That was an exceptional wrestling match between two of the best wrestlers alive. You can argue for others if you want, but I’d put them at the very top of the list. The amount of close nearfalls were great, the counter wrestling they did was at a very high level and they worked at the perfect pace. Obviously the lack of a finish hurts the ending a bit, but it was still a great 15 minute wrestling match that’s as good as any TV match WWE has had in a long time. More please.

The Jericho involvement sets the stage for the heavily rumored Punk vs. Jericho match at WrestleMania, so I’m fine with that. I want to see that match at WrestleMania 28. If this is the start of that build then that’s wonderful.

They announced Mike Tyson for the WWE Hall of Fame. As far as celebrities go, his impact was huge for WWE. His involvement in the Austin/Michaels story in early 1998 was huge. It was a big deal then. Looking back it could have been a difference maker for why WWE passed WCW. The Austin/Tyson shoving match on Raw was epic. One of those moments I’ll never forget. I’m fine with Tyson going into the celebrity ring of the WWE Hall of Fame.

R-Truth walked out not in his ring gear. I guess he’s speaking to us next.

Plug time.

Satirical Wrestling News Site Launches
A very different kind of wrestling news website has emerged in the past couple of weeks. Kayfabe News (kayfabenews.com) offers satirical, completely fictional “news” that lampoons the weird world of professional wrestling. A few headlines will give you a taste of the site’s satirical slant: – WWE Hall of Fame closed for renovations, – Ultra-real WWE video game will suspend players for wellness policy violations & – WWE medics puzzled by 100% decline in small gashes to the forehead.

The site has earned high praise from people within the wrestling world. Jim Ross called it “funny stuff,” Colt Cabana deemed it “hilarious,” and the Funkasaurus himself, Brodus Clay, said “I love it!” The creator of Kayfabe News, a longtime Pro Wrestling Illustrated writer and professional journalist, says the site will be updated daily with new stories. You can follow it on Twitter (@kayfabenews) and join the Facebook group (facebook.com/kayfabenews). Visit now!

(Commercial)

R-Truth joins Cole & Lawler at the announce desk. He’s there for the Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz match. Miz said people were talking about Kofi’s handstand, but he’s the one that lasted the longest in the Rumble. He said he’d beat everybody in the Elimination Chamber and he’ll headline WrestleMania again because he’s The Miz and he’s awesome.

Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz
Miz started out in control. Cole said Miz was the favorite in the Elimination Chamber match. Um, no. Then Cole asked about Little Jimmy and Truth said he talked to Little Jimmy, not about him. Well there ya go. Insight from R-Truth. Miz grabbed a headlock to slow down the offense of Kingston. Kingston has question marks on his tights, so maybe he’s The Riddler now. The Miz’ attempt at his corner clothesline, got countered by Kofi getting the boots up. Nice crossbody by Kofi gets two. Cole w as asking Truth where Little Jimmy is. Yes it’s as silly as it sounds. Kingston ended up hitting Trouble in Paradise out of nowhere to win after about 6 minutes.
Winner: Kofi Kingston

Analysis: *1/2 A decent TV match, but didn’t have enough time to get into another gear. Kingston barely got offense in. He made it count with the Trouble in Paradise for the win. Miz lost to Truth clean last week and now to Kingston.

Backstage, David Otunga sucked up to Laurinaitis, telling him he hopes he keeps his job. JL was nervous, wondering if Otunga wanted his job. He told him no, that he’s content in his current role. Then he left as they went to break.

(Commercial)

They returned from break showing the WrestleMania 28 sign in the video. The video package about The Rock aired. It’s the same video that aired during the Royal Rumble. The moral of the story is that The Rock is really rich, I think. I like him, but I can see people disliking him for it in the sense that it shows him doing things other than wrestling more than it shows him wrestling. I saw some feedback from people yesterday that mentioned those feelings to me and I understand it. I don’t mind it personally, but I can understand why others would.

Once the video ended, they plugged The Rock vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 28 in Miami on April 1st.

The Divas title match is up next: Beth Phoenix vs. Eve.

(Commercial)

We return from break with Eve’s intro. That theme song is awful. She sells the Kane attacks by looking behind her as she enters the ring. The crowd barely reacts to her. Beth comes out on her own. Why don’t they have Natalya with her anymore? Odd.

Divas Title: Beth Phoenix vs. Eve
Beth hit the Glam Slam for the win. Match went about 20 seconds.
Winner: Beth Phoenix

After the match, Kane’s music stared and he appeared on the screen. He said all of the attacks on Ryder could have been prevented if Cena embraced the hate. He said until Cena embraces the hate he can’t beat Kane or The Rock. He said he’d continue the attacks to continue to prove his point. The he claimed he would use Eve as a conduit to pass that message along. He’s like a James Bond villain that reveals his evil plans before they happen.

Eve looked for Kane on the entrance ramp. He showed up behind her. Cue John Cena’s music. They brawl all around ringside with the crowd going crazy. I haven’t loved this storyline, but the reaction to this brawl is pretty loud, so that’s a good sign. Cena whipped Kane into the ring steps. He followed that up by ramming his head into the steps. Cena picked up the steps and hit Kane in the head with them. Cena smiled. The crowd cheered loudly. He hit Kane with the steps one more time. Cena told him that every time he gets up he’s going to knock him down. One more shot with the steps sends Kane down one more time. Cena clears the announce table. The crowd is loving it. Cena got a microphone and hit Kane in the head in it: “We gonna have a party up in here.” He went for the Attitude Adjustment on the table, but Kane elbowed him in the head and he took off.

Analysis: That was a very good brawl with Cena showing a lot of fire in the attack on Kane. Very good energy by Cena and the crowd was loving it. Even the Cena haters should give him praise for that because he did what he should do more often. Angry Cena is entertaining. He’d be an awesome heel if they ever pulled the trigger on it. I don’t think they will. I think it’s more about making him look tougher in the build up to Mania. Kane is a good person to get that out of him. There are rumors of a Kane/Cena Last Man Standing Match at Elimination Chamber. I’d assume Cena goes over. That would be fine with me.

It’s now 10:54pmET as they went to the last break of the show. It’s the Laurinaitis/Triple H segment to end what has been a very good show.

(Commercial)

For the main event angle, which is starting at 10:58pmET, Justin Roberts introduced the interim Raw GM John Laurinaitis, to boos of course. Nice “#Clown Shoes” sign in the crowd. Laurinaitis wants to say a few things before Hunter comes out. He says he knows we appreciate his work and that ratings have been up since last year. He said he gave himself a 5 out of 5 in various self assessment categories. It was getting boring, so cue up the theme music of Triple H. The suit wearing son-in-law walked out in his suit.

Hunter said he’s been watching him for a while because JL backstabbed him and grabbed it. He called him spineless, gutless and he’s not very swift. He said he was no different than anybody else and that he didn’t just use the power, but that he used the role to make himself a star. JL said he respected Hunter. Hunter said he’s involved himself too often because his personal agenda was to make himself a star. JL said no and that he did it to make Raw better. Hunter said Vince let personal decisions could his judgment, Hunter let personal decisions cloud his judgment and so has Laurinaitis. JL said that he would do anything to save his job. Hunter asked him to repeat it: anything. He said he could make him do anything like apologize to the fans and if the fans welcomed it he could reconsider. Laurinaitis did his apology while the crowd was booing him relentlessly through it all. Hunter said the crowd was so loud that he could barely him, but his lips were moving so he knew he was lying.

Hunter had another idea by saying maybe he wants to have a Gauntlet Match against every WWE Superstar that has a problem with Laurinaitis. He kept thinking about other ideas. He said his father in law had a genius idea when he needed to see where his loyalties lie. He mentioned that Vince would have that person be a member of a certain club. It’s the infamous Kiss My Ass club although Hunter didn’t say it. The crowd chanted “Kiss His Ass” because they knew what it was. Laurinatis took out chap stick from his pocket, got down on both knees and puckered up. “You’re really gonna do it aren’t you, you freak.” Hunter mocked him for it. Hunter said he didn’t know where his lips have been. “You should get some personal help for that, man.” Haha that was good. Hunter said he would do what needs to be done.

Hunter tells us that the Board of Directors has let Hunter know that whenever he wants to come back to run Raw he’s able to do it. Hunter “I wish you well in all…” and just as he’s finishing…GONG! Undertaker. Wow. Crowd went nuts.

The Undertaker made his full entrance to a thunderous ovation. They had an epic staredown in the ring. Undertaker looked at the WrestleMania 28 sign. He did his throat slash gesture. Then he looked at the sign again. Hunter put his hand on Undertaker’s shoulder. He didn’t look at the sign. Does that mean he doesn’t want the rematch from last year? Hunter left. The crowd cheered as Undertaker looked at the sign. The music of The Undertaker played as the show came to an end at 11:17pmET. That’s a long overrun.

That was a really strong ending. The cliffhanger is does Hunter want the match with Undertaker or not? Obviously it’s a go, but I’m fine with not announcing it yet.

Three Stars of the Show
1. (tie) CM Punk – Best match plus a really good promo.
1. (tie) Daniel Bryan – Same as above.
3. The Undertaker – Welcome back.

9 out of 10
Last week: 7
2012 Average: 6.4
2012 High: 9 (January 30)
2012 Low: 4 (January 9)
Last 5 Weeks: 7, 7, 4, 5, 5

An amazing episode of Raw. Well done WWE! The last two weeks I gave Raw a 7. This week it was even better, earning a score of 9 from me. The strength of this show was the in-ring work. Then they ended it with the return of The Undertaker, who has returned after being away since WrestleMania 27. It was a hot ending to a very good show.

The Punk/Bryan match was incredible. One of the better TV matches you’re going to get on TV. Orton/Ziggler was nice too. The promos at the start of the show and at the end were really strong as well. This was a fantastic wrestling television show.

The seeds have been planted for Punk/Jericho and Undertaker/Triple H for WrestleMania as well. Both of those are winners to me. I’m excited.

It’s also worth noting that Laurinaitis was not officially relieved of his GM duties, so as far as we know he’s still in the role. Hunter said he could take back the spot of running Raw anytime he wants, so we’ll have as an ongoing storyline I’m sure. It’s unlikely that they would write off the Laurinaitis character.

Also a salute to the Kansas City crowd. They were loud the whole night. They helped make the show that much more enjoyable.

How would you rate 01/30 Raw on the 1-10 scale?

Moving on, a big thank you to reader Kyle, whose Twitter name is @KyleDeTalente, for the nice John Report sign during the Royal Rumble PPV. It appeared during the Kane/Cena match when they brawled backstage. You can view that here by going to the 5:45 mark and looking for it in the upper left corner. Here’s a screencap of it:

If anybody brings a TJR sign or “@johnreport” or anything like that then I’ll put it into a column if we can see it.

Lastly, here’s a video of my friend Paul Benson (@Paul_Bens0n on Twitter) and his buddies dressed up as wrestling characters of the past while cutting Royal Rumble promos. He’s the one in the Big Bossman outfit. I thought the IRS guy did a fantastic job too. Enjoy!

I’ll be back on Wednesday with WrestleMania 1, Friday with WrestleMania 2 and Saturday with Canton’s Corner plus much more next week. I’ll be writing a lot between now and WrestleMania 28. Have a great week.

John Canton – john@thejohnreport.net
thejohnreport.net
Twitter @johnreport
Facebook Facebook.com/thejohnreportnet

I'm watching the show live tonight and putting this together as the show goes on. I hope you don't mind the extra results detail along with my "awe-inspiring" analysis(see sarcasm).
The road to WrestleMania 28 begins tonight in Kansas City, MO! We open Raw with John Laurinaitis coming to ringside and slapping hands with the fans. Nothing odd about that. JL talks about making mistakes and how nobody is perfect. He says he is confident that he will be the permanent GM of Raw. JL puts over Triple H as one of the greatest of all time. Kiss ass much? JL talks about the Elimination Chamber pay per view and botches his words as he introduces the participants in the Raw match being Kofi, Punk, Ziggler, Jericho, Miz, and R Truth. Jericho gets the biggest pop on the list. Beth vs Eve and Kofi vs Miz is announced for tonight. He also announces Dolph Ziggler will take on Randy Orton. He books Daniel Bryan against CM Punk in a champion vs champion match.

CM Punk interrupts. I'm very glad that Cole is no longer major heel. His character isn't half as horrible as it was when he was always complaining. Punk does the hey hey goodbye chant for JL. JL just smiles through it. Lawler gives us a goodbye as Punk tries to sing it with everybody. He gets in JL's face and says goodbye clown shoes. I'm loving this! JL says Punk owes him an apology for thinking he would screw him at the Rumble and he didn't. Punk says he owes him nothing and he's a liar. He says he came to see his dimwitted face one last time before he is fired by Triple H. JL defends himself and says he has taken Raw to new heights. JL says he wants to put their differences aside and start new. He extends his hand to Punk. Punk says JL must want to go to sleep. Daniel Bryan interrupts.

Bryan says no one cares about their personal problems and puts himself over as World Heavyweight Champion. Bryan says Punk isn't much of a challenge. Punk says he is the best wrestler in the world. Bryan says he's a vegan and doesn't eat meat. Punk asks him what he does eat. Bryan says he will take Punk's pipebomb and stick it where the sun doesn't shine. Punk just wants to give KC a show tonight with Bryan and the best wrestling match in the world.

Sheamus comes out! It's about damn time we see this guy on Raw! Sheamus puts himself over as the winner of the Rumble after apologizing for breaking up the love-fest. Sheamus wishes Punk and Bryan good luck in their elimination chamber matches defending their titles, as he will be facing one of the champions at WrestleMania. He also wishes Laurinaitis good luck in getting his ass kicked by Triple H. Punk and Bryan shake hands in the ring.

^Best opening segment possible after the Royal Rumble. I enjoyed all of it and featuring your two champions and Rumble winner with the GM on the hot seat was a great way to start the show! The fans seem excited as well by the Laurinaitis review and the Punk/Bryan match.

Randy Orton is out next for a match with Dolph Ziggler. Wade Barrett is interviewed on the balcony up above with Josh Matthews while Orton comes to the ring. Looks like this Barrett/Orton rivlary is far from over. Matthews continues to interview Barrett during the match. Ziggler and Orton put on a decent match with one another. Vicky seems totally irrelevant to me for Dolph's character. The guy has the best matches on tv and doesn't need a manager. Orton hits a big superplex near the end of the match and only gets a two count. Orton starts to hit his signature moveset and Dolph applies a sleeperhold. This match really has my attention. Ziggler hits a fameasser and Orton kicks out. Barrett is shown watching intently. Ziggler goes for a backstabber and gets bounced back as Orton clotheslines him to the outside. They brawl and Orton tosses him back in the ring. He hits his signature DDT and calls for the RKO! Orton hits his finisher and gets the three count for the victory!

^I was talking to Mike Lightning about gem matches earlier and how they can be found here and there more on Smackdown and Raw than on pay per views. This was that sort of match for me. These two are highly capable of putting on terrific matches and nothing slowed them down in this one. Even Vicky sitting there at ringside had little to no affect on the match. Something tells me Ziggler will dump her character soon as she really isn't needed to put over his heel gimmick.

Backstage segment #1: Laurinaitis is shown backstage kissing ass to some of the random crew, William Regal, and Curt Hawkins. And then another commercial break. Really? First of all, I'm predicting Laurinaitis will somehow keep his job. He shouldn't, but I can see it happening and everybody being pissed off. Maybe Triple H will start his storyline setup with The Undertaker tonight? Just an idea.

Dude Love...erg I mean Brodus Clay is up next taking on Tyler Reks. Here comes another Brodus squash! Clay makes quick work of Reks and picks up another victory. Apparently Brodus Clay is the next Bill Goldberg. No. I feel like WWE must have big plans for this guy as he isn't being booked to lose at all. Sad. Who would've known Snoop Dogg's former bodyguard would be a dancing WWE Superstar?

Backstage segment #2: Punk and Daniel Bryan exchange words. Punk says most people don't know what a vegan is. Bryan explains and says he doesn't think many people know what straight edge is either. Punk explains it and says he doesn't claim to be a role model, just the best wrestler in the world.

CM Punk and Daniel Bryan are up next! Punk and Bryan put on a solid five minutes loaded with great technical wrestling and then we get a commercial break. The two continue the back and forth action. Punk hits the running high knee and then the running bulldog. He calls for the GTS but Bryan counters out and runs to the outside. Punk hits a baseball slide and goes for a dive but gets caught by a Bryan forearm. Bryan hits a huge missile dropkick for a two count. I love Michael Cole calling this one neutral because of his hatred for Daniel Bryan and his lack of cheering for Punk. Bryan misses a kick to head and Punk goes for a school boy and gets a two count. Punk goes for another rollup but only gets two and gets kicked in the head by Bryan. Bryan gets a two count as well. Punk hits a flying elbow after knocking Bryan off the top rope. Punk goes for another GTS but Bryan counters into a pin attempt for two and then goes for a labell lock but Punk counters into a slingshot and a kick to Bryan's head. Out comes Chris Jericho who grabs Bryan off the apron and throws him into the barrier. Jericho comes in and hits a codebreaker on Punk. Bryan wins by dq as Jericho hit him before going after Punk.

^Speaking of gem matches(outside of the finish, that is)! This could have easily been the main event of any pay per view in 2011 and outshined all of them. Awesome match! This should make guys appreciate the indy circuit that much more for developing stars like this. I understand Jericho starting his feud with Punk this way and I'm okay with Punk and Bryan not having a clean finish. It should really be saved for a pay per view the next time these guys go at it.

Mike Tyson is announced as the celebrity inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2012. I liked him better in Hangover than I did as the guy who knocked Shawn Michaels out after what as expected to be his last match at WrestleMania 14. Years later he knocked out Jericho if I remember right. Good for Vince and his publicity though, and congrats to Iron Mike as you know he's a huge wrestling fan.

R-Truth is out next to ringside. Dude is dressed fancy. Commercial break. Truth is on commentary for the Kofi Kingston/Miz match. I'm looking forward to this one now that Kofi is back in the upper card picture. Miz cuts a promo and says Kofi got a huge ovation for doing a handstand(E P I C). Miz says he was the number one entrant and lasted over forty five minutes. Miz says he will beat Kofi and he will win the Elimination Chamber to go on to headline WrestleMania. Truth talks trash about Miz and moving on to the Chamber as Miz and Kofi go back and forth. Truth says Miz looks angry. Cole asks about little jimmy. Truth says he is real. Cole says he is trying to understand him. Truth tells him to stop worrying about him. Miz hits a kneeling DDT on Kofi and gets a two count. Truth is absolutely hilarious on commentary. Truth tells Cole little jimmy is looking right at him. Cole asks where he is and Truth says he is looking right at him. Kofi hits trouble in paradise on the Miz and gets the pinfall victory!

^I'm thrilled to see Kofi back in the upper card working one on one matches. His talent has always been there and I think it's time for his push to the top to get started.

Backstage segment #3: John Laurinaitis is backstage with David Otunga. Otunga tells JL he has done all he can to influence tonight's decision. JL asks if Otunga is after his job. Otunga says he is happy with his position as JL's legal counsel.

^I love the buildup that we've been getting all night, but I still think we're being tricked and that JL will keep his position. My personal dream scenario would be JL getting fired and Mick Foley being announced as the new GM of Monday Night Raw. I suspect it would lead to Foley setting up a match for WrestleMania where Foley would have to step down from the position eventually and then JL would be brought back. Just a theory.

Up next we have Beth Phoenix taking on Eve for the Divas Championship! Eve looks "distraught" because of what happened to Zack Ryder at the Royal Rumble. Beth attacks Eve and hits a glam slam for the quick victory. Kane's music hits and he is shown on the big screen. Kane taunts Eve and blames everything on Cena not embracing the hate. Kane says Cena can't beat him or The Rock until Cena embraces the hate. He says he will continue to beat on Zack Ryder until Cena gets that message. Kane tells Eve he is going to use her to pass the message along. The pyro goes off and Kane's music hits. Kane is behind Eve and gets in the ring with her. Cue John Cena's music. Cena runs down to the ring and brawls with Kane. Cena slams Kane into the ring steps and bangs his head over and over on them. Cena picks up the steel steps and hits Kane with them. Cena looks angry and charges Kane with the steps again. He does it again and then tosses the steps. Cena goes over and pulls the cover and tvs off the announce table. Cena hits Kane with the microphone and says we're going to have a party. Embracing the hate much without realizing it storyline? Kane escapes the attitude adjustment from Cena and runs off through the crowd.

^Good continuation of this rivalry as we move towards the Elimination Chamber. The rumor of a specialty match makes me hope it's last man standing or fight to the death(see sarcasm). People are going to start liking Cena more and more as he becomes more aggressive. You can already see it just by looking at how the fans cheered at what he was doing to Kane.

It's time for John Laurinaitis' job evaluation. JL is out first to lots of boos. JL gives himself a self assessment of his evaluation and starts to build himself up before being interrupted by Triple H. They shake hands. Triple H says this is simple and to forget the numbers. Trips says he thought JL might do a good job because he's spineless and gutless and not swift. Triple H says JL was worse than anybody else. JL says he was not trying to make himself a star like Hunter says. Hunter is smirking through this whole segment and pointing out how JL has tried to make himself a star. Trips says JL let personal decisions cloud his judgement and JL interrupts and JL says he will do anything to save his job. Trips tells him if he apologizes to the fans and they accept his apology that he can keep his job. JL tries to apologize. The crowd boos. Trips asks the fans if it was good enough and they say no. He says he was sure JL was lying. Trips suggests a gauntlet match. Triple H suggests the kiss my ass club for John Laurinaitis. JL says he doesn't need to prove his loyalty. Triple H tells him he does. JL takes out the chapstick and gets on his knees. Triple H calls him a freak and can't believe he was actually going to do it. Triple H is about to fire John Laurinaitis! It's about damn time. Triple H announces that the board has put him back in charge and says it warms his heart to wish him well in all of his future...interrupted by The Undertaker's music! The Dead Man comes to the ring and stares at Triple H before staring up at the WM 28 sign. He gives the arm across the throat to Hunter and just stares him down. Hunter pats Undertaker on the shoulder and walks out of the ring. Does this mean Triple H is going to refuse the match? Undertaker will find a way to get under his skin and make it happen.

^I suppose this means Triple H will leave JL in charge through WrestleMania until after his match with the Undertaker. Great ending for Monday Night Raw to see a staredown between these two! Triple H looked pissed and you know Taker/HHH part 3 will be epic on April 1st.

Great Monday Night Raw to start the Road to WrestleMania! Anybody that complained about a mediocre Rumble can't be disappointed with the Raw that we were handed tonight! Welcome back Dead Man! Solid matches and promos all night long and no complaints from yours truly! I'll be back Friday with Smackdown and start working on February's specialty columns. Until next time, you've been ThunderStruck!

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