Raw 9-12-11

I had finished this entry, and then Blogger went psycho on me, so forgive the lateness.

The Matches:

1. John Morrison & Alex Riley v. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger - 2 out of 5. This was just the wrong combination of talent altogether. Swagger face turn cannot happen soon enough!

2. The Miz v. Koji Kingston - 3 out of 5. This was a good way to build up both tag teams going into Night of Champions. I expect to see Truth v. Bourne on Friday.

3. Jerry Lawler & Sheamus v. David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty - 2 out of 5. Even though it was Sheamus, this was still a rehash of last week, except this time McGillicutty referenced his pedigree. Anyone who still doesn't know he's Perfect's kid was probably totally lost.

4. John Cena & Bret Hart v. Alberto Del Rio & Ricardo Rodriguez - 2 out of 5. Yawn. Ricardo was pretty entertaining being all nervous. Bret still has respect from the fans.

5. Kelly Kelly v. Vickie Guerrero - 1 out of 5. This was absolutely pointless. We'd already seen Dolph & Swagger once, so there was no need to rehash this. And Kelly managed to look even LESS impressive, if that's possible.

6. Cody Rhodes v. Randy Orton - 4 out of 5. This was every bit as good as their first match. Even had a nice, solid ending.

With Night of Champions less than a week away, only one addition was made to the card on Monday. Dolph Ziggler will have to defend his title in a fatal 4-way against Jack Swagger, Alex Riley, and John Morrison. I really wish I could look forward to this match, but I can't. Mainly because Alex Riley is in it. Riley is one of those guys who, if I wasn't now writing this blog, I would see on my screen and immediately go find something else to do. As it is, I will have to grin and bear it. And may every God in creation help me if he actually manages to win. Honestly, though, gonna have to look for Ziggler to retain, or for Swagger to eek out a victory and add fuel to the fire.

Mark Henry has been dominating as a monster heel ever since the draft. Now he even has a cute nickname for his reign of destruction: The Hall of Pain. My expectation with him, honestly, is for him to destroy Orton on Sunday, and hang on to the title all the way through WrestleMania. Does this mean I'm excited about it? Heck no. I've never been much of a fan of Mark Henry's. He's big, yes. He looks intimidating... That's about it. The only other notable thing about him is his nickname of "The World's Strongest Man." A moniker her earned legitimately--9 years ago. The only other person to cling to an accolade longer is of course Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle. But that's another company, and a whole other story.

Of course, the thing people would take home from this show was the showdown between CM Punk and Triple H. The segment started off slow as the two talked about the business. CM Punk played the part of the internet fans, who complain about seemingly constant booking for muscular men with no real talent, and none for real stars like Punk. Triple H played the part of WWE PR, who was quick to rattle off a list of champions and main eventers who didn't come close to fitting that description, and basically accused Punk of expecting a warm welcome on Day 1 and throwing a tantrum when he didn't get it (I believe this comment was what inspired Mehe's last post and I'm surprised she didn't mention it). Unfortunately, Trips began to talk himself into circles by continually repeating to Punk that he only needed to get over with the fans (who steadily chanted his name throughout). Luckily, just when we were about to bash our skulls in, the personal portion of the promo began, and just when things got heated up, Punk referred to both of their real names and his mic failed. Twice. The third time, instead of attempting to be heard again, he opted instead to use his Epic Mic Skills right on Triple H's head.

I'm still looking for Punk to start carrying a megaphone everywhere he goes, and I'm not sure why he hasn't been doing it since he came back.