Picture
The Rock engages in a verbal exchange with CM Punk.
Decent opening segment featuring Big Show and Chris Jericho. I liked how Show came off much more aggressive than he has in recent weeks, which is when he is at his best. The buffoon that he is made to look like at times really hurts his character, so this was a nice way to regain that last momentum from last week. Jericho also played his role well here and I appreciated the fact that they both mentioned they have history with one another in Jeri-Show.

Solid match between Randy Orton and Mark Henry. I enjoyed this match a bit more than their confrontation from last week, as they kept things interesting throughout. I'm content with Orton disqualifying himself against Henry because it allows him to lose without getting pinned clean for the second week in a row. Henry's post-match assault on The Viper was a great way to continue his recent dominating ways.

Throwaway match between Tamina Snuka and Layla. The timing was off in most of their moves and their styles didn't seem to mesh at all this time around. They've had fine matchups together in the past, so I just found it strange they underperformed here. This was the only televised build they've had for the Divas Championship match at Elimination Chamber, but why couldn't Divas Champion Kaitlyn have been at ringside for this contest?

Strong promo between WWE Champion The Rock and CM Punk. Rock was straight forward, kept the comedy to a minimum and delivered his lines with passion. Furthermore, Punk was equally as excellent with his promo and made the added stipulation to their WWE title match on Sunday feel important. This was way better than their confrontation on Monday's Raw, so it was good to see them end the build to this feud on a high note going into Elimination Chamber.

Picture
Big Show knocks out Chris Jericho for the victory.
Typical match with Brodus Clay and Tensai defeating 3MB. The action was kept short and mostly harmless, but the outcome was never in doubt. Obviously, the point of this bout was to promote the pre-show tag team match pitting Tensai and Clay against Team Rhodes Scholars on Sunday, so it served its purpose. As I've said before, I'm fine with the teaming of Clay and Tensai, as it gives both guys something to do for the time being.

Nice match between The Miz and Cody Rhodes. Similar to their match on this week's Raw, it featured some entertaining offense and it gave Miz a nice momentum booster going into his United States Championship match on Sunday. The commentators did an effective job of putting over Miz's deltoid injury and making it the primary focus of this bout. However, it would've helped to see an appearance from U.S. Champion Antonio Cesaro here.

Boring match with Jack Swagger squashing Zack Ryder. It was almost exactly what we saw on Raw, so there was nothing new here. Nonetheless, it put over Swagger's dominance nicely and made him look strong going into Elimination Chamber. Zeb Coulter's promo following the contest was well executed and garnered some awesome heat from the live crowd.

Good match with Big Show defeating Chris Jericho. It managed to tell a story for as long as it lasted while also putting over Show's dominance. Jericho loses nothing from taking the loss clean here, but he should've been more focused on his Elimination Chamber match going into the upcoming event. I'm glad Show looked strong coming out of this show following the weeks of bad booking his character has taken up to this point.

Overall, a decent go-home show that featured mediocre build for Elimination Chamber. While the action was solid for the most part, nothing was all that exciting to the point where it was worth going out of your way to see again. Most of the matches on Sunday's card were hyped, but not effectively. Regardless, everything on this show served a purpose in building towards the pending pay-per-view.

 


Comments




Leave a Reply

    Categories

    All
    News
    Opinion
    Previews
    Reviews


    Archives

    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010


    Author

    Picture
    B/R Featured Columnist Graham "GSM" Matthews
    Since becoming a wrestling fan in April 2008, I’ve seen my passion for the product grow as each day passes. While I may have started watching wrestling later than some would think, it doesn’t mean that my love for the business is any less existent. Although I had a brief experience writing for the WWE Universe (WWE’s social networking site at the time) in late 2009, it wasn’t until May 2010 that I was introduced to a larger audience in the form of Bleacher Report. Since being accepted to write for the site, I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to write as a Featured Columnist (as of March 2011) and hone my craft as a journalist. As a senior in high school, I plan on attending college next year to major in the field of journalism. Aside from Bleacher Report, I also submit my work to the likes of PWMania, Kayfabe Kickout, Pro Wrestling Powerhouse and other established sites.  

    Outside of watching wrestling, I’ve been training in MMA since January 2010, where I currently hold a second degree green belt status. Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve traveled to a variety of places that include Europe, Australia, Jamaica and other luxurious locations. I’ve attended a number of Raw and SmackDown tapings over the years, as well as a number of indy events and house shows. My ultimate goal is to one day work for the WWE and encourage others to pursue their lifelong dream as well.

    Through my writing, I look to inspire, entertain and enlighten others with my vast knowledge of wrestling history. I strive on maintaining a positive mental attitude in both my wrestling writings and life in general. Of course, I couldn’t have attained as much success as I have without the continuous support of my faithful followers, so for that, I genuinely thank you. As best said by Heidi Johnson, “Always concentrate on how far you have come, rather than how far you have left to go.”