Effective opening segment featuring John Laurinaitis and WWE Champion CM Punk. It was a pleasant surprise in seeing Punk make an appearance on SmackDown, and he led Laurinatis to a good promo that helped hype a match with Kane later in the night. Once Punk walked off, Laurinaitis garnered major heat by badgering the audience and playing his role extremely well.

Fun match with WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth and Kofi Kingston defeating Titus O'Neil and Darren Young. I would have liked to see O'Neil and Young continue their recent momentum with a victory here, but the tag team champs needed a win going into their title defense at Over the Limit. Hopefully, we see more from these two teams in the near future.

Intense segment with Damien Sandow refusing to face Yoshi Tatsu, only to viciously attack him moments later after Tatsu called him out on it. Sandow's gimmick has me intrigued, and it certainly seems to accumulating heat fairly quickly. Although I would have loved to see him compete, forcefully beating down Tatsu was an awesome way in foreshadowing his aggressive characteristics in the ring.

Brief match with Daniel Bryan quickly defeating Zack Ryder. Based upon past matches between the two, I would have loved to see this go longer, but keeping it short made Bryan look strong into his WWE Championship on Sunday. Ryder hasn't meant anything in ages, so having him to job out to Bryan in this fashion didn't do much damage that wasn't already done.

Great non-title match between WWE Champion CM Punk and Kane. It's been quite awhile since we've seen these two go at it, so this bout felt fresh. Given the correct opponent, Kane can produce an above average contest, and this was no exception. I enjoyed the chemistry between him and Punk, so a future feud between Punk and Kane is something I'd love to see. Smart booking with Kane winning via disqualification, as it protects the Straightedge Savior and gives the Big Red Monster some much-needed momentum. Having Kane brutalize Punk following the bout was an awesome way of making him look vulnerable as the conniving Daniel Bryan looked on from afar.

Throwaway match between Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes and United States Champion Santino Marella. It's disappointing to see feuds now evolve over social networking rather than over the actual shows, but at least it was given a reason after what occurred on Monday's Raw between these two. I honestly have no desire in seeing Rhodes compete against Santino, who is no where near his level while Rhodes should be taking on more credible opponents. Instead, Santino picked up the "upset" victory clean for no reason whatsoever, further burying Rhodes in the process. I surely hope this isn't leading to a unification match between the two championships merely due to the fact that both titles are needed on both brands to aid stars in the mid-card.

Solid match between World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and Randy Orton in the main event. Since it started thirty minutes before the close the show, I was sure this bout would turn into a tag team match of some sort. However, it didn't, but still proved to be a very well-wrestled match between these two top faces. It was given over twenty minutes adding in the two commercial breaks, which is something that could have easily been saved for a pay-per-view. Nonetheless, I was shocked and glad to see this end with Sheamus defeating Orton in a clean fashion, something that is extremely rare these days. Orton's post-match RKO on the Celtic Warrior was expected, so Sheamus comes off as a moron for shaking his hand anyways. I'm confused as to why the other two key members in Sunday's Fatal-4 Way match, Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio, were absent from the broadcast even though they were the ones who received the most momentum in recent weeks.

Overall, a pretty good show that throughly entertained this viewer throughout the night with its respective share of enjoyable action and segments alike. However, mot much hype was done for the Over the Limit pay-per-view on Sunday, so it was unsuccessful in that sense. I'm also baffled to notice that stars such as Ryback, Antonio Cesaro, Aksana, Teddy Long, and even AJ were absent from this week's show, but CM Punk's surprise appearance certainly made up for it.

Strong promo to kick off the show featuring Triple H and Paul Heyman. I believe they could held off another week with Triple H's return until after Over the Limit, but it was one of the few highlights of this show. Both HHH and Heyman played their roles extremely role, and this segment has me intrigued regarding the Brock Lesnar angle going forward.

Good tag team match with WWE Champion CM Punk and United States Champion Santino Marella defeating Daniel Bryan and Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes. Punk had great chemistry with Rhodes throughout, and it was smart to have Punk and Bryan keep their distance going into Sunday. Santino felt like the odd man in this bout, whose comedic antics didn't do anything to enhance the action in this action. Santino's newfound feud with Rhodes feels a bit random, but at least it brought more star power to this match.

Quick Divas match that saw Beth Phoenix squash Alicia Fox. Like most Divas matches, the action was kept under a minute, so it didn't mean much other than getting Phoenix over as a threat to the title. However, that momentum was quickly diminished when Layla rushed the ring and get the better of the Glamazon.

Throwaway match between Big Show and Kane that served no purpose. Sure, Kane got the victory, but it meant nothing since it was due to a distraction from John Laurinaitis. The firing of Big Show showed nice emotion from Show, even if it was a bit over the top. The feud between Lauinaitis and Show seemed odd at first, but it's successful in the sense that it's getting heat on Johnny Ace. However, Show's "firing" was quickly forgotten by the end of the show since they only lasted about a week or two these days.

Decent match with WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston and R-Truth with Brodus Clay defeating Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, and The Miz. The action was fine for what it was worth, but it wasn't given enough time to truly get anyone excited about the pending tag team title match at Over the Limit. Having Clay pin Miz to end the bout wasn't the best way to give anyone involved any real momentum going into the show on Sunday.

Strong match between Randy Orton and Chris Jericho. The disqualification victory for Jericho was a smart move, as it saves this match for another day while giving Jericho momentum going into the World title match on Sunday. These two are excellent workers, so I hope to see them engage in a legitimate feud somewhere down the line. I'm also glad they actually acknowledged that Orton was the one who put Jericho out of action back in 2010, since that's where the bad blood between them comes into play. Once again, Sheamus was great here and the tension between him and Orton certainly adds to the Fatal 4 Way at Over the Limit. While Del Rio may not have been present, the other three competitors sold me on this feud.

Lousy promo featuring John Laurinaitis and John Cena to close the show. Cena has been awesome in his serious mannerisms the last few weeks, but all that was erased when he started cracking jokes and made their Over the Limit match feel meaningless. The only saving grace of this segment was how Laurinaitis slapped Cena before leaving, which gives him even more heat going into the match.

Overall, a lackluster episode that did little to get me excited about Over the Limit this coming Sunday, despite it looking like a solid card. The action and promos were decent as a whole, but nothing noteworthy happened that got people talking by the time this program ended. 

Decent promo from Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis and WWE Champion CM Punk to kick off the show. I'm not sure having Laurinaitis be the first thing viewers see when they turn into Raw is the smartest idea, but luckily, Punk was quick to interrupt and take shots at this long-time rival. An effective way in setting up the evening's main event as well. 

Quick Intercontinental Championship rematch between Cody Rhodes and Big Show. We've already seen this twice before, so it was nothing new and was too brief to really mean anything. If nothing else, I'm glad they used logic and gave Show his rightful rematch clause, but I hope this is the end of the line for this feud. I'm not sure what the point was of the promo between Show and Eve, since the World's Largest Athlete didn't have any past issues with Eve or Lauinaitis before tonight. If it was intended to get heat on Eve, it worked.

Fun match with Dolph Ziggler defeating WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston. This bout felt a bit random since the rivalry has yet to be established, but it was a good win for Ziggler nonetheless. Abraham Washington's All World stable backstage took away from this match only slightly, but at least it's giving the direction some much-needed direction.

Effective promo from John Cena discussing last week's incident and intentions for Over the Limit. What he stated was pretty much what you'd expect from him, but he never fails to deliver it in such an intense fashion. He was also successful in building his feud with Laurinaitis and giving us fans an incentive to be invented in it.

Fine Divas tag team match with Divas Champion Layla and Kelly Kelly defeating Natalya and Maxine. Since Layla has returned, it seems the quality of the matches she's participated in have improved. She may not be the division's best worker, but it beats seeing Kelly Kelly with the strap. Maxine looked very impressive in her first televised appearance and here's hoping this is only beginning of her tenure on the main shows.

Solid tag team match with Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio defeating World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and Randy Orton. It received great time and everyone involved showed awesome chemistry that made for some enjoyable action. It was odd at first to see Jericho pin Sheamus when Del Rio was the challenger for the World title, but it gave him a victory he should have earned a long time ago. Orton's post-match attack on the Celtic Warrior seemed random as well, but it all made sense when it was later announced that the four would be competing for the World Heavyweight Championship in a four way at Over the Limit.

Boring match between The Miz and Brodus Clay. Miz made logical points during his promo that preceded the bout, but it was no different than another other promo from him. It was nice to see him get a majority of the offense before taking the loss, but the fact that he's losing to Clay is simply pathetic. It's a meaningful win for Clay, but it could be pointless if his push ends up going nowhere.

Shocking return from Paul Heyman and a strong promo that followed. At least he received somewhat of a reaction from the audience, so that's a nice touch. He touched upon all the key points during his promo and executed it extremely well. Lesnar "quitting" the WWE is a smart twist that they can use to their advantage by killing time towards the Lesnar/HHH feud as well as not exceeding Lesnar's contracted dates. Additionally, they can finally use Heyman as the mouthpiece Lesnar so desperately needs.

Good match with Daniel Bryan and Lord Tensai defeating WWE Champion CM Punk in a handicap match. I'm glad Laurinaitis changed the bout at the last minute since Punk vs. Tensai could be a marketable match down the line. That being said, this was the best action I've seen from Tensai since he debuted given the natural Japanese style chemistry he has with Punk. Tensai getting the pin-fall was fine as it helps his character garner more heat. Bryan felt like an afterthought here, but thankfully, he regained that momentum by attacking the Straightedge Superstar following the bout with a Yes Lock.

Overall, a pretty good show that featured decent action and promos as a whole. It was successful in hyping the Over the Limit pay-per-view that occurs in less than two weeks, which is a smart move since that show has a history of being garbage. I surely hope they can keep up the good work and continue to deliver noteworthy moments each show to keep the viewers tuning in.

Strong segment featuring Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, and Alberto Del Rio to kick off the show. All men played their roles very well and furthered the feud nicely between all three of them. I was baffled as to why we'd be receiving the World Heavyweight title match at the start of the program, but luckily it ended quickly via disqualification to set up the rematch later in the show.

Fun match with WWE Tag Team Champions R-Truth and Kofi Kingston defeating Hunico and Camacho. It gave a good victory to Truth and Kignston to establish them as legitimate champs, while Hunico and Camacho had an impressive showing. I liked Abraham Washington hanging out with Primo, Epico, and Rosa on the stage, so hopefully the angle leads somewhere. 

Typical match with Brodus Clay defeating Jack Swagger via count-out. The action was fine, but it was obviously too quick to mean anything. It benefits Brodus in the sense he's defeating former World Heavyweight Champions, but it's become too predictable at this point that it doesn't do much.

Great promo from Damien Sandow here. They built him up perfectly with the vignettes that have been airing in recent weeks, and he certainly delivered. As much as I would like to see him compete, it was smart to hold it off so it garners him more heat. I enjoyed the mini promo Derrick Bateman cut, mostly due to the fact that he mentioned his NXT match from a few months ago and actually applied to WWE logic. Ryback accepting the challenge was a pleasant surprise and gave him a victory that wasn't against a local athlete.

Solid tag team match with Big Show and Randy Orton defeating Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes and Kane. Everyone was able to get in some offense while providing entertaining action. As much as I don't like to see Rhodes get destroyed after just winning back the Intercontinental title, it was done so in an efficient way that didn't bother me as much.

Brief match between Divas Champion Layla and Natalya that wasn't as bad as most Divas matches are these days. Layla is an average worker, and pairing her with Natalya made for a fine match. Hopefully they could develop this into a rivalry, as it could do wonders to get the Canadian Diva back into the title picture.

Excellent title match to close the show with World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeating Daniel Bryan to retain the strap. It made their match at Extreme Rules feel a bit meaningless, but even still, the action here was phenomenal with a fantastic finish. Having #1 Contender Alberto Del Rio get involved was a smart move in building his pending match for Over the Limit, but didn't give too much away.

Overall, a an awesome show that was very enjoyable throughout. The night had its share of solid in-ring action, while it felt like a nice aftermath show following Extreme Rules last Sunday. AJ also made an appearance, who forcefully slapped Kaitlyn backstage in an intense encounter. This was certainly one of the few Friday night broadcasts that was successful as a whole in feeling like it wasn't a chore to be watching.

Strong segment to kick off the show with Brock Lesnar brutally attacking Triple H. It seemed like they completely forgot about Lesnar's loss to Cena other than the opening video package, which would be the best move to keep his momentum going. He and the Game have yet to clash, so I'm mildly excited for this dream feud to come to fruition. Also, I loved seeing Lesnar's Kimura lock get major focus here.

Fun match between The Miz and Santino Marella that seemed much more enjoyable than their bout the night before at Extreme Rules. The Miz feels like an afterthought at the moment, so it was a much-needed victory for him after being left off the program over the last month. Wouldn't this mean that Miz deserves another shot at the title?

Brief match that saw newly crowned Divas Champion Layla successfully defend her title against the Bellas in an 11-second Triple Threat match. I though it would be used to create tension between the Bellas, but apparently not. This didn't really accomplish anything, but I'm somewhat glad they used logic and gave the Bellas their rematch clause for the championship before they left the company.

Decent match between Chris Jericho and Big Show apart of the Beat the Clock Challenge. After weeks of build-up, Jericho received little to no emphasis on this show. Even worse, there was no mention that these two were former tag team champions together, which most fans would remember if there was acknowledgement. I'm not sure if Jericho was supposed to beat the clock or not with the count-out victory, but it was not well established.

Typical squash match with Brodus Clay destroying JTG. This is much of the same from Clay that we were seeing a weekly basis before WrestleMania, so I wish they'd capitalize on his victory he scored over Ziggler at Extreme Rules. If nothing else, I'm relieved to see he's Hornswoggle as his sidekick, who was not helping him get over whatsoever.

Predictable match between Randy Orton and Jack Swagger, but contained pretty good action. These two have suitable chemistry and it shows every time they have a bout together. Swagger has been irrelevant forever, so Orton beating the clock was no real surprise. Having him beat the time in the last two seconds seemed more of a flashback moment when he did the same thing to Dolph Ziggler last December.

Good match with R-Truth and Kofi Kingston capturing the WWE Tag Team Championships from Primo and Epico. I'm confused as to how Kingston and Truth earned a shot at the titles since it was Santino Marella and Zack Ryder who beat the tag champs last week, though. Primo and Epico have been buried over the last few weeks, so it came as no surprise that they'd give the straps to Kingston and Truth for Darren Young and Titus O'Neil to chase. I don't necessarily care for the team of Kingston and Truth, so this moment was easily forgotten by the end of the night.

Throwaway match between The Great Khali and Kane that served no purpose. It was obvious neither man would be beating the clock, so the four minutes of garbage we got was horrendous and meaningless. There's four minutes of my time I'll never get back.

Effective match between Daniel Bryan and Jerry Lawler that saw Bryan beat the clock and become the #1 Contender to the WWE Championship. Lawler sold the offense well, and Bryan was able to pick up a nice clean victory. Having CM Punk stare down the American Dragon moments later was awesome, and has me highly anticipating their pending WWE title match at Over the Limit. On a side note, Zack Ryder would have been a better choice to put against Bryan here, who was absent from this show.

Solid segment to close the show featuring John Laurinaitis and John Cena. I enjoyed the surprise that we'll be seeing Lauriniaits challenge Cena at Over the Limit instead of the stale Lord Tensai, even if Laurinaitis shouldn't be main eventing a pay-per-view. He doesn't have any real rivalry with Cena other than that brief confrontation at Money in the Bank last year, so hopefully they can build upon that and help make it relevant. Tensai was able to get in a few shots here and there and looked like a complete monster in the process.

Overall, a decent show that felt a bit disappointing following the hot Extreme Rules pay-per-view the night previous. My real issue with the Beat the Clock Challenge matches is that it shortens bouts throughout the show, which is never a good thing. However, the opening and ending segments helped made this show somewhat entertaining despite feeling random at times.

Quick match with United States Champion Santino Marella successfully retaining his United States Championship against The Miz. The promo from Miz before the match was well done, but the bout was too quick to mean anything. As I've said before, Marella doesn't need the strap, while a former WWE Champion getting pinned by a comedy figure doesn't do anything for Miz whatsoever.

Great Falls Count Anywhere Match between Randy Orton and Kane that was, much like their WrestleMania encounter, better than originally expected. The crowd died down a bit when they went backstage, but Orton and Kane had suspenseful back-and-forth action throughout that kept the Chicago crowd alive. Orton going over was predictable, so that wasn't a major miss. Cool finish with the RKO onto the chair as well.

Fun match between Brodus Clay and Dolph Ziggler that worked as a nice buffer. Initially, Ziggler got cheered while Clay got booed (thanks to his association with Hornswoggle), so this didn't seem to serve much purpose. However, the crowd warmed up to Clay while hitting his signature spots and Ziggler sold like a beast as usual. Good win for Clay, but Ziggler needs to regain credibility quickly.

Good booking in the Intercontinental Championship Tables match between Big Show and Cody Rhodes. The action was fine for what it was worth, but Rhodes winning the belt in the fashion he did was a smart way to protect Show and give Rhodes back the title. Although the crowd booed the World's Largest Athlete for attacking Rhodes following the bout, he won them over with those two impressive spots through to table. Nicely done.

Excellent two-out-of-three counts falls match between World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and Daniel Bryan. After building up Bryan as a threat over the threat the last few weeks, he came off as an aggressive monster in this match. He was able to dominate throughout, while Sheamus was able to look resilient and pull out the victory. We've been waiting for a bout between these two for a long time, and it certainly delivered.

Typical squash match with Ryback dominating two local athletes. Ryback has tremendous potential, but booking him against lesser guys won't help him get over any more. The "Goldberg" chants didn't help matters, but I was still glad to see Ryback make it on the show.

Solid match with WWE Champion CM Punk defeating Chris Jericho in a Street Fight to retain his title. They kicked up with the basics at the beginning, but really got the crowd ignited towards the middle to end when they started making good use of the environment around them. CM Punk's little sister at ringside played her role well, but it was odd not to see Punk's father there given the fact he's been the focus of the entire angle. Nonetheless, this match was very entertaining with the right result of Punk retaining. Sure, Jericho hasn't meant anything since he returned to WWE, but Punk is the future of the company and created a memorable moment by celebrating his victory in his hometown.

Throwaway match between Layla and Nikki Bella that saw Layla capture the Divas Championship. Since it was announced earlier on in the evening that Beth Phoenix would need to be replaced due to her "injury", all signs pointed to Kharma returning, exacting her revenge, and sending the Bellas off. However, they went with Layla instead, which turned out to a disappointment for those in attendance. I love Layla and all, but this was bad timing.

Strong Extreme Rules match between John Cena and Brock Lesnar. From start to finish, Lesnar looked like an absolute monster who could not be stopped. Having Cena bleed in the first two minutes of the match really enhanced the bout quite a bit, as did the numerous weapons used additionally. Obviously, it would have made much more sense for Lesnar to go over in his first match back, but putting Cena was their plan apparently. Regardless of the finish, this was an awesome encounter that will not be forgotten anytime soon. As for Cena's promo after the match, it felt like it came out of nowhere, but it was a nice hook to close the show.

Overall, a very enjoyable show that had excellent action throughout the night and some satisfying results. Most of the bouts lived up to their "extreme" stipulation and made this show feel meaningful. The last-minute additions to the card weren't all that meaningful, but they were passable buffers that did no harm. Much like last year's event, this pay-per-view exceeded my expectations and resulted in a success.

Strong promo to kick off the show featuring the returning Edge giving a pep talk to a speechless John Cena. This was a smart way to attract fans into thinking the contract signing between Cena and Lesnar would kick off the show, but would be saved for later in the evening instead. Edge's surprise return was a great touch that didn't need to be advertised to feel special, as his mic work towards Cena was solid here through his facial expressions and the meaning of his words.

Good match between Chris Jericho and Kofi Kingston, but predictable since these two have had more than a dozen matches together and provided nothing different than the previous exchanges. A win over Kingston doesn't mean much anymore, but at least Jericho connected with that awesome looking springboard Codebreaker and followed up with the Liontamer for the win.

Typical squash match with Lord Tensai detroying R-Truth. While Truth was able to get in some offense, he obviously didn't stand a chance. Truth hasn't been relevant in ages, so Tensai needs an opponent (much like Cena last week) that the fans care about and will give him legitimate heat. If nothing else, I am pleased Tensai actually pinned Truth rather than winning via referee stoppage.

Interesting segment featuring Kane and Randy Orton. I still find Kane's mic skills to be great, although some may not think so. What he said was much of the same from last week, but I was shocked to see Paul Bearer back. Wasn't he accidentally killed by Kane in late 2010? There's no logical in WWE, adding to the fact that as sick as Orton is, he shouldn't be killing a man while still a face. Nonetheless, having Kane rescue Bearer later only to put him back in the freezer actually had me hating the Big Red Monster for being so unsympathetic.

Decent tag team match with Intercontinental Champion Big Show and Great Khali defeating Cody Rhodes and Alberto Del Rio. The match shouldn't have lasted for as long as it did, especially since Show and Khali were in control for a majority of the contest. Having Rhodes being pinned by Show doesn't get me excited for their upcoming title rematch at Extreme Rules, but it gives me hope we might be seeing Rhodes regain the strap.

Brock Lesnar came off as a major heel for roughing up Josh Matthews backstage. This was probably the most heelish thing Lesnar has done since returning that would actually want the casual viewer to hate him, so this was excellent use of Matthews here.

Originally, I was extremely angered when I witnessed Nikki Bella win the Divas Championship from Beth Phoenix. The Glamazon was only days away from breaking the record for the longest reign ever as Divas Champion, only to lose to Nikki Bella. Although Phoenix isn't legitimately hurt, she sold the injury impressively and got an out for losing the title. Since the Bellas are rumored to be leaving the company by next week, it'd be smart to have Kharma return and beat Nikki for the title, thus tying up lose ends from last year.

Entertaining segment with CM Punk taking Chris Jericho's sobriety test. Punk was hilarious throughout, but it felt ridiculous since we all knew Punk wouldn't actually be drinking given the fact he's straightedge. Nonetheless, it gives Punk an edge going into their match at Extreme Rules. Honestly, I just can't wait for this feud to be over with.

Effective segment with Mark Henry defeating World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus with Daniel Bryan as special guest referee. The action was brief and it saves the rest of the bout for the rematch on SmackDown this week. Henry picks up the shocking victory, Sheamus got some revenge following the contest, and Bryan looked strong by getting the better of Sheamus without shenanigans. Very well done.

Fun match with United States Champion Santino Marella and Zack Ryder defeating WWE Tag Team Champions Primo and Epico in a non-title bout. Marella and Ryder make a good comedy team, but Marella shouldn't be U.S. Champ if they end up going for the belts. Primo and Epico are very talented and need some wins fast or suffer major loss to the credibility they've managed to garner since becoming champions.

Throwaway tag team match with Brodus Clay and Hornswoggle defeating Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger via disqualification. It felt like a repeat of last week with Vickie getting involved, so that didn't help matters. Clay doesn't need Hornswoggle, and shouldn't associate himself with Hornswoggle if wants to keep some of his supporters. As much as I love Brodus getting a storyline, stars with main event potential such as Ziggler and Swagger being overshadowed as a result.

Boring contract signing featuring Brock Lesnar, John Laruinaitis, and John Cena. Lesnar was fine on the mic here, but he'd feel so much more threatening if he had a mouthpiece (such as Paul Heyman) speaking for him. A majority of this segment was Lesnar talking, which didn't really make for anything exciting. Once Cena emerged, I thought they'd at least explain why he had a chain with him, but Lesnar soon fled. After a few weeks of great build-up, this wasn't the best way to have the feud reach a climax with it being rushed and all.

Overall, a middle-of-the-road show that did a good job of hyping the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, but the build-up for the show wasn't correctly executed. There were only a few enjoyable moments of this program, but the show as a whole wasn't terrible by any means. The action was lackluster, with the entire Raw not needing to be three-hours as it felt dragged on towards the end.

Strong promo from Daniel Bryan and AJ to kick off the show. Since WrestleMania, Bryan has shown more aggression with his mic skills being stronger than ever before. He and AJ have excellent chemistry, and that truly shined here. Bryan verbally abusing AJ will certainly garner him heat, and AJ played her role fairly well during this promo. The only thing that bothered me about this segment was the fact that you could clearly see the English crowd chanting "YES!" for Bryan, but were instead muted due to the show being taped.

Intense segment with AJ getting herself disqualified in her match against Natalya. While she may not fit the raging role, AJ certainly let her aggressive antics speak louder than her words spoken to Bryan earlier on. Natalya is more of a tweener at the moment, but she did look sympathetic towards AJ, so it worked. AJ looked strong beating up a former Divas Champion, so I hope she keeps up this attitude as she nears a possible heel turn.

Typical match with Brodus Clay squashing Hunico within a minute. Sure, his entrance with Hornswoggle was fun and all, but this served no purpose. If nothing else, at least he's getting over with the crowd nicely. Hunico hasn't meant anything in a while, so he didn't lose anything he didn't already have here.

Decent tag team match with the debuting team of Darren Young and Titus O'Neil defeating The Usos. It's about time Young and O'Neil were called up to the main shows, as they have improved immensely on NXT and deserve their time to shine. The tag team match was fine for what it was, but a win over the Usos doesn't mean all that much. I'm interested as to how they'll chase the tag team titles if the straps are held by heels.

Boring match between Intercontinental Champion Big Show and Alberto Del Rio. These two have had plenty of matches before, and this bout was no different. The interference from Cody Rhodes was logical, and Del Rio's quick victory was overshadowed and gains nothing from it. If they expect Del Rio to shine on Friday nights again, they need to push him accordingly so and give him significant victories.

Quick match with Ryback defeating yet another local athlete. He looks impressive, of course, but he needs to be moved into a real program soon to avoid losing momentum and growing stale in the eyes of the audience.

Good six-man tag team match to close the show with World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, Randy Orton, and Intercontinental Champion Big Show defeating the team of Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry, and Cody Rhodes. If the plan was to have Great Khali be written out of the bout to begin with, then why not place Show in that spot originally? I had no desire to see Show compete twice in one night, and didn't add much to this match. The main focus of this bout should have been focused on Sheamus and Bryan, but they were once again lost in the shuffle. The heels really should have gone over here to give them momentum, but I guess they wanted to send the English crowd home happy. The action was fun, but it didn't progress anything storyline wise.

Overall, a lackluster show that didn't have much to offer besides the solid opening promo featuring AJ and Daniel Bryan. Come to think of it, they've seemed to be the only focal point of this show in recent weeks, since most of the other programs have no intrigue to them. However, one aspect of the blue brand that I am satisfied with is the many new faces we've seen debut such as Ryback, Damien Sandow, Darren Young, Titus O'Neil, and that Antonio guy that debuted backstage. Hopefully they are given their respective time to shine other than getting lost in the shuffle on Friday nights. None of the matches on this show are worth a second look, and this episode is skippable if you just happened to miss it.

Solid No Disqualification Match with WWE Champion CM Punk successfully retaining his title against Mark Henry to kick off the show. These two have great chemistry and made for an enjoyable match, especially with the sound effects with the English crowd. Of course, Punk's title never seemed to be in jeopardy, but they made good use of the environment to fully utilize the No Holds Barred stipulation and make this an awesome opening match. Additionally, I loved CM Punk's unique finish to the bout with the flying elbow chair drop as well.

Good exchange between CM Punk and Chris Jericho. It feels like we've been seeing the same thing each week and it feels very repetitive by this point, but at least they keeping switching it up by having Jericho sometimes in person and sometimes degrading Punk over the Titantron. The fact that Jericho was spying on Punk and filmed him walk into a bar seemed a bit silly, but it once again brought the best intensity out of the Straightedge Savior.

Throwaway match with United States Champion Santino Marella successfully retaining his title against David Otunga. The action was pretty lackluster, but at least it was brief and was over within a few minutes. As always, I don't feel Santino needs the star spangled prize in order to get over, so why not give it to someone who does like Otunga?

Intense interview from Brock Lesnar. Everything about this promo was spot on, from his reasoning for targeting Cena and managing to garner heat by saying he only cares for himself. The UFC name drop and coinciding pictures that went along with it were also a nice touch. I'm glad they used this approach with Lesnar rather than have him on the show each week, which seemed unlikely anyways due to him signing for a minimum of two appearances per month. Lesnar has been great since returning and this interview certainly got me excited for his match with Cena at Extreme Rules more than I already was.

Decent promo from Kane. He quickly got to the point and addressed his attack on the Ortons from last week's SmackDown for those Raw viewers that don't watch on Friday nights. While some people may not Kane's mic skills as of late, I believe the Big Red Monster has delivered his lines fairly well and used a good enough amount of emotion. However, I do feel bad for Zack Ryder, who had the take the beating here and hasn't looked credible all year long.

Strong promo from John Cena that surely showed his side. I'm glad we've been getting this side of Cena over the last few weeks rather than his comical self, since it really enhances his feud with Lesnar and makes this rivalry seem much more "legitimate" as they're calling it. Hopefully, Cena keeps up the intensity from here on out. The promo from John Laurinaitis also set up the main event nicely and helped build intrigue for it.

Fun match between Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston. These two had a match together a few months ago that lasted under a minute, so I'm glad they were given much more time to really go all out. Their styles mix very well together and made for some impressive high spots. Sure, a win over Kingston these days might not mean much, but at least Bryan picked up the victory in a clean fashion. On a side note, the crowd was red hot for Bryan throughout the entire match given the "YES!" chants and his newly named finishing maneuver. Whether the American Dragon is face, heel or tweener, he is playing his current role to perfection.

Quick match with Brodus Clay defeating Dolph Ziggler by disqualification. I would liked to see this bout go longer just to see Ziggler sell like a beast as usual, but at least he wasn't pinned for the second week in a row. While I'm enjoying this push they're giving Brodus, former World Champions Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler are suffering because of it.

Meaningless match with Intercontinental Champion Big Show and Great Khali defeating WWE Tag Team Champions Primo and Epico in a non-title bout. Where was the build-up and point to this match? I know Primo, Epico, and Rosa have been taking it to Twitter lately that they deserve more airtime, but it shouldn't be against two giants in a random fashion. The last thing I'd like to see is Show and Khali teaming up and squashing every team in the already dead division.

Good Extreme Rules match between John Cena and Lord Tensai. I completely forgot about Tensai by the end of the broadcast, so making him the mystery opponent for Cena was a pleasant surprise for this viewer. The action wasn't all that great since neither man are the best workers, but it was decent enough given the stipulation. Despite the David Otunag interference, it was extremely smart booking to have Tensai defeat Cena here. Tensai continues his winning streak and garners major heat for defeating a top face, whereas Cena suffers another huge setback. The unpredictability of Cena's matches these days get me more interested in his character, which further adds and enhances his upcoming match with Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules.

Overall, a very entertaining and solid show after last week's disappointing edition. Despite some random segments throughout the night, a handful of rivalries were progressed and successfully built towards Extreme Rules in a few weeks. Most of the promos were well done and served a purpose. The overall action was average, but the good certainly out weighed the bad. From what I've noticed, WWE always provides enjoyable shows every time they travel overseas to England, where the crowd was electric all night long. Since the annual WWE Draft won't be next week after all, I'm not too sure what the point of next week's three-hour broadcast is, but everything on this has me looking forward to next week for sure.

Tonight, TNA presents one of its big three pay-per-views, TNA Lockdown, from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The concept of the show is similar to WWE Survivor Series, but instead every match is contested inside the Steel Cage.

Lockdown will include many emotional, dramatic, and heavily-hyped contests that will have the potential to steal the show. In this article, I will analyze each match on the card with its preview, my predicted victors, and its chances of playing out as a worthy bout. On a side note, it is rare I write articles on TNA Wrestling, so feel free to correct me where I'm wrong and stay open-minded.

Will the show be able to surpass the last few excellent TNA pay-per-views of 2011? Will it set the bar for future events for the Nashville-based organization? Will it be a memorable or forgettable event? Get ready for these questions to be answered among many more, so here we go!

Bobby Roode vs. James Storm for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

I give major props to TNA for building this rivalry up as one of the biggest in the company's history as it deserves to be. Their history in Beer Money together was nothing short of excellence, as this feud has felt so far. Given from their matches together in the past, I have no doubt in my mind that these two will deliver a strong performance with intriguing story telling. Their promo from this past Thursday's Impact Wrestling broadcast certainly sold me on this bout after building towards this since last November. Roode has progressed tremendously as a heel, while Storm has shined as a face through his rivalries with Kurt Angle and Bully Ray. Since this will occur inside the Steel Cage, it's very possible Roode escapes and retains his title as always to continue the feud, but the hometown setting will make for a great moment if Storm does indeed recapture the title. That being said, I predict James Storm to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

Team Eric vs. Team Garrett in a Lethal Lockdown Match

Much like any other viewer, I have not at all enjoyed Garrett Bischoff's run as a wrestler in TNA as of late. He's sub-par at best, and doesn't do anything to intrigue me. Regardless, the officials that be have pushed this guy to the limit and plan on doing so for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, they've added enough credible in this match that the action should be very exciting and worth watching. I have no doubt in my mind that Garrett's team goes over here, sending Eric off television for a good while.

Jeff Hardy vs. Kurt Angle

If their matches in 2010 and at Victory Road last month, this bout should be solid without question. Angle provides his best performances in the Steel Cage setting, while Hardy has the potential to do some high risk stuff as well. However, the build-up to this feud seemed a bit random and lackluster, which is a shame because it could been something much greater. Angle is once again injured at the moment, so I see Hardy exacting revenge on Angle and pulling out the victory here.

Magnus and Samoa Joe vs. Motor City Machine Guns for the TNA World Tag Team Championships

I'm very excited regarding the return of the Motor City Machine Guns and how they can help resurrect the dying tag team division in TNA. Pairing them against Magnus and Joe should be a very fun match and could lead to a great rivalry. Joe and Magnus haven't held the straps that long and the Guns just recently came back, so I expect this feud to continue with the tag champs retaining here.

Gail Kim vs. Velvet Sky for the TNA Knockout Championship

Since capturing the title last November, Kim has provided some quality matches with Mickie James, Tara, and Madison Rayne. While Sky may not be the best worker, she's certainly earned a longer run with the belt than what he received late last year. As big of a fan as I am of Sky, I don't see her winning the title after the momentum she's received as of late.

Matt Morgan vs. Crimson

This feud has been brewing since last October, and I must say myself that it's been built pretty damn well. The went from enemies as faces, to tag team partners, to enemies once again but with Crimson turning heel. Sure, their match at Turning Point last year was uninspiring and sloppy, but I hope they have a better bout tonight given the Steel Cage stipulation. The real key here is Crimson's undefeated streak and whether Morgan will be able to break it. Morgan should be the one to break it, but is it too early in the feud? I believe so. Crimson wins with sly tactics by escaping the cage to keep his streak alive.

Devon vs. Robbie E for the TNA Television Championship

The only reason for this match is because Devon defeated Robbie last month at Victory Road in an Open Challenge to capture the title and Robbie E is cashing in his rematch clause. If Devon is supposed to be the Television Champion, then why hasn't he appeared on Impact since winning the strap? Nobody cares about this bout nor its finish, but expect Devon to retain here.

Tune in tonight live on pay-per-view at 8 p.m. Eastern time for the answers to many questions, emotional and dramatic story-telling, and of course the anticipated, intense action! GSM out.