Cena vs. Laurinaitis & Big Show: Who Didn't See That Coming?

photo courtesy: wwe.com

Well it has been another interesting few days in the WWE to say the least. After the events of the Over the Limit PPV on Sunday and last night on Raw, many fans are left shaking their heads wondering what the WWE is thinking with this current storyline involving John Cena and John Laurinaitis.
After last week's Raw when Laurinaitis fired the Big Show after humiliating him by having him beg on his knees for his job, most, including myself, felt that this was a set up for Big Show to appear at the PPV and interfere with the match—while turning heel because of the stipulation that anyone interfering in the match would be instantly fired.

The match then took an interesting turn. Instead of it being a serious boss/employee match like what happened numerous times with Austin/McMahon, Bischoff/Flair, and even the match between Bret Hart and Vince, the match became a comedy act.
After building up the fact that Laurinaitis was a pretty good wrestler back in the day with video clips online, Laurinaitis looked like an utter goof for the majority of the match. Cena would taunt him by dousing him with water and pouring it down the front of his track pants and dumping trash on him. This started to kill the mood in the crowd.
The match came to a total halt as he grabbed the mic and said he was going to put Laurinaitis in the STF and would let it go after a 10-count as long as Johnny didn't tap out, something he did a couple times.

Then as Johnny was able to get away from Cena after banging his arm on the announce table, he made a break for the exit. He was then brought back to the ring by the Big Show, not surprisingly.
When it seemed that Cena was going to do his Attitude Adjustment, Show hit him with the WMD punch, stunning the crowd and causing them to boo. Then in the minute it took Laurinaitis to cover Cena, the arena became deathly quiet—horrible for any match.

The match itself was “eh” at best. The commentary was actually funny listening to Jerry Lawler almost gasping for air because he was laughing too hard to commentate, with Michael Cole saying that it was already over and Laurinaitis should just get pinned.
Cena did an impersonation of Michael Cole while he made Laurinaitis act like Booker T. But other than that, the match didn't seem like a main event level match outside of the people involved.

People complained about the Wrestlemania match between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon a couple years back. The ending where the Hart family stayed loyal to Bret and beat up Vince for the entirety of the match was an obvious ending, but the main difference between these two ending matches was that fans got what they wanted from the Bret/Vince match, after nearly thirteen years and the history between both men.
People wanted to see Bret get his revenge on Vince for the Montreal Screwjob and they got that with the match at Wrestlemania. The fans didn't get that with the Cena/Laurinaitis match.

For the past couple of months the fans have been wanting to see Laurinaitis get bruised and battered—it didn't matter if he still beat Cena, fans just wanted to see him beat up and we didn't get that.
Now it's a guessing game as to how this whole thing will play out, although the WWE was able to save the angle after Johnny's mistake where he said that he had rehired Show on Saturday night (not Sunday) which would have meant Show would have been fired.
Instead it was quickly corrected to mean that the two had a verbal agreement prior to the PPV rather than an actual contract. But now we're stuck with Cena vs. Big Show at the next PPV while Laurinaitis gets away with being a tool—similar to the Jerry Lawler/Michael Cole angle from a year ago.

source: bleacherreport.com

CM Punk's Big Win at WWE Over The Limit 2012

photo courtesy: wwe.com

CM Punk and Daniel Bryan delivered in the fashion that everyone hoped that they would.

Their Over the Limit encounter for the WWE Championship provided a lot of kicks, submission holds and injected some life into a crowd that could have previously been accused of falling asleep.

Bryan and Punk delivered in the ring in a match that lasted almost 25 minutes. In the end, CM Punk came through with a pinfall victory over Bryan in what seemed to be considered controversial fashion.

The ending was very unique to say the least.

Punk was locked in Bryan's Yes Lock, but got enough leverage to move Bryan's shoulders onto the mat. This led to Punk moving into a defensive pin situation.

Still locked into the submission hold, Punk shifted his weight for the pinfall attempt. As the referee counted to three, Punk was close to submitting to the hold. After the three count was completed, Punk began to tapout.

Bryan celebrated because he believed that he had the submission victory to win his first WWE Championship. Instead, the referee acknowledged the pinfall, which was completed prior to the submission tapout beginning.

Upon video review, it is the correct call by the referee. There isn't any real controversy involved, but a rematch between these two will be in the cards.

This type of finish has been seen previously. A pinfall and a submission both occurring at the exact same time is not exactly innovative, but is a rarity.

It also isn't too often that such a call not being too controversial is so blatantly obvious. Not only was it noticeable on the replay, but was also pretty clear upon it happening in real time.

The end of the Punk and Bryan match reminds me of a close play at first base in a baseball game. It made for a nice end to the play, the referee did his job properly, but there is still arguing that the call was ultimately wrong.

This still won't prevent Bryan from having another chance at the WWE Championship.

John Laurinaitis is still in charge of Raw and SmackDown, meaning that a match booked by the boss won't be in the favor of his rival and WWE Champion, CM Punk.

No Way Out is just a few weeks away and you can venture a decent guess that Punk and Bryan will collide there in the IZOD Center.

A steel cage match might be a little bit early, considering that steel cage matches are usually to conclude a feud. There is still an idea that, in the spirit of having No Way Out, a lumberjack match can be had.

Personally, a submission match may be a preferred avenue for this feud to go. Imagine having Punk in the Yes Lock or Bryan inside the Anaconda Vice without a rope break.

It would almost be as if they would have No Way Out of a submission hold...

source:  bleacherreport.com

WWE Over the Limit Results: 15 Things We Learned from Sunday's PPV

photo courtesy: wwe.com

The fans who tuned into Over the Limit 2012 saw an exciting pay-per-view that exceeded expectations.

We saw a new champion crowned, the best tag match of the year, and the opening bout of a potentially amazing feud.

What did we learn from all the showdowns, scheduled and unscheduled alike?

Did we see reason for hope with the Divas and tag team divisions? What surprises and thrills will help to shape the face of WWE going forward?

1. Christian Is Back in a Big Way
Not only did Christian make a surprise return, he also left the arena with championship gold.

Hobbled by injuries, Captain Charisma has been forced to take time off, and fans have missed his special brand of intensity.

He won an impromptu battle royal, last eliminating the Miz before facing Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship.

In an exciting match, Rhodes frothed with anger and frustration, which caused him to lose the belt to Christian.

Christian was instantly inserted into a feud and asked to carry the title, putting him in an excellent spot to shine.

2. The Tag Team Division Is on the Upswing
One of the better matches of the night and the finest tag match of 2012 so far saw Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger come up just short of dethroning R-Truth and Kofi Kingston.

If WWE continues to book such matches like and include stars of this magnitude within the tag team division, fans may have to stop lamenting its demise.

Choosing R-Truth and Kofi Kingston to carry the Tag Team Championship shows a commitment to tag teaming.

What they were likely trying to do with Evan Bourne and Kingston can finally get done. Just when tag team wrestling seemed to be back, Bourne's suspension derailed their plans.

Judging by how many times Ziggler, Swagger, Truth and Kingston had Booker T saying, "Aw my goodness," we may be seeing the beginnings of a tag team renaissance.

3. Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins Will Be More Involved
While developing their chemistry on NXT, Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins have begun to develop a growing following.

With WWE's lack of depth in the tag division, Reks and Hawkins could serve as the lightning rods to inject new life into it.

They didn't get booked for a match, but the fact that they appeared on this pay-per-view, even just to tear up signs, shows WWE's interest in putting them on TV more.

Perhaps we're gearing up for a Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs. Reks and Hawkins feud.

4. An Excellent Diva Feud Is Underway
The predatory Beth Phoenix didn't surprise anyone with how well she performed in her Divas Championship loss.

She's been the bright spot in the division for the last year, and her chemistry with Layla helped produce a quality Divas match.

Certainly, they didn't match Manami Toyota vs. Aja Kong standards, but it was a big step for WWE, as there hasn't been a Divas feud worth watching in recent memory.

Most fans thought we'd have to wait until Kharma's return to bother watching the women, but Layla and Phoenix showed otherwise.

5. Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio Would Make a Fantastic Tag Team
Solidifying what we've already seen on Raw, Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio are an ideal pairing.

Two arrogant heels adept at kicking wrestlers' heads formed a temporary alliance and showed off their chemistry once again.

It's an extremely unlikely scenario, but fans have to wonder how much the tag team division would benefit from a team composed of stars as big as Jericho and Del Rio.

If Randy Orton and Sheamus are going to be battling for the World Heavyweight Championship, and CM Punk will be busy with Daniel Bryan, maybe having Jericho go after the tag champs isn't such a crazy idea.

6.  It’s Not over Between Randy Orton and Sheamus
The friction between World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and Randy Orton has increased exponentially in recent weeks.

The two men were most intense with each other and the Fatal 4-Way at Over the Limit did little to solve anything between them.

The action ended with Orton sneering at the camera, the bridge of his nose sliced open. That's a clear sign we’re in for an Orton-Sheamus feud.

Unless we're going to see a face vs. face battle, a turn for someone is in the works.

Will the popular Orton go bad again, or will the Celtic Warrior be the one to change sides?

7. Miz’s Career Is in Rapid Descent
Going from a WWE title reign and a WrestleMania main event to doing the Thriller dance is more than a step down—Miz's WWE career is in a free fall.

For Brodus Clay, this is the best that the Funkasaurus could hope for, providing a legit star to get himself over.

For Miz, it's essentially a jobber role, one which he can't be happy with.

An uninterested crowd saw Miz put up a fight before falling victim to the big man.

If WWE puts these two men in a full program together, Clay is going to use Miz as a stepping stone to wherever he's headed. And the Miz will continue to sink further into obscurity.

8. CM Punk and Daniel Bryan Is What Fans Want to See
When the WWE Championship match was announced, there were concerns about how well the Internet's two favorite sons would draw.

As uncannily talented as Daniel Bryan and CM Punk are, they haven't developed the name recognition of the Rock, Brock Lesnar or John Cena.

The figures aren't in for the Over the Limit buyrate, but the live audience made their feelings clear. No match received more electricity from the crowd than that between Punk and Bryan.

They alternated thundering chants of those two wrestlers' names before eventually exploding in a chorus of "This is awesome!"

9. The Feud of the Year Has Begun
The best match of the night was undeniable proof that WWE has the premier feud ready to go.

Without much buildup to work with, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk delivered anyway.

Punk showed that there isn't just one marvelous technical wrestling marvel and former Ring of Honor champion on the WWE roster.

Punk pulled out some new moves in his intense and engaging battle with Bryan.

The unresolved ending leaves the door open for future matches. Their similar styles and history make for an easy-to-write story.

WWE should take full advantage.

10. Ryback Is Still on a Trail of Destruction
Dispatching Hunico's buddy, Camacho, in a few short minutes, Ryback did the only thing he's done in the WWE so far: win in dominant fashion.

Eventually, WWE is going to have to find Ryback an opponent that can stagger and get more than a one-count on him, but as of now the man who receives Goldberg chants can add one more victory to his resume.

Ryback has at least moved on from bowling over skinny local talent.

Camacho isn't exactly anyone's measuring stick, so we'll likely see more of the same "Ryback smash!" routine over the next few weeks until he moves up the WWE hierarchy.

11. Eve Is Here to Stay
John Laurinaitis didn't get fired, so Eve's job is safe for now.

More importantly, Eve showed why her new role is perfect for her. A devious charm combined with her stunning looks make her segments hard to miss.

She kick-started the event with a Battle Royal and was peppered throughout the show.

As long as WWE doesn't decide to eventually have her main-event a pay-per-view in a match against John Cena, Eve can continue the excellent work she did at Over the Limit.

12. North Carolina Is Still an Awesome Crowd
Ric Flair can attest to how loud and enthusiastic a North Carolina crowd can be.

For years the state was a hotbed of wrestling, in large part due to the fans.

With WCW long gone and a new generation of fans filling the PNC Arena, WWE cameras and microphones caught undeniable proof of that wrestling fandom is alive and well in North Carolina.

The fans screamed various chants throughout the night and added to the action. There were few moments where they weren't engaged and not pushing the superstars to their best.

13. Big Show Showed Up as Expected
Any WWE superstar who interfered in the John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis match would be fired.

Big Show was fired just before the event, and a detective wasn't needed to figure out what would happen once Over the Limit came around.

Big Show brought Laurinaitis back into the ring via his massive hands. The surprise element of his return was that he didn't stomp into the ring to gain revenge, but to turn on Cena.

The shock of the odd Big Show and Laurinaitis alliance was ruined by the lack of motive, causing more confusion than entertainment.

Monday's episode of Raw should clear things up, but it won't change the underwhelming way that Over the Limit ended.

14. John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis Should Not Have Been the Main Event
After a string of enthralling matches, a glorified comedy match featuring a non-active wrestler was a letdown.

Either the World Heavyweight Championship match or the WWE Championship match would have served as perfect main events.

The pay-per-view would have ended with a fervent energy rather than the tepidness that Cena and Laurinaitis brought.

The mostly one-sided match ranged from ridiculous to boring.

It would have been fine stuck in the midcard somewhere, but having it serve as the climax was as counterproductive as opening WrestleMania XXVIII with the 18-second fiasco.

15. WWE Is on Fire
For the most part, what is usually a throwaway pay-per-view turned out to be an astoundingly good show.

The Ryback and Brodus Clay matches were clearly filler—serviceable but forgettable. Aside from those, the only real failure was the disappointing main event.

Everything else on the card made fans hopeful.

A rapid-paced tag match, a good Divas battle, and two stellar world title matches served as the highlights to another pay-per-view WWE can be proud of.

2012 has given us Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, Extreme Rules and now Over the Limit, all featuring some heart-pounding matches and outstanding moments.

source: bleacherreport.com