WWE Monday Night Raw Preview – 2nd July 2012
Monday Night Raw is once again upon us. Teddy Long is in charge this week of both Raw and Tuesday night’s live SmackDown which is set to incorporate a “Great American Bash” theme – just in time for Independence Day!
Hoorah – now where in the Yellow Pages can I find a ticker-tape cannon…
Looking off the WWE.com site, together with what was billed on last week’s shows, Brock Lesnar returns to the ring tonight to respond to Triple H calling him out for the 25th Annual SummerSlam PPV.
After the shenanigans that took place two weeks ago on Monday Night Raw with Paul Heyman, Lesnar’s “representative”, and his eventual beat down by the Cerebral Assassin, could Lesnar just be on hand to spoil the COO’s night or will he accept Triple H’s offer? The WWE want to make SummerSlam their second best night of the year, and the build up in anticipation to secure more buy rates would be well and truly underway in creating this marquee match.
Kane stepping back from crazy lady AJ, it brings it back down to just a love triangle and not a love square. And let’s face it; no-one likes a square.
With the announcement of AJ being special guest referee on Friday’s SmackDown for the upcoming title match at Money In The Bank between CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, it will no doubt see most of the manipulating come from Bryan. That said, Punk, being the face in all of this, still has his element of surprise and can always pull a fast one that turns the storyline way on its head.
Biggest giveaway yet that there will be more participants in the Raw Money In The Bank ladder match. WWE.com says that it wouldn’t “be surprised if a former champion or two didn’t rear his head from an unexpected location and throw his hat (so to speak) into the mix”
That opens a real can of worms. You have Rey Mysterio, Orton, The Miz, Batista, The Rock, Undertaker, Stone Cold, Mick Foley, Bret Hart, Sycho Sid (bearing in mind he did make an appearance just last week), Kevin Nash, hell you could even throw in Vince if you wanted to make it interesting?
But let’s look at the reality.
Firstly, I jest about Vince, Nash, Sid, Bret and Foley. No way on God’s green earth would they enter the ring for a match like that, let alone a ladder match? Orton – still suspended after his second Wellness Policy violation. He won’t be there at all, but strange enough, there are mumblings of him being pushed for a title shot when he returns straight away. He’s one violation away from a sacking and they want to push him? Someone in creative or on the board needs a camomile tea to calm themselves down.
Stone Cold, The Rock and Batista. Now they would all make the buy rates go through the roof for this PPV. Dwayne is still part-time, Steve had that little dip back in the water with Tough Enough early last year, but there’s always been a want to see Dave back in the ring after he left quite ridiculously in a wheelchair. When Mason Ryan (where the hell did he go may I add – we love the Brits, add in Wade Barrett to that too) arrived the two looked like twins almost. They want a guy like Batista back, but as I say. Any of them would do.
The Undertaker, who no-one has heard from since Wrestlemania, and if that’s all WWE are going to wheel him out for, then I’d prefer them to just say: “Look, 20-0. That’s SOMETHING. Hall Of Fame 2013. It’s been great. Goodbye.”
Yes, there’s that sneaky “hat” reference that the site has included in there, but I hope for the sake of his legacy to the WWE they don’t put him out for this. Unless, of course, he feels he is ready enough to get back in the ring on a week-to-week basis? Who is to say, I’m sure we’ll find out.
The Miz is reportedly filming “The Marine 3”, not that anyone will watch it I’m sure, but to juggle that with travelling would be hard. I can’t see it happening. This leaves us with just one man.
Rey Mysterio.
He’s due back tonight after his own suspension finished, he’s a flyer, he’s a WWE Champ albeit for just one night only, but still nonetheless, a champion.
That for me though still stinks. Five guys in a Money In The Bank Ladder match. It’s usually seven or eight, and if it stays like that then it will be the smallest line up for a MITB Ladder match in its seven-year history.
The seeds were sown last week between Jericho and Cena, with Big Show coming into that as well. Who knows, Brodus Clay might decide for a bit of revenge tonight after Show delivered one heck of a WMD after their encounter last Monday.
Moving on, Tyson Kidd is being billed tonight, and they are doing the right thing here in creative to push this guy. He’s quick around the ring, he has ability (honing his skills under the tutelage of Bret Hart) but he’s got determination in abundance; not sure what they will do tonight for him but let’s up with the shoddy SmackDown MITB Ladder match line-up so far he starts becoming an interesting prospect.
The 1000th Raw is coming up in three weeks, so another squash from a legend to Heath Slater is expected. Question is, who will be the one delivering punishment?
If there’s anything to do with Ryback and two jobbers again, I’ll go make a cup of tea to stay awake. And unless Kharma again comes back to make the Divas division light up, the same goes there.
Otherwise, enjoy the show tonight and I’ll try and post up something as soon as I can tomorrow reviewing all of the night’s events.
