2013 has officially begun for the WWE and this past Monday we had a show with only a few talking points but a lot to talk about overall. WWE were obviously putting their proverbial eggs into CM Punk's basket and without his match or work with The Rock, this would most likely have been an average show at best. Its been said by pretty much everyone that CM Punk's 10 minute solo Promo at the end of RAW was nothing short of epic; making The Rock look like an amateur who had just discovered you can make penis jokes while struggling not to titter to yourself. So no one needs me to rant about it once again, instead I will focus on 5 things we can take away from RAW. From good to bad, skilled to sloppy, this will likely become a feature after every RAW. Disregarding CM Punks masterful promo because everyone knows it was amazing I will list 5 things that stuck in my mind once the show was over.
5. Antonio Cesaro Can Hit That Uppercut From Anywhere!
Cesaro got the short straw by having to work with the useless Khali but it actually helped Antonio no end. He managed a fairly watchable match with the useless lump that is Khali and made himself look stellar. The most impressive moment and created a rare occurrence in that I actually marked out during RAW, was when he performed a springboard 180 degree Uppercut. I sat there with an open mouth after seeing such a beautifully simple manoeuvre that looked like it nearly took Khalis head off. Im sure most wouldnt find this as amazing as I did but knowing full well how difficult it is to simply springboard accurately and then to have the whereabouts to spin and connect to an opponents chin is so very impressive. Although, this is still not the only piece of improvisation we have seen Cesaro perform with his uppercut. Weve seen him come off the top rope, perform on a flying opponent and several different lifts into the uppercut. For such a simple move, he really is making the absolute most from it. Wade Barrett should really take not! Speaking of Wade.
4. Wade Barrett Needs To Find IT!
He really needs to find IT! At the moment hes just sort of there, almost part of the furniture if you will. He gets no crowd reaction and his matches are OK but nothing special. He is almost an internet darling though with plenty of people saying he will be a future World Champion. I cant see it personally with his current character, lack of charisma and boring move set he just doesnt have anything too appealing. Also as a Brit, I hate his overly sold British accent, its ludicrously cheesy and I would personally hate for the first British World Champion to be Wade Barrett. On RAW he showed a little promise with his fresh backstage segment with Santino and Steamboat but as soon as he stepped through the curtain he drained the arenas energy. Its a sad state of affairs when the crowd genuinely enjoy a comedy act and a Legend much more than the current Intercontinental Champion. He needs a complete overhaul from look to move set if he wants to become a world champion. His current run as Intercontinental Champion will either make or break him. If he doesnt become current and fresh again during this time, he will never make it to the dizzying heights of WWE champion.
3. Sheamus Has Lost His Way
The Celtic Warrior and former World and WWE champion appears to be a very weak shadow of the man who took it to Triple H at WrestleMania. Back then he was an Irish Hardman steeped in Celtic lore but now hes more like the village drunk. Its a shame because he actually is pretty good, proven by his 2 great matches with Big Show on the run at two separate PPVs. He just doesnt seem able to pull off being a face without looking really stupid. On RAW he had a backstage segment with 3MB which was a load of nonsense which somehow, someway led to a match. During said match he provided some comedy moments which really didnt seem to suit his character in the slightest. Its almost as if they are throwing his Irishness down our throats and were all starting to gag slightly. I get the feeling Sheamus requires A LOT of agent involvement in every aspect of his work. From booking his matches to writing his promos; I dont see him being inventive enough to do this without help. Bring back the intensity and character; get rid of this stupid idiot we see now.
2. John Cena Can Only Bury Talent
It was almost a miracle that we only saw john Cena during the opening segment and then the opening match of this past RAW. I can almost picture Cena backstage for the rest of the show; twiddling his thumbs and not really knowing what to do. Asking creative to let him out there, just so he remains on TV and isnt forgotten. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost, except for the fact that his character totally destroyed any momentum Ziggler and Co. had built over the past month or so. At the TLC PPV Ziggler got a great push by going over Cena along with a new direction in the storyline with AJ. It must be written into Cenas contract that if anyone gets put over him, the debt must be repaid to make him look like superman. This past RAW he beat Ziggler CLEAN after distractions, Signatures and finishers from Dolph and finally a big run in from Big E. One Attitude Adjustment later and its business as usual as it relates to Cena. This is the reason so many smarks despise him. No one has ever gone over Cena in the past 5 years without the debt being repaid. And because Cena is already the top guy, the debt gets paid tenfold and the initial rub his opponents get from him is wiped out immediately. The only exception to this of course is CM Punk
1. CM Punk Can Make Or Break You
Yes I did say at the start of this article that I wouldnt talk about Punks promo, and Im not! Instead I will talk about the superb Tables, Ladders and Chairs match that people seem to forget Punk was involved in before his promo. This TLC match was superb in every aspect. From the spots to the chemistry to the finish, everything just worked. Ive said previously that Punk and Ryback have worked surprisingly well together over the past few months and I am positive this run will help Ryback in the future. And this is my point, working with CM Punk helps the growing talent as he is seemingly able to brush aside his own ego and do whats right for business. Its fairly obvious he now has some sway over his own booking in the back nowadays and it is most likely he who books his own matches. Not once has he ever been in a contest that made himself look infallible or undefeatable, instead in the majority of his matches he always makes his opponent look as though they are the bigger, tougher man. If you have any idea about the politics involved within wrestling you will understand that if any man can make you, they can also break you. Triple H back in the day was a prime example of this after he practically made Jericho, Benoit and Kurt Angle after feuding with each of them. There are, however, stories abound regarding Triple Hs apparent burials of talent he didnt like. I for one think that his mind is so purely about the business that he most likely made the right decisions. CM Punk could be the same guy. He can make anyone look amazing but dont show him respect or dont have IT? You probably wont hang around for long