WWE Raw Review 27/02/12 - CM Punk & Chris Jericho Feud Escalates

The Big News: The Rock returned with a promo that attempted to put John Cena in his place but Cena defiantly reiterated his standpoint to the Great One during a tense stand off. Meanwhile Chris Jericho attacked Punk from behind following on from a terrific war of words and hostilities between Teddy Long and John Laurinaitis continued to escalate. In a Nutshell: Jericho and Punk steal the show from The Great One with an epic verbal duel. Video package aired dialogue from Cena's promo from last week before a graphic appeared showcasing The Rock's return later on in the show. Daniel Bryan was scheduled to face CM Punk but before Bryan could make his entrance, Chris Jericho came out to get something off his chest. Jericho / Punk Promo: Best in the world vs Best in the World Jericho said that he respected the fact that Punk had a big champion vs champion match coming up but that what he had to say was a little bit more important. Before saying it however he wanted to preface his speech by calling Punk an amazing performer who was in actual fact was one of his favourites but crucially just not as good as he is. Jericho said that he never had to call himself the best in the world because other people said it for him and that he never had to write it on the back of a t-shirt because fans would write it on signs and bring it to the arena and he said the reason for that is because he is part of a special breed of performers, a dying breed of performers that toured the world, honed their craft and became stars before they even arrived in the wwe. A breed that would care more about having the best match on the show than personal politics, didn't care about what the hierarchy thought of them, nor what position they were slotted in or what they were supposed to be. A breed of performers that were given nothing and took everything. Jericho then admitted that he had developed something of a chip on his shoulder because of it and developed a bad attitude because of it and a bad reputation in the back with the powers that be because of it but he didn't give a damn because he knew he was the best. Jericho then flashed a great little cocky smile as he told Punk that now he was just like him. He labelled him a maverick, a rebel that went against the grain and became something more than anybody thought that he would. However in translation he said that's just because Punk wanted to be him. Because he is a Chris Jericho wannabe just like everyone in the crowd is a Chris Jericho wannabe made obvious by the fact that Punk plagiarised him every step of the way. Punk then interrupted. He said that both he and the crowd knew how good Chris Jericho was. Punk's problem was with Jericho's claim that he had stolen anything from him. He said he had never stolen anything in his life and then lifted up the title as he exclaimed that everything he had had been fought for and earned. He questioned how Jericho could have invented calling himself the best when Bret Hart was labelling himself as such many years ago and asked if Jericho had given that to him when he was two years old. He went further asking if he had invented Bret being Canadian or indeed invented Canada. Jericho asked everyone to laugh it up with Punk and said that was so typical of his style, so smarmy, sarcastic and never taking anything too seriously but that he would have to Chris Jericho seriously because he is operating on a whole different level. He said that he had stayed on the highest level of any performer for the past twenty two years and that he had faced every legend, every hall of famer and future hall of famer inside the ring and beaten them all and established dozens of moments that will be legendary long after either one of them are gone. Jericho said that he was not just telling Punk that he was the best but backing it up with all the evidence at his disposal. Punk however said that the superiority in Jericho's voice actually screamed inferiority. That Jericho was desperately trying to claim that he was the best in the world to everyone perhaps because he was really trying vainly to convince himself. Punk said that he called himself the best in the world because confidence isn't something that he has ever lacked nor something that he thought Jericho had ever lacked but that confidence on Jericho's part seems to have been replaced with jealousy. He said that Jericho sees Punk as a guy who overcame the same obstacles that he did only to surpass everything that he did because whilst Jericho had undoubtedly had a great career he had never been the man in the company like CM Punk is the man now. Punk then said that whilst Jericho was off exploring other avenues in his career, he was here on top swimming with sharks whilst Jericho was off dancing with the stars. Jericho said that when he was off doing all that stuff and becoming a bigger star than Punk ever will be all he could think of was one thing and that was Punk ripping him off. He then said that he came back to the wwe for one reason only and that was to embarrass Punk on the biggest stage in the world, take the title and shove down his throat that he is the best in the world at what he does. Punk said that they don't need the pyro, the grand entrances or stupid light bright jackets, because the only ingredients they need is a ring for the recipe to what could be the greatest wrestling match in wrestlemania history. He then concluded by saying that when Jericho looks back at the ramp and sees him holding the title it's not going to be the end of the world, it's just going to be the end of his. You might have to watch slowly to catch Jericho breathing during this immense promo. How he is able to so flawlessly deliver his lines in such a venomously quick, naturally angry style whilst still effortlessly addressing the crowd mid-speech really is a thing of beauty to behold and just absorbs you into the mindset of his character in a manner reminiscent of a truly great thespian. That Punk was able to hold his own out there was also indicative of his conviction of character as he countered with some equally biting words that effectively countered Jericho's claims of plagiarism by mocking his terms of invention and calling on his insecurities as a performer. All in all this was a great back and forth dispute with both men being careful to put one another over whilst also trying to get under each other skin as they staked their claim to being the best in the world. It made the animosity between the rivals clear, made the title seem important and also established how urgent it was that both men try and back up their philosophy inside the squared circle on the grandest stage of them all. CM Punk versus Daniel Bryan ended in a no contest Teddy Long was at ringside accompanied by Santino Marrella and John Laurinaitis was at ringside accompanied by David Otunga and the match was really used as a set up to deepen the Laurinaitis/Long conflict. Punk attempted a suicide dive early on but Bryan blocked it and worked over Punk both inside and outside the ring. Punk came back with a high knee and the Macho Man Elbow and then called for the GTS but Otunga caused the distraction on the apron. Santino interfered and hit Otunga with a cobra at which Laurinaitis pulled Santino off the apron too. A big argument then broke out on the outside as Bryan tried to leave only to be thrown back inside the ring by Sheamus which led Punk giving Bryan the GTS. Laurinaitis called foul however causing another big argument during which Long pushed Laurinaitis to the ground. A smirking Punk then walked up the ramp with the belt but was blind-sided by Chris Jericho who smashed his head on the floor and then locked him in the liontamer submission. I'm so glad he brought that back because it looks ten times more painful and cruel than the standard walls of Jericho. ** After the break Josh Matthews was stood outside the trainers room backstage and relayed to us that Punk was feeling more angry than hurt. They aired a neat video package showing highlights of Trips and Taker's Mania match from last year with a series of important talking heads such as The Rock, Austin and Edge discussing how Taker appeared human for the first time in his career. Divas Singles: Kelly Kelly defeated Nikki Bella via pinfall Short match. Kelly was getting on top with her moves of doom when Brie tried to interfere on the apron only for Kelly to knock her off. Nikki then used the distraction to roll Kelly up from behind but Kelly reversed it into a flexible pin of her own for a pretty cool finish. * John Cena defeated The Miz via pinfall Before the match Miz cut yet another promo about how we was the star of wrestlemania last year but now is being underutilised. These are becoming very tiresome rants. In the match, Miz got some heat early landing his back-breaker, neckbreaker combo but Cena didn't stay down for long quickly firing back with his shoulder blocks, five knuckle shuffle, FU and then the STFU for the submission. * Epico and Primo defeated Kofi Kingston/R-Truth and Dolph Ziggler/Jack Swagger in a triangle tag team championship match This was an entertaining though clumsy affair which is not really surprising given that they probably had to call it on the fly. Kofi landed a boomdrop on Epico and Primo, Ziggler then hit Kofi with a zig zag whilst Swagger covered for two. Swagger then trapped Epico in an ankle lock but was hit by another boomdrop by Kingston who was then taken out with a backstabber by Primo for the pinfall victory and title defence. ** Post-match Kane returned and came down to destroy everyone which basically exposed this tag match not as a way to promote the division but just an excuse to get together a bunch of guys for Kane to get some heat back from laying them out to waste. That Ziggler was one of his victims was very dissapointing given the strides he has made over the past six months. John Laurinaitis and Teddy Long played some mind games backstage as Long told Laurinaitis that he had heard a rumour that he wouldn't be running Raw next week and Laurinaitis told Long that he had heard a rumour that Long had been fired. Sounds to me like they've both been reading one too many dirtsheets. Eve Torres Promo Eve came out to hoski chants from the crowd. She admitted that she uses man but in defence said that there isn't a man alive who wouldn't love to be used by her. She said that she couldn't help the fact that men begged for er attention and that they shouldn't blame for her strength but blame themselves for being weak minded. Following this she then blew a kiss and left. Backstage Kelly wanted to know what had gotten into her friend but Eve just fake laughed her and left. Can we get the talented Divas back on this show please? Tag Match: Sheamus and Big Show defeated Cody Rhodes and Mark Henry via pinfall Before the match Rhodes aired a clip of Floyd Mayweather beating Big Show at Wrestlemania and laughed about how he lost to a guy who wasn't even a third of his size. Show then wanted Rhodes to start and though Cody strode confidently into the ring he then quickly tagged in Mark and scampered. This left Henry alone against his two opponents as Show speared him and Sheamus hit a wicked brogue kick for the pinfall. Pretty pointless affair. ½ * Shawn Michaels was advertised for next week's edition of Raw. He never usually disappoints. The Rock's Promo The Rock returned to address the millions and of course to confront the scathing attack from John Cena the previous week. He argued that he wasn't on Raw every week now but used to be on Raw every week and loved it and that the wwe was where the Rock was born and created. He said that when he told everyone he wasn't leaving he meant it but that didn't mean that he was going to be on every show each week and If John Cena wanted to take what he said literally then that was up to him. He said that he was in the ring for no other reason than for the fact that he loved wwe and that the wwe would always be a part of him. Rock then said that he used to think that John Cena was a phoney who went to private school only to become the doctor of thugamonics. He said Cena has his cell number but he has no intention of talking to a liar who he would rather slap in the face with some kung pow chicken in catering. He then said that Cena isn't in fact a phoney, he's just a kung pow bitch. Cue of course a huge €œkung pow bitch€ chant from the crowd. Rock then got more serious as he brought up Cena's point about how he was fighting for all the guys in the back who wanted to be a wrestler and stay a wrestler. Rock asked Cena who he thought fought for him when he was starting out as a babyface like John is now? Who in fact fought for Stone Cold Steve Austin? Or Randy Savage? No-one he said because they were men and they fought for themselves. He then told John that if he was fighting for all the guys in the back then Rock was fighting for all the guys in the crowd. The same crowd who are tired of having Cena shoved down their throats every single night. Rock then indulged the crowd in some comedy engaging in the usual spiel about Cena having no balls but ladyparts instead and I guess he was showing how he could entertain the crowd in a way that Cena was unable to but nonetheless I was still grateful for Cena coming out to interrupt the laboured parade of childish chants and twitter references. Cena immediately brought some good heat back to the feud by saying that The Rock only half right about Cena talking smack about him when he wasn't there because he was also going to say the same things to his face too. Cena acting like a man for once then told Rock to his face that he was a fan of his until he met Dwayne Johnson who he labelled €œa self-centred, egotistical son of a bitch who wouldn€™t care if WWE closed tomorrow.€ He then mocked Rock for having notes written down on his wrist before insisting that he was going to beat the hell out of him at Wrestlemania. He then patronised the Great One by telling him to continue trending. This little burst of aggression had an impact on The Rock who then turned deadly serious again as he insisted that The Rock and Dwayne Johnson are the same person and how Cena could talk tough but definitely wasn't tough. He vowed to kick his ass at Mania before asking the fans if they could smell what he was cooking. This was a solid segment marred slightly by some of the obnoxious comedy. Rock showing aggression when telling Cena that he was an innovator who had even given Cena an endorsement deal was great but getting the crowd to chant €œkung pow bitch€ and €œladyparts€ at this stage of the game seems a little detrimental to the epic nature of the feud. Rock's talk about having to fight for oneself however was passionately expressed and a great response to Cena's €œfighting for the superstars€ speech from the previous week. The structure of the promo was pretty neat in that The Rock began by seriously targeting Cena's claims only to Cena into an object of fun and then came back to earth in the finale after Cena had startled him with his aggression and fighting spirit and reminded Rock that Mania is not going to be walk in the park no matter how many times he tries to demean his opponent. Cena was great again in another short burst this week and though The Rock's delivery was a little off from his usual masterful level the crowd were still going crazy for every thing that he said as The Rock had them in the palm of his hands in the way that only he can. What this promo did well to establish is two clearly conveyed viewpoints with The Rock arguing that he is reaping the rewards of a success which he fought for himself and is now giving something back to the fans in an industry which in his heart at least he never left and Cena arguing that Rock is just on a big ego trip whilst pretending to care for a company which he believes is just an extended advertisement for the Dwayne Johnson brand. It is a strong conflict to build upon and both men are currently doing a very good job of backing up their viewpoints. Verdict: WWE have three epic Wrestlemania matches on their hands here and for the time being are developing each story in a careful, steady manner without peaking interest too soon. Unfortunately Sheamus and Daniel Bryan are being given the midcard title build for their world heavyweight championship match and are at this stage clearly regarded as an afterthought to the headline acts. Even if the buyrate is already in the bag, the company might try to make this match seem a bit more special in the coming weeks as Sheamus and Bryan are health permitted going to be in the company a long time after the likes of Trips and Taker have hung up their wrestling boots.