Punk & Cena

I'm about to head off to the beach for the week (vacation! Yay!) but before I left I thought I would update the blog one more time as we await Monday's Raw (which I can't guarantee I'll see) to find out the fallout to CM Punk's return.

More than anything, though, I'd like to discuss the final moments of last week's Raw and how CM Punk brings the absolute best out of John Cena. Cena, as the posterchild of the PG era (for better or worse) is often "forced" into one dimensional situations. He's the good guy and he does what's right. It works, as seen by his immense financial success. But for the vocal audience that requires something more, he often comes across as lame.

Yet throughout this Punk storyline, his character has don't some really interesting things. First, he defended Punk and essentially got him reinstated. However he wasn't quite pandering to the audience, as the next week he called Punk out on his hypocrisy. He noted that Punk claims to speak for the people, yet what he is planning on doing is very unfair to the fans. He wants to take the championship and walk away. At the PPV, he abandoned his usual spiel (salute, etc) and played it serious. And as the match neared its end, he showed much, much more aggression and frustration than we've ever seen before. He was noticeably bothered when he couldn't beat Punk, even yelling at the ref at various points. Yet when his "Get out of jail free" card presented itself with McMahon and Johnny Ace, he did the right thing and stopped them.

And then when he was going to be fired, Cena even played hardball. He didn't get sappy and talk about how he's going to miss the audience and he's going to spend time with his family. No, he said, "you're going to fire me? Fine, I'll just go to the competition. That'll show you!" It certainly gave him some edge.

Perhaps my favorite, though, was Cena's reaction to Punk's return. First, he handled it perfectly, legitimately seeming unsure of what's happening (at one point it looked like he even asked for a mic, unsuccessfully). Then when Punk came out, he wasn't angry. He wasn't angry. He wasn't upset. He seemed unsure and perhaps even unsettled. It wasn't a friend coming back, nor an enemy. It was almost as if, "He's back? What happens now?"

And of course, Punk's part in this cannot be ignored. During that epic promo, he outright admitted that he likes Cena. At the Money in the Bank match, he actually clapped for him during his entrance. And their confrontation at this past week's Raw, as well as the contract negotiation, can be described as "tense" more than "hostile." It was far more subdued and complex than what we're used to.

Truthfully, this is one of the more fun rivalries we've seen in a long, long time.

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Enjoy

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Lost: Never Before Seen Deleted Scene (Comic Con)

Over a year after the show has ended, Lost is still bringing the awesome. Check out this deleted scene from the season one finale, which should shed an early light on the mysteries we would come to discover:

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CM Punk Confronts WWE at Comic Con

Here's one video, where CM Punk disrupts the WWE presentation, asks a three part question, leaves, and Triple H responds. Enjoy:

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LIVE Raw thoughts

11:14 - So when Triple H first came out I was intrigued. I was even interested in where they were going to take things with Vince being challenged by the board. But then it all sorta fell apart. And suddenly the whole allure of the Punk/Cena/McMahon thing fell apart. I don't have any problem with them integrating Triple H into the story, since Punk took plenty of shots at him as well (and he has a history with Cena. You could even tell people that Cena's rise up the ladder led to Triple H's semi-retirement). But a very compelling story that had people taking crashed and burned once it turned into Triple H and Vince McMahon standing alone in the ring, with shaky voices and tears, talking about how much they love each other. I mean, really, after all the progress they've made this month.....how could they possibly think people wanted to see THAT?

11:12 - Thankfully that red hot CM Punk angle turned into a Triple H/Vince McMahon love fest.

11:05 - Triple H.....now that's unexpected. Let's see how this plays out....

10:59 - I defend Cena. A lot. And I defend wrestlers for wearing their attire in situations that don't always make sense, but I think Cena needs to learn that there are certain instances where he shouldn't be all geared out. He can wear the shirt. Maybe even the hat. But knee pads? Wrist bands? He'd look more natural without them.

10:55 - Honestly, Vince, that jacket looks absolutely ridiculous. So do you think they really planned on delaying the match or do you think they legitimately ran out of time. However, why is Rey upset? He just wrestled a match. Instead of immediately facing a fresher opponent, he gets a week to rest up.

10:48 - So within approximately 20 minutes they have to have the finals AND resolve the Cena matter. It's going to be tight.

10:45 - Random observation - Trish Stratus went into her final match (a title match) knowing that she would retire afterwards. She technically left as the champion, same as CM Punk. In kayfabe terms, why was it honorable for Trish and despicable for Punk?

10:38 - Wait, why do they have to win by pinfall or submission? When was that established?

10:27 - I expected Kofi to advance after that passionate backstage speech (which no other participant had received at the time), but Miz is a good choice as well. He's been a good sport since his feud with Cena ended. I do expect Rey to advance, though.

10:21 - Here's hoping Rey takes the Macho Man/CM Punk route and wears a different outfit each match of the tournament. Because it looks like Kofi ain't doing it.

10:14 - I love AJ. Also, do you think anybody remembers that Rosa was Beth's sidekick back in the day?

10:04 - Twitter is back in action and Rey Mysterio advances. The right guys won each match. Who goes to the finals? I'm thinking, perhaps, Kofi and Rey. It's a fresh match two two guys who haven't held that particular title, that the fans could really get behind. Wouldn't be surprised to see one of the heels advance, though.

Considering his backstage interview, I'm thinking Kofi is a safe bet.

9:51 - Kofi advances, and now it's Rey's turn in a kick ass Kiss-inspired mask. By the way, what was with Dolph's exclusion from last night's ladder match?

9:43 - Great seeing Ricardo Rodriguez back. I was actually wondering when he'd return last night. From a kayfabe perspective, wouldn't it make more sense for Alberto to throw tonight's match and then just challenge the winner of the tournament?

9:34 - What the hell is going on with Twitter?

9:30 - Again, the right person went over. Glad to see R Truth advance to the next round. To keep an even heel/face ratio, smart money is on Kofi and especially Mysterio. Although, now that I think about it....wouldn't it have been mutually beneficial (and very heelish) to just have ADR exchange the Money in the Bank briefcase for the WWE Championship?

9:17 - Glad to see Miz advance to the next round. He's done an effective and successful job putting over Alex Riley the past few months. He deserved to get the win.

9:07 - So, what did you think of the opening of Raw? McMahon -- wearing, what was that? A pink sports jacket? -- announced an 8 man tournament to name a new WWE Champion. On the one hand, it was a slightly underwhelming way to kick off the show following the electricity of last night. But in fairness, it's the natural progression of the storyline. They want us to below CM Punk legitimately left the company with the WWE Championship. If that actually happened, this would probably be the solution -- name a new champion ASAP. Let's see how it plays out.

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LIVE Money in the Bank thoughts

10:50 - That was an absolutely perfect way to end the match. Cena looked strong, as it appeared he might win before the Vince interference. Plus he preserves his status as an honorable face by not allowing Vince to ring the bell. And Punk looks strong as hell, taking Cena to the limit and kicking out of everything Cena had. Plus ADR doesn't look weak by losing to Punk. Punk absolutely had to have resigned, and he's, like, the biggest star in the world right now. Bravo.

10:42 - This is incredible. And I think they could do a double turn.

10:39 - This is very intense.

10:35 - Great camera angle on that knee lift.

10:29 - Has a face ever done an abdominal stretch? It's a very heelish move done to get the fans motivated behind the face's escape.

10:27 - Has any match NOT featured an injured knee yet?

10:15 - If Punk HASN'T been resigned, McMahon shoudl run down the aisle right now and offer him whatever he wants. This is electric. At Money in the Bank, of all events.

10:11 - This feels like a massively epic match. And I loved the way Punk clapped for Cena. Punk's character is so compelling and unique right now.

10:09 - John Cena's character is sometimes at its best when the crowd is so incredibly against him. Like with RVD at One Night Stand. He's all business. And Chavo, he ALWAYS brings it. You're way off.

10:08 - By the way, notice how his entrance video was decidedly un-Nexus'd. It wasn't the usual black and yellow color scheme.

10:07 - That was an absolutely epic entrance. The place EXPLODED when he yelled "it's clobberin time!" And that's an awesome t-shirt. And yeah, he shaved....but it reminds me more of his brief announcing stint than when he first debuted.

10:03 - Random thing I'm curious about -- will Punk be wearing his Nexus arm band? He's been pretty distant from the group this feud. Oh, and did he shave.

9:57 - Orton is acting awfully Sting-esque, isn't he? Just remember, though, that last year it was established that you have to be conscious for somebody to cash in the briefcase. So if this assault continues, Christian is safe.

9:54 - After this beat down, it seems like the booking is perfect for a Money in the Bank cash in.

9:50 - I still hate the "it's over!" call. It completely takes me out of the moment.

9:48 - This is actually the first time I've watched an Orton/Christian match without knowing the result. It's rather nerve-racking.

9:40 - The in-ring introductions for the World Championship matches are a nice touch. Definitely adds a feeling of prestige.

9:36 - I miss Christian's hooded entrance gear. And no new attire. And still rocking the black tights.

9:32 - I just noticed that the cover on the announce table says "World Wrestling Entertainment" on it. Odd. Okay, so we're down to the first title match. What happens? Does Bryan cash in? Does Christian win? They still have an hour and a half left, and only two matches as best as I can tell. There's a lot of time for a lot of stuff to happen.

9:28 - A scary match, only because there were so many near or potential injuries. BUT I was right about my prediction -- ADR won and Mysterio was the runner up. Clever ending, with the Miz tease and Del Rio tearing off Rey's mask in an act of desperation. I hope nobody was severely injured, though.

9:18 - Annnnnnnnd another stretcher job. What is that, three in four matches?

9:14 - "I think these guys are all fighting over a ladder that won't reach the briefcase." Okay, that was a good one.

9:09 - So far we've got Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne rocking some new uniforms. By the way, I LOVE that they're all arming themselves with ladders before the match even starts. It's smart from a kayfabe perspective and a clever way to start the match from a booking perspective.

9:04 - Another reason why I think Punk's resigned: McMahon is constantly putting him over by saying that he's willing to offer him everything in order to keep him. There are other ways they could be building intrigue without raising Punk's value in the eyes of the audience.

9:00 - Three matches, two stretcher jobs. Or two stretchers jobs in the first hour alone.

8:51 - Mark Henry is breaking out some new attire -- finally getting away from that dreadful red color scheme -- so at least SOMETHING good came out of this match. But I'm going to go downstairs get some ice cream.

8:43 - I love how King acts like the Bellas are cruel for making fun of Kelly, when he frequently takes extremely mean spirited jokes about Vickie Guerrero.

8:34 - Daniel Bryan wins! Unexpected, but really cool. Good for him -- legitimately happy that he won it, and hope that he makes the most of it.

8:31 - To anybody who thinks that the Nexus angle was a bust, consider that four of the eight men in this match were part of that group, and I'd say three of them could conceivably win it. I don't know if ANY of them would even be in this match if it wasn't for that angle.

8:25 - I think there's a good possibility that Sin Cara re-enters the match and wins it.

8:19 - I was initially worried that Sin Cara's injury was legit, because Sheamus seemed legitimately distracted and concerned following the stunt....but Joey Styles' nonchalant Tweet shortly after assures me that it was all scripted.

8:14 - What the hell is the point of that tiny ladder at the end of the aisle?

8:09 - Sin Cara starts things off right with some new attire. I miss the days when people would break out a new costume for a PPV. And bonus points to Sheamus for breaking out the rarely used green version of his trunks.

8:03 - Great opening segment and the set looks awesome. And those "CM Punk" signs designed to look like the WWE ice cream bars? Epic.

7:40 - Okay, check back in 20 minutes for my LIVE PPV thoughts. Just some pre-show comments. First off, it appears that they're selling a limited edition CM Punk shirt at the PPV, saying "Best in the World." I don't think they'd go through such trouble if the guy had one foot out the door -- especially since it's not a "retirement." It's a guy letting his contract expire and conceivably going to a competitor.

Second thought -- WWE.com posted some photos of CM Punk throwing the first pitch at a Cubs game. There are only three photos, and they're all from a distance (uncharacteristically terrible photography) but it looks like Punk shaved so he's back to his debut look (just a goatee beard). I think this is a mistake, if that's the case. His full beard showed a level of maturity and wisdom. His wild rants weren't from a punk kid -- they were from a veteran who has been through the wringer. The short hair and beard showed growth from his long haired, goatee styling kid who debuted five or six years ago. It seems minute, but the beard really made a difference. I hope I saw wrong.

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Money in the Bank Possibilities and Predictions

So tonight is Money in the Bank, which may very well be the first non-Big Four PPV I’ve ordered since the beginning of the brand extension. I honestly haven’t a clue what’s going to happen, and the possibilities are endless, so I’m not going to do a traditional “Predictions” post. Instead, I’ll post some possibilities, what I’d like to see happen, and what I think will probably happen. And I’ll really only talk about the four big matches.

Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match:
Smart bet: Probably Sheamus
Good chance: Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett
Long shot: Justin Gabriel
Runner Up: Sin Cara or Daniel Bryan

I originally pegged Cody Rhodes to win it, because Money in the Bank works best with somebody who hasn’t been to the big show yet, but could use a little bit of a shove into the title picture. However, if Christian wins the World Heavyweight Championship, then I could see Sheamus winning it to continue the three way feud they began building a few weeks ago.

Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match:
Smart bet: Alberto Del Rio
Good chance: R Truth
Long shot: Alex Riley
Runner Up: Rey Mysterio

I don’t see Miz reclaiming the briefcase here because the storyline has been done, and it was done pretty perfectly the first time. Alberto Del Rio seems like the best shot here, because it would perpetually keep him in the main event picture, plus they seem willing to job him out if the situation presents itself.

World Heavyweight Championship Match:
When the match was first announced, my prediction was that Christian wins the title and then immediately loses it to the Money in the Bank winner, probably Sheamus. But then as things progressed with the Cena/Punk storyline, it seemed like something like that might happen in their match. What I want to have happen, of course, is that Christian wins the title (it can be through shenanigans, that’s fine). He’s really brought it throughout the feud and to be honest, his storyline with Orton isn’t as boring as the typical Orton feud and I wouldn’t mind seeing it continue. The only way it could continue and keep its steam is if Christian wins. I still think my initial prediction is possible, depending on how things play out in the WWE Championship match.

WWE Championship Match:
Where do I begin? The possibilities are endless here. Everybody is predicting a Punk victory and I think that’s possible, but to be honest I think WWE could conceivably keep the title on John Cena until his WrestleMania match with Rock. But I really think this all boils down to whether Punk signed a new deal with WWE, and my gut tells me he has. It’s not just that WWE has put Punk in a position to be a star following this feud, it’s also that he’s absolutely red hot right now. What does WWE benefit from making Punk such a massive star if he’s leaving? To spike one buyrate? It doesn’t make sense.

And if Punk HAS resigned, I think they’d be making a mistake by not putting the title on him. Punk leaving with the belt and Cena getting fired builds far more intrigue than Cena retaining, which is something everybody has already seen. So let’s talk about some of the possibilities.

One is that Punk wins, the Raw MITB winner cashes in (let’s say ADR), but loses. Then the Smackdown MITB winner cashes in immediately thereafter (which is, I assume, against the rules, but McMahon allows it as a last ditch effort to keep the championship) but Punk again retains (maybe he purposely gets himself disqualified). This is also interesting because it’ll be the first time the MITB winners fail, and it’ll immediately take the briefcases out of the equation for the first time since their creation. You can also reverse the order (which doesn’t make sense to me), and have the Raw guy win it. One way to accomplish this is by having the Raw winner initially reject McMahon’s request to cash in the briefcase (but deciding to do it anyway after seeing how beat up Punk is), and perhaps even have new World Champ Christian convince the Smackdown winner to cash in on Punk.

Another possibility is that you have Punk win with the assistance of McMahon, and it turns out that the renegade Punk sold out to ensure that he wins the championship. For what it’s worth, I think this would be a mistake. Punk already has heat as a heel. Why turn away the atomic reaction he’s getting in his current role (for what it's worth, I could see Punk evolving into a face. In his interaction with Vince -- decidedly a heel -- they were clearly on opposing sides. His discussions with Cena were far less hostile)?

And, of course, there’s the possibility that Cena wins clean. And honestly, if Punk really is gone, I don’t think this is a bad option. Think back to the Hogan era, and to a lesser extent even the Austin era. During those periods, the big face almost always overcame the odds. If Punk is gone and there isn’t money to be made off of him (that is to say, they CAN’T make money off of him), why not do what you can to continue to build up your top star? I hope it doesn't happen, because there are more exciting options, but if it does it won't be the end of the world.

So….what do you see happening?

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Money in the Bank: A look back at the runners up

A while back on the I Want Wrestling Podcast (definitely worth a listen), while discussing the rise of CM Punk, one of the former creative team writers – it was probably Dave Lagana – brought up that Punk was the person Kennedy knocked off the ladder to win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 23. This got me thinking – indeed, being the person knocked off the ladder (effectively, the “runner up”) is an honor in and of itself. Essentially, you’re the person the front office is picking to “tease” the audience into thinking that you’re going to win.

As we prepare for the second Money in the Bank PPV (a show I’ll actually be ordering), let’s take a look at the runner ups to each MITB Ladder Match, and the year they had following the match.

WrestleMania 21: Runner Up - Chris Benoit
Benoit arguably made the ladder match with his incredible selling of his arm injury. He feuded with Edge for the following month, and was an early draft pick and moved over to Smackdown. From there, he won the United States Championship and feuded primarily with Booker T. Truth be told, considering his prior year, Benoit’s year was probably a bit of a disappointment.

WrestleMania 22: Runners Up - Shelton Benjamin and Matt Hardy
I’d hate to say it, as it hurts the credibility of this post, but I think this may be the one case where the final moments of the match were designed for somebody to take a great bump. What makes me say that? Well, for one, neither Benjamin or Hardy were being heavily pushed during this period. And following WrestleMania, they were both left off of the majority of PPVs. From my recollection, the peak of Benjamin’s year was being on the loser’s end of an Intercontinental Title feud, and Hardy had a fairly meaningless feud with Gregory Helms. Ultimately, both of them ended up reuniting with their former partners just before the next WrestleMania, proving that (at that time) their singles careers would not skyrocket like they had hoped.

WrestleMania 23: Runner Up - CM Punk
CM Punk most certainly had a breakout year after being knocked off that ladder, deprived of the Money in the Bank prize. While Bobby Lashley was still the centerpiece of ECW for the months following WrestleMania, Punk was clearly the one to watch. First, as the intriguing middle man in the war between the ECW Originals and the New Breed and then as the brand’s top babyface following the departure of Lashley and RVD. And by the end of the summer, Punk had finally the ECW Championship. And after a fairly lengthy reign, it seemed he only dropped the title so that he could move onto bigger and better things (believe it or not). This included a spot in the Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank matches, conceivably so that he could challenge for one of the two “real” World Titles.

Punk is the first – but arguably not last – runner up who seemed to have a more successful year than the actual winner (who, incidentally, didn’t even ultimately end up with the briefcase).

WrestleMania 24: Runner Up - Chris Jericho
This would be the second case where the runner up ended up more successful than the winner – although it’s definitely up for debate. Actually, Jericho’s presence in the Money in the Bank match was pretty compelling to begin with. Of the competitors, he was undoubtedly the highest on the card, yet it was Jeff Hardy that was destined to win. When Hardy was removed from the equation, Jericho still didn’t get the nod. Instead, it went to CM Punk. Saddled with the Intercontinental Championship – Jeff Hardy’s sloppy seconds – you had to wonder about Jericho’s stock in the company. However, following an entrancing feud with Shawn Michaels, a slow burn heel turn, and a brilliant complete shift of character, Jericho skyrocketed back to the top of the card. Incredibly, he even managed to win the World Championship in a match he wasn’t even scheduled to participate in. Actually, he won the belt twice before the end of the calendar year, and spent much of the rest of the time competing for the championship (before a fairly understated match at WrestleMania against the WWE Legends).

Punk’s year was nothing to sneeze at, of course. He won the World Heavyweight Championship against Edge in an awesome Raw moment (which saw the Rated R Superstar get his comeuppance), but with both Cena and Batista on the Raw brand, you could tell that the company never fully got behind him as champion.

WrestleMania 25: Runner Up – Kane
Sorry to say, I don’t think there was any significance to Kane being in the role this year. As best as I can tell, he really didn’t even appear on another PPV following Backlash, I believe, until SummerSlam. And that was in a nothing match against the Great Khali. And he was one of the captains of Team Smackdown at Bragging Rights. CM Punk, meanwhile, had an awesome year (mirroring Chris Jericho the year before) by turning heel and reimagining his character. And then he wore jeans instead of a suit or something, and his push died.

WrestleMania 26: Runner Up – Christian
I’d like to think that Christian’s role as the “runner up” was quite deliberate, as of the competitors I think many fans felt he had a good chance of winning (after carrying the ECW brand on his back) and the audience genuinely wanted him to win. However, for whatever reason, things didn’t really pan out for Christian. If I’m not mistaken, Christian’s next PPV appearance wouldn’t be until, ironically enough, the Money in the Bank show. It’s a little surprising, actually. With the departures of Edge and Chris Jericho, there was room up top for Christian. But I guess it wasn’t meant to be.

Money in the Bank (PPV): Smackdown Runner Up - Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre is in essentially the same exact position that Christian was in several months earlier. While the fans certainly weren’t festering for McIntyre to win, there was a strong possibility that he would (he was being pushed rather heavily at the time). I might even go as far as to say that fans feared he would win. So with a combination of the live audience actively believing Drew could win, and REALLY not wanting that to happen, having Kane prevent that from happening was probably the best way to get the stadium to react when he nabbed the briefcase. Of course, like Christian, McIntyre was basically banished from the PPV scene following this match.

Money in the Bank (PPV): Raw Runner Up - Randy Orton
Randy Orton had a pretty incredible latter half of 2010. He had emerged as a major babyface, even rivaling John Cena’s spot as the face of the company. So it’s not surprising that he was the teased winner. However, things came out pretty rosy for Orton anyway, as he won the WWE Championship at Night of Champions just a few months later. Appropriately, he would be the victim of Miz’s briefcase cash in.

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Beer Pong: It runs in the family

Indeed it does. Enjoy!

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Dive Bar Shirt Club: Pic-A-Lilli Pub

I received my July Dive Bar t-shirt -- a really cool red and dark gray circular logo against a light gray t-shirt -- which I'm very happy with. Plus, this is a place I could conceivably go to, right in Atlantic City. And, praise the Lord, Pic-A-Lilli Pub actually has a website (their Shamong location, anyway)!!! That means I don't have to retype the bulletin, I'll just copy and paste what the site says. Enjoy!

For many years the business flourished and many, many friends were made. The whole family was involved in operating the business. Pickett and Florence poured their love and devotion into the food and drink while Donnie worked in the kitchen, Bonnie and all of the boys’ wives worked in the dining room, and the comic duo of Bruce and Wallace managed the bar. Sadly, Florence passed away in 1980, and Pickett, Jr. continued to run the business until his dying day in the year 2000.

But the legend continues….in the early 1990’s Bruce and his wife Sandy opened Russell’s Pic II on the White Horse Pike in Ancora, and the Pic-A-Lilli Pub opened on Tennessee Avenue & the boardwalk in Atlantic City. Donnie and his wife, Barbara, opened Pic-A-Lilli Wings & Things and Pic-A-Deli on Jackson Road, in Medford.

Pic-A-Lilli Website: http://www.picalilli.com/

Dive Bar Shirt Club: http://www.divebarshirtclub.com/Default.asp

Dive Bar Shirt Club T-Shirt Gallery

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LIVE Raw thoughts

11:16 - That was a really, really compelling segment. After Punk's promo two weeks ago, people were heralding him as the next Stone Cold Steve Austin. As much as I love Punk, I just couldn't ever see him achieving that level of success. Throughout this segment, I felt it. I felt it a lot. He had the confidence, the attitude, and the fans were eating out of the palm of his hands. And through this storyline, he's made this dynamic between John Cena and Vince McMahon exceptionally interesting. Here you have a top heel -- Mr. McMahon -- openly referred to as a fan of John Cena, their top face. And then you have Punk (the top heel) and Cena interacting not as enemies, but as respected individuals who have philosophical differences. I could see Punk making an Austin-esque face turn, and Cena accepting him. Or I could see a switch. There really are a lot of possibilities.

The thing is, though, that they BETTER have resigned Punk to some extent. He has brought in so much interest and appeal that they'd be foolish not to give in (even if that means bringing back the ice cream bars). I don't know what's going to happen Sunday, but I'm intrigued again.

10:54 - Ahhhhh! McMahon's reference to him never kissing Punk's ass, and Punk dropping his trousers.....now the shorts make sense!

10:51 - I'm curious to see how this contract negotiation plays out. If Punk resigns, it takes away from the allure of the match this Sunday. But if he's still with the company, this is their "out." Unfortunately, McMahon is in full, exaggerated character.

10:45 - Say what you will about the irresponsible nature of these matches, but when you look at some of the stuff these Superstars have done....well, it takes balls. Serious balls.

10:39 - Why do I have a feeling that Drew McIntyre had a rougher landing than Big Show and Mark Henry? And even in the context of the storyline, what benefit did this attack serve Mark Henry?

10:27 - I'm not as turned off by this episode as much as many people on Twitter, but I do wonder if they're making a mistake by not featuring Punk more. I'm sure his show closing discussion with McMahon will be epic, but it might be fun seeing Punk walk through the backstage area going off on various people with his megaphone.

10:13 - Geez, Alberto Del Rio (who came to the ring in a suit) sure is lucky that Rey Mysterio decided not to come down to the ring, or else he might have had to wrestle. This promo did show, though, that there are some fresh match ups within these six (or eight) individuals. Rey vs. Bourne? Rey vs. Kofi? Kofi vs. R-Truth? There are a lot of fun possibilities.

9:59 - Is it me or have almost everybody who has been given the mic tonight slipped up in some way? Punk, the Bellas, and the Miz have all stumbled on their words.

9:51 - The treatment of Melina over the past few months only reminds me of how schizophrenic WWE is with their Divas. One second a Diva is the top contender or champion. Then she's being squashed in obscurity. It's happened with Mickie, it's happened with Victoria, it's happened with Gail, it's happened with Maryse, it's happened with Candice, and it'll probably happen with Eve.

9:43 - I love Kelly Kelly, but how awkward and uncomfortable did she look walking down the hallway with that Divas Belt?

9:28 - I will say this -- for all the criticism Cole and Lawler get (the vast majority deserved), they're doing a fantastic job of building up the importance of this match between Punk and Cena.

9:25 - I'm not thrilled with the fact that Cena is against the tag champs. The only ending that makes sense is for Cena to win, both to make him look strong and to reiterate the fact that he can handle himself as a wrestler. But the New Nexus constantly look like losers, and whenever they win a match (like last week), they're back to square one.

9:15 - So, what did everybody think of that opening promo? It wasn't QUITE as crisp and razor sharp as two weeks ago (there were a few moments where Punk seemed to stumble on his words) but it was still the most exciting thing we've seen in a LONG time. Who would have guessed, in this ultra PG era, that we'd hear the word "balls" uttered so many times? And Punk touched upon some taboo stuff as well, like how wrestling is only mentioned when somebody dies. John Cena's appearance made a lot of people cringe, I'm sure, but to his credit Cena did an excellent job with his portion. I was glad he wasn't too "in character," as he didn't do his usual routine when he entered the ring. He was pretty much all business, but stayed true to his established persona. If anything, I was more bothered by the Raw GM interruption. But it was still a great segment.

I was a bit surprised we didn't see Punk do a "Hi Kurt Angle" when he said he was the best wrestler in the world, though.

9:01 - So, do you think that disruption with the opening signature was purposeful?

Punk with a megaphone in case his mic goes off = brilliant

Punk with a pedophile mustache = slightly creepy

Also, I'm wondering what sort of trunks Punk is wearing. Whenever he wears more than his usual t-shirt and trunks, it means he's got a surprise (the Macho Man trunks, the harness, etc.)

8:54 - There's a lot riding on this show -- Punk set the wrestling world on fire two weeks ago with his show closing promo, and I'd like to think that last week's taped show (without Punk) was actually a lot better than people expected. Somehow, some way, they made Money in the Bank into a must see show, and I'm legitimately curious to see what the buyrate for this show will be. The story has been interesting, and there are so many different ways that it can play out. I'll be ordering the show.

Also, later this week, I'll be posting a story on my blog about the "runner ups" of each Money in the Bank match (as in, the person who got knocked off the ladder so the eventual winner could grab the briefcase). Be sure to check it out. And now....onto Raw....

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Casey Anthony Found Not Guilty

The big news of the day is that Casey Anthony was found not guilty of all of the significant charges levied against her (murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter), leading the social media world into a tizzy. Listen, I don’t pretend to know all of the facts, and I haven’t a clue what my outlook would be if I were on the trial, and I was forced to look at things based on the concrete evidence and without all of the biases (intentional or not) that you come across with the media.

And truth be told, many famous court cases that have been considered lucrative or “slam dunks” are actually viewed pretty inaccurately when you look at the facts. For all of the people who chastise the McDonald’s coffee lady, saying that it’s ridiculous to sue for coffee being hot, many of them probably don’t realize that McDonald’s served their coffee at a substantially higher temperature than other establishments and that over 700 people had suffered burns of varying degrees from McDonald’s coffee over a ten year period. This woman, who was nearly 80 years old, suffered third degree burns and had to undergo skin grafting. And even the Michael Jackson/child molestation case strongly suggested that the family of the young boy in question had a criminal history (and future) and had behaved in a suspicious and unusual manner. So I certainly understand that things are not always as clear cut as they appear.

However, what I do know is that when I look at that infamous photo of two year old Caylee, lying in bed with her cheek resting on her hand, my heart absolutely breaks. This young girl – still a baby, really – was taken from the world and I don’t feel like her death got the justice that it deserves. Even if we give Casey the benefit of the doubt here, and we believe her story, her death still went unreported for over a month. And what’s the result? She was found guilty of misleading police. Please.

Sure, the evidence was circumstantial, but the circumstantial evidence was still pretty overwhelming. This is a woman who did something wrong. Perhaps we’ll never know if she murdered her daughter, or if her parents helped her cover it up, or if her father did abuse her, but there’s no doubt in my mind that she did something that she’s not paying for.

I don’t believe Caylee Anthony received justice. And that’s a tragedy.

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TAPED Raw thoughts

11:06 - I thought the end segment played out a lot better than it sounded like it would when I read the spoilers. My only real complaint -- other than Vince's loosened, crooked tie being REALLY distracting -- is that we got "Mr. McMahon" when we should have gotten "Vince McMahon." Since last week, WWE has, I believe, deliberately referred to him as "Vince McMahon." During Punk's promo, he referred to him as Vince McMahon. When the suspension was announced on WWE.com, he was referred to as Vince McMahon. And at the start of the show, Cena repeatedly referred to him as Vince McMahon. WWE has done an effective job of establishing that Vince McMahon is the person and that Mr. McMahon is the character. And throughout the week, dealing with "Vince McMahon" brought a lot of realism to it.

So, yes, I was a bit disappointed when McMahon came out with his exaggerated swagger and being introduced as "Mr. McMahon." And, of course, the cartoonish "You're FIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEED."

But overall, McMahon and Cena both did an absolutely fantastic job of building the suspense and the epic feeling of the match. I totally plan on ordering the PPV, and I think it would be the first time since the brand extension that I have ordered a non-big four PPV.

10:55 - CM Punk is A LOT better at the worked shoot than Vince.

10:53 - Let's see how this plays out.

10:33 - Great video package for Riley. They've done a great job overall with these video montages.

10:29 - I love how they edited the Miz Girl into the Miz's Money in the Bank victory. Also, could you imagine Ted DiBiase in that match now, with that caliber of talent? Edge....Orton....Morrisonw....Miz.....DiBiase?

10:22 - "He was born in Africa!" One of those things that, while true, just comes out sounding really badly.

10:17 - These Money in the Bank videos are really cool, showing past matches and how the winner became champion shortly thereafter. Pretty effective way to push the PPV.

10:11 - Fun match that gives Del Rio some extra credibility going into Money in the Bank. For what it's worth, they're really selling the idea that Punk really is being removed from the match by immediately naming a new #1 contender and discussing how that person now needs to be replaced in their match. Plus, there's now a tailor made story next month with ADR claiming he's #1 contender (even if he has the briefcase).

9:59 - If this match legitimately decided a new #1 contender, and one of them really was removed from the match (and to be replaced by somebody else), here's a fun added stipulation: Each competitor gets to pick who would replace them in Money in the Bank. For argument's sake, let's say Rey picks Big Show, Del Rio picks Drew McIntyre and R-Truth picks Mason Ryan. Now, in addition to the three competitors fighting, you have three bystanders with a vested interest in who wins. Could create some fun interference scenarios.

9:48 - I love how nonchalantly everybody is blowing off the Iraqi sympathizer thing. They're saying "everybody makes mistakes" like he forgot to return a phone call.

9:41 - If I were Evan Bourne, I'd say "Yeah, keep me out of it when people bring up you siding with Iraq during the Gulf War."

9:38 - Not sure what they have up their sleeves with Zack Ryder, but at least they're doing SOMETHING with him. Looks like they may team him with somebody to take on Nexus. Maybe his former partner Curt Hawkins? David Hart Smith? Or here's an idea -- a returning Skip Sheffield (not sure when he's expected back).

9:30 - I'm surprised they had Nexus come out to Punk's music and not the original Nexus music. Seems like an easy way to disappoint your audience. Needlessly, too.

9:27 - So I'm curious to see where this World Heavyweight Championship thing is going. Is Sheamus getting inserted in the match, making it a triple threat? Does that mean his participation in the Money in the Bank match was a tease? If so, who replaces him? Ted DiBiase?

If Sheamus is in it, my bet is that he eats the pin, which classifies as Christian being "screwed over" and getting another title shot.

9:21 - I really like these FCW training videos with the Tough Enough winner. In the past, one of two things have happened with the winner of Tough Enough. They either debuted immediately after winning the competition, but they weren't ready yet. And the fans could tell, so they ended up struggling. Or they went through the proper training and re-appeared long after anybody cared about them. This is a good way of keeping him in the public eye while making sure he's ready for the big show.

9:11 - I really enjoyed that opening segment. They've got an interesting thing going here with John Cena coming to CM Punk's defense regarding his "suspension." And I was pretty surprised to see them bring up Daniel Bryan's firing and especially the confiscation of signs, since they're so anti-censorship. This was also an effective way of curbing all of the fans from turning on Cena and siding with the now ultra cool CM Punk.

9:03 - To all the people complaining that the Raw recap cut all of the best parts from Punk's promo, I think that's sorta the point.

8:44 - So before we get to my ongoing thoughts on tonight's Raw, I thought I'd discuss two things that I haven't talked about at length. The first is CM Punk's incredible Raw promo last week. Briefly, my favorite thing about it (other than the content) was the delivery. It reminded me of Jake "The Snake" Roberts, who used to sound so devious and passionate without raising his voice. Punk wasn't speaking in a whisper (like Jake used to), but he remained calm and composed throughout his entire speech. I love Edge, and I think he's got awesome mic skills, but even he relied on yelling and screaming in order to convey anger and frustration (even greats like the Rock and Ric Flair are guilty of this). Punk, on the other hand, expressed this wide range of emotions while speaking with a level headed tone. It was incredible. As the IWantWrestling podcast brought up, every word was so deliberate and well thought out. Just awesome.

The next is also about Punk. Specifically, TMZ's posting of his "gay slur" directed at a fan in Australia. While I do think people need to be conscious of other's feelings and hateful prejudices are unacceptable, TMZ is also exceptionally guilty of blowing anything that is remotely homophobic out of proportion. To me, this didn't seem like a big deal. I mean, Punk called the guy a bitch and said he has a vagina. But saying "homo" was when it went too far? C'mon...

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A Salute to the Stars & Stripes

I've already given the nod to the color orange, but with today being Independence Day, I thought we'd salute the stars & stripes and take a look back at some of wrestling's most patriotic attires. Please keep in mind that I've limited this collage to people explicitly alluding to America in some way, and not people who just happen to be wearing red, white, and blue. Enjoy!

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