LIVE Raw thoughts - June 4, 2012

11:03 - Good thing that Michael Cole happened to wear his sneakers on the night he was booked in a match.

10:56 - So out of the Tensai/Brodus/Ryback trifecta, Tensai was the first to fall.  I kinda had my money on Brodus, actually.

10:51 - I'm fairly certain Tensai has main evented a fair amount more Raw's than CM Punk during his title reign.

10:44 - So I'm guessing that John Cena didn't learn his lesson from being cocky and toying around with Johnny Ace instead of just beating him?

10:19 - AJ + Daniel Bryan = Awesome.  AJ + CM Punk = Hilarious.  AJ + Kane = Tired and overdone.  We've paired Kane up with Chyna, Tori, Lita, and I'm sure some others I can't think of at the moment.

Having said that, I do LOVE that she's such an integral part of this storyline (which is for the, ya' know, WWE Championship!)  And the intrigue is fun.  Is Daniel Bryan jealous now?  He seems to care a lot about what AJ's doing.  And did he try to rescue her from Kane?  Or are they in cahoots?  Keep in mind every time AJ tries to help Punk, Punk gets hurt.

10:17 - AJ in knee high socks?  I'll allow it!

10:07 - You know, I actually don't mind that Kane was inserted into this Punk/Bryan feud.  It sorta reminds me of when Undertaker found himself pitted up against a feuding Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels.  It adds a different dynamic, plus it gives the fans somebody to solidly boo against two popular guys.

10:01 - It's pretty sad that WWE won't even allow Jerry Lawler to promote the WWE Championship Match at No Way Out without interrupting it so that they could promote tonight's John Cena/Michael Cole match.  But hey, at least they're giving Bryan some mic time.

9:55 - I think the Ryback stuff is all fine and good, but I do wonder where it is heading.  Specifically, I think WWE falls into this trap where they push somebody through an army of jobbers and lower midcarders, only to ultimately come up short against a main eventer.  There was once a time where midcarders could build each other up.  Remember how Edge and Gangrel debuted around the same time, and feuded with each other?  The same happened with countless others.  Hell, Rock and Triple H essentially followed each other through every level of their WWE careers.  A couple of weeks ago I joked about having Tensai, Ryback, and Brodus collide -- with all three still being undefeated.  Why not try that?  Why not allow the three of them make stars of each other?

9:45 - That was a fine performance from Sin Cara and I frequently felt that his botches -- for the most part -- were blown out of proportion.  However, the way he decidedly beat Hunico makes me realize how much HE fell from grace.  And many considered Hunico the more polished of the pair.  The Evil Sin Cara gimmick was interesting and while it wasn't a long-term thing, it was surely better than his role as the stereotypical Hispanic thug.  Hopefully they find something for him.

9:42 - I like the red Sin Cara gear.  It might be a good idea for WWE to go the Rey Mysterio route and have them unveil a number of different variations of the Sin Cara gear.  And while the trampoline was a logistical issue, I sorta liked that old entrance.

9:33 - I still think I'd rather see Dolph vs. Sheamus at the PPV instead of Alberto Del Rio.  Del Rio bores me to tears.  I find nothing interesting about him, whether it's behind the mic or in the ring.

9:26 - With Ziggler facing Sheamus yet again, I can't help but wonder if that Sheamus/ADR PPV match will be pushed off for yet another month (not that I'd complain, I have no interest in seeing that match).

9:15 - Hmmmm, well that was.....an opening, I guess.  I'm relatively laid back and I really want to give things a chance and enjoy the show.  I like Cena.  I think Cole, when behaving properly or in a proper role, can be very good.  The segment actually started out solid enough.  Cole called Cena out on his actions -- and they were fair comments -- and Cena's responses were within the realm of logic.  But then it quickly descended into what most people complain about.  Cena was jokey, talking about ponies or something or other.  Cole was argumentative.  And then it all ended with Cole vs. Cena?  What was this, to prove that Cole/Cena could do a higher rating than Punk/Bryan?

8:31 - Alright, so the "big" news today came straight (edge) from the horse's mouth.  According to CM Punk, a new WWE Championship has been made and is ready to be debuted.  No news on when, or what it looks like (only that Punk doesn't seem entirely wild about it), but it's made and ready to go.  So, what do you think it looks like?  And when do you think it'll debut?  Smart money says the 1,000th episode of Raw.

For what it's worth, I don't even really hate the current WWE Championship.  Ever since it stopped spinning, anyway.  My biggest issue with it is that it's flat, which makes the title look awkward when it's worn around the waist (which, in my opinion, it always should be).  My biggest issue with it, though, is that it says "Champ" instead of "Champion."  That I-O-N would go a long way, to tell you the truth.

But the size and shape of it?  Don't mind it.  The huge, blinged out "WWE"?  Don't mind that either.  However, because it is SO gaudy, it just doesn't look right on some people.  It looked ridiculous on Triple H, Alberto Del Rio, and even Randy Orton.  And could you imagine Undertaker wearing that thing?

Anyway, I'm eager to see the new design.  Bring it on.