CM Punk Cuts Return Promo on WWE Raw

CM Punk made his first appearance on Monday Night Raw in almost ten years (1/20/14) and cut a highly anticipated promo to close out the show. The first hour of Raw was commercial-free as WWE pushed Punk’s promo hard throughout the show.

Thanks to timing issues in the Randy Orton/Dominick Mysterio match, Punk didn’t appear until two hours and fifty-two minutes into the three-hour broadcast. Depending on who you talk to, some felt his words hit the mark, while others believe the transition to “PG Punk” is complete.

“Looks like hell froze over,” proclaimed Punk, saying he’s felt more like himself since his return at Survivor Series on Saturday and everyone is happy to see him back.

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Gunther Becomes the Longest-Reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion

History was made last Friday when Gunther became the longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion of all time. Friday was day 455, topping the Honky Tonk Man’s 36-year record.

Honky Tonk Man won the title from Ricky Steamboat in June 1987 and lost it to the Ultimate Warrior at the inaugural SummerSlam in 1988.

Gunther beat Ricochet on the June 10, 2022 edition of SmackDown to win the title. In the main event of the 9/4/23 episode of Raw, Gunther defeated Chad Gable to ensure he would break the record.

Seeing a dominant wrestler carry the workhorse title to record-breaking success is nice. Honky Tonk Man could draw more heat than a furnace on Elm Street. However, his work in the ring looked too phony to take him seriously.

I know, I know, that was the point.

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Is Kevin Owens a Fake Champion in a Sport That Isn’t Real?

On Raw this past Monday, Kevin Owens emerged victorious in a Fatal Four Way match to become the new WWE Universal Champion. The closing moments of the match saw a down-and-out Owens receive an unexpected assist from longtime villain, Triple H, who’s been MIA since he lost at WrestleMania almost five months ago.

This would make fans happy under normal circumstances, but standard fare in wrestling is subjective at best. While some are indeed happy with the finished product, there are a lot of wrestling fans who believe that the help Triple H gave Owens to win the title stripped away any legitimacy that the moment would have had otherwise.

Is Kevin Owens a fake champion in a sport that isn’t real? Click here for the answer in my column at Forces of Geek.com

Is Shane McMahon as RAW GM a WWE Ratings Experiment?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFnt-9GnPOk

Despite Shane McMahon losing to the Undertaker at WrestleMania 32, Shane was running Monday Night Raw for the last three weeks. While it’s something the fans want to see, will it last, or is this just a ratings experiment?

Adam Kohn and I talk about this in detail on our Raw after show, Breaking Raw. If you enjoy this YouTube clip, check out the show in its entirety at Gerweck.net: Pro Wrestling Since 1997

Is Vince McMahon Speaking Through Ryback in “Size Matters” Promos?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0GEw-tGCLM

Ryback recently turned heel and all roads lead to him challenging Kalisto for the U.S. title at WrestleMania. Some of the recent promos suggest that Vince McMahon is using Ryback to voice his personal dissatisfaction of smaller wrestlers.

You can listen to Breaking Raw in its entirety at gerweck.net. I want to give a special thanks to Cassidy Ash for stepping in to fill the co-host’s chair.

Is WWE Planning Another Brand Extension???

If Shane McMahon beats the Undertaker at WrestleMania, he gains complete control of Monday Night Raw. This has fans talking about the possibility of another brand extension. PWInsider noted that WWE has discussed the idea, even before Shane returned to the company. I would like to put to rest and let me explain why.

The reason why WWE is not going to move forward with a second brand split is because Monday Night Raw is three hours. The length of the show makes it a chore for most fans to watch while the writers have a hard time producing 180 minutes worth of content. That’s with the entire main roster and Imagine splitting that in half? Continue reading “Is WWE Planning Another Brand Extension???” →

Will Raw Feel a Disturbance in the Force?

The highly anticipated trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens will premiere this evening during halftime of the Giants vs. Eagles Monday Night Football Game on ESPN. The game officially starts at 8:15 PM EST and the trailer is expected to air between 9:45pm and 10:00 PM. While this is great news for Star Wars fans, this could be horrible news for WWE. Continue reading “Will Raw Feel a Disturbance in the Force?” →

The WWE Debut of Kevin Owens

What appeared to be another U.S. open challenge suddenly turned into a much more exciting affair as the guitar riffs of the CFO$ song, “Fight”, coursed through the sound system of the Richmond Coliseum. For some, it was an audible invasion of the unknown. For others, it was familiarity at its finest as Kevin Owens unexpectedly emerged on Monday Night Raw. Continue reading “The WWE Debut of Kevin Owens” →

Raw Is In-Zayn

The Montréal faithful were loud in their disapproval of John Cena as they sang “John Cena sucks” to the tune of his entrance music. The U.S. open challenge was laid out on foreign soil as chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole,” filled the Bell Centre, foreshadowing a pending arrival. Much to everyone’s surprise, the legendary Bret Hart came out to introduce “a great wrestler.” The people slid to the edge of their seats with baited breath as Sami Zayn emerged from behind the curtain. Continue reading “Raw Is In-Zayn” →

Braving The Storm For Bret Hart

My neck of the woods here in Massachusetts is in for a historic blizzard where a statewide travel ban has been issued and heavy power outages are expected. WWE announced that this evening’s episode of Raw and tomorrows Smackdown taping in Boston have been postponed.

I can’t remember the last time that WWE had to cancel a TV show due to the weather. The pending storm is bringing back memories of the time where I foolishly braved the elements to watch a particular wrestling match.

It was my sophomore year of high school and the April Fools Storm of 1997 was in full swing. I was counting down the minutes with baited breath until Monday Night Raw came on the air. The reason I was so excited is because The Rock, known at the time as rookie upstart Rocky Maivia, was defending the Intercontinental Championship against Bret “Hitman” Hart. Continue reading “Braving The Storm For Bret Hart” →