5/16/11 Raw - live

When Raw starts off with John Cena coming down to the ring with the WWE Title on his shoulder and Michael Cole on commentary it just feels so ... cliché. Same old, same old. Lucky for us Alex Riley interrupts Cena before he can do anything more than greet the audience with a Miz video package for Over The Limit - funny fact: this year at Over The Limit it is Champ Cena vs. The Miz in an "I Quit Match" for the title. Last year at Over The Limit it was Champ John Cena vs. Batista in an "I Quit" Match in the main event. Sounds familar, hm?

Basically it's John Cena ripping on The Miz and Aley Riley after that. Part of it was oaky, but Cena still bores me at the end of the day. The lines he has to say aren't his fault but that doesn't make them any better. The GM buzzes in via Coles iPad and says that Miz is allowed to choose the opponent and stipulation for Cena's match tonight.

The first match of the evening is US Champion Kofi Kingston vs. CM Punk. It is a good match, especially because it is a match-up we haven't seen over and over in the last half year. Punk against Kofi feels fresh and that makes it more interesting than the thousandth match between Randy Orton and CM Punk. With more time these too could have really done great, but we're on Raw and not Smackdown so time is something they don't get. Punk actually wins for once - I don't even remember his last win. Did he beat Orton even once in their feud?

Backstage The Miz is talking to Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero about Ziggler being a possible opponent for Cena later tonight.

After commerical we get a recap of Kharma beting up Eve on last weeks Raw followed by a Divas match between Kelly Kelly and that Bella that is currently holding the butterfly belt (Brie?). Will this lead to anything else than other beat down by Kharam? ...of course not, but I'm still at a point were I can enjoy her beating up the wannabe-Divas. Oh, and I feel like I have to mention that Kelly is actually, really over. Scary.

As I predicted Kharma is there moments after the match ends. One of the Bellas is actually dumb enough to jump her from behind when she turns to Kelly Kelly, and it's just hilarious to watch how Kharma absolutely no-sells it and clears house with the twins. Turning back to Kelly said woman is cowering in the corner and looks she is going to faint any moment. Lucky for her the big bad nightmare has no interst in her and the only thing Kelly Kelly has to endure his a poke on the forehead - Itachi anybody? (Ignore this if you don't get it.)

Rey Mysterio calls out R-Truth next but after commercial we get Alberto Del Rio instead of Truth. They are talking in Spanish for a big part to please the San Antonio crowd and in the end Mysterio says that he has no problem beating Del Rio with R-Truth doesn't come out to have a match.

When we come back from commercial Alberto Del Rio is on the offense and working on Mysterio's left arm for most the match, but just when Rey is coming back they are interrupted by R-Truth who distracts Rey Mysterio long enough for Del Rio to partly recover. It doesn't help him much though, because shortly after Rey has the upper hand again and sets him up for 619. Rodrigez jumps in to take the hit however and that makes it a DQ win for Rey Mysterio.

Afterwards Alberto Del Rio leaves the ring after the ref stopped him from doing any more damage to Rey. Unfortunately for the little Mexican R-Truth comes down in the ring and attacks him from behind, getting some good heel heta in the process.

Next is the contract signing for the Over The Limit match between Cole and Lawler on Sunday - this angle has been going for way to long now. The King reminds Cole that he has never beaten legitimately beaten him and agrees to hand over his ring and induct Cole into Hall of Fame if he loses at Over The Limit. It will be a kiss my foot match by the way and after Michae Cole talks smack about Jack Swagger said man walks off and leaves him alone with Lawler. That means no back-up for him on Sunday and that The King had some fun showing Cole his place right then.

We get another filler match with Kane and Big Show vs. The (New) Nexus aka David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty. Is it for the Tag Team title? ...hell do I know. It is just very hard to buy that McGillicutty and Otunga are actually able to beat up a guy like Big Show. After interferrence from CM Punk behind the referees back Kane gets pinned. Seems like it isn't a title match.

They show a vidoe package for the I Quit Match between Miz and Cena at Over the Limit - has John Cena ever lost an I Quit match? I don't think so.

Back from commercial the Miz (with Riley of course) comes out to announce that Cena's match tonight will be a No Holds Barred match against Jack Swagger, who jumps Cena from behind before he drags him into the ring for the match. The crowd is hot how, with a loud "Let's go Cena!" "Cena sucks!" chant battle. They also scream "Two!" at a two-count (as they have all night long).

Did you expect Jack Swagger to win this match? Because if you did, you obviously don't know the WWE. Plus Cena didn't sell the Ankle Lock from Swagger all that well. He limped once, then was back to jumping around the ring for the Five Knuckle Shuffle like nothing happened at all.

The end of the show comes with a promo from Miz on how many ways there are for him to beat up Cena on Sunday. It was good stuff, but you expect nothing less from him these days. Anyway, Alex Riley and Miz )of course) tried to attack Cena in the ring and Cena (of course) won the brawl and had Miz running away while Riley rolled out of the ring and was never seen again.

All in all it was an average Raw. There was nothing really bad about it, but there wasn't anything really funny or entertaining either. I liked The Miz and I didn't really buy John Cena, but neither of this things is new. It's just kind of sad that we all know that there is no way in hell that Miz will win an I Quit Match when Cena is in it.

Extreme Rules Preview

It's already been a month since Wrestlemania - somehow, with Edge's retirement and everything it feels like more time as gone by than four weeks - and that means that it's time or the annual "after Mania" Pay-per-View. Usually that means that we get the leftovers of every feud that should have ended at Wrestlemania and didn't and this year is no exception with the rematches of CM Punk vs. Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio, The Miz vs. John Cena (with the addition of John Morrison) and Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio where Christian is filling in for his retired buddy Edge.

Of course one can't forget the new Cole vs. Jerry Lawler rematch. This feud should have ended with The King beating Michael Cole up for five minutes, getting the pin and winning the thing. It didn't however as we all know and now it's Jerry and JR vs. Cole and Jack Swagger. That means that we'll get a Tag Team match where one half of all entertainers in the ring actually can't wrestle - bad idea.

And what exactly is "Country Whipping Match" supposed to mean? Most people assume it to be some kind of strap match but since we're talking about he WWE here you can't ever be sure. Anyway, if Jack Swagger is lucky he could get a face turn of out this thing if Creative plans to actually use him and therefore be the only participant who gets something out of this match. That's the positive about it so far - and the prospect of Michael Cole getting his ass whipped of course. The feud should really end after this, it has already dragged on for too long.

It is also said that Michelle McCools match with Layla will be her last in the company because she is going to quit wrestling (presumedly to take care fo her husband The Undertaker). I don't have much to say about that because I am no LayCool hater and no Michelle McCool fan either - but hey, she married the right man, it's not like she has to worry about money ever again.

My predictions for Extreme Rules:

Jerry Lawler and JR will defeat Michael Cool and Jack Swagger in a Country Whipping Match because seriously this feuds need to end, not the mention that neither Cole nor Jim Ross belong inside that ring. We need JR on commentary.

The Miz will keep his WWE Championship a little longer after this Triple Threat match. Morrison is obviously in there ot take the pin and protect John Cena, but it's good for him because at least he gets the exposure and the Pay-per-View payday. I don't know how much longer the Miz/Cena program will go after today, probably until Rocky's new movie is recorded.

Christian is going to win the World Heavyweight Champioship for the first time tonight. I want him to and everyone else wants him to, too. He deserves the title plus if Del Rio gets it he'll take it over to Raw and merging the two major titles is hopefully something Vince McMahon has moved away form over the last half year.

CM Punk will defeat Randy Orton. To be honest I still doubt that he will, but it is the smarter choice to make. Orton does not need that win and while CM Punk doesn't need it either the company will want to give him something since he is swinging the sword of Domocles over their heads right now with his talk of not extending his contract.

Rey Mysterio gets back on Cody Rhodes by winning their Wrestlemania rematch. It is the standart WWE booking, plus Rey is the face - there isn't anything else to say about that match.

Layla will force Michelle McCool to leave the WWE. We know that Michelle is leaving the company so there isn't that much room for speculation in that match - but hey, at least she is putting Layla over on her way out and that is a classy way to go.

Since we have only six matches on that card of which two won't last that long (the tag match and the Divas match) there is a good possibility that we'll see an additional match for the Tag Team titles between Kane and The Big Show and some guys from The New Nexus or The Corre.