This Week In WWE TV – May 20-26, 2013

This week: Believe in The Shield! Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns, having won the United States and Tag Team Champions at Extreme Rules, continue to tear it up in six man tag team matches as well. Plus, the triumphant debut of Sami Zayn, the somewhat triumphant debut of Curtis Axel, the very triumphant debut of the Gordian Knot and Ryback threatens to kill people?

RAW

– The show started with Ryback riding an ambulance into the arena. He climbed on top of the ambulance to address the crowd about what happened at Extreme Rules. They showed Cena refusing to get in an ambulance after the match. Ryback said next time he saw Cena, he wouldn’t refuse and challenging him to an Ambulance Match at Payback. Then things got weird. He said most of the people in the crowd would eventually skip the ambulance and go to the morgue because they were fat and pathetic, unlike him. He really said this. He got mad at them for supporting Cena and knowing nothing about hard work and nutrition. And he promised not only to take John Cena to the morgue, but all the people in the crowd to the morgue too. Between the standing on the ambulance and the fact he basically threatened to kill the entire crowd, this was wacky and OTT enough that it worked for me.

– The Miz and Chris Jericho d. Wade Barrett and Fandango (Miz submitted Barrett) in 4:46. Barrett has new music. Again. Barrett and Fandango couldn’t get along. To the point Fandango decided to start dancing outside during the match, leaving Barrett to be given a Codebreaker by Jericho and the figure four by Miz. All while Fandango continued dancing. Miz and Jericho chased Fandango off after the match, before Jericho put the moves on Summer Rae, only to blow her off. The crowd were really into all this.

– After Vickie announced a vote on the App to decide Swagger’s opponent, Kane tried to psych up Bryan, who was down about having lost the tag team titles. Bryan got mad, thinking Kane was implying he was the weak link, before Kofi calmed them both down.

– Sheamus d. Titus O’Neil in 6:31. They teased Henry had ‘gone home’ after Extreme Rules. They also said Titus was buddies with Henry and made comments about Sheamus on the PPV post show. A D.Young distraction helped Titus take control, but Sheamus fought back and despite more interference from Young, managed to hit a Brogue Kick for the pin.

– Heyman came out, promising to announce his newest client. Heyman bragged about Brock’s win at Extreme Rules and mocked HHH, before bringing out Michael McGillicutty, who’s now Curtis Axel. He has a remixed version of Mr Perfect’s theme and Heyman explained the name was a tribute to his father and grandfather. HHH interrupted and threatened to beat up Heyman. Axel got in his face and HHH slapped him, before setting up a match later.

– Big E Langston d. Alberto Del Rio in 4:38. Alberto got the cross armbreaker on within about a minute, but Big E kept finding a way out, finally by throwing Del Rio into the post. In the end AJ threw the bucket in and the distraction let Big E poke Alberto in the eyes, before winning with the Big Ending.

– AJ d. Layla by submission in 1:56. AJ won with the Black Widow.

– Cody Rhodes d. Zack Ryder in 2:33. This was joined in progress and didn’t go too long before Cody beat Ryder with a disaster kick. After the match, Ryback came out and destroyed Ryder, then threw him in the back of the ambulance and sent it on it’s way.

– The Shield d. Team Hell No! and Kofi Kingston (Reigns pinned Kane) in 19:37. Before the match The Shield, with their newly won titles, bragged about their wins at Extreme Rules, plus what they’d done to Rock, Undertaker, Ryback and Cena. After their opponents made the better start The Shield were able to cut off Kofi first, for a while. Bryan ran wild on Rollins and tried the NO Lock on Ambrose, but Ambrose escaped. The Shield eventually recovered and isolated Bryan. Bryan managed to tag in Kane who made a big comeback, before Bryan and Kofi hit dives on opposite sides to Ambrose and Rollins. Rollins sent Kofi into the post though and as Kane went for a chokeslam, Rollins hit a flying knee off the top, followed by a spear by Reigns for the pin. This was another excellent Shield six man. And not the last.

– Backstage, HHH was told the doctor said he shouldn’t compete. HHH threatened to fire the doctor if he didn’t let him.

– Kaitlyn and Natalya accused Cody of being the secret admirer. It wasn’t.

– Randy Orton d. Jack Swagger in 13:10. Orton won the App vote with 72%, beating Khali and Truth. Stiff competition there. Swagger worked on Orton’s leg for much of the match. Orton made a comeback before Swagger blocked the RKO and applied the ankle lock. Orton countered out though and caught Swagger with the RKO for the win.

– HHH and Curtis Axel went to a no contest. This was less of a match and more of an angle, as HHH started selling the effects of a concussion halfway through the match. He couldn’t get back into the ring and collapsed on the outside as the ringside doctor checked on him and that’s how Raw ended. Didn’t do much for Axel.

MAIN EVENT

– Alberto Del Rio d. Big E Langston in 10:35. Rematch from Raw obviously. This time they had a longer match, with Alberto hitting a dive but AJ’s distraction allowing Big E to get the upper hand. The crowd got behind Del Rio as he got back into the match. Big E managed to power out of the cross armbreaker. But Alberto avoided the Big Ending, hit an enziguri and rolled Big E up to get the pin. Big E looked good here.

– The Usos d. Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre of 3MB (Jey pinned Drew) in 11:10. Towards the end of the match, an ambulance backed into the arena with Ryback inside. Slater tried to hide but Ryback spotted him, bounced his face off the floor, threw him into the ambulance and it drove off. Strange. Then The Usos won with a superfly splash by Jey to Drew.

NXT

– Sami Zayn d. Curt Hawkins in 4:14. This was Sami’s debut and one of Hawkins’s first matches on TV since his injury. The commentators referenced Sami’s international experience, without elaborating too much, obviously. Sami won with a swinging DDT off the ropes. There were some scattered Olé chants here.

– Antonio Cesaro d. Yoshi Tatsu in 0:51. Cesaro won in very quick fashion with the Neutraliser. After the match he repeated his promo from a few weeks ago about putting the W in WWE and having no competition, but was interrupted by Sami. Sami proved he could speak a few languages himself, before offering himself as competiton. Which lead to:

– Sami Zayn d. Antonio Cesaro in 5:01. Cesaro caught Sami trying a crossbody and turned it into a backbreaker, then hit a running uppercut, both for near falls. But Cesaro took too long following that up and Zayn surprised him with a rollup for the upset win. After the match, Cesaro attacked Sami and gave him the Neutraliser.

– Renee tried to interview Audrey Marie, but Emma gatecrashed it. Emma was her usual ditzy self and accidentally jabbed Audrey in the head doing her dance.

– Mason Ryan d. Enzo Amore in 1:24. Enzo was making his debut and got microphone time on his way out. Mason Ryan hair update: still luxurious. He completely destroyed Amore and won with a torture rack into a neckbreaker.

– Bray Wyatt d. Corey Graves in 7:40. After some problems with his protective face mask, Bray gained control with a violent crossbody. Graves fought back after Wyatt’s mask had come off again. Rowan and Harper tried to get involved and Harper ended up breaking the Lucky 13 submission behind the referee’s back, allowing Wyatt to win with the Sister Abigail. The Family continued the attack after the match and Ohno tried to make the save, but got laid out as well.

SMACKDOWN

– Miz hosted MizTV with Fandango as his guest. Barrett ended up coming out and warned Fandango not to cross his path again, before getting into a brawl with Miz.

– WWE Intercontinental Championship: The Miz d. Wade Barrett (c) by DQ in 2:55. Fandango stuck around and did commentary. He interrupted this and the match to dance again. Miz dropkicked Fandango, but as he went for the figure four Wade kicked Miz off and Fandango hit a kick from the floor for the DQ. Fandango and Barrett beat up Miz afterwards, but Wade then laid out Fandango with the Bull Hammer and stood tall.

– Daniel Bryan d. Jack Swagger by submission in 5:05. Bryan got mad at Kane before the match about not being the weak link. Bryan was extra aggressive from the start. The match swung back and forth at the end, before Bryan refused to go for a pin with the match won and won by NO Lock instead. Kane had to help force Bryan to break the hold afterwards, then a second time when Bryan put the hold on again. Bryan then left by himself.

– Sandow was in the ring with Striker. He ran down Henry and Sheamus and their recent strength competitions, saying it appealed to the lowest common denominator. He said the true measure of a man was their ability to deal with mental challenges. Sandow explained the history of the Gordian Knot and challenged him to untie the knot. He couldn’t. Sandow claimed Striker had embarrassed the entire substitute teacher’s union of America. Sheamus interrupted and wanted to try. Sandow wouldn’t let him finish and wanted to demonstrate. He used bolt cutters and celebrated like this was a great achievement. Sheamus tried to give him a Brogue Kick, but Sandow escaped and bragged that he knew it was coming. So Sheamus threw Striker into Sandow instead. Sandow was magnificent here.

– Chris Jericho d. Big Show by count out in 5:25. Jericho rolled outside after Big Show hit a chokeslam. He gave Big Show a Codebreaker that knocked Show over the barricade and got counted out. After the match Show grabbed a chair, but Jericho turned the tables and hit Show with the chair, causing Show to walk out in frustration.

– Curtis Axel d. Sin Cara in 3:04. Heyman put Axel over before the match. He took credit for injuring HHH and claimed it as a victory. He won here, with his swinging neckbreaker variation.

– WWE United States Championship: Kofi Kingston d. Dean Ambrose by DQ in 2:31. Rollins and Reigns didn’t come to the ring with Ambrose at first, but got involved and attacked Kofi later. Orton and Sheamus made the save which lead Teddy to change the match to a six man.

– The Shield d. Randy Orton, Sheamus and Kofi Kingston (Ambrose pinned Kofi) in 11:19. After struggling early The Shield took control on Sheamus briefly, then survived an Orton comeback and cut him off. Orton hit a big superplex on Rollins and Sheamus ran wild. He caught Rollins with a Brogue Kick before getting speared by Reigns. Orton gave Reigns an RKO on the floor, while Kofi tagged in and almost beat Ambrose with a crossbody. But Ambrose survived and Rollins distracted him, long enough for Ambrose to recover and win with his side headlock driver. Not as must see as their Raw match, but another winner of a Shield six man.