Here are some news and notes coming out of this week’s AEW Dynamite Beach Break special from Chicago, IL:

Backstage at Dynamite: Former WWE Superstar Mustafa Ali was backstage at visiting at Dynamite, according to PWInsider. Ali currently wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling and TNA, where he’s the reigning Division Champion. As previously reported, his former Retribution factionmate Dijak was backstage at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door.

Man in the Black Hat: Hangman Adam Page’s new theme music is “Black Hat” by Vincent Pedulla for AEW Music.

Page made a surprise return on this week’s AEW Dynamite: Beach Break special. The former AEW World Champion was revealed as Jeff Jarrett’s mystery opponent in the Owen Hart Cup men’s quarterfinals. He was victorious and Jay White in the semi-finals this Saturday on AEW Collision.

Later in the evening, Page rejected an offer by the Young Bucks to rejoin The Elite for the big Team Elite vs. Team AEW Blood and Guts match later this month.

World on Fire: In addition to a new entrance tune, ShopAEW is selling a new Hangman t-shirt featuring the tagline, “World on Fire.”

Hayabusa: AEW has released a letter they received from Takanori Ezaki, brother of Japanese wrestling legend Hayabusa, prior to Sunday’s Forbidden Door PPV.

Hello, This is Takanori Ezaki, a younger brother of Hayabusa.

I heard that Will Osprey would like to use Hayabusa’s costume and entrance theme for Forbidden Door. We, the family of Hayabusa, felt very proud.

It’s been more than 20 years since he was injured in 2001. Many people still sent him their respects over seas. We greatly appreciate it.

I wish the AEW wrestlers safety. Please keep showing us good fights, and be careful not to get injured. I also wish that both Forbidden Door and AEW will be successful.

Takanori Ezaki

The rock and wrestling connection remains strong. No band knows that better than Shinedown. This popular band is taking the charts by storm with their latest album “Planet Zero,” which brought them a 19th number one on Active Rock. Their smash “Daylight,” also gave them their 18th Mainstream Rock number one. We’re talking the most in the 41-year history of the chart’s existence.  

Helping them over time no doubt is the exposure that comes when six of their songs play on WWE shows. This includes WrestleMania, and for quite a while, Raw every Monday night. Shinedown’s Zach Myers got a sense of the company’s reach very quickly. 

“You’ll be on a day off in Albuquerque and go to a restaurant,” Myers recalled. “I look like I’m in a band I guess, so they’ll ask what band I’m in. I’ll say Shinedown. They’ll respond with, ‘Yeah, you guys were the Raw theme song for two years.’ It’s really cool to have that relationship.” 

Myers along with lead singer Brent Smith, Barry Kerch, and Eric Bass have had wrestlers at their shows. They’ve also been at WWE events. Friendships have formed, built on mutual respect and exchange of fandoms. 

On August 28, frontman and Knoxville, TN, native Smith was surprised with the key to Knox County, presented by mayor Glenn Jacobs (aka professional wrestler Kane) on stage during the band’s show at Thompson-Boling Arena. Through their relationship with the WWE, Shinedown guitarist Zach Myers and the band’s head of security John Guarnieri helped to plan this special honor for Brent with the mayor’s office. The key was crafted by students at Brent’s alma mater South Doyle High School. PRESS HERE to watch.

“The parallels between those two universes are way more similar than most people realize,” Myers said. “I would go even further as to say there is a percentage of our fans that came from the wrestling world…I think a percentage of our global fan base has come from that which is really cool. It’s always really nice. We were never the cool band. We were never on MTV. We were never on VH1. We kind of made our own cool. We are a radio band that just did the work live and really gained fans from radio and our live shows.” 

Myers will make it a point to attend shows when he is home when WWE is in town. Even before being part of rock’s go-to hitmakers, the musician has been a longtime fan.  

“I was at one of the Raw’s Hulk Hogan came back after being gone for a long time,” he reminisces. “I remember seeing WCW a long time ago with one of Goldberg’s first appearances when I was younger. They take care of us as we go now. We’re usually in the front row. It’s always super fun. I’m a big shoe guy, so I remember when Hulk Hogan came out in his Jordans. I have been there for a lot of them. It has been really cool to see.” 

He admittedly doesn’t follow as much on TV anymore. Touring the world is not only Shinedown but Smith & Myers, Hanson, and other music projects will take up a lot of time. Not to mention being a dad. 

“I have two kids, and I’m dad-ing full-time when I’m not on the road,” Myers explained. “When the live events come, I’ll usually backtrack Peacock for a couple of weeks. My younger brother is seven years younger than me. He is super into it still. So we go and he’ll catch me up on what’s going on.” 

When asked who the biggest Shinedown fans in pro wrestling are, Myers runs down a number of top stars. Everyone from Triple H to Fozzy’s own Chris Jericho, who has been a friend of his for 15 years. Memories start flooding back. 

“We did WrestleMania in Chicago, the pre-event at House of Blues,” Myers said. “WrestleMania does the whole weekend wherever they are. John Cena came and a bunch of people came. There is a very early photo of us with John Cena. He looked great. We did not. This is the old days of Shinedown when we weren’t as healthy as we are now. [Happy] Corbin and I are really close. Not even through wrestling. We met each other through wrestling, but we are both cooks. We both love barbecue and cooking outdoors to the point that we actually discussed doing a show together and pitching a show to a network. 

Then there was the time he crossed paths with his favorite legend in red and yellow. 

“I got to meet Hulk Hogan one time. He said he knew who Shinedown was,” he added. Whether he was lying to me or not, that was cool for me …We were walking in Target the other day and my son saw the wrestling action figures and they did this legend’s remake thing…He pointed to one. I said, “That’s dada’s favorite wrestler of all time. It came full circle for me.

“I told my wife that when he turns 7 I think I’ll let him start watching. He has a brother two years younger than him, and they fight enough for my taste. Wrestling would add more fuel to the fire. I think next year I’ll start him at events.” 

“Planet Zero” is out now. See Shinedown when they come to a city near you! 

Last night Time Square got a visit from a Bonafide G. Former WWE Superstar Enzo Amore broke his silence about what he’s been up to since leaving the company.

According to Enzo, he’s been in L.A. writing scripts, recording music in Kanye’s studio and been staying busy. He thanks the ‘Enzo army’ for all they’ve done.

Enzo claims that the fans have been doing research and keeping tabs on the accuser, reporting every relevant information to the Phoenix, Arizona Police. He even goes on to say that he didn’t even need a lawyer due to the support from his fans.

When the topic of returning back to wrestling and WWE came up, Enzo replied: “I’m just one man. You can ask me that question.”

Enzo went on to embrace the fans and enjoy the remaining evening of Memorial Day.

It seems time will tell what’s next for Enzo. He released a rap music video on Monday, which you can watch here.

Check out Enzo Amore’s Memorial Day appearance in New York City’s Times Square:

Da Capo Press, the publisher of Chris Jericho’s next book, “No Is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling But Succeeded in Life,” has released this blurb about the title to various media outlets and via Google Books:

Six-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion and renaissance man Chris Jericho explains his secrets to success in his trademark writing styleridiculous stories, hilarious referencesshowing how a small-town Canadian kid made his seemingly impossible dreams come true, against all odds.

Organized around 22 principles, “No Is a Four-Letter Word” outlines Jericho’s guidelines to achieving your dreams and making it to the top, explaining how his encounters with legendary musicians, actors, and wrestlers influenced each principle. Whether it’s learning how to make any situation work to his benefit, spending money to make money, understanding to always sell himself, or letting go of losing the gig of a lifetime, Jericho takes you with him on his journey up success’s ladder and shows you how to apply these principles to your own life.”

As you can see, this is a self-help book and not the latest in his series of autobiographies. It’s listed as 224 pages with a release date of Feb 7, 2017, though it’s not available for pre-order as of this writing.

The following was issued today:

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, TRAIN, FLO RIDA, SHARON OSBOURNE, OMAR EPPS AND CHELSEA HIGHTOWER

JOIN WWE® AND THE CREATIVE COALITION TO STOP BULLYING

STAMFORD, Conn., August 14, 2014 – The Creative Coalition and WWE (NYSE:WWE), co-founders of the Be a STAR (Show Tolerance And Respect) anti-bullying initiative, today announced the launch of the S.T.A.R. Alliance, a group of actors, musicians, comedians, athletes, television personalities and members of The Creative Coalition, who have joined together to help put an end to bullying.

Members of the S.T.A.R. Alliance will join WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, WWE Superstars such as Big Show®, The Miz® and Mark Henry, and The Creative Coalition to spread the Be a STAR message of showing tolerance and respect to help combat bullying, reaching more than 400 million social media followers combined. Select S.T.A.R. Alliance members will also participate and share their stories at Be a STAR anti-bullying rallies across the U.S., including this week in Los Angeles as part of WWE’s community outreach events during SummerSlam® Week.

“The mission of the S.T.A.R. Alliance is to use pop culture’s most influential voices to help eradicate the raging bullying epidemic plaguing America’s schools,” said Robin Bronk, CEO of The Creative Coalition. “We are delighted to partner with WWE to bring these powerful and inspirational voices of the entertainment industry to encourage children to be participatory in standing up to bullies.”

“WWE is proud to help bring together a diverse group of international celebrities who all share the vision to stop bullying forever,” said Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer, WWE. “Through the joint efforts of WWE, The Creative Coalition and the S.T.A.R. Alliance, we hope to reach millions of young people and provide them with the knowledge and resources they need to help put an end to bullying in their communities.”

Be a STAR is an anti-bullying initiative co-founded in 2011 by The Creative Coalition and WWE. Its mission is to encourage young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect through education and grassroots initiatives. WWE and The Creative Coalition leverage the power of The Creative Coalition’s entertainment industry constituencies and WWE’s global brand and platforms to help combat the bullying epidemic plaguing today’s youth.

The WWE’s brightest stars will attempt to cash in at this Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Two ladder matches will main event the program, with one being held to declare a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, former champion Daniel Bryan will address the WWE Universe during the pre-show.

Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s event.

Summer Rae vs. Layla (Fandango Guest Referee)

I was never the biggest Fandango supporter, but I definitely thought he would be doing something bigger than referring a divas match a year ago. He has regressed over the past year and lost a lot of momentum. This will likely be the bathroom break match of the night, and Fandango will play a major role in the outcome, of course. Summer Rae will win this one by either rejoining Fandango or using him to influence the outcome of the contest before abandoning him.

Winner: Summer Rae by pinfall

Rusev vs. Big E

These guys performed well together at last month’s Payback, even though they were given less than four minutes total. They will hopefully get a little more time during this one, allowing both superstars to showcase their strengths.

I think Rusev will ultimately win this one, but Big E will also look strong during the match. Big E cut a passionate promo on last week’s Raw, so it appears the WWE wants to showcase him a bit more. Both guys will look good, but Rusev will force Big E to tap out in the end.

Winner: Rusev by submission

Stardust and Goldust vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel

The Rhodes Brothers storyline has been moving slowly over the past few months. It first looked as if the two brothers were going to feud with one another, with Cody searching for an adequate replacement because he felt Goldust deserved better.

He eventually rebranded himself as Stardust and the two have been on a winning streak ever since. They will continue to look strong on Sunday, picking up the win after Cody hits his Diamond Dust finisher on Curtis Axel.

Winner: Stardust and Goldust by pinfall

The following was issued today:

“CELEBRATING CHAMPIONS: 2014 SPECIAL OLYMPICS USA GAMES” TO AIR ON FOX SPORTS 1 THIS MONDAY, JUNE 30 AT 7 PM ET

STAMFORD, CONN. and NEW YORK, June 26, 2014 – WWE® and FOX Sports today announced that Celebrating Champions: 2014 Special Olympics USA Games, a one-hour television event chronicling the passion, dedication and determination of America’s most inspiring athletes during the week-long celebration of the 2014 USA Games, will air on FOX Sports 1 this Monday, June 30 at 7 pm ET. The special, produced by WWE, will be hosted by Mike Hill and Molly McGrath of FOX Sports 1’s America’s Pregame. Customers of participating video providers can also watch via FOX Sports GO, the app that provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content through iOS and Android devices, as well as on desktops through FOXSportsGO.com.

The one-hour special will highlight six Special Olympics athletes as they travel from their hometowns to the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games. Viewers will experience a first-hand account of the excitement and pride each athlete exudes while training for, traveling to, and participating in the Games.

The special will include the following six athletes:

Theo “TC” Bazile, a 40-year-old from Vacherie, Louisiana, is a track and field athlete in sprints and shot put. Theo is very involved his community, where he volunteers at the local nursing home and fire department, sings in his church choir and remains active with his former high school football team.

Erica Bookout is a long-distance runner from Christiansburg, Virginia. The 22-year-old is a Junior at Radford University in Virginia majoring in Special Education. She is also the 2013 Special Olympics Virginia Athlete of the Year.

Andy Miyares, a 31-year-old from Miami, Florida, has competed in multiple sports, but has a passion for swimming and holds numerous records in the sport. He works for Special Olympics Miami-Dade and speaks both Spanish and English. In 2010, Andy was selected to serve a four-year term as one of just 12 Special Olympics International Global Messengers chosen from around the world to represent Special Olympics.

Derrick and Delon Noble, identical twin brothers from Bloomfield, New Jersey, compete in flag football. At 21-years-old, Derrick is the Quarterback and Delon is the Running Back. In addition to playing in the 2014 USA Games, during the last two weeks they’ve attended prom, seen their images on a Times Square billboard to promote the Games and graduated from high school. The twins were also honorary captains at a Rutgers football game last fall.

Scott Rohrer, a 24-year-old from York, South Carolina, is the 2010 Special Olympics USA Games Gold Medal Golfer with record scores for both 18-hole and 54-hole tournaments. Scott was also the 2013 South Carolina Special Olympics Athlete of the Year and he will be playing in Special Olympics World Golf Cup this August in Denmark.

In addition to the athlete profiles, the TV special will include highlights from the 2014 USA Games Opening Ceremony from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, which was hosted by actress and model Brooklyn Decker and Philadelphia 76ers point guard Michael Carter-Williams. The Ceremony included the traditional parade of athletes, athlete oaths and the lighting of the Special Olympics cauldron. Other celebrities that participated in the Opening Ceremony included WWE Superstars Big Show® and David Otunga®, TV personality Jack Ford, Glee’s Jane Lynch and musical artists Michael DelGuidice & Big Shot.

Also included is coverage of the first-ever Young Athletes Festival, held at the Special Olympics New Jersey Sports Complex. Children between the ages of two and seven, and their families, were invited to learn more about this program which provides critical early childhood development through the power of play.

Founding Partner WWE has helped promote the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games through its global platforms, including TV broadcasts, live events, digital and social media, all of which increased the exposure of Special Olympics and reached a larger and more diverse audience. The partnership was announced in 2013 during WrestleMania® 29 in front of more than 80,000 fans at a sold-out MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and millions more watching around the world. Over the past year, WWE has hosted Special Olympics athletes at its weekly live events, including WrestleMania® 30 in New Orleans, where the athletes got a chance to meet WWE Superstars and Divas, sit ringside and be recognized on TV for their accomplishments. WWE Superstars and Divas also served as honorary coaches for Special Olympics Unified Sports competitions around the country. WWE is the Official Production Partner of the 2014 USA Games, which included producing Celebrating Champions, producing the official sizzle reel and PSA, filming and serving as a production consultant for the Opening Ceremony, and creating daily electronic press kits for national media to help enhance coverage of the Games. In addition, WWE Superstars and Divas participated in various events at the Games, including daily autograph signings and medal presentations, while WWE employees served as volunteers.

21st Century Fox announced its Founding Partnership with the 2014 USA Games in November 2013. The network serves as the Official Presenting Media Sponsor and provided broad exposure for the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games across its U.S. channels, which include FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, FOX Broadcasting, FOX Sports, 28 local stations and FOX Sports 1. As Presenting Media Sponsor of the 2014 USA Games, 21st Century Fox committed to media exposure across its cable and broadcast networks as well as its local stations, most notably WNYW and WWOR in New York and WTXF in Philadelphia. In addition, 21st Century Fox provided exposure via live and recorded segments on FOX News Channel; FOX Sports 1, including a preview segment that ran the week before Super Bowl XLVIII; a PSA created by YES Network featuring New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter; and, on FOX Television Stations across the country, more than 50 athlete profiles, a 30-minute Games special, and the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games PSAs which have aired thousands of times, among many other efforts. On site at the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games, Mike Hill and Molly McGrath, hosts of AMERICA’S PREGAME on FOX Sports 1, hosted the Closing Ceremony, capping a great week of events. Cleatus and five FOX Sports Girls from across the country – Sara (Ohio), Kendall (North), Katie (Midwest), Chyna (Wisconsin) and Morgan (South) – came out to interact with athletes and fans at the 21st Century Fox tent in Corporate Park.

TNA issued the following press release today …

TNA Entertainment, the Nashville-based sports entertainment company known for the global pro wrestling program, IMPACT Wrestling, has signed with UTA, it was announced jointly today by Dixie Carter, President of TNA Entertainment, and UTA.

TNA Entertainment’s IMPACT Wrestling, one of Spike TV’s top-rated shows, averaging 1.4 million viewers each week, is broadcast in 120 countries worldwide. Additionally, TNA Entertainment produces more than 100 live Impact Wrestling events each year as well as monthly PPV events with such internationally beloved professional wrestling stars as Jeff Hardy, Bobby Roode, Kurt Angle, Eric Young, Magnus, James Storm, MVP, Gail Kim and the lovely and lethal Knockouts.

UTA will represent the 12-year-old company to extend its television broadcast reach as well as to expand its licensing programs and slate of live event programming. TNA will also leverage UTA’s expertise in digital and social media to build monetization strategies for its digital media operations. TNA launched a cross-platform programming effort, #IMPACT 365, in October 2013 to provide viewers with ongoing storyline and original content 24/7 on its website and across YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and other platforms.

“UTA’s diverse range of capabilities make them an ideal partner to help TNA add tremendous visibility and value to the global IMPACT Wrestling brand,” said Dixie Carter. “We are confident that by working with the UTA team, we will not only expand our wrestling business in exciting ways, but we will also build new entertainment ventures and properties.”

TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held sports entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee, that specializes in events, products, numerous TV properties, merchandise and music, as well as, the management and promotion of professional wrestlers. The product is the world’s most innovative experience in professional wrestling and is broadcast in more than 120 countries. For more information, please visit www.impactwrestling.com.

United Talent Agency is a premier global talent and literary agency representing many of the world’s most widely-known figures in every current and emerging area of entertainment, including motion pictures, television, digital media, video games, books, music, theatre and live entertainment. The agency is also globally recognized in the areas of film finance, film packaging, corporate consulting, branding, licensing, endorsements and the representation of production talent. The agency operates the brand strategy firm UTA Brand Studio as well as New York and Los Angeles-based United Entertainment Group, a joint venture firm focusing on branded entertainment for Fortune 500 companies. UTA also owns leading broadcast and news agency N.S. Bienstock.

We are a little over a quarter of the way through the year. With WrestleMania behind us, the WWE will now begin its summer programs and hope to build toward its second biggest pay-per-view of the year, SummerSlam.

With that said, I felt it would be interesting to look at the top five matches from the first quarter of 2014. I included full match videos and highlights where possible, but WWE licensing restrictions made it difficult at times. (I also apologize for the terrible music in a few of the videos.)

5. John Cena vs. Cesaro (February 17 Raw) – Say what you will about John Cena’s in-ring ability, but he has put on some great matches so far this year, with none better than this matchup with Cesaro. There were a number of amazing spots during the contest, with Cesaro’s counter of the AA certainly ranking near the top. It appears the WWE is going to push Cesaro hard, and this was the week where his push began after he defeated Randy Orton and pushed Cena to the limit.

4. Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H (WrestleMania) – After weeks of begging for a match with Triple H, Daniel Bryan finally got his wish at WrestleMania. He took full advantage of it during the opening contest of the night. Both superstars really shined during the match and it was, in my opinion, the highlight of the show. It also ranks as quite possibly the best opening match in WrestleMania history, with only Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart at WrestleMania X giving it a run for its money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzEetf0xlsU

– When asked on Twitter what his plans are for Monday’s “Old School” edition of WWE RAW from Baltimore, Maryland, Jim Ross replied, “watch it on TV.”

– WWE legend Jake Roberts also noted on Twitter that he hasn’t been invited to Old School RAW.

– WWE will be releasing a DVD on March 8th titled “Signature Sounds: The Music of WWE.” Here’s the official synopsis:

“Music has been integral in WWE history, especially anthems for all the greatest WWE Superstars. Since Sgt. Slaughter first made his entrance to the Marine Corp hymn in the early 80’s music themes have become synonymous with the Superstars themselves. Just hearing the first few notes brings the crowd to their feet. They are the songs that let the WWE Universe know that business is about to pick up. Now, get behind the music and learn the inside story behind the timeless anthems of WWE and the superstars. “

Noah Mark is back with his the latest installment of “The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW.” Comment below and tell us if you agree with this week’s picks.

Complete WWE RAW Results (12/9)

WWE RAW (12/9): The “YES!”

Daniel Bryan

The Star of Raw Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan, winning three Slammy Awards competing in a match, appearing in the Championship Ascension Ceremony, was without question the star of the show. His hometown crowd chanting YES! YES! YES! and DANIEL BRYAN! throughout the beginning of the Championship Ascension Ceremony. Going back earlier in the night to his first Slammy win for Superstar Of The Year. On stage The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. He announces the Superstar of the year is Daniel Bryan. We were all expecting fireworks to occur during that interaction. HBK even exited stage right a perfect set-up for a “surprise” superkick from out of nowhere! But there was no Sweet Chin Music. Just a humble acceptance speech by Bryan for his Slammy Award which he refereed to as The “HB Swizzle”  award, Michaels naming it that just before presenting the award. Bryan did mention if it wasn’t for Shawn he wouldn’t be in the WWE. Likewise if it wasn’t for his interference at Hell-In-A-Cell he would be the WWE Champion. Although there was no physical interaction here, that wouldn’t be the last time these two interacted on the show.

See this is why I can’t shake off fighting the Daniel Bryan cause, he belongs in the main event. Heck this article uses his YES! and NO! and lord help us all if Daniel Bryan ever appears in a “NO!” portion of this article.  Some people might say, he was in his hometown and had an extra kick of support. There may be a bit of truth to that, but I feel that there are just some hot wrestling towns. Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and apparently Seattle. After what transpired later in the show who knows what will happen the next few months. I’m excited! YES!

Championship Ascension Ceremony

John Cena showing why he is in fact the face of WWE.

Former World Heavyweight and WWE Champions appeared all in the ring for the Championship Ascension Ceremony. As I said earlier the crowd was going crazy for Daniel Bryan. While Triple H was talking up the match, and the championship, the Seattle crowd chanted YES and Daniel Bryan to the point where Triple H gave them what seemed like at least a minute of chanting and Yessing and clapping. This crowd was on fire for Daniel Bryan. Triple H introduced both Orton and Cena. The crowd did not want to hear what Orton had to say. There were boos and boring chants. Then Cena took the mic. More boos and cheering mix. Then Cena begins to speak and prove why he is the face of the WWE. These days with everything being very planned and scripted, Cena played to the crowd and included Daniel Bryan in the conversation, he compared Randy Orton’s rise to success to Daniel Bryan’s. The idea was Bryan didn’t have a father and grandfather to get him in to the WWE, he did it by working. Cena turned practically the entire crowd around and behind him., shouting out his past opponents, HBK, CM Punk, and putting over that the only fair shot Daniel Bryan had was the one with him.  Brilliant, this is why he is where he is. The end was something I haven’t seen in the WWE in a long time. It was an awesome chain of events excuited perfectly. Cena and Orton shake hands as the World Heavyweight Championship and WWE Championship are hoisted up. Orton gets in a cheap shot, the two are down on the mat fighting. Orton and Cena get pulled apart to their corners. CM Punk gets shoved by Orton causing CM Punk to start attacking Orton. Triple H throws down CM Punk, who retaliates with a knockdown of his on on The Game. HBK Superkicks CM Punk, setting up Daniel Bryan to

The Authority and John Cena look over A fallen Randy Orton. A great segment to end raw.

WWE Reminding us what they are capable of, a Powerful and compelling end to Raw.

deliver his running Knee on HBK. Orton tries to RKO Bryan but instead gets shoved into Stephanie McMahon knocking her down. Triple H runs to Stephanie’s aid, and then gets up and pedigrees Randy.  The show closes with The Authority and John Cena looking disappointed over Randy Orton on the mat. What a great segment. This is what WWE used to do on a regular basis. Twists and turns, these chain-reaction action segments. YES!

Quick Mentions

Dean Ambrose vs CM Punk – Ambrose vs CM punk was a Pay-Per-View quality match with a great dissension in the ranks tease when Dean Ambrose wanted Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins to head to the back so he could finish the job by himself. Punk gets the win shortly after that exchange, although Punk loses out to the numbers game and gets a great spear from Reigns. YES!

The Wyatts – With a chip on my shoulder because of Daniel Bryan’s demotion, I don’t think I appreciated Bray Wyatt’s amazing performances over the last few weeks.  They are great, and compelling. YES!

Hit up Page 2 below for the “NO!” of this week’s WWE RAW:

Here’s the latest installment of “The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW.” I may have a different perspective than you since I was live at Raw this week at The Nassau Colosseum! Comment below and tell us how you like the column and if you agree with this week’s picks.

Complete WWE RAW Results (11/25): With VIDEOS

WWE RAW (11/25): The “YES!”

Daniel Bryan & CM Punk vs The Wyatts

Daniel Bryan & CM Punk cut a promo before facing The Wyatts

The obligatory rematch between The Wyatts and Daniel Bryan & CM Punk, took place on Raw. First a promo from “The Beard & The Best” CM Punk discussing team names, and asking questions allowing Daniel Bryan to answer them with a “Yes!”.  Daniel Bryan got a chance to say more than just the three letter word that will follow him for the rest of his career.

I love Daniel Bryan, and so does the crowd. In fact you could hear Daniel Bryan chants during the opening segment, proving once again that this demotion was not “Best For Business” But more on that in the “NO!” section.

Any match can be enhanced with the crowd behind you. When you have top stars like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, the two most over Superstars at Raw, it can add just that little more energy to the match.

CM Punk made a comment about Triple H and the authority in the opening promo, and wouldn’t know it after Daniel Bryan was “Kidnapped” by the Wyatts. CM Punk was laid out by The Shield.  I wonder if that marks the end of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk together, because I was enjoying that. Time will tell.

Who would have thought Goldust would be having great matches alongside his brother in 2013!

The Shield vs The Rhodes and Rey Mysterio 

I have never been a fan of Tag Teams growing up watching the WWE. I must say however, though all the missteps, and bad booking since SummerSlam, The WWE has a great tag team division. This, of course includes The Shield and The Wyatt factions. Day in and day out these teams from The Veteran Golddust, to newer WWE talent in The Shield and The USO’s, are having great matches. I am thoroughly enjoying watching these teams work.

The Kosher Butcher!

The Kosher Butcher
Superstars for Sandy Relief Auction winner, ” Charlie Tebele was interviewed by Jerry “The King” Lawler. When asked if he were to be a WWE Superstar, what would his name be. Charlie was prepared, with a blue T-shirt and a great gimmick “The Kosher Butcher” He even went as far to come up with his finisher, The Circumcision! At first the crowd didn’t know what to make of this.  Not sure if this was shown on TV, but The Kosher Butcher had at least a dozen of his friends and family at Raw, all wearing their Blue shirts! Great stuff. Half way during the Xavier Woods match, and some further thought, the crowd broke out into chants of  both “Kosher Butcher” and “Circumcision”, add that to the list of most bizarre Raw chants.
Great Stuff.

Hit up Page 2 below for the “NO!” of this week’s WWE RAW:

-TNA has added a non-televised live event to their schedule. The promotion will run the NYCB Theater in Westbury, New York on December 28th. Tickets go on sale on Friday for the show with Kurt Angle, Bully Ray and Magnus advertised to appear. The pre-sale password for tickets to the event is TNALONGISLAND.

-TNA has added some new “#IMPACT365” videos to their official YouTube channel. One of the updates features Jeff Hardy explaining the origins of the name “Peroxwhy?gen,” which is what his new music CD is titled. You can watch that video below:

http://youtu.be/KkgcNNkxx-A

-Another one of the #IMPACT365″ videos features TNA trainer Scott Wheeler providing a medical update on the condition of Kurt Angle. You can watch that video below:

http://youtu.be/j7kUNogzy9s

DIRECT LINK: The Billy Corgan Camp OFFICIALLY Responds To TNA Sale Rumors