"I'm ... not keeping my title, am I."
Tonight, on the With Leather WWE Raw open discussion thread:
The countdown to the 2013 Royal Rumble is just about up, with WWE Champion CM Punk making final preparations for his title bout against The Rock and legions of Superstars lining up for an opportunity at a World Title at WrestleMania. But while the Rumble lineup slowly gestates, the rivalry between Rock and Punk threatens to runneth over at any moment. Following their brawl last week, the Royal Rumble is looking to be one of the most personal pay-per-views in a long time, and here are five ideas we have for the final Raw until the powder keg blows. (via WWE.com)
Five-point preview:
1. IMPORTANT NEWS: Tonight we’re debuting our tiered WWE Discussion commenter badges, so if you’ve been on the fence about joining in on the conversation, now’s the time. More information about that is at the bottom of the post. Trust me, the badges are glorious, and you’ll want them all.
2. We’re only a week away from the Royal Rumble, which means it’s time for the Rock to handle serious business. In Rock terms, that means “15 minutes of jokes/babytalk, 5 minutes of SERIOUS THREATENING” instead of the normal 30/1 ratio.
3. John Cena is going to tell us that he’ll win the Royal Rumble, and he’s probably right. But what he doesn’t know is that someone will be waiting there at the end to eliminate HIM, leading to him being shocked and confused, leading to him facing whoever that is at Elimination Chamber and getting his WrestleMania match anyway, because JOHN CENA.
4. Kaitlyn will begin her Divas Championship reign by facing … uh, Kaitlyn? Are there any other Divas on the show? Oh, wait, Aksana. She’ll wrestle Aksana.
5. Let me know who you think will take the Royal Rumble in the comments section below. Here are the only acceptable answers: Antonio Cesaro.
As always, the 10 best comments from tonight’s WWE Raw open discussion thread will be featured in tomorrow’s Best and Worst of Raw column. To nominate a comment for top 10 status, reply to it with a +1.
Enjoy the show (and the badges!).
Collect all the WWE badges!
The more WWE related content you read, discuss, and share on Facebook or Twitter, the faster you earn the best show moments. First Up: "Mark". More details
How To unlock:
Log into UPROXX or create an account and participate.
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/06/john-oliver-mick-foley-180x180.png)
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/06/smt2du.jpg-180x170.gif)
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/06/Collllllllllege-World-Series-180x180.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/06/aj-lee-payback-180x180.png)
I wanna know why on earth I can’t get the second badge !
I think kaitlyn faced aksana at smackdown … so, I’ll assume alicia fox is going to be a heel this monday because her outfit is black~
I wanna know what should I do so that I can get the second badge at least …
ooooooh ! now I get it !
the first badge is “mark” so the second is “smark” !
I feel stupid right now for not noticing at first …
I gave a google plus 1 recommend to this page ! I want the goddamn second badge already !
I’m certainly not spamming the comment section just to get the second motherf*cking badge which won’t come ever no matter what I do !!!!!!! RAAAAAAAAGE !!!
what the hell ?! I commented once but I see another copy of my comment below !
come on ! I NEED THE SMARK BADGE !! IT GOT SANTA HENRY CLAUSE ON IT !!! COME ON !!!
YES! I FINALLY UNLOCKED ONE BADGE !!
I guess I figured it out ! I must comment a zillion times (because there’s nothing more important than this in the whole world now ! even when I got nothing important to say) so that I can get the other badges !!!
so, if I say that I think antonio cesaro is gonna win the rumble because seriously almost anyone other than him and barret are assholes and don’t deserve the win, can I get the badges?
whatever, I think the time for the discussion is finished and as a result I can’t win those badges … so, I’m gonna hold my tears in .. and try not to cry because .. -sniff- because … AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH … WHY CAN’T I GET THOSE MARK HENRY BADGES WHYYYYYYYYY ?
so, what should I do to get ALL THE BADGES~ ?
should I comment 20 times ?!
C.M. Punk can have the Title till he’s 70, just get disqualified and you keep the belt.
everyone else could have done that … but they always look stupid when in the end they get themselves in a no disquallification match so that they’d lose …
I’m growing more and more scared with every passing week about walking into Phoenix for the Rumble. I may personalize my KNEES 2 FACES shirt to just say KNEE 2 MY HEART.
Please no.
When’re we getting to the fireworks factory!
me: so i missed 100% of raw but this comment seems to sum it up…. it’s been a full night and I’m still perplexed as to how The Rock was able to circumvent his “arena ban” by buying a ticket — and why buying a ticket grants the ticket holder the right to have entrance music and a live microphone
Friend: omg
did you watch
the whole show was pretty awful
in shocking news ziggler and dbry/kane were the highlights, punk cut a solid promo and the rock basically shat in the ring for 15 minutes
lemme know if youve heard that before
Your friend gave you faulty info. The Rock was in the ring for about 7 minutes. 2 of those minutes, he got his ass handed to him by Shield. And with the exception of the first 45 or so seconds, The Rock was serious and put Punk over as being the best in the world. It wasn’t terrible.
ha ha ha really shocking !
I actually thought it was a pretty good Raw. We had good (and lengthy matches), CM Punk cut another good promo, The Rock actually took his job serious and cut a good promo (for 2013 Rock) and we got the inevitable Royal Rumble preview (which should have started the night). Even the MLK package was well done.
Worst: The women’s matches. How is it that the same women can fight on NXT and put on really good and lengthy matches go on Raw and not look nearly as sharp as they do on NXT? OK, sort of a rhetorical question, but still. Let them fight, WWE!
Sad worst: 99% of the Hell No graduation segment. You know what would have made this segment and Kane and D-Bry’s unification as a team better? If they lost the tag titles to Roads Scholars a few weeks back and were now ready to win back their titles. Now they are unified as a force AND tag team champions. Shouldn’t that make them unbeatable now? WWE booking in 2013, everyone!
So… from what it seems… the Cena promo was basically “JERN CENER” in a Team America Matt Damon voice. About right?
It’s been a full night and I’m still perplexed as to how The Rock was able to circumvent his “arena ban” by buying a ticket — and why buying a ticket grants the ticket holder the right to have entrance music and a live microphone
Although it’s generally best not to question WWE logic, my thought is: having a ticket just got him in the doors. Once he was there, people were like, “Oh, yeah, you’re the Rock, go on backstage.”
Here’s hoping the stipulation for the Big Show / Del Rio match ends with Ziggler Ziggling the belt. Other than that, we all know Cena is winning the Rumble to set up TWICE in a lifetime.
I hope your right. And Cena/Rock II will blow donkey nuts.
Patiently waiting for Best and Worst article.
patiently ?!
That last segment was awful and hilarious.
I AM GOING TO KEEP THESE EVEN SHORTER AND SWEETER CAUSE COME SUNDAY IT IS I NOT YOU THAT IS GOING TO WIN THE WOIL RUMBLE!!!
You know what? Punk was right. John Cena is poopy.
Skidmarks! What an edgy fellow!
Maybe the Rock’s manifest destiny to win the title is so obvious that they’ll keep the title on Punk as a swerve? But then I remember if they don’t put the title on Rocky, there is literally no point to him showing up, anymore. Sowwy, Punkster.
Badge?
I was asking for the same for hours (which means just couple of minutes) now !
I fell asleep before Raw. But I need this badge!!!
Did they up the mic budget? I’m a little disappointed not to see a pile of about 40.
All I thought of was an HBK comment in the DX days of “How many mics does this company have?”
I’m here for the badge(s)…
it worked!
MOAR BADGES!
I got no badge. :(
Wait, nevermind!
MOAR BADGES!
I’m still trying …
here it comes !
MOAR BADGES!
the rock doesn’t know how to use big-boy terminology that cm punk has mastered. he has to go the john cena route and herp-derp his way through to the crowd. pathetic. #teamkneestofaces
When playing Call of Duty Cena only uses three buttons.
Did Cena google “things people do when they’re not killing wrestler’s careers”?
What’s up with CM Punk’s slavery talk?
I don’t know what you mean by slavery talk (I missed it, I guess), but I thought his delivery was odd. Someone here commented that he was taking lessons from mask-wearing Cody Rhodes. A lot slower and more drawn out than usual. At least, the stuff in-ring and from the skybox. Backstage he seemed normal.
So the show wasn’t worth seeing then?
When The Rock established that he and the police officers in the opening segment hadn’t met before that night I really hoped that he was setting up for some close up magic. Unfortunately the only thing he made disappear was my ambition to watch Raw.
So John Cena is in the Bay Area, talking about Sundays and listing off all this bullshit and he doesn’t mention that the 49ers just won on Sunday and are going to the Super Bowl? Are you fucking kidding me? Do you hate easy pops or are you just a fucking idiot, John?
Given that promo he cut, I’d say he hates ANY pops.
Part of me hopes that by adding the no Shield stipulation, it means someone else will interfere. The other part laughs at me for actually thinking there is any chance Punk keeps the belt.
No Chance In Hell.
I hope you’re right. Sadly, I don’t think Brawwwwwwwk or Maddox interfering will be enough for Punk on Sunday. #terriblebooking
They opened the show with a better MLK montage than any news outlets I’ve seen today, and now here’s our champion to besmirch I Have A Dream.
Stubhub in-ring ticket?
San Jose has become the murder capital of the Bay Area so the police angle is a real shitty regional bent.
Ok there’s the shitty figure four I expected last week.
I wish I didn’t work Monday nights and could join in the fun with all you guys, but I’m still gonna comment all late and shit to get the badges. Woo!
Boosh, I like your thinking!
Did anyone else point out that Daniel Bryan looked a lot like Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys tonight?
Here’s a free preview of the Rumble for all you poor schmucks that can’t afford PPVs. Smell ya later, losers!
Catching up here on the west coast and did Brad Maddox just offer Paul Heyman … “anything”?
Yeah, and he made a weird sound after the offer.
Will the Shield be in the Rumble?
Not the greatest stable of wrestlers for Sunday, is it?
Seth Rollins’ two-tone hair reminds me of those motocross type chicks.
He’s probably the closest thing WWE has to a Suicide Girl.
since Rollins and Kaitlyn have the same hair stylist. She does the “scorpion death drop,” if we can get Rollins to start using the “scorpion death lock,” we’ll make them team “two-toneScorpio”
his old trunks were based on a Threadless design. This is not a joke.
So this year for the rumble I’m guessing: Bushwhackers, 8-Ball, Latin Lover
Camera cuts. Wrestlers all hug it out and walk back to the locker room.