Pre-show notes:

- Be a pal! If you read and enjoy the column, be sure to click the “like” button, share it with your friends on Twitter and drop me a comment below. I’m like [ ] this close to doing Best And Worst Of Impact reports, so if you want to see those, nudge me in the right direction.

- I was at this show live, so this week’s report will be a little different. More on that inside. All of the pictures contained inside (and that one of Ziggler’s LIVE ASS ROLL) were taken by me, so if you want to use them or share them somewhere else, go for it, just don’t be a dick about it. Toss me a link somewhere.

- We’re organizing our first With Leather/Best And Worst Of WWE Raw Column Appreciators Club live meet-up! If you’re going to be anywhere in the area of Easton, PA in September, consider stopping by CHIKARA’s King Of Trios to watch Meng wrestle Ebessan and hang out with me, Destiny, THESTINGER, prestigious wrestling blogger Tom Holzerman and the rest of the crew at a still technically unapproved UPROXX network event. RSVP on that page and be our friend. I’ll make you a sandwich.

- Casey made a few GIFs for the report but I dug the live DIY approach as I was writing it, so I didn’t use any. A big thanks goes out to him anyway, because he’s awesome and works too hard for the amount of credit I give him.

Please click through to enjoy

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One of the best part of our popular The Best And Worst Of WWE Raw column is the amazing collection of animated GIFs from Casey at Hammerlock Dialectic. They’re so good, in fact, that I’m sad when people who don’t read the column (or like pro wrestling) miss out on them. Trust me, there is some colossally ridiculous looking stuff happening in the world of pro wrestling and you don’t need the ability to pretend it’s real to appreciate it.

Combine that truth with what Jon Bois is doing to improve GIF art awareness at SB Nation and a “best wrestling gifs of the month” feature sounded like a no-brainer. So here are my 21 favorite animated GIFs from the world of pro wrestling for June, keeping in mind that:

1. The July 4 weekend messed up everybody’s schedule, so go along with me and pretend June just ended.
2. So far we only do a WWE column on the site, so June’s GIFs will be WWE heavy. With GIFs Of The Month becoming a regular feature, we’ll move forward with more of an emphasis on giffing everything that happens in the world of wrestling, and oh my god you are not ready for Japan.
3. A lot of GIFs appeared in the Raw column, but a lot of them are being seen for the first time.
4. We’ll try to get a more uniform GIF size in the future.

Anyway, enough qualifiers. Check out the 20 best pro wrestling GIFs for June, with little-to-no context provided.

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Is that Hulk Hogan back there?

Pre-show notes:

- Before you read this week’s report, make sure to stop over and read The Best And Worst Of WWE No Mercy 2012. You guys are always bugging me to do pay-per-view reports, so get over there and comment/like/share and what have you. If you don’t read that, you won’t know what’s going on on Raw! Haha yes you will

- Thanks to Casey of Hammerlock Dialectic for maximum Gif-age.

- Follow us on Twitter @withleather, follow me personally @MrBrandonStroud and like us on Facebook.

- If you just tune in to With Leather for the wrestling reports, make sure not to miss With Spandex episode 6, where I talk to WWE Superstar Derrick Bateman. I’m trying to get the podcast over as a thing, so help me out.

Because I promised you two columns this week, enjoy the Best And Worst Of WWE Raw for June 18, 2012. A single tear.

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ARRAARRAARRAARRA

Before participating in tonight’s discussion, make sure to scroll down one post and read The Best And Worst Of WWE No Way Out ’12 so you’ll know what’s going on.

On tonight’s show:

“People Power” may have met its ignominious end in the swamps of New Jersey last night, but the WWE Universe will have one final opportunity tonight to hear from the newly out-of-work Mr. Excitement. Now that his tenure as Raw’s top authority figure is officially in the rear-view mirror, will the WWE Universe see a new, more humble, side of Laurinaitis? On his way out the door, will “Big Johnny” attempt to make good for his many previous wrongs? Or, will he leave Raw in much the same way that he governed it – kicking and screaming? (via WWE.com)

I hope it’s just Vince stomping out and saying “uhhhh turns out I lost the ability to perform day-to-day actions like firing people last year when I let CM Punk leave WWE with the title, so I guess you still have your job” and then meekly power-walking away.

Also:

- Will AW’s shocking turn on Primo and Epico lead to the Primetime Players getting their WWE Tag Team title shot? Probably not!
- Tyson Kidd takes on Daniel Bryan in a 30-minute contest I’m pretending exists.
- Triple H will continue to call out Brock Lesnar for a match at Summerslam, and if we’re lucky the segment will involve a table and chairs and several minutes of legal discussion.
- John Cena cannot ever be f**king beaten.

Don’t forget, my 10 favorite comments from tonight’s open discussion thread will be featured in tomorrow’s Best And Worst Of WWE Raw 6/18 column. To nominate a comment for top 10 status, please reply to it with a +1.

Pre-show notes:

- I decided to write two Best And Worst columns this week because I hate myself. Please make sure to leave a comment, click the like button and share the column with wrestling fans you know. We want to make sure to keep bringing in new people to the community, so we don’t end up with ten people telling me everything I write is great.

- Thanks to Casey of Hammerlock Dialectic for pics and gifs, as always. More excited to get a mark photo with him at King Of Trios than Tommy Dreamer.

- Follow us on Twitter @withleather, follow me personally @MrBrandonStroud and like us on Facebook.

- If you just tune in to With Leather for the wrestling reports, make sure not to miss With Spandex episode 6, where I talk to WWE Superstar Derrick Bateman about N64 WWF No Mercy mods, the Cleveland Indians, star ratings and a weird fan fiction where he and Kaitlyn go out for paninins and AJ is their waitress. It’s a good time. Also, come to the site for more than the wrestling reports, jerk.

Anyway, enjoy the Best And Worst Of WWE No Way Out ’12. Yes, I ordered the poster.

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WWE No Way Out airs on pay-per-view this Sunday night, starting with a YouTube exclusive pre-show match and beginning formally at 8 PM EST. With Leather and the funniest wrestling fans on the Internet will be keeping you up to date with what’s happening, what jokes to make on Twitter and claim as your own and which person in the Intercontinental Championship match is most challenging to heterosexuality (spoiler alert: Cody Rhodes).

The show is headlined by a steel cage match between John Cena and the Big Show, wherein if Big Show loses, Executive Vice President Of Talent Relations And General Manager Of Both Raw And Smackdown John Laurinaitis will be fired. However, if Big Show wins, John Cena will be fired. Oh, there are also two heavyweight championship matches happening on the show but those are way less important.

Full card is below:

- Pre-show Match: “Funkasaurus” Brodus Clay vs. Santino Marella

- Tuxedo Match: United States Champion Santino Marella vs. Ricardo Rodriguez

- Divas Championship Match: Layla (c) vs. Beth Phoenix

- Intercontinental Championship Match: Christian (c) vs. Cody Rhodes

- Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Kane vs. Daniel Bryan

- World Heavyweight Championship Match: Sheamus (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

- Steel Cage Match: John Cena vs. Big Show. If Big Show loses, John Laurinaitis will be fired. If John Cena loses, he will be fired.

Notes:

- Participate in tonight’s discussion by clicking the “like” button at the top of the page (right under the headline) and sharing it on Twitter during the show and you’ll unlock the greatest With Leather commenter badge yet: the PEOPLE POWER badge, a revolution in badge entertainment. This may be our last ever opportunity to celebrate the glorious life and achievements of Mr. John Laurinaitis, so make sure you earn it, and tell your friends to stop by and get one themselves.

- My ten favorite comments from tonight’s open discussion thread will be featured in tomorrow’s Best And Worst Of WWE No Way Out ’12 show report. To nominate a comment for top ten status, please reply to it with a +1. Try not to nominate “omg AJ is sooo hawt” over and over.