Pre-show notes:

- Before you read the Raw report, make sure to check out UFC vet and UFC.com writer Danny Boy Downes’ spectacular Best And Worst Of Money In The Bank 2012 report. Writing alongside you is the best, so thanks for letting me do it.

- Comments have been great lately, so do me a solid and click the “like” button to share this post. It really helps me out, and getting a lot of people reading these reports is the only way to make sure they’ll continue. Also, hey, leave me a comment.

- Thanks to Casey of Hammerlock Dialectic for gifs, because he is a true friend.

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

Without further ado, please enjoy the Best And Worst Of WWE Raw for July 16, 2012.

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Pre show notes:

- For those of you that may not know me, my name is Danny Boy Downes (not actual legal name). I’m a college graduate turned UFC fighter turned UFC writer turned back up blogger for pro wrestling. While it’s been a hell of an adventure, it does mean that my parents fail to acknowledge anything I’ve done since I won the 8th grade spelling bee.

For the record, I want everyone to know my commitment to deliver you fine people the Best and Worst of Money in the Bank. This weekend was my bachelor party trip down to Kansas City and despite a massive hangover, I still decided to get things done. Some of highlights include: explaining to someone that you’re not really supposed to call the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum the “Negro Museum.” and my drunken best man decided to yelling at 4:30am that, “Bob Backlund would chicken wing the shit out of Verne Gagne.”

- Be sure to leave a comment on the report and click the “like” button. Not only does it help the people at With Leather, but it will make up for the lack of love I get from my family

- Thanks to Casey for the pics and gifs.

- Follow me on Twitter @dannyboydownes, check out my articles on ufc.com and UFC Magazine and read some of my other reviews here.

On to the wrestling!

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Pre-show notes:

- Hey, you, person reading this column. Register and leave us a comment. You’ve gotten used to me prodding you about it, and I’m never going to stop, so just go ahead and join our little wrestling column community so you can at least stop being the one prodded. I’d also really appreciated it if you’d click that “like” button over the banner image and/or share this with everyone you have ever met, including your 10th grade physics teacher and any girls you may’ve kissed.

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

- I’ll remind you again as the column rolls on, but Justin O’Connor of Progressive Boink and myself are hosting a Best And Worst Of WWE Smackdown Live-Blog tonight at 8 PM EST. They’re airing it live this week, so you should come and chat with us and leave comments that I can hopefully multitask well enough in spite of Justin’s funny to include. Seriously, you’re going to laugh your ass off at this. Stop by, and tell folks.

- Another good reason for you to stop by and get to know Justin: he’s going to be filling in for me on the Best And Worst Of WWE Raw 12/19 report on Tuesday the 20th. The 19th is my girlfriend’s birthday, and as much as I love wrestling, yeah, no.

- All the gifs you see within the report are courtesy of the awesome Jerusalem at Punchsport Pagoda.

- Listening to me is better than reading me, so be sure to spend … jesus, two hours listening to me talk to K. Sawyer Paul over on the International Object podcast.

- For further Raw reading, please consult UGO’s The Good The Bad And The Ugly and John Canton’s The WWE Raw Deal.

But first, please to enjoy the Best and Worst of WWE Raw for November 28.

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A few prerequisites before you read this week’s column:

1. As always, Best and Worst assumes you’ve seen the show and is full of spoilers, so read the Best and Worst of WWE Money in the Bank 2011 to get prepped.

2. Know that your shares, likes, +1s and whatever else are extremely appreciated. Also, be sure to drop a comment if you read, because your voice is important to the success of the feature and because I need near-constant positive reinforcement. I don’t care if you just post “john cena gay” as long as you’re leaving a comment.

3. To view the complete column, you must hop on Twitter and tell NXT winner Kaitlyn to call me on the telephone. Once you’ve sent the message, your computer will register you with With Leather and you’ll be able to read pages 5-10, or whatever.

Enjoy!

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I’m hyperbolic about … basically everything.

The title of “best pay-per-view of all time” is a hard one to bestow. A lot of people will say Wrestlemania 3, or Wrestlemania 10, or Wrestlemania X-7. As an NWA kid, I might say Starrcade ’85, or The Great American Bash ’89. Maybe Wrestlewar ’92. That’s lofty company, and I don’t want to sound hyperbolic when I say that last night’s Money in the Bank show seems like it’s as good as any of them. How do I come to terms with that? How do you admit that this new thing is just as good as the old stuff you’ve been building a love on your entire life?

I am a nerd about wrestling on the Internet, and to me, it was wonder.

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