The Official UKFF RAW thread (part 2)...

[tiger_rick]

Aye, 3 pages on why we're all too old for Hip Hop isn't exactly a recommendation for the current product. 

I don't watch much of their stuff but I do like to read the thoughts of the good folk on here to keep me in the loop. However, during a sleepless night last week, I was going to play the "Name all the IC Champs in order" game in my head when I started trying to think who the IC Champ is? Absolutely no idea. Then the US Champ? Again, no idea. Tag Champs? Nope. Women's Champs? No. Obviously, the World Champs are Cena and Gunther. But otherwise, not a clue. 

Feels like almost all the discussion on here is about Cena, Punk and Rollins. Little bit on Jey & Gunther. Is that fair? Fair to suggest that their mid-card is dire? 

On the bright side, I fell asleep.

[DavidB6937]

I'm actually enjoying the mid-card and I think they've got a lot of decent people but they've not really been putting much focus on the titles themselves.

I'd say Jacob's in a good position but yeah the US title has probably been an afterthought to the Bloodline stuff obviously. Hopefully he'll get a fairly decent run with it and build himself up and the title too.

Dom is Dom so he's always enjoyable but again not necessarily a title focused talent as such. It's usually about JD, Liv etc.

 

[HarmonicGenerator]

31 minutes ago, tiger_rick said:

Aye, 3 pages on why we're all too old for Hip Hop isn't exactly a recommendation for the current product. 

I don't watch much of their stuff but I do like to read the thoughts of the good folk on here to keep me in the loop. However, during a sleepless night last week, I was going to play the "Name all the IC Champs in order" game in my head when I started trying to think who the IC Champ is? Absolutely no idea. Then the US Champ? Again, no idea. Tag Champs? Nope. Women's Champs? No. Obviously, the World Champs are Cena and Gunther. But otherwise, not a clue. 

Feels like almost all the discussion on here is about Cena, Punk and Rollins. Little bit on Jey & Gunther. Is that fair? Fair to suggest that their mid-card is dire? 

On the bright side, I fell asleep.

I do this too! I used to be able to do most of the WWE titles with only a couple of bits here and there where I would lose track. Right now, I'm the same as you - actually, possibly worse, because I think I even missed the fact Gunther is the champion again!

[DavidB6937]

I saw someone suggest Gunther loses it to Goldberg and then Rollins cashes in and well, that's like someone pissing in your cornflakes and then deciding to shit in your coffee at the same time.

[d-d-d-dAz]

21 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said:

I saw someone suggest Gunther loses it to Goldberg and then Rollins cashes in and well, that's like someone pissing in your cornflakes and then deciding to shit in your coffee at the same time.

I'll have some real rap beef with them if they do that.

[Supremo]

The King of the Ring tournament has carried the mid-card in the last few weeks. Quietly injected some much needed life into a mess of a promotion. It’s low key been their Continental Classic.

However, as with most things in WWE these last six months, it fizzled out and the arse fell out in the final stretch.

Randy Orton beating Sami Zayn was a massive dropped bollock. A depressingly predictable reminder that they don’t seem to realise what they have with Sami. A Cody-Sami final would have felt massive. A coin toss of the two most authentic, earnest babyfaces.

There’s a time and a place for Orton vs. Cody, but I don’t think this is it. Whole thing seems ridiculously predictable. Might as well crown Cody now.

Frankly, the most interesting thing on this week’s Raw will be CM Punk’s continued attempt at pretending he isn’t reading all the criticism online and is actually quite happy and comfortable in his current position.

I bet he’s spent the weekend trying to think of a way to cleverly explain why he had to sell a table bump for ten minutes whilst Cena did his rubbish Dunning-Kruger promo.

I’ll put a tenner on something along the lines of, “you were so bad doing your CM Punk impression that you put me to sleep, John!”

EDIT: He’s not even scheduled to be there!

CM Punk is not scheduled for #WWERAW  tonight.

(via PWlnsider)

Fucking hell. He doesn’t even get a comeback until they land in Saudi for Smackdown! What a character assassination. I wonder if he’s still lying in the ring? Maybe it’s another CLEVER REFERENCE to that time he stayed lying in the ring until all the fans left?

Edited June 23, 2025 by Supremo

[Callum1993]

I’ve seen a lot of talk about Punk selling the table bump for ages but isn’t it just because Cena did the exact same thing in the original pipe bomb? R-Truth put him through a table and he lay there for the duration of Punk’s promo. Just another reference to the first promo like there were throughout Cena’s ‘Pipebomb’. Don’t see the big deal honestly. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

8 minutes ago, Callum1993 said:

I’ve seen a lot of talk about Punk selling the table bump for ages but isn’t it just because Cena did the exact same thing in the original pipe bomb? R-Truth put him through a table and he lay there for the duration of Punk’s promo. Just another reference to the first promo like there were throughout Cena’s ‘Pipebomb’. Don’t see the big deal honestly. 

I mean even if it is that, it's not great that a sell is a tribute to another sell. That's another level of meta twaddle.

[DavidB6937]

Probably keeping him away from Bill Goldberg.

[digforvictory]

19 minutes ago, Callum1993 said:

I’ve seen a lot of talk about Punk selling the table bump for ages but isn’t it just because Cena did the exact same thing in the original pipe bomb? R-Truth put him through a table and he lay there for the duration of Punk’s promo. Just another reference to the first promo like there were throughout Cena’s ‘Pipebomb’. Don’t see the big deal honestly. 

During the original " Pipe Bomb" 14 years ago Cena isn't just knocked out for 10 minutes though. He does come to and sit up and then he's sort grimacing and selling being in pain as he listens to Punk. He's not just completely dead for the entire promo like Punk was on Friday.

I agree it's not really a big deal, I thought having the heel cut a promo accurately pointing out what an insincere hypocrite the babyface is as the crowd cheer wildly for the heel was bigger cause for concern.

It did look a bit silly though.

 

Edited June 23, 2025 by digforvictory

[Supremo]

The original 2011 angle has Punk on the ramp, whilst Cena is selling in the ring, mostly out of shot. All the focus is on Punk saying some of the maddest shit ever uttered on WWE television. By the time they cut Punk’s mic you forget Cena is even there.

This time, Punk is in the frame the entire time, looking like a complete wally. Nothing Cena says is particularly exciting or shocking, it’s all just rubbish, wanky meta nonsense that’s nowhere near as clever as they think it is, so you’re left just laughing at how long Punk has had to lie there going, “ooooh, ahhhh.” It reminded me of how Paul Reuben dies in the original Buffy the Vampire movie. Imagine this, but he’s dying next to a massive Slim Jim logo.

The ultimate irony is that there was probably magic to be had if they had any balls. Considering everything that’s happened, it would have actually been clever for him to repeat the, “Hey Colt Cabana!” line verbatim. Shame they bottled it in favour of code names.

Best theory I heard was that they didn’t send Cena up the ramp because in his current state he wouldn’t have been able to sit cross-legged for that long. 2025 John Cena has taken washed to such a new level that Kota Ibushi has felt confident returning to mainstream American television.

Edited June 23, 2025 by Supremo

[tiger_rick]

1 hour ago, Callum1993 said:

I’ve seen a lot of talk about Punk selling the table bump for ages but isn’t it just because Cena did the exact same thing in the original pipe bomb? R-Truth put him through a table and he lay there for the duration of Punk’s promo. Just another reference to the first promo like there were throughout Cena’s ‘Pipebomb’. Don’t see the big deal honestly. 

Finally got around to watching it on YT. Punk looks like an absolute melon laying asleep on a table for ten years while Cena destroys him and the crowd cheer the fuck out of him.

The promo is quite good at the start. Cena ripping off the first few bits of the pipe bomb is cute. They then hit you over the head with it and the longer it went on, the more ridiculous it got. The fourth wall stuff was horrible. And as much as it was all true, the rest just made Punk look stupid and got the heel cheered by a crowd desperate to be in on a moment rather than being into either guy in their role.

Still the best thing I've seen Cena do in years, mind.

[NeverYield]

Cena in the original changed position and moved around a bit, sat up and grimaced like a fallen fighter not ready to face what's just happened 

Punk just laid there like a total doughnut and looked extremely stupid whilst doing so.

[Supremo]

On the original topic of the mid-card, Dirty Dom and Finn Balor’s inevitable Summerslam match is the most 2023-style thing happening in WWE right now. This fun, excellently plotted slow burner.

I hope Liv’s injury doesn’t throw too big of a spanner into the works. It’s been great fun watching Finn become shit-stirrer of the year. Man’s a hoot.

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

Just to bring you up to speed @tiger_rick if you haven’t looked it up, this is who the title holders are on the main roster

WWE Champion - John Cena

World Heavyweight Champion - Gunther

Intercontinental Champion - Dominik Mysterio

United States Champion - Jacob Fatu

World Tag Team Champions - New Day

WWE Tag Team Champions - Street Profits

Women’s World Champion - Iyo Sky

WWE Women’s Champion - Tiffany Stratton

Women’s Intercontinental Champion - Becky Lynch

Women’s United States Champion - Zelina Vega

Women’s Tag Team Champions - Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez (for now)

Men’s Speed Champion - El Grande Americano

Women’s Speed Champion - Sol Ruca 

*Speed is the show on X most Wednesdays