By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Thoughts From Raw:

- Spoiler alert: Whenever WWE does a fan poll, and one of the options is a steel cage match, the fans are going to choose the cage. That’s just how wrestling fans, WWE fans in particular, are trained to think. Believe it or not, I briefly wondered whether WWE would give Jerry Lawler the pay per view title match against CM Punk. But of course, Night of Champions is in Boston, which is Cena’s backyard. Doesn’t quite make sense NOT to have him in the main event, does it?

Like some fans, I occasionally wonder whether Lawler should still be on commentary. So much of the passion seems to have drained from his voice, and you just wonder if he cares anymore. Then WWE puts him stories with guys like Punk, the Miz, and even Michael Cole, and it seems worthwhile. I think one of the reasons fans love Jerry Lawler so much is because for years, we invited him into our homes simply by turning on Raw. He’s been with us through all the highs and lows. Every week he’s one of the few characters on the show that spoke to us directly, who guided us through the action, who helped narrate the stories for us. To an extent, to attack Lawler is like attacking the fans directly. That’s why when a wrestler attacks the King, it’s instant heat. In that sense, I’m glad Lawler’s still around. But given the proper time, another individual could fill that role eventually. Booker T, William Regal, Road Dogg, or even JBL would be able to slide into that role and do a good job. The King is not irreplaceable, but his sentimental connection t0 the fans means he’ll probably stick around awhile longer.

-Triple H had a nice speech this week. Thankfully, he didn’t announce his retirement, as we know he wouldn’t really be retiring anyway. This “I don’t know what I’m going to do next” routine could go a few different ways, all of them culminating in a rematch of some kind. What seems the most logical is to have Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar go the family route. Triple H’s wife Stephanie goaded Heyman into going for the Summerslam match by talking about his children. So let’s do another skit with Heyman, Lesnar, Triple H and Stephanie, where Heyman drops some kind of vague line about their kids, which forces Triple H to put his own welfare aside and defend his family regardless of the cost. I wouldn’t be shocked to see those two go at it again in November. But if Undertaker’s not going to be up for wrestling next April, they could always save it for Wrestlemania.

- The crowd actually chanted “You can do it!” and “Thank you Hunter!” at Triple H during his speech. That’s a great crowd for you. Kudos to you, Milwaukee.

- I rewound that slap AJ gave to Vickie Guerrero three times. She got her right in the temple! Ouchies. I liked that little scene. It reminded us about AJ’s mental instability, and for the first time we saw her lose control. And of course, she’s always good with those creepy facial expressions.

- I LOVED the anger management skits with Daniel Bryan and Kane. Not one low brow poop joke. I wouldn’t call it art, but between Bryan’s over the top acting, the surprisingly talented guy playing Dr. Shelby (usually the actors we see on wrestling shows aren’t very good), and Kane’s deadpan, continuity referencing tirade that was rather reminiscent of Dr. Evil’s monologue from Austin Powers, it was a really well done. I’m actually looking forward to seeing what they do next week. I’m not exactly confident the creative team won’t do something to ruin the whole thing, but what we saw tonight was one of the best comedic skits we’ve seen in a long time. ”I don’t have a goat face, I am handsome!” Quote of the week.

- So while Kane sat there and said nothing on commentary during the Zack Ryder/David Otunga match, as Michael Cole sat there and talked up storyline stuff and social media. Then Cole asks him: “Am I annoying you?” What Kane should have done at that point is simply turn to Cole and nod his head. Mind you, that’s assuming it would be out of character for Kane to start a “Yes!” chant. In that moment, Kane could have become the voice of the masses.

- Randy Orton tapped out to Alberto Del Rio on Smackdown? Damn! Orton is taking his lumps after that wellness suspension. I suspect he’ll be putting Dolph Ziggler over in the near future too. Oh well. It’s not like his career won’t survive it. He is Randy Orton, after all.

- Better watch how hard you throw those knees, Ryback. Still, I continue to be surprised by how over he’s getting. The fans are chanting for him.

- Kaitlyn thinks Layla is “one of the all time diva greats,” huh? Her ring worked has improved immensely as of late. But one of the all time greats? No. Not yet at least. What was that silly dance thing she did in the middle of her match? I think I get what she’s trying to do in terms of upping the energy in her matches. But again…no.

- So Santino Marella’s “Cobra” has its own sentient personality now, and is apparently fixated on Aksana? Um…these guys do know the Cobra doesn’t have eyes, right? Meh, whatever. That was a pretty stupid finish to the US Title match at Summerslam, though. Still, I enjoyed the comedic outing between Santino and Heath Slater. A little something different.

- I always enjoy Damien Sandow’s work. It’s always a treat to see him, both in the ring and on the mic. I think he can go on to become a big star if his push is paced well, and the quality of his mic work stays up.

All images courtesy of WWE.