The Good, the Great and the Awesome from Raw 10/14/13

A major championship change, an invasion from the unemployed and mind games played by one of wrestling's masters headlined this week's jam-packed Monday Night Raw.

With only thirteen days until Hell in a Cell on October 27, the hype machine was in overdrive as WWE announced a major new stipulation to one of its marquee matches and continued to build to the already-announced WWE title match between Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton.

CM Punk and Ryback attempted to beat the clock for the right to name the special stipulation for their match at the event. Would Ryback secure the right for Heyman to back Punk into a corner and, possibly, destroy him once and for all, or did Punk come out on top with the chance to deliver the WWE Universe from Heyman's evil in grasp?

The surprisingly intense rivalry between AJ Lee and Brie Bella over the Divas title took an interesting turn this week as Brie took on Tamina Snuka in singles action. What happened following that match would have a direct effect on the path the Bryan-Orton angle took on this week's show.

What was good, great and awesome from the October 14 edition of Raw?

Find out after the jump.

The Good

Photo Credit: WWE.com

The Miz vs. Randy Orton

Immediately following the altercation between Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton that started this week's program, The Miz hit the ringside area and attacked Orton. Ringside commentator Michael Cole informed the viewing audience that the two were scheduled for the first match of the evening while Miz tossed The Viper around ringside.

It was a bit of continuity going back to the September 16 episode of Raw, where Orton viciously and savagely attacked Miz in his hometown of Cleveland, in front of his mother and father.

Miz was aggressive and showed a level of intensity he is not typically associated with in the moments prior to the commercial break.

After that, however, Orton took control and scored the victory off of an RKO when Miz's wave of momentum was interrupted by the Wyatt Family.

The match was a solid use of a previous storyline to enhance Orton's win-loss record heading into Hell in a Cell, all the while setting up a solid midcard angle that will only help to make Hell in a Cell a far more entertaining show.

Speaking of the Wyatt Family...

On the October 7 edition of Raw, the Wyatt Family interrupted an edition of Miz TV. They made their way to the ring and had their sights on Miz and making him their latest example, but the former WWE champion got away.

Wyatt would be overheard telling him "you can run, but you can't hide."

The Wyatt Family and The Miz are complete polar opposites. Bray leads his followers and completes his lectures with a near-prophetic tone and is unafraid to mix it up between the ropes when necessary. Miz, on the other hand, is the brash, young, entertaining Hollywood star that goes home to his beautiful fiancee Maryse and incites jealousy from fans across the globe.

The events that unfold between the two sides in the coming weeks should be entertaining.

Brad Maddox: Not a Paul Heyman Guy

One of the overlooked aspect of WWE television over the last two months has been the way that Brad Maddox seemingly takes joy in toying with Paul Heyman. We have seen it in the past and we saw it again Monday night, when he denied Heyman's movement to add a stipulation to Ryback's match with CM Punk, instead booking the Beat the Clock Challenge and giving Punk the chance to determine the stipulation.

It is a great bit of continuity that dates back to last winter when Heyman set Maddox up to receive a beating in the backstage area at the hands of The Shield. 

WWE has been guilty of booking vignettes or matches that do not make sense in the context of their own stories and mythology, but when they get it right, even in a small way like this, it makes the product that much more enjoyable.

Beat the Clock: R-Truth vs. Ryback

The Truth-Ryback Beat the Clock match featured some outstanding storytelling and psychology early on, even if it was masked as comedy.

Over the last week, Truth has become an enemy of Heyman and his guys and, as a result, has become somewhat close to CM Punk. Monday night, he did everything in his power to make sure Punk won the Beat the Clock Challenge and earn the right to name the stipulation for the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event match against Ryback.

He stalled, exiting the ring early and running around ringside for a minute while a frustrated Ryback chased after him.

Of course, when Ryback finally did catch up to him, the match itself became the plodding display of power moves that Ryback in 2013 has become infamous for. The result was never really in question, but the stuff at the beginning was both original and smart, earning it a spot in this week's "good" section.

Brie Bella vs. Tamina

Stephanie McMahon informed Brie of her match with Tamina during a backstage segment and told Nikki Bella that she would not be at ringside to support her sister.

The match between Brie and Tamina was an excellent example of a smaller underdog taking on a larger, more dominant opponent and making a go of it before ultimately succumbing to the strength and size advantage of said opponent.

After the match, Divas champion AJ Lee slid into the ring and locked Brie in the Black Widow submission hold. It would take several referees and officials to pull AJ off. To her credit, Brie did not tap out in the hold, though you would never know it because the announce team failed to mention it, being that they were probably too busy hyping the App or talking about Big Show.

It was a well-booked angle that continues to shine light on the Divas division and continues to help Brie get over as a babyface, something that would not have been so easy had she suddenly turned at the conclusion of the first half of Total Divas with little or no reason.

Most importantly, the angle played heavily into the WWE title feud, something we will get to in a moment or two.

Tons of Funk vs. The Real Americans

The outcome of the match was never really in doubt, but Tons of Funk, who have not competed on Raw or SmackDown in quite some time, worked extremely hard with Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger, and the result was an outstanding old-school style tag match that continued to push of the Real Americans and proved that Brodus and Tensai may be a bit underutilized at this point.

No glitz or glamour, just solid wrestling and a giant swing to top it all off.

The Great

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon address the WWE Universe

Just one week after being knocked unconscious by The Big Show, Triple H made his way to the ring with his deliciously evil and manipulative wife Stephanie by his side.

Stephanie discussed Big Show's actions, revealed that they were selling his house and all of his possessions, then put the rest of the roster on notice. Insubordinate Superstars will not be tolerated, she said.

Triple H then took his turn addressing the crowd.

One of the biggest complaints about his current heel character is that he has not allowed himself to look weak or to be the butt of the joke in the manner that the Mr. and Shane McMahon characters did. That did not change Monday night as he was loud, defiant and channeled his inner badass as he threatened Big Show and Daniel Bryan.

The reason this lands in the "great" section of this week's article, however, is thanks to the passion Triple H showed in his promo. Every time he made a threat or raised his voice, the crowd's YES! chants grew louder and louder, creating a unique environment that showcased just how angry and frustrated the COO really was.

It was a nice departure from the laid back, sarcastic boss who had addressed the WWE Superstars so flippantly in recent weeks.

The arrival of Daniel Bryan was excellent, as well. He made his entrance just as Triple H's frustration hit a high, and it appeared as though he was going to take advantage of his tormentor's momentary weakness, but Alberto Del Rio came out of nowhere to attack him, setting up a match between the two later in the evening.

Beat the Clock: CM Punk vs. Curtis Axel; Punk announces the HIAC stip

Throughout the many matches between CM Punk and Intercontinental champion Curtis Axel that have resulted due to Punk's angle with Paul Heyman, the Superstars have demonstrated a solid chemistry with one another that has allowed them to deliver very good matches.

Though they only had just over five minutes to perform, they still delivered a very solid match that allowed Punk to pick up the win in a fast-paced bout.

After the match, Punk addressed a dismayed Paul Heyman and revealed the stipulation for Hell in a Cell. It will be, he revealed, a handicap match pitting Heyman and Ryback against Punk...inside the cell.

It was an unexpected development because it was widely assumed that Bryan vs. Orton would be the only match to be contested inside the steel structure. With the Punk-Heyman angle losing steam in recent weeks, it was a much needed element for their latest pay-per-view antics and should help tell a story the fans can invest themselves in.

The Awesome

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Shawn Michaels kicks off the show

The Heartbreak Kid made his presence felt from the top of the show, receiving his typically strong reaction from the WWE Universe. He discussed his history with Daniel Bryan, his disdain for Randy Orton and his friendship with Triple H.

This brought out Orton, who told Michaels that he would never be as good as The Viper and at Hell in a Cell, he is going to brutalize and beat Bryan and all HBK can do is count the fall and raise his arm in victory.

In a neat sequence, Orton would try for the RKO, but Michaels would shove him off and attempt Sweet Chin Music. Orton would duck out of the ring and head up the ramp, bringing to an end a solid opening segment of Raw that played up the rivalry between Michaels and Orton and set up a situation at Hell in a Cell where Michaels may have to do something he does not want to by counting the pinfall that awards Orton the WWE title.

Daniel Bryan vs. Alberto Del Rio

The formula for the best way to take up television time is simple: Take two of the most talented in-ring performers in the industry, give them 15 minutes on free television and let them do what they do best.

That is exactly what WWE did Monday night, and it resulted in a fine match between Daniel Bryan and Alberto Del Rio. It was a snug, hard-hitting match that showcased why they are among the most respected workers in the industry.

The match had no real finish, but that was not a bad thing. Neither man can afford a loss at this point, and the angle that accompanied the match was strong enough to cover up the indecisive conclusion.

Randy terrorizes Brie...and more on this week's Total Divas

With Bryan surging and a win over World Heavyweight Champion Del Rio on the horizon, Randy Orton appeared on the Titan Tron and captured his rival's attention. Standing outside of a door in the backstage area, he told Bryan that he saw Tamina and AJ beat up Brie Bella earlier in the night and he was going to check on her.

He entered the trainer's room and shot Brie, Bryan's real life fiancee, an evil glance before closing the door. A shrieking scream could be heard and, after a short exchange of strikes with Del Rio, Bryan took off to the back.

When he arrived at the trainer's room, he found Brie and sister Nikki unharmed but was, himself, victim of a sneak attack by Orton.

It was the continued reemergence of the old Randy Orton, the Apex Predator that would stop at nothing, including vile and despicable acts, to achieve his goals.

The Rhodes brothers crack The Shield, win the titles

The main event of this week's show was one of the best matches on Raw all year as Cody Rhodes and Goldust took on Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns in a No Disqualification match for the WWE Tag Team Championship.

It was a chaotic main event that made good use of third Shield member Dean Ambrose and showcased the resilience of the babyfaces.

The finish, which saw Big Show rush through the crowd to the ring, lay out all three members of The Shield and assist the Rhodes brothers to the gold made a very crowd-pleasing moment and fit perfectly into the main event angle.

The image of an irate Triple H standing in the center of an arena full of fans chanting "YES!" shows that maybe the COO and his wife cannot dictate who is and who is not the face of the company.