The Avengers Review

I'm just coming back from the midnight showing of Avengers in IMAX 3D. I'm hoping to try and get this all down before the fresh memories become stale, but honestly as I write this I'm beginning to realize that this movie had so many standout moments that it's hard to forget any of them.

On a side note, midnight showings of films like this are quite possibly the best environment for an avid filmgoer.  That's usually where the true fans go, they cheer when you're meant to cheer, and laugh when you are meant to laugh.  Overall a very satisfying experience, so if your local theater offers a midnight premiere of a movie you are really looking forward to, get in on the action, you won't be disappointed.

Joss Whedon was the perfect choice to lead this film. His prior work with ensemble casts and his history in comic books made him the right man for the job.  This movie has been in the works technically before Iron Man even came out.

They knew that this was leading up to the grand moment, a moment seldom attempted in cinema history because the only thing that could eclipse the potential glory is the potential for monumental failure.  But this movie dealt out the glory in spades.

I've got to hand it to Marvel, the way that they set up the movie was fantastic. The small teasers at the end of each movie and they way that they have begun to create their own Marvel movie universe is something to behold.  If DC does attempt to do this in the future they have a great template to work off of.

Of course, we got to see all the titanic matchups between team members that we all wished for.  What I was glad to see was that it didn't follow the basic Marvel movie formula, in which you sat the entire movie waiting for the movie to start. Avengers had action from start to finish. Loki really stole the show as the quintessential evil villain. He was ready to get his hands dirty and dealt out some serious emotional and psychological trauma to our heroes.

His interactions with each of the heroes were what really stood out to me. His mental and emotional game of cat and mouse with Black Widow, his tit for tat argument with Tony Stark, even the tragic tale of jealousy and betrayal between himself and Thor. By the end of the film he had a bone to pick with each member of the Avengers, which made his campaign about more than just power, but about true acceptance regardless of how it is obtained.

The epic final battle was where everyone got to show off. Hulk ended up being the unanimous fan favorite smashing his way through epic and hilarious situations. Captain America ended up taking on the leadership role that he was always meant to have, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye laid the smackdown wherever and whenever they could.  I couldn't help but chuckle to myself seeing each of these titanic personalities interact with each other. Cap being such a straight shooter and soldier trying to work with a bunch of loners was great to see, and seeing him take charge was so iconic it gave me goosebumps.

My initial worry was that with a movie that had so much star power that some characters would get little to no screen time. That wasn't the case with The Avengers, you got to see each character display their strengths solo and with the team which made the movie that much more enjoyable for fanboys of specific characters. If there was any initial doubt as to Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of Bruce Banner let it be put to rest now. Don't get me wrong, I was as disappointed as many of you when I heard the reports the Edward Norton wasn't going to be reprising his role as The Hulk, but Mark really brought it home and effortlessly stepped into the role.

Obviously I will advise you to stay for the entire end credit sequence. Don't be fooled there are TWO credits scenes so stick around, they're both worth it. Overall, this was the best way to start the summer movie season. This will bring in big bucks for a while until the next anticipated comic book movie this year The Dark Knight Rises some Hulk sized shoes to fill.

I shouldn't have to say this ,but I will anyways GO SEE THIS FILM!

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Elder Scrolls MMO announced for 2013



This is on the cover of the new Game Informer, who has the exlusive on the Elder Scrolls MMO

Just when you thought you could escepe the grasp of Skyrim, the many realms of Elder Scrolls is not done with you yet. Game Informer got the exclusive scoop on the new title from Zenimax Online Studios, which will be featured in their June issue. If you're unfamiliar with Zenimax Online Studios, it's becasue they have yet to release a title.

The new MMO will be developed by Zenimax Online Studios, founded back in 2007 under the direction of Matt Firor, a Mythic Entertainment veteran known for his work on Dark Age of Camelot. The Maryland-based studio has yet to release a game, but last year announced it was looking to hire hundreds of people for an Ireland-based customer support center

This shouldn't be any reason to be concerned, seeing as little or no details are known abou the game as of yet. An MMO based int  Elder Scrolls universe makes sense, I'm just surprised it took this long. All this talk about Elder Scrolls has me craving some Skyrim. Level 47 Khajit here I come.

Via: Ars Technica
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Avengers Movie Primer: Fury's Big Week

Are you ready for The Avengers TONIGHT!? We are, but you might need some help (And if you do, you might need some serious help).

We've tackled each movie leading up to the Avengers, and while we've already tackled The Incredible Hulk,The Invincible Iron Man, The Mighty Thor, and lastly Captain America, there's an unforgettable character that we've all come to know and anticipate. That's right, Nick Fury has had a big week, and Marvel Comics has it all covered in 4 short issues. We're going to take a look at the four issue series that  ties all of the movies together in one neat little package.

The Avenger's Prelude: Fury's Big Week is a 4 issue miniseries. Since we're going to give you massive spoilers right now, don't bother picking them up. You're going to see The Avengers anyway (You'd better be!) and alls these 4 issues do is fill some gaps you wouldn't really notice or care for until after reading. If your thirst for knowledge still isn't quenched, feel free to go waste your money on the issues or the Trade copy when it comes out in a month of two.

So let me cover the first major reveal of the series: SHIELD was formed, but Nick Fury wasn't the main man for the job. He was still having budget issues, and his main goal was finding out information about the Tesserect (Remember, it's what Red Skull called the Cosmic Cube). He convinces what looks like a board of directors that he is the man for the job, simply by listing what he did over the course of one week. He drove Tony Stark to create a new element, and removing the poisoning effects of his heart arc reactor. He recovered the Destroyer armor and is having testing done on it to make it either operational or convert it into a more useful power source. And finally he had a successful recovery of Captain America from the arctic region. Not too shabby, right?

Wait what? Oh right- that's one of the other revealed secrets of the series. The Destroyer armor was recovered after Thor stopped it's rampage, and was being tested on. After a series of tests, SHIELD did manage to get the robot operational and controlled, and the next decision was to break it down, harness the power, and make a new weapon. That's all we know of the Destroyer Armor, but be fully stocked to see it return in either The Avengers or the next Thor movie.

Next secret- Black Widow goes into the lab of Samuel Sterns shortly after The Abomination breaks out of it. She finds a wounded Sterns, now with his head beginning to change and bulge, and neutralizes him, taking him in to custody.

Next- Hawkeye/Agent Barton is taken to a remote SHIELD facility with Erik Selvig. Fury makes note to keep an eye on Selvig, as he suspects something of him. When Fury leaves, we see Selvig make mention that he remembers who Clint is, with Loki appearing in the mirror behind him, revealing that these are his own words.

Let's just move right along- the series lets you know a timeline. "The Incredible Hulk" takes place right after the first Iron Man movie, but is occurring throughout Thor and Iron Man 2. If you pay attention, you can see a news report when the Hulk is being attacked at the university as you watch the movie, but if you pay closer attention in Iron man 2, that same news report is on a TV in one of Stark's rooms. Here's a screenshot so you can see; the news report in the upper left hand corner is a scene from the Incredible Hulk.



The next time line event is Iron Man 2 and Thor. Those two bother occur one right after the other, with Iron Man 2 happening first. We know this basically from the teaser we got at the end of Iron Man 2, where Coulson found the Mjolnir stuck in the middle of the desert. We also have evidence in Thor, where not only does Coulson play a role in the movie, but SHIELD agents make the comment about the Destroyer to the effect of "Is that one of Stark's?".

Lastly, we have Captain America. If you didn't know, Captain America happens first, roughly 70 years before anything. What we find out in the issues, however, is that Cap is revived a full year after the events of the other three movies.

What does all of this mean for The Avengers? Well for one, this means that Tony has had a full year to assess the Avengers Initiative, the news reports of Thor and Hulk, and the testing on the Destroyer. Thor has been stuck, supposedly, in Asgard for over a year, and The Incredible Hulk has managed to supposedly stay in seclusion for just as long. Since there is a year gap, this also gives Stark time to either upgrade his armor, develop more of that element, or upgrade/dismantle the War Machine armor for Rhodes. Expect to see something new with Iron Man, that man is a technological think tank.

What else is there to look out for? STAN LEE. He's made a cameo in every Marvel Movie, and in case you missed him at all, here's a recap:

"The Hulk"; as a security guard with Lou



"Iron Man"; a guest at one of the Galas, mistaken for Hefner



"The Incredible Hulk"; as the unfortunate person succumbed to Gamma Poisoning

"Iron Man 2"; again mistaken for a celebrity at a Gala

"Thor"; the driver of the pick-up truck when trying to remove Mjolnir

"Captain America: The First Avenger"; a World War II General at ceremony honoring Cap

With that all being said, keep on the lookout for Stan Lee in The Avengers!

Still lost? Well, be sure to check out the Geek Asylum's full coverage of the previous Marvel Comics Universe movies! We covered Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and Captain America, so be sure to check them out!

The Avengers is OUT! Go see it, or read about it!!!

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Spotify for iPad impressions

Spotify has been my favorite music service since it launched last year. After launch I immediately cancelled my subscription to Rhapsody. Spotify by far has the largest and diverse music library available to all of their users, and is an overall stand up service. The one shortcoming, and it’s a big one, with Spotify is their mobile apps.

Whether it’s for iPhone or Android they are just clunky, clumsy and anything but polished. Navigation isn’t the best. It still relies primarily on playlists instead of streaming albums. At last much of that has changed with the release of the iPad app. It’s not perfect but it is certainly worth the wait. I’m going to go over some features for you and Jon is going to be giving you the hands on experience. So let us begin.

For starters the app is already scaled up for the retina display, with the amount of time it took them to release it I was worried it wouldn’t be retina compatible until a future update. So the app really is quite pretty. A cool feature is navigation when a song is already playing. You can just swipe up or down on the awesomely large album artwork to go to the next song on the playlist.

The now playing bar follows you through the whole app on any screen. You no longer have to click on “now playing” to see what song is on and to change it. That’s a huge upgrade from the iPhone and Android versions. I often find it a pain in the ass to change songs or find exactly what I am looking for.

Stacked navigation is a crucially awesome new feature, once again this makes navigation a breeze. It works just like the Amazon or Twitter apps for iPad allowing you multiple layers of open windows which are easy to quickly swipe from one to another. So if you are in the store you can quickly shuffle back to your now playing or album artwork etc. I imagine this will be one of the favorite features for many. Airplay is also built right into the app so you can easily stream you music to many compatible devices. 

Hands-on impressions--Jon Ortiz

We've already discussed how great Spotify is as a service, and Chris has expressed his disdain for Spotify's current mobile apps (they leave a lot to be desired. Like tons), but I'm going to give a brief overview of my impressions of the new app.

Spotify on the iPad does take some of the good visual cues from it's iPhone counterpart, such as the ability to slide through new albums, much the same you can on your on your iTunes library in shuffle mode. It's nothing new, but on the new iPad's retina display you will quickly become mesmerized by it. You will come to appreciate just how attractive the app looks with the retina display, and Spotify does include several nifty features that take clear advantage of the iPad hardware.

For example, say you have a dubstep playlist (don't judge me) and you've compiled your favorite songs and artists for a playlist you plan to use for a house party . Just dock your iPad, shuffle the songs, set it for gapless playback, and woo your house guests with fullscreen mode. They will be treated to a massive cover of the artist and album playing, but wait THERE's MORE. They don't like the song? What ever shall you do? Simply swipe up, down, left, or right and it will play the next song.

Fullscreen mode is one of the best features in the app.It allows for easy shuffling of playlist's.

It's a very simple feature, however there is something elegant about how simple it is. It not only looks good when displayed, it also make shuffling through your playlist that much easier. It's clear that Spotify wanted to create an app that was appealing, but what about functionality? It's not as cumbersome to navigate as the iPhone version, which has a good amount to do with the iPads larger screen. It also has to do with some good design choices.

The screen isn't cluttered with tabs or other pointless bells and whistles. Spotify once again decided to go the simple route with only five tabs on the side, and since Spotify doesn't really care about albums, the front page is also devoid of the ADD overload you would get from other music services. Lastly, the decision to keep the now playing bar active on all pages was a no-brainer, and a welcome addition. These decisions are ultimately what make Spotify a joy to use on the iPad. It almost feels like this was the way the service was intended to be used.

It's good to see that Spotify addressed everything that was wrong from a functional standpoint, however, I still take issue with their insistence on sticking with the playlists. Sometimes I just want to sift through albums, and not just new ones either. Sure I can search for an artist, but what if I just want to go through genres and discover some things. I suppose that's what the playlists are for, and Spotify is still the best service for sharing music with friends. It should be interesting to see what they do in future updates, but for now, the best music subscription service just got a lot better.

Check the screens below to get an idea of what the app looks like.

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Avengers Movie Primer: Captain America The First Avenger

Are you ready for The Avengers on May 4th? We are, but you might need some help (And if you do, you might need some serious help).

We're going to tackle each movie leading up to the Avengers, and while we've already tackled The Incredible Hulk,The Invincible Iron Man, and The Mighty Thor, it's now time to tango with star spangled man with a plan, Captain America!

Like Thor, Captain America The First Avenger is a standalone movie. There's no prequel or sequel yet, and the movie starts so long ago and ends pretty much at The Avengers movie, there won't be a sequel for some time. Let's get started with this movie.

The first thing this movie has to offer is confusion. If you've never heard of Captain America's origin story, you'll be confused easily. There are some men excavating a site in the arctic region, noted only by the snowfall and the icy terrain, having found a ship of sorts. Once inside the ship, a large block of ice is found and we can see the infamous shield of Captain America peaking through. The film breaks back to the 1940's now, but don't worry, we'll return to this side of the story later.

The film really begins in Norway, with Johann Schmidt and HYDRA breaking into someone's...well...house, I guess. It's a really big room with a dead guy in the center, and Schmidt is looking for a "Tesserect". He finds a small cube in the casket in the center of the room, and shatters it. He mentions that the Tesserect is the jewel of Odin, which ties it minorly to the Thor storyline. He then makes his way over to a wall sculpture of Yggdrasil , where after pressing a snakes eye finds what he is looking for. In the movie, it is known as a Tesserect, but us Comic Book people know all too well that he's found the Cosmic cube.





Star Spangled Man With a Plan



Now we get to our hero. Well, sort of. This part of the movie you're going to either love or hate. We get to see the story of how Captain America came to be. You see, Steve Rogers was a flimsy little boy, and failed getting drafted five times in five different cities. Before the fifth failure, he learns that his friend Bucky is enlisted in the 107th. Dr Erskine noticed not his failures, but that he tried. For that, he enlisted him as a volunteer for one of his projects. Undergoing a procedure, his body is changed to the peak human performance. Dr Erskine is killed by a HYDRA spy, and Steve chases him down. The spy commits suicide, warning Steve that if you take down one HYDRA head, two more take it's place. With Dr Erskine gone, the division that would have grown as a powerful force diminishes, and Steve is left without direction. Agent Peggy Carter, an agent that trained candidates and grew a budding relationship with Steve, also falls into this group.Steve does do something successful however, he is given a costume, ironically it looks like the modern day Captain America costume you'd buy for Halloween, and is thrust into a musical advertisement for savings bonds across the country. It's a cute little skit, and he even gets to punch an actor dressed as Hitler. Finally, there's a show across seas, and he's booed off the stage by the surviving infantrymen of the 107th.

The 107th? Surviving? Yes, Steve caught on, and to his unfortunate news, he finds that Bucky was on the list of MIAs, but found out also that there's a possibility of him being held prisoner, with no intent on rescue missions of course. Believing he is something more, he convinces Peggy to drop him in on the base, wearing his stage costume, a helmet, a gun, and a weak shield prop.

Now this base is special- let's rewind back to the Cosmic Cube we mentioned earlier. Johann Schmidt has harnessed the power of the Cosmic Cube and is developing weapons with the help of Arnim Zola. These weapons are beyond powerful, and can disintegrate a target with a single shot. The 107th is being held at one of the development bases. Cap drops and sneaks into the base, and frees the prisoners, but no luck on finding Bucky. During the breakout, Schmidt notices Cap and orders Zola to leave the base, setting it for self destruct. Cap finds Bucky, but it is too late as the base begins to explode. On the way out, Cap and Bucky run into Schmidt and Zola, and Schmidt aims a well placed punch, denting the metal shield. He reveals that he was Erskine's first experiment, and pulls off his face, revealing a Red Skull. The Red Skull and Zola make their exit, as Cap and Bucky make theirs.

Cap returns with the 107th, unexpected by everyone else. Having an inside look at the base helped gain intelligence on HYDRA, and attacks on remote bases begin. Cap gets a new round shield and a wardrobe change that we all know, and HYDRA's bases are picked off one by one. On a special mission to apprehend Arnim Zola, Cap and Bucky infiltrate a moving train. During the raid, a soldier bearing one of the Cube-guns blows a hole in the side of the train, with Bucky barely hanging on. Bucky can't hold, and falls down the canyon in front of Steve. This is the end of Bucky as we know it.

Having captured Zola, one final attack is made on HYDRA, on the base where Red Skull is. Cap infiltrates the base with the army and Peggy, and manages to get on the Red Skull's stealth bomber as it takes off. Inside the ship, Cap notices the various bombs set to target various cities for global domination. After neutralizing the bomb and any HYDRA personal, Cap makes it to the cockpit where Red Skull attacks. After a small fight, the Cosmic Cube container is damaged and Red Skull retrieves the cube. In his hand, the Cosmic Cube reacts, seemingly teleporting the Red Skull into the cosmos. With the ship still on course for New York, Cap decides to override the controls and crash the ship into the snow to avoid any casualties. A last minute radio transmission with Peggy, a promise of a date, and the ship crashes into the ice, saving it's target from destruction and ending the threat of HYDRA for now. Cap is considered a hero back at home, with the war over and America having won.

It's not over. Steve wakes up in a bed, and the Dodgers game is on the radio. A woman enters the room, and he becomes weary of his situation. He mentions that he was at the Dodgers game on the radio, so he knows he's being tricked into something when two soldiers enter the room. Steve takes them out, breaks out of the room he is in and heads outside...to Times Square in New York City?

Remember the opening scene? Well, not only did they find Cap frozen in the ice, they took him out of it and let him thaw out. He woke up 70 years later. Nick Fury meets with Steve, informs him of his predicament, of SHIELD, and Steve begins to realize everything he knew is gone, including that date with Peggy.

But wait, there's more! If you watched this movie in theaters or on DVD, there's a scene after the credits- Nick Fury meets with Steve in a boxing gym, and begins to talk about saving the world one more time.

AND ONE MORE THING! If you held on this long, wait a few more seconds, because you'll get to see the first official trailer for The Avengers!

So what does this have to offer towards the Avengers? Well for one, we saw with the Cosmic Cube an opening to the cosmos...which honestly looks like Asgardian space. If you remember the reference to Yggdrasil, it is possible the Red Skull will make a return with Loki. Secondly, Cap lost 70 years, so we can expect to see him adjust to the current times, as well as the awkward adjustments that don't work out in his favor, such as trends from the past. If you haven't seen this movie, make the effort to do so, it is well worth your time to get you geared up for the Avengers and the return of Captain America. With the super soldier back in action, can you wait any longer for the Avengers!?

Be sure to look out for our other articles covering The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man! Think you know all there is to know? Check out the wrap up with Fury's Big Week!

The Avengers is OUT! Go see it, or read about it!!!

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$100 Xbox? Yes please!

Well as if the Xbox 360 wasn't already crushing the living room space it's about to even further. Microsoft has it's eyes set on destroying Sony and making themselves the undisputed king of in home entertainment from computing to gaming and now streaming movies and watching TV.

Rumor has it that in the next week or two Microsft may be releasing an Xbox 360 and Kinect Bundle for as little as $100 with a two year commitment at $15 a month. This would most likely include an Xbox Live Gold subscription and some streaming services. If I were to venture a guess it will work a lot like a cell phone agreement with early termination fees and so on. But with E3 right around the corner I'm sure we'll be finding out much more very very soon. Stay tuned for more info!

Source: The Verge

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The Walking Dead game gets it right

Everyone should know by now that we absolutely love, I mean love us some Walking Dead. Robert Kirkman's comic has transformed from niche title that few knew about to full blown pop culture phenomenon in a matter of a couple of years. It's an impressive feat to say the least, and it looks as if things can only get better from here. Kirkman might be the hardest working writer in the comic book world, and that's paid off in spades. So we have the comic, we have the show, and now it's time for the game.

Telltale Games, the unofficial godfathers of the traditional point and click adventure game, have plenty of experience dealing with some of the most beloved film and television franchises. From Law and Order to Back to The Future, Telltale is the development house that knows its way around solid story telling that remains loyal to these franchises.

Prior to releasing The Walking Dead game, TTG worked on Jurassic Park. The game had a lukewarm reception from both players and critics due to its deviation from the formula that has made TTG so successful. With The Walking Dead, they return to form and it makes for a much better experience. Much like Telltale's previous titles, The Walking Dead is episodic, which is perfect for the type of story being told.

You can purchase the episodes individually at $5.99 or get the "season pass" for all five episodes for $20. The first episode in the series is "A New Day" where we meet our protagonist, Lee Everett, who we find in the back of a police car. How he got there is for you to find out.

It's not as boring as it sounds because the game is directed and paced much the same way a show would be. Telltale creates the reason to keep going forward, no matter how mundane or menial the tasks may seem. Everything you do hinges on something bigger, and every choice has a consequence, for better or for worse.

This isn't your typical zombie game. It has more to do with story and character. This isn't Left 4 Dead or Resident Evil, this is the game Kirkman envisioned. A game that was able to capture what the comic and television show have done so well--character and plot development.

The Devil is In The Details
For those of you who are fans of The Walking Dead, you have a full understanding of how Kirkman operates. The zombies in The Walking Dead are a very small part of the equation. The comic is all about the characters, how they react to each other, to their surroundings, how they handle the pressure, and ultimately how they survive. The game captures this very well, and it's one of the reasons it will keep you engaged from start to finish.

The game is a simple point and click adventure, there isn't anything new about this, but it works well for story telling purposes. In most instances you will just go through a series of quick time events where you simply press the right button at the right time. This is how most of the combat plays out, but you'll spend the rest of your time searching rooms, finding clues, and getting the necessary items needed to survive.





It's not as boring as it sounds because the game is directed and paced much the same way a show would be. Telltale creates the reason to keep going forward, no matter how mundane or menial the tasks may seem. Everything you do hinges on something bigger, and every choice has a consequence, for better or for worse. If that doesn't smell of Kirkman, I can't tell you what does.

For instance, the game puts you in very uncomfortable situations where you will have to be very conscious of the decisions you make and the things you say. There was one situation where two characters lives were at stake, but I could only save one of them. I had to really put some thought into this. Who would be the more beneficial one to save? If I save the child, I gain the trust of his father, who is good mechanically and has a vehicle. However, if I save the farm owners son, we have shelter and food.

When the game put me in a position of choosing to save a child's life or letting him/her die, it was very unsettling. The game doesn't hold any punches, which is a good thing. All of these moral grey areas present themselves. You'll wonder if you did the right thing or made the right decision.  Each choice sticks with you throughout the game.

It's all about the "one bad for the greater good" approach. This is where the game really shines, by putting you in situations where your decisions truly effect people's lives. It's the same thing we see in Kirkman's work, and the way Telltale was able to capture that is something they should be proud of. It's also the same reason you'll keep going and you won't stop until the episode is over. The saddest part of the game is when the words "To be continued" pop up on the screen.

It's good to see a zombie game that isn't a zombie game. Yes, games like Left 4 Dead and Resident Evil are good in their own way, but we've seen it all before. With The Walking Dead game, the zombies aren't the focal point, they're the backdrop. The game isn't perfect mind you, and while the game mechanics can be a bit sluggish at times,  it's easy to overlook things like that when the game is as enjoyable as it is. The Walking Dead game is an intelligent title that will appeal to fans and newcomers alike. It's every bit as compelling as the comic and show, and it will leave you begging for more.

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WWE Raw Wrapup 4/30/2012

WWE Monday Night Raw - April 30th, 2012

Two nights in a row of eventful, semi-logical, entertaining wrestling is something we've come to not expect.  Not this week!  WWE closes April strong with an interesting show that made effort to move story lines along and change up the usual Monday Night formula.  And at the least, the "Monday Night Raw starring Brock Lesnar" graphic was good for a laugh.

Raw starts with John Lauranaitis out, telling the fans that we should be thanking him for bringing Lesnar in.  Lesnar has proved Cena to be a mere mortal.  Lesnar follows the warm welcome from Johnny and tells us he did just what he said he would:  He brought the pain to John Cena.  Cue HHH's entrance music and a ludicrous pop from the crowd.  HHH tells Johnny that he's here to do the job that Johnny won't.  Lesnar will receive no special treatment:  No jet, no limo, no raise, no immunity.  HHH tells Lesnar that Lauranaitis did not have the authority to broker the deal that was made one week ago (No more '...starring Brock Lesnar' graphic, I guess).

HHH assures Lesnar that he wants him in WWE; that the fans want a rematch with Cena.  Johnny tries to tell HHH that he's being disrespectful and HHH immediately shuts him up.  HHH turns to give Johnny the business, but Lesnar attacks from behind.  HHH tries to fight back, but he gets locked into the Kimura and Lesnar wrenches the arm, apparently breaking it.  When Michael Cole is entirely against what a heel is doing, you know he's being made to be a monster.  HHH screams in pain and is helped to the back by Big Show, Kofi, R-Truth and Sheamus, who run out to make the save.

Lesnar attacks the steel stairs in frustration, further showcasing the idea of him being an uncaged animal.  Later in the night, we'll be told that Lesnar will be off TV for some time, what with the goings on.  So Brock Lesnar has demolished Cena and HHH in the span of two nights, but will be off TV for a while.  Baffling.

Eve comes out and informs us that the new #1 contender to the WWE title will be determined in a 5 match Beat the Clock challenge.  The man who wins his match the fastest will be the #1 contender.

Match 1 - The Miz vs Santino Marella (United States Champion), Beat the Clock Challenge

Similar to the match on the preshow last night - back and forth signature spots.  The change is the pace:  Playing into the Beat the Clock concept, Miz comes out aggressive and with quick roll ups and pin attempts.  Santino starts to come back with a hotshot and lands jabs, followed by the split, hip toss and headbutt.  The Cobra comes out, but Miz tries an okana roll which Santino rolls through.  Miz kicks out, lands a boot and the Skull Crushing Finale for the win in 4:18.

Winner: The Miz via pinfall, 4:18 is the time to beat

Match 2 - Brie Bella vs Nikki Bella vs Layla (c), Divas Championship Triple Threat

The Bellas argue, Layla dropkicks one into the other then schoolgirls the projectile Bella for the win.  That's literally the whole match.

Winner: Layla via pinfall

The one good idea at play here is reintroducing Layla to the TV crowd that didn't buy the PPV.  The Bellas are on their way out, so they're made to look like incompetent goofballs:  The WWE way.  Brie had no right to be in this match; at least Nikki had her rematch clause.

Match 3 - Chris Jericho vs Big Show, Beat the Clock Challenge (time to beat: 4:18)

Show opens up strong and hard, attacking Jericho.  After a scoop slam for two, Show lands the running ass in the corner and hits the ropes for a spear, but Jericho dropkicks the knee.  Jericho lands boots to the head and a low dropkick for one.  Jericho comes off the top rope, but Show swats him out of midair.  Show hops on the middle rope for a Vaderbomb, but comes up empty, allowing a Lionsault from Jericho for two.  Jericho tries the Walls of Jericho, which Big Show turns into a small package (big package?).  Jericho escapes a Chokeslam attempt and DDTs Show for two.  Show responds with a spear for two.  Jericho ducks the WMD and tries the Codebreaker, which Show stops.  Both men tumble over the top rope and Big Show misses a boot, leading to him falling into the timekeeper's pit.  Jericho slides into the ring at a nine count, but the ref's count does not beat the clock.  Jericho wins, but does not beat the Miz's time.

Winner: Chris Jericho via countout

An argument can be made that this is a no contest, as the clock for the match ran out.  What I think happened was Jericho was supposed to beat the 9 count with a second left on the clock, giving him the slight lead, but the cadence was screwed up.  Regardless, Miz's time still stands.

Match 4 - Brodus Clay vs JTG

Boots, scoopslams and elbows, followed by ignoring a chop block and a t-bone and splash.  Standard Clay match at this point.

Winner: Brodus Clay via pinfall

Clay brings some kids into the ring to dance with him and the funkettes; cute moment for the kids.  I know I would have been thrilled to get in a ring as a young'un.  I hate to echo myself at this point, but the act is getting a bit old for the 'real' fans.  It's great for the kids and the casual fans, but maybe once in a while Tyson Kidd could get on TV instead?

A recap from the top of the show plays:  Lesnar vs Cena and Cena's speech

A replay of Lesnar snapping HHH's elbow plays, as well.

Johnny, Eve and Teddy are in the back.  Eve is giving Johnny a pep talk.  He may have lost Lesnar at this point, but he still needs to be a leader.  Johnny will inform us who Cena's next PPV opponent will be.

Match 5 - Randy Orton vs Jack Swagger, Beat the Clock Challenge (time to beat: 4:18)

Orton opens aggressively and with roll ups, as expected.  Swagger muscles him into the corner, but Orton hops over a shoulder block attempt for another roll up and one count.  Swagger lands boots to the head and a Swaggerbomb for two.  Orton escapes the Gutwrench Powerbomb attempt and lands his signature backbreaker for another quick two count.  Swagger ducks a clothesline and dives at Orton's knee.  He follows with a big shoulder block for two.  Orton strikes back, but Swagger surfboards his arms, which the announcers note is an awful strategy with time ticking away.  Swagger transitions to a headlock/hammerlock combination pin for two, which the announcers don't note is a great strategy.  Swagger makes the classic mistake of trying the same move twice in a match and whiffs a Swaggerbomb, letting Orton land clotheslines and a powerslam.  Orton follows with the middle rope DDT and coils, ready for the RKO.  Swagger drops Orton into an ankle lock, but Orton escapes and lands the RKO for the new time to beat - 4:16

Winner: Randy Orton via pinfall, 4:16 is the time to beat

Graphics and announcements continue to make a huge deal out of Cena's next PPV opponent.

The "Loco move of the week" plays...which is just a replay of the Colons vs Ryder and Santino last week.  With a name like that, why not the AA to the steel steps, the Kimura or Lesnar's suicidal leap onto Cena at ER??

Match 6 - Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs Primo and Epico (c), Tag Team Championship Match

Another unearned title shot.  Primo boots Lil Jimmy, and R-Truth takes exception.  Truth dances and lands a right hand, followed by a clothesline over the top rope, leading to break.  In the interim, it is announced that the Bellas have been fired.  That's the last we hear of it on the show.  Back from commercial, Truth has a two count.  The cousins Colon isolate Truth with boots in their corner and quick tags.  Truth tries to make a break for it, but Epico whips Truth into a Primo dropkick.  Primo kicks Truth in the ribs and a cover gets a one count.  Truth fights up out of a chinlock and lands a jumping heel kick.  Kofi and Epico both get hot tags and Kofi runs wild.  I normally hate Kofi's strikes, but his chops and dropkick looked a bit better than normal and the follow up high jump clothesline had the best impact I've ever seen out of him.

Kofi follows with a Boomdrop.  Rosa hops on the apron and Kofi shoves Epico into Truth on the opposite side, who gives him a hotshot.  Kofi lands Trouble in Paradise and we have new tag champs.

Winners: R-Truth and Kofi Kingston via pinfall

Well that was an odd title change.  Hopefully this doesn't mean "spring cleaning" for the Colons.  They meet Abraham Washington in the back and agree to talk to him about representation.  Because that would have made them not get their asses beat, apparently.  The conversation is cut off by Great Khali's jobber entrance.

Match 7 - Great Khali vs Kane, Beat the Clock Challenge (time to beat: 4:16)

Strikes back and forth for another aggressive start.  Khali stops a chokeslam attempt, but Kane dropkicks him low and delivers a DDT for two.  Kane keeps the pressure on and hits his diving clothesline for one.  A low dropkick for two follows.  Khali fights back and lands the Brain Chop.  Both men grab each other by the throat for a choke stalemate and time runs out.  Kane delivers a chokeslam afterwards for good measure.

No Contest

Well, I'll take that over Khali winning, but this could have easily been replaced by a couple young guys fighting for a chance.

Match 8 - Daniel Bryan vs Jerry Lawler, Beat the Clock Challenge (time to beat: 4:16)

It is beyond me how Jerry Lawler is in contention for this title shot.  The men tie up and Bryan opens with his corner dropkick for two.  King fires back with rights, but Bryan answers with a snapmare.  Bryan lands repeated knee drops and covers for two.  King fires back with more rights and then jabs Bryan, followed by a dropkick.  Bryan tries to answer with another corner dropkick, but airballs it.  King lands his middle rope fist drop for a close two.  Lawler sets up for the piledriver, but Bryan backdrops him out of it and lands an execution kick to the side of the head, followed by the Yes!lock.

Winner: Daniel Bryan via submission, winner of Beat the Clock Challenge

So that's that - Daniel Bryan is now the #1 contender for the WWE title.  CM Punk comes out clapping for his old friend, and you can see in their faces how happy they are that they'll (semi) main event the next PPV over the biggest title in the industry.  The next couple weeks is the ideal time to remind fans who may not know how long in the making this is.  It really adds to the story to show just how far they've come for this.  We'll likely get one segment on TV in three weeks concerning this and then a video on wwe.com

John Cena comes out, arm in sling.  Johnny shows up, as does Lord Tensai; apparently Tensai is a lackie for Johnny now.

There was a lot of talking, but I slept right through it; needless to say, I expect it didn't add much to the goings on.  Tensai, Johnny and Sakamoto surround Cena and it's Johnny that attacks Cena with a mic shot to the back of the head.  Cena's opponent at No Way Out?  John Lauranaitis.  Johnny rips off Cena's sling and the brutalize the injured arm - They wrap it around the ring post and Tensai stretches it out, allowing Johnny to stomp at it and whack it with a chair, leaving Cena to scream in pain.  Now THAT's the kind of heel authority figure we've been missing.

Lots of matches, but a lot of short ones tonight.  When it's by design, it's not so bad.  I don't at all agree with KofiTruth winning the tag titles like this, but if it leads to the Colons with an actual storyline involving AW, it could pay off.  I still say Young/O'Neil will be wrestling for those straps within three months.  I'm thrilled to see Bryan vs Punk for the title, but I still find it odd that Lawler was the one fed to Bryan.  Perhaps next week we find out that was a heel-favor for Bryan from Lauranaitis for some reason?  After stalking Bryan at ER, no appearance from AJ tonight; likely a follow up on Thursday.

Most important tonight is where Cena and Lesnar are going.  Lesnar popped the boss' arm and is off TV for a while.  Cena is hurt, but scheduled for a match with Big Johnny in three weeks.  I'm actually intrigued to see where this goes.  As far as Lesnar, it's an odd place - everyone expected him to win at ER, so with the loss, he's shown to be formidable but beatable.  He can still run roughshod over everyone and Cena comes back in a few months, refreshed and crisp, ready to take Lesnar on.

Lesnar will of course be eager and willing, to avenge his loss at ER, but will likely be bested by the returning hero.  It's what Cena needs:  Stay off TV for a while.  Nobody can miss someone who's on every show.  Let the fans long for their hero or any hero to come beat the big bad Lesnar.  If I don't see at least one Ace Crusher when Johnny faces Cena in three weeks, I'm going to be upset.

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Smartphones with keyboards are still cool

Keyboards on smartphones are totally cool, well, at least to me they still are. If you've been following me around the interwebs, you know that I proudly rock a MyTouch 3G Slide which I bought at release in early June of 2010. You probably also know that I love both Android and HTC (and HTC Sense) and I'm also very happy with my service from T-Mobile.

Hitchcock would be proud.

The MyTouch 3G Slide is basically a similarly spec'd HTC version of the original Motorola Droid. This chunky phone sports a slide-out keyboard beneath the 3.8" screen. It has all the amenities of android, including wifi-hotspot capability and the "Genius Button." It was released originally on Android 2.1 Eclair, and has since been updated to run Android 2.2 FroYo.

I guess you could say my point is that "This phone is old" and "I want a new one", but its a bit more than that. My love for technology is well documented, but I also have a love for usability and form factor. I do want a new phone, but I am very picky.

BRILLIANT!

I waited months for the 3G slide to come out specifically because it was the newest model of QWERTY keyboard phones in T-Mobile's lineup at the time. (Also, the G1 was old and busted by then, and there wasn't much else available.) I'm a big fan of keyboards over touchscreen virtual keyboards for their sheer speed and accuracy. This phone did come preloaded with Swype, and though it is quite useful and has come in handy many times, I generally prefer to use the physical keyboard.  HTC's follow-ups, the G2 and the MyTouch 4G Slide, have come and gone and I chose to stick with the 3G Slide. Ideally I'd like to hold out for some kind of announcement from T-Mo/HTC that a new G3 in the works but therein lies the rub.

"As a company the QWERTY keyboard we're moving away from in general... putting too much effort into that would take away from our devices."  -Claude Zellweger, HTC Creative Director

These words taken from a recent Seattle press event are not comforting. When asked, Zellweger did go on to say that HTC does acknowledge that there is a strong community, and thus a market exists that would support future QWERTY keyboard phones. I do take solace in that reiterated statement, but I feel like the damage is done, and the writing may be on the wall.

My Slide has basically made me a believer in HTC. Their build quality is phenomenal and they aren't afraid to do things differently. They birthed Android to the masses with the G1, and have since continued to innovate. However, the timeline of my phone specifically hasn't been all roses. I'm sure that if you're reading this on a smart phone, if its android, its not Froyo.

The promise of Froyo by end of 2010 was not kept. It wasn't delivered until mid 2011, and I feel like I'm the last one on it.  Yes, manufactures have been slow at best with phone updates but the trend seems to show that HTC is shying away from handsets with physical keyboards in general. I can't blame them as the designs are chunkier, heavier, and not generally accepted as "sexy." But, what they lack in sex appeal they gain in ruggedness, usability, and general geek cred.

Does this keyboard make me look fat?

Basically I want a new phone, I'd love one with a keyboard, but I'd like to have one that is cool and sexy too. The HTC One series looks like it may come with all that. The major setback is that it doesn't allow for expandable memory. However, being on the flagship device means that I wont have to wait until everyone else gets served before I get my phone updates. I won't have to scrounge the bargain bins for cool phone cases. And, I won't have people asking "What phone is that?" and then frowning at my weird alien phone.

So, with endless contract extending possibilities available what should I do? Friends have made great suggestions so far... putting Cyanogenmod on the Slide, buying something from ebay off contract that's better and cheaper, and even jumping ship to Samsung then rooting to ICS and getting rid of the horrid TouchWiz UI, of course. All great ideas, except that Samsung one *shudders*, I think for now I will have to just wait it out and see how things shake out with my contract terms with T-mobile.  Holding out for a Google Tablet to be officially announced/ released this summer would allow me to just let my phone be a phone, and let the new shiny handle all the apps. At least that way, I wont have to worry about remaining battery life or missing any calls. 

Pocket friendly.

If you have some great suggestions, feel free to hit me up in the comments and of course on all my usual hangouts. 

Source: 

The Usual Suspects:
The website- EnthusReviews
The twitters- @EnthusReviews, @BigRob029, @MajorLinux
The GooglePlus - EnthusReviews+
The digital magazine - Exclusive Beta Access

New and Improved:
The website- TheGeekAsylum.net
The twitters- @thegeekasylum, @jonortiz
The facebook- Friend, Like, Poke, then Join


Shoutout!
@cagmanthing & @DirtyBirdPhnx for their epic phone advice, thank you!

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WWE Extreme Rules 4/29/12

Extreme Rules - April 29th, 2012

Instead of just running down the play by play action, today we'll take a bit of a look at results, reactions and what (if any) impact this show had on the WWE landscape.  As an initial reaction, I'm confident enough to call this the most solid PPV since Money in the Bank last year.


Match 1 - Santino (c) vs The Miz, United States Championship
Winner: Santino via pinfall

The Youtube preshow seems to be a direction WWE is sticking with, and it's not necessarily a bad one, if we continue to get solid matches as part of the deal.  This was pretty standard fare for a Santino match, with a bit of a twist at the end:  The Miz boots away the Cobra, only to hang himself in the ropes and get caught by it anyway.  While it is in character for The Miz to complain about being on a Youtube preshow, some kind of prestige has to be brought to this; what used to be the "dark" match is now being presented to far more fans, which is entirely a good thing.  Not much of an affect on the WWE landscape, since Santino is a 'fun' champion.  These types of runs usually only last so long, but I can't see Miz falling back to a  US title run anytime soon.


Match 2 - Kane vs Randy Orton, Falls Count Anywhere
Winner: Randy Orton via pinfall

Ok, onto the actual show.  The action in this match was far more entertaining than the match at Wrestlemania, and the ability to roam the floor and use weapons is very much to thank for that.  Zack Ryder made a PPV cameo, attacking Kane while they fought in a back room but I can't imagine they push that feud much farther.  I would take that over a continued Kane/Orton feud, though.  Kudos to the camera man, who wiped out mid-match and managed to keep the camera trained right on the action.  For a falls count anywhere, between a monster and a guy who always talks about being unhinged, this wasn't very "extreme", especially considering they finished up right in the middle of the ring.  With any luck, this is the last of this feud and Orton can begin to move on to a higher profile feud for the summer, and with the events of the night, they may need the viper to shine.


Match 3 - Brodus Clay vs Dolph Ziggler
Winner: Brodus Clay via pinfall

Since this continued on an angle from the past couple of weeks, I'm ok with it, but I absolutely think Ziggler deserves better treatment in the PPV environment.  The "smart" Chicago crowd was extremely pro-Ziggler in this match.  It's an indication that the Clay act needs to change it up a bit.  The match went about four minutes, which is much longer than a normal Clay match.  At the very least, this shows Ziggler able to hang with a 'monster' opponent.  If this is a sign of more 'normalized' Brodus Clay matches, it would be very appreciated.  Much like Orton, Ziggler needs to move on to something bigger and better for the summer.  Special thanks to Vickie Guerrero, who has made "extinct" a verb.  For Clay, no real change is made here; for Ziggler, we can only hope for it.

Match 4 - Cody Rhodes vs Big Show (c), Tables Match for the Intercontinental Championship
Winner: Cody Rhodes via tablefall

When the wheel spun on the preshow and a Tables Match came up, I had a feeling we'd see an ending like this.  Odds don't typically get stacked in the favor of a face without some kind of back fire.  One of the best spots of the night was Rhodes whipped at a table propped in the corner and hitting a Beautiful Disaster off of it; good thing the table didn't break.  The ending of this match was great:  Cody simply dropkicks Show's leg, sending him off balance.  Show steps back, right through a table on the floor with an immediate look of Oh god I hope nobody saw that".  But we did.  Show is less than thrilled and proceeds to destroy Rhodes, culminating in a gorilla press out of the ring through a table.

Rhodes leaves on his own power, so safe to say we won't see an injury angle here, which is good - Rhodes is a great champion, both as a character and wrestler and is one of those things that everyone should look forward to on any show.  This makes one a piece at PPV's:  We'll likely see a rubber match between the two, hopefully somehow introducing the next opponent for Rhodes to move forward.  For Show, he's become a bit of a 'utility' guy:  He gets inserted where needed or as a 'punishment' to a heel who's being a particular jerk on a given night.  Not a bad place for an older wrestler to be in.

Before the next match, Bryan has a quick interview and AJ is creeper-stalking him from behind boxes.  This is the last we see of AJ for the night, which seems like an odd choice.  Keeping her on TV is altogether a good thing; she fits well into this storyline and is one of the better Diva wrestlers.


Match 5 - Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus (c), Two out of Three Falls for the World Heavyweight Championship
Fall 1: Sheamus via disqualification; Fall 2: Daniel Bryan via referee stoppage, Fall 3: Sheamus via pinfall

Bryan receives a huge ovation from the Chicago crowd and Sheamus gets a less than warm welcome.  Michael Cole was his usual self in this match, especially in the first fall:  He calls a rolling fireman's carry a "senton" and when Sheamus locks in a Cloverleaf, Cole tells us we've never seen this from Sheamus before; problem is, we have.  He won via submission with a Cloverleaf around a year ago in a TV match.  Bryan draws a DQ in the first fall, delivering non-stop kicks in the corner.

This works for some heels, but Bryan is portrayed as a mat technician with great ring knowledge; it doesn't really make sense for him to get himself disqualified and not seem to give a crap about it, especially after reminding the ref that he has until five for rope breaks (For those that stick to WWE only, this was classic Bryan Danielson as a heel on the indie circuit).  The match continues and is really quite good; then it just kind of ended with a Brough Kick in the third fall.

For such a fun, even, competitive match, this was a really anti-climactic ending.  This is a program I sincerely hope WWE sticks with, since the contrasting styles make for entertaining matches.  I can't imagine a Sheamus title reign gets cut too short, but I'd hate to see Bryan fall to the wayside and not be used to his fullest potential.

 Match 6 - Aaron Relic and Jason Hatton vs Ryback, Handicap Match
Winner: Ryback via pinfall

Ryback suffers the wrath of the Chicago crowd with a resounding "Goldberg" chant, which seemed to stop the moment he landed a backpack chinbreaker.  There's really no change in anything here, as Ryback continues to railroad his opponents, who never seem to get out of the station.  Much like Brodus Clay, the squashes can only continue for so long before the fans decide they want nothing to do with Ryback.  Not sure what, if anything, they have planned for him moving forward.



Match 7 - Chris Jericho vs CM Punk (c), Chicago Street Fight for the WWE Championship
Winner: CM Punk via pinfall

And this is when the night got brutal.  Both men came out in jeans and pads/boots, ready for a fight.  As soon as the kendo stick made an appearance, an "ECW" chant cropped up.  Some of the front row fans were obviously ROH fans, as they slapped the barrier; this doesn't really work on pads, versus ROH's metal coverings.  The back and forth fighting was pretty standard no-DQ fare until Punk's sister slapped Jericho and he made a lunge at her; at that point, Punk went ballistic.  Jericho used half of the logo announce table cover on Punk's back and it absolutely exploded; never seen that before.  Punk slips on a springboard attempt and Jeircho immediately covered by going for kendo stick shots; it's hard to tell if this was an 'intentional botch' or if Punk actually slipped, but it didn't detract from the match at all.  Punk uses a fire extinguisher (conveniently placed) to escape the Walls of Jericho and ends up hitting a Macho Man elbow through the Spanish announce table from the top rope.  Punk almost fell back into the ring before he hit the elbow, which of course made everyone scared he wouldn't reach, but the impact looked excellent.

Jericho lands a Codebreaker with a chair back in the ring, and at that moment they had me convinced that Punk lost.  That's the kind of reaction I WANT to have:  "What's going to happen next??" Punk does just what he said he would; lands the GTS and pins Jericho 1, 2, 3.  Punk celebrates in the crowd.

Moving forward, Punk continues to be a strong WWE Champion and Jericho is free to do a bit of work with Fozzy while he licks his wounds.  I'd expect him back pretty quickly, but after two PPV losses in a row, it's time for a new contender for Punk.  The Rock has said he wants to be WWE Champion, but I can't see Punk dropping it to him any time soon.  Perhaps a loss for Punk via nefarious means followed by whoever beats him dropping it to Rock, maybe even leading to Rock vs Brock.

Eve informs Beth Phoenix that she is not medically cleared, so Nikki Bella's opponent will be a mystery.  Nikki is less than thrilled, but Eve assures her that it's not Kharma (So Kharma will be back soon).

Match 8 - Layla vs Nikki Bella (c), Divas Championship
Winner: Layla via pinfall

I'm happy to see Layla back; she's solid in the ring and really seems to love being in it.  I'm not happy to see someone back after a year of injury get a title shot.  You should deserve a title shot, so going by records, AJ should probably be up next, if not (please no) Kelly Kelly or Alicia Fox.  Regardless, it means the belt is on a Diva that can actually put together a decent match.  I'll ignore the odd number one contendership if this leads to some decent more-than-one-minute matches for the women and/or it leads to Kharma's return.  If AJ finishes the Bryan storyline any time soon, she should be placed in the mix as well; maybe she can try to impress Bryan by becoming the Divas Champ via submissions or something...


Match 9 - John Cena vs Brock Lesnar, Extreme Rules Match
Winner: John Cena via pinfall

Well...that was unexpected.  Every bit of logic said that Lesnar should not only win his first match back, but should 'break' Cena to set up some character development.  Lesnar absolutely dominated the match, busting Cena open with an early elbow, and continually beating him up throughout.  Lesnar landed rolling German suplexes, as well as a kimura with a body scissors.  Lesnar tied Cena up in his own chain around his ankles.  He continually worked the arm and the cut throughout, and used his entire body as a weapon:  Lesnar leaped off the stairs in the middle of the ring and basically gave Cena a Poetry in Motion, falling out of the ring in the process.  That looked like it hurt both of them a ton.  Even after whiffing the top rope leg drop, Cena eventually dead lifts Lesnar (which was impressive, without a doubt) and drops him on the steel stairs.  Cena punches Lesnar with the chain and padlock then gives him an Attitude Adjustment on the stairs for the win.

 The 'official' shots are all black and white where blood was involved; pictured is Cena lifting Lesnar while in the midst of a kimura lock.

Multiple ref stoppages to try to clean Cena, being hogtied by his own chain, having his bicep torn (either during the kimura or that tumble out of the ring with Lesnar); still not enough to put Cena down.  Super Cena shows up once again, but for once it's not a bad thing, as Lesnar got the visual pin on Cena after F5'ing him into the ref, not to mention Lesnar dominated him.  Lesnar left on his own power, while Cena has a left arm he could barely move.  Cena didn't seem at all happy to win; in fact, he grabs a mic and tells us that he'll be gone for a while and that he expects to be fired Monday night for speaking out of turn.

Even though the match ending was different than expected, we still seem to be moving toward a period of Cena being out of the eye of the WWE universe.  This is good, since you can't miss someone who's always there.  Lesnar can run roughshod over the entire WWE and lead to someone coming back to stop him.  Cena taking time off is a bit odd after ruffling Rock's feathers for doing the same thing "when it mattered".  Cena has basically unchained a monster unto the WWE and now he needs to leave and nurse his wounds.

For once, I don't find myself trying to figure out what Raw will hold for the fans; I'm far more interested in just sitting back and enjoying the ride.  Extreme Rules proves to be an excellent show, and now WWE must continue down this path; one good PPV every four isn't good enough.   

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