I don’t know if WWE is getting the message yet, but overexposing one superstar above all others, isn’t exactly clicking with the audience. You can do it to John Cena, Triple H and now Randy Orton, but it’s a high risk. Sure, John’s the Hulk Hogan of this generation, his fan base can never get enough of loving him, and his haters can’t get enough of hating him either. But, with him being out of action, the product can’t be “carried†by him any longer. Orton, the top heel of the company and generally speaking a talented worker, shouldn’t be holding the WWE Championship this week if the RAW rating remains at a dive. The fans are still into the faces carrying the goods – The Triple Hs, the HBKs, the Jeff Hardys.
Thank God WWE was in the UK for this one, the energy of the crowd always helps. There is also a interesting dynamic to not having Triple H on the show last night, as well as having Cyber Sunday’s main event be down to HBK, Mr. Kennedy and Jeff Hardy against Randy Orton. HBK, still looking rough but full of amazing energy, reminds everyone that you can’t destroy what you didn’t create. Jeff Hardy, like fireworks, gets attention and the pop needed to continue being one of the reasons to watch RAW. Kennedy is no slouch either as the odd-ball heel in the multi-choice decision, though I have no desire to see him and Orton in a match right now. Sadly, it’s pretty obvious how this is going to break down:
Tag Team Match on RAW – Jeff Hardy/HBK versus Kennedy/Randy Orton.
Cyber Sunday Match: HBK versus Randy Orton.
As usual, the rest of the show just fills up time. I really am over Cody Rhodes now, Santino can move on from Val Venis now (and we all know this is only a setup to bring Stone Cold in to Stone Cold Stunner him in two weeks), I don’t care about the Diva Search (more time wasted that could go to someone like Shelton Benjamin or Mickie James instead), Umaga squashing jobbers for McMahon pleasure is a waste of Prime Time TV time (wonder how that football game is going….) and I’m completely uninterested in any push involving the Highlanders (so much for tag team development, and I miss Cryme Tyme). The Coach and Hornswaggle bits are cute/stupid, but is Stephanie McMahon-Levesque spending a lot of time watching Looney Tunes with her kid or what? We’re using “explosives†again to blow up talent? Never smart, but when has WWE cared about realism?
Always remember, for things to change, you have to make movement. Thanks for reading and for all the feedback, feel free to contact me anytime at Bam@4sternstaging.com.
