Coming off a rather disappointing PPV, let’s see if they recover on Raw. I was reading over other reviews of this show and found that most people found it either OK or good. I didn’t see that at all. I saw the crappy definition of an interim PPV with nothing getting advanced and nothing for my Widro’s $40.
My complaint is this: while I understand that the Big Four are the PPVs where big storylines get resolved, the smaller PPVs should be used to resolve B-storylines. This is why it’s a GOOD thing to have B-level belts. Let IC, US, and Tag Title feuds be resolved on the interim shows and let the World Title things be resolved on the main shows. At the moment, they don’t HAVE storylines on the B-belts. The closest we’ve really come to even having a B-feud was Kofi/Shelton on ECW (which was great) and Miz/Morrison vs. The Finlays (which was more humor than anything). B-feuds help you not have worthless PPVs. You have two-and-a-half world titles now. You don’t have to defend every one on every show. If you are planning a world title match for a PPV with a TV ending, have it on TV.
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1) I’m glad that someone pointed out that Batista and/or Punk had as much authority to book matches as JBL does. Although, I will say the whole idea is kind of dumb. I understand the whole “the family is rallying together around Vince” but someone could realize that with the glut of current and former GMs on the active roster (Teddy Long, Vickie, Mick Foley, Armando Estrada) and guys who could serve in that capacity (Arn Anderson, Dean Malenko) that the McMahons could certainly take five seconds to assign an interim GM until Regal finishes serving his suspension. Besides the point: hasn’t 30 days passed by now?
2) An extension to the above… how in the blue hell have we not had GM Arn Anderson yet? Would that not be the perfect role for The Enforcer? Does he just not want screen time?
3) I thought the Cade/London match was going to end with a Shawn Michaels run-in and a Paul London turn, but I guess they decided to just let London dangle with nothing to do on Raw. If they create a heel stable with Jericho and a heel stable with Orton… raw will be a tough place to be for the good guys.
4) I’m trying to remember if this is the first time I’ve really seen heel Chris Jericho in this vein. I remember him being heel in WCW but he was cool heel — he wasn’t bad-ass, Cactus Jack style, “beat you up righteously because it’s the right thing in my twisted mind” heel. Grade so far: A+++ Would Watch Again.
5) For those who think I don’t pay attention enough… I can, in fact, tell the difference between Shad and JTG… it’s only Ryder and Hawkins. I never paid enough attention to Deuce and Domino to tell them apart. I really legitimately can’t tell the two of them apart.
6) Kofi rates pyro? GTFO. Are we assuming the Cena/Mickie thing is dropped now?
7) Is Santino and Beth’s kiss in the ring the oddest face-turn in wrestling history? Was it a face turn? I’m very confused in what they’re doing there. Like… Santino is going to naturally progress toward face because he’s funny. I don’t know what they’re planning on doing with Beth Phoenix.
8) Are any of us assuming that this Star Wars – Clone Wars movie is going to be good? No one, right?
9) Boy the WWE is going to all corners to push black guys, eh? Finding D’Lo Brown on the scrap heap. There is a very obvious joke about Droz and running powerbombs here, but that material dried up five years ago before he left the first time. And… I do still feel bad for Droz and imagine D’Lo Brown does, too.
10) Here’s why I hate night after PPV Raws. Batista and Punk put on a great match on the PPV. 24 hours later they can barely move and put on a main event full of rest holds and stalling. And, in a surprise to no one, the ending is exactly the same as last night. I have to presume they’re going to allow Punk and JBL to feud while Batista and Cena settle their differences. I’d like to say that this is foreshadowing Batista joining up with Orton in their team of evil.
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Good Raw… saving an awful PPV. This “Raw without direction” thing needs to be shored up pretty quickly, though, because it’s starting to make less and less sense that the McMahon’s wouldn’t put someone in charge considering their new propensity for GMs.
