-So I had to announce a baseball game and it went into extras, so I didn't get home until RAW was over. I went back and watched the tape but didn't do a full write up because I assumed someone would've started the thread by the time I posted (I know what happens when you assume...). So since there's no big write-up, I'll at least post my thoughts in the old format.
Tonight felt kind of like one of the post-WrestleMania shows where, for lack of a better term, "it all begins....again." With the McMahon death taking up so much of the show in the past, it felt weird going right back to "normal" with no explanation of it. The question is, how long do they hold off acknowledging McMahon?
The opening segment was alright, though that seems to be the segment we always get when we re-set angles. The "beat the clock" concept is fine as long as they don't over-use it. Another rough night on the mic for Cena, though not by his own fault...The Orton/Hardy match was fine, though as in other matches later on, I don't get why the challenger goes for the cover so quickly so often- its not as if THEY get the shot if they get a quick pin....Melina vs. Maria was kinda ugly in spots, but Maria is improving....
Interesting way to introduce Cody Runnels, and it feels like I can already sense him turning on his father down the line....Umaga squashing Santino was the right call, and I still don't get why they put the belt on him in the first place....I liked the Booker/Venis match. Too bad the crowd didn't....I was wondering whether Kennedy was healthy enough to wrestle. Guess I got the answer. Still, a nice upset win for Crazy....I love how Dusty Rhodes is arguably the best talker of all-time, so WWE decides to give him the shortest interview of all-time....Carlito/Sandman was bleh, and I still don't get this feud....I also liked the Benjamin/Lashley match, in that it was constructed a bit differently and it had a back-story. Was that a turn by Lashley? The crowd bought it, at least.
My Vengeance hangout report and more!: Experience It
Santino was never going to get over as a face at this rate. He walked in one night and was handed the #2 title in the company. And his reign consisted of beating Chris Masters in shitty matches using his feared finishing move: the roll-up. Tonight, he could have gotten on his way to being over by admitting that no one took him seriously and by vowing to beat Umaga in order to prove himself. See, that's good character-building. Unfortunately, by having Umaga win in a squash, it acknowledges that Santino WAS a fluke the whole time and it definitely ensures that he won't get over. Oh well. No loss there, I guess.
I liked William Regal as the Figurehead of the Week and it made me miss his days as Commisioner Regal. Regal did his job and, most importantly, he didn't shove his presence down anyone's throat the way a Vince McMahon or an Eric Bischoff would. I'm personally hoping Coachman stays on holiday.
Couldn't they have just acknowledged that Kennedy still isn't ready to wrestle instead of jobbing him in a 3-second special to Super Crazy? What was the point of that, other than to establish that Super Crazy is this decade's 1-2-3 Kid?
I know the crowd booed the end of the last segment, but I actually cheered. I'm glad Lashley showed a killer instinct at the end and fired the first shot at Cena. This could go a long way in actually making Lashley...I dunno...interesting.
(edited by It's False on 2.7.07 2150)
The Wisdom of Homsar: DaAaAa, these Easter pants are gettin' way too tight!
About two weeks ago, it seemed like Cena vs Lashley was the plan for WrestleMania. When it was clearly set up for Lashley to get the title shot, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop - someone to get involved to cost Lashley the last 40 seconds, or Regal to pull a swerve with the contract, or the Booker/Kennedy run-in to mean something at all - but it never did.
From a business standpoint, to give away this match on (yet another) B-Show PPV seems like they've scared and desperate. A scared and desperate WWE is bad news for everyone.
The total return to normalcy was completely unnerving.
Where was Coach? I don't think they were giving out vacations this week...
Well, Lashley is about the most jacked up guy on the roster. So, you turn steroids heel to the fans and you have your big babyface win to make everyone feel good about the company.
I'm guessing the Booker/Kennedy run-in means we have our "Championship contenders thrown together as a tag team" main event next week. Especially after the Lashley spear teasing tension between the two faces.
I was thinking that beyond the business standpoint, for P.R. sake - is this really the point in time that Vince wants to make muscle men Cena/Lashley the focus of his flagship show? (And HHH on deck, apparently)
Add me to the list ready to sign up Regal as the new GM.
I thought they totally cut Kennedy's balls off on this show between Cena pwning him on the mic, then getting beat like that by Crazy. Way to get the future of the business over on his first Raw?
Finally, I damn near turned it off right from the start when Kennedy's promo blamed the fans for putting too much stress and pressure on him, causing him to compete when he shouldn't have.. Was I the only one thinking that you could read that as them scapegoating the fans?? (Could well be me being too sensitive atm)
I thought they totally cut Kennedy's balls off on this show between Cena pwning him on the mic, then getting beat like that by Crazy. Way to get the future of the business over on his first Raw?
Plus! Triple H is coming back and got two, count em, two segments! The Eye of Sauron is fixed on thee!
Originally posted by TheOldManI thought they totally cut Kennedy's balls off on this show between Cena pwning him on the mic, then getting beat like that by Crazy. Way to get the future of the business over on his first Raw?
Finally, I damn near turned it off right from the start when Kennedy's promo blamed the fans for putting too much stress and pressure on him, causing him to compete when he shouldn't have.. Was I the only one thinking that you could read that as them scapegoating the fans?? (Could well be me being too sensitive atm)
I think Kennedy is already in the stage where he is somewhat invulnerable to losses and such. He can simply keep on hammering home that it was a fluke and it will put extra heat on him.
He was on Raw 2 weeks ago as well, btw, telling the Raw crowd he despised them. I believe his promo tonight was to accomplish the same goal; to make the crowd NOT cheer him.
Hehe well ya'll know me... Lillian is back so RAW is good again....LOL!!!! As for the matches I would like to see more of Lashley and Benjamin. They both have really good amateur backgrounds and you could see they can mat wrestle. They could have some classic WRESTLING matches that some of us still like to see.
As for the others, well they were matches. Not a big fan of Booker,and there was no doubt that Orton was going to win.
It did feel like a fresh start and I enjoyed it, it was at least some fresh feuds, and pretty simple booking.
I'm not crazy about Cody's first match (I'm assuming) being against Randy Orton but the Legend Killer gimmick probably is the most logical way to bring Cody into the mix. I also have to say Cody is probably the call-up I've most been looking forward to in a long time, him and Harry Smith whenever he gets called up. I don't like Orton but I actually could go along with an Orton/Runnels/Smith stable. (On a side note, I've heard Dibiase's kids and one of Hennig's kids are either in the business or getting into wrestling. Anybody know if it's true?)
I've always felt that Regal was the best Commish of all-time. Vince might have had some great moments but some really awful ones too. I can't remember ever not liking Regal when he was commish.
I liked the Super Crazy upset over Kennedy. Why don't they say Kennedy is injured? Because that's a cop out and would've been really lame. I don't think basically being cheated out of the match is going to hurt Kennedy at all.
Shelton shows us again why he's being wasted, that had to be one of the best Lashley matches. I have to admit Lashley is pretty good in there with someone who is really quick and forces the action only to have Lashley come out of nowhere with a power move to stop his momentum. Unfortunately Cena is not that type of wrestler.
I'm not too sure about this heel turn by Lashley though. The fans seem to buy it but any time you have a guy who can talk and a guy who can't talk, I always prefer the one that can talk to turn heel, it's a much harder part to play. This heel turn will start to suck as soon as Lashley opens his mouth.
- King Booker correcting everybody's slip ups on his name was really great.
- Just having Kennedy out there is important. Just having him show up in the title picture plus it's a good way for him to establish that yes he is a heel.
- Triple H isn't even back and he got two segments.
Raw could be the biggest mess of the three shows right now.
-The women's segment kept alternating between laughable and being surprisingly good. Candice kept cracking me up with her silence (even when JR & King were feeding her openings), and then she would finally rattle off her talking points. And then after the match, she actually had a hell of a brawl with Melina. Crazy. -It puzzles me that the first step to recovering Kennedy from looking like a sucker is... making him look like a sucker. He's not THAT bulletproof yet. -So, do they see Jeff Hardy as being on the same level as Val Venis? Cuz, ouch. (I would also bitch about Shelton, but I've resigned myself to that sadness.) -I'm thinking Lashley's not full-on heel, he's just showing some toughness against Cena. It was like HBK kicking Cena. Lashley's next feud will likely still be against a heel. Besides, heels they got, faces they don't.
I was surprised by the level of offense Val was able to generate. To me, it seemed more like he was brought up to the level of Jeff and Shelton, rather than the other two being dragged down to him. I wouldn't mind seeing him get a bit of a run at the IC Title.
I thought Regal was excellent as the acting commish; he just went out there and told the fans and wrestlers all they needed to know, without drawing attention to himself or picking a fight with anybody. It was very refreshing, and I wouldn't mind seeing it repeated.
When Triple H comes back, and Michaels right after him, Raw is going to be stacked. Hopefully it will mean a bit of rehabilitative work done with the IC Title after Santino and Masters fought over it for two months.
I really enjoyed last night's show. I agree that Cena vs. Lashley seems a bit rushed, but it is what it is, I guess.
I'm just glad that they didn't rush Kennedy ... Kennedy into a PPV main event match. I really feel that Cena vs. Kennedy ... Kennedy could very well be the WM24 main event.
It it me or does Super Crazy look like a Weeble with legs?
Marella should be shipped to SmackDown, where they can sweeten his pops and use him as a decent babyface foil to Rudo Chavo. Imagine - an actual cruiserweight title feud.
To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires, and lights, in a box.-Edward R. Murrow
Originally posted by quezzy(On a side note, I've heard Dibiase's kids and one of Hennig's kids are either in the business or getting into wrestling. Anybody know if it's true?)
The Hennig question was answered, but yes Dibiase's kid is currently on tour with Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan. I don't know how he's doing, but I'm interested to see him come and wrestle in the US.
As for Raw, it was an okay show. The predictability was back and that sucks, although the Kennedy swerve was nice. I'm a big fan of Kennedy, and I don't think this hurt him at all. It was a needed babyface win/heel loss in a string of heel victories. Plus, as noted Kennedy isn't 100% ready yet, so why not pop the crowd with this one isolated incident. Now if Super Crazy faces and beats Kennedy next week, then we can bitch all we want.
Lashley's match was totally watchable, and it was a nice surprise to see him go after Cena. The only problem for me is that Cena vs. Lashley is like a heel/heel match. I dislike both guys and thus I really don't care who wins that match. I predict the crowd will be pro-Cena though in that matchup.
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