I'm curios on what will be needed to get Raw on par with Smackdown,since frankly Smackdown is far superior...I miss the days of good raws and any suggestions and of the such.
I'll say right now, I don't think Raw can be as good as SD. The talent just isn't there. Compare Rey, Benoit, Eddy, Angle, Edge, hell throw in Chavo, Noble, Tajiri, and all the super good talent SD has, and then compare it with Raw's best 8. You've got Booker, Trips, RVD, Kane, Bubba, Jericho, Flair, and I guess Helms. I know which top 8 I'd take.
"You think they gonna support their family working at muthafucking Burger King? Hellll NO!" ---Don Cheadle aka THE MAN
Originally posted by shinstrifevery valid point,but I'm just curios how Raw could bush all these 8 guys into main event and great status?
Psst, I don't think that they can. Cuz all of those guys on SD have intertwining storylines, so they can wrestle each other and have a reason. One more reason to love Heyman's booking job to this point.
"You think they gonna support their family working at muthafucking Burger King? Hellll NO!" ---Don Cheadle aka THE MAN
If Raw is to be the entertainment show, then it has to have very compelling stories to tell. right now, they have nothing but good characters waiting for a good script.
"Business has just picked up" says JR. Then right on cue, Molly enters the arena! Never was JR any better in introducing someone. --Raw 7/15
From a purely entertaining standpoint, RAW is the better show. But, pure wrestling is all Smackdown. I think the best part about the split is the two shows have seperate identities and play off the strengths of the wrestlers on their show. Plus, while I like Smackdown's shows are better, I commend the RAW brand for taking risks (even though they fall flat on their face sometimes), and I look more forward to what they're going to do with the likes of Booker T, Triple H, Flair, Goldust and the rest.
What's the thin line one crosses from being a fan to being a loser? Answer THAT one...
"Pootie Tang? More like Dootie Tang!" -Chris Rock
One word: BUCKEYES! With that being said, BLAM! In your face!
RAW isn't that far away from Smackdown's level. First of all, it's not like the entire show on Smackdown is cool. You still have pointless and stupid stuff with Stephanie, Rikishi, Mark Henry, etc. All it would take for RAW is to have two really good matches per show and they're back. That's all Smackdown has been doing. So if on the next RAW, they had a 15-minute Booker-Jericho match and then a 20-minute RVD-Storm and it'd be all good.
"From this point on, I will prove that I am the best this bitchness has to offer, and if anybody wanna tempt ... test me, step to me like a man." -- Booker T
"Booker T, I know you don't want me; because it's obvious I beat your ass so bad you forgot where the barbershop was!" -- Scott Steiner
There's so many directions I want to take this post. And will
First off I think JR on the Hoss Report is kinda right when saying the IWC (on the most part) seem to have a much more critical eye on Raw. Look Smackdown does have the better athletes and more momentum and Raw did without a doubt have no one else to blame but themselves with the awful booking from mid August to late September. But SD does give us awful Taker killing everyone and Bikini contests 2 weeks straight while last few weeks Raw seem to be going in a better direction. But again we've seen this before and they screwed it up with a bonehead move so again I see how people aren't totally ready to give Raw the benefit of the doubt... Wow I was all over the map there, I guess I'm saying I could see both sides =)
One thing Raw doesn't seem to do is get all there stuff together at once, you either have decent build/ direction and the workers are off (ie this monday Ortan screwup, rosie or jamal brainfreeze lateness for the save)or have good effort but the show is focused on lesbians. They can't seem to have both ores going in the same direction. Smackdown on the other hand has had an easier time finding direction as a whole. But then again it's easier when you are tapped, well watching Raw recap show this weekend Orton got his move on Christian on his first try and Fat Samoan broke up the 2 count just in time with the power of editing, I wonder how many times it's used on SD without us knowing.
Talking about live/tape TV. I also find it odd that you have so many perfect vet wrestlers on Smackdown but on Raw you have more youngsters and a novice women wrestlers on the more pressured Live show. I'm not saying put all the great vets on Raw and all the rookies on SD but it seems a little unusually balanced in that department.
Raw booking is also so inconsistent, during the summer they were booking great and the Ratings reflected that. Then in mid-August WWE I have no clue what got into them but they just pushed every desperation button there is and the show sucked and ratings went down. Past few weeks they are doing well Rating went up or stayed steady, what are they doing now Raw Roulette which has a formula to be absolutely awful (which JR said himself on his report). Instead of taking the time to revolve the 2 hours on the story or character it's going to be used revolving around a damn roulette wheel, I don't have a good feeling about this... Also for a show that seems to have an injury jinx over them is it a good idea putting all your guys in gimmick matches. Why not just release 2 dozen black cats and let them roam around the arena crossing wrestlers paths.
Last and not least I see the Raw main man Triple H to be a huge downside. His matches aren't great and his character is even worse, He gets this pop reaction when he comes out and every time he faces a upper-midcard face he vacuums their heat. It might work with a super popular Austin v. heel H, but a guy who's working his way up and in the "almost there" category (like Triple H likes to say) he goes against Triple H and he leaves less popular then he enters. Look at RVD and how the crowd split on them weeks before there match and Bubba was pin-drop city last week, Bubba was pretty over when he feuded with Brock a few months back. If HHH can't elevate anyone to super Face when he faces them as the top heel. Triple H is worthless and get someone in there who can
Solution Kurt Angle, from day one I thought Kurt should have been the number 1 heel on Raw. He's a better wrestler that goes without saying, a better character and HE CAN get people over! He's a heat furnace (opposite of H) everyone who goes against him from Mark Henry to Bob Holly to Edge all of a sudden get huge face reaction cause Angle is so good at being a heel. Imagine if all the Raw guys were shooting for Angle the matches we'll get. The fun interviews and most of all how much more over all those "almost there" would be working with a guy like Angle (just ask Edge)... Angle on Raw all of a sudden the gap between both shows narrow like crazy, and it won't effect SD too much because of the musical chairs main eventing going on there. If you want you could put Jericho to SD and let him take Angle's spot there.
LOL I was pretty much all over the map on this post, sorry about that. But this is one subject I feel has multiple reason and points to give
I`ve realized RAW has most of my favorite wrestlers (Jericho, RVD, Molly, Hurricane, Storm, Christian, Jeff Hardy) but I enjoy SD! so much more. RAW just feels uninspired and haphazard, like it`s a black-hole for quality matches.
If they're gonna keep the belt on slug HHH, then they need to build up the undercard. That means longer matches featuring Booker, Kane, Jericho, RVD, Storm, Christian and maybe Jeff Hardy. HHH can have his nightly squash match like Brock does on Smackdown, and it'll be over quickly. That would help the show immensely.
The problem with RAW is that it focuses too much on 20-minute in-ring promos and comedy and drama bits backstage, featuring guys who are obviously just reciting dialouge. Let the good talkers talk, the rest need to shut up and wrestle.
RAW has the ingredients - JR's still the best at emoting, and they've got guys who are over, but the focus needs to shift a little bit. They're sticking to an old format, but they don't have the guys to pull it off. Mick's gone, so the comedy bits aren't as funny; plus Rock and Austin are gone, so the 20-minute promos aren't as good.
"My brother saw the Undertaker walking through an airport." - Rex
But SD does give us awful Taker killing everyone and Bikini contests 2 weeks straight while last few weeks Raw seem to be going in a better direction
But at least the SD bikini contests last maybe 5 minutes, and don't have the additional problem of Lawler ejaculating all over JR. Plus, the Nidia/Torrie bikini contest at least led immediately to a match (Tajiri/Knoble vs. Chuck/Billy). I'll take that over Lawler reaching dog-level auditory ranges and constant hyping all show long.
Matthew: You would've loved it, David. A week in a foreign country, strange people, strange customs... Dave: Oh, I know what you mean. I've been to Canada.
I might be the only one, but I'm looking forward to Raw Roulette. It has potential to be a fun night, depending on how they do it. Not something I'd want to see every week, but as a one shot deal (or even an annual special) I think it will be entertaining. Then again, I'm one of the few people who actually find Raw entertaining regularly.
And if they actually turn the women's title match into a non-female-specific match (maybe an I Quit match) and then have a couple of the guys wrestle in a Bra & Panties match, I'm going to be thoroughly entertained, even if I do hide behind a blanket or something as Rosie & Jamal are stripped down to their "panties".
Originally posted by InVerseI might be the only one, but I'm looking forward to Raw Roulette. It has potential to be a fun night, depending on how they do it. Not something I'd want to see every week, but as a one shot deal (or even an annual special) I think it will be entertaining. Then again, I'm one of the few people who actually find Raw entertaining regularly.
And if they actually turn the women's title match into a non-female-specific match (maybe an I Quit match) and then have a couple of the guys wrestle in a Bra & Panties match, I'm going to be thoroughly entertained, even if I do hide behind a blanket or something as Rosie & Jamal are stripped down to their "panties".
(edited by InVerse on 7.10.02 1139)
They've done the bra and pantie male match before: Remember the Nightmare of Patterson/Brisco in an Evening Gown Match?
I want you to know, I agree with everything I've just said.
Well, at least you don't have to be made to remember since we taped it, like I do. As far as RAW (and the rest of the WWE), it's not just doing something we want them to do it, but how it's executed that makes the difference. Like the separate titles for example. We knew that Separate champs would be an eventuality, but the execution leaves something to be desired. The WWE should not just look at some of our suggestions of how to improve things, but if they want to employ them, they have to do it in a way that'll appeal to not just us Board dwellers, but the non-internet half of their audience as well.
Quite true to you all,but I must ask,I thought the TLC match rather elevated and entertained all who watche Raw. I mean it got a 3.8 ratings. On ratings Raw has been on a good roll. I'm also curios if they ever considered implenting logic and having Brian Soloman(I think thats his name) start booking/writing for Raw,but thats me.