TKG: Hey this was really watchable RAW. My standards have dropped some after the last five weeks of RAW is superstars. the booking is still stupid and self destructive, but the show was watchable.
PAS: I didn't mind the booking at all. With the chinstrap wig, tonsil spot and main event it really felt like they fired Lagana and hired Eddie Marlin to book the show.
What Worked
PAS: If you are going to have endless mic sections, they might as well be with Flair and Foley. I also really dug the tonsillectomy mike work from Orton as it felt like really old schoolish Dougie Gilbertish spot. I kept waiting for Douglas to come out after Flair kept jacking his Franchise tag. I can't imagine Shane v. Helmsley being any good, It would be a lot like the Undertaker v. Undertaker match at the Leslie Neilson Survivor Series.
TKG: As horse faced valet for THE FRANCHISE, Flair is infinitely more fuckable than Francine. Yeah I loved the heelish, I'm so tough I'm struggling through tonsilitis spot. Did Budro ever do that one? Great poseur tough guy spot...hurt by Orton not behaving more chickenshit in face of the Foley challenge. But its Foley, he always looses so no reason to be scared. Did Owen's death mean they're afriad to do the put the manager in the cage above the ring stip? This really felt like they were setting up for that gimmick an then didn't do it. Flair has stunk on the mic for almost a year and a half but thought he handled this one well. And I'll take Flair filibustering at the beginning of Raw over having to listen to either Helsley or Michaels filibuster. Unfortunately Helmsley stiill did his soliloquy spot later in the show anyway.
PAS: Molly Holly did some really fun arm work in this match, although Nidia looked really robotic. Her work didn't flow at all, it felt like she was thinking hard before every move. I do like the wig with chinstrap, that is good shit.
TKG: They straightened Nidia's hair? Why the fuck did they do that? Match was ok, but it was no Miss Texas vs. Debbie Combs. It could have really used a Uptown Karen run in. Liked the finish a lot.
PAS: Flair bust out the double arm suplex for the first time since he worked Scott McGhee in Florida in 82. He also took the triple German suplexes, which is fucking crazy for an old ass man with a broken neck. When has Flair ever taken a German suplex? Did he work Chavo Sr. in Mid-South? Did Harley have a German. Benoit was fun in this too, and I really didn't mind Batista. Shawn was fourth again, but didn't do anything to actively irritate me.
TKG: You knew this was going long because it started with a heel in peril section. WWF normally doesn't understand how to do isolated heel in peril sections. they do faces run rough shod over heels before heels isolate one face. but WWF rarely understands how to do faces isolate one heel. Here you had both heels work an in peril section. Maybe Finlay really did take Batista aside and teach him how to wrestle. As he looked to have a rudimentary understanding of how to sell in his heel in peril sections and his offense wasn't embarrassing. Flair looked oddly really great in this. As pretty much he looked to best guy in there...which at this point he isn't. I really dug his Flair flop for Benoit head fake. And Flair seemed to have finally figured out how to run the ropes again. Oddly he did the Flair face bump off the apron as opposed to Flair heel bump. Dug the way he took the shawn Michaels vertical into ring (since when does shawn Michaels have a vertical...I mean its HBK he shakes the ropes for opponent to flip in ring and here he's pulling out a vertical). Benoit was fun working a "FUNBOY Scotty Two Hottie" babyface gimmick, which isn't something I would have thought he could do. Benoit is a guy who has facially aged a ton in last several years, he looked to have regained some youthfullness in face last night. For last couple months Batista has looked better than Stevie Ray but not as good as Sid. Tonight he looked like he could actually wrestle. Since his comeback Michaels has been ok as long as he's on offense and well just can't eat or sell things well. Michaels' offense looked better than usual here and he seemed to sell moderately well too. Michaels is a much better Mongo. I was way more impressed by Michaels in this than Phil was. It really looked like maybe Finlay took HBK aside and taught him how to wrestle.
PAS: Lance Storm takes a really nice spinebuster and Gore. Probably the best looking Gore Rhyno has done since his neck surgery, bumping jobber is a perfect use of Storm. That way I don't have too look at his offense. The world needs more Mike Boyette's
TKG: Yeah that gore was all Lance Storm. Was amused by whole Lance Storm, vince Russo I hate my old gimmick speech so I'm dropping it and going back to my even older shitty "I am boring" gimmick. slightly disappointed that he didn't start pimping the Bite Me church.
PAS: On the road trip to NWA Wildside this weekend, I concocted an elaborate booking scenario for Shelton Benjamin as Kain in Menace 2 Society. You could bring in Ron Killings as O-Dog, Mark Henry as Stacey, Ron Simmons would make a fine Mr. Butler, maybe an unmasked Scorpio Sky as Sharif. Killings bumps into Jimmy Yang and Gail Kim backstage and after a scuffle Kim says "I feel sorry for your mother." You could go from there. I suppose it was better just to make him a big star, I would like to see Miss Jackie in the Braids Jada Pinkett wore though.
TKG: Ok I have shat all over the Christian/Jericho/ Lita/ Stratus puppy love angle since the start as its been really predictable from beginning and has involved lots of just poor writing and piss poor acting. tonight I thought everyone played their part well. I thought Trish was really good in her role. Jericho was fun as poor man's Brandon Baxter rejected by Missy. as he was all false pride hurt by woman, really felt like he should do an all Nuggets Fozzy cover albulm.. as he was fun as teen filled with false pride sining covers of she's a witch and I'm a Man. Christian was also good in his role. I still think my fantasy booking with the Lita drowning her baby finish would have been better, but at least tonight this was well executed.
PAS: I don't remember enjoying a Helmsley match this much since he was getting carryed by Phineus Godwin. People have been comparing this to Sting v. Flair, but I think this is alot closer to Flair v. Steamboat from Georgia and the various offshoots of Flair putting over local babyfaces (the aformentioned McGhee, Koko Ware, Brett Wayne Sawyer). Local guy comes in with no shot and flabbergasts wiley veteran. Helmsley doesn't really have the offense Flair brought to these matches, but he worked the psych really well. I really dug the amateur riding sections and exchange of pats on the cheek. Great stuff, but Benjamin really needs some more offense.
TKG: Flair vs. Sting? WTF? I think better comparison might be that match where JTSmith carried Shane Douglas. Douglas didn't put him over in the end though and the so that might not be fair comparison. It was amusing seeing Helmsley sell for anyone, as if you watch that match back to back with the Eddie match, its really obvious that Helmsley was going out of his way to bury Guerrero. This was really well layed out and it was neat to see Benjamin bring back the old syndi sequences that I dug so much back when he was feuding with Regal on Heat. I don't think it was Helmsleys psyche that made this match work so much as it was that Helmsley was actually selling which made it seem special.
What Didn't Work
TKG: Ha, Janet Jackson flashes her little black tit and suddenly Howard Stern is off the air and Jackie is moved to the pre taped show where they can edit out her inability to keep her top on. The whole entertainment world is in fear after seeing one small little black tit. Thank God Aretha wasn't dueting with Timberlake...all the divas would be in burka now.
TKG: Shit, Tajiri isn't particularly good as Hayato Nanjo and well Kane sucks as Rick Titan. I mean shit, Horace could have done that match in his sleep and Kane is just fucking it up. Plus I love count out finishes but damn did ole man Hebner not get over the counting, the "great" WWE production failed to get over the threat of the countout, and neither Kane nor Tajiri sold being at all worried about returning to ring. Shitty
PAS: That stumble into the pole was hilarious, what a talentless load of crap
"Great stuff, but Benjamin really needs some more offense."
Yeah, it seems the only unique move he has the that Dragon Whip, and while thats not bad, its not exactly an electrifying finisher for a future main eventer. Benjamin needs some cool submission move to use, and the Dragon Whip can be a set-up more for it. It'd be real cool if he used the crossface chickenwing, Bob Backlund style. Goes with his amateur backround, and I think when he eventually goes heel he could easily use in the same psycho manner that Bobby-boy did.
David Spade teaches us an Important Lesson:
Joe Dirt: So you're gonna tell me that you don't have no black cats, no roman candles, or screaming mimis? Kicking Wing: No. Joe Dirt: Oh come on man. You got no lady fingers, fuzz buttles, snicker bombs, church burners, finger blasters, gut busters, zippity do das, or crap flappers? Kicking Wing: No, I don't. Joe Dirt: Yer gonna stand there, owning a fireworks stand, and tell me you don't have no whistling bungholes, no spleen spliters, whisker biscuits, honkey lighters, hoosker doos, hoosker don'ts, cherry bombs, nipsy daisers, with or without the scooter stick, or one single whistling kitty chaser? Kicking Wing: No... because snakes and sparklers are the only ones I like. Joe Dirt: Well that might be your problem, it's not what you like, it's the consumer.
Originally posted by tomkIt was amusing seeing Helmsley sell for anyone, as if you watch that match back to back with the Eddie match, its really obvious that Helmsley was going out of his way to bury Guerrero. This was really well layed out and it was neat to see Benjamin bring back the old syndi sequences that I dug so much back when he was feuding with Regal on Heat. I don't think it was Helmsleys psyche that made this match work so much as it was that Helmsley was actually selling which made it seem special.
Yeah, I didn't get that. He made Benjamin into a million bucks, but Eddie came out of his match looking like a punk bitch.
SURELY it's not a chore to make Eddie look good?
-- Asteroid Boy
Wiener of the day: 23.7.02, 3.12.03
"In addition, my tickets weren’t really what you’d expect from the webmaster of the internet’s largest independent pro-wrestling website." - Widro
"My brother saw the Undertaker walking through an airport." - Rex "Was he no-selling?" - Me
Originally posted by tomkIt was amusing seeing Helmsley sell for anyone, as if you watch that match back to back with the Eddie match, its really obvious that Helmsley was going out of his way to bury Guerrero. This was really well layed out and it was neat to see Benjamin bring back the old syndi sequences that I dug so much back when he was feuding with Regal on Heat. I don't think it was Helmsleys psyche that made this match work so much as it was that Helmsley was actually selling which made it seem special.
Yeah, I didn't get that. He made Benjamin into a million bucks, but Eddie came out of his match looking like a punk bitch.
SURELY it's not a chore to make Eddie look good?
Eddie is an underdog champ, part of his appeal is that he is the wily small guy who gets beat up but always manages to come out on top. I don't think his match with HHH did anything but exemplify that point. Granted he didn't actually get a win out of it, but he got good offense towards the end of it. Plus, when both rosters were outside the ring going at it, Eddie and HHH were inside the ring going fist for fist for a while before all the chaos erupted into the ring as well. I don't think either man come out of that match worse off than before.
David Spade teaches us an Important Lesson:
Joe Dirt: So you're gonna tell me that you don't have no black cats, no roman candles, or screaming mimis? Kicking Wing: No. Joe Dirt: Oh come on man. You got no lady fingers, fuzz buttles, snicker bombs, church burners, finger blasters, gut busters, zippity do das, or crap flappers? Kicking Wing: No, I don't. Joe Dirt: Yer gonna stand there, owning a fireworks stand, and tell me you don't have no whistling bungholes, no spleen spliters, whisker biscuits, honkey lighters, hoosker doos, hoosker don'ts, cherry bombs, nipsy daisers, with or without the scooter stick, or one single whistling kitty chaser? Kicking Wing: No... because snakes and sparklers are the only ones I like. Joe Dirt: Well that might be your problem, it's not what you like, it's the consumer.
I thought Eddy came out looking bad for a few reasons. He wasn't able to get any high-speed offense, because Hunter was either too gassed to take it, or was dogging it. Looking at those 3 vertical rolling suplexes, Hunter took FOREVER to get up for them, killing any momentum. Eddy builds momentum late in matches with quick flurries of moves that get the crowd into his comebacks, but HHH wouldn't or couldn't give him those, and it resulted in the final stretch of the match being really flat.
I don't like ARISON as much as GAEA, and I don't think either holds a candle to classic AJW. I think Joshi peaked with Dreamslam I, but that's just me.