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19.3.24 0408
The W - Pro Wrestling - WWE RAW #11314 1/26/2015
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thecubsfan
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Since: 10.12.01
From: Aurora, IL

Since last post: 938 days
Last activity: 318 days
#1 Posted on | Instant Rating: 9.42
A snowed out show meant no one was around to boo. The warm cocoon of WWE studios gave them a chance to retell their story they way it to be told.

Most of the show was taken up with replays of the title match and the Rumble itself from last night's PPV. I know there were people saying the crowd audio from the Rumble was muted or turned down at points, but I skipped most of it. I did catch the last bit of Rock & Reigns and it was still apparent the crowd was not liking the finish.

The new portion of the show were sit down interviews. Rollins did one keeping him in place as possible challenger/MITB winner (and leading into a brief standoff with Brock.) Someone thought the idea of Dean Ambrose walking from the Rumble to the WWE building was funny so they had Ambrose riff on it for a couple minutes. Those were inconsequential.

Brock and Heyman had the first important interview, rejecting any notion of a face turn and instead insisting they were friends with the Authority, since they were making the Authority lots of money.

Next came Reigns, in something that confusingly drifted thru various levels of kayfabe - he was asked about criticism about being favored by management but management didn't mean the storyline Authority. It was an attempt to both address the reaction last night and brush it off, with Roman Reigns saying lines exactly like the most chill possible John Cena.

The last one on one was with Bryan, who stayed on message - he noted the last year lead up would've made a fine story in him winning the Rumble, but he "failed", he was angry about it (despite smiling all thru) and he was going to take out his anger on Kane.

The show ended with Brock and Reigns sitting down for a face to face interview, only for Heyman to take over with a long winding question which could be summed up as "your relative Rock couldn't beat Brock, how is your family going to feel when you let them down too?" (Pushing Reigns as part of the Samoan family tree was of high importance on this night.) Reigns thought he could win. Brock made it clear he didn't respect Reigns. They shook hands and went face to face - and they cut to the announcers wrapping up the show for a less effective ending.

The show came off as if WWE was 100% behind Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns as the WM main event.

It took a month to change their minds last year, but last year they were planning on getting the title to Bryan sometime after WrestleMania and so had him still playing up the title chase storyline. They did not make that 'mistake' this year, immediately trying to point Bryan away. We'll see if it works.

announced during the show, even as they noted most of this stuff had been announced hours early on other platforms

SmackDown!: Kane vs Daniel Bryan
Fast Lane: Cena vs Rusev
Fast Line: HHH confronts Sting
Hall of Fame: Arnold Schwarzenegger in the celebrity wing

Assumiong it's the last match here, Bryan's been in the main even of every SmackDown! since he's been back. It's conceivable the plan was/is to make SmackDown! the Daniel Bryan Show (with RAW the Cena/Reigns one), which would be big news if not for everything else going on.

(edited by thecubsfan on 26.1.15 2247)


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SKLOKAZOID
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Since: 20.3.02
From: California

Since last post: 1683 days
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#2 Posted on | Instant Rating: 7.64
I'm only going to be able to watch the WWE YouTube videos for this, but I think I watched the only highlights there.

Let's just have Paul Heyman literally tell Roman Reigns what his character is and what his motivation for winning is every week. That did more to sell me on this match and Reigns than anything they've ever written for him to say.

Shows like this make me miss Prime Time Wrestling, or even LiveWire, where you could have a wrestler in a studio, outside of an arena setting, as a real person just shooting the shit and adding more dimension to them. Even though it doesn't make for compelling live weekly episodic television, it does a lot to hype you for matches when you can take a step back and talk about what's going to happen and how awesome it's going to be.

Especially since it was the wrestlers themselves adding commentary to themselves and not Maggle, JBL, and King. I think that helped a lot.

(edited by SKLOKAZOID on 26.1.15 2207)
jwadewalters
Loukanika








Since: 31.8.14
From: T-Town, Oklahoma

Since last post: 3170 days
Last activity: 3165 days
#3 Posted on
It sure as hell feels like it's been on for 11 thousand episodes as of late.
It's False
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Since: 20.6.02
From: I am the Tag Team Champions!

Since last post: 2190 days
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#4 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.58
    Originally posted by thecubsfan
    Assumiong it's the last match here, Bryan's been in the main even of every SmackDown! since he's been back. It's conceivable the plan was/is to make SmackDown! the Daniel Bryan Show (with RAW the Cena/Reigns one), which would be big news if not for everything else going on.


As someone that recapped SmackDown during the Edge glory years, I'd actually love to have Daniel Bryan be the consistent star of that show. It just makes me that much more upset that they did away with the brand split during the Big Johnny days, because that's how you keep certain guys in the spotlight.

If you need someone to desperately sell a challenger, just call Paul Heyman. That man's going to make people buy into Roman Reigns, come hell or high water. What confuses me is Rollins, because I really have no idea what they're planning with him. There's absolutely no way they have him cash in at Wrestlemania to end that show on a downer note. Even they can't be that dumb. I'm more inclined to believe he cashes in the next night.



Spiraling_Shape
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Since: 2.1.02
From: PA

Since last post: 24 days
Last activity: 2 days
#5 Posted on | Instant Rating: 7.02
    Originally posted by thecubsfan
    Assumiong it's the last match here, Bryan's been in the main even of every SmackDown! since he's been back. It's conceivable the plan was/is to make SmackDown! the Daniel Bryan Show (with RAW the Cena/Reigns one), which would be big news if not for everything else going on.


Bryan said in a recent interview that was his goal, more or less.
lotjx
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Since: 5.9.08

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#6 Posted on | Instant Rating: 1.36
The question now becomes do people get a refund or a credit for paying the PPV or the network this month? I am thinking no. Heyman can sell snow to Polar Bears. However, if Brock is not going to be around for weeks if not a month at a time neither will he.



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Now reviewing Shield, Arrow and the rest of the Fall Superhero TV Line Up. And now the 2015 Oscars.
Matt Tracker
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Since: 8.5.03
From: North Carolina

Since last post: 112 days
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#7 Posted on | Instant Rating: 9.20
In distinguishing himself from Reigns, Bryan repeated his words, and I'm paraphrasing, he wasn't related to the Rock, and he wasn't fed by the WWE. That maintains Bryan's outsider status and channels the audience's frustration about Roman. That's subtle and something could me done with that later.

The triple threat was great because there were no rest holds. Outright resting, yes, as guys peeled themselves off the canvas or the floor. But it was nonstop. The Phoenix Splash, confirmed by Rollins on RAW, was awesome, as were all the reversals. Cena altered the rope-yoink spot with Rollins, showing he's learned to spot it and block it.

Whether it was intentional or not, I appreciated Booker working low-key next to JBL, who may have been paid every time he said "Al Roker."

Even The Lovely Mrs. Tracker was discouraged by the ending of the Rumble. She was as dismayed as I that Kane and Show were the final boss battle for Reigns, and she was taken aback by the lustful boos.

(edited by Matt Tracker on 27.1.15 0616)


"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Parts Unknown
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Since: 2.1.02
From: Darkenwood

Since last post: 1754 days
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#8 Posted on | Instant Rating: 10.00
I wish I could experience this angle as a casual fan. Somehow go back in time to before I knew so much about the inside of wrestling. I wonder what Joe Sixpack thinks of Roman getting booed so badly?



JimBob Skeeter
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Since: 2.1.02
From: MN

Since last post: 1669 days
Last activity: 1628 days
#9 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.29
So, the only WWE talent that could weather the storm were Brock and The Shield? Wonder how much they paid Brock to show up as he apparently had left Philly for MN as soon as he found out Raw was cancelled.

Why would you seriously think they are going to issue refunds? For showing the Rumble matches on Raw? What the hell else were they supposed to do? Three hours on Vincent Kennedy McMahon on your screen? Sure, some subscribers might feel robbed, but there was a ton of people out there last night that were trapped at home going: "This is pretty cool!"

Then they saw the last half of the Rumble.
BigDaddyLoco
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Since: 2.1.02

Since last post: 318 days
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#10 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.52
JBL must have been freezing his ass off atop Titan Towers to start the show.

No eastcoast blizzard is going to stop Brock from rocking the sleeveless shirt.

Next time I drive by the headquarters I might have to pop in through that unlocked back door Ambrose found and say hi.

This wasn't the worst Raw by any means.
Dr Unlikely
Liverwurst








Since: 2.1.02

Since last post: 2162 days
Last activity: 1769 days
#11 Posted on | Instant Rating: 9.59
I don't know if they messed with the levels at all, but the holy trinity of "BULLSHIT!", "CM PUNK!" and "WE WANT REFUNDS!" were all left in the mix to hear on USA, so credit (?) to them for not removing evidence of how much most people hated their shitty show that sucked.

The Rollins interview was his weakest since he turned the corner on the mic in late summer/early fall (he looked pretty uncomfortable sitting in the chair staring straight ahead at his interviewer). That said, I cracked up at Rollins defiantly challenging them to send Lesnar in to make him give up his seat, only to have Brock cordially say "Oh, excuse me, but I believe that seat is mine, sir" and Rollins to sheepishly respond "Oh, OK, I'm sorry" (I'm paraphrasing, but this is pretty much the exchange) and then Seth knocked the chair over and cackled while scampering off. Rollins/Lesnar mic segments have been the lifeblood of WWE programming in 2015.

The Ambrose segment was pointless (since it sure felt like he must be there for a reason other than to ask "you got any posters of me I can look at?"), but at least it felt like Ambrose being Ambrose again instead of Vince assuming direct control of the Ambrose avatar. I'm all for Ambrose leaning into the Internet-beloved idea of Murderous Hobo Dean Ambrose, and his tale of bumming a ride out of Philly ("they love me in Philly!") to Hartford, getting into a fight and almost losing a finger at a gas station then hopping into a hay-filled pick-up truck to Stamford felt closer to the Ambrose we were all into before he came back from filming the movie. I'd be inclined to uncancel my Network subscription if they want to do a 24/7 documentary on Ambrose riding the rails and fighting railroad cops between each show.

Bryan came off way more relaxed and natural during his sit-down than Reigns did, though as others have noted, Reigns was obviously stuck working from a script that John Cena threw in the trash around 2011 and punched up with some stories about his family trying to drown him.

Cubs called Heyman's bit longwinded, and it honestly probably was, but man, I thought it was a pretty spectacular sell for a match that I don't want to see and can't believe won't be a dud. "I bet your cousin told you allllll about that PPV rematch he had with Brock. No? No,he didn't. Because it never happened. The Rock never asked for a rematch, because The Rock had his fill of Brock Lesnar." The face-to-face at the end was pretty weak, though. Nobody thought to have Brock and Roman say anything more than "You're not gonna beat me" "Yep, I will beat you."

The lessons they could actually take away from this:

-Learn to play to the strengths of your employees. Bryan was a ton better in a sit-down backstage. He was dynamic and real, he told a story in an engaging way that didn't feel at all like he was working off a script even though he might have been. Why not have him do that more often? Why do all interviews have to be monologues in the ring now? Sit-down interviews are a regular part of high-end promo packages for modern sports coverage, and it turns out Daniel Bryan is good at them and you have, like, ten people on your payroll who are basically paid to act like TV interviewers.

-Let the talent speak in their own voice, not in the voice of a deranged millionaire. Almost all of them are more likeable that way and do as good, if not a better job selling their characters and motivations.

-Admittedly going against logic, it actually feels more like a real TV show and functional, fictional universe when you have a office and studio where Cole and Renee and the rest of them go to work during the week. JBL going on the roof to do a weather report was a goofy, meaningless throw-away that actually felt like something bored TV presenters would do if they were stuck killing three hours on TV during a snowstorm. Rollins and Lesnar and Reigns and Heyman (and potentially Ambrose and Bryan) all going to an actual office building to film interviews and ask "Is the other guy here?" was interesting, even if nothing came of it. If you can't make a half hour of Raw an ESPN-like studio pre-show for whatever reason, why isn't there stuff like this on the Network? It's cheap (right?), it's effective, it makes it feel like you have an actual media empire and WWE is basically the only major media company that would feel like it's taking a step up in quality by emulating ESPN programming. How hard would it be to film five half-hours each week at the headquarters or Full Sail or at a comparable place on the road so you coudl have a nightly show that played like Sportscenter or one of the many sports reporter panel shows?
BigDaddyLoco
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Since: 2.1.02

Since last post: 318 days
Last activity: 318 days
#12 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.52
I think if they went in an ESPN direction it would probably turn into TNT, which might not be a bad thing.

I actually think they were watching TNT, because the Ambrose segment came off a lot like an Adrian Adonis bit they did when he was trying to meet up with Mean Gene and Dick Murdoch on Murdoch's ranch. Adonis, the city boy, was stuck on a dirt road and finally hitched a ride ... on the back of a truck with hay bales. Mean Gene also rides a horse in a tux while checking out the ranch. This is the type of stuff they could be filling the Network up with while getting their E for entertainment rocks off. TNT was ahead of it's time (but way too long)
Spiraling_Shape
Bierwurst








Since: 2.1.02
From: PA

Since last post: 24 days
Last activity: 2 days
#13 Posted on | Instant Rating: 7.02
    Originally posted by Dr Unlikely
    -Let the talent speak in their own voice, not in the voice of a deranged millionaire.


Oh man, but how amazing would it be if John Hodgman was writing RAW promos?
Dr Unlikely
Liverwurst








Since: 2.1.02

Since last post: 2162 days
Last activity: 1769 days
#14 Posted on | Instant Rating: 9.59
    Originally posted by Spiraling_Shape
      Originally posted by Dr Unlikely
      -Let the talent speak in their own voice, not in the voice of a deranged millionaire.


    Oh man, but how amazing would it be if John Hodgman was writing RAW promos?
"Raw is canceled this evening due to an unprecedented storm of human teeth. Also, Dean Ambrose has declared that it is time for all hobos to rise up and retake the WWE Universe."
JimBob Skeeter
Bierwurst








Since: 2.1.02
From: MN

Since last post: 1669 days
Last activity: 1628 days
#15 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.29
While watching last night, I was wondering where everyone there at WWEHQ was going to sleep? They couldn't leave, as there was a travel BAN going on. (Is he here yet? Of course. He can't go anywhere!) So, I took to Google Earth to see what is in the neighborhood of Vince's castle. Lookie here:



Yes, it is right next door, not the classiest place in the world, but it's a bed. Now, unless Vince built a big guest house into his castle, I wonder how many of them hunkered down there last night and are enjoying some wonderful Peruvian cuisine today?

(edited by JimBob Skeeter on 27.1.15 1006)

(edited by CRZ on 27.1.15 1053)
Hokienautic
Lap cheong








Since: 2.1.02
From: Blacksburg VA

Since last post: 1458 days
Last activity: 1443 days
#16 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.88
    Originally posted by Matt Tracker
    In distinguishing himself from Reigns, Bryan repeated his words, and I'm paraphrasing, he wasn't related to the Rock, and he wasn't fed by the WWE. That maintains Bryan's outsider status and channels the audience's frustration about Roman. That's subtle and something could me done with that later.


Yeah, I thought he had some very slight, very subtle dickhead lines in there that might be something they play out in the future.
Tenken347
Knackwurst








Since: 27.2.03
From: Parts Unknown

Since last post: 32 days
Last activity: 19 hours
#17 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.12
    Originally posted by Dr Unlikely
    Bryan came off way more relaxed and natural during his sit-down than Reigns did, though as others have noted, Reigns was obviously stuck working from a script that John Cena threw in the trash around 2011 and punched up with some stories about his family trying to drown him.


They are certainly doing everything in their power to make sure the crowd views Poor Roman as an absolutely inferior version of Cena and the Rock mashed together. Stage 2 of this is to have him come out next week and say "You can't see me...if ya' smell what I'm cookin'!"
i before e
Pickled pork








Since: 17.10.03

Since last post: 49 days
Last activity: 40 days
#18 Posted on
    Originally posted by Hokienautic
      Originally posted by Matt Tracker
      In distinguishing himself from Reigns, Bryan repeated his words, and I'm paraphrasing, he wasn't related to the Rock, and he wasn't fed by the WWE. That maintains Bryan's outsider status and channels the audience's frustration about Roman. That's subtle and something could me done with that later.


    Yeah, I thought he had some very slight, very subtle dickhead lines in there that might be something they play out in the future.


Raised my eyebrows as well.

Also: "Roman, how bad do you feel for the stupid fans who booed you last night even though you're super awesome and totally cool? Did they boo because they didn't know you are Samoan?"
Kevintripod
Knackwurst








Since: 11.5.03
From: Mount Pleasant, Pa.

Since last post: 14 days
Last activity: 3 days
#19 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.77
    Originally posted by Dr Unlikely
    The face-to-face at the end was pretty weak, though.


I thought Brock's line "He (Heyman) may respect you, but I don't." was pretty good.


I didn't like how Bryan came off as not really that upset at losing the Rumble. Seemed like he was just "Aw shucks, oh well, moving on."

(edited by Kevintripod on 27.1.15 1007)




"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." - Winston Churchill
steven87gill
Pickled pork








Since: 14.1.11

Since last post: 1796 days
Last activity: 1754 days
#20 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.30
    Originally posted by Hokienautic
      Originally posted by Matt Tracker
      In distinguishing himself from Reigns, Bryan repeated his words, and I'm paraphrasing, he wasn't related to the Rock, and he wasn't fed by the WWE. That maintains Bryan's outsider status and channels the audience's frustration about Roman. That's subtle and something could me done with that later.


    Yeah, I thought he had some very slight, very subtle dickhead lines in there that might be something they play out in the future.


Only if Bryan turned heel against Reigns. If Reigns is the next Cena, then following modern WWE 'baby-faces are really heels in disguise' logic, then by rights Bryan will make excellent points & have legitimate gripes yet somehow still manage to nonsensically remain a heel against Super-Roman.

(remember Ryback/Cena?)


(edited by steven87gill on 27.1.15 1222)
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Why isn't Austin back yet? I don't need him to appologise? It's not Austin's style anyway... Maby it wasn't professional for him to leave like he did... Do we realy care if it was? I know I don't. And about his personal life, that is personal...
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