Official Raw/Smackdown Aftermath, Ratings and Review Thread

[Kanenite]

The beginning promo with HHH and Punk was very entertaining and was the best part of the show. Though Punk's reasons for returning were kind of lame, his jabs at HHH were hilarious.

The final segment was very disappointing and largely a waste of time. The presence of the Yes Man made no sense. What, he just decided to come by and tell HHH what Vince would do? Who cares? What's the point? That just didn't need to be there. Sure, Cena's impression was great, but ultimately that guy had no business showing up in this segment. And Punk and Cena whining about possibly being stripped didn't make either guy look good. And finally, we all saw HHH's decision coming as soon as Punk returned last week. So his decision was very anti-climactic. And having the two champs pose for crowd cheers to end the show was just a crappier and needlessly longer version of what they did last week. That entire segment was just flat and a waste. HHH could have just announced at the beginning of the show what the main event of the PPV would be. This was not the kind of decision that you end the show with since everyone knew what the decision would be.

It is kind of funny after Punk returned last week many people were saying that you can't criticize his quick return because "you don't know where they are going with this yet." Well, this week HHH's decision went exactly like people thought it was going to go as soon as Punk returned last week. I'm guessing the big twist in the story will come at Summer Slam.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

NorCal NightCap

Ok show tonight, opening segment while fun and necessary, did drag on a bit, and left the rest of the show disjontled and cram packed with commercials.

Very good tag match between Rey Mastrio, J-Mo against Miz and R-Truth, a very fair showcasing of the upper mid-card. Would have preffered the Ziggler - A-Ry interaction come as a by-product of six man tag match aftermath (getting some guys like Swagger, Riley, et all some tv time even if it was short) Bourne, Kofi, and A-Ry against ADR, Swagger and Zigs with a small promo at the end setting up the US title angle (Say, with Riley getting a pin on the champ, thentalking shit afterward) would have been a better way to do it I think, but oh well.

A fair enough show in general, a good wrestling match, decent promos. Nothing to write home about.

C

 

[Dude_Love87]

I gotta say, I was expecting a huge Raw last night. Although, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't that good either. I don't know, maybe HHH needs a few weeks practice at the new gig, which I'm sure is the case!! CM Punk and HHH just do not flow well together on the mic. Is that just me? possibly. Wrestling wise I thought it was a good show. The WWE has got to stop taking commercial breaks during every GOT damn match!! I have never seen that many commercials in my life during wrestling matches. It honestly ruined the vibe that the Battle Royal had, I was actually enjoying that somewhat. One thing I really really? really liked last night was the R-truth and Miz tag team. They brought them together so well in the promo, "the conspiracy" I could see them being tag team champions.

I also enjoyed the duo of Santino Marella and Zack Ryder. There is too much money to be made off of Zack Ryder for the WWE to continue this bull shit they are giving him, and I'm not a huge fan. The people obviously love him. Is it backstage b.s.

The ending promo between HHH Cena and Punk was at best 2 out of 5. Why they brought in Johnny Ace LOL is still beyond me. Sorry, but the raising of the titles and music changing was old after the 2nd time. Hit each other. Fight, make us want to watch this match again!!! I expect Vince to live things up next week.

Two biggest complaints:constant commerical interruption during matches, and promos between CM Punk and HHH were a little lame. 2 Positives: Great overall wrestling, showing of some great potential tag teams.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The numbers are in for last night's show are coming in and, generally speaking, I'd say that Vince is disappointed.

Hour 1 of the show drew 4.68 million viewers while hour 2 drew 4.73 million for an average viewing audience of just slightly more than 4.7 million. The Nielsen household ratings haven't been released yet but those numbers indicate about a 3.2 rating.

That's where the WWE has been for much of the summer but I'd say WWE is disappointed. People had to know that Punk would be out and have a prominent role in the show. It's a little discouraging when you consider the fact that football season is right around the corner.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

That doesn't surprise me Jack. The main storyline has a premise that most of the WWE Universe couldn't care less about. There is not much intrigue with da boyz in da back stuff and there is obviously a reason the WWE has really stayed clear of that trivial bull.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

The main storyline has a premise that most of the WWE Universe couldn't care less about.

Is that right? I'd love to see you back this up. CM Punk, with one promo, changed the way the crowds around this country are reacting to him. That indicates people care, at least as much about Cena and/or everything else the WWE has been doing over the past several years.

There is not much intrigue with da boyz in da back stuff and there is obviously a reason the WWE has really stayed clear of that trivial bull.

I hate to break it to you, but if the fans don't give a shit about more realistic ("boyz in da back/whatever you call it) storylines, they don't give a shit about anything else WWE is doing either.

RAW Average Ratings Over The Past Four Years
2011 (so far) - 3.31
2010 - 3.28
2009 - 3.57
2008 - 3.27 (http://www.gerweck.net/tv-ratings/2007-ratings/)

Ratings are down, across the board. WWE is changing things up, attempting to gain viewers. While Cena is definitely the biggest draw they have, he's not killing the viewership numbers. He's just not. They're trying something new, something which has worked in the past. They're not going all Attitude Era on us, so calm down people. However, it's an attempt to boost numbers.

This isn't pulling in big numbers right now, but neither was anything else over the last few years.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

NorCal NightCap

Bit of a status quo show, but when the status quo is solid, entertaining wrestling show, then that is suited just fine.

Loved seeing JTG with Otunga and Cutty, getting the win and looking solid in tag action, the entire section of the card reminds me of the late 80s and early 90s with the depth and interchangeable match combinations.

THANK FUCKING YOU, Danny Bryan has new theme music, and its fuckin awesome. Way to damn go, WWE.

I suppose the IC title segment was fair enough, I hope and pray Cody Rhodes gets a run with it, his promo work and ability in the ring will add a ton of credibilty and interest to the division, especially if the Justin Gabriel push continues.


Very solid main event, good way to push storylines. Good show, wrestling show of the week

B-

 

[LSN80]

Smackdown Hits and Misses 8/5/11

Smackdown Hits:​

Sheamus: Week one of the Sheamus face turn was officially a success. He seems to be relishing playing to the crowd, and his pop last night, canned or not, was second only to Orton, and it was close. The crowd rallied behind his comeback, and gave him a massive reception after he beat Khali. I like that they panned the crowd after he won, and most people were on their feet, legitimately cheering. His backstage promo on Mark Henry was a good one, albeit a bit over the top and lacking in logic. While bashing Henry for attacking Big Show and others after matches, he conveniently forgot when he did the same to Jamie Noble, Evan Bourne, and HHH after matches himself. Overall though, it was a good night for Sheamus, and Im actually looking forward to his match with Henry at Summerslam.

AJ vs Natalya: This was the best damn two minute match Ive seen in a long time. There wasn't a dull moment or botch in those two minutes, and AJ showed she can really go when paired with a Diva who can do the same. I enjoyed the rapid fire reversals and rollups, the fine chain wrestling, and when AJ blocked the Shaprshooter on the first try and countered with a submission of her own. The real hit here is the heel turn afterwards by Natalya, which furthered the storyline started Monday by Beth Phoenix when she turned heel on Kelly Kelly. The Divas have my attention and interest for the first time since Kharma, and the possibility is there for a long build between Natalya and Beth long-term for a match at WM28.

John Morrison and Randy Orton vs. Christian and R-Truth: Easily the match of the night, and one to go out of your way to see. There were several reasons why this match was fantastic. It furthered two feuds in one match, for one. While their singles matches last week left much to be desired, both Morrison and Truth looked fantastic in the ring. Christian getting the pin over Orton planted the necessary seeds of doubt that Orton will just walk over Christian at Summerslam. Finally, it was a quality match with excellent psychology. The pacing was spot on, it was very well wrestled, and the match had a perfect ending. Easily the match of the night for those reasons.


Daniel Bryan vs Tyson Kidd: While Im digging the prospect of a Wade Barrett/Daniel Bryan feud, perhaps over the briefcase, I wouldnt mind seeing Bryan and Kidd feud in the future. Another well-wrestled match that used old-school psychology with a definite beginning, middle, and end. WWE has booked Bryan perfectly since winning MITB, and here's hoping they continue to do so. if he truly is going to cash in at Wrestlemania 28, he needs quite the push to do so, and he's off to a good start. Barrett's comentary enhanced the match rather then taking away from it, so this was solid stuff all around.

Overall Show: There were three well-wrestled matches on this show, and Khali vs Sheamus was better then it had any right to be as well. Sheamus continues to grow as a character and seems confortable as a face already, the Natalya heel turn was perfectly executed, and the main event helped build two feuds in one. My interest was sparked in Christian/Orton V for the first time, because the seeds of doubt were planted that Orton isn't going to get a slam dunk victory over Christian at Summerslam. The show wasn't without flaws, but the positives outweighed the negatives here.

Smackdown Misses:​

Johnny Curtis: To be perfectly blunt, this has been the worst series of vignettes introducing a character since Kazarny, which is saying alot. I lose interest by the week in seeing Curtis debut because of these awful backstage segments that are trying to be cute. They're not, and they portray Curtis as a joke even before debuting.

Otunga, McGuillicutty, and JTG vs The Usos and Trent Barretta: Other then getting them on TV, what was the purpose of this match? I guess theyre trying to build up the tag champions as being forces to be reckoned with rather then afterthoughts, but that's hard to do in a 4 minute match. The Usos were getting over on SD, but their stock has fallen quickly with back to back losses to the champs.

The State of The Showski Address: This was absolutely brutal, pointless television. I was looking forward to this coming in, but the entire segment was a mess. Cody Rhodes was the only part of the segment that was decent, as he put over the IC title and its prestige, but Jackson turned the segment into a discussion about being a lackey. There were simply too many moving parts here for this segment to click with me. Ryder then losing a 4 minute match to Jackson did nothing for either man at all. Here's hoping Rhodes wins the title sooner rather then later, because Jackson has been a failure as a champ. His ability to wrestle a quality match hasn't improved, he hasn't defined his character whatsoever, and his mic work is attrocious.

 

[chubbsisevil]

- Ezekiel Jackson is absolutely atrocious on the mic. I've said it before but he has not done anything worth mentioning to warrant an IC title run. He is not over whatsoever and the only thing impressive about this guy is his build. It'll be a travesty if Rhodes does not take the belt off of him.

- Sheamus' face turn has been great so far but if he doesn't win at SS then it'll lose a good amount of steam.

- The more and more I think about it I feel like Bryan will lose the briefcase.

- Johnny Curtis has already started off as a failure and he'll get the boot sooner or later.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Horrible show this week. Why exactly does the WWE waste 100 minutes of our time when they can only run the last 20 and save some face? 100 minutes of absolute nothing.

1. The Matches - three of them had no purpose other than to have Cena, Miz and Punk booked on the card. That's fine. The matches themselves, however, were so very boring. Aside from that, the Divas were dreadful as always and Truth-Morrisson was nothing fancy. Same goes for Ziggles and Riley.

2. The Promos - None of the promos were any good except for the ending and maybe R-Truth. I don't appreciate the role he's in but he's damn good on the mic and makes shit shine. I wish he wouldn't have to make it shine though, it should be nowhere near him.

Now let's go on a little rant. Can I ask a question? Can we have CM Punk in the ring and not have someone shoot on something? Can CM Punk draw a reaction out of the crowd ( a really big one ) without trying to bury someone? The crowd wasn't so loud for him until he started shooting. He can't shoot forever, it will play out and it already has.People have been blaming TNA for having too many shoots and the shock value losing its .. well value due to the over-use of shoots. Well tonight it was a shoot-fest. But I don't see the WWE fans coming out and crying about it? I do remember them shitting on Hogan for saying heel on iMPACT, I wonder if they'll bury Cena for the same thing. I guess not, because WWE is all perfect, all knowing and all powerful. We'll turn a blind eye to the over-use of shoots, for it is teh WWEz and teh WWEz is awesomezz!

And another thing - can you tell WWE management to find their own storylines for their women wrestlers? Am I the only one who notices the blatant similarities between Phoenix's agenda and ODB/Jackie's agenda? No booty shaking, no splits, no stink faces? Wasn't that the same thing ODB told Velvet Sky? No grinding your ass on the ropes, no this, no that? ODB says Velvet Sky is a disgrace to this division and is everything what is wrong with it now, The Glamazon says Eve or whoever was in the ring is a disgrace to the women's division. Come on. But we'll sweep that under the rug too, right? Betcha if TNA did it (and they have) the IWC would be on fire minutes after the show's over. Nothing wrong with borrowing storylines as long as it's well executed, I'm all for entertainment of ANY kind, ripped of or not, but I just wonder if the WWE fans will object or be oblivious to it. Nothing like a nice chunk of hypocricy.

So once again I ask, where's the new era? 20 minutes? Is that a new era? Please, WWE, if you're really trying to change and attract new viewers, how about you change your ENTIRE product step by step, write good storylines for EVERYBODY not just the Main Event and overall show us - the people who lost faith in you - why we should come back, because Lord knows one good thing on a 2 hour show ain't quite good 'nuff.

Oh and save the six minute filler promo packages for Pay-Per-Views it's a damn waste of time.

 

[Undar8d]

Horrible show this week. Why exactly does the WWE waste 100 minutes of our time when they can only run the last 20 and save some face? 100 minutes of absolute nothing.

1. The Matches - three of them had no purpose other than to have Cena, Miz and Punk booked on the card. That's fine. The matches themselves, however, were so very boring. Aside from that, the Divas were dreadful as always and Truth-Morrisson was nothing fancy. Same goes for Ziggles and Riley.

2. The Promos - None of the promos were any good except for the ending and maybe R-Truth. I don't appreciate the role he's in but he's damn good on the mic and makes shit shine. I wish he wouldn't have to make it shine though, it should be nowhere near him.

Now let's go on a little rant. Can I ask a question? Can we have CM Punk in the ring and not have someone shoot on something? Can CM Punk draw a reaction out of the crowd ( a really big one ) without trying to bury someone? The crowd wasn't so loud for him until he started shooting. He can't shoot forever, it will play out and it already has.People have been blaming TNA for having too many shoots and the shock value losing its .. well value due to the over-use of shoots. Well tonight it was a shoot-fest. But I don't see the WWE fans coming out and crying about it? I do remember them shitting on Hogan for saying heel on iMPACT, I wonder if they'll bury Cena for the same thing. I guess not, because WWE is all perfect, all knowing and all powerful. We'll turn a blind eye to the over-use of shoots, for it is teh WWEz and teh WWEz is awesomezz!

And another thing - can you tell WWE management to find their own storylines for their women wrestlers? Am I the only one who notices the blatant similarities between Phoenix's agenda and ODB/Jackie's agenda? No booty shaking, no splits, no stink faces? Wasn't that the same thing ODB told Velvet Sky? No grinding your ass on the ropes, no this, no that? ODB says Velvet Sky is a disgrace to this division and is everything what is wrong with it now, The Glamazon says Eve or whoever was in the ring is a disgrace to the women's division. Come on. But we'll sweep that under the rug too, right? Betcha if TNA did it (and they have) the IWC would be on fire minutes after the show's over. Nothing wrong with borrowing storylines as long as it's well executed, I'm all for entertainment of ANY kind, ripped of or not, but I just wonder if the WWE fans will object or be oblivious to it. Nothing like a nice chunk of hypocricy.

So once again I ask, where's the new era? 20 minutes? Is that a new era? Please, WWE, if you're really trying to change and attract new viewers, how about you change your ENTIRE product step by step, write good storylines for EVERYBODY not just the Main Event and overall show us - the people who lost faith in you - why we should come back, because Lord knows one good thing on a 2 hour show ain't quite good 'nuff.

Oh and save the six minute filler promo packages for Pay-Per-Views it's a damn waste of time.

Someone sounds a bit quite mad lol. No one needs to hear TNA shit on a WWE Forum.

CM Punk got over because he started shooting on everything the WWE does that is seen horrible. Of course he's going to keep shooting to get his point across. It's part of the storyline they're running if you haven't been paying attention.

I applaud WWE for trying to take a few pointers from TNA about their women's division. They need them. I don't see why you have to turn it into a TNA vs. WWE post. Secondly, who cares. You seem as if you get bothered and angered by WWE fans when they attack TNA.

As for the show, it was an okay show. WWE promoted the hell outta Summerslam this RAW, however the show was all over the place. No memorable matches, but R-Truth and the last promo shining. The crowd seemed pretty dead tonight.

Lastly, it's a shame that Alberto Del Rio just doesn't seem to connect with the crowds on live TV. I wonder where his career is going to be in the next year with Money In The Bank

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Someone sounds a bit quite mad lol. No one needs to hear TNA shit on a WWE Forum.

CM Punk got over because he started shooting on everything the WWE does that is seen horrible. Of course he's going to keep shooting to get his point across. It's part of the storyline they're running if you haven't been paying attention.

I applaud WWE for trying to take a few pointers from TNA about their women's division. They need them. I don't see why you have to turn it into a TNA vs. WWE post. Secondly, who cares. You seem as if you get bothered and angered by WWE fans when they attack TNA.

As for the show, it was an okay show. WWE promoted the hell outta Summerslam this RAW, however the show was all over the place. No memorable matches, but R-Truth and the last promo shining.

Not mad, just interested. Interested to see if the people who usually bury the other product for the same things WWE did tonight would bury their brand too or at least criticize it. I most certainly won't shit on Punk for shooting. I love that guy, he's good at it. I love shoots, hope he can do it forever but I think it will eventually hurt his character more than it's going to help it.

And by the way, there's been a load of talk about Rock being a part of Summerslam. I'm starting to wonder where he'll fit. Obviously in the Main Event but my guess is he costs Cena the win in some fashion. Maybe Rock Bottoms Cena, then HHH gets in his face and Rock Bottoms him? That'd be a mark out moment right there. Hell, wanna make Punk look like a God? Have Rock hit the RB on Cena, then HHH, then Punk sneaks behind Rocky and GTS's him, covers Cena, a ref runs down and Punk wins. Nothing like some good 'ol finisher fiestas.

If ya ask me I'd rather see HHH vs Rock than Cena vs Rock or Punk vs Rock. I'm not a huge fan of Rocky shitting in Cena's mouth, basically, and Cena laughing about it with that cheesy grin of his and being all jokey about it. He called you a transvestite, you moron. What a buzz kill.

 

[Wonder]

Another great Raw and another fantastic ending. They're on a roll.

Show started with HHH announcing that he will be the special guest referee at Summerslam, which may end in a swerve, as i predict. That announcement was truly a shocker to me, so now i'm not sure about my predictions about SummerSlam's main event.

Cena vs Swagger was your typical TV Cena match, where Swagger shined a little, but it ended quickly. Nothing to write home about.

Of course, Miz jumped on Mysterio, as i believe, he's still injured, but i just hope that we see Miz vs Mysterio at SS. I was really hoping to see that match at the PPV.

Anyway, good match from Kofi and Miz, and i really was impressed with Kofi. Nice moving, back and forth... it must be one of Kofi's best matches yet this year.

Another great match, now from Punk and ADR. Although, it was a bit short, i loved this match. I don't know, it just made sense to me.

Typical Divas match, well a bit better than usual, where Beth dominated and looked impressive. Let's see what happens at SS with Kelly Kelly.

I didn't understand the Riley vs Ziggler match. It was going nicely, but that ending didn't make sense to me. I just hope they're saving a better match in the near future, maybe even at SummerSlam. Btw, SummerSlam was promoted as promoted can be tonight.

John Morrison vs Truth was another little suprise. It had good moments, but it was kinda short, but i get it, Truth dominated and was really over here. He truly shined.

The last segment was brilliant. I absolutely loved it, and i have no complaints about it. Both Cena and Punk did a great job hyping the match, and i'm really looking forward to it.

I don't expect an Awesome PPV like MITB, but i do expect a very good SummerSlam 2011 PPV.

 

[Undar8d]

Not mad, just interested. Interested to see if the people who usually bury the other product for the same things WWE did tonight would bury their brand too or at least criticize it. I most certainly won't shit on Punk for shooting. I love that guy, he's good at it. I love shoots, hope he can do it forever but I think it will eventually hurt his character more than it's going to help it.

And by the way, there's been a load of talk about Rock being a part of Summerslam. I'm starting to wonder where he'll fit. Obviously in the Main Event but my guess is he costs Cena the win in some fashion. Maybe Rock Bottoms Cena, then HHH gets in his face and Rock Bottoms him? That'd be a mark out moment right there. Hell, wanna make Punk look like a God? Have Rock hit the RB on Cena, then HHH, then Punk sneaks behind Rocky and GTS's him, covers Cena, a ref runs down and Punk wins. Nothing like some good 'ol finisher fiestas.

If ya ask me I'd rather see HHH vs Rock than Cena vs Rock. Nostalgia > all.

I see where you're going with CM Punk. I agree that eventually the shoots will get tiresome and if he doesn't start building up heat from something other than shoots, he's going to have a tough ride.

Yea, I'd rather see HHH vs. Rock too, but I'm quite interested in Cena vs. Rock. Just imagine that crowd reaction against Cena. It's sure to be something awesome.

 

[Dizzy]

Really good show tonight.

Cena vs Swagger: Perfect example of why, I dislike when people talk about this "Youth Movment" with such pride and bragging rights. It sucks.

Cena vs Swagger would be a PPV quality match but considering Swagger is irivavant and he's done nothing drug related or backstage related to deserve it. He went from World Champ to midcarder barely getting TV time. He's used to get Cena over as a credible WWE Champ.

Miz vs. Kingston: Really solid match. Again, Miz was a main eventer and now nobody even remembers. If I hit my head on a rock and never saw the light of day for the last 6 months, I would NEVER know Miz won the WWE title.

Kingston has more main event potential out of everyone and he never gets a shot.

Ziggler vs. Riley: Who cares? Both are lame. Again, I hate the bragging I hear about these guys. Vickie is annoying now and just a joke. Keep her on NXT or Divas Manger or something.

Divas Match: They totally are ripping off the TNA angle with ODB, Jackie against Velvet being the pretty face and taking her out. It's sad how people don't the fact BOTH companies take ideas from each other. It's sad.

Del Rio vs. Punk: I don't get this. It makes Del Rio look bad going into whatever title match he gets, I understand it's supposed to make both champions look good but why Del Rio? Switch Kingston with Del Rio and it makes better sense.

JoMo vs. R-Truth: Morrison had some incredible spots but nobody really cares for this feud or match. Just end it already. I wish WWE would just accept they either ruined Morrison's potential or he simply is losing favor with the company. It just looks like he's lost into the Mr. Kennedy pit before he was fired, lame feuds, less TV time. It's odd but It doesn't seem like both like or even want each other. He's just there.

Contract Negotiations: oh look da wwe copy tna cuz sting and angle had a ctract signing on thursdai!!!!

Sorry, I just had to do it.

I loved everything about this. Rock, Punk, Cena. The only thing I did not like was the fact, Cena had to prove he is a pussy and start saying nice things about Rock and his accomplishments after he called him a transvestite. Come on now. Who does that?

Punk opening the book of 4th Wall on the released wrestlers was even beyond epic. I wish he brought up Melina and Kim because regardless of how "touchy" of a subject it is, people should still know in some form or capacity. It's not like they will stop watching over them.

9/10. Really wonderful show.

I'll be looking to enjoy my 2nd WWE 2011 PPV of the year.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Monday Night Raw - August 8, 2011

Opening Segment - Nothing special about the opening of tonight's Raw but it wasn't really meant to be. It set the tone for the night, further hyped the importance of the WWE Championship, furthered the hype of the Cena vs. Punk match at SummerSlam and it just worked. Nothing flashy or fancy, just Triple H setting the stage and that's fine and good with me. Less equals more sometimes. Thumbs Up

John Cena vs. Jack Swagger - Decent match between Swagger & Cena. Nothing mind blowing, but it was a good showcase match for Cena against a guy that's at least somewhat credible. I was a little bummed that it was Swagger but the match was better than I thought. At least they didn't just have Cena beat the guy down and AA him 60-90 seconds into the match. Good general crowd response I thought. Like Cena or not, the man always gets a response. Both guys hit some of their usual stuff with Cena ultimately getting the win at the 5.5 minute mark with the AA before celebrating a little in the ring. **

R-Truth Backstage Promo - I can understand if some people don't like Truth but I genuinely like the guy. I just never really know what's gonna come out of the guy's mouth. He went on about spiders and even "Little Jimmy" for a bit and generated some genuinely funny stuff. I like how he's able to go from being kinda silly to menacing all within the span of a couple of seconds. Thumbs Up

The Miz Beats Mysterio Down - The Miz came out from behind as Rey's music hit and delivered an aggressive, very quality beat down. Rey suffered a bit of a tweaked knee and this was a means of giving him a night off, building him up for his return match for the WWE Championship next week while giving Miz some great heat. Miz's promo afterward was really good. I very much like this new intensity that he's shown both on the mic and inside the ring. He didn't come across like a smug tool, he came off like an extremely angry, bitter, self important ass and I think it's working. Thumbs Up

Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz - Very good match from Kofi & Miz. I've seen them have a lot of matches in the past but I think this one was the best. Both of them looked strong and resilient throughout the match, especially Miz as he took a couple of big, good looking high impact moves from Kofi. Miz, as usual, did a great job of selling his frustration at times during the match over not being able to put Kofi away and kept the intensity up through the match. Some good near falls at several points during the match and I started thinking that Kofi might pull something of an upset win over Miz. The end comes when Kofi climbs up onto Miz's shoulders, I'm assuming for a victory roll, but Miz shoves him off causing Kofi to kind of Hot Shot himself off the top rope. Miz hits the SCF for the clean pin a little before the 11 minute mark. ***

CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio - I was surprised they went with this match. I didn't expect Del Rio to be Punk's opponent. Like Cena vs. Swagger, a decent showcase match for Punk but Punk's opponent has more credibility than Swagger. Some good back and forth action during the match. Punk hit some of his signature spots while Del Rio spent much of the match working on Punk's arm. Punk winds up hitting the GTS at the 5 minute mark for the win. I know some will probably piss and moan over this but it's not the end of the world. Del Rio has almost a full year before he can cash in MITB and there's plenty of time to get him built back up to where he needs to be. **1/4

Eve Torres vs. Beth Phoenix - I have to admit that I actually enjoyed this match. Sure, there were a few times Eve botched the shit out of a dropkick like she normally does, but I thought the match actually told a decent story and Beth Phoenix looked like a dominant gal. It was just 3 minutes but the quality was just well above what we usually get from the Divas. Beth hits the Glam Slam for the win. Her post match promo worked for me and it touched on a lot of the stuff that people complain about regarding the Divas. It got a good response from the live crowd. Kelly Kelly hitting Beth from behind with the title belt was a nice touch. She might be the underdog but she's showing some fight. *1/4

Dolph Ziggler vs. Alex Riley - Far too short to mean anything. I found myself annoyed by Vickie's presence out there. I just wanted her to shut the frig up and get out of the ring so we could have a match. I like Vickie, don't get me wrong, but I'm hoping what happened with her argument with Ziggler after being knocked down signals an end to them being together. No Stars

John Morrison vs. R-Truth - This match was only about 4 minutes but it was a very physical and action packed 4 minutes. Morrison hit a couple of great spots and I'm digging the more aggressive side of him he's shown lately. The bump he took against the ring barrier with Truth knocking his legs out from under him looked great. It definitely made me cringe a little. Truth winds up getting the clean win over JoMo and I was surprised by that. Morrison's lost a lot since he's returned so I dunno what this means for him. **1/2

WWE Championship Contract Signing - I thought this was a fantastic segment to end the show and I'm soooooooooooo glad that we didn't ultimately see the standard formula for these things. I love the fact that Punk even addressed that at the start of everything. Cena & Punk squared off in a very nice war of words in which both guys scored points. The Rock's facebook video was a great touch and, like Punk, touched upon some things that some fans have serious issues with concerning Cena. I also loved when Cena addressed the whole "Five Moves of Doom" stuff and embracing his heel persona and all that. I see shit like that on the WZ forums every day and I love that Cena just outright said that there's nothing he can do to change those people's minds so he's not gonna bother to try. Things did eventually get somewhat physical. Punk laid out JL with a kick and Triple H got knocked down accidentally by Cena before getting pushed by Triple H. Punk pointing into the ring saying that the "fix" was in adds some intrigue. We're all expecting some sort of screwjob here but we're not really sure exactly how it's gonna go down. Great way to close the show. Thumbs Up

Overall Show - A very strong showing for Raw and a huge recovery from last week's kinda lackluster show. Adding Triple H as the special ref for the Cena vs. Punk match is interesting because it's only natural to think that someone is gonna get screwed over, but who and how are the questions. Overall, I thought quite solid wrestling action on the show tonight. Both Cena & Punk had decent showcase matches to built a little momentum for them going into the ppv. Some probably won't like Del Rio losing but I don't think it's a problem unless he cashes in this Sunday because he's just not as his peak right now. They don't wanna start off on the wrong foot like they did with Swagger. Surprisingly nice work from the Divas tonight with an above average match that not only told a story but actually furthered one along. Great stuff from The Miz tonight both on the mic and in his match with Kofi Kingston. Competitive match that had both guys looking good. JoMo & Truth had a short but physical match with some good action. The only thing I didn't really like on the show was the Riley/Ziggler situation. The contract signing was a perfect way to build final anticipation to the WWE Championship match. Great stuff from both Punk & Cena with a nice cameo apperance from The Rock via a facebook video. I do have some concerns about SummerSlam as there are only 4 matches that've been announced thus far.I'd say we'll have a couple more announced on SD! this Friday. I'm just hoping that we don't wind up having a 30+ minute concert from Cee Lo Green at SS like we had with Kid Rock back at WM 25. I also hope that Del Rio doesn't cash in his MITB briefcase this Sunday. It's an ideal situation for the heel MITB briefcase holder, but he's just not all that strong at this point. At least, he's not as strong as he needs to be.

Grade: B+

 

[s3machine]

WWE really is on a great roll with their shows as of late.. RAW was great for the most part again.. it had its low points but I think the good definitely outweighed the bad..and I can really see why Vince gives Cena and Punk some creative control over their promos and interviews.. Those 2 are seriously flawless on the mic.. the way they just effortlessly play off of each other.. fucking brilliant.

 

[s3machine]

Divas Match: They totally are ripping off the TNA angle with ODB, Jackie against Velvet being the pretty face and taking her out. It's sad how people don't the fact BOTH companies take ideas from each other. It's sad.

Of course both companies take ideas and storylines from one another.. Hell.. they probably even both help themselves to material from indies, Mexico, Japan, etc.. as a matter of fact.. if im not mistaken I think Bischoff said that he got the idea for the nWo from an invasion angle played by a stable from New Japan.. can anyone back me up on that claim?

anyone who doesnt think that the WWE takes shit from TNA and its just the other way around is a brainless mark..and that statment is coming from a guy who prefers WWE to TNA any day of the week.

but it would make sense if you were to say that TNA borrows more material from the WWE then they do from TNA since WWE has more programming and TV time which means they have more story lines, promos, etc.. to borrow from.

anyway back on topic.. RAW was awesome tonight

 

[LSN80]

Raw Hits and Misses 8/8/11​

Raw Hits:​

Beth Phoenix: Her match with Eve was sloppy with several bothced spots, but Beth continues to be the best thing in the Divas division since Kong. I know the storyline was originally meant for Kong, but Beth(along with Natalya), has managed to draw interest to a Divas division that has been bland for so long. Im expecting Beth to take the title from Kelly on Sunday and kick off a long run as a dominant heel champion, perhaps setting up Beth vs Natalys at WM 28. Beth has always been better as a heel, and she's shown why the last two weeks.

John Cena vs Jack Swagger: This was a decent TV match. If the last few months havent shed the notion of Cena as a "five move guy", Im not sure what will. He's been adding effectively to his reportoire(such as the Stinger Splash tonight) while still doing what he does best. Both men looked good in this match, and this gave Cena a win over a somewhat credible opponent going into the PPV. The announcers also did a good job of talking up the Cena/Punk match with Hunter's announcement during this match, so there was alot of good stuff here.

The Miz vs Kofi Kingston: I wasn't thrilled about the idea of WWE giving away Rey vs Miz before the PPV, so Im glad they did the injury angle. This was a good night for the Miz. His attack on Miz was downright vicious, he got a clean win over Kofi, and he cut an strong, intense promo before the match as well. This was an excellent ten minute match with some excellent counters, reversals, and nearfalls. Miz needs to be on the Summerslam card in some way, more on that later.

Contract Signing: I wasn't thrilled when Hunter announced himself as the special referee for the match earlier in the night, but this is how you build a PPV main event. Both Punk and Cena were at their bests, and there was something here for both Punk and Cena fans. It was compelling, there seemed to be real tension between the two, and they didnt go too far with insider terms even though they were used. Cena's final words about Punk leaving with nothing if he loses and what Cena has if he wins made for compelling TV for this viewer. Both the pro-Cena fans and the pro-Punk fans have reasons to feel invested in this match, which was ultimately about the thing that matters most: The WWE Championship. Excellent final sale for the PPV.

Raw Misses:​

Final Summerslam hype: We came into the night with four matches on the card for Summerslam, and we ended the go-home show with just as many. There's still time with Smackdown on Friday before the PPV, but they gave away quite a bit tonight here. Morrison and Truth was a grudge match essentially 3 months in the making, and they gave it away in a 4 minute match. Ziggler vs Alex Riley with the disqualification could be a set-up for a PPV title match sans Vickie, but no announcement was made. Alberto Del Rio's stock has dropped since winning MITB, and he's not even on the card. With Rey getting "injured" tonight but still plugged for a title match the night after Summerslam, why aren't we getting Miz vs Rey at the PPV? The two matches on the show were plugged well, but the build otherwise left much to be desired.

John Morrison vs R-Truth: As I said above, this has been a feud building for 3 months now, with Truth "injuring" Morrison twice. So instead of having a PPV match to settle a grudge feud, they have a four minute throwaway match on Raw. Punishment for Melina perhaps, and Morrison's tweets after her release? Either that or they just dont see the value in Morrison right now---or aren't sure what to do with him. Either way, it was disapointing to see this match given away on Raw, and not be a Summerslam undercard match.

Alex Riley vs Dolph Ziggler: Is this the end of Dolph and Vickie? If so, it fell flat, and Riley came across as the heel for shoving Dolph into Vickie. Vickie's interference here made no sense whatsoever. It felt like they were just rushing to the breakup of Dolph and Vickie with no real direction how to do it. This was much more of an angle then a match, and Im hoping we see the real match at Summerslam. But again, no announcement was made on the go-home show, which was a disapointment.

CM Punk vs Alberto Del Rio: Similar to Cena's match, this was fine for what it was. Punk gets a clean win over an even more credible opponent heading into the PPV. Why a miss, then? WWE seemed to be in the process of rebuilding Del Rio after he was made to look foolish with the back to back cash-in attempts, and him losing a match in under 5 minutes did him no favors. I get that this match was about Punk looking strong, as hes at a far higher level then Del Rio now, but there were other wrestlers that would have worked in this spot. Del Rio could easily get his momentum back by cashing in successfully, but it would mean so much more if he was a strong, credible heel champion.

Overall, this wasn't a bad show. Both Cena and Punk look strong heading into the PPV, and they had another excellent verbal exchange to close the show. HHH as the referee for the match adds an intriguing element to it, with the possibility for a screwy finish. There were several good matches, with the standout being Miz vs Kofi Kingston. Unfortunately, Raw signed off with the same number of matches headed into the PPV then they had before the go-home Raw. There's still time to rectify that, but matches that should have been saved for Summerslam were (apparently) given away on Raw. But Punk/Cena is the main selling point for the PPV, and it was done exceptionally.

 

[RicoLen]

What IS The Miz going to do at Summerslam? Anything? He really needs a new angle and fast, because he's one of the most charismatic talents the WWE has had and you can't let him flounder.

I'm a little surprised that R-Truth & John Morrison went down tonight. I mean, I get it, I walked out on the match and to go take a s**t, rather than hold it in until the contract signing was over. But even so, in the past a lackluster feud that had been built and booked a long time ago would be set in stone. Now, it's like they pulled it from the Summerslam card because it wasn't getting over with the fans. I like that, even if I am somewhat disappointed that it now appears R-Truth vs Morrison isn't going down. However, R-Truth IS a good R-Truth.

I think I more or less watched Beth Phoenix's right breast bulge out of her top the whole divas match. Maybe THAT is why I liked the match so much, but I think she deserved a bigger pop than she got.

John Cena imitating a CM Punk fan killed me. With that little imitation he basically told me that he thinks Punk fans are the nerdy IWC, and that they (we) are little more than comic-con-esque fanboys. Good for him man, vent that frustration.

I was VERY surprised to see The Rock's promo air on WWE TV 4 weeks after the fact. Glad it got a good reaction too, because IMO that's the best Rock promo I've seen since long before he left. On that note, I might also point out that The Rock is filming G.I.Joe as we all know, and he was talking about, on his facebook account, that he was receiving training with his weapon, and he asked the question of "who's my target?" The best answer I read was "The punk with the Cobra tattoo on his shoulder." With all the talk about maybe he'll make a cameo at Summerslam, might he screw CM Punk, under the pretense that he wants his match at Wrestlemania to be for the title? ... I don't think so, but it's fun to think about.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

I was disappointed by last week’s edition of RAW.; I felt the wrestling was weak, the promos were none events, angles for SummerSlam were wasted and the three man commentary team once more failed to flow at all. Riley vs. Ziggler, Mysterio vs. Miz and especially Truth vs. Morrison were all potential matches, and while I can understand injuries are preventing some guys working, I still feel like there was a variety of wasted opportunities last night. However, the closing segment of last night's show was exceptional. Punk and Cena both showcased themselves tremendously as they verbally duelled. It's a great angle that continues to work well, and while I feel that I know who will win on Sunday, I'm not 100% sure...at all. Excellent angle, very dull show otherwise.

 

[hollowpoint]

First off I want to comment on the many different points of view on this forum. Some think last night sucked, some think it was ok, and others think it was awesome for their own reasons. I think it's great to have different opinions and i'm going to share mine.

I didn't think Raw was awesome, but it was definitely above average.

One problem I had with this week's show was that it didn't build any other matches for SS. The Divas match was probably the only one and that seemed more forced than anything. Any matches they put on the card now will be more of a filler and not have much meaning.

Both tune up matches with Cena and Punk did what they were supposed to do in making each competitor look strong against a strong opponent. The promos were awesome and the fact that Cena brought up the "five moves of doom" stuff and the fact that people want him to turn heel made it even better. CM Punk is starting to over shoot his promos and it seems that it the only way he is connecting to the crowd. Advice to CM Punk, come up with some actual material and limit the shoot promos. The crowd will eventually turn on you. Can't wait til SS.

Raw rating: 7.5/10

 

[Highspeed]

hollowpoint I get what you mean, but judging from last night Punk's shoot promos are not gonna end anytime soon. He stated in that interview he wanted to make this the "Reality Era" and this is how he is gonna do it I'm guessing. I noticed last night that throughout the night Punk was getting mixed reactions. But when they gave him the stick and let him talk for a few minutes the chants really picked up. It's still entertaining me, maybe it will grow old eventually but I'm diggin it.

 

[XXJJ]

-Orton/Morrison vs Christian/R-Truth and DB vs Tyson Kidd were both excellent matches.

-Looks like Sheamus is going to become the number 2 babyface on smackdown that they are desperately missing.

-Nattie vs AJ was a good match. I like her heel turn. They basically gave the storyline involving Kharma to Nattie and Beth.

-Ezekiel Jackson sucks! Seriously giving him a mic is a mistake. They better give Cody the IC title asap!

 

[Kenny Powers]

That doesn't surprise me Jack. The main storyline has a premise that most of the WWE Universe couldn't care less about. There is not much intrigue with da boyz in da back stuff and there is obviously a reason the WWE has really stayed clear of that trivial bull.

So the Raw ratings which dip and rise every week between 3.0 to 3.3 during the summer is CM Punk's fault and the WWE Universe couldn't care less about him or his angle with Cena? Summer and NFL season has usually been a downtime for Raw and Impact. I'm not a die hard CM Punk supporter, but the guy has been involved in the first intriguing angle in WWE for only a few weeks and people are already shitting on him.

I don't know how long WWE will continue down the road of the "reality era" or how effective it will be, but at least is something new and intriguing.

Divas Match: They totally are ripping off the TNA angle with ODB, Jackie against Velvet being the pretty face and taking her out. It's sad how people don't the fact BOTH companies take ideas from each other. It's sad.


Contract Negotiations: oh look da wwe copy tna cuz sting and angle had a ctract signing on thursdai!!!!

Sorry, I just had to do it.

I don't dispute the statement that wrestling companies steal ideas from another, but do you really think WWE is watching the TNA Knockouts and stealing ideas from them because Beth Phoenix and Natalya are speaking out against the divas? This is pretty much the same angle with Kharma only with Beth Phoenix and Natalya.

I hope you are being sarcastic about the contract negotiations too. There have been contract signings on Raw, Smackdown, Nitro, Impact for years. Generally when ever there is a main event for a PPV we see a contract signing. I know you are trying to make fun of the people that say TNA copies WWE, but it doesn't look good when you say the exact same statement with WWE copies Impact.

Raw was pretty mediocre overall until the ending segment. I'm afraid that WWE have shot their wad as far as the whole worked shoot segment with CM Punk, Triple H, and Cena. It's entertaining but it will mean less if CM Punk shoots every single week.