I've Got Low Expecations For Raw Tonight

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Raw is back on the air live tonight from Nashville, Tennessee with what's advertised as "Raw Country" or "Raw Goes Country" being the theme. I have a feeling there's gonna be a LOT of lousy, silly comedy stuff on tonight's show. There's a report out that there could be some sort of "confrontation" between 3MB and country duo Florida Georgia Line, who are advertised to perform live on tonight's show. This just has fucking disaster and absolute waste of time written all over it.

There's also some hinting that Josh Reddick, with whom Daniel Bryan had a "Twitter rivalry" with a while back via a "beard off", could be at Raw tonight. Reddick was hanging out last night with some WWE guys, including Michael Cole with one of WWE's social media managers posting "There's gonna be some serious shenanigans tomorrow night at #RAW between @joshreddick16 & @WWEDanielBryan... #BEARDOFF"

For the life of me, I have absolutely no idea why Vince puts stuff like this on Raw. I don't give a shit about Florida Georgia Line being on Raw nor about any potential "shenanigans" between Daniel Bryan & Josh Reddick. The overall hype for this year's Survivor Series has been abysmal with only two matches named for the card and the show airing in less than a week. But they're hinting that they're gonna waste time with pointless nonsense instead? It's stuff like this that makes me believe that Vince genuinely is losing touch.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Expect The Real Americans to be even more patriotic tonight.

I have no problem with silly gimmick-y episodes like this one. I just don't wish to see skit after skit of really awful stereotypical country crap that we are going to get anyways. I'm willing to put money on the table that someone other than JBL will be wearing a cowboy hat tonight. It's just going to happen.

I don't really think tonight will be serious, but I've been wrong before. Should be okay if we don't drown in southern fried angles.

 

[klunderbunker]

I have a bad feeling this is going to turn into some horrible jab at southern wrestling fans since Vince probably still isn't over WCW. If anyone could hold a grudge that long, it's him.

I agree about the show though. Who is this supposed to appeal to? Country music fans? That's fine, but appealing to a small niche has rarely worked as a draw for the obvious reason: the gimmick turns off a lot of fans and they don't want to see it. Yeah Florida Georgia Line is a popular band, but I only know them because my mom is a country music fan. I have no desire to see them on Raw, especially when the show is already going to be dominated by the Authority's reactions to last week's show, which is a focal point of tonight for some reason. Raw isn't in a good place right now and this isn't going to help things.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Blech.

McMahon loves to poke fun at the South, and I'm sure we'll get some comments about "wrasslin" and maybe a "STONE COLD, BY GAWD!" thrown in for good measure.

Stuff like this though shows that for all his talk, McMahon truly does cling to the past from time to time. I'm sure Florida Georgia Line and Josh Reddick works for a local audience, but I'm not sure anyone cares nationally. Further, the audiences just don't line up. Does anyone really care that much about 3MB? Do hardcore fans of the WWE (and their lower tier performers like 3MB) also care about Florida Georgia Line? Maybe...but it just doesn't seem like they're appealing to their broadest audience.

Sometimes you just can't get WWE management's head out of its old school wrasslin promotional tactics that it claims to have ditched long ago in favor of the "entertainment business".

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Low expectations are the genesis of marginal approval.

I like when Heath Slater gets smacked around. I can fast forward through any musical act. There are some Divas I'd be happy to see in pig tails and the thing when they take a button down checker board-type shirt and tie the front tails in a know and leave the top 52 buttons undone. But most importantly I can fast forward through anything.

To me, my focus will be on the follow up to last week's main event and the fall out thereafter. If they can keep the pace of that story and deliver some other nice surprises the downtime and other poor attempts at out of the box sports entertainment will fly by (mostly because again, I am fast forwarding it). Really a bad episode of Raw just means I get to go to bed earlier. Truth be told though, for the most part Raw has been very, very entertaining the past five months but that could have more to do with my expectations.

 

[Henhouse]

I think I speak on behalf of the majority of WWE's fanbase when I say that nobody really cares about Raw goes country. Just as the British don't need to see telephone boxes and taxis every time Raw comes to the UK, the people of Nashville don't really need to see Southern stereotypes.

I'm at a loss as to why someone thought this was a good idea. The only reason I can think of is that the WWE wants to do something special for Nashville given that its the hometown of their main competition, but even that seems like a long shot.

Ugh, Vince. Just ugh.

 

[Softcore Holly]

They literally only have a week left until a "Big 4" PPV which only has 3 matches on it(rather lackluster ones at that) and they're wasting their time on a silly themed Raw?

I should just lower my expectations of the WWE, it might make being a fan less painful.

 

[hatehabsforever]

The only thing I wondered about when I heard about a Raw Country theme was a possible appearance from Mickie James. Apparently she has no plans to return to TNA and I thought I read she was working backstage as a trainer or something with WWE, so even a once off appearance on RAW could be possible, if not a full time return. Truthfully, I don't particularly care one way or the other about it, as I have no strong opinion of Mickie James one way or the other, but I certainly wouldn't be opposed to seeing an appearance by her in her daisy dukes or whatever.

Over and above that, there will definitely be some random garbage, but there better be something of substance tonight as well as it is the final RAW before Survivor Series. I'm not too excited about the two announced matches, so hopefully something is happening tonight and on Friday night to justify purchasing the PPV.

 

[BaconBits]

It'll have some cheese factor to it, but whatever. It's professional wrestling, it's inherently cheesy to begin with. Adding a little bit more cheese isn't going to hurt anything.

I'll watch it, if for nothing else to see what matches are going to be added to SS and ogle some chicks dressed up as ****ty cowgirls. I mean, seriously, who can't get into ****ty cowgirls?

If you temper your expectations to what it's most likely to be, you'll be a lot happier with the final product.

Just sayin'

 

[ThePhenomLives]

What do you expect from this current product which has been awful? Everyone is out of touch, the shows are a disaster atm. Just the fact that we all have such low expectations on a go home show for a top 4 PPV says it all mate. Trainwreck of a company, ain't it.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Sad it's the go home show for Survivor Series, and WWE is more focused on producing a themed comedy episode of Raw. The Survivor Series build has been lackluster and nonexistent for the most part. I had no idea Cena VS Del Rio II was actually happening, until I browsed WWE.com one day. To add to that, I wasn't fully aware of the actual show taking place this upcoming Sunday until a few minutes ago.

So yeah, I'm expecting a very goofy comedy show tonight, loaded with voting polls, stupid country segments, and of course, they'll remind us how to use and download the WWE App every ten minutes. I'm holding out hope for WWE to put a noticeable effort into the build for Survivor Series, because as of right now, the only match I'm slightly interested in is Punk & Bryan VS Rowan & Harper.

 

[Messiah]

Who the fuck is Florida Georgia Line?

As soon as they mentioned RAW Country last week, i had low expectations. This is just a terrible idea, nobody gives a damn about country music anyways.

 

[The Perfect Max]

While I usually don't have an issue with the occasional themed Raw, such as Raw Roulette and the Raw Champions Night back in December last year, this pisses me off. I agree 100%, Survivor Series has gone to shit. Absolute bollocks. I actually found the mid part of this year to be quite entertaining and leading to some really good storylines in the latter part of the year. And they screw it all up. All of it. Wait... Vintage WWE!

Seriously though, for the love of God, I have nothing left in the tank when it comes to the WWE, and I've been with them for years. Raw Country proves that they have literally no fucking idea what they can do to make this business interesting again. It's obvious that 3MB will get a skit. Why? Because they suck and people apparently find that appealing. Don't get me wrong, I love Heath Slater, he's hilarious. His run during the build up to Raw 1000 was great. Drew McIntyre, what potential he has. Such a shame it is wasted here. Of course they'll confront the musicianship I refuse to name. Of course they will, because that's entertaining right?

In terms of Survivor Series, why is it on the PPV calender anymore? Perhaps they should have dropped it back in 2010 like they wanted to. To me, Survivor Series should be about the tag teams bouts. The occasional singles match or something else, regardless of what it is, is OK. Hell, the Elimination Chamber Match makes sense at the PPV. But Christ, what an awful line-up. The Tag Team Match does nothing for me as CM Punk and Daniel Bryan shouldn't be here in the first place, John Cena vs Alberto Del Rio equals no interest and should have Damien Sandow included just to spice things up, and good Lord, Randy Orton vs Big Show? OK, be serious with yourselves WWE. Is that a good WWE Championship Match? No, didn't think so.

Honestly, tonight's Raw will suck hard. I know it, and it's a damn shame because I try so hard when it comes to watching this product sometimes. I get it, not every storyline works, but right now, no storyline works. I cannot believe people like Vince McMahon and Triple H do not see it as we all see it. This is a dying company who needs to do something quick.

 

[H33LTurn]

Gimmick shows can work really well if you have the writing and superstars to back it up. WWE doesn't have any large county draws on their roster. 3MB is the closest they get and I don't think I need to explain why thats not going to go over well. I had high hopes for this episode, but after seeing so many people put things into perspective, I think I'll be flipping channels tonight. I can't understand why anyone thought this was a good idea. It was easy to blame it on Vince losing touch just a couple of years ago but being that Triple H has taken such a significant role backstage I think he'd speak up if he was actually against it. We're right off the heels of a very weak UK pre-taped show, and suffice to say the build to Survivor Series has been horrendous. Please WWE, prove me wrong tonight.

 

[Rulk25]

The only good that could come of this is either the return of Hardcore Country...or an encore for "With my Baby Tonight" by the Real Double JJ

 

[oldmanfan]

to put it mildly,country SUCKS!!!!! and dont you remember,the roadie was the real artist,not double J

 

[THTRobtaylor]

There seems to be something serious going wrong at the moment, the E seems intent on pissing a lot of people off. Refunds for PPV non finishes, live TV cock ups and now the complaints about the quality of the UK tour.

If this is all at the door of Triple H I'd be shocked but it almost seems like someone is hindering his work. Could this all be a very risky storyline with Vince pulling these strings? They're making more mistakes than I've ever known them to make and far more than a publicly traded company can afford to...unless they're not actually real mistakes but intentionally messing with the status quo to advance the story.

This isn't the first time they've risked stuff for an angle, several times they've legit let a wrestler go to further their angle only for them to reappear. Would they go so far as to nuke a PPV (which 3 years ago they were talking about binning altogether) only to further the story? It's not beyond the realms of possibility. Remember Trip's last spell in charge ended in ignominious defeat when the entire roster walked out on him... could Vince and his "agents" be recreating this to further their own ends in the story (or even legit who knows?).

At minimum tonight you see Rockabilly and Jesse James, they're still the outlaws but they will be an interesting addition to a Survivor match. Perhaps Curtis Axel will sing his dad's "Rap is Crap" song or lose the IC title to Honky Tonk Man in 30 seconds or we get an improptu "Rock Concert". We know Barrett is back so that's something, maybe Flair returns and reforms his Horsemen... it literally could be anything...

There is some time to still build Survivor Series, but whatever they HAVE got planned has to start strong cos I think once they start losing viewers tonight if they don't the slide is on... just as it was in 1993...

 

[Mustang Sally]

Your points are understood, but in an era where there's so, so, SO much pro wrestling on TV, I have no problem if they mix some other stuff in once in a while. Even if it's silly.

There's a report out that there could be some sort of "confrontation" between 3MB and country duo Florida Georgia Line...

3MB?

Whomever might they be? You're not referring to the Union Jacks, are you? Or did they morph back into a 3 man band once they left the UK?

At any rate, Jack Hammer, I figured the Union Jacks named themselves in deference to you.

Bring on the Nashville Network. It's only one night.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I may tune in from time to time, but I doubt I watch the entire episode. I have no issue with the more goofy and gimmicky parts of pro wrestling. Santino and his antics usually get the biggest "pops" from me when I watch, but the rumored plans tonight feel forced.

In the grand scheme of things, one more humiliating loss/segment won't hurt 3MB/Union Jacks, Daniel Bryan in a "beard off" with Reddick won't bury him, and we sit through half-hearted live performances each year at Mania, but all in one night seems a little much.

That is my biggest issue with themed shows. Take one of those segments from the previous paragraph and add it to a normal show and it wouldn't be a huge deal, I'd even go so far as to say the 3MB segment would be fun, but when you pack it all into a three hour show, it feels like a chore rather than a treat.

 

[ryder123]

Wise words spoken by Jack-Hammer. I agree 100% that old Vinnie Mac is indeed losing touch. I'm okay with a themed episode of Raw. Give me Old School Raw any day of the week. As was pointed out, Survivor Series (One of the all time classics and original Pay Per Views of WWE) is on this Sunday night and will I be buying it this year....NO! Every year I buy the four big Pay Per Views, Rumble, Mania, Summerslam and Survivor Series and I've bought the other three so far but I'm pulling the plug on Survivor Series. Yes an Elimination match was just match and thank God because it was these matches that started the tradition and I still think to this day that the Company should go back to having Survivor Series as an all Tag Team event.

5 or 6 Elimination matches featuring lots of talent and it gets loads of star athletes on TV plus they could easily build good Storylines from the tag matches. Partners turning on one and other, Good guys go bad and vice versa. Tonights Raw will surely be nothing more than a joke with maybe an hour and a half of good build up. Gauranteed we get a Country Whipping Match or some shit like that. What WWE needs to do is this,

They have 3 hours of Raw and they need to use them wisely

1st Hour: Half hour promo for one of the big Championship Matches at the Series. Good build up setting up a good main event.

2nd Hour: Go Country, let them have their fun for a good hour or 30 mins. Few matches, Backstage nonsense, but throw in a decent story building match, like Cody and Goldust with the USO's taking on The Shield with the All Americans. Bring in the mystery partner once it breaks down.

3rd Hour: Few more funny skits with several (non-popular comic) Superstars and then finally give us a good ending. Imagine Raw ending with a Country song. Tonights show needs to end with either Orton or Del Rio over their respective opponents on Sunday, Or Punk and Bryan.

Overall tonights show has the potential to be a good show but it can't all be Comedy. WWE Needs to get serious, themed episode or not Survivor Series is this Sunday and something needs done.

 

[Headman]

I couldn't take all the country music references so I changed the channel. As others have said this is the lead in to Survivor Series and yet they waste the show on an anti-climactic title change and a bunch of annoying plugs for a style of music that makes my ears bleed. The show was every bit as corny as modern country music so I'll spend the rest of my night watching the Panthers beat the Patriots. God willing.

 

[Pedigree1]

uhhh this indeed has disaster written all over it. Its a shame really it is. I have never heard of Florida Georgia Line and quite frankly dont give a shit.. The hype around this years SS has been less than appealing with only two matches announced?? Really supposedly this is your one of the big PPVs and the buildup is a cold fart at best..

Why Vince does stuff like this sometimes is beyond me it really is.. Yah im sure were gonna get the old sterotype southern type of thing going on tonight they do this shit every year.. Nothing ever happens a week prior to a PPV so i expect well next to nothing!

 

[RANKKA]

Well this has been great RAW, idont even remember when i was good mood cause of RAW.

 

[Serious Mozzarella]

This thread couldn't have been more indicative of the current attitude of the internet wrestling era. I hate to be that guy, but I really wish people would just stop ragging on everything and just try to enjoy the goddamn product, for once. You guys didn't even wait to see the show before you were all, "WHAT THE HELL IS VINCE DOING, THIS IS SO STUPID BEFORE SURVIVOR SERIES?!?!"

Instead we got a great match between Dolph Ziggler and Damien Sandow, Big E. winning the IC title, a little treat for country fans that didn't last long at all, the Raw debut of Xavier Woods, and the return of Rey Mysterio. And, if you're into that, a hilarious segment between Vickie and AJ.

I'm convinced some of you should just quit watching wrestling. You don't even want to enjoy it.

 

[Kris Benwa]

Dude this raw wasn't very good. Ziggler vs Sandow was corny hitting each other with those cheap ass instruments that broke whenever one of them picked it up. Big E winning the title was great and the best part of the show along with Rey Mysterio. Don't like country so I turned the channel when that shit was wrong but that could have been something that wasn't televised. I'm a fan of Xavier Woods in the ring but his debut tonight eh. This raw was pretty shitty to be totally honest and I'm one that tries to defend WWE but I did not enjoy this episode of RAW. For the most part I was drifting in and out besides when E won the title and Rey Mysterio's music hit everything else was throwaway shit as far as I'm concerned.