Monday Night Raw:Where midcarders go to die

[Jonnie Walker]

Let me get started on this. Raw is well known as the flagship show with the overly crowded main event. Smackdown is more of the wrestling, and midcarders flourish there. But on Raw, well, here are some recent examples.

Zack Ryder: Was a main eventer on ECW, which is a midcarder on Smackdown, but when ECW folded, Zack Ryder was forced to move to Raw. ECW has been gone for twelve weeks now. Ryder still has yet to pick up a win on Raw, and no, I'm not counting Superstars. Ryder is jobbing to a glorified jobber himself in Evan Bourne, and why? Ryder has talent, has a decent gimmick, and is pretty good on the mic. If he were on Smackdown, where would he be now?

John Morrison: Now, it may be a little early to say that he's doomed, considering he just got drafted, but on his first night, he beat Dibiase twice. His second? He's teaming with Santino, Goldust, and Yoshi Tatsu in a losing effort against rookies. And where was he on his third night? Nowhere to be seen. Not mentioned even. Over on Smackdown, Morrison could have easily become a main eventer now that pretty much all of their stars over there are now on Raw. But instead, WWE decided to ruin another career of a potential world champion.

MVP: MVP came to Raw as the US champion, and on his first night, he called out Randy Orton. Then, he lost to Kofi, and he teamed with Mark Henry, and he was on television once or twice a month after that. Now, over on Smackdown, he seems to have found himself a spot on the show, but it appears that thanks to Raw, his main event hopes have dwindled.

Jack Swagger: Yeah, I know, "He's World Heavyweight Champion, Jonnie, how could he have had his career ruined by Raw?" Well, the truth is Swagger, if it weren't for the MitB match, he'd still be jobbing to the likes of Santino. He came from ECW as one of the most talked about rookies in a very long time, where he was ECW champ for a little while. But sure enough, he couldn't find himself on Raw. As a matter of fact, there was a time where he was on PPV on Raw in his own match. You know when it was? The Hell in a Cell PPV. But he didn't win that match. And after Hell in a Cell, he was at Bragging Rights. But he didn't win that either. And then he showed up at Survivor Series. His team won, true, but he was pinned in that match. Now he's World Champion, but it's over on Smackdown. And what is his win/loss ratio since? He's still jobbing, he just has a fancy belt around his waist.

So is Raw really a midcard killer, or is it just the wrestlers are unable to flourish into stars on WWE's flagship program?

 

[cline00]

I totally agree that RAW is where mid-carders die. More examples would be:

The Brian Kendrick - Sure the company's wellness policy may have had a lot to do with his release from the company, but being drafted to RAW was the beginning of the end of his WWE career. Over on Smackdown he was getting a pretty decent push even a participant in the WWE championship scramble. Had he had stayed on Smackdown or even been drafted to ECW at that time I feel he wouldn't have been released so soon.

Chavo Guerrero - I guess he could still be considered a mid-carder right? Chavo started his WWE career on smackdown, while on the show he was Cruiserweight Champion and Tag Team Champion numerous times. He had possibly the best feud of his career with Rey Mysterio and he was also a huge part in the La Familia storyline with Edge and Vickie. While on ECW he was the Champion for a short while. When he was drafted to RAW he had somewhat of a main role at first while Vickie was GM for a short while, but after she left the company I can't remember seeing much out of Chavo other than jobbing to hornswoggle every week.

Vladimir Kozlov - I'm not sure what happened to this guys push, he was at one time a main eventer on smackdown feuding with the likes of Triple H and Jeff Hardy. He was drafted to ECW, while there he wasn't really a main eventer but being alligned with Regal and Zeke he was still an important part of the show. Now on Raw he is reduced to another comedy act.

there's probably many other I failed to mention but those are some that come to mind.

I feel the reason that many of the mid carders don't make it on RAW is because there is a glass ceiling holding them back. On RAW it is nearly impossible for anyone to get into the world title picture unless your names are John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H, Batista, Chris Jericho or Edge. With the exception of Sheamus no other mid-carders have really elevated their careers while on that brand. WWE should try this formula: Build mostly younger mid-card talents into main eventers on the smackdown brand then move them to RAW when they are already established main eventers. Some guys have gotten lucky though most of Randy Orton's success has been on the RAW brand. Ted Dibiase is also getting a pretty decent push as well the same can be said for The Miz.

What it boils down to is there are too many top guys on RAW that it's difficult for the mid card guys to get over on that brand. A lot of the time an Evan Bourne or a Carlito would look weak compared to the likes of a John Cena or Triple H. With the departure of Shawn Michaels, Triple H taking time off, Rumors of Batista leaving the company and Chris Jericho focusing more on tag team gold let's hope that this will allow more younger mid carders to elevate their careers to the main event status.

 

[thepalaceprince]

Im a big john morrison fan. The moment I saw he was drafted to raw I knew he was going to get completely buried. Personally I dont get why they couldnt have kept him wher he was? Christian is another guy you couldve mentioned his 1st night on raw has a strong showing against sheamus then he has 2 pointless matches against dibiase and thats it. Raws always crowded but this may be the worst in recent history. The only hope a midcarder has of getting a push now is the money in the bank ppv and we dont know that midcarders will even be involved in the match or how thats going to work. Raw is a black hole for young talent and its a shame because there are plenty of talented young guys who have zero chance to shine now that could be getting over on smackdown. Honestly they could get over on raw if the were given a consistent storyline each week.

 

[StuartJolly]

I'm sure the vast majority of wrestling fans will agree with you and will have been thinking the same hting for ages now. I know I have.

I think it is horrible and ridiculous at how much WWE misuses Smackdown! I have expressed my digust at how little effort they put into Smackdown! I enjoy it and it usually ok every week but for fuck sake, it has the vault?!?! That just shows how much they try for that show. Raw is clustered with superstars and I think that is fine, I like a big roster, but not when the other show is scrapping for a decent feud.

On Raw people like John Morrison and Jack Swagger were/are midcarders struggling for TV time. But on Smackdown! they could easily be the top guys on it. John Morrison could be a World Champ on Smackdown! soon or a midcard jobber to the stars on Raw. And they choose to do the latter. I think WWE think it will be fine just to let their stars of the future kick about throughout they years regardless of what they do and then they will throw the title on them and see if they have got it. But in the long run that will backfire. Look at Sheamus, he gets a poor crowd reaction for an ex champ. I imagine when The Swaggie loses the championship he will be near enough the same as Sheamus. I would love it if people like John Morrison, R-Truth and Ted DiBiase were the top draws on Smackdown! They all can perform well and it would be exciting. The main event would be different week instead of the same stuff Raw puts on every week because they have stars so big they have to have them in the spotlight all the time.

 

[Cookie14]

I have to admit that I don't like the way midcarders get buried as soon as they get drafted as soon as they go to Raw, but maybe there is more to WWE's thinking than we are giving them credit for here.

Think about it, the people lost on Raw (Koslov, JoMo, Santino, Bourne, DiBiase etc) are not likely to be released unless they ask for it. These people can spend a year or two on Raw and still go on to have a decent and long career at the top.

WWE is struggling to bring enough new stars to replace the ones who are likely to be leaving over the next few years.

Would you really like to see the people named above dominate SD for the next 5 years, only to go to Raw and do it there when the big names are gone?
Why can't we let a wrestler be with WWE for 7/8 years before they win a title? Why do we demand instant success?
Benoit, Guerrerro, Mysterio, Edge, HBK, HHH, Austin, Rock, JBL and many others all had to wait several years before their first WWE heavyweight title reign. What's wrong with Raw's lost bunch waiting for a few years?


Don't get me wrong, I agree with the OP, but maybe, just maybe, it's not the worst thing in the world that can happen

 

[JBK2008]

If the mid carders aren't going to shine on Raw and win titles, then they should still be somewhat in the title pictures at least to challenge. It kind of worked for Kofi and Ted DiBiase earlier this year. I'm not saying put Morrison and Kozlov in the WWE title picture, but if there's a tournament or battle royal, have one of them be like one of the final 4 remaining just to surprise everyone and build them up just a little bit.

Instant success doesn't always work, and long roads to the top don't either. In the end, it's a gamble. One someone's at the top, it's the fall that makes or breaks the superstar. Sheamus has survived. Time will only tell for the future champions. Yes, the main event scene is VERY crowded on Raw now, but that just gives these mid carders that slight chance to upset them. An upset match every now and then surely wouldn't hurt if Vince is indeed rebuilding for the future.

 

[16mikeytot]

Good post and I completely agree with you. Some guys are able to flourish like Miz, Ted Dibiase, and Kofi Kingston were. If im a mid-carder I would want to be on smackdown because you have the better opportunity for a push. A few weeks ago they had Morrison teaming with Santino, Goldust, and Yoshi Tatsui and im like really you have nothing better for him to do. Where on smackdown he was just putting on five star matches with Swagger. I mean raw is and will always be the John Cena, Triple H, and Randy Orton show. I mean who have we really seen flourish into the main-event scene? Hunter's work out buddy who left ecw for raw due to free agency. I didn't know wwe had free agency within brands.

 

[AjStyles]

Not really, I think since RAW definatly has more exposure then Smackdown, perhaps its to elevate younger stars and for more established stars to either stay relevant, or to put over the younger sperstars, ex. SheamusvsTripleH, sure, not all the superstars drafted to RAW make it , but some have jumped into the main event and they survived, for some its sink or swim, some have what it takes to be a star, others drown in an overpopulated brand

 

[klunderbunker]

Ok so let me get this straight. You think because Ryder, Morrison, MVP and Swagger didn't do well on Raw that they died in the midcard? Let's see here.

Ryder sucks. There's no other way about it. He sucks. Christian carried him to two decent matches on ECW, where Ryder was a jobber. So in other words, the guy jobbed on the C show, and you're surprised he's jobbing on the A show? So in other words a guy like the Brooklyn Brawler who jobbed on Superstars in the 80s could win in the main events of PPVs?

Morrison has been there two weeks. I'm surprised he's still credible at this point. Morrison is the epitome of a guy living off a gimmick. he has some flashy moves and a great look, but the overall skill simply isn't there. He's incredibly athletic, but that doesn't make him incredibly good.

MVP. Hang on a second.

HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Sorry. MVP is the biggest joke in the company and I always have to laugh at him. Tell me, what has MVP ever done? He had a long and forgettable US Title run and he's lived off that since. There is no reason the man should have a job let alone a serious push on the top show in the world.

Swagger is now a world champion and getting more seasoning on Smackdown. He wasn't used on Raw but that doesn't mean he was bad. He's getting a push now and he's running with it. What more can you ask of the company than to do something like that?

So yeah, if you say Raw kills midcard guys and mean Raw weeds out talentless hacks that need to be fired, then you're absolutely right. No, Raw does not kill midcarders.

 

[Justin Satiable]

In my personal opinion, there are other important factors that need to be taken into account. In particular, the "sink or swim" concept. It's not just the writer's fault if a character gets buried. If a star is over with the fans, but has a gimmick that will obviously peter out before they can even grace the top of the card, then they don't deserve and won't receive the main event push.

Also, embrace the cycle. If these midcarders weren't moved on up to Raw, or bumped into the main event of Smackdown, then people attempting to break into the Smackdown midcard will be held back. If those who are moved up then fail to prosper, then maybe they hadn't the capacity for greatness, or perhaps now's not their time.

Maybe, just maybe, somebody being over in the midcard is the poison that plagues their career, and how people react to this poison determines their success. Look at the Mr Dwayne Johnson. Took the heat for Rocky Maivia and developed a fantastic character in The Rock. He had star power. He swam. If he'd been moved to Raw in the modern day, he'd have made it.

It's down to the star, it's not Raw's fault.

 

[Vega]

You've to see that the rosters are overcrowded since ECW gone. Of course there are a lot of people who've nothing to do. I wouldn't mind if they cut their male talent on 35 to 40 superstars. I liked yesterday's integration of the midcarders. Yes, the show was bit longer, but there were also Smackdown superstars and Bret who took some time. I agree that too many people become jokes and jobbers and a lot of people are handled in a bad way. They could make way more with some people, but on the other hand they should slim the rosters - drastically.

 

[RendarSelin]

I would agree with this post if not for one wrestler: The Miz. After last year's draft, Miz and Morrison were broken up: Miz was drafter to RAW, Morrison to SmackDown. Everyone expected The Miz to fade away into nothing as the new jobber to the stars, and effectively, be the "Jannety" of this team. The Miz was given a chance to shine in the spotlight with John Cena, and he took that chance and exploded with it. He drastically improved his in-ring work, mic work, and has become, in my opinion, one of RAW's most hated heels (even more so than former WWE Champion Sheamus).

Another example I would give is Kofi Kingston. After Randy Orton's "I Quit" match with John Cena ended their feud, Kofi and Randy had one hell of a feud (which ended prematurely...mainly because of the Road to WrestleMania). Kofi was lost for a little while, but has found new life on SmackDown, challenging Drew McIntyre for the IC title on Sunday.

Being in the mid-card on the A-show means more than the C-show. You have to take the opportunity and prove you have what it takes to be out there.

 

[PhD]

Ok so let me get this straight. You think because Ryder, Morrison, MVP and Swagger didn't do well on Raw that they died in the midcard? Let's see here.

Ryder sucks. There's no other way about it. He sucks. Christian carried him to two decent matches on ECW, where Ryder was a jobber. So in other words, the guy jobbed on the C show, and you're surprised he's jobbing on the A show? So in other words a guy like the Brooklyn Brawler who jobbed on Superstars in the 80s could win in the main events of PPVs?

Morrison has been there two weeks. I'm surprised he's still credible at this point. Morrison is the epitome of a guy living off a gimmick. he has some flashy moves and a great look, but the overall skill simply isn't there. He's incredibly athletic, but that doesn't make him incredibly good.

MVP. Hang on a second.

HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Sorry. MVP is the biggest joke in the company and I always have to laugh at him. Tell me, what has MVP ever done? He had a long and forgettable US Title run and he's lived off that since. There is no reason the man should have a job let alone a serious push on the top show in the world.

Swagger is now a world champion and getting more seasoning on Smackdown. He wasn't used on Raw but that doesn't mean he was bad. He's getting a push now and he's running with it. What more can you ask of the company than to do something like that?

So yeah, if you say Raw kills midcard guys and mean Raw weeds out talentless hacks that need to be fired, then you're absolutely right. No, Raw does not kill midcarders.

I agree with this guy. I remember John Morrison being featured very prominently in a video package last week, and this week it's reported he's suffering from an injured ankle. Not everyone can get over at the same time, there aren't enough titles to go for.

That being said, it has been detrimental to the mid-card to have the US title basically on hold for the last 2 months, while they try to figure out exactly what to do with The Miz. But look how much progress R-Truth has made working a credible program with Dibiase. Hell, even the Colons got some TV time last week. People just need to have some patience.

 

[Next Jericho]

Wait are you calling John Morrison a mid carder on raw? did that happen on Smackdown as well! JoMo is a joke and why do people think he is a main eventer.

I agree that wrestlers get buried on Raw but that is what superstars is for! Would you rather see the Miz in the world champion picture now or wait whilst he gets built up.
Maybe even Dohlp Zillger going against the likes of Cena or Edge.

What I am saying is WWE can't use their main eventers names as good when they are retired or in another company so they dry all the money out of them.

 

[Jonnie Walker]

Ok so let me get this straight. You think because Ryder, Morrison, MVP and Swagger didn't do well on Raw that they died in the midcard? Let's see here.

Ryder sucks. There's no other way about it. He sucks. Christian carried him to two decent matches on ECW, where Ryder was a jobber. So in other words, the guy jobbed on the C show, and you're surprised he's jobbing on the A show? So in other words a guy like the Brooklyn Brawler who jobbed on Superstars in the 80s could win in the main events of PPVs?

Morrison has been there two weeks. I'm surprised he's still credible at this point. Morrison is the epitome of a guy living off a gimmick. he has some flashy moves and a great look, but the overall skill simply isn't there. He's incredibly athletic, but that doesn't make him incredibly good.

MVP. Hang on a second.

HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Sorry. MVP is the biggest joke in the company and I always have to laugh at him. Tell me, what has MVP ever done? He had a long and forgettable US Title run and he's lived off that since. There is no reason the man should have a job let alone a serious push on the top show in the world.

Swagger is now a world champion and getting more seasoning on Smackdown. He wasn't used on Raw but that doesn't mean he was bad. He's getting a push now and he's running with it. What more can you ask of the company than to do something like that?

So yeah, if you say Raw kills midcard guys and mean Raw weeds out talentless hacks that need to be fired, then you're absolutely right. No, Raw does not kill midcarders.

I'm not saying that they are all great or even good, but they all played vital roles on their previous shows. MVP was making weekly appearances over on Smackdown, and then look at him when he came to Raw. If you play a big role on another show, then you should play a role on the show you get moved to. ECW getting scrapped was a terrible decision, because that leaves guys who need shows like that to get on TV to rot in the dark matches of Raw. I understand Ryder may not have much talent, but he was at least used pretty effectively over on ECW, thanks to Christian or not. And I could tell Morrison won't last over on Raw because of an overcrowded scene. They have Bret Hart on the show beating up Miz, but not any sign of Morrison. If that's the way that WWE is building for the future, than I don't think they'll be as successful when you have one of the most entertaining guys on Raw jobbing to a 52 year old stroke victim, whether or not there was interference, why the hell did they book it like that? Just because they were in Canada doesn't give an excuse to completely fuck over two guys who could be future world champions. And as for Swagger, yeah, he did survive, but not after he lost pretty much all of his "Swagger" on Raw. He jobbed to Santino. You and I both know that he had to piss someone off, because there is no need for a guy to get the MVP Push treatment. I understand that it's up to the stars and not just the show and the writers, but Smackdown is much better for younger stars, and that's undeniable.

 

[Kahuna Cowboy]

Don't forget Booker T. He was the World Champ on Smackdown, got drafted Raw and was fed to HHH making him a jobber to the Raw marque talent. He soon quit after that.

Then of course JBL, longest reigning WWE Champion in Smackdown history. Came to Raw after his first retirement post broadcasting and pretty much only saw the midcard with the sole exception of the Shawn Michaels as his Virgil angle.

Also CM Punk, he was doing very well on ECW, got moved to Raw and did nothing, went over to Smackdown and viola!

... and lets not forget the epic disaster of moving Rey Mysterio over to Raw last year.

But on the flip side of that, The Miz has done exceptionally well on Raw. Not all that long ago no one could stand him, JBL did nothing but bury the guy when color commentating, and everyone wrote him off as the Jannity when him and Morrison split. Not it looks like everyone had that wrong and the Miz is becoming one of the better superstars on the Raw brand.

 

[MWRedskins]

Wait are you calling John Morrison a mid carder on raw? did that happen on Smackdown as well!
that's my problem with this. John Morrison was a low mid carder on Smackdown NOT Raw. Zack Ryder isn't one that i can actually get behind, BUT now that the United States title is Bret Hart's, maybe a new U.S. Champion will be crowned. The Miz was a good champion at first, but when he got involved in Tag Team title matches, it was like the U.S. title was all, but forgotten.
Don't forget Booker T. He was the World Champ on Smackdown, got drafted Raw and was fed to HHH making him a jobber to the Raw marque talent. He soon quit after that.
He's a good example of Smackdown to Raw busts.
Then of course JBL, longest reigning WWE Champion in Smackdown history. Came to Raw after his first retirement post broadcasting and pretty much only saw the midcard with the sole exception of the Shawn Michaels as his Virgil angle.
let me see, should JBL be WWE champion over guys like HHH, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, John Cena, Randy Orton or others? no, he's ok in the ring, he's good on the mic, i think he's a GREAT announcer.
Also CM Punk, he was doing very well on ECW, got moved to Raw and did nothing, went over to Smackdown and viola!
he was World Heavyweight Champion on Raw, his problem was WWE booked him like an underdog (not smart).
... and lets not forget the epic disaster of moving Rey Mysterio over to Raw last year.
that was a disaster because of how Rey was on Smackdown, the pops were bigger on Smackdown.
But on the flip side of that, The Miz has done exceptionally well on Raw. everyone wrote him off as the Jannity when him and Morrison split. Not it looks like everyone had that wrong and the Miz is becoming one of the better superstars on the Raw brand.
not really, i never thought Miz was a Marty Jannity.

 

[Andy 2 Randy]

In some ways i can agree with what people are saying, When Booker T, Rey-Rey or even Vladimir Kozlov went to RAW, they were hardly mentioned, even though they were huge stars on their other show/s.
Look at Kozlov, when he debuted i thought that he would be a passing powerhouse destined for better things elsewhere (Matt Morgan for example), but Kozlov showed that he was infact a main eventer, and a good one at that. Not many people face The Undertaker, Triple H or Jeff Hardy only a few months into there WWE Career. Then he got drafted to ECW...OK, bit strange but it worked well, Big Powerhouse and alligned with Regal and Big Zeke. Then came the downfall for him, Since Debuting on RAW, he has done nothing good really, just job, Lose to MacGruber(?) and become a laughing stock by becoming a comedy act with Santino (I like santino though...).
RAW is, Currently, the place that SD! Main eventers become low mid-cards, and low mid-cards are basically non existant. With A few exeptions, like The Miz who has done amazingly well since joining RAW, No-one can regain there full dominance like they did on SD! or ECW...I'm Just Sayin...

 

[Mark0820]

Midcarders do tend to flounder on Raw, but there are some that don't sit back and let shit come to them. The Miz took his opportunities to talk and forced creative to give him something. He got so over that the bookers had to get him involved more with the show. Same with Kofi. Maybe it's not a problem with the show but the performers.

 

[Travaje]

I'm gonna just respond to OP's examples for this thread.

Zack Ryder: Look at it this way. There are going to have to be guys on RAW that lose. We no longer have Barry Horowitz and the Brooklyn Brawler to make anybody who has a gimmick look good anymore. If he can continue to develop his character and annoy the fans to the point where he's getting a reaction, he'll start to win some matches. The Miz is a perfect example of this. He's a D-lister.

John Morrison: I know a lot of people are on board the John Morrison bandwagon. And I don't dislike him. But I don't think he has enough star power, nor do I think his gimmick is strong enough, now do I think his mic skills are good enough, to be on the same level as the Cena's and the Orton's and I don't see him winning if he were to feud with the Jericho's and the Miz's. I know there's a lot of people in the IWC that believe he's World Champion material based solely on the fact that he's very athletic and can do a lot of spots. I disagree. It might have been a mistake to put him on RAW. I fully expect him to do the same thing he's been doing: winning occasionally against the Zack Ryder's, but losing to the Miz's. And that's probably going to piss a lot of you off. My advice to Morrison is to somehow grow out of the gimmick he has now and evolve. He's a C-lister.

MVP: I am not a MVP fan. I've never been a MVP fan. I hate his gimmick. I hate his matches. I hate his entrance. I really hate his talking. How this guy has ever gotten over other than the obvious baffles me. If he really draws money, then good for him and WWE, but I just don't see it. He's an F-lister.

Jack Swagger: Is exactly where he needs to be now. He's going to get the chance to flourish and work with the right guys, because he really doesn't have any business going against the A-listers. He needs to rack up some wins and establish himself and work with other B-listers like Mysterio, Christian, Big Show, and Kane. I don't think he was being buried per say the few months before this, as much as the company was just waiting for the programs at that time to run their course and then set up the rosters for the current year, and it makes sense to me to just keep him off TV and then push him rather than risk the fans no longer buying into him. Guys back in the day used to get taken off TV all the time only to reappear and dominate.

I don't think RAW is a mid-card killer, rather that they have a roster full of A-listers and C/D-listers with little-to-no room for B-listers, and Smackdown has a roster full of B-listers and C/D-listers with little-to-no room for A-listers. Raw is the A show and Smackdown is the B show, as we know.

 

[I_KELL_IT]

Has anyone forgotten about the Miz? Hes flourished on RAW. Hes scored himself matches with John Cena, won Unified Tag Titles and the United States titles. Provided he has already lost all of these things, he still has a great gimmick going and the crowd hates him, which to the company, is good.

Plus the Hart Dynasty has won tag titles, mid carders also from ECW with a spot at wrestlemania 26.

So I think that RAW is a mid card killer to people who just dont have strong gimmicks

 

[Jonnie Walker]

Has anyone forgotten about the Miz? Hes flourished on RAW. Hes scored himself matches with John Cena, won Unified Tag Titles and the United States titles. Provided he has already lost all of these things, he still has a great gimmick going and the crowd hates him, which to the company, is good.

Plus the Hart Dynasty has won tag titles, mid carders also from ECW with a spot at wrestlemania 26.

So I think that RAW is a mid card killer to people who just dont have strong gimmicks

Miz may have flourished, of course not all midcarders on Raw have their careers ruined or damaged, but Miz has arguably the best mic skills in the WWE. And the Hart Dynasty is the unified tag team champions solely based on the fact that Bret is in WWE. If it weren't for Bret, then they would be feuding with the Dudebusters or Cryme Tyme for the millionth time. Look at guys like Kofi, when he came to Raw, he won the IC title on his first night. But Christian came to Raw after a very long ECW title run and he did nothing on the show, and he can go in the ring and he can talk. I understand where your coming from, but it isn't about gimmicks, it's really about who Vince likes and doesn't like.

 

[Xemmy]

Guys like Morrison, Ryder, and R-Truth belong on Smackdown. They just won't rise because there is simply no room in the main event. Hell I think the majority of Raw's roster are guys that have been world champion. Put them on Smackdown first until they've been champion, then throw them to Raw so they won't be completely overshadowed by the guys in the title hunt.

 

[xkadafi5x]

Im a big john morrison fan. The moment I saw he was drafted to raw I knew he was going to get completely buried. Personally I dont get why they couldnt have kept him wher he was? Christian is another guy you couldve mentioned his 1st night on raw has a strong showing against sheamus then he has 2 pointless matches against dibiase and thats it. Raws always crowded but this may be the worst in recent history. The only hope a midcarder has of getting a push now is the money in the bank ppv and we dont know that midcarders will even be involved in the match or how thats going to work. Raw is a black hole for young talent and its a shame because there are plenty of talented young guys who have zero chance to shine now that could be getting over on smackdown. Honestly they could get over on raw if the were given a consistent storyline each week.

 

[911 JP]

I couldnt agree more, i mean the list is endless. JoMo, is surely doomed because as you said Smackdown brought him to the top. Swagger Smackdown revitalized his career and made him world champ, Chavo will hopefully pick up on smackdown but raw has pretty much killed him, goldust i really cant see any future for him apart for jobbing the rest of his career i was really looking forward to seeing him on SD, Kendrick raw got him released but had no real future on the show altho SD put him in WWE title matches back in 08, Koslov is also certaintly doomed because SD had him gunning for the WWE title and the list could go on.

In my oppinion Raw has to go back like it was in 2004, or we need to have 2 Smackdowns because they are much greater to watch and have use for every superstar including mid carders!!!!