Official Raw/Smackdown Aftermath, Ratings and Review Thread

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Raw - May 24, 2010

Thumbs Up

Bret Hart Named Raw GM & Batista Quits - This was a very good choice for GM. Lots of people have been clamoring for Bret Hart to be assigned to this role for a long while now. It gives Bret Hart a purpose and can lead to some interesting angles on down the line. As for Batista quitting, I'm kind of glad to see him gone to tell you the truth. It's really only been within the past 8 months or so that I've really ever found Batista all that interesting. His heel turn did a lot for him in my view, but I do think its high time for others to be given opportunities to become main eventers.

Sheamus vs. Mark Henry - This was a minor thumbs up for me as the outcome was never in doubt. But, the match was able to tell a decent story and Sheamus was able to claim a clean victory over Mark Henry, who is an overall stronger mid-card wrestler now than he's ever been.

The Miz vs. R-Truth[\B] - While I do think that it was a bit lazy to simply vacate the United States Championship and have only these two fight a match over it, it was a good match. Also, R-Truth is someone that's worked hard in the WWE for a long while now and it's nice to see him gain some real credibility. While I would like to see The Miz as the champion more, he doesn't really need the title at this point. After all, The Miz has been carrying a championship since last October and R-Truth simply needs it more.

The Hart Dynasty Attacked - Their match with Regal and Koslov was short and just plain shit, but I was very pleasantly surprised to see them suddenly attacked by this mystery team. They've now been identified as Jimmy and Jules Uso, and they're Rikishi's sons. The woman that was with them is Sarona Snuka, she's been signed to the WWE for a while now I think. It was completely unexpected to see them just come out of nowhere and leave all three members of The Hart Dynasty laying and it made an immediate impact.

John Cena vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho - This was a good triple threat match between these three. All of them worked hard and put up a good effort. I almost think I would have preferred Cena to win last night, thereby meaning that someone completely unexpected might have a chance to be in the fourway match at the ppv. But, it was still a fun match with Edge coming out on top.

Overall Show - Most of last night's show kept me entertained. There were a few nice surprises, a new champion following a quality match, one main eventer is gone from the WWE and the hype for the next WWE ppv has already started off strong. A good show last night.

Thumbs Down

Eve Torres & Gail Kim vs. Maryse & Alicia Fox - This match was pretty much what we've been used to seeing from the Divas for a long time. A few blown spots, clumsy action and short as shit. It was just a pretty horrid match overall and the fans there couldn't have cared less.

Jon Lovitz - The Superstar Search segment was absolutely horrid in my opinion, probably the worst single segment that's been on Raw this year. It was a real waste of time and went on for far too long. The WWE has done a very good job in 2010 of avoiding segments like this, but one does manage to worm its way in every now and then. Six months ago, this segment would have pretty much ruined the entire show for me.

 

[Kenny Powers]

WWE Raw's Hits and Misses 5/24/10

Hits

Bret Hart as the New Perm GM- This was a great way to start the show with Batista quitting, Bret announced as the new GM, and setting up the main event for the PPV next month. I think that the announcement wasn't as major as it could of been. Bret should of been GM months ago in my opinion since he was pretty much booking matches any way over the past few months. Batista leaving was pretty corny, but it allows Batista to come back if he wants to.

Fatal 4 Way Qualifying Matches- Sheamus and Mark Henry wasn't a classic but the match gave Sheamus even more heat and credibility. The Triple Threat match between Cena, Edge, and Jericho was the best match of the night and one of the best matches I have seen on Raw in a while.

Hart Dynasty vs. Regal and Kosolov- The match itself wasn't a home run, but the Hart Dynasty got another victory they needed along with a new tag team debuting. Hopefully the tag division will mean something again.

R Truth vs. Miz- I didn't like how the US Title was dropped and given little mention on Raw putting two competitors together for the title instead of a tournament like the IC title had on Smackdown. This match had a lot of quick finishes with R Truth finally grabbing his first singles title in WWE. Here's hoping WWE will make the US title relevant again and R Truth gets a new song.


Cena's Cenation Promo- This was in between for me because on one hand Cena says he isn't Mr. Nice Guy anymore an on another he is making Muppet jokes. It's hard to take Sheamus seriously when every time you look at him you envision Beeker or a mayonnaise jar. Maybe Cena will tone down the cuteness and become more aggressive now.

Overall Show- The show was newsworthy and was better then most shows we have seen besides last week show. Everything turned out to be uneventful to me though. The GM spot, Batista quitting, and the US title changing should of meant more then they did but ultimately they didn't in my opinion.

Misses

Divas Tag match- There are so many of these matches on Raw most of them start to run together. The divas try but the fans and WWE still don't give a damn about them. Well all of them except for the lovely Maryse of course.

Jon Lovitz Superstar Search- This segment is the same as the tag diva matches because there are so many of these that you swear you are watching a rerun. This wasn't as bad as some of the other segments but I will say its probably one of the worst this year. I guess Singh and Khali dancing may sound good on paper, but the audience couldn't care less. At least Jillian didn't sing. I will give props to Jon Lovitz because no matter how irrelevant he is at least he told a few good jokes.

The fan doing the magic trick of pulling out a fake eyeball was probably one of the stupidest things I've seen on Raw. You can guarantee Joel McHale will make fun of that segment like every other Raw segment he makes fun of on The Soup. The only good part of the segment was when Ted Jr. came down offering the guy money like his father did years ago. The thing is he was offering the guy money for a fake eye? Why wouldn't he have the fan kiss his feet for money? Why would the guy not sell a fake eyeball?

In this economy people would probably sell their plastic hip for a 100 dollars. Having Ted come down and offer money for a fake eye was ridiculous. The concept was right, but Ted needs to humiliate the fans for money instead of offering money for something stupid. Santino and his Cobra death grip didn't help the segment either. Santino is turning into a guy I used to laugh at to a guy I just want to see get destroyed every week.

 

[Stone_Cold_Randy_Orton]

Raw was horrible. I don't see what everyone else sees. First off, the new GM is Bret. Who didn't see that coming a mile away? Who else would it have been?

Second, the matches sucked. There was not one match where something went wrong. No one cares about the guest host and the segment took up way too much time. In fact the only match I enjoyed was the main event. Great way to fill a show by showing stupid segments for 30 minutes. Commentary was terrible. Michael Cole is getting annoying by the show(never thought it was possible). Batista's segment was a joke. The crowd filled with kids may have screamed but it came across as stupid and forced. The HD vs Koslov and Regal was so short I could have easily left for 10 seconds and it would be over. The debut of the new tag team was rushed and seemed so "coordinated" that it came across as TNAish.

No ones cares about MH. The match with Sheamus sucked. The match after with the Miz and R Truth sucked as well. The Miz is not the rock. They need to stop the comparison BS. It seems Creative is so useless they just add old personas to new ones. As we saw during the guest host segment, Creative is filled with freaks. Divas match is a divas match. It always sucks. The main event, while the best part of the show, was filled with another accident. Jericho hurt his leg and once again Michael Cole has to mention it the entire time talking about how its affecting the match as if we aren't watching. The entire show sucked. Possibly the weakest of the year. Randy, Sheamus, and Edge just stood there...and they could have easily attacked Cena..but lets just pose and wait til the camera goes off to do that..Maybe I'm being a bit unfair over the Main event but with every main event being a PPV worthy main event I expected a lot more than the crap I saw last night.

 

[The Future of Wrestling]

Last nights episode was solid i didnt enjoy the guest host but i can live with it. I like the Direction Raw is In, because your seeing guys like Cena, Orton , and Edge carry raw because the wwe is gonna rely on those guys when ppl like HHH, and other vetrans retire. Ppl that dont like Cena because of all sorts of reasons, im sorry but the wwe wont turn him heel unless he stop's selling merch , or Randy gets big enough to eventually Sell more then Cena, which could lead to one of the biggest heel turn's in recent memories.


People need to understand Raw and the rest of the wwe is what it is right now, If you dont like it nobody is forcing you to watch.

I understand if you've been a loyal fan for years, and its not like the old product, but oh well just got live with it because to me Raw this year is by far better then last year. Of course Raw aint the same without HBK, but Raw is not as Stale as last year, and the wwe has put more focus on the Mid Carders and Tag Divsion.

Being PG, is gonna make things stale, and repetative, but Raw has not been bad this year.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Tonight's episode of Smackdown was okay. Matt Hardy was suspended without pay, and "the chosen one" was able to get the best of Hardy again. Although, I'm not sure too many people care about a Hardy VS McIntyre feud. Drew beat the shit out of Hardy a little while ago, and Hardy was able to get some revenge at Over The Limit. Hardy will be back, and you can be sure Drew will be his first target. Also, the Show & Kofi VS McIntyre & Swagger tag team match was a good way to kick off Smackdown. This match was pretty good.

CM Punk is now bald, but his new mask is a cool look for him. The match between Punk and kane wasn't too good, but I'm happy to see the leader of the SES back in the world title picture. I know there's a good chance Punk won't win the title, but it's nice to see him receive a shot at the gold.

The match between MVP and Luke Gallows was awful. I was actually happy when an unknown member of the SES interfered, because I knew this match was close to being over.

So it appears Vickie Guerrero is trying to seduce Dolph Ziggler now? Their backstage segment was kind of weird, but I did laugh a couple of times while it was going on. Vickie was looking at Ziggler's ass, and then WWE made sure to do a close up on her "cougar" necklace. I don't know where WWE plans on going with this. Maybe nothing will come of this or this could be a way of giving Ziggler a big push?

Next week Kofi will defend his title against Drew. I think Kofi will retain because I believe WWE plans on giving him a nice run with the title.

I throughly enjoyed the backstage segment with Michelle McCool and Layla. I wasn't too crazy about the whole co-champions thing at first, but I think Layla and McCool are awesome together. LayCool has grown on me over the past couple of months, and I look forward to seeing them each week.

Undertaker's return was easily the best part of tonight's Smackdown. I knew there was a very good chance Taker would defeat Rey, and he did. The match with Mysterio was good, and there were some cool spots in this one. Taker's return was needed on Smackdown because that brand is in desperate need of big time faces.

 

[Ferbian]

Smackdown this week was a great show if you were looking for good wrestling, I couldn't name one match that wasn't good on that show (probably cause we didn't have a divas match, wow)

It had some pretty decent segments, the starting segment was okay, by far not the best although, I'm having a feeling that Drew McIntyre only gets heat because of Vince, and when it all comes down to it, that it's Vince they're actually booing.
And sure I know Drew is getting heat, but in the end, it's mostly because of Vince, and not because of his own actions, which is saddening because I think he could get over by himself easily.

I absolutely loved the thing they did with CM Punk, somehow I can't help but think how ironic it would've been if CM Punk had been cutting promos on Rey's mask in the way that Chris Jericho did, which would've been absolutely hilarious seeing him wearing it then.

Just like RAW, I think this show hyped Fatal Four Way pretty decently, it had some good qualifications, and while I think it's a shame that we didn't get the same stare down that we got on RAW, I still think that it has the potential to become very good, and ultimately for the love of god build Jack as a legitimate champion, sure he's had his retains, but I'm still needing a little bit more convincing.

Overall it was a good show, good segments, good wrestling, it wasn't perfect because it did have it's flaws (like Hornswoggle wrestling) and it didn't come off as an absolute great episode, but, it was good, and that's what matters, right? B

Oh and on an off note, am I the only one wondering if Undertaker is gonna get tired of working with Rey sooner or later? I mean he's given him a bloody nose the last two times they worked a match..

 

[Mustang Sally]

I thought Drew McIntyre was terrific last night. Maybe the negative comments being made against him in the locker room have had some effect and he's determined to change his ways. At any rate, his ring work was top notch. Swagger was forcing Drew to shoulder most of the action and he did a great job, selling his opponent's offense better than I've ever seen him do before.

I don't know if he'll get the IC title back from Kofi anytime soon, but quality work like last night's will take him a long way.



The Scotch Guard

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Decent episdoe last night, I have seen much better.

Nothing overly stood out, and of course, a hornswaggle appearance dragged things down nicely. Decent matches all around, nothing special beyond the opening and closing matches.

Love the direction they seem to be taking with Dolph Ziggler, and loved the promo from Lay-Cool, but they are usually excellent. Love CM Punk's mask too, thats fucking hilarious. HOLY SHIT LUKE GALLOWS WON A FUCKING MATCH MAN!!!!

Most of the time I am marking out like a lil School Sally over these shows, but I felt very "meh" after last night. Still the best wrestling show of the week, but nothing special.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Well of course. Drew is one of my favorite wrestlers, along with Swaggie. Love everything about that guy, when he entered last night, I got REALLY excited becuase I thought that meant he was gonna force his way into the 4 way match, but alas, it was not meant to be. Also, I am of the opinion that he should get the arm band thingies for both arms, and wear them always. It looked cool.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Smackdown - May 28, 2010

Thumbs Up

Opening Segment - The opening segment of Smackdown was well done. I'm beginning to wonder if it's going to be revealed that Drew McIntyre is the that that's actually writing these letters instead of McMahon. The feud between McIntyre and Hardy is heating up and is easily the most interesting thing Matt Hardy's had going on for a while.

Kofi Kingston & The Big Show vs. Drew McIntyre & Jack Swagger - This was a really good tag team match and I honestly think that The Big Show should somehow be kept as a tag team wrestler. In such a situation, Show has been used really well and the other three wrestlers worked really well. The crowd was hot for this match.

Vickie Guerrero & Dolph Ziggler - This could be an interesting scenario if done right. As long as they don't attempt to the the Vickie/Edge angle all over with Ziggler just substituting for Edge, it could be fun. I'm giving it a minor thumbs up for now.

CM Punk vs. Kane - This was another really good match and it's nice to see Punk back in the WHC scene again. The only problem really was the botched GTS at the end of the match. However, I can't get onto Punk too much as every wrestler botches a move now and again. It was still a really good match even if the finish was a little sloppy.

Luke Gallows vs. MVP - The match wasn't great, but it was fairly decent. What I liked about it was the fact that Luke Gallows won, via help from the Hooded SES Member, AKA Joey Mercury. Also, I'm thinking that eventually these two will be put into the tag team scene, which is what needs to happen as CM Punk is back in the world title scene.

The Undertaker vs. Rey Mysterio - These two worked a really good match and it was nice to see Taker back again. I noticed that Taker didn't do the leg drop on the apron or Old School. Old School could be explained away as it could be kind of awkward hitting it on Mysterio, given his height. However, I think Taker's hips are probably hurting him pretty good as well. Overall, a really enjoyable match.

Overall Show - I thought Smackdown was great this week. Almost every match and segment on the show accomplished something and made me feel that they were important in furthering along potential feuds, new directions for some wrestlers and the World Heavyweight Championship scene for the ppv.

Thumbs Down

Christian & Hornswoggle vs. Chavo Guerrero & Dolph Ziggler - I really, really wish they'd just release Hornswoggle. I've zero interest in watching him be part of anything unless its to see him get the piss beaten out of him. Christian, Chavo and Ziggler are three good wrestlers, especially Christian, and they're all made to look like shit via association with Hornswoggle. It needs to be nipped in the bud and it needs to be nipped yesterday.

 

[The Doctor]

Wow! What a good show. The pacing was slightly off, but I don't care. The whole RAW was just mark-out moment after mark-out moment, big and small.

First, we had an exciting and unique opener. It was confusing at first, but I actually really dug it. It made RAW seem unpredictable and action-packed. The crowd was solidly behind Evan, too. And when Randy RKO'd Edge and the crowd went bonkers, I knew it was going to be a good night.

Ashton Kutcher was a good guest host. He had lots of personality and really seemed to be having a good time.

R-Truth facing Jericho was one major awesome surprise, and I was so happy that Truth won. I hope he has a title reign for a long time.

The Miz vs. Bryan Danielson was a good match with a great finish. Danielson was mad over and when he threw Miz at Cole, the crowd gobbled it up. It was great that he nearly made Miz tap out, too.

Ted DiBiase Jr. bringing back "Everybody has a price" was a small markout moment for me, because I am a HUGE DiBiase Sr. fan. The viewer's choice RAW was also a great surprise that I loved.

I really dug the Uso's. They were a refreshing change of pace for the normal Samoan savage gimmick, and they were stylin' and slick, and had great entrance music.

Bourne being in the main event was amazing. I've always liked Bourne but what I liked most about this was that it showed logic while putting a new guy over. Bourne had a grudge with Edge and Sheamus. Bourne was tired of not getting his due. Cena needed a partner. The crowd loved it, Cena made the announcement awesomely exciting, and it made a very good, exciting match with one hell of a finish. I don't think Bourne will be a main eventer any time soon, but just being in the main event with some of the biggest stars on RAW has raised his stock to at least upper midcarder.

Overall, despite pacing issues and a few Meh moments, RAW was a great show. I'll give it an A.

 

[Ferbian]

I absolutely loved this weeks RAW, Ashton really seemed like he was fitting right in there.

The matches were pretty damn good, I'm glad to see that R-Truth actually won a match without using that overrated move, the match between him and Chris was pretty good, nothing out of the ordinary that these two can put on, I'm curious what they did with Chris Jericho and whether it will effect his character looking as if he was starting to doubt him "being the best in the world at what he does".

Ted DiBiase and Bret Hart's segment, including Vince McMahon's appearance (felt weird with the good guy thing) was a pretty nice one, I'm loving Ted DiBiase as the fortunate son (or Million Dollar son you could say)

I marked out for Bryan Danielson appearing on RAW, especially when he locked on the arm trap crossface (Crippler Crossface) and it could've been awesome if Miz had tapped out to it, but he didn't, Bryan still got a deserved victory, and another go at Cole.

Just like Doc, I really LOVED the Uso's I like how they actually told us they were multi generation superstars and I'm hyped to see these get in an actual match, I loved the double super kick and the double team into the Samoan Drop.

Bourne was decent tonight, something I can't brag about thinking every time, I'm saddened although that we didn't get Edge and Evan Bourne's confrontation from the very start, but none the less it was a pretty cool start to the show, I don't believe I've marked out for the Randy Orton pose as much ever as opposed to the mark out I did for this weeks RAW.

Ashton was a good host, he showed that he knew wrestling actually, while still promoting his film, I'm saddened although that we didn't get to see him punk someone, or actually appearing in the ring (having some kind of proper confrontation with, hell someone like Ted DiBiase could've very well have worked with Ashton as well)

On a negative note (so to say) I didn't like the fact that Zack Ryder and Alicia Fox was taking up ring time (I've never liked Zack or Alicia really..) which could've gone for something else.

Good show, worth a B+

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Raw - May 31, 2010

Thumbs Up

Opening Segment - The opening of Raw was really great and quite surprising. I wasn't expecting the show to start off like that at all. Evan Bourne had a good showing against Edge and Edge himself came off as extremely intense. Edge now seems to have an "edge" about him now instead of playing the cowardly, whiny heel he had been for quite a while and was great on the mic. Orton coming out and giving the crowd what they wanted was a very good touch. The vintage Orton pose on the ropes was a great way to close the segment as we haven't seen that very much in a long time. Really strong opening.

R-Truth vs. Chris Jericho - This was a high quality 10 minute match in which both wrestlers worked hard. I expected Jericho to lose and he did as R-Truth needed the win to build his credibility as United States Champion. I don't think anybody is as good as Jericho when it comes to his willingness to put over and help build talent.

Bret Hart, Ted DiBiase & Vince McMahon - This was a strong promo segment from all three of the wrestlers. Bret Hart really seems to be enjoying his role and next week's "Viewer's Choice" 3 hour Raw was very well hyped and built. DiBiase is becoming more and more comfortable with his character each week. I was surprised to see Vince show up, though I didn't expect him to stay off of television forever of course. A nice continuation of his feud with Bret Hart was teased last night and it makes me curious to see what's going to happen.

Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz - The match really wasn't that great but it really wasn't intended to be. This was just to get Bryan's foot in the door on Raw and it worked beautifully. Bryan scores a quick pin on The Miz and by the time he tossed The Miz over the announce table and into Michael Cole, Bryan was already over. I'm really looking forward to this feud, it got off to a great start and I'm anxious to see what role Michael Cole will play overall.

The Uso Brothers & The Hart Dynasty - I thought they came out and gave a really good promo. They may not be polished on the mic, but I think that works in their favor here. They came of with a raw, no pun intended, style on the mic and they were immediately over. I love the fact that these two aren't going to be the stereotypical Samoan wrestlers. The brawl with The Hart Dynasty came off really well and I was surprised to see the Usos get the better of them this week. Even though they haven't wrestled a match yet, The Uso Brothers already seem to be credible contenders for The Hart Dynasty.

Ashton Kutcher - Kutcher seemd pretty comfortable in his role as Guest Host. He did genuinely seem like someone that's a fan and he didn't hog the show, which is always a huge plus for a Guest Host. His screen time was kept short and sweet and the plugs for his upcoming movie weren't shove down our throats.

John Cena & Evan Bourne vs. Sheamus & Edge - This was a really fun match that the crowd was hot for. I was surprised to see Evan Bourne brought out as Randy Orton's replacement, as Edge took him out of competition earlier. Everyone ultimately wound up looking good, especially Bourne. He was given a chance to shine in a big moment and capitalized on it big time. I'm hoping this means some bright things for him in the future. He's got the stuff inside the ring and the Raw crowds are always hot for the guy.

Overall Show - Last night's Raw was just a great show from top to bottom and the two hours just seemed to fly by for me. While I don't think they did all that much to hype the Fatal 4-Way ppv, Raw was still just a really fun show last night and they've still got more than enough time I think to really hype the ppv.

Thumbs Down

Satino Marella & Eve Torres vs. William Regal & Maryse - The match in and of itself was really just crap and it now looks as though Santino and Koslov are going to be a team. I'm not particularly looking forward to this pairing at all but, maybe my mind will be changed. I almost gave it a thumbs up because Maryse was so friggin' hot that it ought to be against the law.

Hit on Zack Ryder - I think Zack Ryder has a lot of potential, but he's just being used wrong. The fact that his character is a complete tool could work for him if they just put him in something meaningful. Having Alicia Fox turn on him and lay him out with a scissor kick just seemed kinda weak and definitely did Ryder no favors whatsover.

 

[gd]

So, watched Raw all the way through yesterday for the first time in forever and was actually quite pleased.

I was shocked at the opening. Evan Bourne on my TV? What? Just fine opening segment with the the Viper coming out with the RKO. They should just make Orton a deaf-mute. That'd be great. Kept this short and simple. Good stuff.

Truth/Jericho match was just dandy. Jericho continues to do what he does best, make others look good. I'd reckon this is the start of a full blown feud between the two, which would be much welcomed.

I'm convinced they should actually put some effort into Santino. He's, like, really over and actually entertaining. What more do you need? Odd match, to say the least, but I for one am looking forward to Team Santinolov.

Bret Hart stuff seemed kind of pointless. Got Dibiase to do something, at least. I assume this means they have something planned between Vince and Bret in the future, which likely will be stupid. Whatever.

Not sure how Randy Orton was almost killed by Edge lightly shutting a door on his shoulder. How didn't Orton know Edge was in there in the first place? Baffling, to say the least.

Miz/Bryan was short, but well done. Bout time that fucker won a match. He also got me to laugh out loud after taking out Cole. Great moment.

These Uso's look pretty legit. The chick's promo was confusing and incoherent, but she did kick the shit out of those Harts. Nice tennis shoes as well. These guys have some promise.

Ryder getting hunted down was a little silly, but he should just be happy to be on TV at this point. Kutcher did a great job throughout the night and Alicia Fox has a nice ass.

Main event was entertaining, if not predictable. Great crowd really helped it out. Edge's missed spear at the end was just comical. I doubt this'll lead anywhere for Bourne, but it was fun nonetheless.

Nice 2 hours here. Made me feel like I wasn't completely wasting my life for once.

 

[Ferbian]

This weeks episode was mediocre if you ask me.

The opening segment with Kane and the druids were pretty well done, it furthered the storyline pretty well, and I think it may very well help make Kane just a little bit important again, especially with the constant searching of who did it.

I can't really say there was anything good to say about many of the matches, Jack Swagger vs MVP was decent, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, it may very well not have been anything good as opposed to what we know both of these guys can put on.

Kofi Kingston vs Drew McIntyre was probably the best of the matches on this show, it was pretty decent, could've very well fitted into a pay per view (Wait. It already did, oh well) and was probably the match of the night.

The battle-royal was a fresh replacement for a main event, it was good to see all of the guys in action, something Smackdown really needed to do, to keep them interesting, keep them being remembered, I think it's a shame although that Rey of all people had to go on and win it, sure it's the most logical choice because he's the only one with the actual position on Smackdown to do it, but Kane being in the match would've furthered the Fatal 4 way world title storyline and the Kane / Undertaker storyline much better.

As I said, mediocre episode: C

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Smackdown - June 4, 2010

Thumbs Up

Opening Segment - The opening of Smackdown was really well done I thought. Kane very much surprised me and pulled off not only the promo of his career, but I don't think he's ever been more compelling than he was last night. The emotion that was generated seemed quite genuine and convincing to me. When Kane lost control and started screaming about vengeance, I was sucked into it. Kane is a very large, very powerful and very intimidating human being and belief was not hard to suspend.

Kane - Throughout the night, Kane confronted a number of wrestlers he felt could be responsible for The Undertaker's "vegetative state" and it just added to the angle. The whole thing with Kane came off great and has me anxious for next week. As long as WWE Creative doesn't take leave of their senses and have the angle turn out that Kane was the one responsible for Taker being taken out, it'll be all good. I've seen Taker and Kane, I've seen Taker kick Kane's ass so many times and I just don't want to see it again.

Jack Swagger vs. MVP - This was a really good match to open the show, which surprised me a little as I'm not all that high on MVP. Still, it was a good match and MVP looked like a credible contender. Swagger going over against MVP was the right call to make. Swagger continues to impress me and I do very much like the fact that the WWE hasn't made him this ultra dominant champion. For me, it makes having such a young guy as World Heavyweight Champion feel more authentic. A quality 15 minute opening match.

Kofi Kingston vs. Drew McIntyre - Another quality match from these two and I'm glad to see that Kofi has gotten back on track. This match lasted around the 14 minute mark and kept me entertained. I know a lot of people hate on Drew McIntyre, but the guy can wrestle. The whole thing with Matt Hardy, I have to admit, has me interested. I haven't been this intrigued by anything Matt Hardy's done in quite a while.

Battle Royal - I thought this was a helluva way to close the show and it was definitely top notch as battle royals go. The emotion Kane generated was still tangible and I felt myself pulling for him. However, Mysterio pull out a victory does make the angle more convincing. Now, Kane has to continue to seethe and can't take his "brother's" place and, in a way, represent him in the World Heavyweight Championship match at the ppv.

Overall Show - Smackdown was great last night and the show just few by quickly. The WWE hit home runs this week with both Raw and Smackdown. I love the fact that we're getting long, good quality matches on Smackdown. Nearly half the show last night was filled with wrestling content and almost all of it was really good. I can't wait to see where the angle with Kane is going. I just hope the WWE doesn't screw it up.

Thumbs Down

Kelly Kelly vs. Rosa Mendes - Awful match, just plain awful. Kelly was slower than the seven year itch in the ring and Rosa just doesn't seem to know what she's doing. Kelly is on some nights and some nights she's off. Consistency is her biggest problem and she was definitely off last night.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Smackdown started off with a bang last night. Kane's promo last night was just simply amazing. He put so much intensity and emotion into it. I think the "who attacked the Undertaker" storyline will end up being very disappointing. The attacker could be revealed as someone who we would least expect, but I highly doubt that would happen, because that would mean a HUGE push for someone on Smackdown. This whole storyline is probably just one big swerve. Kane will be revealed as the attacker, and he will feud with Taker again. This is something I really don't want to see.

The IC title match between Drew and Kofi was pretty decent. I knew "the chosen one" wasn't going to win the title, but this was an okay title match. Matt Hardy continues down the path of vengeance. He attacked Drew after the match was over, but I just don't care about this feud. Either Drew will put Hardy out of action or Hardy will get his revenge on Drew. Still, this has just been a very uninteresting feud for me.

Rosa Mendes VS Kelly Kelly was terrible. I guess with Beth Phoenix on the shelf, WWE needs another face to feud with LayCool. I just hope Kelly doesn't take the title away from Layla. I would much rather see LayCool as the self-professed co-champions, than have to witness a Kelly Kelly title reign.

I didn't care for the Swagger VS MVP match. It just wasn't that good, but Swagger did provide us with some of the cool spots in the match.

Rey Mysterio won the battle royal, and he will now replace the Undertaker at fatal four way. Rey was the most logical choice for a replacement, but I don't think he'll win the title. He's had no build, and I believe Swagger will retain in this one.

 

[Morpheus101]

VERY interesting end to Raw.....a major new big stable, along the lines of the nWo, perhaps? Perhaps it'll be the NXT-WO? Either way, this can only be good and exciting for Raw. What a great way to use that talented pool of new guys, led by Barrett, who is clearly going to to be the next Triple H (not that I'm comparing them, but Barrett is going to fill a void)....I REALLY like it!!

 

[SunnyD]

I'm loving the NXT faction. Looked very intimidating and destructive. I can't wait to see where this one goes. Cole didn't even get hurt though, I expected Danielson to go right after him.

 

[Morpheus101]

Best end to raw ever.

Oh yes! That is the best ending to Raw that I have seen in years. This has enormous potential. I am looking forward to seeing where this is all going to lead to, hopefully to a new nWo-type stable (as I stated above), using the NXT rookies, who are actually all pretty decent and Barrett who is truly the next big thing, IMO.

Class, truly class....and this is what I've been screaming for for years, ever since the late 90's in fact

 

[manmagoonbt]

Yea I thought they would throw him in the ring to Danielson, but the crowd would have cheered that so it would have taken away from the heat the group is supposed to get. I hope they are on both shows.

 

[pun2003hh]

HOOOOOLLLLLY SHHHHIIIITTT. That could possibly be one of the best executed segments on Raw in the last 5 years. You want to know how to make new stars? That is it. That is a new take on the takeover angle that has been run over and over and over. I have not been this pumped after watching a Raw in years.

 

[The Rock is Awesome]

I didn't even see what happened to Cole. I thought he took his Mic off and Ran off lol. It was a great ending to the show though. Can't wait to see what happens next week. Might even watch NXT 2 tomorrow see if this happens there as well

 

[joesgoingtoeatu]

OMG !!! I couldnt take my eyes off it, amazing !!!! You never saw it coming, what a major swerve. They beat up Cena and Punk both and everyone and everything in their sites !!! What does this mean for season 2 of nxt, incredible segment and angle run by Raw you got to give them a ton of credit !!!

 

[Morpheus101]

I say let these guys tear up everything...let them take over Raw, Smackdown and the new season of NXT. It's going to make for interesting television, that's for sure. Let them beat the hell out of all of the WWE's faces on both Raw and Smackdown. Maybe WWE have finally caught on to the formula that made WCW so watchable and so addictive in the late 90's, i.e. the nWo and the total havoc that they wreaked on a weekly basis. I'm not saying WWE should copy what the nWo did in WCW, but this is all along the right lines and will not only inject a major spark into WWE programming, but a friggin' nuclear explosion.

Wade Barrett will be this decade's answer to Triple H of the 1990's. The guy just oozes class and main event greatness.