Official Raw/Smackdown Aftermath, Ratings and Review Thread

[Wonder]

Well, after a outstanding Money In The Bank PPV, we were all expecting tonight's Raw.

Well, to me it delivered.

First off, the show started with Vince and Jonny Ace in the ring, announcing that Punk is now the-one-who-shall-not-be-named of the WWE, and that tonight was going to happen an 8-man tournament to name the new WWE Champion. At first, the participants didn't impressed me much, because i didn't like many of the choices, but then, after thinking about, i could see Ziggler, Del Rio, Mysterio and Miz as champion, especially Miz again.

Basically, the first hour it bored me a little, as I was not impressed with the matches, but the last quarter final match, and the semi finals delivered, and they were preety good. It's funny that i read somewhere that Vince came out during a commercial break of a match, and pumped the audience, because of they being so "dead".

At the end of the 2nd semi final, and after a commercial, Vince comes out, and announces that there isn't enough time to the final match, so he postpones it to next week. Good. Rey reluctantly leaves, and after a long speech, the Chairman calls out Cena, so he could "fire" him.

Cena does his thing, and after a somewhat emotional rant(and a TNA reference), he was about to leave the ring... and out of the blue, cue Triple H's music hits, and he comes down the ramp, looking nervous.

He says to Vince that he was in the WWE HQ's in Stamford for a board of directives meeting, and that the board is not very happy with Vince's as of late choices. He says that McMahon is , and i quote, "relivied of his duties", and that a new chairman was appointed and that man was him. (shocking...)

At this point, Cena has already leaved the ring, happy because he isn't fired, and Vince is breaking down in tears, and so is Levesque. HHH says one last thing: " hey, look at me... I love you, pap." and leaves the ring at this point, with the public after chanting Na Na Na, are now saying "Thank You Vince" to the ending of Raw.

Well, tonight's Raw was not a memorable show, until the end, but as it looks now, the Nosera has begun. After it begun a little underwhelming, the show was good during the last hour and so, so i will give it a B, as i thought the ending was great.

Now, if this was an important show, next week will be even more, as a new WWE Champion will be named and the developing of this angle of HHH/Vince. Is this a sign of things to come?

 

[BigSexy The IndyKiller]

Raws wrestling tonight was good.... Everything else was real pathetic! The storyline became all about Vince and Cena. Which I knew that was gonna happen. They did their best to bury Punks momentum aside from a lil "Hey thanks for the match from the posterboy".

Tonight was supposed to be about Punk and what he's gonna do with the title. But the "Tournament" and the "Cena firing turning into Vince firing" ruined it. Took all the deserved spotlight off CM Punk.

The chant shouldve been "Fuck you Vince"

Btw I laughed out loud when HHH said "I love you POPS!!!" .... That had a real Timmy and Lassie "I love you boy" hahaha pathetic for a company that portrays itself as a WRESTLING show!

In order to keep the storyline going, they had to downplay Punk's momentum. They had to act as if he'd actually left the company. And in case you didn't notice, by refusing to say his name, they kept him relevant. Had they just acted like it never happened (see Benoit), then you could say they were killing his momentum. They could also have simply given the title back to Cena since he didn't lose to an actual company employee. Or even given it to
del Rio for winning MITB. They're not killing Punk's momentum. Everything that's going on now ties into the whole Punk storyline. Just be patient and let it play out.

 

[The_Reptile_]

Raws wrestling tonight was good.... Everything else was real pathetic! The storyline became all about Vince and Cena. Which I knew that was gonna happen. They did their best to bury Punks momentum aside from a lil "Hey thanks for the match from the posterboy".

Tonight was supposed to be about Punk and what he's gonna do with the title. But the "Tournament" and the "Cena firing turning into Vince firing" ruined it. Took all the deserved spotlight off CM Punk.

The chant shouldve been "Fuck you Vince"

Btw I laughed out loud when HHH said "I love you POPS!!!" .... That had a real Timmy and Lassie "I love you boy" hahaha pathetic for a company that portrays itself as a WRESTLING show!

He was gone. As in done. He is, as of this point, not employed by WWE, both Kayfabe, and as far as we know, in real life. You can't have the spotlight on somebody IF HE'S NOT THERE. HE WAS A FUCKING CUBS GAME FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

And Punk was referenced. He was referenced by Vince, though he didn't mention his name, and he was mentioned by Cena. We all knew that the night was going to be about Cena and Vince, because that was the next step in the story!

 

[metalbass]

After a great MITB PPV, this RAW leaves a LOT to be desired. The booking and pacing of this show was extremely questionable. Having said that, it was a very monumental episode that had to be done sooner or later.

We had our 8-man tourney for the new WWE champion to start the show with ADR vs. Kingston, Miz vs. Riley (again), R-Truth vs. Swagger and Mysterio vs. Ziggler. I forget the order so here's my review:

Miz vs. Riley: Riley had the majority of the offence while Miz sold the holy hell out of his knee injury. After a few minutes the ref (and Riley) botches a spot where the ref was supposed to get in the way and the Miz sneaks behind and hits the SCF. They both looked not bad but the ending was so screwy. It seems like now Miz is poised to take over as the new WWE Champion. ** 1/4.

R-Truth vs. Swagger: No flow in this match whatsoever and Swagger is being buried HARD. R-Truth wins with some inverted roll-up type pin. 1/2 *

Kofi vs. ADR: Half decent match. General back and forth with Kofi rolling ADR for a surprise win. I wasn't expecting this at all. **3/4.

Ziggler vs. Mysterio: I really wished Ziggler won this one. It was suprising very lackluster and the worst I've seen Ziggler in a long time. The ending was horribly botched by Ziggler and he did a horrible job selling the move to drape himself over the rope for the 619. Mysterio gets the win even though he doesn't need it, and Ziggler looks weak in the process. 1/4 *.

7 on 7 Women's Tag Match: Why is this even here? There should be 3 more matches after this plus Vince confronting Cena and it's already well past the half point of the show??? Any way Beth and Rosa start the match, the other divas inexplicably attack each other outside the ring, Beth hits her finisher and it's all over. Total waste. 0 *, pure DUD.

Miz vs. Kofi (semifinal): Half decent match with Miz still selling the shit out of his injury. Kofi gets some of his high flying arsenal in and it works very well. These 2 could have a good in ring feud in the future. Kofi misses a move and ends up facing away from Miz and Miz hits the SCF for the win. I can see Miz winning at the end of the night now. This could be the start of a Miz-Truth feud that could turn Miz face I'm thinking. ** 1/2.

Rey vs. R-Truth: Man Rey has really lost his spark. Some of R-Truth's facial expressions are downright hilarious! Anyway, it felt like Truth carried most of the match, also hitting what looked like at least a 1080 corkscrew on Rey. In the end though, Rey hits the 619 and the top rope splash and gets the win. Why WWE, Why??? **.

Miz vs. Rey (WWE championship match): POSTPONED.. WHAT.THE.HELL. Vince comes out and says to Mysterio he has to say something almost as important as the WWE Championship. As time is running out he wants to address Cena about his firing. Cena comes out, grabs the mic from Vince, rants a bit about how he won't tow the company line and kiss Vince's ass. He also mentions the career path of Shawn Michaels and how his career is defined by the Montreal Screwjob and he won't have any part of the same career path. He also hints at moving to TNA!! WOW. Anyways, Vince gets the mic back and before he can fire Cena, HHH comes to the ring and fires Vince in a tear-jerking, heartfelt fashion. HHH is now the chairman of the WWE and Vince is FIREDDDD!!!!

Overall show: Wrestling content: A wrestling heavy show that didn't deliver as well. C.

The final segment: It was something that was going to be done eventually. I'm not sure I liked how the WWE Championship match was postponed or how the segment itself went. Cena's still here and we have a new sheriff in town. I'm looking forward to the new HHH era though and there is still a big cliffhanger to make me watch next week's RAW, so I guess it worked. B-.

 

[Mr_Ratings]

He was gone. As in done. He is, as of this point, not employed by WWE, both Kayfabe, and as far as we know, in real life. You can't have the spotlight on somebody IF HE'S NOT THERE. HE WAS A FUCKING CUBS GAME FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

And Punk was referenced. He was referenced by Vince, though he didn't mention his name, and he was mentioned by Cena. We all knew that the night was going to be about Cena and Vince, because that was the next step in the story!

Storyline fire done by WWE.

His actual contract expires in September. Here look http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/article/update-on-when-cm-punks-wwe-contract-will-expire-130849

Another thing. That Cubs game you're talking about, was a day game. And I dont know how good you are with geography ( My guess is that its not your strong suit ) But Green Bay is a 25 min flight from Chicago.

And who exactly is we all? Im pretty sure that a good percentage of us read that link up there before. Therefore expecting something different than tonight, that still plays along with CM's "firing".

The next step in the story was to take all the light off CM and put it on Vince and Cena.

So do me a favor, do a whole lot more of this . You'll feel better in the morning. I promise

 

[Helmut Spargel]

If the end game to the search for a new champion is to have ADR cash-in and win the new title, it makes a lot of sense for him to take the title from rey. The two already have a feud brewing and to have ADR win over rey could put him over well.

There's also an argument to have Miz win and resume the Cena-Miz angle, but I don't think the Miz-Riley storyline has been concluded.

 

[nthomas504]

Wrestling wise, a horrible Raw. I didn't enjoy any of the matches. Hell, id rather have had the first round this week, they semi's the next, and the final the following week, then CM Punk release some Youtube video saying that the new Champion doesnt matter because he is the true champion. Vince has been absent from TV for a while, and now it's possible that he wont be on TV anymore, u've lost 2 great heels (CM Punk & Vince) in the span of two days. Triple H is ok i guess, but we need some veterans there to help push the young talent on there (Alberto, Miz, Riley, Kofi). Overall, it was a below average Raw, and a letdown from last night.

 

[XXJJ]

Both Vince segments were good. Raw was dominated by wrestling, which I like. But none of the matches were very good. Miz and Riley match was garbage.

I guess thats the end of Vince's on screen character.. Hoping Triple H will start appearing on tv regularly.

If Punk does come back I can see him work a program with Triple H.

If Punk is legitimately done with WWE. Their is not much WWE can do with that storyline. I think Rey will beat Miz and ADR will cash in the MITB breifcase. I am really hoping they have a new design for the title.

 

[RattleRockerJet97]

I was with my cousin watching the Ziggler and Misterio match and we were both going WTF?! when we saw Ziggler seem to blow a spot and literally fumble his own way into te ropes. Rey didnt hit any move or anything on him, Ziggy just got on his knees and threw himself on the rope for the 619. Wow it was hilariously bad.

Only matches i enjoyed were the ones with Miz. I hated the Truth vs Swagger and i expected it. Truth and Rey was meh, you know all the matches were pretty boring. But man i knew inside the ending was what it was all about.

I wasnt sure whether to feel sorry for Vince or not.

But as soon as i heard the "Nah Nah Nah Nah" chant, i began to get pissed. There was so much emotion into it to have the fans chant that of all things for Vince during "THIS" time, where he loses everything and has to step down, it just felt really shitty on Green Bay's end.

Meh.....B-

 

[Kenny Powers]

Raw was a letdown as a whole. It was great if you fast forwarded to the last 15 minutes. Cena is still employed and Triple H took Vince's job. Vince is a great actor being able to get the fans to cheer for him or boo at the drop of a hat. That crowd was just awful though. I really can't blame then since they were expecting CM Punk and were left with a bunch of short meaningless matches and a corny skit to end the show. I'm interested to see how Triple H handles the tournament and WWE championsahip. I hope Miz vs. Mysterio is only for the #1 contendership. I don't want to see Mysterio or Miz with the championship anytime soon. I can't complain about all the matches we got, except the divas usual botch fest. Their matches are only 90 seconds long and they can't prevent botches. Overall it was a wildf ending to a lackluster show with a lackluster crowd.

 

[dbc]

After Raw went off the air tonight, Vince McMahon took off his coat and tie and stood in the ring like he wanted to fight. Cena came out and tried to talk Vince down, but Vince slapped him. Cena looked to go after Vince, but The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and R-Truth hit the ring to make the save for Vince.

They beat down Cena until Santino, Zack Ryder and Evan Bourne hit the ring. They cleared out all the heels except for Dolph Ziggler, who took the finishing maneuvers from all of the faces. The faces then celebrated as the show came to a close.

 

[HBK_EDGE]

There is no pleasing the IWC. We want wresting, we want wrestling, we get wrestling and all we do is bitch about it. Was it great? No but what do you expect on a Monday Night Raw you won't get the quality wrestling that you get at a PPV it just doesn't happen. Tonight was on par with what Raw matches usually are so I can't really complain.

As far as Punk first off the Cubs game started at 7:05 so do some research before talking. Secondly, noone really knows if he is with the company or not. Why make the show all about someone who may or may not even be signed with the company? Even if he is you can't bring Punk back tonight. You bring Punk back tonight and have it all about Punk you kill at least 3/4 of the storylines creative could go with not to mention you kill your own credability. The whole thing then looks extremely kayfabe and Punks momentum which came from shoots is largely halted because basically he just ripped WWE for 3 weeks and then signed up for more. Makes him look like a fraud. If you resolve everything from last night tonight where does that leave you?

WWE is just like any other drama show on TV stories must be built and well planned and not rushed. Seems like everyone wants all the answers now. You get all the answers now why watch next week? While I didn't love tonight I do love one thing they did which was instead of give all the answers they wrote new questions. With HHH running how are things going to be different? Is Vince going to take this lying down or his he going to fight back? (probably wont) What happens with Punk? How does Cena get brought back in? ( I would of liked to see Cean off Tv for a while think it feeds into WM SL better but they really cant afford to have him off TV now with the talent that is there)

Review:

Wrestling was ok (all you can expect on Raw) felt like they wrote in upsets so they wouldnt have to have Miz/Del Rio/R Truth or any combination battling it out due to those guys possibly headling some PPVS vs one another (with Cena staying now doubt that happens) I feel them turning Miz face can't explain any other way why they would have him winning clean now twice in one night when he hasn't one clean in months. Plus the whole beating the odds and fighting through injury thing.

I didn't love the last scene although I thought Vince sold the hell out of it. He sold it so well that along with the Waltman tweets it kind of makes you wonder (still dont buy it though) For me , that didn't do as much for me as it did for others. Wanted to see Cena off air for a while but we kind of saw in the tournament why they can't happen as much of a Miz mark as I am him being the top guy on the top show doesn't exactly work. You have to appreciate the effort from the WWE rather it worked for you or not at least they are trying now. I would take a finish that doesn't really do it for me but extends the storyline over the same shit different day finishes we normally get on Raw until recently. Raw just has a different feel to it right now like it really has the potential to take off.

Grade: B+

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I was with my cousin watching the Ziggler and Misterio match and we were both going WTF?! when we saw Ziggler seem to blow a spot and literally fumble his own way into te ropes. Rey didnt hit any move or anything on him, Ziggy just got on his knees and threw himself on the rope for the 619. Wow it was hilariously bad. You must also be deaf as once Vince started crying and the crowd realized "o shit this may be real" they started chanting "thank you vince". I think if you weren't busy with your head up your ass smelling your own farts (like a lot of Punk's fans do) you would have noticed this.

Only matches i enjoyed were the ones with Miz. I hated the Truth vs Swagger and i expected it. Truth and Rey was meh, you know all the matches were pretty boring. But man i knew inside the ending was what it was all about.

I wasnt sure whether to feel sorry for Vince or not.

But as soon as i heard the "Nah Nah Nah Nah" chant, i began to get pissed. There was so much emotion into it to have the fans chant that of all things for Vince during "THIS" time, where he loses everything and has to step down, it just felt really shitty on Green Bay's end.

Meh.....B-

there wasn't a single noticeable "botch" in Mysterio vs Ziggler. It was actually incredibly smooth for the complexity of stuff they were using. As far as the stumbling thing, Rey hits a lot of ranas and shit that cause you to roll and fumble. He was hit with an anklescissors I believe and was real close to the ropes, he had to set up for the 619 so he flipped over. It wasn't "hilariously bad" the only thing "hilariously bad" is your perception of wrestling. Pretty much all the matches were good.

I really fucking hate you guys sometimes. "We want wrestling". Do you? I think you should change it to "we like to bitch". You get 6 really good matches, you get a tournament everyone has been itching for, each match gets decent time, the divas match was just a super short piss break and you STILL BITCH??!?!?!? Are you kidding me? None of the matches were boring. They executed the tournament perfectly. 8 men so it didn't drag out, lots of different styles in the matches, lots of decent length matches. Continuity in the matches (Miz using the reff as a shield by staying behind him). I mean what the fuck? Even the end promo was awesome. HHH coming out to a pop, Vince crying at the end in a very emotional and realistic way. Cena cutting an intelligent promo about the situation.

Seriously. What the fuck is wrong with you people? Are you AFRAID to say something is good in case you get ridiculed? If that's the case, from now on, if there is any bitching that is obviously bitching just to bitch. I'm going to rip you to fucking shreds for being a narrow minded douche (you being anyone on here) who is never satisfied. Go watch Fox News if you want to irrationally bitch about something.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Raw was a letdown as a whole. It was great if you fast forwarded to the last 15 minutes. Cena is still employed and Triple H took Vince's job. Vince is a great actor being able to get the fans to cheer for him or boo at the drop of a hat. That crowd was just awful though. I really can't blame then since they were expecting CM Punk and were left with a bunch of short meaningless matches and a corny skit to end the show. I'm interested to see how Triple H handles the tournament and WWE championsahip. I hope Miz vs. Mysterio is only for the #1 contendership. I don't want to see Mysterio or Miz with the championship anytime soon. I can't complain about all the matches we got, except the divas usual botch fest. Their matches are only 90 seconds long and they can't prevent botches. Overall it was a wildf ending to a lackluster show with a lackluster crowd.

Why the fuck would they expect CM Punk? That's the dumbest goddamned thing I've read on here in the last 20 minutes. that KILLS the credibility and the heat of the angle.

here's what happens. They don't show Punk. dumbasses on here bitch that they wanted to see Punk. Punk shows up, people bitch that they killed the credibility and heat of the angle. So basically, they shouldn't listen to most of you guys, which they don't, which is why WWE makes tens of millions of dollars a year.

CORNY SKIT TO END THE SHOW?!!?!? A corny skit is santino in a dress chasing around Koslov trying to kiss him. Vince crying because he's stepping down, HHH taking over the company, and Cena very intelligently explaining his viewpoints is not corny. I don't think you even watched the show. Either that or you have no idea what "corny" "skit" or maybe even both mean. Either way I think you need to have a test where they see if you can figure out how to fit the circle blocks in the circle holes and the square blocks in the square holes if you think that was a "corny skit".

Why even dedicate a sentence to the divas match? It lasted 2 minutes in a 2 hr and 15 minute show, about 1.4% of the show was dedicated to that. There were 6 very good matches and you talk about that and the ending segment. Did you even watch the matches? They were all solid TV matches. None of them were match of the year, but it's ******ed to have a match of the year in opening rounds of a tournament on a show after a major PPV. If you don't think so, then you don't know anything about wrestling.

For the people bitching about Punk not being on the show, don't be stupid. That would ruin everything. For people wanting answers, shut up, they keep people coming back by answering some questions and raising others. It's pro wrestling. Stop watching TV if that sort of thing bugs you.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Again, don't really have time for an in depth segment by segment review this week.

I honestly can't see what anybody is complaining about, I really and truly can't. Why exactly would CM Punk be on Raw last night? He said he was "leaving" the WWE with the WWE Championship. He's been saying it for weeks and has been the general nucleus for the entire angle that's been going on for the past several weeks. Punk showing up on Raw last night would have made absolutely zero sense. He didn't show up on Raw when he was "suspended", so why on earth would he be on Raw since he's "no longer with the company"? People were ridiculing, and rightfully so, WWE for John Cena being "fired" after losing to Wade Barrett in an angle last year even though he showed up on Raw each week and now you're bitching because Punk didn't show up even though he's "no longer with WWE"???? Wow...just wow... If anything, I think last night as a good showing that, in spite of all the pissing and moaning, most members of the IWC don't really like legitimate surprises. I suppose they like them alright as long as those "surprises" include people that they personally like winning matches or seeing exactly what they think should happen actually take place on the screen.

As for the show itself, I thought it was great. I was wary of the WWE Championship tournament but thought most of the matches were solid, a few were downright great. Miz did a great job of selling his knee "injury" throughout the night and I thought we saw a different side to him. Instead of being the cowardly opportunistic heel, which he does very well, he showed some heart I thought. Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler was a great match and I don't know what sort of "botch" people are talking about. The match had a great pace and they packed a ton of action into the 5 minutes they were given. I gave the match 3 stars and was almost as good as a 5 minute match can possibly be. Mysterio vs. R-Truth was also a great match. As with Ziggler, Mysteiro & Truth had great chemistry and it had a good length of time given to it. I gave it 3.5 stars.

The ending of Raw last night was great. I'm sorry but I honestly don't know what you people want. The IWC is so jaded that it can't allow itself to suspend disbelief in anything these days. Vince's display of emotion seemed genuine. Seriously, when's the last time you EVER saw Vince McMahon shed tears? Even if they weren't "real", how often have you seen someone "cry" as part of a wrestling angle, yet didn't shed one single tear? Vince was just "fired" by his son in law and father of 3 of his grandchildren from the company that he's devoted his life, energy and passion to for nearly 30 years. Vince sold his emotions great and the "I love you, Pop" from Triple H was just plain appropriate. Again, the WWE is injecting little bits and pieces of behind the scenes reality into this storyline, such as Triple H now officially being an executive in the WWE. With Vince being "relieved of his duties" for "questionable business decisions", this leaves the door open for Triple H as the new WWE Chairman to "resign" CM Punk to a contract and bring him back at some point. Given Vince McMahon's "dislike" for CM Punk, it's logical to have someone else bring Punk back.

As for the WWE Title tournament itself, I enjoyed it. I thought the commentators actually did a great job of putting over the WWE Championship and it's importance. I gave last night's show an A-. There are still some unanswered questions and still a couple of cliffhangers left. For instance, will there actually be a WWE Championship tournament finals match next week? Maybe, maybe not. Vince has been "fired" remember? Could CM Punk make a return next week or maybe send some sort of message? Will Triple H be on Raw next week? What's next for John Cena?

 

[JaylisJayP]

It was one of those RAWs where you only needed to watch the first 5 minutes and the last 15 minutes. The wrestling, as others have said, was on par with the quality we normally expect from RAW, but I did like how they focused so much on actual wrestling for this show...it's just wrestling we've seen a million times before.

If you had seen this RAW on any other day than the day after MITB, it'd probably be getting A's across the board. I give it an A-.

 

[avi01]

underwhelming raw. Never cared about that tournament, Cena not getting fired as if nobody saw that coming is dull, I guess the ending offers some interesting prospect, we`ll see how this works out but it was so cheesy that I could only laugh.."I love you pop"

 

[metalbass]

I'm going to try to clarify some of the problems I had with RAW last night.

First off, I agree totally that CM Punk shouldn't have been there. It goes with the storyline and works well.

It was a Wrestling heavy show which I liked, but most of the wrestling was sub-standard for RAW, ESPECIALLY when the grand prize was supposed to be the WWE Championship. There was some good parts, especially Miz who shined last night and sold the holy hell out of his injury. The problem was he was the only one who really showed up in my eyes. The ending had to happen sometime but seemed a little off for some reason. We definitely have some cliff hangers and next week's RAW should be better based on this week's RAW.

Ziggler looked absolutely weak against Mysterio, and even though Mysterio wasn't himself (I can understand since he was great in his part in the MITB PPV), his win meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. He can lose and still keep credibility since Ziggler didn't compete last night. Mysterio did seem to fare much better against R-Truth but he's already over enough that a win here really won't serve him as well as say ADR who also looked week.

Last big gripe was the WWE Championship match being postponed. After being announced all night that a new champ was being crowned tonight, it killed it for me. I'd rather if they done this tournament they either follow through or announce the matches will be staggered. The WWE Championship is too big for this to happen. That's probably the main reason I wasn't totally into the final segment with HHH because as a 29 year fan of the WWE/F I felt cheated by their programming. I at least expect the WWE to cash in on their promises.

Having said all that, let the HHH era begin!!!

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

What the fuck are you guys talking about sub standard wrestling? Are you ******ed enough to think that 6 20 minute epics is a good idea on a show following a PPV in opening round matches?

The matches were all very good and perfect. If you didn't like the matches on raw, which were all quality pro wrestling matches, then mabye you just don't like pro wrestling and just like to bitch.

Anyone who is pissed about the title match being postponed or feeling cheated needs their head taken out of their ass too. K, so let's say HHH fires Cena and the title match happens. Okay, so....why tune in next week? All your questions are answered.

underwhelming raw. Never cared about that tournament, Cena not getting fired as if nobody saw that coming is dull, I guess the ending offers some interesting prospect, we`ll see how this works out but it was so cheesy that I could only laugh.."I love you pop"

Vince was crying and both him and HHH seemed truly emotionally moved. The live audience was so moved by it that they went from usual "na na na" because Vince being a heel to THANKING him.

I don't think most of you understand emotions. If a guy turns the crowd from booing him to cheering him without saying a word within a minute, it's not "cheesey" unless you're a dick who just loves to bitch about everything.

If anyone bitches about Cena not being fired, you're an idiot. I don't care if you think you actually want him fired, thinking at all that he would be would be like sticking your hand in a fire and thinking it won't get burned. It's that dumb of an idea.

 

[metalbass]

What the fuck are you guys talking about sub standard wrestling? Are you ******ed enough to think that 6 20 minute epics is a good idea on a show following a PPV in opening round matches?

The matches were all very good and perfect. If you didn't like the matches on raw, which were all quality pro wrestling matches, then mabye you just don't like pro wrestling and just like to bitch.

Anyone who is pissed about the title match being postponed or feeling cheated needs their head taken out of their ass too. K, so let's say HHH fires Cena and the title match happens. Okay, so....why tune in next week? All your questions are answered.

Hmmm. The Messiah. The all knowing wrestling fan who knows what we should and shouldn't like. There was A LOT to be questioned about the Wrestling within that program yesterday as well as the storytelling within the matches in my view. You're entitled to your view, I'm entitled to mine.

Let's put it this way. We have no HHH, HBK, Stone Cold, Rock, Mankind, Undertaker (extremely sparingly), Edge etc. anymore. It's time now to push the young blood, NOT bury them like Ziggler and ADR were. They were both made to look bad and less credible in my eyes which isn't a good thing at all. Rey's so well known that a tournament of this caliber doesn't help him in the slightest. Miz held his own, which really seems like the only good outcome of the whole thing. As a whole while there was more wrestling on this RAW than most it was substandard compared to other RAW's which normally puts on less matches but better quality. If they were burnt out from MITB I can totally understand that and I expect the next RAW to deliver under the new HHH regime and I'm sure it will.

As for feeling cheated about the WWE title match, you're damn right I am!! If they weren't going to have it on that show, don't announce it, plain and simple. If they said before that the preliminaries would be done on this show with the final 2 on the main event on next week's RAW, then so be it. At least I know it wouldn't be on RAW yesterday. A match with that level of importance to the WWE should never be toyed with, EVER. I don't expect 5 star matches when RAW is airing, or expect title defenses but at least deliver the product you promise to show.

I generally enjoy 90% of RAW episodes that come out. This one fell flat. I'm sure next week's in my eyes will be much, MUCH better.

 

[avi01]

What the fuck are you guys talking about sub standard wrestling? Are you ******ed enough to think that 6 20 minute epics is a good idea on a show following a PPV in opening round matches?

The matches were all very good and perfect. If you didn't like the matches on raw, which were all quality pro wrestling matches, then mabye you just don't like pro wrestling and just like to bitch.

Anyone who is pissed about the title match being postponed or feeling cheated needs their head taken out of their ass too. K, so let's say HHH fires Cena and the title match happens. Okay, so....why tune in next week? All your questions are answered.

Vince was crying and both him and HHH seemed truly emotionally moved. The live audience was so moved by it that they went from usual "na na na" because Vince being a heel to THANKING him.

I don't think most of you understand emotions. If a guy turns the crowd from booing him to cheering him without saying a word within a minute, it's not "cheesey" unless you're a dick who just loves to bitch about everything.

If anyone bitches about Cena not being fired, you're an idiot. I don't care if you think you actually want him fired, thinking at all that he would be would be like sticking your hand in a fire and thinking it won't get burned. It's that dumb of an idea.

ok
first, yes Vince did great and turned the crowd but HHH`s acting was on par with his acting in Chaperone, it was bad an cheesy. It was acting..bad acting.
I did not expect Cena to be fired no, I don`t want him to be fired...I just think it`s played out to actually put that stipulation again cause like you said it would be idiotic to think there`s anything serious about it.

 

[metalbass]

ok
first, yes Vince did great and turned the crowd but HHH`s acting was on par with his acting in Chaperone, it was bad an cheesy. It was acting..bad acting.
I did not expect Cena to be fired no, I don`t want him to be fired...I just think it`s played out to actually put that stipulation again cause like you said it would be idiotic to think there`s anything serious about it.

I thought Chaperone was great! LOL. I thought HHH did a good job compared to other WWE superstars in that department.

 

[Anger]

I honestly do not know what some people expect. If every match on Raw or SD was an up tempo, catch as catch can type of match, then at some point, even those matches would become mundane, and certain people would then complain about how boring THEY are. It is simply ridiculous to expect a top match, every match. I for one, very much enjoy WWE a solid, straight up wrestling match. But, I also enjoy the storylines, the character of each wrestler, the action, the comic relief, the promos-all that WWE brings to the table.

 

[Anger]

I also thought HHH trying to cry was, frankly, comical. I am a HHH fan, but I was laughing. I also like Cena, did not want him to be fired. Nor did I believe he would be, so yes, that angle is terribly played out. I am not a Cena hater, but I loathe the direction they have taken his character. CM Punk was dead on with his Superman comment about Cena.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Friday Night SmackDown! - July 22, 2011

Opening Segment - Good solid opener for the show. Orton continues to have live crowds hanging on every word he says and every move he makes. Christian is in his element as a heel and drew some great heat. He complained about Orton "whining" about getting another shot, something he himself has done, and it's a great way to build heat. Teddy Long stopped Orton with a bunch of referees only for Orton to break free and pummel Christian for a bit. Christian got into Long's face and it's good that they're still keeping the tension between them. Thumbs Up

Christian vs. Ezekiel Jackson - Christian & Big Zeke had some pretty good matches over on ECW and I enjoyed this one as well. It's unfortunate that this match didn't have more of a special feel, it is a champion vs. champion match after all, but both guys looked good overall. Christian can have a good match with just about anybody and I thought Zeke added a nice contrast to Christian's style. It's true that Zeke is "limited" but what can you expect? He's 300 pounds of solid muscle with arms the same size as some of the Divas waists, he's not gonna be doing any springboard suicide dives. Fun match with Christian getting the clean pinfall at the 11 minute mark. Big Zeke loses another non-title match, but it was still pretty good. **1/2

Daniel Bryan & Michael Cole - I thought this was a strong promo segment from Bryan. He spoke on the mic with conviction, passion and determination and the crowd very much responed to what he had to say. I also liked that they kept the tension between Cole & Bryan, with Bryan ultimately getting the final and best word over Cole here. Bryan revealing little bits and pieces of his past, some of the injuries he sustained and mentioning his mother crying and begging him to quit wrestling, was a very nice addition as it lets people into Bryan's life. We got to learn some of what makes Daniel Bryan kick and that's exactly what needed to happen and what needs to continue. Heath Slater came out and interrupted and, surprisingly, I thought he did pretty good. He didn't come across as sounding like a pure 100% hick from Tobacco Road like he normally does. Thumbs Up

Daniel Bryan vs. Heath Slater - This match was actually much better than I thought it would be. While it's true that Slater's stock isn't exactly through the roof at this point, I liked that they gave him an actual match with Bryan instead of just feeding him to him. There was some good back and forth action here and the crowd really rallied behind Bryan, even more so than usual. Slater looked strong and smooth in the match and managed to provide a good quality match. Bryan ultimately gets the win at the 11 minute mark after locking in the guillotine choke on Slater. I'd love to see Bryan incorporate more submissions into everything, which I think is the plan as it's been reported that he's doing some MMA training right now with Randy Coture's guys. **3/4

Raw Rebound - They replayed what happened in the closing segment of Raw from this past Monday. Again, I very much enjoyed the segment and the fact that Vince McMahon was able to make himself cry was a great touch. I thought you had to have a soul to cry. I thought it brought a degree of weight to the situation. How often have we seen angles play out on screen where the person is "crying" but doesn't shed one damn tear? Thumbs Up

Sheamus vs. Wade Barrett - I enjoyed the hell out of this match. I know that it only lasted about 4.5 minutes but it was a very physical match between a couple of big, physical guys. The entire match was back and forth and Wade Barrett here looked like the Wade Barrett of old that took John Cena to the limit at this time a year ago. He hasn't looked that way really since coming to SD!. I loved how the match ended with both guys brawling outside the ring with neither guy gaining a clear advantage throughout the entire match. Sheamus does come out a little ahead when it's all said and done as he manages to hit Barrett with the Brogue Kick. I hope they let this balloon into a full blown feud. It could put Barrett back on the right track. After all, look what feuding with Sheamus did for John Morrison. **3/4

Randy Orton vs. Kane - Excellent main event and a great effort from both guys. They worked their asses off here and it showed. There was a lot of back and forth action and I was surprised to see Orton giving as good as he got in a match where he's kind of out of his element. The match did lose some momentum due to the commercial breaks, but that's just how the mop flops when it comes to television. Kane did rely a little too much on punches but, as I said, he worked hard and gave it his all. The use of the kendo stick and the steel chair was nice, I think they could've used them some more, but at least they didn't try to take away from the story by putting the weapons as top priority. Kane also sold his injured leg very well during the match. Orton's facial expressions during the match were damn good and it just worked. The little mishap with the announce table was a little intriguing. Orton laughing a little and the announcers essentially calling Orton psychopathic worked. Orton first hit an RKO on Kane and it was a great near fall. I think we all thought Kane was done for right then and there. It wasn't as much of a surprise when Orton kicked out of the chokeslam, but it fit in well with two guys just giving it their all. Orton eventually hits an RKO on a steel chair for the pin about the 24 minute mark. He shook hands with Kane afterward and the crowd popped nicely for that. ***1/4

Mark Henry - Mark Henry comes out afterward and delivers a good beadown on Kane. He basically does to Kane what he did to Big Show at MITB. He hits him with the World's Strongest Slam, a few splashes, and then did a springboard splash off the second rope onto a chair he'd slipped onto Kane's leg. Kane sells the crap out of it and I thought it was a great little bit when they showed him undoing the laces of his boot. It's a natural thing to do. Your leg is injured, it's starting to swell, so you unlace your shoes or boots to relieve some pressure. Thumbs Up

Overall Show - From top to bottom, I thought SmackDown! was a great show this week. There was no filler and everything that took place served a solid, logical purpose. The opening segment did a good job of keeping tension between Orton & Christian and the opening match with Christian & Big Zeke was a good solid 11 minute match that ultimately featured both guys well. Daniel Bryan's first promo after winning MITB went really well I thought and fans were sort of let in to know more about Bryan. He's gotten over due to his in-ring ability and the segment gave fans a reason to invest emotional time to him. It was a good start and I hope they keep it up. The Daniel Bryan vs. Heath Slater was, again, a very solid match and was actually better than I thought it'd be. The Raw Rebound was a nice touch and it's good that they're selling the shock of Vince McMahon being "relieved" of his duties as WWE Chairman. The main event between Randy Orton & Kane was great. Both guys worked really hard, the match told a great story, it was highly competitive and showed, yet again, how you can have really good street fight matches without tons of weapons or blood. In some ways, the show was a barebones kind of program and that was fine with me.

Grade: A-