Official Raw/Smackdown Aftermath, Ratings and Review Thread

[RKOx7]

There are lots of things that bugged me about tonight's RAW. I mean, I felt that Miz vs Morrison's title match was placed right in the beginning. While it was a great way to kick off the show, it just made it seem as if Morrison would become irrelevant after it ended.

Divas Tag Match. So Melina has been heel for 3 weeks now. We have yet to hear from her or see a bitchy ass heel promo... which is really, really, STUPID. On top of that she was PINNED, AND NOT BY THE CHAMPION. Melina spent the entire match tricking and harassing Natalya, she makes a hot tag and runs into Nattie's signature clothesline and then gets hit with a finisher and just dies. REALLY BAD. Last week she got slapped by Natalya, this week she lost a match. Her heel turn is spiraling downwards.

Alberto Del Rio has no business being on RAW and I do not deserve to hear the bullshit that comes out of Michael Cole's mouth amplified to another 10% It's bad enough that I have to hear Cole, and see Alberto and his ring announcer from week to week on Smackdown, but this Mexican JBL has now intruded on my Monday Nights -.- and who to face but R Truth. I wouldn't even be able to tell you if the match was any good cuz I just sat there mad about that it was even happening. And what scares me even more is that Alberto is gonna Rumble.

Who was that weird announcer guy backstage?
Randy's Promo was great. I hope he sticks to his resolution.

Anything CM Punk related tonight made me extremely happy.

And once again I agree with LSN80 about the overexposure of gimmick matches. The WWE needs to stop using them so often.

 

[JediJunkie]

LSN, we agree on a number of things, but I would like to point out a few things that I noticed as well. Obviously I missed most of the opener because I was on a sheetz run, but the miz and riley promo following the match was indeed a flop. I get the idea on trying to get Miz's comments immediately after a match, similar to a post-game on-field interview, where Miz would not have the time to sit down and plan exactly what he was going to say, but as you noted, if Alex Riley was so hurt that he needed immediate medical attention, why did he look so healthy during this promo?

I disagree with you on the Santino-Kozlov v. Usos as being a hit. I agree that the right team won the match, I've told you before that I am so sick of these "dart-board tag teams". But I have a problem with the Usos in the fact that I can't tell them apart without looking for tattoos. Unless they are trying to redo the Bashams tag team where either brother could switch out, similar to what the Bellas do now. I also believe that the Usos need a much better finishing move. A samoan drop just doesn't do it for me. I know people are going to bring up the cobra, but this is Santino that we're talking about.

I just remember a time where excellent tag teams (yes, I remember those days) had tag team finishers, similar to what the Harts did before splitting, or the 3d, the DWI, the combo bodysplash/neckbreaker that the guns use, even La Resistance's spinning thing, the snapshot. To me, that's one thing that makes a tag team credible. And winning.

And does anyone else remember when Santino tried to hook up with Beth Phoenix that Smackdown a few weeks back? I know if I tried to pick up a girl, my girlfriend would beat me for it. I'm expecting Tamina to eventually turn on Santino.

I'm surprised that they didn't mention R-Truth's condition when he came out to the ring tonight, I would have liked to hear it mentioned and then have him pick up a win tonight against a Zach Rider or something, and not just have him tap out to Del Rio. I will admit though, that is one of the better matches that I've seen Truth in, but I would have preferred to see even Daniel Bryan tap out to Alberto, to make the trip from Smackdown more eventful and meaningful.

I couldn't have had a match end any worse than the 6 diva tag. Actually I could, if I had to see Gail Kim eat another pin, but LSN you're right, nobody won in that diva tag. How is Melina the #1 contender again? She no longer looks like a credible threat to beat Natalia.

CM Punk may be the best talker in the WWE right now and I love where they've taken his character since he joined the RAW announce team. I did enjoy CM Punk's interaction with Barrett at the top of the cage, but it was always a matter of when, and not if, something was going to happen. I was happy with the choice to just have it be Punk and not the entire nexus ringside. I'm glad the match went a long while before this happened, I especially liked when Orton slammed the cage door shut and then "went to that place where he hears voices", an excellent follow-up to his earlier promo.

I thought that this was a very good episode and a great way to kick of RAW 2011. The opening match and the main event did take up a lot of time, which kept superstars like Daniel Bryan, Dibiase, Mark Henry off of the show, but if you missed them that much, watch Superstars this week.

 

[LSN80]

LSN, we agree on a number of things, but I would like to point out a few things that I noticed as well. Obviously I missed most of the opener because I was on a sheetz run, but the miz and riley promo following the match was indeed a flop. I get the idea on trying to get Miz's comments immediately after a match, similar to a post-game on-field interview, where Miz would not have the time to sit down and plan exactly what he was going to say, but as you noted, if Alex Riley was so hurt that he needed immediate medical attention, why did he look so healthy during this promo?

The whole Miz/Riley segment was a huge waste of time, and quite illogical at that. Riley was beaten badly by Morrison, and finally took a running knee to the head while seated on the barricade. How he was up for the promo ten minute later is baffling to me. Anyway, the match gets 9/10 because Morrison was amazing during this match, and Miz once again capitilized on a mistake like the opportunist he is, and actually got a clean win in the end.

I disagree with you on the Santino-Kozlov v. Usos as being a hit. I agree that the right team won the match, I've told you before that I am so sick of these "dart-board tag teams". But I have a problem with the Usos in the fact that I can't tell them apart without looking for tattoos. Unless they are trying to redo the Bashams tag team where either brother could switch out, similar to what the Bellas do now. I also believe that the Usos need a much better finishing move. A samoan drop just doesn't do it for me. I know people are going to bring up the cobra, but this is Santino that we're talking about.

And does anyone else remember when Santino tried to hook up with Beth Phoenix that Smackdown a few weeks back? I know if I tried to pick up a girl, my girlfriend would beat me for it. I'm expecting Tamina to eventually turn on Santino.

I thought of giving this a miss, but it actually gave the tag team championships a storyline, something we havent had in a long time. When Tamina debuted, she was partnered with the Usos. But due to her infatuation with Santino, shes sided with them, or so it appears based on the stereo cobras that were dished out tonight. It adds intrigue as whether shes actually stringing Snatino along, and as you mentioned he did make advances on Beth on Smackdown. It should make for an interesting dynamic in a tag team feud, and Tamina could play the wild card.

As for the samoan drop, I understand why you wouldnt see it as a credible finisher on MOST superstars. But this is Santino, who uses the worst finisher in WWE to get pins. He's not that imposing of a wrestler, so a Samoan drop actually looks like it could take out Santino. But in most ofr tgheir matches they've won, they use a top rope splash as their finisher, which is certainly credible. Anyway, this match was actually decently wrestled, so I gave it a 4.5/10.

I'm surprised that they didn't mention R-Truth's condition when he came out to the ring tonight, I would have liked to hear it mentioned and then have him pick up a win tonight against a Zach Rider or something, and not just have him tap out to Del Rio. I will admit though, that is one of the better matches that I've seen Truth in, but I would have preferred to see even Daniel Bryan tap out to Alberto, to make the trip from Smackdown more eventful and meaningful.

The problem is, R-Truth has cemented his role as a mid-card jobber. He's used to elevate people, at least in WWE's eyes, as we're supposed to see him as a credible threat. Jobbing to Barrett, Miz, Otunga, and Del Rio tonight has killed whatever momentum or credibility he has. His condition doesnt realkly fit in the kayfabe world, so it was best they left it out.

Anyway, I thought this was a very good match, and as I said before, I think it was done to get simply Raw fans familiar with the next big thing, especially heading into his important match with Mysterio come Friday. But a win over Bryan would have meant more, and wouldnt have hurt Bryan much because of the role he's been on. Still Truth and Del RIo were both impressive in a ten minute match, and I gave it a 6/10 overall. Until the botched finsihing sequence, this was one of Truth'sbest matches in some time.

I couldn't have had a match end any worse than the 6 diva tag. Actually I could, if I had to see Gail Kim eat another pin, but LSN you're right, nobody won in that diva tag. How is Melina the #1 contender again? She no longer looks like a credible threat to beat Natalia.

Agreed. Not only that, but the wrong team won. Like you said, how are we to take Melina seriously if shes eating pins from Eve Torres and her heel turn is still unexplained. The 3 minute length of the match was likely to give time to the other long matches, but anyone on the face team should have eaten that pin, including Natalya. Melina has done nothing to show shes capable of taking the title from Natalya, which causes me to lose interest in this feud, along with Melina's unexplained heel turn. Wrong team won, and the wrong wrestler got pinned. The match was fine for its 3 minutes, but due to the attrocious booking I gave it a 2.5/10.

CM Punk may be the best talker in the WWE right now and I love where they've taken his character since he joined the RAW announce team. I did enjoy CM Punk's interaction with Barrett at the top of the cage, but it was always a matter of when, and not if, something was going to happen. I was happy with the choice to just have it be Punk and not the entire nexus ringside.

Well put. In fact, we may have gotten two of the better talkers in Barrett and Punk together in two segments. Punk's over the top disingenuous words to Barrett were fantastic, and they obviously foresadowed Punk's later involvement. It was nice to see both hold their own in calling the other a hypocrite, and a nice touch by Punk to mention how he defended Barrett after what Cena did to him at TLC. But in the end, youre right, and it felt at times that the cage match dragged as the wrestlers had several chances to escape with ease, but chose not to as they were "waiting" for Punk's involvement. A solid main event, but it did drag in spots. 7/10 seems like a fair grade.

I'm glad the match went a long while before this happened, I especially liked when Orton slammed the cage door shut and then "went to that place where he hears voices", an excellent follow-up to his earlier promo.

Orton was fantastic tonight. Hes at his best when he's the "silent assasin", and a man of few words. I like that hes not chnaging his character based upon his acceptance by the fans, and I found it intriguing that he name dropped Jericho. The steel cage ending was a nice touch.

I thought that this was a very good episode and a great way to kick of RAW 2011. The opening match and the main event did take up a lot of time, which kept superstars like Daniel Bryan, Dibiase, Mark Henry off of the show, but if you missed them that much, watch Superstars this week.

Other then Bryan, I highly doubt any of these wrestlers were missed. While I was disapointed he wasn't there, Im ok with it as long as it doesnt become a regular occurence. Hes brought so much credibility back to the title that he needs to be on the show, wrestling both heels and faces alike if the situation calls for it. But as I said earlier, only a few minor complaints to what was an excellent kickoff to the first week ofn Raw in 2011.

 

[The Eighties]

I thought the opening match was excellent and putting it on first was a smart move as it meant the guys got the crowd fresh. There are many routes things can go from here so I'm not concerned over the outcome, the most important thing was both came out of it looking stronger than when it started.

CM Punk for me is the best thing in wrestling today, his promo with Barret was superb as was their whole interaction, what I love about Punk is the way he makes the little things count, the way he turned on Barret with that stare of contempt before booting him off the cage was awesome.

The Miz promo wasn't very good in one sense but it did make me want to punch him in the face along with Cole, so on one level it did work.

Del Rio being on Raw made no sense and while I know his mic work has been solid I thought this promo was the drizzling shits, he just mumbled on until I was glad R-Truth's music hit. The match itself was solid if predictable stuff, but I'd rather have seen Daniel Bryan.

As has been mentioned the Divas tag was stupidly booked, Melina taking the pin from a second tier diva like Eve made no sense, but it's no surprise as this whole heel turn has been half assed. It almost felt like WWE has signed Kong so now Melina is a mere afterthought.

The Koztino vs Usos's stuff just passed me by, I get Santino is over and I find his mic work funny, but I have little interest in him and the stodgy Russian as in ring performers.

The triple threat steel cage match was good, all 3 guys put their work in and while the outcome was never in doubt the finish was nicely executed, the way Orton exited the cage in particular was gold.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Monday Night Raw - January 3, 2011

The Miz vs. John Morrison - This was an excellent match and a great way to start off Raw in the new year. There was tons of energy in the air and it had a big match feel to it and the crowd was into it every second from start to finish. John Morrison looked like he belonged in the main event picture and I can honestly see no reason why he shouldn't be a regular main event conteder. This was another breakthrough performance for JoMo. The Miz also looked like a strong champion determined to keep his title. I thought he did a great job in selling his frustrations in the last 4 or 5 minutes of the match and a great story was told overall. I also love the fact that this match wasn't bogged down with high spots. The spots that did happen were used well and didn't dominate the match. JoMo missing Starship Pain, going through the table and kicking out showed a lot of heart but the match ended exactly the way it should. Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale about the 17.5 minute mark for the clean pin. I don't mind that this match came first as it started things off with a massive level of energy. Thumbs Up

Natalya, Eve Torres & Brie Bella vs. Melina, Maryse & Alicia Fox - This match in and of itself was alright, though it's pretty well below what we've been seeing from the Divas over the past month. I'm not really all that surprised about that as Maryse & Brie Bella are both pretty weak inside the ring. This match also was following the LMS match for the WWE Championship, so there was no way it was going to be anything more than filler. It wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't good as it was really too short to mean anything. Having Melina getting pinned cleanly by Eve made no sense to me at all. She's the #1 contender for the Divas Championship so, if she's going to get pinned in this type of match, why not have Natalya be the one to pin her? Too short really, the less talented Divas got too much time in the ring and the decision to have Melina job cleanly to someone other than the reigning Divas champ just doesn't work for me. Thumbs Down

Santino Marella & Vladimir Koslov vs. The Usos - Overall, this was a solid tag team match given the time it had. Generally speaking, this felt more like a serious match than any Santino & Koslov have been in before as a team. There was actually no comedy involved, except for Koslov getting tied up in the ropes while still trying to push himself over the top. Except for that, it was a solid match and I was actually quite surprised, pleasantly, to see the Usos pick up a clean win over the reigning tag champs. Nothing special about the match but good for what it was and I liked the outcome. Thumbs Up

CM Punk & Wade Barrett - I thought the promo segment featuring Punk & Barrett was excellent. In my opinion, CM Punk is one of the best on the mic today. He seems so confident and comfortable in his role that everything he does and says feels and seems completely natural. I loved the beginning of the promo when he was mocking Cena, always a great way to generate heat from the live crowds. Wade Barrett came out not long after, nice to see him back, and held his own on the mic against the former 3 time World Champion. They had a good little back and forth and I liked that Barrett insinuated that everything about Punk, especially his lifestyle, is a sham. Just added a little kick. The other members of Nexus were really a nonfactor when they came down and I'm glad that nothing was done to take the spotlight away from Punk & Barrett. The Raw GM chimes in and announces that either CM Punk or Wade Barrett will be in a triple threat cage match to determine the #1 conteder for the WWE Championship. Punk stepping aside to allow Barrett to participate in the match was interesting. I know that these two would have a great match but I'm glad that the WWE didn't go that route last night. If Barrett loses, then he's out of Nexus. Interesting little angle and some damn fine work on the mic. Thumbs Up

R-Truth vs. Alberto Del Rio - Del Rio initially came out and cut a solid promo before being interrupted by Truth. After a little back and forth, Truth slaps Del Rio to initiate a match. Very solid effort here, even though the question of who'd win was never in any doubt. The WWE is clearly indicating that Del Rio is a "favorite" to win the Royal Rumble and placed him on Raw this week for greater exposure. The match told a good story and R-Truth did a great job of selling his injured arm throughout the match. The match ends at the 10 minute mark when Del Rio slaps on the armbar submission. I like that Truth fought it for a while and struggled, creating some great tension that the crowd was really into. But he did eventually tap out. Fun match that made Truth look tough and got Del Rio over with Raw's larger audience. Thumbs Up

Randy Orton vs. King Sheamus vs. Wade Barrett - Fun, high energy match here with great storytelling. These sorts of cage matches, in which winning is achieved only by escaping the cages, rely especially on the storytelling, live crowd reaction and escape attempts to pull them off and this match did that extremely well. All three wrestlers looked good and looked like they belonged there. It wasn't as good as the opening match, but it was still a damn fine match. It looked as though Wade Barrett had the match won until Punk's interference cost him the win. I can't say I'm surprised by that but it still makes it all the more interesting to keep tuning in to see what happens with Nexus. Orton does eventually get the win about the 20 minute mark after hitting Sheamus with an RKO and leaving through the cage door. If the plan is indeed to keep The Miz as WWE Champion at least until WM, then having Orton win this match makes perfect sense. Miz goes onto RR and faces Orton and gets a very credible win over a former multi-time World Champion. Thumbs Up

Overall Show - Last night's Raw was a great show from top to bottom and did just about everything I was hoping it'd do. It pushed along storylines and feuds nicely for the Rumble, the two main event matches were both great with The Miz vs. JoMo exceeding my expectations, the situation with Nexus continues to interest as another possible layer is added to the angle with the return of Wade Barrett and I was entertained from start to finish. Raw felt like an extremely serious show last night and I loved that about it. There was no sillyness, no lame attempts at corny comedy skits, just completely focusing on the product. I honestly don't know why so many people don't like Orton facing The Miz at the Royal Rumble because a win over Orton is huge for Miz and would solidify him. He got the win over a very game John Morrison, a bright rising star, so winning over a "wily veteran" and multiple World Champion like Orton would only complete things. I was a little let down that Daniel Bryan wasn't on the show last night. The WWE needs a feud for the guy. At the same time, at least he wasn't just fed to Alberto Del Rio, which I have a feeling might have happened had they decided to use him last night. Great show last night.

Grade: A-

 

[Mekanik Kommandoh]

Last night's RAW was a good show and a great way to start the year off. It was fairly wrestling heavy, which was interesting, and it was during the Morrison/Miz and main event that I was most interested. The opener was very good and it's nice to see Miz being put into positions where he has to work hard to retain the title. I've never been a huge Morrison fan, but he's still exciting to watch under the right circumstances and last night was a good showcase for him. I have absolutely no problems with him cashing in his title shot on TV either and I don't think the loss made him lose any relevance.

The main event was even better in my opinion and it will be interesting to see where the whole Barrett/Punk thing goes. Speaking of those two, good promo from each of them in the middle of the show. I'm weary of how they're going to keep continued interest in the Nexus angle without Cena, but apparently he's coming back next week, so I expect some cool developments coming out of the whole situation.

Looking forward to next Monday.

 

[DirtSheet]

Well this is my first post so might as well make it an impressive one

I thought it was a good way to open the match with Miz/JoMo for the title as it signalled that WWE want to get off 2011 well. These two guys are expected to have a big year if used correctly and they put on a fantastic match. I couldn't believe that Miz kicked out of Starship Pain as I was sure that it was over. I actually turned my head away thinking "New Champ" but then JoMo kicked out off the table. It was also nice too see Miz winning cleanly as we now believe having beaten JoMo in a FCA match, Tables match against Orton and beatin King in a TLC match that he can hold his own.

The promo between Nexus(Barrett-Punk) was really well done as Barrett played the heel who tried to convince Nexus to be on his side whilst CM Punk was planning all the way through to turn on Barrett and was alot more easy-going in the promo. Nice to see David Otunga being pushed back to leader behind the proper leader as I can't stand Otunga. Anyway I expected Punk to get involved in the cage match and that he did but it was a good way to start a feud between the two. Just hope that he doesn't turn face in the process

The Steel Cage match was enjoyable though predictable with Randy Orton always winning. Don't like that King Sheamus hasn't won a match in 4 and if he is to go over at WM they'll need to make him get some momentum. Orton walked out of the cage perfectly IMO as he got a loud, loud pop. I know that people don't like the finish but I think it was needed to hype up Orton as he slowly walked out of the cage

All in all though it was a very impressive show and a good way to kick of 2011 for WWE

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I'm calling an early match of the year contender on the match between edge and kane that opened the 7/1/11 edition of Smackdown. It had everything. Possibly the widest use of an entire arena since rock and mankind's empty arena match and a mix of hardcore without breaking PG code mixed with an infinite amount of spots made this one special.

 

[Joe's Gonna Kill You]

I thought that Smackdown was Really Good tonight. The Opening was Pretty Good and probably the Best Match you could get out of Kane nowadays so that was pleasant surprise. Kofi won the IC title in a Solid match with Kofi Kingston, Ziggler had a really good reign with the IC title and I think he is ready for a Test Run in the Main Event, Which brings me to Fatal 4 Way for the #1 Contendership which I so glad that Ziggler that won and that Big Show lost, the match was Good but it was abit Ridiculous for Big Show to kick out of three finishers. The Divas stuff was the only bad thing about the show tonight. The 2/3 falls Match was Really Good between Rey and Alberto I had a bad feeling that Rey would win this match but I'm glad that ADR got the win. Really Good Smackdown tonight

Overall Grade: A

 

[CelticCorey]

I also give Smackdown an A for many reasons.

#1 The World Title Match. Very nice action here and so many spots. I also liked the tease at the end of Kane getting up and then he falls back down. That was intense.

#2 Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler did a good job tonight in the ring.

#3 Dolph Ziggler may finally be coming through in the WWE. He has that look and the talent in the ring. His mic skills could use improvement and I am hoping that if he doesn't win the title (he likely won't) that WWE continues his push.

#4 Drew McIntyre seems to show emotion

#5 Alberto Del Rio's victory over Rey was a great way to end the rivalry. Smackdown did lose cool points with me though when the show ended with Mysterio's music and him in the ring as if he was the one who won the match.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Kane VS Edge- Last Man Standing- World Heavyweight Championship

Edge hits a Con-Chair-to on Kane’s knee. Kane tries to make it to his feet, but he can’t beat the ten count, and the Rated-R Superstar retains the World Heavyweight Championship. I enjoyed this, and I thought this was a very good match. This one was pretty physical, and there were some rough spots here. I’m glad Edge retained here, because I don’t want to see Kane with the WHC again. His reign wasn’t that memorable, and as of right now, Edge is probably the best choice to be the top guy on the blue brand. Edge VS Kane is a great way to kick off the show tonight.

Dolph Ziggler VS Kofi Kingston- Intercontinental Championship

Kofi hits an awesome cross body to win the match, and he becomes the new Intercontinental Champion….but wait. After the match, Dolph attacks Kofi. He hits him with the Zig Zag. Vickie gets on the mic. She says the match will be restarted. Dolph gets a few shots in, but Kofi hits the Trouble In Paradise to retain the title. This was a solid match. Dolph and Kofi have had some nice matches, and they didn’t disappoint here. There was some nice back and forth action here, and both men showed some impressive feats of athleticism. I hope Cody Rhodes can get a shot at the IC title next, because I would like to see him wear some singles gold somewhere down the line. As far as Kofi winning goes, I have no problem with him being IC Champion again. Kofi can consistently put on good matches, he’s solid on the mic, and he’s proved he can be a good champion before.

Big Show VS Cody Rhodes VS Drew McIntyre VS Dolph Ziggler- #1 Contender’s Match For The World Heavyweight Championship

Vickie makes the match a Fatal Four Way. She adds Dolph. Show goes for a chokeslam, but Wade Barrett stops him. He attacks Show, and walks away with a devious look on his face. Show gets hit with a bunch of finishers, but he continues to fight back. Ziggelr tricks Cody Rhodes into attacking Big Show. Cody turns his back, and Dolph hits the Zig Zag for the win. This was an awesome match. Show did look invincible throughout this match, but this contest was still very fun to watch. The suspense was there, and you never could tell who was going to win the match. I’m happy Ziggler won this match, because he had an outstanding reign as IC Champ, and now it’s time for him to move on to the main event scene. As far as Wade Barrett’s attack goes, I’m very interested to see where WWE will go with this storyline. It seems as if Barrett is now apart of the blue brand, and I wonder if his monster push will continue.

Michelle McCool VS Kelly Kelly

Layla causes a distraction, and Michelle hits the Faithbreaker for the win. After the match, Lay-Cool continues the attack on Kelly. Drew McIntyre comes down. He scares off Lay-Cool. This was pretty short and weak, and I had a good feeling Kelly would lose here. It seems as if Drew is on the road to a face turn. I never been to crazy about Kelly, but if this storyline leads to these two becoming a couple, then it could lead to a nice push for her.

Alberto Del Rio VS Rey Mysterio- 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match

Del Rio’s ring announcer prevents Rey from getting back inside the ring, and Del Rio wins the third fall via count out. After the match, Rey attacks the ring announcer. This was a damn good match. This match featured plenty of action, and Del Rio had a nice “heel style” win here. I’m glad Del Rio won this match, because this means his push into the main event should be right around the corner.

Overall Show Rating 9/10: This was an outstanding episode of Smackdown. Tonight’s show got off to a great start with Kane VS Edge, and the thrill ride didn’t stop there. The majority of the wrestling on tonight’s show was superb, and we did see some shocking moments on tonight’s show. Wade Barrett seems to be a member of Smackdown now. He’s kicking off his tenure on the blue brand by feuding with Show, and I think this is a good way for Barrett to start off on Smackdown. Barrett’s monster push might continue, but as of right now, other guys are ahead of him on the blue brand, so he’ll have to wait in line for a little while. I went insane when Ziggler won the #1 contender’s match. I’ve been a fan of Dolph’s for a while, and I’m so happy to see him being pushed into the main event. This guy has the look, he can go in the ring, and he’s not bad on the mic either. Ziggler has all of the tools to be a main event player in WWE. It looks like Drew McIntyre is headed for a face turn. I like Drew, but I don’t know if I’m too crazy about this. Drew just seems like he’s more suited to play the bad guy. He always sounds like a heel during his promos, and I think he’s destined to be a heel. If this face turn is going to work out, then I think Drew needs to make some changes as far as his persona goes. Kane lost his re match. The Big Red Machine might go back to being stuck in the mid card, because I can’t see him getting back into the main event scene anytime soon or ever again. I don’t know who Kane could feud with, but he’ll probably be used to put someone over.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Friday Night SmackDown! - January 7, 2011

Edge vs. Kane - Great, hard fought match between these two. For me, it's been the overall most enjoyable match these two have had and I think it played very well to both their strengths. Neither wrestler is as athletic as they once were, due in large part to injuries and just aging, but they put a lot of themselves into the match. It was highly competitive with all the usual spots as you'd expect here. Edge breaking out the conchairto on Kane at the closing of the match was a nice touch as we haven't seen it in quite a while. Kane really fought and struggled to get up to beat the 10 count and sold the damage done by the conchairto to his knee very well. Edge ultimately comes up with the victory a little past the 21 minute mark. Both men looked strong and it was a great way to blow off this feud. Thumbs Up

Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston - I loved everything about this because. The match was a lot of fun, great energy from both guys and the crowd was hanging on every second. It was only about 6 minutes but it felt like 15 and I mean that in a good way. It wasn't their best match overall but everything was just clicking. Kofi hits an incredible looking high cross body block from the top that Ziggler sold the shit out of to win his 3rd IC title. Vickie interjecting herself, screeching at the top of her voice, and ordering that Ziggler be given a rematch immediately was a great touch and I thought we were going to see a sort of screwjob ending. Kofi manages to hit Trouble in Paradise out of nowhere to pin Ziggler again in roughly a minute. Ziggler has been a great IC champ, this was a excellent way to blow off this feud and I hope to see Ziggler move onto bigger things. Thumbs Up

The Big Show vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Dashing Cody Rhodes vs. Dolph Ziggler - This was initially a triple threat match to determine the new #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Vickie comes out and changes it to a Fatal 4-Way match and puts Dolph Ziggler into it. Damn good match with everyone really working well. The first 5 minutes of the match has Show dominating all the guys as you'd expect before all three of them finally gang up on him outside the ring and use their combined efforts to put Show through the barricade. I was surprised to see Wade Barrett pop out during the match and really just kind of take Show out of competition. Barrett on SD! could be a good thing and I think it's a chance for a fresh start. Dolph Ziggler gets the win at the 14 minute mark after hitting the Zig Zag on Cody Rhodes. I'm THRILLED about this. Great match with a great ending. As I said earlier, Ziggler has been a great IC champ and has worked his ass off since winning the title. He's shown over the course of his reign that he's got the goods and his matches against John Cena a few weeks ago capitalized on it. Dolph Ziggler is the new #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Thumbs Up

Michelle McCool vs. Kelly Kelly - Not really long enough to be much of anything. The match was solid while it lasted but it lasted less than 2 minutes. This is really the only hitch in the night that I've seen thus far, but it's a small one due mostly to the fact that it was so short. I do like the new bully mentality that they seem to be developing with LayCool. Drew McIntyre coming out and telling them to leave after they beat on Kelly was a little strange. The crowd didn't really know how to react and I kind of liked that to be honest. Still, too short to mean anything. Thumbs Down

Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio - Great way to close out the show, great match and an excellent match to blow off a feud with. Both of them showed a lot of heart and determination in the match and both scored clean pinfall wins over the other. Both wrestlers looked strong and I loved how the match ended. Ricardo Rodriguez holds onto Mysterio's leg so that he can't climb back into the ring to beat the count. As a result, Del Rio wins the third fall of the match about the 17 minute mark. I'm glad that they went this way and gave Del Rio the win, it just seems fitting. Mysterio beating up on Rodriguez after the match was over was a nice way of sending the crowd home happy. Thumbs Up

Overall Show - The first SmackDown! of 2011 was excellent. The theme of the night was ending feuds to move onto new ones and that happened in fantastic ways tonight. This was an extremely wrestling heavy episode of SD!, I can't remember the last time I saw either a Raw or SD! in which it was all wrestling. I found myself thinking that this is the overall kind of show that TNA was hoping for when they did "The Whole F'N Show" episode of iMPACT! this past summer. I thought that there was a LOT of ppv quality stuff going on. Edge & Kane ended their feud on a high note in one of the better matches they've each worked in quite a long time. Kofi Kingston wins the IC title and ends his feud with Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler himself is now the new #1 contender for the WHC and Del Rio gets a classic heel victory over Mysterio in a great 2 out of 3 falls match to close things out with them. I don't expect Ziggler to win the WHC from Edge, I think this is going to be something of a test just as Morrison's main event push has been. Ziggler & Del Rio are both stars and they showed it tonight. I was entertained every second really and it seemed like the time just flew by.

Grade: A+

 

[MizFit Brocko]

Best Smackdown i have seen in a long long time.

Edge vs Kane was brilliant, and was just as good as the RAW WWE Title match.

Ziggler vs Kofi was a solid match and Kofi ended Zigglers reign as champ.

LayCool finally beat someone. Well, McCool did.

When i saw the triple threat for #1 Contender, i had no idea who would win. You had Big Show, who i doubt they would put against Edge (Face vs Face, not to mention, they always make such a big deal out of several stars working together to eliminate him from the RR), however i just couldn't see Rhodes or Drew ready for a WH Title match. If Del Rio was in this match i could have easily seen him winning, however he was still tied up with Rey.

Enter, Ziggler, what a great win. Can't wait to see him in the World Title picture.

Rey vs Del Rio in 2/3 falls match. What a great match, liking ADR the more i see him, his character, his mic skills, his in ring ability, just everything. Was worried Rey may have won this, but Del Rio came out on top, it wasn't a clean win, but it was still a win none the less.

Brilliant SD! all in all, lets hope they can keep this up.

 

[Benz19]

This week smackdown was solid, showcasing 4 very good matches(and a divas one), and it was just good to lay back and enjoy some very good wrestling for once match after match, 9/10

 

[Soonago]

I was on the edge of my seat for most of this episode. This Smackdown was just as exciting, and maybe even more exciting, than some of the PPVs last year. Some great surprises, and I have to really hand it to creative for everything involving Ziggler. Huge Dolph fan here, and they put me on a rollercoaster.

10/10

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Nexus Attacks

The Tag Team Championship match is seconds from starting, but Nexus attacks. Punk gets on the mic. He says Nexus has been the most dominant force on Monday Nigh Raw since their debut. He says they have become stronger. He takes shots at Wade Barrett. Punk trashes Cena. Punk says all the current members of Nexus must past a test before they can be initiated into the new Nexus. Otunga kisses ass by agreeing with Punk. Punk tells McGillicutty he must receive a beat down by the other Nexus members. Husky Harris was supposed to go first, but he hesitates. Otugna steps up. He hits McGillicutty with his finisher. The rest of Nexus joins in on the beat down. Nexus picks up McGillicutty. They lay him on Punk’s shoulders, and Punk caps the attack off with a GTS. Nexus carries McGillicutty out of the ring. I LOVED this segment. All of the Nexus members(expect for Otunga) seemed to struggle with the attack on McGillicutty. Justin Gabriel was torn, as he stood on top of the turnbuckle. It was a tough choice. He had to either please Punk, and show his loyalty to the new Nexus, or he could walk away, but if he did, then he would be all by himself. You could feel the struggle within Gabriel. McGillcutty wanted to be in the new Nexus very badly. He willingly sacrificed himself. This was a great way to kick off the show, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the initiations will go.

Alberto Del Rio VS R-Truth

Del Rio’s ring announcer distracts Truth while he’s on the outside. Truth gets counted out, and Del Rio wins the match. After the match, Del Rio gets on the mic. He talks about winning the Royal Rumble and headlining Wrestlemania. He mocks Nashville’s taste in everything. Del Rio wants his ring announcer to sing. He does sing, and wow…he’s just horrible. As far as the match, goes, nothing really happened. Truth was in total control before the count out, and this one did end rather quickly. I guess this was just Del Rio’s chance to boast about winning the Rumble. Although, seeing Del Rio’s ring announcer attempt to sing was kind of funny.

Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler

King and Cole start out arguing about The Miz. The mystery GM interrupts. He starts to insult Cole, but these insults quickly turn into praise for Cole. King gets up. He calls Cole a coward. He closes the laptop. The lights go on and off again, and we have another message from the mystery GM. He makes a mtach. It will be Orton and Lawler VS Miz and Riley later tonight. Meh, this was just more bickering between Cole and Lawler. We’ve seen this on Raw for quite some time. The only difference here was King and Cole got more time in front of the camera, and Cole being the actual GM was teased. I thought this was okay, but nothing special or memorable by any means.

Husky Harris’ Initiation

Harris must receive three lashes from Otunga, Gabriel, and Slater. Husky gets ready, but Punk tells him he must take his shirt off. All three men whip Husky three times. Punk brutally whips Harris last. This was pretty brutal. Like McGillcutty, Harris had to endure a lot of pain if he wanted to be apart of the new Nexus. He was beaten, and he took his punishment. Harris was somewhat defiant before his punishment began, but he quickly succumbed to the pain. These initiations are becoming more and more serious.

Daniel Bryan & Mark Henry VS Tyson Kidd & Ted DiBiase

Henry hits the World Strongest Slam on Kidd for the win. This was okay, but this match just felt so random and pointless. This match was pretty short, and nothing major happened here. It’ll be interesting to see if Bryan and Henry or DiBiase and Kidd will become permanent teams. The Bella Twins looked great as usual, and I think they were the only thing worth looking at here.

The Big Show

Show talks about kicking Barrett’s ass. He talks about dominating the Royal Rumble match. Nexus interrupts. They stand together, but then Otunga approaches the ring by himself. He slaps Show. Show beats him up. He caps of the attack with a choke slam and a knockout punch. Otunga joined his fellow Nexus members in taking a beating. The Big Show’s attack wasn’t as vicious as Harris’ whipping, but Otunga showed guts as he passed his test.

King Sheamus VS John Morrison

Morrison hits a running knee to win the match. Sheamus and Morrison have delivered some outstanding matches, and they didn’t disappoint here. The pace was kind of slow, but this one was pretty physical, and there was some nice back and forth action here.

Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel’s Initiations

Punk hands Slater and Gabriel kendo sticks. He says they must beat each other up with them. They hesitate. Punk reminds them that if they don’t go through with it, they’re out. Slater and Gabriel look at Punk. They prepare to strike him with the sticks, but then they drop them, and walk away. WOW. I was shocked by this. I seriously thought every member of the old Nexus would pass their test. I thought Gabriel and Slater would eventually cave into the pressure, but they didn’t. They chose to walk away. They did the right thing. I’m anxious to see how Punk will react to this.

Shawn Michaels & Alberto Del Rio

HBK is revealed as the first member of the Class Of 2011 Hall Of Fame. SHAWN IS ACTUALLY IN THE BULIDING. I went nuts when his music hits. HBK gets a nice reception from the live crowd . He looks like he’s about to talk, but Del Rio interrupts. He says he will be the new Mr. Wrestlemania. HBK shuts him up by delivering a super kick. I thought this was great. Shawn definitely deserve his Hall Of Fame induction, and I hope WWE will make him the highlight of the ceremony this year, because he truly deserves it. Shawn didn’t say a word, but his presence was more than enough to excite me. This was just one of those moments where you sit back and enjoy the ride. Also, WWE must really believe in Del Rio as a big time heel, because this was a great way to give him a huge rub. He ruined HBK’s moment. How could you not hate this guy?

CM Punk Commits Suicide?

It seems as if Cole is about to interview Cena. Punk interrupts. He’s standing on top of the titantron. Punk talks about “the ultimate sacrifice.” Punk asks if he should dive off of the tron. The crowd loudly approves. Punk reveals he’s wearing a harness. He mocks the live crowd in Nashville. Harris, McGillicutty, and Otunga come to the ring. Punk continues to trash the crowd for thinking he was going to jump. He says he doesn’t need approval or initiations. The crowd chants for Cena, and they get him on the titantron. Cena rips into Punk. He says he will “initiate” Punk personally. Cena challenges Punk to a match. Punk accepts the challenge. Cena says he will whoop Punk’s ass. I really enjoyed this segment. The teasing of Punk’s suicide jump was a nail biting moment. If he did actually jump, I know there would’ve been precautions taken to ensure Punk’s safety, but it was kind of nerve-wrecking watching Punk stand on top of the titantron. As far as the Punk/Cena match next week goes, I highly doubt it will happen. WWE should continue to build this feud more, and this match should be saved for a pay per view. Punk VS Cena has tons of potential, and I wouldn’t want to see this feud wasted on Monday Night Raw. I’m sure something shady will go down next Monday. Maybe Nexus will attack Cena again, or maybe we’ll see Punk pull out another trick, but I can’t see this match actually taking place next week.

Miz & Alex Riley VS Randy Orton & Jerry Lawler

Orton hits the RKO on Riley. Miz tries to sneak in, but Orton stares him down. Miz has this petrified look on his face. He doesn’t enter the ring. Orton tags in Lawler. He hits his flying fist move, and he picks up the three count for the win. This was an okay main event. Miz had his ass handed to him by Lawler on the outside, and Orton was pretty dominant when he entered the ring. But the ending did help spark some more interest for the WWE Championship match at the Rumble. Although, this match didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t wow me in any way either.

Overall Show Rating 7/10: Nexus was the highlight of tonight’s show. The initiation segments were done so well. You really saw how badly these men wanted to follow Punk’s leadership, because they put themselves through some very brutal punishment. Slater and Gabriel chose to do the right thing, and it seems as if they’re out of Nexus. They could go to Smackdown, but what’s next for them? Will they stay together as a tag team or will they have a run a tag team? There are still some very interesting questions that need to be answered. As far as the wrestling goes, the majority of the matches on tonight‘s show didn‘t stand out. Most of the matches were pretty short, and the tag team match that actually did take place wasn’t anything to remember. Sheamus and Morrison didn’t disappoint, but this match didn’t make my jaw drop like their other matches did. HBK appearing on Raw tonight was a HUGE shock for me. I didn’t expect it, and seeing Shawn was a real feel good moment. He truly deserves to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame, and I hope WWE centers the ceremony around him. Still, tonight’s show didn’t have that spark that I usually expect from Raw. Tonight’s show wasn’t terrible, but I think it would’ve been without the Nexus and HBK.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Monday Night Raw - January 11, 2010

Opening Segment & Nexus Initiations - I enjoyed the show's opening as it's always fun to hear CM Punk on the mic. I know it's only been a few weeks but Nexus does seem to have a much more energetic feel to it since he's taken over the reigns. Coming out and beating up on Santino & Koslov before their tag title match was a nice touch, though it does further reinforce that Vince doesn't care about the tag team division. Punk told the members of Nexus that they're all going to be initiated tonight and they begin with a group beatdown of Michael McGuillicutty. Everyone present hits him with their finishers with Punk finishing last with the GTS. It put me somewhat in mind of beatings gang members have to endure in order to become part of the gang. That's not to say that this was anything even remotely as violent, but it just popped in my head when I saw it. The second initiation came later with the rest of Nexus backstage in the locker room whipping the ever lovin' shit out of Husky Harris with leather straps. You know that stuff has to hurt and hurt bad. Harris takes three shots from Gabriel, Slater & Otunga but Punk goes apeshit and delivers about 8 or 9 really hard shots with it. Next, a bit later, Nexus comes out and interrupts The Big Show as he's in the ring hyping his match against Wade Barrett this friday on SmackDown! and hyping himself as a Royal Rumble participant. Otunga's initiation is to get beaten down by Show and I thought it was fun to watch. Show was, at times, literally just slinging Otunga around the ringside area as if he was nothing and Otunga is a big muscular guy. It put me in mind of an old school veteran just whoopin' the snot out of a rookie that disrespected him. The final initiation came with Justin Gabriel & Heath Slater being told to beat each other with Kendo sticks, which they never did. Eventually, they just threw them down and left Punk standing in the locker room grinning so I dunno what this means exactly. Bit of a strange vibe here tonight with those initiations but it kept me asking what they're gonna do next and what's up for next week so they ultimately did their jobs. Thumbs Up

Alberto Del Rio vs. R-Truth - I know that the WWE is heavily hyping Del Rio as a Royal Rumble favorite and all but this just didn't work for me. Last week, they had a good match between these two and this week it just felt like air time filler. Del Rio gets the win via count out in about 2 minutes thanks to Ricardo Rodriguez distracting Truth. I'm a big fan of Del Rio but it just wasn't clicking with me tonight. His stuff on the mic afterward was solid but it just lacked a certain amount of oomph. Thumbs Down

Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole - I liked this segment because it did exactly what it was supposed to do. First thing, it generated great heat for Michael Cole. Not that he needs any help, but it worked just the same. Secondly, it reignited the tension of Cole & Lawler from when Cole interfered in Lawler's WWE Championship match against The Miz. Third, it worked as a set up for the main event tag match between The Miz & Alex Riley against Randy Orton & Lawler. Thumbs Up

Daniel Bryan & Mark Henry vs. Tyson Kidd & Ted DiBiase - The match only lasted about 3 minutes and just didn't do anything for me. I guess the WWE felt that Bryan & Henry should avenge their loss from this past Thursday on Superstars. As with Del Rio & Truth, it just felt like Filler. Thumbs Down

John Morrison vs. Sheamus - Another really good match from these two. Sheamus & Morrison have great chemistry together and the match told a good story from all sides. Morrison did a good job selling his various injuries and bruises from his match against Miz last Monday while Sheamus looks like an opportunistic bruiser that picks his spots. The commentators kept bringing up Morrison's condition as not being 100%, having an "injured arm" during the match, so it looks as if the WWE is portraying JoMo as a tough, fiesty scrapper that doesn't know the meaning of the word quit. JoMo eventually gets the win a little past 12 minutes after hitting Sheamus with the running knee. The ending was a little surprising, though in a good way. Sheamus sold the knee shot well and didn't move a muscle for about 2 minutes. The crowd wasn't expecting the match to end at that time, which gave it more of a spontaneous feel to me like you might see in actual fighting or certain types of sports. Thumbs Up

Shawn Michaels - As they come back from commercial, Jerry Lawler is up in the ring and announces the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2011. They showed various video clips of Shawn Michaels at various points throughout his career. Of course, HBK deserves it and his presence in the HOF will guarantee good ticket sales to the event this year. Having HBK come out was a great surprise and, like a lot of other people, I marked out a little. It was great to see him, though I was a little conflicted. On one hand, the WWE might've guaranteed a bigger audience if they'd advertised his appearance on Raw previously. On the other, the WWE doesn't pull huge surprises like this very often at all, which gives the surprises a more special feel to me. Eventually, Alberto Del Rio comes out all dressed up and cuts a great heel promo for himself. The WWE is definitely pushing Del Rio to look like a favorite and main event contender and I can't blame them because the guy's a star. HBK eventually delivers Sweet Chin Music, he just hits it so suddenly that it was another great little surprise. I thought they would have had HBK banter with him a little on the mic, but he just whipped out his big gun and pulled the trigger. I would have liked to have heard Shawn talk on the mic of course, but him not saying a word didn't hurt this segment. The crowd was happy and gave everyone a feel good moment. Thumbs Up

CM Punk & John Cena - This segment began with Punk standing on top of the Titan Tron talking about how his initiation was to make the ultimate sacrifice for Nexus. Of course, fans were telling him to jump and he feigned jumping but of course he didn't and ridiculed the fans for being so gullible. He showed everyone the harness he was wearing and the guys behind him working the harness were smiling and laughing a little, I think they were legitimately getting a kick out of it. Punk & the other members of Nexus, minus Slater & Gabriel, make their way down to the ring while Punk talks a little more smack. John Cena eventually pops up on screen and insults Punk and eventually gives a pretty heated promo. He challenges Punk to a match on Raw next week and Punk accepts the challenge. Cena says he's coming to Raw next week to take care of business and whoop Punk's ass. Dang, beating a man stupid with leather straps and John Cena saying a wordy dird. A good segment for what should be an interesting set up and main event for next week. Thumbs Up

Randy Orton & Jerry The King Lawler vs. The Miz & Alex Riley - Good tv main event here with the crowd solidly behind Jerry Lawler. What these matches featuring Lawler have done very well is tell stories and I thought this match was no exception. Orton looked strong, like his usual predatory self, and Josh Matthews constantly said how he felt that Orton was going to beat Miz at the Rumble. Miz does hit the RKO on Miz but Lawler doesn't get the pinfall over Miz this time thanks to Riley. The match does end about the 11.5 minute mark after Lawler hits the diving fits from the second rope onto Riley. Orton & Miz's facial expressions during the last 30 seconds of the match were great. Miz continues to look like a vulnerable champ while Orton looks like a stalking predator savoring a meal that's about to come. Thumbs Up

Overall Show - I enjoyed Raw tonight and thought that the show had a strange sort of vibe to it tonight. It wasn't a bad vibe, mostly just a little uncertainty as to what they were going to feature. I enjoyed all the stuff with Nexus. I enjoyed Wade Barrett as leader of Nexus but having Punk gives the group a level of weight that Barrett just wasn't able to give at the time. Punk's impending match against John Cena next week should be fun and I think that they've done a good job these last few weeks building up for Cena's return next week. This was a pretty talk heavy show at times and, as a result, some matches got cut short and made into filler and that's unfortunate. It has to happen sometimes, but that's just how it goes. Morrison vs. Sheamus & the tag team match were both strong tv main event matches. Morrison continues to look like a star and I think the WWE is building him the right way in portraying him as a never say die tough scrapper. The tag team match told a great story and keeps things feeling amped between Miz & Orton. I hope very much that Miz retains over Orton at the Rumble and it's a match I wanna see. Shawn Michaels being named the first inductee into the HOF was great and seeing him on the show tonight was a very nice surprise. This show didn't have the same energy as last week's, though I didn't expect it to really as there wasn't as much action this week as last week. However, I thought this was a solid show that did it's job of pushing things along for the Rumble and hyping Cena's return for next week.

Grade: B

 

[The Eighties]

I was disappointed with tonight's show, I thought the initiations fell flat, maybe it was the crowd that was pretty dead all night, but the lack of heat was noticeable. I was also surprised how far they went with the strapping given the PG stance.

Punk was solid on the mic and commanded the segments well for what they were, his exchange with Cena was ok, I didn't like the juvenile CM sucks or rhyming thing but once Cena got serious he sold the intensity of the feud. Hopefully the match next week is nothing but an attack on Cena to further the feud.

I'm intrigued as to why Lawler is seeing so much ring time but the main event tag was fairly average stuff, part of me is starting to wonder if Orton may win at the Rumble, the commentary is in overdrive putting him over lately.

The Bryan/Henry vs Kidd/Dibiase was a waste of time, it did nothing to further Bryan vs Kidd and Henry got the pin despite being mostly a jobber these days, Maryse looked extra fine though so that was a plus.

JoMo vs Sheamus was another good match between the two and it was good to see JoMo get a win to reboot his momentum after last weeks loss, although I am surprised how much jobbing Sheamus has done lately.

HBK actually being on Raw was an awesome treat, so much charisma that he didn't even need to speak to captivate the audience. I also thought it was a good move to have Del Rio come out and cut that great promo, granted he ended up on his ass but it portrayed him as a big deal and it's clear he is being positioned as a potential Rumble winner.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

WWE Monday Night RAW-January 10th, 2011

First things first, I need to say something about this theme song. I hate Nickelback. I mean, I really hate them. They are a garbage band, and this song needs to change..ok, maybe it doesn't need to change, but I hope it does

Nexus Throws Santino/Kozlov Off The Show

As the title states, Kozlov and Santino are tossed from the broadcast. This was the start of wayyyy too much Nexus tonight. This was almost Immortal-like exposure.

CM Punk talks about how Cena is finished, Nexus is taking over...yeah, we've heard this shit for months now. He says every member of Nexus will through an initiation tonight, sounds interesting. They proceed to beat Hennig's boy to an absolute pulp...another thing we've seen a million times. However, the New Nexus shirts are pretty freakin' sweet.

Alberto Del Rio vs. R-Truth

This match cannot be rated seeing it barely took place. I see enough of Del Rio on Smackdown, I really did not enjoy seeing him here. I think he's horribly overrated, as is R-Truth. This segment was really annoying. If Del Rio didn't have an accent, I doubt he would be around.

Michael Cole/Jerry Lawler/The Computer

Cole reads an e-mail from the GM that originally states just how shitty Michael Cole really is. So in turn, Cole lies about what the e-mail says. Cole is funny from time-to-time, but I hope this ends soon. Lawler will tag up with Orton to face Riley and Miz. I wonder if this Lawler/Miz thing is actually going anywhere?

Husky Harris Takes The Beatin'

That's right, folks. The son I.R.S. is to be beaten with a few leather straps to make sure he's a worthy member of the New Nexus. Horribly boring until Punk really laid into that chubby bastard. Funny stuff, seeing I always find pleasure in the misery of Husky Harris. Looks like Harris made the cut.

Miz-Ark and Daniel Bryan vs. Ted DiBiase and Tyson Kidd

This was basically a throw-away match. I guess DiBiase is feuding with Miz-Ark, and Kidd wants the U.S. title. But then again, with Nexus taking up 3/4 of the show, how would you know who else is feuding? The match was barely a segment, so I really don't have an opinion on the in-ring action.

Big Show/David Otunga

As with Husky Harris, I usually find pleasure in the misery of one David Otunga.

Show comes out blabbering about the Rumble. Another guy I see enough of on Smackdown. Otunga's initiation is getting totally destroyed by The Big Slow, and Show certainly does so. I enjoyed Show tossing him all around the outside of the ring, and also laughed when Show scared the holy shit right out of Michael Cole. Show is pretty boring now-a-days, but this wasn't terrible.

Sheamus vs. John Morrison...again

These two have great chemistry, and I guess this happened to fill up time. I really can't complain about a decent match though. It's funny watching these two together. I have always found both to be horribly overrated (especially Sheamus), but for some reason, these two really bring out the best in one another.

Slater/Gabriel Initiation

I'm not sure what's going on here. Both Gabriel and Slater refused to take part in the initiation..are both men out of Nexus? Will they join Wade Barrett on Smackdown? I guess only time will tell. Once again, Punk owns the segment.

Shawn Michaels/Hall of Fame/Alberto Del Rio

HBK is going to the Hall of Fame! I don't mind that it's happening earlier than I thought it would, he deserves it.

And then we get more Del Rio..jesus, AGAIN? This guy is beyond annoying. He bothers me so much I almost fast-forwarded through this, but thought better of it because Shawn was there. Del Rio yaps about something, and gets a SWEET superkick. Wow, I think that really nailed Del Rio. Glad to see Shawn back, even though Del Rio is still a total waste of time.

Punk/Cena

I know I'm in the minority here, but I didn't feel this segment. So Punk was on top of the tron..why should I care? It was horribly boring, and Cena adding nothing to it with is over-the-top, cheesy rhetoric. Cena vs. Nexus is old, even with Punk being there instead of Barrett.

Miz/Riley vs. Orton/Lawler

I still don't understand the Lawler angle here, but I don't mind seeing him in the ring. He moves pretty damn well for his age. This match was nothing special, and this feud is already tired.

OVERALL GRADE: C-

This was nothing more than an average show, and was actually somewhat boring. Nexus dominates more than half of the show each week, and while Punk is as brilliant as ever, it doesn't seem any different from the Barrett/Cena feud. I think the biggest problem I have with Nexus is that none of the guys (outside of Punk) are anything to watch. None of them have gotten any better, or more entertaining.

Right now, I feel WWE is completely ignoring it's other feuds/storylines. Daniel Bryan/Tyson Kidd is getting absolutely no attention, and Miz/Orton is barely visible. When Orton was feuding with Sheamus, it was all about Nexus/Cena. When Orton was feuding with Barrett, it was actually Cena feuding with Barrett, and Orton just hanging around. Does someone in the WWE creative department hate Randy Orton?

Until Raw puts a major amount of focus on something besides Nexus, I don't know if I will be satisfied. This is just one mans opinion, take it or leave it.

 

[Kofi/ZigglerClassic]

Entertaining. Not even close to as good as last week but it seemed like a buildup show for next week which is sure to be awesome with two of my favorites going head to head. Cena vs Punk can't wait!

With Sheffield and Bourne coming back, hopefully they will replace Gabriel and Slater. Airbourne would be a fitting replacement to the 450 Splash. Hopefully this means big things for Gabriel.

Overall, the highlights were HBK, Del Rio, and Punk. A forgettable episode but entertaining.

 

[martymcfly]

Last night's Raw didn't do anything for me. Way too much time was devoted to nexus and these initiations that served no real purpose. This chapter of the nexus story makes no logical sense to me. First, why would someone take a beating just to be a background nobody in a group with no momentum anymore? Realistically, you'd think these guys would want to branch out and try to make their own identities. Second, why would these guys want or need Punk to lead them? Sure, he's had a few title wins and knows more about the business than Barrett, but what can he really do for them? Are we supposed to believe that they forgot that Punk ran the SES and accomplished nothing, or that Punk only cared about himself? Why would they be so quick to take a beating to join him?

Even if you throw logic out the window (and granted you must do so with wrestling stories a lot) the whole beatings things just seemed stupid. Why not have them prove themselves in matches? I turn in to wrestling to see matches, not multiple drawn out, purposeless beatdowns throughout the program.

And that aside, I feel like the matches that were shown last night had been done before and we weren't really given anything new at all.

Overall, disappointing show.

 

[JDX]

June 7, 2010: Nexus debuts in epic fashion by destroying everyone. Next week same thing less. Next week same thing no longer epic.
Jan. 27, 2010: CM Punk joins Nexus as leader in epic fashion. Next week throws Barret out less epic. Next week does initiations no longer epic. WWE makes Nexus blow its load early everytime (the fact it happened twice is a feat unto itself).
As for the rest of RAW, didn't care in the slightest to pay attention.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The ratings are out for Raw and, all things being considered, the show did alright. It drew a 3.1 rating, which is what it did last week I think, with an average audience of 4.6 million viewers. The numbers aren't exactly through the roof, but as long as Raw is doing in the 3s then Vince isn't going to worry too much. However, I expect that'll change if the ratings don't improve over the coming weeks and months heading into WrestleMania.

It's being said that the BCS National Championship football game last night on ESPN is the most watched show in cable history. It drew a 17.8 rating with an average of 27.3 million viewers.

So, all in all, Raw scored even ratings with last week, increased its audience viewership by 100,000 and kept it's hardcore viewers up against some incredibly stiff competition.

 

[Long Island Iced WXYZ]

Alberto Del Rio on RAW? Why? No explanantion given.

That lashing was brutal; and they want to be PG?

Big Show on RAW to talk about Wade Barrett attacking him on Smackdown? That's WWE logic for you.

Dibiase and Kidd lose to the worlds' strongest jobber. Oh yeah and the United States Champion what's his name.

How many times can we see Morrison and Sheamus? Boring.

Shawn Michaels is going into the Hall of Fame? He just retired a year ago!

And he shows up on RAW, completely out of place, doesn't say a word. Just superkicks Del Rio.

CM Punk makes a mockery of the Owen Hart tragedy; mental indeed.

John Cena owned CM Punk, that was great.

Michael Cole is entertaining, I don't care what anyone says.

Miz looked like he was going to cry, he's going to when he loses the belt before Wrestlemania.

Orton, just stop smiling, stop it.

CM Punk and John Cena next week? Lmao! Good luck with that Punk. Mysterio is laughing his ass off right now.

 

[LSN80]

Raw Hits:


Shawn Michaels HOF introduction: WHile I think WWE left alot of ratings on the table by giving away HBK's first appearance since the night after Wrestlemania with no hype, this was certainly a great move indeed. Some may argue that it's "too soon", but that's a B.S. argument to me. Hogan was inducted and wrestled after, and Flair was inducted before his last WWE match as well. HBk is in the same company as these two.

Nexus Initiations: While I think they definitely pushed the line with this initiations in terms of the PG rasting that they've touted for so long, it was different from what Barrett made them do to remain in the group. It was somewhat surprising, as Punk in essence gave them a taste of their own medicine. I also liked that Gabriel and Slater opted out, as it showed they weren't mindless sheep. The idea of Punk jumping off the tron was ludicrous but Punk did such a good job of selling the notion that it worked.

John Morrison vs Sheamus:Yes, we've seen this match 6 times in the past 3 months, but Morrison and Sheamus have a cerain chemistry in the ring that its fun to watch every time. While this match wasn't as good as their past, it certainly was the match of the night. Morrison may need time to establish the running knee as a legitimate finisher as the crowd certainly didnt respond to it until after the match was over. Cole did a great job in the dramatic moments of this match, which enhanced it.

Alberto Del Rio on Raw again: While I feel that WWE either needs to do away with the brand split altogether or strictly enforce it, he continues o be gold in his underhanded ways of winishing matches, and his promo work. While I think the "cheap heat" he got as a result of attacking the Nashville people is beneath him at this point, his interaction with HBK was well done, and a great rub for him.

Raw Misses:

John Cena's promo: I'm a huge Cena fan, but the juvenile nature of how he delivers his promo in serious situations rubs me the wrong way. Its as if he doesn't take Punk, or Nexus, as serious threats to him, so why should the viewer? I like that he transitioned into serious mode at the end, but this felt like "too little, too late" to be honest.

The Miz and Alex Riley vs Jerry Lawler and Randy Orton: I get that Lawler was oustanding in his TLC match with Miz, but they've gone too far in having him wrestle almost every week. Lawler should only wresle when there are special circumstances, which the TLC match certainly fit. This did not. Id have rather seen Orton and a partner of his choice, rather them them dragging Lawler out there again. Further, this match did nothing to really get me excited for the Rumble match between Orton and Miz, and it certainly didn't feel like a main event, honestly.

Daniel Bryan and Mark Henry vs Ted DiBiase and Tyson Kidd: They're doing a great job of building Kidd as a legitimate threat to the US title, seeing how he's either being squashed in 3 minute matches or not on Raw whatsoever. And where was Jackson Andrews? They spent time trying to establish him as Kidd's bodyguard, but he's been nowhere to be seen the past few weeks, not that its mattered much as he was slaughtered the one time he tried to establish his power. The mid-card is virtually non-existant on Raw right now, and all the work that was done to build Bryan up as a legitimate star has been quite diminished.

Overall Show: WHile the Nexus initiations, Sheamus/Morrison, and certainly the HBK HOF induction reveal and subsequent appearance were all good, it felt like much of this show was mailed in as WWE seemingly felt they had no chance against the Bowl Game. The first hour felt like nothing but filler and the beatdown of the tag champs before a title match certainly devalues the titles even more. There was no build towards the Rumble whatsoever, which is fast approaching. Just a lackluster show on the most part, a C altogether.