Official Raw/Smackdown Aftermath, Ratings and Review Thread

[XXJJ]

Horrible episode of Raw. The opening segment started off with promise, but it just went downhill quickly. They didn't even show the wrestlers boycotting in the parking lot.

They made all the babyface wrestlers that protested look stupid. Because now they are stuck with John Laurinaitis as the Raw GM. Now I understand why they kept Orton, Punk, Big Show, Cena etc away. They didn't want them to look like idiots.

JR getting fired is just so stale of an idea.

LOL @ Cena vs Del Rio. One of the worst WWE title feuds in a long a time, and it just wont end.

Triple H teaming up with Punk is dumb. Just a month ago Punk was trying to get Hunter fired.

I thought the Smackdown portion of Raw was very good.

 

[metalbass]

This show started out great then fizzled out so bad I can't believe I actually watched the whole thing.

I loved the first segment with HHH, Cena, Sheamus and CM Punk. I got a few nice laughs out of it. Then the Cena vs. Sheamus match got interrupted and it went downhill from there.

I realise the whole show couldn't be Cena vs. Sheamus in a 2 hour ironman match, but they totally screwed this whole angle over. John Laurinaitis??? Really??? The Miz and R-Truth coming back on the show like this??? It was total clusterfuck after clusterfuck.

It seems HHH might become an active wrestler again, which I do like. I do like the CM Punk, HHH vs. Miz and R-Truth match for Vengeance. I wish they would have announced it next week.

The show's wrestling content weak weak overall, which is what I expected. They seem to be setting up Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton at Vengeance, John Morrison was buried AGAIN, The diva's (most notably Rosa Mendes) were garbage, Evan Bourne looks like he's injured now. We had the 2 potentially best matches of the night interrupted early.

I can't even call this a WWE show tonight. I hope and expect next week will be a bounce back episode.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I liked parts of the show tonight but it just didn't work overall in my view. I honestly felt like, for much of what I saw, that I was watching something that's been a standard episode of TNA iMPACT!/Impact Wrestling for the past couple of years.

There were a few bright spots scattered throughout the show. I enjoyed the first 30 minutes or so, most of it, as it just had such a different feel to it. It wasn't a standard formula for a wrestling program and most of it clicked. Mark Henry delivered on the mic again, his match with Orton was good while it lasted. Cody Rhodes attacking Orton was a nice touch, the maniacal laugh was kinda hard to take, but I did enjoy him. The six man tag match was entertaining and the live crowd was pretty hot for the show. It was also fun to see Miz & R-Truth return.

However, the big angle in and of itself was a letdown for me. It was a good idea in theory and it generated some buzz, but the follow up for Raw just didn't click. It felt like they were going for a Crash TV episode of Raw tonight by just having surprises pop up left and right just for the sake of doing them. Jim Ross getting "fired" for the 900th time just fell flat, Vince showing back up just to deliver a message to Triple H from the WWE Board of Directors just seemed...well it just seemed like a flimsy & lazy excuse to put Vince back on television. J.L. does draw great heat and he could be good in this sort of role as the heel GM, but it really bugged me that he just interrupted matches or stopped them right in the middle of things and changed them on the spot. It's the sort of hot shot stuff I've seen a lot in TNA and they did it at times during the Attitude Era. The Divas match was a little embarassing due mostly to Rosa's presence. That chick needs to be future endeavored, she just can't wrestle worth two craps. The idea of Trips & CM Punk teaming up to face Miz & R-Truth could be fun but I've little interest in watching Cena vs. Del Rio again.

So yeah, much of Raw felt like Crash TV that was done for shock value. I don't doubt that they can pop back with a good show next week. However, the chaotic booking of tonight's show legitimately had a Vince Russo feel about it and I just hope and pray that's not what we're getting on Raw on a regular basis. I'd have to give last night's show a D+, easily the worst Raw of the year overall.

 

[Workrate]

I said it before and I'll say it again: they screwed up by having EVERY wrestler except five walk out. That was stupid. They could have still had the announcers, referees, and cameramen leave to further the effect of "how do we have a show now?", but keeping more wrestlers enables them to leave people off TV longer and really let the angle breathe. By having everyone leave, everyone had to come back at the same time. Once everyone's back, momentum is dead. That's what you saw happen last night.

It would have actually be advantageous to not have everyone return until after Vengeance. There was no reason for Mark Henry, Air Boom, Mason Ryan, Zach Ryder, or the good Sin Cara to walk out, just off the top of my head. Add John Cena, CM Punk, Big Show, Sheamus, and Randy Orton to that mix. That's enough to get by when you factor in a few Superstars guys -- say, The Usos to challenge Air Boom. Put the impetus on matches for a couple weeks, let the drama simmer, and maybe even build up a few younger stars.

A week or two before Vengeance you have HHH come out and say "look, when CM Punk's contract expired and he left, we crowned a new champion. So if you're a champion and you've walked out, the same goes for you". There's your in for Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler to return -- with Vickie, Christian, and Jack Swagger to watch their backs. Alberto del Rio follows suit. The rest of the guys, though mostly mid-carders, are still out.

At Vengeance you've still got Cena/Del Rio (make CM Punk the ref or something), Henry/Big Show, Rhodes/Orton, but you've also got, say, Mason Ryan/Jack Swagger, Sheamus/Christian, and Air Boom/The Usos. That's a solid enough card if it means furthering the angle slowly and logically. Sure, Punk should probably wrestle, but that isn't important in this scenario. Have the champions retain their titles -- there's no sense in any of the challengers winning them anyway -- which locks them into staying on RAW.

And now, with the champion heels on RAW to protect being stripped of their belts and the babyface main eventers there gunning for them, the quitters slowly return to the nest. They've been shown that they aren't needed so they may as well come back and compete. Eventually you have The Miz and R-Truth simply reach a settlement on their lawsuit: in exchange for their jobs back and a shot at the WWE and World title respectively, all charges are dropped. The Miz challenges Del Rio, R-Truth faces Henry (who cares if it's heel-vs-heel and who cares if they both come up short? That helps them continue their conspiracy theorists gimmick while actually being on the roster, logically).

 

[RicoLen]

I liked it. I don't understand why Vince came back tonight. There was no point to it at all. There's nothing that Vince did that John Laurinaitis couldn't have done himself, and should have been the guy to do this. It would have garnered him even more heat, and Vince was just a distraction.

Aside from that, I liked the whole show. I'm interested to see how the storyline pans out with J.R. and why he was singled out as compared to anyone else. I have to admit, also, that CM Punk SHOULD be a commentator once he's ready to slow things down in the ring. He's got a great voice for it and he's on the ball too.

John Laurinaitis is obviously worse than HHH as the guy in charge of Raw, but if you notice, Vince never actually fired HHH as the COO, he said your services are no longer required only in the context of running Raw. It's a wording loophole they gave themselves. Now maybe it'll turn out to mean nothing and HHH is off the hook as the guy in charge completely, it certainly was alluded to when he said he was back to ring action again. However, that doesn't mean that Vince can't come back and say, "I think there was a misunderstanding. You may no longer be in charge of running Raw, but you're still the COO." And then they'll work out some kind of dynamic where Laurinaitis continues to undermine HHH's authority elsewhere. I don't know, seemed kind of far fetched, I'll admit, but the possibility does exist. In any case, I guess we'll never know who the anonymous Raw GM actually was since he's now been replaced.

I'm glad they brought closure, of a sort, to the Raw GM thing.

Last weeks Raw kind of bored me, because I really didn't see what they could do to make things interesting, and it's not like they hit it out of the park tonight either, but they've definitely laid the groundwork to get back to something better. The heels are still running wild, the faces are more restricted by the rules. I was hoping that the officials would start getting even more strict with countouts and DQs again. It helps build the credibility of pro-wrestling actually being a sport. And some of my very favorite matches have ended in DQs or countouts like Savage vs Warrior SS92.

Rhodes is looking pretty strong now too, taking out Orton finally. I was wondering why they were having Orton & Rhodes have 3 consecutive matches on Raw & Smackdown, looks like Rhodes has a chip on his shoulder now. Good, let's get a story behind their feud and have Orton put over Rhodes. This is what Rhodes is missing, before he can step into the main event he needs at least one classic feud that years from now fans can look back and say "This is why Rhodes was the best IC champion ever" and using Orton to put over Rhodes would be a great way to do it.

Still my own personal want is to see R-Truth & The Miz split up ASAP. They're both my favorite characters on the current roster ATM, but I'd rather 2 segments with only one of them, than one segment with both of them. Plus I don't feel like their personalities aren't shining through like they used to now that they're together either. I want to see the paranoid schizophrenic R-Truth back, and I want to see The Miz play the cliche role of self absorbed cocky heel, only really, he needs to turn face already dammit.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Friday Night SmackDown! - October 14, 2011

1. 41 Man Battle Royal - Battle Royals can be difficult to rate in some ways. After all, a lot of what's going on is punching & kicking or just trying to put someone over the top. However, I enjoyed the battle royal on the show tonight as there was just a lot of energy coupled with some fun looking eliminations and some good drama tossed in here and there. Some might be turned off by the sheer number of people involved, but I don't really know why. Whether it's 20 men or 40 men, it's all going to be the same layout and general formula with so much going on that it's difficult to follow. Several guys looked good tonight in the battle royal but no one more dominant than Sheamus. It made sense to have Christian eliminate him to continue their feud as he just, possibly, cost Sheamus a shot at a World Championship. The final two guys were Miz & Randy Orton and they delivered some fun moments. Orton ultimately gets the win at the 25 minute mark by hitting an RKO on the apron of the ring and both of Miz's feet hit the floor before Orton's. Orton declared after the match that he'd challenge Mark Henry for the WHC later in the night. So, overall, some good energy from the wrestlers and a hot crowd. I wasn't thrilled with Orton winning but, hey, it makes sense right now. I do think WWE needs to cool it with the battle royals for the rest of the year, however **1/2

2. Beth Phoenix vs. Kelly Kelly - Short match at about 2.5 minutes but it was decent while it lasted. If Kelly Kelly would just hit the ropes, she'd be doing just fine but Beth Phoenix carried her through a decent match. Whether some want to admit it or not, the Divas Division has improved some as fans now actually give a damn that two women are wrestling in a WWE ring at this point in time. Beth rams Kelly's head into the post as she's out on the apron and then drags her back into the ring, hits the Glam Slam and picks up the clean pinfall victory. *1/4

3. Sin Cara Negro vs. Justin Gabriel - This match was really too short. It only went about 1.5 minutes. There was some fun offense while it lasted but it needed to be longer. Cara Negro jumped the original Sin Cara backstage and took his mask for the match and he winds up getting the win via the Swanton Bomb. These two could have a very solid match if given time but it probably won't happen. 3/4*

4. Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio - While this match was short at only 4 minutes, they put in a lot of action with the time they were given. Still, this is a match that really should've gone at least 10 minutes when it's guys who're this high up in the company. It was a good match while it lasted with some good, solid physical action with both guys getting in a good amount of offense. The ending comes when Sheamus is on the top rope getting ready for the diving shoulder tackle. Ricardo Rodriguez jumps up on the apron and heats a punch from Sheamus. While the ref is getting Ricardo off, Christian comes out and knocks Sheamus' feet from under him, causing him to straddle the top turnbuckle. Del Rio recovers and hits the running Enziguiri to knock Sheamus off the top. He then connects with another kick to the back of the head and gets the win. Christian comes in afterward and ultimatly nails Sheamus with two spears that Sheamus does a good job of selling. **1/2

5. Kofi Kingston & Zack Ryder vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger - Ryder substituted himself for Evan Bourne in this match as Bourne is "injured", but Bourne accompanies him & Kofi to ringside. Very fun, energetic tag team match with all four wrestlers looking good. When you consider the sort of mini feud between Ziggler & Ryder, it worked having him in this match and Ryder was super over with the Dallas crowd. I love to watch Dolph Ziggler sell, there's just nobody in wrestling better at it than he is. Overall, a good back and forth match, well paced and nobody came off looking weak. The ending comes with Ziggler eating Trouble in Paradise from Kofi Kingston, but Kingston puts Ryder on top of Ziggler and gets the win at the 10.5 minute mark. Ryder did get another pinfall win on Ziggler but there's always special circumstances whenever it happens. He gets punched out by Hugh Jackman first and then Kofi takes him out here and just puts Ryder on top of him. **3/4

6. Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship - Orton & Henry work well together and this match was no exception in my view. It's a good mesh of styles and both wrestlers did a good job of telling a story out there. Randy Orton took some big moves from Henry, sold them well, and showed good resiliency by kicking out of some of them. Henry continued to look like a dominant powerhouse. I'm a little disappointed in the DQ ending with Cody Rhodes running out. He jumped up on the apron but Orton pounded the snot out of him. So Orton wins via DQ a little past the 10 minute mark. Rhodes & Henry beat on Orton for a bit before Big Show comes out and he and Henry get into it. The crowd pops for Show getting the better of Henry. He catches Cody coming off the top rope and throws him towards Orton, who hits him with an RKO. Big Show chokeslams Mark Henry and the faces stand triumphant in the ring. ***

Overall Show - I thought SD! was, as in most cases, just a very solid show with mostly good wrestling action going on. The battle royal was the typical chaotic cluster that a battle royal is supposed to be. I'm glad it wasn't some lazy 5 minute wash like we saw in the last battle royal. Orton getting the win wasn't surprising. The Divas match was decent while it lasted and it's nice seeing Beth get another clean win over Kelly Kelly. Sin Cara Negro vs. Justin Gabriel was really too short to be much of anything. Also, the whole Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara thing just isn't connecting with fans. There's just no real connection to either of these guys for the fans. This would get over big time in Mexico but fighting over a name & identity just doesn't seem to be getting American fans up. Sheamus vs. Del Rio was a solid, physical match that should've gone longer than it did. The tag team match between Kofi Kingston & Zack Ryder vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger was a lot of fun with a good pace and lots of energy. The main event between Orton & Henry was another good outing with a hot crowd, some great storytelling and a good mesh of opposing styles. The DQ ending hurt the match a little in my eyes, but it's not really as if anyone came out looking weak. I know some will try and say it make Henry look weak, but it's bullshit as Henry's already beaten Orton twice clean in title matches at ppvs. Show came out and got himself a great reaction from the crowd and got the better of Henry again by laying him out with a chokeslam. It works because it just makes it look more clear that Henry will retain against Show at Vengeance. Overall, just a solid and entertaining 2 hour show.

Grade: B

 

[Mustang Sally]

However, I enjoyed the battle royal on the show tonight as there was just a lot of energy coupled with some fun looking eliminations and some good drama tossed in here and there.

Agreed. Unlike the occasional Diva battle royal, which lasts about 2 minutes, this one gave us a run for our money. Also, didn't it seem that the participants had been told in advance to take some heavy bumps upon being eliminated? Some of those landings looked mighty risky.

Still, there was tons of fun stuff to look at and some nice surprises, too; such as Sheamus and Punk being eliminated fairly early, while Jinder Mahal (of all people) was still in there at the end.

And, of course, I was pleased McIntyre lasted as long as he did, especially after the 10-second elimination he suffered at the last BR. In this one, I believe he even eliminated someone.

 

[SD619]

This week's SmachDown was slightly above average.

The Battle Royal with 41 men was fine. The first ten minutes were quite confusing(with 41 guys in there). The ending few minutes were quite interesting. It would have been interesting if someone else won the match. I was quite pleased to see that Jinder Mahal was in the final three.

As for the main event, it was a decent biuld-up to Vengeance. I believe that we will be having a Mark Henry/Cody Rhodes vs Big Show/Randy Orton tag match next week(possibly involving Christian and Sheamus).

 

[martymcfly]

Overall, I also enjoyed the battle royal, except that I wish that it didn't come down to pecking order. Sure, there were a few exceptions (cody eliminated first and mahal being eliminated next to last) but I never really understand that. But basically we saw NXT and wrestlers from the superstars go first, followed by the lower tiered folks from the main shows, then the midcarders.

It would be nice to see...just once...that eliminations in a battle royal not occur in such blatant pecking order fashion. I'm not saying that we should see folks I barely remember make it to the end, but a little more of a mix up in the order would have been nice.

I also have to admit I was disappointed in a randy orton victory here. Let's be honest, no one for a second thought that whoever won that battle royal was actually going to walk away as champion, so why not give it to someone who could use a spotlight main event match? I often find it silly that only the already top guys win these things. That logic makes sense I suppose for the royal rumble, but for a battle royal, I think someone else should have won.

 

[coldasicex5]

I'm going to be doing in depth reviews soon for Raws, however, for this one, I was so pissed off, I literally had to bang my girlfriend when I wasn't in the mood to let my anger out. Her bottomhole will never be the same..

..but neways, the one thing I got outa the show was that McMahon most likely changed the script last minute, writers told him other ideas, but as usual, he only heard the voices in his head and ignored the "good" ideas.. but I'm still giving them a chance to redeem themselves. Last time I saw a Raw this bad was when Vince dissed the crap outa UT/KANE back in 98 on the Saturday night raw, and the whole show was those two coming out every other match and attacking everyone.

3/10 for this Raw. Thank you.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I'm going to be doing in depth reviews soon for Raws, however, for this one, I was so pissed off, I literally had to bang my girlfriend when I wasn't in the mood to let my anger out. Her bottomhole will never be the same..

..but neways, the one thing I got outa the show was that McMahon most likely changed the script last minute, writers told him other ideas, but as usual, he only heard the voices in his head and ignored the "good" ideas.. but I'm still giving them a chance to redeem themselves. Last time I saw a Raw this bad was when Vince dissed the crap outa UT/KANE back in 98 on the Saturday night raw, and the whole show was those two coming out every other match and attacking everyone.

3/10 for this Raw. Thank you.

You believe everything you read on the interwebs? McMahon changing the script last minute? Yea, he probably also makes his employees literally kiss their asses.

This wasn't as bad of a Raw as you guys think. You're dumb (you being the average poster). Not every show is an amazing, super high quality matches, awesome story angle show. This was a transitional show with some decent action. That's all some Raws need to be.

ohh spanish a language that not even 1% would have known! alberto is horrible on the mic and terrific in the ring he's kind of the opposite of cena

and your sig make's no sence? you want a raw with clean finishes? that means cena will never loose, because when he does loose he doesn't loose clean. so id rather not!

He's not horrible on the mic, he has great persense and delivery, he's given shit scripts sometimes. Also, you mean to say that Cena is "terrible in the ring"? So I guess you know more about wrestling than harley race, ric flair, RVD, Punk, Samoa Joe, Bryan Alvarez, and Dave Meltzer? If there's one way to lose all credibility as far as wrestling knowledge goes, it's to stoop to the Cena hating extreme and say he's terrible in the ring.

As for my sig, it's making fun of the average poster. Most of them seem to want clean finishes and a bunch of 30 minute, sporty, competitive matches. Which is a ******ed idea.

Holy fuck not only all that, but my spanish thing was a joke. My point was it's pretty damn hard to banter with someone in your second language. ALSO, are you that uneducated that you think that less than 1% of the audience can understand spanish? Well, maybe the WWE audience, since they're mostly kids and dumb rednecks/white trash, but the general US population, no. I'm going to guess you're either about 15 or someone with just a high school education.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Raw Supershow - October 17, 2011

Opening Segment - John Laurinaitis was introduced and came out to massive heat from the Mexico City audience. He sort of teased the Mexican audience about the return of Rey Mysterio before laughing and said it wasn't going to happen. I dig JL in this role because he legitimately seems like an arrogant executive that craves and relishes the power his position affords him. Based on what I've heard of the guy, it's a pretty accurate description of him. He's not a charismatic sort of guy but that's alright because, in this role, it only makes you wanna dislike him all that much more. He brought out Jim Ross, who got a great response, and I thought the friendly hug JL gave him was great. You could see the loathing on JR's face when he was being hugged. As Ross was going to the commentator table, JL informed him that he wasn't there tonight to do commentary but that he'd compete in a tag team main event. He'd be partnered with John Cena and would take on the team of Michael Cole & Alberto Del Rio. I enjoyed the segment, I especially got a kick out of the hug JL forced onto Raw. Thumbs Up

1. Randy Orton, Sheamus & John Morrison vs. Mark Henry, Christian & Cody Rhodes - Very fun tag team match that the crowd was white hot for from start to end. It was a simple, but effective way of showcasing these feuds and tying them together for a fun match. Eventually, Orton and Sheamus wind up brawling with Rhodes & Christian on the outside before chasing them through the crowd, just leaving Morrison with Henry. Morrison hit some good offense on Henry but I knew he was a gone goose when it was just left between himself & Henry. After all, he's the only one that could afford to be pinned right now without losing any momentum since he's not booked on the ppv. The end comes a little past the 12 minute mark with Mark Henry tossing Morrison up in the air, catching him and then hitting the World's Strongest Slam. It was a cool looking spot that just made Mark Henry look like a physical beast. ***

Brodus Clay Video - This was a fun video segment that I thought did a solid job of showcasing Clay. He looked and sounded like an intense, hateful monster that derives pleasure from the pain he inflicts on his opponents. For me, there's definitely a Mark Henry vibe I'm getting from the guy in terms of his physical presence and just the legit intimidation factor. Thumbs Up

2. Eve Torres vs. Natalya - Decent Divas match while it lasted. It told a good story and Eve actually managed to avoid botching a single move, which is a rarity for her. There was some decent action in the match and the crowd seemed to be into it for the most part. The end comes with Eve hitting a nice looking moonsault off the top, giving her the win and some momentum going into the ppv this Sunday. *1/2

3. CM Punk vs. The Miz - I thought this was a great 1 on 1 match, one of the better matches we've seen on Raw in a little while. The match was worked at a good pace with some great back and forth action. Miz is someone that's really worked on his facial expressions and body language, it just helps him tell a better story inside the ring. The crowd has been just really hot for the show tonight and they were definitely into this match. Triple H & R-Truth were at ringside and Truth played his part well by occassionally attacking Punk. Trips gives chase to him at one point and JL comes out and talks with Triple H with some men in suits and some documents in his hand. From what I could understand, JL was saying that Trips hadn't filled out immigration forms properly or something to that degree and Trips was forced to leave ringside. I got a kick out of him hitting Truth with a haymaker on his way out as Truth was mocking him. I'm glad that they didn't stop the match as JL said, I would've been really pissed. The ending comes with Truth jumping up on the apron and Punk rams Miz into him before rolling him up. Punk gets the win at the 16.5 minute mark. Post match, they started to beat Punk down for a bit before the refs came out. Truth & Miz didn't fight against the refs but used one another to distract the refs so they could both, eventually, hit their finisher. ***1/2

Vickie Guerrero, Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler Promo - Fun promo segment that built a lot of heat on the heel trio. I sorta rolled my eyes at Vickie's Angelina Jolie comment though. She announced that Swagger & Ziggler would face Air Boom at Vengeance for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Ziggler showed great intensity on the mic last night and delivered a very solid promo. If Ziggler can keep his mic work on a consistent level, then there's nothing to legitimately keep him out of the main event scene. Swagger trying to sing the Star Spangled Banner and the general hyping of American he & Ziggler did drew great heat from the Mexican crowd and it was just a simple, but very effective way to get the crowd against them. Thumbs Up

4. Zack Ryder vs. Jack Swagger - Too short to be anything. The match couldn't have lasted a minute before Ryder hit the Rough Ryder for the win. N/A

5. Dolph Ziggler vs. Mason Ryan - Not really much to say for this match either. Ziggler didn't get much offense in here and was physically dominated by Ryan. It's a shame because Ziggler is so much more talented than Ryan is that it's not even funny. I don't know why WWE is pushing Ryan so hard because the guy's definitely too green to be the United States Champion right now. Ziggler gets the win via DQ as Ryan basically beats him to a pulp. 3/4*

6. John Cena & Jim Ross vs. Alberto Del Rio & Michael Cole - This was actually an entertaining match that ultimately sent the crowd home happy. Del Rio got a very mixed response when he was announced, certainly more boos than cheers at least when he came out. At first, JR & Cole started things off with Ross slapping Cole pretty hard, sending him flailing to the mat before he tagged in Del Rio. Cena & Del Rio carried the entire match, which is what needed to happen. Del Rio looked strong against Cena and WWE did a better job of showcasing him here against Cena than they have in the past. Cole delivered a few cheap shots to Cena while the ref's back was turned and did some trash talking. Eventually, after managing to wiggle out of the AA, Del Rio tagged in Cole and Cena dragged him into the ring. Cole begged off, apologizing for hitting Cena and talking smack before Cena hits him. He then drags him over to Ross and tags him in. JR locks in a surprisingly decently looking ankle lock, I know it's not exactly a complicated move to lock in but you get my point, on Cole and Cole taps, giving Cena & JR the win. Cena attacks Del Rio a little, including hitting an AA on the outside and ramming into him with the ring steps. Cena then announced that, as the winner of the tag match, he could announce the stipulation of their match this Sunday. Cena says their match will be Last Man Standing. **3/4

Overall Show - I thought Raw was a very entertaining show last night, light years ahead of the chaotic mess of last week's show. The Mexico City crowd was hot for the show and I thought Raw was a very good go home show. The opening with JL & Jim Ross was fun, I got a kick out of JL hugging Jim Ross. The opening six man tag team match was a fun, energetic match that did a good job of highlighting a couple of feuds and matches for the ppv without any of the competitors losing momentum. Mark Henry looked dominant and hit a cool spot on JoMo. The Divas match was decent, much better performance from Even than usual. CM Punk vs. The Miz was a great match, one of the best I've seen on Raw in a little while. Some are probably complaining that Punk won the match but it only makes it more likely that Miz & Truth will walk out the winners this Sunday. If so, I just hope it's Triple H that gets pinned. The Swagger/Ziggler/Vickie promo segment was solid with some very good work from Ziggler but the follow up singles matches against Ryder & Ryan left a lot to be desired. Swagger & Ziggler are two guys that should be on the way up rather than jobbing out in 60 seconds to Ryder or being batted around like nothing by Ryan. The main event was a fun match that saw Michael Cole get beaten up a bit, some solid action from Cena & Del Rio and just an ending to send the crowd home happy.

Grade: B+

 

[The Champ]

I didn't think the show was that bad. By the numbers, yes, but by the numbers doesn't equal bad to me. It equals average. There were some decent moments; the whole Punk/Miz promo and then match was pretty decent, Laurinaitis made me laugh a couple times in the opening (which is something I never thought I'd say), and the main event gave JR a nice moment to send him off and almost made up for what they did last week. There wasn't really anything memorable, but I expect some things to go down at the pay-per-view that will set things up nicely for Survivor Series. C+ would be my grade for last night.

 

[LSN80]

Before I get to the Hits and Misses.....

You believe everything you read on the interwebs? McMahon changing the script last minute? Yea, he probably also makes his employees literally kiss their asses.

Ever read a book written by a wrestler? If you've read HBK's, Chris Jericho's or Bret Hart's, you'ld know Vince does exactly that. It's not just some dirt sheet reporting here, it's actual behind the scenes men who have or currently do deal with Vince on at least a weekly basis. Im trending towards taking their words over yours.

This wasn't as bad of a Raw as you guys think. You're dumb (you being the average poster). Not every show is an amazing, super high quality matches, awesome story angle show. This was a transitional show with some decent action. That's all some Raws need to be.

Except when you're a show away from your go home show, it's a key time to further angles and build towards PPV matches. Last week's show(and this one's as well) did little to nothing to sell the PPV or present feuds that get me excited to drop money on Vengeance. When you have so little time between PPV's, you have no time for transitions, you need a steady focus on selling your product, not transition shows. Both last week and this one failed to sell the product successfully.

Raw Hits and Misses 10/17/11​

Raw Hits:​

John Cena and Jim Ross vs Alberto Del Rio and Michael Cole: The argument could be made that they gave away too much of Del Rio vs Cena just 6 days before the PPv, but this was a good match. The two have worked very well together in their last few matches, and last night was no different. Adding the feuding commentators and the stipulation and this was a good match, and the visual of Michael tapping out at the end was a good one. Both Josh Matthews and Jerry Lawler did an excellent job in this match of putting over how Del Rio has never beaten Cena, which was possibly the only good hype for the match. I like these two together and this match was no different. **1/2

Sheamus, Randy Orton, & John Morrison vs. Mark Henry, Christian, and Cody Rhodes: As soon as I saw the participants for the match, I knew who was taking the pinfall. But that didnt stop this match from being a very good formula tag match that furthered two feuds and continued to make Mark Henry look dominant. Both Rhodes and Christian are playing their roles as heels very well in their respective feuds, and these are actual feuds where I want to see the heel get his, eventually. Mark Henry continued to look dominant and the spot where he threw Jomo into the air only to catch him for the Worlds Strongest Slam was a great visual. This was simple, effective building towards the PPV from the Smackdown side. **1/4

CM Punk vs The Miz: Possibly the only match from the Raw side that has been built well has been the tag match, and this match furthered the good build. An excellent TV match and easily the match of the night. Ignoring the silliness of the HHH deportation angle that caused Laurinitis to stop the match(which was illogical), this was well done. Punk didn't beat Miz in a decisive manner, which shouldn't happen this close to the PPV. The two had a nice 15 minute back and forth match that ended on a rollup based on a distraction, and Miz and Truth got their heat back by beating down Punk following the match. Easily the match receiving the best build for the PPV on Raw. ***

Raw Misses:​

Jim Ross' usage: It was great to see Ross force Cole to tap out, but what was the point? Neither are wrestlers, so it's not like this is going to be a feud that will continue except from perhaps a verbal standpoint, and that's going to be difficult to do with Ross not announcing. Ross belongs behind the announcers desk, plain and simple, as he enhances every show he's apart of and every match he calls. To use him for anything else is counterproductive.

John Cena and ALberto Del Rio PPV hype: So many things about the build towards Vengeance have utterly baffled me over the past few weeks, and last night was no different. As was the case with Night of Champions, there is simply no investment by creative in drawing interest towards Cena and Del Rio. Cena doesn't even seem to care about winning the title back, just about beating Del Rio up. It's as if they just threw the LMS stipulation in as a desperate attempt to make people care about a match with little build. Not every feud has to be Jericho/HBK in terms of personal, but I'd like a reason to care to see the face beat up the heel. The only reason I do is from being a Cena mark.

Mason Ryan vs Dolph Ziggler: This match defied logic for this viewer. I get it, Ryan is a big, strong guy who has a temper. But since when do face wrestlers get purposefully DQ'd unless their wrestling someone and it's personal? This may be a way to get over Ryan's dominance, but he's so green in the ring that it's hard to buy into. Also, don't Ziggler and Swagger have a Tag Title match with Air Boom at Vengeance? They do, and Kofi and Bourne weren't even on the show. Another match with a terrible build.

Jack Swagger vs Zach Ryder: On the topic of the tag title match, why is Swagger losing in 30 seconds to someone who isn't involved in the match? As challengers, Swagger and Ziggler should look strong going into their title match, and they couldn't have been made to look more weak then they did last night. I like Ryder and all, but he shouldn't be beating Swagger in 30 seconds on the final Raw before the PPV. Vickie was the only one who seemed to care about the match, and she mentioned it only ever so briefly, and just that they got the title shot.

Eve gets a title shot: I have no reason to buy into Eve as a challenger for the Divas title. WWE seemingly bypassed Kelly in her rematch clause, unless their match on Friday counted, although no mention was made of it being for the title. Eve has lost virtually ever single's match then she's been in over the past months, with her only victories coming in tag matches with Kelly. Beth received 3 shots at the title, and Kelly doesn't even get a rematch? It's booking like this that makes me scratch my head. A nice win for Eve over Natalya, but it's not enough to make her a credible threat to Beth.

Overall Show: Despite the three matches that were all hits, this show didn't click for me. It would have been fine as a standalone Raw, but as the go-home Raw for Vengeance, it failed. Del Rio/Cena, Ziggler and Swagger/Air Boom and Eve/Beth either were given little time or little focus. I expect Vengeance to tank, and perhaps WWE will rethink their 3 PPV's in 5 weeks idea for every fall. John Laurinitis continues to be terrible and a charisma vacuum as an authority figure, and once hot young wrestlers such as Alex Riley are nowhere to be found, and John Morrison is there for nothing to take pinfalls. While Im not as downm on Raw as some, Ive been sorely disapointed in the past three shows, and can't remember the last time I cared so little for a PPV.

 

[metalbass]

After last week's horrendous RAW, I was expecting a bounce back RAW this time around. I must say for the most part I got my wish and was generally surprised by the WWE. This is the first time as a fan I felt like I was being played and it worked for me ironically enough, lol. I'll get to that point in a moment.

Opening Promo: While last week's RAW had a great first 20 minutes, I wasn't feeling this one. I'm a firm believer that the announcers should stay behind the desk and have no physical involvement PERIOD with the storylines, but rather they should enhance them via commentary. When JL announced the main event, I was less than thrilled to say the least and it almost killed my wish to enjoy a well-run RAW... ALMOST. I gave the show a chance. BOO-URNS TO THIS PROMO.

6 man tag match: This was a fun match that eventually had turned into a 1 on 1 match with Orton and Rhodes followed by Christian and Sheamus brawling to the back. They did a good job this match making Morrison looking good while eventually being hit by one of the sickets WSS's i've ever seen. On one of Morrison's high spots, Henry launches him in the air and simultaneously catches and hit the WSS. Even in defeat there may still be hope for Morrison yet. *** 1/4

Eve Torres vs. Natalya: A bit too much of a squash for my taste, but Eve does a really pretty moonsault. Eve looks strong going into Vengeance which probably means Beth will retain (standard WWE booking). I wished the match was longer as both Eve and especially Natalya are decent diva wrestlers. * 1/2

CM Punk vs. The Miz: THIS is where I thought I was being played and boy did I fall for it, hook, line and sinker. These 2 have great chemistry together and the Miz has really improved substantially over the past year. After HHH (in Punk's corner) confronts R-Truth about interjecting in the match, JL comes out, STOPS the match due to bring up complications in HHH's paperwork RE: work visa in Mexico and he is soon escorted out of the arena by immigration officers while also knocking out R-Truth in the process of mocking him. Then to my SURPRISE, the match continues without a hitch!!!!! It finally ends with R-Truth attempting to intervene. CM Punk pushed the Miz into him then rolled up Miz for the 3. **** Amazing work throughout.

Vickie, Dolph and Ziggler then pull some amazing heat in a great promo which then leads to 2 more matches...

Dolph Ziggler vs. Mason Ryan: Ryan goes ballistic on Ziggler and get's DQ'd for not breaking after the 5 count.

Jack Swagger vs. Zack Ryder: A quick match resulting in Ryder hitting his Rough Ryder about 1/2 minute in for the win.

Rating for both matches combined: ***. Reason? I'm a firm believer that a good wrestling program focusses on depth and action from the mid card and they seem to be pushing towards a stronger mid card in the WWE. I'm all for that especially since we have seen more top-heavy shows and with the addition of Ryder/Ryan we can start seeing the semblance of a very strong mid card program in progress. Definitely in the right direction in my books.

John Cena/JR vs. ADR/Michael Cole: Thankfully, the bulk of the match was centered around ADR and John Cena. These 2 put on a solid back and forth match until Cena is about to hit his "5 moves of DOOM!!!!" ADR, the coward he is, tags Cole in and leaves the ring, allowing Cole to be the sacrificial lamb. An AA later followed with an ankle lock from JR seals the deal. ***

Overall: I enjoyed this week's RAW almost from top to bottom. The in-ring action was well done and the Vengeance promoting wasn't over bearing. The show flowed well tonight from segment to segment, match to match and was an overall entertaining experience. I am however worried a bit about the overall lack of in-depth coverage for Vengeance since it could be one of the lowest PPV buyrates for a long time.

B - B+

 

[JaylisJayP]

I thought this week's RAW was the most by-the-numbers, bland, boring show I've seen in years, and that's saying something. Johnny Ace draws NO reaction from the fans for anything he says, lol. He gets an initial boo and then everything he says or does just falls flat. He got no reaction from his Rey Mysterio joke, it was just awkward.

I couldn't possibly care less about Cena/Del Rio. It was just such a horribly developed non-angle, and I can't wait for it to be over. What they've done to Del Rio and Orton's characters over the past year is worse than any storyline misplay in my opinion.

Also, it's enough already with the HHH storyline. You just know as a longtime wrestling fan it's going to be something else they had no finish for and they'll most likely just drop it when people start forgetting about it like they do everything else. Biggest wasted opportunity for a quality angle in years.

The show was an F.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I thought this week's RAW was the most by-the-numbers, bland, boring show I've seen in years, and that's saying something. Johnny Ace draws NO reaction from the fans for anything he says, lol. He gets an initial boo and then everything he says or does just falls flat. He got no reaction from his Rey Mysterio joke, it was just awkward.

I couldn't possibly care less about Cena/Del Rio. It was just such a horribly developed non-angle, and I can't wait for it to be over. What they've done to Del Rio and Orton's characters over the past year is worse than any storyline misplay in my opinion.

Also, it's enough already with the HHH storyline. You just know as a longtime wrestling fan it's going to be something else they had no finish for and they'll most likely just drop it when people start forgetting about it like they do everything else. Biggest wasted opportunity for a quality angle in years.

The show was an F.

Stop watching wrestling. Seriously. Just stop. If this week's raw was an "F", either you're trying to look like a smug "intelligent wrestling conosseur (spelling?)" or you simply don't understand wrestling.

Laurinitis is very over, they didn't understand what he was saying, probably why they didn't boo a lot of what he said. He's very over as a heel, you'd be ******ed to think otherwise.

You couldn't care less about ADR and Cena? Why? IWCs most hated heel vs most hated face? If Raw was "paint by the numbers" then you're a "paint by the numbers IWC smark". The tag match got a HUUUGE reaction and was a boatload of fun. Cena and ADR produce good matches and Cena always delivers in big matches. The match will be good at Vengeance and ADR will come away looking better than before.

Also, if "done to Orton's character" means getting him extremely fucking over as a babyface, sign me up for that job.

"enough already with the HHH storyline?" If you haven't noticed, he gets a top 3 babyface pop every night. The storyline has gotten PUNK even more over. the storyline has gotten Miz and Truth even more over. Do you not understand the point of pro wrestling? It's not "let's make Jaylis happy" it's "let's get people to give a shit". People give a shit, they are very VERY into this storyline.

All illogical IWC speak aside, I thought the show was solid. Not Sting drops from the ceiling and hoists DDP back up to save him from the nWo good, but pretty good for your TV show.

You had story development mixed with a good 6 man (the 2 pairs chasing each other off, Mark looking beastly), you had Ziggler making Ryan look like a million bucks, you had Swagger putting Ryder over, Vickie getting great heat (followed by what's likely an underrated Ziggler promo). Cena and Del Rio blow the roof off the place.

I mean really, what more do you want in a pre-PPV show? It was fun and put the finishing touches on the feuds. Pull your head out of your ass, realize it's not about what YOU like as far as what they book, and try to enjoy the damn show.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Before I get to the Hits and Misses.....



Ever read a book written by a wrestler? If you've read HBK's, Chris Jericho's or Bret Hart's, you'ld know Vince does exactly that. It's not just some dirt sheet reporting here, it's actual behind the scenes men who have or currently do deal with Vince on at least a weekly basis. Im trending towards taking their words over yours.



Except when you're a show away from your go home show, it's a key time to further angles and build towards PPV matches. Last week's show(and this one's as well) did little to nothing to sell the PPV or present feuds that get me excited to drop money on Vengeance. When you have so little time between PPV's, you have no time for transitions, you need a steady focus on selling your product, not transition shows. Both last week and this one failed to sell the product successfully.

Raw Hits and Misses 10/17/11​

Raw Hits:​

John Cena and Jim Ross vs Alberto Del Rio and Michael Cole: The argument could be made that they gave away too much of Del Rio vs Cena just 6 days before the PPv, but this was a good match. The two have worked very well together in their last few matches, and last night was no different. Adding the feuding commentators and the stipulation and this was a good match, and the visual of Michael tapping out at the end was a good one. Both Josh Matthews and Jerry Lawler did an excellent job in this match of putting over how Del Rio has never beaten Cena, which was possibly the only good hype for the match. I like these two together and this match was no different. **1/2

Sheamus, Randy Orton, & John Morrison vs. Mark Henry, Christian, and Cody Rhodes: As soon as I saw the participants for the match, I knew who was taking the pinfall. But that didnt stop this match from being a very good formula tag match that furthered two feuds and continued to make Mark Henry look dominant. Both Rhodes and Christian are playing their roles as heels very well in their respective feuds, and these are actual feuds where I want to see the heel get his, eventually. Mark Henry continued to look dominant and the spot where he threw Jomo into the air only to catch him for the Worlds Strongest Slam was a great visual. This was simple, effective building towards the PPV from the Smackdown side. **1/4

CM Punk vs The Miz: Possibly the only match from the Raw side that has been built well has been the tag match, and this match furthered the good build. An excellent TV match and easily the match of the night. Ignoring the silliness of the HHH deportation angle that caused Laurinitis to stop the match(which was illogical), this was well done. Punk didn't beat Miz in a decisive manner, which shouldn't happen this close to the PPV. The two had a nice 15 minute back and forth match that ended on a rollup based on a distraction, and Miz and Truth got their heat back by beating down Punk following the match. Easily the match receiving the best build for the PPV on Raw. ***

Raw Misses:​

Jim Ross' usage: It was great to see Ross force Cole to tap out, but what was the point? Neither are wrestlers, so it's not like this is going to be a feud that will continue except from perhaps a verbal standpoint, and that's going to be difficult to do with Ross not announcing. Ross belongs behind the announcers desk, plain and simple, as he enhances every show he's apart of and every match he calls. To use him for anything else is counterproductive.

John Cena and ALberto Del Rio PPV hype: So many things about the build towards Vengeance have utterly baffled me over the past few weeks, and last night was no different. As was the case with Night of Champions, there is simply no investment by creative in drawing interest towards Cena and Del Rio. Cena doesn't even seem to care about winning the title back, just about beating Del Rio up. It's as if they just threw the LMS stipulation in as a desperate attempt to make people care about a match with little build. Not every feud has to be Jericho/HBK in terms of personal, but I'd like a reason to care to see the face beat up the heel. The only reason I do is from being a Cena mark.

Mason Ryan vs Dolph Ziggler: This match defied logic for this viewer. I get it, Ryan is a big, strong guy who has a temper. But since when do face wrestlers get purposefully DQ'd unless their wrestling someone and it's personal? This may be a way to get over Ryan's dominance, but he's so green in the ring that it's hard to buy into. Also, don't Ziggler and Swagger have a Tag Title match with Air Boom at Vengeance? They do, and Kofi and Bourne weren't even on the show. Another match with a terrible build.

Jack Swagger vs Zach Ryder: On the topic of the tag title match, why is Swagger losing in 30 seconds to someone who isn't involved in the match? As challengers, Swagger and Ziggler should look strong going into their title match, and they couldn't have been made to look more weak then they did last night. I like Ryder and all, but he shouldn't be beating Swagger in 30 seconds on the final Raw before the PPV. Vickie was the only one who seemed to care about the match, and she mentioned it only ever so briefly, and just that they got the title shot.

Eve gets a title shot: I have no reason to buy into Eve as a challenger for the Divas title. WWE seemingly bypassed Kelly in her rematch clause, unless their match on Friday counted, although no mention was made of it being for the title. Eve has lost virtually ever single's match then she's been in over the past months, with her only victories coming in tag matches with Kelly. Beth received 3 shots at the title, and Kelly doesn't even get a rematch? It's booking like this that makes me scratch my head. A nice win for Eve over Natalya, but it's not enough to make her a credible threat to Beth.

Overall Show: Despite the three matches that were all hits, this show didn't click for me. It would have been fine as a standalone Raw, but as the go-home Raw for Vengeance, it failed. Del Rio/Cena, Ziggler and Swagger/Air Boom and Eve/Beth either were given little time or little focus. I expect Vengeance to tank, and perhaps WWE will rethink their 3 PPV's in 5 weeks idea for every fall. John Laurinitis continues to be terrible and a charisma vacuum as an authority figure, and once hot young wrestlers such as Alex Riley are nowhere to be found, and John Morrison is there for nothing to take pinfalls. While Im not as downm on Raw as some, Ive been sorely disapointed in the past three shows, and can't remember the last time I cared so little for a PPV.

Yes he micromanages, however to sit there and say "what a clusterfuck, lolz I bet Vince made them rewrite it" is just stupid. It's trying to sound like you're "in the know" when really you're talking out your ass.

You're fucking dumb on the Mason Ryan thing. "since when do faces get purposely DQed"? They were putting him over as an aggressive monster, a badass. badasses beat your ass and don't give a shit. Nothing there defies logic except your shitty opinion. Also, Air Boom wasn't on the show, but the feud is about whether ziggler and Swagger can work together. It's not always A hates B, so A and B fight. This is A and B like each other and get a long, C and D don't always get along and just got their asses kicked. Will C and D be able to co-exist. Try thinking outside the box, not everything is the same.

I love how much the IWC hates the ADR vs Cena feud. It reinforces every stereotype I have of the majority. It's going to be a really solid match, and it's going to make ADR look good.

How was the HHH deportation illogical? They aren't seriously pushing that "Ace just now found this out, so HHH has to leave" they are pushing "that bastard Ace is using this bullshit to screw HHH". What's illogical about that? It's basic coward heel doing underhanded stuff to stick it to the good guy. Not only isn't it illogical in that way, but they HAD to have HHH come down to side with Punk because he hates Awesome Truth, plus Punk and HHH were on the same page last week. You are building them up as a super strong team, so you had to get HHH out of the picture for the 2 on 1 beatdown of Punk. So, you had to have HHH leave. They were somewhat creative in how they got HHH to leave, all the motivations made sense, and it wasn't illogical...in any way really. In fact, please point out how it was illogical because I can't see it. Unless you mean "lulz Mexico doesn't deport people, that's us" in which case, this is pro wrestling. Cars don't explode when they're on fire like in movies either.


What was the point of Ross? Well, WWE wanted Cena's team to win, but wasn't sure if he'd be over as a face enough in Mexico City. So they thought "who is universally hated? Cole. Who is universally loved and would fit Cole? JR". That's all it is. Again, stop thinking so simplistically. It's bigger than that. The match was about Cena vs ADR. They needed a whipping boy (cole) and a guy everyone would cheer for (JR). Using other wrestlers in the match would have been weird because, even though ADR is associated with Mr. Hudson and that little semi-stable, Cena isn't associated with anyone and so the only people with a vesting interest would be Cena and ADR with the stipulation. You can't just announce a LMS, well you could, but it means more if there's motivation behind it. "Cena WANTED this match". Plus if ADR beats Cena in a match he chose, he looks even stronger. So you have a situation where you need Cena to win a match to chose the stipulation but you can't have ADR job to Cena in Mexico City, so you need someone who is universally hated that's not a wrestler getting beat by someone who's universally loved who's also not a wrestler. Cole and Ross were perfect for this. It's not that hard to understand if you think critically and not just the first thought that comes into your head.

Eve gets the match becasue she's Kelly's friend, which is pro wrestling logic. Plus it's a divas match so who really gives a shit?

The Cena/ADR build up hasn't been spectacular, but it surely hasn't been as bad as the IWC wants it to seem. If this were Cena vs Ted Dibiase, same build up, I guarantee you there wouldn't be as much heat. The IWC hates both, that's why they hate it. It's your standard pompous heel vs all around good guy feud. It's not amazing, but it doesn't suck, and Cena will make ADR look great.



I'm not saying you have to love the show. I rated it as "solid". Just saying, try thinking a little more critically next time about the "why" and not so much from your "want".

 

[Yesiamaduck]

Remember the 24/10/1987 (or 25th depending on where you live) as I think we may of witnessed the single worst episode of Raw ever!

The opening segment had me interested, that has to be said, it was good and we haven't seen an assault like that for a while... yeah okay so it got off to a decent start.

Then uhm... wait what did we have after this? Was it Santino Vs Dolph? Yeah that was rubbish, Ryan storms out... he can't move properly.. yeah wow so whose in the feud with Dolph and Swagger? I mean the screwy finnish we had last night would mean Ryder would be involved in some form but not... uhhhm okay?

I think afters we find out Cena wants a match, he gets it, a tag one but we don't know his partner its later revealed to be Ryder.

Then we have a TERRIBLE <--- emphasis on every single capital there, Divas match.. the less said the better.

We have a mediocre CM PUNK/DEL RIO/John promo, one thing I like is it's the CM Punk that got over here and not the one we've seen recently... but it still wasn't great lets be honest, this was the best part of the episode.

Then we had an okay match between Jo Mo and Barrett, it was an even match Morrison lost of course.

Then Cole announces an invitational match for JR... yeah I really want to see another announcer feud, I can hardly wait for that! *sarcasm*

Then Zack Ryder got beaten up, then we had a handicap match... I THINK, it was over all so very fast and was booked horribly with a ham fisted ending and the WORST booked match I've ever seen. I posted this elsewere:

What a half arsed way to get the rock and cena together... CENA choose a tag team partner NOW! Umm Umm The Rock, was this necessary after it had been announced months in advance behind the scenes... maybe... for those out of the loop but the WWE had already informed us on Raw & Vengance The Rock would be wrestling at Survivor Series.. Does not compute!

Also when did Raw become a twitter widget? 1/10

 

[Syn Dei Ath]

Tonight's Raw felt sloppy beyond belief. In the second hour alone there were at least 5 botches be it from delivering moves or tripping up on the mic. Best parts of the show, CM Punk being Punk, Barrett's entrance (I dig the jacket thing), and Barrett getting a win (sorry Morrison but if you're on your way out anyway, I'm glad Barrett got the win over you). Next weeks Raw featuring the Muppets has nothing to really worry about it. Creative would have to actually be creative on how to make a worse show than tonight's.

 

[LSN80]

Raw Hits and Misses:​

Raw Hits:​

John Cena chooses The Rock: Well, it appeaars they wont be going withthe traditional Survivor Series tag match, but this was by far the biggest happenning on the show. The biggest thing I liked about this is Cena noting he wasn't sure Rock would accept or not- An obvious nod to their history together. But one thing both have acknowledged in the past is a mutual respect for each other, and I'm sure that will be the uniting thread. Either way, they have four weeks to get there, so Im into this big time. I was going to go with Punk/Del Rio/Laurinitis as my banner hit, but this is a blockbuster that deserves top billing.

Punk/Del Rio/Laurinitis: I can't believe Im saying this, but Im starting to like the Laurinitis character. Punk is right- His delivery still sucks. But JL the character is growing on me, as he walks the shades of gray in a smarmy way to perfection. As for Del Rio's victory celebration, it was exactly what it needed to be. His emphasis over defeating John Cena last night, and pretty much welcoming someone to challenge him by declared noone worthy. This set up the obvious challenger in Punk, who was brilliant in his interaction with JL and Del Rio. He was funny, but he showed he meant business. This was one of the better talking segments in weeks and it left the title picture clouded in a little mystery with Punk not delivering a sincere show of respect to JL, nor should he.

Randy Orton and Sheamus vs Cody Rhodes and Christian: I understand where they're going with this now, and that's putting Sheamus over as a monster face. It's the perfect set-up for him to be the next logical challenger for Henry for the World Title, and what's more, there's never been a defining victory for one over the other. I didnt like Rhodes doing the job here, but that's an small gripe at this point. This was an excellent tag match with both teams showing great chemistry- Orton Irish Whipping Rhodes to a shoulder block from Sheamus comes to mind. It's four men who simply brought their working boots and delivered an excellent match, easily the match of the night. ***

Wade Barrett vs John Morrison: Ive gotten over the idea of John Morrison getting a push by now, but he serves as a great buffer for putting people over. I was sold on Barrett last year as a main eventer, and it appears they're rebuilding him after his promo on Friday. Morrison bumps like crazy, and Barrett's offense looked as crisp as it ever has. Regardless of his current positioning, Morrison is a nice win for Barrett as he attempts to be rebuilt. This was a good match, and I wouldnt mind seeing more and longer from these two in the future. **1/4.

Kevin Nash and HHH: I truly wavered on this one, as Im not a fan of two virtually non-wrestlers open the show after you have Del Rio, Cena, Punk, and even Truth and Miz who could have legitimately opened the show. But HHH showed why when he wants to be, he's the most intense promo in the business today. His promo on Nash about him breaking HHH's heart and his warnings to JL to stay away or get hurt were awesome, classic HHH promos. The Nash attack was well set up and still leaves the storyline open about who is letting Nash in the building. The attack backstage was absolutely brutal, and is likely HHH's TV write-off. I don't know where Nash goes from here, but this made for good TV.

Overall Show: What a difference a couple of weeks make. Two weeks removed from a terrible Raw and a week removed from a sub-par go-home show, we got a crisp, storyline moving show. Del Rio/Punk and Cena/Rock vs Miz and Truth are already set it motion, and more importantly, they left it open how they'll get there. That's how you buld to a PPV, my friends. There were two very good in-ring matches as well and several good promos moving storylines around. This wasn't a perfect show by any means, but it was a breath of fresh air.

Raw Misses:​

John Cena vs Miz and R-Truth: Why does ever Miz and Truth match need to end with them getting Dq'd and a beatdown, or a fluky win? I know the attempt is to make them look like rebels and unpredictable, but they're gaining nothing by it. They look minor league, especially in situations where they can't put away a beat-up John Cena in a handicap match. It did set up Cena and Rock teaming together, so it wasn't all bad. But the in-ring action was meh at best, and Miz and Truth continue to be portrayed as non-threats within the ring. *1/4.

Jim Ross embarrassed again: Look, I hope the payoff next week is Ross winning the Michael Cole challenge with Cole quitting Raw and Ross returning, but do they have to go this route to get there? If they truly want Ross behind the desk, why do the firing in his home state in the first place? There were other ways to remove Cole, such as not firing Ross and putting two stipulations on the main event last week. But Vince loves to humiliate Ross, so congratulations Vince, you succeeded again. I'm almost numb to it as a viewer at this point, but it's beyond rediculous how much this class act of a man has to put up with.

Alicia Fox vs Natalya: And Natalya does another job. Even with Beth winning the Divas Title and haaving one of the best women's matches in a long time with Eve last night, this does as much harm to the "Sister's of Salvation" storyline as last night helped it. It's a good thing Alicia has her stripper walk/Rihanna gimmick down, because the woman simply cannot wrestle. This was truly a testament to the lack of depth in the women's division if she is going to be positioned as the #3 Face in the Women's Division.

Dolph Ziggler vs Santino: Last night was a star making performance perhaps for Ziggler, and he continued to look like a star tonight. So what's the last thing a budding star needs? A comedy match with Santino. Look. I realize Santino has his place and he's funny to some, but this isn't his place. Dolph needs to continue to defeat credible opponents to get over, not comedy jobbers by Santino. Even with a win, this does nothing for Ziggler.

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

What a half arsed way to get the rock and cena together... CENA choose a tag team partner NOW! Umm Umm The Rock, was this necessary after it had been announced months in advance behind the scenes... maybe... for those out of the loop but the WWE had already informed us on Raw & Vengance The Rock would be wrestling at Survivor Series.. Does not compute!

Yeah. This was the issue that I had with this RAW. Overall, it was pretty decent, but this annoyed the hell out of me. For months we've been told that Cena and The Rock were teaming at Survivor Series...and it was promoted ON THIS EPISODE OF RAW! I guess you could kind of cut them some slack because they didn't specifically say that they would team in the commercials, but I've got to think that it was a well known fact. It just seemed like a really half assed way to put them together.

Also, I'm not a Cena fan, but I think that even the most fervent Cena fan would have to admit that his "golly, you mean I can pick anyone? Well wait just a minute" acting was just awful.

 

[keehlnate]

I'm actually disappointed. I mean it's soooo cliched.

First, The Rock actually posted in his facebook that he will team up with Cena at Survivor Series a long time ago.

Second, With all the episodes of RAW way back about a month or two ago, this should lead to a traditional survivor series match but it turns out to be a tag match.

Third, Cena's new black shirt? Guess what? It's a prelude on what will happen. I think you know what I mean.

Fourth, what about the conspiracy and the pulling of strings thing? Was it already scrapped? They are isolating Nash and Triple H?

Fifth, it seems like Punk was just thrown to Del Rio because Del Rio doesn't have any contenders left. I mean, he got beat up by miz and truth at vengeance right? Would he just let it go?

Cole and JR? Oh my goodness. Not another goof match.

I'm so disappointed. That way these things go, it seems like the storylines are all f*cked up. Well I guess this is what I get for riding the 'imaginary' hype of Survivor Series 2011.

 

[metalbass]

I leave the end of this episode of RAW kind of perplexed. While the show itself wasn't all horrible, what happened to all the talk about Survivor Series going back to the traditional fare? I didn't order Vengeance because there have been so many PPV's in such a short time span and I also wanted to wait for Survivor Series. Now i'm not so sure I care.

 

[Mr. HD]

I don't know, but I'm not ready to dismiss the Survivor Series Elimination for some reason.

After tonight, the card, IMO, would look like:

John Cena & The Rock vs The Miz & R-Truth

Triple H vs Kevin Nash

WWE Championship Match
Alberto Del Rio (c) vs CM Punk


I mean after all the angles that went down, instead of the Survivor Series match, we could get what I stated above.

Then again, it IS very early in the SS buildup. They could always still make the Survivor Series Match.