I thought the crowd were not too bad actually and a lot better than most current American ones. They fell flat at times but I personally noticed them and felt they added to the overall show. I think King was awesome tonight and Cole was pretty good too...really enjoyed their work together on tonights show. I quite liked Raw and it had a few half suprises or at least slight tweaks from the norm as far as results and all that go. Nash looked good and cut a good promo..really liked that. I agree that there was a lack of British talent. It didn't do a great deal for me as far as adding any excitment to Survivor Series (apart from Nash) but I can't complain as I expect a lot worse so am always happy when I don't feel like I have wasted my time. Del Rio bores me something wicked...something about him makes me not hate him though. Overall definitely nothing special but an ok show in my eyes.
Nothing interesting happened in this Raw's episode. I just fast forward and skipped most of the time. Is it just me or the quality of the show seems declining since that 'walk-out' on Triple H?
I got really bored. Nothing explosive aside from the announcement that the Rock will return next week.
And yeah, where the hell is brodus clay? I thought he will be on this week's raw?
Really goddamn boring show. I think it was a slap on the live audience when the next week's raw will get the rock and they wont. Once again booooriinnnnggg
I got really bored. Nothing explosive aside from the announcement that the Rock will return next week.
And yeah, where the hell is brodus clay? I thought he will be on this week's raw?
Really goddamn boring show. I think it was a slap on the live audience when the next week's raw will get the rock and they wont. Once again booooriinnnnggg
Yesiamaduck
Pre-Show Stalwart
Tonight's Raw was from Liverpool England, the first time this show has been sown at the home of The Beatles!!! I know, I can hardly believe it myself!
Well, I'm going to keep this post as brief as possible as I watched this on Sky Sports so I didn't take notes on the fly & it's like 5am here & I really want to get some shut-eye & fast! Though on a bit of a side rant, why don't they show the UK shows live in the UK? It would be nice to not have to stay up at 2am for a change just to catch what is more often than not recently an incredibly uninteresting and boring show, and that's exactly what tonight show it epitomised what mediocre is and as a result is one of my least favourite Raw's of recent memory.
The show started with Cena coming out to a mixed reaction, he kisses up the Liverpudlian crowd a little bit before mentioning that he is booked in a tag match against The Miz & R-Truth but he doesn't name his partner other then giving some (I presume tounge in cheek) responses proclaiming his partner a future hall of famer and the 5th member of The Beatles. The Miz & R-Truth discuss matters with Cena as they go down the ramp they end up going into the ring as if they are about to attack Cena, then Ryder comes out (not surprised, I knew this as soon as he mentioned he had a mystery partner) and chased The Miz & R-Truth out of the ring.
Now I don't really remember much else about this show, ever wondered what a blackout feels like? Yeah, this is it! You remember the fight out back, the sexy girl in a bikini and the guy twitching at you talking about Muppets.
The Matches!
Mason Ryan Vs JTG
Makes lots of sense to give Mason a squash match against the jobber with attitude in JTG, this match was boring, it looked rubbish and I'm still not buying Mason at all. Ryan doesn't even get a reaction from a British crowd as they sat on their hands... that's weird I thought because British crowds are usually really loud and make their presence known.
1/4*
John Morrison Vs Dolph Ziggler
This match went on for a fair amount of time, it went on for about 10 - 13 minutes but it felt like 30, this was an incredibly dull match, compared to some matches these guys have put on in the past this was incredibly poor. It's not a bad match, just comparatively so, it had a shock ending though! Yeap, Morrison ends his winning streak he can thank Evan Bourne for that.
*1/2
Jack Swagger Vs Santino Marella
This match was brilliant for one reason and one reason only, Swaggers pre match promo. Imagine this if you will, just a camera pointing at Swaggers face and he goes 'Last week, I got beaten by a Muppett' then he twitches and the promo ends, that's awesome! No fluff just direct and it's hilarious! See WWE you don't need to hammer in every bit of humour you attempt to keep it simple and keep it short, Cena I hope you're taking notes. Oh and the was a match there somewhere
**** (For Swaggers Promo)
Dud otherwise
Alberto Del Rio Vs Kofi Kingston
Alberto Del Rio gets some heat back (much-needed I might say) by squashing Kofi, it looked okay whilst it lasted.
3/4*
John Cena & Zack Ryder Vs The Awesome Truth
This match was okay, it was kind of boring and didn't seem to flow as well as the WWE would have hoped, I often felt that this match had been made longer at the last-minute to fill up time, I think they hidiously underbooked this show. R-Truth and The Miz win after The Miz pins Cena and R-Truth holds down his leg to prevent the kick out. This doesn't really achieve anything.
**
Right so I got the matches out the way, nothing worth watching here, like at all! Yes so the segments must be better right? Well we got a very good beat down on CM Punk by Del Rio and humorous exchange by Punk & Otunga, the table bump Punk took wasn't over the top but was effective in that it didn't seem staged so for that reason alone it left quite a big impact. We had Kelly Kelly talk about how mature she's become in the WWE, whilst sounding like a little girl, both in the things she says and in her tone of voice, she's on the cover of Maxim, she's in a bra... this was an awful segment to tell the truth and ended with Beth and Natalya bullying Kelly Kelly but Fox and Eve came down they repeated the backing off spot from last week. HOWEVER this segment was gold because one of the headlines on said magazine was something along the line of 'sex & santa'
Kevin Nash cut his best promo yet since coming to the WWE and..... wait one second WHERE THE FUCK IS BRODUS CLAY... oh he's not on the show! WAIT ONE SECOND where is JR... oh he's not on either. Okay WWE please stop doing this, it was cute the first time but stop booking stuff we aren't going to see!
Overall this Raw was just boring, it wasn't bad, it wasn't funny, it wasn't good it was just there and that's the greatest offence of all! It left no impression on me at all, other then crazy swagger and cm punk being put through the table the was literally nothing of note here what so ever. Nothing really progressed story line wise, hell even the Survivor Series match got no AIR TIME for a build they just announced that it had been announced on the website. Lazy show, lazy booking and totally forgettable.
3/10
Awards:
Match Of The Night:
John Cena & Zack Ryder Vs The Awesome Truth
3 Main eventers and Ryder pull out a just about par tag match and is the run away winner of the Match Of The Night on this occasion, it was a bad night for the wrestling fan.
Worst Match Of The Night:
Mason Ryan Vs JTG
It was short enough to stop it from being totally offensive but it was still pretty offensive
Performer Of The Night:
Jack Swagger
His delivery in the pre match promo of his was one of the funniest things I've seen in a wrestling program, the match it's self was totally disposable (apart from his mid match twitch)
Turd Of The Night:
Kelly Kelly
Yikes get this woman away from the Microphone, it sounds so juvenile
Well, I'm going to keep this post as brief as possible as I watched this on Sky Sports so I didn't take notes on the fly & it's like 5am here & I really want to get some shut-eye & fast! Though on a bit of a side rant, why don't they show the UK shows live in the UK? It would be nice to not have to stay up at 2am for a change just to catch what is more often than not recently an incredibly uninteresting and boring show, and that's exactly what tonight show it epitomised what mediocre is and as a result is one of my least favourite Raw's of recent memory.
The show started with Cena coming out to a mixed reaction, he kisses up the Liverpudlian crowd a little bit before mentioning that he is booked in a tag match against The Miz & R-Truth but he doesn't name his partner other then giving some (I presume tounge in cheek) responses proclaiming his partner a future hall of famer and the 5th member of The Beatles. The Miz & R-Truth discuss matters with Cena as they go down the ramp they end up going into the ring as if they are about to attack Cena, then Ryder comes out (not surprised, I knew this as soon as he mentioned he had a mystery partner) and chased The Miz & R-Truth out of the ring.
Now I don't really remember much else about this show, ever wondered what a blackout feels like? Yeah, this is it! You remember the fight out back, the sexy girl in a bikini and the guy twitching at you talking about Muppets.
The Matches!
Mason Ryan Vs JTG
Makes lots of sense to give Mason a squash match against the jobber with attitude in JTG, this match was boring, it looked rubbish and I'm still not buying Mason at all. Ryan doesn't even get a reaction from a British crowd as they sat on their hands... that's weird I thought because British crowds are usually really loud and make their presence known.
1/4*
John Morrison Vs Dolph Ziggler
This match went on for a fair amount of time, it went on for about 10 - 13 minutes but it felt like 30, this was an incredibly dull match, compared to some matches these guys have put on in the past this was incredibly poor. It's not a bad match, just comparatively so, it had a shock ending though! Yeap, Morrison ends his winning streak he can thank Evan Bourne for that.
*1/2
Jack Swagger Vs Santino Marella
This match was brilliant for one reason and one reason only, Swaggers pre match promo. Imagine this if you will, just a camera pointing at Swaggers face and he goes 'Last week, I got beaten by a Muppett' then he twitches and the promo ends, that's awesome! No fluff just direct and it's hilarious! See WWE you don't need to hammer in every bit of humour you attempt to keep it simple and keep it short, Cena I hope you're taking notes. Oh and the was a match there somewhere
**** (For Swaggers Promo)
Dud otherwise
Alberto Del Rio Vs Kofi Kingston
Alberto Del Rio gets some heat back (much-needed I might say) by squashing Kofi, it looked okay whilst it lasted.
3/4*
John Cena & Zack Ryder Vs The Awesome Truth
This match was okay, it was kind of boring and didn't seem to flow as well as the WWE would have hoped, I often felt that this match had been made longer at the last-minute to fill up time, I think they hidiously underbooked this show. R-Truth and The Miz win after The Miz pins Cena and R-Truth holds down his leg to prevent the kick out. This doesn't really achieve anything.
**
Right so I got the matches out the way, nothing worth watching here, like at all! Yes so the segments must be better right? Well we got a very good beat down on CM Punk by Del Rio and humorous exchange by Punk & Otunga, the table bump Punk took wasn't over the top but was effective in that it didn't seem staged so for that reason alone it left quite a big impact. We had Kelly Kelly talk about how mature she's become in the WWE, whilst sounding like a little girl, both in the things she says and in her tone of voice, she's on the cover of Maxim, she's in a bra... this was an awful segment to tell the truth and ended with Beth and Natalya bullying Kelly Kelly but Fox and Eve came down they repeated the backing off spot from last week. HOWEVER this segment was gold because one of the headlines on said magazine was something along the line of 'sex & santa'
Kevin Nash cut his best promo yet since coming to the WWE and..... wait one second WHERE THE FUCK IS BRODUS CLAY... oh he's not on the show! WAIT ONE SECOND where is JR... oh he's not on either. Okay WWE please stop doing this, it was cute the first time but stop booking stuff we aren't going to see!
Overall this Raw was just boring, it wasn't bad, it wasn't funny, it wasn't good it was just there and that's the greatest offence of all! It left no impression on me at all, other then crazy swagger and cm punk being put through the table the was literally nothing of note here what so ever. Nothing really progressed story line wise, hell even the Survivor Series match got no AIR TIME for a build they just announced that it had been announced on the website. Lazy show, lazy booking and totally forgettable.
3/10
Awards:
Match Of The Night:
John Cena & Zack Ryder Vs The Awesome Truth
3 Main eventers and Ryder pull out a just about par tag match and is the run away winner of the Match Of The Night on this occasion, it was a bad night for the wrestling fan.
Worst Match Of The Night:
Mason Ryan Vs JTG
It was short enough to stop it from being totally offensive but it was still pretty offensive
Performer Of The Night:
Jack Swagger
His delivery in the pre match promo of his was one of the funniest things I've seen in a wrestling program, the match it's self was totally disposable (apart from his mid match twitch)
Turd Of The Night:
Kelly Kelly
Yikes get this woman away from the Microphone, it sounds so juvenile
When I watch RAW I watch to Enjoy..... this week I did not Enjoy....
Not enough Wrestling, too much promo's. And the Promo's were weak.
I dont remember where in England they were last year when Santino and Koslov were mocking Sheamus....but THAT was a good reaction from the crowd.
Last night was not!
Survivor Series is in 2 weeks. Am I excited about it? NO
Team Orton vs Team Barrett .... Sparingly mentioned
Rock Cena Vs Awesome Truth .... The Rock is not even required
Punk Vs Del Rio .... Does not even feel like a propper feud right now.
The only thing that seems to have been given almost a propper build up at the moment is Show Vs Henry.....Those guys really wanna fuck each other up!
And Nash Vs HHH.... but HHH has another Month off to heal his BROKEN FREAKIN SPINE!
Johnny Scumm
InZayn In The Membrane
Raw last night. It was ok. Better than last weeks, which was pure shit. Shall I review it, no, not properly. A Raw will be reviewed by me when I don't wind on so much of it.
John Morrison won! Get in, I really enjoyed that match. Both himself and Dolph Ziggler shone in what was possibly Match Of The Night. The fact we didn't see Brodus Clay really didn't matter to me, we'll see him next week. We still have to put with the Michael Cole challenge next week I guess. The opening promo was good with Cena, I did like that and I also enjoyed Nash's promo. Swagger vs Marella was at par and Ryan vs JTG was pointless. The main event was pretty enjoyable, with a clever ending, although it's made even more obvious that the face team will win come SS. Then again, in what world would Cena/Rock NOT win?!
Either way, it was a pretty terrible Raw after what we've seen recently. Buck up your ideas, I've REALLy been enjoying Smackdown recently.
John Morrison won! Get in, I really enjoyed that match. Both himself and Dolph Ziggler shone in what was possibly Match Of The Night. The fact we didn't see Brodus Clay really didn't matter to me, we'll see him next week. We still have to put with the Michael Cole challenge next week I guess. The opening promo was good with Cena, I did like that and I also enjoyed Nash's promo. Swagger vs Marella was at par and Ryan vs JTG was pointless. The main event was pretty enjoyable, with a clever ending, although it's made even more obvious that the face team will win come SS. Then again, in what world would Cena/Rock NOT win?!
Either way, it was a pretty terrible Raw after what we've seen recently. Buck up your ideas, I've REALLy been enjoying Smackdown recently.
Minister Christian
Wrestling Official #1 Critic
Yesiamaduck, Mason Ryan didn`t get a great reaction because he is Welsh, even though it`s part of Britain. Infact i personally think if there was a London based wrestler in Liverpool he would get booed!
I thought the show wasn`t really that special, you would think it would be really good considering it is in the UK once or twice a year live. The best thing about this show in my opinon was the CM Punk, David Octunga backstage brawl with alberto del rio. CM punk is a great comic!
I thought the show wasn`t really that special, you would think it would be really good considering it is in the UK once or twice a year live. The best thing about this show in my opinon was the CM Punk, David Octunga backstage brawl with alberto del rio. CM punk is a great comic!
Mustang Sally
Sells seashells by the seashore
Maybe he didn't get a reaction because he's terrible.
I would love to see him make it. I like his look and his new attitude. But, man, is he terrible! JTG did all he could, walking straight up to Mason and allowing the big man to execute his moves without even offering a semblance of a defense. In a shoot fight, a guy like him would never be able to catch his opponent, unless he was fighting Big Show or Khali.
Yet, even with JTG's full cooperation, Mason's offense looked stilted and hesitant. A couple of times, he had his opponent in the air.....and didn't seem to know what to do with him. In the end, he would drop JTG awkwardly to the mat more than punish him with an effective looking maneuver.
I hope the guy gets better; I really do.
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
WWE Raw Supershow - November 7, 2011
Opening Segment - Overall, a solid segment to start things off with. Cena was solid, nothing overly remarkable, but he wasn't out there trying to be cutesy and crack some lame, corny jokes. Miz & Truth coming out was a nice touch, I've enjoyed them as a team thus far. The segment did a decent job of hyping the main event of the night. Zack Ryder is teaming with Cena against Awesome Truth, so that'll definitely make some people happy. Nothing overly special about the segment, just a solid 10 minute promo that did what it ultimately needed to do. Thumbs Up
1. Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison - I enjoyed this match. They were given a good amount of time and both guys got in a good amount offense. It started out kind of slow, but there's nothing wrong with a match having some basic, solid mat wrestling in my view. The crowd got more into the match as it went along and it really picked up nicely in the last 4 or 5 minutes. I wasn't all that surprised when Morrison picks up the surprise win with a modified crucafix roll up as Lawler and Cole talked about his losing streak. I would have preferred Ziggler win but both guys work well together and put on a very solid tv match with JoMo getting the win at the 14 minute mark. **3/4
2. Mason Ryan vs. JTG - Pretty standard 2.5 minute squash match. Mason Ryan came out to a pretty good pop and I do like that he seems to be an energetic guy. He's obviously incredibly well built and I like the fact that he spends more time interacting with fans and playing to the crowd rather than just posing & flexing his muscles the way a standard bodybuilder powerhouse usually does. The match wasn't anything to write home about and I think it showed Ryan's limitations more than anything else. By the end of the match, the crowd had already lost interest in Ryan. He's extremely basic in the ring and the crowd just loses interest when they get over how incredibly built he is. If I were Vince, I'd just try and make this guy into a Goldberg like character. He's huge, he's built, he can be intimidating and he's extremely limited in the ring. Keep his matches under 5 minutes, have him plow through some guys to build up his rep and see what happens. Otherwise, he needs to go back to FCW. Ryan gets the win with a Full Nelson Slam. 1/2*
3. Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston - Kinda disappointed here. Del Rio & Kofi have had good matches in the past but this was more along the lines of a 2 minute squash match. I can understand WWE wanting to get Del Rio some heat back by having him decimate Kofi so quickly, and with Kofi being a title holder to boot. It would've just been better to not have Del Rio job cleanly to Big Show last week. At any rate, Del Rio was pretty aggressive against Kofi and that's what he needs. That intense side of him is something we didn't see much of during his feud with Cena. Del Rio gets the win via the armbar submission. *
CM Punk & Alberto Del Rio - After the match, Del Rio locks in the armbar on Kofi again for a bit before Punk's music hits. Punk comes out to a massive pop from the Liverpool crowd and climbs into the ring. I thought he & Del Rio delivered a good exchange on the mic. Punk is, again, playing to the IWC especially as he brought up some of the more common complaints about Del Rio, such as his promos being kind of repetitive. Del Rio is solid on the mic, he just needs to talk about more than the destiny stuff like Punk said. Del Rio did a good job as he played off of Punk. Del Rio threatened Punk to call off their match at Survivor Series and, of course, Punk refused. They get into it briefly with Del Rio trying to lock in the armbar, but Punk quickly counters and gets out of it. Ricardo jumps into save Del Rio and ultimately winds up eating a GTS. Overall, a fun segment in my view. Thumbs Up
4. Santino Marella vs. Jack Swagger - They showed a brief backstage promo from Swagger and I thought Swagger did well. The twitch he did really looked authentic and he sounded so serious. I'd love to see Swagger's persona go to a more serious, business like direction. As for the match itself, I enjoyed it mostly because of how dominant Swagger looked. As I said last week, Swagger is someone that's got too much ability to be squandered in a squash match against a comedy guy like Santino. Swagger was intense, aggressive and just all over Santino. Santino mounted very little offense before Swagger made him tap to the ankle lock. Maybe this is something of a turning point for Swagger. *1/2
Diva Segment - Jerry Lawler introduced Kelly Kelly and she came out to a nice reception. She was out there to unveil the cover of Maxim magazine, which she's on. Kelly did an ok job of playing to the fans like a good babyface. She was pretty dull in my view though. Beth Phoenix & Natalya came out and I thought Beth in particular did a good job on the mic. Her promo skills have steadily improved and she & Nattie did come across like a couple of mean bitches to some degree. They did a good job of mocking Kelly and were about to beat her down before Alicia Fox & Eve come out to help Kelly. The heels leave and they unveil the cover of Kelly sitting on the hood of a car wearing a white bikini. Overall, a decent segment thanks to Beth Phoenix mostly. Thumbs In The Middle
Kevin Nash - Very good mic work from Kevin Nash in my opinion. Nash seemed FAR more comfortable on the mic last night than he has since coming back to WWE. I thought his promo last night was one of the better he's done in a long time. He drew on his history with Triple H, their friendship, the Kliq and it worked well. It adds to the feeling that this is a "personal" feud between the two and did a good job of kind of painting Nash as an ass. After all, we all know about his backstage politics and his comments about Trips changing makes Nash come across as a bitter, resentful talent that believes himself to be Triple H's superior. Thumbs Up
CM Punk & Del Rio Backstage - Punk confronts Johnny Ace and David Otunga backstage. Some standard insults ensue before Punk starts beating on Otunga. Del Rio comes up from behind and slams Punk through a table and started beating him down. Again, this is that aggressive side of Del Rio coming out and it works. The feud is taking a more personal edge to it and that's what it needs. Also, JL screaming at them to not make him take his jacket off was hilarious. Thumbs Up
5. John Cena & Zack Ryder vs. The Awesome Truth - Very good match to close the show with. The Liverpool crowd was red hot for it and were especially into Ryder. They gave this match a lot of time, about 18 minutes or so, and they were able to make Ryder look good and get some heat back for Miz & Truth. As with Miz & Truth, Cena & Ryder have surprisingly good chemistry together. Both teams got in a lot of offense and it still surprises me how well oiled Awesome Truth is as a team already. I was surprised to see Miz & Truth pick up the win here and they did it in a great old school fashion. Miz catches Cena in the head with a boot and hooks one leg. While the ref is focused on Cena's shoulders, R-Truth slides under the bottom rope and holds Cena's other leg down so he can't get the leverage and momentum to kick out. Awesome Truth takes the win with Cena jobbing to them. Truth & Miz needed this win and Ryder didn't need to be the one taking the pin as it was announced that he & Ziggler have a United States Championship match at Survivor Series. ***1/4
Overall Show - I thought Raw was a solid show. It wasn't overly spectacular but there was more hype and focus for Survivor Series this week than last week due to the Muppets being all over the place. The opening promo with Cena, Miz & Truth was solid and set up the main event. Punk & Del Rio played well off each other and Del Rio beating Punk down backstage put some heat on Del Rio. The Diva segment was surprisingly ok and Nash pulled off a great promo himself. Wrestling action was a little mixed this week. JoMo vs. Dolph Ziggler was a very solid match with JoMo finally getting a win. Mason Ryan had a standard squash match. Del Rio's match against Kofi Kingston was disappointingly short. I enjoyed Swagger vs. Santino as Swagger dominated the match and I'm hoping this is the start of a new direction for Swagger. The main event was a fun tag team match that saw John Cena getting pinned, a rarity in and of itself. Zack Ryder looked good in the match and Miz & Truth definitely needed this win. I just hope Cena & Rock don't make them look like complete turds next week.
Grade: B-
Opening Segment - Overall, a solid segment to start things off with. Cena was solid, nothing overly remarkable, but he wasn't out there trying to be cutesy and crack some lame, corny jokes. Miz & Truth coming out was a nice touch, I've enjoyed them as a team thus far. The segment did a decent job of hyping the main event of the night. Zack Ryder is teaming with Cena against Awesome Truth, so that'll definitely make some people happy. Nothing overly special about the segment, just a solid 10 minute promo that did what it ultimately needed to do. Thumbs Up
1. Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison - I enjoyed this match. They were given a good amount of time and both guys got in a good amount offense. It started out kind of slow, but there's nothing wrong with a match having some basic, solid mat wrestling in my view. The crowd got more into the match as it went along and it really picked up nicely in the last 4 or 5 minutes. I wasn't all that surprised when Morrison picks up the surprise win with a modified crucafix roll up as Lawler and Cole talked about his losing streak. I would have preferred Ziggler win but both guys work well together and put on a very solid tv match with JoMo getting the win at the 14 minute mark. **3/4
2. Mason Ryan vs. JTG - Pretty standard 2.5 minute squash match. Mason Ryan came out to a pretty good pop and I do like that he seems to be an energetic guy. He's obviously incredibly well built and I like the fact that he spends more time interacting with fans and playing to the crowd rather than just posing & flexing his muscles the way a standard bodybuilder powerhouse usually does. The match wasn't anything to write home about and I think it showed Ryan's limitations more than anything else. By the end of the match, the crowd had already lost interest in Ryan. He's extremely basic in the ring and the crowd just loses interest when they get over how incredibly built he is. If I were Vince, I'd just try and make this guy into a Goldberg like character. He's huge, he's built, he can be intimidating and he's extremely limited in the ring. Keep his matches under 5 minutes, have him plow through some guys to build up his rep and see what happens. Otherwise, he needs to go back to FCW. Ryan gets the win with a Full Nelson Slam. 1/2*
3. Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston - Kinda disappointed here. Del Rio & Kofi have had good matches in the past but this was more along the lines of a 2 minute squash match. I can understand WWE wanting to get Del Rio some heat back by having him decimate Kofi so quickly, and with Kofi being a title holder to boot. It would've just been better to not have Del Rio job cleanly to Big Show last week. At any rate, Del Rio was pretty aggressive against Kofi and that's what he needs. That intense side of him is something we didn't see much of during his feud with Cena. Del Rio gets the win via the armbar submission. *
CM Punk & Alberto Del Rio - After the match, Del Rio locks in the armbar on Kofi again for a bit before Punk's music hits. Punk comes out to a massive pop from the Liverpool crowd and climbs into the ring. I thought he & Del Rio delivered a good exchange on the mic. Punk is, again, playing to the IWC especially as he brought up some of the more common complaints about Del Rio, such as his promos being kind of repetitive. Del Rio is solid on the mic, he just needs to talk about more than the destiny stuff like Punk said. Del Rio did a good job as he played off of Punk. Del Rio threatened Punk to call off their match at Survivor Series and, of course, Punk refused. They get into it briefly with Del Rio trying to lock in the armbar, but Punk quickly counters and gets out of it. Ricardo jumps into save Del Rio and ultimately winds up eating a GTS. Overall, a fun segment in my view. Thumbs Up
4. Santino Marella vs. Jack Swagger - They showed a brief backstage promo from Swagger and I thought Swagger did well. The twitch he did really looked authentic and he sounded so serious. I'd love to see Swagger's persona go to a more serious, business like direction. As for the match itself, I enjoyed it mostly because of how dominant Swagger looked. As I said last week, Swagger is someone that's got too much ability to be squandered in a squash match against a comedy guy like Santino. Swagger was intense, aggressive and just all over Santino. Santino mounted very little offense before Swagger made him tap to the ankle lock. Maybe this is something of a turning point for Swagger. *1/2
Diva Segment - Jerry Lawler introduced Kelly Kelly and she came out to a nice reception. She was out there to unveil the cover of Maxim magazine, which she's on. Kelly did an ok job of playing to the fans like a good babyface. She was pretty dull in my view though. Beth Phoenix & Natalya came out and I thought Beth in particular did a good job on the mic. Her promo skills have steadily improved and she & Nattie did come across like a couple of mean bitches to some degree. They did a good job of mocking Kelly and were about to beat her down before Alicia Fox & Eve come out to help Kelly. The heels leave and they unveil the cover of Kelly sitting on the hood of a car wearing a white bikini. Overall, a decent segment thanks to Beth Phoenix mostly. Thumbs In The Middle
Kevin Nash - Very good mic work from Kevin Nash in my opinion. Nash seemed FAR more comfortable on the mic last night than he has since coming back to WWE. I thought his promo last night was one of the better he's done in a long time. He drew on his history with Triple H, their friendship, the Kliq and it worked well. It adds to the feeling that this is a "personal" feud between the two and did a good job of kind of painting Nash as an ass. After all, we all know about his backstage politics and his comments about Trips changing makes Nash come across as a bitter, resentful talent that believes himself to be Triple H's superior. Thumbs Up
CM Punk & Del Rio Backstage - Punk confronts Johnny Ace and David Otunga backstage. Some standard insults ensue before Punk starts beating on Otunga. Del Rio comes up from behind and slams Punk through a table and started beating him down. Again, this is that aggressive side of Del Rio coming out and it works. The feud is taking a more personal edge to it and that's what it needs. Also, JL screaming at them to not make him take his jacket off was hilarious. Thumbs Up
5. John Cena & Zack Ryder vs. The Awesome Truth - Very good match to close the show with. The Liverpool crowd was red hot for it and were especially into Ryder. They gave this match a lot of time, about 18 minutes or so, and they were able to make Ryder look good and get some heat back for Miz & Truth. As with Miz & Truth, Cena & Ryder have surprisingly good chemistry together. Both teams got in a lot of offense and it still surprises me how well oiled Awesome Truth is as a team already. I was surprised to see Miz & Truth pick up the win here and they did it in a great old school fashion. Miz catches Cena in the head with a boot and hooks one leg. While the ref is focused on Cena's shoulders, R-Truth slides under the bottom rope and holds Cena's other leg down so he can't get the leverage and momentum to kick out. Awesome Truth takes the win with Cena jobbing to them. Truth & Miz needed this win and Ryder didn't need to be the one taking the pin as it was announced that he & Ziggler have a United States Championship match at Survivor Series. ***1/4
Overall Show - I thought Raw was a solid show. It wasn't overly spectacular but there was more hype and focus for Survivor Series this week than last week due to the Muppets being all over the place. The opening promo with Cena, Miz & Truth was solid and set up the main event. Punk & Del Rio played well off each other and Del Rio beating Punk down backstage put some heat on Del Rio. The Diva segment was surprisingly ok and Nash pulled off a great promo himself. Wrestling action was a little mixed this week. JoMo vs. Dolph Ziggler was a very solid match with JoMo finally getting a win. Mason Ryan had a standard squash match. Del Rio's match against Kofi Kingston was disappointingly short. I enjoyed Swagger vs. Santino as Swagger dominated the match and I'm hoping this is the start of a new direction for Swagger. The main event was a fun tag team match that saw John Cena getting pinned, a rarity in and of itself. Zack Ryder looked good in the match and Miz & Truth definitely needed this win. I just hope Cena & Rock don't make them look like complete turds next week.
Grade: B-
stephenjpunk317
Pre-Show Stalwart
I have to agree with the statement that nothing really interesting happened. I thought if you were going to have Nash get together with Miz and Truth, last night would have been the great moment for that. I didn't think it added any build to Survivor Series, which I'm starting to think won't live up to the hype, and that sucks. Next week's three hour show needs to really hit a home run.
I pretty much agree with most of what Jack-Hammer said and I, aswell as a few others have already mentioned but I will bring it up again..thought Kevin Nash was great last night. It wasn't the best promo he has ever cut in his life but it was the best since his WWE return. He looked and came across a lot more relaxed than as of late. He has looked a bit awkward over the last few weeks but last night looked like he has settled into his new role. I am looking forward to the Triple H, Nash match and the build up to Survivior series regarding that storyline just that bit more after last nights promo.
Was I the only one who thought Lawler was as good last night as he has been for a while?
Was I the only one who thought Lawler was as good last night as he has been for a while?
stephenjpunk317
Pre-Show Stalwart
I think WWE finally realizes Lawler and Cole need to work better together. I like that Cole has been toned down a lot other than talking about JR. But hopefully that all goes away soon.
From the Beginning.....
We Get John Cena coming out to start the show and get the ball rolling for what is set to be the Main Event of the evening. I liked how he plugged The Rock for next week, plugged WrestleMania tickets going on sale, and then brought it full circle back to the matters at hand. Miz and Truth's interactions with Cena went pretty smooth, and these guys seem to work pretty well off one another. Miz and Truth have come so far and are looking so good, one has to really step back and wonder where they go from here. The run in and attack of Cena was rather predictable as was the save from Zack Ryder, but all in all this was a great start to the show.
Next Up
Dolph Ziggler vs John Morrison
Just to get this part out of the way, this is my match of the night and it's only a shame it came so early as this could have easily been placed higher up the card. Still, I guess you want to start the show off strong and these two did that in grand fashion. Ziggler looked great, absolutely great in the ring. His execution was flawless, his ring psych was great(working the neck the whole time), mouthing off to Morrison during the match, all of it. This guy is coming along beautifully.
Morrison also looked great and did some significant storytelling of his own in there. He made Ziggler look that much better, taking the majority of the offense in the match and really selling it the whole time. This one had me on the edge of my seat hoping for Morrison to win, and finally he did. I was glad to see him finally pick up a win, as he needed one badly. This one won't hurt Ziggler, but the match altogether made him look like gold.
I also wanted to note that the fans were getting behind Morrison in this match pretty heavily, and booing Ziggler when he hit big moves on Morrison. So, even with being buried as of recent, I thought this showed that the fans DO care about John Morrison, that he is over to some extent, and if they decide to give his push the green light it can only mean good things for both parties. Lets see it happen.
Mason Ryan vs JTG
Poooor JTG. Ya know, he is a pretty good wrestler. I don't know why he gets stuck in this role jobbing out to Mason Ryan but I think you could use him in a more meaningful capacity. This short squash match did little to help either guy. Sure, Mason Ryan looked dominant, he also looked like he hasn't improved in the ring one iota. His generic big man moves may have been done okay, but it leaves one thinking "Is this going to be the extent of his ability for the foreseeable future?" If it is, this could be painful. Congratulations to Mason Ryan however of getting a much needed win.
Backstage: Bella Twins and Zack Ryder and Cole's Announcement
Not much to report here but it was a good segment, it was very funny. It at least goes to show what the appeal of Zack Ryder is; he is a funny character and that adds a welcomed lighthearted humor to the show that we don't really get in many other places.
We were also graced with another pot shot from Michael Cole to Good Ol' J.R., as he explained his absence as being a result of trying to bring too much barbecue sauce on a plane and being banned from flying as a result. I know it's all a work, but Cole's cheap shots at J.R. just aren't funny, they come off as rude and hurtful. Maybe that's just the mark in me taking it too seriously, but that's the way I feel about it. I did like his line about next week not getting Rocked but Cole'd, good play on words there.
Alberto Del Rio vs Kofi Kingston
You've got to admit, Del Rio looked pretty good making quick work of Kofi Kingston. That Cross Armbreaker is one of the most beautiful moves I've ever seen applied and I'd be surprised if anyone does it better than ADR. That wasn't the big hoopla of this segment though. This was all about C.M. Punk as he came down for the save for Kofi and got the pipebomb back in his hands. I was surprised to see Punk completely bust out Del Rio on his "destiny" speeches and parlayed that into putting himself over talking about how he will make the WWE Title interesting again. The ambush from Del Rio was great, perfect heel move, and what was even better was Ricardo Rodriguez becoming the sacrificial lamb of Del Rio's tactics. Go to sleep Ricardo.
Jack Swagger vs Santino Marella
Our 3rd quick match of the night. I thought this was good for Swagger because he really is one of the better guys on the roster, and after suffering a number of losses and looking ridiculous in his matches with and without Dolph Ziggler, people needed to be reminded exactly who he is again. This match showed that when he's focused, Swagger can tear someone apart. I think that should be his character all the time; mean, focused, and powerful.
Divas Segment
I'll put it this way: at least we didn't have to sit through a match, it was just a short talking segment to plug a magazine cover that Kelly Kelly did. At least they used the opportunity to push the feud with Beth and Natalya too. I think some of what they are doing makes Beth and Natalya look kind of stupid because of the almost childish antics they are made to go out there and pull, but I guess you've got to try and give them the heat. It will be interesting at least to see where this leads.
Kevin Nash Speaks
This was my Segment of the Night. I am a huge Kevin Nash fan, and have been since I was a kid when he was Diesel in the WWF. He came out and I marked out when it was the nWo music, I thought that was pretty cool. I liked how he told his story about back in the day when Hunter showed up and how he should have taken him out then, and brought us up to Royal Rumble. I thought this part specifically was great because it was true. Nash notes that he got the biggest pop of the night without question, and he did, everyone knows that. But when he went to ask about a contract he got the short end of the stick with a Legends deal, like he can't go anymore. As a big fan, I believe he was right, that he could become a champion on any given night and that he goes still have it. This whole segment was great, and I loved how he finished it saying "He's shown everyone how to play the game". That was good.
Backstage: Johnny Ace, Otunga, Punk, Del Rio
Another great backstage segment. I like the way they are using Otunga's actual background here and propping him up as this legal council in the backstage area, it actually works. His jab at Punk was pretty good actually, and Punk responded even better with his "Premium or Unleaded" comment, and it was cool to see him just go ahead and beat the crap out of Otunga, only to be attacked by Del Rio. I like that they are putting some work into this match and really trying to build it up, it needs it after all the attention that was lost on the WWE title in the last two months. They are making it like these two really don't like each other, and this is going to make the match mean that much more.
Main Event: Awesome Truth vs John Cena and Zack Ryder
What else can anyone say but "This was a great tag team match". Ryder and Cena actually worked pretty well together, and Awesome Truth really gave them a good match as well with their own cohesion. I thought this match was all about Zack Ryder as it was taking place. The fans even chanting for him to be tagged in says as much. He got a lot of ring time and looked good all the way around. You got the feeling in parts that he could have beat Miz or Truth on his own in a one on one match which makes him look even better. Cena came with the usual, but in the heat of this story line it made for great action. This was one of those situations where it helped everyone involved look that much better in their roles. I liked the dirty finish with Truth holding down Cena's legs, that was pure heel genius and a great way to lead into next week. WWE delivered a great main event and all the credit goes to the men involved.
This Raw has me looking forward to next week, unlike some of the previous shows. Good job guys.
We Get John Cena coming out to start the show and get the ball rolling for what is set to be the Main Event of the evening. I liked how he plugged The Rock for next week, plugged WrestleMania tickets going on sale, and then brought it full circle back to the matters at hand. Miz and Truth's interactions with Cena went pretty smooth, and these guys seem to work pretty well off one another. Miz and Truth have come so far and are looking so good, one has to really step back and wonder where they go from here. The run in and attack of Cena was rather predictable as was the save from Zack Ryder, but all in all this was a great start to the show.
Next Up
Dolph Ziggler vs John Morrison
Just to get this part out of the way, this is my match of the night and it's only a shame it came so early as this could have easily been placed higher up the card. Still, I guess you want to start the show off strong and these two did that in grand fashion. Ziggler looked great, absolutely great in the ring. His execution was flawless, his ring psych was great(working the neck the whole time), mouthing off to Morrison during the match, all of it. This guy is coming along beautifully.
Morrison also looked great and did some significant storytelling of his own in there. He made Ziggler look that much better, taking the majority of the offense in the match and really selling it the whole time. This one had me on the edge of my seat hoping for Morrison to win, and finally he did. I was glad to see him finally pick up a win, as he needed one badly. This one won't hurt Ziggler, but the match altogether made him look like gold.
I also wanted to note that the fans were getting behind Morrison in this match pretty heavily, and booing Ziggler when he hit big moves on Morrison. So, even with being buried as of recent, I thought this showed that the fans DO care about John Morrison, that he is over to some extent, and if they decide to give his push the green light it can only mean good things for both parties. Lets see it happen.
Mason Ryan vs JTG
Poooor JTG. Ya know, he is a pretty good wrestler. I don't know why he gets stuck in this role jobbing out to Mason Ryan but I think you could use him in a more meaningful capacity. This short squash match did little to help either guy. Sure, Mason Ryan looked dominant, he also looked like he hasn't improved in the ring one iota. His generic big man moves may have been done okay, but it leaves one thinking "Is this going to be the extent of his ability for the foreseeable future?" If it is, this could be painful. Congratulations to Mason Ryan however of getting a much needed win.
Backstage: Bella Twins and Zack Ryder and Cole's Announcement
Not much to report here but it was a good segment, it was very funny. It at least goes to show what the appeal of Zack Ryder is; he is a funny character and that adds a welcomed lighthearted humor to the show that we don't really get in many other places.
We were also graced with another pot shot from Michael Cole to Good Ol' J.R., as he explained his absence as being a result of trying to bring too much barbecue sauce on a plane and being banned from flying as a result. I know it's all a work, but Cole's cheap shots at J.R. just aren't funny, they come off as rude and hurtful. Maybe that's just the mark in me taking it too seriously, but that's the way I feel about it. I did like his line about next week not getting Rocked but Cole'd, good play on words there.
Alberto Del Rio vs Kofi Kingston
You've got to admit, Del Rio looked pretty good making quick work of Kofi Kingston. That Cross Armbreaker is one of the most beautiful moves I've ever seen applied and I'd be surprised if anyone does it better than ADR. That wasn't the big hoopla of this segment though. This was all about C.M. Punk as he came down for the save for Kofi and got the pipebomb back in his hands. I was surprised to see Punk completely bust out Del Rio on his "destiny" speeches and parlayed that into putting himself over talking about how he will make the WWE Title interesting again. The ambush from Del Rio was great, perfect heel move, and what was even better was Ricardo Rodriguez becoming the sacrificial lamb of Del Rio's tactics. Go to sleep Ricardo.
Jack Swagger vs Santino Marella
Our 3rd quick match of the night. I thought this was good for Swagger because he really is one of the better guys on the roster, and after suffering a number of losses and looking ridiculous in his matches with and without Dolph Ziggler, people needed to be reminded exactly who he is again. This match showed that when he's focused, Swagger can tear someone apart. I think that should be his character all the time; mean, focused, and powerful.
Divas Segment
I'll put it this way: at least we didn't have to sit through a match, it was just a short talking segment to plug a magazine cover that Kelly Kelly did. At least they used the opportunity to push the feud with Beth and Natalya too. I think some of what they are doing makes Beth and Natalya look kind of stupid because of the almost childish antics they are made to go out there and pull, but I guess you've got to try and give them the heat. It will be interesting at least to see where this leads.
Kevin Nash Speaks
This was my Segment of the Night. I am a huge Kevin Nash fan, and have been since I was a kid when he was Diesel in the WWF. He came out and I marked out when it was the nWo music, I thought that was pretty cool. I liked how he told his story about back in the day when Hunter showed up and how he should have taken him out then, and brought us up to Royal Rumble. I thought this part specifically was great because it was true. Nash notes that he got the biggest pop of the night without question, and he did, everyone knows that. But when he went to ask about a contract he got the short end of the stick with a Legends deal, like he can't go anymore. As a big fan, I believe he was right, that he could become a champion on any given night and that he goes still have it. This whole segment was great, and I loved how he finished it saying "He's shown everyone how to play the game". That was good.
Backstage: Johnny Ace, Otunga, Punk, Del Rio
Another great backstage segment. I like the way they are using Otunga's actual background here and propping him up as this legal council in the backstage area, it actually works. His jab at Punk was pretty good actually, and Punk responded even better with his "Premium or Unleaded" comment, and it was cool to see him just go ahead and beat the crap out of Otunga, only to be attacked by Del Rio. I like that they are putting some work into this match and really trying to build it up, it needs it after all the attention that was lost on the WWE title in the last two months. They are making it like these two really don't like each other, and this is going to make the match mean that much more.
Main Event: Awesome Truth vs John Cena and Zack Ryder
What else can anyone say but "This was a great tag team match". Ryder and Cena actually worked pretty well together, and Awesome Truth really gave them a good match as well with their own cohesion. I thought this match was all about Zack Ryder as it was taking place. The fans even chanting for him to be tagged in says as much. He got a lot of ring time and looked good all the way around. You got the feeling in parts that he could have beat Miz or Truth on his own in a one on one match which makes him look even better. Cena came with the usual, but in the heat of this story line it made for great action. This was one of those situations where it helped everyone involved look that much better in their roles. I liked the dirty finish with Truth holding down Cena's legs, that was pure heel genius and a great way to lead into next week. WWE delivered a great main event and all the credit goes to the men involved.
This Raw has me looking forward to next week, unlike some of the previous shows. Good job guys.
shitsngiggles
Pre-Show Stalwart
I can't remember the last time I turned off the "main event". Had no interest at all in seeing Cena and Nightrider vs pathetic lies.
Getting fed up with John laryngitis.
Santino again? Why?
JTG, thought he was let loose?
Kevin Nash was the best segment. CM Punk was good as always aswell.
Del Rio needs to turn face ASAP! He is not a heel! He looks like a comical guy and bet he could be a HUGE pull for WWE if they give him a CM Punk stroke Cena type character, or maybe even make him into a CM Alberto Con Helmsley Punk. Not saying use all the things that make Cena / CM and HHH good. But something along them lines.
He could be good on the mic if he was being more of himself, getting under heels skin etc.
Getting fed up with John laryngitis.
Santino again? Why?
JTG, thought he was let loose?
Kevin Nash was the best segment. CM Punk was good as always aswell.
Del Rio needs to turn face ASAP! He is not a heel! He looks like a comical guy and bet he could be a HUGE pull for WWE if they give him a CM Punk stroke Cena type character, or maybe even make him into a CM Alberto Con Helmsley Punk. Not saying use all the things that make Cena / CM and HHH good. But something along them lines.
He could be good on the mic if he was being more of himself, getting under heels skin etc.
Raw Hits:
Dolph Ziggler vs John Morrison: Ive always found it to be a good sign when announcers acknowledge a wrestler's losing streak, so it was nice to see them play it up with Morrison last night. It's a shame they didn't do so earlier in the three months, because the crowd was dead for what was a very good match. It's nice to see a midcard match get closen to 15 minutes on Raw, with the finish seeing Morrison reversing two rollup attempts by Ziggler into a crucifix leverage pin. I thought WWE missed the boat around Wrestlemania when Ziggler first came to Raw to have these two feud with each other, and I'd love to see these two in a ladder match at TLC in a No. 1 Contender's match of some kind, presuming Ziggler drops the US title, as I think he will at Survivor Series. A quality opening match between the two.
**3/4.
Kevin Nash Promo: This was the best Nash has looked or sounded since coming back to the WWE. Nash appears to have gotten himself in pretty good shape, and I imagine we'll be seeing him in the ring again fairly soon. It was nice to see Nash establish a reason for his bitterness due to being snubbed by HHH post-Royal Rumble, and Nash looked confident and comfortable on the mic. With HHH to be out for another four weeks, I question the timing, but there's always the chance HHH will return early and insist on a match with Nash at Survivor Series. Either way, Nash was very good here, as some of what he said was true, with the exaggerated swagger of a heel. Well done.
Alberto Del Rio/CM Punk: I do question having CM Punk calling Del Rio's mic skills into question, but the exchange between the two was very good. Punk did a nice job of establishing Del Rio as a talented competitor within the ring while pointing out the shortcuts he takes that are unneccessary. Punk did a nice job of putting over the WWE Championship and explaining how his actions from the previous week were similar to how Del Rio won his championships. Del Rio seemed just adequate here, but played his role of vulnerable heel chamion well. The backstage beatdown by Del Rio on Punk did a nice job of giving Del Rio his heat back.
Awesome Truth vs John Cena and Zach Ryder: First off, hats off to Lawler and Cole for making Miz and R-Truth seem like credible threats on commentary. I don't know if it's enough to undo the damage that's been done to them over the past two weeks, but the announcers did the hard sell throughout the match. Both teams demonstrated nice teamwork throughout the match, with the "experienced" team using the double team of Truth holding Cena's legs while Miz pinned him being a nice touch. Cena somewhat undermined this by laughing following the match, but the good here outweighed the bad and this was a quality TV main event. **1/4
Raw Misses:
Opening Segment: Shouldn't the Rock returning to team with Cena be a big deal? Cena only mentioned it in passing before moving on to Miz and R-Truth, which makes Rock's return to the ring continue to lack the impact that it should have after seven years. I like Cena putting over Ryder the way he did, but labeling him a future Hall of Famer? I expected Mick Foley to come out when I heard that! This set up the main event for the show, but did little to build towards the bigger match, the Survivor Series tag match. For example, what exactly is at stake other then pride? Almost the only thing that makes sense at this point is that Cena invited Rock to team with him as a set-up to turn on him prior to their Wrestlemania 28 match.
Alberto Del Rio vs Kofi Kingston: A bigger deal should be made out of any champion vs champion encounter, and Kofi lost too quickly for my liking. There's no shame in losing to the WWE champion, but as a champion in his own right, Kofi looked incredibly weak jobbing to Del Rio in under three minutes. It's apparent they're going to keep the titles on he and Bourne through Bourne's suspension, but that doesn't mean Kofi needs to be used simply as a jobber. The quality of the short match wasn't very good either, as Del Rio applied the cross-armbreaker very sloppily. 1/2*
Cole and Lawler: I honestly don't understand, between the two, whom the jokes appeal to other then possibly Vince McMahon. Whether it be Lawler on Vickie Guerrero or Cole on Jim Ross, it's tiring week in and out to see them completely ignoring a match in progress in order to crack jokes that appeal to only the lowest common deonominator. What's worse, it's very insulting to the wrestlers in the ring whose match is being ignored while they're trying to one-up each other with a constant barrage of one-liners. It's simply not funny.
Kelly Kelly maxim unveiling: Natalya and Beth were right: It takes alot more then a pretty face and perkiness to make a successful WWE Diva. This was a prime example as to why. Kelly illustrated once again how terrible she is on the mic, and her mannerisms and body language aren't much better. Eve seems in the background as the #1 Contender for the Divas title, and Im losing interest more and more in the Sisters of Salvation storyline by the week. They simply havent created a sympathetic enough babyface to fit with Natalya and Beth at this point.
Overall Show: As already stated, the opening segment did little to bolster the build towards Survivor Series. Mason Ryan and JTG was a throwaway that advanced nothing, as was Jack Swagger vs Santino. Eve vs Beth wasn't pushed whatsoever, and the build towards the Rock's return continues to be underwhelming. They should have hyped the heck out of Rock's return next week, but it was also barely a blip on the radar. Although it will probably work, it's not good business to simply count on Rock being there to sell Survivor Series. So far, they've done little more then that.
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
Pretty rough numbers for last night's Raw. The show drew a 2.88 rating, which makes the 3rd or 4th time this year Raw has drawn under a 3.0. The first hour drew only 4,172,000 viewers and the second hour dropped to an average of 3,858,000 for an overall average of 4,015,000 viewers.
Raw was still the #2 show on cable last night, but these aren't the sort of numbers WWE was hoping for. I'm sure the show will bounce back for next week's appearance by The Rock and last night's Raw was a taped show. Taped Raw episodes always do draw less than the live ones. This is about the 3rd Raw in a row where they've lost viewers in the second hour and, if I'm not mistaken, it's also the 3rd Raw in a row we've seen Cena in the main event. Cena's definitely overexposed and I'm wondering if fans are just getting tired of Cena being in the main event constantly.
Raw was still the #2 show on cable last night, but these aren't the sort of numbers WWE was hoping for. I'm sure the show will bounce back for next week's appearance by The Rock and last night's Raw was a taped show. Taped Raw episodes always do draw less than the live ones. This is about the 3rd Raw in a row where they've lost viewers in the second hour and, if I'm not mistaken, it's also the 3rd Raw in a row we've seen Cena in the main event. Cena's definitely overexposed and I'm wondering if fans are just getting tired of Cena being in the main event constantly.
The_Reptile_
Pre-Show Stalwart
Considering the fact that A. This RAW was taped, and B. Fans had absolutely nothing to expect for this RAW, the rating is unsurprising. You want people to watch your show, give them something to look forward to.
I thought Raw was awful. The only thing that was decent was the Ziggler vs Morrison match. And Nash cut his best promo since coming back to the WWE.
I didn't like the Punk/Del Rio segment. I hated Punk saying Del Rio was stale and talking about his promos.
R-Truth/The Miz vs John Cena and Zack Ryder... I know it's a little difficult building up their SS match when the Rock is never on Raw. I did find it comical how hard Cole and King were trying to make Truth and Miz look credible. And Cena laughing after losing didn't help them much. Ryder really doesn't belong in this match.
The diva segment was awful. I hope they never give Kelly a microphone again. Listening to her cut a promo made you cringe.
I didn't like the Punk/Del Rio segment. I hated Punk saying Del Rio was stale and talking about his promos.
R-Truth/The Miz vs John Cena and Zack Ryder... I know it's a little difficult building up their SS match when the Rock is never on Raw. I did find it comical how hard Cole and King were trying to make Truth and Miz look credible. And Cena laughing after losing didn't help them much. Ryder really doesn't belong in this match.
The diva segment was awful. I hope they never give Kelly a microphone again. Listening to her cut a promo made you cringe.
JWGunslinger
Warrior Forever
Gotta say I was pretty dissapointed with last night's episode of Raw, there were a few bright moments but for the most part I was not impressed. The first thing that irked me a little was the opening segment with Cena, he barely mentioned The Rock and their match against Awesome Truth at Survivor Series. On top of that he did the intro for Ryder as a Future WWE Hall Of Famer, I don't hate Ryder and I know the company is trying to give him a push with all his popularity, but I think that was pushing it.
Aside from that my only complaint is that aside from Nash's promo and Punk & Del Rio's interaction the rest of the show was very bland and uninteresting.
Now the positives, Nash delivered an excellent promo that really helped solidify his feud with HHH. Also Nash looked like he's in great shape and I hope it shows when he and Trips face off. In the other high point of the show Punk verbally raped Del Rio, I know that his bringing up Alberto's mic skills was questionable but I think that it was brilliant and it worked out well. Really got me even more excited for their upcoming match at Survivor Series.
Overall not the best Raw but the high points of the night were very enjoyable.
Aside from that my only complaint is that aside from Nash's promo and Punk & Del Rio's interaction the rest of the show was very bland and uninteresting.
Now the positives, Nash delivered an excellent promo that really helped solidify his feud with HHH. Also Nash looked like he's in great shape and I hope it shows when he and Trips face off. In the other high point of the show Punk verbally raped Del Rio, I know that his bringing up Alberto's mic skills was questionable but I think that it was brilliant and it worked out well. Really got me even more excited for their upcoming match at Survivor Series.
Overall not the best Raw but the high points of the night were very enjoyable.
TWJC: The Beginning
Royal Rumble Winner
RAW WAS TERRIBLE
First, instead of Cena hyping the rock (who yea, doesn't need any hype, but still, talk about one of my favorites instead of putting over what you're gonig to do that night) talks about Miz and Truth and Ryder, who cares if they're at the show.
JoMo vs Ziggler, loved the match, but why have a fast paced match to open the show? You don't want a "bang bang" style match to get the fans immediately into it. Plus you need to show JoMo's FLIPZ respect and have him later in the show. Not early when a lot of people are just tuning in and it could catch their eye.
Mason Ryan vs JTG, WHY would they job a guy like JTG who does a lot of moves but isn't over to a huge muscular guy who has gotten over decently and is a perfect "formula" guy?
ADR vs Kingston, stupid ADR, I liked him more before he was pushed. I mean, he carries his character well and does the most with what he's given, but he's boring now because he's been pushed. Only CM Punk could save it.
THANK GOD FOR CM PUNK. He's the best WRESTLER (I say WRESTLER) ever, he's even better than all the greats of the past like Rock, Austin, HHH, and Undertaker (these are the only guys I know, I have no memory of guys before that era).
Swagger vs Santino, why is Santino even on my screen? Wrestling is SERIOUS business, comedy wrestlers have no place and are just a new thing to please the kids. At least Swagger won though, although I wish they would just fire Santino. Anyone who isn't a badass trying to become world champion is worthless. Wrestling is a sport, not an entertainment show with a mix of emotions.
Divas Segment (this is the only point where I'm straying from sarcasm and this is actually my opinion, not satire). It really honest to god makes me sick. KK isn't hot. she has no tits, no ass, shapeless legs, hair extensions, and a lot of make up. She isn't athletic. She has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Beth SHOULD be the example that you don't have to be a barbie to get over (in life in general). Instead WWE basically rubs it in your face that you do. I get the business side of it, trust me, however, I think this is bad business. Beth and Nataly aren't unattractive, I'd bang either of them before KK (seriously, they aren't actually that big if you see them in person, just look big because of how the WWE makes them look).
back to satire of your awful opinions that lack logic or any thought deeper than "wah wah I want I want"
Nash promo was awful, better than he has been, but he's old and sucks.
Backstage with Punk/Ace, even though this feud isn't all that much different than ADR/Cena in terms of it being pretty much classic good guy vs bad guy, it has CM Punk in it and because I'm an internet guy and a Punk mark, I like it more despite how much ADR sucks.
Awesome Truth vs Cena/Ryder, despite the fact that this was a really good tag match and the fact that it's a great way to build Cena/Rock vs Awesome Truth (showing that AT are very good) and despite it's ALSO a great way to give Ryder the rub. I fucking hated it. Stupid Cena. I don't care how over he is, the drop in ratings (despite every other more relevant fucking metric disagreeing) clearly shows he's not popular at all and needs to retire or turn heel.
First, instead of Cena hyping the rock (who yea, doesn't need any hype, but still, talk about one of my favorites instead of putting over what you're gonig to do that night) talks about Miz and Truth and Ryder, who cares if they're at the show.
JoMo vs Ziggler, loved the match, but why have a fast paced match to open the show? You don't want a "bang bang" style match to get the fans immediately into it. Plus you need to show JoMo's FLIPZ respect and have him later in the show. Not early when a lot of people are just tuning in and it could catch their eye.
Mason Ryan vs JTG, WHY would they job a guy like JTG who does a lot of moves but isn't over to a huge muscular guy who has gotten over decently and is a perfect "formula" guy?
ADR vs Kingston, stupid ADR, I liked him more before he was pushed. I mean, he carries his character well and does the most with what he's given, but he's boring now because he's been pushed. Only CM Punk could save it.
THANK GOD FOR CM PUNK. He's the best WRESTLER (I say WRESTLER) ever, he's even better than all the greats of the past like Rock, Austin, HHH, and Undertaker (these are the only guys I know, I have no memory of guys before that era).
Swagger vs Santino, why is Santino even on my screen? Wrestling is SERIOUS business, comedy wrestlers have no place and are just a new thing to please the kids. At least Swagger won though, although I wish they would just fire Santino. Anyone who isn't a badass trying to become world champion is worthless. Wrestling is a sport, not an entertainment show with a mix of emotions.
Divas Segment (this is the only point where I'm straying from sarcasm and this is actually my opinion, not satire). It really honest to god makes me sick. KK isn't hot. she has no tits, no ass, shapeless legs, hair extensions, and a lot of make up. She isn't athletic. She has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Beth SHOULD be the example that you don't have to be a barbie to get over (in life in general). Instead WWE basically rubs it in your face that you do. I get the business side of it, trust me, however, I think this is bad business. Beth and Nataly aren't unattractive, I'd bang either of them before KK (seriously, they aren't actually that big if you see them in person, just look big because of how the WWE makes them look).
back to satire of your awful opinions that lack logic or any thought deeper than "wah wah I want I want"
Nash promo was awful, better than he has been, but he's old and sucks.
Backstage with Punk/Ace, even though this feud isn't all that much different than ADR/Cena in terms of it being pretty much classic good guy vs bad guy, it has CM Punk in it and because I'm an internet guy and a Punk mark, I like it more despite how much ADR sucks.
Awesome Truth vs Cena/Ryder, despite the fact that this was a really good tag match and the fact that it's a great way to build Cena/Rock vs Awesome Truth (showing that AT are very good) and despite it's ALSO a great way to give Ryder the rub. I fucking hated it. Stupid Cena. I don't care how over he is, the drop in ratings (despite every other more relevant fucking metric disagreeing) clearly shows he's not popular at all and needs to retire or turn heel.
Actually it started with Punk vs Del Rio which turned into Punk vs Miz and R-Truth main event. That Raw main event was the lowest rated part of that weeks show. Thats why I figured they were putting Cena in the main event the last couple of weeks.
TWJC: The Beginning
Royal Rumble Winner
So Raw was number 2. the numbers don't matter. I mean, you may as well say "did you know that when we pass out cards and use the whole deck, if there are 10 people instead of 5 we all get fewer cards" because that's about how much sense it makes. Not only that but it could be statistically insignificant if it's not more than 1 standard deviation from the mean, could just be random fluctuation. Fact is, Raw is still, year round, top 3 on cable and they do it every week, producing original programming.
Not only all that, but do you know what would help Raw's ratings? If they got rid of the ring and hired a bunch of italians to live in a house and show tits and fight and be crude. Kinda funny considering the closest thing the WWE has ever been to Jersey Shore was the Attitude Era, which some of you actually do want.
ratings rant out of the way. Although I REALLY would like to know why you guys think using this somewhat outdated metric is relevant. I would also like to know why you care so much. Jersey Shore gets high ratings, so logically, trash TV type shows would also get high ratings. Is that what you want WWE to do?
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
WWE Friday Night SmackDown - November 11, 2011
Opening Segment - Pretty basic but overall solid segment that did a nice job of setting up the main event of tonight's show and drawing attention to the traditional elimination tag match for Survivor Series. Orton is decent on the mic but is so much better when he's a heel. Still, he had the Liverpool crowd eating out the palm of his hand. Wade Barrett did a solid job on the mic and put himself over. He recieved a mixed reaction, which is expected as Manchester's just about 30 miles or so down the road. Christian came out and did his thing for a bit and got some good heat. They attacked Orton but Sheamus comes to make the save. Teddy Long comes out and makes a couple of matches. Sheamus vs. Christian up next and Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett for the main event. A pretty standard formula for an opening segment, but it continuously works. Thumbs Up
1. Sheamus vs. Christian - Damn good match to open things with. They've always had good matches together but this was one of the better ones. As with so many opponents, Christian has great chemistry with Sheamus and both wrestlers got in a lot of offense. There was some good back and forth action and a couple of believable near falls here and there, especially when Christian hit the tornado DDT. The end comes when Sheamus is finally able to land the Celtic Cross on Christian for the clean win just a little past the 14 minute mark. Personally, I would have preferred Christian win this one, but he still looked like a million bucks. ***1/4
Mark Henry & Daniel Bryan - Good verbal backstage segment between these two. Henry continues to be impressive in promos and Bryan did a good job here as well. He showed some real fire and got right back in Henry's face. Henry acknowledging Bryan's courage worked as I have an idea where they're ultimately going with this, or at least I think I know. Henry's comment about spilling Bryan's guts all over the ring was a nice way to close it out. Thumbs Up
Ezekiel Jackson video package & Teddy Long and Aksana - I can't say that either of these did anything for me. Big Zeke isn't even on the radar anymore and I think the novelty of his impressive build & strength have worn off. I also think WWE could have made a star out of Jackson by having him feud with The Big Show and if they'd made The Corre a big deal. The Long/Aksana segment wasn't really bad but it certainly wasn't good. It was a waste of time though because, let's face it, nobody wants to see an old goat like Teddy Long being hit on by this ravishing Russian chick. Thumbs Down
2. Ted DiBiase vs. Jinder Mahal - A total 60 second squash match. Definitely a short match, but DiBiase did look good out there. Him actually smiling and showing some enthusiasm to be out there is a nice change from the...well the completely dull, one dimensional heel he's always been. Hey, it's a start at least. DiBiase gets the win after hitting Dream Street. 3/4*
3. Mark Henry vs. Daniel Bryan - Much like last week, this match told a really good story and I'm really digging where this looks to be going. Mark Henry looked like a friggin' beast out there and Bryan came across as a scrappy, never give up, never say die babyface. Bryan got in a flurry of offense that the crowd popped for and actually managed to lock Henry in the LaBell Lock before Henry muscled his way out of it. Henry commenced to beating on Bryan for a bit with Bryan egging Henry on, telling him to bring it on. Henry eventually hits the World's Strongest Slam for the win at the 5.5 minute mark. Henry continues to work Bryan over for a bit, even going out to get a chair. Bryan kicks him in the leg and nails him with a solid shot across the back with a chair. Henry no sells it and hits Bryan with a couple of World's Strongest Slams. Big Show then comes out post match and distracts Henry so the refs can finally help Bryan out of the ring. Show punches the chair away and Henry walks out of the ring. **1/2
4. Big Show vs. 3 Jobbers - We've seen these sort of matches before where Big Show decimates jobbers. He looked dominant here and that was the purpose. He hit a few chops, tossed a few guys around, hit a double chokeslam and then hit WMD on the last guy for the win. They made Show look like a rampaging beast that can't be stopped. This is what TNA should've done with Crimson in his match with The Pope last night. 3/4*
Mark Henry Promo - Henry delivers another great promo after Show's match is over. Again, Henry is able to make you buy into everything that he says. He comes across like this unstoppable force that has the upmost confidence in his abilities. He hyped himself by telling show that he wasn't impressed because those 3 guys aren't him. Reminding Show that he put him on the shelf for 4 months was a nice touch because it keeps people from forgetting just how dominant he's been for the last 6 months. Mark Henry is gold, that's just all there is. WWE needs to keep the strap on him at least until WrestleMania. He's just too damn good to take it off now or anytime in the forseeable future. Thumbs Up
5. Alicia Fox vs. Tamina - I took a pee break and then grabbed myself a Pepsi. The match was over by the time I got back, so I missed nothing. N/A
6. The Usos vs. Hunico & Epico - A short, but solid 3 minute tag match. Hunico & Epico are accompanied out by Primo and it looks like they're forming a faction. On the surface, it might look like a rip off of Mexican America. But, at least these 3 guys can actually wrestle well. While short, the match did pack on a lot of action and I also like that the trio didn't come out acting like or talking like your stereotypical Latino thug. Hunico gets the win for his team after hitting a sweet looking Swanton Bomb off the top. Afterward, the three guys beat on the Usos some more. Epico hits a Codebreaker on one of the Usos, who falls back against Primo, who delivers a Backstabber and Hunico finishes with another Swanton. Decent match while it lasted and this could be interesting, depending upon whatever kind of story is behind these three guys forming an alliance. **
7. Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett - Very good, physical match from Orton & Barrett. The WWE is really getting back on track with Barrett as he looked like a star in there against Orton. Good back and forth match with both wrestlers getting in a lot of offense. Barrett's overall style reminds me of Sheamus' physical, stiff looking style. It works for him because it's believable. Orton hit a nice looking Superplex at one point in the match and Barrett showed good resolve by kicking out. The ending was a very pleasant surprise. After Orton hits his DDT, he goes for the RKO but Barrett pushes him off. Orton almost runs into the ref but stops just in time. While the ref cringes and stumbles out of the way, Barrett punches Orton in the eye and rolls him up in a school boy for the win a little past the 13 minute mark. Booker & Josh Matthews are screaming that it was a "thumb to the eye" even though it looked just like a punch. I didn't see Barrett going over Orton tonight but I'm glad it happened because it didn't hurt Orton in the least and it's the second straight week that Barrett has pinned, almost 100% clean I might add, a former World Champion. ***1/4
Overall Show - Once again, SmackDown! delivered a very entertaining two hours that just seemed to fly by. The opening promo was basic, but solid. It's a formula that consistently works in wrestling, so that's why they use it so often. The opening match of Sheamus vs. Christian was another great match in their series. It looks like the WWE could be planting the seeds for Henry vs. Bryan at WM. They had a really nice promo segment backstage and both did a good job. Their match also told a good story out there and even though Bryan looks like he's getting his ass kicked, he's still gaining ground while getting his ass kicked. Henry looks like this dominant force and even a bully while Bryan as this scrappy babyface with more guts than brains. It makes Bryan a very sympathetic guy that fans can rally behind and it makes them want to see Mark Henry lose even more. To me, it looks as though they're going for a real David vs. Goliath situation. If this is indeed the way they go, I look for the WWE to start really building Bryan up soon and do a storyline in which Bryan realizes that he has to really kick it up several notches if he wants to challenge Henry and walk out with the strap. Big Show looked dominant against the guys he destroyed in the ring and Henry delivered another solid gold promo after Show's match. I can't really say enough about Henry. The man's just been friggin' awesome over the last 6 months. A complete turnaround from the guy he's been his entire career. The tag match was fun while it lasted and the trio of Hunico, Epico & Primo could be interesting. I just hope they don't do something as tired and dated as a stereotypical hispanic thug faction. The show closed with a great match from Orton & Barrett. Barrett looked really good out there and I was pleasantly surprised to see him go over Orton. Just about everything on the show tonight had a purpose except for the Diva match and the latest Teddy Long/Aksana segment.
Grade: A-
Opening Segment - Pretty basic but overall solid segment that did a nice job of setting up the main event of tonight's show and drawing attention to the traditional elimination tag match for Survivor Series. Orton is decent on the mic but is so much better when he's a heel. Still, he had the Liverpool crowd eating out the palm of his hand. Wade Barrett did a solid job on the mic and put himself over. He recieved a mixed reaction, which is expected as Manchester's just about 30 miles or so down the road. Christian came out and did his thing for a bit and got some good heat. They attacked Orton but Sheamus comes to make the save. Teddy Long comes out and makes a couple of matches. Sheamus vs. Christian up next and Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett for the main event. A pretty standard formula for an opening segment, but it continuously works. Thumbs Up
1. Sheamus vs. Christian - Damn good match to open things with. They've always had good matches together but this was one of the better ones. As with so many opponents, Christian has great chemistry with Sheamus and both wrestlers got in a lot of offense. There was some good back and forth action and a couple of believable near falls here and there, especially when Christian hit the tornado DDT. The end comes when Sheamus is finally able to land the Celtic Cross on Christian for the clean win just a little past the 14 minute mark. Personally, I would have preferred Christian win this one, but he still looked like a million bucks. ***1/4
Mark Henry & Daniel Bryan - Good verbal backstage segment between these two. Henry continues to be impressive in promos and Bryan did a good job here as well. He showed some real fire and got right back in Henry's face. Henry acknowledging Bryan's courage worked as I have an idea where they're ultimately going with this, or at least I think I know. Henry's comment about spilling Bryan's guts all over the ring was a nice way to close it out. Thumbs Up
Ezekiel Jackson video package & Teddy Long and Aksana - I can't say that either of these did anything for me. Big Zeke isn't even on the radar anymore and I think the novelty of his impressive build & strength have worn off. I also think WWE could have made a star out of Jackson by having him feud with The Big Show and if they'd made The Corre a big deal. The Long/Aksana segment wasn't really bad but it certainly wasn't good. It was a waste of time though because, let's face it, nobody wants to see an old goat like Teddy Long being hit on by this ravishing Russian chick. Thumbs Down
2. Ted DiBiase vs. Jinder Mahal - A total 60 second squash match. Definitely a short match, but DiBiase did look good out there. Him actually smiling and showing some enthusiasm to be out there is a nice change from the...well the completely dull, one dimensional heel he's always been. Hey, it's a start at least. DiBiase gets the win after hitting Dream Street. 3/4*
3. Mark Henry vs. Daniel Bryan - Much like last week, this match told a really good story and I'm really digging where this looks to be going. Mark Henry looked like a friggin' beast out there and Bryan came across as a scrappy, never give up, never say die babyface. Bryan got in a flurry of offense that the crowd popped for and actually managed to lock Henry in the LaBell Lock before Henry muscled his way out of it. Henry commenced to beating on Bryan for a bit with Bryan egging Henry on, telling him to bring it on. Henry eventually hits the World's Strongest Slam for the win at the 5.5 minute mark. Henry continues to work Bryan over for a bit, even going out to get a chair. Bryan kicks him in the leg and nails him with a solid shot across the back with a chair. Henry no sells it and hits Bryan with a couple of World's Strongest Slams. Big Show then comes out post match and distracts Henry so the refs can finally help Bryan out of the ring. Show punches the chair away and Henry walks out of the ring. **1/2
4. Big Show vs. 3 Jobbers - We've seen these sort of matches before where Big Show decimates jobbers. He looked dominant here and that was the purpose. He hit a few chops, tossed a few guys around, hit a double chokeslam and then hit WMD on the last guy for the win. They made Show look like a rampaging beast that can't be stopped. This is what TNA should've done with Crimson in his match with The Pope last night. 3/4*
Mark Henry Promo - Henry delivers another great promo after Show's match is over. Again, Henry is able to make you buy into everything that he says. He comes across like this unstoppable force that has the upmost confidence in his abilities. He hyped himself by telling show that he wasn't impressed because those 3 guys aren't him. Reminding Show that he put him on the shelf for 4 months was a nice touch because it keeps people from forgetting just how dominant he's been for the last 6 months. Mark Henry is gold, that's just all there is. WWE needs to keep the strap on him at least until WrestleMania. He's just too damn good to take it off now or anytime in the forseeable future. Thumbs Up
5. Alicia Fox vs. Tamina - I took a pee break and then grabbed myself a Pepsi. The match was over by the time I got back, so I missed nothing. N/A
6. The Usos vs. Hunico & Epico - A short, but solid 3 minute tag match. Hunico & Epico are accompanied out by Primo and it looks like they're forming a faction. On the surface, it might look like a rip off of Mexican America. But, at least these 3 guys can actually wrestle well. While short, the match did pack on a lot of action and I also like that the trio didn't come out acting like or talking like your stereotypical Latino thug. Hunico gets the win for his team after hitting a sweet looking Swanton Bomb off the top. Afterward, the three guys beat on the Usos some more. Epico hits a Codebreaker on one of the Usos, who falls back against Primo, who delivers a Backstabber and Hunico finishes with another Swanton. Decent match while it lasted and this could be interesting, depending upon whatever kind of story is behind these three guys forming an alliance. **
7. Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett - Very good, physical match from Orton & Barrett. The WWE is really getting back on track with Barrett as he looked like a star in there against Orton. Good back and forth match with both wrestlers getting in a lot of offense. Barrett's overall style reminds me of Sheamus' physical, stiff looking style. It works for him because it's believable. Orton hit a nice looking Superplex at one point in the match and Barrett showed good resolve by kicking out. The ending was a very pleasant surprise. After Orton hits his DDT, he goes for the RKO but Barrett pushes him off. Orton almost runs into the ref but stops just in time. While the ref cringes and stumbles out of the way, Barrett punches Orton in the eye and rolls him up in a school boy for the win a little past the 13 minute mark. Booker & Josh Matthews are screaming that it was a "thumb to the eye" even though it looked just like a punch. I didn't see Barrett going over Orton tonight but I'm glad it happened because it didn't hurt Orton in the least and it's the second straight week that Barrett has pinned, almost 100% clean I might add, a former World Champion. ***1/4
Overall Show - Once again, SmackDown! delivered a very entertaining two hours that just seemed to fly by. The opening promo was basic, but solid. It's a formula that consistently works in wrestling, so that's why they use it so often. The opening match of Sheamus vs. Christian was another great match in their series. It looks like the WWE could be planting the seeds for Henry vs. Bryan at WM. They had a really nice promo segment backstage and both did a good job. Their match also told a good story out there and even though Bryan looks like he's getting his ass kicked, he's still gaining ground while getting his ass kicked. Henry looks like this dominant force and even a bully while Bryan as this scrappy babyface with more guts than brains. It makes Bryan a very sympathetic guy that fans can rally behind and it makes them want to see Mark Henry lose even more. To me, it looks as though they're going for a real David vs. Goliath situation. If this is indeed the way they go, I look for the WWE to start really building Bryan up soon and do a storyline in which Bryan realizes that he has to really kick it up several notches if he wants to challenge Henry and walk out with the strap. Big Show looked dominant against the guys he destroyed in the ring and Henry delivered another solid gold promo after Show's match. I can't really say enough about Henry. The man's just been friggin' awesome over the last 6 months. A complete turnaround from the guy he's been his entire career. The tag match was fun while it lasted and the trio of Hunico, Epico & Primo could be interesting. I just hope they don't do something as tired and dated as a stereotypical hispanic thug faction. The show closed with a great match from Orton & Barrett. Barrett looked really good out there and I was pleasantly surprised to see him go over Orton. Just about everything on the show tonight had a purpose except for the Diva match and the latest Teddy Long/Aksana segment.
Grade: A-
Great SmackDown this week.
The opening segment hyped the SS match well and gave Barrett a chance to display his mic skills.
The Christian-Sheamus match was good as usual but it is kind of getting pointless to have Sheamus beat Christian every time.
The backstage promo involving Teddy Long, a ref and Aksana was fairly pointless.
Ted Dibiase-Jinder Mahal match was basically just a squash. Sad to see that Mahal who was winning squash matches about a month ago is now losing them.
WWE is finally giving Bryan some time with the big guys and it was nice to see Bryan standing up to Henry in their match. Big Show destroying the three jobbers was meant to show him as a dominant force and it does just that. It is hard to believe that Henry-Show is currently one of the most interesting feuds in the WWE.
Hunico/Epico/Primo vs. Usos was a short match and should be interesting to see what they do with the Mexus(credit to Theo for the name).
As for the main event, it is good to see the Barrett Barrage continue. Barrett was impressive and showed that he can hang in with the main-eventers. The match was good and hyped the traditional SS match well.
Overall, SmackDown has, for past few weeks, been much better than RAW. One of the reasons is that Cole-Booker have much better chemistry than Cole-Lawler.
The opening segment hyped the SS match well and gave Barrett a chance to display his mic skills.
The Christian-Sheamus match was good as usual but it is kind of getting pointless to have Sheamus beat Christian every time.
The backstage promo involving Teddy Long, a ref and Aksana was fairly pointless.
Ted Dibiase-Jinder Mahal match was basically just a squash. Sad to see that Mahal who was winning squash matches about a month ago is now losing them.
WWE is finally giving Bryan some time with the big guys and it was nice to see Bryan standing up to Henry in their match. Big Show destroying the three jobbers was meant to show him as a dominant force and it does just that. It is hard to believe that Henry-Show is currently one of the most interesting feuds in the WWE.
Hunico/Epico/Primo vs. Usos was a short match and should be interesting to see what they do with the Mexus(credit to Theo for the name).
As for the main event, it is good to see the Barrett Barrage continue. Barrett was impressive and showed that he can hang in with the main-eventers. The match was good and hyped the traditional SS match well.
Overall, SmackDown has, for past few weeks, been much better than RAW. One of the reasons is that Cole-Booker have much better chemistry than Cole-Lawler.
JWGunslinger
Warrior Forever
Great Smackdown this week, finally got a chance to watch it on the DVR and man I was not let down.
Good opening segment with Barrett and Orton, I really love seeing Wade get pushed like he is because he showed both on the mic in the beginning and in his match with Randy in the main event that he is very worthy of hanging around that spot.
Christian and Sheamus had yet another awesome match, really great back and forth with a good ending, great match overall. I swear this really has been the best year of Christian's career, just about every match he has had was awesome, especially with Orton and Sheamus.
I'm glad that Jinder Mahal got beat, I thought he had potential when I saw him in FCW before he was brought to the WWE. But ever since his debut I've been so bored and tired of him I can't wait until he's released.
Mark Henry raped Daniel Bryan, not surprised but I am happy that Bryan is finally doing something. I did enjoy their backstage confrontation though, both guys had good bits there.
I loved the match with Hunico, Epico and Primo vs The Usos. I really like the Usos and I think that they're getting better every time we see them and the crowd seems to warm up to them more and more as well. But that match was all about the new force that is the team of Hunico, Epico and Primo. I had a feeling that Primo would get involved in his cousin's new stint in the WWE and sure enough he was there to support and help out his buddies. I really like these guys, they've got a lot of potential and their work in the ring was beautiful.
Loved Smackdown this week, once again it blew away Raw in promos and matches.
Good opening segment with Barrett and Orton, I really love seeing Wade get pushed like he is because he showed both on the mic in the beginning and in his match with Randy in the main event that he is very worthy of hanging around that spot.
Christian and Sheamus had yet another awesome match, really great back and forth with a good ending, great match overall. I swear this really has been the best year of Christian's career, just about every match he has had was awesome, especially with Orton and Sheamus.
I'm glad that Jinder Mahal got beat, I thought he had potential when I saw him in FCW before he was brought to the WWE. But ever since his debut I've been so bored and tired of him I can't wait until he's released.
Mark Henry raped Daniel Bryan, not surprised but I am happy that Bryan is finally doing something. I did enjoy their backstage confrontation though, both guys had good bits there.
I loved the match with Hunico, Epico and Primo vs The Usos. I really like the Usos and I think that they're getting better every time we see them and the crowd seems to warm up to them more and more as well. But that match was all about the new force that is the team of Hunico, Epico and Primo. I had a feeling that Primo would get involved in his cousin's new stint in the WWE and sure enough he was there to support and help out his buddies. I really like these guys, they've got a lot of potential and their work in the ring was beautiful.
Loved Smackdown this week, once again it blew away Raw in promos and matches.
Cracka Jack
\_0]
Pretty good episode of Smackdown this week. Orton/Barrett should be a great feud, if we get one, and they'll improve their matches more from here on out. Sheamus/Christian was very good, but I wonder how much longer these two will be feuding. It feels like Sheamus is close to getting involved in the World Title picture again. The Hunico/Epico/Primo stable could be interesting depending on what they do with them. I guess Jinder's officially nobody now. Teddy Long and Aksana continue to waste TV time.
The highlight of the night was easily the interaction between Henry and Bryan. I think Jack-Hammer's got the right idea here, and I hope he's right. This seems to be setting up a Mania match between the two. The Monster vs. the Underdog story always has an appeal, especially with these two guys. Henry's looking like an unstoppable beast right now, and if Bryan can be built up to taking the title off of him and going over clean, especially at Mania, he'll be over like crazy. If that's the plan, hopefully they stick to it.
The highlight of the night was easily the interaction between Henry and Bryan. I think Jack-Hammer's got the right idea here, and I hope he's right. This seems to be setting up a Mania match between the two. The Monster vs. the Underdog story always has an appeal, especially with these two guys. Henry's looking like an unstoppable beast right now, and if Bryan can be built up to taking the title off of him and going over clean, especially at Mania, he'll be over like crazy. If that's the plan, hopefully they stick to it.