Official Raw/Smackdown Aftermath, Ratings and Review Thread

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Isn't that the main difference between Cena then and now... I refuse to say that ******ed name, I never did then and I never will ever. I find it insulting but that's besides the point. Of course cena came off more confident with the rap edge than now, I think his humility/ doing the good thing and whole marine thing is the main difference. I find the transition amazing, the guy who's stick was reducing women to sex and making pretty much the same jokes as the Rock is all of the sudden more talented because he cut out the edgy possible heelish side of him and made him a straight baby face, I hate to say it, but before families.

I don't think people think Cena is more talented at all. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find ANYONE, mark, smark, me, you, someone else, who thinks that Cena is better than Rock.

What people who side with Cena think, and maybe I'm just speaking for myself, is that I relate to Cena more. Rock doesn't amuse me. I work at the mall. I see 25 year old douchebags hitting on jailbait calling up their "bros" talking about "smashing pussy" and "balling after work". To a 16 year old, this guy who is still partying every night, drives a mustang (lives in an apartment), and wears an affliction shirt, is a pretty cool guy. To me, he's a douche.

Here's my opinion of it, in a nutshell. I don't care who anyone thinks is more talented, I think this feud is beyond that. I think now it's who you relate to. Whether it's the character, or how you percieve the real life person (through the character).

The way I personally see it is like this:
Rock is like the "cool dad" who is divorced, still goes to concerts, takes you to Go Kart tracks when he's around, but often doesn't show up to your baseball games unless it fits his schedule.

Cena is like the "uncool dad" who is kinda dorky, kinda embarrasses you sometimes, makes sure you study, doesn't let you go out much. However, he's always there for you and when some guy talks bad about your mom, he knocks them the fuck out.

It sort of matches my theory on the age and mental state of their fans. Small children love their parents. Teens and young adults really don't. White trash people pretty much always stay in that teen/young adult stage and don't accept responsibility. Older people appreciate people who do. So what you have is that the kids and more mature audience over 25 appreciate Cena. Teens and immature adults love Rock.

Then again, this could all be a self-fullfillment type of thing because of my bias towards white trash and how I haven't been amused by Rock or that kind of humor in a long time.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Last night's Raw was pretty good overall, in my view, due to WWE stepping up the intensity of their main feuds. I was disappointed in the lack of quality wrestling action, but there's less than 2 weeks until WrestleMania so I'm not surprised that last night was promo heavy. It makes sense in the long run as this is the biggest ppv of the year.

The feud between Punk & Jericho feels quite personal now and that's a good thing. Pride in being "the best in the world" is good and all, but standing up for your family, especially those who've had a hard go in life, is something every fan can buy into and get behind. I know some are uncomfortable with this but, again, I don't see anything any more offensive than what Punk was doing with Hardy a few years back. That's the thing about controversy: it's kind of supposed to make you uncomfortable.

HBK, Triple H & Taker had another good in-ring segment and I'm digging the different approaches to this. HBK's character feels like he's back in the spotlight, the center of attention and is enjoying it. Triple H keeps coming off as the prideful alpha male that sees that he still has something to prove to HBK, to fans and to Taker that he's "better" than Michaels and will prove it if he ends The Streak. Taker is more subtle in this role than I've seen from him in a long while. Much of his attention was focused on HBK and how he was going to officiate the match instead of the challenge that Hunter presents to him. It makes it seem as though he's playing mind games with both of them, thereby setting them against each other if there is some sort of plan between them in the works. Trips saying that Taker's attention should be on him rather than HBK gives me the impression that Taker's confidence, while subtle, is supremely high, like he knows he can beat Trips if HBK is impartial and his impartiality is his main concern. That irks Triple H and Taker's final parting words about confirming that HBK was better than Trips really got under Hunter's skin, which was only made worse by that little smile HBK had. Again, more great storytelling.

The Cena vs. Rock feud wasn't so in your face tonight as it had been, which I think is a good thing as it gives everyone a little chance to breathe and sets up what will probably be their most heated confrontation yet on the go home Raw for 'Mania.

While none of the matches were really great, they did at least tell stories and served purposes. Kane's quick win over Show and Show's subsequent beat down via Cody Rhodes was a nice touch and adds another personal touch to their match.

Daniel Bryan looked good against Zack Ryder and got a nice solid win over him. Even though Ryder isn't as hot now as he was a while back, he's still over and Bryan got a decisive victory. Sheamus vs. Miz was kinda more of the same as we've seen with them a few times.

Kofi & R-Truth vs. Ziggler & Swagger was fun while it lasted and continued the hype between the GMs, which continues to get good responses from crowds on SD! and Raw.

Cena vs. Henry was ok and I'm glad to see that they didn't make Henry look like a chump. I do wish they'd have had the match be a bit more even as Cena didn't get in all that much offense but managed to get the win. The Rock coming in and hitting a great looking Rock Bottom on a weakened Mark Henry sent the message that made Rock sort of look like he was taking the low road. If he'd have done it to Henry while Henry was fresh, it would have sent more of a badass message.

All in all, more really good hype for WM. I give last night's show a B.

 

[HoHo]

Where to start with Raw, ah..loved the segment with Jericho and Punk.What I would do, is have Punk will his fake Sister, and Father, drinking scotch, telling Punk join us..Man I need to get hired for WWE creative them, better than Russo! Do it WWE, Punk's Sister smoking a Cigar,lol.Show vs Kane was meh, until Cody rough up Show, damn did you see his red face, Cody took a shot, a little too hard. The New Masterpiece aka David Otunga beat up Santino, whoopie...but it's good to see mid-cards coming together for a feud worth something.Rock's segment, telling he's going to put a Cheesesteak with..with up Cena's ass hilarious.I work in PA, wished they went to other places in Phila, PATSSSSS!!! GENOSSSSSS!!!! Bryan vs Ryder was ok AJ needs to get a little Vickie in her, help Bryan win in there, don't stand there and look hot all the time.My Dad thought she was 18, I said she is like in her early 20's.I told my Mom, I'm bringing her home, how about it.She said she better eat my Rice,lol.That girl is too nice, can't wait to see her wrestle, and not as Bryan's valet.I need choked to death again, as I heard the commentators so excited seeing Cena AA Henry, he's done it before, as well as Show.HBK/Taker/Triple H segment was good, chuckled, with HBK's Face as Taker said he's better than the Game.That will make him prove Taker wrong, blah...blah.Overall segments are solid, matches was not as good, 7 out of 10!

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

sticking a cheesesteak up Cena's ass is hilarious? really? Seemed fuckin stupid to me. "If I don't intimidate you, I'm going to go to a restaurant, order a huge sandwich you guys are known for, and ball it up, then turn that spherical ball sideways somehow, and cram it up your rectum". How does that make you laugh? that's essentially what he's saying. It's stupid. It's stupid, because constantly saying "you're dumb, so I'm going to stick things up your butt" makes you look like the dumbass.

Back to raw, I enjoyed it. Love the Punk/Jericho stuff. Punk did a LOT of callbacks to his famous "THIS IS STRAIGHTEDGE" promo.

Show/Kane was just an angle to make Kane look strong and to get more heat on Rhodes, did both fairly well.

Otunga vs Santino furthers the feud and proves how over Santino is. Jesus man he gets a reaction. That's the bottom line, doesn't matter if you do it with a sock on your hand, saying you'll shove things up guys' asses, or flipping people off.

Already commented on the Rock's promo. Seemed dumb. "Dreamed of being the greatest of all time" yea, football player. Rock comes across as incredibly phoney, baffles me that of all the arguments against Cena, that's the one Rock fans take a lot. Loved the crowd shot of the one guy laughing at "my 12 year old balls rolled out of the short shorts" or whatever he said and then on the left there is a guy rolling his eyes like "yea dude, we get it, pebbles, stones, etc, haha".


Daniel Bryan's heelwork is outstanding. Plus he's awesome in the ring. Ryder is a fantastic character worker. This was fun.

A lot more of a split reaction for Cena. I figured being Philly, it'd be all boos. Even though Cena is obviously huge, he makes Henry look like a million bucks by bouncing off of him and straining so that it looks like it's a chore just to hang onto Henry. He also sells everything Mark hits him with like crazy, even when Mark just shrugs him off with kicks, Cena flips over to the other side of the ring. He also sells the despiration of trying to get away from Mark pretty well. Mark sells his own size well by stalking Cena, never getting in a hurry, this shows that he's the man and he has all the confidence in the world. The part of the match where Cena powers out of a hold momentarily and then finally gets out with a kick, hits the rope, then gets clobbered with a clothesline is a thing of beauty. Tells the entire story of the match in about 10 seconds. Course it'll go unnoticed on here because instead of looking at emotion, selling, and in ring storytelling, many of the IWC likes to count moves and bumps and flips. Then again, that part of the match only got a mini pop because it brought the crowd up and down and back up. Cena gets a comeback on Henry's mistake and then sells the fatigue and beatdown during his comeback. Doesn't get the AA on first attempt, but with a burst of energy finally hits it. Basically a textbook example of how to work superhero babyface vs monster big man. Great match.

Rock hits the worn down Henry with a simple STO er...Rock Bottom. Just kidding on the sarcasm. The whole "what you do, I do better" point is made and it's sold well by both guys.

We hear the same old boring shit from HBK and HHH that we've been hearing since like 2005. In a recap of last week that makes me hope they all 3 forgot to show up for the final segment.

Some 12 year old girl with too much makeup and hair extensions is on Extra, nobody gives a shit. Must suck to be Beth Phoneix; more drive, determination, and athleticism than most men in the world and she'll have to job to a wannabe model and a scrawny host nobody knows.


Miz promo was pretty good as usual. He does his character incredibly well. People believe it, that's the bottom line really.

Miz vs Sheamus was a good match. Love how Sheamus wrestles. All the clubbing and brute strength really get over the idea that he's this rough irishman. Miz is calculating and generally heelish. Miz sells the shit out of a lot of Sheamus' clubs and the broque kick. Both guys were pros here. I like "dublin destroyer".

We get another recap video of HBK and Undertaker basically saying the same shit they've been saying forever. Goddamn I hate this feud. If the reward wasn't a potentially epic match (also potentially fucked) then I would probably skip it entirely.

Orton's promo was nice. Orton basically says "yea I'm not afraid, I'm a badass, I'm not afraid of him". It's sort of like the ol Batman quote, something about "being what there is to be afraid of in the dark". Of course, ends in *Orton Pose* epics.

WWE is doing something good for the community that will get shit on by a lot of dumb people who can't think critically.

Vickie is a heat magnate. Ziggles and Swagster are the newest members of Team Ace, which is good because the world needs to see Ziggler sell his ass off.

2 blonde white guys vs 2 black guys, anyone else think that Swagger has some sort of mental disorder? He's always stomping his feet and screaming and moves kinda awkwardly once in a while and he's freakishly strong. Aspergers maybe? Not a joke here, seriously, I think he has some sort of functional disorder. Ziggler's dropkick makes Brian Blair's dropkick look like Bill Watts' son's dropkick. Swagger's combover haircut is awesome, so heelish. Nice little tag match, shows off Kofi's athleticism, Zigg/Swags strength, athleticism, and heelness. Shows off Truths' intensity. Little gem of this match is when Ziggler does the ol bump and feed for Truth. A heel that can bump and feed well gets the crowd as into it as a babyface with great fire. Good finish too. Really good sprint tag. Gets me excited for the Mania team match. Gonna be chaos everywhere, 12 guys flying all over the ring, Ace and Teddy on the outside, Aksana and Vickie.

lol Cole calls the HIAC the most emotional match or some shit. How so? "Grr I wanna beat you, they don't think I'm as good as my buddy" "grr I'm the reff, I maybe think you can win, maybe not, but you aren't as good as me and that's what this is all about" "uhh...I'm the Undertaker guys....this is Wrestlemania...IT'S MY ONE TIME OF THE YEAR GODDAMNIT DON'T RUIN IT". Cole delivers another lol when he says "HHH slapping tradition in the face at Madison Square Garden" well it wasn't the first time was it?

At least HBK knows he's fucking shit up when he says "hell in a cell between HHH and the Undertaker at Wrestlemania and who are they talking about? Me" yea, they're talking about you asshole, even though it's not about you.

HBK then talks about a 17 year friendship, forgets about the part where HHH tried to paralyze him and they had a HIAC match against each other. Course when you've been knocked cross eyed you probably have a pretty bad memory.

Pablovian response to Undertaker's gong. Taker looks kinda ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as Shawn in his pony tail and "deer huntin" shirt. Taker is right "you did enough talking last week, right now you should STFU". I agree, I'm on his side. Just as Undertaker is about to say "before you and your buddy go makin plans to jerk each other off at Wrestlemania, please hear me out and stop ruining this" HHH's music hits.

HHH comes out, spits water, has a fuck ugly "I wish it were still 1998" shirt on, etc. HHH says something laughable "two legendary parallel careers". Yea, pretty sure until HHH started making ******* videos with the Kliq he wasn't shit. Taker pretty much was always near the top.

HHH grunts and says a bunch of shit out his nose. Who taught him to grunt through promos? O yea, the other guy in the ring who does the same phoney shit, HBK. Shawn manages to look at both guys at the same time the whole promo, so good for him.

We get the promise of HHH's character dying, so that's an exciting idea. Well shit, the feud between HHH and Undertaker ends in what is essentially a staredow between HHH and HBK because Undertaker told HHH that HBK's dick is bigger. Shawn looks ******ed. Goddamnit someone fix his eye. Between his "I'm 40 something but think I'm 20 something" shirts and his douchebag voice and his eye, he somehow looks more ridiculous than the Undertaker. Fuck this feud.


Overall I REALLY wish they would stop trying to make HHH vs Taker a bigger deal than it is. Punk/Jericho and Cena/Rock are both better feuds and really bigger feuds. HHH/Taker COULD be great but HHH and HBK have to finger each others' asshole and ruin it.

Still a good Raw with a lot of good wrestling and promos and storytline developments.

 

[The Eighties]

For a go home show it hit all the notes it needed to, the opening tag was a solid match and just added a simple bit to each feud with most now expecting Sheamus to win at Mania because Bryan pinned him....I'm not actually sure what the statistics are on that philosophy regarding the go home Raw and the PPV match outcome.

Keeping the "end of an era" match to just a well produced video was a good idea since there really is nothing more any of the three could say that would have added anything.

The Team Teddy vs Team Johnny stuff was simple but effective and I have no issues with this type of feud given all the big dramatic matches billed for Mania, Johnny flubbing his lines was hilarious and Bookah! making the save and joining Team Teddy worked well.

Big Show and Cody's angle remains as basic as it gets but again the simple segment did the job and Show got some awesome Eastwood stareage out of it.

I'm digging the Lord Tensai vignettes, great way to promote a "new" wrestler, very oldschool.

Eve and Kelly wrestled while Beth watched dressed like she was living in the 30's, hot! Shame they didn't bother booking her in a title match with Nattie instead of this stupid tag with some c-list celeb no one gives a shit about.

Jericho's nasty promo was once again on point and Punk's actions spoke louder than any words, but since Punk is mic gold he still threw in a short post-Christian murderlization promo that just capped things off nicely.

Rock came out and did his routine, then Cena came out and their exchange was the best they have had since this thing started, no stupid jokes or catchphrases, no talk of cereal or things going up anuses, just a real feeling exchange of what the match means to each man and why winning the match is so important to them both, good stuff.

 

[Obscurity]

Say what you want about D-Bryan, but the crowd loves him. They were chanting "Yes Yes Yes" along with him!

 

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE Raw Supershow - March 25, 2012

1. Randy Orton & Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan & Kane - A good, solid tag match to start the show off with. The departure from the standard opening promo with WM being less than a week away gave me a sense of urgency and that there'd be a lot going on for this show. Overall, some good action here that also told a good story while giving solid hype to both the WHC and grudge matches at WM. Bryan continues to be a consistently entertaining heel, the kind of heel that people will pay to see get beaten up. He doesn't try to be the "cool" heel that fans think is fashionable to cheer for. The ending was a slight surprise as I expected a count out or DQ finish. Orton & Kane head outside where Orton gets slammed into the ring post. Kane climbs up on the apron and hits a chokeslam onto Sheamus. Bryan quickly picks the scraps and gets the clean pinfall at the 11.5 minute mark. To me, it's not a clear indication at all of who will win at WM. Sheamus is the favorite but, then again, so has everyone else that Bryan has faced as champion. Sheamus has generally gotten the better of Bryan during the WM build overall, so maybe WWE figured he needed a little extra momentum heading in. Either way, good match with good hype for both matches. **3/4

2. Santino Marella vs. David Otunga - The match was really just a bit of window dressing. The real story was the continued hype of the Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny match at WM. There's been some light heartedness regarding this angle, but they haven't tried to go over the top with it or make it the center of things. The match ended with Santino getting the win and another confrontation between Johnny & Teddy. Santino played to the crowd, and was getting a big response, while preparing to strike JL with the Cobra. As he spins him around, Miz suddenly pops up out of nowhere and delivers the Skull Crushing Finale to Santino. Miz saves Big Johnny and, as a result, is named the final member of Team Johnny. As I said, the match was nothing but this was some more solid hype for the 12 man tag match. N/A

HIAC Video Package - This was a great video package that showed some of the career highlights of The Undertaker & Triple H. The Metallica song used in the vid fit the way the video was put together perfectly. Even if this is all the hype this match gets tonight, it's enough as the build for this match has been consistently great. Thumbs Up

3. Kelly Kelly vs. Eve Torres - By general Diva standards, this was pretty decent in terms of both action & storytelling. It doesn't hurt that both ladies looked luscious. While hardly a clash of titans, the match didn't have the typical feeling of irrelevance going for it that most Diva matches have and got a decent rise out of the Atlanta crowd. Eve missed the moonsault attempt and Kelly takes advantage by rolling her up in a decent looking modified Oklahoma Roll for the win at the 3 minute mark. Given that Kelly's partner, Maria Menunous, has suffered 2 broken ribs, I don't see her being much of a factor for WM. Kelly got the win last night so, hopefully, the heels will go over at WM. *1/4

CM Punk, Christian & Chris Jericho - I was a little disappointed in some ways that we didn't get to see an actual match between Punk & Christian but, at the same time, it was more important to get a final push for Punk vs. Jericho. Jericho popped up on the big screen while Punk was doing his thing. Jericho went after Punk's mother tonight and said that, according to a comparison of Punk's birth records & his parents' wedding license, they were married after Punk was born, techinically making Punk "a bastard". This got a decent response from the crowd because they knew where WWE was going with this. In this day and age, being a "bastard" isn't seen as being a huge deal as far as society at large goes. However, Jericho still came off as a sleazy opportunist here as it can still be nasty when a heel brings up such very personal information and puts it out there in front of the world. Christian attacks Punk from behind and throws him outside. Punk then goes Hulk and starts beating the piss out of Christian while screaming at Jericho that this is what he had to look forward to. Punk slamming Christian repeatedly into the announce table looked vicious and he slapped on the Anaconda Vice a couple of times with half a dozen refs trying to pull him off. It's nice to see this angry, aggressive side of Punk come out and it does give his grudge against Jericho more of a personal feel. The "best in the world" aspect is all well and good, it gives the grudge a feeling of professional pride, and including something more personal such as Punk's family history gives it a well rounded feel. I'm so glad that WWE hasn't gone overboard with this ultra personal stuff. It doesn't seem tacky, at least to me, but Jericho is sleazy enough so that you want to see Punk kick the snot out of him. Thumbs Up

4. Brodus Clay vs. Curt Hawkins - Harmless filler here. Clay continues to get a nice response from fans and this was little more than something to give fans a bit of a breather. Clay gets the win after hitting the splash. N/A

5. Big Show vs. Epico - This is really the only part of the show that I haven't really cared for. I know they needed a body to make Show look dominant, which isn't hard at all, but Show basically mauled the regining WWE Tag Team Champions. I know that he legitimately weighs fairly close to what the two of them weigh combined, but this just made both of them look weak as dishwater. Epico & Primo have worked hard in the tag scene and have gotten some solid wins. Show beats Epico with the chokeslam in about a minute and then lays out Primo with one of his own. Cody Rhodes comes out soon afterward and cuts a solid promo. His use of the term "Big Show" as something that will come to mean to completely screw up was fun. The "I just took a Big Show" made me laugh a bit. I'm disappointed in the use of Epico & Primo here, but Rhodes & Show is a match that interest me at WM. N/A

6. The Great Khali vs. Mark Henry - This match was extremely short, thank the Lord, and was again mostly background for one final push for the Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny match. Khali controlled most of the match before Henry overpowers him and hits the World's Strongest Slam for the win. It's always impressive in my eyes to see Henry deliver that move so effortlessly to big guys like Khali & Big Show. After the match, Teddy Long is shoved into the ring by Big Johnny & Henry confronts him. JL waves towards the back and all the members of his team come down the ramp wearing Team Johnny shirts. They stand in front of the ring as some protection in case Team Teddy comes out. Earlier, as part of an angle, Christian has been "re-injured" at the hands of CM Punk and JL has named Drew McIntyre as his replacement. So, it's nice to see McIntyre get a spot. Santino & Zack Ryder come out first but are quickly taken out. R-Truth comes out shortly afterward but is also taken out. Kofi Kingston comes out next and makes it up onto the apron. He springboards in but is caught by Henry and gets a WSS for his trouble. Henry then turns his attention back to Teddy and is about to deliver another WSS when Booker T pops up and makes the save, delivering a Scissor Kick to Henry. Booker poses for the crowd for a bit and gets a good response. Teddy thanks Booker and offers him a spot on his team, which Booker accepts. Nice final hype for this match and it'll be fun to see Booker at WM. He's shown with his program with Cody Rhodes that he's still in great shape and can deliver. Plus, it adds some real star power to Team Teddy. Thumbs Up

The Rock & John Cena - In my view, more great mic work from both guys to give it their match one final push. The Rock came out and was his usual electrifying self. He played to the crowd for a while, his usual thing, which always garners a big live crowd response. Cena's music hit eventually, interruping Rock in the middle of things which I was so hoping to see happen. Cena came out and, in my eyes again, got the better of Rock. While The Rock continued to do his insults, jabs & catchphrases, Cena's was more grounded and seemed to come more from the heart. Don't get me wrong, I like Rock and he's extremely entertaining, but he consistently comes off as a pretentious horse's ass, which his character always has really. After all, only a complete tool talks about himself in the third person. Well, 'cept for the Incredible Hulk but he's got the mind of a 4 year old Again, I thought Cena's promo here was thought provoking and he's consistently done a great job of getting across how much this match means to him. The part where Cena said he'd be "goddamned" if he was gonna lose to a "visitor", namely The Rock, was fantastic because it definitely reflected the attitude that some fans and even some of the WWE locker room feel about Rock. While I agree with Rock in that he isn't exactly a "visitor" given his history with the WWE, he's certainly not one of "the boys" anymore either. While I do think Rock has also continued to do a great job in pinpointing how important the match is to him, in my eyes, his reasons come across as more "selfish" than Cena's and that's because of the circumstances of both mens' lives. The Rock has moved onto Hollywood and, like Cena said, Rock will go back to Hollywood while Cena stays in the WWE. As in all their previous promos, Cena was able to turn many of the fans around to his favor by the time it was over. He came out to a loud mix of cheers and boos, as usual, but by the time it was over, He was getting at least as many cheers as boos, if not more, while Rock was getting a fair amount of boos that weren't there when he came out. There were no real attempts to be funny, no attempts to be charming, just both men basically stating their dislike and hyping their chances at WM. Thumbs Up

Final Thoughts - In my eyes, the overall build for WM has been the best for any WM in quite a long while. Raw has been a consistent showcase for great WM hype this year and last night was no exception. Wrestling content on the show was pretty null, except for the opening match that was not only good but gave a good final push for the matches, but there were some great promos and the overall final push for WM was very good in my view. Cena vs. Rock will deliver spectacle and I think folks are expecting another Rock vs. Hogan moment, which I think they'll get. Taker vs. Triple H got a great last push with the video package. Punk vs. Jericho also got a nice final push with Jericho looking sleazy, which makes for people wanting to see Punk get his hands on him. The GM feud has been solid overall in my eyes. The comedy/light hearted stuff has been kept quite moderate and hasn't gotten in the way. While it doesn't feel as serious as I think it should, the build has been consistently solid. As long as they don't let the shenanigans at ringside overshadow the match itself, they should be just fine.

Grade: B+

 

[HoHo]

I was glad the Raw opened up with a match instead of a video package, as Orton/Sheamus vs Kane/Bryan was good, each man got their shine in the Ring.AJ is becoming Elizabeth in a way, as Bryan uses her to stop guys from attacking him, and she loves to get in the Ring.Bryan you lucky bastard, being able to kiss AJ for 5 seconds, geez. Miz joining Team Johnny good thing for him, it's two steps down from where he was in WWE going into WM last year, but Team Johnny is really looking good right now, and two or three of those guys could have a World Championship run maybe in 2012 after Mania. Kelly vs Eve booo, Eve doesn't wrestle better as a heel, and it's time WWE to get rid of Kelly, she hasn't improved, her only move she does well is the headscissors, but her opponent has to sell it and take the right bump.I loved the video package involving the end of the era, with Taker and Triple H. Those two guys tell a story in the Ring, especially the Hell in the Cell matches, can't wait for Sunday. Punk being attacked verbal by Jericho calling him a bastard, seemed to me he was going to cry, but I felt sorry for Christan, as we saw shades of gray, as babyfaces don't beat up heels like that.Now he's ''injured'', but Jericho vs Punk should be unbeliable great to see. Loved the Cody Rhodes, making Big Show a verb, hope I didn't big show this post,lol. Finally the end, Rock/Cena I liked that segment, these guys are 100 percent sure they will win.You think Vince came up with the finish yet, any chances of a double one..two..three, for a draw, into 5 minute overtime? Who knows the 7 outta 10 for me, WM is coming baby!!!!

 

[JaylisJayP]

That was one of the worst RAWs I've seen in a year and certainly the worst "Go Home" to Wrestlemania RAW I've EVER seen.

- Jericho/HHH/Taker/Michaels not even in the building? Really? REALLY?

- I personally think it was a HORRIBLE idea opening with that Smackdown match. They're so far down on the card, yeah they're decent feuds (at least Bryan/Sheamus) but it sets a horrible tone for amping people up and getting the crowd energized for the rest of Raw - and it showed....

- ...because the crowd seemed dead throughout the entire show. At least that's how it came off on TV.

- I remember when a wrestler saying they were going to "make a statement" meant something actually unique and special. Not doing one move on a guy to finish a sloppily drawn storyline. Talking about The Miz's move on Santino...not that it's The Miz's fault. Just another overhyped moment that turned into a predictable segment.

- The Rock/Cena segment. Whatever, everyone knows they've been saying the same thing for a month, and I wasn't expecting any physical contact tonight. I just thought the "stare down" at the end was horrible, and they cut away from TV after 2 seconds of it. It felt soft and weak to me.

I hate being pessimistic but I wish WWE cared about telling good stories and giving us quality action anymore. Royale Rumble and Elimination Chamber were awful PPVs in my opinion, and I just can't see wrestlemania doing anything but disappointing people.

 

[Mr. HD]

Contrary to what others are saying, I liked RAW last night. What made RAW especially better is that there was no physical involvement with Rock/Cena, Punk/Jericho, and Rhodes/Big Show. They don't want to give a thing away for WrestleMania. They want to milk this cow all the way to Miami and they did a great job at that. I can't wait to see Punk vs Jericho, what happens with Big Show and Cody Rhodes, and especially what goes down with Rock and Cena.

I also loved the Hell in a Cell video package. That was so perfect. It summed up the feud so lovely. Some people say that HHH/HBK/Taker should've been there. What more could they have said? This Video Package brought Life back to this feud and I enjoyed it.

Also, the tag team match to kick off the show was great. What made it intriguing was when AJ willingly jumped in harm's way to save Bryan. Normally, it would be Bryan using her as a shield, but this time AJ jumped in there to save her man and Bryan pinned Sheamus. It begs the question: what role will AJ play in this Sunday's World Title Match?

They built the main matches for WrestleMania very well in my opinion.

The only problems I have were the Team Johnny vs Team Long buildup. This match didn't get the proper build to look very serious to me. They made it look like a joke. There wasn't enough physical involvement with both teams. There should've been more matches between members of both teams rather than for Brodus Clay, who I REALLY like, but if he isn't gonna be on Mania, why waste time on him? Booker T. coming in and taking out Mark Henry salvaged this feud a bit, but not a lot. WrestleMania is 4 Hours this Sunday. This match should get a decent amount of time.

Then there were the Divas. No Maria and Kelly Kelly pins Eve clean. Remind me why she needs a partner again?

Other than these two blips, I thought RAW was spot on to me. I'm more excited than ever to order WrestleMania this Sunday. They did a great job building towards WrestleMania in my eyes.

 

[johnlaryngitis]

I was thinking after Cena's promo last night.... and from a few weeks ago in the stands in an arena and last night he emphsized how much he HAD to win, NO ONE remembers second place. He stressed how he couldn't lose. At the same time he's been saying how he doesn't care what others think of him, he doesn't look for admiration, he only does what he thinks is right etc. What do you guys make of that?

 

[JaylisJayP]

I was thinking after Cena's promo last night.... and from a few weeks ago in the stands in an arena and last night he emphsized how much he HAD to win, NO ONE remembers second place. He stressed how he couldn't lose. At the same time he's been saying how he doesn't care what others think of him, he doesn't look for admiration, he only does what he thinks is right etc. What do you guys make of that?

Cena or Cena's character is a hypocrit anyway, it just doesn't fit well with the story to shed light on it by WWE. He certainly had no problem embracing his hate for ADR after ADR took the title off Punk last year. Cena looked pretty pissed off then, lol.

 

[Marv95]

Horrible Raw other than the last segment(which was still crap in a way). Your 3 main events once again did not involve any physicality whatsoever to get the public that much excited for Mania(heck HHH, Taker and HBK weren't even there); it's no wonder they got a 3.0 on their go home show before Wrestlemania of all ppvs. Where's the intensity? You people don't like each other yet you don't even touch?

 

[Radical]

Horrible Raw other than the last segment(which was still crap in a way). Your 3 main events once again did not involve any physicality whatsoever to get the public that much excited for Mania(heck HHH, Taker and HBK weren't even there); it's no wonder they got a 3.0 on their go home show before Wrestlemania of all ppvs. Where's the intensity? You people don't like each other yet you don't even touch?

I know it's pretty bad. It's like they think if they let Rock and Cena throw a few (open fisted) puches at each other and scuffle a bit that one is going to break a nail and not be able to fight at WrestleMania.

I kind of understand why HHH and Undertaker didn't get physical since ol' man Undertaker needs to conserve all the energy he can but what about the CM Punk vs Jericho feud... not nearly enough physical confrontation leading up to WM!

If Punk is going to beat Jericho at WM (which he probably will because of rumours of Jericho's temporary stay in WWE) then they should have made Jericho look a lot better than CM Punk going into WM so people have the feeling Jericho really could win. But as it stands now... CM Punk looks like the better man so no one will be surprised when he wins. If CM Punk does lose I'll laugh because it would have made about as much sense as Daniel Bryan winning the WHC in the first place.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Yea, why didn't Raw give the fans what they wanted to see and just let them see guys fight. I mean, if you REALLY want something, the way to make you want it even more is to give it to you....o wait, that's fuckin stupid.

Goddamn some of you legitimately don't understand TV, business, storytelling, or life.

Punk and Jericho didn't have an altercation, but Punk destroying Christian sure proved a point. That match I'm excited for.

HHH vs Taker has basically been 6 months of "THESE GUYS ARE AWESOME FROM THE PAST AND SHAWN MICHAELS IS EVEN IN IT!!!!!" so the video was pretty much just that. No need for physicality there.

Cena vs Rock has already had physicality, why do more? I bet you guys aren't very good with the ladies because the way you build up and then let a feud sizzle until you finally bring the audience to climax is essentially....sex. It's an Al Snow analogy okay. You don't want the audience to get satiated or as he said "blow their wad too soon". Fuck man.

Marv95, the intensity is in the promos. They haven't fought in person because they're both waiting until wrestlemania. they're "old lions" they know that fighting before mania will prove absolutely nothing. Also, you are missing out on part of the feud, they want each other at their absolute best. The feud isn't "I HATE YOU I'M GOING TO BEAT YOUR ASS" it's "I'm going to beat you AT WRESTLEMANIA" that's the whole point. HHH and Undertaker don't want to win a fight against the other at any point in time except for this Sunday. Holy shit dude that's ALL they've been talking about. How do you not get this?

I thought it was an amazing go home Raw. So many matches feel like they've been brewing forever and they feel epic. This has such a "big match" feel to it I love it. I can't wait until Sunday.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

That was one of the worst RAWs I've seen in a year and certainly the worst "Go Home" to Wrestlemania RAW I've EVER seen.

- Jericho/HHH/Taker/Michaels not even in the building? Really? REALLY?

- I personally think it was a HORRIBLE idea opening with that Smackdown match. They're so far down on the card, yeah they're decent feuds (at least Bryan/Sheamus) but it sets a horrible tone for amping people up and getting the crowd energized for the rest of Raw - and it showed....

- ...because the crowd seemed dead throughout the entire show. At least that's how it came off on TV.

- I remember when a wrestler saying they were going to "make a statement" meant something actually unique and special. Not doing one move on a guy to finish a sloppily drawn storyline. Talking about The Miz's move on Santino...not that it's The Miz's fault. Just another overhyped moment that turned into a predictable segment.

- The Rock/Cena segment. Whatever, everyone knows they've been saying the same thing for a month, and I wasn't expecting any physical contact tonight. I just thought the "stare down" at the end was horrible, and they cut away from TV after 2 seconds of it. It felt soft and weak to me.

I hate being pessimistic but I wish WWE cared about telling good stories and giving us quality action anymore. Royale Rumble and Elimination Chamber were awful PPVs in my opinion, and I just can't see wrestlemania doing anything but disappointing people.

You should probably either stop watching wrestling, or stop reading the internet.

I realize it's subjective, but this Mania has had pretty awesome hype. It's centered around personal feuds. All three main events are personal and you can feel it. What more do you want?

They cut away from the staredown because their time was up. These guys are human and have a pretty intricate 10-15 minutes to deliver and to end on a certain point with one take in front of a live audience. I thought it looked fine. Kinda makes you realize just how hard this amazing form of live entertainment is though huh?

 

[tmad82]

So, what are your thoughts on what you think will go down on Raw tonight? Will we see new rivalries, championship rematches, big returns? What is in store for tonight’s show, now that John Laurinatis has full control. Please leave your opinions. This should make for an interesting conversation today.

 

[Raiden46]

So, what are your thoughts on what you think will go down on Raw tonight? Will we see new rivalries, championship rematches, big returns? What is in store for tonight’s show, now that John Laurinatis has full control. Please leave your opinions. This should make for an interesting conversation today.

Have to say that I expect a LOT out of Raw tonight. I was no expecting an 18 second title match, Kane to win (clean), or Rock to win clean. Tonight should be a monster night. I expect a major angle with Cena, whether it is a character change, a new rivalry, or something else along those lines. Last night shocked the IWC and hopefully it was for the better.

 

[tmad82]

Yeah, I definitely see an angle worked with Cena tonight. Rumor has it, that Brock Lesnar is supposed to make his return and challenge The Rock. Not sure how true that is, but that is what seems to be spreading all over the web. With The Rock winning last night, which I am extremely happy about, by the way, there has never been a better time to turn Cena heel. I am not getting my hopes up on this one, but I think if they were to turn him, now is the best time to do it. I think CM Punk could carry the show as the lead babyface. I see the show starting with John Lauranitis in the ring, with team Johnny, celebrating. Definitely did not see Daniel Bryan losing in 18 seconds. That is going to be an interesting angle tonight. Anyway, so much to look forward to tonight.

 

[scottyshowman82]

When they're chanting "Yes" through a Rock promo you know Daniel Bryan is on to something. They chanted "Yes" through the whole darn show. Sheamus and Del Rio couldnt get through the beginning of their interview. And kudos to John Cena for giving Bryan a should out during his promo time.

 

[Kliq69]

It certainly didn't hurt that the show was pretty damn good top to bottom. It's the best Raw I've seen in years.

So as to stay on topic, I know exactly how they can keep bringing in hot crowds... It's simple, do like they did in the Attitude Era and make every single episode matter. There are months at a time I don't watch Raw and just read the results and while reading I think: "I didn't miss anything". If you missed a Raw from late 97-WM17, you were going to miss something.

I think a lot of it is that with all the older stars somewhat back in the picture (rock, lesnar, taker, hhh, jericho, hbk, etc) it is forcing some of the regular talent to step up their game. Guys like Miz, Santino, Dolph, Punk, Ryder, DB, and more are all acting like it's go time again. TV time is being handed out for effort and crowd reaction and not because wwe just randomly picked someone to be in a random spot.

I don't know if this change and seemingly company wide drive to have "business pick up" is because of the new network, or Raw's contract with US expiring soon or the transition of power between vince and hhh; but something has been different the last two nights. Even Cole (except for the JL segments) has been toned down, calling matches, commenting on feuds, and seems really focused.

On a side note, people complaining about the crowd support of DB being annoying is just horrible. Are you not old enough to remember crowds chanting for Austin and Rock in 97 and 98 even when they weren't on the shows? The crowd used to dictate who got pushes, who became a jobber, who was on tv, who was champion. Just because the last half dozen years WWE has been telling the fans who to cheer for instead of listening to the fans tell them who they want to cheer for does not make it a smart way of doing business...

More and more I think most of the positive things that have happened in the last year are because of HHH slowly getting the reigns handed to him by Vince. If the past year is any indication of what the product is going to be like going forward, the next few years will more than make up for the horrible product they put out from 06-10... (and no, one or two good matches a year does not equate a good product)

 

[The Ram]

The Bryan chants tonight got on my nerves in the begginning because I freaking hate Bryan but I just laughed at it after a while especially when they started chanting "SI SI SI" lol, but good over all show, I know people are excited that Lesnar is back, I personally wasn't really a big fan but anyone trying to destroy cena is alright with me. The only thing that was bad is that Undertaker and Triple H were no where to be seen.! I wanted a little speech or something of that matter after that match.

 

[Maximus9000]

New poster...

It was a great Raw. Great to see Lesnar back and Del Rio back from injury. Add to that, the Jericho / Punk feud is the kind of feud of the type of intensity we've been missing for considerable time.

As for matches, Punk vs. Henry was good. Henry is definitely one of the more versatile big guys who can actually pull off a decent match.

WWE in general is definitely not as 'PG' as it was 2 years ago. Some of the profanity is back, the angles are far more "adult" (such as Jericho pouring booze all over Punk and smashing a bottle over his head). Although as much as it pains me not to see the full on Attitude era back, WWE programming seems to be achieving a decent compromise between Attitude and PG, with the aim of keeping as many fans as possible entertained. Long may that continue.

Excellent Raw: 8:10.

 

[The Eighties]

Great crowd tonight even if they did go a bit overboard at times with the YES! chant, as much as I like Daniel Bryan.

Ace is such a goon, gotta love it, and Punk I guess got the locker-room leader spot when he interrupted and called him a toolbox.

Rock's promo was his standard stuff, I've never cared for it and care for it even less now. His declaration of wanting to win the title was interesting I guess, not sure exactly where they go with that.

The goofy triple threat match went as expected, the highlight of that segment was Dolph selling the headbutt on the ramp. Brodus reminds me of Be-Bop from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon.

I dug the presentation of Lord Tensai's debut with his entrance gear and manager, and he was brutal on Riley.

Punk vs Henry was awesome, a classic babyface vs monster heel match in the mould of Sting vs Vader, perfectly worked. They got a lot of time and Punk made Henry look a true monster again while Henry absorbed a lot of stiff offense to get Punk over. Crowd was red hot all the way through and it was great seeing Punk bust out Kobashi's machine gun chops. The count out ending worked for both men.

The post-match angle with Jericho had a couple of botches but was strong in concept and amped up their rivalry ahead of what will no doubt be a stipulation rematch at Extreme Rules. Jericho really is magnificent at being a total bastard.

Henry's segment with Washington was another thing that was ok in concept but Washington got his lines mixed up, you're the hustle and Mark's the muscle ya goof. I figure that would be a pre-taped deal so I don't know how that mistake got through.

The crowd were chanting Daniel Bryan's name and his YES! thing all night long and pretty much took a crap on Sheamus, then Del Rio quickly showed up to try and deflect the heat, it didn't work as the crowd continued on chanting Bryan's name over the top of Del Rio's bland patter. The Brogue kick was nicely done but I have no real interest in these two feuding and I wonder if Vince is going to ignore the fact he has a much more over guy on the same show....Probably.

The short Miz vs Ryder and Kofi vs Cody matches were ok and I guess the feud with Show and Cody will continue into Extreme Rules which is fine with me.

Eve comes out and looks smokin' hot as usual, she cuts a pretty decent promo but they need to give her direction and put her with a heel.

Cena's promo was excruciatingly 80's movie cheesy but I think that may have been the intention, it felt like Cena was on the wind up a bit with how far he pushed it. The crowd pipes up with more Daniel Bryan chants and Lesnar chants.......then that music hits and the beast returns! Complete mark out moment for me. The roof comes off, Cena and Lesnar go to shake hands because clearly Brock wont do anything to Cena lol, then Bam!......the camera cuts to the crowd!?!? who called that edit I wonder. No matter, Brock F5's Cena and then kicks his new green hat for good measure, The Pain is back!

All in all a really good show and it sets the table nicely as we head into the second quarter of the year minus 4 of the 7 guys that made up the Mania main events. I've gotta give Cena huge credit again, I don't think any other top guy of a previous generation would have allowed themselves to be booked on back to back nights like he has in order to give, what some perceive to be, the fans what they want.

 

[Mr. HD]

Tonight was probably the best RAW of 2012. And I account that to three very important things:

1) The Rock

2) Brock Lesnar

3) The Fans

The fans were on FIRE the whole night. It's been a while since a RAW crowd was this energetic and this on fire during a show. I LOVED the YES! Chants. I was actually sitting in my room saying it along with them. It was so catchy and funny. This could be the new chant. Miami and Daniel Bryan may have started something here.

But onto RAW, this was absolutely great. First Rock's promo was of course a Rock promo: Entertaining and funny. But what he said at the end....WWE Champion? The Rock vs CM Punk? I'd LOVE to see that. If you thought John Cena had a problem with The Rock, sheesh! If this actually goes down, I can't wait to see these guys talk smack to each other. The walking pipe bomb vs The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment!

Triple Threat US Title match wasn't really anything important. It got Santino over and built a little tension between Ziggler and Swagger.....sort of. But could we be seeing a new tag team in Santino and Clay?

I liked Lord Tensai's entrance, but I think he overdid it with the match. I get why the did it the way they did, but it was just weird I guess. He simply just beat on Riley and then did some freaky stuff at the end. It'll be interesting to see who his first feud is against.

Punk vs Henry was a better match than I had thought. I thought it was gonna be a short match, but these guys really put on a good match. The crowd was hot for this one which made it even better with all those YES! chants.

Jericho coming out, drowning Punk in alcohol and smashing the bottle against his head was great. This feud is really picking up week after week. Jericho is showing these young guys just how to make a feud as personal as it can get. He really is the best at what he does.

I don't who this Washington guy is. I need to look him up.

Poor Sheamus got booed when he came out and barely even got two words and then Del Rio came out. To be honest, I didn't really get much of what either guy was saying because the crowd was going nuclear with those Daniel Bryan chants. I guess Sheamus and Del Rio are gonna work a little program with each other.

Cody vs Kofi was short, but I see what it had to do. Show coming out and giving Rhodes a taste of his own medicine was pretty cool. I see a rematch with these guys coming soon.

Miz vs Ryder was pretty solid for a short match. Miz gets that much deserved win and Ryder falls back into obscurity.

Eve was hot, and cut a good promo. It's actually a good thing she turned on Ryder again at Mania. Her heel heat really died down and needed something to pick it back up. Maybe we'll see that Eve/Miz vs Kelly Kelly/Ryder match after all.

Cena's promo....meh. He started to ramble on and get boring as the fans chanted for Lesnar a couple of times. They made it a tad too obvious that Lesnar was coming. Maybe interrupting Cena while he was talking would've been a good touch.

But THE PAIN IS BACK! Lesnar coming was Mark Out Moment! The fans were jacked and started a Holy Shit Chant! Brock Lesnar for some reason looks so much more scarier now then back then. As soon as he gets in the ring, no staredown, no smiles, just BAM F-5! Awesome! The fans blew the roof of the place!

Overall, I think this was the best RAW of the year so far. With the RAW after the Royal Rumble coming in as a close second. And I think they pretty much set up two main events for Mania 29: Punk vs Rock and Brock vs Cena. Fucking Amazing.