RAW's 'Plunge' Opening - Give Me Your Thoughts So I May Use Them As Sustenance!

[daddyJ_t]

it was actually kinda cool. sure it made everybody say wtf! i was unsure if raw started early or what. it made me wish i tuned in earlier when i saw edge and bourne duking it out right at 9 pm. it may have pushed bourne a little but from the moment of edges attack on orton, it was obvious that evan would be cenas partner. hope he can run with what hes got. other then that, last nights raw rocked. the slow build up of the hart dynasty and the usos(new headshrinkers) as i call them will finally bring back a little glory to the tag straps. and the whole cobra santino courting koslov? very interesting though i think a face turn for him will not turn out to be very good him. bryan daniel sefment was rather entertaining and will turn out to be a good fued seeing what all cole will throw at him as he trys to "earn a contract" only complaint with raw was that after fox leveled ryder, ashton didnt scream at him...YOUVE BEEN PUNKED,,,LOL

 

[mister_b1LL]

Don't do it every week, but I liked the "Plunge" opening. I like the occasional "WHAM! BAM! What the fuck just happened?" moments that wrestling provides and this was definitely one of them. And it was nice that Evan Bourne got to start and end the show interacting with main eventers. I don't think it means a push, but it was a nice change of pace.

The only thing I feel bad for are the guys in the arena that really enjoy the explosive opening. For all we know, they might have thought the Edge/Evan Bourne thing was just part of the dark match or something, then "Wait, where's the pyro?"

 

[CuddleBuns84]

It was a fun way to open the show I thought. It was a lot better, then having one of the main event stars have their music start, and they give a 15 minute promo about how good they are.

Instead you see, and good fight break out, and quick promo, and Orton getting more a face build, and a good build for fatal 4 way. I care about this Pay-Per-View now. Not just because the main event, but other matches as well.

It was a good RAW. Not also that, but they are finding ways to cut down the Guest Host segments. Yes Ashton Kutcher did make the Viewer Choice's Raw, but then again, it was more a suggestion then anything.

Over all, it worked well. Real Well.

 

[Suneeboy]

There is so much over analysis its making my brain hurt.

The opening segment was crash TV at its finest. I doubt it was to hide Bourne's mic skills, as they've let some awful people get on the mic.

It was crash TV. Nothing more, nothing less. A change of pace to keep the viewer guessing. It was executed well, and was much needed, since over the past couple of months fans have been saying that the WWE is "predictable".

This opening segment just added to the fact that when the "E" is on their "A" game, they can keep all of us guessing left and right.

 

[Panic Switch]

Something similar occurred a few months back and if I recall correctly many people slammed the segment which in essence was completely copied by WWE. I have no idea why people are calling this innovative or shocking as this is just a rehash of a TNA storyline from a few months back. I'll try and recall who the involved wrestlers were and repost here. If anyone can recall the two please feel free to post.

 

[The Curtis]

yeah that opening made me think that Raw had started early without me being aware. i thought it was a good change of pace as well. i'm a big fan of evan bourne and edge-so it was great to see them up against eachother. i think the biggest plus was that we didn't have to endure the horrible Nickelback Raw opening.

 

[Jonnie Walker]

I think, even though I was a little disappointed by not seeing what happened beforehand, it pretty much gave the fans an idea that anything can happen, even if it's in the very opening of the show. I think it was a good way of putting Bourne on the show, because the main event would have made no sense with Evan Bourne in it. I wish it had started with Edge coming out cutting his promo, but it was a good start, and a nice way of showing the unpredictability of live TV.

 

[cmillsa1]

You guys are dooshes! Evan Bourne is a great wrestler, period. It seems Vince is getting Back to his old ideas, If he's not mammoth muscle man then hes crap. I remember back in the day while vince had hogan, the ultimate warrior and all these muscle heads. The WCW was winning in the ratings with mostly a bunch of cruiserweights. If Vince isnt careful, and TNA gets their head out of Hogans butt then there could be a return of the wrestling that people loved. The only reason that the WWE took over was because of the attitude era, and it seems that TNA is going in that direction in some ways. So i think that people like bourne, the Uso's, Daniel Bryan, and Justin Gabriel deserve a push. No offense but seeing some guys flying around doing some cool moves is much more entertaining than cena fighting the same meathead for the 30th time and overcomming "MAGICAL ODDS" .

 

[Great Tical]

I'll join the chorus and agree wholeheartedly that I loved it. I usually skip or ignore the first couple of minutes (my enjoyment of Raw is inversely proportionate to the amount of Michael Cole's voice I hear). This unique opener gave it the feel of a "real" live sporting event, which always marks me the hell out.

 

[Drunken Aviator]

i liked this way of opening the show it was new and inventive instead of starting all boring.
I loved that evan was involved instead of santino it was a nice change.

 

[RVDgurl]

I loved it. I can't remember the last time any wrestling show opened like that. It was very refreshing not only because it was an atypical introduction, but because Evan Bourne was included. It was also nice to see the beginning and the end make sense with logical progression. it was fitting that Bourne participate in the main event and come away with the win for his team.

Well done WWE.

 

[Panic Switch]

I loved it. I can't remember the last time any wrestling show opened like that. It was very refreshing not only because it was an atypical introduction, but because Evan Bourne was included. It was also nice to see the beginning and the end make sense with logical progression. it was fitting that Bourne participate in the main event and come away with the win for his team.

Well done WWE.

TNA iMPACT! from last febuary opened in the exact same way. WWE is not being innovative they are just rehashing a segment from TNA.

 

[ThAwRe$tLiNgGaWd]

TNA iMPACT! from last febuary opened in the exact same way. WWE is not being innovative they are just rehashing a segment from TNA.

Isn't everything in wrestling a re-hash of something?

No matter what anyone does in this industry, someone will always come along and say it's been done before. Good grief people, can't we just enjoy a wrestling show without always having to psychoanalyze every little thing that is done? I love to debate like the next man, but damn just be grateful for once that we are not getting the same ol' shit.

 

[MWats]

I loved it and it was just another example of WWE being unpredictable lately. Everything was unexpected from the brawl opening the show to Evan Bourne being a main aspect of the show. If we were going for unpredictablity. I personally would have found a Santino Marella Shrine being built to open the show more interesting, but we can't always win. Evan Bourne is shit in some areas, no doubt, but he's less shit enough to make it in the Dub Dub E.

 

[gd]

Mostly shocked at Bourne being on TV in a high profile segment. Couldn't get my head around it for a moment. After his missed his flippy though, I was able to refocus and realize I hadn't gotten my weekly fix of Nickelback, which was kind of upsetting. I survived though, somehow.

Anyway, I suppose you couldn't do anything put like it. Anytime something different that isn't completely ******ed is done in wrestling you have to applaud it. Now obviously wouldn't be a good idea to do this every week, but every other month or so would be just fine with me.

 

[Franchize1990]

TNA iMPACT! from last febuary opened in the exact same way. WWE is not being innovative they are just rehashing a segment from TNA.

Unless you're talking about a TNA show from 2009, they did not open the show the exact same way Raw did this past Monday. The closest thing they had to what took place on Monday was the whole Pope/Styles/Flair segment and that had a good ten minutes before any fighting started. As for the segment on Raw, I enjoyed it very much. It was something I'm sure they haven't done in a while and I think it help set the tone for the rest of the night. It was also a nice way to get Bourne a little shine.

 

[Panic Switch]

Unless you're talking about a TNA show from 2009, they did not open the show the exact same way Raw did this past Monday. The closest thing they had to what took place on Monday was the whole Pope/Styles/Flair segment and that had a good ten minutes before any fighting started. As for the segment on Raw, I enjoyed it very much. It was something I'm sure they haven't done in a while and I think it help set the tone for the rest of the night. It was also a nice way to get Bourne a little shine.

Actually I think you're right it was late 09 and if I am remembering correctly it was par tof the Joe, Daniels and AJ storyline. I could be wrong on that though. But I remember definitely TNA having a plunge opening. It was much better done than this Edge/Bourne mess.