The Law Firm of Sell-out, Suck-up and the Schnozz

[Mustang Sally]

That's what Chris Jericho called the men standing in front of him....Sell-out (Kane), Suck-up (Rollins) and the Schnozz (Triple H)....last night on the Highlight Reel. Jericho was addressing Randy Orton (and what would he have called Randy.....Burn-out?)

The scene in the ring was well done and meant to represent a display of corporate power for the WWE Universe to see and admire. If Jericho had been an adversary rather than an interviewer, he would have been stomped.

Since the days of the McMahon-Helmsley Faction, starting out Raw with a talking segment has been a staple. In many ways, it's understandable because beginning the show with a match gets the action going and it's more difficult to stop the flow by moving to a talking segment afterwards. Still, there's an argument for starting things with a bang and keeping them going.....but then, how would they ever get the talking segments in?

Still, last night's opening act was effective because the make-up of the Authority is looking particularly intimidating right now with the injection of youth (Seth Rollins) to balance the old guard (Kane & Triple H) and augmented by the destroyer in his prime (Orton). We saw Chris Jericho get his verbal blows in without doing anything that might get him stomped....and of course, getting in the zinger of mocking the Authority as a law firm, dressed in expensive suits, as they were.

What do you think of the opening segments on Raw? Do they serve a purpose in showing the power of the Authority? Do you enjoy having talk open the show.....or are you bored with it all and wish they'd open with a match?

 

[The Butcher]

I mainly enjoyed last night's for the mic work. I'm fine with talk segments opening so long as it isn't every week, which it is. They served a purpose in displaying the Authority's authority, but that's understood now. It has to be maintained, sure, but there are other ways for them to assert their power that don't have to lead the show.

 

[stingray11214]

Last night's segment wasn't bad. Maybe I am just too "old school". I like my promos in short, but realistic, bites. What is wrong with having 8-10 matches on RAW? You have 3 hours, for Pete's sake. Vince used to have six matches in an hour back in the day.

It was good to see Zach Ryder again, even if he did get squashed by Rusev.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I didn't mind the opening segment on RAW last night, except for one problem. I found RAW so brutally bad last night that I didn't make it until the end of the show. Therefore, I didn't see the closing segment which the opening promo was intended to set up. As a general rule of thumb, I'm not negative about the WWE product, and I find the incessant whining and complaining on here annoying at times. No matter what is on the program, if I'm at home and watching, I generally watch the entire program and find most, if not all of it, entertaining. But last night was God awful, I hated almost the entire show, for the first time in a really long while.

If I were to speculate about how the closing segment went, though, I would assess last night's opening promo as well executed but redundant and unnecessary. I thought the parties involved in the opening were solid on the mic, but it was all building up to a closing segment which made absolutely no sense to me, and one which had a pretty predictable result. So overall, I would give the segment a passing grade, but if they can't offer a better product between the bookends of the show, it really doesn't matter.

In general terms, I find the opening segments on RAW to be well done. I generally have few complaints about them. That's not to say I love them every week, but I do more so than not. That's assuming of course, they are not Bella related. That train wreck of a storyline has to end fast, it's unwatchable and frankly a little embarrassing. There is only one way that the Bella feud can culminate in something interesting and worthwhile, and that's assuming it can correlate with the WWE having the balls to do the unthinkable. That's something I continue to be interested in seeing, I think we definitely could see, but unless the Bella's and their significant others become involved, then it's a dead storyline which needs to end. Yesterday.

 

[TheICChampion]

One thing for sure, while I enjoyed the segment, it was WAY too predictable. As soon as I saw the whole Authority come out, I said to myself "This is likely to turn into a 6 man tag" and lo and behold, I was dead on. I don't mind predictability, but when you can tell exactly what's going to happen and how it's going to end, then that's not a good thing.

 

[Bagpipes]

The 6-man tag was very predictable... I'm not a fan of these types of matches unless it's really setting up something down the line like an old school Survivor Series match, Elimination Chamber, etc.

I didn't mind the open last night, I actually though it was one of Jericho's few bright spots during his most recent run, which to me, has been largely dull and devoid of these type of witty banter segments that he did so well in the Attitude Era

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Raw is a three hours now. I don't know what to think about the opening segment. I'm usually getting my kids ready for bed when the show begins and putting them to bed during the end of the first hour. While playing sleep cop I sometimes cheat and look at my phone to read the main page and find out what happened or the forum to find out how it was the worst thing to ever happen in the history of the universe. I may or may not watch what I missed on the DVR. God bless the DVR.

But even if I did catch the beginning it doesn't matter. Three hours shows are chores and an opening segment has usually worn out it's welcome by hour two. Gone are days when a Hardyz match would get the blood pumping. WWE lacks those types of guys. Ziggler is probably the closest thing they have right now but it just doesn't work so starting with a match feels like a waste.

That said talking segments setting the stage for the evening seem like the best way to go. When you have quick witted guys with some freedom on the mic and understanding of their roles like HHH and Jericho I can at least count on being entertained. Then again Jericho's pink tie comment was pretty weak coming from the frosted tips guy (has anyone ever pointed out that the "Highlight" Reel could be named after Jericho's hairdo?).

Anyway, where was I? Last night was an entertaining segment. Loved the part where Cena threatened to sue. Made me think he has Heyman in his ear. Jericho and HHH were funny. I liked Orton's two cents. Kane, Rollins, and Reigns didn't ruin anything. Rollins actually was kind of funny with his body language and facial expressions.

But none if this apparently matters because the Bellas got popped up on screen too much. Whaaaaaa!

 

[chuckmdubya]

I loved the opening segment, Mainly because Jericho is still as funny as ever. Its cool to see the authority all out there, modern wrestling is in need of some cool stables / factions. The talking segment always helps out the show, I think.

Sure they could've just scheduled the six man, but the shit talking in the opening segment makes that match so much more interesting.
I'd even like to see more people in either the authority or the Wyatt family. Can anyone picture a Cena heel turn into the authority? IDK maybe lame. But I doubt Cena will turn, he may turn if they can get another wrestler that can rake in the pre-teen cash.

But then again, its hard to keep an audience interested for 3 straight hours, especially when you give so much air time to the whiny Bella twin.

 

[L@RISANO]

Whilst I do like to see good Wrestling, unlike many others, I like the Entertainment aspect of the weekly RAW(Talk segments, Skits, etc.), whilst I look forward to the PPVs for the 5-Star Wrestling Payoffs to good storylines.


In terms of OP segments being for talk, once it is for continuation of a good, interesting feud, then I am all for it(Last night's was a good start,lMO, but the predicible nature of it in terms of a 6-man tag let me down,tbh.)


That said; sometimes opening with a big wrestling match might be the way to go as having talk segments opening each week can become stale at times. Also, it depends on who is opening the show, and providing a balance of personnel each week.


I just wish, as a person who appreciates the storyline aspect of WWE, that maybe, having some of the Main Stars in more than one segment instead of forcing uninteresting feuds like the Bellas(for eg) would be a much better way to fill 3 hrs of RAW each week, and the constant repeat of match-ups between 2 or more Superstars has to be addressed also,lMO.

 

[smizzy]

The majority of the time, segments hold my attention more than the matches. I generally don't care about matches on Raw unless it involves someone I'm fond of or it's just important. The opening segments set the tone for the rest of the show and usually are one of the better parts of Raw. I wouldn't mind a match to open the show, but it's got to be a solid if it's going to set the tone which is the idea.

 

[Tomahawk]

I thought Rollins was the sellout, Kane was the suck up and H was the schnozz...whatever it doesn't matter.

I don't know about the rest of you, but the shows over the last couple weeks have sucked real bad without Ambrose.

Him being gone has made Rollins look very lukewarm and Hell in a Cell can't get here soon enough