Global Posts

-     Stephanie McMahon held a Raw Superstar Forum

[Reaction: It was a great idea but the execution was a little off. I didn’t understand the Olympic platform or the fact that NOTHING came out of this segment. I expected at least one or two bombshells.]

-    Kelly Kelly def. Victoria; Victoria retaliated but was assaulted by the Raw Divas in 1:30.

[Reaction: A decent throwaway match to give the Divas sometime to promote their Survivor Series match. I’m not buying Kelly Kelly being shoved down the audience’s throat. They are trying to make her into Trish Status but I just don’t see it panning out.]

-    Batista defeated Manu (w/Cody Rhodes) in 4:10.

[Reaction: Well at least this was better than last week. Manu came off looking stronger than he did coming in and even though he only took 2 moves from The Animal, he gained some ground in the fans’ eyes. Nice the slow continuing build of Orton/Batista.]

-    Stephanie stood on the stage and introduced WWE Hall of Famer Chief Jay Strongbow.

[Reaction: I thought this was leading to something…but it wasn’t…so…huh?]

-    Cody Rhodes/Randy Orton Segment.

[Reaction: Cody is slowly growing on me in his segments with Orton but he still looks inexperienced. I’m still standing behind stance that DiBiase should be in Rhodes’ spot.]

-    Evan Bourne/Mike Knox Segment.

[Reaction: Awkkkkkward.]

-    Shawn Michaels/Rey Mysterio/Dolph Zigler Segment.

[Reaction: Another extremely awkward segment with a potshot at Hogan. I’m fine with HBK trying to be funny cause he can usually pull it off but not tonight.]

-    John Morrison and The Miz defeated Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio in 11:10.

[Reaction: Miz and Morrison seem to be the new toys of the writing staff and they are definitely capitalizing on the opportunity. Great match with a ton of action and a very surprising finish. It’s always good to keep people guessing and this definitely solidified Miz and Morrison.]

-    C.M. Punk Interview

[Reaction: He had the right idea with the promo but it turned out a little off. It seemed forced, whereas Punk works better with emotional, heartfelt promos.]

-    JBL and Kane defeated Cryme Tyme in 3:00.

[Reaction: Another throwaway match to build to Survivor Series. Would’ve like to see the young guys go over but it makes me think they will at SS.]

-    Kofi Kingston/Evan Bourne/Mike Knox Segment.

[Reaction: Just a way to keep Bourne fresh in peoples’ minds while establishing Knox a little bit better. Played out more logically than the previous Bourne/Knox segment.]

-    William Regal fought Matt Hardy to a double countout in a non-title match in 1:00.

[Reaction: Hardy is really hurt so thank god they kept this short.]

-    Chris Jericho Interview.

[Reaction: Decent go home promo for the PPV considering he didn’t have much to work with. It’s hard to cut a promo on 3 weeks worth of video packages.]

-    Randy Orton defeated C.M. Punk in a lumberjack match in 9:25.

[Reaction: Once again they tried to build up these potential huge storyline and blow it off in one match on a Raw. There wasn’t the reaction they thought they would get from the announcement of the match and didn’t really get anything from the crowd throughout the night. It was just an ok match and while the outcome was expected, it left me very unsatisfied and disappointed.]

[Final Thoughts: Some bright spots with the Miz/Morrison and Manu pushes but the rest just kinda felt flat leading into one of the biggest PPVs of the year. It was ok for what it was worth but didn’t leave me with any desire to purchase the event.]

- Batista/Randy Orton/Stephanie McMahon Segment

[Reaction: First of all, why is Batista out for an interview in his tights? Did he really think he would get a World title shot in the first segment of the show? At least Randy Orton got the memo. It was also nice to see they are continuing with the McMahon storyline even though that was a horribly produced segment. It was CLEARLY prerecording but yet they still tried to pass it off as live. I did like the fact that Stephanie announced all the matches for the show right then. It gave it a real "Attitude-era" feel where you didn’t really know what you were going to get to see.]

- Santino Marella versus William Regal for the Intercontinental Title

[Reaction: Poor Santino although I do have a feeling he’ll win it back and somehow this change will have never happened. If not, I am glad they killed this angle before it grew stale and overbearing.]

- D’Lo Brown versus Mike Knox

[Reaction: This is was what they were hyping for the past month? At least have Knox dominate the match alittle bit more and not just hit his finisher. Very unspectacular.

- Chris Jericho Interview

[Reaction: Ok so he hypes all of his other potential opponents but not really the one he has tonight. And no interview segment for HBK at all! This is supposed to be their blowoff match after a 4 month program, give them some damn airtime!]

- Rey Mysterio versus Kane in a No Disqualification Match

[Reaction: So this feud is over now right? We don’t have to watch Kane’s character get slowly killed off every week? Lemme guess, next week it’s going to be revealed that Mike Knox killed Kane’s baby making him a bigger bad ass than Kane and suddenly Kane will be a face again.]

- Randy Orton/Priceless Segment

[Reaction: I’m still not sold on Cody Rhodes as the cocky new kid. I feel like the lineup should read like this (compared to the 4 Horsemen): Randy Orton playing the Ric Flair role, Ted DiBiase as Tully Blanchard, Manu as Ole Anderson and Rhodes as Arn. That way Orton and DiBiase can do most of the talking with Rhodes just chiming in now and then with Manu just needing to look tough.]

- Cody Rhodes versus Batista

[Reaction: My interpretation on how the production meeting went on this one:

"Ok so Orton isn’t going to face Batista. Cody is gonna come down and say he is going to prove how tough he is and challenge Batista."

"Alright, alright cool. Good way to build the kid up."

"Then Big Dave wins in no more than 3 minutes."

"Oh…"

"And then spear Manu just for the helluva it. Should get a good pop."

"Well..."

"OH! And then he chases a fleeing Orton out of the building."

"SOLD!"

Yea, way to give the rub to the new guys. Dennis Rodman made Screech look better on CCW.]

- Beth Phoenix with Santino Marella versus Mickie James for the Women’s Title

[Reaction: Do they only have 2 competent women wrestlers on Raw? It sure seems like it.]

- Chris Jericho versus Shawn Michaels in a Last Man Standing Match

[Reaction: Ok when I first saw this match, I was unimpressed. After reading all of the online praise for both Michaels and Jericho, I took the time to watch it again. In all honestly, it was a good TV match but something was missing. I am glad they gave them enough time to properly end this feud but I think I would have liked something a little more dramatic. A HBK promo would have probably helped and maybe a week to promote it too. It just felt rushed and like it was 2 very, very good performers doing their best working with a less than ideal situation. I was able to get more excited for this week’s Hardy/Undertaker match than I was for this match because of the lack of promotion. But that’s just one man’s opinion.]

There has been much criticism lately about the current storylines and how they seem to be “out of touch” with today’s culture. In my previous article, I took a brief look at some of the more prominent stories headlining the shows in pro wrestling. Now I intend to take a look at some of the major shows in the business today and what direction their respective companies might be sending them.

Raw:

- “The New GM?”

o Can anyone remember when the role of General Manager added to the quality of the program instead of being just another segment that we have to sit through? I would have to actually go back to the very first set of general managers, Eric Bischoff and Stephanie McMahon. Bischoff had already established his character in WCW and Stephanie is just simply a McMahon. Since that combination, the role of general manager has truly been hit or miss. Paul Heyman played the role well but Teddy Long has been brutal from the beginning and has yet to get better. Vickie Guerrero is just a joke and all the others were largely forgettable. But now it seems like we could be seeing a new spin on the authority figure with the sibling rivalry of Shane and Stephanie McMahon. We all know that the McMahons equal ratings and that’s exactly what the WWE desperately needs. A feud between Shane and Stephanie McMahon would be ratings gold. They were on screen a total of 10 minutes this past Raw and already people are drooling for more. Shane and Orton had immediate chemistry in the ring and Stephanie can instantly make any audience turn against her, or fall deeply in love with her. This just might be the storyline backbone that the entire company needs as a spark. The only problem with this scenario is Shane’s lack of desire for being on camera. He would much rather stay on the corporate side of things and be able to be home every night for dinner with his family. This will be the one factor that will make this angle sink or swim.

- “Randy Orton & Priceless”

o Ted DiBiase in Randy Orton’s Priceless will have the same fate as Orton in Evolution. The slooooooooow build for this whole angle has played out very well with the audience chomping on the bit for the 4 men to just join together and take over the Raw brand. Its about time that a dominant group of men ran roughshod over the WWE and all 4 of these men have the pedigree to reign on top for a long time. DiBiase will be the breakout star of this crew and a feud with Orton will headline at least 2 Pay Per Views in 2009.

Smackdown:

- “Battle of the Big Men”

o The Undertaker and the Big Show are once again embroiled in a feud. And surprisingly its no more exciting than the first 3 times they attempted it. The Big Show could have very well been on the same career resurgence as Chris Jericho but instead he ended up stuck in 1999. The Big Show would be more suited in a program with Edge as the heel and the Undertaker could be giving the rub to MVP or Ezekiel Jackson, both of who could move up the ladder extremely fast with the right program. Its time to move on from the “go-to” matchups between men who have worked numerous times before. Try something new. You never know when you’ll strike oil.

ECW:

- “New Talent Initiative”

o Evan Bourne. Jack Swagger. Ricky Ortiz. These are just 3 men who have done their damnest to make their mark with the opportunities they have been presented. Now with FCW having a weekly television slot, superstars like Joe Henning and Kizarny are being allowed to develop a fan base even before hitting the big time. ECW might not be the most exciting hour of television but being able to see these future major players on a smaller stage is definitely a treat.

TNA:

- “Main Event Mafia vs. TNA Originals”

o This angle was another slow build, beginning with Booker T and Sting probably before anyone really realized what was going on. TNA’s timing capitalized on constant “backstage reporting” on how the veterans were holding the younger talent down. The MEM have a nice dynamic of personalities and abilities and have just the right amount of accolades to make it believable. Sting was able to pull off a slow heel turn to relatively good results. Essentially, creative combined all the successful feuds from the past year and threw them all into one pot. I just wish they would focus on a few TNA Originals along with Joe and Styles instead of a rotating group of mid-carders. But yet I still feel that finally TNA was able to strike cord with a major angle that could develop into something huge.

- “Foley in Charge”

o As I stated in my last article, Foley at the top of the creative food chain could be the best thing to happen in the history of TNA. His creative mind is probably the most valuable resource they’ve acquired in the past year but now its up to them to realize this and capitalize on it. Only time will tell.

The potential for each of these shows is pretty high and it’s been awhile since anyone has been able to say that. But history is against them. As with the Orton/Punk program, the blow offs for some of the biggest angles in the past few years have been lackluster at best. Even the Ladder Match climax of the Shawn Michaels/Chris Jericho feud (while a classic), did not provide the closure that many angles need in order to feel complete. And this was widely considered to be one of the best storylines of the past 5 years. It just goes to show how the standards have fallen slightly across the board and that is the main dilemma that needs to be addressed before things can begin to improve.

- Randy Orton’s music hit and he came out to the ring. He reminded us of the ultimatum he gave to Shane and Stephanie McMahon.

[Reaction: I love the slow build they’ve given Orton’s return. He is a major player and will be for years to come, I’m glad they decided to treat him that way.]

- Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy defeated MVP and The Brian Kendrick (with Ezekiel Jackson) in 4:13.

[Reaction: Simple squash match to showcase two men who have been a big part of Raw over the years. I would have liked to see Kendrick and MVP with a little more offense to capitalize on the rub but I guess it wasn’t meant to be.]

- William Regal won a battle royal that included Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Jamie Noble, Manu, Snitsky, JTG, and Shad in to win an Intercontinental Championship Match in 3:25.

[Reaction: Was anyone else rooting for Ted DiBiase once he eliminated the other members of Priceless? I was truly marking out for this kid.]

- Randy Orton/Shane McMahon/Mike Adamle segment.

[Reaction: Shane McMahon will always get a reaction, the son could be more popular than the father ever was but has always been shy of the limelight. I was fine with Adamle resigning; it might have been the one true pop he would have ever received.]

- Vladimir Kozlov defeated Bret “The Hitman” Haas in :23.

[Reaction: Haas is the epitome of what a man should do with the spot he is given. Keep your mouth shut and do your damnest to get it over. Too bad he was just fed to the Moscow Mauler.]

- Degeneration X defeated John Morrison and The Miz in 6:32.

[Reaction: Let me start out by saying that I hate the Miz. I think he is a reality show leech who somehow weaseled his way into a contact. That being said, the man has stepped up his game and is living out his dream. I just wish he had to pay his dues. As far as the match goes, it was pretty standard although I am glad Morrison & Miz got some good offense in. Yes they we built up just to be fed to DX, but I do feel they gained some strength from this brief program.]

- Beth Phoenix pinned Mae Young to win a 16-diva tag match for her team in 1:33.

[Reaction: …..whatever]

- C.M. Punk defeated Randy Orton by disqualification in 2:51.

[Reaction: Last month this was a main event program in the making. Now, it was a 3-minute match with no payoff and the crowd rooting for the heel by the end. Can’t help but feel like they missed the mark with these two. Maybe they’ll be able to salvage something for this program but it’s going to be much more difficult now.]

- The Undertaker defeated JBL by countout in 2:53.

[Reaction: Simple segment that brought the Deadman back to Raw and furthered the JBL/Michaels storyline without getting too convoluted.]

- Kung Fu Naki, Hornswoggle, The Boogey Man, Jesse and Festus, Jim Duggan, Sergeant Slaughter, Dusty Rhodes, and Goldust danced in the ring. Goldust kissed Cole. Ron Simmons came out to the stage and gave his line.

[Reaction: Does today’s wrestling fan even remember who all these people are? I’d be surprised if half the people in the arena have seen Slaughter or Rhodes in the ring.]

- Kane and Mark Henry defeated Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston in 2:23.

[Poor Kofi being thrown into Evan Bourne’s spot with no warning. This just seemed like a spot to get some of the bigger names onto the card and was a little out of place.]

- Backstage, Stephanie sat down next to Shane. Stephanie said she loved Shane’s announcement but to keep the surprises to a minimum. Shane wished Vince could be there. Steph agreed that Vince would be proud to see how well they were doing.

[Can anyone else see these two as the new GMs of Raw and Smackdown? Too bad there are so many reasons why it wouldn’t happen (look for my next article).]

- Chris Jericho defeated Batista in a steel cage match to win the World Heavyweight Championship in 15:34.

[Reaction: Nothing against Batista but the Raw brand works a bit better right now with a heel on the top and almost everyone loves to hate Jericho. He might not be selling a load of t-shirts but he will be selling tickets to people who want to see him get his ass kicked.]