Showing posts with label Monday Night Raw. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monday Night Raw. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

What Is Going On?

I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one who is wondering what is going on in the WWE lately. There have been a lot of changes and a lot of things happening that haven't really been making sense to anyone. Let's start with the Over The Limit pay-per-view and go from there.

I would just like to start off by saying that I had an 88% success rate with my predictions and I'm pretty proud of that. Overall, the event was excellent and one of the best pay-per-views of the year. The crowd seemed really into each and every match (with the main event being the huge exception) and the superstars truly entertained all of those who were in attendance.

Hits:
- Christian winning the battle royal was a huge moment and something that I enjoyed very much. I have always admired Christian as a performer and he truly deserved the win. I jumped up off the couch and cheered when he won and my mom thought that I hurt myself. It is nice to see people who deserve  a shot finally getting one.

-The CM Punk and Daniel Bryan match stole the show and should have been the main event of the evening. These two men put on a clinic for how a wrestling match should look. I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that they had known each other on the independent circuit but it was a match that rivaled the one Punk had against Cena at Money In The Bank.

Misses:
-The only real 'miss' worth mentioning is the main event that saw Johnny Ace face John Cena. I love John Cena but this match was just ridiculous. I was bored and just not into it at all. Seeing him humiliate the General Manager was mildly entertaining but it was kind of embarrassing because Cena is so much more talented than that. When the Big Show came out, I thought maybe he would have a chance at winning and Teddy would get the General Manager job back. Sadly, this was not the case as Big Show turned heel and we became stuck with John Laryingitis for the foreseeable future.

-A tiny thing I noticed was when Michael Cole said that Christian was 'less expereienced' than Miz. Really?

The edition of Monday Night Raw that followed was scattered and disjointed. The segment featuring Ricardo Rodriguez and Santino Marella was a prime example of that, sure it was funny but it felt like it didn't belong in the show at all. The whole Big Show contract thing really got on my nerves as well, Johnny kept saying that it was a verbal agreement, that still constitutes a contract. I still say he should have been fired and it took the WWE Universe pointing it out on Twitter for them to realize they flubbed and made a mistake. I sincerely hope that someone in creative got reprimanded for that one.

The Punk and Daniel Bryan feud is something that I am excited about, I think that this is something that could really light a fire in the WWE and it is a feud that the fans really want to see. The fallout from Over The Limit was that Punk's victory was a fluke and Bryan claims he made Punk tap out. I don't understand why they are trying to make this into a big deal. Punk pinned Bryan for the win and Punk tapped out AFTER he won. What's the big deal? I'm not sure where they are trying to go with this but I sincerely hope that the storyline with them doesn't fizzle out prematurely.

The edition of Monday Night Raw that aired on May 28th was much of the same. It was weird to see a broadcast without John Cena, who is (I'm assuming) dealing with his divorce. Big Show came out and gave a speech that could have put anyone to sleep but when he mentioned a "phony UFC so-called fighter" I was left wondering if that was a shot at Brock Lesnar? I personally prefer Show as a face but the heel turn could be interesting if the angle with Brodus Clay continues. The Funkasaurus is growing on me and the little bit of edge he showed tonight makes him more appealing as a superstar.

The best part of this show was seeing that Punk got the cover of the new WWE'13 video game.

For the love of all that is holy, John Cena better be back next week....

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Live from Edmonton, Alberta.

I had the pleasure of attending the August 22nd edition of Monday Night Raw and I just have to say that no one does it better than the WWE. They don't travel to Edmonton, located 5 hours away from my hometown, very often but when they do it's always worth the travel and money to get there. I was lucky enough to stay in the same hotel as Sheamus, David Otunga (who is extremely polite), and Michael McGillicutty.

The Superstars matches were excellent, seeing Sheamus defeat Heath Slater and Daniel Bryan defeat Drew McIntyre. It was a thrill to see Daniel Bryan wrestle as he is one of my all time favorite competitors. The Edmonton crowd is always awesome to be a part of, everyone was into the ring action. My friends and I had such amazing seats, row 9, on the floor, right by the titantron.

The MNR broadcast as a whole was one of the best I've seen in a long time and my second live Raw. It's been a few days since the show and I'm sure everyone knows who beat who and what not, so I'm going to highlight a few of my favorite moments from my live WWE experience...

Even though I LOVE John Cena, CM Punk stole the show from everyone. The crowd just ate him up, seeing him cut a promo live was one of the most memorable wrestling moments of my entire life. The reaction to Kevin Nash and Triple H didn't even come close to how the crowd responded to Punk. The section that I happened to be sitting in had a good mix of Punk and Cena fans so it was always hilarious when the two were in the ring. One of the funniest moments of the night was when Cena tossed his shirt into the crowd and it got tossed back...three times!

The crowd chants coming out of Canada are always a treat to listen to. My section got a 'We Want Hall' chant, 'Mr.Perfect' chant, and a 'Boring' chant going at various points throughout the broadcast. Our section was full of tons of great people and  there was only one lady who was raining on everyone's good time. She actually told me that since I was wearing a John Cena shirt that I should know better than to cuss. I literally had nothing to say and just laughed. One of the best parts of any event is the crowd reaction, everyone was cheering, yelling, drinking, and just having a great time. It's really something to see that one single event bring so many people together in one place. It didn't matter who cheered for who, everyone was so into it. As evidenced by the 'WHAT?' chants when the Miz and R-Truth were in the ring.

I'd also like to mention that I saw the sign that I made four or five times on television, it was just something that made the show that much more fun.

Another thing that made the event so special for me was that I got to meet the man I aspire to be when I'm done school, Jim Ross. I also met Jerry Lawler (for the second time) and Kevin Nash. They seemed a little tired and cranky but I'm sure that travel and being bombarded by fans all night will do that to you. It was a real thrill for me as a fan and aspiring WWE commentator. I would only hope to be as talented as Jim Ross one day.

I was very upset that I was unable to make it to Calgary for the Smackdown taping, just for the simple fact that Bret Hart, my favorite wrestler of all time, was in attendance. He is number one on my 'Wrestlers to Meet' list.

I will say this, I am happy that I didn't have to sit through the Sin Cara versus Heath Slater match...twice.



Monday, July 18, 2011

Money In The Bank.

It's been quite a while since my last post and we have a lot to talk about...

The hot topic in the wrestling world has been the storyline between CM Punk and John Cena. These two athletes pulled off one of the hottest angles in the last decade, it had everything a wrestling fan could want. The right amount of hype, perfect promos, and one hell of a match at Money In The Bank. The anticipation for this event has been off the charts and I personally think this will be declared the pay-per-view of 2011. Yes, even beating the showcase of the immortals.

From beginning to end, the main event had it all. CM Punk came out with a huge pop as expected (it was in his hometown of Chicago) and Cena came out to the loudest chorus of boos I have ever heard in my life. Constant non-stop action, amazing near-falls, and I think it was the best match of either man's career. It's moments like this that make me so very proud to be a WWE fan. My Dad and I sat on the edge of our seats for the entire match and were torn between who to root for. We talked about possible outcomes before and during the pay-per-view and both came to the conclusion that there would be something similar to the infamous Montreal Screwjob. We figured that there would be no way in hell that Vince would allow CM Punk to leave with the lifeblood of the WWE. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that very thing happened last night and it sent shock waves throughout the entire wrestling world.

Honestly, I think this was the correct way to go with the title match. As much as I love John Cena, the WWE needed a shake up at every level. CM Pun k deserved this win, he is one of the most talented men to ever step through those ropes as far as I am concerned. I was surprised that the ball was not dropped as there have been some questionable creative decisions made within the last few months concerning story lines and talent. It's programs like this that just go to prove that nobody does it better than World Wrestling Entertainment.

Another highlight of the event was Daniel Bryan winning the Smackdown Money In The Bank match.I've always enjoyed watching him wrestle and think that he is finally getting what he deserves. I called him as a winner from the very beginning and am so glad that it didn't go to someone like Cody Rhodes. Daniel Bryan is already so accomplished but now he is the most important man on Smackdown. He can strike at any time and win the title, it will only be a matter of time before he is main eventing.

As for the actual MITB matches, I found the Smackdown match far superior to the Raw match. It's nice to see the Smackdown guys get centre stage as I believe that they are often left on the back burner. There was one shocking moment in the Raw match, Alberto Del Rio unmasking Rey Mysterio. I actually gasped. It added a nice element of surprise to the match and gave the crowd something else to talk about. Christian versus Orton was a nail biter of a match and just added more fuel to their red hot rivalry, Christian came out as champ after provoking Randy to the point that he disqualified himself. The spitting in the face came across as a little too much but I think in the end that it worked.

The only 'boring' part of the show was the Diva match. It was a pretty decent match overall but I just do not enjoy watching them wrestle while real talents like Natalya and Beth Phoenix are left sitting in the back. Give them something else to do other than twiddle their thumbs...

It will be interesting to see what the fallout will be from MITB and how the WWE deals with CM Punk leaving the organization as champ....bring on Monday Night Raw!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

2011 WWE Draft.

The time has come for the annual WWE draft, where superstars are shuffled around and the landscape of Raw and Smackdown can change drastically.

Edge's sudden retirement (and might I add, unexpected) caused the draft to happen a few months sooner than anticipated. I always enjoy the draft and the fact that the talent gets shuffled around, providing both brands with a somewhat even range of superstars. Although I do think that Smackdown, more often than not, receives the short end of the stick. This year, the draft was unpredictable and surprising. I personally thought that the draft episode should have been a three hour episode and that a few more superstars should have been drafted. With that being said, the show was still a fairly solid broadcast, with ratings up from last week's show. I'm going to give my thoughts on the televised draft picks and a few moments from the broadcast...

Draft Pick #1: John Cena moves to Smackdown
Determining Match: Battle Royal (Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown)
It was nice to see Smackdown come out on top for once. It was the typical battle royal scenario but I truly enjoyed Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne getting some time to shine during the end of the match. They are truly talented and deserve to be more than mid-card jobbers.

I was completely shocked with seeing Cena get drafted to Friday nights (before the shocking twist at the end of the show). I figured that it would be a strong decision that would help pull in more ratings for SyFy and the WWE. Cena came out to a humongous pop, cut a high energy promo that hyped both Smackdown and his upcoming title bout this Sunday. I always enjoy Cena cutting a promo, whether fans love him or hate him, he is a true entertainer.

Now onto R-Truth. I really don't like him at all anymore. His character development has been atrocious, his antics simply unexplainable, and his interactions with superstars/fans just plain awkward. I sincerely hope that they do something with him soon. He can be an upper card performer if they truly pushed him in the right way. With his awkward interaction with Morrison last week and his smoking on television, he is clearly losing whatever fan base he had. I don't like the thought of him being heel in any way, he entertains the kids in the audience and was always such an upbeat and positive performer. Now, not so much.

We also saw another promo for Awesome Kong (or Kharma, as she will be known in the WWE). I still have no details as tow hen she will debut but I'm thinking soon. Either way, when she comes out, she will plow right through each and every diva, showing that women's wrestling is more than ditsy blondes and slap fights. Hopefully she will get to feud with either Natalya or Beth Phoenix right away, they are really the only other diva's that could stand up to Kong in any way.

Draft Pick #2: Rey Mysterio moves to Raw
Determining Match: Eve vs. Layla
In typical d-bag fashion, Michael Cole, yet again, interrupts the diva's match with his ranting. This is another reason why no one has any respect for the women of the WWE. Like I have said before, they deserve just as much respect and attention as the male competitors.

I'm just thanking my lucky stars that I don't have to watch another Cody Rhodes versus Rey Mysterio match. I find them incredibly boring and Rey falling a little flat. Here's to hoping that this transition will breathe some new life into him.

Draft Pick #3: Randy Orton moves to Smackdown
Determining Match: Sheamus vs. Kofi Kingston
I was impressed that Smackdown received such a huge boost. They seem to be somewhat undervalued as a brand, playing second fiddle to Raw. It's good to see the SD roster being beefed up a little bit with some big time talent.

The match that I waited for for half of the show was Jim Ross versus Michael Cole. Seriously, I cannot stress enough how much I despise him. You could just feel the tension between Cole and the fans, especially when he stomped on Jim Ross's trademark hat. I don't understand how the creative team is letting Cole run amuck like this and for quite some time. Whe does he constantly get to cheat to win? Why are they letting him come out on top all the time? I can;t wait until Sunday and I hope that he FINALLY gets what is coming to him in the country whipping match.

Draft Picks #4 and #5: Sin Cara and Mark Henry both move to Smackdown
Determining Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Randy Orton
I'm being continually impressed by Ziggler as he continues to show that he deserves to be in the spotlight.

The stipulation was announced for the Randy Orton and CM Punk match at Extreme Rules, a last man standing match. I enjoy watching both men compete and I am hoping that they let them actually do a little bit of damage to each other and have a real last man standing match. But I guess we'll see this Sunday...


Draft Picks #6 and #7: Big Show and Alberto Del Rio move to Raw
Determining Match: Wade Barret vs. Rey Mysterio
With Del Rio being moved to Raw and The Miz staying put, this gives us even more reason to believe that Christian will be winning the title this Sunday. There is no way that they will let one show have the two biggest titles in the company. Christian has always been one of my favorite competitors and is getting the shot that he deserves, guaranteed this match will be dedicated to his best friend Edge. I am looking forward to being thoroughly entertained this Sunday, can't wait to see him compete.

Draft Pick #8: John Cena moves back to Raw
Determining Match: 6 man tag team
What the eff happened? I kind of liked the idea of Cena joining the blue team,  maybe giving the broadcast new life. This completely threw me for a loop but makes total sense. It goes back to my original thoughts of Del Rio being drafted to Raw and his match this Sunday. No way would the WWE allow one show have two major titles. It makes sense to keep John Cena on Raw, which made his draft to Smackdown and subsequent re-draft to Raw all the more surprising.


To see the full draft results, click here.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Cole, The Miz, and Monday Night Raw.

Randy Orton and Jerry Lawler have done to Michael Cole what fans have wanted to do for months.

I really, really, really do not like Michael Cole. I've always thought he was a poor announcer and should be relegated to backstage work, just so I don't have to listen to his drivel as often. He constantly is messing up, disrespecting Hall of Famers, and just annoying the hell out of everyone. I do not expect ever announcer to have the same caliber of skills as Jim Ross, Gorilla Monsoon, or Jerry Lawler. I do, however, believe that you should be able to correctly name the wrestlers and the moves they use in the ring. Hearing him say the same words over and over when he 'has received an e-mail from the Raw General Manager' is enough to make you want to rip your ears off. I know it's an angle, anything to get a rise out of fans, and it works very well. He just doesn't seem to mesh well with the other announcers on his team, maybe that will change and maybe not.

That being said, I am very glad that CM Punk is announcing, he is saying what every fan is thinking. He makes a great addition to the Monday Night Raw announce team. If we could only get Jim Ross behind the table again...

So, The Miz finally cashed in his MITB briefcase. Whoop-de-do. It was only a matter of time before this happened. It is refreshing to see someone different get the belt instead of the same rotation of top tier guys. His gimmick is entertaining, he can cut a pretty decent promo, and he has Alex Riley to use as a lap dog. His championship reign will probably be short lived, but it will be a good change of pace from what we are normally used to seeing. It will be interesting to see how it all pans out with the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania looming in the near future.

Now on to a few points about tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw...

Michael Cole came out and blah-blah-blahed. He got taken out by Randy Orton and was promptly replaced by Josh Matthews. Matthews is doing an incredible job behind the announcing desk with CM Punk and Lawler. It will be very intriguing to see if this is a somewhat permanent move or just a one night deal. Either way, he has a very promising commentating career.

Can I just say that I am so thankful that the Juan Cena character has not appeared on television (at least not yet)? I found it extremely gimmicky, stupid, weird, oddball, there are a plethora of words to describe it. I can understand their reasoning though, no Cena would cause a drop in their ratings. The Juan character is a way to work around the 'firing' of Cena while still keeping him on the television broadcasts. For the love of everything WWE, please keep that gimmick off of TV. Just keep letting John Cena have 'tickets' and taking down the Nexus one by one. This is a storyline that will come full circle probably somewhere between the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania. The interaction between both Nexus and John Cena is really interesting to watch and is one of the most interesting angles that has occurred in a LONG time, especially during the PG era. When it is all said and done, I hope there isn't just a cut and dry ending to it. Maybe Wade and Cena can battle somewhere down the line and the other members of Nexus can have their own feuds with various other superstars. Only time will tell...

On a side note, I think breaking up the Hart Dynasty was a brilliant move. I was a little apprehensive at first, really taking a liking to the tag team of Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith. I think it will be intriguing to see how these two superstars develop individually as opposed to a tag team. Hopefully they will one day get back together and tag team but for now, their rivalry will greater show off their abilities as individual performers.

And the show ends with an ultimatum. Will Wade hire Cena back? Will he take himself out of Nexus? Who knows?