February 25, 2011

Monday Night Raw Review: 2/21/11

Yeah, I knew the tuesday thing wouldn't last. Sorry to get your hopes up.

WZ Coverage

The Good:

Cena's promo. I'm glad he dusted off the PhD in Thuganomics. It was literally the only thing he could do to get the fans back on his side after the Rock totally owned him last week. I can't wait to hear the backlash from the gay jokes.

Orton/Punk. This is going places, and I like it. This is a great angle, mostly because everyone had forgotten about Orton punting him. I know I did. Now we have a revelation that this might be why Punk went heel. I hope they don't drop the ball with this.

Del Rio/Kofi. I hope this leads to a title feud. Maybe with Kofi's kayfabe injury, there'll be a tournament that Del Rio will win, then Kofi will return to seek revenge. It's been done before, but it's the most likely scenario. That, or a straight up title match.

Taker AND Trips returning in one night. While I'm not a big Triple H fan anymore, Raw needs him the way SD needs Taker. Plus I dig Taker's new entrance. I don't know much about pyrotechnics so I always find it cool when they can perfectly aim lightning.

Hacksaw in the hall of fame. I think he's a good addition.

The Bad:

Only showing pictures from the PPV's. This bothers me every time. I don't really watch PPV's so I kinda want to be able to see some highlights that aren't stills. I can understand why they do it, because they want people to spend the money to see it, but at least give those that can't or don't want to pay for it a chance to see at least something.

Punk's ass scrape. I'm all for some violence, but that just looks painful. I don't like seeing guys get legitimately hurt.

The 2/21/11 hype. We know who it is, just get it over with. Plus, it's supposed to be a surprise. Don't put a time on it. Honestly, I think it would have been better to do for Taker what they did for the Rock. Just shut off every damn light in the place and do it that way. Maybe I'm being too critical because I'm glad Taker's back, but they could have done it a lot better.

Cole interviewing Lawler. Well, just Cole's half. I liked Jerry's part. I'm more upset about the fact Cole was able to bash Jerry's recently deceased mother on air. I guess it wouldn't have happened if Jerry wasn't cool with it, but I just don't think it's right.

Cole vs. Lawler at WM. I want to see Cole get his ass handed to him, but I just don't think WM is the place and nor is King the person to do it.

WTF:

Cena on my good list? AGAIN? Is this the apocalypse?

Miz having trouble saying "unquestionably, undoubtedly....etc" he's usually good on the mic but this was just funny.

This one isn't so much WTF but I still laugh at it: Punk using Orton's full name. I giggle every time and I don't know why. Maybe it's because Orton is supposedly this cool, tough, hardened SOB, then to her his name is Randall kinda kills that persona.

Why did they put Taker and Trips in the middle of the show?

Did Taker just break character? I have NEVER seen any flicker of emotion on his face until now.

Why put the belts on Cena and Miz for literally 5 minutes? What did it accomplish?

Only 4 matches? C'mon, you can do better than that.

The Matches:

Morrison vs. Punk --  Great match. I loved the way they sold their injuries from last night (take notes, Cena). I wish it had gone on a little longer, but it was pretty good for the length. Both guys had some great moves here tonight. Morrison is continuing to get a good push. I hope they have him face Danielson for the US Title.

Rating: 8/10

Bellas vs. Eve and Gail Kim -- I don't overly like divas matches, and I don't overly like tag team matches. Put them together and we have a clusterfuck. Don't get me wrong, when done right, they're both great. This was not one of those cases. I'm getting sick and tired of seeing the whole twin schtick as well. Yeah, we get it, they look enough alike that the ref can't tell the difference. It's old. Do something else.

Rating: 5/10

Sheamus vs. Mark Henry -- I said I wanted them to do something other than give Mark Henry random tag partners, but this is not what I had in mind. Henry looked sweaty -- I mean sloppy, well maybe both -- as ever. Add to that they stopped Sheamus' push dead in its tracks (assuming that he doesn't feud with Danielson) and we have a pretty shitty match.

Rating: 5/10

Miz/Cena vs. Slater/Gabriel -- Yeah, This was pointless I'm not even going to bother. This goes for both matches.

Rating: 3/10

Average Match Rating: 5.3/10 (-1.2)

Match of the Night: Morrison vs. Punk

Overall Show Rating: 8/10 (+0.5)

I gave the show an 8 for it's surprisingly decent promos and the returns of Taker and Triple H. There was some great setups for things to come, but at the same time the show was lacking a little bit. I think this is the highest rated Raw I've reviewed.

February 17, 2011

WWE Needs Competition

We've all said it, we all know it: Competition drives people to create/put out better products. A lot of us have said that WWE needs competition. The way I figure it, the only company at WWE's level is, well, WWE. With that in mind, I'd like to propose that WWE creates their own competition.

There are currently 2 brands, with 2 rosters. While ideally they would be unified again, in their current state there is the opportunity to start a massive brand warfare angle. Basically, have some kind of trigger that starts everything, and then have one of the GM's announce that it will be taken as an act of war if a superstar from the other brand sets foot on their show. Then have both shows try to one-up one another on a weekly basis.

Yeah, I've been a big supporter of a unified WWE, but if the brands are going to be separate, I say use it to your advantage. I know it wouldn't be legit like the Monday Night Wars, but I think it's the best we'd be able to get at this stage in the game.

Maybe even have it headed up by Shane vs. Stephanie in a fight to prove to Vince who the more worthy heir is. This, if done well, could also lead to the unification of the brands. WWE needs an overhaul on a lot of levels and I think this is a great starting point.

I do realize that WWE could still continue to give us crap on top of crap because they're their own competition, so we're giving them ratings either way, but I hope they're smart about it and give us real reasons to watch. Here's something else that would be neat to see, heels and faces only exist within each brand, because as soon as you show up on the other brand you'll get booed back to the stone age.

It would definitely add an awesome new dynamic to the shows, it would drive merchandise sales for both brands and stars and create the competition WWE so clearly needs. Like I said above, even if it's not legit, it would still be better than what we're getting now.

February 16, 2011

Monday Night Raw Review: Feb. 14/11

Wow, Tuesday again. I must be picking up my slack.... Naw. I just had free time on tuesdays for the last 2 weeks for the first time in seemingly forever. Hopefully this trend continues. Also, I promise I'm working really hard on my next feature post. It's taking longer than I'd hoped because of work and other things in my life.

WZ Coverage

The Good:

-- Cena making fun of Cole. If there's one person I like less than Cena, it's Cole. Way to go Cena, you managed to make me laugh.

-- Alberto Del Rio again does well on the mic. He is one of the next big heels without a doubt.

-- Miz's post-match promo. Yes, his delivery was a little off, but yours would be too if you just finished a match. Other than that it was great. He knows what he's doing both in the ring and on the mic.

-- FUCK YEAH ROCKY! Loved his promo tonight. Too awesome to be PG. That was some of the best Cena bashing I've ever heard. Plus, he kept the censors busy which is always cool.

The Bad:

-- Vickie Guerrero. I absolutely hate this bitch. She can't talk for shit.

-- The Bellas beating down Eve. I don't know why this bugs me, it just does.

-- The fact that Mark Henry still has a job. Can they find something for this guy to do that doesn't invlove being on TV?

-- Well, there goes any suspense that may have been left with the 2/21/11 videos.

WTF:

-- Cena's on the good list?

-- Who was that random girl and why is she doing a kiss cam?

-- R Truth didn't make the WTF list? WTF?

The Matches:

Cena vs. Punk -- Wow, this was semi decent. Cena wasn't nearly as bad as he normally is. I guess I'm still riding the high from him bashing Cole, but this maybe Cena's highest rated match ever. There were some decent moves by Punk, and like I said, Cena wasn't as bad as usual.

Rating: 6/10

Natalya vs. Eve -- Yeah, not a big fan of this one. It was alright, but nothing special. The lumberjills didn't do anything to add to the match.

Rating: 5/10

Miz vs. Danielson -- Great match. I don't care what anyone says, Miz is well on his way to being a top heel. Danielson is only going to go higher up the ladder as well. Both men were very impressive. This is how a match is done. Nice to see Miz trying a submission or two. Great match from 2 top superstars.

Rating: 8/10

McG and Otunga vs. Morrison and Truth -- This tag match was surprisingly okay. I'm normally not a huge fan of tag matches, but this one was good. There were some nice spots and overall it was well done. Not the best by any means, but it was solid.

Rating: 6/10

Orton vs. Sheamus -- Another awesome match. Both guys did a great job tonight. Some pretty great technical work, and the match got me excited. Let's hope these guys get some time together in the Elimination Chamber.

Rating: 7.5/10

Average Match Rating: 6.5/10 (+1.2)

Match of the Night: Miz vs. Danielson

Overall Show Rating: 7.5/10 (+1.5)

This show was actually decent. I'm surprised. Vince managed to deliver on his promise from last week. Having the Rock host Wrestlemania was a great move, at least for the fans old enough to remember him. The matches seemed better too. I hope this upward trend continues next week.

February 9, 2011

Monday Night Raw Review: Feb. 7/11

Holy shit. I'm actually doing this on tuesday for a change.

WZ Coverage

The Good:

-- The opening segment with Nexus and Orton. Continuity is a big factor here, even if it is 3 years later. There was some great mic work as always from these 2.

-- CM Punk calling Orton "Randall." I dunno why I like it, I just thought it was fitting.

-- Is it just me, or were there less emails this week than before?

-- "5 move Cena" sign seen during Josh's interview of Sheamus.

The Bad:

-- McMahon's announcement about an upcoming announcement. It was a waste of time and a huge letdown. I was hoping it would be something big instead of just saying we have to tune in next week to find out. It's bullshit. That, and I don't think the host will be anyone to get excited about.

-- The new 2/21/11 promo. They absolutely murdered any suspense behind it. Had they not included the music, it would have still worked. That was my biggest issue with it. On the other hand, did I or did I not insist it was Taker?

-- Jerry Lawler on the mic. Please give him back his sanity pills and stick him back at the announce desk.

-- Punk's legit broken nose. I hope he's okay. Although it does throw a new twist into things. If done properly, WWE could play off of this with a decent payoff.

WTF?

-- Is it just me, or does the crowd chant "Cena" at random times for no apparent reason?

-- Truth don't know where he at. 2 weeks of this segment and 2 weeks Truth makes the list.

-- Cena covering for Truth's slip up by implying he got intoxicated. Way to be PG, guys.

The Matches:

Mason Ryan vs. R-Truth -- The reversed decision was annoying to say the least, but the stretch muffler by Ryan was awesome. Not much to say other than that.

Rating: 6/10

Gail Kim, Eve and Tamina vs. The Bellas and Melina -- Melina was the only real standout in the match and I think the Bellas just got in the way more than anything. Another wasted Divas match.

Rating: 5/10

Morrison vs. McG -- Decent match, if a little short. I don't understand why Punk sprayed stuff in Morrison's face. Why not just go straight for the beatdown? Why was the spray necessary?

Rating: 7/10

King and Danielson vs. Miz and DiBiase -- There was nothing good about this match. Sure, 3/4 of the guys were doing well from a technical aspect, this match wasn't exciting. It was all around terrible.

Rating: 4/10

King Sheamus vs. Otunga -- What is this I don't even.....

Rating: 4/10

Santino vs. Del Rio -- FINALLY, someone who doesn't fall victim to the worst finisher in history. Other than that, nothing spectacular. Del Rio looked great as he usually does and like I said it's nice to see someone not lose to the Cobra.

Rating: 6/10

Cena vs. Punk -- Yeah, where do I start? The blatant low blow that would get anyone else booed back to the stone age, the fact that Punk now looks weak despite efforts to build up him and Nexus as a threat, the always shoddy ring work from Cena, it all adds up to bullshit.

Rating: 5/10

Average Match Rating: 5.3/10 (-0.3)

Match of the Night: Morrison vs. McG

Overall Show Rating: 6/10 (--)

The wrestling was shit tonight, but the rest of the show was okay. 7 matches is higher than average, but I'd rather quality over quantity (both at the same time would be ideal). Feature post is still in the works. I have a couple days off after tomorrow, I'll look at it then.

February 2, 2011

WWE Monday Night Raw Review: Jan. 31/11

It's that time of the week again, folks. I'm going to be tinkering with my new format a little bit. First a couple of notes on it: Cena and Cole will never appear under the bad section, unless there is something in particular worth mentioning specifically. Other than that, they are a given on the list.

As with the above, matches won't appear under the good or bad, unless again there is something worth singling out. They have their own section and will be reviewed there.

Introducing a new section, "WTF?" This will cover the things that don't fit into either category, and made me go "huh?" or what have you.

Let's get this rolling.

WZ Coverage

The Good:

--Alberto Del Rio's opening promo. He pulls of the arrogant douchebag gimmick very well. Plus, he insulted Justin Bieber. Can't argue with that. Actually, I'm going to change this and say the entire opening segment, minus the mention below in "the bad." Everyone did a great job here.

-- Maryse walking out on DiBiase. I think that she was weighing him down. Hopefully this brings an end to them. Maryse is hot, but she does nothing for Ted. Unless they play the gold digger angle, this is going nowhere.

-- The 2/21/11 video. It's done something that the WWE product has done recently. It has people talking. I even watched it frame by frame to see if there were subtle hints. I'm leaning towards Taker myself, despite what someone has said about Taker's videos being extremely conspicuous. I for one think that this is a gimmick alteration that Taker does from time to time.

-- Morrison is impressive yet again. hanging from the bottom rope by his feet and hauling himself back up was sweet. Between this and last night during the Rumble, he's on a bit of a roll. That, and he was able to get a few good shots on Cena for good measure.

The Bad:

-- Finding out who Del Rio is facing so soon. I honestly prefer the long buildup in this case. They kinda blew a good month of hype with that. On the other hand, they now have a definitive match to push. Does that balance out? Not quite.


-- Husky Harris being taken out. I would have much rather seen Orton punt Otunga, but oh well. Harris and McG were one of the few viable tag teams left and with one of them gone, I question not only Nexus, but the tag team division as a whole.

-- Jerry Lawler as the #1 contender. This guy shouldn't be in the ring, let alone a WWE title match. It's a waste of, well, everything.

-- Putting both top champions on the middle card for the second night in a row. I said it in my random rant the other night and I'll say it again. It doesn't make the titles look as important as they should. If they're the 2 things that everyone is gunning for, why have them so low on the card?

-- Danceoff. What the hell was that. The world's fattest man and the Punjabi teddy bear dancing against the Usos. Well, at least it wasn't a Cena match.

WTF? 


-- Was one of Del Rio's mariachi players Asian?

-- How the hell did someone get in a sign that said "hell" on it?

-- When you go for a tandem move, make sure both people can actually do it. Third time is the charm though, right Truth?

The Matches:

Santino/Kozlov vs. Harris/McGillicutty -- To quote Miz for a second, really? Really? Nexus is supposed to be stronger than ever, yet they're losing to a joke of a finisher. It's total BS. That said, Harris and McGillicutty (I'm sick of typing that out, from now on, I'm calling him McG) did alright. Good work from them, but that was the only good part of the match.

Rating: 6/10

Bryan Danielson vs. Tyson Kidd -- Too short, plus the Bellas on commentary made for a boring match. Danielson is normally highly rated, but this week is an exception. I think he and Kidd did a good job in terms of technical ability, but the match didn't draw me in.

Rating: 6/10

Edge vs. Miz -- Great match, until Cena came along of course. He has this uncanny ability of ruining everything, including himself. It's total bullshit that we should have to see Cena sticking his ugly mug into everything that makes a show good. The was one of the few decent matches tonight, and he killed it.

Rating: 7/10

Eve/Natalya vs. LayCool -- Not a fan of this one. The only standout was Natalya as seems to be the case every week, but Layla was still hot as ever. Not much to say here.

Rating: 5/10

Raw Rumble -- It had its moments, but overall it was dumb. It was at best a very poor man's Rumble. I didn't understand why it was necessary. I don't have anything else to say about this.

Rating: 4/10

Average Match Rating: 5.6/10 (+0.4)

Match of the Night: Edge vs. Miz, minus the finish

Overall Show Rating: 6/10 (+1)


I was honestly hoping for more matches, but the Raw Rumble ate up way too much time. There were good promos as there usually is, but there was nothing overly spectacular. I'm working on a post about how WWE can draw people back in through internal means and I should have that up in a few days.