LOOKING AT THE GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR LAST NIGHT'S WWE RAW
By Revin Samuel on 2/14/2012 11:45 AM
RAW – 13/2/12
What needs to happen on this week’s Raw?
•It’s very critical that on this go home show for the Elimination Chamber that WWE make the other four participants in the Elimination Chamber match outside of Chris Jericho and CM Punk look credible. WWE announced four matches for Raw this evening and three of them should have implications on the Chamber. I appreciate that WWE took the time to announce these matches in advance to build some anticipation for the online community, I can’t stress enough how much better it would have been if they could have announced all three of these matches at the end of last week’s show or at least on Smackdown last week. Also given that Smackdown ended with Orton and Show brawling, I wouldn’t give that match away on Raw that should be held off for the Smackdown go home show, but perhaps they have an angle in mind
•Elimination Chamber promotion. WWE has done a solid job of promoting this show, better than usual and I hope that heats up even more this week
•John Cena-Kane. I think we need to see the intense promo from Cena this week. After last week’s whacky ending with Kane and Eve, I don’t think it would be a bad idea to have Eve give Cena another yelling to about Kane tormenting her and Ryder and how Cena has to end it at the EC.
•Brodus Clay. I said last week that it was time to bring him back and I’m sticking to it. I read alot online last week that its Wrestlemania season and fresh characters like Brodus will be downplayed heading into Wrestlemania and that’s fine, and I encourage that he not be on every television show, every week, but he shouldn’t disappear all together from television just because were in Wrestlemania season. He might not be my favourite character, but he’s got people talking and so they need to keep the momentum going
Show Breakdown
- With all the top storylines happening on Raw these days, Kane-Cena wouldn’t have been my first video package to come out with, but that being said the storyline received little hype last week so they do need to put some more focus on it
- I hope this isn’t another long overly scripted Kane monologue...and it isn’t. The writers seem to have learned from the Kane-Edge program and have done a good job of resisting writing long drawn out Kane promos.
- The setup of this debate is a tad hokey. I’m sensing a long interview segment here, no surprise given that sixteen writers equals lots of writing and talking segments.
- WWE getting cute with the Laurinaitis interruption there.
- I like that CM Punk plays into the crowd response unlike Lawler who just wanted to get the lines out and follow the overly produced rules of engagement from WWE creative, not that I’m blaming Lawler.
- It was just months ago that Punk was ripping on the phrase WWE Universe; he needs to stay consistent with his character and not start using it now.
- Ah R-Truth and WWE comedy for their main event match at the Elimination Chamber. I don’t know how on the go home show WWE can’t resist going down this road. If I’m Punk, Jericho or anyone else, I just walk to the back as everyone just looks dopey standing side by side like this especially since they’ll be having one on one matches later
- I do like Miz pointing out Punk’s record in the Elimination Chamber. Why doesn’t WWE just cut Miz’s mic when he goes past the 45 seconds? Oh that’s right, because The Bubble is probably chuckling in the back at hearing the buzzer noise go off again.
- Solid promo from Kofi Kingston and he seems to have solid fan support. Kofi kind of reminds me of Ricky Steamboat in the 80’s WWF where alot of people really liked him, but he never got to achieve main event level success.
- Nice touch by Jericho to point out that he won the World Title in his last Elimination Chamber.
- Okay segment and it was dedicated to hyping the pay per view so I like that aspect of it, but overall this is the type of overly produced segment that WWE needs to move away from.
- On a side note, I understand Vince McMahon will use the cop out that it’s a menu and you have to please everyone, but I don’t buy into that theory at all in regards to that R-Truth squawking like a Dolphin or whatever. It runs people off who want to enjoy the product or gives credence to those who have left as to why they have left and stayed away.
- I like that Jericho let Kofi get out of the walls, I can think of a few top level performers who wouldn’t do that.
- Fine match with Jericho and Kofi and Kofi is still proven to be an afterthought.
- Ryder’s back and I guess we know who is going away in an ambulance tonight...hopefully it’s a swerve.
- The Ryder-Eve love story has nothing on the love triangle between Jericho and Trish in 2004. Does this validate that quantity in writers doesn’t validate quality?
- Hey Shawn Michaels saw Triple H backstage, why does he need to come to the ring to talk to him now? Oh right, I need to let them have their creative license on this one.
- Good to see a replay of what happened on Smackdown. WWE has done a nice job ever since going to the “Super Show” formats of cross promoting the brands.
- A couple issues I’d like to point out as I see Bryan sitting beside Cole. Earlier we had Jericho standing beside Kofi and Truth standing beside Ziggler in the debate, and they are all competing against each other tonight and now we have Bryan sitting beside Cole. Where is the quality control? Why couldn’t Kofi be standing beside Truth and Ziggler beside Jericho? Why doesn’t Bryan sit on the side of Lawler? At least Cole isn’t going off on Bryan with Bryan so close to him
- Good touch to have Lawler point out why Cole is saying nice things about Bryan.
- Nice spot doing the DDT spot from the top rope on Big Show
- Good angle to hype the Smackdown side of the Elimination Chamber. It seems like something they’d do on the go home show, but I assume they have an angle in mind for Smackdown. BTW, I’ve heard some people say it doesn’t give much value to the Smackdown main event angle to have it be a middle segment on Raw. I personally don’t have an issue with that as there are only certain spots available on Raw so if they are doing the super show format the top rating spots will probably generally be for the top Raw storylines.
- I just read the site and saw that Orton-Bryan in a rematch is the main event of this week’s Smackdown. I really hope they don’t have Randy beat Bryan clean to setup Bryan as a champion who can lose at the Elimination Chamber. I hate when they do that type of stuff.
- As per usual when I see Shawn Michaels on Raw, I say to myself only he could get away with wearing what he’s wearing. At least Shawn pointed out that he called Laurinaitis and said he needed to come to Raw instead of what they did last week where Laurinaitis randomly said Shawn’s coming to Raw and then the announcers said it was to talk to HHH.
- As per usual Triple H has to bury the rest of the roster while noting the “Smash Mouth” style is gone. It wasn’t as bad as usual, but it’s still there.
- Great segment from Shawn and Hunter especially Triple H who really put the pedal to the medal with one of the better promos I’ve heard him cut in years.
- Cole bringing up R-Truth’s comedy promo from the beginning of the show makes me recognize that Truth can never be a main event player with this gimmick. It’s another gimmick that gets The Bubble in the back laughing, but will never draw money. Ziggler on the other hand is a guy who could draw money, but he doesn’t even get a ring entrance so I guess that tells us where they feel he stands.
- Was that another loss for a mid card heel? Guys like Ziggler, Cody and Wade can’t seem to catch a break.
- Ryder is really being tarnished by WWE Creative and this alliance with John Cena and bad comedy with WWE Creative’s creation, Santino. Hopefully he still has a fan base when this storyline is all over with.
- Good to see WWE announcing the Beth-Tamina match for Elimination Chamber. I think that makes four matches for the show.
- I still think Tamina needs an outfit change, but that’s a minor nitpick.
- WWE couldn’t show that gorgeous Rock video package that they showed on Smackdown? I wonder if it was by design to a show a package just promoting his movie so Cena would have material to work with.
- Eve’s screaming saved us from what would have been a terrible John Cena comedy promo based on Cena’s initial facial reactions.
- Whacky angle with Kane and I’m not sure where they are going with Eve kissing Cena and Zack seeing it, but I hope it’s not designed to turn Zack heel.
- More weirdness with Eve and Zack that I’m not sure I care for.
- Miz’s punches look really phony as he beats down Punk. I’m really starting to buy into the people who say Miz is an actor playing wrestler.
- If that’s the final hype for the Raw Elimination Chamber match, I don’t approve. I think Jericho should have come out and confronted Punk and had Ziggler lay them both out and hold up the title, but I guess WWE thinks that’s too much for their audience to compute.
- As much as I don’t mind the Cena-Kane storyline for keeping Cena intense. The tag line of “Embrace the hate” is just stupid.
- Ryder made to look like a complete idiot again. WWE Creative really doesn’t like that he got over without them.
- It would probably be a nice touch with this type of show ending stretcher angle to have Laurinaitis come out there, but I guess he’s a heel and not supposed to care.
What was accomplished on the show?The Good
•Great segment with Shawn and Hunter. Shawn seemed to be losing his voice a little, but it worked for this segment. Hunter cut one of the better promos I’ve seen him cut in years probably because there was some truth to it with the pressure of taking over the company. I also like this Undertaker video package and it looks like now they are going to give us a reason as to why his hair is shorter
•Bryan-Orton-Show. Fine angle here as well to build the Smackdown brand, Elimination Chamber and the development of Bryan’s smarmy heel persona
•Elimination Chamber hype. The hype wasn’t great, nor was it good by any means, but the show did seem focused on pay per view hype, which is a good thing for me always
The Bad
•John Cena-Kane-Zack Ryder-Eve. What nonsense this was. If WWE’s plan is to get sympathy for John Cena, this wasn’t it. Ryder has looked like a tool one too many times and I really question if those in WWE Creative want to sabotage him because he rendered them useless by getting himself over. A Ryder heel turn is not where this needs to go, but would be standard WWE for once again dictating to their audience, while not understanding them whatsoever
•The Debate. If there was a way to take away heat from an Elimination Chamber match, WWE and that outstanding crew of writers found a way to do it. All six participants in the ring together at the start of the show. Punk looks like a complete fool just standing there. Would this have happened to Steve Austin? The R-Truth comedy is just terrible and has nothing to do with a menu where you need to appease different people like Vince will justify it as. Three of the participants were beaten cleanly and no heat was put on this match at the end of the show. Punk won his match and held up the belt. Ridiculous.
•The Rock video package. I’m not sure if WWE has some deal with Rock where they have to promote his movie, but this was overboard and Rock is usually smarter than that. I really question if this was by design to give John Cena more material to work with. The package they had on Smackdown last week, which has yet to air on Raw was one of the best packages they’ve done in a while and deserves to get on Raw
•Triple H sabotages the locker room again. What is wrong with this guy? The most insecure and selfish on screen performer I’ve ever seen even more so then Hulk Hogan
•The use of Dolph Ziggler. I can only shake my head
Overall Thoughts
•This was the epitome of too many people involved in putting this show together. From the debate to the show closing angle, it was once again more about the writing then it was about the talent.
What needs to be accomplished on next week’s show?
•There are no more pay per views or big shows in the way and WWE can put all their focus on Wrestlemania. It begins with promoting Rock’s return for the following week. Don’t under promote it to make Rock look bad, give it the proper time due and try and hit a nice rating
•No more car accident or over the top angles, no more bad comedy and end the over scripting. This is Wrestlemania season and all focus needs to be on pointing to that Wrestlemania sign going forward. For six weeks let’s see if WWE can realize it’s about the talent and not about the people putting the show together
Feedback: revinsamuel@rogers.com
