Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on Raw.
Strong Punk promo. I like his reasoning.
The rest of the segment wasn't bad. I'm kind of hoping for a three-way at Summerslam.
Fine match between Alberto and Santino.
Interesting post-match. I wonder why he won't compete until Summerslam unless they're trying to keep him fresh.
I liked the segment with Sandow and Brodus, though Vickie felt kind of out of place. I hope both Sandow and Brodus are capable of putting on good, longer matches as much as they get pushed.
Fine enough segment with Bryan and AJ. AJ is kind of an odd choice for an authority figure, but she's done so well that I'm not objecting to her getting so much TV time.
Sheamus' promo was kind of cheesy, as kissing up to the fans tends to be.
I like Bryan heeling the fans for chanting "yes". It reminds me of The Rock telling fans not to sing along with his catchphrases.
VERY hard hitting contest between Sheamus and Bryan. That kind of thing should be saved for PPVs since it's hard to top them when you're doing that kind of thing on regular TV.
Pretty crazy post-match segment. Raw's a weird show sometimes.
Kofi vs. Titus was fine to keep the feud going. That's what some TV matches are for.
I really liked Punk's promo to Cena. Punk might be the best mic guy in either major promotion.
That's one way to bring Orton back. You wouldn't know he was back from his second suspension with how he was booked. It's pretty telling about WWE's roster depth that he's treated as a big deal again immediately.
Par for the course with Bryan's psych evaluation. I'd rather have this than Hornswoggle or fat jokes.
Miz/Ziggler vs. Christian/Jericho was NICE. All four men are talented.
They're doing a great job building Ziggler vs. Jericho. I think Ziggler could finally get a career-defining win at Summerslam.
Tensai's a beast. He made impressive work of Tyson, who also played his part well.
Bryan's psych evaluation continues to be off the wall.
I'm not a big fan of Cena or (especially) Show, but they told a pretty good story.
Good post-match with Punk and AJ. I look forward to the match at Summerslam. Hopefully they use Cena and Show to further establish Punk.
I'll be back for Superstars and Impact on Friday. A news post is up next.
Chuck, maybe you can shed some (updated) light on your thoughts about where the PTP are headed here? I say that because it's odd to me how Titus can be booked to lose to Primo (who, outside of a fading tag team, hasn't won a singles match on a main roster since probably 2010) but can beat a multi-time champion in the WWE who has beaten Randy Orton in Kofi Kingston? As you know, I'm not a big fan of Titus in singles competition, so I'm a little confused there.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, what is your take on A.W. being a ridiculed a bit by mentioning the Kobe Bryant scandal in 2003? I personally thought though it was out of line, people need to get over it. Punk's promo last year was WAY more pervasive than what A.W. said, and it led to it being one of the most famous promos ever. It also led to getting noticed and eventually a World Champion, so what do you think of this heat A.W.'s been getting?
I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this Darren Young promo and demeanor here from 2:38 until 4:45 in this segment. If he sustained that aggression, intensity and pretty good promo in this segment, would you have had him in higher regard? I remember you said one of your caveats with Young was that he would either show up to kick ass or just take it easy, so you thought that intensity he showed here wasn't always present, but was there, nonetheless?
2:38 until 4:45
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2TmQjN91UQ
WWE is ADD. They could have changed their minds on how much they like PTP within the last few weeks and gone from there. Or because it seems kind of commonplace in 2012 for the challengers to get some wins on the champions to add drama to title matches.
ReplyDeleteAs a fan, I couldn't care less if AW was offensive since he's a bad guy and it's ultimately a TV show. From a business perspective, I see WWE not wanting its stars to say anything that sponsors or powerful organizations would find offense to. They want to be seen as a kid-friendly entertainment company. Also, with Linda running for Senate they don't want to give any ammunition to her opponents.
Punk was taking shots at WWE and how it was run, not a high-profile rape case from outside the company.
I like that promo ok. My main concern with him was that he was over-the-top intense with his promos. That promo actually gave a reason to hate him (he had done something bad to Hornswoggle) instead of the regular "I'm the man. Titus sucks. I'm No Days Off" that got so tiring. I just think he was miscast and tried too hard to be a bad guy.
I personally don't have too many problems with someone being intense with promos if it's consistent and consistent with their character. In Young's case, I could see someone being a bit confused, as one week he'll be kind of laid back and the next he was very intense. I like the fire and aggression he showed, but I agree it could have been more consistent. On the other hand, remember he was a face going into the competition, but changed roles about a month and a half in. Overall, he was still ranked No. 1 in my books, though in terms of everything I look for.
ReplyDeleteWith the Punk comparison, I was comparing it based on pervasiveness and impact rather than how similar the content was. Punk has actually gotten praises for being an anti-corporate figure who conspires against them, which was really odd to hear when A.W. says something of a slip of the tongue, he gets chastized for it. If anything, you can argue that the Punk promo benefitted him more than hindered him.
That's true that it's different from a business vs fan perspective, and it really is two different sides to the equation. I could see their offense to it as a company, but stuff like that gets said every now and then. What got me a little confused/upset was the talk about firing A.W. over that. Do you think, with the WWE having A.D.D., that will affect PTP, A.W. or both?
It wasn't so much consistency with me. I just didn't like the role. He came across as a one-dimensional intense heel and it got old with me. Character is pretty much always going to top fire and aggression with me.
ReplyDeleteI think there are important differences between what Punk said and what AW said. Punk was taking shots at WWE (and it benefited him a lot). He didn't make any risque shots at a sexual assault case. WWE's probably not going to get flak from anyone for stuff that was said against them. They have to worry about public perception with AW.
WWE's lack of consistency and focus affects everyone who isn't already a top guy (Punk miraculously broke through to where it probably won't affect him anymore), since that's pretty much the only area of the card they have a long-term plan for. Some change in character and plans is good (I'm glad Titus and Darren aren't still feuding for instance), but a lot of times it's frustrating to follow.
With that said, do you see A.W's blunder affecting Young or Titus in any way in relation to a push? I know the WWE has held incidents like this in the past against other wrestlers.
ReplyDeleteI think they might take AW's live mic away, but I don't think they'd punish the whole team for it. Though WWE's known to hold grudges!
ReplyDelete