Read on for my thoughts on the 8/27 Raw.
Pretty awesome opening promo. Punk's got an "it" factor that few in today's wrestling world can touch.
Ryback beats a former World Champion. He's good and very impressive, but can he go the distance?
The Divas match was good while it lasted. It's kind of a shame that the battle between the champion and a former champion was just fodder for Vickie.
AJ vs. Vickie is interesting. What's it leading to? Hopefully Dolph gets elevated from it somehow, since neither of them are current active wrestlers.
I hate some WWE comedy skits. They need something better to kill time, like showing us why the undercarders matter.
Lawler can still cut a heck of a promo.
It makes sense that Cena would beat Miz given where they are on the card. At least Miz didn't look like a chump.
It's a shame that Bryan vs. Kane feels like pretty much a backdrop to promote Charlie Sheen's new show.
Slater vs. Santino was something all right.
Brodus Clay pinned Cody Rhodes? Something's wrong here. Clay shouldn't be a bigger deal than the former long-reigning Intercontinental Champion.
This anger management stuff is silly.
Do we really need this many HHH packages?
I really hope Bryan's angle is leading somewhere. I can't believe I'm saying this given how much I ragged on him in his NXT days, but he could be an important part of the company.
Great promo from HHH. I know it's a battle of two part-time guys, but I'd like to see if he and Brock could top their last match.
I like Ziggler taking away Jericho's entrance. He should harp on beating him.
I was really hoping Ziggler wouldn't be the guy taking the fall. I'm not even a massive fan of his. I just think he should be presented as someone credible in the World Title picture (or all of his MITB momentum and beating Jericho is for nothing). If anything, he should have beaten Orton to show that he can hang with the main eventers. If Orton fails another Wellness test, he's fired for a year. They need to be using him better.
Otunga vs. Ryder was a waste of time. Why should we care about Otunga if he loses so quickly?
Correction: why should we care about the match at all if it's just used to continue Kane's story. If Otunga had failed a Wellness test, I can see why he'd be booked like that. He just filmed a movie with Halle Berry. They should be using him better, too.
Glad the WWE Champion made quick work of a semi-retired announcer. That's what should be happening.
I love that they're building Punk as a despicable heel. He's money. Treat him like it.
I'll be back for more shows when I'm able. Up next, a news post.
Chuck, I'm not sure if you're caught up on the WWE headlines, so I don't want to ruin too much for you. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on Daniel Bryan. He's surprised me big time in that before he turned heel, I thought he was a one-dimensional wrestler who lacked personality. Now, as of late especially, he's turned into one of the most charismatic and entertaining entertainers the company has to offer. How surpised are you? Maybe it just shows that certain superstars on the roster just need a chance.
ReplyDeleteAgain, it's hard to really get your thoughts on what's updated in the WWE if I don't know if you're caught up or not, so I'll wait until your response to get your thoughts on some of these other storylines.
I'm still about 2 weeks behind. Bit off more than I can chew this semester but I'm dropping one class so maybe I'll survive. I generally get back to my room too stressed to do much blogging, sadly.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm VERY surprised. I might have had Bryan ranked 7th or 8th in NXT Season 1 because he was so different from everyone else as to almost not be "playing the same game". He's nowhere near as interesting when he's just being the kid from Aberdeen, Washington who likes classical music and named his dog Asparagus.
Though we/I probably shouldn't be as surprised given that he got high marks from HBK, Regal, and Punk (as well as legions of internet fans). I just didn't see what the fuss was about until he turned heel.
I think his experience has helped him tremendously. He's been around the block and it's apparently easier to transition from one style to another than start from scratch like some FCW prospects. It's telling that some of the best, most over talent in WWE got their start in either another company or a different developmental territory. It makes me wonder what they're really looking for.
Wow, I'm surprised you had him ranked so low on Season 1. So you had Bryan behind guys like Tarver and Sheffield then? I definitely agree that it's surprising seeing him break that "one-dimensional" shell and become a heck of a lot more interesting and entertaining. He's went from one of the more boring roster guys to one of the most entertaining.
ReplyDeleteWithout blowing the cover and giving away what's happened the last two weeks, here's a couple of clips here to show you what I mean. Check them out..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmONdNzhMbs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzf1iUM8AeU
I'm also a little puzzled on the Ryback character and situation. I've mentioned before that I really think it's a waste of time with Ryback going out there and squashing every wrestler time and time again like they're building him to be the next Goldberg or something. To me, he's a bit limited in the ring and charisma-wise and it seems he's only pushed due to the "big guy bias" the WWE has. Is he really going to be sustainable in the company? I admit the fans are behind him, but SO many guys have been dominant at the beginning and then fall off quickly after.
Bryan was doing something so different as to not fit in with the WWE style at all. Tarver and Sheffield weren't very good, but were at least trying to be WWE superstars. Bryan stuck out as not fitting in.
ReplyDeleteI'll wait until I get caught up to see them. It won't take too long I hope.
Ryback's doing well so far. He hasn't passed the point where he's secured a spot on the roster (he can still be derailed if they don't use him right), and that might take some time at the rate they're pushing him.
I wouldn't expect him to deliver 5-star matches or memorable promos, at least not any time soon. We haven't seen what he can do in longer matches, but that could just be because WWE is hesitant to pull the trigger on him. I don't really blame them for trying to pull another Goldberg given how successful he was for WCW. Some people just like seeing powerhouses crush people.
If they are thinking of going the Goldberg route, there's a lot more to come from Ryback. Goldberg went 14 months before losing!