Read on for my thoughts on Raw.
Fine opening segment. Who says Ryback can't cut a promo?
Ryback looked awesome against Tensai. Is it the prettiest offense in the book? No. But fans are feeling it.
Nice win for Barrett. He's a convincing street fighter. More please?
Is there more to come with Maddox? He played his role well.
I've seen better from Kaitlyn, but it was good for to get revenge. Now that she has it, where does she go from here?
Glad they're continuing to build Cesaro. Talented guy.
I wasn't a fan of the segment continuing the AJ/Vickie angle.
Orton/Del Rio was REALLY solid. Both guys have earned their keep in 2012.
Khali killing Primo and Epico killed my interest in this show. That was the kind of thing that makes it hard to defend WWE.
Good win for The Miz. Otunga got in more offense than I would have expected going in.
I was ok with the promo between with Sheamus and Show.
Sheamus vs. Sandow was pretty solid. Glad Sandow got some good offense in before the inevitable.
Not a bad AJ/Vickie/Tamina segment.
Dolph/AJ/Cena was nice.
Great tag team segment. All three teams are great. I just hate that PTP got thrashed - both men have potential.
KILLER final segment. This angle has legs.
More wrestling coming up!
What do you make of the Miz/Otunga match here? Do you think this was more of the purpose of making Miz the good guy who can overcome adversity or do you see this as also partially the result of Otunga gaining more favor? Either way, I thought it was Otunga's best match in a while. Though he wasn't won a singles match since his return two months ago, it proves winning isn't everything in the company, as air time matters more. I personally like Miz as a heel, so I'm interested to see how he will fare as a (potential) face character. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit disapppointed with Darren Young right now. Though Titus didn't impress much on commentary (Lawler made the "personality-peak" point I chuckled at), Titus is still making more of an effort and is talking more on promos/interviews than Young.
Given, Young may be a bit tentative to not say something wrong on commentary (it's tough speaking in front of millions). Though Young has always been good in the ring, it seems being a singles competitor is more of his comfort zone. Though his gimmick is more natural, his promos and interviews have devalued (to me) a bit and he's not really taking the bull by the horns, so to speak. Would you agree?
The first thing I thought of in Miz vs. Otunga is how similar their careers are. It took years for those in and outside of the company to take him seriously as a wrestler and not just try to capitalize on his reality show fame. Granted, he also apparently had some attitude problems. Otunga should be looking at what Miz did to get a shot to move up the card.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it could always be as simple as "we need a heel to face Miz". The fact that they got some good TV time could just be that they had time to fill. It's tough to say! I will say that it does say something (not 100% sure what) that they picked Otunga to replace Rhodes, since the original plan was Tensai.
As for Miz going face, I think he can pull it off. The company wanted him to be face for his promotional work and for filming a WWE movie. They could do the same with Otunga in time. That would be very interesting to see.
I think both guys made their mark on commentary, though Titus moreso than Young. The fact that Cole pointed out multiple times that Young wasn't talking means at least the possibility of someone in the back wanting him to talk more. For promos, it might not be up to them. They just get X amount of time.
A lot of what happened to Young is not being a focal point like he was on NXT. I think if he was a singles competitor, he'd fare even worse amidst the sea of singles competitors not doing anything. It's great that he got to pull out a lot of moves and the like as a singles guy, but for now at least a tag team gives him and Titus time to grow. I'd rather him be in a tag team that gets used than a singles guy who ends up in the JTG position.
That said, him grabbing the bull by the horns would certainly help his chances of succeeding. That involves backstage work, too. A lot of people backstage have seen a LOT of wrestlers come and go. He (or any wrestler) has to show he has the drive necessary to stick out from the pack. That will only take him so far without a really good character and promo skills, but it will help.
I think Miz can pull it off. He's just so natural as a bad guy and has been a bad guy for a number of years, so it's hard to perceive how he will do as a fan. Where do you see him in terms of mid card versus upper card being a good guy? Your guess is as good as mine with all of the current talent on the roster right now and with longevity not mattering too much.
ReplyDeleteFair point on Young. I agree that though he has to share the spotlight with a partner takes some shine away from him, the singles division in the company is very much tougher to break into and also capture the like of the WWE and fans. It's kind of a bittersweet concept there.
I guess (being a fan of his) I would like to see more of his "take the bull by the horns" approach like you mentioned that he had on NXT. I think just because he's in a tag team doesn't mean he can't let his partner be a bit more of a mouthpiece. Not that Young's been mute or that Titus has been perfect on the mic, but being a bit more outgoing fits his persona and gimmick more. He's shown some charisma with his gimmick and entrances, but I'd like to see him back it up more with the chances he does get.
I think with the space on the roster, EVERY commentary, in-ring or interview chance a wrestler gets, they need to put in 100 percent. I'm not sure either if the WWE has been instructing O'Neil to be more talkative or what, but the fact remains.
By the way, I remember you mentioning numerous times the three guys who have attacked Ryback. What is your gut-instinct in terms of where they will fare in this Punk/Ryback scenario and where they will end up afterwards? I know that that Rollins is the NXT Champion, so a large chunk of his time would be spent on NXT and possibly sifting between NXT and the main roster. Or possibly just having him drop the title and become a main roster guy?
I also have checked a bit out about Ambrose. I haven't seen much of FCW at all, but I noticed his feud with Regal and like his aggressiveness as a heel.
Unfortunately, he'll probably take a backseat to Orton unless Orton turns heel as rumored. I HOPE he gets elevated and eventually works with Punk, but think he could stay around IC Title level for a while. WWE is VERY fickle.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible that WWE wants Titus to be the guy standing out and talking more. I don't know that to be the case, but he fits the mold better. I don't know if this was already planned or spurred by Monday's commentary, but PTP will be in the mix on both Smackdown and SMS. The placement is very interesting.
JR would agree about "maximizing your minutes"!
I know a lot of people are worried that they'll eventually end up fodder for Ryback. I really hope that isn't the case.
Rollins could easily drop the title and start working on the main roster. They just might not do it immediately because December's NXT episodes have been taped (which is kind of unfortunate since he's a face down there). Triple H is a fan of his and that's important (see Kharma, Sin Cara, Sheamus, and Sandow for what a Triple H endorsement can do. It wouldn't surprise me if he's behind Regal being more in the ring as well.) It wouldn't shock me if he eventually goes face since he reportedly has a good connection with the crowd in a Jeff Hardy/face C.M. Punk way.
Ambrose has been highly touted for going on a year. They are being very careful with how they use him. Management's high on him in other words. WWE's supposed to have long-term plans for anyone they bring up and that bodes well. It will be tough but not impossible to stand out when Rock, Taker, Lesnar, and HHH are back in the mix next year.
Reigns is kind of the odd man out and something of a surprise addition. He doesn't have near the hype of the other two. In fact, he hasn't had the gimmick all that long. He's worked some live events and dark matches at any rate, though and I know at least JR likes him. Whether Vince and Creative like him is the ultimate test, though. Fingers crossed.