Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.
John Cena could be the worst character in WWE today. Yes, maybe even worse than Hornswoggle or Khali. WWE making its heels the butts of jokes instead of serious threats hurts business. If Cena doesn't sell these people as threats even after they beat him, why should fans care about them?
New year. Same SuperCena. Anyone tuning back in because of The Rock who wanted to see something fresh has got to be disappointed. They had an opportunity to really make Dolph there and they blew it. What did a win do to elevate Cena? He started off the match as the top full-time guy and ended it as the top full-time guy. Except he now has one less credible challenger.
Eve vs. Kaitlyn was fine to continue the angle. Next week, Raw's in Kaitlyn's hometown and I think it's just about time for a title switch.
I liked the segment with Santino, Ricky, and Barrett. Everyone played their parts well. The only thing I didn't like was Barrett insinuating that the title didn't mean anything when Kofi held it. Kofi should be an important act protected for the future.
Orton and 3MB's segment wasn't bad. Hopefully Orton doesn't destroy all three and make them look subservient.
I liked the tag match putting Rhodes Scholars back in the title picture, though I wish they would have pinned Kane over Bryan. A loss hurts Kane less. Bryan's still on the fence. He could go into the "Swagger" position of former World Champions if they're not careful. At any rate, I want The Shield to take the tag gold. I like Rhodes and Sandow, but I think The Shield would do more to elevate the titles.
Orton could probably murder someone and still be booked strong. I don't see huge futures for 3MB, but don't think they should have been rendered as non-threats by someone who is one failed drug test away from being gone for an entire year. I like Orton and if he didn't have two strikes, I'd be behind him, but they've got to put that first when booking him.
Barrett beating Santino was the right move. Nothing against Santino at all, but Barrett should be protected as someone with a future. Does Steamboat's involvement mean his son's going to challenge for the title?
How awesome would Barrett vs. Steamboat have been? Major heel points for Barrett if he takes out a legend.
Sheamus IS the Irish Cena based on that segment. I think he's very talented in the ring, but he makes a goofy face.
Cesaro vs. Khali was fine to elevate the Champion.
Good segment with Maddox and Heyman. Very curious to see the end game for those two.
So much for that 3MB push. I think Sheamus is a worthy top guy, so I'm not going to complain too much. Hopefully some day Slater, Mahal, and McIntyre get to show what they're made of some day.
Nice video package on Punk vs. Ryback.
Punk vs. Ryback was outstanding. Lots of carnage. If they book the follow-up strong, Ryback can still be a top guy.
I can't wait for Punk vs. Rock on the mic.
I like Bryan and Kane, but this is getting kind of silly.
Del Rio vs. Show belongs on PPV. Hopefully they do an ending that leads to a match at the Rumble. I'd have Show do something else to Ricardo.
I get that they wanted Show to be impactful, but sacrificing Kofi shouldn't have been the way to do it. Kofi should be seen as someone who could move up the card soon, and possibly even be a Royal Rumble/MITB winner.
Rock/Punk was definitely memorable. It went too long, but most of it was good. That said, Rock's stuff got juvenile, and Punk got repetitive.
More wrestling coming up.
Who do you think got the best of the Rock/Punk verbal exchange? Personally, I disagree with something Punk said. He criticized the WWE for making superstars (Brodus Clay, and Khali for example) into personas that aren't natural all to playcate to the WWE Universe.
ReplyDeleteThis is indeed World Wrestling ENTERTAINMENT. Though I'm not a fan of Brodus' gimmick, and understand it's not something Brodus would bring up, I understand why the WWE would take a step outside of the box - and it indeed paid off, as his gimmick surprised many people.
I've always noticed Punk as very pathological in that he values wrestling ability over anything else and kind of devalues the whole "entertainer" and "charisma" characteristics. He needs to note that this isn't Ring of Honor, and that's how the whole mission and route that the WWE has taken for decades.
I really liked what I saw from The Rock. I think he did a great job of combining the humor with intensity and charisma. His rivalry with Cena was almost ALL humor and little substance and not too much about competition. I think he really got us hyped about his match with Punk at th Rumble not only from a humor standpoint, but a matchup standpoint. That is something he didn't necessarily do AS WELL with Cena and is something few people have the range and charisma to do.
At 40, I really think Rock is sharper than ever on the mic, intensity-wise, and he's also in the best shape I've seen. He's always had that "it" factor to me. You can tell he wanted to return moreso than the WWE wanted him to return.
That kind of brings up the question of how long he will stay with the WWE. You can tell he likes acting, so being gone seven years kind of brings up the concern that he may not stay long even if he wins the title. That could also bring up some controversy with the fans. What do you think?
Also, what do you make of the WWE leaving Zack Ryder off of the "Most Followers in the WWE" advertisement on Raw? To consciously leave him off on top of his dropoff last year, I'm starting to see a bit why Ryder has been frustrated with the company. Imagine if you worked for a company and you were responsible for something impressive, but didn't receive any credit. I wouldn't be able to wrap by head around that.
I noted one of your posts about the Twitter ad leaving Ryder out on Raw, but was checking to see your deeper thoughts on it.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big Punk fan, so it's going to color my judgment: I liked what Punk said more than what Rock said. Like Cena, Rock gets really silly in places. I loved that when I was younger and I imagine a lot of younger fans today like the catchphrases and nicknames, but it doesn't really do much for me in 2013. Like last year, it seemed like he was more about getting something to trend on Twitter than doing a wrestling promo.
ReplyDeleteAs for Punk criticizing WWE, I think he takes issue with the fact that they've taken people who trained all their lives to be wrestlers and turned them into goofy characters. I don't think he'd have an issue if Brodus and Bryan had characters like, say, Mark Henry and Chris Benoit in their prime. I know he's a fan of Ryder and his best friend is Colt Cabana, so I don't think it's entertainment-style characters he's against as much as WWE making people something they're not fit for. Brodus' gimmick could very well be some kind of test or punishment given that they were originally going to have him get a good push as a dominant force (somewhat like Ryback).
I think he appreciates charisma and talking ability, too. Hence the remarks about being the best on the mic and on commentary.
That said, you're right that it's not SOLELY about wrestling ability, and a lot of fans don't want to see a product like that. I like Tyson Kidd, but don't think he should be a main eventer without better mic skills.
I think I still have a bad taste in my mouth from all the silliness against Cena. Again, that's what Rock's known for and what gets him over, but I'm not personally much of a fan of it anymore.
Rock's definitely still got it and is one of the best entertainers of all time. I just hope WWE doesn't just make things about the part-timers again, since it makes the people they rely on to sell non-Mania season look secondary. And I think WWE wanted him to return BADLY given how big of a deal he still is. He could make a lot of money staying in Hollywood. There was the whole phase he went through where he was just Dwayne Johnson and there was the cover story "The Rock is dead" that led to Cena's comments years back that kind of got the ball rolling on their feud. WWE did a good job playing off of their legitimate disagreements, and I think they'll do the same thing with Rock vs. Punk.
I hit enter too soon! I think Rock will be gone again after Mania. At the very least, there's no way he'll be a regular because he still wants to do movies.
ReplyDeleteI think WWE doesn't want to admit how over Ryder was/is. They're very adamant about pushing people they "made" and Ryder kind of "made" himself with the YouTube show. WWE is very finicky with who they acknowledge.
Man, I honestly feel a bit for Ryder here. Putting myself in his shoes here in him wanting to be in the company since he was a kid, building a good fanbase from scratch, and getting noticed all to get demoted back to Square One would be pretty devastating. Especially with the support he's gotten from Cena and Punk and the fanbase he's built. Good point with the WWE wanting to push people they've made, but they've gotta respect what Ryder has built. I think Ryder has all of the charisma and talent in the world, and he's still young, but do you think he'll ever get to be prominent again? What do you think have been the main aspects holding him back?
ReplyDeleteWith Punk, I'm just noticing more of a one-dimensional view of how what he considers makes up a WWE Superstar in viewing in-ring skill as superior to the intangibles, which is a shame with him being champion creating such good word-of-mouth. Not saying he thinks charisma and intangibles mean nothing, but I mean, I hear him saying "I'm the best wrestler in the world" moreso than I hear him saying "I'm the greatest on the mic".
I guess I take more offense to that in the sense that he's the champion of the company, so he of all people should know that charisma and intangibles are at more of a premium, as in-ring talent can be taught.
I can remember in 2012 on NXT, despite Otunga having a solid gimmick, personality, and charisma, he still admitted to voting him dead last because he didn't view him as a good wrestler and was really critical of him. You make a good point in that it could be that the characters being made are a mockery of the hard work wrestlers have put in inside the ring, but for years, the company has been all about the "entertainer" and not just "wrestler".
This may be just my opinion from all of the evidence I've gathered, and I guess I'd see his point more if this was Ring of Honor or if there were no storylines, but I just didn't really think he matched up to The Rock during that confrontation in terms of the strength of his arguments. I did like The Rock's mix of humor and intensity, though.
Your stance on what will happen with The Rock is probably what will indeed happen with The Rock, unfortunately. I really wish he would stay with the company, but unfortunately with a guy that talented, he's got other options. I can definitely see others criticizing the WWE's handling of the championship with giving it to him and then letting him walk away just a month or two later. It's unfortunate.
I can remember in 2010 on NXT***
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel for Ryder. I've been a fan of his pretty much since the Edgehead days (the Major Brothers were so-so). He's grown a lot since then and I can tell he WANTS to stand out/have a bigger role. I don't know if you watched the ECW brand (so many didn't), but that's when he really came into his own in a heel version of his current gimmick. It was the right combination of Creative and talent both putting on their best efforts. They really put some faith in him.
ReplyDeleteHopefully once they realize they can't rely on the guys who are near or past 40 forever, he'll get to move up the card. The main thing that could be holding him back other than management being upset that he got over on his own is that they have so many other "toys to play with" who are perhaps more ready in the ring - as a face he has to compete with Cena, Ryback, Sheamus, Orton (for now), Miz, Del Rio, Kofi, Kane, and Daniel Bryan among others. All of those guys have at least touched main event level and management will be more likely to go with someone they've used before to success.
That makes sense. I know he is more likely to appreciate someone who's put in years of work as a wrestler than someone who got hired from another background. He works hard on the in-ring aspect and wants others to do so as well.
In-ring talent can be taught (to most), but it can take years to become really good at it. I've even heard that it takes about 10 years to reach that plateau. I definitely see a difference between veterans and relative newcomers.
I think things might be changing some with HHH gaining power and Punk lobbying for things (I'm assuming he still does that): a lot of signings lately have been people with a nice amount of wrestling experience. Even the Diva hires they've made have been from the indie scene.
I definitely don't want WWE to be like current-day Ring of Honor! I like some off-the-wall characters here and there. Just not overly silly stuff (which is of course subjective).
Like I said, I'm a pretty die-hard Punk fan (and this is coming from someone who was a pretty big Rock fan back in the day). It just seems like Punk is more like what wrestling "should be" in 2013. Rock hasn't really evolved as a character in years. Not that I expect him to, since the character's very successful. I just look at Jericho, Kane, Lesnar, and Tensai all having a "fresh coat of paint" in their most recent runs. Obviously Tensai didn't work out as well, but he got further than he ever did as Albert.
Ultimately I see what they're going for with Rock. If Cena wins the title from him at Mania, Cena becomes an even bigger star without hurting The Rock (if it's a competitive match). I'm sure WWE would like to have a lot of its part-timers more often, but a lot of times it isn't feasible. That's all the more reason to build for the future.
As if to reiterate my point, I just found out that WWE has signed a prominent indie name and is looking for more. It makes me think that the company MIGHT be moving in a less "entertainment-based" direction in the years to come when HHH gains power. That's pure speculation on my part, but it's based on what he's done so far as VP of Talent Relations.
ReplyDelete